50 Followers!

Yes, I know I stated my next post would be all about The Hunger Games. And it's still coming (stay tuned!). But, I just had to post this new post, because, after posting the blog award post a few days ago, I was lucky enough to have hit 50 followers! You guys honestly astound me, and so, since I can't give you any dandy gifts, I decided to write you all a poem...

I call it 50 Followers...

Dear followers, both new and old
Please know you have a heart of gold

Since summer break you’ve joined me here
And been so utterly sincere

Your words have helped me, made me beam
You’ve pushed me toward my single dream

You’re all so great, don’t go away
You make me smile every day

I hope your many dreams come true
And bring the writer out in you

Thanks Ellie Great, you’re pretty nifty
In fact you’re lucky number fifty

To all of you, I wish the best
Let’s move on with this author’s quest!

Blog Awards and Winners!

Hey everyone! Guess what? I have some totally, undeniably AMAZING news!

I have been awarded not one but TWO blog awards! They are The Versatile Blogger and One Lovely Blog Award! I was SHOCKED, to say the least, when I found out. (See above picture.)

The wonderful Tessa Quin awarded me both of these awards, and I'm here to personally thank her. :) Thank you, Tessa. You made my day.

Tessa made a good point on her blog (which you should definitely check out!) which I'd like to bring up. Us new bloggers really are, well, new. We're just starting out. Tessa, me, and loads and loads and loads of others, whether they be travelers, sailors, gymnasts, authors (not that I'm biased or anything), and tons more. What connects us is that we're all bloggers, and what connects us even more is that we're all just starting, just starting to swim deeper and deeper into this colossal, crazy (in a good way, of course) pool of blogs.

That's why I'm thrilled to have gotten these two awards when my blog is only a youngster. =)

Now to the good stuff.


I'm going to be giving these glorious awards out to other deserving bloggers as well. Because, truly, who wouldn't like to get a blog award? :)

If you do get an award, you can pass it on to others as well. Rules regarding the awards follow right here:

Rules for The Versatile Blogger:

1. Thank and link back to the person that gave you the award.
2. Share seven things about yourself.
3. Pass the award to fifteen bloggers that you think deserve it.
4. Lastly, contact all of the bloggers that you've picked for the award.

Rules for One Lovely Blog Award:

1. Accept the award, post it on your blog together with the name of the person who has granted the award and his or her blog link.
2. Pass the award to fifteen other blogs that you've newly discovered.
3. Remember to contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for this award.

Now, here are the seven things about myself:

1. If I could choose any superpower, it'd probably be the ability to create a force field. That, or the power of invisibility.
2. My favorite color is blue...and silver. I can't choose, and probably won't ever be able to.
3. My favorite movie is White Chicks (then again, my favorite movie changes every day or so).
4. I've developed a small obsession with the band Maroon 5. I like, really like their music.
5. I used to have a terrible fear of roller coasters, but now I can't get enough of them.
6. I really wanted to be an astrounaut as a child (I've heard the odds, however, are pretty much not in anyone's favor), but quickly realized this wasn't practical.
7. Favorite book series? Harry Potter!

So, that's it about me. :)

Now for the fifteen bloggers that I've chosen! Congrats guys! (Even if you've already been awarded, I'm still awarding you!) =]

Nicole MacDonald

KLM

VampireGirl94

StoryLuver101

srjohannes

Rachael Harrie

Sara B. Larson

Erica and Christy

K.M. Walton

Jennifer Walkup

Cynthia Hand

Kody Keplinger

Charissa Weaks

Kimberly Derting

Lola Sharp

So, that's it! Again, congrats to the winners! You all truly deserved the awards, and I honestly love reading your blogs! (Remember, you don't have to pass it on if you don't want to.)

Stay tuned, because my next post is going to be all about The Hunger Games and its utter coolness. :)

Write on!

A Habit I Don't Want to Break

Bonjour! :) So, today, I thought I'd talk a little about an interesting habit I've developed ever since I started writing, which was years, years, and even more years ago. It's a habit I'm sure many of us are guilty of...

...and it's a habit I never want to break.

