Paperclips And Rubberbands

College Update

2012-01-09T21:32:00.003-07:00

I figure I should actually start posting about my LIFE again -.-

So this is the first full week back in college after the Christmas break, the beginning of my second semester. This semester I'm booked up with Japanese 101, Film, Irish Dance, and American Heritage (bleah!). I'm not that happy to be back, but it sure beats sitting around and doing nothing, so I guess I should enjoy it or whatever.

Sigh. Anyway, I haven't been getting ANY writing done lately. I have ZERO inspiration or motivation for my fanfics (my poor readers! TT.TT I'm trying, really!) and I'm totally stuck on my novels (both, unfortunately). My best friend was SUPPOSED to come out to UT and hang out (and help me write!), but unfortunately...she went to Disneyland instead. Can I blame her? No. Can I try? You betcha!

In other news, we got a puppy! Her name is Liesel and she's about 2 1/2 months old. She's a border collie mix and VERY cute.

Props, Props, Props!

2012-01-09T20:53:00.003-07:00

Awright! So for some of my costumes this year, I'm going to making some serious props. These be them!

Lightning Farron (Final Fantasy XIII) AKA my dream costume

Survival Knife

Used mostly by Hope (squee! such a cute lil angst muffin! XD). A gift from Light's sister Serah.

Pauldron

Lights up, issued by GC (Guardian Corps), who Light used to work for.

Necklace

Actually omitted from some cutscenes; forgotten? Shouldn't be too hard!

Blazefire Saber

*siiigh* holy &)(_*^%%&^%&^. That about sums it up. Because I'm an overachiever with this stuff, my friend Alyssa and I (thank frickin heavens for physics majors with interests in prop work!) are trying to make it so it actually transforms. It'll be a real challenge!

Juvia (Fairy Tail) She's such a riot!
Umbrella

Yeaaaah, I can't imagine me using this either -.- Oh well! In cosplay, nobody cares about who you REALLY are! XD

Maka (Soul Eater) The one I need the quickest!
Scythe

Yeah, this one shouldn't be too hard. I've already got it planned out, actually ^^;

Costumes? Ugh. One thing at a time TT.TT

2012 Cosplay Plans

2011-12-09T20:02:00.007-07:00

Sooooo, I know I just barely did a cosplay post, but this is my serious list.

ANIME SALT LAKE 2012: Maka Albarn
Maka is a meister, a fighter at the DWMA (Death Weapon Meister Academy/Shibusen) who wields the magic scythe Soul Eater (the guy in the first picture with the white hair). She's really awesome!

Non-Event Planned:
FEM!PRUSSIA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I. LOVE! PRUSSIA!!! Fem!Prussia? TOTAL WIN!

Madam Red (Angelina Durless)
SUCH A BOSS! She's from Black Butler/Kuroshitsuji, and is actually Jack the Ripper :3 I love her!

Rin Okumura
My first actual crossplay. RIN IS SO AWESOME!!!! If you've never seen Ao no Exorcist/Blue Exorcist GO WATCH IT!

Anniversary

2011-10-13T21:26:00.003-07:00

Soooo as of today, I have had diabetes for TEN YEARS. Very weird...

I was diagnosed in the third grade, and this is my freshman year of college. I remember the doctors saying "oh don't worry, we'll have a cure by the time you get into high school."...I was a skeptic even when I was eight years old. Good thing, too, since I don't see a cure coming out any time in the near future. *Sigh* Oh well, it did get me out of six years of P.E! And serves as a very good excuse for many things.

So in honor of having diabetes...Imma gonna go eat chocolate now.

Writer's Woes

2011-08-27T11:44:00.001-07:00

Well, I'm going to finish up all the fanfics I started in the past. People have started begging for new chapters ("hey, Batali, you haven't updated in two years! What the crap?!"), so that's the new goal. From most popular downwards is the order I'll finish them.

Steampunk!

2011-08-02T18:38:00.001-07:00

Okay, so I've begun writing a steampunk novel! It's very cool! If you'd like to know more about it, go to the official blog!

Cosplay

2011-06-17T20:22:00.018-07:00

It's been a year since my last cosplay post, so here's a new one! Cosplay Plans: 2011!

1. Belle (Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: the Crystal Bearers)

2. Madame Red (Angelina Durless)(Kuroshitsuji/Black Butler)

3. Yui Hirasawa (K-On!)

4. Haku Yowane (Vocaloid)

5. Eruka Frog (Soul Eater)

6. Lovina (Fem!Romano) (Hetalia: Axis Powers/Hetalia: World Series)

*She's the one on the left

7. The Courtesan (Fiora Cavazza) (Assassin's Creed Brotherhood--Multiplayer Mode)

8. Lavi (D. Gray-Man)

9. Tifa Lockhart (Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children)

10. Yin (Darker Than Black)

PANDA!!!

2011-06-16T14:02:00.001-07:00

Blog has now been redesigned--with 300% more PANDA POWAH!!!!!!!!!!

I love pandas~! ^^

Steampunk Apocalypse

2011-06-05T00:21:00.002-07:00

My summer project is writing a steampunk novel! It's titled Steampunk Apocalypse,and it's a lot of fun! So, as a special treat, here's the character profiles!

http://www.polyvore.com/steampunk_apocalypse/collection?id=941502

Enjoy, my minions!

Brand New AMV!

2011-04-21T13:56:00.003-07:00

This is my newest AMV--enjoy!

Top Ten Must-See Animated Movies

2011-01-20T15:14:00.003-07:00

1. Tangled (2010)

As a general rule, I hate and despise all things Disney. But Tangled was amazing; I've seen it three times already--in theaters. It details the adventures of Rapunzel and thief/guide Flynn Rider on their way to see the lantern festival in the capital city. On the way, they are pursued by Flynn's enemies (both within the law and without) and Rapunzel's adopted mother, Gothel. It's a musical, I know, but it was so well-done that I really don't mind.

2. How to Train Your Dragon (2010)

How to Train Your Dragon is my new favorite movie of all time. I love it to the point of unreasonable-ness. Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III is a hopeless Viking teen; he can't lift a hammer, he can't swing an axe, and he can't kill dragons. But as he becomes the first Viking to ride one, he discovers a whole new side of dragons that Vikings have never seen before.

3. xxxHOLiC the Movie: A Midsummer Nights' Dream (2005)

I'm not gonna lie--my love for xxxHOLiC biases me slightly on this issue. But I love this movie; as in the series, the movie deals with human vices and their consequences. Kimihiro Watanuki works part-time at a wish-granting shop owned by the eccentric Yuuko Ichihara. As part of their work, they travel to the mansion of a collector.

4. Howl's Moving Castle (2004)

Based on the book by Diana Wynne Jones, Howl is about a plain young hat-maker named Sophie Hatter who is cursed to be an old woman. Leaving behind her home, she acts as the cleaning lady for the exotic wizard Howl in his moving castle.

5. The Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)

A puppet-animated comedy about a fox who can't stand to be second-best. I've never read the book, but I love this movie. George Clooney acts as Mr. Fox with Meryl Streep as Mrs. Fox. Mr. Fox decides that he wants to pull off one last heist--against the three meanest farmers in the state.

6. Toy Story (1995)

I'm not a fan of the sequels, but the original Toy Story is amazing. It's funny, it's dramatic, and it's just plain GOOD. You can't beat the original here. Woody and Buzz and toys of a kid named Andie; but Buzz is quickly replacing Woody as favorite, and Woody has a few things to say about it.

7. Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs (2009)

The sole fact that Mr. T is a main character in this movie settles the issue of greatness here. Flint Lockwood is an inventor in a town where nobody wants to deal with him. But when he invents a machine that turns food into water, it's a different story...

8. Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children

A group of whack-jobs is trying to resurrect the most dangerous lab rat in Midgar's history. Standing in their way is a group formerly known as AVALANCHE. The key player in AVALANCHE, Cloud Strife, is nowhere to be found as he works out his own issues on the side. While Cloud annoys me, Tifa is amazing. Tifa Lockhart, Cloud's childhood friend, is now the proprietor of Seventh Heaven, a bar and meeting place for AVALANCHE. She cares for two orphans named Denzel and Marlene and has an awesome fight scene (she's a martial arts expert). The music is great, the animation is superb, and the fight scenes rock.

9. Robin Hood (1973)

Come on...it's a classic. You know you love that fox.

10. Princess Mononoke (1997)

Outcast Ashitaka travels to a village of iron where the animals in the nearby forest are revolting. Caught in the middle of the two (humans and animals), Ashitaka must bring peace between the two before they destroy each other.

JDRF

2010-08-14T00:41:00.002-07:00

Hello all--

I'm hosting a JDRF Diabetes Walk this year (next month, in fact). I would be eternally grateful to anyone who were to donate or join (or both)!!!!! If you can, register here. It's in Scera Park in Orem, Utah.

Click on "Register For Walk", then sign up; when it asks for a team name, click on Team Temari (oh yeah! Burnage!). We're happy to have anyone!!!

If you can donate, go here. Under "Donate to Walker", put Team Temari, in Utah. I'm listed under Isabelle Anderson, so donate there.

