FAVORITE FICTIONAL CHARACTER--JOIN ME AT WORDSMITHONIA

My good friend Ryan at Wordsmithonia is hosting me over at his blog today for Favorite Fictional Character.  In honor of Christmas in July, I'm featuring a Christmas character, but you'll have to go to Ryan's blog HERE to find out who!

I hope you'll stop by!

FAVORITE (SCARY) FICTIONAL CHARACTER...JOHN SHOOTER/MORT RAINEY

This is supposed to be on Wednesday...as usual, I'm a day late.  Better late than never....

What would you do if you were a writer and a man showed up on your doorstep accusing you of stealing his story?  Then, said man says, "I will burn your life", if you don't make things right.  This is the premise of Stephen King's short story, Secret Window, Secret Garden from his Four Past Midnight short story collection.  John Shooter is this sinister character who threatens Mort Rainey's very existence.  Shooter is a large, country sort of man with a strong southern accent, but this doesn't make him any less menacing.  Portrayed in the film, Secret Window, by John Turturro, this character makes for a very sinister character indeed.  When people around Mort start to end up dead, John Shooter becomes even more frightening.  So, why, do you ask, did I name Mort Rainey (Johnny Depp) as part of this favorite scary character post?  Well, if you've read the story or seen the movie, then you know why.  If not, I suggest you read the story (or see the movie).  Let me just say that sometimes a normal person can be even more scary then the obvious.

Mort Rainey (Johnny Depp) & John Shooter (John Turturro)
Secret Window



Favorite Fictional Character--Beth March

FFC is a weekly event hosted by Ryan at Wordsmithonia.

I decided to do my FFC this week on my other favorite character from Little Women since I've been on a Little Women kick, what with finding out about Little Vampire Women and all!

Beth was the quiet, kind and reliable sister.  She was always there waiting when the other girls were out in the world and she was content to be that way.  Beth was the one who always thought of others first and her care for others would eventually end up contributing to her wasting away.  She was a skilled pianist, but she did not seek fame or fortune from it...she played purely for the enjoyment of herself and others.  I remember reading the book when I was in grade school and I was always so sad when Beth passes.  It still gets me to this day.

This quote from her sister Jo is a wonderful description of Beth:

"There are many Beths in the world, shy and quiet, sitting in corners till needed, and living for others so cheerfully that no one sees the sacrifices till the little cricket on the hearth stops chirping, and the sweet, sunshiny presence vanishes, leaving silence and shadow behind."

Beth speaks this passage in the book, which describes her feelings:

"I never wanted to go away, and the hard part now is the leaving you all. I'm not afraid, but it seems as if I should be homesick for you even in heaven."

I love the 1994 movie version of Little Women that starred Claire Danes as Beth.  Her portrayal of Beth is subtle and poignant.  I really believe that she captures the character beautifully.  This scene from the movie between Jo and Beth has me in tears every time (in fact, I'm in tears now as I read it again).

Beth: If God wants me with Him, there is none who will stop Him. I don't mind. I was never like the rest of you... making plans about the great things I'd do. I never saw myself as anything much. Not a great writer like you.

Jo: Beth, I'm not a great writer.

Beth: But you will be. Oh, Jo, I've missed you so. Why does everyone want to go away? I love being home. But I don't like being left behind. Now I am the one going ahead. I am not afraid. I can be brave like you.


What a tragic thing it would be to lose a sister.  All the more so to lose a sister like Beth.  Now please excuse me while I ..... *sob*

Favorite Fictional Character--Gladiator (Maximus)

Okay, I'm late...as usual! FFC is a weekly meme created by Ryan at Wordsmithonia.

I have been watching the excellent television show, Spartacus: Blood and Sand on STARZ lately so I was inspired this week to do my FFC on a character from one of my favorite movies, Gladiator (2000).  Maximus Decimus Meridius is a general in the Roman army under Emperor Marcus Aurelius.  Aurelius has an heir, Commodus, but he is a morally bankrupt person and so he decides to make Maximus, a moral and honorable man, a temporary leader with plans to return full power of governing to the Roman Senate.  However, Commodus has other plans. 

SPOILER WARNING:

He murders his father and accuses Maximus.  Maximus escapes and Commodus has his wife and child killed.  Maximus, a broken man after finding out the fate of his family, is captured and sold into slavery.  He is purchased by the head of a gladiator school and so his fate is sealed.  He is a gladiator from this day forward.

