Award Day

Kerrie, Mysteries in Paradise, has been so kind to send this fine award my way, among other reasons because I came up with the 2010 Global Reading Challenge

I´m a Literacy Builder 

Thank you very much, Kerrie!


Award conditions
1. Thank and link back to the person who gave you this award.
2. Display the award logo on your blog site.
3. Tell us five of your favorite words and why you like them, (add as many as you like).
4. Pass the award on to three bloggers you feel are excellent literacy builders, and link to their sites.
5. Contact the bloggers you’ve chosen and let them know about the award.

My words: peculiar, quirky, circumspect, perpendicular, Aspidistra

No, they are not really my favourites, apart from peculiar. 
How should I know yet which words are my personal top five? When it comes to your language (I do envy you that language a bit, did you know that), I think I have a few thousand favourites. Especially adjectives.

But how to pick the very best ones – I haven´t even met them all yet, have I? I hope not!

I would love to award Cathy, Kittling Books, first of all because you deserve it for your wonderful blog. Second, because I´d love to see the words you love.
.

Blogpris

 Tusind tak til Bookwitch, min svenske blogven, for den smukke pris: Beautiful Blogger Award. Ann blogger her på engelsk og her på svensk – om hekse, børnebøger og andre spændende emner.

- kopiera in awardbilden i din blogg för att visa att du har fått den
- tacka och länka till den som nominerade dig
- nominera sju andra bloggare och länka till dem
- berätta sju intressanta saker om dig själv

Hm. Nu er det ikke mere end et par dage siden, jeg sidst tvang mine venner til at udlevere private hemmeligheder, så jeg skipper trin tre denne gang.

Og så er det jo bare at fortælle syv interessante ting om mig selv.

1) Da jeg var fem år gammel, besøgte jeg et par søde, gamle naboer og underholdt dem i timevis. Bagefter kom jeg hjem og spurgte min mor: “Hvad er et sludrechatol?”

2) Jeg var vist fire, da vi besøgte min faster i hendes nye hus for første gang. Jeg gik en tur og blev væk mellem de mange ens huse. Jeg prøvede at gå ind i en have, som så rigtig ud, men fik mit livs chok da to fremmede væsener stod og råbte sære lyde og lavede fagter. Jeg var havnet hos de døvstumme naboer.

3) Som nittenårig blev jeg ansat som karl på landet. Jeg malkede 65 køer to gange om dagen i et år.
Pyh – var det virkelig kun tre ting?

4) Jeg har set flodhester i Ethiopien – men på temmelig lang afstand.

5) Ud over engelsk og tysk kan jeg lidt nederlandsk og amharisk (det officielle sprog i Ethiopien).

6) Sidste år under CrimeFest i Bristol, UK, mødte den amerikanske blogger Peter Rozovsky (Detectives Beyond Borders) Stephen Murray (som har oversat Stieg Larssons trilogi til engelsk). Jeg har lige fået en blog-kommentar fra en dansker, fortalte Peter. Nåeh, du mener Dorte, svarede Stephen.

7) Om ca ti dage udkommer en af mine historier i en amerikansk e-bog.

Blog Award

Thank you very much to Bookwitch, my Swedish blog friend, for the Beautiful Blogger Award. Ann blogs in English AND Swedish – about witches, children´s books and other fashinating subjects.

- copy the award picture to show that you have received it
- thank and link to the blogger who nominated you
- nominate seven other bloggers and link to them
- tell seven interesting things about yourself

Well, I forced my friends to reveal their private secrets a few days ago so I will move on to step four immediately.

1) When I was five, I visited a sweet, elderly couple and entertained them for hours. Afterwards I came home and asked my mother, ”What is a chatterbox?”

2) I think I was four, when we visited my aunt in her new house for the first time. I took a stroll and lost my way among the many similar houses. I tried walking into a garden that looked right but received the shock of a lifetime when two strange people came out, making gestures and odd sounds. I had met the deaf-mute neighbours.

3) At the age of nineteen I was hired as a farmhand. I milked sixty-five cows twice a day for a year.
Phew, was that really three things only?

4) I have seen hippos in Ethiopia – from a very safe distance.

5) Besides English and German I know a little Dutch and Amharic (the official language in Ethiopia).

6) Last year during CrimeFest in Bristol, UK, the American blogger Peter Rozovsky (Detectives Beyond Borders) met Stephen Murray (who translated Stieg Larsson´s trilogy into English). I have just had a comment from Denmark on my blog, Peter remarked. Oh, you mean Dorte, Stephen replied.

