paikea

this is my first blog and i find i like having a place where i can say whatever i want - i have a wonderful husband and we live with an old tomcat with serious mental problems (3/22/08 - sadly, no longer - Shitty Kitty Stillman died on March 3rd of this year:(

i'm from the U.S., but now i live in one of the most beautiful places in the entire world - New Zealand:)

Currently, we are residing in Zürich, Switzerland - but only for a year

i am from originally from Cleveland, Ohio - USA - i went to Kenyon College (OH) '95 where i studied political science and history -  i have a Master's Degree in International Studies (heavy on Poli-Sci, Hist, and Russia), from The University of Washington (Seattle, WA - USA)

a few years ago, i decided to forget about settling into a "real job" and to follow my bliss - to become a writer - i grew up reading sci-fi and fantasy, so that is what i write - my first short story, "Angels and Whiskers" was published in the Dec. '03 issue of the online site, www.wildchildpublishing.com.  My short story, "Milk", can be currently viewed at http://www.viatouch.com/learn/Storystation/Stories/milk.jsp. my most recent story, "Burn Boy", was published in print and online in the Summer '08 issue of the U.S.-based journal, "A Thousand Faces: the quarterly journal of superhuman fiction"  - http://www.thousand-faces.com/f_burn.htm - i am also working on a couple of books - i have no idea when they will be finished

i also am a staff writer for the online magazine, Harlot's Sauce Radio - www.harlottsauce.com - non-fic (op-eds, political/cultural  commentary, etc.)

i love books, movies and music - i play the piano, violin and percussion - my favorite animals are orca whales and praying mantises - If I had a few superpowers, they would be: the ability to communicate with animals and the ability to survive underwater at all depths - Immortality would be nice (preferably stuck at age 35 - only because I want to be lively enough to enjoy traveling in space with some degree of comfort when mankind finally reaches that point - if it ever does - and actually it wouldn't be any fun if my husband weren't immortal also - I have a formidable sweet tooth - i  am a chocoholic, a flan freak and a lover of gelato - and every once in a while, I have this huge craving for funnel cake - although I am not the chef in the family, I make a mean white chocolate raspberry bread pudding and can whip up tasty sweet crepes:)