Who do I love? Could be you ...

That's right, brothers and sisters, I *heart* all of you.  Today marks my first attempt at paying it forward. (BUT NOT IN THAT CREEPY HALEY JOEL OSMENT MAN-BOY KIND OF WAY ...)

I mentioned last week my complete FAIL when it comes to accepting and reciprocating all of these blog award things.  As a remedy, I've decided that each week I'll randomly select a blog follower (or 2) of mine to highlight on Ye Old Blog.  Sound good?  Great!  Let's get cracking ...

WHAT'S COOLER THAN BEING COOL?  ICE COLD!  Oh, and these blogs.

Fiction Lessons from My Reading by Kay Theodoratus

THE BIO: Kay is one of my longtime, and dearest, blog followers.  She comments frequently, and makes me laugh (bonus points for that).  I've been looking for an excuse to heap praise on Kay's blog (and have many times in other forums) for such a long time.   In terms of writing thoughts and tips, Kay offers some of the most straightforward and honest you'll find.  Don't believe me?  Here's the bio from here blog:

"I do the fantasy writer thing -- for adults and tweens."


Pretty straightforward, no?  :-)


WHY YOU SHOULD FOLLOW:  Kay is one voracious reader, reading both for fun and critical analysis.  She's almost always got her nose stuck in a new book.  The best part?  Kay shares her frank thoughts and insights on her blog.  You all know how I feel about watered down book reviews, and you won't find them on Kay's blog.  Furthermore, she has a tremendous knack for stripping away "the fluff" of a novel and finding the stuff that applies to the writing, which is what most of us care about.


THE SAMPLE:  Here's an excerpt from one of her blog posts -


"Everyone wonders where author's get their ideas -- readers and writers, alike.  Fantasy writers probably make people wonder more than mainstream types.

Imagine my delight when I read the back notes in Laurell K. Hamilton'sFlirt where she discusses how she discovered and shaped an idea into a novel .  She also blew my mind.  Hamilton has written 29 books in 15 years, probably more since I think she's finishing one now and has another at the publishers.  --  Makes my 500 words a day [sort of] anemic at best."  


Nothing Cannot Happen Today by Misty

THE BIO: Misty, like most of us, is an artist spreading her wings in the blog world.  She has a poetic soul mixed with a fun and eclectic style.  There's also a dash of practicality.  Her bio simply reads:

"I'm a writer."

It made me smile, because sometimes it can (and should) be that simple.  Right?

WHY YOU SHOULD FOLLOW: Misty clearly has a passion for writing, and she shares it beautifully through her words.  You'll find lots of poetry and writing samples.   You'll also find heaps of practical life tips (as they apply to writers, of course), including info on eating on a starving artist's budget, and how to exercise patience both in writing and the real world.

THE SAMPLE:  Here's a poem/lyric from the blog -

LET'S RIDE

Jump into your big boots, Scribble Mates.  There's work at hand.

Ok.  We're world builders. 

So tonight, we build.  

Let's make Area 51 look like a

leopard-printed rabbit hole.

Yeee ah.

In the morning, we can buy new lamp shades

and hose the place down with bleach

but tonight,

oh honey

tonight,

WE RIDE.

Hope you enjoy the blogs as much as I do, and check back next week to see if your name/blog is in the spotlight.  Happy weekend!

~EJW~