My Leibster Award

Just over a month ago I learnt that Alisdair Daws had nominated my blog for a Leibster Award! Wow! Thanks Alisdair! I announced the fact to my family, (we were all gathered in the lounge room) who asked me what, exactly, a Leibster Award is. I had a vague idea, but thought I’d better head over to Alisdair’s blog to make sure I was right before I started telling everyone about it.

I was on the right track. As Alisdair notes, the Liebstar Award is a way for bloggers to connect with other bloggers and let them know they’re doing a great job. It works like a chain letter – a blogger nominates blogs they enjoy, and those bloggers in turn nominate other blogs.

Its great feedback from other bloggers – a confirmation you’re on the right track with your blog – and a great way to share your enjoyment and appreciation of other blogs!

So – the rules, as passed on via Alisdair:

1. Display an image of the award and write about your nomination.
2. Thank and link the person who nominated you for this award.
3. Answer the 11 questions prepared for you by the blogger who nominated you.
4. Nominate 5-11 awesome bloggers who you think deserve this award, and create 11 questions of your own for your nominees to answer.
5. List these guidelines in your blog post.

Alisdair’s Questions:

1. Who is your favourite James Bond, and why?

My first thought on answering this question was – ‘I’ve only seen one James Bond, who was it? Ah – that guy from Mamma Mia’, which of course is Pierce Brosnan – but then I realised that was a lie, and I’ve also seen Daniel Craig and Sean Connery as James Bond – and I’d probably have to say Sean Connery- purely for the accent!! 😉

2. Pride and Prejudice or Bridget Jones’ Diary?

Pride and Prejudice. I love Bridget Jones’ Diary too – but if I have to choose one then Pride and Prejudice would have to be my top pick.

3. What was your favourite tv show as a kid?

The Mysterious Cities of Gold. I was devastated when it ended!

4. What is your favourite tv show now?

Well – we don’t actually have a tv, so we don’t really watch it as a rule, but the new ABC series Cleverman intrigued me so much I bought it on iTunes, and we downloaded each episode. Loved it!

5. What is your favourite city to visit? (Or the city you’d most like to visit if you haven’t been there yet.)

Edinburgh. I was only there two nights, but I honestly felt like I’d come home! Amazing city!

6. You’ve just been captured by an evil villain. Who comes to your rescue?

My hubby, without a doubt. ❤

7. Night out on the town or night in?

Night in.

8. What prompted you to start blogging?

I read that it was a thing authors needed to do, and so I did.

9. What motivates you to keep blogging?

I’ve been blogging for four years now, and there have certainly been moments where the motivation has waned, but, for this year at least, I’d have to say my motivation at the moment comes from the facebook community that has built up around the ‘Build Your Author Platform’ course through the Australian Writers Centre. There’s a Facebook page for all current and former students. The support and encouragement is fantastic, and seeing what other people are up to on their blogs is great motivation to keep going. But aside from that I really enjoy reviewing books that I adore – if I finish a good book I just want to share it with the world.

10. Who is your favourite author?

This is too hard! Hmm… I loved Isobelle Carmody’s Obernewtyn series growing up, and Enid Blyton and Roald Dahl. Margaret Atwood’s stories are always thought-provoking, I love Steven King’s Dark Tower series, as well as The Green Mile. I’ve only recently discovered Heather Rose, with her novel ‘Butterfly Man’, and then there is Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman and I love Joanne Harris’ books – especially Blackberry Wine. Then… well, I think you get the picture. There are so many incredible authors out there – it’s impossible for me to pick just one.

11. What book has most influenced you?

I never know how to answer this question. I think the answer is something like the above – there are so many books that have influenced me over my life, that I struggle to pick the one that has influenced me above all others. Perhaps if I narrow the field down a bit, to focus on my writing… but I still have two that come to mind – ‘The Artist’s Way’ by Julia Cameron, and ‘Negotiating with the Dead: A Writer on Writing’, by Margaret Atwood.

I first read ‘The Artist’s Way’ around 6 or 7 years ago, at a time when I was trying to manage a daily writing and meditation practice all while raising two young children all on my own (quite successfully, actually). What resonated with  me then was the idea that the writing ‘is’ the meditation practice. It’s something I’ve fallen back on when time seems to fold in on itself and disappear.

‘Negotiating with the Dead’ is a more recent read. I only finished it last month, but I loved it!

“…its hypothesis is that not just some, but all writing… is motivated, deep down, by a fear and fascination with mortality – by a desire to make the risky trip to the Underworld, and to bring someone or something back from the dead.”

As an author of historical fiction I almost feel this is exactly what I am doing when I am writing, listening for the stories from those who lived long ago, and presenting their story to the world.

 

 

My nominees for the Liebster Award

https://emmaleegough.com.au/whatiffiction/

Emma Lee Gough’s blog is very new, but I love her approach to reviewing books: “Every story has a What If. What’s yours? What If Fiction drills books down to a single “What If” scenario and analyses the execution.” (I also love her cover image – wow!) Emma is a speculative fiction and fantasy writer, based in Brisbane, Australia.

https://sophiawrites.net/

Sophia Auld has another fairly new blog. She shares excerpts from her daily writing practice, and peeks into her days.

https://katarajade.wordpress.com/

I met Katara through our local write-in group (it started as part of a Nanowrimo Write-In in November last year, and four of us decided to continue, so we’re still meeting 9 months later!) 🙂 Katara writes memoir and her blog reflects this, forming part of her writing practice. “Online writing forces you to think about audience (unlike a private diary), and since I am a biographical writer, forces me to think about just how much of myself I make public before I formally publish anything.”

https://insigniastories.com/

Kelly Matsuura is a member of my other writers group – an online writers group formed 5 years ago!! :0 We haven’t met in the real world yet, though I’m sure we’ll arrange it one day. Kelly has numerous blogs, but I’m sharing her blog of the ‘Insignia’ anthologies which she compiles and edits. The Insignia Anthologies are short stories based in Asian countries, with Asian characters. Submissions have just closed for vol. 4, but if you write Asian fiction then keep your eye on the page for future submission calls.

http://elizabethfoster.com.au/musings/

Elizabeth Foster writes stories for children, and her first ‘Esme’s Wish’ has already been submitted to publishers. Though still new, her blog has some great posts about the writing process.

 

And now it’s my turn to ask the tricky questions!! 😉

11 Questions:

1. What is your favourite book?
2. What makes you happy?
3. What’s your favourite pastime?
4. Do you have a favourite quote?
5. Who (dead/alive/real/fictitious) would you most love to meet?
6. What do you like most about blogging?
7. Is there anything you don’t like about blogging?
8. Seaside or mountains?
9. What was the last movie you saw?
10. What is your favourite season?
11. Where is your favourite place?

There is absolutely no obligation to play along, but if you do, let me know and I’ll link to your post. 🙂