READ TUESDAY, 20 QUESTIONS FOR JOYCE HERTZOFF: A REPORT FROM A FUGITIVE.

As READ TUESDAY accidentally came early this year, thanks to some accidental blog posts, I've resurrected the TWENTY QUESTIONS for a writer who washed up on the shores of my blog.

Here's Joyce Hertzoff, with a few answers.

Twenty Questions.

1. Fire rages in your house. Everyone is safe, but you. You decide to smash through the window, shielding your face with a book. What is the book?

My Webster's Dictionary. It's heavy and not easily damaged. Besides, everything else is available online.

2. Asleep in your rebuilt house, you dream of meeting a dead author. But not in a creepy stalkerish way, so you shoo Mr Poe out of the kitchen. Instead, you sit down and have cake with which dead author?

Dorothy L. Sayers. Although I love writing fantasy, I love reading mysteries.

3. Would you name six essential items for writers? If, you know, cornered and threatened with torture.

An imagination, quick wits, huge vocabulary, a thesaurus so you can avoid repetition, computer with software, and a sense of humor.

4. Who’d win in a fight between Count Dracula and Frankenstein’s monster? If, you know, you were writing that scene.

Dracula, because he's smarter and more resourceful. If we include Dr Frankenstein, it would be a different story.

5. It’s the end of a long and tiring day. You are still writing a scene. Do you see it through to the end, even though matchsticks prop your eyelids open, or do you sleep on it and return, refreshed, to slay that literary dragon another day?

I write whatever pops into my head, knowing I can come back and rewrite if necessary in the morning. Besides, some of my best scenes were written when my brain wasn't functioning at full capacity.

6. You must introduce a plot-twist. Evil twin or luggage mix-up?

If those are the only choices, I'd say evil twin. So much more potential.

7. Let’s say you write a bunch of books featuring an amazing recurring villain. At the end of your latest story you have definitely absolutely positively killed off the villain for all time and then some. Did you pepper your narrative with clues hinting at the chance of a villainous return in the next book?

More likely the villain's assistant would turn out to be the mastermind of all the villain's most dastardly plots, and would finally come out of the shadows.

8. You are at sea in a lifeboat, with the barest chance of surviving the raging storm. There’s one opportunity to save a character, drifting by this scene. Do you save the idealistic hero or the tragic villain?

Idealistic heroes can make for a boring story, unless they have a hidden dark side. They could probably save themselves. The tragic villain can be so much more fun to play with, so I'd save him.

9. It’s time to kill a much-loved character – that pesky plot intrudes. Do you just type it up, heartlessly, or are there any strange rituals to be performed before the deed is done?

I've rarely killed off much-loved characters, but when I do, I prepare their friends and families in some way, usually giving them some substitute person to transfer their affection to.

10. Embarrassing typo time. I’m always typing thongs instead of things. One day, that’ll land me in trouble. Care to share any wildly embarrassing typing anecdotes? If, you know, the wrong word suddenly made something so much funnier. (My last crime against typing lay in omitting the u from Superman.)

I type things instead of thinks and vice versa. Not very embarrassing. In fact, I can't think of any typos that led to embarrassment.

11. I’ve fallen out of my chair laughing at all sorts of thongs I’ve typed. Have you?

Occasionally one of my characters will do or say something I hadn't intended that makes me laugh like that. But offhand I can't thing think of one.

12. You take a classic literary work and update it by throwing in rocket ships. Dare you name that story? Pride and Prejudice on Mars. That kind of thing.

I've written fanfiction, so I do something like that all the time to some extent, although they're rarely literary classics. I did write a take on Miracle on 34th Street that took place in a modern hospital and was called Miracle on the 3rd and 4th Floors.

13. Seen the movie. Read the book. And your preference was for?

Usually the book is more detailed, although occasionally something's added in the movie that makes it more enjoyable.

14. Occupational hazard of being a writer. Has a book ever fallen on your head? This may occasionally happen to non-writers, it must be said.

My books are double and triple shelved. More often one will fall on my feet than my head.

15. Did you ever read a series of books out of sequence?

No. I'm totally OCD about reading in sequence.

16. You encounter a story just as you are writing the same type of tale. Do you abandon your work, or keep going with the other one to ensure there won’t be endless similarities?

It's happened, but I assume my slant will be different so I continue with my own.

17. Have you ever stumbled across a Much-Loved Children’s Classic™ that you’ve never heard of?

Totally. My daughter runs a yearly fanfic exchange for kid's books and many titles are new to me. This year the list includes: The Flora Segunda series by Isabeau S. Wilce and A Posse of Princesses by Sherwood Smith among others.

18. You build a secret passage into your story. Where?

From a throne room to a dungeon.

19. Facing the prospect of writing erotica, you decide on a racy pen-name. And that would be…

Fanny Pack.

20. On a train a fan praises your work, mistaking you for another author. What happens next?

I thank her for the other author and say I'll pass on the compliment.

