I’ve loved writing since I was old enough to hold a pen. Whenever my teachers assigned a writing assignment in school, I was always excited. Short stories, essays, biographies. It didn’t matter the genre. I was always ready to tell a story.

However, it wasn’t until I read Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone for the first time in the back of my parents’ van when I was ten that I realized I wanted to be a writer. There was just something about the world that J.K. Rowling created that was so very special. The characters. The plot. The pure imagination. And Rowling’s personal story was so inspirational. I wanted to create something that brought people from all walks of life together. Something that lifted their spirits and shined a light in a dark world.

Harry Potter got me through many difficult times in my life. Harry, Ron, and Hermione were my friends when I didn’t have any. During the three year gap between between the release of Goblet of Fire and Order of the Phoenix, I re-read the first four books about fifteen times. They were my life line and gave me a reason to carry on. I wanted to write. I wanted to tell stories.

It’s been over fourteen years since Deathly Hallows was released and the Harry Potter series continues to have a tremendous impact on both the literary world and my life. I recently started re-reading the series and am enjoying it more than ever.

If you’ve never read the books before, I seriously recommend them. You won’t be disappointed.