“What’s the other 70 percent? Cleavage?”

- Miss Congeniality

***

It’s the final round. Time to focus on some really serious topics: cartoons and birthdays.

Question #9: Which cartoon character would you like to be and why?Although this question was free-response, three characters got multiple votes. All the choices were interesting for different reasons.

“Wonder Woman. She’s smart, strong, has a rocking bod and an invisible plane. What is not to like?”

- Cynthia Woolf

Website: http://www.cynthiawoolf.com

Blog: http://www.cynthiawoolf.com/blog

*

*

“Wonder Woman. She was strong and caring.”

- Cara Bristol

Website: http://www.carabristol.com

*

*

“I’d like to be Wonder Woman, but I fear I’m more like Lucy from Peanuts.”

- Jami Davenport

Website: http://www.jamidavenport.com/

*

“The Road Runner. He has fun and gets to screw with Wile E Coyote’s head all day long.”

- Cassandra Carr

Website: http://www.booksbycassandracarr.com

*

“The Roadrunner. Speed and snark without words.”

- Kate Rothwell/Summer Devon

Website: http://katerothwell.com

Website: http://summerdevon.com

*

“Jessica Rabbit….duh…have you SEEN Jessica Rabbit???”

- Lynn Lorenz

Website: www.lynnlorenz.com

*

“Jessica Rabbit. Heh heh. Yeah, she’s gorgeous, and she’s got that voice to die for. (What woman wouldn’t want Kathleen Turner’s voice?) But those reasons are only the symptoms behind why I would like to be Jessica Rabbit. Jessica said ‘I’m not bad. I’m just drawn that way.’ Gotta love a woman who knows her faults and deals with them.”

- Tarah Scott

Website: http://www.tarahscott.com/

*

“Are we counting Miyazaki films as cartoons? If so, I’m torn between Ponyo and Chihiro. The first because I love the water and think it would be great fun to be a magical fish, and the second because I love how Chihiro’s character overcomes her fear and grows throughout the movie.”

- Allie Ritch

*

“The Pink Panther—he is too cool for words.”

- Jianne Carlo

Website: www.jiannecarlo.com

*

“In the mid 1970’s there was a cartoon called Battle of the Planets. Along with Speed Racer, it was one of the first Japanimation cartoons that came over to the States that I know of. I used to play Princess from BOTP on the playground with a bunch of boys in third grade and still have a certain fondness of those memories. I was the only girl allowed to play with a group of cute boys. What wasn’t to like?”

- Tibby Armstrong

Website: http://www.tibbyarmstrong.com

*

“I would want to be a female Dark Schneider! If anyone is familiar with anime, they might know of Dark Schneider, the chaotic wizard who wanted to take over the world because he could. And he is the good guy! He has weaknesses that he is not ashamed of, power beyond all belief, and a sense of humor that is dark and outrageous. I would love to hold that much power and be aware that my actions could have a catastrophic effect on the world yet still choose to do the right thing. The anime is called Bastard!! and he can be one. But he can also be tender and loving. He is a complex character and is very self aware. I love that.”

- Stephanie Burke

Website/Blog: http://theflashcat.wordpress.com/

*

“I’d like to be Cinderella because she gets her prince and does it with a killer pair of shoes.”

- Casey Crow

Website: www.caseycrow.com

*

“Oh boy, I read DC comics, and I always thought it’d be so cool to be Batgirl.”

- Viki Lyn

Website: http://www.vikilyn.com

Blog: http://www.vikilynromance.blogspot.com

*

“LOL, depends which day. I can be either The Tasmanian Devil, or The Brain (with just as little success in conquering the world).”

- A. R. Norris

Blog: http://sci-fiadventures.blogspot.com/

*

“Betty Boop. She always had the coolest shoes!”

- Qwillia Rain

Website: www.authorqwilliarain.com

Blog: http://authorqwilliarain.blogspot.com

*

“Egon Spangler from the Real Ghostbusters (definitely the cartoon, not the movie): he was brilliant about science, endearing, and utterly clueless about relationships… but he loved life.”

- Emily Carrington

Website: www.emilycarrington.com

*

“Which cartoon character would I like to be? That’s a no brainer! Alice in Wonderland, of course. Life is like the rabbit hole and I live each day finding new things along the journey.”

- Pauline Allan

Website/Blog: www.paulineallan.com

*

“Superman. I could disown all of humanity because I’d be an alien. I’d have a fortress of solitude. I could fly. I could repel bullets. Unless Superman, as an alien, also menstruates. Because if he does, the deal’s off.”

- Clancy Nacht

Website: http://clancynacht.com/

Amazon: http://astore.amazon.com/charlottesome-20

*

“I watch a lot of anime, so Motoko Kusinagi from Ghost in the Shell. She is just plain awesome. Strong and smart, she’s a kick butt heroine.”

- Pam Labud/Leigh Curtis

Website: www.pamlabud.net

Website: www.leighcurtis.net

*

*

Question #10: What do you want for your birthday this year?

“I want to sell a million books!  ”

- Cynthia Woolf

Website: http://www.cynthiawoolf.com

Blog: http://www.cynthiawoolf.com/blog

*

“Gift Cards to B&N, Yankee Candle, LL Bean, Godiva, an ice cream cake and oh, yes, World Peace. Had to add in that last one. Couldn’t resist.”

- Selena Illyria

Website: www.selenaillyria.com

Amazon Central: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B0075NG31K

*

“To cook dinner for the whole family.”

- Jianne Carlo

Website: www.jiannecarlo.com

*

“Amazon.com gift cards so I can put yet more books on my Kindle.”

- Cassandra Carr

Website: http://www.booksbycassandracarr.com

*

“I’d love to go on a movie set for a day, just to observe. Film fascinates me from behind the scenes in all its aspects.”

- Tibby Armstrong

Website: http://www.tibbyarmstrong.com

*

“I want a week in Aruba! I want hot pink sands and crystal clear blue water! I want to bask on a beach and drink something made with rum out of a pineapple or a coconut shell! I want to be able to totally relax and let the worries and cares of the world drift away. And barring that, A TOR or Kensington contract would be great.”

- Stephanie Burke

Website/Blog: http://theflashcat.wordpress.com/

*

“A coconut lemon birthday cake from Wildflower.”

