#ThisorThatFriday with Paula Charles

I’d like to welcome the amazing Paula Charles to the blog today for #ThisorThatFriday.

Favorite thing to do when you have free time: Read, walk on the beach, and spend time with our kids and grandkids.

The thing you’ll always move to the bottom of your to do list: It’s got to be dusting, or some other form of housework. I mean, I do them, but I don’t necessarily want to!

Things you need when you’re in your writing cave:  I need water, quiet, and a few decent ideas!

Things that distract you from writing: Noise! I get so distracted when there are things going on inside my house or on the street outside my window. Sometimes they do provide good story fodder, though!

Hardest thing about being a writer: It’s so exciting to launch a new book out into the world, but super nerve-wracking at the same time. You worry about readers not liking it and not connecting with the characters.  

Easiest thing about being a writer: Getting new ideas for future books. The ideas come easy, though getting them down on paper proves to be tricky at times!

Things you will run to the store for at midnight:  Ice cream, M&Ms, and tater tots

Things you never put on your shopping list: Cinnamon. (I’m highly allergic to it!)

The coolest thing you’ve bought online: A Thermacell rechargeable mosquito repeller. The mosquitos have been next level this year, but brining this little guy with us allows us to sit outside without getting eaten alive!

The thing you wished you’d never bought: I bought a pair of shoes online a couple of years ago that were supposed to be made by Earth shoes. It took them MONTHS to arrive, they definitely weren’t real Earth brand shoes, and smelled so terribly of chemicals that I dumped them in the trash about five minutes after I opened the package.

Favorite snacks: There’s a food truck that makes the best Spring Rolls with lemongrass chicken. So delicious!

Things that make you want to gag: Blue Cheese salad dressing. Just eww.

Something you wish you could do: Sing. I love music but am a terrible singer, to the point where my high school choir teacher strongly suggested I find a different elective class to take.

Something you wish you’d never learned to do: I honestly can’t think of anything. Even skills you don’t like to necessarily use are better to have than no skills at all!

Things to say to an author: I just started reading your book and can’t put it down!

Things to say to an author if you want to be fictionally killed off in their next book: I have a way better idea for a book than anything you’ve written so far. (Usually said by a non-reader.)

Most daring thing you’ve ever done: Years ago, packing up my three kids-7, 4, and 2 – and relocating as a single mom from California to Wyoming.

Something you chickened out from doing: Jumping off a cliff into the river during our white-water rafting days.

The most exciting thing about your writing life: There’s so much to love about this life, but one of the most exciting things is meeting readers and talking books!

Best piece of advice you received from another writer:  Writing is a long game. Keep going and keep showing up for in-person events. (Said by Ellen Byron.)

Something you would tell a younger you about your writing: You can do this. You’re doing a better job than you think you are. Keep going.

About Paula:

When Paula Charles isn’t writing, you can find her reading and baking in her 125-year-old house by the sea. She is the author of the Hometown Hardware Mysteries, as well as the Zen Goat Mysteries written as Janna Rollins, both cozy mysteries. She’s a member of Sisters in Crime, and a founding member of the Murder, They Write group on Facebook. She has six grown children, and a gaggle of grandkids. Paula lives on the Washington coast with her extremely patient husband, and maybe a ghost or two.

 Let’s Be Social:

Website: Cozy Mystery Writer | Paula Charles Cozy Mystery Author

Facebook: Paula Charles Books

Murder, They Write FB Group:  Murder, They Write

Instagram:  Paula Charles Books

#ThisorThatFriday Author Interview with Lynda Allen

I’d like to welcome the amazing Lynda Allen to the blog for #ThisorThatFriday!

Hardest thing about being a writer: Sending my book babies out into the world and wondering if people will like them and be kind to them and if they’ll make friends.

