Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Challenges and Awards




I've decided to do the 2010 Debut Author Challenge (because we all know how well I do at challenges). But, this one seems pretty easy. After all, I love to read (and I love any excuse to buy books) The rules are simple: Read at least 12 books by debut authors in 2010.

So here's my list (in order of when they debut [I think]):

*A Match Made in High School by Kristin Walker
*Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins
*The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting
*Under my Skin by Judith Graves
*Guardian of the Dead by Karen Healey
*Whisper by Phoebe Kitanidis
*Wolves, Boys, and Other Things That Might Kill Me by Kristen Chandler
*Northanger Alibi by Jenni James
*Other by Karen Kincy
*What They Always Tell Us by Martin Wilson
*Paranormalcy by Kiersten White
*Anna and the Boy Masterpiece by Stephanie Perkins

I'm also looking forward to reading a lot of the sequels to series I started this year. But those don't count on this list because they aren't "debut".


And in other news. I won an award. :)



Or maybe I just received virtual flowers. Either way, someone likes me and her name is Julie Nelson. And I like her too. If you haven't been to her site, she's quite witty and always charming. So the rules are I have to write down seven things you don't know about me and then pass it on to seven bloggers.

Here goes:

1. The later it gets the more uninhibited I become. I generally get the most writing done at night. And I often write my blog posts late at night and set them to publish in the morning. For example, it is 11:30 pm right now. I'm feeling fairly silly. But I'm sure if you read back on some of my other posts you would be able to tell which ones I wrote past midnight and which ones I wrote when I woke up in the morning. I always thought it would be a fun experiment to write a book only utilizing the hours from when I wake to 10 am. But then I came to the conclusion that not only would it never get finished but it would probably be full of rude and/or boring characters (or they'd always be talking about sleeping). :)

2. I laugh really loud. Often times I've had people come up to me and say something to the effect of: "I knew you were here because I heard you laughing." It's kind of embarrassing and I've made several conscious efforts to be a quieter laugher, but it never works so I have given up.

3. I'm told that I snore when I sleep on my back, but I've never heard it so I doubt it's true.

4. When my husband and I got married we were gifted two desert tortoises (I made that sound as though it was part of the ceremony. It wasn't. They were just a unique wedding gift from a friend). We've had them for twelve years now and they are the best pets ever. They eat a head of lettuce three times a week, they hibernate all winter, and they don't shed or jump on me. (Don't kill me dog/cat lovers. I like to look at furry creatures. They're pretty. Occasionally I even like to pet them. But I don't make a good dog/cat owner. I'm low maintenance and I like my pets to be as well.)

5. This is probably something you already know about me, but: I'm fond of chocolate. Okay, it's more of an obsession. If I could live on only chocolate and still be healthy, I would.

6. I'm kind of a food wimp. If a food is spicy enough to make me cry or make my nose run, I steer clear of it. In fact, I don't understand the appeal of a food that gives you watery eyes and a runny nose. (I have a feeling I'm about to get a lot of comments defending spicy food)

7. I think Weird Al is funny. (Yes, he's still around) I watched his video "White and Nerdy" and laughed (loudly, of course) for days.

8. I like to break rules. That's why I have 8 facts and will only give this award to 3 people. It's a small act of rebellion that will keep me from a life of higher crimes like running yellow lights or writing graffiti on the back of bathroom stalls.

I bestow these lovely flowers upon.

1. Candice Kennington because she's my best friend and I noticed she had no awards on her blog. Plus I'd like to see if she can come up with something I don't know about her. :)

2. Mary because she is not only inspiring but she makes me laugh.

3. Shannon (whose blog I recently discovered) because she is super positive and I always smile when reading her posts.

18 comments:

  1. That is so uncanny: I hate spicy food, not a pet lover (even thought about euthanizing our fish), instead of a loud laugh I have a high pitched yelling voice that all my friends say they could hear for miles. Oh, and of course I love chocolate.

    ReplyDelete
  2. You know, the tortoise sounds like my kind of pet! I didn't know they hibernate. How economic!

