I like to talk to my readers. Not just because they’re exceptionally smart, have good taste, and are incredibly attractive, but also because I like to hear what it is they think about things. That they like my books means we have something in common (usually a warped sense of humor, and appreciation for dishy guys), but beyond that, it’s fascinating to me to find other common ground.
Recently, I’ve started asking my readers questions…but they’re not questions that most authors ask their readers—you will not find included in my list questions about what sort of heroes they prefer, or whether they like contemporary romances over paranormals, or even if they like alpha over beta heroes.
No, not for them the standard romance book questions. My readers demand something out of the ordinary, and that includes the sort of information they want me to know about them. And bless them, they tell me! They send me lots of e-mail, they post on my message forum, and they comment on my online journal. Since writing is such a solitary act, this contact with readers is precious to me—it’s the only way I have of knowing what people think of the stories I tell. More than that, the e-mails and journal comments give me a way of reaching out, albeit cyberly, and connecting for a few minutes with someone whose life might otherwise not touch mine.
And that is a very cool thing.
Although the readers of this blog are made up of people who quite likely have never read one of my books, I thought it would be fun if we indulged in a round of To Tell The Truth. I’m looking forward to seeing how the answers here compare to the answers of my readers. Naturally, you don’t have to answer the questions. But if you do, be honest.
Ready? Here are five questions I recently asked my readers:
1. How frequently do you wash your sheets?
2. Do you eat a piece of food if you’ve dropped it on the floor?
3. If you could switch bodies with someone for a day, would you do it?
4. Do you hold a grudge?
5. If you were a breakfast cereal, which one would you be?
No related posts.
Oh this is a great post Katie! This is why I love the Avon boards because we get to talk directly with authors. I’ve had them offer some awesome suggestions on new-to-me authors and novels. Anyway, I’m always up for questions like these!
1. How frequently do you wash your sheets?
Weekly, mainly because my cat sleeps with me and really, how much cat hair can one sleep with?!
2. Do you eat a piece of food if you’ve dropped it on the floor?
Depends. If it’s an M&M or something that would be criminal to waste, then probably, if I’ve just dropped it. If I come upon it and it’s been there a while, absolutely not. But I’ll feel deep regret about throwing it in the sink if it’s chocolate.
3. If you could switch bodies with someone for a day, would you do it?
Nope, I don’t think so. Although I might consider switching with Jessica Simpson just to smooch on Nick a little…
4. Do you hold a grudge?
Honestly? Yeah. I can hold a grudge with the best of them. People who I love and respect get a free pass usually though.
5. If you were a breakfast cereal, which one would you be?
I don’t really eat cereal that much, but I guess Lucky Charms.
1. How frequently do you wash your sheets? Not frequently enough, according to my grandmother.
2. Do you eat a piece of food if you’ve dropped it on the floor? You’ve never heard of the five-second rule?! (Actually, this only applies to dry things — pasta would be a no.)
3. If you could switch bodies with someone for a day, would you do it? Yeah. It would be fascinating to be in someone else’s skin for a day.
4. Do you hold a grudge? Sometimes. I try not to, but there are mean people who totally deserve it.
5. If you were a breakfast cereal, which one would you be? Good question! Maybe…MultiGrain Cheerios. Nice variety, just sweet enough, and not completely bad for you but still fun.
Great post, Katie! This is why your blog is a treat.
I agree, Katie. Connecting with readers is the best. I get all giggly whenever someone posts to my blog.
As for the questions.
1) Weekly. Same issue as MaryKate. Pet hair.
2-4) Same answers as Amy G. Honest!
5) Lucky Charms. I’m full of marshmellow-y surprises.
1. How frequently do you wash your sheets?
Okay, you want honestly? Shivers. Really, I TRY to wash them weekly. Try being the operative word. If a week gets skipped, I don’t sweat it.
2. Do you eat a piece of food if you’ve dropped it on the floor?
Depends what floor and what type of food. Cookies? Yep. Banana? Nope.
3. If you could switch bodies with someone for a day, would you do it?
Heck yes! Think of all the incredible story ideas I could come up with.
