Interview with: Basically Amazing Ashley (in which we get our silly on)

Every time I do an interview, I like to include a series of silly quickfire questions at the end.  For Fairy Tale Fortnight, I made a set of questions that we asked every person we interviewed (we even asked you!), and now we share our  silly interview with each other.  You can read my nonsensical answers on Ashley's blog, and here is my interview with Ashley.  We'd love to hear your answers (or your silly questions for next year!) in the comments.
Enjoy!


So, Ashley, you've clearly got to be a madwoman to take on the task of FTF with me, and I'm so glad you're as passionate about fairy tales as I am, but that leaves the question - why fairy tales?
I asked this question yesterday (click here to share your thoughts!) because I wanted to hear what draws people to fairy tales. As for what draws me to them, I honestly don't really know. There isn't any conscious thought process that leads me to the fairy tales. I think it is more subtle than that. There is a feeling you get when you read fairy tales, or a really great retelling that you cannot get any other way. It is why I overlook a lot of the 'issues' in fairy tales that normally really annoy me in books. I will forgive almost any error in a fairy tale if it gives me that special fairy tale feeling.

You would think that someone who professes her love for fairy tales as often and as loudly as I do would have a real reason mapped out for loving fairy tales. But I don't. All I can tell you is that I love them. I love them with every reading fiber in my being. I read fairy tales when I thought fantasy was 'beneath me' as a genre and I have never stopped loving them.

Oh lord, we were destined to be friends.  I was the same way.  lol
Moving on: Rapunzel is named after lettuce; what odd thing would you be named after if you were in a fairy tale?
Ugh. I have no idea. It's not necessarily weird, but I'm going to go with Adira. Why? Because I googled names. It came up and means 'strong, noble, and powerful.' Hi. :) I'd be that character in the fairy tale. The one who just kind of hangs out in the background, the one that seems to be just a very peripheral character. And then, turns out that I'm basically the key to everything. (Humble, aren't I)
[Note: Misty is cracking up at this point.]

Love it!  Using that name, give us a line from your life as a fairy tale:
Adira sat and watched as the people cheered for the triumphal return of the royal family. "Their joy has made them blind" she thought. "This is going to end badly".

Ooh, I want to know more!  Perhaps it will be your turn for a short story next year? 
Best fairy tale villain and why?
That depends. As far as Disney goes, Malificent is by far the scariest of the bad nasties, followed closely by the Evil Queen in Snow White.I mean, really. Malificent is just evil and cruel because she wants to be, willing to kill an innocent baby, just because she wants to and because she can. And then the Evil Queen? She orders Snow White killed, just because she's prettier. And she wants her heart as proof of death. Ugh.

As for non-Disney, I'm definitely keeping the Evil Queen there. Not only does she ask for Snow White's heart, but she eats it. *shudders*


Um, yeah.  I mentioned the heart-eating in mine, too...Shudder indeed.
Favorite tale from childhood? Favorite tale as an adult? Least favorites?
My favorite fairy tale has been The Twelve Dancing Princesses for as long as I can remember. I loved it as a kid, and I still love it now.

My least favorite growing up was probably The Emperor's New Clothes. Even as a kid I had a terribly low tolerance for stupidity and every character in this story beyond the con artists and the little boy are intolerably stupid. It's probably still my least favorite. That's one I'd like to see someone retell, because I'd like to see someone do a good job with it.

High Fives for The Twelve Dancing Princesses!  *slaps*  Though I always liked the Emporer's New Clothes.  I can't help but love a story where someone is unafraid to say "Look, I see through the bullshit, and you're an idiot, okay?"
If you could be any fairy tale character, or live through any fairy tale "happening," who/what would it be?
Any fairy tale character? I think that would be a tie. I would love to be the main character in East of the Sun, West of the Moon, because she is her own hero and she makes her own magic, not to mention getting ride on each of the 4 winds! Or, I would want to be the evil fairy in Sleeping Beauty. Think about it- in the classic versions of the story, she terrifies everyone, comes to the baby blessing and curses her to die, and then she leaves. No consequences, no repercussions, no nothing. The worst thing that happens to her, is the last fairy changes it from death to sleeping. Boo hoo. If I were going to be a villain, that's who I pick!

As for fairy tale events- I would want to be at the ball where the 12 Dancing Princesses go every night. Every version of the story makes it into such a lovely, enchanted place and I would love to be there.

Oh my gah, you just said you'd curse a baby to die... *looks askance at Ashley*
;P
 Now that we know you are evil, would you rather:
-- live under a bridge with a troll, or all alone in a high tower?
Live in a tower, but only if it had books! I am happy spending long periods of time alone. So, provided I had a never ending supply of books and food, I'd definitely pick the tower.

-- ride everywhere in a pumpkin carriage (messy) or walk everywhere
in glass shoes (uncomfortable)?
I think pumpkin smells really bad. So, I'd pick the glass shoes. This is partly because high heels aren't super comfortable shoes in general, so adding the glass probably won't change the comfort level that much, but also because I could take them off! If I could, I would go everywhere barefoot, so this would give me a great excuse!

-- eat magic beans or golden eggs?
Definitely the eggs! Jack's mom just tossed the beans into the yard and they grew like crazy! Can you imagine what they would do inside you?!

I can't help but think that the eggs would have much nicer side effects.

We'll have to get together for a golden egg omelet.
-- have a fairy godmother or a Prince Charming?
The Fairy Godmother. I feel like I've read enough fairy tales to know how to properly ask for favors from a fairy. I'm also really great at creating and finding 'side-truths' and loopholes so I'd think very carefully about what I was asking for to make sure I got exactly what I wanted.
Prince Charming is overrated and nonexistent. I'd much prefer ending up with a boy who is real...

- style 50ft long hair or polish 100 pairs of glass slippers?
The hair. Really, all you have to do is brush it. Or braid it. I'd much rather brush hair for a while than polish those stupid shoes I decided to walk around in!

I picked hair!  Imagine what we could do together!  It would be like the ultimate hair show. ;)
-- be forced to spin straw into gold for hours on end, or dance every night until your shoes are worn through?
Dancing. Being forced to spin straw into gold doesn't mean that I'd somehow know how to do it, and I don't want to tempt fate by having my own version of Rumpelstiltskin pop up. Plus, I really do like dancing, and I imagine I'd get really good at it if I had to do it night after night .

You guys, I just want to take a minute to THANK Ashley for all of her awesome throughout this event.  I think I very well may have gone insane on my own, and I know the event would not have been nearly as complete or awesome without her.  
For reals, Ashley - THANK YOU so much!  Everything we did during FTF we agreed on and made awesome together.  It was kind of freakish how in-tune with each other we were, and I feel like I've gained a fairy tale sister.   I can't wait for next year!  ♥