Beautiful People - Alejandro Lorenz

Hello! Yes, I'm finally going to do my Beautiful People. I love this tag soooooo much, but it always seems to slip from me very easily. However, only because it's one of my favorite posts to write will it be one of my rare during-hiatus posts. It's a lovely link-up for characters (YAY - LONG LIVE OUR INK-AND-PAPER PEOPLE!!!) by Ladies Cait and Sky. So thanks very much to both amazing girls for this fun! And this time, I tried sooooo hard to make myself behave and choose a character that I'd already introduced, but... I couldn't help it!!! I had to choose one of newest characters, my beloved Alejandro. So... I suppose I'll get right to it. :)

1. What's their favorite place they've ever visited?
Probably Madrid, Spain. He went there once for his academy, The Brooklyn Academy of Professional Dance, and it was the home of his ancestors, so he liked it a good bit. :) He also likes Brazil, where the rest of his ancestors were from (if you have not guessed at this point, Alejandro is a Hispanic American). His favorite places, though, are the very old cities, because he enjoys seeing history in front of him.

2. What's one mistake they've made that they learned from?
Well, there are several concerning dancing, which is Alejandro's profession, but he would say that his most learned-from mistake was when he was younger and would try not to meet people. But then he met his best friend/girl, Amy, by accident when he was four and then he regretted the mistake.
3. What was their favorite subject in school? Or favorite thing to learn about?
His favorite subject in school was always music - due to his immense love of it, and his extremely early-on talent for dancing. As for more academic school subjects, he always enjoyed history.
4. What's their favorite flower/growing thing?
He likes Spanish roses the best, especially wild ones. However, he does also love a red carnation - a flower frequently seen on his jacket.

5. Have they ever made someone cry? What happened?
He has never purposefully made anyone cry, but it did happen once. Amy thought that he was going away (for certain plot reasons), and she was very upset about it (for other certain plot reasons), but then he turned up right behind her, because he didn't leave or even intend to. But when he saw that she'd been crying, he comforted her as best as he could... which resulted in her crying again - but with joy in seeing him not gone.
6. Would you consider them a reliable or unreliable narrator?
Alejandro is pretty unprejudiced in any category, so I would consider him a very reliable narrator.
7. What do they dream about at night?
Well, if you're talking about what he wishes for, all he wants is to let Amy know how much he cares. Their courtship has always been so unofficial, and they have always behaved much more like friends, but Alejandro is the one that is ready to actually begin the courtship, whereas Amy's mind is kind-of stuck in their current position as only teasingly romantic friends. They've been dance partners for years, but never once has Amy really noticed Alejandro's sentiments on the matter. But, because she isn't ready, Alejandro is a gentleman, and only expresses himself in whatever way he can, and never steps out of their so mild and unserious romantic pattern. He often dreams too of his dancing, that one day he will dance with Amy as the only people on the stage, so to speak. But this wish has long become far more passive.

8. They've gone out for a 'special meal'. What would they eat?
Well, he'd probably pick up Amy, and go out for Italian food (which he so very much likes, though - unlike Amy - he prefers the Spanish food nostalgically). Or, they'd eat in, and he would cook some delicious chicken or rice-ish Spanish meal that makes me hungry just writing about it.
9. What's at least one thing they want to do before they die?
Well, frankly, he'd like to have his day on the stage, dancing. He'd be content with even the shortest of big careers, just so long as he and Amy made it to the big stage together at least once. He also harbors other wishes, concerning him and Amy's future, but is very content nonetheless.

10. Do they have any distinguishing or unique talents?
Oh, yes! He a dancer of the most proficient type - the likes of whom has not been seen since the days of Fred Astaire, Ricardo Montelban (whom he looks rather like), and Gene Kelly. His dancing mostly consists of the Hispanic dances (as that's what he started out with), but he is also amazing at ballet, waltzing/ballroom dancing, acrobatic dancing, and a tiny bit of tap dancing.
Anyways, that's my Mr. Lorenz! Do you like him? Is anybody else here now really wanting to watch a Ricardo Montelban movie? Or a dancing movie of some kind? I don't know about you guys, but I am off to go and watch something with dancing in it! Partiro! :D

Beautiful People - Blakely (And Brothers)

Hello! I am so excited that Beautiful People is back!!! I was so sad when it was down in April... (granted I didn't have time to do it anyways, but... I was still sad). :P Anyways, this lovely little link-up is hosted by Cait and Sky, for the purpose of developing characters... and of course getting to rant about your beautiful little ink-and-paper people. ;) So, without further ado, I bring you my beautiful person for this month, Prince Blakely of an unnamed country... with a side appearance of his two irrepressible brothers, Francis and Edmonde.

