Characters in Costume Challenge - April Antagonists!

Time for the April edition of the Characters in Costume Challenge, started by Gillian Adams. This month's theme: April Antagonists!
I'll be honest - while I have been known to open my closet and ask things like "How can I go for a WWII-French-Resistance look today?" or "What outfit could I build around my Swedish motorcycle goggles?" or "Would it look too weird to put a bell-sleeved blouse with a leather trench coat?", it's not every day that I stare at my wardrobe and wonder "How can I look like an evil villain today?"
So this months' challenge was particularly fun and... well, challenging. I actually went for a villainess look, as you're about to see. ; )

This is Meliqa Vaesh, (pronounced MEL-ih-kuh vay-ESH), the villainess of books 2 and 3 of the Adelfian Prophecies Series (the sequels to Son of the Shield).

 

Despite her young age (19), Meliqa is the most powerful sorceress the country of Moritar has seen in almost two centuries - since before the Adelfian purge that nearly wiped out the entire order of sorcerers. She is now considered the last and greatest hope of the Moritarc people and nation, to regain their independence and reassert themselves as a force to be reckoned with.

Being as volatile as she is powerful makes her dangerous enough. But her abilities to lure, charm, deceive, and manipulate make her even more deadly.

Her powers of sorcery leave her with little use for physical weapons in most cases. (Why bother with carrying a sword when you can kill someone just by holding out your hand?) When she comes up against the Adelfian believers, though, who are protected from sorcery by the power of the Shield who indwells them, she resorts to a pair of butterfly swords. Unfortunately, I don't have a pair I could use for pictures.

Whatever you do, don't let her lure you in.

Do. Not. Believe. Her.

Favorite Archers in Fiction

If you've been paying attention, you've probably noticed that archers seem to be becoming more and more popular in the entertainment industry lately. While some of the bow-wielding characters popular today are long-lasting favorites, such as Robin Hood, new ones are popping up every time we turn around, it seems.
So just for fun, I thought I'd dedicate a blog post to featuring the most popular archers of our time.

Legolas Greenleaf, of Mirkwood, Middle Earth.

Hawkeye, of the Avengers - a.k.a. Agent Barton of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Katniss Everdeen, of District 12, Panem.

Kili, of Erebor, Middle Earth

Merida, first-born of Clan Dunbroch, Scotland

Robin Hood, of Sherwood Forest, Nottingham. (Since there are so many different representations of him I just picked a picture of my favorite one. Yes, the Disney cartoon is my favorite version.)

Susan Pevensie, of Finchley - a.k.a. Queen Susan the Gentle, of Narnia

It's hard to say what has made archers so popular in entertainment... maybe boredom with guns, admiration for the skill required for archery, a hankering for something unique. Who knows? But I, for one, don't mind the trend at all. I like the variety it brings to books and movies. And let's face it: there's just something way too cool about a character with a bow in his or her hand, and a quiver of arrows on his or her back - whether it's a medieval-style weapon like Merida's, an elf-made weapon like Legolas', or a high-tech mechanized weapon like Hawkeye's.

Do you have a favorite archer character?

Character Costume Challenge: 'Object' Edition

It's that time again, and I'm so excited to be getting to participate in Gillian Adams' Characters in Costume Challenge! I was so excited when she announced last month that she was making it a monthly event!
This month's specification was an object - something your character carries or values or always has with them. So I decided I would feature my character Alice Ewing's necklace.

Alice Ewing is a seventeen-year-old girl who lives in the United States during the Great Depression/Dustbowl era. After the deaths of both her parents, Alice finds herself homeless and is forced to join her drifter half-brother, Frederick, as he rides the rails in search of work.

Alice wears her necklace all the time, and everywhere she goes. It never comes off. It consists of a simple, plain chain, on which she carries a whole host of different trinkets and small useful items. Some of the items come and go as the need arises, but some of them are there all the time.
The key is to the house Alice and her parents lived in. After her parents died and Alice was evicted, she took the key with her - it's the last piece she has of the home she loved.
The ring belonged to her mother, but in the impoverished world Alice lives in, it's not safe to draw attention by wearing it on her hand, so she carries it on a necklace under her shirt, out of sight.
The pocket watch belonged to her father, and was given to him by his father.
The little wheel/gear thing is just one of those items that Alice has picked up along the way. While it could serve a useful purpose - as a spare button, for instance - collecting little items like that has sort of become a habit with Alice. She just picks things up and puts them on her necklace, just because.

