Not-So-Guilty Pleasures: The Laura Salters Edition

Good morning, friends!

I'm very happy to welcome Laura Salters - Writers For Hope donor, upcoming Pitch Wars mentor, fantastic beta buddy, and an all-together swell lady - back to the blog. She's here today to offer us a
little insight into those things she'll always love no matter what.

And I'm here to tell you about something you'll love...Laura's debut novel is out! RUN AWAY is a basketful of awesome. But before you run off to read that (as you should), get to know Laura a little better...

Not-So-Guilty Pleasures

1) Sleep. I am a prolific sleeper. I need 10-12 hours a night to function as an actual human being. And I won’t wake up unless I set an alarm—I’m not kidding. If I want to get up at midday, I have to set an alarm for midday. I have issues, okay?

2) Nutella. ON ALL THE THINGS. Pancakes, fruit, a spoon. Give me a jar of Nutella and I’m happy.

3) Cheesy 90s music. Hitting “shuffle” on my iPod is a treacherous experience. You could get cutting edge, super cool indie music, awesome rock…or 5ive’s Keep On Movin’. 

4) Pokemon. I am 24 years old and still play Pokemon on my Gameboy. I think I took the catchphrase “gotta catch ‘em all” too literally and I’m still at it twenty years later. 

5) Gin. Specifically a Hendrick’s with tonic and cucumber. It’s so refreshing and so delicious. And I’m a really giggly, happy drunk, so it always puts me in a great mood. Not so much the next morning, but still…

Drenched in blood and sitting in the sweltering interview room of a Thai police station, Kayla Finch knows that Sam, the love of her life, is dead. It doesn't matter that there's no body. All that blood can only mean one thing.

It isn't the first time Kayla's had blood on her hands. After finding her brother dead by his own hand, she tried to outrun her grief by escaping to Thailand. Heart-broken, the last thing she expected was to find love on the smoggy streets of Bangkok. But everyone Kayla loves seems to wind up dead. 

Returning home to England, Kayla is left with a barely-functioning family, a string of gruesome nightmares and the niggling feeling that nothing is as it seems. And as she confronts her brother's suicide, she starts to suspect that something is very wrong.

Three months. Two tragedies. One connection: there's more to both cases than anyone is willing to admit. And Kayla’s determined to uncover the truth…no matter what the cost.

Social Media Links

Website

Facebook

Twitter

Instagram

YouTube

RUN AWAY Links

Amazon UK

Amazon US

Barnes & Noble

HarperCollins

Now get out there and do some reading!

Not-So-Guilty Pleasures: The L.S. Murphy Edition

Hello, my friends! You know what we haven't done in FAR too long? Wrestled some not-so-guilty pleasures out of a wonderful author! Thankfully, we shall be rectifying that horrible fact today.

I'm thrilled to welcome back to the blog Writers For Hope donor L.S. Murphy! Here's what she had to say about what floats her boat...

Not So Guilty Pleasures

Thanks, Kelly, for having me on your blog. And thanks for the awesome auction you’ve organized for RAINN. *standing ovation*

SO what makes a guilty pleasure a not-so-guilty pleasure? Guess it depends on your level of guilt? 

1. Musicals – I LOVE Broadway. Love. Love. Love. Did I mention that I love it? It goes back to my days in high school when the band director introduced me to Phantom, Miss Saigon, Les Miz, Starlight Express, etc. I cannot get enough of live theater. My daughter (who is 6 going on 30) watches the Tony Awards every year. She’s a bit of a theater buff herself. Although I won’t let her see Book of Mormon anytime soon.

2. St. Louis Cardinals – Baseball is the only sport. Sorry. If it was on 24/7 I would never leave the TV. I’m fiercely devoted to the Cardinals. I grew up watching Ozzie Smith and Willie McGee and John Tudor. Some of my favorite memories are from going to the games when I was a kid. I grew up on a farm in the middle of nowhere so going to St. Louis for a game was an event.

3. Pens – I know this sounds cliché since every other writer mentions pens and notebooks, but I am obsessed with Precise V7 pens. The V5s will do in a pinch, but the V7s are my faves. They write so smooth.

