Introduction

      Good Evening Everyone!

      Well this is my first blog, and I guess the easiest way to start this off is by introducing myself. My name is Jodi, and this is my very first online class, as well as my first class at UWM. I attended Cardinal Stritch University previously and obtained my Associates Degree in Business from there. I have transferred to UWM to complete my Bachelors Degree in French or English (I haven't completely decided yet).
      Some interesting facts about myself include; when I graduated high school I was originally going to attend MIAD for photography and graphic design, and instead I ended up with a business degree, I love foreign languages and have studied French, Spanish, Latin, and Japanese, and secretly I would love to major in Classical Studies, however, I have no idea what I would be able to use that degree for.
      I will be completely honest I chose this class because I love to read and write, and didn't even realize until I saw the syllabus that for this class we would be reading Vampire stories. I must say I was very excited by this, since my favorite novels to read are about vampires. Since I was eight years old Anne Rice has been one of my favorite writers, and I have read all of her Vampire Chronicles books multiple times.
      I consider myself pretty knowledgeable in vampire lore, and have read many stories from the classics such as Dracula to the more modern novels like the Southern Vampire Series, and even the Twilight Series.
      I love reading novels that suck you in and hold your attention to the very last page. I love when the characters are filled with life, and can be related to on a personal level. My favorite characters have flaws, and try over and over again to overcome their conflicts, whatever they may be. I believe what attracts me to many vampire novels is the fact that many of the characters in these books feel as if they are the worst monsters in the world, and as you continue reading their stories you end up discovering that they are more human than even they believe they really are. I still remember the first time I read Bram Stoker's Dracula, when I began the story I didn't like Dracula, I thought he was heartless and evil, but by the end of the novel I actually felt pity for him. I love stories that can change my perspective throughout it's development. I also enjoy books with a little bit of dark humor. Sherrilynn Kenyon is very good at making her readers laugh, even when the characters situation seems grim.
     Most of my previous English classes have been geared towards the more traditional novels in our society. I have read the classics such as Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad, and Macbeth by Shakespeare. To have the opportunity to read and do literary analysis on the books chosen for this class fills me with excitement, rather than the dismal groan I tend to make when I have to read a book for a class.
     As I stated earlier this is my very first blog, I actually created this page a few short months ago, and have not really done much to it since then. I am an avid Facebook user, and have also dabbled on WordPress and Twitter, though the latter I haven't used too often. I began this blog to get into the freelance writing world, and to help promote my own writings. I am excited to experience an online class in this manner, rather than the traditional online class structure. I hope to learn from everyone here how to better utilize some of the social networking sites available, and I also hope to learn new ideas and experiences from the others in the class.
       Some of my other favorite websites include http://www.reddit.com/ and http://www.suite101.com/writing-novels. 
      Good luck to everyone, and I hope we all have a wonderful semester.

                     ---Jodi