Easiest thing about being a writer: Talking about the stories. I love to talk to people about why I write about menopause, where the inspiration for Liv’s friends comes from, why I write about Fredericksburg, Virginia, how much fun I have writing the stories, etc. My favorite moments are when I’m at an event and tell a woman that Liv has psychic visions during hot flashes and they just throw their heads back and laugh!

Things you need for your writing sessions: Quiet, except for Kind of Blue by Miles Davis, and water.

Things that hamper your writing: Interruptions. I really don’t like interruptions! Sometimes the view out my window hampers my writing. I like to watch our cat climbing trees and listen to the wrens singing.

Words that describe you: Sarcastic, Jersey yet somehow peaceful, creative, mom, friend, spiritual, kind, heart-centered, post-menopausal but still with a dash of menopause rage. Yes, I realize I’m contradictory, though I prefer multi-faceted.

Words that describe you, but you wish they didn’t: Self-critical, impatient, sometimes Grumpy Gal, self-doubt.

Something you’re really good at: Baking! I love to bake. It doesn’t always come out the way I planned, but it’s usually still delicious. My husband is very sad when there’s a week I don’t have time to bake!

Something you’re really bad at: Keeping plants alive. I swear my husband is green on the inside he’s so good with plants and our garden. I’m sorry to say I am not very attuned to the needs of our plants. And I’m really bad at being on time for things. It’s not a good quality, I know.

Things you’d walk a mile for: Friends, family, my cat, a cause I believe in, peace, empathy, and kindness.

Things that make you want to run screaming from the room: Country music and the sound of Styrofoam being removed from a box!

Things to say to an author: Your story made me______ - laugh, think, feel angry, scared, joyful. Tell us how the story made you feel. And my favorite, because its always a gauge for me when I’m reading a book, “I missed the characters after I finished the book.”

Things to say to an author if you want to be fictionally killed off in their next book: I knew who the culprit was in chapter two. You said her hair was dark brown in the first book, but mousy brown in the second.  

Favorite things to do: Read, spend quiet time communing with nature, write poetry, hang out with a few good friends, my daughters or my sisters, float on the waves, watch British and New Zealand mystery shows with my husband, go on vacation with my husband.

Things you’d run through a fire or eat bugs to get out of doing: I’m not sure there’s anything I’d eat bugs to get out of doing. Ew! But I really don’t like washing dishes or sitting in traffic. Wait, I might actually eat bugs to get out of writing an outline for one of my books!

The coolest person you’ve ever met: John Cusack. I was an extra in the movie True Colors. He was very kind to me while they were shooting the scene I was in. I had to walk backwards down a flight of stairs while looking through the lens of a video camera I was carrying on my shoulder. It was a very expensive camera that I was responsible for the care of because they had borrowed it from the company I worked for. It was a challenge to look through the lens and walk backwards down the stairs without looking at my feet. John Cusack must have noticed because between takes he called the director over and asked him if I could start a bit further down the stairs so I wouldn’t fall. I was so grateful because if I dropped that camera, I was in a lot of trouble! (*See the most daring thing I’ve ever done.)

The celebrity who didn’t look like he/she did in pictures/video: James Spader was also in True Colors. I’m not sure how he looked because he spent all his time in his trailer and didn’t interact with anyone.

Most daring thing you’ve ever done: Ask John Cusack to dance at a wrap party after being an extra in True Colors. He said no because he was there with someone else, but I’ve since forgiven him. “Earn beads” at Mardi Gras – long before gravity took its toll. Quit my job to write the first in my Liv Wilde Mystery series – two weeks later the news about the pandemic broke which definitely had a negative impact on my creativity for a while.

Something you chickened out from doing: When I was a kid we spent a vacation at a place called Callaway Gardens. It had some sort of circus component to it and we had an opportunity to get up on the trapeze. I let a couple of people go ahead of me in line because I was a little wary and then we ran out of time and I didn’t get to try. I still wish I hadn’t chickened out!

