The Home Sweet Home Writing Challenge for Authors

At Home with Children’s Fantasy Author Victoria Simcox

admin — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 03:21:24 +0000

Victoria, known as Vicki, was born in 1966, in Scarborough, Ontario, Canada, to an Austrian immigrant mother, and a Dutch immigrant father. She has one older sister, Jeannette. When Vicki was 7, she moved with her family to British Columbia. In her early twenties Vicki moved to Western Washington and now resides in Marysville WA. She has been married to her husband Russ, for nineteen years and they have three children; Toby, who is fifteen, Kristina, thirteen, and William, eight. She has home schooled her children for the past nine years, and she also teaches elementary school art. Vicki’s other family members are, a Chihuahua, named Pipsy, two cats, Frodo, and Fritz, and two parakeets, Charlie, and Paulie. She did have a pet rat named Raymond when she started writing The Magic Warble, but sad to say, he has since passed away of old age. Vicki enjoys writing, painting watercolors, watching movies, hanging out with her family, and chauffeuring her kids around to their many activities. Her favorite author is C.S. Lewis, and one of her fondest memories is when she was twelve. She would sit at the kitchen table and read The Chronicles of Narnia to her mother while she cooked dinner. These magical stories were very dear to Vicki and she remembers wishing, If only I could go to Narnia like Lucy and Susan. Vicki hopes that maybe, she can touch someone with her story in a similar way. You can visit her website at www.themagicwarble.com.

Where do you live? Marysville WA
What is the weather like? 21 degrees (cold)
Have you lived there very long? 7 years
Would you rather live somewhere else? no
Are you married or single? married
Do you have kids? yes 3
Where were you born? Scarborough Ontario Canada
What was your childhood like? adventurous
What was it like growing up as a teen? What did you do for fun? avareage, hung out with friends
Back to the present, what’s your favorite room in your house? my bedroom
Do you have an outside job? art teacher
What is your favorite thing to do on your day off? write
What’s your most favorite thing to eat for breakfast? fiber fruit shake
Do you have any pets? dog, 2 cats , a parakeet
Do you know your neighbors? yes
Pepsi or Coke? Pepsi
Favorite time of year? Summer
Favorite color? green
Favorite book? Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe
Does your car look better than your house? no
What’s on your mousepad? my family on vacation in Mexico
How many times do you let the phone ring before you answer it? I let the recorder get it
What’s the first thing you think of when you wake up in the morning? coffee
Chocolate or vanilla? both
Do you like to drive too fast? no
Do you sleep with a stuffed animal? no
If you could meet one person dead or alive, who would it be? CS Lewis
What’s your favorite alcoholic drink? don’t drink
What is your zodiac sign? The fish one (not in to it though)
If you could have any job that you wanted, what would it be? writer
What’s under your bed? probably dust
Is the glass half empty or half full? full

At Home with Mystery Suspense Author Gale Laure

admin — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 05:51:36 +0000

International selling author, Gale Laure, is a native Texan. She was born along the coast of Texas in an area referred to as the “Golden Triangle”. She spent her young adult years in Tyler in East Texas, and Houston, Texas. She has resided in a small suburban town in the Houston area for more than 20 years with her husband and family.

As mysterious as her mystery-suspense thriller book and novel, Laure writes under a pseudonym. She is very adamant about maintaining her privacy and the privacy of her family as a mystery!

With an attitude that “you can do anything you set your mind to”, Laure travels forward in life fulfilling all of her dreams. She credits her huge imagination and true love for research for taking her to this career decision to be an author. She also credits some special people in her life which offered encouragement to become a mystery writer.

She has gained her experience for writing from her careers including owner of a business service, marketing and consulting company, owner of her own travel agency, employment in the medical field including office manager, a short stint as a legal assistant, a paralegal, and employment in an insurance office and CPA’s office.

Gale Laure enjoys her career and life as an author. She finds inspiration from her readers, friends and family.

Laure’s hobbies include genealogical research, movies, creating stories for the children around her, involvement in her church and people watching. By watching people she obtains ideas for the characters in her books. So watch out! You may see some of your own traits in a character in her mystery, romance, and suspense-thriller books. She loves the “human being” and everything about them, both good and bad.

