Challenge Accepted

Yes, I am planning on doing NaNo this year! Even though I've completed it in April and June of this year, this will be my first time to actually DO NaNoWriMo. Am I nervous? Yes. Am I excited? Yes. Do I I have a plan for survival and success? Nope.

Again, I'm going to be working on Children of a Legend. My goal was to finish the first rough draft by New Years, but I don't think that's happening. What I've got left of the story to write is actually a lot more than another simple 50K words. This story may end up a series, rather than just one book. Oh, well... Little by little, I'll get it done, even if it means writing 50K words on it every NaNo-declared month.

Say, look! A cover! Yeah, it's a cover... a
spur-of-the-moment-whatever cover.

However, my recent future isn't very bright. I'm really looking forward to participating in NaNo, but I'm not exactly looking forward to the first week. Remember that cold I said I had back in one of my last posts? Yeah, it hasn't gone away yet. You might say it's gotten worse. I've finally ditched the fever and the aches, but to replace them I've got conjunctivitis in BOTH eyes and a really bad ear ache. I don't know if it's an ear infection or not, but the pain level was high enough that I was concerned the ear drum might rupture. And yes, my ear drum has ruptured before so I know what that feels like. And no, it was not pleasant. Quite highly the opposite.

So, if you've been wondering where I've been for the last couple of days, I've been in bed. Anne-girl was holding a swell Scribbler's Conference that I dearly wanted to be a part of, but I think I might have missed it. *sigh* I hope I'm not coming across as complaining, because I'm not. Well, maybe a little, but I didn't mean to. This is my life, I'm happy with it, but I would appreciate some prayer health-wise. I am so ready for this cold thing to be over!

But on a brighter note... the Keller Girls have tagged me with the elevensies tag! I'm having a lot of fun filling out these questions, even though I've already done it twice. However, in that light, I shall be skipping filling the eleven randoms, tagging eleven people, and asking eleven questions. I'll just answer the eleven questions. :)

1. What is your favorite way to spend Saturday? I don't think I have a favorite way to spend a Saturday. Whether it's waking up at our cousins' house after an epic sleepover, working outside with my family, or just spending the day with books or pens, I'm usually happy whatever happens. 

2. Herb garden or Vegetable garden? I prefer the toil and smell of the herb garden, but would rather have the results of the vegetable garden.

3. Dill pickles or sweet pickles? DILL ALL THE WAY!!!!!!!! I can't stand sweet pickles, but I love dill pickles to distraction!

4. Coffee, Tea, Cocoa or Apple Cider? Hmm... I don't care for coffee or tea, and I'm allergic to chocolate, so I'll have to go with apple cider. 

5. How many animals do you have? My favorite answer: None, unless you count my brother, Doofus. :)

6. If you can play a musical instrument what is it? I can play the piano very well, the flute and recorder well enough, and I was just given an old xylophone, so I'm learning that as well. I love music!

7. Knit, Crochet, both, or neither. My grandmother taught me how to knit when I was, hmm, oh, probably 8, and I've been knitting ever since. Yes, I enjoy it, though I've never learned how to crochet. I'd like to, someday...

8. Fancy scarf or plain scarf. Plain. Scarves are for warmth and necessity. Nothing else.

9. Do you speak any languages? I speak English (duh!), whatever French and Spanish I can remember from two years of study in each, pig latin, and duck language (that's how Donald Duck speaks, if anyone is interested).

10. What is your everyday job/chore around the house? Dishes. Always. With 8 people in one family, we go through an awful lot of dishes. However, at the moment, with pink eye, I'm not allowed to help. Not sure if I should count that epic fail or epic win...

11. What is your dream home? A large manor out in the country, new enough to cater to asthma and allergies and old enough to have a secret passageway.

God bless!

More Elevensies...

This seems to be the set time for elevensies! I've already filled it out here, so if you wish to bring to mind all that I said before, you're welcome to go visit there before continuing here. 

This first set of elevensies questions came from the lovely Maryanne, whom you can read more about on Kendra's wonderful blog. And instead of being directed to me as the writer, they were directed to my character, Lianne, who in this very blog post, makes her big debut of finally having her own voice on my blog. Can't imagine why I haven't done any posts from my characters' POV... hmm... maybe I should fix that. 

