Strive, Don't Deprive

(The picture above is the thumbnail for YouTube artist Emily Artful)

Lots of thoughts today.
At first I was going to share about another YouTuber I discovered yesterday whom I'm absolutely loving. I'll get to that in a minute because there was also something more serious that caught my attention yesterday.
I've been clashing with a coworker recently. This person is constantly critical, always find things that are wrong or could have been better, and does not acknowledge when things are done correctly or how well other things are doing. This person cannot be impressed. I know this because another coworker who has worked with them for far longer than I have has tried and now knows better. But this coworker I'm clashing with, their anger is not usually toward one specific person. Usually it is to some other circumstance that is completely out of our control, but my coworker cannot focus her anger, so she ends up lashing out at the people around her. This lashing out because of something she cannot control only amplifies her anger, causing her to have extremely poor relations with everyone around her. Everyone. It increases her critical nature. I'm normally a glass half full kind of person, a realistic optimist, if you will. Naturally her and I haven't gotten along at all over the past several weeks. As I was discussing this person with my mom, who also knows and works with my coworker, my mom kind of laughed and said, "Well, they're Italian."
I stopped in my tracks because that sounded dangerously familiar. They're Italian. To me that is far too close to the phrase boys will be boys. And I decided in that moment to refuse someone's heritage or genetic makeup as an excuse for their poor behavior. Someone is Italian and that automatically means their eccentricities and tempers should be excused?
No. Absolutely not.
I'm not exempt from this categorizing, either. I remember a few months ago while in class I made a remark somewhere along the lines of, "They're Italian, don't they all have tempers?" And I realized immediately after saying it how incredibly douchey that was. The categorizing goes beyond people with bad tempers, as well. Isn't it a stereotype that all Americans are stupid and lazy? According to a study done in recent years (sorry, but I can't remember which one), Americans are one of the hardest working nations in the world. Not all Asians are good at martial arts, math, and piano. Not all Hispanics speak Spanish. Not all Blacks are violent. Not all Christians are anti-LGBTQIA+. Not all atheists hate Christians. We desperately need to get out of this mindset of stereotyping because of a certain heritage, religion, societal class, etc. It's toxic.
I will say that people with conditions that alter their chemical makeup/brain activity (i.e. depression, anxiety) are exempt from this. I don't have a thorough understanding of conditions of the mind, therefore I don't feel comfortable having an opinion on them.
I was overwhelmed with this realization yesterday and retreated to my room to let my brain sort itself out. As usual, I turned to YouTube, as that is normally the place I go when I need to zone out or just be encouraged. (That or Pinterest.) In my browsing, I stumbled upon a channel run by a user named Emily Artful. She tells stories while sketching and doing watercolor, and in addition to her art being totally AWESOME, I loved her storytelling style, the way she was able to manifest her thoughts into a painting. It reminded me of writing and how often the characters or the situations they're facing in some way mimic my own state of mind. One of the things she said that stuck with me is "Strive, Don't Deprive." I love this saying because I think it speaks volumes about how we beat ourselves down so often and deprive ourselves of the nurturing our brain and creativity needs. It's okay to not be the best at something; that is why you practice, you strive for it. You always try to improve because in the world of art and creativity, there is always room for improvement and there is always something to learn. Binge watching her channel inspired me to create. It rekindled a love I've had for art my entire life, and I'm hoping I'll be able to get back into it, because creation is...indescribable. It's organic and pure. It's a high. And I wonder whenever I'm coloring, painting, building, or writing, as I'm building these words and characters, is this how God felt whenever he created us?
I'm diving into a world of dreams and color, a world I have been away from for far too long.

-Grace

Character Description -Once to Love, Once to Hate

Hello! Courtesy of another Pinterest writing prompt (because really, where else am I going to see one), here's the gist for this one: Write a character's description twice, once to hate them, and once to love them.

