Ok, so technically she's probably not the actual "Super Woman" but she advocates for victims rights and is even willing to put money towards the cause, so in my book she's a Super Woman. And you've just read it on the Internet, so it must be true, right? Well, now that we've got that settled, everyone should grab a beverage while we cozy up to Claudia and pick her brain.
First, please note that you can read my review of her novella, The Fury, over at See Spot Read. And now the interview:
1.) How long have you been writing?
Unlike a lot of authors out there, I didn't pen my first novel at five, but I've always loved telling stories.
2.) What made you choose the horror genre? Have you always been a horror fan?
Horror is one of the few genres that allows the reader to carry over that element of fear, beyond the last turn of the page. Personally, I think a person is more likely to check under the bed or behind the closet door after a good scary story, than to expect true love to come knocking on your door right after reading a romance novel. Call me cheap...I want my money's worth.
3.) What is your writing routine like? Do you have another job?
I don't really have a routine, but I try to write every night after work. With working full-time for the police and my part-time job as a college adjunct, it's simply a matter of time management. When not doing any of the above, I can almost always be found on the couch with my laptop - like right now.
4.) I've recently discovered that garden gnomes creep me out. What scares you? Do you have any silly phobias?
Dolls, puppets, and clowns will kill you in the middle of the night. It's true. When I was in high school, I refused to crash in my friend's room one night because she had a ventriloquist dummy in her closet. It's a good thing I don't have kids or they'd be stuck with only Tonka trucks!
5.) Who would you say your biggest literary influences are?
Ray Bradbury, Kurt Vonnegut, Stephen King, and my beloved William Faulkner. Their writing reflects a desire to entertain and engage readers on their own terms, not to please. There's a difference.
6.) The Fury deals with rape and I see that you are donating profits from the sale for a whole month to Pandora's Project. How did that come about?
While I get to advocate for the rights of victims in my full-time job, I rarely get the opportunity to support causes like Pandora's Project on a more personal level. The Fury is entirely fictional, but it stemmed from a case I worked on when I wanted to set the whole courtroom ablaze after an unfavorable verdict. The story just grew from there.
*From April 15th to May 15th, all proceeds from the sale of Claudia's novella, The Fury, will be donated to Pandora's Project in recognition of Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Please visit her website to purchase the book*
7.) Do you ever scare yourself when you're writing?
Can't say that I scare myself as I'm writing, but I definitely have my moments while researching.
8.) I've noticed that you've done short stories and a novella. Is there a novel in the works?
When I finally built up enough confidence in my writing, I sent out a few short stories that were sold to a couple of anthologies. Last fall I started working on a novel, Heir. I had it pretty much wrapped-up, until I decided to do a 180 and changed it from fantasy to sci-fi/paranormal. I'm currently in the re-write process and I'm hopeful for a mid-late summer release.
9.) Do you belong to a writing group? Who reads your first drafts?
I'm not part of a writing group, but I'm a current sponsor and participant in A Round of Words in Eighty Days. It's a writing challenge offered quarterly, designed for writers who, well, have a life! Even though ROW80 is an individual challenge, it's amazing how much support you receive from the other writers involved. I even found one of my best beta readers being involved in this challenge.
10.) What advice would you give to newbie writers?
Write everyday! Over the last couple years, I've finally begun to believe in myself and my writing. Most of that is due to making writing a daily habit.
Claudia Lefeve lives in Northern Virginia with her husband and two pugs. For more information about the author, please visit her blog http://claudialefeve.blogspot.com or website at www.claudialefeve.com
Thanks for stopping by dear readers! We're back to my regularly scheduled nonsense tomorrow!
Happy Monday,
♥Spot
Showing posts with label good reads. Show all posts
Showing posts with label good reads. Show all posts
Monday, May 9, 2011
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
The one where I interview Scott Nicholson, horror author and nice guy
Come on in everyone, find a seat, grab a cup of coffee, tea, vodka lemonade, whatever. I'm pretty excited to announce that today we have Scott Nicholson in for a chat. For those of you who don't know Scott, yeah I know there's a few of you non horror fans out there (don't worry...I'm not judging), take a look at his *Amazon.com author page, go on, I'll wait. *taps foot impatiently* Back? Good!
Scott probably doesn't remember this but we actually first met in 2003 on the HWA website. That was back when you didn't have to be a *paid* author to join and I happily paid my member fee and set out to hobnob with people who knew what they were doing. Scott happened to be one of the folks I met and we emailed a few times back and forth. It was just before his book Harvest, now renamed Forever Never Ends, was released. I gave up submitting and homeschooled my children and Scott went on to become a successful author. But what I remembered most about him was that he was a genuinely nice guy. I'm happy to say that he is still a genuinely nice guy whose always willing to help a newbie author out. He's generous with both his time and his advice. So when he contacted me about doing a review of his latest book, Liquid Fear, I was more than happy to help out. Okay, so he gave me a free copy of the book too, but I would have done it anyway! So the review of Liquid Fear is up on my brand new book review blog, See Spot Read. I would encourage all of you to pop over there when we're done here and look around a bit. There's cookies and juice and a review. Okay, there's no cookies and juice. But its the thought that counts, right?
