Showing posts with label Liebster Blogger Award. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Liebster Blogger Award. Show all posts

Thursday, April 26, 2018

The Liebster Award x 2 (here we are again!)

Well, my friends, I was tagged twice for the Liebster Award and I'm quite excited to answer these questions. Thank you, LaKaysha and Felicity, for thinking of and tagging me! ^_^

Shall we get on with the tag, ladies and gentlemen?


The Rules:

Thank the person who nominated you 

Answer the 11 questions they gave you

Name 11 facts about you 

Nominate 11 bloggers to do this tag, and let them know

Give them 11 questions to answer 

***

LaKaysha's Questions:

1. If you had a day that you could re-live, what would you do with it?

Well, there are plenty of days I wish I could go back and re-live to make a different choice or take better action. But we won't go there today.

Let's say I re-live one of the days of a family reunion I was at the summer before last. I would intentionally savor every moment! ^_^ Ah, those were good days. That particular summer reunion reminded me of the childhood days when I lived on the West Coast with all my family and friends. Small and carefree. *winks*

2. Do you prefer dogs or horses as companions?

I'm not a big animal lover. I'd probably prefer a cat to either! (Even though I really like riding horses.) If there was the option of a small, docile dog, I'd probably choose a dog as a companion.


3. What is your biggest fault, according to you?

Oh dear, I have a lot of big faults, I think. I'd say being a "people-pleaser" and also being quick to get defensive (overly insecure and sensitive) are two major faults of mine.

4. If you could talk to a past President, who would you choose?

George Washington or Abraham Lincoln. From what I've learned about them, both men come across as courageous, admirable, and wise to me. I'd like to ask them about their lives, why they made the decisions they did, etc.


5. If you could witness an historical event, what would it be?

The even that comes to mind immediately is the signing of the Declaration of Independence. That would be a profound moment, indeed, to witness.

6. You find a hidden staircase in your Grandpa's house, and when you enter, you discover something amazing. What is it?

Hopefully some historic items from my ancestors and detailed diaries of their lives! *grins* I would LOVE to know all the names of my ancestors - how their lives looked, progressed, and what they thought about. Who knows? Maybe one of them was an introverted book-lover like me. ^_^


7. If you live one day as a fictional character, who would you be?

I was presented this question recently, and I decided on Cora Kensington from THE GRAND TOUR series by Lisa T. Bergren. She went on a grand tour of Europe (as the wealthy folks in those days were wont to take their offspring on) and the delight of that just swept me away.


Hear my full answer in my Q&A Booktube videos, Part One and Part Two.



8. What is something that makes your family unique and special?

Hmm, I don't know. Being a homeschooling family of ten is unique in some settings. *winks*

9. Which flower: Lavender or lilac?

Lilac!


10. Salty or Sweet?

I usually go for salty. (But maybe that's because I determined that I feel better not eating sugar.) I love chips! *laughs* Salt & Pepper, Sweet Potato, Salt & Vinegar, or Baked Potato chips. Or just plain tortilla chips and salsa. SO good. I don't eat (white) potato chips much anymore due to food sensitivities, but that doesn't mean I don't love them!

11. What music genre do you listen to the most?

Christian contemporary? That's probably it. Unspoken is my favorite band. <3


***

Felicity's Questions:

1. What was the name of your first pet and what kind of animal were they?

I believe the first pet that was my very own was a cat named Mittens. She was quite cute.

2. Where is your dream vacation?

Somewhere exotic, summery, and near the sea! I loved vacationing in Florida last year. Sandy beaches and beautiful ocean waves are my favorite.



3. What are you wearing right now?

Dark jeans, black shirt, dark blue sweater, and black socks with pink writing on them! *grins* And my hair is in a weird, messy bun.

4. What is your favorite meal?

Let's go with taco salad. This is how it looks for me:

Lettuce layered on a plate
Hamburger with taco spice
Guacamole
Salsa
Crunched tortilla chips to finish it off

Or, like, chicken fajitas with guacamole, fresh salsa, chips, and the like. So yummy.