Giovanna knelt beside the river and drew her sword, placing it upon a large slab of rock that jutted over the water. Her hair, dyed ink-black to disguise the natural red, tumbled over her shoulder. The image of her youngest sister Jubilee flashed in her mind. Standing side by side  now, they would for once look like real sisters. Giovanna shook her head to clear it. Cupping her hand, she poured water of the rock and then carefully, methodically, drew the length of the sword across the stone. The rough surface beneath the blade sent vibrations up the metal, making her fingers tingle in a familiar way. The Captain of the Guard had been the first to place a sword in her hands at the tender age of seven, when her other sisters were playing with dolls or learning embroidery. The Captain had shown her everything about using a sword, and keeping it war-ready, including how to sharpen it on a whetstone. Perhaps the Captain knew the princess would lead armies one day. But neither of them could have presumed she would be leading them against her own family.
Giovanna turned the blade over to tend to the other side. In mere moments her fate had been snatched away from her, ruined by a spoiled brat who never thought about anyone but herself, never considered the consequences of her own actions. Giovanna winced at the memory of the wave from Styx hitting her face, burning her flesh like acid. Her hand moved to her cheek, as if to make sure the repaired skin had not melted away. She would not let her inexperienced, ill-advised little sister be the downfall of the treaty with the god of the Underworld and of the uprising so carefully executed.
Jubilee would not ruin what Giovanna had slaved for. The seventh daughter, perfect little Jubilee, had to die.

The thunder in the sky could not equal the clash of swords in the castle walls. And no storm nor hurricane nor earthquake could match the brute force of brother fighting brother, mortal versus god, soldier versus citizen.
Surrounded on every side, Giovanna drew upon every ounce of strength she had left, knowing it was not enough and yet some force insider her driving her onward. Her gift, her power, the raw element of fire that bent to her will, was gone from her. Without it, even with sword in hand, her hands were cold and shaking. A man near her threw a spear at an opponent's back. Giovanna deflected it, unsure who was her foe or ally anymore. A man without armor crumbled under the shock of Marcus' whip laced around his neck. Without a thought, Giovanna crept up behind Marcus. His defeat was less than a breath. Rain continued to pour, swords continued to clash, and then above it all, the distinctive crack of a different whip severed the air. Giovanna spun around, looking for the familiar figure attached to that whip.
There. By the stables. Lucy stood over someone, her weapon of choice coiled like a snake at her side. Giovanna stumbled toward her and then froze when she saw who Lucy was towering over.
Jubilee.
Her fist tightened around the hilt of the sword, her cold fingers finding strength in the familiar shape in her palm.
Lucy flicked her wrist and her whip curled to life. "You were never meant to live anyway." She raise her arm. The whip came like a lash through the air.
Giovanna threw her shoulder into Lucy's back and caught the whip's tail around her sword. Jubilee rolled to the side and grabbed a pitchfork that had fallen over. Brandishing the pitchfork, Jubilee turned first to Giovanna, then to Lucy, who had quickly found her footing again. Jubilee's soft blue eyes burned with indecision.
"Traitor!" Lucy seethed. She tried to yank her whip away, but Giovanna turned her shoulder into the movement and disarmed the woman.
"I know who I'm fighting for now," said Giovanna, with a quick glance toward Jubilee.

Imaginary Friend

I decided to take a hint from one of the many writing prompts I saw on Pinterest. Enjoy!

We met at the hospital, Davey and me. While waiting for the doctor to give him his shots, I stood holding his hand, feeling as if I'd known him forever. I remember the name he'd given me ringing clear as a bell in my head. Daisydee. That was the day we became best friends, because I promised him I'd never leave him with the scary doctor with the shots, and afterward he promised me that if ever I found myself stuck in a swamp, he would come and save me.
One of our favorite things to play was Famous Explorer, where we would venture out into the great unknown of our backyard, hunting leopards and narrowly avoiding barbed wire traps and pools of lava. Everyday was an adventure for us. And then came the year Davey went to middle school.
At first I would walk with him to the front doors, because Mom said friends like me weren't allowed inside. But I promised to play with him during recess if no one else wanted to. In the meantime I played on the monkey bars, wanting to get some practice so I could show Davey my cool moves. But when the bell rang, Davey clamored down the concrete steps, surrounded by a few boys and girls who immediately went for the monkey bars. None of them could see me, and even Davey didn't notice me standing there for a while.
The weekends turned into an extra special time for us, but as it got colder and school kept stealing him away most mornings, it got harder and harder to keep Davey's attention.
One afternoon when Davey was thirteen, he couldn't see me at all. No amount of jumping, shouting, or pulling did any good... and I realized then that he might be forgetting about me.
Davey turned fifteen. He entered high school. The teachers were brutal, especially the chemistry one, but Davey did remember me for an English essay. Even though we didn't speak anymore, I was thrilled to have been able to help even that much.
It's strange to be a part of someone's life even when they don't know it. I've become less of a figure in his sight and more of the little things in his day that seem to make him happy. Like when the window is open and the breeze wafts in. Or when the fan on his computer stays nice and quiet even though Kerbal Space Program usually pushes it to the limit.
A lot happens between when you first meet your imaginary friend... and when you know longer need them. Today is Davey's wedding day. In a few hours, there'll probably be too much in his mind to hold me too. But she's a nice girl and she makes him really happy. And you know what? Having watched over them for a while, I know he's marrying his best friend, his poker buddy, his encourager, the love of his life. And that's better than anything I could have given him.
So maybe I'll just fade away like a nice happy dream. Or maybe I get to keep watching over them, like a guardian angel.
Yeah, I like the sound of that.

