Sunshine Blogger Award Nomination

Thanks to Joseph Glidden at https://josephglidden.com/ for the nomination.

I haven’t received a blogging nomination in over a decade, so this was a surprise. From 2011 to 2013, I received several award nominations for my blog, as you can see in the photo montage below.

Awards were popular when I began at WordPress in January 2011, and it was always an honor and an extremely kind gesture from the giver. Then it stopped. That’s why the surprise. It’s nice to see what may be a revival.

Rules for the Sunshine Blogger Award are Display the award’s official logo somewhere on your blog, Thank the person who nominated you, Provide a link to your nominator’s blog, Answer your nominators’ questions, Nominate up to 11 bloggers and ask them 11 questions, and Notify your nominees by commenting on at least one of their blog posts.

That’s where I fall short of winning the award. I don’t have time to do all the requirements. I’ve displayed the award’s logo, thanked Joseph for the nomination, and provided a link to his blog. Now I’m going to answer his 11 questions.

1. If you could bring back an old T.V. series, what would it be?
Although the reboot didn’t last long in the 1990s, I’d bring back the storyline of Barnabas and Angelique Collins from the daytime serial Dark Shadows, which aired from 1966 to 1971. It’s such a great Shakespearian-esque love and loss tragedy that Tim Burton made silly in his movie remake of Dark Shadows, co-produced with Johnny Depp in 2012. If you’re unfamiliar with the story, here is a short description of Barnabas and Angelique’s complex and tumultuous relationship:
Initially, Barnabas Collins had a brief affair with Angelique Bouchard while he was in love with Josette du Pres. When Angelique discovered Barnabas’s true feelings for Josette, she became obsessed with him and used witchcraft to manipulate Josette’s love for Jeremiah Collins, Barnabas’s uncle. This led to Josette’s death, which deeply affected Barnabas. In retaliation, Barnabas was forced to marry Angelique. After Barnabas discovered Angelique’s witchcraft, he shot her, believing her to die. However, Angelique survived and cursed Barnabas to become a vampire, leading to his transformation. Barnabas then strangled Angelique in the secret room of the mausoleum, but her soul was claimed by the Dark Lord in exchange for allowing Barnabas to continue as a vampire. Despite this, Angelique continued to plague Barnabas and the Collins family throughout the series.

2. Do you believe in magic?
I assume you don’t mean a magician’s magic that uses sleight of hand, misdirection, and psychological manipulation, but the supernatural kind that manipulates hidden forces or energies. Every time I sit down to write a book about Ridgewood, I make myself believe in the supernatural. When I’m not writing about it, not as much. However, I grew up in a belief system that we can focus our thoughts and emotions on manifesting desired outcomes when we pray. And I still marvel at the “magic” that created the universe, whether supernatural or not. Whether one is religious or not, the existence of everything is magical within and of itself.

3. If you had a chance to travel in space for free, would you go?
No.

4. What would you say to an alien from outer space that arrived on earth?
Do you speak and understand English?

5. Is white chocolate really chocolate in your opinion?
White chocolate is made mostly with cocoa butter, sugar, and milk solids, and has no cocoa solids that give chocolate its dark appearance. Since it does contain cocoa, then I have to say yes. White chocolate peanut butter cups are my latest candy fad.

6. What would you do if someone gave you a billion dollars?
After recovering from shock, the first thing I’d do is build places to house and feed and care for the homeless.

7. Is there a book or story that you would like to see made into a movie that has not been done yet?
It may be in the making, but I’d love to see a movie based on the life and career of baseball legend Roberto Clemente of the Pittsburgh Pirates.

8. Who is a hero or heroine to you?
See my answer to question 7. However one defines Hero, Clemente was definitely a man doing the best he could in baseball and in life who received few rewards and recognition in his lifetime. Of course, he is but one of many heroes. My list of others is long.

9. Do you believe that time travel will someday be possible?
Maybe, but not likely for humans. Einstein theorized that time is relative, not absolute, and can run differently depending on our reference of observation. From that theory we know that astronauts experience time dilation and return to Earth aged slightly less than if they’d stayed Earth-bound. Does that mean they went back in time? I don’t think so. I’ve consumed a lot of science fiction that theorizes the possibilities of going forward and backward in time, but I don’t see true time travel being anything more than a philosophy.

10. If you could go backward or forward in time, how far back or forward would you go?
I would do neither. The energy to create the phenomenon would be so great that it would likely kill me.

11. What is your comfort food?
Oven baked chicken. A close second is lasagna, and spaghetti for third.

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I wish to thank Joseph again for the nomination, and I wish I could continue with the remaining requirements, but a book deadline is looming large and needs all my concentration. Perhaps I’ll continue the requirements when the project is finished.

In the meantime, thanks for joining me today.

Peace and love to all.

Steve, 4/6/2025

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This post “Sunshine Blogger Award Nomination” copyright © 2025 Steven Leo Campbell at stevecampbellcreations.com – All rights reserved.

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