7) In around ten days one of my stories will be published in an American ebook.
.

Sunshine Award

A blog whose “contagious positivity and creativity inspire others in the blogging universe.”

My, that sounds great, doesn´t it?

My kind and generous blogging friend, Margot, Confessions of a Mystery Novelist, has sent the beautiful award with the flattering epithets my way. Thank you very much for sending me some sunshine, Margot!

I have decided not to pass it on this time, partly because she has already awarded several of my blog buddies, partly because I am still struggling with my boring protagonist. Thank you for all your brilliant suggestions, but if you have not chipped in already, please remember to do so.


Library Discovery:

For the first time in months I have had time to haunt my local library. Terribly tempting because since the last time, they have expanded the crime section which is now twice as large as before! (Need I tell you how much my back hurts now?)

Apart from several Scandinavian treats I selected this one:
Raymond Khoury, The Sign (2009)

I am not at all sure this book is my taste so who can guess why I was pleased to find it on the shelf?

Awards!

Thank you very much to Kerrie, Mysteries in Paradise
for the Prolific Blogger award.

And thank you to Beth, Beth Fish Reads,
for the Honest Scrap award.

Kreativ Blogger Award

Thank you very much to Søren of Sørens bogblog for this award. A special thank you for your words about my blog:

“To Dorte who with her experimenting pen, her enormous knowledge and her social engagement connects the crime lovers of the (known) world via her krimiblog.”

- this praise from a Danish book blogger whose opinion I value highly means a lot to me!

And now for the rules.

Tell your readers seven interesting facts about yourself.
- well, how do I know what you think is interesting, but here we go.

1) I married when I was 19.
2) I loathe sports, especially ball games (probably because I suck)
3) Some years ago I tried painting in water colours (don´t worry, I have figured out that I should try using my pen – or pc – instead).
4) Once I lived in Ethiopia for six months.
5) When I was a child, I wanted a piano, a dog, and a little brother. Fortunately my wise parents gave me a little brother and no pet.
6) I wrote a medical romance the other day – in 560 words (but I believe all the essential stuff is there).
7) I got new glasses five days ago. I think they are called ´progressive glasses´ (sounds cool, don´t you think?)

Select seven blogs you want to award.
- this is definitely the hard part. Only seven?

1) The first award is very easy. It goes to Maxine of Petrona. Not only for her excellent and tempting reviews, but even more for her engagement in our FriendFeed Crime and Mystery Reading Room, and for her role as my book fairy!

2) The second goes to Norman aka Uriah of Crime Scraps, a book blogger whose thoughtful posts on books and their writers is always well worth a visit.

3) The third goes to Louise of Lou´s Pages. Like me, my countrywoman Louise blogs about books in two languages – but on two separate blogs, and as she is the blogger who encouraged me to try out Blogger she is a very welcome guest on my blog.

4) The fourth award goes to Margot, Confessions of a Mystery Novelist who writes about a crime-related theme every day, illustrated by numerous examples.

5) Elizabeth of Mystery Writing is Murder for her most inspiring posts about the writing process, and for encouraging me to write fiction.

6) Cathryn G-Rant, especially for her posts about writing fiction, her great flash fiction stories and all her encouragement.

7) And the last award is for seventy other friends whose blogs I enjoy and try to visit at least twice a week, and also for a few friends who leave the most inspiring comments here but do not have blogs of their own. You are most appreciated so consider yourselves awarded, folks!

And to my nominees: remember that this award is yours to do what you like with. You don´t have to post about it, but if you do, please tell us seven things we didn´t know.

What´s in a Name Challenge + Award

What´s in a Name Challenge:
Here is my preliminary list for my second (or actually first) 2010 challenge, hosted by Beth here:

1. Food: Pierre Magnan, Death in The Truffle Wood. (reviewed February 12th)

2. Body of water: Paul Cleave, Cemetery Lake – New Zealand. [buy later]

3. A title: Colin Cotterill, The Coroner´s Lunch (TBR)

4. A plant: Umberto Eco, The Name of the Rose or Margie Orford, Blood Rose – S. Africa.

5. Place name: Matt B Rees, The Bethlehem Murders (reviewed Jan 18)

6. Music term: Ian Rankin, Exit Music (TBR)

When I came up with my global reading challenge, I made a few changes to this list. Paul Cleave,“Cemetery Lake” will do splendidly for both challenges, and I also plan to use Matt Rees, “The Bethlehem Murders” for them both. If I buy Margie Orford´s novel, I can do the same. It sounds very exciting, I have just not found it at the right price yet.


