Liebster - German (noun). Sweetheart, beloved person, darling. Awww!

I was given the Liebster Award by the wonderful Cherie Colyer (who was so sweet & braved the floody Chicago area to come to my book signing last week---and then stupid, dummy me didn't snap one single picture!). This award is given to bloggers by bloggers and gives glimpses into our lives. We give 11 fun facts about ourselves, answer 11 questions, pass the award on to 11 bloggers and then ask 11 new questions. Ready? 

11 Fun Facts about Moi:

1. I have a scar on my forehead in the very same place as Harry Potter's!
2. I have a fear of fish (not eating them, swimming with them).

3. I can touch the tip of my nose with my tongue (go on...try to do it. You know you want to).

4. I'm a Midwest girl, but I was born in California.

5. My whole life I've been told I'm of German, Irish, and Belgian descent.

6. The French woman who gave me my last facial insists I've got Mediterranean blood in me.

7. I wholeheartedly believe her.
8. For my day job, I do web and print advertising for a shop that's a collection of multiple boutiques.

9. Half the managers at the shop don't use computers. At all.

10. They regularly ask the office girl to print out images that have been e-mailed to them and then leave a paper copy on my desk with a note to "put it on the internet."

11. I enjoy the chance to feel like a techno wizard at my day job...though I still haven't figured out how to blink and get a piece of paper to appear "on the internet."

Questions from Cherie:

1. What do you like best about blogging?

Making real connections with other people in bite-sized pieces.

2. Mountains or ocean?

Mountains. 

3. Favorite author?

Jane Austen.

4. Are you an outliner or a panster?

Combo - rough outline & pants the in-between

5. Where do you find your inspiration?

No idea. It just happens.

6. What fictional world would you like to visit?

Middle Earth---but only if I could spend most of my time in Rivendale w/ occasional visits to the Shire.

7. KFC or Popeye’s?

KFC

8. Are there any books you won’t read?

Those that are poorly written and/or filled with grammatical errors and typos. I also tend to shy away from books laden with heavy emotional trauma and no humor to break it up.

9. Name three people (living or dead) you’d like to meet?

Abraham Lincoln. Sarah Jessica Parker. Robert Smith.

10. Do you have any advice for fellow bloggers?

Don't over commit. Blog at a pace you can reasonably maintain.  

11. Is this your first Liebster award?

I received something called Liebster a long time ago, but it's evolved since then.

Now I get to pick 11 bloggers and ask 11 new questions. I choose (and if you've already been tagged for this award, consider your "obligations" fulfilled. And I know, I know, A to Zers will need to catch their breath before officially accepting):

1. Suze at Subliminal Coffee

2. Janie Junebug

3. Anne Gallagher

4. Johanna Garth

5. Mark Means

6. Julie Flanders

7. Jennifer Lane

8. Jackie at Bouquet of Books

9. Dani at Entertaining Interests

10. The Neurotic Workaholic

11. Elliot Grace
Wait a minute, gonna push this one higher: A Twilight Dad

Aw man!  Eleven slots went so fast and I have so many more I want to ask my questions to. Well, if you're reading this and you're willing to answer my questions, consider yourself tagged.

Your new questions:

1. Les Mis or Sweeney Todd?

2. If you were a comic book superhero, what wold your name be?

3. What are the toppings on your dream hamburger?

4. What city (that you've never visited) do you most want to visit?

5. Favorite city (that you have visited).

6. Which Disney character is most like you?

7. Why? (in follow up to question 6)

8. You can only choose one: would you rather write a book that's a best seller or a book that's highly acclaimed?

9. What's your biggest pet peeve when it comes to grammatical mistakes in a published book?

10. If you could live permanently in any decade, which would it be?

11. Who's your favorite fictional romantic couple?

Please stop by to let me know when you've posted your answers because I definitely want to read them!

The Liebster Rules: 1. The Liebster Award is given to bloggers by bloggers. 2. Each blogger should post 11 facts about himself / herself. 3. Each blogger should answer the 11 questions that are asked by the nominating blogger. 4. Choose 11 new bloggers to nominate for the Award and link to them in the post. 5. Create 11 new questions for your nominees. 6. Go back to their pages and tell them they've been nominated. 7. No tag backs.