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

"Colony Zero -Author's Cut -Mark Venturini"

Hey guys!
Helping Hands Press just released a new edition of Colony Zero: it contains all of the stories written by Mark Venturini. Essentially, the character Lieutenant Chris Ransom's story from start to finish. Mark is a fantastic writer with an incredible grasp of the sci-fi genre. I'll put links to his other books as well.
So if you've been keeping up with the Colony Zero series, you're a fan of Mark, or you're looking for some awesome new reads, check this out.
Colony Zero -Author's Cut -Mark Venturini  http://shop.myhelpinghandspress.com/Colony-Zero-The-Authors-Cut-Mark-Venturini-97855623.htm#.VjKL5AVJ47M.hootsuite
Medieval Mars: The Anthology (Terraformed Interplanetary Book 1)  http://www.amazon.com/Medieval-Mars-Anthology-Terraformed-Interplanetary-ebook/dp/B011HIOR7K/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1446307780&sr=8-2&keywords=mark+venturini
Whispers From Forbidden Earth  http://www.amazon.com/Whispers-Forbidden-Earth-Mark-Venturini/dp/1622084799/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1446307780&sr=8-4&keywords=mark+venturini
Whispers From Forbidden Earth -Blood Tithe -Book One -The Chosen  http://www.amazon.com/Whispers-Forbidden-Earth-Blood-Chosen-ebook/dp/B00W8HCI1W/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1446307780&sr=8-6&keywords=mark+venturini  (PS: This one is actually the sequel to Whispers From Forbidden Earth, so read the first one before you read this one.)
Darker Passages http://www.amazon.com/Darker-Passages-Mark-Venturini-ebook/dp/B00IU112Y4/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&qid=1446307780&sr=8-10&keywords=mark+venturini

Also find Mark on these sites:
His blog, Journey Through the Place Between Places  http://markventurinijourney.blogspot.com/
Pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/markkventurini/
Twitter @Mark_Venturini  https://twitter.com/Mark_Venturini  