5. Do you prefer dark or white chocolate?

Dark! I've definitely acquired a taste for dark chocolate, so milk chocolate and white chocolate usually taste too sweet now.

6. Raspberries or Strawberries?

Ooh ... strawberries, perhaps? Fresh strawberries are the best!! *dreams of picking strawberries*


7. What is your biggest fear?

I'm a pretty fearful person - though I am actively learning about and practicing trusting God and bringing my cares and worries to Him.

One of my biggest fears is, in a nutshell, the unknown.

And people - are they going to be okay? How can I take care of them all and make sure they're well physically and emotionally? (Goodness, Shantelle, I didn't realize that enormous job was given to you. Oh, newsflash: It wasn't!!)

*ahem* Aside from that, I have a rather big fear of spiders. Just the sight of their creepy-crawly legs sets my hair standing on end.

8. If you were about to have a baby, what would you name them?
Boy and Girl.

For some reason I'm really drawn to the name Isaiah for a boy. For a girl, I like Brielle. Or Elizabeth, if I was going more traditional.

9. Who is the last person you spoke to?

My six-year-old sister.

10. Name one person in American History you admire.

Harriet Tubman. I read a book about her when I was younger and was impressed by this story of strength, courage, pain, and freedom. I marvel at all the different things about her life, and believe that God created her to be a strong woman so that one day she could rise up and lead hundreds of people to freedom.


11. Disneyland or SeaWorld? 

Well, I'm not even sure what all Disneyland entails. Amusement rides and people dressed up like Disney princesses? It might be fun.

But I do enjoy seeing animals I might not usually see - and deep sea life probably enthralls me as much as it terrifies me. I imagine I'd choose to go to SeaWorld, but I'd have to research both places more, haha!

11 Facts About Me:

  • I appreciate feminine clothing, shoes, and things.
  • I can be a bit of a clean freak.
  • I'm secretly dreaming of a day where I can dress up in fashions from eras gone by and go to a party!
  • I enjoy being outside once I get out there - if it's a summery day.
  • I really enjoy attending bridal showers, baby showers, and weddings!
  • I currently cannot eat gluten, dairy, eggs, beans, white potatoes, almonds, peanuts, flax seed, or coconut (among other things).
  • My favorite colors are blue and pink.
  • Beaches and bookstores are my happy places.
  • I love pizza. (I found gluten & dairy free pizza ... only to get diagnosed with a bunch of other food sensitivities and realize that my special pizza has things like coconut, flax seed, and probably potato starch in it.) 
  • I usually have to eat something before bed, or I don't sleep well.
  • I love to laugh, make others laugh, watch others interact teasingly.

I Tag:

Victoria G. @ Victoria's Book Nook
Skye @ Ink Castles
Laura A. Grace @ Unicorn Quester
Annie @ Just Commonly

Questions to Answer:

1. What did you eat for your last meal?
2. What's the best part of your average week?
3. Where is the most amazing place you've been?
4. One question you'd ask your favorite author?
5. What's your favorite thing to do in the summer?
6. Last new author you tried out? (Did you like the book?)
7. What's the craziest thing you've done?
8. What's a character trait you admire in others?
9. What's your favorite genre (to read)? What draws you to it?
10. What's one book that you wish more people knew about?
11. Do you like to cook/bake?

Monday, June 29, 2015

Sisterhood Award + Liebster Award 2

Hey all! I was tagged by Deborah O'Carroll for the Sisterhood of the World Bloggers Award and by Katie Grace for the Liebster Award. (I've already done the Liebster Award, HERE, but . . . why not do it again? *grins*)

Thank you, lovely ladies, for thinking of me and my blog! ^_^

So, let get on with this fun! :D
________________________________________

Sisterhood of the World Bloggers Award


  • Thank the blogger who nominated you, linking back to their site.
  • Put the award logo on your blog.
  • Answer the ten questions sent to you.
  • Make up ten new questions for your nominees to answer.
  • Nominate ten blogs.

