Good morning, everybody! We’re visiting with author Mindy Klasky again today—for the last time, boo-hoo 
—about her “As You Wish” series & one of my favorite topics: food!
Take it away, Mindy!
Hello everyone! Thank you, Heidi, for so generously letting me darken The Dungeon’s doorstep once again!
I thought long and hard about what I was going to write about. Heidi introduced me as some sort of Platonic master of the story arc, but there isn’t a tremendous amount to say about that, at least not enough that would keep you interested and reading and not snoring into your cornflakes. (Of course, if anyone has questions about story arcs, or about any other aspect of my writing, don’t hesitate to ask in comments!)
Then, I thought that I would write about something guaranteed to keep you interested and reading—my reaction to the various hunks that Heidi posts here on a regular basis. Alas, you all have your own favorites, though, and I didn’t want to start a fight over who gets to be favorites with whom.
So, I settled on a topic near and dear to my authorly heart: food. Yep, food.
Now, I could tell you about how I sustain myself while I write (breakfast of oatmeal and cranberry sauce—don’t knock it till you’ve tried it!), large pot of tea, veggie lunch, replenished pot of tea…
but that might devolve into a discussion of alternative meals, which would tempt me to try them, which would keep me from writing… And I have a lot of deadlines coming up, so I don’t want to lead myself anywhere near the path of temptation.
That leaves me with how I use food in my novels.
(A secret for those who haven’t read my books: I use a lot of food in my novels. In the “Jane Madison” series, the main character’s best friend runs a bakery. Several key scenes take place in restaurants. Mojito therapy is the escape of choice. In the “As You Wish” series, food is even more important—starting with emotional over-eating in HOW NOT TO MAKE A WISH, and moving on to guerilla gardening in next April’s WHEN GOOD WISHES GO BAD.)
To me, food tells an incredible amount about a character. When I tell you that Kira Franklin likes her coffee twice as strong as anyone else in the theater, you immediately know something important about her. When I tell you that her roommate orders the exact same dish from their favorite Chinese restaurant every single time, you immediately know something important about her.
My books are written primarily for women readers (although men are always welcome, too!). We women have very convoluted relationships with food. We all have stories to tell about how much we eat—whether it’s too much or too little. We all have distinct likes and dislikes. We all balance the demands of being social creatures around food.
How many of us have wondered if we could/should order an appetizer and a dessert on a first date? How many of us have been quailed by the sight of a full range of silverware at an important business dinner or formal event? How many of us have wondered how to tell a friend or a love interest that we simply cannot stand the dish they’ve just served us?
Food is at the heart of so many of our social interactions. It allows us to show who we are, at the same time that it permits us to hide. (Anyone remember the scene in Pretty Woman, where she eats escargots?)
Besides, it’s just plain fun to write about food.
So, how about you? If you were revealing your personality by describing yourself as food (or an entire meal) what would it be? Me? I’d be oven-baked macaroni and cheese—comforting and easy-going, but with a surprisingly sharp bite of cheddar (and just a hint of hot sauce). Of course, there’d be more than a few crunchy bread-crumbs on top, adding unexpected texture!
I look forward to reading your responses in comments!
Thank you, Mindy!
I’m afraid you’ve hit on a topic close to my heart—& belly & thighs & butt…but, sadly, not my knockers 
—as well, so this should be a fun & lively discussion!
Remember, my Darlings, that Mindy will be drawing a name after today’s chat for an autographed copy of her latest release & the first book in her “As You Wish” series, HOW NOT TO MAKE A WISH. The winner will be announced probably on Sunday, as per our usual slacker schedule. 
And don’t forget that you can learn more about Mindy & her books any time simply by visiting her website at MindyKlasky.com.
But of course, that didn’t happen. Not only could I not sleep in, but I had to be up two hours earlier than usual to get ready & take the little Pekoe-a-Boo-Boo over to the vet for his ever-so-manly nip & tuck.
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) So I spotted one of them, & went oooh. Unscrewed the cap & gave it a sniff. Ahhh, bliss. (I resisted tipping the dispenser & gulping it, but only because I was afraid security cameras might have been focusing in on me.) Yes, I decided, I would definitely be taking that home with me, as well as the other two soaps on the shelf. I put them in my cart, then continued perusing the other items in that section. Oh, hey, there’s another liquid soap. Is it the same fragrance as the ones I’d already found? Why, yes, it is. And there’s another…& another. Turned out they had three or four rows of the stuff on three or four different shelves…& I climbed up & grabbed them all.
) For right now, however, I’m just going to sit around sniffing pink grapefruit bubbles until I pass out. 
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I hated having to leave him there overnight, though I understand the need for it. Apparently, the anesthetic causes vision problems, & even if an animal seems awake & alert, they really aren’t & can end up hurt before the drugs fully wear off. Plus, the vet likes to check them one last time before sending them home. Better safe than sorry!
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And, of course, as soon as I brought Pekoe in the house—after he’d walked around, sniffing & investigating everything to make sure this was still his home & that I hadn’t changed or moved anything in his absence (it was so cute! 
)—Harley started sniffing him all over & they took off like shots, wrestling & fighting & roughhousing. My cries of, “Restricted activity! Restricted activity!” had no impact whatsoever. 
) Since this post is getting rather long, though, I think I’ll save the rest for after Thanksgiving. So stay tuned! There will be pictures. 
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Also deserving a nod of thanks: MaryJanice Davidson’s “Betsy, Queen of the Vampires” books.)
) Oh, & also—The Grinch Who Stole Christmas. I’m not entirely sure this will be on over Thanksgiving, but it has been on once or twice already & I recorded it to enjoy while nibbling the other turkey leg. *g*)
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on me, absolutely adore coming up with naughty, wicked, uber-fun stuff to share with you guys. And getting the chance to chat with you about it…& everything else under the sun…is simply the icing on the cake. So THANK YOU, my Darlings! 
Remember, too, that Mindy will be giving away an autographed copy of the third book in her “Jane Madison” series, MAGIC AND THE MODERN GIRL, after today’s visit.
As some of you may have noticed, I’ve been a little quiet online the past couple days. That would be because my thirteen-year-old sweet little Indiana, who was recently diagnosed with kidney failure, took a turn for the worse over the weekend.
As you can see from his picture…& here he is with little Pekoe Boo hiding behind him (why do you think I named him that? *g*)…Indy was a big boy. But he didn’t start out that way. He was actually teeny-tiny when I first took him in…along with his four brothers & sisters. You see, I had this friend whose outdoor cat had had a litter of kittens in their garage/barn. (Yeah, don’t get me started on the whole “this never would have happened if you’d just gotten her spayed.” 
) Almost all of them ended up with warbles, & the father was threatening to shoot them. (Yeah, don’t get me started on that, either. I’m not sure I believe he ever would have done it, since he is actually a kinda nice guy, but it’s still an ugly thing to say.)
) set to post through the weekend & beyond, so you won’t be alone & you won’t be left without entertainment.
this a very fun month, indeed!
