Interview and Blog Awards

Proud To Be a Breepod Pea!

First, I want to thank Kate Grace for her interview of moi on her blog, A Bit of Grace. The interview is part of a series of interviews she is doing with clients of agent Bree Ogden, and every single one has been wonderfully fun and insightful. The school photo is from the mid-1970s, complete with a crocheted vest and ruffled shirt.

Here are the other interviews Kate has posted so far:

• Bree Ogden
• Kelsey Ketch
• Nikki Katz
• Randy Staples

Blog Awards!

Although I’ve been writing for what seems like forever, I’m fairly new to blogging, having started last spring. At first, I didn’t know what to expect. There are so many blogs, so many really good blogs, and, just like on the first day at a new school, I wondered if I would find my way around, make new friends, understand the current lingo.

I needn’t have worried. Other bloggers, especially the bloggers I’ve met who blog because they are writers, are generous, welcoming and supportive. Although I’ve written a lot this summer about my quest to find a better balance between being online and offline, I don’t regret at all the time I have spent here in this community.

This summer I was thrilled to have received three blog awards from two bloggers whose work I adore.

Drum roll, please!

Anne Tyler Lord, who writes the blog, Don’t Fence Me In, surprised me with two awards recently: The Versatile Blogger Award (above) and One Lovely Blog Award (below).

Kelsey Ketch of Ketch Tavern also was generous enough to give me a One Lovely Blog Award. To both Anne and Kelsey (two of my favorite bloggers whom I wish I could put on my own list for these blog awards), thank you! Here are the rules for the two awards:

The Rules for The Versatile Blogger Award:

1. Thank and link back to the person that gave you the award.
2. Share seven things about yourself.
3. Pass the award to fifteen bloggers that you think deserve it.
4. Lastly, contact all of the bloggers that you’ve picked for the award.

One Lovely Blog Award Rules:

1. Accept the award, post it on your blog together with the name of the person who has granted the award and his or her blog link.
2. Pass the award to 15 other blogs that you’ve newly discovered.
3. Remember to contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for this award.

Here are the seven things about myself:

1. I surprise myself by how much time I can spend happily alone.
2. I learned to count by counting calves in the pasture in the spring.
3. My grandpa let me smoke his pipe while I sat on his knee.
4. I have a hard time choosing between all the things I want to do.
5. I can whistle very loudly (loud enough to get the attention of everyone in a large lecture hall) by putting my thumb and first finger in my mouth.
6. I learned Ancient Greek in college to fulfill my foreign language requirements, because I didn’t have to speak it.
7. I love to cook.

I would like to award both the One Lovely Blogger award and The Versatile Blogger award to these fifteen terrific blogs and bloggers. I love how Kelsey added to the rules for the awards “if you can or have the time” (no wonder I enjoy her blog so much). To all award recipients, please know that I only wish to express my admiration and appreciation for your time and talent, and the last thing I would want is for anyone to feel pressured to do anything that is not comfortable, so please do with the award what you will. All I ask is that you continue to blog!

• The Blue Inkwell
• Diving Into Beans
• Finding Josephine
• Life @ the Poles
• Live2Write2Day
• Love, Rose
• Magical Things. Beautiful Things.
• Once Upon a Blog
• poetryNprogress
• Raising Smart Girls
• The Sophia Project
• Tessa Quin’s Blog
• They Say Everyone Has a Story…
• Writing Under Pressure
• Writing Without Paper

Finally, I was delighted when Kelsey also gave me a Summer Blogger Award (isn’t it beautiful?). By the way, please be sure to read a recent excerpt that Kelsey posted on her blog from her book Death’s Island.

The rules for this award are simple: thank the person who gave it to you with a link back in your post, and send this on to fellow bloggers who rock this summer. List 4 rocking bloggers (if you can or have the time) to share this with, and post a note to them through their comments.

I pass the Summer Blogging Award along to these bloggers who have informed, inspired, and impressed me this summer:

• Anne Tyler Lord (Don’t Fence Me In)
• Christi Craig (Writing Under Pressure)
• Michelle Johnson (Magical Things. Beautiful Things.)
• Sandi Johnson (The Blue Inkwell)

Happy Friday, everyone!