It'll be really great, and I hope you're all interested at least a little!
HB

I WAS RIGHT!!!!!!!

2010-07-30T00:26:00.002-07:00

HAH! I KNEW IT! I KNEW GIN WOULD TURN ON AIZEN! HAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(For those of you who have NO clue what I'm talking about, go read Bleach!)

Blahhhh

2010-07-28T15:49:00.004-07:00

Nothing to say, really. The stupid cat came back (the little ingrate--first thing she did was try to take a chunk out of my nose, followed by her trying to take off some of my toes). She's a bit skinnier but much louder. No idea where she was, but she tried to tell us ALL ABOUT IT.

Right now I'm in the process or working on my Temari cosplay. I have the shirt (hand-me-down from my aunt that actually works perfectly) and I'm working on the wig right now. I just need to add wefts and I'm done. After that is the skirt and and the shoes. Then the armor, sash, and leggings. I need to order the hitai-ate (forehead protector).

Cat

2010-07-14T22:12:00.003-07:00

My cat just went missing. If any of you are in the Provo, UT area, PLEASE look for her!!! She's a green-eyed brown tabby with white paws and stomach; she's not good with people (especially strangers) and is very skittish.

Parfaits

2010-07-08T23:58:00.004-07:00

So, I tried making parfaits for the first time today. They turned out okay...I guess.

But on the upside, the mint and raspberries are homegrown (picked by yours truly today).

Cosplay!

2010-06-18T18:05:00.003-07:00

Wow, it's been a while...so much for posting once a week.

So, school is out and I passed all my classes! Banzai!

Anyway, I'm getting back into martial arts now and I'm also going to be making some cosplay stuff; I'm really interested now and I'm starting with these:
This is the military uniform of Riza Hawkeye from Fullmetal Alchemist (鋼の錬金術師 Hagane no Renkenjitsushi). She's the only girl in the group; I absolutely love her!

Okay, this is Temari, from Naruto. This is her "second outfit", as it is commonly known.

This is Rukia Kuchiki! I actually had my hair cut like hers; this is her school uniform, but she usually wears her Soul Reaper one:

I like both of them, so I'm making both (I'm just weird like that, I guess).

This is Road Kamelot from D. Gray-Man. My best friend Emily wants to cosplay as Road, so I'll be making this one.

Well, that's really all that's going on. I'm off to movie night with my friend Tayla (bad day=LotR in her book).

Ja ne!

Monday

2010-01-04T17:01:00.002-07:00

That's all that needs to be said to inspire fatigue and animosity.

Take this Monday, for instance:

2:15 AM: I wake up, and my arms are going numb. Being diabetic, I take this as a bad sign and test my blood. It's 33. Which, for those of you who don't know, is very, very, low and is pretty dang dangerous. So, with my arms numb and tingly, I go downstairs to scarf down a bagel and a bowl of Frosted Flakes. I go back to bed.

6:30 AM: First day back in school, oh joy. And, because life just had to have its fun, the heater and the water heater were both busted. So I wasn't even able to use my 'but my bed is warm' excuse to go back to sleep, even under 5 layers. I make the bus (for once).

9:05 AM: After just learning I had a massive Creative Writing assignment due, my physics teacher walks in and says 'testing time in 30 minutes'. I begin contemplating homicide, and possibly arson (not particularly in that order).

2:35 PM: I come home with the intent to sit down with a warm blanket, a mug of mint tea, and Mario Kart Wii, when I discover that a bunch of guys from the heating company had taken over the family room. No Wii. Oh well, I'll go for the tea. They'd turned off the gas (no gas=no stove= no kettle=NO TEA).

5:10 PM: They're still here. And I still don't have my tea.

Story of My Life

2009-12-29T23:29:00.001-07:00

This is a pretty good summary of my life. I say something sucks (One Piece, Naruto, Fanfiction), and then life screws me for it when it ends up being good. Oh well. I least I can comfort myself in the fact that Twilight and the Jonas Brothers do, indeed, suck. (Even though I write those T. fanfics. Ha! Stupid hypocritical attitude).

The Lazy Author

2009-12-20T14:56:00.005-07:00

I find it ironic that I consider myself a writer, but I never seem to write anymore. I don't blog, I don't update fanfic, and I don't work on my books. I don't even do my Creative Writing assignments. But, as of NOW, I am going to write A LOT. 1-2 fanfics updates a week, one blog post a week (even though nobody reads it), and 3 pages of novel-writing. Especially now that I'm on Christmas break. I'M LAZY! Bad llama!

So, here's this week's entry: in a week, I burned myself, I was a zombie violinist, I laughed in freakish enjoyment as my school put on a pagan/witch dance performance at the Christmas Assembly (to Hunter, by Bjork, the greatest song they could have chosen for their performance), and I was this close to getting in an all-out debate with my history teacher over Naval warfare in the American Civil War (The Moniter was an ironclad, not a submarine. And whadya mean you can't remember if it beat the Merrimac or not?! You call yourself a history teacher. Pah! I scoff at you).

And that's me for this week.

SO EXCITED!!!

2009-09-03T16:08:00.002-07:00

I am so excited! In just five days, the second Bleach movie comes out (Bleach: The DiamondDust Rebellion)! I've only seen the Japanese version, so I'm very excited to see the dub.

On another note, I finally put in a job application as a custodian; it's not glamarous, but it pays (good thing I don't mind getting dirty).

Video Madness

2009-08-10T15:45:00.006-07:00

I've started doing videos lately. Unfortunately, when I upload them they either disappear or the audio is disabled. So I'm just gonna upload them here. Here are the two I've done:

In the Family of Noah

This is a slideshow I did for the anime/manga D. Gray-Man by Katsura Hoshino. Just some stuff about the Noah (incidentally, the bad guys). The girl in the striped socks with the spiky hair is Road, the tall guy who always seems to be smoking and/or wearing a top hat is Tyki, the big dumb-looking guy is Skin, the tall skinny girl with the bob is Lulubell (don't really like her), and the twins (my favorites) are Jasdero and David/Debitto (Dero is the one with the blond hair and the anglerfish lure on his head, Debi is the one with the dark hair and the furry jacket).

Best of FMA 1

Another slideshow, this one of Fullmetal Alchemist, anime/manga by Hiromu Arakawa. One of the absolute best series ever. The blond guy with the gold eyes and 'antenna' on his head (the one who flips like a ninja at the short jokes) is Edward Elric, the main character. The suit of armor/the blond kid with the silver eyes is Alphonse, Ed's younger brother. The military guy with the black hair and the pyro obsession is Colonel Roy Mustang, the guy with the really long spiky black hair and the skirt is Envy...and a few others.

Holy CRAP!!!

2009-04-25T19:09:00.002-07:00

I was at Barnes & Noble the other night for a Script Frenzy write-it, but nobody showed up. Low and behold, guess who did show up?

I am the kind of sad, obsessive fan-girl who remembers an author's voice from three years ago, yet I could hardly believe my eyes and ears when I saw and heard the BRANDON SANDERSON talking to a group of people in our lowly B & N. Talk about a sucker-punch!

So I just read manga and sort of peeked between bookshelves for a glimpse every once in while until Mom and I were ready to go, by which time he was packing up and signing the last of his books.

My mom "prompted" me to go and talk to him (it involved a bit of pushing), and I ended up getting a signed, personalized copy of Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians (remember my review about that one?) and a pep talk about writing (he found out that I was a writer), as well as giving me a business card for his writing podcast. He stayed extra just to sign my book and talk to moi. I was the last person. I just about fainted (not to mention grinning my head off).

Pinch me.

San Fran Part 1

2009-03-25T21:57:00.012-07:00

Hello all. Well, as you obviously know, I've returned from San Francisco (wish I was still there) and it was FABULOUS. So, I've included quite a few of the photos I took there (and some summaries). The photos are pretty good, if I say so myself, seeing as though the majority were taking from inside a moving tour bus.

4:30 AM: Arrive at school, get ready to board buses. This includes a whole lot of Mrs. W blowing her stupid whistle and designated areas for baggage, carry-on, instruments, and people. Then there's a boarding order, starting with the basses and cellos, and ending with the violins and the trumpets. Yes, they even loaded the flutes and the violas before us violins! (the shame!)

5 AM: leave campus. Tired, grumpy, disgruntled, pretty excited, and very hyper, despite the tired-and-early factor. After a "rousing" speech from the bus driver regarding the toilets on the bus ('It's like a bank. You get back [in smell] what you put in plus interest.' Needless to say, the bus toilets remained unused throughout the trip). We pretty much lived off of iPods and chocolate bars for the first few hours of the trip. I fell asleep somewhere around 6:30 or so, and woke up around 8:45,

when we were out on the salt flats. Rousing, yes. We stopped a few minutes later, and then onward to Nevada, armed only with the grisly remains of sack breakfasts and Nacho Libre. Exciting, no? When we got there, we met T, our new bus driver. T is a riot. He's a big Samoan guy who tells jokes every time he starts up the bus. Well, he drove us through the wilderness of Nevada (I hope you sense the sarcasm there) and to many a fast-food stop. Meanwhile, we in Bus 2 (the 'Bigfoot Bus'), we watched Back to the Future (thankfully only the first one; I don't

think I could have taken all them) and Madagascar 2. Of course, by then I wasn't paying much attention to the movie, since fast food and bus travel through Nevada tend to make the contents of your stomach have a sudden desire for an encore. Thankfully they didn't.

