I've been nominated by the very kind Mikayla @ Mikayla's Bookshelf  in the Blogger Recognition Award tag!  This is an amazing thing for me.  I made it a goal to really focus on creating content for my blog this summer, and it is starting to pay off with more page views, followers and friendships as my journey progresses.  Thank you for making me feel a part of this amazing community of bloggers!

Rules:

1.  Select 15 other blogs you want to give this award to.  Do some digging if you must!  Find those blogs.  You cannot nominate yourself or the person who has nominated you.

2.  Write a post to show off your award!  Give a brief story of how your blog got started, and give a piece or two of advice to new bloggers.  List who nominated you in your post.  Make sure to attach the award yourself.

3.  Comment on each blog and let them know you've nominated them.  Provide a  link to the award post you created.

4.  Provide a link to the original post on Edge of Night.  That way, anyone can find the original post if needed, and we can keep it from mutating and becoming confusing.

My story:

The past few years have been rough for me.  Caring for my Mom in her last stages of cancer, dealing with my own illnesses, and recognizing my changing role as a mom has made me quite reflective.  My priorities have shifted to try and include making time for myself and doing things that make me happy and connected to others.  One of my great pleasures is reading.  Seeing how much my mom enjoyed books inspired me to focus on seeking out books I could get excited about and share with others.  I started my blog for two reasons.  First off, I wanted a way to practice writing regularly.  Secondly, I wanted to connect with others who enjoy books.  My blog got off to a rocky start, as I began it in the middle of the school year.  I didn't really work on it as much as I wanted to and I was frustrated.  This summer, I have really put my all into this and it is starting to bear fruit!

Advice for new bloggers:

Figure out how much time you have each week to dedicate to your blog.  Establishing a blog is time-consuming, but worth it!  Figure out how to schedule your posts ahead of time so you can dedicate a few days a week to writing and line up your posts.  That way you will get ahead of any deadlines you have set and can relax on some of the days.  If you put too much pressure on yourself, you will burn out and stop enjoying it!  Then it will become a chore.  No one wants that!  Have fun and write about what excites you, even if, at times, it is unrelated to your main blog's theme.  When you are enthusiastic, others will be too.

My Nominees are:

1.  Sofia @ Bookish Wanderess
2.  Kateria @ Kati Bookaholic Rambling Reviews
3.  Alexandra @ Milky Way of Books
4.  Donita @ My Random Book Thoughts
5.  Ashley @ Bookish Realm Reviews
6.  Sinead @ Less Reality, More Books
7.  Jen @ My So-Called Book Reviews
8.  Anna @ Enchanted by YA
9.  Kelly @ Effortlessly Reading
10.  Jen @ Pop! Goes The Reader
11.  Tammy @ Tammy's Book Reviews
12.  Fhina @ Fhina's Lunatic Life
13.  Maria @ Teen YA Book Nerd
14.  Paulina @ The Little Book Pixie
15.  Jade @ Book Muffin