Eagle, funny you should ask me that question because it is literally the FIRST question everyone asks once they've read the book. The answer is YES... H E Double hockey sticks YES!

Can you believe it? For a long time after that happened, when I would go back for my yearly mammogram, the nurses would point and stare. Belinda (as I call her) was NEVER assigned to me again though. Good thing for her too.

JJ

JJ, then I really am crying tears of compassion for you! Ouch, ouch and double ouch!!! Just seconds worth of a mammogram brings tears to my eyes, how could you ever have survived two hours!

You're amazing to not only have survived intact but to be able to laugh about it...I'm serious here, JJ, your ability to bring laughter to others out of your own pain is eye-opening and potentially life-changing for me...I have been struggling (and painfully slow in winning the battle) to combat wanna-be cynical bitterness with positive compassion on a daily basis. You truly are an inspiration. I'm really glad we're getting the chance here this month to get to know Georgia Richardson better.

OK here's my Question.

JJ, if you had a chance to come back in another life, what/who would you like to come back as?

OK, seriously...is there really a Bubba and Earl and/or who did you base those characters on.

chick

Slim...Shania Twain, and yes...I'll tell more tonight. Mom's here and we start out trip. When I get to Tennessee and we stop, I'll write more.

JJ

Eagle, you're a sweetheart. Many thanks

Have a safe trip Queen. Say hi to Mom for us.

chick

Hey JJ,
How long does it take you to write a piece? Your work seems to flow so effortlessly, I was wondering if you write it that way or if you sit and stare at a blank screen for hours the way I do.

TVC15...to answer your question. Both. Some days I see or hear something that triggers my muse and off I go. I've written as many as 12 full articles in four days before. That was a great "bank." I haven't done that since then, but whoa Nellie, was I ever on a roll.

Then again, sometimes I sit down to write the short little two paragraphs that I send out on Monday mornings and four hours later I'm still banging my head on the keyboard. Go figure.

I have no set pattern, and cannot give you a good answer. I know that when I feel an article coming on, I have to sit down and write and usually when that happens, it just flows. I can't explain to you how wonderful that feeling is to me. I wouldn't trade it for a bag of double-stuffed Oreo's.

Okay, I'm lying.

JJ

Ha, Ha, Shania Twain with boobs of steel? If da Queen comes back as Shania...I'm coming back as a fly on the wall!

chick

JJ: The muse. Have you noticed that as a writer, you pay attention more to your surroundings and what people are saying and doing? Isn't that where a lot of your material is developed? I always had to laugh at stand up comedians because they notice and talk about things most of us just ignore.

That's a good observation Dianne. And yes, I believe it is true. So much so, that others around me have picked up on the fact that I see/hear/observe everything going on in a conversation and sometimes they stop, look at me and say, "and DON'T you dare write about this, you hear me?" Then again I think part of it is the fact that I just happened to be the kind of person who is sensitive to other people and my environment. So, I guess you could say that some people are sensitive and writers, but not all writers are sensitive???

Boobs of Steel? mahhaaaaa...I love it! Faster than a speeding dose of Ex-lab, more powerful than a extra onions on a Taco, its BOOBS OF STEEL! what?

JJ