Author Spotlight: Dayana Knight Answers All

Hello, everyone. Welcome and thank you all for joining me today.  I am also doing a simulcast with The Pink Fuzzy Slipper Writers Blog today, so hop over and check them out, too. Who knows what questions are going to be asked of me:)
As promised I am open and ready to answer whatever question you toss at me to the best of my ability, LOL  Many people have responded via email. I have posted each of the questions below along with the name of the person who asked it.  Feel free to shoot questions at me today as well if you just dropped by and hadn't had a chance to email me one.  If I receive a lot of questions within the comments section, I will set up a second post so everyone is visible on the blog and readers don't have to peruse the comments for Q&A.

I will drop in this evening(day job you know) and over the next couple of days to catch up with people who may drop in later.
Something tells me that these questions will have nothing at all with the craft of writing and everything to do with...

hmm...

well shall we begin?

Jennifer Mathis asks:

Well since it is April Fools, I have to ask are you a practical joke kind of person and if so what do you think is you best practical joke?

Actually, Jennifer, like the clipart at the beginning denotes, no, I'm not really good at that kind of stuff.  I was always lingering in the background so as NOT to be the brunt of a practical joke. But, hey! You know, this stunt here might change things up a bit.  LOL I'd have to say this is my best practical joke--and it's on me!

Mary Marvella asks:

How old were you when you lost your first tooth? 
Geez, I truly don't remember but I do remember the agony of the tooth hanging by a thread and why is it you couldn't help but to play with the darned thing with your tongue.  I also remember placing the errant tooth under my pillow, the Tooth Fairy visits and finding some  cold hard cash in the morning in place of that pesky tooth:)

Do you remember your first boy friend?
Absolutely!  He was awesome and probably all but 12:) I used to go to the Little League field to gaze upon him.

Who was the first boy you kissed and how old were you?
His name was Joe and he lived in the next town over. I think I was 13 and he was 15.  He gave me my first piece of jewelry too.  It was a small garnet birthstone pendant that was simple and very pretty. I still have it.  He broke up with me by telling me I was too good for him. My translation: He was wanting more than  I could give:)  A gentleman at a very young age. A very special memory.

Do you have a tattoo, where, and of what?
No. Not a one.  I have wanted to get one for years--a tramp stamp which is the low back one, LOL but I am too chicken:) I don't like needles all that much.  Do what I have to but the thought of being poked at a constant rate for a long period of time... I don't think so. 

What is the strangest food combination you like?
M&Ms and cornflakes in milk(weird when I did it but now we have Chocolate Cheerios, so... And yes, I like them*grin*)  I also used to put maple syrup in milk as a kid.

Sharon Donovan asks:

What birthday was hardest for you to deal with and what did you do that could be considered zany to combat it?
Clever way to ask me how old I am, LOL.  Let's see. No birthday was really that hard for me but with age comes other changes that are very painful for me.  That midlife spread around the middle is haunting me now and I just cannot seem to get rid of it.  I find time has stripped some of my energy as I get into things I did without any thought and now realize I'm not as--shall we say-- spry as I used to be, LOL  BTW: I stopped aging/celebrating at thirty-five, just so you know *grin*

Mary Ricksen asks:

Do you have dreams involving sex? In color?
Absolutely!  Where do you think I get some of those sex scene ideas?  Color? Not sure. I think they are but I'm usually too busy to notice:)

Do any of your stories have a basis in reality?
Yes. Actually I mention or use several things from my life in my first book.  I do model character's morality, thoughts, mannerisms around people in my life. And sometimes things I myself have experienced.  In fact, my second book Curse of the Marhime was born of a real life rather strange experience. I believe that there is a certain realism added through "real" life in fiction.



Lisa Finch asks:

What is the freakiest paranormal thing that ever happened to you?
I would have to say messing with a Quija board when I was probably at the cusp of my teen years.  My neighbor had a board and a creepy house.  She was older than me(late teens, early twenties) but she tolerated me, LOL We were playing with the thing one night and it began to take a life of its own which totally freaked us both out and needless to say we abandoned the thing, and I never touched another board in all these years!  I have to add I never will expecially after watching Paranormal Experiment.  That just plain freaked me out!

Keena Lykens asks:

If you could time travel with any fictional character, who would it be with, where would you go and would you eat the local cuisine?
I would have to say Aragorn from Lord of the Rings.  I would go anywhere with him, LOL  As far as partaking in the local food, it would definitely depend on what the local cuisine was.  I do draw the line at organs and bugs, etc. As well any animal in depicted in the story Bambi:) But generally, I'm not a picky eater:)
 
Jackie Sajonjo asks:
 
What is the scarriest thing you've ever done?
You may not believe this but I have to say my scariest moment was when I posted my first piece of writing to a critique group(my first) and hit the 'send' button.  I was so nervous, I shook and was near to panic and remorse as I awaited the first response.

My next panick-filled fearful moment was when I sent my first manuscript to an editor per her request.  I beat myself up and refused to open her eventual email for fear of what it would say. LOL she asked my why I was hiding my work.  She loved it and wanted to contract it.  As FDR said, "the only thing to fear is fear itself." And I firmly believe that, LOL Though each time I put myself out there I am honestly afraid.  Afraid I or my work will be rejected.  Natural, but significant.

Paranormal fright?  Well...the Quija incident I mention above and I used to have nightmares that I awoke bodily harmed afterwards--meaning I would have bruises and marks on my body in the exact places I was hurt in my dreams which were all very strange.  I discovered that the root of my very frightening dreams were all the hardcore horror books I was reading.  When I stopped reading them the dreams stopped. 

Oh and once my brother hid under my bed in the dark. I came in (I never worried about turning lights on, still don't to this day. Good night vision. Must be one of shifter traits:) sat down on the bed he grabbed my ankles.  If I weren't so young,  I would have died on the spot of a heartattack.  What are brothers for? I ask.

Catherine Bybee asks:

Where was the most outragious place you ever.....???
On the X-ray table in my office.  It was cold and very uncomfortable but we had nowhere else to go. I wondered what the heck I was thinking...  I mean geez, all kinds of people touch and lay on this table.  Why in the world would I ever...

Oh! No!  you are all thinking...

No... no... I'm talking about having lunch in the X-ray room because the kitchen was already full of people and...

Oh get your minds out of the gutter. Next you'll all be thinking I lured some unsuspecting hunk of a patient into my lair on the pretence of an extended x-ray exam and well...you get the picture I'm sure;)


Thank you for all the wonderful questions. And, not a one about writing! This has been a blast. Please be sure to tune in on Thursdays and check out who is in the hot seat each week. Also, if you'd like a heads up on what's going on here, please join Dayana's Happening. Just scroll down on the right sidebar of the my blog and click Yahoo Group "Join this group".

Oh and thank you Fuzzies for inviting me to simulcast this event on your blog today as well.
Dayana