Introvert or extrovert? Introvert, I believe. I'm like "shy", socially awkward, nervous at big gatherings, need my alone time once in awhile (which is usually at midnight, when everything is quiet and peaceful; I can finally think and breathe! XD)

Do you like coffee? I do not. But the smell is nice. And I force myself to drink it sometimes, when I have a nagging headache or am really tired.

What are you reading right now? In Good Company by Jen Turano. Fearless by Cheri Fuller. And Isaiah and Hebrews. 

Favorite fairytale? Goodness, that's hard! It's impossible to have a favorite fairytale!! ;P I'll pick three, okay? The Little Mermaid, The Twelve Dancing Princesses, and Rapunzel.


~ The Twelve Dancing Princesses ~


~ The Little Mermaid ~


~ Rapunzel ~


Favorite color? Blue! ^_^ Sky blue, aqua blue, blue-green, mint, baby blue, etc., etc.

Favorite animal? I don't really know. I love riding horses (though I've only actually done it a few times!) Cats are fluffy and cute. :)

Favorite food? Pizza (with gluten-free crust). Pie. Cheesecake. Asparagus (when it's cooked and seasoned). Chicken alfredo meal. Sorry. That was more than one thing. I must love food, ;P

Favorite TV show? When Calls the Heart {2014-}


Favorite historical time period? Medieval and the 1700s are probably my top two favorites. But there are so many others that I just love as well!! :D

Favorite book character you met recently? Bryce Reynolds from Ashburn by Julia Erickson. Epic hero ... just ... I don't even know. Check out my review of the book HERE! And read the book, guys! Just go read it and meet the amazing Bryce!! ;D (Cara's pretty great too; and Penny and ... never mind. Go read it).



New Questions
  • What genre have you read most of this year?
  • Do you enjoy fairytales? Which ones do you like most?
  • Favorite dessert?
  • Which Disney princess are you most like and why?
  • Which Disney prince do you consider the most dashing?
  • What was your favorite blog post this year?
  • A few books you hope to read soon?
  • Favorite book of the year?
  • Summer or winter?
  • One goal you have?

I'm sorry if you're tired of me tagging you! I just don't know that many bloggers, I guess! :P Do the post if you feel like it, don't do it if you don't! :)

___________________________________

Liebster Award

  • Thank the person who nominated you and link to their blog.
  • Answer the 11 questions from the blog who nominated you.
  • Nominate 11 bloggers to receive this award.
  • Come up with 11 questions for your nominees!

Why do you write? Because ... I can't stop. *grins* For real though, I constantly have stories going through my head. It's my passion and joy to pen down fantastic tales! I believe it's a gift from God to me and for me to use to serve Him and others! *smiles*

If any fictional character could be your best friend, who would it be? Hmm ... I really don't know. Perhaps both Renna and Brandi from Dare by Tricia Mingerink. Renna, because I believe we'd really connect. Brandi, to cheer us up because we both worry too much!! XD


What's one really weird dream you've had? Please don't laugh, but the other day, I dreamed it was my wedding day. Strangely enough, I didn't know who my groom was, what my dress looked like, or who my bridesmaids were. I saw my older brother in the hallway and was like, "Hey, do you want to stand in my wedding?" I don't know why I was the one asking, but anyway, he agreed to be a groomsman! :D It also happened to be a double wedding with this girl that I don't actually know very well in real life. The last scene from that dream, was me standing at the front of the church with a blond-haired guy. And I was thinking really hard, "What guy do I know with blond hair that I'd want to marry?" Hahaha . . . it was really so funny and strange. I never figured out who my groom was either. ;D

If you found a portal that could transport you to any fictional world of your choice, where would you go? Goodness, that's a hard one. Narnia? Perhaps Goldstone Wood. Or Ilyon. The elf city in Lord of the Rings/The Hobbit! Ooh, E'veria!! Yes, I definitely want to go there! ^_^

Paperback or Kindle? Why? Though I've grown to quite enjoy my Kindle, I think I still prefer paperback. It just feels more real when you're turning the pages of an actual book! :D If I really, really love a book, I definitely want the paperback to put on my shelf. Nothing else will do!!


