As promised. Kaye's answers to the Dregs.
Scroll down a bit to read my review of Kaye Dacus' Stand-In-Groom and for a look see at the first chapter.
Fiction character you would most like to be or most identify with and why?
If I could be a character in a book, I would want to be Anne Elliot from Jane Austen's Persuasion---because Frederick Wentworth is my favorite of all the Austen heroes, and I fall in love with him a little more each time I read the book or watch the film (the 1995 version, anyway).
Some out there in writing land have strange rituals. Share yours.
This isn't a ritual so much, but an addiction. I'm addicted to Post-it Notes. As I write this, I currently have nine of them stuck around the perimeter of my computer screen, and more than a dozen more stuck to the wall over the desk. I have a dispenser on my nightstand by my bed, on the end-table beside my chair in the living room, a pad of small ones in the top drawer of the entertainment center, and several different sizes of them on the table in my office where I do my editing work. I can't work (write or edit) if I don't have a Post-it pad within easy reaching distance.
If you could change something in any novel, what would you change about it and why?
In Jane Austen's Emma, I would find someone better for Knightley. As Jane herself said, Emma was a heroine only she could like. It's my least favorite of the six major novels, as I've always thought Knightley deserved someone of much better character than Emma.
What crayon in the box describes you on a good day? Bad day? Which one do you aspire to be?
I'll have to admit, I had to get onto Wikipedia and look up the new names of the crayons---it's been a very long time since I've had any! On a good day, I'd have to say I'm "Purple Heart"; on a bad day, it would be "Blue Bell." I would love to be more environmentally friendly, so I'd say I aspire to "Ultra Green."
Pick one…..Pink iguana, purple cow, periwinkle giraffe. Which one and why? Can be negative or positive.
Purple Cow, for a couple of reasons: first, purple is my favorite color; second, I love beef (prime rib especially); third, I love cheese and ice cream. Of course, if we're talking beverages, I think I'd have to go with the Pink Iguana, because I much prefer the sound of cranberry juice and lime to grape juice and milk mixed together!
Favorite turn of phrase or word picture, in literature or movie.
"Good stuff, Maynard." From a Malt-o-Meal commercial from the late 1970s. My sister and I started using this phrase since elementary school, and it's been a regular part of my repertoire ever since.
What period of history intrigues you the most?
As someone who grew up in the "Old" West and who also went on to minor in history in college, I can't narrow it down to just one, so I'll give you three: (1) the late Georgian/Regency era of England (because of my love of Jane Austen), (2) the American Civil War (the era of history I specialized in with my minor), and (3) late 19th Century New Mexico (because of my childhood in N.M.).
What makes you feel alive?
The first rainfall after a long, hot, dry summer. Writing the hook ending of a chapter. Laughter with friends. Singing, especially old, beloved hymns. Watching my favorite teams play football. Learning something new.
Book, music, person, food you would take with you on a very long trip.
Book: The Complete Jane Austen
Music: Dean Martin
Person: My parents, or my friends Lori C. and Ruth
Food: Popcorn, fruit, nuts, dry cereal, and sparkling water
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.
I would love to take at least a fortnight's visit to Britain, especially the southern/Hampshire/Portsmouth region and Scotland---for research purposes as well as family history (I'm a McLellan on my mother's side of the family). I would also love to spend some time in Germany, Switzerland, and Austria (from my years of studying the German language and cultures of those countries).
Favorite season and why?
Fall is my favorite season, and summer is my least favorite. Most people get depressed when the leaves start falling, the days get shorter, and the weather gets colder—but it invigorates me. I’m lethargic and feel house-bound during the summer because I get very easily overheated and dehydrated, which gives me rip-roaring migraines. I’ll take autumn allergies over heat any day! When the weather starts turning cooler, to me it’s the fulfillment of the promise that the nastiness that is summer-weather doesn’t last forever. I just wish fall (and winter—at least, the kind of winters we get here) lasted a little longer around here.
Which compliment related to your writing has meant the most and why?
The comment that gave me the greatest encouragement came in my 12th grade Creative Writing class. On the first piece of fiction I'd ever let anyone read, a short story assignment, my teacher wrote, "I think you've found what you're meant to do." It took almost exactly twenty years between receiving that comment and holding my first published novel in my hands, but I've never forgotten it. (And of course, I sent him a signed copy!)
