Loretta Marchize's Blog, page 15

Fairy Tale Chronicles, writing update

Fairy Tale Chronicles (website here) is coming along splendidly!

The Lost Princess, the first book in the series, is right on schedule for publication. (May 10th) One of my friends still needs to read it, and I’m hoping some of my beta readers finish up soon, and then I just need their thoughts on it. As most of you know, I was going to publish through Lulu, but now I’m using Amazon instead. (which reminds me, I need to have mom help me with that…)

The Princess Ambassador is having some MAJOR revisions. I’m not at all happy with how it turned out. It was not me at all. I’m re-writing the whole thing, and then after I publish TLP I will format it for publication on June 10th.

A Princess at Heart I’m on chapter 7, but it’s on hold so I can edit TPA and format TLP. Hopefully, it can be published July 10th… but we’ll see how that goes.

I’m also writing a prequel type story (!!) which no one has heard of yet. (well, besides Grace Matlyn) It doesn’t have a name or cover. (I’m really struggling with the name- currently, it’s being called Miss Abigail ’cause I have nothing better) but anyway, it’s about (guess who?) *drumroll* Queen Villn! Yes, that’s right, that infamous villain from TLP who had a little bit of a clouded background… until now. I’ll give you a sneak peek into the writing. (this is from the prologue)

I became who I am today because of that stupid, stupid Priest. I should have never listened to him to begin with, never accepted the wand, never done any of what I did, and I regret it. I really do. But the priest wasn’t the beginning of my story. No, far from it.

Zeke. It was all his fault. Not that I’m one to place the blame on anyone, but if anyone started the whole chain it was Zeke. I can’t bear to hear his name spoken in my presence anymore. It was Zeke who sent me away, Zeke who told me to find a husband, and Zeke who asked me for favors. It was Zeke who proposed the idea itself.

So yeah!

I have also been writing a short story called An Age Old Tradition. It’s set in England, modern day. You can find it on Wattpad here, but I’m going to add it to my short story book after a while of having it on Wattpad, so that can be found here

Any questions? Comment!

-Loretta

Prompt sentances

These are some sentences I wrote. You can use them if you want to. (And you can modify them. I wrote them for school, so they aren’t all great)

By the river, on the dock, the pretty little girls danced to nonexistent, endless music.
During the recital, Briar’s heart had been in her throat to her stomach and back into its proper place.
Cilla was sitting on a cold stone bench, roughly built for two people, in the garden.
Around the corner beside the statue, Cilla was trying not to cry, a habit she’d developed recently.
They stopped reaching for the sun, the faded old roses were dying.
Woodbridge College, run by Professor Matwich, was a small school, but it exuded a sense of quiet prosperity, and the Professor carefully guarded it’s secrets.
The girl was tearing at the screen, slicing it with a dagger to rip it and venting her anger.
Turning to face the woman, I didn’t look at the man, conscious that he could take me hostage in a moment.
Furious and steaming, I was turning slowly to face the boy.
The girl was turning over in her bed, watching the boy pace back and forth, listening to his quiet mutterings.
They took the girl, ignoring the boy’s shouts of anger, raking their claws over the guard dog, and chaining her like a dog herself.
Hours of wintertime had found me in the treehouse, holed-up, hiding, tired, shivering, and bored
I had to write without pause and research without distraction.
Before playing the piano, Briar set it up beside the microphone.
She remembered smelling the sweet scent floating up through the room in a split second, filling her nostrils.
Cassie tried to tell how she’d looked everywhere and to explain how she’d lost it again.
To decorate and to put the plan into action, the girls enlisted the help of the boys.
To forget songs is the end of music.
A villain is an important element, to be developed and named, never glossed over, because he or she makes or breaks the story.
We need to stop spewing nonsense, to build our words on proper structures, and to create a story that will change a life.
He played and ran and always dressed like a businessman in the barn.
During the boring, long dinner, she felt like nodding off, resting her head on the table.
She told a tale for weeks about her once sprightly sister, who had been pretty, young, and active.
One girl, whose hair was so long she seemed more hair than girl, began to walk up the hill and paused to look down.

