For March Madness I've decided to focus on what's really important. No, not basketball--BOOKS! For the next two weeks I'll be spotlighting several authors. I've asked them 20 questions and posted the answers on my web site, along with their bios. Thanks for stopping by and enjoy the real March Madness.
Day Two: Author Christina Dymock/Lucy McConnell
1.
Can you tell us a
little bit about yourself?
I grew up in a place full of cows, horses, and neighbors. My
mom says I was always writing books as a kid, but I don’t remember any of those
plot lines. I do remember having a vivid imagination that I could get lost in
for hours. I guess not much has changed. I write cookbooks under Christina
Dymock and clean romance under Lucy McConnell.
2.
What do you do when
you are not writing? I ski, wakeboard, cycle, read, play piano, and try
to keep the house clean. But, that’s a losing battle so I’m not too worried
about that one getting done.
3.
What is your
favorite smell? Chocolate. Which is a good thing because I’m writing a
chocolate cookbook.
4.
When did you first
start writing and when did you finish your first book? I started writing
10 years ago and I finished my first book in 2006.
5.
If you had 24 hours to live,
excluding spending time with your family, what would you do? This
question threw me for a loop. My family is such in iatrical part of my life
that to imagine 24 hours without them was nearly impossible. I think, I would
want to connect to something older than myself. Perhaps I’d visit the ancient
Mayan ruins or go to Greece. I’d want to see something I’d never seen before.
6.
Do you ever
experience writer’s block? Not really. My problem is staying focused on one
project because I constantly have new ideas popping up.
7.
Do you work with an
outline, or just write? I have a loose outline that I may or may not stick
too. For some of my longer books, I’ve done outlines to keep the balance
between subplots and plots working.
8.
What is your
favorite kind of cheese? Feta
9.
Is there any
particular author or book that influenced you growing up or as an adult? Nope.
I read everything. And, I mean everything. I read encyclopedias, fashion
magazines, Nation Geographic, clean romances, biographies, historical fiction,
and etc.
10. Would I find anything
growing in your refrigerator right now? Sorry, as a cookbook author, I keep
the thing pretty clean. J
11. How would you
describe yourself in three words? Determined, Creative, Faithful
12. Is anything in your book based on real life
experiences or purely all imagination? Usually
it’s imagination. However, I tend to write in my pets. Boarder collies are my
favorite type of dog and if there’s one in a book, you can bet that animal was
or is mine.
13. Who is your favorite author? Since most of you will
probably say me ;) please tell me then, who is your second favorite author? Argh!
I can’t pick just one!!
14. What was your favorite part of writing and why? My
favorite part is the struggle to make things work out. It’s that AHA! moment
when the character’s motives drive the scene and it just flows.
15. Chocolate or Brussels sprouts? Chocolate!
16. What has been the toughest criticism given to you as
an author?
17. What has been the best compliment given to you as an
author? That people laugh when they read my stories. It’s
said that humor is the hardest thing to write. If I can get a reader to laugh,
I feel pretty good.
18. What is your least favorite smell? Armpit.
19. Do you have any advice to give to aspiring writers? Write
what you like. Write what inspires you. And, write lots of it.
20. Is there anything that you would like to say to your
readers? Thanks! Thanks for reading my books. Thanks for
sharing in the fun! Thanks for taking the journey with me!
AuthorBio
A graduate from the University of Utah, Christina Dymock has
had careers as an editor, adjunct instructor at Salt Lake Community College,
and an author. She us the author of The
Hungry Family Slow Cooker Cookbook, One
Dirty Bowl: Fast Baking, Faster Cleanup, Young Chefs, and several other cookbooks. She has also written for
the Deseret News and been interviewed for Parents’
Magazine and other national publications. Christina’s fiction and short
stories have been published in Woman’s
World Magazine and seven Chicken Soup
for the Soul books. She writes fiction under the pen name: Lucy McConnell.
You can contact Christina through her blog: http://christinadymock.wordpress.com/Sherry Gammon
Christina's writing a chocolate cookbook? Hallelujah.
ReplyDeleteYes. I'll be buy that! LOVE her bacon cookbook!
DeleteOh yeah, and she skinny :( Life truly is unfair.
ReplyDelete