Tabitha Caplinger's Blog: TabithaCaplinger.com, page 3
December 17, 2018
Slaying the Holiday Blues
While for many of us the Holiday season is filled with joy and family, for a lot of people it adds up to be a blue Christmas. (I'm sure Zoe, Claire, Maggie, and the gang can attest to spending holidays feeling way less than jolly.) You don't have to be a demon slayer to have some dark shadows that haunt you and keep you in the dark when the rest of the world seems so full of light. 
But you don't have to let the darkness win. You are stronger, remember? While I can't promise the shadows will be completely vanquished as easily in our minds and hearts as the one's Claire lays waste to with the sword, I do think there are things we can do to lift our heads and find some peace and joy this Christmas. 1. Nurture Positive ThoughtsI know that is way easier said than done some times. Especially for those who suffer from anxiety or depression. It's really hard to break through those walls in our minds that imprison us in sadness, fear and loneliness. (Sometimes you can't do it on your own and getting counseling or seeing a doctor can make all the difference.) Easy or not you can take steps to take charge of your thoughts and make a decision to look for the good, no matter how much bad you may feel like you are swimming in. To get our minds renewed and refocused, try finding some Bible verses or quotes that encourage and inspire you, ones that life you up and remind you that you are powerful, chosen, loved and never alone. Write them down on post-its and stick them all over your house. Create a Pinterest Board you can scroll through often. Maybe even decorate a small Christmas Tree with little tags you've scrolled those quotes on. Another step is to take a few minutes each day, maybe as you lay in bed and, if you're like me, all the anxious and negative thoughts start to swarm, and make yourself think of three good things from your day. They can be big or small, as long as they are good. Take it a step further and write them down in a gratitude journal. On days when you have a hard time thinking of good things, go back and read what you wrote on previous days. NO matter how bad things are, there is always at least a little bit of good we can hold on to and find hope in. 2. Connect With PeopleWhen we are down, it's easy to isolate and disconnect. But that only feeds depression and loneliness. So make plans with friends. Spend time with family. You don't have to do huge holiday activities. Watch a movie. Bake cookies. Drive around and see some Christmas lights. Play board games. The point is, find some people to hang out with. If you don't have friends and family you can go to widen your net. Maybe join a community choir or book club. If your church, or a church in your area, is like ours there are tons of small groups with things going on that you can join in with and maybe even make a few new friends. (Our church for real has a board game group that is tons of fun and anyone can join in anytime.) The point is, even if you feel alone, you aren't. If you open yourself up just a little bit and look around, you can find some people to connect with. So don't do the holidays alone. 3. Do Good For Someone Else.This kind of goes along with connecting with people but takes it a step further. Find a way to volunteer some time to do good for others. Take the focus off of yourself and help meet someone's else's need. Volunteer at a soup kitchen. Offer to build gingerbread houses with some foster kids so their parents can go Christmas shopping. Hand out hot chocolate and blankets to the homeless. You get the idea. Sometimes doing for others what we wish someone would do for us (showing a little love, compassion and giving a little time) is just the medicine we need to start shifting our perspective of our own life to a healthier place. 4. Feed Your SpiritJesus isn't just the reason for the season, I firmly believe He is the ultimate answer to what ails us. Now, that doesn't mean everything will just be all holly-jolly and we won't ever have pain and sadness, but I know for certain we will always have hope. I don't know what you believe, or whether you already go to church or not, but maybe make a point to give it a try this Christmas. Lots of churches have cool plays and productions or awesome services planned this time of year. Go spend some time seeking God's presence in a church community. Whether you go to church or not, spend some time seeking Him this season. Pick up your Bible and read about Him, learn about Him, get to know Him a little better. Even just taking time to watch movies like The Nativity Story might be good for your soul. When all else fails, talk to Him. Tell Jesus how you are feeling, tell Him where it hurts, and let Him begin to breath love and life into you. Like I said, I can't promise that doing any of this will make everything ALL better. But I do think it will help take away at least some of those Holiday Blues and bring a little joy back into your Christmas. PS: Maybe Christmas is 100% Jolly for you and your family. If that is the case, take some time to reach out to a friend, co-worker, neighbor, etc who might be lonely. Invite them to decorate cookies with your family or go with you to that Christmas Eve Candlelight service. The smallest act of kindness could make all the difference for them this season.
But you don't have to let the darkness win. You are stronger, remember? While I can't promise the shadows will be completely vanquished as easily in our minds and hearts as the one's Claire lays waste to with the sword, I do think there are things we can do to lift our heads and find some peace and joy this Christmas. 1. Nurture Positive ThoughtsI know that is way easier said than done some times. Especially for those who suffer from anxiety or depression. It's really hard to break through those walls in our minds that imprison us in sadness, fear and loneliness. (Sometimes you can't do it on your own and getting counseling or seeing a doctor can make all the difference.) Easy or not you can take steps to take charge of your thoughts and make a decision to look for the good, no matter how much bad you may feel like you are swimming in. To get our minds renewed and refocused, try finding some Bible verses or quotes that encourage and inspire you, ones that life you up and remind you that you are powerful, chosen, loved and never alone. Write them down on post-its and stick them all over your house. Create a Pinterest Board you can scroll through often. Maybe even decorate a small Christmas Tree with little tags you've scrolled those quotes on. Another step is to take a few minutes each day, maybe as you lay in bed and, if you're like me, all the anxious and negative thoughts start to swarm, and make yourself think of three good things from your day. They can be big or small, as long as they are good. Take it a step further and write them down in a gratitude journal. On days when you have a hard time thinking of good things, go back and read what you wrote on previous days. NO matter how bad things are, there is always at least a little bit of good we can hold on to and find hope in. 2. Connect With PeopleWhen we are down, it's easy to isolate and disconnect. But that only feeds depression and loneliness. So make plans with friends. Spend time with family. You don't have to do huge holiday activities. Watch a movie. Bake cookies. Drive around and see some Christmas lights. Play board games. The point is, find some people to hang out with. If you don't have friends and family you can go to widen your net. Maybe join a community choir or book club. If your church, or a church in your area, is like ours there are tons of small groups with things going on that you can join in with and maybe even make a few new friends. (Our church for real has a board game group that is tons of fun and anyone can join in anytime.) The point is, even if you feel alone, you aren't. If you open yourself up just a little bit and look around, you can find some people to connect with. So don't do the holidays alone. 3. Do Good For Someone Else.This kind of goes along with connecting with people but takes it a step further. Find a way to volunteer some time to do good for others. Take the focus off of yourself and help meet someone's else's need. Volunteer at a soup kitchen. Offer to build gingerbread houses with some foster kids so their parents can go Christmas shopping. Hand out hot chocolate and blankets to the homeless. You get the idea. Sometimes doing for others what we wish someone would do for us (showing a little love, compassion and giving a little time) is just the medicine we need to start shifting our perspective of our own life to a healthier place. 4. Feed Your SpiritJesus isn't just the reason for the season, I firmly believe He is the ultimate answer to what ails us. Now, that doesn't mean everything will just be all holly-jolly and we won't ever have pain and sadness, but I know for certain we will always have hope. I don't know what you believe, or whether you already go to church or not, but maybe make a point to give it a try this Christmas. Lots of churches have cool plays and productions or awesome services planned this time of year. Go spend some time seeking God's presence in a church community. Whether you go to church or not, spend some time seeking Him this season. Pick up your Bible and read about Him, learn about Him, get to know Him a little better. Even just taking time to watch movies like The Nativity Story might be good for your soul. When all else fails, talk to Him. Tell Jesus how you are feeling, tell Him where it hurts, and let Him begin to breath love and life into you. Like I said, I can't promise that doing any of this will make everything ALL better. But I do think it will help take away at least some of those Holiday Blues and bring a little joy back into your Christmas. PS: Maybe Christmas is 100% Jolly for you and your family. If that is the case, take some time to reach out to a friend, co-worker, neighbor, etc who might be lonely. Invite them to decorate cookies with your family or go with you to that Christmas Eve Candlelight service. The smallest act of kindness could make all the difference for them this season.
December 14, 2018
Holiday Apple Blueberry Pie
"Everybody loves pie."Zoe makes this assertion in The Chronicle of the Three: Bloodline and I 100% believe it to be true. How? Not everyone can love pie? It's impossible, you say. Well, think about it. There are so many different varieties of pie...fruit pies, cream pies, even meat pies. You can even have Derby pie (my personal favorite) which is basically a gooey chocolate chip cookie in a pie crust. So I think if everyone tries hard enough they would find a variety of pie that they love. Ergo, everybody loves pie.While, anytime is a good time for pie, the holidays are extra good. We couldn't have a 12 Days of TCO3 Christmas without talking about pie. Maggie thought it would be the perfect time to share a pie recipe with you. One of my husband's favorites (and I think it is perfect for the holidays) is Apple Blueberry pie. 
First you will need to make a pie crust. Honestly, because life is busy and I am a bit lazy, I just used Pillsbury's refrigerated pie crust. It made my life a bit easier. But if you want to go all in on the "from scratch" thing try this crust recipe.With the crust chillin'. Peel, slice and dice 3 large Granny Smith Apples. (about 3 cups worth.)
Next add about 1 1/2 cups of washed, fresh blueberries. 
Then add...1/2 cup sugar1/4 cup cornstarch1/2 teaspoon Apple Pie Spice (A mix of cinnamon, nutmeg and all spice)and a pinch of salt. 
Mix it all up and set it aside while you roll a layer of crust into your pie pan. Then spoon filling in and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of butter, cubed. 
Use the remaining crust to top the pie. This is where you can get creative and super festive. I use Christmas cookie cutters to cut fun shapes that I place on top of the filling. This time I went with trees and stars. You can do a nice lattice, some Santa and reindeer, a mish-mash of candy canes, etc. GO NUTS! After you cover the pie, use an egg wash (one egg mixed with a teaspoon of water) to brush over the pie so it gets a nice brown color. I then sprinkle mine with a little more cinnamon and some raw sugar. 
Bake in a preheated, 400 degree oven, until golden brown. This would be about 35 minutes. Then be sure to let the pie rest for about an hour so the filling will set. Finally, slice and serve with ice cream or whipped cream or more pie!
So there you have it! What's your favorite kind of pie?
First you will need to make a pie crust. Honestly, because life is busy and I am a bit lazy, I just used Pillsbury's refrigerated pie crust. It made my life a bit easier. But if you want to go all in on the "from scratch" thing try this crust recipe.With the crust chillin'. Peel, slice and dice 3 large Granny Smith Apples. (about 3 cups worth.)Next add about 1 1/2 cups of washed, fresh blueberries. Then add...1/2 cup sugar1/4 cup cornstarch1/2 teaspoon Apple Pie Spice (A mix of cinnamon, nutmeg and all spice)and a pinch of salt. Mix it all up and set it aside while you roll a layer of crust into your pie pan. Then spoon filling in and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of butter, cubed. Use the remaining crust to top the pie. This is where you can get creative and super festive. I use Christmas cookie cutters to cut fun shapes that I place on top of the filling. This time I went with trees and stars. You can do a nice lattice, some Santa and reindeer, a mish-mash of candy canes, etc. GO NUTS! After you cover the pie, use an egg wash (one egg mixed with a teaspoon of water) to brush over the pie so it gets a nice brown color. I then sprinkle mine with a little more cinnamon and some raw sugar. Bake in a preheated, 400 degree oven, until golden brown. This would be about 35 minutes. Then be sure to let the pie rest for about an hour so the filling will set. Finally, slice and serve with ice cream or whipped cream or more pie!So there you have it! What's your favorite kind of pie?
