Comics taught me everything about romance

I'm a guy. What does that mean exactly? It means 'guys' have funny ways of finding out about romance. I'll be the first to tell you most of what we learn turns out to be 99% wrong. That other 1% women have to tell us about and we usually poo poo the whole concept you might be right. Otherwise, men wouldn't still be using the same tired pick up lines learned at the feet of our forefathers. Honestly, it's a wonder the human race didn't die out before it got started.

All that said, how did I learn enough about romance to end up writing books on the subject. The answer is simple. Comic books. Huh? Did he just say comic books? Don't worry, I knew you were going to say that so went ahead and typed it. The answer is, "yes I did" and "I did." Before you hit a bookmark and go to Facebook to laugh at me publicly, allow me to explain. This is going to take a few blogs, so expect to come back for my next thrilling issue.

Today I'm going with the basics. Comic books are the male equivalent of soap operas. I know women read comics too, but this is as close as most men come to openly stating we watch or read anything close to romance. What makes comics a romance medium? Let me give you some examples

Romance and comics both start off with a bigger than life hero. Be it Superman or Chase Michaels from my own Immortally Yours, the hero is set up to be the man every other man would want to be and every woman should want. Superman is invulnerable. Chase is immortal. Yet, they both have their weaknesses. Supes has kryptonite. Chase has his own tortured past. It isn't their strengths that make them appealing to women. It's the fact that both characters refuse to allow their weaknesses to hold them back.

Now, that we have the hero out of the way, let's move on to the heroine. Romances have strong females propelling the story, so do comics. It would be easy to toss Wonder Woman at you to illustrate this point, but I'm not. In paranormal romances, the heroine rarely has any superpowers to speak of. Most of the time it's the man who is the tortured vampire, or strong cursed werewolf. Comics have so many strong females who don't have superpowers it isn't funny, though we're talking about 'funny' books. Lois Lane is easily as strong mentally and in the spirit department as Superman. Mary Jane Watson has puny Peter Parker beat when it comes to knowing who she is and what she wants. As we well know, old Pete ain't got a clue. To dip into the super-powered side of comics, Sue Storm Richards might look like she has the weakest power out of the Fantastic Four, but not only can she level a mountain then push it out of the way, she is the glue that holds the FF together and has kept those other three knuckleheads in line for over forty years, all while raising two kids. Tell me she doesn't deserve some respect!

Romances thrive on strong females. Who wants to read about some mewling woman dependent on a man to define her, protect her, and generally keep her happily barefoot and pregnant at home? I don't. I know that you as readers don't. Neither do the millions of guys reading comics out there. We want women as strong as the Hulk out there mixing it up. We won't go into the costumes. That's the only place where men are still dragging our knuckles in the dirt and grunting like cavemen. I don't draw the costumes but as a guy I will appreciate them until my wife knocks me over the head with the club I dropped to dislocate my eyeballs leering at them. Picture to right is an ample example, but in her defense the Red She-Hulk kicks butt and takes names.

Okay we've got heroes and heroines, but where's the romance? Let's start with Superman. Clark and Lois spent nearly seventy years going round and round the romance carousel before finally admitting they loved each other and getting married. Peter Parker and Mary Jane took less time, only twenty some odd years. Reed Richards and Susan Storm had them all beat by taking less than one hundred issues to tie the knot, but Stan Lee knew that every great story revolved around two things. A boy and a girl, plus giving the people what they wanted.

Speaking strictly as a guy, and a geek, I loved the romance going on between those characters. It helped drive the story and keep me coming back. I knew that sooner or later the Green Goblin or Doc Doom would show up for a big showdown. But, I didn't know if Peter and Mary would hook up. I'll be going more into Peter Parker on a later blog, by the way. A comic book with just one fight after another would be boring. I seriously doubt they would have last this long if that was the only thing going on. The issues where Clark married Lois and Peter married Mary Jane were some of the biggest sellers in history, so I'm not the only one who must have thought that way.

So, basically what I'm try to say is that comic books taught me everything I know about romance and it must have worked. I'm happily married to the woman of my dreams, who puts up with my geekiness. Do you know how hard it is to find a woman like that? Well, believe me, it's hard. Another thing, you're reading this blog because you've read at least one of my books, so that means comics have taught me well enough for you to enjoy the fruit of my addiction to comics. So, the next time you want to read a good romance, pick up a comic. It may take you fifty years to get your happily ever after, but it is a fun ride until it happens.

