Monday, December 31, 2012

It was a very good year....

It's the last day of 2012.  For some it may have been a good year, while for others it may have been a bad year. For my family, it's been a remarkable year.  The highlight of 2012 was the birth of my first grandchild, a boy, on October 26.  He has truly been a blessing to all of us.  My son, Matt, was able to return to work after being off for 4 months due to injuries he received in an automobile accident the Sunday of Thanksgiving weekend.

There were more firsts this year for us.  Matt and I attended our first comic con in March and our first FandomFest - Fright Night Film Fest in July.  Some of the celebrities we got to meet at the FandomFest - Fright Night Film Fest included Bruce Campbell, Corey Feldman, and Luke Perry.  It was also the first year Matt and I attended all three days of the ScareFest Convention, where I had books autographed by Nick Groff of Ghost Adventures and Josh Gates of Destination Truth.

My husband and I attended our first Shades of the Past Rally in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.  We had such a blast we've got rooms reserved for the 2013 rally.

What will 2013 hold for us?

After having such a blast covering the ScareFest Convention for my website, Sharry's Place, it was decided we would make reservations at the Hyatt Regency for the 2013 convention to cut back on the amount of driving we had to do.  We live almost an hour from the Lexington Convention Center, and I have found that the older I get the less I like driving at night.

Other "road trips" Matt and I are also planning include attending the 2013 Lexington ComicCon in March where we hope to meet stars such as Billy Dee Williams (Star Wars & Batman) and Margot Kidder (Lois Lane of Superman).  In July, Stan Lee and William Shatner are scheduled to be guests at the FandomFest and Fright Night Film Fest.  Yes, William Shatner, aka Captain James T. Kirk.  :-)  I am really hoping I can get my picture taken with him.  Matt is a big fan of Stan Lee.

I'm sure there will be other things coming up in 2013 that will be unexpected.  Some will be good and/or great, while others will range from bad to devastating.  Only the Lord knows what is in store for each of us; therefore, I will leave my future up to Him.

It is my hope and wish that you have a great 2013.  May the Lord richly bless you and your family!

Sunday, November 25, 2012

Being Thankful...

With this past Thursday being Thanksgiving Day, I have seen and heard people making comments and/or lists about what they are thankful for.  The turkeys were not the only thing to get stuffed as families and friends got together to enjoy meals, football games, and a day off from work for those who lucky enough to be off.  There were those who were looking forward to Black Friday so they could get a head start on their Christmas shopping.

If you stop and think about it, there were so many people who for one reason or another were not able to celebrate with family and friends.  Some, like my son, had to work on Thanksgiving Day.  Others may be homeless, sick, in nursing homes and hospitals, mourning the loss of loved ones, or in the military serving our country far from home.

I am thankful and appreciative of all that I have.  First and foremost, I am so thankful for Jesus Christ being a part of my life and loving me enough that He suffered on the cross for me.  Even though this great country I live in isn't perfect, I wouldn't want to live anywhere else!  I have so many freedoms that are not allowed in other countries, such as freedom of speech and religion, and not being treated as property because I'm female.  My husband loves me despite my many flaws, my kids are great, and I have an absolutely gorgeous grandson.

As we leave Thanksgiving behind, and look forward to the Christmas season, remember all that you have in your life that you are thankful for.


Sunday, November 11, 2012

The Miracle of Birth...

Just 16 days ago I became a grandmother for the very first time to one of God's precious angels.  My daughter gave me the greatest of honors by asking me to be in the delivery room with her and her husband during Gunner's delivery.  Even though I have two children of my own, I was too busy trying to push to pay any attention to their actual delivery; therefore, my grandson's birth was the first I had witnessed.  I will be forever grateful to my daughter and son-in-law for sharing such an intimate moment with me.

It is hard to put into words how miraculous the creation of life truly is.  My daughter and I agreed that it's mind-boggling how another human being could develop in and come forth from a woman's body.  I have always treasured the experience of giving birth to my son and daughter; even after 30 years I still remember everything from my pregnancy, from the joy of knowing I was going to be a mother to the pain of my son's delivery.  I wouldn't change one iota of anything.  But becoming a grandparent is an entirely different experience and I love it.

