Excerpts From My Life

Hello friends,


This post is sort of a mix of an update and a mix of something else - I'm not exactly sure what. :P


On the "Update" side, I have some exciting news. ^_^  If you've been reading my posts, and you've read through the comments on the post "Updates on my life... and no, I'm not dead yet", then you might have noticed that I've mentioned I was in the middle of an experimental project in which I prepare several of my short stories for publications through Amazon, B&N, and Smashwords.

Well, step one in said experiment is now complete... which means, in essence, that the first of a set of my short stories is now available on Amazon for Kindle. ^_^  The first object of the experiment is to test my text formatting and type setting skills when it comes to digital publication, so that I'm 100% prepared for Magpie Eclectic Press' first title.  Well, according to my kindle, I have a good handle on the type setting and formatting for amazon.  Now I just have to prepare the book for Smashwords and B&N.


The second (and currently less important) object (which I will explain about in a moment), is to test my online marketing skills.  The book just went live a little over 12 hours ago, and the story is only 4k long.  It's also one of my older pieces, but it's one that I still really like and I've been "tweaking" it. :D


Here is the cover and the blurb:


(Note about the cover: My name is really dim on purpose, because I didn't want the extra words to take away from the picture's effect.  However, if you find this troublesome, please let me know. :D)

ZI Mara is an elite soldier in the F.A.H (that's Faeries Among Humans for those of you without fae blood).  When an enraged male ghoul escapes the faerie realms and begins on a rampage for Chicago, Mara and her friend, Officer Lee Moker, are the only ones who can stop the monster and save the humans from disaster.  However, the ghoul has already taken a large bite out of Mara's shoulder and its venom is slowly rendering her immobile.  The only hope for the people of Chicago rests in Mara's hands... and that hope could cost her her life.

(A disclaimer for those of you who are a bit more sensitive, the word "heck" is used several times throughout the story.)

The book is now available for $0.99 on Kindle. ^_^  It was not released under Magpie Eclectic Press, as it is more of an experimental personal project.

As the story is only 4k, and hasn't been previously advertised before release (which would be standard procedure with a novel), I don't expect the story to really "take off", but I still hope it does well.  I don't write short stories very often, and this is definitely one of my better pieces.  Hopefully it will help me gain a few new readers and maybe even a couple of fans... which, of course, would be nice and encouraging. :)

Here's the Amazon link:

"Blue Moon" by Nichole White

In other news, school is going well and so is the progress on Magpie's new site. :D  It's not live yet, but it's coming.  In the mean time I've been working on a new writing post called "The Delicate Art of Torture", which is about conflict and torturing your characters... *evil look*

I've also been working on more jewelry... really fun pieces which are all twisty and beaded. :)  I've created an FB page for them, and I'm working to set up an etsy shop. Here's the FB page if any of you are interested:

Handmade wire wrapped jewelry

And in between that, music theory homework, and life in general, I've also found some time to squeeze writing in through the cracks of my crazy, wonderful life.  I have a few more book reviews due to be up within a couple of weeks, and I'm really, REALLY hoping that this will be the last "update" post in a while (meaning that instead, I will be posting more book reviews, writing posts, and perhaps even hosting a contest in the near future... ^_^)

In the mean time, how about a giveaway... The prize is either a PDF or Kindle Formated author review copy of my short story "Blue Moon" (which is exactly the same as the published version, only you will be getting it for free. :D)

To join, you must:
1) follow this blog (1 pnt)

2) Post a comment (1)

To earn more points, you can:

1) Post to FB (1) 

2) Tweet about it (1)

3) blog about it (something thoughtful if possible) and post the link in the comments (2)

4) get a friend to follow the P&P (and for this to count, your friend must post a comment saying who it was that referred them) (3)

I wonder who will win this contest. :D  I've never hosted one like this before, so it should be interesting... good luck to you all! 

THE BIG SEVEN-ZERO!!!! and gory murder... but no blood... how does that work? ;)

You read that right people!!!  The P&P has officially reached 70 followers!!! *does a little happy jig*

And as I promised, it's time to set up a giveaway in celebration. :)  I think what I'm going to do is set up a poll, and see what YOU GUYS would like to see given away as the prize.  Your options are at this moment:

1) a book (haven't decided which one yet... that decision will come later, if you guys decide you would like a book giveaway rather than anything else. ;D)
2) 1 black and white pencil drawing (finished) of one of your characters or favorite book characters...
3) an author page set up on the P&P for 1 month, and congratulations and links given over at SOTD's facebook page as advertisement.

There's a possible fourth prize, but I haven't decided on it yet.  It would be one song composed by Jonathan Miaco.  However, I have neither purchased this song yet, nor decided on which song exactly to choose (or whether to let you guys choose), nor have I talked to the composer.  So we will have to wait and see on that one.  ;)

Now... what does this have to do with gory murder without blood?  How is that even accomplished?!?!

It's quite simple really. ^_^  I'm going to set up the poll a little later today, but in the meantime, you, my faithful followers, are charged to KILL THIS THREAD!!!  No blood involved. No knives.  But death... yes, death! lol!

That's right, people.  Last person to post a comment on this thread for 24 consecutive hours is the winner of the prize that the P&P followers will choose by poll.  Choose wisely, my friends... you may end up the receiver of whatever prize is chosen! :)

This very game has been done on several other blogs before.  The one I remember the most was on author Wayne Thomas Batson's blog, "Enter the Door Within" and it lasted almost a year before Mr. Batson had to close the thread himself.  lol!  I doubt my version of the game will last nearly as long, but you never know. ;D

Comment away!!!