Favorite chore
Are people supposed to have favorite chores? I don't have a favorite, but the one I don't mind doing as much as anything else is laundry. I love the smell of the fabric softener when it releases in the spin cycle. My house is so small that it freshens every room.
Grammatical pet peeve…sound off.
Let's see . . . would it be people mixing up Me, Myself, and I? saying TRY AND instead of TRY TO? adding TATE to oriented and disoriented? using an apostrophe to make a word plural? using plural pronouns with singular antecedents? (Um, I'm a copy editor by trade, if you can't tell!)
Societal pet peeve…sound off.
Pants hanging off the rear-end! I don't wanna see your underwear! Also, girls wearing shirts that don't reach the waist band of their pants, while wearing pants that are so tight they get a "muffin-top" effect. Facial piercings, belly rings, and tongue-piercings bother me, too. Oh--and the biggest one of them all---PEOPLE USING THEIR CELL-PHONES IN THE MOVIE THEATER. Can't you sit for two hours without texting someone? And, even worse, DON'T ANSWER A CALL IN THE MIDDLE OF THE MOST DRAMATIC SCENE OF THE FILM!
"I think I inhaled her." Ha. Yeah. And I have issues with NOT throwing beads and tools across the room, or hacking at puzzle pieces to make them fit. This is so amazing. If it wasn't for ol Charlie, I might still not believe it.
Book Synopsis:
When wedding planner Anne Hawthorne meets George Laurence, she thinks she's found the man of her dreams. But when he turns out to be a client, her "dream" quickly turns into a nightmare. Will Anne risk her heart and career on this engaging Englishman?
George came to Louisiana to plan his employer's wedding and pose as the groom. But how can he feign affection for a supposed fiancee when he's so achingly attracted to the wedding planner? And what will happen when Anne discovers his role 
has been Stand-In Groom only? Will she ever trust George again? Can God help these two believers find a happy ending?
If you would like to read the first chapter of Stand-In Groom, go HEREMy Review:
Stand-in Groom is a unique story that is full of humor, angst and Southern flair.
Kaye Dacus has thrown a proper Englishman into the heart of Louisiana with a wedding planner, her large family, and her very bruised heart. Wedding details, delicious scents, and a healthy serving of Dino and Frank fill the book, too.
If you love stories that throw obstacles at the couple you know should be together, and you love the idea of weddings and details involved in weddings, or delight in Southern fiction, romance or Englishmen then check out Stand-In-Groom.
Come back Wednesday. Kaye has sent her answers to the Dregged questions and you won't want to miss them. In the meantime, go check out the first chapter. And, if you are curious, Kaye has an inspiring blog....Fabulous by Forty...pretty cool.
...wished you could change an ending to a book?
Well, now you can. Kind of.
You can help determine a verdict/ending to Randy Singer's upcoming book.
Click on the cover or here.
You can watch a bit of the "trial" and cast your vote.
After years of failed diet attempts, Chantel Hobbs discovered the missing ingredient to permanent weight loss: to change your life, you first have to change the way you think.
She developed a balanced plan for exercise and nutrition and lost two hundred pounds. Now, through writing, speaking, and her work as a personal trainer, she inspires others to achieve far more than they thought possible.
In Never Say Diet, now available in trade paperback, Chantel provides everything readers need to lose weight for good, including:
* Simple, step-by-step workout routines that fit into a normal weekday schedule
* A realistic approach to nutrition that helps people break their bondage to food
* Strategies for staying motivated when life takes unexpected turns
* Keys to dealing with discouragement by relying on God’s strength 
* The secret to moving beyond past failures and getting over old excuses
Chantel helps readers make the five commitments that are necessary for changing their lives. Her high-energy, no-nonsense approach inspires readers to achieve results that last in body, mind, and spirit.
Personal Trainer: Her newest book, The Never Say Diet Personal Fitness Coach, now allows readers to have Chantel show up each week to inspire, encourage, and energize them on the journey to a healthy life that centers on body, mind, and spirit.
