30 Day Writing Challenge: 30 Random Facts

Day 18's writing challenge is to post thirty facts about yourself. I have to say, I kind of like making all these lists. It makes me feel so organized.

1. I am a student attending Community College.
2. I have strong opinions about what people say regarding Community College; it's not a place for slackers. You can receive just as good an education there as you can anywhere else. Don't mess with us college peeps.
3. My wardrobe is comprised mostly of blue and black, with a healthy smattering of geek-oriented stuff.
4. As far as fandoms go, I would say I am in a good many. However, I'm probably most invested in Harry Potter. I find myself referencing that the most, although Disney, Sherlock, and any classic literature fall in close behind.
5. I have my own box shaped like the Monster Book of Monsters from Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, although I have not found anything worthy enough to put in it. Suggestions?
6. When I was little, I wanted to be a fairy when I grew up. Not much has changed, except when I die, I hope I'll be surrounded by Heavenly angels instead of fairies.
7. Wherever I am going, I always have either a book(s), a notebook and pen(s), or all of the above on hand. The reason I don't have one of those pretty clutch purses for weddings and stuff is because I can't fit all that into one.
8. One of my absolute favorite topics to study is mythology. It doesn't matter which part of the world it originates, I want to study it.
9. When I was a kid, a brick fell on my head. This was partly my fault. As I was climbing the tree in our backyard one day, I wished there were a shelf to keep my books on so when I was reading in the tree and had to go in for lunch, I could just leave the book on the shelf and come back out when I was finished. I started to work shortly after constructing a shelf out of blue rope woven from silk threads. Well, of course I needed to test it, and there happened to be a brick laying nearby. I tested my shelf with the brick, and it worked beautifully. Unfortunately, I forgot about it. A couple of days later while I was playing under the tree, the brick fell on my head and actually bounced off of it. I don't think I ever screamed that much. Mostly I remember my parents carefully pulling away bloody strands of hair to see if I needed stitches. Apparently I was just shy of needing stitches, but what I took away from that was my experiment succeeded! My shelf was functional! And so was gravity.
10. My favorite food is Taco Dip. It is a delicious layered concoction where you spread refried beans on the bottom of a pan, then taco meat, salsa, and finally Velveeta and chopped chili peppers. You cook it in the oven for about forty-five minutes to an hour and eat it with tortilla chips. There is absolutely nothing healthy about it, but it is so good!
11. Baking is one of my favorite hobbies. Cookies are probably my special-ity, although I've been getting into making my own versions of popular candy bars. My homemade Almond Joys? To die for.
12. I love spoiling my nieces and nephew! I will slap down an obscene amount of money for a stuffed animal or a nightgown if I know they will love it.
13. I was enjoying this whole list-making thing, but now it's getting kind of hard. Thirty facts? What is this, speed dating?
14. I love the TV show Sherlock, though one of my favorite Disney movies remains The Little Mermaid. Beauty and the Beast follows at a close second. I also miss the usage of choirs in movies like Peter Pan and Alice in Wonderland. If you listen to those songs, you'll know exactly the sound I'm talking about.
15. I've read The Screwtape Letters at least three times.
16. In one year of high school, I read the Twilight Saga more than thought. (Shut up, I was fifteen, single, and hormonal.)
17. I loved the first season of Once Upon A Time on ABC, but now I feel like it's getting really weird. They brought in the Wicked Witch of the West, then they jumped on the Frozen wagon, then they brought in Cruella DeVil, and I know they've thrown in some Greek mythology in there. Stick with a realm, Kitsis and Horowitz. Disney was good, Grimm's was a really good move, but now you seem to be going on a Lost sort of path. But I will admit, Captain Hook is one of my favorite characters. Also, Belle cries, like, a lot. Is her weeping face a selling point? Miss the old Belle and Rumple.
18. Sorry, back on track. Random fact number eighteen, if I keep on the same track I've been going, I should be able to finish my degree in three years. Yay!
19. If I could have superpowers, which powers would I want? I think I would want the ability to control water, turn invisible, and fly.
20. If I had to choose one? I don't know why, but I think I would want to control water. Although being able to heal came to mind, if I had that ability, and just healed my family whenever they needed it, I wonder if I would become less faith-dependent. I've seen a lot of family members on hospital beds. Let me tell you, having faith during those times, when there are tubes down there throats, in their arms, and when they writhe in pain but you can't do anything but hold them, those are some of the moments where your faith is tested, and in some cases strengthened.
21. If I could go back in time and do something different, I think I would spend more time with my Pap Pap. He knew so much and spoke so little, his wisdom was sometimes in what he didn't say, or just the look he gave you.
22. I was homeschooled my entire life until I graduated high school. I loved being homeschooled, but I wish I had spent more being involved in theater productions. Not that I was social repressed, but I just didn't know they existed. I thought all actors were professionals, even the kids.
23. When the time comes that I am on an extreme budget and can only afford a few groceries, I have narrowed down what I personally would want for essentials, food-wise. If I had only $30 to spend on food, my entire pantry would consist of coffee, sugar, peanut butter, whole wheat bread, apples, and chocolate chips. Not including the coffee maker and filters, I can go without creamer in my coffee, so long as there's sugar. So my breakfast would be coffee with an apple or coffee with toast and peanut butter. Lunch would consist of a peanut butter sandwich or an apple cut into wedges with a side of melted peanut butter dip. For dinner, any combination thereof, except I would add chocolate chips for a treat. And that is my entire meal plan for when I inevitably will need to budget my food. There was actually a time not long ago where this pretty much was all that I ate, and I wasn't even buying the food. But I know that I can survive on these things. For a time.
24. I would LOVE to work on a movie set. Whether it's building sets, making costumes, doing interviews, working in make-up, making props, being the designated coffee-runner, or just being someone's personal assistant, just to be in that environment and seeing all of that stuff being created would be totally awesome!
25. When I was little, I wanted to grow up to be a fairy.
26. At the same time, I was convinced I was half-mermaid.
27. My favorite directors are Joss Whedon, Peter Jackson, and Andrew Adamson.
28. I have read The Screwtape Letters at least three times.
29. I am a YouTube and Pinterest junkie!
30. It took me a good two weeks to come up with this list.

