Wednesday Words: Am Reading Laura Brown's Signs of Attraction

Happy Hump Day!

I'm still reading Stephen King's book, but I started reading this next book because it's on my phone, and I can read while I'm on the machines at the gym with this interesting app called BookShout. That book is Laura Brown's Signs of Attraction!

This e-book was released just a couple of weeks ago, and the paperback is soon to come, too! I had the honor of sensitivity reading for one of Laura's next projects, and I hope it will be on my phone as well soon (no pressure, Laura).

Anything I have to say about this book so far will probably jack it up, so here is the blurb as seen on the website. Visit Laura's page for blogs, vlogs, and more!

Do you know what hearing loss sounds like? I do.

All my life I’ve tried to be like you. I’ve failed.

So I keep it hidden.

But on the day my world crashed down around me, Reed was there.

He showed me just how loud and vibrant silence can be, even when I struggled to understand.

He’s unlike anyone I’ve ever known. His soulful eyes and strong hands pulled me in before I knew what was happening.

And as I saw those hands sign, felt them sparking on me, I knew: imperfect could be perfect.

Reed makes me feel things I’ve never felt. It’s exciting…and terrifying.

Because he sees me like no one else has, and I’m afraid of what he’ll find if he looks too closely.

The only thing that scares me more than being with him? Letting him go.
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Laura brings us into the life of deaf/hard-of-hearing characters, and every time I read the dialogue, I wish I had stuck with learning ASL as a child. Hopefully there's still time to learn. I still have a book around this house somewhere.

What are you reading this week?

Tuesday Tales: Andyrsn Takes Over!

Happy Tuesday. Can you believe in 3 days, it will be JULY?

For the past few weeks, I've been blessed to have many questions to answer for my characters from my blog mates. We're coming down to the last ones that I've received so far, and I hope once I build my momentum back up, others will visit and ask questions, too.

Heather Holden asked a list of great questions, and today, we'll be revisiting Andyrsn to learn more about his love of pranks.

For Andyrsn: Have any of your pranks ever backfired on you? Has anyone ever pranked you?

Hi!

Ah, well...they can't all be jewels. My friend Donovan and I were great at herding tiny animals into things. This one time, we got these water beetles into a crate. We thought it was impenetrable...It wasn't. We had to go back to the temple for lunch and ended up needing to leave the crate in the woods. On our way back, all we could hear were some little girls screaming their heads off. They'd been playing on top of the crate, and one's foot went through. The beetles were all over them. They're harmless, but little girls and bugs don't get along often, you know? We got the switch to our legs when Donovan's mom found out, and then she sent me home to my brothers, and I got the switch again.

My nieces are turning into little pranksters. I've come home to a lot of my clothes turned inside out or gone to leave and my boots were filled with honey. When they get older, I'm gonna be in trouble. Couldn't be more proud.
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Next week, we have one more question for Brodie.

Tuesday Tales: Laris Takes Over!

*This post occurred before I changed the WIP title.*

Happy Tuesday!

So a while back, I put out the call for questions for my characters from The Crystal Bearer to answer, so I could get into their heads and hone my writing a little more. I've had some great questions and am having a lot of fun answering them. Click here to read back on previous ones!

Today, I have Prince Laris back to answer a question from Heather Holden: What are some of your favorite stories to tell? Are there any stories you'd refuse to share with others?

Ooh, another question for me? How nice!

Hello, Lady Heather Holden! For as far back as my mind will let me remember, I have always loved a good adventure tale. Have you a genre in your world called magical realism? 'Tis fun to tell tales of other imagined worlds or tales from our history; howbeit, I love to watch a child's face illumine at the thought of hidden magics greater or stranger than we already encounter in Teorre. A childhood favorite I enjoyed reading to my baby brother Ariel was The Sprite Child's Epic. 'Tis set within a hidden layer of Teorre where the trees and waters actually speak to the main character Lenne and guide her back to this side of Teorre after a faeriefly bite splits her consciousness from her physical body. Ariel and I spent many days talking to the pines of our woods just hoping one would reveal a hidden face to us and send us on a magical journey. Howbeit, you do not want to be bitten by a faeriefly. 'Tis easy to believe our fear is what kept us from that magical layer.

