I’d like to welcome Alison McBain to the blog for #ThisorThatThursday!

A few of your favorite things: Cats, chocolate, coffee, comedy… I guess pretty much everything that starts with the letter “C.”

Things you need to throw out: All those clothes I wore when I was half the age I am now and that I’ll probably never wear again. But I save them just in case…

Things you need for your writing sessions: Almost nothing. I can write with paper and pen or on my laptop or perhaps even lipstick on a cocktail napkin—any medium and any place will do.

Things that hamper your writing: Noise! If my kids are running around like a herd of stampeding elephants, I find it hard to concentrate. I have a huge box of earplugs to help.

Hardest thing about being a writer: Procrastination gets me every time. If it’s what I’m SUPPOSED to be doing, it’s the last thing I often want to do.

Easiest thing about being a writer: Writing. I love to write and could do it till the cows came home.

Favorite music or song: “I Feel Fine” by The Beatles is my absolute favorite, but anything of that era—Simon & Garfunkel, Otis Redding, Elvis Presley, Aretha Franklin… they’re fabulous.

Music that drives you crazy: I’m not a big fan of country. It doesn’t drive me crazy, and there are some individual songs that I enjoy, but overall it’s not my jam.

Favorite beverage: Coffee. Coffee. Oh, yeah, and coffee.

Something that gives you a sour face: It’ll sound crazy, but plain water. It always tastes bitter/minerally to me.

Things you’d walk a mile for: My kids. No matter what, I’m always there for them.

Things that make you want to run screaming from the room: My kids. And that contradiction, folks, is one of the many joys of parenting.

Things you always put in your books: Diversity. As a bi-racial author, I’m committed to expanding diverse books and voices, starting with my own.

Things you never put in your books: Poor research. I’m a stickler for details, so I always try to make sure everything I put into my writing (as far as I know) is accurate.

Things to say to an author: I just bought your new book and can’t wait to read it! I’ve loved everything else you’ve ever written.

Things to say to an author if you want to be fictionally killed off in their next book: Your newest book sucks and here are all the reasons why…

Favorite things to do: Play board games or do anything creative (draw, paint, sew, write, etc.).

Things you’d run through a fire or eat bugs to get out of doing: Eating bugs, actually. That’s a huge NO from me.

Most daring thing you’ve ever done: Have kids. It’s an adventure every day!

Something you chickened out from doing: Everything else. I’m pretty risk-adverse.

The nicest thing a reader said to you: That they were only going to read a couple chapters of my book but ended up staying up all night to finish it—they couldn’t put it down!

The craziest thing a reader said to you: That they didn’t like the genre that I wrote but decided to read my book anyway—and found out that they still didn’t like the genre after reading my book. It was baffling to me that they knew they hated a genre and then chose to read it anyway. No, my writing won’t make you love something you really hate. It would be nice if it did, but I don’t have that superpower.

Besides writing, what’s the most creative thing you’ve done: I draw a webcomic occasionally called Toddler Times. It’s loosely based on the more ridiculous aspects of parenting I’ve discovered over the years.

A project that didn’t quite turn out the way you planned it: EVERY project, LOL. There’s always something that I don’t anticipate, no matter how well I plan for it.

About Alison:

Alison McBain’s novels are the recipients of over 13 awards, including the Foreword INDIES. Her latest novella Dual was longlisted for the 3-Day Novel Contest. When not writing for herself, she’s a ghostwriter who has penned over two dozen books for clients, as well as an award-winning editor who has worked with both celebrity and NY Times-bestselling authors. She’s currently pursuing a project called “Author Versus AI,” where she’s writing a book a week over the course of a year, using NO AI at all (52 books total). When not writing, Ms. McBain is associate editor for the magazine ScribesMICRO and draws all over the walls of her house with the enthusiastic help of her kids. She lives in Alberta, Canada.

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