Getting to Know the Author

My students were cutting up old magazines for an art project. I was day dreaming about the other job in the lull of the quiet work. I found a loose page in a magazine where James Corden answered the following questions. Made me think about my answers. And, well, here they are:

Best Pinch Me Moment: At a pub when a hot young man-boy asked if the chair beside me was taken and I said “no, go ahead” figuring he needed to take the chair. Nope. He didn’t need to take the chair anywhere. He plunked his young enthusiastic self right beside me. Cathy and I shot ourselves a look and he proceeded to use the next hour and three drinks to flirt his young butt off! Respectfully, this was before my significant other! And respectfully I ran away from him! And, I say all this in jest. My real pinch me moment was when Counios and Gane won our first award at the Saskatchewan Book Awards. If you ask David (Gane), my writing partner, he will say that I’m the one who stops to celebrate the moments and he’s the one who just keeps on to the next thing. I’m not going to fault Dave for being Dave, but it’s important to celebrate life. That moment was like a huge wow because it felt like it was the beginning of something—IT WAS THE BEGINNING—of more awards, more readers, more accolades and more books. I’m so lucky to have so many pinch me moments—hot air balloons over the desert, Angel Falls, watching babies be born, swimming in luminescent water—but the book award, the acknowledgement from the industry—this wins.

Best Obsession: Coffee. Period. Oh yeah, and journaling. I have so many! I write, doodle, draw every day. I can’t stop. And that might be because I’ve had too much coffee.

Best Guilty Pleasure: Naughty food. French fries!! Ice cream!! Oh my God Nachos!!!

Best Holiday: So many memorable holidays. How to pick just one….mmmm… I can’t! But I’ll be basic and pick Greece. Because there are so many memories. Because family and friends live there. Because it feels like the land of perpetual summer (because I really only go there in the summer). My other favorite holiday is Summer Solstice. Who doesn’t want to celebrate all that light. It’s like the official moment that Mother Nature says “Hey girl, summer is here. Relax. Get some rays. You have earned it.” It’s not an official day off on the calendar but it is in my heart.

Best Advice: I no longer listen to what people say, I just watch what they do. Behavior never lies. Thank you Winston Churchill. This is such good advice in all areas of life—work, friendships, intimate relationships. Secondly is always do your best, from the kindest place in your heart. Even if it’s not perceived as that it’s okay.

Best way to unwind: On the daily, just coming home and making some delicious food in the kitchen while listening to music. Or getting out into nature and walking my legs off.

These are all just fun reminders—looking into my life. I hope I’ve stoked the fire in your head of what your answers might be.

James Corden’s answers: 1. Driving around with Stevie Wonder 2. A game called Football Manager 3. Shake shack burgers 4. Father’s Day 5. All that matters is this moment. Everything behind you is gone, and everything in front of you is unknown, so all you can ever do is be the best version of yourself right now 6. Doing nothing. Thanks James!