Gale Laure is known for her informal Southern style of writing. Books written by Gale Laure include her current debut, mystery-suspense thriller, Evolution of a Sad Woman. It is selling internationally as an ebook download, Kindle and as a trade softcover paperback.

You can visit Gale on the web at www.galelaure.com or www.evolutionofasadwoman.com.

Where were you born?

I was born in the Golden Triangle along the coast of Texas in the refinery belt.

What was it like growing up as a teen? What did you do for fun?

I had wonderful teenage years. Lots of romance filled my moonlit nights. There was a recreation hall where all the teens gathered for dancing and socializing. We danced the night away to actual band music. We always went on the drag at night cruising like they did in American Graffiti. Football games filled our Friday nights. It was a wonderful era and a wonderful time in my life.

Evolution of a Sad Woman by Gale Laure

My bedroom is my favorite room. I love to sleep in my comfy bed or read a good book. The sunlight pours through a large window. It is warm and alive.

Do you have an outside job?

No. My only job is being an author.

What is your favorite thing to do on your day off?

I love to either go to a movie or curl up in my wing back lounge chair and watch old movies on Turner Classic Movies. The old movies have such great drama and such great stories.

What’s your most favorite thing to eat for breakfast?

I love a smoothie. I make my own. It is quite a concoction of blueberries, cranberries, strawberries, blackberries and cherries mixed with whey protein powder, soy milk, two tablespoons of steel cut oatmeal, two tablespoons of ground flax seed, a little ground sesame seed and some apple juice. It really is good. But it looks really awful!

Pepsi or Coke?

Well, I no longer drink soda. However, when I did I was definitely a coke girl. I even took the challenge once and could tell the difference. I met my husband at a coke machine.

Favorite time of year?

Summer. I love the sunshine. As a teen I loved days in the sun at the beach.

Favorite color?

Blue. Although, I do look the best in the color red. My bedroom is painted blue.

Favorite book?

Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie

How many times do you let the phone ring before you answer it?

Usually I only let it ring twice. However if I am writing, I screen my calls. So I may not answer at all. It breaks my concentration.

What’s the first thing you think of when you wake up in the morning?

What day is it?

Chocolate or vanilla?

I do like chocolate. But I love vanilla.

Do you sleep with a stuffed animal?

If you count my husband the answer is yes. Sometimes he is pretty stuffed and is definitely an animal.

If you could meet one person dead or alive, who would it be?

I would love to meet Agatha Christie, my favorite author.

If you could have any job that you wanted, what would it be?

For the first time in my life, I can say I have the job I want. I am an author. However, I do not think of it as a job. I think of it as a career.

What’s under your bed?

Under my bed are two sweater boxes loaded with sweaters.

Is the glass half empty or half full?

My glass is always half full, but I want to fill it all the way up!

Home Sweet Home with Maryann Paige, Author of Hidden Shadows

admin — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 07:43:55 +0000

• Maryann Paige
• Hidden Shadows
• Paranormal/Suspense
• http://www.fictionwise.com/ebooks/b78291/Hidden-Shadows/Maryann-Paige/?si=0

Maryann Paige was born in Brooklyn, New York, lived in Nevada and Texas and landed back in her home state. She resides in the beautiful Hudson Valley and uses the area as the setting for her novels and stories. She attributes the idea for Hidden Shadows to her younger son, who claims to have met the shadow people on a nightly basis. After researching and learning of them, she decided to write a novel loosely based on her son’s experiences. Please visit Maryann at www.maryannpaige.com to find out about her latest novel, Cemetery Gates.

1. Where do you live (city, country)? I live in the Hudson Valley of New York State. It’s an area shrouded in history, natural beauty, and lots of ghost stories.

2. What is the weather like? The weather right now is quite cool. Much to my chagrin, most of the trees in my yard have lost their leaves. I was simply not ready for a bare yard, so I took a leaf and duck-taped it back onto to my usually beautiful red maple. It lasted until, Woodrow, my local woodpecker, realized something was awry and pecked it off of the tree.

3. Would you rather live somewhere else? I dream of someday relocating to the American south. Possibly, Savannah, GA or Gatlinburg in Tennessee. There is something about the south and its people that has always made me feel as if I’m home.

4. Do you have kids? Yes, I have two sons: My older son is thirteen and my younger is ten. My little one was the actual inspiration for my novel Hidden Shadows. It is loosely based upon his experiences with the shadow people.

