Questions that Matter with Trana Mathews

I asked the questions that matter of Trana Mathews! But first, the book: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0842S16VM/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_tkin_p1_i0

Now, we listen:

Hello, Trana! What is the weirdest scar you have and how did you get it?

When I was 8 or 9, I reached down to pet a dog at my friend’s house. He jumped up and bit me on the nose. Can you imagine how painful it was to get stitches on the tip of your nose with only ice to numb it? During my teens and twenties, this tiny flap of skin was noticeable, and I was vain enough that it bothered me. I no longer have the scar, thank goodness!

What is really weird is both of my children also got scars on their faces. Before my daughter turned two, she tripped trying to climb up a staircase. After stitches, she had a small scar below her right eye. On my son’s fifth birthday, he didn’t listen (no matter how many times he’d been told!) and ran into a wall at the local library. He wore bangs for years to hide his “Frankenstein” scar.

That’s a scarry story! Ha! Favorite drink?

Iced mocha coffee. I go miles out of my way to get it, because I can’t resist the temptation if I haven’t had one for several days! There’s one on the desktop, and I’m drinking right now.

Well worth the drive! Have you ever had a dream at night that later came true?

Yes, several times. The most vivid déjà vu happened when my vehicle was sideswiped on the expressway. As my car spun across three lanes of traffic, I knew I had seen this in a dream the previous night. Very scary moment!

Obviously you’re okay, but wow! Scary! Are you on the dance floor or a wallflower?

Definitely not a wallflower. At my age, I don’t often go somewhere to dance in public, but I do dance around my apartment.

Good for you! Never stop! What’s the meaning of life?

Douglas Adams said 42. I say it’s to love, be loved, and to tell others you love them.

Share the love, folks! What’s the most marvelous thing you have ever seen with your own eyes?

I visited Chapel of the Transfiguration in Grand Teton National Park when I was a teen. In the rear of this log cabin is a large glass window. When dawn broke over the mountains, it created a halo effect on the chapel’s cross. Amazing!

Angelic! Are you usually early, late, or on time?

I prefer early. Reminder alarms for events ring 1 hour in advance. The clock in my car is set 5 minutes fast.

How punctual! Thank you, Trana, for taking this quirky interview! Support Trana by checking out the links and book! Then, set your reminder alarm for next Friday and another interview!

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19960446.Trana_Mathews

https://www.facebook.com/diane.hildebrandt.169

Happy reading! 🙂

Questions that Matter with Sean Bai

I asked the questions that matter of Sean Bai! But first, the website: https://www.baisbooks.com/aliens-among-the-stars

Now, the questions!

Hello, Sean! What is your most bizarre talent?

Combining ideas. I used to like being imaginative by merging different ideas together to create weird amalgamations. This is becoming useful as an author, as I try my best to write things that haven’t been written before.

Like pizza and salad? I love it! What song are you listening to right now, or what song did you listen to last?

Galoksi – Make that Body Move (Heldeep Records). I’m not sure if this is future house or bass house. Nowadays genres are combining, and that’s good.

I don’t like pop music. The beats aren’t punchy enough.

This was a hard choice. EDM is a very “wide” genre. There isn’t just one song or track that’s good. It’s more about collecting as many as I can.

My favorite type of music is bass house.

Drop that beat! What is your motto?

If it’s boring to write, it’s boring to read.

There is so much competition in the writing industry now. I’m not going to force myself to write something I don’t want to write. I’m not going to just tick some boxes for some tropes or some science fiction technology. I’m writing some new science fiction weapons, aliens, and technology.

For example: I created an alien fruit in my world called a “banpod”. You’ll have to read my book to find out what that is 🙂

My curiosity is getting the better of me! Why did the chicken cross the road?

He didn’t like being cooped up.

The obvious answer–how did we all miss that? Is the glass half-empty or half-full?

The glass is half-full, half-empty, and can be both. I don’t like dealing in absolutes.

I believe in accepting any negative things that happen, while also being positive. You can acknowledge the glass is half-empty without being pessimistic, and still acknowledging the glass is half-full.

If you prepare for failure and understand that nothing is perfect, you’ll be much happier.

Wise advice! Which Harry Potter character are you?

My mom used to call me Chinese Harry Potter. I have glasses and black hair.

Gryffindor! Have you ever had a dream at night that later came true?

Yes. Sometimes dreams are based on your hidden fears. If you act based on what you fear, it can cause it to happen. So just don’t be afraid. Don’t listen to that part of yourself that wants you to fail.