I will not go any further with the plot, but I wanted to flesh out the beginning to give an idea of what kind of character we have in Maximus.  For him, life as he knows it is over.  It died with his family.  So he has no fear in the gladiatorial ring.  He is a formidable foe to everyone he faces and he begins to gain quite a following in the public circle and the political arena.  Of course, this leads to more unwelcome attention by Commodus and things build to an inevitable climax.

What I like about Maximus is his morality.  He doesn't cave to the various temptations that can come along with the life of a famous gladiator.  His main objective is to bring to fruition the wishes of his former Emperor, Marcus Aurelius...to restore the power of government to the Roman Senate and therefore, to the hands of the people.  You will have to watch the movie to see if he succeeds or not!

Side note:  This was Russell Crowe at his hottest! While he is still a nice-looking man, he has never attained this level of hotness since.  I'm waiting for Robin Hood to see if he can get it back! *fingers crossed*

Favorite Fictional Character--Bridget Jones

FFC is an event created by Ryan at Wordsmithonia.

This week's character was inspired by a post I read about the return of Bridget Jones over at The Well Read Kitty.  It reminded me of just how much I love the character of Bridget Jones created by Helen Fielding.  Bridget is a no nonsense British girl who just wants to lose a little weight...and fall in love.  She chronicles her hilarious adventures in a diary.  Bridget lays bare in her diary all the insecurities that all of us women feel.  She talks about her battles with weight, her attempts to quit smoking, her troubles with men, her family...everything that any woman would write in her diary privately, but it's here for the world to read.  Bridget can make you laugh and cry.  You almost forget that she is a fictional character because she is so real.

Here are a couple of memorable quotes from the book:

"It struck me as pretty ridiculous to be called Mr. Darcy and to stand on your own looking snooty at a party. It's like being called Heathcliff and insisting on spending the entire evening in the garden, shouting "Cathy" and banging your head against a tree."  Bridget Jones's Diary

"It is a truth universally acknowledged that when one part of your life starts going okay, another falls spectacularly to pieces."  Bridget Jones's Diary

Not only did I love both of the Bridget Jones books, I also loved the movies.  I thought Renee Zellweger was brilliant in the role.  Rumour has it that there is another movie in the works.  I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this is true!

Favorite Fictional Character--Heathcliff (Wuthering Heights)

FFC is a weekly event founded by my good friend Ryan of Wordsmithonia.

Heathcliff from Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte.  One of the original brooding romantic heroes,  Heathcliff is a tragic character.  Abandoned as a child and taken in by the Earnshaw family, he grows up abused and mistreated after the death of his foster father.  However, he loves dearly his foster sister Catherine and she in turn loves him.  But, as tempestuous love affairs often go, their love is doomed.  Catherine is enticed by material things and, despite her love for Heathcliff, marries the wealthy Mr. Linton.  Heathcliff, always a character prone to anger and violence due to his mean life and upbringing, becomes a bitter and haunted man.  He so loved his Cathy that her betrayal smashes to pieces an already broken man.  In this passage from Wuthering Heights, his utter despair is so evidenced:

You teach me now how cruel you've been — cruel and false!! Why did you despise me? Why did you betray your own heart, Cathy? I have not one word of comfort. You deserve this. You have killed yourself. Yes, you may kiss me, and cry; and wring out my kisses and tears: they'll blight you — they'll damn you. You loved me — then what right had you to leave me? What right — answer me — for the poor fancy you felt for Linton? Because misery, and degradation, and death, and nothing God or Satan could inflict would have parted us, you, of your own will, did it. I have not broken your heart — you have broken it; and in breaking it, you have broken mine.  So much the worse for me, that I am strong. Do I want to live? What kind of living will it be when you——oh, God! would you like to live with your soul in the grave?

Some of my favorite film portrayals of Heathcliff have been Sir Laurence Olivier in an OSCAR nominated role and Ralph Fiennes in the 1992 version.  I actually think that so far the Fiennes portrayal has been my favorite.  He really captured the tortured quality of Heathcliff.  There is a new film version coming out this year with Ed Westwick (Gossip Girl) as Heathcliff and Gemma Arterton as Cathy.  And somehow, I managed to miss the 2009 Masterpiece Theatre two part series version starring Tom Hardy.  I will be heading over to Blockbuster online to correct this forthwith!