Lucas's First Christmas...Sort Of
EEK! Here's an early Christmas gift from me to you, a TCO3 Trilogy bonus short.I hope you enjoy it!
The last couple of weeks, Maggie had been more over-the-top than normal and Lucas found it a bit exhausting. He couldn’t take much more holiday cheer or he might crack and go back to his villainous ways. “You’re being a Grinch,” Maggie had told him. “Well, I get where the guy was coming from,” he replied. “Whoville had it coming.” Maggie did not find that amusing and proceeded to make him watch How the Grinch Stole Christmas while she gave commentary on what he could learn from Cindy Lou like it was a lecture on holiday ethics. “Now get in the Christmas Spirit you Scrooge or I’m telling Santa!” Was he supposed to find that threatening? He didn’t and so he laughed. Maggie was still not amused and while being on Santa’s naughty list didn’t seem like that big of a deal, being on Maggie’s suddenly felt very scary, even with the bell of her Santa hat jingling as she tapped her foot on the floor. “Fine,” Lucas relented. “I’ll go along with your twelve step holiday plan. But don’t expect me to be all holly-jolly about it.” She hugged him in return for his compliance and while he would never admit it to her, Lucas was a little excited to get to celebrate his first Christmas in, well, ever. At least the first one he would really remember. But he would not give her the satisfaction of knowing that because he was also fairly certain her level of Christmas cheer might kill him. “Okay then, let’s do this thing!” Maggie shouted and unrolled a piece of paper scribbled on with red and green ink and dripping with gold glitter. “Twelve steps to the perfect Christmas.”Step one: Don our Christmas Apparel. Santa’s elves looked blah next to Maggie. Seriously, how many Christmas sweaters did she even own? And socks, so many pairs of Christmas socks. She even had Lucas wearing a pair of festive socks, red and green striped with holiday garbed sharks all over them. He protested them but if you know Maggie you know that was useless. He could tell by the unflinching look on her face that she was fully willing and capable of tackling him to the ground and sitting on him while she forced the socks on his feet. Wearing the socks seemed like the lesser humiliation. The matching elf hats she got for them was where he drew the line. “No, not gonna happen, never, no way!” Those had been his exact words. Everything that happened after he spoke them is a bit of a blur. All he knew now was the hat itched. It did keep his head warm though as they hunted for the perfect tree.Step two: Find the perfect tree. “This one?” Lucas pointed to the fifth tree of the day as they strolled through the Christmas Tree Lot in front of the bank. “No, too skinny.” “But you said the last one was too fat,” Lucas retorted. “It was,” Maggie stopped at another tree, looked it up and down, then stuck her tongue out at it and moved on to the next one in line. “Don’t you think that’s a little shallow, judging a tree by its waistline? Isn’t it what’s on the inside that counts?” Maggie didn’t respond to his jest. Instead she circled the lot three times looking at every single tree. Some were too tall, others too short. Some were not the perfect cone shape. One tree just “felt too arrogant” and Lucas had no idea what that meant but he wasn’t going to ask Maggie and risk this all taking any longer than it already had. “This must be what Charlie was warning me about in his last email,” Lucas mumbled under his breath. “What?” Maggie turned around, glaring at him. He wasn’t sure if she had really heard him or not. “Why didn’t Zoe and Daniel have to come again?” “They are patrolling for pesky demon stragglers like they do every Saturday night,” Maggie answered and went back to judging trees. “Ah yes, demon-stragglers,” Lucas replied. He would love to kill a shadow right about now. Since that wasn’t an option, unless one popped out of that fat tree, he began to devise a revenge plan against Zoe and Daniel for not helping to get him out of this. “This one!” Maggie shouted with glee. “This is our tree.” To Lucas it looked like every other tree but Maggie looked at the thing like it was sparkling under some heavenly spotlight. Maybe that expression was worth it. Maybe.Step three: Decorate the tree. They were surrounded by boxes of ornaments and tinsel and bows. Most had been Zoe and Claire’s, but Daniel had found a box of his family’s old ornaments in the back of the loft and Maggie had brought a few from home. They shared memories as they placed them on the tree. Lucas had a vague remembrance of his mother decorating their tree when he was a boy. She would hum carols as she carefully pulled glass treasures from their wrapping. It made him sad to think of her and more so to know that he would never have any childhood treasures of his own to reminisce over. “Earth to Lucas,” Daniel chuckled while waving his hand in front of Lucas’s face. “What?” Lucas snapped back. “Here,” Maggie handed him a small gold box with a red bow on top. “Open it.” “I thought we weren’t doing presents tonight?” Lucas asked as he took the box. “This isn’t a present-present,” Zoe answered. “Open it!” Maggie repeated, bouncing in place. Lucas untied the silk ribbon and lifted the lid. Underneath a bit of green tissue paper was a glass ball. It was white and had a silver sword painted on one side. He turned it in his hand and on the other side, written in glittery gold and silver it said, ‘Lucas’s First Christmas.’ Step four: Decorate cookies. “No one is allowed to eat a single cookie until they have all been decorated,” Maggie ordered. "But what if I don’t like frosting?” Lucas argued. “You do,” Maggie countered. He did. She was right. He also liked sprinkles…lots of sprinkles. Step five: Lights! Apparently, bundling up in three layers of clothes to stay warm while walking down street after street to look at how people decorated their house with Christmas lights was a thing. Lucas didn’t understand it. Mainly, he didn’t understand why they had to walk in the cold when they could have driven around the neighborhood in a warm car. Maggie said walking felt more festive and Zoe and Daniel were all about holding hands and being lovey-dovey so they didn’t help him argue his case. It wasn’t totally horrible though. One house had Santa and the Three Wise Men holding light sabers and fighting off a group of Storm Troopers.Step six: Go to the parade. Lucas hadn’t been impressed with the parade last year when Maggie had dragged them to it and he really wasn’t impressed this year either. There were no demons lining the rooftops which was nice, but four different floats played Holly Jolly Christmas and now he would never get that song out of his head. He did like that it was something of a tradition, drinking hot cocoa while surrounded by the whole town. It was really the only tradition he had. Well, so far. This year more traditions were being created for him and he liked how that felt. It felt like not being alone. Step seven: Shopping. When Maggie said they were going Christmas shopping, Lucas didn’t realize that meant she would shop and he would just stand around, waiting for her, while holding all the bags and boxes. He hated shopping and would have screamed and run away except Maggie promised him tacos when they were done. Step eight: Wrap the presents. Want to know what Lucas hated more than shopping? Wrapping the presents, that’s what. Especially the part of the experience where Maggie stuck bows on his head and snapped a photo for her Instagram. He had already gotten four paper cuts and tangled in the tape roll twice. How on earth are you supposed to pull the tape while holding the paper in place without three hands? He decided that next year he will make the case for gift bags…if Maggie allows it… she’s scary at Christmas time, scarier than usual. Step nine: Caroling. Lucas had learned a lot about himself over the holiday season. On top of the shopping and wrapping, he learned he also hated caroling. Not as much as he hated the shopping and the wrapping but close. Really he didn’t mind the singing, it was the standing in stranger’s yards that he had an issue with. It just felt awkward. Couldn’t they have just sung carols around the fire in their own living room? Would that have been too much to ask? Why does everything they do have to be out in the world with other people? And why oh why do they have to keep singing Holly Jolly Christmas?!Step ten: Snowball fight! Anytime Lucas got to throw things at Daniel and not get yelled at for it, he was happy. Snowball fights made him happy. Step eleven: Church Candlelight Service. Stepping foot inside a church always felt strange to Lucas. He’s only done it a handful of times since stopping an apocalypse but every time was awkward. He felt out of place, felt like people were watching him like they knew all the bad things he’d done and how he wasn’t good enough to be sitting on that wooden pew beside them, that he would never be good enough. He hated those wooden pews, too. They made him even more uncomfortable and squirmy. And Maggie had made him dress up this time so that was especially awful. Could he sneak out to the bathroom and stay there until service was over? The thought was circling his mind over and over. Lucas fidgeted again. Maggie reached over and took his hand. The touch of her soft skin made him calm down. He squeezed her hand as a silent thank you. The choir finished O Holy Night and the pastor walked to the pulpit. This was always the part Lucas hated, that part where they talked and he would get angry all over again for all the years he lost to the darkness, years stolen from him without anyone coming to save him. This time, with the pastor talking about the baby Jesus coming and love and grace and freedom, this time he wasn’t angry. He knew that love this time, really knew it, and the grace and freedom had gotten more real with every day that had passed in this new life he’d been given. For the first Christmas in a really long time Lucas felt peace. It was so subtle, and so deep down, he almost missed it. Step twelve: The big day! Maggie made them all wear matching Holiday pajamas. Lucas didn’t even try to argue with her on those. He didn’t have the energy and they were comfortable so he ignored the dancing reindeer printed on them and chowed down on his carton of lo mein. “Another pic to print and frame,” Maggie laughed. Lucas looked up from eating in time to see Daniel holding mistletoe over Zoe’s head. “You’re totally hopeless,” he jibed. “Hopelessly romantic,” Daniel smiled and kissed Zoe again. “Or just hopelessly goofy,” Lucas retorted. “I like his goofy,” Zoe said, her cheeks still a little blushed. Lucas liked his goofy too, and liked that it made Zoe happy. He’d deny it of course and threaten to kill you for even saying it, but it was true. When did he start getting so sappy? It must have something to do with all the holiday cheer. Maybe he was a little bit of a Grinch and all of Maggie’s twelves steps had grown his heart a size or two. “Time to hang the star,” Maggie shouted out with glee while waving a gold, glittery star in the air. “Lucas you do the honors,” Zoe said. “Why does he get to hang the star?” Daniel protested. “Because we said so, that’s why,” Maggie ended any further argument and handed the star to Lucas. He stepped onto a short stool and reached up to place the metal star at the tip top of Maggie’s perfect tree. Lucas could feel it then, warmth stirring inside and whispered to him that he really had a family again and they weren’t going anywhere. Warmth that whispered he had a home and a foundation. Warmth that swirled and soothed bits of residual pain and fear. Lucas wiped a tear from his cheek before stepping off the stool. “Let’s sing!” Maggie turned up the volume on Daniel’s playlist. “No,” Lucas objected, “Not this song, not ever again.” “Come on,” Maggie batted her eyelashes, “For me.” “Nope, sorry, can’t do it.” Lucas stuffed an entire cookie in his mouth to buy him time for the moment to pass. “Did you just meet me? Do I ever take no for an answer?” Maggie grabbed his hand and started bopping around the living room dragging a reluctant Lucas along. Zoe and Daniel joined in the awful dancing and more awful singing at the top of their lungs. “You’re missing out by being stubborn,” Maggie twirled around and once again the smile that lit her face pushed him over the edge. “Fine,” Lucas said, cookie crumbs spitting from his still full mouth. “Holly, Jolly Christmas…” After Maggie made them watch 6 hours of her favorite Christmas movies, Lucas fell asleep on the sofa surrounded by piles of ripped wrapping paper and discarded bows. He didn’t dream, didn’t toss and turn, didn’t shiver from the cold. He was warm and safe and his heart was so full. The next morning he was up with the sunrise. He made his way to the kitchen and started a pot of coffee. When it was done brewing he poured a fresh, hot cup for himself and padded bare feet back to the living room. He sipped the coffee while staring at the tree and thinking about Maggie’s twelve step plan and how much of it he hated but he wouldn’t trade a minute of it. For too long his life had been devoid of any real joy and this season, more than any other, had proven to him that it didn’t have to be that way…not ever again. “You okay?” Zoe asked in between yawns. Lucas wiped another pesky tear from his cheek. “Yeah,” he replied. “And I made coffee.” “Yay. Coffee.” Zoe smiled. She put a hand on his shoulder. “It’s good to see you so happy,” she whispered to him then kissed his cheek before turning toward the kitchen. “But you better be ready to buckle down,” she called back to him, “because you do realize this was all just early Christmas, or first Christmas, whatever Maggie has been calling it. Our flight to South America leaves in five hours and Mags is gonna make you do it all again with Claire and Michael. Well, everything but the snowball fight.” “But that was my favorite part,” Lucas grumbled to Zoe then returned to sipping his coffee, staring at the tree, and smiling at the feeling of it all. Then he made a mental note to delete Holly Jolly Christmas from everyone's playlists before they go to the airport. The End. Merry Christmas, to you and your family, whether they are blood relatives or the kind that comes through doing life together. May you find joy and peace this Holiday season. Remember, you are chosen, powerful, loved and never alone. Love,Your TCO3 Family and Tab.
