I Received the Liebster Blog Award & My 11 Nominations

I think that’s my longest title, yet.  Thank you very much, Hannah Warren, for nominating me for the Liebster Award.

What does this mean?  I know, I asked the same thing.  Here’s the scoop.

- When you receive the reward you post 11 random facts about yourself and answer the 11 questions asked by the person who nominated you.

- Pass the award onto 11 other blogs (While making sure you notify the blogger that you nominated them!)

- You write up 11 NEW questions directed toward YOUR nominees.

- You are not allowed to nominate the blog who nominated you.

- You paste the award picture into your blog.

Pretty easy and quite a bit of fun.  I hope you click the links of my nominees below as well as Hannah’s above and visit these great writers.  Now onto my facts and questions.

11 Random facts about me - (Everything about me is random, but I get what they mean.)

1.      I started drinking coffee because I was married,  I know, that’s when most people start drinking.  However, in my head, all married people drank coffee.  I had heard my parents say often, “We’re going out for coffee with Sam and Pauline.”  It wasn’t until later that I discovered this meant beer for the men.  (I sense a future blog with this fact.)

2.      I prefer wearing shirts with pockets, because I insist on carrying a pen and tiny notebook wherever I go.

3.      My first published article was, The Nagging Child, in Decision Magazine in 1992.

4.      Cars and I hate each other.  None that I own ever seem to stay running for long and that even applies to cars I borrow.

5.      I love sitting by water, whether a pool, lake, river, or the ocean.  There is a peaceful feeling that comes with just staring at the calm surface.

6.      I despise hypocrisy and will not tolerate it.  Be who you are regardless of the people around you.

7.      In middle and high school, I was part of our choir’s ensemble, a group which performed routines to the songs we sang.

8.      My favorite style of music is showtunes and I would rather see a play than watch a movie.

9.      I am a firm believer in family above everything else, including career, church, and friends.

10.  I would much rather entertain at my home than go out somewhere.  My home is my personal sanctuary and we have striven to make it a welcoming safe haven of peace.

11.  I’m not a sports fan, at all.  I will watch a game for the social aspect, but I don’t keep up with it and couldn’t tell you one team from another or one player from another.

Now to answer Hannah’s questions:

1.      Which country are you from - born and bred?

The United States of America.

2.      How many books have you written/published?

Up until this year I have only written articles for varying magazines, although I was always working on a novel.  Several, actually, which was my problem.  I never finished them before moving onto the next great idea.  This year saw my first published short story, Circle of Justice.  My first, Reaping the Harvest, is in its final stages, and though we hoped to have it out on December 31st, it will be published on Smashwords in January 2013.  Two more will quickly follow in March/April of the same year.

3.      Are you a morning or evening person?

Both.  I am up early and I stay up late.  What I am not is an afternoon person.  Between 2 and 4, I am useless for anything that requires thought.

4.      Who would you like to give a good shaking and tell the truth?

Politicians, because I just get tired of the same redundant rhetoric and selfish ambition.

5.       What was your best little white lie?

No, that dress doesn’t make you look fat.

6.      Do you like Christmas?  Tell us what it means to you.

It’s my favorite time of the year, which is why I devoted this entire month at The Mess to it.  It is a magical time of family and hope and, even at it’s roughest, it brings people together as a time of healing.

7.      Which writer would you love to meet?

Deceased would be Ernest Hemingway.  Living would be Terry Brooks, because it was his Sword of Shannara that caused me to seriously put pen to paper.

8.      What is your favorite television program?

I have several: Castle, Arrow, NCIS, Criminal Minds - I see a major trend there.  The only comedy I watch is The Big Bang Theory.

9.      Which scene is the nicest to write and why?

For me it’s the character’s introspection, where they search inside themselves and make those rich inner discoveries.  I’m very much a soul searching person, which is what The Mess is really, my attempt to discover what is inside of me.

10.  Who is your best friend?

The three ladies I write about in my blog, Char, Teri, and Sarah.  They’ve tolerated my zaniness and been my biggest supporters and fans.  We’ve been through hell together and survived.

11.  What does this award mean to you?

It means quite a bit that Hannah thought enough of me to include me.  It is fun to get to know others and discover other great writers; to share something of myself, as well.  Thank you, Hannah, for the opportunity.

Thank you, Hannah, for choosing me to participate in the Liebster Blog Award.  I had a lot of fun and it was a great experience.  Now, my 11 nominations are:

Stephanie Neighbour

Jenna Brooks

Katie Oliver

Harvey Burgess

Thomas Wilson

David P. Perlmutter

Ginger Myrick

Rachael Phillips

Catherine W.

Bev Jones

William Blackwell

And now for my questions to those I nominated.

1.      Do you have any writing rituals?

2.      Would you prefer to live in the mountains or along the beach?

3.      At what age did you start writing?

4.      What country would you most enjoy visiting?

5.      What is your favorite memory as a child?

6.      Do you make New Year’s resolutions?

7.      What is your favorite book?

8.      What historical figure would you most want to meet, and why?

9.      What is your biggest pet peeve?

10.  Where would you like to see yourself in five years?

11.  What do you feel is your greatest accomplishment so far?

I look forward to seeing your answers and your nominations!

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