Jack Lewis Baillot's Blog, page 70

"These humans and their emotions. They are more interested in their feelings then chocolate."

  I was tagged by Cait! And this is an author tag, so it is sure to be fun. (Or a writing tag...book tag. Whatever it's proper name is.)
 Anyhow, I am supposed to answer the questions she has asked me. So, here I go.
 1. When did you start writing? When I was 13. Or 12. Around that age. I wrote about siblings and floods and a goat. *Nods*
 2. Do you have a soft spot for a particular character? (Come now, be honest!) Aye, I do. PETER!
 3. If you have to choose between writing or reading, which would you pick?
 Writing, likely.

 4. How often do you have to "rush off" to write down an idea before it escapes?
 Once a week at the least.

 5. Do you plot and outline your book or wing it?
 *Laughs and snorts* I plot, my characters change EVERYTHING. So, I kind of gave plotting up. Why go through all the extra work?

 6. Are you a sucker for a happy ending or do you leave your readers in misery?
 Misery and torture and suffering when it is in the middle of the series, happy by the end of it all. I can't stand endings which leave you sobbing your eyes out. Unless it is Snicket.

 7. How protective are you of your novel?
 Very. Not where I would strangle the person who said bad things about it. Just where I would knock them with my boot.

 8. Plans for publishing eventually? Are you going to self-publish or go traditional?
 Um, no comment.

 9. Are you guilty of using the odd cliche plot element? How are you trying to make it fresh?
 A bit I suppose. Most plots, all, are cliche. We just have to add new things to them. Such as, throw in some airships, and a trigger happy villain, and a dog...

 10. Tell a little about a character you're currently fleshing out.
 I don't flesh them out. I write them, they come to life on their own. This is how we work.

 11. Which is a better type of chocolate? White, milky, or 75% dark?
 Oh, cool! I just found the % sign!
 White. Anyone who says other wise is sane and needs help.

 I hope everyone had a very nice Christmas. This is the part where I tell you mine was very nice. I had to work, but my family and I celebrated in the evening and work wasn't too bad. I got to meet lots of people passing through town on their way home. Anyhow, in the evening I had a big dinner, watching A Christmas Carol, and opened presents with my family while sitting by the roaring fire. Then I spent the night on the couch - by the not so roaring fire. It was all rather fun even though the cold water pipe froze. *Smirk* I then got home today and opened the one Christmas gift I was most eager to see. My wonderful Artist surprised me with a cyber space gift which consisted of a wonderful coloured drawing of Jack and Isidore and a story to go along with it!! 
 And right now, I'm enjoying the rest of my holiday while reading almost every book I can get my hands on. I think I've read every new good book the library has and am now wandering about not sure what else to try. (I've plenty of book reviews after the holidays.)
 What about all of you? How was your Christmas? What did you do? I'd love to hear all about it! (Oh, and since it is the day or so after Christmas, I'm just going to tag all of you again.)
 Adieu for now. John and I are going to go to bed and finish reading Clair's story.
 Title quote is from the book Toothiana, Queen of the Tooth Fairy Armies. It is a quote from Bunnymund. 
 Allons-y!

"Bah! Humbagh!"

 MERRY
 CHRISTMAS!

 I hope all of you are having a lovely holiday! To help celebrate, I've a gift for all of you! I give you the gift of......

 AIR FROM MY LUNGS!
 *Breaths*
 You're very welcome.



 Oh yes, and I've this as well.
 Thank you, all of you, who have stopped by and helped me on my writing journey.


