Today I’m interviewing Carey S. from Texas. She has the
most wonderful heart!
Lexi: How
did you get into reading romance novels?
Carey: My
grandmother used to read them, and I was interested from that. Then I got older
and found some on my own. Now I’m a voracious reader, often reading 5 books per
week. I read many different genres, and romance and romantic suspense are two
of my favorites.
Lexi: Wow,
that’s a lot of books! Tell me about your pet.
Carey: I
have a 16-year-old Collie/Eskimo mix that I rescued from the pound. He is an
awesome dog and I know he won’t be around forever, but he has been such a gift
to our family.
Lexi: Oh, I
bet he’s beautiful! What are you good at?
Carey: I’m
good at reading, taking photos, camping, writing, traveling, listening,
encouraging, smiling, finding joy in life, and exercising.
Lexi: If
you could name a character in a romance novel, what would you name him or her?
Why?
Carey: Gevi
Jon because way back in 1975, a teen magazine I subscribed to, put together pen
pals for the bicentennial. I was given a pen pal from Michigan (I lived in
Louisiana at the time). We wrote letters to each other for a couple of years,
but never met. However, she said that if she ever had a boy, she would name him
Gevi Jon, and for some reason, I’ve never forgotten that name. I’ve also never
heard of anyone named with that name, but it always seemed so unique and
interesting.
Lexi: That is interesting. What makes you happy?
Carey: Simple
things: a soft blanket when it’s cold; warm tea; listening to ocean waves
rolling in; good friends; singing by a campfire; hugs; laughter; healthy,
delicious food; being loved; feeling accepted; getting letters; unexpected
surprises; being grateful; helping to
make something better.
Lexi: Tell
me about your significant other.
Carey: My
hubby is named Thomas. We’ve been married for 27 years. He is my best friend
and we love to laugh together. He can fix nearly anything and is one of the
smartest people I know. He loves to learn new things. He made it all the way to
the astronaut interview selection portion (top 50 out of 8,000-10,000 total
applicants) twice but was never chosen to become an astronaut. He’s an all-around
good guy. He’s a scientist by training, but recently retired and is writing a
book.
Lexi: Wow!
Good for him! You are a lucky lady. What’s your favorite dessert?
Carey: German
Chocolate Cake
Lexi: What types of romances do you like to read?
Carey: Comedy,
suspense, contemporary, and paranormal are 4 of my favorite types of romances.
Lexi: What
are you proud of?
Carey:
That
I’ve done some things to make the world around me just a little bit better. I
started a science lab at our elementary school; I helped create a literacy lab
at our elementary school; and I coordinated the effort of building a park in
our neighborhood.
Lexi: Those
are fantastic accomplishments! You should be proud! What’s your perfect day
look like?
Carey: My
perfect day would be waking up in a camper or tent parked in a beautiful
location where the air smelled clean and I could smell the forest around me.
There would be a gurgling stream nearby and the temperature would be cool and
crisp but not too cold. I would have a hot breakfast, then go hiking someplace
beautiful and take lots of pictures. I would be with people I love, and the sky
would be blue and clear. After hiking, picnicking, and enjoying our time outside,
we would make dinner together and then tell stories and sing around a campfire
until we got tired and then go to sleep.
Lexi: You
describe it perfectly. How many hours a week do you spend reading romance?
Carey: As
many as I can! Some weeks are busier than others. On busy weeks, I read before
bed. On non-busy weeks, I read whenever I can.
Lexi: Who
made the biggest impact on your life?
Carey: My
dad and my best friend in college. My dad is a gentle soul who treats everyone
with dignity and respect. He doesn’t talk a lot, but what he says has gravitas,
and really matters.
My best friend in college was Fran, and we communicated so
well that we could almost read each other’s minds! I always know when I’d get a
letter from her or when she was gonna call or when she wasn’t feeling good. We
went to different colleges that were 2 hours apart. I vowed that I wouldn’t
marry anyone unless I could communicate with them the way Fran and I
communicated. So I held out until I met Tom as a 27-year-old, and it was the
best decision!
Lexi: If
you could go on an all-expense paid vacation anywhere in the world, where would
you go? Why?
