Around The World In Eighty Days With Kiri

Hayden of The Story Girl is hosting an Around the World in 80 Days Blog Party! Be sure to stop by her blog and check it out! 


My answers to her questions:


1. Have you ever read Around the World in 80 Days, or any other books by Jules Verne? If not, do you plan to? Don't be mad at me... but I've only read an abridged version of Around the World in 80 Days. Hold on! Before you throw any rotten vegetables, this is my defense: At present, I'm reading through all of Dickens' works as well as The Scarlet Pimpernel. Jules Verne books are on my next to read list. Satisfied? 


2. It's your turn to travel around the world! But you can only visit one country on each continent (excluding Antartica). Which do you choose? One country on each continent? Dash it all! I was hoping to visit more than one! Oh, well....
Asia... Israel. And yes, that's in Asia!
Africa... I'm not too fond of Africa on the whole, but I'd have to be redundant and say Egypt. 
North America... Does visiting all fifty states count? Because someday I'd love to see them all! And fine, if it doesn't qualify... Canada. ;)
South America... Argentina. I'd love to see the Andes Mountains!
Europe... Not fair! I'd love to go on a whole European tour! England, France, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands... okay, okay, I'll pick just one: Sweden.
Australia... well, duh! Australia! One day I'll get out to the Outback!


3. What is your favorite "foreign" song? The national anthem of Canada... "Oh, Canada!" :) Or Londonderry Air... that's Irish.


4. Do you know your heritage? From which contry(s) does your family originate? I am German on my dad's side, and English on my mother's side. The result: Germish. And then there's Scandinavian, Scottish, American Indian, and a bunch of other stuff thrown in there. Yes, I am a melting pot. But mostly Germish.


5. What is your perferred method of travel? Any travel? :) *looks around* Flying!! On a dragon!! 


6. What is your favorite ethnic food? I love Italian foods... lasagna, spaghetti and meatballs, and pizza!!

Who doesn't love pizza??

7. If you had to choose one literary character to travel around the world with, who would it be? One literary character? Ooh, this is hard. One of many that I'd love to travel with would be Wealthy Stanhope from the A Life of Faith: Millie Keith series. Aunt Wealthy loves adventure, and everywhere she goes, there seems to follow fun and chances to be a witness for the Lord Jesus Christ. 


8. From kilts to kimonos, most countries have some form of traditional dress- of which would you be most willing to wear? Does medieval era costume count? Because I love the long dresses from that time! But if you insist, a more modern dress... I like the traditional Swedish type dress. Something like this...

And yes, I happen to have my own Kirsten Larson doll... and I love her!
I'd wear my hair in braids every day if I could make braids that looked that neat!

9. If you could speak any foreign language, what would it be? French. Definitely. 


10. What is your opinion on the subject of hot air balloons? They're full of hot air. They make people look down on other people. They wear flamboyant and ostentatious outfits..... Okay, I'll be serious! I want to ride in one! I love being up high!


11. Okay. Pick a country, any country. Now pick a piece of classic literature (fiction, please!). If that story took place in this other country, what would be different? A country? Kiribati (island nation in the South Pacific). A classic piece of literature? David Copperfield. What would be different? Wow! A lot of things! For one, it'd be a very small world and Steerforth wouldn't have run off with Em'ly because the chances of being caught were too great!


12. Choose five of your favorite authors (or just as many as you can)...each from a different country! Just five authors! *sighs* This could be difficult....
United States: Louisa May Alcott or Mark Twain
Ireland: C. S. Lewis (What? He was from Belfast!)
England: J. R. R. Tolkien or Jane Austen
Scotland: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle or Robert Louis Stevenson
Hungary: Baroness Orczy (Everyone else is saying she's from there...)


13. In Around the World in 80 Days, Phileas Fogg is accused of bank robbery. Of course, we know he didn't do it- but the book never explains who did. Who do you think robbed the bank? Theodore and Amos from The Apple Dumpling Gang. Though, how they successfully managed to accomplish that is beyond me!!

14. Does your church support any foreign missionaries? If so, tell a little about what countries they are from! The church we're currently in now is fairly new and we haven't been able to support any missionaries. However, one of the churches we previously went to supported quite a few! I've got missionary friends in New Zealand, Newfoundland, and the Marshall Islands, to name a few.


