About the Vixen
My name is Brianna and I’m the Vixen behind the blog. I'm a 32-year old wife, mother and daughter. I recently quit my job of 9 years to be a SAHM (stay at home mom). I have two three children with one on the way. My daughter is in the first-grade this year, my son is a stereotypical “mama's boy”, and there’s a bun in the oven a newborn in the house.
5 Random Fun Facts:
- I'm an only child and suffer terribly from "only child syndrome" (I swear, it's really a condition!).
- I am a chocoholic. It’s the cure-all people!
- The only soda I drink is root beer (A&W or Mugs only please).
- I only eat the black jelly beans.
- I love frogs. So much so, I have 2 frog tattoos and I use frogs to rate books on this site.
About My Reading
At the moment, I enjoy reading contemporary romance, paranormal romance, romantic suspense (my current favorite genre), Urban Fantasy, and YA (coming of age, romance, dystopian). Here’s a little history on my reading:
I didn't always like to read
*Gasp* I know. I am unlike most book bloggers/reviewers out there; I didn't always like to read. My mom, being a bookworm herself, tried her hardest to get me to read, to no avail. I remember reading James and the Giant Peach when I was about 10 or 11 years old. Though, I'm not sure if I really enjoyed reading at that time or if I was only using it as an escape from my father's college algebra text book (he wanted me to be a brainiac kid but that never happened O_o).
It all started with a boy named Harry Potter
My reading for enjoyment began with Harry Potter. The year was 2002 and I was 22 years old. A customer of mine, a lady in her 40s, was holding one of the books. I had to ask what was with this book and everyone's need to read it. She simply said, "Just read it. You'll see." And so I did. I read Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone and I was completely blown away. I read through all 7 books and thus began my love for reading.
Add in a little bit of mystery and suspense
After the Harry Potter phenomenon, I decided to branch out. I was at Target when I saw The Husband by Dean Koontz. The cover was simple yet the wedding ring, the ransom demand and the title all lured me in. I read the blurb and it immediately peaked my interest. That book began my Dean Koontz phase and interest in mystery and suspense. The next Dean Koontz book I picked up was Sole Survivor. The premise of one person surviving a plane crash and the eeriness surrounding it definitely caught my attention! But I found myself not enjoying this book as much as The Husband due to the sci-fi aspect of it. I was still trying to figure out what I liked and didn't like.
Romance won me over
In 2004, I saw the movie The Notebook. I was in love! I loved the story, I loved the characters and I loved the actors. The saying goes the book is usually better than the movie so when I found out the movie was based on a novel, I immediately went out and got the book. And that is how I feel in love with Nicholas Sparks. I picked up every single book of his. (To date, the only books of his that I have not read yet are The Wedding, Three Weeks with My Brother and Safe Haven, all of which are sitting on my bookshelf waiting for me.) He's one of the authors on my auto-buy list. Granted, most of his books do not have a HEA (happily ever after) but his writing, those emotions, the love stories – they always capture my heart. Sure, I cry every time I read one of his books but I will always come back for more.
Here come the vampires
I stayed committed to Nicholas Sparks, and the like, until last year (2009). Everyone and their mama was trying to convince me to read the Twilight series – my husband's niece, my sister-in-law, my co-workers and I think even Fiction Vixen. My husband's niece, now 18 years old, and I read Harry Potter together. So she figured that since she liked Twilight, that I would like Twilight too. I asked her what it was about and as soon as she said "vampire" I said "no thanks". Then she said, "No, it's not like that. It's a love story." but I still passed. Everywhere I went, Twilight paraphernalia was everywhere. The book covers look so simple yet scream "pick me up!". I gave in. I got Twilight from the library (ain't no way I was investing my greenbacks in a silly vampire love story *cough*) and immediately got hooked. On a Friday night, after finishing Twilight, I went to Target to pick up New Moon. The waiting list for New Moon, and the rest of the books, at the library was a zillion long. I also had Eclipse in my hands but put it back thinking I wouldn't need it right away. Little did I know that I would finish New Moon in one day only to go back to Target to find out they were out of stock of Eclipse. I panicked. I called my coworker and she said I could borrow Eclipse and Breaking Dawn from her. Monday could not come soon enough. That Sunday was the longest day ever!
Queue in the Alpha males
After I was finished reading the Twilight saga (yes, I did read Midnight Sun), I was in a slump. All I could think about was Edward and Bella. Fiction Vixen got me out of my funk with Sookie Stackhouse series. Then she really brought me out of my funk by taking me out of kiddy-land and into the world of the Black Dagger Brotherhood series (haaa-ay!).
