Points for what I think is probably my longest blog title EVER. But I am not here to talk about that. I am here to apologize.
Last you heard from me, I finished my biggest giveaway of all times...announced the winners...and then promptly dropped off the face of the earth. I PROMISE I HAVEN'T FORGOTTEN YOU!!! I especially want to apologize to the giveaway winners...because *insert the blush emoticon and face palm here* I STILL haven't mailed out your books yet. I know, I know, I'm a horrible person and trust me, I'm VERY embarrassed about this. Normally it wouldn't take me this long (like, what? THREE MONTHS or something like that now? Guys, I'm MORTIFIED) but I do have several excuses. Let me get you all up to date on how my life has been the last couple months.
~ June ~
1) My friend that's been away at college since spring break came up for the summer and our family tried to prioritize our time so we could all hang out more. A lot of spontaneous ice cream and ping pong. :) It was super awesome. 2) Penial Ranch. SO MUCH FUN. But exhausting, and time consuming. Not that I'd trade that week for ANYTHING. 3) Our house was being roofed this whole time, which meant a lot of extra chores for those NOT up on the roof all day. 4) I was still trying to do college studying throughout this time, not to mention read and write some...I mean, a girl needs to have some free time, right? 5) I also hosted a book signing at my house, which was amazing and fun, and even though it was during a busy time of year, I actually had a pretty good turnout? (The cookies were DEFINITELY not the reason why so many people showed up. :P)
~ July ~
1) Our church had its VBS program and I had a fairly important part in it including being a leader of a group of kids, leading songs, and being a character in a play that we did at the end of each day. (You can watch that play now on Youtube in its entirety. Here's a link if you're interested: TIME LAB PLAY) 2) I also went to visit my brother in Eastern Washington where he works as a missionary with another family there that our church supports. 3) I have this job, right? BABYSITTING. Yeah, I've been doing that all this time too. Four hours a day, four days of the week. Plus, I've also had to take care of their animals a couple weekends as well due to an unfortunate family tragedy which I won't go in to detail here. 4) I'm still plugging away at a couple books (I READ FAWKES AND IT'S SO GOOD) as well as trying to get in some of my own writing. I did actually manage to write about 5k in "A New Name", which, with everything else going on in my life, WAS A HUGE AMOUNT.
~ August ~
1) Throughout the end of July and beginning of this month, our family enjoyed a delightful three weeks with a couple very amazing Japanese students. Riko and Junya were so much fun to hang out with. They became a part of our family, and we all miss them terribly now that they headed home. A visit to their homes in Japan is officially on my bucket list. 2) With the roofs of our property FINALLY done, (including a couple extras that the poor guys hadn't bargained for) we could now focus on some other property issues including a washing machine that stopped working AND one of two water pumps breaking down on us. In a family of ten...this is no joke. 3) I'm almost caught up now with the life I'm living right now (since August isn't over yet, thank goodness!) I have a CLEP test this Friday, and at the end of the month, an Accuplacer test which I have to take in order to get into the college I want to get into. Needing to take a deep breath yet? Yeah, me too. Obviously, I've been a little stressed over the last couple months. Still, I know its unforgivable the amount of waiting I made you all do. Excuses aside, I should have sent out those book packages MONTHS ago. To all of you who have been waiting patiently, in growing confusion as to why your book hasn't showed up yet, hopefully this post will clear that up. Again, I HAVE NOT FORGOTTEN. Your books are signed, in a bag, in my car. I just need finish writing you each a letter and take them down to the postal office in order to send them off. Due to financial reasons, I'll probably only be able to send off a couple at a time...but have no fear, I am planning on getting them to you (ALL OF YOU) before the end of September. Thanks again for your patience. I don't deserve it. <3
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!
