The Liebster Award Nomination

I wasn’t expecting to get nominated for an award this week, let alone the Liebster Award. The Liebster Award is an award that exists only on the internet and is given to bloggers by other bloggers. The earliest case of the award goes as far back as 2011, according to The Global Aussie.

Liebster in German means sweetest, kindest, nicest, dearest, beloved, lovely, kind, pleasant, valued, cute, endearing, and welcome. And it’s a very fitting word for this award. It’s nice to spread the love around by pointing out all the fantastic bloggers out there.

Before we get into the nitty-gritty, I’d like to thank Lauren M. Hancock for the nomination! If you haven’t heard of Lauren, I highly suggest that you check out her beautiful poetry. Her poems contain sharp imagery and emotions that you can emphasize with. They’re seriously a treat to read or listen to (Lauren likes to record her poetry too).

The Liebster Award Rules

1. Thank the blogger who nominated you and add a link to their blog
2. Answer the 11 questions given to you
3. Nominate 11 bloggers that you think deserve the award
4. Ask 11 innovative questions to the ones you have nominated
5. Remember to notify your nominees once you have uploaded your acknowledgment post

Who I Nominate for the Liebster Award

There are so many amazing people writing content on WordPress that it was hard to choose 11 people. Here are my Liebster Award nominees:

1. Monica St. Hillaire @ Tinytots poetry – Monica writes these cute haikus. It always amazes me how she can pack so much into so few lines.
2. Orangelunar @ argentquill.com – Orangelunar is writing a YA fantasy novel that revolves around a strong female protagonist named Fawnlum. He doesn’t post a lot, but his stories are there for the curious.
3. Jason A. Muckley @ Poems for Warriors – Jason writes poetry, updates you on all the best hiking trails, and writes some great book reviews.
4. Sadie Hall (aka The Blushy Ginger) – Sadie has a great blog on living with and recovering from social anxiety. She’s currently moving things over to a new website, but you can catch her on either blog or on Instagram.
5. Charles French – Charles writes book reviews and republished work from other bloggers. He’s also very supportive of self-published authors and gives opportunities for self-promotion on his site.
6. Suzie @ suzie’sworldblog – Suzie writes poems and short stories. I love her poems because they make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
7. Lorraine Ambers – Lorraine is a fantasy writer who shares plenty of useful tips to improve your fiction writing.
8. David Davis @ Alien Resort. Alien Resort is a comic that has found its home on the internet. David is witty and has created a wonderful story for us to follow in bite-sized pieces. I look forward to his posts every week.
9. Annie @ The Content Fair. Annie has some great tips for writing blog posts, fiction, you name it. She’s got a strong writing style that’s easy to follow and great advice.
10. Julia @ Julia’s Creative Corner. Julia posts bi-weekly but has some useful tips to offer writers from her own experience.
11. Andrew @ Andrew’s View of the Week. Andrew post puns every Friday- they make me smile. He also talks a lot about life, is a poet, and does some woodwork.

My Questions for the Liebster Award Nominees

1. What’s your biggest pet peeve?
2. Do you set New Year’s Resolutions, and why/why not?
3. What have you learned about yourself during the pandemic?
4. What is your earliest childhood memory?
5. Who is your all-time favorite fictional character?
6. How do you deal with procrastination or writer’s block?
7. What advice would you give your younger self based on your experiences now?
8. What is one accomplishment that you’re really proud of but don’t talk about?
9. Do you have any hobbies aside from writing?
10. If you had to choose a career that wasn’t creativity-based (i.e., writing, blogging, artist,etc.), what would it be?
11. Do you collect anything, and why do you collect it? And if you don’t, what would you like to start collecting?

My Answers for the Liebster Award

I wanted to answer these questions thoughtfully, hence why this post comes almost a week after being nominated for the award. Here are my answers:

1. What is the main reason you decide to write or create every day?

I love reading, and want to make others smile. I want to make some other person feel empowered and inspired by something that I’ve written. It’s also a bit of a compulsion. I don’t feel like I’ve done anything all day if I haven’t typed words onto a blank screen or worked on my writing.

2. If you had the opportunity to be a sought-after ghostwriter your entire working life, or only write your absolute honest and rawest truths for all to see, which would you choose, and why?

Ugh. I hate these questions, it’s always so hard to choose. See the financial stability of being a sought-after ghostwriter appeals to me. On the other hand, having my name attached to my work is why I didn’t pursue ghostwriting as a career.

But if you were holding a gun to my head, I’d have to go with… (drum roll please)… the absolute honest and rawest truths. I want my words to be under my name and not someone else’s.

I’ve spent a lot of time trying to live up to someone else’s vision of who I am, and I don’t want to do that. I want people to know the real me – the good, the bad, and the ugly. And the only way to do that is to share your absolute honest and rawest truths. It’s those truths that make for the really inspirational stories.

