The Last Monday

This is it, folks. The last full week of classes for this semester.

That's really all I have to say, which is quite unlike me. However, considering most of my time is taken up with writing papers (I'm sick of it by the way), it's not that unusual I suppose.

Words, words, words. I love them and yet at this moment I sort of despise them. Although I'm looking forward to next week when things will be a lot slower on the class and work front.

Summer. That is one word that I can't help but cherish.

Well, in order to make this post worth reading, I've embedded a book trailer for The Girl in the Steel Corset by Kady Cross, which I really want to read when I get time. Soon.

It appears to be steampunk with an interesting paranormal twist, but I can't be sure. I haven't even picked up a copy yet, but thank the Internet for YouTube, right? I've provided y'all with the Goodreads link so check it out if you get a chance. And if you've already read it, would you kindly let me know how it is?



Until next time...

The End Approacheth

And by end, I mean of either my sanity or the semester. Those two eventualities may even happen concomitantly. Oh great Google. I'm talking rhetorically. *slaps self*

It's been a back and forth battle this semester to stay consistent in my posts. Not Enough Time won a lot of those skirmishes. Too Tired to Think claimed its fair share. Too Busy Writing Papers snatched a victory here and there.

But now it's almost over. At least for a few months. However, I still have two weeks left of utter torture and despair.

So bear with me folks. Much like the Doctor, my blogging parade is still being impeded by the downpour of my classes. (Yay! Metaphors!) I'd like to keep typing a list of all of the things I have to do before summer starts but I don't want to spread the pain.

You're welcome.

Until next time...

RTW: A Thousand Words

Welcome to our 125th Road Trip Wednesday!

Road Trip Wednesday is a "Blog Carnival," where YA Highway's contributors post a weekly writing- or reading-related question and answer it on our own blogs. You can hop from destination to destination and get everybody's unique take on the topic.


We'd love for you to participate! Just answer the prompt on your own blog and leave a link in the comments - or, since this week's topic is a short one, you can include your answer in the comments.


It's been a while since we had an inspirational photos post, and we always love those. So...

This Week's Topic:

What images inspire/ represent your WIP or favorite book?

Out of habit, I am always accruing images of inspirational things, places, people, sights, etc. Just yesterday I was trolling the Internets looking at pretty things on Nat Geo's site. Lovely images. 

This is my favorite. 

It makes me feel a sense of wonder at nature and wildlife. It's a feeling that I try to convey in one of my WIPs. It's a profound sense of the connection between nature and man, or the lack of connection thereof. There's a certain mysticism about the natural world that cannot be penetrated or fully understood by man, but we try all the same. It's that search for belonging in the natural order of things that I find so fascinating. This stag and his posture of utter serenity speak volumes to me and I just want to capture it so I can recall that feeling again and again. 

It's almost selfish in a way. Yet, I can't help wanting to hoard the feelings inside of me. 

I am haunted by this image in much the same way as the previous one; however, this picture evokes more of an otherworldly quality. I want to dive into those leaves and relive past lives. I want to wander in those trees and hear the ghosts of our pasts. In that forest, there is no time. It doesn't exist. This timelessness is what I want to convey in my WIP about nature. Seasons may change, but images like this stay with you forever. 

I hope y'all are having a lovely Spring. I know I, for one, am looking forward to Summer. I've been planning out my class schedule for Fall and I'm already tired. But I'm on the home stretch! Only two more semesters of classes, an Honors Thesis, and one semester of student teaching, and then I'm done!!! *excited dance*

Until next time...

Double the Versatility

When my parents told me I could be anything, I'm not sure they meant a blogger, but it's moments like this when my wonderful bloggy friends share lovely things with me that I say to my parents, "Ha! The Internet thinks I'm versatile!"

And then I get to see the confused expressions on their faces. Double the pleasure and now double the versatility because Lora Palmer has just graced me with the Versatile Blogger award, which I already have in my possession. 

This time it looks different though so it's almost like receiving it for the first time again! That doesn't happen very often in my experience. Unless you count deja vu and I do. So...actually it happens quite a lot in my experience. 

