The Always Here If You Need Me Award

I was especially honoured to be nominated for this award by Kevin over at Creative Mysteries. To be made to feel that people are reading what you write and enjoying it and that you have in some small way had an effect on someone’s life and been of help to them is fantastic and I think that this award indicates this, at least it does to me.

The rules of the award are as follows:

Post a picture of the award somewhere on your blog.

List 5 things that make you happy.

Choose 3 people to nominate who have been a virtual shoulder to cry on, checked in on you when they knew things were rough, or have always been there for you.

Comment on their blogs and let them know of the nomination.

 

So first of all five things that make me happy

That strange little sound on my mobile phone that means a message has arrived, and that strange buzz of excitement

Watching the waves crashing on the rocks at the coast on a summer’s day

Finding an exciting bookshop somewhere you weren’t expecting it – in fact any little independent book shop really

Seeing my friends happy

Talking about books and literature with someone that feels the same way about it as I do

and as a bonus something that makes me both happy and sad:

Finishing a good book

 

I would like to nominate the following as they have all been there for me and in particular they have made me feel extremely welcome in the blogosphere commenting on my posts and being supportive.

TamrahJo

Ionia Martin

createdbyrcw

 

I would also like to mention Charles Yallowitz as he has always been one of the first to comment on my posts, since the beginning. He has always been there with a funny comment or to provide support. I do however know that he has retired from awards so I haven’t nominated him, but felt that he deserved a special mention due to the nature of this award. I do hope that none of the others have retired from receiving awards yet.

Thank you so much to Kevin for nominating me and congratulations to all of my nominees, I hope that they will all accept this award as they have been a large part of making blogging such an enjoyable experience for me.

The Liebster Award

I have been nominated for another award that I have great pleasure in accepting. This time it is a different one, the Liebster Award. I was very kindly nominated by Kevin, over at http://creativemysteries.net/

The Rules for The Liebster Blog Award are as follows:

List 11 random facts about you.

Answer the questions that were asked of you.

Nominate 11 other blogs for the Liebster Blog Award and link to their blogs.

Notify the bloggers of their award.

Ask the award winners 11 questions to answer once they accept the award.

So, Eleven Random Facts About Me.

1. I have blue eyes.
2. When I was younger I gave up my job to play guitar in a band (unsuccessfully, obviously).
3. I hate the heat and even find the UK too hot most of the time.
4. I enjoy reading – no surprise to most of you.
5. I love espresso.
6. If forced to pick a favourite author it would probably be Evelyn Waugh.
7. I tend to overanalyse the things that people say, coming up with all sorts of, probably incorrect, sub text.
8. I get frustrated by the frequency of simple spelling mistakes and grammatical errors in print books these days.
9. I live alone with my books and some friendly tropical fish.
10. I am rubbish at golf
11. I am very selfish with my time and particularly resent it when others say, ‘You aren’t doing anything, you are only reading’.

My Answers to the Questions I was Asked

1. Do you have a favorite memory? – Holidays spent in Cornwall as a child
2. Who or what inspires you? – Excellence inspires me, so, many people out there that are good at what they do inspire me
3. Finish the sentence: When things get rough, I like to… – sit down and make a plan, be logical and find a solution, if there is one
4. If you could meet anyone in the world who would it be? Why? – A difficult question but probably Richard Feynman, a true genius and a very interesting man – otherwise George Harrison or John Lennon
5. What’s your definition of friendship? – when you can go without seeing a friend for a long period of time but always know they will be there for you, and when you do see them again, nothing has changed, it is as if you haven’t been apart
6. What’s your favorite creative art? Why? (writing, painting, drama, sketching, etc.) – Writing
7. Spontaneity or planner? – I am a planner most of the time
8. Word processing or handwriting? – It depends on my mood, generally word processing though
9. Are you more of a risk-taker or prefer staying in a comfort zone? – I am definitely not a risk taker
10. Are you a visual, auditory, kinesthetic, or tactile learner? – Probably visual
11. Would you rather be extremely happy or simply content? – Naturally I would prefer to be extremely happy, but this often requires periods of intense sadness to contrast the happiness, otherwise how you feel would just be normal. If I needed to have those periods of sadness, I would rather just be content, much as I am now

Eleven Questions for my Nominees

1. What is your favourite book?
2. Do you play an instrument? If so, which one?
3. What is your ideal holiday?
4. Which author would you most like to meet (they do not need to be currently alive)?
5. What is your favourite genre to write in?
6. What is your least favourite book?
7. Do you have siblings, if so which?
8. PC or Mac?
9. Do you eat meat?
10. What is your favourite sport?
11. Do you have a day job?

