Reader Appreciation Award

So my morning starts off like any other day, you know...fingers poised over the "Send" button on my email, sweat dripping off my brow as I wait for the clock to tick down to the precise second of the designated moment....three..two...one....GO!!!

Yeah, I was trying to get in GUTGAA. 

One of the online writing competitions that I'm sure many of you are familiar with. Sadly, my trigger finger wasn't quick enough on the draw this time. However, just as I was drowning my sorrows in a deluge of peanut butter and graham crackers dipped in coffee (don't knock it til you've tried it), and seriously contemplating moving on to *ahem* stronger beverages to soothe my aching writer's soul....what to my wondering eyes should appear?

It seems I'd been nominated for the Reader Appreciation Award! You were thinking something else?


 No silly. It's not Christmas yet. No miniature sleighs or reindeer, tiny or otherwise.  But I did see a tweet directing me to the blog of one dashing Scotsman that lives in his own castle. 
Okay, well, he says he doesn't.....but, just the way he writes and how dashing and articulate he seems...that's just the way I see him anyway. And since I don't exactly quite know where he lives other than a "flat in Edinburgh", that's where I'm putting him. And I'm a writer so I can. Ummmm..so there. ;-)  Regardless, you will definitely want to check out the blog of ROBBIE MACNIVEN, as he is witty and smart, and will make you laugh...trust me.

And apparently part of this Reader Appreciation Award business is that you have to play along by doing certain tasks.  So, you folks that I nominate, pay extra close attention,because you have to do it too.

1. Identify and show appreciation to the blogger who nominated you.
2. You must add the reward logo to your blog.
3. Tell your readers 7 things about yourself.
4. You must nominate 5-10 of your favourite bloggers for this award.
5. Inform you nominees that you nominated them.

So here goes.... 

7 things about me

1. I had a horse named Thunder when I was growing up. My sister's horse was Lightning. They would run when the other one did (sometimes at inopportune times). And once when that happened, I was just starting to get on Thunder when he took off, and as I'm hanging off the side....a little kid sees me and gleefully exclaims, "Look Daddy, a trick rider!" =/  Yeah....I wasn't thrilled with Lightning that day.

2.  I have no middle name. Next.

3. I absolutely love to sit out by a campfire and look up at the sky, just listening to the sound of the wind in the trees...the crickets and their crackling heartbeat song, the smell of the wood burning. It's perfect contentment to me.

4. Okay, brace yourself for this one. I have no pinkie toenails. Well..I have a baby pinkie toenails, but that's about it. Imagine a little wink smily face like you would type. Like this=>  =)  Now put that on your toe. That's my nail. But the thing is, I don't want them to feel rejected, so when I paint my toenails, I just kind of paint a line there anyway. You know....just because.

5. I absolutely love to bake, and make kick-ass cheesecakes if I do say so myself. My very favorite is the Chocolate-chocolate chip with raspberry glaze. YUM.

6. As I'm sitting in my bedroom right now typing, I have a brick chimney that runs up through my room and out the ceiling. Now this wouldn't be so totally strange given it is an old house except for the fact that it is slanted at a 5 degree angle. Maybe 10. I've never been able to figure out why in the world it was like that. These are the things I have to ponder each night as I go to bed.

7.  I am probably going to go to hell since I keep wishing that a relative I never knew existed would die and leave me millions of dollars so that I could just travel the world and see all the places I want to see and experience and write, write, write. 


And now for the nominations....May we have the envelope please???

I nominate...(in the particular order)

1. Cheryl Hettick -
ok, Cheryl is seriously one of the friendliest and sweetest people you will ever want to meet. She's got a great writing style, and besides that, she's transplanted from Oregon to the Netherlands. How cool is that??

2. Jess Schira 
Jess is one of those fun loving naturally sweet people that you can't help but love and admire. And it comes through in her writing. She's talented and just one of those people that make you smile.

3. Carey Torgesen 
Just because she is my CP doesn't make her special. (well, actually it does but that's besides the point.) ha! You are definitely going to see her name in bookstores soon. Trust me. You will be able to say "I knew her on her blog before that!"

4. Triona Murphy 
First of all, anyone that looks that funky and adorable in a hat you just know is cool, right? Right. Now add to it that she can write like nobody's business? And she's one of those helpful sorts? You have to like her or you'd hate her. I like her. =)

5. Jeanmarie Anaya
She is just one of those people that makes you smile each time you chat with her or see her tweet or post. You know those kind of people? That we all wish we were? Yeah....that's her. Plus I love her writing.