There was such an overwhelming response when I asked readers to introduce themselves on a weekend open thread that I decided to give you all a weekly column to do just that. I’ve always said this site wouldn’t be what it is without the engagement and participation of its readers and this column is the place to learn more about who you are what makes you tick. After the jump, let’s meet RhyanShae.
1. What’s your name, age and whereabouts?
On the site, and on a few other places on the web, I’m RhyanShae, which is the name of a character in one of my WIP novels. My real name is Lauren, and I’m 31. I live in a pretty rural area in the middle of New York State.
2. What’s your relationship status?
Decidedly single, and have been for a few years. Right now, I’m focusing on me so that I can be better towards an SO in the future than I was in the past.
3. How do you spend your weekdays?
Mostly at work. I work retail management, so my schedule tends to fall all over the place, and while my customers can drive me nuts and stress me out, I have the most amazing coworkers who make the workday worth it. When not at work, I am a homebody, and spend a heck of a lot of time on the internet, whether for good or bad. 😉
4. How do you spend your free time?
When I de-stress, I work on my writing. I love to read, play games on the computer (generally, puzzle games), spending time with my nieces and nephew, and hanging out with my extended family whom I’m extremely close to. I’ve had some of the best times at family parties, no offense to my friends.
5. What are your top likes and dislikes?
Likes: A good pizza, cute animals, ghost stories (and I love talking about people’s experiences and sharing my own), snow for Christmas. As of right now (writing this a few days before Christmas), one of the snowiest places in the US currently has none.
Dislikes: Loud cell phone talkers, especially when I’m at work. Political discussions with my brother (they’re so awkward!!!), people misusing the word “retarded” to mean “stupid,” especially those who know I have a multiply handicapped older sister. Oh, and winter in general. I am just not a fan of the cold.
6. What’s the best relationship lesson you’ve ever learned?
I went through a couple of heartbreaking relationships in my early twenties that fizzled for a lot of reasons, but the main one was I was so insecure about myself, my looks, and whether I could be loved that I didn’t accept it when I was told I was loved. I learned that no matter how much effort I put into a relationship, it wouldn’t work out if I wasn’t willing to love myself. Ah, to go back and smack a lot of sense into me!
7. Besides DearWendy.com, what are some of your favorite websites?
Cracked.com, Facebook, TV Line, Cake Wrecks, and Casebook.org, which is a site that has compiled any evidence or information known about the Jack the Ripper murders, and allows people to go through their theories. I am a very curious individual, and the criminal mind and psychology behind it intrigues me.
8. What are your favorite books?
Better to go with favorite authors: Stephen King, George RR Martin, Kathy Reichs, Michael Crichton, James Patterson, Virginia Woolf, and Shakespeare. I was an English Major, so tend to reread many of the classics like Shelley, Austen, Dumas, and the like. Probably the two least likely types of books you won’t catch me with are romance novels or anything related to Twilight (no offense to anyone–but most things about it just do not interest me).
*If you’d like to be a Reader of the Week, shoot me an email at [email protected] with “Reader of the Week” in the subject line and I’ll send you some questions to answer.
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Addie Pray February 7, 2012, 1:45 pm
Hi, Rhyan – What are WIP novels? I could google it but what if a big penis pops up on my work computer? I’m too scared.
call-me-hobo February 7, 2012, 2:02 pm
Addie, you talk like you’ve had multiple giant penis encounters on your work computer…
Addie Pray February 7, 2012, 2:09 pm
I’ve had too many awkward conversations with our IT group. (Oh geez, sorry I’m the only person on the planet who didn’t know what a Dirty Sanchez was; why don’t you just sue me for being resourceful enough to google it on my own, assholes.)
JK February 7, 2012, 2:12 pm
I had to google WIP novel, as well. Don´t worry, it´s SFW.
Addie Pray February 7, 2012, 2:13 pm
What’s SFW? I’m too afraid to google that too…
JK February 7, 2012, 2:17 pm
SFW= Safe for Work
Addie Pray February 7, 2012, 2:18 pm
Is there a book where you kids learn all these jargons?
MJ February 7, 2012, 2:20 pm
Urban dictionary!
Anytime I don’t want to look dumb or naive, Urbandictionary.com!
JK February 7, 2012, 2:21 pm
Exactly. 🙂
But just in case AP you can ask us anyway, someinnocent sounding terms end up being anything but!
Addie Pray February 7, 2012, 2:22 pm
Wait, I still don’t know what a WIP novel is. I just googled it. A Work In Progress novel? Why is today so difficult for me? Sigh.
But unrelated — Yay for the 9th Circuit’s ruling! Proposition 8 can truly go F itself. Everybody, go read the article; link in the forum. —–>
This is me not being political.
lets_be_honest February 7, 2012, 2:35 pm
way to get all political Addie!
jk. This is awesome!
