IWSG, National Read a Book Day, an Award, and Being Thankful

First and foremost: Please keep my family, friends and all Virgin Islanders and Puerto Ricans in the your thoughts and prayers as they face down Hurricane Irma, the strongest Atlanatic storm ever recorded. Sustained winds are at 185 MPR with gusts of 200 or more. I doubt the islands will get the coverage that Texas did (and deserved). But I can tell you media coverage would be helpful. And it pisses me off that The Weather Channel and national news channels are just talking about when it will hit Florida. What about 3.8 million people in the VI and PR? I bet if a storm this size were to hit Hawaii they'd be all over it. Why don't the islands rate the same kind of coverage? Could it be because in cases like Irma, once they were to get there they wouldn't be able to leave? There is no place to go, no evacuation. It's the really deal. When Marilyn hit in 1995, the islands got little to no coverage. Heck, nobody in the states believed it was a cat 5 storm even though wind gauges broke at 200 MPR. Four out five buildings were damaged or destroyed. My family home's roof was ripped off. It was months before power was restored and about three years before the house was rebuilt. It was a terrible mess, debris everywhere, boats tossed onto shore like pieces of legos, cars flipped on their sides and roofs, vegetation stripped of leaves. You can view pictures HERE. Iram is as bad or worse... To say I'm concerned is an understatement. (I have to remember to breathe.)

Posting the First Wednesday of every month, the Insecure Writer's Support Group, is the brainchild of Alex Cavanaugh. YOU can sign up HERE to participate.

Every month a question will be posed that may prompt you to share advice, insight, a personal experience or story. Remember, the question is optional. You can write about anything that relates to your writing journey.

Let's give a warm welcome to our co-hosts: Tyrean Martinson, Tara Tyler, Raimey Gallant, and Beverly Stowe McClure!

This month's question is: Have you ever surprised yourself with your writing? For example, by trying a new genre you didn't think you'd be comfortable in??

The answer to the first question is a resounding YES! I have some philosophical/spiritual stuff I wrote when I was in my late 20s early 30s that, when reread years later, totally blew me away. I wonder, "Who wrote that? Where did that come from? Where did that writer go and can I get her back?" 

I can answer YES to the second question, too. My current WIP is YA plus it's an historical fantasy that takes place in Tibet, all of which is totally out of my normal comfort zone.


It's National 
Read a Book Day! 

Pick a book, any book, find a nice comfy place and... ENJOY! 

(Dr.'s order!)

***

An Award

Quite by surprise I have received an award from The Lair of the Silver Fox for my post called, The Real America, which you can read HERE. I am humbled and honored. Thank you Silver Fox!

The Silver Fox's THRUST HOME! Award

This is NOT an award I can pass on. It's something The Silver Fox gives to bloggers for a particular post that he deems worthy of recognition. Here's what he has to say about it.

One of my all-time favorite stories is Edmond Rostand's Cyrano de Bergerac. Cyrano often used the expression "Thrust home!" when fatally piercing an opponent during a sword fight. I've appropriated that phrase for... "The Silver Fox's THRUST HOME Award! -- Given to the Author of a Single Outstanding Blog Post."

And my rules for the award -- and the rules for its recipients -- are:

• This award will be given by me, and no one else, and generally to only one recipient at a time.
• I'll only give the award to those whose posts have truly "thrust home" with me, so even my best friends on the net might never get one.
• The award will usually go to a post of what I deem to be of general import and interest, but that may be fudged once in a while to reflect my own biases. (My award, my stupid rules. Deal with it.)
• There will be no set frequency for the giving of the award.
• Theoretically, a recipient of "The Silver Fox's THRUST HOME Award!" may win once, twice... or forty-seven times! This is an award for individual blog posts, not for blogs!
• Recipients would be asked to mention their receipt of said award on their own sites, along with a corresponding link to my own. And a little blurb on your sidebar -- feel free to copy and paste the graphic, of course! -- would be greatly appreciated.
• Winners are not allowed to give this award to others.
• Other than that, awardees are not asked to do anything else. You've already done it!

