1. What inspired your latest book or book series?
I wanted to write a modern day “Christmas Carol” type of book three years ago utilizing one of my favorite traditions for Christmas, the twenty four day advent calendar as the main focus. I have a wooden box that has twenty four doors with compartments inside to hide little Christmas treats and toys for my children. I decided to make the advent calendar in the story have extraordinary power to show the main character’s Christmases past, present and future, akin to the ghosts of Ebenezer Scrooge. Then I challenged myself to write the Christmas book as an advent calendar, writing one chapter each day starting on December 1st and sending it out as an e-mail to my dear friend Susan to open for a really different Christmas present. So each day I wrote a chapter, sent it out as an e-mail, and ended up finishing The Christmas Calendar on December 24th. It was quite a miracle in a way how the story came together for me so quickly during a very busy time of year and it turned out to be a very enjoyable and special experience for me as well.
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2. Who is your favorite book character of all time? Why?
Jean Valjean from Les Miserables. Despite the character’s shortcomings, I get inspired by his efforts to make the world a better place and to live every day with a merciful heart.
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3. What lessons has writing taught you about life in general?
Writing reminds me of putting my first foot forward and moving ahead. It’s all about not just thinking but taking action and moving ahead with faith. When I start a story, at first I don’t know where the story will take me until I actually start the writing process and then the story seems to write itself, like there is a flow of thoughts pouring down out of my mind and my hands have to keep up to capture it.
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4. What’s your favorite quote?
“And in the end it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years.” Abraham Lincoln
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John F. Kennedy
5. Who would you most like to have a cup of coffee with? (Dead or alive) Explain…
I have lived 35 years without drinking a cup of coffee, but if I ever drank it again, it would be with the late President John F. Kennedy. I was just a little girl when he was assassinated but the more I learn of him as an adult, the more convinced I am that he would be a very interesting person to have a conversation with and get his take on the present circumstances of the United States today.
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6. What is your biggest pet peeve?
When people don’t say “thank you”.
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7. Tell us something quirky about you.
I never ate an egg until I was 18 years old and now I will only eat them with lots of salsa and hot cayenne pepper!
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8. Favorite comfort food?
A yummy tender pot roast with creamy mashed potatoes and rich dark gravy. It makes my mouth water.
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9. Star Wars or Star Trek?
Star Wars hands down. I can’t wait for the new movie series to be made. I enjoy watching a Star Wars 
movie marathon on a rainy day. There is decent collection of Star Wars novels in my library too.
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10. Sunrises or Sunsets?
Sunrises fill me with hope of a new day. Sunsets sometimes fill me with frustration as I watch the sun set and realize how fast the day got by me and how little got accomplished. As for color, there is nothing more breathtaking than a sunset after a stormy day.
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More about Liz:
Liz Niccum is a freelance author who grew up in the heavily scientific communit
y of Los Alamos, New Mexico, and it rubbed off on her as she went to U.C.L.A. and became an atmospheric scientist. While at college, she met her husband of 33 years, and they have five children and currently reside in Idaho. When not watching clouds, Liz spends her time on the computer creating, painting murals, tending gardens, or exploring new recipes.
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Links:
Buy her book:
Buy it at Amazon.com!
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