Sunshine Award and Blog Update Status!

I'm a bit behind with this being Easter weekend and all, but I do have something to tide you over for the time being.

Today, I was awarded the Sunshine award by my friend and fellow writer, Katrina "Cat" DeLallo.

Here the answers to the questions-

1. Favorite color?
Red, especially Crimson and Burgundy shades.

2. Favorite animal?
Real: Dogs, but Foxes, rats, Wolves and weasels are in my top five.

Imaginary: Dragons, with Griffins and Minotaurs close behind.

3. Favorite number?
8 (Eight) , and it's many lingual variations-

Acht (German)
Bah ( ) - (Chinese)
Hachi (八) (Japanese)
Huit (French)
Ocho (Spanish)
Otto (Italian)



4. Favorite drink?
Depends on the season-
Spring and Summer: Lemonade, Natural fruit punch, and iced tea

Fall and Winter: Hot cocoa and coffee, black, no cream, with sugar, Milk Tea, Apple Cider

Year Round: Milk, Orange Juice, Grape juice, and Apple Juice.

5. Facebook or Twitter?
Facebook, though I have to admit I'm starting to like Twitter a lot more than I ever thought possible, despite the strict word cap.


6. My passion(s)?
Aside from the obvious if you've followed the blog, Cooking and Music.

7. Getting or giving?

Both, but I do prefer give when I can.

8. Favorite pattern?
Checkerboard pattern in general, not just red and black squares on a checkers board.

On clothes, however, I'm partial to vertical pinstripes.

9. Favorite day of the week?
Sunday, because it's not as manic as the rest of the week can be, for me, anyway.

10. Favorite flower?
That's tough, but I'd have to say pink roses, because they represent Friendship and Happiness in flower language.

Here are the bloggers I'd like to share this honor with-


Adrienne Kress
Allyn Stotz
Sheri
Gueh Yanting

Janice Hardy

I couldn't think of 10 for this one, as I don't want to mention the same number of folks, and I only pick people whose blogs I've read, and whose writing I've read before.

Insightful endorsement is part of my personal writer's code of ethics.

Until next time,

Ciao for now.

Okay, I'm tagging myself!

Sorry I've been MIA, but this time it's not because I'm depressed, but I'm writing again and the blog got neglected more than I intended, but I'm still working out the new format and schedule so I won't be gone too long.

In the meantime I'm tagging myself. What do I mean?

Well, my friend Kelly Hashway got "tagged" today, but so far no one tagged me, but another writer I know gave me an in so to speak, to see what I mean, click here.

1. You must post the rules!
2. Answer the questions and then create eleven new questions to ask the people you’ve tagged.
3. Tag eleven people and link to them.
4. Let them know you’ve tagged them.

Questions to answer:

If you could live in a fictional world, where would that be?
That's a tough one! I'll get back to you....

Do you read in noisy or quiet places?
Ideally I'd prefer quiet (Moms, don't hate me!), or a little music that's not distracting from the book, I can read through some noise, provided it's not a heated argument between people, at home or in public. At least it's easier in most  cases to move away in public than at home.

What was the first book you ever read?
A Rat's Tale by Tor Seidler. Not my first book in terms of reading on my own (I can't remember, but it was something for school), but this is first book I  bought with my own money, and read solely for ME, as opposed to what I was forced to read in school. This book was also the inspiration for my last completed MG novel. I was 14, but my life as a pleasure reader started with this book.

If you could only read one book for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Oy! This is another tough one. Well, I'd have to say Time Stops For No Mouse by Micheal Hoeye. It's got it all: action, danger, murder, mysteries, even unrequited love (Well, until books 3 and 4, but I would've been ticked otherwise...)

Favourite author?
I can't choose, there are too many!

Do reviews influence your choice of reads?
Sometimes, while it's never my sole influence, I've taken chances on books I normally wouldn't touch if the reviewer's testimony gives me something that informs me enough to go for it without spoiling the story, something that's hard to do, especially with series books. For the most part I trust my judgement and know how to find my own "Diamonds in the Slush" so to speak.

Fiction or Non fiction?
Primarily Fiction, but I'm embracing nonfiction more, and not just for novel research.

Have you ever met your favourite author?
No. But I have more than one favorite author, and sadly most of them rarely come to America (Especially Michigan...), and most are dead now, the most recent of which I touched on in during my Dangers of Rivalry series in January.

Among the still living (Far as I know), Vivian Vande Velde, Megan MacDonald, and Tor Seidler who in particular is one of my greatest inspirations. His books are so witty and well written, and while he may be a bit "Dawdling" for some, I'm addicted to his prose, and his ability to make unlikely heroes from animals who often tend to be demonized unfairly in my opinion, something I've adopted in my own writing.

Audio books or Paperbacks?
Both! Primarily hardback/paperback. You didn't say I had to pick one or the other...

Classic or Modern Novels?
Both! As much as I love/admire numerous writers from the 21st century,  don't deny me the pleasures of Potter (Not Harry, kids, think female from before color movies), Scarry and Waber. Which reminds me, I need to re-read all my Lyle books...

Book Groups or Solitary Reading?
Solitary, but I'd like to give a book club a try.


Who am I tagging?
Angelia Almos /Angie Derek (1 Author - 2 Names)
Mariah Deitrick
Jami Gold
Janice Hardy
Jill Kemerer
Casey McCormick
Sheri P.
Patricia Puddle (Hey Trish! So proud of your progress and imitative!)
Allyn Stotz
Hilary Wagner (Hey Hilary! Hope to see my name by yours on the bookshelf one day)
Gueh Yanting


Will post again soon,
Taurean

#1: This Literary Rat's in Transition!

Dear T.A.A. Readers,

I know I’ve been a flake lately, mostly because I haven’t been living up to my promise of semi-regular updates on this blog, and just as bad, failed at adopting my new writer's schedule.The goals I made for 2011 are harder than I thought and hoped they'd be to execute. 

There are many reasons to this, but it all boils down to this, despite my efforts to avoid it, I simply burned out.

I spent most of last year in denial about this fact until I finally snapped from the pressure and frustration I felt. In the eight years I’ve devoted to improving my writer’s craft, the last three, 2008-2010, was where I pushed the hardest I’d ever pushed for anything, and I do mean ANYTHING.

Though I’d be lying if I said I made no progress at all, (I honestly did) but even though I was more productive in some ways, in others I was more or less at a standstill, and I didn't like it one bit.

So what was the setback that led to the standstill I’ve been in since 2011 started? 

As I said at the outset, this meltdown happened in stages, many of which will be the basis of future features here at T.A.A. For now though, I’ll focus on the biggest  one that effects my blog and non-blog writing: I stopped having fun.

In the last few weeks, I've started to heal the writer in me, he never died, but he was on severe life support, and I'm now slowly helping him fight back. 

I appreciate those in my former critique group, and my new e-pen pals for understanding my pain, and did their best to be a listening ear during the critical points of my meltdown.

I'm still not at 100%, but I'm certainly out of the fatal zone, so I hope to update the blog more regularly now. I still have big plans for this blog, so please bear with me as I continue to complete my recovery.

As always,
May the fantastic fauna be with you!

Love your Overemotional Editor,
Taurean Watkins