So.. 24 sentences that I wrote for school over this year. Have fun with them… I guess? Feel free to edit and do whatever to them. (there actually are more, but I can’t find them. I think I misplaced them.)

Easter Messes

(A day late, because I didn’t go online on Easter)

Days of children waiting

Easter rabbits litter the store

One child trying not to cry over a nearly-empty basket,

Helpless parents forced to watch poverty take its toll

Crumpled dresses in the corner

In a pink, pink room

One little girl barely clothed,

Helpless parents wish for more

Finding extra easter eggs around the house for days,

Some just hidden by excited children,

Some never found,

While one child stares longingly at the store window

Counting the eggs that are only in her wildest dreams

One giant rabbit leaves his little-kid party,

Thinking only of how much he’ll be paid,

How many hours he worked

Tired out and ready to go home,

But stops, mindless of being paid

As one little child lights up when he rounds the corner,

Sad parents telling him they can not give a dime,

But he does not mind,

For the child’s joy is all he sees

Baskets stuffed,

Curled up hair

No basket at all, it’s been a hard year

Hair that hangs limp,

Even on Easter morn

One’s dress in a mess,

The other’s only exists in a daydream

Potato soup the day after, leftover ham and too much potato

Kids complain and wish for yesterday’s chocolate,

They’re on a sugar rush

When one little girl,

Holds an empty stomach

And dreams

For her own little chocolate bunny

Just a chocolate bunny, that’s all she needs

To make her Easter

Easter

One little girl,

Mindful of the other little girls

Who are not so fortunate to have a bunny of their own,

Makes a great sacrifice for one so little,

And with a kind “Jesus would wish it so,”

Her bunny was gone, in another’s grateful hands

Her parents watched in awe,

Inspired by their little girl,

They bought more bunnies

And for other little kids,

Easter was suddenly

Easter

The cries were now of joy,

The daydream had become reality,

The children who yearned for potatoes,

Now received ham

Little girls given dresses, used and new

But all new to them

And once again, all were reminded

Of Easter’s true meaning

As the one who started it all had so clearly stated

“Jesus would wish it so.”

Kingdom Pen, a great website for Christian writers, is ma...

Kingdom Pen, a great website for Christian writers, is making a new sister site! It’s to be called ‘Story Embers’ and they are hosting a giveaway in celebration!

Go Here: https://kingsumo.com/g/iuwow4/course-books-giveaway-for-christian-writers/ifym8s for the giveaway

The Hobbit, movie poster

so this was for school and I don’t know if I love it but here you go[image error]

Three Strikes

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Amelia picked up her spear and tested its weight. She frowned. Too light.

“Getting ready Miss?” a  young boy asked, coming in.

“Yes,” Amelia said shortly. She began to strap her black armor on. She lifted her long black hair out of the way of the straps and gestured for the boy to tighten them.

“Is that all?” the boy asked.

“Yes, you’re excused,” Amelia said. Once the boy had gone she pushed the board on the wall out of the way and stared at the pictures underneath. Exactly two pictures. One, two girls with flowing long blond hair, blue eyes, and happy smiles. The other, much darker, pictured the same girls, but one drastically changed with black hair that whipped around her face and light brown eyes.

“Your spear,” a man said, coming in and handing her the golden spear.

She took it and threw it at the target. It hit with a satisfying thump, and she pulled it out. “Leave,” she told the man.

He hurried away, bowing his head.

She covered the pictures again and strapped on her red gauntlets, dagger, and belt.

The wind rustled through the room and she shut the window.

Two hooks were beside the door, one with a simple corded necklace, the other with a dark, blood-red cloak.

She put them both on and turned to look at her reflection in a mirror. Almost perfect. She thought and smeared on a shock of red lipstick. Her pale skin was unnatural when paired with black and red, but she liked the effect.

“The army is ready,” her general said, coming in.

Amelia strapped on her sword silently.

“Miss Amelia?”

She wound her fingers through the necklace and looked at the mirror again. She sighed. Another battle, another fight. It would end in more death, more blood.

“Miss Amelia,” the general repeated.

