Welcome to my author page!
I am a teacher, musician, reader, and avid Harry Potter fan. I am originally from the Midwest and now live a bit farther south. I am thrilled to be a proud member of RAVENCLAW House and enjoyed being a site moderator for a time as well.
I hope you enjoy the many stories and poems I have written. I am proud of them all and appreciate any feedback you might care to leave (in other words, reviews are love!) I've listed them below with a short description since I know trolling through summaries can be tedious. Thanks for reading!
EDIT: Someday I will categorize my stories by genre. Today is not that day. ;)
That was hilarious! One of the funnest humor pieces I've read - great job! I love what you did with the homophones on the paper. I also liked "Potter called Kettleburn Black" too - very clever! When Tonks showed up in the fire as Lupin was putting the moves on his "student" I cracked up. What a fantastic prank!! Wonderful job staying in character, and the ending was great. Kudos as some types of humor can be tricky, you made it seem easy. Thanks for the laugh! ~Gina :)
Author's Response: Wow, thank you! That is very high praise. I had fun writing this fic and I\'m thrilled to hear that you enjoyed reading it. Smiles all around! :)
Thank you for reading and reviewing!
Great beginning! You really managed to set a sad, desperate tone for Narcissa here. As usual, you do a good job of making the reader feel sorry for these other characters. It will be interesting to see what Narcissa finds inside the Green Dragon! ~Gina :)
Author's Response: *smiles* I don\'t find setting a sad, desprate tone for Narcissa too difficult. Things just don\'t seem to go her way.
Thanks so much for the review and I\'m glad that you enjoyed the chapter.
Very good! With a name like Blenkinsop Waterbut, I immediately pictured the innkeeper as a bit gruff and grouchy; I like your more cheerful version! I thought this line was very good:
"I lost my other sister because of it; and in the end, I lost them all because of it.”
The construction just made it stand out to me, it really seemed to sum up Narcissa's pain. I wonder where Waterbut is taking her??
~Gina :)
Author's Response: When I first read the prompt for this challenge I thought that Blenkinsop Waterbut had be a cheerful kind person. He was meant to be there to comfort someone who truly needed it. At least, that was my take on him.:D
Thank you for the compliments and I\'m glad you like it. :D
Oh my gosh, that was wonderful! It was so unexpected, even though you totally set up her death in the previous chapter. Great foreshadowing! What a fantastic idea, to turn the inn into a transition point for passing souls. It was so sad - when Waterbut told her the other figure was Draco, I went "Ohhh" out loud; and when she ran toward her husband and son at the end, I was a little misty-eyed, I must admit. I love endings that finish with a bit of hope, however bittersweet. I think it's amazing that you can do that with characters that JKR has rather firmly entrenched on the "wrong" side. Terrific job - good luck in the challenge!! ~Gina :)
Author's Response: Hehe! Thanks so much.
I\'m glad to hear that you didn\'t guess Narcissa\'s condition. I was worried I went a little overboard with the foreshadowing in the previous chapter.
And yes, poor Draco, but it seemed like the best way to go. If he ever returned to London he would have been thrown in Azkaban. It was indeed a very bittersweet ending.
Thanks so much for all of reviews. I\'m really glad you enjoyed the story.
Wonderful job! That was a great way to give Ginny a vital role in the battle against Voldemort. I loved what you did with Draco, his scene was fantastic! I was very impressed by the way you showed Harry's victory by Draco whispering "He's done it. . . " and then dieing. Very compelling! I also liked your spells. This was very well written - great first story and good luck with your future writing! ~Gina :)
Author's Response: Thanks Gina! Draco actually plays a vital role in the companion piece, which will be onsite in a few days, hopefully. It was hard to end his role in the story like that, but it seemed to me like he was tired and just wanted to rest.
