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

Author Spotlight and April Fools with a twist:)

As you all know April 1st is not only the kickoff of my Author Spotlight this year, it is also April Fool's Day, so I thought I would put myself in the hotseat on for this silly holiday. Foolish I know but I am opening myself up to YOUR questions. Send me a question between the dates of March 21 and 27th, and I will answer the things YOU want to know about moi:)

Almost anything is game. Let's have some fun, shall we? Best question will earn you a surprise gift. The jury's still out on what that will be but surprises are always nice, aren't they?
Send your questions to my email addie: gothscribegirl@aol.com and please put "Fool's Questions" in the subject line.  Please DONOT post questions on this blog as comments. They WILL NOT be answered.
Looking forward to receiving your questions, so think up some doosies, LOL

As promised, Jason Barrett and Debra St. John spotlight dates are Jason, April 8th and Debra, April 15th. I will also have Barbara Monajem, April 22nd.  Stay tuned for many more of your favorite authors throughout the spring and summer months.

Now I'm back to my new erotic, working title, Unchain My Mortality.

D~

Hello, my friends!

After a long, unexpected sabbitical Author Spotlight returns in April.  I look forward to these little peeks into other authors' lives and craft secrets.  I hope you all do as well. 

If you have a new release coming up or just want some free PR, which, btw, never hurts, *grin* please contact me privately via email. 

If you are a reader interested in finding out just how your favorite author ticks, by all means, drop in on Thursdays and take a peek at who is in the hot seat.  You may even win free books or some other item the author is giving away.  Look forward to getting started again.

I will notify you of specific dates before the end of the weekend on the below authors' visits.

I will have Jason Barrett, author of Dead or a Lie (great title isn't it?) and Debra St. John, author of the new release, Wild Wedding Weekend(Looks very interesting if you ask me), coming up in April.

Stay tuned for the details and dates on these two wonderful authors.

Dayana

A Loss...

March 12, 2010 this beautiful little guy left us for the other side of the Rainbow Bridge. Mister was one of my good friend and neighbor's furry children.  If you remember a few weeks ago I had a doggie sleep over. Well, Mister is one of my kitty wards that I visited and gave fluids to each day while my friend was out of town.

Mister was well-traveled having come here from Chile, lived in California and Florida(the places that I know of) and a wonderful lap mate.  He loved to climb up in your lap and sleep, purring contentedly. A beautiful loving animal with one grey eye, and one blue eye as you can see here in his picture.  He was 16 years old. I will sorely miss this little guy.

Not long ago, Jacira, my friend, lost another wonderful little kitty, named Starfish, to cancer.  Starfish with Mister pictured on right.

I don't know about you but a loss of a pet hurts as much or more than people.  Some may be offended by that statement but pets give such unconditional love and never turn their backs on you.  My opinion and as most of you know, I LOVE ANIMALS!

Thank you for letting me share two very special animals with you that I have grown attached to over the years.

Just this side of heaven lies the Rainbow Bridge.
When a beloved pet dies, it goes to the Rainbow Bridge.
It makes friends with other animals and frolics over rolling hills and peaceful lush meadows of green. They are as healthy and playful as we remember them in days gone by.

Together, the animals chase and play, but the day comes when a pet will suddenly stop and look into the distance... bright eyes intent, eager body quivering. Suddenly recognizing you, your pet bounds quickly across the green fields and into your embrace. You celebrate in joyous reunion. You will never again separate.

Happy tears and kisses are warm and plentiful, your hands caress the face you missed. You look into the loving eyes of your pet and know that you never really parted. You realize that though out of sight, you love had been remembered.

You cross the Rainbow Bridge together.

D~

To All Pet Lovers. I just couldn't resist...

The following was found posted very low on my fridge door:

Dear Dogs and Cats: The dishes with the paw prints are yours and contain your food. The other dishes are mine and contain my food. Placing a paw print in the middle of my plate and food does not stake a claim for it becoming your food and dish, nor do I find that aesthetically pleasing in the slightest.
The stairway was not designed by NASCAR and is not a racetrack. Racing me to the bottom is not the object. Tripping me doesn't help because I fall faster than you can run.