Guys, I'm here to present you with a conundrum. (Man, I love that word...) I've been fiddling around with a couple covers for my collection of poetry, which coincidentally I'm hoping to publish at some point this spring. HOWEVER. I have created three covers for it and found myself loving EVERY. SINGLE. ONE. OF. THEM. THE. EXACT. SAME. AMOUNT. So, to keep a long post short, I need your help. All of you are readers, most of you are authors. Which of these covers would you be most likely to buy, and which one would you prefer having your own work encased in? I'll put a poll on the side of my blog, and if you pity me AT ALL, please vote on your favorite cover, or comment below (or do both ;). I really appreciate any input you give me! Thanks for your amazing support and advice. I knew I could count on you!!
COVER #1: (a.k.a "The Typewriter")
COVER #2: (a.k.a "The Teacup")
COVER #3: (a.k.a "The Teenager")
Until next time, let everything you do be done for the glory of God!
I'm stalling so that my next post (my 300th post) will be on the same day I post about blog tour sign-ups for "Sleeping Handsome". :) And since I haven't done a 21 Answers post in awhile, I thought I'd give you one. As an author, I can't tell you how many times I've gotten this question after someone finds out I wrote a book. And I NEVER know how to respond. No matter how many times I practice in a mirror at home, I always fail to come up with something intelligent. Below are a few of the responses I often end up giving, a couple that I've thought about giving, and more that I threw in there as possible choices and to get the number of answers up to 21. ;) Enjoy!
#1: "Oh, you know...stuff."
#2: "There's this person, who does this thing. And it's cool."
#3: "Instead of me explaining it to you, you should probably just read it yourself." (Insert link to website where they can access you book. Marketing, guys, MARKETING.)
#4: *long explanation that makes no sense because you keep trying to cover up spoilers and tend to ramble*
#5: "I'm not ready for the world to know yet...or ever."
#6: "Man, even I don't know what my book is about!"
#7: "You'd better sit down."
#8: *blank expression*
#9: Drag over a friend that's read your book and say, "Here, ask them about it."
#10: Shudder and whisper hoarsely, "You don't want to know."
#11: Pick a word at random, have it be something different every time...just for fun. (Ex: "cauliflower", "lawn mowers", "cheese", "snowflakes", etc.) Don't forget to say the word with confidence so that the asker believes you. ;)
#12: "Beats me!" *shrug*
#13: "Somethin'."
#14: *groan* "Where do I even start?"
#15: The cheater's answer: read the synopsis off the back of your book. (If you have one, that is...if you don't, try reading the synopsis off someone else's book and test the asker's reading knowledge.)
#16: "Dost thou know what thou asketh, fiend?"
#17: *blushes* *stutters* *changes subject*
#18: "Tea anyone?"
#19: FAINT. Everyone will freak out, and hopefully forget about the question in the meantime. If it comes up again, faint again. Eventually the asker will stop asking that question. Trust me on that one.
#20: "Ask me no questions, and I'll tell you no lies."
#21: If all else fails, you COULD come up with an actual, good response. Like, maybe work up a clever five sentence sell-out paragraph that makes whoever asks you about your book want to buy it...but who has time for that?
Which was/were your favorite response/s? Which response/s have you used before, if any? If you're a fellow author, which responses do you find yourself using a lot? (HELP ME)
Hope y'all enjoyed this post! I'll be back next time with a celebration post and blog tour sign-ups! :D
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! :)
Heeeeey, guys. Long time no see, right? Heh, yeah my life (as described in the title) has been CRAZY. There's been a LOT going on. I'll try to clue you in a little bit, but this list may be a bit scattered. Count yourself warned. No, this is not a normal wrap up post. Yes, I actually have a life. *gasp*
1: College School alone could probably be to blame for my absence on social media in general lately. I'm currently studying psychology, which has been...interesting...to say the least. I've had a lot of story ideas pop into my head while working away at the different things that go on inside people's minds. However, there's a lot of things I don't agree with going on in this branch of science, and so MUCH for me to remember. Sheesh. It's like I'm expected to be SMART or something! :P
2: Family My Eddy grandparents have been dealing with a lot of health issues over the last couple months, and that means us grandkids have been spending a lot of time working on various household and landscaping stuff over at their house. Sometimes we go over up to five times a week to get all the this done that they need done. Then of course, there's all the regular chores I'm expected to do at home that keeps our boat afloat, AND time I want to actually spend with my parents and siblings. Like going out to eat with a couple sisters or watching a football game with my brothers.