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

The Lewis and Tolkien Library

Jason ran a hand along the shelf, touching each book binding fondly. He liked this world, this... Del Terra. And though Lord Ivan and Lady Larissa were not especially welcoming, Isha had shown him the beauty of her world, the one which to him literally been one page-turn away.
But now it was time to go home. Jason had seen to the end of Isha's story, or at least her family's story. The kingdom out of harm's way, the elves pacified, the insurrectionists imprisoned, and the villagers working together the best they could to mend their broken and tattered city.
"I thought you'd be here."
Jason turned, unsurprised to see Isha in the doorway. For a moment he thought she looked sick, but then realized she did not give off the golden hue he'd become so accustomed to. Isha, gentle, glittering Isha, could bend light to her will and quite unconsciously her body was usually surrounded by a halo that glowed against her cocoa-colored skin.
She swayed in, seeming to float across the floor. "Are you leaving?" she whispered.
Jason nodded.
"Back to your world?"
"I'm not allowed to stay. It could disrupt the... continuum," he offered, though that last part didn't sound right. He really couldn't stay in this world, not even to continue the story. Jason sighed. His hand itched to grasp hers, but at the last moment drew it up to his chest, as if wanting to rip the words from his chest and lay them bare before her. "If I don't go back," he said, "I'll never be able to know what's supposed to happen. I can't come back until I know that, or just my presence could alter everything."
"Will you return?" Isha asked suddenly. "After you... oh, how did you say it? When you know what happens? Will you come back then?"
Before he could stop himself, he said, "I can try."
Isha's lips spread into a breathtaking smile. She looked like she wanted to embrace him, but such were not the customs in Del Terra. To Jason this world was medieval in many forms, with bits of Greek mythology thrown in to keep it interesting. Whoever had written it into existence obviously had a thing for griffins, dragons, that three-headed dog that guarded the Underworld, and really... big... castles.
"I hope you can find me in the next..." Isha hesitated.
"Story," Jason finished for her. For someone living in a medieval world with its medieval thought-process, she took the news of being a fictional character surprisingly well.
"Well then... how do you go back?"
"Somewhere in this room is a door for me. Your book, er, uh, this place's book, it should be open on the other side. That's how I get out. The book will literally open a door for me, and I'll just... disappear."
Jason.
The voice came from everywhere, like wisps of smoke billowing from the shelves.
It's time.
"It's time," he said aloud. He took a step but Isha grabbed his arm. He tried to smile, to reassure her if he could. "Don't worry. I'll be back soon. I promise." Quickly he swooped in and kissed her forehead, then turned to where a doorless entryway had materialized upon the stone walls. Jason followed it's path, somehow lit although he wondered if Isha had anything to do with that.
His hands grazed either wall and he marveled at the texture. They were rough this time, unsanded like the materials that made up the castle. Much like when he'd first arrived, this tunnel changed with every new book. He'd walked through doors of wood and steel and water and dust, but this one... this stone... yes, he was sure he would return to this hall again.
The end of the tunnel appeared just as if it had been there the whole time. He could see the room on the other side. His grandparent's library, where all his books had eventually lead him again.
But then something happened. The doorway began to melt away, becoming smaller, though it wasn't warped like with wax. It was severe, like a burnt page. And then he smelled it. Something was burning. Jason hurried toward the other room, and then he saw it. The book, the one he was in, just outside the doorway. It was on fire. And as the pages were burning away, so was the doorway. So was the story.
The story was being destroyed.

(PS: The picture is called 7b by 25kartinok on DeviantArt http://25kartinok.deviantart.com/art/7b-426570544 )

Journal Entry #7

I'll bet you thought I wasn't going to post this week. Hah! Negatory. I said I would post two to three times a week, and it is still within the week.
I appreciate Sandy and Mark for commenting on my posts. Thank you guys! I love reading people's comments.
This post is actually a reminder to myself to post something else later today. I saw a picture on Pinterest yesterday that I absolutely loved, so I think I'm gonna post it and then write a little paragraph about what I think is happening in the story. This post holds me to it. Also, I'm reading a book called Medieval Mars: The Anthology, a sci-fi/fantasy e-book which I will post a review about as soon as I finish. It was co-written by Mark Venturini and Travis Perry, both of whom I collaborated with on Colony Zero. Since then, though, Mark has been publishing the sequel to his mid-grade novel Whispers from Forbidden Earth, called Blood Tithe. I've read the first few chapters and of course it's phenomenal. I would expect nothing less. Travis, as I understand it, put together the idea for Medieval Mars and then asked a bunch of other authors to contribute. They were each given the basic idea of the planet and culture and then wrote their own stories taking place on different parts of the planet. Cool, huh? Once I finish the book, I think I'm gonna ask some of the authors for interviews. If they say yes, I will probably post one of those weekly.
So that's what's happening today. Lunch, work, home, Pinterest Picture Story, Medieval Mars, bed.

While I'm gone, you should check out these other authors, also contributors to the Medieval Mars project:

• Adam David Collings
• Jill Domschot
• Kat Heckenbach
• Cindy Koepp
• Donna Gielow McFarland
• Allison Rohan
• Kristen Stieffel

-Grace

Journal Entry #1

So last night I was lying in bed thinking about what I wanted to write. Normally that's not how it goes -I think about my stories all day, pine for the time to write, browse Pinterest or YouTube for a few hours, think about how much writing I should have gotten in, read my Bible, and then fall asleep.
But last night I had that wonderful spark of tenacity urging me to write something. But I needed help. A prompt. Thankfully I had kept my textbook from my Creative Writing course last year, and it's filled with some of the most beautiful writing prompts. As I scanned it, I noticed the first prompt was about keeping a journal. The objective was to write in it three to five times a week, whatever was in my head at the time. Lists, poems, list poems, excerpts, questions, lyrics, etc. The journal collects and culminates over the semester, ending in  a grade and a hearty "Great job!" I have no real set end date at this time, so we'll just role with it. Anyway, last night I was about to write my first new journal entry when I realized... isn't that what the blog is for?
All this to say, yeah, I going to start using my blog for my journal entries. Hopefully it will spur me to finish some of the other tags on this blog I've meant to finish, like the Darker Human Nature. I had a great one lined up and then just lost my momentum. Oh well. Guess I'll get to that tomorrow or Friday.
So here it is, my "first" journal entry until... I finish a book.
Wish me luck!
This could take a while.