Carey: I’d
go to New Zealand, with stops in Alaska, Ireland, Scotland, England, Italy,
Greece, Micronesia, and Australia, along the way. It would have to be an
around-the-world trip, as many of those places are far from each other.
Lexi: LOL I
like the way you think. How many books do have in your “To Be Read” pile (means
you’ve bought them but still need to read)?
Carey: Probably
over 200! But since I read over 200 books a year, I’m chipping away at them
little by little.
Lexi: If
you could give someone what they wanted most, what and who would it be?
Carey: I
would find a cure for depression to help everyone who suffers from it. It is
very real and very misunderstood and it seems to be getting more common among
people in their early 20’s. I find that very sad.
Lexi: I
agree. How many romance authors are on your auto-buy list?
Carey: Probably
about 10. When I find an author I love, I read everything that they write. I do
a combination of buying books, buying kindle versions, getting books from KU,
getting them using my Audible subscription, and borrowing them from the
library.
Lexi: What
kind of car do you drive? If you had your choice, would it be that one or a
different one?
Carey: I
drive a Honda mini-van (3 kids—2 still at home). If I had an unlimited budget,
I’d love to drive a Tesla!
Lexi: How
many children, grandchildren, great grandchildren all total do you have?
Carey: We
have 3 kids: one is independent; one is still in college; and one is in high
school.
Lexi: Oh, empty
nest is around the corner. What do you do for fun (besides reading romance
novels)?
Carey: I
spend time with people I care about; I learn new things; I take photos; I
travel and camp; I cook; I write; I find things that I’m passionate about and
donate my time to them.
Lexi: That’s
great! What did you think you’d be when you grew up?
Carey: An
interior decorator or a DJ. Ha!
Lexi: That’s
quite a pair of careers! What don’t most people on social media not know about
you?
Carey: I’m
an ambivert: I have some extrovert tendencies, but I also crave silence and
need to ‘recharge’ my ‘batteries’ at times.
Lexi: What’s
your favorite holiday? Why?
Carey: Thanksgiving
because I believe gratitude is super-important, and it’s all about family,
friends, and memories.
Lexi: What
mistake have you made that you learned the most from?
Carey: That
my perception isn’t always the whole picture.
Lexi: I can
relate. What color eyes do you have?
Carey: Brown
Lexi: How
old do you think is perfect for a hero
Carey: Since
I’m getting older (although I’m still in my late 20’s in my mind!), I like
flawed heroes who are in their 40’s and even 50’s.
Lexi: What
are you afraid of?
Carey: Bees
and wasps.
Lexi: What
are some of your favorite movies?
Carey: Lord
of the Rings. Harry Potter. The Wizard of Oz. The Color Purple. Fried Green
Tomatoes. Out of Africa. Twelve Angry Men.
Lexi: Oh, good ones! Okay, time for the quickies. Dark-haired
hero or light-haired?
Carey: Dark
Lexi: Vanilla
or chocolate? Carey: Chocolate
Lexi: Hot
and spicy or sweet and chaste?
Carey:
Hot and spicy
Lexi: Spicy
food or not spicy?
Carey: Spicy (I
put cayenne pepper in my smoothie!)
Lexi: Beard
or no beard?
Carey: Beard-if it is
neat, not scruffy.
Lexi: Hot
weather or cold?
Carey: Cold
Lexi: Chest
hair or no chest hair?
Carey: Chest
hair
Lexi: Morning
person or night person?
Carey: Morning
Lexi: Rich
hero or blue-collar hero?
Carey: Both
Lexi: Coffee
or tea? Carey: Tea
Lexi: Beach
or mountains? Carey: Mountains
Lexi: Cats
or dogs? Carey: Dogs
Lexi: Hero
with long hair or short? Carey: Short
Lexi: Rent
or own? Carey: Own
Lexi: Working
or retired? Carey: Retired
Lexi: Blonde
heroine or brunette? Carey: Redhead
Lexi: City
or town? Carey: Out in nature
Lexi: Cook
or eat out? Carey: Cook
Lexi: Tattoos
or no tattoos? Carey: None
Lexi: Pajamas
or naked? Carey: Pj’s now; before
children—naked
Lexi: Thank
you for chatting with me, Carey. It was a pleasure to learn more about you 💗
