Some announcements

The start of a new year. A new beginning. Something like this tends to make me re-evaluate various items, but I'm behind on that right now (yeah, yeah, I know, the year's just started and I'm already behind - doesn't bode well, does it?)

Due to my "behind" status, I'm going on a little hiatus. During that time, I'm going to work out some changes for the blog and hopefully (fingers crossed) make some good progress with my rewrites.

Before I disappear off into the web-o-sphere, I have a few things I'd like to mention:

1) I loved participating in Laura's SantaFest, and thank you so much to whoever made me this lovely blog award. I will be awarding it out to other worthy souls when I reappear.

2) I'm so glad I joined a critique group at the very end of 2010. Critiquing others' work, and having such talented people critique mine has definitely made me a better writer. I feel that's one of the better things 2011 gave me.

3) I've been awarded the Great Comments Award by The Golden Eagle and Cherie Reich - thanks, guys!

Generally, the award is supposed to go to the 20 most recent commenters, but my blog is still a tight-knit community, so I'm going to restrict the list to 10 on this occasion, and here they are:

• Sonia
• Stephen Tremp
• Laura
• T F Walsh
• Misha Gericke
• Lynn Kelley
• Shevi
• Murees Dupé
• Sarah Gilman
• Autumn Glazier

I think that's about it. Thanks for all your support on my blog over the last few months. Hope to see you again soon :).

First blog award!

I feel so lucky right now! Not only have I gathered lots of new followers (hi new followers!), but not one, but TWO great bloggers have given me a blog award. And here it is:

Isn't it fantastic? All roses and pink and lovely :). Thanks very much to Beth at Thoughts from the Hearthfire and Laura at Daily Dodo for giving it to me.

This award requires you to pass it onto 15 recently discovered blogs. Now, I know this award has been going round lately, so to the people I'm about to recommend, feel free to ignore it if you want to.

Here goes:

1. Christine Rains
2. Creepy Query Girl
3. Flutey Words
4. Gap Years The Book
5. Jenn Nixon
6. LynNerd's Random Act of Writing
7. Nerd Girl Reads and Writes
8. Pensuasion
9. Ramblings
10. Rebecca Mahoney
11. T F Walsh - Fantasy Writer
12. The Quintessentially Questionable Query Experiment
13. Victim of Writing
14. Wicked, Tricksy, and False
15. Welcome to my World

Well, some might not be as recently discovered as others, but they're all equally worthy.

Did everyone have a nice weekend? I actually managed to spend some time just reading. I read straight through "Anna and the French Kiss", by Stephanie Perkins. I loved it! When's the last time you whizzed through a book, because you couldn't bear to put it down?

Running and rides

Yes, OK, so I'm horrible at keeping to a schedule. Time has this little habit of running away with me (or maybe that should be from me).

I started this blog with all good intentions, and then got bogged down in other things, among them design issues and the competing benefits of WordPress and Blogger. Now Blogger has won out, I am going to strive to run alongside Time, rather than let him streak off and leave me coughing in his dust.

I have a plan - it's not a very cunning plan, but it's a plan all the same. Let's see whether I can pull it off.

My schedule (*subject to change):
• Mondays - Miscellany (ramblings about bits and pieces)
• Wednesday - Writing Randomness (excerpts, research, reviews, etc.)
• Saturdays - Selections (top fives of whatever's on my mind)

Please excuse me while I get used to setting the pace. I was never very good at running. But the main point here is that I'm back to running - taking part in the Blogosphere - and I hope you'll all come along for the ride.

A plan's afoot!

Bear with me, people. I'm working on a plan *furtively glances from left to right*. Look for some updates early next week.