4. Books – What? That’s obvious? Okay, fine.

4. Coffee… duh – Okay, Coffee may be obvious as well, but I LOVE pouring my coffee over a scoop of vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt. It’s desert in a mug. It’s a cup of heaven. It’s… perfection.

5. Veronica Mars – Yes, I know the show is over. Yes, I’ve seen the movie. Yes, I know about the books. But can this never end? Seriously? I honestly only watched this show because Rats Saw God is one of my all time favorite books. But I fell in love. I’m a total Marshmallow.

PIXELATED will be released from
Bloomsbury Spark on June 30th!

Thank you so much for visiting again, L.S.! As for the rest of you, you know you want to learn more about L.S. and her amazing work, so check out her website and follow her on Twitter!

Not-So-Guilty Pleasures: The Scarlett Cole Edition

Good morning, all!

The time has come for another author to spill some secrets! And I am so very, very excited to be
hosting one of my extremely talented beta readers, Ms. Scarlett Cole. Spoiler alert, this woman's writing is the bee's knees. But today isn't about her fantastic stories, but the lovely lady herself. Let's see what she revealed....


Not-So-Guilty Pleasures

Hi Everybody,

Thanks so much to Kelly for inviting me to swing by her blog. It’s nice to meet you all. Settling on five guilty pleasures was tougher than I thought. So here goes:

Live Music

My husband and I love live music. It’s our date night. They don’t have to be big and fancy. Often, the grungier, seedier, and smaller the venue, the more personal the concert feels. One year, we went to over thirty concerts. There is something about the atmosphere of a concert, feeling your chest reverb from the volume, and sharing that experience with other fans. There’s no judgment about who you are, what you do, or where you come from. You are just there for the music. It’s a great equalizer.

My Christmas Tree

I am a sucker for the holidays and the dysfunctional mayhem that comes with families crashing together in the spirit of goodwill.

My guilty pleasure is a fabulous looking tree. Over fifteen hundred lights, thirty meters of ribbon, and hundreds of hand collected baubles are hung with, shamefully, zero assistance from my children. I won’t let them help because I hate people messing with my tree. I like balance, equally spaced colors, and variety in textures. I buy them their own trees, and we decorate them at the same time but they know better than to touch mine.

Broadway Show Tunes

In an alternate universe, I am convinced I am Idina Menzel. I love singing along to soundtracks from great musicals.

My sister and I used to perform in the school Gilbert and Sullivan productions. She has a way better voice than I do and I was often relegated to singing the harmony when we were younger. To this day, I can only sing Barbara Dickson’s part in I Know Him So Well from Chess.

Unfortunately enthusiasm is not a replacement for talent.

Dark Chocolate Digestive Biscuits

At 82 calories a pop, these really are the guiltiest of guilty pleasures on my list. I have this timed to perfection. I make my tea and like to get my first dunk within two minutes of the kettle boiling. The dunk can be no less than seven seconds because the biscuit is still too hard but no more than nine seconds or else the dunked bit drops off into the tea, which is gross. I eat half the biscuit in one bite. If the words aren’t coming or I am having a rough day, I allow myself four biscuits in one sitting but then I add fifteen minutes to my workout the next day.

Pens and Notebooks

I love stationary shops. When I discover a new one, I get the closest thing to a legal high. I could spend hours in one trying to find the perfect notebook, notelets and pens. I edit my manuscripts by hand. For some reason, I feel like I pay more attention when I am holding a pen. I use a Pilot Dr. Grip Gel pen in black. Not the fanciest pen out there, but it doesn’t bleed at all and allows me to write in very tiny print. When I am plotting story lines by hand I love color. I use Sharpie fine point pens and assign different colors to the hero, heroine and external threat so I can keep track visually of pacing.

Want to know more about Scarlett Cole? Of course you do!

www.scarlettcole.com

@ItsScarlettCole

Now, while you're checking out more of her awesome, I'll be figuring out how to swing a visit to Scarlett's house this holiday season. Three trees!! *swoon*

Not-So-Guilty Pleasures: The Emmie Mears Edition

Hello all!

