I’ve been looking forward to this one. Shawn Smucker (follow him on Twitter) is one of the good guys, a fellow author, Pennsylvanian, and Choose Your Own Adventure enthusiast. He’s also just released his latest book, and I’ve enjoyed what I’ve read so far. We had some fun back and forth earlier this week and made the world a better place. Here’s a sampling.

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1. Let’s start with the basics. What are 3 of your favorite movies.

I am a huge movie fan, so it’s tough to narrow it to three. I do love Michael Mann films, and Heat is right at the top of my list. I love the retelling of myths and fairy tales: Pan’s Labyrinth comes to mind. I have a love/mostly hate relationship with Leonardo DiCaprio, but The Departed was fantastic.

2. Tell us about your immediate family.

My wife is awesome. She puts up with my utter lack of concern regarding money or the future, which takes a special kind of person. She has gone with me to Jacksonville, Florida, then to England, then Virginia, and even a few dark and depressing months living in my parent’s basement after my painting business went to pot in 2009. She believes in me, which is really more than I can ask for or deserve.

We have four kids, ages 8, 7, 3 and 2. I spend most of my parenting life either laughing hysterically at the things they say or weeping at how much what I say sounds like my parents.

3. We’re both Pennsylvanians, but you rock the East side and I’m a SouthWestie. What’s the best thing about living in Eastern PA?

Eastern PA is awesome because I’m a Steelers fan and I get to make fun of my many Eagles-fan relatives. Their petty boasting is always hushed when I hold up six fingers (not on one hand).

4. Okay, let’s talk writing. I like how you pull writing lessons from different movies. Which of those movie breakdowns is your personal favorite?

I need to start doing this more often. My personal favorite is “Five Writing Lessons I Learned From Dumb and Dumber,” if only because it includes the classic line, “We got no food, no jobs…our PETS’ HEADS ARE FALLING OFF!”

5. We share a love for Choose Your Own Adventure books, and you even used that concept for a sweet blog series that your readers were able to complete. So here are two options for you.

a. You can have a time machine to jump all around the past for 100 years, but the day you return to your current life you’ll die or…

b. You live a healthy life from now on until the age of 100, but the time machine goes to someone else.

What do you choose? Continue Reading…