These were random questions connected to an interview I once did. Enjoy!
FIRST JOB: Babysitting...paper route... I had a lot of jobs as a kid. We were not exactly rich, and my parents did not believe in handouts. (I'm glad!) You want something, you gotta work for it.
WHEN YOU WERE A KID, YOU WANTED TO BE: A jockey! I was crazy about horses.
HOBBIES: Since my main hobby became my career, beyond that, I like trying all kinds of different things, from sewing to kenpo karate to zip-lining to sailing to spelunking to cooking to gardening to gemstones. Who knows what’ll be next? Watercolor painting? Growing orchids? There’s a ghost-hunters group that I’m highly intrigued to look into…hmm? It’s all fodder for the writing. :)
WHAT’S IMPORTANT TO YOU: Love, Truth, Beauty. Peace, joy. Laughter. And books!
READING MATERIAL ON YOUR NIGHTSTAND: Novels across many genres, research books, metaphysics, and the Bible.
WHAT’S PLAYING ON YOUR TV: “Whose Line Is It, Anyway?” improv comedy.
WHAT’S ON YOUR PLAYLIST: I’m a musical omnivore. I love everything from vintage jazz to world beat to all forms of classical music from Gregorian chant onward. Haydn is my boy! I love Irish music, Scottish bagpipes, all kinds of Celtic music and Spanish forms of music, as well, like Cuban music and flamenco. Lately I’m incredibly interested in the Appalachian style music of my local region from the 17th and 18th centuries, which some musical scholars here have been unearthing before it’s lost to history. As a rule, I’m a huge fan of Sting, especially his darker work and his Renaissance-era John Dowland sendups, and I’ll drop everything to hear Andrea Bocelli sing. (But then I usually cry.)
FANTASY CELEBRITY DINNER DATE: Mark Twain
WHO WOULD PLAY YOU IN A MOVIE ABOUT YOUR LIFE: Saoirse Ronan or Dakota Fanning (if she dyed her hair brown) could be a younger me.
PEOPLE WOULD BE SURPRISED TO KNOW: I’m 5’2” without high heels on. Many readers seem surprised by this when they meet me in person, lol. They go: “Oh, you’re short!” I guess I have a tall personality!
GUILTY PLEASURE: A good Beaujolais -- and -- I’m so ashamed to say it! but Epic Rap Battles of History. Try this one on for size.
IF YOU HAD IT TO DO ALL OVER, YOU WOULD: Terrifying thought, lol. How far back can we start back this? From, like, age two? Because I think I might listen to my parents more from that age onward and just take it from there…
FAVORITE SPOT IN THE WORLD: At my writing desk, of course!
MOST EMBARRASSING MOMENT: Mistook a very famous “grand dame” romance author at a luncheon for a different very famous “grand dame” romance author and called her by the wrong name – in front of a bunch of people. Mortifying!!! (I don’t know—they had the same haircut! Lol. She was nice about it, though—thankfully!)
BEST USE OF A $100 GIFT CARD: Duh, BOOKS
PROUDEST MOMENT SO FAR: I have a proudest moment every time a reader writes to tell me how they connected emotionally with one of my books ~ especially letters from kids on my children’s books. They are Soooo Cuuuuute!
GOALS: Get more of the stories in my big fat idea file out of my brain and onto paper.
WHAT’S ON YOUR BUCKET LIST: Learn how to fly a helicopter!