Are there stories I would refuse to share? Well, I admit I do know a randy tale or two, but I haven't spoken of them since I was a young teenager. I am sure the young he-Sprites still tell them in the bath halls and snicker to themselves. To be young again.
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Laris is 26, mind you. lol Thanks again, Heather! Next week, Brodie tells us why she chose to become a watchman.

Fast Five Friday: Movies!

Happy Friday!

Every Friday, the Cover Girls, Dani and Jax, give us a question for us to answer in list-form. You can click on their pages to see the questions for the next couple of months and their answers, and you can also join in! This week is an easy one for me, so here we go!

5 movies you always watch when on

1. Forrest Gump

2. The Matrix

3. Jurassic Park

4. I Can Do Bad All By Myself

5. Fast and Furious

I could honestly keep going with this list. There are several Madea movies I watch whenever they're on, and as USA plays the Fast/Furious movies almost as frequently as they play Law & Order: SVU, I watch whichever one is on whenever nothing else is on lol.

Have a good weekend, everyone! Let me know if you've answered these, so I can visit you. :)

Tuesday Tales: Ghuli* Takes Over

*This post occurred before I changed Ghuli's name to Jonnie*

Happy Tuesday!

So a while back, I opened up this day to my characters to answer questions from readers, and people are giving me some good questions!

Heather Holden, creator of one of my favorite comics, Echo Effect, asked a few questions for each character, and this week, I'll let Ghuli return to answer Heather's question for her: "What is it about the forest you find comforting?"

Here she is to answer!

What is it about the forest? I don't believe I have ever stopped to think of it, really...Did you ever have a place where you felt as though no one could see you if you hid in just the right place, or a place where everything felt as though it were in perfect harmony? In the forest I can rest in the willow branches, swing among their switches, and when the wind blows just right, I can listen to them breathe. It may sound strange. Howbeit, the forest has a way of making me feel...like nothing could ever hurt me again.
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Thanks for the question, Heather!

If anyone else has questions, keep 'em coming! It's really helping me get into my characters' heads. :)

Final Fantasy Friday: Themes

*This post occurred before I changed the WIP title.*

When I started writing The Crystal Bearer way back in 2004 (goodness grief), I was in the middle of playing Final Fantasy IX for the first time. I absolutely adore that game, might play it for a third time. I moved onto X shortly after, and I noticed recurring themes that often took place in these games, some of which I incorporated into my story.

Orphans - I feel like only one game explained why there are so many orphans in the games, and that was FFVIII. The Sorceress War took out several parents. Many moms died during childbirth. Sadly, both happen in real life.

Separation - Whether in the beginning or somewhere in the middle of the story, in many of the FF games, all of the characters get separated somehow. Whether it be Cloud falling into the Lifestream or Yuna's guardians being jailed in a maze-like prison, and you have to find each other to get out alive, FF characters aren't allowed to remain together 100% of the time.

Airships - Though I've always seen them as more steampunk, only one of the FF games had a steampunk feel in the technology of its world, and that was FFIX. Medieval royalty with steam-powered machines and vehicles made for whimsical scenery. Many of the games were more fantasy, and sci-fi only came into play a little more once FFVII was released. Be that as it may, all of the games have airships in them, either the traditional design or more modern/futuristic ones.

Fantastical creatures - Chocobos, moogles, very memorable creatures that can get you from one place to another safely. They also come with fun sounds. Kupo! The monsters the FF characters come across on a regular basis also ranged from the normal to the bizarre. A green seal with glowing eyes and a butcher knife? RUN. A floating ball of fire? Kill it before it explodes! As there are a million games, these creatures have evolved over the years and remain fan favorites.

Unrequited love - Someone's almost always already dead before a character can tell them they're in love with them. In FFVI, Locke's girlfriend was in a coma and preserved for eternity by a crazy scientist (might I also add that crazy scientists are a recurring theme, too). Let's not forget Cloud and Aeris in FFVII *sniff*.

Actually, I don't think that's one of themes I use, but it's still a given in FF games.

Last but not least, epic battles before the epic battle - There was almost always a hard boss to fight before the final boss. Sometimes, like with Ultima Weapon in FFVIII and Ozma in FFIX, they're optional and harder to fight than the final boss, so you have to decide if you're going to be that fan. With VIII, I was. With IX, I didn't care anymore.

Writers: do you have themes you like to incorporate into your writing?
Readers/gamers: what have been your favorite themes in books or video games?

Have a good weekend!

