Thank you, Alexa, for nominating me! Check out her blog “The Novel I’ll Never Write.” (I particularly like her short fiction A Winter Scene.)

The Rules:

• Thank the person who nominated you and provide a link to their blog.
• Add these rules to your post.
• Answer all the questions below.
• Display the award picture in your post.
• Nominate 12 other bloggers who are funny, inspiring and most important of all ENTERTAINING!

WHY DID YOU START A BLOG IN THE FIRST PLACE?

It’s a confidence project because once upon a time I was terrified of people.

(Mini story! When my parents forced me into driving my first car during my last year of high school, I drove as little as possible because driving meant I’d use gas, using gas meant I’d eventually run out of gas, running out of gas meant I’d need more which brings us to gas stations. My folks gave me cash for gas money so I had to go inside. Gas stations? THERE WERE PEOPLE THERE. It’s an unfortunate truth but I literally sat in my car at the pump for 5+ minutes tryin’ to slow my heartrate to go inside. Factoid: For years I only ever said three words to the person at the counter, “Twenty (dollars) on two,” and I messed up those three words every time.)

Problem: zero confidence. “What can I do about it?” Exercise it. I actually began with acting because it combined stories (love) and with people (hate) with the hope that the story part would make me less likely to chicken out. I convinced myself of it’d be interesting as another aspect of storytelling so, who knows, it might even be fun. And then I LOATHED it. (Feeling the blood leave my face and seeing stars at the start of every acting exercise, “what am I doing here/must be out of my mind,” very the opposite of fun.) That’s how I knew it was good for me. I love it now, fyi.

The Family Fridge Guru

Like acting, blogging is another aspect of writer/story stuff which made me uncomfortable, so I went for it like the 12th Doctor (GERONIMOOOO!). Just ask Megan, I never used to let anyone read any of my stuff. Not even her.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE BOOK?

The Complete Sherlock Holmes Collection by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

WHAT DO YOU DISLIKE THE MOST?

Rude behavior

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE FOOD AT THE MALL?

Don’t have one. I only went/go for the movies.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PAST TIME?

My #1 favorite thing to do with free time is regular stuff with any of my family, especially my sister’s family w/ 5 kids. Why? It’s got everything: adventure, courage, comradery, suspense, improvisation, love, hope and ridiculousness (everything I write about).

And now, my nominees (The directions say to list 12 but I’m gonna be a rebel):

1. Riding On Water
2. Between the Cracks Here and There
3. Mage Menagerie (I’ll have you know, my niece DID get a Batman cake last year!)
4. [Megan, how the heck am I supposed to nominate you if you don’t have a blog?!]