Basically, I've been writing some novels over the past few years, and obviously, once done, I've been sending out queries and such for them. Consequentially, I find myself more hooked and more curious about blogs from agents/published authors/aspiring writers such as myself out there, which leads to my habit of discovering a soon-to-be-on-shelves book, already out book, or agent-just-picked-up-an-amazing-client-with-an-amazing-book book. So, in essence, nearly every day I'm discovering more and more books through the web, and seemingly every week I'm at Borders (my favorite book store out there) =) picking up said books.

And it's impacting my room. I've now, because of this, started to nurture and grow my own mini library. :)

When I'll get around to all these can't-wait-to-read books, I don't know. But I will find time. It's just a matter of finishing the other zillion books I have lined up. :)

Oh, and I'd just like to say thanks to everyone who commented on my Crusader challenge mechanical liger post. It was a lot of fun to write, and basically shows that my head is a mysterious place even I sometimes fear entering. So, thank you. :)

With that, I leave you with this question: are any of you guilty of this rather inevitable habit? I'd love to hear your responses!

Write on!

I sat down to write the other day and...

So, before I truly start my post, I'd just like to do a little introduction concerning what you are about to read. First and foremost, it's a response to fellow blogger Rachel Harrie's first Crusader challenge. :) (If you're totally lost, check out this here post. It'll give you the rundown on the Crusade, who we Crusaders are, and why you should definitely jump on board!)

Now, for this challenge. We as Crusaders simply had to start a post with "I sat down to write the other day and..." and finish it. Below is my response.

And right here is my warning that this is quite possibly the most bizarre/random response to it out of all the entries. But then again, you never quite know... :)

Enjoy!

I sat down to write the other day and...

...instead, got pelted in the head by a blunt object.

"What the...?"

I turned around and saw nothing, so, being the aspiring writer/cool blogger/elephant tamer that I am, I quickly returned to writing my latest blog post about me and my trip to Mars a few short weeks ago (you should totally go; who knew aliens were fans of roller coasters, Dippin' Dots ice cream, and quidditch?).

And that's when I was once more struck in the head...by seemingly the exact same blunt object.

"Who threw that?" I sourly shrieked, whirling about in my chair to discover...nobody. Whoops. Forgot that everyone had left a good while ago for the day.

And that's when I saw it. A large, mechanical beast that resembled a liger. A colossal, steel liger, that is!

I shot up from my chair and backed toward the wall. I looked to the floor and saw that the liger had been throwing gloriously red apples at my head. Yum...

No, wait. I'm supposed to be scared. Supposed to be confused. Should I talk to it? Ask what it's doing here? Or, maybe more importantly, ask how the heck it got into my house?

"Miles," the liger stated, "I'm bored."

So? What in the world should I do?

"Liger, I'm writing a new post for my blog," I responded, looking at the floor, at my feet. At the apples. Anything but those insanely captivating, mechanically created eyes.

The liger frowned, then clunked out of the room. I watched it meander toward the kitchen, knock over the fridge, eat the fridge (ugh, I had some Taco Bell saved in there), then cantankerously shoot up and out of the chimney...after practically destroying the entire house in the process, of course.

I stood there, curious as to how I didn't notice its entrance (the gaping hole in the wall across from where I had been sitting may have been a good indication, I've now realized). And then, feeling that inevitable twang of guilt, I scooped up two apples and quickly made my way toward the (not really there anymore) chimney.

"Liger?" I called. "Liger?"

The mechanical liger descended back down the chimney, licking its steel lips. I threw it the apple and plopped down on the ground. Liger followed suit.

Chewing on the delicious, crisp apple, I decided to ask it, "So, have a blog?"

Liger looked at me, then shook its head. "Nope." It took a small nibble from the apple.

I didn't know where to take the conversation. And then, it hit me. "You know, Ruby, my dog, is extremely lonely nowadays, what with the whole house being gone constantly and all." I knew in my heart this wasn't true, but I felt so bad for the thing.

Liger eyed me, swallowing the final remnants of its apple.

"You know, you could...stay here. As another pet of mine," I then stated. Gulping. Scared. What was I doing?

Liger leaped upward and came crashing back down to the floor. I swear, the whole house lifted into the air! And that's why I now have a pet liger (Ruby's got some tough competition!)

Now just imagine this in mechanical form. :)

Who Knew #25 Was So Lucky???

Whoa. I just have to breathe for a second.

Breathing.

Breathing.

Breathing.

And now, I'm going to jump up and down and freak out because I was the lucky 25th follower on fellow bloggers Erica and Christy's blog.

