How NaNo Went

I'm not really sure what I was thinking this year. For four years, I ignored NaNo in order to complete my college studies. I missed it desperately, but there was absolutely no time to write 50K between homework assignments.

Once I graduated, I thought: Certainly, now I'll have more free time to write. And last year, that was more or less true. As a mother of a seven-month-old, I still had quite a bit distracting me, but my daughter was old enough where she could sit by herself and play while mommy wrote.

THIS YEAR. HOWEVER. My daughter is now one and a half years old, running everywhere, getting into everything, etc. etc. And then we also threw in a newborn on top of that. I was so happy our son arrived early (especially considering my wish to NOT give birth during NaNo), and since he would mostly sleep the first few weeks of his life NaNo would be a cinch, right?

Ha. No.

Let's just say newborns and NaNo really don't mix. There was VERY little sleep involved. I'm a stubborn, crazy idiot who thought she could write 50K while nursing a newborn and keeping up with a rambunctious 18 month old.

Oh yeah -- and get this. A week into the month, my husband started experiencing horrific stomach pain and had to go to the ER for emergency appendix surgery. I'm an extremely emotional person when it comes to the people I love, so the day of his surgery I wrote a grand total of 145 words. *shakes head* That kind of stress I don't handle well.

Thus, it was not an auspicious start to this NaNo. I was behind for most of the month, by about 6,000 words or so. There were days when it felt like I was pulling teeth to get even 500 words out, and all I wanted to do was to go to bed.

I did mention I was stubborn, right? In spite of everything, I didn't want to quit. How in the world could I call myself a decent writer if I didn't even TRY? I was NOT quitting. I ended up doing most of my writing between 10pm and midnight, which was when both of my kids were asleep. Thankfully, my husband was typically doing homework about the same time, so it was nice to have a buddy to work alongside of.

And then on November 29th, I finished my 50K.

After so much stress about writing, it was glorious to finish a whole day early. I'm still a little in shock that I finished.

My advice to those writing mommies out there: NaNo with a newborn really isn't the greatest idea. Unless you're way better with managing your time and making schedules than I am.

But how about the story?

I was working on The Twelfth Kingdom, one of my 12DP retellings. Initially, I began the month with 120K already written on the tale, and the 50K allowed it to grow up to 170K.

And it's still not finished.

My goal originally was to have the first draft of this story completed by Christmas. I doubt at this point that'll happen. So, right now, I'll be so happy if I can finish the book by the end of January. And hopefully wrap it up in NO MORE than 200,000 words. Secret of the Hazel Tree ended at 198K on the first draft, and I would be so happy to finish this book in fewer words.

Ha. We'll see.

But snippets, shall we? I don't think it's fair to drag you through the entire month of NaNo with me and not share a few snippets. Since it's closing in on the end of the book, much of what I wrote would be spoilers, so I'm afraid I have to be extremely picky when sharing these.

~*~

“But what about the shoes?” Bethjasmine asked. She had yet to wear out a pair, but Josette knew their governess’s tirade with the tattered slippers that morning had left a marked impression. “If we keep dancing, they’ll keep wearing out.” 

This time, no one wanted to bring up the option of dancing barefoot. As thin as the slippers themselves were, they were still a necessity when dancing underground. 

“Let them wear out,” Laris grumbled. “The king will keep paying for new ones, since we’ve got to have them. Rancune will be stumped that we’re improving. And Severamer can have a fit when she can’t figure out what’s going on. All of that makes me pretty happy.” 

Issie continued to hug her shawl. “That sounds awfully rebellious to me.” 

Aleevity shook her head. “Well, I never considered myself a rebel, but if this is what it takes to become one, I’m for it.” She caught the look in Nattalaris’s eyes and snapped on it. “And don’t you dare say anything about me agreeing with you. I promise you, it won’t happen again.” 

~*~

A movement of something dark caught the corner of his eye, and he looked towards it. “More coming in that direction, m’lord.” 

Waedan didn’t turn, but tossed his eyeglass at Tarren. “Tell me how many.” 

Tarren accepted the instrument. “It looks like another three regiments or so. Probably close to… Waedan!” The words caught in his throat as the eyeglass exposed the newest threat against Fort Kalt. “They’ve got ladders!” 

Waedan grabbed the eyeglass back. “Pere save us,” he breathed, looking at the black-garbed teams carrying the ladders through the snow. “They mean to breach us.”

~*~

At length, they went over a bump larger than normal, and Tarren nearly cried out as the wagon crashed down on the opposite side. 

“Wait! Stop the horses, A!” Roughly, he grabbed the side of the wagonbed with his left hand. “I’m walking for a bit.” He tumbled out a bit ungracefully, but thankfully didn’t embarrass himself by faceplanting on the road. 

Q leaped out behind him, wincing and rubbing his seat. “Coming with you, friend. I don’t think a body can manage much more of that.” He frowned up at A. “Are you deliberately driving over the biggest rocks and bumps?” 

A scowled from the driver’s seat. “Of course not! You two just have soft bottoms; that’s all. You’d think the time we spent at the fort would have toughened you up some.” 

Q only shook his head. “I still think you should have let me drive.” 

A’s hands tightened on the reins. “You always want to do everything!” 

“That’s because I do it right.” 

“I’m doing fine!” A retorted hotly. “I haven’t driven off a cliff like you said I would.”

“Yet!” 

~*~

Tarren felt his eyebrows lift in surprise. “You don’t approve?” 

