Quirky Questions with Katherine Luck

I asked Katherine Luck some quirky questions! But first, the book: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B07D1XWWHW

And the links:

KatherineLuck.com

Twitter: @katherineluck

Instagram: @katherine.luck

http://books2read.com/Cure

Now let’s have some fun!

We’re ordering in, Katherine! What’s your favorite pizza topping?

Glitter! Edible glitter, to be clear. I had no idea such a thing existed until I wrote a scene in The Cure for Summer Boredom in which the main character, Ruby, decides it would be a great prank to swap a bag of glitter for the bag of sugar her mother’s using to bake a cake. It all goes comically awry and nobody gets glitter poisoned fortunately, but I got to wondering what would happen if someone actually ate glitter. And lo and behold, I found out that edible glitter not only exists, it’s quite the hip condiment. You can put it on anything: cake, ice cream, pudding, pizza. It makes everyday food so very fancy.

Sparkly pizza? That sounds divine! Why did the chicken cross the road?

Because the egg went first.

Some would debate that answer! What would you tell your younger self?

Don’t waste all that money at Kinkos and the post office. In a few short years, all queries will be sent via this marvelous free invention called “email.” Use the cash to buy Microsoft stock instead. Retire rich, write all day, email queries all night. Also, forget queries. There’s this fantastic free invention coming soon called “blogging” …

In all seriousness, that’s the advice I’d give today’s writers. Don’t wait for someone else to publish you. Publish yourself. But be aware that, in doing so, it’s all on you. There’s no blaming your editor when you’re the editor. And years later, you might cringe when you re-read what your “publisher” (you) decided was ready for prime time. 

It’s always a shame we can’t speak to our younger selves! Coffee or tea? Iced or hot?

Coffee all the way. I found out about the traditional Swedish coffee break, fika, while writing my novel. It’s just like the traditional British “tea time,” but loaded with caffeine. I want that here! An energizing break in the work day sounds so civilized. Desperately slugging down a cup of lukewarm java that’s been sitting in the breakroom since 6 a.m. while staring at the clock, which will not move past 2:17 no matter how hard you glare at it? Not so much.

I would like that, too! I’m in! Which season defines you?

I guess the best way to describe it would be “the rainy season.” I’m originally from Portland, now living in Seattle. All my life, when it wasn’t raining, it was about to. There’s a reason they call the first month of summer “Juneuary” around here. That’s why I decided to set my novel in a very hot, very sunny (very imaginary) town somewhere in Texas called Somwärin, Texas. It’s home to a whole gaggle of wacky characters, from furniture-obsessed Swedish ex-pats to slightly supernatural trailer park residents to long-haul truckers who believe their CB radios are sending them mystical messages. And, of course, Ruby. Writing it was my way of getting a vicarious suntan.

A vicarious suntan is probably the safest! Your life is being narrated! Who is doing the narration?

David Attenborough. I feel like he could make anything I do, no matter how undignified, sound epic. “Here we see the writer searching for a synonym. First she consults the thesaurus. Then the dictionary. Then she ventures, quite hesitantly, into the untamed wilds of UrbanDictionary.com. Alarmed by what she sees, she retreats and stares at a wall for several minutes. The hunt continues…long into the night.”

That did sound epic in my head! Now, flash me! Write us a flash fiction story, no more than 50 words please!

Story in a Can

It was Blake’s first day working at the cannery. “Whatever you do,” cautioned his supervisor. “Don’t lean over the edge of the canning machine.”

As soon as his boss left, Blake leaned over the edge of the canning machine.

And that’s how, on his very first day, Blake got canned.

*drums goes ba-dum tshh*

You nailed that flash fiction, Katherine! Thank you for being quirky with us! If you enjoyed this interview, go support Katherine on social media and read! Then come back next Friday to learn random facts about another author!

