Awards and How to Save a Life…

I started off the week crying. Maybe it’s the new moon that’s coming messing with my new-age secret hippie self, or maybe it was just the culmination of everything that I’ve been feeling over the past month. But my phone buzzed with an alert from wordpress and naturally I was already excited as I always am when that happens (the idea of anyone at all reading what I write from my soul is kind of amazing), and when I looked at the alert I see that I’d been nominated for the Versatile Blogger Award! 

So I cried. Maybe it isn’t much. But just to look around and see that in a month a little encouragement can change someone’s entire outlook is just mystifying. When I decided to rejuvenate my blog, it was more to rejuvenate myself. I was really sick and I had been for months. Things weren’t looking good, and when you’re sick and you don’t really have the will to keep going, it makes for a bad combination. In a moment, I decided: what the hell did I have to lose? I was constantly feeling as though I wouldn’t make it to see next year. And if that was really the case, then why not put myself out there as much as I could and see what could come of it.

It was that moment on a random day, when I rolled myself over in bed and sat up, put my computer on lap pillow and decided to make a change. I wanted to dedicate myself to living more for the things that I knew were embedded in my soul. I couldn’t keep living for every single other person that came into my life. In a moment of desperation I began to write a blog post, fingers tap tapping, and flying across the keyboard.

Almost a month to the date and just the acknowledgement from my fellow bloggers, writers, people of passion, has meant more than I can ever begin to describe. This blog saved my life quite literally. Joining a community and reading the thoughts of others, commenting, discussing with and hearing from others has helped me find the light at the end of a long tunnel. I wake up excited about each day now, and I take my blog as seriously as I would a day job, pouring hours into it, and nurturing all the ideas that pop into my head.

So, I absolutely need to thank Jennifer over at The Loving Llama for nominating me in the first place. Please, please go and check out her blog. Her posts are insightful, entertaining and extremely heartfelt. She’s really one of the most sincere and sweet people that I’ve had the privilege of being in touch with, and she often inspires me to remember what’s important about each day. Thanks again Jennifer!!

And in keeping with the Versatile Blogger Award guidelines I get to nominate a whopping 15 other blogs! I love a community award that fosters an inclusive attitude of nominating others just as you were nominated. It really cuts out the VIP attitude and promotes a sharing of abundance and wealth that makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside. Enough of my ramblings, let’s get to the nominees!

I discovered a fair amount of these blogs and bloggers from the Blogging 101 Course that I’ve been involved in. I have to say, without Blogging 101 and the community that’s been built around it, I don’t think I would be blogging right now. Period. The tips are invaluable. They make the great, wide, ocean of blogging navigable and manageable, and they keep things light and fun, constantly encouraging us to keep in contact with and foster real connections with other bloggers. I hope that some of you will take a moment and check out these blogs that make my days happy and remind me that the work of a writer is the work of a joyful soul. Even if the posts aren’t always so joyful 🙂

In No Particular Order: 

Badfish Out of Water: Not only does this blog have amazing pictures of stunning Bali scenery, but the posts are engaging, often humorous, from a writer who has a unique sincere writing style that I happen to love.

To Kill a Mockingnerd: Always clever, and full of a variety of different posts, this is a blog that I look forward to new posts from pretty much everyday.

Queer Girl Blogs: I found this blog months ago when I was first thinking about blogging, and she writes with a fresh vantage point, she isn’t afraid to question herself, her beliefs and write about them in an open and honest way. She’s inspired me to find new music, check out new movies and she’s funny 🙂

Romance Novels for the Beach: If you love romance novels and are on the look out for a new one, this blog is an absolute dream come true. She’s an honest and constructive reviewer who never just slams authors but really offers up honest and thought out opinions. Her blog really speaks for itself.

The TJ Blog: I always find an interesting read here. Yet another writer who isn’t afraid to put themselves in the spotlight of the focus of the blog and to really think about themselves in an way that makes his blog addictive. His posts are always incredibly well written as well.

It’s About the Journey: It’s like Nat Geo met a blogger and decided to make a down-to-earth blog about the journey and exploration of places for the regular person. Also great pictures of locations make me happy and excited when they show up in my reader 🙂

Women and Words: The curate the finest in lesbian media and bring it all to you in a one stop shop. Some of the contributors of this blog are also among my favorite authors. I wouldn’t get through my days without this blog. Here is where I find books, ideas for writing submissions and so many great resources.

Brooke E. Wayne: She writes an honest account of her journey to publication. She also sprinkles in everyday life gems. All around goodness.

JoHanna Masey: If you’re looking for stories, you’ve found your blog. There’s a new story often, and most of them are short but gripping. It’s very easy to lose track of time and get lost in the reading here.

Sea of Crazy: This blog is full of variety, but the posts are always interesting and they always keep it real. The posts suck you in before you know what hit you.

A Storyteller First: This is another blog chronicling the journey to publication from one of the nicest, sweetest bloggers that I’ve ever read. Always helpful with tips and inspiration for other writers, the posts always have a sunny disposition and she firmly believes in spreading the wealth. The fun facts and tips that she learns, she shares immediately. Her blog is always a breath of fresh air.

Carly Beth’s Cloud: Real, engaging posts and life, and growing set to the tempo of great writing.

Jen J Silver: An Author of Lesbian Fiction who writes about her experiences along the way in an insightful and open way, even sharing the frustrations that come with novel writing and publishing. An amazing inside view of where I’d like to be one day.

Inspiring My Emotions: A mixture of writing, photography and real-life sharing, this is an interesting blog that captures the attention easily. She is a blogger who is always in search of a new way to present a post or a story, and I absolutely love the variety.

The Flannel Files: This is another blog that I found when I first started blogging and it is just amazing. Real life trials, tribulations and joys, this blog has ben fresh pressed twice and has over one thousand followers. The blogger is candid and sincere and tries hard to communicate with as many people as she can, which is a pretty big feat considering how long it takes me to communicate with my tiny amount of awesome followers.

So, that’s all folks! One more part of the guidelines encourage you to share seven things about yourself that others might not already know…but I think that’s a post in itself, and I’ll save it for another day this week. Stay tuned, and in the meantime check out some of these amazing blogs please. I’m happy to be part of the wordpress community, slowly making my way around, and becoming a healthier me through blogging.

Until Next Time, Lovelies!

~Ava