Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Tis The Season...


I love Christmas. Halloween is my all time favorite holiday, but Christmas comes in a close second. I remember as a teenager, we didn't have much, but my brother always got me what I asked for. Birthdays as well. He was cool like that. But the one thing I remember the most was the year I went door to door asking for canned goods for our food drive. I was a personable teenager, I suppose. I was always polite to my elders, held the doors open for people and usually didn't give anyone a hard time (unless they were snobby....well we won't go there...).

So why do I remember that year so much? Because the feeling it gave me. The feeling that I was doing something good. I was GIVING.

I love kids, but sometimes I just want to go door to door and not ask for canned goods this time, but to give lessons on what it means to be a good parent. Working with kids these past few months I've heard and seen a lot! How kids talk to their parents, how they treat their parents and how parents just don't seem to care. Their lack of concern isn't always bad, I just think the parents get so wrapped up in their own private issues and stop communicating. They don't discipline either. Whatever the kids want, they get. So when it comes to teaching children proper manners or respect, that falls to the people who take care of them the most. Teachers and essentially in the end, us glorified babysitters. I feel like I am mean to them a lot, but when it comes down to it, those kids respect me and I respect the heck out of them as well. I try my best not to treat them like idiots, because they aren't. They are smarter than people, especially their parents, give them credit. They just lack the skills to verbalize their emotions.

Okay, so enough of that tangent. The whole reason for this post was to talk about the giving aspect of Christmas. I had to give you a little insight to kids these days. (Yes, I realize that makes me sound ancient...) Most kids these days have developed a Greed Syndrome that just astounds me. They expect everything to be handed to them and don't seem to be thankful for it. I have to stress again that I don't believe this to be the kid's problem, but the parents. You know, those ones who are all wrapped up in themselves and forget the kids. So when the kids ask for something, rather than question it, the parent just gives in. They don't "have time" to "deal" with their children, so they do everything they can to pacify them and get on with their lives. As the kids get older, they demand more and get more.

So who is teaching those kids to give?

Not very many people, I tell ya. I think the only kids who truly understand the giving and the receiving are those who have parents who are struggling to make ends meet, the parents who haven't turned to some form of addiction to help them get by; the ones who meet these challenges head on even if they hate how their lives have turned out. There are those parents who don't have to struggle and still don't give their children everything they ask for, but these sort of families seem to be a dying breed. More often than not, I hear about children demanding something from their parents and getting super snotty when they don't get it or worse, don't say thank you when they do.

We need to teach our children the importance of giving, not just to kill that Greed thing, but so they can experience the feeling it gives them. The pure joy of knowing that they are good people and doing good things can lead to greater rewards than the latest xBox game or iPod Touch.

Merry Christmas to all of you, my unselfish friends, the ones who truly care, who give from the heart and pass their wisdom on to their own! May your new year be blessed with most of your wishes coming true, because we all know that God answers all prayers, just sometimes the answer is 'No'.

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Yes, It Is Me...

I know, I have been scarce. Work is creeping up to Winter Break, which begins on Friday for me. It is nice, I get to have the same school holidays off as my daughter. It makes things a little easier on her as she has been struggling with the fact that I am working during her Senior year and not always here to help her when she gets home from school. We're making it work, though. Dinner might be late on the table some nights, but dinner gets done. Somehow.

I'm going to try to schedule a couple of posts and spend as much of this break as I can catching up on all of yours! I need to, at the very least, read the current ones just to know what is going on. Or you can all comment here and catch me up on the details. *Nudge, nudge*

When I have been writing, I worked on "Legend of Black Rose". Then the other night, my creative juices were flowing so much I couldn't sleep, so I opened up "Crowning Absolution". Most of you know, this is my re-write of my first book that was published through Publish America. I'm still waiting for that contract to end, hopefully soon. We'll see. They probably read my blog and point at the screen and laugh maniacally. This deep booming voice from the large crack in their floor bellows, "You wish, lady!!"

Annaway...

I have been getting back to writing, very slowly, now that things are settling down on the business proposal stuff as well. Almost done with it!

Just wanted to drop in, say hello and to work on those scheduled posts. I miss you all!

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

It Has Been Awhile...

Phew! That about sums things up at the moment. Life is a little chaotic, a little unbalanced still. I don't complain because the outcome is going to be something amazing. I do have two weeks off coming up, Christmas break for the kids at school means a break for us as well. The downside, I won't be paid, but I can live with that!

So I promised you all, when I got a moment to breathe I would share my brother-in-law's invention with you. Since we have been going public with things lately, I figured I better get this out there to you all first! I did promise.

First, I am going to share a couple of facts with you.

1) December is the worst month of the year for electrical fires.
- The reason behind this fact is all of the overloaded outlets with Christmas lights plugged in, people in cold climates running electric heaters and things like that.

2) Electrical fires cause over $1.2 Billion dollars in direct property damage. (As of 2007, noted by the National Fire Protection Association.)

3) Electrical fires cause 451 deaths per year and 1,641 injuries.

With that being said, enter my brother-in-law's invention. The "Hot Shot" and "Sentry" are fire prevention products that are installed into existing fixtures. The "Hot Shot" is a small canister that connects to an outlet. There are ways to figure out how many amps are being drawn through an outlet and if the amps are too high, that outlet is a potential risk. If and when the outlet reaches a certain temperature due to the amount of restricted electricity running through it, and continues to do so, the canister will eject a foam filling the outlet area, spilling a little out to alert the home owner. Prevention is the key word here... this is not suppression. This effect does not happen after a fire has started, it stops it from starting at all by eliminating the fire triangle.

The fire triangle has three elements: Source of ignition (heat), oxygen and fuel.

The "Sentry" does the exact same thing as the "Hot Shot", only on a larger scale and is installed on top of or outside of the load center (circuit breaker box).

How do you clean up the mess? Well, imagine dried shaving cream. The foam ejected from the canisters will basically dry up enough to turn to a dusty powder which can be easily swept away.

So there you have it. That is the invention. I know lots of you are on Face Book and now I have a favor to ask. I have a "fan page" up for Chesley Inventive Products and would like you all to "Like" the page, only if you like what you read here.

I'd also like to ask, would you want to see this product on the market in a few years? Oh, and I will share some pics of a mock up prototype. Our website is currently under construction and as soon as that is up I will let you all know. Thanks!!!
Patent Pending USSN 12/221,113


Friday, November 5, 2010

Now Back To Your Regular Scheduled Program...

I'm sure I lit a few fires with my last post. Don't worry, I try hard not to post political stuff but once every blue moon. Or is that on a Harvest moon?

Eh. I forget.

At any rate, I am sad that I am not participating in NaNoWriMo. It is of my own choice, I know. But alas (yes, I said alas) it is for the best. Progress on the business proposal for my brother-in-law's invention is going well. Should be done with it here soon, then we'll have someone look it over, check our mistakes and such. Much like writing and editing, re-writing and editing even more. Only the end result won't be a book. I like being the one to punch in all the info and edit work as I go. Makes me feel like I am still writing something, even if it isn't my own work.

My actual job is going well, too. I love it. I have yet to say, "I don't want to go to work today..." and whine and sniffle about it. I just whine and sniffle about the snow and go into work anyway. It is fun. The kids are great and my co-workers and boss are the best.

Yes, I mentioned snow. We got a couple of inches during the night. It actually started to snow around dinnertime. Oh well, I do live in Alaska, after all.

I hope day 4/5 is going well for all of my fellow NaNo'ers. I am cheering you on and writing with you in spirit! Too bad business proposals don't count, I'd be well on my way to that 50K!

