simpleek

The most rewarding thing about maintaining a blog for as long as I have is knowing there are people all over the world who read what I have written. I don’t make any money out of blogging every week (not yet anyway) and the desire to keep it going is only fueled by my passion for writing and the group of dedicated readers and visitors who stop by to see what’s the latest I’ve written about. This is why it’s greatly appreciated when a fellow blogger wants to show their appreciation for the effort you put into keeping a blog and your writing is at least being read by one person. It is with this thought in mind that I happily accept my nomination for the Mystery Blogger Award by Michaela of Objection Network.

Rules

• Put the award logo/image on your blog
• List the rules
• Thank whoever nominated you and provide a link to their blog
• Mention the creator of the award and provide a link as well
• Tell your readers 3 things about yourself
• Nominate 10 – 20 people
• Notify your nominees by commenting on their blog
• Ask your nominees any 5 questions of your choice; with one weird or funny question (specify)
• Share a link to your best post(s)

My Nominator

My nominator Michaela of Objection Network (formerly known as At the Buzzer) is a regular contributor to the site that also hosts a podcast every Thursday. Michaela often writes about anime and video games. You can sometimes hear her commentary in the Let’s Play videos with Objection Network’s main site operator Chris Etling. I have been following the site and Michaela’s writing for a long time now. What I enjoy most about reading Michaela’s work is the passion, enthusiasm, and thoughtful perspective she has on whatever topic she feels like writing about. I particularly like her anime mini-reviews because I can often find anime I may be missing out on or ones I could be on the fence about watching. I’m a bit out of the loop when it comes to what’s hot in the world of anime these days and I rely on posts like hers to narrow my anime watching list. From the bottom of my heart, I thank Michaela for nominating me for this award. Be sure to check out her writing as well as the site’s other contributors.

About The Creator Of The Mystery Blogger Award

The award was originally created by Okoto Enigma. The best way to define the award is best said by the creator themselves:

“Mystery Blogger Award”  is an award for amazing bloggers with ingenious posts. Their blog not only captivates; it inspires and motivates. They are one of the best out there, and they deserve every recognition they get. This award is also for bloggers who find fun and inspiration in blogging; and they do it with so much love and passion.

Three Things About simpleek

I’m not sure what else I can really say about myself that hasn’t already been said in other past blog award rules that include ‘tell us about yourself’. If I repeat anything you’ve read about before on my blog, I apologize.

1. I have an absolute love of flowers that borderlines a tad obsessive. Maybe? I like wearing flower accessories in my hair whenever I go out. I love receiving flowers as birthday presents or for special occasions. I especially love visiting gardens, whether they’re here in my city or when I travel to a new place. If there’s a garden that exists, you know I’ll find it and be there.

2. I don’t like taking selfies. If I do take them, it’s super rare. Every time I flip the camera on myself, I immediately grimace and switch it back to its original position…away from my face!

3. I read a ton of classic literature books, like Jane Austen, Charlotte Bronte, Thomas Hardy, and more, for fun. I feel like those masters of English lit not only can tell a great story (once you get past the slow start to some of these books), but they create such complex and intimate characters with so many layers to them. They set the precedent on what makes a character great and memorable. It’s no wonder their work is constantly studied in classrooms. I also find myself reading more YA novels too. Probably because I’m currently trying to write my own YA book.

Nominating Bloggers For The Mystery Blogger Award

I don’t have 10 I can really nominate, but I’ll nominate the ones who stand out in my mind:

1. Anime B&B – Marina runs a great blog that focuses on plenty of anime goodness. She’s also my go-to for all things anime when I’m in the market for new stuff to watch.

2. Virtual Bastion – Run by Cary of Recollections of Play, Hatm0nster, and Duck of Indeed, they seek to create a space where gamers can unite and share their passion for video games. You can find plenty of video game centric posts here.

3. The Triple Option – Run by Matthew Thompson, he writes mostly about video games he’s playing or the TV shows he’s watching.