4. Do you hold a grudge?
No. Not enough time.
5. If you were a breakfast cereal, which one would you be?
Don’t know — hubby is standing over me wanting the computer.
Bye!
Great questions, Katie!
How frequently do you wash your sheets?
Weekly
2. Do you eat a piece of food if you’ve dropped it on the floor?
Depends how dirty the floor is…and the 5 second rule, of course.
3. If you could switch bodies with someone for a day, would you do it?
Heck no. Took me too many years to adjust to living in this one!
4. Do you hold a grudge?
Nah. Life’s too short.
5. If you were a breakfast cereal, which one would you be?
Cocoa Puffs
Ohh…great questions!
1. I wash them alot more often since I had the baby. She leaks
2. Guess it depends on where the floor is- in a resteraunt? Ewww…NO! At home, well…maybe, depending on how good of a Martha Stewart impersonation I’ve done recently
3. Hmmm…haaawww… maybe. It depends on the body. I wouldn’t want to switch to the body of an obese person because I think that would be exhausting, and my life is exhausting enough.
4. I have been known to hold a grudge but can’t think of any that I’ve continued to hold. It’s too tiring to commit that much energy to being upset with someone. That said, I do love it when the heroine in a novel makes the hero grovel and beg- sometimes I don’t think they hold the grudge long enough!
5. Shredded Wheat- A little prickly, sometimes sweet, and not always very exciting
1. How frequently do you wash your sheets?
Um, when I remember?
2. Do you eat a piece of food if you’ve dropped it on the floor?
The 3 second rule!
3. If you could switch bodies with someone for a day, would you do it?
No, I’m happy with who I am and I wouldn’t want to be anyone else. Although I want that 20 pounds back off that I gained last year!
4. Do you hold a grudge?
It *really* depends. Someone has to do something really bad to p*ss me off and make me hold a grudge. There are a couple of people once in my life who qualify. Notice once. I just don’t deal with people who are in that category.
5. If you were a breakfast cereal, which one would you be?
Cheerios! Honey nut flavored.
1)Wash sheets? You do that?:oops: Seriously, I am with the other cat lady, it has to be weekly or things start growing.
2)The ole drop and scoop, huh? Well I too have a rule, if it is wet, no…but if it something dry it can be washed off.
3)Switch bodies….I wouldn’t wish that on my worst enemy, even on a bad day! Well maybe just this one person…
4)Do I hold a grudge? hmmm well, like all good southern women, I would say graciously you should forgive and forget….but also like all good southern women who have survived this world….it is easy to forgive and I can do so quickly….but I will never forget…:twisted:
5)Now we are talking…cereal, one of my favor-rite foods. On an energetic day, I would be Post strawberry and oats. On a bad day…nothing beats Captain Crunch and Crunchberrys…add milk in a big ole bowl and park it in front of the tube…this is still saturday morning faire and one of the reasons why I wouldn’t wish my body on anyone else….
Fun questions!
1. In theory, weekly. In reality? When the husband interrupts the fabulous scene I’m writing to inform me it’s been A Really Long Time.
2. I’m a germ phobe. Although I make exceptions for chocolate.
3. Yes! I would be Jet Li for a day! I could train the rest of my life and never be that good.
4. I would hold grudges, but I don’t have the attention span.
5. I don’t know about cereal. I have this donut fixation right now.
. How frequently do you wash your sheets? Once a week. When I was younger and busier, once every 3 or 4 months!
2. Do you eat a piece of food if you’ve dropped it on the floor?
If my floor is clean, and it’s a delicious morsel, yes.
3. If you could switch bodies with someone for a day, would you do it?
Yes, if I was guarenteed to get my own body back.
4. Do you hold a grudge? Yes, sadly, I do.
5. If you were a breakfast cereal, which one would you be?
Steel cut oatmeal. With dried cherries, almonds, cinnamon, and vanilla soy milk!
Hi Katie,
Yes, I wash my sheets when they get dirty.
I can’t eat anything that fell on the floor unless it’s chocolate. (never waste chocolate)
I think I’d like to switch with a man, just to see what it’s like being a man.
