The good news is: I've sold a new book to Ballantine. The bad news is: It probably won't be out until January 2011. Sorry, the gestational period for a novel these days is between 12-18 months. I'm also working on a short story collection and a YA novel. Hang in there!

I'm afraid I have to reveal just how geeky I truly am. I was on Compuserve in 1984, with an old coupler modem like you saw in the movie Wargames. Back when you had to pay $100 to sign up and were charged by the hour. Just because most people weren't online then, doesn't mean no one was. Just the few, the proud, the computer geeks...

Hmmm...I would have to say that my superpower is that I am impervious to hang-overs. What's your superpower?

Thanks to Danielle F. from Indiana for a great question.

Good question. My great-grandfather was a man named Min Chung, who immigrated from Kaiping, China around 1865. Later, while working in Tonopah, Nevada, he adopted the very western name of William Ford. (In fact, he's mentioned in a few history books).

Oddly enough, his son, George William Ford, was an actor in Hollywood and had to switch back to make his ethnicity more demonstrative. He appeared as a bit actor and extra in numerous films as George Chung. He also taught martial arts and was a consultant on the 70s series, Kung-Fu.

Now you know, Grasshoppah.