Hello! Welcome, welcome. I see you've stumbled upon the door to my little hobbit hole, which, as you well know, means comfort. I hope you enjoy your stay.

About me...

Well, what can I tell you? I am first and foremost a Christian. I don't explicitly bring a religious message into most of what I write, but I hope that as you read, you'll be able to recognize my faith and my Christian values coming through. What exactly does that mean? Well, first of all, I put a high emphasis on the importance of marriage and family. I was blessed to grow up in a home with two strong Christian parents who are committed to God and to each other, and I have three younger siblings with whom I am close. I know how precious a strong family is, and I like to show these types of family relationships in my stories. A necessary corollary of this is that I do not include positive portrayals of family models or relationships that I believe are not pleasing to God (i.e., same-sex relationships, adultery, or pre-marital sex). In fact, I tend to stay out of the bedroom for the most part. Even between a married man and woman, sex is something I believe should be private and special, and I don't want to intrude on that. Another aspect of my values you might notice is that I tend to avoid profanity and uses of God's name in vain whenever possible. I'll occasionally censor or use other workarounds if I feel like it's unavoidable for the sake of the character voice, but it won't happen too often.

Probably the next thing you should know is the reason for my handle. If you couldn't guess, my love for J. R. R. Tolkien approaches the threshold of scholarship, and I enjoy delving deeper into his beautiful world. I have written two major papers examining Tolkien's writing, one entitled "J. R. R. Tolkien: The Father of Modern Fantasy" and the other comparing Sophocles' Oedipus the King with Tolkien's "The Tale of Turambar," both of which I someday hope to publish. Despite all this, I will not likely be writing much Tolkien fanfic, primarily because I have too much respect for the canon to dare to add my own poor ideas into his grand vision.

A few more things you might like to know: I have a degree in elementary education; much as I love writing, teaching kids is definitely my calling in life. I'm a former homeschooler and love to connect with other homeschoolers, so if you are one, feel free to message me! I'm a bit of an English nut, so you can expect virtually perfect spelling and grammar from me. (Let me know if you find any typos! I will thank you for it!) I also love to study other languages, though so far the only one I'm even close to bilingual in is Spanish, and I still have a long way to go. My personality type is ISTJ, the "Duty Fulfiller," which basically means I'm organized and detail-oriented, among other things. I've survived severe OCD and depression, so I know that OCD is not what everybody thinks it is, and I also know that if you have it, you can make it through and live a fulfilling life. (Feel free to message me if you want to talk OCD recovery together or if you're just curious about what it really is.) I currently own over a thousand books (some in my personal library, most for my classroom library). Finally, I give out constructive criticism generously in my reviews and am always grateful to receive it as well. Learning to be better writers is one of the greatest benefits of this wonderful website.

I, TolkienScholar, do solemnly resolve to review all the fics I read, regardless of the number of reviews, its age, or anything else. I have joined the review revolution.

Forums I Frequent

The Room - We're rather quiet at the moment, but this is a place for those who miss the old Reviews Lounge, Too, to hang out and still offer quality reviews, writing tips, and conversation.

The Reviews Corner - This is an unofficial, mostly Harry Potter-focused successor to the Reviews Lounge, Too. Come help us grow!

The Dark Is Drowsy - Rebecca's forum here is a fantastic place to get recs for high-quality fanfiction.

Monthly Challenges for All - This one is an odd fit for me, as most of the members there lean heavily to the Left, but they're a tolerant bunch, and the writing challenges and prompts there are the best I've seen anywhere on this site! Joining this forum has been a major boost to my writing motivation.

Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition - This is my first time trying out this Harry Potter team competition, and I'm really enjoying it so far! I play for the Falmouth Falcons.

Written for Me

"Music" (Greatest Showman) by starspangledpumpkin - During a bitterly cold winter, after he loses his father, Phineas finds shelter with a family that opens its doors to the needy. (Secret Santa Exchange 2018)

"Another Day's Work" (Supernatural) by Jetainia - A lovely bit of sibling fluff set not long after the Christmas episode, with a sick Sammy asking too many questions and a very patient Dean working his way through them. (Secret Santa Exchange 2019)

"Blood Runs Deep" (Harry Potter) by Lillian Smith, AshenMoon42, and a-perfect-melody - George Weasley travels to desperately get away from his brother's haunting memories but leaving one's past behind and moving on is no easy task. (Prize!fic for winning the 2019 Yearly Reviews Competition at The Reviews Corner forum)

"Hawkins Towing & Repair" (Stranger Things) by Aya Diefair - A wistfully beautiful story about Max repairing Billy's car and, in the process, a little bit of herself. Can be read as a sequel to my own "Season Ticket on a One-Way Ride." (Birthday gift!fic)

Written by Me for Others

"Precious Moments" (Harry Potter) for Aya - Astoria Malfoy has good days and bad days, but with her waning strength, she and Draco both recognize that every moment is precious. That knowledge is reinforced all the more when an accident nearly takes Scorpius away from them, and in that terrifying moment, Astoria finds new strength she never knew she had.

"If You Really Hold Me Tight" (Harry Potter) for Angela - Angelina Johnson has had a long day - new box braids, a grueling Quidditch practice, and now a Transfiguration final to revise for. But when Fred and a very sick George turn up in the Common Room, her priorities quickly change. And naturally, fluff ensues.

"Your Mother and Mine" (Harry Potter) for Pix - Molly Weasley knew the platform number. Of course she did. She'd only gone to Hogwarts for seven years and dropped off some combination of her children there for nearly ten more. But the scrawny, wild-haired child standing forlornly between platforms nine and ten looked like he needed some help, and Molly was going to find a way to give it, no matter what.

"Fairytale Kisses" (Sisters Grimm) for Kat - A drabble shipping Daphne Grimm with Mustardseed, building on one of Kat's own stories.

Thank you for taking the time to get to know a little about me! I hope you enjoy my stories, and I welcome your feedback!