"It's a hard life on the roads and the rails. And the world isn't kind."  ~ Frederick

 

"When the world forces you out of the home and the life you've always known, I guess you just have to carry whatever pieces you can with you. And then - maybe - the home that's still in your heart will come to live in those little pieces, so that sooner or later you're carrying your whole home in those little pieces. It's a nice thought, anyway."   ~from Alice's journal

Character Costume Challenge - Orienne Seritan

For this 'edition' of the Character Costume Challenge (started by Gillian Adams on her blog), I decided to dress as Orienne Seritan, the leading lady from my first novel, Son of the Shield.

Orienne is a twenty-four-year-old Adelfian woman whose older brother, Allegar, is one of the six highest-ranking leaders in the nation. Allegar has been her only family since an epidemic claimed both of their parents years before, and Orienne travels with him everywhere he goes. Since this prevents her holding down a normal job, she volunteers at healers' wards (hospitals) wherever they're staying, and serves the Adelfian government and military in a diplomatic capacity when needed.
Orienne is a tough girl who can get down and dirty if she has to, but she much prefers peace and quiet. Her greatest dream is for the war between Adelfia and Moritar to end, and to settle down and start a family of her own.
She has dark brown hair, by the way, so just pretend my blond hair is brown. ; )

Orienne's shield pendant - a gift from her brother, that she wears everywhere, every day.
Normal Adelfian attire for a woman usually consists of a plain shirt with any of several variations of vest or overshirt on over it, and a garment the Adelfians call 'larrons' - basically a pair of pants with some kind of overskirt over it. There are plenty of styles and variations of these too; with the practicality of pants and the femininity of skirts rolled together, they help make any outfit both serviceable and tasteful.

"A lone mountain rose sharply from the center of the Basin, towering above everything for miles... And covering [its] slopes was Farindel. The tarekstone walls of the city's structures reflected the sunset's light, making Farindel look like a shining mounting or ivory." (from Son of the Shield)
 
I know, I know, but I just couldn't resist the temptation to replace the cows and bale rings I was actually looking at with at least a rough representation of Farindel (the capital city of Adelfia). The artwork I used for the background is not mine. I have no idea who the original artist is, but no copyright infringement is intended.

A mud-covered, purple-eyed Orienne after a very long and strenuous several days of being dragged through the mountains, fighting and running for her life, and experiencing crushing heartbreak. (Yeah... I'm not really nice to my characters.)

Orienne in much better circumstances, clean, rested, and happy. You might also notice that her eyes are now green. That's because the color of her eyes changes according to the emotion she's experiencing. There are seven basic colors that they turn, with variations and fluctuations depending on the circumstances. After all, whose emotions are ever completely clear-cut and unmixed? : P

For formal or special occasions, larrons get traded in for actual skirts or dresses. ; )
This is my representation of the outfit Orienne wears in one of the last scenes of the book - a huge, once-in-a-lifetime ceremony that she and the other main characters all get to take part in. By this time she's been through a lot physically, emotionally, and spiritually. It's been a rough journey, and she knows she will never again be the person she was before the journey began, but she's okay with that. She knows that the Shield is using every one of the events that have taken place for His glory, and she's coming to a place of accepting whatever she has to face as part of His plan... including the one last, daunting task still awaiting her completion in the very last scene of the book.

*

Well, that about wraps it up for this round of the Character Costume Challenge!
Very special thanks to my brother Caleb for hiking all over the place with me and taking all the pictures. You did an awesome job, bro!
Thanks once again to Gillian Adams, who is the reason we have the CCC in the first place.
And of course, thanks to all you loyal blog followers. I hope you've enjoyed this little look at a character I've spent so much time with over the last six years. (Yep, I said six! This month marks the sixth anniversary of the very first idea I had for Son of the Shield. Man, that's hard to believe!)
I had a ton of fun doing this, and I'm already looking forward to the next edition of the Character Costume Challenge!

Until next time,
Mary

February Character Costume Challenge!

Most of you probably remember the Character Costume Challenge that Gillian Adams put on and that I participated in back in October. If not, you missed out on a lot of fun! (And if you'd like, you can Click Here to see my character costumes.)
Well, Gillian has now decided to make the Character Costume Challenge a monthly event, and the next one is February 8th!

