Animal Lover Award, Last Chance For This Month, and An AWESOME Link

My friend Gary, in Leek, England (the setting of my pb manuscript EVERYONE DID THEIR PART & my mg wip NOT A HOLIDAY) created this award featuring his lovely dog Penny...It is to be passed along to animal loving bloggers.  I've met several bloggers that really helped me when my Stripes passed away.  I don't know what I would have done without their support and continued friendship...So I'd like to pass Gary's award along to them, plus a couple other animal lovers.  :)

Old Animal Loving Friends--

Catherine is a cat lover, but is an AWESOME photographer and kind hearted Canadian.

Jacqueline has a new house full of beautiful cats and really helped me with tons of supportive emails after Stripes died.

Brian is a cat...a cat that blogs...How cool is that!  Brian's life goal is to help other animals in need of good homes.

Old Kitty is a wonderful writer who shares her writing journey and the daily adventures of her gorgeous cat Charlie.

Sarah lives in California and posts the most wonderful raccoon photos.  She feed wild raccoons each night at her house.  OMGoodness she puts up some great pics and videos!

Lenny--Lenny is  an ELEVEN year old that feeds raccoons in his kitchen and writes...Lenny also brightens the blogging world with his wonderful insight and kind words and is my critique partner.

********

New Animal Loving Friends---

Terry lives in Canada and is into sled dogs...In fact, her first novel is about to come out!

Angie lives in Minnesota and is a riot!  She puts up the funniest cat posts...she writes humor....

I know it's hard to check everyone out, when there are so many links...I hope you will check out one or two of them...

************************************************************************

You have until Sunday to enter

Marcia Hoehne's October 1,000 word FREE critique drawing! 

 All you have to do it be a follower. 

 It doesn't have to be a completed novel....It's a great opportunity. 

I can tell you that from experience....

So please hop over and throw your hat in the ring...

************************************************************************

I recently discovered Sally's great site!  It is full of submission information for freelance opportunities.  It's well worth the click...I thought so much of it....I even put it on my sidebar! (I only do that if I really adore you...)

*************************************************************************

Have a wonderful Friday night and Saturday.  I hope you will come back on Sunday and check out Macy in her costume....OMGoodness she looks awesome!  She loves dressing up!!!!

What are you going to be for Halloween?  If you aren't dressing up this year, what was your favorite past costume?

A Prize, Two Awards and A Thought...

The post lady delivered me a wonderful surprise this week!  I had forgotten that Random.org had chosen me as one of the winners of Bethany's contest...Bethany has just landed her dream job!  You'll have to check out her blog to read about it...

 Bethany shared her recipe for Pixie Popcorn in my prize package:

1 bag of popped popcorn

5-6 pixie stixs

Mix together and enjoy while writing...(I hope that you'll hop over and meet Bethany!)  Thank you Bethany!!!

Claudia Del Balso honored me with the Versatile Blogger award.  Claudia has a wonderful blog full of insightful and helpful posts for writers.  If you haven't met Claudia you really should click the link and meet her...

Here are the award rules:

Award Rules:

1. Thank the person who gave you this award and provide a link to their blog

2. Share 7 things about yourself.

3. Pass the award along to 5 other bloggers whom you have recently discovered and whose blogs you think are fantastically versatile/ resourceful/functional/adaptable.

4. Contact those bloggers you’ve picked and let them know about their award.

Seven things about myself:

1. The Arkansas Razorbacks are my favorite college football team.

2. I'm scared of spiders and werewolves.  (I realize the second is not a logical fear, but it's my fear and it's real for me.)

3. I love cupcakes! 

4. I don't like small spaces...at all!  (Caves are no fun for me!)

5. Dusting is my least favorite chore.

6. I don't know what I want to be when I grow up.

7. Coffee is my favorite writing snack...I make a pot, pour it into a flask and then get busy writing...

I'd like to pass it along to five six new blogging friends:

Kristen Hilty  is an aspiring picture book writer....I met her at SCBWI KS!