Next week, check out my second part of this Comic Farce, Peter Parker is a man whore, over at my personal blog The Morgan Diaries. I'll be examining how this geeky superhero has played with the emotions of countless women and trained geeks like me in the ways of how not to romance a woman. I'm blowing the lid off this one, folks. J. Jonah Jameson will be positively green with envy!

Paranormal vs Horror, the Jmo opinion

When I was younger, around nine to whenever, I was the biggest scaredy cat you'd ever want to meet. I blame Salem's Lot, a miniseries based on the novel of the same name by Stephen King. Something about that movie scared the stupid right out of me. I think it was the kid floating outside the window scratching to be let in, or the Master at the end. Whatever it was, I slept with a crucifix for a long time after it. As you can see, it took me a long time to come to grips with things that go bump in the night.

How did I overcome my fear of the things lurking in the dark? I read Salem's Lot and generally devoured everything by Stephen King I could before moving onto other horror novelists. Nothing like facing your fears to overcoming them. later on, I discovered other horror masters, Dean Koontz, and the unforgettable H.P. Lovecraft, who I believe talked to me on levels that the other authors didn't even come close to reaching..

Strange thing is, I wasn't afraid of Dark Shadows. It had vampires, witches and werewolves. If it had the big three of horror, why didn't I hide under my blankie with a crucifix firmly in hand? Because, Dark Shadows wasn't horror. It was something totally different. A hybrid of Horror and an old romance staple, Gothic. Sure at the time people called it Gothic, but looking back I believe with all my heart that Dark Shadows was the forerunner of what we modern day romance novelists call Paranormal.

It had all the requirements we look for in Paranormal. A tragic tortured hero cursed to live forever in darkness, while his hearts yearns for the sun and the love of the one woman who he can never have. Or, can he? That question was asked a lot over the course of that show. More times than not, the answer was no.

Years later I discovered Anne Rice, Nancy Collins and a number of authors who wanted to push the envelope of horror fiction. We had the monsters we had come to love, but they were us! Us, in that they questioned their existence, wondered if they had souls, and more importantly wanted to love more than be mindless monsters bent on the destruction of the things they couldn't have. Later Sheri Kenyon, Lynsay Sands, J.R. Ward, and a host of other authors would take this to a whole new level.

With our framework of Horror and Paranormal in place, what differentiates Horror from Paranormal? For one thing, the point of a paranormal romance isn't to scare the crap out of you. Sure, Stephen King, most Horror authors for that matter, might have a heroine and hero that is brought together during the course of his novels, but that isn't the central theme in the book.  Believe me, if a romance novelist threw as much crap at their main characters as a horror novelist did, there wouldn't be time for romance. Whereas horror deals with the psychological aspects of a story, romance deals with the emotional. Now, that doesn't mean just the lovey dovey part, but the hard problems of getting past the differences in people to find true love.

Let's get back to the topic at hand. Why isn't Paranormal Romance Horror? Well for one thing, it combines so many genres that it can be hard to untangle what comes from where. Here's the kicker that makes Paranormal Romance uniquely its own. Paranormal contains elements of horror, so we're threading a fine line trying to separate the two. I'm not through yet, so don't blink. It is wrapped in the best parts of high fantasy. Most of them are deeply rooted in the contemporary world. Some even have components of Science Fiction incorporated into them. Being from Louisiana, I know just the word to describe Paranormal Romance. Lagniappe. If you're unfamiliar with the word, let me define it like this--romance with a little something extra. You can't get any better than that.

So when someone says that paranormal is just watered down horror feel free to laugh in their faces. If they say something about it, tell 'em Jmo made you do it. Probably won't save you from a butt whooping but you never can tell. As you can tell from my books, I go the other route. I make them laugh in mine, or snort Coke all over the place. Either way it's fun to watch.

Check out the second half of this debate with Stephanie Burkhart over at the Morgan Diaries, where she gives her take on the subject.

http://themorgandiaries.blogspot.com/

The Michelangelo Blues: For the First Time

Your first published book is like your first love for many reasons. I think the main one is when you finally have your first book published, it's a lot like your first love. You're not sure what you're doing. You're nervous that you're going to screw up in some gigantic way and no one will love you ever again. Once you make it through all the hard work, you find out you didn't have anything to be scared of. The Michelangelo Blues was that book for me. I'm sure some of that nervousness shows through in it, but in spite of that, the book is something I will forever be proud of. Why? Because, it proved that I was an author. You can't get a better feeling than that.