1. Overall, how good is their relationship with their parents?
Well, Blakely is very, very close to his mother. All three of them are, but Blakely particularly. The three princes love their mother very, very much, even though they show it in different ways. Blakely - more by helping her, and being her confidant. Queen Gianna (their mother) relies on Blakely much at times, because the age is very dangerous, and Blakely is not only wise for his years, but incredibly like his father, and strong in character. Francis and Edmonde show their love in more teasy, affectionate ways, though, such as bringing her flowers, giving her a kiss, teasing her, pretending to worry her, or by play-bothering Blakely around her. Their relationship with their father was fairly close, too, though I suppose that they are closer to their mother because she has been the only one around for about seven years. Their relationship with their mother perhaps blossomed more because of it. But it may also be because of other difficulties. You see, Queen Gianna isn't incredibly old, and is still (as she always was) rather pretty (not to mention being a widowed queen) and so, occasionally, she receives a suitor or two in the palace. It makes the princes rather angry, especially since Gianna has absolutely no interest in any such thing. She, of course, can take care of herself, and is polite, but unyielding to the suitors, merely humoring. However, despite this, the princes, especially the two younger, get extremely suspicious for her, and dislike her suitors (particularly because most of them only want the throne). There is one particular foppish courtier that, while he never outright does anything about it, rather treats the queen in an enamored way, and it irks the princes. Duke Roanwall (that's his name) is also a rather foppish fool, and presumes to be a close advisor to the royal family, and always is close in presence, so he especially earns the dislike of the princes. Not to mention, he is aware of what the princes think of him, and is rather uncivil to them because of it. Not that they care as much about that as Roanwall's attentions to their mother. Blakely is mostly respectful to Gianna's suitors (unless they step over boundaries), but has no love of them. Francis and Edmonde, on the other hand, are rather outrightly rude to them at times, and always make clear their feelings on the matter.

Why is it that the only pictures I can ever find to fit Blakely's face are little kid ones?! Oh well. Since this is a parental addition of BP, I guess it doesn't matter as much.

2. Do they know both their biological parents? If not, how do they cope with this loss/absence and how has it affected their life?
Well, their father has been dead for seven years, but they have coped with it well enough through the years. Probably because they have always felt like - without their father - their mother needed their protection, and so they were to comfort her rather than feel sorry for themselves about it. And they have done quite the job protecting her, too, though she doesn't really need it. Blakely particularly has always been a stronghold for his mother.

These two look a bit like Francis and Edmonde, except that they don't look quite enough alike.

3. How did their parents meet?
Blakely's father was coming back from hunting, and a royal party from another country had come to treaty with Blakely's grandfather. With the party had come the rulers' children, including a young daughter. Blakely's father befriended the young princess, and they eventually were courting. Blakely's father liked to joke that when the treating party came, he was absolutely unattached in even the slightest fancying, and once it left, he was already wed. :)
4. How would they feel if they were told “you’re turning out like your parent(s)”?
Blakely would feel very blessed, but of course would deny that he had turned out quite so good as his parents. He has always respected and looked up to them, both his father and his dear mother, and so to even be able to half measure up to them would make him a very good leader, and he believes he would be very blessed to be so. But, I believe that he has already fully measured up to them, and perhaps will one day be even better of a leader and a person.

The king and Gianna.

5. What were your character’s parents doing when they were your character’s age?
Let's see... Blakely is 21, so at that age, Gianna was already married to Blakely's father, and was currently expecting Francis. Blakely's father at that age had just seen Blakely's first birthday, and was crowned king (because Blakely's father was about two years older than Gianna).
6. Is there something they adamantly disagree on?
Not really in Blakely's case. Blakely and Queen Gianna are very much alike in some ways. As for Francis and Edmonde, the only thing they really greatly disagree with Gianna on is the subject of hwo she treats her suitors. Ideally to them, she would just send them away immediately, without any formalities or civilities.

Okay, this looks EXACTLY like one of them as a kid (especially Edmonde).

 7. What did the parent(s) find hardest about raising your character?
Blakely was easy-peasy to raise, because he was almost just like his mother, and the only things he differed in made him an even more loveable child. Francis and Edmonde... Well, let's just say their pranking on people (particularly their pet teasing-subject, Blakely) got them into trouble a good few times (despite the fact that, unless it went too far, Blakely also thought it was funny).
8. What's their most vivid memory with their parental figure(s)?
Blakely - when his father first was teaching him to fence. He remembers very well the first time he caught his father in a moment of hesitation and won the duel, while Gianna stood by and watched her Blakely smilingly. It's a memory that always causes Blakely to smile, and often causes him to become rather distracted in thought. Francis and Edmonde mostly share memories, for it was (and is) rare that they're apart for any space of time. Francis, though, remembers best a time when his father wouldn't let him into his parents' room, and kept preventing Francis from going in there. However - beyond all odds - Francis broke his way in. Gianna was in there, in bed holding little newborn Edmonde. She sighed, laughed a little and beckoned for Francis to come and see his new brother. Only seconds later, Francis' father arrived on the scene looking for Francis, ready to scold him. But, on seeing, the little scene, smiled, and relented, letting Francis stay to see his new sibling. Edmonde jokingly claims to remember this, but of course he doesn't, as Francis well knows.

This looks exactly like a young Queen Gianna.

9. What were they like as a baby/toddler?
Blakely was a very quiet baby, and for a while his parents wondered if he even could speak. Soon enough, he showed that he indeed could, but was more a thoughtful sort than a talkative sort. Francis and Edmonde, on the other hand, were quite opposite to this. They were always either talking or getting into something or other.
10. Why and how did the parents choose their name?
Blakely's name is an older name of the country with an irrelevant meaning (it means 'blackened', but - as I said - its meaning is irrelevant as to why it was chosen). They chose it for a different meaning. A neighboring country (which in the introduction of this story, I temporarily named Nova Italia) has a similar name, Belicilio, which means 'beautiful heavens'. Gianna, very young at the time she had Blakely, is now ever-so-slightly embarrassed to admit that she chose this similar name for him because of his very blue eyes, which reminded her of the 'beautiful heavens'. Blakely's father never ceased to tease her about that little fancy. ;) As for Francis and Edmonde, they were merely noble names of the country chosen because Gianna thought they were nice, innocent-sounding names (hah, you can see that names don't always match the person they are for, as time showed for Francis and Edmonde).
Well, that wraps it up, sadly. :( But there'll be another one next month! :D Also, by the by, there will not be a Catholicism Explained tomorrow because, due to celebration of two of my brothers' birthday, I did not have time to finish it, and I will be gone all day tomorrow. Sorry! :P But, what did you think of this Beautiful People? What do you think of Blakely? What about his two, ah, brothers? ;) Which of the three do you like best? Did you do Beautiful People this month? :) Tell me all about it! :D

