Tagged, Blog Award and Progress Report

Greetings everyone! What a surprise, I've received two blogging awards. The Super Sweet Blog Award above from Yolanda Renee at Defending the Pen and I've been tagged by Heather Murphy at Random Interruptions.

Here are the rules for The Super Sweet Blog Award:
Answer a few questions about sweets. Pass it on to deserving bloggers.

1. What's your favorite treat, cake or cookies? I'd have to say cookie. It's easier to manage but for special occasions I like ice cream cakes. My choices in flavor for both change with the seasons, cookies are ginger snaps, oatmeal raisin, and a few others.Ice Cream cake must start with vanilla, anything else is too sweet.

2. Do you prefer chocolate or vanilla? That depends on what it is I'm eating. I tend toward other flavors though. I guess I'm a mixed nut assortment. LOL

3. If you had a sweet nickname what would it be? Hmm...I have a flash back to a Ben and Jerry request for creative names here, but I guess I'll keep it simple and say, 'sweetie  pie.' My mom used to call me that when I was a kid.

Tagged, your it! Who remembers that game? In this take the requirement is to copy several paragraphs from your current manuscript with the word 'look' in it. I must confess, 'look' is one of those words I've taught myself to weed out as I write. So I will post an unedited portion of my current short story and indicate where 'look' would have been.

Working title: Mirabella
Mirabella is a character in my fantasy world of Gil-Lael. She is a farmers daughter and is running away from home and an arranged marriage. Cyndel is an elf. Mirabella is alone for the first time.

The long fingers of night consumed the last rays of sun. An owl hooted. Mirabella flinched.

Crickets chirped.

Something moved in the bush near her. Mirabella squinted at the dark leaves.

A movement.

She bent her knees up against her chest.

A branch quivered.

She hugged her arms tight around her legs. A wild hare jumped out, landed on Mirabella’s feet and sprang off immediately. She screamed.

“Oh Great Créateur,” she said, a moment later.

A light shimmered in the distance. It seemed to float near the treetops. Mirabella didn’t fear it at first, not until it began to grow closer. The light appeared to dance. How odd. What could this mean? As she watched the glow brighten it suddenly went out and the dark was even more complete than before.

Mirabella had been so enthralled by the light off to her right that she failed to notice a different source of light flickering on her left. Now she heard voices. Their words were not distinguishable because of the distance. The brush snapped beneath them as they traveled. This light came from fire, from torches. She knew this by the wavering flames. A horse whinnied. They weren’t coming her way. Should she cry out for help?

“Be still,” Cyndel said in the dark and stepped from the shadows. Mirabella gasped. He quickly moved to cover her mouth.“Highwaymen,” he whispered.  

(Copyright 2012 all rights reserved, use by permission only. Fiction, not based on any person living or dead.)

Everywhere Mirabella noticed the light the word 'look' was replaced by a more interesting and descriptive sentence.

Now I pass along these awards to the following talented blogger/writer friends. 

1. Siv Ottem at Been there, done that, because, Siv came all the way from Norway to visit her son here in Colorado, USA and took the time one cold afternoon to meet me. We talked writing and personal stuff and I hated to see her go. She's such a positive person.

2. Roland Yeomans at Writing in the Crosshairs, because, have you read his writing? Fabulous. Way to go Roland.

3. Holly at H. R. Sinclair. Holly goes by Southpaw and post about interesting things including a series on rocks, or perhaps gemstones would be a better name. With all kinds of information on each stone, from color, name, where it comes from and healing properties. As a fantasy author, I may just have a story featuring a rock or too, you never know. She's also a cook and her recipe's make my mouth water. Plus, Holly has stuck by me even when I was sick. Thanks Holly, your friendship is valued.

4. Marian Allen at a blog by the same name, because Marian is a faithful friend, loves to cook and a muti-talented writer. Check out her books.

5. Hilary Melton-Butcher at Positive Letters...inspirational stories, because Hilary blogs about things I usually don't think about and her research is impeccable. A fitting word for my British friend. Hilary is another blogger who came by even when my life was sinking.

So snag the two awards my friends and Hilary, just cause you not a writer doesn't mean you don't know how to look for 'look.' Have fun with it, I give you my permission.

There are so many other friends out there, Denise Covey at L'Aussie, Alex J. Cavanuagh, Golden Eagle, Michael Di Gesu, and all my Romantic Friday Writer friends, plus so many more. Just look at my comment cloud to get an idea. Heather already tagged some of you. I appreciate each one and wish all things wonderful to come your way.

Now for my....

Progress Report: Mirabella is complete at 10,698 words and off to the first round of critiques. 


Yolanda  has passed on  to me 'The Next Big Thing.' post. I'm honored. I will post this next week on Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2012. I certainly hope this is prophetic for both of us.

I hope to see you there. 

Nancy