I'm still coming off last week's auction high. And since it really can't be said enough, let me once again mention how big time awesome you all are. Also, thank you. A million times over.

Excitingly, today we get to know one of last week's donors a little bit better. Emmie Mears is here! And she's going to spill all of her not-so-guilty pleasures.


Not-So-Guilty Pleasures

Read Emmie's bio here!

Supernatural

I am a sucker for the Winchesters and their buddy angel Castiel. I started watching Supernatural because a good friend told me to, and it’s become my favorite show on air...and in my top five of all time. I love the snappy writing, the often creepy plot, and the fact that it’s a very adult show on the CW. The acting is top notch, and having gotten to meet the cast at conventions, I can say that they’re great humans, too. Which only increases my esteem for the show. I always love shows that can mix heart-wrenching drama with laugh-till-you-cry humor, and Supernatural is one of those shows.

Plus, have you SEEN Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki? I mean, really.

Cheese on Carbs

I don’t care if it’s nachos, pizza, cheesy bread, fries with cheese, chips and queso, cheesy rice, or what. Cheese + carbs = Emmie kryptonite. I cannot withstand its delicious power. Even though my metabolism conspires against me and I’ve had to learn how to indulge without bingeing, I always make time in my schedule for some cheese on carbs.

Coke Zero

I don’t know if it’s the power of suggestive marketing or simply a placebo effect, but compared to diet Coke, Coke Zero wins everything. I end up buying it by the case in caffeine free, because I like to drink it at night and cannot for the life of me drink caffeine after 3 PM.

Scotland

I lived there on and off for a few years during university, and I absolutely fell head over heels in love. I haven’t been able to go back since 2010, but I plan to move there in a few years. My family on both sides came from Scotland, and I love the country from Hadrian’s Wall to John O’Groats and the islands. My dream is to have a cottage somewhere in the Highlands and become a recluse.

Underwear

Yep. I like fancy panties. Anything from Victoria’s Secret lacy things to awesome geeky ones like glow in the dark Batman panties. At any given moment I probably have about 30-40 pairs of underwear, and not just because doing laundry is my least favorite chore. In my early 20s, I went through a time where I was ashamed of my body and didn’t feel at home in it. As I grew more confident, I found that buying fun and sexy panties was a way to love the skin I’m in -- whether anyone sees it or not.



As if she wasn't already awesome enough, Supernatural and cheesy snacks? Well, I certainly want to be her best friend for life. And since I know you all do too, you can find her here:

http://www.twitter.com/EmmieMears 
http://www.facebook.com/emmiemears
http://www.emmiemears.com
http://www.searchingforsuperwomen.com

Not-So-Guilty Pleasures: The N.K. Traver Edition

Good morrow, fellow story lovers!

Today on the blog, I have the pleasure of hosting the lovely N.K. Traver, who was generous enough to do the same for me during Pitch Wars. But, as you know, today isn't about writing samples - it's about those little things we love, but make us think "maybe it would be better if the whole world didn't know I was obsessed with....nah....never mind....this is awesome. Everyone should be shown the light."

Here's what Ms. Traver wants to illuminate:


Not-So-Guilty Pleasures

5. Leonardo DiCaprio

I have loved him since Titanic. I think he's a brilliant actor and I will never let go, Jack.

4. Crazy bright neon socks

Opening my sock drawer requires sunglasses. I have socks that are supposed to match and socks that are not supposed to match, though I lost track of the matching ones a long time ago.

3. King of the Nerds

I'm not a reality TV fan, but I LOVE. THIS. SHOW. Nerd drama + sciency experiments + quotes like "I just hope it involves the Pillars of Lava and light sabers like we discussed"? How can anyone resist?

2. Video games

The Sims. Resident Evil. Tomb Raider. Every LEGO Xbox game ever made. I could go on, so I won't. I love puzzles and great stories, and video games often bind those two together. I'm also scared of dying, so I play on the easiest difficulty level possible and I don't care who knows about it.