- Viki Lyn

Website: http://www.vikilyn.com

Blog: http://www.vikilynromance.blogspot.com

*

“That would be next year. My birthday was in January. By then, I’ll want the most up to date Kindle. I’m amassing quite a collection of books and I plan to read every last one of them. They’ll probably bury me with the darn thing.”

- Tarah Scott

Website: http://www.tarahscott.com/

*

“What I want every birthday, Pinky…giftcards to my bookstore and Amazon.”

- A. R. Norris

Blog: http://sci-fiadventures.blogspot.com/

*

“Another tattoo.”

- Pippa Jay

Blog: http://pippajay.blogspot.com/

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5054558.Pippa_Jay

*

“You know, I love simple things. Basic, practical things that I can use and re-use until it’s worn and old. This year, I’m dropping hints about a new monitor. I think this one is about to pack it in.”

- T. K. Toppin

Website/Blog: http://www.tktoppin.blogspot.com

*

“A real working Millennium Falcon, complete with Wookie co-pilot.”

- Jaleta Clegg

Website: www.jaletac.com

Blog: http://jaletaclegg.blogspot.com

*

“The knowledge that I’ve released at least one (hopefully) two new books.”

- Qwillia Rain

Website: www.authorqwilliarain.com

Blog: http://authorqwilliarain.blogspot.com

*

“Last year, I had a quilt made for me—picked out the fabrics/block design/quilting design—for a bed warmer and matching bolster pillow (a narrow throw that goes across the foot of the bed.) This year, I want to do something else quilted—but I’m not sure.”

- Lynn Lorenz

Website: www.lynnlorenz.com

*

“I want the person I love to propose to me. (Is that asking too much? My birthday’s near Yule/Christmas/Hanukkah/Solstice: the season of miracles and everything!)”

- Emily Carrington

Website: www.emilycarrington.com

*

“I want sales for my birthday this year! I’m preparing to submit book two and want the readers to enjoy my characters as much as I do. So, yeah…I want sales!”

- Pauline Allan

Website/Blog: www.paulineallan.com

*

“Ten million dollars.”

- Clancy Nacht

Website: http://clancynacht.com/

Amazon: http://astore.amazon.com/charlottesome-20

*

“I’d like the house my husband I and I are having built to be finished EARLY.”

- Cara Bristol

Website: http://www.carabristol.com

*

“World peace (these are questions for beauty contests, right?). LOL. Okay, if I can’t have that, I’d like a trip to Washington State’s San Juan Islands because it’s my favorite place on earth.”

- Jami Davenport

Website: http://www.jamidavenport.com/

*

*

***

Oh, Jaleta, now I want a Millennium Falcon too! Think they go for more than $10 million, Clancy? Hopefully everybody will get their birthday wishes.

A final big thank you to all the authors who participated. You gals are terrific. I know my approach to interviewing guest authors was unique (Oddball? Who said oddball? I heard that!), but you really came through. I hope you had as much fun as I did. You’re all winners!

“Just imagine that she’s me and there’s something you wanna know, but I don’t wanna talk about it. What would you do?”

“You want me to beat it out of her?”

- Miss Congeniality

*

Question #7: Which word do you not like to hear at all? Why?  The responses to this one were really interesting. Overall, the verdict is that writers don’t like C-words. There’s more than one C-word we hate, though.

“That four-letter C-word applied to women and their genitals. I know it’s frequently used in erotic romance today, but I’ve heard it more often as an insult to women, so it has a bad connotation for me. That’s why you’ll never see it in my work. I don’t judge others for using it, but that’s my bugaboo.”

- Allie Ritch

*

“C*nt is the most derogatory word I can think of. I hate hearing it and seeing it in a book, makes me throw the book at the wall. I HATE it.”

- Cynthia Woolf

Website: http://www.cynthiawoolf.com

Blog: http://www.cynthiawoolf.com/blog

*

“There is one bad ‘c’ word that I just hate, hate, hate. It’s demeaning and distasteful.”

- Pam Labud/Leigh Curtis

Website: www.pamlabud.net

Website: http://www.pamlabud.net

*

“Um, I can’t even TYPE it, I find it so offensive. It’s a nasty, slang term for a female body part.”

- Pippa Jay

Blog: http://pippajay.blogspot.com/

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5054558.Pippa_Jay

*

“‘Can’t’ is such a nasty word. Think positive and ‘TRY’!”

- Casey Crow

Website: www.caseycrow.com

*

“‘Can’t’  I hate it when people say can’t, because if you think you can’t, you’re right. So much of what we do is mental. If you think you can, then you’ll most likely find a way.”

- Jami Davenport

Website: http://www.jamidavenport.com/

*

“Can’t. It limits you.”

- Selena Illyria

Website: www.selenaillyria.com

Amazon Central: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B0075NG31K

*

“Can’t, ‘cause you usually can.”

- Jianne Carlo

Website: www.jiannecarlo.com

*

“‘Try’ or any version (tried, trying).”

- A. R. Norris

Blog: http://sci-fiadventures.blogspot.com/

*

“Should…oh boy, I say it enough in my head, but really, should I take that word seriously?”

- Viki Lyn

Website: http://www.vikilyn.com

Blog: http://www.vikilynromance.blogspot.com

*

“I hate the word no. When I hear it, I black out and wake up in a pile of drool and chocolate wrappers. LOL I really hate the word no. It is so final. And in my philosophy there are only two sure things—death and taxes. No means that there are no other options. That goes against my dogmatic nature. But I believe in that finality, it would make me not want to try. No is a bad word… unless it is used in some situations when someone is impugning your personal rights. Then scream no to the rafters.”

- Stephanie Burke

Website/Blog: http://theflashcat.wordpress.com/

*

“‘No.’ Because usually that means I’m not going to get something I want.”

- Clancy Nacht

Website: http://clancynacht.com/

Amazon: http://astore.amazon.com/charlottesome-20

*

“Sorry (we’re out of ice cream.) Oops, that’s more than one word.”

- Tarah Scott

Website: http://www.tarahscott.com/

*

“‘Discoverability.’ I hear it all the time. It’s awkward, jargon-y—and important.”

