Edited: Contest now close. The random winner is: Sheryl Nyary. Congrats!
Tessa Dare is having a progressive blog tour today to celebrate her release of A Lady by Midnight. There are five stops, with an ongoing story and prizes along the way! Stop one just ended at Ex-Libris. At the end of this post, I’ll include the schedule for the remaining stops, but let’s get on with the story!
Thorne: Where are we now?
Kate: SmexyBooks!
Thorne: Smex…? I’m not even going to ask.
Kate: Good. Now at our last stop, we decided—
Thorne: You decided.
Kate: Right. I decided that stubborn, stone-hearted Thorne here needs some loosening up, and a meme is the perfect way to do it. So let’s try some memes on for size. I thought this gentleman made an ideal choice: 
Thorne, glowering: Who is that? He looks nothing like me.
Kate: Well, no. But he’s The Most Interesting Man in the World. It’s a joke, see? Because you always came into the Bull and Blossom and drank your ale coincidentally at the same time as my music lessons. Almost every day. For a year.
Thorne: I did not. You had your music lessons at my drinking times.
Kate, sighing: But of course, you’d never admit that you just wanted to be near me. And if I tried to talk to you, you left. On second thought, perhaps the meme we need is Socially Awkward Penguin. 
Thorne: What? I am not a socially awkward penguin. And I don’t run away. From anything.
Kate: You seem to run away from me quite often. Do I scare you?
Thorne: Nothing scares me. Nothing. I have endured battle, prison, starvation, beatings, and worse. I have the marks to prove it.
Kate: I’ll just leave this here. 
Thorne, blinking: I don’t get it.
Kate: I didn’t think you would, dear. But it gave me the best idea.
Onward to the next stop! Kate and Thorne’s meme battle continues at My Overstuffed Bookshelf at 2PM EDT!
Whether he cares to admit it or not, Thorne can be a socially awkward penguin. For that matter, the same could be said for his author. What social situations make you uneasy? Ever found the courage to walk up to someone you’ve secretly found attractive and just…say so?
The prize I’m giving away this hour is a music box:
To enter, answer Tessa’s question above. Remember, this contest is only open from 1pm-2pm EST. I’ll announce a winner shortly after. Open to US only.
Full schedule of the blog tour can be found here.
ROFL at honey badger Thorne!
I’m always nervous for new experiences in social situations. Anywhere I haven’t been before, doing anything I haven’t done before.
And no, I’ve never had the courage to walk up to someone and tell them I found them captivating. Too introverted for that, I’m afraid.
LOL! I’m a totally socially awkward penguin. Especially when having to speak to new people. I did have to get up the courage to start wooing my current bf of 2 years. It was through gaming together though, so it wasn’t too hard!
I don’t like entering a social setting alone where I don’t really know anyone.
Thanks so much for hosting us, Mandi and Smexy! Good luck to all who enter!
LOL! I love it. Anyways I don’t like meeting new people. I tend to clam up which makes thing awkward or sometimes I will get the giggles. Doesn’t make a good first impression.
The penguin is my favorite! I’m actually a really big people person – I have no problem walking into a group of strangers and start mingling – I actually asked out about half the guys I dated!
I have gone up to a man and made the 1st move. He turned into my boyfriend. Now he’s my EX-boyfriend. :-)
I am so uncomfortable at family gathers of my extended family. We are not one of those close-knit families. We see each other twice a year – 4th of July & Christmas. When I got tired of having the same conversation with them because they never remember what I say to them, I just gave up and stopped going to the functions.
All social situations are awkward for me. I can’t go out to certain places like bars without my therapy dog. She keeps me calm or will growl and keep people away when I am uncomfortable. I’m recovering from agoraphobia but it’s a slow process.
I freeze in crowds. Even the night I met my husband to be and he came up to me, I tried to hide behind my friends. They shoved me foreward. Loved the post.
I can literally talk to anyone…but I HATE having to be in charge of a meeting or speaking in public settings. Its one thing when its in a social situation but when in my college classes or at work when I speak up I get very flushed and talk VERY fast. Its not that I don’t know what I’m talking about because I do, its just I’m terrified that someone is going to say I’m wrong or I’ll make myself look silly.
As for ever telling a guy he’s attractive…not unless alcohol was involved. And then I do it a lot.