I took a nap around 4:30/5-ish, and didn't wake up until we were in California (ah, the blessed warmth!), around 6:20-ish. We
drove through Sacremento and Vallejo and through to San Francisco.

We arrived at the hotel (Embassy Suites; SOOO nice) around 7 or 7:30. We had a few minutes to get everything in our rooms (girls on the fourth floor, boys on the fifth) before pre-dinner rehearsal. The band practiced first, in one of the smaller ballrooms in the hotel. We waited by the door while they did; then we met Joe, our native tour guide (so to speak). I'm slightly chagrined to admit that at first I took him for a strange homeless man who just happened to be telling us that the pizza would arrive in less than fifteen minutes. What can I say; my brain doesn't really function when I've been up for that long (I hadn't even slept the night before). So after pizza, we had sectionals for orchestra practice while the band went up to bed (lucky bastards). Rehearsal was somewhat difficult due to the fact that the sectionals were all in one room and we had no music stands, but we got through rehearsal until 9, when Mr. D (orchestra teacher) let us go for the night.

9 PM: Up to bed. Five girls in one room and one shower. It was interesting to watch everybody else argue over shower times. Smartly, I stayed on my bed (Ha! I got my own) and watched Law and Order and a bit of Burn Notice (one of the first things T.--see second picture at the top--did was check the TV to make sure in had USA. Smart; very smart.

10 PM: Lights out. We went to be quickly and quietly; a nice change from diabetes camp, where the stupid girls never went to bed. It was like pulling saber-teeth to get those girls to shut up. Thankfully, orchestra girls are much better; or maybe we were just too tired.

And that is part one of the orchestra trip. All photos are mine except the two of the hotel; these ones are nicer than the ones I'll post later. You'll see why, trust me.

True Callings

2009-03-19T18:14:00.001-07:00

Who needs a college degree?

My Favorite Shtuff

2009-02-10T18:17:00.005-07:00

You know, I was musing a second ago about the things I like best about writing (both in general and on FF.net)
1. Caffeine: Did you know that NaNoWriMo has an "Abusing Caffeinated Beverages" Merit Badge? Even if hot chocolate doesn't really count as a caffeinated beverage, I think I still get the award. After all, when I'm writing I drink about 4 mugs a day. Well, I guess I'm safe from heart disease,
2. Pandora: I would die without Pandora Radio. Non-stop good music is one of the things that keeps the cogs turning and the plot bunnies semi-sedated. Music is good, folks.
3. Avatars: I don't know about you, but I LOVE avatars (and not the weird Japanese cartoon kid, either. The fun little 2x2 pics on the 'net). If I didn't have an FF profile, a NaNo/SF profile, etc, I couldn't have profile pics like this:
Or this:
Or maybe...(evil laugh):

See what I mean? Life would so pointless without these guys!

Right, um...moving on.

4. HIGH-SPEED INTERNET. Let me make this clear: writing would be hell without high-speed. Seriously. No, we don't just use Word (CLIPPY MUST DIE!!!), we use the internet. A lot. I mean, what if you need to look up what 32 degrees F would be in Celsius? Or how many inches of snow there are in the lower portions of the Brasov region of the Carpathians? Or long long it takes to fly from Brasov to Thessaloniki, Greece? (And yes, I had to look all of these up in November).
5. REVIEWS: for those of you who don't write fanfic, you're missing out big time. Reviews are awesome!!! I mean, everybody writes you and tells you how funny your writing is (or fluffy, or dramatic, or angsty, or full of whump). What could possibly be better?!

There you have it. My Top 5 Favorites of Writing.

So I have spoken, so I shall be (Because I Said So).

New Layout

2009-02-08T18:05:00.003-07:00

So, how do you guys like the new layout? I thought that it was getting a little old. Plus, I'm heading to San Francisco on Thursday (at 4:30 IN THE FREAKING MORNING...UGH), so I thought I'd get used to seeing the ocean again. To most of your relief, I'm sure, I decided to stick with English and turn off the Hindi Translator, that makes every word I write Hindi. (Cool, yes, but it makes editing a pain in the butt.)

Also: April 1st: SCRIPT FRENZY! Yes, that's right. Another branch of NaNoWriMo. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND DOING IT, FOLKS! It's going to be a blast.

Well, that's all for now.

Ciao.

(Hey, that rhymes.)

Testing, Testing...1, 2, 3...

2009-02-04T16:51:00.004-07:00

Okay, let's face it.

Testing sucks.

Especially math testing.

Today, for instance. The UBSCT test: Math Portion. You know, I will be the first to admit (openly, mind you) that I am a worse mathematician than my younger brother is a mime (translates to "terrible"). But the questions on the UBSCT test? Those were so easy they were insulting. I'm all for easy math, but when they make me stay after school and wait outside in the cold for half an hour for the bus just so I can take math on a fifth grade level?

Nuh-uh.

My patience snaps there.

So consider my patience snapped.

Psychic Update and Book List

2009-01-30T15:11:00.002-07:00

Well, here's the book list. And I updated Psychic (thanks to a request from the awesomeness Madi). It's here if you want to read it. If you haven't started reading it and WANT to but can't find the earlier stuff, here's that.

1. Sword of Waters by Hilari Bell ****/5
Sequel to Shield of Stars. After Regent Pettibone is removed from power, everything returns to peace and prosperity in the kingdom of Deorthas. But when Arisa's mother, the Falcon (the leader of the rebellion and the new commander of Deorthas's army) asks her to find the Sword of Waters, the legendary weapon that goes with the recently-recovered Shield of Stars, in order to solidify her position, Arisa is torn between loyalty to her mother, and loyalty to her country.
2. The Diamond of Drury Lane by Julia Golding *****
Cat Royal is an orphan in nineteenth century London, living in the Royal Theatre of Drury Lane. When Cat overhears the theatre owner talking about his 'diamond' being delivered to the theatre, she thinks that things have finally begun to get exciting--until everyone else seems to get involved, including Captain Sparkler (the treasonous cartoonist with a price on his head), Billy "Boyle" Shepheard (a local gang leader and Cat's long-time nemesis), Johnny (the mysterious new prompter), Pedro (a freed slave with an incredible talent for playing the violin), and Syd (the local butcher, a boxer, and Cat's friend, almost like a brother). And everyone seems to want a piece of it.
3. The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor ***
Alyss of Wonderland is a princess; at least, that's what she keeps telling herself when she is forced from her kingdom after an attempt to assassinate the entire royal family, instigated by Alyss's evil aunt Redd. Alone and abandoned on the streets of London, Alyss has to get back to Wonderland, save the kingdom, defeat Redd, and reclaim the throne.
4. Gideon the Cutpurse by Linda Buckley-Archer *****
When Peter and Kate, two modern-day London kids, are accidentaly transported back in time--London, 1793, to be exact--due to a backfire with an anti-gravity experiment, they have to team up with Gideon, a mysterious reformed cutpurse, in order to have any hope of getting back home. While Peter and Kate wage a battle against the Tar Man, the henchman preventing them from returning home, Peter and Kate's parents have to wage a battle against all possible odds in order to find them and get them back home.
5. Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians by Brandon Sanderson ****
"So, there I was, tied to an altar made from outdated encyclopedias, about to get sacrificed to the dark powers by a cult of evil Librarians." So begins the tale of Alcatraz Smedry, a not-very-nice-boy (or so he constantly insists) with an uncanny and incredible talent for breaking things. After the librarians steal the Sands of Rashid from him (a birthday gift from his long-dead parents that recently arrived in the mail), Alcatraz, his whacky grandpa (who is late for everything, even getting shot), his cousins Sing and Quentin (who can respectively trip over anything and everything--rather impressively, too--and speak without making a lick of sense), set off to retrieve the sands. And to do that, they have to infiltrate the headquarters of their foes, right into their very lair: the public library.
So, that's all for right now. I've read more, but these are my favorites.

Much Better

2009-01-16T04:35:00.003-07:00

Well, Across the Worlds has been updated; twice. And I got chocolate.

So I'm happy.

Anyways; on to business:
1-My Narnia fic (My Lady the Pirate) is doing fairly well; it's hard to write though--I don't do drama. I do comedy. I mean, just look at My Roommate Is a Wraith; 100 Reviews now (Whoo!) and twenty-odd chapters. That's pretty dang good, if I do say so myself.
2-By request of the fabulous Madison (*nudge, wink*), I've started posting chapters of Psychic back on my LJ. If you want to check those out, then either follow the hyper-link or hit the LJ icon at the top-right of my blog (the blue pencil).
3-I'M FREE!!! Yes, I am FINALLY out of one of my WORST classes (too bad it's not math) and am now going into Web Design!!!

So there's my update.

Oh, and I'll be doing a new reading list this week or next.

That's all.