5. What’s your most favorite thing to eat for breakfast? I must admit that I’m all about bread. A warm piece of Italian bread, fresh of out the oven. If that’s not available, any type of dough will due!

6. Do you have any pets? Yes, I have a cat, Whiskers, and two white parakeets, Snowflake and Blizzard. Life as far as the pet scene is never dull in my house. I’m aware now that the cartoon Tom and Jerry was based upon some true stories.

7. Do you know your neighbors? I know my neighbors very well. We’re a close knit street and it’s very enjoyable. When one needs help, we’re all there. I like it that way. I would do anything for my neighbors and appreciate they’ve always been there for me when I needed them.

8. Pepsi or Coke? For me, without any doubt, it is Coke. Although I love the taste of Pepsi, it makes me sneeze. I have no idea why, but it does.

9. Favorite time of year? My favorite time of the year is fall, especially if an Indian summer is upon us. It’s so much fun, looking at the beautiful colorful leaves and then decorating the backyard for Halloween and dressing up on the day to haunt our neighborhood.

10. Favorite book? Without a doubt, it’s William Shakespeare’s Macbeth. While I love seeing it live, I must admit I’ve read the play more times than I can count. It has a little bit of everything: moral breakdown, greed, and evil.

11. Do you sleep with a stuffed animal? That’s funny. No, I don’t sleep with a stuffed animal, but I do have a special, decorative pillow. The strange thing is I can’t sleep without it. I guess it’s my security.

12. If you could meet one person dead or alive, who would it be? I would have to say Thomas Jefferson. I’ve been a lover of his writings since I was a child. I would like a little bit of input from him for contemporary problems.

13. What’s your favorite alcoholic drink? Without a doubt it’s beer. I do like wine, but it’ll usually give me a headache and harder liquor, well, I cannot handle that at all. Plus, nothing goes better with a summer BBQ than beer.

14. What’s under your bed? While I’m unable to prove it, I know the boogeyman lives there. I’ve heard him and he’s probably why I’ve always been interested in writing horror.

15. Is the glass half empty or half full? My glass is usually always full. I have a positive attitude and try to maintain it. That’s certainly not to say, that there are not time I have thrown the glass against the wall, but it fills right back up. It’s my glass and I can do that.

At Home with Children’s Author Kathleen Crawley

admin — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 02:53:23 +0000

Kathleen Crawley has been an advertising executive for over fifteen years. She resides with her husband Ronald Thomson in Redondo Beach, California. She is a native Californian having graduated from UCLA with a B.A in sociology. Colonel Trash Truck is her first book. About writing for children, Kathy says, “I have a number of books I want to write for kids because I think children are fascinating. They are open, creative, and interested in everything and they bring out the kid in me.”

Kathleen’s book, Colonel Trash Truck can be found at: http://www.coloneltrashtruck.com/

Title: Colonel Trash Truck

Website: http://www.coloneltrashtruck.com/

Colonel Trash Truck is available at http://www.coloneltrashtruck.com/ and Amazon.com

1. Where do you live (city, country)? Redondo Beach, California
2. What is the weather like? Sunny most of the time; average temperature is 70 degrees
3. Have you lived there very long? 20 years
4. Would you rather live somewhere else? No
5. Are you married or single? Married
6. Do you have kids? No
7. Where were you born? Lynwood, California – not far from where I live now
8. What was your childhood like? Chaotic but adventurous – I have seven brothers and one sister and they are all very funny.
9. What was it like growing up as a teen? What did you do for fun? I was a cheerleader and loved to dance.
10. Back to the present, what’s your favorite room in your house? The living room, where I sit with my computer and my dogs.
11. Do you have an outside job? I’ve worked in advertising for over fifteen years.
12. What is your favorite thing to do on your day off? Walk on the beach
13. What’s your most favorite thing to eat for breakfast? Yogurt and berries and oatmeal
14. Do you have any pets? Two beautiful basenji dogs – Frodo and Strider
15. Do you know your neighbors? Yes, my neighbors, Edith & Al, take care of me and my husband. They make me feel safe.
16. Pepsi or Coke? Pepsi
17. Favorite time of year? Fall
18. Favorite color? Blue
19. Favorite book? Too many to chose but To Kill a Mockingbird is one of them
20. Does your car look better than your house? Yes
21. What’s on your mouse pad? Bugs Bunny
22. How many times do you let the phone ring before you answer it? Depends on who is calling.
23. What’s the first thing you think of when you wake up in the morning? How much longer can I sleep?
24. Chocolate or vanilla? Chocolate
25. Do you like to drive too fast? yes
26. Do you sleep with a stuffed animal? Snoopy, when I was growing up but now he sleeps at the end of my bed.
27. If you could meet one person dead or alive, who would it be? Jesus Christ
28. What’s your favorite alcoholic drink? Red Wine
29. What is your zodiac sign? Gemini
30. If you could have any job that you wanted, what would it be? Writer…and I’m doing it.
31. What’s under your bed? Books
32. Is the glass half empty or half full? HALF FULL