I cannot buy anything bigger than a king sized bed. I am very sorry about this. Do not think I will continue sleeping on the couch to ensure your comfort, however. Dogs and cats can actually curl up in a ball when they sleep. It is not necessary to sleep perpendicular to each other, stretched out to the fullest extent possible. I also know that sticking tails straight out and having tongues hanging out on the other end to maximize space is nothing but sarcasm.

For the last time, there is no secret exit from the bathroom!If, by some miracle, I beat you there and manage to get the door shut, it is not necessary to claw, whine, meow, try to turn the knob or get your paw under the edge in an attempt to open the door. I must exit through the same door I entered. Also, I have been using the bathroom for years - canine/feline attendance is not required.

The proper order for kissing is: Kiss me first, then go smell the other dog or cat's butt.. I cannot stress this enough.

Finally, in fairness, dear pets, I have posted the following message on the front door:

TO ALL NON-PET OWNERS WHO VISIT AND LIKE TO COMPLAIN ABOUT OUR PETS:

(1) They live here. You don't.
(2) If you don't want their hair on your clothes, stay off the furniture. That's why they call it 'fur'-niture.
(3) I like my pets a lot better than I like most people.
(4) To you, they are animals. To me, they are adopted sons/daughters who are short, hairy, walk on all fours and don't speak clearly.

Remember, dogs and cats are better than kids because they:

(1) eat less,
(2) don't ask for money all the time,
(3) are easier to train,
(4) normally come when called,
(5) never ask to drive the car,

(6) don't hang out with drug-using people,

(7) don't smoke or drink,

(8) don't want to wear your clothes,

(9) don't have to buy the latest fashions,

(10) don't need a gazillion dollars for college and

(11) if they get pregnant, you can sell their children.

A friend sent this to me because she knows I am an animal lover and I just had to share it with all of you. I actually have a magnet plaque on my fridge that says: The more people I meet the more I love my dog.

Hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.

D~

Hello?  Is there anyone out there?  Just nod if you can hear me...

LOL Well, it seems I have disappeared yet again.  Ugh! I have been so busy that I find it hard to manage all my projects again of late.  Looks like I may have to brush up on my time management skills.

Valentine's Day has come and gone, my 27th wedding anniversary celebrated with a quiet dinner at home. We had planned on going out but decided we'd rather just relax and enjoy in the cozy comfort of our home.

Two months have come and gone of the new year, and I really haven't accomplished a whole lot of writing but I have accomplished some really big things.  Mostly on a personal level. Some in other aspects of my career.  My point? 

Well, though sometimes we don't have anything to really flaunt or visibly put out for all to see, like a new book accepted for publication, or a release coming up, a booksigning, etc. it doesn't mean the things that go on behind the scenes aren't just as important.  All the planning, organizing, reorganizing, scheming, stolen minutes to jot down new ideas, maybe toss out bits of a new story.  All these things essentially will fall together into something bigger and productive.  

That's where I've been.  I write a little bit, add something to this work in process and brainstorm on that WIP, jot down some new idea and maybe toss out a few thousand words of a new story.  Whatever disjointed direction I go, I rejoice that my imagination is alive.  My muse determined.  The next story that much closer.

Gotta get back to work.  Be back soon.  Gotta get the Author's Spotlight back on line.  I've got some wonderful authors lined up in the next couple of months and I've got quite a collection of disjointed and partial story ideas lying about.

D~

Slipping into oblivion: How important is visibility?

We're going to leave the ghosts, asylums, and other paranormal entities behind for a bit.  I wanted to talk about something of dire importance to anyone who depends on 'visibility' to survive in this cyber world we live in.  We all know that money, for most of us, is tight and our only venue promo and advertisement is the internet.  So how to keep a consistent presence across the net is a big challenge.  I have inadvertantly tested this and found that slipping into the oblivion is so very easy to do and unfortunately, you sink fast! 

Over the last several months, I've noticed even my most dependable followers have moved on.  It is not a good feeling being alone and unheard, especially for a writer.  My views and comments on this blog have dropped drastically and are non-existent on my website. So what is the problem?

• Updates.  This is something that is a necessessity, and I do religiously keep up with. Fresh conversation and topics draw your readers and show them you are out there. So, I know I'm okay in this department.
• Topic/Content.  Maybe my topics are uninteresting to others?  Could be an issue but I wouldn't know that unless someone said "Hey, you're boring the bejeebers out of us, already!"
• Visibility. Bingo! This one is a biggie.  I have been so tied up with other responsibilities that my overall visibility had dropped excessively.  What does that mean?  Well, for instance, I have not spent the time needed to visit other blogs, give interviews, hold contests, author spotlights have slimmed out, and hold the occasional give-away to drawn interest.  I have attempted to visit my favorite blogs in the last couple of weeks and comment but I suppose because I cannot do this as a daily routine my visitations may be lost in the mire.  I am only able to follow through on this on a weekly basis.
• Loops and Blogs. Another major problem for me is finding the time needed to remain visible on the loops and blogs I belong to.  Whew! this is a major challenge for me. I have attempted to incorporate one morning a week to do this.  But again, it seems futile as I don't really see any gain from this.  Not complaining.  Will keep plugging and keep working at it. Solutions are hard won especially with life biting at your heels.  Everyone has one and all the demands that come with it, so I'm not alone. Were there an easy solution, it would be a perfect world, would it not?
• New Material/Releases. Another huge obstacle.  I have been pulled from my personal works for sometime now.  I haven't been able to write except in limited spurts of time, nor am I the type of writer that can force the muse, so much of those times may produce nothing, nada, blank pages... I will say that I have no less than five/six projects in different stages!  I just need to sit down and get them going. More likely--get them finished!  New releases regularly are the key.  Each new project, its promo, etc. bring potential new readers and bring back your faithful followers.  Without fresh material flooding the saturated market, you are guaranteed a nosedive into oblivion.  Trust me, I know...

Well, that said, I am going to pull out one of those projects I mentioned and get to work. As Nike says: Just do it!

D~

As I Tweeted, Facebooked, and MySpaced this evening, I sat down and watched "Paranormal Activity" alone in the dark, in my house, with my Sheltie, Bea.  Can I add anymore commas to that sentence? LOL

I thought I would have been more frightened, and I will admit to thinking that this flick was about ghosts but when I realized it was a 'demon' who haunted this poor girl, I felt a bit more uncomfortable. Demons make me nervous.

With that said, the movie was interesting, and I thought unique in the way it was done. I don't know if many of you remember "The Blair Witch Project" but that was the same type of thing. I like the questionable nature of wondering about its authenticity. But I will be honest, I'm not going to wonder overly about this one as I will admit it wasn't as terrifying as I imagined it might have been, but the ending totally freaked me out. I honestly didn't expect it. I don't want to go into too much detail here as many who read this may not have seen the flick as yet and don't want to give it away. Nor do I really want to concentrate too heavily on this one for the obvious reasons. 

By the way, anyone interested who has Comcast On Demand, they do have "The Blair Witch Project" which I am going to take advantage of and watch again. Jaclyn! I know you wanted to watch it.  Also they are running "Paranormal Activity" as well.

Well, once again my Byberry Asylum discussion has been pre-empted. Do you think it may be an omen?  Perhaps to leave well enough alone?

Sleep well...

D~

Wolf Moon...

Tonight is the "Wolf Moon" which, of course, interests me! Wolf and moon in one conversation:)  Definitely up my alley.

Apparently, this is the brightest and fullest moon of the year and a bonus is that Mars is visible as well.  I went out earlier and viewed the phenomenon and if it is still clear skies for you take a step out the door and check this beautiful moon out.  Just to the left and toward the bottom of the moon you will see a reddish star twinkling. That would be Mars.

I attempted to get a picture but hey, all that I had was my Blackberry:)  Check it out. I've posted it top right.

Borrowed resource info:

(Jan. 29) – Tonight's full moon will be the biggest and brightest full moon of the year. It offers anyone with clear skies an opportunity to identify easy-to-see features on the moon.

This being the first full moon of 2010, it is also known as the wolf moon, a moniker dating back to Native American culture and the notion that hungry wolves howled at the full moon on cold winter nights. Each month brings another full moon name.

Tonight's full moon is the first of the year.

But why will this moon be bigger than others? Here's how the moon works:

The moon is, on average, 238,855 miles from Earth. The moon's orbit around Earth – which causes it to go through all its phases once every 29.5 days – is not a perfect circle, but rather an ellipse. One side of the orbit is 31,070 miles closer than the other.

So in each orbit, the moon reaches this closest point to us, called perigee. Once or twice a year, perigee coincides with a full moon, as it will tonight, making the moon bigger and brighter than any other full moons during the year.

Tonight it will be about 14 percent wider and 30 percent brighter than lesser full moons of the year, according to Spaceweather.com.


Author: Robert Roy Britt
For more information and to read the complete article:
Wolf Moon, Article Aol Resource

This article claims there is no correlation between people and animal moods and the full moon.  What do you think?  We've been told that the moon affects the chemical balance in the brain and makes the unbalanced person or animal even more unbalanced or shall we say the crazies come out?  Though Robert states this is myth.  However, the tides are affected.

Hmmm...

More interesting information:
Space.com

Tomorrow I'm back on Byberry history and ghostly apparitions.  Bet you can't wait:)

D~

Let's talk ghosts...

after spending the evening working on my new paranormal erotic novella I decided to surf the channel listings to see what was on.  Bored and looking for anything to watch, I stumbled upon that ghost hunter show on The Travel Channel.  So... I thought why not? I'd never watched it before though I did see some of the spoofs done in regards to the show, namely a South Park episode.

I settled in and watched. I found it for the most part overly dramatic and the playbacks of the experiences not so strong in the proof department but the fourth episode caught my attention.  Why? Because it was familiar or at least in the same vicinity of a place I used to venture to as a teenager when we were brave and daring in the night, LOL

Jaclyn, you will relate to this as we talked about this and have this place in common.  Remember Byberry(sp)?  Well, last night one of the episodes was seeking out paranormal activity at a place called

Pennhurst State Asylum or Institutution located in Spring Town, Pennsylvania. I believe I've gotten that correctly.  Anyway, this is a huge condemned complex where people would drop off mentally challenged and difficult children.  At one time there were over ten thousand inhabitants.  Definitely a dark and desperate place. It was condemned and closed in the early sixties, I believe. The most interesting thing about the episode were the people that Zak interviewed about the place.  Catch the episode if you can.  It definitely gave me a few goose bumps.

Funny thing is I kept thinking about my Byberry adventures and as the guys panned one of the rooms in the place, I couldn't believe my eyes! Low and behold,  I caught what appeared to be the word "Byberry" spray painted on one of the walls and I saw it more than once so I know I wasn't imagining it!

Below is a slideshow of the episode. Enjoy:)  Hey, Jacke!  Let me know what you think.  All I could think about was our old haunt.

http://www.travelchannel.com/TV_Shows/Ghost_Adventures/Photos/Slideshow_Pennhurst_State#


Just for balance, I'd seen this prior to ever watching an episode of Ghost Adventures.  Check this out:

http://video.yahoo.com/watch/6178554


Now formulate your own opinion, LOL

Adendum:

I was curious to see if  I was spelling the name of Byberry correctly and felt compelled to do some research on the place.  I will continue the actual facts on this asylum in my next post but interestingly found much information on the place we stared upon in the wee hours of the night without exiting our car.  Eerie doesn't begin to describe the misery of this place.  It has since been demolished in 2006 yet still haunts my mind.

Some photos and additional links:

http://www.oboylephoto.com/byberry/

Some additional photos.