Author Mollie Cox Bryan in my hotseat!

My guest today…author Mollie Bryan!

Mollie Cox Bryan writes the Cumberland Creek Mysteries, published by Kensington. Death of an Irish Diva is the third in the series. The first book, Scrapbook of Secrets, was nominated for an Agatha Award for Best First Novel of 2012; the next one Scrapped was published in January 2013 and DEATH OF AN IRISH DIVA published in February. An e-novella SCRAPPY SUMMER will be out May 23. The next book A CRAFTY CHRISTMAS will be out in October 2014. She is also the author or the bestselling regional cookbook MRS. ROWE’S LITTLE BOOK OF SOUTHERN PIES. She lives in Waynesboro, Va. with her husband and two daughters!

R:  Welcome, Mollie! Tell us a bit about yourself and how you became interested in writing.

After years of working as an editor and writer for nonprofits and corporations in the DC area, I gave it all up for the “glamorous” life of a stay-at-home mom and part-time freelance writer. When I moved to the Shenandoah Valley of  Virginia, I heard stories about the famous Mrs. Rowe’s Restaurant and its owner, Mildred Rowe. Intrigued, I investigated and found most of the stories were true. Two cookbooks later, I turned my writing skills to penning mysteries. One of my goals as a writer, as a person, is to explore many venues, genres, and to continue to learn and grow.

I grew up in Western Pennsylvania in a rural area (Raccoon Township) just outside of mill town Aliquippa, known for its football greats. I danced, did gymnastics, and wrote all the way through my youth. I started many novels—but finished my first one when I was a senior in high school. It was called “Circles” and featured a ballerina  involved with a gang.

Today, I am the mom to two daughters who both dance and write. For me, writing is like dancing, breathing, and love. I don’t go a day without it.

R: Tell us about the latest in your Cumberland Creek series, Death of an Irish Diva!  Where did the idea come from?

My daughters took Irish dance classes for many years and I thought it was a fascinating subculture, so that was this little glimmer of inspiration for the book.

R:  Do you have an “how I got my agent” story you’d like to share?

 My story is a little unusual. I started off writing cookbooks and my agent was a culinary agent, who I met at the Greenbrier Symposium for Professional Food Writers. In the mean time, she took on a partner who also represented fiction. I took advantage of that and sent my manuscript to her. 

How did you feel when you got the call your first novel had sold? Ecstatic, first and scared to death, second!

R: What’s a must have for you when you are writing?

 I can write just about anywhere, but I’ve gotten use to my little sun porch office and am finding that’s where I write most of the time. What aids the creative process? I sometimes listen to music, which helps. But I also run or do some other kind of exercise in the morning. I think it really gets the blood and ideas flowing!

R: What is one thing your readers would be most surprised to know about you?

 I’ve not eaten meat since I was about 15 years old.

R: What is the craziest thing you've ever done?

 I can’t tell you! Hehehehe.

R: What do you hope readers will most take away from your writing?

 I hope they will be entertained and maybe have learned a bit about scrapbooking.

R: What are you working on at the moment / next?

 I’m working on book #5 in the Cumberland Creek series.

R: Are you a plotter or a pantser?

I’m definitely a pantser with plotter aspirations. I’m getting better with the dreaded synopsis, but it’s hard for me because usually I don’t know where the story will lead me.  I’ve been working on that because I think as a genre fiction writer you can be much more efficient if you write good synopsis and can outline.

R: What do you do when you’re not writing? Any hobbies or party tricks? :)

I read. A LOT! I have two teenaged daughters that run me in different directions. I cook, bake, love to run, scrapbook, love Yoga. It just depends on my mood and how much time I have on any given day.

R: Do you have any advice for beginning writers?

Learn your craft. (It takes a LONG time for most of us. I am very much still learning.) Don’t rush to be published before you are absolutely ready.

R: What book is on your TBR shelf you can’t wait to get to?

Just one? I have a list! Right now, I’m reading Tiger Lily, which is a beautifully written young adult novel.