It is my belief that children are a gift from God, and as such it is our duty to protect them and love them to the best of our ability.  They should be raised in the ways of the Lord, to respect others, and to have self-esteem. They are definitely NOT to be abused sexually or physically.  It absolutely angers me to no end that some insane person would harm an innocent baby, child, elderly person, or a handicapped person.  But that's a whole different subject.

Gunner will be raised with more love than he will know what to do with.  He will also grow up knowing that Jesus is Lord, that he was wanted very much, and that he has a family that will be there for him through thick and thin.  I look forward to watching him grow up and knowing that I was literally there from the first second!

Thursday, October 25, 2012

Never too old to learn something new!

For several years now I've had my own dotcom, www.sharrysplace.com, and over the years both the look and what I have had on my site have changed several times.  The changes were in part due to what was going on in my own life at the time, and in part to my getting "a wild hair" occasionally to change the looks of my site.  As a result, I recently decided to take classes on how to design a website.  Besides taking classes from an online school, I found a website with loads of great information on html, css, and other pertinent tutorials.  The website, w3schools.com, has a wealth of information and helps me keep up-to-date on the latest standards.

FYI:  
  • html - HyperText Markup Language, the main markup language for displaying web pages and other information that can be displayed in a web browser.
  • css - Cascading Style Sheets, a style sheet language used for describing the the look and formatting of a document written in html.

You have to realize that I am not exactly a "spring chicken" having been out of high school for 40+ years.  However, I find that I'm really enjoying learning about how websites are put together.  There are lots of designers and developers out there that are so much more knowledgeable than I will ever be when it comes to designing a website.  They know how to use javascript, jquery, xml, and other "languages" used on the internet.  Knowing I'll never learn as much as they know, what I have learned is so much more than what I knew 10 years ago. 

I have to admit to getting somewhat excited each time I learn something new in either html or css.  This results in my playing around with my site to see what I can do with this new knowledge.  It can be frustrating at times trying to figure out why my work won't pass validation, then I feel good when I have that "a-ha" moment after realizing what I did wrong. 

After I am finished with my online classes in web designing, I would like to learn more about graphic designs.  At this point in time, I'm not sure if I will take an online class or just surf the web for information.  Either way, I would love to learn more about how to manipulate and create graphics and photos.  Though I use Paint Shop Pro to work with my photos and other graphics, I am interested in learning Adobe Photoshop.

Photography is another subject I'd love to learn more about.  Since receiving my first camera (a Kodak Instamatic X-15)  in 1966, photography has been a hobby I've always loved.  In 1981 my husband bought me a Canon T70 slr camera and several lenses to go with it.  Now I use a Kodak EasyShare Z740 digital camera.  I hope to one day get a more updated digital camera to use, especially when I attend conventions such as ScareFest and Lexington ComicCon

No matter what your age, you are never to old to pursue knowledge.  If you have a hobby or craft, there is nothing wrong with learning all you can about it.  You may just learn something you didn't know before.  You don't necessarily have to take classes online.  There are lots of tutorials online for practically everything.  You can also contact your local community action center to see if they know of places you can check into for more information.


Sunday, October 7, 2012

Lessons from ScareFest

While I greatly enjoyed this year's ScareFest, it was also learning experience for me.  I realized that the older I get the more I hate driving at night.  As part of the ScareFest experience Kentucky Theater had a midnight showing Saturday night of Evil Dead 2 starring Bruce Campbell, which my son and I went to see.  Since we live about 45 minutes from Lexington, it was about 2:45 a.m. before we got home.  Plus we planned on getting up early Sunday morning to go back to Heritage Hall for the last day of ScareFest.  I guess I'm just too old for those type of hours, which is why I hopefully will be staying in Lexington during next year's convention instead of doing all that driving.

Another lesson I learned is that I need a newer, more up-to-date camera.  As much as I like the one I've got, it kept either "eating" up batteries or would blur my pictures somewhat.  Was I the cause of the blur by not holding the camera steady, you ask?  Maybe, but there were times when I was very steady and it still had a fuzziness about it.  But...since the camera wasn't that expensive, I can't complain as it takes decent pictures around the house.  However, if I want top quality pictures from events such as the ScareFest, I think it behooves me to put up some money periodically to go towards a better camera.

