This morning I woke up to some great news!!!  I started with my usual routine, coffee mug in hand readng my newsletters, emails and checking comments on my blog.  And there it was…a comment to pick up awards…..not 1 award BUT 2 !!!!!!  I feel that I keep repeating myself, but it is true,  it truly makes me feel so good and so part of the “book blogging world”.   It reinforces that I must be doing something right to be presented with all these awards.  Maybe its because my blog only went public in November/December and  that I still consider myself a semi newbie, but it is such an honor for me to be presented with these awards.  Julie from     http://readingwithoutrestraint.blogspot.com/ presented me with the following awards:

glitter-graphics.com

1~ post almost everyday, if not every
2~ reply to every comment that’s posted
3~ just down right LOVE blogging!
Those bloggers are the ones that make it more than worthwhile to be a follower!
Now, here are rules for this award :
Share one extraordinary thing that’s happened to you then pass this award along to 5 Xxtraordinary bloggers.
My extraordinary event/thing:
  I realize that I am truly blessed to be able to accept this award and to write this post.  I have only shared this with a few family members, friends and blogging buddies.  Not only was it scary but I am now sharing it because I feel that prayers were an extraordinary saving grace.  I had many people offering up prayers for me, including some blogging friends, before, during and after my surgeries last month, which I believe pulled me through a very critical situation.
  These complications, at times, were critical.  There were 3 incidents where I almost didn’t make it.  I went into a semi comatose state for hours and on 3 occasions my blood pressure dropped to dangerous levels, my respirations close to shutting down.  But all those prayers, I truly believe pulled me through, and allowed me to be with my family and sitting here writing typing this post.  And to those blogging buddies, a very special thank you.
And I now pass this to:

1~ post almost everyday, if not every
2~ reply to every comment that’s posted
3~ just down right LOVE blogging!
Those bloggers are the ones that make it more than worthwhile to be a follower!
Now, here are rules for this award :
Share one extraordinary thing that’s happened to you then pass this award along to 5 Xxtraordinary bloggers.
My extraordinary event/thing:
  I realize that I am truly blessed to be able to accept this award and to write this post.  I have only shared this with a few family members, friends and blogging buddies.  Not only was it scary but I am now sharing it because I feel that prayers were an extraordinary saving grace.  I had many people offering up prayers for me, including some blogging friends, before, during and after my surgeries last month, which I believe pulled me through a very critical situation.
  These complications, at times, were critical.  There were 3 incidents where I almost didn’t make it.  I went into a semi comatose state for hours and on 3 occasions my blood pressure dropped to dangerous levels, my respirations close to shutting down.  But all those prayers, I truly believe pulled me through, and allowed me to be with my family and sitting here writing typing this post.  And to those blogging buddies, a very special thank you.
And I now pass this to:

Yesterday I was again surprised and amazed when one of my new followers, Renee from Addited To Romance Blog Site (http://addictofromance.blogspot.com/) presented me with this award.  This one is a new one to me and am very honored.  Renee is a new book blogger and has quite a nice site, so please stop by and say hi to her.  Now on to the reward and criteria:

If you are given this award you must first accept it by leaving a comment on the post you were nominated on. Then copy and paste the post and add it to your own blog. Make a list of the last 5 books you read and pass the award on to 5 other bloggers (no backsies!). Please also identify the blog from which you got the award and don’t forget to tell them they have a blog award!
My comment on her blog after receiving award:
  Renee: Congratulations on your award !!!! Enjoy !!! And how kind of you to pass it to me. I am a semi newbie to book blogging and remember receiving my 1st award and have to say honestly, that it feels the same way when presented with subsequent awards, it truly makes me feel that I am accepted into this wonderful family of book bloggers. I will post about this award with my Thursday’s postings. Again thank you, this award is a new one for me.
Here are the last five books that I have read:

SUSPENSE AND THE CITY

There’s only one event where New York Times best-selling masters of the art lurk around every corner, agents appear in broad daylight and fans conspire with writers in the wee, small hours of the night – ThrillerFest V, the International Thriller Writers’ fifth annual celebration of their genre and the largest event of its kind in the world.

The highlight of the event will be the gala ITW Thriller Awards Banquet on Saturday when the heroes of suspense will be honored:

• International best-selling author Ken Follett will receive the 2010 ThrillerMaster Award given by 2009 recipient David Morrell
• Mark Bowden, author of Black Hawk Down will become the first recipient of the True Thriller Award
• Brad Meltzer, recipient of the 2009 Silver Bullet Award, will present the 2010 award to Linda Fairstein

And this year’s winners in the categories of Best Hardcover Novel, Best Paperback Original, Best First Novel and Best Short Story will be revealed.

But the list of the notables doesn’t end there – more than 50 best-selling authors and another 200 up-and-comers will be at the festival, ready to mix and mingle with fans, aspiring writers and industry executives. In fact, ThrillerFest is often called the summer camp of literary events. Everyone–the famous, the infamous, the law-abiding, and the unsung — all freely chat and party together while sharing their love of thrillers.

There will be plenty of thrills during the four-day event. In the spotlight will be interviews with top authors, each interrogated by another thriller master:

  Ken Follett, legendary author of The Eye of the Needle, Pillars of the Earth, and World Without End is the recipient of the ITW 2010 ThrillerMaster Award, will be interviewed by Steve Berry.
  David Morrell, last year’s recipient of the ThrillerMaster Award and author of First Blood, will be interviewed by Douglas Preston.
  Lisa Scottoline, author of the legal thrillers Killer Smile and Lady Killer, will be interviewed by Jon Land.
  Gayle Lynds, the Queen of International Suspense, will be interviewed by Lisa Gardner.
  Harlan Coben, whose novels Hold Tight and Long Lost debuted at number 1 on the New York Times Best Seller list, will be interviewed by Kathleen Antrim.

