Champagne Editors Tell All : Kat O'Shea

Tracking down the Champagne Editors is hard! Its almost as if they're hiding out! Ohhhhh....Kat! Quick, answer these questions and I'll go away, I promise! LOL

TWRP: What color is your favorite sweater?

KO: Actually, I have two favorites. The first one I picked up years ago in a thrift shop in Denmark. (I love resale shops!) I don't remember how many kroner it cost (this was before the euro), but it was a steal. I paid about $30 US for a dress, the cardigan, and a gorgeous pair of leather shoes. The sweater is cream-colored with a bright, Fair Isle pattern across the yoke in mainly green, red, black. It has brass buttons down the front. I love it because it's so heavy, it's indestructible. It's also warm enough to wear as a coat. I've even worn it skiing, and it kept me toasty on the slopes. I just brushed off the snow when I fell; it never penetrated the knit. I've often wondered if I could wear it as armor. Bet an arrow would glance off.The other sweater is cuddly, perfect for snuggling into on chilly days. It's black angora with beading across the yoke. Very romantic and sparkly enough to match my tiara (see below).

TWRP: Have you ever worn a crown?

KO: How do you know so much about my fantasy life? From the time I was seven and read The Little Princess, I dreamed that someday, I'd turn into a princess. I keep waiting for the royal proclamation to arrive, telling me my real parents are indeed rulers of some far-flung country, and I was accidentally switched at birth. However, the closest I've ever gotten to a crown, besides seeing one in a museum, is my tiara.Does a tiara count? I have one on right now as I write. I only take it off when I go to bed and sometimes not even then. You may not know this, but my tiara gained me entrée to Wild Rose Press. When they were looking for editors, the ad asked: Are you called the "comma queen" by your critique partners? As it happened, the night before, my writing group had presented me with a tiara and crowned me "grammar queen." If that isn't destiny, what is? I emailed Rhonda to tell her that, yes, indeed, I had been crowned queen. She called the very next day, and the rest is history. So now I never edit without it. (Did I mention that it's studded with amethysts and diamonds?—which I'm positive, knowing my critique group, are real. Oh, and it has white, fluffy down glued on it too, so I'm ready to take off the minute that proclamation arrives.)

TWRP: Why are squirrels so cute?

KO: Their bushy tails? The way the wrinkle up their noses? Their little beady eyes that gleam? They make good pets? I don't know what it is, but they're appealing little animals, even if they are rodents. As a matter of fact, we had one as a pet when we were kids. Our yard with its butternut and chestnut trees served as a playground for squirrels. My brother and I tamed one, and it came when we called. It sat up and begged when we held out peanuts and then ate them out of our hands.

TWRP: Apple pie or blueberry muffins?

KO: Blueberry all the way. Blueberry pie, blueberry muffins, blueberry scones, blueberry pancakes, blueberry bagels…I love them all. My favorite treat is to pop frozen blueberries into my mouth straight from the freezer. Better than ice cream and a lot less fattening.

TWRP: Where is the best place to get cozy in your house?

KO: My whole house is cozy. It's so tiny, you can barely turn around in it, so if we have any guests, we're always up close and personal. My husband and I bump into each other regularly walking from one room to the next. He'd say the coziest spot in the house is beside the woodstove on a winter evening. I'd opt for being tucked under the covers in bed—alone or together.As for why our house is so small: We downsized when the last of our five kids went off to college. We wanted to make sure we wouldn't end up with a bunch of freeloaders mooching off Mom and Dad for the rest of their lives, so we bought the smallest house we could find. Two bedrooms, one of them an office without a bed, ensures that the kids will come for short visits, but not extended stays. And only one at a time. [NOTE: We do love them, but absence truly does make the heart grow fonder.] Note: From interviewer - we did exactly the same thing - small house, two bedrooms, one is the office. (grin).

TWRP: How often do you share a banana split?

KO: I haven't done that in years, but it brings back memories of high school. We had an ice cream place near us that made gigantic banana splits—so big they dragged them in on a sled. The servers ran across the restaurant jingling bells as they pulled them to your table. A dozen or more of us would pile into a car (this was before seat belt laws) and head for Alaskaland. We'd order two banana splits (about 30 scoops of ice cream per dish) and eat every bite. Yum!Now you've made me hungry for one, and it's the middle of winter.

Who is most exciting person you know?

Wow, that's a challenge! Exciting, hmm… If said my husband, you'd want to know what about him I find exciting, and this being a G-rated blog, I'd decline to answer. But he's been exciting me for 34+ years now (And, yes, I was a child bride. I'm only a little over 29 now. Or maybe that should be 39. I lost track of birthdays a few years ago. Who said editors could do math?)

TWRP: Tell the readers the book in the Champagne line that best epitomizes a romantic incident in your own life.

KO: Oh, dear, I wish I could say it was one of the glitzy, glamorous ones, but if I'm honest, I'd have to pick Daredevil and Dormouse by Giulietta Jones. As you can see from the cover, the hero's a hunk. So's my husband (except he's a blond). But hard as she tries to impress him, the poor heroine makes a fool of herself every time he's around. The first time she meets him, she's dressed in her son's penguin costume with packets of soup pinned to her chest and is trying to escape a drunk who thinks she's a stripper—don't ask, you have to read it to find out why.) Reading about her escapades is laugh-out-loud hilarious; although actually going through them is not so humorous, as I know from experience. However, she and I each ended up getting our man—and having a happily ever after, which is what romance is all about.

To purchase the DAREDEVIL AND THE DORMOUSE by Guilietta Jones click the title.

Stay tuned! I'll hunt down the last of the Champagne Editors, yet!