Beautiful People - Echo

Yay! Beautiful People is BACK!!!! I know it was back last month, but this is the first ordinary BP since I started blogging, so I am EXCITED ENOUGH TO WRITE IN ALL CAPS, WHICH I RARELY DO. For those unfamiliar to BP, it's a lovely character link-up hosted by Cait and Sky. If you have never joined in this fun, I highly suggest doing so. If you have, I highly suggest doing so again. I'm going to start it up with a lovely character of mine called Echo Torriven, from an as of yet un-introduced story on this blog (shh! I will introduce it later). I am afraid that Echo has another name, but it is one I have mentioned on this blog before, I believe, and it's spoilers, so, he will go by his nickname, 'Echo', for now.

What's their favorite book/movie/play/etc.?
Echo doesn't really do movies, seeing as he's a medieval guy. And... I can't really see him going to plays much either. As for his favorite book... There's a book of poems in his current country, Belestine, that he used to read to his wife a long time ago. Even though she's dead now, he still loves the book, especially one particular poem, the first stanza of which is this:

Forever, dear, forevermore,

Though rain and wind doth toil away,

Though fadeth rock and dust of clay,

Forever my heart and spirit soar

At memory of our golden day.

This poem has actually not been written all the way yet by moi, so pardon the fact that it's messy and incomplete. :P

Is there anything they regret doing?

Oh, yes, plenty of things unfortunately. However, most of these things would be automatic spoilers if a single one of my sneaky reader crowd was among the audience, so I shall only mention one. A long time before the beginning of the story (though, due to the odd chronological arrangement of the story, it happens during the story kind-of), Echo left his small family to help someone. He never came back from it due to certain things. While he doesn't regret what he did to help, he does regret the fact that he never got to see his family again after he left them. He was gone for so long, and due to another spoiler thing, he never saw them alive or otherwise, but knew they were dead.

If they were sick or wounded, who would take care of them?

There could be any range of people willing to take that task up. While Echo doesn't know many people well, the fact remains that he help a great deal of people, all of whom would be willing, I'm sure, to help him were he in any danger. Most likely, though, it would either be his tavern-keeper friend, Grant, or one of the two orphaned children he keeps in his care, Lania or Ariff II.

Is there an object they can't bear to part with and why?

Well, out of obligation to, Echo always keeps his knight's ring on him. It's the ring of a lesser knight of Belestine. A lesser knight is basically a knight of Belestine who is originally foreign or has no noble blood, therefore called a 'lesser' knight. However, it is only out of duty that he keeps this on him. Echo has another ring, though, too. An old, battered ring, constituting a promise he made so long before. His wedding ring. Even though his dear lady is long-departed, he still wears it, always keeping it close. (Echo is not incredibly old, but he seems like it from his looks because of all he's been through. An old-looking man with torn cloak, a missing ear, scratches of different sorts everywhere, wearing two battered rings - one far more ill-conditioned than the other - is not usually looked at twice, unless it is to remark how worn-down he looks in comparison to his almost child-like joy.)

What are five ways to win their heart (or friendship)?
Echo's heart has already been won... I doubt anybody could do it in the same way again. But it's incredibly easy to win his friendship. You don't really need to do anything more than exist. However, five ways in which a person is bound to attract his attention especially are these:
1. If the person is alone - without family or friends living.
2. If the person needs help, being helpless or sick in injured or alone or just anything that renders them unable to fend for themselves. Then you can be sure Echo will care for the person to the best of his ability.
3. If the person is depressed, in the wrong, or doubtful. Echo has a thing about helping people, and if anybody needs it physically or otherwise, he will try to become close to them so he can help them.
4. If the person is willing to help others.
5. If the person has a particular bravery or selflessness about them. Echo knows the difficulty of bravery, and he values it immensely in anyone.
Describe a typical outfit for them from top to bottom.
Echo usually wears a patched cloak, sometimes with a traveler's hat. He also wears a tunic of some kind, usually rather unassuming in appearance. He wears very long traveler's boots, usually brown in color, two rings, and a satchel over his shoulder. Other than that, it's pretty ordinary medieval attire for his rank.