Wednesday Words: Am Reading "On Writing" by Stephen King

We are back to Wednesday, and every other Wednesday, I try to showcase something I am reading. This past week, I began to read Stephen King's On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft.

First off, I want to point out that one thing we have in common is being stabbed in the ear, although his stabbings were by a doctor draining pus from his ears, and my stabbings were by my mother deciding to pierce my ears with a surgical needle and using ice only after the first ear hurt too much.

Secondly, I'm not used to seeing Stephen King as a person--is that bad? My first movie memory was Carrie walking out of the high school gym after she had set it on fire. I know Stephen King to be the "King" (giggle) of horror. And the occasional story that makes me die crying like The Green Mile. Reading things about him, such as he plays in an occasional band with Amy Tan, and that he got in trouble for the things he wrote about and being made to feel ashamed of it, humanized him so much for me, and I'm not even halfway through the book yet.

I usually use Random.org to pick a page for me, but I felt like, because this is a book on writing, I should share a piece of his advice, so here it is, the beginning of part 15 on page 37.

Let's get one thing clear right now, shall we? There is no Idea Dump, no Story Central, no Island of the Buried Bestsellers; good story ideas seem to come quite literally from nowhere, sailing at you right out of the empty sky: two previously unrelated ideas come together and make something new under the sun. Your job isn't to find these ideas but to recognize them when they show up.

So what are you currently reading?

Tuesday Tales: Cyan Finally Has a Break

We're back to Tuesday and giving my characters some time to speak for themselves. Laris has Ghuli* for the day, so we have a moment to ask Cyan all the questions we want.

Well, at least three. lol

Heather Holden and Sheena-kay Graham had questions for Cyan, so I thought I would let him answer them. Thanks, ladies!

*sigh* Hello, Lady Heather, Lady Sheena-kay.

From Heather: What kind of relationship do you have with your half-brother, if any?

I don't have one at the moment, but I would like to meet him one day. When the metal army attacked my town and killed my parents, Grey had recently become Commander of The Council and was across the continent, so he didn't even know I had survived until after I left to join Sir Aleksandyr. I believe they traded letters for a time, howbeit. So as I said, I would like to meet him one day.

From Sheena-kay: What kind of trouble has the princess caused Cyan and what are his favorite hobbies?

Teorre, where do I start. When we were children, Ghuli took it upon herself to climb the white willows of Snow Hill, which she knew to be weak. She tried to jump from a branch to grab one, and it broke off instantly. She fell twelve heads and was fortunately only shaken up; howbeit, I heard an ear's worth from Sir Aleksandyr when I brought her home crying her eyes out.

The others act as though I do nothing besides watch Ghuli. She and Laris know full well I like to read. Laris bought me a copy of his people's entire history when I turned seventeen. 'Tis nearly twenty books.
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I have plenty of questions left from Heather that my other characters will answer over the weeks, but please feel free to keep asking questions! This linked link here has tidbits about my characters which can help you think of something to ask them. :)




*This post occurred before I changed Ghuli's name to Jonnie*

Insecure Writer's Support Group: When Did June Happen?

Brought to us by Alex J. Cavanaugh,
sensei and founder of the Insecure Writer's Support Group.

So, June is here, and I haven't done much of what I said I would do when May popped up! How do full-timers get anything done? I don't even have children!

My luck with beta readers is about the same. Something always happens to them so I'm left waiting and trying to also be really patient. I'm half leaning towards "Maybe this just won't ever happen" and half towards "This is an obstacle you've just got to push through."

I forgot to save all of the A-to-Z Blogs I was trying to catch up on, so hopefully I can find them and get back to them. I hardly remember to post my own posts the night before now. Getting into a new routine is difficult. When I was little, I used to create a daily schedule for myself, so I don't know. Maybe that's a good idea to try again.

I'm just throwing my thoughts out there today, so I hope everyone else had a good May. See you soon!

Tuesday Tales: Brodie and Andyrsn Take Over!

*This post occurred before I changed the WIP title and Ghuli's name to Jonnie*

A couple of months ago now, I put out a call for questions for the characters in my WIP The Crystal Bearer. Alex J. Cavanaugh, sensei, asked my characters: Here's a question that I saw a couple years ago and it really helped. Applies to all of them. What do you think of the other characters?