I hope you enjoyed this because it took me forever to write. I started writing it two days after my last post and it has taken me this long to finish it. Coming up with thirty facts about yourself is hard. Anyway, I'm trying to cluster the rest of the writing challenges to at least fit them in before the official end of the year. We'll see how it goes.

-Grace

-Grace

30 Day Writing Challenge: Movies

Oh, here's a fun one. On the agenda today is a list of movies I would never get tired of watching.

1.) Coming in at number one is Nosferatu. My dad and I were fortunate enough to catch this movie playing at an old theater where they had brought in a musicians from an ensemble from New York to play live music during the movie. Needless to say, best date ever! Not only is this an incredible taste of the silent movie era, but it is also a shining example of a proper horror film. You can laugh at the funny face on the cover, but this movie is legitimately scary, and with live music, it easily takes the place as one of my favorite movies.

2.) Forgive me for being a '90s child, but I didn't think the 1998 Godzilla movie was that bad. My dad is a fan of the old films starring the King of the Monsters. However, I think the most recent release of Godzilla may be my favorite. I liked the approach they did with the guy in the military being the min eyes and ears of the film. To me, it made it more relatable than a geeky scientist who studies worms and had his heart broken by his college love interest. Plus, the movie was interspersed with nods to the classic films, like Doctor Serizawa and the kid with the red ball cap.

3.) Dial M for Murder was the first Hitchcock film I ever saw, and I was hooked right away! I love his style, the slow building, the intelligent dialogue, and he has this way of holding the camera that makes it appear as if someone is watching you. Very cool. Although it would be cool to see remakes of some classic Hitchcock, like The Lodger (another silent film), I suppose no one can really copy or imitate the Hitchcock style.

4.) This one is not a movie, but I love the BBC show Sherlock. I watch the episodes over and over again, mostly because I'm a huge fan of the books and I always see something new whenever I watch them.

5.) Narnia is in a category all on its own. You can only approach such ambitious, beautiful work such as C.S. Lewis with the greatest care and the highest respect. This movie is one of the most beautiful sources of fantasy you will ever see.

6.) Finally I have a TV show that I used to watch faithfully: Leverage. A show about a bunch of stand-alone criminals who band together to fight for people who can't fight for themselves, this show had a nice balance of comedy, intelligence, and intrigue. And drama. It was on TNT for a while, and you know... they know drama. I like rewatching these episodes a lot, whenever I have a day off, no school, no guests... just me and the TV. All day. Marathon, baby!

There you have it! My list of movies (and some TV shows) that I would never get tired of watching.

My Top Fave Songs

Hey, check it out! I'm blogging during daylight hours. What kind of madness is this?
Today's topic is the top ten songs I'm loving right now (in no particular order).