Nice job! I love little missing moments like this. It seems perfectly plausible that Harry and Ginny might make a connection like this, given what happens in the next book. You did a wonderful job with the more-than-friendship tension between them. And tying it to the actual text at the beginning and end was a really good way to link it to OotP. A lovely moment of friendship and support (and almost a bit more!) for Harry and Ginny, good job! ~Gina :)
Wonderful story! I am amazed at how well you were able to knit together so many smaller scenes. You did a wonderful job with the characters; I particularly loved the bond between Ron and Harry, that is something I think some authors tend to skim over. Bringing Malfoy in was intriguing; how did he know about the Horcruxes? I was impressed with the connection you made to Ollivander and Ravenclaw's wand. The final duel was spectacular. Harry destroyed Voldemort but didn't have to use an Unforgivable Curse. Using the sword as a sword mirrors how he destroyed Tom Riddle's basilisk in the Chamber of Secrets so it was a very appropriate end. You write incredibly well, this was a pleasure to read. Keep up the wonderful work! ~Gina :)
Author's Response: Gina, Thank you so much for this lovely review. It really makes my day when people tell me WHY they enjoy my stories. I don\'t think a lot of authors understand the bond Harry has with his friends, and i am relieved to know I did it justice. And the sword...wow Gina...I never even thought of that, but it works, doesn\'t it...Thank you again for the review!!
I loved it! That was absolutely fantastic. I loved your subject choice - this was perfect ballad material. The rhyme and rhythm worked perfectly for me. I thought the overall tone was perfect for the story of Sirius as well. I loved the last two lines, it was a beautiful conclusion. I am so impressed! This is a great entry for the challenge - good luck!! ~Gina :)
Author's Response: *blushes* Thank you so much! Good luck to you too. :)
Still such a great ballad! I love the last two lines. I am nominating it for a Ravenclaw Poetry Award, hence the second review! Great work! ~Gina :)
Wonderful job, but *yikes* that is dark! :) It is a really intriguing premise - are you going to continue any stories with Draco in this role? I thought you did a great job with Snape's character, and I really enjoyed his conversation with Dumbledore. The headmaster did a terrific job of remaining cryptic. I thought the sleeping dragon might have been Snape himself, until Draco refused to wake up. Wonderful job setting up the suspense! You write very well - good luck with the challenge!! ~Gina :)
Author's Response: thanks for the glowing review, Gina! I truly despised my treatment of Draco in this, as I prefer him in a \'fallen angel\' type of role, but he is quite fun and scary like this...so more may come of it... i\'m really very glad you enjoyed!
Nice job! I like the story you told with this ballad. Wonderful job with the refrain:
They’ve gone; they've gone, they’ve gone away,”
Whispers the echoes in her ear
But she clings fast to the memories
As if she can not hear.
Repeating it throughout was very effective. I thought the rhymes were very good, although the rhythm was off at times. Nice job connecting the beginning to the end. Good luck in the challenge!! ~Gina :)
Author's Response: Thank you all. I can not say how mcuh your reviews ment to me. I am so soory to be respondign so late by the way.
In any event thankyou agin both for the Kudos and the constractive cridsizem (sp).
Oh my! That was wonderful! I was wondering as I was nearing the end why Snape "does not" this and "does not" that - and not until the very line do you reveal the Dementor's Kiss! Great job building up to that, it was very suspenseful. You did an amazing job on the rhyme scheme. I wrote a poem with six line stanzas over the weekend and it's challenging to work in those extra two lines. You did that really well, and there are even some stanzas that rhyme a-b-a-b-a-b = amazing! This was a great piece, I loved the story and the construction - good luck in the challenge!! ~Gina :)
Author's Response: Thank you so much for your kind words, I generally don\'t write rhyming poems, but this one just ran away with me. The words seemed to fit in my head before I even put them on the page. Thanks again!
This ballad was written for the January Ballad Challenge and received first place!
Wonderful job! This is a great ballad. The rhyme and rhythm flow very nicely and the story is lovely. Good luck in the challenge! ~Gina :)
Author's Response: Thanks so much! I\'m glad you like it. And good luck to you, too!
