Liebster Award From Awesome Author Christine Elaine Black

My friend Christine Elaine Black nominated me for the Liebster Award. Apparently in German that means loved one, or favorite.

 

So this award is all about blogging and answering questions and also a game of "tag you're it". I love nominating people for awards and that's why I agreed to play and pick four of my favorite colleagues. So read the rules and the facts and then check out some blog links of other players.

Rules:

1. You must tell 11 things about yourself.

2. Answer the questions your nominator gives you.

3. Create 11 questions for the bloggers you nominate.

4. Choose new blogs with fewer than 200 followers and link them to your post.

5. If you’re nominated, please leave a comment on this post with the URL of your Liebster Award post.

 

Here goes:

 

Eleven things about me:

1. Close friends call me V.

2. My husband calls me Angel.

3. I took accordian lessons for 3 years until my boobs started to grow and kept getting caught in the billows.

4. I started college at 44.

5. I made my daughter's wedding gown.

6. I once worked on the assembly line at Mack Trucks.

7. While at Penn State, I wrote a play put on by the drama department--"Family Secrets."

8. I used to teach classes in reading blueprints.

9. I once got thrown out of a high school wrestling match for yelling at the ref. And he was TOO a "blind idiot."

10. The year before Calvin and I met, I went on a Women of Faith Cruise to the Carribean and was accosted by a Jamacian native who told me I was taking him back to the States. He had more hands than a spider.

11. I can run fast for a fat, old woman (see #10).

 

 

Here are my eleven questions.

 

Hot and sexy or sweet and romantic?

 

Can I have hot, sexy and romantic?

 

Where would you live for one year if you had the chance to take on a whole new culture?

 

Paris, for sure.

 

Do you have any talents besides your amazing writing skills?

 

I’m a great cook, or so my Calvin tells me.

 

One thing you could change about yourself?

 

I’d be much thinner. See above answer.

 

How many children do have or want to have?

 

I have three grown children (Amy, Steve and Mike) and a step-son Kelly, who falls between Steve and Mike, age-wise.

 

What were the best years of your life?

 

These are the best years, by far. I’m with my soul-mate, another published author, who encourages me in my writing. We laugh every day. We grow closer every day. I love my Calvin to pieces.

 

Favorite author and why?

 

I can’t name just one!!! I’ll give you the qualities I look for: someone who’s obviously studied her/his craft and can make me laugh, sigh, get angry and cry. Pull me in. Hold me there. Make me yearn to get back to reading the next chapter while I’m moving about the house doing other things and I am yours.

 

Pizza and beer or Champagne and strawberries?

 

Pizza and Champagne. What? That wasn’t a multiple choice question?

 

How often do you visit your hair stylist?

 

Every two months

 

Married or single?

 

In May, we’ll be married 11 years so we’re still in our honeymoon stage. Two senior citizens holding hands wherever we go.

 

Favorite activity other than writing romance?

 

Getting hugs from my grandchildren.

 

I’m nominating these four bloggers: Carolyn Sullivan(Liberty Blake), Dani-Lyn Alexander, Lilly Gayle, and Jill James.

 

 

Ladies, here are your eleven questions:

 

1. Compact, SUV or pickup?

 

2. What is your favorite breakfast?

 

3. Do you buy the majority of books off the net or in a brick and mortar store?

 

4. What was your favorite subject in school?

 

5. Did you play a sport in school? If so, what?

 

6. What sub-genre of romance do you write and why?

 

7. As you’ve studied your craft, what’s been your biggest help? An online course, a book of elements of craft or working with an editor or agent who taught you writing tips?

 

8. Other than romance, what do you like to read?

 

9. Do you work outside of the home?

 

10. What keeps you awake at night?

 

11. Where’s your favorite place to vacation?

PEDICURE MOST FOUL

I blame the following incident on Jill James. Truly, I do. In one of her comments after her lovely blogpost on Tuesday, she mentioned getting a pedicure. "Hot pink with flowers," she said.

I glanced at my colorless toenails and thought, gee, I could probably use a pedicure, too. You know, just a dab of color to brighten them up.

So, today I went to a local nail salon.  Just to show you how out of style I am, I will share that this was my first pedicure. Now had I known the male nail technician would push my capris up to my knees to rub lotion into my legs, I'd have shaved the "forest" before I left the house. But, WHO knew?

I grimaced as he ran both palms up and down my hairy legs, fearing that he'd pull back bleeding, skinless hands. Then he started chatting to the nail technician working next to him. And while I don't profess to speak Vietnamese, I could tell what he was saying. "Awwwl, this woman's legs are like sandpaper!" Both guys (early twenties, I'd say) laughed until their faces turned red.


When the kid lifted my feet to examine the many calluses on my soles, he sucked air. His gaze slid to mine and he slowly shook his head as if he'd never seen such a mess. So he started. First he used a block-hone-thingy, rubbing it across those calluses, reminding me of "wax on, wax off" from the old movie, The Karate Kid.

When that didn't faze years and years of neglected calluses, he soaked my feet some more. Then he lifted them out of the whirlpool foot bath and took a brush to them.

Realizing he was getting nowhere, he turned around for a canvas bag with a horse's head painted on it. He pulled out a thick curry brush he'd no doubt used on old Paint the night before and, with his tongue tucked between his teeth, set out to obliterate those calluses. Folks, sweat ran down the sides of his face as he scrubbed the soles of my feet with that brush. It reminded me of the time we had our hardwood floors sanded.
Once more he rattled off a string of Vietnamese--cursing my feet, no doubt. Next he went for his tool box and, after digging through his hand tools, he pulled out an assortment of twelve inch files.

