Like Alice I fell down the rabbit hole and a wondrous world I did find. Full of amazing people and incredible stories, my head is whirlin’. A potion, maybe just a sip, was slipped into my drink that has left me on this magical high. But I’m still in awe each and every day as I join in the electronic chatter this new world now provides. This awesomeness I speak of? I am referring to you.
Uplifting and inspiring tweets and blogs compliment my days and I only hope I can compliment them all in return. To all of you, my friends, family and newcomers, I want you to always believe in yourself and your dreams each and every day. Know that anything is possible.
It Couldn’t be Done
-Edgar Guest-
Somebody said that it couldn’t be done,
But, he with a chuckle replied
That “maybe it couldn’t” but he would be one
Who wouldn’t say so till he’d tried.
So he buckled right in with the trace of a grin
On his face. If he worried he hid it.
He started to sing as he tackled the thing
That couldn’t be done, as he did it.
Somebody scoffed: “Oh, you’ll never do that;
At least no one we know has done it”;
But he took off his coat and he took off his hat,
And the first thing we knew he’d begun it.
With a lift of his chin and a bit of a grin,
Without any doubting or quiddit,
He started to sing as he tackled the thing
That couldn’t be done, and he did it.
There are thousands to tell you it cannot be done,
There are thousands to prophesy failure;
There are thousands to point out to you, one by one,
The dangers that wait to assail you.
But just buckle right in with a bit of a grin,
Just take off your coat and go to it;
Just start to sing as you tackle the thing
That cannot be done, and you’ll do it
-oOo-
So many of you have welcomed me into your fold. Thank you all. I have been overwhelmed by the support I’ve found here on these social networks. Recently some of my fellow bloggers honored me with a few awards, and now it is my turn to repay the favor and pass the honor along.
The beautiful, fun and amazing Lynn Kelly honored me greatly with this gorgeous Inspiring Blogger Award. I was beside myself! Thank you so much Lynn. ❤ I am touched that someone felt I inspired them enough to grant me such a wonderful award. By the way, Lynn has a few fabulous middle grade books out. I intend to pick them up for my son. If you have a middle grade reader, I suggest you check them out! I now get to pass it on to five bloggers (that don’t have the award already – my addition) that inspire me:
- August McLaughlin ~ Savor the Storm
- Coleen Patrick ~ Read. Smile. Repeat.
- Myndi Shafer – Blogging Barefoot
- Natalie Hartford ~ Life Out Loud
- Tameri Etherton ~ A Cup of Tea and Sorcery
Yay! Let’s hear it for these inspiring bloggers. They are just a few of the many. I really wanted this list to be longer, but the rules said five and I’m a play-by-the-rules kind of girl (most of the time). 😛
At about the same time, the super talented Emma Burcart bestowed the Liebster award upon me. Emma, I’m touched that you would think to pass this special award on to me. Thank you.
Again I get to pass this on to five special bloggers:
- Alicia Street Roy Street
- Emma’s Ramblings on Supernatural Fiction
- KarenMcFarland ~Expressions From The Heart
- Kecia’s Blog ~ All I Want Is… Everything.
- Serena Dracis ~ Breaking Away From the Ordinary
Low and behold, while I was away ringing in the New Year with Mickey Mouse on the high seas, the sexy nerd Jessica O’Neal dropped the Versatile Blogger award in my lap. Holy Cow! I am feeling all kinds of pretty right now. I’m going to have to borrow Tameri’s tiara. LOL This award comes with the added criteria that I must list seven things about myself. Well… I kind of already did that a while back. You don’t want seven more, do you? How about seven things that brought me here, blogging. Seven things that have to do with say – my story…
I am currently writing an upper young adult fantasy that started as a book and quickly turned into a trilogy as the story unfolded.
The framework for a prequel and sequel has already started unfolding inside my crowded head.
The sister relationship in my story was the driving force when I started writing the first book, although I didn’t fully realize it at the time.
