2) Pens or Pencils?

Pencils – they are excellent for sketching maps.

3) Star Wars or Star Trek?

Star Wars! I grew up with them – Leia is my kind of princess. In fact, all the characters are marvellous in Star Wars. Most recently Rey and Finn are my favourites, and BB8 of course. I love how you can understand droids without them actually speaking!

4) A lovely cup of tea or an invigorating cup of coffee?

Ha, this one hundred percent has to be tea, tea and more tea!

5) Cats or Dogs?

Small fluffy dogs! I dream of having a Shi-Tzu puppy to take for walks.

6) Holidays by the sea or strolling in the countryside?
I love the countryside which is strange because I live by the sea. I’m a wannabe country girl at heart and would be more than happy spending days trudging over hills dreaming stories…

7) Airships or steam-propelled land conveyances?

Old fashioned style sky-ships I think, although land conveyances could be fun too. *ponders new invention

8) Marmite Lover or Marmite Loather?

LOVE IT. On toast with a cup of tea (my desert island food/drink picks!).

9) Writing in silence or to a background track / noise?

I like soundtracks for writing, especially when I’m germinating ideas. They get you straight to the heart of an emotion, which helps me when I’m busy and snatching time to write in between other things. I like silence when I’m editing as my brain is usually being more practical than emotional.

10) Pioneering explorer in South Polaris or Gadabout in Lontown?

Explorer, although perhaps somewhere a little warmer than South Polaris, like the Eastern Isles, or a trip back to see kings Batzorig and Temur in the Second Continent Citadel – they would be fun to spend more time with!


(Thank you for your great qs!)

...and thank you for your superb answers! 

"Brightstorm" by Vashti Hardy is out now, published by Scholastic. 

Have you ever looked up while walking around your neighbourhood? Looked up into the blue sky? What do you see?

2) Tea or coffee?

At work it’s got to be tea; but what I really like is hot chocolate, rich and warm with a big dollop of thick cream and a fountain of chocolate shavings on top.



3) Gym Bunny or Couch Potato?

Neither – I’m a water sprite. I go swimming a lot. (I try not to think about all the potential nasties that might get me; such as athletes’ foot in the changing room, cryptosporidium bugs in the pool . . .)

4) Lazing on a beach or exploring the countryside?

Exploring every time (unless I’ve got a nice shiny new book and then I love to read it on the beach).

5) Doctor Xand or Dr Chris (From TV's "Operation Ouch")

Oh no, what a mean question! As I’m a doctor too, I respect them both. But if I really must choose between them, I’d go for Dr Xand, but only because it’s such a cool name. (C would also choose Dr Xand "Because he's very silly" - Ed)

6) Icky cold medicine or honey and lemon?

That’s easy – icky cold medicine, because there’s nothing better for making you want to get well than having to force down an enormous dose of vile black medicine.

7) Dogs or Cats?

Well, both can carry nasty diseases, but who cares, as I really like dogs! Anyway, hugging them makes me happy, which is good for my immune system.

8) Summer or Winter?

Summer, because Winter’s filled with all those horrid little cough and cold germs that are out to get you. Did you know that a sneeze can travel up to eight metres if you don’t trap it with a tissue? 

9) Pens or Pencils?

Pens – it can be hard to write, so when I get some words out I want them to be big and bold on the paper, even if I have to cross them out later.

10) Choose your illness- a bug that makes animals love you, or a virus that gives you a fit of the giggles?


Give me the virus with the giggles anytime! I like animals, I really do, but just imagine what would happen if they started following me everywhere – I’d get into so much trouble. And what if it made creatures like spiders and snakes or even cockroaches love me too? I really don’t think I’d want spiders scuttling into my bed at night to cuddle up with me!

Whoah! A huge thanks to Gwen for some absolutely amazing answers (though we're now going to be paranoid about petting dogs and cats, or visiting the local swimming pool!). 

Gwen's fantastic debut "Alice Dent and the Incredible Germs" is out on 1st March 2018, published by Chicken House Books. 

We cooked up a set of devilishly difficult questions and she came through with flying colours. So without further ado, here's our "This or That" with Sophy!

1. Chocolate or Cheese?

Cheeeeeeeese! Can I have crackers and piccalilli too please? (But of course you can! -Ed)

2. Pens or Pencils?

Pencils.


3. Doctor Who or Sherlock Holmes?

Sherlock Holmes as I do love a good murder mystery.


4. Cats or Dogs?

Dogs ( I am only saying that as I have a snoring Jack Russell at my feet, otherwise I would definitely say both!)


5. Seaside or Countryside?

Seaside, but the parts that have countryside right up the edge - see what I did there? Sneaky! (Very! -Ed)



6. Car or Bike?

Car, as I am hopeless on a bike. Now if you'd have said Car or Roller Skates.... (Now you've got us thinking. We LOVE skating - Ed)



7. Cakes or Biscuits?

Biscuits, you can't dunk cake.



8. Tea or Coffee?


TEA. All the tea. Sadly I can't drink coffee anymore as it makes me too jumpy. The last time I tried I managed half a cup and had to go for a run.



9. Gym Bunny or Couch Potato?


Gym Bunny. There is a LOT of sitting at my desk with this job so I HAVE to go to the gym or I just melt into my chair. And I do quite like jumping about like a loon. (Yep, us too! -Ed)



10. Can-Do Bunnies or Slightly Grumpy Pandas

If I am hungry then Slightly Grumpy Pandas, otherwise Can-Do Bunnies.

Thank you SO MUCH Sophy for stopping by to put yourself under the This or That spotlight - and fantastic luck with the launch of "Almost Anything" (published by Puffin).