And the winners are…

First order of business:

Congratulations to Cat Woods. Her new ending to the short story “Guessing Game” is deliciously ambiguous. Cat, drop me a line with your snail mail address at mathmartin@tx.rr.com and I’ll send Half-Minute Horrors your way!

I also have other winners to announce. Jemi Fraser (Just Jemi), a fellow writer and blog goddess, awarded Book Binge a “Kreativ Blogger” Award.

Cool, huh?

Of course with great power (giggle) comes great responsibility. I now have the pleasure of passing the award along to seven other Binge-worthy blogs.

I’m also required (by an eternally binding Kreativ Blogger blood pact) to share 7 things you might not know about me:

1.) In 2nd grade, I won a “Mother’s Day” writing contest. I scored a $25 checking account and dinner for my family at K-Bob’s Steakhouse. All because I plagiarized the lyrics from Mary Poppins’ “It’s a Jolly Hollyday with Mary” and scrawled them onto the entry form.

2.) I worked part time nursing homes during my college years. I now vow never to send anyone I love to a place which reeks of pee. Never.

3.) I grew up in a tiny town nestled in the armpit of Northwest Oklahoma. “It’s a great place to raise kids” = “There is a magical forcefield between our cattle feed lots and civilization which keeps us safe from new-fangled places like Starbucks.”

4.) I have a Master’s Degree in Library Science from the University of North Texas. They stamped my diploma as I crossed the stage. I’m sworn to secrecy regarding the mystical powers of Librarians. I’d tell you about it, but I’d have to “shush” you. Permanently.

5.) I moonlight as Scarlet Whisper, International Jewel Thief.

6.) I have a freaky phobia about food safety. If I see you lick the spoon or double-dip in the guacamole, I’m outta there. Potlucks make me break out in a cold sweat.

7.) I like (love/adore/fetishize) the Beatles. Yeah, you knew that, but did you know I enjoy jumping on the couch and shrieking the lyrics to “Helter Skelter” on Wii RockBand nights?

Enough about me…Here are my picks for the Kreativ Blogger Award.

Picking recipients was tough. There are a lot of wonderful established agent and writing blogs I love (Rachelle Gardner, Mary Kole, Janet Reid, etc.), but they don’t need accolades from me. Also, I’m intentionally not passing the award to my blogger friends who have already received this award. That knocks out a lot of cool blogs, but I’d like to give a shoutout to new folks whose writing I respect.

So…here goes:

1.) Ginny Martyn’s “Finding Humor in the Mess” at http://www.ginnymartyn.com/

If you like a good laugh, you’ll ADORE Ginny’s blog. Her posts and tweets resonate with a kind of wacky zen. I’ve often snorted in my coffee whilst reading her posts. Ginny’s a writer who brings the funny. (Plus, maybe I’m her evil twin? Maybe we’re even THE SAME PERSON! Jenny Martin = Ginny Martin). Just sayin…

2.) Jamie Harrington’s “Totally the Bomb” at http://totallythebomb.com

True confession. Jamie is a friend from DFW Writers’ Workshop and she is one of the most HILARIOUS, CRAZY fembots I know. And she can write. Although you fully bask in the glow of her raditude by reading her blog, (you’d have to go to IHOP with her for that…) you’ll want to skitter on over to her site  and congratulate her for signing with a LITERARY AGENT(!)

3.) Sonja Cole’s BOOK WINK book review podcast site at http://bookwink.com

I love Book Wink. It’s a wonderful site for YA and Kidlit fans to connect with books and get a feel for interesting titles. Check it out, you’ll be impressed.

4.) Jason A. Myers at  http://jasonamyers.wordpress.com

Jason is another DFW Writers’ Workshop regular. If you read his blog and follow his tweets, it won’t take long to figure out he knows good writing. His posts offer solid advice and he is a ninja critiquer. He’s on the short list of peeps whose advice I take to heart.

5.) Robert K. Lewis’ “Needle City” at http://needlecity.wordpress.com/

Robert is one of my Tweeter/AQ buddies. Watch him, folks; his star is rising. He an agented author of  thrillers, so expect to see his own unique brand of noir on a B&N shelf in the not so distant future. Robert K. (AKA “Thrownbones,” renegade assasin) gets extra props for being a guitar aficionado. Cool reads and hot licks. (psst, Robert: The AQ girls can’t wait to see the flowery Kreativ picture on your black on black blog.)

6.)  Peter Steinberg and Eric Mueller’s “Flashlight Worthy Books” at  http://www.flashlightworthybooks.com/

I recently stumbled onto this gem through a mutual tweeter. FLW showcases reviews of exceptional books. The books are posted in categorized lists. You’ll never run out of inspiration for your next read at FLW.

7.) Karen Quah’s Modern Day Storyteller at http://moderndaystoryteller.com/

Karen Quah is a journalist, playwright, screenwriter and script editor. Who blogs. And tweets. And builds up the writing community. And starts thought provoking discussions on funny, cool, amazing and heartbreaking things. If you like storytelling in all its forms, visit Karen’s blog. You’ll thank me later…

Oh, my dears ones, there are so many more good blogs. What are your favorites?