Since the moment I could make sense of the alphabet, put two words together, form even the smallest sentence, I was intrigued with the written word! Books are my passion, my life's blood. If you were to cut me open, I would probably bleed words and letters.

Never has it been a burden to crack a book. I loved school, loved learning, loved reading. Give me a good mystery, I'm there wide-eyed to the end. Give me a who-done-it, I'm hooked. Give me a heart wrenching romance and I'll sob with the best of them. True stories and biographies, you bet; historical novels, yes; comic books, love them; spy novels, bring them on; but dangle enchanted worlds in my face, let me live in the realms of elves, dwarves, wizards, and other magical creatures--- where anything can happen and anything is possible--- I'm sold for life.

As a child, I was terrified of my own shadow, painfully shy, socially inept. I was frightened of everything and everybody. All of the cliches of social blunder actually happened to me (and just to be honest, continue to do. I'm such a clutz in the interaction department), so it wasn't any wonder I turned to books. They became my best friends.

With books, I can escape the most painful realities, become whomever I want to be, and venture to the most wonderous places.

Books have been an amazing gift in my life. There have been so many characters I have identified with over the years. I have cried, laughed (even snorted, hiccuped, and belly-gut-hurt over), shook my head, shouted, and stomped my foot at. Some characters taught me to be courageous, some taught me empathy, many have taught me to laugh at myself, and still others have taught me that it's okay to be me.

So, it is my fondest wish that in some small measure the characters in my books will do the same for others.

***So why are you drawn to fantastical books, paranormal, magic, and enchantment?

4 comments:

  1. It is facinating to be able to step out of reality for a moment when I read. Life is not something to escape from, rather it enhances it to think of the beauties within our minds and the "what-ifs" we dreamed of as children - and even as adults.

    I will always cherish those books that got my imagination hungry for more.

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  2. Hi Gwen,
    Your words are lovely and poignant. They gave me that odd tightness in my throat and made my eyes smart with tears. I saw myself in those words. Reading was a beautiful escape for me too. How many happy hours did I spend dwelling in far off and magical places I will never know, but the fond memories of those hours spent stay with me always. Reading has made me so much of who I am too. I live to write. It's all I ever dreamed of when other girls were dreaming of marriage and children. Thank you so much for sharing.
    Kyra :)

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  3. Thanks so much Kyra. You're awesome.

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