1. I recently got into the band 2Cellos, which is a duo of guys who do rock songs on their cellos. It sounds kind of weird, but they are seriously cool! I would recommend listening to their versions of "Welcome to the Jungle" or "Highway to Hell."
2. Another artist I really like is Sam Tsui. He's a YouTube music star who works with his friend Kurt Schneider to produce covers of popular songs. "Locked Away" is good, as well as "Just Give Me a Reason," "Just A Dream," and "Demons."
3. There's this song on a BBC show called Poldark sung by one of the characters, Demelza. First of all, can we just appreciate the name? Come on. Second of all, she does sing very well. The only way I can find it is to type in "Demelza's Song" into YouTube. Pretty distinguishing. Not many people have that name. :) It has a really nice folk lullaby feel to it, very soft of deep.
4. "Mr. and Mrs. Smith" is a song from the TV show Smash. Unfortunately Smash was cancelled, but I still like the song.
5. Another song from a movie, the new Cinderella has a lovely song called "Lavender's Blue" which I find just captivating. It's not included on the soundtrack but I have found covers for it. Lily James sings it in the movie, and I was surprised by what a nice voice she has.
6. "Demons" by Imagine Dragons.
7. "Legend of Zelda Medley" by Lindsey Stirling.
8. "Mi Mancherai" by Josh Groban.
9. "Wildest Dreams" cover by Rachel Talbott.
10. "So Close" by Jon Maclaughlin.

Come back tomorrow for our next topic.

-Grace

Character Post

So on my list of things to do, updating my blog was not one of them, but I figured I'd take a page out of Willow and Darrion's book (check out their blog, The Call) by doing a post about which actors fit characters in one of my stories. Which story, you might ask? I've mentioned it before, and because I'm paranoid, I'm calling it Story E until further notice.

For those of you who follow me on Pinterest, these probably won't be that big of a shocker to you, and honestly they are not an exact fit to what I picture... but they're pretty close.
The first character and the story's arguable antagonist is Vivia, portrayed by the lovely Katie McGrath (who at the time was portraying Morgana LeFey in BBC's Merlin).

 

Just look at her. Jet black hair, strong jawline, that partly-crazed look. She has all the makings of a perfect Vivia.
And if I mention Vivia, I simply must mention her twin sister, Isabelle.

 

I tried to find photos that would capture the stark differences between the sisters, not just in the way they dress, but in the way they carried themselves. Can you see it?
And the man who grew up with them, and then had to marry one. Tristan.

Yes, I know it's a picture of Faramir, but look at him! He could be a king. He has that humble kingly manner.
Also in our list of characters today is Sergio, portrayed by Torrance Coombs portraying Sebastian on Reign.

 

Sergio is a war veteran turned mercenary (sell-sword). It was actually very common during medieval times (which is the time period the story is modeled after) for young teenagers to be enlisted. But because the life expectancy was so short, what we would consider "young" they might consider the perfect age, especially for fighting for king, country, and glory.
I had a couple other characters, but I think this is plenty for now. Maybe the rest will be in my next posting.
Tell me what you think of these characters. The king and queen (Isabelle and Tristan). The rejected (Vivia). And the mercenary (Sergio).

-Grace

Journal Entry #10

Hello everybody! I felt a jolt of excitement this week as I was thinking about what to post and realized, since this whole journal entry thing was pretty much about posting whatever was on my mind, I could talk about celebrities, too. So today I will be reverting back to one of my favorite type of posts: celebrity look-alikes! You may remember from a while back I did a whole slew of celebrity look-alikes, from Benedict Cumberbatch and Colin Morgan to Dina Meyer and Erin Richards.
For once I did not stumble upon this pairing on YouTube. I was actually watching regular T.V. when I first noticed the similarities.
Ladies and gentlemen, may I present Anna Maxwell Martin...

(Anna Maxwell Martin in BBC's The Bletchley Circle)

...and Shelly Cole.

(Shelly Cole)

 



You may recognize Miss Martin as Susan from The Bletchley Circle, Elizabeth Darcy in Death Comes to Pemberley, or Bessy Higgins in North and South.
Miss Cole, on the other hand, is someone I vividly remember from her days on Gilmore Girls as Connecticut's version of a Valley Girl, Madeline Lynn. She also guest starred on NCIS as a drug mule's junkie sister, as well as in the horror film Dark House.
I don't know if it's the general face-shape or if it's just the way they stare at you, but when I saw these lovely ladies, the similarities were abundant.
What do you think? Am I stretching it a bit here, or am I on to something?

Interview with Travis Perry

Enjoy this interview with Travis Perry, author of The Crystal Portal and coauthor of Colony Zero.

(Travis Perry)

Q: I understand you're starting a new series called Medieval Mars. Tell me about that. It sounds really interesting.
A: Medieval Mars is a story world based on a fairly simple concept. Imagine a future Mars that has been terraformed so it is inhabitable at some point in the future, but at a time in the more distant future, roughly 1,000 years from now civilization has collapsed and people live in a way that parallels medieval times on Earth, with some very interesting differences. There are knights in armor (though they are called "riders"), noble lords and ladies, suffering peasants (usually called "hands), with an outlook on life simultaneously more religious and more warlike than our world. But there are leftover items from what they call the "Age of Magic" (the era of technology) which work even though they are not fully understood, genetically engineered dragons, and regions where lower gravity and atmospheric pressure allows human beings to ride giant birds.
I created a novella in Medieval Mars and realized this world is so large and full of potential that I wanted to invite other authors to submit stories for an anthology. I publicized a request for help and 9 other authors have stepped up and submitted stories. We're in the editing process now and I'm hoping the story collection comes out February (God willing). I have ideas for follow-on stories in the future.