I had so much fun with the October challenge, so I'm definitely going to be taking part in this one too.
And those of you who've been listening to me talk about my first novel, Son of the Shield, ought to be happy about this one: I'm dressing as Orienne Seritan, the leading lady from SotS! The pictures will go up Friday morning, so be sure to check in! ; )

If you'd like to participate too - even if you're not a writer - then Click Here for the full details.
Hope to see your costumes on Friday!

Until next time.
~Mary

Have you written today?

: )
Just had to share this. Happy writing and happy weekend, everyone!

Until next time.
~Mary

In the words of Mark Twain...

..."The reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated."

: )

I know, it's been an unforgivably long time since I've posted, and I'm sure a few of you have wondered where I've been. My sincerest apologies, dear readers. Honestly, I have no idea where the last few weeks have gone; it's all been one mad whirl.
I am going to strive to do better in future, though. No promises, but I'm going to try.

For now, I have a fun announcement, brought to you by the lovely ladies over at Charlie and Me.
It's a Sherlock Giveaway!

My dear friend LoriAnn has recently gotten me hooked on BBC's show Sherlock, and while I can honestly say that I am nowhere near being as much as addict as she is, I am still very much a fan. So this giveaway is quite an exciting event for me.
If you're interested, Click Here to read all the exciting details. The girls at Charlie and Me have really made their blog a great hangout spot for writers - full of laughter and writer-centric fun. I love reading their posts, and I would heartily recommend them to any Christian writers in need of a little light-hearted encouragement.
So get on over there and check out the giveaway!
Until next time,
Mary

The Character Costume Challenge

As I mentioned yesterday, Gillian Adams has issued a challenge to writers and readers: the Character Costume Challenge. You can read the full details here. And, since my Scottish ancestry forbids ignoring a challenge ; ) I have accepted. (Actually, my ancestry had nothing to do with it. The truth is, it was just too cool to pass up!) I was torn between two of my characters, though, so I decided to dress and take pictures as both of them.

First up is Celeste Harper, from my WIP, Empathia's Hope.

Celeste lives on the surface of Eclectia - a highly unstable, volcanic planet in the 94 Ceti system. Having lost both parents to the planet's hostile conditions, Celeste supports herself and her younger sister Celia by excavating artifacts from a city that was buried by a volcano over a century before, and then selling the artifacts on the black market.

Harsh conditions require a lot of protective gear - goggles, a mask, the works. Blowing ash and dust aren't pleasant to breathe or get in your eyes. The seasons are a bite to deal with too - there are only two, winter and summer, but they cycle every five days so you're never able to adjust fully to either one, and both are extreme. So you're either miserably hot or miserably cold. No happy medium.

Celeste tends to have a very cynical outlook on the world, since she's convinced herself there's nothing better than what she has to hope for. It's up to her sister and an archaeologist named Robin to convince her otherwise.

Next up: Ann Morgan, from my 2012 NaNoWriMo project, The Sword Masters of St. George's Academy.

Ann is a bright, brainy young lady who lives with her parents and siblings in Victorian-era London. (Yes, London - as I stand in front of an American flag in the bookcase. *sighs* Oh well.) She works as a watchmaker's assistant in his shop not far from her home, and loves learning about the art and science of watchmaking. She also loves experimenting with different clockwork and metalwork projects of her own... including a derringer that she made for herself and carries everywhere.

Ann is the daughter of my main character, Thaddeus Morgan, who is a master swordsman and teaches fencing at St. George's Academy - one of the finest schools in London. Thaddeus has taught Ann to use swords, knives, and firearms in self-defense, and she loves it. (Sadly, I don't have a derringer, so I had to use my great-grandpa's revolver for the picture instead.) She always has a gun and a dagger with her.

And of course, like all good home-schooled kids, she loves a good book. : )

Mom and I had a lot of fun 'steampunking' a corner of our living room for this picture.

 

Well, that about wraps it up for my end of the Character Costume Challenge. Special thanks to my mom for taking all the pictures, serving as wardrobe adviser, set adviser, etc. And of course a special thanks to Gillian Adams for inventing the Character Costume Challenge in the first place!