The last couple of weeks, Maggie had been more over-the-top than normal and Lucas found it a bit exhausting. He couldn’t take much more holiday cheer or he might crack and go back to his villainous ways. “You’re being a Grinch,” Maggie had told him. “Well, I get where the guy was coming from,” he replied. “Whoville had it coming.” Maggie did not find that amusing and proceeded to make him watch How the Grinch Stole Christmas while she gave commentary on what he could learn from Cindy Lou like it was a lecture on holiday ethics. “Now get in the Christmas Spirit you Scrooge or I’m telling Santa!” Was he supposed to find that threatening? He didn’t and so he laughed. Maggie was still not amused and while being on Santa’s naughty list didn’t seem like that big of a deal, being on Maggie’s suddenly felt very scary, even with the bell of her Santa hat jingling as she tapped her foot on the floor. “Fine,” Lucas relented. “I’ll go along with your twelve step holiday plan. But don’t expect me to be all holly-jolly about it.” She hugged him in return for his compliance and while he would never admit it to her, Lucas was a little excited to get to celebrate his first Christmas in, well, ever. At least the first one he would really remember. But he would not give her the satisfaction of knowing that because he was also fairly certain her level of Christmas cheer might kill him. “Okay then, let’s do this thing!” Maggie shouted and unrolled a piece of paper scribbled on with red and green ink and dripping with gold glitter. “Twelve steps to the perfect Christmas.”Step one: Don our Christmas Apparel. Santa’s elves looked blah next to Maggie. Seriously, how many Christmas sweaters did she even own? And socks, so many pairs of Christmas socks. She even had Lucas wearing a pair of festive socks, red and green striped with holiday garbed sharks all over them. He protested them but if you know Maggie you know that was useless. He could tell by the unflinching look on her face that she was fully willing and capable of tackling him to the ground and sitting on him while she forced the socks on his feet. Wearing the socks seemed like the lesser humiliation. The matching elf hats she got for them was where he drew the line. “No, not gonna happen, never, no way!” Those had been his exact words. Everything that happened after he spoke them is a bit of a blur. All he knew now was the hat itched. It did keep his head warm though as they hunted for the perfect tree.Step two: Find the perfect tree. “This one?” Lucas pointed to the fifth tree of the day as they strolled through the Christmas Tree Lot in front of the bank. “No, too skinny.” “But you said the last one was too fat,” Lucas retorted. “It was,” Maggie stopped at another tree, looked it up and down, then stuck her tongue out at it and moved on to the next one in line. “Don’t you think that’s a little shallow, judging a tree by its waistline? Isn’t it what’s on the inside that counts?” Maggie didn’t respond to his jest. Instead she circled the lot three times looking at every single tree. Some were too tall, others too short. Some were not the perfect cone shape. One tree just “felt too arrogant” and Lucas had no idea what that meant but he wasn’t going to ask Maggie and risk this all taking any longer than it already had. “This must be what Charlie was warning me about in his last email,” Lucas mumbled under his breath. “What?” Maggie turned around, glaring at him. He wasn’t sure if she had really heard him or not. “Why didn’t Zoe and Daniel have to come again?” “They are patrolling for pesky demon stragglers like they do every Saturday night,” Maggie answered and went back to judging trees. “Ah yes, demon-stragglers,” Lucas replied. He would love to kill a shadow right about now. Since that wasn’t an option, unless one popped out of that fat tree, he began to devise a revenge plan against Zoe and Daniel for not helping to get him out of this. “This one!” Maggie shouted with glee. “This is our tree.” To Lucas it looked like every other tree but Maggie looked at the thing like it was sparkling under some heavenly spotlight. Maybe that expression was worth it. Maybe.Step three: Decorate the tree. They were surrounded by boxes of ornaments and tinsel and bows. Most had been Zoe and Claire’s, but Daniel had found a box of his family’s old ornaments in the back of the loft and Maggie had brought a few from home. They shared memories as they placed them on the tree. Lucas had a vague remembrance of his mother decorating their tree when he was a boy. She would hum carols as she carefully pulled glass treasures from their wrapping. It made him sad to think of her and more so to know that he would never have any childhood treasures of his own to reminisce over. “Earth to Lucas,” Daniel chuckled while waving his hand in front of Lucas’s face. “What?” Lucas snapped back. “Here,” Maggie handed him a small gold box with a red bow on top. “Open it.” “I thought we weren’t doing presents tonight?” Lucas asked as he took the box. “This isn’t a present-present,” Zoe answered. “Open it!” Maggie repeated, bouncing in place. Lucas untied the silk ribbon and lifted the lid. Underneath a bit of green tissue paper was a glass ball. It was white and had a silver sword painted on one side. He turned it in his hand and on the other side, written in glittery gold and silver it said, ‘Lucas’s First Christmas.’ Step four: Decorate cookies. “No one is allowed to eat a single cookie until they have all been decorated,” Maggie ordered. "But what if I don’t like frosting?” Lucas argued. “You do,” Maggie countered. He did. She was right. He also liked sprinkles…lots of sprinkles. Step five: Lights! Apparently, bundling up in three layers of clothes to stay warm while walking down street after street to look at how people decorated their house with Christmas lights was a thing. Lucas didn’t understand it. Mainly, he didn’t understand why they had to walk in the cold when they could have driven around the neighborhood in a warm car. Maggie said walking felt more festive and Zoe and Daniel were all about holding hands and being lovey-dovey so they didn’t help him argue his case. It wasn’t totally horrible though. One house had Santa and the Three Wise Men holding light sabers and fighting off a group of Storm Troopers.Step six: Go to the parade. Lucas hadn’t been impressed with the parade last year when Maggie had dragged them to it and he really wasn’t impressed this year either. There were no demons lining the rooftops which was nice, but four different floats played Holly Jolly Christmas and now he would never get that song out of his head. He did like that it was something of a tradition, drinking hot cocoa while surrounded by the whole town. It was really the only tradition he had. Well, so far. This year more traditions were being created for him and he liked how that felt. It felt like not being alone. Step seven: Shopping. When Maggie said they were going Christmas shopping, Lucas didn’t realize that meant she would shop and he would just stand around, waiting for her, while holding all the bags and boxes. He hated shopping and would have screamed and run away except Maggie promised him tacos when they were done. Step eight: Wrap the presents. Want to know what Lucas hated more than shopping? Wrapping the presents, that’s what. Especially the part of the experience where Maggie stuck bows on his head and snapped a photo for her Instagram. He had already gotten four paper cuts and tangled in the tape roll twice. How on earth are you supposed to pull the tape while holding the paper in place without three hands? He decided that next year he will make the case for gift bags…if Maggie allows it… she’s scary at Christmas time, scarier than usual. Step nine: Caroling. Lucas had learned a lot about himself over the holiday season. On top of the shopping and wrapping, he learned he also hated caroling. Not as much as he hated the shopping and the wrapping but close. Really he didn’t mind the singing, it was the standing in stranger’s yards that he had an issue with. It just felt awkward. Couldn’t they have just sung carols around the fire in their own living room? Would that have been too much to ask? Why does everything they do have to be out in the world with other people? And why oh why do they have to keep singing Holly Jolly Christmas?!Step ten: Snowball fight! Anytime Lucas got to throw things at Daniel and not get yelled at for it, he was happy. Snowball fights made him happy. Step eleven: Church Candlelight Service. Stepping foot inside a church always felt strange to Lucas. He’s only done it a handful of times since stopping an apocalypse but every time was awkward. He felt out of place, felt like people were watching him like they knew all the bad things he’d done and how he wasn’t good enough to be sitting on that wooden pew beside them, that he would never be good enough. He hated those wooden pews, too. They made him even more uncomfortable and squirmy. And Maggie had made him dress up this time so that was especially awful. Could he sneak out to the bathroom and stay there until service was over? The thought was circling his mind over and over. Lucas fidgeted again. Maggie reached over and took his hand. The touch of her soft skin made him calm down. He squeezed her hand as a silent thank you. The choir finished O Holy Night and the pastor walked to the pulpit. This was always the part Lucas hated, that part where they talked and he would get angry all over again for all the years he lost to the darkness, years stolen from him without anyone coming to save him. This time, with the pastor talking about the baby Jesus coming and love and grace and freedom, this time he wasn’t angry. He knew that love this time, really knew it, and the grace and freedom had gotten more real with every day that had passed in this new life he’d been given. For the first Christmas in a really long time Lucas felt peace. It was so subtle, and so deep down, he almost missed it. Step twelve: The big day! Maggie made them all wear matching Holiday pajamas. Lucas didn’t even try to argue with her on those. He didn’t have the energy and they were comfortable so he ignored the dancing reindeer printed on them and chowed down on his carton of lo mein. “Another pic to print and frame,” Maggie laughed. Lucas looked up from eating in time to see Daniel holding mistletoe over Zoe’s head. “You’re totally hopeless,” he jibed. “Hopelessly romantic,” Daniel smiled and kissed Zoe again. “Or just hopelessly goofy,” Lucas retorted. “I like his goofy,” Zoe said, her cheeks still a little blushed. Lucas liked his goofy too, and liked that it made Zoe happy. He’d deny it of course and threaten to kill you for even saying it, but it was true. When did he start getting so sappy? It must have something to do with all the holiday cheer. Maybe he was a little bit of a Grinch and all of Maggie’s twelves steps had grown his heart a size or two. “Time to hang the star,” Maggie shouted out with glee while waving a gold, glittery star in the air. “Lucas you do the honors,” Zoe said. “Why does he get to hang the star?” Daniel protested. “Because we said so, that’s why,” Maggie ended any further argument and handed the star to Lucas. He stepped onto a short stool and reached up to place the metal star at the tip top of Maggie’s perfect tree. Lucas could feel it then, warmth stirring inside and whispered to him that he really had a family again and they weren’t going anywhere. Warmth that whispered he had a home and a foundation. Warmth that swirled and soothed bits of residual pain and fear. Lucas wiped a tear from his cheek before stepping off the stool. “Let’s sing!” Maggie turned up the volume on Daniel’s playlist. “No,” Lucas objected, “Not this song, not ever again.” “Come on,” Maggie batted her eyelashes, “For me.” “Nope, sorry, can’t do it.” Lucas stuffed an entire cookie in his mouth to buy him time for the moment to pass. “Did you just meet me? Do I ever take no for an answer?” Maggie grabbed his hand and started bopping around the living room dragging a reluctant Lucas along. Zoe and Daniel joined in the awful dancing and more awful singing at the top of their lungs. “You’re missing out by being stubborn,” Maggie twirled around and once again the smile that lit her face pushed him over the edge. “Fine,” Lucas said, cookie crumbs spitting from his still full mouth. “Holly, Jolly Christmas…” After Maggie made them watch 6 hours of her favorite Christmas movies, Lucas fell asleep on the sofa surrounded by piles of ripped wrapping paper and discarded bows. He didn’t dream, didn’t toss and turn, didn’t shiver from the cold. He was warm and safe and his heart was so full. The next morning he was up with the sunrise. He made his way to the kitchen and started a pot of coffee. When it was done brewing he poured a fresh, hot cup for himself and padded bare feet back to the living room. He sipped the coffee while staring at the tree and thinking about Maggie’s twelve step plan and how much of it he hated but he wouldn’t trade a minute of it. For too long his life had been devoid of any real joy and this season, more than any other, had proven to him that it didn’t have to be that way…not ever again. “You okay?” Zoe asked in between yawns. Lucas wiped another pesky tear from his cheek. “Yeah,” he replied. “And I made coffee.” “Yay. Coffee.” Zoe smiled. She put a hand on his shoulder. “It’s good to see you so happy,” she whispered to him then kissed his cheek before turning toward the kitchen. “But you better be ready to buckle down,” she called back to him, “because you do realize this was all just early Christmas, or first Christmas, whatever Maggie has been calling it. Our flight to South America leaves in five hours and Mags is gonna make you do it all again with Claire and Michael. Well, everything but the snowball fight.” “But that was my favorite part,” Lucas grumbled to Zoe then returned to sipping his coffee, staring at the tree, and smiling at the feeling of it all. Then he made a mental note to delete Holly Jolly Christmas from everyone's playlists before they go to the airport. The End. Merry Christmas, to you and your family, whether they are blood relatives or the kind that comes through doing life together. May you find joy and peace this Holiday season. Remember, you are chosen, powerful, loved and never alone. Love,Your TCO3 Family and Tab.