For example, one of my best friends recently shared her experience with borderline personality disorder (BPD) on Cierra.com. She didn’t hold back on her struggles. It was upsetting to know she’s experienced so much pain, but it made me proud of her for pushing through to get on the road to recovery.

3. What color clothing would you select to pick up your mood if you felt angry or depressed by a situation?

Most of my clothing is black, so…. something black. 😛 To be completely honest, I don’t go to clothing for a mood pick-me-up. It’s usually food.

4. What is your go-to comfort food when you are feeling glum?

Which is why this question was so perfect! Ice cream is my go-to for eating the blues away (It’s an all-time favorite any day, though). And I don’t always eat to chase the bad feelings away. I love to cook and bake my troubles away too.

View this post on Instagram

Been baking so many cupcakes lately. Here's the recipe in case anyone wants to make their own 😊⁠ ⁠ Ingredients:⁠ ⁠ 1 cup all-purpose flour⁠ 1 cup granulated sugar⁠ ½ cup cocoa powder⁠ 1 teaspoons baking powder⁠ ½ teaspoon baking soda⁠ ½ teaspoon salt⁠ ½ cup milk⁠ ¼ cup vegetable oil⁠ 1 large egg⁠ 1 teaspoon vanilla⁠ ½ cup coffee cooled⁠ ⁠ Instructions:⁠ ⁠ Preheat oven to 350˚F. Line a 12-cup cupcake pan with cupcake liners. Line another cupcake pan with three cupcake liners for a total of 15. Set aside.⁠ ⁠ Combine dry ingredients (flour, cocoa, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt) in a medium-size bowl and whisk to combine.⁠ ⁠ Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add milk, oil, egg, vanilla and coffee. Stir with a whisk until all ingredients are combined then continue to whisk until batter is smooth. Scrape the sides of the bowl and mix for another 10-15 seconds. The batter will be thinner than most cake batters, don’t worry, it’s just the way it should be!⁠ ⁠ Fill cupcake liners just half full. (I'm always tempted to fill them higher and when I do, they overflow.)⁠ ⁠ Place in the oven and reduce the temperature to 325˚F. Bake 18-24 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow the cupcakes to cool completely.⁠ ⁠ Decorate as desired.⁠ ⁠ https://thecafesucrefarine.com/easiest-best-ever-chocolate-cupcakes/⁠ ⁠ ⁠ #bakingcupcakes #makingcupcakes #bakingaddict #cupcakes #deliciouscupcakes #chef #quarantinebaking

A post shared by Danielle Adams (@danielle.adams71) on Jun 9, 2020 at 11:01am PDT

5. What is one person or thing you cannot live without, and why?

Hands down, my fiance. He is my partner in crime and the most patient and supportive person I know.

6. Who has been your biggest champion in terms of you chasing your dreams?

Again. My fiance takes the cake on this one. He lets me do my thing (he’s currently waiting for me to finish writing this and spend time with him), reads (most) of my stories and blog posts, and keeps my spirits up if something doesn’t go according to plan.

My family comes in as a close second. My mom and dad are always checking in to see what I am up to on this blog. Dad, in particular, is always on my case about posting my short stories online or keeping up on the blog posts.

7. How do you measure success?

It all depends on what I am doing. For instance, last month, finishing my short story collection after almost a decade was a win. For this blog, it’s about beating my views from the previous month. In life, it’s keeping in touch with my friends.

8. You have received a puppy or kitten for your birthday! What breed would it be?

I’m a long-time dog lover, so I’d go with either a Golden Retriever, Border Collie, Husky, or German Shepard.

View this post on Instagram

Having fun with the dogs in the snow.

A post shared by Danielle Adams (@danielle.adams71) on Dec 31, 2013 at 2:16pm PST

9. What is something you do to unwind from a long, stressful day?

Read, cook, go for a hike, or watch a movie/TV show with the fiance.

10. What is or would be your ideal writer’s or artist’s getaway?

The fiance and I have this running joke (not really a joke on my end). We want to buy a 10-acre property on the ocean and build a castle surrounded by a crocodile or shark-infested moat (we go back and forth on the merits of sharks vs. crocodiles). The castle must have secret passageways and a library.

I would love to have my writer’s cave in a turret that is only accessible by a secret passageway from the library. My tower would be full of windows and books and have a kick-ass desk set up. It would also contain comfy furniture, lots of plants, and a wood-burning fireplace.

That would be my ideal writing spot. That being said, it’s a tad unrealistic, and in real life, I don’t need it. I like my current desk set-up because it’s simple and cozy.

11. What would you like to best be known for?

For my fiction writing. In order for people to know me for my fiction, I need to get my butt in gear and start getting my name out there. And post more stories on this blog.

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Thank you again to Lauren for nominating me for the Liebster Award! I had a lot of fun answering your questions. And I’m looking forward to seeing what my nominees say.

Stay safe, everyone.

Until next time.

Cheers,

Danielle