Friday, April 29, 2011

I Got Pretty Dresses!

I went shopping today with Mum. If you know me, then you know that's a big deal, because I HATE shopping, and if you didn't know that, now you do! :) So I was in a 'shopping mood' today, and we went to all these different stores and I tried on, like, eleven dresses. I bought five. And I love them all; they're so preeetttyyyy!! :D This made me happy! There's a green/white one, a navy-blue one, a black one, a light blue/brown one, and.....some other one I'm forgetting. But they're awesome! I get to wear one tomorrow to our family reunion. Yipee.
      I had an awesome day; hope you all did too!! :)

If Anyone Cares....

....The newest episode of The Sea Dodecagon of Love 'Kings and Queens' is now up on the Dodecagon blog. To read it, click here. This one tells of how King Caspian and Queen Lucy get poofed out of Narnia, and it answers the question: is Caine still alive, or did Sam not make it in time? Find out! :)

A-waitin'

Still waiting to hear back from Sheryn Hara, which might be a good thing, because she's probably reading over my manuscript. But still - AHHHHHH! So excited and anxious! :D I'm really excited for this one particularly, because with the last two agents I sent Young Falcon to, I felt like they kinda just glanced over my book and didn't pay much attention to it. Which, considering they probably get SO many books a day, I should've expected, but I like Book Publishers Network better already, because I feel like they're actually considering my book, at least. :)
     I hate waiting, but if the results are what I'm hoping they're gonna be, then I can wait :)

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

My Book Might Get Published Soon!! :D

Yesterday, my mum sent Sheryn Hara of Book Publishers Network an email, and here's what she said in reply:

"You could email me a copy of the book and I could get back to you with a written proposal about what it would take to get it published.

Your daughter's situation is so amazing - I have THREE young authors in my stable right now and all three of them are writing the fantasy fiction for young adults. Just got one off the press a few days ago and it is so fun to see the author so excited about her book!

Please let me know what would work for you - my job is to help make dreams come true so I'm happy to help.

Regards, Sheryn Hara"

Sounds pretty promising to me! I just sent the manuscript, so now just waiting to hear back. SO EXCITED!! God is great, and He knows just who and what publishing business is right for me and my kids (referring to my characters)!! Can't wait to see what He's got in store for us!! :D

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

An Epic, Life-Changing Announcment :p

Ok, from now on, The Sea Dodecagon of Love will no longer be available on this blog. I made it its own blog, which can be found here. Due to the fact that my book will be published soon, and I don't really want to be associated with the Dodecagon as my main work, I just decided to put it on its own little space. :) But don't worry; episodes will still be released on Fridays, and all info will still be available.
      Thanks!! :)

Script


So I decided that since I LOVELOVELOVE movies and everything to do with them, I'd try and write a little book-to-screen adaption (otherwise known as a script) for my first book, Young Falcon. I tried a few months back, and it...failed. Extremely. In every way possible. So! I tried again yesterday, and I am so pleased with my efforts! Whoooooooooo!!! I only wrote like a page and a half (most movie scripts are 150-200 pages) so I still got a ways to go, but hey, IT'S SO MUCH FUN!!! Eheheehee! :D I would love to post it, but it kinda....gives away some stuff, so I can't do that :( But! Mum emailed Book Publishers Network today, so we're waiting to hear back from them. So hoping they ask to see Young Falcon! :)
      Have an awesome day, Earthlings!

Monday, April 25, 2011

All My Stories

Some day, even if it's in Heaven, I'm gonna get all of these written. One day! I promise. So these are all the stories floating around in my head right now -

Sons and Daughters - the story of the struggles, triumphs, and adventures of Elysia and all her friends (that's a VERY short summary)
Young Falcon
Book Two
Book Three 
Book Four
Book Five
Book Six
Book Seven
Book Eight

Sons and Daughters: Beginnings - the story of some other people which I can't talk about yet 'cause it would ruin the first series! :)
Book One
Book Two
Book Three
Book Four