***

Being Thankful 

Today I'm thankful for any and all prayers for the Virgin Islands and surrounding area.

What are you thankful for? Has your writing ever surprised you? Received an award lately?

The Creative Blogger Award, Alternatives, and Being Thankful

On Friday, June 19th, I was taken by surprise when Spacerguy over at Star Trek - Sci Fi Blog
chose me, out of all the bloggers out there, for the Creative Blogger Award. What a nice warm fuzzy feeling. Thank you, Spacerguy!


The rules for this award are simple enough.

1. Thank and post the link to the person who nominated you.
2. Share 5 facts about yourself to your readers.
3. Nominate 5-10-20 blogs and notify them.
4. Pass on the rules.


If you want to know ANYthing about Star Trek, Spacerguy's blog is THE place to hang out. Do hop over there and say hello.

Five facts about me.

1.) My hair reaches past my waist. I get three or four inches trimmed off it every six months or so. I dyed it strawberry blond, briefly when I was in my 20s. (Does that count as three facts? Can you guess what I'm doing?)


2.) This September I will have been married for 30 years, which is almost half my life! Where did the time go?

3.) I used to draw some pretty interesting abstract stuff, all in pencil. The one at right is inspired by a poem by Rainer Maria Rilke which reads:

I live my life in growing orbits
which move out over the things of the world.
Perhaps I can never achieve the last,
but that will be my attempt.

I am circling around God, around the ancient tower,
and I have been circling for a thousand years,
and I still don't know if I am a falcon, or a storm,
or a great song.

4.) I lived for a brief crazy time in Hollywood, California and used to walk up into Griffith Park on the week-ends in an effort to keep my sanity.

5.) Yesterday was my birthday.

My nominees are:
Farawayeyes at Far Away Series: Because she the's one who started The Battle of the Bands
Gary at Klahanie: Because I just know he and Penny will have something witty to say
Liza at Middle Passages: Because her posts are all so beautiful
Anne at Piedmont Writer: Because she needs to come out of the woodwork a bit more
Robyn Campbell: Because she's such a good friend
Rena Jones: Because she takes such great photos

***

Alternatives are synonyms for an over used word. Click on the tab above for a "complete" list of over used words.

Today's word is:

A couple of weeks ago... no seriously, upwards of two weeks ago, well, maybe it was a couplet of weeks ago... I came across an article posted on the Insecure Writer's Support Group Page. I wish now I'd taken notes about who wrote it with links and everything, but I didn't. Anyway, it was written by someone who does a lot of editing and she shared her list of over used words. I was pleased that find many of her words were already on my list. I was even more pleased to be able to add quite a few. More than a duet, perhaps even more than a smattering. This is the first of the latest additions.

Depending on how you use it, this list may come in handy for finding another way to say the same thing

a few, atom

brace

couplet, crumb

defined, deuce, divers, doublet, duet, duo, dyad

express

fragment

grain

handful, husband and wife

individual, iota, item

jot

many, marked, match, minority, modicum, molecule

newlyweds, numerous

one

pair, particle, particular, precise

regular

scatter/scattering, scrap, set, several, shred, singular, smatter/smattering, some, span, special, specific, specified, sprinkle/sprinkling, sundry

team, tittle, twain, twosome

upwards of

various

wit

yoke

Being Thankful

Today I am thankful for whales.

Humpback

Blue Whale

Sperm Whale

Any kind of whale.

My favorite Star Trek movie is The Voyage Home.


What are you thankful for today? Got a favorite Star Trek movie? Care to share something about yourself in the comments that I don't know about? Does one alternative appeal to you more than another? 

52 Likes by Medeia Sharif and An Award!

You still have a chance to win a $50 Amazon gift card and a free Kindle copy of 52 LIKES. Click on the Rafflecopter link below to sign up!