Have a great weekend everyone and write on!

Thursday, November 4, 2010

Pardon My Rant...

I don't usually post political blogs. I tend to stray far, far away from two topics. Politics and Religion.

Why?

Because, as someone once said, the two things in this world that should end wars are the two things that begin them. You cannot talk politics and religion in polite company without someone getting offended and a shouting match almost always ensues.

So why do I choose this moment to post a political rant? Because I just can't remain silent any longer.

America, you have spoken in this last vote. We, as a whole, are tired of the continued downward spiral that has become our nation. It is proven that the methods Obama and the Democrats have chosen to adopt are failing. Now... if you still like Obama, I mean no offense. But how can you look at the state of our nation and not feel a little sad by what has come about in the past two years. We have had presidents come and go, screw up our country as well as do their best to repair it, but to keep turning a deaf ear to the majority, well. That just is not how we Americans like to run things.

But this is not the overall point of my rant. The point of my rant, the one thing that saddens me the most about all of this is the fact that Obama has ruined most any chance of another African American making it to the presidency. Obama will go down in history as our "First Black President", yes, but at what cost to those who wish to follow? It will be an unfortunate side effect of his term. There are plenty of people out there, and it doesn't matter what race they are, that would love the chance and could possibly effectively run this country, but we Americans are of a breed that tend to run in single minded circles. This meaning that there are those out there who are not racist and those who are. Those who will be the first to say, "I will not vote for another {insert race here} ever again!"

Most of these white racists, if you look close at their family tree, might have a couple of colors hidden in the roots...if not in-breeders. *Snorts with laughter*

So, yes, I just hope that we as Americans steer clear of racial shyness when it comes to voting in our next president. That's it for my rant! And I apologize again for posting my opinion in this matter. *Laughs again*

Sunday, October 31, 2010

Halloween And Other Topics...





Happy Halloween to all you ghouls and boys. Sorry, I cannot resist that every year! How about boos and girls? Is that better?

I absolutely love Halloween. It is my all time favorite holiday. What can I say, I love it. Can't explain it and wouldn't know where to start.

I am having a grand old time getting caught up on things here on the internet. I have seen the emails informing me of NaNoWriMo's impending start date. Sadly, I will not be joining this one as I have far too much on my plate as it stands.

I have had to postpone even working on my own writing until I can find the time and or balance in my life. I have a part time job that I love. You all remember that. I can honestly tell you I look forward to going to work each day. I would not have it any other way. When I am not working, I am anticipating the extraction of tooth #2. Oh yes, I am having another tooth pulled.

That isn't really what is taking a lot of my time these days. I even have to say World of Warcraft will be played only when I can find an opportunity! *Gasp!* Yes, my beating of not-so-innocent Horde will trickle down to a minimum. No, my time has been spent helping my brother-in-law with his business plan as he has finally joined the ranks of Patented Inventor.

All I can really say here in this blog, is that his invention is of the fire prevention nature. I will be able to divulge more details sometime in the future, but have to do my bragging now and keep it to a minimum as well. I am certainly happy to sacrifice my personal fun time for this most worthy of causes. I do have my down time, I do get to relax. I will not work myself into a frenzy, break down and live at a funny farm. But I just wanted to give you all an update of things. I will try to write where I can and of course blog when I can. After all, you are all just as important to me! ::Passes out Halloween Goodies:: You all deserve the best treats and may your Halloween be full of treats and no tricks!



Saturday, October 30, 2010

*Gasp* Could It Be...?


Yes! It is! It is me and I am back on the internet. I know, I know... took freakin' forever, didn't it? Well, I still blame it on small towns. But that is just me.

I'm burning the 2:00 a.m. oil, though. But I just couldn't pass up the opportunity to at least say hello to all of my faithful followers and wow, would you believe I have a couple new ones? And I wasn't even here. How cool is that?

And I just need to say.... I HAVE MISSED YOU ALL!!!!! Funny and sad how internet communication can become such an addictive thing, isn't it? I keep in better touch with my family over the internet than I did when I lived in the same town. Okay, that isn't quite true, but you get the idea. Have a super weekend and I look forward to posting more this weekend!!

Monday, September 27, 2010

Alrighty, Then...

I have absolutely no topic for today's post. I did warn you in the title of this blog, the part about the "Other Such Nonsense" so I suppose you will just have to bear with me, right?

Hehe!

So I have officially been working for about a month. I love it. I think the only thing that is going to get me in trouble is laughing when the kids do something wrong, yet funny and I am supposed to be reprimanding them. It is still fun though. And due to getting back into the working force, I ended up sick and am still recuperating.

Lots of things have been on hiatus, most especially my writing. I am working to try and get a schedule together for myself, but need to work on one for work first. Crafts are my thing. I love art, so I am doing all right in that respect. At least I think I am. Writing, well we all know that every writer out there either improves or doesn't get published. But setting down a schedule and then sticking to it, in the writing aspect of all of this is what will get me.

Well enough of my ramblings. I just wanted to put out a post to let you all know I am still here in theory. Lol! It will be much better once I get internet out at the house again. Which will be soon, hopefully. Until then, keep your ducks dry and your boots in a row!

Have a great week.

Friday, September 10, 2010

I Know...


You miss me, don't you? Well, you should. Just kidding! Don't stop following me, I really am not that arrogant, I swear. Okay, maybe a LITTLE bit... no, not really.

I'm in a good mood. Why, you ask? It isn't because I have been revising, getting feedback, etc. No, it has nothing to do with winning the lottery. It might have just a little bit to do with my new job. I feel productive again in an environment where I don't have to worry if I will hurt my wrists more, therefore putting me out of commission before I can reach retirement age.

I won't go into all the boring details, I promise. I am just having fun and finally feeling a little more organized.

I'm also in a good mood because I think I have hit yet another writing break-through. Now, I don't know just how to explain it, so you will have to take my word for it.

While I am here, I did get feedback from my new best pal, Nancy. She told me that publishers say "said" is the only acceptable tag when writing. Now, I am not doubting my critiquing buddy, nor am I harshing on her in any way shape or form.

But really? 'Said' is the only acceptable tag? I've been reading lots of books lately... okay my whole life. I like those authors who break the mold a bit and try to avoid using said as much as possible. 'Said' gets extremely boring. In my opinion. Am I the only one who thinks this way? Yes, just another item to make myself isolated, lol!

Seriously, since when do publishers get to make up these rules? Yes... I know, they ARE the publisher after all. I do get it. I just... I suppose I am one to fight the masses, stand out and probably now will never be published because I don't like to use 'said' all the time. :)

I hope you all have an enjoyable weekend. And tell me, what do you think?

Friday, September 3, 2010

Party On, Wayne...


So yeah, I just got done checking out Karen G.'s BBQ Blog Party. Can I just say what a totally awesome idea this is?? I found lots of people and will have to go back to that one blog to see who else I can find and follow.

If you found me from her party, well right on dude! Or dudette, depending. Very cool to have you drop by! I love new followers and will do my best to make sure I follow your blog as well. Only fair, right? Absolutely!

So, I brought Seven Layer Dip to the party as well as Ham Rolls. Since I really don't have much else to blog about today, I figured, for those of you who don't know how to make either (yeah right) I'll tell ya.

