Interview with Stephanie

Hey guys! Today I'm interviewing, Stephanie, one of the two winners of Knights of MicroFiction! Tobi will be interviewed over at Kathy's blog.

Here we go!

***

Hello, Stephanie! It's so nice having you here! I don't know about you, but I'm really excited for this interview. You ready? Okay, good! My first question is...

When did you know you wanted to be a writer?

I was about 15 when I wrote my first original story, about a family of witches guarding an ancient artifact. From there my love of writing took off, but it would be a few more years before I was brave enough to take a writing class and share my work with others.

Oh, yeah I know what you mean. It's scary sharing your work with others! And speaking of sharing your work... what's your current WIP about? We'd love a short summary.

Right now I'm working on the sequel to the YA fantasy book, I intend to self publish this year. In the first book, Shadow of the Wolf, the main character Toby finds himself in enemy territory, surrounded by werewolves. Instead of killing him, the werewolves, who Toby was raised to believe are monsters, adopt him into their pack. While he's adjusting to a very different way of life, his sister is back home looking for some way to rescue him and uncovering a lot of secrets in their village.

In the sequel, Wings of the Butterfly, Toby is preparing to take the Trials that will declare him an adult. Unfortunate events and the escalating threat of war, lead to suspicion and the possibility that Toby won't be permitted to become an adult. Ora meanwhile is attending school in a neighboring kingdom and gets caught up in several political assassinations that she attempts to solve.

Wow, that sounds exciting! I'm working on my sequel, too! I know how hard that can be. And I just love that title, Shadow of the Wolf. It sounds so awesome!

Now, what are your goals for this year?

I plan to fully proofread and self-publish Shadow of the Wolf by July. I'll finish the first draft of Wings of the Butterfly by next December, so I can have that revised and proofread by July of next year. And in the meantime I'll be writing and submitting short stories to try and get my name out.

Sounds like you've really got a good game-plan here!

Alright, next question! How long have you been blogging and how has it improved your writing?

I just passed my one year blog anniversary a couple of weeks ago. It's been lots of fun. My writing has definitely improved, especially in learning to sit down and hammer something out. Contest and posting deadlines are a great motivator, and I love having feedback. Reading writing from other bloggers, fiction and nonfiction, has also been a great way to expand my knowledge of writing.

So, when you're not learning about writing or writing, what do you like to do?

I read a lot, of course :-)  I do yoga and pilates, and I do a lot of different crafts depending on my mood. Sometimes I make candles, sometimes I cross-stitch or sew and I also cook. I also have an unhealthy obsession with iTouch games like Tiny Tower, and Paradise Cove. Those things are really addictive :-)

Lol, yeah, once you start playing those games it's hard to stop.

Is there anything else we should know about you, Stephanie?

I'm very scatterbrained, and fairly disorganized in relation to anything that's not my writing. But I love to keep busy, because otherwise, I tend to fall asleep.

Haha, I'm with you on the 'keeping busy' and the 'disorganized' part...

Unfortunately, that's all the time we have for today! Thank you so much for joining us, Stephanie!

Thank you for having me!

No problem, it was a pleasure! Let's have a round of applause for Stephanie at Word by Word!

***

Thanks guys, hope you enjoyed! Go check out Stephanie's blog and congratulate her!

Have a great weekend!

--Jess

The Hunger Games + Announcements

I saw it!

Yes, I finally did! I saw it on Monday with my best friend, and oh my gosh, I loved it. It was amazing. Now, I'm not going to go into much detail, because I'm sure you guys already know. But it was almost exactly like the book, and was pretty much how I imagined it while I was reading it.

Definitely a new favorite!

Okay, and for my Micro-Fiction buddies, I have an announcement. Since next month is April and is the epic A to Z Challenge, I'm afraid it will be difficult writing a flash fic on the last Monday of the month.

So!

Kathy and I decided that we'll hold our Micro-Fiction bloghop for the first three months of every year. That way, people don't have to commit to it all year long, lol.

The Micro-Fiction winner of this week is Stephanie, over at Word by Word! Great job, Stephanie! Kathy is choosing the other winner sometime today, so keep an eye out if you participated.

Now, being the last Monday of March, that means this is the last Micro-Fiction of this year. If you want to sign up for next year, the linky-list is still up on the Micro-Fiction page, and we'd love to have you join us!

And, I'd like to thank Fairbetty, over at Fairbetty's World for being the first person to sign up and for participating in every event! Thanks so much for all of your support!

