If you're fan of Vanity Fair as I am then you've seen the Proust Questionnaire on the last page. I can't wait for the day when I'm asked but until then I'll answer the questions. Though I won't have the Risko illustration of myself.
What is your idea of perfect happiness?
Listening to a summer breeze blowing through the trees
What is your greatest fear?
Having to stick my hand in poo
Which historical figure do you most identify with?
Marie Antoinette
What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
My defensiveness
What is the trait you most deplore in others?
Snobbery
What is your greatest extravagance?
Buying books
On what occasion do you lie?
To spare someone's feelings when the truth can't be said in a constructive way.
What do you dislike most about your appearance?
My nose. I'll love to shave off some of it.
Which words or phrases do you most overuse?
Anyway or like or but, well anyway...
What's your greatest regret?
That I didn't risk all when I had the chance.
What or who is the greatest love of your life?
In one word, Jose.
When and where were you happiest?
Childhood and I never knew it.
Which talent would you most like to have?
Drawing. To create something that's why I love writing.
What is your current state of mind?
That's an answer you don't want to know. A scary place.
If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
To redo life with what I know now but then I would be different, I guess.
If you could change one thing about your family, what would it be?
My father would still be alive.
If you could choose what to come back as, what would it be?
Me.
What is your most treasured possession?
My mac.
What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?
Doctor's appointments especially the GYN.
Where would you like to live?
Los Angeles. I've always loved LA.
What is your favorite occupation?
Writing, baby!
What is the quality you most like in a man?
A good heart.
What is the quality you most like in a woman?
Smarts.
What do you most value in your friends?
Humor
Who are your favorite writers?
Oh the list is long but her is a few--Edith Wharton, Rachel Gibson, Susan Elizabeth Philips, Jane Austen, Christina Dodd, Oscar Wilde, Julia Quinn, Suzanne Brockman, Sandra Brown, Bernard Cornwell, Heidi Betts, Karen Hawkins--the list continues but I think that's enough.
Who is your favorite hero of fiction?
Joe Morelli, from Plum Series
Who are your heroes in in real life?
My mother, my niece and my brother.
What is it that you most dislike?
any -ism, racism, sexism and so forth
How would you like to die?
after long and fulfilled life.
What is your motto?
The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.
Showing posts with label Christina Dodd. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Christina Dodd. Show all posts
Monday, December 26, 2011
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Female Friday
Of course, it being the end of the year I too have been taking stock of my life and my accomplishments, mishaps, setbacks--since I refuse to call them failures--and my sameness. We all have parts of ourselves or our lives we'd like to change. For me the most important and the focus of 2010, 2011 and no surprise 2012 is one single thing--drum roll please--To start my career as a published author. I've sold short stories but I'm going for the novel, the start of a long career I plan to have.
Publishing is a tough game with many growing and expanding even developing sectors. And I have to stand out from the countless others dreaming the same dream. This week, I turned on CW and there was the French designing genius Jean Paul Gaultier interviewing Lady Gaga.
Two of my favorite people. I watched it, waiting to hear what Gaga spoke about and the designs Gaultier would show her. But I learned something that helped. Gaga in her years as she sang in New York bars, she was like countless others playing those gigs. Sure she had the talent but nothing made her memorable. She decided to stick out of the crowd, for the world to take notice and listen then sing and dance along.
She's not forgettable now.
I admire her strength and smarts for changing and shedding normalcy. But she always inspired me. I guess you can say the light hit my disco ball. I too have to stick out of the crowd and make people remember me. Luckily, I have a name that certainly doesn't blend. You might not know how to pronounce it but you know it when you see it. This year at RWA Nationals, I went to get my book autograph from Christina Dodd. She looked at my name tag and said, "I know you. I remember your name from Twitter." If I was a Victorian lady, I would have fainted though my head felt like champagne popped open and fizz shooting foamy bubbles everywhere.
I'm working on the rest of it, adding the sticking out among the crowd to my business plan. And Gaga helped me. I admire her music, talent and...her Gaga-ness, you can say. She had a dream and used more than just her talent. She used her smarts to create a Gaga world.
Publishing is a tough game with many growing and expanding even developing sectors. And I have to stand out from the countless others dreaming the same dream. This week, I turned on CW and there was the French designing genius Jean Paul Gaultier interviewing Lady Gaga.
She's not forgettable now.
I admire her strength and smarts for changing and shedding normalcy. But she always inspired me. I guess you can say the light hit my disco ball. I too have to stick out of the crowd and make people remember me. Luckily, I have a name that certainly doesn't blend. You might not know how to pronounce it but you know it when you see it. This year at RWA Nationals, I went to get my book autograph from Christina Dodd. She looked at my name tag and said, "I know you. I remember your name from Twitter." If I was a Victorian lady, I would have fainted though my head felt like champagne popped open and fizz shooting foamy bubbles everywhere.
I'm working on the rest of it, adding the sticking out among the crowd to my business plan. And Gaga helped me. I admire her music, talent and...her Gaga-ness, you can say. She had a dream and used more than just her talent. She used her smarts to create a Gaga world.
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
A First Timer, no more
I registered for my first RWA National conference back in March or April and this past week, I attended it and am no longer a first timer. The orange ribbon won't hang from my nametag again though I'm hoping that Golden Heart Finalist or Rita Finalist will soon.