I can't thank him enough for asking. It saved me from thinking too hard for the past few weeks. haha

As it's the end of the month, I would like to start the next month with a new question, so I'm going to go ahead and force Brodie to endure Andyrsn long enough for them to share the same space.

First, I would like to point out that I disagree with the space sharing.

You're such a brat, Brodie. Just answer the question.

B: Hello, Alex. I have been asked to inform you that your name in the Sprityn tongue is Alxadris, pronounced Al-shah-dris, which means strong fighter. We spell your name differently here.

A: It was also my dad's name. Weird to see it spelled the way you do, but cool.

B: I met Ghuli under strange circumstances, but it has turned out for the best for both of us, I believe. She is being hit with a lot at the moment, so I have seen her at some of her highest points and some of her lowest. She is always thinking, and if she gets too deeply into her thoughts, it is hard to pull her back. She is unpredictable at times, but she is a teenager.

A: You will notice how Brodie always speaks as though she is older than Teorre's Energy.

B: Shut. Up.

A: Seriously, though, Ghuli is almost as proper, but she was raised by my dad, so she has a little Viveno Island spunk. It's kinda weird to see the many influences from her world and mine blended into each other. She's really serious sometimes, but other times, she is light and easily excitable. Her laugh is priceless. She appreciates good humor.

B: Does she.

A: Silence, Human.

B: Cyan is...well, he's a Trollic. Fortunately not a typical one, because he was also raised by Sir Aleksandyr, so some good came of that.

A: Thanks?

B: He is very protective of Ghuli, a detriment as much as it is an advantage. He's extremely stubborn and disagreeable.

A: Sounds familiar. Cyan's a watchman's watchman. He's focused solely on Ghuli's safety, so there's really no arguing with him about it. He's really intense, kinda scary, but I think he means well.

B: At any rate, we finally met Prince Laris. I never thought I would leave Eastward Village, let alone meet the Sprityn Prince. He is so nice. He always has an uplifting view on things.

A: I do like Laris. He's really cool. And he knows a lot of different variations of card games, which is good when you're traveling and Cyan has not a word to say.

B: Andyrsn cannot handle silence.

A: No, I can't. Brodie and I grew up together, and she knows my family is loud. It proves we're alive.

B: You keep telling yourself that. To be fair for a moment, Andyrsn is a very good person. He is a pest, and he loves to pull pranks. However, he is a strong fighter, and he is resilient. I enjoyed training along side of him.

A: Wow...Thanks, Brodie. See? She can be very nice when she wants to be.

B: And the moment is over.

A: No, but really. Brodie's the youngest in her family, like me, and she's got a lot to live up to which, putting it bluntly, sucks pricklebushes. As a scholar, I mean, she's probably the best because she's naturally smart, but as a watchman? Watch. Out.

B: You just had to make a pun.

A: I couldn't help it. Sorry. But seriously, she's an awesome fighter. I've never been more exhausted from sparring with any of our other co-trainees. I still know some guys who are scared of you.

B: Well, they should be.

A: Here we go.

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*giggle* Thanks again, Alex!

Liebster Award, Answers, Questions, and Nominees

I was nominated for a Liebster Award by Cover Girl Dani Bertrand at Entertaining Interests! Thank you, Dani! I shall accept!

It's been two years since my last nom, and I have no recollection of the rules, except for EIGHT MILLION QUESTIONS! Here are the rules. lol

If you have been nominated for The Liebster Award and you chose to accept it, write a blog post about the Liebster Award in which you:

• Thank the person who nominated you, and post a link to their blog in your post.
• Display the award on your blog — by including it in your post and/or displaying it using a “widget” or a “gadget”.
• Answer 11 questions about yourself, which will be provided to you by the person who nominated you.
• Provide 11 random facts about yourself.
• Nominate 5 – 11 blogs that you feel deserve the award, who have a less than 1000 followers.
• Create a new list of 11 questions for the nominees to answer

List these rules in your post (copy and paste from here). Once you have written and published it, you then have to:

• Inform the people/blogs that you nominated that they have been nominated for the Liebster Award and provide a link for them to your post so that they can learn about it (they might not have ever heard of it!)

All right, here I go!

What God or Deity from Mythology (Greek, Norse, etc) do you think represents you the best? I don't know if she represents me best, but I've always had a love for Artemis.

Which book character would you want to be? Winry from Fullmetal Alchemist! She gets Ed in the end. <3

If you were to survive on your own in the wilderness, what ONE tool/weapon would you pick? A spear. I need a weapon that I won't be prone to accidentally cut myself with.