Alrighty, I think that's all for today! So, have a great Wednesday!

--Jess

Knights of Microfiction Day!

Yeah, you guys know what that means! Today, is the last Monday of the month, so get ready for another round of Micro-Fiction. Today's prompt is:

In 250 words or less:

Use at least one of the following adjectives: delicate, repulsive, hostile

And at least one of the following nouns: New York City, My 16th Birthday (yes, this would be referring to you), and Kilts

For the words you don't use (unless you use them all), you can just use them as inspiration.

Now I like to write Microfiction (or flash fiction... same thing) to inspire me for my current WiP or to get new story ideas.

This one, I wrote for my current WiP, which happens to be the sequel to The Trials. I changed the names, just for the sake of it, and the situation is a little different, but anyway. Here goes nothing!

***

“So, you’re okay?” Lea asks.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” I manage.

But we both know that’s a lie. I’m not sure why she looks surprised. It’s not like we’re allowed to stand up and say something’s wrong. You either follow the rules or die. Even if following the rules means marrying someone they choose for you.

“I thought they only selected people over eighteen,” she says.

I know she’s trying to comfort me, but it’s not working.

“Apparently not,” I shoot back, taking a bite of the mushy salad before me. It’s not entirely repulsive, but the flavor is dull and sedated. Or maybe it’s because, since I got the message on my silverscreen that I was to be married in five days, I’ve been feeling so completely numb.

“What’s his name?”

“Aarin,” I choke.

Because all I can think of is Travis. He’s the one I should be with.

I lean closer to Lea and whisper, “They said it was going to be perfect, here. And we believed them. They promised.”

Lea shakes her head in worry. “Careful what you say. They might be listening. But you’re right. I’m sorry, Satine, but I should be going.”

I nod.

“Happy sixteenth birthday,” she says sarcastically. “Nice present they got you.”

I’m not the type to cry, but I feel the tears welling in my eyes. I struggle to hold them in because it’s supposed to be happy here. It’s supposed to be perfect.

But the universe was made from imperfection.

***

So there you have it!

And, this song seemed to fit pretty well with the theme, (and I love this song) so I thought it would be nice to share it.

And don't forget to sign up on the linky list if you want to join in on the fun! On Wednesday, Kathy and I will choose a winner and host them on our blog on Friday! Just post before Tuesday night :)

Have a great day!

--Jess

Yep. It's Finally Here.

Guys.........................................................

As of today, The Hunger Games movie is OUT.

I probably won't be able to see it today, but I'm super excited! For those of you who do go to see it, have fun and enjoy!

As far as writing/editing goes, I guess I'm doing pretty well. My CP's are giving me great advice and if all goes to plan (which it usually doesn't....) I'd kind of like to have my book out before I turn 16. Of course, by telling you my goal, I probably just jinxed it... we'll have to see.

It's an ambitious goal, I know. But when something seems hard or nearly impossible, if I'm focused and intent on doing it, I usually find a way to work things out.

Anyway, I'm going to be busy this weekend. I haven't had much time for bloghopping lately. Been working hard to keep up in my school and get lots of writing done. Blogging takes up a big chunk of my day, and I've been struggling to post every MWF. But I promise I'll visit more of you over spring break!

Have a great weekend, everyone :)

--Jess

What I Do When I Have No Idea What To Write

Okay, so yesterday I didn't get as much work done as I wanted to. I didn't officially get Writer's Block, but it was sorta like that.

Instead, I was trying to teach myself how to draw people on my computer. I use a program called GIMP to draw, but it's hard to use if you don't know what you're doing. It can take a while to get used to it.

I don't know if you've done it before, but drawing on the computer is waay different than drawing by hand. When you draw by hand, you have lots of control. All those muscles in your fingers to move your pencil in so many different ways... you don't really appreciate that until you try it digitally.

Anyway, I'm decent at drawing by hand, and I learned how to draw well by tracing things. That's how I started drawing. So I thought, yeah I'm bad at digitally drawing something, but maybe I'll start off with tracing something good and coloring it in. That way I could get the feel of how a good picture is supposed to look.

Of course, I had to go and choose the most difficult picture I could find:

This girl reminded me of my main character. It's sort of how I pictured her to look.
So anyway, I took this picture, and I traced it:

(Don't let this fool you... it took me a
few hours to trace this whole thing!)

Past the tracing, I didn't take anything from the other picture. No merging or copying. All the rest was done by me.

So I started to color it:

And finally, I added the lighting and shading.

