My thumb and wrist are still mending. They’re not 100%, but NOTHING on me is these days. 😉 Computer time is still limited, though I have been fudging that rule on occasion. What rules don’t I fudged? Sometimes, being forced to slow down, isn’t such a terrible thing. OK…so no coffee for over a week, due to a temperamental belly,was BAD!!! Mrs Folgers and Juan Valdez were concerned. Ah well! Such is life!
Co-workers have nicknamed me Gimpy Longstocking, thanks to the “stylish” Ace wrap I’m sporting, covered by an even more “attractive” sock with the toe cut out of it. No, this not to keep me from chewing on my wrap, but I could be wrong. LOL I was retaliating by singing the Pippi song, but then I was counter-attacked with The Shins-Know Your Onion, until it was completely stuck in my head. Great song, BTW, the one by The Shins, not so much the Pippi song. He! He! There’s a reason why I’ll never be able to quit my day job.
So…in the meantime, I’m super late posting that I received a Sunshine Award from the talented Joleene Naylor! 🙂 Yes, I’m sure that my particular brand of sunshine comes from the same vicinity where pigs fly from, but I do enjoy awards, and blog tags, and whatnots!!! You can check out Jo’s original post here. Oh! While you’re on her blog, check out some of her short stories, etc. Joleene just updated “How to get a Cheep Bookcover” on Smashwords, also something you should look into if you don’t already own it. Holy information!!!! WOW!!!!!!! Even if you NEVER plan on making your own cover, there’s a plethora of links and advice inside.
Onto the award stuff:
I’m supposed to answer 10 questions, then select 10 people, then ask 10 questions.
Here’s the ten questions that I was asked:
1. If you could get someone else to ghost write your next book/story/blog, who would it be?
I’m certain this is a loaded question. He! He! While I’d be happy to allow you “ghost write” a blog post for me, Jo, as a promo for your new book, etc. (you too, Claire), There’s only a couple of people I’d even consider allowing limited “playtime” with my characters. 😉
Like most writers, I think of my characters as if they were my friends. Characters, in general, are such personal things. My character’s personalities are made of weird bits of me. I’ve been tinkering with them for many years. I wouldn’t be happy with anyone “borrowing” my characters, let alone ghost writing for me. In fact, fan-fiction tends to rub me the wrong way. Maybe this is weird, but I almost think of posted fan-fiction as a form of stealing. It bothers me THAT much!
Would I be opposed to doing something collaborative? With the right author, sure. 😉 I had an oddball dream, a few months back, involving one of my characters and a friend’s character. It was fun in theory, but in practice, I’m not sure how that would work. A “name drop” could be fun in a cameo.
2. Favorite holiday?
That’s an easy one, Halloween. I’m a big kid at heart and my favorite season is autumn.
3. Favorite word?
I have to pick just one? Can’t do it! There are so many good ones! Plethora and ruminate are in the top five favorites.
4. Least favorite word?
It starts with a “C” and rhymes with runt. You can use the F-bomb all you want, but you better not use the “C” word around me!
5. Do you chew on your pencil?
No, and I hate it when other people “borrow” my writing utensils, then return them to me with their dental impressions embedded in them. If you leave your mark on my pencil, you should probably keep it.
6. What is on your desk?
Clutter! Steve the gnome is there, of course. I have a calender, a lamp, kiddo’s paperwork, a marble frog, coffee cup, cup-o-pens, and a bowl of emergency chocolate.
7. How many plushies/stuffed animals do you own?
Not many. I have a couple that I bring out for the holidays, but that’s about it.
8. Milk or coffee?
Coffee before 6pm, after that, anything non-caffeinated. Milk is a good option in the evening.
9. Do you like bananas?
I did before I had my kiddo. 9 months of morning sickness + bananas = no more bananas for Juli. 😦 It’s a shame, too. They’re a good source of potassium. My legs used to ache, back in my “preggers” days, partially due to low potassium levels.