Scott also consented to let me pick his brain so here goes...
1.) I know everyone asks authors where they get their ideas and most authors hate that question, but, at least for me, it’s a legitimate question. I love it when authors include that info in the back of the book. So I won't force you to reveal the inner workings of your mind, but if you'd care to elaborate...
Every book is different, but usually it’s either two ideas jamming together, a character demanding to be born, or a plot that bugs me so much I have to tackle it. In Liquid Fear, it was a combination of research into pharmaceuticals that literally “change your mind” combined with my ongoing interest in psychological research.
2.) You've been writing books for several years now, what do you feel has changed the most about either you're style of writing or the way you go about writing?
I write less to what my “brand” should be and more toward what interests me, because I don’t have to worry about somebody pitching something to somebody else based on one sentence of description instead of the entire story. So basically I am freer to take chances.
3.) I know you've recently quit your day job to become a full time novelist, how has that changed your routine, beyond the obvious, of course?
Well, I am also running a business, but I’ve been doing that from the start. The writing is the product development and manufacturing end, and then there’s the entire process, including getting paid. Not to make it as cold as a factory, but basically I have to do it all, which is fine, because I love it all.
4.) I also see that you have joined your voice to the chorus of authors who are backing away from traditional publishing and going it more on their own. It definitely appears to be working well for you. Do you feel less pressure to conform to industry standards and ideas that way? In that, you don't have to convince an editor to publish your work, you can publish and go right to the audience for approval?
The only pressure is to tell the story the best way I know how, and then get a few trusted opinions and always have a professional proofreader. The only “industry standard” is professionalism, and New York doesn’t have a monopoly on that.
5.) I know that some of your books are based on experiences you've had or places you've been (like the hotel/paranormal conference in Speed Dating with the Dead), does Liquid Fear have any personal connections?
I studied a little psychology and I like to read the casebooks, but Liquid Fear was kind of a hodgepodge of many things. I attended UNC near the Research Triangle Park where the book is mostly set, and I’ve visited every location in the book (Cincinnati, West Virginia, DC). Other than that, this book was just based on research and ideas.
6.) This is a question I want to ask all horror writers...if you see a movie preview or book trailer that is just an absolutely fantastic concept (I always think of 30 Days of Night, vampires, Alaska, 30 days of darkness, brilliant!), do you want to shake your head and go "why didn't I think of that??!" or does it inspire you?
Well, sometimes yes, sometimes no. Like, “Snakes on a Plane.” It’s like, “Cool!” but I would never waste my time watching it because the title does everything for me. Sort of like the previews for a big movie. You know you’ve seen the entire movie in 45 seconds, so why waste $10 and two hours? Other times, it can stay in the back of your mind and maybe influence a direction you want to go. If you’re calculating, you can cash in on a trend—like teen vampires in romantic angst, for example.
7.) Several of my blog readers are aspiring authors or beginning authors themselves. What is your best advice to them, especially horror writers?
Write what you love and turn off the censors. But when you’re done, remember that somebody somewhere has to read it. If you want to sicken your reader, it may not do much to build a fan base. But just be true to yourself and trust that the work will find the people who need it—whether the audience is a few million or a few dozen.
8.) Okay, I know it's cliché, but who are some of your favorite writers, horror or otherwise?
Stephen King is obviously a master, but I also like the older-school stuff like Ira Levin, William Goldman, Jim Thompson, James M. Cain, Shirley Jackson, James Lee Burke, Elmore Leonard, and Dean Koontz.
9.) Finally, what scares you? (Other than taxes and government?)
Anything happening to children. As a father, I invest a lot of the world’s worth in my wife and kids. Anything that threatens my family is something that’s going to die—probably quite slowly and painfully.
10) I know you told me the serious things that scare you, but what about the silly things? I'm irrationally afraid of scarecrows, you? And do you ever scare yourself when writing?
Well, I have some real phobias, like flying. Probably mice are my silliest fear--I just don't like all that scurrying. I have been a little freaked out when I write, but it's more like something is emotionally intense instead of genuinely spooky...but sometimes late at night, you go, "Hmm, what if all this stuff was real?"
2) What is your writing routine? Do you schedule certain hours to write? Do you use a favorite pen, etc?
I pretty much do everything all the time. I just do the next thing when it needs to be done. Now that I make my own schedule, I trust myself to write when I need to, as part of the day. I recently took an entire day off, my first in 15 months, I believe.
Thank you Scott, for the book, for the interview, for all of the help you've given me. I wish you loads more success and continued joy in your work.
Scott lives in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, where he tends an organic garden, picks a little bit of guitar, and does some freelance editing when he's not writing. He's living the life of his dreams and is thankful for new friends and new fans. You can visit him at www.hauntedcomputer.com. He also has Twitter and Facebook.
Thanks for joining us for a bit everyone! For my regulars, it's back to our regularly scheduled nonsense tomorrow. For anyone new, please take some time to browse my blog and make yourself at home.