December 5, 2018
12 Days of TCO3 Christmas!
Let me begin by bursting your bubble just a little and tell you that I'm not Ellen or Oprah so these 12 days aren't coming with daily prizes. (Sorry, I hated to do that.) They do come with the gift of connection, sass, fun and a good dose of Maggie's holiday spirit (which sounds like a lollipop flavor...I'll get on that). There may also be a little surprise in the works for my readers on one of the days. (Keep an eye out on DAY 2, December 14th. *wink* )Now that's out of the way we can focus on the fun festivities because...
It totally makes sense to share the TCO3 goodness this season because The Chronicle of the Three Trilogy is the perfect Christmas read. Why? I'll tell you. 1. If you read all three books you work your way through Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas with a big bang of a New Year's finish. There's snow, tree-decorating, gift-giving and hot chocolate alongside the demon slaying and saving the world. So it's like a sass-filled journey through the entire holiday season. 
2. It's all about family, and aren't the holidays all about family too? So, it makes sense. 
3. It has all the makings of a Hallmark Christmas Movie. If you don't believe me you can read the potential plot outline here. (Warning: Reading the linked post may make you want to dance.)
4. It's a great gift to share with friends so you can all fangirl together. I know that's a bit of a shameless plug but picture it...You and your girlfriends (or guy friends) all curled up on cozy couches, with plenty of snacks (don't forget the pie and lollipops) buddy reading the trilogy on the day after Christmas or as a New Year's book club deal. You take breaks to laugh, converse, cry. It's great way to relax and unwind together after the busy-ness of the holidays. (If you are totally introverted and completely peopled out after all everything, you can just have TCO3 book club by yourself.)
In conclusion, the 12 Days of TCO3 Christmas begins on December 13th. Fa la la la follow along with all the fun on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. 
It totally makes sense to share the TCO3 goodness this season because The Chronicle of the Three Trilogy is the perfect Christmas read. Why? I'll tell you. 1. If you read all three books you work your way through Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas with a big bang of a New Year's finish. There's snow, tree-decorating, gift-giving and hot chocolate alongside the demon slaying and saving the world. So it's like a sass-filled journey through the entire holiday season. 2. It's all about family, and aren't the holidays all about family too? So, it makes sense. 3. It has all the makings of a Hallmark Christmas Movie. If you don't believe me you can read the potential plot outline here. (Warning: Reading the linked post may make you want to dance.)4. It's a great gift to share with friends so you can all fangirl together. I know that's a bit of a shameless plug but picture it...You and your girlfriends (or guy friends) all curled up on cozy couches, with plenty of snacks (don't forget the pie and lollipops) buddy reading the trilogy on the day after Christmas or as a New Year's book club deal. You take breaks to laugh, converse, cry. It's great way to relax and unwind together after the busy-ness of the holidays. (If you are totally introverted and completely peopled out after all everything, you can just have TCO3 book club by yourself.)In conclusion, the 12 Days of TCO3 Christmas begins on December 13th. Fa la la la follow along with all the fun on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.
December 1, 2018
What TO Do When You Don't Know What To Do
My sweet Mama sent me this post. It is from a Sunday School Lesson she taught and I love the message. Often we have moments in life where we have tried all we know and it isn't working, or we simply don't know what to do to get out of the dark tunnel and back into the light. When we don't know what to do, we aren't alone. God knows!
One of the most difficult and yet most powerful lessons we can learn in our life's journey is that God will make a way for us through our pain and trials if we call on Him for help. You may be clueless about what to do, but God knows exactly what to do and when to do it.Sometimes we feel "stuck" between our disappointing circumstances and our hopes and dreams. You can trust God to be present with you when you are going through horrible things. God will make a way for you!Here is where things sometimes get difficult...most people can't see God's way because they have trouble believing there is a way. They fail to believe there is a path out of their particular trial or tragedy of life. But there is when you follow these steps. 1. Begin your journey with God.It all starts with Him. It is not about our way, but His. It's not about our perspective, but His. Often we try, and fail, to find our way out of pain and trials because we are trying to do it our way when we need to be doing it His way. (Hebrews 11:8,2 Corinthians 5:7)The story of Abraham is good one to think about here. He packed up his belongings and had no idea where he was going. But He believed God! He didn't just believe God, HE NEEDED GOD in order to succeed in his journey. The fact that you desparately need God in your life is not a sign of weakness.We are designed for dependance in God. That may be counterintuitive at times and definitely counter-cultural but it's true. And God will provide what you need. 2. God makes the way, but we have a part to play. Most people do one or two things when they don't know what to do... 1) They repeat the thing that didn't work the first time, or... 2) they stop trying and just give up. They Quit.Please remember that sometomes God's way will be truly miraculous and sometimes it will be hardwork, growth and change on our part. It will mean you have to do something, and not necessarily what you want to do, or what feels comfortable or convenient. God will show us the steps to take, but we have to take them. Beware, those steps won't always be what you thought they would or should. (James 2:14-26)3. Choose your traveling companions wisely.Your journey with God is not intended to be a solo flight. Successful people that make it to the top usually don't make it alone. Whether it be in sports, education, counseling, or spiritual advisors, they were not alone.Part of the way God takes care of you, or makes a way for you, is to put good people around you to help you get where you need to go. Some of these people will show up in your life while others you have to seek out on your own. Be wise and intentional with the friends who get to come alongside you as a support system. (1 Corinthians 15:33, Proverbs 13:20)Look for the following in your friends:* Support- someone to help you carry the load when things are tough * Prayer - someone that doesn't just say they are praying for you but who really is.* Love- As my son-in-law says, you need someone that loves you and loves Jesus. * Honesty & Wisdom -someone who isn't afraid to tell you the truth, even if it isn't what you want to hear, and they will correct you if you are wrong.* Experience- someone that has been where you are and knows and understands what you are going through.* Accountability- Cars and airplanes have gauges that constantly report the status of the engine and warn us when something goes wrong. Companies are audited to inform directors of needed corrections. (I have been an Auditor and believe me there is always someting that could be detrimental if not corrected). In the same way we need to be held accountable by those who will monitor us and are interested enough to ask tough questions.We learn from others and we need their support. Stay close to people who share your values. You cannot journey God's way without risk and fear, but there is safety in numbers. You need people close to you to encourage and build you up so you can face those fears, and not give up.Who in your life is there for you and not afraid to tell you the truth? Who will cry with you and pray for you? Who will stop you when you are headed for trouble?(Caution: There are usually two kinds of people around us. 1) those who are growing personally and b) those who are going no where. Do not entrust your heart to people that are stagnant or going backwards, They will kill your dreams.)Life is a journey. It is full of joy but also can bring pain and struggle. Following God doesn't remove us from the trouble but it does give us a path to take to find healing, freedom and peace. When we hit a rough bit of road we can look to God, trust His path, lean on His strength while we take the steps He is directing us toward, and surround ourselves with godly friends who will support, encourage and challenge us to keep going.
One of the most difficult and yet most powerful lessons we can learn in our life's journey is that God will make a way for us through our pain and trials if we call on Him for help. You may be clueless about what to do, but God knows exactly what to do and when to do it.Sometimes we feel "stuck" between our disappointing circumstances and our hopes and dreams. You can trust God to be present with you when you are going through horrible things. God will make a way for you!Here is where things sometimes get difficult...most people can't see God's way because they have trouble believing there is a way. They fail to believe there is a path out of their particular trial or tragedy of life. But there is when you follow these steps. 1. Begin your journey with God.It all starts with Him. It is not about our way, but His. It's not about our perspective, but His. Often we try, and fail, to find our way out of pain and trials because we are trying to do it our way when we need to be doing it His way. (Hebrews 11:8,2 Corinthians 5:7)The story of Abraham is good one to think about here. He packed up his belongings and had no idea where he was going. But He believed God! He didn't just believe God, HE NEEDED GOD in order to succeed in his journey. The fact that you desparately need God in your life is not a sign of weakness.We are designed for dependance in God. That may be counterintuitive at times and definitely counter-cultural but it's true. And God will provide what you need. 2. God makes the way, but we have a part to play. Most people do one or two things when they don't know what to do... 1) They repeat the thing that didn't work the first time, or... 2) they stop trying and just give up. They Quit.Please remember that sometomes God's way will be truly miraculous and sometimes it will be hardwork, growth and change on our part. It will mean you have to do something, and not necessarily what you want to do, or what feels comfortable or convenient. God will show us the steps to take, but we have to take them. Beware, those steps won't always be what you thought they would or should. (James 2:14-26)3. Choose your traveling companions wisely.Your journey with God is not intended to be a solo flight. Successful people that make it to the top usually don't make it alone. Whether it be in sports, education, counseling, or spiritual advisors, they were not alone.Part of the way God takes care of you, or makes a way for you, is to put good people around you to help you get where you need to go. Some of these people will show up in your life while others you have to seek out on your own. Be wise and intentional with the friends who get to come alongside you as a support system. (1 Corinthians 15:33, Proverbs 13:20)Look for the following in your friends:* Support- someone to help you carry the load when things are tough * Prayer - someone that doesn't just say they are praying for you but who really is.* Love- As my son-in-law says, you need someone that loves you and loves Jesus. * Honesty & Wisdom -someone who isn't afraid to tell you the truth, even if it isn't what you want to hear, and they will correct you if you are wrong.* Experience- someone that has been where you are and knows and understands what you are going through.* Accountability- Cars and airplanes have gauges that constantly report the status of the engine and warn us when something goes wrong. Companies are audited to inform directors of needed corrections. (I have been an Auditor and believe me there is always someting that could be detrimental if not corrected). In the same way we need to be held accountable by those who will monitor us and are interested enough to ask tough questions.We learn from others and we need their support. Stay close to people who share your values. You cannot journey God's way without risk and fear, but there is safety in numbers. You need people close to you to encourage and build you up so you can face those fears, and not give up.Who in your life is there for you and not afraid to tell you the truth? Who will cry with you and pray for you? Who will stop you when you are headed for trouble?(Caution: There are usually two kinds of people around us. 1) those who are growing personally and b) those who are going no where. Do not entrust your heart to people that are stagnant or going backwards, They will kill your dreams.)Life is a journey. It is full of joy but also can bring pain and struggle. Following God doesn't remove us from the trouble but it does give us a path to take to find healing, freedom and peace. When we hit a rough bit of road we can look to God, trust His path, lean on His strength while we take the steps He is directing us toward, and surround ourselves with godly friends who will support, encourage and challenge us to keep going.