-Grace

Backlash for Stephenie Meyer

 

 



Let me just take this moment to apologize. Yes, this is going to be one of those kind of posts. The kind where I voice my opinion on a controversial topic. I know I'm going to get some hate for this, but it's something I've been thinking about. Don't worry. Next time I'll be back to my procrastinating, story-posting, YouTubing, Pinteresting self.

The topic of the Twilight Saga arose in a discussion with my brother the other day. He is ardently against anything casting Twilight in a positive light. He wondered what the appeal to the books was. I said it was probably the prospect of eternal youth. He smirked and said eternal teenage angst was more likely. It's hard to carry on an argument with my brother because he is usually -and I say this with the utmost respect and delicacy- so convinced in his argument that it is almost impossible to make him see something in a different light. It didn't occur to him that he was at one point an angsty teenager as well. But his response made me ponder the many postings I've seen that have placed Twilight in a category of cheesy books with underwhelming, unrealistic characters.
It's true, Meyer is no Tolkien.
But guess what? She wrote four books. Four whole books. And a novella. All for a single series. That's more books than most people have written. Every writer, novice or seasoned, knows that writing itself is hard. Sitting yourself down and putting pen to paper or curser to screen and then staying there is one of the hardest things a writer must do. But Stephenie Meyer, like all the blessed authors we know and love, did this.
But just because someone wrote a book doesn't mean every element in that book is going to be pristine. I suppose that's one thing my brother and I can agree on in regards to the subject. Yes, now that I look on Twilight now, I can see flaws that I didn't notice before. But the same could be said about The Hunger Games, The Mortal Instruments, or Pretty Little Liars. I also see more backlash for Twilight than I do for Fifty Shades of Grey, which seems pretty messed up.
Stephenie Meyer found the will to sit down and write a bunch of books carrying on a universe that she enjoyed living in. She fleshed out characters, introduced us to new places, put a spin on mythology, and taught us some three-dollar vocabulary. You know James Patterson only writes a rough draft of his books? The co-author whose name is in the smaller-embossed font did most of the leg-work. Ever wonder why no one ever asks him for writing advice?
Stephenie Meyer did the work. She reaped some benefits. And some people don't like what she wrote. Get over it.

-Grace

"Stones of Peace"

(Sandrivishtai by http://dashinvaine.deviantart.com)

Her best friend lay on the warm stone ground, her blood seeping between the cracks. They had both been Guardians, keepers of the Stones of Peace. Now she was dead, her stone passed on. Tasha gazed at her through bleary eyes.... People had said they looked like sisters.

The brush of wind against her cheek, cold on this spring night, carried the scent of mint and pine. In a moment Jadeyn appeared from around the corner, out of breath, his white hair and leather cloak streaked with fresh mud. His eyes widened when he saw Reyna splayed upon the ground. Kneeling on her other side, his hand came to rest over Reyna’s forehead while the other pressed against her wound.

Tasha watched him numbly, knowing he felt no breath rise under his hand. Jadeyn looked up at her, but Tasha could only feel the hum of Reyna’s Stone in her hand.

Jadeyn closed his eyes and whispered something over Reyna’s body. A prayer, Tasha suspected. He opened his eyes again. “We must leave,” he said, helping Tasha to her feet.

She slipped the Stone into her bag. “I’m sorry,” she said, as if Reyna could still hear her. They knew they could not carry her body all the way back home; the weight would slow them down too much.

“Come on, Tash.” He pulled her by the arm and she fell into step behind him. But they had only just reached the end of the street when a Tarot Warrior stepped into the lamplight.

In one hand he held a serrated sabre that glistened like ink in the garish light. In the other he held Reyna’s robe. The robe each Guardian wore like a uniform, the one which symbolized brotherhood, unity, and honor. A Guardian stripped of their robe was stripped of their dignity.

Tasha could see the rips in the robe. The Tarot Warrior had torn it from Reyna’s body.

The Tarot Warrior made a face like a grin, but with features distorted by piercings and spikes, the expression looked perverted.