As always, rules:
- If you are tagged/nominated, you must post eleven facts about yourself.
- Then, you must answer the eleven questions the tagger has given you and make eleven questions for the people you are going to tag.
- Next, tag eleven more bloggers.
- Tell the people you tagged that you have tagged them.
- No tagging back

Anywho, here's Lianne, folks! And I promise I will keep silent until it is my turn to answer questions.

Thank you, Kiri Liz. That is most generous. Do I sense a dash of sarcasm, Lianne? I thought you promised to be quiet. I... ugh.

Eleven random facts...

1. I can play the flute.

2. I would rather wear leather tunics and breeches over a fancy dress. 

3. I know what it is like to be without parents, as my father is away most of the time on journeys and my mother died when I was only an infant.

4. Please allow me to amend that last statement: my father was drowned in a shipwreck only too recently, so the void of being without parents is even greater.

5. I did not believe that fairies existed until I met two of them.

6. The two faires, Jelly and Gerkhin, have quickly become my best friends, and they can make me laugh whenever I feel downcast.

7. I am not fond of snakes.

8. Since the sea swallowed my father, I have borne a bitter fear of the water. I never wish to venture out over the waves. 

9. I have often wondered why I am one of the characters Kiri has written about least in the last two years, when I'm one of her favorites, and the name of her blog even bears my name!

10. When I asked her about this, she told me that it was because my story, started in haste, was in great need of revision.

11. My heart is gladdened to hear that she has wonderful ideas for rewriting my story and making it much, much better. She is, although a trifle exasperating, a wonderful girl.

The eleven questions from Maryanne...

1. How many knives do you usually have concealed on your person? I'm not going to ask where you conceal them, but if you want to answer that, you may. At the moment, none. I have only used a knife once in my life, and that one experience was terrifying to say in the least. I much prefer to use my bow and arrows.

2. How many times have you run away from home? Do you ask your parents permission before you do so? I would rather not have to run away at all, but after an unfortunate event, I was forced to flee my home, and did so without consulting my parents.

3. What is your rank and station in life? I am a princess, the only child of King Leroy Taimenlore of Kesia.

4. Do your cousins like you? I don't know if I have any cousins. Kiri knows but she hasn't told me yet. Point for me! Shh! Sorry.

5. How many siblings do you have and do they like you? None that I know of. When I was younger, I often wished for a sibling. There is hardly anyone near my age in Dilean, and I was usually without a playmate. I recall lying awake at night, singing Kesia's prophecy to myself and wishing that the two mentioned in the song were myself and my sibling. But it was only a dream.

6. How many pets do you have? What are they and what are their names? One; she is a magnificent, pure white mare. Her name is Brina, which means "white" in the elven language.

7. Can you dance? Sing? Fight? I absolutely detest dancing and am not very skilled at it. Singing I enjoy sometimes, and I have been told that I have a fairly decent voice. I didn't know that. Well, obviously, you neglected to listen to Madam Connin at my last music lesson. So? Who listens to her anyway? I understand your meaning, Kiri, but you're breaking your promise again. Oops! Sorry! Fighting is something new to me, as I have only been involved in a few skirmishes. I am a excellent shot with the bow, but when it comes to swords and knives, I am almost useless.

8. How many adventures have you gone on? One... so far. Although I may wish for the comforts of home, I suspect that adventures will not stay away from my door. It is impossible for me to avoid them.

9. You enjoyed them? Right? Define "enjoyed." I enjoyed my adventure to the extent of meeting new friends, tasting new foods, seeing new lands, etc. However, I could very well do without the endless days on the road, the dark intruders in the night, the wild beasts, and the malicious men intent on my capture.

10. Can you hop on one foot? Is this a sensible question? I deem not. Hopping on one foot is a rather easy occupation, but not one that I would call a worthwhile hobby.

11. How many languages do you speak? One, the common tongue of Kesia. It is the common tongue for most of the kingdoms and countries surrounding us. The language I am trying to learn and long to learn is that of the Elves. It is a complicated, beautiful language, and it is my utmost desire to be able to speak it fluently.

