A little about myself, hmmm, okay well the basics, I'm in my early 30's (34 to be precise) and I work in education. I have loved westerns and all things cowboy and Indian since I was old enough to remember. In fact, if you were to talk to my mother, she would tell you of how she used to put me in front of the TV when Bonanza was on and come back when it was finished to find I had been mesmerised for an hour and hadn't moved an inch (true story!!!). so my love of the western genre was born and has grown deeper over the years since.
I've seen and loved them all, good and bad, Bonanza, Gunsmoke and Big Valley carrying on in the seventies with How the West was Won and in the eighties Paradise and more recently Dr Quinn and the Magnificent 7. While not watching television I hungrily devoured shelves full of Zane Grey and Louis Lamour novels, moved onto Lonesome Dove and appeased my other fascination the civil War with the North and South and Gone with the Wind. Nothing could satiate my love of the era. I even took to reading history texts to fill in the gaps. I even started a degree in US History which I hope to resume later this year. My love of westerns spills over into all aspects of my life.
I listen to all types of music and despite being a sucker for seventies disco tunes I just love Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood (And sometimes Shania Twain), My favourite movies are musicals and you guessed it they're Oklahoma and Calamity Jane. I know its really daggy but I like line dancing, horse riding and walking my border collie 'Katy'. My friends will even tell you that if you have a hat, a gunbelt and ride a horse, you will be like a magnet to me.
Ten years ago along came TYR. From the first episode I was beyond hooked. I would watch each episode over and over again until I could almost recite the script. What more could I ask for, it had strong willed and resourceful woman, a good but firm Marshall, beautiful horses, exquisite scenery and the adorable if sometimes vulnerable riders, with a little bit of romance thrown in for good measure. I had died and gone to cowboy heaven.
The TYR characters are all so well defined and perfectly portrayed. Giving us a perfect basis for our fan fic. I have my favourites (guess who) Like Kirsten I have a comfort zone, mine is Buck and I'm always a little shy when my favourite character is not there to help me. It is so easy to lose yourself in their struggles, their triumphs, tears and laughter as you write a new adventure for them. I have often said that for me Fan Fic is like sharing with others your own personal episode that screens inside your mind. My biggest problem at the moment is controlling all those rampant thoughts floating around in my head and not running away with my mind, not to mention tyring to finish the stories I already have on the go,(Yes I promise Willow Creek Murders will be finished soon). Thankfully you all seem to enjoy my stories and I hope that you always will.
I think I owe my start in fan fic to Kirsten, if she hadn't encouraged and critiqued my stories for me (thanks Kirst, but don't think you're off the hook). I really don't think I would have started writing without you. There are so many people I have to thank, Joanna for putting up with my nagging (I love a Bond So Strong - have I told you that). Broedy and Tania, my fellow Brissie girls who I always seem to neglect even though we are geographically almost neighbours. Wendy thanks for filling in the gaps in my video collection and keeping me sane. Thanks to Kathleen for the mails and info we swap, for Kathy I wish I had more time to write for Welcome to Sweetwater, but I do try!!! I can't thank Janet enough for critiqueing my stories and helping me not to make an idiot of myself. Thanks to Gizmo for her friendship, trust me I know I'm a jackass, Kristen for putting up with my silly questions and equally silly comments sometimes. Thanks to Nesciri for your formatting help ( and I promise one day I'll get a link to work first go!!)
Finally thanks to Colleen, Natalie and Willow for always getting me to write quicker and giving me encouragement along the way. Thanks also to anybody I have forgotten, it wasn't intentional but I have had so many emails of encouragement form so many kind wonderful people, and made so many friends in the few short months that I have been on the net, I am still amazed.
I would love to include some of the wonderful emails that I have received, but anyone who talks to me regularly knows that last week my hard drive crashed and I lost all my stored messages. But I want to take this opportunity to thank you all for your kind words and I hope I can live up to them with my writing.