Blurb

Janis Stockwell knew she was complete when she made partner. She couldn’t have been more wrong. Instead it just opened a new door into the past. Namely having her portrait done by Michael Dumont, a high school crush she thought she’d left behind years ago. At one time he was everything she wanted in her life. Now he is everything she hates in a man.

When a man she put in jail five years ago blows into town, Janis finds herself a marked woman with Michael the only man she can turn to for help. With a vicious killer hot on their trail, Janis and Michael find themselves running headlong into danger and just maybe love.

A taste of the Blues

Then it hit her. All she needed to do was just sleep with him and get over it. She was simply using him as the focus for her frustration. Yes, she was frustrated! Six years without a man tended to do strange things to a woman's equilibrium. To make it even more pathetic, the last time hadn't exactly been all explosions and rockets bursting in midair. In fact, she couldn't even remember a firecracker going off anywhere in the room, so as far as she was concerned it didn't happen. If she gave into her urges, they would go away. It was classic psychology. Take the treat and the desire goes away.

Big talk while you're hiding in bed but you'll never do it.

Janis knew she couldn't seduce Michael. She wouldn't become one of 'those women'. She had too much self-respect for herself to become a Desperate Housewife. But if the opportunity presented itself, would she turn it down? The thought fluttered through her mind, bringing forth a horde of images making her go weak in the knees. Good thing she was still in bed or Michael would come in to find her a quivering blob on the floor. Janis brushed away the thin sheen of sweat miraculously appearing on her brow and sat up. God, she was returning to her teenager years, with all the raging hormones to go with it.

Janis fumbled with her watch. It was 1:52. She had been in her room for over two hours. Oh yeah! She was acting so grown up.

She knew Wallace was gone. He'd left shortly after she had torn both of them a new one in the kitchen. So, at least he didn't know she had spent half the afternoon brooding in her room. She was, at least, spared the shame of the silent tsk-tsk under his breath.

Michael, on the other hand, knew. She must have put the fear of God into him, because he hadn't made a peep the entire time she'd barricaded herself up in here.

What if he left with Wallace? No, he wouldn't leave her alone in the house with Bettis on the loose. He was out there. Michael was just too afraid to show his face. She couldn't blame him if he was. Janis had done a damn fine job of turning into the Wicked Bitch of the South, and gone all Psycho on him.

Maybe he was in the studio. She sincerely hoped so. She had to use the bathroom and didn't want to run into him just yet. Janis crept up to the door and cracked it open enough to see if there was any sign of him moving about. No sign of him. She opened the door wider. The door to the studio sat closed. She heard his radio blaring through the closed door. Good, he must be holed up in there, painting or whatever he wanted to call it. It seemed safe enough to venture out of her room. In spite of her thoughts of bravely facing her fears, Janis figured she could handle doing it easier with an empty bladder and a few more minutes to work up her courage.

Taking one last look toward the studio, Janis shot from the door and made a beeline for the bathroom. As quick as she could, Janis swung the bathroom door open, ducking in just in time to see Michael stepping from the shower.

Her body stopped working, as she drank in the sight of him. Luckily for her, he had his head covered by a towel, which he was using to vigorously dry his head that made his body dance in unspeakable perfection. Every muscle in his well-formed body rippled from the jerky movements. Janis knew she could dart out leaving Michel none the wiser. The plan, while good in theory, had no chance in hell of working. To her ultimate shame, Janis' feet had become inconveniently frozen in place.

For more of the Blues, all you have to do is stop by the Desert Breeze Publishing Website for your chance to get some down home Southern charm with a heaping dish of danger on the side. 

The Michelangelo Blues

Feels Like the First Time

Once upon a time there was a boy who thought he might want to write suspense filled romance type stories. Sure, I know you hear these kinda things everyday. Or, maybe you don't. Either way, this story has a happy ending. I'm pretty certain it does. Least ways, last time I looked it did. Then again, this wouldn't be the first time the voices in my head have been known to lead me astray.

Where was I again?