Besides writing, what’s the most creative thing you’ve done: Painting. I love to paint and draw! My love for it started in high school. I usually use acrylics. Years ago, I started painting on leather journal covers and leather bags, which is an interesting challenge. Writing has taken up much of my creative energy over the past few years and I miss painting. There’s something very therapeutic and mindful about the process.

A project that didn’t quite turn out the way you planned it: Oh, my gosh my foray into designing merchandise with inspiring sayings on them was a complete fail! I have boxes of t-shirts and water bottles that didn’t sell.

Some real-life story that made it to one of your books: The Drama Flag. When my daughters were teenagers, I got fed up with the bickering and drama (though, to be fair there really wasn’t that much of it) and one day while one of them was being overly dramatic the image of a penalty flag in football popped into my head. One of my daughters is a costume designer so there was always fabric around. I dug through her supplies for a piece of yellow cloth, cut it into a square and wrapped a couple of rubber bands around one corner to give it some weight and the Drama Flag was born! We kept it in the family room and anyone could throw it like a penalty flag when the drama got to be too much. It was a great tool for breaking up the moment so we could take a breath and talk about what was really going on. I loaned the Drama Flag to Liv and it makes occasional appearances in the books.

Something in your story that readers think is about you, but it’s not: Liv’s psychic abilities. I sometimes wish I had psychic abilities (not mind reading though!), but I do not. I’ve had a couple moments in my life when I knew what was going to happen before it did and I do often look at my phone before a text comes through, but that’s about the extent of it.

My favorite book as a child: Any of the Pippi Longstocking books. I think she is why I like stories about strong women and why I wanted to write about them too. Pippi kicked ass and didn’t apologize for who she was. I loved her! I even mention Astrid Lindgren in Flashes of a Dying Hour. It’s one of the fun things about Liv’s character, she works for a small publishing company as an editor and proofreader and I get to make up the projects she’s working on. So, I had her editing a biography about the author of the Pippi Longstocking books.

A book I’ve read more than once: Honestly? The Harry Potter books. I hate to admit it now because of JK Rowling, but because I read them all aloud to my daughters when they were young, I have a positive emotional connection with the books. I also love to reread The Dark Is Rising sequence by Susan Cooper. I love stories about the struggle between the dark and the light. And I’ve read most of Louise Penny’s books more than once because the characters and humor are amazing!

About Lynda:

I’m a storyteller, author, poet, artist, and listener.

I’m the author of the Liv Wilde Mysteries in which menopause is a superpower! Since I had to put up with hot flashes every day, I figured I might as well make them useful!

I proudly infuse my writing with my Jersey Girl sensibilities and aim to create stories imbued with heart and humor.

I live in Fredericksburg, VA, where the Liv Wilde mysteries are set, with my husband, our cat, and the many incredible eagle friends who pay us frequent visits.

When I’m not writing about hot flash-induced psychic visions, I also write poetry and create art.

I began my career in video post-production and documentary filmmaking before focusing my knack for storytelling on writing. I have written four poetry collections, Rest in the Knowing, Illumine, Wild Divinity, and Grace Reflected. I have also published The Rules of Creation (nonfiction) a guide to living from the heart. The Liv Wilde Mysteries feature Flashes of Insight (book 1) and Flashes of a Dying Hour (book 2).

Let’s Be Social:

Website: Lynda Allen – Author - Lynda Allen

Facebook: Facebook

#ThisorThatFriday Author Interview with Jayne Ormerod

The amazing Jayne Ormerod is my guest today for #ThisorThatFriday.

Favorite thing to do when you have free time: Read, garden, give belly rubs to my two mutts. 

The thing you’ll always move to the bottom of your to do list: Exercising, washing windows, cleaning the oven (which has been on my To Do list for well, maybe two years now?)  

Hardest thing about being a writer: Discipline, marketing, loneliness.
Easiest thing about being a writer: Flexible schedule, pajamas while “working,” no make-up.   

Favorite snacks: Fritos, potato chips, pretzels (see a pattern there?  CRUNCH!) 

