Women's Month Interview: Dana Fredsti

In the nineteenth century, postal delivery allowed people a great distance from one another to become friends through correspondence even though they never met. I'm grateful to the internet for making that possible instantaneously. While there are some folks I know only through the 'net, I usually make an effort to meet as many as possible in the 'real' world, too.

Dana Fredsti (aka Inara LaVey) is one of these friends. We've not met face to face, but we have discovered so many overlaps in character and taste that we suspect that we were separated at birth.

How do we know each other?
Fellow Ravenous Romance authors and fans of Lost Skeleton of Cadavera.

How would you describe yourself?
Strong-willed, with a marshmallow heart when it comes to felines and strays of any kind.

In what part of the world are you located?
I live in San Francisco, California, originally from Southern California and I would not want to live anywhere else.

Where can we find you on the web?
Website, Facebook, Twitter, and Ravenous Romance (as Inara LaVey).

What don't people know about you that they ought to know?
When I get really angry, I see red and go into survival/berserker mode. I'm such an empathetic mushpot most of the time, it generally comes as a huge surprise. I would be a very good person to have around during the zombie apocalypse. ☺

What's the most common mistake people make about you?
Did I mention my temper? I think it's trying to push me too far, assuming because I genuinely do care about people and animals that I can be taken advantage of or bullied.

What are you most proud of having accomplished so far?
Lessee... Getting my murder mystery published after 15 years of rewrites and rejections; co-writing/co-producing Urban Rescuers, a documentary about TNR and feral cats; volunteering at EFBC/FCC (http://www.cathouse-fcc.org), and learning how to surf at age 40 even though I'm terrified of the water. Oh, and managing to make my Ravenous Romance and other writing deadlines while working full time.

What ambitions do you have ahead of you?
Being able to eventually quit my day job and write full time.

What's the best compliment you've ever received?
Being told by my boyfriend that I make him want to be a better person.

If something great happens to you, how do you celebrate?
Good wine, good friends and bad movies!

What's your best method for coping with stress?
Walking on the beach, yoga, holding a few felines on my lap, and good wine, good friends and bad movies.

What makes you laugh?
Watching my cats play, really bad movies, and really good comedies. Spinal Tap just about killed me, I laughed so hard.

What makes you cry?
Nolstagia... lost dreams and the life I thought I'd be living, even though I'm happy with the life I'm living now. Thinking about all the homeless animals in the world and not being able to save them all. Certain music. If I'm hormonal, a sad moment on I DREAM OF JEANNIE can make me tear up. And yes, I know I just dated myself... ☺

What do you love?
My family, my friends, my cats, my ex, my boyfriend, writing, reading, music, zombie movies, and sword-fighting. That's just the short list.

What do you loathe?
Hypocrites, cruelty, anyone who hurts children or animals, any organization, be it political or religious, that tries to control people through fear and guilt.

What's sexy?
Sword-fighting is a good start. Sensuality...the ability to touch someone and really FEEL them, not just run your hands over their body like you're on auto-pilot. Shared laughter is sexy.

What's the best advice you were ever given?
It's actually a quote from STRICTLY BALLROOM: A life lived in fear is a life half lived. This motto literally changed my life and made me take a lot more risks to make my life into what I wanted it to be.

How should people be spending their money?
They should DEFINITELY donate to EFBC/FCC, which is part of a world-wide program to keep species of exotic felines from going extinct. And buy books! Whether they're mine or someone else's, keep books from going extinct!

Which woman/women have inspired you?
Any and every woman who pursues her dream with empathy, compassion and strength. Too many selfish, self-involved people in the world...

If I gave you a million dollars, what would you do?
Give a bundle to EFBC/FCC, donate to animal rescue organizations, make sure none of my family are in debt, and do some traveling! Oh, and I'd probably quit the day job. ☺

Thank you so much for being part of this celebration: you are fabulous!
Thank you for inviting me! I throw the fabulous moniker right back at you!