I still feel like I cheated a little bit (probably because I did), but for now I thought the coloring and shading would give me enough of a project.

So... yeah. That's one one the things I like to do when I can't figure out what to write!

What do you guys do when the words just aren't flowing?


--Jess

Rewriting is Hard.

Okay, so for a while, I've been procrastinating. I've been stalling and making up excuses for myself so I don't have to work on rewriting my sequel. It's not a full rewrite. The last time I wrote in it was November and I had only 33,000 words.

Still. That's like, a third of the book.

I ended up convincing myself that rewriting would be easier than drafting. But, I was in for a really big surprise.

Turns out, rewriting feels twenty times harder than drafting, thank you very much.

You'd think that since you already know what happens and about how to write the scene, you should be okay. But what's hard is writing something you've already written differently.

Well, I stopped procrastinating last week after we got home from the cruise. And despite how hard it was, I'm so glad I did it. It needed to be fixed because it was going totally in the wrong direction. And now, I've got 21,000 words of the new version. Just 12,000 more to go, and I'll be good!

Now I have to give a lot of credit to my really awesome critique partner. She's been working really hard, editing The Trials and as I'm reading over book 1, I'm getting so many new ideas!! (And if you can't tell, I'm getting really excited, too :) )

So, if you're willing to take advice from a fifteen-year-old, here it is: stop procrastinating today. Even if it's just for the day. Good luck!

What do you guys think about rewriting? Is it a lot harder than drafting for you?

Okay, well I really better get to work now! Have an awesome day!

--Jess

P.S.

I've been thinking of starting up a Music Monday thing on my blog since music is such a huge part of my writing. I don't know. What do you think? Good or bad idea?

Page 77, Line 7

Today, I got tagged by Lyla over at Lyla Writes in the Lucky 7 Meme!

The rules:

1. Go to page 77 of your current MS
2. Go to line 7
3. Copy down the next 7 lines as they're written-- no cheating!
4. Tag 7 other writers
5. Let them know!

Okay, so I'm using an excerpt from my first novel (the only one that's currently finished), The Trials. So here I go:

***

Seth runs his fingers through his sandy-blond hair.  "I'm assuming there'll be more traps.  It's the reason they wanted us to come together.  This is the final test."

"Hey, check this out."  Liam examines a skeleton on the side of the trail.

"Don't touch it, Liam.  That's got to be a trap," I warn.

"Are you sure?" He jabs his finger at it.

"Stop!"

"Calm down, I didn't touch it!" he laughs.  "I was just kidding."


***

So that's what's on page 77 of The Trials, lol :)

The seven lucky writers I'm tagging are:

1. Madeline Jane at Capricious Existence
2. Jessica Salyer at Just Following a Dream
3. T. Z. Wallace at One Year Until Book Launch
4. McKenzie McCann at The Ubiquitous Perspective
5. Fairbetty at Fairbetty's World
6. Rena at Doctor Faerie Godmother
7. Alyssa at Life is Good

Have fun!!

--Jess

Cool Random Things

Currently Listening to: Ravenheart by Xandria

Alright guys, looks like my mom beat me to showing you a few pictures of our cruise. I hate to be repetitive, but for those of you that don't follow her, I hope you enjoy :)

(I spy a teenie tiny cruise ship in the distance...)

Okay, so I think that was when we were docked at St. Martin. We went on a tour there. It's really cool because half of the island is Dutch and the other half if French.

(There's me riding a horse for the first time!)

Not only did we get to ride horses across the beach, they actually took us into the ocean!!

Yes, that's a sea lion, and yes he kissed me! Lol, that was really fun.

(This guy lost his tail...)

(I spy an iguana!)

(Me and Alyss braving cool water)

So yeah, those are the highlights of the vacation!

I'm also really proud of myself because I got a ton of reading done. I'm a slow reader anyway, and with the distraction of writing, I don't get much chance to do it. But I'm really excited because I finished two really awesome books and started another one! All of them were awesome :)

So I read:

By the lovely Talli Roland

By the awesome Beth Revis

And I started:

By the one and only Jessica Therrien

All of these books were/are totally awesome and I suggest you check them out if you haven't already!

Have a wonderful Wednesday!!

--Jess

Yes, I'm Back!

Hey guys, I'd just like to say... I'm back from the Caribbean!

The trip was really awesome, but gosh, I've got a ton of stuff to catch up on! So, I'm going to keep this post short.

