Blondie's Liebster Award #2

Liebster Blog Award #2

My awesome Aussie friend, Rachel Amphlett, nominated me for the Liebster Blog. Thank you so much Rachel for this distinguished honor. Mwah! Be sure to check out her website and thriller novel, White Gold, here. It looks like an amazing read! 

The purpose of the Liebster Blog Award is to recognize blogs with fewer than 200 followers that deserve a look. This is my second nom in as many months. How exciting, eh? My job is to list 11 random facts about me, answer Rachel's questions and to nominate 11 new bloggers, who should bask in the Liebster glow (by that I mean post a blog linking back here with 11 random facts about you, answer my 11 questions and nominate 11 new bloggers). Let's get right to it. 

11 Random Facts about Me

1. My mom is 5'2"and my dad is 6'2". I am thankfully somewhere in between.

2. I've been to 6 countries. Meh, not great for the rest of the world but for an ugly American, not too shabby! I've been to the UK (All of it including England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales and Northern Ireland), Switzerland, Bermuda, Italy, and Canada. Plus of course the USA.

Countries I've been to.

3.  I was born a poor black child. Not really, but I love that line from the Jerk. 

4. I'm a bit of an anglophile (and what ever you call someone who loves the Irish and Scots as well). If you're from the UK I would love for you to leave me a boo message stat at audioboo.fm. I've got English, Irish and a few Scots in the novel so any fodder would be greatly appreciated! 

5. I've lived in 8 different states. One of my favorites is Virginia.  Did you know that more US Presidents were born in Virginia than any other state? Now you can say you learned something today (you're welcome). Isn't their state flag lovely?

Anyone know why he's stepping on that dude?  
Oh, that's King George III! Anglophile or not don't mess with Virginia! 

6.  I've been working on my novel, Stealing Time, for 7 years. I'm working on the last 4 chapters. (I've been saying that for a month now. One of my characters has hijacked my novel. A crazy Scot, by the way, so I had to let her have her way. Sigh.)

My upcoming novel. You can read the prologue 
here. Blondie in the Hurricane

7. Through my previous job I met Al Gore twice. First time I was too shy to eke out a single word. The second time I was determined to make an impression. Let's just say Al and the secret service dudes were a bit nervous about my exuberance. Impression made.

Al Gore was scared of me!

8. Last summer I traveled to 13 states on vacation. See my blog: Blondie in the Atlantic Coast for more pics. 

Ended the vacation in Stonington, Maine,
a quaint little town outside of Bar Harbor. 

9. I love medical stuff. Favorite show a few years back was Dr. G. Medical Examiner. Don't recommend watching the autopsies during dinner although if you're trying to lose weight...

Dr. G. Medical Examiner. Yeah, she does autopsies. Yum!

10. I did some modeling in my earlier days. Strangest job was modeling for an artists painting a tarot deck. Here is one of the cards.

This is me, or at least the artist's
rendition of me.

11.  I've seen every episode of Spongebob in the last month. It's all my kids want to watch when they're sick. Let's just say we've not had a great month. Thank you stomach flu. 

Rachel's 11 Questions For Me

1.    What’s your favorite album cover and why?

The first thing that comes to mind is Michael Jackson's  Thriller. Why? Because he at that point was black, had a nose, AND was super cool. Who would ever have guessed that none of that would be true 30 years later? Rather symbolic of the moral decline of pop culture, don't you think?

Michael Jackson -- Thriller. Surprise ending for the King of Pop -- Propofol. 

2. You’ve got the chance to travel back in time and be in your favourite movie. Which movie, and which character do you choose and why?

To be completely honest, I'd rather eat a snake than star in a movie. Do I have to pick? Hmmmm, I'd have to pick The Ugly Truth opposite Gerard Butler for obvious reasons.  Another choice would be Brigadoon with Gene Kelly to advise them to, at all costs, avoid this costume horror:

Travel back in time to prevent the atrocity of these God awful shorts in Brigadoon. Have ye nev'r heard of a kilt, lad?

3.    You’ve been offered the chance to interview a person of your choosing. Who would you  choose – and what’s your opening question?

I would love to interview John Adams, our second President. I'm a descendant of his cousin Sam, you know of the beer fame? Opening line: So tell me about the Adams family (cue theme song...dun dun dun deh. Snap, snap.)

John Adams -- so tell me about the Adams family?

4.    You’ve been asked to speak about writing in front of a class of 12-year olds. What advice aren’t you going to give them?

Be a writer -- it's full of fame and fortune (NOT!)


5.    What’s the worst (repeatable!) joke you’ve ever heard?

What does a mermaid wear to math class? An algae-bra. 

An Algae-bra! Get it?