Musings of an Irate Author

2008-12-30T03:24:00.002-07:00

As the 'great and wise' Brandon Sanderson once said: "If you don't believe what I'm telling you, then ask yourself this: would any decent, kind-hearted individual become a writer? Of course not."

He's totally right.

Author's do not become authors to make the world a better place, okay? For the most part, we write because we like to, we need to vent, or we need an outlet for our sarcastic comments. Or a combination of all three.

We also have short tempers (well, at least I do, as well as most of the author's I've met). Irritation is something that comes easily to us, the kind that makes you throw your keyboard against the nearest wall when Microsoft Word keeps auto-correcting a word you keep typing that should not be corrected. We're time bombs where the fuse is reoccurring and inaccurate; bombs that have a tendency to blow up over and over again, therefore denying the laws of science (don't tell me you've never wondered where science-fiction authors come from).

For instance: I stayed up all of last night/morning to read a KICK-TOAST fanfic (Narnia) called Across the Worlds by Star Dragon Fire (READ IT!!!!!!) and it left off without finishing the story; she hasn't updated it! The same thing happened with emeraldteardrops' Lost Chronices of Narnia: the Beast of Witherby; she hasn't updated it in almost TWO MONTHS!*

(*Another thing about us writers: it should be noted that many of us are bleedin' hypocrites. I myself left off a few fanfics for a few months...But that's not the point!)

Yes, we may be grammar Nazi's at times. And yes, we do have a tendency to 'occasionally' abuse caffeinated beverages. In fact, we even have a nasty little habit of saying things that everyone else is thinking but no one is rude and blunt enough to actually say it.

But really, we're just a bunch of irate curmudgeons who don't know the meaning of '8 hours of sleep' and 'no caffeine'.

So, I guess the point is: UPDATE YOUR FANFICS, PEOPLE!!!

Another One?

2008-12-26T20:28:00.004-07:00

Well, since I'm just crazy about consistency, *rolls eyes*, I've started ANOTHER fanfic. Now, before you reach for sharp object and/or firearms (depending on your personal tastes), here's the basic gist of the story:

Title: My Lady the Pirate
Category: Chronicles of Narnia (Hey, why not?)
Genre: Adventure/General Swashbuckling
Rating: T (violence, Shakespearean insults--they're more fun than usual insults--and the usual brouhaha)
Characters: Susan, with a little bit of Edmund/Lucy/Peter/Caspian/Reepicheep/Trumpkin in other chapters. Mostly Susan, though.
Summary: Slightly AU. After being backed into a corner in an air raid, Susan ends up, once again, in Narnia, where she becomes captain of the Sherwood and sets out to free Narnia of pirates. Susan the Gentle becomes Susan the Fierce, Narnia's sea-faring Robin Hood. Meanwhile, Peter, Lucy, Edmund, Caspian and a few others get together to try and find Susan, who apparently went missing without a trace, and bring her back. (But she's having waaaay too much fun for that.)

Til the Fat Lady Sings

2008-12-23T19:16:00.003-07:00

Well, I'm back after my week-long ban from the computer. I've since updated Summer With the Cullens, A Cullen Story, and Dawn of the Personality-Challenged Power Rangers. And I've also put up a new story, a Stargate Atlantis one-shot called 'Til the Fat Lady Sings.

Til the Fat Lady Sings
Going off-world to an uninhabited snow planet to investigate energy readings, Sheppard explains snow sports to the team...with an example, of course.

Well, I've been frantically reading and writing fanfic (especially writing) since school will start to go haywire in January; testing, testing, assignments, testing, (did I mention testing?) So I'm trying to tie up some of my fics (I also need to do two more Cullen season stories, Fall and Winter).

Well, that's the quick update. Oh! Before I forget, I've started working of Psychosomatic, the sequel to Psychic. I know, it's a bit premature (since I still have to edit the first one, a task I'm dreading). And I've also started going through the little bit of a fantasy novel (creatively known as Untitled_1 for now), since I found a complete plotline for it the other day.

The fun never ends.

Long Live The Psycopath

2008-12-10T21:03:00.004-07:00

Well, today is my official one-year anniversary for writing/posting fanfic! As promised, here are all the links to my fanfics (with summaries):

1. The Angel Experience (Maximum Ride)
Kat is a human-tigris hybrid: part human, part Bengal tiger. When she escapes Itex at the cost of her mentor's life and meets Max and the flock, can they trust her, help her to avenge the death of her mentor, and bring down the place that ruined her life?
2. Spring With the Cullens (Twilight)
The Cullens are your typical American Vampire family. They're just an ordinary family with lots of issues. With a few twists. Hippie Carlisle, Civil War Anniversaries, hormone-injected cows, sneaking blood behind the house, momness; the list goes on.
3. Translator (Power Rangers)
Sydney has always understood her teammates better than anyone else did. A look at the team dynamic, from Sydney's perspective. Syd/Bridge friendship.
4. School's Out--For Now (Maximum Ride)
Sequel to Angel Experience. Max is captured, and the flock needs help to get to her. Where else to go than Kat in Seattle? Crazy hacker/inventor Chi Kit, a very bored Max, and Fang trying to lead.
5. Summer With the Cullens (Twilight)
The Cullens are at it once again. Road Trips, summer jobs, fish tanks, and summer camp, Bella is once again caught up in the madness. Whether it's hiking or just watching TV, the Cullens have a knack for trouble. And, as usual, she's right in the middle.
6. Dawn of the Personality-Challenged Power Rangers (Power Rangers...obviously)
What's happening to the SPD rangers? Sky thinks he's a Broadway star, Z thinks she's a lawyer, Jack thinks he's the star of a sitcom, Sydney is a goth-girl treehugger--can our newly germaphobic Bridge Carson solve the mystery and sort of save the world?
7. My Roommate Is a Wraith (Stargate: Atlantis)
After a very unusual experience of being in a Hive cell with three Wraith, John Sheppard unwittingly offers assistance if he's ever needed. He has no idea what he's getting himself into. But the Wraith might not be as bad, or as different, as he thought.
8. A Cullen Story (Twilight)
All 10-year-old Jasper wants for Christmas is a Replica Stonewall Jackson Civil War Confederate Rifle BB gun. The response, from his brother Edward, his foster parents, his teachers, and the pretty Mary Alice from 2 streets over: You'll shoot your eye out.

You can find my fanfic page here, if you want to.

Oh, and today is reveal day, so EVERYONE WHO VISITS THIS PAGE, LEAVE A COMMENT, PLEASE!

Psychosomatic

2008-12-08T15:22:00.003-07:00

I'm horrible. I know. But I honestly couldn't help myself.

So there.

I just started writing Psychosomatic, the sequel to Psychic. I know, I know; I have to edit the first one and all; I will, I swear, but Psychosomatic is NOT going to wait. Hello multitasking.

Anyway, in case you haven't checked it out yet, I started posting A Cullen Story, and I'll be updating again REAL soon.

Oh, and my fanfic-writing anniversary is on the 11th this month, so I'll be doing another post then as well, with links and summaries to my stories, as well as updating every single one of them (*gasp* Shocking, I know).

That post will count as a Reveal Day. Everyone who visits this blog for that post, LEAVE A COMMENT. I've been seeing the most amazing places showing up on the blog map, and I want to meet you guys!

Well, lots of writing to do if I have to update everything soon.

Ciao.

IT'S ALIIIIVE!

2008-11-29T22:20:00.004-07:00

Well, Psychic is in the final stages of the first draft, and I've officially reached the 50K line for NaNo. All I can say (as much as I love my book) is: finally!!!

On that note, another Twilight fanfic is underway: A Cullen Story. This is basically a redo of the classic 1984 movie, A Christmas Story, but with a twist...

Jasper Whitlock is a ten-year-old boy who is living in Indiana with his half-brother Edward and their foster parents Carlisle and Esme. Jasper, already grumpy from the cold weather (he's originally from Texas) and being ignored by the pretty neighbor girl Mary Alice, decides that the only thing he wants for Christmas is a Replica Stonewall Jackson Civil War Confederate Rifle BB gun. But everyone from Carlisle and Esme to his school teachers to Santa says 'You'll shoot your eye out!' What is Jasper going to do?!

I should be posting the first chapter within the first few days of December.

Official Pics

2008-11-24T16:21:00.010-07:00

Okay. So, here are the "official" character pics for Psychic.

Carrie:

Cody:
Steph:

Alison:

Benson Twins:

(Eugene)
(...and Jasper. And no, this did not have anything to do with the whole Twilight thing.)

The Professor:
Alexandria:
Cynthia:
Holly-Elizabeth:
Oliver:
Alexander:
Cassandra:
Bridge:
Well, here's what I've got right now. Tell me what you think, I can't read your minds. I leave that to Steph.

For Those of You Who Want to Read it...

2008-11-13T15:29:00.005-07:00

Wow! I just installed a map for the blog, to see where you guys are all coming from. There's Germany, Slovenia, Brazil, Czech Republic, Finland--that's pretty darn cool.

So anyway, I'm about 52 pages (MicrosoftWord) into Psychic, and the plot bunnies are biting me in the butt. One word for you guys: plot. It's a serious pain in the buttinsky, believe you me. If you want to read it, then go to my LiveJournal page; it's on there.

