(vol 1) CHAPTER 46: “Liebster Award”

Back in October I was nominated by Sarah Foster over at The Faux Fountain Pen (big thanks) for the Liebster Award, a kind of “welcome to blogging / talk about yourself” thing.

I wanted to post my answers and questions earlier but what with this years NaNoWriMo and the FlashDogs Anthology release, time in front of the keyboard has been limited for these other projects.

Anyway, I thought it would be nice to do as my penultimate post of the year. Below you’ll find 11 facts about me, my answers to Sarah’s 11 questions (which are cracking) and finally my 11 questions that I will be sending out to fellow bloggers.

So let’s get going then.

JUST THE FACTS

1

My favourite movie, without doubt, is THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION. I’ve loved it since I first saw it on video in 1999 and cannot switch it off if I stumble across it while channel surfing. It’s so powerful and Red’s journey at the end is perfect.

2

In 2009 I asked a couple of mates if me and the wife could tag along to their Pub Quiz night. Have been going ever since.

3

I cried at the end of the IRON GIANT. I’m man enough to admit when films have an effect on me and this animated classic did. “I go. You stay. No follow.” Gets me every time.

4

I only eat one vegetable (carrot) and one fruit (apples).

5

I have each DVD of my Star Wars Original Trilogy boxed set signed by an actor from the films.

STAR WARS – R2D2 (Kenny Baker)

EMPIRE STRIKES BACK – Boba Fett (Jeremy Bulloch)

RETURN OF THE JEDI – Lando Calrissian (Billy Dee Williams)

6

My favourite band of all time is JIMMY EAT WORLD. Heard their song “The Middle” on a music channel and bought the album Bleed American that weekend. Now have all their albums and have seen them live twice (the first time was in my home town which I never thought would happen in a million years).

7

The shortest I’m worked in a job is four hours. Blockbuster took me on and then decided to ignore that part of the application form where I’d written what hours I was available to work (it was a second job and they thought I could travel 10 miles and change into uniform in a thousandth of a second).

8

I couldn’t be happier with my wedding day. I’d never given it much thought growing up (I’m a bloke so what do you expect) but when the wife and I agreed on Corfu and our closest family all said they would make it then it became more than perfect. And where did we go the day after the wedding? To the island’s water park. Awesome.

9

They say that when one door closes another opens. But what if when the door closes you just wait two years and the same one opens again. You see I worked for Company X who were based next door to their rivals, Company Y. One day Company X went bust and we all lost our jobs. Luckily most of the customers and staff moved over to company Y who even took over the property. Now, two years later I’m still working for Company Y but I’m sat back in the office I used to sit in when I worked for Company X. And I’m about five meters away from my old desk. And I do the same work. And I can see four people I used to work with at Company X from where I sit. It’s weird.

10

I’m a massive comic book fan and, as such, have a large comic collection. Although I have all the Graphic Novels a geek should own (Watchman, Batman: Year One, Sin City) my comics collection focuses on X-Men. After my brother didn’t want issue 17 of the British reprint he’d bought from out local newsagents I read it though and carried on. Once I’d found out I could buy the American issues in this country (thank you Forbidden Planet) it just exploded. Pride of my collection? Issue 300 of Uncanny X-Men signed by John Romita Jr.

11

I’ve met Stan Lee. ‘Nuff said.

---

ANSWERS

When I was nominated by Sarah Foster, one of the things she supplied was her own 11 questions to be answered. So here goes.

If you could dress up as anyone/anything for Halloween, what would it be?

I actually managed this two years ago when I went to a party as Max Payne. Normally I couldn’t have pulled it off with the characters original look but when Rockstar  brought out the 3^rd game it was too easy. No hair on top? Check. Messy beard? Check. Tacky Hawaiian shirt? Check. With a quick trip to Toys ‘R’ Us for some plastic guns I was good to go.

If you could only write one genre of books for the rest of your life, what would it be?

Sci-Fi. My brain doesn’t stop asking ‘why’ and I love where solutions to everyday problems and issues can lead a story.

Where were you when you were struck with the idea for your current WIP? Did something trigger the idea or did you pull it out of thin air? My current project, FALLEN SWORDS, was inspired by a member of staff getting fired in front of the whole office. It looked like one thing but the following couple of days churned up rumours and speculation. It began to sound like something from Game Of Thrones. A week later I started planning a Fantasy story but using key moments and staff from my workplace as a springboard.

Who is your celebrity crush? It’s a tie. I’d drop everything for Natalie Portman but I also have a thing for Patrick Warburton’s voice. I want that voice.

What literary character would you want to be best friends with? It has to be Samuel Vimes from the Discworld novels. He’s one of my favourite literary characters of all time and I took my middle name after him.

You have to pull off a huge heist (such as robbing a casino like in Ocean's Eleven). Who do you want on your team? You can pick people you know, celebrities, or any fictional characters (but no magical powers!). James Bond, Batman and did I mention I love Natalie Portman?

What is your least favourite household chore? Cooking.

Has there ever been a book/movie/TV show that made you sob uncontrollably? I never sob uncontrollably but I damn well shed a tear on the last page of the Dark Tower. The culmination of six months reading seven epic books, staying up until 3am to get to the end and that moment when Roland opens the door and . . . no I won’t spoil it. I’ll just say that it’s so sad for the character but it was the only way it could have ended. Can’t recommend that series enough.

Has one of your favourite books ever been made into a movie and you hated it? Somehow the Lovely Bones has been on my top ten books list since I finished it. It’s so unlike anything else I read and enjoy. I was over the moon when the announced the film and felt even better when Peter Jackson was revealed as the Director. So what the hell went wrong? It’s not crap (not like The Shinning, The Phantom Menace or 8mm) but it’s just meh.

How do you take your coffee? Do you like flavoured coffee? Latte. It was my first date drink with the woman I married.

What would your demise be that gets you kicked out of Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory? I’m addicted to TWIX so I’d probably get cut in half.

---

Well that’s my part done. Now it’s time to pass this onto the three fellow bloggers and unleash eleven devious questions upon them.

My nominees are:

Mark A King at MAKING FICTION

Sinead O’Hart at SJ O’HART

Natalie Bowers at STORY SCAVENGER

QUESTIONS

01) If you could have any super power for a day, what would it be?

02) Who is the most famous person you’ve met?

03) If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be and why?

04) What was the first story you can remember writing?

05) Which book do you wish you’d written and why?

06) If you could write a sequel to a movie that doesn’t already have one how would it go?

07) If you could be on a writing panel with three other authors, who would they be?

08) You’re given a time travel device that allows only one time jump. What date do you go to?

09) What’s your biggest regret to date?

10) If you could live in any fictional world (filmed or written) where would it be?

11) What are your goals for 2015?

I’m looking forward to what answers those three come up with. If you have a free second I urge you to jump over to their sites and check them out. Great people and great writers.

Hope you enjoyed finding out a little bit more about me. Have a good Christmas; eat drink and be Merry.

See you in seven.