My author facebook is https:facebook.com/joyce.hertzoff.3.

My book website is: www.fantasybyjoycehertzoff.com.

My blog is hertzoffjo.blogspot.com.

READ TUESDAY. TWENTY QUESTIONS FOR…RLL: A REPORT FROM A FUGITIVE.

In support of READ TUESDAY, I answered my own questions on other people's blogs. Writers chatting to each other on writing. Tedious or devious? Let’s have one more batch of twenty questions, and find out.

   Time for some alternative answers...where possible.

 

1. Fire rages in your house. Everyone is safe, but you. You decide to smash through the window, shielding your face with a book. What is the book?

The book is pressed right into my face; I've cannily opened the tome, to widen the shielding properties. I hum and haw over this. The shield is wider, though now thinner. And it's still paper-based, so only acts as a temporary shield. However, if I wait too long the smoke will nail me. So a temporary shield is all I need. I've opened the book with the pages facing me, and all I take in during this fiery drama is the letter E.

2. Asleep in your rebuilt house, you dream of meeting a dead author. But not in a creepy stalkerish way, so you shoo Mr Poe out of the kitchen. Instead, you sit down and have cake with which dead author?

That one. Him. And I berate him for having wasted my time on his fiction. As he sits slack-jawed, I eat his portion of cake.

3. Would you name six essential items for writers? If, you know, cornered and threatened with torture.

Yes, it was a GREAT idea to answer this question differently every single time. Well, I - oh - hey, look at that interesting thing over there...

4. Who’d win in a fight between Count Dracula and Frankenstein’s monster? If, you know, you were writing that scene.

Someone else steps in and wins this fight. Did you ever hear of...Kong?

5. It’s the end of a long and tiring day. You are still writing a scene. Do you see it through to the end, even though matchsticks prop your eyelids open, or do you sleep on it and return, refreshed, to slay that literary dragon another day?

The question is clearly bogus. Who says I'll wake feeling refreshed?

6. You must introduce a plot-twist. Evil twin or luggage mix-up?

I introduce a mix-up that isn't meant to be part of the plot. This mixed-up mix-up involves luggage belonging to a guy named Mick. Mick's mixed-up mix-up diverts the readers from a massive hole in the plot - something to do with an evil twin. I wasn't really listening. What was the question again?

7. Let’s say you write a bunch of books featuring an amazing recurring villain. At the end of your latest story you have definitely absitively posolutely killed off the villain for all time and then some. Did you pepper your narrative with clues hinting at the chance of a villainous return in the next book?

Yes, but the villain then returns in a prequel instead.

8. You are at sea in a lifeboat, with the barest chance of surviving the raging storm. There’s one opportunity to save a character, drifting by this scene. Do you save the idealistic hero or the tragic villain?

I save both and watch them fight it out - drifting in the ocean would be empty and meaningless otherwise.

9. It’s time to kill a much-loved character – that pesky plot intrudes. Do you just type it up, heartlessly, or are there any strange rituals to be performed before the deed is done?

First, I mix up some luggage.

10. Embarrassing typo time. I’m always typing thongs instead of things. One day, that’ll land me in trouble. Care to share any wildly embarrassing typing anecdotes? If, you know, the wrong word suddenly made something so much funnier. (My last crime against typing lay in omitting the u from Superman.)

I recall typing this pen is running out of ink, omitting a space of strategic importance.

11. I’ve fallen out of my chair laughing at all sorts of thongs I’ve typed. Have you?

These days, my office chair has no castors. I'd say falling out of my chair is slightly more difficult, as a result of the change.

12. You take a classic literary work and update it by throwing in rocket ships. Dare you name that story? Pride and Prejudice on Mars. That kind of thing.

The Maltese Millennium Falcon.

13. Seen the movie. Read the book. And your preference was for?

What a cracked question. And it's taken me this long to realise. I've missed out books I've read and associated movie adaptations I haven't seen. Yes, I've read The Scarlet Letter. No, somehow I haven't managed to catch D. Moore in the movie version. Let's try a quote from Demi.

   "In truth, not very many people have read the book."

   In its day, from the off, Nat Hawthorne's book was a bestseller. Maybe one day I'll watch that film. Yes. One day.

14. Occupational hazard of being a writer. Has a book ever fallen on your head? This may occasionally happen to non-writers, it must be said.

I should have given thought to other occupational hazards. Or boons. Your odd behaviour is always explained away by using the old magic charm...

   "Oh, I'm a writer."

   After saying that to worried guards, have no fear. Those people will let you wander nuclear power stations.

15. Did you ever read a series of books out of sequence?

This is far easier to do if you read comic books. Batman hit the stands in 1939. Every decade, it became necessary to recreate the character. Update. Alter. Revamp. Good luck reading all the Caped Crusader's adventures in order.

16. You encounter a story just as you are writing the same type of tale. Do you abandon your work, or keep going with the other one to ensure there won’t be endless similarities?

