My Blog is Five Years Old! (feat. the BIGGEST GIVEAWAY I have ever hosted!!)

I have been writing on this blog for FIVE YEARS now. Like WHAAAAAAAAT????!!?! Where did THAT time go? I couldn't pass up this special milestone without making a special post just for this moment. <3 So here I am.

 

My blog has taken me through some of the happiest and saddest moments in my life. I went through my tumultuous middle-teen years on it, and have been blessed beyond measure with an incredible community of followers. Seriously, y'all are the BEST. <3 <3 <3
I have written and published my first book, my first novel, and my first poetry collection during those five years, not to mention several short stories and songs.
I have met some amazing friends on here, and been introduced to some pretty fabulous authors, cover designers, editors, and writing mentors on here that I would never have met in person.
I know this post is bound to sound sentimental and mushy, but I really don't think I would be the author I am today without every single one of you amazing people. <3 You all mean the world to me, and I look forward to spending another five years (and more!) getting to know you better and hopefully meeting more and more of you face-to-face. (Trust me, I'm already planning a trip across the United States! :P)

In honor of this, I'm letting you fill out THIS FORM with as many questions as you want, (writing related, book related, person related, curiosity related, ANYTHING) which I will then write on pieces of paper and answer in my monthly wrap-up post at the end of this month. I'll only be accepting questions through the next couple weeks though, so hurry and submit as many as you can! ;) The only thing I ask is that you refrain from asking math problems. That's all I ask. Please. For the sake of my sanity. XD 

Another amazing thing happened a couple months ago...it marked the one year anniversary of the publication and release of my baby, my very first novel I've ever written! :D That's right, The Princess and I is OFFICIALLY a year old, as of March 5th of this year! In that time, I have sold hundreds of copies to friends and family, seen my book placed in libraries and bookstores, and even hosted my first book-signing!
I'm overwhelmed by the incredible support I've been shown by you, my online community, and my friends and family here in Washington. You have all made this last year incredible. <3

Because of these two HUUUUGE milestones, I'm going to be hosting the BIGGEST giveaway I have EVER hosted. Guys, I'm going to be giving out a total of TEN books. Five copies of "The Princess and I", three copies of "Sleeping Handsome", and one copy of "The Silver Flower" and "Alice and Alyssa".
AND THAT'S NOT ALL. I'm also giving away four scripture bracelets (for if a guy wins), and a pair of silver earrings (if a girl wins) as a grand prize to the person who gets first place. That means a grand total of TEN people are walking away from this post with a prize...
And, good news for my lovely Canadian followers, I will be sending you guys an Amazon gift card if you win (due to my pocketbook not wanting to send books across the border) so you can still enter and buy my book with your card. ;) You're welcome. ;) The only downer on that is that it won't be signed...but I promise that when I become a rich and famous author I will fly to your house in my private helicopter and sign it for you in person. :P

Before I give you the giveaway link, I have one more amazing thing to share with you:
I've been low-key working on the sequel to my novel The Princess and I, called, The King's Cousin. The main character is Susan, Megan's cousin, and the hope right now is to finish the first draft by the end of the year. I already have a lovely cover to share with you all thanks to the amazing Jessica Greyson. ;)

Yes, I know. SO LOVELY. What's even better? I came to deliver a snippet to you all. :) Can't get much better than that, right? :P Enjoy. :)

My cousin was getting married. The letter that had brought me the news lay open upon my dress, its words still fresh in my memory. I pondered them now, as I sat by the edge of the cliff, letting the salty wind I loved so much blow the wisps of hair away from my line of vision. My eyes focused on the horizon where sea met sky, but my mind was much farther away than that. 

            I welcomed news of any kind. As a small girl, I had longed to go on adventures like heroes from the songs of bards. My heart ached with an indescribable longing to go somewhere, to discover something, to experience something no one in my acquaintance had before me. However, as a daughter and only child, my options were limited. My parents needed me at home. 

