Hello, and welcome to Quills of Chaos, a blog about all things books and writing, coauthored by myself (Jo) and my best friend, Lady Em.  We wanted to give you a brief introduction to who we are, so we've prepared a get-to-know-us questionnaire to include on our very first blog post.  So enjoy, and don't forget to introduce yourselves in the comments below!

Post-script by Lady Em: We did NOT do these together, but had a good laugh when we read how similar our responses were! No wonder we are best friends.

JO

1.    If you could live anywhere, where would it be?  

Some place far, far away from the nearest person, but not somewhere with really bad winters.  And somewhere with decent internet.  If any of you knew of such a place, let me know!

2.    What is your favorite family vacation?  

My family doesn’t really do vacations together

3.    What motivates you to work hard?  

My dogs’ lavish lifestyle

4.    What is your favorite book to read?  

I love so many books that this question is really hard.  But if I had to choose one, I would have to say Maybe This Time, by Jennifer Cruisie.  It’s the one I go back to whenever I’m worn out or sad, and it’s a book that I never loan out to other people.

5.    What was the last movie you went to? What did you think?  

The Lost City, with Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum.  I thought it was one of the top two funniest movies that I’ve ever seen.  Seriously, do yourself a favor and watch this movie.

6.    What would you sing at Karaoke night?  

“Rewrite the Stars,” from The Greatest Showman.

7.    Who would you want to be stranded with on a deserted island? 

 Chris Evans.  He’s nice to look at, and we could talk about dogs.  I would take Lady Em, but she would just be freaking out about her children the entire time, so that seems cruel.

8.    What three items would you take with you on a deserted island?

  I assume my dogs don’t count as items, so probably a knife (something along the lines of a K Bar), a water-proof poncho, and something to make fire with.  Not matches, because there would be a limit to how many uses I (and Chris Evans) would get, so something like a flint stone.

9.    How would your friends describe you?  

Honest (sometimes painfully so) and loyal

10.  What are your hobbies?  

Writing and reading are the big ones.  Also sewing, random crafty things that catch my attention, making soap, herbal-y things, and snuggling with my puppers.

11. Aside from necessities, what one thing could you not go a day without?  

Coffee.  It understands my soul like nothing else does.

12. What would you do if you won the lottery?  

Buy property in the type of area described in question one, open an old dog retirement home type rescue, see the world, and volunteer at all the places.

13. What's your favorite zoo animal?  

The rhinoceros.  I want to squeeze its little, lightly armored cheeks.  I want to make daisy chains for its necklace, then lay under a tree using it as a pillow.  Also, alligators.

14. If you could share a meal with any 4 people, living or dead, who would they be?  

Vera Atkins, because she was a badass; Ilona Andrews, because I want to convince her to be my friend; Chris Evans (see questions seven); any working Malinois, because while I have zero desire to actually own one, I love to watch them work.

15. What's the most daring thing you've ever done?  

I did study abroad in college, so I spent 4 months living in St Petersburg, Russia, with only the most basic understanding of the language.

16. What's your favorite type of foreign food?  

Anything not spicy, because I just like food.

17. Are you a clean or messy person?  

I am a messy person who occasionally aspires to cleanliness.

18. What kitchen appliance do you use every day?  

Coffee pot; also the blender, because I make a lot of smoothies.

19. Do you love or hate rollercoasters?  

Hate them.  Hate them so much.

20. What's your favorite movie? 

 Assassins, with Sylvester Stallone, Julianne Moore, and Antonio Banderas

21. Do you collect anything?  

Too many things!  Books, fabric, beads, houseplants, and small figures of animals.

22. Are you an introvert or an extrovert?  

I am the living embodiment of introvert.

23. Which of the five senses would you say is your strongest?  

Hearing.  I can be very sensitive to sounds, which is one of the reasons that I like living away from other people.  Sometimes listening to the noises made by the people around me literally feels like a physical assault.

24. What do you do to keep fit?  

Yoga, whatever YouTube exercise video catches my attention, fixing and refixing the fence that my Pyrenees destroys.

25.  What three things do you think of the most each day?  

Dogs, stories, food.

26. If you had a warning label, what would yours say?  

“Caution, unpredictable behavior.”

27.  What song would you say best sums you up?  

“White Fence”, by Sophia Scott or “Headstrong”, by Trapt

28. Who was your first crush?  

Gus Pike, from Avonlea, followed closely by Benny the Jet Rodriguez, from the Sandlot. 

29. What is your favorite family holiday tradition?  

All of ours revolve around Christmas, which is about the only time we all get together.  My favorite is either the joke gifts we get each other or the presents we wrap in ways that are almost impossible to get into.  (The use of a knife on Christmas morning is not allowed.)

30. If you had to describe yourself as an animal, which one would it be?  

A honey badger.  I’ll leave it at that.

31. Who knows you the best?  

Lady Em

32. What’s your favorite quote from a TV show/movie/book?  

“It’s the curse of short people.  We were born in the volcano of Vulcan as a powerful army to control the earth, but Vulcan blessed and cursed us with one unfortunate attribute.  For all time, we are to be overlooked.”  ~Marissa Gold, The Good Fight

33. Are you a fan of musicals—why or why not?  

Um, of course.  Who doesn’t want to live in a world where at any time, people might break into song and dance?

34.  What causes are you passionate about?  

Animal welfare

35. What makes you feel at peace?  

Being outside, with no other people around, with my dogs.