That’s often why prophecies in fantasy books come true. They come true because the person who heard the prophecy was afraid of it coming true, so his actions make it come true.

So true! Thank you, Sean, for joining my quirky squad. Support Sean by checking out the links! Then, let your chickens out and join us next Friday for another interview!

https://www.facebook.com/sean.bai.5095

Twitter: @seanbawhite

Happy reading! 🙂

 

Questions that Matter with Julia K. Poulet

I asked the questions that matter of Julia K. Poulet! But first, the book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0848NJRL5

Now, we ask…

Welcome, Julia! How did you meet your best friend?

I have two best friends. One of them, whom I have been friends with for like 17 years now, I met at my old orchestra, which is kind of normal. The other one – we met online on a community board, where I used to write fanfiction about my favourite band before fanfiction was as wide spread as it is today. We met in person for the first time, when someone organized a get together for the community members and we both went to that. That was in 2008 and we’re still friends and she’s lately moved to a city close to mine again after we lived pretty far apart for a long time, so now we get to spend lots of time together again.

BFFs! What’s your biggest screw up in the kitchen?

Ha! I’ve got another story for you about that. So, my mum invited friends round and I helped her prepare the food. We came to dessert which was vanilla ice cream and I thought: “Well, vanilla ice cream on its own is rather boring.” So I rummaged around the fridge and found a small plastic bottle with brown liquid in it which looked like chocolate sauce and I decorated the ice cream with it. Turned out it was balsamic vinegar. I was so embarrassed. Funnily, first of all, our guests really liked the weird combination and secondly, two weeks later my mum watched one of these cooking shows and they did the exact same thing!

A disaster gone right! What is one of your favorite quotes?

Roald Dahl (from My Uncle Oswald): “I began to realize how important it was to be an enthusiast in life. He taught me that if you are interested in something, no matter what it is, go at it at full speed ahead. Embrace it with both arms, hug it, love it and above all become passionate about it. Lukewarm is no good. Hot is no good either. White hot and passionate is the only thing to be.”

I think this really hits the nail on the head. I love it when people are enthusiastic about what they do. Even if it’s something that I personally have never been into nor intend to get into, their passion will make me listen intently and might even make me want to try whatever they love out myself. I have met people who are lukewarm about everything they do and about every aspect of their life and I just can’t handle that type of person. I also think that passion is what keeps us going. There are always so many obstacles ahead and the only way to get past them is perseverance and I don’t believe you can have this perseverance without being passionate, without burning for your thing, whatever it is.

Well-said! Which is your favorite way to dance:  with others or alone?

I have done almost all types of dancing at some point in my life, so this is a bit hard, because all of the different styles are cool in their own rights. In the last couple of years, what I have done most was lindy hop and generally swing dancing, but I guess what I enjoy the most is still folk dancing, specifically contra. I am currently organizing an annual festival in Britain and what I am most looking forward to is all the contra dancing that will happen throughout the three days it is taking place.

Time to polish those dancing shoes! Do you sing in the shower?

I don’t, because I sing everywhere else. I actually start singing along to music I like even if it’s played in a shopping mall. I have zero inhibitions about this.

Sing with that white-hot passion! What’s the most marvelous thing you have ever seen with your own eyes?

I went to New Zealand a few years ago and did a Lord of the Rings tour there. It was absolutely magical to walk around Hobbiton (dressed up as a Hobbit) and to stand on top of the hill where Edoras was, but I think my favourite place was “South of Rivendell” (where Boromir teaches the Hobbits to fight with swords). You can only get there with a helicopter and it is to me one of the most magical places on earth.

Sign me up! Which Harry Potter character are you?

I always identified with Hermione when I grew up. I am one of the people who were the same age as the characters when they read the books, the German edition of “Philosopher’s/Sorcerer’s Stone” came out, when I was 11. And as a kid, I was Hermione, I was that bookish kid that didn’t have many friends. I never was an extreme teacher’s pet but I just loved studying and learning, so people always assumed I did nothing but revise at home when what I was actually doing was playing music and going dancing and learning how to ride a unicycle.

Nowadays, I think I’d be a mix. I still have some of Hermione’s traits (the know-it-all is quite strong in me) but I think I’m also a bit like Luna, who I perceive as extremely loyal and much cleverer than she comes across. And I hope I am also a little bit like the twins. I walk through life and I see stuff and I am always like “oh how can I make that?” or “oh how can I make this but better?” When I am old, I want to be like Minerva McGonagall, really, I feel like that’s a decent life-goal. I definitely feel like a Gryffindor and have always identified as one. People who don’t know me well always try to tell me I’m a Ravenclaw, but that just never applied.

Never let anyone but the sorting hat tell you which house you belong in! Thank you, Julia, for taking our quirky challenge! Support Julia by checking out the book! Then, grab your bowl of balsamic vinegar ice cream and join us in reading another interview!

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19884441.Julia_K_Poulet

https://www.instagram.com/juliakpoulet/

https://www.facebook.com/juliakpoulet

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvPvvseo_FBOuuEta8rCXIA

https://twitter.com/juliakpoulet

Happy reading! 🙂

Questions that Matter with Elizabeth N. Harris

I asked the questions that matter of Elizabeth N. Harris! But first, the book: https://www.amazon.com/Hunters-Rage-Rage-MC-Book-ebook/dp/B082WH98WW/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=The+Hunters+Rage&qid=1579788980&sr=8-2

Now, the questions!

Welcome, Elizabeth! What’s the color of your toothbrush?

Purple, always has been and always will be! I love purple, it’s my all-time favourite colour. I even have purple saucepans!

 I would love purple saucepans! Are you high or low maintenance?

Oh low, I like to be spoiled but I don’t insist on it nor do I demand it. But I think the days where men were so chivalrous are long gone! They’re not sure if they’re going to get smacked down for opening a door or not!

These are changing times…Describe your best pair of socks.

My eldest son bought me two pairs of fluffy purple socks! Amazing!

Those sound like the perfect hugs for your feet! Do you believe in aliens?

Of course, it’s vanity to believe otherwise. We can’t be the only life form in the galaxy. It’s impossible that we are. Are they interested in us? Why on earth would they be, we’re not exactly shining examples lol. Yeah, life exists out there.

Hello, out there! We are friendly! Would you rather fly on a dragon or meet a mermaid?

Dragon! I love dragons, I have a large collection of them from Franklin Mint, to Enchantica, to Tudor Mint. There is something magical about them, regal and majestic. To fly a dragon would be a dream come true.

Fly away! Do you have an irrational fear?

Spiders! I freak out like a cat on hot bricks. It doesn’t help my kids are scared too. Only my youngest is brave enough to collect them and put them outside. I’m completely and utterly terrified of them.

Completely rational, that one! Which season defines you?

Winter. I adore winter, snuggled up in a quilt, with hot chocolate and fluffy pj’s and socks. Stews and casseroles. Roast dinners. Snow on the ground, Christmas lights. Winter is the death of the old and the beginning of the new. Because without winter, spring can’t come! I love red chubby faces and warm thick coats.

Snowmen, snowflakes, and mittens! Perfect! Thank you, Elizabeth, for sharing the quirky side of you! Support Elizabeth by checking out the links below! Then, put on your purple socks and join us for another interview!

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/49418580-the-hunters-rage

https://www.facebook.com/groups/483099482281750

https://www.elizabethnharris.net/bio

Twitter: @Elizabe37492856

Happy reading! 🙂

Questions that Matter with John J. Parrino

I asked the questions that matter of John J. Parrino! But first the book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07YLBNHH4/ref=cm_sw_su_dp

Now, we ask:

Hello, John! What is the weirdest scar you have and how did you get it?

My weirdest scar is just below my chin, which is currently covered by a goatee. I busted my chin playing sandlot football in the twelfth grade while tackling a running back. Hit the guy way too high and my chin came crashing down on the top of his head, which was sporting a crew cut, so not much padding of hair to cushion the blow. We played without pads, hitting, tackling, crashing to the ground without benefit of anything to prevent serious injury. We were young and impulsive and crazy as hell. I ended up in the emergency room due to significant bleeding which required twelve stitches, and was back out on the field the very next weekend. Once again, crazy as hell.

But now you have the story to tell! How did you meet your best friend?

I met my best friend Dick as a child since, well, he’s my cousin who was born right down the street from me in our ethnic neighborhood. The character of Rick in my book is loosely based on him.

I suppose we had our first real bonding experience during early puberty. My mom got the bright idea that we needed dancing lessons to be attractive to the Latino girls in the neighborhood who loved to rumba, samba and tango. Dick and I bought the idea as a means-to-the-end of getting dates. What we didn’t anticipate: We had to dance with each other first. I got the worst part of the deal because my good friend was a foot taller than me. Thus during the tango, my head was stuck in the middle of his chest, which was already sprouting hair at an alarming rate. There is a comic illustration depicting that embarrassing scene in my book.

Real-life is the best inspiration! What’s your favorite cheesy pick-up line? Have you ever used it for real?

”By chance…any of you chicks from New Jersey.” Yes, I used the line quite regularly with Northern girls who visited the beach close to where I grew up in Florida. My gang of friends and I met lots of young ladies from up north, perhaps because of the quantum cheesiness of the line, which stopped them in their tracks (one of those odd gestures that compelled them to stop and investigate). It worked about 2% of the time.

Cheese is best left to the pizza! Do you know what your name means or who you were named after?

My last name Parrino, in the Sicilian dialect of Italian, means godfather. When I say that to others, they immediately think of the mafia godfather. It is, however, more akin to the Godfather who is your guardian, typically a good friend or family member. So ironically, I called my godfather parrino. If you want to pronounce it correctly, you must roll the r’s, Par…rrr…eno.  

Rrrrright! Were you the class clown or teacher’s pet?

I was the class clown, but a closeted one. That is, I wasn’t like some of the outrageous guys in my school that jumped out of a second story classroom for a laugh or threw condoms at the student council president as he made his announcement (I went to a rather rough inner city school). Nope, I was the guy who sat behind you and whispered goofy things so you would giggle out loud for the entire class to hear…”I’ll bet you fifty bucks Mr. Gomez isn’t wearing any underpants today.”

And let them take the fall! Let us see your TV show Friends “Five Celebrities” list!

Sigmund Freud would make my list (perhaps not officially a celebrity) because I’m a Psychologist and, even though I don’t practice as a Freudian, he was a bona fide genius who was the first to tap the workings of the unconscious mind.

Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David for coming up with the greatest comedic ideas for a sitcom.

Lawrence Sanders, author of twenty or so of the best mysteries I have read, including the Deadly Sins series, particularly the Third Deadly Sin.

Matt Damon for many of my favorite movies, particularly The Talented Mr. Ripley.

A lot of talent in that list! Flash me! Write us a flash fiction story, no more than 50 words please!

Joey desperately wants to be a babe magnet like his best friend Rick, but he doesn’t have the right stuff. One day, he accidentally discovers his brain, uses it to become a Shrink and solves the mystery of his neurotic need to compete with Rick: Carnal envy.

That story sounds familiar….Thank you, John, for joining us today! Support John by checking out the book! Then, brush the chest hair off your face and join us for another fun interview!

Happy reading! 🙂

Questions that Matter with Tam May

I asked the questions that matter of Tam May! But first, the book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0821YZVKM

Check out Tam May’s other interview as well!

Now, the new questions!

Hello again, Tam! What is the weirdest scar you have and how did you get it?

It’s on the palm of my left hand, in the corner, near my thumb. When I was a teenager, a neighbor of ours asked my sister and I to cat sit for her while she was on vacation. We went over to her house and fed the cats and played with them. One day, one of the cats I was playing with just sort of stared at me like I was an alien and then suddenly howled and raised her paw and swiped at my hand. It made a gash that left the scar. Actually, you can’t really see it all that much now, as it’s faded over time.

Me-ouch! How did you meet your best friend?

This was when I was doing my undergraduate degree. I was living in Israel at the time, so I went to an Israeli university. I majored in English literature and linguistics, a no brainer for me, since all the classes were in English, and I love literature. There were several Americans in the class, and a woman named Becky was one of them. We took to one another right away. She’s ten years older than I am and very, very wise and fun to be with. She’s a rabbi’s wife, but she and her husband, though Orthodox Jews, have a very different outlook on life than most Orthodox Jews. She taught me a lot about life and about how to treat people and how to see myself as a worthy person who has a lot to give people. She gave me a lot of encouragement in my writing, telling me not to stop, as I am a wonderful writer and have a lot to give readers. We’re still friends, though she’s living in Israel, and we don’t see one another often. All my books are dedicated to her and to my sister.

A sweet story! What is something you’ve always wanted to try but have been too scared to?

Painting! I love paintings, and I use them for my book covers. But when it comes to any kind of visual art, I have two left hands :-). I can’t even draw stick figures straight. It’s a little ironic, actually, as when I was a teenager, my parents took me to a place where they do all kinds of tests that are supposed to tell you what would be your ideal career based on your skills and personality. I remember the woman there telling me that all the tests showed that I would make a great graphic designer. Go figure!

Two left hands—I love it! What do you think the best invention is?

Well, this might be a little contradictory, since I write historical fiction, but to me, it’s the personal computer. I’m a child of the 80’s, and I remember when the first Apple desktop computers came out. My dad is a retired engineer and was always really into computers. He bought the second Apple desktop model and taught us how to use it. Throughout my teen years, we had Apple computers in our house. I’m a huge die-hard fan of Mac computers, which is funny, because my dad has long ago moved to a PC. To me, computers have become a necessity in our modern age. So much of our lives are conducted with computers, even if we’re not a part of social media or we don’t have an internet connection. I know there’s a lot of controversy about the benefits and drawbacks of our digital age, but it’s a reality that we can’t avoid.

It helped us make this interview, so…I agree! Do you have a nickname? If not, give yourself one now!

Actually, Tam is my nickname. I didn’t give it to myself. My twin sister gave it to me. My real name is Rotem and a lot of people find it difficult to pronounce. When we were teens, my sister started calling me Tam, short for Rotam, which the way a lot of people pronounce my real name. I liked the nickname, and it became my writing persona. I don’t think I could write under any other name!

A lovely gift! Thank you, Tam, for coming to play with us again! Support Tam by checking out her past interview and the links! Then, untangle your left hands and join us next Friday for another author!

Contact Links:

Past interview: https://dovewinters.wordpress.com/2019/05/17/ows-cycon-2019-blitz-tam-may/

Website: https://tammayauthor.com/

Blog: https://tammayauthor.com/category/thedreambookblog

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tammayauthor/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/tammayauthor

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/tammayauthor/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tammayauthor/

Happy reading! 🙂

Questions that Matter with Sarah Dickinson

I asked the questions that matter of Sarah Dickinson! But first, the book: https://www.amazon.com/Silver-Spoons-Journey-Through-Addiction/dp/1717868940/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1AC3DG9JC9DJ2&keywords=silver+spoons+ones+journey+through+addiction&qid=1576167510&sprefix=silver+spoons%3A+on%2Caps%2C163&sr=8-1

Now, the questions!

Welcome, Sarah! What’s your favorite cheesy pick-up line? Have you ever used it for real? 

My favorite pick-up line, and yes indeedy I have used it, goes as such: walking up to fine individual you would like to know, you seductively suck on your index finger. Then you pop finger out of your mouth, tap them and yourself on the shoulder before asking, “what do you say you and I go get out of these wet clothes” When they finish laughing at you, you now try to find your pride.

Did it work? What would you want to be written on your tombstone?

I hate to admit that after finding out that there is a place in PA that will turn your cremated ashes into a firecracker I fully intend to have my fat ass shot over the ocean as loved ones celebrate the moments we shared together. But in any memorial plaque made for me I know my children will quote Garth Brooks, “Our lives are better left to chance. I could have missed the pain, but I would have missed the dance.”

You’re a firework! What’s your favorite word?

Hands down my favorite word is fuck. It’s a noun, verb, adjective. You can use it as a period, exclamation point, comma, and word enhancer. It changes meaning depending on its tone. Can be an entire sentence on its own, but you can build a complete sentence using just that and it is still grammatically correct. ex…fuck fucking fuckers.

And it rhymes well, so it’s great for use in poetry! What would you name your boat if you had one?

It would be named “hold my hair” as I would be vomiting far too much. As I can get sea sick standing on a dock, and in some cases in the middle of strong waves waist deep in the ocean water.

Maybe a boat in a bottle would be better? What is one of your favorite quotes?

Mother is the name for God in the lips and hearts of little children…William Makepeace Thackeray

Insightful! Do you know what your name means? Or who were you named after?

While I know Sarah means princess, the far better story is that when my mother was pregnant with me she fully intended to name me Jennifer. Now my mother despised nicknames and picked Jennifer because she figured the worst she’d hear me called was Jen. Fast forward to my delivery, her best friend (a nurse) was with her when my speedy and emergent arrival happened. She made sure I & my mother made it safely and cashed in those indispensable person chips immediately. She sent flowers to the room with a card that said, To a Niffer From a Nuffer….and my mother immediately changed my name to Sarah.

And Sarah is a lovely name to have! Never trust a person who doesn’t like…

Music! I have a list of standby classics that are my personal test. If I play these songs, and you do not sing along…passionately…you are not a person I need in my life. They include Paradise by the Dashboard Lights, Bohemian Rhapsody, the Piano Man, Friends in Low Places, and Iron Man to name a few.

An eclectic mix! Thank you, Sarah, for entertaining us today! Support Sarah by checking out the links! Then, find your sea-legs and join us next Friday for another fun interview!

https://twitter.com/Peerpre36414692

https://www.facebook.com/Silver-Spoons-Ones-Journey-Through-Addiction-916257075228829/

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19325669.Sarah_Dickinson

Happy reading! 🙂