15. Time is running out! You only have a few days left to finish your journey! You're on the last leg of your trip, traveling through the American West by train, when suddenly Indians attack! What do you do? Call Sir Percy!! :) Or pray for strength and courage and try to think up a cunning scheme to save the people on the train (even if it involved crawling out the train window and gallivanting on top of the car).

A Review of Les Misérables

My sisters and I just watched Les Misérables: 25th Anniversary Concert!! And now at last, I see what all the fuss is about! Well, almost...


Now don't be mad at us if you are a 10th Anniversary Concert fan. The 25th Anniversary Concert was the one our hands lay hold of first after hearing all the Les Misérables rantings and the excessive praise from the wonderful blogging world. We won't mention any names or *cough* blog parties, but this had a lot to do with it. :)

Les Misérables is the story of a man who can't escape from his past, a young couple who fear they may never be together, and a revolution that seems destined for failure. There's also the plight of a mother caring for her little daughter, as well as as an innkeeper seeking riches and a persistent policeman bent on what he sees as justice.


So, my thoughts? Here they are (and I start with the cons just so I can end everything on a good note... no pun intended... ).


Disliked:


- The immoral behavior and adult themes. Get ready, because this was really big. I realize they made the plot, but it made the whole thing very dark. I would not recommend showing the concert to children. The immoral behavior was not shown as being extremely bad, instead the audience was encouraged to feel pity on those who had done wrong (indicating Fantine here). Characters who perished during the course of the concert called upon the Lord God with their last breaths, but they spoke of the Savior as more of a benevolent father rather than their eternal judge. God can, and does, forgive sinners, but I felt the confessions sung were focused more on themselves and their sin than on the mercy of Christ. Yes, I acknowledge that our world is full of sin and immorality, but, as Christians, why must we dwell on it and repeatedly allow ourselves to take part in viewing it? So, again, the immorality and adult themes were a huge drawback. Considering all that was included in the concert, I could not recommend Les Misérables to anyone in good faith. "Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication... who knowing the judgement of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them." (Romans 1: 29-32)

- The profanity. We watched the concert on my laptop which, I regret, does not have a parent guardian. Every time foul language crossed the screen, my sisters and I cringed and covered our ears. Not a very pleasant thing to do when we wanted to enjoy the concert. And there were very many cuss and curse words and inappropriate terms included in the songs. Very objectionable. "Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth." (Ephesians 4:29)

- Some costumes. A few of the ladies could have worn higher necklines. Ugh. "That women adorn themselves in modest apparel." (1 Timothy 2:9)

- The ridiculous love triangle. I'm not a huge fan of romance anyway, but the whole Éponine loves Marius who loves Cosette who loves Marius and Éponine is left alone to die thing got to be a bit much. Sure, it's a musical and they have to drum the drama up and all, but I'd rather not see it all. And the kissing? I highly disapprove. "It is good for a man not to touch a woman." (1 Corinthians 7:1)

- The progression of the plot. It was hard to follow due to being so twisted and everything sung instead of spoken. Nothing against singing, of course, but it was difficult to understand everything that was going on. While watching it, my sisters and I had to keep checking the plot line on Wikipedia so we could get what had just happened.

- The number of deaths. Yes, it was during a war with battles and all that, but seriously! How many people can you kill off in one concert? We counted over five main characters, not including all the men at the barricade. In addition, there was Javert's suicide. Not commendable, and quite disgusting. And no, my sisters and I did NOT tear up at any death scenes. We're not that emotional. 

- The "expressionlessness" of Marius (Nick Jonas). And you would think a character like Marius would be bursting with emotions like... well, like Marianne Dashwood! But that's my opinion...

- The Thénardiers. The innkeeper and his wife were definitely not people you would root for. *shivers* Reminded me of Rigaud from Little Dorrit. But I guess this was a good dislike... if that's possible.

Liked:

- The MUSIC!! How can I express my delight? The music was phenomenal!! It really made the concert!!! My favorite songs included "I Dreamed A Dream," "Bring Him Home," "Do You Hear the People Sing?," "One Day More," "Red and Black," etc. etc. Chills running up and down my arms!!!

- The incredible cast. I admit that there could be some better characters in the 10th, but many of the 25th were outstanding! 

