Phoenix Award

The Phoenix Award

I rarely get round to taking part in blog awards these days but when (much to my surprise) I saw that I had been kindly put forward for one by one of my very favourite and most generous blogging friends (who goes by the name Just Me, and is nothing but a delight) and saw the wonderful sentiment behind the award itself, I knew I had to get involved.

If you haven’t checked out my nominator’s blog, you absolutely should. Huge thanks also have to go to Audrey, the original creator of the Phoenix Award. It aims essentially to promote people whose main motivation is to support or inspire others with a positive attitude. Here’s the official description:

Recipients of this award personify the Phoenix because they seemingly arise from ashes to thrive in strength, love, and setting a positive example of personal growth and rebirth for others.

The person I have chosen to pass the award on to is Abi from the blog, Whimsywriter3. Whether it’s sharing bookish love, discussing social issues, promoting fellow writers, celebrating creativity, or co-founding a literary magazine, Abi certainly keeps herself busy and always has something interesting, thought-provoking or encouraging to say, so often centered around a true sense of community and mutual support.

Part of the award encourages us to ask 5 questions to help people get to know the recipient a little better, so here are my questions should Abi wish to accept the award (though there’s no pressure to do so, of course).

• What made you decide to start a blog?
• What one book would you urge everyone to read if you could?
• What was the inspiration behind your lit mag, Cauldron Anthology?
• What are some of your favourite non-bookish interests?
• What one fact would you like people to know about you?

—

The Rules of Nomination (Paying It Forward)

1. Nominate one recipient only, so as to preserve its authenticity and to keep it alive and thriving.
2. Present the nominee with the award by notifying them.
3. Provide a link to an excerpt of the blog that inspired your nomination, and a brief explanation of why you chose that post.
4. 5 random questions may be asked to the recipient.
5. Remember to appreciate the blogger who nominated you.
6. Display your award for all to see and be proud to call yourself a Phoenix.
7. Mention the creator of the award and please don’t let the chain die out.

Sunshine Blogger Award

Thank you!

I was kindly nominated by driftinglexi for the Sunshine Blogger Award. It’s always a surprise and a pleasure to receive a nomination, so thanks again, Lexi.

Here are my answers to the questions she asked:

• Have you ever been to a concert, if so which was your first?

At my last count I’d been to 20 concerts and 2 music festivals. My first proper one wasn’t until 2010 when I saw Paloma Faith (who I’ve now seen 4 times) but I caught the bug and have been making up for lost time ever since and go to see as many of my favourite artists as I can. I’ve also been to a few comedy gigs, a few ballets and a couple of pantos, and live performances in general are something I would love to see more of.

• What was the last thing you watched on TV?

I’ve been really enjoying Humans, a new Channel 4 drama about humanoid synthetics that are a little too intelligent for some people’s liking. It’s just the right amount of creepy to keep me hooked.

• Name three things which make you happy.

Books. Friends. Pets.

• What is your favourite thing about summer?

I love the big, blue skies and gorgeous sunsets we get at this time of year. Though I live in Scotland, so you’ve got to be quick to catch them 😉

• Spots or stripes?

Stripes.

• What are you currently reading?

I’ve just finished The Martian by Andy Weir and am about to start George R.R. Martin’s A Game of Thrones (wish me luck. Have you seen how big that thing is?!)

• What movie are you next looking forward to being released?

Actually, there’s an adaptation of The Martian coming out soon. I’ll be interested to see how well they’ve brought that to screen.

• Do you wear jewellery of any kind?

Not really. I have a few trinket-y things (bookish ones, would you believe?) that I have but they’re more for keepsake than to wear.

• For how long have you been blogging?

Not far off 2 years now. I love it.

• What is your favourite fizzy/soft drink?

I mostly just drink water and tea to be honest. How boringly British! I like coke in my vodka though 😉

• How many languages can you speak? What are they?

Only English and conversational French, to my shame. Learning another language is on my bucket list though, so hopefully one day in the future that list will be a little longer.

