Versatile Blogger Award!

Waaaay back in July, Kate over at My Next Life gave me the Versatile Blogger Award—and I’m apparently trying to set the record for longest-time-to-reply-and-participate, since I’m just *finally* (!) responding. Thank you, Kate!

Here are the rules for accepting this award:

1. Thank and link to the person who nominated you.
2. Pass the award on to five newfound blogging buddies.
3. Share seven random facts about yourself.
4. Contact the winners to congratulate them.

So here are the bloggers that I chose to receive my Versatile Blogger Awards, chosen because their blogs both inform and encourage me as a writer.*

1. Kathleen Doyle: Writing, Reading, and Life
2. Charissa Weaks: A Day in the Life of an Aspiring Author
3. Callie Kingston: Better Write Than Wrong
4. Sarah Pearson: Empty White Pages
5. Susan Gorley: Susan Says

As for seven random facts…hmm…

1. Over the years, my kids have had pet rats, mice, and guinea pigs—and I loved them all. I don’t love the smell, but small furry critters make me smile. At least, when they aren’t nesting under the bookshelf in my living room without permission.
2. I wrote one of my first novels longhand, in Geometry class, sitting in the middle of the front row. (It was a verrrrry slow-moving class.)
3. I’m diving to visit the NOAA Aquarius laboratory in October (yay!). A book proposal is in the works….
4. I know a fair bit of sign language and used to interpret—badly, but I was the only one available!
5. I broke my collar bone in college—because I was playing follow-the-leader with my younger brother. On a ski slope. He likes to do aerials; I, apparently, do not.
6. I grew up on a farm in Gettysburg, PA, and although I now live in a subdivision, I look forward to the day when I need a bike to reach my next-door neighbor’s house.
7. I love to sing. Love, love, love. As in, the resolution of a dissonant harmony makes me feel kinda floaty. In a good sort of way.

* I sorta cheated, because these blogs aren’t all *totally* new to me (although most are new finds through the Writer’s Platform-Building Campaign), but by scanning my entire blog-reading pool I came up with some terrific blogs to share. That said, my apologies for all the fantastic bloggers I *didn’t* include. It was so hard to choose!