Hello my dear readers,

My name is Austin (aka Nehex), and I'll be your blogger for today. I've been thinking about writing a blog for some time now, and finally decided to do it. Seeing as this is Brandon Sanderson's official fansite, I think it's fitting for me to write about about the first time I picked up a Brandon book.

Sherman, set the Way-Back machine to 2006. I was in my junior year of high school, and obsessed with fanfiction. At the time, I was writing a Sonic the Hedgehog/Young Wizards series crossover that, in all honesty, was six different kinds of awful. Long story short, I trashed the story, but met another friend who was a fan of Diane Duane: a fellow fanfictionist who called herself BookwormRose. We quickly became friends and frequently exchanged emails to each other.

One day, I mentioned that I hadn't read anything good lately, and she suggested that I read a book her boyfriend (who was also a twin named Austin[or maybe it was Allen with a twin brother named Austin, I forget.]) had just finished reading called Elantris. I was a little skpetical at first, as I usually am when picking up an unfamiliar book. But, true to my word, I went to the library and checked it out.

After 10 pages, I was hooked.

I flew that book faster than anything I had read in a long time, and was hungry for more. I rushed back to the library to find out that he had no other books that I could devour. Saddened, I decided to fill my bitter hole by purchasing a copy for myself.

As I was leaving the Barnes and Noble, Elantris in hand, I noticed a sign saying Brandon Sanderson had a new book coming out in just one week. Not only that, he'd be signing at that very store soon after that. I hurriedly rushed back inside and pre-ordered my very own copy of Mistborn.

I read Mistborn even faster than I read Elantris and showed up an hour early for the signing, eager to have him sign my book. Brandon showed up with a smile on his face, and happily signed my book. I was starstruck. In person, I'm usually fairly quiet until I get to know someone fairly well. That night, I was the very definition of a booth barnacle. After my book was signed, I clutched it to my chest, backed up a few feet so some other people could get their books signed too, then sat and stared like an idiot for the rest of the night.

I made my brother (Swifftalon) and my best friend (Rubix) read Mistborn, and they quickly became as obsessed as me. We all joke that I'm the official infectious disease of our group, the A-Team. The rest, as they say, is history.

Until next time, keep the fire alive

Austin