an author survey found at the back of a book (with some modifications)

where i was born: texas city.

where i live: the woodlands.

current weather conditions: seventy-two degrees. clear sky. no rain in the past twenty-four hours.

opinion of the current weather conditions: it's nice out. in another month i won't be able to say that. and we could use some rain. i mean, we just got some the other day. but we could use some more.

first real book i remember reading: that wasn't assigned by my teachers? and i'm guessing romance novels don't count as real books. the silence of the lambs by thomas harris.

last book i read before writing this: thirteen little blue envelopes by maureen johnson (i filched this here survey from the back of said book).

books read in the swedish language: uh... none.

where i write: pappadeaux's seafood house in shenandoah. at the bar, on the service end, near the to-go stand and the budweiser tap. not that i drink budweiser.

what i use: tops docket gold writing tablets--letter-sized, legal ruled, canary paper. tul retractable gel pens--seven millimeter, medium point, blue ink. or, occasionally, my laptop, an apple macbook pro, which is, the geniuses would probably say, limping along on an outdated version of os x and an intel core two duo processor. i've tried updating it, by the way; it keeps failing, and i'm too lazy to take it in.

how many beverages i have while i work: a lot.

current beverage count: i don't count.

do any elements of let it be [title changed to make it relevant to this here picky post] come from your own life experience? let's take isabel since she's the main gal in this story. yes. and no. the little things... she's fairly antisocial, incredibly anxious, moody, brash, a little tomboyish... a lot of personality traits are similar, and so the way she handles things, the way she responds to questions and whatnot, is similar to how i would. but the circumstances of her life are VERY different. so the little things... i use some of those because that's how you make a story feel real. you write what you know. but i also make a lot of them up. and whatever i've borrowed from my own life ALWAYS gets distorted somehow to make it more hers than mine. the origin of the story, the path it takes? that's all her.

what's the first thing you put in your suitcase before a trip? an aggie sweatshirt.

why did you decide to read a story about a girl who travels through europe? because i've traveled through europe, though not nearly as much as i would like. and i miss it.

have you been to all the places [england, scotland, italy, france, the netherlands, denmark and greece (and hopefully i've gotten them all)] in thirteen little blue envelopes? nope.

did let it be change at all as you wrote it? yes. it got a LOT better as i got better at telling the story. i CRINGE when i read old copies of the manuscript, especially ones from my twenties (i keep thinking i've set fire to them all, and then i'll find one hiding out in my desk or closet or something). and no. the premise of the thing is the same. the stories that will come after it, though, they've changed quite a bit. in writing this particular tale, in getting to know the minor characters better, i've seen their stories' premises change drastically.

what's your favorite travel destination and why? london, england. because it's magnificent. i love the architecture, the history, the tube system. the life. it's fantastic. i'd live there if i could. but only in the summer.

so there is that. and now that i have finished reading this particular novel, i'm happy to pass it on to someone else. if you'd like a little light reading, let me know.