I don’t have a good enough memory to hold a grudge. Besides, life it too short to be-grudge.
I’d probably be rice krispies. (No idea Why. Just kind of little and they’re noisy.)
Oh, and even though you didn’t ask – Yes I’ve read your books, lol, but don’t ask my to name favorites, because I really love them all!
1. Washing sheets – yes! Love the smell and feel of fresh cotton
2. Eating food if dropped on the floor – never for a veggie (germs instantly attach to them) always for chocolate (except maybe hot fudge)
3. Of course I’d trade for a day! I’d love to be inside a man’s head for 24 hours and see what really goes on in there:grin: Not to mention, I’d finally be able to get some firsthand feeling/sensation description for my mss without driving my dh crazy.:roll:
4. I absolutely hold grudges, but always on behalf of others. For myself – nope.
5. Cereal? Lucky Charms!
1. How frequently do you wash your sheets?
I TRY to make it every week, but…
2. Do you eat a piece of food if you’ve dropped it on the floor?
I apply the 5 second rule, unless it’s juicy.
3. If you could switch bodies with someone for a day, would you do it?
Yes, and I must say that Angelina Jolie would wreak some serious havoc in those 24 hours. (evil grin):wink:
4. Do you hold a grudge?
Yes, but I normally get over it in a year or two.:shock: I eventually forgive, but never forget.
5. If you were a breakfast cereal, which one would you be?
Does porridge count?
Fun post! I can’t resist answering your questions.
1. Washing sheets. I want to wash them every week, but sometimes get too busy.
2. Food on floor. Depends if it’s a vegetable or chocolate. My dog is welcome to any dropped vegetables.
3. Switch bodies. I’d love to be my cat for a day.
4. I don’t hold grudges in the sense that I remain burningly angry at the other person. But I might not trust the person again.
5. If I was a breakfast cereal it would be something nutty. Fruit in it would be good too.
What a GREAT questionaire ..
Sheets: 1. not often enough
food: 2. Yah, duh.
Body switch: 3. absolutely — male female, sure. How about a few months? I’m up for it.
grudge: 4. No, memory’s too short for it.
cereal: 5. something generic. I am what I eat.
laughing at Jennifer’s “little and noisy” rice crispy answer to the breakfast cereal
Fun post!
1. How frequently do you wash your sheets?
Well, it can really vary. It depends if I have a drippy-diapered daughter sneaking into bed with me.
2. Do you eat a piece of food if you’ve dropped it on the floor?
Most of the time, yes. Man, I’m glad you didn’t ask about how often I sweep the floor.
3. If you could switch bodies with someone for a day, would you do it?
Wow, I’m with Jordan. I’m all over this Angelina Jolie idea.
4. Do you hold a grudge?
Kinda of, but I think it’s more a matter of not forgetting. I won’t avoid a person, but I won’t forget what happened.
5. If you were a breakfast cereal, which one would you be?
Count Chocula
hee hee – This is fun, Katie!
1. Hubby usually washes the sheets.
But I do the rest of the laundry!
2. 5 second rule if it’s my own floor and if there’s nothing noticably stuck on it.
3. Heck yeah I’d switch bodies for a day (as long as it wasn’t the day the person died or something).
4. Heck yeah, I hold grudges.
5. Honey nut cheerios – I’m sweet and round
1.) Sheets are washable?
2.) Dog hair and all. Okay, I scrape off the dog hair, usually.
3.) Strangely enough no–I figure everybody has issues, at least I’m used to mine.
4.) Nope–not enough time for that.
5.) Hard one…Life. Everyone should love life.
This is cracking me up! Love your books, Katie, just picked up the latest vamp book today.
1. How frequently do you wash your sheets?
Ideally, once a week. Realistically, closer to bi-weekly
2. Do you eat a piece of food if you’ve dropped it on the floor?
Depends on the food and the condition of the floor. And how long it’s been on the floor. 5-second rule applies.
3. If you could switch bodies with someone for a day, would you do it?
Absolutely! I think it’d be interesting to live in somebody else’s skin for a day. Do we get their thoughts, too?
4. Do you hold a grudge?
Yup. And I’m darn good at it, too.