Anyway, since I've already received this delightful award before, I'm going to abscond from the passing it along to 15 more people (plus I'm running low on time) so I'm just going to say a large THANK YOU to Lora and give seven random facts about myself. I hope no one is upset with this. 

(If you feel like you deserve this award and I've just cheated you out of a shiny addition to your blog sidebar, please feel free to petition me for the right to award it to you. I think that would be fun and I could probably be persuaded to go back at another time and hand it out to 15 bloggers. I just can't right now.)

1. I've been called Snow White-esque twice in the past week. Each time it happened I looked around for the dwarves. They must be invisible to only me. 

2. I just watched Hot Fuzz for the first time last night. I almost died from ALL THE LAUGHTER.

3. I have a stuffed dragon's head sitting on the top shelf of my desk. His name is Sunny. Because he's yellow. 

4. I've gone through almost two boxes of fruit pops this week. I think I may be addicted. 

5. I still haven't seen The Hunger Games movie. I think I'm scared. Or just too lazy to go to the theater. 

6. It has taken me ten minutes to think of something else to say about myself that is random and facty. Success is in the eye of the beholder. And I feel successful. Day made. 

7. I bruise worse than a banana. Seriously. I woke up this morning with two new bruises on my knee. I swear they weren't there when I went to bed. I think I may fight crime in my sleep. 

Until next time...

RTW: Best Book of March

Welcome to our 123rd Road Trip Wednesday!

Road Trip Wednesday is a "Blog Carnival," where YA Highway's contributors post a weekly writing- or reading-related question and answer it on our own blogs. You can hop from destination to destination and get everybody's unique take on the topic.


We'd love for you to participate! Just answer the prompt on your own blog and leave a link in the comments - or, since this week's topic is a short one, you can include your answer in the comments.

This Week's Topic:

What was the best book you read in March?

Due to the complete lack of time to read books for "fun," I'm going to say that the best book I've read this month is...

image from goodreads.com

Silas Marner by George Eliot. 

It's not a very long novel but it's certainly the best book I've read this month, including Great Expectations. Don't get me wrong, I love a good Dickens' novel (my favorite is Tale of Two Cities) but Pip annoys me. 

The main character, Silas Marner, is repeatedly oppressed by outside forces and he gets to the point where he becomes a figure that people distrust, but throughout the narrative we see how things work out for the better and how Silas goes through a transformation into a respected member of society. Love, redemption, satisfaction, and faith play important thematic roles in the novel. It's thoroughly heartwarming, as it was no doubt meant to be. 

Silas Marner employs the wry touch characteristic of Eliot's works, and as a piece of literature, it's decidedly tinted with the attributes of a fable. I've always been a fan of fables and fairytales so reading this book was a nice break from the other Victorian readings that I've been doing lately. Realism is fine in small quantities, but sometimes it's nice to read something that puts a smile on your face simply because it's sweet. 

If you haven't read Silas Marner or anything else by George Eliot, I highly recommend that you do. Or at least read Silas Marner. It's not very long. There are some dragging, dull moments but the ending is worth the time spent skipping those spots. (Haha!)

Well, here's to hoping that next month I'll have a YA book to mention and discuss!

Until next time...

Returning from the Near-Dead

OH boy. Turns out that in addition to my overall overwhelmed state the past month, I've also had a sinus infection. It explains so much. Being the Type A person that I am, I couldn't understand why I was so tired, why I ran a fever every day, or why--gross warning--the snot just wouldn't stop.

However, I'm here to tell y'all the problems are now resolved. You're reading the words of a college student no longer plagued by the illness blues. I swear, I wish Z-paks came for everything in life, especially troublesome projects and early classes. I'd never lose a wink of sleep then!

The same can be said for writing. (Yes, I am pulling this lesson application out of thin air, but roll with it. I am.) There are always going to be days, weeks, or even months when we are not hitting the mark. We're going to lack energy and feel like what we're writing is guano. Sometimes we'll know the reason and sometimes we won't; it's just the luck of the draw.

But the important thing to remember is that there is light at the end of that tunnel. No matter how bad it gets or how much rejection you face or how many people tell you that what you're writing is no good, there is a Z-pak for that. Or whatever you want to call it. Silver lining. Pot of gold. Hot bath at the end of the longest day of your life. Those sort of images.

