I don’t usually do these. I tend to try and avoid being blog tagged like the plague – but two dear friends did tag me, and so, I will oblige 😉
First up from Jacob over at Dream Scape:
1.) What is one author you can’t refuse?
I don’t have one. I tend to judge each author on a book by book basis. I’d say I loved Louise Cooper the most, but I didn’t love all of her series. So not being able to refuse her work, doesn’t apply.
2.) Do you listen to music while writing or prefer silence?
Depends on the book/story/characters. TDP required silence, so did H. Ones before and likely after will require a soundtrack. Also – since I’m a singer, I have a horrible tendency to distract myself by singing along with the music lol
3.) To you, what is the hardest thing about writing?
Revision. I want to write and write and write some more. I have so many ideas and outlines that I just want to first draft everything to get them down.
4.) What is something that happened in your childhood that influenced your writing today?
Books. I was read to and read many on my own. Loved books.
5.) Movie night: Comedy, Sci-Fi, Romance, or Horror?
Horror preferably, but it does depend on the mood. Sometimes comedy is nice, as is Sci-Fi. But I’m not a Romance person. They’re all so unrealistic.
6.) What is your biggest pet peeve?
In writing? People trying to be too intellectual – trying to make a story sound smart and/or overusing flowery prose where it’s not needed. Or just plain thinking they’re better than they are. The latter makes me GRRRR. You have to practice, learn and grow as a writer – and then practice and grow some more.
In Life? Stupid people. I don’t mean those who have a disability – I mean those who SHOULD know better and turn a blind eye or just don’t want to know.
7.) Favorite Season?
Summer. Summer. Summer. Hate the cold.
8.) What was the first book you simply could not put down?
I can’t really remember. I’ve been an avid reader since I could read. Maybe Magician by Raymond E Feist? or IT by Stephen King? I think those were around the time I started sneaking a flashlight under the covers 😉
9.) If could time travel (without the ability to influence the past), what time period would you visit?
Mmm – I’m not sure. Probably ancient Greece. As long as I was immune from, you know, death.
10.) Would you live on the moon or Mars if ever given a chance? Why or why not?
Nope – like it here. Â I don’t trust those bubbles to withstand possible anythings. I have issues driving over bridges… so no – I would be too scared to live on Mars or the Moon.
11.) What is the biggest thing that scares you?
Spiders.
And from Brenna over at I Write and Read:
1. Coffee or tea?
Both. I drink both on a daily basis lol
2. What was the first story you can remember writing?
First story hmmm – first substantial story when I was around 8 – it’s over on my blog – my Origins blogfest entry.
3. What TV show, video game, movie would you recommend to other writers?
Bones/Supernatural/Whitney, Skyrim, Event Horizon/Labyrinth 😀
4. What time of day are you most productive?
Sometimes at night after 8pm (at least when I’m writing). When I’m editing it’s usually the earlier the better.
5. Green or black olives?
None. Hate both.
6. What was your first car?
I didn’t get my license until 2008. Never needed it in Australia or Germany. So my first car was a 2002 Lexus RX 300 😀 I loved her so much.
7. What is your guilty pleasure?
I’m really not certain. I don’t have anything I wouldn’t admit to liking…
8. Are you a fan of footie pajamas?
I don’t like socks or things on my feet. So no hehe
9. What’s something you didn’t think you’d like that you did/do?
Tropic Thunder. I despise Tom Cruise movies and thought I’d hate that one too. But he surprised me and I love that movie.
10. Favorite salad dressing?
Blue cheese… blue cheese with ANYTHING, but not by itself.
11. What is your most embarrassing nickname? (Or, just any nickname. You don’t have to give an embarrassing one.)
Any nickname. Pookie. I love it actually. My family gave it to me when I was born – my brother to be precise 😀
So, there you go. I won’t be participating in the first Campaigner challenge. I can’t guarantee only people who participate in the challenge would vote soooo – I opted not to. But everyone should go read the entries and vote and enjoy them 😀
I’m not going to post 11 questions for anyone. I’ve read so many of them, I wouldn’t be able to keep them straight. But if you want to give me some of your answers to any of the ones I answered? I’d love that!
About to go and read my dear CPs book and try and remind myself  I’m supposed to critique it and not just get lost in the story 😉 Don’t forget to sign up for #writemotivation Goal-Check month if you haven’t already.
What about you? Do you like answering questions? And when you critique – do you sometimes have the problem that the story steals you away and you have to backtrack lol?