3: Church/Social So basically my church is my social life right now. XD Which is kind of nice, because every service is killing two birds with one stone. But, it does take time...not that I would trade that time for anything else. I love my church and the stuff I do there. A lot of musical things are coming up with the approach of Christmas, and that's been fun. :) My siblings and I are working on a song to perform during the Christmas Eve service which I wil try to have someone video so I can share it with you all. :)
4: Reading You would think with all the other stuff I have going on that I wouldn't be finding time to read...BUT YOU WOULD BE WRONG. Strangely, I've read more fiction the last couple of months than like, ALL of summer. The irony. (Actually, it's probably due to my procrastination on certain college tests. *cough* But we won't go there.) I've discovered several new authors and even wrote a few reviews on Goodreads, which you may have read if you follow me on there.
Special thanks to Chloe W. for sending in this picture. If you remember, this sweet girl was the winner of my book "The Princess and I" in the giveaway I hosted. :)
5: Writing As you may have noticed my lack of NaNo-ey posts and correctly assumed that I'm not participating this year. This is due to several exciting (as well as frustrating) things that are going on in my life as an author. Ready? (You MAY want t be sitting down for this...;) Guys. I have some amazing news. I HAVE A PUBLISHER WILLING TO PUBLISH MY FUTURE BOOKS. Due to my typical lack of funds as a college student, I'm waiting until next year to actually take them up on their offer to market my book and everything, but they graciously said that they would still take my books even if I had to wait until I felt more financially stable. So that has been a pretty huge step in my life that I've only dreamed about happening. Never, in my wildest dreams, did I think that a publishing company would take me up so willingly and quickly! Thanks so much for all of you who promised to pray for me when I first announced that they had called me. It means more than words can express to see you guys give so much support to me while I'm freaking out over something like this. :D You are seriously the BEST people an author could ask for. <3 Also, in other news, my current WIP, "A New Name", is almost 40,000 words long and going strong. By far the hardest project I've ever tackled, I've gotten an immense amount of brainstorming in, and can't wait to show you guys some more snippets! At the same time, I've been sloooooooowly editing "Ocean Mist"...*sigh* It's needed a LOT of help, but I'm really hoping to get out the rest of the first round of editing in before Christmas. Please pray that I can find time to finish this up because I HAVE a final proof-reader/editor...I just need to get the suggestions worked in. One more thing that probably belongs in this category is some more random fun stuff. I'M WORKING ON SOME BOOKISH MERCH. Yep, you read that right. I'm getting some shirts, mugs, bookmarks, etc. with quotes and stuff from various books of mine. You'll see a shirt sample shortly, because I ordered one already with MY favorite quote from "A New Name" and I'll post pictures when I finally get it. BUT GUYS I NEED YOUR HELP. I need those of you who have already read my books to give me some of your favorite quotes to put on this stuff. Any quotes from "The Silver Flower", "Ocean Mist", "Alice & Alyssa" or "The Princess and I" would be greatly appreciated. :) If you're interested in helping me out, click THIS LINK and it'll take you to a google form where you can sign up as a quote searcher (yes, that's absolutely a real job...do not question this fact.)
6: Blogging Besides it being painfully obvious that this has fallen behind in the list of priorities, I do have a couple posts in working progress, including a call for beta readers for "Alice & Alyssa" (I know, FINALLY). A post on the incredible impact a "boring" testimony can have, several tags I'm waaaaay behind in, and the next 21 Answers post are just a few. Also, a friend of mine made me a GORGEOUS new blog template that I just fell in love with...but you don't get to see it until next year. B-) All in due time, my minions....all in due time.
