Edition #4 Meet The Authors (April 2019 To September 2019)

interview #12 @WriterOnTheIsland

1 what's your favorite holiday and why?

I'm not really a fan of organized holidays – they are so commercialized (and often involve too much interaction with dysfunctional family members. LOL) I do like those impromptu "snow days" that happen out of the blue. Those feel like real gifts, and life slows down and just "is."

2 what's one Wattpad goal?

I joined Wattpad in January of this year. I loved the idea of a platform created exclusively for readers and writers. One of my goals here, and probably the most important one, is to make connections with other word nerds. Writing can be a pretty isolating experience, so being able to support one another as we slog through our chapters, is hugely important, I think. A little encouragement goes a long way.

3 what's the best way to spend a rainy day?

Earl Grey tea. Sweatpants. My dog, Gordon, and my laptop by the woodstove. Oh yes. Soup. Soup is nice on those kinds of days as well. 

4 what's your schedule regarding your writing?

I teach creative writing part-time, and I also "odd job" it here and there when I need to, so it's difficult to have a firm and consistent schedule. I do try, however, to write at least 2,000 words a day. Rain or shine, no matter the season.

5 what's your dream vacation?

I would love to walk (solo) across northern England, pub-to-pub, and end up in a draft stone cottage on the moors for a few weeks...to write. I would have a trusty old horse to ride into the village for supplies on and would chat regularly to the neighboring sheep. There would be a lot of tea, and Marmite and toast. My idea of heaven.

6 Are you still surprised when you gain a new vote, follow or comment?

I am always thrilled if something I have written resonates with a reader. And I am always wonderfully grateful for a vote or thoughtful comment. It is like a tonic when a writer receives positive feedback on their work. Very motivating!

7 if you could hang out with your favorite celeb for a day, who would you choose and what would you do?

Oh, my. That's a tough one. I've never been a big one for celebrity worship...we are all just people, after all, trying to get along as best we can. But...it would be nice to share a beer with Neil Gaiman. I love that guy. His writing, and his general philosophy. Also, I think he's quite strange, which makes him even more intriguing. So yeah, Neil Gaiman and a pint of porter.

8 what's your favorite book?

This is a totally unfair question! I have so many! But, I always seem to come back to Jeannette Walls's, The Glass Castle. That book (true story...a memoir) is such a hopeful and graceful book. Triumph in the face of adversity, and the tenacity of the human spirit. It moves me every time I read it.

9 how would you celebrate a publishing deal?

I am very lucky to have had three of my books published. (young adult fiction). When I had my first book published, I celebrated by getting a tattoo of an illustration from the book that I read as a kid—the one that made me want to become a writer. (There's a story about that book, and the subsequent tattoo...it's very woo-woo, and mind-blowing and serendipitous, but maybe that's for another time.)

10 what's your favorite snack?

My favourite snack is Marmite and butter on hard tack cracker pieces. I could live on that stuff forever. I know, it's not the least bit interesting. My husband says I am a bit of a freak. 

11 what's your favorite movie?

I love The ShawShack Redemption (again, triumph in the face of adversity), Lost in Translation (such a layered film), and Napoleon Dynamite, because the characterization in that movie is just so unbelievably good!

Request time!

one of the books that I have on the go right now on Wattpad is, THE PECULIAR LANGUAGE OF LLAMAS. It's a character driven story about Myles, a 14-year-old boy who finds himself transplanted (along with his newly divorced father) to a remote gulf island on BC's west coast. Myles is a bit of an "Adrian Mole" type of guy, but his heart is big and he's inherently kind. People also tell me the story is pretty funny. I like that. Funny is good.