I should preface that I am both a Sherman Alexie fan, and I also don’t read a lot of short stories. With that being said, this was both entertaining and thought-provoking. Alexie did a wonderful job with the stories and by offering life lessons in the process. If you like short stories, you’ll enjoy this collection. If you enjoy Sherman Alexie, you will find this to fit his normal style of writing as well, and I give it 5 stars.
Today, we’re talking with our second zombie-loving girl in the past week. Prepare to be amazed as the cutting edge blogger & author, Christina Jones, graces us her with her presence.
You’re a writer with a bit of diversity. What is your favorite style of writing and what inspires you the most?
I really enjoy writing anything that involves humor and relationships. Humor has gotten me through the rougher parts of life and I love being able to do the same for my characters. As for inspiration, I draw mostly from my everyday life. My oldest son is hilarious and there’s never a dull moment around here.
Share your favorite passage from one of your works in one paragraph or less.
“The ride back to the house was awkward. Neither of us knew what to say and all I could do was stare at Frank and drool. I don’t know if he realized how close my face was to his. I just wanted to smell him. Graciously, he didn’t say anything to me about it. If only he knew how painful it was to refrain from biting off some part of him. By the time we got to the house, I’d already imagined his brain being everything from a T-bone steak to a juicy pork chop. In case you don’t remember, I don’t normally eat pork, but I would have that day. “
It’s a zombie story.
You’ve been presented with the opportunity to be a best-selling author but can never write again or write forever but never have a bestseller. Which scenario sounds more tempting?
I could never give up writing. I’d much rather be poor and unknown. ☺
If you could live on a college campus and never leave or in a small town but be able to travel, which one would you choose?
I love to travel. I’d take the small town any day.
Okay, how about in a zoo or in a museum?
Zoo. I’m bonkers about animals. I have a miniature zoo of my own.
And what about Ireland or Australia?
Ireland. My husband is Irish and I have a thing for Irish anything… haha
Who is your favorite 90’s band (I’m thinking Counting Crows, Blink 182, Hootie & the Blowfish)?
Oh man, that’s tough. I’m a music junkie. I’d probably have to say Blink 182 or The Goo Goo Dolls (but they’ve been around since the 80s).
Good choices!
And what about your favorite comedy on TV (I love The Office and Seinfeld)?
The Office, Parks and Recreation and Family Guy.
Is there anything you’re currently working on?
Yes. Shhhh… It’s a secret.
Who is your favorite author and if you could ask him/her one question, what would it be?
Eeek! This is harder than the music question. I don’t know if I really have a favorite author but if I had to pick one to ask a question to, it would be Stephen King. I’d honestly like to know if his stories keep him up at night.
Lightning round:
Ocean or mountains? Ocean
Strawberries or blueberries? Strawberries
M & M’s or Skittles? M & M’s
The Daily Show or The Colbert Report? The Colbert Report
Happy or sad ending to a novel? Happy ending
Beer or wine? Wine
Flying or driving? Flying (I don’t want to be locked in a car with two kids for hours haha)
Shakespeare or King David? Shakespeare
You’re stranded on a desert island and you can take two things with you as well as two people. What and who are you bringing?
My journal, my iPhone, my husband and Bear Grylls.
You’re able to sit down with any leader in world history. Who would you choose, what would you talk about, and would you rather have him over to your house or meet at their place of royalty
I would want to talk with Herod, a king back in the Bible days and if given the preference, I’d much rather visit his kingdom than have him visit my home. I would love to talk about the beheading of John the Baptist. That was one of the most heartbreaking stories for me to read.
You can wish for one thing and one thing only, not world peace and no more wishes. What’s it gonna be? ☺
To go back and spend a week in the 1920s. ☺
Christina Jones is an avid blogger, writer, mom, nurse, Jesus lover, wife and student. She has published multiple short stories, poems and photographs and is currently in the editing trenches with her first novel. When she isn’t busy doing any of the above, you will find her somewhere reading a book.
Today, we’re sitting down with the upcoming, international author: A.G. Billig. She’s cultured, well-traveled, and writes with profound passion. Enjoy getting to know A.G. as she is sure to become a household name in no time.
You’re the author of FOUR DOORS & OTHER STORIES. Share a line/passage with us that you are most proud of.