The Nominees

I had a list of eleven nominees this morning, with one extra in reserve, and so far today two of them have received awards already. I have therefore flouted the rules and only nominated ten bloggers. I feel like such a rebel – your own conscience will have to determine whether you feel you can do the same.

Sarah Cradit http://sarahcradit.wordpress.com/

Lindaghill http://lindaghillfiction.wordpress.com/

William Louison http://williamlouisonpoetry.wordpress.com

http://coffeemugsandinkstains.wordpress.com/

http://realiction.wordpress.com/

Amanda Allen http://amandaaallen.com/

http://createdbyrcw.wordpress.com/

http://lindaghill.wordpress.com/

Robynn Gabel http://dupler.org/

http://thedancingwriterblog.wordpress.com/

Congratulations to all of my nominees. I hope that they will all accept this award. Thanks again to Kevin for nominating me and I hope I have discharged all of my duties fully with regard to my acceptance of this award.

Another Sunshine Award

What started as a great week for me, with appearing as blogger of the week on Ionia Martin’s readfulthingsblog, has also ended on a high with a nomination from createdbyrcw for the sunshine award. Many thanks to him for this, and for the kind words in his post.

So without further ado, here are the rules, in outline.

Post the Sunshine Award logo.

Accept the nomination and link back to the nominator (above).

Answer the questions.

Nominate ten other blogs and inform them of the nomination.

So, the questions and answers:

Favourite colour: Black

Favourite animal: Tropical fish, particularly the big and ugly Oscar

Favourite number: Two

Favourite non-alcoholic drink: Coffee

Favourite alcoholic drink: Port

Facebook or Twitter: Was Facebook last time I received this award, but my allegiance has changed to twitter.

My passions: Reading and writing obviously, but it used to be playing the guitar in, my younger days.

Giving or receiving gifts: Both

Favourite city: Cambridge, UK

Favourite TV shows: Castle, Black Books, Burn Notice, Early Seasons of House – the later ones got a bit silly

And here are my nominees. These are all blogs that I enjoy regularly. I hope that they all accept.

Chris McMullen http://chrismcmullen.wordpress.com

A New Writer’s Life and Times http://gedwardsmith.com/

Creative Mysteries http://creativemysteries.net/

Intriguing Readings http://thoughtscascade.wordpress.com/

Interesting Literature http://interestingliterature.wordpress.com/

The Matilda Project http://matildaproject.wordpress.com/

Ashley Calvani http://ashleycalvani.wordpress.com/

Hayley Vornholt http://hayleyvornholt.com/

Thoughts from a Cluttered Mind http://spencerjamessantilli.wordpress.com/

LeanneCrabtree http://leannecrabtree.wordpress.com/

Congratulations to all of my nominees, and thanks once again to createdbyrcw for my nomination.

The Sunshine Award

I was nominated for this award by Pete Denton a few days ago.

It was very exciting for me, it being my first award. So here I am, hopefully, fulfilling the criteria required by this award as below.

• Include the award’s logo in a post or on your blog.
• Answer 10 questions about yourself.
• 10-12 other fabulous bloggers must be nominated.
• Link your nominees to the post and comment on their blogs, letting them know they have been nominated.
• Share the love and link the person who nominated you.

Well the logo is in the post and I may try and add it to the sidebar later, but we’ll see.

Answer the questions:

1 – Favourite colour: Black – if that is a colour

2 – Favourite animal: A tropical fish, an Oscar (Astronotus ocellatus) big and ugly!!

3 – Favourite number: 2

4 – Favourite non-alcoholic drink: Coffee, without a doubt

5 – Prefer Facebook or Twitter? Facebook, but not a fan of either

6 – My passion: Reading and books in general

7 – Prefer getting or giving presents: I enjoy both

8 – Favourite pattern: Fractal patterns

9 – Favourite day of the week:  Saturday

10 – Favourite flower: Amaryllis

Nominees: I am afraid I cannot nominate that many people, but here are a few blogs that I enjoy looking at. I will inform each nominee by comment on their blog.

http://amandaaallen.com/

http://arthurianromances.com/

http://julieisrael.wordpress.com/

http://readfulthingsblog.com/

http://interestingliterature.wordpress.com/

http://legendsofwindemere.com/

I hope that I have carried out everything correctly and thanks once again to Pete for the nomination.