A Hero's Blog Hop

Ok, here are a few things to remember before you continue reading:
1.  Be sure to comment on this post to be entered for the awesome swag pack shown below.
2.  Be sure to enter through Rafflecopter (below) to win a copy of Meljean Brook's The Iron Duke, a fascinating steampunk romance.  I just finished reading it and I LOVE the Inspector and the Iron Duke.  So fun!
3.  Last, but not least, be sure to check out all the other blogs involved in the hop!  You will find some great giveaways, amazing authors, and new books to run out and buy!  http://carrieannbloghops.blogspot.com/p/heros-blog-hop-hop.html.

Now, onto my favorite heroes.  I started reading early thanks to my mom who is a kindergarten teacher.  She started me out with children's books, but I quickly followed my brother's lead and started reading comic books.  Mom would take us to the comic book store almost every Saturday so we could find some new comics to read.  I began reading the Archie comic books and then transitioned to X-Men at the recommendation of the store owner.  I fell in love with Storm, Rogue, and Wolverine.  I loved their powers, their intelligence, and their friendships.
After our trips to the comic book store, Mom would take us to the Half Price Bookstore on the TWU campus.  I LOVED that store.  It was small, dingy, and full of books.  Books were everywhere - on the stairs, on top of the bookshelves, under the racks, on desks, EVERYWHERE.  It was greatness.  I read the usual teen books (even though I was in elementary school) like Sweet Valley High and Nancy Drew.  But, I also read every Agatha Christie novel I could get my hands on.  Miss Marple was my favorite.  She was so smart, independent, and sassy.  I wanted to investigate mysteries with her.
In third grade, I read Gone With the Wind for the first time.  I was overwhelmed with the world Margaret Mitchell created for her readers.  Scarlet was my hero.  I wanted to be feisty and independent.  I didn't quite understand how manipulative and shallow she could be, but I was young.  After reading Gone With the Wind every year until I was in high school, I started realizing that while Scarlet was great, it was Rhett that was the true hero.  Oh, how I wanted to marry him.  He was dangerous, dark, smarter, witty, and an odd version of a gentleman.  He shaped my opinion of men and was my fantasy guy for years.
What hero shaped your early reading years?  Who was your fantasy hero?

Alright,  now on to the Giveaway!  Don't forget to comment on this post for the swag pack as well as entering this Rafflecopter for Iron Duke!
a Rafflecopter giveaway



To check out all the blogs with giveaways, author interviews, and new books, check out the host website: http://carrieannbloghops.blogspot.com/p/heros-blog-hop-hop.html.  Check out the ULTIMATE swag up for grabs if you COMMENT on this post!