1. Tell me a little about yourself
(where you live, who you are, what you look like, what you hope to achieve,
etc.)
I raked my fingers
through the blonde curls drooping in my eyes. “Not much to tell, ma’am. Name’s
Crissy. Crissy Crosby. I’m almost fourteen and a half and I love horses, ropin’
and ridin’. My folks are ranchers on a small spread outside of Terrell, Texas.
I’m just an ordinary cowgirl—since before I turned four. Papa says God made my
long legs just like Mama’s, so I’d wind up in the Texas Rodeo Hall of Fame just
like her. And I sure hope all this practice earns me a rodeo scholarship to
college. I want to be a vet—just like Doc Adams. He saved both my horses this
year.”
2.
What do you like to do in your spare
time?
“Well, livin’ on a ranch,
plus school, with five horses and rodeo practice, plus other critters to care
for, who has spare time? Ranch life is hard, but it’s fun.”
3.
What is your favorite color and why?
“My
Nana’s favorite color is blue. All of a sudden this past year, she left and
went to live with Jesus.” Fore I could stop ’im, tears filled my eyes and
leaked down my cheeks. “Sorry…” I wiped ’em away with the back of my hand. “…still
makes my heart hurt. So now I wear blue to remind me of her. Sure do miss her.”
4.
What is your favorite food? Why is it
your favorite?
“That’s sure a
no-brainer. We raise cattle—ribs, hamburgers, steak, tacos—‘about anything beef
and Tex-Mex!”
5.
What would you say is your biggest
quirk?
“Why’d you have to ask
that question?” I looked away, hopin’ the question would vanish. It didn’t.
“Mama says I’m impetuous—whatever that means. And Daddy says my temper yanks me
into trouble every time I open my mouth, just like the big ‘ole brim that bites
his fishin’ line and ends up in Mama’s fryin’ pan.”
6. 
What is it about your antagonist that
irks you the most, and why? Share a line in the book where this irk is
manifested.
“Only one thing? Every
time Jodie Lea Fairgate opens her mouth an irk tackles me. But rodeo night a
few weeks ago, I stumbled into her family’s ugly secret. And trust me—her
daddy’s the King of Irks. He tried to have Chun and me thrown out of the rodeo.
And her? I couldn’t see her face, but her tornado shriek blasted through the
wood door like it was tissue paper—‘Crissy Crosby—you hear me good. I swear by
the Fairgate name, if you’ve hurt my daddy again, I’ll kill you.’ Can you
believe that? And I’m the one who saved her sassy self.”
7.
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?
“Don’t even have to think
about that one. My family! Mama, Daddy and ‘specially my Papa. I’d do anything
to shoo the hurt in their hearts away and make ’em smile again. Oh, and my new
friend, Chun Len too. I almost had to whip two guys on the school bus ‘cause
Jodie Lea told a whopper about him.”
8.
What one thing would like readers to
know about you that may not be spelled out in the book in which you inhabit?
I shook my head and
stared at the clouds, wondering whether I should tell this lady the truth. Why
not? Might help someone. “I’ve never told another soul, but sometimes I’m
scared. Really scared. And most of the time, that’s when my temper gets the
best of me.”
9.
If you could tell your writer
anything about yourself that might turn the direction of the plot, what would
it be?
“Oh my! You really know
how to turn up the heat, don’t you?” I felt heat ooze over my cheeks. “Please
don’t tell my mama or daddy, but I love Chun Len. He’s not like any of the
other guys I know. But his daddy sure wouldn’t like that—not one bit! The girls
of his culture aren’t like me—they’re pretty and quiet and don’t ride horses.”
Ask me any question. I’ve always
wanted to know what a character thinks about writers like myself.
I giggled to myself
imaginin’ this pretty, young, writer-lady with her fancy nails…”Do you like
horses? Have you ever been to a real-live rodeo? How would you like me to teach
you to run barrels?”
Well, well. I guess there's a first for everything...First of all, thank you for thinking I am pretty and young and do up my nails fancy. Yes, I do like horses, but I haven't ridden one since I was small, when the one that my brother was riding took off with him clinging to his mane. I guess the horse was hungry because he ran my brother all the way to the barn before stopping.
I haven't been to a rodeo, and I suppose I'd have to learn how to ride first before I was taught anything like running barrels, but thanks for asking.
http://www.dianegates.wordpress.com/
Moving
the Ancient Boundaries
http://www.floridagirlturnedtexan.com
The
Southern Side of Flavor