At Home with Children’s Author Gina Browning

admin — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 01:12:54 +0000

Gina C. Browning is a creative, independent thinking, married mother of 2 adopted children and has been living her dreams for as long as she can remember. She is from Texas, but due to her husband’s job, moved to Australia with her husband and 17 month old son, Ryan, in 1989. Since then, they have moved internationally (because of her husband’s work) 4 more times, with a few domestic moves thrown in for good measure. In 1997 she and her husband adopted their daughter, Raechel, from China.

Having graduated from North Texas State University in 1979, with a BFA in “Metal craft and Jewellery”, Gina has been a professional jewellery designer/maker for the better part of 30+ years, and has written poetry, on the side, since she was a child. She is currently living in Australia (for the 3rd time), with her husband and daughter, where her dreams continue to inspire creativity. Her son, now 21 years old, no longer lives at home.

Gina’s book, Moonbeam Dreams, can be found at: http://www.eloquentbooks.com/MoonbeamDreams.html.

Title: Moonbeam Dreams

Website: http://www.eloquentbooks.com/MoonbeamDreams.html

1. Where do you live (city, country)?

At the moment, Alice Springs, Australia.

2. What is the weather like?

The seasons are reversed to the US, so it’s VERY hot and dry right around Christmas-time, and actually cool and lovely in July and August.

3. Have you lived there very long?

We’ve lived here on 3 different occasions and all total, it’s now been 13 years.

4. Would you rather live somewhere else?

No. We lived in Thailand for 3 years and loved it! But it has its own challenges. I’m pretty happy here, and there is more to keep me occupied here. I.e.: I can’t sell my jewelry in Thailand because I can’t compete with their prices.

5. Are you married or single?

Married to one wonderful man for 26 years.

6. Do you have kids?

Yes, 2 adopted kids.

7. Where were you born?

Fort Worth, Texas

8. What was your childhood like?

Secure, happy, well provided for, with lots of extracurricular art classes and a couple of creative writing classes.

9. Do you have any pets?

Yes, 2 Bengal Cats and 1 Jack Russell Terrier.

10. Do you know your neighbors?

No, we’ve just moved.

11. Pepsi or Coke?

Coke! ONLY Coke!!

12. Favorite time of year?

Springtime or Fall, I can’t decide……

13. What’s the first thing you think of when you wake up in the morning?

“Is it morning already?”

14. Chocolate or vanilla?

Chocolate, but sometimes it’s too rich, and vanilla is better.

15. Do you sleep with a stuffed animal?

No, but I have several in my bedroom.

16. If you could meet one person dead or alive, who would it be?

Jesus Christ

17. What’s your favorite alcoholic drink?

Amaretto Sour

18. What is your zodiac sign?

Gemini

19. If you could have any job that you wanted, what would it be?

I already have the job(s) that I’ve always wanted. (i.e: Jeweler, poet, author, illustrator.)

20. Is the glass half empty or half full?

Half full, or maybe the glass is just too big for the drink.

At Home with Fiction Author Chris DeBrie

admin — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 05:00:10 +0000

Author: Chris DeBrie
Title: Shakespeare Ashes
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Buy it at Amazon.com

Chris DeBrie is the author of three novels. As Is dealt with the difficulty of millennial life in humorous ways, and Selective Focus was what he calls ‘a comic book in novel form.’ With Shakespeare Ashes, he takes the reader into the unfiltered thoughts of four very different characters. DeBrie was raised in North Carolina, becoming an Eagle Scout and a solid third baseman. He earned a Bachelors in Communications from Appalachian State University. He then moved to Roanoke, Virginia by closing his eyes and stabbing a map of the United States. DeBrie approaches his craft like a hybrid between a coroner and an anthropologist–thoroughly, unflinching, and with empathy.

