30 Day Writing Challenge: Fave Three Actors

Okay, here's one I'm more comfortable with. Three actors I admire. Well, probably in my top three would be Richard Armitage, and no, not because he was Thorin Oakenshield. I've seen some of his other stuff too and I honestly think he's a very good actor. He seems like a good guy.

Next is Mary Kate Wiles. She's a young actress who I saw on the YouTube series The Lizzie Bennet Diaries, which is a modern take on Pride and Prejudice. Mary Kate played Lydia Bennet, and the way the character was written, the trials she has to go through, and the way she is portrayed really turned my head. I've watched a few of Miss Wiles's vlog posts and I like how down-to-earth she is, very open and very in-depth when addressing questions to her. She's talked about her struggles with Celiac Disease and how it has effected her, and she seems like someone you would like to get to know, have as a friend, watching your back.

And to round off the trio would have to be Jared Padalecki. The first time I saw him was on Gilmore Girls (I know, throwback) but then I saw him on the show Supernatural. Now, although I'm not a dedicated follower of the show (I've only seen a few episodes, out of order) I have come to admire both Jared and his co-star Jensen Ackles. Both guys are devoted actors and an absolute riot together. They truly have a brotherly bond, but what stands out to me about Jared is the way he overcomes his personal struggles. It is no secret to anyone in the Supernatural fanbase that Mr. Padalecki suffers from depression. This is not something you just get over, and it's not just extreme sadness. Depression gets into the heart of you, almost to your roots, and it has been the cause of many people choosing to take their own life rather than try and fight it. Sometimes it can stem from wanting to please everyone all the time and just feeling inadequate, having the world press down on you so you have this impossible weight on your shoulders. I have known people who battle depression. That's what it can become. A battle. But Jared, with support from his family, his co-stars, his followers and fans, fights his depression everyday, appearing to see the best in a day and being able to genuinely smile and be a good dad and a great actor.
If you haven't heard of these actors, I hope you'll give their work a gander, because I think it's worth looking at.

-Grace

Darker Human Nature: Red Riding Hood

Have you ever wondered if iconic characters of books and television had a hidden side to them? What if Princess Aurora was a rebel? If she were depicted in modern times, would she be that bad girl who always went against her parent (or legal guardians, in Aurora's case)? What if Daisy Duck had a secret online shopping addiction? Was Ursula once a mermaid? Bits of a person's character that have only been touched on or never explored. In short, the darker human nature. My friend Mark Venturini loves to explore the darker side of human nature with his characters. For more on that, see my last post where we had a very interesting discussion about The Hobbit. But Mark inspired me to take a look at a few characters and explore their darker side -or hidden side, depending on which character we're looking at.

(Little Red Riding Hood by Isabel Oakley Naftel, 1862)

(Meghan Ory as Ruby/Red in ABC's Once Upon a Time www.pixgood.com )

(Little Red Riding Hood by Evanira http://evanira.deviantart.com )

I want to start with someone a lot of people are fairly familiar with: Little Red Riding Hood. In the tale by Wilhelm and Jacob Grimm, Red is depicted as a young girl, quite innocent, venturing into the mysterious forest to do a good deed: bring goodies for sick, old Granny. She ends up being swallowed whole by the wolf, but then saved by the Huntsman before she can be digested.... Charming. (The version by Charles Perrault, which came before Grimm's, is similar, except the Huntsman slays the wolf before he can eat the grandmother and Little Red.) In another version, while the wolf is threatening Red and her grandmother, Red pulls a gun from somewhere and handles the villain Old Western style. ABC's Once Upon a Time (which I'm terribly behind in) depicts Red as... wait, too much of a spoiler. But in Scarlet, a book by Melissa Meyer, the main character who is a depiction of Red Riding Hood is a streetwise farmer who is trying to find her missing grandmere. So you have lots of different perspectives on this one character, although a few details stay the same, like the red theme, the wolf, and the grandmother.
It's interesting that in each of the tales, Red has to go on some kind of journey. It's also interesting how from the Grimm's version to now, there is a perceptible decrease in Red as being purely innocent. It's as if the tale by Charles Perrault and the Brothers Grimm were the very start of Red's adventures, when she was a child, and as the story has evolved, the character has grown up and matured, becoming bolder and less predictable.
I like to think characters learn from their mistakes, even if they are make-believe. What did Red learn from all her experiences? Is the wolf merely metaphorical? Is the grandmother supposed to be the goal we are always trying to achieve, and the wolf the obstacles we must overcome? And what of Red's nature as a person? How did she change? Did she become more pessimistic or worrisome? Did the experiences make her braver? Did she crave danger? I think she would have made a good cop or PI. I don't know why, but for some reason those two just stick out to me.
Hopefully in a couple of days I'll have another character for you. Which would you prefer: heroes, villains, or secondary characters? Let me know in the comments. :-)

-Grace

Blog Interview with Author Mark Venturini

Here is my interview with author Mark Venturini!