What's one post you've written that you're most proud of? Um, I don't know. I guess I was really pleased with my movie review post of Cinderella [2015]
(http://shantellemaryh.blogspot.com/2015/03/movie-review-cinderella.html). The words were flowing nicely for the review, and coupled with pretty pictures, I felt it turned out quite lovely! ^_^

What's an interesting quirk that you have? Let's see. I talk to myself? Or rather, talk to the empty space around me. Is that quirky? ;D

Can you share a picture of your bookshelf? (More commonly known as: a #shelfie.) I most certainly can!! :)


What are three things on your bucketlist? Or do you even have a bucketlist? Goodness, I don't really have such a list. But three goals? Publish my 3+ book fantasy series. Rewrite a historical romance that I wrote when I was thirteen/fourteen. Go on a memorable summer trip to a state I've never been before with some of my girl friends! :) 

How old were you when you started writing? About eight-years-old, I believe! :)

Share the last sentence of your WIP with us! Very well. This is from Diamond Dark (sequel to Silver Rose): "She turned her head to blink big blue eyes at Karalee. “Deep breaths. Ready?"

'Tis all!! Since I already did the Liebster Award pretty recently, I'm not going to tag 11 bloggers this time. But if you're reading this and want a chance to do this award, consider yourself tagged!! ^__^ You can just answer Katie Grace's questions. And totally leave me a link if you do!

Comment away, and tell me what you think of my answers!! :D

Blessings!! <3

Thursday, May 14, 2015

The Liebster Award

Hey all! I was nominated for the Liebster Award by Schuyler M. from My Lady Bibliophile. And while I thought I wouldn't have time this month to do it, I was proved wrong. Haha. I do have quite a few happenings scheduled for this month, but the beginning-ish is pretty uneventful! *grins*

