I'm a book maniac. I absolutely love books and read my first romances when I worked in the Lincoln, Nebraska, public library as a page during my teen years. Since that time, I've earned two Masters degrees, one in theatre arts and the other in library science, and had many other jobs. I've worked as a book reviewer (since 1970), an English composition instructor, a librarian, a public relations flak, a theatrical costumer, a magazine story writer, and a newspaper editor and reporter.

I'm married, have two grown daughters, and grand-twins, and have lived in Nebraska; Houston, Texas; Ft. Collins, Colorado; Northern Virginia (Falls Church and North Springfield); and Sacramento, California. I've traveled around Europe, Thailand, and Nicaragua; taken a boat trip down the Danube; and touched the pyramids in Egypt. My bucket list is getting emptier every year. (Or I guess you could say my cup runneth over.)

While I still read wood-based books, I'm wedded to my Kindle 3, having given my Kindle 1 (given to me right after they first came out) to my younger daughter, an avid reader like myself. I'm also a casual computer gamer, having played online games since the early days of Zork in the 1980s, and am a member of Big Fish Games since I really like hidden object games. I'm a craftsperson, having been a member of many online mail art groups, mostly those for ATCs (artist trading cards, baseball cards with art work instead of player stats) and decos (little handmade booklets whose pages are decorated by different artists around the world). Finally, I make dollhouse miniatures and am a member of NAME, the national association of miniature enthusiasts, and have recently finished making a quarter inch scale (1/4" = 1') French Quarter café and am about to take on making a quarter inch, three story Japanese house.

Absolute Favorites

Slightly Dangerous by Mary Balogh
The Temporary Wife by Mary Balogh
The Older Woman by Cheryl Reavis
She's Got It Bad by Sarah Mayberry
A Reason to Live by Maureen McKade
The More I See You by Lynn Kurland

Favorite Classic

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

What I'm a sucker for in a book:

Empowered heroines who love themselves, respect others, and fight for what they believe; emotionally or physically scarred heroes who can learn and grow; opposites who become attracted and learn how to live more happily because they incorporate each other's opposite view of the world into their lives; cowboys; protective heroines and heroes; someone who fights for the underdog; a natural leader who actually leads.

Demeaning people; heroines or heroes who "train" their love interests; rape; doing physical harm for the other's "own good"; heavy-handed religiousness; holier-than-though types; heroines who are described as feisty or plucky or self-sufficient who call for a man to get them out of trouble; liars-for any reason; people who pretend to be stupid or silly to hide their real selves.

Bad grammar that's not part of the character development and faulty punctuation because of bad editing (which is becoming more and more frequent! Yikes!); characters who are described one way but act totally different; women who don't own a brain cell; men who dominate women so that the women become ciphers of themselves; sex scenes with no purpose; characters or scenes that seem to be important but are really just filler; unsolved or purposeless mysteries; switching genres in the middle of a story without warning.

Frontier or American Historical:

A Reason to Live by Maureen McKade
Bad Man's Bride by Mary Kay Law
Silver Lining by Maggie Osborne

European Historical:

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
The Admiral's Penniless Bride by Carla Kelly
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Traditional Regency:

Frederica by Georgette Heyer
Slightly Dangerousby Mary Balogh
The Temporary Wife by Mary Balogh

Contemporary

Dream a Little Dream by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
Virgin River by Robin Carr
The Night Remembers by Kathleen Eagle

Category Romance

The Older Woman by Cheryl Reavis
She's Got It Bad by Sarah Mayberry

Medieval:

The More I See You by Lynn Kurland

Alternate Reality:

Archangel by Sharon Shinn
Fantasy Lover by Sherrlynn Kenyon
Iron Duke by Meljean Brook

Favorite Hero

Wolfric Bedwyn from Slightly Dangerous by Mary Balogh
Anthony Earhart from The Temporary Wife by Mary Balogh
Jack Devlin from Suddenly You by Lisa Kleypas

Favorite Heroine

Charity Duncan from The Temporary Wife by Mary Balogh
Laurel Covey from A Reason to Live by Maureen McKade
Jenny Jones from The Promise of Jenny Jones by Maggie Osborne

Strongest Heroine

Louise Downe from Silver Lining by Maggie Osborne
Jenny Jones from The Promise of Jenny Jones by Maggie Osborne
Frederica Merrivale from Frederica by Georgette Heyer
Rachel from Archangel by Sharon Shinn

Most Tortured Hero

Edward Rochester from Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
Calvin "Bugs" Doyle from The Older Woman by Cheryl Reavis
Christian Langland from Flowers from the Storm by Laura Kinsale

Favorite Couple

Wolfric and Christine from Slightly Dangerous by Mary Balogh
Amanda and Jack from Suddenly You by Lisa Kleypas
Anna and Edward from The Raven Prince by Elizabeth Hoyt

Best Villain

In Slightly Dangerous by Mary Balogh (Why spoil the book for those who haven't read it?)

Funny:

The Promise of Jenny Jones by Maggie Osborne

Sexy:

The Raven Prince by Elizabeth Hoyt
She's Got It Bad by Sarah Mayberry

Least-Favorites

Most Disappointing Books

I can't think of ONE book for this; so many have been disappointing.

Worst Book

I forget bad books and move on, so I can't come up with one book's title.

Authors I Have Given Up On

Stephanie Laurens
Laurell K. Hamilton

Authors Others Love That I Don't

Stephanie Meyer
Loretta Chase
J. K. Rowling
Jayne A. Krentz and her alter-egos

Non-Romance Favorites

Favorite Classic Novel

Again, there are too many sub-genres, so here are a few: Alice in Wonderland, Dracula, any Sherlock Holmes, Peter Pan, Tom Sawyer, Catcher in the Rye.

Favorite Author

So many in so many different genres: P. D. James, Harper Lee, e. e. cummings, Billy Collins, Terry Pratchett, and a host of others.

Favorite Book

Favorite Mystery

Unsuitable Job for a Woman by P. D. James

Favorite Women's Fiction

Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

Favorite YA Book

Most Recent: Beastly by Alex Flinn
Older: Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery

Favorite SF/Horror/Fantasy

Dracula by Bram Stoker

Book Most Often Re-Read

My most reread books are all romances: Temporary Wife, Bad Man's Bride, Raven Prince, and so many others whose titles are on this list. Thank goodness for my Kindles! I carry most of my DIKs with me at all times. Packing for the desert island has never been easier!

Read! Enjoy! And live in peace!

2011