This or That with Alex Epstein

Today I have Alex Epstein, author of Circle Cast with me to answer This or That.  Also be sure and leave a comment on this post to be entered into a giveaway to win an ebook copy of Circle Cast.  He will be giving away 1 copy each week during the tour so make sure you enter during this week at each blog during the tour for more chances to win.  More tour dates can be found at The Teen Book Scene.

Doritos or Cheetos?

Doritos. You can put salsa on them. Or guac. Or make nachos. Or chilaquiles. Cheetos are just sort of a thing by themselves. They don't play well with others. Thank God I answered this after lunch.

Sweet or Salty?

Umami.

King Arthur or Lancelot?

Oh, I've never liked Lancelot. He's sort of a not-very-bright a jock who can't keep it in his pants. Arthur's a messed up dude, but at least he's trying. Lancelot's a traitor. He destroys Camelot.

Sports car or Sedan?

I had a fire-engine red 1965 Mustang convertible when I lived in LA. The Bouzou Dog loved riding with the top down. Then I got a family. Two kids, dog, wife: no room. Now I have a Prius. I miss the wind in my hair, but I do like filling up like once a year.

Soccer or Baseball?

Soccer. Baseball is classic random reinforcement. It's really boring, but you can't stop watching because something might happen. Soccer is nonstop. And I like a sport where short wiry guys can win. And: goaaaaaaaaallllll!!!

Dogs or Cats?

Dogs. Cats don't really even like you. They're staring at you in case you suddenly shrink down to mouse size so they can play with you before killing you. Okay, I've lived with three cats at once. But dogs are loyal.

Crystal Ball or Magic Wand?

Athame. To really focus magic you want a pointy, double-bladed knife. I've got a nice one with a bone handle.


Suspense or Horror?

Horror. I like a movie where the laws of God and Man have been violated.  Where you're not worried about dying, in fact, you should be so lucky. But there has to be a metaphysical issue. It can't just be random badness. There has to be something human that grounds the story.

Spring or Fall?

Mmmm, Fall. Smell of fireplaces. Crispness in the air. Leaves on fire with color. Getting to wear clothes again.

Dark Chocolate or Milk Chocolate?

Dark chocolate. I'm never satisfied with milk chocolate. I always feel like it could have been just a little more chocolatey. But not too dark. It can get crazy with the bitterness.

Twitter or Facebook?

Facebook. All my friends are on Facebook. It feels way better organized to me. Twitter seems to give equal weight to a RT as an original thought.  Facebook brings up the posts that my friends are responding to. And I like that you can post a longer thought if you want to.

Fairies or Witches?

Witches.

Real fairies come in two flavors. There are the capricious, amoral, dangerous, kind of psychotic ones who will do bad things to you just for fun. And then there are the really bad ones. A lot of people think fairies are all about flowers and butterflies, but the reason the Irish never call them by their real names is they're afraid they'll show up.

When I first started writing The Circle Cast, I was on a spiritual quest, and Iwound up being initiated into a coven. The "drawing down the Moon" from the raven ceremony comes right out of a drawing down of the moon I saw.  That's one of the closest I've ever been to real magic.