In the meantime, more boring banners, because I can't seem to stop making them:

(TAPS: When 'home just isn't good enough.--cheesy, I know, but it was like 1 in the morning; I got bored.)

(T.A.P.S. Transylvanian Academy of Psychic Senses)

(She just doesn't LOOK homicidal--Carrie.)

Psychic Update/Covers

2008-11-02T14:59:00.003-07:00

Another update. The first 5,000 words have been written. So far it's all about Bridge at the IPS (International Police Squadron), but it's turning out much better than expected. I even have a great bomb-diffusing scene. I finished the book cover (early draft, anyway) and I'm waiting for it to get to the good part. Here's some more posters (since you're all sick to death of them by now):

(No. 1: my first draft; not using this one much)
(No. 2: not using this one much either. It looks like the cover to a museum guidebook.)
(No. 3: yeah, I'm using this one.)

Up 'N Running

2008-10-26T22:47:00.005-07:00

Psychic has a go!

I just finished writing the first 1300 words for Psychic, and it's going great. If you remember, I'm writing this for NaNoWriMo, and I've been on partial brainfreeze for the past six months. Oh, and here are a few banners I made; just to give you a feel for the characters (nudge, nudge; wink, wink).

(Never trust a teenage Welsh DJ/Auto mechanic with telepathic powers. Steph Thompson: Pink Sector Rep.)

(NaNoWriMo '08. When the dead won't stay dead...grab some unruly teenagers with supernatural powers living in a remote academy in Transylvania. Psychic.)
(When faced with a British acting prodegee whose hobbies include Shakespeare and quoting Douglas Adams...RUN. James Manson: Yellow Sector Rep.)
(As leader, I promise to: defend the academy...save the world...and keep James out of the cupcakes. Cody Parkani: Red Sector Rep.)
(If you think your life is a pain...try being a teenaged psychic who sees dead people. Carrie Blake: Grey Sector Rep.)
(Psychic...mechanic...brilliant...hungry. Bridge Carson: Green Sector Rep.)
(When you've an eye for watercolors, a famed muffin stash, and telekenetic powers...you've got just about everything. Alison Hollox: Blue Sector Rep.)

Use the banners; support Psychic!

Sarah Palin Disney Trailer

2008-10-08T15:53:00.001-07:00

I've posted this before, but it got deleted, so here it is again--my opinion of Palin.

Twilight Trailer Spoof

2008-10-08T15:51:00.001-07:00

For those of you who read my "Breaking Dawn" post, this is now my opinion of the series...but I like this one better. This is the kind of stuff I write in my fanfics...sort of.

NaNoWriMo

2008-10-07T14:14:00.003-07:00

My amazing cousin emailed me this. It looks incredibly cool! I'm definitely doing it; you guys should check it out:

NaNoWriMo

Define "Geek"

2008-09-28T00:13:00.006-07:00

Okay. So, it's come to my attention that I am a fairly odd girl. Yes, I know; oh the shock! I take three foreign languages, I'm not good with kids, I think the mass majority of guys are about as intriguing as bricks (not that intriguing), and a abhor cell phones. In fact, I've never sent a text message in my life. I like books more than people, and computers more than phones. For Christmas I asked for a food processor. I don't give a broken toaster about who's on American Idol, but I'd sooner eat glue than miss the newest episode of Stargate Atlantis (I never liked Star Trek that much, but Stargate is as good as it gets, believe me. If you don't, just go to GateWorld; then you will.) I believe I can be summed up in one word:

Geek.

I hear you cry; a geek?! Inconceivable! Not so. In fact, being a geek is way cool. You know more about computers than most of your peers, you're smarter than most of your peers, and know how to spell...or maybe that's just me.

Anyway, a lot of geeks are very into scifi; but what some of you don't know, is that not all of us go to Star Trek conventions, or go around spouting lines from Obi Wan. No, we come in groups. My group? I'm a GateGeek--or Gater, as some would have it. (English Translation: GateGeek/Gater: someone is absurdly obsessed with all things Stargate. Possess a certain knowledge of space, technobabble, and wormhole physics.)

We're also pretty darn loyal. For example: Amanda Tapping (known to all Gaters as the lovely Lt. Colonel Samantha Carter, from SG-1) just got her own TV show, Sanctuary. Now, all of us are pretty proud of Amanda, and have been following all the news about the show, watching the behind-the-scenes stuff, and being over-all supportive fans. When the show premiers on Oct. 3, I can pretty much guarantee that about 70-80% of the viewers will be GateGeeks.

Now, despite what many, many people may thing, Stargate has an actual science to it. For example: all of us Gaters have a basic understanding of wormhole physics (even me, the one who sucks really badly at all things scientific and mathematical), such facts as:

1. The purpose of a Stargate is to maintain a stable wormhole for galactic travel, providing almost instantaneous transport from one 'gate to another.2. A wormhole can only be maintained for 38 minutes, unless powered by an almost unlimited power source, such as a black hole or, in some cases, a fully-charged ZPM (zero-point module).
3. The wormhole is powered on one side only, and can transmit matter from that side only. It does not act as a two-way transport, it is unidirectional. You can, however, communicate through radios, or video, such as a VHF band.4. The way that a Stargate transmits matter is by breaking it down (or, demolecularizing) and transmitting the matter through the wormhole to the other side of the 'gate. As Peter Grodin--a tech on Atlantis--put it, when a puddle jumper (ship) was stuck in the Stargate: 'The Stargate transmits matter in discrete units. The front half of the ship cannot rematerialize until the whole ship has crossed into the event horizon. The Stargate is essentially waiting for the contiguous components -- meaning the Jumper and everyone inside -- to enter completely before it can transport them.'

In English: the 'gate will only transport things in one piece.

5. Solar flares are one of the things that will screw will 'gate travel. A solar flare is capable of interfering with the wormhole, sometimes causing accidental time travel, whether it be thirty years into the past, or 47,000 years into the future. It can be reversed, however, by going through the 'gate at the time of another solar flare, but the calculations are extremely delicate, and it has to be a certain solar flare.
There you go, a crash course. There are a few 'sites to learn a few more tidbits, such as the wonderful and amazing GateWorld, as well as a Wikipedia article on the Stargate itself. Oh, and one more thing: there are two galaxies that Stargate has shown to have 'gates--the Milky Way Galaxy (yes, that's us) and the Pegasus Galaxy (where Atlantis is located). The 'gates look different, even though they were built by the same race (the Ancients). Here's a look:

A Pegasus 'Gate......and a Milky Way 'Gate.

I'll be preaching about it again sometime soon.

Breaking Dawn

2008-08-02T11:53:00.002-07:00

Last night I went to the Breaking Dawn midnight release party--and I've gotta say, I prefer the Harry Potter ones. When it comes to HP, Borders really knows how to throw a party, but for Stephenie Meyer books? I'm wishing I'd just gone to WalMart or something...

Out of habit, I stayed up all night (of course; what else is the point of going to the midnight party?) and I wish I had just gone to bed and read later. Of course, I was so out of it that I only got about 530 pages in TEN HOURS. Usually, I could've gotten at least another hundred in there, but, there you go. Still got another two hundred to go, so... I'll take a break. I'm leaving it for another day or two. Just thought I'd complain and mention that I'm not looking forward to the two-week break until the next SGA episode (SG geek that I am).

Cat and Mouse

2008-07-13T21:08:00.004-07:00

Well, I got a LOT of editing done at Girl's Camp this week. I printed out every story of mine (no FF) but one and edited all of it. Three times. I guess that's what happens when you have too much time on your hands.

Anyway, I got a nasty little homecoming present yesterday.

When Dad picked me up from the Stake Center, he told me that he was late picking me up because he was busy cleaning up a mess in the living room. The conversation went something like this:
Me: Starlight? [meaning our near-Bulimic cat]
Dad: Yeah, but not the usual mess. This one was in two halves with some guts in between.
Me:...he caught a mouse?
Dad: Yup. Sometime during the night, and it was a real mess.

So, I get home, and I'm there for a little while when I look up at the stairs and Chris is there, at the end of the hallway, and he says, "Oh, wow. There's another mouse in here!" So, we grab the two cats, and Tigerlily, our fat n' lazy brown tabby, grabs the mouse by the tail and runs into the kitchen with it. Only, I get a good look at the 'mouse' when she does.

It's not a mouse--It's my hamster, Fisk.

So, I ran after the cat and yelled upstairs, "Somebody check my hamster cage, NOW!" I'm already cornering Lily by the time Mom says, "Oh, crap. The cage is empty!" So I move the chair Lily is hiding under and try to grab her. She let's go of Fisk and tries to grab him again, but I swat her over to my sister, who grabs her. Fisk runs off, but, after a little game of cat and mouse (bad choice of words, sorry) I grab him and put him back in the hamster cage.

I don't think it's necessary to say what had happened to poor Michael the night before.