New Year´s Honours List
I have received a very special honour from ´Petty Witter´, one of her 2010 PAPAs (Pen and Paper Award):

The PAPA for Contribution to Literature.

Am I proud? You bet!

Guest Blogging and Award Day

Today I am a guest blogger for the first time ever. Thank you to my countrywoman Louise of Lou´s Pages for asking me! (Louise wrote a post for me in November).

I hope you will all visit Louise to read my post on Christmas and Crime, and to discover her great English book blog.


And thank you to Elizabeth Spann Craig, Mystery Writing is Murder, for awarding me her own, special Blog Writer Award.

The rules (nicely liberal - I like that)

You can post this image to your blog…or not.
You may share this award with others…if you like.
You may adapt or alter this image in any way.



And thank you also to Lilly, Reading Extravaganza, for awarding me the Honest Scrap award.
I am not going to award anyone specifically this time, but I will follow the rule about listing ten honest things about myself.

1. I love reading, especially (English) crime fiction
2. I am a late riser – a very late riser
3. I love classical music, e.g. Bach.
4. I like teaching young people English and literature, but marking essays is NOT fun!
5. I love eating meat so I would never consider becoming a vegetarian.
6. My favourite holiday resorts are Scotland and Ireland (I am trying to talk my husband into going to the Shetland Island, and I don´t think it will be very difficult).
7. I don´t like exercising. If I have to, I always choose the bicycle, and I never ever run or jog.
8. I am not very good at cooking. Fortunately, my husband is – and he even likes it.
9. When I have to do something I don´t like, I squirm and fiddle and procrastinate until the very last second.
10. My greatest dream is to have my crime fiction published (oh – you knew that already?)

"Awarded" and "Gifted"

It all began Tuesday, when Bernadette, Reactions to Reading sent a mail to tell me I had won Clare Langley-Hawthorne, Consequences of Sin.

Wednesday Norman, Crime Scraps told me I had won two books for my joint second place in his fiendish quizzes (an achievement I am quite proud of).

Today, Saturday, I received a mail from Beth Fish, telling me I had won Thomas Randall, Dreams of the Dead and New Stories from the South 2009 (a brand new anthology of short stories).

Besides, I have received no less than two blog awards today:

One Lovely Blog Award from Kerrie, Mysteries in Paradise








Splashed and Lovely Award from Margot, Confessions of a Mystery Writer (a blog I have only discovered recently - remember to take a look at her interesting and informative blog).

THANK YOU SO MUCH EVERYBODY
YOU HAVE MADE MY WEEK!

Sunday´s Special - An Award!

Zombie Chicken Award.

Oh, an award! Thank you very much, Sherrie of “Just Books” for sending this cool and special award my way!

"The blogger who receives this award believes in the Tao of the zombie chicken-- excellence, grace, and persistence in all situations, even in the midst of a zombie apocalypse. These amazing bloggers regularly produce content so remarkable that their readers would brave a raving pack of zombie chickens just to be able to read their inspiring words. As a recipient of this world-renowned award, you now have the task of passing it on to at least 5 other worthy bloggers. Do not risk the wrath of the zombie chickens by choosing unwisely or not choosing at all."

Who would ever consider the wrath of the zombie chickens? Especially as I knew immediately where to send THIS ONE.

My five nominees

1) Tales from the 62 Bus
2) Chuffed of Glasgow
3) In Which Your Usually Laid Back Blogger Gets Irate
4) Sorry hen, it´s just ma wee snake
5) A Brief Photographic Interlude

(Do you think the zombie chicken will ever realize that I cheated just a wee bit?)

Bingo Award

Thank you very much to Louise, Lou´s Pages, for this very special award.

The rules :
This award was started by Bookin With BINGO and here are the rules:

This "B-I-N-G-O" BEAUTIFUL BLOG AWARD means that this blog is...

B: Beautiful: Beth Fish Reads (notice her Wordless Wednesdays)

I: Informative: Scandinavian Crime Fiction and EuroCrime

N: Neighborly: all the blogs I visit regularly (try out my blogroll)

G: Gorgeous: Mystery Writing is Murder (for the wonderful pictures)

O: Outstanding : Cathy, Kittling Books (for her unique features and cute buttons)

Humane Award

The Humane Award is to honor certain bloggers that I feel are kindhearted individuals. They regularly take part in my blog and always leave the sweetest comments. If it wasn't for them, my site would just be an ordinary blog. Their blogs are also amazing and are tastefully done on a regular basis. I thank them and look forward to our growing friendships through the blog world.

Thank you, Elizabeth, Mystery Writing is Murder, for this very fine award. (If you are interested in cozy mysteries, you must visit her blog).

