Hey there!

It has been a long time since I have updated my profile. I won't be adding too much to this ... you can read my old updates below if you have the urge. The biggest change since my last update of October 2011 is that I have moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico. It is nice in Santa Fe, New Mexico! My dogs love the weather, as do I. My sister who lives with me has found better jobs with better pay than what she could find in upstate New York. I like the mix of cultures and peoples. I like The West, as those of you who enjoy my Magnificent Seven fan fiction already know (also my Alias Smith and Jones stories).

I still have my dogs Fred, Homer and Atticus. Homer has been my precious problem child. He had back surgery in March 2013 (and has recovered beautifully from it) and then developed seizures in June 2013. We are STILL trying to get his meds right, 15 months later. But he's fine, the seizures are short, he recovers quickly, and you would never know that he suffered from them from first meeting him.

My avatar is Fred, the dog that I based Ezra's Fred after in some of my MAG7 stories. He's a charming, sweet boy. And Atticus is the third wheel. I have a perfect hound three-pack!

Still working from home as a software consultant. I'm hoping this gig never ends!

We have enjoyed exploring New Mexico and Colorado, we visited the Four Corners area, and will be hitting Utah soon enough. Next year we'll head farther north for a visit to Glacier National Park in Montana. It is MUCH easier exploring The West from the west rather than from New York!

DV 09/17/2014

OLD UPDATES BELOW

Update time: October 2011

Still loving the fan fiction writing thing. And reading. My current passion is The Magnificant Seven for reading and writing. I am amazed at the amount of excellent fan fiction out there for this series that lasted just two short seasons. It was a well-done show, and the fans have done some clever things to expand the horizons of these characters. Many compelling AUs, including placing the seven in the present as Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms agents. A very fine AU with many good writers. I don't see me heading that way; I have had a fascination with The American West since I was a child so I believe that all of my Mag7 stories will be Old West.

I now have three dogs, the little darlings. All Beagle mixes: Fred, Homer and the new guy, Atticus. Nearly hit him with my car down the road from my house. I checked around, there were no missing Beagle-ish boys, so I kept him, and he fit right in to the pack! I will update my avatar shortly with a picture of all three together, on vacation in Maine. Lucky boys they are!

Time for an update. Well, back to working part-time in my old career: software consulting. Not particularly happy about that...it doesn't leave lots of time for writing, and mostly that is because I have tp place writing in the proper order of importance: it falls below playing with the dogs, enjoying the pretty scenery in my upstate NY home, the garden in the summer and making sure we have cleared paths to get in and out in the winter. It's February 2010 as I write this, and frankly, I have about had it with the snow. Hoping that Pennsylvania groundhog got it right!

I had to say goodbye to the wonderful Miller last month. He was my senior puppy, a 17 3/4 year old Yellow Lab/Golden Retriever mix. He was with me for 17 of those years. I adored him. He was a special boy, sweet and loving and kind to every soul he met: people, cats, dogs. I miss him. My two Beagle mixes Fred and Homer have made the loss easier, but 17 years is a long time to share with a companion like Miller.

As you can see, my most recent foray into fan fiction is Castle. I have a thing for the detective duo of Ryan and Esposito. That will be my focus, when I have time to write. Since the last update I also did some writing for the series Numb3rs. I have also recently discovered the TV series The Magnificent Seven. I don't know if I'll venture into that realm to write anything. I do know that I am pleasantly surprised by how much fan fiction there is for this series, not just at this site but at many others. And I am now halfway through the BBC TV series Wallander starring the brilliant Kenneth Branagh. Talk about a compelling lead character. Branagh is amazing and it is a treat to see him in a role so complex: tortured, compassionate, very smart and really good at his job. He's great in the movies, but watching him in a recurring part is just so great.

That's it for this update.

Hi again. It's about that time for another update. I'm still writing fan fiction, but I have ventured into new territory for me, with stories in the Man from U.N.C.L.E. fandom and more Alias Smith and Jones stories. I'll soon be posting my first story for Hardcastle and McCormick. I still hope to get back to writing stories in some of my other favorite fandoms, but I also have real life getting in the way, as we all do.

I'm working part-time. This was not planned in my semi-retirement, but the economy is making being retired very difficult. But I'm enjoying the work - so far so good.

I also have a vegetable garden this summer, and that has been loads of fun and wonderfully satisfying. I have used fennel from my garden, I have sauteed green beans freshly picked. I will be harvesting swiss chard this weekend. I've used fresh herbs - basil, rosemary, thyme, lemon thyme, sage, parsley, oregano - throughout the summer. Gardening is a wonderful thing, I highly recommend it, if you have the time.