I'll be spending a lot more time with Ann Morgan starting tomorrow - November 1st, the first day of NaNoWriMo! You can track my progress at my NaNo profile, or follow my progress here at the Lair. I'll be journaling NaNo here just as I've done the last two years.

And if you'd like more pictures of characters, settings, weapons, and inspirations and ideas from The Sword Masters of St. George's Academy, well, you're in luck! I've set up an entire board on my Pinterest page dedicated to nothing but NaNoWriMo 2012. Click Here to check it out!

Where has October gone?

Agh! I cannot believe October is almost over! Where did it go and how did it get there so quickly?!
(They say time speeding up is a sign of getting old... should I be worried?)

Well, since October is nearly over, I suppose it's time for news and updates.
First on the list: I'm being featured as a guest blogger over at Stories in the Mind, the blog of my dear friend and fellow writer Pure Grace. She's an amazing writer, and I'm honored by the opportunity to be a guest blogger there. So hop on over and check it out. I talk about the weirdness we writers all share/suffer from, and even share a few of my own embarrassing and humorous writer moments. I'm sure Pure Grace would love it if you all stopped by and shared your own writer moments with us. ; )

Second: While I am no fan of Halloween, I have accepted a challenge issued by Gillian Adams over at Of Battles, Dragons, and Swords of Adamant to enter the Character Costume Challenge. The challenge is just what its names implies: writers dress like a character from one of your stories; readers, dress like a favorite fictional character. Then take a picture of yourself in costume and post it on your blog on October 31st. Anyone and everyone is encouraged to participate and/or spread the word. Click Here to read the full details in Gillian's post.
I'll actually be dressing and posting pictures as two of my characters - one from my current novel in progress, Empathia's Hope, and one from the NaNoWriMo project I'm about to begin, The Sword Masters of St. George's Academy, so look for those pictures tomorrow!

Speaking of NaNoWriMo brings me to announcement number 3: NaNoWriMo is about to begin!!! As I'm sure you've gathered already, I'll be participating yet again this year. This is my third year to undertake what is probably the most insane event known to man (next to the running of the bulls), and I'm very excited. The last two years I've written fantasy stories; this year I'm turning to Steampunk for a high dose of fictional epicness! Swords, conspiracy, intrigue, action, and more swords, all coated with a thick layer of awesome steampunk style. Just as I've done the last two years, I'll be journaling my progress here at the Lair for those of you interested in following it. But of course, if you're participating in NaNo as well and would like to be my writing buddy, just look me up at my NaNo Profile. I look forward to seeing you there!

Well, I think that's all the announcements for now, so I'm off! Between Character Costume Challenge tomorrow, and NaNo beginning the day after tomorrow, I've got a lot to do! : )

My Favorite Inspiring Words

We've talked about beautiful words and fun words, and now we're talking about inspiring words - words that make you stand a little straighter just hearing them, words that fill your mind with dreams and visions.

Here are 10 of my favorite inspiring words.

Valor

Loyalty

Hero

Redemption

Courage

Honor

Return

Return

Journey

Wander

Your turn! What are your favorite inspiring words?

Tomorrow, the official dictionary giveaway post goes up - the one you'll need to comment on to enter the drawing for the brand-new Flip Dictionary. And don't forget, you can get an extra slip with your name on it put in the hat by posting about the giveaway on your own blog and linking back to the Lair. Just leave a comment here at the Lair letting me know you've done it, and provide a link to your post.

Until tomorrow!

My Favorite Fun Words

Yesterday we talked about beautiful words. Today we're talking about fun words - those words that tickle your tongue, words that you yearn to insert into conversations just because they're so much fun to say. Here are 10 of my favorites.

Haberdashery

Nincompoop

Blast

Calamity

Umbrage

Pontificate

Tuft

Loopy

Havoc

Blithering

And, you know the drill: your turn now! What are your favorite fun words?

Tomorrow we're talking about inspiring words, so have your ready!

My Favorite Beautiful Words

Dictionary Day is eight days away, so here at the Lair we're talking about WORDS! (By the way, if you haven't already heard, I'm giving away a brand-new copy of the Flip Dictionary on Tuesday, October 16th. Click the link in the sidebar to learn more!)

Today I'm making a list of 10 of my favorite beautiful words.

Exquisite

Autumnish

Magical

Leviathan

Christmas

Milestone

Caledonia

Ember

Firefly

Starlight

 Now it's your turn. What are some of your favorite beautiful words?