Things that make you want to gag:  Seafood, milk, under-cooked eggs. 

Something you’re really good at: Mahjongg. My dream retirement is to play/teach every day.

Something you’re really bad at: Pretty much any sport. I’m a great spectator, not so much a player. 

Something you wanted to be when you were a kid: Oddly enough, a writer. Just took the path through accounting (because it paid the bills.)  

Something you do that you never dreamed you’d do: Sell real estate. Not on my BINGO card. Ever. But I did it for 13 years. 

Last best thing you ate: Had the best chimichurri shrimp tacos at a local restaurant. I crave them now, but they were a “special” item that day. I hope they have them again soon!

Last thing you regret eating: Goat cheese.  

Things to say to an author: “I didn’t figure out who the killer was! Well done!” (especially high praise when it comes from another mystery writer.)
Things to say to an author if you want to be fictionally killed off in their next book: “I found a spelling error on page 276.” Trust me, spelling errors happen, no matter how many times the writer or editor or spellchecker goes through the manuscript. I often blame my dog, as he snuggles up to me while I’m editing and puts a paw on the keyboard . I don’t always catch his “changes.” 

The most exciting thing about your writing life: when a box of new books arrives!  

The one thing you wish you could do over in your writing life: Start younger. 

Best piece of advice you received from another writer: Write every day! 

Something you would tell a younger you about your writing: Get on social media early in the process.  

Recommendations for curing writer’s block: Go for a walk.  

Things you do to avoid writing: Play mahjongg on the computer.

About Jayne:

Jayne Ormerod grew up in a small Ohio town and attended a small-town Ohio college. Upon earning her accountancy degree, she became a CIA (that’s not a sexy spy thing, but a Certified Internal Auditor). Jayne writes what she knows: small towns with beach settings. The dead bodies are purely a figment of her imagination.

Let’s Be Social:

Website: JayneOrmerod.com

Facebook: Jayne Ormerod

#ThisorThatFriday with Michael Rigg

I would like to welcome the amazing Michael Rigg to the blog for #ThisorThatFriday. And congratulations on your Agatha Nomination!

Favorite thing to do when you have free time: I have always been an ardent student of the American Civil War. Whenever I can, I like to visit Civil War battlefields. I have so little free time to do that; however, so I have to take advantage of whatever opportunities arise. For example, one of my children attended college in a town just north of Richmond, Virginia. When I went to pick her up for an upcoming holiday break, on the way from Virginia Beach, I visited (very briefly) each of the battlefields of the “Seven Days Battles,” in reverse. (IYKYK.)

The thing you’ll always move to the bottom of your to do list: Work around the house (yard work, house maintenance, etc.) often aren’t on the to do list at all, much less on the list but moved to the bottom.

Hardest thing about being a writer: Marketing, e.g., social media, website upkeep, talking to readers about my books and short stories, business aspects of book sales, etc. are the hardest thing about being a writer. Because of all these necessary, but difficult, aspects of being a writer, finding time to write becomes more difficult.

Easiest thing about being a writer: Conducting research, attending writing conferences and classes, and actually writing are the easiest parts of being a writer.

Things you will run to the store for at midnight: Especially as I grow older, it would have to be something very important, almost an emergency, to get me to run to the store at midnight. One situation might be where someone in the family needed medicine (over the counter or prescription). (When the children were younger, that might include diapers, formula, etc.) Beyond that, I can’t fathom a situation that would cause me to go to the store in the middle of the night.

Things you never put on your shopping list: I understand the logic of making a shopping list and sticking to it. With that said, I seldom, if ever, put “junk food” on the shopping list. That’s not to say I never buy junk food. But if it’s not on the shopping list, it doesn’t have calories, does it?

Favorite snacks: I like salty/savory snacks, though sweet snacks are good, too. Unfortunately, I have to avoid carbs and it’s difficult to find good snacks that are also low carb. If I had to pick one snack, it would likely be chips, e.g., potato chips, tortilla chips.

