Actor Tag: Keeping Up with the Kandasamys Madhushan Singh

Happy Friday Dance yo!

I'm super jazzed, honored and excited about today's post!!!





This month I'd been hearing alot of buzz from my friends and family regarding a locally produced movie Keeping Up with the Kandasamys.
I have to admit I was a tad resistant at first as I haven't enjoyed an Indian production in a long time, nevertheless after the movie hit 4 Million at the box office in the first two weeks, I just had to go see it.
I LOVED THE MOVIE SO MUCH!!!
And coming from ME that's saying something, ask anyone. I was blown away from start to finish. By the acting, the comedy, the quality, the presence and ofcourse the storyline.

So the actor I'm privileged to feature today plays Prishen Naidoo in the movie and does an amazing job of bringing the character to life. There's this scene in the car & in the rain, that really gets to you and he slays it in spades!

Meet Madhushan Singh

• An Actor, Voice over artist and Fitness junkie from Durban, KwaZulu-Natal 
• He was also Radio Jock for 13 years at a community station and 2 years of radio drama for SABC.
• Acting Credits: 

1. White Gold (feature film)
2. Rights of passage (art house)
3. Keeping up with the                                               Kandasamys

Actor Tag

1. When did you start acting?

• I was 11 years old doing local theatre.

2. What is your favorite aspect of acting?

• Preparing for a role and bring the character to life.

3. What is your least favorite aspect of acting?

• Nothing, I love improving on my craft.

4. What is one acting flaw that you have that you would change?

• I’d like to be abit more patient on set.

5. Which actor/actress do you have a crush on?

• Cara delevingne!! She’s just so stunning.

6. What is your favorite acting memory so far?

• I shot in india and got to tour the villages of the South. I interacted with the locals and had the opportunity to work with some fantastic actors who became family.

7. Which actor/actress do you look up to or is a role model to you?

• Robin Williams, his versatility to change himself to fit any role was inspiring. Johnny Depp aswell for his effortless transformations and the Manor in which he handled his fame.

8. Why do you Love to Act?

• I get to say things that other people can only think off and I’d like to think that in the audience people can relate to what my character goes through and know things are going to be okay.

9. Which movie represents the best love story?

• The Great Gatsby 

10. Which movie was the Best representation of a book?

• “2 states” by Chetan Bhagat

12. If you had to choose a main character from a TV series/movie to come save you, who would you choose?

• I’d choose Paul Walkers character from the Fast and Furious franchise. 

13. Who’s your favorite director?

• Martin Scorsese, Woody Allen and Jayan Moodley

14. What’s your favorite mythical creature / monster from a movie / TV series?

• Pegasus from Hercules

15. Can you do any accents? 

• I can do loads….but they probably should be done when nobody is around haha.

Keeping up with the Kandasamys

First question, how did you keep a straight face on screen when all the comedy was happening?

• It was so difficult not to Crack when the scenes were rolling. The dialogue was hilarious and the delivery was perfect. I used to pinch my leg control myself.

How did you find out about the movie and what was the process like to get the role of Prishen Naidoo?

• It was advertised on social media platforms that this audition was happening and I contacted the production and booked my slot. Prishen was a clean cut gentlemen attached with a phrase “Mr shy guy” so I had to be very sweet and shy, always clean shaven and neat hair. I also spent time with medical students to understand the little nuances that make them unique, I was playing a younger Guy so my energy levels had to be slightly higher and more engaging and just madly in love with the girl next door.

Your co-star Mishqah Parthiephal plays your love interest, Jodi Kandasamy. What was it like filming all those iconic romance scenes?

• It’s never easy to create romantic love scenes on camera, there’s 40 people around you and a camera in your face, so being cast opposite Mishqah was just fantastic. I’ve worked with her in 3 films already over a period of 7 years so our synergy was brilliant and we share a deep love for film so it was really nice to create these cinematic iconic moments of young love. She’s amazingly talented and a dear friend.

As with anyone in the creative industry, rejections plays a big part in our lives. How do you deal with it?

• Rejection is the most common part of being in this industry, it’s not for the faint hearted so you have to be tough, accept it and either better your talents or better your craft. You cannot sit back and lament over things. You have to keep moving.