Another bit of trivia...my favorite actor, Heath Ledger (may he rest in peace), was named for Heathcliff. *sob*

Favorite Fictional Character--Ayla

FFC is a weekly event created by Ryan at Wordsmithonia.

Ayla from The Clan of the Cave Bear and the entire Earth's Children series by Jean M. Auel.

If Ayla were a real historical figure, she might have been the first woman in history to stand for women's liberation.  And though she is a fictional character, I like to think that there really was an Ayla in prehistoric times who dared to stand up for a woman's right, and ability, to accomplish anything a man could.  Ayla is not a Neanderthal, but a Cro-Magnon, and when she is taken in by the "clan", she is not readily accepted--by some less than others.  When her totem (an animal spirit guide) is determined to be a cave lion--a particularly strong totem for a woman--Ayla is seen as even more of a threat.  When she picks up a weapon, a rock sling, and learns to use it as well, or even better, than the men, she is severely punished for breaking the clan law of women being forbidden to wield weapons.  Now you can see why I think Ayla is the prehistoric poster child for women's liberation!

On a side note, I will say that I think the use of the stronger cave lion totem for Ayla was the author's way of using symbolism to show that "the others" (Cro-Magnons) were stronger and superior to the Neanderthal.  This is something that we, of course, now know to be true because the Cro-Magnons prevailed and the Neanderthal died off.  However, it has been proven more recently that the Neanderthal were not quite as inferior to us as originally believed.  Whether they did indeed die out or assimilated with Cro-Magnons is still yet to be proven.

Sorry...I didn't mean this to be a science lesson! Truly, Ayla is one of my favorite characters because The Clan of the Cave Bear is one of my most favorite books.  It was recommended to me by my high school English teacher--my favorite teacher--Mrs. Fitch.  I have not read the rest of the series yet.  Scandalous, I know! It has been almost 25 years since I read the first one, but I have never forgotten it...that's how good it is.  I own the entire series and I will read them all eventually! *with a determined set of her jaw*

If you have not read this book, I highly recommend it.

Favorite Fictional Character--The Vampire Lestat

I am a day late posting this...sorry about that! I fell asleep early last night.

This weekly event was created by Ryan at Wordsmithonia.

The Vampire Lestat...there's not much more a person can say about him.  Just the name is enough, at least for those of us that are loyal Anne Rice fans.  Lestat--dubbed the Brat Prince, the Wolf Killer and other very appropriate monikers--is the epitome of the evil protagonist with a yearning to overcome a fate he did not choose and find some sense of humanity again.  I have read the Vampire Chronicles through Memnoch the Devil and I am currently rereading them via audio book (in preparation for picking up the next book in the series, The Vampire Armand).  In Interview with the Vampire, told from the point of view of Louis, Lestat is demonized.  But as the books progress, so does Lestat.  We get that Louis has made him out to be more evil than he truly is, but really I think a large part of that evil leaves him after the Claudia debacle in Interview.  Lestat is witty, clever, impish, and fiercely loyal to those he loves.  He really is the most unique vampire ever written (IMO).  I think that is why it has been so difficult to find exactly the right person to portray him, which I will discuss below.

There have been two movies based on the Vampire Chronicles.  Interview with the Vampire which starred Tom Cruise as Lestat and Queen of the Damned with Stuart Townsend portraying him.  The film version of Interview with the Vampire was by far the better adaptation.  And while Cruise did a pretty good job (I mean he did play entirely against type), I still was not completely satisfied with the depiction.  Queen of the Damned was a hot mess.  They took one of my most favorite books and basically destroyed it.  Stuart Townsend did okay playing the rock star version of Lestat, but there just was not any depth of character.  I really wish they would remake that movie, but alas, it probably will not happen.  If they do make more movies from the books, I don't know who should play Lestat.  It's going to take just the right person to satisfy me and I'm not sure if that person even exists!

If you have not read Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles and discovered Lestat, you are really missing out.  Ask any Rice fan who their favorite character is...I bet the majority will answer with a resounding LESTAT!  

