Truth or Dare Tuesday - Hepszi Hoyle

Today's Truth or Dare is my friend a one of crit readers Hepszi. Welcome Hepszi, I'm looking forward to seeing the questions you've chosen to answer and what you have to say. Before we here Hespzi's truth let see what she has to tell us about herself.

Hello everyone on Jan's blog. I'm happy to be here answering questions today while I build up the guts to do one of Jan's Dare's. So I may be back in a few weeks for a very different reason.

I've known Jan for a lot of years, we worked together in her past live as a childcare worker and have stayed close ever since. I'm an avid reader, particularly of the romance genre but I do read general fiction as well through a book club that I attend every week. I'm one of Jan's crit readers when she works on her books and enjoy giving my opinion about what's working well and what I think should be changed. Not that a lot needs changing, well most of the time :) I often tell Jan that I'm her Gail, you know, Oprah's very wise friend that I'm sure Oprah pays attention to ALL the time (hint, hint, Jan).  

I hope you all enjoy my answers and in a few weeks, when I decide which dare to do, I'll be back on here again. Fingers crossed and providing Jan can take the picture of me doing whatever it is I decide to do.

Thanks Hepszi, now let's find out some hidden truths I may not know.

Who is a movie villain you find attractive?

Do you remember the Robin Hood film in the 80’s?  I think Alan Rickman played the Sheriff of Nottingham, now he was hot to look at and hammed the part up with humor.  I can still remember the fight scene where Robin and the sheriff were dueling over maid Marion and I was thinking: “ if I was Marion, I’d stay with the sheriff.” Can’t remember who played Robin, oh wait it was Kevin Costner.  I wonder why he didn't do it for me.  Must have been the trousers not tights!

What is the meanest thing that you have done in your life?

When I was in Preschool, I locked another child in the toilet cubicle.  I have some vague recollection it was over some slight that occurred in the sandpit.  Needless to say I didn't get away with it.  In turn the teacher “locked” me in the kitchen behind a screen door. (she could see and hear me so don’t get upset)  I can still remember thinking that as punishments go I had the best deal as I was sitting in the room with all the morning teas.

What do you think your best and worse physical attributes are?

I would have to say my worst physical attribute is I am terribly uncoordinated and short sighted. I find this funny now as people have always told me the color of my eyes are the bluest they have seen. I think the shapes of my legs are my best feature.

What is the worst thing about being an adult?

I think the worst thing about being an adult is the loss of innocence, as you grow into adulthood you gradually loose the rose colored glasses.  You see reality, you begin to loose imagination like the ability to levitate off the ground which you did as a child.  As a child you can do and achieve anything as an adult you learn about limitations.

If you had only 24 hours left to live, what would you do?

I would call as many friends and love ones together as I could and have one hell of a slap bang party/wake. 

Thanks lovely, I've discovered a few things I didn't know about you. Firstly I'm glad I didn't know you in preschool and secondly, I totally agree about Alan Rickman (aka Severus Snap from Harry Potter) as the Sheriff of Nottingham from Robyn Hood - Prince of Thieves. 

What does everyone else think (well those that remember the movie) who did you prefer, Alan Rickman or Kevin Costner?

Truth or Dare with Lisa Kepins

Today, Lisa Kepins is our guest Truth or Dare participant. When I asked Lisa if she'd write a short paragraph about herself she replied - "I really don't know what to say about myself, can you describe me? You'd scare people less, lol. " So I'll tell you a little bit about Lisa and how I know her.

Lisa and my hubby used to play a game online, that's how Lisa came into our lives. Shane loved chatting with her and giving her advice on men and life in general. Lisa affectionately referred to him as Dad and as a result I became Mom (even though Lisa and I are nearly the same age). In fact Lisa still refers to me as Mom when she writes on my facebook wall :)

Lisa lives in Florida, she's a mum, and she lives life to the full. She is renowned for always speaking her mind and sometimes gets into trouble because of it. That trait was probably why she and Shane got along so well, he didn't hold anything back either.  

