Liebe me, liebe me...

...say that you liebe me like Penelope Crowe, author of 100 Unfortunate Days does. Thanks, Ms. Crowe, for passing this Liebster on to me. Readers, if you're in the mood for something dark and quirky, check out a free sample of 100 Unfortunate Days; if this doesn't wig you out, I don't know what will, fo' shizzle.

There are numerous steps involved in the acceptance of a Liebster: stating 11 things about yourself, answering 11 questions asked by the person granting you the award, nominating 11 other bloggers for a Liebster and concocting 11 questions for them to answer. Well, if you've been following along this week, you know I worked crazy hours at my day job and am pretty dang beat. Also, I've received this bad boy a few times, now, and the third one (I think) very recently indeed. So I'll tackle the 11 questions asked of me but won't be tagging peeps or making up questions for them, this time around. Anyone interested in claiming this Liebster/answering these questions (even if only in the comments), please feel free to do so.

And now, to Ms. Crowe's questions:

1. What projects have you just finished--and what are you working on now?

I've been editing my Greek mythological romance, That Fatal Kiss, with an eye to self-publishing it later this year, possibly September. After that, I plan to work on a "sampler" of three short supernatural romances, two of which sort of introduce the location of, and a couple of characters from, my next novel, a contemporary supernatural romance called Bedeviled (this will be the first book in a trilogy).

2. Do you have any hidden talents?

Nah, but I got a couple of shekels in my piggy bank. (See what I did there? Talents/shekels were/are units of monetary currency. Didja geddit? Didja, didja, huh, huh???)

3. If you had NO limitations and were a guaranteed success--what project would you undertake?

I'd produce/direct a mini-series of my fave Jane Austen novel, Northanger Abbey. And I wouldn't just hire the eye candy du jour to play the leads, but folks I truly felt bring the roles to life (as Jennifer Ehle and Colin Firth did for Pride and Prejudice).

4. Please tell us three things on your bucket list.

Uh...well, I'd love to visit Jerusalem and walk where Jesus walked. Hmmm...This is tough. All my crazy dreams are goals I intend to see through to fruition...maybe I don't get the point of bucket lists...

5. What is the best and worst part of writing?

The best: like sex, it engrosses and revs me up. (Woof!) The worst: like sex, I never want to stop doing it but reality will intrude, damn it...

6. What character in a book or movie do you relate to the most?

Little Red Riding Hood. I've lived a very sheltered life and fell prey to wolves before learning some very difficult and painful lessons.

7. Are you more athletic or aesthetic?

Aesthetic.

8. Do you believe in anything supernatural? If so, what.

I believe that everything's possible (ghosts, werewolves, vampires, sea creatures, legit wicked witches, etc.). The only supernatural beings I feel in my heart and soul to be real are God, His Holy Posse, plus the Devil and his cursed crew.

9. What makes you happy?

Singing my songs with like-music-minded band members backing me up, sex, writing, sex, reading, sex, chocolate, sex, live open-air concerts by my fave bands, sex, realio-trulio good coffee (light, with half and half), sex, losing myself in a theater to portrayals of humorous horror, sex...I did mention sex, right? I'd hate to leave it out, inadvertently.

10. If you could be smarter or better looking--which would you choose and why?

Hmmm! Actually, I'd choose to be brasher, less self-restrictive/censoring.

11.  Whom do you admire the most and how does this person inspire you?

Just generally, I admire people who feel particular passions burning inside their hearts and actively seek to release that fire into the world, despite the doubting voices (both internal and external).

So, yeah, if any of you are inclined to answer these questions, either on your own blog or here in the comments, I'd love to read whatcha gots to say. Meanwhile...

Love Me or Liebe Me!

