Catherine Stine's IDEA CITY

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Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Summer Workshops & The Lovely Blog Award

I've been busily preparing to teach a creative writing workshop in Greece. More precisely on an island there. I'll be taking the ferry out on their day of elections. Yikes, I hope that the election doesn't turn into a riot. Great timing, eh? But I'm excited to teach this group of very smart Missouri U students, and I've picked out some cool stories, including one from Ray Bradbury.
Yes, I'll be hooked into the Net, and will be reading and posting on blogs as usual. Perhaps by the azure ocean. It's a hard life.

On another note, I am flattered and delighted that Lucy Adams gave me a Lovely Blog Award. The rules state that I should link back to hers, so take a look and maybe follow her! Then, I reveal seven facts about myself, and award a few other blogs the Lovely Award. So here goes:

1. I have a phobia about flooding so I could never, ever watch the film Titanic.
2. I used to design watch faces, children's fabrics and solar-heated swimming pool covers!
3. Logic puzzles are cool, and that's why I love plotting.
4. If I weren't an author, I might be a psychiatrist. I am fascinated with aberrant behavior and how that can be used to create interesting villains in fiction.
5. I like my fictional leading men to be quirky and even a bit tortured. No vanilla hotties for me.
6. Ever since reading Bradbury's Martian Chronicles, I've been obsessed with Mars.
7. I love to travel to non-euro places. So far, I've been to China, Russia & India. Tashkent, Astana and Marrekesh, here we come.

Okay, now to grant the Lovely Award to three well-deserving blogs:
Lexa Cain and her mystical, Egyptian blog
Elizabeth Twist, Writer, Plague Enthusiast
Helen Mallon's WritingNurture

What are you up to this summer for vacation? Any inspired vacation writing spots?

16 comments:

  1. An award well deserved . . . .Congratulations! Solar-heated swimming pool covers? Would love to see some of those designs. ;-)

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  2. I'm with you on the quirky, tortured love interest. Got a thing for the bad boys and the ones with the oh-so real flaws :)

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  3. Enjoy Greece. My jealous thoughts go with you:-) Too bad the rest of me cannot:-(

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  4. Congrats on the award!

    We haven't decided where we will take a mini-vacation this summer. We are totally waiting until the last minute.

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  5. Good morning Catherine and congratulations for having been given this lovely award!

    Designing solar-heated swimming pool covers sounds work- and time-intensive!

    Ironically, someone else also offered me a blog award last night so I now regret stating I was not in a position to accept this one. :(

    Thank you so much for thinking of me and may your writing workshop go off without a hitch!

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  6. Congrats on your award!

    Ooh, Greece...that's my number one wanna-go vacation spot. So jealous!

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  7. Congratulations on the award. Soon you'll have no secrets. :)

    We used to go to the mountains in New Mexico or else the Texas Gulf Coast. Now when we travel it's to see our sons and families in SC or CA.

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  8. Thanks Catherine! I will use the award responsibly! (Wait...does it come with superpowers?)

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  9. Elizabeth, yes, the superpower to write at the speed of light. Bev, traveling to see your sons sounds like a wonderful trip. Jaycee, thanks for stopping by. Greece is HOT! 97 degrees today. I just endured a plane ride with a SCREAMING baby and I don't just mean normal crying...
    Suze, I'm unofficially awarding you teh Lovely Award anyway!

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  10. Summer isn't a time I get to travel, but come fall I'm out of here. I, too, love the east, but since so many of my relatives are now in Spain and England, I'll probably head there to say hi.

    You've given me itchy feet, Catherine. I think I'll pull out my suitcase and put it where I can see it. :-)

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  11. Saw the Acropolis today. Athens is amazing, but the Internet is very SLOW!

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  12. Oh! Thanks so much for the blog award. What a delightful surprise. I hope you have a wonderful time in Greece. :-)

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  13. Disneyland for us. We have annual passes. And we'll be swimming a lot as we have lots of friends with pools.

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  14. Awww....thank you for the award. Sweet! I will post on it toute de sweet.

    Looking forward to Writers Week in Cape Cod... we will miss you! A couple of blessed days alone before everyone comes...it seems like a dream. Can't wait. I hope teaching and Greece are fabulous!

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  15. I miss the Cape retreat already and it hasn't even started. Bwah!!!!!!!!
    Steve, have fun in Disneyland!

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  16. Yeah, I'm officially jealous! Hope all goes well. :)

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