Just for Fun:

Night or Day?  Day!

Dog or Cat? (answer carefully)   Both!

Beach or Pool?   Pool.

Steak or salad?  Salad.

Favorite Drink?  Hot, strong coffee.

Favorite Book?  This is hard. But one of my favorite books is “Beloved” by Toni Morrison. It’s been awhile since I’ve read it—but I remember weeping because of the sheer elegance and beauty of the language in the book.

Favorite TV Series?  Modern Family.

Favorite Movie?  King of Hearts (The French one.)

Favorite Actor: Tom Hanks

Favorite Actress: Meryl Streep

Dirty Martini or Pina Colada? Pina colada.

Hawaii or Alaska? Hawaii.

Finish this sentence:  If I could meet anyone in the world, past or present, it would be Benjamin Franklin. I am fascinated by the founding of this U.S.___________

If I had just one wish, it would be_that my kids continue to be healthy and happy their whole lives. _____________________________________

If I could trade places with anyone in the world, it would be __nobody. ;-)

_____

Thanks for a great interview, Mollie!

Folks you can find Mollie at:

www.Molliecoxbryan.com

@Molliecoxbryan (Twitter)

https://www.facebook.com/molliecoxbryanauthor  (Facebook)

http://www.pinterest.com/molliecoxbryan/  (Pinterest)

Mollie will give away a copy of Death of an Irish Diva to one commenter.

To enter, leave a comment on this blog post with your name and email address (entries without email will be disqualified). For extra entries, you can do any or all of the below:

* Follow my blog (+ 1 point)
* Follow me on Twitter (+ 1 point) (Link: https://twitter.com/RoccoBlogger)
* Tweet about the contest (+ 1 point)
* Friend me on Facebook (+ 1 point) (Link: https://www.facebook.com/ToniLotempio)#!/

* Mention the contest on Facebook (+ 1 point)
* Mention the contest on your blog (+ 1 point)

Winner will be chosen at random using random.org.  Don’t forget to mention all you’ve done in your comment. Ends midnight, June 1. Good luck!

We welcome ASHLYN CHASE back to the blog!

Meow! I’m thrilled to welcome an old friend back to the blog…Ashlyn Chase! Ashlyn was one of our very first guests when the HUMAN and I started the blog back in 2011!

Ashlyn holds a degree in behavioral sciences, worked as a psychiatric RN for several years and spent a few more years working for the Red Cross. She credits her sense of humor to her former careers since comedy helped preserve whatever was left of her sanity. She is a multi-published, award-winning author with Ellora's Cave and Sourcebooks.

Recently Ashlyn entered the world of “indie” publishing.  Her first novel, THE CUPCAKE COVEN, debuted earlier this month.  Ashlyn lives in beautiful New Hampshire with her true-life hero husband, who looks like Hugh Jackman if you squint and they're owned by a spoiled brat cat!  (of course!)

And now, guest blogging…Ashlyn Chase!

Writers be Crazy

Ashlyn Chase

Some people may not know that I was an RN in the psychiatric field for many years. I found it fascinating, mostly because we’re still learning so much about the mind, personality, and behavior of human beings. Now toss into the mix a creative brain and you have something really interesting.

 Someone once told me, “You don’t think like other people.” She was a fellow writer and didn’t mean it as an insult. She meant it to help me…and it did.

 Writer Juliet Bruce, PhD paraphrased creativity researcher Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi best when speaking of creative people. “Instead of being an individual, they are a multitude.

“Like the color white that includes all colors, they tend to bring together the entire range of human possibilities within themselves. Creativity allows for paradox, light, shadow, inconsistency, even chaos – and creative people experience both extremes with equal intensity.”

 I think she meant to say the color ‘black’ since white is the absence of color and black is what you get when you mix all colors together. Oh well…I went to Mass College of Art, so you can blame it on them.

 Here are a few qualities he lists, as Bruce summarizes and I identify:

1)     A great deal of physical energy alternating with a great need for quiet and rest. (*Check)

2)     Highly sexual, yet often celibate, especially when working. (*Check with husband.)