Work is abandoned when it is published.

17. Have you ever stumbled across a Much-Loved Children’s Classic™ that you’ve never heard of?

I've bumped into a few I wish we could all pretend we'd left unread.

18. You build a secret passage into your story. Where?

I'd build it where no one would expect. Where is that? Even I don't know. I've been looking for that secret passage...how long now? Must be here somewhere. This loose panel...

19. Facing the prospect of writing erotica, you decide on a racy pen-name. And that would be…

Max Jiggle.

20. On a train a fan praises your work, mistaking you for another author. What happens next?

We go to sea in a beautiful pea-green boat.

Here's a blog post on READ TUESDAY.

And here's a funny one on CONTACTING PEOPLE FOR READ TUESDAY.

READ TUESDAY. TWENTY QUESTIONS WITH...E.B. BLACK.

Writers chatting to each other on writing. Tedious or devious? Let’s have twenty questions, and find out. In this guest-spot, Death Author E.B. Black delivers the answers...



1. Fire rages in your house. Everyone is safe, but you. You decide to smash through the window, shielding your face with a book. What is the book?

If I'm trying to save the book, then my kindle, because it has all my books on it. If I'm expecting the book to get burnt and damaged as I shield my face, then maybe a giant dictionary because it's a huge shield and I use the internet to look up words anyway.

2. Asleep in your rebuilt house, you dream of meeting a dead author. But not in a creepy stalkerish way, so you shoo Mr Poe out of the kitchen. Instead, you sit down and have cake with which dead author?

Probably Shakespeare. I think he'd be a very interesting person. I want to know what inspired him and if he wrote all his plays or if someone else wrote some of them like rumors say.

3. Would you name six essential items for writers? If, you know, cornered and threatened with torture.

A laptop, the internet (for dictionaries and distractions), chocolate, pets to cuddle with, a quiet place to sit, and some way to reward yourself when you meet your goals.

4. Who’d win in a fight between Count Dracula and Frankenstein’s monster? If, you know, you were writing that scene.

Probably Count Dracula. I want to say Frankenstein's monster because Frankenstein is one of my favorite books of all time, but he actually seemed pretty kind and gentle in the book. He only lashed out when he felt hurt because no one loved him.

5. It’s the end of a long and tiring day. You are still writing a scene. Do you see it through to the end, even though matchsticks prop your eyelids open, or do you sleep on it and return, refreshed, to slay that literary dragon another day?

I stay up as long as I can stand, but sometimes it's still not long enough.

6. You must introduce a plot-twist. Evil twin or luggage mix-up?

How about dramatic confession instead?

7. Let’s say you write a bunch of books featuring an amazing recurring villain. At the end of your latest story you have definitely absitively posolutely killed off the villain for all time and then some. Did you pepper your narrative with clues hinting at the chance of a villainous return in the next book?

It depends on how amazing this villain is, but probably I don't leave clues or a chance of the villain returning. I'm a huge fan of tying up all the ends of my stories, so I like concluding things. Sometimes I conclude them too quickly.

8. You are at sea in a lifeboat, with the barest chance of surviving the raging storm. There’s one opportunity to save a character, drifting by this scene. Do you save the idealistic hero or the tragic villain?

Probably the hero to make the audience happy, but an evil part of me wants to save the villain because it sounds interesting.

9. It’s time to kill a much-loved character – that pesky plot intrudes. Do you just type it up, heartlessly, or are there any strange rituals to be performed before the deed is done?

The more dramatic a scene is, usually the easier it is to type for me. I'd effortlessly be able to write about a much-loved character dying, but struggle when writing about mundane things like describing scenery.

10. Embarrassing typo time. I’m always typing thongs instead of things. One day, that’ll land me in trouble. Care to share any wildly embarrassing typing anecdotes? If, you know, the wrong word suddenly made something so much funnier. (My last crime against typing lay in omitting the u from Superman.)

The most embarrassing typo I've ever had is one time I wrote "he broke her clitoris" instead of "he broke her hymen." Someone read it and mocked me for several hours afterwards.
   (E.B. Black wins the prize for this one, though it's not a competition and I'm struggling to think what the prize would be - Eclectic Ed.)

11. I’ve fallen out of my chair laughing at all sorts of thongs I’ve typed. Have you?

I've fallen out of my chair laughing at all sorts of "thongs" that I've mispronounced out loud.

12. You take a classic literary work and update it by throwing in rocket ships. Dare you name that story? Pride and Prejudice on Mars. That kind of thing.

Pride and Power Thrusts.
   The Old Man and the Galaxy.
   The Lion, The Witch, and Pluto.

13. Seen the movie. Read the book. And your preference was for

Usually the book.

14. Occupational hazard of being a writer. Has a book ever fallen on your head? This may occasionally happen to non-writers, it must be said.

No, but I have dropped my laptop on my toes a bunch of times.

