What occupation (other than yours) would you like to try? Voice over artist
What sound or noise do you love? The turning of a page
What sound or noise do you hate? My husband’s electric toothbrush
What is your favorite word? All of them
Fiction or Nonfiction? nonfiction
Genre? memoir
Ebook, audio book, or physical book? Audio book
What makes you choose a book to read? Author? Cover? Blurb? The blurb.
Recommendation? The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
What makes you put down a book? If I just really can’t get into it.
What are you reading now? Last Bus to Wisdom by Ivan Doig
Do you re-read books? Not really. Maybe parts of them.
All time favorite book? Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
If heaven exists, what would you want St. Peter to say? We’ve missed you.
Jess Witkins: Writer. Blogger. Sometimes funny. Making pathetic look cool since 1985. 🙂
Jess is a seasoned event planner, director, and producer. She is the owner of Witkins Productions, LLC.
Jess reads a lot and currently challenged herself to “A Year of Reading.” See more on her website here.
Hi, it’s Lynette here. Great answers, Jess. I love your favorite sound! And isn’t it interesting that Jess is hooked by the blurb? Thank you for participating.
Did you enjoy this reader interview? Have you read the previous ones? If now visit them now. Mine, Rob Chilson, and Sarah Worrell.
(With a tip of the hat to the Inside the Actor’s Studio)
First Name: Sarah
Gender: F
Age Range: 21-40
Occupation: peer tutor at the JCCC Writing Center
What occupation (other than yours) would you like to try? Fiction and poetry writer
What sound or noise do you love? Purring cat
What sound or noise do you hate? Insistent meowing of cat wanting to go outside
What is your favorite word? Bizarre
Fiction or Nonfiction? Fiction
Genre? Speculative fiction, but paranormal urban fantasy is a particular favorite.
Ebook, audio book, or physical book? Physical book unless I can’t get it that way.
What makes you choose a book to read? Author? Cover? Blurb? It has to look and sound entertaining. Being an author I’ve already read helps, but if the concept is intriguing that’ll do.
Recommendation(s)? Laurell K Hamilton, Kim Harrison, Writing the Other by Nisi Shawl, Fast Girl by Suzy Favor Hamilton, Impossible Things by Connie Willis, Troublemaker by Leah Remini.
What makes you put down a book? Boredom or slogging through a book like it’s a chore.
What are you reading now? Just finished Dancing and Wounded by Laurell K. Hamilton, which are only available as ebooks.
Do you re-read books? Yes, frequently. The more stressed I am, the more likely I am to be re-reading instead of reading a new book.
All time favorite book?Rilla of Ingleside by L. M. Montgomery.
If heaven exists, what would you want St. Peter to say? Glad you’re here or it’s good to finally meet you. Something along those lines would be nice : )
Sarah Worrel completed her associate’s degree at Johnson County Community College. She graduated from the University of Kansas, where Sarah enjoyed her job at the KU Writing Center. Sarah loves working at the JCCC Writing Center and also takes Digital Media classes at JCCC. Her short stories have appeared in Coal City Review and Ad Astra, while her poetry has appeared in 365 Days: A Poetry Anthologyand at 150kansaspoems.
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Thank you, Sarah! I know I’ve added several titles to my TBR list. How about you?
First Name: Rob
Gender: Male
Age Range: 61+
Occupation: Retired (very tiring)
What occupation (other than yours) would you like to try? Never gave anything but writing a thought, past the age of say 7
What sound or noise do you love? Many-many. Rain after drought. The onset of a thunderstorm in hot summer weather. The laughter of children.
What sound or noise do you hate? Whining, especially of children, but even of cats
What is your favorite word? Too many to list, I love words. Easier to list least favorite, but I can’t think what would be worst.
Fiction or Nonfiction? That I read? Both.
Genre? Usually SF/fantasy in fiction, sometimes a mystery; history, bio, autobio, and recent events in nonfiction
Ebook, audio book, or physical book? I still prefer a physical book, partly because my Kindle’s index is messed up. It only lists half a dozen books, though if I remember title or author I can pull up the others. But who can remember them all? Also, the physical book will still be readable, whereas magnetic memories are very frail.
What makes you choose a book to read? Author? Cover? Blurb? Any or all of the foregoing, and other things as well: reviews, recommendations, etc.
Recommendation? Anything by James Schmitz. I also like Jack McDevitt, Jack Vance, Matthew Hughes, and a whole bunch of classics, Heinlein and all that.
What makes you put down a book? Bad writing, lack of logic, inaccurate characterization or observation. If’s well-written but merely dull, I’ll probably go on, but I’ll never re-read it. A good book bears re-reading.
What are you reading now? Currently re-reading C. J. Cherryh’s “Chanur” series.
Do you re-read books? The good ones, yes.
All time favorite book? Too many to list. There are a hundred in the top ten, even.
If heaven exists, what would you want St. Peter to say? “Welcome! The library’s that way.”
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Hi! This is Lynette again.
I love that last answer, don’t you?
Now I have to confess, Rob Chilson is my co-author and a dear friend. He and I wrote three White Box novellas, two of which were published in Analog Science Fiction, Science Fact Magazine. He graciously agreed to take my little questionnaire. Here’s a photo of us from a few years back.
Want to know a little more about Rob? Here’s a portion of his bio:
I was born at home in Oklahoma, after my mother spent part of the morning hoeing in the garden. It was a pretty old-fashioned family even for that time (1945) and place. My father was a scarecrow. We subsequently moved to California, where my memories begin. I remember the first flake of snow I ever saw. (It disappeared before I got a good look at it.) Since then I’ve lost track of snowflakes; we moved back to Missouri (my mother’s natal state) when I was eight, and I have been a confirmed Midwesterner ever since.
I decided, about age six, that I wanted to be a writer. I even wrote a couple of stories. I concluded that I was not yet ready to be a writer, so postponed it until I was grown up. At age eleven, I concluded that I now knew enough to be a writer; for instance, I now understood improper fractions.