Seven Layer Dip:
My absolute FAVE thing in the world!!! Okay, you plop some refried beans down into a nice sized casserole dish. Square, round, whatever you have. On top of that, spread down some sour cream. I find Darigold Mexican Style is the bomb-diggity for this recipe. If you are a guacamole fan, that would go next, or you can skip it. I am not a guacamole fan. Next, dice some tomatoes and layer them down. Slice some green onions, kind of thin and add those along with sliced black olives. The very last layer is your choice of shredded cheese. Break out the tortilla chips and dig in!

Ham Rolls:
These are super simple and oh, so addictive! So, you buy some sliced ham luncheon meat and soften up some cream cheese. Buy yourself a half dozen green onions and chop them to fit the width of the ham. Spread the cream cheese on the ham in a thin layer and roll the onion into the ham. Make a nice round roll and slice about a half inch thick. One ham roll like this should slice up into about 6. They are oooooh so yummy.

So there ya go. Bring either of those to any party and you'll never go home with left overs. So make sure you make enough for yourself and bring the rest to the party. Ha!

Have a super weekend everyone and I'll see you on Tuesday.

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

All Is Well...

Well, I am healing rather rapidly from the first extraction, but had to put the second one on hold. Mainly due to the fact that I now HAVE A JOB! No, not excited at all. I am now the Art Staff at our local Boys and Girls club. It is fun so far.
The other reason for putting off the second extraction is the fact that I sat in the chair for two hours. It had to be surgically removed, therefore costing me extra cash. So it will have to wait for when I can get a long weekend or even a Holiday break.

How cool is that? I don't work when the kids don't go to school. Wicked cool.

So thanks, all, for reading and responding to my little snippet. Alex, don't worry, I did get me some good painkillers.

I hope you all are having an awesome week and keep having an awesome week. I will post more later! Have a good one, guys. And gals. Hehe!

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Just Letting You Know...


I'll be offline for the rest of this week and possibly a couple of days next week. I'm going to have a tooth extracted today and my husband will be using my truck for work. Even if I wanted to get into town this week, no dice. Not a big deal, I need this extraction.

Then next week I will be getting another extraction. Yep, two in one shot. Sort of. Oh well. Has to be done. I had to stop drinking soda. Good thing came out of it, I lost weight. But, my teeth were already having problems. Dentist always told me to quit, but did I listen? Noooooo.

I never listen. Sometimes it takes the Sledgehammer of Subtlety for this girl. Karma can't just slap me on the wrist and say, "Bad girl. Don't do it again." Nope, Karma has to whack me down until I am cowering in the corner, whimpering and begging her to stop. Seriously. Then I get the, "What did you learn?"

I know, this has not a flippin' thing to do with writing. Doesn't always have to be about writing, though, does it? Okay, you're right. It does!

I will be nice and leave you with a little snippet here. As you all know (because I whined and protested about doing it so much) I have revised my revision of LoBR. (Legend of Black Rose) I started in the middle. So I am going to let you all have a look at what I have ripped to shreds and painstakingly have put back together. Still sort of rough, but now much more doable. So enjoy. Have a great week and a great weekend. I'll be pining away for you all as I slurp soup, swallow pudding and applesauce and waiting for the day I can crunch on solid food once more.

The cool stone floor pressed into Black Rose's cheek. His mouth was dry from being unable to breathe through his nose. He could no longer taste blood, he supposed that was a good sign. After taking a mental note of all his aches and pains, he opened his eyes. It took a moment or two of blinking to realize he wasn't blind, just darkness pressing in on him.

So Quagha Li'endrin must have tossed him down into the darkest, dirtiest pit he could find. He could taste the foul air on his tongue since his sense of smell had been compromised when the guards broke his nose. Shortly after that, they threw him into the barred carriage that would transport him to Relavia.

Rose didn't want to move. Pain made him selfish. He knew he would have to sit up eventually, but for the moment the cool, damp surface felt good. Made him ache that much more, but that is how he knew he still lived. He hurt like all hells. His stomach growled, his mouth was dry from having to breathe through it. When was the last time he had something to eat or drink?

He closed his eyes and the past few days began to replay in his mind, like a dream that refused to let go of the waking world. At first, he could see his garden. The soil had just been turned, it lay waiting and ready for him to plant the seeds that would grow under his nurturing care. His garden was his sanctuary.

He remembered his conversation with Fizanu, the goddess of Justice. Rose had been chosen to be her Champion. She had chosen him out of all the hundreds of thousands of mortals on this world. There were times, only times mind you, he wished she hadn't. He wouldn't change his life now for anything. Okay, well maybe he would change his location at the moment, but that was just geography.

He breathed in slowly, his ribs protesting at the expansion required to fill his lungs with air. The pain as he breathed in was sharp and exquisite. He recalled Fizanu telling him to travel to the small kingdom of Jenlakai. The king and queen were being held against their will until they produced their only daughter to Quagha Li'endrin, king of Relavia. Quagha wanted to unite the two kingdoms in marriage; the daughter of Jenlakai to his old, ailing cousin simply for the sake of forcing them to be allies. Not exactly a faerie tale romance.

Footsteps sounded off to the right. Rose kept his eyes closed and his breathing slow and even. Perhaps if they thought him still asleep, they'd either leave him alone or say something they wouldn't otherwise say in his waking presence. Whoever approached didn't stop. The footsteps retreated, echoing off of the stone walls and fading off to his left. Must have just been a guard walking his rounds, Rose thought to himself.

Time in a place like this was difficult to figure out. Was it daytime? Nighttime? What day was this? Rose wouldn't be able to figure it out and had already seen his fair share of men who had gone mad trying to do so. His situation reminded him of several different occasions he had been held in similar cells, just not so far underground. He let the memories come as exhaustion saturated him.

Monday, August 23, 2010

Word Count and Award...

You guys are all so silly. But I loves ya all anyway. :D And I seriously love me some awards. But before I go on to the award that Nancy Williams graciously passed on to me, I want to tell you all I have broken the 10,000 word count mark!

Woot!

I am currently sitting at 10,608 and am plugging away madly. Because really, is there any other way to simply plug away? I didn't think so.

So, starting this revision in the middle has proven to be a good move on my part. Again, I need to listen to my instincts more often. Silly instincts were right, go figure.


Okay! So on the very sweet, very pretty award. Nancy Williams sent me the One Lovely Blog Award. I have to pass it on to 8 people. I really do not like having to choose people. BUT... I will. Because I am just that way. So here goes.

1 - Slushpile Slut
2 - Alex Cavanaugh (I know it is all frilly and girly, but change it to a beer if you want and call it "One Manly Blog!"
3 - Roxy at "A Woman's Write"
4 - Amy at Artistically Amy
5 - Chary Johnson at Bronx Tales & Inner Musings
6 - Karen G at Coming Down the Mountain
7 - Deborah at Dragon Wrangler
8 - Ellie at Ella's Edge

I tried to pick people I haven't picked before or who I usually lurk on their blogs. Yes, I am a lurker sometimes. What can I say? So. The only thing you need to do is pass this on to eight other people. Gift it to someone who hasn't had a lot of awards or no awards. I'm limited on time, so I couldn't go check out everyone's blog. I just wanted to give you all the update and pass this on.

Have a great week everyone! And Write On!

Thursday, August 19, 2010

Just Some Ramblings...

Nope, I do not have a new word count. I just had some time to kill today, so I thought I would grace you with another post. ::Snorts:: Yeah, I am so not like that. I adore all of my followers and love your comments. Speaking of... if you are following me and I have not followed you yet, leave me a link. Don't be subtle, it takes a sledgehammer to get my attention sometimes.

I have been reading some Nora Roberts books lately. (Don't judge me, she has awesome freakin' plots! I skip over all that mushy love/sex crap anyway.)