            With an almost inaudible sigh, I stood up, dusting the pieces of grass and rock from my skirts before turning around. The invitation to my cousin’s wedding had been addressed to my parents as well; it was time they read it for themselves. Perhaps hearing the good news would bring them some joy and lighten the depressing mood that seemed to have hung over our heads for the past few weeks. 

            Placing my fingers to my lips, I uttered a shrill whistle that would have made my mother’s delicate ears shrivel in horror. A joyful bark answered my call and a brown ball of excitement bolted toward me through the long grass. As he jumped around me, trying in vain to lick my face, I stroked his soft fur and laughed; his happiness was contagious. Named Beowulf after the famed hero of old, the hound held a very special place in my heart. He was my almost constant companion, though at times distracted by the many scents which led him on scattered trails throughout the tall, waving grass. 

            With an added skip to my step, I walked back down the beaten path which would lead me to my home. My smile was damped only a small amount when the dismal castle came into sight. The mossy and vine-covered stonework seemed to shout to everyone who passed our home that the money we used to have was lacking. All lords’ castles are much smaller and more simple compared to our king’s castle, but our castle and the surrounding countryside used to dwarf the other lord’s estates. Alas, due to difficult circumstances, my father had to sell much of our land and let go of many of the household servants. Despite the sunshine, it was always dark and dank inside our home, which did little to help my mother’s many aches and pains. However, this place was home. And though it was no longer a place of power and prestige, I loved it. 

            Giving a quiet grunt, I pulled open the door, which required all my strength. The wooden boards creaked in ancient protest, but gave way to my heaving with an eventual sigh. The air inside was a far cry from the fresh breezes lifting off the ocean, but with one experimental sniff, my grin returned and I followed my nose to the kitchen. 

            “Must be dinner time,” came the dry remark in thick Scottish brogue as soon as my feet crossed the cook’s threshold. 

            I came over to where my oldest friend was bent over by the fireplace. “Ah, you know my ways only too well, Dubbs.”

            The Scottish woman gave an expressive sniff. “That’s Mrs. MacDubbs to you, lass.” Her words were harsh, but as she said them, she shoved a plate of freshly baked biscuits in my direction and pointed to the cupboard with her knife. “You’ll find butter and jam over there.” 

            I hugged her around her plumping waist and prepared my biscuit with haste. The heavenly morsel was exactly what I needed after the long hike to the cliffs and back. My eyes rolled back and I gave an ecstatic sigh of contentment. “I swear, Dubbs, your biscuits can work miracles on an empty stomach.”

            “Most food does,” was the curt reply. However, I could tell that I had pleased the woman by the twitch of her mouth and the lightening of her steps as she busied herself around the kitchen. 

            “When is your little one expected?” I asked, eyeing her expanding stomach with interest. “You’ll let me help with the birthing this time, won’t you?” 

            The woman paused for a moment, and laid a hand on her bump. For a moment, a ghost of a smile danced across her work-worn face. Almost immediately it vanished and she turned her back to me before replying, “She’s bound to want to come at the most inconvenient time, which means she’s probably going to arrive right at the beginning of harvest.”

            “Will you let me assist with your birthing this time?” I repeated when it looked like she wasn’t going to answer. 

            Without pausing in her preparation for our dinner, she answered, “Births aren’t a pretty sight, lass.”

            “I know,” I answered, “but I feel like I should have the experience before I start having a family of my own.”

            Mrs. MacDubbs looked thoughtful. “Maybe so, lass…but you’ll have to gain your mother and father’s consent. It’s not my place to order you around.”

            Having her mention my parents, I suddenly remembered my original reason for returning to the castle. “Oh!” I exclaimed, dusting the biscuit crumbs off my hands and standing up abruptly. 

            The cook regarded me with a raised eyebrow. “What was that for?”

            “I received a letter this morning from Megan and Malcolm, and it contains some important information that Mum and Father need to hear about as soon as possible!” All the information came out in a rush as I tried to explain while dashing from the room and across front hall. I lifted up my long skirts in order to make short work of our flight of stairs into the upper level where my parents spent the majority of their time.