(Mark Venturini, author of Whispers from Forbidden Earth)

Q: Let's start with something off the wall. Who's your favorite dwarf in The Company and why?
A: Part of my answer will surprise you, since my genre of choice is Sci-Fi and Fantasy. I hate the Hobbit movies. I guess my favorite dwarf is Thorin Oakenshield. He's driven and a strong leader. There's also a darker nature lying below the surface that I appreciate since my writing tends to lean toward the darker side of human nature. So, back to the Hobbit movies. As a teenager, I devoured all the books, from The Simarillion to the Return of the King. I consider the LOTR movies to be cinematic masterpieces in every way: character development, plot, stunning imagery, all worthy of Tolkien's epic tale. The Hobbit movies feel more like a bloated, large-scale video game. any scenes are unforgivably cheesy. I will plop down money and watch Battle of the Five Armies when it is released, but you won't find the DVDs on my shelf at home.

Q: If you could have a chat with anyone from history, who would it be?
A: There are so many.

• Jules Verne
• Thomas Edison
• C.S. Lewis
• The Apostle Paul
• Albert Einstein
• King Solomon
• Abraham Lincoln

Q: I love the world you've created for Whispers, especially how Eversong is tied to music in almost every way. Can you tell me about where you got the inspiration for all that?
A: It started with the "Creation Song" in the very first novel I wrote many years ago. Crossway books considered publishing it, but eventually passed. The story was a fantasy retelling of the creation story from Genesis, where God sang the universe into existence. I incorporated some elements from that novel into Whispers and just added to it. From there, Eversong was born. I enjoyed playing with the musical theme. Some readers caught it.

Q: Can we expect a sequel to Whispers? If so, tell us about it.
A: There is a sequel. The working title is Blood Tithe. The portal that opened between Earth and Eversong in the first novel also freed faeries from the Winter Court (the Unseelie) and Summer Court (the Seelie) to run amok on Earth and cause major troubles for Jason Snider. I'm really excited about how two parallel plot lines between Jason on Earth and the elf Strum and Magus Sinngh on Eversong unfold.

Q: I know you're working on a project called Medieval Mars with author Travis Perry. What can you tell me about that project?
A: The concept is interesting. The world of Medieval Mars takes place in some future time after humans colonized Mars. Over time, though, technology and scientific knowledge was lost and society degraded to a feudal system reminiscent of the Middle Ages. What little technology that survived is referred to as coming from the "Time of Magic." The stories primarily take place in the area from Olympus Mons eastward to the Chryse Planitia that is now a shallow sea in our world. I really enjoyed exploring the region and the society that lives there within the stories.

Q: Let's talk briefly about the writer's group Pittsburgh East Scribes. We have both been involved since the very beginning. Can you believe it's grown as much as it has? And all the writers have gone in so many different directions.
A: I am humbled by the success of Scribes. I started the group with one goal in mind: to provide information, resources, and encouragement to help aspiring authors pursue their dream of seeing their work published. We've assembled a great group of writers that I think covers most genres. The energy and passion and commitment I feel at every meeting is so encouraging to me. Every time I suggest a summer or holiday break, I'm shot down. Everyone wants to meet. I can't tell you how that makes me feel.

Q: I feel like I know you too well that I can't think up any good questions. So let me see here... I know you love kayaking and basically the great outdoors. You told me not long ago that you saw a bear! If you could go and do anything in the world and you had no restrictions, what would it be?
A: After my rafting trip through the Grand Canyon a couple of years ago, I have 3 items left on my bucket list.

• Hike to Everest base camp. I don't want to climb Mt. Everest, but I think the 16 day hike through the Himalaya Mountains in Nepal to base camp where the expeditions are launched would be spectacular! (I have a feeling I would not be doing this with my wife, Kathy.)
• A cruise to Antarctica.
• Explore Alaska by rail and hopefully do some kayaking during the trip.

Q: Do you still make time to read?
A: With a full time job and many obligations, finding time to do everything I want to do is really a challenge. The only way to fit in everything is to give up on sleep. That isn't going to happen. Thank God for my kindle and kindle app on my smart phone. I have a 45 minute commute to work on a rideshare van. That's when I do the majority of my reading as well as my critiquing.

Q: What kind of traditions do you and your family keep around the holidays? In other words, how much does your Italian show?
A: For Thanksgiving, we're traditional with the turkey and stuffing. For Christmas, though, we keep the tradition of the "Feast of the Seven Fishes" on Christmas Eve. Menu items vary from family to family. We've added a few items to our menu over the last couple of years.