I have just one question as far as Ms. Roberts goes...

How does she do it????? You crack open one of her books and you are faced with two pages, TWO PAGES, of her written works. She is about to run out of room. Then again, maybe it has been bumped up to about 3 pages these days as these are older books I am reading.

How? How? I can barely juggle the two stories I have in the works and do not even have time to sneeze on any other idea.

Speaking of, I need to write down said ideas before I lose them completely.

Insane. Granted, though, I do not know how often she puts out a book, but seriously, she's like a machine.

Stephen King got the same way for awhile, but then his books weren't doing very well (in my opinion) and got kind of boring. But Roberts has fresh ideas, at least from my perspective. I am not a big fan of paranormal romance, let alone romance. If it doesn't have a good, strong plot, forget it. I don't want to read page after page of hot monkey sex. But again. MY opinion. Doesn't count for much, but it is mine, my own, my precious.

I would like to be able to discipline myself to get to the point where I could crank out a story a year, but I am still so new to my world building, plus having to introduce this young world. Perhaps someday I will get there.

Am I being too "Instant Gratification-ish"? How fast do you come up with ideas or do they take you forever? Do you focus on one idea at a time or do you bounce back and forth to keep fresh perspectives?

I'm sure I am being redundant in this post, I know I posted something similar a little while back, but it still baffles me.

Have a great end of the week and weekend!

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Okay, Okay...

Okay so I got a little caught up in my reading more than my writing this week. However, word count:

8,989

Not bad for a poor white girl.

I've been reading "Regina's Song" by Leigh and David Eddings. OMGah... I SO did not know they had written this book. I'm loving it. I love finding books by my favorite authors in different genres. It is kind of repetitive in places, but I'm giving them a break as they had to be repetitive for so long writing the Belgariad and Mallorean books. Have to remind us fantasy whack-o's what we're reading you know.

Soooo.... yeah. I will be getting help from my husband this week on this scene I am sort of stuck on, which is why I picked up some books to read. It is his character, after all. He tells me what he wants to see and I write it out for him. We're a great team. I'm excited to get this revision done. I want to move on to Crowning Absolution!

I think that's it for now boys and girls. I've been loving your comments, even if I haven't been responding much. I do not like being limited for time on the internet, but you do what you have to do to get by. And get out of the house. I hate being stuck at home. So it is a win-win situation! Wee!

Have a great rest of the week!

Thursday, August 12, 2010

Can I Get a Drumroll...

No, it might not seem like a big deal to most people who don't write. But we authors know exactly how it feels to watch that word count grow. Especially when you are in the revising stage!

At the moment, I am sitting at 8,403 revised words for LoBR.

Can I get a "Woot!"?

I have been struggling with this story since I first wrote it during last years National Novel Writing Month. I have issues. Mostly, I have so much information that I've used to build my fantasy world that I try very hard to shove as much of it down the reader's throats as I can in one shot.

It obviously doesn't work, hence the struggling on my part. So I decided to take those huge chunks of information from the first draft and use them to sprinkle throughout my story and therefore starting said story in the middle. Where it should have started. In the first place.

I suppose those who write high fantasy feel this way sometimes as well. You have all this cool information about your world that you want to share all of it in one huge lump.

Well, I have forced myself to hammer that lump down to a thin wafer. While it is still not polished to absolute perfection, it is far better and different than what I started with. This is the same thing that happened with Crowning Absolution. I will take the huge chunks of world building from that as well and shave it down to fit nicely into its little niche.

Oh the joy of being an author. ::Chuckles::

I hope everyone has had a great week and hope you all have a great weekend!

So tell me how you whittle things down to fit?

Monday, August 9, 2010

Getting Caught Up...

I've been forcing myself to get back into the writing habit. I've been a lazy girl. Rain doesn't help especially when it seems this has been one of the rainiest summers I've experienced up here in my 4 years.

However, not only am I enjoying how this revision is working out on LoBR (current revision word count is at 5,400+) but I am stoked about finally having figured out the background and history of my deadly little assassin, Nightshadow. I worked it out and talked it out with my hubby about what makes her tick and why she fell onto the path of being a hired killer.

Woot!

'Nuff said about that. IF I get my tail in gear and am able to get LoBR revised completely before NaNo hits again this year, I have two ideas waiting in the wings. I really need to get my writing organized, write down some notes and keep this stuff on paper rather than trying to keep it all in my head. After writing last night and coming up with Night's background, I couldn't sleep. I was dog-tired, but my brain refused to shut down. I hate those nights sometimes. Other times, if I am not too tired I will get back up and write until my brain is satisfied and the voices in my head finally shut up and go to sleep! Grr.

Well that is all for the moment. I'll have to share some of what I came up with for Nightshadow once I get to that point. In the meantime, everyone have an awesome week!

Thursday, August 5, 2010

A Little Better...

So I'm resorting to bringing my computer into town and connecting on the library's WiFi. This still isn't ideal, but much better than getting a mere 45 minutes to do anything I want to do online. I at least get 2 hours. That is more than enough time for me to get re-connected with you all and start reading blogs again.

I've been feeling rushed in doing my online thing as well as paranoid about who is looking over my shoulder as I write. :D Maybe I should start writing erotica and see who walks away from my computer. ::Snorts:: That'd be kinda funny, but I wouldn't do it.

Even though this is a bit of a drag, it does get me back online. I've got just over 3,000 words revised on LoBR. I wrote up a new beginning....not sure if I mentioned that before I moved. So the word count I have up there currently is still part of the revision but, like I said, I started a new beginning. It is moving better, I like where it is and it plays out very well. We'll see what happens. I've got to get things moving or I will not be doing NaNo this year. I'm already behind in my revising of last year's book. To begin another and have it waiting in the wings until I'm done with those revisions would kill me. I hate being so disorganized and am trying to improve myself to finish what I have started. Otherwise, no one would get to read these damn books. Lol!

I read lots of blogs where authors have two or three WiP's and it amazes me how they can juggle so many. I get that once you get an idea, you have to write it down so as not to lose it, but I get so caught up in it, nothing else would get finished so I patiently plug along and keep it in the wings of my mind. I have little notes here and there of what I want to do. So if I do participate in NaNo this year, I'm moving to the Paranormal genre. I've got an awesome story waiting in the wings, dusty as they are. So perhaps it would be worth it to get it written out and dust it off once I'm done with revisions. I certainly have to start sticking to my personal deadlines.

Hope you all have had a great week and have a wonderful weekend. I'm praying for sunshine. :D

Monday, August 2, 2010

Still Hanging In...

Nope, no internet yet. Still working on that, but even in the midst of it all I have new followers.

Woot!! Welcome to anyone who is new.

So I got a question from N. R. Williams (Nancy). What kind of Fantasy do I like?

I have to say, I'm partial to High Fantasy. Lord of the Rings sort of stuff. I like to write High Fantasy as well. I'm all about creating my own little world and having fun running it. I play games like Port Royale and Crusader just to get a feel for it. But I am also a history buff and participate in Medieval Re-enactment. Gimme a cutlass and allow me to don my pirate hat and away I go. Arrggh!

So yes, High Fantasy seems to be the favorite but I do read all sorts of fantasy. I've just picked up a couple of books at the local Salvation Army store of "Year's Best..." fantasy in my case. Several years old, but still good stories. There were a couple in there I didn't particularly care for, but hey, can't please them all can you?

That brings me to another subject I've been mulling over these past weeks. As I've been in and out of the library I run into all sorts of people and have had some fun conversations. One in particular was being asked what I wrote.