Well, friends...what do you think? I've been enjoying creating a few new characters and heavily shipping some old ones. B-) I can't wait to share more about my book with you all when it starts coming together more, but this is all I can do for now since...you know, spoilers. :P

Now...for the last item of business. THE GIVEAWAY. *waves invitingly at link*

THIS IS THE LINK YOU HAVE BEEN LOOKING FOR!!!!!!

So what are you waiting for? Go enter the giveaway already! :) Looking forward to finding out who wins!!! :D The best of luck to you all. ;)

Until next time, let everything you do be done for the glory of God!

Excuses, Updates, and a Pretty Big Announcement

GUYS I HAVE NOT DIED. Left you hanging two months ago with no further word from me for all this time, yes...died, no. Life in general forced me to put my blogging on the back burner for a couple months, much as I disliked doing so. However, I'll hopefully be posting on here more regularly after this surprise hiatus. Did y'all miss me? ;) (Only answer if you did. Otherwise just ignore that question and let me enjoy my innocence.)

Want to know WHY I've been strangely absent the last couple months? By all means, read on. :)



~ Life ~

Basically, the craziness all started the two weeks before Easter. I place full blame of my hectic life during the last two months at that holiday's feet. What with cantata practice, church decorating (and un-decorating), Easter itself, and that holiday being shortly followed by our church's mission's conference, our family was kept on our toes. Throw in some babysitting, housecleaning, college, and housesitting and you might get a little picture of my life during that time.

We had a brief week of rest (where, coincidentally, ALL my writing for Camp NaNo took place...in other words, I did not get to my writing goal for that month) before Margaret and I headed out to Georgia to visit our older sister Sarah and her husband Jesse. For those of you who follow me on Instagram, you probably got pictures and updates at least during that time. For those of you who didn't, here's a brief run-down of the week we spent there:

Day One: ALL THE TRAVELLING (added Colorado and Georgia to my very short list of states I've gone to in my lifetime)

Day Two: Visited some outlet stores and bought some clothes that were more suited to the hotter, more humid weather, and caught up on sleep (that blessed thing we were very short on for most of our trip). Also, went to a jazz concert put on for free by a local college.

Day Three: We went to a cool park that had all sorts of animals in cages along the path like cougars, bald eagles, gophers, and my personal favorite, the lake with turtles in it. We also went to the biggest Western store in the South (sounds contradictory when I say it like that) and had a hilarious time trying on all sorts of hats and boots. The day finished with my first visit to Sarah and Jesse's church where I got to meet the pastor and his lovely wife.

Day Four: We drove to a fair and stood in line to get into the biggest book sale I have ever gone to. I bought a grand total of 27 books for only $34.25! Needless to say, this was probably my favorite day of our stay there. We also toured a historic house and I tried fried pickles for the first time. (They were weird, but not necessarily bad tasting??) That night we went to another free college concert, this one a flute choir, which was super cool to watch.

Day Five: We hiked stone mountain, and walked half-way around it to see the engraving of the three most famous confederate figures (Lee, Jackson, and Davis) in the mountain's side. We walked a total of 6.3 miles that day...and promptly wasted all our efforts by eating dinner at Chick-fil-a (my first time though...so TOTALLY WORTH IT). Fun story, I almost lost my phone there, which gave me a minor heart-attack...but we recovered it after I figured out it was missing half-an-hour down the highway and drove back to the restaurant to collect it.

Day Six: We went to Zoo Atlanta. Highlights of that trip: coming within two feet of a very hungry looking lion and tiger, and seeing live pandas for the first time EVER. After the zoo, we walked around Atlanta for a little bit and bought raspberry geranium popsicles at a snooty "organic" store. They taste better than they sound, believe me.

Day Seven: We went to Sarah and Jesse's church again and got to see what church feels like for normal people. (a.k.a NOT pastor's kids) It was weird. Interesting, but weird. The people there were really sweet and made us feel very welcome, and the pastor was even preaching from the same book Dad does on Sunday morning!