Now, I know it's hard to find those good things when you're being pushed down by the weight of a thousand elephants, but you have to have faith that one day those elephants will get tired of sitting on you and move on to other shoulders. If that makes any sense.

The solution for your issues won't always be as easy as a six day run of strong antibiotics, but I'm betting that it exists out there somewhere. All you have to do is look.

Until next time...

RTW: Hot Stuff Coming Thru

Welcome to our 122nd Road Trip Wednesday!

Road Trip Wednesday is a "Blog Carnival," where YA Highway's contributors post a weekly writing- or reading-related question and answer it on our own blogs. You can hop from destination to destination and get everybody's unique take on the topic.


We'd love for you to participate! Just answer the prompt on your own blog and leave a link in the comments - or, since this week's topic is a short one, you can include your answer in the comments either here on my blog or back on the prompt post at YA Highway. It doesn't matter where

This Week's Topic: 

A long-awaited kiss, a surprise ending, a character's sudden decision… these are the moments that make us smile, gasp, and LOVE a book for the rest of our lives.

What is your favorite literary moment?

Making this decision was not easy. I've been blessed to have the opportunity to read many books in my life and there are countless memorable moments to go along with them. 

I can still remember the first time I read Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone and the magical feeling I got when Harry is finally allowed to read his letter. It's not a big moment in the grand scheme of the series, but it's important to me because it emphasizes the spectacular journey that Harry will soon embark on. Looking back as a long time Potter fan, I take away so much more from that moment than I did perhaps the first few times I read it. 

And then you can't forget the memorable scene in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows as Molly Weasley takes on Bellatrix Lestrange with a "Not my daughter, you b*tch!" That's one instance of raw feeling that continues to catch me off guard and fill me with a sense of thrill just imagining Mrs. Weasley finally ridding the world of the depravity of Bellatrix Lestrange. The doting mother versus the deadly widow. Poetry in fiction. 

I promise not all of my favorite literary moments are from Harry Potter novels, but a good deal of them are. That's just the way the cookie crumbles. 

Until next time...

Lucky 7 Meme from Super Duper

Well, despite having no time, I couldn't pass up this cute little blog meme when Donelle Lacy tagged me. It just sounded so fun!

What is it?

Rules:
1. Go to page 77 of your WIP.
2. Count down to the 7th line.
3. Copy the next 7 lines and paste them into your post.
4. Tag 7 others to participate.
5. Let those writers know they've been tagged. (Otherwise they wouldn't participate, right? haha)

It seems easy enough and I was curious to see what the excerpt would be from my WIP Super Duper. What follows is what I found on page 77. I hope y'all aren't too confused.

But this time around, I thought that perhaps I should make a plan. Just in case. It wouldn’t hurt in the long run. Deciding on having a plan was the easy part; actually making a plan left me dumbstruck. I had nothing, zero, nada, zilch. My planner hadn’t even made it to step one yet. Things weren’t off to a promising start.
            Mr. Smith never told me when I was going on a mission until the day of, so planning an escape had to include the contingency of his presence and the destination of my mission. Of course, I never knew where I was being sent in the first place, so I suppose the destination was another thing I couldn’t count on. 

And there you have it folks! A piece of Super Duper! It's all first person narrative from the perspective of a teenage girl with super powers. That's all I'm gonna say. If you want to know more, I think I have more on the blog somewhere. Probably one of those tabs at the top.

Anyway, I need to tag some people so here I go!

1. Colin Smith
2. Kelsey Sutton
3. Alicia Gregoire
4. Sophia Chang
5. Silent Pages
6. Tracey Neithercott
7. Cindy Thomas

Until next time...

RTW: Memoirlicious

Welcome to our 118th Road Trip Wednesday! 

Road Trip Wednesday is a ‘Blog Carnival,’ where YA Highway's contributors post a weekly writing- or reading-related question that begs to be answered. In the comments, you can hop from destination to destination and get everybody's unique take on the topic. 


We'd love for you to participate! Just answer the prompt on your own blog and leave a link - or, if you prefer, you can include your answer in the comments. 

 This Week's Topic: 

NAME THIS LIFE: What would your memoir be called?

Consider this an update. 