Happy reading! 🙂

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Quirky Questions with Casey Hays

I asked quirky questions of author Casey Hays! But first, the book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07257713P

And the links:

Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/authorcaseyh…
Whispering Pages Fan Club: https://www.facebook.com/groups/49897…
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Casey-Hays/e/B…
Website: http://www.whisperingpages.com
Blog: https://whisperingpages3.wordpress.com/
https://twitter.com/CaseyHays7
https://www.pinterest.com/hays8904/…
https://www.instagram.com/that_blonde…
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show……
https://www.bookbub.com/profile/casey…

Now to the questions!

Hello, Casey! That is a marvelous book cover! What’s the most marvelous thing you have ever seen with your own eyes?

I saw the Northern Lights once (Aurora Borealis). They were absolutely the most incredible thing I’ve ever seen. I literally thought heaven was opening up and Jesus was going to step out on the clouds. It was beautiful.

Something I have always wanted to see! Neat! What song are you listening to right now, or what song did you listen to last?

I’ve been on a Theory of a Deadman kick ever since I saw them live in concert over Memorial Day weekend, so of course, I just listened to “Straight Jacket” … again. 🙂

Great! On a scale from 1-5, how afraid of the dark are you?

I’m less than 1, actually. I’m not a bit afraid of the dark. In fact, my room has to be pitch black for me to sleep. I kind of find comfort in the blackness. My philosophy is… if you can’t see it, it can’t see you. And if it can’t see you, it can’t find you to hurt you.

That theory has worked for me so far…Name the top five things you take with you during a zombie outbreak.

a. My Bible. I would cherish that thing and keep it in a safe place where no one could steal it. I really think having God’s word with me would be the one thing keeping me going.
b. My phone, because it has all my music on it. So… I hope there’s still electricity so I can charge it! Yikes!
c. My thumb drive that contains every book I’ve written. I’d carry that thing close to my heart… right inside my bra… lol.
d. My copy of Shakespeare’s collection of sonnets. Because he kind of rocks it, and I could use a meaningful poem or two in the midst of the chaos.
e. A picture of my family.

Perfect! I’ll add you to the zombie-fighting team I’m assembling! Just so we know: are you usually early, late, or on time?

I am almost never on time. People have just gotten used to me being the last one there. I don’t even know why I’m late, but it just seems that I can’t get it together… ever… to be on time anywhere! It’s a bad habit, I know. But the world would be a pretty boring place if everyone was always on time. Plus, people’s lives have been saved because they were running late and missed their train which derailed with no survivors. So honestly, being chronically late has its advantages.

On that, I agree! Which is your favorite way to dance: with others or alone?

It doesn’t really matter as long as I get to dance. I LOVE dancing. With my husband, with a stranger who asks, with myself or my best friends. I never miss my Zumba class, which, let’s face it, is really exercise disguised as dance. Dancing, in my opinion, is the best way to stay in shape and feel good about yourself. So when the music starts, dance people. Alone or with someone… just dance! 🙂

Hands in the air! Let’s take it to the extreme: Shark diving, bungee jumping, or sky diving?

I will NEVER shark dive. I won’t even swim with dolphins. The thought of being in the water with a large creature gives me anxiety. Plus, one of my biggest fears is not being able to breathe, so any kind of scuba diving is out for me. Bungee jumping, yes. I’d do it. But I’m most inclined to skydive. In fact, my son turns 21 this year, and he’s wanting to skydive for his birthday. I can’t wait to go with him! Yes, I will most definitely jump out of a perfectly good plane!

That will be the birthday you both always remember! Good luck! Thank you for joining us on Quirky Questions! If you’d rather not follow Casey out of the perfectly good plane, then follow on social media and read the book! We’ll be pulling our parachute cords here next Friday!

Happy reading! 🙂

Quirky Questions with Michelle Wright

I asked some quirky questions of Michelle Wright! But first, the book: https://www.amazon.com/Audreys-Magic-Nine-Pencil-Fuzzy/dp/0984214356/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

And a link:

https://www.goodreads.com/ author/show/17623954.Michelle_ Wright?from_search=true

Now let’s have some fun!

Let’s get personal! What is the weirdest scar you have and how did you get it?

Well, I have two weird scars. The first is on my left shin from a bicycle accident as an adolescent. I grew up on the flat plains of West Texas and was not accustomed to negotiating hills on a bike. Then I visited a friend in Albuquerque–where there are some hills–and we went bike riding, and of course, I don’t really need to say it, but mayhem ensued. I didn’t just fall, though, I rolled down the hill and hit the front tire of a parked car with my head. Of course, it HAD to be my head. Everyone was horrified because I was scratched and bleeding all over, but I was deeply embarrassed. I had to fight an instinct to run VERY quickly from the scene and lick my wounds, which with time, faded except for the one on my shin. It’s been there a LONG time now.

And the other scar? Well, I was scarred by bad mayo on a tuna fish sandwich. Now, I cannot stand the taste, the smell, or the sight of it, and I even hate acknowledging those giant bottles and vats of it at restaurants. But the worst thing is eating with someone who likes mayo. I don’t discriminate, but it is very difficult to abide the opening of a mayo packet when bubbling mayo juice plops onto a lunch companion’s plate. 

Hold the mayo! What is something you’ve always wanted to try but have been too scared to?

I would like be an amazon and hike the entire Appalachian Trail by myself, sneering at bears and snakes and the other hikers who must travel in packs for safety. As I write this segment, I momentarily envision myself in a Rosie-the-Riveter-style pose, the sleeve of my flannel outdoor shirt rolled back to reveal my muscle, but then the image is marred by the facts that I don’t have muscles in my arms and that I am just…strange. I have to remind myself that I wouldn’t just attract a bear native to that part of America. No, I would somehow encounter a grizzly from the other side of the continent, protecting a rare triplet of cubs at the exact same moment that I stepped on a cobra, coincidentally also enjoying time outside of its natural ecosystem.

You and I have the same outdoor skills! What is your favorite smell?

I love the smell right before a thunder storm when the scents of ozone and rain combine, and the wind whisks the fragrance through my hair. 

One of my favorites, too! What’s your favorite sound?

My favorite sound is the noise my dog makes when she snores. Her snore is loud and cute and tolerable in the way it wouldn’t be if the noise emanated from a human being. I don’t even mind her snoring when she sleeps on my head. It is strangely comforting. 

But can you sleep with a snoring dog on your head? Lack of sleep leads me to ask: what’s your biggest screw up in the kitchen?

Every day in the kitchen is a screw up!

Someone get the take-out menus! In conclusion, what was the last movie, TV show, or book that made you cry or tear up?

SPOILER WARNING! I LOVE a Canadian movie called St. Ralph. In the film, the fourteen-year-old protagonist believes that his mother will come out of a coma if he wins the Boston marathon. He holds his own with world class athletes for the entirety of the race, only to place second right at the finish line. He is so upset that he doesn’t realize that he accomplished something truly amazing. And even though his mom doesn’t wake up after the marathon, she does when he announces–with true confidence–that he will train for the Olympics. This film gets me every time.  

Just reading that got me emotional! Thank you, Michelle, for taking the time to answer my quirky questions! Support Michelle by buying her book and checking out her social media! We will be mayo-free until next Friday when we introduce another quirky author!

Happy reading! 🙂

Quirky Questions with Courtney Huddleston

I asked some quirky questions of creator and artist, Courtney Huddleston! Check out the work: https://www.amazon.com/Audreys-Magic-Nine-Michelle-Wright/dp/0984214356/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1517006341&sr=8-1&keywords=audrey%27s%20magic%20nine

Now let’s get to know this artist a little better!

Hello, Courtney! How did you meet your best friend? (Animals count here!)

I met my best friend in school. One day I was walking upstairs to class, and someone pinched me on my rear. I turned around, frowned at the girl that did it, and kept walking without ever saying a word. This happened several more times, each time with her laughing and walking away. Finally one day I got angry and yelled at her, “What do you want?!” And she simply responded with, “Your attention.” I couldn’t help but to laugh at that response. And so we became best friends, got married, and had kids—though not necessarily in that order. 

Honesty is always the best policy! What superpower would you like to have for a day?