“Nevertheless, with each glance, touch, and kiss, Margaret took a stronger hold on him. She would meet him halfway and go down below the steep, barren lakeside. They would hide under the long branches of a willow, the only tree left by the water. There, he would fill himself up with the taste of her lips, and the silk of her skin that smelled like grass and fire ashes. He would caress her soft curves, her flat belly, amazed by her little waist. In the evening, he would go back to his flat on the third floor, the very one he had chosen months ago for being spacious and light, only to feel like a drowned man into a sea of tiny objects and big pieces of furniture. His odorant had developed in a bizarre way so that the man was able to sense each and every little smell. The more he inhaled Mary’s expensive perfume, the odor of synthetic soap, woman’s body and face lotions, the more he longed for the scent of grass and fresh water, for Margaret’s sweet faint sweat.” Green Eyes
You’ve been presented with the opportunity to live in a different country or grow up in another century, which scenario sounds more tempting?
I have this feeling that I have already lived in other centuries, just like the French teacher in the title story. I also believe that this new millennium is a great one to live in. Despite social turmoil, political upheaval, and natural catastrophes, I believe the human race has reached a peak in its evolution and that people have this huge opportunity to fully express their potential and inborn abilities, to create the lives they dream of, something that was not possible in the Middle Ages. So, to answer your question, I’d stay in this century and travel the world because this Earth is way too beautiful not to explore it. And have a house on a beach, by the ocean, where I return from time to time.
Great answer 🙂
If you could live in Florida without the humidity or Oregon without the rain, which one would you choose?
I’m in love with the beach and the ocean so I think I’d rather stay in Florida, humidity or not. But I would keep some rainy days in Oregon, just to go there and write. Rain inspires me. People of Oregon, please don’t be mad at me, I’m thinking just about a week of rain or so.
I live in Oregon now, we have the ocean too 🙂 But, I understand what you mean.
Okay, how about China or Brazil?
I’ve traveled to Brazil in 2010, to see with my own eyes the legendary John of God. I spent three amazing weeks, made friends from all over the world. It’s a great place to go find yourself, hear the voice of your heart. The atmosphere is so serene, the people, warm and friendly, the food, incredibly tasty and healthy. It you’re looking for a retreat where to work on your next novel, Abadiania, in Brazil, is a perfect place. As for China, never say never :).
What is your favorite book you read in high school (mine was a little known novel called MEN OF KENT)?
“Men of Kent”? Sounds interesting, I’ll look for it. I devoured Balzac and his “Human Comedy.” His characters are amazingly built, so true to life. My parents are fervent readers and I grew up surrounded with books.
Is there anything you’re currently working on?
A novel, inspired by the trip to Brazil I mentioned before and a collection of flash-prose entitled “On My Way to Work”.
Who is your favorite author and if you could ask him/her one question, what would it be?
This is a tough one. It’s difficult to name only one. Pascal Brukner, Anais Nin, F. Scott Fitzgerald. Jim Morrison, for his poems and vision of world. I would probably ask him what would he do it he went go back in time: repeat the history or just stick to poetry?
Lightning round:
Ocean or mountains? Mountains next to the ocean
Blueberries or cherries? Blueberries
Snickers or Skittles? Snickers
Happy or sad ending to a novel? It depends how you look at it. Right ending, the one that comes naturally.
Beer or wine? Wine
Flying or driving? Feeling like flying while driving
Edgar Allan Poe or Walt Whitman? Another tough one. Whitman!
You’re stranded on a desert island and you can take only two things with you and two people as well. What and who are you bringing?
My soul mate and a biologist. A wide brim hat and my first published book, in paperback.
You’re able to sit down with any world leader in history. Who would you choose, what would you talk about, and would you rather have him/her over to your house or at their place of royalty?
I’d go back in time and pay a visit to Cleopatra, in Egypt. Talk about extraterrestrials, ancient wisdom, human nature, love, men, beauty, and seduction and feminine power.
You can wish for one thing and one thing only (not world peace and no more wishes!), what’s it gonna be?
Fulfill my mission. Being what I am supposed to be, doing what I am supposed to do, (from my soul’s perspective). Hope this comes along with that house on the beach, by the ocean.
As the daughter of a French father and an Eastern European mother, A.G. is a natural born traveler, most of the time by imagination. She sees herself as a world citizen who crosses the imaginary frontiers between countries, wandering from place to place, admiring the beauty of the Earth, and feeling the warmth of the Sun, the caress of the waves, discovering the universal soul of mankind. She currently lives in Bucharest, Romania. The twelve stories included “Four Doors and Other Stories” portray love, in different forms and manifestations, as a self discovery path.
Connect with A.G. below:
Jackson Paul Baer 