A Contest over at "Dancing with Dragons is Hard on your Shoes"

(Side note: isn't that just an awesome blog name?  I mean, seriously... if that doesn't catch a fantasy writer's attention, then what will? *grin*)

I just wanted to give a shout out about the awesome contest that Miriam Forster is having over at her blog. Ms. Forster recently sold her book "House of a Thousand Dolls" to a publisher and blogged about her efforts. To thank her followers for... eh, following her, and in celebration of her book deal, she's throwing a GIVAWAY!

(Don't enter please... ;)  I would like to win this one. hehe!)

But I said I would blog about it so here is the link: http://msforster.blogspot.com/2011/05/thank-you-contest-of-amazingness_26.html

Hey, even though I have a competitive spirit, I'm fair. lol! ;D

The Blue and Green of Things

I'VE GONE BLUE!  And my hair has turned green.  It's weird, I know, but hey... it was definitely an interesting experience.

And why do I now look like a strange blue creature from another planet?

Because that's what I'm trying to be!

It's all for Brock Eastman's contest, "Look like Obbin", a little blue character from  his book called "Taken" coming out in 2011.  What you have to do is take a photo of yourself and then go into your favorite art program and digitally make your skin blue and your hair green.  If you don't know how to do that, click here.  Brock Eastman explains an easy way to do it, and also gives you the other info you need to enter the contest.  But hurry!  The contest is ending soon, and you don't want to miss out on the chance at winning really cool prizes:  a $50 gift card, a signed copy of "Taken", and a cool Obbin T-shirt!

Now I'll tell you a little bit about this picture.  At first all I was trying to do was exactly what was required: digitally turn my skin blue and hair green.  Then I thought, "Hey!  I've been messing around with digital art, and I don't think I'm half bad... I could probably repaint this!"  So that's what I did.... for most of it, anyway. The hair and the face are completely repainted, as well as part of the shirt and the arms.  I wanted to keep the necklace on so the neck wasn't redone, but I did add highlight and shadow to make it blend better with the rest of the painting.  :D  Almost all of this picture was repainted in GIMP with a Wacom Tablet.  I really enjoyed messing around with it.  Hope y'all like it!  :D

The Votes are In!!!

That's right folks.  The Amazing First chapter Contest is officially over, the votes are in, and the winners are soon to be announced!

First I would like to thank everyone who participated.   It was great you guys!  Totally awesome!  And I enjoyed entering all of those worlds so much, even if it was only for one chapter.

Just so everyone knows what was at stake, the first place winner recieves a page of thier own set up on "The Pen and Parchment" to showcase their first chapter and profile... and anything else they may want to post.  They also get the first choice of three books I have to give away:

(and yes, I did find another copy of the book. :D)

The second place winner get's to choose from the two books left after the 1rst winner pics.  The third place winner gets the book that's left.


So, here are the winners.  I was going to fool around and make you guys wait, but I just can't make myself do that.  Too nice I guess.  :D

1rst place: Squeaks with "Children of the Song".  Way to go Squeaks!  You get the first pick out of the three books!  And a page set aside just for you.  Shoot me an email with your pick of the books and your prefered address so that I can send you your prize.  Include in the email anything besides your profile and the excerpt of your book.  I'll try to get the page set up within the next couple of days.

2nd place: Adele Treskilard with "Wolf's Bard".  Woo-hoo!  I really enjoyed looking over this chapter. :)  Adele, you get second pick of the books.  Send me an email with your choice of the two books you would like the most out of those listed above along with your address.  If Squeaks chooses one of the books you chose, you will get the other one.  Make sure you list the books in order of preference: that way, if squeaks doesn't pick one of the books you wanted, I can send you the one you wanted the most.  :D

Third place winner is...

UH OH!  WE TIED FOR THIRD PLACE!

Guess that means I have to set up another poll.  So I'm going to put that up this afternoon.  Voting will be open for the next five days.  If the poll doesn't move within the next five days, it will go for another five.  The third place winner will recieve the book left after the first and second winner have thier pick.

Here are the participants listed in order from first winner on through.

1rst:  Squeaks with "Children of the song"
2nd:  Adele Treskilard with "Wolf's Bard"
3rd:  Galadriel with "Three Dark Roses"
3rd:  Jake with "Quest for the Kingdom"
4th:  Gillian with "Song of Leira"
4th:  John Walker with "A Time Yet to Come"
5th:  Seth with "Tempest: First of the Tales of Myth"

Thanks to all who participated!  And who knows: When I reach 50 followers, I might host another contest... *wink, wink*

:)

Nichole

REALLY REALLY EXCITING NEWS IN ALL CAPS!!!! (with lots of exclamation points. :D )

Ok, so I know I haven't blogged in a few days.  He, he... sorry about that.  Life has definitely been busy, and I just lost the use of my faithful lappy... so, I will probably not be getting on near as much until I get him back, which will be (hopefully) Wednesday. *dramatic sob*  He was so young...

Anywho, today is the last day to vote for your favorite first chapter!  So don't wait another minute.  It looks like it might be a close call for third place.  If we have a tie, then we have to have another poll, so vote, vote, vote!

But now to get the REALLY EXCITING part of this post.  You know... the part that's IN ALL CAPS WITH LOTS OF EXCLAMATION POINTS!!!! (love to do that.  :D)

Well here it is:  I WAS INVITED TO GO TO A PRE-SCREENING OF THE NEW "VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER", NOT DUE IN THEATRES UNTIL DECEMBER!!!! 

You heard right folks! *does really happy dance*  The screening is this Thursday in Minneapolis. 

I really don't know how it happened.  It's like an answered prayer, but it was so unexpected.  I'd just been keeping in touch with people over the web and I'd been entering a few contests and what-not... (especially concerning Narnia, because Lewis was my first inspiration to write).  Then the other day I get an email reply saying that I've been chosen to go see this pre-screening because of my apparent presence on the web. 

