My summer blog hop is here, so get your posts ready!

It’s time for my summer blog hop, so get your posts ready then come back and add it to the Linky List at the very end of this post!

Read last week’s 2021 blog hop invite here.

This year’s blog hop will remain open for new entries through September 7th. Woohoo!

This means you have plenty of time to get your posts ready! No excuses! 🙂

I’m only asking six questions because I’ve been asking too many in years gone by, and too many feels like homework, not fun. 🙁

Now, let’s get THIS year’s blog hop challenge going!

Below are my answers to the questions I posted last week.

I cannot wait to read YOUR answers in a post on YOUR blog. Scroll on down for directions on how to link your post into the Linky List at the end of this post.

Not a blogger but an active blog reader? Keep reading for how YOU can participate too!

1. Who are you? Tell us your genre, how long you’ve been at it, who or what inspires you or whatever you want us to know.

In September, I’ll be marking 11 years of blogging. I know. I can’t believe that either. My mother’s experience with metastatic breast cancer continues to drive me – one blog post, one word at a time. The memory of my friend Rachel Cheetam Moro does as well. Rachel welcomed me into the blogging world with open arms and taught me a ton about blogging; for instance, how to be more gutsy with my writing. She inspires me still.

Advocating for those with metastatic disease will always be at the heart of my advocacy. No matter what the topic, my goals remain: #KeepingItReal and offering (hopefully) #SupportYouCanUse

No fluff. No sugarcoating. Guaranteed.

2. What’s been your biggest blogging roadblock this year and did you come up with a way to get around it? (If you didn’t, that’s okay too. We’re here to support you.)

Finding balance. I’ve been trying to finish up my next book (more on that soon) while also attempting to keep the blog posts coming in a timely manner. Not to mention the other life stuff we all have to juggle. And then, there’s been Covid. Balance is elusive. I’m not sure it’s actually attainable. Ever. And yet…I keep looking for it. You?

3. What’s something you accomplished with your blog this year that you’re proud of?

After years of thinking about it, I FINALLY opened the Nancy’s Point Free Resource Library. It’ll be an ongoing work in progress. Have you visited yet?

Plus, I finished compiling Voices, a Collection of #MetsMonday Featured Posts. I’m proud to feature these fine writers here on the blog. Voices is available to download for FREE via my Library.

4. What are a couple of your best blogging tips?

Be your authentic self. Sometimes that advice about finding your own voice sounds kinda Lalaland vague. And finding your voice doesn’t just happen. It takes work, self-discovery, perseverance and a little risk taking. But you will find it. You will! More accurately, you will develop it.

Start an email list. Then, be sure to follow through and send emails on whatever schedule you choose. Relying on Facebook, Twitter and other social media platforms isn’t enough these days unless you have a huge number of followers which most of us do not. It takes work to do this, but blogging/writing is work. (I consider it my job now, not that you should, of course.)

5. How do you handle negative feedback or comments?

I avoid arguments. I validate differing opinions by saying something like, I respect your position, however…That usually works. If someone gets out of line (becomes disrespectful, swears, name calls) I delete their comments. In almost 11 years, I’ve only deleted a half dozen or so comments.

Oh, and I just have to mention, that whenever I write anything remotely political, a handful of readers become “disappointed” in me. So be it. I never delete that sort of comment. Case in point, #BlackLivesMatter: How to be an accomplice.

6. Share a link to a favorite post you’ve written THIS YEAR (or anytime if you’ve been a bit quiet) that you want more people to read.

Another year post-cancer diagnosis—still NED, still grateful, still pissed off! You know me, I always love a good rant – to read or write!

DIEP flap breast reconstruction surgery during a pandemic, is it safe? (Updates & reflections about my experience) It felt important to share about my DIEP flap surgery experience during a pandemic. (Phase 2 is next week. I’ll be sharing more on that later. Yes, of course I will.)

When a Cancer Billboard Is Offensive. Still my all-time personal favorite along with 15 Shitty Things Cancer Has Taught Me. (Like I said, I love a good rant now and then.)

Yeah, that was more than one, so feel free to share more than one of yours, too, on your post. 🙂

Below are directions on how to link up YOUR blog post on this one.

Again, the deadline is Sept 7th. But you can come back and keep hopping forever. 🙂

Bloggers: to link up YOUR post to THIS one, “click here to enter” down below (in blue) and fill out the form. Be sure to click enter your link after filling out the form.

Next, click on “Get the code here” (blue link below on the left) to get the code to paste into YOUR post on YOUR blog.

Choose one of the two codes (if one doesn’t work, try the other). Copy and paste it into YOUR blog post wherever you want the list to appear in your post. (I suggest at the bottom).

Important: You must be in HTML mode when you paste the code into your post (as you edit your post), or it won’t work.

If you have trouble, email or message me, and I will add your link to the blog hop list manually. Or just leave your link in the comments below. If all else fails, just link back to this post so people can find you from here.

However, you’ll still need to add the code to YOUR post on your blog (as an edit) if you want all the other bloggers’ links to appear on your post too.

Not a blogger, but want to participate? Yay!

Pick a question below to answer in the comments. Answer on this blog or any other blog you hop to. Bloggers love hearing from readers, at least this one does!

Finally, bloggers, please remember to hop around to the other blogs on the list (come back to check for new additions) and leave a comment or just say hi. Don’t just add your link and disappear. The whole point is supporting one another and discovering new bloggers.

Thank you in advance and happy blog hopping!

(I will hop to all blogs on the list and will return all comments.)

How many blogs do you read on a regular basis?

Why do you read blogs and what sort of posts do like best? (informational, opinion, rant, advice on an issue, personal story or other)

Do you have feedback of any kind, a comment or a question for this blogger?

Bloggers, if you had trouble linking in, leave your link here and I’ll add you to the list.