52 LIKES, Evernight Teen, 2015
Purchase from Amazon, Evernight Teen (vendor links will be updated on the author's site)

After a brutal rape and near-murder, Valerie wants to get past feelings of victimhood from both the assault and her history of being bullied. She’s plagued by not knowing the identity of her rapist and by the nasty rumors in school about that night. Valerie follows clues from ghostly entities, past victims of the rapist-murderer, contacting her through a social media site—why do all of their eerie photos have 52 likes under them? Their messages are leading her to the mystery man, although he’ll put up a fight to remain hidden.

Find Medeia – YA and MG Author

Blog   |   Twitter   |   Goodreads   |   Instagram   |   Amazon

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Very Inspiring Blogger Award

It's been ages, an aeon! since someone has given me an award. Thank you Susan Drazic! What a treat.

The rules for accepting this award are as follows:

1. Thank the person who nominated you, and link to their blog.

2. Display the award logo. 

3. Nominate at least 15 other blogs (more or less) and provide 

a link where they may be found.

4. Then, go to their blog, leave a comment to let them know they have been nominated, and where to find the information they need to accept (rules).

5. Mention three things that inspired you the most during the past few weeks.


My 15 nominations are, in no particular order...

Robyn Campbell for her ever enthusiastic support
C. Lee McKenzie for helping me believe in my abilities
Alex Cavenaugh for being the Ninja, of course
Anne Gallegher for answering every question I can think up
DLHammons for helping lots of people feel good
Liza Salerno for her beautiful words and photos
Manzanita because she's an inspiration to us youngins
Angela Ackerman for being an incredible teacher
Joy Campbell for seeming to be everywhere and sharing what she's learned/learning
Marcia Hoehne for turning me on to kid books I haven't read
Vijaya Bodach for being my first virtual friend and mentor
Medeia Sharif for showing the rest of us how much we can get done in a day/week/month/year
Susan Kane for her wonderful vignettes on life.
Jessica Height for her whimsical riddles. I get the feeling we're kindred spirits
Carol Kilgore for being a supportive near neighbor whom I hope to meet SOON

Okay 3 things that have inspired me in the past few weeks.

1. My husband, for researching alternatives to the medication my doctor wants to put me on.

2. Life... it's everywhere and just doesn't seem to give up.

3. All of you wonderful bloggers!

***

Only 6 days left to win a copy of one of my books! Stop by Carol Kilgore's web page. 2 people will win!

An Award and a Win!

It's been a while since I won an award. I got the Dragon's Loyalty Award from C. Lee McKenzie. THANKS, Lee!

And the Rules Are:

1. Display the Award on your Blog. 
2. Announce your win with a post and thank the Blogger who awarded you. 
3. Present 15 deserving Bloggers with the Award
4. Link your awardees in the post and let them know of their being awarded. 
5. Write seven interesting things about you.

In no particular order I'd like to pass this award on to...
1. Alex Cavanaugh
2. Robyn Campbell
3. Anne Gallagher
4. Kelly Polark
5. Marcia Hoehne
6. Vijaya Bodach
7. Joy Campbell
8. Liza Salerno
9. Hilary Melton-Butcher
10. Susan Kane
11. D. L. Hammon
12. Carol Kilgor
13. Meradeth Houston
14. Medeia Sharif
15. Klahanie


Okay, 7 interesting (hopefully) things about me.

1. I absolutely cannot stand liver. My mother (a most excellent cook) used to try to disguise it. Her last attempt to get me to eat it was ground up liver mixed with beef in a meatloaf. I about threw up. After that whenever she had liver (because the rest of my family LOVED liver) she'd cook me up a hot dog.

2. In high school I won first place in an interscholastic speech arts festival in poetry for reciting, "The Stolen Child," by William Butler Yeats.