So there's a little bit about me. Is there anything you want to know? Ask away in the comments.
I enjoyed this post! Nat and I botgh felt the same way about reading the Twilight books---we heard "vampires" and said "uh-uh," then we gave in and that was just the gateway to the paranormal genre. Twilight also got me back into reading YA. I also read Sookie then the BDB after Twilight. (Nat reads YA only so she hasn't joined me in my love of Sookie or the BDB).
ReplyDeleteI think Twilight was probably the starting point into the world of vampires for a lot of people (at least for those of us who didn't read The Vampire Diaries). And I think that might be the standard reading order: Twilight, Sookie then BDB LOL!!!
ReplyDeleteOh Natalie, you're missing out! Kelli, you have to convince her to read the BDB series!
It's just incredible how many women were introduced to vampires via Twilight...and how many women were introduced to ultimate yummy alpha men via BDB!
ReplyDeleteI know Julie! Twilight is the starting point for vampire lovin'.
ReplyDeleteAnd just for the record, I'd like to let everyone know that John Matthew is MINE.
Hi! I LOVE this blog!! I won't go into my reading history, it started WAY too long ago but as for vampires I started with Anne Rice. Loved her until the religious books..... anywho, have you read any Laurell K Hamilton? If not you MUST! She makes Bella and Edward seem like ghosts compared to her characters! Well, off to read some more! Keep up the good work! Thanks!
ReplyDeletecountrycharms71 - Thanks! I'm glad you love the blog :) I haven't read anything by Anne Rice or Laurell K. Hamilton yet but I do have Interview with a Vampire and Guilty Pleasures on my bookshelf.
ReplyDeleteI totally had a Dean Koontz phase in HS! I loved him!
ReplyDeleteAshley - I've only read a few of his books. Then I got distracted with Nicholas Sparks and romance LOL.
ReplyDeleteI have a similar story! I hated reading and Twilight got me hooked. I read all 4 in a week. Then a friend turned me to Sookie, I devoured those. Then I found BDB through the B&N "Customers who bought this also bought" and I have been addicted ever since. I love you're blog. I've added a few new books to my TBR pile!
ReplyDeleteYes. Only child syndrome is real! I have it and hate it!
ReplyDeleteI solved it for a while by adopting my best friend's brothers as my own, but now that they've all moved away and stopped talking to me I've lost my fake brothers. Hurts even more!!
And boy do I love me some Sookie! I've waxed emotional about her on my blog lol
Nice to meet you from Roni's blog
Newest Follower here. Found your blog link on another blog I follow. I'm a new contemporary romance writer but an avid reader of almost anything I can get me hands on! Recently discovered that with my Ipad I can buy more books than I could ever fit in my house. YES!!! Only child syndrome is real. My 14 year old daughter has it!
ReplyDeleteOkay honestly, we are the same person! LOL. It's like reading about me!!! Loved this! Hopefully I can come up with something equally creative for my About me Section!
ReplyDeleteI was smiling all the way through your self description because I found a lot of myself in it (and I also hope i'll have a second kid before i turn 31).
ReplyDeletewith me it also started with twilight, although I h.a.t.e. it, it was my entry door to paranormal romance (i'm from the fantasy-corner).
your and other english book blogs convinced me in my thoughts to try start one myself (in german, though) - i hope i can keep up with that, thank you!!
I am the middle kid, older sister younger brother but I am the one who was sick alot so I learned to read at an early age. I have been reading over 60 yrs and reading has helped me keep my sanity and prevented a nervous breakdown at times. lol.. I can't imagine not reading.
ReplyDeleteI have been following you since 09 and really enjoy your blog.
Congrats on the new "bun in the oven".
misskallie2000 at yahoo dot com
Hello~ Just stumbled upon your blog and needless to say I'm in love. But not in a creepy way lol! I just love to read as well (and also own a Kindle which I love). Started with the Harlequin romance novels in jr high and high school (class of "98). I stopped reading for a while and then discovered Nicholas Sparks (The Wedding, which I read before The Notebook came out as a movie) via a friend. It was all downhill from there. I also read the Twilight series and Harry Potter. My sister in law recommended Nora Roberts Bridal Quartet (loved it) and now I am reading the "Naked" series (about a 25 book series). I could go on and on but I think I will go read now lol :) Happy reading everyone!!
ReplyDeleteJust stumbled across your blog and I love it! It's amazing that you read so much, even though you weren't always a reader! I love Harry Potter mainly for that fact alone -- he single-handedly converted a lot of non-readers ;-)
ReplyDelete