That afternoon while Jesse barbecued some ribs for a very tasty Sunday dinner, us girls cooled off in the pool, pretending we actually knew how to swim. It was very entertaining. :P

Day Eight: For the last day we had to spend together, we drove to some more outlet stores and enjoyed just looking around at the fancy clothes and accessories. We got some coffee at the local Barnes & Noble bookstore and chilled (as much as we could in the heat of the day). That evening when Jesse came home from work we walked around a college campus that had beautiful grounds and enjoyed dodging bugs and talking.

Day Nine: We flew home. Georgia was lovely for the time we got to spend with Sarah and Jesse, as well as the many new experiences I had...but I was awfully glad to get home. I love my state. I love my friends and family I have here. And I wouldn't trade this life for anything else you might offer me. :)

After getting home, I've spent the rest of the time getting back on Washington time, unpacking and handing out souvenirs, and catching up on everything I had to catch up on.

  



~ Writing ~

The last couple months, as I have just finished explaining, have not been the best for getting any writing done. However, I did do some writing, and I have hopes of getting more done as time goes on. For Camp NaNo, I got a grand total of 5,045 words written. All of that in one week of April between our mission's conference and our trip to Georgia. *face palm*

I started a new book (I know, I know, groan with me) called "The Assassin's Child" and I hope to have it end around 30k words long.

Good news, I got over the writing block that was keeping me from continuing writing in "A New Name" and I'm hoping to have at least another 20k written in it by the end of this month. Wish me luck!

With the impending release of my poetry collection, I put most of my time into polishing that, which included writing a six-page introduction. More on that project later, I promise. 



~ Social Media ~

I currently have been more active on my Instagram than here, and for that, I apologize. It's just so much easier to post a picture and a couple quick sentences during the midst of a crazy busy day, or like a post while scrolling through a feed rather than read an entire blog post and leave a creative comment at the end.

However, I know how much it means to me when someone takes the time to wade through my posts and leave a comment, so I'm going to try very hard to do better at this. If I have to set aside a scheduled time in my day to read blog posts and comment...SO BE IT.

That said, please don't feel left out if I somehow miss your posts in my feed or run out of time to read yours in particular. I only wish there were enough hours in the day to allow for that to never happen, but I'm afraid it's inevitable. I love all the blogs I follow (which is why I follow them :) and just because I'm unable to comment on yours, that doesn't mean I don't care. Quite the contrary, I assure you. <3

~ Music ~

Living Hope (Phil Wickham)

The Power of a Prayer (Matthew West)

Evermore (Josh Groban)

~ Announcement Section ~

Ok, first thing I'm kind of freaking out excited about is the fact that my first poetry collection EVER is releasing THIS UPCOMING SUNDAY!!!!!!!!! Like, WHAAAAAAAAAAT?? Feel free to freak out with me...it'll make me feel better. (maybe)

Yeah, you read that right: "Thoughts in Verse" is releasing in SIX DAYS. Due to the style I'm publishing it in, my book will only be available on Lulu, so any help you can give in spreading the word would be GREATLY appreciated. In fact, if you're interested in publishing the announcement on Sunday anywhere, just drop a comment below or contact me via email if you're willing to commit to sharing about the publication. If you can and do, I will send you these:

1: a "The Princess and I" bookmark (signed if you want)

2: one of the poems in my collection of your choice (I'll send you the list to pick from)

3: a note with me gushing about how nice of you it was to help a poor author out

Sound interesting? Cool. I'll hear from you soon. ;)

Second thing I need to announce...

Turns out I totally missed the first birthday for "The Princess and I"! Which is very sad, because I wanted to have a huge giveaway to celebrate my baby's first year of being published. So, instead of celebrating on the release date, I'm going to celebrate when my blog turns 5 (in a couple weeks) and we'll host a huge party for the both of them on the same day. Sound good? Think, LOTS of books being given away as well as a bunch of extra goodies, questions about the book being answered and even a sneak peek into "The Princess and I"s sequel "The King's Cousin". The best part? I'm going to allow you guys to ask me ANYTHING you want in the comments, and I will write them all down, put them in a hat, and video myself answering them.

