If someone had told me three years ago I'd be a proud member of the gaming community, I would have said, “No, sorry, I'm not really into sports.”

Two years ago my husband introduced me to Dungeons and Dragons. We had a love/hate relationship at the beginning. I tried to make it work, but I was moody and unsure if I wanted to commit. After a brief separation, I realized that being apart left an empty spot in my life.

I am, of course, referring to my relationship with DnD. Now I'm embarking on a love affair with 4.0e with a few side games to fill my lonelier nights.

The truth is that I love the creativity of DnD and the opportunity it gives me to interact with others, including new people who I might not otherwise have known if it weren't for our common ground on the gaming table. Each session is different and every character is unique. I find that the more I put into the game, the more I get out of it, and both the give and the take are rewarding.

I'm an office support guru during the day, and even though I'm going to be 31 this year, I'm still not sure what I want to be when I grow up. Besides gaming, I like to read trashy romances and graphic horror. I write whatever comes to mind, which currently includes a romantic comedy novel, a series of short drabbles based on the works of my favorite recording artist, and content for www.f1337command.com. I also knit, play video games, take random pictures of mundane things, own two snakes, update my Tumblr account erratically, and watch random movies from Netflix.

If you feel so inclined, you can follow mystressmanda on Twitter, where I can also be reached by Direct Message if you have any questions. Non-Twitter users be patient. Email address will be available soon.

Game on!