Cool!  That means I'm being noticed, which is really good platform-building material for me and my writings.  And this opportunity will also look great noted on a future resume.

Awesomesauce!

So here's the deal.  I won't be able to give out any details of what I actually saw in the movie when I get back home, but I will be able to tell how I felt about the way the movie was made.  So in honor of that, I've decided to make this week on the Pen and Parchment all about Narnia and C.S. Lewis.  Get ready for some really Narnia related posts.  And on Friday, I'll post my review of the movie to close out the week.

I'll try to get the first post of this series up later today.  Until then, don't forget to vote!

C ya all later!

Nichole

CSFF Blog Tour, Nanowrimo, and Edits... OH MY!

November 1rst... the beginning of so much.  I don't know about anyone else, but I've been looking forward to this day for weeks now.  Today is the day that the CSFF blog tour (for October) starts, and in a few minutes I'll be posting something about Stephen Lawhead's new book "The Skin Map".  But today also marks the beginning of National Novel Writing Month, and for me that means lots and lots of rewriting this year.  :)  Is it normal to be excited over editing and rewriting?  I don't really know... but then again, I don't know how many people would call me "normal".

I did just receive a very nice and unexpected surprise when some fan art I drew based on one of the characters in Wayne Thomas Batson's book "Isle of Swords" appeared on his site.  Thank you Mr. Batson!  There's also an awesome picture of Falon with it from his other books, "The Door Within" trilogy (not drawn by me.  :D)  If you would like, go check them out at his link:  http://enterthedoorwithin.blogspot.com/2010/11/amazing-reader-art.html

I would also like to remind people that the poll for The Amazing First Chapter Contest closes the 15th, so don't forget to vote for your favorites!!!

And now on to other business.  First and foremost, I would like to thank Thomas Nelson for providing me with a free review copy of "The Skin Map" for the CSFF blog tour this month.  And then I would like to thank Stephen Lawhead for writing it, as I've quite enjoyed it so far.  Granted, I haven't finished just yet, but in my defense it only arrived a week ago and I've been extremely busy with school.

I know, I know... not a good excuse.  :D

But I have read a lot of the book (and I've even done the forbidden and skipped ahead chapters at a time to read certain POV's) and from what I have read, I believe I have a relatively good grasp on what's going on.

So we'll start with a summary, straight from the horses mouth... uh... back of the book.  :)

Kit Livingstone's great-grandfather appears to him in a deserted alley during a tumultuous storm.  He reveals and unbelievable story; that the ley lines throughout Britain are not merely the stuff of legend or the weekend hobby of deluded cranks, but pathways to other worlds.  To those who know how to use them, they grant the ability to travel the multi-layered universe of which we ordinarily inhabit only a tiny part.

One explorer new more than most.  Braving every danger, he toured both time and space on voyages of heroic discovery.  Ever on his guard, and fearful of  becoming lost in the cosmos, he developed and intricate code - a roadmap of symbols - that he tattoed onto his own body.  This Skin Map has since been lost in time.  Now the race is on to recover all the pieces and discover its secrets.

But the Skin Map  itself is not the ultimate goal.  It is merely the beginning of a vast and marvelous quest for a prize beyond imagining.


Tomorrow I'll try and post something about the author of this book, but for now I'm going to give you my thoughts on the matter.

Pros:  I have nothing to compare this to, considering the fact that I haven't read any of Lawhead's books before, but I would say this is well written and intriguing.  The language (in my own opinion) is fun to read... partially because it has that British flare that everybody seems to love.  (It might help, of course, that Lawhead is a British author.)  It's definitely a fun and fast paced read, which always makes the journey more enjoyable, and the characters are interesting enough to draw you in.  At the same time, it makes you think.  The story alone is intriguing, although I do have to ask myself how many times the concept of dimensional and time travel will be "done" before people begin to tire of it.  Yet I do believe this book has brought new fire to the genre.  It's definitely worth looking at.

Cons:  It seems to jump all over the place.  Now granted, it is time travel, and dimension  travel, and what else should we expect?  But while I found it easy to follow one character, and could have easily continued to follow him, we suddenly jump to another character.  This in itself was not really disorienting, except for the fact that until the very end of the session following Kit's girlfriend there seems to be no real connection between jumping time and dimension and the dangers that follow; she easily settles down into her new home, makes friends, starts a business that is a great success based on her knowledge of the future, and then a man comes along (I won't say who to spoil it for anyone who hasn't read it) finds her, gets suspicious of her, and leaves and she finds a way to travel the leys, and we hear nothing more of her or her friends from ancient Germany until the very last two pages of the book.  (Yes, I couldn't help but skip around to read those chapters one right after the other.  I easily followed her story, and probably would have read a book just based on this turn, with her trying to create a business in ancient Germany based on modern values.  That was done well.)

I would say that the book in itself is a good introduction to further books, although I do feel it "beats around the bush" a little bit.  I look forward to checking out the other books soon to join this one in the series; perhaps things will make more sense then.  But that's part of the wonder of series books, isn't it?  The mystery of what happens next and how everything ties together...

Now, given the fact that I haven't read Lawhead before and am not familiar with his writing style, I wasn't sure of what I thought of his semi-narrative style.  It was slightly refreshing, to tell the truth, yet disconcerting in the fact that narration is something that seems to be so vehemently preached against these days in 3rd person writing... not to say I don't slip into it myself from time to time.  I would say that all in all, I liked his style, and will definitely be checking out his other books.