Jude is a wicked cool and into reading manuscripts, song writing and Keysi...Jude is holding a Halloween contest.  So hop over and join in on the fun!

Ali Cross who I met in Elana's compelling characters blog experiment writes Ya and MG!

Misha is a college student who writes fantasy... 

PK Hrezo  has already committed to NaNo...Have you?

Justine-Dell is a blogger with a great heart.  I met her through Lenny.  :)

 

My dear critique buddy Lenny introduced me to another one of his friends, Gary.  Gary honored me with this award...I have to tell you guys this about Gary...He lives in Leek, England.  Now that may not mean a whole lot to you, but it means a LOT to me!  It is the setting for my picture book EVERYONE DID THEIR PART  and my mid grade novel (WIP) NOT A HOLIDAY.  How cool is that???  Gary has a fun blog that's full of unique posts about all sorts of topics (kind of random...like me).  So if you haven't met Gary, please hop over and meet him....

I'd like to pass this award along to some other blog friends:

-Picture book writer Corey Schwartz. Corey is an awesome blogger who came to my rescue, so I hope you'll hop over and check her out...

 -Lola Sharp writes literary fiction and is a hardcore blogger...with lots of great posts!

-Sheri Larsen is another one of my new buds thanks to Lenny...She has a Halloween contest going on right now over on her blog....

-Substitute Teacher, Theresa Milstein, is really making her mark in the blogging world.  She's recently done quite a few guest posts. (WTG, Theresa!)

********* 

 A thought for the day...

The tag on this shirt says, "Wash when needed."  I'm thinking....REALLY???

 Have you had any REALLY moments lately?

TRUTHS REVEALED, AWARDS TO BE GIVEN AND AN UPDATE...

My truths revealed…


1. I was born in England in 1963. I lived in a house with no toilet or bathtub. We only had water in the kitchen sink. The only untruth here is I wasn’t born in 1963.

2. I moved to America when I was 10. I moved to North Dakota and was super excited because the toilet was inside the house! Not true...I moved to the U.S. when I was 8. I moved to Iowa first, then Arkansas, then Missouri and now I’m in Iowa again. Ironically, I’m about an hour from where I moved to when I first came to the States.

3. I married my high school sweetheart. We dated for two years, got married and had a baby right away. The only truth in here is that I dated my husband for two years. We waited for ten years to have a baby. She’s fourteen today!

4. I was a disc jockey on a local radio station in college. I interviewed former President Bill Clinton and Miss USA, Terry Utley. This is so close to being true, but I didn’t interview President Clinton.

5. I've met Bill Clinton, Dale Bumpers, Sam and Helen Walton and J.B. Hunt. Helen Walton told me that if your husband didn't see you eat cake, the calories didn't count and J.B. told my husband he married above his head. The truth is revealed…This is all true!

6. I once ate 3 Mc Rib sandwiches and a large order of fries. (Ah, to be young again...) Not...I ate two Mc Rib’s and a large order of fires at McDonalds.

7. When I was in Costa Rica (last year) I touched an alligator. Close, but not quite true.  I touched an iguana in Costa Rica. They have crocodiles there, not alligators. I did go on the Rio Tarcoles and saw loads of crocodiles.

So now I’d like to pass on these two awards:

I’d like to pass the Creative Writer Award to Jill, Karen Hooper, D.L., and Shelley (just bought one of her books). I look forward to reading their 6 untruths and one truth. This is a fun writing activity. I had no idea it was that easy for me to lie!

I’m passing The Silver Lining Award to Casey (for linking my interview with her informative blog), Buffy (who is always encouraging me) and Old Kitty (who is such a sweet person and a fellow Brit).

Thanks for all the kind notes about Macy yesterday. She’s still not herself, but she seems a bit better. We (Awesome Vet and me) think it was a reaction to the shot she had yesterday.