Happy reading,
♥Spot
Saturday, April 24, 2010
The one where I look young and Sean *nearly* starts a zombie apocalypse
Mmmmkkkkay....just to clear up a few things...Lu was NOT serious about being pregnant. That was a total joke and I'm not worried about it because as she said the other day..."I don't want to be stuck here for the rest of my life. I don't mean with you Mom. I like being with you. I just meant HERE. In this tiny little area." I so know what she means. Wish I'd considered that before getting pregnant a month out of my teens. And the threat of running to Vegas to get married? Well that was real. Until I pointed out that if they got married, neither of them would have health insurance. Because you can't be on your parents when you're married. Duh. That put the ixnay on that. Lu can be a very practical girl and when you have a blood disorder, health insurance is a priority. Sorry to intrude on their romance with my dose of reality. And for those of you who thought I remained very calm during the conversation...of course. Not poetic license, I really was that calm. Don't you read my blog?! That kind of crazy happens on a daily basis. I can't endanger my health by getting all worked up. Now on to today's daily dose of insanity...
Yesterday started with a hitch...Sean's eye. He started complaining that his eye was hurting Wednesday night. Something along the lines of "I can't feed the cats, I have a brain tumor". He says it felt like when you get punched in the eye, all bruised in the socket and the lid and the eye. It looked fine to me. Not swollen, not bloodshot, no apparent problem. So I told him to suck it up and take some Ibuprofen. And that it was not a brain tumor. Well it was still hurting Thursday night and the Ibuprofen wasn't helping. And yesterday morning the eyelid was beginning to swell. And he was about to leave on a huge weekend camp out. So yesterday morning I got up and called our NP. She decided to have him come in so she could look at it. The phone call with me and the nurse~
Nurse: Well I have some openings this afternoon.
Me: Um. I have to have him back here early, he's going on a big camp-out.
Nurse: How about a 2:15?
Me: I have an appointment with the orthopedic doctor at 2.
Nurse: Can you be here in 15 minutes?
Me: We live half an hour away.
Nurse: Um...
Me: I hate being a pain in the ass...
Nurse: *laughing hysterically* let me check with the doctor...
Me: Okay. Great!
Nurse: Can you be here in an hour?
Me: Sweet!
Of course this meant that I showered, got ready, stopped for gas and drove like a maniac to make it there in an hour. We were only 10 minutes late. I blame Sean for borrowing the car and bringing it back on "E". Seriously, we were sweating it the 10 minutes to the nearest gas station, the little orange gas pump light was on when I started the car!! But we made it and she did a thorough exam and then set him up an afternoon appointment with the Opthamologist, because she couldn't figure it out. Awesome. Now we have 2 hours to kill between appointments and his is at 1:10, so I might be late to mine. We did what anyone would do in that situation. We ate lunch. We went to our favorite Mexican restaurant. The one I always (seriously, always) have a coupon for. We had a fantastic lunch of chicken quesadillas, rice & beans, and huge fountain cokes. Then we went to check out~
Cashier (One of the family that owns the place, maybe about 10 years older than me. Always very friendly. We talked about how "Dora" was teaching American children Spanish and Spanish children English last time I was here. Don't ask. I always talk to stranger.) *to Sean* you have beautiful blue eyes!
Sean: *doing that guy thing where they duck their heads and mumble* thanks.
Me: Awww...you're so pretty Sean!
Cashier: Is he your brother?
Me: *laughing* No. He's my son. But thank you. You can be my best friend now.
Cashier: Oh my! Then you must have had him when you were a baby!
Me: Actually he's my youngest.
Sean: She's older than she looks.
Me: *punching him in the arm* Thanks brat.
Cashier: But your mom is so pretty. That must be where you get it from.
Me: Yeah Sean. You better remember that.
At this point I had to use the restroom and since I couldn't locate my keys in the huge bag I call a purse, Sean had to wait in the restaurant for me. When I came out, she had him cornered. He looked distinctly uncomfortable so I rescued him. As we walked out the door, I told him "episodes like that my dear, are why I color my hair!".
Then on the way to the drugstore to drop off some refills and grab up the last 3 bags of leftover Starburst Jelly Beans from Easter, Sean and I had this convo~
Sean: I have stuff to do at home. I did not want to be in town all day.
Me: Um. Ditto. It's not my fault your being a medical mystery.
Sean: It's not a mystery. I have an eye tumor.
Me: You do not have an eye tumor. *but secretly wondering what the hell is wrong with his eye*
Sean: That's what they always say. You're going to feel awful when I do.
Me: Whatever. Hey...maybe you could be on Mystery Diagnosis! (One of our favorite Discovery Health shows).
Sean: *saying it at the same time as me* Mystery Diagnosis! *then we fist bump, because we are so totally cool and in-sync*
Sean: But I don't want to be on there, because they take like years to figure out what's wrong with people. I want it fixed now. I'm going to ask them to test for "yo- antibodies". Then they'll know it's cancer. You know I was thinking...if "yo-antibodies" fight cancer, why can't they harvest those from one person and inject them in another?
