Obsidian

I have a confession: I've done that thing, that thing any true book lover has done at least once and is always craving to do again. Reading into the wee small hours of the morning, and then not being able to fall asleep right away because you're body is like a live wire from the thrill of the last page. I love it! Recently reviewed by Coffeeshopreader (to catch up on her amazing blog, click here : http://coffeeshopreader.wordpress.com/ ) was the fourth installment of the Lux series, "Origin." I don't want to give any spoilers and I don't think I could do the description justice, so I'll just put the book jacket here.

Starting over sucks.When we moved to West Virginia right before my senior year, I’d pretty much resigned myself to thick accents, dodgy internet access, and a whole lot of boring.... until I spotted my hot neighbor, with his looming height and eerie green eyes. Things were looking up.

And then he opened his mouth.

Daemon is infuriating. Arrogant. Stab-worthy. We do not get along. At all. But when a stranger attacks me and Daemon literally freezes time with a wave of his hand, well, something…unexpected happens.

The hot alien living next door marks me.

You heard me. Alien. Turns out Daemon and his sister have a galaxy of enemies wanting to steal their abilities, and Daemon’s touch has me lit up like the Vegas Strip. The only way I'm getting out of this alive is by sticking close to Daemon until my alien mojo fades.

If I don't kill him first, that is.


Are you interested yet? You should be. I certainly was. 400 pages and I devoured it in two days! And yes, I'm quite proud of myself, thank you. If you like fast-paced, adventure, paranormal romance, and the always-entertaining snarky remarks, you will really enjoy this book.
Hope everyone has a lovely week. :-)

-Grace

Ursula's Tale (Part 1)

No copyright or infringement intended. This is a work of fan fiction. I do not own any of these characters, though I dare say they might own me. Please enjoy! Also, this is the "Rough Draft," also known as the "Terrible Draft," and in later terms will probably be referred to as the "Hide From Sight So As Not To Shame Myself Draft."

                Ursula churned the sandpit with a tentacle, watching in morbid fascination as it curled and bubbled like a swamp. She imagined living creatures in the concoction, reaching up and gurgling, choking on the mush. The thought was oddly entertaining, like observing a first-time bass and swordfish encounter.

                A loud crack echoed through the Black Castle, and Ursula looked up from the sandpit, eyes narrowing. CRACK, Crack, crack, it went, off the walls, the ceiling, even the black waters trembled a whisper.

Suddenly Ursula’s tentacle sloshed out of the pit, spattering her with sand as it slapped the ground. Ursula hissed and would have kicked the tentacle if it would have done any good.

CRACK, Crack, crack. Ursula’s indigo eyes scanned the darkness that was not dark to her. A shadow stretched across the wall of another room visible through a gaping hole connecting the corridors. Ursula froze. His shadow? She wondered. Just his shadow? The thought made her blood run cold.

                Voices, like string, wove in and out of the darkness, and more shadows crowded the wall, looming closer. “Don’t be frightened,” said one. His voice was deep and gentle, reassuring. “Here, step on the rocks like this. That’s it. Come on, follow the leader.” The figures belonging to the voices emerged, but they did not see her. Glaring, Ursula crept silently up the wall behind her, into a corner so dark that even the white of her hair would be camouflaged. She watched from on high as several boys explored the cave, peeking behind rocks and pretending to overthrow a certain hook-handed pirate. She noticed they avoided disturbing the water, as if doing so would awaken a dreadful sea monster. A smile slid across her lips at the coincidence; she continued to watch them closely. The tallest one seemed the most curious, or perhaps determined was the right word. No nook or cranny remained unexplored by him, no corner escaped investigation. If Ursula didn’t know any better, she would have sworn he was looking for something. And not just with the mild excitement of a child thrown into a treasure cove, but something particular drove this boy, a fire inside him.

                “Avast, ye scurvy dog!” a small boy shouted at another, both of them holding sticks as if they were swords.

                “En guard,” the other challenged.

                “Take that! Arrg! Bae, watch out!”

                One of the boys stumbled into the tall one, and he went sprawling into the black pools of the haunted castle.

                “Bae!” Another tike with curl orange hair stood just under Ursula, crouching by the pool, hand extended in service.

