Wherein I Get More Loot

I still haven't figured out all the rules for these lovely blog awards that keep coming my way ... I suspect that there's some sort of code I should be following, kind of like The Pirate's Code.

I so appreciate it when I do get these awards ... it means so much when someone tells me that my blog has impacted the award-giver in some special way. But I REALLY appreciate it when they also accompany the award with the care and feeding of that particular award.

For instance, nifty blogger Samuel Park, who has a novel coming out in 2011 (do put it on your to-buy lists, folks!) gifted me with The Versatile Blogger award ... and he gave me the rules for it, too -- very handy!

The rules go something like this ... you thank and link back to the blogger who awarded you (check!). And then you reveal seven true things about yourself.

Woo-boy. Seven things, huh? Has there been seven things that I haven't already revealed?

1) I really DO like vanilla ice cream the best.

2) I am terrified of rats. Spiders, snakes, wasps ... they give me the creeps, but don't send me into the nearest chair.

3) I'm so cold-natured that July usually feels pretty good to me.

4) I will do things for my daughter that I could never get the courage to do for myself.

5) I cried when I ran over a turtle -- not big boo-hoo tears, but it completely ruined my day and I still feel awful when I think about the thunk the poor guy made when I couldn't avoid him.

6) I secretly think that I am a fluke when it comes to this writing business. My first editor told me I wasn't, but I keep thinking that somehow, someday soon, someone will figure out that I'm a fluke.

7) I hate the way that Hollywood portrays Southern accents. I can't for the life of me figure out WHY they sound all wrong, but they do. In the movies, the Southern guys all sound girly-girly and the Southern women all sound dumb. In real life, we don't really sound like that. Trust me.

OK, check! on the revealed seven things.

Now, onto the next portion -- I must name 15 bloggers that I admire and share this award with them.

That's tough. I only get to pick 15? But someone's feelings will get wounded! I'm going to do this in rounds, then, like a government grant, and it will all be completely random. Some time in the future, I'll award a few more rounds of 15, because I follow only those bloggers that I like and that I enjoy, and they're all versatile!

1) Toby Speed - The Writer's Arm Chair -- whose blog often captures sky pix of lovely, fluffy clouds.

2) Rebecca Thompson - Sonshine Thoughts -- whose Retail Wednesdays crack me up and make me glad I'm not in retail!

3) Lickety Splitter -- at Pukka Pearl -- who is a Southern blogger who has a great sense of humor.

4) Matthew Delman -- at The Secret Archives of the Alliterati and Free The Princess -- who is a great Twitter bud who has intro'd me to Steampunk -- something I had no idea I already liked.

5) Jamie Debree at The Variety Pages -- whose goals make me feel like an underachieving slug, but then I actually DO make goals and get some work done.

6) Julie Musil at her blog -- always full of interesting observations on writing and life, and whom, if memory serves, has gifted me with an award or two.

7) Susan Kaye Quinn at Ink Spells -- a loyal commenter and one who always gives you something to think about on her blog. She's got a book out -- LIFE, LIBERTY AND PURSUIT -- another for your to-buy list!

8) Lydia Kang at The Word Is My Oyster -- love her Medical Mondays and her cute little blog-strations! (That's illustrations for blogs.)

9) Joel Stickley's How To Write Badly Well -- a hilarious blog that shows me just how badly I can write if I don't pay attention.

10) Kelley Breakey at Blog Like You Mean It -- she's a great Twitter bud with a wonderful sense of humor, and I found her blog (I think) through Twitter.

11) Stephanie Faris at Steph In The City who always has the neatest blog topics about anything and everything.

12) Anne Gallagher at Piedmont Writer who, unlike me, can build fences on her own, but, like me, would also cry if she ran over a turtle.

13) Michele Emrath at Southern City Mysteries -- we Southern gals have got to stick together! (Please just think it's mysterious that you're #13, Michele -- nothing sinister, I promise!)

14) Jody Hedlund at her blog, and whom, if I'm remembering correctly rescued some baby squirrels and would totally understand that I cried over a turtle. She already has a Versatile Blogger Award, but she's so good, she DESERVES two.

15) Linda Grimes at Visiting Reality -- she's an agency sistah of my critique partner Tawna Fenske. Linda is a great Twitter buddy, and probably a person I could put on my "Call at 2 AM" list. If I ever wound up in jail, Linda would cheerfully drive down from Virginia to bail me out, just so she could rag me about my "fallen" status! :-)

OK, 15 recipients of blog love -- check! Now the rules say I have to notify said bloggers ... so I guess I'm off to enjoy their wonderful blogs!