Sunday, June 2, 2013

Elliot's Tough Questions

The charming Elliot Grace over at So Close, But... has tagged me with the Liebster Award! The rules are simple, offer 11 fun facts about yourself, answer 11 questions provided by Elliot, pass the award on to 11 blogger pals, answering 11 new questions from yours truly. 

On to Elliot's (really hard!) questions...

1) What is your favorite genre to read?
I love so many genres! Currently my fave is definitely contemporary romance, but I also love fantasy, sf, mystery, YA & MG (I know those last 2 aren't genres--humour me) and more!
 
2) Pizza or pasta?
This is another hard one! We live in a town with a TON of fantastic Italian restaurants. I've been to bigger cities with more famous places and tried a variety of popular chain restaurants, but there is nothing that beats our local pizza & pasta. Nothing! My heart is a little torn with this question, but I think I'll go with pasta!
 
3) If you were to be stranded on an island and could choose one book to take with you, which would you choose?
AHHH! Can I have an easy question please??? Okay. I'd bring Lord of the Rings. I never tire of Tolkien's characters!
 
4) If you could choose to have dinner with one writer, in order to pick his/her brain, who would you choose?
Nora Roberts! She is such a prolific author. She's written a mind-boggling number of best-selling romances and each character is unique and intriguing. Her In Death series has an incredible cast of repeat characters and each book keeps getting stronger!!
 
5) Who is your choice of musician for inspiration while writing?
I never listen to one musician at a time. I always set my iTunes to shuffle. My tastes are pretty eclectic with music too - I've got everything from classic rock to easy listening to jazz to blues to country to Motown to pop... So it would depend on the scene I think!
 
6) The Walking Dead, or Breaking Bad?
Sadly, neither. I've stopped adding new TV series to my schedule. There's just not enough time to watch and do everything else I want to do so I haven't seen either of these.
 
7) If you could choose an actor to play the part of lead role in your book, who would it be?
Another tough one! I actually think Chris Pine would make a pretty good Jaz in the book I'm hoping to pub later this year.
 
8) Do you prefer writing in the a.m or p.m?
Both! I am a morning person, but for most of the year, the job gets in the way. During the school year I tend to write after 9 p.m. once family life has slowed down. In the summer I have more freedom and write whenever I can.
 
9) What is your best antidote for writer's block?
Try something else. I currently have 4 stories in various stages of editing and another one I'm drafting. For a person who thought she was a one draft at a time writer, it's a bit of a shock, but it works!
 
10) When going on vacation...drive or fly?
I'd love to fly to more places but the wallet usually says we drive. My hubby likes to drive so that leaves me free to read too!
 
11) Name the city that tops your bucket list to visit.
So many! Probably Hong Kong. Or New York. Or Rome. Or Cairo...
 
And 11 fun facts about me...
  1. I hate/despise/detest/loathe housecleaning
  2. My dad and I used to always shop for bonus 'as is' presents for people for Christmas on Christmas Eve when the stores were nuts and the crowds desperate. We got some really strange items and had a ton of fun!
  3. I used to walk along the tops of swing sets as a kid
  4. I've never owned a pet even though I love animals
  5. Although I'm Canadian, I'm a rotten skater. Actually I can skate pretty well, it's the whole stopping thing I never mastered
  6. I make an awesome lasagna!
  7. I want to go on an African photo safari one day
  8. Although I don't watch too many TV series, I'm kind of a sports nut and often have sports on in the background when I'm writing
  9. I LOVE teaching Math!
  10. When I'm baking/cooking I rarely measure anything - that would take the mystery out!
I won't tag anyone specifically, but if you'd like to play along, please do!

Tell me one fun fact I don't know about you!

45 comments:

Anonymous said...

CONGRATS on receiving the award! Great questions and answers.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Four stories at once? I'd be in shock.
You must be a lot of fun to skate with.
Congratulations, Jemi!

Jemi Fraser said...

Thanks Susanne!!

Alex - I am a BLAST to skate with - everyone has a great laugh!! :)

Unknown said...

When I'm cooking I rarely measure anything either! I use my taste-buds ... that's what they're for, right?

I also hate housework, make a killer lasagna, want to go on an African safari someday, and love animals ... although unlike you, I have lots of pets :)

JeffO said...

Nice to learn more about you, Jemi. Thanks for sharing!

Jemi Fraser said...

Wendy - exactly! Drives some people crazy when they ask for recipes too :) I need to breathe better before we get pets :)

Jeff - thanks! It was fun :)

Stephen Tremp said...

I would take the Harry Potter series on a deserted island. There are seven books so that would keep me busy.

And forget about Walking Dead and Breaking Bad. Dexter will be out for a 7th season!!!

Jemi Fraser said...

Stephen - Harry Potter is a great choice! I LOVE those books! My son's been trying to get me to watch Dexter - he loves it. One day... :)

mshatch said...

I have an extra cat you could have...:)

Jemi Fraser said...

Ms H - teehee! Too many breathing issues here to take you up on that! :)

Elizabeth Spann Craig said...

The fact that you love teaching math tells me you're a wonderful teacher! And I think it's so cool that you're talented in more than one area!

Maria said...

I hate to do the housecleaning and I also try to do something different when I get writer's block.