She picked up her sword and a dagger, gripping the latter tightly.

“Miss Amelia!” the guard said again, with more urgency.

She spun on her heel and threw the dagger smoothly, watching without flinching as it flew through the air and pierced the general’s armor.

He gasped as blood trickled from the wound.

“Three strikes,” she said, pulling the dagger from his chest as she stalked from the room. “First mate, you’ve been promoted.”

Guess! Did I write about the hero…. or the villain? (more may be coming from this story, but most likely not)

Baking out of a box mix for dummies

So I have a really busy day today, school, lunch, make brownies (I’m blogging while they’re in the oven), get ready for track, go to track, get back at 5:30 and eat supper, shower/change, go to youth group (hence the brownies) SO I decided why not make a blog post featuring one of the many things I have to do today?

So first you have to choose your box mix. I’m using ‘Ghirardelli dark chocolate premium brownie mix’ (two words: on sale)

The first step is to gather your ingredients and whatever else you will need.

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Then, measure out your wet ingredients. Put them all in the mixing bowl.

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(The instructions say 1/2 cup VEGETABLE oil, but we use canola oil in our house which is practically the same thing)

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(Also I’m only using a jug because something malfunctioned with our water and we drank out of jugs yesterday, (but today it’s better) and it makes for a good picture!)

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(one egg and a sneak peek at my lovely two-week old nail polish. Yes, it is chipped, No I don’t care because I find nail polish annoying and it was for our vacation that I put it on)

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Then dump your powdered mix (inside the box) into the bowl and stir until it is all smooth and one color.

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I assume that you already greased the pan and pre-heated the oven, because unlike me most people remember to grease the pan BEFORE they pour the batter in it, as illustrated in the next picture.

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Had to wash the pan because I forgot to grease it BEFORE I put the batter in #brainfail

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Finished washing and popping them in the oven now!

(also licking the spoons, don’t tell)

Just have to let them cool, and then poof! Delicious brownies, half the mess, and half the struggle.

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Bonus pictures!

Click to view slideshow.

Funny Story

I just had a mini heart attack! (Don’t freak out, not really)

So I haven’t really been blogging lately, as you have probably noticed. Anyway, I haven’t been on the actual blog since I changed the color scheme, but I just went on now and I was freaking out! I forgot that I had changed the look… oops. [image error]

Anyway, fellow fantasy writers (or any writer) will enjoy this https://www.pinterest.com/joanneshepherd5/floorplans-and-maps/

 

The Lost Princess- update

The Alpha Readers form will be closing soon. I’m going on vacation (spring break for homeschoolers) to Arizona where my grandparents are. We get to fly for the first time! (Us kids, my parents have flown before (of course)).

Anyway, I was planning on closing out the form on the last day of February, but that might not happen while I’m gone… so you have until I get back to sign up! (You can do so HERE)

Tell me what you think of it when you’re done! (On here, Google Docs, or on Goodreads)

The Princess Ambassador form will be open for a month or so still.

BOTH the books can be found on Goodreads HERE if you want to view their descriptions and covers etc. (Note: while I’m making this post, February 22cd, the book cover for The Princess Ambassador is NOT correct, I’m working on getting that changed.)

Have fun reading!

Also, wish me luck on my first flight. (I’m not exactly nervous, but the somewhat apprehensive, as I really don’t like having no solid ground beneath me)

DIY project

When you have a free afternoon, or a rainy one, and are looking for an easy project to do, here’s a great one!

Emergency Kit

Supplies will be listed as I go (in bold).

First, take an empty mint tin or other small and sturdy kit. Clean it out if it used to hold liquids or other stick stuff.

Collect small items like bobby pins (girls), paper clips, spare earrings (girls), safety pins, and little bandaids.

Put all the items in the case. Get your parent’s phone numbers(if you’re a kid like me) or other emergency contacts. Write them down on a piece of paper and put that in the tin too. (Note: if you have phone I guess you don’t need to do this)

Add little things that are specific to you. (I added pencil lead for mechanical pencils because I always use mechanical pencils)

And ta-da! You have an emergency kit! Pop it in your purse or backpack and you’re ready to go.