1. 'Staches

Yes, these -->  

I can't explain my obsession. But I have stache earrings, a stache ring, a stache blanket, a stache shirt, stache socks and stache duct tape. I will collect stache things until there's nothing left to collect, or until my husband stages an intervention.

As a freshman at the University of Colorado, N.K. Traver decided to pursue Information Technology because her classmates said "no one could make a living" with an English degree. It wasn’t too many years later Traver realized it didn’t matter what the job paid—nothing would ever be as fulfilling as writing. Programmer by day, writer by night, it was only a matter of time before the two overlapped. Her debut, DUPLICITY, a YA cyberthriller pitched as BREAKING BAD meets THE MATRIX for teens, is coming from Macmillan Entertainment in winter 2015.

Want to really amp up your anticipation of DUPLICITY? Or maybe get some tips on where to buy the best staches? (Which, let's face it, is all I've been thinking about since I first read this list.) Follow Ms. Traver on her blog, Goodreads, or Twitter. 

Not-So-Guilty Pleasures: The Sandra Waugh Edition

Greetings, all!

Got some more Not-So-Guilty Pleasures for you! As I'm sure you've figured out by now, I'm a pretty big fan of the fantasy genre - and young adult fantasy holds a particularly special place in my heart. Brings back memories of trekking out to the elementary school roller skating party only to find a dim corner in which to read. Ahhhh, bliss.

So, I'm super excited to welcome Sandra Waugh here today, and it pretty much goes without saying that I can't wait to read Lark Rising when it comes out next September. Having to wait six months is a little rough, but luckily we have the opportunity to get to know Ms. Waugh a little better, which should tide us over for awhile. Or maybe just give us a yen for gummi bears....


NOT-SO-GUILTY PLEASURES

I can find countless pleasures in a day and can feel guilty about pretty much anything, so I thought it might be best to frame (or, rather, limit) some not-so-guilty pleasures by drawing one from each of the five senses.

Sight—Blockbuster movies.  I WAIT for May, for November when the ‘big’ films come out.  Sci fi, fantasy, monsters of metal or bone… I eat this stuff up.  (Actually, I grab popcorn—the tub size). And I drag my children to the theater with me, so I don’t look totally insane.

Taste—Gummi Bears.  Have to be the original Haribo!  I swoon.

Touch—Luxury hotels.  This requires a little explanation (and a big splurge):  I love traveling, but I am not a camper.  I truly admire anyone who is.  On the other hand, while I cringe at sleeping out of doors, I LOVE mucking about on vacation.  Slog me through any jungle, rat-infested alley, spider-ed tomb, cave and/or mudpit during the day AS LONG as I arrive at hot water and clean sheets by nightfall.  The nicer the bath and softer the sheets, the better, and the more fun it is to rough it in daylight.  My husband has learned this about me and has risen to the challenge.  I adore him.

Sound—Birds. The guilt is not so for much the glorious singing that goes on in our backyard, but that I lose track of time (and all responsibilities) standing listening, trying to sort them out, trying to memorize and revel.  It’s a symphony. It breathes SPRING.

Smell—it would be nicer to wax rhapsodic about lilacs and lavender, but for a not-so-guilty admission, I have to choose the scent of boxwood—that thick evergreen hedge that can be shaved into all sorts of chess pieces and mazes like here. It’s lovely and whimsical that boxwoods are so green and dense and happy to hold whatever shape you give it, but the best thing of all is the smell.  Some liken it to cat pee, some are allergic… but I am in love with the scent of boxwood. It stops me cold in mid-stride through a garden—I have to stand and inhale… and then feel my heart hurt, because for me a boxwood holds the scent of yore—of Tudor England, of King Arthur, of long gowns and longer paths through forgotten herbs and wildflowers. It is the scent of mystery and romance and yearning, and all the things that ever inspired me to write… and dream.

Want more info? Go wandering in these directions:

sandrawaugh.com

Facebook

Pinterest

Tumblr

Goodreads 

Twitter

Not-So-Guilty Pleasures: Megan Just

And the hits just keep on coming! We have another Not-So-Guilty Pleasures!