***

16. What has been your biggest achievement so far?

• I think I’m the only young Indian actor in South African with 2 feature films under the belt.

17. Music uplifts our mood, What is your go-to song when you need a pick me up?

• 2 pac – Hit em up….Haha no I’m just kidding, it’s Chai ya Chai ya from Dilse.

18. When you do win an Oscar one day, who’s the one person you would take with you?

• My mother, she’s a huge Meryl Streep fan.

19. What is your favorite inspirational quote?

• “The best moments I’ve lived are the ones I forgot to take pictures off”

20. If there was just one nugget of wisdom you could share, what would that be?

• Be respectful, be humble and give everyone as much love as you can, the world needs more love.

Follow His Journey:
Facebook
Instagram
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Quick Fire {Choose One}

Movies or Tv Series 

Hollywood or Bollywood

Dancing or Singing: 

Working out in the gym

Romance or Comedy

Books or Movies

Superman or Batman: 

Batman

[NEWS JUST IN] Keeping Up With The Kandasamys would like to thank the media and public for their continuous support over the past 4 weeks. We are about to enter our 5th week and we have reached over R10,000,000 at local #BoxOfficewith an attendance of nearly 190 000 people. Thank you! Here's to telling our OWN stories!#StillInCinemas

With R16.1Million💰 ' Keeping Up With The Kandasamys ' has broken Leon Schuster 's Box Office record of consecutive SA highest grossing films!

Felicidades EPICA!!!🙌🙌🎆🎇🥂🎉
#KeepingUpwiththeKandasamys #BreakTheBox 

Watch the OFFICIAL TRAILER: 'Keeping Up With The Kandasamys'

Keeping up with the Kandasamys is a rib-tickling family comedy about two matriarchs of neighbouring families whose young adult children become romantically involved, and despite their best efforts to keep them apart, they are forced to acknowledge that in the end “love will always prevail.” Just how far will one go to serve one's own selfish needs? And will they learn that in the end, it really is just happiness that matters? It’s a case of “love they neighbour…but don’t get caught.”

I; Enricoh Alfonzo; undoubtedly, vehemently, and whole-heartedly recommend this movie to everyone. 

Book YourTicket Now

© Enricoh Alfonzo ~ Alfonzo Words

• I’d love to keep connected with you! 

Follow on Twitter | Like on Facebook | Join my Instagram community | Watch me on Pinterest | Subscribe to blog post Updates |

~Be Kind to One Another~ Ellen Degeneres

Literature Tag: Roy Huff

Inspire. Create. Write.TM

Still round the corner there may wait, A new road or a secret gate.

Little by little, one travels far~J.R.R. Tolkien

Ohayōgozaimasu

This #MondayMotivation, I have the privilege nay the extreme glory to introduce you to an unbelievable author that I've met along my journey. You should see this guy on guest posts, he's one of the most versatile Authors I know. He is the type of author I strive to become one day for the following reasons:

• Great readership fan base
• Large follower to following ratio
• Alot of interaction on posts/writing
• Published books/works across not only the fiction board but the personal development one too {an impressive & complete List of his published works can be found Here}
• Self Motivated & Goal oriented
• Guest Posting & Features on many different blogs/websites
• Lives in Hawaii
• Loves Japan

Meet Roy Huff

Roy Huff is a research scientist, author, and teacher who overcame the hardship of a family plagued by severe poverty and mental illness. After graduating high school as Valedictorian a year early, he moved to Hawaii at the age of seventeen with only $100 in his pocket to start a new life.

His interests are eclectic and range from the arts, extreme sports, economics, hard science, movies, traveling, and the outdoors. Roy Huff remains committed to promoting education, applied science, individuality, and creativity.

Literature Tag:

1. What is your all-time favorite book?

• That’s an impossible question to answer. I have many favorites. A few including The Hunger Games, Harry Potter, & Lord of the Rings series’. I also enjoy many non-fiction books such as Think and Grow Rich and others.

