The Ta-Da Award

ta-da

The lovely, talented ReGi McClain has kindly nominated me for a new blog award called The Ta-Da award. I have to answer ten questions, which you’ll see below, and nominate some people to give the award to.

Since I’m really lazy, and most of my contacts are very busy people, I’m not going to nominate anyone. But here as promised are the questions and my answers:

1. What was the best experience you had on purpose last year?
Going down to my cousin’s wedding in Cornwall (it’s the most south western area of the UK) and spending time with my extended family. It gave me the chance to dress up which I don’t often do. We went to a pub for the reception and a random man at the bar told me I dressed well!! Surprising, but sweet!

2. What was the best experience you stumbled into last year?
Meeting another author and blogger (apart from Kate Frost) Jade Reyner face to face who I hadn’t met before. OK so it was kind of planned, but I didn’t expect to be able to meet her when I first got in touch with her via our blogs and Twitter. It was so lovely to meet another blogger who lives in my area of the UK – she’s wonderful which wasn’t necessarily a given! – and it means there are 3 of us now who can meet up together.

3. What was your greatest intentional accomplishment last year?
Self-publishing my debut novel The Inheritance. It took a long while to get to the point of self-publishing it but it has been worth every single second of effort to get to that point. I’ve learnt so much and really enjoyed the experience.

4. What was your greatest unplanned accomplishment last year?
I reached my 100th post on WordPress on the 18th December! So I was really happy about that and it was totally unplanned. Seems unbelievable that I’ve done that many posts as I only started in March last year.

5. Did you spend some time with someone you adore last year?
Yes, I spent plenty of time with my wonderful husband Ian who I totally, completely and utterly adore!

6. Were you nice to someone you don’t like last year?
I’m not sure actually. Possibly but thankfully I don’t generally come into that much contact with people I really don’t like. Usually though if I’m with someone I don’t like I try to at least be polite.

7. What was the most amazing thing you learned last year?
Finding out that I’d had nearly 9500 free downloads of The Inheritance when I did my free promotion for it. (Not sure if this answer counts but it’s what you’re getting!)

8. Who did you teach last year and what (G-rated thing) did you teach them?
I taught my dog not to nip at me when I’m drying him off after walks/when he comes in from the garden.

9. What events did you attend last year?
I went to a couple of book launches with my good friend and fellow WIPpeteer Kate Frost. They were good times, although the second one was held at the beginning of August, we were in a cramped bookshop and it was VERY hot and sticky. Yuk!

10. Did you travel anywhere? Even just downtown?
Hubby, dog and I travelled to south west Wales in April for a week long holiday in a cottage on a farm. It was great!

So there you have it. I hope you’re all having a fabulous weekend. Catch you later. 🙂

12 thoughts on “The Ta-Da Award

  1. Ha ha … logged in as my other account when I read this! Sorry. Congratulations Elaine and thank you so much for the really kind words. It has been a wonderful experience to meet you and Kate as well. 🙂

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  2. When you read your year in review like this Elaine you had a pretty special one! Publishing The Inheritance, spending time with family, all those downloads… here’s hoping 2014 is even better.

    Ah that cramped bookshop in Bath – it was so hot! Great talk but so uncomfortable! x

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    1. Thanks Kate. That’s what I need to remind myself of when I’m feeling a bit low that I haven’t sold much for a while (I’m actually looking at the figures a lot less now – it helps!!). There’s a lot to be thankful for, for sure. And no the heat wasn’t so great. But it was an interesting evening.

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    1. Ah yes the wonderful Kate Frost! And the bookshop in Bath is amazing! But I so want to meet you and all my other wonderful ‘blogging buddies’. I’m hoping that I’ll somehow get to meet some more soon. 🙂

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    1. Yeah it wasn’t half bad! In my head I tend to downplay the achievement of self-publishing ‘The Inheritance’ as it hasn’t sold massively well. But it’s still an achievement, it’s still something that the average person on the street hasn’t done. In my blogging world of fellow writers I tend to forget that. 🙂

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