10. Ham, turkey or roast beef?
I like all three, seasonally, but I’m not a huge meat eater. I like a little meat to go with the rest of my meal, not the other way around. Love my carbs!
Now, for the people I’m awarding this to:
I’m cheating! Yes, I’m supposed to pick 10 people, but if you’re reading this post, consider yourself tagged! 😉
My 10 questions you must answer:
- What’s the name of the furthest city you’ve traveled to?
- Any nicknames?
- What “bucket list” item do you hope to accomplish within the next 5 years?
- What’s your biggest pet peeve?
- What’s your least favorite chore?
- Who’s your favorite character from a book? (If you’re a writer, you can list one of your own.)
- What is your earliest memory?
- Any vacation plans on the horizon?
- What’s you’re favorite quote?
- What new skill would you like to learn?
Have a great day!
Juli
JULI HOFFMAN 
I think it would be fascinating if someone borrowed my characters rather like I borrowed Jorick and Katelina from Jo. I’d probably learn a lot about them that I didn’t know. I’m working on a collaborative now but my main characters are not involved. It’s great – what I can’t think of she does and vice versa.
Will consider myself tagged
1. Furthest city – Vienna
2. I have many nicknames – one of which is the name of my blog
3. Frankly I no longer have a bucket list
4. Biggest pet peeve? I have many but I’ve learned not to bang my head against a brick wall anymore
5. Least fav chore – again too many to choose from
6. Well none of my characters have been in a book
7. Earliest memory? Crawling out of a dark cave, looking at my mother, and crying
8. No vacation plans right now. Spouse is retiring soon (which means end of my writing career) might pop over and visit you…
9. Don’t have a fav quote
10. New skill? Please – this writing stuff is about all I can handle
By the way, if not tonight then tomorrow, will be sending you an e mail –
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Vienna? That would be an amazing trip! 🙂
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Oi, gimpy. You’re supposed to be taking care of yourself. >(
The fan-fiction thing is odd to me. In a way, it would be extremely flattering, but then there’s the whole, what the hell are you *doing* to my characters? thing. I’ve gotten requests on more than one occasion to have one of my (ya) characters kidnap another character. I just know this is what’s going to happen if anyone ever fan-fics my schtuff. 😀
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He! He! I’m trying to heal up. My wrist makes all sorts of “new” snap/crackle/pop sounds. That’s sort of festive. 🙂
Yeah, I think I’d be concerned for my Chloe character more than any of the others. She’s a teenager, and I’m a WAY overprotective over her and what she is and isn’t allowed to do around my vampires. What can I say? It’s the mom in me. There’s a lot of “No, no, no!” going on behind the scenes. My character, Bobbi, is working on being responsible, but I think she has a VERY naughty past. Will I ever share some of her back stories? I’m not sure, but I certainly wouldn’t want someone else to do so for me. Quite frankly, I assume that MOST of my vampires were naughty, back in the day. I think they’ve sort of mellowed by the time I officially introduce them…which should be soon.
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Noisy *and* gimpy? You must be distracting to have around. 😉
I have to distance myself from my ya characters now, or I’ll never let anything happen to them that isn’t full of unicorns and rainbows. 😀
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LMAO!!!!!!! I read your “unicorns and rainbows” comment while I was drinking my coffee this morning, and I laughed so hard, I started to choke! Noisy, gimpy, and drowning in java goodness…yup! That sounds about right! 😉
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I sincerely apologise for any possible damage my comment may have caused to you or your coffee or your keyboard, gimpy. Death by coffee would have made an interesting obituary. Strangely, I was drinking *my* morning coffee while writing said comment. Happily, I made no attempt to drown in the java goodness. Tastes better when it goes down the right way, ya know? 😉
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LOL! Glad you’re on the mend though you should quit cheating (i say that even as I sent you an email tonight!) So it’s not like I am facilitating you’re NOT cheating….. They don’t call me Stan for nothing! 😉
Though I did not answer it (don’t have to answer my own questions :p) my answer to the ghost writing would be VC Andrews (the real one) pulled back from the grave. Of course, it would have to be some kind of spin off or non series novel because her style won;t match what’s going on in the series, but be nice to have a book written that I liked and could then publish without the work, LOL! (this is my desire for a vacation talking, I think!)