15. Did you ever read a series of books out of sequence?

Yes, The Chronicles of Narnia. It's actually really confusing trying to read those books because different editions have the books in different orders. Like, some in chronological order and some in the order he wrote them in.
   I borrowed them from the library when I read them and they had three different editions of the books and all of them were in a different order, so I said, "I will read these in whatever order I feel like!" And I did.
   (Many of us reached Narnia through different starting volumes - Eclectic Ed.)

16. You encounter a story just as you are writing the same type of tale. Do you abandon your work, or keep going with the other one to ensure there won’t be endless similarities?

This has happened to me before. While some books appear similar on the outside, when you actually compare them in detail, they are usually not at all the same.
   So I completed my book, then later read theirs, and saw a million differences between our novels.

17. Have you ever stumbled across a Much-Loved Children’s Classic™ that you’ve never heard of?

Not yet. My Mom read to me a lot as a child.

18. You build a secret passage into your story. Where?

If my story has a castle, then definitely somewhere in the castle. And I'd make it lead to every room, so I could spy on my characters as the story was unfolding.

19. Facing the prospect of writing erotica, you decide on a racy pen-name. And that would be…

Shh! I actually have already done this and my pen name is boring compared to others.

20. On a train a fan praises your work, mistaking you for another author. What happens next?

I might blog about it the next day.

 














Click on the links to check out those books.

PANDORA'S LINK - less dangerous than her box.
MEDUSA'S LINK - less dangerous than her gaze.

Find E.B. Black here...

Website: http://www.ebblack.com/
Blog: http://deathauthor.blogspot.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/writerblack
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ebblackauthor

I answer my own questions on E.B. Black's blog HERE.

READ TUESDAY. TWENTY QUESTIONS WITH...R.B. AUSTIN.

Writers chatting to each other on writing. Tedious or devious? Let’s have twenty questions, and find out. In this guest-spot, R.B. Austin delivers the answers...
   Though this series of posts supports the READ TUESDAY sale, not all authors are able to host a sale on the day. We're getting closer to the big day. R.B. can't arrange a sale in time for READ TUESDAY. She's welcome on the blog anyway.



1. Fire rages in your house. Everyone is safe, but you. You decide to smash through the window, shielding your face with a book. What is the book?

Stephen King’s On Writing has been sitting on my nightstand waiting for me to read it for over a year now.
   (I’m not a fan of non-fiction books, but I’ve been told this is a must read for writers. I’ll get to it soon…I promise.)
   I’d probably grab that one, since my Paperwhite will be tucked up my shirt so I can take it with me.

2. Asleep in your rebuilt house, you dream of meeting a dead author. But not in a creepy stalkerish way, so you shoo Mr Poe out of the kitchen. Instead, you sit down and have cake with which dead author?

Bram Stroker. I’d love to converse with him about vampires.

3. Would you name six essential items for writers? If, you know, cornered and threatened with torture.

Oh, aren’t we all a little tortured? :)
   Computer.
   Bottle of water.
   Chocolate.
   Online cloud space.
   iPod.
   Comfortable chair.

4. Who’d win in a fight between Count Dracula and Frankenstein’s monster? If, you know, you were writing that scene.

Definitely Dracula. I don’t think F’s monster had much in the brains department. J

5. It’s the end of a long and tiring day. You are still writing a scene. Do you see it through to the end, even though matchsticks prop your eyelids open, or do you sleep on it and return, refreshed, to slay that literary dragon another day?

If I’m in the middle of a scene and the words are flowing and my fingers are flying, I don’t stop for anything. I’ll sit in that seat and write, much to my stomach's and bladder’s dismay.

6. You must introduce a plot-twist. Evil twin or luggage mix-up?

Evil all the way, baby.

7. Let’s say you write a bunch of books featuring an amazing recurring villain. At the end of your latest story you have definitely absolutely positively killed off the villain for all time and then some. Did you pepper your narrative with clues hinting at the chance of a villainous return in the next book?

No. If one of my characters is truly dead they will stay dead. Although I might hint about the villain’s child that will come back and extract revenge for his father’s death.

8. You are at sea in a lifeboat, with the barest chance of surviving the raging storm. There’s one opportunity to save a character, drifting by this scene. Do you save the idealistic hero or the tragic villain?

The hero. The villain would probably push me overboard so she can have the life raft to herself.

9. It’s time to kill a much-loved character – that pesky plot intrudes. Do you just type it up, heartlessly, or are there any strange rituals to be performed before the deed is done?

There would be some crying, maybe lighting a candle, a pause or two in memory of, but then I’d just start typing.

10. Embarrassing typo time. I’m always typing thongs instead of things. One day, that’ll land me in trouble. Care to share any wildly embarrassing typing anecdotes? If, you know, the wrong word suddenly made something so much funnier. (My last crime against typing lay in omitting the u from Superman.)