Oh yeah, I was about to dish to you about my first time. It was a Monday. How can I remember it so clearly? Because you don't forget things like that. Like I said it was a Monday, horrible day altogether to tell you the truth. One of those days you just want to crawl into bed and forget it happened. You know the type. Any hoo, I stumble in and take care of all those things you do when you get home from a terribly bad day. Shower and shaved and fed up, I proceeded to crawl into the aforementioned bed.

And, there she is waiting for me. The answer to my every dream. My hands shaking with something akin to fear and the strongest desire you've ever experienced, I reached out and stroked my quivering fingers over the one thing I'd wanted most in my entire life. Electricity shot through me at the fleeting touch. I must have pushed all the right buttons because my doorway to nirvana opened up before my eyes. Licking my oh so dry lips, I delved into the secrets of the universe, or something equally boggling to a male mind. Opening an email.

Hey! Back in the day, with dial up, it was a pain to get an email to download in under thirty minutes. Men don't like waiting.

Wait? You thought I was talking about something else. You all have dirty minds! Especially  you over there. Stop mopping your brow and panting. It's unseemly.

No, I'm talking about my first contract as a published author. I had been writing for a few years with a couple nice rejections under my belt for some non-romance books I'd tried my hand at. My wife had finally pushed me to write a romance, since I read so many of them. In less than four weeks I'd written my first romance, which was unlike anything I'd written before or since. I was so nervous that my wife had to be the one to submit it. Time might be messing with me, but I think only two weeks passed before that joyous email came.

In that comedic attempt above to misdirect you, I failed to mention how nervous that email made me. I had my entire future wrapped up in that email. Sure, I would have probably gone on subbing books, but at the time my heart just wasn't in it anymore. If I'd know what was to come, I probably wouldn't have signed my name on the dotted line.  But that's another story. The point of this one is without that first contract, you wouldn't be reading this now. Of course back then, we didn't have blogs, Facebook, Twitter, or a hundred other things we have now. Like Kindle! Amazing how six years changes the landscape of things.

Wait, a second. I forgot to ever mention what book got contracted. Well, it's what I like to call a twofer.  That book represents two firsts for me. It was the first book I had published as an author, and it went on to be the first book I had contracted with Desert Breeze. I think? My mind is a bit foggy lately. If it wasn't, it was close behind. That book was The Michelangelo Blues, and it will forever be my first true love. If you haven't taken the time to read it, I would humbly suggest you give it a try. It shows a side of my writing that doesn't pop up often. Does that make it any less me? Nope, but proves at least one of those voices in my head has a serious side. Scary thought. Isn't it?

Just so you don't have to go looking for it, here's a handy dandy link.

http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-31/The-Michelangelo-Blues/Detail.bok

An Interview with J. Morgan

I'm so excited to be able to interview you! I know I have the inside scoop on most of these questions, but I think other people would like to know some of the stories behind the answers.

Q: So, Bite the One You're With is the first book in a new series called Bite Marks, but this is by far the first book in your series. In truth, it's the sixth book of a planned fifteen, right? When you began this series, did you have any idea -- even the slightest inkling -- of how sweeping and expansive this storyline would be come?

Yep, officially BTOYW is book six, but it is also the first book of the second five book arc. Love Bites was light and fluffy in the beginning. By book three things were heading in a direction I hadn't envisioned when I started. Love Bites started growing up. As it did, I saw that after the events of Lovership of the Stake, the next book wouldn't have the same tone as the first five. That's why I divided it into three parts.  Each part would consist of five books. Love Bites would be the calm before the storm to come. Bite Marks would be about the repercussions of what happened as a result of our merry band of Humans and Vampires coming together. It would also be centered around the Vampire Wars. A thing that hadn't happened in nearly five thousand years. The third five book arc? Well, that I can't talk about right now. I love spoilers as well as the next Whovian, but telling now would be giving away way too much.

To answer your second question, if I knew then what I've written now, I'd have said, 'No way!' That's the beauty of writing. You never know how far your imagination will take you.

Q: Megan isn't the typical heroine, and I know several women combined inspired her. Why did you choose to write a curvy, plus sized heroine and do you think readers will be open to her as a heroine? Or, was that a consideration on your part? Did you just know it was her story?

