So I am one of the newbie ducks around these parts, and I thought it would be nice to answer some questions I have received from alert readers so you can get to know me better. Or stalk me. It all amounts to the same thing. 

Q: Who are you and why are you qualified to review romance?

A: I’m a twenty-something college student living in the midwest. I read a lot, always have, and it was either start reviewing books formally or suffer the shouts of, “For God’s sake, Shannon, it’s just a book!” I read a lot, I know what I like, and I’m a decent writer, so thus reviewing seemed natural.

How’d you get stuck on this crazy train?

I sold my soul to Sybil.

Really?

Yes. She keeps it in a jar and she polishes it every day until it shines.

You are so full of shit.

Well, yeah. Actually, I met Sybil on a yahoo group, where we discovered that basically we have nothing in common, reading-wise. From there it was only a matter of time before she persuaded me to join the pond.

I am hot, sexy Russian bride. Will you marry me and take me to America?

No.

I notice you read a lot of paranormals.

Yep. My first love has always been fantasy, followed by science fiction and romance. When I started reading romance pretty exclusively over the past couple of years, I realized paranormals could provide me with that touch of magic I like while still giving me a good love story.

Who are some of your favorite authors?

I have tons of favorite authors, largely depending on what day you ask me. Lois McMaster Bujold, Lynne Connolly, Marjorie M. Liu, Samantha Kane, Meljean Brook, and Jean Johnson are my current pics.

I am the financial officer for the Prince of Nigeria, and we just need your account number so we can borrow your bank account to store several billion dollars worth of illegaly gotten money.

You can’t have mine, but I will happily give you the names of some of my exes.

What makes a good romance?

First, I need a strong heroine. I don’t need her to kick ass and take names, but she should at least be smart, and she should be a good foil for the hero. I don’t read anything so that I can live the heroine’s glamorous life for a while. Romance isn’t the way I inact my fantasies, and I don’t like it when I feel authors treat it as such. As for heroes, I think anyone can write a roguish rake, a Navy S.E.A.L. or a brooding vampire. My favorite romances are ones with characters who are different, unique, and don’t always stick to type. I especially love a well-written beta hero. (He doesn’t have to be a wet rag and he shouldn’t let the heroine walk all over him, but I enjoy reading about the quieter, more easygoing types.

What plot devices do you like?

I love friends-to-lovers stories. I’m fond of mail-order brides and marriage of convenience plots, and I love the I-want-her-but-I-can’t-have-her type plots.

Any plots you think are overdone and can’t stand?

I have relaxed my stance on the concept of fated mates from outright hatred to mild irritation. But only because I’ve read a few books where that concept was done well. Mistaken identity books hold no appeal, because invariably I’m not convinced by the rationale that the characters use to not reveal what’s going on. I haven’t read a secret baby book, and probably never will, because most of the premises rely on the characters behaving in really stupid ways. I kind of feel the same way about amnesia books, too. No real appeal there.

I can help you increase the size of your penis.

Not bloody likely, but again, I will happily point you to some of my exes.

Which duckie’s reading tastes closely match your own?

That’s hard. Gwen and Devon and I have similar tastes, although we don’t match exactly. (Gwen likes Christine Feehan, for example, whereas she leaves me cold.) But Devon and I do have similar reviewing styles, which is really nice.

So there’s my FAQ. If you have questions for me, preferably questions like, “How can I give you large sums of money for no apparent reason?” feel free to ask in comments.