Award-Winning! The Liebster Award

Well, I’m not sure I can pronounce the name correctly but thankfully no one can hear me on the Internet. This blog has been nominated for the Liebster Award!

The Liebster Award, created in 2011, is given to bloggers by bloggers in order to welcome and/or promote the nominated blog. Fantasy author Timandra Whitecastle nominated me on her blog. Thanks a ton, Timandra!

To receive the award, the nominated blogger should post a blog update that does the following (see full rules here):

(1) Thanks the person who nominated you – Thanks again, Timandra!

(2) Answer the 11 questions the nominator asked – done! Scroll down past the important stuff. 🙂

(3) Give 11 random facts about yourself (optional) – also done! See below as well.

(4) Nominate 5-11 other bloggers with less than 200 followers AND give them 11 questions to answer. I nominate Kylie Payne, Sarah Simmons, Brian Rhodes, Darlene Campbell, Candy Mickels Mejia, and Kristin O’Keefe. Here are 11 questions for you all to answer:

1. What book are you reading right now? Are you liking it?
2. On average, how many books do you read a month? Is it more or less than you’d like?
3. What is your all-time favorite book?
4. What is your all-time favorite movie?
5. Which fictional character (from any medium: book, TV, medium) best represents you (i.e., who would you be if you were a character)?
6. Have you ever watched a book-based movie that was better than the book it was based on? If so, which one?
7. Which do you prefer: reality TV or not? (Or no TV at all)?
8. Other than your blog, do you have a writing project/work-in-progress? If so, what’s it about? What’s your plan for when you’re finished?
9. Why do you write? And follow-up: why do you blog (is it the same reason or different goal)?
10. Batman or Superman? (Or Wonder Woman?) (Or some other comic book character you’re crazy about)? (Or are you more of a Marvel vs. DC person)?
11. What’s your best advice for other bloggers?

And here are my answers to Timandra’s (great!) questions:

1. What book are you reading right now? I just re-read The Fifth Wave in preparation for the last in the trilogy. I loved it the first time I read it and was really disappointed with the movie; but the book is just as good second time around. I’ve got the third and final installment lined up for my beach trip next week, along with the first of Lauren Kate’s Fallen Series and David J. Kowalski’s The Company of the Dead.
2. If you could meet a fictional character in real life, who would it be? I have to pick just one?? I’ve got some tied contenders: Superman (sorry, Timandra, I know you’re a Batman gal but my obsession with Superman runs pretty deep – just poke around my blog a little bit and you’ll see that). Harry Potter/Hermione/Ron (I know that’s technically three, but I’d want to just hang around them all).  Sherlock Holmes (though I’ll admit that there’s a strong possibility he’d drive me bonkers). Patch from Becca Fitzpatrick’s Hush, Hush saga (but really just to ogle him a little while; am I right, MorganMorganMorgan?!).
3. Which short story have you read recently? “Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut.
4. What extra would you love as an addition to your favorite fantasy book: awesome map(s) or cut scene(s)? Cut scenes, most definitely. Many fantasy books include maps already (or I draw them out in my mind while reading), but I’d like to see a little further inside the minds of the creator by way of cut scenes (of course then I’d just obsess about why said scenes were cut).
5. If you could travel to the places described in a book you’ve read – where would you choose to go? Middle Earth. I’ve been to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando twice; the first time was by myself in early December one year when there was hardly anyone there and it felt very real to me. I’ve also been to London for the Studio Tour and felt immersed in that world. But I’ve yet to experience to experience Middle Earth. Somebody needs to get on that.
6. Insider tip for someone visiting your area? Don’t attempt to drive and/or park downtown during a biker rally (which seems to happen multiple times a year). Pokemon Go may be having the same effect on walking in that area.
7. What is the most extreme thing you’ve ever done? I feel like you mean skydiving or some kind of extreme sport but I’m either too sane or too chicken to do stuff like that. So I’m going to go with waking my entire family up at midnight to break down camp in total darkness and drive the hour trip home because I couldn’t handle the loud snoring of a neighboring camper.
8. Batman or Superman? (Or Wonder Woman?) Superman, always and of course (see number 2 above).
9. What’s your favourite thing about blogging? Emptying my mind of whatever currently consumes it.
10. Can you describe your blog in 5 words or less? Random, honest and funny (hopefully).
11. Best advice for other newbie bloggers? Figure out why you blog and be true to that. Do you blog to be known? To develop a following? To spread a message? Or just to write? I started my blog way back when just to write (see number 9). Every time I’ve tried to shift away from that (to find a niche, get more followers, or whatever), my blog (and my writing) has suffered (either through sucky content or no content at all). Stick to you. There’s only one of you.

Finally, here are 11 random facts about me – I did a “random things about me” list years ago but people change so …

1. I just finished my first book! I’ve had several WIPs for most of my adult life but finally finished a complete draft of one of them. It’s on the second version now and out to beta readers for comments/suggestions.
2. I hate talking on the phone.
3. I like naps (daylight makes me sleepy).
4. I love teaching college students but often feel funny calling myself a teacher since I could never teach younger students (those people are saints!).
5. I really liked law school (probably because I’m a nerd and like learning) but hated being a lawyer (probably because of number 1).
6. I regularly plan to start my PhD (I even took the GRE again earlier this year) but have yet to actually do it.
7. I’m starting to think I’m neither an introvert nor an extrovert. I can be either depending on my moody. Yes, I’m moody.
8. I quit my “coke habit” (Coca-Cola, that is), for good a year-and-a-half ago, now drinking diet sodas and unsweet tea in between trying to get my daily water intake (64 ounces a day is easier than I thought but I still don’t like it).
9. I love to eat but have to “feel like” cooking. The result is that I graze on deli meat without the bread and saltine crackers all day long. My kids are unfortunately developing similar habits.
10. I have a bearded dragon named Smaug. We also have 3 dogs, a snake, two tarantulas and will be adding a bird soon. I like pets.
11. I used to be a runner and know sign language. Neither of those things are like riding a bike, hence the “used to.”

I had so much fun putting this post together. Hope you enjoyed it too!