Second Nomination for Blog of the Year Award -- by Vonnie Davis

No sooner had I gotten over the excitment of receiving my first nominatin for Blog of the Year Award, than I received my second. Oh my! I'm "curl my toes" happy! I’m honored to receive this blogging award from talented writer and friend, Mackenzie Crowne. Thank you, Mac, for thinking of Vintage Vonnie--and me. Hugs, darlin'. 

 

 

Mac and I met online via the yahoo loops for authors with The Wild Rose Press. She has a personality I describe as sunshine in a jar of honey. She’s fun, caring and very, very talented. She's also a breast cancer survivor and author of an intensely personal and inspiring memoir, WHERE WOULD YOU LIKE YOUR NIPPLE.

If you've never visited Mac's blog, you should. http://mackenziecrowne.com/wp/ Mac loves having guests, just as I do. She also details her journey as a writer with amazement and her awesome positive outlook on life. Mac and I share a complex relationship. At times I am her sistah in The Garden of incredible Roses and, at other times, I am her editor at Still Moments Publishing--and she still speaks to me. In addition, we are fellow-grandmas...ah, now there's a sweet connection.

This award is unlike other awards that you can only add to your blog once. This award can be updated with additional stars. For every time your blog is nominated, you get to add an additional star. How cool is that?

There are a total of “6” stars to collect. Which means that you can check out your favorite blogs—and even if they have already been given the award by someone else—you can still make your opinion count and pass it on to them again and help them (or me) reach the maximum of “6” stars.

The rules of the award are simple:

1. Select the blogs you think deserve the 2012 Blog of the Year Award.

2. Write a blog post and tell us about the blog(s) you have chosen—there’s no minimum or maximum number of blogs required and present them with this award.

3. Please include a link back to this page: Blog of the Year Award. http://thethoughtpalette.co.uk/our-rewards/blog-of-the-year-award/ and include these rules in your post. (Please don’t alter the rules or the badge!)

4. Let the blogs(s) you have chosen know that you have given them this award and share the rules with them.

5. You can now join our Facebook page – click the link here. ‘Blog of the Year 2012’ Award (http://www.facebook.com/groups/BlogoftheYear/) and then you can share your blog with an even wider audience.

 

 

And now it’s my turn and a thrill to pay this honor forward by giving the award to the following bloggers. Their award will have one star, but no doubt will recieve more as time goes on. They are:

 

http://jm-stewart.blogspot.com/ Joanne Stewart is one of the most supportive authors I know. Anytime I put out a call for a place to blog, she's almost always the first to respond. Gotta love a gal like that! She's also moving her career ahead with bigger publishers. I love watching her progress. Don't we all love seeing the "good guys...er...gals" succeed? I know I do. She is soooo deserving of her successes. Her stories draw you into a world of emotion and struggle and hope. Awesomeness.

 

http://rakesroguesandromance.com/ I don't know Nancy S. Goodman that well. In fact, I can't recall how I stumbled upon her blog, but I'm so glad I did. She does the best interviews, and I love reading her progress in this often crazy publishing world. Anytime she blogs, I'm right there, even if I don't have the time to leave a comment.

 

http://www.authorsarahgrimm.blogspot.com/ Here's the author I want to be when I grow up. No one writes deep emotion like Sarah Grimm. Golly, she's phenomenal. Every time I read one of her books, I sigh with envy...deep, pea-green envy. She's had me to her blog several times to post and promote. Talent galore there, folks, talent galore. 

WHERE WOULD YOU LIKE YOUR NIPPLE? by Mackenzie Crowne

I've got a special guest here today. An online buddy, a Rose sistah and one of my heroes in life -- Mackenzie Crowne.

 

Styling like Scarlett

What lover of romance doesn’t bow down to Scarlett as the greatest heroine of all time? “What a woman!” to quote Rhett. I mean, how can you beat a heroine who faced the ravages of the Civil War without losing her sense of style? Despite the troubles she faced, I wanted to be her when I was a teenager. I even had a life sized poster of Rhett on my bedroom wall.

Of course, one could argue that Scarlett was something of a bitch, and they’d be right. But what strong woman doesn’t have to pull out her inner bitch once in a while to do what needs doing? Actually, she didn’t start out that way. Okay, so she was spoiled, petulant, and annoying, but when push came to shove, she hitched up her petticoats and fought the battle to survive.