To end a VERY long blog post before you are bored out of your mind, here's the ending period.

Well, almost. ;)

Until next time, let everything you do be done for the glory of God!

2017 Reflections, 2018 Goals (ft. Some Exciting Announcements!)

Yes, I know I'm late. But I knew you guys would all be terribly disappointed if I didn't post this, SO HERE YOU GO, OK? 

2017 is over...man, where do I start? There have been so many ups and downs...so many tragedies and joys... I other words, I have a lot of mixed feelings about 2017. And HOW DID IT GO BY SO FAST!!?!?!? Like, whaaaaaat? Tbh, no other year has gone by this fast. I'm not kidding. SOMETHING made this year go by faster than previous years and whatever it was I want it to STOP. Seriously.
2017 held a lot of challenges for me, but most of them were positive. I'm going to give you some of the things that happened to me during 2017, followed by what I plan/hope to achieve this year because of those things. We'll see if this actually works or not. Bear with me please. ;) 

~ 2017 College Reflections ~

I finished my first year of college during last year. Lots of nail-biting moments, late night stress dreams, exhausted mind and body while cramming for upcoming tests...but I completed that milestone and it felt great. :) 

~ 2018 College Goals ~

I want to be able to finish my second year of college and wrap up my Associates degree with the hope that I can then go on to get a Bachelor's degree in English at some point in the future.

~ 2017 Job Reflections ~

Last year I got my first actual job (cleaning grandparents houses hardly counts as a job after all) as a nanny for one baby girl. When that job fell through, God immediately gave me a follow-up opportunity with another family. Now I watch two little girls, four hours a day, three days a week (sometimes more, sometimes less). 

~ 2018 Job Goals ~

This next year, with my nanny job still going full steam ahead with no end in sight, I'm excited to watch the two girls grow in their education and personality as well as hopefully gain a relationship with Christ. As for me, I will probably become a master Mac and Cheese chef and learn how to come up with even more creative ways to keep their active hands busy in a good way. ;) 

~ 2017 Author Reflections ~

I published my first novel-length book in the spring of 2017. "The Princess and I" has been my greatest creation yet and I was so blessed to see it welcomed by my community of author friends and loved to pieces by family members and church members. My favorite compliment I received from our church's assistant pastor's wife. She said she forgot she was reading a book by me because she was so caught up in the story. 
Though I didn't officially "do" National Novel Writing Month in November, I completed a novella within Thanksgiving break. The outlining, plotting, research and writing...all of it...within a week. It was one of those story ideas that latched on and didn't let go until I had it all out. Not only that, but I sent it off to an editor and had a cover artist make a cover and promotional material for me too. (If you don't know which book I'm talking about, it's "Sleeping Handsome", a retelling of Sleeping Beauty...sort of.) 
To top my writing of last year off, I wrote a total of 42,537 words in "A New Name" and am beginning to realize that this might be one of those books that have 100,000+ words and take up a third of your shelf space. O.o I keep deepening the plot and realizing I'm going to have quite the challenge climbing back out again.

~ 2018 Author Goals~  

I'm hoping to publish my first exclusive e-book edition of "Sleeping Handsome" on Valentine's Day of this year. So far, I haven't heard back from my editor so plans may have to change a bit. But we'll hope for the best in the meantime. 
Also, I'm having to do a chunk of re-writing in "Ocean Mist", but I'm hoping to have it ready for publication by this summer. 
Though "Alice and Alyssa" has been finished for over two years now, I have ye to actually get it published...so that is something I'm hoping to accomplish within this year. The sooner the better.
And finally, as if three books isn't enough, I'm planning on having the first completed draft of "A New Name" written by the end of this year. (Maybe actually PARTICIPATING in NaNoWriMo this year for the first time?) 
Yeah. I'm crazy. I know. Wish me luck! XD 