I have no wish to tag eleven people as I know not eleven people on this thing Kiri calls the internet. As this is my first time to be a part of it, I will forego the tag and questions to others. I hope you don't mind. 

And I'm back! Sorry about the interruptions; usually when I make a promise, I never, ever break that promise. Ever. I just couldn't help coming in with some side comments. *ahem*

These questions came from Bekah over at Heart of Ink! Thanks for tagging me, Bekah! I know I've said this before, but I really do enjoy answering all these questions! :)

Oh, and by the way, these questions also came with the lovely Liebster Award! So, again, thanks, Bekah, for the award!!

Rules:

1. You must post eleven random facts about yourself.

2. You must also answer the eleven questions the awarder has given you and make up eleven questions for your awardees to answer in turn.

3. Tag eleven fellow bloggers. 

4. Notify them that you've awarded them.

5. No tagging back.

6. The eleven blogs you tag must have less than 200 followers.

Those eleven, lucky girls that I tagged in my first elevensies tag, consider yourselves the latest recipients of the Liebster Blog Award! Congrats, and please enjoy it! And no, I will not require you to answer eleven questions as I already gave you eleven questions in the first post.

I wasn't going to fill out the eleven random facts, but as I sat here, thinking that I would skip it, random facts came to me, so I'm going to do them. 

1. The last two days have been utterly miserable for me.

2. Why? Because I've been sick.

3. That's why you haven't seen me on blogger or anywhere online recently.

4. Yep, I had the entire package: a fever that lasted two days with alternate fits of sweats and freezes, sore throat, coughing, runny nose, ear aches, headaches, aches everywhere aches could be found, itchy eyes that threatened to go into conjunctivitis, etc.

5. I passed the time listening to the dramatized Narnia series by Focus on the Family. Love the Radio Theatre! 

6. Their dramatized Christmas Carol is really good, too!

7. Today I'm feeling much better (praise the Lord!!), and in light of what's happening tonight (see fact #8), I have been taking as much medicine as my dad has allowed me.

8. Our church is hosting a Pie and Cider Fellowship tonight, and in addition to our church family being there and some other good friends, my dad/pastor also invited another church to join us for some pie and fellowship.

9. I'm really looking forward to it! 

10. Because I love cider and pie!

11. My favorite pies are the following: blueberry, peach, pumpkin, and chocolate pudding. I can no longer eat the chocolate pudding pie due to allergies, but I still love it.

Bekah's eleven questions:

1. Hunger Games or Harry Potter? Neither. Hunger Games is a whole can of worms that I haven't addressed here on my blog yet, but I do not approve of the violent theme and immoral activity within the series. Harry Potter, however, I have spoken of, mainly in my big magic post. I cannot read/watch HP in good faith because it is witchcraft. There's actually more reasons than that why I don't do HP, but we'll leave it at that for now.

2. Lord of the Rings or Narnia? Umm... both! I don't think I could choose between them!

3. Movies or books? Books. Although movies are fun, if I had to chose only one, I'd go with books.

4. What kind of music do you listen to when you write, if any? Mostly soundtracks. And some classical. I would listen to more musicals, but I've found that when I put on songs with words, I tend to start singing and neglect writing. Yeah... (sheepish grin). So, it's easier to write with just the orchestra in the background. Some of my favorite writing music: HTTYD, the instrumental pieces from Tangled, Journey to the Center of the Earth (2008), The Chronicles of Narnia, some of The Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, and Gettysburg. Other specific songs include Page 47 from National Treasure, Main Title from Fireproof, and Alice's Theme from Alice in Wonderland (2011). Please note that I don't endorse all these movies. 

5. Winter or summer? Winter. I love the snow, and I would much rather be cold than hot!

6. Cursive or print? I find it easier to write in cursive. I've kept a daily journal (emphasis on the word daily) since August of 2008, and it's faster for me to write in cursive than print. However, when I'm writing poetry, I usually write that in all caps print.

7. Keyboard or writing by hand? Depends on what I'm writing. Stories and novels? Definitely keyboard. Poems and essays and shorter pieces? Usually by hand.