As a heads-up: tomorrow we're talking about fun words, so be thinking of your favorites!
Official entering for the dictionary giveaway opens on Thursday, so be sure to stick around this week for that. Also, don't forget that posting about it on your own blog gets you an extra slip in the hat when the time comes!

Happy Hobbit Day!

Spend the day well, friends!

If you know a Hobbit, hug him or her.

Enjoy a second breakfast... or two.

And remember: Let sleeping lost jewelry lie.

What are you doing to celebrate Hobbit Day?

Albert Einstein Quotes

"Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole live believing that it is stupid."

"Any intelligent fool can make things bigger and more complex... It takes a touch of genius - and a lot of courage - to move in the opposite direction."

"If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales. If you want them to be more intelligent, read them more fairy tales." (I love this one!)

"The world is a dangerous place to live; not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don't do anything about it."

"Any man who can drive safely while kissing a pretty girl is simply not giving the kiss the attention it deserves." (This one just made me laugh.)

"The difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has its limits."

"If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough."

"Imagination is more important than knowledge."

"Try not to become a man of success, but rather try to become a man of value."

"The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination."

"True art is characterized by an irresistible urge in the creative artist."

"Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere."


I was really surprised to discover how many of these can be applied to writers and their work. Dr. Einstein had a great understanding of the importance of imagination.

Do you have a favorite Einstein quote? Did any of these resonate with you?

Happy... Bad Poetry Reading Day... ?

Yesterday I was informed that today, August 18, is a holiday - Bad Poetry Reading Day. This puzzles me for a number of reasons.

1. I and, I assume, most relatively rational people do our best to avoid bad poetry. I mean really, bad prose is - well, bad enough. But let's be honest: bad poetry is way badder than bad prose. Why on Earth would anyone intentionally put his or herself through the kind of pain and suffering that truly bad poetry is capable of inflicting?
2. There is way too much good stuff out there to read. No matter how many books I manage to read in my lifetime, there will be thousands - if not millions - of good ones that I'll be leaving unread when I die, and quality reading time is hard to come by. Why waste the time that could be used to read something good on something you know from the get-go will be ranked among the sludge of literary craft?
3. Is this some kind of attempt to make the writers of said 'Bad Poetry' feel better? Because as a writer I can assure you that, as nice as the idea of having a holiday dedicated to the celebration of the kind of work I do is, if that holiday is called 'Bad Poetry Reading Day', I'm not going to feel better.

I have, however, managed to come up with one possible explanation/practical application for this holiday. My theory is that BPRD was invented by poets, for poets - for their own benefit and encouragement, no doubt. You see, poets (being a moody and emotionally unstable lot, generally speaking : P ) often struggle with feelings of depression over what they believe to be the inferior quality of whatever it is they happen to be working on at the moment. In an attempt to console themselves, they often turn back to samples of their work from earlier days, read it, and then assure themselves that whatever it is they're working on can't be as horrible as what they wrote that one time years ago. (It's amazing what a little strategic encouragement can do for a poet's psyche.)
No doubt, as word spread through the poetic community that reading one's own work from years back does wonders to ease depression, it was eventually decided that an entire day should be set aside for the practice. Thus, today's holiday was born. This must be how it happened. And, if you look at it correctly, it can also be used by writers to keep themselves humble. Trust me, there are few things as humbling as going back and reading that one thing that you were convinced was going to be a bestseller... so maybe this holiday isn't such a bad idea after all.
Alas, most of my earliest work has long since been lost to the ravages of life in a house with three siblings and multiple pets, and the time-space continuum warp that exists within the recesses of my closet. So in many ways, I am crippled to observe the holiday with complete propriety and due ceremony.
On the other hand, I do seem to recall a bit of my first poem - one that started with the lines "I have a simple plea / It says 'Oh woe is me!'" - and of course then there was the one that started off: "I am a mound on the ground, a caterpillar small..."
You know, maybe the ravages of a time-space continuum warp aren't all that tragic after all. They might have even saved me from a bout of retrospective depression and endless hours of questioning whether I really could have written something that terrible without aid from some outside source...

What do you think about Bad Poetry Reading Day?

Tagged - again.