And for this one, I know exactly where to send it on: my Crime and Mystery Fiction room. If you love crime fiction, this is the right place for you. But I warn you, it is terribly addictive!

Kreativ Blogger Award

Thank you very much, Beth from Beth Fish Reads, for awarding me the Kreativ Blogger Award.

This award is really a meme, so now I am supposed to list seven of my favourite things (how fortunate it does not have to be seven activities).

1) reading
2) writing
3) travelling
4) blogging
5) watching a good film
6) researching
7) teaching

And now the difficult part, selecting seven bloggers to pass the award on. I have decided to copy Beth´s brilliant idea: nominating the last seven people who commented on my blog.
Please enjoy your award, just like I appreciate each and every comment you leave, and feel free to do with it what you want.

Donna, Big Beat from Badsville
Elizabeth, Mystery Writing is Murder
Rob, The View from the Blue House
Martin, Do you write under your own name
Maxine, Petrona
R.T., Novels, Stories, and More
Bernadette, Reactions to Reading

Awarded

As I am going out tonight, I will just show you my latest blog awards: I have received the new and very special I Keep Coming Back For More Award.

Thank you very much Kerrie, Mysteries in Paradise and Barbara, Barbara Fister´s Place for thinking of me.

The Rules:

Enjoy the award. If you don’t want to put it on your blog, don’t. Just get the warm, fuzzy feeling that I’m sending your way!

You don’t have to reveal any deep, dark secrets about yourself or answer any sort of questions. You’ve already earned it!

You don’t have to link back to me.

You don’t have to give it to anyone else.

And I have decided to send this one on to four blogs that are either very new, or just quite new to me.

First two blogs owned by bloggers I have come across recently who do their best to encourage me to keep on writing:

Belle, Ms. Bookish
Cathryn, Cathryn G-rant

The next blog is owned by Tim whom I met in Edinburgh recently, and whose comments on my blog have come to mean very much to me: Reader with Attitude

Finally Rob Kitchin, The View from the Blue House, who has begun blogging from Ireland recently (and his first crime novel, The Rule Book, sounds very promising).

Awards, Awards, and a Humble Anniversary

DesertRose has overwhelmed me this week by giving me not only one, but two awards.

2009 Friendly Blogger Award
I am going to give this one to Alyce, Dar, Care, Dawn and Jackie – five great book blogs I have not visited or commented on as often as I want to. I appreciate your well-written and inspiring blogs, folks – and I do peep in once or twice a week, whether I remember to tell you or not.

Alyce, At Home With Books
Dar, Peeking Between the Pages
Care, Care´s Online Book Club
Dawn, She Is Too Fond Of Books
Jackie, Farm Lane Books Blog


The Super Comments Award ”You Don´t Say”
"We give and get awards for having a great blog and being a good friend. What I want to award is those people whose comments have meant THE WORLD to me. It takes time to visit a blog and leave a comment ... I wanted to recognize some special bloggers whose comments have made such an impact on me. The “You Don’t Say?” Award is awarded to these special bloggers in hopes that they will pass the award along to 5-10 of their best commenters!"

You can all read here what I should do. I have decided that I won´t ´count my blessings´, however. Instead I want to thank each and every one of you who have helped me make this blog a better place by leaving kind, funny, sweet, inspiring humorous, cheeky or curious comments – and certainly also to you who have just taken the time to say ´hi, I am here´.

Finally, I also want to thank the 3000 people from 61 different countries who have visited my blog over the latest 2½ months. I know you are not 3000 different persons; on the contrary many of you are surprisingly faithful. And I assure you, without you this blog wouldn´t be the same.

Splash Award

Thank you so much to CoversGirl from Between the Covers for sending this beautiful award my way.


The Rules:
1)Put the logo on your blog/post.
2)Nominate up to 9 blogs which allure, amuse, bewitch, impress or inspire you.
3)Be sure to link to your nominees within your post.
4)Let them know that they have been splashed by commenting on their blog.
5)Remember to link to the person from whom your received your Splash award.


My Nominees:
British Karen Meek & her cat, Euro Crime
Swedish Ann Giles & all her witches, Bookwitch,
Bernadette, Reactions to reading, and Kerrie, Mysteries in Paradise, both from Down Under,
and finally Kris of Not enough books, also from Britain, – a very recent acquaintance who has tempted me with a cozy mystery challenge (I am really looking forward to that)

The Grasshopper Award

This award was given to me by Cathy, Kittling: Books, who has often taught, inspired and entertained me. Thank you, Cathy.