Though I haven't finished reading the book, my rating for it so far would be a three out of five... not bad, but not the best.  Definitely interesting though, and worth a look.

http://tessbissell.wordpress.com/"> Red Bissell
http://www.oerkenleaves.blogspot.com/"> Thomas Clayton Booher
http://www.AdventuresInFiction.blogspot.com/"> Keanan Brand
http://www.splashdownreviews.blogspot.com"> Grace Bridges
http://rbclibrary.wordpress.com/"> Beckie Burnham
http://morganlbusse.wordpress.com"> Morgan L. Busse
http://jeffchapmanwriter.blogspot.com/"> Jeff Chapman
http://www.christianfictionbookreviews.com/"> Christian Fiction Book Reviews
http://valeriecomer.com/"> Valerie Comer
http://www.kcreviews.blogspot.com"> Karri Compton
http://www.the160acrewoods.com/"> Amy Cruson
http://csffblogtour.com/"> CSFF Blog Tour 
http://word-up-studies.blogspot.com"> Stacey Dale
http://www.scificatholic.com/"> D. G. D. Davidson
http://www.endtimestavern.com/">  George Duncan
http://projectinga.blogspot.com/"> April Erwin
http://going-greene.blogspot.com/"> Tori Greene
http://realmofhearts.blogspot.com/"> Ryan Heart
http://www.613media.com/"> Bruce Hennigan
http://fantasythyme.blogspot.com"> Timothy Hicks
http://www.christopherhopper.com"> Christopher Hopper
http://jessebecky.wordpress.com/"> Becky Jesse
http://crisjesse.wordpress.com"> Cris Jesse 
http://thewriterssword.blogspot.com/"> Becca Johnson
http://www.spoiledfortheordinary.blogspot.com/"> Jason Joyner
http://www.molcotw.blogspot.com/"> Julie
http://carolkeen.blogspot.com/"> Carol Keen 
http://krystisbooks.blogspot.com/"> Krystine Kercher
http://www.shannonmcdermott.com/"> Shannon McDermott
http://methodistcorner.net/"> Allen McGraw
http://mikalatos.blogspot.com"> Matt Mikalatos
http://rebeccaluellamiller.wordpress.com/"> Rebecca LuElla Miller
http://linalamont.blogspot.com/"> Nissa 
http://www.leastread.blogspot.com/"> John W. Otte
http://gavinpatchett.blogspot.com/"> Gavin Patchett
http://www.sarahsawyer.com/blog"> Sarah Sawyer
http://www.chawnaschroeder.blogspot.com/"> Chawna Schroeder
http://reviewsfromtheheart.blogspot.com/"> Kathleen Smith
http://www.rachelstarrthomson.com/inklings/"> Rachel Starr Thomson
http://www.mindsinger.com/"> Donna Swanson
http://www.epictales.org/blog/robertblog.php"> Robert Treskillard
http://christiansf.blogspot.com/"> Steve Trower
http://frederation.wordpress.com"> Fred Warren
http://www.fantasyandfaith.com"> Dona Watson
http://christian-fantasy-book-reviews.com/blog/"> Phyllis Wheeler
http://www.theravenquill.blogspot.com/">  Nicole White
http://kerani-in-the-world.blogspot.com/"> Elizabeth Williams
http://facesoflions.wordpress.com/"> Dave Wilson

More Updates and Random Randomness!!! :D

Ok, so I've received another entry for the "first chapter" contest!  It will be up on the contest page within the next few days.  That makes 3.  That's not very many and the submission deadline is coming up fast, so don't wait any longer.  Send me those chapters before it's too late!

On another note, I have some unfortunate news concerning the third prize, "Watership Down": my younger sister decided it was a coloring book.  I couldn't believe it!  It's one of my favorite stories ever and she decides to use a pen on it!

Fortunately for me I have another, not-drawn in copy.  Unfortunately it's in very bad repair and, though still very readable, it is quite literally falling apart.  I don't want to give away a scribbled up copy of anything as a prize, nor do I want to give away something that's falling apart, so until I can find another copy in decent shape that is not scribbled in, I'm going to have to pull that prize from the contest.  I will say, though, that I'm searching frantically for another copy.  And if another copy can't be found, I will find another interesting book to replace the third prize with... hopefully something everybody thinks is cool and exciting.

So the good news is that, even though I don't exactly have a third prize right now, there WILL BE a third prize... the third place winner may just have to wait a little while for it.  Sorry!

On another note entirely, I have just received some good news!  That good news is that I just found out I won a copy of Wayne Thomas Batson and Christopher Hopper's new book "Venom and Song".  And to make things even more amazing, the authors will be in Champaign Illinois this Saturday: I live only 1 and 1/2 hours away from Champaign, so I will definitely be there!  *so excited.  does happy dance*

Currently I'm reading through WTB's first pirate adventure book "Isle of Swords".  Let me just say now, I literally cannot put it down.  It's wonderful!  Now I read  "The Door Within" trilogy and found it encouraging... if a little young.  I thought the story lines of those books were good, and the ideas behind the plot, while done many times before, shown in a new light.  However, my own opinion was that the writing in itself needed a little work, and I HATE... absolutely LOATH... thinking that sort of thing about other authors; especially authors who are already published while I only have my rejection letters to keep me company.  (and no, I haven't received an answer yet from the publisher who's looking at my book... I'll be sure to keep you posted, so keep your fingers crossed and pray! :D )

However, "Isle of Swords" is nothing like "The Door Within" trilogy.  It's WAY better!  It's amazing!  The writing's refreshing and its kept me on the edge of my seat with every page.  I just sit for hours (usually hours when I'm supposed to be doing something else... *sheepish grin*) reading it, and I can't stop!  I think about it as I drive to school, and when I do my chores, and (what really gets me in trouble) when I'm supposed to be doing homework.  I HAVE TO FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENS NEXT!  Now, I haven't finished reading it yet, but when I do you can bet I'll have a good review of it to post here.  So keep an eye out for that as well.