Or, what my son came home with today: "Mom, someone called you an owl today.  I provided  the requisite answer: "Who?" Yeah, hook line and sinker.

"Who? Who?"

6.    Relaxing holiday or action holiday? And where?

Definitely an action holiday neck deep in some form of water. Where? First choice would be Bermuda. See my blog Blondie in Bermuda for a full picture. (Doubt me? See Blondie in the Pond or Blondie on the Reef!)

Blondie in Bermuda read more here.

7.    You’ve got the chance to go back to your schooldays. What would you do differently?

I would have more confidence. I was awesome -- I just didn't know it yet. A few years ago I went to one of my class reunions. Over a cold beverage one of the 'popular' girls told me that  back in the day she wondered why I had so much confidence. I surely didn't feel that way at the time. My parents divorced when I was seven and it set me up for a damaged young ego. 

That conversation changed how I thought of my younger self. That maybe despite the insecurities I felt I was a much stronger person that I realized.  One of the things I'm trying to instill in my kids is self confidence. We all make better decisions if we believe in ourselves. I want my kids to trust their instincts and stick up for themselves when it really counts. Think of what I could have done in high school if I knew then what I know now?

8.    Your house is burning down, you’ve got the family and the pets out. The flames are  making their way towards your bookshelves … and you can only save one. Which book do you rescue, and why?

I'll have to say the photo album my sister put together for me when I turned 16. I don't really have any valuable books and definitely not any I'd risk my life to save.

9.    You can be a superhero for the day (or a villain). Who are you going to be and why?  (And yes, you get to wear the costume with the cape too if that sort of thing floats your boat.)

I'm not really into super heroes but if you're gonna make me answer that it'd have to be a hot female version of Aquaman. If you've read my blog you know how I feel about the water -- how frigging cool would it be have aqua super powers?

You made me do it. If I have to pick I'll be a sexy Aquawoman 
as a super hero. No cape needed.

10.   Animal, vegetable or mineral?

Animal. I'll let you ponder on that.

11.   If you could play an instrument, what would it be and why? (And if you can already play an instrument, pick another!)

Another great question Rachel. I already play the flute, recorder, piano and guitar. None of them well anymore, but I was first flute in high school and in the marching band. I guess I'd have to pick saxophone.   

Who doesn't like sax?

Questions for My Nominees:

1.  What is your favorite line from a movie and why?

2.  What celebrity do you think you resemble or perhaps people have told you look like? I had a guy gush over me in a store hands flapping in excitement. "Oh my Gawd, you look just like Olivia Newton John in Grease. The slutty version."  Nice, huh? He was talking about my hair -- I assure you I was dressed very demurely. 

3.  Share a favorite line or paragraph from your novel. 

4. Name 3 things that you love about being a writer.

5.  What is your favorite place on the planet?

6. What was your favorite character to write? Why? 


7.  If you were guaranteed to be safely returned unharmed what risky thrill would you try (i.e., Bungee jumping, free diving, scuba with sharks.)

8.   Put a link to your favorite blog post here. Tell us why it's your favorite.

9.   What is your favorite band or singer?

10.  Pop, rock, opera, classical, folk, rap... what's your favorite type of music?

11.  What author has inspired your writing the most?

My Nominees for the Liebster Blog Award

Be sure to check out these great authors and bloggers hand selected by me.

1. Dan C. Chamberlain

2. Kevin Hill Author/Writer ... for those lovers of travel. 

3.  Roland Garcia The Eclectic Life

4.  Joey Francisco Soul and Sweet Tea

5.  R.C. Lewis Crossing the Helix

6. G.A. Albrethsen

7. Seumas Gallacher

8.  Joanne Wadsworth

9.  Joshua Stern Adventurer, dreamer, author

10. Carol Hedges I write, I sleep, I try to resist cake

11.  K.S. Haigwood The Dream of a Writer

12.  Terry Tyler Terry Tyler's Blog

13.  Brendy Caldwell The Shore

Connect With Me

When I'm not working on Stealing Time you can find me on my social media at the links below. I hope to have my novel completed by spring 2013 with book two close behind.

• Check out my website: www.kjwaters.com
• Follow me on twitter at @kamajowa
• I'm on facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/KJ-Waters/206720056103502 for my author site, or my 'jury-rigged work around so I can like you back' facebook page here: http://www.facebook.com/kj.waters.39
• I have some photographs up on Fine Arts America at: http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/kj-waters.html for sale, check it out!
• Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/kamajowa/
• Audioboo voice messages: http://audioboo.fm/KJWaters
• All About Me page: http://about.me/kjwaters
• Brand Yourself Profile: http://kjwaters.brandyourself.com/