36. What’s on your bucket list?  

Traveling pretty much everywhere.

37. Do you believe in ghosts—why or why not? (Bonus question: If so, are you afraid of ghosts?)  

Yes, I do.  I’ve had too many weird encounters to not believe.  For the most part, I’m not afraid of them, but there have been a few situations where it’s been fairly terrifying.

38. What’s your game plan in a zombie apocalypse?  

My farm is basically set up to ride out the end of the civilized world.  There are some fortifications that would need to be put into place, but other than that, I’m good to go.

39. What’s your “dance like nobody’s watching” song?  

“Wolf Totem” by the Hu, “Rawkfist” by TFK, so many of Lindsey Stirlings’s songs

40. What would be the title of your memoir?  Chickens are Ungrateful Bastards

LADY EM

1.    If you could live anywhere, where would it be? 

In a cabin near woods with multiple acres for a large vegetable garden, chickens, dogs, barn cats and possibly goats. Goats smell, but think of the cheese!

2.    What is your favorite family vacation? 

Anything where I don't have to plan or do many chores, and the focus is just spending time together! 

3.    What motivates you to work hard? 

Giving my loved ones the best care.

4.    What is your favorite book to read?

When I'm sick - Anne of Green Gables

When I'm bored - Old Agatha Christie mysteries. Any of them; Marple and Poirot are both entertaining.

When I'm irritated with the world - Agnes and The Hitman by Jennifer Cruisie

5.    What was the last movie you went to? What did you think?

The Bad Guys. It was fun for me and my kiddo.

6.    What would you sing at Karaoke night?

What WOULDN'T I sing!? I love karaoke. First choice would be any song from The Greatest Showman.

7.    Who would you want to be stranded with on a deserted island?

My kids. They are helpful and resilient. If I could also bring Jo, that would be awesome. Mr. Lady Em should probably be there, too. So, in short, my family.

8.    What three items would you take with you on a deserted island?

My library (that counts as one, right!?), Sharp machete with flint attached, and 5-year supply of MREs so we are taken care of until we are rescued or can make life sustainable on the island.

9.    How would your friends describe you? 

Nurturing and overly chatty!

10.  What are your hobbies?

Reading, Yoga, word games

11.  Aside from necessities, what one thing could you not go a day without?

Coffee. Silly question.

12.   What would you do if you won the lottery?

Donate to my favorite charities and rescues, and buy the cabin mentioned above.

13.  What's your favorite zoo animal?

All the big cats. Unless we are in the deep south, then alligators!!

14.  If you could share a meal with any 4 people, living or dead, who would they be?

Jason Statham, Tom Hardy, Keanu Reeves and Amelia Earhart

15.   What's the most daring thing you've ever done?

Moved from Utah to Mississippi for college, sight unseen.

16.   What's your favorite type of foreign food?

I love food! It's a tie between Indian curries and Mediterranean foods.

17.   Are you a clean or messy person?

I'm messy. Sorry, Mr. Lady Em!

18.  What kitchen appliance do you use every day?

French press!

19.  Do you love or hate roller coasters?

Hate them. I get motion sickness.

20.  What's your favorite movie?

The Sound of Music.

21.  Do you collect anything?

Anecdotes about my children, ebooks.

22.   Are you an introvert or an extrovert?

I lean towards the introvert side of being an ambivert.

23.  Which of the five senses would you say is your strongest?

Hearing. I can hear my children mutter inappropriate things or the dogs getting into something they shouldn't from across the house and on different floors.

24.  What do you do to keep fit?

Yoga. Chasing escaped dogs around the neighborhood.

25.  What three things do you think of the most each day?

My children, my dogs, and how grateful I am that my husband makes coffee every morning before I get up.

26.  If you had a warning label, what would yours say?

Warning, accident prone and excessive chatterbox!

27.  What song would you say best sums you up?

Either "Under Pressure" or "I love to Laugh." Depends on the day!

28.  Who was your first crush? 

Benny "The Jet" Rodriguez from The Sandlot.

29.  What is your favorite family holiday tradition?

Brinner on Christmas Eve. We make waffles, biscuits, bacon, eggs, sausage, fruit salad, etc. Always with enough left overs for the next morning so no one has to cook after (or before) opening presents.

30.  If you had to describe yourself as an animal, which one would it be?

A dog; loving and loyal with my own needy quirks!

31.  Who knows you the best?

Jo. 

32.  What’s your favorite quote from a TV show/movie/book?

Whichever one popped out of my mouth that fit into my current conversation. 

33.   Are you a fan of musicals—why or why not?

Definitely. Mixing fantasy escapism with music? Win/win!

34.  What causes are you passionate about?

Shelter dogs, orphans and foster kids, human trafficking, the homeless. There are so many problems in the world!

35.  What makes you feel at peace?

The rain. A dark, quiet room. Long baths. Sleep.

36.  What’s on your bucket list? 

Travel to all the USA's national parks, travel to many different countries (only been to four).

37.  Do you believe in ghosts—why or why not? (Bonus question: If so, are you afraid of ghosts?)

Yes, but not afraid of them.

38.  What’s your game plan in a zombie apocalypse?

Grab my family and go to Jo's. We will fortify her farm and go from there.

39.  What’s your “dance like nobody’s watching” song?

"Shivers" by Ed Sheeran, or most songs from Jars of Clay's first album.

40.  What would be the title of your memoir?

Just Roll with the Fruit Punches!