3)     Smart and naïve at the same time. A mix of wisdom and childishness. Emotional immaturity along with the deepest insights. (*Yup. Double check.)

4)     Convergent (rational, left brain, sound judgment) and divergent (intuitive, right brain, visionary) thinking. (*What left brain? The only sound judgment I demonstrate is letting other people take care of the rational stuff.)

5)     Both extroverted and introverted, needing people and solitude equally. (*Check—especially at writers’ conferences.)

6)     Humble and proud, both painfully self-doubting and wildly self-confident. (*More about this later.)

7)     May defy gender stereotypes, and are likely to have not only the strengths of their own gender but those of the other as well. A kind of psychic androgyny. (*?)

For more, see Bruce’s post Understanding Creative People – and Csikszentmihalyi’s classic book Creativity: Flow and the Psychology of Discovery and Invention, plus his article The Creative Personality: Ten paradoxical traits of the creative personality.

 It’s that intensity (passion) that can get us writers into trouble, in my opinion. Speaking of painful self-doubt…John Lennon had huge issues with self-esteem. Even during the height of Beetle Mania, he thought he was a fraud.

 I vacillate wildly, just as mentioned—especially after reading a review. Horrible thoughts go through my mind if a review is a bit negative. Everything from “What’s the matter with that broad? Can’t she recognize my brilliance?” To, “Oh, God. I’ve been found out. I suck. I’m a hack, and now everyone knows it.” For self-preservation, I no longer read consumer reviews. They seem to be the harshest and my assistant would have to talk me off a ledge.

 But when I receive a fan letter (okay, these days it’s an email) I realize I’m doing what I was meant to do. I’ve entertained someone. (Yay!) Even so, I have a hard time using the word ‘fan.’ I have readers. When someone calls themselves a fan of my work, I’m flattered and humbled. When they call themselves a fan of me, my mind goes a little numb. No—they can’t mean that. They don’t know me.

 Or do they? How much of who we are goes into our books?

Thomas Wolfe said, “Every novel is an autobiography.” (*Gulp.)

Even though I’ve never met a vampire or werewolf, I have the type of creative imagination that makes them very real. They live in my head. They speak to me, and all I do is take dictation. (Talk about crazy!) If they are real to me, they become real to my readers—and apparently that is happening. I received an angry letter because my heroine was ‘selfish’ when she let her true love give up his immortality for her.

 Something to note is that I had a different ending to that story—one that the reader would have loved. An editor made me change it, and all I can think now is, “Why did I let myself be pushed around like that? I suck.” 

 Well, dear reader, I apologize! I shall try to be true to myself and my characters in the future. I’ve always thought of myself as a ‘girly-girl,’ but I can fight like a man if I have to. (That must be where androgyny comes in.) If an editor again tries to force me to compromise part of my story that makes sense, I will drag said editor into the middle of Times Square and…

No. I really won’t. But I’ll be more assertive. I promise.

 Here’s where a lot of creative writers (including romance authors) are showing their testosterone levels. We’re taking charge. We’re self-publishing our books. And we’re doing it our way. 

Many are just dumping their agents and publishers and have decided to handle the business as well as the creative parts of publishing. The big benefit of this is keeping a much higher percentage of the profits. Even among these authors, the smart ones will hire artists and editing professionals to make a good product better—and then keep the rest.

 Some authors (like me) are becoming ‘Hybrids.’ We continue to work with professional publishers and agents for some books, but we self-publish other projects on the side. The self-published books are called ‘Indies.’ My first Indie is The Cupcake Coven (release date May 5, 2014.) Here’s a quick promo:

  Pretty Wiccan Rebecca Colby borrowed money from her father to start her bakery, and now he’s calling the loan due. When she learns he fell off the gambling wagon and owes big money to some scary people, she has to start making a profit—quickly—and hope the loan shark takes payment plans before anyone has an “accident.” 

