I’d like to welcome author, D. C. Gomez, to the blog for #ThisorThatThursday!
Favorite summer treat: Narrowing down my favorite summer treat is such a hard question. I’m a fruit fanatic, so summer is my season to indulge. Some of my favorites are Rainier cherries, watermelons, frozen grapes, and persimmons.
A summer treat that makes you gag: Summer is the season for crawfish in Texas. We have tons of local vendors selling them around my town. I’m the weird kid that can’t stand the textures of it and would gag trying to eat them.
Favorite summer beverage: I’m crazy about Horchata. It’s a traditional Mexican drink made with rice. To me, this is just a perfect summer drink.
A drink that gives you a pickle face: Regardless of how many times I tried it, I still can’t stand sparkling water.
Best thing you ever grilled in spring: The best thing I have ever grilled was chicken and beef kabob. I spend a summer during high school making/selling them as a fundraiser for a club at school. By the end of the summer, my best friend and I were pros. To this day, my family loves it when I make it. Too bad it takes a bit to prep.
Your worst kitchen or grilling disaster: I love experimenting in the kitchen. One year I tried to make making a tiramisu from scratch. My kitchen looked like a tornado hit it. I had a messed everywhere, and somehow, I could not make the crazy dessert taste right. After that, I had a new respect for the dessert.
Best summer vacation memory: The summer before getting deployed to Iraq, my then boyfriend and I took a cruise. It was a four-day cruise to that stopped in Playa Del Carmen. I had never been on a cruise before, so that vacation was full of first-time experiences.
A summer vacation disaster that you’d rather forget: A vacation disaster happened a few years ago. I had the brilliant idea of taking my parents on a road trip from my town in East Texas down to Galveston. Somehow, I manage to forget how much my parents hated road-trips. I was so excited to take them to a beach that underestimated the six-hour drive in a tight vehicle. We will drive nowhere for long periods of time again.
Most favorite place to write/edit in the summer: Favorite place to write in the summer is my local bookstore. There is an energy of excitement in the air that is contagious. I enjoyed sitting with my laptop at the café and watching people shop around and just browse the books.
The worst place to write in the summer because of all the distractions: This might sound odd, since I enjoy writing in busy places. I have a hard time concentrating when I visit my family during the summer. Every year, I take all my notes with me to work on my books, but it never happens. I’m distracted by the things my family has going on.
Favorite thing to do on a summer evening: Summers in Texas can be murderous with our heat index. The evenings, on the other hand, are the perfect time to take long walks around the park. This is a fun way for me to relax and let go.
Least favorite thing about summer: The humidity in Texas is probably my least favorite thing. When all you have to do is step outside just to sweat, you know it’s too hot and sticky.
The thing you like most about being a writer: What I love the most about being a writer is being able to create new characters. The initial process of developing a story is so much fun for me. I enjoy playing with scenarios and new characters.
The thing you like least about being a writer: The marketing side of being a writer is probably the hardest for me, and my least favorite. It’s the part that pushes me out of my comfort zone. While not my favorite, it is still part of the process and I take it seriously.
The thing that you will most remember about your writing life: The one thing I would remember more about my writing journey is the amazing community of readers and writers that I have met. It has blessed me to connect with incredible people who love books and have embraced my works. I’m extremely grateful for this community.
Something in your writing life that you wish you could do over: If I could do something over in my journey, I would have started sooner. It took me a while to conquer my fears and take the leap to publish.
Most daring thing you’ve ever done: To this day, joining the U.S. Army is probably the most daring thing I have ever done. I was a junior in college when I enlisted. To this day, my family is in shock that I joined. I was the first person in my family to do it.
Something you chickened out from doing: While I joined the Army and had an incredible experience. I discovered I’m terrified of heights. Information that would have been useful prior to enlisted in Airborne School. During the training, we practiced jumping out of a 34-foot tower. I learned quickly that jumping out of a plane was not in my future. That was the first program I was happy I did not complete.
The nicest thing a reader said to you: The nicest thing a reader has ever told me was that my books helped them during difficult times. They could escape the tension of their everyday life and laughed along with the adventures of my characters. Their words humbled me.
The craziest thing a reader said to you: A reader once asked me if I was following them around and capturing their life story on the page. Considering they were referring to my book Death’s Intern, an urban fantasy tale based on the four horsemen of the Apocalypse, I had to blink. I really wasn’t sure if this person was serious about the claim or just messing with me.
The best summer job you ever had: The best summer job I ever had was a program sponsored by the city of Salem. They hired me to work at the local access TV station that was newly opened in the city. It was the place I felt in love with storytelling. That was the summer between my freshman and sophomore year.
The worst summer job you ever had: The city of Salem also sponsored the worst job summer job I ever had, ironic. They hired a group of high school students to do manual labor at an alternative school that was being renovated. I learned how to set sheet-walls and even ceiling tiles. After that summer I appreciated the hard-work it took to renovate a building and working in hot painful conditions. It made me realized I did not want to do that when I graduated high school.
