My special guest today is author Debra Kayn who has her first release out in a few days from Red Rose Publishing.
Thanks, Shelley, for having me on your blog today. I’m so excited, because I’m usually one of your readers.
Hi everyone! I’m Debra ~ just a small town girl. (shh, no giggling) I’ve only lived in three states, Alaska, Washington, and Oregon. I’ve never really traveled that far, even in the United States. To top that, I live out in the boonies where we can’t even see our neighbors….on a farm. Going to town, means driving over to the little gas station that sells bread for triple the price.
Now, what if someone flew me to another country? I’d be lost. lol If I ignored the language barrier, I’d still have trouble with the local customs. Do you wear shoes in people’s houses? Hold the fork in the right or left hand? Oh my gosh, what if the steering wheel is on the other side of the car? Time change…what’s that?
Yet, deep inside of this homebody, I’m curious. I love adventures, meeting new people, and trying new cuisine. I really think I might be able to handle a visit somewhere exotic. At least, I’d be game to try. I’d even allow all the locals to laugh at my mistakes, and point me in the right direction.
In a lot of ways, I’m a lot like my heroine in my book, Betraying the Prince. Ok, I’m not a princess, and I have been around males all my life, but I certainly would look at a new country with wide eyes and a willingness to learn.
How about you? Are you a traveler or a homebody? If someone placed you in another country, so different from your own, could you survive?
You can find Debra at her blog, website, MySpace or Twitter. And don’t forget to check out her new release, due out on 4 June from Red Rose Publishing!
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June 1st, 2009 at 4:25 am · Link
Great blog, Debra.
Hey, Shel:)
June 1st, 2009 at 6:19 am · Link
Hello Debra,
Several years ago, I lived in Germany for about 6 months. It was an experience I wouldn’t change for the world. I’ve also lived in five different states here in the US. They are Ohio, Virginia, Tennessee, Texas, and Kentucky. When I was younger I loved to travel, now I’m a homebody and could care less if I go anywhere. Unless of course, I win the lottery then Katey bar the door cause I’m having me a year long holiday of traveling all over the world. LOL Have a great day.
June 1st, 2009 at 6:33 am · Link
Thanks, Sandra.
Roberta- Oh, that elusive winning lottery ticket…I haven’t been able to pin one down, either! lol. It certainly would make traveling more fun if we had endless amounts of cash, wouldn’t it!
I’d like to invite everyone here to a release celebration going on over at http://www.lovevixens.blogspot.com right now through June 4th. One of my books, along with 2 other authors are going to be given away to some lucky winner who partakes in one of our games!
Thank you for having me here today, Shelley. I’ll be wondering in and out, so if anyone has any questions or just wants to say hi…..
June 1st, 2009 at 8:56 am · Link
I grew up in Washington State. Didn’t do a lot of traveling until I moved south to CA. If I had my way, I’d be on a plane every year to far off exotic places. I do spend some time in the “BIG ROLLING TURD!” That RV for those of you who’ve not seen the movie. I’ve seen most of the western states and plan on ventruring further East this summer. It’s great to see how other people live.
Congrats on your new release, Debra.
June 1st, 2009 at 8:57 am · Link
I moved from Tennessee to Vermont for 5 yrs an it was like a foregin country to me,the language ,food,climate just about everything was totally different than what I was used too,I survived an found that I liked some of the differences,both places have their good an bad points,but as long as im with the one I love I can live anywhere
June 1st, 2009 at 9:02 am · Link
Thanks, Catherine! You got me laughing, because I have seen the movie AND we have a motorhome. Some parts of the movie came a little too close to home, if you know what I am saying.
I’d love to go on a cruise, I love the water.
June 1st, 2009 at 9:06 am · Link
Vickie- Aw..sweet! That’s the truth of the matter. If you have someone you love with you, you’ll travel the world, because you can enjoy the experience much more with someone beside you.
June 1st, 2009 at 9:06 am · Link
Hi Debra,
I’m a traveler. I love getting on a plane and heading out. My mom is British so London is one of my favorite places to be (only a slight language barrier there )
I’m looking forward to reading Betraying the Prince!
June 1st, 2009 at 9:18 am · Link
Thanks for coming over, Shirin! London would be fun to see. There really is so much culture out there that I haven’t experienced…it really is such a big world out there.
June 1st, 2009 at 9:36 am · Link
Hi Debra! Congrats on your new release!
Oh yeah, I believe I could survive in an unknown country or even a world! I sure give it a heck of a try!
June 1st, 2009 at 10:03 am · Link
That’s the spirit Kaye! I love it!
Thanks for the congrats, I’m pretty excited about it…just counting down the days.
June 1st, 2009 at 10:14 am · Link
Hi Debra, congrats on your release.
I love to travel and I wish I could do it more often, but it’s always best coming home :)
June 1st, 2009 at 1:42 pm · Link
Hi JK
Thanks for the congrats! I agree there is something about coming back home…although we do most of our traveling by going camping with the kids and that always means lots and lots of dirty laundry.
June 1st, 2009 at 2:42 pm · Link
Great topic, Debra, and you’re very welcome!
The question is easy for me. I’m a traveler. I love to visit new places and explore. I have wanderlust in my veins – just ask my hubby.
About the campervans – you’re very lucky in the US. You have excellent facilities for campers and some beautiful National parks. Get out and explore in the Big Rolling Turd, I say!
June 1st, 2009 at 6:30 pm · Link
You are a great traveler, Shelley, because you bring back pictures for those of us that don’t get to go to such fab place. I really enjoyed them.
Ok, I’m calling it a night, folks. Thank you so much for chatting with me, and letting me know I am not so alone in wanting to travel and see the world. A few of you I am going to model myself after, and one of these days I’m hitting the road…or the sky!
Thanks all!
June 1st, 2009 at 9:03 pm · Link
Yes, I’m a traveler. I love it. Love to see new places, new cultures and new people. I do like my home, however. Sometimes the best part of a trip is getting home afterwards. Then it is ruined by having to go back to work.
Could I survive if dropped into another country very different from my own. Most certainly! Spent 3 years in the Peace Corps and loved every minute of it (except for the 6.5 to 7 earthquake, but even that was a new experience and interesting.)
June 1st, 2009 at 11:57 pm · Link
Yes I am (or was) a traveler.For years the two week vacations I took with parents and grandparents for several years are memories I now cherish.
Once when I was 5…(around the late 60′s)I was turned around and being one of those look out the back glass kids .Anyway a large band of bikers came cruising up behind the car.When they passed eveyone waved and gave the peace sign.Now my parents are Ozzie and Harrett types.Shocked they expected a blessing of finger jesters and bad language.Why became clear when he looked in his rear view mirror and saw his only daughter giving the peace sign.
The great northwest from Canada to southwest Arizona and the midwest I have seen.From the my Easyrider days to my National Lampoon’s Vacation days in my teens.I swear they followed us and took notes.I truely earned my Grizwall stat…lol
To wake up in a foreign land excluding any Artic known area I say count me in.Anything that can go wrong…will.Anything that shouldn’t happen…will.And in the end you haven’t lived till you spend countless hours packing,traveling,and making memories that will be with you for a lifetime. Ok,even Artic areas.But I want a handsome guide and he needs plenty of money and can speak the languages…lol
Count me in life is a journey not a destination!!!
June 2nd, 2009 at 6:46 am · Link
Patricia- Peace Corps! I always thought that would be fun, and such an experience. I only felt one earth quake, and for all of you who have lived through big ones would probably laugh at me! This one was tiny and lasted maybe 5 seconds, but the talk afterwards lasted for days, lol.
Hi Debra- Cool name! lol What a life! Your story reminded me of my childhood. We’d make fist at the all the truckers, and move our arm up and down–classic signal to toot their horn. If they honked their horn, we’d cheer, scream, and give them the thumbs up. The truckers always ate it up, and had a good time with us. I taught my kids to do it years ago, and yep…the truckers still entertained the kids on those long car trips (hm, and not so long car trips to the store, lol)
June 2nd, 2009 at 1:49 pm · Link
Patricia – the Peace Corps sounds interesting. About the earthquake – NZ is on a fault line and parts of the country have a lot of tremors. I haven’t experienced one yet and I’m not in a hurry. They sound scary to me!
Debra – I like the way you think. Life is a journey. These days, with our fast pace of life, I think a lot of people forget that.
June 3rd, 2009 at 5:19 am · Link
My first reaction was to say I’m a home body, but I guess that’s not really true since I’ve been living abroad for nearly a decade now :) I love to see new places.
June 3rd, 2009 at 12:22 pm · Link
Yep, I think living abroad qualifies! lol
You summed it up perfectly, Shelley, life is a journey.