So if you’ve received this award you’ll see elements of your page here on mine, you will have amazed me & you will have inspired me to find out ‘how can I do that too’. But perhaps more than that you’ll have made me smile and feel good about myself as I recognise I’m not alone if I’m reading.

1) display the grasshopper award on your blog knowing you have touched someone you may never meet IRL.
2) pass this on to any fellow bloggers who have taught, inspired or entertained you.
(that is, if you are the type who follow the rules)

My nominees:
As my latest awards have been two sisterhood awards, it is certainly time to pass this one on to some of my male blog friends.

1) Norman of Crime Scraps
2) Peter of Detectives Beyond Borders
3) Mack of Mack Captures Crime
4) Martin of Do You Write Under Your Own Name.

Sisterhood Award

I think this is award week. I have just received the Sisterhood Award again, this time from Lilly, Reading Extravaganza. Thank you so much, Lilly.

I am not going to nominate 10 blogs again so soon, but if you visit my blog regularly (perhaps without me knowing it), please consider yourself awarded. I do appreciate all your visits, they really make it worth while writing a new post nearly every day.

Sisterhood Award

This charming award was given to me from Bookwitch, a Swedish sister in crime, blogging from England. Thank you ever so much, Ann, and congratulations on your first award which you really deserve!

And now for the difficult part, selecting 10 nominees.
1) Maxine, blogging as Petrona, experienced British blogger & reviewer, this time awarded for being my ´fairy bookmother´ ;)
2) Louise, Lou´s Pages, blogging in Danish and English about books and Egyptology - and just back from Egypt with inspiration for lots of new, informative posts. (Louise, I have great expectations)
3) Jane, Possum Scriptum, blogging in Danish from Alabama & always worth a visit.
4) Nille of Nilles Litteratur blogging about good literature in Danish and French.
5) Steph, Wheredunnit Crime and Mystery Fiction, writer and blogger from Britain. I am particularly fond of her reviews with all the inspiring maps and photos.
6) Beth Fish, experienced and always helpful blogger from Pennsylvania.
7) Cathy, Kittling: Books innovative blogger from Arizona - mostly literature but also interesting posts about ostrichs and so - famous for her weekly Scene of the Blog feature.
8) J. Kay, the blogger who hosts the many tempting challenges and who writes so many interesting reviews and blog posts that one wonders whenever she has time to read all those books???
9) Elizabeth, Thoughts from an Evil Overlord, blogging from New England (and half Irish as we were reminded yesterday)- don´t let the name scare you off this charming blog.
10) Julia, A Piece of my Mind, blogging from Nova Scotia, Canada, about books, ballet, poetry and other passions.


IF YOU ARE ONE OF MY NOMINEES, PLEASE GO AHEAD AND....
1. Put the logo on your blog or post.
2. Nominate up to 10 blogs which show great attitude and/or gratitude!
3. Be sure to link to your nominees within your post.
4. Let them know that they have received this award by commenting on their blog.
5. Remember to link to the person from whom you received your award.

NB: I know that some of you are even worse at adhering to rules than me - so I don´t really expect all of you to do all of these ☺

Proximidade Award

This great award was given to me by Lilly, Reading Extravaganza. Thank you so much, Lilly.

And here is what the award stands for:

"This blog invests and believes in the PROXIMITY-nearness in space, time and relationships. These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in prizes or self-aggrandizement! Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers! Deliver this award to eight bloggers who must choose eight more and include this clever-written text into the body of their award."

And now I was supposed to choose eight new people to award, but when I read the words above I know that my obvious choice is to award my ´virtual living-room´, the Crime and Mystery Fiction Reading room I spend so much time in. This room is where I find inspiration for new books and authors, and this is where I get 90 per cent of my comments, a great deal of encouragement, constructive critique and gentle bullying (difficult to decide what I enjoy the most).

So, Maxine (our administrator) and my 60 fellow members of the room: consider yourselves awarded - and keep up the fruitful discussion.

Your Blog is Fabulous Award

I received this cool award from Sherrie, Just Books. Thanks a lot, Sherrie, I have admired this pretty one whenever I came across someone who had got it.

My five nominees are:
Louise, Lou´s Pages
Kerrie, Mysteries in Paradise
Reg, Stieg Larsson´s English translator
Ruth, Buzz ´Bout Books & More
Bibliophile, (Another) 52 books.

Feel free to pass the award on to five newbie blogs you have read lately.


This very professionel "scam" was concocted by Maxine, Petrona. The reading room for heavily addicted crime fiction folks is to be found here.