I have to start off by saying I’m happy and ashamed in fairly equal amounts. Happy that I’ve been nominated three times (!) for the Liebster Award and ashamed because it’s been so long since the nominations, which I feel I should have somehow made the time to accept right away.

So, without further ado, I’d like to first thank the wonderful people who nominated me:

My dear displaced fellow countryman, Eyagee who is enjoying the mountainous terrain of South Korea where he now lives.

Julian Froment , an avid reader, blogger and supporter of authors.

Gedwardsmith , a fellow writer whose works I look forward to reading.

Thank you gentlemen!

The Rules for The Liebster Blog Award are as follows:

List 11 random facts about you.

Answer the questions that were asked of you.

Nominate 11 other blogs for the Liebster Blog Award and link to their blogs.

Notify the bloggers of their award.

Ask the award winners 11 questions to answer once they accept the award.

Because nobody deserves to have to sit through 33 facts about me, I’ve decided to be fair and list only 11 – which also (in my mind) gets me out of doing 33 of everything. 🙂

Here goes nothing.

1. Although I love my family and friends dearly, I am quite content to be alone.

2. I love coffee. (I may have mentioned that at some point or another already.)

3. I’m deathly afraid of spiders. (Thanks mom.)

4. My house is messy because I resent giving up the time I have to write to tidy it.

5. I desperately want to go back to Japan.

6. I want to see Buck-Tick live (see above).

7. I’m an only child. Which doesn’t mean I was ever spoiled.

8. I love birds.

9. My favourite author is Stephen King (but mostly his old stuff).

10. I spell English, not American, and am annoyed every time I see words like ‘favourite’ (see above) with a little squiggly red line below them.

11. Mosquitoes are the bane of my existence. (I only bring this up now because I’m sitting outside and I just got bitten by one of the little buggers.)

For the questions I was asked I will pick the first 3 from each of those who nominated me plus 2 that I like the best.

From Gedwardsmith:

1. What’s the last song you listened to?
Megami by Buck-Tick

2. Why did you start your blog?
I started my first blog because I was told by my college professor that if you want to be able to showcase your work to a publisher it’s good to have something for them to readily look at. I split off from that blog to this one because the mishmash of fiction and articles made it feel disorganized.

3. Who inspired you to start writing?
I think the first serious project I ever took on was a fib. I made up a story to impress a friend and it grew to the point where I had to write it down. While I regret the fib, the experience has brought me here… for which I am grateful.

From Julian:

4. What is your favourite book?
Lord of the Rings. I’ve read it half a dozen times and could do it again.

5. Do you play an instrument? If so, which one?
I played the clarinet in high school but have long since given it up. I’ve always wanted to play the guitar or the piano, but I have absolutely no talent for either.

6. What is your ideal holiday?
Apart from going back to Japan, I would say sitting on a beach with a book and a pina colada for two weeks. Preferably in January, and not in Canada.

From Eyagee:

7. What is the one thing that you love the most about yourself?
My sense of humour. Seriously

8. When was the last time you laughed so hard that your stomach hurt?
The last time I can remember laughing that hard was the last (of four) time I went to see Howie Mandel live.

9. What do you appreciate most about your life?
Hands down, the opportunity to enjoy my children.

The other two questions

10. Never have I ever ___________
Died from a hangover – but I wished I could have.

11. What is your least favourite book?
50 SHADES OF GREY!!!!!!!!!

Next are 11 questions for my nominees, should you choose to accept:

1. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?

2. How many pairs of shoes do you own?

3. Where were you born? (city and/or country – whatever you’re comfortable revealing)

4. Are you superstitious?

5. What’s your favourite fruit?

6. If you could collect anything, what would it be? Anything at all.

7. Name the members of what would make up the ultimate band, dead or alive.

8. What song can you not help tapping your foot to?

9. If you could paint the walls of your living room in any colour, what would it be?

10. Are you or have you ever been addicted to a game?

11. Are butterflies pretty or creepy?

And my nominees:

wilsonkhoo
A Thousand Journeys
TamrahJo
Pamela Beckford
Joeyfully Stated
Hello from Japan
Good2begone
Wanderings of a Photographer
Clearly Writing
darswords
Dori Hartley

Congratulations to my wonderful nominees. Each of them have brought something special to my life and to my blogging experience.

Please check out these fantastic bloggers!