Writing 101 – Day 19 – Round Up of Favorite Writing 101 posts

Tomorrow the Writing 101 course by The Daily Post comes to an end and we officially and proudly graduate! It has been the most satisfying, creative and enlightening learning experience for all of us new and old bloggers who embarked on this three week journey.

The Sunshine Blogger Award Challenge!

Whoop ! I was nominated for The Sunshine Blogger Award Challenge by the lovely Lisa who blogs over at Rebirth of Lisa. Thank you so much Lisa for this nomination!

Of Blogger Awards

I am so touched and overwhelmed with all the blogger love and attention I am receiving from all of you out there! Thank you so much for your kind words, comments and lovely emails as well !

I have received nominations for a bunch of blogger awards in recent days for which I would like to thank the presenters from the bottom of my heart ! Thank you and I am so glad that you have appreciated my blog with such lovely tokens.

A big hunka love to the lovely Ann of Grubbs ‘n’ Critters who has bestowed upon me The Very Inspiring Blogger Award, to Martha of Being Maarthaa for conferring upon me The Liebster Award and to Jackie of Blogging in 2015 for presenting me with a brand new award she has created called the Dragon Loyalty Award. I am so pleased and honoured and I receive the awards with gratitude and love. So thank you! You have made this blogger girl who doesn’t always know in which direction her blog is heading to, very happy! 😀

I am also regretfully late in answering the questions you all have asked but I hope to get around to them very soon. Meanwhile, thank you so much again and much love and blessings coming your way! God Bless! 😀

You can email me at thistlesandwhistles@hotmail.com
You can also follow me on Facebook , Instagram, Twitter, Goodreads and BlogLovin’

 

Take-A-Step Thursday!

What has inspired you this week and what have you been inspired to do as a result? Read more about Take-A-Step Thursday, Thistles and Whistles’ new blogging event and hopefully be inspired to participate! 🙂

My very first Top Ten Tuesday!

 

I’m very excited to be part of my very first weekly feature, Top Ten Tuesday hosted by The Broke and the Bookish! Today’s topic is “Top Ten Things I Like/Dislike When It Comes To Romances In Books.” which I am guessing is on account of Valentine’s Day, that’s just around the corner.

As I’ve so emphatically said before, I’ve been sadly left behind in the reading area. I have, though, not been left behind in the Romance genre as I’ve read years worth of these light reads.

Now, as per the instructions, I’ve done a list of 5 things I like and 5 I dislike about romances in books:

I like it:
1. When the hero and heroine are at sparring ends of each other, typically in a work environment. Comical conflict from the very beginning clears up the air in the latter part of the book when the two are forced to work together for a project.

2. When the heroine is a strong, independent woman who can take care of herself but secretly needs a little TLC too. (Anyone who says, “I can take care of myself, thank you very much.” is the one who needs a little bit of extra lovin’).

3. When a one-year contractual marriage (again between people who usually cannot stand each other) turns into a permanent one as the two start spending more time with one another and fall in love. Love is slowly getting to know each other’s quirks.

4. When the hero falls in love with the heroine before she does and relentlessly pursues her (but not in a creepy, stalkerish way!). There’s a man who is so obviously not afraid of commitment.

5. When two long-time best friends realise that they’ve been in love with each other all along and not known it. Friendship, as they say, is the foundation of love.

I vehemently dislike:
1. When the hero is sometimes portrayed as a horrible, arrogant prick of a boss picking on his employees, especially his new secretary/personal assistant who is usually the heroine. How rude!

2. When a passionate, one-night stand with a random stranger results in a baby leading to a forced marriage/living arrangement and eventually love. Disclaimer: Do not try this at home (or in a hotel). This has NO guarantee of a 100% success rate. Also, poor baby.

3. When a relationship/marriage between a ruthless Sicilian/Italian/Greek tycoon and a hard-up, vulnerable American/English woman is purely based on physical attraction and ends up culminating into love when the heroine runs away thinking she has been used and abused and the hero chases after her, realising he has loved her all along. Ti Amo! Amore Mio!

4. A jealous, possessive and insecure love resulting in a bad divorce/break up. Months or years of bad relationships later, fate decides to throw them together again which makes them realise they were so stupid in the first place to break up when they couldn’t obviously stop loving each other. They start over and live happily ever after.