 Hot cowboy Dru Tanner is looking for his missing sister who left Texas to explore their New England Wiccan roots. She’s the only family he has left and losing her is not an option. Dru has to hide the fact that he’s not Wiccan long enough to infiltrate a Portsmouth, NH coven, which is the only lead he has.

 Dru needs a job and a place to stay. Rebecca needs cheap help, and he’s willing to work for nothing. Perhaps he can pick her brain about Wicca and she can learn how to run a business from a ranch foreman—if lust doesn’t drive them crazy first.

“Entertainment abounds when a coven of witches whip up a few spells to help their friend hold onto her bakery while losing her heart.  Can a long distance romance work between a cowboy and a baker if they believe in magic?”  --Dorine Linnen, Romance Junkies

  

Here are the ISBNs:

978-0-9903887-0-8 Print

978-0-9903887-1-5 Digital

 I hope you’ll give my crazy brain a chance to entertain you.

 The Cupcake Coven should be available in all e-formats for only $2.99. You should even be able to order a print copy or have your bookstore or library get one for you.

Here’s the link to Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-text&field-keywords=The%20Cupcake%20Coven

Every sale will help me continue on this insane path. I want to thank my blog host and thank you, dear reader, for your support and encouragement.  -ASHLYN

Thank you, Ashlyn!

Folks, here's where you can find out about Ashlyn:

Sign up for her newsletter right from her home page:

www.ashlynchase.com While you’re there check out news and reviews.

Join her facebook fan page: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorAshlynChase  

Chat with her: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ashlynsnewbestfriends/  

…and she tweet as GoddessAsh. https://twitter.com/#!/GoddessAsh  

Ask her to sign your ebook at www.authorgraph.com   

Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Ashlyn-Chase/e/B002BOJ4FK/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1360590343&sr=1-2-ent  

 Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/Ashlyn-Chase?csrfToken=geodGFzkRvda1FrJApOPBCffGhh2gw7E&store=allproducts&keyword=Ashlyn+Chase

ROCCO welcomes....Susan Boyer!

Meow!

My guest this week is USA Bestselling Author Susan Boyer!

Susan M. Boyer is the author of the Liz Talbot mystery series. Her debut novel, Lowcountry Boil is a USA Today Bestseller, an Agatha Award winner for Best First Novel, a Macavity nominee, a 2012 Daphne du Maurier Award recipient, and a 2012 RWA Golden Heart® finalist. Lowcountry Bombshell was released September 3, 2013. LOWCOUNTRY BONEYARD is due out in April 2015.

Susan lives with her husband and an inordinate number of houseplants in Greenville, SC. susanmboyerbooks.com

R:  Tell us a bit about yourself and how you became interested in writing.

 I’ve loved books my entire life. I was that child who came home from the library with as many books as she could carry. I especially loved mysteries from an early age. I not only loved Nancy Drew, I wanted to BE Nancy Drew. At some point I figured out I was better with a pen than a gun.

R: What writers in your genre would you say have made the greatest influence on your writing?

 Sue Grafton and Charlaine Harris.

R: Tell us about your Liz Talbot mystery series.  How did the idea for the first, LOW COUNTRY BOIL, come about?

 I think I’ve had Liz Talbot percolating in the back of my brain for many years. She grew from my love of mysteries. I guess I created my grown up Nancy Drew, who knows her boyfriend much better.

 The setting, Stella Maris, South Carolina, came to life after we’d lived in the Charleston area for a while. I love the Lowcountry, so I made it my literary landscape.

R: Tell us about the second in the series, LOW COUNTRY BOMBSHELL!  Are you a Marilyn Monroe fan?

 I’m a huge fan—she fascinates me. I think there were so many layers to her, and she was so much smarter than many give her credit for. What happened to her was such a tragedy.

R:  Your next is called LOW COUNTRY BONEYARD?  What’s that about?

 In LOWCOUNTRY BONEYARD, a gentleman from old-money Charleston hires Liz to find his daughter, who has disappeared. He believes she has been the victim of foul play, but she’s of legal age, and the police believe she simply left home.