Natalie Aguirre said...

Loved learning more about you and what your favorite genres are. And I hate housecleaning too.

Jemi Fraser said...

Elizabeth - thanks so much! I love my kids & my job :)

Maria - I hope to make enough once my books are out to hire someone to clean once in a while!!

Natalie - there are just so many great books out there!! :)

L. Diane Wolfe said...

I love pasta! Italian is my favorite.

T. Powell Coltrin said...

I'm like you, I have more than one writing project open at a time. I read the same way.

Walking on top of swingsets. Whoa.

As I read your answers, I thought we were sisters but I can't get past where you said...you loathe cleaning. What? :)

T

Martina Boone said...

Fun interview! And LOL. My daughter was about three the first--and ONLY--time she crawled out of the backyard fort and walked out onto the top of the swing set. I about died!

Susan Gourley/Kelley said...

I pick Pasta too and I'll take Tolkein with me to the island. Would love to see London.

Jemi Fraser said...

Diane - me too! And our pasta is spectacular! :)

Teresa - sorry! My mom is so disappointed I didn't inherit her cleaning gene!

Martina - a girl after my heart! I didn't tell my own kids about it until they were well past the age of trying it!

Susan - London is such an historic city - so much to see!

Emily R. King said...

Housecleaning is for the dogs! (I almost wrote "gods" ha!) And pasta is YUM. Congrats on your award!

Jemi Fraser said...

Thanks Emily - the gods are welcome to do my housework any time!! :P

SpacerGuy said...

I'm an undercover sci fi agent on a mission with a purpose, Spacerguy is my codename.

Jemi Fraser said...

Welcome Spacerguy - I hope you mission is successful! :)

Lisa Gail Green said...

Yay! I love hearing all these new things about you! I can't agree more with detesting housework. I suck at it too. :P He he he

Michelle Wallace said...

As a South African, I can point out a variety of perfect "hotspots" for your African photo safari! (Although I haven't visited half of them...)
Writer In Transit

Jemi Fraser said...

Lisa - me too! I would do almost anything to avoid it!!

Michelle - Sounds good! When I'm ready to go, I'll be calling on you for help!! :)

klahanie said...

Hey Jemi,

Yes, sorry for being absent from your site for quite a while.

Anyway, glad to see you got that 'lobster' award or whatever it is :) I hate awards!

Listen, eh. You've got to practice your stopping with your skates on. Spray ice on the goalie, eh. Sports in the background. Canadian Football League, perhaps. NHL, no doubt.

Take care and thanks for sharing all 21 things about you.

Gary :)

Jemi Fraser said...

Gary - no apologies necessary - life can get very busy (I know it's been nuts for me!!). Definitely NHL in the background & tennis & curling & baseball... :)

Jack said...

Chris Pine, good choice. One can never go wrong with him

One book, on a desert island?! Who comes up with that kind of question. Such a scary thought.

Jemi Fraser said...

Jack - so true! On both counts! :)

Julie said...

Lord of the Rings. Solid choice! ;)

Cynthia Chapman Willis said...

This is fun. I am impressed that you used to walk along the tops of swing sets as a kid. I don't think doing this ever occurred to me. : )

nutschell said...

Congrats on the award! Loved getting to know you a bit better. I also enjoy MG, YA, Sci Fi, Fantasy!
Nutschell
www.thewritingnut.com

Nas said...

Congratulations on the award. I loved reading these snippets about you and getting to know you a little better!

Nas

Jemi Fraser said...

Julie - thanks - it's one of my go-to's for sure! :)

Cynthia - LOL - I'm pretty sure my parents wished it hadn't occurred to me either :)

Nutschell - I'm not in the least surprised by your favourite genres :)

Nas - thanks! Glad it wasn't totally boring!

Missed Periods said...

I think that's the first time I have seen "love" and "math" in the same sentence!

DMS said...

Congrats on the award! It was so fun to learn some new facts about you.:) Maybe I would like math more if you were my teacher! I am impressed that you are working on 4 manuscripts at once. Wow! Good for you- I think it would be hard to keep everything straight. :)
~Jess

Jemi Fraser said...

MP - teehee! I do love it - it's so much fun :)

Jess - thanks! I thought it would be tough too - but it just sort of happened and I like it!

J.L. Campbell said...

Hey, Jemi,
Nice to know more about you. Like you, I work on several mss at a time and sometimes just gauge ingredients when baking.

Jemi Fraser said...

JL - it's more fun to guess at measurements! New dish every time :)

Arlee Bird said...

That's a lot of personal insight you gave us. I love pasta, but I guess I'd go with a preference for pizza--unless I'm in the mood for pasta. Ah such wonderful choices!

Lee
Wrote By Rote

Anonymous said...

The shopping sounds fun. I pictured some crazy gifts. It was great reading the q and a and facts. I'd love to go on an African safari.

Jemi Fraser said...

Lee - pizza is a close 2nd for me too :)

Medeia - it was fun with my dad! :)

Beth said...

Four stories? I'm impressed!

A fun fact you don't know about me? One of my top dreams is to attend the Academy Awards someday!

Jemi Fraser said...

Beth - that would be fun!! I bet the Red Carpet is in your future!!