- The incredible voices. I think Norm Lewis's (Javert) and Ramin Karimloo's (Enjolras) were my favorite voices. Alfie Boe as Jean Valjean was excellent, too, but I've heard almost everyone prefers Colm Wilkinson. As I have not yet seen him in concert, I will wait to pronounce my favorite Jean Valjean. There was a time (yes, I'm playing the music in my head) when I thought Lea Salonga's voice was too heavy for "I Dreamed A Dream," but she managed it very well, and I retracted the thought.

- Gavroche. I just had to include him. Although left on the street alone, he did quite well fending for himself and helping Enjolras, Marius, and the students out as best he could. I was almost sorry when he died. 

Final Thoughts: 

Rating: 2 out of 5 stars

Did I enjoy Les Misérables? To a point. Music... good. Just about everything else... not good.

Would I watch Les Misérables again? Probably not. The dislikes way outweigh the likes.

Would I recommend it to my friends? Again, no. 

Please comment! I'd love to hear your thoughts on Les Misérables!

Please note: This review is not intended to bring offense to anyone. It is only my personal opinion and beliefs. 

Jumping On the Bandwagon... Time For My Tags!

Yes! I'm jumping on the bandwagon and participating in this tag question thingummy (actually, I'm not 100 percent sure what it is). I've had so much fun reading everyone else's answers, and now I've decided that it's high time for my answers. Enjoy! 


My Twelve Literary Characters:

1. Lucy Pevensie

2. Peregrin (Pippin) Took

3. Millie Keith

4. Mr. Woodhouse

5. Margaret Dashwood

6. Legolas Greenleaf

7. Elizabeth Bennet

8. Reepicheep

9. Mrs. Hyacinth Gibson

10. Noel Bastable

11. Nancy Drew

12. Eowyn, Shieldmaiden of Rohan

1. Who would make a better college professor, 6 or 11? Would Legolas or Nancy make a better college professor? I doubt Nancy Drew (as portrayed by Bonita Granville) would hardly be up to the task of teaching at all, so I'd have to go with Legolas... as long as it was a class on archery or espionage or something of that sort.

2. 12 sends 8 out on a mission. What is it? Does it succeed? Eowyn sends Reepicheep out on a mission. Hmm... I suppose Eowyn wanted a helper, just to make sure her cover as a man went unnoticed before she went into the battle of Pelennor Fields.

3. What is, or what would be, 9’s favorite book?  Mrs. Gibson's favorite book? Probably one on hairstyles, fashion, and romance, without any vulgar proverbs!
 

4. Would it make more sense for 2 to swear fealty to 6 or the other way around? Pippin and Legolas... hmm, both from the same movie! Both swear fealty to Frodo at Rivendell and Pippin later swears fealty to Gondor and Denethor, but they never swore fealty to each other. Would they? Most likely, though Legolas would probably go first.

5. Number 5 is looking for a roommate. Should she room with 4 or 12? Margaret Dashwood would definitely prefer rooming with Eowyn over Mr. Woodhouse!! She would rather take the swords and oliphants any day over no cake and reprehensibly open windows. 

6. 2, 7, and 12 are going out to dinner. Where are they going, and what do they discuss?  Pippin, Elizabeth, and Eowyn go out to dinner. At Pippin's suggestion, they would go to a buffet where he could get as many pints (of ice cream) that he wanted. The discussion between Pippin and Eowyn would most likely be memories of the War, while Elizabeth would bring along her favorite book to improve her mind.

7. 3 challenges 10 to a duel. Who wins? Millie challenges Noel to a duel. Not certain why a sweet Christian girl like Millie would want to fight, but the winner... I don't know. Millie shot a bear, but Noel would be more strategic and motivated to prove himself worthy of a princess. So, I'd have to go with Noel.

8. If 1 stole 8’s most precious possession, how would s/he get it back? Lucy stole Reepicheep's most precious possession... again, from the same movie! Reep's most precious possession would be his tail, but I don't think Lucy could steal that! Second, she'd have to go for his sword, but she wouldn't steal it without good reason, and Reep would only have to ask for it back.

9. Suggest a story title in which 7 and 12 both attain what they want.  Waiting For My True Love .... In both stories, both girls have to wait for the man they eventually marry... Lizzy for Mr. Darcy and Eowyn for Faramir. It would be an inspirational story for girls to be cautious as to how they give their hearts away.