Anyway, I know that vacations are for relaxing. And that on a cruise ship, you shouldn't have to do any work. But my writing and I have an interesting relationship. Some days, it's more like work. But others, it's just fun.

There were a few times when we were out at sea and my mom and I sat at the top of the ship, watching the waves and typing away. There's something about the deep, sapphire blue of the ocean that's so inspiring. It would take an effort to keep the inspiration from flowing.

It was awesome. I'll tell you guys more about it later, maybe even show some pics! Oh, and I got a ton of reading done. I'll tell you what two books I finished on Wednesday (there... I'll leave you with a cliffhanger, hehe).

I've got a lot of work to get done right now so I've got to go. 'See' you Wednesday!!

--Jess

Insecure Writer's Support Group

Today is the first Wednesday of the month, meaning it's Insecure Writer's Support Group day!

Now, I'm getting sort of insecure about my book. For a long time I've thought about going the traditional publishing route. Sending off queries and searching for publishers... it always sounded kind of fun. Well, maybe not, but still. It was just something I expected myself to do.

But now, with some convincing from my dad and a little thought on my own, I've decided that I might want to try to self publish.

And I'm insecure about self publishing because I don't have a clue about marketing. (That's where my dad comes in, but still.) I mean, if it's something I'm going to do, I should probably know something about it. My dad says it's a good way to learn... from experience. But that doesn't mean it's not scary.

Okay, I guess 'scary' isn't quite the word for it. Still, I think you guys get the picture.

So yeah. I'm insecure about my knowledge of marketing.

What about you guys? What are you insecure about?

--Jess

Awakening (updated version)

Hey guys! Today is the Second Campaigner Challenge! I used three of the prompts and used inspiration from all the pictures. All of my entries are under 200 words (I made three of them). One is a flash fiction, the second is describing the water pear, and the third is a poem with a twist. All three are connected in a way. Hope you guys enjoy!

***

Awakening

I look up at the rusty bridge support and lean back against the concrete wall. If only we could make it out of here.

The gash on my leg burns and I moan in agony. But it's not the gash that's killing me. It's the infection. I grit my teeth, wanting to ignore it.

Ravir is at my side. His dark hair is wet from the rain that passed overhead only minutes ago. He pours cool water over my lips and obediently, I swallow.

"Mara," he says, running his fingers through my hair.

"I'm not-" I catch my breath as he pain flairs again. "I'm not goong to make it much longer."

His jaw tightens and his eyes fill with anger. "Don't talk like that. Don't-"

"Tell me a story."

"Mara, please."

"Tell me," I whimper.

His breath is unsteady but he begins. "The ocean stretched out before us. Kids played soccer in a field not far away and we could hear them from the beach..."

"Sounds a lot better than this dump we're at," I remark.

He smiles but I can tell he's hurting for me. "We got up and I helped you to a cave...

***

"It was dark. Everything about the cave was dark. We could only hear he trickle of distant water in a far off.

A hand gripped your shoulder and you knew it wasn't me. The hand was cold but soothing at the same time. An old man walked out of the darkness. He saw that you were injured. That you were dying.

He held a wooden object, beautifully carved from bamboo. The handle was smooth. It had been passed down throughout he centuries because it was magic. He held it out into a fall of crystal blue water. And instead of softly falling to the floor, the water grew.

It grew into a sphere that rested on the wooden tool, as if there were some invisible, tear-shaped container to hold its frame. It was beautiful. And you gasped as the man held it out to you.

'Take it,' he said.

But you only stared in wonder.

I urged you to take it, and finally you reached out. Your hand rested on the cool, liquid and it rippled with your touch.

'Try it,' said he man.

You brought it to your lips and you drank. And all your pain was gone."

***

Ravir finished his story,
The sorrow in his eyes burned,
The rain started to pour again,
And pain in my body returned.

"Mara," he said gently,
"I promise you'll be alright."
But I shook my head with tears in my eyes,
Knowing I'd already lost my fight.

"Mar," he continued,
"I know you haven't failed."

Yet I knew the truth, so I replied,
"I don't believe in fairytales."

The darkness closed in, I closed my eyes,
Gold light streamed through my mind,
Pictures faded and a whisper said,
"Mara, you were blind."

There was a stream of water,
There was a wooden spoon,
A pear of liquid rose,
For a promise made too soon.

A taste of food unearthly,
Brought on an energy of healing,
A breath of life flew through me,
And returned to me my feeling.

And I felt Ravir touch me,
Felt his hand squeeze mine,
My will to live returned again,
And finally, I opened my eyes.