 Christmas With The Air Pirates

The airship drifted lazily through the thick clouds. Snow drifted past the window, large flakes which made the world appear warmer then it actually was. Inside, though, the disillusion was easy to believe. Heat drifted through every inch of the Zeppelin, filling the Piloting Deck with warmth, which was made hot by the added heat of the packed bodies inside.Balancing on chairs, Peter and Darcy were trying to hang up garland while Tony and Steed held to the chairs in the hopes that they wouldn't tip. At the wheel, Kirk leaned, pretending to steer though really he was just trying to keep awake. Peter saw him, from time to time, yawning so wide it looked as if his jaws were about to unhinge.“Hey!” Darcy suddenly snapped when Peter again got distracted by Kirk's yawn. His eyes almost disappeared. “Watch it! You're going to get both our necks broken!”Peter turned back to look at Darcy. He held one end of the garland, Darcy holding to the other and trying to hang it over the window at the same time. Nails were sticking in the tail end of his shirt and he clenched a hammer as if he planned to kill someone with it. (Peter wouldn't have put the hammer killing past him.)“I'm holding the branches, just like you said,” Peter muttered. His arms were getting tired from holding to the long, prickly boroughs and he had pine needles stuck in his hair.“Are you complaining, Pete?” Tony asked. He looked up, loosening his grip just a little on Darcy's chair. Peter was waiting for Tony to purposely tip Darcy over. How he had ended up holding his chair and Steed holding Peter's was beyond him.“No,” Peter murmured. He didn't meet his friend's eye, just concentrated on keeping a firm hold on the garland.“Good,” Steed muttered from the back of the chair, “because it is almost Christmas and it was your idea to string branches all over my airship.”“It was Darcy's idea just as much as mine,” Peter pointed out.Darcy said nothing, just stretched, balancing on tip toe as he tried to get the last of his end of the garland up into corner above the window. He was an inch too short to reach but refused to give up. Peter watched silently as he fought to keep upright, his tongue sticking out of one side of his mouth as he concentrated.“Would you like me to do that for you?” Steed asked lazily.“No,” Darcy grunted.Tony shifted his feet and Steed glared at him, so Tony glared back. Peter dropped his arms just a little, which were getting sore from holding the branches up, and Kirk choice that moment to snap awake. Only he did more then that. He came out of his light doze fighting and spun the wheel so hard all those not attached to something dived head first into something else.In the Piloting Deck, the chairs slid across the floor, out of Steed and Tony's grasps who were thrown to the ground. Peter fought to keep his balance but it was a lost cause when Darcy lost his and crashed into him. Both flew off the chairs and hit the floor, garland crashing down on top of them. The hammer flew out of Darcy's hand, coming dangerously close to smashing the window.When Kirk managed to right the airship, Darcy and Peter crawled out from under each other and the mass of pine branches which were pricking through their shirts. Peter pushed himself to his feet and tried to brush some of the pine needles from his hair. Darcy was covered in green. The needles stuck upright in his hair and he had many poking in his clothing. He looked like a hedgehog.“What are you trying to do, kill us?” Steed snapped as he too got to his feet. He glared hard at his yawning Pilot.“Not intentionally,” Kirk murmured around another wide yawn. “I kind of fell asleep.”“Really?” Darcy plucked pine needles from his shirt. “I never would have guessed.”Peter silently examined the window. In their fall, he and Darcy had managed to pull down most of the garland. Bits of green were still up, where the nails held them in place, but most of the branches lay on the floor in a sorry state. Darcy eyed the slaughtered mess and rolled his eyes.“Now we need more garland,” he muttered, scowling sideways at Kirk.Kirk bit back another yawn. “We can get a tree when we land this time,” he pointed out.Talking of a tree made Peter grin. He couldn't help but think of the tree he, Tony, Hannah, and O'Brien had put up last Christmas. Hopefully this time the tree gathering would cause less injuries.His eyes drifted down to the battlefield of garland, then up to Darcy. On second thought, he figured he should prepare for an even bigger disaster.***Despite Peter's doubts and fears, chopping the tree down didn't land anyone in the medical room. They even got it safely on board, hung up the garland, strung popcorn, and lit the candles without anymore crashes.As Peter and Tony draped the last of the popcorn strands about the tree's branches, Peter felt the same stab of doubt hit him. Should he be celebrating Christmas on board the Air Pirate Zeppelin? Surely this broke every rule in the book and sealed his fate as a traitor. Yet, he had celebrated Jesus' birth every Christmas for as long as he could remember. To skip a year of remembering the day his Savior had come to earth, the day He gave up His throne in Heaven to live as a man, didn't seem right.That was how Peter Jones, former Aeropilot from the Scottish Royal Air Force, came to be lighting candles in the Piloting Deck on Christmas Eve. Tony was with him, as well as Darcy, Steed, Kirk, Alfie, and many of the other men. The cook had outdone himself and somehow managed to bake cookies which weren't as hard as rocks and black. The smell of hot chocolate filled the room as Darcy and Peter stuck the last of the candles into the tree.“Don't catch it on fire, Jones,” Darcy warned.Peering through the branches, Peter saw he was smirking. Darcy Steed was actually being nice to him. Peter smirked back, wondering how long it would last.“I'll wait till after Christmas to blow us up,” he promised.“Wouldn't put it past you,” Darcy replied.Peter wished he could understand Darcy. Most of the time he acted as if he'd like nothing more then to take his head off with the sword he wore at his belt. Yet, when Peter was least expecting it, Darcy would show him kindness. Sometimes Peter wished they could be friends, other times he wished he could find one of Kirk's hiding places.“Aren't you going to come and have some of the cookies?” Darcy asked. He moved from out behind the tree and picked wax off the shirt of his sleeve.Sticking the last of his candles into its hold, Peter rubbed sap off of his hands while he nodded his head. “I'm right behind you,” he reassured.Darcy strutted off and Peter trailed behind, glancing at the men around him. He decided it wouldn't hurt things if he, for one night at least, allowed himself to think of the pirates as friends.