“Of the king’s behavior?” Oberran growled. “No, and no. Now mind, he’s my cousin, so I’m allowed to say what I want about him. You keep your tongues clean. But blast the man for a perfect idiot. He’s shown little sense in that situation or in any since.” 

~*~

A declared he didn’t care what the duke called him; he was just interested in trying the Cathair feast. “I’ll go as a pig herder if that’ll get me to the dining table,” he said honestly. 

~*~

Josette tried to come to her sister’s aid. “It wouldn’t be proper, Prince Austuce. She’s…” 

“No, forget proper,” Laris snarled. “I’m not afraid of stepping out of propriety, but I might hurt the poor runt! And what would your honored father say if I drew blood on the lord of the Lower Home?” 

“My honored father,” he replied evenly, “was the one who suggested it.” 

Laris’s fingers tightened around the sword hilt. “Then I’ll meet you in the courtyard.” 

~*~

God bless!

October, Princesses, and NEWS

If you hadn't already heard, October is Twelve Dancing Princesses month over at Fairy Tale Central. I've already posted a short story/opening scene snippet on a new 12DP retelling that I DARE NOT go back to with NaNo so close on the horizon. There's just so much about the original fairytale that people overlook sometimes; it's just cool to jump straight in and pull things out to twist in your own way.

Ahem. So, yeah, I'm definitely NOT thinking about that other story. Especially since I'm planning on working on my OTHER 12DP mammoth novel for NaNo. The Twelfth Kingdom is currently 118K words, and I'm really hoping to be able to finish a first draft by Christmas. Maybe. We'll see how November cooperates with me.

But I'm talking of 12DP-- and Fairy Tale Central. Because this month, guys, I had the honor of writing up two book reviews as well as participating in a film group review. It was so much fun! You would think by now that I'd be sick of 12DP, but I'm still feeling ready to jump into more retellings.

Review here on Fairy Tale Central.

First off, I soooo enjoyed getting to read Suzannah Rowntree's The City Beyond the Glass. Set in Venice (which was too cool with gondolas and the works!), this story follows the adventures of three sisters (instead of twelve), but the fairytale vibes are super strong and extremely well-worked. It gets a bit darker at times, but I would definitely recommend this for any fairytale enthusiast. It was absolutely lovely and perfection.

Review here on Fairy Tale Central.

I also reviewed The Night Dance by Suzanne Weyn for FTC. That one... hmmm. To be honest, I wish that author hadn't written it. The whole premise is such a cool idea with a King Arthur and 12DP mashup. IT WAS GLORIOUS. But the execution of the plot, the characters, the legends... it all came across VERY WEAK and it was almost too disappointing to bother with. I struggled with putting this review on FTC only because I wanted so badly to LOVE this book, only to be able to say, "It was a meh retelling." Urgh. PEOPLE. Arthurian legends and 12DP were MADE for each other. Someone do this idea justice, PLEASE.

Review here on KiriBeth.

Besides those two books, I did an extra 12DP reading and reviewed The Girls at the Kingfisher Club by Genevieve Valentine on my book blog, KiriBeth. THIS BOOK. I'm still kinda bitter over it. Again, a fantastic idea of setting 12DP in the Roaring Twenties and the speakeasies. I mean, where better historically for a group of sisters to dance the night away? HOWEVER, there was a lot of moral content that I had big issues with. I won't go into detail here, but you can read the full review on KiriBeth. I was super bummed. In all honesty, I don't think I could really recommend the book to anyone.

Group review here on Fairy Tale Central.

But let's end this list of reviews on a bright note, shall we? I mentioned above I'd participated in a film group review for FTC? Well, the lovely ladies and I had tons of fun writing up our thoughts on Barbie in the Twelve Dancing Princesses, one of my favorite Barbie movies/kid fairytale films to date. I'm still very much a kid at heart, and this movie shall always be a favorite.

Oh, yes, and I did promise you a bit of news, didn't I?

(My apologies for just an ultrasound pic, but I'm not extremely comfortable with sharing pics of my kiddos on a public blog at the moment.)

Many of you know that our son was due to be born here early in November. Well, he's no longer a November baby since he took it upon himself to arrive a full two weeks and two days early. Baby Joey is doing well, eating like the growing boy that he is, and his older sister absolutely adores him. If my writing at all seems garbled, that's probably because I'm not getting a full night's sleep every night. But he's totally worth it.

I'm still a little in shock that he's already here. It's difficult to look at him and not feel a sudden, overwhelming sense of blessedness. God truly has been gracious to our family -- first, with the birth of our daughter back in April of last year, and now the birth of our son. Every life is precious, and when it's your own kids, somehow, it's only that much more precious. I wouldn't trade them for the world.

Joey will be making NaNo VERY interesting, though. Kiddos come first, obviously, but I'm hoping to get some writing done.

How about you? Any plans for NaNo? Or shout-outs for other 12DP retellings I need to read? Let me know in the comments below!

God bless!

The Twelfth Kingdom: Snippets

We're almost to the end of March. How is it that every year seems to fly by faster than the last? I guess that's what getting old is all about. 

Anyway, the end of March ushers in the very beginning of April, which in turn ushers in the lesser-known writing challenge, Camp NaNo. This challenge is very similar to the real NaNoWriMo in November, except for the fact that each writer gets to set his or her own goals. Like, you don't have to write 50K words if you don't want to. 

I want to, though. Hopefully. And for once, my Little Writer and I are in agreement on that. I don't know that my life itself is on the same page. I've learned being a mom, wife, and household maintainer doesn't happen in an hour, and it leaves very little focused time for writing. The plan is to plug away, however; see how far I get. 