Me: I think you might have just come up with a cure for cancer. Or maybe found a way to start the zombie apocalypse. Either way, I say "GENIUS"!
Sean: Well, then you have to get rid of the "yo-antibodies" so it's kind of like curing measles with pneumonia.
Me: That might be a little drastic.
On that note we decided to go to the library because we had an afternoon of doctor's office waiting ahead of us. I got The Birthing House by Christopher Ransom. I'd been going to buy it off Amazon, but free is so much better. Sean got Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Slayer. Don't ask okay? On the way there, this conversation ensued~
Sean: Did you just say "that stripper is off her pole"?
Me: Why would I say that? What does that even mean?
Sean: I don't know. You're the one who said it.
Me: I did not say that. I was talking about my mom.
Sean: Your Mom is off her pole.
Me: *shaking my head in utter defeat*. Maybe that could be a new phrase for crazy. Man, that stripper is off her pole!
Sean: Perfect! I'm going to call Lu and scream that into the phone and hang up.
Me: She hates it when you do that!
Sean: I know. That's why I'm going to use your phone.
Me: Hey! Give that back! She'll know it's you anyway.
So that is our new phrase "That stripper is off her pole!". I think it's catchy. Please feel free to use it in your daily conversations. I think it will totally catch on. Lu thinks we should stop inventing our own sayings. I think secretly she's just jealous.
Well, there are more conversations, parenting advice and why I should probably write a book on parenting coming. But that's enough for today. Tune in tomorrow for the exciting conclusion. Does Sean have an eye tumor? Was Abe Lincoln a Vampire Slayer? What the hell is a Birthing House anyway?
Happy weekend! If you're bored, you should probably color your hair (it's like a magic fountain of youth). Or figure out how to work your new favorite saying ("that stripper is off her pole!" (you're welcome)) into conversation.
♥Spot
Yesterday started with a hitch...Sean's eye. He started complaining that his eye was hurting Wednesday night. Something along the lines of "I can't feed the cats, I have a brain tumor". He says it felt like when you get punched in the eye, all bruised in the socket and the lid and the eye. It looked fine to me. Not swollen, not bloodshot, no apparent problem. So I told him to suck it up and take some Ibuprofen. And that it was not a brain tumor. Well it was still hurting Thursday night and the Ibuprofen wasn't helping. And yesterday morning the eyelid was beginning to swell. And he was about to leave on a huge weekend camp out. So yesterday morning I got up and called our NP. She decided to have him come in so she could look at it. The phone call with me and the nurse~
Nurse: Well I have some openings this afternoon.
Me: Um. I have to have him back here early, he's going on a big camp-out.
Nurse: How about a 2:15?
Me: I have an appointment with the orthopedic doctor at 2.
Nurse: Can you be here in 15 minutes?
Me: We live half an hour away.
Nurse: Um...
Me: I hate being a pain in the ass...
Nurse: *laughing hysterically* let me check with the doctor...
Me: Okay. Great!
Nurse: Can you be here in an hour?
Me: Sweet!
Of course this meant that I showered, got ready, stopped for gas and drove like a maniac to make it there in an hour. We were only 10 minutes late. I blame Sean for borrowing the car and bringing it back on "E". Seriously, we were sweating it the 10 minutes to the nearest gas station, the little orange gas pump light was on when I started the car!! But we made it and she did a thorough exam and then set him up an afternoon appointment with the Opthamologist, because she couldn't figure it out. Awesome. Now we have 2 hours to kill between appointments and his is at 1:10, so I might be late to mine. We did what anyone would do in that situation. We ate lunch. We went to our favorite Mexican restaurant. The one I always (seriously, always) have a coupon for. We had a fantastic lunch of chicken quesadillas, rice & beans, and huge fountain cokes. Then we went to check out~
Cashier (One of the family that owns the place, maybe about 10 years older than me. Always very friendly. We talked about how "Dora" was teaching American children Spanish and Spanish children English last time I was here. Don't ask. I always talk to stranger.) *to Sean* you have beautiful blue eyes!
Sean: *doing that guy thing where they duck their heads and mumble* thanks.
Me: Awww...you're so pretty Sean!
Cashier: Is he your brother?
Me: *laughing* No. He's my son. But thank you. You can be my best friend now.
Cashier: Oh my! Then you must have had him when you were a baby!
Me: Actually he's my youngest.
Sean: She's older than she looks.
Me: *punching him in the arm* Thanks brat.
Cashier: But your mom is so pretty. That must be where you get it from.
Me: Yeah Sean. You better remember that.
At this point I had to use the restroom and since I couldn't locate my keys in the huge bag I call a purse, Sean had to wait in the restaurant for me. When I came out, she had him cornered. He looked distinctly uncomfortable so I rescued him. As we walked out the door, I told him "episodes like that my dear, are why I color my hair!".
Then on the way to the drugstore to drop off some refills and grab up the last 3 bags of leftover Starburst Jelly Beans from Easter, Sean and I had this convo~
Sean: I have stuff to do at home. I did not want to be in town all day.