3. I've walked up the steps of the Washington Monument twice and walked down them once.

4. I've broken only one bone, a small one in my right wrist, due to a roller skating accident.

5. I may have grown up on the ocean but I know next to nothing about sailing. I'm all about being a passenger.

6. I may have grown up on the ocean but I never learned to scuba dive. I'm all about snorkeling and free diving. In my prime I could easy dive 25 to 30 feet and tool around for a minute to a minute and a half before making my leisurely way to the surface.

7. In 1970 I went with my senior class to Curacao and Caracas, Venezuela. While in Caracas there were student riots right down the street from the hotel we were staying in. We were able to watch it. Police and military guarded the hotel, outside and in, with machine guns and rifles. It was tense and exciting at the same time.

***

YEAH! I'm a winner!


I have been randomly picked by Melissa Wray of Uncommon YA to win a copy of the book of my choice! I went with The Pitcher by William Elliott Hazelgrove.

Thank you Uncommon YA for having such a great give-away.

An Award and Wins!

The cogs of the Universe have been lining up and pointing their WIN signs at me. I certainly don't know why I deserve it, but I'm thankful. 

Carol Kilgore, at Under the Tiki Hut recently gave me the Sisterhood of the World Bloggers Award. THANKS, CAROL!

All I have to do is pass it on to 10 or 12 other women bloggers. Easy Peasy. (Or is that eazy peazy?)

Here are my choices, in no particular order.

Barbara at Far Away Series  is a woman who doesn't seem to be afraid to pack up and move when the mood strikes her.

Anne Gallagher at Piedmont Writer  is a perennial favorite. Even though she hasn't been blogging much lately, she's still an inspiration to all of us working to self-publish.

Joy at The Character Depot  is someone I look up to and think of as a Caribbean sister.

Cynthia Chapman Willis continues to inspire and share while doing battle with cancer.

Medeia Sharif is awe inspiring to me because of the number of books she manages to read and review.

Melanie Schulz writes consistently great flash fiction, little mind benders that get you thinking.

Liza at Middle Passages writes lovely descriptive passages about her life in New England often accompanied by stunning photos.

C. Lee McKenzie at The Write Game because I think of her as a good friend and because she knows the value of awards.

Manzanita at Wanna Buy a Duck is an example for all of us on how to age with grace and energy.

Robyn Campbell because you can feel her smiles and good will through the words of her blog. And this, in spite of health challenges in her family.


I was also surprised by two prizes.

Someone, I have no idea who (thank you secret admirer) nominated me for Misha Gericke's  Paying it Forward Awards. When Misha emailed  me to say I'd won I was really kind of stunned. I got to choose from all these fabulous prizes Misha arranged to give away. Because I'm always in need of reading material, I opted for an Amazon gift card. THANK YOU MISHA!

Lastly, for the first time ever, I've won a Goodreads giveaway! Out of 1186 people with 50 books available, I won a copy of The Time Fetch by Amy Herrick.

***

Edward thought he had picked up a rock. He didn’t know it was a sleeping Time Fetch—and touching it would alter the entire fabric of time and space.

Under normal circumstances, a Time Fetch sends out its foragers to collect only those moments that will never be missed or regretted. It then rests, waiting to be called back by the Keeper, who distributes the gathered time where it is needed in our world and others.

When Edward innocently mistakes a sleeping Fetch for an ordinary rock, he wakes its foragers too early, and they begin to multiply and gobble up too much time. Soon the bell rings to end class just as it’s begun. Buses race down streets, too far behind schedule to stop for passengers. Buildings and sidewalks begin to disappear as the whole fabric of the universe starts to unravel.

To try to stop the foragers, Edward must depend on the help of his classmates Feenix, Danton, and Brigit—whether he likes it or not. They all have touched the Fetch, and it has drawn them together in a strange and thrilling adventure where the boundaries between worlds and dimensions are blurred, and places and creatures on the other side are much like the ones they’ve always known—but slightly twisted, a little darker, and much more dangerous.