~ 2017 Reader Reflections ~

I was sadly unable to read 100 books this year (at least I failed to record them if I did). But I did discover several new authors I now love, and had the privilege of beta-reading for a couple dear author friends. Beyond that, I also discovered I'm not a huge fan of college textbooks *cough* and WHY DO I NOT GO TO BARNES & NOBLE MORE OFTEN?? 
However, I was able to finish reading through my Bible in a year, although I started a bit late and finished a bit late. STILL. 
My bookshelf has four shelves stuffed full of books...and I have officially run out of room. At this rate I will have to start laying books on my books that are lined up in height order. Not the prettiest sight, but sometimes extreme measures must be taken. Ignore the fact that I could just stop buying books. (Who does that anyways?) 

~ 2018 Reader Goals ~

Yes, I signed up to try to read 100 books again. *shrugs* Might as well, right? With a pile of books on my dresser as we speak just WAITING to be read, a virtual TBR list that is miles high and teetering dangerously on the brink of toppling over, and more on my shelves that need tender loving care, I've got my work cut out for me...all I need now is time. *laughs* Sounds so easy. NOT.

~ 2017 Blogger Reflections ~

Instead of the record breaking 100 posts I wrote during 2016, I only posted 47 times last year. However, I'm about four posts away from having a 300th blog post, which is pretty mind-boggling. 
I gained over twenty amazing followers this last year, and can I take a moment to say how much I appreciate both you who have been following me from the start and you who have joined recently or sort of recently. Every new face I see pop up brings a smile to my face and brightens my day. You have no idea how much your comments mean to me and how much I love watching you react to my posts. Blogger's don't post for themselves, they post for the enjoyment of others, and we love watching our audience interact within themselves and with us! :) 
It's been incredible to be a part of the teen writer community, and I'm beyond thrilled to call many of you my friends. Some of you I've been able to actually meet face to face, and I look forward to maybe meeting more of you someday. :) 
I have to admit, I've been very scattered on here recently. You never know WHAT I'm going to post about next. It's been a roller coaster of a year and that impacted my blogging. Having a lot of you faithfully checking my blog and leaving comments gives me a bad case of "the warm fuzzies". ;) 

~ 2018 Blogger Goals ~ 

You may have noticed the new theme if you're a slightly observant person. Guys, my dear friend Savannah Grace from Scattered Scribblings has cheerfully offered her services when I asked for someone's help in designing a new blog template. Personally, I LOVE how it turned out, and I'm sure you guys will too... Once the actual theme has been put into the system, that is. Yes, I'm leaving you with a construction theme right now, but this is only temporary, I assure you. Patience, guys. ;) 
Thanks to a certain post from a certain fellow blogger *coughs* I'm hoping to get this blog more professional and streamlined with a bigger focus on writing. However, since I don't have a newsletter email yet, I'll still be doing my monthly overview posts more or less on a regular basis. ;) Just so you guys know what's up in Western Washington. 
I'm hoping to also keep up better on my other blog, Simply Stories, with regular posts on behind-the-scenes stuff about my books. So if you are interested in character interviews, pictures, sketches, or backstory details, that will be the place to go. 
In short, I'm going to TRY to get more organized. We'll see how that goes.

~ A Couple Exciting Announcements ~

~ (as promised) ~

First, "The Princess and I" is OFFICIALLY out as a paperback and e-book on Amazon/kindle as well as being found at Barnes & Nobles, the iBook store, nook, and of course Lulu. So to those of you who have been waiting patiently for my slow release of the ebook form of my book IT'S AVAILABLE NOW! 

Second, I'll be announcing a cover reveal sign-up for "Sleeping Handsome" in a week, so stay tuned for that post coming up! 

Third, I'm going to begin my search for a group of FIVE core alpha readers for "A New Name" sometime in the next couple months, so if you're interested in that, keep an eye out for that post coming up. 

Fourth, I'm hoping to have a group of betas read through "Alice and Alyssa" and finally get that book published for good. I have it sort of published, but I have yet to go through the whole system yet.