I have a horrible time distinguishing between lose and loose. I think I was sick when they taught that lesson in Elementary School. I’m so lucky to have Ella. She sets o and oo straight.
   (Ella being one of the girls at www.2unpublishedgirls.com - Eclectic Ed.)

11. I’ve fallen out of my chair laughing at all sorts of things I’ve typed. Have you?

I’ve always wondered how writers come up with tear-running laughter scenes. My comedy comes, if at all, in the form of one-liners. So, no chair falling when I read my work.

12. You take a classic literary work and update it by throwing in rocket ships. Dare you name that story? Pride and Prejudice on Mars. That kind of thing.

Little Aliens.
   (Alien Resurrection meets Little Women, with Winona Ryder - Eclectic Ed.)

13. Seen the movie. Read the book. And your preference was for?

The book. ALWAYS the book.

14. Occupational hazard of being a writer. Has a book ever fallen on your head? This may occasionally happen to non-writers, it must be said.

No, a book hasn’t fallen on my head, but many have fallen on my foot before. And it always happens to be a hardcover one, too.

15. Did you ever read a series of books out of sequence?

*gasps* Absolutely not. ;) My OCD tendencies will not let that occur.

16. You encounter a story just as you are writing the same type of tale. Do you abandon your work, or keep going with the other one to ensure there won’t be endless similarities?

I keep going. When the stories are in my head I just have to get them out. Now whether or not that story will ever be published is a different question.

17. Have you ever stumbled across a Much-Loved Children’s Classic™ that you’ve never heard of?

The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame.

18. You build a secret passage into your story. Where?

Ooh, I’d love to have a secret passage in my house. I think one of the entrances should be in the bathroom. No one looks for a secret passage in that room.
   (Never use the bathroom in R.B. Austin's house - Eclectic Ed.)

19. Facing the prospect of writing erotica, you decide on a racy pen-name. And that would be…

Vixen Starr.

20. On a train a fan praises your work, mistaking you for another author. What happens next?

I’d tell the fan the truth and we’d either have a good laugh or if I read books from that author, a discussion about his/her work.

Thank you so much for hosting me on your site, RLL. I appreciate this opportunity to “speak” with your readers.

   I’m a huge supporter of READ TUESDAY and though my novel, Fallen Redemption, will not be on sale on December 10 (it will remain its low e-book price of $2.99) I’m honored to be included in the READ TUESDAY promotion.

   (The point was to invite people to the blog, whether in the sale or not - and whether published or not. R.B. was invited as she ran a site called www.2unpublishedgirls.com - though by the time I stumbled to the site, she was published - Eclectic Ed.)

 

FALLEN REDEMPTION available now through Amazon.

Where’s R.B. when she’s not writing?

www.rbaustin.com

https://facebook.com/authorrbaustin
https://twitter.com/authorrbaustin
www.2unpublishedgirls.com
http://goodreads.com/rbaustin

I answer my own question's on the R.B. Austin site HERE.

READ TUESDAY. TWENTY QUESTIONS WITH...THE RAMPAGING PAPI ZILLA.

Writers chatting to each other on writing. Tedious or devious? Let’s have twenty questions, and find out. In this guest-spot, The Rampaging Papi Zilla delivers the answers...
   This isn't just about plugging a sale in December. Some authors featured here can't run a sale on the day. The blog is also open to unpublished writers. Blogger Papi hopes to publish one day.



1. Fire rages in your house. Everyone is safe, but you. You decide to smash through the window, shielding your face with a book. What is the book?

The Dark Tower Book 7. I don't care if that tripe gets damaged.

2. Asleep in your rebuilt house, you dream of meeting a dead author. But not in a creepy stalkerish way, so you shoo Mr Poe out of the kitchen. Instead, you sit down and have cake with which dead author?

F.Scott Fitzgerald. I ask him why he wrote the dreadful Great Gatsby.

3. Would you name six essential items for writers? If, you know, cornered and threatened with torture.

Stress ball. Shooter's Bible (to get all of the calibers and gun accessories right), Gray's Anatomy (to get all of the wounded body-parts right), Pen/Pencil/Paper/Computer, Comfortable work space and music.

4. Who’d win in a fight between Count Dracula and Frankenstein’s monster? If, you know, you were writing that scene.

Dracula. Vampire strength and quickness is more than a match for old Frank.

5. It’s the end of a long and tiring day. You are still writing a scene. Do you see it through to the end, even though matchsticks prop your eyelids open, or do you sleep on it and return, refreshed, to slay that literary dragon another day?

I go to sleep and relax my mind.

6. You must introduce a plot-twist. Evil twin or luggage mix-up?

Luggage mix-up orchestrated by evil twin.

7. Let’s say you write a bunch of books featuring an amazing recurring villain. At the end of your latest story you have definitely absitively posolutely killed off the villain for all time and then some. Did you pepper your narrative with clues hinting at the chance of a villainous return in the next book?