- Kate Rothwell/Summer Devon

Website: http://katerothwell.com

Website: http://summerdevon.com

*

“Can I have words instead? I hate the phrase, ‘You need to understand that…’ They use it all the time on TV shows and it drives me insane. It’s such a controlling phrase. Why don’t they just say what it is they want the character to know?”

- Jaleta Clegg

Website: www.jaletac.com

Blog: http://jaletaclegg.blogspot.com

*

“Gay, but only in a negative context, such as ‘That’s so gay.’ It’s the equivalent of the ‘n’ word or disparaging someone’s intelligence. All names that name one group lower than others remind me strongly of the Holocaust.”

- Emily Carrington

Website: www.emilycarrington.com

*

“Faggot, because most of the time you hear it said by a homophobe, and someone who condemns another for loving who they love is not a person I want to know.”

- Cassandra Carr

Website: http://www.booksbycassandracarr.com

*

“Words are meant to communicate. Almost any word is acceptable if it’s used to convey something that’s not hateful or threatening. The words I object to, however, are ones I can barely manage to type here because they epitomize hatred to me on such a dark and dangerous level. The ‘n’ word, for one, and anything having to do with Nazism makes me sick to my stomach.”

- Tibby Armstrong

Website: http://www.tibbyarmstrong.com

*

“Besides words used as racial slurs, I like pretty much all words.”

- Lynn Lorenz

Website: www.lynnlorenz.com

*

“Not sure. If I don’t like something I either turn away from it, take steps to change it, or investigate the reason why I don’t like it so I understand and can change it.”

- Qwillia Rain

Website: www.authorqwilliarain.com

Blog: http://authorqwilliarain.blogspot.com

*

*

Question #8: According to you, what is femininity?

“Hey, we all know from Kindergarten on that boys and girls are different. To me, femininity is not a stereotype or a constrained way of being, but it is that indefinable quality that unites our gender. Femininity can be soft or strong, nurturing or tough, dominant or submissive, but it will always have a different energy and flavor to it than masculinity.”

- Allie Ritch

*

“Femininity is caring enough about yourself to be proud to be a woman and not want to be a man. I may want to be as physically strong as a man but that’s all. I like being a woman. I have the mental and emotional strength that men don’t have.”

- Cynthia Woolf

Website: http://www.cynthiawoolf.com

Blog: http://www.cynthiawoolf.com/blog

*

“Strength, Intelligence, sensuality, courage, cleverness, creativity and emotion.”

- Selena Illyria

Website: www.selenaillyria.com

Amazon Central: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B0075NG31K

*

“Passion.”

- Jianne Carlo

Website: www.jiannecarlo.com

*

“Femininity is the rendering of your gender or sexuality in your actions and words. It’s different for everybody because each person sees their gender/sexuality as something different.”

- Cassandra Carr

Website: http://www.booksbycassandracarr.com

*

“Femininity is a way of relating to the world that rounds off the hard edges. It softens even as it strengthens. A woman can be tough, but if after she’s done kicking ass and taking names she enjoys reading a romance novel in the bath? She’s as feminine as they come!”

- Tibby Armstrong

Website: http://www.tibbyarmstrong.com

*

“Ack! That is a hard one to define. But for me, I guess femininity is the ability to accept and understand the part of me that is not the aggressor. Not to say femininity is weak or meek—I am a mother who has had to defend her children before and there is nothing weak about the way I went about it. More like the part of me that desires the calm and peace, the part that wants to be protected until I am ready to fight again, the part that knows and accepts my weaknesses and accepts they make up the facets of my femininity.”

- Stephanie Burke

Website/Blog: http://theflashcat.wordpress.com/

*

“I believe femininity is when a woman has the self-confidence to feel sexy. No matter her age, size, or what she’s wearing, nothing is hotter or more feminine than when she gives her man a saucy smile.”

- Casey Crow

Website: www.caseycrow.com

*

“Being independent, strong and compassionate.”

- Viki Lyn

Website: http://www.vikilyn.com

Blog: http://www.vikilynromance.blogspot.com

*

“Femininity is not working to prove you’re not feminine for fear of being perceived as weak if you show a softer side.”

- Tarah Scott

Website: http://www.tarahscott.com/

*

“Long answer: Quiet strength, strong touch with the inner female (compassionate, loving, understanding, patient, etc). Short answer: the opposite of me.”

- A. R. Norris

Blog: http://sci-fiadventures.blogspot.com/

*

“It should mean being happy and confident in yourself as a woman and not being defined by your body size, shape, or someone’s unrealistic idea of beauty or behaviour.”

- Pippa Jay

Blog: http://pippajay.blogspot.com/

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5054558.Pippa_Jay

*

“Ah, this is a good one. I didn’t realize what a big struggle I had with this until I wrote my SF series. The main character, Dace, grew up in a society where womanhood and anything associated with it meant second-class status, if that. Women were for creating the next generation of workers. When Dace escapes that world, she refutes anything that has to do with being female—she chops her hair short, wears baggy coveralls, and doesn’t have a clue how to handle a man being interested in her. Book 2, which will be coming out—I just got the contract signed, deals partly with her learning to be a little more feminine. I’ve had similar struggles, at least in my head. I love science and math and taking things apart. I’m a geek. I was voted an honorary guy by a group of male friends once and was very flattered by it. But as I grow older, I’ve come to terms with my female side. I’m still not big into makeup, hair, and shoes, but I’m happy with who I am these days.”

- Jaleta Clegg

Website: www.jaletac.com

Blog: http://jaletaclegg.blogspot.com

*

“Whatever it wants to be. Often there’s an XX chromosome involved, but not always.”

- Kate Rothwell/Summer Devon

Website: http://katerothwell.com

Website: http://summerdevon.com

*

“A confidence in yourself and sticking to what you want out of life. It includes knowing your strengths and weaknesses and being willing to ask for help when you need it.”

- Qwillia Rain

Website: www.authorqwilliarain.com

Blog: http://authorqwilliarain.blogspot.com

*

“Inner beauty, inner strength, a sense of humor, and the good grace to make everyone welcome.”

- Lynn Lorenz

Website: www.lynnlorenz.com

*

“Anything pink? Just kidding. I’m with Leslie Feinberg on this one: it’s like masculinity: a narrow term which needs to be expanded. Or, failing that, it needs to be one term among dozens that women and men can use to describe themselves without fear.”