Finally, to wrap this post up, I'll give you the list of goals I made for myself at the end of 2016 and make a new list of goals for this year. (To be completely frank, I don't think I even glanced at this list since maybe spring? *sheepish laugh*) 

Here they are, my official list of goals for 2017!

~ Goals of 2017 ~ 

-Read through the Bible
(I actually did do this one, barely.) 
-Read 100 books
(*cough* better luck this year, eh?)
-Make new friends who help me grow closer to God
(I did make a couple new freinds. Looking forward to getting to know them even better this year! ^_^)
-Have stronger relationships with siblings
(In all honesty, I did get closer to my siblings. Some more than others, but in general too.)
-Finish writing "A New Name", "Alone", and "Beyond the Galaxy"
(Nope. Though I made significant progress in at least two of those stories.)
-Publish "The Princess & I" and "Alice & Alyssa"
(One down, one to go. I can do this!)
-Complete a year of college
(*sings hallelujah chorus while checking this off with a florish*) 
-Have a closer relationship with God
(I feel like I could have done better with this goal. I'm not saying I think my walk with Him has grown more distant, but I feel like I could definitely be a lot closer. However crazy my life gets, God still needs to be at the center.)

And now, the moment you have all been waiting for, a list of 2018 goals! 

~ Goals for 2018 ~

-Memorize the book of Daniel
-Read 100 books
-Attend a writing conference
-Have a consistent prayer life
-Grow closer to my family members
-Finish writing "A New Name"
-Publish "Sleeping Handsome", "Ocean Mist", and "Alice and Alyssa"
-Complete my second year of college and get my Associate's Degree
-Have a closer relationship with God

Think I can do it? Well I guess time will tell. ;) What were some of your goals for the new year? Do any of you guys have major writing milestones planned this year? How about reading goals? 

Until next time, let everything you do be done for the glory of God! :) 

Purposeful Pages: October

Greetings foreign beings from distant planets. I come in peace. 

Heeeey guys. My font was doing weird things, so I just felt like writing that. Ignore me. I'm going slightly insane with life craziness and working off of less then seven hours of sleep each night. Six is average. Why? Honestly, I have no idea. Usually I sleep really well at night. But not recently. 

However, on to the introduction! It is time for the monthly purposeful pages post! :) Another round of delightful questions from ma friends Amanda and Hannah! I'm having so much fun with this link-up, and I hate to see you miss out! It's free to join. And free stuff is always awesome. So. Go and join. *shoves you toward blogs*

But now the questions and answers for your enjoyment. *bows*:

1: What is something (or who is someone) that has encouraged you to grow in your faith?

Well, my parents. (Duh) But there are also quite a few godly couples at my church who have been both an example and an encouragement to me as I try to follow God with my life. 

2: Has blogging showed a side of you that you normally don’t see? 

Not really. Except that I'm waaaay more outgoing with brand new people on here then in real life. And posts are a LITTLE more rehearsed then on the spot conversation. But otherwise, I write on here how I talk to friends. (I don't talk internet lingo out loud though...I use words. REAL words.)

3: What inspires your “creative genius?”

First of all, I'd like to thank you for saying I have creative genius...that was really sweet. Secondly, I'd like to mention that you didn't need to use quotation marks. Thirdly, let me answer your question in one word: everything. Really, everything in life inspires me whether I'm writing, playing one of my musical instruments, or creating a work of art. (Yes, I do draw sometimes. But don't ask me to show you any of my "art" THAT does require quotation marks.) 

4: Why do you write?

Because I love too. (Yes, FINALLY a simple question that I could answer easily!) 

5: Your house is on fire, and you only have time to save one thing. Do you grab your hand-written manuscripts or your cat? 

Assuming all my family was safely outside already, I would grab my briefcase. (It holds my Bible, a notebook, my laptop, my iPad, and my Kindle. I know, that's ALMOST like cheating on this question.)

6: If you could ban any book, which one would it be, and why?

BAN any book? Oh heavens, I have no idea. "The Origin of Species"? There's a lot of terrible books out there. Only one wouldn't make that much of a difference.