I used to be very nervous in social situations until my husband was sent to be a scientific representative at a NATO organization in Paris. During the time we lived there, we attended many top level meetings with other international scientists. I learned very quickly to be calm, show interest and ask questions. A smile works wonders in any situation like this.
I’ve been married for 45 years so at this time of my life I don’t feel as though I need to go tell someone I think they’re hot. However, I think at my age, it would make for a good laugh and an ice-breaker. ;-)
Great dialogue going on here! Lots of funny, endearing moments bu Thorne will bear it all for Kate… anything for Kate.
I do not like going on business meetings…even if I am prepared. I can’t stay still, as one should do, and listen to the speaker drone on and on about a subject. I am much more productive at the back stage and let me do actual work!
I’ve been married tool long to remember actually approaching someone that I’m secretly attracted to. If I were to do that now? Well, I couldn’t. I love my hubby way too much!
Socially awkward is totally different. I feel socially awkward in new situations where I don’t know anyone or feel particularly confident. Now when I’m feeling confident and in control, I’m great. When I’m not, I’m the wallflower, the one sitting in a corner, trying to leave if at all possible.
Can I just tell you, you all are making me feel so much better? I write a lot of shy and awkward characters because…well, I can identify. Even wrote a hero with panic attacks in crowds once.
Jay, I’m impressed by your courage in recovering from agoraphobia! So glad you have a therapy dog who’s helping you out.
I am usually a pretty friendly and out going person, but I don’t like being in big crowds, especially if it’s people I don’t know. I get easily intimidated and just want to fade in the background. I find I’m usually better one on one or in small crowds and I find it easier to open up once I know someone and feel comfortable with them. I went to an after-hours reception at a law firm down town last year and it was so awkward because everyone knew everyone and I felt so out of place.
And I hate hate public speaking with the heat of a nova. I don’t like that kind of attention, lol.
I’m totally skipping classwork for this :D I don’t feel guilty about it either!
I absolutely hate those situations where someone asks you for your opinion or states something you think is outrageous just to pull you into an argument. It’s a no win scenario. It’s either give in and pick up the argument or go along with it at the cost of your beliefs. It is especially bad when it’s already in a potentially awkward situation, like meeting your boyfriends parents for the first time. *true story* Sheesh.
Im pretty easy going and do well in social groups I think my one Place I shy was is with family. I pull back because I don’t want to scare them – lol loved the stop!!
Oh man those are funny!
Yeah, no way would I ever be that brave. I like to say I have the social skills of a pet rock, so yeah, pretty much me the awkward penguin in all social situations. Thorne seems to be in good company here.
Whenever I walk into a place where I know no one I feel awkward.
Hmmm, I really shy away from being the focus of attention. So, anytime whenever I’m in such a situation, I’m uneasy. I get tongue tied more so than usual!
I have went up to someone I was attracted to and talked to them, but I’ve never admitted my feelings. Too much of a scared-y cat for that!
I always thought socially awkward penguins were attractive. And yes I have made men blush by being so naturally me. Why not?
I cannot speak in public!!! I would not walk up to any guy and tell him that I like him. I am too shy
The social situation that makes me uneasy is going to a party where I only know the host. We hall have “work” friends we connect with, but its awkward when that friend tries to mesh both of his/her worlds together by throwing a party. I never know who/what I’m going to be faced with and it makes me very nervous.
Most social situations make me nervous ! And it hasn’t gotten much better as I’ve gotten older ! Takes courage to tell people how you feel !!
It took me years to learn how to stand up in front of a room full of people and feel comfortable speaking in front of them. If it is a smaller group where everyone shares their opinion, it is still hard for me. One on one, it depends on the situation. I can talk with people with no problem, buy sharing feelings is so much harder.
Do you know how many people call and wwho doesn’t say who is calling? For some reason when that happens I can 9 out of 10 times reecognize their voice and not have to ask.
On the other hand in a social situation when someone walks up I usually don’t rmember their name! When they start talking I then it’s not a problem. Unfortunately if I’m walking down the street I’ll walk right by them and not even realize what I’ve done.
Fortunately at my age I can just blame it as having a “senior moment”. Getting older has it’s advantages after all! Unfortunately this help me out when I was younger!
Pretty much all social situations make me nervous! Thanks for the chance to win!
All social situations make me nervous and uncomfortable. I don’t like to be around alot of peoples. Please enter me in contest.