I was always closer to Daddy than Mother. The titles alone say that. Daddy died in 1983, when I was a senior in college. If he'd lived longer, I may have stayed in touch with my blood family more.

While my sister were going to clothes and fabric stores with Mother, I was going to the hardware store with Daddy and watching trains and hanging over fenders. And I was the one who had my hair tied up in bows and dressed in frilly stuff.

I'm close to both my mom and dad in different ways. I think with my mom it's a girl thing, and with my dad a lot of it comes from, well, him being pretty awesome, but also my mom being sick so much when my brother and I were kids. I can talk to either of them about anything I really need to, but my dad still won't read my books because of the sex scenes. Which cracks me up.

I will say that in spite of my mom's craziness, I did grow closer to her as I got older. Of course, a big chunk of that has vanished in the wake of Dad, Act II. We simply can't talk much anymore because the thing she wants to talk most about, I don't.

Lewis says I'm being every bit as stubborn as she is, but that in a way, a lot of it is her doing because she's never once realized that I'm not only every bit as stubborn as she is, in some cases, I'm worse, especially when feeling cornered or forced into something.

I'm not hugely close with my parents. When I was a kid I was kinda' afraid of my dad (even though I didn't actually get spanked very often)....

I dunno - I'm just so different from them, I feel like we don't have much in common. Actually, I feel very different from my brothers too. So I'm much closer to my sister than everyone else.

but my dad still won't read my books because of the sex scenes. Which cracks me up.

Ooh! You should send him special Dad Redacted editions.

Ooh! You should send him special Dad Redacted editions.

The funniest thing is, I don't think he's going to get the zombie YA I'm doing, either. But he certainly loves to pimp my books to his friends and their wives, and, like, people at the grocery store, so.

I didn't know you were writing a zombie YA!

I didn't know you were writing a zombie YA!

She is, and ... ahem! Waiting for more, thanks!

I have a great relationship with both my parents, but I'm closer to my dad.

She is, and ... ahem! Waiting for more, thanks!

Heh. I know how that goes! I'm waiting for my friend to give me more of the sequel to her zombie political thriller.

She is, and ... ahem! Waiting for more, thanks!

How much have you gotten, Jilli? I haven't gotten any in forever! ::glares::