What's their favorite type of weather?
Sunshine. Definitely sunshine. I'm weird, and I prefer rain, so most of my characters like it, but Echo is an exception. He likes sunny, beautiful, slightly breezy days when he can run like a child again. Actually, the day that he comes in on in the story is one of these days, and he's coming home, so the first time you see Echo, he's very happy.
What's the worst fight they've ever been in?
You remember how I said earlier that he left his family to help someone? Well, don't repeat this to any of my beta readers if they happen to ask, but he left to go fight in a war. That might not seem to mean much, but to a keen reader that pretty much just gave away about 70% of the giant plot twist they're all trying to figure out. The war between Nistria and Belestine was a long time ago, and it wasn't even really Echo's war (he did not live in Belestine at the time it began). But a friend of his had suffered from the war already, and had been called away to fight. So, Echo went to battle because of his friend, and because he believed that the war - if it wasn't cut short - could threaten his home country as well.
What names or nicknames have they been called throughout their life?
Well, he was always called by his real name when he was younger. After the war, though, his friends and family were gone, and he went out without anybody calling him anything. Echo eventually settled, only ceasing in his perpetual search for his family because of two orphaned children that needed him. Orlania and Ariff II, as they came to be called under him, were the only reason  - despite Echo's being told that his family was dead - that he stopped searching for his family at all. For eight years at the beginning of the story has Echo been in that town with those two (Lania is, at the story's start, fifteen, and Ariff II is ten). After Echo was in the town, though, before he had actually settled there, he made a friend of a local inn's man named Grant. Grant gave him the nickname 'Echo'. Echo had lost an ear in the war, and Grant would joke that because of the hole in Echo's head, anything Grant said would just echo right out and not be listened to. Thus he came to be called 'Echo', even though as a knight, he it still known by his real surname, Torriven. So, depending on who is addressing him, he is either called Echo or Sir Torriven.

What makes their heart feel alive?
Good question! The memory of his beloved ones does, as well as any occasion when he can care for people in need. But the thing that perhaps makes him feel most alive nowadays is when he can finally come home from a journey, and can run down the hill-path into the town, to where Lania and Ariff II await him, Lania with fresh bread baking, and Echo with a new story to tell them both.
That about wraps it up, I believe! What did you think of Echo? What did you think of those lovely questions from mistresses Cait and Sky? I do believe that with Beautiful People around, I shall never tire of posting things... though I may still procrastinate because that's what I do. ;)



Beautiful People February: Couple Edition

Hey! Today I am coming in with my first BP! (rather than BB., of which I did all three.) It is the lovely couple edition, so I decided to hit it off withmy very oldest couple, Lord Percy de Blyrwen and Princess Celeise Anatria De-Vistrina Ellette (yeah, I know it's a mouthful!) from Alomina. So, without further ado, Beautiful People, brought to you by Mistresses Cait and Sky. :)

1. How and why did they meet?
Haha, they met at a ball. To be precise, Percy was getting wine to take back to Mina. However, he got distracted, and he bumped right into Celeise, spilling the drinks all over her dress, and just barely catching her before she fell onto the floor. All I can say there is that Celeise was not too happy, especially being the haughty, uptight princess she is. But Percy did try to apologize... ;)
2. What were their first impressions of each other?
Well, Percy was very apologetic and he tried to be friendly, because he had just spilt wine all over the crown princess of his country. But, to be honest, though he tried to merely apologize, his first impression was being smitten. Celeise's first impression of Percy was seeing him as some throne-seeking flirt who did it on purpose to attract attention, or a clod who was half-blind and couldn't competently walk.
3. How would they prove their love for each other?

Celeise kind-of proved she liked him at least a little bit when she let him in at all, so to speak. Merely by exempting him from the usual cold shoulder she gave most potential suitors was enough to show she liked him. Percy proved it by being willing to let his stance as just a courtier humble him, without discouraging him from her love.

4. What would be an ideal date?

One where it was just them, and at his home, the De Blyrwen Estates, because then it would really feel like she was a De Blyrwen already. Unfortunately, this cannot happen for certain reasons... :(

5. Is there something they emphatically disagree on?

Not really. Although, while Percy complies to all the laws and will completely respect them, he is not a fan of politics, while Celeise basically spends her social life obeying and/or speaking her approval of some law or other in court.

6. List five food quirks they know about each other.
Well, they actually don't know things like that about each other very well at the moment. However, were Celeise to know about Percy, something she may find is

1. He doesn't like blueberries, due to an event as a child.

2. He loves juts about every other kind of berry.
3. He cannot cook for the life of him, because he's never tried, and so has very few food preferences.
4. He doesn't drink wine in any large amounts ever, and doesn't drink it at all except at parties or banquets.
5. He likes sweets.
If Percy were to know Celeise's preferences better, he may find that
1. She doesn't usually eat sweets.
2. She always takes wine, because it's more polite to the host (if you are out) to drink it rather than not drink it.
3. Her appetite is rather small, with her being trained from a very young age not to eat uncouth amounts of food.
4. She knows a bit about how to cook, merely because she reads extensively.

5. She has a great many various food preferences when asked, outwardly, but at heart is not picky at all really.

7. What's one thing they know about each other that no one else does?
Celeise is aware of Percy's deep devotion to her father, the king, a thing which few other people really realize. Percy also was one of the first people to really discover Celeise's 'human side'. She was very cold and haughty towards any strangers or non-family people until she met Percy (and even he got a bit of that treatment when they first met).
8. What's one thing they keep secret from each other?
Um, there isn't really anything. Percy's definitely not a secret-keeping type - if he trusts you, then he will confide in you. And even the many secrets Celeise has are not secret really from good ole Perce.
9. How would their lives be different without each other?

Oh... wow... Even thinking about if they'd never met is a drastic change. Woozas. Celeise would have remained a cold, haughty court princess all her life (well, until she became a cold, haughty court queen, that is). She would have never thought about her future, she probably would have just married some foreign prince, and been a rigid ruler without much life. Percy would probably have never gotten involved with anyone at all romantically. He did not really count on ever falling in love, and only the very moment he met Celeise did anything even relatively resembling romantic thoughts for his own life pop into his head. He probably would have stayed at home with Mina, a happy bachelor for the rest of his life, and Mina wouldn't have probably gotten married because he wasn't. That is so weird. Man, I never realized before how important it was just that Percy and Celeise met. :P Very vital to the story...