Not to seem vain or overly enthusiastic about talking about moi, but I've actually given this a bit of thought. It's one of my greatest inner anguishes that Where the Wild Things Are has already been used with great success. That title perfectly sums up the purest essence of Bailey.

Because we all know that I have infinite wild things inside of me just waiting to burst onto the scene and cause all kinds of havoc with the civilian population. It's no wonder I drink coffee; I have to keep them busy.

However, since that title already graces the shelves of stores everywhere, I have a few more titles that may just serve in some capacity.

The Girl with the Deathly Hallows Tattoo

I had to make this. 

World War B
Bailey Hammond and the Empty Coffee Pot (this will be in series form and subsequent books will grow exponentially)
Sleeping Late for Dummies!
One Star Wars Bandaid at a Time
It's a Dill Pickle Chip Kinda Life
The War of the Minds
One Pen, Two Pen, Green Pen, Blue Pen


As y'all can see, I'm all over the place. I'm actually pretty partial to the first one and the third option. Yep. They're alright.

Until next time...

Go On...Without Me

See that groundhog? (Or is it a gopher?) Yeah. That's me.

I'm finally surfacing from the massive stacks of papers I've been writing, and let me tell you, I swear today was the first day in two weeks that the sun has shone on my face. I was almost blinded. I felt like Saul on that road as the light came down and turned him into Paul.

Good times.

I'm sure y'all may have noticed my absence from the blogosphere lately, and I feel like I must apologize for neglecting y'all. It's been a weird two weeks. I haven't liked not having time to do bloggy things. I've missed, like, two RTW's for goodness sake! That's horrible. I'm horrified.

However, I'm hoping that the sunshine will return and invigorate me, thus turning me into a blogging machine, the likes of which I've only dreamed of becoming.

That's the plan anyway. I hope everyone is doing well and haven't already started planning my funeral and drawing lots for delivering my eulogy. I'm not dead yet folks. I walk a fine line.

Until next time...

RTW: Words, words, words

Welcome to our 117th Road Trip Wednesday!

Road Trip Wednesday is a ‘Blog Carnival,’ where YA Highway's contributors post a weekly writing- or reading-related question and answer it on our own blogs. You can hop from destination to destination and get everybody's unique take on the topic.


We'd love for you to participate! Just answer the prompt on your own blog and leave a link in the comments - or, if you prefer, you can include your answer in the comments.

This Week's Topic:

What words do you absolutely hate? Which ones do you adore?

I have a confession to make. 

I was a spelling bee kid. From fifth to seventh grade, I spent months out of the year studying large stacks of word packets and books. Each night before I went to bed, my Dad would call out ten pages of words to me, quizzing me on the definitions, usage, and origins of each word. 

Life was simpler back then. I word-dropped like crazy. Once, I even read the entire Webster's dictionary. For fun. 

Those days are long past me, but I still get a thrill from discovering new words and using them in conversation or when I'm writing. Thankfully, as an English major, I get to use my words a lot. 

A few of my favorite words are: 

Adroitly

Malaprop

Ginormous

Nincompoop

Imbecile

Beatific

Alacrity 

Opportune

Magnanimous

Keen

Felicitous

Dimwad (that's one I made up)

Incomprehensible

Indecent

Indelible

Poignant

Astute

Aaaaand the list goes on and on. Sometimes my favorite words are ones that I've made up on the spot. I know I'm not the only one who does that. It's fun. 

Due to the reading I've been doing for my ancient rhetoric class, I've been collecting words like crazy. Or like a crazy person. Whichever. The definition doesn't matter at this point.

I can't say that I hate any words explicitly, but I do have a distaste for certain words, especially if they start with the letter t. Why the letter t, I have no idea; it's just been an issue that I've had for as long as I can remember.

Words I dislike rather strongly:
Titillating
Taxes
Solemn
Purge
A bunch of cussin' words (Although I am rather fond of the s-word.)
Retarded
Toilet
Punctual
Digit

I'm sure there are more, but this is all I can think of at the moment. As soon as I post this I'll probably be hit with a deluge of words that irk the living daylights out of me.

What are y'all's favorite words? Least favorite? First words? Last words? (Haha, just kidding!)

Until next time...

That Little Thing Called Monday

Hello fellow Mondayers! Wow, that salutation took a lot out of me. Unfortunately it's only Monday, which I think we're all pretty aware of, and I'm already running on empty as far as energy is concerned. I'm just now recovering from a horrible cold (I can taste food again!) and the weather has decided for some inexplicable reason to act according to the season. Instead of balmy lows of 50 and highs of 70, last night the weather took a plummeting dive into the below 30's. Not cool.

Please, sir. Can I have just
one more piece of pizza?

So, this morning I froze on my bike ride to class. Thank goodness my parents talked me into bringing my "thick" jacket back with me to school over the weekend, or else I may have been one more casualty of the below freezing temps. If I could feel pity for the squirrels, I would feel horrible that they had to be outside hunting for nuts and granola bars to steal from unsuspecting students. As it is, I do not feel anything for squirrels other than the ever present enmity that rises within me whenever I see one.

I've been meaning to write a book review for Shatter Me by Taherah Mafi, but alas, I haven't even finished it yet, so it really wouldn't be much of a review, now would it? *face palm*

I feel like this is turning into a housekeeping post since I really don't have anything to talk about. Unless y'all want to hear about my 21st birthday? It was fun. I had pina coladas and pizza, and my entire family came over to celebrate. That's pretty much it. What were y'all expecting?

Oh wait.

I hit all PERFECTs. Just saying. I know that dance.
I dance it in my dreams. Or in my head on the way to class.
Or even in class, in my head. 

My friend does have a video on her phone of me dancing to "Apache (Jump on It)" during a Just Dance mini-competition. Not to brag, but I'm pretty good. With that song. Only. For reals.




But that's all that happened. I went to bed at a fairly early hour.

But then I woke up the next morning with a sore throat and a fever. Yes. I got sick the day after my birthday. Some may say I'm lucky that my body resisted for one more day. Being sick ON your birthday isn't fun. However, I still resent having been sick at all. I'm not fun when I can't talk without coughing or when my head is stopped up.

Thankfully, I'm feeling better. Five days of antibiotics have made a difference. Well, now that I've managed to ramble for a few paragraphs, I'm going to go take a nice nap before I get started on all of my work.

Until next time...

RTW: No Samesies Allowed?

Welcome to our 116th Road Trip Wednesday!

Road Trip Wednesday is a ‘Blog Carnival,’ where YA Highway's contributors post a weekly writing- or reading-related question and answer it on our own blogs. You can hop from destination to destination and get everybody's unique take on the topic.


We'd love for you to participate! Just answer the prompt on your own blog and leave a link in the comments - or, if you prefer, you can include your answer in the comments.

This Week's Topic:

What SNI (Super New Idea) were you psyched to work on, but discovered it was too close to something already done?

Honestly, I can't say that I've ever had this problem before, at least not in the way of me knowing it. I typically try not to make things like other things (and this involves a lot of "outside the brain" thinking), but I suppose if I did have to draw any lines of similarity between something of my own and something that had already been written, then it would probably be my story about demons. 

It's influenced by Cassandra Clare's Shadowhunters, but only protagonist-wise. The demons are entirely different and I also have a different backstory for how demons were created and how they interact with humans. There are angels involved as well, but not in the same way as in Clare's books. 

The similarities end there. My story isn't nearly as romance based as City of Bones and the rest of that series. I'm still working on it though, so the incidental samesies haven't discouraged me at all. I've found that having some things the same doesn't necessarily mean my ideas should be scrapped simply because that territory has already been covered. 

You can always bring something new to the table. That's what's so great about creativity and imagination. Those traits rise to the occasion and allow us to expand what is known into the unknown regions. It's the only way we can grow. 

We wouldn't have Harry Potter if it weren't for J. K. Rowling's persistence in writing Harry's story despite a lack of encouragement.

Besides, the success of a book is dependent on multiple things: the author, the editor, the publisher, and the readers. And then you have the booksellers and the reviewers. Even if your idea is somewhat similar to another previously published and possibly very successful book, that does not mean your idea won't be just as successful. Who knows, your book may just hit a better chord in the minds of readers. 

And what are the odds that your idea is going to be exactly the same as another one anyway? It's nearly improbable. There's always going to be some variation. And if that happens naturally, just imagine what you can accomplish if you put your mind toward developing differences. Radical idea, right? 

Until next time...

RTW: Best of January

Welcome to our 115th Road Trip Wednesday!

Road Trip Wednesday is a ‘Blog Carnival,’ where YA Highway's contributors post a weekly writing- or reading-related question that begs to be answered. In the comments, you can hop from destination to destination and get everybody's unique take on the topic.


We'd love for you to participate! Just answer the prompt on your own blog and leave a link - or, if you prefer, you can include your answer in the comments.

This Week's Topic: 

What was the best book you read in January?

I'm keeping it short and sweet today because I don't have much time; I know y'all understand. I think I've already posted once about all these things i've done by Gabrielle Zevin, but I don't believe I ever went into much detail about why I enjoyed reading this book. And I won't really do that in this post, haha! 

Just to give y'all a little background information, Goodreads' description is the following:

In 2083, chocolate and coffee are illegal, paper is hard to find, water is carefully rationed, and New York City is rife with crime and poverty. And yet, for Anya Balanchine, the sixteen-year-old daughter of the city's most notorious (and dead) crime boss, life is fairly routine. It consists of going to school, taking care of her siblings and her dying grandmother, trying to avoid falling in love with the new assistant D.A.'s son, and avoiding her loser ex-boyfriend. That is until her ex is accidently poisoned by the chocolate her family manufactures and the police think she's to blame. Suddenly, Anya finds herself thrust unwillingly into the spotlight--at school, in the news, and most importantly, within her mafia family. 

Engrossing and suspenseful, All These Things I've Done is an utterly unique, unputdownable read that blends both the familiar and the fantastic.

It's all of that and then some. The prose is engaging, the MC is tough but relatable, and the plot does not disappoint. Plus, it's interesting to read about a future world where chocolate and coffee are no-no's. That's just plain inconceivable to someone who has survived off of both of those things more than once during finals week.

I hope everyone has a wonderful rest of the week and a great RTW!

Until next time...

Tuesday Talks about Reality

I don't know if y'all have seen or heard about Kristen Bell's "sloth" incident, but I've watched it about three times today and I can't stop laughing. The look of complete shock on her face and the fact that she reacted so powerfully to a sloth is simply amazing. I've provided y'all with the video if you want to see it for yourselves.




Now that we're all on the same page emotionally, I want to discuss the idea of--you guessed it--emotions. In particular, I'd like to talk about realistic reactions as regarding fictional characters.

Emotions are something that, as a writer, I've found it hard to convey with words. Things have to be done just right before I feel like I've done a thorough job of making known what the character is feeling or experiencing. Sometimes though I just think I'm beating that horse to death.

Not a pretty picture.

However, portraying the emotions of characters in a realistic manner is something that must happen, or the reader will feel cheated. No one likes to read a book where the characters don't act the way they are supposed to or where they are like cardboard cutouts.

Readers (I'm including us in this scenario, haha) can see straight through those kinds of characterizations and do not like to waste precious reading time trying to justify the emotional pitfalls of faulty characters. We don't want fake, wilted, over-used, drawn-out, paper-sack characters. We want real, flesh and blood people inside our heads. It's what makes reading so much fun.

I'm not saying that all characters should fit into one schema, but nevertheless, it is important to remember that other people know a whole lot more about the genuine nature of mankind than we sometimes give them credit for. Most people can tell the difference between a stick figure and the Mona Lisa.

Before I go off on a tangent about the fact that we all think we're the center of the universe and live in a self-centric model of existence, let me state one last thing: if everyone felt as passionately as Kristen Bell does about sloths about something other than themselves, then this world would be a better place. And yes, that has nothing to do with what I've just been saying about characterization. Or does it?

Now that I've given us all something to think about, what do y'all think about the need for a realistic portrayal of human emotions? Is it easy for you? Hard? Is it something you notice right away when reading? 

Until next time...

RTW: YA MC Showdown

Welcome to our 114th Road Trip Wednesday!

Road Trip Wednesday is a ‘Blog Carnival,’ where YA Highway's contributors post a weekly writing- or reading-related question that begs to be answered. In the comments, you can hop from destination to destination and get everybody's unique take on the topic.


We'd love for you to participate! Just answer the prompt on your own blog and leave a link - or, if you prefer, you can include your answer in the comments.

This Week's Topic: 

 Write a dialogue between two of your favorite YA characters.

Two of my favorite YA characters come from completely separate novels, and I think that if they ever did meet IRL, that this sort of confrontation would transpire. Meet Dru Anderson and Sabriel Abhorsen.

Sabriel

Dru Anderson

Dru: So...you're a necromancer. *fidgets with gun*

Sabriel: *furrowed brow* No. Necromancers employ Free Magic. I am the Abhorsen. I abide by the laws of the Charter. I stop necromancers from playing with the dead. 

Dru: *snorts* 

Sabriel: And what exactly do you do?

Dru: *eyeroll* I try not to get killed by vampires wanting to suck my yummy Svetocha blood and basically save the day even though I don't want to be a part of it. It all started when my Dad came back from the dead as a zombie and I had to kill him. Things started going downhill into crazy town from there. 

Sabriel: *nods* Yes. Dead fathers do have a habit of complicating things. Mine sent me his sword and bells and then told me I had to save the entire Old Kingdom from the greatest Greater Undead that the world had ever seen. 

Dru: It's like they do it on purpose. 

Sabriel: Exactly. I mean, we're only teenagers, what reasonable person would tell his teenage daughter to go into the Old Kingdom without telling her everything she needed to know? I almost died, like, at least five times in the first half of the book. 

Dru: Men. I have two guys fighting over me, I love them both, but Jesus, they both just tick me off sometimes and I want to punch them. Repeatedly. I mean, come on! Stop trying to control me already! I've been practically taking care of myself my entire life and I shot my own zombified father for pete's sake! 

Sabriel: *sighs* The guy I like has memory issues. I found him on a ship, frozen as a figurehead in a spell one of my ancestors put in place because he went a little nutty during some past event he never likes to talk about. I like him and all, but sometimes I feel like he isn't being very honest with me, you know?

Dru: I say just beat the crap outta him and make him talk. Or else just run away and leave him behind. Sometimes I think we'd be better off without them. 

Sabriel: Yeah...but it's my duty to help the Old Kingdom. And he's a part of it. Besides, it's not like he's all bad. He saved me a few times!

Dru: They do have some uses. Stupid jerks. 

Sabriel: This has been nice. The sendings don't talk and Mogget can be a real pain. He never answers my questions and sometimes I feel like he wants to eat me. 

Dru: It has. I've never really had friends before, but you're alright. *eyes her sword and bell-bandolier* So...what do those do?

Sabriel: *pats bells gently* They send the dead back to the realm of death. 

Dru: I need me some of those. 

Sabriel: Umm, perhaps not. 

Dru: ...

Sabriel: *stern look*

Dru: You're probably right. My powers are way cooler anyway. 

Sabriel: I'm sure they are.  

Well, there you have it folks! I modernized Sabriel's speech for the sake of expediency, but just imagine her with an Australian accent. That should help. 

Until next time...

Spring Semester Notes

Since it's been a while since my last post, I'm going to have to make a list of all the things that have happened in the span of time I've been blog dormant.

1. I'm on level 30 of Skyrim. Yes, I'm proud of that fact.

I've been making quote posters in my minute spare time. 

2. Classes have resumed and I curse my folly at signing up for classes before noon. It's a sad state I'm in right now. Sleep deprivation is not pretty my friends.

3. One of my classes is probably going to drive me that last bit down the road of insanity. So. Much. Work.

4. My Dad finally finished that bookshelf I need to house my overflowing books. I'm going to stain it a nice golden oak color next weekend. And then organize my book collection according to type and author.

5. I'll be 21 in about two weeks, so there's that to look forward to. My sister says she and my other sister (the one not related to us but she may as well be) are planning something surprise-like for me. I told her I didn't like surprises, but she wasn't listening. Oh well. No news there.

6. Because of my class load, I'm reading an average of about a book every two days. I came to this conclusion by averaging the pages of all the novels and textbooks I have read thus far and will read in the future. The results support my thesis.