Nice job! The story is very dark, and your ballad reflects that well. Poor Ginny! Good job with the rhyme scheme, I especially like the stanzas that rhyme a/b/a/b. Good luck in the challenge! ~Gina :)
Author's Response: Thanks dear!
~Sunray
Aw, that's so cute! You recounted the story through the ballad well. Good luck in the challenge! ~Gina :)
Author's Response: Thanks!
That was really sweet! You did a great job with Snape's character, I loved the insight into James Potter's Valentine's Day prank. Hermione's scene with Snape was hilarious, did she really want the potion for Lockhart or is that just what Snape thought? I really liked the scene with Anne. What a great character! She had a very nice connection with Snape, and it was nice to see his softer side for that brief moment. Lovely job, thanks for taking on the prompt and writing such a wonderful story!! Happy Valentine's Day! ~Gina :)
Author's Response: Thanks! Actually, I enjoyed writing it.
Yeah, I thought Hermione was smitten enough with Lockhart just at that point to be courageous and ask. She did have Lockhart\'s \"get well\" card under her pillow in the hospital wing. I imagine that would be an embarrasing little thing for her to remember in later years. You can see why she didn\'t bring Harry or Ron with her!
Oh, that's so sad! I hate it when Harry loses to Voldemort. ;) But I liked your ballad, never worry! Well done! I particularly liked the seventh stanza - "his soul to the beyond." Good luck in the challenge! ~Gina :)
Author's Response: Thank you! You\'ve pretty much made my day, Gina! You\'re one of my favorite authors, and I feel very honoured that you reviewed my ballad. -feels honoured and rushes off to review yours in return-
~Kathy
Very nice ballad! The parallel you drew in your author's note is striking. Wonderful job with the rhythm, and your choice of words is great throughout! I have one question: what happened to the gutter man at the end? Good luck in the challenge!! ~Gina :)
Author's Response: Thank you so much! At the end, the gutter man became a Death Eater and went on to kill Mudbloods, etc. This is what happens when a cunning leader recruits poor people that are desperate for a second chance.
Suzie, I really think this is brilliant. =) You tweaked it well and the new stanza works great to connect the ones previous and following. I read this with a very steady, easy rhythm, with very few exceptions. I think the rhyming is excellent, because it's never forced: it flows from the story, and makes sense.
The story itself is wonderful. You've written a tremendous ballad about this single character and his journey, focusing on the one defining moment in Regulus's life when he steps up to do the right thing. From the very beginning you portray him well, but particularly toward the end when you include his thoughts I felt that you did a wonderful job showing his evolution from Death Eater to exhibiting true bravery.
The overall form of the poem flows very nicely, from a strong introduction to a conclusion that ties it all together. Your word choices always seemed spot on. If it was challenging to write, it doesn't show. I'm glad I could help the little that I did. I really love this ballad. I think you are a very talented writer - keep up the great work!!
~Gina :)
Author's Response: Thank you so much for the review Gina! *squees and hugs* I\'m glad you liked the extra stanza...I wrote it at school just before I was submitting it. *hides*
I love writing about characters such as Regulus - we know next to nothing about him in canon but he seems so important all the same.
Thank you for all the lovely things you\'ve said. And WELL DONE for placing in the Ballad Challenge! You thoroughly deserved it!
Suzie
That was great! What a great take on whatever happened between Aberforth and that goat - very original, and lots of fun to read. I liked how many characters you worked in, especially Lockhart. Great ending too! ~Gina :)
Author's Response: I\'m just chortling madly through all these review replies. This was a good Valentine\'s notion, offering up Flitwick and Lockhart and Severus for pondering. All sorts of potential in that. Added to PP\'s musings on the goat and some interaction with ElectronicQuillster on the young Dumbledores, something just went boinging onto the keyboard. (Severus was just as glad to be not yet born for this one.)