***

Thanks so much for reading! Hope you enjoy! And if you really like it, go vote for me at Rachael Harrie's site. I'm entry # 63!!

--Jess

P.S.
Sorry about the formatting of this post! Luckily, I was able to fix and update it!! We're on a cruise right now, so that's why I couldn't post it right the first time. Have a great day!

The Warrior Heir Book Review

Time for another book review!! Here we go:

Title: The Warrior Heir
Author: Cinda William Chima
Genre: YA Fantasy, Action-Adventure

Summary: Before he knew about the Roses, 16-year-old Jack lived an unremarkable life in the small Ohio town of Trinity. Only the medicine he has to take daily and the thick scar above his heart set him apart from the other high-schoolers.

Then one day Jack skips his medicine. Suddenly, he is stronger, fiercer, and more confident than ever before. And it feels great until he loses control of his own strength and nearly kills another player during soccer team tryouts.

Soon, Jack learns the startling truth about himself: He is Weirlind; part of an underground society of magical people who live among us. At the head of this magical society sit the feuding houses of the Red Rose and the White Rose, whose power is determined by playing The Game. A magical tournament in which each house sponsors a warrior to fight to the death. The winning house ruling the Weir.

As if his bizarre magical heritage isn't enough, Jack finds out that he s not just another member of Weirlind, he's one of the last of the warriors at a time when both houses are scouting for a player. Jack's performance on the soccer field has alerted the entire magical community to the fact that he's in Trinity. And until one of the houses is declared Jack's official sponsor, they'll stop at nothing to get Jack to fight for them.

Review: This was a very good book! The action in this novel was perfectly paced. It didn't give anything away too fast but it kept me on the edge of my seat throughout the story. I loved how deep the supporting characters were! Jack's teacher, Mr. Hastings was definitely a favorite of mine. He had his own secrets and kept the mystery up throughout the book.

Jack's two best friends, Will and Fitch were the two exceptions I think. I kind of kept confusing them because they were a lot alike.

The romantic tension was really nicely written and overall, this is absolutely a story worth reading. I loved it! Definitely going to read the next books in this series!

My Rating: Four stars!

Go check it out! Happy reading :)

--Jess

P.S.

I'm on a cruise ship right now!! It's awesome!

Interview with T.Z. Wallace

Hey guys, I just wanted to start with a little heads up. I'm not sure how I forget to mention it before, but we're going on a cruise tomorrow! Actually, we're going to Florida tomorrow and getting on the ship on Sunday. But still!

So, if I can't post all next week, don't be alarmed. I probably wont be able to do any blog hopping, either since I hear the internet is quite expensive.

Now to business. Today I'm interviewing one of the winners of the bloghop Knights of Micro-Fiction that takes place on the last Monday of every month, co-hosted by Kathy and me. Aldrea Alien, over at Thandrandian Thoughts will be interviewed on Kathy's blog.

Now, let's congratulate T.Z. Wallace at One Year Until Book Launch for winning an interview on my blog. Great job!

So let's get started.

***

Lights, camera... ACTION.

Hello T.Z.! We are so happy to have you here today! Look at all those nice, smiley faces in the crowd. You ready? Okay, good! So, my first question is: When did you know you wanted to be a writer?

I've always loved writing and always longed to 'be a writer,' but I felt uncomfortable calling myself a 'real writer'. I think I envisioned that a writer was someone who was able to make a living with their words. Then I realized that writers are really people who write... Not people who just talk about writing, or wishing they had more time to write, but real people with real lives and demands who still make time to write- because they love it... because they have to.

I'm a bit of a slow learner when it comes to shifting my mental perspective, so I didn't actually realize this until January 29, 2012. (That's the day I started my Book Launch Blog and the day that I announced to the world that 'I'm a writer' and 'I'm writing'.) That's when I gave myself permission to say "I'm a writer" without feeling like a fraud. That's when I allowed myself to believe it could be more than just scribbled notebooks tucked into a bottom drawer.

You know, it took me a while to actually let myself say 'I'm a writer,' too. I could only do it after I'd finished the first draft of my first novel which took about a year to write! Speaking of novels, I hear you're working your way through one. What's it called?

I don't have a working title. Unless you count 'My Book' as a working title. I'm horrible at creating titles and put it off until the very last minute in the hopes that inspiration will strike and save me.

Since this is part of a trilogy, I want to have a title that reflects that and serve to unify the books... but no pressure. (Maybe I should have my blog followers decide on a title for me so I can quit stressing over it. Is that permissible?)