2. According to you, which Quote best describes you as a person?

• “Two roads diverged in a wood, and I— I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.” – Robert Frost

3. What is your favorite English word, and why?

• Another impossible question. I like many: Hope, action, surprise, optimistic, happy, dream, do, learn, goal, write.

4. What is your favorite word in your home language, and what does it mean?

• See answer #3.

5. Being a blogger/author, what is the most difficult part about writing for you?

• Sitting down and writing. Once I start it’s easy. Fear and procrastination are the enemy of writers. 

6. What inspires you to write the most?

• When I get positive feedback from readers, it’s a tremendous motivator. I also love the fact that my words are my legacy. The fact that people will be able to read my words years, decades, and centuries after I’m gone pushes me to keep going. 

7. Who is your favorite Author?

• I have many, but I’ll say Tolkien. 

"Gandalf the Jazzed"

8. In how many languages can you write in?

• I’m fluent in English, but I can write some Japanese, but not well enough to write a book, at least not yet. 

9. If you had to MAKE UP/INVENT one word, what would it be? And what would that word mean?

• Habiteer – An expert in stacking good habits who achieves what others once thought to be an impossible goal. 

10. Make a sentence containing the following words: Three, Birds, Sauce, Hug and Gay (As in happy)

• Three gay birds hugged after inventing an awesome secret sauce.

11. Assign your own meaning to the following made-up words:

• Bugalhet – A person who plays the bugle and eats bagels. 
• Wiftigious – To smell frequently even in the absence of an odor.
• Doraning – The name given to those looking to copy Dora the Explorer

12. What word rhymes best with Sugar?

• Pusher

13. Sum up your experience of Blogging in one rhyming sentence.

• Finding no time is the crime, but to break it, you must take it. 

14. Who is your favorite character from a book? Why him/her?

• Another impossible question. Harry Potter is good, but so are many others. I love escape and fantasy and those that overcome impossible obstacles. 

15. What would be the Ultimate Goal for you to achieve as a Writer?

• A hundred million plus New York Times bestseller. 

16. Can you remember the moment you fell in love with words/literature?

• I loved Edgar Allen Poe in high school. 

17. Do you have a good support structure while writing?

• Yes. My family and friends are supportive, and I use online tools and resources. 

18. Why is reading important to you?

• Reading makes you a better writer, and gives you he knowledge you need to learn anything. It also improves your ability to focus and develop good habits. 

19. What is your most memorable childhood book?

• Charlotte’s Web. 

Quick Fire {choose one}

Poems or Quotes 

Rock or Pop

Handwriting or Typing

Fiction or Non-Fiction

Both

Plotter or Pantser

Traditional or Self-Publishing

Depends on the goal

Reading alone or for Other People

Tips & Tricks:

1. Do you have any great writing resources that you can share with us?

• Yes. 1. Read https://smartblogger.com/ daily.

2. What would you say to other aspiring writers out there?

• Write daily, even if just one paragraph. Read about improving your writing daily, and read something daily. It’s not about talent, it’s about persistence and learning. Anyone can become a great writer if they keep putting in the effort, i.e., write, read, and read about improving your writing as much as possible. Small gains daily add up to tremendous gains over time.

3. If there was just one nugget of wisdom you could share, what would that be?

• Don’t give up. Don’t listen to people who have given up or never tried. Seek advice from those who succeeded and you wish to emulate. Be persistent and focus on changing bad habits. It’s the consistent small good habits that push you towards your dreams over time.

Have you written any books? Tell us about it/them.

• I’ve written four books in an eight-part epic-fantasy series called Everville. The latest was Everville: The Fall of Brackenbone which takes place partly in a university and partly on a parallel fantasy world with fantasy characters that work with the protagonist, Owen Sage, to stop the destruction of the word from evil forces. 

Buy Everville Books: Amazon Link

• I also wrote a self-help book on happiness and success this past summer, which I’m currently working on to get published and promoted. You can get a feel for my self-help writing by reading my Lifehack articles here. http://www.lifehack.org/author/royhuffowensage-com

Stay tuned to Roy Huff's upcoming releases & promotions:

Website

Twitter

Facebook

Pinterest

Instagram

© Enricoh Alfonzo ~ Alfonzo Words

• I’d love to keep connected with you! 

Follow me on Twitter | Like on Facebook | Join my Instagram community | Watch me on Pinterest | Subscribe to blog post Updates |

The Script: Interview of a Teenage Blogger Queen

Inspire. Create. Write. TM

Model: Taz Noble

INT. PROD HOUSE – TALK SHOWROOM (SHIANE DAILY) – CONT’D

FADE TO:

INSERT THEME OPENING CLIP

PAN SHOT:  to the talk show host

Shiane Hawke stands (broad, welcoming smile), with arms outstretched to greet the in-house audience as well as the viewers.

SHIANE

Welcome back! Thank you for watching. Today we’ll be talking to the multiple award-winning and critically acclaimed, Grace Ann Scott. Dubbed the Blogger Queen by her worldwide fans.

(pause for cheer)

Shiane makes a show of touching her ear as if receiving communication there. She holds up a finger as added.

SHIANE

(CONT’D) Wow, okay I’m getting word now ….that Grace has just entered the parking bay! Let’s have a look shall we?

CUT TO:

EXT. PARKING BAY - DAY

B-ROLL: Wide-angle shot of the thousands of girls & women, shouting and screaming in fandom behind the barricades. Cross-cut to Grace getting out of the car w/ 2nd cam on the cheering fans.

Close ON: Grace waving and greeting the crowd. WHEN(Grace decides to sign autographs or bags, ZOOM IN on 2nd camera to cap action)

SPLIT SCREEN: Cam 1 to stay on the cheering crowds. IF(any emotional girls/women, ZOOM IN). Cam 2 to follow (handheld) Grace into the building.

FADE TO:

INT. PROD HOUSE – TALK SHOW ROOM – CONT’D

DUAL CUT: Cross cut b/tween Cam 1 on Shiane & Cam 2 on Grace.

Dainty hugs shared b/tween Shiane & Grace as to not smudge anything. They get seated at a cross angle to the cameras.

SHIANE

(exultant expression)

Grace Ann Scott! OH. MY. GOD. As I live and breathe. Let me start by saying I’m a huge fan of the ‘GraceConfessions’ website. I never go a day without checking it.

GRACE

Awww, thank you for having me Shiane but it is me who is the fan of you. I’ve watched you for years now and all my fans know it.

SHIANE

Well try as you might to be humble Miss Thang, you’ve created a revolution. That letter you released from Maya is absolutely heart-breaking & uplifting! Is it true that she’s the newest member with her own section on the website and everything?

GRACE

(smacks her hands together)

Yes! Oh my God! I’m so excited for her. Maya is just a complete phenomenon right now and she’s inspiring girls all over the world. I have big plans in store for her.

SHIANE

That’s amazing Grace, I know all the tweens are loving you for that. Plucking some random from obscurity and giving her a life only celebrities get to live. On a more serious note, is it true that you & Maya share a very special bond? Can you tell us about it?

GRACE

(visibly saddened, looks down)

Maya’s letter really resonated with me because I too lost my mother at a young age.

(shakes head out) (MOS)

(CONT’D) Yet I know that Maya is one of a kind, thoughtful, funny, totally teddy bear hug you to the wall caring. I would be ‘besties like toasties’ with her in any lifetime.

B.G(Background): Producer waves to Shiane to advise on the time limit.

SHIANE

Well, without further ado let’s get this show on the rolly polly, shall we? So you’ve been called the Blogger Queen, the Queen of Beauty, the Grace connection. Can you tell us how this all started?

GRACE

(laughs nervously at the attention)

Oh please, I ain’t no Queen. I have friends around the world, not loyal subjects. (laughs). Basically, my ‘besties like toasties’ Ashley & Nicole were complaining about how all the websites were extremely hardcore beauty or extremely hardcore anti-beauty. But there was nothing in the middle, nothing light-hearted and fun. That’s what the ‘GraceConfessions’ is all about, keeping everyone completely up to date with beauty but by keeping it real & quirky which is what most of us are, is it? Quirky.

SHIANE

(claps)

Yes! How true that is girl! Now, I hope you don’t mind but ever since it was announced that you’d be here, the fans have been tweeting us up into a storm. There’s been so many questions asked & we’d like to get a few of them answered.

GRACE

Ofcourse I don’t mind. Ask away Shi.

SHIANE

(looks to the crowd in anticipation)

Here we go. Grace, the fans would like to know, What is your skin care regime?

GRACE

I’m a CEM kinda girl. Cleanser, Exfoliant & Moisturizer. On certain days, I apply the eye cream, toner & a mask.

SHIANE

Perfect, ok question number 2. Becka from Sydney wants to know, Do you wear makeup every day?

GRACE

Oh yes, it’s just a part of who I am. Alittle goes a long way.

SHIANE

I like this one, What is your favorite beauty brand?

GRACE

Well ofcourse it’s MAC, MAC for life but I’ve really been enjoying a Japanese brand lately. It’s called Shiseido.

SHIANE

Really? Maybe I should give it a go as well. Question number 4 from Brighton in London, What are your beauty sins? Oh! Speaking of this, you site gets thousands upon thousands of these on a daily basis. Which one is your favorite?

GRACE

Brighton! Such a cool name. It’s true I’ve read every beauty sin I’ve thought possible and still more pours in every day. I would say it’s not washing out my makeup before bed, some days are just more exhausting than others. My favorite would be the one a guy posted a while ago about how he shaves with baby oil. We’ve had so many guys come back and say they tried it with great success. It was really funny and incredibly humbling to see guys use the site too.

IN B/tween shots of laughter from the crowd.

SHIANE

Gracy, so modest. Ofcourse guys follow it, it wouldn’t be a revolution if they didn’t. So What’s in your make-up bag at this very moment?

GRACE

I think the more interesting question is, what isn’t.

(laughs; short bursts)

Let’s see my key items that I can’t live without are Eye Shadow, Eye Liner & Lip Stick.

SHIANE

Oh yes darling, I couldn’t bear to not have that on me. Ok, let’s see hmmm the next question is from Teddy in Texas. She says, You are late for a meeting and can only put on one make-up item before leaving the house what do you grab?

(Grace & Shiane look at each knowingly and at the same time s/o)

Eye Liner!

(giggling ensues, crowd joins)

SHIANE

Yes, it really is the only thing worth having isn’t it. Right then, Grace Ann have you ever uh, I think the phrase they used is, “ugly cried” and have your mascara run in public?

GRACE

(laughs childishly)

Veronica Roth

That’s a new one!.....I thank God for water-proof mascara otherwise, there would have been plenty of insta-Blair witch project photos of me out there by now.

PAN OUT: Crowds reaction.

SHIANE

(waits for crowd to die down)

Ally and she adorably she signed this as Ally Not McBeal, is a housewife in Wisconsin asks If you could dye your hair any colour what would it be?

GRACE

In honor of the great artist Prince, I’m definitely going to say ~Purple Rain, Purple Rain~ (sings in perfect pitch)

SHIANE

Wow, you’ve got some pipes on you girl. Question number 9 is, How often do you wash your hair?

GRACE

I try to do it every day but during my busiest weeks, it’s most likely every second day.

SHIANE

Taraji from Kenya would like to know, Are your eyebrows on fleek? Wait what in the holy heavens are eyebrows on fleek? Sounds positively demented.

GRACE

(giggles and claps on legs)

Don’t worry Shi, it’s an American thing...mostly. As with most things beauty related it started with Kim Kardashian & her eyebrow war with the wonderfully goofy Cara Delevingne. Kim won by bleaching her eyebrows and the trend ‘eyebrows on fleek’ was born. It's a variation of the word 'flick' or eyebrows on point if you will. So my answer is, yes (giggles) and I do enjoy watching those who do it too.

Posted by Brinton Parker

SHIANE

Really? You Americans are really some’fin else you know that?

B.g: Producer rolls out his hand.

(CONT’D) Let’s continue, shall we? Question 10 is Do you Contour?

GRACE

I love how this isn’t a model exclusive thing anymore. Yes! I love to contour. Ashley is the greatest at it and always does mine before we hit the town.

SHIANE

We’re almost done here. Minali from South Africa would like to know if you thread or wax?

GRACE

Minali, I love these names. Well Minali, I thread ofcourse but there’s just something’s better left waxed, you know. (winks to cam 5)

PAN SHOT: crowd

SHIANE

Last question Grace Ann, What would you call your own beauty brand?

GRACE

(exultant expressions)

I’m so overjoyed that you asked that question. (body language to the crowd). I’m very excited to announce that the ‘GraceConfessions’ site is well on it’s way to launching it’s very own beauty brand!

PAN SHOT: Crowd reaction, ZOOM IN on exultant expressions.

SHIANE

(visibly excited)

Don’t leave us in the dark now Grace Ann, tell us what it’s going to be called.

GRACE

(looks around w/ mysterious smile to build anticipation)

………….It’s going to be called The Grace Kelly! (crowd erupts, waits for settle down) Yeah, we’ve gotten the permission from Miss Kelly’s estate and everything. The Olsen Twins are one of our big investors.

SHIANE

Bloody Hell! I cannot wait to try this new brand out, you simply must not forget to send me samples. Also, it seems another popular must have from the twitter-verse is a Quick Fire round. In which I give you two options and you pick one in rapid succession. Ready?

GRACE

Awesome sauce! We play quick fire all the time at sleepovers. Go for it.

SHIANE

Gel or Acrylic

GRACE

Gel

SHIANE

Liquid Liner or Pencil Liner

GRACE

Oooh pencil is a golden oldie but I’m going to have to go with Liquid on this one.

SHIANE

Yes me too Luv. Matt or Gloss.

GRACE

Daily it’s Gloss all the way but special occasions… bring out the Matt finish.

SHIANE

Salon or DIY

GRACE

DIY. Ashley would say, personal stylist.

(laughs from crowd & Shiane)

SHIANE

Curled or Straight

GRACE

Curled

SHIANE

Bold Lip or Dramatic Eyes

GRACE

I’m especially fond of the Egyptian eyes.

SHIANE

Oh yes! Me too! So intriguing. French Tip or Nail Art

GRACE

French Tip

SHIANE

Floral or Musky notes for your perfume

GRACE

Floral

SHIANE

Makeup wipes or Micellar Water

GRACE

Oh, we love Micellar water.

SHIANE

(claps hands together)

Grace Ann, that was a lovely round of fan-based questions, don’t you think?

(looks to Cam 7)

(CONT’D) Thank you all for tuning into Shiane Daily. Grace insisted we answer the fan questions first as you all mean so much to her. Join us after the break where Grace and I will be interviewing some potential candidates for the ‘GraceConfessions’ position right here in the UK!

B-Roll: Wide-angle shot as theme music plays in the background of cheering crowd.

Cross-out: Cam 5 to close on Grace as she waves to the crowd.

FADE OUT: Commercial Break. 

****************************************

Authors Note*

Please Note* That this was just me being creative with a Blog Tag writing prompt and might not entirely reflect the true form of a script as I didn't want it to be too technical.

The First Photo was modeled by local Cosplay Icon, Taz Noble and refers to my original short story on Wattpad, called the “The Lady in Blue Heels.”

Update* “The Lady in Blue Heels.” is now available on the blog!

Mommy Blogger: How I found out I was Pregnant

Mommy Blogger: How I found out I was Pregnant Part 2

You can also read the Prequel to this titled: Confessions of a Teenage Blogger Queen

It’s filled with love, romance, intrigue, drama & suspense. Get to know more about Grace Annelise Scott.

The Blog Tag provides bloggers with daily Writing Prompts in line with a weekly theme.

If you're interested in taking part either follow the link or click on the image below which will take you to the Aesthetically Blog-tastic Website.

~Be Kind to One Another~ Ellen Degeneres

Literature Tag: ☮Kathe Messina☮

Inspire. Create. Write.TM

Only those who Dare to fail greatly, can ever Achieve greatly ~R. Kennedy

This WednesdayWisdom, I have the privilege nay the extreme glory to introduce you to an unbelievable author that I've met along my journey. You should see this lady on twitter, I call her the Gratitude Queen as she never fails to ensure her engaging followers are promptly thanked for their participation in her tweets. She's blatantly honest, hilariously witty, intellectually snappy & confoundingly amazing.

Kathe Messina is the debut author of a heart-rending memoir, She’ll Awaken. She is an ESL teacher, a recent university graduate and an inductee in two international honor societies, but has also worked in the hospitality industry, made a career out of motherhood and homeschooling, and was a care-giver to her bed-ridden mother. She wrote She’ll Awaken amid a chaotic family life and getting her degree. She has always loved writing, but kept it to the whimsical and only among friends. Following a life-changing experience, she realized that others could benefit from her story and that it might be the only way to move on. A memoir was born. 

Her goals are fairly simple – to practice kindness, to pursue peace, and to write beautiful words. She has learned that there are words for everything, and that when well-chosen, they can help and even heal.

1. What is your all-time favorite book?

Catcher in the Rye – I love everything about this book and its themes.  I only wish Salinger’s estate wasn’t hoarding the Holden character.  I would LOVE to write a sequel, but not enough to get sued for it!!

2. According to you, which quote best describes you as a person?

            “You may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one.” ~ John Lennon

3. What is your favourite English word, and why?

            “ubiquitous” – present, appearing, or found everywhere

This word feeds my devotion to my kids. Of course I can’t be everything to them or ‘fix’ everything for them either, but I’ll die trying.

4. What is your favorite word in your home language, and what does it mean?

English is my native tongue but German had a limited presence in the home. I’m partial to “liebchen” – one of a few names Dad had for me.

5. Being a blogger/author, what is the most difficult part about writing for you?

            #1. Time. As in all things, there is never enough to do what we want or need.

#2.  In writing my debut memoir, the most difficult thing was having to throw myself on the proverbial pyre to tell what needed to be told, to bare myself, and to do justice to the deep reflection.  I constantly asked myself, ‘How much is too much?’

#3.  In other writing, such as my (sleepy) blog, or on Twitter or Facebook, I don’t like it that I have to be careful about what I say on matters of opinion. Why? As my blog has more than once featured (http://wp.me/p5aByk-34) (http://wp.me/p5aByk-5d) there are people out there who don’t give a flying fu-la-la-la-la about whether they’ve offended ME!

6. What inspires you to write the most?

            #1.  I see myself as a teacher.  #2. Pain. 

No one likes it, but pain is what makes us who we are. The struggle against it refines us and, hopefully, reveals better versions of ourselves than the empty shells we might otherwise be if everything were easy.  If we have learned anything from our struggles, we ought to share it with others. This is why I write.

7. What is your favourite song?

            Tough to choose just one, but here goes … from 1977, Sentimental Lady ~ Bob Welch

8. What image/experience/memory do you instantly think of when hearing your favourite song?

I’m a child of the 70s so that song takes me back to summers back home, hanging out by the local pool with friends. I was born a sun junkie!

9. In how many languages can you write?

            Unless ‘dufus’ is a language, just English.

10. If you had to MAKE UP/INVENT one word, what would it be? And what would that word mean?

            Done it!  If anyone else claims to have invented this one, I am unaware.

            “Confuckulated”…yup…it ain’t pretty but it is perfect for when stuff is totally jacked up!

11. Make a sentence containing the following words: Three, Birds, Sauce, Hug, and Gay (as in happy)

A hug to the ear, and the sauce of life is the three-fold delight of birds singing - tuneful, winsome, and gay.

12. Assign your own meaning to the following made-up words:

Bugalhet – n. of or pertaining to annoyance from auditory input (e.g. His droning oratory was bugalhet to her ears)

Wiftigious – adj. something pleasant in an olfactory way (e.g. As he moved in to kiss her neck, he was caught by the wiftigious symphony of her hair and her perfume)

Doraning – v. the practice of vetting callers to one’s home through use of a peep-hole in the door (e.g. Her paranoia was evident in the incessant doraning every time her door-bell rang)

13. What word rhymes best with Sugar?

I’m going to say “her” in a poetic use …

            ‘C’mon, Baby, give Daddy some sugar’

            His words were cast to deliberately hook her. 

            (Stay tuned … an epic erotic series just blew into my melon!)

14. Sum up your experience of The Blog Tag in one rhyming sentence.

N/A – not yet a member

Doing this tag for AlfonsoWords, however, was a pleasure because, well … he’s such a doll!!

15. Who is your favourite character from a book? Why him/her?

Holden Caulfield of Salinger’s Catcher in the Rye is my favorite literary character.  He is me in the struggle to reconcile an idealized view of how people should be, with the phony behaviour they exhibit so reflexively.

16. Have you written any books? Tell us about it/them.

My debut memoir is about to drop (I know I’ve been saying that for what seems like a long-ass time, but I just couldn’t let this chunk of my heart and soul be rushed out until it was as perfect as I could control).

This is an account of my eleven-month relationship with a broken soul, ravaged by PTSD, but who presented as professional and romantic.  Our connection was so exciting, like a fairy-tale in many ways.  But as in all fairy tales, evil lurks, and there’s a lesson to be learned.

17. What would be the ultimate goal for you to achieve as a writer?

Anything I have ever written has been done with the compulsion to use the most beautiful words in the most artful way to convey the most touching meaning. Unfortunately, a situation has befallen me personally in which my writing needs to turn into income in the most urgent way. Nevertheless, I cannot betray my compulsion by throwing out a bunch of drivel just to make money. My ultimate goal is to overcome the personal situation by monetizing my writing, not exploiting it. After that, were I to put down my pen for all time, I could be satisfied.

18. Can you remember the moment you fell in love with words/literature? 

A precise moment, no, but I have vivid childhood recollections of Mother Goose Rhymes and other classics that my mother recited before I could read.  Here’s some TMI for you all … she would recite rhymes and stories while toilet-training me to pass the time while I was sitting ‘on the potty.’  Mom loved books, and gifts included books of well-loved classics as often as toys and clothes.  I remember my big brother reading to me, as well as learning to read myself in first grade. I devoured books from that time onward.

19. Do you have a good support structure while writing?

In terms of surroundings, yes.  My kids are older and don’t interrupt per se, although the confluence of schedules often makes extended writing time a challenge.  When I undertook writing the memoir, I confided in a very close friend who knew the story.  I needed his objectivity as I relived the events of that relationship.  He was my compass, and I am ever grateful.

20. Why is reading important to you?

There is nothing you can’t learn if you know how to read well. I believe this to be an axiom, and it was the driving force in homeschooling my children. One of the things of which I’m most proud is having taught my kids to read. I believe that reading is the infusion that makes us wielders of delightful words. When we open our mouths, we can build up or tear down. How can we communicate effectively, powerfully, and lovingly with our fellow man if we don’t take in the words necessary to do so? You simply can’t draw from a well having no water.

21. What is your most memorable childhood book?

            I have to name two – The Five Chinese Brothers & The Three Billy Goats Gruff

            These were stories I had read to me over and over.

OH! WAIT! I can’t forget my copy of Cat in the Hat. It had a huge mustard stain on the inside cover because I hid an unwanted ham sandwich in it. My brother has NEVER let me forget it!

Quick Fire

Poems or Quotes

Poems … love the artful arrangement of words

Rock or Pop

Classic Rock, actually … and Oldies

Handwriting or Typing

Typing … I’m super-fast at it and it is easier to share than handwriting

Biography or Novel

Biography hands down! Fascinated by real people and real situations whereas I’m so often disappointed by the direction of a fiction story.

Plotter or Pantser

Pantser and proud of it! I need words to flow, and a mechanized story just doesn’t do it for me

Traditional or Self Publishing

Self !! I could NEVER relinquish control of my words to anyone.

Reading alone or for Other People

I think both contribute to maximizing the learning potential of reading. Reading alone, whether for learning or entertainment, allows us to fully engage with content.  Reading FOR other people, whether that’s out loud for their benefit or reading what is popular with others or selected by others, provides a more limited opportunity to assimilate content but a greater social context in which to do so.  Nevertheless, I never read something just because it’s popular.  

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~Be Kind to One Another~ Ellen Degeneres