The Maze - the story of a society of mostly kids that live in a giant, completely dark maze. Sixtwelve, one of the girls, meets a very strange character, Eric, who's not from the Maze, and he changes her world forever.
The Maze
Book Two
Book Three

That's a lot of books! o.O I'm gonna be busy all through Kingdom Come! :D Yay!!!!! I LOVE WRITING SO MUCH!!!!!!!!!
     Speaking of which, Episode Three of The Sea Dodecagon of Love is coming on Fridaaay! Don't miss it! Be there or be square! (and considering this is a story that has a 12-sided shape in its title, being a square wouldn't be good... :p) 

A note to J.R. - the ones I deleted are ones I no longer intend to write. Meant to take them off the list sooner, but... So yeah, these are the ones I still want to write :)

Saturday, April 23, 2011

Book Publisher's Network




Sending Young Falcon to Book Publisher's Network today! Whoo! Hope it goes well; they seem like a really awesome group. They even represent Christian books! :D  Pray that they like my book and that if they do, everything goes well. If not, then I'll know God's got someone even better in mind for Young Falcon.
      Happy Easter, everyone! Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour, is alive and well!

Thursday, April 21, 2011

Review of PLAGUE

Okay, so as you might know, my friends and I like the GONE books, by Michael Grant. If you didn't know this, this is what I have to say to you: ............
    So! The Woods' library got PLAGUE today, and I read it. Yeah, in one day. And I have exactly one. single. word. to sum up the entire book. Are you ready? You sure? You don't sound ready. No, really, you don't! C'mon, one more time: are you ready???
     Ok, that's better. Here's the one single word:
     GROSS.
     Not what you were expecting, was it?
     And you say, Why was PLAGUE gross, Skandar?
     Because -
     (and the levels of wrongness (morally, most importantly, and in disturbingness, secondly) are not in this particular order, but I just wrote these as I remembered them)
     A) there are these giant, metallic bugs that are terrorising everyone and eating people from the inside out. Yeah. Not creepy at all. Or disgusting.
   Warning: spoilers ahead.
    B) Brittney and Drake are still sharing a body. That's just wrong on so many levels.
    C) Caine and Diana....need I say more? I do? Ok, well, you may or may not know (and if you didn't, now you do) that Diana is pregnant by the end of PLAGUE. Now do I need to say more? Didn't think so.
    D) kids are hacking up lungs (literally), shooting each others' faces off (again, literally), smoking (Lana, the 'Healer'), drinking (Orc....), and doing all other kinds of wrongs (*coughCAINEANDDIANAcough*) such as - trying to kill one's little brother (ASTRID) and just being retarded. (Ooh, I think that'd be Caine again...)
    And the whole thing just seemed kinda....pointless. Nothing was accomplished other than Little Pete no longer has a body, Sam is now an uncle, and Caine becomes 'king' of Perdido Beach. 500-something pages just to get that accomplished...? Eh.
    Out of 5 stars, I give it...maybe a 3 and 1/2. If that. Maybe just a 2....
    SO NOT WORTH THE WAIT. :(
    From a Christian standard, these books, especially this one, are a hugely, gargantuanly massive FAIL. Just reading PLAGUE made me feel sick cause it was so morally and physically disgusting. I just might be done reading these books; they don't even make you come away feeling like everything might turn out okay! If anyone does want to read some good Christian lit., check out The Mark of the Lion series by Francince Rivers! AMAZING, wonderful books! 
     My advice? Don't bother with PLAGUE. It's name sums it up well.

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Home Sick Today

Got a serious stomache bug or something :( I threw up yesterday, but I'm feeling much better today. I'll probably be back at school tomorrow. Taking it easy today - reading Book Three and The Sea Dodecagon. Fun stuff! :)

Saturday, April 16, 2011

Little Bit of Both

....I had a really bad day yesterday. I also had a really good day yesterday. 
      The bad part - M.M. didn't even ASK her brother about the photoshoot and then lied about it several times to me during the day, so the photoshoot didn't - and won't - happen. You just can't count on people anymore, it seems :/
      The good part - G.C. and I went cliff climbing on Inception Cliff (a cliff where everything is tilted to the side, even the trees, when you're standing upright on the cliff. We brainstormed on a fan-fiction story that includes characters from Pirates of the Caribbean, GONE, The Chronicles of Narnia, and the Real World (our world). I'll be writing the prologue (which I already finished) and I'll post that here in a second. G.C.'s gonna write the 1st chapter and then we're gonna start switching off. It's a really stupid but awesome story! :D
     Have an awesome weekend, guys!

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Gone

So a few days ago, my friend M.M. told me about these books and the first one was called GONE, by Michael Grant. Here's the summary: 
    In the small town of Perdido Beach, California, everyone fifteen and over mysteriously disappears in the blink of an eye. In school, no one knows what to do and there is mass chaos and confusion among the remaining population. A boy named Sam Temple steps forward to help control the masses, along with his friends Astrid and Edilio, and are tested to their limits when some kids from the posh Coates Academy set up camp in town, rallying everyone under the leadership of smooth-talking Caine Soren and his sadistic rule-enforcer Drake. Battles ensue, kids are confused and unsure about who to follow, and even stranger things begin happening when the kids of Perdido Beach discover that something is happening to them and many of the animals within the endless barrier that now surrounds them. Some kids get 'the Power' and animals begin mutating. But there's something even worse lurking under the soil of the beach city....


                                                   

There are to be six books in the series, entitled: Gone, Hunger, Lies, Plague, Fear, and Light respectively.
       While the books certainly don't lack in action and excitement, they do in emotion. Sam and Astrid's relationship is extremely bland, as is almost everyone else's, and the author spends almost no time in the relationship area. Caine and Sam are twin brothers, but they're hardly ever even in the same room as each other and all they ever do is threaten each other. To me, it would be extremely interesting if, say, Zil (the leader of the Human Crew) managed to capture both of them and lock them up in the same room for a few weeks. Now that would be exciting!
     These books are pretty good, I guess (that was a kind of unenthusiastic 'I guess', by the way) but I would really like them a lot more if they had more Sam/Astrid material (not in an inappropriate way, of course; after all, they're only 14!) and more Sam/Caine confrontations and material. 
        I give these books 3 and a half stars :)



Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Costumes!

WE FOUND COSTUMES FOR M.M. AND HER BROTHER! yay!!! :D So we went to A.S.'s mum's room during lunch and poked around in her giant costume closet. At first, it seemed like we wouldn't find anything, but then A.S.'s mum showed us this other rack of fancy prom-like dresses. We looked at those and didn't find much, but then I noticed a burgundy sleeve and pulled out the dress attached to that sleeve; it was a plain but pretty little dress, with no frills or jewels, just some thin netty stuff on the front and a burgundy sash. M.M. and I instantly knew that we couldn't do much better than that (it would've been better in black, but hey, I ain't complainin'), so we put it over on the couch. We searched through the guys' shirts next, but sadly, most of them were Oxford button-down polos. Yeah, not exactly something Lliam would go about in! Haha! We searched for a while and didn't find anything until G.C., R.R., A.S., and H.K. showed up. R.R. accidentally bumped against one of the racks in the closet and M.M. saw something that had been hidden before - a burgundy sleeve! She pulled it out and we saw this absolutely perfect red shirt that was EXACTLY like what I had envisioned. Score! 
     So then we asked A.S.'s mum (we're just call her Ms. Drama for short) about what we could do for a backdrop. She suggested hanging a large piece of black fabric up in the gym (where all our plays are held) and that worked better than anything, so that's what we'll be doing! G.C. and her fancy-schmancy camera will be staying to help us on Friday, too, since my camera's quality isn't top-rate and I want this picture to have the best quality it can.
      Can't wait for Friday!!! :D

Monday, April 11, 2011

And....GO!

Ok, the book cover shoot is officially ON! M.M. agreed to pose as Lliam, so now we just have to find costumes...A.S.'s mom is the drama teacher, so she's gonna let M.M. and me look at the costumes tomorrow during lunch. Too bad we probably won't be able to find anything quite what I'm looking for, but, hey, who knows?
      Wish us luck! :)

Saturday, April 09, 2011

R.R.

My best friend M.M. now has a boyfriend! :D She's been wanting this guy to ask her out for a long time and he finally did yesterday! Yay!! He's a really nice Christian guy, too, which makes it even better. R.R. and M.M. are now going out, whoo-hoo!!! :D

Thursday, April 07, 2011

Fake Cover

So, I'm trying to design a mock-cover for my book, because I'm gonna send it to Book Publishers Network to kinda show them what I want as a cover. I asked my friend M.M. to pose as Elysia on the cover, 'cause ever though she doesn't have dark red hair or really look anything like Elysia, I think she'll work for what I'm wanting. I had some trouble thinking of a guy to be Lliam, and I asked M.M. who she thought might work, and she suggested her older brother, M.M. I guess he'll work. He's blonde, and Lliam's got black hair, though....Wig, anyone? :) She forgot to ask him about it yesterday, though, so hopefully she'll remember today! 
     I tried drawing what I envisioned for the cover, but it failed miserably, but whilst I was on Google, I happened across this image of Jacob Black and Edward Cullen that shows kinda what I'm looking for: Lliam will be turned around, looking back over his shoulder and Elysia, who will be facing forwards, looking kinda to the side in his general direction, like she's kinda afraid to look at him.
    Here's the picture:



So just mentally replace Jacob with Lliam and Edward with Elysia, and there ya go! Ahahah fun stuff :)

Monday, April 04, 2011

My Views on Life

First, let me just say how much it bothers me about how kids today - even the Christian ones - are so desensitised to all the sex, drug, and general immorality references and condoning that goes on in our wayward world today. Today, I read on my friend's blog that her new favourite book is one that tells the story of a junior in high school who commits suicide, and this book contains a rather graphic sex scene that should be skipped, according to her. Another of my friends, J.R., said he'd like to read it and didn't mind at all about the sex scene; he said '...please please please bring it next time I see you. This book is interesting me very much, it sounds.. well.. amazing....And I have no innocence anymore, so I'm sure that part'll be fine with me. If it's some sex scene, I've already read some books with those...' (but he assures me that that was totally accidental). Another friend, M.D., agreed with him in that she wouldn't mind reading the book.
          Does this not sound completely wrong to you all?? We as Christians should NOT be condoning stuff like this and waving it off, saying that it's ok, that 'it's just the way the world works', that 'I guess I'd better get used to it; after all, it's not going away'! Guys, just because the world says stuff like this is fine and it won't hurt you, does NOT mean it's ok to read about it anyway, even if you're a Christian. Stuff like that, once in your head, NEVER goes out, as much as you may wish it to! I know this from experience; I accidentally read a book back in 7th grade that I shouldn't have and now those things are forever stuck inside my mind, much as I wish them gone. Things like Twilight, Graceling, Harry Potter....Not good stuff. Think about this: if Jesus was a 16-year-old kid that went to school with you, would He be reading Twilight? NO. Would He, even for one second, say 'Oh, it's ok to read that. You might as well get used to it, after all'? NO. Would He go with you to the movie theater to see Harry Potter and the Hunger Games? Say it with me now: NO. 
    How have we gotten so far away from Him, guys? Everything in media, politics, and just everyday life promotes lying, sexual immorality, cheating, cruelty, vanity, selfishness, and plain stupidity. Don't believe me? Take a look at the next Victoria's Secret commercial that comes on.  Listen to the conversations in the high school locker room or lunch table. Read books like Harry Potter, Twilight, Graceling, and 13 Reasons Why.  Scroll through any kid's text messages. Immorality and sinful living is all around us, guys, but we cannot, CANNOT condone it and become a part of it! "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will." Romans 12:2. Follow this verse to the tee, guys! Challenge yourself to not watch that PG-13 rated comedy that flaunts language, girls in bikinis, lying to family and friends, and getting drunk at all-night parties.  Flip the channel when bad commercials come on. Change the station when bad songs start filling the silence.  Act like Christ, our perfect and beautiful Sacrifice, who gave up His life not so that we could live life as a carefree, free-for-all party, but so that we could come to know our Creator and Perfector and live eternally with Him in paradise! Why in the world would you pass up an eternity of  life's most wonderful gifts - friends, family, peace, harmony, unity in Christ as brothers and sisters, a world free of sin, pain, tragedy, burdens, hatred, amnosity, disease, and a perpetual loneliness - for drugs (a.k.a. cancer, death, disease, psychological damage), sex (a.k.a. AIDS, HIV, unplanned-for children that you're unable to provide for and love, unhappiness and an unfillable feeling of emptiness), and worldly pleasures that will all pass away and will mean nothing at all when you're on your deathbed, such as money, iPods, the newest HDTV, the fancy car, the mansion.....What does it matter, in the end? "And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever." 1 John 2:17.
             Guys! Oh, how I wish every single one of you who reads this will one day be in Heaven with our beloved Father! And how much more He wishes it! Don't you think the God who created you and designed every single atom, cell, artery, and iota of your being longs for you to come home to Him, where you can spend eternity with a loving Father who will meet your every need and wipe every tear from your eye?  Why on earth would you not want that?
       I'll tell you why: Satan. The Father of Lies, the Great Deceiver. Oh, he makes it look good, doesn't he? He twists and manipulates and tells you that it'll be ok just this once; no one will ever know. And after all, it'll make you feel good. It'll make you forget; it'll ease the pain. It'll make everything better. Oh, friends. What God makes good, Satan twists into something so hideous it becomes unrecognisable.  What God intends for righteousness and healing, Satan makes immoral and destructive.  He prowls for the weak, looking for those who he can sway, those who he can tempt into slipping, even if 'just this once'. But he knows that if you slip once, there's nothing holding you back to keep you from slipping again. And again. And again. And before you know it, your life is in shambles, everything ashes in the wind, broken and meaningless. Sin is like an itch, guys. Without thinking, you scratch it once. It feels better for a moment, but when that moment has passed, the urge returns to scratch it again. Just one more time can't hurt, right? It's not like it's hurting anybody.  And it feels good again for another fleeting moment. But as you keep scratching, and the urge keeps growing, soon you can't help yourself. That initially small itch turns into a ragged, bleeding wound that just keeps growing and feeding off of your addiction to the temporary relief that scratching it brings. And if it ever heals, it leaves a large scar, cold and pink, to remind you of that itch you never should have scratched.
              This is so preventable, friends. All you have to do is put your trust in God the Father, you Creator, the Lover of your soul, the Author and Perfector of the universe. Just open your heart to Him; tell him - you don't have to speak, even; He understands our needs even when we can't find the words to say them - and just ask Him to forgive you for your trespasses against His righteous and beautiful nature. Confess that you've messed up. Tell Him that you know what you've done is wrong.  Ask Him to forgive you and help you live a better life, according to His good purpose and will. It's that simple! And once you say that quick, easy prayer, how your life will change! You'll begin to see God's beauty and love all around you, in ways you never even noticed before; you'll see His gentle hand in every facet of your life, guiding you, blessing you, loving you, even at your worst!  What an awesome and mighty God we serve, friends!  His name be praised throughout all the world, in every tribe, tongue, and nation! Praise Yahweh, the Lamb of Life!
              Give your life to Him now, before it's too late. Don't delay, for we may not have a tomorrow. Think about this, friends. It's the biggest - and best - desicion you will ever make.
          Good night, and God bless you all. 

Sunday, April 03, 2011

BPN

Now considering using Book Publishers Network as a possible means to publish Young Falcon. They're not a traditional, mainstream publishing group, but neither are they a self-publishing company. They're a half-breed! Ahaha :) But anyway, here's a list of pros and cons about using self-publishing versus traditonal publishing, according to Book Publishers Network:

Disadvantages of Traditional Publishing:
  • You will have to produce a professional book proposal to submit to agents prior to finding a publisher to print it.
  • Most mainstream publishers no longer have an editorial staff , so you will be expected to have your manuscript professionally edited before they will publish it.
  • You will have little or no control over your book’s layout, title, cover design, and number of copies printed.
  • It will take at least two years to see your book in a bookstore, and unless marketing, promotion, and distribution are done well, it may end up in the bargain section before it has a chance to shine.
  • You can’t know in advance how long it will take to sell enough books to pay back your advance and start receiving royalty fees.
  • The marketing and public relations (PR) efforts by your publisher are traditionally focused on the first ninty days of your release.  Promotion after that is up to you.
Advantages of Traditional Publishing:

  • Perhaps the most compelling advantage to having your book published by a mainstream publisher is your lack of financial investment.
  • Although it will cost you money to shop for an agent, once you have one who has found a publisher interested in your book, you will receive some type of advance prior to publication and royalties once enough copies have been sold to repay your advance
 Advantages of Self-Publishing
  • Total control over content, layout, and cover design.
  • A choice as to how many books are run the first time and subsequently, as demand for your book grows.
  • A distribution channel that is formulated on your target market to insure greater interest and greater sales.
  • Help with editing, copywriting, and proofing to produce a well-written and well-told story whether fiction or non-fiction.
  • Internal and external resources for promotion, public relations, and marketing to maximize how long your book stays in the public eye and on book shelves, not the clearance table.
  • Quick turnaround that gets your book, when ready, printed in approximately ninty days.
  • All profits from sales after your costs directly going to you because there is no advance to pay back.
And a promotional quote from Book Publishers Network on why you should publish with them:

      "Book Publishers Network is really a hybrid in the publishing world.  We help you produce the best possible product, assist you with solid distribution, and provide you with methods, tools, and resources to publicize your book.  Your book is published under the Book Publishers Network imprint, and since our books have won numerous awards, we are not perceived in the book world as being a self-publisher.
       By aligning yourself with our imprint, you won’t be associated with self-publishing in the traditional sense.  Most important, our authors are satisfied clients who know first-hand that we are committed to going the extra mile to help them become the successful authors they always dreamed of being.  Just read some of the testimonials on our Web site and you’ll hear first-hand why they enjoy working with us."

Visit Book Publishers Network at http://www.bookpublishersnetwork.com/ !

Visit Lulu Self-Publishing at http://www.lulu.com/index.php !

Saturday, April 02, 2011

Lights! Camera! ACTION!

Off to school to film a project with N.G. and H.H.! We did one of these last November for our Romeo and Juliet project, and it was SO AWESOME!!! We even got these really cool costumes from our theatre department to use, and even though it took me 5 hours to edit 5 minutes of video (and no, it was not because it took me so long to figure out how to do stuff, it was because of everything I had to do!) and so I'm not really looking forward to having to spend so much time editing again, but this one shouldn't be as long as the R & J one, so that'll be good. This is a book-to-screen adaption for Chapter 4 of a book we're reading right now, so that should be funnn!! :)

Friday, April 01, 2011

Self-Publishing?

I'm seriously considering self-publishing right now...My friend G.C.'s dad used LuLu Self-Publishing for his book, and his book's now available on Amazon and he's gotten a pretty good profit...AND I'D GET TO DECIDE MY OWN COVER!!!!!!! That would be AWESOME. A dream come true :) My friend M.M. wants to be on the cover, and my friend A.B.'s mom is a professional photographer. And I'm pretty proficient with Picnik and Adobe Photoshop....Hehehe I get so excited just thinking about it!! :D Also...I'm not really sure I want my book to be read by many others besides my friends and family. I'm not really sure I want to share my characters with a bunch of strangers, if you know what I mean. Meh, I don't know. Self-publishing's just sounding incredibly appealing to me right now. 
            But God'll show me which way He wants to go, so I ain't worried about it right now :)