This is my reading buddy, Jasper Thomas

I love books.

When I was a kid, my favorites were Catwings by Ursula Le Guin and Sideways Stories for Wayside School by Louis Sachar. And if I am being completely honest--Where's Waldo is still a go-to of mine when I need to relax.

Now my list of favorites is too long. It depends on the genre, on my mood, on the day, and on the weather. Does anyone else decide to buy a book based solely on the paper texture, the deckle edges of the pages, or the artwork on the front?

Reading a book is like going on a foray through the author's mind; visiting the worlds and characters they created. And the covers of books are adventures themselves as we peek at the art that is painstakingly chosen to give the smallest glimpse at the world inside.

Writing isn't for me; not yet at least. I enjoy the escape reading gives to me. Editing however, is something I found I was good at. Authors spend years, decades even, putting life into their ideas, and after that much time, I am the fresh set of eyes that can get it as close to their dream as possible. It is very rewarding knowing I can give the final facelift before a book gets released into the wild.

​How did I get started? Well, I have an copyediting certificate through San Diego Extension University which I completed in 2013. I didn't do much with it until 2021 when I met an author. A real live one! In person! That author was Matthew Cesca. He entrusted me with his world in his Forbidden Scrolls trilogy and I am forever thankful for that experience.

Since then, I have kept my day-job, but I keep time set aside for editing projects and reading.