I’ve been nominated for the Mystery Blogger Award by thewordsmith27!

This is so cool. I am beyond words. It has always been a dream of mine. But I never imagined that it would actually happen. Humbled. Yes, that is the word. Humbled and deeply honored.

So, when do I get that little statue of the gold man? Oh sorry, wrong award.

Seriously, I wish to thank thewordsmith27 for the nomination!

“The Mystery Blogger Award was created by Okoto Enigma. It is an award for amazing bloggers with ingenious posts. Their blog not only captivates; it inspires and motivates. They are one of the best out there, and they deserve every recognition they get. This award is also for bloggers who find fun and inspiration in blogging; and they do it with so much love and passion.” The Rules:

• Display the award logo on your blog.
• List the rules.
• Thank the blogger who nominated you and also provide a link to their blog.
• Mention the creator of the award and provide a link as well.
•  Tell your readers three things about yourself.
• Answer five questions from the nominator.
• Nominate anywhere near ten to twenty bloggers. Notify them by leaving a comment on their blogs.
•  Ask your nominees any five questions of your choice, including one weird or funny question.
• Share the link to your best post.

Here are Three Things About Me:

1. I have always loved books and learned how to read well before kindergarten. I remember going to the library in our small town to check out books. There was a limit on the number of books, I think the most you could check out at any one time was five. Of course, I was always over the limit, but sometimes the librarian would let me slide, or I managed to slip a couple of my books onto baby brother’s stack of one. I went twice a week.
2. In school, they published summer reading lists. I would grab one for several grades above me, check off the ones that I had already read and add the others to help round out “my” summer reading list. I was in every honor class my school offered and was granted early admissions to college so I could take college course while I was still technically in high school.
3. Writing for me, was a natural progression from all that reading. Countless, instructors told me writing was the field I should pursue. But, I needed a job that would pay the bills. So, I majored in accounting, got my CPA and put writing on hold. Until now.

My five questions from thewordsmith27

1. What’s your favourite quote and why?

“I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.”    – Dune

The first time I read Dune these words entered every fiber of my being. I cannot begin to count the number of times that I have stood in my “Face my fear” Dune stance and let the fear pass so I could get on with whatever difficult task lay ahead of me.

2. If you could bring one famous person back to life, who would it be, and why?
I tend to agree with the Genie from Aladdin when he says:

“I can’t bring people back from the dead. It’s not a pretty picture…”

But if I had to bring one person back I would choose my grandmother so that l could bombard her with questions that pertain to the book I am writing. I know, not “famous” but the things she saw could really help me out right now.

3. What is your favourite book/poem?

I truly hope I have not yet read my favorite book or poem. I do have a slew of “go to” authors.

For poems:
Emily Dickinson, E. E. Cummings, Robert Frost,
Derek Walcott – Omeros,
Yeats, Poe, Angelou,
Blake, Shakespeare, Langston Hughes
Best to end with just these few.

For Books:
TH White, Isaac Asimov, Robert Jordan, John Muir, Shakespeare, James A Michener, Julia Child, Beowulf, Chaucer (in old English), Lao Tzu, Margaret Mitchell, Tracy Chevalier, Doris Kearns Goodwin, Carl Sandburg, Dante. These are a sampling of those that crowd my numerous bookshelves.

4. What gives you the inspiration to write?
It seems that inspiration is not the motivation for writing, rather it is the weight of the untold stories that populate my head, demanding to see the light of day. At this point it is almost self-preservation. I counted. There are ten books in various stages of development and numerous short stories vying for their turn at the keyboard.

5. What is happiness to you? Happiness is finally being able to do the thing I love.

My nominees are:

Its PH
Bikurgurl
Millie Thom
4amwriter.com
Miss Sissinghurst
The Nostalgia Diaries
Something Over Tea
Pat Bean’s blog
Single Dads are Cool!
Brilliant Viewpoint

Anyone else who’s reading this and would like to participate, please consider yourselves nominated.

My questions to the above nominees:

1. Who would play you in the movie of your life?
2. What is your inspiration for writing?
3. Where would you live, if money didn’t matter?
4. When did (or will) you consider yourself successful?
5. Why did you start blogging?

The post I like best is Fathom.