Getting Back into this Blog thing with a Fest!

And so I return from the void for another blogfest. Today is Alex J. Cavanaugh's First Loves Blogfest which asks us to reveal four of our first loves. So here goes...

First Movie

Is it getting hot in here?

To be honest, I've never been much of a movie person. I like movies. I watch movies. But they've never been something that I loved. Thinking back over the years, it's hard to find one that really stands out in my memory as a love. Still, it was through movies that my love of faraway places and ancient things was first awakened. In particular, it was the Indiana Jones movies that inspired me thus. It was Raiders of the Lost Ark that made me snatch up every book on Ancient Egypt I could find in the library and The Last Crusade that convinced me for several years that I wanted to be an archeologist. And Indy was my first (and longest lasting) character crush. I wrote Indiana Jones fanfiction (featuring a very MarySue-esque female version of Indiana Jones) and I even enjoyed the new Indiana Jones movie, because who can resist Indiana Jones? Not I. Not I. So thank you, Indiana Jones, for inadvertently setting me on the path that I still walk today, writing fantasy fiction strong influenced by the ancient world.

First Band

It was 8th grade and nearly summer. I was in Chorus, but we had already performed our last concert of the year so our teacher just gave us a movie to watch. That movie was Help! and it introduced me to the genius of The Beatles. I spent the next year being obsessed with Help! and soon had the album memorized. But it wasn't the sort of music that my friends or family listened to and no one else understood my new found love. I didn't even know about all the other Beatles music out there and no one I knew could tell me about it. My obsession faded away and I forgot about The Beatles for some years until I met my future husband. He was a huge Beatles fan and bought me a copy of Let it Be. Wow. Could there be two more different albums than Help! and Let it Be? It was the first time I realized the amazing range and versatility of The Beatles' genius. My obsession came back full force and this time I was able to indulge myself and listen to all their music. The Beatles are still my favorite band and now I'm passing on my love to my daughter.

First Book

Can there be any question? I've always loved books and reading. But The Lord of the Rings was the book that transformed my life. And that's not an exaggeration. It was the book the really opened up my horizons, showing me all that was possible in the realm of fantasy, revealing to me the depth and breadth that a story can reach. Not only that, it led me eventually to meet my husband, another huge Tolkien fan, and thus to our family of little Elves. It's also the book that made me want to write fantasy.

First Person

My husband. There's no getting around it. My husband has always been the one and only love of my life. We've been married for nearly 10 years, but I can barely remember what life was like without him. He just belongs in my life. And without him I couldn't do any of this. I depend on his feedback, his probing questions and ideas and his editing skills. I couldn't be a writer without him. And hopefully with his help I'll be published soon!