I don't know who really cares, but here it is - my boring little piece of the world!

I'm 45, married (we're still as happy as newlyweds after 7-1/2 years of marriage, and 16 years together), with two step-children, 3 nieces, 2 nephews, a nephew-by-marriage, and two little second cousins who are my niece and nephew at heart (their dad is my first cousin but we were raised closely enough that he might as well be my brother!).

If you know me, you know I love to read. I surround myself with books. I always have at least two or three going at once. I carry at least one with me at all times and nothing makes me happier and calmer than a good book. I'd rather read than watch TV. I'd rather read, actually, than do almost anything else at all! I love romances, contemporary ones if I have my choice, but I also enjoy general fiction. I've been known to read a political book or two, when it slants my way (to the right), and non-fiction when the subject piques my interest. Some of my favorite authors are Jodi Picault, Tami Hoag, J.K. Rowling, Ayn Rand, Dean Koontz, Nicholas Sparks, Mitch Albom - yes, they're pretty much all over the map!

I've never considered myself very artistic but I've found a recent talent for scrapbooking. I also never considered myself to be an addictive personality type, but let me tell you - scrapbooking is addictive for me! I think it's because I like the pages I create, I tend to want to do it more and more. I never realized the push to create could be so strong.

I've always wanted to write - I used to swear that I had so many stories to tell - but I don't think I have it in me. I'm too self-critical. I tried once, tried to write a romance. I've read so many of them that, well, how hard could it be, right? WRONG! I came up with a story set in Alaska (my dream vacation), with a hero based on my teenage perception of who Mr. Right would be (not even close to my Mr. Right!), a heroine who was loosely based on Laurie Partridge in looks (yes, "The Partridge Family" was a big part of my preteen life!), and several pages into my first draft, what did I discover? The book had been written before - by another author, with more talent and imagination than I had.

Now I know that "art is based on life" and "there's nothing new under the sun" and I even know that Harlequin has an actual format for writing a romance novel, but I wanted it to be original, fun to read, good, darn it! And it sucked! So I tore it up!

I'm sort of insecure and secure in myself at the same time. I mean, deep down inside, who's really all that secure? But I know I'm loved, I know I'm a good person, I know I put others first, I know I'm not stupid - but deep down inside, in my heart of hearts, I'm that little girl who was a bookworm, without a lot of friends (but certainly I had a few!), who always wanted to be bigger and better than she was. Today I'm a wife, mother, daughter, sister. I have a job in a field I love (publishing - although who'd have thought I would be in sales?!?! But that's another story for another time!), and I'm doing okay at it. I have friends. I'm happy.

And now, now I have a blog. I have blogs on other websites, but I think I'm going to delete them and move that stuff over here, to one site, where I can put a little piece of me out there for you.

I'd love to meet you - write back!

More at a later time...