Me: Um. Ditto. It's not my fault your being a medical mystery.
Sean: It's not a mystery. I have an eye tumor.
Me: You do not have an eye tumor. *but secretly wondering what the hell is wrong with his eye*
Sean: That's what they always say. You're going to feel awful when I do.
Me: Whatever. Hey...maybe you could be on Mystery Diagnosis! (One of our favorite Discovery Health shows).
Sean: *saying it at the same time as me* Mystery Diagnosis! *then we fist bump, because we are so totally cool and in-sync*
Sean: But I don't want to be on there, because they take like years to figure out what's wrong with people. I want it fixed now. I'm going to ask them to test for "yo- antibodies". Then they'll know it's cancer. You know I was thinking...if "yo-antibodies" fight cancer, why can't they harvest those from one person and inject them in another?
Me: I think you might have just come up with a cure for cancer. Or maybe found a way to start the zombie apocalypse. Either way, I say "GENIUS"!
Sean: Well, then you have to get rid of the "yo-antibodies" so it's kind of like curing measles with pneumonia.
Me: That might be a little drastic.
On that note we decided to go to the library because we had an afternoon of doctor's office waiting ahead of us. I got The Birthing House by Christopher Ransom. I'd been going to buy it off Amazon, but free is so much better. Sean got Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Slayer. Don't ask okay? On the way there, this conversation ensued~
Sean: Did you just say "that stripper is off her pole"?
Me: Why would I say that? What does that even mean?
Sean: I don't know. You're the one who said it.
Me: I did not say that. I was talking about my mom.
Sean: Your Mom is off her pole.
Me: *shaking my head in utter defeat*. Maybe that could be a new phrase for crazy. Man, that stripper is off her pole!
Sean: Perfect! I'm going to call Lu and scream that into the phone and hang up.
Me: She hates it when you do that!
Sean: I know. That's why I'm going to use your phone.
Me: Hey! Give that back! She'll know it's you anyway.
So that is our new phrase "That stripper is off her pole!". I think it's catchy. Please feel free to use it in your daily conversations. I think it will totally catch on. Lu thinks we should stop inventing our own sayings. I think secretly she's just jealous.
Well, there are more conversations, parenting advice and why I should probably write a book on parenting coming. But that's enough for today. Tune in tomorrow for the exciting conclusion. Does Sean have an eye tumor? Was Abe Lincoln a Vampire Slayer? What the hell is a Birthing House anyway?
Happy weekend! If you're bored, you should probably color your hair (it's like a magic fountain of youth). Or figure out how to work your new favorite saying ("that stripper is off her pole!" (you're welcome)) into conversation.
♥Spot
Friday, April 16, 2010
Vampires, cotton hoodies & holy water...
Good Morning! Well, good almost afternoon but whatever. So I have a few things to discuss first before I get to the regularly scheduled (as if!) blog. First off...Brite!! I really like your blog and have not been ignoring you, but every single time I go to your blog, my window says that it cannot display it, gives me an error message and that is that. So I'm not commenting because apparently goblins are eating your blog. That's probably not the technical definition of the problem, but really, that's what's happening. I don't know if anyone else is having this problem, if it's your goblins or mine, but someone needs to fix it because I know that I am missing some funny witty stuff.
Also, look quickly and be quiet lest we scare them...but have you noticed that I now have 51 followers? I know right?! I'm surprised too. That means in the last week, two more people have been lured to the insanity which abounds in my blog. I'm like the pied piper of crazy. No, that's the Bloggess for sure. Maybe I'm the little kazoo girl of crazy. Yeah, that's probably more like it.
Now, today I have to go to the grocery store. Why? Because we are out of important things like sugar and milk. And hubby threatened to divorce me last night. Over the sugar, not the milk. Because heaven forbid the man can't make Kool-aid (I kid you not) and has to drink (gasp!) water. What is he 10? Yep. And yes, you're absolutely right, the Doctor did tell me to stay off my knee. But we have to eat. And you didn't really think anyone else was going to volunteer to do the grocery shopping did you?? Good, because if you had, I'd be worried about you. Sean says I should get one of those Rascals, you know the motorized shopping chairs, and ride it through the store. But I'm pretty sure that would result in injured pedestrians, damaged displays and lawsuits. So no, I will be hobbling around the stores today, gripping my cart fiercely. And Sean is going with to lift the heavy things.
So last night was supposed to be one of my nights where everyone else is gone. Lu went off to Iowa because Dexter is in a play so she's spending the weekend up there. If it's a Thursday night, Sean has Civil Air Patrol. And well, it's that time of year where hubby doesn't come in from working til dark, and sometimes later. But through a snafu, Sean ended up home. So we watched Flash Forward (one of our current addictions) on the big screen in the family room. Then we watched some Animal Planet and finally we both decided to get ready for bed. But before we could exit the couch, another show started. It was one neither of us had seen before called Lost Tapes. And it was about...Vampires!!! Woot woot. We love us some vampires. As long as they don't sparkle.