—

We’re supposed to pass the nomination on to 11 people and ask them 11 questions but I’m going to cheat slightly if I may. I saw someone say recently that they prefer to nominate fewer people because it feels more personal and I like that sentiment (plus I’m lazy) so that’s what I’m going to do. So, Melissa Barker-Simpson, S.R. Carrillo, Marcia Meara, Jennifer L. Post and The Bookie Monsters, if you have the time and desire to do so, by all means answer the following questions. If not, no hard feelings 😉

1. What’s the first book you remember loving?
2. Are there any books you’re embarrassed to not have read yet?
3. Where do you get most of your reading recommendations from?
4. If you aren’t enjoying a book, do you press on or jump ship?
5. Do you organise your book shelves or leave them randomly arranged?
6. Which finished book/TV series do you wish could come back?
7. Do you prefer paperbacks, hardbacks or ebooks?
8. Do you make a TBR each month or let your mood guide your reading?
9. Do you have a favourite genre?
10. What was the last book that really took you by surprise (be it for good or bad reasons)?
11. What got you into blogging?

Liebster Award Revisited

Liebster award

I recently discovered the great blog, Husband & Husband, and was very kindly nominated by them for the Liebster award. I’ve technically already accepted this award before, but there’s nothing to say I can’t accept again, right? In all honesty, I couldn’t resist when I saw the questions they had asked, so without further ado, here they are:

1. What would your patronus be? (If you don’t understand the question you shouldn’t be nominated, LOL)

Most likely a cat. Like our feline friends, I’m sociable to a degree, but I need my own space 😉

2. What is your dream job?

This is where I feel really lucky because I actually get to do my dream job. I’m a freelance writer as well as an author of my own creative writing. I love it!

3. If you can go anywhere in the world, where would it be?

I totally fell in love with Iceland when I was there earlier this year, so the sooner I can go back, the better. I have a lot of extended family in Australia, so I’d love to make it over there one day as well. Oh, and Canada. (I have quite a bout of wanderlust, it seems.)

4. What is your number one guilty pleasure?

Food. All the food. All the time.

5. If you had a phobia, what would it be and why?

I’ve had a lot of anxiety problems, so I can’t think of anything much worse than having to speak in front of a huge crowd of people.

6. What is your favorite book/movie/TV show?

Well, Harry Potter of course (both the books and the movies). I also love Tess of the D’Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy and pretty much everything written by Patrick Ness. My favourite movies include Pan’s Labyrinth and the Alien franchise. As for current TV shows, I’m loving Hannibal but I’m still not done mourning for Lost and 24, truth be told.

7. If you were an X-Men what would your power be?

Probably something simple and predictable like invisibility.

8. If you could meet anyone in the world who would that be?

Definitely Björk and David Attenborough. In fact, the two are mutual fans of each other’s work and did a documentary together, When Björk Met Attenborough, where they explored the links between music and nature as part of Björk’s massive multi-media Biophilia project. Oh to have been a fly on that wall.

9. What was your favorite childhood story?

I remember a story called The School Cat that I always wanted read to me as a child (I’m pretty sure I still have it in my attic somewhere). Once I was old enough to read to myself, I loved Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and am hoping to revisit it soon.

10. What do you consider home?

Wherever my loved ones are.

—

Huge thanks again to the lovely guys over at Husband & Husband. I’m going to name Mel, Johnny, Lisa, Sierra and Cassie. If any of you don’t accept awards, already have this one or just don’t have the time to write up a post, no worries at all. Just think of this as my way of saying I like what you do 🙂

If you do want to take part, I’m sure you all know how it works; just answer the following questions and pass on the nomination with some questions of your own.

As always, I’m all for getting involved, so anyone else who wishes to answer the following questions is more than welcome to do so in the comments. Thanks for reading and have a lovely day!

—

1. What’s the first book you remember loving?
2. What’s your earliest memory of writing?
3. Do you have a favourite genre of books or do you enjoy to read broadly?
4. Do you have any hidden talents?
5. What’s your favourite season, and why?
6. Have you ever been abroad? If so, where’s your favourite place you’ve been so far?
7. Do you like to try new things or stick to what you know?
8. Do you hold on to your belongings (like books, etc.) or have regular clear outs?
9. What book are you yet to read but very excited about?
10. Who would your ideal dinner party guests be?

