Blog Awards

I woke up, made my first cup of Dunkin Donuts new k-cup coffee (Original Blend), found it tasted delish and just like it does at Dunky's, and then sat down to find out people have been saying nice things about me on the interwebz. Awesome way to start the day.

I'm forgetting for the moment that one of the cats has hurked on the basement stairs, which I found out during an especially cheerful episode whilst bringing the laundry down. Lalallalalala! People saying nice things about me!

So first, I officially thank Chris Allinotte, not just for the award but because I found new peeps to follow because of him. It all led down a rabbit hole of clicky-clicky, so if I've started following you and you wonder why, it probably has to do with Chris, somehow. Blame him.

And second, I shall pay it back as follows, with recs of my own. In no particular order and over a weird spectrum of my likes:

TotusMel's Wunderkammer -- a quartet of Steampunk-inspired things every day, with easy linkage so you can buy them for yourselves (or just see them from other angles). Clothing, objets d'art, jewelry, prints, anything that captures TotusMel's attention. Worth it, even if you don't care for SP.

Author's Echo -- Fantasy writer Adam Heine muses on writing, genres, and asks interesting questions. I'm always interested by not only what he's got to say, but what will be said in the comments.

Don Kenn Gallery -- Artist John Kenn (I know, I can't figure it out, either) draws miniature works of bizarre, scary, jaw-dropping art on... drumroll please... post-it notes. Remember that when you see them. This is like Where the Wild Things Are meets The Office (I picture him as some sort of male Pam, doodling on office supplies behind the receptionist's desk; and yes, I know she's not a receptionist any longer; you are talking to one of the BIGGEST Office fans, liek, evah).

Xeroverse -- John Xero, sci-fi writer, man with astounding imaginative capacities, guy on the edge (his writing, that is). He can take hardcore sci-fi or fantasy and make it captivating and awesome, without leaving the reader cold. Brilllllllllliant. And he's got a second blog, where he writes 100-word fics each Wednesday. Currently on hiatus, but worth checking out here.

Dreams in Black and White -- Mark Reep is an amazing talent, with art inspired by his natural surroundings, art that takes on surreal, fantastical auras when put on paper. In addition, Mark now edits the Ramshackle Review. I cannot speak highly enough of the RR, with its eclectic and always high-quality offerings of flash fic, poetry and art.

So there you go! Five new blogs to follow, to hopefully inspire and bring as much joy to your day as they do to mine. You're supposed to let the people know you nominated them, and then they post five, but I want to take the pressure off everybody on this start to our weekend. Also, I'm in a defiant, no rules kind of mood. I'm sick of being an adult. It's a new thing with me. We'll see how this goes. I predict... disastrously.