10. Where do they see this relationship going?

Ehh... You really want me to answer that one? Egh... Well, unfortunately, they don't see it going anywhere. They see it being separated forever, both only trying to forget the other, neither ever actually doing so, neither ever being able to let go of the memory. Frankly, if they could see each other again, they would. But, due to a certain detail in plot, they can't. Ever. Never, never, never ever, ever, ever. :'( So, well, good-day to that... Except that it won't be good day... :P

So that's my Beautiful People. What did you think? I'm sorry it was rather clipped - I was in a hurry. Plus, I was going to do it with a different couple, until I remembered that their being a couple was a plot twist, and I couldn't give spoilers, so I just reverted to an earlier couple. :P Do you like Percy and Celeise? Are you frustrated, like me, that I couldn't find any pictures of Celeise which showed a close-up of her face? Do you think that you would ship them? Or do they just sound like a failure (like a lot of my couples)? :) Hehehe, the first one to tell me in the comments that my fictional romances stink gets an award for being the most honest person here. ;)

Beautiful Books - In Greater Hands (Continuing Plans)

Hello again. :) I am here today with the last of the Beautiful Books link-up (Aww!) right before the first of this year's Beautiful People link-up (Yay!), from the lovely Cait and Sky. I am doing it for my long-neglected NaNo project, In Greater Hands (you know what, I think I'm beginning to get the hang of the whole title-thingy for stories...maybe). Anyways, I guess I'll get onto it rather than gabbing on longer.

What were your writing achievements last year?
Well... I guess this isn't with In Greater Hands, but my first recognizable story, Alomina, reached the 50k required word mark (and it's still going at 192 pages!), thus becoming an official novel. And I participated in NaNoWriMo for the first (and possibly last) time last year as well. And I also started at least two new books (In Greater Hands and The Second Brother). I also have made at least sixteen new characters (what, only sixteen?!) in various stories of 2016. I started a writing blog, and I got a group of little girls I knew in another state to start their own writing group. I researched more on writing techniques and different means of publishing, and I even may have picked up a few things. ;)
What's on your writerly "to-do" list for 2017?
Uh, well...I want to try to finish a book. I really, really want to finish Alomina before its anniversary in August, so I don't have to say I was working on it for three years before finishing it! I am pretty close, and I very highly hope I can indeed finish it soon (but it's probably not going to happen, knowing me). I also want to make it through the outlined part of In Greater Hands, so I can continue on my lovely little improvising way. Outlines. Are. So. Boring. Besides, everybody knows they're more what you'd call guidelines than actual rules. ;)

But, other than those above, I do plan to start another story, which shall as of the moment remain mysterious. Spoilers! :) I also plan to introduce more characters, at least a few, probably a few million. ;) And... sadly, I have to kill some characters too. I have at least five characters singled out, and I had hoped to get most of them done with before the end of 2016, so as to give a new start to the new year, but... no. I only took care of one, and set the stage for another three. I would give more detail, except I know that there are ears everywhere (meaning, among my blog-reading crowd, my novel-readers are there, and constantly alert for spoilers to tell them what happens). So, I guess my plan would be summed up thus - Finish book, throw rules in trash, kill off characters. ;)
Tell us about your top-priority writing projects this year!
Well, my main priority stories will be Alomina and In Greater Hands, but I also mean to try and straighten out the tangled labyrinths of plot that exist in Alagna and Anwynne's Adventures. Seriously. Alomina is a baby that desperately needs care. There's a whole character and sub-plot to match him that I haven't even added in yet more than a mention. There's a first chapter that is nothing but long and lovely description rather than any action or relevance. There's two characters that die (or at least come close to) and I've only gotten around to killing one of them. It is definitely my top-priority writing-wise.
How do you hope to improve as a writer? Where do you see yourself at the end of 2017?
Well, I hope to stop being such a wimp, for one thing. Every time I get even close to killing a character off, I chicken out, and either delay it or help them out. I just can't kill my ink-and-paper children! It's not right!!!! *sobs uncontrollably* Ahem. Anyways... I do need to toughen up about it, but I also need to get better on another count - villains. So, my villain in Alomina is well-developed and all, but I'm not really sure it shows in the actual writing. If everything I knew about him was in there, I think it might be a bit different. I made up a lot of stuff for him! It's just that... I don't quite know how to communicate all his development in the writing. And then there's the frustrating ultra-developed villains in slightly newer stories, which irritate me like nothing else because they're all Mister or Miss Perfect Really Cool Evil Villain. *sighs* Oh well. As for where I see myself at the end of 2017... I see myself with Alomina and The Top-Hat Gang book one both finished, and almost finished with Alagna and Anwynne's Adventures, and finally having the guts to have killed off some characters, and with a title for my heroine-titled books. Yeah... probably not happening... :P

The disbelieving voices in my head when they hear me thinking I can get two stories finished. :P

