Paul K. Ellis.com

First off, and before I forget, many, many thanks to Melanie Marttila over at Writely Goodness for manominating It was a Dark & Stormy Night … for The Versatile Blogger Award.

Thank you Melanie! I mention her name so you will know who to blame in the future. I must say, I feel like I imagine blue ribbon cattle feel; outstanding in their field.

Seriously (if I can be taken at face value), it is quite an honor, especially since it is bestowed by a peer. I wasn’t sure who was reading my ramblings, outside of friends and family, so it’s encouraging. Yes, I have been encouraged and will continue (the last spoken to embarrassed spawn).

Here’s the other shoe; having been manominated, I have been awarded the Versatile Blogger Award, with all the attendant rights and responsibilities thereof. I have the right to display the button (see above). Sweet!

And now, the responsibilities:

• Thank the person who gave you this award. That’s common courtesy.
• Include a link to their blog. That’s also common courtesy — if you can figure out how to do it.
• Next, select 15 blogs/bloggers that you’ve recently discovered or follow regularly. ( I would add, pick blogs or bloggers that are excellent! )
• Nominate those 15 bloggers for the Versatile Blogger Award — you might include a link to this site.
• Finally, tell the person who nominated you 7 things about yourself.

Here are my fifteen manominees, in no particular order:

1. Joe Konrath – A Newbie’s Guide to Publishing
2. Dan Pearce – Single Dad Laughing
3. Mur Lafferty – I Should Be Writing
4. DarthDogCow – Steampunk News
5. Chuck Wendig – terribleminds
6. Nathan Bransford – Nathan Bransford, Author
7. Rob Guthrie – Rob on Writing ™
8. Amber James – Letters to People Who Won’t Read Them
9. Sara Walpert Foster – Nobody Expects The Spanish Inquisition
10. Brooke Ryter – So, Whatcha Think?
11. Jeffrey Hite – Jeffrey Hite
12. Keryl Raist – To Publish or Not To Publish
13. Pip Ballantine & Tee Morris – The Shared Desk
14. Cherie Priest – Cherie Priest
15. Lauren “Scribe” Harris – Ink-Stained Scribe

Finally, 7 things about myself:

1. I’ve built a studio in my office at home in order to pursue voice work as a podcaster. Currently, there’s so much stuff piled in front of it, I need a pitchfork to get to the mic.
2. As part of my creative process, I talk to myself … a lot. I do like the fact that I can now hang this behavior on the term “creative process.” Growing up, the neighbors just thought I was odd.
3. I worked in radio and television for thirteen years before taking the plunge into computers. My fame spread neither far nor wide and as a result I am not remotely famous … not even regionally.
4. My index toes are longer than my big toes. I can grip and pinch with them. The spawn can as well, so it breeds true.
5. Last year I was the USA-NKF Virginia State Champion in the Grumpy, Old Men division. This year, I got my walker handed to me.
6. I’m a big fan of classic & noir films: The Sea Hawk, Captain Blood, Casablanca, To Have and Have Not, The Maltese Falcon, etc.
7. I enjoy buying polystyrene models. I would like to say that I like to build them, but I haven’t had time to do that in years. They’re currently piled in front of my mic.