So let's hear from Lisa now and see how she answered her questions.

What do you think your best and worse physical attributes are?

My limp is the worst & my eyes are the best.

Have you ever been unfaithful to a boyfriend/girl friend?

No & damn it I wish I had because he was unfaithful to me.

If you could go out on a date with anyone in the world who would it be?

Doc Holiday.

When you are trying to impress people what personality trait do you hide?

My LOUD mouth :)

If you were the opposite sex for one day, what would you look like and what would you do?

I'd be a 250 lb instead of the 88 lbs I am now & I'd hurt a few people (sorry just telling the truth).

Well, I definitely believe you're telling the truth Lisa, I've never known you to lie the whole time I've known you.

If you'd like to participate in Truth or Dare, just like Lisa, please send me an email via the contact sheet on my website. Anyone is welcome to play, so far we've had authors, bloggers, and friends appear. Why not take the plunge and drop me a line.

Truth or Dare with Lori King

Author, Lori King has volunteered to play Truth or dare with us today. I'll let Lori take it from here as she tell us a little bit about herself and also let's us know why she chose truth over dare.

 

Let me just say first, that I chose Truth because most of those Dare’s would take a lot of tequila, and there would be no cameras in the near vicinity. LOL Now, a little about me….I’m a thirty year old mother of three boys, and I’ve been with my knight in slightly dull armor for nearly nine years. I work during the day in the corporate financial world, and then I after my kids crash for the night, I settle in with my laptop to write. I write ménage and traditional stories about Dominant men, with an ooey gooey soft spot for their women, and my women can stand on their own two feet, but enjoy submitting to their man. Right now I have two books out in a paranormal werewolf series called The Gray Pack: Fire of the Wolf, and Reflections of the Wolf, with a third due out soon from Siren-Bookstrand. I also have a new series in the works that follows a Marine unit after they have left the military, and are trying to find their footing in the civilian world again. Find out more on my blog www.lorikingbooks.wordpress.com or look me up by my books at http://bookstrand.com/lori-king

Now let's see what enlightening truths Lori has to share with us.

If you could go out on a date with anyone in the world who would it be?

 

This one is surprisingly easy for me. I would choose country music singer, Blake Shelton. Yeah I know he’s married, but I find him ridiculously sexy, and his sense of humor matches mine. I know I would have a great time with him, no matter where we went.

What feature of yours are you self-conscious about?  

 

Just like 90% of the female population I would say my weight. I fought an eating disorder when I was in high-school, and then I had two children right out of high-school and nearly doubled my body weight with the back to back pregnancies. So I’ve fought that number on the scale for more than twenty years. I’d love to say that I’m completely comfy with my exterior, but I’m only human. J

When you are trying to impress people what personality trait do you hide?

My raunchy sense of humor, and love for curse words, people don’t seem to like seeing those traits in the corporate world, so they rarely come out at my day job.

When where you embarrassed getting caught in the middle of something?

I actually was having sex with my current husband (BF at the time) in his bed when his mom (who I hadn’t met) paid a surprise visit, and walked in on us. Not the best way to meet my future MIL, but we’ve moved past it. We’ve NEVER spoken of it between us again. LOL

Where is the strangest place you’ve ever had sex?

On stage in front of a group of about 25 people. That’s all the details you’re getting, because I wouldn’t do it again. LOL


Thanks so much for playing Lori it's been great having you here. I'm so excited that everyone is embracing the fun of the game and telling the truth no matter how embarrassing or racy it may be. What does everyone else think, are you enjoying the game and what did you think of Lori's answers today, has she told the truth?

Author Hot Seat - Juanita Kees

The author hot seat specials are designed to help readers get to know some of today's popular and up and coming authors a little better. The questions are broken into four sections - About your writing, about you, fun stuff and finally. Some of the questions are easy, others may need a little more thought and some may cause our author friends to hesitate before answering. Still, they all answer.

