The Author

The mad woman behind this never ending project is myself LM Gildersleeve. "I once fell in love with a dead man" is what I used to tell people. Well actually more truthfully it was his mind I love. What fascinated me was the connections from reality to a fantasy realm written as though the bards would remember them. Gaps in Middle-earth's history were natural to an ancient way of life long gone.

The romance didn't start out so well. My husband decided he would read me a bed time story each night. He chose a children's book called The Hobbit. Now I look back and wondered how I fell asleep each night after only a few pages were read but have come to realize it was my husbands oratory skills that were lacking not the stories subject. Don't tell him I'm sure he'd be heartbroken to know.

And then perhaps 10 years later my husband saw they had made The Fellowship of the Ring into a film. We both are fantasy literature fans and after watching a trailer I had to see to it. To be honest, the elves where the draw for me. Exotic, aloof and I was jealous of the long hair for sure. After first film I was the hook. I started reading everything I could get my hands on. I started with LoTR then moved on to The Silmarilion, The Hobbit, Unfinished Tales and everything including one of my favorite children's story Roverandom.
 
I belong to only one forum to discuss Tolkien and his work. You can see the other link Middle-earth Journeys above. And I reread at least one Tolkien book through out the year. That is the beauty of Tolkien's work, you can reread the stories because they are timeless and I never tire of them.

I also am an artist and if you wish to see what I'm up to visit my blog The Melete Project.