Q: I can only imagine how nerve-wracking that must have been, sending out a request, essentially inviting people into this world you've created, not knowing what they'll think of it. But then to have so many interested in that, it must have been a relief knowing there were people waning to go on this journey, to enter this world with you. Fantastic. If you could have a discussion with any of your characters, who would it be? What  would you talk about?
A: That's kind of a tough question. I suppose I'd want to talk to Agata, who's featured in my book The Crystal Portal. I'd want to talk to her not just because I'd find her an interesting person, but because she has a crystalline exoskeleton and I'd be fascinated to see what that really looks like. Since she's a princess and a natural leader, I suppose I'd ask her about her thoughts on leadership.

Q: If you could have a discussion with any character from any book, who would it be?
A: Wow, that's another tough question. It's hard to narrow it down to just one. I think though I'd enjoy a conversation with Reepicheep from the Chronicles of Narnia more than any other character. I'd just ask him to tell be about his battles.

Q: Who is your favorite kind of villain to portray? The outright evil type with the complicated backstory, like Darth Vader? The suit-clad salesman, master of the subtle evils?
A: The villain I enjoyed the most was a character named Ernsto Mons in the Avenir Eclectia story world. What I enjoyed about him was I started him out unrepentantly bad and walked him through circumstances that are making him better -sort of a Breaking Bad in reverse.

Q: I've talked with other writers about the demands of social media, writing, and life in general. What's your secret to balancing it all?
A: I don't think I balance things very well at all. I tend to throw myself into one thing and neglect other things. The only way I get a semblance of balance is from switching off into different things I'm wholly engaged in on a regular basis. :)

Q: That's exactly how I am! One week I'll be devoted to promoting and retweeting on Twitter, the next it'll be Pinterest, and by the third week I'm exhausted. Okay, enough of the writing questions. What was the last book you read?
A: The last book I read was a history book on the Middle Ages called The Distant Mirror. It happens to be the case that I get a lot of inspiration for fantasy and science fiction story ideas from reading a combination of history and science.

Q: I've heard of The Distant Mirror, and I really love that time period, so I'll have to look that one up. What's on your list to read?
A: More historical stuff mostly. I'm currently reading a number of things at the same time. Some Josephus, some Marcus Aurelius, some Alexander Sozhenitsyn, some apocryphal Bible books, some Isaac Asimov, and Mike Duran's Christian Speculative work, The Ghost Box. Finishing all of these will take me a while. I'm not a speed reader.

Q: What movies or TV shows (if any) do you like to kick back with?
A: I'm a fan of The Walking Dead, even though I think the message is far from uplifting. And I watch Dr. Who. I also watch reruns of Star Trek (DS9 is my favorite), Farscape, and I like watching Nova on PBS and a wide variety of Nat Geo and History Channel shows.

Q: Your caffeinated beverage of choice would be...?
A: Diet Dr. Pepper. :)

Q: Where can we find you on social media?
A: My story ideas blog is found at: http://travissbigidea.blogspot.com
And I retweet things I find interesting on a daily basis at: http://twitter.com/tt_perry

Thanks for talking with me, Travis.
Also be sure to check out Travis's novella Medieval Mars, available on Amazon for only $.99. Can't beat it!  http://www.amazon.com/Medieval-Mars-Novella-Travis-Perry-ebook/dp/B00LMAWJNS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1420587914&sr=8-1&keywords=medieval+mars

-Grace

Blog Interview with Willow and Darrion of "The Call"

Ooh, this is exciting! As promised, here is a special blog interview from writing sisters Willow and Darrion, who maintain their blog, "The Call." Enjoy!

1. Tell us a little about yourselves.
Willow: I'm a Christian introvert teenage writer who loves Lord of the Rings, cosplay, Doctor Who, Marvel, and photography. I'm two years the elder of my younger sister, Darrion. {Wow, that was a mouthful!}

Darrion: I consider myself an extrovert, a Bible believing Christian, an amateur photographer and artist, and last but not least, writer.