Today Juanita Kees has volunteered to sit in the Hot Seat. For those of you who don't know about Juanita here's what her bio tells us about her.

Juanita is a freelance writer and writes blogs, web content, advertorials, newsletters and business documents.  Having recently graduated from the Australian College QED, (New South Wales, Australia) with a diploma in Proofreading, Editing and Publishing, she proofreads and edits manuscripts, manuals, standard operating procedures and other business tools. You can find out more about Kees2Create Writing, Proofreading and Editing services at kees2create.com.au.

Juanita escapes the real world by reading and writing romantic fiction. She conducts interviews with fellow authors and writes book reviews, as well as the odd blog about the frustrations and delights of being a writer.

When she’s not writing, editing or proofreading, Juanita is the cleaning fairy and mother to three boys (hubby included, his toys are just a little more expensive). Her not-so-miniature Daschund, Sam is her critique partner and keeps her company while writing.
Juanita loves to hear from fans and would love for you to enjoy her writing journey with her at:
 
On the Web: http://www.kees2create.com.au/
Goodreads:  http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6454477.Juanita_Kees
Twitter:     https://twitter.com/#!/Kees2Create
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Juanita-Kees-Author-Page/
Trailer:     http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=eLriA3uHKwk

 
Thanks for being with us today Juanita, I hope you enjoy yourself. If you'd like to sit in the Hot Seat we'll get started.
 
About your writing:

How did you get started as a writer?

I started out writing song lyrics, music and poetry before starting to write Fly Away Peta at 16. I penned the story in the back of my Maths book during class. I was a terrible student except in English classes where I loved debating storylines with my English teacher.

Why do you write?

Because I can’t imagine NOT writing. It’s a great emotional outlet.

Have you ever had a day you wanted to quit and never write again?

There were many times when I had to put my dream aside, but I never gave up on it.

Do you feel lucky to be doing what you are doing?

I think ‘blessed’ is a word I’d choose. Blessed that I’ve been given the opportunity to do what I love most.

Tell me how you got to where you are today?

I held on to my goals and aspirations no matter what life threw at me. It took me twenty three years, a career in administration and customer care, two children and two countries to achieve those goals. One day, I decided it was my turn. I signed up for an editing course and worked hard for my diploma. The day I held it in my hands was the day I went from 9 to 5 to being a freelance editor, proofreader and writer.

 

How do your family/spouses react to your work as an author? Do they know what you write? 

They thought it was hilarious until I was offered a contract J It took a while for me to admit to them that I write romance novels but I think the gorgeous cover won them over.

 About you:

What are you passionate about in life?

Everything! I believe in giving all or nothing, so I address life and its challenges or celebrations with enthusiasm and passion.

If you had to give a thank-you speech at the Oscars, who would you thank and what would you say?

“To my parents: thank you for attending that New Year’s Eve party in 1966. Nine months later you gave me the gift of life and creativity, gifts I will treasure always.”

What are the three most important life lessons you’ve learned that might make life easier for others?

 

       a)      Always show kindness to others, you never know what they may be going through.
       b)      ‘Laugh and the world laughs with you, cry and you cry alone.’ I learnt that this is not always true. A true friend will stand by you no matter what.
       c)      A smile can stop a frown wherever you are.

If you could trade places with any other person for a week, famous or not famous, living or dead, real or fictional. Whom would it be and why?

Ooh! A hard one…Princess Catherine. I wish I had her wardrobe and I’d love to see what the Queen is like when she’s off duty.

What's the worst thing you did as a kid?

Mum, I hope you’re not reading this! Mum used to buy unwashed potatoes in a 10kg brown bag straight from the farm. I used to lick the sand off the potatoes! Eeeewww.

What do you do to have fun?

I go to Friday night karaoke at my local pub. Hilarious, especially when I get up to sing!

Share a funny incident in your life.