I’m with you on the word! I also hate the P-one, too that people sometimes use for cats…. *cough* I have a character who insists on using it and my teeth grate every time.
since I have already had the award I can not be tagged again… however….
What’s the name of the furthest city you’ve traveled to? – Phoenix I think
Any nicknames? – Jo, joey, Jo-Jo, Chicken *rolls eyes*, stumpy,
What “bucket list” item do you hope to accomplish within the next 5 years? book 5 😉
What’s your biggest pet peeve? oOooooOooo hard one…. people being hypocritical.
What’s your least favorite chore? DISHES!!!!
Who’s your favorite character from a book? can it be a manga? I love Edward Elric ❤
What is your earliest memory? I remember when I was like 3, sitting in this cupboard (don;t ask) in my bedroom eating a banana, but it had all those stringy bits on it – which i STILL don;t like – so I was peeling them off and – god love children – tossing them on the floor. SO I look down and my doll Annie is sitting down there and they have landed in her hair and I thought "Oh, that's sad" and then continued to toss them down there, LOL!
Any vacation plans on the horizon? Iowa in June – yay!
What’s you’re favorite quote? "It ain't right and it ain't wrong, it just is." – Ride with the Devil
What new skill would you like to learn? – animation 🙂
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Woo Hoo! Good answers! LOL *Family Feud style. 🙂
A vacation sounds wonderful, but I’m not sure if we could all survive a “Juli vacation!” I’ll wait until AFTER AOD is released! LOL
I haven’t read Flowers in the Attic in nearly 20 years! It was one of my favorite books in high school. I would read it as an adult and see what I think, only I don’t want the “magic” to be gone. Weird right? It’s like the Wizard of Oz. I loved that movie as a kid, now I like the Wicked version better!
I made the mistake of buying Daughter of Darkness by fake V. C. Andrews. TERRIBLE! Half the book is told to you, like something out of Jr High. The writer doesn’t even try to put you in the action. There are entire chapters with almost NO dialog, being TOLD to you! I will sum it up for you: “I was a blah, blah, blah, and Daddy was blah, blah, blah. He used to tell me blah, blah, blah, but then there was the blah, blah, blah where we went to the blah, blah, blah.” Oh! And there’s a vampire story in there somewhere, but it got smothered under a massive pile of “was” and if I remember correctly, I think he died of boredom…or maybe that was the readers. The End!
V.C. Andrews’s writing put you into twisted, wonderfully written worlds. I hate that her name is being used by writers who don’t half even half of her talent. It’s such a shame.
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HAHAHAHAHAAHHAHAHAHA!!
I know! I noticed it waaay back when I ran out of books that were actually hers vs someone else’s because all of a sudden they were only half as good and they had like whole chunks (especially the sex scenes) that were nearly word for word from other books (I used to read one in a couple of days, so I could compare easily 😉 ) I gave them up at the Ruby series – I read the first of those and thought “man, she’s turned into kind of a hack” – it was years later when i found out she had died and someone else took over – “oh! That explains it!”
I tried Celeste a couple years ago because someone gave it to my Mom and… eh. It’s been a few years since I’ve read any of them except My Sweet Audrina (that was my favorite). I should pull that one out again – it has held up to repeat readings, LOL! But yeah, it;s never as good as it was the first time because you go into it with different expectations.
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That’s around the time that I stopped reading her books! I thought, “Wow! What happened?” I had no idea she had died. The books got so bad, I just stopped reading them…until Daughters of Darkness, which could be read as a drinking game. Soooo bad!
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