I've been a bad blogger lately and I apologize. I've got lots of excuses, but I'll spare you. (: A few weeks ago Sabrina at Sabrina's Writing Reflections passed the Liebster award my way and Al Diaz at Father Dragon Writes passed along the very Inspirational blogger award. Sorry for not acknowledging these two earlier, but I thank you both very much for thinking of me.
If you don't know Sabrina or Al, please check out their blogs, both are wonderful folks with great sites. (:
This award is given to newer bloggers with less than 200 members. At the time Sabrina passed this my way I had 197 followers and just made the cut. Here are the rules:
1) Tell 11 things about yourself.
2) Answer 11 questions from the blogger who nominated you.
3) Post 11 questions for those who will be nominated by you.
4) Nominate 11 (I've chosen 4) bloggers who have less than 200 followers.
5) Get in contact with those 11 bloggers to inform them that you nominated them.
Ok, lets get started, 11 Things About Me:
1) I have 2 kids a 6 year old and a 4 year old.
2) I'm a slow reader and that makes me really insecure, especially knowing some of you read 2 - 3+ novels in a week.
3) I've ridden Western and English saddle and though I enjoy Western, I think I prefer English saddle. The English saddle is lighter and I feel more connected to the animal, though I haven't been on a horse in years.
4) I love the comics section in news papers.
5) Going into bookstores makes me sad because all the books here are in French.
6) I'd like to set up a beehive in my backyard and have it produce a small batch of honey per year, but I'm the only one in my family that thinks that's a good idea.
7) I love spicy food.
8) When I make leek pie, I take the leftover crust and use cookie cutters to make cut outs as decoration on the pie for the kids.
9) I enjoy doing crafts with my kids.
10) I lost a few kilos since being sick this month. Unfortunately, none of that weight came off my problem areas. I now have skinny fingers and smaller boobs. Mother nature hates me.
11) I'm doing A-Z this year and have started prewriting my posts! (:
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The following are Sabrina's questions for me:
1. What is your current project about in one sentence?
A New Adult novel.
3) I've ridden Western and English saddle and though I enjoy Western, I think I prefer English saddle. The English saddle is lighter and I feel more connected to the animal, though I haven't been on a horse in years.
4) I love the comics section in news papers.
5) Going into bookstores makes me sad because all the books here are in French.
6) I'd like to set up a beehive in my backyard and have it produce a small batch of honey per year, but I'm the only one in my family that thinks that's a good idea.
7) I love spicy food.
8) When I make leek pie, I take the leftover crust and use cookie cutters to make cut outs as decoration on the pie for the kids.
9) I enjoy doing crafts with my kids.
10) I lost a few kilos since being sick this month. Unfortunately, none of that weight came off my problem areas. I now have skinny fingers and smaller boobs. Mother nature hates me.
11) I'm doing A-Z this year and have started prewriting my posts! (:
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The following are Sabrina's questions for me:
1. What is your current project about in one sentence?
A New Adult novel.
2. How long have you been working on it?
Over three years.
3. What time of day do you prefer to write?
Night.
4. What is one non-writing hobby?
Insects.
5. What is your fave munchy when you are writing?
That changes all the time and depends on what's in the house. But usually chocolate of some sort or sugar cookies.
6. What is your favorite quote?
I like too many to narrow it down to only one.
7. Tablet or paper book?
I don't own a tablet, so I can't say.
8. How many rejections have you received?
I've never submitted.
9. Where do you write?
In the living room.
10. Do you have rituals you must do before beginning to write?
No, unless getting the kids to bed is considered a ritual. (:
11. What is one of your most favorite books?
I can't say, I like so many.
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I nominate the following (feel free to just accept this award if you've already received it.) (:
Sara at SP Bowers
Randi Lee at The Emotional Process of Writing a Novel
Michael at ML Swift
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My questions for you guys are:
1) How long have you been writing?
2) What is your favorite genre?
3) What is your ideal writing place?
4) Have you (would you) ever co-authored a writing project?
5) Would you self-publish or get representation for your next project?
6) What is your least favorite genre?
7) Do you listen to music while you write?
8) What is your favorite movie?
9) What is your preferred non-writing activity?
10) Do your friends and family know you write or have you kept it a secret?
11) Describe your favorite place to visit.
For the Inspirational blogger award, I had to say seven things about myself, but seeing how I just wrote down 11 for the Liebster, I though I'd just write down 7 things that are dancing in my head right now:
1) Writing is art.
2) Writing is escape.
3) Writing is therapeutic.
4) Writing is empowering.
5) Writing is a journey.
6) Writing is love.
7) Writing is language, language is communication, communication is a basic human need.
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I'm passing on this award to the following bloggers, again sorry if you've already received this. Feel free to simply accept from someone who thinks you're the bees knees (:
I think Liebster is a German word. I can't remember for sure, though.
ReplyDeleteThe bit about losing weight made me laugh. I think that's telling you that you already have a healthy, slender shape that doesn't need adjusting.
ReplyDeleteI am a slow reader too, so you're not alone in that boat. Congratulations on the awards, you deserve them. :D
ReplyDeleteThank you Father Dragon! :)
DeleteI prefer English style over Western, too. Probably for the same reason. You just feel more connected to the horse.
ReplyDeleteSo I guess you don't want to know how my 13 year old can read a YA novel in two hours. Yeah, makes me sick too. lol
I've never heard of leek pie before....I'll have to look that one up :)
ReplyDeleteI think a beehive is a great idea, though I'd have to research it more before trying it, myself.