Things that make you want to gag: Spoiled milk, that you didn’t realize was spoiled before you took a drink, is on the top of the “gag list.”   

Something you’re really good at: I am extraordinarily adept at procrastination.

Something you’re really bad at: I am “organizationally challenged.”

Something you wanted to be when you were a kid: I grew up reading the Hardy Boys. Part of the series (though not a novel) was The Hardy Boys Detective Handbook. At one point, I remember reading a related book that described crime solving techniques, e.g., fingerprinting, taking castings of footprints, etc. I think that was the beginning of my fascination with forensic methods of solving crimes. At some point, I wanted to be an F.B.I. agent. I even learned how to make fingerprint powder. What a mess.

 Something you do that you never dreamed you’d do: Something I never dreamed I’d do? Write a novel.

Last best thing you ate: Without doubt, the last best-thing I ate was a center-cut filet mignon served at the Grand Marshal’s Wine Dinner held at G. W. Fins Restaurant in New Orleans as part of the Krewe of Cork’s activities during this year’s Mardi Gras.

Last thing you regret eating: That’s easy. I ate a couple of different poultry products a few months ago that apparently had “turned” and gave me food poisoning. I think I know which of the two it was and have avoided it. But I’ve also cut down on the amount of poultry products I eat in general.

The funniest thing to happen to you: This is a repeat from my first interview. During the time I was Counsel for the Navy Exchange Service Command, I attended a legal conference in Naples, Italy. Over the weekend before the conference, I volunteered to work at our Navy Exchange retail store during a customer appreciation event. My assignment was to help ring up purchases of high-end sunglasses and jewelry. One of the customers asked me to try on a pair of designer sunglasses because my head was the same shape as his father’s head. Translation? I got to model the sunglasses because I was old and fat, like his dad. I made the sale, though.

The most embarrassing thing to happen to you: Another repeat from my first interview… I don’t want to go into too much detail, but there was one incident when I was on travel for my government job that involved a very hot shower in a London hotel where the steam (allegedly) set off a fire alarm, resulting in a rather large desk clerk with a thick Russian accent banging on the door and barging into the room—with me still in the shower. There may or may not have been threats of arrest, fine, and imprisonment involved.

The most exciting thing about your writing life: Right now, the most exciting thing about my writing life is having may debut novel, Voices of the Elysian Fields, chosen as a finalist for an Agatha Award in the Best First Novel category at this year’s Malice Domestic.

The one thing you wish you could do over in your writing life: I wish I had done a better job at preparing for the marketing aspects of being a writer. I listened, learned, and followed the basic advice. I have a website. I have a presence on Facebook, Instagram, TwitterX, and Threads. But I don’t maintain my website as much as I should. And while I’ve learned a lot about the other social media platforms, I still don’t understand some of the nuances. This has caused me to struggle at the best way to market my works and, in the present situation, “advertise” my novel to attendees at Malice Domestic so I can earn their vote for Voices of the Elysian Fields as “Best First Novel.” Here are some links about the novel:

Book Trailer: "Voices of the Elysian Fields: A Jonathan Gray, M.D. Mystery" - by Michael Rigg - BOOK TRAILER

NetGalley: Voices of the Elysian Fields | Michael Rigg | 9781685129248 | NetGalley

Amazon Book Link: Amazon.com: Voices of the Elysian Fields: A Jonathan Gray, M.D. Mystery: 9781685129248: Rigg, Michael: Books

The nicest thing a reader said to you: Among the nicest things said to me (indirectly) by a reader are in a review of Voices of the Elysian Fields on NetGalley:

Oh. My. Gosh!!!! What did I just read?!?! Wow. This book was absolutely fantastic! So much suspense and I couldn’t stop thinking about how it would end.