Of course. If Stefano DiMera can return on Days of our Lives, so can my popular character.

8. You are at sea in a lifeboat, with the barest chance of surviving the raging storm. There’s one opportunity to save a character, drifting by this scene. Do you save the idealistic hero or the tragic villain?

The hero.

9. It’s time to kill a much-loved character – that pesky plot intrudes. Do you just type it up, heartlessly, or are there any strange rituals to be performed before the deed is done?

Kill it! Kill it with fire!

10. Embarrassing typo time. I’m always typing thongs instead of things. One day, that’ll land me in trouble. Care to share any wildly embarrassing typing anecdotes? If, you know, the wrong word suddenly made something so much funnier. (My last crime against typing lay in omitting the u from Superman.)

Fortunately I have yet to make this error. Though I believe my time is coming short and it will be epic when it does.

11. I’ve fallen out of my chair laughing at all sorts of thongs I’ve typed. Have you?

Yes. This one time, at band camp...

12. You take a classic literary work and update it by throwing in rocket ships. Dare you name that story? Pride and Prejudice on Mars. That kind of thing.

Great Gatsby Kills Again! In Space! (Anything to make it better than it was.)
   (Overt Danny Trejo references will be removed from this blog - Eclectic Ed.)

13. Seen the movie. Read the book. And your preference was for?

Book, every time.

14. Occupational hazard of being a writer. Has a book ever fallen on your head? This may occasionally happen to non-writers, it must be said.

Yes, many times. I have the dents in my noggin to prove it.

15. Did you ever read a series of books out of sequence?

Unfortunately yes. It was a good enough series that it did not matter though.

16. You encounter a story just as you are writing the same type of tale. Do you abandon your work, or keep going with the other one to ensure there won’t be endless similarities?

I have abandoned the work. And may have angrily plotted the other person's death...oh, you didn't ask that?
   (Overt Danny Trejo references will be removed from this blog - Eclectic Ed.)

17. Have you ever stumbled across a Much-Loved Children’s Classic™ that you’ve never heard of?

No, because then I would have heard of it. ;)

18. You build a secret passage into your story. Where?

If I told you it wouldn't be secret.

19. Facing the prospect of writing erotica, you decide on a racy pen-name. And that would be…

Johnny Jizz.

20. On a train a fan praises your work, mistaking you for another author. What happens next?

Depending on whether the other Author is good or not, I ask if they want an autograph...he he he.

You'll find a whole lot of rampaging going on at Papi Zilla's blog. Sometimes he's Papizilla. Occasionally he doesn't rampage. He rages instead. There's ranting...I didn't want to get into that.
   I answer my own questions HERE on Papi Zilla's blog.

READ TUESDAY. TWENTY QUESTIONS WITH...SUZANNA WILLIAMS.

Writers chatting to each other on writing. Tedious or devious? Let’s have twenty questions, and find out. In this guest-spot, READ TUESDAY participant Suzanna Williams delivers the answers...



1. Fire rages in your house. Everyone is safe, but you. You decide to smash through the window, shielding your face with a book. What is the book?

I grab my copy of Lauren Oliver’s Delirium (which is a hard-back copy and tough) and use it as a shield as I leap through the window into the arms of a waiting hunky fireman.
   Delirium will probably be sliced and unreadable afterwards but it’s probably the best ending for a plot revolving round a surgical cure for love.

2. Asleep in your rebuilt house, you dream of meeting a dead author. But not in a creepy stalkerish way, so you shoo Mr Poe out of the kitchen. Instead, you sit down and have cake with which dead author?

Guess William Shakespeare could offer some interesting advice about writing in changing times.

3. Would you name six essential items for writers? If, you know, you were cornered and threatened with torture.

Pencil - super sharp, for stabbing my tormentor where it hurts the most.
   Pencil sharpener – to ensure above item stays at optimum working efficiency.
   Hardback dictionary – two possible uses: as protective stab-proof vest or to hit my captor round the head.
   Paperclips - not sure how to pick a lock with one of these but everyone seems to be able to do it in movies. How hard can it be?
   Laptop with internet connection – to Google how to pick a lock with a paperclip just in case it’s harder than it looks in movies.
   Dictation machine – I’d make sure my last request would last as long as possible.

4. Who’d win in a fight between Count Dracula and Frankenstein’s monster? If, you know, you were writing that scene.

I’d probably let Frankenstein win. There are far too many vampire stories around.
   (Suzanna can't possibly mean my Kindle story, VAMPIRES - Eclectic Ed.)

5. It’s the end of a long and tiring day. You are still writing a scene. Do you see it through to the end, even though matchsticks prop your eyelids open, or do you sleep on it and return, refreshed, to slay that literary dragon another day?

If I had the scene all planned, I’d write like the wind to finish. If I have no plan, no amount of matchsticks would keep me from my sleep.

6. You must introduce a plot-twist. Evil twin or luggage mix-up?

Evil twin...evil anything wins every time.