Describe your general editing process.
Well, I am one of those writers whom I call poeticists (basically people who write with poetic or classical descriptive styles, and so like to have just the right wording for every little tiny atom of that story). So I edit as I go. I edit very basely as I am writing, and then I edit even more when I type, and then when I add on new scenes to the typed document, I edit it and the old stuff even more. So, my editing process is kind-of just my writing process.
On a scale from 1 to 10, how do you think this draft turned out?
Well, I'm not as irritated with it as I was when I first finished NaNo (which was irritated enough to describe the story as "As horrid-sounding as kale with mayonnaise"). I actually almost think I might be able to look at it again soon. ;) On a scale of 1 to 10, I might say a six in comparison to my other stories, only because a) it was waaaaaay to intense for me because it actually had action in it, b) it had absolutely no romance or even grounds for such to speak of because the original intended romance may not work out so well now with the new character developments, and c) my favorite characters to write kept going missing or leaving. However, for itself, I might bump it up to a seven, only because if it was the only novel I'd ever written, it'd be good (plus I wrote it in terrible conditions, including stress, dizzy spells, and overall insane busy-ness without editing). But, like I said, in comparison to my other stories, it wasn't that great.
What aspect of your draft needs the most work?
Um, probably the fact that I have two different villains that I have no idea what to do with once they're vanquished, so to speak. I mean what do you really do with villains on such a large scale?! One of them is pretty much national level, so, I especially have no idea there. :P
What do you like most about your draft?
That can be summed up in three words. Bertie. Vance. Tsonja. The three characters that hit me like a subway train. Vance was expected to do so from the very beginning, but I thought he would be the only one taking the stage so much. Then Bertie came in. Bertie was just supposed to be some kind-of dry, funny Aussie special-force guy, but he walked in, and changed himself into one of the most delightful sights ever. He came in, and his mental image changed from a boring shortbread cookie to the most delicious 'smore you ever saw. He immediately became fascinating, and hilarious, and so amazingly sweet. He threatens to become my favorite after Vance (Wait, I'm their author, I'm not supposed to take favorites! *to self* Shush, you!). And then there was Tsonja. For the most part, my female characters never interest me very much. Sometimes there's a particularly interesting one here or there inserted at random, but they're not regularly competing for my favorite. Tsonja was. I heard her voice so clearly in my head... I had to force myself to write down her accent rather than just writing what she said, because my mind would hear her so well and then translate it, so to speak. She came through sooooo clearly, it was like writing down somebody I knew. She's natively Russian, so sometimes she uses very European-sounding phrases or has broken English (man, I wish I could speak Russian!). She's a bit sarcastic, very reclusive, characteristic, traditional, and Russian tough-lady to the very core. There are very few of my female characters that spoke to me as much as Tsonja Ristoff.




My rendition of Tsonja Ristoff, although, not entirely accurate looks-wise, as they didn't have a shade of blond hair light enough on this particular designing-site when I made it.

What are your plans for this novel once you finish editing? More edits? Finding beta readers? Querying? Self-publishing? Hiding it in a dark hole forever?
Well, finishing it is my current plan, and then finding beta-readers (which shouldn't be too hard). Although, I might consider the dark hole idea too. ;)
What is your main piece of advice for those just finishing a first draft?
Well, seeing as I'm always on my third or fourth draft before I ever finish the book (due to excessive editing habits) I can't really say much there. Especially since I have never finished a novel. My main advice might be more like a hyper-excited congratulations than advice, because they accomplished something I never have. :P Oh well. :)
Anyways, those're my plans for In Greater Hands (hey, a slant rhyme!). Hopefully, they don't get sidetracked too much. ;) But, writing rules are made to be bent a little anyways, so I think that it should be okay even if I do get sidetracked.
There you go! What did you think? Is there any chance that I have some potential beta-readers in my audience...? Is anybody else wishing that they could speak Russian?

Beautiful Books: In Greater Hands (Moving On)

Hello again, comrades! I am back once more with that lovely Beautiful Books link-up from Cait and Sky. I thank them again for being such wonderful hosts if such an immensely fun (and helpful!) activity. :) I am back again with In Greater Hands. So, I guess I'll step up and hop to it! ('step up and hop to it'... interesting notion...hmm...)

Overall, how is your mental state, and how is the novel going?

Well, uh.... :P My mental state  is slightly more flustered and ink-centered. Almost every thought train somehow eventually leads to writing (of course, that's not too far from normal for me...). And the novel, well... I am three and a half days behind in my word count, but I am getting back up there slowly. However, I am getting my writing style slowly back. For the first few days I felt like it was so plain, beyond even the very worst of my writing, it had no character of mine, and a completely different person wrote it. But I'm getting my groove back now... I think. :) Also, I have three possible character deaths up my sleeve, so, yay! :) *rubs hands together evilly* I can't wait to see my readers' reactions (particularly that of my dear Lucy Agnes...).

What is your first sentence or paragraph?

Well, if you're talking the actual first, it's this part in the prologue:

Leta stepped out of the plane. She looked around her. Leta was on a landing pad for fliers, on a huge base in the middle of nowhere. Well, okay, perhaps not nowhere, but it definitely looked like it. Really, this place wasn't too far from Bath, but it still was just far enough away to be termed 'the middle of nowhere'.

Yeah... hehehehe.. it's not that great... :P

However, if you're talking first chapter, then....

Leta's pulse raced as she ran through a pathway of buildings. She rolled behind the corner of one of them for cover. She put her hand to the gun holster of her belt and held her breath. Leta peeked ever-so-slightly from the corner of the building. She looked out expectantly. A shadow leapt across the path a little ways back. Leta took out her gun quickly, but not quite quickly enough. A bullet sped right in front of her face and banged back into the building wall.