                “Thanks,” said the boy called Bae, but as he reached up to take the other lad’s hand, he caught sight of Ursula plastered to the corner like a bat. His face paled along with the others’ as they, too, realized the company they kept.

                Slowly, eerily, Ursula scaled down the wall with just her tentacles, surveying the boys with a cold stare as effective as any weapon. Finally her eyes rested on Bae, and lingered there. She was impressed by his blunt courage, for he matched her stare every bit as brazenly as if she were a child and he the overbearing guardian.

                “Greetings,” said she with a twist of a smile. Ursula moved farther into the light, her movements slow and slithering. “Come now, it’s rude to stare.”

                All at once they dropped their gazes, all but Bae. With practiced speed Ursula curled one tentacle across his shoulders and drew him nearer. If he thought his feeble boy-strength was anything in comparison to her lean muscle, he was quickly put to right. “I don’t suppose you’re here for the view,” she said softly.

                He glared defiantly. “Not in my life.” And suddenly he plunged a knife into her abdomen.

                Ursula gasped and her tentacles flexed automatically. She collapsed onto the cold stone floor, sharp breaths seizing her. Vaguely she heard those boys escaping, their shouts muddling into one great noise reminiscent of an echo: loud at first but fading fast.

 

 

-Grace

Not the Blogging Paragraphs

So, for those of you keeping up with my posts, I know I hinted at blogging paragraphs, just as something fun. Well... this isn't it. HOWEVER... a wonderful writer and dear friend of mine, Karen Malena, has just had her latest collection of stories published into a paperback novel! I'm so proud of her. Please, take the time to read her stuff. It's absolutely wonderful. You can purchase the paperback through Amazon, or, if you just want to dip your toes in, see if it's your thing, you can purchase each story individually through Amazon and Barnes and Noble Nook for $0.99. Her series is entitled "My Mother's Kitchen" with the volume numbers and subtitles respectively. As I said, these stories are definitely worth the read. I encourage you read at least the first two. I promise you'll be in for a treat.

Here is the Amazon link for the paperback: http://www.amazon.com/My-Mothers-Kitchen-Karen-Malena/dp/1622084098/ref=pd_rhf_dp_p_imgnr_2
The Amazon link for the complete series for Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/My-Mothers-Kitchen-Complete-ebook/dp/B00DLFPOZM/ref=sr_1_4?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1376663332&sr=1-4&keywords=karen+malena
And the Barnes and Noble link for Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/my-mothers-kitchen-the-complete-series-karen-malena/1115812801?ean=2940016712536

Happy reading!


-Grace

New Gadget: Google Translate

Hello, hello, hello. How are things out in the 'verse? Just an update, I've added Google Translate to my blog, so now you can see my grammatical errors in hundreds of languages instead of just one. :-) By the by, yes, I do know that these last few posts have been pitifully short, but for the record, I find it difficult to write when you don't have anything to say. From this point, I'm just praying the Lord gives me the words to speak.
Have a good night.

-Grace

PS: Oh! And just to be on the lookout... my next post may or may not be the beginnings of a new story. Suspense!

Living With Freckles and Words

Here's another blog worth checking out.

http://www.livingwithfrecklesandwords.blogspot.com/

Here there are lots of topics for discussion, food for thought, and stimulating pictures from your favorite movie characters and more. Enjoy!

-Grace

CoffeeShopReader

Hello all.

I just discovered this blog last week, and already I'm hooked! Coffeeshopreader has some great insights into topics and stories discussed in various posts. From book reviews to discussions on characters and time, this is a great place to hear from an avid reader (and writer!). Check it out:

http://coffeeshopreader.wordpress.com/

She's also on Twitter and Facebook.

-Grace

Blogging Paragraphs

I'm having a thought here. I'm wondering if I should post stories on my blog directly. Not big stories, obviously, but maybe a paragraph or two. What do you like to read? What plotlines intrigue you? For me, I have a soft spot for the medieval period. Something about castles and knights and regal princesses speak to me. It's a wonder I prefer classics to modern literature, though admittedly I do enjoy Emily the Strange.
Anyway, I just wanted to get some opinions. Blogging stories occasionally: Yes, no, maybe so?

-Grace