7: What is your Myers-Briggs personality type (if you know it), and what unique aspect of your personality makes you who you are?

I'm an ESFP (extroverted, sensing, feeling, perceiver). My strongest function is extroverted sensing, which is how I collect information. Forgive me if I'm getting to technical with you, but basically, extroverted sensers collect information from things going on around them, through trial and error, and from other people's mistakes. 

Also, I'm an introverted feeler. I don't express my deeper feelings out loud (which is why I don't usually cry during movies or while reading...so if I ever say I cried during a sad part of something you've written, that is a HUGE compliment coming from me.) However, I do feel things strongly, I just might not show it. You'll mostly see my chipper, everything-will-work-out-for-the-best side on here, but I can express my feelings better by writing them down, so you might come across that side of me at some point. Take this as a warning. ;) 

I'm also an extroverted thinker...so even if my "T" wasn't strong enough to make it into my personality, it's still there because there's a little bit of each function in us. It's just the strongest four that make up our type. So, because my thinking function is extroverted, and my feeling introverted, to most people I might seem like the "T" is actually a stronger function because I'll tell you my opinions and I love discussing things with other people whether I agree with them or not. But I'm more of a people person then most ESTPs and if you need a comforting shoulder to cry on, I'd be the better choice. 

Good grief, I should just write a book about my personality type! Sorry guys, I got carried away. I'm a talker, could you tell? Hopefully something in that long winded rant was an answer to the question.

8: Did you have any kind of “breakthrough” point in your life, whether it had to do with writing, blogging, art, or anything else? If so, would you like to share about it?

This is going to sound a little ridiculous, but at fourteen, I had NO IDEA that were other teen authors out there. When I first began my blog at that age, I felt very alone and completely at a loss as to how on earth I would get my stories out and available to the public eye. When I found other young authors, I was ecstatic! A lot of them had blogs and I joined the teen author community on here and have grown as a blogger and author since then. You all have been not only a huge encouragement to me, but you have posted tips about writing troubles you've had to overcome and countless other helpful stuff! I'm so grateful to you all and thrilled to call you my friends. ^_^

9: Are there any hobbies that you have that don’t fit the stereotypical you?

Absolutely: writing. I'm terrible at focusing on one thing at a time, and ESFPs rarely choose to write as something fun to do. BUT I AM GOING TO CHANGE THE HISTORY OF ALL ESFPS AND PROVE THE STEREOTYPE WRONG! Heh, heh. Yeah, well I'm going to TRY. ;) 

10: Even if you haven’t written an official life purpose statement, can you tell us in a few sentences what you feel called to do with your life right now?

I'm currently in what I like to call "the waiting room" years. I've finished high school, I'm not starting college until at least January, I'm not in a relationship with anyone...really, I'm just hanging out at home, helping my mom with homeschooling, editing my book and books by friends, reading, blogging, and cool stuf...like sleeping. I have no idea what God wants me to do with my life, but I will be ready to do it when He gives me the green light. 

Hopefully that answers your question. :) 

Three Years....

A long, long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away...my blog was created.

Just kidding. :)

However, I did just realize that today marks the 3rd anniversary of my blog!! :D

WHO ELSE IS EXCITED?!?!?!?!??!

(If you want to read my very first blog post, go HERE)

When I started my blog, I really just wanted a place to get my thoughts where people could read them, my stories in a place where people could critique them easier, a place where I could share the happy and exciting moments in my life, and last but not least, a place where I could point others to God...

But so much more has happened in those years then that.

I found other authors my age who have helped me mold my stories into works of art and give me styling ideas and help with my grammar.

I made on-line friends (even met a couple of them in person!) and look forward to making more.

I follow a ton of other people's blogs who encourage me not only in my writing, but in my walk with my Savior.

I was able to figure out how to make buttons and favicons.

I'm a quarter of the way to having an empire of followers (That means that I have twenty-five followers! *happy dance*)

Besides so much more!

I just wanted to give a special thank you to all you faithful followers of my blog.

I can't wait to see what this next year brings!!