One Lovely Blog Award

It always seems there are one or two people in your life who seem to have the intuition when to be in touch whether it be a phone call, a note, email, etc. Lea Schizas is one of those people in my life. I met Lea well over three years ago (even though we have never met in person) she has been a great support in my writing career. Today was a struggle to get moving with hearing the passing of one of my daughter’s friends parents and decided to bag my writing and SFC work today to spend some major quality time with my girls. I took a few moments out to check email and low and behold Lea sent an email. I was pleasantly surprised to be bestowed the honor, along with four other ladies (and to no surprise to me have been a strong sense of support for me too) the One Lovely Blog Award. Lea’s heartfelt words about me have touched me deeply, words I shall not forget. Words I deem worthy to printout and paste alongside my computer monitor. Check-out Lea’s blog today http://thewritingjungle.blogspot.com/2009/08/one-lovely-blog-award.html and learn of the additional recipients.

Now on to the simple rules and my recipients:

1) Accept the award, and don’t forget to post a link back to the awarding person.
2) Pass the award on.
3) Notify the award winners.

Lea would have been one of my choices, considering without her expert editing skills, my book, The Golden Pathway, may have never been accepted as my first book contract. And many thanks to Lea for creating the Muse It Club – without this group, I’m sure I would not have met so many of my writing colleagues, whom I now consider close friends.

For my choices these women each inspire and motivate me in some way:

Lori Calabrese http://loricalabrese.blogspot.com – Lori and I first met through the Muse It Up Club and then unexpectedly in-person at the SCBWI Eastern NY Conference – June 2008. Since then Lori and I created our own critique group, along with Stephanie Hoina and Irene Roth. Lori always has the time to chat and share everything she has learned and continues to learn about writing. And of course, always making the connection a positive personal experience. Her writing career is flourishing with two pending picture books and numerous articles and short stories in print. I am proud to say, I knew Lori when and will continue to be connected with her professionally and personally for many, many years to come.

VS Grenier – http://vsgrenier.com – Virginia was the first editor who took a chance on my writing and accepted my first non-fiction article for the July 2007 issue of Stories for Children Magazine. Since then Virginia and I have stayed in touch via email and I had the opportunity to attend her workshop at the 2007 Muse Online Writers Conference and a tighter kinship was formed and continues to flourish even more so with our work at Stories for Children Magazine. Virginia’s energy for her own writing, editing, and critique services, topped with her responsibilities of Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Stories for Children Magazine is certainly an inspiration to me. Confirming my dream of the written word for children is so much more than being paid for, but rather than reaching the depths of creativity in children.

Kristi Holl - http://institutechildrenslit.net/Writers-First-Aid-blog - When I first started out writing for children through an Institute of Childrens Literature course I purchased the book, Writer's First Aid ~ Getting Organized, Getting Inspired, and Sticking to It by Kristi Holl and with my first read through it became earmarked and highlighted to the hilt. It is a book I continue to reference. Then several years later I had the opportunity to meet Kristi through a Margie Lawson's online course and we teamed up to be "Change Coaches" and what transpired has become a full fledge one-on-one support both in writing and personally. We encourage each other, but don't let each other off the hook on what we are striving for in our writing. And boy does it work! To be connected with an individual in such a profound way has made me a more confident writer and individual and I thank Kristi for her steady warm support and encouragement.

Beverly Stowe McClure – http://beverlystowemcclure.blogspot.com - Beverly is another individual who I met through the Muse It Up Club. We hit it off immediately and we continue to be in touch off the chat boards. Bev’s wonderful nature of checking-in with me to see how “things” are going keeps me energized to keep moving forward, so I’m always ready to share with her new accomplishments and of course those dreaded rejections. I consider Bev my cyber-space mother. Her caring and supportive words are always a comfort in what can be the lonely world of writing. I’m just glad she can’t give me a slap upside the head like my real mom…LOL. But then again, I don’t think I would mind Bev doing this, since she knows the frustrations of writing, working, and raising a family all too well.

Ladies, thank you from the bottom of my heart for your continued inspiration, friendship, and support of my writing career. Without you, I’d be a lost.