Liebster Award 2018

Both Ivie and Audrey tagged me for this on the same day almost a month ago (I know, I take forever to do tags!), and I am so looking forward to doing this! Thank you both for giving me the opportunity do participate in this! 

- Thank the person who nominated you. (I've said it once but I'll say it again - thank you Ivie and Audrey!) 

- Answer the eleven questions they gave you.

- Name eleven facts about yourself. 

- Nominate eleven bloggers for this and let them know. (Aaaand . . . let's see how that goes.) 

- Give them eleven questions.

Favorite candy?

Chocolate. I'm not very picky about candy, but I will always accept something with chocolate in it. White, milk, dark - I don't really have a preference beyond that. It's all chocolate! 

Favorite book? 

Ivie, you evil, evil person. You mean I actually have to chose one book!? Inconceivable. Fine . . . I'll chose some favorites. Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. The Outsider by S.E. Hinton. The Memory of Light by Fransisco X. Stork. And The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall. 

Favorite author?

Iviieee. Whyyyy? All right, to be fair, I've probably asked this question more than I should have. So I suppose I'll say . . . J.R.R. Tolkien, J.K. Rowling, and Gail Carson Levine. They've all influenced my writing in different ways. 

Would you rather have to publish your first draft or publish your third draft?

Easy - third draft. I've already gone through the horror of publishing a first draft and once was more than enough. (That's a story for a later date, though.)

Favorite movie?

I actually don't watch a lot of movies (and am working on correcting that!) but I'd say that that Howl's Moving Castle (and other Studio Ghibli films) is one that I really like, off the top of my head. The Greatest Showman is also really great. ;) 

Favorite Gif?

How long have you been blogging?

Less than two months! I started in very late January and now it's mid-March - it's been a neat journey so far.

Do you like candles?

Yes, though I rarely ever get the chance to use them! A friend gave me a really neat scented candle that I keep by my desk to light during special occasions, and I love the smell it gives off. 

Rainy day or sunshine?

Bright sunshine and crisp wind. But if it's a muggy, hot sunny day, then I'll take the rain in a heartbeat.

How long have you been writing seriously?

I've been writing seriously (which I'll define as "with the goal to finish a long project") since I was nine or ten . . . has it really been seven years? Wow. 

Reading or writing? 

Both. Consuming and creating stories are two necessities of life. I don't think I could give up one or the other . . . even if you forbade me from writing or from reading, I'll get my stories through audio and would make them up in my head and record them or tell them to whoever would listen.

What’s one thing you’ve always wanted to try but never have?

Hmmm . . . I would love to go zip lining some day, or skydiving. I mean - that's as close as I'll ever get to flying, so . . . ;) 

Team Cap or Team Iron Man?

Confession: I watched my first Marvel movie a few weeks ago. (And I mean "watched" in the literal sense - I only heard about 15% of the movie because only a few of the people I watched it with were interested in hearing the movie. I need to go back and really watch it, considering I don't know any of the characters' names.)

But the movie was The First Avenger - so if I have to chose, I suppose Team Cap, considering I've never seen anything of Iron Man? 

What’s your favorite word?

And it may be corny, but I think it might be "yet." So much possibility and hope live in those three letters. Other words that I like because they're pretty or fun - "precocious," "iridescent," and "tintinnabulation." 

If it could only be one season for an entire year, which would you choose?

Spring. It has bright, crisp sunny days and cool rainy ones at the same time. The trees and plants aren't dead yet, but they're blooming and beautiful. And it's not scorching hot or freezing cold. 

Laptop or desktop?

Laptop. It's portable, and I can use it anywhere. (And, it's so sleek and fast.) But I do still use desktops when I need to. 

What’s your favorite joke?

I enjoy wordplay a lot, so the two that I can think of are puns. Highlight the text inside the parentheses to see the answers. What do you do with a dead chemist? (You Barium) And: What is Beethoven dong now? (Decomposing) 

What’s your favorite book of the Bible?

When I was younger, it was Ruth and Esther because those were the only ones where a girl was the "main character" of the story. Now, I like the poetry and wisdom in Psalms. 

What were your favorite novels in middle school?

Louisa May Alcott's works were some of my favorites (and still are). Percy Jackson and the Olympians. Angel in my Pocket by Ilene Cooper is another one - I haven't read it in a long time, but I remember reading it so many times. Caleb's Story and the other books in the Sarah Plain and Tall series. And Storybound and Story's End by Marrissa Burt.

If you could learn any language, what would it be?

It's hard for me to chose just one! I think I'd chose Japanese for a few different reasons. The main reason is because of my Japanese side of the family that I can't communicate with without a translator. And because the culture is amazing. 

Which do you like better: thunderstorms or blizzards?

I've never been in a blizzard (that I can remember), but I do like thunderstorms. Thunder's kind of comforting at times - unless it sounds like Zeus is trying to shatter the sky. 

What’s someplace you’ve always wanted to visit?

France. But I would love to go to London, or to Sweden! 

1. I can speak some French, and know bits and pieces of Esperanto, Spanish and Japanese. 

2. I consider myself a literature/language person, but at school I have the most fun in math classes and the least fun in English classes. 

3. I've donated my hair twice before. My hair is super thick, and I might donate it again soon. 

4. I love the smell of campfire smoke - it reminds me of camping with my family and thick woods. 

5.  I've done martial arts for almost four years now. 

6. I'm an introvert - I adore being with people, but when my "people battery" dies, I'm sitting at the sidelines, happily watching. 

7. I've sliced my thumb three times - the same thumb, the same way. Twice peeling apples for a pie, once with a peach for a cobbler. (I'm a menace in the kitchen. 

8. I've been to Japan a three times - and think it's one of the best places in the world. 

9. Playing chess is one thing that I really like to do but barely ever can. 

10.  I can't stand sweet tea - it's way too sweet for me. Because I live in the South, some people call me a traitor for not liking the "standard" beverage. ;) 

11. I've never been public schooled - I've been homeschooled my entire life. Now,  I guess I'm in a "school system" because I'm a dual credit student, but I still consider myself homeschooled. 

1. What's your favorite flower? 
2.  If you could be any character for a day, who would you chose? (And what would you do in that day?)  
3. Favorite part about blogging? 
4. Cats or dogs?
5. What song always puts you in a good mood? 
6. If you could travel anywhere, where would you go?
7. Favorite ice cream flavor?
8. What's your favorite quote? 
9. What is one achievement that you are really proud of but might seem weird to other people? 
10. What book would you always recommend? 
11.  Who is your biggest source of inspiration? 

In advance - if I tag a person who's already been tagged, I'm sorry! 

Lila @ Red-Hooded Writer
Savannah @ Scattered Scribblings 
Lisa @ Inkwell 
Brianna @ No End of Books
Faith @ The Writer's Song
Nicole @ Wild Pennings
Catherine @ Rebellious Muse
Sarah @ Introverted Extrovert
Julian @ Saver of Memories 
Hannah @ Inkblots and Coffee Stains 
Sarah @ Sarah Plain and Average 


Wow - that was long - if you made it to the end, I'm impressed! Tell me - what is your favorite word? Favorite joke? What song always puts you in a good mood?