Thank you to everyone who took the time to ask questions yesterday. Ya'll really came up with some that made me think! Alright so here goes...

Susan asked:

Who is Hooked written by?

I meant to link to it. It's written by Les Edgerton (link in my good reads box in sidebar).

What's the funniest thing that ever happened to you?

My husband and I met on the internet. Not on a dating site, those weren't really a big thing then. He was looking for someone to chat with about LSU football because he was homesick and living in TX, and I was going to LSU, so he IMed me not even knowing if I was a chick or guy. Anyway, we ended up connecting immediately and chatted nightly. We talked about everything--music, interests, our families, our hopes and dreams. The only thing we never approached was the topic that everybody else on the internet was always talking about--sex. I was a good southern girl and he was a gentleman.

So, when we eventually decided to meet, which let me tell you was totally out of character for me. If it were in a book, the reader would have been like "this cautious girl would NEVER meet some stranger off the internet." But anyway, I picked him up from the airport (with mace and a secret code word to use on a phone call to my mother if necessary, lol) and we went to dinner. We were both beyond nervous. Even though we were now talking regularly on the phone, face to face is way different. So we stumbled through dinner, then I drove him to his hotel room.

The plan was to chat for a while there before I went home. I was home for the summer staying with my parents, so I didn't want to bring him there yet. Well, we show up at the hotel and he runs in to get his key. He walks out with an ashen face, tells me that his room's a/c was broken so they upgraded him. We walk into his room and there's a hot tub next to the bed and mints on the pillows. Yeah. The honeymoon suite. I thought the poor guy was going to throw up. He insisted on showing me his reservation to prove that he didn't set this up, lol. I tried to play it off and act like I wasn't nervous as hell. We ended up sitting on opposite sides of the room while we talked. The bed was like this beacon of sexual tension in between us. I think I lasted fifteen minutes before I made some excuse to leave. He looked more than relieved. Of course, then I went home, called him, and we talked for two hours. Looking back now, it was one of the funniest things ever.

Two years later we rented out that same room for our actual honeymoon night. :)

Eight years later, I still can't help but laugh every time we go home and pass that hotel.

Deb asked:

Have you ever missed a great opportunity that you now regret?

I'm sure there were many. I was well on my way in college to getting into a great PhD psychology program. I was working under one of the leading psychology of sexuality professors at the time and he was going to recommend me to one of his colleagues for her program. I started getting burned out on the research part after doing an undergraduate thesis (on the brain differences between sexually coercive and non-coercive men, in case anyone wants to know), so I switched my plans to go to a social work masters program instead of the psyc one. I thought I was more interested in the clinical applications vs. the research. Looking back, the research was more my cuppa.

BUT having said that, I have the philosophy of not regretting decisions because each one got me here, and here is pretty sweet. :)

Amber asked:

How old is my kiddo?

I have one son who will turn two years old in two weeks.

What's up with my Shadow Falls manuscript?

I have one partial left out, but I am not holding out much hope. I've learned so much since I started querying that novel that now I can see many problems in it. It's in need of major surgery. I'm currently deciding whether it's worth completely tearing it apart to rebuild it or if it just needs to be tucked in a drawer as my "learning" novel.

Stephanie asked:

I see you are an RWA member. I have thought of joining but wasn't sure if it was worth it. One of the members of my writers group is a member of RWA and she told me out local RWA chapter concentrates on writing Harlequin type books...very formulated. I'm more of a write what I want type. So back to my question.....is it worth it to you???

First, I'll say that I think it's a bit of a misconception that Harlequins are formulated these days. My romance falls under the Harlequin Blaze style and the only "formula" they require is--has to be between 55-60k words, has to primarily focus on the romantic relationship, has to have fully described sensual scenes, and has to have happily ever after. Those guidelines outside of word count could apply to most mainstream romance novels. Okay (stepping off my soapbox now :) )

Each chapter group is different, but mine has a wide variety of authors writing all kinds of things--romantic suspense, young adult, erotic romance, paranormal, mystery, etc. Only a few are writing category (harlequin) length. And I've only just joined, but I really enjoyed the last meeting I attended. Plus, I think the support members give to each other will be worth it alone. I would suggest attending a meeting (most will let you attend without joining for a meeting or two to see if you like it.) That way you can see if you mesh with the group.

Beth asked:

If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you want to live?

I love the rain, the mountains, and water. Plus, I've always lived in blazing hot places, so I'd probably say someplace like Lake Tahoe where you get the scenery and all the seasons. I think anywhere in the Northwest--Seattle, Portland, etc. would work for me too.

Stephanie F. asked:

Are you doing NaNoWriMo?

No, with a toddler at home, I think 50k words in a month would be setting myself up for failure. I'll be cheerleading the rest of you guys though.

Betty asked:

If you could be the best at anything in the world what would you choose?

I'd just like to be the best version of myself I can be.

Melane asked:

My question is what is the first thing you will do when you get an agent? How about the first thing you do when you have your first book deal?

Remember in Wayne's World when they dance around and sing "We've got five thousand dollars, we've got five thousand dollars!"? Okay, picture that, insert "an agent or a book deal" for anywhere they say "5000 dollars". I tried to find the video but youtube let me down.

Stacey asked:

Where do you see yourself in five years?

I hope to be published and writing full time. However, if that doesn't happen, I will have to return to work when my son starts school. I'd be a high school English teacher most likely (while writing at night).

Tamika asked:

What made you decide to change your profile picture?

I realized that I really liked being able to put a face with a name for the blogs I read, so I figured I should provide you guys with the same.

Who are your top three Agent choices?

1. The agent who loves my book.

2. The agent who can sell my book

3. The agent that is great to work with

:) I can't pick favorites, lol.

Tina Lynn asked:

I've noticed that you keep posting quotes from The Mortal Instruments, so my question is...If you had to dump Jace for another fictional boyfriend, who would it be? He had better be awesome, because Jace is irreplaceable in my opinion.

Jace is yummy indeed. But Eric from the Sookie Stackhouse books gives him a run for his money. Jamie from the Outlander series is a pretty great candidate too. :)

Stephanie McGee asked:

1- Your two biggest literary crushes show up on your doorstep ready to sweep you off your feet. Who do you go with and why?

Hmm, I'm assuming you mean character crushes and not author crushes right? Let's see, using the question from above, let's say Jace, Eric, and Jamie all showed up at the door. Wait, let me enjoy that visual for a moment. (And since we're in hypothetical world, I'll note I haven't met my hubby yet because he of course trumps them all.) If it's just for a fun night, I'm going with Eric. If it's longer term, probably Jace.

2- Italian or Mexican?

Mexican, no doubt. It's my favorite.

3- What is your favorite accent? The one that makes you swoon every time you hear it?

British, Scottish, and Irish accents really do it for me. I also can't resist a good southern drawl (a la Matthew Mcconaughey) as long as it's not too twangy

PlainOleBob asked:

Of all the comedians, which two do you consider classic, which two ar the funniest, to you?