That one's a little better, I hope... :)

Who is your current favorite character in it?

Well, the only characters that have actually entered yet are Leta, Lord and Lady Lecta, Training-Sergeant Travers, and Maj. Bertie Fleming's team. But my favorite so far has to be Bertie. Poor guy. I have already started picking on him. :) However, once Vance enters, he'll probably take the cake in this bakery. ;)

What do you love about your novel so far?

Well, I do like that it actually has good action, unlike most of my other stories, but I wouldn't call that a love, because I actually like really long beginnings where you get to see the characters eat breakfast and talk and such things. :P But, something I do love is the way I set the stage for character conflict. Poor Bertie already got beat up, and Leta is so doubtful of people, and someone is going to die before the end.... Ah, the life of a writer. :)

Have you made any hilarious typos or other mistakes?

*groans* Oh yes, definitely. You see, I have been listening to music non-stop since this started, and apparently it's beginning to affect me (to quote movie Legolas). I keep writing down things that savor of song lyrics, particularly in dialogue. Like I made Leta say something like "Apparently we've met before" (like Once Upon A Dream of Sleeping Beauty). And then in this, no matter how conflicted this scene was-

Bertie started to put his hand over his face distressedly. "Oh my team... Louis... Kate...Oh, my friends..."

I could not for the life of me stop thinking of Marius's own lament... "Oh, my friends!" :'(

Not my image. Poor guy, he's singing his heart out. :'(

I have done that with various songs and scenes now, mostly unwittingly, and I need to go and root out all of them.


What is your favorite to write - beginning, middle, or end?
Um, probably the middle. It's the easiest. Once I begin, then then it's not so hard or so flat after that point. I've never made it to the end of a story so I can't really give my say on that.


What are your writing habits? Is there a specific snack you eat? Do you listen to music? What time of day do you write best? Feel free to show us a picture of your writing space!
Well, I have a tendency of sucking the end of my pen when I'm writing (if I am writing with a pen. For some odd reason I don't do this with pencils). And I mostly eat chocolate, particularly M&Ms. I don't have a picture of my writing space unfortunately. I write most from any time after dinner to bedtime. And, oh, I have been listening to just about everything! But, above all, the song that's been keeping me going strong and persevering, is Il Divo's amazing song Isabel, sung at Barcelona, I think. And while Isabel isn't exactly my name, it's close enough that I feel like they're cheering me on. :)







Not my image. This is actually them singing in Japan, but who cares. They might still be singing Isabel. :)






How private are you about your writing? Do you need a cheer squad or do you work alone (like Batman)?
Well, who needs a cheer squad when you've got Il Divo?! Not me! *blushes* Okay, that wasn't entirely true (well, the Il Divo part was true, but the part about me not needing a cheer squad wasn't). Yes, I have a loveable group of writer friends who read my work. Among my readers are Lucy Agnes, Anna Deubell, and a few others. So, unfortunately, I am more Robin than Batman. ;)


What keeps you writing when it's hard?
*musing* Well, let's see.. Il Divo... the song Isabel... Okay, okay, I'll be serious! Actually, those things do help, but the big thing keeping me going is the very theme of the story - even the smallest effort counts. No true endeavor is ever wasted. What a very fortunate thing that this is the theme I'm trying to communicate, because I really am living it as I write the story! :)

What three writing tips would you offer?
 Yes, people I know that wasn't the exact wording of this question. I am being lazy. :P But, all the same, my tips would be:
1. Don't let the quality stifle the quantity, of course as NaNo says, but never do vice-versa either. Your writing should be wholesome and given effort. I'm not saying it should be perfect - not at all. Just don't let it get to the point where writing it isn't fun, and the writing has no virtue.
2. Kill off characters! Okay, as a writer I may give this amazing advice, but I will contradict myself there. As a reader, I must beg you not to do this. So there you have an extremely helpful and clear piece of advice. ;)
3. Make time for other things too. You unfortunately cannot just lock yourself in a tower, dungeon, or hobbit-hole writing and forgetting what the rest of the world looks like. Also, as a cheating fourth piece of advice, I suggest a lot of Il Divo (Has this post just become less and introduction of my story and more a praise of my favored singers? How did that happen...?).


Anyways, that's the end of my story rant. :) I hope you liked it


Tell me your thoughts! Would you still read it? Have you guessed who is going to be killed off? Is anyone angry with me for this fact? Do you like Il Divo? (P.S., if you say 'no', then I shall be most highly displeased).

Beautiful Books: In Greater Hands (Introducing)

Hello, comrades! This is my first tag - a lovely NaNoWriMo tag by Cait and Sky, the hosts of Beautiful People during ordinary months, and it's called Beautiful Books. I am doing this for my NaNo project, called In Greater Hands.

It takes place in the near future, probably around 2100's, 2200's or so. And without further ado, I introduce it:



What inspired the idea for your novel, and how long have you had it?

