I'll admit right from the get-go that I'm my own worst editor. This is why, though I have many story ideas floating around in my head, I have so few of them actually written down. The other problem I've found that I have is that while I can very often create a great beginning and a great ending, it's all that stuff in the middle that connects the two that I have a problem with. And having a large mental red pen, systematically striking things out as I write them, doesn't help matters.

Regardless, it won't keep me from trying to get these ideas written down, fleshed out, and brought to some concise and complete finale.

Some of the types of books I like to read are science fiction, fantasy, romance and occasionally a light mystery or two. Therefore, most of the story ideas I have reflect what I like to read. I don't watch much television, but some of my favorite shows have been (and in some cases, still are) Quantum Leap, Doctor Who, Star Trek, Drop Dead Diva and anything on the Food Network. Some of my favorite books are usually series, such as The Lord of the Rings, The Belgariad and The Mallorean series by David and Leigh Eddings, and The Dragonriders of Pern series by Anne McCaffrey.

In my personal life I'm a graphic designer working in a sign shop; I'm married with three kids and six cats--and no, I didn't personally give birth to the cats, but I helped hand-raise five of them from ten-day-old kittens, so they're still (and always will be) my babies.

I love to sew and I collect miniature fashion dolls, and I spend way too much time on Facebook, according to my family. Just about everything else is, as Anne McCaffrey would say, "subject to change."

10-15-2014

A great many things have changed and evolved since my last profile posting. My time spent on Facebook has dwindled somewhat, though I do still check in on a daily basis. About a year ago my younger son introduced me to the video game "The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim", and now I am a hopeless addict. You may or may not have seen this reflected in two of the stories currently in the works.

Our feline population has changed: the semi-feral mother of the five kittens we had taken in managed to escape the house when a particularly strong wind blew our back door open. We've not seen her since, and know that we never will. She wasn't completely tamed, but it still hurt losing her. We still have her five kittens, who aren't really kittens anymore, and haven't been for a while, and they are still a great comfort.

Real life is still in the nasty habit of getting in the way of things I'd rather do, like write, read, sew, or play "Skyrim". I don't know if I'll ever be able to afford to retire, but I know what I'd spend my time doing if it ever happens. I'll let you know how that works out. In the meantime, please enjoy my drabblings, and as always, I would love to read feedback from you, the reader. Thank you!

07-11-2018

It's been four years since my last profile update, so I suppose it's about time to remedy that oversight.

I have changed jobs, not because I wanted to, but because circumstances demanded it. I could no longer work for a man with anger-management issues who felt that mental and verbal abuse was a good way to increase productivity from me. Now I work in retail, at far less than I was making before, and my dream of retirement has become just that...a dream. I am still playing "Skyrim" nearly everyday. We still have all five "kittens" from the feral mama, and they are all celebrating their 10th birthday today.

I lost my wonderful father last year around this time; cancer. My siblings and I managed to get my Mom moved back to my home state where she is currently enjoying a comfortable life in an assisted living facility that will cater to her increasing needs for assistance as she get older. She celebrated her 84th birthday yesterday. Go, Mom! (grin).

My husband suffered a heart attack at the end of 2016. He pulled through, but it meant a change of lifestyle for him. The company he works for changed his territory so he wouldn't have to travel quite so far from home each day, but he still hates his job and wishes he, too, could retire. You can thank the greedy corporate jackasses for that, as well as the Conservative side of the government who seem to feel we should all just work ourselves to death to make them richer.

On the bright side, after 24 years in the same house, enduring summer after summer with no air conditioning, we finally were able to afford to have a unit put in this week. I don't live in the deep south, but let me tell you, Chicago-area summers are no picnic, either! I had probably the most restful sleep I've had in a while last night!

That's it for now. It might be another year or two (or three) before I update again. As always, please read and review my work. I appreciate all of you taking the time. Thank you!

2-8-2020

Two years since my last profile update. I'm no longer working in retail; in fact, I'm no longer working outside my home. I took an early retirement, not because I wanted to, but because with my age and health against me, I couldn't find work. Working in retail wrecked my knees. I can't stand for more than a half hour before I have to sit. It is what it is.

I still have a lot of irons in the fire, however. I'm still plugging away on my story, still trying to sew, and I still play video games. I also recently revived my Dungeons & Dragons campaign after a one year hiatus.

I learned I have sleep apnea (which runs in my family, so I'm not surprised) and as of a couple months ago I was finally able to get a CPAP machine. The relief I feel cannot be adequately expressed, but I'll try. Imagine you're asleep and you begin to dream, and everything starts out fine. But the dream changes and suddenly you're drowning, or being crushed under a huge weight, and you can't breathe. Now imagine that's not a dream, but reality. Your body is screaming at you to WAKE UP because you've stopped breathing, and you claw your way out of sleep trying to take that next breath. That's how it was for me. I will always have apnea the rest of my days, but at least with the CPAP machine, I no longer have to worry about stopping breathing in the middle of the night and never waking up again.

I've also torn my rotator cuff, and I'm still trying to figure that one out. The only sports I engage in is pushing my luck, jumping to conclusions and throwing my weight around. The doctor told me, "Simply age and sleeping wrong can do that." Great. Welcome to the Golden Years, Aurora Nova! Well, the Golden Years can kiss my ass!

One thing I want to mention, before I close this up for another couple years or so: if you leave me a review, but don't sign in (leaving a review as a "Guest"), just know that I can't respond if you ask me a question. I have no way to reply to a Guest's comments. I'm not ignoring you; FanFiction(dot)net doesn't have a mechanic that allows me to answer you. So to anyone concerned about whether I will continue my story...yes. If I am physically capable of sitting down and writing, I will work to finish the story before I shuffle off this mortal coil. It just might take me a bit longer than I like, especially if I hit a writer's block.

That's it for this time. Thank you all again for staying with me!