Spreading the Love | Real Neat Blog Award

Real Neat Blog Award

It never ceases to amaze and flatter me when I’m lucky enough to receive a blog award nomination. There have been a couple of times in the past when for various reasons I haven’t managed to write up a proper post in response, but upon reading Mel’s post, I knew I had to get involved. Firstly, to say a huge thank you to her for the nod and all her continued support and kindness. Secondly, the lure of her questions was just all too tempting. So, without further ado, here are my answers:

1. What is the #1 most played song on your iPod (or other listening device)?

The current most played song on my iPod is Stonemilker by Björk. It’s from her most recent album, Vulnicura, showing just how quickly I became obsessed with it. The album documents Björk’s utter heartbreak and eventual healing following the breakdown of her long-term relationship and this opening track in particular speaks of the moment she first realises that her partner is closing up and drifting away from her. It’s beautiful.

2. What is one of your favourite quotes?

As a writer, this iconic quote by Toni Morrison has always been something of a mantra of mine: “If there’s a book that you want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it.”

3. If you were immortal for one day, what would you do?

I would climb to the highest point of the highest mountain I could find, stand at the very edge and just marvel at the sheer scale and beauty of the view. Or maybe look down into an active volcano in Iceland and breathe in the power of the natural world.

4. What’s the most recent movie/book you’ve seen/read? Tell us about it.

In terms of movies, I re-watched Pan’s Labyrinth recently and fell in love with it all over again. It manages to combine a dark fairy tale with a harrowing war story (that sounds odd, but believe me, it’s beautiful). As for books, I finally got round to starting the Saga series of graphic novels. I guess I’ve been on a bit of a fantasy kick of late!

5. What have you always wanted to study (but never had the time)?

When I was younger I used to play clarinet and a bit of piano but sadly have drifted from both. As a massive lover of music, it sometimes really irks me that I don’t have the tools to try and create my own, so I’d love to get back into the piano in the future. I’d also love to learn another language. We native English speakers are notoriously lazy when it comes to second languages, because most countries study ours and so we can get by without it, but I think being multilingual is a wonderful skill to have. I can hold a conversation in French but wouldn’t call myself fluent by any stretch, so I’d love to improve it or learn something new one day.

—

Big thanks once again to Mel. As for passing on the nomination, I’m aware that a few of my favourite bloggers either already have this Real Neat Blog Award, or don’t accept nominations, but I’ll name S.R. Carrillo (She’s a triple threat; a great writer, blogger and vlogger) and Marcia Meara (a very active and supportive member of the writing community). No pressure to take part, as always, but feel free to answer the following questions if you so wish – As can anyone else who wishes to in the comments for that matter.

1. Physical book or ebook?
2. Music or silence?
3. City or countryside?
4. Factual or fantasy?
5. Extravert or introvert?

One Lovely Community

One Lovely Blog Award

Courtesy of Susanne Leist, fellow blogger and author of The Dead Game, I was recently nominated for the One Lovely Blog Award. The name of this particular award alone shows how kind and supportive the online writing community is, so I felt compelled to take part.

The rules tell us that we should of course thank the person who nominated us, share seven ‘interesting’ facts about ourselves and then pass on the nomination to fifteen other blogs.

So, let’s get started; interesting I’m not so sure but facts I think I can manage:

—

1. I love animals. I have a cat, a dog and a kitten, which, as utterly adorable and loving as she is, I swear is susceptible to periods of demonic possession.
2. I used to play clarinet at a decent level but gave it up years ago. It wasn’t the instrument for me in the long term but I would love to get back into piano (which I also dabbled in) in the future. I have huge admiration for people who play instruments.
3. Along the same vein, I love music and go to see artists live when I can. The person I’ve seen most often is Paloma Faith (four times) and the person I haven’t yet seen but most want to is Bjӧrk.
4. I’m the youngest of three brothers. We are all very, very different.
5. I hate coffee. I’m definitely a tea person.
6. One of my favourite smells in the whole world is pages in an old book.
7. I currently have three overflowing bookcases in my bedroom (not to mention the boxes in the attic). I had a ‘ruthless’ clear out recently and managed to part with a grand total of about four books. Of all the problems to have, hoarding books is one I can happily live with.

There you have it. As for my nominees, if you’re reading this, I tag you! I opted for an open nomination with a previous award and it seemed to go down well. It saves me the pain of narrowing it down to just 15 of you (as there would always be more I wished I could choose) and it lets anyone take part if they so wish. Plus, I genuinely enjoy learning about fellow readers and writers. Let’s not deny the fact that it also makes my life that little bit easier 😉

Huge thanks once again to Susanne and to you for reading.