#unZombieTales #1 Fan Favorite: Anna Meade
The Fairy Queen
So…
I realize that this interview is long overdue. Anna has been patient ~*cough cough*~ while I work through some transition issues with my new job. Why it’s going smashingly! Thanks for asking.
Without further ado, the overdue interview with Anna of the great hairdo.
Alright Anna, you won the fan favorite contest for the first ever #unZombieTales, which means you must subject yourself to my inane questions. Thirteen questions in all, because top ten lists are for pussies. I’m hardcore, yo.
Whew…ok. Now that I’ve got the tough-guy posturing out of my system, I have to say I loved your take on the #unZombieTales. When I read your tale, I noticed it got really dusty in my office for some reason. And damn if my allergies didn’t act up, too. I was a little surprised though, that you didn’t throw in a few fairies for the zombies to munch on. We all know and love you as the queen of fairies on Twitter, which leads me to the first question…
1. When did you fall in love with fairies and fairy tales?
When I try to trace it back, it seems it’s always been that way. I started reading very young. I had a book of the fairy tales of Hans Christian Andersen illustrated by Tasha Tudor that I read over and over. I used to stare at those illustration plates and think up different endings. What if someone had saved the Little Match Girl? Why does the Little Mermaid have to return to sea foam? I should probably point out while I have a fondness for the fae, that encompasses far more than just faeries. Gnomes, goblins, pixies and elves were all my playmates. I was a shy child and painfully sensitive, so it was easier to spend time with creatures that were even quirkier than I was.
I had a goblin friend as a kid too. Of course, I didn’t call him that to his face, but you know how that goes. My mother tried to teach me to be polite. Tried being the operative word. Since we’re all about the books here let me ask you…
2. Who were your favorites authors growing up? Is there a particular book or series that resonates with you?
So many gorgeous books have impacted me, it feels like betrayal to single out a handful. As a child, Roald Dahl was a particular favorite. His stories always had a subtle vein of wicked endings for those who misbehaved. I loved Matilda, because she was a quiet bookish heroine who survives a lot of nasty grownups. Frances Hodgson Burnett: The Secret Garden and The Little Princess. I still read and love my childhood editions. The Little Prince by Antoine Saint Exupery is a sincere fable that still brings tears to my eyes. Because I was awkward and freckly, Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery really spoke to me. I longed to live on P.E. Island and teach at a private school, secretly writing. And, of course, Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass taught me that I was not restricted to this reality.
I’m with you on that one.. I’m convinced this reality is inferior to the ones we can imagine. It’s like the entire universe took a wrong turn into Sucksville somewhere around the 6th grade. Secretly writing? You make no bones about your writing, I can’t imagine you hiding it from the world. So…
3. What inspires you to write?
I’m a scribbler. I carry a little notebook to catch turns of phrase and bits of prose as they float through my head. The truth is, everything inspires me to write. I wrote when I was stuck in the hospital. I wrote after I had my heart broken. There is a certain amount of callousness in being an author; everything is fair game material.
I’m not going to ask how many times you’ve killed the poor sot who broke your heart in your fiction. If you’re anything like the rest of us writers, the answer is too many painful and unique deaths to count. Fate in fiction is cruel for those who won’t bow to our every whim.
4. What are you working on now?
I’m not content unless I’m juggling a dozen projects. I am deep editing a friend’s YA manuscript for a top secret project that’ll be announced later this year. I’m recording an audiobook for fantasy author Tristan J. Tarwater’s Thieves at Heart. I’m writing flash for #BlogFlash2012 and still trying to keep up Yearning for Wonderland, though I’ve instituted a strict moratorium on writing contests for now. Then, of course, there’s my own writing projects. I have last year’s NaNoWriMo novel which I am longing to dig into again, a murder mystery with a paranormal twist set in pre-WWII Britain. And I have a new book waiting in the wings for this year’s NaNoWriMo. Also, I’m supposed to get married at some point. I suppose I should pick a venue and a dress.
Married??? Good lord, you thought you had writing material before? Just you wait. Chris Rock says that you’ve never really loved someone until you’ve thought about ways to hide the body. As a horror writer, I can say that I understand where he’s coming from. You sound ridiculously busy. How do you manage to be…
5. The queen (fairy) of social media? As such, do you have any tips for budding writers/artists?
This designation is wildly flattering. I can’t even remember how the fairy queen thing started, probably with all the fairytale contests, but I won’t pretend I’m some kind of genius at social media. The reason I’m successful is simple: I spend twice as much time promoting other people as I do myself. I’m surrounded by awe-inspiring levels of talent and I want everyone to know it. If you’re sincere and gracious and share good content, people want to share what you have to say and write.
I don’t understand. I was assured that successful twittering was about following 1000 randoms a day and tweeting links to your self-published amazon books 30 times a day. Wait a second…those bastards LIED to me!
6. Speaking of social media…what is @twitpatedme?
@Twitpatedme is my Twitter handle for Twitterpated Consulting, my new business. It’s a social media education company focused on collaborating with companies to train their own employees to effectively and passionately run their social media. On Twitter, @twitpatedme is a very friendly little writer bird, who loves retweeting and sharing social media tips and ideas.