Today, I'm happy to introduce Megan Just, one of my PitchWars sisters (Go Team Cora!). Here are some of things she unabashedly loves: 


Not-So-Guilty Pleasures

Newspaper

I subscribe my community’s paper newspaper.  The environmentalist in me screams in protest, but there’s just something I love about a good, old-fashioned newspaper.  Besides, trees are a renewable resource, right?  And I bring the newspaper to work to share with my co-workers.

Coffee Shop at Work

My employer operates an amazing on-site coffee shop.  It’s better than Starbucks, but half the price.  And boy do I indulge!  I did a calculation last week and despite it being cheap, I spend 1/50^th of my salary on coffee shop drinks at work.  Yipes!

 

Christmas Cards

Another dilemma for the forest, but in the end, I like snail mail too much to give up on traditional Christmas cards.  A mail box full of photo-cards from friends and family is one of my favorite things about the holidays, and therefore I send them, too.

 

 

Junky Holiday Candy

Fancy truffles, éclairs, gourmet dark chocolate bars…I could take them or leave them.  But put a bag of Halloween candy corn in front of me and you’ll bring me to my knees.  Same goes for chocolate-covered marshmallow santas—or even better, yellow sugar-covered marshmallow chicks.  I feel no guilt while binging on any one of these items. They only come around once a year, after all.

Spoilers

I’m the girl who hides under a blanket during a horror movie incessantly asking, “What’s going on now?”  Thanks to online spoilers, husband can enjoy his scary movies in peace.  It’s not just scary movies, though.  I search Twitter when TV shows air on the east coast first.  I flip ahead in books.  I even read book reviews just to find out what happens next in a series.

*********************************************************************************

 

 

 

 

Megan Just recently finished editing her second novel (new adult genre) and is on the hunt for a literary agent.  She lives in California with her husband and toddler.  Twitter: @meganjust

Not-So-Guilty Pleasures: Susanna Ives

Holiday greetings, everyone! I've got a present for you today....the first Not-So-Guilty Pleasures since the spring!

Today's guest, Susanna Ives. Ms. Ives newest book, Wicked Little Secrets, came out just last week and today she's here to spill her own. And it would just be mean to keep you waiting any longer...



Not-So-Guilty Pleasures

Thank you, Kelly, for hosting me on your wonderful blog! What are my not so guilty pleasures? Here are five!

Music. I’m constantly listening to music -- in front of the computer, in the car, cooking dinner, doing dishes, roaming aimlessly around the house.  However, I have lousy taste. It’s not that I like bad music, it’s that I can’t discriminate between what is bad or good. I’m just happy to listen to it all.

Potato chips. If there aren’t potato chips in the house, I get edgy. I’m a pretty wired, easily stressed person. Potato chips are my comfort food.

Starbucks Frappuccino. It could be ten degrees Fahrenheit outside, and I would slip and slide across an ice-crusted parking lot to order that cold, slushy heaven.

Running. I’ve been laid up with an injury these last few weeks. I’m going crazy in a way that no potato chips can cure. Running takes all my tension and releases it, leaving me feeling relaxed and content.

Writing Romances. I read across many genres, but I only desire to write romances. Weird.

Susanna Ives grew up in the rural South, where she spent most of her youth at the local theater, acting in 

productions, working in the lighting booth, and building sets. Eventually she left her small town for the city lights of Atlanta, where she attended college and worked in corporations as a multimedia developer. These days she chases after her two curious, energetic children, designs web pages, and writes.

You can learn more about Susanna Ives’ work at:

 Website/Blog  | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Google+

Schulz, Heidi and Her Pleasures, Not-So-Guilty

Friends, greetings! And to another Pleasures, Not-So-Guilty, welcome!

Today we get to know Ms. Heidi Schulz. Her current project is an absolutely awesome sounding Middle Grade Fantasy called Hook's Revenge. I would like to read the heck out of it and I'm guessing you will too, but while we're waiting to do that, we can at least find out more about Ms. Schulz.

Now, no more wasting time, ye landlubbers! On to the main event!

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Guilty pleasures? Yes, please! Those are the best kind. Let's get right down to it, shall we?