8. If the villain from your favorite movie/book series right now came walking through your front door as you're reading this question, what would you do? Me: "You're s'posed to be dead!" Villain: "Am I not?" Actually, that villain would happen to be Sauron from LOTR, and he technically doesn't have legs so he can't walk... where am I trying to go with this?

9. Mexican or Chinese food? Mexican. Chinese food, unfortunately, has an over abundance of soy.

10. Cake or ice cream? Ice cream, if we're just talking plain here. Frozen cake, if we go a bit deeper. I love frozen cake! And yes, I'm one of those rare people who enjoy eating cake with a spoon and ice cream with a fork. I don't know why, but I just do.

11. Candy or chips? Chips, chips, chips!! I've never been a fan of candy, but I have heard many times said by my mother that our family could not survive without chips. We're a huge chip-eating family!

Thanks for reading and God bless!

Beautiful Lands - Dron

Anne-girl is holding a Writer's Conference over at Scribblings of my pen and tappings of my keyboard! And for the first workshop, we've been instructed to dig into the Beautiful People archives, and answer the questions based on your fictional country. 

For this and to help get me in the mood for NaNo (which I hope to participate in and add another 50K words onto Children of a Legend), I've chosen Dron, the fictional country in my story CoaL. 

There aren't any big cities located in the
mountains, but this picture just looks
very Dron to me with its gray landscape.

What is their biggest accomplishment? Dron's biggest accomplishment is probably that of having a mostly united country. It's a rather large country, having both plains and prairies and mountains and cliffs, and the people tend to be diverse, but the government is strong. For the most part, everyone living in Dron recognizes the rule of the king/lord in the capitol city, Marndid. Note I said "for the most part."

What is one of their strongest childhood memories? Dron has many memories, the strongest being mostly of the Dragon Tamer. It wasn't that long ago from the present day that the Dragon Tamer first rose up in opposition against the iron rule of Lord Vernd. The many battles that came out of that opposition the land remembers too well. The people, encouraged by Lord Vernd, forget the fighting and the dragons that stayed at the Tamer's side, but there are those who have not completely forgotten those times. 

What is their favorite food? Dron, because of its many peoples, has a diversity of foods. While many struggle to put even the smallest amount of it on their tables, not many people see it as their main love. Food is for survival, not for recreation. However, food is to be enjoyed, so the quality of each meal tends to be high.

Do they believe in love at first sight? Dron isn't romantic; I would not recommend it as a possible honeymoon location. Is love at first sight possible? Yes, but not many people would be looking for it when they were struggling to fight and survive.

What kind of home do they live in? Everything ranging from farmhouses, tiny hovels, stone town homes, and old manors and castles. 

What do they like to wear? Dron's plains tend to be warmer, while the mountain regions harbor freezing chills that scare away its inhabitants. In the prairies, plain clothing suited for work and living is handed down from one person to another, mended whenever a hole appears in the weave, and covered over with vests and jackets of leather. In the mountains, very, very few people stay to brave the cold, but their clothing would be more fur to keep them warm.

What would they do if they discovered they were dying? If Dron died, the land would be devastated from wars, ruined beyond any hope of recovery. The animals would flee the country in search of better living, and the people wouldn't be long behind in following. 

What kind of holidays, or traditions do they celebrate? I actually haven't assigned any holidays to Dron... currently. I have thoughts for a few special days and traditions in the works, but I haven't written about any of them... yet. But Lord Vernd would definitely support a holiday as long as it was in his favor and gave him a positive boost among the people.

What do your other characters have to say about them? Dron doesn't think much of the countries around her. Indeed, there aren't that many around her at all. Dron is located on a peninsula with maybe one or two smaller countries located where she touches the mainland. Because Dron is so large, her neighbors feel that it is safer to ignore her, unless doing so jeopardizes their own safety.  

If they could change one thing in their world, what would it be? The unrest. With the Dragon Tamer's location and status unknown, Lord Vernd is anxious to find the Tamer and be rid of him. The peasants are tired of the iron hand that pushes down on top of them, forcing them to give up most of their work to Vernd. Dron may look peaceful on the surface, but underneath lies a thick layer of unrest.

God bless!

