Thursday, April 29, 2010

Hops, News and Awards


Friday is for blog hopping! I imagine white rabbits with numbers taped to their backs like jockeys hopping though the blogosphere knocking at rose trellised, faded green doors and hopping into cosy rooms where books, tea and chocolate are laid out in expectation.

I have discovered wonderful, wonderful blogs over the last few weeks. Readers and writers: readers who write and writers who read, reviewers who write and reviewers who read--it is heaven for people who enjoy living in a culture of words. There are readers reading Hardy, Bronte, Tolstoy, Keats. Readers reading historical fiction, literary fiction, chick lit, sci fi lit, ya lit, mg lit, classic lit, and poetry. It is a lovely way to sail through the trees on swings built of language.

So, news. After changing my ticket seven times I am flying home to Hawaii. No one there believes that I will actually turn up. I seem to have become the girl who cried 'plane ticket'. But I am going as I have to have my author photo taken--yikes. From what I gather for the author photo I: do not smile, do look friendly, don't wear white, do wear something I am comfortable in, do not wear a sundress, do wear shoes, do look at the camera, do not look too serious, do look professional. Umm. How does a person who does like sun dresses and does not like photos manage this? Tuesday is the big day. Will let you know how it goes!

And happily, Sarah, at the wonderful "Loving Books" blog (http://always-books.blogspot.com/) gave me an award! The Prolific Blogger Award!

A prolific blogger is one who is intellectually productive, keeping up an active blog with enjoyable content. After accepting this award, recipients are asked to pass it forward to seven other deserving blogs.

Yipee! Thank you Sarah! And if you have not visited Sarah's lovely blog: hop hop right away!

Seven blogs I love...

bibliophiliac at http://bibliophiliac-bibliophiliac.blogspot.com/
She has the most wonderful posts about Keats's heartbreakingly beautiful broken poetry.

Carin at http://carolinebookbinder.blogspot.com/
This wonderful woman has tried so hard to teach me to link properly and as you can see I am failing miserably. A former Editorial Assistant her take on books and the publishing world is fascinating.

Missy B at http://missysbooknook.blogspot.com/
Her reviews are incisive, personal and beautifully written and the elfin drawings on her blog will make you happy every time.

Lindy Lou Mac at http://lindyloumacbookreviews.blogspot.com/
From Alice in Wonderland posters in Hong Kong to wonderfully written reviews, her blog is always fun.

Mademoiselle Poirot at http://mademoiselle-poirot.blogspot.com/
Her delicately wrought photographs feel like breakfast in Paris.

Grad at http://thecuriousreader.blogspot.com/
She loves letters and Wolf Hall and that is so much more than enough for me!

Faith E. Hough at http://faithehough.blogspot.com/
Read her post about the brilliant, brilliant Oscar Wilde.

Hop, white rabbits! Hop!

32 comments:

  1. I'm going to stop on by these lovely blog recommendations! Thank you!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi, Priya! I am a new blogger, and just wanted to hop on over and invite you to check out my blog, also! I'd love to have you as a follower - and I just signed up to follow you! I look forward to reading your posts and discovering new books through your reviews!
    Hugs~
    Susan
    http://crazycatladyslibrary.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
  3. michelle, hello! so glad you popped by!

    susan, i will check it out right away!

    ReplyDelete
  4. I find it fascinating to follow your rise to fame!! Thanks for sharing. It will be a different feeling reading your book, I can't imagine how your close friends and fmaily will feel.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hi,
    I found your blog through the blogger hop and I will definitely be coming back for more. Congrats on your book!

    ReplyDelete
  6. book quoter, unfortunately i have already made my friends and family read the book at least eight times each during the writing process!

    becky. thank you!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Oooooh, I haaaate having my photo taken too - awful!! But what on earth is wrong with the lovely headshot you use here? Oh, the smile? Seriously? It's such a nice photo!

    Graddikins I know and love, but I shall do as you suggest and, er, hop along and check out these other blogs, they sound good... although I suppose further distractions must be avoided at all costs, or else this infernal redraft will never end...

