Versatile Blogger Award - Woo!

I'm doing the happy dance here today! Les Edgerton, talented writer and awesome writing teacher nominated me for the Versatile Blogger Award. This means a huge amount to me as I'm not only in awe of Les's talent, but a regular follower of his blog. I've mentioned in a past blog post how useful I found his book 'Hooked' to developing my writing craft, and his blog is full of really insightful information on the mechanics of writing well-an absolute must read!
My new book, Marrying Cade, was given a Best Read by Annie Acorn last week. Thank you, Annie!  Amongst other nice things she said: The authors amongst you should read this tale, if for no other reason than to study a textbook example of how to draw your reader into your story. Sally Clements hooks you the minute you start reading, and she doesn’t let you go until you reach the very last word of her latest book. Which to me is just testament to how useful the advice in Les' Book Hooked (the full title of which is : Hooked: Write fiction that grabs readers at page one and never lets them go) has been to me! (It works, Les!)

 
And I'm very grateful to be included in his list because there are some other fabulous blogs there - many of which I read regularly already, but some new ones I'm going to be checking out pronto. Thank you for the nomination, Les!
 
Anyway: On to the Award. Apparently, there are four simple rules for The Versatile Blogger Award:

1. Post a link to the person who gave you the award.
2. Tell your readers seven random things about yourself.
3. Award 15 newly discovered blogs.
4. Send them a note letting them know you nominated them.

So, here are 7 random things about me:
1. I went to see Dolly Parton last night - she was great!
2. I'm writing a factual book based on a collection of recipes and household hints written in the early 1800's.
3. I also love writing mysteries - with lots of unexplained deaths....
4. I fall in love with my romantic heroes, and have trouble letting them go at the end of a book.
5. I'm a chocoholic.
6. I went to seven schools, growing up.
7. Even though I've lived in Ireland most of my life, I have no Irish blood - at all!

So now I have to award 15 newly discovered blogs...this is a real head melter, so I'm only doing ten!
1. A Newbie's Guide to Publishing. Joe Konrath's blog is an absolute must read for every author. I have to limit my time on this one, because it sucks you right in, but every minute spent reading on it is time well spent.
2. Catherine Caffeinated is Catherine Ryan Howard's blog, and is full of really interesting statistics and advice for self-publishing. And she's got a new book out!
3. Romance, Rumours and Rogues is romance author Nicola Marsh's blog. I love popping in here to see what Nic is up to...and she often posts really interesting links...
4. Lacey Devlin - romance author, and fellow Minx of Romance, gets a nomination from me for her great blog that once again is keeping all authors and readers abreast of things in the Mills and Boon, New Voices contest...
5. Romance Book Paradise is Nas Dean's blog, which is full of interesting interviews from Romance Authors and news of upcoming releases.
6. WG2E  The Writer's Guide to E-Publishing. A really informative blog that I found via D.D. Scott on Kindleboards. Another 'suck you in, and keep you readin' blog like number one, packed full of stuff!
7. Kindle Nation Daily. Great advice, and lots of kindle stuff - a must read for every kindle owner!
8. Moviepitch is Bob Kosberg's one sentence pitch site...I dream of subbing the perfect one sentence to this one....
9. Help! I Need a Publisher! is Nicola Morgan's blog, (aka The Crabbit Old Bat). It's really stuffed full of interest, and updated really regularly - it's a must read.
10. Queryshark. If you want to see what works and what doesn't in creating a query that an agent or a publisher is going to find completely compelling, you need to know about Queryshark, Janet Reid's feedback site. You'll learn a huge amount just by seeing what other people have been doing, and reading Janet's pithy analyses.

Phew! Now I have to go and tell them all I mentioned them...think I might do that tomorrow!