Well, to put it down to only one of many sources, a dream inspired it. A long time ago (that is just me being dramatic, it was probably only about a year ago), I was sleeping on the couch and I had an odd dream, in which I was a space-lady of an elite space-team, and my name was Captain Rista (commonly called Miss Rista). So it, combined with my wish to write a non-historical story just to try it, floated around in my head and waited for an opportunity. That opportunity came in the person of a character called Vic Vance. One day I had the idea, just sitting and doing nothing, for a cool line that could a be a character's byline, their special quote. But I didn't want it to be any already-made character. He was new. Then I came up on that same moment with a whole scene and story idea right off of that quote, and combined it with Miss Rista's floating fiction fancy. So, I scene-plotted it, and now it's a story. Miss Rista turned into Miss Ristoff (she's Russian), and Vic became another main character, while my character, the MC, became a new bud on the stem - Leta. So thus, I kind-of owe the book to those two characters - Tsonja Ristoff and Vic Vance - my inspirations.

Describe what your novel is about!

Well, it's basically this: Leta Arsteva is a ward in a secret service dedicated to true global welfare. She has been training almost her whole life with her trainer and only friend, Lady Lecta, who is one of the presidents of the secret association. Leta's only daily goal is to train and become better so she cane help one day with the troubles in her explosive world. Then, things start happening. The Italian sub-president, also a council member in the secret association, is assassinated. Then coded messages of some unknown source are intercepted. Leta knows she isn't ready to face whatever is going on. She needs time, she needs help, she needs more skill. She thinks she can never make it. But, as Leta finds out, even the smallest effort can be the last drop to make a flood when it is placed In Greater Hands.














What is your book's aesthetic?

Well... I don't know how to make one with pictures but, words... I'll try to make one... here goes...










Even one drop of rain can cause a flood. Even one cloud can blot out the sky. Even one tiny living thing can make the world seem alive. But to reverse these things, surely much more must be done. taking away that one drop again will not stop the flood. Taking away that one cloud does not change that fact that it was there once. Even taking away that one tiny living thing cannot erase its existence. Thus, every memory, every effort, every small perfection will always count. Every single life will count. And nothing can take that fact away.



Does that satisfy? It's messy and a bit clech-sounding, but, who cares...










Introduce us to each one of your characters!
Okay, uh, this could take a while...








Leta Arsteva: First and foremost among the characters, I suppose, as the MC. A training soldier of age nineteen and Russian nationality. Sometimes rather worrisome, but almost always very alert. Brown eyes, flyaway wheaty hair, and very fit build.


Vic Vance

Vic Vance: Probably the second only to Leta in importance. A twenty-one year-old American who takes great pleasure in anything unusual or unexpected. Another trainee eventually. Dark coffee-brown hair, lime-green eyes, pretty tall at six foot four or so.










Tsonja Ristoff: Another very important character. A former satellite tracker of twenty-six years and Russian nationality. Skilled at decoding things, due to past career. Very straight and to the point. Icy blue eyes, almost white blonde hair, a slight bit over average height.










Maj. Bertie Fleming: The leader of a small but highly skilled task team. An Australian of twenty-seven years. Was a pilot formerly. Of strong and optimistic character. Caramel to brown color range hair, dark blue eyes, muscular build.










Lt. Sam Bastikka: A Jamaican widower aged thirty-eight. A pilot for the members of Bertie's team. Very hopeful and glad character, despite being far from home and his son, and being without his beloved spouse.








Lord Bryce and Lady Stacia Lecta: The directors, presidents, whatever you want to call them, of the secret service. Lady Lecta is also Leta's personal trainer. Both about forties-ish in age.

Tsonja Ristoff, and also my profile picture.

That is pretty much everyone of relevance to story as of yet. There are a couple unmentioned, like training-Sergeant Travers, but they're not important. Other main characters, such as Sam's son, Felix, and the Scottish special escort, Cyoran, will enter later.










How do you prepare to write?
Well, by getting a lot of All Hallow's Eve candy, and by getting two new pens. Other than that, I guess I scene plotted a bit. But that's less important. ;)






What are you looking forward to most about this novel?
Uh, characters! What else is there to keep you going?! Well, actually, listening to Il Divo's beautiful song Isabel is also a plus and inspiration for writing. But there is also a cool scene where Vance enters which I am looking forward to. I also may just have a characters death or two up my sleeve, you know, just for my wonderful readers. :)






List three things about the novel's setting.
1. It has a reinstated Russian empire ruled by a distant Romanov relative.
2. It take place mostly in England and Russia.
3. It has a large global aid service which is secret to most people.






What's the protagonist's goal and who or what stands in the way?
Well, Leta's goal is not only to do her job (which is protection, intelligence, and aid), but also to keep her homeland and leader safe (which, actually, her job does entail that...). The things that stand in her way are rogue societies, for one, LFS (the Liberic Freedom States), for another, and an unknown political opponent, for one more. Poor girl's got her hands very full...






How does your protagonist change by the end?
Well, Leta discovers the value of even the smallest effort, of even the littlest way. She realizes how important a life can be, and how vitally needed each one is. So she learns some pretty deep stuff. :)




What are your novel's themes? How do you want readers to feel afterwards?
Well, the theme is kind-of to recognize the value of every life, and of every effort. No effort, when given true endeavor, is ever in vain. Even the biggest failure, if it was still an endeavor in the right direction, is a valuable try. I am trying to make the readers feel like they can go out there and do whatever they're doing with all their effort, all their spirit, and be the better for recollecting themselves to the fullest extent in everything they do. I want them to feel empowered and ready to fight their battles. Although, I can also see them being really mad and throwing the book across the room, unfortunately. :P




Anyways, that is my NaNo project! My book In Greater Hands will probably have snippets posted sooner or later on here.




Your thoughts...? What did you think? Would you read it? Do you agree that Russian characters are super awesome?