All About Elevensies

I've been tagged by Nessima Tavariel! And this is a tag all about elevensies. If you don't believe me, read the rules.

Rules
- If you are tagged/nominated, you must post eleven facts about yourself.

- Then, you must answer the eleven questions the tagger has given you and make eleven questions for the people you are going to tag.

- Next, tag eleven more bloggers.

- Tell the people you tagged that you have tagged them.

- No tagging back

See? Lots of elvensies. 

~ My Random Facts ~

1. Music is one of the biggest factors in my analysis of movies. If the music isn't good, I don't like the movie. If the music is amazing, I tend to love that movie. Hence, why I like HTTYD so much. There are some parts in the script that could have been left out, but the music (with the exception of the end credits song) is fantastic!

2. I know some of you may not want to hear this one, but I am NOT a fan of Doctor Who. Really. I mean, come on, a doctor that gets reincarnated every decade or so? Don't you find that a little weird? 

3. I'm not a big clothes person. I like to wear modest and comfortable, even though what I'm wearing might have been in style 10 years ago. I usually don't keep up with the latest fashion craze.

4. And on that note, I'm also not a big shoe person. I prefer barefeet over everything. Heels must be at most 2 inches high and thick. Those spindle heels, frankly, just scare me.

5. I love jello. Totally epic win!

6. Glitter is my worst enemy. Especially when I unknowingly pick up something with glitter on it and then later find glitter all over my hands, face, clothes, etc.

7. I am extremely sad that the New York Yankees didn't make it into the World Series this year. Guess #28 will have to wait...

8. I love ponchos!

9. I'm nearsighted. I used to have glasses that I had to wear while watching TV from across the room, during church, (i.e. any time I had to see long distances), but was told recently that my eyes have somewhat improved so I don't need to wear them anymore. 

10. I'm 19 years old and I still don't have a driver's license. But I'm not worried about it. Right now, there's nothing I need a car for.

11. Being allergic to chocolate isn't so bad most of the time, but the toughest time to have that allergy is at Christmas, when everyone starts baking scrumptious, chocolaty treats. Let me tell you... I really, really miss eating white chocolate covered Oreos with crushed peppermint on top.

~ Questions from Nessima ~

1. If you lived in Middle-earth, what would you most likely be employed as (i.e. stable hand in Rohan, musician for the elves of Lothlorien, Ranger of Ithilien, a baker in Hobbiton, librarian in Minas Tirith, etc, etc, etc...)? Although all of those jobs sound amazing, I would most likely end up as a musician in Lothlorien. I love music and I love elves, so that works out perfectly. 

2. You're sent to Mordor to destroy the Ring; you can take with you anyone you want, real or fictional.  Who is it? I don't think that I could pick out a better fellowship than the one Tolkien picked out for Frodo. Well, maybe I'd change a few characters, so here's a list: Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli, Gandalf, Sam, Merry, Pippin, Eowyn, and Faramir from LOTR; probably some of the Pevensies from Narnia, as well as Reepicheep; my siblings and cousins would want to come along whether I would want them to or not (which I would want them to join me); there's a whole lot more I could add to this list, but it's already way too long. So much for going inconspicuously. 

3. If Tolkien had bothered to write you into LOTR as a member of The Fellowship, how long would you have survived? I would flatter myself to think that I would have survived until the very end, but I doubt my skill as a warrior. I would end up being one of those loved characters who died in Helm's Deep or Pelennor Fields after the battle, surrounded by dear friends. 

4. Which of the swords in LOTR would you most like to own? All of them! Oh, I can only pick one? Dash it all! Fine. Legolas's elven knives. 

5. On a scale of 1 to 10, how excited are you for The Hobbit? Ummm.... 10!!!!!!!! But I have to wait for it to come out on DVD before I can watch it. 

6. What is a particularly odd skill you possess? I can whistle really loud. Can that be an odd skill?

7. If you could be in an episode of any TV show, which one would it be? If we're talking all TV shows, then I'd choose one like Little Dorrit, because it is, in fact, a TV show. If we're going to American TV shows, I'd go with... I really don't know. My family doesn't have television so I don't watch shows much. Maybe Andy Griffith...