It’s a great idea, to be sure, but I still think your emoticon looks like a gnome with boobs. Go ahead, roll your eyes. So you’re you, you’re a bird, you’re a fairy queen, you’re a spy, and sometimes you’re a badger with an attitude problem.
7. Do you have trouble keeping your online personas separate, or is that a natural talent for an actress?
I joke frequently about my multiple personalities, but all actors have them. I just codify them into Twitter handles. The only trouble comes when I accidentally tweet from the wrong one, but my personalities like to squabble amongst themselves. If you are on Twitter you should definitely follow my primary account (@ruanna3), Super Secret Spy Girl (@sprscrtspygirl) my t-shirt and wild spy persona, and Twitterpated Consulting (@twitpatedme), my birdy buddy. It’s funnier when I start talking to myself in different voices, but that’s a story for another time.
I like talking to myself too. Shut up, you idiot! She’ll think you’re WEIRD. Yeah, like writing about zombies and alchemists is normal. Speaking of which…
8. If you had to become one…zombie, vampire, or werewolf? And why?
I’m not a big fan of rotting flesh, so zombie is out. I don’t like being hirsute, so no werewolves. And vampires seem a little overplayed at the moment. Frankly, I’d rather be a zombie, vampire and werewolf hunter, much better to be like Kate Beckinsale in Underworld.
Wasn’t Kate a vampire in that movie? Come on…admit it, you just want that leather and pvc catsuit. Don’t ya? It’s ok, I won’t judge.
9. And since it is the blog of a zombie author, what’s your plan for the upcoming zombie apocalypse?
I’d probably pack the car and head for the mountains. It’ll take awhile for them to get through the gullies, creeks and underbrush. We have a shotgun, I’d grab the supplies and ammo I could and zip out of town. As long as I have a sufficient supply of Red Vines, Big Red Soda and crunchy Cheetos, I can outlast anything.
You can tell a true southerner from what they drink. Dr. Pepper would also have been an acceptable answer. One piece of advice though–lay off the weed. Those delicious munchies go fast.
10. Do you think the apocalypse will interfere with your upcoming nuptials?
I actually don’t think so. I’ll keep my combat boots packed in my kit bag. I’m tougher than I look. I’ve no doubt I’d gladly blow out some zombie brainpans in order to protect those I love. Also, I’m hoping we have the wedding at Shaker Village, which would be a weirdly appropriate location for a showdown. Lots of bell towers from which to shoot.
You’re tougher than you look? I sure hope so, creampuff. If the bell towers don’t work out, you can always hide in a hole with your deer friend. Hey…
11. Just how many imaginary friends do you have? Do you remember all their names?
I won’t include my other personalities, as we’ve already spoken of those. I have Oscar, my knee-high wisecracking fairy friend who is bossy and — HEY, OSCAR, I CAN HEAR YOU. STOP IMITATING HOW I TALK WITH MY HANDS. Sorry, what were you saying, J?
I forgot. Weird, right? Two more questions to go. You ready? Of course you are…
12. Blue-sky thought experiment: You just won $100 million dollars. What do you do?
I’d start my own theatre company with my mother, a veteran musical theatre director. I actually ran a company in Florida for three years and produced Noel Coward’s Private Lives and original adaptations of O. Henry’s The Gift of the Magi and Hans Christian Andersen’s The Snow Queen. I’m in constant conflict between the actor and writer parts of my personality. One is extrovert, one introvert. One requires an audience, one needs privacy. One involves talking to yourself…nah, both involve talking to yourself. If money were no object, the creative projects I could unleash would be truly staggering. I would also fully fund Super Secret Spy Girl and launch it as a full-fledged clothing line. I would fly in all my dearest friends from the internet to my wedding, because so many of them are so far away. I would buy a small cottage in Ireland where I could go to write whenever I needed. Just to have the time to devote to creativity full-time would be beyond my wildest dreams.
Holy cow, that’s a great answer. Well, now I kinda feel like a cheap pervert for what I was planning to do with that kind of money. Thanks a lot, red. Jeez. Alright, now that we’ve scratched the surface of who Anna Meade is…
13. I know a lot of people out there are thinking, “I really dig that Anna Meade chick. I wonder if there was a simple way to help support her ambitions?” What would you say to them?
So many, eh? I’m glad you have so much faith in my fan club. Currently there’s no direct way to support my ambitions. If you are interested in my work and upcoming creative output, the best and kindest thing you can do is to keep up with me, follow me on Twitter where I am very active, share my content, check regularly in my blog. I have many secrets tucked away, so it will definitely be worth hanging in. There are big things coming, so buckle up.
Wow, we’ll definitely keep an eye on you, young lady. What a great interview! Thanks for your candor and cooperation and PATIENCE, Anna. 
Now go forth and follow Anna on Twitter! @Ruanna3 , @twitpatedme , and @sprscrtspygirl
August 28th, 2012 | 
Author: 
Posted in 