Now I'd better get going.  I'm in the Christmas Musical our church is putting on (for some reason we've always done big musical numbers... it's just so much fun!).  Practice starts soon so I have to get.

C y'all around.

With pen in hand,

Nichole

Updates, Updates, Updates...

Well I know it's been a while since last I've posted.  For those of you who are following the first chapter contest, there is a new entry on the page titled "The Song of Leira".  I've read the first part of it and so far it's really good!  So go and check that out.  There is still time to get your chapters in before the deadline of Oct 25th.  The deadline's coming fast though, so let's not wait too long!  And please feel free to post about it on your blog: let's spread the word!  The more people know about this contest, the more fun it will be! :D

And... Stop the Presses! What is this?  There's a new prize on the line!  Yes, that's right... there will now be three winning slots to fill!  The prize I'm adding to the list is a copy of "Watership Down".  If you haven't read it yet, you really should.  The book has become (in my own oppinion) quite a classic in anamalistic fantasy (think a mixture of Brian Jaques and Tolkien.)  All the more reason to enter the contest!  But please don't let this oppertunity slip by... polish up those first chapters and send them to me.  Let's show the world what we're made of... or (ahem) what our worlds are made of. :D

And on that note, I know I haven't been posting in a while (mostly due to the dreaded homework of a college student) but I'm hoping to make up for some lost time within the next few days.  So be on the look out for book reviews (and perhaps even a movie review) along with the second entry to my "Elements of Story" series.  (hopefully... I'm still working on that part. ) 

And on a completely different note entirely, me and some friends at school have started throwing together a fanfiction for Shakespeare's "The Taming of the Shrew" and I'm considering posting bits and pieces of it for review.

Well, that's all the exciting news for now.  Hope to recieve some really awesome first chapters in  the near future. :D

Nichole

Announcements!!! We should have Balloons... :D

First of all, I would like to announce that I have now received an entry for the "First Chapter" contest and have posted it on the new page dedicated to this contest titled "The Amazing First Chapter Contest!"  So go check it out if you  haven't already.  This first entry is under the title "Children of the Song", and it's pretty good... if I do say so myself. *grin*  But it's not mine, so go check it out!  :)

The second announcement I have is that Jake is having a Fantastic Flaming Give-away over at his blog "Teenage Writer".

 He's giving away Wayne Thomas Batson's second pirate book "Isle of Fire".  It should be really good; I've been hearing all types of praise about this one. :)

So go ahead and check it out.

 :D

The Dusty Glory of the Unedited

So in honor of Banned Book Week, I have decided to participate in The Rejectionist's little Uncontest thing.  In order to do this I must post a piece of unedited work from my journal, but in my journal's absence, (I have no idea where I put the stupid thing), I've decided to post parts of the original draft of Eldrei instead.

It was very interesting going back through this, I can tell you!  I just shake my head... I've learned so much since that first draft.  So without further ado, (and for your humorous enjoyment), I give you the original prologue of Eldrei in all its unedited, very purple raweness.

***

The night was chilled, the sky clear and dark cobalt with stars that glistened like studded jewels. A cold wind howled over the mountains; its many voices echoed through the crags and caverns in eerie moans. High above the mountains the single figure of a Pegasus flew silhouetted against the stars. Its silver-white color was muted in the darkness, the light of the moon dimly visible through its translucent wings. The wing feathers glistened like starlit rain beneath the silver light. If one listened, a strange song could be heard coming forth from its inhuman lips:

Eldrëi os Enin ûrn melnorë dest vaenr

Melnorë shïahn lïr ev im fïunr

Lïr esten rêdant os lïr esten vansrï

Ïnd im eliath ahstal lïr oglah ëahsrï

Esten ëahsrï ûrn shlenga ev eliath

Hwitr im ôlandrë; valla im fïunr cahlath

Cahlath tërh im myûrn tûr trahs emrï im fïun

Esten trûr ahstal drassa ûartahm lathëûn

Yërh ûrn ceiron trahs vahl ahsr ahtanï?(1)



The song continued, rising into the night: a heartrending lament, grieving the wrongs of the land. Below, the earth trembled, awakening to remember all of its loss, all the sorrows it had faced. Those who could understand the words cried unashamedly.

Higher than the Pegasus, up in the dome of the heavens themselves, stood a woman looking down on the earth far below. She was so fair that the brightest and most perfect sapphire ever mined was shamed at the sight of her deep blue eyes. Her hair fell in near liquid torrents of gold, shining like the sun itself with just the slightest gleam of moon rays woven in. Her lips, deep red, set against a fair and queenly complexion, might have been what inspired the rose to don such an elegant gown. Her robes, sparkling silver and aqua, shimmered with the light of stars. Indeed, the Lady was herself a star, the Queen of the stars no less, but her beauty was marred with worry that night as she looked down anxiously past her unshod feet to the land of Midgard far in the west, where a band of wanderers stumbled through an uninhabited, adverse wasteland. The only comfort to be drawn from the hostile earth came from the presence of a wide but shallow river slowly snaking its way across the land in a shimmering, meandering ribbon. But the presence of water had no visible affect on the land around.

Her intense gaze followed two small figures struggling to keep up at the end of the caravan. As the boy stumbled, the girl helped him to his feet. “Em hithrar valstor, esten frëar,”(2) she whispered into the darkness, nervously grasping the silver pendant strung about her neck.

As she gazed ceaselessly down on the land below, the sun crept up in the east, splaying his golden fingers to grasp the land in his embrace as the stars and moon began to fade away. And as the dawn crept over the hills in hues of peach and gold, the Pegasus flew east and disappeared from view in the rays of the rising sun.

