double tagged! also, a facelift.

I have been double-tagged!
Once by Colin D. Smith {all the 7s}, and once by TZ Wallace {good old 11 questions}.

Let's start with the questions!

1. What book character do you have a crush on?

Let me tell you guys about my husband. He has curly blond hair and gray-blue eyes. He loves to cook and gets adorably excited about food, especially baked goods. He is quiet and kind, almost to a fault. He has been known to paint and get hopelessly romantic. When I first read The Hunger Games, I couldn't get over the parallels.* So this question is kind of a no-brainer.

Is it any wonder I liked Peeta so much?

*Note: My husband is significantly less perfect and more human, though. Just the way I like 'em.

2. What was the last book that made you cry?

I'm going to go with all-out bawled, here, and not just choked up. I got choked up in Legend over Day's necklace {I don't even know why}, but that wasn't the same. The last book that made me *cry* cry was The Book Thief. I mean, come on people. I cried for so many reasons, and throughout the whole thing. There was the emotional gravity of World War II, first of all, but also the sheer beauty of the storytelling. And the characters in that book. Oh man.

Before The Book Thief, there was A Monster Calls, by Patrick Ness, which made me weep on a plane.

3. What scenes are the hardest for you to write?

Transitions/decision making. I get bored reading them, I get bored writing them.

4. Are you superstitious about your writing methods, or do you have any rituals regarding your writing?

I'm not superstitious, but I do appreciate ritual. Probably too much, because then I become dependent on the ritual {which, in turn, is the definition of superstitious, so...}. Can I write without coffe/tea? Can I write without checking my email compulsively every fifteen minutes? Can I write in public/at home/in the car, if I'm not used to it? Yes, Julie. Yes you can.

One thing I do, that makes me feel like a weirdo, is migrate while I write. I might start on the couch, but if the juices aren't flowing, I'll move to the table. If I get stuck again, I'll go to the guest bedroom {which is supposed to be my "office"}. After a few days of this, I'll write at the library. I have a Goldilocks complex. I might also be in a funk.

5. Do you listen to music when writing, or do you have to have silence?

Oh good heavens, I can't stand to listen to music while writing. I work in silence. I love music, and I listen to it for mood all the time, but trying to write to it makes me feel punchy/insane. Or like my brain might melt out of my ears. If I'm ever trying to write in a loud or public place, I'll listen to brown noise {a few degrees lower/softer than white noise} on my headphones. Silence is king, though. Or should I say, ADD is king, and silence the most effective medicine?

6. What book antagonist do you love to hate?

Who doesn't have a thing for Voldemort?

7. What is the last book you stayed up ridiculously late to finish reading?

All three of the books I read last month accomplished this. Article 5, Anna Dressed in Blood, and Legend. The again, I tend to stay up ridiculously late, regardless.

8. When was the last time that you waited in line for a book release?

I have only done this once, for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

9. What book{s} is/are currently on your bedside table?

My planner. A Game of Thrones. Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes. The Plot Whisperer. My notebook. Zombies vs. Unicorns. A printed copy of my first draft. A History of Asia.

10. What is your "guilty pleasure" book that you read and re-read?

I don't know if I would call this a guilty pleasure, since there's absolutely nothing to be ashamed of, but I generally always want to go back to I Capture the Castle.

11. How comfortable are you calling yourself a "writer?"

Today, not very, since I have little to show for it.

Sweet! Moving on to the 7's.

I don't know who decided to call this Lucky 7 meme "lucky." Haaaaaaaaaaaa. The seven lines starting with line seven of page seventy-seven of my horrid rough draft from a year ago are, predictably, horrid. Excuses, excuses. But seriously. Those words aren't going to see the light of day. They occur 'midst things that are no longer relevant. I haven't reached page 77 of the rewrite, yet. And so, I'm treating you with seven lines from page 77 of my NaNo project, instead. But watch out. I haven't looked at this in three and a half months, and it has never been edited. Not a smidge. Wahoo!

***

She tips the suitcase onto its spine, there on the floor in the middle of the little back room attached to the kitchen. No one else seems to notice this corner, or care for it. Embarrassed, I can’t stop thinking about the contents of the cupboards behind me. My mouth actually starts to water over nothing in particular, and I train my attention back to Nan. No one else is eating. I wonder if Catie and Donovan realize that I’m still starving, burning up on the fumes of hospital coffee and eating them whole.

Nan unclasps the hooks on the old suitcase and half of it thuds to the floor.

***

Oh man, check out ALL of my slap-dash writing flaws. Way too many words? Check. Run-on sentences? Check. Descriptions that make no sense? Check check. How on earth does one "eat" coffee fumes whole? After burning up on them? Ah, NaNo. I even remember being proud of this paragraph. *goose laugh* But that's the thing about rough drafts, I guess. You write them to iron out your thoughts, not to please anyone else. Right?

Also, I had forgotten that I wrote most of this in first/present. Interesting.

Well that was fun. I actually just got excited about NaNo again. If you feel like playing along, consider yourself tagged!

While you're here, how do you like the new look?

answers to questions, and then more questions.

Welcome back, me. While you were off gallivanting in the abyss of your imagination {or trying to, at least}, Julia King tagged you to answer 11 questions. All of us here in your brain think this would be a nice way to return to your blog.

Thanks... self.

{It's been along week.}

Okay, here we go!

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CHILDHOOD MEMORY?

I don't know if there's a specific one that stands out, but generally every adventure I had with my cousins blends into one big, happy mess of nostalgia. Fall weekends at Otter Creek, summer weekends at the lake... few thing were better, back then.

WHO IS YOUR HERO?

I always have a hard time with this question, because it's such a no-brainer {I mean, come on, my parents and grandparents are amazing. Plus they like, RAISED ME, and stuff}.

So, not including the humans who helped shaped me into a well-balanced adult?

Alton Brown is my hero, because he posted a picture of himself wearing a fedora on Facebook, and I just love the guy. He has never pulled me from a burning building, but he does make me laugh, and want to cook {the latter of which is nearly as impressive as walking through fire}, and he's from Atlanta, which is, like, right down the road. What's not to love?

WHAT IS THE FIRST THING THAT POPS INTO YOUR MIND RIGHT NOW?

I'm still thinking about Alton Brown, so... food.
Also, "Why was school never as much fun as Good Eats?"
And, "It's so weird being this close to Georgia."
And, "I used to live right across the river from Indiana. Indiana and Georgia are, like, opposites."
This could go on forever; I'll spare us both.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE FOOD?

What's with all the food today? It's like I just started exercising again, or something...
Sigh.
If it's going to make me sick later, I probably have an unhealthy desire to eat it CONSTANTLY. Cheezits give me heartburn, for example. Whyyy????

IF YOU WERE STUCK IN A "GROUNDHOG DAY" TYPE EXPERIENCE, WHAT CRAZY THINGS WOULD YOU DO TO SHAKE UP THE DAY?

Oh... now I'm going to have to go watch that movie again.
I remember, like, 0% of it.
Unless you mean the Groundhog Day four years ago where I started talking to the boy who would eventually become my husband. The only thing I would have done to shake up that day:  kiss him, right there in front of his best friend's wedding party. That would have been memorable. Also, completely out of character for both of us.

IF YOU COULD BE ANY ANIMAL, WHAT WOULD IT BE AND WHY?

How can I choose? Probably a cat. I'm already quite like one. All introverted and ambivalent, and only affectionate when I want to be {I am more affectionate than most cats, though}.

WHY DID YOU START WRITING?

Because I felt like I might go crazy otherwise? Also, I ran out of excuses not to.

WHERE IS YOUR FAVORITE PLACE TO READ?

In bed or on a couch, usually. Sometimes I enjoy pacing {on even ground} with a book in hand. This winter I've found myself reading in the bath an awful lot. I kind of wish I could write in there, but, sigh. Best not to get electrocuted.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE BOOK?

Well I can't choose just one. Do you know any book people who can choose just one?
The handful I *always* mention are:

I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith.
Life of Pi by Yann Martel. {also check out Beatrice & Virgil. It is insane.}
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak.
The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, & Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins (duh).

The Harry Potter series by JK Rowling (duh).
Lips Touch {and everything else} by Laini Taylor.

{but there are many more I love.}

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE HOLIDAY?

I'm going to go with the unshakably Louisvillian answer, here, and say, DERBY DAY!
It's almost as much a family get-together as Christmas. Plus, there's the regional pride, the singing of my My Old Kentucky Home {so far away *sob*}, Derby pie {I don't even like desserts much, but this is killer}, horses, strawberries, and hats. No one expects anything from anyone else {i.e. no gifts}, it's just about being together. It was in my family, at least. I always loved that.

IF YOU COULD GO ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD (PAID IN FULL) WHERE WOULD IT BE?

Oh, don't tempt me. I'd go to the London Olympics. And then to the small town in Crete where my husband and I were adopted by our neighbors. We miss our Greek friends! {Best. Honeymoon. Ever.}

Thanks for tagging me, Julia!

I was also bestowed a blog award while away. Thanks kmckendry!

You already know a few interesting things about me, thanks to Julia's questions, but I'll add a few more.

1. I am a picky eater, and that's one top of being vegetarian {you may already know this}.

2. I got my pupils dilated today, but the doctor didn't put very much of the solution in my left eye. I look pretty hilarious right now.

3. I love all animals, but I own only cats. For now.

4. I have hazel eyes.

5. My heritage is primarily German.

6. I was not a coffee person until last year, but now I'm hooked {I am my mother's daughter}.

7. I did not write as much this week as I'd hoped.

Okay! That was fun.

I suppose now it's my turn to ask questions and give awards?

1. What flower do you most anticipate every spring?

2. Which musician do you always go back to?
3. Do you use a rewards system when you write? Has that EVER worked for you?
4. Best book you read in 2011?

5. Is it sunny where you are?

6. Are you a picky eater?

7. Who is *your* non-parental hero?

8. Would you rather go skiing or sledding?

9. What came first: the character or the premise?

10. How has your writing habit surprised you?

11. Favorite TV show?

If you feel like answering, YOU ARE HEREBY TAGGED!

And if you're feeling Kreativ, YOU ARE HEREBY AWARDED! Especially if you are a new follower {hi new followers!}

In other words, this coffee shop is about to close and I have to get back home. Bring on the Campaign! See you all at the first challenge on Monday. To the weekend! To writing! To my dilated right pupil!

*cheers*