10. What kind of plot device would you have to use to get 1 and 4 to work together? Lucy and Mr. Woodhouse working together? That would be interesting. I suppose if the cake went missing, Mr. Woodhouse would commission Lucy to find it and make sure no one ate it.

11. If 7 visited you for the weekend, how would it go? Elizabeth for a visit? Yay! It would be so fun! Though for half of the time we'd read, and the other half we'd walk about our grounds wishing we were both at Pemberley (we have a smallish yard).

12. If you could command 3 to perform any service or task for you, what would it be? What would I command Millie Keith to do? I'd probably ask her to pray for me, to be a close friend, and to encourage and lecture me as she saw fit. And then I'd ask her to make me an emerald green silk ball gown that could double as a Robin Hood outfit.

13. If 2 had to choose sides between 4 or 5, what side would s/he choose?  Pippin has to choose between Margaret and Mr. Woodhouse. Mr. Woodhouse would be my first choice considering he and Pip both enjoy the comforts of home, but Margaret might need Pip to go a swabbin' for her, so that's the direction he would go.

14. What might 10 shout out while charging into battle? Noel Bastable's battle cry? "How I weep to see!" (Part of his poetry that would describe the battle's aftermath)

15. If you had to choose a song to best describe 8, what would it be? Haha! Reepicheep does have a theme song, but unfortunately, there aren't any words. But "Watch Your Footwork" would fit... Reep may look small and fragile, but watch out! He's got dynamite up his sleeve (or... fur?). :)

16. 1, 6, and 12 are having a dim sum at a Chinese Restaurant. There is only one scallion pancake left , and they all reach for it at the same time. Who gets it? Lucy, Legolas, and Eowyn in a Chinese restaurant... not sure why fantasy people would be there, but I'll suspend my disbelief for the sake of this question. If it was a matter of speed, hands down: Legolas. Have you seen that elf shoot arrows? But throw some thoughtfulness and kindness in there, and Legolas and Eowyn would give the pancake to Lucy because she's the youngest.

17. What would 5 most likely be arrested for? Margaret Dashwood arrested? Killing Willoughby after he broke Marianne's heart. I knew Edward shouldn't have taught her how to use a sword! 

18. What is 6’s secret? Legolas's secret? Holding a grudge against Tolkien for never writing him into The Hobbit.

19. If 11 and 9 were racing to a destination, who would get there first? Nancy Drew and Mrs. Gibson racing? I'd love to see that! Though, I've seen Nancy run, and I daresay she would far outpace Mrs. Gibson.

20. If you had to walk home through a bad neighborhood late at night, who would you be more comfortable walking with, 7 or 8?  Elizabeth or Reepicheep? Well, no offense, Miss Bennet, but in a bad neighborhood, I'd be much more comfortable with Reep at my side!!

June Crusade Questions & Answers

This month, for some of us writers here in the wonderful blogging world, is the month of the June Crusade over at Scribblings of my pen and tappings of my keyboard!! Yes, I know we're crazy, but we love writing, and this is just the sort of challenge that we enjoy! (At least, I hope I'm not alone in this...) :)


What is the name of your novel? Children of a Legend


Are you doing the book in a month challenge? You could say that, or you could not say that. I'm doing the write fifty thousand words in a month challenge. I wrote fifty thousand back in April when I began Children of a Legend and now I'm trying to finish the book.


Name your three main characters. Not fair! My story has six or seven main characters! Oh, okay, I'll try to pick three... Davin, Rayne, and Brice.


Give a basic summary of the plot line. Sort of like a back cover blurb. An eventful trip to the capital city of Marndid reveals secrets from the past and throws Davin on a journey he never expected to take. Now, as the hunted son of the legendary Dragon Tamer, Davin must hide from the eyes of Lord Vernd, search out each of his five siblings who were scattered across the kingdom eighteen years ago, and unite them and the dragons who have retreated from mankind in an epic battle against evil.


Which character is your favorite so far? Probably Brice. His real name is Bricentus Holloman, he's Davin's best friend, and he's got a wonderful sense of humor. :)


Do you believe in assigned word counts and deadlines, or just writing whenever you feel like it? Both. Well, I tell myself I believe in both. Most of the time I just write when I feel like it (a.k.a. writing when I find the time) but for NaNoWriMo, there has to be some decency and order to accomplish the fifty thousand word mark.


What's your book's theme song? Hmm... the song that keeps playing in my head as I write this story is Forbidden Friendship from the How to Train Your Dragon soundtrack. The song is absolutely beautiful, and I keep seeing Toothless as I write about Essore Midnight (my dragon). Please note: I don't wholeheartedly endorse HTTYD. 

What inspired you to write this? My inspiration? At the risk of being accused of insanity, I shall tell you... it was a joint effort from a kids' movie and a weirdish dream I had. The movie gave me this thought: a hero being pursued by a villain, and the hero having to find something and get somewhere before the villain caught him. Not very original, true. But then I dreamed a dream (yes, I am singing the song...) and this was thrown in: what if the hero had to find his six siblings first before going somewhere no one had gone before? 


Have ever read or seen Les Mis? I have neither read nor seen any Les Miserables things. I know about two songs from the production: I Dreamed A Dream and Bring Him Home. I recognize now from many recent blog posts by various blogs the names of characters and other songs from Les Miserables, and I'm sure soon I'll be wrapped up into watching it. Or them, as I've heard there's two adaptions of the concert and a new movie.


What author has inspired you the most? This is different than my favorite authors. I'd say that J. R. R. Tolkien, C. S. Lewis, E. Nesbit, Lousia May Alcott, etc. are my favorite authors, but the one author who I'd say has inspired me the most would have to be Beatrix Potter. Why? Have you never seen Miss Potter? Very inspirational movie for writers! Never give up even when everyone believes you to fail!

June Snippets

It's June and time again for Snippets of Story from Whisperings of the Pen!! I'm not including any yet from Children of a Legend (my current June Crusade/NaNoWriMo project) because May's Snippets were all from that story. I thought you'd like to get a glimpse of my other stories. :)

The two girls rounded a corner and there in front of them stood the palace. J heard B gasp as she took in the sight, and though J herself had seen it many times in her fifteen years, she, too, stopped for a moment in awe. Grey stoned and solid, the palace stood like a benevolent giant amidst the clumps of vacuous town homes and shops. Massive towers stretched to the skies, elegantly laced with ivy and roses. It was the perfect picture of grandeur.

But between them and grandeur marched a tall iron fence and a hundred of King Jakken's guards. J scowled. There would be no close glimpses of the new princess. The guards were strategically placed and the gate meticulously closed so that no one could get past them.

The Twelfth Kingdom

Leaving the door open, J darted to B's side and tenderly placed a hand on her cheek. It was like caressing fire. B thrashed around when J's hand touched her, completely throwing the holey blanket aside. J placed both hands on B's shoulders and tried to calm her friend.

“B! It's fine! It's me, Josette! Don't you know me? Princess?”

B groaned and shrugged off J's hands, oblivious to her cries.

“No, no!” J sobbed, trying to tuck the blanket around B's shaking frame. “B! Can you hear me? You will get better! You must get better! I need you!”

J was so focused on her friend that she never saw the shadow in the doorway, a shadow that rested on the door for only a moment and then disappeared.

The Twelfth Kingdom

Halidorn, the heavy guard sitting to the right of Jayn, appeared more interested in the apples in his hands than anything else. He had already polished off two red apples and was preparing to begin munching on a third. Halidorn carefully shined the apple on his sleeve and then eyed the fruit contemptuously.

Lianne saw Halidorn lean toward Jayn and say something. She rolled her eyes. He's probably asking Jayn for a knife to cut any bruises off.

Sure enough, Jayn produced a small knife, sighing as he did so, and Halidorn went to work carefully cutting a small discolored chunk out of the apple. Once the bruise had been removed, he examined the apple again before taking a bite. Food was Halidorn's greatest love, but he couldn't tolerate bruises or imperfections.

Lianne

 By this time, the rest of King Leroy's company had caught up to them. Lianne suppressed a smirk when she spotted her father's royal adviser and cousin, Azadon Taimenlore. Azadon inhabited a rather shortened form which looked very misplaced atop his large, black stallion. Complaining seemed to be his favorite pastime, and right now was no exception. Even from where she stood, Lianne could hear Azadon grumbling under his breath.