The main lesson I learned from the three days I spent having a blast in Lexington is that I don't envy the tasks that Patti & Chuck Starr, Jeff Waldridge, Jennifer & Lee Kirkland have each year putting such an elaborate event together.  By the time this year's event started, if not before, they had already started thinking about 2013 and what they wanted to do to double the size of it.  Just thinking of all the logistics and hurdles they have to jump over is mind-boggling.  Am not sure how they do it, but whatever their strategy is, it seems to be working because the ScareFest gets better every year.  I'm just glad it's not me putting it together!

So...here's to 2013.  I plan on trying to act on the lessons I've learned between now and next September.  The hotel rooms are already reserved; money needs to be saved to pay for that AND the new camera I hope to have with me next year, and to pray for the great people that do all that hard work trying to put together ScareFest so that the fans like me can have a great time.

Monday, October 1, 2012

A Weekend of Scary Fun

On the weekend of September 28-30, 2012, the Lexington Center was the epicenter of all things scary and paranormal.  People from all over the United States converged on Lexington, Kentucky, to attend the 5th Annual ScareFest, a convention highlighting the world of horror and paranormal movies and television shows.  Not only were you able to interact with the actors of movies and TV, but also with writers, film-makers, authors, directors, and make-up artists.  Approximately 150 vendors were on hand with all types of merchandise for your perusal.  New this year was a horror-themed putt-putt course.  Though the convention was a huge success this year, it was not without some last minute "heartaches" as four celebrities had to cancel.  Kane Hodder, star of four Friday the 13th movies, and Jon Bernthal, star of The Walking Dead, had to cancel due to a scheduling conflict. Malcolm McDowell,  star of A Clockwork Orange, and  Clive Hall, mastermind of Candyman & Hellraiser, had to cancel due to health issues.

Nick Groff
The convention also hosted its first ever live rock concert featuring Nick Groff, star of the Travel Channel's popular series Ghost Adventures.  This was Nick's first live concert. Another first for Nick at the ScareFest was the pre-release of his new book, Chasing Spirits:  The Building of the Ghost Adventures Crew.  The official release of the book is October 2, 2012.  If your local bookstore doesn't get it, it should be available online at Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Some of the other celebrities included were:
  • Aaron Goodwin, Nick's co-star of the Ghost Adventures 
  • Chandler Riggs of AMC's The Walking Dead
  • Doug Bradley, Pinhead
  • Cleve Hall, FX Artist & Monster Creator 
  • Michael Berryman, The Hills Have Eyes
  • Tony Todd, Candyman
  • Charles Edward Pogue, The Fly
  • Derek Mears, Predators & Friday the 13th
  • R. A. Mihailoff, Leatherface
  • Chris Sarandon, The Princess Bride
  • Chip Coffey, Psychic
  • Tyler Mane, Michael Myers & Sabretooth
  • Jonathan Breck, The Creeper
  • SyFy's Face Off season 2 cast
  • Meg Foster, Evil-Lyn in the screen version of Masters of the Universe 
  • Josh Gates, Destination Truth
  • Stephen Geoffreys, Fright Nighy
  • The cast of Ghost Hunters International

ScareFest's Head Staff
On the last day of this year's convention, a Q&A was held with Jeff Waldridge, Event Manager, Patti Starr, owner, Chuck Starr, Executive Producer, Jennifer Kirkland, Administrator/Social Media Director, and Lee Kirkland, Programming Director/Head of Security.  They were very open with what they had planned for the future of the ScareFest.  Besides wanting to increase the floor space of future conventions, they are looking into bringing in more activities the fans can participate in.  Some of the activities they are looking into were mentioned, but I prefer to let them 'spill the beans'.

Jeff Waldridge
I asked if any of the former guests had recommended the ScareFest to other celebrities, to which I received a positive answer.  The panel said they have had, upon occasion, celebrities call them wanting to attend.  What was surprising to me was the fact that the Ghost Adventures Crew, consisting of Zac Bagans, Nick Groff, & Aaron Goodwin, like the ScareFest so much it is the only convention they will go to.  Kane Hodder, the only actor to play Jason in the Friday the 13th movies 4 times, has attended the first 4 conventions.  He was suppose to attend this year, but had to bow out due to a scheduling conflict.  Another guest who comes to the ScareFest every year is Chip Coffey.  To come back each year I believe says quite a bit about the quality of the ScareFest.