***

Sounds pretty exciting, yes? Have you won or given away anything lately? Do you have a favorite something that you won?

It's About Loyalty

Last week, long time follower and friend C. Lee McKenzie over at The Write Game gave me the Dragon's Loyalty Award. Makes me feel kind of special since she also gave it to M. Pax and Alex Cavanaugh. Those are a couple of pretty auspicious people in my book and to be included in with them means a lot.

I don't usually follow the rules when being given awards. I just say thanks, offer the award to anyone who wants it, and leave it at that. But for this one, I'm going to go the distance because loyalty means something and needs to be acknowledged.



So the rules are:

1) Display the Award Certificate on your website.
2) Announce your win with a written post and link to whoever presented your award.
3) Present the award to 7 deserving bloggers.
4) Drop them a comment to tip them off after you have nominated them in the post.
5) Post 7 interesting things about yourself.
6) If you don't have a blog but have a website, Facebook, or Twitter or other type of account, post there with a link back.

Seven Interesting Things About Me: Well... I don't know if they're interesting, but here they are any way.

1) For our senior high school trip we went to Caracas, Venezuela. While we were there we were shut into our hotel for a whole day as college students rioted just down the street. They were protesting the U. S. bombing of Cambodia. There were police (or army) at the door of the hotel with AK47 type rifles to protect the mostly American visitors staying there. We could see the riots from our hotel rooms. It was scary, but exciting at the same time.

2) I really do hate shoes and go barefoot as often as I can.

3) I have traveled quite a bit by Greyhound Bus (Florida to California, California to Florida, Texas to Florida, Florida to Pennsylvania) with smaller journeys in between.

4) I've never been to Chicago.

5) I spent the whole summer of 1967 in Arlington, Virginia and frequently went into Washington D. C. I can proudly claim that I walked up the Washington Monument twice and walked down it once.

6) I have been to the top of the Empire State Building.

7) I have flown in a DC3, the plane really responsible for opening up commercial flying to the masses. In the 1950s and 60s it was the plane used by the airlines to fly between St.Thomas and Puerto Rico and since we went over to PR fairly often, we flew in DC3s. I can still here the sound of the engines starting and the props beginning to spin. A wonderful throaty noise. Built between 1936 and 1950, these planes were incredibly reliable and, there are still some out there, winging their way through the skies. I'd love to take another ride on one!

Have you been to the top of Empire State Building? Flown on a DC3? Taken a Grayhound  Bus? Been to a foreign country? Visited Washington DC?

For their LOYALTY in being among my earliest followers I pass on this award too:

Anne Gallager, Tricia O'Brien, Christina Farley, Cynthia Chapman Willis,  Kelly Polark, Robyn Campbell, and Angela Ackerman.

Spring is Here and An Award!

For those of you in the far north with snow still on the ground, I bring you tiding of great joy. Spring is headed your way. Despite the horrific drought we're in (its going into the FOURTH year) trees are starting to bud and bloom and the mockingbird is singing his song.

Redbud trees

A close-up of the Redbud.

I don't think any two mockingbirds sing the same song as they imitate the sounds they hear in their area. The northern birds sound quite different from the ones we have here in Texas. And the ones here differ from place to place. This guy sounds the closest to what we hear in our yard. I have seen them on the very tops of trees like this and sometimes, as if in complete joy, they leap up into the air and flutter back down to their perch. I have heard and watched a papa teach his boy how to sing. "Repeat after me, son." "Repeat after me, son." What a delight.


It's been a LONG time since I've gotten an award. Thank you  Barbara at March House Books in the UK, for passing it on. I'm not nearly so stylish as the illustration. She looks a little like Aubrey Hepburn. I mostly wear jeans with a loose top, and my dog is one hundred pounds of love and adoration, who takes up the whole couch when she stretches out on it. She's not a little fur ball on the end of a dainty leash.