Well, we watched the show (which was kind of hokey) but about half way through I started questioning~
Me: Why is that thing all hairy? I thought they were vampires not werewolves!
Sean: Whose to say vampires aren't hairy?
Me: Duh. Everyone knows they aren't. Those things look more like rat people than vampires. And what the heck are they doing in the daylight? That's sunlight coming through those windows! They should be scared.
Sean: Maybe sunlight doesn't really affect vampires. I mean it's just a myth like crosses.
Me: What the hell is wrong with you?! Of course sunlight affects them. And crosses and holy water.
Sean: You're not religious so why would you think that crosses and holy water affect them?
Me: Because vampires believe they do. That's why. It's all about belief. Next you'll be saying that cotton hoodies don't work either.
Sean: Oh hell, there you go with the cotton hoodies.
Me: Cotton is God's fabric Sean. It totally protects you. And everyone knows that a super soaker filled with holy water is the ultimate protection. It works on demons too, just so you know.
Sean: How exactly do you know this?
Me: Because in the book I just finished (Summer of Night by Dan Simmons. Excellent and very scary), the boys used holy water and the host to fight the demons. At first, then they used gasoline and fire.
Sean: I still think a Glock would solve everything.
Me: Well, they did use guns to fight the humans that were being controlled. It was very complicated.
Sean: Wait. By host you mean those wafers from communion?
Me: Yep. Hey!! Remember that disk shooting gun I got you at Easter?
Sean: You got that for Dexter. I got an airplane launcher.
Me: Whatever. I wonder if you could load it with wafers and shoot them at vampires? Brilliant!
Sean: I don't know. It wasn't very accurate.
Me: You're right. I'd probably get frustrated and throw the whole damn thing at them.
Sean: Anyway, all your religious paraphernalia won't save you. You need a Glock.
Me: You know what? When you're being attacked by a vampire and I'm holding a super soaker full of holy water...you're going to have to beg, because I'm not saving you until you say "You were totally right Mom!". Just saying...
Sean: *eye roll*
Hoodies and Super Soakers to all,
♥Spot
Also, look quickly and be quiet lest we scare them...but have you noticed that I now have 51 followers? I know right?! I'm surprised too. That means in the last week, two more people have been lured to the insanity which abounds in my blog. I'm like the pied piper of crazy. No, that's the Bloggess for sure. Maybe I'm the little kazoo girl of crazy. Yeah, that's probably more like it.
Now, today I have to go to the grocery store. Why? Because we are out of important things like sugar and milk. And hubby threatened to divorce me last night. Over the sugar, not the milk. Because heaven forbid the man can't make Kool-aid (I kid you not) and has to drink (gasp!) water. What is he 10? Yep. And yes, you're absolutely right, the Doctor did tell me to stay off my knee. But we have to eat. And you didn't really think anyone else was going to volunteer to do the grocery shopping did you?? Good, because if you had, I'd be worried about you. Sean says I should get one of those Rascals, you know the motorized shopping chairs, and ride it through the store. But I'm pretty sure that would result in injured pedestrians, damaged displays and lawsuits. So no, I will be hobbling around the stores today, gripping my cart fiercely. And Sean is going with to lift the heavy things.
So last night was supposed to be one of my nights where everyone else is gone. Lu went off to Iowa because Dexter is in a play so she's spending the weekend up there. If it's a Thursday night, Sean has Civil Air Patrol. And well, it's that time of year where hubby doesn't come in from working til dark, and sometimes later. But through a snafu, Sean ended up home. So we watched Flash Forward (one of our current addictions) on the big screen in the family room. Then we watched some Animal Planet and finally we both decided to get ready for bed. But before we could exit the couch, another show started. It was one neither of us had seen before called Lost Tapes. And it was about...Vampires!!! Woot woot. We love us some vampires. As long as they don't sparkle.
Well, we watched the show (which was kind of hokey) but about half way through I started questioning~
Me: Why is that thing all hairy? I thought they were vampires not werewolves!
Sean: Whose to say vampires aren't hairy?
Me: Duh. Everyone knows they aren't. Those things look more like rat people than vampires. And what the heck are they doing in the daylight? That's sunlight coming through those windows! They should be scared.
Sean: Maybe sunlight doesn't really affect vampires. I mean it's just a myth like crosses.
Me: What the hell is wrong with you?! Of course sunlight affects them. And crosses and holy water.
Sean: You're not religious so why would you think that crosses and holy water affect them?
Me: Because vampires believe they do. That's why. It's all about belief. Next you'll be saying that cotton hoodies don't work either.
Sean: Oh hell, there you go with the cotton hoodies.
Me: Cotton is God's fabric Sean. It totally protects you. And everyone knows that a super soaker filled with holy water is the ultimate protection. It works on demons too, just so you know.
Sean: How exactly do you know this?
Me: Because in the book I just finished (Summer of Night by Dan Simmons. Excellent and very scary), the boys used holy water and the host to fight the demons. At first, then they used gasoline and fire.
Sean: I still think a Glock would solve everything.