"Fantasy," I replied, trying not to grit my teeth. "Oh." There it was. That one tiny word with the downcast look as if I were a beggar on the street asking for alms for the poor.

"What?" I just had to ask, I couldn't resist and plastered a smile on my face as I spoke. "Do I have something in my teeth?"

I flustered the person and finally got an answer out of them about the subject of fantasy as in why do people say, "Oh". I was told, sincerely even, that fantasy is "okay, but there's no real work to it."

Insert whatever facial expression you desire. "No real work," I repeated. "Hmm... Well what do you call all the medieval history research I have to do to even make the fantasy that I write SEEM real to those who read it? I can't just make up a word for armor and expect it to fly. I have to show that I do know a little of what I write about. Not just 'he donned his barak for fighting...'" Okay now, I have to admit that was kinda cool. I could just make up stuff, I continued to explain patiently, but then I would lose the reader. They would see I have no intelligence, no real talent and no one would ever publish my book.

All writing is work. You can't just tell people that the genre of their choice sucks because they get to make up stuff. How many others have been told this very thing or did I just get lucky enough to find the one person who would be honest with me about it way up here in my corner of the world???

I'll stop ranting now. :D I'm sure you all missed that. ::Snorts:: Anyway, N. R. Williams, I hope that answers your question and then some. I see you are a fantasy author and would love to look you up on the internet. I will do just that. Perhaps I could get some pointers from you, what do you say? ;)

Have a great week everyone. I will be back as soon as I am able. Miss you all terribly.

Monday, July 26, 2010

Nope... Not Yet...

Still waiting on internet. Our options are thinning out rapidly, sadly. I still am trying to get to the computer as often as I can and at least say hi.

So... HI!!!

Not much to say at the moment. Revisions are going slow, but going. I've been unpacking, cooking dinner... (Cooking is actually kinda therapeutic for me) crocheting and watching movies. Joy, joy. Oh and reading as well, of course. Our new house is quite large, everyone has their own space and it works out well. My plants are growing large and fast. I have a tomato plant that might need to come inside as it has been mostly cold and rainy around here more than anything. My broccoli is getting huge as well!

My cats are enjoying their race track of a home and we hear them running practically everywhere all night. Silly critters.

Hope everyone is doing well. I will be back in a few days. Have a great week!

Saturday, July 17, 2010

My Tale Of Woe...

So I moved. Yes, it is a pain in the arse, but you know how it goes. Oh well, that is the least, VERY least of my problems.

I called the phone company here to get my phone connected after having to hunt down the physical address at the borough's office. The landlord had forgotten, bless the man. :) Our phone got connected, we had (so we thought) internet! Woohoo!

Alas, we were first told there was an outage in our area with no scheduled repair date. Really?? Then I called back, wondering if I could find out the repair date only to be told that there was no DSL available in our area and we were on a long waiting list.

WTF?

Then I called to see what my other options were. Well dial-up or MiFi. Hmm... MiFi sounding doable at the time until I walked into the local phone office here in town and was told I had to pay a $250 deposit up front, on top of the already expensive little box I could slip into my back pocket.

Pshaw...I don't think so.

So while I sit and wait for information on either satellite or cable, I will have to bide my time, contemplate my navel and work on my edit of LoBR. Joy.

I'm missing all of you terribly and will at least keep you all posted when I drive into town and stop off at the library to get my internet fix. ;)

Have a great weekend everyone, and a great coming week as well!

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Just a quick note...

So, moving is done. Thank goodness! I HATE moving. Anyway, phone service in a small town is just like postal service. S.L.O.W. So I won't be on for at least another week. That way if I get on earlier it will be a surprise. Have a great week everyone and can't wait to start posting stuff again!!

Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Do Ya Miss Me...


Yeah, like a thorn in your side. ::Snorts:: Just kidding! I'm certainly missing all of you, but life is hectic still. This week I will be moving in to our new place. Seems to me the move is going pretty smooth, just my luck, as soon as this hits the Blog-o-sphere, I'll have to eat those words. Good thing I have salt. So this is just a quick note to let you know that I will be offline for a few days. Depending on just how long it takes the phone company up here to lift their little finger and lay down that keystroke that will re-connect me to the World Wide Web. Wow...maybe I'll be able to get in some quality writing time? Doubt it. It will just have to wait, what can I say. So for all of you out there, you know who you are. Yes, even you lurkers! Have a great rest of the week, have a super weekend and a SAFE 4th of July. Seriously, you can't drink and drive, because if you hit a bump you'll spill your drink and that, my friends, is alcohol abuse. I'll have to hunt you all down, you alcohol abusers, you. ::Shakes a fist:: A good beer is a terrible thing to waste... Unless of course you insist on drinking that cheap stuff. I mean... ew. Yes, it is late, I am rambling and missing my world map. It will be the crowning jewel of my new home once I hang it back up on my bedroom wall. Have fun kids! This lager is for you.

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

I Love Creating...

So my little blog prompt thingy popped up with this question: "What do you love to create?"

Wow. Loaded question! Of course I love to create fantasy stories, but it goes way beyond that. I love creating the plot line, the characters... all of it. Some people have issues creating characters, I don't. I can come up with a name off the top of my head in a heartbeat.

Stories are abundant in my little brain, too. I have all sorts of ideas and pages upon pages of these ideas. I sometimes don't know where to begin.

Characters are the best, though. Which leads me to dialogue. I can sit here and listen to my characters having conversations in my brain while the action plays out like a movie in my mind. There are times when I will sit here and get odd looks from my family while writing and realize I have been chatting up the dialogue out loud. I just look at them and say, "What?" Hehe... so fun.

Creating my world was more difficult, but still a fun challenge. I had to change the over all design of it, splitting the one large continent down the middle, removing some kingdoms, etc. But change is what makes it work, makes it better. Nothing is concrete as soon as you set it down on paper.

So what do you love to create, eh?

Don't Sweat It...


So what do you think when you hear, "Don't sweat the small stuff?" How does that figure into your writing? Do you take it seriously in your daily life as well as your writing?

It took me several years to learn how to stop sweating over the small stuff. Seriously. I'm a worrier by nature. I used to fret and fume over the smallest of things. Especially after I had children. My firstborn got all the "proper" care. Meaning boiled bottles and nipples, sanitizing the hands of my friends so they could hold the baby. All that stuff. By the time my second child came along I just washed the bottles and nipples thoroughly in hot, soapy water, just checked to see that my friends weren't completely filthy and mellowed out quite a bit.

In writing, I've had to re-learn how to not sweat the small stuff. Making sure everything was perfect in the first draft, no typos, no grammatical errors, etc. It used to take me forever to write anything and get it done. I tell you what, now I just whip out the story (unless it blocks me somehow and I change it) and then move on to the corrections and stuff.

Now that I have found a balance in my writing and my daily life, I really don't sweat the small stuff.

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Fear Factor...