Find him on Facebook, or visit www.washyourhandsproductions.com

Where do you live?
Roanoke, Virginia.

Are you married or single?
Single and looking.

Do you have an outside job?
I usually do. Writing and other arts take a lot of time, and creating anything is a solitary act. So being around other people, even when I don’t have to, keeps me from getting lost in my imagination.

What is your favorite thing to do on your day off?
Sleep is always good.

What’s your most favorite thing to eat for breakfast?
Words like ‘breakfast’ are just labels to me. I have a random schedule. I eat when I’m hungry. My favorite food (this year, at least) is the minestrone soup from Carabba’s.

Do you have any pets?
I rescued a cat a few years ago. I named him after Panthero, from the old Thundercats cartoon, because he likes to play-fight and -bite me. A little fighter.

Pepsi or Coke?
I’ll take water or a strong cup of tea.

Favorite time of year?
Fall. I live near the Appalachian Trail, and the autumns in this area are partly what keep me here.

Favorite color?
It’s a tie between royal blue and charcoal gray.

Favorite book?
The Bible comes to mind first. This book is like golf–most people need a lifetime to master it.

What’s on your mousepad?
I have a wireless mouse, and I use my leg or a magazine for a pad.

How many times do you let the phone ring before you answer it?
Once, if I recognize the caller ID.

What’s the first thing you think of when you wake up in the morning?
“Where did that dream come from?”

Chocolate or vanilla?
Vanilla ice cream, chocolate cake.

Do you like to drive too fast?
Not since the age of about 25. I got the speeding out of my system. Even if I’m late I take my time. That wouldn’t change unless I suddenly want a Lambo, and who knows?

If you could meet one person dead or alive, who would it be?
Crazy Horse.

What’s your favorite alcoholic drink?
Beer is the ole stand-by.

What is your zodiac sign?
Sagittarius, baby… astrology is just a template in my opinion, but that sign’s traits fit me to about 90%.

Is the glass half empty or half full?
If it’s a cold shot of the good stuff, and it was for me, I’d think the glass would be empty.

At Home with Historical Fiction Author Douglas W. Jacobson

admin — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 00:49:44 +0000

Douglas W. Jacobson is an engineer, business owner and World War Two history enthusiast. Doug has traveled extensively in Europe researching stories of the courage of common people caught up in extraordinary circumstances. His debut novel, Night of Flames: A Novel of World War Two was published in 2007 by McBooks Press, and was released in paperback in 2008. Night of Flames won the 2007 OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT AWARD from the Wisconsin Library Association. Doug has also published articles on Belgium’s WW2 escape organization, the Comete Line; Poland’s 1st Armored Division; and the liberation of Antwerp. Doug has just completed his second novel set in Europe at the end of WW2. You can visit his blog at www.douglaswjacobson.blogspot.com.

Night of Flames (click on cover to purchase at Amazon)

1. Where do you live (city, country)?
Elm Grove, WI
2. What is the weather like?
Wait five minutes and its different
3. Have you lived there very long?
Over 20 years
4. Would you rather live somewhere else?
Sure, but I can’t decide where, or what I want to be when I grow up.
5. Are you married or single?
Very married
6. Do you have kids?
Two
7. Where were you born?
Milwaukee, WI
8. What was your childhood like?
Great memories. I came from a very modest middle class family. We never had any money but I never felt like I missed anything.
9. What was it like growing up as a teen? What did you do for fun?
Chased girls
10. Back to the present, what’s your favorite room in your house?
Several would be tied . . . My office where I do my writing, Our porch where my wife and I have a drink in the evening, and our den where I watch the Green Bay packers
11. Do you have an outside job?
Yep, Can’t quit the day job yet.
12. What is your favorite thing to do on your day off?
I love to write, play tennis and go boating
13. What’s your most favorite thing to eat for breakfast?
Everything that’s not good for you
14. Do you have any pets?
Did have, don’t now
15. Do you know your neighbors?
Yes, they’re all nice folks but we’re not close friends
16. Pepsi or Coke?
Iced Tea/Lemonade, The famous “Arnold Palmer”
17. Favorite time of year?
Early Fall
18. Favorite color?
My 3 year old granddaughter always answers this one, “pink and purple” so I’ll go with that
19. Favorite book?
Pillars of the Earth
20. Does your car look better than your house?
No, definitely not
21. How many times do you let the phone ring before you answer it?
Depending on which phone I may not answer at all
22. What’s the first thing you think of when you wake up in the morning?
Going to the bathroom
3. Chocolate or vanilla?
Strawberry
24. Do you like to drive too fast?
I used to, then I got not stupid
25. Do you sleep with a stuffed animal?
No, we have three of them
26. If you could meet one person dead or alive, who would it be?
Winston Churchill
27. What’s your favorite alcoholic drink?
A very good Pinot Noir
28. What is your zodiac sign?
No clue
29. If you could have any job that you wanted, what would it be?
Tiger Woods
30. What’s under your bed?
I’m afraid to look
31. Is the glass half empty or half full?
Hey, c’mon, its always half full!!

