Awarded: Lots more

One of the reasons I took this leap of faith with The Demo Tapes was that I felt like I have a strong fan base. Every time you guys hand out blog awards my way, you reinforce that. And rather than rest on my laurels, I try that much harder to give you what you come here for — Trevor and excellence in general.

Here’s the latest round of proof that my efforts are appreciated. It got longer after I initially drafted this post; let me know if your eyes are as huge as mine after seeing this list!

First is the Kreativ Blogger Award, from Ruthie at Books Books Books. Okay, she gave it to me and the gang at Win a Book, but that’s okay. I’m the parent of that place as well as this one. Amberkatze realizes it, too.

Shaunie directed it at The Meet and Greet, though. Shaunie and I have been friends for a long time. We’ve even weathered an online fight, which few can say. In other words, her friendship has great meaning for me.

A lot of bloggers have special places in my heart (yeah, okay, that’s because not a lot of people in real life do), but few are like Robin, from Around the Island. An ex-pat living in Israel, with every post, she cuts through the stereotypes I’ve grown up with about the country and actually has me wanting to visit. Really visit, not take a religious pilgrimmage.

She’s given me the Honest Scrap award, which is an odd name, but there you go. Odd names are good, and you know? That might not make a bad band name…

Anyway, the Honest Scrap award asks you to list ten things about yourself. I’m quite sure that throughout this post, I’ve listed more than ten things. Trevor made you do it once, now it’s my turn: go on and count ’em up.

Back to business… the awesome J. Kaye, who has gone above and beyond for me lately, also gave me the Great Buddy Award. This is the first time I’ve seen this one; it has a lovely graphic on it.

Anna at Diary of an Eccentric must agree. She also handed me this award, and I’m flattered. We’ve been chatting via e-mail lately; it’s been a lot of fun to get to know her (among the many other book bloggers out there). I’ve also had fun sending her links to YouTube, and I’m actually behaving when I do this! I could be sending her Elmo and other annoyances, but instead, I’ve been sending her (and Serena, too) Apocalyptica clips. Because everyone needs some Burn.

Presenting Lenore, another awesome book blogger, created her own awards. Called the You Rock Presenting Lenore’s World Awards, she’s given Win a Book the Most Frequent Updates Award, along with J. Kaye. Well, Lenore, I’m trying! I still wish more book bloggers, authors, and publicists would take advantage (properly!) of what Win a Book is offering.

Janel, at Janel’s Jumble, thought this metal head needed some pink and purple in her life, so I’ve been handed the Butterfly Award. Is this where I say I have not one but TWO butterfly bushes in my back yard? I love the fragile little things that they attract.

My good friend Alice also gave me this award. If you haven’t seen her weekly Jack and Jill posts, you are missing one of my favorite Saturday posts. Every week, I sit in speechless admiration of how she’s taken the weekly Photo Hunt prompt and tied in a storyline with these two little people with blue hair. Check it out before you scoff.

I was floored to see Allykat, a fellow EntreCarder, hand me the Butterfly award. For one, Allykat’s a very devoutly religious person, and I always expect religious people to run away from Trevor and the gang (including me) in horror. Look at the language, the values these guys (don’t) uphold. They aren’t very Christian, which is fine since I’m not, either.

But it seems that Allykat’s not the only person whose mind is bigger than a real-life friend’s, who told me that she wouldn’t read my blog because it offended her. That’s probably where my sensitivity and false expectations came from, huh? So… Allykat, glad to have you here. I hope you’ll stick around and teach me more.

When life gives you lemons… Serena handed me the Lemonade Cart. She awarded it to the home base, West of Mars, and not to either blog. This is probably a good time to tell you that as soon as we finish getting all the kinks out here and fix the rest of the website, Win a Book will be moving to the West of Mars home, too.

Dar, at Peeking Between the Pages, sent another lemonade cart my way, naming BOTH blogs for it. I hope you guys aren’t suggesting a new career for me. Not with the Demo Tapes so newly released!

Anna, my favorite eccentric, blogs at Diary of an Eccentric. I mentioned her before; didja notice? She sent a third lemonade cart my way, also for both blogs. You guys rock; keeping up with Win a Book isn’t easy, but to keep up over here, too? You’re gems and I appreciate the attention.

A fourth lemonade cart is headed to Win a Book. It’s from A Blog of Books, and it’s much appreciated. I don’t know the good folk over there quite as well yet. YET. Did you catch that? The intent is there (oh, the intent is ALWAYS there! It’s the time that’s the problem).

Celtic Angel, one of the coolest people I met through the original Thursday Thirteen, sent the Your Blog is Fabulous badge my way. I’m trying, but Trevor’s in the background, nodding happily and saying, “Of course it is. It’s got me in it!” At times, I envy that boy’s easy cocky style. The worst part, for me as a person, is that everyone eats it up. When I get cocky in real life… people laugh.

Trevor likes threesomes, of course. Triplets, too. Me, I’m not telling except to say that I like THIS threesome. It’s the Triple Award, where three awards have been put together to make one super-duper awesome one. Thanks to Vanilla Seven for thinking of me.

Another relatively new EntreCard friend, Courtney of The Ramblings of Courtney, sent another Butterfly my way. I think I’ve got a whole garden full of them now! That’s good; butterflies are precious things.

There are a ton of folk I’d love to pass these along to, but this post is long enough by now, don’t you think? If you take the time to visit any of them, please tell them I sent you. I hope you’ll make new friends, as I am. And that you’ll all buy many copies of The Demo Tapes.

But you knew that last wish, right?

Seriously. Go make new friends. And thanks for thinking of me. I hope that’ll continue; these posts are fun!

(update before posting: more awards have come my way, so expect to see another one of these hopefully soon!)