Tag! I’m It!

A little game of blog tag is always fun, so I thank my friend Vicki over on The View Outside for thinking of me to play along.  Give the link a click to read her delightful blog which is full of great writing advice and prompts!

The rules for playing blog tag are….

• You must post the rules
• Answer the questions the tagger set for you in their post
• Create eleven new questions to ask the people you’ve tagged (or use the existing ones)
• Tag (eleven) people with a link to your post
• Let them know they’ve been tagged

There must be something weird in my coffee, because I’ve decided to play by the rules this time! Here are the questions Vicki passed along to me:

1. Who is your favourite author?

This changes frequently and I can’t choose just one!

• Core Favorites: Charlotte Brontë, Jane Austen, and David Foster Wallace
• Perennial Favorites: Ivan Klíma, Vladimir Nabokov, Sandor Marai, and John Irving
• Young Adult Favorites: Stephanie Meyer, Cassandra Clare, and Lauren DeStefano

2. If you could live in another time period, what period would that be?

This is a tough question for a geek World History teacher to answer.  I have to break it down into two categories.  In terms of professional curiosity I’d have to say Ancient Egypt during Ankhenaton’s reign. This particular time period is the focus of my personal studies and it is an era shrouded in mystery.  To witness the answers to questions that have been asked for thousands of years would be incredible.

On another level, I’d love see the world as Jane Austen saw it.  I’d even wear a dress to experience the Regency Era in all its splendor.

3. You’ve been published, and you’ve just landed a movie deal. They ask you, which 2 actors/actresses do YOU want, to play the 2 main roles in the movie of your book?

For my current WIP, Liam Hemsworth would be a perfect fit to play Ian.  As for Amanda, I haven’t seen the right girl to play her yet!

4. What is your most treasured possession? (not people or animals)

This is something that also changes as time goes by.  Like most everything in life, the object we value most changes as we move forward.  I try not to put a lot of stock in material things, but at the moment my compass necklace is my prized possession.

Here’s why: Finding True North

5. If you could live anywhere in the world, money no object (just imagine you’re Stephen King lol) where would you live?

London.  When I first landed in London 9 years ago, I felt like I was at home.  I keep going back and the feeling gets stronger every time I walk the streets.  One day, I will live there.

6. Who is your idol/hero?

I have two.

My mother is the strongest person I know. Put any challenge in front of her and she blasts right through it.  I’ve always admired her for that and I hope I’ve inherited her strength.

Try not to laugh, but Spider-man has always been my hero.  Ever since I was a little girl, I was in awe of his abilities to fly through the air.  The fact that he was a smart, geeky, skinny kid made him even more appealing.  I loved him and still do because he sacrifices so much to help people.

7. When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up, did you achieve it?

As a kid, I never really knew what I wanted to be.  I think my imagination always got the best of me, so I was always in another world.  However, when I was  junior in high school, I had an amazing history teacher who inspired me to go into education.  Six years later, I had my degree and my own classroom.  This year will be my 12th year as a teacher and it remains a job I love despite the challenges.

8. What’s your perfect day?

I only need a few key ingredients:

• Rain
• A hot cup of coffee
• A good book
• Time to write
• Time with my family

9. You get a HUGE advance for your first novel, let’s say 250 thousand dollars or pounds. What’s the first thing you’d buy?

It would be the down payment for a flat in London.

10. How many times a day do you check your e mail?

Way too much. I lose count by noon.

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11 Questions for those I tag:

1) What is something you’ve always wanted to learn how to do?

2) What is your favorite quote?

3) What is the scariest thing you’ve ever done?

4) If there were no rules, what would you do?

5) Stick shift (manual) or automatic transmission?

6) Mac or PC?

7) You are a published author at your first book signing.  What message do you write with your autograph?

8) What charity is closest to your heart?

9) Name something that you think is underrated.

10) If you could give yourself a new name, what would it be?

11) What book or event changed your life?

I am tagging:

Another 12 Novels in 12 Months

Believe Anyway

Lady Day

All Things Boys

Breathing Space

Edge of Reality

J. Keller Ford

Sky Diaries

Books and Bowel Movements

searchingtosee

Christy Farmer

I’m looking forward to your answers!

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c.b.w. 2012

Advertisement

Wreck This Journal: Secret Code

Seeing as my last Wreck This Journal post was a little sad, I thought I’d share a much more lighthearted series of pages this time around.  How about a little game?

At one point in the journal, there is a page that gives directions to hide a secret message somewhere in the book.  There are, of, course, a million ways to approach this so I had to think about it for a little while.  Besides the method of secrecy, there was the message to consider.  I wanted it to mean something special to anyone who might take the time to figure it out.  Finally, it came to me in the shape of a firefly, (or at least my best rendition of one):

Follow the firefly!

My little firefly shows up on various pages throughout my journal and each leads the way towards the secret message.  The last one shows up towards the very end of the book and leaves the rest of the journey to the reader.  Can you figure it out?  Click on the images to blow them up to full size and give it a try!

Think you’ve solved the message?  Put it in the comments below!  Have fun and stay inspired!

What would be your secret code message?

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For previous Wreck This Journal posts, please visit my sidebar and tag cloud.

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c.b. 2012

It Never Gets Old

Of course, after I posted The Last 11, I got tagged again!  This set of questions come from a blogger that inspires me so much with his travels, photography, and poetry.  There’s no way I could turn it down! My thanks to RedJim of notyethere for thinking of me and sending a very unique set of 11 Questions.  Once again, I’ll leave the game open to anyone who wants to play.  Leave a link or answers in the comments if you want to play along.  Have fun!

1. Sea or Mountains?


Mountains.  I live in a place surrounded by mountains and I never cease to be amazed at their beauty.  Besides, I’ve never been much of a beach person.

2. Sky blue or Fire red?

Sky blue, but can I have a few clouds?

 3. The Film or The Book?


The book. Always the book!  As much as I love movies, they can never tell a story quite like good old-fashioned printed words on paper.

4. Summer or Winter?

Winter.  I love snow, fireplaces, hot café mochas, and a cat snuggled in my lap.


5. Sounds, smells, pictures or touch?

Pictures.  I’ve always been a very visual person, both in reality and in my imagination.

6. Wild woods or Manicured park?

Wild woods.  I spent a huge part of my childhood in the Northwoods of Wisconsin, where the trees are thick and ferns grow tall.  I’ve never seen anything more beautiful.

7. Do you know where North is without a compass?


No.  I am directionally challenged to the degree of total embarrassment.

8. Paper map or GPS?

Paper map.  I’ve done a lot of traveling in my life and I can honestly say a paper map has guided my every move.  They are far more reliable and they never need a power source.

9. Notebook or Laptop/Ipad/Tablet?

Aside from GPS, I’m a total gadget geek.  I use both a laptop and a tablet.

10. SLR OR Automatic?

Automatic.  Though I wish I knew a bit more about how to use SLR.

11. Leap of Faith or Logical leap?

A little bit of both.  I’m a big believer in balance.  There are moments in life that require logic and moments where the only logical thing to do is take a leap of faith.

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c.b. 2012