And what would a gathering of fans and writers of intense suspense be without a party, or should we say, parties? There’s one every night during ThrillerFest V including a celebration of four great, new publications on Friday night:

Wednesday – Get acquainted at the CraftFest cocktail party.

Friday – The brand new ITW publication reception cocktail party will feature a grand book signing with dozens of best-selling authors.

Saturday – One ticket to the ITW Awards Banquet gets you into three parties: the pre-event cocktail party, the Awards Banquet and the post-event party and happy recap.

Register now by going to www.ThrillerFest.com and clicking on “Registration.” Like all great literary thrill rides, you’ll want to follow this one all the way to the end.

Yesterday I was again surprised and amazed when one of my new followers, Renee from Addited To Romance Blog Site (http://addictofromance.blogspot.com/) presented me with this award.  This one is a new one to me and am very honored.  Renee is a new book blogger and has quite a nice site, so please stop by and say hi to her.  Now on to the reward and criteria:

If you are given this award you must first accept it by leaving a comment on the post you were nominated on. Then copy and paste the post and add it to your own blog. Make a list of the last 5 books you read and pass the award on to 5 other bloggers (no backsies!). Please also identify the blog from which you got the award and don’t forget to tell them they have a blog award!
My comment on her blog after receiving award:
  Renee: Congratulations on your award !!!! Enjoy !!! And how kind of you to pass it to me. I am a semi newbie to book blogging and remember receiving my 1st award and have to say honestly, that it feels the same way when presented with subsequent awards, it truly makes me feel that I am accepted into this wonderful family of book bloggers. I will post about this award with my Thursday’s postings. Again thank you, this award is a new one for me.
Here are the last five books that I have read:

SUSPENSE AND THE CITY

There’s only one event where New York Times best-selling masters of the art lurk around every corner, agents appear in broad daylight and fans conspire with writers in the wee, small hours of the night – ThrillerFest V, the International Thriller Writers’ fifth annual celebration of their genre and the largest event of its kind in the world.

The highlight of the event will be the gala ITW Thriller Awards Banquet on Saturday when the heroes of suspense will be honored:

• International best-selling author Ken Follett will receive the 2010 ThrillerMaster Award given by 2009 recipient David Morrell
• Mark Bowden, author of Black Hawk Down will become the first recipient of the True Thriller Award
• Brad Meltzer, recipient of the 2009 Silver Bullet Award, will present the 2010 award to Linda Fairstein

And this year’s winners in the categories of Best Hardcover Novel, Best Paperback Original, Best First Novel and Best Short Story will be revealed.

But the list of the notables doesn’t end there – more than 50 best-selling authors and another 200 up-and-comers will be at the festival, ready to mix and mingle with fans, aspiring writers and industry executives. In fact, ThrillerFest is often called the summer camp of literary events. Everyone–the famous, the infamous, the law-abiding, and the unsung — all freely chat and party together while sharing their love of thrillers.

There will be plenty of thrills during the four-day event. In the spotlight will be interviews with top authors, each interrogated by another thriller master:

  Ken Follett, legendary author of The Eye of the Needle, Pillars of the Earth, and World Without End is the recipient of the ITW 2010 ThrillerMaster Award, will be interviewed by Steve Berry.
  David Morrell, last year’s recipient of the ThrillerMaster Award and author of First Blood, will be interviewed by Douglas Preston.
  Lisa Scottoline, author of the legal thrillers Killer Smile and Lady Killer, will be interviewed by Jon Land.
  Gayle Lynds, the Queen of International Suspense, will be interviewed by Lisa Gardner.
  Harlan Coben, whose novels Hold Tight and Long Lost debuted at number 1 on the New York Times Best Seller list, will be interviewed by Kathleen Antrim.

And what would a gathering of fans and writers of intense suspense be without a party, or should we say, parties? There’s one every night during ThrillerFest V including a celebration of four great, new publications on Friday night:

Wednesday – Get acquainted at the CraftFest cocktail party.

Friday – The brand new ITW publication reception cocktail party will feature a grand book signing with dozens of best-selling authors.

Saturday – One ticket to the ITW Awards Banquet gets you into three parties: the pre-event cocktail party, the Awards Banquet and the post-event party and happy recap.

Register now by going to www.ThrillerFest.com and clicking on “Registration.” Like all great literary thrill rides, you’ll want to follow this one all the way to the end.

I have seen this all around the book blogging blogosphere but wasn’t sure what it was all about.  But as more details are coming out, the more I thought that this would be a fun event to participate in.   So I filled out my entry form and now will start spreading the news on this blog.  I am now an official entrant in Blogfest 2010 !!

Get ready to have a blast September 10-12, 2010!

Looking for increased traffic to your blog? Want to get out and meet some fellow bloggers? Come join us for this twice a year event as we celebrate each other!

What is it?

BlogFest is a blog run of sorts. A list of participating blogs will be provided on September 10, each offering a fantastic giveaway for readers to enter. Each blog will link to another, pulling readers through the fantastic party we’ll have set up for them!
  To sign up, head on over to Cinnamon’s Blog  A Journey of Books  (http://ajourneyofbooks.halfzero.net/2009/01/about.html)