Eight things about me...

Rene tagged me with this :)


1. Each player starts with eight random facts/habits about themselves.

2. People who are tagged need to write their own blog about their eight things and post these rules.

3. At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names.

4. Don't forget to leave them a comment telling them they're tagged, and to read your blog.

Eight Things About Me

1. I put a hairline fracture in my right hand slamming it on the piano keys while learning to play Music Box Dancer (Frank Mills), when I was about 12 or 13 years old. (If you click on the link, make sure your speakers are on - it sounds different than I remember, less complicated. Hmmm.)

2. One of my favourite TV shows is a Canadian production called History Bites - each week they examine a different period/event in history. The premise is that tv existed and they channel surf. Hard to describe, but oh, so much fun.

3. I've been reviewing books for The Historical Novel Society
for the last seven years and found out recently I'm one of their top five reviewers from North America. That really set me back on my heels - I'd no idea I'd read and reviewed so many books!

4. I worked as a Buyer's Clerk (or Assistant - the term I preferred) for the Canadian Forces for five years. My immediate boss was fantastic - I still send him and his wife a Christmas card each year. From him I learned a lot about retail buying and about life in general. Even though the job literally raised my blood pressure (my boss's boss wasn't quite so, well, um, how do I put this - nice), I don't regret the time I spent there, learning new skills and making friends across the country.

5. I love family history and by default, have become the unoffical family historian. One of my mum's cousins did a lot of work in England, so we can trace one line back into the 17th century - my many times great-grandfather went to London from either Portugal or Spain (we're pretty sure it's Portugal). Through the GRO site I found my great-grandparents' marriage certificates (both sets of GGPs) and ordered copies of them, which was very cool. I also have a transcription of my paternal grandparents' (babcia and dziadek) marriage certificate from 1922 as well as my babcia's high school graduation certificate.

6. My dad taught me to ski when I was really little, first on the front of his skiis, then with my own little red wooden ones and small leather boots. Ironically, I'm still only an intermediate skiier (at least by West Coast/Rocky Mountain standards *g*).

7. One of my favourite holiday spots ever is Osmington/Osmington Mills in Dorset. My aunt and uncle had a caravan there for years and when we went to England in the summers of '74, '76 and '78 we went down there to stay. It was heaven - fields, cliffs, the sea and long walks with my cousins.

8. I've been writing for as long as I can remember - short stories, poems, half-finished novels (in high school), essays, and now reviews, articles and, of course, my mss. I can't imagine not writing. My babcia saw that in me and always encouraged me to follow that dream. And my nana, through her love of books as well, also inspired me to write.

Now, eight people to tag may get tricky, as so many people I already know have been tagged - here goes: Annette, Susan, Jen, Sarah, Nienke, Kit, Katy and the Doubtful Muse.

Teresa

Currently Reading: Labyrinth by Kate Mosse
Also Currently Reading: Dark Angels by Karleen Koen
Link of the Day: Journal of Matthew Vienneau whose sister, Nicole, is missing in Syria

Five questions from Kelly...

Here are the five questions Kelly gave me to answer:

1. If you could pick one published author who’s career you would like to emulate, who would it be and why?
Elizabeth Chadwick. Over the last 17 years she's slowly, but surely, become a fan favourite among readers of historical fiction, particularly those who love the medieval period. Not only that, her writing has improved from pretty darned good at the start to absolutely fantastic now. Her gradual rise through the midlist allowed her to survive in the not-always-easy world of publishing as each of her books built on the strengths of the previous one. Last, but certainly not least, she's generous with her time to both fellow writers and to her readers, taking the time to give talks and participate in online discussion groups, where she shares her experiences and doles out sound, sensible advice.

2. Your favorite flavour of lip gloss.is...?
Raspberry - anything raspberry tastes good to me. If I had to have a second choice, it would be vanilla.

3. Most embarrassing moment for your high school days.
Hmmm, nothing in particular stands out. Though I was at one point a bit of a waterworks at school dances - hormones and love songs never seemed to mix well with me. Especially as I was a wee bit of an ugly duckling at the time, so never had a date.

4. If you could be transported back into one historical period, what would it be?
1483 England. Just like my heroine in Trust in Love, I'd want to go back to meet Richard III and ask him WHY in heaven's name he left his nephews behind when he went on progress in July 1483. I don't believe he murdered them himself, but by not keeping them with him, he abdicated his responsibility to guard them from those who sought to use them as pawns.

5. Hollywood has called. They want you to pick your favorite book to make into a movie and do the casting. Which book do you pick and who gets cast as hero and heroine?
Of my own mss, it would be What the Heart Remembers, with James Purefoy in the role of Adrian and Kate Winslet in the role of Cécile (I know, she's not French, but she looks more like my vision of Cécile than my other choice, Audrey Tatou).

Of books already published, that's a lot harder. I've so many books I love, but I'll give it a shot - Elizabeth Chadwick's The Falcons of Montabard is one of my faves - I'd probably go with Ioan Gruffudd as Sabin and Laura Fraser as Annais - she played Kate the Farrier in A Knight's Tale, and her character should have been, IMHO, the heroine of that movie.

Great questions, Kelly! Thanks :-)

I'm off to bed now - still recovering from my week hauling deadfall etc and preparing for another busy few days. Am hoping to get back to my story at some point as well. Our niece was up to visit this weekend, along with my brother/sister-in-law. Family weekends are so much fun!

Teresa

Currently Reading: Dark Angels by Karleen Koen (I'm savouring every page of this wonderful tale of intrigue, love and politics at the court of Charles II)