Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Ten Questions Tuesday with Cat Connor

Today at Miscellaneous Yammering we are pleased and proud to present the lovely and talented not to mention charmingly accented Cat Connor, author of Killerbyte .

K: Cat thank you for flying in from New Zealand to be here with me today. You are far and away the interviewee who travelled the most miles to answer my inane questions. I just hope you get another book deal out of the trip. Or at least a nice hot towel on the return flight….and fyi… I found out that the airline doesn't like it when you strip and use it for a sponge bath…just a heads up.

C: Thank you for having me over. It was a great trip-hardly any jet lag at all; just nice and quiet.

How did you know? It did include another book deal for my next book Terrorbyte, the 2nd Ellie Conway adventure, [blushes demurely] thanks for asking! And thank you also for the heads up on the sponge bath, Karen, I had no idea. I'll just pop this hot towel down somewhere before things get ugly. I wouldn't want to be the cause of terror on the flight home. (again)

K: Ok, Cat, let's get started shall we? Got your thinking cap firmly in place?

C: I do indeed. Wouldn't cha know it; it's my lucky killerbyte hat.

K: Ah, that explains the bullet holes.

K: Ok, here we go:

TEN QUESTIONS FOR CAT CONNOR

K: Cat, I've heard that the bugs in New Zealand can be as big as a bus. Is that true?

C: Bus, large mouse, it's all very similar, especially if said bug is in your washing machine doing a turn on the top of the towels! I do wish I could introduce you to the large weta that went for a swim, but he didn't look too well after his rescue. I think he realized pretty quickly that I wasn't about to do CPR on a freaking bug! The most he and I could hope for was him drying off on the lawn out back and then limping away. I didn't check

K: Speaking of bugs…your main character said one of the funniest things that I've ever seen in print about honey. She said "Why do people like bee puke so much?" Is that an opinion you share? Or is your MC the only smart ass in the family?

C: Seriously, why do people like bee puke? What is the attraction to that sticky mess? Which by the way, tastes like crushed motion sickness pills-thanks mum. I wish I could say Ellie's the only smart ass-but my nose would grow and I love my nose. It's a great nose.

K: You seem to have been influenced by smart asses all the way through. At one point your MC says to her brother "Sit down, Aiden, you're making the place untidy." Now for me, I instantly heard Bogart saying that line. As a matter of fact I'm now sitting here wondering if he SAID that line in the Maltese Falcon. [glares suspiciously at you] Care to expound on that missy?

C: So what you're saying is….my grandfather was Bogart? That's the first I knew. Wow. That is amazing. Wonder why he never told us kids? Perhaps it was one of those 'take it to your grave' type secrets.

K: You live with children and a husband. How the heck do you get any writing done?

C: Duct tape. It has silencing properties that usually only kidnappers and the like know about. Bit of a writer trade secret really. Combine that with TV and you've got at least two hours (by the time they chew through the tape) of peaceful writing time. Which reminds me, I best get some more tape.

K: When you travel, what is your least favorite thing? Whining in moderation is allowed here; go ahead, you're amongst friends.

C: The actual traveling part. Really for the full experience I insist that you come to New Zealand, I can provide a boisterous highly intelligent 3 yr old and an interesting 10 yr old with ADD and then some, and I will let you spend three hours on the Interislander ferry with no cell phone coverage trying to keep them entertained and safe, oh and fed! It's a joyful time, really it is. So can I count on you in October when I must trek south again?

K: Um….I'll just check my calendar; can I get back to you on that Cat?

K: Ok, now to the important stuff. Best Prince song ever?

C: Wasn't he formerly known as squiggle? The guy who had no backside in his pants…he sung did he? Funny old world we live in. Now had you said Bon Jovi-we'd be here all night!

K: If you were given a dollar and were told that it was a magical dollar, would you a)spend it hoping that what you bought would be magical as well b) give it away to someone in need of magic in their life c) call together great minds in the fields of physics and elemental chemistry to study it d) forget you had it and leave it in the console of your car to be accidently spent at 3:00am at taco bell?

C: I'd like to say I'd give it away to someone in need of magic in their life…but I think we all know I'd put it in my wallet and one of the kids would take it. By the time I realized they took the magic dollar it'd be way too late and the magic school bus would be a reality show.

K: What is a movie that you would never admit to liking in public? (one of these damn days SOMEONE will actually answer this question)But if it's Porky's, reconsider your answer. I would actually revoke my endorsement of Killerbyte if it's Porky's. Or if it's The Sound of Music…that would be worse than Porky's. Christopher Plummer just gives me the willies.

C: He gives us all the willies. I recall Porky's from many years ago, and I hope to never see or hear of it again. There are so many movies to choose from here…let's just say the straight-to-DVD movies Stephen Seagal has done of late (okay, or ever). What's possibly worse, is that I own so many of them. We call him flappy man in our house-yep even have a pet name for the man. I'm sure there is a support group I could join.

K: Speaking of movies that Julie Andrews was in; did you ever see Victor/Victoria? Now THAT'S comedy.

C: I did. He/She's truly fabulous. She's not getting my tiara though. I'm sorry but I came a long way for this loot, and I'm not sharing. As wonderful as Julie is…she can get her own.

And finally,

K: Having travelled all this way…do you think it was worth it? Don't forget to factor in the free Miscellaneous Yammering tee shirt, slippers, tiara and travel coffee mug.

C: This tiara alone is worth it. How did you know I love sparkly things so much. I feel kinda mean for not sharing with Julie Andrews but damn, it was a long flight-and I deserve it! I shall be wearing the tee shirt, slippers, and tiara home while drinking from my fabulous new coffee mug.