7: Some goals Yeah, apparently I have those still? XD I guess I'll never learn. I'm hoping to have 45 college credits by the end of January, finish publishing "Ocean Mist" by February, write the complete first draft of "A New Name" by March, and start outlining the sequel to "The Princes and I". And all that is only AFTER I make sure I'm still keeping my family and God as the first priority in all the hectic life that happens. Hmm...maybe I should write a post on the importance of priorities? ;)
So yeah, those are a few things that have kept me from haunting the blogosphere as much as I wanted too. I've tried to keep up with most of the posts you all have written, but I wasn't able to comment as much as I wanted to. I'm sorry I haven't been on here as much as want to be. Please know that if each day had about 36 hours, I'd get way more of this in, but I simply don't have the time to have a job, study for college, live life as a pastor's daughter and author and still get eight hours of sleep every night PLUS write blog posts twice a week and comment whenever I want to. But I wish I could. I'll try to be more consistent, but I make no promises. B-) You'll just have to check back occasionally to see if the shadowy form has left a post recently. :P
Until then, let everything you do be done for the good of God! :D
It's that time of year again. That thing that happens to all of us...every year...happened to me today. I had a birthday. I'm nineteen. Wait, wait, wait, that's not nearly as excited as I want to sound. Take two.
TODAY IS MY BIRTHDAY AND I'M NINETEEN GUYS!!!!! :D :D :D :D :D
Better.
Since this is a special blog post all about the fact that I'm now a year older, I looked back through my previous birthday posts and tried to come up with something equally entertaining, while not copying last year and the year before. So today, you're going to get a few fun facts about the number 19, a look at what I was like as a child writer (including some cringe-worthy works from my six-to-eleven year old self), and 19 facts that you probably don't know about me. Ready? Let's jump in with both feet.
~Random Facts About the Number 19~ RF#1: Apparently, the number 19 is THE luckiest number out there. So I'm expecting good things this year. (Just kidding. ;P)
RF#2: This made me chuckle: 19 is a "masculine" number. I guess that's a thing? XD I had to wonder though, what makes a number masculine/feminine?
RF#3: Did you know there's a bronze anniversary like there's a silver and gold one? Yep. And guess how many years marks your bronze anniversary? 19.
RF#4: The number nineteen, being made of the first and last number (1 and 9) makes it a number of completions; the number of beginning and end.
RF#5: In a 24-hour clock, the 19th hour is in conventional language called seven, or seven o'clock.
~A Look into My Past as a Writer~ >>Early Poetry: composed at age six and a half The Pond: Waddle, waddle, look! There's a pond! Waddle, waddle, SPLASH Paddle, paddle, look! There's a fish! Paddle, paddle, GULP
>>Early Writing: First short story composed at the age of eleven: Sam and the Scalliwogs Because it's so short, I'll give you the whole thing. I honestly can't remember why I wrote this story...but I found it in my archives so I thought I'd share it with you all. ;)
“Sam!”A loud cry jerked Sam’s attention away from studying
the far horizon with his newly acquired telescope, given to him by his older
sister, Olivia. He quickly closed it up and scooted towards the sound.
As
he neared the house, he yelled out: “Who calls me?” "I do,” and from around the corner of the house
came his older sister Olivia. “I say, Sam, where have you been? I’ve been
calling and calling for you.” Sam apologized, explaining that he had been looking
through his telescope at the horizon. Olivia grinned and told him that she was glad that
he liked it. “However,” she added, “we’ve just been sent new orders from Birds
of Prey Headquarters.” Sam’s eyes lit up. “A new order?” he asked. “Great!
When do we start?” Olivia grinned again. “Hold your horses, Pal, we’ve
not received the entire message yet. It might take a while yet, but I thought
I’d call you anyway, since you always have enjoyed getting a new order.” Sam nodded his head enthusiastically. “Sure do!” “Come on then, it may be finished now.” It was. Sam waited, somewhat impatiently, for his
sister as she scrutinized the note. “Well?” he finally asked. “What does it say?” Olivia laughed at his impatience. “Hold on a sec.
