If you would like to play 5 Questions, leave a comment on this entry saying so.  I'll then leave 5 questions for you on your blog.

These questions are from mpepper.

1. What do you find to be the most difficult part of the writing process? The editing process.  When I finish my first draft, I'm happy and glowing.  I tend to be a bit biased and think this newborn story is perfect.  Of course, I know it isn't and I know it will need to be edited.  It's hard for me to edit my own work.  I've been getting better at it, but it's a little painful and sometimes it feels incredibly tedious.  I want to be done with it and move on to something new.

2. Where do you think you'd be if you hadn't met Keith?  If I hadn't met Keith, I would have likely gotten a crappy job in the town I went to university.  I would have saved enough money and gone to teach English in Japan.  I had taken the course for it and they had accepted me.  I didn't leave at that time because you had to pay your own expenses for the first month and that would be around $5,000.  I don't know what would have become of me if I went to Japan, but if I would have stayed in Ontario, I might likely still be there working a job I don't like and possibly living with someone.  Boy, that's very pessimistic of me.  I was in a big rut when I met Keith, though.  I didn't have enough money to live on and I was afraid that I might be forced to return to my parents' home.  That would have killed my spirit completely.  I would like to say that I would have found a job, paid off my debts and returned to school to do another degree or get my Phd.  I would have went into teaching with my Phd.  If I got another degree, I would have gotten it in nursing or something practical that I would have been guaranteed a job wherever I lived.

3. If you could live anywhere, where would it be? I would love to live in British Columbia in a cabin in the mountains.  Near Vancouver so I could go into the city when I want to do something. Though, if I could afford it, I would live in different places all over the world.  I don't feel the need to be tied down to one place or house.  As long as I have my own space wherever I am, I'm good.

4. Which author has had the most influence on your writing?  A bunch of names flash through my mind when I read this question, but I would say the one author that has stuck with me for the longest is Stephen King.  I started reading his books when I was ten and I have always admired him.  I wanted to be a horror writer just like him.  I wrote a novel when I was sixteen that I deemed a big fan letter and I mailed it off to him.  It was about a bunch of teens spending the summer with a famous author and learning from him, but it turned out the author was possessed by a demon and was killing off the kids to steal their unique psychic powers. *LOL*  Yes, a fan letter.  I loved how creepy and detailed his books were.  I loved his huge stories.  The Stand. It. Tommyknockers.  Those were my three favorites.  Then as I grew older, I began to appreciate other aspects of his work.  The incredible world building and characterization.  That's what I strive for in my own writing.  The Dark Tower series is on of my favorite series of all time.  I can only dream of obtaining his level of greatness.  I'm in awe of him and his imagination.

5. Do you ever feel like publishing imprints are similar to name brands in that some are more fashionable or perceived to be "better" than others? Yes, definitely.  I see it all the time.  I have friends that write that refuse to submit to certain publishers because they deem them not good enough.  I have friends that will only submit to a select few publishers.  I think some editors and agents are not impressed that I'm published by a small press.  I sometimes wonders if it reflects negatively on me and they decide not to take me on because of it.  My biggest dream would to be published by Tor.  That is like the Tommy Hilfiger of publishers.  (Is Tommy even still cool?)  I'd be proud to be published by Penguin or another major publisher, too.  Tor is just the best of the best in my mind.  There is a huge bunch of people that snub vanity presses and epublishers.  Then there's those that snub ones like Harlequin because they have a certain idea of what they print.  (I actually use to feel that way about Harlequin, but I've changed my mind about it.  They have some fantastic authors and great books.)  It took me a long time to decide if I wanted a book published by a small press like Mystic Moon Press, because I knew some people would not like it and it could reflect negatively on me.