 And I shall say it again. Merry Christmas!!!

 Allons-y!

"Over hill and over Dell...poor Dell."

 In Which Jack Reviews A Book On Christmas Eve.

 I'm going skiing today so if you don't hear from me again it means I crashed into a tree and died a head aching death. If you do hear from me again it means I lived. Which would be nice.
 Anyways, my review.

 I finished it. The Larklight series. I am sad it is over, and happy I get to re-read it. (If I can make it through the spiders again.)

SEE?! Isn't Art so dashing now?!

 I must admit, I was slightly worried with Mothstorm. I knew it was the final book in the series and I worried it wouldn't end well. (This is a fear many likely face over a well loved series. We want all the questions answered, and yet enough left open that we can imagine the characters having many more adventures. But no questions left! That is important.) So, what if this one didn't end well?! I couldn't say good bye to Art with things hanging opened. I needn't have worried. Everything was tied up beautifully. It was a perfect ending which had everything.
 I won't say much about it, spoilers. But here are some things I liked.
 Jack was REALLY cool in this one. Slightly awkward in some parts, even more dashing and fearless then before. 
 There was a new character added who I just LOVED. 
 Art is growing up. *Sniff* Though he still stayed Art. Recklessly brave, (very reckless), slightly fearful at times, and quirky. I just adore Art.
 Myrtle. Okay, I can KIND OF see why Jack likes her now...
 Ssil. Her story, finally told. HUZZAH!
 Mrs. Mumby. And Mr. Mumby - oh yes, definitely him. He really surprised me in this book.
 This book only made me fonder of the series. I love how the characters have grown through the books. I'd even go so far as to call Myrtle sweet now. And I am sad they are over. These books are VERY high on my favourite books and ones I shall spend a lot of time trying to get others to read. They are so fun and exciting, and such a wonderful, new twist on Victorian England. (If Art ever chooses to write about his college days, I am first in line to buy that book.)

 I suppose this is a short review, but I cannot talk too much about the book without giving a lot away to those who have yet to read them. So, if you want to know how good it really is, you shall have to read it for yourself.

 Thanks to all those who filled in my lack of knowledge about the Herb thing. Being the Brit and Scot I am not I've decided to call them H-erbs. (Anything I can do to convince people I'm British.)

 Also, someone asked which book called me away. I don't remember who asked so I shall just announce it to everyone because I think it is a book many should read. It is called The Search for WondLa and was pointed out to me by a fellow blogger and friend. (And aye, it is so good it gets a review as well, later on.) Right now I am leaving you all to finish it.

 Don't forget! Tomorrow I shall be putting up a Christmas gift for all of you!
 Quote is from a Charlie Brown Christmas Special. One in which Rerun goes for a ride on the back of his mum's bike.
 And now I am leaving.
 Allons-y and Merry Christmas Eve!!

"You should know, this is the strangest thing I've EVER done!"

