So who is Erin? She is a lovely lady who writes at Unbound Roots. She is a true lover of nature and her blog has a strong focus on staying healthy and active through outdoor pursuits. Not just in the physical sense but also in a way that will encourage you to stop for a while and enjoy the present moment – take some time to smell the roses! Her cheerful and sincere personality shines through her writing and it’s my guess that she’s as beautiful on the inside as she is on the outside. Check out her blog and you’ll see what I mean!

Erin wants to know all these things about me and 10 other bloggers and I don’t often refuse the opportunity to talk about myself. And I know I’m not the only one so don’t roll your eyes!

1. What inspired you to start blogging?

Okay – for those who don’t know this. I am the alter ego of Gloria who is quite sensible and follows good advice when it’s given to her. And I, Tasheenga, am often moody, anxious, sarcastic and just want to have fun. Gloria has a blog that is all about sensible things like taking care of yourself and every time I try to voice my opinion on that blog, Gloria shuts me down and scolds me. (Very hurtful) So my input on We Are Holistic is very limited indeed. So I started my own blog. Now I can write all about my adventures with my friends and talk about my writing without being told to shut-up. Welcome to The Rambles of a Raving Writer! 

2. If you could give a new blogger one tip, what would it be?

Can I give two tips? 1) Love your blog and come when it calls you! 2) Communicate and socialise via social media with others bloggers in the community. They can be so encouraging and helpful. Be encouraging and helpful in return, especially to the new bloggers. Oh…. you might meet one or two who’s a wee bit superior to the rest of us and might make you feel inadequate. But don’t despair….hang out with me and I’ll show you where to go to find the nice ones!!

3. When is your favourite time to write and why?

Between 9.00am and 1.00pm when Little Miss Six is at school. It’s also the time when I’m more focused. And having the house to myself means I can talk out loud and act out the scenes I’m writing about. (Not all of them if you know what I mean)

4. Do you have any other hobbies besides writing?

Yes, there are a few other things I spend quite a lot of time doing! a) Staring at the laptop. b) Deleting sentences and rewriting them – the same ones over and over again. c) Playing with word hippo. d) Stalking women writers on Twitter. c) Pretending I’m those women writers on Twitter.

5. What is your favourite book of all time?

Years ago, Saphirra and I read Falling for a Dancer by Deirdre Purcell. It was the closest I ever got to being part of a book club. I still love that book and the memories it brings to my mind.

6. Would you rather go dancing in the cities, take a hike, or read a book at home?

Mmm….. difficult question! I do like reading but my mind wanders and Gloria orders me to ‘take a hike’ which I also love doing. But when I’m in my best form I’m happy to go dancing with Mohatma Coatalay, Saphirra and Esmeralda. Although I’m not sure if we should be let loose in a city – a  small establishment in a country town would be more our scene! (You haven’t met Esmeralda)

7. Where would you go on your ultimate dream vacation?

Oh… Lapland, please! I do believe they have the real Santa and not just some fella dressed up!

8. If you could pick a colour to represent your blog, what colour would it be and why?

Mad yellow! Bright and enticing. Because I want sunshine and brightness in my life. Gloria overdoes the lavender a bit – I need yellow!

9. What is your favourite food?

Curries. I just love spices! King Prawn Biryani all the way!

10. Which post has been your most popular since you started blogging?

My Perfect New Neighbour has been my most popular post to date. I was compelled to spy through the window when I noticed activity in the ‘For Sale’ house next door. I had high expectations of who I wanted to buy it. Then when they moved in, I wrote this post which is actually my second most popular post.

If you haven’t already guessed the reason for these questions –  it’s called the Liebster award nomination. I was thrilled when Erin nominated little ole me. Thank you so much for thinking of me Erin!

The Liebster award is given by bloggers to other bloggers. The idea is to welcome new blogs into the blogging world and help them to get noticed. It’s also an opportunity to get to know a bit about the person behind the blog. 

The word “Liebster” originates from Germany and has several meanings;  welcome, sweetest, pleasant, nicest, dearest, beloved, lovely, kind, valued, cute, kindest and endearing.

The blogger who nominates you asks about 10 questions and then in return, you nominate 5-11 bloggers with your own questions. Lorraine from Wording Well explains in more detail.

There is no obligation to accept, but since it’s nice to be asked, it’s nice to keep it going. 

Most of the bloggers I know have already taken part in the Liebster award. So I have nobody to nominate. However, if you are a relatively new blogger who has never taken part in the Liebster award and would like to take part, then these questions are for you! Just leave me a comment to let me know you’ve accepted. Don’t be shy.

10 things I would like to know about you;

1. Tell me what your blog is about?
2. What blogger on the blogosphere do you connect most with?
3. Do you analyse the lives of people around you looking for inspiration for a blog post?
4. After you publish a post, do you check your stats about 50 times an hour for the next 48 hours?
5. Do you ever cringe when you read an old post and wonder, ‘what was I on?’
6. Have you got at least 100 drafts on your blog – ones you know you’ll never finish but you leave them there, ‘just in case‘?
7. Have you ever deleted a published post because you hated it?
8. Do you dream at night about your blog?
9. Are you very protective of your blog and worry that something might happen it?
10. Apart from blog posts, what other writing projects do you engage in?

I’ll be very upset if I don’t get at least one blogger who would like to answer my very important blog related questions. It would be nice to know that there are more people out there just like me!

But for now, have a very happy Christmas and a preposterous prosperous new year! (Thanks, Word Hippo)