The Vampire Chronicles (in the order they should be read):

1. Interview with the Vampire (1976)
2. The Vampire Lestat (1985)
3. The Queen of the Damned (1988)
4. The Tale of the Body Thief (1992)
5. Memnoch the Devil (1995)
6. The Vampire Armand (1998)
7. Merrick (2000)
8. Blood and Gold (2001)
9. Blackwood Farm (2002)
10. Blood Canticle (2003)

For more information on Anne Rice, click on her picture in my right sidebar.

Favorite Fictional Character--Hermione Granger

FFC is from the mind of Ryan at Wordsmithonia.

When I started reading the Harry Potter books by J. K. Rowling, I found a kindred spirit in Hermione Granger.  Like me, she is a girl who loves school and learning...loves pouring through books in the library and reading ahead of the class in all her textbooks.  But Hermione is more than just a girl who is a little geeky and bookish.  She is a strong female character that any girl...or woman...can look up to.  She knows her own mind, is fiercely loyal and is a true friend.  And she believes in righting the wrongs of social injustice (who can forget her taking on the cause of the Hogwart's House Elves!).  There are many characters in the Harry Potter books that are favorites, but Hermione stands out as my most favorite because I see myself in her.  It might (not) surprise you to know that I took one of those "which Harry Potter character are you?" quizzes and guess who I was?  Hermione Granger! I have not yet read the last book in the series, but I'm hoping that Hermione will get her ultimate wish...to be with Ron as more than just friends (something that we finally saw the spark of in Half-Blood Prince).  If you haven't already, take another look at Hermione.  She is a character well worth remembering.

Do you have a favorite fictional character?

Favorite Fictional Character--Morgaine (Morgan le Fay)

FFC is the brainchild of Ryan of Wordsmithonia.

My pick this week is a specific depiction of Morgan le Fay from one of my favorite books The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley. 

A little background on the character from the book (from Wikipedia):

The book follows the trajectory of Morgaine (often called Morgan Le Fay in other works), a priestess fighting to save her matriarchal Celtic culture in a country where patriarchal Christianity threatens to destroy the pagan way of life. The book follows the lives of Gwenhwyfar (Guinevere), Viviane, Morgause and other women who are often marginalized in Arthurian retellings. King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table are supporting rather than main characters.

The Mists of Avalon is in stark contrast to other retellings of the Arthurian tales, which consistently paint Morgaine as a distant, one-dimensional evil witch or sorceress; with no real explanation given (or required) for her antipathy. In this case Morgaine is cast as a strong woman who has unique gifts and responsibilities at a time of enormous political and spiritual upheaval; as she is called upon to defend her indigenous matriarchal heritage against impossible odds. The Mists of Avalon stands as a watershed for feminist interpretation of male-centered myth by articulating women's experience at time of great change and shifts in gender-power. The typical battles, quests, and feuds of King Arthur's reign are described as supporting elements to the women's lives.

I am particularly fond of this retelling of the Arthurian legend, and Morgan le Fay, because it portrays Morgaine as a sympathetic character who sets into motion events entirely by accident and chance.  She does not willfully entice Arthur, her brother, into a tryst in order to bear a son by him...a son who will later seek revenge (Mordred).  The story of Morgaine and the other women in Mists is taken to the level of strong female characters fighting to preserve a way of life against the tide of male-dominated mentalities and Christianity. 

I recommend that you read The Mists of Avalon and see for yourself what an artfully created character Morgaine is in the book.  I also recommend that you rent the television mini-series of The Mists of Avalon.  Morgaine is portrayed by the excellent Julianne Margulies in the movie and it is a beautiful screen adaptation of the book.

Favorite Fictional Character--from Practical Magic

Favorite Fictional Character is a weekly event created by Ryan at Wordsmithonia.

As I watched Sandra Bullock on the People's Choice Awards...her wonderful acceptance speech and the little impromptu hug between her and Nicole Kidman before she went on stage...I was reminded of one of my favorite movies, Practical Magic.  The main reason for my loving this film is due to the two main characters, sisters Sally and Gillian Owens.

Sally (Sandra Bullock) is the serious sister--she cares about her studies and is a grounded person.  Gillian (Nicole Kidman) is the wild sister...running away from home with her boyfriend when she is a teenager and living a carefree life.  But these sisters are very close, as sisters can only be.  Despite their personality differences, they share a very strong bond and love each other deeply.  They seem to have an psychic connection and each one knows when the other is thinking of them.  So when Gillian gets in some very deep trouble, Sally risks everything to save her sister.  Something a woman would do for her sister...I know I would.  My sister and I are very close and although we don't live close to each other, we have this same unbreakable bond.  I think this is the core of why these characters appeal to me so deeply.

