Sophia's Sofa Chat- A Visit With Deborah

Yep! I’m one of those. I shop the post-Halloween candy sales and I am not ashamed to admit it. It would be a cold, cruel world without candy in it.
And I need this to support my NaNoWriMo challenge efforts.
Oh, and I wanted to have a nice full candy dish for when my latest Sofa Chat guests arrives.
Yeah, yeah, that’s it, I bought all this candy for my guest. Definitely. Really.
Never mind. You’re a tough crowd. Haha!

But back to that guest, oh yes, I am excited to have a lovely reunion with Miss Debbie. You see, Debbie is the first GoodReads pal ever that I have met in Real Life.
We were real life strangers until just this summer when Debbie and her family were on a road trip vacation that brought them through my neck of the woods here in Southeast Michigan. Books really do bring people together.
It was a fantastic experience to converse and discover that she is just as wonderful in person as she is here on GoodReads and Facebook.
Debbie is an ardent book lover and shares many similar reading tastes not to mention we both talk ‘school’ since we shared that vocation, too. I can’t wait for our chat visitors to learn what a snazzy gal she is so without further ado…

Howdy, Debbie! Welcome back to Michigan!
What do you think of all the blazing orange, yellow, and red and the crisp frosted air now after all that sun, heat, and humidity earlier this year?

Hey Sophia! I am glad we could get together again. I so enjoyed our first visit. I love the beautiful colors the leaves turn, especially the reds, but I much prefer the heat of summer. When it gets cold I’d like to do that thing the bears do…..hibernate.

Ha, I know your stomping grounds, New York, can put our weather to shame. How is fall in New York?

Fall in New York is beautiful. It was unusually warm and nearly reached 80 degrees during mid-October, but now it is colder than I like.

Any favorite fun activities?
My favorite fall activities are apple picking and taking walks with my husband.
Very nice! And you can do both of those at the same time. ;-)

Have you ever gone to Sleepy Hollow to hunt down the Headless Horseman? Erm, okay, strike that last question- sometimes my rampaging imagination gets the better of me. Unless you want to answer it, that is.


Headless Horseman in Sleepy Hollow, NY
Doesn't he look properly spooky?


It is funny you mention Sleepy Hollow as that is where I work. The bridge in the famed story, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, is no longer there, but the Old Dutch Church is in The Sleepy Hollow Cemetery and every October they have a parade during which the honored guest is the Headless Horseman.








The Old Dutch Church of Sleepy Hollow, New York

What are some neat places and things to do if I come traipsing along to New York?

New York City has great museums, restaurants, and theatre. My favorite museums are the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the American Museum of Natural History. When we go to a Broadway show or concert there are 2 places we love to eat: Carmine’s and Tony’s DiNapoli. The New York Public Library, the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, and the Intrepid are also nearby. If you like modern art the Guggenheim is also near.



The New York City Public Library
Anyone else drooling with envy and wanna go there?


I love upstate New York…. West Point is another great place and Niagara Falls. if you like to hike we have a slew of state parks, one of which I imagine Darcy riding to me around the corner on the trails.


Watkins Glen State Park, NY

As for my favorite New York State Park, it has to be Watkins Glen State Park in the Finger Lakes Region of New York. At one point the view makes you feel as if you have walked into the Elven realm of Rivendell, from JRR Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings.

Other wonderful places to go to in the Finger Lakes region are the Corning Museum of Glass as well as the Seneca Wine Trail, and if you love birds there is the Cornell Lab or Ornithology and Montezuma Wildlife Refuge are great places to visit.



Corning Museum of Glass- a piece from 1812
Couldn't you just see this at Pemberley?


I know, you’ve actually been to the Hudson Valley because we talked about you recognizing scenes from Mary Simonsen’s lovely book (which I hope to read this month), Darcy on the Hudson.

It was pretty neat to see familiar places in that book. As a matter of fact Sleepy Hollow and West Point are in the Hudson Valley.

Speaking of books, you have a fun book related side job that I truly hope grows which allows you to work with the authors during pre-release time. Would you like to share more about that?

Well, my book related side job started about 2 years ago when a JAFF ebook I purchased had no content.
After contacting Barnes and Noble with no results I contacted the author who resolved the problem. I thanked her and shortly after I began checking her NOOK and Kindle content.

After a while, I began proof reading for her. Now I proofread, cold read, and BETA read for a number of authors. I have done research for one author, as well. Since I love to read I really enjoy doing this.
The most challenging book I proofread was a compilation called Pride and Prejudice: Behind the Scenes. It’s about 700 pages, 150 chapters. It took about 10 weeks to complete.


Whew yeah, that's definitely a hefty one!

I love hearing how it all came about from a small seed of a beginning. So much promise for more here with your talents.

Since we share the same love for Jane Austen and the stories based on her life and books, I’ve of course grilled you on how you came to love Austen’s works. Do share that with everyone since they need to hear how swoonworthy your husband is for his part in it all.

