Updated!

Picture of the Day:

A sloth bear! Look at the tongue!

Quote of the Day: 

"Thank God for all I've missed, 'cause it led me here to this." 

-Darius Rucker

Thanksgiving is tomorrow, and today I just want to make sure that I wish everyone a safe holiday! I know I am not updating this nearly enough, though I am hard-pressed to find time or content to put up. But today, I think I can throw something together.

Page count update for Legacy Of Elysia: 180! =] I am getting somewhere!

And, because I haven't let you guys see any more of my soundtrack, I am updating with one of those today! Here it is: Jason Aldean and Kelly Clarkson (weird mix, I know), singing "Don't You Wanna Stay".




I think that this is a great song to channel two lovers. Especially like Thea and Octavian, my two mains for the Legacy of Elysia series. Still, in book one, nothing this steamy actually happens. (They aren't married, after all. ;] ) Nonetheless, it came out not too long ago, and instantly, I thought of them--and actually set to work on Chapter 11 again! It was a nice change of pace, to be able to write anything. Not sure it is any good, but hey! That's what editing is for!
Another song that I would like to share is more for Thea than anything else. 
 

"If You're Reading This" by Tim McGraw

Now, this is more about what she fears. Octavian is a soldier, and the biggest fear she has is that he leaves for war and doesn't come home again. This song, therefore, is something she would hate to hear herself, and I think that by listening to this, I am better able to understand her. 
Be warned, this song makes me cry every time. 
Oh, and Octavian would probably completely do something this sweet for Thea should he happen to go off to war and know he isn't coming home. Just saying.
Happy Wednesday! 
Have a fantastic Thanksgiving!

This

Picture of the Day: 

My little sister and I in the car in 1991,

Quote of the Day: 

"Waiting is painful. Forgetting is painful. But not knowing which to do is the worse kind of suffering." 

-Paulo Coelho

I feel like my entire life I have been doing things that aren't worth my effort. School means nothing, and it has pretty much consumed my entire life so far. I don't go out and do things that are loads of fun with friends, and the friends I have are more of the people that I will talk to on occasion when we happen to be in the same place together. So far, Friday and Saturday nights mean sitting at home with my dog in the dark, maybe wasting time watching a movie. That's it. Nothing special. 

I keep praying that everything will change, and that someday I will look forward to the long days I have ahead--but so far, nothing has gotten better.

Today, I have a song for you. It is one of my new favorites and it is off of Darius Rucker's new album Charleston, SC 1966. It is called "This", and literally seems to take everything I am yearning for and feeling and put it to lyrics and song, only it is told from the perspective of someone who has reached the other side. 

Someday, I want to get there, too.

This - Darius Rucker

Sometimes I just want to get an easy answer. Like when is it time to walk away from what you want, and understand God is saying "No" and not "Not now"?

Deathly Hallows -- The End is Here

Picture of the Day: 

Sundaes my friend Lauren and I made!

Quote of the Day: 

"A poem begins in delight and ends in wisdom."

-Robert Frost

So today, at midnight, I am being taken to see Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part One. In light of the fact that this signals the beginning of the end, I would like to show my true horror, and the horror of the furry animals everywhere.

"HARRY POTTER IS OVER?"

Inception Animals - watch more funny videos

Okay. So I am not consumed with horror over the fact the movie series is ending soon. After all, I am looking forward to the Hobbit that comes out in 2012! Now, when the Lord of the Rings series ends completely, including the Hobbit, I may cry. Until then, my friends! Have a magical day.

I offer this blessing, in honor of the Boy Who Lived:

I pray that Voldemort leaves you alone, that your friends are magical and that 

the spiders don't force you to tap dance.

I am Quote Girl!

Picture of the Day:

Baby joey at Busch Gardens! 

Quote of the Day: 

"You know what else everybody likes? Parfaits! Have you ever said to someone, 'Hey, let's get a parfait." and they say 'No, I don't like no parfaits!'? Parfaits are delicious!" 

-Donkey, Shrek

So this weekend at my sister's family birthday party I was dubbed the "Quote Girl" of the family. Pretty much, if it is useless and has no real meaning in life...I remember it. Like a steel-trap hunter, I catch the goodness of quotes and carry them forever. Today, I am going to put up some of my favorites to throw around in conversation. 

"A wizard is never late, Frodo Baggins. Nor is he early. He arrives precisely when he means to." 

-Gandalf, The Lord of the Rings

"You already told me which way the boat went!"

"I did? Oh, no. See, I suffer from short term memory loss. It runs in my family, or....at least....I think it does....where are they?.....Can I help you?" 

-Marlin and Dory, Finding Nemo

"Don't make me smack you in front of all these people."

-Agent Derek Morgan, Criminal Minds

"The spiders! They want me to tap dance. I don't want to tap dance." 

"You tell those spiders, Ron."

"Yeah...yeah, I'll tell them."

-Ron and Harry, Harry Potter

"Thanks for nothing, you useless reptile." 

-Hiccup, How to Train Your Dragon

"It's gonna be biblical."

-Clyde, Law Abiding Citizen

"I get motion sickness."

"Lady, we're not moving yet."

"It's really the idea of motion that sickens me." 

-Alex Rover and taxi driver, Nim's Island

 "That's Scamper, one of my most successful inventions. I made him immortal; which is a kind of a hassle for him since he doesn't want to live."

"Will nothing end this vicious cycle?"

"I also made him talk, which is a hassle for me since he never shuts up." 

-Igor and Scamper, Igor

"Choose your last words carefully, Telmarine!"

"You're a mouse!"

"I was hoping for something a little more original." 

-Reepicheep and Caspian, Prince Caspian

"I do not love the sword for its brightness, the arrow for its swiftness, nor the warrior for his glory. I love only that which they defend." 

-Faramir, The Lord of the Rings

Well--read and enjoy! I will probably do another quote page later with new ones. These just came up off the top of my head. This is Quote Girl, signing out!

Writer's Block vs. Author - Round 1

Picture of the Day: 

This is the house my cousin got married at. It is in Louisiana! 

Quote of the Day: 

"Writing is an exploration. You start from nothing and learn as you go."

- E. L. Doctorow

I haven't updated in a while, and I am sorry about that. It seems that finding any inspiration for anything is becoming increasingly hard, and sparing the time and motivation to work on this blog is becoming a rare occurrence. Once school is out, I am sure it will not be so slow (or at least that is what I am praying for). 

I have not done much of anything by way of writing, save for come up with a few new ideas for some stories that need to be fleshed out and worked with. Still, nothing has actually happened in penning it to paper; my writer's block has never been so bad before! 

I dug out all of my old stuff for my Legacy of Elysia series and re-read it, and tried my hardest to just put down a nice sentence, though could not do so. I am very discouraged--it has been over two and a half months since I have been able to work on that particular story, and it is the one that is going the best so far. 

Or, at least I hope it is! 

Lately, I have been worried about my style--and this was solidified as I reread the stuff I had already worked out and written. My greatest fear is that I turn out writing like Stephanie Meyer! If you don't know who she is, she wrote Twilight and there is nothing that I hate more than those books. The writing style sounds childish and plain, and her story line is bad, too. But I think this is an entry for another day. 

(If you disagree, I would like you to watch "Alex reads Twilight" on youtube. (If you can stand some mild language, this kid tells it like it is--and makes you laugh as he does so.) I will embed his Chapter One reading at the bottom of this entry.)

Anyway, what I am wanting desperately is for someone to read my work. I have given it to countless people and never get it back. I know people are busy, and I am not saying that reading my novel should be a priority. But I want help! And I am sick and tired of not being able to get any real feedback. I should have been a creative writing major--then people would be helping me out!

Basically: I am frustrated. I want so badly to keep writing, and I feel like it could get better if someone could tell me what I needed to fix in what I already have. I loathe my chapters ten and eleven--but I cannot figure out why. So I figure if someone can look at my stuff and then get back to me on what they think, maybe I will have some new spark of idea that could lead to inspiration. 

I'm desperate, people. I want to finish my work and not be defeated by writer's block. Sadly, at this point I don't see the light at the end of the tunnel. Everything is pretty much mapped out for this novel, too! I don't know what is wrong with me. 

Anyway, I am done ranting for now. Please take a look at "Alex reads Twilight". Ignore the language--it is hysterical.

Maybe my next post will be about why I dislike this series.

Love is the Movement!

Picture of the Day: 

Cinderella's Castle at Disney World!

Quote of the Day: 

"A baby is born with a need to be loved -- and never outgrows it."

-Frank Howard Clark

I don't know how many of my readers have personally dealt with suicidal thoughts or depression. It is my sincerest hope that none should have to suffer in such a way. I know what it is like to wake up in the morning, go to bed at night and wish that every moment you closed your eyes was the last time you would have to deal with everything around you. I know what it is like to feel that thoughts of suicide and death are normal, but more than this, that they are cherished. 

Today, my dear reader, is the day of the To Write Love on Her Arms movement.

As you go about your business today, whether it be school, work or otherwise, keep within your thoughts and prayers those who have succumbed to hopelessness and ended their lives prematurely. Suicide is, unfortunately, a real problem, and too many girls deal with it every year. 

And all because they forget that they are loved.

For some, it is too late. For others, we may just be in time. 

Today is about prevention and awareness.

Today, tell people that you love them. It is that simple, and that hard. In our day to day lives it is so easy to forget to tell people how much they are loved. Speak up today and maybe, just maybe, you could save somebody's life. 

Don't forget that you are loved either, on this special day.

You. Are. Loved.

In honor of this movement, I want to dedicate one of my favorite songs to all the girls out there (and the boys, too). 

Suicide is real, but so is love. 

Be strong.

Groban Revisited -- And A Transformer Owl

Picture of the Day: 

Cupcakes I made for the Super Bowl Party last year.

Quote of the Day:

"A friend is one of the nicest things you can have, and one of the best things you can be."
-Douglas Pagels

On a list of things that make my heart melt, Josh Groban is somewhere at the top--if not the top. There is something about a guy that sings Italian that is absolutely liquifying to listen to. For those of you that do not know, he is actually coming out with a new album this month! So, on the road to my soundtrack, we shall take a step off to examine Josh Groban -- again.

My Confession - Josh Groban

All right -- this is not a great quality, but this is the song I wanted to share that skyrocketed to my inspiration list.

Yes, I am also aware that this is in English and not Italian. He sings in many different languages, thank you.

What people don't know is that he is also a comedian. That's right, ladies. He not only sings like an angel, but he can make you laugh! (He may be the first man-package I have come across!!) Don't believe me? How can the man that sings all those romantic songs be funny too? I will prove it.

He sat down to do an interview...with himself. The first one wasn't as good as the second one, so I am going to post the second one. They're short! Take a look at this!!

Josh Groban Table Talk- Part 2! - watch more funny videos

Maybe my sense of humor is really off--but I thought this was hysterical- especially since it counters everything I would have thought Josh Groban would have been. I pictured someone sexy, sleek, mysterious and romantic. Apparently not!!

As a side note--there is no way this man stays single forever. He's too amazing.

Okay. So there is also this that I stumbled across. I think Vampire Owl is pretty amazing, so I am sharing. Happy viewing! 

Transformer Owl - watch more funny videos

Vicarious

Picture of the Day: 

Bonfire at Sonshine State

Quote of the Day: 

"Life is like a movie; if you've sat through more than half of it and its sucked every second so far, it probably isn't gonna get great right at the end and make it all worthwhile. None should blame you for walking out early."

-Doug Stanhope

If my life were a movie, nobody would want to go see it. Maybe that is why when I write; I think about what people would want to see, and what I would want to happen in my own life. Is it wrong to live vicariously through your work? There are things I want to happen that may never come to pass, and there are things that I want to try that I may never have the courage or the luck to experience. So, I write. 

I feel a lot like Jodie Foster's character in Nim's Island. She is a writer, too, that cannot seem to go out and live her own life. (Not to mention she is struggling with writer's block, as am I.) I am aware that it is probably dangerous to only truly live through the characters I create, but the more I try to fight it, the more my life ends up in shambles, and I end up wishing I had never left my apartment. 

But, the more I think about how I live (or don't live) my life, I get a sinking feeling I am going to get to the end of it all and wonder why I put up with it for so long. I will look around and see all of my friends happily married with families and lives of their own, and I will be alone with my computer and the written words I have penned over the years. 

I am torn between thinking that writing is my escape and my curse. I cannot explain it adequately, and I doubt any that read this would understand even if I tried to put to words how writing has become my crutch; I can have all I desire if I put it to paper, unlike in life where everything is uncertain and nothing is truly promised other than that God loves you.

With my writer's block has come a great deal of turmoil and depression. No longer can I escape what I detest about my life, and no longer am I able to live through the people I have created on my own. No longer can I make a lonely girl feel happy that she finally found someone she deserved, and no longer can I fall into a happy delusion that it can happen for me, too.

I feel like I am wasting my time. I am going to school, coming home and sitting in the dark confines of my apartment, never actually getting out and doing anything. I stare at my computer screen for hours at a time trying to find the right words to put to use for the purposes of my creative spirit, and think of creative excuses to avoid actual human contact. 

This probably sounds utterly insane for some of you, but this is the life I believe I am destined to lead: a solitary force that lives without actually living. Maybe what has me so upset is that now my writing has been taken away, too. 

Everyone tells me not to panic, that it will come back someday. But I don't think they understand how much I need it to live. I physically never actually make any strides in my life, but in my writing I can live however I want--and I can plan an entire lifetime!

Not too terribly long ago a really great guy asked me out. I couldn't imagine what he saw, and I still don't quite understand what attracted him to me. I told him (and others that found out) that I simply did not like him that way. Want to know a little secret? I lied. I was terrified. Once he knew what I was really like, he would have hated me and walked out on me, and I would have been in worse shape than I already was. I turned down the only guy that has ever thought I was worth it, and I can say that I will have to deal with those consequences for the rest of my life. (Oh, and don't worry about him--he found someone so much better! He is happy now, and I will just say I think most people are just waiting on him to ask the question!)

I think it is why I write romance novels--because I am desperate for and phobic of human interaction on a level that is much deeper than "Hi, how are you?" 

Oh well. Like I said--nothing is promised other than God's love. I guess I just have to learn to deal.

Heavenly Hayley - Music for your Monday

Picture of the Day: 

The trees at my Church building.

Quote of the Day: 

"The most beautiful adventures are not those we go to seek." 

-Robert Louis Stevenson

I realize I have not been updating recently, and I implore you to forgive my forgetful state and grant me leave for a while as the semester gets tougher. I assure you it is not on purpose that I have galavanted off into the distance and left you with no updates on anything, but rather the result of great stress and anxiety that has taken me away for so long. My good readers, forgive me. 

I have very little time to write even this, so I am going to leave you with a great song as the next installment to Kathryn's Inspirational Soundtrack. I give you the impeccable Hayley Westenra. I love this girl's voice--and you will too! So sit back and relax, and be swept away by beautiful music! 

You Are Water - Hayley Westenra

Prayer - Hayley Westenra

May It Be - Hayley Westenra

Halloween 2010 : An Entry in Pictures

Picture of the Day:

One of these tigers does not belong!

Quote of the Day:

"For it was not into my ear you whispered, but into my heart. It was not my lips you kissed, but my soul."

-Judy Garland

Halloween 2010!

an entry in pictures.

Hermione!

The Autobots!

Bumblebee, Optimus Prime, Ironhide

Cutest couple costume ever. Scientist and Lab Rat. 

 

Seven Little Secrets!

Picture of the Day:

Cocoa Beach, Sunrise and Rain

Quote of the Day:

"A person without a sense of humor is like a wagon without springs. It's jolted by every pebble on the road." 

-Henry Ward Beecher

I was tagged by the lovely Cristina to reveal seven secrets about myself. And, I suppose that works well since I have not compiled an entry for the day. So, here it goes. Seven things you probably didn't want to know!

1. I collect costume pieces and therefore own four Harry Potter wands of various designs. This came in handy this Halloween when one of my friends decided to go to the party as Hermione and forgot her wand. I felt like Olivander's and even said, "Well, the wand chooses the wizard!" Apparently, I was chosen by four.
2. If I could move anywhere, it would be to Middle Earth. But I really doubt that is such a surprise to some who read my blog, like my best friend Kelly. She even caught me looking up the perfect hobbit hole one time when I was on the computer playing "Pick Your Five" on Facebook. Priceless.
3. In the battle between Star Wars and Stark Trek, I prefer Star Trek. This didn't use to be the case. If you want to know why I changed my mind, just watch Episodes 1-3 of Star Wars. When you're done puking, get back to me.
4. I am a lover of country music above all else. And today, I bought a song by Usher from iTunes. It may be one of the signs of the apocalypse. 
5. I do not like J.K. Rowling's style of writing. She is a great teller of stories, but almost everything in the novel Harry "said". There are other descriptors and she should use them. 
6. I have already picked out my Halloween costume for next year. It is November 2nd. Even better? It was picked out before this Halloween passed.
7. If I could marry any movie star, it would be Ben Barnes. Even over Gerard Butler--ladies, this is saying something. For those of you who are living under some rock and don't know who Mr. Barnes is, I shall put up a nice picture for you to oogle at. 

Oogle away.

Happy November!

Picture of the Day:

Pumpkins!

Quote of the Day:

"Books are the quietest and most constant of freinds; they are the most accessible and wisest of counsellors, and the most patient of teachers."

-Charles W. Eliot

Today is the first of the month! That means rent! That means bills! That means November's Book of the Month! 

The Alienist by Caleb Carr

Let me start by saying this is not a book I would have picked up on my own; my mother had to throw it at me and promise it would be worth my time. I had my doubts, but like a good daughter I read it. And am I glad that I did!

It is a fairly long tale, written from a first person point of view (which normally drives me batty) as New York is plagued by a serial killer. The year is 1896, and all hope rests on the alienist Lazslo Kreizler, as he is the only person in the city that believes that, using a psychological approach, the killer can be apprehended when no other clues are left behind. 

It's a book about the beginnings of profiling. Think Criminal Minds before all of the modern conveniences.

Let me start by explaining what an alienist is. A psychologist, plain and simple. The book avoids that area of explanation, though as you learn about Kreizler's character you understand what makes him an alienist. Still, it is a nice piece of information to have before venturing to pick up the book. (Which you all should so immediately following this review!)

The book was entrancingly dark; the fear of the characters was ripe, but so was their excitement and determination to catch the killer. Literally, as the book progressed, I began to tell people, "Sh. I am catching a serial killer." I was invested.

The beginning is a bit slow, of that I will admit. Still, if you make it through the beginning, the rest is nonstop action. It's also a bit bloody--though, that is to be expected when dealing with a novel about serial killers. Still, it is not a book to read for the faint of heart. When Carr wants to describe a death scene, he does it well.

You are John Moore, a reporter for the New York Times who was dragged into the investigation by two of his friends. He proves to be an invaluable member of the team, even without intimiate knowledge of police work. He is a crimes reporter, though, so he has some standing knowledge going in. But the choice was ingenious! To tell it from his point of view, the reader gets to learn along with him. When I finished the book, I felt certain I could help an investigation. It is that in depth, and that good.

Please, please, please go read this one. Remember that I didn't want to either!! A killer is on the loose in New York, and he is killing little boys. Go catch him! (If you can, that is. Muwahahaha.)

As another note altogether, Halloween was great. Pictures may or may not come, depending on if anybody's turned out cute or not. Mine sure didn't. Which is sad, because I spent a lot of time fretting about this costume that I wanted so badly to show you!

Here is a hint about what it was I was: