Occasional FAQ: What Would Gail Do?

Busting my tush editing right now, Gentle Reader.

However I did notice that The Door in the Hedge by Robin McKinley is on sale today for $1.99. One of my favorite short story collections ever.

So, for the today’s blog post? Here’s a quick fun one for you. Some pithy answers to some frequently asked questions.

What is your guiltiest pleasure that few know about?

Great British Bake Off, closely followed by Trader Joe’s Paneer Tikka Masala and Marie Claire magazine. Sometimes I can be found indulging in all three at once.

What hobbies do you have and how do they influence your work?

I like to sew, dance, cook, read,  and eat. All of these things sneak into my books: I’m always describing the way people move, what they are wearing, and what they consume. In Competence my characters form an on dirigible book group.

What can we find you doing to relax?

Shoe shopping, drinking tea, more shoe shopping, thinking about shoe shopping, drinking more tea – it’s a simple life.

What would happen to your writing if there was a shortage (gasp!) of tea or chocolate?

I could probably survive without the chocolate. I don’t know if I could function as a human being without tea, let alone write.

Has your sense of humor ever gotten you into trouble?

More times than I can possibly count. I always think I’m hilarious and I will open my big mouth at the most inopportune times. Booze, let me just say, does not help with this problem.

Is there a place, activity, or person that is your hiding spot?

Yes, any place where I can have a great cup of tea and be surrounded by a civilized little shade garden.

What’s one random tidbit about yourself?

I find endless comedic enjoyment in the ridiculous: the Westminster Dog Show, rubber animals, string cheese, squid, that kind of thing. Also, I’m a mean lean pinball player.

Can you tell us something about you we can’t see on your wikia?

All my inanimate objects have names (I think it’s rude to yell at them without calling them by name). Oh and I’m famous amongst my friends for a certain breakfast item called the “eggy cup.”

Would you rather be a vampire, a werewolf, or a ghost?

Werewolf, no question. I’ve always wanted to be able to change shape, even if I were forced to do it every month. Most of us ladies are quite accustomed to engaging in the emotional equivalent of a monthly shape change already, I suspect it wouldn’t be too difficult to adapt to werewolfdom.

How would you react if you were you attacked by a vampire without even a proper introduction?

Oh, I have no pride or gumption. I would run to the nearest public area yelling for the constabulary.

If you could spend one day in Victorian–era London, what would you do (and, more importantly, what would you wear)?

I should love to visit the Crystal Palace and the Great Exhibition displays housed there. I’d wear the appropriate day dress, probably something in teal velvet with hundreds of tiny buttons and a very outrageous hat. Ivy has nothing on me with regards to taste in hats. (Find out more on the Crystal Palace on my 1850s History Pinterest board.)

What are some of your favorite films?

In no particular order:

• Dangerous Liaisons
• Pride & Prejudice
• Tipping the Velvet
• North & South,
• Gosford Park
• Room With A View
• Maurice
• Cold Comfort Farm
• Grosse Pointe Blank
• Latter Days
• Ever After
• Underworld

Find out more on my Recommended TV & Movies Pinterest board.

What would you like it to say on your tombstone?

“She would rather have drowned in tea.”

what it will actually say is

“She only wanted to taste it once.”

{Gail’s monthly read along for March is Crown Duel by Sherwood Smith.}

PROJECT ROUND UP

• Secret Project SAS ~ Novel by G. L. Carriger
  Status: With Copy Editor
  Contemporary m/m paranormal romance between a snarky mage and a gruff werewolf. Hella raunchy. Super dirty. Very very fun. Spin off of Marine Biology.

• Romancing the Werewolf ~ A Supernatural Society Novella
  Status: Rough Draft Complete. On Lay Away.
  LBGTQ reunion romance featuring your favorite reluctant werewolf dandy, the return of a certain quietly efficient Beta, and some very unexpected gifts. Add this book on Goodreads.

• Competence (working title) ~ Custard Protocol Book 3
  Status: First Draft Editing.
  Third in the Custard Protocol series featuring Primrose, Rue, and all their crazy friends. Add this book on Goodreads.

OUT NOW

Romancing the Inventor in Audiobook. A steampunk lesbian romance featuring a maid bent on seducing a brilliant cross-dressing scientist who’s too brokenhearted to notice. Or is she?

GAIL’S DAILY DOSE

Your Moment of Parasol . . .

Your Infusion of Cute . . .

All the colors people purchased this t-shirt in from my store just after it was announced. You ladies & gentlemen are the best!

Your Tisane of Smart . . .

Your Writerly Tinctures . . .  

Three Award-Winning Romance Novelists Discuss Their Craft

Book News:

Sci-Fi and Fantasy Marketing Podcast: Transitioning from Traditional Publishing to a Hybrid Career with Gail Carriger

Quote of the Day:

“There are lots worse curses to have, but she writes them SO SLOWLY, and I read them SO FAST!”

~ Overheard at Borderlands Books in San Francisco

Tags: FAQ