Al Diaz over at Father Dragon Writes tagged me with the Liebster Award (for blogs with fewer than 200 followers), which was kind of him, in principle, only he's making me do an awful lot of work for it. Just kidding, Al. In my book, any amount of work is too much, so you can just ignore me. :-) I thank you for thinking of me and, folks, I encourage you to check out Al's blog and lose yourselves in the delightful fantasy world he weaves. I dig the man's way with words, and I think you will, too.

Totally relevant tangent: Liebster is the German word for "dearest." So what this award's meant to do, folks, is bring a little love (or liebe) to a lonely blogger's spot in the blogosphere. Aw.

Anyway—here are the Liebster Award Rules:

1. Thank your Liebster Blog Award presenter on your blog and link back to the blogger who presented this award to you.
2. Answer the 11 questions from the nominator, list 11 random facts about yourself and create 11 questions for your nominees.
3. Present the Liebster Blog Award to 11 blogs of 200 followers or less who you feel deserve to be noticed and leave a comment on their blog letting them know they have been chosen. (No tag backs.)
4. Upload the Liebster Award image to your blog.

Numbers 1 and 4 = Done

As for #2, I'm going to cop out and just answer and create 11 questions, 'cause I've done the 11 random things before and I'm all randomed out.

Mr. Diaz asks:

1. What genre do you write?

I write dark, whimsical romance. (That's totally a genre.)

2. What are you working on right now?

Answering your questions, Mr. Diaz. Oh, and I'm editing my Greek-Myth romance novel, That Fatal Kiss.

3. Panster or plotter?

That seems a personal question. Oh, what the hell; a bit of both.

4. What do you do when you get writer's block?

Break out the chocolate/curl into the fetal position/go for a smoke. Not necessarily in that order.

5. The best lesson you learned about writing?

To do it without expectation of anything but my own pleasure in the act of creating.

6. Which POV do you prefer to write?

Third person omniscient, which, I've been told, is old-fashioned and ought not be attempted in the modern era. (Pffffft.) I only recently experimented writing from the first person P.O.V. and quite enjoyed it.

7. How do you respond to critiques?

I'm grateful for constructive criticism which helps me deal with problematic issues in my writing, delivered with respect, as I endeavor to do.

8. Do you argue with your characters?

The main characters I'm working with at the moment are the Lord and Lady of the ancient Greek Underworld, so I don't think it wise.

9. Do you have a bad timing muse (i.e. the one who gives you the best ideas when you can't do nothing about them)?

He sometimes transmits inspiration through my dreams. I've woken up with plot points, even fully formed songs which I had only to jot down upon arising. If I don't do this, I lose the gift in my misty memory, which is my fault, not his.

10. The book you cherish the most?

Cherish, huh? Hmmm... Must there be only one? What is this, Highlander?

11. Do you listen to music when you write? If so, what kind?

I must. Usually, it's new wave, goth rock, or alt rock. Maybe a bit of dubstep now and again, for when I'm feeling frisky.

My "questions" for my nominees will come in the form of "fill in the blanks":

1. Some movies I love are:
2. As for music, I groove to:
3. I rarely miss these TV shows:
4. I hated these foods when I was a kid, but now I heart them:
5. I like to celebrate my loved ones by:
6. Some authors whose every work I will read without fail are:
7. These colors make me feel great when I wear them:
8. I'm always up for a game of:
9. My fave treats from that special someone are:
10. I think it'd be fun to try out this job for a day:
11. I really liebe:

(Yeah, I'm a bitter old hag, but sometimes, only sometimes, mind you, I like to accentuate the positive.)

Nominees I'm about to...well, nominate: you made it to this list 'cause I dig your style, so don't hate on me for passing along this work award—you brought it upon yourselves.

Adventurous Tiger
Ari Michaels Writes (I've no idea how many followers Ari has, but she should definitely have more.)
Hypnotik Eye
No Natural Mama
Precious Monsters
Pull Up a Toadstool
Random Stream of Consciousness
Surviving Boys
Tahoma Beadworks & Photography
The Ranting Monkey
The Six-Fingered Monkey
Warped Nerdiversity

OK, so if y'all were counting carefully, you'll notice I've exceeded my target number of nominees by one. You see, my Dudes, in most things, I think it's best to err on the side of generosity. Because, if I'm being honest, *I* need all the liebe I can get...

