Phew, it's been a while. Okay, here goes. I am an editor, piano teacher, and kind-of-writer. I've always loved to read and my first real ambition when I was a kid was to be an author. As the years passed, other ambitions took shape, but the love of reading and writing has stuck with me ever since.

I have been a sucker for period romance ever since my early days of watching Anne of Green Gables and pining for that bridge scene. Needless to say, when my mother introduced me to Pride and Prejudice, there was no hope for me to escape Jane Austen's clutches. I love her works (yes, even Northanger Abbey) and most movie adaptations of them. (note that i say "most".) I didn't love North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell when I first read it, but I soon changed my tune after seeing the beautiful BBC production starring my man Richard Armitage. I think all good movie adaptations should inspire you to read the book, which this did.

Other favorite books: A Tale of Two Cities and David Copperfield. The Count of Monte Cristo. Les Miserables. The Scarlet Pimpernel. Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings nerd big-time. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society for lighter fare. To Say Nothing of the Dog.

I am firmly of the opinion that every girl should read The Secret Garden, the Anne of Green Gables series (at least the first three books of it), and Little Women. They have great messages for real girls and women about heroines who grow up, learn important lessons, change, and live happy and productive lives. Current literature really emphasizes strong women, and those contemporary heroines are great; I'm not saying anything against them. But we can't forget the ones who came before. Strong women and girls have existed in literature for much longer than we give them credit for. They teach us valuable lessons that are every bit as relevant today as they were a hundred or more years ago.

As for fanfiction, I've mainly stuck with North and South (and why wouldn't I, really?), but for a couple of years I pretty much stopped all writing, which stunk because I was smack-dab in the middle of a story that I was actually fairly close to finishing, and kept on "meaning to get back to it". I hope some day I will, mainly because I also hate it when a story is left dangling on these sites. But for now my muse has shifted and motivation to write fanfiction has transferred to Star Wars, which was a shock. Totally out of my wheelhouse. But what can you do?

I've loved Gilbert, Mr. Darcy, Mr. Thornton, and Faramir for a very long time, with a healthy admiration for other literary heroes. Most girls say at some point in their lives that they want a Mr. Darcy for real. I admit I did. But if I had to compare my awesome hubby with any literary character, it would be Mr. Bingley (brief abandonment of jane excluded) -- "sensible, good humoured, lively; and I never saw such happy manners." Hence my profile name. I got myself a Bingley, and that ain't bad. :)