New Year's Eve.

It's New Years Eve so you can guess I won't be writing. I'm going to stay up with the fam all night, watch way too many movies and countdown at midnight. Not to mention that New years Eve will be a blue moon, so this moon fanatic will be standing outside wishing she had a telescope.
And I'll probably watch the Rose Parade if I managed to peel myself out of bed sometime before noon :D



Just thought before I start the movie marathon I'd share with you one of my new favorite songs, All American Rejects-Mona Lisa

Cheers to the New Year
Xoxo

Devil's Helmet in greater detail.

Since I got so much positive feedback on my last post about Devil's Helmet I decided to hold the Millvalley train for a one post longer and explain a bit more about Devil's Helmet.


Believe it or not Devil's Helmet is based almost word for word on a dream I had. My dream like most was confusing and made little to no sense, nor did it stick to one point, but the main point of it was I was going to save my dad.
In the dream Stratagus was an old bitter artist with no really good reason for hating my dad, so naturally I had to change the story a lot to make it more interesting. And for my own sake I added two morals and made Stratagus younger :D



(here is a picture I drew of Kat, the main character, I ran her through Photoshop to make her look 3-D)
When I first had the dream I thought it was fun and all, would probably make a cool story but I didn't actually start writing Devil's Helmet until a month later; after I read 'The Singing' by Alison Croggon. Her Tolkien-ish writing style inspired me to write my own story with a whole lot of Tolkien-ish traveling. Then Devil's Helmet was put on paper and that's when I realized I just couldn't keep myself awake while writing like J.R.R. Tolkien*shrug* So no long journey just an intriguing plot and lots of hard decisions.

Lower left is a head shot from the picture I drew of Kat. top right is a model from a Nordstrom advertisement that I thought looked a lot like Kat. Lower right and top left are pictures of Devil's Helmet, draft one and the second chapter of draft two. I would've put the first chapter of the second draft but I lent it to my cus and he hasn't returned it. I guess that means he likes it.

One of the people who commented on my last post asked me if I was going to try and get Devil's Helmet published. The answer is 'yes' like my profile says I'm going to try for the NYTBS so everyone can read it and love it; and destruction via Hollywood so my fans can see it and hate it LOL that seems to be how it works.

I'll try to sneak in an expert soon...'maybe' says the jealous sister who refuses to share her goodies with ANYONE!!!
My sis typed that :D

Xoxo

Welcome to Devil's Helmet.

I was originally saving this blog for Millvalley and I wasn't going to tell you about all my other stories until I'd finally finished Millvalley; you know keep this blog to a minimum of confusion.

Rnona ~ ı

But I can't help it I'm so happy right now, exploding with happiness I can scarcely type, just dance in place and tap keys. Whoppie!!! 'Sides it's my blog :D double Yay!
Why? The Whoop you ask? Good question.

I just finished the first draft to my second novel,(first YA novel) It's a Dark fantasy, really intense, 'its got a beginning that catches you off guard and doesn't let you go'...so I've been told.
Daniel Suarez

It's a dark twisting tale about a young girl haunted by the past of her parents (they're still alive if anyone was wondering) which is now coming to claim them after twenty peaceful years. The daughter, Kat, is determined to save her fathers life.

So down-right, head-bent on doing it she is going to enter a place so rotting and terribly, slimy and gruesome there is no one word to describe it's horrors.
If you want to speak in metaphors (I think that's the way to go) It's the home of Satan's little brother, a terrible tyrant of a man named Stratagus (sounds like it's spelled Strata-gus). I misspelled Sagittarius and liked it (way off, I know) .


Because Kat is a " lucky little girl" and the story would be boring and lacking without it, Stratagus is her fathers vowed enemy and is aching to see her father crumble from pain and die!!
So a lot of juicy, intriguing, frightening stuff happens in 170 intense pages before I gave it a kick-ass ending (if I may say so myself). Wow!!

just.K

Moral of the story; when someone wrongs you let it drop, holding onto it only hurts you more and(there are two morals, how wholesome?!) do what you gotta do (i.e the right thing) no matter how hard it is.
Tell you more about Devil's Helmet later (really soon)...


Feeling smug and accomplished i.e dancing to no music
Xoxo

Times are A-changing.

Things were meant to be broken, all things were meant change. 'In with the old and out with the new' as they say. It's never too late to get a fresh start; a fresh start to an old story, a new outlook through old eyes.

...In other words, I've written a new beginning for Millvalley; actually added a new beginning. The old one still applies and it's still there, it's just been pushed to Chapter two. The new first Chapter, I think, is far more exciting, and right to the point. Within the first few pages you know that trouble is stirring in Millvalley and more importantly you know whose stirring it!
Before Millvalley started with a simple vampire bite, but now it starts with a dangerous, intriguing curse and a couple of unwitting robbers who don't believe in curses...they should.

So just imagine that you open a book for the first time and right off the bat; Cursed jewelry, Vampire bites and Conspiring parents. Intriguing, eh?
Just felt like sharing before I went back to writing my brains out, I'm pretty close to the end of Millvalley, I'd say the begining of the end...or the end of the middle *shrug* whatever.

Back to writing.
Xoxo

So what are you doing for the holidays?...besides eating?

Christmas isn't coming for at least another three weeks, so I wasn't really going to do anything Christmas-y tonight. One reason, its too early and once you start with the holiday cheer you can't stop!!
Take Christmas music for example after you, or the place that you work at starts to play that Christmas music you can't turn it off!! Not even if it makes you go mad inside!!

But tonight I just have to be a little Christmas-y, by that I mean at 8:30 I'm plopping down in front of my TV and watching 'Prep and Landing' with a big bowl of popcorn. I saw a preview for it and I just couldn't resist...can you?

Xoxo

Researching the world.

So lately I've been doing more research than writing.
What do I need to research when the story I'm writing is based on nothing but what I imagine? Well there is a lot of stuff to research.


1. Ireland. My leading man, the villain, so to speak is from Ireland; he is an exchange student part of this hands across the world thing (I'll get into that later).


He was a runner, nigh close to being in the 2008 Olympics but he went splashing through a waterfall and shattered his knee cap. Trust me its more dramatic when he tells the story. (Not quite sure where in Ireland he is from)
Lovely Irish photos taken by Edward Dullard



2. The Island of Millvalley is cross between CA and Greece (gotta love that). Since Greek Mythology (which I absolutely adore) plays a key part in my story, I had to "force" my self to research some of the old stories.


Just an annoyingly tiny hint, Medusa and Cupid were researched. What could this mean? I'll tell you....sometime :P
So now that I have all that behind me I can get back to writing and doing homework...but first I have to enjoy my weekend.

Meet you on the equinox :D
Xoxo.

Linger!

After reading the book 'Lament' (about evil fairies) I've been hooked on Maggie Stiefvater's writing and after devouring another one of her novels about werewolves 'Shiver' I've been eagerly awaiting the arrival of the sequels to both books.
Ballad (Evil Fairies #2)
Linger (werewolves #2)


Now I have the chance to win Linger on this lovely book blog called Karin's Book Nook.
Hope I win.

Fingers crossed.
Xoxo

Delaying is such sweet sorrow

"What is this?" The little girl asked.
"It is The Book of Knowledge." the hunched old man said in a voice as wispy as his beard.
"What is that supposed to mean?" the girl asked.
"It contains all the worlds secrets." the old man said taping the large book proudly.
"Everything the government is hiding from us?" the girl asked excitedly. the old man shook his withered head.

"Everything the world has seen is in this book, here. everything from the dawn of time." the old man said proudly. "and I'm the only one who has read it." He gave a triumphant snort of a laugh which turned into a fit of coughing.
"Wise man?" the girl asked patting the old man on his back. "if you read this book," she glanced at the book which was larger than then the table on which it sat. "you know all the worlds secrets?"
the old man nodded proudly. "And some of them are to scary to repeat."
"Cool" the girl said flipping through the large pages. "so what did you do with them?"
Silence.
"what else did you do with your life?" She asked.
"well I just finished reading the book." the old man complained.
Silence.
The little girl never attempted to read The Book of Knowledge.

Yes, I was referring to homework.


Homework which I have to do (unfortunately) so Millvalley and all the other wonderful stories, that I have not mentioned, but I am writing will have to stop *oh sigh*. Or at least they will be delayed.

Xoxo

Blog 1: Me plotting.

Lets talk plots for a moment.
The plot of a story is like its water source, it's survival. By all means necessary it must be big, huge and complicated but not so big you drown in it.


The plot of Millvalley is very big almost to drowning point and its also unruly! Its very hard to make heads or tail of it until its done. But how do you know your going the right way? I know I shouldn't complain because after all I thought it up...but still, no fair :(
Writing stuff down helps, I have made myself a little book of Millvalley secerts (Ow), half of what is written in it wont make it into Millvalley; the other half is full of stuff that I intend to add in the second round of writing (fingers crossed).


When writing there are very few things that can stop me from doing what I want to do.
1. People reading over my shoulder (you know who you are) I need privacy to be a genius.
2. People talking really loudly (yes, I'm talking about you!) you being noisy is constantly reminding me that I'm not alone ergo not in private; plus I can't hear my muse.
One thing that doesn't stop me from writing is confusion...and the fact that I forgot the beginning of the story (ahee) yep I forgot the beginning.
But there is always editing and time to connect the dots afterwords.

Next time I'll tell you how the idea of Millvalley came to a daydreaming twelve year old (that was a long time ago) very funny story...and slightly humilating; but I'm over it.

Xoxo

Writers block, Inspiration and writing...again!

She sat at her writing desk, staring blankly at her typewriter watching the hours tick by. She didn't realize she hadn't been living until she started to. Inspiration tore through the gloomy sky like a bright shaft of light and it burned its words into the girls brain until it was all she could see, all she could type. At that point her dream woke up into reality, at that moment she woke from her boredom with a purpose...with a story.

Forgive the drama its just one of those lovely things about me you're going to have to get used to...since it is my blog.


So lately (for the last three months) I've been going through something of a writers block when it comes to writing Millvalley. I've been writing other stories (Sssshhh, its a secret)as equally intriguing as Millvalley but its just not the same :(
So I started this blog to document my journeys of writing, mostly Millvalley I hoped that by writing about Millvalley enough I'd be inspired to actually write the story.
...And it worked!!!


Yesterday I went crazy writing. It took me four hours to write five pages, I don't really care about the time I'm just so bloody happy that I broke through that annoying wall and found my self in Millvalley once more.
I look froward to writing more about Patricia, Ben, Conner and all my magician and non-magical characters. I didn't realize how much I missed my story until I finally started writing it again; now that I'm writing Millvalley more it's only right that I should update this blog more.

Millvalley is now open to the public
Xoxo

All you need is Love

To be or not to be? That is not the question. To Love or not to love? Now that is the question...whether it is wiser to write for your love or the love of others.

Others love is great but-not to sound conceded-I'd take my love over other peoples any day of the week...when it comes to writing.
It's all about knowing, I say, if you know your audience, you know what they love so you know what to give them. But if you are your audience what you write is purely for yourself and your enjoyment. I am writing Millvalley for myself and any one who loves a good novel may read it.



While still on the subject of love, I feel like rambling on about the issue of love in the actual story line. Needless to say romance has a key part in Millvalley, well if there was no romance Conner and Patricia would never do a lot of things (not spoiling). But sometimes it seems hard to stuff my story full of the romance it deserves while still focusing on the giant plot. *oh sigh*
I love to add some romance but just to make things clear "this is not a love story" and no its not "a story about love" either. Its a "dangerous mystery in which people love" there I said it, now you know what Millvalley is about.

And she's off....
Xoxo

We all want what we want.

Once upon a time there was a little girl and no body understood her and so one day she wrote a story that no body understood and it totally blew everyone's mind and they couldn't get enough of it and she became rich and famous.....

I don't want to be that girl whose not understood but I would most certainly like my story to be the one that's so unheard of people don't know what to do with it but love it and eat it (not seriously). I believe in doing something you love and doing it right; because if you don't no one will do it better. That is why I've written Millvalley about twenty times (no joke) this story needs to be told right, told by me. My telling of the story has to be super good because the plot itself is so utterly fascinating.
It is the story of hopes and dreams, love and loss, adversity and optimism it's the story of my life, my childhood all crammed into one book with an artist twist to it. How many times have you heard that? well hear it one more time because I mean it--with a passion.
Lets face it we all have problems we all have wants and desires, we all have souls some of ours are damaged but in Millvalley they get written about.

Last seat on the Medusa....anyone?
Xoxo

The Secret is out...

Sometime in the near future a magical novel will be published.
It’ll be shocking (in a good way), intriguing and twisting magic like it’s never been twisted before.
A fresh new spin on werewolves, and by that I mean they’ll be original by being authentic. The kind you see on a full moon and run from, you don’t stop for tea and chat…unless you're feeling like being dog chow.
A novel in which vampires are blood thirsty and hostile, not the type you hook up with unless you feel like not living to your next birthday.
Hunters at every turn, dark pasts and a family secret that’ll make “Gossip girl” look like a kiddie book-- sorry B but no one cares what you and Dan do anymore—I almost forgot to mention the sinister ghost that will make the hairs on your neck shrivel in fear and make you realize just how beautiful life was before you got possessed.
Wrap all that up in a thick blanket of mystery--to keep out rain and prying eyes--tie a red ribbon of romance around it to keep everything in place then send it to the publishers and let it work its magic. Forgive the pun.
Who is writing said novel and why can’t you find it anywhere? Well that’s because I haven’t finished writing it yet.
You get this chance to see a masterpiece in the making—being majorly conceded here---you get to see the great cogs turn and the giant clock come to life before anyone else…you get to see the magic behind “Millvalley”.

See you at Reed’s Island….

XOXO