UKYABA What!?

Every now and then, I have a mini impostor syndrome. And this week I had this two or three times. I rarely suffer from this with my blog, but then I got to an event or something happens and it creeps back!

First of all, I was at the #WalkerYA Bloggers Event on Tuesday (you can read my write-up on that here) and I mentioned this in passing. But every blogger and vlogger I mentioned this to said "we all suffer from that. Don't worry about it." (I am a worrier! Ask my Other Half about that!) Anyway, it was on the way to the event I remembered that the longlist for this year's UKYA Blogger Awards was going to be announced the following day.

I didn't think much of it - I managed to use a day's holiday to write up the event and go to the dentist (which I dislike hugely) so when the longlist was announced, I was in a bit here, there and everywhere. For a good five minutes, I stayed away from my twitter as I didn't want to see if my name was on the longlist.  It'll be nice to be on the longlist, I thought, but it won't be there. Am a bit of grown up on my reading lately.. 

And then I saw my @ replies had exploded. So I looked. And...

I WAS ON THE LONGLIST FOR FOUR CATEGORIES! FOUR! HOW THE HELL DID THAT HAPPEN?! 

As my Other Half was out most of that evening, I spent most of that evening pacing round my kitchen and lounge going "What?! WHAT?! How?! HOW?! THERE MUST HAVE BEEN A MISTAKE!" 

I was shocked, overwhelmed, delighted and honoured to be longlisted on these four categories! Plus, with some wonderful, badass book bloggers! It was just wonderful! 

Once I calmed down and thought "This is super cool!" and then carried on with my life on this mental high. Then I checked Twitter the following day, and then I read "The shortlist will be announced on Friday" ... wait. This Friday? THIS FRIDAY!? 

No time to get over this news. Have to go to work and carry on. So, by the time I got my head round it, it was Friday and the shortlist was going to be announced. Plus, I had to get ready to go out with Other Half and Neighbours as Neighbours were taking us to bingo. 

So, Friday evening was a blur of driving home from work, getting dressed, eating a quick dinner, reading shortlist then out the door. No time to process what I read till later that evening/Saturday. So, it was in a bit of a haze when I read this...

Ok, I do remember this. I read this tweet (my @ replies were freaking out again) and I sat next to my heating and said to my Other Half "I'm on the shortlist". Once I told him, he laughed and went "You're Old Now!" 

Hence my reaction to dye my hair silver and see if I figure out how to be what the gay community call an otter or a daddy. Let's see if he likes that reaction! 

... wait. Does this mean I need to be more a grown up now on my blog...?

Moving quickly away from that question, I was shocked, delighted and hugely honoured to be on the shortlist for Champion Adult Blogger with some wonderful bloggers (Hi Layla at @readable_life, Jo at @bookloverJo and Beth at @BookLoverx). 

There is no words to say. None. But thank you. 

Now, I suppose I better do the boring thing of going "if you want to vote for me...". I am but only on the condition that if you decide to vote, you vote for who you think deserves the award in that category. Ok? Ok. 

Right, apparently, my category is author only. So, authors, if you want to vote for Champion Adult Blogger (and other categories. You have 9 include mine!), check out UKYABA's website and details are there for voting form. 

There are always categories that us book bloggers/vloggers can vote for (I only realised this now. Shows how slow I am over the past few days!). Again, if you (and I, for that matter) wanna vote (there are 5 categories for us bloggers), again check out UKYABA's website and details will be there for your pleasure. 

Happy voting, and again, thank you.