Before the warrior had time to blink Tasha pulled her whip-chain from her belt, still holding tightly to her bag with Reyna’s Stone. Jadeyn’s sai daggers were already drawn, as if some force had bonded them to his hands.

The Tarot Warrior let the robe fall to the ground.

Tasha attacked.

Her whip lashed out like a tongue of golden lightning, the snap ringing through the air. She gave her wrist an angry flick, setting the whip off again. Snap! Snap! Snap! With every lash she moved forward a step, but the Tarot Warrior did not. Tasha snapped her whip again and it curled around the warrior’s neck. But then the Tarot Warrior wrapped an arm around the whip and yanked it with a ferocity that brought Tasha on her hands and knees.

“Tash!” Jadeyn’s voice sounded far away.

Tasha gasped at having the wind knocked out of her. She tried to swallow, but her stomach would not contract. Distantly she felt her whip slip from her fingers and the Tarot Warrior stood over her, his distorted face blocking the light of the moon. His serrated sabre pressed against her cheek.

Something barreled into him and suddenly all Tasha saw was the starry sky. Managing to turn, she saw Jadeyn and the warrior fighting a short distance away. His sai clashed against the serrated sabre, but Jadeyn was a hair faster.

Tasha then felt the ground rumble. Finally catching her breath, she turned herself onto her hands and knees and saw, not far away, the horde of Tarot Warriors massing on the city. Tasha pushed herself to her feet. Jadeyn was forcing the Tarot Warrior into an alley, but Tasha pulled him back.

“They’re coming!” she shouted, pointing to the army.

Jadeyn growled and spat at the Tarot Warrior before following Tasha. They gathered the contents of Tasha’s bag, which had scattered when she’d fallen. Jadeyn yanked her to her feet again just as she swiped the last vial from the cobblestone. Running without pause, the Guardians fled to the chapel where lie in wait the remnants of their dying race.

(Well, I hope you enjoyed that, dark as it was. I decided to challenge myself today by using a picture as a writing prompt. This one stood out to me. It's not part of another story I'm writing [found it on Pinterest]. It just sort of... happened. Anyway, I hope you liked it.)

Interview with Lisa Godfrees

Hello everyone! Well, until I get more questions out, here is the last author interview with Lisa Godfrees, coauthor of No Revelation is Too Big and Colony Zero. Enjoy!

(Author Lisa Godfrees)

Q: What is your favorite thing to write about?
A: God. My favorite posts are the ones where I can share His truth. My favorite stories have a good measure of allegory/metaphor. Whether overt or not, I find everything ultimately comes back to Him.

Q: What kinds of things did you read when you were younger? Have they influenced the way you write?
A: The first thing I remember reading on my own were horse stories. You know, a girl and her horse overcome X. But it was when I found fantasy novels that my reading really took off. I remember Lloyd Alexander Prydian series (Black Cauldron, Book of Three, etc.) Piers Anthony's Xanth and Apprentice Adept series, Anne McCaffery and Pern, Narnia, Tolkien, and my first and most loved book, The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley. I've probably read it at least 20 times and am overdue for a reread.
So far, most of what I have written has been sci-fi. It's easy for me to write because of my scientific background. Genetics practically drip off me. (LOL) However, I'd like to do a series of fantasy adaptions of Bible stories. I love fairy tale retellings (Robin McKinley, again) and thought, why not try to respin Bible stories for today's youth?

Q: Huh. That's actually a pretty interesting idea. Esther: A New Tale. Delilah, the Dragon-Lady. Everyone's writing process is different. How do you prepare to write a novel/short story/etc.?
A: Generally, I have a rough outline of where I think the story will go and then I write to fill in the blanks. It's in the process of writing where ideas present themselves. I'll write myself into a corner and brainstorm my way out of it. Usually, my brain works on autopilot and an idea will shoot out to me when it's finished -like when I'm drifting off to sleep or when I'm in the shower.

Q: Hah! Been there. There's the first thread of sleep... and there's a plot twist that could possibly make this the best story EVAH! A lot of people had different ways of getting into character or getting into the story. For me, because I write fantasy, I just love thinking about the world my story takes place in, the little quirks, the religious groups from different corners of that world. Travis Perry really enjoys the scientific aspect of it all, so he works out the very technical details that ultimately make his world flourish. What about you? Is there a certain aspect of a world/character/story that you really have to mull over before you start writing?
A: With fantasy, you have to know the rules of your world. Who lives there? What is the society like? What do people value? What do they need? I really enjoy studying other cultures (I have a BA in Anthropology), so I tend to create a culture and work from that framework.