This story had been bouncing around in my head for thirteen years before I decided to commit to putting pen to paper. It blossomed considerably during that time.
The free-spirited sister of my protagonist captured the spirit of my real sister and brought her to life in my story as the character Crystia.
It may come as no surprise that I use music as inspiration. I currently have an incomplete soundtrack for the first two books consisting of 83 songs. That does not include character theme songs.
It was while I was sitting in the many writers’ panels during the 2011 San Diego Comic Con that I realized I needed to be on Twitter. That eventually led me here and to my own blog.
I know I haven’t talked much about what I’m working on, so there you have it. A little tease about Ana’s story. Oops! There’s another slip. 😉 And now for the enthralling bloggers I am passing this along to:
- Christine Ashworth ~ Wicked… with a side of Saucy
- Dear Diary… by Kellianne Sweeney
- Kristy K. James
- Lisa Hall-Wilson ~ Freelance Writer
- Melinda VanLone ~ Demons and Dark Chocolate
- Samantha Warren ~ Stealing Starships
- Shannyn Schroeder ~ Good Girls Go to Heaven, Bad Girls Go Everywhere…
- SJ Driscoll ~ Come sit by my fire
- Tim L O’Brien ~ Static In The Airways
As you probably guessed, there are a few rules that go along with accepting the above awards.
- Thank the person who shared the award with you and link back to them in your post. As you can see, I’ve done that. Thank you Lynn, Emma and Jessica!
- In the case of the Inspiring Blogger and Liebster Blog Awards you should pass the honor on to five fellow bloggers, letting them know you have done so. I may have cut corners here. :/
- With the Versatile Blogger Award you are asked to tell your readers seven things about yourself and then pass the award on to fourteen fellow bloggers.
The award is an honor, but it is also for fun. Take your time and don’t feel any pressure to pass it along in any given time frame, if at all. Make sure you capture the image of your award above for your blog, should you want it.
-oOo-
If these first few blogging months are any indication of the way my circle of friends will grow, I can’t wait! Every day I’m meet more talented and genuine individuals. Together, we can turn graphite into gold.
Impossible is a word to be found only in the dictionary of fools. – Napoleon Bonaparte
Congratulations Debra. Must be the morning for blogging awards.
I guess so! We must all be thinking a like.
Congrats Debra on all your ahhmazing and much deserved blog awards. Woot woot! And THANK YOU for passing one along to me. I am deeply touched and moved that you find my wee little blog inspiring. Thank you. Made my day!
I loved your sentiments at the beginning. They truly encapsulated my own.
Here’s to all of our continued friendships and connections in 2012!
😀 Thank you Natalie. It’s been a crazy ride here into the social network and blogging world, but I wouldn’t change a thing. I love all the people I have met and am still meeting! I’m so happy I finally got over my fear and spoke on your sparkly site. LOL You have been so uplifting to me.
Thanks, Debra! Coming from you, an inspiring, giving and talented writer, woman and friend, the award means oodles. And to be listed among other bloggers/writers I admire… Talk about delicious frosting. 😉 So much love to you. When I count my recent blessings, you’re among them.
I LOVE that you’ve incorporated your sister into your WIP. The BEST stories come from our lives… Can’t wait to read it. Congrats on your well-deserved recognition!
Aw, thank you August. That really means a lot to me.
I think the incorporation of my sister was a healing process. But she really works in the story. I think she may be making a guest appearance on a friends blog in the near future. 😉
Awww, thanks Debra! It’s my first blog award! *happy dance* 😀
What! Well I am honored to be the one passing it to you. 🙂 I have been enjoying your Friday Fiction.
Oh my gosh – thanks so much, Debra!! *big, squeezy hugs* I LOVED reading your ‘things you don’t know about me’ list…and yeah, if you’re looking for a beta reader, sign this girl up!! So happy our paths crossed last year!