Chuck & Patti Starr
This was my first year attending all three days. I must say it was an great experience, and am planning on doing it again next year.  I can only imagine all the hassles, headaches, and frustrations the staff and their volunteers go through in order to bring together such a great convention.  It has to be extremely hard work, both physically and mentally, to put forth such a massive undertaking.  I admire their tenacity and willingness in doing it year after year.  

BACKGROUND:  Approximately around 2006, Jeff Waldridge approached Patti Starr, president of Ghost Chasers International, Inc., with the idea of having a horror film convention in Lexington.  She liked the idea, and suggested including the paranormal.  Mr. Waldridge, having experience in promoting wrestling, spent the next two years researching how to go about setting up such a convention.  After attending every type of convention ranging from comiccons to lawn & garden, Jeff finally came up with several ideas.  With the help of Chuck Starr, Patti's husband and executive producer of The ScareFest, the first annual Scarefest was "born" in 2008.  That year they had 5,000 visitors.  In 2011 the attendance had grown to 12,000.  I look forward to hearing how many attended this year.

If you like attending conventions such as The ScareFest, I highly recommend you attend this one.  You will not be disappointed.

I am working on updating my site with pictures my son and I took at this year's ScareFest.  As soon as I get them uploaded, I will be posting the link.  If you would like to check out ScareFest's site, you can do so at www.scarefestcon.com.

Saturday, September 22, 2012

2012 ScareFest Convention

The ScareFest is one of the largest horror and paranormal conventions in the United States.  It is held each year in Lexington, Kentucky, and draws large crowds from all over.  The 2012 convention will be held the weekend of September 28-30 at the Lexington Center. 

Some of the "stars" attending will be Nick Groff and Aaron Goodwin (Travel Channel's Ghost Adventures), Chip Coffey (physic featured on Paranormal State), Malcolm McDowell (Clockwork Orange & Halloween I & II), and Josh Gates (Destination Truth).

My son and I will be attending all three days, and taking plenty of pictures.  Once we get them uploaded on our website, www.sharrysplace.com, we will let you know.  If you would like to see pictures of the 2011 convention, click here.

If you are a fan of the horror film and/or paranormal genre, I highly recommend this convention.  Even if you are not a fan, just being able to get up close and personal with the stars makes the convention worth attending. 

Saturday, June 23, 2012

Talk About Presidential Power!

My son and I went yesterday to see the 4:30 p.m. matinee of Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter in 3D.  I had read the book of the same title, written by Seth Grahame-Smith, who also wrote the screenplay for the movie.  As a lot of movies made from books don't always follow the book, I was curious to see what differences, if any, there were between Mr. Grahame-Smith's book and his screenplay.  There were a few things that were in one but not the other; however, the movie was fairly close to the book.  I personally liked the movie, and recommend it. 

My son will soon be putting a better review up at http://suttonatthemovies.blogspot.com/, so I highly recommend you visit periodically to see what his views were on the movie.

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Procrastation maybe?

On my last posting I mentioned that I was contemplating take some classes on computer graphics.  At the present time I've decided to put off those classes for the time being.  That's not to say I won't be taking any classes; now is just not the time.  There are other things I feel are more important at the present time that I need to spend the money on. 

Monday, June 4, 2012

Do I or Do I Not? That is the question...

Do you ever feel like you're between a rock and a hard place on trying to make up your mind about something?  You keep making a list of pros and cons, and the list comes out equal on both sides?  You keep thinking that if you do do it, you wish you hadn't spent the money, but if you don't do it you'll regret it later?

I'm that way about taking some online courses.  I've got a couple of hobbies  I want to get into, but am having a hard time trying to decide how I want to learn all I can about how to do them or if I actually want to do them.  And if I did get into doing this hobbies, can I make any money on them.  I've been told more than once I need to see what I can do with my home office. 

One of the hobbies I've gotten into are making sets (templates) for web sites, and I've sold one.  I'd like to get better at making not only the actual html of the sets, but also the graphics side of of these sets.  The problem is not knowing what graphics classes to take.  I may wind up having to take more than one.  :-)

Learning about computer graphics would also help with another hobby I want to get into - desktop publishing.  I'd mainly like to get into greeting cards, but would also like to dabble in invitations and wedding programs.  When my daughter married in March 2009, I made her invitations and programs, and received several compliments on them.  For several years I made our Christmas cards and all the recipients seemed to enjoy getting a "homemade" card (even if it was printed from the computer).  I recently purchased a Cricut Expression machine which will be used to help dress up the cards, invitations, scrapbook pages, etc. that I plan on trying to make.  