*****

Down on the ground, not far from Ithin Renue — a large pillar of grey stone jutting up from the ground like a finger frozen in rock — there waited impatiently a coal-black horse. Its dark coat stood out against the bright sun like the shaded, clinging remnants of night, and its eyes glowed red like a dying flame. The rider on its back had a look that could send chills down even the bravest’s back. He held the reins tightly in a thin hand. Covered from head to toe in a cloak as black as death, the only thing that was quite visible was the sheath of a sword and the sword’s hilt sticking out of the cloak, both of which were the color of the darkest midnight. The sword blade, though hidden at the time, was a cruel and twisted thing, made of black steel like its owner. The blood drain was colored crimson, stained by the blood it’d spilt so many times before.

The rider’s hood was pulled far over his face to hide it from the light of the sun; what could be seen of his hands was but a shadow. The horse grunted impatiently and stamped a hoof to the ground. The rider turned and looked into the west where his sharp eyes saw, far off, the shimmering leaves of the golden tree as the early rays of the sun hit them—and farther than that, over the border of Nerovell, he saw the mountain rift of Kreshin rising up against the western horizon from the lands of Midgard like great ominous walls of some ancient time when the land was ruled by giants.

They stood and waited until midday, horse and rider, and finally a small figure could be seen coming toward them from the west. It was a sickly green, brownish-gray color and wore no clothes, nor had it fur or plumage of any kind. Its horrible, stretched-taut skin revealed its gaunt skeleton in a most grotesque manner. Its long tail, vaguely resembling a snake, flicked back and forth as it approached, just as a cat’s might. The creature walked on all fours with its extraordinarily long limbs moving it forward quickly. Its back was twisted and misshapen; its hands and feet, disproportionately large. Approaching the black horse, it fell beneath the gaze of the cloaked figure, wretchedly groveling at the horse’s hooves.

“They are now on their way easht to the Mountain Rift of Kreshin,” it said in a thin and tortured voice, hissing through its teeth. “It will not be long and you will have them in your grashp.”

The cloaked figure looked out over the western plain; a sneer of satisfaction escaped from its throat. In a hollow voice as cold as ice it spoke, clear loathe of the creature evident in its every word. “You're sure they're unaware of you?”

“They know not that we follow.”

“Good. Go then and keep track of their progress. I want to be notified as soon as they cross the border. They shall not get far.”

The scrawny being bowed its head low and touched it to the ground. Then it turned and raced westward as fast as it could go. The black horse grunted and the rider tightened his grip on the reins, letting out an evil chuckle as he thought of how easy his task was to be. Two small children were all that he was required to capture… two children and then the task was done. It seemed almost a joke. Surely his master couldn’t think this a difficult undertaking!

He drew out the sword and stared at the coal-black blade as he spoke absently to his horse. “This shall be effortless. All I need do is capture two witless, worthless babes and I shall be done—but what would he want with children?” He shrugged and resheathed his sword. That was not something he needed to be concerned about; let his master keep his reasons. He need only do as commanded.

Laughing darkly, he turned the horse east, galloping over the plains toward a forest some days’ ride away. It would take him only a matter of hours.

***
 
Wow... talk about "NOT NEEDED"!  Pretty much all of this has been completely taken out and worked into the story in some other way, and that poem thing has been completely redone as a prophesy.  Yeah... old and a bit embaressing... oh, but believe me; it gets better.  I just can't post this wonderful awfulness right now because of a contest I'm in... because, it has my character names in it, and that would mean people would know which entry is mine, which is forbidden... XD

Raven's Ladder -- A Review

Well, I told you I would get around to posting a review of "Raven's Ladder" and here it is at last!

 There is unrest among the survivors of House Abascar.  Winter approaches, and with few provisions the House has little chance of survival.  New quakes shake the foundations of stone that shelter them, turning the Black Caves into a place of fear, pain, and sometimes death.  The time draws near for Cal-Raven's meeting with his old mentor, and now a new problem weighs on the young king's shoulders: assassins from within who wish for his life.

Yet these he puts aside.  He must meet with his mentor; Shar Ben Fray will know what to do.  And so Cal-Raven sets out on a journey - following Auralia's colors and the footsteps of a mysterious dream creature - that will bring him to the edge of myth, and draw him back again humbled and determined.

But while he is gone, a blackness settles over the caves at Barnushum, and Cal-Raven's faithful body guard must decide to leave the cave to preserve the safety of the House.  Out alone in the wild, without walls to protect them or a king to follow, the remains of House Abascar are routed by the fortune hunters of Bel-Amica, a more powerful danger than the prowling beastmen.  And to make matters worse, Bel-Amica has discovered the wonder of Auralia's colors, twisting the truth behind its beauty into a symbol of a dark and tortured religion.  While Cynder, daughter to Bel-Amica's Queen, and Jordam, a beastman changed by the wonder of Aralia's colors, team up with Cal-Raven and the mysterious, fiery Ale-boy of House Abascar,  striving to learn the real truth behind the colors and to rescue those humans still enslaved by the beastmen underground, the survivors of House Abascar slowly begin to succumb to the pagan wonders of the House on the edge of the Mystery Sea.

But now there is a new mystery to be solved, and one that's familiarity is both strange and beautiful like a wistful dream just out of reach of memory.  Who is this young glass-worker whose childish ways and wondrous creativity reflect those seen in Auralia before Abascar's fall?  And, perhaps more importantly, who is this girl's silent woman guardian who so fervently protects the child's right to play, whose past is a mystery even to herself, and whose small fingers bare the signet ring of King Cal-Raven?