 I was tagged. By Melody! Thank you, Melody! You can find her blog HERE

 This is one of those seven tags, which I've done before so I shall skip the rules. *Nods*
 Share Seven Unusual Things About Yourself.
 1. I like garlic, which makes conversations awkward
 2. My dyslexia makes everything look like Spanish - something I discovered by mistake. If you put something written in Spanish in front of me I wouldn't notice the difference for awhile.
 3. This was my first year ever reading A Christmas Carol.
 4. I usually answer emails, read, write, and work on posts all at the same time
 5. I'm working on the details for my next book
 6. And William is already helping me plan out the newest trailer
 7. I've yet to learn if one says herb, Herb or Erb.

 A bit of a random post, but I'm still on a bit of a holiday. Therefore, I tag all of you...and I shall stalk you all to see how many does it. *Raises eyebrows.*

 Don't forget! I've a Christmas present for all of you! It will be up Christmas day and some days after so those who shan't be about that day can find it.

 And now I am going, a good book calls.

 Allons-y!

"I wouldn't say it is a sword. More of a letter opener, really."

 SURELY you knew this was coming! The day, I try my best to review another movie.



 Wherein Jack reviews (talks on and on) about The Hobbit.

"There once was a Hobbit who lived in a hole."
 Despite the fact I had to awaken at eight in the morning after being up since three and stay up until three again the next night, I went to the midnight showing of The Hobbit. Being in a small town, nothing exciting happened while I waited just a half hour in line. (Yes, a half hour. How's that for all you from the big city who had to wait three hours? Envious? Don't worry, I had my pay back over the extreme lack of costumes to look at. There were two.)
 Anyhow, my short review of this movie would simply be, it was amazing! But I don't do things simply, so I shall have to go into more detail. Spoiler free as well.
"Far away, over the the Misty Mountains."
 I loved The Lord of the Rings and when I learned of The Hobbit movie I was't overly excited. I loved the book, but it just didn't seem movie worthy. For some reason. I still don't know why I thought this. And then when they couldn't find an actor to play Bilbo I lost interest, especially when Mr. Thumins turned it down. I was even less excited when I heard Martin Freeman accepted it. (Surprised?) I like him as a actor. He is very good, but he was Watson and if he became Bilbo then there would be less filming time for Watson and we'd have to wait painfully long years for Sherlock to come out. And I rather sulked about the whole thing - until Adler happened.
 After Adler, the very idea of seeing MF as a short Hobbit with big feet, going on an adventure, finding a dragon Sherlock in a cave appealed to me. And my excitement grew until I was bouncing off the walls last minute. Kind of...I tried not to think about the 14th much.
[image error] "I'm looking for someone to share in an adventure."
 Anyhow, I am happy to say all my doubts and fears and lack of sleep were squished. I was wide awake through the whole movie and MF is the best Hobbit alive. 
 I loved the detail in this movie. If the dwarves' home was still around I'd move there in a heart beat. I'm also almost willing to say it was lovelier then the elf homes but that might start some kind of war in Middle Earth.
"Didn't I say you'd be nothing but a burden?"
 The dwarves were amazing. In the book I didn't care about them. They were just there and when they died in didn't bother me much. (I was a bit sad Thorin died because right before he did I liked him. Like RIGHT before.) In the movie, however, I got to actually know them and am now fond of all of them. Especially Kili and Fili - it helps they are rather dashing I suppose. But, I just love brothers who get along. And the bit with them at the mountain and the giants fighting....oh, that was almost heart breaking.
"Bilbo! We thought you were lost!"
 I also liked Thorin and not just because he was Thornton.
"I won't be responsible for his fate."

 Radagast was amazing. I was soooo happy he was in the movie! He is my favourite wizard even if he had just a small part in the LOTR. I missed him in those movies, but this one made up for it. And John loves him now because he saved a hedgehog.
 I didn't miss the lack of all the LOTR characters I am so fond of. The new ones are just as memorable and fun to spend time with.
"Someone's at the door."
 Martin Freeman has fast moved to the ranks of favourite actor with this movie. I liked him before, but now I am in a bit of awe of his skill. The best part about him is his expressions. They are seriously the best part of the movie in my opinion. I loved watching him when the dwarves were talking. He is amazing and I LOVED the riddles in the dark scene. It surpassed my hopes and expectations. And they had my favourite line in it! Now I go about hissing, "What has it got in itsss nassssty little pocketssss?!"

