2017 Recap and Announcement

*blows dust away* 

Oh, look, Blog. There you are! Still alive after all this time? Amazing that the old interweb connection's still pumping away. 

Well, dear Blog, let me tell you. 2017 has been a long year. I was not prepared for this year when it began, and I don't think my brain's processing all that's happened in just 365 days. Somehow, it felt twice as long as normal and half the time it took to see 2016 slip away. 

What's kept me so busy? Oh, you know, college mostly. I just completed my second-to-last-ever semester, and the last-one-EVER is looming right around the corner. I've made good friends this year, studied a lot... and yes, used school as an excuse to ignore you, faithful Blog. Once graduation rolls around, I'm really hoping to spend some more time with you. I think you deserve it after almost 4 years of neglect. 

~ READING ~

I did manage to get a bit of reading in this year, though. Only about 32 books, but again, that will change once graduation. Let me share some of my favorites, or some highlights, whichever you prefer, dear Blog. 

Five Enchanted Roses -- The Beauty and the Beast collection that inspired The Rose and the Balloon. Ah, yes, I finally got around to reading it. I should write a review of it, but I'm torn. First collection ever that I didn't read all of the stories. My favorites were Stone Curse and The Wulver's Rose, hands down. But I couldn't bring myself to read Wither... for the sole reason that I've been inflicted with numerous nightmares involving zombies. 

Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library -- This was such a fun book! Basically, the whole library turns into an escape/break-out room, and it's puzzles, and riddles, and tons of fun to get out! As a librarian, I muchly enjoyed the numerous references to Dewey. 

The Pickwick Papers -- So far, Dicken's most hilarious novel. In the words of Mr. Brown, "I defy you not to roar."

Mere Christianity -- First time reading this classic from C.S. Lewis. I loved his writing with Narnia, but his nonfiction is all so excellent! His arguments are easy to follow and a joy to read. I really want to get my hands on the rest of his works like this. The only other ones I've read so far besides MC are The Screwtape Letters and The Problem of Pain. 

Exiles -- BEST BOOK OF 2017. PERIOD. And did I mention it came out on my birthday? 

King's Warrior -- I've had a couple of Jenelle Leanne Schmidt's books in my kindle for a while now, but I finally got around to reading them. This series is (albeit wordy) but pretty good. I've not read the third book yet, Yorien's Hand, but I'm excited to see where the story goes.

Larklight -- I came across this little steampunk trilogy by Philip Reeve at the library and figured since I'm writing more steampunk-ish stories, I should read more steampunk-ish stories. Easy reads, but so funny! If you need a good steampunk guffaw one rainy afternoon, definitely put these on your list. 

Emma -- And dear Emma. This was a re-read for me, but it never gets old. If Lizzy or Elinor don't glare at me, this is my favorite Austen. 

~ WRITING ~

Oh, yes, and I did some writing. I worked a bit on The Dragon Tamer as well as The Twelfth Kingdom and Spindle Dreams. I'm almost done with that last one. With any luck, I can finish it within the month or so, and begin the journey again soon to self-publishing. After all, The Rose and the Balloon has stood without its companion novella for some time. Spindle Dreams wants to be let loose. And who am I, dear Bloggy, to stand in its way?

I also began, finished, edited, and submitted my very first and very last ever story for a Rooglewood contest. This year was Snow White, and what began as Snow and Copper, a tale that was meant to focus on copper mining and the dwarves/miners, turned quickly into What the Mirror Said, a tale in which (you guessed it) the mirror became the most important character. I'm not sure how the story will stand in the contest, but I am sufficiently happy for FINALLY entering one of the contests. My husband was such a great help; he encouraged me daily to get it finished and even went the extra mile to help me get the form mailed. After starting a story for each one of the contests, it was such a pleasure to finally get one done and sent in. 

Now, don't hate me, dearest Blog, but I'm afraid I have not been the most faithful of friends. At the command of a teacher, I was forced to begin another blog for a writing class. Not only is it not you, Blog, but it's hosted on Wordpress. And now I'm hopelessly torn between blogger and wordpress and which blogs to keep updated. Ah, yes, of course, I won't abandon you, best and dearest of Blogs, but here's the link to the new one should you wish to check it out. 

~ LIFE ~

Probably one of the biggest changes 2017 brought was the new last name. I did tell you I got married, Blog, so don't give me that look. After 15 months of dating my best friend (and some odd months/years before then getting around to it), he proposed and we have been living happily ever after ever since. Who knew marriage could be so much fun? 

And then I should probably also tell you, Blog... I will be busy with my new little family here so things can't completely go back to the way they were. I will do my best to be here more often, but when there's a little girl kicking the inside of your ribs, you know she's gonna be a handful after she's born. 

See ya later, Blog!

Looking Back Over 2014...

It's hard to believe that 2014 is almost behind us. As I write this, my clock registers only 9 hours more before the calendar changes to 2015. Sufferin' cats! Who knew it could fly by so fast?

So what did 2014 look like for me? Well, as I did last year, I'd like to take the opportunity to do a quick review and let you all share the bits of adventures with me. I don't have the time to go in depth for this, but I'll just post a few highlights. 

~ I finished the first draft of Secret of the Hazel Tree at around 198,000 words

~ Hosted the Dear Love party for Valentine's Day (thank you to all the girls who helped out with that!)

~ Went to college (and survived the first semester!)

~ Worked the front desk at my dad's tech center

~ Heard selections from the Messiah live and loved it so much that I went twice :)

~ Met my third cousin, Friday

~ Went ice skating for the very first time in my life (I only fell down 5 times)

~ Became a Oncer with three other awesome people who all know exactly who they are; we all agree Maine is a very cool place

~ Watched Fiddler on the Roof for the very first time -- where has that musical been all my life??

~ Began way too many plot bunnies (I counted at least 10 that came out of 2014)

~ Hit 90 followers on Lianne Taimenlore (love you guys!!)

~ Wrote a Beauty and the Beast story for the Five Enchanted Roses contest (which I will unfortunately not be entering as the contest closed before I could get the entry in... oh, well)

~ Learned I had synesthesia 

~ FINALLY saw HTTYD2... and of course, it was months after it came out and everyone I knew and their sister had already seen it *growl*

Hope you all have a wonderful New Year's! I'll see you all in 2015!

God bless!

New Years Tag... Yes, I'm Doing It

Don't judge me, folks. You know how much I love a good tag. And besides, I don't think my other post quite made the cut.

What did you do in 2013 that you'd never done before? Privately self-published my first book for myself and family/friends to have a hard copy while editing; also beta-read for the first time for 2 (and counting!) fellow writers; and more, but I can't think of anything else that was big.

Did anyone close to you give birth? My second cousin and his wife had an adorable little girl on Christmas Day, but they live in another state, so I have to content myself with looking at her pictures on Facebook.

Did anyone close to you die? No.

What countries/states did you visit? Any states between Michigan and South Carolina, and also any states between Michigan and New Jersey. You can tally that up.

What would you like to have in 2014 that you lacked in 2013? More oxygen, definitely. This last year was a killer for asthma. Hence, the appearance and introduction of my evil twin, Ken. 

What date from 2013 will remain etched upon your memory? March 19th, the day the first Hobbit film came out, very important, even though we waited to watch it right away; or the other one that comes to mind is December 28th, the day I played the piano for my second wedding. I had a lot of fun with that.

Did you move anywhere? Nope. 

What was the best month? Probably August... my birthday month. *winks*

What was your biggest achievement of the year? Writing 72,000 words in a single month. That was amazing, albeit exhausting.

What was your biggest failure? I'd say being sick so much. Asthma was rough, and I used my inhaler waaay more than I usually do.

Did you suffer illness or injury? Did you not read the above? No major injuries to report, just lots of asthma. 

What was the best thing you bought? More Dickens! I got myself Great Expectations, Little Dorrit, Our Mutual Friend, and The Pickwick Papers.

Whose behavior merited celebration? Umm... I'll say my oldest sister's. Beth left in October to go stay with my grandparents for a while. She's really helping them out, and even though we miss her terribly, we're happy knowing that she's where God wants her to be.

Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? Well.... My own? I definitely should have been more out-going and positive, but I wasn't. 

Where did most of your money go? In loans. 

What did you get really, really, really excited about? The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey!!! Wow, was I giddy when we first watched it! But I couldn't help it... Tolkien writes amazing stories.

What was the best concert you've been to this year? My family watched a live streaming of a Christmas Vespers concert from the college my cousins attend. It was extremely well done! The music was gorgeous!!

What song/album will always remind you of 2013? Probably Disney's Frozen. We're not allowed to listen to all the songs, but Do You Want to Build a Snowman?, For the First Time in Forever, and In Summer were daily occurrences in our house for a solid two weeks when we first got the soundtrack, and they still really haven't died out.

Compared to this time last year, are you:
1. happier or sadder? "I have learned that whatsoever state I'm in therewith to be content." 
2. thinner or fatter? The same... I think.
3. richer or poorer? I had three part-time jobs this year. You decide.

What do you wish you'd done more of? Write.

What do you wish you'd done less of? Waste time on Pinterest.

What was your greatest musical discovery? Les Miserables, for one. This was a great year for musicals, but Les Mis was really the only true discovery in the musical genre because I knew songs from the other musicals and hence, none of those could be counted as this year's greatest discovery since I knew them from before, and Les Mis was the musical I discovered *was* a musical this year, and therefore must be put down as the greatest musical discovery of the year. Truly, I have a dizzy intellect, and iocane powder comes from Australia. Bonus points for anyone who gets that reference.

How did you spend Christmas? At home with my family. We skyped with my grandparents and Beth Grace all morning, so that was something new, but it was loads of fun.

How are you spending New Year's? At home, again. Quiet, but content to leave it so. 

Who did you spend the most time on the phone with? Probably Beth Grace. Before she left, I was not a phone-talker in the least, and since she left, I have more than twice recorded over an hour conversation with Beth. I don't know what's happened to me.

What was the best book you read? Our Mutual Friend by Charles Dickens, besides many others.

Did you fall in love in 2013? No.

What was your favorite TV show? My family doesn't have cable/satellite TV so we don't watch TV shows really.

What did you want and get? Dombey and Son book and War Horse piano music are probably the two biggest. The former was a birthday gift, and the latter, Christmas. They're both superb.

What did you want and not get? Little Dorrit (2008) on DVD. Hopefully, I'll be able to afford that for myself soon. 

What were your favorite films of this year? The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, Rise of the Guardians, Epic, and Jack the Giant Slayer. All fun adventures, but please be warned that there are scenes, music, and language that I do not endorse.

What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? I was sick again this year; I don't think we did anything big, really. I probably read or wrote most of the day, and yes, I left my teens behind by turning the big two-oh. I don't feel 20, though. I'm wondering when that's going to kick in.

How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2013? My sister said I looked like a homeschooler; I thought I looked like a writer; you decide.

What kept you sane? My family.

Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy most? I don't do this "fancy." Celebrities don't really mean that much to me, but thanks to Pinterest, I know more about them by name and by face than I ever did before.

      

What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? More oxygen, but now I'm feeling redundant. Anywho, here's to a better year of easy breathing!

What political issue stirred you the most? I deliberately do not follow most political issues because they're so depressing... but I'm sure there were a few that I read articles on, but nothing big is standing out right now.

Who did you miss? My sister, Beth. Obviously. Although, since she left, I've gotten her bed. That's a plus.

Who was the best person you met? I don't know that I've met anyone really this year. I mean, not anyone that was more than an on-the-street-hello or I'm-near-you-for-about-a-day status, so I'm going to mark this question NA.

Tell a valuable life lesson you learned in 2013. Life goes beyond the internet. You have a family, and time is better spent with them making memories than building up a reputation on Pinterest by having a thousand and one pins. You only have a few years with your parents and your siblings, so make the most of them. They're the only family you're ever going to have. Love them before that chance escapes you.

Quote a song lyric that sums up your year. SUPERCALIFRAGILISTICEXPIALIDOCIOUS! 

Five personally significant events of 2013: Privately self-publishing CoaL; writing 72,000 words in a month for NaNo; playing for my second wedding; my sister leaving for my grandparents'; and discovering I have a carob intolerance.

Five things I want to do in 2014: Write 150,000 words. Play my flute more. Breathe easier, even if it means being smarter with my inhaler (I immensely dislike using it). Publish my first, real book. And... watch Frozen and Desolation of Smaug! *grins*

Five people I'd like to know better in 2014: Blogging friends!! But there are more than five, so don't you dare make me pick names.

God bless!

2014... I Need You To Meet Someone

Happy New Year, everyone!! 

Wow! Can you believe that 2013 is behind us? I know it was the usual three-hundred and sixty-five days in length, just like any other year, but it just seemed to fly by! 

Well, just to keep this post short, I'm going to give you all a quick review of my 2013, what I hope to accomplish in 2014, yada yada yada, and then at the end, I have a little someone I'm going to introduce to you all. Someone who has made a HUGE impact on my life.

So, first, 2013...

January

Started the year off with an epic party with my CBCs and classy blood cousins, and then spent a week at the latter's house while my parents went to visit my grandparents out-of-state. Also worked two part-time jobs from home.

February

Began writing Rebirth of a Legend, landed another part-time job, played the piano at a benefit dinner for a church friend, in addition to other things I can't recall.

March

Was very glad to get a brand-new, allergy-friendly mattress cover which greatly helped with my nocturnal slumbers, and began working on a new story, Kianna. Watched The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey after innumerable months of waiting! It was amazing!

April

Read Great Expectations, my seventh Dickens, and really enjoyed it. Wrapped up my family's sugaring season by making over ten gallons of syrup, and consequently, ate lots of pancakes. Somehow smashed my finger, making it the third time I've injured/broken the aforementioned finger.

May

My family started the month out by doing two concerts, and, as always, if I can say this without seeming boastful, the old people we sang for loved us. Little sisters always steal the show. *wink* Pollen level was high around our house, resulting in a rough month for asthma.

June

Attempted to write 50K words on RoaL, but got lost in editing Children of a Legend instead and ended up privately self-publishing the latter so that family/friends could help me get the last edits done for a hopefully soon publication.

July

Visited our CBCs to celebrate the glorious birthday of our great country, enjoyed reenacting (by popular demand) the first 4 chapters of CoaL with my siblings and cousins (which was quite hilarious), and finally began scraping the horrid purple paint out of our dining room. Purple does not belong in dining rooms.

August

Celebrated my twentieth birthday in the usual tradition of being sick, and resolved to break that tradition next year. Spent another fun visit with our CBCs, and said a sad good-bye to the first classy blood cousin to break our group up and go to college.

September

Discovered that in addition to being allergic to chocolate, I'm also harboring an intolerance for carob, the popular chocolate substitute, and decided to enter Anne Elisabeth Stengl's Five Glass Slippers story contest, a decision which was only a prelude to cooking up a Cinderella story unlike any I'd ever heard before.

October

Went on my third College Up Close trip to visit a college and two cousins who are currently enrolled there. Started cooking up the 30 Day Middle-Earth Challenge with Melody Muffin, and said farewell to my oldest sister, Beth Grace, who went out-of-state to be with and assist my grandparents for a while.

November

Wrote 72,000 words on Secret of the Hazel Tree, and made the obvious decision that it would not fit in the Five Glass Slippers contest. Visited Beth and my grandparents for Thanksgiving, and spent way too much wonderful time stuck in Middle-Earth doing the 30 Day Challenge.

December

Completed my goal of reading through the Bible in exactly one year! Went nuts with my sisters watching every Frozen clip and trailer we could find, and ended up making my youngest sister a replica Elsa dress for her doll. Played the piano for my second wedding, and had a wonderful Christmas week with family and friends, not being able to grasp that 2013 was just about over.

Some things I hope to accomplish in 2014...

Write at least 150,000 words story-wise

Finish writing Secret of the Hazel Tree

Publish Children of a Legend

Discipline myself to play the flute more

Read at least three more Dickens

Memorize more songs on the piano

Complete a study of one theological-type issue

Turn twenty-one (and not be sick while doing so!)

That's all I can think of for the moment, but there you have it.

And now, dear readers, I have that someone I promised to introduce to you all. Please don't get your knickers in a twist thinking I'm about to introduce you to some boy, because I'm not. Well, maybe... but not that kind of boy. 

Admit it, though... I had some of you think that. *winks* Yes, I'm incorrigible.

The "boy" I'd like you to meet is someone by the name of Ken. Ken is not necessarily a nice person, even though he has the unfortunate blessing of looking exactly like me, blue eyes, blonde hair, 5'7'', and everything. The way to tell us apart, really, is to listen to our voices. While I have a normal, girl-sounding voice, Ken has a deep and breathy voice to which, frankly, I don't like listening. Ken tends to be rather short with people, and he's forever giving me grief because he's not polite in the least respect. He shows up when he's least wanted, and doesn't go away until he wants to. He stole the goldfish I didn't even know I had... yeah, he's that type of guy.

And what's worse.... we're the same, Ken and I. He's my alter ego/evil twin, the "boy" I become when I have asthma. And he's here for New Years.

Anywho, hope you all are having a splendid holiday! The Lord really blessed my family this last year, and I'm looking forward to what 2014 may bring!! 

God bless and keep you all!