I would love to be able to tell the future for one day. I don’t want to know how long I live, when the world ends, or anything like that. I just want the numbers to the winning lotto ticket. I’m a simple fellow.

If that happens, let me know! I have some future-related questions. If you could witness any event past, present or future, what would it be?

I would want to witness Roanoke. Since I first heard that story as a kid, I’ve frequently wondered where all those people disappeared to. If it wasn’t a hoax, then my money’s on alien abduction. 

You could use your superpower to save them! But that might change the future…Never mind. Don’t do that. Moving on! Never trust a person who doesn’t like…

…to eat pizza with their hands. Something about seeing people eat pizza with a fork and a knife makes me squirm. It’s almost as bad as when I see someone pour the milk before the cereal. 

What kind of monster pours milk before the cereal?! *gets the evil eye from my hubby* Moving on! What would you tell your younger self?

I would tell my younger self to travel sooner. While I’ve done a lot of traveling in my life, there’s still so much more to see and do. Younger me could have given current me a nice head start. 

Some good advice! Have you ever had a dream at night that later came true?

No. I have not. But, I did have one dream experience that I’ve never had before. I was having a good dream one night that was abruptly interrupted by my bladder. After I finished in the bathroom, I returned to bed and fell back to sleep. Never has this happened before, but my dream picked up where it left off at. It was awesome!

Someone should invent a pause button for dreams! And a fast forward. What was the last movie, TV show, or book that made you cry or tear up?

I was chopping onions when Pixar’s UP came on. I’ve known my wife since she was 13, and she very much reminded me of Carl’s wife when she was a kid. She was hyper, talkative, and bossy. And as we get older, I see some parallels of this movie happening to us. It was a very humbling realization…ahem…when I was cutting onions! 

Somehow I am always cutting onions when I watch Up, too! Thank you, Courtney, for letting us get to know you better! Support Courtney by checking out Audrey’s Magic Nine and join us here next week for more quirky questions!

Happy reading! 🙂

 

 

 

Quirky Questions with Erato

I asked some quirky questions of Erato! But first the books: Erato books on Amazon

And some links:

The Regency Romantics Series

Erato books on Facebook

The Regency Romantics

Now to the questions!

Hello, Erato! In your opinion, what is the best Disney animated movie?

Oh man. I’m a big Disney animation fan — very influential even into my work, like the Regency Romantics series. I am partial to The Little Mermaid, but I think in terms of really the best, the old Oscar nominee Beauty and the Beast has to get it, even if they did knock off a lot from Jean Cocteau.

Ah, I do love The Little Mermaid! Now, what song are you listening to right now, or what song did you listen to last?

I think the last song I listened to might well have been Boney M’s “Rasputin.”

Very good! On a scale from 1-5, how afraid of the dark are you?

It might be as much as a 5. I actually tend to sleep with lights on, not exactly out of fear, but I seem to kind of halfway wake up a lot at night, and to do so doesn’t startle me so much if I can do that and see I’m still in my room and that everything is fine. I just go right back to sleep, like that; but if I wake up in the dark, I seem to need extra time to reorient myself, and that causes me to not sleep well since I didn’t fall back asleep right away. The last time I lived somewhere where I normally put the lights out, was my flat in Edinburgh, which had really large, tall, old-style windows that I guess let in enough light from the street that I did not need to keep lights on most of the time. (Plus I didn’t want to annoy the flatmates about the energy bill.)

That was enlightening! (Sorry) *clears throat* Tell us something you have never told anyone else.

I am really a man. (It’s not true, but I don’t think I’ve said it to anyone before.)

Mulan would have something to say about that, I’m sure. What was the last movie, TV show, or book that made you cry or tear up?

The Brave One. Not the Jodie Foster one, but the movie from the fifties with the Dalton Trumbo screenplay. It’s about this little Mexican kid with a pet bull, but there’s some kind of confusion about the ownership of the bull, and so he has to stop it from being sent off to the bull ring. (Bulls virtually never emerge alive from the bull ring.) It’s this really cheap movie, the acting is awful — but there I was, crying at the end, and I’m tearing up a little even now just remembering it. 

How sad! I hope that movie has a happy ending! Do you know what your name means? Or who were you named after?

Ah, well — my real name is after one of the nine muses of Greek mythology; and so, when I chose a pen name, I chose a different one of the muses. Erato was muse of love poetry and lyric poetry, and the name means approximately “Lovely” or “Charming.” Unfortunately, I find there are a lot of evidently dyslexic people who misread it as something like “Erotic” and immediately assume that I write porn. I think it’s made some problems for the YA friendly Regency Romantics series, since I have an impression that a lot of people who would like the sweet, often funny stories, have assumed (entirely off of misreading my name) that they’re not clean romances; and the people who did buy them often expected something more lurid, despite the candy-colored cover art.  

But a lovely name it is! Finally, is the glass half-empty or half-full?

I always have thought this really depends on the context of your glass. Did I go into the kitchen and half-fill a glass with water, or did I order a beverage at a Starbucks and get a cup that’s half air? You know?

Insightful! Thank you, Erato, for answering my questions! I’m heading to Starbucks, so you all follow and support Erato, and support more authors next Friday on a new Quirky Questions!

Happy reading! 🙂

 

Quirky Questions with Rachel Pudsey

I asked some quirky questions of Rachel Pudsey! But first, the book: https://www.amazon.com/Watcher-Night-Sky-Aronia-Book-ebook/dp/B00Y7M5V9W

And show some support on social media:

https://www.rachelpudsey.com/

https://www.facebook.com/authorrachelpudsey

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/11571665.Rachel_Pudsey

Twitter: @RachelPudsey

Now for some questions!

Music time! What song are you listening to right now or what song did you listen to last?

Oonagh – Avalon. I’m a huge fan of fantasy rock (Edguy, Avantasia, Within Temptation…) so I seem to end up listening to a lot of German rock or similar through Youtube’s randomness. I discovered Oonagh when my playlist switched to a band called Hammerfall and then Oonagh. It seems to be a kind of Celtic/fantasy style music – but I actually have no idea what the lead singer is singing about (lol). It’s great for some background music – sometimes classical music can be a bit depressing or uninspiring. Since I write fantasy, this music is great (and since it’s in German I don’t get distracted by the lyrics and start singing along).

I’ll have to check that one out! What would you want written on your tombstone?

Nothing gold can stay. My friends and I have had this running habit of signing our letters to each other with “Stay Gold” – a reference to The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton. The origins of that infamous line (said by Johnny to Ponyboy) comes from the poem by Robert Frost, Nothing Gold Can Stay. The purpose of the poem, I think, is to show that golden, beautiful moments are fleeting, forever leaving, and that we should realise this in order to appreciate them more. To have it on my stone is to say that I was also one of those golden moments in life that passed on… I am seriously considering getting the line as a tattoo. 

I love it! Now tell us: what’s your favorite word?

Discombobulated. It is amusing, ironic and frankly wonderful to say. I wish people used it more often.

I am having fun saying that word now! What superpower would you like to have for a day?

I’d choose teleportation. I live in Korea but most of my loved ones are back in Scotland. It would be nice to head over there, spend a little time with them and in the Scottish countryside then jump on back to Korea.

I have always wanted to go to Scotland! I’ll choose teleportation, too. Would you rather fly on a dragon or meet a mermaid?

Fly on a dragon. How exhilarating would it be?? I was torn between using flight as my choice of superpower or teleportation. But, anyway, flying on a dragon would be so awesome! I really wish I could for real. Though I am sure many of us would much rather live in fantasy realms then put up with reality we live in.

This is a fantasy realm here at Quirky Questions and you’re more than welcome to ride the dragon! The mermaid will give you a ticket. Next question! What was the last movie, TV show, or book that made you cry or tear up?