• Linguine with a red anchovy sauce
• Orange Roughy in tomato sauce
• Calamari
• Baccala (salt cod)
• Whiting (fish)
• Scallops
• Smelts (fish)
• Shrimp
• Bagna cauda (warm anchovy dip)

Add to this all the Italian cookies! Christmas Eve is always a special time for my family.

Q: And on a fun note, what do you think about Twitter? Do you like it or would you rather keep what you had for lunch today to yourself?
A: I've always been uncomfortable with the marketing and social media end of the writing business. I'm basically a private person. But Twitter and Facebook and blogging and Goodreads (I could go on) are all necessary evils. So, I tweet and do all the other social media stuff that's expected. Am I as active as I should be? See my response to question 8 about making time to read. :-)

Thanks for the interview, Mark!
Check out Mark's blog to stay updated about his stories: www.markventurinijourney.blogspot.com
Also find Mark on Twitter (@Mark_Venturini), Pinterest (http://www.pinterest.com/markkventurini/ ), and Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7173590.Mark_Venturini?from_search=true ). Mark is also a contributing author to the Colony Zero series, up on Amazon now! Links to his chapters are below.
Colony Zero -Volume 1 -Contact http://www.amazon.com/Colony-Zero-Contact-Travis-Perry-ebook/dp/B00IC86952/ref=asap_B00G14LU1W?ie=UTF8 
Colony Zero -Volume 3 -In the Midst of Sorrow http://www.amazon.com/Colony-Zero-Volume-Midst-Sorrow-ebook/dp/B00JFZJXLI/ref=pd_sim_kstore_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=1GYBGEXEYZ9WF4YC4JVQ 
Colony Zero Series II -Volume 2 -For the Children http://www.amazon.com/Colony-Zero-Series-II-Children-ebook/dp/B00OGOXBFM/ref=pd_sim_kstore_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=1SGBER1JZ36S7WD0X2Z7

-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 Blonde Antagonists and Protagonists

Hello again! In my last post, I talked a little bit about how blonde characters these days are portrayed in a negative light, while brunettes seem to have stolen the hero spotlight. I've compiled a short list of blonde antagonists and protagonists from recent movies, TV shows, and books. Yes, books. The things we read are just as influential to our society as the things we see. Some of the TV shows may have been cancelled just because of when I started making the list. Just to be clear, I personally have no bone to pick with blondes. This is just a pattern I noticed a while ago and wanted to expound on it a little more.

Blonde Antagonists:

1. Taylor (The CW's Star-Crossed). Though as I understand it she became involved with one of the other less-evil characters on the show, she was first portrayed as a mean girl, and therefore fits my criteria.
2. Ash (Lux series). Again, Ash falls into the category of mean girl. While she may be loyal to her species and to Daemon Black, she does not try to hide her disdain for those she and her brothers consider inferior, such as Katy Swartz. Her attitude probably also stems from jealousy, as Ash and Daemon have been on-again-off-again for years, expected to end up together eventually until a girl known as Katy Swartz enters the scene and changes the playing field for everyone.
3. Nancy (Lux series). Unlike the other two characters, no one really feels bad for Nancy. Whatever mishaps occur to her, it always feels like she deserves them.
4. Thranduil (The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug). In this respect I am referring to the movie since I haven't read the book yet. Trust me, it's on my To-Do list. I wrote a character one time in one of my first creative writing stories that reminds me a lot of Thranduil. Funny enough, he, too, was an elf king. Thranduil's anger is understandable, though, as he has been greatly insulted by Thorin and his family on more than one occasion. Since elves have such lengthy life-spans, he cannot possibly be impressed upon to forgive and forget the bruises of the past. To him, it may not seem so long ago. It could feel like a minute or a blink.
5. Rebekah Mikaelson (The CW's The Vampire Diaries). Some of you may not agree with me on this one, but please note that I said The Vampire Diaries and did not include The Originals. In the former, Original Vampire Rebekah Mikaelson does rub you the wrong way most of the time. Her motives are difficult to divulge until you start keeping up with the show's spin-off, The Originals, where you realize just how much Rebekah sacrifices for the sake of her family. Don't worry, she'll be in the "Protagonist" section, too.
6. Mikael (The CW's The Originals). You could probably argue that Sebastian Roche is a ginger or even a light browner, but for right now he's blond. And he's pretty much the worst of the Original vamps no matter which way you look at it.
7. Dalia Royce (ABC's Suburgatory). Another mean girl. I'm beginning to think my exposure to any sort of television (YouTube clips or otherwise) needs expanding.
8. Cato (The Hunger Games). Call him cocky, cruel, a tortured soul or a pawn. He could have been bald and he still would have been messed up.
9. Glimmer (The Hunger Games).
10. The Seeker (The Host). Another movie reference since in the book by Stephenie Meyer she had black hair. The black hair in the book certainly lent to showing the character's darker, hidden turmoil and overall unpleasantness, but as Diane Kruger is flaxen-haired, she makes the list for blonde foes.
11. Malekith (Thor: The Dark World). I'm not even sure if I should include this one since he's practically albino, but here he is, the disappointing, shrivel-under-my-stare villain who was weak in terms of feeling dangerous during the movie. Sorry, Marvel, but there you go.
12. Pan (ABC's Once Upon A Time). How many times did I want to punch that smug half-smile right off this guy's face? He made an excellent villain and it is easy to see where his son got his street-wisdom from.
13. Cercei Lannister (HBO's Game of Thrones). I almost wrote The Hunger Games in the parenthesis again. Maybe because Cercei's unrelenting lust to come out on top would have gotten her through Suzanne Collins' dystopian gladiator scenario.
14. Most other Lannisters (HBO's Game of Thrones). Tyrion aside, and all right, I'll give Jaime some leeway. Otherwise, you really shouldn't depend on a Lannister to watch your back unless you want a sword stuck through it.