7. Let’s say you write a bunch of books featuring an amazing recurring villain. At the end of your latest story you have definitely absolutely positively killed off the villain for all time and then some. Did you pepper your narrative with clues hinting at the chance of a villainous return in the next book?

Absolutely, positively, definitely not. If for some random reason the villain has to be resurrected in the future, I wouldn’t want to give my readers any hint.

8. You are at sea in a lifeboat, with the barest chance of surviving the raging storm. There’s one opportunity to save a character, drifting by this scene. Do you save the idealistic hero or the tragic villain?

The Hero would be saved every time. No one loves a dead hero, only a dead villain.

9. It’s time to kill a much-loved character – that pesky plot intrudes. Do you just type it up, heartlessly, or are there any strange rituals to be performed before the deed is done?

Day 1, Denial...I’ll think of another way to fix the plot without killing that much-loved character. Everything will be all right.
   Day 2, Anger...Why can’t I think of another way to fix the plot? I am such a bad, stupid writer.
   Day 3, Bargaining...Maybe I could use that character again in another book. So he wouldn’t really be dead? Would he?
   Day 4, Depression...I can’t write this book any more. I’m going to the shop for chocolate and several boxes of ice-cream.
   Day 5, Acceptance...Make sure the house is empty. Do not sit so close to keyboard that tears induce water damage. Keep character memory alive by thinking about him every night before sleep.

10. Embarrassing typo time. I’m always typing thongs instead of things. One day, that’ll land me in trouble. Care to share any wildly embarrassing typing anecdotes? If, you know, the wrong word suddenly made something so much funnier. (My last crime against typing lay in omitting the u from Superman.)

Not admitting any. My typing is god.

11. I’ve fallen out of my chair laughing at all sorts of thongs I’ve typed. Have you?

No. God typing is serious stuff.

12. You take a classic literary work and update it by throwing in rocket ships. Dare you name that story? Pride and Prejudice on Mars. That kind of thing.

The Hunchback of Starbase Sector Nine.

13. Seen the movie. Read the book. And your preference was for?

Usually the book with the exception of Isaac Marion’s Warm Bodies which turned out way better as a film.

14. Occupational hazard of being a writer. Has a book ever fallen on your head? This may occasionally happen to non-writers, it must be said.

No but I’ve tripped over a pile of books I’d stacked at the side of my chair so I didn’t have to stand up to get them from my shelf. Penance for laziness I guess.

15. Did you ever read a series of books out of sequence?

I acquired Kate Cann’s Shacked Up which was second in the Hard Cash trilogy, liked it, so then I went back and read book one and then book three.

16. You encounter a story just as you are writing the same type of tale. Do you abandon your work, or keep going with the other one to ensure there won’t be endless similarities?

Mayday. Mayday. Abandon ship.

17. Have you ever stumbled across a Much-Loved Children’s Classic™ that you’ve never heard of?

Enid Blyton wrote 762 classic tales.
   Far too many to have heard of them all.
   Hands up who remembers The Queer Adventure, Rambles with Uncle Nat, or The Saucy Jane Family?

18. You build a secret passage into your story. Where?

I’d sneak into an alien stealth ship via my secret passage. How else would I get there?

19. Facing the prospect of writing erotica, you decide on a racy pen-name. And that would be…

Umm, would probably go with Saucy Jane. Hey, it worked for Enid Blyton.

20. On a train a fan praises your work, mistaking you for another author. What happens next?

“Wait! You think I wrote The Hunger Games?”
   Turning three shades redder. “Umm...”
   Rushing on without waiting for an answer. “I’m Suzanna, not Suzanne. Williams, not Collins.”
   Stammering. “Oh, I’m sorry.”
   “Please don’t be sorry. Because if you loved Katniss and Peeta in her book, you’re going to love Joe and Sarah in mine.”
   (I detect the cold dead hand of a covert plug there. Glad I didn't try that earlier, with my mention of VAMPIRES. In my FICTION FACTORY line. Amazon Kindle - Eclectic Ed.)



 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Website: www.suzannawilliams.com.
See my answers to the questions on THIS PAGE of Suzanna's blog.
 
Book links at Amazon...

Ninety-Five Percent Human.
ShockWaves.



 

READ TUESDAY. TWENTY QUESTIONS WITH...KATHLEEN KASKA.

Writers chatting to each other on writing. Tedious or devious? Let’s have twenty questions, and find out. In this guest-spot, Kathleen Kaska delivers the answers...
   Though this series of posts supports the READ TUESDAY sale, not all authors are able to host a sale on the day. We're getting closer to the big day. Kathleen can't arrange a sale in time for READ TUESDAY.
   Beyond that, I'll add that I hope to feature unpublished authors in these sessions soon... 

 

1. Fire rages in your house. Everyone is safe, but you. You decide to smash through the window, shielding your face with a book. What is the book?

