Game on: Tagged

That's right. You've been tagged. If you're reading this, it's already too late.

I write fiction for kids and teens, so you bet I'm dramatic. :)

Don't worry. It's not so bad. Now that you're it, all you have to do is join the blogging fun by answering these eight questions:

1. If you could have a superpower, what would you have? Why?

Given my recent completed manuscript was about super villains, I think I'd have to go with the power to channel electricity through my body. There are just so many applications. :)


2. Who is your style icon?

I'm definitely a jeans and a t-shirt gal, always have been. But when I dress up, I really dress up.


3. What is your favorite quote?


I have a LOT of favorite quotes, but one of my long-time favorites is this one:


"Making the decision to have a child - it's momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking outside your body."
~Elizabeth Stone


4. What is the best compliment you've ever received?

Well, I'll answer this like it's a question about writing compliments. My fave two: my friend Lille who called my MG book a 'rockin little novel', and my kid sister, who read it in one day and said there were parts she couldn't believe I had written. 


5. What playlist/cd is on your ipod/cd player right now?

We've got a kiddie CD in right now, but if we went by my pandora stations, there'd be a lot of Blessed Union of Souls, Jimmy Eat World, and Andrea Bocelli. 


6. Are you a night owl or a morning person?

It really depends on the phase of life. Sometimes I can't afford to stay up later than 10pm, like when I've got a new baby (baby just turned 1 yesterday!!). But mostly I'm a night time writer. 



7. Do you prefer dogs or cats?


I love domestic animals, but only if we've been properly introduced. I grew up with both dogs and cats (and fish and bunnies). I did not like all of them all the time. :) We plan to get a puppy for our boys in the future.


8. What is the meaning behind your blog name?

I call my blog my Author Page because that's what defines me best even though I'm not published yet. I've always thought the distinction between the words 'writer' and 'author' was kind of strange. I guess it's necessary to distinguish between someone who has been published and someone who simply writes for fun, but 'author' really describes the act of creating something better for me. (This could be a whole blog post by itself.) 


I just think of this old Tom Selleck movie where he's trying to hit on a waitress. He's like "Hi, my name's _______. I wrote this." Points to his book. 
Her response is, "Hi, I'm _______. And I wrote this." Slaps the restaurant tab down on the table and walks away with a flip of her hair. 
An author is somebody who writes something--anything. So that's what I am. :) (For example, I am the author of this blog post. I have also authored several grocery lists and a few impromptu dry-erase board love letters.)

  






















So that's me. Feel free to partake in the tag yourself.


And lastly, a bonus question, because I'm fun like that:


BONUS: Team Gale or Team Peeta?

All the way. :)

I was tagged by Lindsay (a.k.a. Isabella)

Late Nights and Good Books: Hunger Games & Paranormalcy

Oh boy! I bet you wish you were me. I'm currently reading

 
An Abundance of Katherines

and tomorrow, a magic mail carrier will bring THESE to my doorstep:


The Hunger Games                           Catching Fire                                 Mockingjay

And I'll get to devour them for the first time, all in a row--no excruciating wait while the publishers get things together. Buwahahaha!!

As if that weren't enough!! Guess what's coming out in a few days (that's also going to appear magically at my door)!!

If you're having trouble, check my sidebar, dudes. It's RIGHT. THERE. Has been for months now. It's...

**drum roll**


Paranormalcy

Despite the ferocious popularity of the dystopian trilogy above, I'm the most excited about Paranormalcy by Kiersten White. I've already glimpsed the first seventy pages per the publisher's website. And now I really, really, really want to know how it ends.

These amazing books are bad for one thing: SLEEP.

I'm not getting much lately, and I can't blame it on my kids (who are angelically sleeping through the night in a shared bedroom these days, thank you very much). No. It's my own fault. Or maybe I should blame the purveyors of awesome themselves: authors.

The other thing keeping me up at night is--if possible--even more exciting! The upcoming launch of Operation Awesome. I'd be remiss if I didn't remind you that this explosive event will take place in two days. September first, here we come!

Get your Nutella ready.

Time to Cave and Read Hunger Games!

I'm feeling a little left out today. There's been a moment of blog silence in the writing/reader blogosphere for the release of Suzanne Collins' final book in the Hunger Games trilogy...



Why haven't I read Hunger Games yet? Humm....

I'm afraid of the dark.
There it is. I said it.
I need comic relief. Need it! "Relief" is the operative word. I can handle a bit of darkness, a bit of dystopia. In fact, I crave it. Without conflict, there's no catharsis.

So when I first heard about Hunger Games, my first thought (which later became a pleading question) was is there any humor in it?

Over and over again, the response I got was, "Well, it's pretty dark, but it's so good!"

Finally, today I got the answer I wanted. "Yeah! Not much, but there's some humor," followed up by, "It may be hard for you to read, but you'll care about the characters."

Well, I've finally decided to read it. I am still afraid of the dark, but I can't resist the cry of lovable characters. It's what keeps me watching a TV series long after the writing has gone bad and the plot caput. It's what made Twilight what it is and, apparently, Hunger Games as well.

So with some trepidation I go...wish me luck. I'll leave the nightlight on.