Me: Well, they did use guns to fight the humans that were being controlled. It was very complicated.
Sean: Wait. By host you mean those wafers from communion?
Me: Yep. Hey!! Remember that disk shooting gun I got you at Easter?
Sean: You got that for Dexter. I got an airplane launcher.
Me: Whatever. I wonder if you could load it with wafers and shoot them at vampires? Brilliant!
Sean: I don't know. It wasn't very accurate.
Me: You're right. I'd probably get frustrated and throw the whole damn thing at them.
Sean: Anyway, all your religious paraphernalia won't save you. You need a Glock.
Me: You know what? When you're being attacked by a vampire and I'm holding a super soaker full of holy water...you're going to have to beg, because I'm not saving you until you say "You were totally right Mom!". Just saying...
Sean: *eye roll*
Hoodies and Super Soakers to all,
♥Spot
Monday, January 11, 2010
Drumroll please...
So to kind of link my posts coherently and prove that I'm not really just random chaos rolled up into a little ball of fake organization...I'm going to do the awards thing-ys I received over the holidays and am just now getting too. Please do not think in any way shape or form that I was not filled with appreciation at receiving them!! Because I am always always glad to receive a little something that screams "good job"!! So without further ado...
Thank you to Danica at Platitude Paradise for these two awards:
And thank you to KT over at Love is Definitely Enough for this one:
So now to pass the awards...
The fine print for keeping the Lemonade Stand Award torch lit:
- Put the Lemonade logo on your blog or within your post. (done!)
- Nominate at least 10 blogs with great attitude or gratitude. (done!)
- Link the nominees within your post. (done!)
- Let the nominees know they have received this award by commenting on their blog.(doing...)
- Share the love and link to the person from whom you received this award.(and done!)
And the award goes to (drumroll please):
1.) The Nerdy Nomad
2.) From the Inside Out
3.) Dreamfarm Girl
4.) The Clean White Page
5.) Booshy
6.) The Suburban Life
7.) Airing My Dirty Laundry One Sock at a Time
8.) Send Chocolate
9.) Beyond Breathing
10.) The Screenplay
All of the above blogs are extremely talented. Some of them make me laugh and some of them make me cry. And some of them amaze me with their gift for words. All of them keep me reading time after time. If you haven't read them, please go check them out for yourselves. I promise you won't be sorry.
The fine print for keeping the Happy torch lit:
A. List 10 things that make you happy. (See below)
B. Try to do at least one of them today. (Will do!)
C. Tag 10 bloggers that brighten your day. (Tag!! You're it!)
D. For those 10 bloggers who get the award, you then link back to my blog and create your own "makes you happy" list.
And the award goes to (another drum roll, if you please...)
1. Welch Happenings
2. Love is Definitely Enough
3. Gay Guy/ Straight Guy
4. Happy Meals and Happy Hour
5. Living, Loving, Laughing
6. The Water Witches Daughter
7. Carolyn...Online
8. A Little Blog About Nothing
9. Everybody's Working for the Weekend
10. Life, Love, and Luluness
All of the above blogs make me smile, if not outright belly laugh! Some of them could post a little more frequently though!! (hint hint, nudge nudge, wink wink). They are all also worth your time and perusal!
Fine print for the From the Inside...Out award~
The first thing is that you may/may not put this award on your sidebar....and you may/may not link it back to me. I'm not looking for free publicity here....it's all about the loooooove. (Done!)
The second thing is that you need to fill in the following blanks. (see below)
1) My site rocks because:
2) In my next life, I want to come back as a: Because:
3) For me, the best part of blogging is:
Finally, you may pass this award on to three (3) other deserving blogs as a way to continue passing on the loooove (and done!)
So the award goes to~ (yeah yeah, you're tired of the drumroll...)
1.) Danica at Platitude Paradise
2.) Sas at Sas' Magical Mystery Tour
3.) Brite at But I Digress...
Now the homework~
*Ten things that make me Happy*
1. Waking up alive every morning (beats the alternative, right?)
2. Spending time with my family (I already did number 1 today, but I'm going to do this one too)
3. Snow (and boy do we have alot of it right now!)
4. A really good cup of hot tea. (with milk and honey. nothing relaxes me faster)
5. A new book by a favorite author (any author but Stephen King notches up my happiness level just a bit)
6. Feeling like I've accomplished something during the day (even if it's just laundry or a scrumptious dinner)
7. Writing (really it's like my own special brand of crack, only not illegal and not bad for your health)
8. Anticipating something new (a new movie, a new book, a trip. I love having something to get excited about)
9. Laughing (I know that's what you do when you're happy, but even if I'm in a bad mood, and someone makes me laugh, it turns it around)
10. Nature (whether it's a beautiful view or a furry creature)
And~
1. My site rocks because- I make people laugh (at least I think I do) and because I hold nothing back. You come here, you're going to get hit with honesty, good, bad and ugly.
2.In my next life I want to come back as a cat because I'm already fond of sleeping and eating and being cuddled and that's pretty much all they do.
