Nominated for the Versatile Blogger Award? Me?! How cool!
I've not paid a lot of attention to awards outside of the Oscars, maybe because I've never been nominated for any (I'm still holding out for an Oscar nom sometime in the future, when Hollywood makes a major motion picture of one of my novels and I cut a deal to star in it, along with George Clooney. Hey, it could happen. Ok, maybe not the Clooney part ... or the me starring in it part ... Sigh.). But I do get excited when friends and fellow writers get nominations for various awards, and even win, and I can picture them jumping up and down in front of their computer, feeling happy and proud.
Well, I can no longer say I've never been nominated for anything. Lovely new friend and amazingly versatile blogger herself, Doreen "Dody" Cox ( @mothersitting on Twitter), was kind enough to nominate me for this award that I especially like because versatile, to me, means being fascinated by many things and compelled to write about them all.
Or maybe I just have a short attention span. ;-}
Anyway, thanks so much, Dody!
I write novels and short stories in several genres, and on any given day my blog might be about ... well, anything. Yes, my brain does bounce 'round and 'round, landing on whatever I find interesting at that moment.
There are a few requirements to this award, such as adding a list of links to your favorite blogs, as well as that of the person who nominated you, and I shall try and fill them all. But I would actually be more qualified for the Versatile-But-Technologically-Inept Blogger Award. I had been thinking about adding a list of blogs I read, but had trouble figuring out how to get the links on there. But I will find a way, hopefully by tomorrow. And I'll add Doreen's beautiful blog there as an actual link, as well as the other blogs I enjoy.
Another requirement: Listing 7 things about myself. Where do I begin?
1) I grew up reading classic sci-fi, from when I was barely old enough to read. My two older brothers collected it, and I liked to swipe their books. I skipped Cat In The Hat and went straight to H.G. Wells and Robert Heinlein. I didn't always get it, but I loved it.
2) I am totally fascinated by manta rays. Big, spooky, awesome undersea flyers, that look like they could just as easily be gliding along on some distant planet, or through deep space itself. During Shark Week 2011, the Georgia Aquarium had a week of live streaming video of their 6 million gallon tank, complete with a half dozen mantas and two gigantic whale sharks (also way up on my list of ultra-cool creatures). I swear I watched it about 20 out of every 24 hours, every day. When they turned it off, it broke my widdle heart.
3) I used to be a sculptor. I did fantasy & science fiction — mid-sized figurines and tiny gaming figures. Sculpting is what i do best and what I love most. But serious sensitivity to the materials (among other symptoms, I couldn't breathe) forced me to give it up.
4) I'm a vegetarian and almost always have been. I remember being maybe 3 years old and finding out that the shrimp I was eating were not veggies at all, but little bitty creatures from the sea. I freaked out, in an ewwwwwwww! sort of way. That should have been a clue right there. I still ate some meat throughout childhood — a minimal amount — plus tuna, but by the time I was about 14, I went totally veggie. Not because of any social views or to be trendy, or because someone says it's a healthy lifestyle. I'm not a cow-hugger. I just find it, well, icky.
5) I could not live without TV. There, I said it. I've loved TV ever since I was little. I love that the characters from my favorite shows visit me every week. Of course, the more I like them, the more likely it is that the networks will banish them to Cancelville.
6) The first time I watched Stephen King's THE STAND on TV, I instantly developed a huge crush on Gary Sinese. I figured it would go away as time went on. Nope.
7) I love potato chips so much, aliens could probably entice me onto the mothership with a can of Pringles.
BLOGS I ENJOY READING:
http://doreencox.blogspot.com/
Doreen writes about love and commitment and many other things touching and unique. I love her humor and her humanity and of course her love of cats.
http://chicksinlit.blogspot.com/
I was introduced to this blog by my friend Cindy Schuerr (@cswriter59), who is one of its contributors. At Chicks In Lit there is writing, promotion, reviews, and support for writers.
http://www.neilgaiman.com/
Neil Gaiman, one of my favorite writers and one of my favorite members of the human race. In his blog, he's shared much with his fans -- married life while on the road, his thoughts about writing, his love for his pets, and more about beekeeping than we ever thought we'd know.
http://shellijohnson.com/blog/
http://kristenlamb.org/
Again, thanks for the nomination! It's nice when you hear that people enjoy what you do. Especially when you enjoy doing it. :-}