R:  Do you have an “how I got my agent” story you’d like to share?  How did you feel when you got the call your first novel had sold?

 I met my current agent, the fabulous Stephany Evans at an RWA convention. It’s a rather long story, but she and I started working together after my first novel had sold. When I got that first call from Henery Press, I was dancing on air for days.  

R: What’s a must have for you when you are writing? What aids the creative process?

 I need to be completely alone in the house. I like it quiet except for the soundtrack of ocean waves. And chocolate always helps.

R: What is one thing your readers would be most surprised to know about you?

 I love to sing Karaoke. It’s just fun—I sing for my own pleasure, not necessarily that of others. I like to add props—a special pair of shoes, a boa, a hat. One of my favorite selections is Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend, by Marilyn Monroe

R: What is the craziest thing you've ever done? 

 Probably going white water rafting on the upper Gauley. There are class five and six rapids on that section of the river, and I had small children at the time.

R: What do you hope readers will most take away from your writing?

 I hope they will have been entertained, and look forward to finding out what Liz Talbot gets into next. I hope readers enjoy spending time with all the characters on Stella Maris, and come to fell as if they know them and want to visit with them again. I guess, in a sense, I want to give readers that small-town experience I love so much.

R: What are you working on at the moment / next?

After LOWCOUNTRY BONEYARD, next up is LOWCOUNTRY BORDELLO.

R: Are you a plotter or a pantser?

A bit of both. I start with an outline. I always know who did what and why at the beginning. Otherwise, it would be difficult for me to work out how Liz solves the case. But I do let her take me off to places I hadn’t planned, and sometimes I revise the outline as I’m writing.

R: What do you do when you’re not writing? Any hobbies or party tricks? :)

Well, singing Karaoke is the only “party trick” I have. I do enjoy game nights and movie nights with friends. I like to travel, and of course I read a freakish number of books.

R: Do you have any advice for beginning writers?

 Read everything you can. Read in your genre and others. I think reading taught me most of what I know about writing, and it’s an ongoing process.

R: What book is on your TBR shelf you can’t wait to get to?

 Midnight Crossroad, by Charlaine Harris. It’s not out yet, but it won’t be long.

Just for Fun:

Night or Day?  Night

Dog or Cat? (answer carefully) Oh, cat, of course. But I do love dogs as well.

Beach or Pool?   Beach

Steak or salad?  Both, please.

Favorite Drink?  Pinot noir

Favorite Book?  Oh, I couldn’t possibly pick just one…

Favorite TV Series?  Right now, it’s Justified.

Favorite Movie?  Tough! So many favorites. But I’ll say Sweet Home Alabama

Favorite Actor:  Matthew McConaughey

Favorite Actress: Sandra Bullock

Dirty Martini or Pina Colada? Pina Colada

Hawaii or Alaska?          Hawaii

Finish this sentence:  If I could meet anyone in the world, past or present, it would be __Marilyn Monroe_________________

If I had just one wish, it would be____for my children to stay happy and healthy_____________________________________

If I could trade places with anyone in the world, it would be _I can’t think of anyone. Being me is a lot of fun.______

Susan will give away a copy of Lowcountry Boil in the winner’s choice of format to one lucky commenter!

To enter, leave a comment on this blog post with your name and email address (entries without email will be disqualified). For extra entries, you can do any or all of the below:

* Follow my blog (+ 1 point)
* Follow me on Twitter (+ 1 point) (Link: https://twitter.com/RoccoBlogger)
* Tweet about the contest (+ 1 point)
* Friend me on Facebook (+ 1 point) (Link: https://www.facebook.com/ToniLotempio)#!/

* Mention the contest on Facebook (+ 1 point)
* Mention the contest on your blog (+ 1 point)

*Follow Susan on FB or Twitter

Winner will be chosen at random using random.org.  Don’t forget to mention all you’ve done in your comment. Contest ends midnight, May 22th^h. Good luck!

