My first live interview!

I've been interviewed on Blog Talk Radio! Don't go away when the line goes dead. It's only temporary. Canda Mortensen gets me back on line and I babble a little longer about writing, research, and more.

Listen to internet radio with iWriteNetwork on Blog Talk Radio

7 Random Facts and 15 Lovely Blogs

The Lovely Gail Pallotta of Peering Through Life's Window has awarded JDP NEWS a Lovely Blog Award. Thank you so much, Gail!

Before I can fully accept this award, I have to share seven random facts about me. So here goes:

1. I don't like to cook, but I love to eat. Schawn's frozen foods is my friend. :-)
2. I don't enjoy reading fantasy, but I love fantasy movies or TV shows.
3. I'm a fan of The Five on the Fox News Channel.
4. I love chocolate chip cookies without nuts, but brownies with nuts.
5. I never learned how to swim.
6. I celebrate Norman Conquest Day every year. (Aw, you already knew that about me, right?)
7. I have a masters degree in library science from the University of Arizona. (I've never used it, though.)

Okay! Now I get to pass on this award to fifteen other lovely blogs! I hope you'll take the time to visit each of them, because they're truly lovely!

Totally Tina (Tina Scott)
Cotton Candy for the Soul (Jennifer Griffith)
Writer in the Pines (Marsha Ward)
A Storybook World (Deirdra Eden Coppel)
Up to Speed (Suzanne Barker)
Anna Jones Buttimore
Donna Hatch, Romance Author
Into the Mind of Jaimey Grant (Jaimey Grant)
Haunt's Haven (Joan Sowards)
Peggy Urry - Writer
A Succor for Writing (Kathleen Brebes)
Author Debra Brown
Claudia MH Culmone
Debbie's Inkspections (Debbie Davis)
A Writer's Ramblings (Karen Hoover)

To claim the award:

1. Thank the giver and link back to his or her site.
2. Provide seven random facts about yourself.
3. Pass the award to fifteen other blogs, then let them know, and link to their sites.
4. Copy the award logo and paste it on your site.

I've Been Author-Interviewed!

My publisher posted an interview with me yesterday, along with some goofy photos and an essay on "Why I Write". If you'd like to know what I looked like in the 3rd grade and see me behind bars, check out Get To Know You Monday at Walnut Springs Press!

My Ancestry?

I'm not sure where this came from...I found it in a pile of my mother's things. I think Vera Price is some relative of my mother's (aunt? great aunt? cousin? I've got to research that!...or ask my aunt ;-) ), and I don't know how the vast majority of this could be proved. Except for #48 Charles Robert Clarkson, Jr m Ethel Breeden...they were my grandparents and I found a family pedigree chart for Charles Robert Clarkson, Jr. that traced his ancestors back through #31 John ap Adams. I found that much on FamliySearch. You can search for your ancestors there too, if you like!

But beyond John ap Adams, I can't vouch for the rest of this post. Except that, if true, it would explain my overwhelming urge to celebrate Norman Conquest Day every year! (Click on Norman Conquest Day under "labels" for more information.) I offer this purely for fun. After all, who wouldn't want to be descended from Charlemagne, Charles Martel (the Hammer), or even Pepin the Short!

OUR ANCESTRY (BY VERA PRICE)

1. Pepin of Landon, born before 600 AD; he had

2. Grimoald, he had

3. Pepin of Heristal, he had

4. Charles Martel, King of France, born AD 690, died 22 October 741. He had

5. Pepin the Short [WHICH, IF TRUE, EXPLAINS A LOT ABOUT THE HEIGHT ISSUES IN MY FAMILY!], died AD 768, he had

(Charlemagne, by Albrecht Dürer)

6. CHARLEMAGNE, Emperor of the West, born 2 April 742 at Aix-le-Chapelle. He was king of the French AD 768-814, Emperor of Rome 800-814, when he died. His son was

7. Louis I the Pious, King of France 778-840. His son by Judith of Bavaria,

8. Charles II the Bald, King of France, his daughter

9. Judith, married Count Baldwin I (of the iron arm), son:

10: Baldwin II Count of Flanders, son

11. Arnolph the Great, Count of Flanders, son

12. Baldwin III Count of Flanders, son

13. Arnolph II Fifth Count of Flanders, son

14. Baldwin IV Sixth Count of Flanders, son

15. Baldwin V Seventh Count of Flanders, married Princess Adela, daughter of King Robert the Pious, son of Hugh Capet, King of France, he had

(William the Conqueror, unknown artist)

16. Matilda, who married WILLIAM THE CONQUEROR, King of England and Seventh Duke of Normandy in AD 1053. Queen Matilda was also descended from Alfred the Great and the father of William was cousin of Edward the Confessor. Their daughter,

17. Princess Gundred, married William de Warren who was created Earl of Surrey. They had

18. Edith de Warren, married Gerard, Baron de Gourni, their son

19. Hugh Baron de Gourni, who married Millicent de Marie, daughter of Thmas, Lord Covery, their son

20. Hugh de Gourni, Baron, married Lady Julia Dunhartan, sister of Reginald, Count de Boulogne, was Lord of Beverton, their son