2. How did your blog “The Call” get started?

Willow: I originally entitled it "Many are Called but Few are Chosen", though we never really used it. I did two fanfics from the "Star Wars the Clone War's" and "The Codebearer's Series", but never really got into it. Then I joined a story blog called "The Story Club" where I wrote most of my story "Once a Pirate, Always a Pirate", a fanfic of Pirates of the Caribbean. I realized how much I loved writing, and reworked "The Call" into what it is now, to put my book "Friends and Enemies" on, and D wanted to get into the action finally. She'd wanted to originally, but didn't want to be a part of the blog until she had something to put on it, which turned out to be "The Watchmen Files", and we eventually added our friends Ammelia Gabriella and Billie Catherine.

Darrion: See above.

3. Aside from your fantasy stories, have you always liked writing fanfiction?
Darrion: Yes, in fact that's where our fascination with writing started with. We sort of inserted ourselves into the stories we loved (Star Wars and every other TV show or movie we watched) and always intended to write the stories we invented down. And that's how we started: our little imaginary ventures in written form. I think one of the best things about fanfiction is that you can make it what you want to. Actors interpret their characters in their actions and delivery of lines, but writers can do whatever they want. They can be all of the characters, they can make them act however they choose. And I love that.

Willow: What she said!

4. How do your tastes differ from each other in regards to your writing? Willow, I know you have “Friends and Enemies,” which is a wonderful fantasy story, and Darrion, you have “The Watchmen Files,” which is just a fantastic build-off of the Marvel Comic universe.
Willow: I really love fantasy, and the modern world, but I do think that I like writing fantasy more than D does.

Darrion: I think Willow's writing style is more conversational, and I like more description. I also really try to cram as much emotion into my characters as possible, and I love character development (even if it does mean someone has to suffer, which Willow does not prefer). I wouldn't say that either of us could choose one genre over the other, but I am really looking forward to making a fantasy tale, and Willow is also excited about a more modern story.

5. You are both such wonderful writers. Do you think it’s something you’d like to pursue as a career, if you could? Why or why not?
Willow: I would love to do that as a career, but there are other things I plan to that that writing would get in the way of. I still plan of writing for fun, more and more books will make their way onto our blog, but I doubt I'll actually turn it into a career.

Darrion: I would like to make it an on-the-side sort of thing, since I don't think I could live off of my writing. But I plan to keep at it as life moves on, and who knows where that will take me!

6. What do you guys like to do in your free time?
Willow: Surf pinterest, grabbing pins for books/future reference {hehehe} and search eBay.uk for Clara Oswald cosplay stuff, and designing book covers :) Just a few things!

Darrion: When I'm not on Pinterest (like Willow, snatching up ideas for stories), I enjoy sketching with pencil, mostly fanart, which I post on my personal/art/other blog, 'Sincerely Darrion'.

7. Yeah, I'm a Pinterest junkie, too. Just out of curiosity, are you both homeschooled or do you go to public school? You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to.
Willow and Darrion: We're both homeschooled.

8. That's what I thought. Takes one to know one, I guess. ;-) Who are your favorite book characters (could be from more than one book)?
Willow: I love Fanny Price in Mansfield Park, Fili and Kili from the Hobbit, Samwise in Lord of the Rings, Aravis in the Horse and His Boy, and Hope and Trista from the Hunter Brown books.

Darrion: Thorin Oakenshield and Bilbo Baggins from the Hobbit, Frerin from the appendix in the Return of the King (not so much what is written about him, since there really is hardly anything there, but what I imagine him to be like), Gimli from Lord of the Rings, and Edmund and Lucy from Narnia.

9. Who are your favorite on-screen characters (could be from more than one show/movie)?
Willow: Elsa in Frozen, Fili and Kili in the Hobbit Trilogy, Samwise, and Eomer in Lord of the Rings, Skye and Jemma in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Captain America and Hawkeye in the Avengers, Edmund in Narnia, and Clara and Donna in Doctor Who.

Darrion: Thorin and nephews (and Balin and Bilbo!) from the Hobbit (especially the Unexpected Journey), Mike Wazowski from Monsters Inc., Flynn from Tangled, Captain Rex and the rest of the 501st from Star Wars the Clone Wars, Anna from Frozen, and Captain America from the First Avenger, and more then I have room to mention here.

10. This might be inappropriate since you both incorporate worlds and themes from Lord of the Rings and S.H.I.E.L.D. into your writing, but… humor me. If you could live in another fictional world, which would it be and why?
Willow: Tough one, but Lord of the Rings. I'd love to live in Rivendell.

Darrion: Ouch, that's difficult... I think I'd want to live in Erebor, before the firestorm.

11. Finally, if you could have a conversation with any writer in history, who would it be?
Willow: I'd talk to J.R.R. Tolkien and ask him questions about the Hobbit, and have him sign our copy!

Darrion: I would do the same... Tolkien, tell me about the heart of every character in the Hobbit!