This got me thinking. It is really hard for me to cry over a movie, show, or book. I think there have been like two movies in my life that have made me cry properly. I wasn’t moved by the typical (Titanic, Armageddon, etc). Am I made of stone?? When characters are killed in books, I am in so much disbelief that I don’t react to their deaths until it’s truly clear that they are in fact dead. I searched through the last Harry Potter book for traces of Dumbledore’s name prior to reading it just to make sure it wasn’t true. Then I found out it was…grrr…Anyway, I think for this one I have to say John Snow’s death in Game of Thrones. Purely because we all know that no character is safe in that show I was more accepting of the possibility that it was true. That moment when I found out that he came back was so thrilling I teared up with joy!

Spoiler alert! I cry at everything. It’s embarrassing. Moving on! Speaking of Harry Potter, let me ask: Which Harry Potter character are you?

I’m Harry. Harry Potter. 😀 I had to take a quiz to determine that one but after reading the description it seems right enough. I’m a natural leader, appointed by my co-workers as the “unofficial head teacher”, previously appointed “Shinga” (Brett Weeks character) at the cafe I worked in years and years ago. I was Head Girl in school–but the cool kind, NOT the Percy kind. I fight for the good guys. I know the difference between what is morally right and wrong. I’m impulsive and sometimes have issues with authority. I am also the owner of the elder wand (replica bought in Japan’s Universal Studios).

No one mess with Rachel and the elder wand! Thank you, Rachel, for answering my quirky questions. No one is discombobulated by these answers! 😉 Want more answers to quirky questions? Support Rachel on social media and join us here next Friday!

Happy reading! 🙂

 

 

Quirky Questions with David King

I asked quirky questions of David King! But first, check out the book: https://www.amazon.com/Vox-David-Gerald-King-ebook/dp/B017QA0Q46/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1541167220&sr=8-1&keywords=vox+david+king

And check out David here:

https://www.facebook.com/UnnoticedWriter/

Now let’s see those answers!

I’m going to start with a deep question: What would you want to be written on your tombstone?

If you remember the wonderful horror series on Nickelodeon, “Are You Afraid of the Dark?,” you might notice that I am stealing this from them, though I believe they stole it from an older source: “As you are, so once was I. As I am, so shall you come to be.”

That’s eerily poetic! I love it! Name the top five things you take with you during a zombie outbreak.

My sword (yes, I am trained). A good knife (more of a tool for things than for fighting). Clean water (preferably a canteen, but a large bottle if not). A bandana (there will be horrible smells, possibly blocking noxious fumes if I have to travel through them). A paper journal (I will die eventually, the future must know what worked and what didn’t).

I’m putting together a group for if this happens, and you sound like a great candidate! Welcome! We have a tree that grows Hawaiian rolls! Moving on: Time for a board game! Which is your favorite?

“Betrayal at House on the Hill.” Beautiful story lines, decent humor, you ACTUALLY FEEL scared and suspenseful, and no matter who wins, you feel like you went through something together. Takes a while, though.

Sounds like a scary good time! Do you know what your name means? Or who were you named after?

David: Old Testament, “dear one” Gerald: German, “he who wields a spear and becomes king” King: English, “king” David is out of left field, but Gerald has a story. My grandfather passed away not long before I was born. He hated his first name, and made my mother promise never to name a child the same way. When I was born, she wanted to do something to honor her father, so she took his middle name and made it my middle name.

How sweet that she did that to honor him! What is your favorite drink?

Shirley Temple. I refuse to drink alcohol unless it is the toast at a wedding.

Cheers! Do you believe in aliens?

My middle school science teacher put it rather eloquently. To paraphrase: “If life existing is a million to one chance, and there are billions of stars, each with planets around them, then how many must have life?” I don’t think any of the neighbors have been over for a visit, but I think there must be something out there.

*watching Aliens* That’s probably for the best…Which season defines you?

Fall. I love the chill, I can’t exist without something scary, and a good balance of cloud, wind, and Moon…and candy, gotta have candy…and pumpkin pie.

You had me at pumpkin pie! Thank you, David, for participating in my random questions! Support David by checking out his work and stalking him on social media, and join us here next Friday for more quirky questions!

Happy reading! 🙂