Leek pie or leek tart, it's basically leeks chopped, cooked up with thick strips of cut up bacon, a dab of sour cream and cheese melted in. The whole mess is put into a pie dish with pie crust (obviously, lol) and then cooked in the oven for about 20 minutes or until the crust is cooked. I always lay a second layer of pie crust on top, but you don't have to. It's great and there are a ton of different recipes on line for it. :D
DeleteI enjoyed getting to know more about you, Elise. My family used to fight over the comics at dinner time. But for some strange reason, I only read the two comics that are at the very bottom of the page. So I didn't join in the fight. :)
ReplyDeleteI must be a slow reader too, then. I shoot for 3 or so a month. Who has time for more? Congratulations on your award-- and great chosen recipients!
ReplyDeleteI'm a slow reader too! Actually, I'm not slow, I just don't have the time to read. So I'm like a book every two weeks reader... oh well :)
ReplyDeleteMy significant other is a slow reader too. Sometimes, I look and him and say something like "You're still reading that book?" without thinking about it. I feel bad afterward.
ReplyDeleteAnd I love going into bookstores, regardless of what language the books are in. During my Russia trip, my sister and I ended up in a Ekaterinberg bookstore and were in heaven though we really couldn't read much Cyrillic. We know more French. We love the bookstores in Montreal.
You a bad blogger? Pffft. You are amazing Elise! I love all the stuff you post about. :)
ReplyDeleteI agree with Michael. You're the cat's meow. :)
ReplyDelete=^.^= le meow (;
DeleteI'd have to side with your family on the beehive idea. Sorry. Skinny fingers are good...
ReplyDeleteThanks for thinking of me!
You're an interesting person, Elise! And I appreciate the award! Do you ride dressage or hunter? I'm definitely a western saddle person. I need the horn. Thanks again, so much. :o)
ReplyDeleteDressage, no. Well once actually. A friend on mine trained dressage horses and she let me ride one once. It was amazing to ride that horse, unlike any other horse I had ever ridden, everything was based on my center of gravity. If I was off even just a bit, the horse would simply stop and wait for me to get my stuff together. (; The rest of the time I rode hunter, but I never participated in shows or anything like that, it was mainly leisure and trail riding.
DeleteI hope you're starting to feel better. I finally am. I use cookie cutters to cut out shapes in pie crust, too. You can also use them on a sheet cake or brownies to make it look like you made more effort you did in making something pretty. :D
ReplyDeleteYou reminded me how much I used to like to ride when I was younger. Congrats on the awards :)
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for the award! :) I've received it before, but I'll see if I can get around to posting about it.
ReplyDeleteAn apiary would be really cool.
You made me feel better with the confession you've been working on the same book for over three years. I feel like mine's gonna take that long, too. Now I'll make you feel better because I've been trying to finish a book I started 4 months ago. Now, I've resorted to just skimming 20-pages every night before I go to sleep. It's by a big-name author, whose books I usually like, but I don't like this one... Most books take me about 3 months to read even if I like them - so I'm even a slower reader than you! :-)
ReplyDeleteHi Elise,
ReplyDeleteIt be three in the morning, or four in the morning, your time. I reckon I should get an award for commenting at such a ridiculous time :)
Well done you on getting that 'Lobster' award or whatever it's called :) And now, no doubt you will have a zillion followers by the end of the year. Me, I lose 'followers'. And nice one getting the very inspirational blogger award. Congrats to those fine folks you bestowed those awards to.
Elise, your writing is clear demonstration of the magic, the wonder that is the written word. I'm grateful to know you and your kind support on my blog. Thank you, Elise. Right then dude, time to go check your eyelids for cracks!
Gary :)
Dude, you're ahead of me on the A to Z front. I've matched some words to letters (I started w/the "hard" letters first) but have a ways to go before I'm ready. Gah. So much to do!
ReplyDeleteCongrats on your awards!!!
I need to write my A-Z posts like pronto!
ReplyDeleteI can't do insects. I just...can't. I'm such a wimp :D
Hi Elise .. thanks so much for the award .. I'd squizzed through the post - as I'm on my blogging break - and missed my name!! I love awards am usually a poor recipient .. as my blog stays healthily uncluttered (not like life here) ..
ReplyDeleteI love leek pie and all things quiche or pie .. we have bang it and bash it fruit cake, and chicken muck up ... with a potato topping or less often pastry toppings ... well I don't 'cos it's just me!!
Cheers and thanks for the award .. very grateful .. Hilary
Aw, thanks, Elise. :)
ReplyDeleteI recently got this one, so I'll answer right here...
1) How long have you been writing?
2.5 years (seriously writing, that is)
2) What is your favorite genre?
Romance
3) What is your ideal writing place?
My ideal place would be an office with a good view, but my real one is a folding table in the middle of the dining room...that isn't a dining room. :P
4) Have you (would you) ever co-authored a writing project?
No, and probably not. I loathe group projects.
5) Would you self-publish or get representation for your next project?
I'm leaning toward self-publishing at the moment. Ask me tomorrow. :D
6) What is your least favorite genre?
Hmm... probably horror.
7) Do you listen to music while you write?
Sometimes.
8) What is your favorite movie?
That's a tough question. I'd have trouble narrowing it down to just one.
9) What is your preferred non-writing activity?
Reading romance.
10) Do your friends and family know you write or have you kept it a secret?
They know. It takes up quite a bit of my time.
11) Describe your favorite place to visit.
My mind went to 'vacations', so: Anyplace with a breathtaking view.
I also love spicy foods... and I'm moving full steam ahead with those A to Z posts!
ReplyDeleteI L-O-V-E your writerly reflections!!
Elise, you are so super sweet! I was having a crummy kind of weekend, but you just perked me right up :D Thanks so much for the award, you really did make my day! And very cool to learn some new facts about you. I always love getting to know people better :)
ReplyDelete