The craziest thing a reader said to you: I’m not sure if this qualifies or not, but I was both puzzled and entertained by two other reviews left in Net Galley about Voices of the Elysian Fields. First, there’s this:

I'm very familiar with New Orleans, and so I adored the setting of the book. I just felt that the writing, the dialogue, even the description of the setting was forced, as though it was coming from a person who wasn't at all familiar with any of this. Perhaps this author isn't. 

And then there’s this:

…it is hard for those not from New Orleans to truly capture the city and its inhabitants… Rigg has obviously spent a good amount of time in NOLA, and spoken with people who have educated him on some nuances, as they definitely show through in this book…
Can't wait to see more books in this series!

Feedback—positive or negative—is always a gift. But sometimes a writer receives feedback from one source that’s difficult to mesh with feedback from another source. Maybe that’s the “crazy” part.

Best piece of advice you received from another writer: The best advice I’ve received from another writer is to stop using the word “pantser” to describe my approach to writing. Author Steven James wrote a book called Story Trumps Structure. He refers to the traditional description of “pantsing” as being “writing organically.” In essence, the story flows logically and necessarily from one scene to another. Stress about the flow of the story and not about hitting plot points in a certain order or at a precise point in the narrative. Related advice is to stop feeling guilty about pantsing/writing organically. (Another book by Steven James worth checking out is Delve, Pivot, Propel.)

Something you would tell a younger you about your writing: Believe in yourself. “Your” writing is “yours.” Don’t try to be or imitate another writer’s style. Learn from others but develop your own voice and style.

About Michael:

Michael Rigg, an attorney for more than four decades, writes mysteries and thrillers set in two very different locations: Virginia Beach (where he lives) and New Orleans (which he visits as often as possible “for research,” including participation in three Mardi Gras Krewes). He is a retired Navy Judge Advocate and a retired civilian government attorney, formerly working for the Department of the Navy Office of the General Counsel. He is a member of International Thriller Writers, Mystery Writers of America, and both the Sisters in Crime national organization and its Southeastern Virginia Chapter—Mystery by the Sea.

Mike’s debut novel, Voices of the Elysian Fields, is a finalist for an Agatha Award in the Best First Novel category at Malice Domestic. His second novel in the series, Shadows of Frenchmen, is scheduled for release by Level Best Books on May 5, 2026.

Let’s Be Social:

Website: www.michaelrigg.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/michael.rigg.author

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michael.rigg716/

Twitter/X: Michael Rigg@MDR102030

Threads: https://www.threads.com/@michael.rigg716

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/michael-rigg-4567b591

#ThisorThatThursday Author Interview with Pat Daily

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

Favorite snacks: Peanut butter pretzels

Things that make you want to gag:  Fish and the smell of cooking fish. I made a pact with fish early in life – I won’t eat them if they won’t eat me.

Something you’re really good at: Public Speaking

Something you’re really bad at: Understanding that not everyone thinks I am as funny as I do.

Something you wanted to be when you were a kid: Astronaut

Something you do that you never dreamed you’d do: Work on a team creating a hydrogen-powered aircraft

Last best thing you ate: Chicken Vindaloo from Tandoori Twist in Houston

Last thing you regret eating: Brussel sprouts

Things to say to an author: I love your work. Your Spark Chronicles series is fantastic!

Things to say to an author if you want to be fictionally killed off in their next book: Have you ever written anything I might have read?

Favorite places you’ve been: Yosemite, Tokyo  

Places you never want to go to again: Beijing

People you’d like to invite to dinner (living): J.K. Rowling, Senator John Kennedy, Bill Maher

People you’d cancel dinner on: Anyone who chews with their mouth open

Favorite things to do: Stare into a campfire while chatting with family and friends

Things you’d run through a fire or eat bugs to get out of doing: Watch televised golf or NASCAR

Best thing you’ve ever done: Marry my wife and have two phenomenal daughters

Biggest mistake: Speaking to a colleague out of anger rather than taking my time and responding more professionally.

Most daring thing you’ve ever done: Jumped out of an airplane the second time. The first time, I was too naïve to understand how scary it was going to be.