Megan is perhaps my favorite character to date because she doesn't fit into the normal mode of what a heroine should be. I live in the real world, and even though I write about vampires, werewolves and other things that thrive in the darkness, I want to make my characters believable. Women don't come in one size, namely supermodel. Women are beautiful because they are different. I found it unfair that in a lot of romances, the message seemed to be unless you're a set size or body type, a knight shining armor wasn't waiting for you. The first paranormal romance I read was Night Play by Sherrilyn Kenyon. I loved that she bucked tradition to make her heroine curvy and beautiful to the hero because of who she was and not because of how she looked on the outside. Since then, I haven't really seen another book like it.

 

When Megan popped into my head, I saw her as an every woman. The three big influences on her personality came from those closest to me, or rather closest to my heart. A certain Gail popped up first, because she is fun, quirky, and beautiful in her own right. So, when I pictured Megan physically, I pictured Gail, you know the one I mean. Next came my wife Jenn, because Megan needed some snark and let's face it, every heroine I've ever written has some Jenn in them. Finally, the true love of my stomach, Paula Deen. Megan is a chef and every chef needs more bacon and butter to make the recipe complete.

 

I know this is long winded and might sound crazy, but when I was writing Bite the One You're With, I never considered whether the readers would accept her as a heroine based on her outer appearance. I like to think I know my readers. They look past color, beliefs and how someone looks to see the things that really matter, who the person is on the inside and as always they look to the love.

Q: If you don't mind me saying so, you have an amazing talent for tapping into a whole plethora of emotions when you write. Yes, your work is funny. I always warn people "Do not drink anything when reading J. Morgan!" But, readers experience much more than that when reading. Do you think this is part of your evolution as a writer, or do you think this skill has always been there and you're just allowing it now to emerge?

I'll be the first to admit when I began writing comedy that I relied heavily on spit takes and snark to drive my characters, as well as the story to propel them through a book. With each new book, I began delving first into who the characters were and how they'd react to a situation, instead of letting the situations define them. It took several books for me to realize that to remain fresh as an author I needed to step forward and go beyond what I knew and look for what I needed to know to be a better writer. Now, that wasn't all me coming to that realization. I've had the privilege of making this journey as a writer with great friends who aren't afraid to tell me the truth along with the praise. And, I guess some amazing editors who have twisted my arm, put up with my insanity and bad grammar, generally taught me the things I didn't know and helped me improve on the things I did know. This wasn't asked, but I'm giving this advice anyway. If you truly want to become a writer, you have to be honest enough with yourself to accept the fact you aren't God's gift to literature and to accept criticism. If you can't do that, you're not going to go far.

Q: Okay, enough about how amazing you are. I think I've proven my point. Tell everyone who doesn't already know about what Bite the One You're with is about, and how does it fit into the entire arc.

BTOYW is about Megan Marshall, the non-slayer side of the Marshall family. After the events of Lovership of the Stake, the Fallen is targeting those close to the characters of the Love Bites series. Stalking Shadow, the son of Waterfall Woman, has been sent to protect Megan and get her to safety. Their first meeting is where all heck breaks loose. It's not exactly love at first sight between them, but when the threat of the Fallen becomes all too real, they are thrown together. Now, not only are their lives at stake, but it's their hearts that are in the real danger.

The first book of Bite Marks sets the stage for the Vampire Wars. Basically nine months separate Bite Marks from Love Bites. During that time, a secret war has gone between the forces of the Fallen and the gang from Love Bites. Bite the One You're With blows that war up, excuse the pun. From the first page to the last, the groundwork for the next ten books are here. What else can I say? This book is the fang changer. Okay, maybe I should have kept that pun to myself. Let's move on before the stink of it follows me forever.

Q: You've incorporated a lot of mythology, theology, and pop culture into your novels. Is there a legend or mythological creature you haven't used yet that you would like to? What is it? Tell us more!

I haven't touched Egyptian and for a very good reason. As much as I love everything there is about Egypt and its history, Anne Rice did it, and did it better than I ever could. Maybe one day, I'll work on a book dealing with Egypt but I don't see the Love Bites series being it. Hmmm… You never know, though. The last five books will have a lot of stuff going on that could very well make me eat those words.

Q: At the end of each book you set us up for the next romance. Care to give us a hint about who you'll toss together in the next book? Come on... whet our appetites.

I can't say much, but the book will revolve around two new characters introduced in Bite the One You're With. One is a two hundred year old womanizer from the age of the musketeers, and the other is a street wise, smart mouth slayer. When they meet, it's murder, and then the fun truly begins. Okay, that's all I can say.

