Fiction character you would most like to be or most identify with and why?
I’d like to be Scarlet O’Hara, keep all her spunkiness and bravery, and overcome all of her flaws (selfishness being the first that has to go). I can’t say I identify with her, but she is a character who has always fascinated and intrigued me. If I’d been an actress in 1930’s Hollywood, you better believe I would have done a screen test to play the role.
Some out there in writing land have strange rituals. Share yours.
Sorry. I think I must be rather dull in this regard. I just want my computer, a bit of soft background music (mostly movie soundtracks), and a dash of creativity. In a pinch, however, I have been known to write the last of a book without stopping to fix meals. In such cases, I survive by popping M&M Peanuts. Hey, it makes sense. Sugar for a boost of energy and peanuts for protein.
If you could change something in any novel, what would you change about it and why?
Back to Scarlett O’Hara and Gone With the Wind. The romance writer in me longs to see Scarlett and Rhett finally get together, to admit how much they love each other and live HEA. But then maybe I wouldn’t be fascinated by Scarlett if the ending was tied up so neatly. {{shrug}}
What crayon in the box describes you on a good day? Bad day?
Good day: TealBad day: Slate gray
Pick one…..Pink iguana, purple cow, periwinkle giraffe. Which one and why? Can be negative or positive.
Purple Cow.
Why?
Because...I've never seen a purple cow;
I hope to never see one.
But I can tell you anyhow,
I'd rather see than be one!
Favorite turn of phrase or word picture, in literature or movie.
I have two favorites, both of them from the same movie, A Knight’s Tale.
#1, Paul Bettany as Geoffrey Chaucer, sometimes called the father of English literature, says: "I'm a writer. I give the truth scope!"
#2, Chaucer, talking to some bad guys who beat him and stole his clothes earlier in the movie: "I will eviscerate you in fiction. Every last pimple. Every last character flaw. I was naked for a day. You will be naked for eternity."
Ooh, I do so love those lines.
What period of history intrigues you the most?
I can’t name just one. England of the middle ages, Regency, and Victorian periods. The American West of the 1800’s. The time and settings in the Bible. And more. Much more. History was my favorite subject in school, and I love learning about new periods and customs.
What would you write if there were no rules or barriers? (epic novels about characters in the Bible, poetry, greeting cards, plays, movies, instruction manuals, etc.)
I pretty much write what I want right now without any rules or barriers. So I guess the answer is contemporary and historical women’s fiction written from a Christian worldview, novels meant to touch the hearts of readers and point them to the One who has all answers.
How does something worm its way into your heart? Through tears, truth, humor or other?
Tears.
Book, music, person, food you would take with you on a very long trip.
Book: the BibleMusic: lots of different styles (praise, hymns, classic rock, classical, country), everything that was on my iPodPerson: my daughtersFood: M&M Peanuts (just in case I needed energy and protein)
Where would you most like to travel ----- moon, north pole, deep seas, deserted island, the holy land or back to a place from your childhood, somewhere else? – and why.
Ireland, England, and Sweden. Those are the countries of my ancestors, and I would love to spend weeks exploring them (preferably in the warmer and drier season of the year).
Favorite season and why?
Fall. I love the crisp mornings and the warm days we have in Idaho in the fall. I love the way the air smells in the autumn. I love the colors that seem so much more vibrant than at any other time.
Which compliment related to your writing has meant the most and why?
When readers tell me that something I wrote brought them closer to God or helped them hear Him better or brought healing to an open wound in their lives, that is the best feeling of all. It always amazes me the way God uses fiction to speak to those with ears to hear.
What would you do today if you knew you had only a week to live?
I’d gather my children and grandchildren together and spend every last moment with them, making sure they knew how much I love them.
Societal pet peeve…sound off.
How intolerant people who demand tolerance often are.
Thanks for the visit, Robin. Have a great weekend, one and all.