Yep, you guessed it. Another post that includes a prompt. I like these, they're sorta cool and really make you think. Others are just silly and I skip through. So this prompt is based on fear. I'm going to list ten things I fear and (hopefully) why. Are you ready? Okay, ten things I truly fear: 1) Failure. I am sometimes so petrified of failing at something I don't ever complete it. So I have lots of unfinished projects laying around my house. Some of that has to do with procrastination or even getting truly bored with it and dropping it altogether, but mostly I'm afraid of failing or having someone criticize what I did. 2) Success. Yep. Those are two of my biggest fears, but not as big as the next one. Why do I fear success? Because I have seen how success changes people. I'm finally at a place in my life where I am truly happy with myself and the person I have become. A far cry from the skinny girl in high school who used to be kind of mean to boys... and cheerleaders... and well... ok let's move on, shall we? But yes, I fear success simply because I do not want it to change the person I have become. 3) This should have been number one, but it isn't exactly a unique fear. I fear Death. Dying. Non-existence. While I really don't have much of an issue with the fact that I will eventually die, my fear is HOW I will die. And, just like any other mortal being out there, I worry about what I will leave behind. What will immortalize me? Did I make a mark on the world? Is someone going to remember me? Fondly? ::Snorts:: Aside from my kids, people. :D 4) Drowning. Yeah, weird, isn't it? I love being out on the open water, sailing or whatever but I'm terrified of drowning. Don't know why on that one. 5) Snakes. Oh yeah, big snake phobia but I have a bearded dragon as a pet. Go figure. Always have had this fear so no idea where it stemmed from. 6) Ignorant people. Okay, maybe I don't exactly fear them, but they certainly are scary, aren't they? 7) Oooh, heights. I didn't used to be afraid of them. Then I got swimmer's ear, which in turn gave me some vertigo and ever since I don't like heights. I get all dizzy and vertigo-ish and am afraid I will fall. 8) People. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not like one of these people that can't be around other people. My fear is specific in I don't like judgmental people. Especially if I feel like they're judging me. But I don't like it when they judge others and tend to do the same thing that they dislike in other people. 9) Gossip. See number 8. lol! I admit, I listen when people gossip but I don't always repeat what I hear unless I have the absolute truth and will always go to the source if possible. If I don't have all my facts straight, I shut my mouth. This has gotten me into trouble numerous occasions so I try to avoid it if at all possible. 10) Never being published! I have a story to tell and I want to share it in my writing. But I have this fear (See numbers one and two) that something will happen to me (oh yeah and number three) and my stories will not get published. Is it weird? To think that if I die, who will put out my stories? No one can write them like I would want, not even my kids and closest friends and family. My voice in writing is just as unique (in my own mind) as I am to the world. There isn't anyone else out there quite like me. Yes, be thankful. I heard that... Ah well. So what do you fear?

Monday, June 21, 2010

Oh, The Possibilities...

So continuing on with these writing prompts, this next one is a doozy.

What would you do if you knew you wouldn't fail?

I have to give this one some serious thought...

Pshaw! Not really. I'd write! I'd write and get published and then so many other possibilities would then be opened to me.

I'm a generous person. If I have an over abundance of anything, I share. Okay, maybe not the chocolate. I said NOT the chocolate...eh, who am I kidding, I'd share!

One of the other writing prompts that I passed up said, "What do you desire?" I couldn't honestly come up with an answer other than just being secure. I don't mean that I have a ton of insecurities... I do have a couple. However, being secure in the knowledge that my future will not be as difficult as my past would be my biggest desire.

I am one of those super, easy to please kind of people. My desires are few and my ideas are many. So in keeping with the writing prompt, if I were to do anything knowing I would not fail, it would be writing so I could publish, be successful at it and then I would give, give, give. That also happens to be a desire of mine.

So what would you do if you knew you wouldn't fail?

Thursday, June 17, 2010

Where In The World...


Okay so we're doing yet another writing prompt. Just trying to have a little fun while hanging out with my mom and son as well as packing. Something to take my mind off of it all.

So with that being said, here's my next prompt:

If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?

Personally, I've got dozens of places I want to go. However, first on my list would be Scotland. I'm half Scotch-Irish. I absolutely LOVE the sound of bagpipes. They stir my blood and call me to battle. They help me to remember my ancestors. I'd love to see where my Clansmen came from.

My other half is Dutch. I'm second generation Dutch in America on my mother's side and have our family tree documented back to the 1600's in the Netherlands. I'd visit the Netherlands next. I could really get back to my roots there. My mother is the youngest of 11 children and I am the youngest of 53 grandchildren. That's right. 53. My sister and I were looking through our family tree once and figured out we have at least 2 first, second and third cousins in every state, if not more. Huge!

I'd also like to visit England, as I have friends over there. Germany as well, for the same reasons. I'd like to visit France, but I can't honestly claim that is all for me, my daughter would like to go someday. Ireland would be on that list as would Greece and Australia. I bet I have family in Australia. New Zealand of course would be right there and I would have to go there too! Last stop would be China.

If I absolutely had to pick just one place... just ONE... it would be Scotland.

How about you? Where would you go?

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Ten Things In My Pocket...


I'm going to utilize the next couple of weeks by using a blog prompt...thingy... that I found. I'm sort of cheating, scheduling them and all... but the next few weeks are going to be packed with... well, packing! ::Snorts:: Yep, I'm moving the beginning of July and then will only have a couple more weeks with my mom and son after that. So while I'm off in my day to day living stuff, I still want to stay connected to you all. So here is the writing prompt and my answer. Feel free to leave me comments, I do read them and comment back if I don't drop you an email. (Most of your comments give me a "no reply" address when I try to send back a personal message. So look here for some of my responses in the comment section.) Okay, ready? Here's the prompt: If I were going to be stranded on a desert island, what 10 things would I want in my pockets? 1) My iPod. If it isn't damaged, that is. I'd listen to one song a day to conserve the battery. 2) Pictures of my family. 3) Ummm...oh! One of those emergency blankets that are folded up so small but you can never fold it back to that size again...ever. 4) String. 5) Matches. 6) Paper clips. (String for the "tent" and a fishing line and use the paper clip for the fishing hook.) 7) Gum. 8) A bandanna. Strain water through it maybe? 9) An eyepatch so I could pretend I was a pirate. Arrgh! 10) A mirror. Then I could signal ships and see how horrible I look after not having a shower for several...months. How about you?

Monday, June 14, 2010

Lean On Me...

I was just leaving a comment over at Christi Goddard's place. Got my little brain thinking about the support we offer up as writers in our little community and the importance of it.

Now most people will tell you this is a super competitive business. Well... what business isn't competitive? Oh yeah, selling cow manure. Maybe. Unless the guy down the road has some cows with the best poo.... Okay, I'll just let that one go.

Yes, writing is a competitive business. Advertising is competitive, retail, you name it. But there is another aspect to writing that makes it more than just a business. It is an art. We are artists, painting scenes in your mind with our words. Brushstrokes here and there leave feathery traces of color on your memory as we speak and weave our web of intricacy.

You support other artists, you don't tear them down. You help your fellow authors along this long, rocky, arduous path. You don't spread rumors about them and how horrible they are. That if it weren't for their editor they wouldn't be able to string two sentences together after a drinking binge... Know what I mean?

We all have our likes and dislikes when it comes to other writers. We all have our own tastes in genres. We have strong opinions about what we read and what we refuse to read. We may not like some of the stuff out there, but we support the person who wrote it because they accomplished something that gave us hope. Even if it is a, "Hey if something like this can get published, they'll love my stuff...". More often than not, though, it is like, "So and so got a book deal/agent contract? Sweet! I can't wait to read it."

Yes jealously does tend to raise its ugly head in most of these moments. But we still root for people who write. We offer up our advice, our help and we encourage rather than tear down. It is important that we, as writers, continue to act like a community. Personally, I don't feel any other writer out there is better than me, per se. I just think their stuff is different from what I write. I admire and respect authors from all genres for putting their heart and souls on the line to try and publish their work. When I lose respect for them is when they begin to act like superstars and think they're better than anyone else in the field. Having a talent for writing is very important, but the readers make or break you. Just like the fans make or break musicians or movie stars.