Something you chickened out from doing: Scuba diving at night

The nicest thing a reader said to you:  “When Spark gets turned into a movie, I want to do the soundtrack.”

The craziest thing a reader said to you: “My God, do you even speak English?”

The most exciting thing about your writing life: Solitude. I know it sounds odd, but I love the time alone with my characters as we try to figure out what words will go on the page.

The one thing you wish you could do over in your writing life: Start much earlier in life.

 About Pat:

Pat Daily is a polymath, serial entrepreneur, gamer, and the author of the Spark Chronicles, a near-future science fiction series. Pat began his professional career as an engineer and Air Force test pilot. After leaving the military, Pat worked at NASA’s Johnson Space Center on both the Space Shuttle and International Space Station programs before launching his first company. He has worked globally as a human performance and safety consultant.

When not writing or bringing new airplane designs to life, Pat can be found gaming. He is a fan of role-playing games – particularly open worlds with engaging storylines where actions have consequences. Pat and his wife live in Houston.

Let’s Be Social:

Website: https://thepatdaily.com

Blog: https://feraldaughters.wordpress.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/patdailyauthor

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/patdailypics/

X: @patdailyauthor

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21521042.Pat_Daily

#ThisorThatFriday Author Interview with Eric Fisher

I’d like to welcome Eric Fisher to #ThisorThatFriday!

A few of your favorite fall traditions: Eating pumpkin pie when I can get my hands on a slice or two. Eating turkey. Getting together with family for Thanksgiving dinner.
Something autumn-related that you’ll never do again: Raking leaves as I now have turf and not actual grass!

Favorite beverage: Anything pumpkin-spiced...let's say a pumpkin-spiced latte with almond or oat milk.
A drink that gives you a sour face: Something made with green apples -- a green apple cider.

Favorite smell: The woods after the falling of leaves.

Something that makes you hold your nose: burnt rubber.

A tradition you share with others: getting together for dinner and games during the holiday season.
A tradition that can be retired: Perhaps needing to have a large Thanksgiving dinner every year. 

Best thing you ever cooked/baked: a pumpkin pie with a gluten free crust made not from pumpkin puree but from a squash.
Your worst kitchen disaster: Not understanding that pressurized hot soup in a blender will project all over the kitchen if not given time to cool! Yes, it was a mess.

Funniest story: When growing up, some friends and I rolled another friend's house with toilet paper, came in and watched a movie with his family, and then left without him knowing until the next morning that we did the prank!

Something embarrassing that happened to you: My own house being rolled when we were at home as well and not hearing or seeing them roll the house with toilet paper whatsoever.

Favorite place to spend a day: Out in the woods hiking in Fall Creek Falls in TN.
The worst place to spend a day: Inside a house if I'm going to be in there all day.

Your best costume: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle when I was young.
A costume that wasn’t quite what you imagined: Seeing a photo of my dad dressed up as a woman when he was really young, back in the 80s, was interesting! 

Favorite pumpkin spice item: Pumpkin pie!
Something that should never be pumpkin-spiced flavored: Apple pie!

About Eric:

Eric Fisher is a Canadian Certified Counsellor with over 15 years experience working in inpatient and outpatient treatment environments. Originally from the US, Eric specializes in helping those with addiction and trauma. He has authored two books: The Martial Art of Recovery and Buried Alive: Four Ways to Free Yourself from the Dirt. Eric operates his private practice, Recovery Arts Counselling, in Calgary, AB.

Let’s Be Social:

instagram - @recoveryartscounselling - https://www.instagram.com/recoveryartscounselling/

@ericfisherwriter - https://www.instagram.com/ericfisherwriter/

LinkedIn - Recovery Arts Counselling 

Linkedin - Eric Fisher - https:///www.linkedin.com/in/eric-m-fisher-5b83724a

Facebook - Recovery Arts Counselling - https://www.facebook.com/RecoveryArtsCounselling