That said, this award comes with no rules! I don't even have to pass it on, which, in the lives of all you busy bloggers I know you appreciate.  But here's to all of you who are each stylish in your own right. Just take it if you want it. (Alex, I'm not sure if this badge will work for you :) But if you want it, it's yours too!) 

May we all look so svelte and well put together when we go strolling down the avenue.

And for the melancholy, those feeling a bit blue around the heart, a lovely spring song to express your mood.

Awards and Wins!

A while back Lynn over at LynNerd's Random Acts of Writing (you must check out her blog she's hysterical) gave me the Liebster Blog Award. 


I learned from getting this award that liebster means friend in German. Seeing as how there is a large German community just up the road from where I live, I consider this award rather special. Thanks Lynn!

I'm suppose to share an embarrassingly funny memory. Errrrr. Dare I? Okay...I got quite drunk on my 19th birthday, thanks to my mother's wonderful sangria punch. (So I can blame her right?) My friends and I decided we all wanted to go swimming. Most of them were up for going skinny dipping. It was like midnight, it was dark on the beach. We could easily slip out of our clothes and into the water and no one would seen a thing. But no, I was too shy. So what did I do? I changed into my bathing suit behind a door where I thought I was perfectly hidden. Much later (I'm talking years later) I was told I had been completely visible to everyone!

***

Nutschell over at Nut's About Writing gave me this award. I know I'm not cute, so it must be because I have some seriously cute posts? Thanks Nutschell!

***

Lastly I won the book of my choice from Kari Marie over at Writing by Heart. It was hard to decide what book I wanted to get. But finally I made my choice. Because I so enjoyed Across the Universe by Beth Revis I decided to get the sequel, A Million Suns. I'm thinking by the time it comes out in January I'll have forgotten about it (NOT) and will be completely surprised when it arrives in the mail. Thanks a million Kari!

Random Thought Thursday - Awards and Wins!

It’s time to acknowledge a few people.

First, Judy Croome in South Africa, has gifted me her book, DANCING IN THE SHADOWS OF LOVE. Don’t you just love the title and the cover artwork? Check it out at Amazon.com here. Judy is a really sweet friend and I’m deeply appreciative of this gift.

In the haunting "Dancing in the Shadows of Love," three emotionally adrift women fight to heal their fractured worlds. Not everyone can be a hero. Or can they? After a decade in prison for a murder she did not commit, Lulu begins a new life at the court of St Jerome in the Old Sea City. An albino, abandoned as a young child at a Holding Camp for unwanted children, she has always been ostracized, for her difference to other makes her an easy victim of prejudice.

Once, she believed, she had a friend to love her. Then that friend betrayed her and Lulu learned that hate is safer than love. But, from Jamila to Granny Zahra, the people of St. Jerome's appear to accept her into their fold. AGainst a backdrop of never-ending war, the women of the court fight their personal demons: hatred, ambition and greed. As Lulu shares their victories and their losses, she learns to trust again, perhaps ever to love.

Nothing however, is as it seems and Lulu discovers that love does not always wear the face of the one you call beloved.

***

Because of Danyelle Leafty and an interview with Shana Norris, I won a copy of Shana’s new book, THE BOYFRIEND THEIF. Thanks Danyelle and Shana! You can find Shana's book here.



Avery James has her life planned out: this summer she'll work with a humanitarian program in Costa Rica, next year she'll graduate at the top of her class, and after that, college and medical school. Perfect, planned total order.

The only problem: getting the rest of the money she needs for the trip before the deadline. Hannah Cohen, her biggest competition for the valedictorian title, makes an unexpected offer: If Avery can win over Zac Greeley and make him break up with Hannah before the end of the school year, a check for five hundred dollars is all hers. Faced with the prospect of spending yet another summer working as a giant hot dog, it's an offer Avery can't refuse. Zac is nothing like Avery expected. Within his chaotic world of midnight slushie runs and spontaneous dance parties, her total order is quickly falling apart while Hannah seems poised to get everything she wants. But just how much is Avery willing to give up for the perfect, planned life?