Q: If you had to rewrite one of your stories, how would you do it?
A: I'm actually about to do just that. When I finish the project I'm working on now, I'm going to go back to my first manuscript and rewrite the second half. I've learned so much through my year of writing short stories and now it's time to put that practice into use. More characters, more conflict, more STORY. :-)

Q: What are you working on now?
A: I co-wrote a futuristic sci-fi book with Mike Lynch. It was his premise; he just invited me along for the ride. Working with another write (or six like we did on Colony Zero) is a challenge, but I've learned so much doing it. It forces you to sit down and write. Anyway, we're hoping to finish the edits on our book this month and then it's off to publishers. Yay. :-)

Q: With the demands of being a write and managing real life, how well do you manage social media? I know I'm terrible at it. I'll have spurts of energy that go straight to social media, and they'll last for, like, a week, and then the next week I completely lax off the marketing, retweeting, etc. Do you find any of that difficult?
A: Social media is a nebulous thing. I enjoy blogging and Facebook because they seem like a natural way to connect with people. I try to stick to a schedule for writing posts and I've mostly been successful. I use Pinterest as a place to store ideas, books I've read, and articles on writing. I've been playing around with Twitter for about a year. I find it hard to connect to people there -it's too much like trying to drink from a fire hydrant. If anyone has Twitter tips, I'd love to hear them (hint, hint).

Q: Do you still make time to read?
A: Absolutely! I can't go to sleep without reading something. I read every spare moment I can find. I read more than 80 books in 2014. :-)

Q: What is your caffeinated beverage of choice?
A: Pibb Zero. No, really, there is such a thing.

Q: Finally, where can we find you on social media?
A: My blog: http://lisagodfrees.com
Facebook: http://facebook.com/LisaGodfrees
Twitter: http://twitter.com/LisaGodfrees
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/lisagodfrees/
Goodreads: http://goodreads.com/LisaGodfrees
Group Blog: http://thescriblerians.wordpress.com

Thank you so much for talking with me, Lisa. It was great.

-Grace

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

Sticky, Time-Consuming Failure

Here's what I learned today: when making caramel sauce from scratch, don't try and substitute sweetened condensed milk for evaporated milk and 1 1/2 cups of white sugar. It's so not the same!
I woke up a few days ago thinking about caramel apples, especially since yesterday morning was so nippy. Well, today I decided I would give it a shot. But they would not be just any caramel apples. Oh, no. They would be rolled in deliciousness! I'm talking mini M&Ms, a rocky road blend of miniature chocolate chips, crushed graham crackers and marshmallows, and of course a few with chopped nuts. So I started looking up recipes and ideas for my endeavor. I had never made caramel apples before, so I didn't know if you had to get a special kind of caramel or if you could use the sundae kind or what. But I found this one website where a woman made her own caramel out of some very basic holiday baking ingredients, one of them being sweetened condensed milk. Along with white corn syrup, 1/4 cup of butter and a pinch of salt, that was your caramel sauce right there. So I measure out the corn syrup and dump it into my saucepan. But when I went downstairs to find the sweetened condensed milk that I was so sure we had, what did I find but evaporated milk! Evaporated milk! It was even in a can! Well for some reason I was crazy enough to add the evaporated milk to the corn syrup, hoping for the same result if I just heated it a little longer. (When it's in a can, you can hear the evaporated milk slosh around, whereas condensed milk is thick and goopy and doesn't slosh.) But after about a minute of stirring I began thinking, "What's the difference between evaporated and condensed milk anyway?" Google! A quick search had me thoroughly convinced I had ruined the recipe. But when I was seconds away from tossing the whole batch, I wondered if there was a substitute for sweetened condensed milk. Back to Google. As it turns out, you actually can use a 12 oz can of evaporated milk if you boil it with 1 1/2 cups of white sugar and then let it cool before using it. Now, I had already added the evaporated milk to the corn syrup, and I really didn't want to scrap all that ingredients. So I thought, what harm could it do? In went the sugar and I stirred in faithfully for thirty minutes straight. It had gotten the nice caramel color, but it wasn't thick and it still looked kind of grainy from the sugar. Maybe it will change once I add the butter and vanilla, I thought. In went the butter and vanilla. Stir, stir, stir. Taste. To my surprise it tasted great. Success! Rereading the directions, however, I ran across the line... "Stir corn syrup and sweetened condensed milk in a heavy saucepan, stirring constantly... Remove from heat and let cool five minutes... Add butter and vanilla..." Whoops! It was supposed to cool before I added the butter. Oh well. I'll just let it cool a little longer. This is like one of those bad sitcoms where the main character says something offhand and it always leads to disaster, like, "What could possibly go wrong?" So I prepped the apples and the things I was going to roll them in: mini M&Ms, Heath and Toffee chips (since I wasn't ambitious enough to create the rocky road crumble stuff), and chopped almonds. After allowing the caramel to cool a few minutes more, I brought it over and placed it at the front of my caramel apple assembly line. I decided to try out the almonds first. To me, if one of the dips were to fail, this would have been the most likely. I dipped my apple in the caramel and then rolled it in the almonds. Almost immediately the nuts began sliding off, and by the time I got them to the buttered parchment paper, they had all settled to the bottom of the apple in an unattractive clump. Well, they're nuts, and pretty chunky, was my thought. Maybe it's just too heavy for the caramel. It actually made sense since the caramel was going on pretty thin, despite my best efforts. I continued with the M&Ms and the Heath chips, and while those were a little more promising, before long they too began sliding off. My apples are now in the refrigerator where they will remain for the next hour and a half, at which time I will see how my toppings have fared. For anyone who has successfully made caramel apples and even tried to do what I did (dredging them in toppings), I salute you. I'll just stick to my cookies and brownies, thank you very much.