Thanks for the questions, Grace! You picked really good ones, and it was very nice of you to ask us :)


And I'd like to thank Willow and Darrion for participating in my little interview.  You guys were wonderful guests. :-) Click the link below to visit their awesome blog.
http://www.willow-the-call.blogspot.com/

-Grace

List of Brunette Antagonists and Protagonists

My last couple of posts have been about how people with blonde hair are recently being presented as evil or just mean characters. No longer the symbol of beauty as it was in the time of chivalry and knighthood, blonde characters have recently been pushed to portray evil. This post is a list of brunettes (or black-haired) antagonists and protagonists from books, movies, TV shows, and maybe even a few video games. Enjoy!

Brunette (or Black-Haired) Antagonists:

1. Katherine Pierce (The CW's The Vampire Diaries). Although in the books she was actually flaxen-haired, Elena Gilbert's freaky vampire twin has little in the way of sympathy. And it's hard to like her, really. One conversation and you immediately think, "Ice Queen." It makes me feel bad for Elijah, Klaus, Damon, and Stephan. What were they thinking?
2. Damon Salvatore (The CW's The Vampire Diaries). Relax, TVD fans, he'll be in the "Protagonist" section, too. But in the beginning of the series (and the book) he was painted as the bad guy. I think he even enjoys it sometimes. No doubt he certainly looks the part with his black hair, blue eyes, and devil-may-care swagger.
3. Dean and Sam Winchester (The CW's Supernatural). Let's face it. These guys are their own worst enemies.
4. Morgana Le Fey (BBC's Merlin). Katie McGrath is absolutely gorgeous as the legendary Morgana, illegitimate sister to equally-legendary Arthur Pendragon. Why is it always the half-siblings who never get any love? Oh, yeah. That's right. Because illegitimate children were frowned upon during that time because Christianity and the Catholic Church were both battling for Europe during the Dark Ages.
5. Loki (The Avengers). Personally I prefer the God of Mischief to the God of Thunder, but to each his own. I love the smooth exterior Tom Hiddleston grants to Loki, this kind of con artist with ice beneath his skin.
6. Young Magneto (X-Men: Days of Future Past). Okay, I will be the first to admit that I haven't seen this movie yet, but I know what happens. We forget for a while that the man playing chess in a giant library turns into the same man playing chess in a plastic prison after trying to wipe out New York. We meet Magneto when he is, by our definition, a villain. But when you understand the backstory and work out the story in your mind, that word, "villain," becomes hazy. He may not be on the same side as Professor Xavier, but is he an antagonist? For the sake of argument, let's just say yes. But remember, every villain is a hero in his own mind.
7. Ian Quinn (ABC's Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.). This lucrative business man may have the world fooled with his generous donations to charities, but Coulson and his team know the real man behind the mask.
8. Grant Ward (ABC's Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.). This was the most shocking plot-twist in the entire series. More shocking than Skye's heritage, more baffling than the improvements made on Coulson's car, affectionately named Lola. And after the bomb is dropped, we started seeing how torn Ward really was about his mission and the emotion he felt for his team. For him, the lines between teammate and traitor were never well-distinguished. We are left wondering if he will ever find himself again, or if Hydra has poisoned his mind to the point of seclusion. Who is Agent Grant Ward? A soldier without a cause? An agent without a director? A man without a mind?
9. Clove (The Hunger Games). Some people have mentioned there being a romance between Clove and Cato. The Untold Romance of the Hunger Games or something to that effect. Honestly it's hard to keep track of twenty-four tributes from twelve different factions all trying to kill each other. At the end of the chapter all you remember is this person is the one with the sword, this one has a fox-like face, and that one killed Rue.
10. James Moriarty (BBC's Sherlock). 'Nuff said.

Brunette (or Black-Haired) Protagonists:

1. Katy Swartz (Lux Series). I really like this character because for one thing she's a bookworm and a blogger (two things I've been regretfully slacking on lately) and she can give as good as she gets. That trait seems to be a requirement when you're in a relationship to Daemon Black.
2. Daemon Black (Lux Series). Luxen, older brother, sarcastic by nature but with a capacity for extreme sensitivity. Yep, it's easy to see why readers love Daemon so much, albeit he can be absurdly annoying at times.
3. Dee Black (Lux Series). The only girl in the trio of her family, Dee's vivacious, Alice-Cullen-like personality is lovable and infectious. But I often feel bad for her because everyone treats her like she's going to break in half. A lot of motivations behind some dodgy behavior have been along the lines of, "I did it to protect Dee," or "I couldn't let Dee get involved/hurt," etc. Which, don't get me wrong, is very sweet, but let's face it: no one can protect her forever. Not even her brothers.
4. Dawson Black (Lux Series). The other male in the Black family triangle. He's spent a disturbing amount of time out of the books, and once he returns, the circumstances surrounding why he was absent become even more disconcerting. However, once I read Shadows, the prequel to the first Lux book, it was easy to love Dawson's easy-going manner and his obvious devotion to his sister, Dee.
5. Elena Gilbert (The CW's The Vampire Diaries). We are talking about protagonists here, not just heroes or saving graces. Technically she's still the main character in the show. Anyway, she started out as a good girl and has mostly tried to stay that way, but after everything she's been through, no one can blame her characteristically for occasionally going off the deep end. Still, she is TVD's leading lady and we hold out hope that she and her friends don't give in to temptation.
6. Damon Salvatore (The CW's The Vampire Diaries). As promised, here is the elder Salvatore brother. It's kind of sweet because he does try to be a better person for Elena, and there are times when you really see what all he's had to do to get where he is now, mentally and morally.
7. Diggle (The CW's Arrow). The coolest bodyguard ever and sidekick to Green Arrow, this former war vet is one of the best characters Arrow has to offer.
8. Roy Harper (The CW's Arrow). Man, The CW is dominating these lists. At any rate, Arrow/Oliver Queen has taken in this young gang-banger as his protégé after said gang-banger was injected with a serum that amplified his physical abilities, giving him unnatural strength and agility, but also a mind so focused that he sometimes forgets that annihilation is not the means to an end.
9. Melinda May (ABC's Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.). Let's not forget that Ming-Na Wen also played the speaking voice of Mulan in Disney's 1998 telling of the legendary female warrior who took her father's place in the army. But in this fun series from the Marvel Universe, we get to see Ming-Na as Agent Melinda May do some serious butt-kicking of her own. It's always a delight to watch beloved characters adapt to a different skin, as is the case for both soldiers.
10. Jemma Simmons (ABC's Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.). She may not be Hermione, able to invoke instant paralysis with 0.1 microliters of dendrotoxin, but Simmons is so adorable throwing around words like "aglet," "nanobatteries," and other biochem jargon, that we can't help but love her.
11. Skye (ABC's Marvel's Agent's of S.H.I.E.L.D.). This witty, dusky computer hacker won over both audiences and Coulson's team with her outside-the-box thinking and resourcefulness.
12. Rick Grimes (AMC's The Walking Dead).
13. Glenn Rhee (AMC's The Walking Dead). Okay, so I don't keep up with this series, but Glenn always struck me as pretty cool, so for that he's included in this list.
14. Rogue (X-Men). Rogue is one of my favorite X-Men. Why? I think her ability is really cool, able to basically borrow another mutant's powers temporarily, albeit to their discomfort.
15. Gambit (X-Men). This is my other favorite X-Men character. I love Gambit's devil-may-care attitude, his southern charm, and the fact that he fights with a bow staff. Kind of reminds me of my brother.
16. Logan/Wolverine (X-Men). A man with a most intriguing past, Wolverine has seen a lot of turmoil in his days. Although famously more of an anti-hero (Like Batman), he always has something new to show us, whether it's in sadistic comments, action scenes, or belting out "Bring Him Home" when no one's watching.
17. Bonnie Bennett (The CW's The Vampire Diaries).
18. Richard Castle (ABC's Castle). Ah, who can resist Whedon veteran? Nathan Fillion brings light and life to Richard Castle, a mystery novelist who uses one of New York's best detectives as a muse for his books. It's certainly a delight to watch their colorful banter as Castle and Detective Kate Beckett solve homicides, put bad guys behind bars, and try their best to bring closure to the families.
19. Kate Beckett (ABC's Castle). Smart, intrepid, and relentless, Detective Kate Beckett is the perfect muse for mystery novelist Richard Castle. She is also faithfully one of our favorite characters because of her incredible instincts, her heart, and her ability to hold her own in a predominantly-man's profession.
20. Kevin Ryan (ABC's Castle). The more sensitive of his partner duo, Detective Ryan is no less good at his job whether he and Esposito are at the precinct or out on the streets.
21. Javier Esposito (ABC's Castle). I love that Esposito is a war veteran. It just adds so much depth to his character. Although he can sometimes be a bit macho, he and Ryan make an unstoppable pair as they solve homicides alongside Beckett and Castle.
22. Snow White (ABC's Once Upon A Time). Once Upon A Time remains one of my favorite shows on television! I love how they've taken classic fairytales and their characters and given them a darker twist. Snow White is no exception, and she has proven worthy of the title Princess, Queen, Hero, and Mother throughout this series.
23. Prince Charming/David (ABC's Once Upon A Time). It's wonderful to see someone as faithful and devoted to his family as David, aka Prince Charming. Those qualities seem to pull him through trial after trial, no matter who the foe.
24. Killian Jones/Captain Hook (ABC's Once Upon A Time). I think it's safe to say that Hook is a good guy right now. Though he was certainly a shady character in the beginning (he is a pirate, after all), this nomadic rapscallion has won over audiences everywhere.
25. Regina (ABC's Once Upon A Time). Regina's on-again-off-again status as villain was getting a bit wearisome, but it's nice to see her stick to one side for more than three episodes. And she does make a lovely queen, even when she is ripping people's hearts out. To each his own, I guess.
26. Ruby/Red (ABC's Once Upon A Time). Another one of my favorite characters, just because it's Red Riding Hood! No longer is she the innocent little girl who got lost in the woods on her way to Granny's. Once Upon A Time has given Ruby a solid, memorable character who resounds with watchers and remains a loyal friend to others.
27. The Doctor (BBC's Doctor Who). I am referring to Doctors 9, 10 and 11, Christopher Eccleston, David Tennant and Matt Smith, respectively. I'm not sure about the Doctors before these ones or the ones after them, but they are brown-haired, and they are protagonists.
28. Sherlock Holmes (BBC's Sherlock). This is my other favorite show. I can't get enough of the British humor and I've always been a fan of Sherlock Holmes, whether it was the books, the animated series, or even the Wishbone adaption. (Remember Wishbone, that adorable dog from Oakdale who imagined himself as main characters from famous literature?) I don't think anyone is suited to play England's smartest detective better than the incredible Benedict Cumberbatch, do you?