7. On a positive note, I'm actually getting some reading done! Right now it's Emma and My Ántonia. I'd forgotten how much Emma Woodhouse really annoys me. 


8. I finally finished watching all past seasons of 30 Rock! Yay! Now I just have to keep up with the newest season, and I have to say, I've done well so far. "Liz Lemon is a crack whore!"


9. I'm about a week in to my "coffee restriction" (which basically just means I drink a lot of decaf and only one cup of regular) and so far, so almost good. This isn't the first time I've tried to give coffee up, but at least this time I'm not doing it cold turkey. *thinks about last attempt* *shudders* I never want to do that again. 


10. That's pretty much it. I meant to write a blog book review for "all these things i've done" by Gabrielle Zevin, but I had to fill a little space in the paper for this week, so I wrote one for that. Here's the link if you really want to read it. No spoilers, I promise. :) 


I hope to be back for RTW this week! It's been two weeks since I last participated (although last week it was for a very good reason) and I'm excited to see what the prompt will be!


Until next time...

Censorship and My One Year Blogiversary

Tomorrow is the Internetwide blackout strike to oppose the PIPA Bill that, if passed, will effectively allow the government to censor the Internet.

Anyway, as y'all can see, there have been a few small additions to the blog due to the whole "censorship" thing. Don't worry, they won't be there forever. If they were, I'd run the risk of forgetting what my blog is called. We can't have that.

Also, next month, February 25 to be exact, is my One Year Blogiversary! I never even dreamed of making it that long and of meeting so many awesome people along the way. This has really been a great year and and I want to thank all of y'all for that.

Believe it or not, I really do look like a chipmunk when I'm super happy. That was actually my nickname when I played basketball as a kid. "Watch out other team! Chipmunk is coming onto the court!"

I was FIERCE. 

Anywho, I just thought I should let y'all know about those few things, since it means I won't be participating in the RTW (again) this week. :( Time for a sad GIF. 

Regardless, I will be back! Soon. Ish. With a book review! 

Until next time...

Big Wheel Keeps on Rollin'

It was bound to happen sooner or later. Time doesn't just stop once the holidays come around, although sometimes it feels like it does. Classes for the Spring semester start on Tuesday and I still haven't packed to head back to campus.

I know, it's only Friday night, almost Saturday, but I like to have things done beforehand. I don't know how I let things slide this far. Oh wait, yes I do. It's Skyrim again.

That game has taken over my life and in recent days has taken over my brother's life as well. He says he just likes to shoot things with the bow, but I've seen the gleam in his eye. He's at the mercy of the game.

There's just something about Han...I think I love him.

*sigh*

Soon, though, I will have to let go of Skyrim in order to resume being my studious and busy self. I think it's best that I don't say goodbye. The parting may by too much to handle directly.

I've been working on articles (one about Skyrim, haha) for The Vanguard (ahh, the stress of Sunday deadlines) and I even purchased my textbooks early. They're sitting nice and orderly on my bookshelf in my dorm. At least that's out of the way.

There will be much reading going on in that room this semester. I read a lot normally, but my classes are all novel based so I anticipate TONS of reading. I'm so excited!

Well, I'm going to totter on off to bed now. Perhaps I'll wake up early tomorrow and get a jump on the packing. That would save me a lot of trouble. Here's to hoping!

Until next time...

Winner of BITTERBLUE ARC!

Since this is my first giveaway, I was super nervous about the "picking a winner" part, but with random.org as my cohort, a winner has been chosen!

Drum roll please...


*shouts*
Jaime Morrow!!!! 

Congratulations, Jaime! You came in first in the drawing so you get the ARC of Bitterblue! :D And that Lolcat, haha!

I'll be in touch with you soon for your mailing details. Now, I don't want anyone else feeling left out so I feel like I need to remind y'all that there will be a BIGGER contest/blogfest once Over Yonder reaches 100 Neighbors.

I'm even more excited about that than I am about giving this ARC away, and guys, I'm pumped right now, so that's saying something.

Right now we're only 7 Neighbors away from the fun, and the anticipation is killing me. Thanks again to all who commented and shared about the giveaway! I wish I had an ARC to give to each one of you!

Until next time...