ME ME ME ME

Okay, I was getting the Visiting Dignitary questions done up (and realized that I am SOOOOOO not Barbara Walters). And a thought hit me. (I've warned you about those.) ANYWAY, it occurred to me that I haven't really answered these questions to you guys. So, in lieu of the usual ramblings, I'm answering my own interview. It makes me feel VERY much as though I have Multiple Personality Disorder (Really? Me too!). ANYWAY, here goes:

I’m going to dive right in. Is there any one character you’ve written that is your absolute favorite? Why?

To me characters are like people, and I try to make them as vivid as I can. Which means that to be realistic I have to make both people I like and dislike. There are some characters I'd love to have over to dinner. Others would scare the crap out of me. For a weekend in the Bahamas though -- Raven Ramirez. In a HEARTBEAT.

Writing is hard work! Have you ever had the dread WRITER’S BLOCK? If so, what do you do to get past it?

It's very hard for me to write when I'm exhausted or sick. So I try to take care of myself. Once I'm feeling well I can't seem to STOP writing.

Almost every author I’ve met gives back to the community by supporting favorite charities. Do you have one? Could you tell me about it? Is there a particular reason why that charity?

I support several different charities. Some are for humans -- like Heifer International and Habitat for Humanity. Others are for animals, like no kill shelters and wildlife sanctuaries. I try to spread it around.

So, what does your schedule look like for the next few months? Anything new coming out that we should keep an eye out for? Tell us a little about it.

Well, Magic's Design hit the shelves a couple of months ago with our new pen name. And in August we have Cold Moon Rising. It's the next Sazi book, and it returns to Tony Giodone's point of view and features Ahmad, the Councilman for the Snakes. We're really looking forward to seeing how the fans like it. We're trying to do a bunch of new things to interact with our fans, particularly on the internet. It's a lot of fun.

What type of books do you read for pleasure? Any favorite authors?

I read a LOT. Seriously. It's one of my major vices. And yes, I have a LOT of favorite authors. Too many to name here, but in urban fantasy I'm a big BIG fan of Jim Butcher and Laurell K. Hamilton; in paranormal romance I'm a fan of Shannon Butcher and (of course) US. I read a lot of mystery and PI novels, so there's always Robert B. Parker, and Dick Francis. . . (I'd better stop now. This could go on for hours.)

Do you have a day job, or do you write full-time?

I have a day job for now in a law office and title company. I'm hoping to move into writing full time when I relocate to Denver. Then again, the cost of living being what it is, who knows.

Do you have any hobbies?

I like creating things. Whether it's painting, drawing, knitting, sewing, braiding a rug. I have a nasty habit of underestimating the time it will take though, so that I wind up having to quit in the middle to get back to the book/work/housework and then taking months (or years) to actually FINISH the blasted thing. I have a million half-finished projects that got packed for the move. Because I WILL finish.

OKAY, I’m going to do one of those short MEME things here.

Favorite song: Varies from day to day. I do love me my hair metal. I don't DARE listen to Rap. Rap makes me aggressive/angry. (Picture Cie turning green and her clothes shredding.) "You wouldn't like me when I'm angry."

Favorite movie or TV show: Anything I love on television gets canceled. VERY depressing. I fell hard for Life on Mars, and now I hear it's going under too. The West Wing was one of the few exceptions. I loved that show (enough to buy the dvds of the whole series) and it actually got to stay on the air! Love cartoons. Particularly things like Danger Mouse, Tom & Jerry, and Wiley Coyote.

Favorite color: (s) Burgundy, gold, and emerald green. Really like jewel tones.

Favorite food: Chocolate. Steak. Shrimp. Hmnnn.... I can't choose. But those three are way up there.

Favorite drink: Non-alcoholic - Pepsi. Alcoholic - usually a screwdriver with Schmirnoff Silver, BUT I've been on a Margarita kick lately.

Is the glass half-full or half-empty: (GLUG GLUG GLUG) No decision. Just empty. Next question.

What animal do you think is most like your personality? A bobcat. (TOLD you you wouldn't like me when I'm angry.)

If you could only give one piece of advice to new or aspiring writers, that would help them in the business, what would it be?

Work hard on your craft. A lot of people assume if you can write a sentence, you can write a publishable book. But it's harder than it looks. Learn what you're doing so that you can do it well. Inspiration comes and goes. But even if you have a brilliant idea, it's not going to fly if you can't present it in a publishable form.

C.T. Adams/Cie.