Firestorm by Nevada Barr. 

2. Asleep in your rebuilt house, you dream of meeting a dead author. But not in a creepy stalkerish way, so you shoo Mr Poe out of the kitchen. Instead, you sit down and have cake with which dead author?

Elizabeth Peters. She passed away this summer and was one of my inspirations for the creation of my Sydney Lockhart mysteries.
   Her sense of humor and zany characters really appealed to me. I’ve read all of her Amelia Peabody books, some several times. Ms. Peters was also an Egyptologist, a profession I often dreamed of undertaking. 

3. Would you name six essential items for writers? If, you know, cornered and threatened with torture.

A writer’s nest, laptop, Internet, good coffee, good wine, good gin.

4. Who’d win in a fight between Count Dracula and Frankenstein’s monster? If, you know, you were writing that scene.

Frankenstein. At least he smiles kindly at little girls picking flowers.

5. It’s the end of a long and tiring day. You are still writing a scene. Do you see it through to the end, even though matchsticks prop your eyelids open, or do you sleep on it and return, refreshed, to slay that literary dragon another day?

My writing usually keeps me awake, but if I begin to doze, I know it’s time to quit. Nothing worthwhile ever comes from my foggy brain. And, no, despite what I answered in question three, I don’t drink alcohol while I write.

6. You must introduce a plot-twist. Evil twin or luggage mix-up?

I think evil twin is sort of cheating. Mixed up luggage provides a bit of intrigue.

7. Let’s say you write a bunch of books featuring an amazing recurring villain. At the end of your latest story you have definitely absitively posolutely killed off the villain for all time and then some. Did you pepper your narrative with clues hinting at the chance of a villainous return in the next book?

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle killed off his protagonist and almost got expelled from England. He was wise enough not to produce Holmes’ dead body.
   As a result, this decision made him rich once he decided to bring the Great Detective back to Baker Street. If it worked for him, it might work for me. 

8. You are at sea in a lifeboat, with the barest chance of surviving the raging storm. There’s one opportunity to save a character, drifting by this scene. Do you save the idealistic hero or the tragic villain?

The hero. Sydney would haunt me for the rest of my life if I let her die.

 

 9. It’s time to kill a much-loved character – that pesky plot intrudes. Do you just type it up, heartlessly, or are there any strange rituals to be performed before the deed is done?

 

No rituals; when it’s time to go, it’s time to go.

10. Embarrassing typo time. I’m always typing thongs instead of things. One day, that’ll land me in trouble. Care to share any wildly embarrassing typing anecdotes? If, you know, the wrong word suddenly made something so much funnier. (My last crime against typing lay in omitting the u from Superman.)

Once I wrote Davy Crooked rather than Davy Crockett. I thought it was funny, but all the defenders of the Alamo probably turned over in their graves.

11. I’ve fallen out of my chair laughing at all sorts of thongs I’ve typed. Have you?

I have. Sometimes laughing is all you can do if you make a complete fool of yourself; believe me, I know.

12. You take a classic literary work and update it by throwing in rocket ships. Dare you name that story? Pride and Prejudice on Mars. That kind of thing.

I’m not too much into rocket ships or science fiction, except for time travel. So, here’s my classic work with an update: The Great Gatsby 1965: Daisy Receives Her Punishment.

13. Seen the movie. Read the book. And your preference was for?

The book.

14. Occupational hazard of being a writer. Has a book ever fallen on your head? This may occasionally happen to non-writers, it must be said.

Not just one, but an entire box when I was rearranging my storage unit.

15. Did you ever read a series of books out of sequence?

Yes, but I prefer not to.

16. You encounter a story just as you are writing the same type of tale. Do you abandon your work, or keep going with the other one to ensure there won’t be endless similarities?

I stay on track with my story otherwise I get dizzy.

17. Have you ever stumbled across a Much-Loved Children’s Classic™ that you’ve never heard of?

No, but I have an entire list of children’s classics I still haven’t read. Although E. B. White is one of my favorite writers, I’ve never read Charlotte’s Web.

18. You build a secret passage into your story. Where?

In the floor of a costume/prop room behind a theatre stage. This secret passage appeared in Murder at the Luther.

19. Facing the prospect of writing erotica, you decide on a racy pen-name. And that would be…

Chanda Lier. (Pronounced chandelier.)

 

20. On a train a fan praises your work, mistaking you for another author. What happens next?

Hopefully, she will have a book in hand and ask me to sign it, which I will graciously do, but with my own name.

Kathleen Kaska writes the award-winning Sydney Lockhart mystery series set in the 1950s when women were caught between the dichotomy of career and marriage; when fashion exploded with a never-before-seen flair; and movies and music had the country dancing with gusto.
   Her first mystery, Murder at the Arlington, won the 2008 Salvo Press Manuscript Contest.

   Kathleen's site: Kathleen Kaska.

   And Kathleeen's blog: Kathleen Kaska Writes.