21. Anselm de Gourni, Lord of Beverton, his son

22. Robert de Gourni, Lord of Beverton, son

23. Anselm de Gourni, Lord of Beverton, son

24. John de Gourni, Lord of Beverton, married Lady Olivia, daughter of Henry Lovel, Baron of Castle Cary, they had

25. Elizabeth de Gourni, who married Sir John Ap Adam (son of Adam) of Buerton and Tidenham, Lord of Ap Adam by wait who was called to Parliament by Edward I as “Baron of the Realm” from 1206 AD to 1307 AD. He came out of the marches or borders of Wales, son

26. Sir John Ap Adam, son

27. William Ap Adam, son

28. Sir John Ap Adam, son

29. Thomas Ap Adam, married Lady Jane Inge, daughter of Sir John Inge, Knight, son

30. Sir John Ap Adam, Kinght, married Lady Millicent, daughter of Sir Matthew Bessyllys, Knight

31. Sir John Ap Adam, name changed to Adams. He married Clara, daughter of Roger Powell,

32. Roger Adams, who married Jane, daugher of Mr. Ellyott, son, [THIS APPEARS TO BE WHERE WE BEGIN OUR DOWNWARD SLIDE TOWARDS THE COMMON FOLK...NO MORE KNIGHTS!]

33. Thomas Adams, who married Marie Upton, son

34. John Adams, who married Jane Rennelegh, son

35. John Adams, who married Catherine Stegging, son

36. John Adams, who married Marjerie Sluire (Squier?), son

37. Richard Adams, who married Margaret Armager, son

38. Robert Adams, who married Elizabeth Sharlow, son

39. Robert Adams, of Newbury, Massachusetts, in 1640, who married Elenor Wilmot, their daughter

40. Elizabeth Adams, married Edward Phelps, son

41. Edward Phelps, married Ruth Andrews, daughter

42. Rebecca Phelps, married Joseph Wilson, son

43. Deliverance Wilson, Sr., married Sarah Smith, son

44. Bradley Wilson, married Mary (Polly) Gill, son

45. Lewis Dunbar Wilson [IF YOU'RE LDS, CHECK OUT D&C 124:132], married Nancy Ann Waggoner, daughter,

46. Alvira Wilson, married Hosea [PRONOUNCED "HOSEE"...DON'T ASK ME WHY!] Stout, daughter,

47. Alvira Stout, married Charles Robert Clarkson, son

48. Charles Robert Clarkson, Jr., married Ethel Breeden, daughter,

49. Clarice Josephine Clarkson, married Louis DiPastena, daughter

50. JOYCE DiPASTENA!!! (That’s me!)

Norman Conquest Day is Coming!

October 14 is Norman Conquest Day! So I'm re-reading The Conqueror by Georgette Heyer to begin my celebration.

I've Been Tagged!

I've been tagged by Hazel Jensen to share 25 random things about me. Always up for a challenge (well, sometimes, anyway), here we go. Now you'll know more about me than you ever wanted to know!

1. I love cats. I wanted to be born with one in my arms, but my mom must have vetoed that idea. I wonder why?
2. My printer is broken just now, and I'm really irritated.
3. I like to play the piano, though I've let myself get rusty lately, even though I'm a piano teacher. I'm trying to sit down and practice more again.
4. I like to write, but I like to write what I like to write and not what other people think I ought to write.
5. I have one brother and one sister, both older than me, but not necessarily smarter.
6. As a kid, I used to pretend that I was Saturn Girl in the Legion of Super-heroes. (DC comics, for the uninformed)
7. I later switched my allegiance to Marvel comics. The two worst things Marvel ever did was kill off Gwen Stacy and split up Johnny Storm and Crystal!
8. I love the Middle Ages. Henry II of England is my hero!
9. I always thought the name "Pericles” was very cool!
10. Jeremiah is my favorite book in the Old Testament.
11. I think nuts in chocolate chip cookies is WRONG, but I also think brownies without nuts is WRONG.
12. I played the saxophone in grade and high school, but I’ve long since lost my pucker muscles to keep it up.
13. Did I mention that I love cats?
14. I often wonder what happened to all the characters on Star Trek: Deep Space 9 after the end of the show. I still want a follow up!
15. My favorite book I ever wrote is the only one that no one has ever read but me.
16. I HATE BUGS!!!
17. Give me a story with a fun plot over a literary novel any day.
18. I love Primary.
19. I hate putting up Christmas decorations, but I love looking at them once they’re up.
20. Did I mention…cats?
21. Sunday nights are popcorn nights. Don’t try to tell me otherwise!
22. History of the English Language was one of my top all-time favorite courses in college. The Great Vowel Shift was cool! But I’ve forgotten all my phonemes. ☹
23. I love Greek mythology.
24. Okay, I admit it…I used to be a Dark Shadows fan.
25. Cats anyone?