-Grace

By the way, this was the expectation...  

This was the reality... 

Imagine clumps of candy all mangles at the bottom, and that's what I ended up with. Oh well. I guess I'll eat 'em. My mom will probably put on a good face and say they still taste good. God love that woman.

Celebrity Look-Alikes: Kimberley Nixon VS Ariel Winter

This is what I do at night between dinner and shlumping up to bed. I go on YouTube or Pinterest and find whatever it is I've been thinking about that day, and occasionally I will come across a face of someone who looks like someone else. A look-alike. My last post was also about celebrity look-alikes (Benedict Cumberbatch and Colin Morgan) and last night I came across another pair that I felt like sharing. I wonder if this is going to become a thing now. Me posting celebrity look-alikes. Sounds kind of creepy if you think about it.... Anyway, our contestants for today are...

Kimberley Nixon


And...

Ariel Winter




Last night I found a list of actors who consistently die in their movies. Catchy, right? Totally alluring. Among the list of actors was Sean Bean. He dies in so many movies he ought to be called the Jet Li of Scotland, minus the martial arts as far as I'm aware, and of course with ginger hair. Anyway, the reel they showed in the video was of a movie called Black Death. Miss Kimberely Nixon starred in it alongside Mr. Bean and Eddie Redmayne. When her picture came up I literally did a double-take. Can you see why?

-Grace

From My Prayers to God's Ears All the Way to Trestle

I would like to take this moment to give a big round of applause to our Great God, who has finally answered my prayers! If you've been reading my blog posts, you know how much I want to be a published author. If you haven't... I really want to be a published author. Well, three days ago, two of my writer friends recommended me to Trestle Press, and that evening when I checked my e-mail, the man who works for both of them had sent me an e-mail inquiring about me and my writing and asked for my story via Word document. I was so thrilled I almost screamed! (Probably would have if it hadn't been for my brother trying to catch some Zs.) So I wrote him back, telling him a bit about my stories as well as attaching my first completed one to the e-mail. I'm guessing he read it because the next morning -quite early, I might add- he wrote me again, and from there we just exchanged e-mails throughout the day. Giovanni (of Trestle) was extremely helpful and very patient with me. He answered all my questions and was upfront with me about what their company requires of their writers. Basically I have to maintain and grow various social media accounts, like Twitter, Pinterest, Goodreads.... The contract (yeah, that's right, I said contract!) was thorough and fair, and personally, I think Giovanni definitely knows what he's talking about. Thank God! No, seriously. Give God thanks. He works wonders and I know He'll give me the strength and wisdom -and sanity- to be a writer. For He never gives us things we can't handle.
Look for more posts from me. It is required, after all. :-)

-Grace

PS: Follow me on Twitter @graceyee_123 and comment or... I don't know, whatever it is you do on Twitter.