It's ALLLIIIIVE!!!

"It" being ME! I'm alive, blog friends!

The end was nigh, but I refused to walk into the light, no matter how sweet deaths' embraced seemed at the time.

Also, I'm never eating fast food again, especially if it's served suspiciously cold (this statement subject to change at a moment's notice if I'm craving tacos.)

While I was lying in a heap on my couch, you were awesome enough to ask me questions!

Here are your answers!


Nisa asked: "

On that note, this is probably an evil question, but what's your favorite fast food place? (Okay, don't think about that one right now. It really was terrible. Can I blame genetics?)Who is your favorite author and why?"

Okay, Nisa, that is fairly evil, but I forgive you, because I'm like that :). My favorite fast food place WAS McDonalds. I think their fries are the one food I could eat forever and never get tired of. That and their bacon egg and cheese biscuits... mmmm.... savory greaseness!

Ooh, the favorite author question is such a tough one. Damn! I love so many... argh. Right now, I'm completely crazy about Kristin Cashore, author of FIRE and GRACELING, because she writes the kind of high fantasy that I absolutely love, but with a fresh twist and clean writing. Her books don't ramble, and I love the pacing! I'm kind of a favorite author tart, though. I have many favorites :).

Tess asked:

"What's your favorite guilty pleasure? Love Boat or Fantasy Island?"

Great questions! Oh, man, my favorite guilty pleasure would have to be a full on bubblebath with a candle, book, glass of wine, and the door locked. It's guilty because I'm still working out that whole "Oh, hey, I can do nice things for myself and don't have to be working or writing *all* the time," and also because the water bill goes up if I do it too often ;). But it's The Best.

Now, I'm ashamed to admit I've never really watched either of these shows. With that in mind, I choose Fantasy Island, solely because of Tattoo!

Scott asked:

"What's your favorite Starbucks drink?"

The perfect question for a Northwest girl! I have several answers. If I don't want coffee, then a nonfat black tea latte ;). Mmmm, teaaaaa. If it's winter, then a nonfat peppermint mocha! If it's summer, then a sweetened iced coffee. Awwww, yeaaah. Dang, now I want Starbucks!

Abby asked:

"If you were being sent to a deserted island and could only take three things, what would they be?"

Oh, geez. Thanks a lot, Abby! Hmmm... only three things.

I fear this is where some of my crazy might show through, because the first things I thought of were a) Big Rambo Knife (for survival purposes), b) Flint (see a), and c) The Lord of the Rings (because that book/series never gets old.)

And now I'm afraid that I sound like Dwight Schrute because of a) and b)... (FACT: I am faster than 80% of all snakes.)

Kate asked:

"How many pairs of shoes do you own?"

Hmm, I'll have to think about that one. I have about five pair that I wear consistently, and then about 10 other pairs that I'm either "saving for a sweet costume" or need to throw away because they have holes in them the size of well, an entire shoe. I have a weakness for shoes, especially boots, but my cheapness has helped me keep it relatively under control. We'll see how that goes this year ;).

Lisa & Laura asked:

"How did you know you wanted to be a writer? What is your all-time favorite book?"

Now that I think about it, I've always loved telling stories, but I never admitted to wanting to be a writer (or an author) until I was out of college. Before I could write, I would draw "books," which were usually rip offs of Peter Pan or movies I'd seen, but with my own embellishments, like tarantulas with tiny parachutes or extra mermaids where they didn't belong. I'd also dictate stories to anyone who would listen; i.e. my kindergarten teachers and parents. Good times!

My dad was a freelance writer, and I didn't want to follow in his footsteps. He didn't have a day job, and made some bad decisions that lead our family into tough financial times. I didn't want to be pressured to choose something just because he did it, and I didn't want to put my family in jeapardy by chasing writing. In the mean time, I kept writing stories, but just for me.

In highschool and college I realized I LOVED classic literature. Like, I wanted Chaucer to be my long-dead boyfriend kind of love. This translated into me wondering if I could actually be a writer after all, but do it in a practical way. A way that fit me :).

I hadn't believed in myself, or understood that this was a dream I could chase until I'd been on my own, figuring it out. My dad always had great ideas, but gave up on them after facing a few rejections, so never accomplished what he'd wanted. This is a huge factor for me, because I know never to give up :). I don't want to make the same mistakes, and will chase my dream as hard as I can, while still being responsible to my awesome husband and cat (read: my family.)

Writing this, I realized that my favorite book of all time is Peter Pan! It was the first book I drew a rip off of when I was six, and I've been in love with the story ever since. Thank you for making me love reading, J. M. Barrie!

Enough rambling for now :).

If you have any other questions, I'd love to answer them!

Now, one for you: What is YOUR favorite book and why?

*Make sure you've entered my BOOK LOVE CONTEST before Valentine's Day! I'm picking winners of fabulous prizes (including a giftcard, book, critique, bookmarks, coffee, and chocolate--Could it get any better??) on 2/15/10!

*adorable zombie pic courtesy of www.ilovetheundead.blogspot.com