November 5, 2018
Welcome to Knight's Academy
Vampires, and werewolves, and high school! OH MY!!You'll find all of the above in The Knight's Academy series by Emerald Barnes. I've written about it before (cuz I love this series) and I am writing about it again because a third book is coming soon!! EEK!!! (Yours truly may have gotten a sneak peek at the manuscript and it is awesome!)
The Marked and The Hunted are all about a girl, Myka, who ends up at this private school with some dark secrets...the school not Myka...well, Myka has some secrets too, so secret she doesn't even know about them...but she's about to find out. (Have I said EEK yet? CUZ EEK!!)Along the way there are new friends, reunions, a dastardly villain or two (We hate Preston by the way) and a love triangle (TEAM BRENT FOR THE WIN!) Doesn't that all sound fun? Well, it is! Maggie gives it 4 lollipops! 
Since I love this series so much I asked Emerald to give us some bonus material about the main characters...Take it away, Emerald!Since the Knight’s Academy series is so serious (I mean, vampires are using humans for awful things, and now the werewolves are in on it. It’s pretty serious.), I wanted to share some fun information about my mains.Our main squeeze is Myka Williams. She’s a…spoiler alert…werewolf, and she’s always felt like her life was a little off-kilter since she’s adopted. And a lot of the why behind that is explained in the books. Her main ways of escaping her crazy life were through drawing, painting, and spending time in the woods. Myka’s a little timid, but eventually, she gains her strength and becomes a little more brazen as the books go on. Myka’s new role in life forces her to make difficult decisions, but one thing Myka always does is follow her heart. She’ll stop at nothing to make sure that her family and friends are safe, and though she’s normally serious and reclusive, Myka’s close-knit group of friends is exactly what she needs to survive her world.
Milo Farrah—what can I say about Milo? He’s a bit broody, but he has good reasons to be. He has family problems, but really, who doesn’t? Though, I guess he has more of a reason to be broody because his dad is trying to take over the world and kill all the humans, capture the werewolves, those types of thing. Normal teen stuff, you know. Despite all of that, Milo is a pretty cool guy. When he cares about someone, he cares about them with all of his heart, and he’d do anything to protect them. He doesn’t always make the right choices, but who does? Fun fact. Milo was the reason I started the Knight’s Academy series. I dreamed about him saving me from some vampires, and then I created the Knight’s Academy world. So, I give Milo heck in the books, but he’s the reason I started writing them. Creds to that cute little hybrid.
And finally, we have Brent Jacobson. *swoon* Brent makes his appearance at the end of book one, and he was never supposed to have as big of a roll as he does in the books. Which is funny because there are a lot of #teambrent fans out there. He was only meant to get Myka safely to her new home, and then he was just going to be a back character, someone who I would just throw in every once in a while, but somehow, he managed to trick me into a bigger role. A much bigger role! In the original version, Brent drove a motorcycle, but it didn’t make sense for book two for him to have a motorcycle. Then again, a bright green mustang doesn’t make much sense either, especially for someone trying to be inconspicuous, but Brent is such a serious, tough guy that I wanted for him to have something that brought him joy. He takes his job as beta seriously, and fun wasn’t something he ever had. He was born for duty, but when Myka came along, his sense of duty somehow left him. Still, his job as beta is very important to him, and following his heart could get in the way of that. What will he do? 
There you have it! (Well, not all of it. For that you have to read the books.) Want to find out more? Want to hate Preston and swoon over Milo and Brent? Grab The Marked and The Hunted before The Chosen releases!
Myka Williams has never fit in with her peers, and although her adoptive parents are loving and supportive, she feels most at home alone in the woods. When she's offered a full scholarship to Knight's Academy in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee, she takes the opportunity for a fresh start. She soon learns that Knight’s Academy is more than just a school. Within the stone walls of the institution, humans and vampires are mixing, and their offspring are going unnoticed. As Myka falls prey to the evil plan of the school, she makes a chilling discovery about her own heritage and realizes that she’s at the Academy for more than just an education. Myka must yield to her birthright at the risk of losing everyone she loves or succumb to the fate that Knight’s Academy has in store for her—a fate worse than death.
Myka Williams has been forced out of Knight's Academy and is on the run, constantly moving to keep the vampires off her trail until Preston's venom is no longer coursing through her veins. But she isn’t alone. Brent Jacobson is her protector, training her and teaching her how to be the werewolf she’s destined to be. He's annoying, stubborn—and hot. But there’s something he isn't telling her. Myka has to come face-to-face with the truth of who she really is. Will she find safety, or will she always be hunted?*See Inspiration for the series on Pinterest*
About Emerald Barnes:She resides in a small town in Mississippi and has the accent to prove it. She’s an auntie, a youth leader, a little bit of a nerd, a reader, a writer, and a family-oriented person. God is number One in her life, and she thanks Him continuously for His love and favor. She’s addicted to tv, and she has a thing for superheroes. When she’s not working, she’s binge-watching TV shows or trying (and failing) to be witty on social media. *Find out more about Emerald and follow her on social media to keep up to date with all the Knight's Academy news and to check out her other books*www.emeraldbarnes.us
The Marked and The Hunted are all about a girl, Myka, who ends up at this private school with some dark secrets...the school not Myka...well, Myka has some secrets too, so secret she doesn't even know about them...but she's about to find out. (Have I said EEK yet? CUZ EEK!!)Along the way there are new friends, reunions, a dastardly villain or two (We hate Preston by the way) and a love triangle (TEAM BRENT FOR THE WIN!) Doesn't that all sound fun? Well, it is! Maggie gives it 4 lollipops! Since I love this series so much I asked Emerald to give us some bonus material about the main characters...Take it away, Emerald!Since the Knight’s Academy series is so serious (I mean, vampires are using humans for awful things, and now the werewolves are in on it. It’s pretty serious.), I wanted to share some fun information about my mains.Our main squeeze is Myka Williams. She’s a…spoiler alert…werewolf, and she’s always felt like her life was a little off-kilter since she’s adopted. And a lot of the why behind that is explained in the books. Her main ways of escaping her crazy life were through drawing, painting, and spending time in the woods. Myka’s a little timid, but eventually, she gains her strength and becomes a little more brazen as the books go on. Myka’s new role in life forces her to make difficult decisions, but one thing Myka always does is follow her heart. She’ll stop at nothing to make sure that her family and friends are safe, and though she’s normally serious and reclusive, Myka’s close-knit group of friends is exactly what she needs to survive her world.Milo Farrah—what can I say about Milo? He’s a bit broody, but he has good reasons to be. He has family problems, but really, who doesn’t? Though, I guess he has more of a reason to be broody because his dad is trying to take over the world and kill all the humans, capture the werewolves, those types of thing. Normal teen stuff, you know. Despite all of that, Milo is a pretty cool guy. When he cares about someone, he cares about them with all of his heart, and he’d do anything to protect them. He doesn’t always make the right choices, but who does? Fun fact. Milo was the reason I started the Knight’s Academy series. I dreamed about him saving me from some vampires, and then I created the Knight’s Academy world. So, I give Milo heck in the books, but he’s the reason I started writing them. Creds to that cute little hybrid.And finally, we have Brent Jacobson. *swoon* Brent makes his appearance at the end of book one, and he was never supposed to have as big of a roll as he does in the books. Which is funny because there are a lot of #teambrent fans out there. He was only meant to get Myka safely to her new home, and then he was just going to be a back character, someone who I would just throw in every once in a while, but somehow, he managed to trick me into a bigger role. A much bigger role! In the original version, Brent drove a motorcycle, but it didn’t make sense for book two for him to have a motorcycle. Then again, a bright green mustang doesn’t make much sense either, especially for someone trying to be inconspicuous, but Brent is such a serious, tough guy that I wanted for him to have something that brought him joy. He takes his job as beta seriously, and fun wasn’t something he ever had. He was born for duty, but when Myka came along, his sense of duty somehow left him. Still, his job as beta is very important to him, and following his heart could get in the way of that. What will he do? There you have it! (Well, not all of it. For that you have to read the books.) Want to find out more? Want to hate Preston and swoon over Milo and Brent? Grab The Marked and The Hunted before The Chosen releases!Myka Williams has never fit in with her peers, and although her adoptive parents are loving and supportive, she feels most at home alone in the woods. When she's offered a full scholarship to Knight's Academy in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee, she takes the opportunity for a fresh start. She soon learns that Knight’s Academy is more than just a school. Within the stone walls of the institution, humans and vampires are mixing, and their offspring are going unnoticed. As Myka falls prey to the evil plan of the school, she makes a chilling discovery about her own heritage and realizes that she’s at the Academy for more than just an education. Myka must yield to her birthright at the risk of losing everyone she loves or succumb to the fate that Knight’s Academy has in store for her—a fate worse than death.Myka Williams has been forced out of Knight's Academy and is on the run, constantly moving to keep the vampires off her trail until Preston's venom is no longer coursing through her veins. But she isn’t alone. Brent Jacobson is her protector, training her and teaching her how to be the werewolf she’s destined to be. He's annoying, stubborn—and hot. But there’s something he isn't telling her. Myka has to come face-to-face with the truth of who she really is. Will she find safety, or will she always be hunted?*See Inspiration for the series on Pinterest*About Emerald Barnes:She resides in a small town in Mississippi and has the accent to prove it. She’s an auntie, a youth leader, a little bit of a nerd, a reader, a writer, and a family-oriented person. God is number One in her life, and she thanks Him continuously for His love and favor. She’s addicted to tv, and she has a thing for superheroes. When she’s not working, she’s binge-watching TV shows or trying (and failing) to be witty on social media. *Find out more about Emerald and follow her on social media to keep up to date with all the Knight's Academy news and to check out her other books*www.emeraldbarnes.us
August 21, 2018
She Cut Him With A Sword, And Here's Why
With The Chronicle of the Three Trilogy complete and a couple new projects (The Wolf Queen and The Wayward) in the works I got to thinking about the similar themes and imagery that keep recurring in my writing. Let's talk about it, shall we?