Well, I hope you enjoyed this little segment. Tell me what you think. Do you agree with some of these? Disagree? Who would you add to these lists?

-Grace

We Want What We Can't Have... Gorram Netflix Queue

I don't know what it is, but I seem to have an unhealthy obsession with television shows that have been canceled. Perhaps I should really explain that more. I spend an embarrassing amount of time on YouTube and find clips from TV shows I've never seen or heard of. My first introduction to cancelled shows several years ago was Joss Whedon's "Firefly." After that I sort of spiraled in this path of thinking, "What else have I missed?" and "Why was this canceled?" Also among those thoughts was "FOX cannot be trusted!" But moving on... I remember I went through a brief "Buffy" phase (this was when I first discovered Hulu.com) and even enjoyed "Legend of the Seeker" before it got polished off, although the last episode I remember of that series was the one with the fever. CREEPY!!! What else has there been? "X-Men: Evolutions" was one although I still have yet to finish that series. I loved "Leverage" while it lasted, though technically that doesn't count as being cancelled since the series reached a pretty natural closing point (for everyone except Eliot, but I suppose we can all dream). Stumbling upon "Being Human" on the BBC was quite a treat. My first awareness of Aidan Turner before he got all Dwarfed-up. Actually, wasn't he a werewolf in "The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones" before he was a Dwarf? Hmm... No, I'm quite sure Ireland native was a Dwarf before he was a werewolf... and a vampire before he was a Dwarf. What were we talking about? Scroll, scroll, scrolling through the conversation, oh, yeah! Canceled TV shows. "Being Human." My most recent obsession has been "Pushing Daisies" starring Lee Pace and Anna Friel. It's actually quite quirky and fun. Lots of comedy, color, romance... it has the feel of a modern fairy tale. If you're more into the zombie scene, then let me summarize the show for you: Ned is a pie maker with the unique ability of bringing something dead back to life for sixty seconds, after which time the person must either be put back to rest via Ned's second touch, or someone in proximity take their place. Thus the universe remains in balance. The Pie Maker and Private Investigator Emerson Cod team up to solve specific homicide cases. Specific meaning those that offer a reward for finding the murder victim's killer. Ned touches the victim, bringing them temporarily back to life, he asks them how they die, touches them again, and the pair split the reward money. All is good and well-to-do until the day Ned brings his childhood sweetheart (Anna Friel) back to life... and keeps her alive. The circumstances surrounding their friendship and the long separation since childhood certainly create for an interesting dynamic, especially since Ned cannot touch his friend, because doing so a second time would kill her permanently. Add to this the blatant stylings of Chi McBride and wonderfully talented Kristin Chenoweth and you've got yourself the vibrant cast of "Pushing Daisies."
...
Well I like the show. I may focus on the BBC's "Robin Hood" next, that looks promising. Of course I could always just read some Wiki synopsis and spoil the entire thing, but that ruins the whole experience of sitting down and watching the show (as if we don't do enough of that). So yeah, "Robin Hood" is probably next. What TV shows do you usually watch? My brother is really into "The Walking Dead," I like "Castle" and "Once Upon a Time," my sister and brother-in-law are "NCIS" diehards. Are you a more "Pretty Little Liars" or "Master Chef" kind of person?

-Grace