8. Why is a raven like a writing desk? Purple, because aliens wear hats.

9. What's the last book you read?  Was it Good?  Not so good?  A Tale of Two Cities by Chalres Dickens. I enjoyed it, but it wasn't my favorite Dickens. Sorry, guys.

10. What are some words that people often use to describe you with? Quiet, clever, talented, a hard nut to crack, fun... and no, I'm not making these up. I've heard them all and more I can't remember. 

11. Something(s) you just really hate?  Go on.  Rant. Oh, I hate/despise/detest/dislike a lot of things. But I don't usually rant about them. Like...
Harry Potter.
Boston Red Sox.
Music that's noise, not music.
Hunger Games.
Short skirts.
Off-color remarks in movies.
Hot climates.
Eggplant... it's kinda gross.
Flirting.
Raw onions.
Hot peppers... especially when the oil gets in my eyes.
Dirty tissues on the floor.
Having a headache.
And so on...

~ My eleven questions ~ 

1. What is your third favorite color?

2. If you could rewrite any scene from any book, which one would it be and why?

3. Would you rather live in a old palace, a cottage in the woods, a pirate ship, or a underground burrow?

4. How do you pronounce the word "often?" Off-ten? Or Off-fen?

5. What is your favorite holiday film?

6. If you had a book (any book including a cookbook or a research book) published, what would be featured on the cover?

7. Where would your dream home be located?

8. If there was no such thing as tea or coffee in this world, what hot drink(s) would you consume?

9. What one song describes your life/day/mood? 

10. Peanut butter cookies, snickerdoodles, or gingerbread men?

11. What is something you absolutely love right now?

~ Who I tag ~
Beth Grace
Jessa Bri
Kathryn
Miss Melody
Amy Dashwood
Kristin
Miss Elizabeth
Kendra
Hayden
Aidyl Ewoh
Marissa
God bless!

Writing Tag Of Phenomenal Dimensions

I discovered this writing tag recently over at Kendra's blog and then followed the link back to Anne-girl's blog and then again followed the link back to Jessica's blog. After reading all three posts in full (yes, I said "in full" and yes, I know there's 75 questions in this tag, so there's your phenomenal dimensions), I knew I was hooked and had to fill it out for myself. 

I thought about doing it for multiple stories, but then decided that it would be enough just to focus on Children of a Legend, so all the questions are based on that story. If I feel like it later, maybe I'll do it again for another story. Maybe. :)

So, let's begin!

1. What’s your word count? Currently stands at 102,028 words.

2. How long until you finish? I have no idea. I would like to finish the first rough draft before New Years, but I'm not sure how that's gonna go considering how much more of the story there's still left to write.

3. If you have finished, how long did it take you? Far from finished, my friends! I began writing Children of a Legend back in April of this year, and we'll see how long it will take to finish it.

4. Do you have an outline? Not organized with all the details, but I have a page of plot written down and I know where I'm going. For the most part.

5. Do you have a plot? Yep. Didn't you read that last question about my writing an entire page of plot out?

6. How many words do you typically write a day? On a typical day? Honestly, hardly any. I've really only worked on it during my two NaNo challenges, and averaged about 1700-2000 words per day for that. 

7. What was your greatest word count in one day? 3,076. Not a lot, I realize, but that's a lot to me when I was averaging 2,000 words a day back in June. 

8. What was your least impressive word count in one day? To repeat Anne-girl: 0. Real impressive, right?

9. What inspired you to write? What inspired me to write? A love of words and writing in general. What inspired me to write this story? A combination of a kid's movie that my family watched and a dream I had later halfway based on that movie. Crazy, huh?

10. Does your novel have a theme song? The song that plays endlessly through my head is Forbidden Friendship from HTTYD.

11. Assign each of your major characters a theme song. Is it wrong to assign them all from the HTTYD CD? I really like that CD, and each song fits almost perfectly into the personality of each character.
Davin: Forbidden Friendship
Brice: See You Tomorrow
Rayne: Coming Back Around
Grant: Test Flight
etc. etc. I can't give up all my characters!

12. Which character is most like you? Hmm... that's tough. Probably Davin. Even though he's a boy, I can see some of my characteristics coming out in him.