I’ve almost got it…” she paused and continued scratching out the message again
onto a new piece of paper. Soon She gave the triumphant declaration; “Ah ha! I
finished. Here’s what it says:
To Olivia and Sam of
the Birds of Prey Scouts:
I am afraid that I need
to have you switch jobs for a moment. I have had terrible news that the Scalliwogs,
whom I am certain you have heard of, are being yet again found outside of their
borders, in which our scouts had contained them for so long. I will need you
both to chase back the Scalliwogs into their own territory, which is known as
“Rattlesnake Country”. Do not think that this will be an easy job. On the
contrary, it will be difficult. You must stand strong Scouts! Never let them
know your fear, or else, beware! You will have to cross the Swamp of Death in
pursuit of them which has not been done by any in over a hundred years. But
stand strong Scouts, and, if in dire need, use the Lasers of Light which we
have given you for self-defense. Be brave! Be strong! For you are Birds of Prey
Scouts!
Yours, with Faith,
Birds of Prey Headquarters
Sam gulped and looked at his sister. She returned
his look grimly. “Sc-Scalliwogs?” he asked fearfully.
Olivia nodded. “Yes, nasty critters that have eyes
as big as dinner plates. Their teeth are huge and they are the ugliest looking
critters that you’ve ever laid eyes upon.” She shivered. “Best to let them not
know our fears, or else, as the
Headquarters said.” Sam quivered, but stopped himself and showed a
brave face. “Well,” he took a deep breath and smiled shakily, “Let’s go get us
some Scalliwogs.” ◊◊◊◊◊◊ After suiting up to go out into the rain again,
Olivia packed their packs with provisions: crackers, sliced cheddar cheese, two
chocolate chip cookies each, a ham sandwich to split between them, two water bottles full of good
well water, and both of their Lasers of Light. Sam shouldered his pack, as did Olivia, and they
headed out. Olivia didn’t forget to pack two pocket knives just in case, as
well as the Birds of Prey Scout Map. They trekked quietly for a while, until they had
gotten quite far into the woods, and came to a three-way fork in the path. Olivia turned to Sam. “Which way do you think we
should go?” she asked. Sam shrugged and they decided on the middle one,
thus going straight. Olivia used her pocket knife to hash a mark into the
nearest tree to the middle path. They trudged on. Suddenly Olivia halted in her tracks and pointed a
shaking finger at a tree branch, tucked between two trees, resembling an N. She
looked at Sam. “That’s a sure sign of Scalliwogs. That’s how they mark their
trails. Sam nodded. “This means we’re close on their trail!”
Now, with more determination than ever, the two of
them continued. Suddenly, just ahead of them they saw a Scalliwog.
It reared up onto its back legs and charged at them. Or, I should say, right at
Olivia. Her face went white, and she froze. “Sam,” she
whispered urgently, “while I have it distracted, you go behind and get it with
you Laser of Light. Quick! There’s no time to lose!” Sam nodded and set off on his duty. He evaded the
creature pretty easily, and got behind it. Swiftly and silently, he opened his
backpack and drew the gun. Carefully, he aimed at the critter’s back, and
fired. The creature let out a horrendous scream and did a double flip
backwards, landing on its back. It let out a gurgle of rage and died. Olivia’s face slowly regained its original color,
and she smiled gratefully at Sam. He grinned back, and they continued on their
way. They met a few more Scalliwogs, but they were
easily disposed of…except one other, a stubborn thing, that ran away from them
across the Swamp of Death so Olivia and Sam had to follow it. Carefully, Olivia
put one foot out and gingerly felt for solid ground before grabbing Sam’s hand.
