Since my last post wasn't much of one, and I'm trying to get in the holiday spirit (despite the lingering effects of whatever I got before Thanksgiving), let's do a tag! Katja left this one open, so I'm going to steal it! (Yes, I do love tag thievery. 😎)

Apparently this tag was created by Jana @That Artsy Reader Girl - do note that I haven't personally vetted this site. 😊 For the character-based questions, I'm gonna try to answer them with my characters as well as others!

1. “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch.” Name a villainous character you couldn’t help but love.

Long John Silver from Treasure Island. I'll be honest; the first time my dad read it to us, he was one of my favorite characters. Rereading it later as a writer, I'm amazed at what an amazingly-crafted character he is. He's so sneaky, and it's hard to know whether he's telling you the truth or just playing on your emotions. But I still really like him (I don't like his parrot though!) because I have a thing for pirates. 😂

And as far as my own characters, that's hard . . . I haven't written any villains that I'm particularly fond of. So I'll go with Princess Tinaalah from End of the Earth, who's really more of an antagonist than a villain. She's a spoiled little brat who thinks the universe revolves around her, and makes life difficult for Rhett, who gets stuck as her bodyguard. 🤦‍♀️ She was SO much fun to write though, especially when I got indignant reactions from my beta readers at some of the things she did/said. 😆

2. “All I Want for Christmas is You.” Which book do you most hope to see under your Christmas tree?

Sir Rowan and the Camerian Conquest by Chuck Black. 'Nuff said. But it's the last book in the Knights of Arrethtrae series, which makes me so sad! 😭

3. “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.” Name a character that overcomes major obstacles and learns to believe in themselves.

The title character in Sir Quinlan and the Swords of Valor. Quinlan has a LOT to overcome from the very beginning, and things only get worse after he makes a critical mistake that leads to the death of his mentor. He has to overcome his self-doubt and blame, as well as win back the trust of his former friends, in order to save the people from the enemy's schemes.

Honestly I think I can go with Logan (We Gave Our Tomorrows) for this question! He starts out as somewhat of a weak-willed kid getting by with his parents' beliefs, but through the book he really grows into a mature Christian who knows what he personally believes and why. He also has to overcome self-doubt in thinking that he's just a kid who doesn't belong in this war, as well as the initial shock of what combat is really like. (Much thanks goes to my dad for helping me with his character arc! 🥰)

4. “Santa Claus is Coming to Town!” Which character do you think would be at the top of the naughty list? Which character do you think would be at the top of the nice list?

Top of the naughty list would be Dally Winston from The Outsiders. He's the only real "hood" in the gang - got arrested at 10, jumps kids, robs stores, and talks dirty. But for all that he's a really broken character who hides it under a super-tough exterior. (Brittle, that's what he is.) He proves it in some of the things he does and says to Ponyboy and Johnny. I LOVE him and Johnny's friendship, and in the end I ended up loving him so much 😭💔 (On a side note, what is it with me and these broken bad boys?!)

(using this fanart - sadly I don't know who the artist is - because the movie version has dark hair and I haven't yet drawn my own fanart)

And the nice-list candidate is the total opposite - Pieter Knies from Trains and Tulips (which is releasing on Friday, by the way! Go check it out on Amazon; I'll wait.) He's a kind, mild-mannered young man studying to become a pastor, but has to make some difficult decisions about the right thing to do under Nazi occupation. Pieter is one of the few characters I would marry without hesitation. 🥰

For my characters . . . *sits stumped for a minute* I guess Castello from YWLA could make the naughty list. I don't want to give spoilers, but he's a really sneaky guy who ends up causing a lot of trouble for Sgt Parker and the platoon in general. (Also, I don't have a picture yet.)

On the nice list would be Petey, also from YWLA. He's the sweetest kid who's been through a lot and needs a good hug. 🥺 He's very loyal and quiet, never complains about anything, he's just a little jumpy until he knows he can trust you.

5. “Frosty the Snowman.” Which book just melts your heart?

I'm gonna go with the Brambly Hedge books by Jill Barklem. They're just so adorable and nostalgic - I LOVED them when I was a little kid, and even now I could stare at the illustrations for HOURS. 🥰

6. “Feliz Navidad.” Choose a book that takes place in a country other than your own.

I'm gonna go with a Christmas book, because there are plenty of others I could choose from. Sheepdog in the Snow is part of the Animal Ark series from Ben Baglio, which I used to really enjoy when I was younger (that's how I learned most of what I know about veterinary stuff) and it takes place in the English countryside. This one is a holiday special with a very "Bleak Midwinter" feel to it, and it gave me my love for Border collies. I still want a Border collie, please and thank you. 😊

7. “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year.” Which holiday-themed book do you use to spread the Christmas joy?

It's been a family tradition for as long as I can remember that we read The Christmas Donkey, which is one of those charming Little Golden Books that I grew up with. Obviously it's entirely fictional, but it's still a sweet story (even if some of the guys in the illustrations have issues with proportions, lol 😆).

8. “Sleigh Ride.” Which fictional character would you choose to spend the holidays with (doesn’t have to be a love interest)?

Umm, Sergeant Saunders. Actually, let's just extend the invitation to his whole squad, why don't we? But yeah, I LOVE Saunders, and he and his men deserve to have a nice Christmas.

(Actually that would be a very fun fanfiction to write. I could totally see Littlejohn and Billy building a snowman together, while Kirby pelts them with snowballs and Caje goes tobogganing. Meanwhile Saunders just slumps by the fire and drinks hot cocoa, with his beautiful blond hair messed up a little, happy to just get some peace and rest for once. And Hanley is probably Christmas caroling, looking super handsome in a red scarf, and Doc bakes gingerbread for everybody. What do you think? Is that something y'all would like to see? 😁)

9. “Baby, it’s Cold Outside.” Which book that you didn’t like would you sacrifice to a fire to warm yourself up in the cold?

Any and all algebra textbooks. End. Of. Story.

10. “Do You Hear What I Hear?” Which book do you think everyone should read?

*resists the temptation to squeal about my newest favorite* You know, I think imma go with a nonfiction pick for this one, actually. Since it's Christmas, I'll say Good Tidings of Great Joy by Charles Spurgeon. It's a little volume of selections from his sermons, and each one is about Jesus. I love Spurgeon SO MUCH and the bite-sized pieces are perfect for family devotions by a cozy fire. 🥰

And that, folks, is it, hope you enjoyed! I'm just going to leave this tag open for anyone who wants to do it. I'd love to see y'all's answers! 🎄