Liebster Blog Award!



2013 Thus far has proven to be a fantastic year for me. I’m a bit dizzy from all of the things that have come my way since the new year began. With less than five months until the release of Shattered Illusions (hooray!), I have been busier and happier than ever. It’s been a bit hard to keep my head intact, but I’m learning! One of the coolest thing to happen so far in 2013 was that this blog was nominated for the Liebster Blog Award. What is a Liebster Award you ask? The Liebster Blog Award is given to up and coming bloggers who have less than 200 followers. “Liebster” is German for “favorite”. This award is the “favorite blog award” then. That’s definitely something to celebrate!!

And now for the rules:

1. Thank your Liebster Blog Award presenter on your blog and link back to the blogger who presented this award to you;
2. Answer the 11 questions from the nominator, list 11 random facts about yourself and create 11 questions for your nominees;
3. Present the Liebster Blog Award to 11 blogs of 200 followers or less who you feel deserve to be noticed and leave a comment on their blog letting them know they have been chosen. (No tag backs)
4. Copy and Paste the blog award on your blog.
First of all, thank you Sandra for nominating me for this awesome award! You can check Sandra out at her blog and on Facebook. Sandra was also kind enough to read and review Shattered Illusions recently. You can check out the review here.
A Couple of Random Facts:
* I think I was born into the wrong generation. Had I been given the right to pick, I would have chosen the 19th Century…or the 60’s.

* Writing is my life. It is my greatest passion and nothing makes me happier.

* I have been playing the piano since I was six. I stopped between the ages of eight and fourteen. At fourteen, I picked it up again and have been playing ever since. The latest piece I am conquering is Ravel’s Minuet.

* I sometimes have dreams about the characters of Shattered Illusions, beginning from where the book left off.
* I am a major people person. Social butterfly extrodanaire!

*I love to cook. I love to cook so much that my friends nick named me ‘Chefboyarleigh’ in middle school, and it stuck. A lot of people still call me that today.

* As a kid, I thought I would be a doctor. When I was ten, I fractured my entire arm and after spending sixteen hours in the ER, I changed my mind. After that, I wanted to be a chef. Though I had always been a writer, that dream didn’t become a reality until I was in high school. Now, I cannot imagine ever doing anything else.

* I love to sing. I don’t have the best singing voice, but when I sing, I sing from my core, from my soul. So far my shower head hasn’t complained.

* My sister is obsessed with ‘Bollywood’ dancing, and her obsession has transfered to me.

*In the world of Downton Abbey, I would be Lady Sybil Crawley.

* Last but not least, I love life. I love the world I live in and I love discovering new things.
Sandra’s Questions:

1. What do you love most about blogging?

I think what I love most about blogging is the instant feedback. When writing a novel, you work for years without end it seems, and you may never hear feedback. What I love about blogging is that it gives me a chance to connect to my readers in a different way than my fiction writing does.
2.  What do you love most about writing whether it’s books, or blog posts?

Writing is who I am. There is simply no other way to explain it. My passion for it runs through my veins. Asking me what my favorite part of writing is like asking me if I enjoy living. For me, writing is living. That being said, I think my favorite part of writing Shattered Illusions was giving a voice to characters whose voices might have otherwise stayed silent.
3.  Which book was your favourite to read when you were say… a teen?
My favorite book as a teenager, as well as now is The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand.
4.  What is your favourite snack – one you simply can’t do without?
Popcorn. Definitely a popcorn addict.
5.  If you could spend a day as someone else, who would that be and why.
If I had to spend one day as someone else, I would choose to be Roberto Bolano. Even though he is no longer alive, everything about his lifestyle, from his writing tactics to his survival methods astond and inspire me.
6.  What’s your favourite holiday destination?
Since I live away from home, I love traveling back to California as a ‘vacations.’
7.  What is your worst pet peeve?
Nail biting. I can’t stand it when people bite their nails in public.
8.  If someone asked you to swallow a fly for $100, would you? Why? 
If someone asked me to swallow a fly for $100, I would say no! But, not for the obvious gross factor. Flies, like all other insects, are not Kosher. Since I keep Kosher, insects are off limits.
9.  What’s your favourite poolside drink?
I just turned twenty-one, so I’m still learning my way around alcoholic beverages. So, I guess I’d have to say water.  🙂
10. Who or what inspires you on a daily basis?

My parents are incredibly inspiring to me. They work incredibly hard and yet they always manage to have a smile on their faces. Neither of them have a bad word to say about anyone, and I really admire that. 
11. Which family member are you most closest to, and why?

I am closest with my twin sister, Noi. Now that we’re living in different countries, we’re learning how to stay just as close with an entire ocean between us. She is my other half.
And now, for my nominees!
* Antona Brent Smith, http://www.pinklattepublishing.com/
* Parissa Khoshkhoo, http://waterairsoil.blogspot.com/
My questions to the nominees:
1) How do you feel that writing has changed your life?
2) Is writing your profession? If not, how does it influence what you do?
3) What was your favorite novel of 2012?
4) Which writers have been major influences in your life?
5) What is your favorite city?
6) If you were stuck on a desert island, what would you take with you? Why?
7) Where do you like to escape to when you’re having a rough day?
8) What is your favorite hobby?
9) What do you do when you need to relax?
10) What was your favorite movie of 2012?

11) Where do you see yourself in a year from now?
Stay tuned for some exciting book news, coming soon!




Category : Book Reviews, Bookish, Shattered Illusions