13. Which character would you most likely be friends with? All of them! Well, almost all of them. I don't know that I would want to be friends with Lord Vernd, Mal Sorcell, Krunnerus, and those like them, but I would definitely want to know Davin and his group.

14. Do you have a Gary-Stu or Mary Sue character? I'm lost... what?

15. Who is your favorite character in your novel? Bricentus Holloman!

16. Have your characters ever done something completely unexpected? Yes! Brice did something I hadn't expected him to do, and Rayne walked onto the pages of the story with ah... something that I hadn't even planned on giving her. 

17. Have you based any of your novel directly on personal experiences? Again... yes.

18. Do you believe in plot bunnies? I like plot bunnies! :)

19. Is there magic in your novel? No.

20. Are any holidays celebrated in your novel? I really haven't thought of holidays. Hmm... I should try to incorporate something like that.

21. Does anyone die? Umm... yes. I won't give you any names, but there is death. I have battles and fights and wars... death is unavoidable. 

22. How many cups of coffee/tea have you consumed during your writing experience? I drink neither coffee nor tea. I find both rather disgusting and leave my warm liquid consumption to only hot lemonade and hot apple cider. 

23. What is the latest you have stayed up writing? Just past midnight, so if you wanted a specific time that would be about 12:30 or so. 

24. What is the best line? Best written line? If Davin had known the reason for his father's apprehension, if he had interpreted his hesitation differently, if he had only a small glimpse of reality and what lay before them, he would have wished the road to  town to continue endlessly without ever reaching a destination. Or best happiest line? Rayne's chin trembled, though her happy expression never wavered. “I've waited so long for this day, Davin. I can't believe you're finally here! My brother! My own, dear brother!” She stepped forward and wrapped him in a warm embrace. Davin returned the gesture, letting his tears flow unbidden onto Rayne's shoulder.

25. What is the saddest line? And sliding down the side of the door, Davin lay in a heap on the floor and finally allowed his body to succumb to the sobs he could no longer hold back. -- Not necessarily sad just read like that, but it's a big part of the story. 

26. Have you dreamed about your novel or its characters? I dreamed about them before I began the story, but I haven't dreamed about them since I began writing. 

27. Does your novel rely heavily on allegory? Not heavily, but there is some allegory involved in the sense that I have ideas, subplots, etc. based on a famous biblical story. Which one? Oh, fine, I'll tell you: Joshua.

28. Summarize your novel in under fifteen words. "Believing a legend is one thing. Becoming the son of a legend is something totally different." That's the summary I wrote for CoaL on my stories page, and yes!! I know it's 16 words, but that really doesn't matter, right?

29. Do you love all your characters? I love writing about them. I love imagining them and then following them on their adventures. I love relishing feelings of sympathy, dislike, etc. for them. Do I love each one like a sibling or friend? No, not really. 

30. Have you done something sadistic or cruel to your characters specifically to increase your word count? *ahem* Yes. Guilty. 

31. What was the last thing your main character ate?  I'm not exactly sure what Davin ate last. He didn't tell me. But I can say that currently, Davin is at a table awaiting a fine meal of chicken and dumplings at an inn in Yartella. 

32. Describe your main character in three words. Davin in three words? Hmm... Dragon Tamer's son. Three words? See? Fine. Three other words: selfless, dedicated, and worried.

33. What would your antagonist dress up as for Halloween? I don't celebrate Halloween, so I doubt any of my characters would either. 

34. Does anyone in your story go to a place of worship? Davin worships the one true God of Dron, but I don't think I've written about him worshiping in a specific place.

35. How many romantic relationships take place in your novel? I'm not much on romance, especially writing about it, but somehow I can't help it. Two of my characters decide they're perfect for each other and tell me they're going to get married, whether I want them to or not. I can't control my characters. I really don't write about romance, but I can't stop the relationships forming against my better judgement. How many relationships? At the moment, there are one or two that I'm aware of or have suspicions of.