Like a man possessed, he ran those files over the soles of my feet--and I was sure I saw sparks fly. Still, my pesky calluses persisted. Lastly, he pulled a hand planer from the tool box and, with a fiendish gleam in his eye, began shaving off my calluses. Before long a pile of skin shavings grew on the floor.

I tried making myself invisible, really I did, but since my feet were held captive by a kid determined to reign victorious over those blasted calluses, I was there for the duration. I'm not exactly sure at what point I began to feel like a medical experiment, but I did.

Still, for all the pain and humiliation, my toenails turned out quite nice, don't you think? Thanks, Jill.

JILL JAMES, AUTHOR

My guest today on VintageVonnie is fellow Rose author, Jill James. I first met Jill at The Wild Rose Press Writers Retreat in Asheville. Like us, the airlines screwed up her travel plans with delays and cancellations. Only poor Jill suffered a greater indignity: the airline lost her luggage. Which meant once she got to the retreat she had to leave to buy clothes and toiletries. Even with all the hassels of her trip, she was kind and interesting with a camera handing around her neck, snapping pictures of nature.

Jill has loved writing since she first began putting on puppet shows in her garage for a nickel a person.  Her first love was poetry until she picked up her first romance novel, Lily of the Valley, after that it was all romance.  She writes contemporary romance, romantic suspense and paranormal romance.  She's been a member of RWA since 2004 and a member of the From the Heart chapter, Black Diamond chapter, Kiss of Death chapter, and ESPAN chapter.  She has been writing romance for a few years with a few poetry contest wins and a published short story, "Lunch Break." She lives in Northern California with her husband, the inspiration for all her heroes.

Jill, thanks for stopping by Vintage Vonnie today. May I ask you a few questions so my readers can get to know you better?

Sure, ask away. But first, thanks for having me.

What is your life like away from the computer? Tell us something about your household. Jazzie, my cat, wants to know if you have any kitty-pusses.

My home life is very quiet. The children are married and out of the house. Just the husband of 23 years and me. When he is at work, it is just me and my writing. Sorry, no kitties in a long time. The last one was Sylvester, a Himalayan, when I was a teenager. He slept, all 23 pounds of him, on my feet at the end of the bed. Someday he will be in a story.

Do you ever dream of writing in a different genre?

Sometimes I dream of writing a straight crime thriller like Chelsea Cain, Tess Gerritsen, and Karen Rose. I love the serial killer as the ultimate bad guy and the hero or heroine smart enough to catch him and stop him.

How do you research your storylines or locations?

I try to write what I know. I’m not too big on research so I choose places I’ve been before and things that I’ve learned along the way. After that, lots of television and movies. They may not always be totally correct, but it's what the public is used to and what they will believe in your story. If you wrote in your story that they sat around and waited for six weeks for DNA results how boring of a book would that be?

What part of the writing process brings you the most pleasure? The most angst?

I love the start of a story. Coming up with names, occupations, brainstorming situations for them to get into. I so dislike editing. Except for typos and such, I so just want to be done with the story. It was in my head, now it is on the paper, why isn’t it done yet? LOL

My husband is also an author, although his writings are more literary. When he reads my chapters, he wants to turn them into Hemingway sparseness by crossing out description. Of course I smile sweetly, think demon thoughts and then pay him no mind. Does your significant other read your writing?

My husband actually totally surprised me when he not only bought my debut book, but read it too. He had never read anything I have written before. His comment, “Wow, you write pretty good.”

That's so cute. He sounds like a keeper. Now, some goofy questions just for fun:

Coffee or Tea? Lipton tea; hot or cold.

Favorite color? Purple has been my favorite color for my entire life. If you open my closet doors you see a swath of purple shades.

Favorite TV show? Fringe, love intelligent science fiction.

Favorite actor? Hugh Jackman!!

Funny movies or tear jerkers? Definitely tear jerkers. I love a movie that has me crying during the black moment and sighing with relief at the HEA.

Sneakers, flip-flops or bare feet? Sneakers. Must have shoes on--unless the airline loses them.

Now, tell us something about your new release, Tempting Adam. Did you bring along a blurb for us?

**Smiles slyly and winks** Oh, but of course...

They both want the same thing – St. Eden Studios.

Corporate raider Yvette Giardino intends to bring St. Eden Studios to its knees. It’s a job. One her grandmother’s health depends on. That Adam St. Eden will suffer isn’t personal. Until he awakens her sympathy and stirs her body in ways she can’t explain.

Adam wants one thing and one thing only – to protect the dream his grandfather began. But when the board demands he work with stunning Yvette, a woman he’d mistakenly indulged with in a little after-hours play, his world turns upside down. Missed meetings, unhappy clients, and nights of intense pleasure – he can blame one person. Yvette.

With his corporation crumbling around him, can Adam rise above the fallout and see his sexy temptress for what she really is – a victim of manipulation and a woman who desperately needs his love?

Jill, how can we reach you and keep you on our radar screens?

My Links ~

Website: http://www.jilljameswrites.com

Blog: http://www.jilljameswrites.com/blog

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Jill.James-author

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/jill_james

Group Blog: http://www.trulymadlydeeplyromanceauthors.blogspot.com