Financial Fun

Still trying to work everything out about the book! Dad looked over the proposal today and then he had Mum send Sheryn an email asking all of our questions. Fuuuun stuff. I'm also trying to figure out what I'd like on my cover, and since there's gonna be like 8 books, I'm trying to find something that will work for all the different covers and yet be a little different every time...I've got a few ideas, but nothing great. I'm excited to see what Ms. Hara's team will come up with. I hope it's really awesome :D Really jazzed for the upcoming process of getting my kids' story published!!!! :D :D

Memorial Day Fun

So, this weekend, Mum, Dad, Brother, Brother's girlfriend Wade, and I went to our friend's condo on the lake for two days. Mum had already been out there for a night because her ladies prayer group spent the night, and Brother and Wade went up early Friday morning. Dad and I went on Saturday, and when we got there, we finished watching Ocean's Eleven, which was actually a pretty good movie. Then Brother and I went swimming for an hour at the pool while Wade watched. Then we went to eat and then came home. The next day, Brother, Wade, Mum, and I went out into the country to climb Enchanted Rock, which was AWESOME. So fun! And really tiring, too, but the views from the top were totally worth it. We trekked around from 9 to 12 on the loop trails and around the lake and all over the place. I may post some pics later...Then we went to eat at a seafood restaurant and when we got home, we watched Secretariat. It was pretty good. Then we went out and swam in the lake water, which was extremely cold, but it felt good. :) The next day, Wade took us to her grandparents' house down the road, and her grandpa took us out on the boat. The water was pretty choppy, but it was really fun; we got to see all the million-dollar lakefront houses! They were so cool. Next we went home and went back to the beach, where this random white duck came up and started quacking at us. Brother went to go get some crackers to feed it, and while they were two years out of date, the duck loved them anyway. Wade then started quacking to the duck, and he quacked back. She started chasing him too, which he didn't like too much, but it was so funny! :D Haha, good times at the lake :)

Vote For Scotty!!

VOTE FOR SCOTTY VOTE FOR SCOTTY VOTE FOR SCOTTY VOTE FOR SCOTTY  VOTE FOR SCOTTY VOTE FOR SCOTTY VOTE FOR SCOTTY VOTE FOR SCOTTY VOTE FOR SCOTTY VOTE FOR SCOTTY  VOTE FOR SCOTTY VOTE FOR SCOTTY VOTE FOR SCOTTY VOTE FOR SCOTTY VOTE FOR SCOTTY VOTE FOR SCOTTY VOTE FOR SCOTTY VOTE FOR SCOTTY VOTE FOR SCOTTY VOTE FOR SCOTTY VOTE FOR SCOTTY!!!!!!!
thank you, that is all. :)

I Got the Proposaaaaaal!

Yesterday, I recieved the literary publishing proposal from my publisher Sheryn Hara of Book Publishers Network, and it basically outlined all of the costs involved for getting Young Falcon and the subsequent novels published. You wanna know approximately how much it's gonna cost?
     Around 7,000 to 8,000.
    AHHHHHHHHHHHH!
     No idea how we're gonna get all that money, but hey, with God all things are possible! So I'm not really worried about the money, or how long it's gonna take to get it, 'cause I'm on His timetable anyway, and there's nothing I could do to speed the process up anyway...And maybe my school and church buddies could help me raise some money. Maybe even the local radio station! Haha I'm gonna take over the world! ;)
    But I'm still really excited BECAUSE IT'S ACTUALLY HAPPENING!! There's hope! And as long as there's hope and God, everything will work out fine. Which means that everything will always work out, 'cause God is always gonna be there. How reassuring! :)

Update on My Book!

Ok, so Sheryn Hara is sending me my proposal today, and I just heard back from her after I sent her my synopsis, main points, and marketing...stuff, and here's what she said:

Elizabeth, thank you so much for sending the synopsis. I usually provide my cover designers with a synopsis so they can come up with an appropriate design.
     I am on my way to the post office to send off your proposal.
     Please confirm with me when you receive it and I’ll look forward to talking with you (and your mom!) after you’ve had time to review.
      Regards, Sheryn

So excited!!!! Can't wait to see my proposal!! :D

Scotty-Boy's Gonna Be in the Finale!!!!!

Praise God! Scotty McCreery, age 17, is going to be competing in the finale of American Idol next week, along with 15-year-old Lauren Alaina, who is also a country singer. I'm so glad these two were chosen to compete; I think they definitely deserve it. Personally, I'm very, very glad that Haley Reinhart didn't make it; I didn't get the feeling she's very polite and nice off-stage, nor do I think she's as good as Lauren and Scotty.
     AHHHHHHH!!!! So happy for my big brother!!! :D Can't wait to see how God uses him and this opportunity for His glory, and I'm so excited that Scotty gets this fantastic chance to use his God-given talents and probably get to lead dozens of people to Christ as well. 
    Fantastic day!! Have a great week, y'all, and VOTE FOR SCOTTY!!! :D

Sheryn Replied About My Proposal!!

So Sheryn, my soon-to-be-publisher, replied today, and she said that she'd mail me a written proposal tomorrow for getting my book published! She didn't have my address, so she couldn't send it to me earlier, but now that she does, Sheryn's gonna send it tomorrow! So excited!!! :D Can't wait to see how God's going to work everything out - the money needed, the time-table, the designs, the sales, all that good stuff! But I know He's in charge, and that whatever's best for me is what He's gonna do, so I'm really jazzed about what's coming next!!!!
     Pray for me, everyone, and praise God!! :D

Funny Picture of James Durbin and Scotty McCreery

Haha! Found this online and added my own words to it; it's now my background on my computer. Love these guys! :D

Thor

<---- This is Thor. He's the Norse god of thunder and the son of Odin. Thor has a new movie, appropriately named Thor. This is the screen adaption of the Marvel Comics comic book series Thor, and while I've never read, or even heard of, this story, I thought the movie was fantastic. It was action-packed (and there was some serious action), just the right amount of sweet romance, some creepy red-eyed giants, and an unexpected villian (ok, I suspected it, but I don't think I was supposed to), and it had a very good message of right and wrong, which was a refreshing departure from some of the other movies I've heard/seen where the line between good and evil is seriously blurred *coughTWILIGHTcough*
     Thor is the young, fiesty son of Odin, who reigns from the far-off kingdom of Asgard, one of the nine realms of the universe. He desperately wants to be king, but on his big day, Thor's ceremony is interrupted by a break-in by the Asgardians' mortal enemies, the Frost Giants (or Jotuns). Enrage by the fact that his father is not going to declare war on the Giants for this crime, and supported by his brother Loki, Thor and his five friends (Sif, Volstagg, Fandral, Hogun, and Loki) head to Jotunheim (the home of the Frost Giants) to 'teach them a lesson'. However, things don't go exactly as planned, and Thor and his friends end up nearly getting slaughtered by the Jotun king Laufey, his buddies, and a massive, slobbering Jotun beast. Odin beams them back to Asgard before they are killed, but not, however, before one of them is stabbed with a deadly icicle and another is frostbitten by a Jotun's touch. Bad day for Thor.
     His father subsequently banishes Thor to Earth to teach him a lesson, and Odin also sends Thor's mighty hammer Mjolnir to Earth, but only someone who is worthy to bear the power of Thor can wield it. After being hit by the car of a young scientist and her colleagues, Thor is taken to the hospital, as he is greatly disoriented from his landing on Earth. A government agency known as S.H.I.E.L.D. soon comes to investigate the place that Mjolnir has landed, and they also catch wind of Thor. The conviently pretty young scientist, Jane Foster, eventually helps him find Mjolnir, but he cannot pull it from the stone its been encased in, much to his anger. He is then captured by the agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., where Loki his brother comes to visit him and tells him that their father Odin is dead, having died from the strain of Thor's banishment and disobedience. Thor is devastated. Back in Asgard, Loki crowns himself king (Odin is not dead, but merely in a trance-like, rejuvenating state known as 'Odin-sleep') and strikes a deal with the Jotuns. He sends a huge, seemingly invincible automaton that he controls from Asgard to Earth to get Thor out of the way, so that his brother cannot take the throne from him. After the automaton terrorises the New Mexico town that Thor has landed in, he willingly agrees to let the robot kill him in order to save the innocent people that Loki is killing. Loki seems to decide not to kill Thor, but changes his mind and deals Thor a killing blow. Just when all hope seems to be dead, the hammer Mjolnir returns to Thor, as his sacrifice and change of character seems to have made him worthy of repossessing the mighty weapon. He then defeats the automaton and returns to Asgard, where he duels Loki.
    I'll let you go see the movie yourself to find out what happens, but I can tell you that it's pretty fantastic, especially with the music, wowing special effects, and the redeeming plot line, one that encourages sacrifice for those you care about, realising that you don't know everything, and knowing that you don't have to be a great hero to change the world. It's a fantastic movie, well worth your $9-11. I recommend it to all (be warned of the violence, however; children under 14-15 probably shouldn't see it) and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. I give Thor 4.7 stars out of 5.

Scotty McCreery's Homecoming in Garner, North Carolina

For all of you who don't watch American Idol, there's a 17-year-old contestant on the show named Scotty McCreery, and this past week, he made it into the Top 3. He's from Garner, North Carolina, and he's a strong Christian. A few days ago, he did the homecoming concert in Garner, and he was surprised onstage by his own hero, country star Josh Turner. Scotty had a hilarious reaction of 'Oh my gosh!' and subsequently falling to his knees, but he held it together and went on to perform his theme song 'Your Man' with the song's original singer, Mr. Turner himself. They chatted a bit onstage then, giving each other numerous compliments, and next they sang 'Long Black Train', Scotty's proclaimed 'favourite song of all time'. Scotty also had several references to God, and he reassured fans that instead of his faith weakening when he went away to Hollywood, it had gotten stronger. He also shared a God-story before he left, saying, ''I wanna share one God thing with y'all before I leave. So two days ago, I was looking at the forecast and it was rain, rain, rain, lightning, thunder, rain, and I really wanted to get this concert in, so I started prayin', and I said, 'God, I wanna be able to do this.' And I looked in my Bible, and I flipped to this marked page. I didn't remember markin' it, but there it was. And there was a verse it referenced, so I went and looked up that verse. It was Amos 4:7. Y'all wanna know what it said? 'And I witheld the rain from you.' That was a God thing there!''
    What a fantastic kid! He's obviously not ashamed of his faith, and God's definitely blessed him for it. I know he'll do great in the music world whether he wins or not, but I am totally voting for him in the finale! Not only is he a fantastic singer, but he's also a great, sweet, Christian guy who hasn't let Hollywood get to him - why wouldn't you want him as your American Idol? I'm really looking forward to hearing his testimony when we all get to Heaven, and to hear what it was like for him being in that environment and yet still being able to lean on our Father and be strong. I really admire this guy, obviously; he'll definitely go far, especially with the Help he's got!
     To check out the video of Scotty's homecoming, click here. It's well worth it! God bless, y'all, and vote for Scotty!!

H.K.

My good friend H.K. is reading Young Falcon whilst we're waiting for Sheryn Hara to reply. She really likes it! She said, 'It was so good, I had to literally make myself stop reading it so I could read what I was actually supposed to be reading (for school)!' Yay!! Reviews like this are good; I'm so happy! :D Most of my friends like the fast, detail-less, boom-boom-boom stories that go so fast you barely have time to catch your breath, whereas mine is much more thoughtful and slow; it really lets you decide what you think about each character before any action is introduced, I think. It's a very detailed story that lets you get deep in each character's head, whereas all the other young adult fiction I've read as of late doesn't really do that: all the characters kinda have the same general personality. If it's a girl: annoyingly fiesty and kick-butt (for no apparent reason, either) but still cute and boy-crazy. If it's a boy: bland and colourless, but always cute and has harems of girls throwing themselves at him. Yeah...not the kind of characters I want to read about. I really tried to be conscious of that whilst I was writing my books; I was thinking, 'Ok, what kind of characters, places, actions scenes, etc., would I want to read about? What would make me say, 'This is an awesome book!''' So I tried to bring that out and share the things I think are cool to read about with all my audience, and I hope they like it too. :)

Prayin'

Praying to my Father that everything will work out okay for my books. It's been almost five years since He and I started this epic journey, and I've loved every step of the way. It's so exciting to think that soon, I may be able to take another step closer to becoming the author and Christian He intended me to be, and I'm so ready to be tested in His name. I know He'll take me through the fires and floods, and that no matter what happens, it will be His will and will be what's best for me and my kids.
     It seems like just a few weeks ago that I started planning my story...My story that's now expanded into an eight-book saga and is soon to be published! Wow...I couldn't imagine a better life for myself than writing the stories my King has given me to tell. What a magnificent calling! I'm so privelleged, and I can't wait to see what He's got planned for me!
     Have a fantastic week, guys, and God bless you. :)

Happy Mother's Day!

To all the wonderful, caring, sacrificing mothers out there - thank you. God did a fantastic thing when He blessed us with mothers, and they are truly a reflection of His unconditional love. My own mum especially - she's been such a trooper throughout these past few years, what with helping me with my book, having her son off at college, and caring for her own mother as she deals with cancer. God has blessed me with such a strong, wonderful Christian mother, and I thank Him so much for her! 

      So don't forget to thank your mothers for everything she's done for you, and try to be as much a blessing to her as she's been to you.

      Happy Mother's Day!

Country Music

Ok, I used to REALLY hate country music with a passion. I found it annoying and irrelevant. But since I've been watching the show American Idol and have witnessed the great country talent that is Scotty McCreery, I've changed my opinion of country music - now I find it kinda catchy and fun. His performance of 'Gone' this past week was exceptional, and I had to have that song! To watch it, click here. So that brings my total number of country songs up to....two. The other is 'Up On the Roof', by Scotty and fellow Idol contestant Lauren Alaina.
       Have a great day, y'all! :)

Episode Four is Here!

The fourth episode of The Sea Dodecagon of Love, 'A Family Affair', is here! Because this one was so long, I've split it into two parts. Part One came out yesterday, and Part Two will come out next Friday. Here's the summary:

Edmund Pevensie just lost both his younger sister and his best friend, Caspian. And he has absolutely no idea what happened to them or where they went. They just...disappeared. And now, Peter is upset with him for something that wasn't his fault, Susan is terrified that something awful's going to happen to Lucy and Caspian, and Narnia is missing its king. But before anything is worked out, the three of them also end up on a ship in the middle of nowhere. Meanwhile, Lucy is tending Caine and Sam as they heal, which brings about a number of complications: first, Caine thinks Lucy is the most beautiful girl he's ever seen, and second, Lucy starts noticing Sam, which won't make for a good brotherly relationship between these two already mortal enemies...

Click here to go read 'A Family Affair'! :D

BEST WEEK EVER!!

G.C. became a Christian yesteday!!!!!!!!!!! I'M SO EXCITED, OH MY GOODNESS!! That made my entire year :) She said it came up in a conversation with her parents last night and that she became one last night after talking with them. Yesterday was Cinco de Mayo, the same day last year that my good friend J.R. became a Christian. And four years before that, also on Cinco de Mayo, I became a Christian....Apparently Cinco de Mayo is a popular day for becoming a Christian! :)
     Anyway. God has answered my prayers, and I'm SO happy!!!! AHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!! :D :D :D

I Got My Braces Off!

Yes, I am now BRACELESS! And I love it! After two years of having those evil metal bands, I'm now freeeee of them! I'd put a picture up, but....Anyway - yay! This has been such an awesome week!

Sheryn Replied!

Ok, I just heard back from Sheryn Hara, who I sent Young Falcon to for reviewing. Here's what she said:

"Elizabeth, thank you for your submission. I have a review team that I will send it out to and I will be getting back to you about a week to ten days with a complete written proposal.

In the meantime, please do not hesitate to call or email if you have questions – I’m here to help!

Regards, Sheryn"

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!! So excited!! 'Casting the whole of your care on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully.' 1 Peter 5:7 God is watching over me and my kids, and I'm so excited to see what He's got in store for us! :)
     God bless!

Another Snippet From Young Falcon

Here's another little snippet from my first novel, Young Falcon. You seemed to like the first one, and since I'll be trying to promote my book pretty soon, I figured I might as well let you read another small section of it. Enjoy, and please rate and comment!! :)
   P.S. sorry about the weird margins. I just copied and pasted, and for some reason, they came out like this.

Once he was sure that Elysia and her friend had continued on their way, Roman dismounted from his stallion, heart hammering in his chest, and he sagged against the cliff wall, trying to get a grip on his emotions. He did not like his reaction to seeing Elysia again so soon; he felt completely unstable and vulnerable now that he had seen her close up, the way Lliam had told him he had felt when he saw her for the first time.

            Sighing shakily, Roman ran his hands through his hair and took a moment to just breathe, drawing the cool mountain air into his lungs quickly. What was he to do now? Zoser had ordered him to capture her and the egg as soon as possible, but could he do it now that he had seen her? What would happen if he could not? He knew Zoser would be very displeased, as he always was when Roman failed to complete an assignment, but was his anger worth it? Roman did not know what on earth to do next.

            Roman longed to ask someone what he should do, but the only person nearby was Lliam, and there was absolutely no chance of him asking his brother for advice; that would be like admitting to Lliam’s face that he was incapable of handling as assignment like this without another’s help. Roman’s pride balked at the mere thought; Lliam already thought that, and he did not want to give his brother even more reason to think it true. He could do this without Lliam’s help.

            Leaning his head back against the rough rock, he looked up at the sky, searching it for answers for a while, but when none came to him, he knew he had best be getting back to camp before Lliam sent out a search party for him. Shaking his head in exasperation and disgust at his older brother’s overprotective ways, Roman got to his feet, mounted Black-pool again, and spurred the horse on, his heart still pounding within him.

*

We did not see any more soldiers for the rest of the day, and neither did Efroy speak again. He was still fuming. I tried as hard as I could to get him to speak, but he would not. The most he would do was shrug or grunt.

            Exasperated, I finally gave up, and turned my thoughts to who the man could have been, and why he would have had Black-pool, when I knew Lliam to have ridden the horse before. Maybe he belongs to one of them, and the other was just riding him for a while. Or maybe Black-pool is just a horse that gets traded around from rider to rider. He’s so big, though. I wonder what breed they are. Maybe it’s a breed that the humans have created from others…

            I sighed and looked out at the passing grey rocks and cliffs as we continued to run. A few white flowers sprouted from the cracks of the colourless stones, defiant of the harsh wasteland around them. Mosses and lichens spiderwebbed the boulders with brown and sickly green colours, and a few ferns draped some of the smaller stones. It was definitely getting greener in here.

            I longed to talk to Lliam. But when I opened my mind and found his, he repelled me instantly. Feeling alone and separated from the rest of the world, I felt a stab of loneliness pierce my heart.