Book List 2

2008-06-27T19:33:00.006-07:00

Okay, here's the latest from the Writer's Desk:

Stargate Atlantis: Halcyon ***
When it comes to the people of the alien world Halcyon, might makes right in every situation. But the government is corrupted and falling apart. Colonel Sheppard is given the green light from Atlantis to run negotiations on his own--but dismantling the planet's monarchy system isn't really what anyone had in mind. To add to the 'weirdness,' on Halcyon, the Wraith aren't feared--they're hunted.
Stargate Atlantis: Casualties of War ****
Colonel Sheppard and his team head to a new world, populated by two peoples: the Nistra, and the Falnori, who are fighting over the Stargate and the mines. Dr. Weir offers to help them negotiate a treaty, but things aren't running very smoothly--and to add to an already-rough day, the Great Hall has been raided--again. Both people suspect each other, but Sheppard and the team have other ideas.
Stargate Atlantis: Blood Ties ***
Sheppard and the team head to the SGC back on Earth for an emergency meeting: the possibility of a Wraith on Earth. Sheppard teams up with FBI agent Rebecca Larance, and SG-1's Dr. Daniel Jackson, and the three of them head to war-torn Iraq to check out a few leads, which lead them to startling and disturbing discoveries.
Stargate Atlantis: Reliquary ***
Major John Sheppard & co. head to a lab--possibly Ancient (gasp!)--and discover a possible Ancient who may be able to help them on Atlantis. But before they leave, strange things begin to happen, and Sheppard's people begin to attack each other. Leaving Sheppard and McKay to rot in the lab, the evil not-so-Ancient takes the brainwashed Lanteans and their 'jumper (puddlejumper, a ship) back to Atlantis. Sheppard and McKay have to get back to Atlantis and rescue the city--preferably before Sheppard drops dead of a DNA-mutating virus Dr. Evil gave him.
Outcast by Michelle Paver ****
[BOOK 4 OF THE 'WOLF BROTHER'/CHRONICLES OF ANCIENT DARKNESS SERIES]
Torak's Soul Eater mark is discovered and he is cast out of Raven Clan, made an outcast and hunted by all the clans. But he has a more pressing problem: the Viper Mage is out to get him and the Fire Opal, and he needs to stop her...at all costs.
Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder ***
Yelena, convicted [and guilty, mind you] of 1st degree murder, is given a choice: execution, or a position as the Commander's food taster in a land of deceit ad treason. She chooses food taster [no, really?!] and is trained by Valek, the Commander's top assassin. Of course, there just has to be romance [of all the genres, why?] but all in all, a good book. Lots of plotting and conspiracy. Warning, though; Yelena's memories and flashbacks are violent/somewhat disturbing.
Magic Study by Maria V. Snyder **
Not as compelling as Poison Study. Yelena goes to Sitia, the land of her birth, to meet her family for the first time and to learn magic. But as she learns, everything is put in danger, and she must be careful not to slip up--or she, and countless others, will lose their lives and be snuffed. (See? Aren't my sumeries fun? I could get a job like this...)
Mangler of Malibu Canyon by Jennifer Colt ***
Twin sisters and PI's Kerry and Terry McAfee are at it again. Their freakish Aunt Reba calls them to inform them that she's found a decapitated body in her Turkish rug, and when the girls show up--along with the police--so does Cousin Robert...with the head belonging to the body and no knowledge of what happened. Language, and a sort-of romance scene at the end.

Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Cello

2008-06-22T19:09:00.003-07:00

So, on Monday I started Summer Orchestra, over at school. Being an Orc Dork (Orchestra Dork) is pretty sweet, and I was actually met there by four people I knew from Concert Orch. on the way in, Madison, Erica, Caitie, and McKenna (nicknamed the 'Lone Cello' for being the only cello player in concert orchestra.) On Thursday, I had a brilliant idea while my friend Maddie (Madison, my stand partner for the summer) and I were tuning. See, one of the pieces we're playing this summer is the 'Raiders March' from Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark. (Yeah, yeah, we've all seen the movie.) Well, the day before, when we were packing up our violins, we were teasing (friendly) McKenna for the whole 'Lone Cello' thing, and Maddie and I were saying:

Me: That should be the next Indiana Jones movie, 'Indiana Jones and the Lone Cello.'
Maddie: Yeah, we should write that!
(Maddie and I are both writers)

So, the next day, I thought up this: Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Cello, an Orc Dork Production. Followed by Indiana Jones and the Viola of Doom, Indiana Jones and the Last Bass, and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Violins.

I've already written the first scene.

Stargate Atlantis - A Short History

2008-05-31T19:32:00.003-07:00

For those of you unfortunate enough to have never seen SGA, this should help. See? Aren't I nice? (See below post for explanation of my niceness.)

My Roommate Is a Wraith

2008-05-31T19:09:00.006-07:00

New story idea.

Seriously, this is brilliant. Well, as far as complete nonsense goes, anyway. But hey, that's me, right?

It's a Stargate Atlantis FF, so the "Wraith" thing applies to this type of thing:

That's Steve, by the way. (Hey Steve!)

So anyway. The story: My Roommate Is a Wraith. It's going to be a ton of fun to write. If you've seen Stargate Atlantis, which you should, then you'll know that the Atlantis flag team has a lot of experience dealing with the Wraith. So imagine this: Sheppard (protagonist. This guy:

who is very cool) spends some quality time with the Wraith--but they're not as smart as they seemed. Especially Dave, Joe, and Dennis, (Shep's names for them) the Wraith threesome who very much resemble the three stooges, character-wise.

Well, I won't spoil it for any of you. If you HAVEN'T seen SGA, (shame on you!) then the video might help. (See above post.)

Summer Agenda

2008-05-29T21:07:00.004-07:00

Finally, school is out (aside from the day left that's just to collect refunds and the third 'yearbook' day, that is.) My agenda for this summer consists mostly of write, read, watch a heck of a lot of Stargate Atlantis before Season 5 starts, write, Stargate, memorize the Emancipation Declaration (already memorized the Gettysburg Address), write, Stargate, try my hand at making a few videos, write, Stargate, write, and try to refrain myself from strangling siblings.

All in a days work.

Well, I need to finish up Spring With the Cullens, Dawn of the Personality-Challenged Power Rangers, and School's Out--For Now so I can start Summer With the Cullens and work on my own stories. For you fictional readers-of-my-fan-fiction, here's a bit of what's in store for Summer With the Cullens:

Something Smells Fishy: the Cullens get a humongous fish aquarium for the "kids". But things get messy when Emmet's piranha-like fish, Sherman, eats Jasper's precious General Lee.
Get a Job: Esme and Carlisle insist that the kids get jobs; but when the applications are shuffled on the coffee table, they apply for the wrong jobs. Oops.
Route 66: Road Trip! When Bella gets stuck in the car on the Cullen's roadtrip, she sees just how childish they can be; and that vampires aren't as patient as she thought!

Well, there you have it. Psychic is going well, and I started another story a few weeks back: The Marcus Favonius Chronicles: The Hannibal Plot. 15 year-old adopted Italian Roman History buff Sewell and his adopted Native American brother Thom, a mystery novel expert who knows every trick in the book are put to the test when ancient maps and artifacts from the Hannibal exhibit downtown are stolen, it's going to take a lot of history, mystery, caffeine, and Sewell's radio show--the most popular for miles and miles around--the "Forum Romanum" (under the alias of Marcus Favonius) to crack the case. (Magnus gratias to Dr. Lillian Fodermeir, my AMAZING Latin teacher for the lessons on Hannibal, by the way)

So there you have it. I'll 'gate back in later.

A A K

New Book List

2008-05-17T17:57:00.007-07:00

Well, here's the new book list I have. I guess I'll start doing one monthly/bimonthly. So, here it is:
(the ***** stuff is a rating, not curse-words, in case you were wondering. -/5.)
1. The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod: Ninth Grade Slays--Heather Brewer ****
SEQUEL TO EIGHTH GRADE BITES. As teenage vampire, Vlad, starts high school, his 'blood cravings' get worse, and he is being hunted once again. He's still having problems with Meredith, the girl he likes, and doesn't neccesarily want to deal with some of the issues of being a vampire (slightly angst).
2. Battle of the Labyrinth--Rick Riordan ****
(PERCY JACKSON #4) Percy goes back to camp and Annabeth finally gets a quest: in the Labyrinth. Still trying to evade Luke and Kronos' nasties, they run into a barn of man-eating horses, a pet hellhound named Mrs. O'Leary, and demon cheerleaders. All in a day's work, of course.
3. Dracula--Bram Stoker *****
As Jonathan Harker goes on a business trip to Transylvania to visit Count Dracula, a man who wishes to purchase a home in London, Harker discovers slowly that the count is anything but human. When he is loose and in England, Jonathan sets out to stop him, aided by his recently-wed-to wife, Mina, Dr. Seward, who owns an insane assylum, Arthur Homewood, the fiancee of Lucy, who was killed by the count, and Quincy Morris, a friend of Arthur and Lucy.
4. Wolf Brother--Michelle Paver ***
(CHRONICLES OF ANCIENT DARKNESS #1) 6,000 years ago, 12-year-old Torak promises his dying father that he will find a sacred mountain and stop the demon bear that is killing the forest (and kills Torak's father, ironically enough). He is helped by Wolf, a wolf cub who is Torak's Spirit Guide, and Renn, a Raven Clan girl who wants to help her clan by stopping the bear with Torak--"the Listener"--before the demon bear kills everything.
5. Kiki Strike: Inside the Shadow City; Kiki Strike: Inside the Empress's Tomb--Kristin Miller
(KIKI STRIKE #'s 1 & 2) ***; ****
What do 12-year old's Kiki Strike (girl superspy), Ananka Fishbein (bookworm/NY Historian), Luz Lopez (mechanical genius), Betty Bent (master of disguise), Oona Wong (master hacker and forger), and DeeDee Morlock (amazing chemist) have in common? They're the Irregulars, a group of girls who protects the Shadow City underneath NYC and be all-around good guys...well, most of the time, anyway.