5. Benign Hillbilly Television. 

I don't watch a whole lot of TV, but I will admit that Duck Dynasty is one of the shows I do like. I'm not even sorry. If you haven't seen the show, get thee to the YouTubes and check out what I'm talking about. You love it too, don't you?

4. Speaking of YouTube

I do love it. 

These are a few of my favorite channels:

• Lizzie Bennet Diaries 
• Julian Smith 
• Vi Hart 
• Mary Doodles 

3. Pajamas

Even though I generally get up before the sun, if I don't have to go anywhere, I wear my PJs most of the morning. And I put on a fresh pair as early in the evening as I can manage. A lot of women wear yoga pants, but they are not fooling anyone. It's not likely that a whole lot of yoga is being done in those pants. 

To those women I say: Join me. Embrace the honesty of PJs. Isn't it just about pajama o'clock right now?

2. Office Supplies

Grown-up me loves the office supply store even more than kid me liked toy stores. The binders! Post-its! Journals! And don't even get me started on pens. I may have a slight addiction to Sharpie fine tips in every color. 

1. Pie

If you follow me on twitter, you probably already know about my deep and abiding feelings over pie. But it's not the actual eating of the pie that I feel guilty over, it's the method I generally use to procure said pie. I like to sit in the same room as my husband and text him the word "Pie" over and over. If he doesn't respond I start sending pictures. Eventually he cracks and heads out to fulfill my pie wishes. (I can't go because I'm in my pajamas.) I should feel awful about it but I don't. The fact that I am an unrepentant pie wrangler is my guilty pleasure. I feel bad about not feeling bad.

Now if you'll excuse me, I have some texts to send. Pie.

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Heidi Schulz writes middle grade stories and picture books. She hopes you will read them one day in the perhaps-not-too-distant future.

Connect with Heidi on her blog, twitter, or facebook. 

Not-So-Guilty Pleasures: The Emma Trevayne Edition

What goes better with N than Not-So-Guilty Pleasures? Exactly. Nothing. So, welcome to this special Tuesday edition of our favorite segment.

Today’s guest is Emma Trevayne. Her first novel, Coda is a YA sci-fi novel (it sounds awesome, by the way), which will be released on May 7^th, 2013. So soon!

But, before we get to that exciting date, first we’re going to get to know Ms. Trevayne a little bit better.

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I feel like I should say that I'm not particularly guilty about my pleasures. Love what you love, I say. But the following is a list I probably should feel guilty about and don't:

5. Heist movies. Bad ones, good ones, doesn't matter. Fast Five, Ocean's Eleven, The Italian Job. Love them. Bonus points for said movies containing explosions and terrible dialogue. More bonus points for fast cars.

4. Shoes. Really pretty shoes and, unfortunately, expensive shoes. I try to limit my guilt over this particular habit by only buying them for myself as rewards for major successes, but still, they are a "guilty" pleasure. For me there's a feeling that comes from wearing snazzy shoes that I don't get from anything else. So if you see me at a conference or something, I'm the girl with the crazy footwear! Say hi!

3. Chocolate. Isn't this everyone's? But I'm a writer, and most of us think chocolate is a food group, which is...not wrong. M&Ms are like a little reward for each paragra-- I mean page. Chapter. I mean chapter. That's it.

2. Twitter. Okay, this actually IS one I sometimes feel a little guilty about, because it's so easy to play on Twitter and not be doing actual work, like writing books and answering emails about those books from people who need answers, like agents and editors and publicists. But twitter is fun, and if you trace all the way back through my journey to publication, Twitter is kind of how I got an agent. So I don't feel too guilty. Just a little.

1. I just asked my best friend what I should put for number one, and she said, "Tattoos or cheese fries,” because she knows me. Both are kind of an addiction at this point, and one is permanent and one is delicious. If I had to choose, I probably feel guiltier about the cheese fries, though.

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I don’t know about all of you, but I am 100% in concurrence with the love of cheese fries.

And I can practically hear you clamoring for more information. Being a benevolent sort, I shall point you in the right direction:

• Nailing Shadows to the Wall
• @EMentior

Thanks so much to Emma for stopping by!