Ooh, another hard one! Umm…okay, how’s this for fate? Two women give birth to sons:  one day apart, in the same hospital, delivered by the same doctor but their paths never cross. Twelve years later, 8000km across the world, on an orientation tour of a high school for their sons, the two women meet. As they start comparing notes, they also realize that they lived around the corner from each other and rented from the same landlord. They also discover that, for the past five years, they’ve once again lived around the corner from each other. True story…now, we’re close friends.

Fun Stuff:

If Hollywood made a movie about your life, who would you like to see play the lead role as you?

Renee Felice Smith from NCIS Los Angeles J She’s small and feisty!

If you were a type of food, what type of food would you be?

Chocolate

What is your favorite color- food- song- movie?

Color: Blue

Food: Steak & Prawns

Song: Train – Save Me San Francisco

Movie: Sleepless in Seattle

 

What's the funniest pick up line ever used on you?

Will you be the cap on my beer bottle?

What's the one thing you can't live without?

The notebook I carry in my handbag. It’s handy for those moments of inspiration in awkward places J

And finally:

You are driving along in your car on a wild, stormy night, it's raining heavily, when suddenly you pass by a bus stop, and you see three people waiting for a bus:
                       -An old lady who looks as if she is about to die.
                       -An old friend who once saved your life.
                       -The perfect partner you have been dreaming about.
You can only fit one person in your car, who would you choose to offer a ride to?

The old lady; because a true friend would understand my choice irrespective, and the perfect partner and I will find each other again if we’re truly meant to be together.

Thank you for having me in the Hot Seat!

 

You're welcome, Juanita. I hope you had fun.

 

Now, to finish off our Hot Seat Friday post let's have a look at one of Juanita's Books.  

 

 Fly Away Peta by Juanita Kees

 

The time has come to face her worst fear and the clock is ticking…

Peta Johnson will go to extreme lengths to protect her daughter Bella. When the Bella is kidnapped, the search for her takes Peta back to the small Australian country town of Williams, a place she’d vowed never to return to. The town where her dreams were shattered and her nightmare began. Back to the place she’d been destined to meet two very powerful, yet very different men. One would break her heart, the other would destroy her soul. Both would change her life forever.

Buy Fly Away Peta

Excerpt:

Peta snatched the photo from his hands and put it back in her purse. Her spine was ramrod straight. Ice dripped from her tone. “How magnanimous of you, Jaime. I’m quite capable of taking care of my daughter financially.”

“Yes and by keeping your mouth shut, you endangered her life and your own!” Jaime regretted the words the moment they left his tongue. He saw Peta flinch as the shutters descended in her eyes. He felt her retreat. The flimsy bough of peace was broken, destroyed by his angry words.

The door opened as they both stood, facing each other angrily. Tension sprang between them like a coiled snake, ready to strike at the smallest provocation.

“We didn’t have much luck with the tape of his call.” Mark didn’t notice the tension until he looked up from dropping the room key on the table. “No background noise, nothing to identify his whereabouts.” He watched as Jones bent to wipe up the soapy puddle on the floor near the kitchen sink, then looked at Peta and Jaime curiously…and spotted the still damp patches on their chests. “World War III or just a minor disagreement?” When they both glared at him, he continued, “Okay, then, on to the plans for tonight. We’re looking at putting a substitute in Peta’s place for the drop off…”

 Peta dug her heels in. “No!” she said. “I go or the deal’s off.  I’m not putting Bella’s life at stake any further.”

 “Peta, he’s unstable. Who knows what he’s likely to do? The drop off could be a trap. It’s too risky. He knows there’s no way we’re letting you go in there on your own. He’ll be ready for us...and you.”

Peta looked at them, chin raised, her stubborn expression leaving them in no doubt. “It’s my daughter’s life at stake here. I go tonight or you don’t get the evidence either!” She held up her hand as Mark began to protest. “It’s me he wants. I know how to handle him. I did it for ten lousy years! I’m done being scared.”