The Liebster Award 2013

Many of you will recall that I received this award in 2012 - well, we made it to Feb 2013, without me being nominated again!
Anyway, thanks to fellow author Sandra Nikolai for the nomination.

As required by the Liebster nominee, I’ve pasted the Liebster award in my blog post and will provide a link back to the nominator's blog. In my case, it's Sandra at http://sandranikolaiauthor.blogspot.ca

Next I have to list 11 random facts about me, then answer the 11 questions asked by the person who nominated me.

I then proceed to nominate 11 bloggers to follow after me and come up with 11 new questions for them. I post the whole thing on my blog, hoping to bring new readers to it.

 

Of course I am giving 11 random facts which are different from last year's!

Right, let's get out of the starting blocks then!

 

1) I have 3 nephews, who I like to refer to as Hewy, Dewey and Louie, although they are more crazy!

2) I'm currently 7 months pregnant with my first baby - at 40!

3)I have published 2 novels and already have another 7 in the pipeline - never a shortage of ideas

4) I ran the Glasgow 10K in 53 mins 36 seconds in 2011

5) I am very accident prone, or I would have been running in the Great Scots Run half-marathon - but had to pull out a few weeks before through injury

6) I love food! Pretty much any food, most cuisines - I once ate crocodile in a cream sauce - didn't like it  much!

7) I get really ratty when I get bad customer service and I am not slow to point it out! (used to work in customer service aeons ago - there's no excuse for bad service!)

8) My dad was a gymnast and I have a cousin who was an Olympic boxer. Myself and my two sisters were track athletes.

9) I've been to Japan twice - once there was an earthquake and the other time a typhoon - I'm not in a mad rush to go back.

 

10) If I were to write a non-fiction book, it would be a travel guide, as I am travel daft.

11) I really don't like reality TV programmes. I can handle house makeover programmes (sometimes) and cooking programmes, but celebrity for celebrity's sake 'does my head in'!

 

Now for the 11 question posed by author Sandra Nikolai:-

1) Are you a morning person?

Yep, but not a 5 o'clock riser, but even at the weekend I am up at pretty much the same time.

2) What inspires you to blog?

I initially started blogging when I published my first book, Sign of the Times and I wanted to have somewhere readers could find me and find out about my work. I originally posted progress reports and 'tips' for writers, but then I decided to do book reviews and interviews with other authors, as I was so busy writing, I had no time to read. The only way I could read was if I set myself a book to review!

3) What is your current or next WIP about?

My next novel, due out Nov 2013 is called What If  and is about a guy called Cameron who wakes up one day and wonders if he's living the life he's supposed to be. He then sets out to change things, revisiting his past, to see if he can work out the future.

4) What is the one thing you’d like to do but haven’t had the opportunity?

I'd like to have either my own language school  - I speak five languages - or my own writing workshop/bookstore.

5)Name one of your favorite fictional characters and explain your choice.

I love Bridget Jones. When the book first came out, everyone said she was based on me! I figure I am not the only person who has ever been told that! Blue soup was something I could aspire to!

6) What is your pet peeve?

Lateness in others. Unless there is a really good reason why they are late, it's pretty much saying, my time is more important than yours. It bugs me no end!

7) What would be your ideal holiday getaway?

If a beach holiday, Bora Bora is somewhere I would love to go and never been. Being a travel nut, hard to pick just one. I'd love to go on safari to South Africa and also go to the Masai Mara. I'd also love to go to New Zealand to the Marlborough wine region and tour all the vineyards, hic!

 

 

 

8) Who/what did you want to be when you grew up?

I wanted to be a linguist - a translator/interpreter. I didn't quite do that exactly, but since I left university 17 years ago, there have only been two years where I haven't used my languages. I worked in European and then International Sales.

9) What is your biggest regret?

Not winning the Scottish athletics championships when I was teenager. I came fifth.

10) Name two of your favorite cities in the world.

Barcelona - I used to live there and in fact, part of my second novel, The Dating Game is set there - it's so cosmopolitan, but with such history and the food is amazing and the Catalan people are so hardworking.

 

 

 

New York - I've been three times and love it. My fave place is Bryant Park. I love the people, the food (surprise!) the restaurants, and the fact there is so much to do. I love the bookshops and cafes of  Greenwich Village.  Plus I love the theatre aspect.

11) What are the best five words that would describe you?

Chatterbox, outgoing, determined, impatient and loyal

 

 

And now for my questions to my nominated bloggers who are:

 

Carol Hedges - author of Jigsaw Pieces among others - www.carolhedges.blogspot.com

Vanessa Wester - author of Hybrid - www.vanessawesterwriter.blogspot.com

Samantha Stroh-Bailey - author of Finding Lucas - www.samanthastrohbailey.blogspot.ca

Libby Mercer - author of Unmasking Maya - www.libby-mercer.blogspot.com

Kat at The Book Tart - excellent book reviewer - www.thebooktart.com

Monique McDonell - author of Hearts Afire - www.moniquemcdonell.weebly.com

Carol Wright - another amazing book reviewer - www.dizzycslittlebookblog.blogspot.com

NE David - author of Feria and Carol's Christmas - www.nedavidauthor.com/blog-1

Estelle Wilkinson - author of It Started With A Click - www.estellewilkinson.wordpress.com

Meredith Schorr - author of A State of Jane - www.meredithschorr.com

Marina Stevkovska - book reviewer of varied tastes - www.chicklibrarycat.blogspot.co.uk

 

 

 

 

1) I have a penchant for Rupert Penry Jones - who is your Rupert Penry Jones?

2) Countryside, seaside or mountains?

3) Soap operas, dramas or comedies?

4) If you're a writer, which genre would you like to write in, which you haven't yet? If a blogger, which genre would you consider reviewing, which you haven't yet?

5) If you were a sport, what would it be and why?

6) Chocolate or cheese and which type? - yes, you really do have to choose between them!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7) Wackiest activity you have ever participated in (eg bungee jumping)

8) Describe your ideal house/home?

9) Any pets? Tell us about them. If not, would you like to have a pet if circumstances were different? Which? Why?

10) Favourite Valentine's activity - keep it clean!

11) In your opinion, where is the most romantic place in the world.

 

That's it folks! Hope you nominees enjoy it!

Tune in tomorrow, Valentine's Day for a special post.