    ReplyDelete
  8. I am a new follower via this week's blog hop. My post is here.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Im popping over on the bloghop - congrats on your book.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Just Hopping by. I am a new follower. will check ou the blogs you mentioned

    ReplyDelete
  11. beverly, thanks! i will!

    doctordi, that was taken by my mom after i had been shoveling snow for several hours and apparently is not professional enough--well not professional at all really! something about the resolution maybe? how far along are you on this draft?

    pussreboots, jessica, detweilermom, thanks for popping by!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Hi Priya! Thank you so much for the award...it means a lot to me. It makes me happy to know that visiting my blog makes you happy too! I think every blogger has a "fear" of no one looking at or actually reading their blogs so I greatly appreciate your kind words.

    Happy Friday!

    ReplyDelete
  13. missy b, you are entirely welcome! i check in with your blog everyday!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Oh Priya what a kind girl you are to say such nice things about my Book Review Blog. I am truly touched.
    I gather we are supposed to pass this on, which I will find very difficult, but promise to think about. There are so many excelllent and deserving blogs out there!
    Thankyou so much for making me feel special xx

    ReplyDelete
  15. lindy lou mac, you are entirely welcome! i love your blog!

    ReplyDelete
  16. HI. Nice to meet you. I look forward to reading more of your blog.
    Enjoy yourself in Hawaii.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Hello Priya! Thanks for the award, I'm so flattered. About the author photo: shoes? Sigh. Or maybe you are a shoe person? I just think bare feet are cute (and comfortable)!

    ReplyDelete
  18. no one living in hawaii could ever be a shoe person! so glad you vote for bare feet!

    ReplyDelete
  19. Great blog. I look forward to reading more o

    ReplyDelete
  20. Congrats on the awards :)
    Writers are cool. i can't write but i love good writing :)
    Happy FF!
    I am following you now and would love if you come follow me back and say hi!
    Gros bisous
    frenchy

    ReplyDelete
  21. Your newest follower from Friday Follow! Have a great weekend.


    Sarah
    http://lewiscrazyhouse.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  22. Hi Priya, thank you sooo much! I'm really happy and honoured about this especially as I hold your writings and your blog in high regard (is that even correct English...???) Anyway, more tomorrow, because I'm in a rush to get loaded up for Greenwich Market, but wanted to let you know how happy I am about this. Merci beaucoup, Bisous & Love from London, Carole x

    ReplyDelete
  23. I published your award on my Blog and linked back to yours, I hope you have had a chance to see it?

    http://lindyloumacbookreviews.blogspot.com/2010/04/book-blogger-hop-april-30th-till-may.html

    Thanks again :)

    ReplyDelete
  24. mademoiselle poirot, good luck at the market today!

    lindy lou mac, i am off to see it right now! thank you!

    ReplyDelete
  25. Wow! What an accomplished young woman you are. I loved reading your profile. How exciting to be a published author. Good for you!!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  26. vkt, thank you so much! so happy you visited!

    ReplyDelete
  27. I hope all goes well with your author photo, with a background like Hawaii I'm sure it will look wonderful. I have an award for you on my blog, so stop by when you get the chance!

    ReplyDelete
  28. Well, Priya, at least you have the big advantage of being photogenic in the first place, even if you don't love being photographed. My own loathing of being snapped is in direct proportion to how many utterly hideous photos of me already exist. Not. Good. The word "unfortunate" springs to mind.

    Um, the draft... March. I started this redraft in March. But it's not the first one by any stretch.

    ReplyDelete
  29. I came across from Mademoiselle Poirot's blog - I love her blog and I'm sure I'm going to like yours too :D

    ReplyDelete
  30. whitney, that is such a lovely surprise, thank you! i flew all last night and am home now and will go zooming over to your blog right now!

    doctordi, march is nothing! i probably shouldn't tell you how long my rewriting stage took... it sounds scary when i add it all up! my problem is that if i am expecting the photo i get so uncomfortable i look scary--or so people i love dearly have told me!

    rachel, i love her blog too! so glad you visited!

    nan, i will go check it out right now

    ReplyDelete

Please feel free to leave a comment! I would love to hear from you!