My Thoughts:

Pros:  "Raven's Ladder" is the third book in the Auralia Thread.  As with his other books, Mr. Overstreet approaches this one with a wonderful sense of originality and a story-telling ability that (in my opinion) rivals many well-known authors of this day.  The story is crisp and clean, well balanced with action and underlying meaning.  There were many places where I held my breath in wait for what would happen next, or stopped to reread a passage when my mind caught a hidden meaning that my eyes had accidentally missed. 

Cons: Actually, I didn't have any problems with this book.  It was clean all the way through, completely well done, and left me on the edge of my seat even to the very end... where I sighed in frustration because the fourth book in the Auralia Strand isn't out yet.

I give this five stars out of five.  If you love The Chronicles of Narnia, then for heaven's sake don't miss out on the Auralia Strand!  :D

(On a completely different note, please don't forget that submissions for the "First Chapter" Contest on my blog is now open, and that I'm also considering throwing in a third place prize. XD)

Announcements: Yeah!

Eldrei Word count: 25,740


Hello blogging friends. I have a couple of announcements to make. The first is that the new “First Chapter” Contest/give-away on my blog is now open for submissions! So dust off those old first chapters and send them in. I’m looking forward to seeing what everyone has out there. Another thing is that it would be absolutely amazing if other writerly-type people found out about this contest, so if any of you would like to blog about it, go right on ahead.

And then, following the theme of “Contests”, there is a “Green Give-away” over at Squeak’s blog.  What you need to enter is to send an excerpt from your story to squeaks via email, OR you can write a few paragraphs about one of the elements and send that it.  The excerpt or your paragraphs have to be 600 words long or under, and it also has to have the word "green" worked into it somewhere, but it can't sound forced.  Go check it out! :)

And last but not least, I'm thinking about starting a blog series on the Elements of the Story.  I'll probably be posting the first part of it later today, so stay tuned.

And that's all for now.  Have a nice day! :D

Questions, Answers, and the Prizes!!!

This post is in answer to a few questions about the "First Chapter" contest I am hosting on my blog. If you would like to know more about it, please read this post. The questions aren't in the same order as they were received, but that's ok. :)


Q: Will you keep the names of the authors to yourself until after the contest is judged?

A: Yes. As before, I will not be posting who wrote what until after the contest is judged; that way no one can be bias – unless you and a bunch of your close friends are all entering at the same time, but that just might get confusing. :D  However, I will need either the title of your book in progress, or the title of the first chapter that you send me in order for readers (and myself) to distinguish what is what. 

Also, just like before, the contest will be judged by my readers.  A poll will be put up on October 30th, which should give everyone enough time to read all the entries.  The poll will remain open until November 15th, so if you want friends and family to vote, let them know that they need to do so before the 11/15 or their votes might not count!  Also, please be fair to the other participants and try to read at least a few of the other chapters... this will make it fun, entertaining, and fair for all.  :D


Q: Can I submit just my prologue or do I have to submit the real first chapter too?

A: Well... this is a "First Chapter" contest. I know what it's like to have a bad first chapter, but don't worry so much about it. For one thing ALL FIRST CHAPTERS ARE BAD ONES until the publisher deems them otherwise. And the writer is always their own worst critic. We are picky by nature; I'm still picking on SOTD, and I just sent the manuscript off! So, even if you believe that your chapter isn't good enough, I ask that you please note that I've given everyone until the 25th of October before anything really needs to be submitted. That's a whole month away! I appreciate early submissions of course, but I know what it's like to be a finicky writer... and YOU KNOW what you want your first chapter to be like. If you think you will drastically change the first chapter later, then fine -- if you think you can't send it in because it's still just concept, that's ok; we don't have to know all that. But we would still like to read your chapter. So yes, please send in your first chapter with your prologue, and try not to worry too much about it. While there will be prizes at the end, this contest is mostly just for FUN! :D

Q: What are the prizes? Will they be the same as last time?

A: Yes… mostly. The First Place Winner will have a page completely dedicated to showcasing their work on “The Pen and Parchment”, AND they will also have a choice between two books (which I will talk about in a minute). The Second Place Winner will receive the book that wasn’t chosen by the first.

When I posted before, I wasn’t sure which books I would have up for grabs, but I have decided now and they are both amazing!  The pictures I have aren't the greatest, but here...

The First one is "Submerged" by Alton Gansky:

As senior project manager for his father's construction firm, Perry Sachs has helped build top secret military installations around the world.  Now he learns a secret beyond his imagination - one on which his father's life depends.

Forty years before, Henry Sachs and a small group of scientists had studied a mysterious underground base not built by the U.S. government - nor any other country, as far as the experts could tell.  Concerned by the unexplainable complex on American soil, authorities flooded the site to prevent its creators from ever returning.

Now, Henry and members of his team are falling, one by one, to a strange, deadly illness.  When Perry hears his father whisper the name "Lake Lloyd," he and his team begin a desperate search - for the exact location of Henry's secret mission, for the cause and cure of his condition, and for answers to the decades-old questions Henry has kept hidden inside. 

Will Perry's faith carry him through this quest - or will the realities of Lake Lloyd prove to be his undoing?

This is a book you will read all the way through.  I couldn't even put it down!  It was amazing to the very end.  Alton Gansky has written a numerous amount of Christian suspense novels and "Submerged" is no exception.  I have no doubt that whoever gets this book will love it!

The second book is "Dragon Rider" by Cornelia Funke, author of the "Ink trilogy" the first of which, "Inkheart" was turned into a motion picture.  She is also the author of "The Thief Lord" and quite a few other books.

Fire Drake, Ben, and their fury friend, Sorrel are in search of the mythical place where dragons can live in peace forever.  Together they embark on a journey that takes them to magical lands where they meet marvelous creatures - and one ruthless villain.  Along the way they will discovers allies in odd places, courage they didn't know they had, and a hidden destiny that changes everything.