At Home with Children’s Author Carol Zelaya

admin — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 23:59:23 +0000

Carol Zelaya is a former nurse, recently widowed, and mother of two grown children. She grew up in the Chicago area, where she eventually met and married her husband and where they raised a family. Having relocated to Oregon in 1996, Zelaya began her love affair with nature and its beautiful creatures. Inspired by her surroundings, she started taking pictures and writing. Writing poetry led to writing three children’s books, of course, in rhyme. Zelaya’s Emily the Chickadee books are the true story of the special bond between a tiny bird and a little girl and the true meaning of family.

Carol is now moving to the San Diego area to be near her children. You can visit her online at www.emilythechickadee.com.

Title: Emily Waits for Her Family, Caring for Emily’s Family and Emily’s New Home

Website: www.emilythechickadee.com

1. Where do you live (city, country)?

Oregon City, Oregon, just outside of Portland, but am moving to the San Diego area in October.

2. What is the weather like?

Beautiful summers, but lots of dreary dark wet days in the other months. The climate is mild and we do have 4 seasons. Everything up here is green year round.

3. Have you lived there very long?

I’ve lived in Ashland Oregon for 3 years, and the Portland area for the past 10 years.

4. Would you rather live somewhere else?

I think the climate and sunshine in San Diego suits me better, and that’s why I’m moving there next month, that and to live near my daughter.

5. Are you married or single?

I am widowed since November.

6. Do you have kids?

Yes, a daughter 33 years old and a son 29 years old.

7. Where were you born?

Chicago, Illinois

8. What was your childhood like?

Pretty ordinary, attending Catholic schools and living in the city.

9. What was it like growing up as a teen? What did you do for fun?

Movies and bowling, and dating of course.

10. Back to the present, what’s your favorite room in your house?

My bedroom where I keep my books, family photos and personal little treasured belongings. It is where I read and find relaxing peaceful moments.

11. Do you have an outside job?

No, just writing and publishing my children’s books.

12. What is your favorite thing to do on your day off?

Relaxing with my 4 little dogs.

13. What’s your most favorite thing to eat for breakfast?

Cereal or 0atmeal with blueberries and soy milk.

14. Do you have any pets?

4 little chihuahuas

15. Do you know your neighbors?

Yes.

16. Pepsi or Coke?

Diet Pepsi

17. Favorite time of year?

Summer

18. Favorite color?

Green

19. Favorite book?

Gosh, no favorite…how can I ever pick just one?

20. Does your car look better than your house?

Not necessarily…they both look equally nice.

21. What’s on your mousepad?

A picture of a chihuahua

22. How many times do you let the phone ring before you answer it?

One time if I’m nearby, but if I’m not, I usually have to let it ring 4 times to get to it.

23. What’s the first thing you think of when you wake up in the morning?

My plans for the day.

24. Chocolate or vanilla?

Chocolate

25. Do you like to drive too fast?

Faster, but not too fast.

26. Do you sleep with a stuffed animal?

27. If you could meet one person dead or alive, who would it be?

Oprah

28. What’s your favorite alcoholic drink?

Pina Colada

29. What is your zodiac sign?

Virgo

30. If you could have any job that you wanted, what would it be?

Rescuing dogs.

31. What’s under your bed?

Maybe a little dust

32. Is the glass half empty or half full?

Always half full!