Well, once again I've been tagged, this time by James, who was tagged by Anna (Do we ApricotPie-ers really have nothing better to do with our time?). So here goes. First, the rules as established by James:

If you are tagged:  You don't have to do anything!  However, here are some suggestions:
Follow Anna's rules, but loosely.  Feel free to tag back.  Feel free to tag Anna.
If you don't feel up to continuing the storm of blogger-tagging, you can always just leave a comment instead.

Anna's rules state that the tagged person must state eleven facts about his or herself. So...

1. I've never eaten cantaloupe. I don't dare, since touching them makes my skin blister and smelling them makes me break out in hives.
2. I've only fallen off of a horse once in my life... and he wasn't even moving at the time.
3. Since James brought up the ancestry thing - I'm Scottish, Welsh, and Cherokee.
4. The best thing about being Scottish is that you can blame the Irish for everything. (Like getting tagged on Blogger, for instance...) : P
5. I collect Webster's dictionaries. I would like to get one from every year they've been printed.
6. I've memorized the first chapter of Ecclesiastes, and I'm working on the second.
7. Somewhere in my medical records there is an x-ray of my ribcage with a goat's hoof print in the middle of it.
8. I'm CPR certified and a trained First Responder.
9. I love a good western - book or movie, either one. My favorite western movie is Silverado and my favorite western book is Utah Blaine by Louis L'Amour.
10. I tried sushi for the first time last fall.
11. I'm slightly obsessed with the 1920s - 40s. In fact, half my wardrobe looks like it came from that era, and I love watching documentaries and reading books about it.

Now, to answer the questions James posed:
1.  Who is your favorite well-known figure from American history who (a) never held office, (b) did not write any significant works and (c) died before the year 1850?
 I'm going to have to go with Chief Pathkiller, I guess (1749 - 1827). He was acknowledged by the US government as the last king of the Cherokee Nation... and he happens to be my great-great-great grandfather. So I'm a little biased.
2.  If you could imitate any accent perfectly, which one would you enjoy imitating the most?
A Scottish brogue.
3.  Tau Ceti is the second closest star to the sun, and very similar to it in size, temperature and stability.  If if you had to write a work of science fiction centered on an earth-like planet around Tau Ceti, what would be the name of the book, and in two or more mid-length paragraphs, the basic gist of the story?  (Include names of characters.)
Well, that's actually quite similar to my current work in progress, a novel based in the world of Avenir Eclectia. So, if it isn't cheating, I'll just use that to answer the question. The name of the book is Empathia's Hope. It's about a girl, Celeste, who works as a tomb raider of sorts, finding and selling artifacts from the early days of the Earth-established colony on Eclectia, in order to pay her younger sister's way through boarding school to give her a shot at a decent life (not something that comes easy on that planet). Her sister Celia, though, just wants the two of them to be together.
When Celia meets Robin, an archaeologist who does basically the same thing Celeste does, but with way more security, a much bigger paycheck, and less physical danger and misery, she omits a few truths and stretches a few facts to get him to help Celeste get into a bit better position. But when Robin meets Celeste, he realizes right away that something's up and she's no archaeologist. He's then caught in a struggle to decide what to do with this girl who's selling artifacts he wants for their historical value. Can he really rob her of her livelihood like that? He also begins to suspect that she may be able to help him with something else he cares very much about - something that could be a matter of life and death for him.
4.  If you were an Ent from Fangorn, what kind of tree would you resemble?
Hmm... Interesting thought. Some kind of maple, maybe?
5.  If you had to travel through a dangerous wood, and you were allowed to carry a sword, a bow and quiver of arrows, and one other weapon of your choice, what weapon would you choose?
Well, in reality I'd say a rifle. But in keeping with the fantasy theme of the question, I'll go with a good hunting knife.
6.  See the question above.  What kind of sword would you take? (Rapier, broadsword, etc.)
A hand-and-a-half sword... or a cutlass. I love them both.
7.  If you could go back in time and assist one of the Old Testament prophets with his ministry, which one would you choose?
Daniel.
8.  If you were given command of a captured foreign enemy ship, and the privilege was yours to rename the ship, what would you name her?
Well, that would depend a good deal on what kind of ship she was. I like the name Sword o' the Sea, though.
9.  What is your favorite poem?  By whom?
'October's Bright Blue Weather', by Helen Hunt Jackson.
10.  What is the best knock-knock joke you've ever heard?
I despise knock-knock jokes as a rule, but I have to admit the one James shared in his own tag post was pretty funny. Knock-knock. Who's there? To. To who? No, to WHOM.
11.  Finally, choose any acoustic stringed instrument (besides the 6 string guitar) and do a character sketch.
I'm a violinist who spends the bulk of her practice time playing Celtic tunes, so I'll write a sketch of a Celtic fiddle: It would be a fiery, deeply spirited soul, as suited to dancing and singing and celebrating today's joys as to quietly, reverently, perhaps even mournfully remembering yesterday's sorrows and sacrifices - the things that made today's joy possible.