Sam helped spot solid ground along the way, and so the two of them didn’t get
sucked down into the bog. The Scalliwog, however, was not so fortunate, and
got sucked into the mire, screaming as they do all the way down, with vigor. It
was a truly horrible sound, and almost made Olivia and Sam’s blood freeze just
listening to it. By the time the two Scouts had safely crossed the
Swamp of Death, they were exhausted, physically and mentally. They found a
stump to sit upon, but no sooner had they sat when they had another Scalliwog
came upon them, and, tired but determined, they fought it. It was a long and dirty battle, but the two Scouts
were able to at last extinguish the creature with their Lasers of Light, and
were victorious again. They were also able to rest at last, and, when rested,
they were able to tackle the next few Scalliwogs with much more vigor. Soon, Olivia and Sam drove the Scalliwogs back to
their territory, and hooked the gate with a special clasp with a numbered code,
so secret that besides them, only the Chief of the Birds of Prey Scouts knew it. So, with the Scalliwogs now locked in their own
domain forever, Sam and Olivia returned to their hometown as heroes, although
they were very modest and replied to the praise of the people that without their
trusty Lasers of Light, they really couldn’t have done it. They were both promoted to Super Scout and were
able to help the Birds of Prey Scout Masters to train up further generations of
Scouts.
First "novel" composed at age ten: The Mysterious Five and the Search for the Lost Dinosaur Leg Bone (I left the following snippet unedited so you can appreciate -- as I do -- how far I've come in my writing. *shudders*) Snippet:
Hello, my
name is Seth. I am the oldest child in my family, my age: seventeen. I have
four siblings, and we are all orphans. From oldest to youngest it goes: Me,
Seth Swanson, age seventeen, then Rachel Swanson, age fifteen, next Amy
Swanson, age fourteen, after her Adam age eleven, and last but certainly not
least, Kenneth age ten. We all have our own personalities, so altogether we
make an interesting mix. My own personality is that of most older children, responsibility
first! Rachel and Amy have similar personalities and are good little mothers
for all of us. Adam is our adventurer and sometimes does not think before he
does. Kenneth has more of my personality and is the quiet one of the family. We
can always count on him to solve our problems and heal our hurts. All together,
we love and support each other in all that we do.
We live in
a small cottage at the back of our step-uncle’s Museum. His wife died just a
few months ago, and since then, he has become extremely absent minded. We make
our keep by helping our step-uncle with his many displays. Often we have to
figure out our days work by ourselves because he is far away in his mind. Our
personal favorite exhibit is the Triceratops leg bone. It is the best-preserved
leg bone ever found in history. My step uncle and all of us are very proud of
it. Therefore, it is probably not a surprise that this is also the most
expensive display. Rachel’s first job in the morning is to check on that
exhibit to make sure its glass is shimmering with cleanliness by the time the
museum opens at 7:00 am. She is the secretary of the museum and, if I may say
so myself, a very good one. I am my step-uncles everything staff, and make
myself useful during the day. Amy, Adam, and Kenneth are the clean-up crew at
the end of the day. They are the ones who sweep and mop all the floors, dust
the windowsills, and dust some of the less important exhibits. Our story starts
here, at the back of this small town museum.
*
* * * *
Early in the morning, I awoke to Rachel
violently shaking me by the shoulder.
“Seth!”
she whispered urgently, trying not to wake the two other boys next to me, “I
have something important to say!” Having had all the grogginess shaken from me,
I sat bolt upright, nearly upsetting the small cot that I shared with my two
brothers.
“What is
it?” I replied as Rachel gasped for breath. (I could tell she had been
running.) Finally, she gasped out,
“Seth, our
triceratops leg bone is GONE!” She gave especial emphasis on the last word, and
made me jump. Kenneth and Adam stirred in their sleep and Adam grunted before
his breath evened out again.