I didn't rehash the entire plot of this movie, but if you haven't seen it, I highly recommend it.  Incidentally, I read the book by Alice Hoffman a couple of years after seeing the movie (I had actually watched the movie several times since I own it!).  I really liked the book, but this was one of the rare cases where I liked the movie better than the book! Shocking...I know!

Favorite Fiction Character--Eli

Favorite Fictional Character is a weekly event created by Ryan at Wordsmithonia.

I decided to write my FFC about a character from my favorite read of 2009, Let Me In (or Let the Right One In) by John Ajvide Lindqvist.

Eli moves in to the same apartment building as Oskar and soon the two strike up a friendship.  But Eli has a secret...she is a child vampire and this soon brings certain challenges to the friendship.  The reason I like Eli is because although she was turned against her will as a child centuries ago, she still has the compassion and capacity for love that a child possesses.  She befriends Oskar, a lonely child who is the victim of some serious bullying from his peers.  Her loyalty to, and protection of, Oskar is partially because she cares for him, but also, ultimately, to gain a companion to take care of her.  This could be interpreted as pure necessity on her part, but I chose to look deeper and saw the loneliness that Eli so fiercely tries to hide.  This novel is one of the best in the horror genre I have ever read and the character development, especially of Eli, is part of the reason that it is such a great book.

Eli in the motion picture, Let the Right One In

Favorite Fictional Character--from The Gift of the Magi

Favorite Fictional Character is the weekly brainchild of Ryan at Wordsmithonia.

My FFC this week is actually two characters...Jim and Della from O. Henry's The Gift of the Magi.  Jim's most prized possession is his inherited gold watch and Della's is her luxurious hair.  In this classic story about a young couple who do not have very much money at Christmas, Jim and Della illustrate the true meaning of Christmas...the spirit of giving...by giving up their most prized possessions for each other.  Jim plans to buy Della a set of pure tortoiseshell combs for her beautiful hair and so sells his prized watch to pay for them.  However, unbeknownst to him, Della has sold her treasured hair to pay for a fob chain for Jim's watch.  And so....

The magi, as you know, were wise men--wonderfully wise men who brought gifts to the Babe in the manger.  They invented the art of giving Christmas presents.  Being wise, their gifts were no doubt wise ones, possibly bearing the privilege of exchange in case of duplication.  And here I have lamely related to you the uneventful chronicle of two foolish children in a flat who most unwisely sacrificed for each other the greatest treasures of their house.  But in a last word to the wise of these days let it be said that of all who give gifts these two were the wisest.  Of all who give and receive gifts, such as they are wisest.  Everywhere they are wisest.  They are the magi.

~O. Henry (1906)

Favorite Fictional Character--Clark Griswold

Favorite Fictional Character, a weekly event created by my friend Ryan at Wordsmithonia.

Frankly, I do not know anyone that doesn't find the National Lampoon Vacation movies hilarious...especially Christmas Vacation.  Clark Griswold is the epitome of the funny family man who wants all the traditions for his family and goes above and beyond to get them--with side-splitting results.

I have a special reason for loving Clark Griswold.  He reminds me of my dad! Yes, we had some pretty funny moments on vacations and just at home and around the holidays.  I won't go into details, but suffice it to say that my dad took family traditions and family participation very seriously...just like Clark Griswold!

Here are some memorable quotes from Christmas Vacation that are pretty close to things my dad would have said back in the day (swear words are not spelled out):

"Where do you think you're going? Nobody's leaving. Nobody's walking out on this fun, old-fashioned family Christmas. No, no. We're all in this together. This is a full-blown, four-alarm holiday emergency here. We're gonna press on, and we're gonna have the hap, hap, happiest Christmas since Bing Crosby tap-danced with Danny f***ing Kaye. And when Santa squeezes his fat white *ss down that chimney tonight, he's gonna find the jolliest bunch of ***holes this side of the nuthouse."

"We're kicking off our fun old-fashioned family Christmas by heading out into the country in the old front-wheel drive sleigh to embrace the frosty majesty of the winter landscape and select that most important of Christmas symbols."

"They Invented them (Christmas tree lots) Russ, because people forgot how to have a fun old-fashioned family Christmas & spend money on dead over-priced trees that have no special meaning."

