If you could write in another language, which language would you choose? Why?
At first, I was going to say something like Tartessian, a dead language that looks like a child’s sketch of a floor plan. But considering my heritage, and that my youngest son— who’s really into his heritage right now would kill me if I didn’t say this—I chose Italian. Plus, it’s a poetic language. I speak a little, but can’t write a lick—or una leccatura, if you will. Arrivederci.
Flora and fauna or meat and potatoes? Why?
Meat and potatoes, definitely. Flora and fauna is way to formal. “Meat and potatoes” makes me hungry for my favorite steak place in Colorado Springs (Steaksmith to anyone within a thousand miles—definitely worth the trip). “Flora and fauna” makes me want to run, kicking and screaming, from a university amphitheater. Are there any wrong answers in this? Any right ones?
Favorite ice cream or candy bar.
Ice cream from Cold Stone: Cheese cake with graham cracker crust and raspberries mixed in. Oh man, we may have to finish this later...
Rename any object - make it Latinized or practical or sci-fi it up.
Diaper = poopini (although that does sound a bit like food)... Can you tell I have a two-year-old?
No fair looking these up. Make up or guess a definition for one of the following words. Use it in a sentence, or a scene. Found at Dictionary.com
I know a lot of these because I was a rare football-playing nerd in high school. I thought reading the dictionary was the height of cool. No one else did, which made it even cooler. Anyway, I’ll pick one I don’t know.
chary \CHAIR-ee\, adjective:
This one kind-of fits “Deadfall.” It’s someone who died in a fire (the original pronunciation \CHAR-ee\ was last as the word came from Europe through the Caribbean): “We don’t don’t know who the victim was, because it was chary.” Ask any pathologist or fireman.
Favorite cartoonist?
Chuck Asay, the political cartoonist for The Gazette in Colorado Springs. The guy’s brilliant and often gets his cartoons syndicated.
Favorite Blog or Website?
Not counting my own? OK, then... Drudge. Where he comes up with the crazy news he does, I’ll never know. The best example of truth being a whole lot stranger than fiction.
If you could only own three books, which ones would you own?
Bible
I Am Legend
C.S. Lewis’ The Weight of Glory
Best backdrop for a kiss. Give us a peek.
Big Beach, Maui (which isn’t big at all—but incredibly beautiful). After a long day digging in the sand, basking on towels, playing in the surf, the kids have already gone over the berm to the car. My wife Jodi and I are watching the red red sunset as the sun dips below the watery horizon. Somewhere in the distance, the soundtrack to Last of the Mohicans (“Elk Hunt,” to be exact) comes drifting to us. I turn to her... fade to black.
A mix up on the traditional --- Pick one and give us some words: Or come up with your own odd mix and surprise us….
Give a premise/tagline, character name, first line from a romantic suspense set in a convent or monastery.
Can I borrow from Emberto Eco? I won’t, but here goes: “Brother Francisco sniffed the air—redolent with the fragrance of his secret love’s favorite perfume—but when he pulled back the heavy wall tapestry, expecting a kiss, he received instead business end of a quill through his wildly beating heart.” (Not sure if that’s exactly what you asked for, but artists have to improvise, right?)
Give a premise/tagline, character name, first line from a romance set in a sewage processing plant.
Oh, don’t tempt me.
Share a moment when you realized that you really are a writer.
I was 18, way late on my car payments to my Dad. He was about to repossess it (really). The day before I was supposed to pay up or hand him the keys, a sizable check for a short story I sold came in the mail. At dinner the next day, the family was sullen (me too), waiting for the boom to drop. My Dad frowned and held out his palm for the keys. I counted out hundred dollar bills into instead. It was a sweet moment. My writing saved my car.
What did you say right before you received "that" look? (no help here – you can pick any "that" look you want – funny, serious, oh no.)
“We’re getting married.” We married relatively young. My father (again) was used to my making rash decisions. He gave me his “you gotta be kidding, but I know you’re not, and there’s nothing I can say or do that will change anything” look. So he said, “Pass the salt.” Then he got my look.
Favorite mindrot/mindless pursuit.
Horror movies, the sillier, the scarier, the better. Not necessarily the slasher pics, but the “Don’t go upstairs, you idiot!” kind.
Which book of the Bible fascinates or touches you most?
Proverbs. I can never get enough of that advice. Every time I read it, something jumps out that completely new and revolutionary, but I know I’ve read it a thousand times before.
If money/responsibilities were no object what would you do with one day?
Spend it with my family, preferably at the beach. We’d Jetski all day, picnic there, wear ourselves out.
Share one quote or comment that has changed your life.
“Get it on the page.”--the Christian novelist James Byron Huggins, telling me ten years ago to stop talking about the novels I would write someday and “get it on the page.” He repeated that phrase to me every time we spoke—about once a week—until I signed my first contract years later. Everyone needs a friend like that.
Happy weekend, everyone. Thanks, Bob!!!!!!!!!!