In the hotseat...TONI L.P. KELNER!

Meow! My guest today is author Toni P. Kelner!

Toni LP Kelner is an award-winning author of two mystery series: the eight Laura Fleming novels, which include: Wed and Buried, Death of a Damn Yankee, Tight as a Tick, and several others; and the Where Are They Now? series, which debuted in January 2008 with Without Mercy. She has also edited two urban fantasy anthologies with Charlaine Harris and has contributed to the soon to be released, DEAD BUT NOT FORGOTTEN!

And now…Toni!

R:  Welcome Toni! Tell us a bit about yourself and how you became interested in writing.

 Thank you, ROCCO!  My first career goal was to be a ballerina, but I had to stop lessons in fifth grade. So after a lot of mind-changing, I settled on writing.

 I started writing because I wanted to have adventures, at least vicarious ones. I think I made the right choice. Having real adventures is a lot more painful than just writing about them.

R: What writers in your genre would you say have made the greatest influence on your writing?

 I know this is trite, but I suspect every writer I’ve ever read influences me—even if just to give me an example of what not to do. My first loves were Robert Heinlein, Andre Norton, and Isaac Asimov, and I later added mystery greats Arthur Conan Doyle, Dorothy Sayers, Fredric Brown, and Rex Stout. Sad to say, I don’t think I write like any of those people.

R: Tell us about your upcoming release, DEAD BUT NOT FORGOTTEN.  What’s it like to work with Charlaine Harris?

 Dead But Not Forgotten is an anthology of stories set in the world of Sookie Stackhouse from Charlaine’s phenomenal series. Each of the contributors picked a character from the Sookieverse and created their own story. So Maryjanice Davidson writes about Eric Northman, Dana Cameron writes about Pam, Seanan McGuire writes about Amelia the witch, and so on. People really went to town, too. My own story, written under my pen name Leigh Perry, is about Diantha, the half-demon.

 Charlaine and I have done a number of anthologies, but the difference with this one is that it’s coming out as an original audio book from Audible. So that was a different kind of process. It will come out later this year as a hardcover from Ace Books.

 Working with Charlaine is great fun. This was our seventh project together, and we keep waiting for one of those awful fights collaborators are known to have, but it just hasn’t happened. We like each other too much, and we respect each other just as much. I never expected to add collaborator or anthologist to my writing resume, but I’m sure glad I have.

R:  Do you have an “how I got my agent” story you’d like to share?  How did you feel when you got the call your first novel had sold?

 I’m old school. I found my agent by sending out a zillion query letters until I got a bite. Snail mail, not e-mail! So if you’re looking for a literary agent and don’t have connections in the field, do not be discouraged. I got one, and goodness knows I didn’t know a soul!

 And oh, that moment when that agent called to tell me the book had sold. Bliss! In fact, it was a three-book contract, which is common with mysteries. I came home from work, found a message from my agent on my answering machine, and returned it without taking a breath. I was trying to be so professional, but I’m sure I sounded like a complete idiot as she gave me the details. For extra added bliss, I was being offered a three-book deal!

 As soon as I got off the phone, I was in a panic to tell somebody, but I knew I had to tell my husband first. He was on his way home on the subway, and this was before everybody had cell phones, so all I could do was watch for him. Every few minutes I’d think something like, “Maybe I should call my parents.” I’d head for the phone, but then say, “No, I have to tell Steve first.” This went on for an eternity. Finally I saw him coming down the sidewalk and ran out to meet him, jumping up and down and yelling, “Three books!” He jumped up and down, too, but he actually thought I was saying “Free books!” which would also have been cool.

R: What’s a must have for you when you are writing? What aids the creative process?

 A computer, or an iPad with keyboard, and decent light. I do play a few games as warm-up, and like having access to the internet for immediate research, but that’s about it. Oh, and I go through a lot of diet soda.

R: What is one thing your readers would be most surprised to know about you?

 I’m not sure—I don’t know what my readers think about me. Oh, how’s this? I write about murder, and paranormal creatures who live on blood, but I actually get queasy at the sight of blood.