“Horrid weather; it ruined my good cloak.” He moaned as a stable hand helped him dismount. “Nothing but stale bread to eat. Nothing but treacherous waters to see. Nothing but dead fish to smell.”

Lianne

“Carl! Carl, where are you?” Tabby hollered as they staggered into the lobby.

An annoyed voice drifted out of the small office adjacent to the lobby. “I'm busy, cat girl! And for Pete's sake, don't yell. You'll disturb my guests.”

“As if you care!” Tabby shot back. “I brought you more guests!”

Carl's face immediately peeked around the door jam, his mouth stretched into a wide grin. “Well, why didn't you say so in the first place, Tabby?” His smile faded as his eyes took in the two strangers, one young, one old and unconscious, and both covered in blood.

“Tabby! You know my hotel is a fine establishment. I cannot take in filthy vagabonds from off of the street.” Carl shook his head. “No, my uncle did that, and it nearly drove him to ruin. I will not follow in his unsuccessful footsteps. Now, get them out of my lobby!” He turned to go back into the office.

“Wait!” The boy called out, digging in his pocket. He pulled his hand out and displayed a wad of bills. “I can pay you. How much?”

Carl's eyes gleamed when he saw the money. “Oh, let's not worry about the price now,” he said, walking forward swiftly. “We really must get a doctor to look at your companion. Gracious! She's out cold! Bob!” He bellowed, turning to the office. “Call a doctor! We have a poor woman here in need of medical attention!”

Tabby

"The Time Has Come," The Walrus Said, "To Keep Calm And Vote!"

The Disney/Pixar Keep Calm Contest is over! And now it's time to choose a winner! I've put up a poll on the side of my blog, so you all may vote for your two favorites! Yes, only two. I know, it's a hard choice, but I'm certain you all can pick just two favorites. And I've numbered the entries for easier voting. 

Beth Grace's entries:

1.

 2.

3.

Miss Elizabeth's entries:

4.

5.

6.

Jessa Bri's entries:

7.

8.

9.

Marissa's entries:

10.

11.

12.

Sarah's entries:

13.

14.

15.

Go ahead and vote! I'm eager to see your favorites! The poll closes June 9th at 10:00, so be sure to get your vote in! I'll be posting the winner sometime soon after that! 

Trust Me To Procrastinate...

I'm joining the June Crusade! You can find it here at Anne-girl's delightful blog, Scribblings of my pen and tappings of my keyboard. I'm sorry it took me so long to post about it, but I haven't had a chance until now. Yes, and I'm a terrible procrastinator. But only with certain things. Sometimes I am very punctual or even early. But in this case, I am guilty of procrastination.



Oh, and just so you know, another popular name for the June Crusade is Camp NaNoWriMo. This is what most of the world calls it. :)


Now, don't ask me why I'm doing NaNoWriMo in June, especially since I just did it in April (by the way, did you know that April isn't normally a NaNoWriMo month? It's normally called Script Frenzy where you write an 100 page script in 30 days. Interesting, eh?). Where was I? Oh, yes. I don't really know why I'm doing this again. Fifty thousand words in thirty days. Wow. Really wow. I know. Amazing. And difficult.

Well, I guess I could say that I'm doing it again to actually FINISH the novel I began in April. The fifty thousand words I put into Children of a Legend in April was only about the first part of the story. Yes, first part. As in, there's more to my book than simply fifty thousand words. I've heard people make remarks on how they are to fill a full fifty thousand in one book, lamenting that their story may not be long enough. Well, folks... I have just the opposite problem. I have so much story that I'm afraid I'll run out of time and paper before I run out of words.

And this month, not to sound self pitying here, I wonder if time will run out before I hit the golden mark. As it happens, June is the busiest month for my family probably out of the entire year. I done a "bit o' figurin'" and there may be a total of 10 days out of the 30 day month that I am away from home and unable to write. Epic fail! 

But will I let this bother me? Of course not! I shall still endeavor to fling myself at that shining goal and whether I stretch out and cling to it an a last valiant attempt or miss the mark and fall in failure is yet to be determined. If I succeed, I shall rejoice exceedingly with a great joy, and if I fail, I shall rejoice simply in the fact that I got more done on Children of a Legend. :)

So, what about you? Are you or a friend participating in the June Crusade? What do you think of this crazy writing business?