36. Are there any explosions in your novel? Explosions... hmm... none right now, but maybe. 

37. Is there an apocalypse in your novel? No.

38. Does your novel take place in a post-apocalyptic world? No.

39. Are there zombies, vampires or werewolves in your novel? Big NO!

40. Are there witches, wizards or mythological creatures/figures in your novel? Nope.

41. Is anyone reincarnated? No, I don't believe in reincarnation.

42. Is anyone physically ailed? Yes.

43. Is anyone mentally ill? No one that I'm aware of. But there could be. Someone waltzed in and told me he/she was blind, so someone could just as easily waltz in and tell me that they're mentally not all there. It's very possible. 

44. Does anyone have swine flu? I don't think they even know what swine flu is. Someone does get Pepper's fever, though. When I write fantasy, I tend to make up my own illnesses. 

45. Who has pets in your novel and what are they? The six children of the Tamer all have a dragon. Since the dragons themselves don't really give anything away, I'll give you their names: Pennar Greenspike, Scarlet Broadwing, Borlo Goldtalon, Netsrik Firehorn, Azulla Clawbane, and Quinessa Violettail. Other dragons include Essore Midnight, Hreg Bloodson, Silver Airress, and Cren Bluepaw. You're allowed to guess what color each of the dragons are. 

46. Are there angels, demons, or any religious references/figures in your novel? No, unless you count the references to the specific Bible story that I mentioned before. 

47. How about political figures? Yes.

48. Is there incessant drinking? No, not incessant drinking. There is some consumption of alcohol, but it is always viewed in a bad light.

49. Are there board games? If so, which ones? Don't know. Most of my characters don't have time to play board games. Maybe I should invent one.

50. Are there any dream sequences? None that I know of at the moment, but that doesn't mean there won't be one. I don't usually plan dream sequences; they tend to sneak up on me.

51. Is there humor? Oh, yes!

52. Is there tragedy? Yup.

53. Does anyone have a temper tantrum? I haven't written any tantrums yet, but I know of one or two characters who might have a tantrum later on.

54. How many characters end up married at the end of your novel? I can't tell. I know at least one person will end up married whether I want them to or not, but other than that, who knows?

55. Is anyone in your novel adopted? In a weird sense, yes. It's complicated.

56. Does anyone in your novel wear glasses? Not any main characters, but I may have written in some minor characters at a university as having glasses.

57. Has your novel provided insight about your life? I think so.

58. Your personality? Umm... probably yes again.

59. Has your novel inspired anyone? Maybe... 

60. How many people have asked to read your novel? Quite a few actually. I've had a bunch of volunteer editors.

61. Have you drawn any of your characters? No! I'm a terrible artist!

62. Has anyone drawn your characters for you? No.

63. Does anyone vomit in your novels? Yes.

64. Does anyone bleed in your novel? Um, a fantasy book with battles and journeys? Yes!

65. Do any of your characters watch TV? They know not the meaning of this word "TV."

66. What size shoe does your main character wear? Davin? I would imagine he's about the same size as my dad: 9.

67. Do any of the characters in your novel use a computer? Nope. Why would fantasy characters in a medieval world use a computer?

68. How would you react if your novel was erased entirely? Cry. A lot. But do my best to trust that God had a reason for it.

69. Did you cry at killing off any of your characters? Let's just say I haven't cried yet.

70. Did you cheer when killing off one of your characters? Nope. Haven't killed any of those kind yet.

71. What advice would you give to a fellow writer? Write. Repeat. You can only get better with practice.

72. Describe your ending in three words. Dramatic, intense, and magnificent. I hope. I haven't written it yet, so we'll see.

73. Are there any love triangles, squares, hexagons, etc.? None that I know of. I would guess probably not, but then again, I'm not in control of my characters. 

74. On a scale of 1-10 (1 being the least stressful, 10 being the most) how does your stress rank? While I'm writing... I'm only really stressed if I'm doing NaNo and my word count is behind. I get frustrated sometimes when I can't get a sentence or paragraph to sound the way I want it to sound.

75. Was it worth it? Was what worth it? Filling out this tag? Yes, it was fun. I love tags. Writing CoaL? I love writing it now, and one day I hope that it will be well worth the effort and time I put into it.

Thank you all of you who made it all the way to end! Aw, you're welcome! :)

God bless!