6. Master and Commander--Patrick O'Brian ****
(AUBRY/MATURIN #1...of 20)
In the dawn of the Napolianic War, Jack Aubrey is given command of his own ship, the Sophie. He has to hire an entirely new crew--and surgeon, Stephen Maturin, who he knew for about a day before he asked him to be the surgeon.
7. Last Knight--Hilari Bell *****
(KNIGHT AND ROGUE #1)
I know that I read this a few months ago, but I LOVE THIS BOOK. So THERE.
Sir Michael Sevenson is the typical 18-year-old who has no idea what he wants to do (this is fantasy, by the way) until his father scornfully and sarcastically suggest being a knight errant. The idea sticks. While going through a neighboring town on his first quest, Michael witnesses a trial in which 17-year-old sarcastic and cynical rogue, Fisk (WHO ROCKS), is being tried for numerous shifty cases. Michael pays bail and takes on Fisk as his squire. Everything goes fine (for a few days) until Michael rescues a fair damsel from a tower who turns out to be a convicted murderess.

Happy readings

A A K

Insomnia

2008-05-11T22:29:00.005-07:00

Okay, so I've always had really bad insomnia (like, not getting to sleep until three or four in the morning, kind of bad) so I just took this test on Apollo, and turns out I have DCR, Delayed Circadian Rhythm. And I scored a 74 out of 100, a "severe."

I'm proud to say that, yes, I am part vampire! Yay! (I wish.)

Well, on that happy note, I started a new story today: volume one of The Marcus Favonius Chronicles. It's about fifteen-year-old Sewell (Jack Sewell, if you had to know) and his adopted, Native American brother, Thom. Sewell runs a radio program--the most popular in the area--called the Forum Romanum, all about Roman history. When important historical artifacts from Hannibal go missing in the Hannibal exhibit, Sewell and Thom, who were there, attempt to catch the culprit and solve any historical mysteries in the way. It's all about Rome, folks.

On that note, I will not be updating my FanFic's until June 1st, for all you fictitious readers of mine.

Anyway, I also read Percy Jackson #4: Battle of the Labyrinth (by Rick Riordan), and it was very good.
And I've also read--last month, anyway, Ninth Grade Slays, the second Chronicles of Vladimir Tod book (sequel to Eight Grade Bleeds) by Heather Brewer, who is AWESOME!!!
Well, it's--hopefully, as I've got school in the morning, though not for much longer, thank toast--off to bed.

A A K

The Writer's Desk

2008-04-29T15:58:00.004-07:00

Even though, at the moment, I don't really have a desk, this is what is what my "substitute desk" has all over it. This is what you get for writing:
~Books(mostly stuff like Mary Chestnut's Civil War, The Killer Angels, and Alex Rider--with the occasional Max Ride, of course)
~A whole freaking TON of notebooks (composition, spiral, bound, loose..you name it, I've hoarded it and then scribbled excessively in it)
~Writing utensils (pens, pencils, colored pencils, highlighters, sharpies, blah-de-blah)
~THE notes (I have a whole IKEA box full of loose notes...and those are just the one's I've found)
~sketches (I've got a ton of stupid architectural stuff for Psychic--stuff like floorplans to Bran Castle--and some sketches of Vannessa Toplin, a new character in one of my new vampire books that I'm writing--uncreatively called, for now, Coven 13.)

I'm not sure if it's as bad as J.K. Rowling's...But it's not pretty.

I also tend to carry around a bag with all of my writers crap (and Jasper Whitlock, my green nano rocks-my-socks iPod), with at least two notebooks at all times. I found this great video online (thanks Kaleb-who-I-don't-know-but-is-really-cool!) that puts a writers bag perfectly. Since my computer is being dumb and won't let me upload it, you can go to Kaleb Nation and then to 'videos' and 'what's in a writer's bag?' to see. it.

Also, School's Out--For Now is going well, and Dawn of the Personality-Challnged should be done soon, as will Spring With the Cullens. Next month or June, I'll be writing Summer With the Cullens, which will, undoubtedly, be better. I'll be writing another Kat/Max Ride story as well (tentatively called Saving the Flock and Other Extreme Sports) and I will make as many Kat's as JP makes MR's. So. There.

A A K

New People!

2008-04-24T14:22:00.004-07:00

Yay! I got new psychics! Okay...here are the new protagonist psychics:

StephAlison

And here are some of the students:

Alexandria Hemmin

Cynthia Constantine

Lisa Zerrin

Well? Pretty good names since I just made up the last names on the spot. Well, I'd better get back to writing. No new Carrie yet.

A A K

"Psychic" Update

2008-04-22T21:09:00.005-07:00

Right, so...Psychic is going well. I've got three or four scenes written out (and one that I need to type up). I've got the Graveyard Scene done, ready for editing; same with Meetings--where Bridge meets the psychics. I've got a rough draft of the scene where B-Squad lands in Romania, and a bit of a scene where Bridge is just walking around the academy (TAPS). The one I haven't typed, but is written in my notebook, is a scene at TAPS where Bridge sort of "compares" SPD to TAPS while James is being weird again.

Speaking of Bridge's psychic cohorts, here they are:

Carrie Blake, Grey Sector Rep

Living-Deceased Mediator

Bridge Carson, Green Sector Rep
Psychic Auras and Tracking

Cody Parkani, Red Sector Rep
Precognition

Alison Hollox, Blue Sector Rep
Telekinesis

James Manson, Yellow Sector Rep
Dream Discernment and Alteration

Steph Thompson, Pink Sector Rep
Telepathy

I'm happy with the boys pictures, but I'm not crazy about the girls. I will be changing them, so don't all go off now and make a Power Point. Well, these are them--oh! Wait! I need the Professor too...and the SPD rangers...

The Professor

Jack Landors, SPD Red Ranger

Sky Tate, SPD Blue Ranger

Z Delgado, SPD Yellow Ranger

Sydney Drew, SPD Pink Ranger

I'll change Alison's, Carrie's, and Steph's pictures later.

A A K

Writing Update

2008-04-19T14:57:00.002-07:00

Okay...so, I've got three FF's I'm working on right now (Spring With the Cullens, School's Out--For Now, and Dawn of the Personality-Challenged Power Rangers; DotP-CPR for short.) So, anyway, here are the stats on them:
1: Spring With the Cullens has 5 chapters so far, and I'm planning to go to about maybe 13. They're just a bunch of one-shots, so maybe less. Next up: what happens when Carlisle returns from hippie doctor retreat...only to find Jasper, Emmett, and Edward behind the house sneaking _____!
2: Kat and the flock are about to get attacked by Erasers. Again. But this time they decide to bait them into a fight next time, where they get to use new toys! (Courtesy of Chi Kit.)
3: Bridge has almost solved the mystery, but what happens when Grumm attacks and B-Squad needs to fight? Of course, it doesn't help that Bridge has sent everything--including uniforms--to the dry-cleaners in case of bedbugs. So can they fight in...marching band uniforms?

Also, I'm hard at work on Psychic and still haven't actually written any of the story yet. I'm thinking of changing it a bit to the point where there's no copyright stuff to worry about so that maybe I could publish it sometime in the future.

A A K

Introductions

2008-04-13T21:03:00.006-07:00

Well, yesterday was the 147th anniversary of the start of the American Civil War; I'm sure everyone in Fort Sumter was very excited. Not sure if I've mentioned this before, but I am a HUGE Civil War buff, and I even added a whole chapter about it to Spring With the Cullens, my humorous Twilight fanfic.

Well, Michael and Fisk are wonderful--if noisy; even though I oiled the wheel--and everything is pretty boring. It's Spring Break though.