As time goes on, I will keep you posted on my progress.  Wish me luck!

Monday, May 14, 2012

Nick Groff's First Live Performance

It's official!  Nick Groff of The Travel Channel's Ghost Adventures will be at the 2012 ScareFest Convention in Lexington, KY, promoting his new album.  This will be his first live performance.  Nick's first CD, in which he wrote, produced and sang on all the tracks, is called: The Other Side. The lyrics recant Groff's spiritual journey through life up to that point.

Besides being co-investigator and cameraman on the Ghost Adventures series, he is an executive producer and editor of the show.  

On October 31, 2011, Nick Groff and Santi DeOleo, Boston-based designer of Modus Collection, launched their collaborative line of custom shirts – aptly titled the “Phantom Collection”.  The “Phantom Collection” is a series of four limited edition designs that mesh Groff’s love and intrigue for the paranormal with Modus’ urban sophistication and signature chess inspiration.

Saturday, May 12, 2012

Happy Mother's Day

Tomorrow, May 13, is Mother's Day.  If you are still lucky enough to have your mom, please be sure to tell her how much you love her.  If she has already passed on, remember all the good times you've shared with her and the many things she taught you.

I'm blessed to still have my mother with me and is in pretty good health considering she recently turned 84.  She has taught my siblings and me more by example than by anything she has verbalized.  As a child growing up with asthma, she was the one I always wanted to massage my chest, which I always thought helped me to breathe better.  During the last few days of my dad's losing battle with cancer, Mom was such a trooper.  The way she handled his illness and subsequent death were more than I would've been able to do.  She's always been there for us, no matter what.  Mom, I love you dearly.

Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers, step-mothers, grandmothers, and women who have stepped up to the role of mom!

Saturday, April 21, 2012

Grandparenthood

I found out on February 24th that my daughter is expecting our first grandchild.  However, it was a few weeks before we were allowed to share the news with everyone.  This was because she wanted to go wait until after her first visit with the doctor before making it official, which I can understand.  Though she is excited, I don't think it will really kick in until she starts to show and after the doctor tells her what the sex is.

She and her husband had been trying for quite a while to have a baby, and eventually they went to be checked out as to why it was taking so long.  Since our son-in-law already had 2 children from a previous relationship, they felt like it had something to do with her.  It was found out that she had the beginning stages of endometriosis, and a procedure (something to do with burning the spots off the lining of her womb) was done by her ob-gyn doctor a few days later, which she was told has a good ratio of patients who become pregnant within 6 months after having it done.  Suffice it to say, less than a month later my daughter's dreams came true.  

I can so empathize with my daughter in her attempts to have a child as my husband and I went through a lot of the same procedures she has while trying to conceive our first child.  In our situation my progesterone level was too low.

My hubby and I are thrilled to be grandparents and are looking forward to spoiling him or her.  The Lord has surely blessed both our daughter and son-in-law and us.  He is Good.

FYI...

Just a short note to let you know I am no linger with Liberty Lady Designs.

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Work from home...

Interested in earning that extra money from the comfort of your own home? If this is something you've been thinking about, then we'd like to suggest a few companies for your perusal.


Scentsy: Love candles, but not the flames? Scentsy is for you with over 80 scents and 3 sizes of warmers. $99 to join and a low quarterly quota. 

Tupperware: With a limited lifetime warranty, you can't beat all the great products Tupperware offers for the kitchen. Two (2) kits to choose from, $79.99 or $119.99, and a low quota.

Watkins: In business since 1869, Watkins offers products for the pantry, medicine cabinet, laundry room, and now the baby's room. Only $39 to join, no minimums or quota. Annual renewal fee of $30.

Feel free to contact us for more information on any of the above mentioned companies. We'd love to have you on our team.

Saturday, January 21, 2012

Tupperware Kick Off

To kickoff my newest company, Tupperware, I’m having a Super Bowl of a sale. Send me your order via email, and I’ll give you 15% off your order. To browse our catalog, you can visit us at http://my2.tupperware.com/sharonsutton. While there, why not check out what’s on sale. Example: 40% off Modular Mates, with a choice of color seals. Got a bridal shower in your future, why not gift them with something they could use – Tupperware. Please feel free to contact me for any questions.