- Emily Carrington

Website: www.emilycarrington.com

*

“Oh, I love this question! Femininity is power! It’s the soft curve of a round hip, the smell of honeysuckle in a strand of hair, the way a woman looks down and to the left when she asks her hero to kiss her because he’s too nervous to offend her sensibilities. It’s the way crimson lipstick is left on the rim of a white coffee mug, the way direct eye contact tells him more than words ever could. It’s that precious moment when her ass sinks against the mattress and the gorgeous man presses his hips against her to enter her for the first time. Yeah, femininity kicks ass!”

- Pauline Allan

Website/Blog: www.paulineallan.com

*

“An arcane concept meant for a binary world. Horribly outdated, often used for repression. The yoke of the man. Maybe I should change my answer to number 7, because this word is really pissing me off.”

- Clancy Nacht

Website: http://clancynacht.com/

Amazon: http://astore.amazon.com/charlottesome-20

*

“Femininity is the expression of the softer, more giving side of humanity.”

- Cara Bristol

Website: http://www.carabristol.com

*

“I think it’s embracing what it is to be female. It’s certainly the challenge we face in a gender separated world. We are equal to men, but we are still different. Our brains work different, we have more complicated thought processes. I think you can be a strong and smart woman and still be feminine. It’s also motherhood and sisterhood. It’s the ability to express one’s emotions and not being afraid to speak and listen. We are so much more than just the estrogen brigade.”

- Pam Labud/Leigh Curtis

Website: www.pamlabud.net

Website: www.leighcurtis.net

*

*

***

Fantastic answers, everybody. I think Pauline had one of the best definitions of femininity I’ve ever read, and Jaleta now has me super curious about her work.

Be sure to return for the last installment of interview questions. Whom do these authors identify with, and what are they looking forward to in the future? Find out next time.

“I haven’t seen a walk like that since Jurassic Park!”

- Miss Congeniality

*

***

*

Welcome again to my guest authors. Let’s get back to grilling them with some hardcore beauty pageant questions.

Question #5: What would you like to change in yourself and why?

“I’d like to change my body. I really hate my body but don’t hate it enough to do much about it. I’ve started exercising and that is helping, but I’d really like to wake up and have Raquel Welch’s body. Oops guess I dated myself there didn’t I. All right I’d like to wake up and have…um…Jennifer Lopez’s body. How’s that?”

- Cynthia Woolf

Website: http://www.cynthiawoolf.com

Blog: http://www.cynthiawoolf.com/blog

* 

“I’d like to be more organized.”

- Selena Illyria

Website: www.selenaillyria.com

Amazon Central: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B0075NG31K

*

“I’d like to be able to do 30 chin ups – the reason’s obvious.”

- Jianne Carlo

Website: www.jiannecarlo.com

*

“I’m sure a lot of my fellow writers would disagree, but I really wish I was more productive. I’m an excellent time waster!”

- Cassandra Carr

Website: http://www.booksbycassandracarr.com

*

“I’d like to become less critical of myself and my work so I can take more enjoyment in the process.”

- Tibby Armstrong

Website: http://www.tibbyarmstrong.com

*

“I would like to have a new back and a new knee. This pain thing can get out of control at times. It takes away from my goals of taking over the world one book at a time. LOL But I like the struggles I have been forced to fight my way through. They helped shape me into the person that I am today, and it took a lot of self discovery to learn to love myself, faults and all. If some painful event in my past changes, then I may not be the Stephanie Burke that I am today.”

- Stephanie Burke

Website/Blog: http://theflashcat.wordpress.com/

*

“I’m at the stage in my life where I don’t want to change too much about myself. I’d rather learn to work with my strengths and weaknesses. I can be impulsive and curious about a lot of things. Sometimes I jump into things without really knowing what I’m doing! Like when I began writing a few years ago, I had no idea what I was getting into.  But I’m glad I was like the fool in the Tarot, just took a step off the cliff and never looked back!”

- Viki Lyn

Website: http://www.vikilyn.com

Blog: http://www.vikilynromance.blogspot.com

*

“I would give myself more patience. Why? Because I can be too impatient.”

- Tarah Scott

Website: http://www.tarahscott.com/

*

“I don’t know if I’d change something. I’ve been trying hard to feel comfortable in my own skin and being okay with who I am. Well, maybe that is the ‘something’ I’d change…to be comfortable with myself.”

- A. R. Norris

Blog: http://sci-fiadventures.blogspot.com/

*

“I wish I wouldn’t make snap judgments. I think it costs me sometimes.”

- Pippa Jay

Blog: http://pippajay.blogspot.com/

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5054558.Pippa_Jay

*

“My purely lazy attitude. I live with a guy who wakes up at 5 to go exercise and kayak and . . . just writing it makes me exhausted.”

- Kate Rothwell/Summer Devon

Website: http://katerothwell.com

Website: http://summerdevon.com

*

“Become more fit mainly because my asthma bothers me less when I’m at a healthy weight and able to be physically active.”

- Qwillia Rain

Website: www.authorqwilliarain.com

Blog: http://authorqwilliarain.blogspot.com

*

“Sometimes I can be too negative.”

- Lynn Lorenz

Website: www.lynnlorenz.com

*

“I judge myself too harshly, and in doing so I judge others the same way. I lose sleep, sometimes lose friends, and definitely lose the chance to smile more often all because I judge myself against impossible standards.”

- Emily Carrington

Website: www.emilycarrington.com

*

“I would change my obsessiveness over things I cannot change. I mull over things that are out of my control as if I actually have any control at all. I would definitely change that.”

- Pauline Allan

Website/Blog: www.paulineallan.com

*

“I’d really like a faster metabolism and to have no ulcer. A faster metabolism, because then I could eat what I want and not worry about it. No ulcer because, well, that hurts a lot and makes me crabby. I assume you meant physically in myself, right? If not, I’d like to be a Time Lord.”

- Clancy Nacht

Website: http://clancynacht.com/

Amazon: http://astore.amazon.com/charlottesome-20

*

“I would be more outgoing. I’m far less shy than I used to be, but parties are still a little uncomfortable (not that I go to many parties!).”

