Hello, I'm new to these forums, having already scattered around a few responses to subjects that interested me.
I'm a native Californian, I've been reading fantasy and sf for more years than I care to admit being on this earth. Lately, it's been much more heavily tilted toward fantasy. My favorite authors include Tolkien, LeGuin, Patricia McKillip, C. J. Cherryh, and Tanith Lee -- also older fantasy by authors who don't get much attention these days, like Mervyn Peake, E.R. Eddison, Hope Mirrlees, Joy Chant, etc. I'm a fossil, but there's still some life left in me, I hope. I have four grown children, two dogs, a grand-dog, and a bird named Peregrine Took.
Previous jobs include the mundane (telephone operator, receptionist, retail associate) and the exotic (fortuneteller). Now I write. I had a fantasy novel (the first of a trilogy) published in October.