“Have you
told Uncle?” I asked after regaining my composure from the shock. Rachel shook
her head and replied, “No, He is
awfully absent minded today, he walked right by the display it used to be in
and never noticed that it was gone.” I shook my head in disbelief. “I can’t believe
it! Have you told any of the other kids?” Rachel again shook her head. “Good, let’s
keep it that way until breakfast. I will tell them then. Wake up Amy and the
other boys and let me have some quiet time to think. Thanks.” Rachel did as she
was told, while I sat and stewed in thought. Soon,
Rachel came in to say Breakfast was ready. I thanked her for the information
and headed to the table. Quietly, I rehearsed my speech in my head until the
opportunity came to tell them. It took awhile for the noise to die down some,
but at last it did and I stood from my chair. All eyes were riveted to me. I
did not usually stand up in middle of a meal. Clearing my throat, I began. “Brothers
and sisters, I have just this morning heard the dreadful news that the
triceratops leg bone has mysteriously disappeared. I will need all of your help
to find it before our step uncle finds out that it is gone. I am afraid that
would kill him. Are you all willing to help me in the search?” All heads
nodded, though Amy looked a little unsure. Pleased, I continued. “Wonderful!
Kenneth, you are to come with me as soon as breakfast is over to help me try to
find clues. Rachel, you stay here with Amy and Adam. Are your orders
understood?” All of my siblings nodded again, although Adam looked not a little
disappointed. Kenneth sat with his eyes on his plate. A look of puzzlement was
on his face. I smiled inside for he did look rather comical. “What is it?” I
asked. Kenneth looked up, a little startled, from his musings. “Oh, just
a little puzzled about this robbery. Who would want to take a dinosaur leg-bone
from Uncle Devon’s Museum? There are so many other museums, why ours?” These
questions I could not answer. “That is
what I am hoping to find out next, let’s go.” Kenneth gave me a quick nod, and
gulping down the rest of his breakfast, in a manner that was so strange from
his usual manner that I was almost worried for his health; He pushed his chair
backwards and pulled his boots on. In no time at all, we were hurrying across
the lawn still wet with dew. Kenneth opened the double doors; the squeaky hinge
seemed deafening in the still morning air. Almost stealthily, we tiptoed
through the museum to the dinosaur display at the back. It seemed so strange
with no people in it. The hollow thump,
thump, thump, of our feet added to the eeriness. Suddenly,
Kenneth froze in his tracks. I followed his example and stopped. “What?” I
whispered. “Someone
is in this Museum and coming our way.” Kenneth replied. “I can’t
hear anything, perhaps you were mistaken.” I said trying to sound more
confident than I felt. Kenneth shook his head. “No, I
heard some footsteps coming our way. Listen close, than you might hear it.”
Since he insisted, I turned my head to the side to catch all possible sounds,
and listened closely. Yes, now I could hear it. “It’s just
our echo, I think.” Kenneth shook his head. “No, if it
was our echo it would have stopped by now.” Embarrassed, I felt my cheeks
turning red. “I-it
might be Uncle Devon.” I stuttered, trying to think of another possibility.
Again, Kenneth shook his head. “Uncle
Devon’s footsteps would be heavier. These footfalls are lighter; perhaps they
belong to a girl.” Shocked, I replied in a loud whisper, “What! A
girl? Impossible. What would a girl be doing in our Museum? Rachel and Amy are
in the House, what other girl has keys to the Museum?” Kenneth shrugged.
“Let’s get
hidden, and maybe we might get the clue we’re looking for. Come on lets hide
behind this.” Following Kenneth, we both managed to wedge ourselves between a
suit of armor and the brick wall before the person came.
>>Early Journaling: I went through stages of writing in my various journals from time to time...but I was never a steady journal writer. However, I found an entree in my 2011 spree that I found a little entertaining and a little cringe-worthy, so I thought I'd embarrass myself for you. (I wrote comments in parenthesis to give you a little bit of my reaction when I read this out loud to my siblings as tester material.) I can't believe I'm doing this...I can't watch...HERE.
