I'm a mom, wife, and generally a touch nuts. I have three daughters who keep me guessing daily and a husband with a Mensan IQ and wicked sense of humor (so I let him believe). I have written the first draft of my first YA novel and trying to work out the kinks. I have been writing since I was a preteen to relieve the angst and mostly imagined drama of those years. As I got older I wrote more in the way of poems and short stories but never imagined publishing...it's a brutal world...AND THEN I HAD CHILDREN. Yep, for a matter of three hectic years I did very little in the way of writing...AND THEN I READ TWILIGHT! I'm not sure what it was about the books but they inspired me to take up the pen (or in my case keyboard) again. Even if I am never able to publish my original works I will continue to write, just say'n!

On the Twilight note and all things RPatz, uh, yeah, I should mention I am a bit enamored with a certain chisel jawed twentysomething Brit who happens to star in all my dreams...lemony and otherwise. So far my wonderfully understanding husband is ok with it but I personally still feel a bit skeevy about lusting after someone so much younger-- mumbles exact amount of years under breath.

I may eventually decide to write some fan fic but I have to say the prospect of competing for readers with some of the authors that are currently on my fav's list has me a bit flustered. If I go there you will know. I know I have a few wonderful people in my corner who would cheer me on but me and my big ass baby self need to get over my insecurities first;-)

More of Me, in a largish nutshell

I'm 37 and depending on the day can feel either 10 yrs older or 10 yrs younger.

I love the "F" word (and I don't mean Fudge) but only use it with my bb's because my kids are friggin parrots and would be all over that shit.

My favorite children's books are the Skippy Jon Jones series, Where the Wild Things Are, and the Beatrix Potter books (whose illustrations I adore to the point of embroidering them for my daughters)...its good to have new and classic favorites, IMO.

My favorite YA book from my own adolescence was about two kids who travel in time to help two ghosts...can't remember the name but the movie The Amazing Mr. Blundin is based on it...book had dif. name.

My current YA favorites are (because I have a teen in the house and part of me still thinks it's 15...not the bodily parts I assure you) the Twilight Saga - of course, the Study Series and Glass Series by Maria V. Snyder, and Melissa Marr's Wicked Lovely and consequent books (the series has no real name). There are of course more but these are the stars.

I convinced my oldest daughter to start reading (before this intervention she hadn't picked up a book with more than 100 pages in it) after we watched Twilight on DVD six times. I refused to let her watch it again until she read at least the first book and she hasn't stopped reading since...YAY ABIGAIL!

First real crush was on a guy named Kyle when I was in Kindergarten and he brought me a rock for my rock collection...ya know, the one I decided to take the morning of show-and-tell so I picked rocks up on the way to school? Yeah, that one...GAWD, he would probably kill me for mentioning that (mental note not to mention this on Face Book;-)!

I'm originally from Kansas but have moved to Colorado. I will, however always be a fan of the University of Kansas...RockChalkJHawk, KU!

My daugters names reflect my love of all things old fashioned and my youngest was named after a character in another favorite book series, Anne of Greene Gables...Abigail, Olivia, and Emaline.

I hated my name - Veronica - until my mid 20's

I married a man who knows more things about beer and brewing than is socially acceptible but that is half the reason I love him, he's an incredible cook (he just recv'd the first Julia Childs cook book and plans on becoming the sauce king...his words not mine)...my mouth benefits from this but my waistline most definitely doesn't, and he has terrible taste in movies.

To relieve stress and appease my sweet tooth crazy family I bake pies. I had never attempted baking a pie until I met my husband and was trying to impress him. My first attempt was mediocre but I have since become a pie master (get your minds outta the gutter people!).

After living with my husband for almost 10 years I have acquired a rather quick and snarky sense of humor, which he of course takes credit for. Again, I let him think what he wants cause it's just plain easier;-)

I have 3 kids so I've been subjected to many an animated movie. Here are a few characters that make me pee my pants everytime I watch them...King Julien from Madagascar (a singing, dancing Lemur w/ an Indian accent is pure, unadultrated WIN), Elliot from Open Season (Ashton Kutcher was straight up funny in this and I can't watch the character walk around with a bear back pack strapped to his deer man bits w/out busting a gut), Donkey from Shrek (again, the voice is just so frig'n funny. Who can forget the parfait monologue?), and any character that Patrick Warburton does, and there are lots, because he's just hilarious even if it is the same voice everytime!

My favorite poem is:

The Dilemma

To laugh is to risk appearing a fool.
To weep is to risk appearing sentimental.
To reach out for another is to risk involvement.
To expose feelings is to risk rejection.
To place your dreams before the crowd is to risk ridicule.
To love is to risk not being loved in return.
To go forward in the face of overwhelming odds is to risk failure.

But risks must be taken because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing.

The person who risks nothing does nothing, has nothing, is nothing.

He may avoid suffering and sorrow, but he cannot learn, feel, change, grow or love.

Chained by his certitudes, he is a slave.

He has forfeited his freedom.

Only a person who takes risks is free.

- Author Unknown

Ok, nuff said. Must get back to RL, peeps!