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

A few of your favorite things: TikTok videos featuring grandparents doing a dance challenge, collecting Spider-Man comic books, playing Madden Football.

Things you need to throw out: Pizza that’s been in my refrigerator for five weeks.

Things you need for your writing sessions: Irish Creme Whiskey & coffee.

Things that hamper your writing: Irish Creme Whiskey.

Things you love about writing: I can write on Hooters napkins, on a grocery line or even when in a long session in the bathroom.

Things you hate about writing: When people ask me to write their story based on an idea they have in their head.

Hardest thing about being a writer: Getting the same respect as music recording artists and actors.

Easiest thing about being a writer: There’s nothing easy about being a writer.

Things you never want to run out of: Coffee or caffeine pills.

Things you wish you’d never bought: My grandparents’s idea of who they think I should be.

Words that describe you: Underestimated.

Words that describe you, but you wish they didn’t: Misunderstood.

Favorite foods: comfort food, Indian food, Italian, most sweet pies, Cheesecakes and Bundt cakes.

Things that make you want to gag: Honey.

Favorite music or song: Instrumental house music.

Music that drives you crazy: Bad karaoke.

Favorite beverage: Irish Creme Whiskey.

Something that gives you a sour face: Listening to a great guitar solo—so good you get that ugly face!

Favorite smell: A woman who understands the power of fragrant seduction.

Something that makes you hold your nose: A great funk band playing live.

Something you’re really good at: Being an underdog.

Something you’re really bad at: Quitting.

Something you wish you could do: Sing a duet with Ariana Grande or have a forward written in my novels by an author that influenced me.

Something you wish you’d never learned to do: Complain.

Something you like to do: Play video games.

Something you wish you’d never done: taken edibles in my fiftieth birthday.

Last best thing you ate: A steak sandwich with Béarnaise sauce from Ruth’s Chris.

Last thing you regret eating: The sidewalk when I went skating.

The last thing you ordered online: Spider-Man comic books.

The last thing you regret buying: $400 tickets to the Cowboys/Rams playoff game.

Things you always put in your books: Self-empowered female characters with a ton of angst and baggage.

Things you never put in your books: Trolls, I hate trolls.

Favorite places you’ve been: My imagination.

Places you never want to go to again: The darkest places of my mind.

Favorite books (or genre): Comic books.

Books you wouldn’t buy: Books with troll pictures in them.

People you’d like to invite to dinner (living): Salma Hayek, Meryl Streep, Oprah, the Dalai Lama, the Obamas, Rita Wilson and Tom Hanks.

People you’d cancel dinner on: Wendy Williams.

Things that make you happy: Nothing.

Things that drive you crazy: Everything.

Most embarrassing moment: Diarrhea during a six-mile run.

Proudest moment: Seeing my sons graduate college.

Best thing you’ve ever done: I haven’t done it yet.

Biggest mistake: Taking opportunities given to me on a gold platter for granted.

The coolest people you’ve met: Madonna, Prince, Viola Davis, Debbie Allen, LL Cool J, Ashley Graham, Rev. Jesse Jackson and Robert Sawyer.

About Nzondi:

Nzondi (born July 4th, 1966) is an American urban fantasy and horror writer. His novel Oware Mosaic won the Bram Stoker Award for Superior Achievement in Young Adult fiction.

Among his many short stories that were published in anthologies and print magazines, Nzondi’s short story, “Raising Mary: Frankenstein”, was nominated for 2016 horror story of the year for the 19th Annual Editors and Preditors Readers Poll. Additionally, three of his short stories were on the Horror Writers Association Reading list for the 2017 Bram Stoker Awards.

A former Director of Education for NYC schools and the Sylvan Learning Center, the award-winning educator earned a BFA from Long Island University. Nzondi currently lives bi-coastal in New York and Los Angeles. Follow Nzondi on his social media platforms @Nzondi3 on Twitter or as Ace Antonio Hall Instagram and Facebook for news, books, updates and appearances for keynote speaking events at writing conferences.