    I won't defend spicy food, even though I love it with a deep passion. I just feel sorry for you and your wussy tongue. Oh well, more for me. (I still remember the look you gave me when I put all those peppers on my burger, snarf.)

    ReplyDelete
  3. I'm so glad you're going to read Paranormalcy : )

    And yay tortoises! My mother-in-law has two.

    ReplyDelete
  4. you must be special, b/c you won an award on my blog too!

    ReplyDelete
  5. It's doubtful I can come up with things you don't know about me. It's not that they aren't things... it's just if I haven't already told you about it, I've probably forgotten it myself. But I accept the challenge!!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Patti, awesome. Now, if only I played soccer like a mad woman I might be as cool as you. :) Seriously, every time I think about the stamina a physical coordination that takes, I am beyond impressed.

    Natalie, just because I haven't fried off all my taste buds with spicy food, doesn't mean my tongue is wussy, just sensitive. :)

    Kiersten, of course I am. And then I get to say that I was a beta reader on one of your books as well. It will be like my claim to fame. :)

    Tamara, wow, I'm feeling very loved this week. Thanks.

    Candice, it's probably true. Although I did get a 60% on that facebook quiz (it was rigged, I tell you, rigged!!!) so I'm not feeling confident in my knowledge of your past. :)

    ReplyDelete
  7. I knew all of those things about you. Except the chocolate. Who wudda thunk it?

    ReplyDelete
  8. I'm with you on the chocolate. As a matter of fact, I'm going to eat some now. And it's almost 10:00 at night.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Kasie,

    I just came by to look for a new post and found a surprise! Wow - I am so honored. Thank you. Of course, you praise me for being positive and today I was in a blue mood! :) Don't worry, I never stay blue for very long.

    BTW, I gave Candice the Honest Scrap award - I adore her, too!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Kasie thank you so much for the award. I like your blog too. I laugh loud too, but I've never heard anyone laugh louder than my husband when something strikes his funny bone. Very interesting that someone would give you tortoises, but sounds like you enjoy them.
    Fun to learn all these things about you.

    Thanks again.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Kasie - I have an award for you at my blog (which, by the way, you were going to get even before you honored me!). Come by and see! ;-) You rock!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Congrats on the award. LOL about the laughing. I used to be more sensitive to spicy food than I am now, but I still can't eat anything too hot.

    Lynnette Labelle
    http://lynnettelabelle.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  13. I just found my way over here from Sara's blog (perhaps I took the scenic route, I can't remember!) Great blog. I'm on submission to0 at the moment (for the first time) and it's rather nerve-wracking. How has it been going for you? I haven't really talked to anyone else who's on submission yet.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Tricia, I know, I never talk about chocolate, ever.

    Melissa? I thought your name was Melane. Have I been calling you the wrong name this whole time?? Well, either way, we can be chocolate friends together. :)

    Shannon, Candi is pretty easy to adore. :) And thanks again for the award. I'll post it on Wednesday (saves me from having to think of something "writerly" to say) LOL

    Mary, I've embraced my laugh. It's fun to laugh. My husband sometimes laughs so hard that he cries. (but usually only when he's hanging out with old high school friends and they're remembering all the lame things they used to do).

    Lynette, and here I thought more people would defend spicy food. It sounds like I have more people in my camp on the spicy fact. :)

    Rhiannon, well, I'm just recently on submission so I'm okay at the moment. It makes it easier with the holidays because I have distraction. I have friends who are on submission and they're like you--a bundle of nerves. :) I'm sure I'll be there soon enough.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Thank you, Kasie!! I'm so, so happy and flattered to find ANNA on your list! Yippee!

    And I laugh loudly, too :)

    ReplyDelete
  16. Stephanie, I wouldn't miss it. I've been hearing rave reviews of your book for months now. I can't wait!

    Maybe one day we'll meet and we can laugh loudly together and annoy everyone around us. :)

    ReplyDelete
  17. YAY! Thanks for joining the challenge! It's going to be so much fun! And you've got a great list of books! Good luck!

    ReplyDelete