Julie Ferrar

Okay, I lied. I said I would see everyone on Monday, but a lot is happening in the blogosphere, and I’m adapting to the changes as fast as I can. I’ve left Fridays open thus far because I hadn’t come up with a clear focus for that day, and I waited for inspiration to visit. I know that I will serialize my upcoming novel, Change of Plans, on Fridays once we complete the editing process. But since I am a lover of reading as well as writing, why not use Fridays for some fun? After all, we’re focusing on fairly serious topics during the week here at A Woman’s Nest.

I want to thank my new friend Julie Ferrar for helping me find this new direction. She told me I deserved a Leibster blog award. I scratched my head, never having heard of such a thing. She told me that the award is to connect bloggers, especially those with fewer than 200 followers. I think this is a great idea! I’ve been reading some wonderful blogs lately that the world does not yet know about, and I’m happy to share the love.

If I accept the award, she told me, I must:

* Show my thanks to the blogger who gave me the award by linking back

* Make my own top 5 picks and let them know by leaving a comment on their blog.

* Post the award on my blog.

* Bask in the love from the most supportive people on the internet—other writers.

* And best of all – have fun and spread the karma.

I’m up for the task! Here are my faves (so far):

Traveling Through – I’ve been reading Julie Ferrar’s blog for a while now, and her musings about travel are well-written and fun. She always writes something that I want to comment on. I’m sending the love back to her not because I feel as though I can call her a friend (we have only met in this fabulous thing called cyberspace), but because she does a great blog. Period.

Over 50 and Happy – Go visit Nina and share a chat with her about life after 50. She’s having a wonderful time, and she’s guaranteed to make you smile! Attitude is everything, and Nina knows this.

Blooming Late Journal – Samantha Stacia is a new blogger who is honing her writing skills. If you’re a writer trying to get started, check out her blog and learn along with her! What I love most about Samantha is her ability to motivate and inspire others. She is the ringleader of the Blooming Late group on She Writes, giving more than 80 of us regular support and encouragement despite health and other challenges.

DebutAuthors – Robin Yaklin – Spotlights and promotes new authors. What a wonderful thing to do! It’s great to find fresh voices that would otherwise be hard to find.

Wanderlust and Lipstick – Nancy Mueller – Okay, so I like travel blogs! Nancy is a freelance travel writer, and when I ran across this one it became one of my new faves. Not as “small” a blog as some of the others, but so worthwhile I had to include it.

Thanks, you wonderful women writers, for keeping the faith and sharing yourselves on your blogs!

NOW I’m done for the weekend. I’m resting my feet from another gorgeous hike in the Swiss Engadin region, and we’ll be biking all weekend. I’m less comfortable on bikes than with my feet on terra firma, so wish me luck!