@chickiepants

@hungryclone: Alright to start off what's your name?

@chickiepants: Natalie Smothers (yes, like the Brothers) I get that a lot from old people.

@hungryclone: Sounds like a cliche 1940's villain's last name. Like someone that smothers people. Sorry : )

@chickiepants: That's me, I'm a total femme fatale.

@hungryclone: So where are you from Madame Fatale?

@chickiepants:Ft. Worth, Texas.

@hungryclone: Born and raised?

@chickiepants: Yup. Well, except for college. I went to St Mary's University down here in San Antonio, then started moving around from there. I blame my ex-husband ;D

@hungryclone: Fair enough.How long were you married?

@chickiepants: 5 years. We had some good times.

@hungryclone: That's nice. Did you end up splitting on good terms?

@chickiepants: Oh, yeah. We're still really good friends - he's @texperiment on Twitter.
We go to concerts together and I can almost always get him to buy me dinner/lunch/brunch/bubble tea.

@hungryclone: Hmm. That's cool. So shifting to something else what do you do for work?

@chickiepants: I am a vet tech by day and a writer at night!

@hungryclone: Very nice. What do you write about?

@chickiepants: People getting themselves into situations that are way more complicated than they will ever know. Also, zombies!

@hungryclone: Haha. Sounds like great reading. Have any sites that you post on or do you have your own site?

@chickiepants: The lady who reviewed my book said it was a "love story that's not really a love story." I post manga reviews at Geekerella Alertand my writing stuff is on a separate one (nataliesbooks.wordpress.com) Oh, the other is geekerella.wordpress.com
I used to try and do other reviews but manga is what i love.

@hungryclone: Cool. Well hopefully this interview will net you some more hits.

@chickiepants: My main hope/goal in life is for people to enjoy reading what I write, so I hope so!
@hungryclone: Sounds like a worthy goal. So what do you do for fun then? Other than righting enjoyable stories?

@chickiepants: Read manga at an alarming rate, do crossword puzzles and go to indie rock shows. Mostly manga, though. I'm a certified addict.

@hungryclone: Have you read anything by Bryan Lee O'Malley? He's the guy that wrote the Scott Pilgrim comics.

@chickiepants: I keep meaning to - he was actually featured in Shojo Beat some years ago and I just keep not doing it for some reason. I really want to read them with the movie coming out though.

@hungryclone:
The movie seems like it's done really well compared to the manga. I mean it's a good translation.

@chickiepants: That's what I hear. The previews look awesome.

@hungryclone: Just a lot.So what got you into manga?

@chickiepants: 15, almost 16 years ago I went to Japan and picked up my first issue of Ranma 1/2. It was all downhill from there :-D

@hungryclone: Oh? You went to Japan? Just a random trip?

@chickiepants: It was on a scholarship from Ft Worth Sister Cities - they offered a trip every year for 10 students and I got the job, so to speak. There was an interview and everything.

@hungryclone: Wow sounds pretty lucky.

@chickiepants: It was great. I was there about 3 weeks.

@hungryclone: Whereabouts?

@chickiepants: Nagaoka, in Niigata prefecture.

@hungryclone: Never got to the big cities?

@chickiepants: We visited Tokyo and Kyoto, but I preferred the smaller towns. Also liked Kyoto much better but that's probably because I hadn't heard of Akiba back then. I wasn't a hardcore otaku yet. :P

@hungryclone: I was born in Kyoto.

@chickiepants:Really? That's awesome!

@hungryclone: Yeah. Little known fact I guess? So next then. What are your favorite foods/shows?

@chickiepants: I love Mediterranean - falafel sandwich with extra hummus - and Japanese - especially unagi and kitsune udon. As for shows, I like L&O SVU and shows like Oz and The Shield. I like what little of Glee I've seen!

@hungryclone: All of that sounds good. Any movies hold a special place in your heart?

@chickiepants: Reservoir Dogs for sure - it was all @mystyr_e - Eli - and I watched in high school. I also adore Joy Luck Club, Suicide Kings and Lilo and Stitch.

@hungryclone: So a couple more questions, What do you think about this volcanic ash wafting over Europe?

@chickiepants: I think it was kind of a cool thing to hear about at first, like - oh man, a VOLCANO ERUPTED - but now it's just causing so many problems.

@hungryclone: Yeah it seems to be more of a problem for shipping goods around.

@chickiepants: Part of me still thinks it's cool, but I do enjoy post-apocalyptic fiction, soooo... ;-)

@hungryclone: lol So what're your plans for the Zombie Apocalypse? Side question I figure you've read the Zombie Survival handbook/World War Z books?

@chickiepants: Find a group of like-minded, well-armed individuals who do not have a tendency toward panic and make for a bunker of some sort. I've read The Handbook and WWZ. LOVED WWZ. I should send you a copy of my zombie book.

@hungryclone: Yeah totally! I'd love to read it. Yeah it was like the history section from the Handbook except longer. Any thoughts about the Economy/the state the US is in right now?

@chickiepants: I think that the economy is slowly starting to make a comeback, but socially it's dangerously close to a shambles.

@hungryclone: Teetering on the edge?

@chickiepants: People don't seem to know how to take things in moderation. They're like goldfish: Their collective memory only lasts 3-5 minutes, and whatever that state of mind is, they think that's all it'll ever be. If the Dow's down, it's OMFG GREAT DEPRESSION!!!11! If we pass health care reform it's GAAAAAH SOCIALISM NOT MY GRAMMA!

@hungryclone: Yeah it is kind of disturbing, the mob mentality.

@chickiepants: It's not one party, either, it's all of them - Dems, GOP, militias, whatever.

@hungryclone: True true.

@chickiepants: Someone needs to put Valium in the water supply or something.

@hungryclone: You're just saying that because you like Valium.

@chickiepants: I prefer Ativan, actually. ;-) Doesn't last as long but works much faster when you need it.;-)

@hungryclone: An expert of the drugs are we?

@chickiepants: Ihave my shrinks in 3 states on speed dial.

@hungryclone: Anyway was there anything you wanted to say to finish up this interview?

@chickiepants: Ummm, not really. Unless it's "Spay and Neuter Your Pets." It's that season at our clinic. Man, there have been some horrors.

@hungryclone: Hosting the Price is Right are we? Haha.

@chickiepants: I would do SUCH a better job than Drew Carey.

@hungryclone: You'll have to be more famous first. So publish that Zombie book fool!

@chickiepants: Ha ha ha, I'm working on it!