Well, I think I'll introduce everyone I'll be talking about on the ol' blog:
1-Fritz: my older brother, a junior in High School. He's into world conquering, European History, WWII history, Risk, communism, and Rise of Nations.
2-Zeneah: (pronounced Zin-A-uh) my very best friend in the entire WORLD. Not her real name, of course, but the name of a character she is in one of our Power Rangers stories (this one is HER story, by the way; but still cool. I'M IN IT! My name in it is Carrie Blake.) She likes cats, chocolate, Alex Rider, Tamora Pierce, anything drama, is in a writer's club at her school, and wants to be an Air Force shrink. She's way cool.
3-Tinker Bell: my little sister (2nd grade) who loves everything pink and frilly. While I find this disturbing, she loves it. Her current (and very LONG) obsession: fairies.
4-Alvin: Think Alvin from the old Alvin and the Chipmunks shows. He's obnoxious, critter-ish, and VERY into rodents. My 6th grade brother. A serious pain in the fangs sometimes. (Sorry, I'm writing some vampire stuff right now--plus I'm going through my "vampire phase"--so I'll be using vampire lingo for a while)
5-Dad: obvious. He's really cool, a philosophy, art, and film professor at the local 'U', and always telling his students "funny" stories about us kids. Yeah, real "funny"...until the students actually MEET us at the annual Phil. Department Dinner. Then it's just plain embarrassing sometimes.
6-Mom: a GT (Gifted and Talented) teacher at the local elementary school. She lived in Germany, St. Louis (GO CARDINALS!), Texas, and a couple of other places when she was a kid. Funnily enough, we haven't moved ANYWHERE. Much to my dismay.

So there you have it. I might add a few others along the line.

A A K

Alarm Clocks

2008-04-07T14:27:00.002-07:00

I've used a lot of alarm clocks. I've tried my mom's old one (oish, that one is loud), a radio/CDplayer/alarm one (it just recently "officially" bit the dust), and even digital watch alarms; but to no avail. For the past couple of years, my mom has pretty much had to spend about 45 minutes attempting to drag me out of bed and shove me out the door to drive me to school (it's very rare for me to make the bus).

Thanks Mom.

Well, at 5:15 this morning (WAY too early) those two stupid (I say this affectionately) hamsters, Fisk and Sir Michael, were in the wheel in their cage on my dresser, making a ton of noise; that thing was squeaking like mad. So I manually turned the wheel for 'em--one at a time--for a couple of minutes, then I went back to sleep.

At about 5:45, they woke me up again. This time, they were both in the wheel at the same time, clambering over each other and trying to make it turn. Now, 5:45 is VERY early, and I ran out of patience VERY quickly. I kicked 'em both out of the wheel and closed it off. I tried to go back to sleep, but they, the furry little bastards, were making a racket in the plastic tube; plus, they were chewing at the plastic gate. So I just listened to my iPod for a while (Running Up That Hill-Kate Bush; Once In Every Lifetime-Jem, The Dangling Conversation-Simon and Garfunkel, Starlight-Muse, yada yada yada.)

At 6:38 (or somewhere around there, anyway) I finally got out of bed (listening to the awesome Basshunter. DotA, if you know the song) and got ready for school. Of course, I still looked like I just raided Army Surplus, but there are a few things that an early start won't change (thank mayo).

I was up before my brother, (which here I will call Fritz, even though that is nowhere near his real name). I was ready for school early; which just about gave my mom a heart attack. I was even the first one at the bus stop.

Then again, who ever thought that hamsters could be such efficient alarm clocks? This morning I was half torn between giving them some extra sunflower seeds, and cursing the stupid explorer who brought back hamsters for all I was worth.

A A K

Summaries

2008-04-06T16:24:00.004-07:00

As promised (on FF.net), here are my upcoming stories and the somewhat-summeries that go with them:
Twilight:
1-Bloodthirsty-my version of how Jasper met Alice. These are just notes from about a year ago. This is pre-Eclipse, by the way.
2-Confederate-what happens when Maria (more year-old stuff, not Stephenie's version of Maria) starts messing with Jasper's head from afar and the Cullens don't know what the toast is going on? On and off, he still thinks that he's a confederate soldier, and is trying to kill the Emmett and Edward because they're "yankees", trying to get rid of Rosalie, Bella, and Esme (but he won't kill them, because it's "wrong" to hit a girl) because they're yankee spies, but likes Carlisle, because he's British. The Cullens need to find out what's going on and need to stop it before Jasper totally loses it.
3-Spring With the Cullens-All the hilarious things that the Cullens put up with from Esme. Whether it's Easter dresses or spring cleaning. (1st of four.)
Power Rangers:
1-Psychic-THIS IS THE BIG ONE! I've been working on this one for months, and am still working out the kinks in the plot line! Haven't even finished the first chapter. After a "premonition dream" about a group of psychics in Transylvania, Bridge--our favorite psychic green ranger--goes to Romania with the others. After Bridge apparently "died", instead of contacting his fellow rangers, Bridge sets off in search of the psychics. He finds an academy of them, where they learn to live in secret and fight the undead--mostly vampires. Bridge has to choose between a life as a psychic, or that of a ranger. Because he can't have both.
Maximum Ride:
1-School's Out--For Now-KAT IS BACK!!! When Max is captured by erasers and scientists--from right under the flocks noses--the flock heads to Seattle to enlist the help of a friend; a human panthera-tigris-tigris hybrid friend. They must find Max, discover what Itex is up to, and perhaps even blow some more buildings up.

So there you have it. These are the fanfictions I am writing right now. If you have any questions or comments, or if you can help me set up a website, please contact me. You can leave a comment here on the blog, on any of my stories on fanfiction.net, or email me at rhodri13@hotmail.com

A A K

Hamsters

2008-04-06T15:54:00.006-07:00

On Monday, I got two Chinese dwarf hamsters, Sir Michael and Fisk. I've had hamsters before; there was the family hamster, Snowy. And then there was Albert. Albert was a name I just randomly came up with, but Albert Einstein fits the mold perfectly. He was a cross between Einstein and Houdini. On his first night in the house, he knocked off his plastic tube, jumped off my dresser, got into my parents room and tried to eat one of my dad's chocolate truffles. Then he somehow got back onto my dresser and into the cage. To this day I don't know how he did it. Anyway. This morning at 6:30 AM, they woke me up by being as loud as they possibly could. I went back to sleep, but they did it again every hour until 10:30. By then I was pretty fed up, so I put in my headphones and listened to Keane and the Smiths until I could get to sleep. Hopefully, this would help.

What a lot of parents don't seem to realize is that on weekdays, of course you want to sleep in! But on weekends, you DON'T. Why? Because it you're sleeping in, you can't savor the not-going-to-school part that makes the whole weekend! We teenagers just know this stuff. It's like how we just know how a Monday feels compared to every other day of the week. You can--and I do, by the way--have whole conversations with people at school about how it feels like a Wednesday, even though it's a Thursday.

So thanks a lot, hamsters.

A A K

The Last Knight

2008-03-21T22:46:00.004-07:00

I just finished reading another book today. It was called The Last Knight by Hilari Bell. She's one of my favorite authors, and this book was amazing! Basically, it's about a wannabe knight, Sir Michael, and his "squire", the reluctant rogue Fisk, whom is indebted to Michael for being 'bailed' out of multiple offenses to the law. They rescue a 'damsel in distress' only to discover that they just released an acclaimed murderess. Now, they have to go and find her and bring her back to face trial.

Michael is a fun character; he is ofter hampered by his relentless honesty, and is ofter getting mugged for asking too many questions.

Fisk, on the other hand, is streetwise and sarcastic, but very smart and bookish (though he never really admits it.) He's by favorite character, and he's often found saying "heroism is vastly overrated."

Very good book! There's not much on Hilari Bell's website, but here's the link. At least it gives summaries of all her books.

A A K

Toast Talk

2008-03-07T23:43:00.004-07:00

Have you ever tried to come up with a language or code? It's pretty entertaining (especially when your math teacher is going on and on about perpendicular bisectors, when anything else is more entertaining)? I decided to come up with: Toast Talk. Here's a sample:

Nein toast?! Muffins, chocolate muffins blueberry Belgian waffles! Expired margarine on wholewheat toast! Toastmaster.

It's pretty fun.

Well, I've finished my eight page plotline for Psychic, and I'm working on finishing up my Max Ride story so I can write the sequal. And I need to finish Dawn of the Personality-Challenged Power Rangers, as well. Again, if you're interested, there is a link on this blog, on post one, Introduction. Well, toastmaster for now.

A A K

Fiction

2008-03-06T22:39:00.003-07:00

The dictionary definition of 'fiction' (that I have anyway) says: novels and stories that describe imaginary people and events. Hm...well--there's certainly nothing about madness or insanity or even raving lunatics...or toast, for that matter. So I guess what I'm writing is different; toastion. Maybe. Toastism; nah, that'll be my form of government when I take over the world (also when I'll answer to the name Lord Mayonnaise of Turkey.) I guess that I should call it Batalism, or maybe a whole new genre, like...well, my favorite word that describes my characters in a book I'm writing called Psychic is clairvoyant, so maybe clairvoyism. Hey, that might just work. If not, Toastism is always a good alternative.

Introduction

2008-03-06T21:58:00.002-07:00

March 6, 2008
Well, I've finally succeeded in creating some form of a website. I'm using this to rant my nonsense and post my stark raving mad story ideas. I'm a little scatterbrained, being a writer, and so having something online may help to remind me of ideas. I have a few stories already up, called FanFictions (stories based off of existing plots and or characters of other authors, with a disclaimer of course) that I use for practice. To see these--one for James Patterson's Maximum Ride, another for Power Rangers SPD (yes, I am addicted to Power Rangers, even though some argue I'm more than a little old for it.)--click here to get to my bio page on FanFiction.

A A K