Oddy February 8, 2012, 11:08 am
Its just a novel that is being written over a long period of time. So a work in progress:)
RhyanShae February 7, 2012, 5:36 pm
Yes, WIP is shorthand for Work-In-Progress. I was trying to not be wordy, as I have this big tendency to ramble.
Though, I can see where your mind went! 😉 I don’t think I could write erotica, mostly because I wouldn’t be able to write it without laughing. Which is strange…I have a dirty mind with the best of them!
TaraMonster February 7, 2012, 7:38 pm
10 years late today. I was at the Giants parade. WIP is work in progress, as she says. I use this acronym all the time. RhyanShae, we should be writer buddies. 🙂
I have two big WIPs right now. One is a YA fantasy novel, the other is a pretty standard fiction novel. What do you write?
RhyanShae February 7, 2012, 9:17 pm
Mostly fantasy and some historical fiction. Been in a little bit of a lapse in my writing. I have a fantasy novel finished, but in need of a lot of revising, and a historical novel in the same boat. I’ve been so distracted lately that I cannot get much done on either, but my one wish for this year is to get moving and get them done and ready for submitting.
Erica February 7, 2012, 2:04 pm
Everybody likes a good pizza! What puzzle games do you play? I love them, but I’m always looking for new ones.
RhyanShae February 7, 2012, 9:20 pm
I mostly play hidden object games, and some time management games, and I usually love them if they have an overarching story. To be honest, I probably play a little of everything. I tend to flip from type to type depending on mood.
Lili February 7, 2012, 2:28 pm
Love this line RhyanShae “I learned that no matter how much effort I put into a relationship, it wouldn’t work out if I wasn’t willing to love myself. ”
SO. TRUE!
BTW Hi Addie! I’d like to say welcome back, but um is going back to work ever ‘welcome’ no so I’ll refrain. So what did you think of last night’s Bachelor episode? I’ll admit I totally connected with everything Casey S was saying about having an ex.
ChemE February 7, 2012, 2:35 pm
Nice to meet you!
Ghost stories are cool, but I’m glad I don’t have any personal ones. I can’t imagine how scared I’d be if something like that happened to me for real.
And I can’t handle ghost stories/scary stuff before bed, I get too freaked out and can’t sleep. I might need to work on that…
bethany February 7, 2012, 2:42 pm
I have a ghost story!!
The short, short version is that in college I lived in this house that was about 200 years old and was rumored to be haunted (someone that I worked with lived in the same house when he was in college and had a ton of weird things happen to him while living there). One night I’m laying in bed and my phone rings. I had a mattress on the floor in college, no box spring or frame, so my bed was pretty much on floor level. I rolled over to my left to grab my phone off the floor, and as I’m rolling back to the right to sit up in bed I see a girl with long brown hair sitting on the floor indian style, looking at me. We had a moment where we were both just looking at eachother, and then I jumped up and turned on the light and she was gone.
She made herself known a few other times by cleaning up after one of my other roommates- It was actually pretty funny, and for some reason I was cool with her presence in the house. Now, if I’d woken up and she was standing over top of me, staring down at me, I’d probably have moved out the next day… But I think she was a cool ghost 🙂
Rangerchic February 7, 2012, 2:58 pm
Cool story bethany. I think I would have freaked out. I believe in ghosts but have yet to meet one and hope I never do.
Eljay February 7, 2012, 3:48 pm
Holy crap! I would have run screaming from that house & never looked back. Geezawiz, I just can’t imagine. I’m such a weenie.
RhyanShae February 7, 2012, 5:43 pm
My aunt had something similar to that happen. They would frequently see a little boy walking away from them down an upstairs hallway and disappear. I never saw him myself, but I did hear his footsteps once before they moved out of the home. He was a calm one, so it never really bothered them.
Now, the one in the place I currently live? I think it likes to cook because it’s always messing with the kitchen cupboards!
Taylor February 7, 2012, 2:58 pm
If you ever figure out the smacking sense into your younger self thing, give my younger noggin’ a good whack while you’re there please =)
Nice to meetcha!
Mar1985 February 7, 2012, 3:05 pm
That is so cool! I always want to have some sort of paranormal experience and am obsessed with Ghost Hunters and scary movies, etc. But no such luck for me so far! I just hope if I ever buy a house it isn’t haunted with a bad ghost so that I don’t get stuck with it :/
RhyanShae February 7, 2012, 5:38 pm
Thanks for the hellos, everyone! Sorry I couldn’t be here when you posted. Work really restricts me from spending any time online, so I’m always awkwardly late to the parties here! Hoping life settles back down for me so that I can participate in the discussions more, too.