Q: Okay, one last question. Twinkies or Oreos... you can only have one for the rest of your life. What do you choose?

A Twinkie Oreo! No? Are you sure on that? I'm sure that soon there will be a Twinkie Oreo. But, if I had to pick just one, it would be the Oreos for one simple reason. There's more Oreos in a box than there are Twinkies in a box. Case closed. Now, do I get a complimentary box? 

Um... sure... it's in the mail. :-)

JMo didn't mention this, but if you haven't had a chance to read his first series Love Bites yet, you've got a great opportunity. Exclusively through his publisher's website, you can now purchase all FIVE books in one zipped pack. And at a discounted price! If you bought these books individually, you'd spend nearly $33.00. But, with this pack you get all five for $22.99.

Follow the link to buy. Available in 5 electronic formats.

Flights of Fantasy

I love fantasy.

I always have. It combines two of my loves so perfectly I can't help myself. I love history and I love imagining new worlds. To me fantasy has always been taking history and slapping a whole new face on it. I refer to it as the great and powerful 'What if?'

Growing up these books filled me with wonder that very few things could touch. The Lord of the Rings kick started my infatuation, like you had to guess. Next came Lloyd Alexander's Chronicles of Prydain. In rapid secession came Robert E. Howard, Michael Moorcock, Christopher Stasheff, who might be more scifi, but his books were fantasy at heart, Robert Asprin, and Anne McCaffrey, another scifi with a fantasy bent. Science fiction and fantasy hand in hand. It's hard to separate the two, especially when you find and author who can blend them so seamlessly you can't tell the difference.

But, before those authors came one who instilled wonder in me at a very tender age. I first read C.S. Lewis before I knew what fantasy was. I just knew I'd fallen in love for the first time. From the second Lucy, Peter, Edmund and Susan walk through that wardrobe, and I was hooked. I can remember crying when the evil witch ties Aslan to the stone and cuts his mane, only to cry with joy when he comes back. By the end of the book, I was panting for more. When Sister Regina told me the next day in class she had the rest of the books in the library at school, I almost lost my fear of nuns. Almost mind you. Needless to say I devoured the books in less than a month.

Thinking back, I should have guessed there was an ulterior motive for Sister Regina giving me those books. After I returned the last book, she smugly told me that I'd just read the greatest books next to the Bible, and that they'd all been about God. I didn't even feel duped or cheated. They were the greatest books I'd ever read. It took me a few years before I began to work my way through the Bible, but The Chronicles of Narnia were never far from my thoughts or bedside table. I think they were the first books to start the massive collection that dominates my house in every room.

Now, I have a new author to add to that lists of authors who have inspired me to think not to the stars but to a world within the one I already know. Jennifer Hartz's Future Savior series embodies all those things my early loves held so dear. Savior starts in our present day world where Christina is like the rest of us, living a life so normal it hurts. Then on her thirtieth birthday something amazing happens. She finds out that normal is just the tip of the iceberg. Okay, she also finds herself in another world where nothing makes a lick of sense. From that simple beginning, an explosion of rich vibrant details draws you into a story that spans both time and the imagination. See, we're treading dangerously close to science fiction, but like Stasheff and McCaffrey, Hartz dispels your disbelief and demands you believe every word you're drinking in.

Like C.S. Lewis, Future Savior is more than a fantasy. It is a message wrapped around fiction. That message isn't in your face but its impact is the same nonetheless. You want there to be clear distinctions between good and evil. You want hope to shine through the blackness of everyday life. Above all else, you want there to be a Savior out there, who's willing to die for us. Here's a hint. There is one and He already did. Future Savior brings those things to your heart and so much more.

Three books into the series, and that initial spark of wonder has not diminished. If anything, it has grown. Evacuation was a nonstop ride of emotions and action. To me, hands down, it is the best book of the series. I seriously hate talking about the species of a book because to me, doing so always gives away something. Spoilers, sweeties! So I'm asking you to believe me when I say that Jennifer Hartz has penned an amazing series that will strap you in for the ride of your lives. To say anymore would spoil--see above Doctor Whoism--the unraveling of the books before your eyes.

I started this discourse to show my journey through the many worlds of fantasy, and I think I've succeeded to illustrate that I'm not responsible for the person I am today. I place the blame solely on the authors who created worlds more interesting that the one I was born into. To sum it up in a neat little package.

Thank God for authors!