Travels of the Bookworm
I am sitting in the offices of Penguin Canada, furiously answering bloggers questions, before shooting off to Dove Spa here in Toronto for a 4pm event.
I particularly like these questions from Travels of the Bookworm, and because I have been on a crazy book tour and have been utterly remiss in providing you with updates (they’ll come when it’s done, promise), I thought I’d print them here:
- What is your idea of perfect happiness? Being at home, on a beautiful summer’s night, surrounded by family and friends in the kitchen, and cooking up a storm, preferably with vegetables picked straight from the garden.
- Which person, living or dead, do you most admire and why? Right now I’d have to say Barack Obama, for overcoming the odds.
- Who are your favorite writers? And which ones would you want to meet living or dead and be able to ask one question, and what would it be?I love Dani Shapiro, Ann Patchett, Jonathan Tropper, Patrick Gale, Armistead Maupin. I would love to have met Dickens, and quizzed him about his prescience, and his themes of how a man can go from having nothing, to everything,to nothing again in a heartbeat.
- If you were to die and come back as a person or thing, what do you think it would be?A person who is hopefully further along the karmic path than I.
- If you were able to choose what you would be able to come back as, what would you choose? A cat, and preferably one who belongs to someone like me.
- Which talent (besides writing) would you most like to have? I have always wanted to play the piano, but have neither the time nor the patience to take the amount of lessons required for me to play in the way I would like.
- During your younger years, you quit college. Was there something about the whole college experience of something personal that made you quit, and do you think it has affected your career at all? I was too immature for college, and too irresponsible. I was far more interested in the fact that I was away from home for the first time, and able to party to my heart’s content. Having said that, I do not regret not finishing my degree, and often notice how many more creative types do not do well in stringent academic environments.
- You are originally from the
- Have you thought about writing any other type of genre as a writer, and if you have, what type? I have attempted more of a mystery with
- Who are your heroes in real life? My husband, who is the kindest, most gentle and patient man I have ever known. I still cannot believe that I found him, and the peace and serenity that is our marriage.
July 2nd, 2009 at 1:23 pm
What a wonderful post - especially your kind words about your husband
I’m almost finished with Dune Road - my coworker tried to steal it out of my bag! I can’t make this stuff up (she eventually bought her own copy). Happy travels!
July 2nd, 2009 at 7:37 pm
Ohhh Jane you have been so badly missed! I check here everyday and hope that you have blogged and today I find two!! Yay!!
The fact that this was written so close to my hometown (Niagara, Ontario) makes me a bit homesick though… Hope they treated you well!
I have been buying tons and tons of books lately, namely the rest of your collection that I was missing. It had been ages since I treated myself to a book because my ex-fiance was so controlling over money, I wasn’t allowed. But I left him 7 weeks ago and have never looked back! Now I buy all the books, cds, dvds and clothes I want. I’ve gone down 2 dress sizes and lost 2 stone already, had a tattoo done and got my tongue pierced cuz I wanted to! Its great!
Take care Jane and readers. xxx
July 3rd, 2009 at 4:05 am
Trish! You are fantastic!!! I have loved your posts on Jane’s blog..and YOU GO GIRL!!! Sounds like you got rid of a lot of unhappiness….and so glad you have moved on and have gotten healthy!!! You have always sounded like a very nurturing person…which can be tough…because you want to help and support people… but you can not always fix broken people and it is not your job to do it! Controlling people are the worst! Now…the right person will come along! All the best to you Trish!
July 3rd, 2009 at 8:52 am
OMG Anne,
Thank you so much for your kind words and encouragement. I had been through some really tough times and found support and the strength to get through it all from people like you, Jane and her other readers. It’s amazing how we pull for each other isnt it?
I feel fantastic now and, although I still have the odd moment of extreme pain and saddness for the babies I lost, I am so much happier now. Happier than I have ever been! It honestly is all down to my friends that I have found online. Here, Donny.com and facebook. Wonderful women, each and every one of them.
If you want to contact me personally, feel free. Email me garthsmojo@hotmail.com
Thanks again Anne! xx
July 3rd, 2009 at 5:59 pm
Jane…dare I say…Trish may be your next heroine? I love her already! and Trish I am still really sorry about your loss… I hope I never have to know your grief. Stay strong..and in the words of Bush AND Reagan (I don’t care for the first one) …”stay the course!” (repeat those words whenever necessary!!)
Thanks Jane…and hope your are surviving your crazy schedule. I am sure it is very rewarding at the same time to see your readers etc! Oops…late for BBQ..and looks like rained out fireworks! Drat!! Summer Bummer!!
xoxo Jane and Trish!!
July 4th, 2009 at 8:43 am
Aww, Anne you are lovely! I hope you have a fantastic 4th of July weekend, rain or no rain!! xxx
Jane, once again, thank you from the bottom of my heart for creating this warm, safe enviroment for us to come to. Everytime I post on your blog, I am greeted with such warmth, it honestly overwhelms me! You, as a woman, an author and a public figure, should feel so proud and honoured to have created a place that enables us to be so free and friendly. Your books attract this kind of reader, these amazing women and I thank you soo much for that! I’m so grateful to have this in my life!
Hope you all enjoy your long weekend! xxx
July 4th, 2009 at 9:43 am
Trish, Anne, all my girls - you are THE BEST! Have a wonderful holiday weekend and sending hugs to all… j x
July 4th, 2009 at 12:51 pm
Jane, I love following you on twitter and observing the glamorous life of a published author. Thank you for keeping us updated.
Why do you say that the mystery part of Dune Road wasn’t natural? I am enjoying Dune Road more than any other book you have written and I have loved all of them. Was it more difficult to write than the others? Did you have to tweek the mystery part and the readers are only seeing a portion of all your work?
Looking forward to the next book
July 6th, 2009 at 10:42 am
Jane,
No holiday weekend for me, but thanks all the same! I worked behind a bar for 14 hours Satruday and Sunday (loved it!!) and then back again Sunday night till midnight. I’m hooked! Get such a buzz from it. Get flirted with loads now and have tons of confidence, something I never had before!! Even kissed a fitty bouncer! Yay me!
Getting ok with my ex (who is stil my employer) and just loving life!!
Hope you are well and Hugs back to you!! xxx
July 7th, 2009 at 7:47 am
Ok, I feel I have been unfair. It has been brought it to my attention that I made my ex out to be a horrible, mean ogre when in fact, he never was. He was loving and funny, he made me laugh alot. He bought me things like designer bags to make me happy. I will grant him that, and I do appreciate it. He did alot for me, taught me alot and helped me to grow as a person. I still really care for him and am sorry I hurt him so badly. But at the end of the day, I can’t change the way I felt when I ended our relationship. I changed as a person and started to want different things and I didn’t think he could give me those things, so I left. Do I regret leaving? No. Do I regret hurting someone who loved me? Absolutley. But I did what was right for me at the time…