3.For me the best part of blogging is a.) all of the wonderful people I've met b.)having an outlet for my thoughts and c.)having the opportunity to find new and fascinating blogs that I want to read.
So there you have it folks! I hope no one's feelings are hurt because I forgot them or didn't choose them. I tried not to duplicate people who already had the award. I also tried to spread them out. Regardless of whether you are an award recipient or not, if I read your blog it's because I think it's good. I don't read ones I don't like and I sure as heck don't comment them. So everyone needs to give themselves a pat on the back!!! Because, contrary to popular belief we are not just bloggers, we are all writers. Thank you to all of you. You are appreciated more than you know!!!
♥Spot
Thank you to Danica at Platitude Paradise for these two awards:
And thank you to KT over at Love is Definitely Enough for this one:
So now to pass the awards...
The fine print for keeping the Lemonade Stand Award torch lit:
- Put the Lemonade logo on your blog or within your post. (done!)
- Nominate at least 10 blogs with great attitude or gratitude. (done!)
- Link the nominees within your post. (done!)
- Let the nominees know they have received this award by commenting on their blog.(doing...)
- Share the love and link to the person from whom you received this award.(and done!)
And the award goes to (drumroll please):
1.) The Nerdy Nomad
2.) From the Inside Out
3.) Dreamfarm Girl
4.) The Clean White Page
5.) Booshy
6.) The Suburban Life
7.) Airing My Dirty Laundry One Sock at a Time
8.) Send Chocolate
9.) Beyond Breathing
10.) The Screenplay
All of the above blogs are extremely talented. Some of them make me laugh and some of them make me cry. And some of them amaze me with their gift for words. All of them keep me reading time after time. If you haven't read them, please go check them out for yourselves. I promise you won't be sorry.
The fine print for keeping the Happy torch lit:
A. List 10 things that make you happy. (See below)
B. Try to do at least one of them today. (Will do!)
C. Tag 10 bloggers that brighten your day. (Tag!! You're it!)
D. For those 10 bloggers who get the award, you then link back to my blog and create your own "makes you happy" list.
And the award goes to (another drum roll, if you please...)
1. Welch Happenings
2. Love is Definitely Enough
3. Gay Guy/ Straight Guy
4. Happy Meals and Happy Hour
5. Living, Loving, Laughing
6. The Water Witches Daughter
7. Carolyn...Online
8. A Little Blog About Nothing
9. Everybody's Working for the Weekend
10. Life, Love, and Luluness
All of the above blogs make me smile, if not outright belly laugh! Some of them could post a little more frequently though!! (hint hint, nudge nudge, wink wink). They are all also worth your time and perusal!
Fine print for the From the Inside...Out award~
The first thing is that you may/may not put this award on your sidebar....and you may/may not link it back to me. I'm not looking for free publicity here....it's all about the loooooove. (Done!)
The second thing is that you need to fill in the following blanks. (see below)
1) My site rocks because:
2) In my next life, I want to come back as a: Because:
3) For me, the best part of blogging is:
Finally, you may pass this award on to three (3) other deserving blogs as a way to continue passing on the loooove (and done!)
So the award goes to~ (yeah yeah, you're tired of the drumroll...)
1.) Danica at Platitude Paradise
2.) Sas at Sas' Magical Mystery Tour
3.) Brite at But I Digress...
Now the homework~
*Ten things that make me Happy*
1. Waking up alive every morning (beats the alternative, right?)
2. Spending time with my family (I already did number 1 today, but I'm going to do this one too)
3. Snow (and boy do we have alot of it right now!)
4. A really good cup of hot tea. (with milk and honey. nothing relaxes me faster)
5. A new book by a favorite author (any author but Stephen King notches up my happiness level just a bit)
6. Feeling like I've accomplished something during the day (even if it's just laundry or a scrumptious dinner)
7. Writing (really it's like my own special brand of crack, only not illegal and not bad for your health)
8. Anticipating something new (a new movie, a new book, a trip. I love having something to get excited about)
9. Laughing (I know that's what you do when you're happy, but even if I'm in a bad mood, and someone makes me laugh, it turns it around)
10. Nature (whether it's a beautiful view or a furry creature)
And~
1. My site rocks because- I make people laugh (at least I think I do) and because I hold nothing back. You come here, you're going to get hit with honesty, good, bad and ugly.
2.In my next life I want to come back as a cat because I'm already fond of sleeping and eating and being cuddled and that's pretty much all they do.
3.For me the best part of blogging is a.) all of the wonderful people I've met b.)having an outlet for my thoughts and c.)having the opportunity to find new and fascinating blogs that I want to read.
So there you have it folks! I hope no one's feelings are hurt because I forgot them or didn't choose them. I tried not to duplicate people who already had the award. I also tried to spread them out. Regardless of whether you are an award recipient or not, if I read your blog it's because I think it's good. I don't read ones I don't like and I sure as heck don't comment them. So everyone needs to give themselves a pat on the back!!! Because, contrary to popular belief we are not just bloggers, we are all writers. Thank you to all of you. You are appreciated more than you know!!!
♥Spot
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