It is that time of year again – its our blogaversary! The Romaniacs have been blogging for 4 years. Can you believe it? I doesn’t seem but five minutes ago that we were meeting each other for the first time and getting those awkward ‘hello’ moments out of the way.
Who am I kidding, we can be called a lot of things, but awkward certainly isn’t one of them!
We’ve baked cakes (well, Celia has) and there are sparkles galore adorning our HQ. Laura has already started singing on the Karaoke machine, Sue and Catherine are shimmying through the hallway, Vanessa has begun sticking the sequins that were meant for the table, all over her face, Jan is trying to pull some order together but her mischievous giggle is giving her away and Debbie is making sure we all constantly have a tipple in our hand.
And me? Well, I’m making sure all is documented so that I can embarrass them all in the weeks to come – they always know they can rely on me with my camera to make some (permanent) memories.
And so, in true author style, we decided to hold some interviews with our amazing followers to celebrate our birthday. We asked for some questions from you beautiful lot and what great questions we have had to answer from you. Thanks to those who contributed – we hope you all enjoy our *uncensored* answers! I
1/ If you were all thrown into a time machine, and a new person was created out of your joint personalities, what kind of person and writer would we have?
Catherine – The person springing to mind is David Bowie. Such a sad recent loss, but I think his ability to shine brightly and his level of creativity are the essence of all The Romaniacs..
Sue – Gosh, that’s a heck of a question. Where to begin? We all have our different traits and range from both ends of the spectrum to the other, with everything in between. The sum total of us would be confident, yet shy, cautious, yet gung-ho, out spoken, yet diplomatic, impatient, yet impatient and so on. However, there would also be traits that we all share, like sense of humour, compassion and determination.
Celia – The person that staggered out of the time machine would obviously have all our best bits and none of the features that we gloss over, so she would be calm, yet energetic, she would never procrastinate, she’d be able to juggle family life with her writing and she’d have an insane sense of humour. Oh well, we can dream…
Jan – An upbeat, cake-eating, don’t take yourself too seriously, author of romantic suspense!
Vanessa – Oh wow – what kind of person would that make??! Someone crazy, funny, loud and quiet sensible and silly all at the same time! As a writer, they’d write fiction with a touch of romance, a dark edge and a smidge of humour thrown in!
Laura – What a fascinating question. We are eight very different people, which works well for us within the group as our strengths complement one another. Likewise, what one Romaniac doesn’t know, another will. The melded person would be a diplomatic, creative, funny and chatty cake-maker extraordinaire, who asks lots of questions, drinks plenty of Prosecco, and has amazing parties.As to the kind of writer we’d make … I think we would create a whole new genre … The story would be emotional, dark, touching, sinister, thrilling, funny, romantic, suspenseful, a tad off-kilter and very Romaniacal.
2/ If The Romaniacs were forming a band, what would your position be?
Jan – Background singer – the less my voice is centre stage, the better!
Lucie – I would be a backing singer too. Unless there was wine – then I’d be centre stage, warbling away!
Catherine – I’d be one of the support singers and dancers with Sue at my side. As our Christmas get together proved, we have perfected the most awesome shoulder shimmy.
Sue – I can’t sing. I can’t dance. I can’t play any instruments other than the recorder and the piano badly. I’m struggling to find what use I’d be!
3/ Which celebrity do you most resemble?
Catherine – Lorraine Kelly, so I’ve been told!
Celia – I am often likened to Victoria Wood, which I take as a huge compliment because I love her. I’ve got dinner-lady tendencies too.
Debbie – 
One of my closest friends says whenever she watches, ‘Strictly Come Dancing,’ 
Darcey Bussell reminds her of me. In my dreams!
4/ You are at a karaoke night and it is your turn on the mic, what is your song of choice?
Jan – Rivers of Babylon by Boney M. I once sang it at a Christmas party with my sister and a friend and found it best suited my less than tuneful tones (even after a few vinos!).
Karaoke night: I would do anything for love by Meatloaf.
Laura – It wouldn’t be the first time. I’ve spent a few nights out karaoke-ing. I like to get the crowd going, so I’d pick an upbeat number to start with, something like, ‘I Will Survive’.
You know I would!
Lucie – Literally anything – I love singing! Nothing too high, though, although I would give it a go. Not sure the venue would still be as busy after I was finished…
5/ What was the last thing you purchased?
Laura – The Stargate SG1 DVD collection. We’ve been watching it on Netflix as a family from the very first episode, and we’d only reached episode four, series three, when it was announced the series was being removed. We were bereft. We love Stargate. Thankfully, Gajitman found the DVD collection online for a very reasonable price, and order and happiness was restored to the James household.
Sue – A laminator!
Lucie – A Designer Doll for a friend’s little girls’ birthday. Plus a card and gift bag.
Debbie – Several LED 50w equivalent spotlights. Oh, what a gripping life I do lead.
6/ What are you currently reading?
Celia – I’m ashamed to say I’ve abandoned several excellent books I was reading (three of them were Romaniac ones – will return to these asap) and have dived back into the old favourites – my mum’s treasured collection of D.E. Stevensons. My husband always knows when life is giving me hard knocks because the first thing that happens is that the dust gets blown off this out of print, soothing, beautifully written selection. I’m deep into ‘Katherine’s Marriage’ today.
Vanessa – Blacklands by Belinda Bauer
Lucie – Elizabeth is Missing – Emma Healey 
7/ What is the best thing about being a Romaniac?
Vanessa – The wonderful friendship and support from an amazing group of women.
Debbie – Feeling ‘normal’and being accepted for who I am.
Jan – The mutual support, encouragement and understanding with both writerly and non-writerly matters.
Laura –The absolute faith, trust and friendship that formed from day one and has remained since. There is something very special and unique about an immediate bond, especially between so many people. These girls are my sisters. They make me laugh, they accept my idiosyncrasies, and I have a few, and they are always there, and not in a menacing, keep-looking-over-your-shoulder sense. Four years has whizzed by in their company.
Oh, and they introduced me to gin and tonic. It’s the tonic I really like.
8/ Tell us a joke?
Laura – A zero walks up to an eight and says, ‘Nice belt.’
Celia – Knock knock.
Who’s there?
Arfur.
Arfur who?
Arfur Got.
(Well, you didn’t say it had to be a good joke.)
Jan – Why did the cow cross the road? Answer – To get to the udder side! 😀 (So bad it’s good, Lucie!)
We hope you enjoyed our answers and thank you for spending the day with us.
*CHEERS*
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