Anyway on Tuesday, the Literacy signing, a crush of romance readers and fans filled a large ballroom where tables lined the room, authors sitting behind their pile of books. The blend of heat, human flesh, and paper and the almost non-existent air conditioned air filled the room. Luckily, Victoria Alexander gave out fans to cool the excitement of being surrounded by books and an authors. So, I walked around seeing my favorite authors, Christina Dodd who remembered me from Twitter. I was so very thrilled that I nearly floated away like a helium balloon escaping its grounding weight to float into the upper sphere. Susan Elizabeth Philips who signed my Call Me Irresistible. I asked for a picture and she gladly stood from her seat. Of course, my phone froze, (I hate that stupid thing) and her daughter saved the day and took the picture. I went home ready for Wednesday.
Wednesday, off to the conference. I attended workshops and took notes until my hand cramped. I also ordered the recording because there so many great workshops but only one of me who lacks that ability to be in one place at one time. Then the free books, sat down to lunch a couple of book by Madeline Hunter (love her), someplace else a free book. At the end of the day, my mind had so much to absorb. A half a day that wet my toes because on Thursday, I would be drenched.
Thursday, workshops from 8:30 to 5:30. I moved from workshop to workshop. Taking notes and asking questions and getting answers to that helped me in my revisions of my category romance for the Harlequin Desire line.
Then came the publishers signing which is a room filled with their authors signing free books. I was in heaven. An romance addict surrounded by her drug. I snatched up every book and tried authors I've seen yet never risked. But I was always asked the two same questions: How do you say you name and Are you have fun?
The first question is one I've dealt with all my life so it's expected after I introduce myself. And the second one received the same answer, "Oh Yeah!" I imagine my eyes were bulging, not wanting to miss seeing everything and the brackets wrinkles cracking through my face deepened from my smile. I didn't care.
I had some many books that I had to have my mother come with the shopping cart to pick them up to bring home. My scrawny arms and Fibromyalgia and Lupus affected body couldn't do and made me struggle through this days. I swore that I would be found under a towering pile of books, suffocated by the written word.
Friday, the last day. So my feet were swollen and achy from the walking and sitting, and the walking and the sitting and the walking. My left arm couldn't straightened from carrying books. My energy level nearing E and needed fuel which wasn't food but rest. I promised that I would do nothing until Tuesday and I keep that promise. I attended my workshops, learning about police officers, emotions and others topics. I spotted friends I had seen in a while. I liked that part too. I met new people and then came the luncheon.
I sat down at a table with Karen Hawkins!!! Then Sherrilyn Kenyon spoke. She spoke of her life, her older brother who taught her to read with a wrinkled Spiderman comic, the same brother who believed that her books would be published and the brother who died before he could see her success. I wept, having similar hurting experiences in my life, I felt the pain for her too. Though some people might take away to never give up no matter the hardships, me, I learned one lesson-- Everyone needs a champion! The one person who believes in us, that cheers us on when we feel we're in the dirt, the one that we sometimes get up for when we want to stay down. I'm gladly to say I have a few champions.
So, I'm no longer a first timer. I learned craft skills, which is helpful but I learned a very important lesson I didn't even know would be taught. I'm a writer and would not give up writing for any reason or hardship. This is what I want and one day, others will be entertained by the books I write.
 | |
| Victoria Alexander and Me |
 |
| Susan Elizabeth Philips and me |
Wednesday, off to the conference. I attended workshops and took notes until my hand cramped. I also ordered the recording because there so many great workshops but only one of me who lacks that ability to be in one place at one time. Then the free books, sat down to lunch a couple of book by Madeline Hunter (love her), someplace else a free book. At the end of the day, my mind had so much to absorb. A half a day that wet my toes because on Thursday, I would be drenched.
Thursday, workshops from 8:30 to 5:30. I moved from workshop to workshop. Taking notes and asking questions and getting answers to that helped me in my revisions of my category romance for the Harlequin Desire line.
Then came the publishers signing which is a room filled with their authors signing free books. I was in heaven. An romance addict surrounded by her drug. I snatched up every book and tried authors I've seen yet never risked. But I was always asked the two same questions: How do you say you name and Are you have fun?
The first question is one I've dealt with all my life so it's expected after I introduce myself. And the second one received the same answer, "Oh Yeah!" I imagine my eyes were bulging, not wanting to miss seeing everything and the brackets wrinkles cracking through my face deepened from my smile. I didn't care.
I had some many books that I had to have my mother come with the shopping cart to pick them up to bring home. My scrawny arms and Fibromyalgia and Lupus affected body couldn't do and made me struggle through this days. I swore that I would be found under a towering pile of books, suffocated by the written word.
 |
| Lisa Kleypas and me. |
 | |||
| Sherrilyn Kenyon white dot in foreground. | . |
I sat down at a table with Karen Hawkins!!! Then Sherrilyn Kenyon spoke. She spoke of her life, her older brother who taught her to read with a wrinkled Spiderman comic, the same brother who believed that her books would be published and the brother who died before he could see her success. I wept, having similar hurting experiences in my life, I felt the pain for her too. Though some people might take away to never give up no matter the hardships, me, I learned one lesson-- Everyone needs a champion! The one person who believes in us, that cheers us on when we feel we're in the dirt, the one that we sometimes get up for when we want to stay down. I'm gladly to say I have a few champions.
So, I'm no longer a first timer. I learned craft skills, which is helpful but I learned a very important lesson I didn't even know would be taught. I'm a writer and would not give up writing for any reason or hardship. This is what I want and one day, others will be entertained by the books I write.
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