Oooh! *big hugs* back at cha! I’ve been waiting for a chance to send an award your way. But you always seem to get them around the same time as I do. :/ LOL
I’ll keep the beta reader in mind. THANKS! I’ve been ignoring the edits at this point and been writing forward (seriously slowed down lately – 🙁 ) But signing up for ROW80 today. Hopefully that will make a difference in my schedule. Here’s to hoping!
Congrats Debra–and thank you!! I get all gushy and mushy thinking about all the friends I’ve made after falling into the blogging/social media rabbit hole. You are right-it is awesome. And I love what you shared about your writing, it sounds intriguing already!
Thanks Coleen! You are most welcome! I thought it would be something different since I already did the seven the first time around.
Now there are new WANAs coming in and I am expanding beyond the WANAs and I love it! Just need to get my schedule in order so that I can finish book three and get to the editing phase of all of them!
It’s cause you’re awesome! Much love! 🙂
Thank you Krystal! You know you inspire me too. But I got the feeling the last time around that you don’t do award. You used to have award on your blog a long time ago. Not anymore. I like how Lesann has them. I’m thinking of moving mine.
Hooray for awards!! I loved the poem. Gave me goosebumps. I will be rereading when I get that feeling that something can’t be done. Thank you! Also, I love the facts about how your story came about. Very cool. I have a sister and I think the sibling relationship is a special bond like no other. Can’t wait for you to finish and share. 🙂
Isn’t it a great poem?! I think a lot of people who don’t have siblings under estimate that bond. I didn’t realize how strong it was until too late – unfortunately. It hurts me when I see my kids fight the way the do and throw hurtful words at each other. I know their bond is stronger than they even understand.
You’re not the only one who can’t wait till this story is done. LOL
Haai 🙂
I have nominated you for the Versatile Blog award. I hope you like it. You certainly deserve it.
http://poemfromreality.wordpress.com/
Way cool! I’ve already popped over to your blog and commented. Thank you so much for this honor. I am touched by what you said about me in your post and by the simple fact that you thought enough of my work to include me at this point in time.
Thanks! Now that I’m back up and running I can participate 🙂 Enjoyed connecting with you and so many other these last couple of months.
You’re so welcome Lisa! So glad you got the blog working again. I feel terrible for all your trouble. I wouldn’t have a clue what to do if it were me. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the connection as well.
Kudos! And well-deserved. Your blog always give me pause for thought, and your sincerity always shines through 🙂
Thank you Mike! I wanted to include you, but Jessica tagged you first. Isn’t that how it often goes?
Wow, Debra, this is a fantastic Friday! So many awesome bloggers between your awards and our awards blogfest! Sharing seven things about your story was a great idea.
Yay for the awards recipients!
Thank you Fabio! You know, I originally had you on my list until I realized Lynn awarded you at the same time she awarded me. It would be a double tap. Little did I know when I was editing my list that you were getting ready to post one of your own. LOL
Yay for all the awards flying around this Friday!
Congratulations, Debra! More and more people are finding out what a terrific writer you are…and the awards prove that! I love the way your book started out as one, and now it’s snowballed into a series. Writing is SO cool!
Thanks so much for giving The Versatile Blogger award to me!
Think I’m going to copy that poem and hang it where I can see it every day. Love it! 🙂
Oops. And since procrastination is one thing I excel at, I’m going to go blog hopping for awhile. 🙂
That’s one way to look at it. OR… my story is soooo long I had to break it into three parts or three books. LOL I had no idea when I started writing how twisted and complicated it was going to be. But when I started I took a week alone to myself and the characters that introduced themselves during that time came to life fast. Since then, all the characters have been quick to take on lives of their own, creating back stories and side stories. They have SO much to tell!
You are very welcome Kristy. I am more than happy to pass it along to you. So glad you like the poem.
That poem is AWESOME! Thanks for the award. Now I just have to figure out how to get it on my blog… 🙂
I agree! Glad you like it. 🙂
To capture the award image, simply right click on it and scroll down to save image. Save it in the file you desire on your computer and you can load it from there onto your blog.
Dearest Debra,
You are one of the kindest of people! Thank you.