There's always a little bit of sass. I mean, it isn't all TCO3 level but it's there. I like sass. I enjoy a little humor and sarcasm to break up the tension. (Trust me, in The Wayward you're gonna need it.)There's always a battle between light and darkness. Sometimes it's in your face. In The Wolf Queen it's quite literal. But sometimes it's a little more under the surface. I think The Wayward will be this way. TCO3 was a nice mix of both.There's always someone who is chosen for a purpose. (Blame Buffy if you want.) I know it's a trope. I know it's cliche. I. Don't. Care. I like the idea of being chosen. I think we are all chosen for a purpose and sometimes reading about someone figuring this out is inspiring. There's always a strong female lead who kicks butt and takes names...usually with a sword.I'm never going to write a sweet little contemporary romance (sorry mom). It's not that I don't enjoy them. I like a good Hallmark story as much as the next girl. But I think life is grittier. While some of us read to escape, and I even write some of the fantastical things that I do because I love getting lost in imagination and leaving reality behind for a little bit, life requires that we carry a sword. (Not a literal one, that could get you into trouble at airport security and grocery store checkout lines.)I like the idea of a girl with a sword. I like a girl who isn't perfect, who makes mistakes and is still learning, but who fights, and fights hard for what she thinks is right. The world has dragons to slay. The world has evil trying to destroy us. The world is sinister at times. We don't need to fear it. And we won't if we know how to fight it. So, my stories have girls with swords slicing through demons and dragons. My stories have girls who rise up out of the ashes of pain and grief and tell the darkness where it can stick it. My stories have girls who defend those who can't defend themselves. My stories have girls who don't give up when it gets hard or scary. My stories have girls with swords who look evil in the face and say, "you wanna go, let's go...but know that at the end of this fight there will be blood but it won't be mine."My stories have girls like that because I want to be a girl like that. Who's with me?* Sometimes the girl has a gun or axe, but the thought process here still holds true. So, don't @ me when you read other books and it's not an actual sword. But saying weapon wasn't as poetic. You get it, right? ** Shout out to my friend Fawn for giving me the title to this blog.
There's always a little bit of sass. I mean, it isn't all TCO3 level but it's there. I like sass. I enjoy a little humor and sarcasm to break up the tension. (Trust me, in The Wayward you're gonna need it.)There's always a battle between light and darkness. Sometimes it's in your face. In The Wolf Queen it's quite literal. But sometimes it's a little more under the surface. I think The Wayward will be this way. TCO3 was a nice mix of both.There's always someone who is chosen for a purpose. (Blame Buffy if you want.) I know it's a trope. I know it's cliche. I. Don't. Care. I like the idea of being chosen. I think we are all chosen for a purpose and sometimes reading about someone figuring this out is inspiring. There's always a strong female lead who kicks butt and takes names...usually with a sword.I'm never going to write a sweet little contemporary romance (sorry mom). It's not that I don't enjoy them. I like a good Hallmark story as much as the next girl. But I think life is grittier. While some of us read to escape, and I even write some of the fantastical things that I do because I love getting lost in imagination and leaving reality behind for a little bit, life requires that we carry a sword. (Not a literal one, that could get you into trouble at airport security and grocery store checkout lines.)I like the idea of a girl with a sword. I like a girl who isn't perfect, who makes mistakes and is still learning, but who fights, and fights hard for what she thinks is right. The world has dragons to slay. The world has evil trying to destroy us. The world is sinister at times. We don't need to fear it. And we won't if we know how to fight it. So, my stories have girls with swords slicing through demons and dragons. My stories have girls who rise up out of the ashes of pain and grief and tell the darkness where it can stick it. My stories have girls who defend those who can't defend themselves. My stories have girls who don't give up when it gets hard or scary. My stories have girls with swords who look evil in the face and say, "you wanna go, let's go...but know that at the end of this fight there will be blood but it won't be mine."My stories have girls like that because I want to be a girl like that. Who's with me?* Sometimes the girl has a gun or axe, but the thought process here still holds true. So, don't @ me when you read other books and it's not an actual sword. But saying weapon wasn't as poetic. You get it, right? ** Shout out to my friend Fawn for giving me the title to this blog.
July 2, 2018
Stop Being Mad About The Pigs
In the Bible there is this passage, Mark 5:1-20 to be exact. It tells of an encounter between Jesus and a man possessed by demons. I mean this man was scary-possessed. It’s the whole “We are Legion” story. I mean you can’t even read the words ‘we are legion’ and it not be in a creepy voice. They’ve used that line in movies. It’s that kind of scary.People were afraid of this man. So scared that he lived in the graveyard. (This isn’t helping the creepy factor, am I right?) But Jesus meets this man and his demon legion and he casts the demons out of him and into a bunch of pigs. The pigs then run off a cliff and die. 
It’s cool to be a little sad for the pigs, (I mean Wilbur didn’t necessarily deserve that) but be careful not to be so sympathetic toward the pigs that you miss out on the man being set free, healed, ready to rejoin his community. Don't miss Jesus. I mean the point of the story was that Jesus, in His power and LOVE, set a man free. Jesus gave a man his life back. Jesus loved a man so much that he was willing to lose some pigs over it. We aren’t always so generous. "Those who had seen it told the others what had happened to the demon-possessed man and the pigs. At first they were in awe—and then they were upset, upset over the drowned pigs. They demanded that Jesus leave and not come back." Mark 5:16-17 MSGDoesn’t that verse make you a little mad? (or sad, or smad?) They were upset over the pigs. I get the pigs meant money and food and those things are important but they aren’t (or shouldn’t be) more important than people. We read that story and we want to tell those people a thing or two about Jesus and freedom and salvation and how they missed it. But…we are those people. We get mad about the pigs far too often in our own lives and we don’t even realize it. How do we not see it? Well, I think it starts when we put people in neat little boxes that make it easy for us to deal with them and make it more comfortable for ourselves. We put people in political boxes, race/ethnic boxes, gender boxes, socio-economic boxes, religion boxes, wealth boxes, past mistake boxes….you get what I’m saying? We categorize people by one or two things that help us identify them, the problem is people are way more complex than the boxes we limit them to. When we put people in boxes, boxes that limit them to what they used to do or how they voted or the country they come from, we begin to dehumanize them. Slowly they stop being a person and just become a them. The demon-possessed man was just a them. He wasn’t a son or brother. He wasn’t someone who was hurting or in need. He wasn’t human anymore, he wasn’t worthy. The pigs were more important. Now we would never say someone isn’t worthy of God’s love, or that we don’t want them to meet Jesus, or that the pigs are more important but its how we act and, more importantly, react. (We do it a lot, y'all.)We see a post on facebook or a story on the news or hear the latest gossip and we immediately see the box and don’t see the person. We react, get upset, fired up, defensive and its all about the pigs. We have our buts, and what-ifs, and if they only's, and i’m right so’s, and those excuses and justifications are all just pigs. We begin to make the pigs more important than the people. Let’s stop being mad about the pigs. I’m not saying you can’t talk politics, or have opinions or preferences. I am saying be cautious, be kind, be thoughtful, be slow to speak and quick to listen. I am saying don’t make those things more important than people. (And sure those things may be important so don't argue with me on that. Again, the pigs were important but not so important that Jesus wasn't willing to sacrifice them for one man.)God loves people. If God loses sleep about anything it’s people, not politics, not opinions. It’s hard. I know. To put people first we have to choose to see people and not the boxes. We have to choose to engage people with open minds, hands and hearts. We have to listen. We have to forgive. We have to have compassion and empathy. (Let's make America empathetic again. The whole world too but you gotta admit this would make a great t-shirt.) Even when we don’t agree with someone we still have to see them as a someone who is valuable to Jesus, more valuable than whatever pig we are worried about losing. People, after all, are the most valuable thing to God. (I know I said that already but in case you missed it.)Getting rid of the boxes and seeing people is scary. I mean we get mad about the pigs because focusing on the pigs keeps us comfortable. Removing the boxes around other people means we have to take a risk. It means we have to let people actually see us instead of our box too. It means we have to be vulnerable. It means we have to do a little work. (What’s the work? The work is love. The work is kindness and empathy.) Jesus did the work. Jesus saw a man when everyone else just saw his demons. Jesus wasn't afraid of him but loved him. Jesus, showing that love, doing the work no one else wanted to do, gave that man a future, a purpose. If Jesus did the work and we are His followers, we have to do the work too. "Jesus never said doing these things would be easy. He just said it would work.” -Bob Goff, Everybody AlwaysThe work is worth it. The work is necessary because it is the work that helps people and communities move forward. It’s the work that brings true freedom, freedom that no one can ever take away, freedom that gets us all out of the graveyard. The work will work!I say it again…please stop being mad about the pigs. See the person, the one that Jesus sees, and make them more important. Don't miss Jesus and Him using you. 
PS: No real pigs were harmed in the writing of this blog. I am completely for the fair and ethical treatment of pigs. But this wasn't about real pigs so much as metaphorical ones. The metaphorical ones have got to go.
It’s cool to be a little sad for the pigs, (I mean Wilbur didn’t necessarily deserve that) but be careful not to be so sympathetic toward the pigs that you miss out on the man being set free, healed, ready to rejoin his community. Don't miss Jesus. I mean the point of the story was that Jesus, in His power and LOVE, set a man free. Jesus gave a man his life back. Jesus loved a man so much that he was willing to lose some pigs over it. We aren’t always so generous. "Those who had seen it told the others what had happened to the demon-possessed man and the pigs. At first they were in awe—and then they were upset, upset over the drowned pigs. They demanded that Jesus leave and not come back." Mark 5:16-17 MSGDoesn’t that verse make you a little mad? (or sad, or smad?) They were upset over the pigs. I get the pigs meant money and food and those things are important but they aren’t (or shouldn’t be) more important than people. We read that story and we want to tell those people a thing or two about Jesus and freedom and salvation and how they missed it. But…we are those people. We get mad about the pigs far too often in our own lives and we don’t even realize it. How do we not see it? Well, I think it starts when we put people in neat little boxes that make it easy for us to deal with them and make it more comfortable for ourselves. We put people in political boxes, race/ethnic boxes, gender boxes, socio-economic boxes, religion boxes, wealth boxes, past mistake boxes….you get what I’m saying? We categorize people by one or two things that help us identify them, the problem is people are way more complex than the boxes we limit them to. When we put people in boxes, boxes that limit them to what they used to do or how they voted or the country they come from, we begin to dehumanize them. Slowly they stop being a person and just become a them. The demon-possessed man was just a them. He wasn’t a son or brother. He wasn’t someone who was hurting or in need. He wasn’t human anymore, he wasn’t worthy. The pigs were more important. Now we would never say someone isn’t worthy of God’s love, or that we don’t want them to meet Jesus, or that the pigs are more important but its how we act and, more importantly, react. (We do it a lot, y'all.)We see a post on facebook or a story on the news or hear the latest gossip and we immediately see the box and don’t see the person. We react, get upset, fired up, defensive and its all about the pigs. We have our buts, and what-ifs, and if they only's, and i’m right so’s, and those excuses and justifications are all just pigs. We begin to make the pigs more important than the people. Let’s stop being mad about the pigs. I’m not saying you can’t talk politics, or have opinions or preferences. I am saying be cautious, be kind, be thoughtful, be slow to speak and quick to listen. I am saying don’t make those things more important than people. (And sure those things may be important so don't argue with me on that. Again, the pigs were important but not so important that Jesus wasn't willing to sacrifice them for one man.)God loves people. If God loses sleep about anything it’s people, not politics, not opinions. It’s hard. I know. To put people first we have to choose to see people and not the boxes. We have to choose to engage people with open minds, hands and hearts. We have to listen. We have to forgive. We have to have compassion and empathy. (Let's make America empathetic again. The whole world too but you gotta admit this would make a great t-shirt.) Even when we don’t agree with someone we still have to see them as a someone who is valuable to Jesus, more valuable than whatever pig we are worried about losing. People, after all, are the most valuable thing to God. (I know I said that already but in case you missed it.)Getting rid of the boxes and seeing people is scary. I mean we get mad about the pigs because focusing on the pigs keeps us comfortable. Removing the boxes around other people means we have to take a risk. It means we have to let people actually see us instead of our box too. It means we have to be vulnerable. It means we have to do a little work. (What’s the work? The work is love. The work is kindness and empathy.) Jesus did the work. Jesus saw a man when everyone else just saw his demons. Jesus wasn't afraid of him but loved him. Jesus, showing that love, doing the work no one else wanted to do, gave that man a future, a purpose. If Jesus did the work and we are His followers, we have to do the work too. "Jesus never said doing these things would be easy. He just said it would work.” -Bob Goff, Everybody AlwaysThe work is worth it. The work is necessary because it is the work that helps people and communities move forward. It’s the work that brings true freedom, freedom that no one can ever take away, freedom that gets us all out of the graveyard. The work will work!I say it again…please stop being mad about the pigs. See the person, the one that Jesus sees, and make them more important. Don't miss Jesus and Him using you. PS: No real pigs were harmed in the writing of this blog. I am completely for the fair and ethical treatment of pigs. But this wasn't about real pigs so much as metaphorical ones. The metaphorical ones have got to go.