***

Kelly Polark has new blog promoting literacy called BOOK RECS OF THE ROCK AND FAMOUS. Here she will tell us all about what the stars are reading. I hope you’ll go check it out.

***

Mel, over at M. G. Higgins, as given me the Appreciated Follower Award. THANKS MEL!

I have to:

*thank the giver and link back to the blogger who gave it.

*reveal my top five and let them know by leaving a comment on their blog.

*copy and past the award onto my blog.

*have faith that my bloggers will spread the love to other bloggers.

*and most of all, have a BLOGGITY-BLOG good time!

It was hard to choose just five Random Followers, but here they are in no particular order.

Robyn Campbell

Tricia O’Brien

Angela Ackerman

Anne Gallagher

Mary Witzl

***

And lastly, but not leastly, I was given this award from C. Lee McKenzie over at The Write Game.

She didn't say to passed it on, but I would like to give this to some bloggers I think you should follow, if you aren't already, which is what this award is all about. Blogs YOU my fellow bloggers should go check out.

Matt at The Quintessentially Questionable Query Experiment. Matt is really good at critiquing query letters along with giving wonderful support to our writing community.
Tabitha at Through My Eyes writes from her heart and therefore writes about all of us.
Lisa at Middle Passages shares her life and stories about food.
Marcia Hoehne, an ICL instructor and author offers the occasional free critique and writes book reviews.
Agela Felsted shows us who we are through poetry.

Happy blogging to all of you!

A Tag and an Award and a Win

Vijaya over at Reading, Writing, Ruminating didn't actually tag me, she passed it on to anyone who would like to play. As I consider her a good friend and a mentor I thought I'd play.

I like the questions.

Are you hot?

Of course! With everyday reaching into the high 90s who wouldn't be? Lick my figure, strike my "no ass-a-tall" and you've got sizzle!

Upload a picture or wallpaper you are using at the moment.

This is the one I'm currently using. It's of Lameshur Bay (pronouced la-ma-shure) on the south side of St. John. A rain storm is blowing in. (I'm all about visualizing rain these days.)

Lameshur was home to the first "scientists-in-the-sea program" that was nationally sponsored. It was called the Tektite Habitat. You can read about the program here. Scientists stayed underwater for 58 days. (My father, a pre-war submariner, was not impressed.) Lameshur was always a favorite spot for my family. In the old days the road in was one of the most treacherous on the island. When we took the long trip to Coral Bay, we liked to picnic out at Lameshur, spending the afternoon eating, swimming, snorkeling. We were almost always the only people there.

When was the last time you ate chicken meat?

Last night, with mango chutney that I made.

What songs have you listened to recently?

Ella Fitzgerald singing Cole Porter songs, like "Night and Day," "I've Got You Under My Skin."

My favorite female vocalist and favorite songwriter from the 30's/40's, who could ask for more?

Do you have nicknames?

Well people have tried to cutesify Bish which irritates me. Isn't Bish short and cute enough without adding some kind of "cute" suffix? In school I was known by a few as Bush Woman because I was from St. John and was consider "uncivilized." I suffered through having theme songs sung at me when I entered a room sung to "Nowhere Man," by the Beatles.

"She's a real bush woman,

living in her bush man house,

making all those bush baskets

for nobody."

At the time it wasn't funny. Thank goodness I got over it. Now I consider it a title of honor.

If you're reading this, consider yourself tagged!

On June 17th Rena Jones gave me the Stylish Blogger Award. Thanks Rena! I must be stylish as this is the THIRD time someone has graciously passed it on to me. I now pass it on to you.

Also on the 17th I won Grim and Grimmer by Ian Irvine from Robyn Cambell! Yeah!

