A whole batch of Question Contest answers!

WOW! Things are only getting busier for me...I hope to do a VLOG later in the week and bring everyone up to speed on everything, but for now, it's "nose to the grindstone" time! I'm gonna attempt to answer all of what I consider the "easy" questions that were submitted in Week 7 of my Question Contest .

What is any "easy" question, you ask? Well, basically, those are the questions that I can answer in just a few sentences or less. Being a natural story-teller, most of my answers are all tied up in a story, but some of them....simply don't need that sorta time or treatment.

So, strap on your seat-belts; here we go!

Rob asks:
I find it refreshing to see so many generous authors doing giveaways of their books. I see it more of a way to reach out to possible fan than as a way to promote oneself for the sake of promoting. How rewarding is it for you to do giveaways such as the ones you have been doing each week?

It has been surprisingly rewarding, actually! Each week I am BLOWN AWAY by some of the questions I get and it really makes me wonder: "How WOULD I answer that...?" But moreso, I feel so very connected to each one of you that submits a question - much, much more than if it was some sorta impersonal email raffle or something.

Janine asks:
Where do you get your inspiration from?

I pick up inspiration from just about everyone and everybody I meet, as well as everything I come in contact with. I'm very visually inspiried; that is - I can see a single image and immediately a whole section of story will emerge from the primordial soup of my brain. It's tons of fun. Also, one of my main sources of inspiration is, of course, Christ - who has and continues to create all things!

Joe asks:
What shows do you Tivo (or DVR)?

Actually, none. I don't own a Tivo or DVR. I watch very little television. It's way to much of a time sink. Occasionally, I might watch something on Netflicks with my kids, or a movie with my wife, but I've not watched network television in over 10 years. We also do not have cable - you would not believe how much more you can get done in your life if you just turn off the "boob toob". :)

Jessica asks:
What genre of book do you love most? and why?

Hard call, but I'd have to say Fantasy. I think the reason goes back to my formative days as a reader. The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings were such a seminal influence on me as a reader and a writer. I don't think I could ever get away from that love and the draw of exploring a fantastical world somewhere beyond my own horizon.

Malinda asks:
What made you want to write books?

It's actually not just about writing books. ;) I love to write poetry, compose and sing lyrics, paint, design games, write art direction, create ideas for new products, the list literally goes on and on... I'm a creator. I create. I love to make something new from something old, or even something from whole cloth. Writing is merely one aspect and expression of my personality. I love the written word, but I also love a whole range of other creative outpourings. A day that goes by wherein I don't create something is a sad day indeed for me...

Sherry asks:
What is your favorite medium to read a book? Ie, hard/paperback, e-reader (I love my Kindle) or audio, etc.

I can't respond to e-readers, as I've never used one. I'm jonesing to get a tablet PC, though, so maybe this will change soon! :) There's nothing quite like curling up with a good paperback, so that's probably my preferred method for reading currently. I adore getting and preserving hardbacks of books that I love, but sadly, my shelf space is quickly vanishing (thus, another reason that speaks to the desire for the tablet PC...). However, I've found that I actually retain more information from audio books, so I really like listening to podcasts/audio books as well. Did I answer your question? Probably not... LOL!

Jenna asks:
What do you do to fight “writer’s block”?

First, you can do your "pre-writing work" well. That is, work hard at outlining your story and character arcs and defining those characters well before you ever start writing. Once all that's done and its time to put words on the page, I find that a long run, a hike, or a menial, but strenuous activity (like chopping wood or digging) really gets my creative juices flowing. Sometimes, really stirring music or a movie helps to set the mood as well and unblock the creative "logjam".

Samira asks:
First of all, thank you for putting together this giveway :) If you could travel to any place in the world and let's say, you have all the cash in the world at your disposal, where would you go?

You're welcome - thanks for participating! :D I'd have to say Scotland. And while I was there, I'd go ahead and buy the country and make it my own. ;)

Emalee asks:
If you could have any pet in the world and it was already tamed/trained what pet would you love to have? Also do you have any pets now?

Man, such a tough question! There are so many cool animals out there that I'd love to have as a pet! Ever since I was a kid, I've always wanted a monkey, but I think now that I'm older, they'd just tick me off with all their exuberance and extra energy - LOL... Maybe a mountain lion, or a raptor of some sort...something that could go hiking with me and carry it's own stuff... :) Up until last year, my family had a dear Border Collie named Wick. She was the smartest, most genteel dog on the planet, and she was the best trail dog ever. We lost her after 13 years. She's still sorely missed.

Ok, Faithful! I did it! All the "easy" questions that were submitted in Week 7 of my Question Contest ! I'll be sure and get to the other questions that were submitted in future blog posts, but they'll take a bit longer to answer. :)

So, Faithful, tell me in the comments below - did you like this format? If so, I will do the others the same way, so you don't have to wait!