June 1, 2018
TCO3 Christmas in June
It's been a whole month since the release of Eden Sword, the final installment in The Chronicle of the Three Trilogy. I already miss these characters. I know that right now you are screaming at me to write that Claire-centric prequel then, but I have two books in the works so my brain just can't handle it. Not yet. But my brain is also weird and likes to go to weird places. Places like, if TCO3 were a Hallmark Christmas movie what would that look like?
I would love for my books to get turned into movies, or even a tv show. That would be the coolest thing. A Hallmark Christmas movie doesn't seem like the right fit though, and if you're thinking that you would be correct. It isn't the right fit. But it could be...sort of. I was recently watching one of those Christmas movies. You know the ones I'm talking about. There are some new characters and a new location plopped into a pretty standard movie-romance formula. They are a little cheesy and a lot predictable. I'm not knocking them. Come December I am completely on board for every single one of them. Do I know what's going to happen? Sure, but it doesn't matter because they are feel good and at Christmas we want a movie that makes us feel good and believe in the magic of love and happily ever afters. Anyway, I was watching one and started to wonder what it would look like if Michael and Claire met in one of those ABC Family, Hallmark Christmas romances?Let's walk through the main plot points I've put together. (Hallmark, if you get this and are interested, call me.)1. It takes place at Christmas. I know I have made that clear but since it's June you might be confused. I just couldn't wait all the way until Christmas to write this post and share it with you so here we are in June. But Christmas is perfect. The second and third books in the TCO3 Trilogy even happen around Christmas time. Plus life-changing romances are more believable at Christmas time. I don't know why but they are. 
2. Claire lives in the big city and goes to a small town in Virginia because she needs a break after a particularly difficult season of demon slaying. Emotionally she is drained. She's beginning to lose herself in her work and is probably heart broken by something. A little time away is just what the doctor ordered. Or in this case her boss or best friend. The point is she leaves her normal big time life to head to a quaint little spot where everyone knows everyone else. 
3. She decides to spend her holiday at the lovely Haven Bed & Breakfast run by an older couple played by Abigail and Charlie. Abigail is warm, kind and a little nosey. Charlie is kind of grouchy but a teddy bear at heart who becomes some wise counsel right when she needs it most. 
4. Going into the B&B she runs smack into a tall, handsome man. I mean she literally runs into him making her lose her grip on her suitcase and spill it's contents. He helps her pick them up. She is a little sassy about the whole thing. He thinks she's a little bit of a diva. Of course this is Michael. 
5. Michael owns the local bakery, It's called Angel Food Bakes. (Isn't that the cutest bakery name ever?) He stops by the B&B daily to drop off homemade muffins and scones and helps Charlie with some of the maintenance. 
6. Claire is constantly running into Michael wherever she goes in town. He's there when she grabs her morning coffee. He's there when she stops into a local shop. He's there when her bike tire goes flat. (I don't know why she's riding a bike around town in the middle of winter but she is and she gets a flat tire and he puts her bike in the back of his vintage truck and drives her back to the B&B. On the way they talk about their childhoods or something.)
7. The more Claire sees Michael around town the more endearing he becomes and she can't help but start to like him. Especially after finding out he is directing the local small-church children's nativity play with the cutest little-kid versions of Daniel, Lucas, Maggie and Zoe you have ever seen. They adorably ask if she wants to be his girlfriend. She says something about he has to take her to dinner first, that that's a rule or something. She smiles. He blushes. The kids give him a look that says "go ahead and ask her" and he does. 
8. They have dinner together and then he walks her through the town's little courtyard and snow begins to fall softly. He's about to kiss her but is stopped by a shadow slinking near the gazebo. Together they take it down. (Okay, that isn't something that would happen in a Hallmark movie but this is still TCO3 so a little demon slaying only seems right.)[image error]9. She goes to bed that night all swoony. ( I know that's probably not a real word but you know what I mean.) She's also a little flustered because she has a demon-slaying city life she was planning on getting back to after Christmas and she isn't sure she can just pack up and transfer here for a guy she just met. (Side note: she goes to bed with her makeup still on and in festive, button up, flannel pajamas. While these are lie pajamas because people buy them but don't actually ever really wear them to bed but just for family photos, we will ignore it though we all know outside of this film she'd be wearing an oversized t shirt and baggy sweats to bed like the rest of us.)
10. There's a snow ball fight...or sledding...or the making of snow angels. This occurs because she finds Michael outside the church giving those cute kids a break from nativity practice to play in the snow. She joins in. It's super romantic. We can't explain why but it is. 
11. Michael comes to the B&B to decorate Christmas cookies he baked with the guests, including Claire. They are elbow deep in the cutest frosting fight ever when who shows up? Claire's ex-fiance, Alex. *Gasp* He has seen the error of his ways and wants to win her back. He pulls her outside to talk and tells her he deserves another chance and that they've been together for years and she just met this other guy. She tells him he hurt her and she won't settle for things like they were. He says he can change. She tells him to go home but he promises to prove himself to her. 
12. Christmas is getting closer. Alex is hanging around Claire like they are still together. She's trying to be nice. Michael is bummed out and thinks she still has feelings for her ex. (She doesn't and this could all have been solved by a simple conversation but instead we get a couple comedic scenes of Alex trying to win her back but only making a fool of himself. He face plants in the snow, spills hot cocoa all over himself, tiny Maggie kicks him in the shin.) At one point something happens (I haven't figured out this little detail just yet) that makes Claire feel a little bad for him and she goes with him back to the B&B. Perhaps he then tells her the city needs her. Maybe he gets a call from a mutual friend talking about a demon attack in the park and tells her that thats her life and this was just all a fantasy, that the city needs her, that he needs her. Blah Blah Blah. (In all the hub bub and blah blah blahs with Alex she misses the nativity play which makes Michael think she made her decision and is leaving.)
13. Claire has a lot of thinking to do. She calls her bestie but they can't talk because they are at a loud Christmas Eve party. So she walks around the quiet house that everyone else has left and ends up talking to Charlie who just happens to still be there and shares some wisdom that makes her realize what she really needs. She runs to the church but the play is over and Michael is gone. She tells the kids she's sorry and they tell her Michael probably went to the bakery to get the cookies for the tree lighting. She runs to the bakery but he isn't there either. She hears caroling from the town square and realizes he must be there since the tree lighting festivities are beginning.
14. She makes her way to the center of town and runs into Alex. She tells him she can't go back with him. He is disappointed but understands because ultimately he wants her to be happy. (Alternatively he is a jerk about the whole thing.) She hugs him goodbye right as Michael walks by. She can tell he thinks the wrong thing and runs after him.
15. There is a dramatic conversation that basically ends in her telling him she wants to be with him and he makes her better yada yada and I love you and blah blah I love you too and the town is singing a sweet carol in the back ground and just as they kiss the tree is lit along with all the lights they have put around the whole town square and it's super magical. (I know this GIF doesn't really fit but it makes me laugh.)
16. We assume they live happily ever after otherwise what was the point of all this. [image error]So, there you have it, my take on TCO3 as a feel-good, sweet Christmas romance. You might be thinking, "if you could put all this together why couldn't you give us that Claire prequel?" I get it, I do, and I will work on that prequel, but honestly, all this took me about ten minutes to piece together. I am also toying with the idea of a PureFlix- God's Not Dead type Lucas redemption story Kendrick Brothers' style. (If the Kendrick brothers see this and are interested, call me.)
