Sally asked me to write my own interview this time, and
knowing her penchant for unusual questions, I pulled out a little tome called The Book of Questions by Gregory
Stock. My husband and I actually used
this when getting to know each other while dating. (We celebrated our 22nd
anniversary in November.) I am picking
five questions at random, adapting them to writing as need be:
1. If God appeared to
you in a series of vivid and moving dreams and told you to leave everything
behind, travel alone to the Red Sea and become a fisherman, what would you do?
Urk! Naturally, that
would be the first question I come across.
I think the first thing I’d do is doubt my sanity. If that proved intact, then—and as a devout
Catholic, it pains me, but I want to be honest—I would probably resist. I still have children at home. Now, if they were grown, I’d be more likely
to say “yes,” especially if my husband gets into the astronaut program and
heads off to Mars.
I wonder if there’s internet available for fishermen on the
Red Sea. Can you imagine the books I
could write? Otherwise, I’ll be ordering
a lot of paper.
2. How close and warm
is your family? Do you feel your
childhood was happier than most people’s?
Absolutely. I grew up
in a stable home with parents who adored each other and loved us. I took it completely for granted, too, until
I went to college and one night, everyone started talking about how happy they
were to have escaped their parents’ homes.
I loved life on my own, but I knew I was welcome back home and would
gladly have run there if I needed anything; plus, my parents were just a phone
call away. In fact, I called them that
night and thanked them for being so wonderful.
That’s not to say my childhood was idyllic, mind you, but as
far as immediate family, I won the gold ring. I think that influenced my
writing, too. Even the stories where I
get dark, there are strong families, if only in the background. I do think it’s still the norm, and I
definitely believe it should be.
3. Does the fact that
you’ve not done something before increase or decrease its appeal to you?
When it comes to writing, it increases the appeal. I love a good challenge. That’s how Vern (the main character in Live and Let Fly) came about. I had heard of a dragon anthology, and I’d
not written about dragons before. Rob
and I brainstormed for about half an hour trying to find something not yet
done, but it wasn’t until we went down with the kids to watch Whose Line Is It, Anyway? that I
realized I could write a noir-style dragon detective. Vern proved such fun, I sought new challenges
(can I mix Irish legend and the Ten Plagues?
“Amateurs” says “Yes, I can!”). I
also had challenges given to me, like the invitation to write a serial story,
which I’d never done before. That became
the first DragonEye, PI novel, Magic,
Mensa and Mayhem.
Last autumn, I decided I needed a new challenge, and Rob
suggested writing a sci-fi based on The
Old Man and the Sea. I finished it
in February and it was such fun!
Some challenges, however, do not appeal, especially
technical ones.
4. Do you feel you
have much impact on the lives of people you come into contact with?
I never feel like I do, but then someone will say something
about some favor I did for them or something I wrote that touched them
(especially with my devotional, Why God
Matters) and I’ll realize that I actually did. Still, that’s the hand of God playing, not
anything to do with me in particular.
I’m just grateful that it does happen now and again.
5. If you could wake
up tomorrow having gained one unique ability or quality, what would it be?
To be able to write scenes just as I imagine them. Even if I then read them and think,
“Ack! No! Burn it, burn it!” I would still want to do this. Sometimes, I think up the most amazing
scenes, but when it comes time to write them, the words don’t do justice to my
imagination.
So now you know a little about me. What about my main character, Vern?
Vern is a dragon from the Faerie world who was captured by
St. George and pressed into God’s service.
He’s done it all from Pope’s pet to Church champion against demigods and
demons. Now, for reasons only God knows,
he’s living in our world as a private detective. His partner, Sister Grace, is a mage in the
Order of Our Lady of Miracles.
1. If God appeared to
you in a series of vivid and moving dreams and told you to leave everything
behind, travel alone to the Red Sea and become a fisherman, what would you do?
Are you kidding?
Caraparavalenciana is right by the Red Sea. I’d be going home!
2. How close and warm
is your family? Do you feel your
childhood was happier than most people’s?
Dragons are androgynous, created at the beginning of time
and immortal, so we don’t have families like most species think of them. My “family” is a drove of dragons. We would meet every couple centuries or so,
hunt together, dance, fight (sometimes, they’re the same thing), and gripe
about the humans. I didn’t have a
childhood; or I’m still in it; or I’m merely choosing to have one. Depends on who you talk to and how much I’m
enjoying my day.
3. Does the fact that
you’ve not done something before increase or decrease its appeal to you?
Increase, definitely.
Being immortal gives you a taste for novelty…and plenty of time to learn
from mistakes.
4. Do you feel you
have much impact on the lives of people you come into contact with?
I have saved both the Faerie and Mundane worlds so often,
I’ve developed a pay scale for it. (Not
that Grace always lets me extort that kind of money.) So, yeah.
Big impact. Colossal impact. But
I’m a dragon. Did you expect anything
less?
5. If you could wake
up tomorrow having gained one unique ability or quality, what would it be?
Chew gum. I tried it
once, but I had to use six entire packs and then it stuck to my teeth. You can only imagine the time I had trying to
get a dentist to clean them.
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