K: Cat, thank you for coming in to play Ten Questions Tuesdays with me today. Despite the fact that I have a funny Ohio accent and you had a little trouble understanding me, I think that that went pretty well, don't you? And by the way you are ROCKIN that tiara.

C: I'd like to thank you for not thinking I was Australian (bit of a dirty word down here, that one)and for breaking through the accent barrier…I love your accent by the way, once I got used to it everything was just fine.

I've had a great time and am truly loving this tiara.

Suppose I now have to go rip the duct tape off the family and head back home. Or I could leave it on, and enjoy a quiet trip…….

Hang on a second Cat, let me just look something up….ok, got it...here's a look at a giant weta....holy cow, glad that wasn't in my washing machine…

23 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thank you! That was a highly entertaining interview!

Alan said...

Great interview. And Cat, if you're ever really, REALLY successful, we will claim you as Australian. You know that, right?

Cat Connor said...

Thanks Joan!


Alan - There is history that suggests Australia likes to annex the famous ... but you know we LET you have Russell Crowe right?

:-)

Rougeneck said...

1) You really just keep raising the bar higher and higher...Goodness. Does this mean I need to really work on my drawl because funny accents are well...funny?

2) I want a tiara. Me. Me. Me.

Karen from Mentor said...

@ Joan, You're welcome! Cat was a lot of fun to interview, thanks for bringing her to my attention.

@ Alan, I'd say thanks for stopping in, but since YOU took a swipe at Cat...I'll say hey Alan, who's selling more books you or Cat?...you know, just in keeping with the tone of your comment...[grins wickedly]....I did take a minute to stop in to see you at your place and I just need to say that a wise woman told me recently....don't trust Microsoft to correct your grammar either...add that as a p.s. to your spelling post will ya? I'll wait....

Sarah, any way you talk will be funny.....and you in a tiara? That will be AWESOME...especially if you pair it with those big boots you wear to feed the livestock....

Alan said...

Cat - any chance you'll take Russell Crowe back?

Karen - Actually, I have no idea which of us sells more books. But claiming a Kiwi as Australian is a sign of great respect among Aussies. :)

Karen from Mentor said...

Alan,
since I took my poke at you we've made nice off blog...so everybody who was shocked at me being snarky....calm down..lol....4 emails by 10:00am....see this hat I'm wearing...it's a FUNNY hat...I was joking.....
and Alan since you gave me carte blanche via email to post whatever "relevant" videos I want to post in your comment threads ....you might be sorry...people send me the strangest things....and it just so happens that I have the BEST video concerning Russsell Crowe....

j said...

Note to self... Never click a link that readily admits to being a picture of a giant weta.

Second (possibly more important)note to self: J, you are under-utilizing your duct tape.

Another successful 10 on Tuesday! Thanks, guys! (Alan, too. Sometimes it's those bit players that wind up stealing the show.)

Karen from Mentor said...

Hey Judy, the funny thing is that the one pictured in the link is not even considered a GIANT weta....I originally found a much better photo, of a MUCH bigger weta, embedded THAT link...then checked it two minutes later and not only had the photo disappeared, the script was all in japanese....something about 10 Questions Tuesday....there is always some small technical glitch....must be to balance out all of the comedy....

and just out of curiosity, when you saw the weta did you make a girly squeaking sound?

Frank Marcopolos said...

Duct tape. Brilliant!

Cat Connor said...

Giant Weta's are endangered and live on a special island in the Marlborough Sounds -where they can freaking well STAY.
The ones we get (used to get before all the hedges were ripped out) were quite big and ugly enough, like the one in the pic.
God they're revolting!
:-)

ashley rice said...

great interview!!

Cat Connor said...

Hey Ashley! Thanks for dropping in. You are so awesome! :-)

Alan said...

Heh, Best Supporting Commenter.

:)

Mo Irvine said...

HAHAHAHAHAHA Great interview - I needed a laugh this morning. (Oh, you were being serious?) FYI information, my hubby loves wetas- and I think they're kind of cute, too... I don't get out much.

Mo

Cat Connor said...

Mo: My hubby hates them with a ferocity seldom unleashed upon the world!
Can't say I've ever found them cute... I have been followed down the street by one. Yeah, uh huh, a weta stalked me! He even tried to cross the road!

Unknown said...

Very amusing :) And wetas are ACK! even for a bug-loving biologist like me.

Lee Pletzers said...

I like wetas can't touch them but...

Karen from Mentor said...

Merrilee! I clicked on your name and was delighted to see that the photo you display on your bio page is of a duck foraging with its bottom sticking in the air!!! If you read my post from yesterday I say that seeing a duck do that never gets old! Ha! Ohioans and Australians think alike....especially on the important stuff like ducks and what authors to follow around.
Thanks for stopping in, come back anytime.
Karen :)

Karen from Mentor said...

Lee,
I don't think I'd have any trouble picking up a weta, but all I'm basing that opinion on is a photo, real life might be a whole different thing..especially since nobody said what they smell like.....I'm assuming they smell kind of like a big grasshopper....green with a hint of tobacco juice.
thanks for stopping in. It looks like you rounded out Cat's visitors.

Cat, you beat Joe Konrath for guests!!! Good job....must have been all the smoke signals you sent out throughout the night.
Thanks again for coming in to see me. It was a lot of fun to host you m'lady.
Karen :0)

Unknown said...

Karen,
Thanks! My partner took that photo and he is justifiably proud of it. I use it because, as you said, what's cooler than a duckie arse?

Sara J. Henry said...

Cat,

You are hilarious. (I see humor writing in your future ...)

Cat Connor said...

Karen,
Thank you so much for having me! I had a great time.. and a big thank you to my lovely friends who came by!
I beat Joe!!

:-)

Sara - humor writing? God the pressure!!!