Apparently the Sun Shines Out of My...

I'm guessing I now have your attention ;c)

The wonderfully talented, very beautiful, and obviously full of good taste Ms Danielle Ferris has bestowed upon me the 'Ray of Sunshine' award.

Isn't it pretty, gum boots and all!

Yes, it's doing the rounds and just about everyone in my small circle of writing friends already has one. Yes, I could do the same as Aaron and include all you lurkers out there and just nominate everyone. Yes, I could nominate Anton as we all get a great kick out of his responses to such things.

But I won't.

I'm going to award it to two people who have supported me for a long time in my writing. Neither have a blog so they will not be able to pass this award on but both give me supportive comments on a regular basis.

I call to the stage my wonderful wife, Jodi. The amount of hours she puts up with me being secluded in a fantasy setting of my own creation, my deteriorating memory of what I'm supposed to be doing in the 'real world', my odd way of looking at things, and my continual gazing at passersby while we're out shopping - among all manner of other odd writerly things. In all this she remains confident that one day I'll get it right and we'll be able to retire to the country due to my writing (ah, the dream).

Secondly, I call to the stage my daughter, Tyarna. The first thing I had published by an editor I didn't know was because of her encouragement that it was good - and funny. Mind you, she was only seven at the time but her good taste was already blossoming. She continues to be proud that her dad is a writer, and has begun to take up the pen/keyboard in an effort to write her own fantasy tales. The fact that she's started writing long fiction thirty years before I decided to may mean she'll get that book deal well before me - which is okay, because then she'll be able to afford to look after her mum and dad in their twilight years (and who knows, maybe I'll get the inside track to my own publishing contract through her agent...)