Books, Books, Books and an Award

During the A to Z Challenge which is now (alas and thank goodness!) over I won several books and two more awards!

The first award comes from Elizabeth Mueller who made this great one for all of us who participated in the A to Z Challenge. Thanks Elizabeth.

Isn't it a hoot? I LOVE it!

From Corinne

O'Flynn I received the Versatile

Blogger Award. Thank you so much Corinne!

Books, books, books. I picked up quite a few in April.

From Sangu over at Echoes of a Wayward Mind I won a SIGNED copy of Talli Rolland's book The Hating Game! I just finished reading it and thoroughly enjoyed it! This coming from a girl who's never been into chick-lit. (Dislike that term, sounds like chewing gum.) Anyway if you have the opportunity to read this funny and at time frightening book, DO!

From Carmella Van Vleet and crew at MiGWriters I won a copy of Carmella's favorite middle grade book which is...The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Patterson.

As the winner of Anne K. Albert's 150 Blog Follower Celebration I won a copy of HER book, Frank, Incense and Muriel.

From long-time follower C. Lee McKenzie at The Write Game I won an ARC of Rachel Ward's book, The Chaos, "The earth-shattering sequel to the shocking debut Numbers."

I'm going to have to get a hold of Numbers and read it before I read The Chaos.

And then, yesterday, on the last day of the Challenge, I won this from Talli Rolland!

The Golden Prince, by Rebecca Dean: Edward VIII became notorious for abandoning the throne for Mrs Simpson, but in the summer of 1911 he was a prince straight from the pages of a fairy-tale. Raised by the harsh disciplinarian King George V and his unfeeling Queen Mary, the prince longed for the warmth that had been deprived of him.The high society Houghton girls' lives however, were full of fun, both at their magnificent family seat Snowberry, and at the whirlwind of glamorous parties which punctuated their lives. When a moment of serendipity brings Edward and Lily Houghton together, the pressures of a stuffy court are replaced with the lightness that Edward has dreamt of.

But a future monarch could not choose his own Queen, and even an enduring love might falter under the furious gaze of a King. Could the devotion of Edward and Lily triumph against him and the impending doom of World War I? Or would they bow to the inevitable and set in train events that could bring down the Crown, and change the

course of history forever?

But wait, there's MORE. From TheFeatheredNest I also won the blogaversary draw for the water colour and crayon set/paper/brush combo!

My thanks to everyone who offered up these books and prizes. Lucky me!

And that's not the end of it. I had to break down and buy two books that I really, really, really, wanted to read, Across the Universe by Beth Revis and...

...Nightshade City by Hilary Wagner. Both of these books easily lived up to my expectations. And as I usually do with new hardbacks, I will donate them to my local library as I believe they will be wonderful additions to the children's section.

Do you donate books to your public or school library?

Awards

I don't usually post of Sunday, but...since starting The A to Z Challenge I have received three awards! and I thought it would be nice to acknowledge the givers.

Deirdra over at Storybook World is both an author and an illustrator. She gave me this stunning Creative Blog Award. Thanks Deirdra!

This second award has been bestowed upon me by Teresa at Fangirl Next Door.

I am supposed to tell you seven things about myself...but what could I possibly tell you that hasn't already been mentioned here on my blog? Still, I'll give it a shot.

1. I'm a big fan of the artist Camille Pissarro. Considered the Father of Impressionism Camille was born on St. Thomas in this building. You can see a few of his paintings here.

2. I lived for a short time in Los Angeles on a street between Hollywood and Vine.

3. I have never been to Europe.

4. But I have been to Caracas, Venezuela.

5. I have been a beekeeper. LOVE bees!

6. I know how to milk a cow.

7. I have never read A Tale of Two Cities (but I need to!)

Lastly I got this one from my good friend Anne over at Piedmont Writer.

Again THANKS Deirdre, Teresa and Anne!