Happy Anniversary to US!
We're so excited that Plotmonkeys is celebrating it's 5th Anniversary. Wow. Time really does fly. Since we know we wouldn't be here 5 years later without all of you, of course we've included you all in the celebration! By now you know every day this week, someone will win a $10 Amazon Gift Card and on Friday, we're giving away (in my humble opinion) the best gift ever – a WiFi Kindle! – I LOVE mine and one of you will too!
And now for my answers to the questions we wrote up for each other!
1. What's your earliest memory of writing a story?
I remember being about 17 and thinking I was in love with this guy … and I started writing. "I'll never love anyone the way I love X." Yeah, that X = he who shall never be named out loud. Anyway, that was as far as that story got! I never thought about writing again until I was married, reading a gazillion books a week to escape my baby's colic and thanks to "doing what my mom did" I was buying hardcover only. One book a day. Could we afford that? NO! Hubby got angry, I cried that he was taking away the one thing I loved, he said, "what? you never heard of paperback?" Which led me to look up authors' backlists – led me to LaVyrle Spencer and Catherine Coulter's paperbacks, taught me there was a ROMANCE section of the bookstore – OMG I could always have a happy ending!? And at some point I realized I had stories I wanted to try to tell too. The rest is probably documented history. LOL! But as I think back, like Julie, I told stories in my head. When I came down with Mono, I used to lay in bed as a teenager and just dream up these fantastical tales with me as the heroine (didn't know the word heroine at that time). And like Julie, I thought everyone did that – come to find out later, only WRITERS do that – and thanks to this great career of mine, I'm friends with tons of crazy people just like me! And now I get paid to write those crazy fantastical stories! Lucky me.
2. Do you remember your first kiss?
Yes. Another "he who shall remain nameless". Different "He". He tasted like Doritos, it was ick, I seriously questioned why I didn't like it, broke up with him … and learned my first lesson in that elusive thing called CHEMISTRY!
3. Have you ever fictionalized a real person or a real memory in one of your books?
Yep. So many times. Little throwaways in books that only a family member would recognize. KISS ME IF YOU CAN had the most in one book. For me it's usually a comedic moment or something light that I use. Sometimes it's more serious, like I read an article on Tom Cruise in People Mag. and used dyslexia for a sports hero.
4. If you could sit down and have an hour long conversation with any writer, living or dead, who would it be?
I hate these kind of questions. I just don't think like this … I love talking to all writer friends. I guess I'd love to talk to LaVyrle Spencer and see what kind of publishing experiences she had – since I've idolized her for so long.
5. Who is your favorite hero in one of your own books, and why?
I try not to pick favorites. It used to be my Hot Zone heroes – I loved Riley Nash in Hot Item – but now I'd say my Barron brothers in the upcoming Serendipity series. They are so hot and sexy, so internally wounded and yet so impossible not to love. Just ask my heroines, LOL. I really can't wait for you all to read these stories!
6. If you were stranded on a deserted island with only the clothes you were wearing, what 5 items would you want to have with you? (No other humans or electronics allowed!)
Oh Janelle, you bad girl, laughing at me! I'd like Buddy to come back to me, then I would bring him. He's all I'd need. But since I've been given four more items I can't help thinking practical – an umbrella for shade, headache medication since I get them almost daily, a book I could read and reread, and I'd copy Janelle's paper and pencil! I betcha I'm the most practical of everyone. And I'd still want sunscreen, lipgloss/aquaphor, bottled water, and my electronics! LOL.
7. Do you believe in love at first sight, or do you think it's a romantic fictional construct?
Hmm. I do believe you have to get to know someone inside and out before you can call it LOVE. That said, I'm a diehard romantic and I'd love to believe that yes, it can exist!
8. If you weren't a writer and the entire world was open to you, what would you want to do?
I want to learn about makeup, how to choose colors, how to mix, apply, etc. So makeup artist!
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Don't forget to comment for a chance to win a $10 Amazon Gift Card and come back tomorrow for the big KINDLE giveaway!
