Bev's writer's blog

The Liebster Blog Award

First of all, I'd like to thank the totally terrific Terry Tyler for taking any notice of me at all and for asking me to take part in this most strangely entitled blog tag thing. Secondly, I wouldn't mind knowing what the award is, not that I have any chance of winning it, but just so that I can say something appropriate to the person who does..

Here is the link to Terry Tyler's lively post and very entertaining blog: http://terrytyler59.blogspot.co.uk/

This bit I copied from Terry's post, who copied it from K J Waters' post, to tell people what it's all about ~

The purpose of the Liebster Blog Award is to recognize blogs with fewer than 200 followers that deserve a look. My job is to list 11 random facts about me, answer the 11 questions Terry Tyler has set me, then to nominate 11 new bloggers, who should bask in the Liebster glow - which means doing the same as I am doing here! ie, post a blog linking back here, with 11 random facts about you, answer my 11 questions and nominate 11 new bloggers (and think of 11 questions to ask them - can be anything!). Off we go then...

11 random facts about me

1. I used to work for Playboy as a blackjack dealer. Some of you might have read about this in 'Bunny on a Bike'. Please try not to judge me too harshly. I was ridiculously young and fabulously naive. My friend 'Carol' can't remember a thing about it, but I'm pretty sure it happened anyway.

2. I would love to have been an astronomer/physicist. Truly. I met Patrick Moore at the Astrofest, followed a course at Hertford University led by the unreasonably attractive and utterly brilliant Dr. Stuart Clark (http://www.stuartclark.com/), listened to Jocelyn Bell describing how she discovered black holes and I've read books too numerous to mention on every theory of everything: strings, cats, photons and slits etc. etc.

3. Confession: I think Prof. Brian Cox is delicious in every way. Here's a photo of him showing people how to listen for background radiation:

4. I loved my VW camper van. I bought it from two Americans in Greece, where I worked as a teacher of English and Aerobics (usually separate classes) for two fantastic years. Mimi proposed the deal by popping her head inside my shower curtain after a high impact class and I had to say something, so I said 'yes'. I drove it back to England through Yugoslavia, Italy, Switzerland and France. My orange camper van provided me with enough adventures for a lifetime. Do I miss it? Do I wish I'd kept it? Mais oui!!!

5. Food I love: homemade meringues and whipped double cream, dark whiskey truffles, bacon, spinach, The Vermonster icecream.

6. I used to drink special brew and blackcurrant. I also used to look like Kim Wilde, eat PopTarts and fancy Illya Kuryakin.

7. I hate being told what to do or how to do it. I have a special look for people who try this. You wouldn't like it.

8. Confession: I sometimes put cream on my wholegrain cereals.

9. I know how to fly a glider. This skill was mainly accomplished in self-defence, in order not to resort to throwing myself off the top of a mountain in Wales where my father took me most weekends to go flying. I also learned a lot about mist, cloud formation and sheep.

10. I lived and worked in Seychelles for a year. Beaches, palm trees, sunshine, giant poisonous centipedes, bird-eating spiders, shark attacks and weevils in my cornflakes (handy tip - put milk on and wait for them to float to the surface). Not that I'm complaining.

11. I wish I liked shellfish. Living in SW France, with its vast array of shellfish and its healthy attitude to food (if it moves, kill it and eat it) I wish I could combine the pleasures of dissection and degustation.

Right. Here is the second part of this extravaganza. Terry set some questions and I shall do my best to answer them...

1. What's your favourite flavour of crisps?

Crisps in France are either plain, cheese or peanut flavour. I stick to plain. I used to like Walker's cheese and onion (happy days!)

2. How many of other people's blog posts do you read per day, on average?

Per day! When I go on Twitter (three or four times a week), I do look at one or two blogs, especially those with poetry. It strikes me that everyone else has a far better idea of how to create a blog than I do. But I am learning.

3. If you weren't promoting your book/blog, would you still use Twitter/Facebook so much? If not, how much would you?

Honestly? I probably would never have used Twitter had I not started writing. When I started, about eight months ago, I thought it was the biggest waste of time and totally boring. I persevered only because I wanted to publicise my books. Now, I really look forward to getting a personal tweet, especially a funny one. Facebook is just to keep up with friends and family and to see lots of photos, especially of my daughter, who still lives in England.

4. Do you smoke? If not, did you ever? (I know at least one person I've tagged has good reason to really, really hate it)

I hate smoking. It smells. Of course I did try it at the bottom of the school fields when I was about 16 (very late developer). I lit the wrong end and was the 'butt' of everyone's jokes for ages! What?!

5. When a doctor asks you how much you drink, do you lie?

I tell him to mind his own business.

6. What is your star sign? Do you know about the typical characteristics of that sign, and if so, which ones apply to you?

I'm an amateur astronomer! Sorry, we don't have star signs, just unfashionable clothes.

7. Do you remember your first blog post? What was it about?

Just looked. It was about 'Bunny on a Bike' and involved Carol telling me off for calling her 'a bit of a fictional character'.

8. Imagine you have to give up these four things for a month: Alcohol, writing, listening to music, television. Starting with the one you would find the easiest to give up, in what order would you find them the easiest to do without?

Alcohol, television, music. I would rather eat a country pie than give up writing.

9. I love QI, Have I Got News For You, Mock The Week, Ed Byrne, Frankie Boyle sometimes, Fawlty Towers, Python, Catherine Tate.. and loads more. I loathe Michael McIntyre. What do you/don't you find funny?

Most of the above. Also, Eddie Izzard, Sean Lock, Bill Bailey and, wait for it... Mickey Flanagan! My husband does a brilliant Billy Connolly, but I don't like the real thing much.

10. Do you watch soap operas? If so, which is your favourite, and if not, why not?

Not my kind of thing. I suppose I don't think they're worth watching. Too unrealistic and full of confrontational people with their arms crossed and their chins jutting. I did used to follow Coronation Street when I was at university, mainly to annoy my middle class boyfriend.

11. And finally - please put a link here to any of your blog posts - tell us what it's about, and why you have chosen it!

http://baspicer.blogspot.fr/2013/02/brambles.html

I wrote this poem when I'd been cooped up in someone else's house and felt the need to escape and be on my own. You know the feeling. I chose this post because I want more people to read my poetry!

So, all that remains for me to do is to find some people to tag to answer the questions that are brewing somewhere between my ears. Now, who shall I pick...?

When you’ve done your 11 random facts about yourself, you should answer these questions:

1. What’s the most beautiful place you’ve ever visited and why?

2. Do you ever read (or write) poetry. Why/Why not?

3. Who would be the perfect dinner date and why?

4. If you could be someone else for a day, who would it be and why?

5. Would you prefer to go into space or explore the ocean floor (safely) and why?

6. Describe the view from one of the windows in your house/apartment.

7. Can you remember your first kiss? Keep it clean!

8. Do you do anything to keep fit? What or why not?

9. Describe yourself when you were around eighteen.

10. Where do you stand on football? (Try not to be silly, now)

11. What kind of music do you listen to?

Thank you for taking the time to read this! I hope you will now take a look at these other fine people's blogs, as they have all agreed to take part :)

I nominate these people for The Liebster Award: