The Liebster Award

The Liebster Award is given to anyone with a blog who wants to participate. C. Lee McKenzie tagged “anyone who wants to play,” and my friend and fellow writer Kathleen Valentine tagged me. To play you have to thank the person who tagged you with a link to their blog, answer the questions, then pass the tag on. I'm going to pass it on to Jacqueline Seewald as well as anyone else who wants to join us.

If you had only one good deed you could do in this world, what would that be?

Achieve world peace. We hear about certain wars in specific areas of the world, but throughout the year there may be as many as 60 small conflicts going on, taking lives and destroying homes and neighborhoods.

What is one fictional character you'd like to be? How come?

I'd like to be any female character who took off to explore Asia. One of my dreams was to follow the Silk Road and some of its many branches, but with the current political situation in that part of the world, I doubt I'll ever get the chance.

What's your fondest memory from childhood?

I have many fond memories but one involves two neighbors. In the late fall, after the summer residents had left (in the 1950s) we explored the grounds of the old estates, which were quite large. No one else was around and we had it all to ourselves. I was young enough to be fearless and old enough to know we were breaking some rules, and, I confess, it was thrilling to do so.

Is there any story you wish you'd written? Which one?

If a book is really good, I almost always wish I'd written it or something like it. I wish I'd written Annie Proulx's BAD DIRT, or Larry Watson's MONTANA 1948.

If you're a writer, what genre do you wish you could write, but just can't?

Alice Hoffman writes a form of fantasy (MERMAIDS) that is beautiful and intelligent, but other than that subgenre, I'm happy with what I write.

Are you going to participate in the A to Z 2017? Why or why not?

I haven't decided yet but it sounds interesting.

What makes you happier than anything else in this world?

A day full of variety--writing, gardening, taking a walk, seeing friends, a good meal, sitting quietly on the porch with a good book, and mild dry sunny weather.

What is the meaning of success to you?

For me success is being able to do what I want and getting some appreciation for it, not a lot necessarily, but some. And I'd add to that writing something that feels right to me, a story that works and leaves me feeling that something more came through than what I expected.

When you were in grade school, what did you want to be when you grew up?

I wanted to write and, briefly, be a cowgirl.

Is there anything you want to do, but are afraid to try?

I don't think of anything I want to do but have veered away from. Fear doesn't keep me from trying new things.

Please share a paragraph or two from your current WIP or your favorite quote.

My current WIP is a mystery short story, "Tamsyn's Pony."

The pony was meant to make up for all their daughter had lost. The driver pulled into the yard and positioned the horse trailer so that all he had to do was lower the gate and walk the horse out into the yard. Tamsyn let herself be led out to the porch where her mother barely suppressed her excitement. But Tamsyn was used to this. Her father barely noticed his daughter's subdued expression, and she was used to this too.

"Isn't he lovely?" Her mother leaned over as though Tamsyn were still a toddler and needed to be coaxed to know her feelings. But Tamsyn was almost as tall as her mother, and the gesture was awkward.