I know exactly what you mean! I still haven't really thought of a good name for my overall trilogy... Sorry I interrupted. Please continue. Tell us about your novel. Can you give us a short summary?

As to what the book is about: I've always been enamored with dystopian concepts and am also intrigued by the workings and possibilities of time and space. Somehow, between those two fascinations, this story was born. It is the first in a trilogy that centers around a sixteen-year-old girl, Emma Cale, who must cope with the murder of her father.

During this time, every sixteen-year-old is required by law to submit themselves to the government for service to the war-ravaged society. People are starving and the use of many modern conveniences are severely restricted. Since Emma's mother is adamant that Emma will not offer herself for service, they seek refuge with Emma's aunt in an ancient house tucked in a tiny valley away from the political chaos. But (of course) they can't get away that easily... the government officials seek out Emma due her late father's role in the rebellion efforts.

Meanwhile, Emma's mother seems to have the life literally draining out of her, leaving Emma and her... um, "just a friend"... Saul to unravel the years of built up secrets that seem to have settled in the valley. Emma and Saul have to try to protect each other-- and the whole community-- from the unnatural powers that linger there, as well as from a government that's desperate to harness that power...

Wow. You've got me on the edge of my seat! It definitely sounds like a book I'd read! Dystopian books are awesome :)

Anyway, What are you goals for this year?

My goal is to finish this novel and have it available for purchase (via Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Smashwords) this summer. I also have a few short stories (or at least, what I'm anticipating will be short stories) rattling around in my head that I hope to write and make available for free via Amazon later this year as a way to give back to those who are being so encouraging and supportive of my work. And I really want to continue to meet and get to know more writers... to encourage them and support them in their craft.

Awesome goals! I'd kind of like to know why you so readily chose self publishing. I don't know much about it, myself. But more of that another time!

How long have you been blogging and how has it improved your writing?

I started my first blog (a personal blog) back in the summer of 2009. I think blogging gives me a sense of community and accountability. Writing is really solitary work, so it's nice to find people that you can interact with, root for, and learn from.

I have also realized that I tend to write more when I have the delusion that people are waiting expectantly and, since I suffer from an over-developed sense of guilt, I feel like I 'owe' it to my readers (current and future) to get off my back side and get some words on paper and then to polish it like crazy in the hopes that it will resemble something worth reading. My followers, their encouragement, and their comments are really what keep me moving forward during those times when I still feel like a fraud.

I couldn't agree more! And everyone is so supportive and nice! It's great having people who can cheer you on as you write. Now, what do you like to do when you're not writing?


I love to read. I really like finding out more about science, astronomy, physics and nature. I like to spend time outside and get back in touch with myself. Since I spend so much time in front of a computer, I have to reconnect with nature or I get cranky.


I also like to explore. When I go for a drive and pass by a dilapidated shack, I'm always compelled to pull over and peek in the windows, slide through the hole where the tree crashed in and scour the wreckage for signs of its past.


I have a well-charred antique door knob on my book case that I found when I examined what was left from a house fire at a long-abandoned home in a tiny town where I spent my summers as a child. I stood in the ashes with the wind whipping around me. I could have sworn I heard voices trickle through time... When I look at it now, I think about how many hands turned that knob... and it makes me want to tell those stories.


Ooh I know what you mean about finding about science, astronomy and physics! I love reading about things like that.


Now for our final question: is there anything else we should know about you?


Um... I have a staggering number of food allergies.


I also have a crazy number of phobias (I recently made a list of them... not that I'm likely to forget).


Also, it's been mentioned to me that my family history tends to read like some Southern Gothic novel (a novel my mother keeps urging me to write, but I've found that when you live Southern Gothic it's not nearly as entertaining as when you read it.) Honestly, you don't really notice that you're family is... rather, er, colorful... until you're retelling all those family stories and realize the room has grown quiet and everyone's staring at you.


I'm also superstitious*... wildly so.


And I hope that I can continue to find and connect with writers and readers who are passionate about books and stories and characters. (*knock on wood)


I don't think you'll have too much trouble with finding connections with other writers. *turns to audience* Right guys?


Unfortunately, that's all the time we have for today. We're so glad you could stop by today, T.Z.! Good luck with you're novel :)


So go over to T.Z. Wallace's blog and follow along!! Let's have a big round of applause for T.Z. Wallace!


Aaaaaand cut.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

--Jess