The Proust Questionnaire, popularized by the French essayist and novelist Marcel
Proust, is said to reveal a person’s true nature through a series of probing (i.e., nosy) questions. In the hot seat today: Emily R. King, author of the YA fantasy, THE HUNDRETH QUEEN (Skyscape, May 2017).
What is your idea of perfect happiness? Being content with where I am, no matter the moment.
What is your greatest fear? Failing at something I gave my all to.
What is the trait you most deplore in yourself? I care too much about what other people think of me.
What is the trait you most deplore in others? Inconsistency. I like people who are the same every time I see them, be it happy or grumpy.
Which living person do you most admire? My father. He is talented and ambitious with an unbeatable work ethic.
What is your greatest extravagance? I like high heels. A lot.
What is your current state of mind? Anxious. Having a book baby on the way is unlike anything I have done before.
What do you consider the most overrated virtue? Honesty. Sometimes it is better to gloss over the harsh truth.
On what occasion do you lie? When the truth will injure someone I love beyond repair.
Which words or phrases do you most overuse? “I know.” I am an Aquarius, and those are our key words. We like to know things.
Besides writing, which talent would you most like to have? I have always wanted to sing.
What do you consider your greatest achievement? My four children. They are divine miracles.
If you were to die and come back as a person or a thing, what would it be? I would be a cat. Definitely.
What is your most treasured possession? I’m not much of a “things” person, but I do greatly value my grandmother’s heirloom china.
What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery? Not having those I love with me.
What do you most value in your friends? Humor. I love to laugh through life.
Who are your favorite writers? C.S. Lewis, Charlotte Bronte, Jane Austen, Megan Shepherd, Josephine Angelini, Sarah J. Maas, J.K. Rowling, and Jude Deveraux.
Who is your hero of fiction? Jane Eyre. She was the first feminist heroine I read.
Which historical figure do you most identify with? Joan of Arc. I want to be a badass warrior like her.
What is your motto? Kill them with kindness.
Born in Canada and raised in the States, EMILY R. KING has perfected the use of “eh” and “y’all” and uses both interchangeably. Shark advocate, consumer of gummy bears, and islander at heart, Emily lives in Northern Utah with her family and their cantankerous cat. Find her on her website, Facebook, and Twitter.
Thanks for agreeing to be grilled, Emily!