If you haven't been to Literary Agent Kathleen Ortizzle's blog, hop over and check it out.  She has a great post on query etiquette today and holds quite a few contests. (Kathleen held the query contest with agent Joanna Stampfel-Volpe.)

Have a great evening! I’ll be taking my daughter out to celebrate the fourteenth birthday tonight.

Exceptional Contest, Cool Awards and a Bodybugg...

My dear friend, Susan (pictured here with author Peter Jacobi), and I got to spend some little  quality time together this weekend.   (Me...full of smiles)  We talked about books, agents, submissions and blogs.  We even played games  (Susan and Sharon with big smiles...husbands...not so much).  If you haven't checked Susan out, please do.              

To my surprise, Susan presented me with a Creative Writer Award last month.   I've been directed to tell six untruths and one truth, so here I go...

1. 
   
   I was born in England in 1963.  I lived in a house with no toilet or bathtub.  We only had water in the kitchen sink.
2. 
   
   I moved to America when I was 10.  I moved to North Dakota and was super excited because the toilet was inside the house!
3. 
   
   I married my high school sweetheart.  We dated for two years, got married and had a baby right away.
4. 
   
   I was a disc jockey on a local radio station in college.  I interviewed former President Bill Clinton and Miss USA, Terry Utley.
5. 
   
   I've met Bill Clinton, Dale Bumpers, Sam and Helen Walton and J.B. Hunt.  Helen Walton told me that if your husband didn't see you eat cake, the calories didn't count and J.B. told my husband he married above his head.
6. 
   
   I once ate 3 Mc Rib sandwiches and a large order of fries.  (Ah, to be young again...)
7. 
   
   When I was in Costa Rica (last year) I touched an alligator. 

HMMM....Which one is true?  (The big reveal and pass the award along is  tomorrow.)

The lovely ladies, Bethany and Suzette, at Shoot Star awarded me the Silver Lining award for venturing into the 21st Century.  I did a two part Skype interview with literary agent Mark McVeigh.  Bethany and Suzette are having an AWESOME CONTEST!!!  Suzette's agent is giving away a 40 page critique!!!!  So hop over and fill out their easy form.  Good luck everyone!

How many of you are numbers people...detail orientated...  I bought a Bodybugg today.  I spent a huge chunk of the day on the computer figuring it out (hopefully).   I'm looking forward to checking it at the end of each day to see if I had a calorie deficit.  I can't wait to add another column to my workout spread sheet. Does anyone have a bodybugg?  Have you had any success with it? 

SUPER COOL AWESOME MARKETING IDEA....

Hilary Wagner's first book NIGHTSHADE CITY is coming out this fall:

The rats of Trillium City are underground and have been so for years. Little do the weary humans of the steely city realize, an ancient throng of strangely intelligent rats exist right under their very feet, thriving in the intricate Catacombs excavated lifetimes ago.


Last week Hilary created an award, The One Good Rat Award....

This is brilliant!  Hilary is giving out a blog award that's related to her new book. 

Hilary said," As writers, our own work is near and dear to our hearts. My debut novel, Nightshade City, is about rats, but it's also very much about family and not letting a few decide the fate of many. It's about standing up for yourself and deciding you can make a difference, you can succeed even when the odds all point to failure.

Therefore, in the spirit of Nightshade City, I've created my own blog award, which I'm very excited about! The One Good Rat Award! I thought of the heroes of my book and what they had to accomplish and the monumental odds they were up against to do so. These writers I've named for this award are on the road to publishing or already there and just life loving writers who deserve to be blogged about! "

I really think this is brilliant.  Everytime I see this award on someone's blog I will connect it in my mind with NIGHTSHADE CITY.  I'd like to thank Hilary for presenting me with the award.  I'm honored, but I'm totally impressed with the whole idea of making an award related to your upcoming book. 

What marketing activities you plan on doing when your first book gets published?

I'm still looking for workshop suggestions for 2010.  If you could click on the link and post your suggests I'd appreciate it.