West of Mars -- the Meet and Greet

Those of you who pick my feed up have seen this get accidentally posted a few times now. Damn Google and their continued insistence on my being a spam blog. Trust me, a fix is in the works.

You'd think I'd just post this already for real, but I keep waiting for the Tour Manager to do my graphics for me. We've been swamped, trying to get the Demo Tapes out to you (so much for my projected target of October 1...), so you can imagine that a simple thing like graphics has taken a back seat. Somehow, I don't think you guys mind all that much.

Anyway, I've been stockpiling these awards since back in September. Ready?

Let's start at the beginning:

Julia at Julia's Book Corner. She was kind enough to give me the super commentator award. I know I am commenting on many of your blogs less than I used to (see above about time...), but when I do comment, I'm trying to make sure you know that I'm not just typing letters and hoping they make words. Silence from me, btw, doesn't mean I'm not here. Just that I'm in a quiet mood. I have been lately, and I'm not sure why.

Breeni loves my blog, which is great because I love hers. In fact, I hung out there a few times during October. Did you notice?

Shauney loves my blog, too. Shauney is an old friend from back before my blogging days, when I hung around a really cool book lover's community. More on that below; right now, it's all about awards.

Especially because I've been handed this one a THIRD time this go-around. Three, folks. Wow.

Florinda, at The 3 R's: Reading, 'Riting, and Randomness, also saw fit to pass this along. Florinda and I met years ago through BookCrossing when we exchanged books. Years later, she recognized me. Because, you know, I have a distinctive name and how many other women run around bragging about being from West of Mars?

Lisa, at Minds Alive on the Shelves, also gave me this award, but more for Win a Book than this joint. Still, I'll acknowledge it here while I'm on a roll. Besides, Lisa doesn't live that far from me (or you, Spy) and so she's worth mentioning here. She says she often comes out this way, so let's see if we ever meet in person. Could be scary; I'm SO much better here on the blog.

The cool gang over at Booklorn (who just got added to my reader for handing out this award!) ALSO gave this one to Win a Book. Even on the days lately when I've been overwhelmed and have really relied on Breeni and Bridget to post things for me, having the Win a Book blog has been a great source of FUN. Yes, it's a ton of work. Yes, it's a ton of energy that maybe ought to be spent on my fiction. But I've met so many cool people through Win a Book that it's all worth it. Keep those e-mails coming to the handy-dandy Win a Book e-mail, gang. There's a community being built over there, just as there is one here. Join them both.

On to another award... (I said I was feeling loved!)

Carol over at She Lives and Bass-ically Speaking. Man, I love Carol. I want to be Carol's real-life friend. She comes across as so steady and cool; she'd be a very good influence on flighty and emotional you-know-who.

This is that Portuguese Award that makes me wish I knew Portuguese. The Proximidade Award.

Here's the stuff that comes with it:

This is a very cool Portuguese Award and it means this blog invests in and believes that blogging makes us close. Proximidade translated to English means vicinity, or neighbourhood.

Here is the statement I am supposed to post...

"They all are charmed with the blogs, where in the majority of its aims are to show the marvels and to do friendship; there are persons who are not interested when we give them a prize and then they help to cut these bows; do we want that they are cut or that they propagate? Then let’s try to give more attention to them! So with this prize we must deliver it to 8 bloggers that in turn must make the same thing and put this text."

Yeah. I don't know about that deliver it to 8 bloggers thing, but the rest sure sounds good.

My new friends over at The Virtual Dime Museum honored me before I could honor them. This is one of those blogs I love to stop by every day and linger over. There's always something new and neat here.

And wow. I am very overwhelmed by all this (and I think I've missed an award or two; if I have, please let me know!). I wish I could tell you how much I appreciate it, but I'm lousy at this sort of thing. Thanks seems inadequate when I think of how much you guys impact my own self-worth (which, because I'm a writer is always a hairy thing) in a good way. When my real life blows up, I know that I've always got you guys and this place to hang onto. Probably because you don't have to deal with my artistic temperament (ahem) the way people in my face do.

So... if all of these cool award-granters aren't enough in terms of cool people for you to meet, I've got some more, of course.

There is my friend Carmi, over at Written, Inc. Carmi's actually inspired a character you guys haven't met yet (but will, I promise. Know how I've been a little more absent lately? This is why.), and when I am inspired by who you are, rather than something you say, that is high praise. Needless to say, Shaun is a good guy. You'll like him when you meet him.

Anyway, this is about Carmi. The post I've linked to struck me as something so utterly gorgeous, it took my breath away. And yet, this is business as usual for him; he's the host of thematic photographs, he runs cool caption contests... his range of topics is varied and while you never know what's on his mind from day to day, one thing remains steady: his photography.

Now, enough Carmi. On to the sister blog of The Virtual Dime Museum, Kitchen Retro. Again, I love to sit and read these retro sites; there's so much to be learned. It's such a neat look at who our society was -- and how we've changed.

More history? Really? I like history? When it's this cool, yes, I do. The site is The Modern Historian and I love to see what happened on this date. You should, too.

Another new favorite is Dirty Shanks. These snarky greeting cards make me spit water all over my keyboard on a daily basis. My keys have never been so clean. (You'd think I'd learn, huh?)

Laughing has been a priority lately because I'm feeling so swamped with everything. Another of my favorite stops, thanks to Bunnygirl and Thomma Lyn, is It's Lovely! I'll Take it! Yeah, okay, some of these real estate listings make me realize what a spoiled, sheltered princess I am. Some of them depress me. But mostly, they make me howl. The Tour Manager and I spent hours a week or so ago, going through the site. I'm sure their site meter loved us. (As mine loves you!)

Believe it or not, but I've actually been finding more cool blogs -- but sadly, some of them don't have their feeds on. So, gentle reader, I am asking humbly that you check your feed. Is it on? Does it work? I know I'm not the only blogger out there who won't read a blog unless it's through her reader. (Well, other than those EntreCard people, but that's another creature)

I'll be back with more, I'm sure. In the meantime, I hope you meet some new friends.

Labels: Awards