I sit here now, writing in my journal. Thinking. My brothers always wonder why I like to be alone. Good question. I often wonder that myself. The sky overhead is blue. (I must have been writing this outside? I honestly can't remember. This sentence is so completely random. I don't even know why its here...) I was a helper in babysitting yesterday, perhaps that's why I want some quiet time today. I have nine siblings. (Why was I writing this down?! I knew that! I guess I just always write for an audience...even when I don't realize I am.) It does get tiresome at times. I must go inside now. Goodbye Journal. >>Early Fable: I wrote the following fable when I was about eleven years old. It turned out kind of clever actually, so I thought I'd end with this so I can face you again one day. >_<
One summer day, a cricket was jumping through the grass. "Look at me!" he would boast. "I can jump higher than all the other insects in the meadow!" Soon the other insects got tired of his constant boastings. So they went to the wise ant to have him stop the cricket's boastful attitude. The next day, the wise ant brought a tiny flea to the cricket. "Sir Cricket," the ant said, "this flea is the best jumper from the flea world. May he compete against you in a competition?" The cricket laughed. "Certainly! I will compete against him." The ant just thanked him quietly and retired to his home. During the next few days, both the cricket and the flea practiced their jumping. On the day of the competition, they both felt ready, they both felt ready. The wise ant was the judge on who could jump the highest. First, the cricket took a deep breath, and then jumped as high as he possibly could. The onlookers gasped. Next, the flea calmly stepped forward and jumped. Another gasp followed. As the flea landed he was proclaimed the winner. The cricket jumped again, this time in rage, and fell to his death. The moral of this story is "Pride always comes before a fall."
~19 Facts You Probably Don't Know About Me~ 1: I have a pinky finger that can't straighten completely. This is known as "Viking claw".
2: My dream car is a charcoal gray or navy blue Mustang like the one pictured above.
3: I haven't watched any of the Disney princess movies. Ever. In my life.
4: I have weak wrists, which can make writing difficult if I'm typing for long periods of time.
This was taken over a year ago...I've had three younger siblings out grow me since then. >_<
5: At 5'5", I'll probably be the shortest person in my family...since only my 10 and 8-year-old brothers are still shorter than me.
6: I know how to make pretty amazing pizza. ;) If you have ever been to my house, you've probably had it.
I drew this when I was about fifteen or sixteen I think. His name is Justin and he's a character in one of my short stories called "Horse Island".
7: I enjoy sketching and drawing, even though I'm not very good at it.
Me n' Patrick. ;)
8: I can play (besides my main instruments the piano and flute) the ukulele, recorder, Irish whistle, slide whistle, and kazoo.
9: I compose and write songs and occasionally preform them at church.
10: I have over 30 beginnings or ideas for books/stories in my author archives that I want to finish one day.
11: I published my first book when I was fourteen.
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12: My favorite bird is the peregrine falcon.
Bonus fact...I also had braces. ;)
13: I've been on a missions trip to Ethiopia with my dad and a couple other people from our church.
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14: My favorite childhood film was The Reluctant Dragon.
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* 15: My favorite children's books when I was little were "Are You My Mother?" and "The Mitten".
16: I'm a terrible speller. I didn't learn how to spell alcohol until high school, and I still can't spell mosquitoes and squirrel without help.
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17: The longest book I've ever read in one sitting was "House Calls and Hitching Posts" at 622 pages.
18: I was saved at 6-years-old, with some coaching from my oldest sister, after listening to one of my dad's Easter sermons.
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19: Ester from the Bible, Amy Carmichael, and Corrie Ten Boom were (and still are) my heroines I looked up to and wanted to be like. :)
Well, there you have it. How many of the facts did you already know? What did you think of my early writing? (If you've read any of my current writing, please tell me I've improved some. PLEASE.) Which random fact about the number 19 did you find the most interesting?
And before I sign off, I'm planning on doing a birthday Q&A (along with an exclusive GIVEAWAY!!!! *cue confetti and fanfare*) soon, so ask me as many random questions you want to have answers to, and I'll answer 19 of my favorite questions in my next post. So have fun with that! :D
Until next time, let everything you do be done for the glory of God!
* All photos with stars by them were not taken by me. Credit goes to whom credit is due. :)
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