CHARACTER INTERVIEW: Missy Mack and BOOK TRAILER: Hidden Secrets by J.S. Andersen

     Tell me a little about yourself (where you live, who you are, what you look like, what you hope to achieve, etc.)

Oh my heck. I’m feeling a little nervous. I don’t like talking about myself. I live in a mid-size city, Nampa, ID. I’m a Tom Boy and only wear a dress if I’m forced too. I do like to brag that when I go fishing, I don’t mind cutting and cleaning out the fish. There, know you can see I’m not a gimp. Oh, and I’ve eaten a cow tongue once too.

     What do you like to do in your spare time?

Okay, my family is so old fashioned. I have no cell phone and our family doesn’t have internet or cable T.V. You’d think we would since my dad is a C.P.A.

I do what my mom did when she was my age. I ride a dirt bike, jump on my trampoline, read and write in my journal. And if it works out, I go horseback riding on one of my friend’s horses.

     What is your favorite color and why?

     I like green and blue separate and combined. Harvest colors. They're just cool colors.

      

     What is your favorite food? Why is it your favorite?

     I’m not a picky eater and it depends on my mood. Love Hawaiian Pizza (Canadian bacon and pineapple) and General Tso’s Chicken.

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     What would you say is your biggest quirk?

     Living in my dreams. Getting tired of not knowing if it’s for real or just a dream. I have picked-up a habit of flapping my arms like a chicken trying to fly. Another one I just picked up was rubbing my thighs. Don’t know why but hope that habit leaves soon.

     What is it about your antagonist that irks you the most, and why? Share a line in the book where this irk is manifested.

Dealing with being second best. Not popular and taken advantage of. Here’s an example..

Maura gave her a scowl. “Why don’t you have a cell phone? Way uncool, you know.”

Missy imagined Maura’s thoughts. ‘Why are we friends? She’s the weirdo of our group.’ She didn’t answer, knowing she would be opening herself up for negative feedback from Maura. She wondered why she did hang out with Maura and Ally. Hanging out with Julie was fun, but the others came as a package deal.

     What or who means the most to you in your life? What, if anything, would you do to keep him/her/it in your life?

Hard question. I love my parents and my little brother, but keep it to myself. Expressing emotions is hard for me. Even when I tell my parents I love them, I feel embarrassed.

       

     What one thing would you like readers to know about you that may not be spelled out in the book in which you inhabit?

I can sense things before they happen, good or bad. Sometimes it even gets confusing in my story, my dreams and real life encounters. Sometimes I don’t know if something is really happening or if it’s only a dream.

      

     If you could tell your writer (creator) anything about yourself that might turn the direction of the plot, what would it be?

I'd like to turn into Maura. A self-centered, stuck-up girl is never wrong. 

     Ask me any question. I've always wanted to know what a character thinks about writers like myself.

What makes writers create characters? Is there a part in your personal life you want to live through us?

Fantastic question, Missy. I think we create characters to live out some of our dreams, yes, but I also think we create characters  to make sense of the world. We like to figure out how people tick, and working with characters can help us to do that. My characters are fiction with a little sprinkling of people I already know. It's almost like they become a new neighbor or friend in the months it takes me to write my next book. And I like making new friends.

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