R: What is the craziest thing you've ever done? 

 Does quitting a pretty good day job to write fulltime count? When I was pregnant?

R: What do you hope readers will most take away from your writing?

 A smile. Not just from humor, though my work does tend to have that, but from being entertained and surprised and satisfied with the work.

R: What are you working on at the moment / next?

I’m going dark! I’ve been invited to write a vampire story for an anthology, but instead of my usual urban fantasy, this is supposed to be full-on horror. I’ve never done that before.

R: Are you a plotter or a pantser?

Pantser. I outlined when asked by my editor, but I find having an outline next to me just bothers me. So if it’s required, I write it and then stick it in a drawer where I can’t see it. No editor has ever noticed how little the finished product has to do with the outline.

R: What do you do when you’re not writing? Any hobbies or party tricks? :)

Reading! Also I drive back and forth to my daughter’s school and here many activities. I watch TV (loving Agents of SHIELD, movies (more on DVD than in theaters), and play computer games (the sissy kind, without shooting or blood).

R: Do you have any advice for beginning writers?

 Read, read, read. Read in your genre, and read in other genres. Fiction and nonfiction. Good stuff and bad. The more words and stories and ideas that you feed into your brain, the better the stuff will be that comes out on the page. Or the computer screen!

R: What book is on your TBR shelf you can’t wait to get to?

The rest of the Game of Thrones series. I finished the first book last week, but had to finish a set of copy edits before I could start the next.

Just for Fun:

Night or Day?

Night

Dog or Cat? (answer carefully)

Though I am in awe of the magnificence of the feline form, I am sadly allergic to them. So…guinea pig.

Beach or Pool?  

Beach

Steak or salad? 

Steak

Favorite Drink? 

Diet Dr. Pepper / Iced tea / Diet Coke

Favorite Book?

As if I could pick just one! But I’ll throw out one early favorite: Have Spacesuit, Will Travel by Robert Heinlein.

Favorite TV Series?

Classic? Either Star Trek: The Next Generation or Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Current? Agents of SHIELD with Once Upon a Time a close second.

Favorite Movie?

Why do you torture me so? Hopscotch.

Favorite Actor:

Robert Downey Jr.

Favorite Actress:

Jodie Foster

Dirty Martini or Pina Colada?

Pina Colada

Hawaii or Alaska?

Hawaii

Finish this sentence:  If I could meet anyone in the world, past or present, it would be ___________________

Joss Whedon

If I had just one wish, it would be_________________________________________

That my sister hadn’t had cancer. She passed away in December 2012, and I’m still angry about it.

If I could trade places with anyone in the world, it would be _______

Not a soul on earth. I love my family, I love my work, I love my home.

Here are all the places you can find Toni:

Tonilpkelner.com

LeighPerryAuthor.com

Facebook: Toni L.P. Kelner & Leigh Perry

Twitter: @Tonilpkelner and @Family_Skeleton

 Toni will giveaway a code with which you can download a copy of Gone But Not Forgotten from Audible Books. (Don’t worry: If you’re not an audio book listener, she’ll send along a copy of Games Creatures Play, which is the anthology from Toni and Charlaine Harris that came out in April, instead.) Leave a comment in the comments section and list your preference of audio book or anthology. Please, please, also leave your email addy! Entries without them are disqualified, and we hate to do that, meow!

For extra entries you can:

* Follow my blog (+ 1 point)
* Follow me on Twitter (+ 1 point) (Link: https://twitter.com/RoccoBlogger)
* Tweet about the contest (+ 1 point)
* Friend me on Facebook (+ 1 point) (Link: https://www.facebook.com/ToniLotempio)#!/

* Mention the contest on Facebook (+ 1 point)
* Mention the contest on your blog (+ 1 point)

* Follow Toni LP Kelner on Twitter or FB

Winner will be chosen at random using random.org.  Don’t forget to mention all you’ve done in your comment. Contest ends midnight, May 17!Good luck!