So, without further ado, let's get on with this delightful post, ^_^


~~~~~~~~~~~~

1. Link back to the blogger who nominated you.

2. Answer the 11 new questions.

3. Nominate other bloggers (however many or few as you'd 
like).

4. Create 11 new questions for the bloggers you nominated.

5. Notify the new nominees of their award.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

1) What is the driving passion of your life?

I’m a follower of Jesus Christ, and I know that without Him, life would have no purpose—no meaning. So, in essence, God and all He stands for is what pushes me on in life. The fact that He has a plan and a happy ending (new heaven & new earth) give me the hope and passion I need when times are rough. I know that He loves me, and my desire is to embody that love so that others can find joy and freedom in Him as well!! *smiles*

(Found on Pixabay.com)

2) Do you have a daily devotion plan or prayer time, and if so, what does it look like?

Yes, I do! I admit, I haven’t always had a daily devotional, but I’ve been seeing the importance of it, so I strive to keep Bible reading in my schedule! I like to read a chapter or more each day from one book in the Old Testament and one book in the New Testament. Right now I’m reading from Psalm and Luke. I usually record what I read in my pink notebook, *smiles*, and sometimes journal my prayers in there as well.

3) What is your favorite friendship in literature?

Hmm … I'm assuming that ‘friendship’ means there’s no romance involved … ? In that case, Eanrin and Sairu come to mind. (From Golden Daughter by Anne Elisabeth Stengl). Eanrin is just a hilarious and lovable guy; and it was enjoyable to see how he could be tender with the hurting Sairu. From what I’m remembering, theirs was a bit begrudging, yet sweet friendship! *wink* <3
("The Pain of Love" by Hannah S. J. Williams)

4) Are there one or two themes close to your heart that wind through your favorite books?

Well, my faith is one. When the characters have a relationship with God, and are struggling, growing, striving … I feel like I can really connect with them. Learn things from them. A novel with a profound theme of faith really endears itself to me! *smiles*

A deep, Christ-centered romance always intrigues me!

And I especially love books with strong brother and sister relationships.

5) What is your favorite time period in history, and why?

Ooh, that’s a hard one!! I LOVE historical … all the different eras fascinate me! *smiles* But I suppose right now I’d say that the medieval era is my favorite. Why? Well, knights and maidens, *grins*, castles, the sweeping skirts and long draping sleeves of the gowns, swords and horses, Robin Hood type guys … I don’t know. Something about it just enchants me! I suppose a lot of fantasy and fairytale novels are in a medieval setting, so that explains my love for medieval! *smiles and winks*

6) Is there one person in real life who has had a huge, (positive) impact on your spiritual journey, and if so, can you tell us a little bit about them?

There has been a lot of people who have impacted (for good) my walk with God! I won't mention them all, but I’m so blessed by each and every one of them!! My mom, Aunt Marla, friends Talitha and Marayla, and my former Bible study leaders are a few examples that come to mind at this present time in my life. More recently, this guy named Joe Solomon (he has a youtube channel: chaseGodtv) has really just shown me lots of encouragement, enlightenment, and conviction through his videos. I’m so touched and kind of like revived spiritually by his wisdom and passion for God and His truths!! Wow!! Besides being reminded and renewed by listening to his humorous and important talks, I just realize that there are still lots of people who love God and are running after holiness!

7) What are your international family roots? Are they important to you?

I have mostly Scandinavien blood running through my veins. *smiles* My ancestors came from Finland (and Sweden perhaps) to America some generations ago. Hmm, I think it was my great-great-great grandpa who took the name of the ship he was sailing on to America, to be his new, more “American-sounding” last name!

I love the idea of family traditions and all that, but my family hasn’t kept many Finnish traditions, except for some Finnish food recipes (pannukakku) and an enjoyment of saunas I guess! *smiles*

8) Who are two of your favorite music artists?

For right now, I’ll say Sidewalk Prophets (Live Like That) and Plumb (Need You Now & Lord I'm Ready Now). Although Build Your Kingdom Here by Rend Collective is definitely one of my favorite songs ...

9) Do you have a morning routine to get your day started? What does it look like?

My morning is like getting up and turning on my laptop to check all my social media sites, haha. Especially if I have a blog post scheduled for that morning, I like to get up right away and check it to make sure everything looks good! *smiles* I’ll usually find some breakfast to eat after that, and do my devotionals. At about that time, my mom is doing Bible and History with the school-aged kids, so I might be watching my baby brother for her. *smiles* And after that … I might do some editing/writing. Try to catch up on all the books I started reading. Look at my blog/online life schedule and see if I should be working on or preparing anything. *Shrug* … It changes up. But that’s what it looks like right now.

10) Why did you start blogging and what is the goal of your blog?

I started this blog because I’m a writer and wanted to get word of me and my stories out there! *smiles* My goal now is to connect with people and perhaps encourage or bless someone! Shine the light of my King! ^_^ Once some of my stories are published, I hope my readers will get to know me through my blog!

11) If you can pick one word that you want to be your motto on social media, what would it be?

Light? I suppose, in this world where there can be so much darkness, I hope that I can be someone who shines Light and shares the secrets of true and lasting Love, Hope, Joy, and Peace! ^_^

"The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it." John 1:5

(Found on Pixabay.com)

So that's that! *smiles* Hope it was enjoyable. I'm not really good about nominees, but I'll try my best! Hope you guys haven't done this award lately ... ! 


11 New Questions:

1) What is the driving passion of your life?
2) Can you name a favorite character from a movie you've seen recently?
3) What's one book (or chapter, verse, whatever...) of the Bible that has particularly touched you and why?
4) How tall are you? *smiles*
5) What's one thing a book needs to have in order to make it a favorite for you?
6) How did you start and what's your favorite thing about blogging?
7) What's something exciting that has happened in your life recently?
8) Why do you write (blogs, books, whatever)?
9) Can you describe (or find a picture of) a different-era outfit that you'd love to wear?
10) Favorite songs?
11) Any advice for your fellow Christian bloggers/writers?