Now, I get to ask my own questions!
1. You wake up early in the morning to discover that a friend or family member has already been up for hours and has made you a fantastic breakfast. What kind of breakfast would you be most excited about?
2. Your employer tells you that as a reward for a job well done, he'll buy you a plane ticket and pay all expenses for a one-week trip to anywhere in the world. Where would you go and what would you do there?
3. The Sugar Creek Gang or The Boxcar Children?
4. Your house is burning down and you only have time to grab three books before running outside. (Your Bible is already outside and safe.) Which three do you grab?
5. Gondor or Rohan?
6. Do you speak a foreign language? What foreign language would you most like to learn?
7. Your town is being attacked by a barbarian horde! Which would you rather face: the Vikings or the Huns?
8. H.M. Stanley's line, "Dr. Livingstone, I presume?" is often cited as the greatest understatement of the 19th century. Had you been in Stanley's place in that situation, what would you have said?
9. Basil Rathbone or Jeremy Brett as Sherlock Holmes?
10. Let's continue the family heritage theme: What's your heritage?
11. What's your favorite constellation?

Since James sort of made up his own rules, I'm going to do the same.
I'm not tagging anyone (somebody has to put a lid on this tagging epidemic), but anyone who reads this has to pick at least one of the questions I asked and answer it in a comment. You can answer all of them if you wish. If you wish to repost the questions on your own blog and continue the epidemic from there, well... I don't suppose there's anything I can do to stop you.
Have fun!

Favorite Quotes About Books

"Books, pocket-size jewels, open up like doors to worlds you never knew existed."

~ Antonio D'alfonso

"Picking five favorite books is like picking the five body parts you'd most like not to lose."

~ Neil Gaiman

"To a bibliophile, there is but one thing better than a box of new books, and that is a box of old ones."
~ Will Thomas

"All good and true book lovers practice the pleasing and improving avocation of reading in bed. No book can be appreciated until it has been slept with and dreamed over."

~ Eugene Field

"When I step into this library, I cannot understand why I ever step out of it."

~ Marie de Sevigne

"You know you've read a good book when you turn the last page and feel a little as if you have lost a friend."

~ Paul Sweeney

"Reading gives us someplace to go when we have to stay where we are."

~ Mason Cooley

"Just the knowledge that a good book is awaiting one at the end of a long day makes that day happier."

~ Kathleen Norris

"Any man with a moderate income can afford to buy more books that he can read in a lifetime."

~ Henry Holt

"Books can be dangerous. The best ones should be labeled 'This could change your life.'"

~ Helen Exley

"Once you learn to read, you will be forever free."

~ Frederick Douglas

What is your favorite book-related quote?

The Unofficial Son of the Shield Soundtrack

By soundtrack, I don't necessarily mean that every song listed below actually goes with a specific scene in Son of the Shield. Some do, but a lot of them were simply what gave me the idea for a certain scene or concept. Others helped me work through and figure out difficult character arcs or problems within the story. Some songs are the ones I blared through my headphones while frantically pounding the keyboard trying to keep up with the images rolling through my head. But all of them pertain in some way to SotS and the journey that writing the story took me on. Someday, there may be an Official Son of the Shield soundtrack but for now, I hope you enjoy the unofficial one.
I've put my SotS-themed name for each track on the left (while trying not to let the name spoil the story) and the real name and credit for the song on the right. Clicking the link will take you to a Youtube recording of the song. I hope that's not too complicated or annoying, but with my level of technical savvy it's about the best I can do. So here goes:

• Prologue: The First Prophesy - 'Main Title', Ladyhawke Original Soundtrack - I spent so many hours listening to this early on in the writing process, it's not even funny.
• The Rules of War - 'Minas Tirith', Return of the King Original Soundtrack - Great for writing action scenes!
• Farindel - 'As One Tale Ends...', The Forbidden Kingdom Original Soundtrack - If the scene turns out half as good as the music, I'll be happy!
• Where We Belong - 'She was sad at first', Ladyhawke Original Soundtrack - You can't tell I like movie soundtracks, can you?
• The Last Stronghold Collapses - 'Things Left Unsaid' by Disciple - A gut-wrenching song. My goal was to capture some of its intensity in the story.
• Traitor - 'What is Eternal' by The Tran-Siberian Orchestra: Beethoven's Last Night - Another one that was a huge help in the early stages of writing and character development.
• Shekiah - 'Song of the Banshee/Lament of McCrimmon' by Sheila Chandra - This song was the inspiration for this entire character. I was listening to it shortly after having the idea for SotS, and poof! There she was.
• Shattered Illusions - 'This is Who You Are' by The Tran-Siberian Orchestra
• Guilt and Grace - 'Learning to Fall' by This Beautiful Republic - I love this song...
• Searching for Answers - 'Lord, I Don't Know' by The Newsboys - I think we've all been here and can identify.
• A Step of Faith - 'Safe' by Britt Nicole - Another one I just love. I couldn't have written the end of the book without this song.
• Prophesy Fulfilled - 'Only the Beginning of the Adventure', The Lion, the Witch, & the Wardrobe Original Soundtrack
• Son of the Shield: the Theme Song - 'The Reason' by Julian Drive - They couldn't have written a more perfect theme song if they'd read the book and tried.

This is by no means exhaustive - there are many, many scenes and plot points in the book that aren't represented here - but these are the songs that I listened to the most or that were the most helpful during the writing/editing/rewriting process.

Enjoy!

Had to share...

The following is the transcript of a real conversation with my brother Caleb.

Caleb: "Hey Mary, you know what would be awesome?"

Me: "Yeah - a hairband with the inscription from Aragorn's hunting knife engraved on it."

Caleb: "Oh... uh, I was gonna say 'helicopter jousting'."


LOL - I love my brother.

I'm not dead!

My apologies for the recent absence of posts. It's been a while since I've had access to the internet. So, here's a brief update of what's going on in my life:
Turkey season. So far my dad and sister have each bagged a turkey. It was my sister's first time hunting with us, and she did a great job! Our refrigerator is already nicely crowded with fresh meat, and I'm looking forward to my hunt coming up tomorrow morning (though not looking forward so much to getting up at 4:30 AM).
Homeschooling Convention. Most of this past week has been totally wrapped around getting ready for and working at the local homeschooling convention. It went pretty well, I think, and I was able to attend several really good seminars - I even got to meet Dr. Jason Lisle in person! (For those of you who don't know, Dr. Lisle is an astrophysicist who was with Answers in Genesis for several years and is now with the Institute for Creation Research, and I've been reading his work for years.)

I was also able to meet and talk to a fellow Christian writer who has just published his first novel, which I'll be reviewing over at The Flying Librarian's Hideout in a few days, so be sure to keep an eye out for Night of the Cossack.
More along the fantasy line of things, this weekend I became acquainted with a very cool business called SturdiGuns, owned and operated by a Christian, home schooling family. I liked what I saw so much that I even brought home a piece of their merchandise:

SturdiGuns creates realistic wooden silhouettes of various types of weapons. Most of their products are guns, but they offer a few different styles of swords and battle axes as well - all at amazingly low prices! Click Here to check out their website and see for yourself. Be keeping an eye out here, too, for the sword I bought to make another appearance. I have some very cool ideas in store for it... which brings me to next order of business in this update:
Son of the Shield. We're getting close, my friends! There are still a few little gaps that need to be filled in, some scenes that need to be streamlined, and one plot point that needs to be fleshed out a little more, but I can see the light at the end of the tunnel and it's getting closer. Finally! I'm very excited to be almost finished with the final draft so I can move on to the next step in my writing journey, which hopefully will include publishing and starting work on the sequel. Yes, there is a sequel to Son of the Shield, and I'm started to get very excited about the prospect of starting work on it. But in the meantime, I have some cool plans and ideas coming up for getting the word out about SOTS and ensuring that it receives a warm welcome into the literary world when (Lord willing) it arrives.
So, in closing, thanks for reading this update and, as always, be sure to stick around for whatever adventure is next!