The Liebster, Reloaded!

In the continued vein of catching up with stuff...

The grooky (groovy + kooky = grooky) ghouls over at Horror Shock Lolipop bestowed this upgraded Liebster Award upon me a few weeks ago. I've received it before, but with different rules (which I nonetheless intend to bend a bit, but still...protocol, you know). Thanks so much for thinking of me, Madame Luciel, Erinia Spooky, Lilia Tombs, and—ahem—Vagina Galore! :-D

The Rules:

• Post 11 things about yourself
• Answer the questions the tagger has set for you
• Create 11 questions for the people you have tagged to answer
• Choose 11 people and link them in your post
• Go to their page and tell them
• No tag backs

I've very recently had to come up with numerous things about myself (twice!) so for Rule Bender #1, I'm just gonna link back to the very first award post in which I had to do this kinda thing.

And here are my answers to Horror Shock Lolipop's questions:

1. What's the best horror-themed or spooky attraction you've been to?

The only one I've been to was in L.A. - I was there on business with a co-worker, and he, myself, and a friend of mine local to the area went to a "haunted house" (this was October 2010). Even with one guy before me and one behind (heh heh) I twitched from the anticipation of being completely freaked out of my mind. (By fright, you dirty birdies.) We reached a smallish room in the house, adorned with framed pictures of clowns. I said to my friends, "God, I really can't stand scary clowns." Right on cue, a clown-faced dude poked his head out from one of the frames and cackled at me. Perfection.

2. If you had to come up with a new type of monster, what would it be and what would you call it?

It would suck all the bubbly energy from those who are relentlessly cheerful first thing in the morning and it would be called DePerk-aTron™.

3. What's the worst film you've ever seen (any genre)?

Years ago, before my sis was born and I was just a little Goth, my parents rented a one-bedroom apartment. I slept on the sofabed in the living room and when my dad stayed up late to watch bad movies, I, perforce, was exposed to them. One night he watched some hideous thing, the name of which I've no idea, that featured a typical four-person American family lost in the woods. They came upon some old manse-type structure and, peeking in through some cellar windows, saw a kind of black mass, led by a priest and attended by nuns, who threw themselves in a cauldron of fire in sacrifice to God only knows what. Blerch.

4. Best book you've read (any genre)?

Oh, Lord, to choose only one! Gah. With apologies for copping out, I just can't do it...

5. If you could create a theme park ride, what would it be?

It would be the Cocktailpalooza, intended solely for parents bringing their kids to the theme park to detox after schlepping their progeny around said park in the hot sun for hours on end.

6. Would you rather have a zombie attack or an alien attack?

Zombie attack, 'cause the rules for dealing with them are clearly laid out in Zombieland and Max Brooks' Zombie Survival Guide.

7. What's the food that scares you the most?

Squid.  ::shudders:: (For which I blame Elizabeth Twist.) :-P

8. What music do you love / hate?

Love alternative rock. Don't much care for country.

9. Would you rather live underground, in the sea, or in space?

Oye, vey. BY the sea would be fab.

10. Spiders: Creepy or cute?

Useful for gobbling up other creepy critters, so I let them live. Plus, it's bad luck to kill 'em.

11. If you could have any "super power" you wanted, what would it be?

Invisibility, so I could be the proverbial fly on the wall...though, not in the presence of spiders, it must be noted.

Now to bend the rest of the rules: I've very recently crafted 11 questions/tagged 11 blogs, and I've just not got it in me right now to attempt it again. So I'll not tag anyone in particular, but instead invite all readers to answer the following question by commenting, below:

Apart from having children and paying taxes, what's the scariest thing that's ever happened to you???  :-)