I had never even heard of Jane Austen until May of 2011 when my hubby read Pride and Prejudice and told me I would love it. He found the 2005 movie and forced me to sit down and watch it (yes. He had to make me watch it) and I fell in love with the story. I then read Pride and Prejudice in 2 days and watched the 1995 version, but the 2005 is my favorite and Matthew MacFadyen will forever be Fitzwilliam Darcy in my eyes, after all, hubby looks more like Matthew than he does Colin Firth. As for Matthew MacFadyen being my favorite Darcy, I think that is apropos since my hubby’s favorite Elizabeth is Keira Knightly. And from here, the rest is history, as they say.

Yep, that reasoning for favorite actors playing the roles makes perfect sense for me. If I were to toss in comparisons, my darling would be Bingley (1995) because he has a look of Crispin Bonham-Carter going on, but his personality is definitely a Henry Tilney.

What is your favorite Jane Austen novel? And what was your first JAFF/Austenesque to your recollection?


My favorite is Pride and Prejudice very closely followed by Persuasion. I love Darcy, but, the letter in Persuasion is the most swoonworthy I have ever read. As for my fist JAFF recollection….I believe that would be Abigail Reynolds’ By Force of Instinct. I loved that there were variations and I looked for more and found continuations as well. I became totally hooked.


And if you’re not reaching for an Austen or Austen-related book, what are some of your other reading favs?

I love legends, especially King Arthur and Robin Hood. I researched and found the original basis for both King Arthur and Robin Hood.
History and science come next. The Middle Ages and Egypt. Love learning how the Egyptians prepared their dead for mummification.
As for science I enjoy astronomy and anything living. I read about raptors and other wildlife and follow many nest and wildlife cameras. I know. I deviated a bit.

Deviate away, LOL! That’s what books do- open us to new things. But yay for the legends, love those two. And Egypt, sigh…I will watch or read anything if it has to do with Egyptology. Erm, incidentally, I’m a huginormous Elizabeth Peters’ fan as a result.

As a teacher of the kiddies, this means that you have a few secret weapons up your sleeve. I know this about teachers because I was once upon a time a preschool teacher and a school children’s librarian. One secret weapon is fun and quirky children’s books for the telling to a young eager audience. What is your favorite children’s book or children’s author/illustrator?


I have 2 favorite stories for young children. One is Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. My kids love it because Alexander has everything go wrong. The other is Miss Nelson is Missing.

As for my absolute favorite author, that is Dr. Seuss. The kids love the stories and many teach lessons.

And what was your favorite picture book as a kid?

I cannot remember my favorite picture books, but my favorite stories with beautiful drawings were the Billy and Blaze series by C.W, Anderson about a boy and his pony.



I can’t let you off without talking about birds. You must know this. I have to ask how that quirky birdie unrequited love affair is going that you told me about while out here in August. Did she finally accept his wooing?

That’s right. You know my love for birds. The answer to that is still no. My son’s green finch pair, Flip (female) and Sunny (male) have spent six years in the same cage and Flip still wants nothing to do with Sunny.

And have you gone on any recent bird watches or seen any nifty birds lately?


Osprey

I went on my first bird walk this August at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. I saw so many different kinds of birds on their guided bird walk. I saw my first Merlin, Kestrels, and King Fishers among at least 30 other varieties.


Junior Eagle, 4-5 months

At the Wildlife Refuge I saw my first Bald Eagles and Osprey in the wild. That was so amazing.

As I mentioned above I watch nest cameras. My favorite is the Southwest Florida with Harriett and M15. They should be laying eggs soon….
There had been a lot of drama on that nest last year….a fight over the female , an injured baby, a missing youngster who was attacked by a great horned owl…..

Oh, and now your love of the medieval stories makes even more sense- you probably adore it when they reference falconry in the books. :)

And see, now I’ve learned something. I had no idea one could keep track of birds in live time through nest cameras.

Link to an Eagle Cam in SW Florida: http://dickpritchettrealestate.com/ea...

I wonder if I can tempt you with a special treat from my candy dish. I also have some home-made zucchini bread and honey butter with a cup of hot Russian Spice tea if you’d like. Can’t send you back into the brisk air without warming your insides first, right?

The zucchini bread with honey butter is delicious and the Russian Spice tea hits the spot. Yummy.

Sofa Starters:
Cave Exploration or Snorkeling?
Cave exploring, as long as I have a good flashlight and extra batteries with a long rope around me so I don’t get lost and can find my way out
Pink or Turquoise? Pink
Iceland or New Zealand?
Now that is a tough one. Both are unique. Iceland for its geothermal system and volcanic landscape. New Zealand for its warmth and wildlife. So, my answer is both.
Elinor Dashwood or Anne Elliot?
Anne Elliot because I love Captain Wentworth’s love letter.
Pizza Delivery or Chinese Takeout?
Another tough one, but pizza wins out by a smidge.
Art or Music? Music
Ironing or Window Cleaning?
Ironing. I can’t flip the windows as they are too stiff and to climb a ladder would not work as I am terrified of height.

It has been a joy to see you again, Debbie. Thanks so much for stopping by. One of these days I will have to return the visit so I can see your New York.

Yes, you must and enjoy my Pride and Prejudice themed guest room.
Oh, good golly, you make me want to head out for guest room privileges right now. That would be a fun room to stay in.






If Debbie isn’t spending time here on GoodReads, here’s where you can find her:
Facebook…Debbie Fortin
Twitter…@Skamper25Fortin
Google+…Deborah Fortin