I also have adopted a new dog. His name is Homer and he's somewhere around a year old. He's part Beagle, maybe some Bassett hound and pointer? Who knows? He's darling, very sweet, and came practically completely housebroken. Here's his photo; I'll get a shot of him with his brothers Miller, Bailey and Fred soon. I hope.

Also, I am still reading fan fiction, but I'm very picky. I still have gotten no better at taking the time to review good stories. Apologies for that.

You can still catch my random thoughts at my blog: http:///

Time for another update. It's January 2, 2009 and I am hoping for great things with a new president, one that I can be proud of after 8 years of the idiot George Bush. It will be great to see intelligence back in the White House.

The worst part about 2008 for me was saying goodbye to little Boo. He put up a valiant fight against his cancer, but we had to let him go in April. It was a sad but bittersweet day. I still tear up thinking of him, especially when I write about him. Our vet was wonderful and made the passing so quiet and warm and easy. I cannot fathom why we don't have this option for ourselves when we are allowed to give our pets a humane and painless way to go.

I have a blog now. I have been trying it out with family and friends, but you are all welcome to join in on the fun if you like. You can find it here: http:///

I have moved from southern New Jersey to upstate New York. I have quit my job and am trying semi-retirement for a while. So far, I'm really liking semi-retirement. Actually, I guess you have to call it retirement for now, though I have every intention of finding myself part-time work. Eventually.

As far as writing fan fiction, I have a Man From U.N.C.L.E. story that I can post as soon as I get it typed up (it's been sitting around in a notebook for a looooong time, though), and I am working on an Alias Smith and Jones story. I was hoping that Stargate Atlantis would become inspiring sometime this year, but it hasn't. Alas, I fear the beauty of living in the mountains has distracted me from my writing.

So, that's the update for now. Everything below the line is old news.

Denise

Okay, it's way past time for me to update this profile.

I like to read fan fiction, and other fiction. That certainly hasn't changed. I have written Starsky and Hutch, The West Wing, JAG and Stargate-Atlantis, and now I have Jericho in addition to my SGA-Atlantis obsession. I have always been crazily fascinated by Skeet Ulrich and firmly believe that ABC had to have been run by a bunch of idiots to have let Miracles slip away the way they did. I am slowly but surely posting my old Starsky and Hutch stories here, but that's going to take a while because I keep getting distracted by my other passion: my dogs. And now I've added and old, dear passion to the list of possible stories to come: Alias Smith and Jones. I just treated myself to the first season DVD set. What a great show that was! Watching it has been bittersweet. I can't believe I still miss Pete Duel after all these years.

Yes, I am crazed about dogs. Mostly about my dogs, but I love all dogs. My dogs are a major reason why I don't write more. So, here you will now suffer through descriptions of my babies...

Miller - he's my oldest, who is turning 14 this month (April 2007). He's a Golden Retriever/Yellow Lab mix. He's gorgeous, he's the nicest guy you'll ever meet. He loves all people and all animals. Just a sweet, pretty boy, though if you ignore him long enough when he tries to wake you in the morning, you have to be prepared for the claws from hell on your back. Fair warning.

Boo - well, he's really my sister's dog (she lives with me), but I absolutely think of him as mine. He's a Poodle/Terrier mix...he sort of resembles Benji, only he's waaay cuter. He's got a gazillion different colors going on in his wavy locks. He's 12 years old. He adores Miller, but currently only tolerates the other two, though he seems to be coming around...slowly. That would be very slowly for Bailey, who has been with us now for about four years. Boo likes things the way he likes them - what can I say.

Bailey - he's a big guy, 83 pounds (that means he needs to lose at least 7 pounds!) and a probably Coonhound mix, about 7 years old. He's quite beautiful and not especially bright, though he was smart enough to get adopted by me, so he can't be that dumb. Bailey loves all, wants to eat all the food and barks at everything. Definitely a pain in the ass.

Fred - my newest adoptee, he's a Beagle mix. He's 2 1/2 and cute as a button. He's orange and while, though in the Beagle world I believe his coloring is called 'lemon'. Weird. Fred is smart, funny, fast as all get out, flies through the air (no baby gate will keep this dog confined) and is the best cuddler on the planet. He's charming, sweet, and even though Boo snarls and growls and snaps at him, Fred just keeps on trying to be Boo's friend. I just adore that about him.

So, between my dogs and my writing, movies and travel, and a major love of games (board, card, crossword...you name it, I like it) and the unfortunate fact that I have to work a real job (which is a little boring these days), you know all the important things to know about me.

Ciao!