Page 182!

Yay! I'm on page 182 (closer to 183, though) and things are going well, if a bit slowly; this section has been giving me a little bit of grief, as I took out what used to be a rather important part of the story and made it...different. Not less important, just important in a different way ;) But I'm nearing the end of the chapter, which will then send me into the next segment of Lliam's story (YES!!), and that should get done fairly quickly. I'm so excited for y'all to read Book Two; it's SO much better than Young Falcon, and the ending will be even more maddening! >:) Haha! Anyway, questions, comments, or suggestion - let me know! :)
   (And Mrs. G, there is in fact a swimming scene in Book Two. Not synchronized swimming, but swimming nonetheless ;) )

Going to See Brave

G.C. invited me to see Brave with her, so tomorrow we're going to go out for lunch and watch the movie. I think it'll be awesome solely because ALL THE CHARACTERS HAVE SCOTTISH ACCENTS, but the reviews I've read said it wasn't a very good movie and not up to Pixar's usual standards. It does have a really predictable plot...but we'll see. Maybe the amazing Scottish accents will even out the plot ;) Either way, I'll let you know what I think of it :)


(And seriously, what's with her hair? If it's to show that she is a 'fiery, spunky, independent' girl, then I FROWN at you, Pixar, for doing that. Could you be any less cliche? *shakes head*)

A Wedding Shower and the Legend of Korra

So, if you were not aware, my brother is getting married, and today is their wedding shower/party-with-amazing-food. It's a long drive, unfortunately... *sigh* But I'll let you know if anything exciting or weird happens :} Also, today is the season finale of the first Legend of Korra season! AND I DON'T HAVE CABLE SO I'LL HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL TOMORROW WHEN IT'S POSTED ON NICKELODEON'S WEBSITE TO WATCH IT ahhhhhhhhhh!! :'( But anyway, this is a great show, and if you haven't seen it or its predecessor, Avatar: The Last Airbender, SHAME! You should watch them both!! :) 
   Update on editing: page 170! Yay! *does a celebratory dance* I'm only 15 pages from halfway! Haha... :/ But you will love Book Two (I hope)! It's much better than Young Falcon; it has more of...everything, really :} Anyway -- might be posting another snippet or two in the next few days, so be on the lookout! Farewell, and have a great weekend!!

Editing is Still Going Well

I guess. Unfortunately, I've had a lot of distractions lately and haven't been able to focus enough to get much finished, but I'm going to work hard today and see how much I can conquer! I'm up to page 160 (out of 392) now, so that's good, I suppose :} Haven't started on the Lliam scene yet, sadly; still working on patching up the gigantic fluff-ball I took out a few days ago o.O But I'll get there sooner or later! 
   Please pray all goes well: the sales, the editing, the events, all of that stuff. Have a great week, y'all!!

Ugh -.-

Book Two is back down to 385 pages; I came across a very fluffy section (which, unfortunately, was 16 pages) that I rather ruthlessly sheared off, and while I have a new scene to write that will take its place ... this is going to take about 2 extra days to fix :| But my book must be fluffless! As fluffless as a shorn sheep! FLUFF IS NOT ACCEPTABLE. And just in case you have no idea what fluff is, I shall define it for you: any part of a story that doesn't contribute to the overall plot and/or characters and therefore accomplishes absolutely nothing with its presence. (That's my definition, anyway.) But the scene with which I am replacing this fluff will be awesome! For all you Lliam-lovers, you will definitely enjoy it :} Therefore ... I am enjoying it massively! Haha! So anyway, that's what I'll be working on for the next 2 (or more) days. It is somewhat sad to cut out so much of my writing, but it must be done for the sake of the story, so I will survive :} 
    Have a great weekend/Father's Day, y'all!!

Book Two is Now 400 Pages

It started out as being 284 pages....heh. So...I've added a little bit ;) It's GREAT stuff, though; I'm absolutely loving my revisions/new version, and considering that Book Two was my least favourite book of the series, it's a good sign that I'm now actually enjoying it :} There will be some favourite old characters returning, as well as some new ones -- including two of my own favourites >:) There will be LOTS of action (more than was in Young Falcon), suspense, romance, magic, politics, and an intense, epic conclusion that will be even more exciting than Young Falcon's! :) Lame promo, I know ;) But, as always, keep spreading the word, my little army! Fight to share Young Falcon with the world so you can read Book Two! Trust me -- you won't be disappointed!! :) And please keep praying that my editing continues to go well and that doors (or windows) will open for me and my little book!

    Have a great week, y'all!!

YOUNG FALCON FLIES!!

ANOTHER HUGE LEAP FOR YOUNG FALCON ON AMAZON! My book is now ranked #58,172, the highest it's EVER BEEN!! Previous highest rank: #140, 998!! On my Amazon Sales Rank chart, there's less than a centimeter between my ranking and the #1 spot! Guys, thank you SO MUCH for continuing to support me and my book -- y'all are just propelling Book Two further and further towards being printed!! You are amazing fans, and keep doing what you're doing; it's working!! :D :D Praise God, too, for this continued success of my little book! I know #58,172 is not fantastic the grand scheme of things, but hey! It's the highest I've ever gone on the Amazon charts, and hopefully we'll take Young Falcon to the top spot someday! :D 


In celebration, yet another snippet! Enjoy! :)


    “Hurry back,” Roman said acidly, and Lliam laughed somewhat bitterly.
    “I might appreciate that more if I didn’t know you only wanted me back so Jakob wouldn’t be telling you what to do,” he commented, and Roman smirked again. He enjoyed taunting Lliam with comments such as that, one that Lliam knew were intended to pain him, and often in the past—though not so frequently in the past few months—Lliam had always responded with equally barbed insults. It had almost been a game to Roman, seeing who could respond with the deepest cut, but now, it seemed Lliam had given up on retaliating. Roman knew it was because of his connection with Elysia; she was making Lliam weaker, and he resented her for it. In some strange way, he felt vulnerable, less sure of himself, when Lliam did not react to his persistent mockery. When his words did not elicit an angry response from his brother, Roman felt almost scared. He did not know what to do with Lliam anymore, it seemed; this more mature, sombre brother was one he did not know. Lliam had always been more serious and level-headed than Roman even when they were children, but this was something else entirely, and it frightened Roman. 
     Saying nothing, Roman lowered his gaze. 
     Lliam came forward and stood before Roman, gazing at him solemnly. “Roman … I’m doing this to protect you,” he said quietly. “If you keep losing battles and getting our men killed, Zoser is not the only one that will be furious with you. Think of the men who remain—how hard do you think it is for them, seeing their brothers in arms dying by the dozen every time you lead an attack? This can’t go on, Roman. You’ve got to get it together.”
    Filled with both loathing for Lliam’s reprimand and helplessness at his departure, Roman swallowed past the lump in his throat and replied just as softly, “I’m trying.” He hated how emotionally the words came out, but there was no taking them back. 
    “I know,” Lliam assured him. “Just … just be careful, all right? Don’t do anything stupid.”
    Roman recoiled slightly in offence, and Lliam sighed, realising his error. “Sorry, just …” He shook his head and then reached out and gripped Roman’s shoulder, looking at him earnestly. “You take care of yourself, Roman.” Then he brushed past and exited the tent, leaving Roman a little bit stunned and incredibly bewildered. That was the first hint of affection and concern his brother had shown him in a very long time, and while it had not been much, it had been enough to throw Roman completely off-guard.
     He had a terrible, sinking feeling that everything was beginning to change.  

Didn't I say the idea of Elysia making Lliam weak would reappear? Well, here it is again! ;) I love the scenes between Lliam and Roman SO MUCH! Ahhhh they're my favourites! :D

Page 123 and a New Snippet!

I've gotten all the way to page 123 in editing now, and I would feel better about that if I was more than a fourth of the way finished o.O Yeah, Book Two's a little bit longer than Young Falcon, and by the time it's printed, it'll probably be a lot longer! ;) Anyway, here's a (small) snippet for you in celebration:

She’s making me weak, Lliam reflected sullenly, stepping out of the tent. He did not like the effect his connection with Elysia was having upon him, not one bit, but it was inevitable. What was done was done, and there was nothing he could change now. By now, even Jakob was beginning to notice a change in Lliam, along with Roman and a few others, and they were starting to question him. It concerned Lliam greatly that he appeared to others as though he was becoming weak in his authority and conviction, but seeing the world through Elysia’s eyes had caused him to evaluate his circumstances differently, including what he was doing and why. He had already pretty much come to accept that he and Roman were not going back home, and he had been learning to live with that, but now that Elysia had come along, his entire mind and perspective was different -- in nearly all regards.
      That seventeen-year-old girl from Aseamir had changed everything.

Oh, Lliam. Love him :D Any thoughts on what will happen with his relationship with Elysia?

(And keep in mind, this hasn't been edited yet. Don't judge if you see any errors :) )

100 Conquered!!

I have conquered the first 100 pages of Book Two, and I am feeling gloriously victorious >:) Only ~288 pages to go!! Whoo-hoo!! Things are going swimmingly :} For those of you wondering, 'Well, what is Book Two going to be about?', here is a summary (complete with some dorky quotes):

“He is mightier than the stars and the heavenly bodies.
He holds destiny in his hand, and he will grind your tiny city under heel like a fallen rose.
Your protests will make no difference.
You are as a mere speck within the mighty bounds of his land, and so are your people.
He will make them fight for him, and they will soon forget they were ever anything but tools, mere chaff in the wind, here today and gone tomorrow …”

Like the thorns that deface a rose, so Zoser’s humans have become to Yaracina. One by one, cities succumb to their power, and Elysia becomes desperate as she is still pursued by Roman. Her flight takes her across mountains, forces her into her first real battle, gains her new friends and allies, teaches her more about the world than she ever dreamed, and eventually sees her fall in love. But the thorns stab ever deeper, stripping her of many things she holds dear and breaking her weary heart in a tragic, pivotal moment.
    And back in Aseamir, Elysia’s city struggles to stand firm against the growing threat of Zoser’s men. Her younger sister, Lillian, befriends a young stranger, and they become fugitives when Roman comes looking for something hidden in the city that Zoser very much desires. All around them, things become uncertain and dangerous, and no one is sure whom to trust anymore. The rose of Yaracina begins to wilt as it is poisoned by Zoser and his army, and there is little hope for its revival.

“Why did Zoser have to come to my country and ruin all our lives?
Why did he have to kill all those people, and destroy everything we’ve worked for?”
“It was meant to happen, young falcon …
I’m sorry.” 

Thoughts, anyone? How's Book Two sounding so far? :)

Speaking at a Writing Camp!

A lady called today and said she wants me to speak at a writing camp put on by Texas State University; it's ages 6-18 (though I'd only be addressing the older kids, I think), and they feature authors at some point during the camp. And did I mention I get paid $50? >:) Haha! My first paid interview! Whoo-hoo!! :D Pray all goes well, and that the kids like Young Falcon and that I don't sound like a complete idiot when talking ;) So excited for this opportunity!!

Are Writers Actually Actors?

I was watching some interviews of the cast of The Avengers, and Tom Hiddleston (Loki) was talking about how he went about becoming Loki by examining his motives and how he's been treated by his family all his life and how finding out who his true parents were changed everything. He said that outside of Loki, he can judge his actions just like everyone else, but while he's being Loki, he has to find that compassion for him and realise why he's done all the terrible things he has. Tom also said acting was all about portraying the truth of humanity, and that making a villain human is a very key part of helping people relate and find sympathy for that villain. He mentioned that for him, acting is about understanding and expressing those traits of humanity that he doesn't possess, and so I'm on the other side of the screen going, "THAT'S JUST LIKE WRITING!!!" This made me so incredibly happy that he said this, guys; you have no idea. I've always sort of likened my experience as a writer to acting -- in order to be a good writer, you have to get inside your characters' heads, dig around, find out who they are, why they do what they do, and figure out the perfect way to portray that character and their traits realistically and be as truthful as possible. And Tom basically said the same thing!! I hadn't really thought about it in so much depth until I saw this interview, but then it struck me why it was so easy for me to switch between characters that are really crafty and sly and evil and messed up and characters that are kind and sweet and happy and innocent -- it's acting! It's just like slipping on a different skin, or changing clothes; once you've figured out how they fit, it's so simple to just toss off one character and put on another. 

        That really just made my day :D Another reason why Tom Hiddleston is one of my favourite actors ;)

18 Books Sold!

We had a family reunion today, and while attendance was massively less than usual, I still managed to sell 6 books! Yay! Now I had sold 5 at a family reunion for the other side of my family a few weeks ago, so my grandma and grandpa were sort of having a competition to see which side of the family bought more books. My grandpa won ;) So that was 11 books sold, and on the way back to my grandparents' house, we stopped by the CTA Museum, where they've been selling Young Falcon, and they had sold 7 of their 8 books, so that got us over $100 of profit and 18 books sold!! :} Praise God for the small steps now that are leading up to bigger steps later!!

My Evil Plan for Editing

Ok, so it's really not that evil ;) But I was just thinking about this as I was working on a section of Book Two and decided to post about it: I haven't worked on (as in, legitimately written anything new) Book Two since I was about 13, so it's going to need some serious revision (I'm basically rewriting it), and I realised that if I hadn't continued working on Book Three and Book Four, I wouldn't have grown as a writer and been able to properly edit and rewrite Book Two. Without the massive growing I've done since finishing Book Two three years ago, it would end up being just as crappy as it was the first time. I wouldn't know the characters half as well, wouldn't know what was going to happen (and therefore, couldn't properly lead up to significant events), wouldn't have as good a grasp on my story itself, wouldn't be so familiar with my own mind and the way I think -- the benefits of working ahead are so great! And it made me realise what a good strategy this is. Planning (and writing) ahead really helps me with what I'm editing (or even currently working on) and gives me an incentive to keep going. If I know and am excited about what's coming up, then I have to keep working to get to it (I could skip ahead, but it's so much more fun to actually work to; you get a tremendous feeling of satisfaction that's hard to beat when you've worked and worked and actually get there). Funny how God makes things work sometimes, isn't it? I love the writing process -- the planning, the editing, the writing, the rewriting, the characters, the places, the emotions, the events, the foreshadowings, the complex inner workings of every thing and one that only I understand ... This is the THE best job in the entire world!!!
    Anyway, I should probably stop talking about editing and get back to it; awesome revisions await! :D Hope you all have a great day/summer!!