What would your Superhero name be? The Red Avenger

What was your first concert? Technically, it was a Yahoo-Telecasted Backstreet Boys concert, but I think Fourth of July on the Parkway was my first one where I was physically there.

How would you describe yourself in one word? Crazy

Name something from history which you would love to discover, explore or recover. I would love to see the Mayan and Aztec structures before they were just ruins.

Which era would you like to experience? Maybe the Roaring 20s. That might be the safest...?

If you were to be reincarnated as an animal, which would you choose? My first reaction was a turtle, so...turtle. lol

Is there a movie you would like to give an alternate ending to? What ending do you have in mind and why? There were many books I read in high school that were jacked up by Hollywood, so I would just like The Good Earth, Fahrenheit 451, and A Clockwork Orange to follow the endings they had in the books.

Name one thing you'd like to improve on. Focus.

Oh, that was 11! Those were easy. Now, who shall I nominate...

Sarah Foster at The Faux Fountain Pen
Madeline Mora-Summonte at The Shellshank Redemption
Elsie Amata at Mock Turtle Musings
The KOOPMAN! at Vignettes from VA
SC Author (welcome back!) at Writing, Publishing, & Harry Potter

Now, what to ask you...

Did you have a non-writing ambition as a child (Like wanting to be a firefighter)?

What one thing would you take with you on the emergency space craft if the earth were to blow up right now?

Think of a word, and post it!

Name a time where you felt like you were on Cloud 9.

Star Wars or Star Trek?

What is your most treasured keepsake?

Who is your favorite book character and why?

Who is your favorite movie character and why?

What has been your favorite book to movie adaptation? If you don't like any, who did the worst job?

Research might be needed: What is your state flower?

What has been your favorite vacation spot?

Fast Five Friday

Geez, when did I last do one of these!? Fast Five is brought to us by the Cover Girls, Dani and Jax. They provide us with questions that we answer in rapid succession, and I've missed a couple of these, so you get a ten answers today. :)

May 13th - 5 fun things to do with your bestie

Watch movie marathons

Go to a restaurant

Cruise

Hit the beach

Drink (lol)

May 20th – 5 ways to get yourself motivated

Pump yourself up

Listen to music that gets you going

Watch other people who you admire

Dance break

Keep focused

Tuesday Tales: Laris Takes Over!

We are at the midpoint of my characters answering Alex J. Cavanaugh Sensei's question of what they each think of each other. Today, we get to see what Prince Laris of the Sprites, 2nd Lt. Watchman to Ghuli, thinks of her and his counterparts. Take it away, Laris!

     

Certainly!

'Tis a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Sir Alex Cavanaugh.

The Princess, I believe, could have been a Sprite in another lifetime. She is very charming. She remains a child at heart. You have not seen pure joy until you have seen my lady swinging from the blue willow trees in the forest. Though Ghulien* has lost much in her young life, she continues to shine and thrive, making the most of her situation. I feel quite blessed to have been assigned to her.

I am told Cyan was not the most open of interviewees, and I apologize. Have you heard a saying of one being a tough nut to crack? That is Cyan. I believe he has always felt that he must be, howbeit. I try, to no avail, to loosen him at times. My Sprityn humor falls flat on his Trollic ears, which is to be expected. At any rate, he secretly has a big heart. You see it most when he is with the Princess...when she is not the cause of his grief in the first place.

Scholars have always intrigued me, and Madam Brodie is indeed intriguing. She is a very intelligent young lady, and quite focused for her age. I enjoy speaking with her. She intimidates many of her peers. Howbeit, she is of a kind heart, gentle and considerate. Although, I would not want to anger her. She is fierce with a rifle.

Sir Andyrsn also strikes me as being of a Sprityn mind. He has a glint of mischief in his eyes, whether it be sarcasm or a game to pass the time. Howbeit, 'tis clear he wants the best for everyone around him. I enjoy his company. I was fortunate enough to meet his father, Sir Aleksandyr, shortly before he passed. He was a great man, and I believe he would be proud of the man his son has become.

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Two more watchmen to go! Thank you again, Alex, for the question! Brodie is next to answer.

If anyone has more questions to ask my characters, please feel free to post them!



*This post occurred before I changed Ghuli's name to Jonnie*