Hope I am not rambling too awful much. Just had a little bit of a tangent and had to get it out of my system. Hope everyone had a great weekend and have a good Monday morning!

Thursday, June 10, 2010

Yay...


I've caught up on my reading of your blogs. I commented on a few, whatever I had time for.

I'm having a great time with my mom and son. My daughter had her first job interview today. She played at a local coffee bar last week and they want her and her friend to open on the 18th of this month for two bands. One is a Ska band, not sure about the other. But it is a paid gig. They're seriously excited.

I move in a couple of weeks so packing has been priority around here. Ugh... I hate moving, but I am so looking forward to it.

My veggies are doing well in my tiny little garden.I submitted my new beginning to my Critique Group for LoBR (Legend of Black Rose) and got some awesome feedback on it! That is what I was looking for, the fact that I pulled the reader right in and got down to the action with little back story to catch people up.

I made a good choice. I need to listen to my instinct more often.
So what does your instinct tell you when you write? Do you listen or do you try to shut it up like the other voices in your head? My instincts, so far, have been spot on. My instincts were telling me to re-write my first book after it got published (poorly) and I'm glad I listened. It has turned out so much better than I could imagine! So I guess the combination of listening to my instincts and listening to my characters has really worked out well for me.

When my first book got published a few years back, it was exciting, then turned quickly to devastation. A friend of mine happened to be in the exact same position as me. We met through our publication. The difference between the two of us, is I have not given up and my friend has refused to finish the trilogy they began. At first, I did want to give up. My 7 year contract stretched out endlessly before me. Flipping through my copy of the book and finding all the errors just made me fall deeper into a depression. No one would buy my book for $24.95 when it was so THIN. The book, not the plot. The cover looked like a bad Harlequin romance novel (sorry, no offense to romance readers) and I was horribly disappointed. People who read my book (mostly friends and family) all told me the same thing: If it had gone through a professional edit or even if I had been given the opportunity to edit it better, it would have been a good book.
So when NaNoWriMo came along this past year, I started to write about my character, Nightshadow. I got stuck two days in. I thought, "I'm not going to finish this year!" But then my characters, who had gone quiet for a couple of years after I ignored them, began to whisper to me. They told me "Write our story over! Come on, it'll be good for you! It'll sell! Please?" Their voices got louder and finally I just gave in, sat down and as I wrote, the changes just came to me like light bulb revelations one after another. I actually GIGGLED as I wrote the new version. I don't giggle. EVER. I chuckle.

Poor Nightshadow is stuck in the wings, but she's been whispering to me lately and I have begun her story as well. We'll get their eventually, eh girl?

Monday, June 7, 2010

Ah Summertime...

So the days have been decent. There hasn't been a whole lot of rain. Which is nice. Apparently lots of you are having Blogger issues. That's all right, I haven't been on much.

I have been mulling over my "Crowning Absolution" WIP and wondering just how to end it. Then I showed my son my map and got to chatting with him, because he read the first book I had published about half-way through. He was pretty familiar with the characters by that point so he offered up a way to possibly end it. I absolutely love it! I'll have to work it in somehow. But I don't want to tell anyone and give it away!!

I think that's the hardest part of writing. I've got all these cool ideas and I can sit and chat with people who know my characters and tell them, "Yeah, I have this and this going on with so and so. Later, someone is going to do this and that and the other..." But to put that all out in the Blogosphere??? Are you mad??

I don't like being a paranoid writer. I don't want someone just coming along and taking my stuff. But I hate when I get all these cool ideas, look around for someone to talk to and I'm all alone. Does that ever frustrate you? Don't you wish you could sit down with a bunch of other authors and just go on for hours about what you are working on and what they're working on and understand it all?

I know my husband gets as excited about it all as I do. Half the time, if I hit a wall with something, he's right there to offer up several possible solutions because he knows the world just as well as I do.

So what do you do when you have all this exciting stuff to tell people? Who do you talk to and where do you go with it?

Friday, June 4, 2010

Recuperation...

So I got back from Anchorage late, late Thursday. Well, technically it was early. 5:30 in the morning kind of early. Cheri knows all about that, don't you Cheri.

Yesterday was rainy, but that's okay, because the sun is out today. That is all that matters. Let it rain while we sleep and have the sunshine while we're active.

Not sure how much writing will get done but I will keep everyone posted and keep working towards my goal of the end of August to have Legend of Black Rose revised and completed. Woohoo! Then I get to start sending out queries.

Let the rejection begin! Ha ha!

Hope everyone has had a great week and hope you all have a great weekend as well.

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Phew...


Here's hoping everyone had a good and SAFE weekend. We had a four car collision on our highway. Seems there is always one or two on weekends like this.

It is Tuesday! Tomorrow I go pick up my mom and son from the airport. Things will start getting busy around here as I prepare to move and all that good fun stuff. SO. If you don't see a post from me or a comment in a while, know that I am most likely lurking.

Have a great week everyone.




Saturday, May 29, 2010

In Honor Of...


I had posted on my FaceBook page the other day a question to all of my author-type friends.
Where would you be, had our Veterans not taken the risks they did and fought to give you your freedom?
Quite frankly, it unnerves me to think about it. But people these days, especially our children and teenagers, don't quite understand what it took to give us the freedom we have. My husband will go around and ask teenagers 4 specific questions:

1) What is the Constitution?
2) What is Independence Day?
3) What is the Bill of Rights?
4) What is the Revolutionary War?

Do you know that none of them can answer all four? If they get one right, we're stunned. But kids today have their noses in their computers and video games and sometimes in books. They don't teach as much about our History in the schools anymore, God forbid we offend someone. Due to the last of the Holocaust Survivors passing on, they're now trying to say that the Holocaust never happened.
Excuse me?

I'd love to hear the explanation as to how thousands of Jewish people died during that war.

Anyway, the point of this upcoming holiday is not the start of Summer. It isn't to grill on your barbecue and hold a super party complete with Red, White and Blue streamers just for a "splash of Summer color"...
Thank a Veteran, sincerely, for what they have done. Raise your flag and KNOW why you do so and explain to your children what those who have gone before us have done for us. Without them, Freedom would not exist.
::Salutes all Veterans:: I thank you from the bottom of my heart for what you did for me and this country.

The Rest...

Okay, so here is the rest of the new beginning I promised you all. After this, it moves right into my story, exactly where I wanted it to begin but just didn't figure it out 'til now. Silly me. Yes, sometimes it takes me awhile. There might still be parts where I repeat myself, but that's what I get for writing in spurts and not reading what I had already written. Go figure.

Enjoy!