I would love for my books to get turned into movies, or even a tv show. That would be the coolest thing. A Hallmark Christmas movie doesn't seem like the right fit though, and if you're thinking that you would be correct. It isn't the right fit. But it could be...sort of. I was recently watching one of those Christmas movies. You know the ones I'm talking about. There are some new characters and a new location plopped into a pretty standard movie-romance formula. They are a little cheesy and a lot predictable. I'm not knocking them. Come December I am completely on board for every single one of them. Do I know what's going to happen? Sure, but it doesn't matter because they are feel good and at Christmas we want a movie that makes us feel good and believe in the magic of love and happily ever afters. Anyway, I was watching one and started to wonder what it would look like if Michael and Claire met in one of those ABC Family, Hallmark Christmas romances?Let's walk through the main plot points I've put together. (Hallmark, if you get this and are interested, call me.)1. It takes place at Christmas. I know I have made that clear but since it's June you might be confused. I just couldn't wait all the way until Christmas to write this post and share it with you so here we are in June. But Christmas is perfect. The second and third books in the TCO3 Trilogy even happen around Christmas time. Plus life-changing romances are more believable at Christmas time. I don't know why but they are. 2. Claire lives in the big city and goes to a small town in Virginia because she needs a break after a particularly difficult season of demon slaying. Emotionally she is drained. She's beginning to lose herself in her work and is probably heart broken by something. A little time away is just what the doctor ordered. Or in this case her boss or best friend. The point is she leaves her normal big time life to head to a quaint little spot where everyone knows everyone else. 3. She decides to spend her holiday at the lovely Haven Bed & Breakfast run by an older couple played by Abigail and Charlie. Abigail is warm, kind and a little nosey. Charlie is kind of grouchy but a teddy bear at heart who becomes some wise counsel right when she needs it most. 4. Going into the B&B she runs smack into a tall, handsome man. I mean she literally runs into him making her lose her grip on her suitcase and spill it's contents. He helps her pick them up. She is a little sassy about the whole thing. He thinks she's a little bit of a diva. Of course this is Michael. 5. Michael owns the local bakery, It's called Angel Food Bakes. (Isn't that the cutest bakery name ever?) He stops by the B&B daily to drop off homemade muffins and scones and helps Charlie with some of the maintenance. 6. Claire is constantly running into Michael wherever she goes in town. He's there when she grabs her morning coffee. He's there when she stops into a local shop. He's there when her bike tire goes flat. (I don't know why she's riding a bike around town in the middle of winter but she is and she gets a flat tire and he puts her bike in the back of his vintage truck and drives her back to the B&B. On the way they talk about their childhoods or something.)7. The more Claire sees Michael around town the more endearing he becomes and she can't help but start to like him. Especially after finding out he is directing the local small-church children's nativity play with the cutest little-kid versions of Daniel, Lucas, Maggie and Zoe you have ever seen. They adorably ask if she wants to be his girlfriend. She says something about he has to take her to dinner first, that that's a rule or something. She smiles. He blushes. The kids give him a look that says "go ahead and ask her" and he does. 8. They have dinner together and then he walks her through the town's little courtyard and snow begins to fall softly. He's about to kiss her but is stopped by a shadow slinking near the gazebo. Together they take it down. (Okay, that isn't something that would happen in a Hallmark movie but this is still TCO3 so a little demon slaying only seems right.)[image error]9. She goes to bed that night all swoony. ( I know that's probably not a real word but you know what I mean.) She's also a little flustered because she has a demon-slaying city life she was planning on getting back to after Christmas and she isn't sure she can just pack up and transfer here for a guy she just met. (Side note: she goes to bed with her makeup still on and in festive, button up, flannel pajamas. While these are lie pajamas because people buy them but don't actually ever really wear them to bed but just for family photos, we will ignore it though we all know outside of this film she'd be wearing an oversized t shirt and baggy sweats to bed like the rest of us.)10. There's a snow ball fight...or sledding...or the making of snow angels. This occurs because she finds Michael outside the church giving those cute kids a break from nativity practice to play in the snow. She joins in. It's super romantic. We can't explain why but it is. 11. Michael comes to the B&B to decorate Christmas cookies he baked with the guests, including Claire. They are elbow deep in the cutest frosting fight ever when who shows up? Claire's ex-fiance, Alex. *Gasp* He has seen the error of his ways and wants to win her back. He pulls her outside to talk and tells her he deserves another chance and that they've been together for years and she just met this other guy. She tells him he hurt her and she won't settle for things like they were. He says he can change. She tells him to go home but he promises to prove himself to her. 12. Christmas is getting closer. Alex is hanging around Claire like they are still together. She's trying to be nice. Michael is bummed out and thinks she still has feelings for her ex. (She doesn't and this could all have been solved by a simple conversation but instead we get a couple comedic scenes of Alex trying to win her back but only making a fool of himself. He face plants in the snow, spills hot cocoa all over himself, tiny Maggie kicks him in the shin.) At one point something happens (I haven't figured out this little detail just yet) that makes Claire feel a little bad for him and she goes with him back to the B&B. Perhaps he then tells her the city needs her. Maybe he gets a call from a mutual friend talking about a demon attack in the park and tells her that thats her life and this was just all a fantasy, that the city needs her, that he needs her. Blah Blah Blah. (In all the hub bub and blah blah blahs with Alex she misses the nativity play which makes Michael think she made her decision and is leaving.)13. Claire has a lot of thinking to do. She calls her bestie but they can't talk because they are at a loud Christmas Eve party. So she walks around the quiet house that everyone else has left and ends up talking to Charlie who just happens to still be there and shares some wisdom that makes her realize what she really needs. She runs to the church but the play is over and Michael is gone. She tells the kids she's sorry and they tell her Michael probably went to the bakery to get the cookies for the tree lighting. She runs to the bakery but he isn't there either. She hears caroling from the town square and realizes he must be there since the tree lighting festivities are beginning.14. She makes her way to the center of town and runs into Alex. She tells him she can't go back with him. He is disappointed but understands because ultimately he wants her to be happy. (Alternatively he is a jerk about the whole thing.) She hugs him goodbye right as Michael walks by. She can tell he thinks the wrong thing and runs after him.15. There is a dramatic conversation that basically ends in her telling him she wants to be with him and he makes her better yada yada and I love you and blah blah I love you too and the town is singing a sweet carol in the back ground and just as they kiss the tree is lit along with all the lights they have put around the whole town square and it's super magical. (I know this GIF doesn't really fit but it makes me laugh.)16. We assume they live happily ever after otherwise what was the point of all this. [image error]So, there you have it, my take on TCO3 as a feel-good, sweet Christmas romance. You might be thinking, "if you could put all this together why couldn't you give us that Claire prequel?" I get it, I do, and I will work on that prequel, but honestly, all this took me about ten minutes to piece together. I am also toying with the idea of a PureFlix- God's Not Dead type Lucas redemption story Kendrick Brothers' style. (If the Kendrick brothers see this and are interested, call me.)
May 21, 2018
Maggies Gives Away More Lollipops!
Hi! This is Maggie again!!!So, I took over Tab's blog a couple weeks ago so we could all have a positive moment to release the stress and anxiety brought on by watching Avengers Infinity Wars. Since I firmly believe lollipops make life better and at the request of Tab's daughter I am taking over again. This time of year is always a little sad for Tab. If you weren't aware (and honestly I'm not sure how you could not be aware) she loves TV. Like, really really loves it. She gets super invested in her fave shows and the made up lives of her fave fictional characters. Well, it's that time where summer is here and so are season finales. This is the biggest show hole moment of the year and it can be difficult. I mean, how are we supposed to wait like three whole months to find out what happened to Oliver Queen or the Winchesters? How can they bring us to the brink with those cliffhangers and then just drop us off that 'cliff of all the feels' leaving us falling until the fall? It's not right I say!
But, alas, we can't do much about it except find something to binge and give some lollipops to our fave tv characters in hopes they will return to us unscathed during the next fall premiere week. Let's do this!1. SupernaturalThis is Tab's favorite. She has been ride or die with those boys since the very beginning and it never gets easier to say goodbye for the summer. Sam and Dean get pie flavored lollipops. Apple, cherry, blueberry, pecan...it really doesn't matter which kind of pie but pie. Because PIE!
2. ArrowOliver Queen needs a vacation y'all. Like to sit on a beach somewhere and not worry about a thing. The guy just can't catch a break. I mean can the bad guys try to corrupt a different city just once? Oliver gets a Key Lime Pie lollipop. I promise this isn't all going to be pie themed but it's perfect, it'll feel like a beach vacation plus the green matches his outfit. 
3. The FlashSpeaking of superheroes, let's talk Barry Allen. He gets a cinnamon lollipop. Red matches his super suit and the spice of cinnamon makes me think of lightning which makes me think of the lightning that shows up when he runs so it makes sense. A second option would be coffee flavored but I don't think he needs the caffeine. 
4. Jane the VirginOkay, that cliffhanger was just mean. I mean I don't even want to give them lollipops because of it. We stared at the screen for like 5 minutes with our jaws dropped over this one. It was really not a cool way to leave us hanging. However, the narrator probably shares our feelings so he gets a Rocky Road lollipop. It seems appropriate. 
5. SirenThis show is new to us and we aren't even sure how much we like it but it is about mermaids and so I'm adding it. They get Sea Salted Caramel lollipops because sea salt...for the mermaids...get it? 
We could keep going and going...and going, Tab watches a lot of tv y'all, but we won't. I feel like I would start getting too cliche and I have a higher standard than just giving the cast of Hawaii-five 0 pineapple lollipops. We're all better than that. Therapy lollipops require more imagination or whimsy. I will throw in a couple bonuses because not all is lost in the show hole of summer hiatus. * PoldarkThis little PBS treasure is supposed to come back in July and we are stoked. I mean it's real good. REAL. GOOD. In an effort to be historically accurate they get figgy pudding lollipops. I mean I'm not sure exactly when figgy pudding became a thing but it is probably close enough. The other option was a molasses lollipop and that just doesn't seem as fun. Say figgy and tell me you aren't smiling? 
*Wonder WomanOkay, this isn't a tv show but do we really care? We will bring up Wonder Woman whenever we can because WONDER WOMAN!!! She gets a vanilla ice cream flavor lollipop. If you don't understand that reference go watch the movie. With everything heading into season finales you have the time. 
What is the show you most hate seeing go on summer vacation? Let us know in the comments and bonus points if you tell us which lollipop flavor you'd give the cast. PS: All the GIFs came from Giphy. They get all the credit for their wonder and awesomeness.
But, alas, we can't do much about it except find something to binge and give some lollipops to our fave tv characters in hopes they will return to us unscathed during the next fall premiere week. Let's do this!1. SupernaturalThis is Tab's favorite. She has been ride or die with those boys since the very beginning and it never gets easier to say goodbye for the summer. Sam and Dean get pie flavored lollipops. Apple, cherry, blueberry, pecan...it really doesn't matter which kind of pie but pie. Because PIE!2. ArrowOliver Queen needs a vacation y'all. Like to sit on a beach somewhere and not worry about a thing. The guy just can't catch a break. I mean can the bad guys try to corrupt a different city just once? Oliver gets a Key Lime Pie lollipop. I promise this isn't all going to be pie themed but it's perfect, it'll feel like a beach vacation plus the green matches his outfit. 3. The FlashSpeaking of superheroes, let's talk Barry Allen. He gets a cinnamon lollipop. Red matches his super suit and the spice of cinnamon makes me think of lightning which makes me think of the lightning that shows up when he runs so it makes sense. A second option would be coffee flavored but I don't think he needs the caffeine. 4. Jane the VirginOkay, that cliffhanger was just mean. I mean I don't even want to give them lollipops because of it. We stared at the screen for like 5 minutes with our jaws dropped over this one. It was really not a cool way to leave us hanging. However, the narrator probably shares our feelings so he gets a Rocky Road lollipop. It seems appropriate. 5. SirenThis show is new to us and we aren't even sure how much we like it but it is about mermaids and so I'm adding it. They get Sea Salted Caramel lollipops because sea salt...for the mermaids...get it? We could keep going and going...and going, Tab watches a lot of tv y'all, but we won't. I feel like I would start getting too cliche and I have a higher standard than just giving the cast of Hawaii-five 0 pineapple lollipops. We're all better than that. Therapy lollipops require more imagination or whimsy. I will throw in a couple bonuses because not all is lost in the show hole of summer hiatus. * PoldarkThis little PBS treasure is supposed to come back in July and we are stoked. I mean it's real good. REAL. GOOD. In an effort to be historically accurate they get figgy pudding lollipops. I mean I'm not sure exactly when figgy pudding became a thing but it is probably close enough. The other option was a molasses lollipop and that just doesn't seem as fun. Say figgy and tell me you aren't smiling? *Wonder WomanOkay, this isn't a tv show but do we really care? We will bring up Wonder Woman whenever we can because WONDER WOMAN!!! She gets a vanilla ice cream flavor lollipop. If you don't understand that reference go watch the movie. With everything heading into season finales you have the time. What is the show you most hate seeing go on summer vacation? Let us know in the comments and bonus points if you tell us which lollipop flavor you'd give the cast. PS: All the GIFs came from Giphy. They get all the credit for their wonder and awesomeness.
TabithaCaplinger.com
Posts about writing, books, and living chosen.
- Tabitha Caplinger's profile
- 134 followers
