I would like to thank both J. V. at A Crazy Life and Becky at The Big L Photography Blog for nominating me for the Liebster Award.

The Liebster Award is an award that is passed from new bloggers to others bloggers that need more readers. In a blog post, you must answer ten questions, and provide a link to whoever nominated you. It’s an amazing idea that benefits new bloggers by providing exposure and a solid network of fellow bloggers.

Rules:

1.  Once nominated, make a post thanking and linking the person who nominated you.
2. Include the LEIBSTER AWARD sticker in the post too.
3. Nominate 10 other new bloggers that have 200 or fewer followers who you think are worthy of this award. Let them know they have been nominated by commenting on one of their posts. You can nominate the person who nominated you.
4. Answer the ten questions asked to you by the person who nominated you and make ten questions of your own for your nominees.
5. Lastly, copy these rules in the post.

I am nominating:

1.  Robert of Survival Pack
2.  Veronica of Unpublished Memories
3.  Kerry of BetrayalDivorceYoga
4.  Lori of Red Hot Stories from Lori
5. Natalie of Natalie Buster Blogspot
6. Priscilla of Poetic Pluralism
7. Jen of Dating Chaps on Apps
8. Kalyn of Girl Gone London
9. Ally of Hustle and Whoa
10. Laura of Lora Explora Things

The 10 Questions I am Asking my Nominees:

1. What’s been the high point of your blogging experience?
2. What’s been the low point?
3. Who are your top three favorite bloggers and why?
4. Why do you hope to accomplish through your blog?
5. What book has had the greatest effect on you?
6. What do you do to inspire yourself to keep blogging when you feel blocked?
7. Who are your three favorite writer(s) and why?
8. Where do you see yourself in five years time?
9. What business would you most like to be in charge of?
10. Sex, drugs or rock and roll?  (You gotta pick one).

Since I was lucky enough to have been nominated by two lovely bloggers, and I’m not interesting enough to answer 20 questions, I’m answering five from each.

J. V. (Judia’s) five questions:

1.  Does blogging de-stress you? Why or why not?

I’m Type A.  I was a practicing lawyer for 12 years.  Everything stresses me.  That’s why I’m an unemployed slacker.  Actually, I love to write.  The social media stuff stresses me.  Is anyone reading?  How do I increase readership?  How will I turn blogging into the basis of a book platform?  Plus, I’m a bad typist and a technical Luddite.

2.  What benefits do you get from blogging?

It forces me to write regularly.  It forces me to think about where to send things to be published on other sites, which then gets me thinking about what I want to be writing.  I stretch a bit when I try to write something honest or in a new voice.

3.  What gives you confidence and courage?

Spanx.  (Not.)

Ok.  In blogging land, it’s being accepted on other sites.  And it’s getting engaged comments.  In real life, it’s never venturing out beyond my comfort zone.  I tried it.  It was awkward.

4.  What do you love most about yourself?

I am sarcastic, unpleasant and alienated.

5. What do you love least about yourself?

I’m ok with that.

Becky’s Five Question

6.  How did you choose your blog name and niche?

I started out writing about being a widow.  It was journaling/therapy.  I don’t like how widows are portrayed in a lot of media as sweetly seeing angels and wisely accepting their fates.  I was pissed off.  So, I wrote about it and then added other things to talk about.

7.  What song/alum is the soundtrack of your life?

8.   What do you hope to be doing in five years time?

I want my book to be out and to be successful.  I want to be doing something with writing where I’m published, have readers and someone else figures out the social media.  I’d maybe like to be an editor.

9.  Who inspired you the most in your life and why?

My father.  He’s a theoretical nuclear physicist.  He’s creative, has expressed his creativity through his work, he’s principled, and doesn’t shy away from difficult issues.  (except, um women’s…uh…monthly…)

Plus, he had to reinvent himself in some ways when my mother (his wife) died unexpectedly when he was 42 and I was ten.

10.  If you could have any celebrity be a subscriber and regular reader of your blog, who would it be and why?

Anne Lamott.  Her writing inspires me.  Her honesty and empathy and….

Or else Lady Gaga.  (Pimp my blog).