Please send your order(s) to me before January 31. I accept PayPal.

Feel free to let your family and friends know about my Tupperware Kick Off Sale.

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Have you seen Tupperware lately?

When was the last time you saw a Tupperware catalog? If it's been awhile or if you've never seen one, why not visit our site? You will discover smart, sustainable solutions for easier, more enjoyable living. You can browse categories showcasing choices that are just right for the way you live. Tupperware has products ranging from food preparation to storage. Always on the go? We have products for that. Our storage containers will help organize your kitchen, fridge, freeze and so much more. Our products make great gift ideas. Have kids who love to help out in the kitchen? Check out the great children's items.

If you are interested in earning hostess gifts, we'd love to talk with you about hosting a catalog party. We would send you the necessary materials to take up orders. Do you know of an organization looking to earn money via fundraising? Let Tupperware help with that. The organization would earn 40% of their final order.

Tupperware products have a limited lifetime warranty against chipping cracking, breaking or peeling under normal non-commercial use. They are also dishwasher safe unless otherwise noted.

Again, our site is located at my2.tupperware.com/sharonsutton. We love having visitors; any and all sales are greatly appreciated.

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

December 21, 20012

What will you be doing on December 21, 2012? If you are a doomsday believer, you are probably expecting the world to end that day. There are probably Christians who believe that is when the Second Coming of Christ will occur. All the talk stems around the fact that the Mayan calendar ends its 5,125-year-long cycle. Predictions have ranged from Christ coming that day to the Earth being hit by some large object. If you are true child of God, you don't need to worry as you know you've a home in Heaven waiting for you. The following Bible verses are from the King James translation and will help you to understand that no one, not even Jesus, knew when the end times would happen.

Matthew 24:36
But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.

Matthew 24:42
Watch therefore, for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.

Matthew 24:44
Therefore be ye also read: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.

Matthew 25:13
Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.

Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Books, Books & More Books


If you're an avid reader such as me, you know your new year is off to a great start when you become the proud owner of your very first ereader. I went out with my sister on Monday, and broke down and bought myself a Nook Simple Touch. My ultimate wish was for the Nook Tablet, but settled for the Simple Touch for now since I was really wanting something to download library books onto.

As soon as I got home with it, it was immediately plugged into my computer to start charging. (Note: if you buy one, be aware that it took mine almost 24 hours to charge to full capacity.) While my new "toy" was charging, I began to surf around for free books to download. Once the Nook was charged, I downloaded almost 30 books. Barnes and Noble is one of the first places I went to. I'll admit, most of the free book sites don't offer the latest books on the market, but that's ok. One suggestion I would make if you are considering purchasing an ereader, whether it be a Nook, Kindle, Sony or some other type of ereader, find out from your local library if they offer ebooks for downloading. If they do, you may want to find out what you need to do in order to download books onto your ereader. Some places, such as Barnes and Noble, offer bargain deals. You could also consider making friends with people who have ereaders and you can share books.

As I said, I love to read and have always loved to do so for as long as I can remember. When I was a child, my interest was history. I loved reading biographies about such people as George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Daniel Boone, etc. Around the time I turned 18, my sister brought home a paperback by Kathleen Woodweiss, The Flame and the Flower. This book started a lifelong love of historical romances. It's funny that after 40 years, I still remember that book. Even though books about American history and historical romances are my favorites, I also like books about Native Americans, cave people/pre-history, and some syfy/paranormal items.

Favorite authors? I enjoy Jude Devereaux, Johanna Lindsay, Victoria Alexander, Mary Balogh, Gayle Callen, and Heather Graham, just to name a few. Cassie Edwards has written several historical romance books about Native Americans. In the syfy/paranormal genre, I like Christine Feehan, Sherrilyn Kenyon, and Gena Showalter.
Kathleen O'Neal Gear and W. Michael Gear, a husband & wife team, wrote several books about early Americans that I really enjoyed reading. This past September I attended my first book signing. Zak Bagans, host of the "Ghost Adventures" on the Travel Channel, had written a book entitled Dark World. in which he talks about some of the adventures he, Nick Groff, and Aaron Goodwin have while checking out haunted places. It was great to meet someone and have them sign a book for me.