5.  A luxurious lifestyle with a personal jet, big villas in Spain or humongous châteaux in the South of France where all the heroine does is eat exotic cuisine, swim in the Olympic-sized pool and basically get bored while the above mentioned Sicilian/Italian/Greek tycoon hero is off finalizing business deals or ruthlessly taking over small companies. He thinks nothing of casually throwing his cash around by buying the heroine diamond necklaces and properties on the side. Yawn, so typical.

What are your reasons for liking/disliking romances in books? What are your favorite classic or contemporary romance novels? Would love to hear from you.

You can email me at thistlesandwhistles@hotmail.com
You can also follow me on Facebook , Instagram, Twitter, Goodreads and BlogLovin’

 

Of Blogger Awards – Liebster Award Nomination #1 !

I’m so excited! I got nominated for two Liebster Awards on the same day! The Liebster Award nomination is a chain award given to new or upcoming bloggers to encourage blogger connections.

I know there are no hard and fast rules but I was unsure of accepting two award nominations. However, I did because I am so touched that my blogger peers are encouraging me and I would like to pay it forward too! 😀

So here’s the first nomination which I received from the lovely Sophie of Keep Going.

I’ve seen different versions of rules for the Liebster Award nomination but I am going to go with the ones that Sophie posted on her blog:

1. Put the Liebster Award logo on your blog.
2.Answer the questions given and then come up with 10 new ones to ask your nominations.
3. Nominate 8 other blogs, let them know you have nominated them and put a link to their blog in your post.
4.No tag-backs.
5. You must tell all the blogs that you have nominated them.

Sophie has asked me these 10 questions which I am answering:

1) Last thing you think before you go to sleep?
I am a late sleeper and a late riser and I am always trying to cure myself of this bad habit. So the last thing I usually think before I go to sleep (late) is, “I MUST wake up early tomorrow when my alarm rings.” (But I don’t 😦 )

2) What’s your comfort food?
Can it be a drink ? I love a good, piping cup of mild black tea and/or hot chocolate.

3) Favourite book/film/TV show?
Favourite Book: I love Enid Blyton books from my childhood days. They are a great comfort to me, especially the descriptive scenes of the country sides and delicious food.
Favourite Film: I love chick flicks and romantic comedies but my absolute favourite is You’ve Got Mail with Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan
Favourite TV show: F.R.I.E.N.D.S never fails to cheer me up.

4) What do you hope to achieve with your blog?
I love interacting with people so through my blog, I would like to build a cosy community of blogger friends who share similar interests and who can inspire me and teach me so much from their own experiences. I am already learning so much from so many of the wonderful people I am following! 🙂

5) Is there a quote or phrase that resonates with you?
This too shall pass

6) Tea or coffee?
A well brewed mild cup of tea anytime of the day, especially in the winter!

7) Thing that never fails to make you smile…
Cat and baby videos

8) 3 things you want to try and do this year?
Definitely read more books, get in touch with inspiring people and be more healthier!

9) 3 words that you think other people use to describe you?
Sometimes I think I am a bit shy initially so people think I am too nerdy, good and innocent.

10) Favourite colour
Pink! 🙂

The 10 questions I choose to ask are:

1. If you could have unlimited money for a day, how would you choose to use it?
2. Your favourite animal and why?
3. Describe in a sentence where your dream home is. For eg. A cottage in the countryside with a clump of trees and a babbling brook nearby.
4. Your dream travel destination and a few things you would you like to do there.
5. The most inspiring movie/book you’ve watched or read and what it taught you.
6. If you could have a couple of hours talking to your favourite celebrity/an inspiring person, who would it be and what would you ask them?
7. One thing you love about yourself.
8. One thing you would like to accomplish in this lifetime.
9. An unforgettable moment.
10. Things you would like to see on television instead of ___________ (insert something you don’t like on TV).

I would like to nominate:
1. Musings on Life
2. Curlography
3. The Diary of a Bibliophile
4. The College Chick Chronicles
5. Dear World
6. Sunshine Travels
7. Bethie’s Place
8. Big City Bibliophile

You can email me at thistlesandwhistles@hotmail.com
You can also follow me on Facebook , Instagram, Twitter, Goodreads and BlogLovin’