"You don't want to eat them! They've got worms!" "No we don't!" *Thorin kicks them.* "Yes we do! Huge worms!"
 The Blunt the Knives song still makes me laugh. I loved it as much as I did in the book.
 What I didn't like is easily guessed to those who know me well. Aye, the spiders. They weren't really shown but what was was enough to make me want to crawl under my seat. When the next movie comes out I want someone to give me an almost detailed description of Bilbo's fight with them, because there is no way I can watch it. Creepy, over sized spiders! What in the world gave Tolkien the idea to write about huge spiders?!
[image error] "Good morning!"

 Everything else though I loved. I didn't mind the added bits at all, or the length but I am glad it wasn't longer or I might have fallen asleep. And the 3D I was actually able to notice, which is rare for me. (Aye, I'm one of those people who doesn't really see it much. It is very sad.) The soundtrack was just as good as the LOTR in my opinion  I loved the Misty Mountain song and was glad it was the main theme through the whole movie. It is a lovely piece of music.

"It hasn't been cancelled, has it?" "No! Nothing has been cancelled!" "Oh good!"
 Don't go to the movie if you are in a hurry, because you will be there for awhile. And keep in mind The Hobbit is a lighter, more whimsical book then the LOTR. It isn't as dark, sad a story. More like a fun, almost light hearted adventure but with plenty of action. This is the biggest complaint I've heard about the movie, that it was too light in comparison to the other movies. Just remember, the book was a lighter book, the movie is MEANT to be this way, so enjoy it.

 So, who else has seen it? What are your thoughts on it? Speak carefully, because Bilbo has a sword and doesn't look happy.

Watson, on learning that Sherlock faked his own death so he could move to Middle Earth and become a dragon
 Oh yeah, and before I go. I've this to say about the world ending. Oh, I survived. Brilliant. Love it when I do that.
 I won't brother telling you where the title quote is from.
 Allons-y!

"We must away, at break of day."

 My wonderful Artist has interviewed me. You can read it HERE!
 I guest posted on Joylene's blog as well. You can find it HERE!! Also, I have a Christmas surprise for all of you! Which I will post on Christmas, and leave up for awhile so it can be found by those of you who won't be about the internet world at Christmas. Today's post is by one of my favourite bloggers, Grace! Enjoy!

  Today's post is by Grace at STORIES IN THE MIND. And she is going to tell us about her book!
 “Love. If you’ve never seen it, how are you supposed to know what it is? How can you feel it?” ~ Breem

 Books are supposed to mean something. They aren’t just a bunch of black marks scattered across a page. Every book, be it the mushiest romance or the stringiest theology is packing some sort of worldview. And we are the ones who have to read into that. 
 I started this book when a random inspiration hit me to do a simple analogy from life. It took some blood, hair-ripping nights, and a struggle to fight my idea before I gave in to doing it. I had already been editing a completed book I have written (found here:http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/In-the-Shadow-Night-Will-Fall-Till-Dawn-Comes-The-Endless-Fire-Trilogy/161566997316332) and I have never written fantasy before. Mostly, I stick to historical fiction because of my passion for ancient cultures. The idea came on a puff of cloud and I expected it to fly away on a breeze. It didn’t.

 It has been one of the most thrilling, challenging things I have undertaken and I am so excited I get to share with you. So, without further ado:
The Last ScribeDark fantasy.A world crumbling into ruin. A lost king and stolen key.Words whispered into the darkness by the Unseen.
For nineteen years, Breem lived in a small hamlet edging the Wild Ranges of Messeran. There was nothing that made him suspect his identity was anything other than an orphan taken in by his aunt. Until Zealeth, Scribe of Faragwon, came...and changed everything.Now he is bound to a scroll, commanded to keep his true name hidden, and find the lost king. He must set out on a dangerous journey, wrought with his own fear, confusion, and inadequacy, to regain a stolen key, while desperate to hear the words of the silent Unseen.“And now I am alone. The only scribe. The last scribe.” First person, told by my protagonist, - - - - n (“Breem”). 
 “My heart is pumping so hard it hurts, a fierce arrhythmic pattern that deafens. My legs feel like jelly. I’ve been sprinting so long, and beating up this hill is torture. Grass whips at my ankles, tangling my feet, tripping me. I fight for balance as I race the pace of my pulse. I can’t fall. Not now.I glance behind me at the charging horses churning up the plain, manes whipping in their faces, trappers beating at their sides, the knights poised and ready in the saddle, crossbows aimed, heavy swords lifted high, bloodthirsty shouts splitting the air. Blood rushes to my head. I feel as though it is going to explode if I keep going. But I have to. Arrows whiz past me, strike the ground only inches away from the path I run, and ricochet into the air. I jerk away, gasping, my lungs scorching as though I breathe fire. I don’t know why they shoot. They want me alive, not dead.But dead is the only way I can be delivered to them. If I’m not dead, I may as well be.” © Pure Grace 
 You can find my facebook page here: http://www.facebook.com/#!/TheLastScribe, where I update lines and quotes from the book ~ a juicy morsel to pique your interest but not tell you anything…There you go!! Have a great day!!!!!