And your point is, Miles???

Well, I was the 25th follower on their blog, so they had a sort of celebration, and did a post. And not just any post. It was a special post...ALL. ABOUT. ME.

I seriously couldn't believe it when I read it. It was a mix between shock, thinking I was dreaming, and feeling on top of the world. The funny thing is, Erica and Christy, you guys were the 25th follower on my blog here, too! :) Funny how things work out, isn't it?

Here's the post. Go check it out, and definitely follow Erica and Christy's blog. Who knows? If they continue to do this, you may be lucky number X and end up in a post completely and utterly dedicated to you!

Oh, and there were two prizes involved. :) Erica and Christy granted me (drumroll...) TWO, yes, not one, but TWO virtual flowers, in addition to the One Lovely Blog Award. They have been convienently placed below for your viewing pleasure.

I'm so honored to have been given both the flowers AND the award! All I can say to you, Erica and Christy, is thank you! :) You both truly made my day. (I'm adding the flowers to the blog!)

So, that about wraps up this post. I'm still so astonished that out of all of their followers, I was that follower who followed at just the right moment.

Remember to check out and follow their amazing blog as they, like me, journey toward publication. I'm rooting for both of you, too! :)

Write on! :)

In The Next Three Seconds...

1. Your heart will beat nearly three times.
2. The human population will increase by nine.
3. Americans will eat 6,000 eggs.
4. Three teddy bears will be given as gifts.
5. The place where you are now on Earth will revolve 0.87 mile eastward.
6. Rodents will eat enough to feed 19 starving people.
7. Enough tourists to fill a bus will arrive somewhere.
8. 18 years' worth of television will be watched by people around the world.
9. Irish people will drink 200 potfuls of tea.
10. 93 trees will be cut down to make the liners for disposable diapers.

Whew! That's A LOT to think about.

I got these ten facts straight from a short book titled (you guessed it) In The Next Three Seconds... It's by Rowland Morgan, and illustrated by Rod and Kira Josey. A family member rented it from a libary, and, well, one thing led to another...and suddenly I found my hands on it, unable to put it down. It's simply fascinating to think that these ten things (and trust me, there are quite a few more), have already happened since I began writing this post, and are happening right now, and will be happening three seconds after the previous three seconds ends...if that makes any sense at all.

Just felt like sharing, because some of these things seriously blew my mind.

Ever heard of this book? You have? Great! You haven't, well, check it out! :) You'll be stunned, to say the least. (It goes all the way up to "In the next three million years...".)

I'd like to know, did you find any of these facts interesting? I find numbers six, eight, and ten insanely interesting...with six being quite disturbing.

Well, that ends my post for today. Thanks for reading, and, as always, write on! :)

You're It!

So, I was just tagged in some random internet tagging thing that's been quickly spreading about the blogging world. It's simple. You answer eight questions, and whoever's reading said post is automatically tagged.

So, yep. Consider yourself tagged. (This is totally optional, so please don't feel obligated to make a post for yourself. It's all simply for fun.) =)

So, here are the eight questions. I hope to be reading the answers some of you guys provide! ;)

1.) If you could have a superpower, what would you have? Why?

Invisibility, without a doubt. It'd be insanely cool to pop in at random places and be able to just...be there. :) (And, c'mon, who doesn't want to listen in on certain conversations???) Plus, the mere thought of being able to turn invisible is utterly mind-blowing.

2.) Who is your style icon?

Um, don't have one? (Hopefully I can answer that.) I wear whatever I feel like wearing when I feel like it--though I do have a small obsession with hoodies and sweat pants.

3.) What is your favorite quote?

"You have brains in your heads. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose." -Dr. Seuss

4.) What is the best compliment you've ever received?

Someone once told me they wouldn't be surprised if I ended up on the bestseller list someday. :)

5.) What playlist/cd is on your iPod/cd player right now?

Maroon 5!

6.) Are you a night owl or a morning person?

Easily a night owl. I hate hate HATE the mornings. Always have, always will.

7.) Do you prefer dogs or cats?

Dogs, of course (since I have one). ;)

8.) What is the meaning behind your blog name?

No meaning. Just my name. :)

So, that's it! Those are the eight questions you'll use if you so choose to participate in this incredibly random little tag!

Until next time, write on!