Confessions of a fan girl....

Okay, so, I admit it.  I'm a bit of a nerd, a geek, a weirdo.  In times long past, say 10, 15 or 20 years ago (or longer) one had to be ubber careful--peer pressure has never been fun--not in any generation.  But not so much any more.  It's almost, dare I use the word "cool," to be smart or weird or geeky.  Big Bang Theory, anyone???

As a book store owner and book reader you would expect me to have a lot of books...but I don't just have a lot of books.  I have A LOT of books.  I also have a lot of DVDs and Blu-Rays and though my comic collection only consists of a few select titles it is still ever growing.  Here's a sampling of the Blu-Ray & DVD collection that currently resides in our dining room.

Wall one of Blu-Ray & DVD

See, I have a slight problem...it's the same problem that most people who favor genre books/TV/movies/comics/video games/anime do.  We collect things.  Not only do we collect things, we have to have the different editions and different covers.  Sometimes we'll have three, four or five copies of the exact same thing. 

Wall two of DVD

Yes.  It's true.  Don't ask me how many copies of GUILTY PLEASURES by Laurell K. Hamilton I have.  Seriously.  We're like in double digits at this point.  I'm really resisting the urge to justify all the different copies...but trust me...there are legitimate reasons...some of the books are signed, too.

It's sad and crazy and something only other genre geeks can truly understand.

I recently got to check off one of my "wish list" genre people.  You know, the cool famous people you'd just love to sit around and chat with for a little while. 

NYT Bestselling Author Jim Butcher, best know for his Harry Dresden series, and his lovely wife, up and coming paranormal and romantic suspense writer, Shannon K. Butcher, spoke with MORWA during our monthly writer's meeting.

So...how cool was it???  It was way cool.  I won't lie.  Their talk was fun and informative.  Their interaction was great.  Clearly a strong bond with both parties full of sardonic wit and wisdom.  I just want to take a moment and bow down to the amazing writing discipline that Shannon has...her left brain thinking is SO doing her justice here.  I only wish I could be as disciplined.  In fact, as much as I as loved meeting JIM BUTCHER, as a writer, I was most inspired by Shannon's discipline.  Seriously, girlfriend has got it going on!

Jim & Shannon Butcher & Wendy Drew

There was a small signing after the talk and I proceeded to get (almost) my entire Harry Dresden collection signed (original covers are currently residing in my mom's basement until we move into a new/bigger house).  Another awesome fan girl moment...how many signings would I have had to attend to get all of 'em signed???  A LOT.  And now I don't have to feel guilty cause he didn't have to ice his hand down or anything.  Ahhh...small signings...how I love thee!

How could the day get any better?  How about an amazing lunch where the topic of conversation ranged from Joss Whedon to Star Trek to gaming to their "nerd farm" and everything in between.  It was awesome.  Seriously, seriously, awesome.

*sigh*  Now if someone could just hook me up with Joss Whedon....  Seriously...anyone???  I promise I won't make him sign my whole Buffy comic collection.  Maybe Fray?  It has fewer issues...

Testing, testing, 1, 2, 3, testing...

*tap, tap, tap*

Is this thing on???  Hello?  Anyone out there???

So...I started a blog.  Everyone else seems to be doing it, so why not me?  Yeah, I know, if everyone else jumped off a cliff, would I do it, too?  No, not so much.  I'm not really a fan of jumping off cliffs--it might mess up my purple hair.

As the title of this blog suggests I will mostly be talking about books in some way, shape or form.  I'm a bookseller (I own a new and used bookstore in O'Fallon, MO called Rose's Bookhouse), I'm a book lover/reader (time permitting) and a book writer (or "pre-contracted" as some of us like to call it).

Since life interrupted my writing flow a few years ago--all good stuff, I assure you--I've been struggling to get pen to paper, or fingers to keyboard, as the case may be.  Perhaps the blog will help me to just write.  Small steps.  The characters still live in my head.  They talk and laugh and cry and love and scream and shout.  But I seem to have lost the focus to give them their voice.  So perhaps I need to find mine again before I can give them theirs.

Here's to hoping I have something worthwhile to say and that my voice can be heard.

*tap, tap, tap*

Are we sure this thing is on???