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Kaia

Kaia

Feminist Killjoy. Badly Behaving Bookliker. Writer and reader of all things speculative. 

Currently reading

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer
Michelle Hodkin
Diablo III: Storm of Light
Nate Kenyon
Progress: 133/341 pages
Neuromancer
William Gibson
A Taste of Blood Wine
Freda Warrington
Progress: 380/501 pages
Ancillary Justice
Ann Leckie
The Enemy (The Enemy #1)
Charlie Higson
The Night Circus
Erin Morgenstern
Perdition
Ann Aguirre

10 Things You Might Hate About Me

I am, unsurprisingly, late to this party. But at least this time it's not a social malfunction. I'm only just recovering from sleep deprivation which I actually attempted to work through and have only recently found the wherewithal to do this.

 

1. I'm autistic. This isn't something I'm secretive about, and a lot of people tend to know it these days, but I've reached a point in my life where I'd happily shout it from the rooftops. I am not ashamed of who I am in the least.

 

2. I got my start writing when I was twelve and it wasn't long before I realized it was what I wanted, with all my heart, to do for the rest of my life. But before that, I wanted to be quite a few different things, including a veterinarian, a paleontologist, a jockey, and a champion three-day eventer. I still want to be a couple of those things, and have added cryptozoologist and paranormal investigator to that list. I also want to help my husband make video games. No, I do not know how I'd find time to do all that.

 

3. Considering how many of my desired careers included animals, it should come as little surprise how much I love animals. I basically want my own minor zoo someday. The list includes: Some horses, including an Assateague pony and a miniature horse; parrots, namely parrotlets, Indian ringnecks, and African greys; rats (I'm planning on getting my first pair some time this year); possibly some bunnies; a cat or two, particularly silver Egyptian Maus, maybe even for breeding purposes; a capybara if I can provide the appropriate environment; maybe an iguana; some pigmy goats; a potbelled pig; and a border collie to keep everyone in line. 

 

4. One of my goals in life is to start a charity/rescue organization called Freedom Feathers, which will work to educate the world on exotic bird smuggling and to help rescued birds recover from their ordeals. 

 

5. Despite having pretty severe fine motor control issues, I'm an absurdly fast typist. People have a tendency to look over my shoulder to make sure I'm typing something other than gobbledygook.

 

6. I write on average two manuscripts a year. I even did so the last two years, despite suffering severe depression.

 

7. I have a pretty nasty cocktail of physical issues: hypermobility, fibromyalgia, and Raynauds, which is a condition that causes me to be unable to keep my blood circulation in the cold. I also have reflex sympathetic dystrophy in my right wrist. I don't suggest looking that up if you ever want to sleep again.

 

8. Books about the profundity of death don't move me. My father died when I was nine. I've lost multiple friends and family members over the years, to the point that I jump in terror when the phone rings before noon (as the bad news has a tendency to arrive in the morning). I find the views of death written by white, middle class people to be banal and immature. *sticks tongue out at John Green*

 

9. Even though death rarely moves me, I am not the emotionless automaton people think all autistics are. In fact, when it comes to just about everything else, I tear up at the drop of a hat. I can't even help it, I'm just a great big baby. I do try very hard to hide it, though.

 

10. I'm a gamer. I love games like Legend of Zelda, Final Fantasy (although the last couple have kinda sucked) and Prince of Persia. I'm a huge Diablo fangirl and the only thing I've ever, ever gone to a midnight release for was Diablo 3. I have a Funko Pop Tyrael sitting on my desk, and may have--may have--squealed like a little girl a few weeks ago when I saw that the newest expansion is due out in March. May have.