 Quote is from The Hobbit. *Silent gasp* I was listening to the Misty Mountain song all day while I baked Gingerbread men for the tea party I held at my flat. (Well, I listened to the Misty Mountain song and Josh Groban's new song, Brave. Very good songs to bake to.)

 Allons-y!

"What has it got in its nasssty little pocketssss?"

 Today you all get the chance to meet Bella and learn about the book she is writing!!

  Hello Everyone;

This is Bella here! First off I want to say Thank you to Jack for letting me guest post on her blog; that was very kind of her.


So, hmm… where to begin?


I have always loved to write. I have stories scribbled in notebooks from when I was eight. It has always been something I enjoyed doing. When I got into High school I started taking it a little more seriously, especially the building of my plot and characters. I started writing short fantasy stories and have started my first fantasy/steam punk book this year.
I must say, it has been a real adventure and often very nerve wracking, writing this story and the adventures continues as I try to finish it up. This book is called “Dimensions in Space,” and is the first of a (possible) trilogy. It has a good deal of outer-space islands as well as under-water lands and a good dollop of magic thrown in. The rough plot is this;


The United Worlds are at stake; all of the Time is cracking; a portal of Eight Dimensions all ticking down. When the last dimension vanishes all of Time will be unleashed. It is up to four wanderers and outcasts to set things right. They will face many threats. The Queen will hunt them, Nightmares will chase them, trials will hunt them and distrust will plague them.
 Can they make it?


The main characters are Chloe, who can change into any creature she wishes, and Walker. He is a Master of Elements. Their stories are very much connected and each one has much to bring to the story. This is a scene that I wrote last night;


Night had covered everything in blankets of doom and fear. The trees shrunk into themselves and the stars refused to give their light.
  Chloe shifted her position, vaguely aware that something was wrong. The sound of the crackling fire was gradually breaking her slumber. A sudden snap startled her awake. Walker sat beside the fire. His fingers moved across the flames, turning them silver and gold, crushing them as ice, forming them into flames of water, rekindling them in the coal. He sat so still, only his hands moved. Chloe watched the flames jump in the palm of his hand, shifting and spluttering. Walker spun the fire in his palm like a globe. It twirled, forming islands, stars and wave. Figures began  moving and dancing atop these forms. They were beautiful, delicate, full of life. It was as if Walker was creating a small world from his flame. It lit up the forest and every tree shone.
  Then Walker closed his hands over the moving figures, crushing them. They turned to dust and fell to the flames. His eyes flashed and the flames leapt high, devouring the dream world. Chloe felt sick and empty, the whole world turned black. Walkers face was terrible. He turned toward her. She hastily lay back down, heart racing. There was something wrong with that boy; something twisted.


I am still in the editing process but I think this is one of the best scenes in the book. Walker is a very interesting character and there is a lot about him that remains uncertain until the end. His story has a lot of conflict, I love working with conflict.


I learned a lot from writing my first, genuine book. One; Read, read, read! You can be a reader and not write. You can’t be a writer and not read. You have to explore your options, expand your imagination, chose your favorite styles. If you don’t have plenty of reading material than you probably won’t progress very far in the writing world. I also learned to be patient. Stories are hard work. You can’t expect to have it finished within days or even weeks. Your story will often take unexpected turns with both your plots and characters. You have to give yourself time to adjust, learn and grow. Don’t rush yourself and just have fun!Like most writers I wish to be published one day. This may happen tomorrow, next month, next year or never! If it be never than I will be very sad. I can live with years, but never? That would be harsh. Either way, writing has helped me grow and learn in many ways and I am glad to pursue it whether it be a job or a hoby.Thank you all for giving me a bit of your day! This was fun and I hope you all gained something from it. Have a nice day you all!