- Cara Bristol

Website: http://www.carabristol.com

*

“I would be way more organized. Why? I use more energy trying to stay focused on one thing at a time.”

- Pam Labud/Leigh Curtis

Website: www.pamlabud.net

Website: www.leighcurtis.net

*

“My lack of patience. I want whatever I want, and I want it right now.”

- Jami Davenport

Website: http://www.jamidavenport.com/

*

“I’m 5’4” so I wish to be taller. I’d love some long, killer legs.”

- Casey Crow

Website: www.caseycrow.com

*

Question #6: What do you think is the most important discovery of the last century? Why? There’s definitely a consensus on a few of these, and there are some more unique responses, too.

“Microwave ovens. They make life so much faster and easier. Microwave popcorn comes in a close second, followed by chocolate candies. And then there’s the neck basket. How did I ever get anything done without my neck basket?

There are so many discoveries in science, technology, exploration of the oceans and other planets, it would be hard to pick just one and say it’s the most important. All of them interconnect. Understanding one new discovery requires knowing about so many others.”

- Jaleta Clegg

Website: www.jaletac.com

Blog: http://jaletaclegg.blogspot.com

*

“The microwave. See question 5. No, the computer—I’m a cruddy typist. I’d write ‘the vibrator’ but it was actually invented in the 1800s.”

- Kate Rothwell/Summer Devon

Website: http://katerothwell.com

Website: http://summerdevon.com

*

“The Internet. It has completely changed people’s lives. Even those without a computer have had their lives changed, just in the way they shop and are offered products to buy.”

- Cynthia Woolf

Website: http://www.cynthiawoolf.com

Blog: http://www.cynthiawoolf.com/blog

*

“The Internet and penicillin and the pill. Sorry, couldn’t pick just one. The Internet because I can now satisfy every curious whim, penicillin because it saves lives, and the pill because it gives us women choices.”

- Jianne Carlo

Website: www.jiannecarlo.com

*

“I would have to say the internet. It bridged the gap between so many people who otherwise never would have connected. Suddenly people from all over the world discovered that there are people out there who are just like them.  Be it people uniting in geekdome to people who had kinks that they felt no one would understand, the internet has brought them together. It gave rise to small press as it is evolving today, to information that would never have been accessible before, to cultures and people from a world away. And of course, porn. (I had to say it). But like any innovation, it can be abused. We have to be smart when navigating the cyber world and not be drawn in by a lot of negative people and false information. But overall, the internet has improved our way of life dramatically.”

- Stephanie Burke

Website/Blog: http://theflashcat.wordpress.com/

 *

“The Internet because this has made people think globally as well as locally. It’s also a curse at times, but everything has its yin and yang side.”

- Viki Lyn

Website: http://www.vikilyn.com

Blog: http://www.vikilynromance.blogspot.com

*

“The internet. It connects people who would never have met, and allows anyone interaction no matter who they are or where.”

- Pippa Jay

Blog: http://pippajay.blogspot.com/

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5054558.Pippa_Jay

*

“The most important discovery, I believe, is the internet. It has changed the way the world communicates and has opened the door for many communities and cultures to relate.”

- Pauline Allan

Website/Blog: www.paulineallan.com

*

“The computer chip. Need I say more?”

- Jami Davenport

Website: http://www.jamidavenport.com/

*

“Hands down, the computer and the internet. It changed the world. It led to ebooks, which opened up the publishing industry again.”

- Cara Bristol

Website: http://www.carabristol.com

*

“Birth control pills because of the freedom it has given women to explore and express their sexuality.”

- Tibby Armstrong

Website: http://www.tibbyarmstrong.com

*

“Birth control. Without it, women could not truly be a viable, steady workforce.”

- Emily Carrington

Website: www.emilycarrington.com

*

“DNA. The use of that information has so many applications, both factual and fictional. It can do so much good if used appropriately.”

- Qwillia Rain

Website: www.authorqwilliarain.com

Blog: http://authorqwilliarain.blogspot.com

*

“Absolutely it’s the discovery of DNA and the advancement of medicine in general. Second, I’d pick the development of Computer technology and the internet. Kudos to those guys.”

- Pam Labud/Leigh Curtis

Website: www.pamlabud.net

Website: www.leighcurtis.net

*

“The automobile. I think the invention of the automobile has, more than any other invention, changed the way we live our lives.”

- Cassandra Carr

Website: http://www.booksbycassandracarr.com

*

“I still think Penicillin is the most important discover of the last century. It’ll be hard to beat that, not impossible but hard.”

- A. R. Norris

Blog: http://sci-fiadventures.blogspot.com/

*

“Smart phones. I mean, really. Without the birth of smart phones, you wouldn’t have iPods, iPads, and whatever else that’s to come. Holding one of those devices makes you feel like you’re part of the future. I can’t wait to see what else comes along.”

- T. K. Toppin

Website/Blog: http://www.tktoppin.blogspot.com

*

“Well, it’s a tossup between Velcro and Wet Wipes. Both for obvious reasons.”

- Lynn Lorenz

Website: www.lynnlorenz.com

*

“Pasteurization, I guess. Or maybe the ability to split atoms. Electricity? I dunno, they’re all pretty good.”

- Clancy Nacht

Website: http://clancynacht.com/

Amazon: http://astore.amazon.com/charlottesome-20

- Victor Melling in Miss Congeniality

 ***

And we’re back. Let’s find out more about our lovely pageant contestants…I mean scholarship candidates…no, wait, make that our wonderful romance authors and what they have to say about success and money. Thanks again to all of the writers for participating and for sharing their beautiful imaginations with readers. As for me, I just had to put my two cents in here and there. Hope you enjoy.

Question #3: How do you define success?

“Success is fulfilling your potential. It’s setting goals and reaching them, or at least knowing you gave it everything you had.”

- Allie Ritch

*

“Reaching a level of achievement that is personally satisfying.”

- Cara Bristol

Website: http://www.carabristol.com

*

“Success at what? Success is defined by what you’re trying to accomplish. Without knowing what we’re talking about, it’s hard to quantify. Conan the Barbarian once said, in his famous movie from 1982, that what is best in life is, ‘To crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentation of their women.’ I don’t know if that’s success, but it’s something I can get behind.”