My big writing goal for this year is to complete the first rough draft of The Twelfth Kingdom, my twelve dancing princesses retelling. I worked on it during NaNo last year and since then have gotten it up to almost 100K words. If it's anything like what Secret of the Hazel Tree was, I know I'm going to have a massive book of close to 200K on my hands, but the main point right now is just to finish it. So, Camp NaNo is the perfect excuse to try to carve out time to add (hopefully) another 50K or more onto it. 

I feel very ambitious with this project. I'm not going to lie. TK has been a story way too long in the making, and it's cool to actually be FINALLY getting somewhere with it. I don't recall what year it was that the first spark came to me, but it had to have been close to 2012. It's actually kind of funny and humiliating to go back and read those first few chapters again and see how far my writing's come since then. College is good for something, folks. 

Anyway, to celebrate the approaching Camp NaNo, I've decided to share a few of my favorite snippets from the last few months. 

Mock cover for inspiration purposes. 

~*~

Murris handed T a crossbow. “Have you ever used one of these?”

T shook his head. 

“Well, learn now or die holding it,” Murris ordered, shoving it into his arms. “Your bolts load there, and then you trigger the mechanism.” 

~*~

Waedan pulled a thick, leather binder of paper off of a low shelf behind the large table taking up most of the room. “Have we been that stupid, Murris?”

“I certainly hope not,” Murris said. “But I can’t follow m’lord’s thoughts, so there’s a chance I have been.” 

~*~

At first, T was flattered to have been chosen to accompany the general of Fort Kalt on a special trip to the mining camp. But after an hour down the trail, wading through snow sometimes waist-high, he wished he hadn’t been so specifically chosen out. Murris and Waedan both seemed to have the skill of snowshoes down, but T for his life couldn’t figure them out. 

They were a large, flat contraption shaped like the bottom of his foot, but broader and extended past his foot on all sides when he slipped them on. Murris hadn’t bothered to give T any instructions when he handed the contraptions over, other than how to slip them on – which was even less instruction than he gave when handing T that crossbow. 

~*~

“Wait, wait, wait,” A said, holding out his hands. “You mean I wouldn’t have to go sit in the snow out there tonight?”

“No, I’ll do it,” G reiterated, fingering his eyepatch to lend severity to his words. “Since your gut can’t handle a few hours of cold, maybe your gut can handle a game or two with the boys tonight. I hear they’re itching to play a few card and dice games, and your gut may be the only thing to give them the entertainment they’re looking for.”

A narrowed his eyes. “Pretty sure you’re insulting me there. I’ll have you know that my gut has never been wrong.”

“Never means only a third of the time,” Q quipped, amusement shining in his eyes. 

A set his jaw. “Enjoy your freeze time tonight, fellows. I’m off to some cards and dice.” He stomped away, and T wasn’t the only one to break forth in laughter. 

G wiped his eyes. “That boy’s more fun to mess with than a kitten with a string.”

“What are card and dice games?” Q asked, looking after A. “He’s not going to get hurt, is he?”

“Not a chance,” G assured him. “They’re small gambling games, and harmless for the most part. He ain’t got anything to gamble, so I’m pretty sure he’s safe.” 

~*~

The interrogation went as well as could be expected. Thirrey was happy to spit out curses against the Finden soldiers and Lord Waedan and Fort Kalt and T and anything else in Findenland that he could think of. 

~*~

“Permission to spit, m’lord?” 

“No, Murris.” 

The soldier shook his head ruefully. “I guess that was just the fever talking, then.” 

~*~

He slapped his thighs again. 

Q frowned at him. “It’s not that funny, A.” 

“No, I agree. I’m just cold and I’m trying to warm my legs up.” He demonstrated with another set of generous slaps to his legs. 

~*~

But forgetting was not part of Simeanna’s nature. She’d been old enough to remember the plague. She still saw the doctors hovering over her parents, the glittering canopy over their bed, the bottles of medicine that clinked on a silver tray. The plague had taken more than half of their household. She still didn’t know how she had survived. But she remembered well enough living as an orphan in the streets once their riches had been destroyed. Stolen. 

Tears stung the corners of her eyes, but she fiercely willed them away, refusing to stoop to dabbing at her eyes with her hand. Now is not the time to be weak. 

Not when Terretmere and Veymark would be coming to dinner. 

~*~

Are you participating in Camp NaNo next month? Let me know in the comments! 

God bless!

It's That Time of Year, Again

Has anyone else noticed that it's November? Like October is GONE, and we're suddenly in the middle of NaNoWriMo?

My schedule didn't realize that.

My Little Writer, however, is happy since I'm currently NaNo-ing and plugging away on adding at least 50,000 words to my Twelve Dancing Princesses retelling, The Twelfth Kingdom... which I've left sitting stagnate since, like, 2012. I had worked hard on it for about two months, written about 25,000 words, and then had gotten distracted with another story. Yeah, I had twelve very angry princesses waiting to pounce on me when I opened that dusty document.

To be honest, I toyed with the idea of starting a brand new novel for this year's NaNo, and my Little Writer immediately vetoed that. But I had a spark of new inspiration for this story, and I'm happy to jump back into it. I'm praying that this gives me the nudge I need to get the story out of being a "started-but-abandoned-draft" sitting in my documents folder.

And since I just hit 14K this morning, I thought I'd pop onto dear Blogger and give you all an update.

Firstly, I'm super excited to being doing NaNo again... FINALLY. With the last four years of my life being swallowed over in college and classes, I had absolutely no time to try to write 10K, let alone 50K. Now, I'm graduated and (metaphorically) pulling on my boxing gloves again. I'm also a wife and a mommy this time around, but so far keeping baby alive and trying to keep the house from falling down hasn't been too difficult to maneuver around.

My good friend, Christine of Musings of an Elf, is hosting a great writer's link-up for those of us participating in NaNo this year. This is the first of a three-part link-up, dedicated to NaNo enthusiasts knowing their novel. And I'm ignoring my Little Writer (who's demanding that this tag below is the October edition of the link-up, and I'm officially a month behind the times) and filling out the questions below for your enjoyment.

So there, Little Writer. I have to introduce my NaNo novel at some point, don't you know.

~*~

1. What first sparked the idea for this novel?

I believe it was actually first inspired by the film Barbie in the Twelve Dancing Princesses. I had just watched it for the fourth(teenth) time with my sisters and was wondering how one woman could have twelve daughters all so close in age without having multiple twins and triplets and quads, etc. I mean, come on. The story makes the most sense to have the girls fairly close in age. Fairytale age for a marriageable princess is typically 18 or 16; 12 daughters later, the youngest would have to be 6 or 4. Can you imagine a four-year-old dancing the night away? Uh, yeah. Me, too. If the oldest is 22, say, then the youngest (without multiples) has to be at most 10. Those ages could technically work with the story, but it still just didn't seem realistic to me.

So, I began brainstorming. And the thought struck me while I was doing the dishes (which just so happens to be my best brainstorming activity): What if the twelve princesses were adopted? They could all be super close in age that way, and the storyline would make more sense. The problem with that: What monarch would adopt twelve girls? And WHY?

Thus, The Twelfth Kingdom was born.

Mock cover for inspiration :)

2. Share a blurb!

Still pretty rough, but this is a scene from the beginning of the novel.

At last, J and B made it all the way to the iron fence. They pressed their faces to the bars and looked up, just as the crowd fell silent. 

“Thank You, Père,” B breathed. “We made it.”

The balcony doors opened and a man dressed in a crimson coat stepped out. He held a golden trumpet to his lips and blew a single note. 

“Why would he do that when he already has everyone's attention?” J whispered to B.

“Shh,” she waved her hand vaguely at her friend, not willing to look away from the balcony for one second. 

“Ladies and gentlemen, people of Tellorn, and all Findenland!” the man yelled. J was instantly glad that B had suggested they get closer. Otherwise, they would never have been able to hear him, and they would have to resign themselves to waiting for the gossip to reach them and learn the new princess's name. 

A real name. J licked her lips in anticipation. This was the part that excited her the most. Each of the orphan girls the king had adopted were given names suitable for princesses. The days of being labeled a solitary letter were over. Only people from the upper classes and royalty had real names. People of the street, like J, were not allowed to have names, only letter labels that they could use to refer to themselves.

“It gives me great pleasure,” the man continued, “to introduce you all to newest princess of Findenland, King Jakken's new daughter: Her Royal Highness, Princess Zelburna!” 


The doors opened again and this time a lithe figure wearing a pink gown and a silver necklace that caught the rays of the morning sun stepped out onto the balcony. For one silent moment, she stood nervously, as if unsure what to do. But the next moment, the crowd erupted. Cheers and shrill whistles rang out and echoed down the streets. J winced. The noise was deafening. Princess Zelburna blushed but waved as perfectly as one of her station should.

3. Where does the story take place? What are some of your favorite aspects about the setting?

This story takes place in the completely fictional kingdom of Findenland. It is one of twelve kingdoms on a single continent, firstly inspired by (but not truly modeled after) the twelve tribes of Israel. This continent is actually where most of my stories take place, and Findenland is south of Secret of the Hazel Tree's Troisem.

Findenland is a mix somewhere between Denmark and Switzerland. While part of a large continent of twelve kingdoms, it is the only kingdom of the twelve to be completely landlocked, meaning their military advantage is handicapped due to not being able to have a navy like the other kingdoms. Instead, Findenland has to be creative with its trade and diplomatic relationships to remain stable. Diamond mining is their greatest asset, and they have plenty of lovely mountain views. While it is not as cold as Troisem, Findenland still boasts impressive winters, and one would be well-advised to not traipse alone through the mountains because wild cats run faster than humans.

4. Tell us about your protagonist.

J is a young girl living in the streets, trying to survive and take care of her best friend, B. That is, until they both get chosen to become the eleventh and twelfth orphan girls the king has adopted. While the opportunity seems like a miracle, it doesn't take J long to discover that being one of King Jakken's daughters isn't all it's made out to be.

J, to me, is a type of Esther Summerson. She's quiet, but she has a temper enough to speak her mind from time to time. She's compassionate, and she's got a good amount of courage that she keeps tucked in her back pocket. At the start of the story, J is about 15 or so years old.

5. Who (or what) is the antagonist?

This one is actually difficult to answer, because I'm not exactly sure. That's one of the things I'm fully discovering as I'm writing the novel. King Jakken would probably be the best answer, though. Although he is a father figure to the princesses, seeing as he saved them from the streets, he is incredibly selfish and only wants to use the girls he adopts to his own advantage. His patriotism probably runs deeper than it should, and he would do just about anything for his kingdom and his title.

6. What excites you the most about this novel?

Right now, a new pantsing exercise with a former minor character. What re-sparked my interest in writing this story was a minor character complaining that he wasn't getting enough attention. Although he had a big-ish role near the end of the novel, he insisted that he was big at the beginning, too. And then went on to prove it to me by trying to assassinate the king. I mean, if that doesn't grab the writer's attention, I don't know what will.