Okay, I’m going to tweet my heart out for you! You are so talented and that poem is amazing!
And I love they way you shared seven things about your story!
You are amazing! 🙂
You are too kind Karen! I am thrilled that you liked the seven things about my story. I was taking a leap of faith with that one. Just for you (and everyone reading this) – the character, Crystia, will be making a small debut sometime soon in a rare piece written in her voice on a friend’s blog. I’ll keep you posted.
I’m glad you have a variety listed here. There are some I haven’t ever read. I’ll have to check them out. I love the idea of sharing facts about your characters. Fun idea!
Thank you Emma. I wanted to do something different this time around and the light bulb went off. Thought it would be fun.
Wow, what an awesome Friday! When I wrote my post last night and finished it this afternoon, I had to idea that you and several other people are giving away the blog awards. This is such a fantastic coincidence 🙂 I guess great minds think alike!
The seven facts about your story read so magical. This must be an amazing journey for you, as a writer.
I listen to the music all the time. It is one of my greatest inspirations for writing (I even had a post about it recently). See – great minds think alike: we both are inspired by music!
Hugs.
I was feeling the same way about all these award posts. Pretty crazy – in a great way.
The journey has been beyond amazing. I had no idea what I was embarking on when I started.
I saw your music post. I tried to comment, thought I had succeeded, but my computer was having trouble loading your page that day with all the videos. It was really cool.
Congrats on all the fabulous awards! You go girl!
Thank you Angela! You are extremely fabulous yourself!
Wow, Debra! Congrats on all the awards you’ve gotten. You sooo deserve them. And thank you for bestowing upon me the Lobster, uh, Liebster Award. I will post it proudly!
LOL! Alicia you are too funny. You deserve this great award. You are rocketing out of the blogging starting gate! Thank you for your kind words.
Thank you for the Liebster Blog award, I can’t wait to pass it on. It has been so awesome getting to know you through class, thank you, my friend.
You are very welcome, my friend. 🙂 I am honored to have met you and gotten to know you. Can’t wait to hear more about your book!
Congrats Debra, I’m always sniffing around for anything poetry to read and I think I’ve had enough for the day here. I also do poetry myself and with your rhymes and style, I’m just happy I found you. Weldone.
Thank you, Edmund. But I can’t take credit for the poem. The author is Edgar Guest. I will post poetry on my blog from time to time. I enjoy beautiful rhymes. I’ll have to check your blog out! I’m always looking for new stops. 🙂 Thanks for stopping in and taking the time to comment.
CONGRATULATIONS!! All very well-deserved awards! You can borrow any of my tiaras anytime, doll! Your blog is amazing and awesome, so it’s no surprise it won so many awards. I love that poem and am going to print it out. Just do that thing that is impossible to do. Love that!
Thank you so much for the Inspiring Blogger Award, what a great honor you’ve given me! I’m so happy I’ve met you here in the blogosphere and in the real world. I hope we can get together way more in 2012.
Thank you Tameri! ❤ you doll. Everyone is saying such sweet things about my blog and I feel like I am just floundering around here. LOL
The poem is amazing. It spoke to me the first time I read it and I knew it would be perfect for what I wanted to say here.
You are so welcome. You are a total inspiration to me. I would love to get together more. I have confirmation on my 2012 CC attendance in July, but we shouldn’t wait till then.
Debra! So cool! I am honored and have this sort of gleeful pleasure whenever I think about my WANA1011 mates. Thanks so much. Keep inspiring 😉
Thank you Kecia, I’ll do my best. I can’t wait to see what you do with the honor. 😀
Congrats Debra & thanks again for passing it on. I put the award on my blog this evening, yay!
Yay! That’s so cool Emma. Thanks, and congratulations right back at cha!
Thanks so much, Debra! Sorry I missed it. 🙁 I knew I wasn’t hitting everyone.
That’s alright. It happens. It’s hard! There’s so many of us! LOL
You are extremely welcome, btw. 😀