- Clancy Nacht

Website: http://clancynacht.com/

Amazon: http://astore.amazon.com/charlottesome-20

*

“Doing something interesting that you love and not starving.”

- A. R. Norris

Blog: http://sci-fiadventures.blogspot.com/

*

“Success for me is a feeling I get when I accomplish what I set out to do and can still look at myself in the mirror with no negative emotions there. Or when I can finally afford to force my husband to retire and become my naked pool boy who waits on me hand and foot. His job is getting in the way of that. I guess when I can get him in those thongs and have him fan me while feeding me peeled grapes then I will consider myself successful. Believe me, I am still working hard to achieve that! I want him to do the dance of the pool boy for my amusement so badly! LOL”

- Stephanie Burke

Website/Blog: http://theflashcat.wordpress.com/

*

“I define success as being able to get up every day and do the thing I love. For me, that’s writing. But whatever it is a person loves to do, if they get to do it on a daily basis, they’re successful.”

- Tarah Scott

Website: http://www.tarahscott.com/

*

“This is an interesting question and one I ponder from time to time. For me, success is being respected by my peers, and reader’s positive responses to my books. I have no way of knowing how my books are being received unless I hear from my readers, because reviews don’t always tell the tale. I don’t always define the success of my books by how many I sell. There are stories I’ve written that are close to my heart but aren’t my biggest sellers.”

- Viki Lyn

Website: http://www.vikilyn.com

Blog: http://www.vikilynromance.blogspot.com

*

“To me, success means knowing I have given my all. I may not always reach my goals, but I can be proud I tried my best.”

- Casey Crow

Website: www.caseycrow.com

*

“Success is the ability to call the shots. For me that would mean being able to write full time from the location of my choosing. I’m a travel nut, so exotic locals are definitely on the menu!”

- Tibby Armstrong

Website: http://www.tibbyarmstrong.com

*

“Success, to me, is when you are happy with your own accomplishments, however big or small they may seem to someone else.”

- Cassandra Carr

Website: http://www.booksbycassandracarr.com

*

“Success to me on a personal level is being happy, healthy, and in a loving relationship. On an author level, it’s steadily increasing my readership, finding readers who love my books, and making good royalties.”

- Jami Davenport

Website: http://www.jamidavenport.com/

*

“Making enough money to hire a full time housekeeper.”

- Pam Labud/Leigh Curtis

Website: www.pamlabud.net

Website: www.leighcurtis.net

*

“I measure how successful I am by how much joy is in my life.”

- Pauline Allan

Website/Blog: www.paulineallan.com

*

“True success is finding balance between the three necessities of life: vocation, passion, and peace.”

- Emily Carrington

Website: www.emilycarrington.com

*

“Have I met my goals—short, mid and long term.”

- Lynn Lorenz

Website: www.lynnlorenz.com

*

“Being able to do what you enjoy without feeling you need to compromise to make a living.”

- Qwillia Rain

Website: www.authorqwilliarain.com

Blog: http://authorqwilliarain.blogspot.com

*

“Usually unrelated to the outside world, my definition changes all the time, usually to adjust to whatever I’m doing. No need to feel like a failure after all. Sometimes it’s writing 10 pages a day, other days it’s getting out of bed. I also start any to-do list with a couple of things I’ve already done so I can cross them out and feel like I’ve accomplished something.”

- Kate Rothwell/Summer Devon

Website: http://katerothwell.com

Website: http://summerdevon.com

*

“For me, success is about being happy, content, comfortable and loving whatever it is that is making you happy.  You could have the most incredible job, get paid a gazillion dollars, but if you’re not happy about, content that you’re doing what you love, and comfortable doing it.  Then, what part of that is successful?  But like everything else, attaining it, is very hard work.”

- T. K. Toppin

Website/Blog: http://www.tktoppin.blogspot.com

*

“Being happy with your achievements, however small they might seem to others.”

- Pippa Jay

Blog: http://pippajay.blogspot.com/

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5054558.Pippa_Jay

*

“Happiness.”

- Jianne Carlo

Website: www.jiannecarlo.com

*

“Being happy.”

- Selena Illyria

Website: www.selenaillyria.com

Amazon Central: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B0075NG31K

*

“Success for me it getting my book published and out there for people to read.  Extra success is when they like it enough to do a review for me.  I guess you could say I’m very successful.”

 - Cynthia Woolf

Website: http://www.cynthiawoolf.com

Blog: http://www.cynthiawoolf.com/blog
*

*

 ***

Question #4: If you were given a dollar, what would you do with it?

“Put in my ‘change’ jar and save it for a rainy day.”

- Cara Bristol

Website: http://www.carabristol.com

*

“Thank the person who gave it to me and put it in my wallet. I mean, it’s a dollar. That’s not exactly retiring in Mexico money.”

- Clancy Nacht

Website: http://clancynacht.com/

Amazon: http://astore.amazon.com/charlottesome-20

*

“Give it to one of my kids.”

- A. R. Norris

Blog: http://sci-fiadventures.blogspot.com/

*

“Add it to the other dead presidents in my wallet! Right now I am full up of George Washington so this one will feel right at home with his three brothers. LOL I need all the money I can get to pay off my bills and maybe get my kids through college. Every dollar counts. Charity begins at home.”

- Stephanie Burke

Website/Blog: http://theflashcat.wordpress.com/

*

“Find the best cup of coffee one dollar can buy.”

- Tarah Scott

Website: http://www.tarahscott.com/

*

“I use my dollar bills for tips at the coffeehouse. The baristas deserve them for making such great cappuccinos!”

- Viki Lyn

Website: http://www.vikilyn.com

Blog: http://www.vikilynromance.blogspot.com

*

“In the words of Bill Gates, ‘I’d spend it on PR.’”

- Casey Crow

Website: www.caseycrow.com

*

“I’d probably try to figure out who lost it and give it back to them! Lol.”

- Tibby Armstrong

Website: http://www.tibbyarmstrong.com

*

“One dollar? Buy a Twix bar. I really like Twix bars.”

- Cassandra Carr

Website: http://www.booksbycassandracarr.com

*

“Buy a Lotto ticket.”

- Jami Davenport

Website: http://www.jamidavenport.com/

*

“Right now? Save it for retirement.”