5. If you were a breakfast cereal, which one would you be?
Fruity Pebbles.
1. How frequently do you wash your sheets?
Weekly
2. Do you eat a piece of food if you’ve dropped it on the floor?
Nope.
3. If you could switch bodies with someone for a day, would you do it?
I read Tale of the Body Thief by Ann Rice. So. A BIG no to this one.
4. Do you hold a grudge?
Why hold a grudge? It’such better to jst get even quickly and start fresh.
5. If you were a breakfast cereal, which one would you be?
I’m going to have to go with Fruit
Loops for a hundred, Bob.
Pardon the typos – the cat keeps climbing over the keyboard chasing moths.
I noticed that most of us wash our sheets regularly (or try to) But that Everyone who drops chocolate on the ground eats it, lol!
(Have we found something we all agree on 100%?)
1. How frequently do you wash your sheets? Well crap, you mean I’m supposed to wash them? I’m in big trouble here. I need a wife. Oh wait a minute that would be me huh? I’m doomed.
2. Do you eat a piece of food if you’ve dropped it on the floor?
Not off of my floor. If it’s my mother’s floor that is an entirely different thing. I could eat a five course meal off of HER floor.
3. If you could switch bodies with someone for a day, would you do it?
No. I’ve gotten a bit attached to mine, and frankly I think I’d end up in Gollem’s body and get stuck never to be heard from again.
4. Do you hold a grudge?
Uh, sometimes?
5. If you were a breakfast cereal, which one would you be?
Captain Crunch!
This were fun and cute Katie! I enjoyed this…OMG!
Sam
1. How frequently do you wash your sheets?
Ideally? Weekly. In the real world? I’m ashamed to say I don’t usually meet that ideal.
2. Do you eat a piece of food if you’ve dropped it on the floor?
Depends upon the type of food and which floor, but the five second rule usually applies.
3. If you could switch bodies with someone for a day, would you do it?
I think I already have. This can’t possibly be my body.
4. Do you hold a grudge?
Yes. I tend to do that. Sorry. It isn’t nice, but I do–although it’s getting rarer and rarer. I also tend to forgive liberally.
5. If you were a breakfast cereal, which one would you be?
Hmmm. Apple Cinnamon Cheerios? But probably more likely dry, boring Spoon Size Shredded Wheat N Bran.
Neat questions.
1. How frequently do you wash your sheets?
Whenever I’m in a good mood.
2. Do you eat a piece of food if you’ve dropped it on the floor?
Sometimes.
3. If you could switch bodies with someone for a day, would you do it?
Yup. I like the idea of viewing through someone’s perspective for the sake of experience.
4. Do you hold a grudge?
Depends on who.
5. If you were a breakfast cereal, which one would you be?
A hot bowl of Quaker porridge oats. Yum yum!
1. How frequently do you wash your sheets?
Whenever I think of it? Which, let me tell you, is definitely not weekly.:oops:
2. Do you eat a piece of food if you’ve dropped it on the floor?
If it’s dry – probably, if it’s wet, probably not (though there’s always the tap to wash it under). If it’s chocolate, of course!
3. If you could switch bodies with someone for a day, would you do it?
In a second, so long as it could be my husband. I would love to experience certain sensations from his perspective.:grin: I’ve often wished I could do that in fact.
4. Do you hold a grudge?
I try not to, but yeah. I have been known to.
5. If you were a breakfast cereal, which one would you be?
I have no idea. Muesli? But I say that mostly because it’s the only one I eat mostly, not because of some psychological insight into the nature of breakfast cereals.
1. How frequently do you wash your sheets?
When I remember – what’s this about dirt in the sheets?eew
2. Do you eat a piece of food if you’ve dropped it on the floor? Again if it’s chocolate, and the floor looks ok, then I wash it, yes, I’d even wash chocolate:shock:
3. If you could switch bodies with someone for a day, would you do it? No I like my body especially if I lose 20 lbs.
4. Do you hold a grudge? Not too well. I forget about the person if at all possible. Life’s too short
5. If you were a breakfast cereal, which one would you be?
Hmm, There is a really good granola ,forgotten name