I’m no Scarlett and as one of eight kids, I certainly wasn’t spoiled. I admit to being a bit of a weenie when it comes to confrontations. I guess I just don’t have the killer instinct it takes to be a genuine bitch. But I believe we all have a little bit of Scarlett in us. We just don’t recognize it until we face our own petticoat hitching moment.

 

My moment came in the form of a breast cancer diagnosis. Like Scarlett, I faced an enemy bent on my destruction. The horrendous battle left the landscape of my life ravaged and my body scarred, but like Scarlett, I survived. I thought of her often during my battle and employed her philosophy on winning. Oh, I never went after my cousin’s husband - actually, now that I think of it, if by some measure of magic I could ever speak to Scarlett, her fixation with Ashley is the first thing I’d address. Like, what she was thinking? The guy was a dweeb. And Rhett was…Oh, now that was a man! But I digress…

Where was I? Oh, yes. Her famous lines, “I can’t think about that right now. If I do, I’ll go crazy. I’ll think about that tomorrow.” carried me through some of the darkest hours of my life. Yep, I was Scarlett so often during those eight months of treatment, I may as well have been wearing a dress made of drapes. I think I even began to speak with a Southern accent.

Scarlett teaches us that whatever your battle, a little faith, patience, and perseverance, and even a spoiled brat can come out victorious. So whether you’re battling breast cancer, or just a job you hate, don’t give up. Take things one step at a time. Slip into your best hoop skirt and style for all you’re worth. You’ll get there eventually.

 

After all, tomorrow is another day. 

 

Buy link: Amazon

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THE SISTERHOOD OF FALLEN BOOBS

I went for my mammogram today. I won't say I was looking forward to it. But, in life, it is one of those necessary evils like changing the litter box or getting a root canal. I mean, face it, a mammogram is the only medical proceedure where you can walk in a 46 Regular and walk out a 52 Long.

Once I was through, I returned to the dressing area where three other women sat in their gowns, waiting for their boobfest. After changing into my clothes, I stepped out of the cubicle and asked if any of them were readers. All three nodded. "Romance?" Wide smiles spread, and they chimmed in the affirmative.

(I must stop mid-story to tell you once I recieve my bookcovers, I order regular-sized postcards from Vistaprint. I download my cover for one side and have my blurb printed on the other along with places it can be ordered. I arrange the covers in the order of their release, tie a ribbon around each set, and carry several in the outside pocket of my purse. This makes it easy to whip out a set and give it to someone. Cost? 100 cards--12.49 + download of bookcover--2.49 + color printing backside--4.99 = $19.97. If I can catch the postcard when they're offering them for Free, the cost is even cheaper.)

 

 

Back to the tale of my shameless act of self-promotion. I handed each of the ladies a set of postcards. "Maybe you'd enjoy reading one of my books."

 

"Did you write these?" One lady looked at me in awe. Guess I just don't look like the mental perception of a "hawt" romance writer.

 

"Yes." I smiled and turned to walk out.

 

"Wait!" One lady stood. "You...you seem so...so approachable."

 

Goodness how did she expect me to act? "I'm just a retired woman who fills her days by writing love stories. I'm no different than you." I smiled and waved a hand toward my bust. "Besides, don't you think there's a sisterhood of fallen boobs in the mammogram waiting room?"

 

They were all laughing as I walked out. "Save the girls," I chimmed as I closed the door, nearly running into the mammogram technician who'd come for her next patient. I was nearly at the end of the hall when the technician called for me to stop.

 

She was running toward me. "Mrs. Davis, may I have some cards, too?" She gave me the once over, her eyes huge. "I had no idea I was handling the boobs of a writer," she all but oozed. Well, for heaven's sake.

 

I just checked novel rank and saw I'd sold two copies of each of my books today. So maybe my self-promotion wasn't a complete "bust." Moral of the story: Always be ready to promote, much as you dislike it. Like a Boy Scout, be prepared.

 

Next month is Breast Cancer Awareness month. If you haven't had a mammogram in the past year or two, please do yourself and your children a favor and schedule yours. Ten minutes of discomfort is a small price to pay.

 

While I have your attention, I'd like to ask if any of you have faced this terrible disease or have a loved one who has? If so, you should gift yourself or that loved one with a copy of Mackenzie Crowne's story of her battle with breast cancer. It's an uplifting story of hope written by someone who's been there.

 

 

AMAZON:   http://amzn.to/TDVvL9