- Pam Labud/Leigh Curtis

Website: www.pamlabud.net

Website: www.leighcurtis.net

*

“I would put that dollar toward a Diet Coke!”

- Pauline Allan

Website/Blog: www.paulineallan.com

*

“Hold onto it until I have two more. With three dollars I can take paratransit to one more karate lesson.”

- Emily Carrington

Website: www.emilycarrington.com

*

“Give it away—I use them for tips.”

- Lynn Lorenz

Website: www.lynnlorenz.com

*

“Depends on where I am and if someone needs the dollar more than me.”

- Qwillia Rain

Website: www.authorqwilliarain.com

Blog: http://authorqwilliarain.blogspot.com

*

“Buy a cheap e-book on Amazon. Or give it to one of the guys hanging around Times Square.”

- Kate Rothwell/Summer Devon

Website: http://katerothwell.com

Website: http://summerdevon.com

*

“Probably keep it. I have pat-rack tendencies.”

- T. K. Toppin

Website/Blog: http://www.tktoppin.blogspot.com

*

“Give it to my children—we’re in the UK so we don’t see dollars very often.”

- Pippa Jay

Blog: http://pippajay.blogspot.com/

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5054558.Pippa_Jay

*

“Find a way to pay it forward.”

- Jianne Carlo

Website: www.jiannecarlo.com

*

“I’d save it.”

- Selena Illyria

Website: www.selenaillyria.com

Amazon Central: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B0075NG31K

*

“Go to the dollar store and get paper to write on.”

- Cynthia Woolf

Website: http://www.cynthiawoolf.com

Blog: http://www.cynthiawoolf.com/blog

*

“Fold it into a ring and wear it. And maybe use it to buy lunch. I work at a school, they’re still cheap. Wait, I’d need two dollars. Score! Two rings.”

- Jaleta Clegg

Website: www.jaletac.com

Blog: http://jaletaclegg.blogspot.com

“Please describe your idea of a perfect date.”

“I’d have to say April 25^th, because it’s not too hot and not too cold. All you need is a light jacket.”

- Miss Congeniality

 ***

The movie Miss Congeniality made fun of beauty pageants—I mean, scholarship programs—but pageants are big business. Contestants get put in the hot seat with some interesting interview questions. I decided to pick ten of these questions and pose them to an incredible group of romance authors to find out what they had to say. These authors write at various heat levels in several different subgenres, including contemporary, sci-fi, Southern, multicultural, m/m, m/f, and many other categories. Before looking at what anyone else had to say, I also jumped in and answered a few questions myself. I was surprised by just how much I was on the same page as many of my fellow writers.

Thanks to the enthusiastic response to these questions, I’ve broken this topic into five parts. Be sure to catch the whole series. You definitely don’t want to miss some of these answers.

Question #1: What makes you blush?  There was definitely a very clear divide between blushers and non-blushers.

 “I know this sounds strange coming from an erotic romance writer, but I blush very easily. Just thinking about blushing can trigger it. Having someone then point at me and say, ‘Hey, you’re blushing,’ just makes me redder. The trick is making it work for me and not letting a little color in my cheeks stop me from saying and doing what I want.”

- Allie Ritch

*

“Most dirty jokes make be blush if I’m in mixed company. Otherwise I can tell a dirty joke with the best of them.”

- Cynthia Woolf

Website: http://www.cynthiawoolf.com

Blog: http://www.cynthiawoolf.com/blog

*

“Compliments.”

- Selena Illyria

Website: www.selenaillyria.com

Amazon Central: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B0075NG31K

*

“Being made the center of attention.”

- Jianne Carlo

Website: www.jiannecarlo.com

*

“Tripping with people around, which I do often.”

- A. R. Norris

Blog: http://sci-fiadventures.blogspot.com/

*

“Compliments.”

- Pippa Jay

Blog: http://pippajay.blogspot.com/

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5054558.Pippa_Jay

*

“Any moment I deem embarrassing. This can range from compliments to pranks where all the attention is on me.”

- T. K. Toppin

Website/Blog: http://www.tktoppin.blogspot.com

*

“The list is too long. I’ve spent decades trying to overcome the blush but I expect I’ll be embarrassed on my deathbed.”

- Kate Rothwell/Summer Devon

Website: http://katerothwell.com

Website: http://summerdevon.com

*

“Talking in public. Any time I become the focus of people I blush because I just feel uneasy drawing peoples’ attention.”

- Qwillia Rain

Website: www.authorqwilliarain.com

Blog: http://authorqwilliarain.blogspot.com

*

“Flattery. Always. I’m always so surprised and embarrassed by it.”

- Lynn Lorenz

Website: www.lynnlorenz.com

*

“Discovering that the heroes of whatever m/m novel I’m working on have names starting with ‘J’ and ‘A.’ My best friend and his partner’s names start with those letters, and somehow those letters keep cropping up… *bright blush*”

- Emily Carrington

Website: www.emilycarrington.com

*

“There is one thing guaranteed to make me blush. I’m standing in line at the grocery store, pumping gas in my car, waiting at a stoplight and a sexy stranger makes eye contact. Damn, that gets me every time! That split second where he knows he’s caught me. Yep, I was looking and he gives that little curl of his lip to smile knowing I was checking him out. That makes me turn blazing red faster than anything.”

- Pauline Allan

Website/Blog: www.paulineallan.com

*

“Shaking down the CEO of the company for his security badge because I didn’t recognize him. That was truly embarrassing, especially since it wasn’t really my job—other than in the abstract way that security is everyone’s job. At least he was nice about it.”

- Clancy Nacht

Website: http://clancynacht.com/

Amazon: http://astore.amazon.com/charlottesome-20

*

“A lot of the stuff I say, LOL!”

- Pam Labud/Leigh Curtis

Website: www.pamlabud.net

Website: www.leighcurtis.net

*

“My husband, he definitely knows how to embarrass me.”

- Jami Davenport

Website: http://www.jamidavenport.com/

*

“Very little. I’m an erotic romance writer!”

- Cassandra Carr

Website: http://www.booksbycassandracarr.com

*

“Not much! When it happens, people tend to comment on it with, ‘I’ve never seen you blush before!’ Chances are, however, they have no idea what was going through my mind at the time—usually something unexpectedly sexual that takes me by surprise.”