Then I realized that this was a Twelve Dancing Princesses retelling... and I didn't have the soldier anywhere in the story. The soldier is probably one of the most iconic characters of the story, as it is he who discovers the princess's secret and exposes them. Of course, I had to have the soldier in the tale to make it as genuine as possible, and this guy who was supposed to be minor-ish was insisting that he was the soldier.

The only problem was he wasn't. He was the character of the soldier from the original fairytale, but he wasn't actually a soldier. He needed to have military experience to qualify for the job.

THAT'S when I saw political tensions creeping in from foreign parts, and then BOOM... I had another plot with a soldier that I hadn't ever planned on.

7. Is this going to be a series? Standalone? Something else?

Lord willing, standalone. It may be close to the near 200K Hazel Tree was, but that's how I like my fairytales. Thick, complicated, genuine, and chock full of gorgeous WORDS.

I have no idea what this pic is from, but -- all 12 girls right here. 

8. Are you plotting? Pantsing? Plansting?

Typically, I'm a total pantser (as made obvious with the answer to #6 above). However, I actually have most of this story planned out. I took the time to write down everything that should happen, and that's why my interest in this book died like it did. When I knew everything that was going to happen, why did I need to write the story?

Now, I've decided to use my six-page outline as more of a guideline of what might happen, rather than a specific roadmap dictating what exactly needs to happen. And things are a lot more exciting.

9. Name a few things that makes this story unique.

Twelve adopted princesses with backstories that don't leave them as 2D characters.

A law stating that commoners aren't allowed real names, only letter labels.

An assassin-turned-soldier serving under the very king he was trying to kill.

No magic.

10. Share a fun “extra” of the story (a song or full playlist, some aesthetics, a collage, a Pinterest board, a map you’ve made, a special theme you’re going to incorporate, ANYTHING you want to share!).

I do have a map I've created of the Twelve Kingdoms, but as it includes private author notes and was made with the amateur-ish Windows Paint software, I'm not super ready to share it with the world.

Instead, how about a look at Pinterest?

~*~

And there you have it! Now, if you'll excuse me, folks, I have a novel to write.

God bless!

More Of The Hazel Tree

Well, November is long gone by now, and most of you have comfortably settled back into the normal routine of life after the crazy month that NaNoWriMo offered all of us. I must say, this NaNo was unlike any that I have thus experienced, and it was an amazing month, not counting the fact that it was also quite exhausting.

You should probably know from this post that this NaNo I was working on a story called Secret of the Hazel Tree, which, when boiled down, pretty much is just a Cinderella retelling mixed with a murder mystery. I had so much much fun writing it, and it was an adventure. Boy, was it an adventure! I had the main plot written out beforehand, as well as the names of the principal characters, but this story has grown well beyond what I originally had planned. I wanted to write the entire novel in the month of November, perhaps finishing it the first week of December, and wrapping everything up at about 75,000 words. I hit 72K during NaNo, and I'm only about halfway done with the story. Yeah....

But I wanted to give you a few stats from the month, and then introduce you to some of the main and my favorite characters. So, hold on!

Goal: 50,000
Daily Goal: 1,667

My Goal: 75,000
My Daily Goal: 2,500

Final Word Count: 72,250
My Average Per Day: 2,408
Finished: November 16th

First Word: Many
50K Word: Right
Final Word (so far): Road

Okay, so I didn't quite hit the 75K that I was hoping for, but I did manage to write 2500 words a day steadfastly for the first 20 days of the challenge. After that, I got sick, I had a concert to practice for, and my family went out-of-state to visit my grandparents for Thanksgiving, so writing got pushed aside for the final days of November. But it was a good month. 

Are you ready to meet some characters? Some of these you may recognize from snippets of my earlier post, and some you may not. For a few of these characters, I've already cast them as certain actors/actresses, so I'll be including that information where I can.

The main character of SotHT is Celesta Le'Blancard. With light blonde hair and gray eyes, she is the only daughter of a low duke, and during the story, she is eighteen years old. Celesta has never considered herself very pretty and is a rather timid girl, people and conversations being her biggest fears, the perfect definition of an introvert, if you will. Obedience and meekness are two of the most important things to her, for even though she is a duke's daughter, her mother's death only widened the distance between Celesta and her father, and she would do anything to break the cold that surrounds him, even lowering herself to serve as a maid in her own house. Like most of my main characters, she doesn't care for tea (now I wonder how my own tastes could have established a pattern such as that? *cough*), and something that most people don't know about her is that she climbs trees. And thoroughly enjoys it. 

Meet Julien Edmé Kristophe Rey, crown prince of Troisem. It took me a while to pin down his physical features, as Julien is a rather stubborn character and doesn't like to help me out with anything. But I think this is him, portrayed by actor Douglas Booth and in possession of Flynn Rider's smolder. Rich and famous, Julien is just what you'd expect out of an ideal prince, and though he doesn't think it beneath himself to help others, his flaws come in his royal behavior. At almost twenty-one, he is quite the ladies' man, known for giving compliments and attention in a playful manner, and often leads girls of noble birth to believe that he intends to marry them with reckless and thoughtless words. His careless attitude towards his throne causes his mother to believe that an actual marriage will be the only thing to steady him, so she proposes that they hold a grand event for his twenty-first birthday, during which he must choose a betrothed, a choice that Julien has no intention of making.

Denstan Kronward was one character I hadn't planned on at all. It wasn't until writing the first scene with the prince that I realized that Julien needed some kind of attendant, and that's when Denstan walked into the picture. Or rather, out of the carriage. At first, I thought him a somber, boring older man who didn't have the facial muscles to bother with a smile. Yet, I soon found out, just as Celesta did, that Denstan was nothing like that. Growing up in a farming community gave him big dreams of serving in the famed Musketeers of the Guard, a special contingent of soldiers given the privilege to protect the royal family, and Denstan's assigned position is bodyguard to the Crown Prince. He's considered Julien's best friend, for the two are often together, despite Denstan's being almost a dozen years older. Denstan works hard to prove himself a worthy musketeer and remains solemn on purpose, thinking that's how musketeers are supposed to be, yet if you can catch him off-duty, he's witty, funny, and one of the nicest guys you'll ever know.

Another unplanned surprise! When writing about the manor Celesta lived in when she was eight years old, I automatically stuck maids in to tend to the chores and be the stiff, uncaring beings that most servants usually are, but Kadsa protested that status. Sure, at first, she can come off as just a maid, but after her mother's death, Celesta finds a true friend in Kadsa. Indeed, it was Kadsa, the daughter of a timber farmer, who taught Celesta to climb trees. Kadsa loves laughing and talking and spending time with the ones she loves, yet she has a hard time letting go of things in the past. She and Denstan knew each other when they were younger, but before he left for the musketeers, they quarreled terribly, and Kadsa has never been able to forget it. Meeting up with Denstan a few years later proves a challenge for Kadsa as she thinks the memory of the quarrel too bitter to try to mend the friendship.

Duke Gerarn Le'Blancard is Celesta's father, and his has been an interesting role to write because I've never before written a father like him. The original inspiration for the duke was Gerard Butler (hence the similar names), but since then I've found his appearance looks more like the above picture of Jason Isaacs, who I've only ever seen in the 2003 adaption of Peter Pan. Only take away the collar. I can't stand that thing. Duke Le'Blancard has always been of a business mind, so his marriage to a baron's daughter was more strategy on his side than real love, although Celesta's mother loved him well enough to marry below her high noble station. After his wife's death, he drew even further away from his daughter and eventually remarried as he deemed Celesta needed a mother to guide her. Although he means well, people say that his is a heart turned cold, and the love that Celesta desperately seeks is nonexistent.

And.... for a lack of picture inspiration, I'm going to save other characters for a later post, those characters being my absolute favorite housekeeper ever, Ahna, and Cinderella's legendary stepmother and her two pampered daughters. Stay tuned! 

But before I go... snippets, of course. You're welcome.

 “Ya want a father an' a real family who will love ya fer all time.”

With a hiccup, the girl nodded. “And I don't have that! He left me, Ahna! He left. And now I think he'll never come back at all!” She threw herself against Ahna and let her grief flow unchecked onto the housekeeper's shoulder. Ahna stroked her back, trying to calm her, whispering soothing words all the while.

It was not often that Celesta gave way to her emotions so freely in front of people, and that was something Ahna knew well. She counted herself lucky to be one of the only ones to whom Celesta would sometimes open freely and say what she was truly feeling and thinking, although she worried that the little girl kept too much hidden away.

The housekeeper pursed her lip distastefully. For one dreadful moment, she imagined the stolid face of the duke and thought the image a rather excellent target. The thought was fleeting, as the heaviness of the nine year old girl in her arms reminded her that while the duke may be deserving of any and all bad things that could possibly happen, he was still Celesta's father, and Ahna wouldn't hurt her for the world. All the diamonds in Troisem couldn't press her to do that.

~*~*~*~*~

Ahna entered the kitchen with a basket of laundry on her hip just as Veroniscen left. The two, both paying attention to what was in their grasp, collided briefly. Veroniscen let out a startled cry as Ahna's heavy work shoes trod on her toes and then hissed in the housekeeper's face, “You clumsy ox! If the duke didn't keep you here out of kindness, you'd be out in the street in a minute if I could have my way!”

Ahna's lips pursed, but she didn't spit, although Celesta could tell she dearly wanted to. “Well, the magpie should watch where she's goin' iffen she doesn't want 'er feathers ruffled. Ya would think a little slip 'o a girl like ya would be able ta walk without runnin' inta people.”

Veroniscen growled and flounced out of the room, elegantly-shaped nose turned high in the air. Ahna rolled her eyes and then walked immediately to the fireplace. Without warning, she leaned over the hearth, laundry still perfectly balanced on her hip, and spat into the back corner.

“One 'o these days, that girl is gonna find I can't 'old it back, and sufferin' cats, is she gonna get it. The duke keeps me out of kindness.”

~*~*~*~*~

 “Look at the state of her face and attire, Mother. She's been obviously sleeping in the fireplace again, no doubt.” Veroniscen stated softly.

Her deliberate gaze caught Celesta's blush far too easily, and although the younger girl tried to hide it, she knew she would never live down the mistake of three years ago when she had fallen asleep while cleaning the ashes out of hearth in the kitchen. Veroniscen had woken early that morning and had entered the kitchen with the purpose of sneaking something to eat and later blaming it on her stepsister if the food was discovered missing, yet her great plans faded immediately when she caught sight of Celesta sleeping among the cinders.

“We should change your name to Cinderesta if you insist on appearing such as that.” Veroniscen continued with a disdainful sniff towards Celesta's smudged face and stained apron.

“Cinderella!” Georgettica laughed from the corner where she had The Count finally resting on a soft cushion. Her shout, however, ruined whatever advances she had made, for as soon as it left her mouth, the puppy leaped up, ready for another rousing bout of playtime.

Veroniscen rolled her eyes in annoyance. “I said Cinderesta, Jetta. Not Cinderella.”

“That's what I said.” Georgettica replied hastily as The Count made a dash at her face, doing his best to smother his mistress in as many kisses as he could before she pulled him away.

“I myself prefer Cinderella,” the duchess stood up and tapped her fan agitatedly against her palm. “It has a dirtier ring to it than the other, and that is just what is proper at this moment." 

~*~*~*~*~

 Veroniscen grabbed her elbow and tugged her away from the door. Her vise-like grip clutched Celesta's arm uncomfortably, but the elder girl did not release it. She pulled Celesta down the hall and around the corner where she pushed her stepsister back against the wall.

“What was that?” She demanded in a harsh whisper. “Georgettica said a letter came. Who was it from? Was it from the prince?”

“No, of course not.” Celesta tried to move away, but Veroniscen latched onto her elbow again.

“Then who? Who sent the duke a letter?”

Celesta struggled in vain, but she at length gave in. “My uncle.”

“Uncle?” Veroniscen's mouth twisted. “You don't have an uncle. The duke was an only child.”

“He is my mother's brother.”

“Your mother's? Well, that's unfortunate. Why would he be writing to the duke?”

Celesta blinked back sudden tears. Even though her stepsister's comment was trite and quick, the words carved deeply into her tender heart. “He said my grandfather died.”

“Died?” Veroniscen fell back in astonishment. “Your family, Cinderella, had a stubborn hobby of dying. First your mother, now your grandfather. Were you close?”

Celetsa shook her head. “I never met him. I didn't even know I had a grandfather until today.”

Her stepsister's brow furrowed. “Then why is he writing to the duke now? If you didn't know about your grandfather, then why would anyone care to inform you of his death? There's more to this that just a simple hello and that's that, isn't there?”

God bless!

NaNo '13: Secret Of The Hazel Tree

You all should know by now that I've been steadfastly stuck in NaNoWriMo-mode this month, and on Saturday, the 16th, I hit the 50K word mark. Was I excited? You bet! That's when I managed to get on blogger and write a post which, reading it now, makes little to no sense. But hey, I was celebrating! Those things don't have to make sense, do they?

Ever since the beginning of November, I've been meaning to write a glorious post all about the story I've been working on, and I kept putting it off. The little writer inside of me kept yelling at me, "Work on the story! Work on the story! You can blog later!" And I'm sure all of you NaNo-ers can understand.

But now, I'm happily at 58K words and still climbing, and I'm making the time now to tell you all a little more about it. Be quiet, Little Writer, I've earned this blogging break. And all of my wonderful friends deserve to know more about the story that I have not introduced to the public yet.

Once upon a time... or something like that, I came across a certain writing contest that sparked a great idea in my mind. Anne Elisabeth Stengl and Rooglewood Press announced in May of this year that they were holding a writing contest called Five Glass Slippers in which five Cinderella stories would be published all in one book. Details aside, in short, my Little Writer went, "Nope, Kiri, you've got too many stories to work on. Forget you even saw this." And I went, "Let's do it!"

My mind went into overdrive, as you can well imagine, and I soon hit upon what I thought was a great idea for a Cinderella-based story. I chewed on it, made a Pinterest board for it, and began writing up notes. I added characters, did this and that, and then realized I could never write this story in 20K or less, which is the word limit for the contest. This was more 75K. Or more, because I have a tendency to follow every plot bunny that crosses my path. So, to stop beating about the bush, I'm not going to enter the contest. I'm writing this story because it has a right to be told and because I'm way too interested in it to leave it alone.

So, what exactly is it that I'm writing? Get ready for it... a Cinderella Murder Mystery.

Yup.

It's loads of fun.

Celesta Le'Blancard is the only daughter of Duke Gerarn and Duchess Claria of Marchalla Hill. Like most fairy tales, tragedy must hit first before a heroine can emerge, and Celesta finds tragedy in the event of her beloved mother's death, after which her father distances himself from everything and leaves their home. Months later, he returns with a new wife, a widow with two young daughters around the same age as Celesta. 

And you know what happens from there, right? 

Celesta becomes your classic Cinderella character, forgotten by her father, unloved and mistreated by her new step-family, with only the housekeeper as a true friend. When an invitation to the prince's ball comes, along with the rumor that the prince, the Crown Prince, is seeking a bride (which is another matter entirely), Celesta's two stepsisters are giddy at the thought of dancing at the castle and marrying the prince. 

And that's when the story changes. This is not your typical fairy tale, people. When her stepmother refuses to let her go to the ball, Celesta doesn't sit and cry and wait for her fairy godmother. In fact, she doesn't have a fairy godmother at all. Or a pumpkin coach. This is Cinderella without any magic at all, and it's based on Cinderella with the hazel tree (duh) and the white bird. And yes, that's a different version than the one with the pumpkins and the fairy godmother.

Although legend claims that Cinderella went to the ball seeking a husband, Celesta went for no such reason. She was seeking a murderer. Her mother's murderer. When Duchess Claria died from an unknown illness, no one thought much about it. Celesta missed her mother terribly, but she didn't guess how her mother really died until a terrifying meeting with a man whose threats make her think something more sinister might be at work. When she learns that her uncle, a baron that she had never met before in her life, will be in attendance at the prince's ball, she determines to go to discover what truly happened to her mother. 

Luckily for her, the prince's ball is a masquerade, so no one knows it's her.

And now with the summary behind us, how 'bout some snippets, just so I can unofficially link up with Katie's Snippets of Stories? These are all from the first part of the story, when Celesta is eight years old.

Many men and women claim that happily ever afters are bestowed to those who so richly deserve them; others say such an ending can only be granted to those with title and royal blood, and the majority of tales seem to favor the latter opinion.

But what of those who many deserve happiness? Those who, by their kind actions and generous hearts, have given themselves a reputation that others may hold up in high honor, a reputation of such worth that they may justly ask of some reward? Alas! Many times they and their goodness go unnoticed, and those people live out their lives doing the same as they have always done.

For it is those that continue to help and encourage others without a thought of recompense that truly deserve a happily ever after. But the proud opinion of history seems steadfast to keep them from their rightful claim.

Once there was a girl who had no title or social standing, nor was she fortunate enough to have been born in the royal family. Shy but kind, she met with tragedy and poverty alike and did not hesitate to lend a helping hand. How could they expect to allow such a girl to have a happily ever after?

Her name was Celesta, and this is her story.

~*~*~*~*~

The mother's cloudy gaze held the sight of her daughter's face for a long minute. Then with a trembling chin, she swallowed weakly and said, “I... I fear we must say farewell now.”

“No, Mother! You don't have to!” Celesta cried, but her earnest petition fell on ears that could no longer hear her.

“Don't forget... my hazel tree...”

“No, no, I won't forget!”

“Farewell, Celesta...” her mother's voice grew softer. “Always remember that... I love... you.”

~*~*~*~*~

All too soon, the story came to a close, and Ahna was reading the famous ending of the princess and her prince living happily ever after.

“Why is the princess always beautiful?”

Ahna shrugged. “Not sure, chil'. It could be 'cause the royal blood in 'em makes 'em pretty, but I think the writers of these stories jest make that stuff up.”

“Why?”

“'Cause ain't no princess as beautiful as you, darlin'.” She touched the tip of the little girl's nose with her finger.

Celesta turned away from the finger. “I'm not beautiful.”

“An' why ya say that?”

“Because I'm not skinny, and I don't have long hair like the princesses in the stories, and I have ugly gray eyes, and they have all twinkling blue ones.”

“But ya got yer mother's dimples, an' I think that makes you the most beautiful eight year old girl in all of Troisem.” Ahna put her hand on Celesta's cheek and brought her face back around so she could look into Celesta's eyes. “'Member darlin', skinny don't make someone automatically pretty, jest like long hair or blue eyes don't make a princess. There's a lot more to pretty than what's on the outside. Yer heart is what makes ya beautiful, an' ya have the most beautiful heart 'o anyone I knows.”

~*~*~*~*~

 The petticoats were easy enough to get on, but the dress stubbornly insisted to present itself a problem. Celesta got her arms in all right, but no matter how she twisted and turned she couldn't reach the back of the gown to fasten it up. It was a full five minutes before she gave up completely and focused on her stockings.

She had gotten one partway up her leg, gritting her teeth with frustration the whole while, when the door opened again and Ahna came sweeping in.

“Breggti never got ya up?”

“No.”

Ahna pursed her lips and looked ready to spit. “Lazy girl. That's the last time I trust 'er with somethin' on a day like today.” She knelt by Celesta and raised her eyebrows at her charge's attire. “Did ya think ya could run 'round all day with yet dress hangin' open like that in the back?”

“I couldn't reach the buttons.” Celesta demonstrated, straining her fingers to their utmost length.

~*~*~*~*~

The Crown Prince, on the other hand, seemed completely at ease. “This gingerbread is really quite marvelous, Denstan.” He said, holding it aloft and admiring it with an eager eye. “You must try it.”

“If you wish it, Your Highness.” The somberly dressed man answered in a voice to match his attire.

The Crown Prince caught his tone and rolled his eyes. He leaned toward Denstan and whispered in a voice that Celesta clearly heard, “You're boring.”

“I thank you for your educated observation, Your Highness. It demonstrates the great attainment of your tutors.”

~*~*~*~*~

 “Your mother died, too?”

Kadsa nodded, her eyes full of sorrow, and although Celesta already felt a keen friendship with this older girl, built on the recent months they had laughed over the laundry, the knowledge only further knitted them together.

“I was thirteen at the time,” Kadsa reflected, “an' I had seven younger siblings ta watch out fer.”

Celesta's mouth dropped open. “Seven?”

“Aye, an' I had three older ones, too.”

“Three?”

Kadsa laughed. “So, tell me young scholar, how many children does that make total?”

Celesta ran the numbers through her head quickly. “Ten?”

“Almost.” Kadsa tapped Celesta's nose. “It's eleven when you count me, too.”

~*~*~*~*~

The elegantly carved tombstone stared at her placidly. Although she had seen the words countless times since the funeral and had them every one memorized, Celesta read them again. In her last days, the duchess had written out exactly what was to be carved on the stone, and the mason crafting it had done all that she had requested, even to adding the design of hazel branches along the sides.

The Duchess Claria Marchalla Le'Blancard

Wife and Mother Taken Home To Père

Where Lies Greater Treasure Than Below

“Farewell, Mother.” She fought to keep her sobs back. “I'm sorry I have to leave, but the duke needs me in Larsen's Valley. I'll come back, though. I promise.” A sniffle threatened to break her words. “I will see you again. I-”

Celesta could take no more, and her tears got the better of her. She threw her hands over her eyes and let the sorrow she had so successfully held back all that morning flow freely.

God bless!