"Dragon Rider" is fast paced and filled with action and fun.  It's pretty thick, but the reading is relatively easy and you certainly won't regret picking it up!  I have read several of Mrs. Funke's books: the Ink Trilogy is, by far, some of my favorite books ever, but "Dragon Rider" and "The Thief Lord" are not far behind.  While this isn't necessarily a Christian book, Mrs. Funke definitely knows who she's writing for: all of her books are written extremely well and are very fun, very clean reads.  If you haven't already, you WILL fall in love with her writing!

So those are the prizes: you could hardly ask for better!  Both copies have been read before, but they are in EXTREMELY GOOD condition -- practically like new.

So tell your writing friends about it, AND DON'T MISS OUT ON THIS OPPORTUNITY!  Send in your first chapter, even if you're not sure about it.  At least you'll have a chance.  And who knows, you might win!  :D 

In Honor Of...

Eldrei Word Count: 24,649 (yes, it is moving… slowly. :D)

Well it is official: yesterday I mailed out a hard copy of "Song of the Daystar" in reply to a request for the full manuscript. I'm so excited! This request is not a guarantee for publication, but it's still a big step. By complete coincidence and a miracle I was given permission from the publisher to take an extra week to check for typos before I sent it off for them to review. I finished the final run-through on Friday evening, but unfortunately my postal service is closed after 11:00am on Saturday, and (of course) Monday was Labor Day. Thus I had to wait patiently (very impatiently!) for Tuesday morning to arrive and for the postal service to open.

So, in honor of this very exciting moment of my life, I have decided to host another contest!

Yes, another chance to have a page completely dedicated to showcasing your work on "The Pen and Parchment". Such an honor! (Actually, I don't know how "honored" the winner might feel… it just sounded cool to say it that way. :D)

However, this contest is slightly different than the last one.

1. 
   
   This is a "First Chapter" contest. Which means those who enter will have to get brave and post a piece of their novel in progress. If you have a prologue, then please include it along with your first chapter; prologues are important parts too! :D If you are not writing a novel but you would still like to enter the contest, you may enter one (1) short story of about 6k words. OR. You may enter up to 6k of any novella you are writing. This should make it fair for just about everybody.

    2.   There may be a second place prize this time. I just have to figure out what it is first. ;)

Here are the rules:

1. 
   
   Entries must be sent either as:
         a)  A Microsoft Word file
         b)  An RTF file.
         c) In the body of the email.

                    I would prefer they be sent as an MS Word document, or in the body of the email please.

1.  To enter, you must provide me with either a name or pseudonym in the body of the email. NO BLANK EMAILS! If you are sending your files in an attachment, please write SOMETHING in the body of the email... introduce yourself to me; that will help me keep track of all the entries.

2.  As before, I will not be posting who wrote what until after the contest is judged; that way no one can be bias – unless you and a bunch of your close friends are all entering at the same time, but that just might get confusing. :D

3.  If you edit after you have already sent me your submission, you may send the edited version to me to replace your first submission ONLY 2 TIMES. I will be keeping track. This wasn't a very big problem last time, but it will save a lot of updating that I don't have time for (what with school and all).

4.  Submissions open September 20^th. That should give you all some time to edit and change anything you feel needs to be changed. The submission deadline will be set for October 25^th.

PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD! This should be a really awesome contest, and one that it would be a shame to miss. After all, this is your chance to show other writers what you're made of and to get them sitting on the edge of their seats for your next chapter! :D

I already can't wait!

Goodbye for now

Well, this is it... the last post I will most likely write in the next 2 1/2 weeks.  Let's see what interesting tidbits I can come up with to hold you off until the next post, shall we?

First of all, I started looking into the book "T'aragam", a POD book originally published by createspace although the author's book publishing name is sweatshoppe.  Cool name.  I haven't read the entire book yet, but by visiting the website at http://www.taragam.com/ and going to the page titled "Free Stuff", a person can download half of the e-book and the entire audio book read by the author for nothing at all.  I've now listened to the audio book.  It was pretty good... there were a few scenes that seemed... well, cliche really.  But on the whole, it was pretty good.  And to top it off, the author -- Jack W. Regan -- is one of the judges for the Highschool contest called "Tweener Times Competition" in which Highschoolers can enter a story they wrote aimed at a middle grade audience.  The competition is hosted by Moody Ministries.  (I even entered the RD for "Song of the Daystar" a few years back.  In fact, SOTD was originally written because of that competition.  Didn't win, but that's ok; the book went through major revisions since then.)

I've also been looking up some interesting blogs.  http://www.authorhaven.blogspot.com/ is one of them.  It has an interesting post about building a platform up right now.  The owner of "authorhaven" is also soon to be a published author, come 2011.  Check out her website to learn more.   At her other blog here, there's a good post about Publishing Christian Fantasy in Today's World and Market.  I was a bit inspired and discouraged at the same time after reading it... but discouraged in a very good and wholesome way.  I would definitely suggested reading it to all of my followers; it's very good.

On another note, if you haven't already checked out http://www.createspace.com/, now is as good a time as any to do so.  It's a POD publisher for authors who would like to self publish.  It doesn't cost anything, but it does take a bit out of an author's "royalty" as compensation for publishing costs.  This means that every time someone buys your book, you get some and they get some, and depending on what your set list price is, you may get more than they do or vise-versa.  But all in all it's an intriguing site, and after seeing the success of T'aragam, I've been considering it.

Well, that's all for now.  I've finished reading Cynder's Midnight but don't have a review written up so I'll have to work on that while I'm in Colorado.  I'm come back with pictures form the trip.

Until then, Live, Laugh, Love... WRITE!

I'll see you all later.

Nichole