Rose struggled to wake. He clawed at the air, gasping for breath while in his dream he dug his way out of a shallow grave. He sat upright, eyes wide in the darkness and sucked in several deep breaths. He still did not know the time of day or night. Had Quagha come down here to tell him he would be executed in two days time? How long ago that seemed and how many days were now left? He scrubbed a hand over his face and then over the stubble on his head. Rose winced as his hand hit the scrapes and bruises he had acquired at the same time as his baldness.
He sat in the darkness, knees pulled up to his chest, elbows resting on his knees. He held his head in his hands and slowly, gently rubbed the stubble. His wife had urged him to grow his hair long and until recently, he had kept it long and braided. It had fell to his waist. He still did not understand why the guards had felt it necessary to shave it off. Perhaps some sort of punishment, trying to shame him somehow.
After finding Quagha in the kingdom of Jenlakai, Rose had infiltrated the castle, fully intending to at least get the king and queen out of their city, their kingdom if necessary. He hadn't realized that other forces had been sent as well. Paridzule's young king had managed to buy enough D'raetus Pastiniir to take out many factions of Relavia's armies. The D'raetus Pastiniir were assassins of the highest quality and led by an Elven man named Nikkolani. They had spent days scouting the territory for Relavian Warriors and had eased Rose's mind when he found large factions already dead or dying. One less life on his conscience, he left most of the work to the assassins and made his way to the capital city of Jenlakai and from there to the castle.
In the main receiving hall, Quagha held audience as if he were already the ruler. Before him had stood a young Elf, one of Nikkolani's own. Black Rose seemed just as surprised at him being there as the Elf was to see Rose. The majority of the conversation Rose had overhead consisted of this young man going to Paridzule and killing the Queen. Quagha had figured out that the young King Kimu had something to do with the deaths of his Warriors.
When the fighting erupted in the hall, Rose did not know if he should take out the Elf along with the Relavian king or spare him. Everything happened in such a blur, pinpointing details proved difficult, especially now in this dark, dank cell.
Rose rubbed his hands over the stubble of his head once more as he recalled how his dagger had pierced the heart of Urnda Li'endrin, Quagha's aged cousin. The man simply had gotten himself caught between a rock and a hard place, the surprise on his face matching Rose's own. In a matter of moments, Rose had taken a completely innocent life. Did he agree with Quagha that he now deserved his imprisonment and sentencing? Not completely, but before Rose had even had a chance to utter a prayer to Veritru'ul, the Elf knocked him out cold.
Rose still could not wrap his mind around that fact. He knew he had help in Jenlakai taking out the Relavian Warriors. He would come across encampments filled with smoke from dying fires and the stench of the dead. Half the time, the dead were left to rot in the sun. It could only have been the work of D'raetus Pastiniir. Rose didn't know why Nikkolani had sent them, he did not want to question the aid. But why had the Elf gone after him? Rose felt certain he had specifically heard the young Elf order Urnda to go after him, but still could not figure out why. Perhaps if he got out of this situation, he'd pay Nikkolani a visit. If not, well, he'd just haunt him.
Rose heard soft footsteps coming towards him. Usually the guards were louder, not caring if they disturbed his rest. Whoever made their way towards him now seemed to want to go unheard. Rose stretched, then resumed his position. Hands on head, elbows on knees. The picture of despair. He kept his eyes open as he stared down, but did not see flickering torchlight. He heard the creak of the cell door open, then shut and still Rose did not move.
“Are you here?” a voice whispered out of the darkness. Rose floundered for a moment. Why would someone be here? Should he answer? He felt an odd sensation and knew Fizanu had given him a sign.
“I'm here.” Rose's voice cracked, his throat and mouth were dry.
“Thank the gods,” the man whispered. Rose suddenly figured out where he had heard that voice before.
“Amigal?” Amigal Benat had been Quagha's lifelong adviser. What in all hells was he doing here?
“Well, sort of,” Amigal answered. “Can you keep your voice down, but keep speaking. I need to find you in the darkness.”
“I'll do what I can,” Rose sneered, then fell silent.
After a moment of shuffling Amigal huffed. “Now, really. Is this any way to treat someone trying to come to your aid?”
“Come to my aid?” Rose wondered in a loud whisper.
“I have no time, Rose. I will explain once we are far from here. Until then, you have no choice but to trust me.” Amigal shuffled a little more and in a moment, Rose felt his hand fall on top of his head.
“Ow! Watch it,” Rose growled.
“Well, I told you to help me find you in the dark. I cannot help it if you do not cooperate.”
“Why are you doing this?” Rose asked, pulling the man's hand from his head. Amigal patted his way down to Rose's shoulder then grabbed his arm to pull him to his feet.
“Can you stand?” Amigal asked.
“I doubt it. I haven't eaten for several days, I am weakened. The water was rancid and I have sharp pains in my stomach.”
“That is not a good sign. As for why I am doing this, let's just say we have a mutual interest in keeping you alive.”

Thursday, May 27, 2010

Snippet, Snippet!

Okay so current word count is: 1,907. And, as promised, I have a bit of the alternate beginning ready and waiting for you. So, I won't make you wait and just get right to it. Gotta love it!

The cool stone floor pressed into Black Rose's cheek. His mouth was dry from being unable to breathe through his nose. He could no longer taste blood, he supposed that was a good sign. After taking a mental note of all his aches and pains, he opened his eyes. It took a moment or two of blinking to realize he wasn't blind, darkness pressed in on him.
So Quagha Li'endrin must have tossed him down into the darkest, dirtiest pit he could find. Not to mention the stench. He could taste the foul air on his tongue since his sense of smell had been compromised.
Rose didn't want to move. Pain made him selfish as did his current surroundings. He knew he would have to sit up eventually, but for the moment the cool, damp surface felt good. Made him ache that much more, but that is how he knew he still lived. He hurt like all hells.
He closed his eyes and the past few days began to replay in his mind, like a dream that refused to let go of the waking world. At first, he could see his garden. The soil had just been turned, it lay waiting and ready for him to plant the seeds that would grow under his nurturing care. His conversation with Fizanu, the goddess of Justice. Rose had been chosen to be her Champion. She had chosen him out of all the hundreds of thousands of mortals on this world. There were times, only times mind you, he wished she hadn't. He wouldn't change his life now for anything. Okay, well maybe he would change his location at the current moment, but that was just geography.
He breathed in slowly, his ribs protesting at the expansion required to fill his lungs with air. Fizanu had told him to travel to the small kingdom of Jenlakai. The king and queen were being held against their will until they produced their only daughter to Quagha Li'endrin, king of Relavia. Quagha wanted to unite the two kingdoms in marriage; the daughter of Jenlakai to his old, ailing cousin simply for the sake of forcing them to be allies. Not exactly a faerie tale romance.
Footsteps sounded off to the right. Rose kept his eyes closed and his breathing slow and even. Perhaps if they thought him still asleep, they'd either leave him alone or say something they wouldn't otherwise say in his waking presence. Whoever approached didn't stop. The footsteps retreated, echoing off of the stone walls and fading off to his left. Must have just been a guard walking his rounds, Rose thought to himself.
Time in a place like this was difficult to figure out. Was it daytime? Nighttime? What day was this? Rose wouldn't be able to figure it out and had already seen his fair share of men who had gone mad trying to do so. His current situation reminded him of several different occasions he had been held in similar cells, just not so far underground. Exhaustion finally took over and he closed his eyes, not having to fake sleep this time.

When Rose woke, it took a moment or two to realize his surroundings yet again. He blinked, wondering what had just jarred him awake. He sat up and saw bright torchlight and squinted against the pain in his eyes.
“Ah, I see you are finally awake,” Quagha Li'endrin handed a sword back to the guard standing behind him. “I've been waiting to speak to you. You sleep like the dead. I'm thankful to the gods that you are still among the living, I wouldn't want them to spoil my fun.” Quagha's lip curled into a grotesque smile.
Rose sat, propped up on his elbows, the hard floor digging into his skin. He could barely see the Relavian king with the torch flickering behind him. Something brushed Rose's forehead and he automatically thought his hair had fallen into his face and tried to brush it out of the way. Quagha found this highly amusing and began to chuckle. Rose forgot that they had shaved his head before dragging him back to Relavia in chains.
“I'm quickly losing interest in keeping you down here in the pit, as the other guards like to call it. I merely wanted to inform you that I will soon be putting you out of your misery. In two days time, we'll be having a grand celebration here in Relavia. The main event will be your execution.”