Scary October #27

Thanks to Amanda at Storyteller in the Digital Age for nominating me for the Liebster. Thank you so much for thinking of me, and I’m sorry I took so long getting around to acknowledging it. I do appreciate getting these awards and I’m always happy to pass them along to deserving blogs, too. Amanda came up with some interesting questions, which I will try to answer. The hard part will be thinking up different questions!

So, to start it all off, here are the questions.

1. What was the first book you read that truly made you love writing?

To be honest, I can’t think of any particular book that I read that made me love writing. It was actually a TV series (Blake’s 7) that ended badly, which made me want to write a better ending. That’s what really inspired my love for writing.

2. Who is the person you go to for an honest opinion of your work?

I trust my writer’s group for picking out problems with any of my work.

3. If the apocalypse took place and you had one book to save before using the rest for kindling, what would it be and why?

My grandfather’s leather-bound volume of Shakespeare’s plays is a treasure to me because it’s old and it’s such a beautiful book – and it’s SHAKESPEARE!

4. Do you believe books should have ratings like video games and television?

Not necessarily ‘ratings’, although language warnings might be a good idea and do they have explicit sex scenes in teen novels? If they do, it might be a good idea to mention that for people buying the books for a young person.

5.  Which would you choose–pen and paper, typewriter, or computer to document your creative ideas?

I began using paper and pencil before I got my first PC. Now, I have a MAC laptop and doubt I’ll go back to the ‘dark side’, again, unless there’s a power failure and my battery’s worn out. As I get older, though, I find I can’t hold a pen as long because my hand tends to cramp up after a while. 🙂

6.  Best fall flavor–apple or pumpkin?

Pumpkin. It just wouldn’t be fall without tasting at least one pumpkin pie with lots of whipped cream!

7.  If you could be one mythical/supernatural creature, what would it be and why?

Probably a fairy because I’d love to be able to fly but don’t want to breathe fire like a dragon – I get enough heartburn as it is! 🙂

8. What time of day do you write best, how does it help to write during that time of day?

Mornings, after my first cup of coffee. Before that, I just walk around with my eyes closed. The images from my dreams are still fresh, then, too.

9.  If you could talk to your favorite author, what would you ask him/her?

I’d ask Kathy Reichs what she thinks of the TV version of Temperence Brennan compared to her book character.

10. What favorite bedtime story would you tell your children when you have them/if you already have them?

‘I Love You Forever’ by Robert Munch is one my kids often asked for, but it’s really hard for me to get all the way through without shedding a tear or two during the part where the grown-up little boy carries his aging mother to bed. I do like ‘Goodnight Moon’, too.

11. If you had only one book/story/poem in progress to finish before you died, what would it be?

That’s a hard choice. I have many unfinished stories and many that need major editing. I suppose I should really concentrate on the book that fans have been waiting for that’s in the same series as ‘Withershins’ and ‘Spirit Quest’, even though it’s not really a sequel, but has many of my previous characters in it.

Okay, on to passing the love around. I think I’ll leave it to my fellow bloggers who want to build up their readership, since this is generally an award for those with less than 200 followers. You know who you are better than I do, so please snag the award pic for your blog and let me know when you’ve answered my questions. In keeping with this month’s theme, I’ll try to make most of my questions relate back to ‘Scary October’. If you don’t want to do a blog about them, feel free just to answer the ones you want to in the Comments section. 🙂

#1 – The trend these days seems to be leaning toward stories base on ancient mythologies, like Norse or Greek/Roman. Is this a genre you like to read/watch/write in and, if so, what type of myths do you prefer?

#2 – When it comes to speculative fiction, what type do you like – fantasy, science based, steam punk, paranormal, horror or something else?

#3 – If you are a writer about to launch your first book, would you consider creating a book trailer to advertise it? Would you hire someone to make it for you, rely on friends to help, or try to do it on your own and would you want it to be scary, exciting or funny?

#4 – What is/was your favorite Halloween costume?

#5 – How do you like your horror – super scary and gory, suspenseful with very little gore, or not at all?

#6 – When you carve Halloween pumpkins, do you prefer to create scary faces/designs or welcoming ones?

#7 – Do you ever read/write about things you are afraid of and, if so, what are some of the fears/phobias that give you a chill?

#8 – If you believe in ghosts, do you think they are benevolent or malevolent?

#9 – If zombies were real, would you be more inclined to run away or chop them into little bits?

#10 – In your opinion, should vampires ‘sparkle’ or be the dark evil creatures of legends?

#11 – Of all the holidays/special days in a year, would you consider Halloween among your favorite? If not, why do you think your favorite(s) is(are) better?

 

If you like reading about things that go bump in the night, check out Amazon‘s or the Reader Store‘s selection of spooky books.

And for those of you who are looking for blog posts that might give you a chill, here are a few that I recommend:

roughwighting‘s ‘A Ghost Story’

Diane Dickson‘s ‘The Grave’ serial

Speculating Canada‘s review of ‘Home is Where the Ghosts Are’. Derek has a few other scary posts so check out his back list to find a deliciously scary topic

Tim Kane‘s post on Madame Bathory from whom we get the term ‘blood bath’

J. D. Ryan‘s post about spiders

I’ll leave you with these for now. Let me know if you come across any others you’d like to share.

Remember, Halloween is only days away, so don’t forget to pick up some treats for those young tricksters and enjoy this ghoulish season! 🙂