Home Sweet Home with Horror Writer Ruby Dominguez

admin — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 03:39:58 +0000

The author, Ruby Dominguez is challenged by the conflicting complexities of the past and future. Undeterred, she strokes with pen the somber and bright hues of her visions. She currently resides in San Francisco and works in the field of property management/leasing. She has been a recipient of the “Editor’s Choice Award,” by the National Library of Poetry in 1999 and 2007 for her published poems in the SHELTER OF SHADE. Visit her website at: www.outskirtspress.com/theperukemaker, and blog at www.salemcurse.wordpress.com.

Where do you live (city, country)? San Francisco, open your Golden Gate…la…la…la…la…la…la…la….
What is the weather like? Today’s forecast is sunny and breezy.
Have you lived there very long? 18 year itch may kick in at any moment.
Would you rather live somewhere else? My adventurous spirit is in gear! Salem, MA why not?
Are you married or single? Just put my boyfriend of eight years to the test. I asked for a ring. Will he step up to the plate? Stay tune, folks!
Do you have kids? Proud mom of three boys. People always wonder how and where I got them. (lol)
Where were you born? Manila, Philippines
What was your childhood like? With eight other siblings, it was a riot!
What was it like growing up as a teen? What did you do for fun? A bit restrained. Focused on school. Loved dancing, swimming, reading.
Back to the present, what’s your favorite room in your house? Living room… it use to be the bedroom…(wink ; wink ; lol)
Do you have an outside job? Yes, I am a licensed Real Estate Agent
What is your favorite thing to do on your day off? Book research & shopping.
What’s your most favorite thing to eat for breakfast? I don’t cook, so whatever is served.
Do you have any pets? Yes, Jag, Hawk & the Good Girl. (otherwise known as The Gay, The Blind, and The Toothless) They’d do a good remake of the The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. (lol!)
Do you know your neighbors? I invited them to my house warming party.
Pepsi or Coke? Don’t drink, can’t drink, other than Coke. It’s my water. I am living testament that Coke quenches your thirst and does not make you fat!
Favorite time of year? I am happiest in summer. Light affects my mood.
Favorite color? From black to mauve.
Favorite book? A book is like a love affair. Once you are done with it, you can’t hardly wait for the next one that’s coming to sweep you off your feet.
Does your car look better than your house? I think I look better in my car than in my house. (lol)
What’s on your mousepad? A mouse
How many times do you let the phone ring before you answer it? As I please.
What’s the first thing you think of when you wake up in the morning? God and then pray.
Chocolate or vanilla? Vanilla is boring, chocolate is a fling!
Do you like to drive too fast? Only if I want to arrive still looking fabulous!(lol)
Do you sleep with a stuffed animal? No, but I’d rather sleep with my pets than my boyfriend. Please don’t tell him that. (lol)
If you could meet one person dead or alive, who would it be? My father, I missed him a lot.
What’s your favorite alcoholic drink? Dom Perignon Champagne
What is your zodiac sign? Libra, stands for justice, balance & harmony. I don’t know about that…it’s been a full moon lately! (lol)
If you could have any job that you wanted, what would it be? It would be a combination of being the head of a dachshund rescue foundation, a famous screenplay writer and an occasional dance performer.
What’s under your bed? You don’t want to know. Actually, I don’t know. Hmmm… time to check it out. Nope, no critters, no Boogey man… Aha! Found my boyfriend’s boxers, I thought I lost that one! (lol)
Is the glass half empty or half full? Come on… Let’s get real…It’s like standing still. Like humpty dumpty waiting for his great fall!

Home Sweet Home with Bob and Kaye- Authors of ‘Football is For Lovers’

admin — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 00:00:46 +0000

• Authors’ Names: Bob and Kaye (Bob Brooker and Kaye O’Dougherty)
• Book Title: Football is for Lovers
• Genre: humorous non-fiction
• URL: www.footballforlovers.com
• To Buy Book: www.footballforlovers.com

Bob is an old saloon singer who, as Bobby Brookes, recorded for RCA Victor and Capital back in the day; Kaye has trouble carrying a tune in a bucket. Nevertheless, after they met at a recording studio on 42nd Street (yes: that 42nd Street), they began a decades-long partnership as Brooker and O’Dougherty, collaborating on a variety of theater, film, TV and video projects, performing, writing, directing, managing, and producing. Football is for Lovers, which can be found at www.footballforlovers.com, marks their debut as book authors.