Knickknacks

I have a confession to make.

I’m a knickknack person.

You know, someone who likes buying cute little things that serve no real purpose other than to look festive?

That’s me. And generally, I’m happy with this life choice. Except when I’m getting ready to move. Then I battle the sudden urge to BREAK ALL THE THINGS.

Each time I move, I go through the same thought process:  

This next place is going to be different. I will not, I repeat: WILL NOT, be such a slave to my sense of aesthetic presentation. I feel like I’m living in a Tennessee Williams’ play with all these little glass creatures. Too many!

*The sound of tinkling glass whilst I am crushed under the weight of tiny figurines.*

Of course, declarations such as this are similar to when the fall rolls around and I decide I’m going to ORGANIZE ALL THE THINGS. It lasts a couple of weeks and then I’m back to “filing” my papers on the top of my dresser in between my Quidditch goggles and the gorilla head made out of a towel.

It’s really no use, you see. As much as I hate having to pack them up, I love the little touches bizarre knickknacks give a home. The Lego Captain America on the TV stand, the Wizard of Oz thimbles in the hanging display cube, the magnifying glass/letter opener set on the sideboard – they make the place my own.

So, if I’m being honest with myself and all of you lovely folk, I am always going to be a knickknack person. Even if it makes moving more annoying. Even if it means that every time I pack up, I will, without fail, find something that’s origins are a complete mystery to me.

Never been opened. No recollection of purchasing or being given this. Where did it come from??

Is that you, Knickknack fairy?

Not-So-Guilty Pleasures: The Brenda Drake Edition

Welcome to the first Not-So-Guilty Pleasures of 2013! Now that we're a month in and have all decided on which resolutions we're keeping, which ones we're throwing to the side and which ones were completely unrealistic to begin with (hello, my thoughts on drinking less Dr. Pepper), it's a great time to go back to those little joys that leave us slightly embarrassed.

Today we're lucky enough to have with us Brenda Drake, author and contest creator extraordinaire. So, let's see what she had to say:

Not-So-Guilty Pleasures

I was raised Catholic, so pretty much everything makes me feel guilty. I kid. Kind of. I do feel guilty whenever I do something wrong. So basically I try, probably too hard, not to do anything that would make my grandmother look down her crooked nose at me. As far as not-so-guilty—and I like that you put the so in there because there will be a smidgen of guilt, it's just my nature—pleasures go, I have many, so I'll just stick to the top five.

1. Contests. I love them. For me, it's a way to give back to the writing community. There's nothing better than hearing all the successes that have come from the contests I've held on my blog. I blame Grandpa Joe. He was such a giving man. If you needed a quarter and he only had a quarter and a dime in his pocket, he'd give you the quarter and suffer with the dime. He was that generous. And I am my grandfather's granddaughter in all ways.

2. Coffee. Hello? It baffles me when someone doesn't like coffee. I inhale it every day. It's either that or vodka, and since I'm not Hemingway, I decided it was okay to be addicted to coffee. Every flavor. Heck, I even like a bad cup of coffee over not having coffee at all.

3. Pens. I must be a secret kleptomaniac because I end up with pens I don't even know where I got them. That's the first thing I go for at conferences, so hold tight to your pens if you see me coming.

4. Disney princesses. I want to be one. Everything looks easy in their world. All they have to do is kill their evil stepmother and live happily ever after without cleaning toilets or losing weight. Seriously. I could watch those animated ladies all day. One can dream…

5. Goldfish crackers. Don't tell me there's a sale on them, because I will drop everything to go buy them. Then come home with every flavor they've ever made. If I put a box by the computer while I'm writing, they're gone before I know it. I'm talking Costco size box here, people! I hate diets, cause they're the first to go. How do I eat my little fishy wonders? You mean, you didn't know there was a way to eat them? I take two and have them kiss goodbye, and then bite their heads off. I should probably think about being a horror writer.

Want to learn more about Brenda? Check out her website or follow her on Twitter (I do and it's a pretty constant stream of awesome).