- Tibby Armstrong

Website: http://www.tibbyarmstrong.com

*

“Not much. I write erotic romances.”

- Casey Crow

Website: www.caseycrow.com

*

“Nothing much anymore! I don’t like to be complimented and sometimes that makes me blush.”

- Viki Lyn

Website: http://www.vikilyn.com

Blog: http://www.vikilynromance.blogspot.com

*

“ROFL. Not much. Maybe getting caught staring at a man’s legs. But that’s what dark sunglasses are for, and I’m not afraid to use them.”

- Tarah Scott

Website: http://www.tarahscott.com/

*

“Nothing! WOO HOO HAHAHAHA! LOL Really, there is only one thing that can make me blush and it has been the same thing for years now. When my husband Dennis stops me when I know I am looking or feeling my worst, looks me in the eyes, and sincerely tells me how beautiful he finds me. I think he needs glasses, but the fact that after all these years, after all our children, after all that life has tossed at us, he still finds me beautiful makes my heart melt and reminds me why I love my wonderful man so much.”

- Stephanie Burke

Website/Blog: http://theflashcat.wordpress.com/

*

*

Question #2: What book are you reading?  We authors are usually voracious readers, so these answers probably became outdated the same day they were given.

“I most recently finished Jade Lee’s Engaged in Wickedness, Piper Vaughn’s Wanting, and Jayne Castle’s After Glow.”

- Allie Ritch

*

“Third Grave Dead Ahead by Darynda Jones”

- Cynthia Woolf

Website: http://www.cynthiawoolf.com

Blog: http://www.cynthiawoolf.com/blog

*

“Currently I’m reading Smiley’s People by John le Carre, The Queen’s Bastard by CE Murphy, Recipe for Submission by Sindra van Yssel, The Labors of Hercules by Agatha Christie and The UnTied Kingdom by Kate Johnson.”

- Selena Illyria

Website: www.selenaillyria.com

Amazon Central: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B0075NG31K

*

“The Saga of the Volsungs.”

- Jianne Carlo

Website: www.jiannecarlo.com

*

“I’ve just read P2PC by Laurie Green—not published yet but I hope it will be soon!”

- Pippa Jay

Blog: http://pippajay.blogspot.com/

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5054558.Pippa_Jay

*

“A JL Merrow. Love it.”

- Kate Rothwell/Summer Devon

Website: http://katerothwell.com

Website: http://summerdevon.com

*

“Multiple ones. Sarah McLean’s A Rogue By Any Other Name. Elisabeth Naughton’s Enraptured. Machiavelli’s The Prince.”

- Qwillia Rain

Website: www.authorqwilliarain.com

Blog: http://authorqwilliarain.blogspot.com

*

“Since I just finished turning in two books, I’m on a break and reading—finished Penalty Box and starting Hanging Loose soon.”

- Lynn Lorenz

Website: www.lynnlorenz.com

*

“Lisey’s Story, by Stephen King. (Whenever I’m in trouble, emotionally or spiritually, I seem to always find a fiction book about a strong woman. Go figure.)”

- Emily Carrington

Website: www.emilycarrington.com

*

“I just finished Stealing Midnight by Tracy MacNish. It is a wonderful historical romance. I also read Born To Please by G.A. Hauser. It’s a BDSM, M/M erotic romance.”

- Pauline Allan

Website/Blog: www.paulineallan.com

*

“Grave Secrets by Kathy Riechs. I love that forensic stuff.”

- Pam Labud/Leigh Curtis

Website: www.pamlabud.net

Website: www.leighcurtis.net

*

“I’m reading an equestrian mystery called ‘Barnstorming’ written by a friend of mine, Laura Crum.”

- Jami Davenport

Website: http://www.jamidavenport.com/

*

“The Lonely Dominant, about a man struggling with the beginning of a Dominant/submissive relationship. Great insight into the BDSM lifestyle. Hey, it’s not War and Peace, but that’s okay.”

- Cassandra Carr

Website: http://www.booksbycassandracarr.com

*

“I just finished Duck! by Kim Dare. It’s the most unique shifter novel I’ve ever read, and the sweetest D/s novel too. I cried three times while reading it—likely a record for me. I think I can count the number of books I’ve cried over on one hand.”

- Tibby Armstrong

Website: http://www.tibbyarmstrong.com

*

“Agnes and the Hitman by Jennifer Crusie and Bob Mayer. Very funny.”

- Casey Crow

Website: www.caseycrow.com

*

“The Gay Man’s Kama Sutra. (For research of course).”

- Viki Lyn

Website: http://www.vikilyn.com

Blog: http://www.vikilynromance.blogspot.com

*

“Linnea Sinclair’s Gabriel’s Ghost”

- Tarah Scott

Website: http://www.tarahscott.com/

*

“Who has time for that? I am too busy writing! LOL But I did recently slow down to read the latest in the Children of Earth series by Jean Auel. I waited eighteen years for this book and I was not impressed. Sniffle. But I am looking for something else to read in my down time other than edits. When I delve back into my TBR pile, and it is a huge pile, I’ll let you know.”

- Stephanie Burke

Website/Blog: http://theflashcat.wordpress.com/

*

“I just finished Silverfish, and am starting on Plymouth Colony (a recent release from new DB publishing author).”

- A. R. Norris

Blog: http://sci-fiadventures.blogspot.com/

*

“‘The Affair’ by Lee Childs and ‘Tongues of Serpents’ by Naomi Novik. I have nothing quippy to add.”

- Clancy Nacht

Website: http://clancynacht.com/

Amazon: http://astore.amazon.com/charlottesome-20

*

“I JUST finished Game Plan by Karla Doyle and Five Card Stud by Gem Sivad.”

- Cara Bristol

Website: http://www.carabristol.com

***

I have to say, I love Stephanie Burke’s answer about blushing the best. It was like reading a mini-romance in itself. Tarah, I actually met Linnea Sinclair at an RT Convention years ago. She’s very nice, a memorable character herself, and a self-proclaimed “jewelry whore.” I’ve read all of her SFR work and am torn between liking Hope’s Folly or An Accidental Goddess best. I love the idea of saluting a cat.

Stop back next Saturday for the next installment of beauty pageant questions posed to our authors. Find out what they have to say about money and success.