Book Bumping

Firstly, I would like to offer my sincerest apologies to any of you who have been looking forward to the publication of The Wings of Antheon. (And a hug for looking forward to it:) Unfortunately I will be postponing the release date until July 11th due to editing, crazy schedules, and a friend who has offered some wonderful advice. The good news, to console you with, is that the book will be better and I'm sure the grammar will be much improved. (A point in which I am lacking, though not in any ways terrible.) Once again I give my apologies. Trust me, I was looking forward to publishing too! I would not postpone this date for anything short of necessary. So you can now look forward to July 11th with the fullest guarantee of the release. (Unless something crazy happens, which might very well happen in a family such as mine. One never knows what tomorrow holds.)

Alen's War

I have the highest pleasure and honor of being allowed to proof-read my friend, Hannah's, book! You've heard me mention her writing accomplishments and I rave about her writing blog. She is a wonderful fantasy writer who will suck you into her amazing world of nobility, adventure, and heart-felt trials. Plus, to put the cherry on top of the ice cream - Magic! Allow me to share the synopsis. (That word sounds as funny as it looks. I promise you, me and parents spent a good 10 minutes saying it over and over.)

Alen, the son of the king of Agran, is given a simple secret task: find an insurrectionist named Galer and bring him back quietly to the capital for trial. Yet in a series of tragic mistakes Alen sets off a full-blown rebellion, abandons a burning city, and betrays his own father. He flees and six months later finds himself on a raiding ship, killing and stealing for his life, full of guilt.

When Alen finally returns to his father, he repents of all he has done; yet Agran is still at war, and she will be out to have Alen's head for a wereguild. His only hope for acquittal is to do his part and capture Galer once and for all, so Alen recruits Brandis, an old companion from his raiding days, and Turomar, an ill-disposed surveyor with a brain for strategy. All three are dedicated and competent to find the troublemaker, but their own dark secrets haunt them at every turn and foil their plans.

Best of all, Hannah has the most wonderful balance of humor and dark trials. I loved every sentence of it! There are few fantasy books that I enjoy, and fewer still those that I will recommend others read. Her characters have a depth of personality and their lives quickly become your own if you're not careful to remember your simply reading a book. (But by all means, get sucked into the story. It's worth the ride!)
But please, allow me to introduce her to you! I was able to interview her and will share it with you! (And if you want to learn more about her characters you can check out her blog Here. I didn't want to create a mile long blog post.)

                                             Q:   What inspired you to start writing?

Hannah: It was mostly other authors and stories. Tolkien, Lewis, Stowe, Zusak, and countless others wrote books that have impacted the world to this day, and I knew I could get in on that mission. I could tell stories; why not write them down and share them with others?

Q:   In two words, describe your character's main attitude.

Hannah: Well… this is certainly easier than it would be for all my characters in Son of Ren. (I apologize in advance for all the “isms.”)

Alen: Loyal trepidation

Brandis: Brave utilitarianism

Turomar: Competent individualism

Galer: Bold idealism

Reyis: Calm circumspection

Arila: Wise loyalty

Tian: Humorous camaraderie

Q:   I’ve noticed you favor the medieval/mythological settings. Why?

Hannah: I honestly can't give one definitive reason. I have always enjoyed traditional fantasy stories like LotR and Narnia, and it seemed a natural next step to write my own. On the other hand, while writing I like to do whatever I want when I feel like it, and medieval/mythological worlds offer that flexibility. I can put Napoleon Bonaparte on a dragon whenever I like, and nobody can complain. 

Q:   Is there a character that you would say shares your characteristics?

Hannah: Lots of them do. Tom Hiddleston once said that acting is like playing a piano; everyone has all the keys, but each person or character plays on a different octave. I am not an actor (nor a Marvel fan, for the record!) but it's the same way with writing. Every character gets a little piece of my personality. Turomar, Elkay, and Reyis are probably most like me- but then I can even act like Aldal after eating too much sugar. 

Q:   What was the easiest part to write? What about the hardest?

Hannah: I found it really easy to write the dramatic scenes or turning points of the story. When something with large stakes happens or characters discover a great secret, I rarely have trouble writing what ensues. However, writing the battles was tricky; I had to keep a nice balance between action and drama without making anything too choppy or telling rather than showing. 

Q:  Who is your favorite character?

Hannah: Ever? Wow. Brandis is probably my current favorite; I would love to write a book all about him and his mysterious, adventurous life. Of course, I might change my favorite when I write the next story… 

 Q:  Simply for the fun of it. If you could play any character in any book or movie, which one would it be in what book/movie?

Hannah: Blimey, I don't know. I would love to play Yavanna in The Silmarillion because she is such an intriguing mythological figure. On the other hand, I would enjoy playing a villain like Jadis or the Snow Queen. Then again, Elizabeth Bennett might be fun. 

Q:  Which part of your book do you like the best?

Hannah: My favorite part to both write and read is the first act, the one with the raiders. All the narrative just turned out so nicely. It's no secret that I like writing about icy wind, salt-seas, fire, and Viking ships- not to mention Brandis. 

Q:  Why did you start writing?

Hannah: Pardon my double negative, but I can't not write. God wired me to write the way He made trees to grow and birds to fly. Whether I am feeling stressed, excited, outraged, or silly, I can find an outlet for those thoughts and feelings in a way that will help others learn truth. 

Q:  Where can we get your book once it’s published?

Hannah: Always Amazon. You can get it in either print or eBook format- or both, if that's your kind of thing.

Q:  Do you have any parting thoughts for us?

Hannah: I would not dare add to your exhaustive genius, E.J! :) I think you have asked about everything. Thank you for the chance to rant about a few of my favorite things.

Quote Challenge: #3

Well, the quote challenge has met it's final day. Although I could probably continue posting quotes for weeks, I'm sure I must finish at some time. I'll quickly go over the rules:

• Graciously thank the person who tagged you. (Thank you Hannah!)
• Just as graciously, tag three other bloggers everyday.
• Post a new quote for the next three days.

And now for the final quote! Drum roll, please!


 Congratulations to those who guessed the person I would quote from yesterday's hint! ;)
I'm certainly interested in this quote. For, if it is true, then I must have some destiny that involves a monumental amount of self-control and patience, which I am learning everyday from my interactions with five siblings. God's got something planned up ahead and it involves me curbing my quick frustration.
This almost sounds like Tolkien's quote - "Even the smallest person can change the course of the future." (Maybe they being friends had something to do with it.)
And, once again, I have no bloggers to tag. But it's not too late for anybody who reads this! If you would like to partake in the Quote Challenge, please notify my in the comments below!

Adieu, adieu, adieu. 
         (Ghost to Hamlet)

Quote Challenge: #2

 

I admit it: I totally forgot about the quote challenge yesterday. Can I have a little grace, because we were ridiculously busy and had church until late? My sincerest apologies! I'll simply pick up where I left off. First: recap the rules.

• Graciously thank the person who tagged you.
• Just as graciously, tag three other bloggers everyday.
• Post a new quote for the next three days.

Now, on to the quote!!!!

 

 How true is that? I do dishes for our family and there are days when I wish I had a magic wand to make them all go poof. But the longer I wait and longer it will be until those dishes are washed. I hold J.R.R Tolkien in high honor for his incredible writing and beautiful imagination. He took writing seriously and, as a result, wrote an amazing series of books. (Although, I must say, I was not super pleased with the movies.) Tolkien had an amazing way of blending poetry and writing together to create a wonderful work of English art. Him and Lewis are outstanding! (Hm, I wonder whose quote I'll have tomorrow?)
And I'm sorry, but I have no bloggers to tag. :/

P.S By the way. If you are into the LotR, THIS is quite interesting.

Quote Challenge: #1

Well, it seems I have been dragged into the stressful game of blogger tag! (I speak with a high amount of exaggeration. I'm actually quiet excited for this!) It's all about quotes, of which I have many. My problem is that I hardly know any other bloggers. And the one I do know is the one that tagged me! Well, I shall give it my best despite my dilemma. At the least I will be posting a quote for the next three days. But allow me to lay out the rules:

• Graciously thank the person who tagged you. (Thank you Hannah! I actually do enjoy this!)
• Just as graciously, tag three other bloggers everyday. (I'll be lucky if I can tag just one today.)
• Post a new quote for the next three days.

Without further ado, here is my quote! (Although I honestly believe this is the hardest part! I have so many I want to do!)


I am a true Shakespearean, for this is one of my favorite quotes and writers. This quote is from the play Hamlet: Act 4, scene 5, and said by the player Ophelia. And the people I have tagged are...

• Elizabeth E. Brookes at EEB

And honestly, miserably, that is the only person I can find. I am so terrible at this. If you are a blogger reading this and would like to be tagged, please say so in the comments and I will readily include you in this fun game.
   Au Revoir!

Book Release!

Let the fun begin!!!! Yes I am finally publishing the book I have been working on for nearly 2 years! (And yes, the picture above will be the cover! I just haven't smashed it through my Photoshop. )It has been a wonderful challenge and fun adventure. I never thought I would ever go on to publish my book, but here I am! I have a totally new appreciation for every book I read. (Especially mysteries such as The Secret Adversary by Agatha Christie.) The release date is July 3rd 2016!! Yes I'm scared/excited/wondering if I'm making a mistake/can't wait to publish it, and every other mixed up/messed up emotion in between!!!
( Now, whether this will be the official synopsis, I haven't figured out. Who knows, it might be. ;)

 The Wings

of 

Antheon

The memory of the Great Battle against the Antheons is a story of long ago, now buried within the pages of history. Until one boy learns the truth: the Antheons live!

Peter, an Antheon living among humans, has a necklace, a secret, and the Duke he calls friend. But when he discovers that the Duke has been hiding his dark history, Peter's only choice is to leave or face death. As he runs, doubts begin to set heavily about whether he can ever trust anyone again. His answer: he refuses to trust.
Forced to flee for his life, Peter embarks on a quest to find the lost Antheons - a quest where danger and adventure never seem to be more than a step away. But will Peter be able to overcome his own dark history and doubts before everything changes...again. 

I was never into long synopsis that give the story away. (Does that drive anybody else crazy besides me?) So I tried to keep it short. 

My friend Hannah (check out her blog Here She will also be publishing her second book! She has more info on her blog! If you are writing or enjoy writing and want to be better, this is a great blog to follow.) had the fabulous idea of posting pictures of her characters and writing, kind of an introduction, to each of them. I wanted to do that super bad, but I'm a sot on the computer and could not, for the life of me, find any picture that satisfied my minds-eye picture of my characters. So, unfortunately, I shall leave you to your own imagination.

In the meantime, I found some more funnies! (Somehow I'm good at finding those. And yes they are all about books! How did you guess?)

 

Please answer the question in the comments!!!!!

 

 

File #2 Siblings

Ahhh, the joy of reading a wonderful book in peace and quiet. Until the sounds of, "STOP THAT!!!!! GIVE THAT BACK, IT'S MINE!!!! MOOOOOOOM!!!!!!"

If you have siblings, you know exactly what I'm talking about. The series of calls and requests that are ever-present. For years I would find my peace and sanity in the safe confines of my bedroom. My siblings called me the Hermit because I stayed in there all the time. I just didn't want to be around my siblings because they were (still are) ridiculously loud. Sometimes I would walk out of my room, stand in the doorway, give this face And return to my sanctuary.

Now, not all the times with my siblings were bad. I have hours of wonderful memories behind me of playing toys with my brother, outside, in the winter, when ice is covering the ground, playing in the wheelbarrow, which was filled with ice.
But as I got older things started to change. I didn't want to play toys anymore. (trust me I tried.) Not that my imagination left me. (Trust me that's still there.) I simply...didn't want to. I would rather stay in my room doing school, reading, working on guitar or other projects. My mom would have to call me out of my room and ban me from it in order to keep me out.
That's not how I am now. I spend nearly my entire day with my siblings and only enter my room when I need to have silence for school, writing, or guitar practicing. My days are productive and filled with laughter and joy. (Not to mention all the trials I've overcome.

So what changed?

Answer #1: My mindset.
You can't accomplish anything if you don't put your mind to is. "Where there's a will there's a way." But that saying can be reversed. With no will there is no Way. I really wanted to have a strong relationship with my siblings that would last us the rest of our lives. I don't want to be the big sister that doesn't know what the rest of the family is doing half the day. I had the Will, now I needed the Way. And that Way was getting out of my room.
When I first started my transition, it was terrible! There seemed to be nothing to do out in the rest of the house! All my things were in my room! I would work around the house to fill my spare time. But now that the sun is out more and more me and the siblings migrated to the trampoline where me and my brother perfected out back flips, front flips, front handsprings, and my brother is the only one that can do the back handspring. (I landed on my neck and haven't worked up the guts to try again.)
Consequently I don't get done many of the things I wish I could. The book I'm near to publishing is taking a soar long time. (A post on that later)

Answer #2: Cutting down my computer time.
I would go on the computer and just drift around or be "busy" (I don't think looking on Pinterest merits the title of anything.) I was amazed at how much more time I had during the day and get things done. I also found that using the computer for worthless things left me feeling slightly irritable. Now, don't go thinking I'm never on the computer. Obviously I have to be in order to be a blogger! But I try and really limit the computer time.

 Now, this all doesn't change the, seemingly constant, yelling and requests. They are still there. So I had to change another thing.

Answer #3: I've focused on changing how I deal with the things that annoy me.
Honestly if you just suck up and help them out things go a lot smoother. And if there is something you want to do, make sure you've spent at least as much time with your siblings as you will be spending doing your project. 


Siblings are truly a blessing. Your family is the only thing you can take to heaven with you. I've always had this thought at the back of my mind. What if I were to die tomorrow? How would me family remember me? Would I be the sibling they would remember as the one that spent way too much time in her room? Or would I be the sibling that read books to them, jumped on the trampoline with them, took them on bike rides, and sword fought?

Here's a list of fun things that my siblings enjoy.

• Reading books. (Some ideas are Indian in the Cupboard, Narnia, and Anne of Green Gables.) 
• Making obstacle courses
• Making a home movie
• Baking cookies
• Go on a special bike ride
• Making spider webs on the ground. (Make sure you ask your mom about this because by the time you're finished the land will look like Shelobs layer.) You just take a ball of yard and wrap it around chair legs, furniture, pianos, anything!
• If your siblings have friends that come over, get up and play a good game of Tag of Cops and Robbers. It's amazing how much fun they'll think it is if you just play with them.
• If you play an instrument, try teaching your sibling a song. I play guitar and I've been teaching my brother. Or just playing for the whole family. The younger kids love the song Days of Elijah and will sing that with such gusto I can't sing because I'm laughing at how cute they are.

But remember. If there's a Will there's a Way!
Also! If you want to check out a really great christian website full of encouragement and biblical wisdom, look at http://www.aheartdevoted.com/



Yes more random funny things!