I agree, spiders are terrifying! I don’t like them. And I have the same problem with writing – I try to listen to music while I write, but I usually end up singing along with the music! 🙂
I completely agree with your first answer. No author is perfect; and while there are some that I consistently enjoy, it’s unlikely that every book someone writes is going to be brilliant.
Thank you so much for answering! I loved reading your answers. I just want to write all the time too. Revision is tough. And I love blue cheese too! 😀
Mwahaha! I answered almost all of them. Who me, OCD? Neber! (Actually, I was bored, because I’m too tired to do things that involve thinking right now.)
1.) What is one author you can’t refuse?
I have several. Other than you? Maggie Stiefvater

2.) Do you listen to music while writing or prefer silence?
Music. It helps me focus.
3.) To you, what is the hardest thing about writing?
Plot. I have issues with keeping the plot from meandering around in the middle.
4.) What is something that happened in your childhood that influenced your writing today?
The first time I was really aware of wanting to write was when my fifth grade teacher made my mom come in for a parent-teacher conference due to a story that I wrote for an assignment sparked from A Wrinkle in Time. I’d written a story where a girl went back in time with a tessaracor to save her twin from dying. She told my mom that the story made her cry, because it was what I would do with a time machine. I realized at that point that simple stories, the kinds of things I’d been making up all my life, could cause reactions in other people. I was hooked.
5.) Movie night: Comedy, Sci-Fi, Romance, or Horror?
Action, if I had the choice, otherwise sci-fi.

6.) What is your biggest pet peeve?
I have a lot of them. Published stuff with blatant, easily avoided errors is a current pick of mine.
7.) Favorite Season?
Fall. There’s something rather magical about the smell of falling leaves, and the awesome chill of halloween and costumes.
8.) What was the first book you simply could not put down?
Oh geeze! I’ve always been a crazy reader. Not counting the ones I was read to until the bindings fell off of them, or my family said no more? Probably Charlotte’s Web. I was 5, and wouldn’t go outside to play, because I was busy reading.
9.) If could time travel (without the ability to influence the past), what time period would you visit?
 Ancient Egypt.
10.) Would you live on the moon or Mars if ever given a chance? Why or why not?
Yes, because why not? I’m always up for adventure.
11.) What is the biggest thing that scares you?
The myriad of things that can go wrong.
1. Coffee or tea?
Tea. Coffee disagrees with my stomach unless I have pastry or something with it that’s able to soak it up.
2. What was the first story you can remember writing?
Muppet babies fic. Seriously. I was 4, and I insisted my mom write it down in one of my muppet babies books. Miss piggy had a pet flower, Daisy, and she had to take care of it. It was adorable.
3. What TV show, video game, movie would you recommend to other writers?
Uhm. No idea. Skipping.
4. What time of day are you most productive?
Late in the evening. Or between lunch and mid afternoon snack, some days.
5. Green or black olives?
Kalmata. In my bruschetta. 😉
6. What was your first car?
A 62 VW bug that was GLITTERY PURPLE. Unfortunately, it was a stick shift, and I was having enough trouble getting the hang of driving that it was freaking me out. Almost getting hit repeatedly from stalling out at stop signs did not help either. Had to swap it for an automatic.
7. What is your guilty pleasure?
Books- Xanth novels.
8. Are you a fan of footie pajamas?
No. Em loves them, I can’t stand having things on my feet when I sleep.
9. What’s something you didn’t think you’d like that you did/do?
Salmon. Specifically, salmon cooked the way Em’s mom does it. I normally only like fish in sushi form, so finding a cooked fish that was actually good was surprising
10. Favorite salad dressing?
Depends on what else is on the salad. I’m a bit of a foodie nerd. Default is Honey mustard though.
11. What is your most embarrassing nickname? (Or, just any nickname. You don’t have to give an embarrassing one.)
I actually have very few of these. Jamibear is my favorite though!
These are sooo fun! Oh and ancient Greece would be AWESOME. 😉
Yay! Thanks so much for playing along. I really enjoyed reading your answers (and I can’t believe that your first car was so nice!
It’s fun to read these. 🙂
Oh my goodness, I can relate to the revision process headache and enjoying the first draft euphoria. It’s a drug. I love creating the story, getting it down, such a rush. Revisions…pffft. Not so much, lol. And LOVE Labyrinth. LOVE IT! Enjoyed learning more about you 🙂