All right, moving on.

Blonde Protagonists:

1. Felicity Smoak (The CW's Arrow). Yeah, everybody loves Felicity. She's that person you would want on speed-dial, firstly because she can always make you smile, and secondly because no matter what scrape you find yourself in, this witty IT girl can probably get you out of it. If not... well, she does work with Green Arrow.
2. Rebekah Mikaelson (The CW's The Originals). As I said in slot number five in the above list, you don't get to really, truly liking Rebekah's character until you watch The Originals. Then she becomes someone you can route for... most of the time.
3. Caroline Forbes (The CW's The Vampire Diaries). Arguable since Caroline and all of her friends have done things to earn them spots on the naughty board. But she is constantly trying to keep people on the straight and narrow, despite falling or jumping off the path a few times herself.
4. Fili (The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey). What's not to love about Fili. He holds a tremendous weight with being Thorin's eldest nephew and heir. But even while he looks at Thorin as a father figure, he will not abandon his brother. Not for anything.
5. Thor (Thor). Going just by the movies as reference points, it's amazing to see how much Thor has matured since the first film, all the way to Thor: The Dark World. I wonder what kind of ruler he would make after all of his experience. Would he be the sit and delegate type or would he itch for battlefields like New York and New Mexico?
6. Steve Rogers aka "Captain America" (Captain America: The First Avenger). 'Nuff said.
7. Penelope Garcia (CBS' Criminal Minds). Queen of the computer world, FBI analyst, and hacker extraordinaire, it's easy to love Garcia for her peppy outlook, unflinching dedication, and outlandish greetings.
8. Emma Swan (Once Upon A Time). The Savior to Storybrooke. Biological mother to Henry II, who happens to be the truest believer. Descendent of Snow White and Prince Charming. Step-granddaughter to Regina (commonly known as the Evil Queen). Quasi-daughter-in-law to Rumpelstiltskin. And so, so much more.
9. Robin Hood (Once Upon A Time). The legendary archer knows a thing or two about loss, and he will protect his young son against anyone who dares lay a hand on him. 
10. Brienne of Tarth (Game of Thrones). From what I've seen, Brienne is a valuable ally not just for her physical strength and skill, but for her loyalty and discernment.
11. Leo Fitz (Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.). Fitz is probably my favorite character on the show, and I sincerely hope he doesn't die in the next season or have some kind of life-altering brain damage that will cause him to rage against his team or change his lovable personality.
12. Peeta Mallark (The Hunger Games). Aside from almost strangling Katniss after having his memories altered to make her look like the antichrist, Peeta's an all-around good guy. You do feel bad for him, though, because I think he did have to kill someone in the first Hunger Games, and although his perspective is never explored, you know he was changed by it every bit as much as Katniss was.
13. Rudy Steiner (The Book Thief). He will always be the boy with hair the color of lemons.
14. Liesel Meminger (The Book Thief). The girl who Death met three times.

"The Call" -A Cool new Blog

As preluded above, I've discovered another wonderful blog that I've added to my list of blogs to share. This one is called "The Call" and it is kept up by sisters/writers Willow Silver and Darrion Marine, and Ammelia Gabriella and Billie Catherine. There they post chapters of the books they are working on and devote pages to the characters introduced, among other things. Definitely take some time to peruse their site. It's intriguing to say the least.

http://willow-the-call.blogspot.com


-Grace

PS: You may have noticed the slight difference in font size. I did this because I've been noticing that it was even hard for me to read the "Normal" lettering on my homepage, and I wondered if it was hard for anyone else. Honestly, though, if I couldn't read the font size on a blog, I probably wouldn't visit it again. Hence the change. Hope it's a bit easier for people.