I am a Downton-Abbey-addicted Twi-Mum who writes fan fiction for relaxation when I should be preparing classes, grading papers, editing books, etc. In other words, writing fan fiction has raised me to a whole 'nother level in the fine art of procrastination.

I live in the mountains east of San Diego, California, with my husband, four kids, and our miniature dachshund, Dashwood. Yes, and my library of over 3000 books. Yeah, working for a decade in the bookselling business has its only downside in bookcases stuffed full, usually double-shelved. Although I work online and just about have my fingers glued to my keyboard for most of each day, my favorite way to write is with a wooden-handled brass-nibbed pen dipped in colored inks (sepia has long been a favorite); when I have to be more mobile, I write with a Waterman fountain pen and always have a box of green ink cartridges at hand.

Besides my faith, my family, and my friends, reading and writing are the loves of my life. I received a B.A. in Literature in 1988 and a Master of Arts in English in 1991. After a stint in my dream job (an adjunct instructor in the Literature Department at a small Christian liberal arts university), I elected to stay home to educate our four kiddos, one of whom is college-aged (but can't afford to attend the university of her choice so is working to save her pennies); in the 2012-2013 school year, I'll be teaching our three boys in grades 7, 10, and 12. (Thank goodness I found a math tutor!!) In addition to home schooling for the past 15 years, I teach writing classes online and for our home school co-op, plus I have my own editing/essay grading business.

I have published two books as co-editor: one an academic collection of essays in 1993 that I worked on in grad school, and the second I completed editing in April 2011--it's a trial edition of the Book of Common Prayer for the Reformed Episcopal Church of North America and has been a true labor of love. I edit and proofread for several different ministries/churches, and I've been helping to edit some fan fiction for a few young writers over at Wattpad where my stories are also posted.

My favorite living authors are: J.K. Rowling, Anne Lamott, Kathleen Norris, Frederica Mathewes-Green, Jan Karon, P.D. James, Anne Perry, and Victoria Thompson. I love me a good British mystery with a cuppa Irish Breakfast tea.

My favorite dead authors are: Chaucer, Shakespeare, Milton, Bunyan, Jane Austen, Charlotte Bronte, Sarah Orne Jewett, Charlotte Perkins Gilman ("The Yellow Wallpaper" is sheer genius!), and CS Lewis (his Christian books, not Narnia or sci-fi).

My favorite poets (dead and living) are: William Wordsworth, Edgar Allan Poe, Emily Dickinson, ee cummings, T.S. Eliot, Langston Hughes, Wendell Berry, Luci Shaw, Judith Deem Dupree, and Kathryn Belsey. (The latter two are friends of mine who kicked my butt back to writing!)

My favorite bands are U2, U2, and U2. I love my boys from Dublin! :) Also Florence the Machine, Editors, Billie Holiday, Katie Melua, She & Him, Tempest, and Steam Powered Giraffe. Love Indie, Celtic, Classic Rock 'n' Roll, and Big Band/Swing music, the latter of which is my usual writing music.

Pinned but Fluttering has been nominated for Top Ten Completed Fics for January 2013 at TwFanFictionRecs.com and also for the Hidden Star Awards for Best Vamp, and Evening Star was also nominated for the Hidden Star Awards for Best All-Around Story. I'd love more nominations, so please feel free... ;)

My BLOG for all things Fan Fiction is at http://CassandraLowery.blogspot.com

My Facebook page for Cassandra Lowery is at http://www.facebook.com/CassandraLoweryWrites (Come "friend" me!!)

My Facebook Fan page for Evening Star/Cassandra Lowery is at http://www.facebook.com/CassandraLoweryWrites

And come Tweet with me on Twitter!! http://twitter.com/CassandraWrites

Please stop by to see me at any of the above (or better yet, ALL) places!! :)

Love to you all--

Cassandra :) xxxooo