My Liebster Award

Thanks again to the lovely Wendy Knight for tagging me in this blog. I love blog hops! This one is for blogs with fewer than 200 followers. I am to come up with 11 questions for 11 other bloggers. I don't know if I know that many writers well enough to ask them to blog. ;) But I'll try! Now to answer Wendy's 11 questions.

1. Writing. Why do you do it?
Because I can't NOT do it. I originally started writing when I was 14 because I wanted to read a story about a group of teenagers who tried to stop a weird Satanic cult from killing townspeople in a small North Carolina town. I wanted to picture the main characters as my favorite group (then and now) New Kids on the Block. #fangirl I couldn't find anything like that at the library so I decided to write it. I like to think of it as original fanfic. ;) As I've mentioned in previous blogs, that first book took on a life of its own and I wrote a series based on that original story from 1990-1996 - five books altogether. Over the past couple of years, I've written an updated version of that first book and also, a reunion story I started in 2009 based on those characters getting back together as adults to fight the same evil again. So that's why I write: to read the stories I've always wanted to read. I like Toni Morrison's quote: “If there's a book that you want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it.” 

2. What's your biggest fear? (Mine is spiders. In case you were wondering.)
Snakes. :( And please don't send me snake pictures, thinking it's going to cure me or that one day I might touch them and get over it. NOOOO. I picked up one when I was a little girl, thinking it was a stick and it scarred me for life. I had a full-blown panic attack when my cat brought one up on the porch and it was dead. I just can't handle snakes. *shudder*

3. Where do you see yourself in five years?
This is always a tricky question because I am never right! LOL Ideally, I will be a published author by then. I know I will still be writing, whether or not I'm published. I don't know for sure if we will be living in the same place, but part of me hopes so, although I like changing things up every few years. I also kinda hope I've found a significant other to spend the rest of my life with. I doubt it but you never know what's going to happen! I would like to be in love again someday...

4. What is your biggest obstacle standing in the way of your dreams?
Fear. I think I get in my own way. Fear of failure, not being good enough, etc. I'm slowly becoming more confident in myself and my writing. I genuinely love what I have done over the past few days with my thriller A SCARRED MIND. I always thought it was good but now I think it's pretty awesome, if I do say so, and am proud of my work. This really could be The One after all. *prays*

5. If you could write anything - without worrying about the market saturation or whether it was your genre, what would you write?
I would write the same things I do now. ;) I don't worry about what's in the market right now. I just write what I want, what I want to read and hope that others will like it too. 

6. Favorite hobby, besides writing. Go.
My favorite hobby other than writing (and reading since that's part of writing) is probably all the fun I have being a Blockhead (NKOTB fan) from going to the concerts, making new friends among their fans, Twitter, etc. It's a fun ride that started more than 25 years ago and is still going. I also love watching movies but am not as into the film world as I used to be. Now, more often that not, I will read a book before I'll watch a movie.

7. What is the craziest thing you've ever done?
This probably goes back to something I did for NKOTB. I'll have to think about it...People always say their fans are so crazy (we're not that bad really) but we're just loyal. Maybe flying to Vegas to see my favorite guy, Joey McIntyre, do a show at midnight (3 a.m. my time). I'd never been to Vegas and went by myself, all the way across the country. I met some friends there and we got about three hours of sleep the whole weekend. But it was SO much fun! I'd love to do it again.

8. Nature vs. Nurture - what's your opinion?
Hmm...I think Nurture is stronger than Nature. I base this on the fact that my daughter has never known her father and the only thing I see of him in her is her looks. She doesn't act anything like he did but she is a lot like me and very attached to me. Therefore I'd say Nurture. 

9. Do you believe people can change?
It depends on the person, but yes. They have to want to change. I've learned you can't force it on anyone. Some people never change and it's because they don't want to or don't think they have to. 

10. Where would you like to visit more than anywhere else? Why?
New Zealand because they have everything -- beautiful beaches and mountains and hobbit holes!! And best of all - no snakes! 

11. Name one thing you are determined to accomplish this year. And do it!
Get an agent! I really hope it happens for me this year. I have faith that it will, especially now that I believe in my book more than ever. Here's hoping!

And now for my tagged friends:

Abby Cavenaugh

Lizzy  Froehle

Katrina Sincek

Fiona McLaren

Kelley Harvey

Cat Scully

J.M. Bray

Cynthia Hill

PS - You guys may have more than 200 followers but I broke the rules to include my CP's!

My 11 questions for you guys:

1. What was the first book you wrote and at what age?

2. Favorite celebrity crush and why?

3.  Is your favorite genre to write the same as your favorite to read? Why or why not?

4. I'm going to steal one of Wendy's: Where do you see yourself in five years?

5. If you could live one day of your life over, what would it be?

6. If you could live in a fictional world, what would it be? (Thanks to Fiona for that one!)

7. Favorite author?

8. Do you write better with music/noise or silence?

9. If you could see a genre mash-up of two movies, which would you choose? (Thanks again Fiona! You ROCK)

10. Are you spiritual or religious or agnostic or atheist? (No offense intended to anyone. I'm just curious)

11. Do you have a designated writing space? If so, describe it.

Thanks everybody! :) Happy blogging!