These folks have plenty to read about, based on what your interests are. Be sure to give them a visit and follow!

Questions For Your Nominees to Answer

1. If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?

2. If you can take your favorite video game/TV show/movie/book character to dinner, who would it be and what question would you like to ask them?

3. What made you decide to start a blog?

4. What song would be the theme song to your life?

5. What’s the most frustrating boss fight you have ever played in a video game?

Answering The Questions Posed By The Blogger Who Nominated You

Now it’s time to answer the questions Michaela asked of her nominees to answer!

1. What got you into playing video games?

A: Initially, I purchased a Wii because I bought into the gimmicky motion sensor controls. I liked the idea of “exercising” while gaming. I guess that’s a weird reason for finally getting into gaming after not really being a gamer for so long and having so many friends who are gamers. Then I bought a Nintendo DS because I liked the portability and how it didn’t take much space to store in my room. There were also plenty of games to play on the DS, like Phoenix Wright, of course! I think what really got me completely hooked on gaming was the first time I watched my friend play Dragon Age: Origins on the Xbox 360 when I was over her house. I was dying to play this game on my own, made the decision to buy my own 360, and I’ve sunk deep into gaming beyond playing and finishing Dragon Age. Appropriately, the next game I played after Dragon Age was Mass Effect.

2. What’s your favorite part about blogging?

A: Being able to share my thoughts with everyone who wants to read about them and then discussing them further in the comments section. I really like interacting with my readers who leave me a comment and I take the time to really answer each one I get. Blogging is also an interactive process, aside from just writing your thoughts down and clicking the post button. It’s about starting and continuing the conversation with other people who may have had the same thoughts as you. Or if they have a differing opinion, I like hearing about them too as long as it’s voiced with a level of respect and courtesy.

3. If you were trapped on a deserted island, which fictional character would you bring to life to help you?

A: Wow, this is kind of hard to answer. I think if we’re talking about who would be the most useful in this situation then I would say Commander Shepard from Mass Effect. The female one of course! She’s the kind of character who would take charge and wouldn’t lose her cool under highly stressful situations. I feel like we would both survive days or even months on an island until help arrives.

4. What’s your favorite video game soundtrack?

A: There’s so many video game soundtracks I really like. I would say it’s between The World Ends With You and Final Fantasy XIII. I really love all the Japanese pop, rock, and hip-hop songs from The World Ends With You. Despite how much hate Final Fantasy XIII does get as a game, the music is undeniably pretty to listen to. My absolute favorite is Lightning’s theme.

5. What’s your favorite game to rag on/love to hate?

A: I can’t really say there’s too many games I love to hate. Maybe Cooking Mama? I’d say it’s a guilty pleasure than a game I really hate.

The Best Posts From simpleek

To finally wrap this post up, I’m asked to link what I consider the best posts I’ve written on the site. I’ll highlight the variety of posts I tend to write on my blog and the ones that have gotten the most hits in the past. Here they are in no particular order:

1. The Evolution of Mass Effect’s Kaidan Alenko: A Solider & A Lover – This post was written back in 2012 after completing all three Mass Effect games and is one of the most popular posts read on the site. I occasionally get a new comment from people who tell me I break down the character’s personality and his romance path really well. I tend to like writing these in-depth posts after doing a BioWare romance. There’s just a lot to say about them.

2. Nakago: A hateful villain and a tragic figure who breaks your heart – Another profile kind of post, but I really like discussing and analyzing characters who have left a huge impression on me. Nakago is one of those villains from anime and manga that’s a rarity to find––complicated and a sympathetic villain in spite of all the atrocious things he does to the characters in Fushigi Yugi.

3. The Ultra Thin Down: Stylish But Hardly Warm For A Cold Winter’s Night – The other big hit post I’ve written, next to my Kaidan Alenko one, is my thoughts about the slim down jackets. I’m not sure why this gets so many readers after all this time, but it shows you never know how big of a response your topics will get until you actually publish them.

Thanks again to Michaela for nominating me for this blog award!