1. Where do you live (city, country)? We’re perched atop the New Jersey Palisades, where we share the view across the Hudson River to New York City with a local family of red tailed hawks. Not to mention a veritable army of pigeons.

2. Would you rather live somewhere else? If we ever do move – and we’ve been thinking lately of checking out some sunnier climes – it would have to be near water. After decades of being delighted by sunrise over Manhattan, the reflection of city lights on the water, the boats drifting by like stars in the nighttime darkness, and the lights of the George Washington Bridge stretched across the river like a strand of diamonds . . . well, we’d at least have to have a puddle to look at.

3. What was your childhood like? We were both born back in Radio Days. Literally. It’s a time that no longer exists. When people start telling you how they acted when they were your age . . . well, really, they never were. It was a whole other world back then. No video games. No FaceBook. Just long summer vacation days of playing punchball in the street, maybe going over the hill to the baseball field . . . cutting across the neighbors’ backyards to make it home before the nighttime curfew . . . Sweet.

4. What is your favorite thing to do on your day off? Since we mostly work from home these days, we have no official ‘day off.’ But when time permits, we like to drive down by the river, sit with our coffee mugs, and watch the ducks and geese and assorted boats go drifting by.

5. What’s your most favorite thing to eat for breakfast? We probably shouldn’t admit this, what with today’s emphasis on healthy eating. But the truth is, we’re IHoP fans. Bob likes the Big Breakfast with bacon or ham and eggs over easy; Kaye’s into the corned beef hash, and, of course, both breakfast come with a stack of hotcakes. Hey, it tastes good!

6. Favorite time of year? Autumn. Some people see autumn as a season of ending . . . sort of the dying of the year. For us, it has always seemed more like a beginning. We met in October. But it’s not just that. There’s something about the new crispness in the air, the scarlet and gold of the leaves against the background of a sky more intensely blue than at any other time in the year. To us, it feels like a signal to begin – well, something!

7. Favorite color? Kaye’s favorite color is red. Which probably means she’s hot and passionate. Bob’s favorite color is black. We worry about that . . .

8. Favorite book? Actually, this is kind of funny. Sort of goes with our favorite colors. Bob’s favorite book is Taylor Caldwell’s Captains and the Kings. Kaye’s is Utopia.

9. Does your car look better than your house? Absolutely!!! The car is dusted and washed and shined to a fare-thee-well. The apartment, on the other hand, looks more like a warehouse with a bed in it. Files, books (hundreds of them), and boxes compete for air space with office equipment, piano, electric keyboard, bongos, guitars . . . and who knows what all else? With so much stuff piled up around here, we really can’t be sure.

10. What’s on your mousepad? Unlike the apartment, our three mousepads are wholly unadorned. They are a very basic – and, we like to think, classic – grey.

11. How many times do you let the phone ring before you answer it? Kaye invariably rushes to the phone and grabs it up as quickly as it can be grabbed. Bob let’s the phone ring until it gives up in exhaustion.

12. Do you like to drive too fast? This is something like the ‘favorite breakfast’ answer. Of course we know we shouldn’t. But yes, we do. Bob even raced cars for a while. Which may qualify us as professionally fast.

13. If you could meet one person dead or alive, who would it be? Given how far apart we’ve been on colors and books and like that, it surprised us that our answer here was the same: Jesus. There are so many different interpretations of what Jesus said that the words are often used to justify division. Which seems unlikely to have been their original intent, wouldn’t you say? Anyway, we’d both like to ask.

14. What’s your favorite alcoholic drink? Bob’s favorite is Jack Daniels on the rocks, soda back. Kaye likes Kettle One with a splash of grapefruit juice (for the vitamin C).

15. What is your zodiac sign? Seems we were born to lock horns. Bob is Capricorn, the Goat. Kaye is Aries, the Ram.

16. If you could have any job that you wanted, what would it be? Bob has been a singer for most of his life, and remains a singer at heart, so if he could, he would. But since his stroke a few years back, that ain’t gonna happen. Other than that, though, being a writer ranks as the New Number One. And for Kaye, it’s Old, New and Always.

17. What’s under your bed? Dust. And plenty of it.

18. Is the glass half empty or half full? Full. And much more than half!