So I figured it's time to update my bio. The old one is still so relevant though - so I've left it in tact and just included any updates in italics. I'm in a rather strange transitional stage of life.

I love Russian Mythology, Russian literature, Opera, Russian folk music, European heavy metal, Pantera, Heroes of Might and Magic, Civilization II and of course.... reading and writing :P ...If this had changed, I wouldn't still be me:)... I would list specific favourites, but the list would be too long and I would frustrate myself. I always feel like I don't do my favourites justice as I never qualify them properly - and I always forget to list some.

I write mostly fantasy. As for a favourite author?... well that's just too hard to pick, but the two that I have worshipped the longest and most consistently are: L.M.Montgomery and Charles Dickens. ("Our Mutual Friend" is simply a masterpiece :)...Can't say this has changed either. There are plenty more... but these are the ones that have defined me since childhood so I feel a certain loyalty and connection to them, quite over and above any affection I may feel for my other favourites.

Hope you enjoy my stories and I look forward to reading all of yours! Feel free to email me if I reviewed your work and you want to discuss it further:) I'm always happy to talk about writing.

Oh and I keep a livejournal. No gorry intimate details of course, lol. Just a log of sorts. If you're interested:
http://www.livejournal.com/users/lucretia_boriga
Well I guess life got so dramatic this blog turned into more than a log. I can't believe how many events/feelings have crammed themselves into my life in the past 2 years. Still no gorry details though ;)

If you like, you can leave me a comment and I'll check out yours as well.

~Mae

The following is a little background on each of the works I have posted. I am EXTREMELY grateful to all of you who have taken the time to read and review my work:) I'm sure you understand just how encouraging feedback is. Both good bad. Just to know someone is reading my work is encouraging:)

1 - THE OTHER SIDE OF THE LAKE
For those of you who remember, this is still my pet project - novel in progress. However, I'm so rusty at writing after the crunch of my last year of university and first 6 months of my career, that I'm only now just starting to get back into it. (I have about an hour or two of spare time per day, if any at all... so bear with me.) Blah blah blah... at the end of all my excuses - the confession is, I'm afraid to go near dear Odette, Dusk & Co for now, because I'm afraid I'll destroy all the hard work that went into drafting the plot/characters for this book by trampling all over them with my rusty pen. It happens, you know. If I walk all over live characters with dead creativity... I'd never touch them again. I CAN'T bear the thought of that - so for now they are on vacation. You're more than welcome to read what I've written so far though - and MORE than welcome to read my other works:)

2 - IN THESE TROUBLED TIMES
Thanks to all of you who took the time to read and review this one! It seems that it's unanimous. It's too short! lol. I was originally going to leave it as is, since it was a practice piece (I'm really bad at the short story format.) But I'm quite attatched to Liriel and Korr! I have begun drafts of an outline to turn it into a full-fledged book with full-fledged worldbuilding.

3 - A STRANGE SORT OF KINDNESS
This is a short piece I wrote, to develop the characters and world in "The Other Side of the Lake". Something doesn't quite sit right about this one.... Any suggestions would be VERY welcome, because I'm going to try and publish it.

4 - THE ROAD TO SEARING FALLS
This is one short story that is taking almost a year to write. I'm posting it in parts. Started during my final exams last year... and still working on it even now (Christmas 2004.) I'm still attached to the storyline even though the characters don't come across the way I had them in my head. Any suggestions on how to improve this - or about ANY aspect of this story - would be greatly appreciated. I'm struggling to get back into smooth writing.