"I didn't go berzerk. I simply solved a problem. We needed a coffin... I mean a tree. There are no lots open on Christmas eve. Lewis burned down my tree. So, I replaced it as best I could. Viola!"

"Hallelujah! Holy s***! Where's the Tylenol?"

Favorite Fictional Character--Scrooge

Oops...forgot to give credit where credit is due! Favorite Fictional Character is the brainchild of the incomparable Ryan of Wordsmithonia fame.

Ahhh Scrooge...how I love thee.  You may ask how I can love such a miserable curmudgeon.  Well, I love him in the beginning when he is completely obnoxious and mean because it makes his complete transformation at the end all the more wonderful...the total contrast of it.  The character of Scrooge shows us that there is hope.  That even the most horrible of persons can change.  When any of us starts feeling bad about ourselves...that we have done something wrong or we may not have been as kind as we could have... we should remember Scrooge and take comfort in the fact that if it's possible for Scrooge, one of the most despicable characters ever written, to become a good person than it is, in fact, possible for us.

A few of my favorite Scrooges from film and television:

Scrooge (1970)--Albert Finney

A Christmas Carol (1951)--Alastair Sim

A Christmas Carol (1999)-- Patrick Stewart



Of course, these are not the only Scrooges over the years, but these are my favorites!

Favorite Fictional Character--Jo March

Favorite Fictional Character is a Wednesday event started by Ryan at Wordsmithonia.  This is my first time!

One of my favorite books of all time is Little Women by Louisa May Alcott.  And every year during the holiday season one of the first movies I watch is the 1994 version of Little Women starring Winona Ryder, Susan Sarandon, Claire Danes, Trini Alvarado, Kirsten Dunst, Samantha Mathis, Eric Stoltz, Gabriel Byrne, and Christian Bale (sigh!).  Yes, I have already watched it this year...just the other night, in fact!

My most favorite character from the book and the movie is Jo March.  When I was a girl, Jo was inspiring to me.  Her love for the written word and her devotion to writing was partly responsible for sparking the same in me.  And I loved her fierce independence and individuality...in that time period, Jo was almost a feminist.  She threw convention out the window and marched to her own drummer.  But she was very devoted to her family and her sisters meant the world to her...especially dear, sweet Beth.  Watching Jo lose Beth is one of the most heartbreaking moments in cinematic (and literary) history.  Every time I watch or read this part, I am reduced to tears...every time!

Jo, and the story of Little Women, show us that family is the most important thing on this earth.  But also the importance of being an individual and following your dreams.  And the March family know the true meaning of Christmas...the spirit of love and giving.  If you haven't read the book or seen the movie, you should do so immediately! It's a great story any time, but especially at Christmas.





Happy Reading (and watching)!

BBAW: The Inspiration

In honor of BBAW, our assignment on the first day is to spread the love you have for a blog that did not make the shortlists.  I have one blog in particular in mind on which I would like to bestow this honor.

I call myself a "baby blogger"...I just started my book blog on Blogger around the first of August this year.  Now I had been dabbling in blogging over on MySpace, but I didn't really think of myself as a serious book blogger.  Enter Twitter around mid-July and that's where it all started.  I met Ryan and we became mutual followers.  I visited his website listed on his profile and was introduced to Wordsmithonia.  I read several posts and looked at his layout, etc. and I thought to myself, "This looks like fun.  I could do this!"  And that's how The Book Addict started.  Ryan's Wordsmithonia inspired me to be a better blogger.  To create a blog that I was proud of and passionate about and, above all, to blog about the greatest loves of my life (after my children)...BOOKS! I will forever be in Ryan's debt for his inspiration (and he helped me figure out how to do a three column layout on my blog).  I was very excited when Wordsmithonia was nominated for Best New Blog for BBAW.  Unfortunately, Ryan's wonderful blog did not make the shortlist for his category.  I honestly feel that there is stellar content on his blog.  I know he will be recognized by BBAW again in the future.

I would like to share with you my favorite post (so far) by Ryan entitled Favorite Fictional Characters--The Lady of Shalott.  Please click the title and check out this wonderful post.  While you're there, browse around.  I promise, you will not be sorry.  In fact, you may just be inspired yourself!

Thank you Ryan...for your friendship and inspiring me to be the best blogger I can be.