Woohoo! VBA! VBA! That’s Versatile Blogger Award for those who don’t know. Up until the other day, I was one such person. However, since receiving a nomination from my good friend and fellow writer, Jamie A Hughes (follow her at The Tousled Apostle) I’ve have since been made aware…

I suppose I should pay closer attention to my Inbox. After looking up the VBA’s and seeing the email they sent out to all their WordPress bloggers, I realized, I’ve seen this somewhere before… Sure as shooting, it was my Inbox! Apparently, to cap off the year, I was given a congratulatory pat on the back for my site from the good people who run this place. At first, I just took it to be a “good job and thanks for signing on with us!” kind of thing, but apparently we all have the option to nominate our friends and respected colleagues for their work as well. Nice idea…

So, in addition to saying thank you to The Tousled Apostle, let me also nominate her for her splendiferous work on her site! And, in conjunction with VBA rules, I also have a list of 14 other people I’d like to nominate as well. These are all people I’ve started following since my site went up and who I feel have made contributions worthy of recognition and the descriptor “versatile”. Here they are:

1. The Tousled Apostle – The site of my friend and literary colleague Jamie A Hughes. In addition to her thoughts on religion, spirituality, life, education, and of course, her writing. In addition to being a wife, mother, Christian and teacher, she’s also a fine writer, let me tell you! Her story Reclamation (a title we have in common) had me seeing the South and tasting honey… all from the comfort of my couch!

2. Lindsay goes to Hollywood – The personal blog of Lindsay Ellis, otherwise known as “The Nostalgia Chick” to her many internet followers. For years, I’ve enjoyed her insightful comments on movies, pop culture and film in general. Here, she get’s more up close and personal, relating her thoughts on the industry, the internet and whatever else comes her way.

3. Fabulous Realms – The official site of Ash Silverlock, known as Fabulous Realms. Dedicated to fantasy, folklore, myth and culture, Ash explores the world of Tolkien, Sterlin, Gaiman and of course provides links to his own fine writing. Combining a historians ability to research with a grand sense of wonder for the unexplored and mystical, this site is sure to please the most discerning reader of fantasy fiction!

4. Mijo Sport – The official website of Mijo Fitness, run by Michelle and Jonathon Carpenter, both of whom happen to be Taekwon-Do instructors of mine. They also specialize in personal training, cross-training and fitness education. If you’re interested in martial arts, fitness theory, getting in shape, or training for an upcoming event, these are the people to talk to!

5. A Writers Blog (c) Lara Dunning – The personal site of Lara Dunning; writer, blogger, mother, wife, coastal dweller, and big-time fan of flash fiction! It’s always nice to have a veteran in your corner, and when I also found out she lived in the Pacific Northwest; well, that just iced the cake! And naturally, one can find plenty of examples of her fiction here, which include adult fiction, fantasy, historical fiction, paranormal and even kids lit. Enjoy!

6. Down the Rabbit Hole – The website of prolific writer, reviewer, wife and mother, Jessica Brown. Like me, she suffers from a rare strain of ADD that affects writers. It causes them to produce at an alarming rate, but always several things at a time! Actually, she seems far more productive than me, for in addition to writing several works at a time, she also provides writer’s with assistance, such as ghostwriting, proof editing, feedback and reviews. Wow… and she’s a mother of four!

7. Deidre Alexander’s Blog – Official site of fiction writer Deidre Alexander, a zany, witty, and pretty (lets not deny it!) writer of contemporary YA and adult fiction who delights in goddesses, immortals, zombies and the paranormal. Her unique (and sometimes odd) take on the natural and supernatural are sure to please, enlighten and amuse all at once. Yep, this one’s got it all!

8. Sandy Ibrahim: Hitgirl’s Blog – Boxer, mother, and fitness guru. Sandy Ibrahim, a fellow Victorian and founder of Capital City Boxing and Hit to Fit functional fitness program. Initially trained as a competitive swimmer, she has since become a professional trainer, boxer, and fitness instructor with multiple qualifications. I’m tempting to look her up and get some training in for the New Year. I LOOOOVE boxing!

9. First Draft – Site of writer, teacher, senior editor, publisher and entrepreneur Kathy Rhodes. This woman has seriously done it all when it comes to the literary world! In addition to working for a fiction/non-fiction publisher – Muscadine Lines: A Southern Journal (www.asouthernjournal.com) – she also founded her own company (TurnStyle Writing, Editing & Publishing), offers classes on creative writing to aspiring writers and has written several published works and an essay that was featured in The Best Creative Nonfiction Vol. 3 (W.W. Norton, 2009) and singled out for a review in The New Yorker. Wow… I seriously need to ask her how she does it!

10. The Valentine Yeti – The personal website of Neil Foster. Teacher, IT man, world traveler, cross-genre writer and possessor of enough sardonic wit to bring down an actual Yeti. Currently in Taiwan, but determined to find his way to the British Isles once more. Good luck Yeti!

11. JJ Brown Author – The site of writer JJ Brown, a native of the Catskills, highly well-read and highly educated, and a geneticist by education (no joke). Already she has penned a full-length novel and collection of short stories, and writes articles on medical education and research. Smart, and kind of humbling too…

12. Laura ≈ LME – Webpage of Laura LME, poet, published author, radio host/producer, spoken word recording artist and founder of ≈Verses In Motion≈, a body dedicated to promoting poetry and social awareness. In short, she’s a versatile artist, hence why I recommend her for this award!

13. Cynthia Robertson -The website of Cynthia Robertson, writer, newspaper columnist, and founder of the Arizona Novel Writers’ Workshop. In short, this group is responsible for helping writers polish their works, so in addition to being published, she helps others get there as well. Paying it forward! Good job, Cynthia!

14. Talinorfali – The website of fellow writer and Canuck Talin Orfali, an Armenian-Canadian who writes for her community, church, and who believes that “words can move mountains”. I certainly agree!

15. The Compleat Tsuribito – A lovely blog that I began following about a year ago when I came across his review for Sri Lankan food and drink. In addition to travel and cuisines, Tsuribito is dedicated to the fine art of fishing, photography and Japanese culture. Definitely worth checking out, especially if you’re looking for some tips on seafood cuisine!

And, also in accordance with the rules of VBA, I shall now tell seven things about myself to my nominator! So, Jamie, consider yourself forewarned…

1. I like beer!

2. I like spicy food!

3. I enjoy classic science fiction.

4. I can’t stand words like persnickety or artificial compound words like ginornous or chilaxing.

5. I think boy bands are the lamest thing to ever grace our planet. Not too crazy about girl groups either…

6. When I write something, I constantly worry it won’t measure up. Often I can make myself finish something and stand by it, but my inner critic is just too powerful to silence completely!

7. I hate editing and promoting. The post-creative process just seems so tedious to me…

All done! Good luck to you and all others who’ve been nominated!