This fitness guide helps readers set new weight-loss goals and create an exercise schedule that works in the midst of life’s constant demands. Readers will be inspired with Scripture, and they will welcome Chantel’s healthy eating plan with simple, energy-and-nutrition-packed recipes. Weekly checklists and personal evaluations direct readers in reaching their goals. Plus, Chantel’s personal and entertaining stories provide the motivation needed to get through even the most frustrating days.
With Never Say Diet and The Never Say Diet Personal Fitness Coach readers will establish new fitness habits that burn off excess weight, increase strength, and establish a new, healthy way of living.
My Review:
I'm convinced that any weight loss program can work. But, and it's a big but (no pun intended), most of them won't work for most people. As individual as folks are, and for as many reasons as people overeat, or eat junk, or refuse to exercise, there is need for different stories, scenarios, or different motivation.
I was a little put off by the cover of Chantel Hobbs' Never Say Diet. Which of us who are in need of self-discipline and diet wants to be confronted by the picture of a blonde Barbie Doll look alike? Can she be trusted? Did she really have a weight problem or was she just a little out of shape?
Once I started the book I quickly began rethinking my first opinion. Chantel, in all her blonde bodacious beauty has been in the trenches of self-hatred and humiliation. As I read her story, I identified with her and her wisdom, teaching and enthusiasm. I don't know if Chantel's journey will change your life. It's up to you. Her advice is wise, difficult and challenging, and full of common sense and overall simplicity. Her cheerleading is designed to spur. If nothing else, her book is cheaper than signing up with yet another weight loss clinic. If you are ready, if you want to change how you think and how you live, you should really consider looking into Never Say Diet.
The companion "The Never Say Diet Personal Fitness Trainer" is a journal with a little more motivation tossed in. You'll need "Never Say Diet" the book to use it. It's valuable if you plan to follow the program, but not necessary. If you have to make a choice between journal and book, buy the book.
Erin Healy, co-author of Ted Dekker's latest thriller, Kiss, dropped in with some fabulous answers to the Dreaded Dregs questions.
Thanks, Erin. Scroll down to catch part one where you can get a sneak peek at the first chapter of Kiss.
If you could change something in any novel, what would you change about it and why?
Old Dan and Little Ann would not die in Where the Red Fern Grows … because when my daughter gets around to reading that book, she’s going to be inconsolable for days.
Favorite turn of phrase or word picture, in literature or movie.
You rush a miracle man, you get rotten miracles. –Miracle Max, The
Princess Bride
What period of history intrigues you the most?
Early American, because the first novels I read as an elementary schooler
that captivated me were set in the period, and because Sarah Vowell has a… uh … perspective on that era like no other.
What would you write if there were no rules or barriers?
I probably wouldn’t write! I’m needy that way. I need rules like a need a
map. They give me a place to start, a direction, and more openness to
being surprised along the way.
What makes you feel alive?
Three diet Pepsis before nine in the morning.
Book, music, person, food you would take with you on a very long trip?
We’re going to Ireland, right? With a name like Erin McMahan Healy I
really need to go to Ireland … My Kindle. (I’m such a cheater, I know. But ONE book?) Loreena McKennitt. My sister. Power bars.
Favorite season and why?
Winter, because curling up in a blanket next to the fireplace with a book
and a stainless travel mug full of coffee is most uncomfortable in summer. I love the snow. The rain. Sigh. I really need to go to Ireland.
What would you do if you had only one week to live?
I would cry and ask God for more time. If he said no, I’d write letters to
my husband and children telling them my love and hopes for them, then I’d turn off the computer, walk away, and spend the rest of my waking moments holding their hands and listening, touching, talking.
What is your favorite word?
Discombobulated.
Superhero you most admire and why?
Mr. Incredible. Because it’s never too late to be who you were made to be.
Grammatical pet peeve:
I’m an editor. I have a lot of them. Most irritating, though, is when
writers announce they “just don’t like” a grammar rule and so claim the
right to ignore it. It’s not creative license. It’s stubbornness.
Pick one of the “story starters” below and give us a sample of your voice.
A crack broke the stillness as Terry tugged on the frozen door.
The editor half of me, whom I try to lock away in a broom closet while I
write, is talking loudly and demanding to know what motivation anyone can have for depositing a door in a meat locker.
Needle Sized Art