God Bless!!
Bella

"I don't like green food."

 Today's post is from the very sweet Tyrean! I am sorry I am still behind on comments. I am working on getting caught up, so hopefully I will have them done soon. Thank you to all who left them! Jack

 “Plus, we could do dance moves as we’re escaping.  Perhaps a ballet number!”
Battle scenes are complicated, even without ballet numbers. The first draft is fun: characters are running into danger, slashing with swords, and leaping out of harm’s way just in time. Then I step back and realize that in my adrenaline junkie urge to ride through the battle scene on my main character’s shoulder, I’ve completely lost sight of the rest of the characters. What happened to them? Do they live? Die? Escape? Win? Can I write it in a way that keeps a readers interest and still explains what’s going on?I’m near the end of the final revision of Champion in the Darkness, a Christian YA fantasy about young sword apprentice Clara who is caught up in a battle for her life and the lives of others around her. They have to flee their country. In one scene, Clara’s pinned up against a wall defending a group of younger kids and fighting against a huge number of enemies with just a few friends and mentors at her side. So . . .how do they flee?Well, they don’t do a ballet number, as Piper suggests in that quote from The Mark of Athena by Rick Riordan.  However, if I had read Riordan’s book before I wrote that scene, it might have been tempting.Question to consider: How do you make your battle/fight scenes engaging?Champion in the Darkness will be out February 11th, 2013. If you’re interested, please check out my blog Tyrean’s Writing Spot for updates. http://tyreanswritingspot.blogspot.com/Many Thanks to the Amazing, Improbable Jack for hosting me on her blog for her book blog party!

"What were you doing then?" "Sneaking."

 Today's post is from Kendra, who's book I recently finished!


Thieves and murderers liked to hide out in the allies. Jack knew this from experience as she used to pass her afternoons by hiding in the allies as well – then shooting rocks at the men before they had a chance to attack anyone. Since no one ever saw her, the men learned to fear her. Had they known she was just a small, fourteen-year-old girl they would have thrown her in the Themes to drown.And now, here she was, alone in an alley dressed in silk. They would, naturally, assume she was rich and when they found out she wasn't- Jack didn't even want to think about that. A swim in the Themes would seem like kindness compared to the other forms of death they were likely to think up.“What 'ave we 'ere?” the shadow asked.Jack recognized the voice. This was one of the men she used to shot at.“Be ye lost, little lamb?”“Blimey, I ain't lost!” Jack spat out. She changed back to her street accent, hoping it could help her get out of this mess alive. Beside her Max growled but she waved her hand, warning him to be silent. Other thieves were probably hiding in the shadows, waiting for some kind of signal from their leader.The shadow clicked his tongue. “Ye ain't gotta lie to me, wee lamb. I can 'elp ye, if ye likes.”Help me lighten my purse you mean. Jack kept her thoughts to herself as the man stepped out of the fog and shadows. He loomed over her, smiling a toothless grin. He smelled like the sewer and looked as if he'd spent the day rolling in it. Had she looked this bad when she had first met Isidore? No wonder he had turned his nose up at her.

 Author Info:

Kendra E. Ardnek has been writing her own stories since she was a toddler. She fell in love with books, drama, and fairy tales at a very young age - and has been filling notebooks with her stories for years. Joining NaNoWriMo gave her an opportunity to be a published author at 16.
She writes her own blog, homeschools, cooks, knits, and crafts when she isn't writing stories and acting them out with her younger cousins and siblings.
My Blog: knittedbygodsplan.blogspot.comMy Website: kendraeardnek.weebly.com


Sew descrip:
Robin and Robert are royal twins. They are the only two to have received a Fairy Godmother gift in nearly a century, an amazing honor. Soon it was clear that their gifts had been switched and a search began to find the Fairy Godmother to right the mistake. When she is finally sighted by a knight, the family learns that the pair must find her for themselves and they only have until their 18th birthday ... only 4 months away. Will they be able to find her in time?
Take descrip:
 When Arthur's parents were lost at sea, his Uncle Mordreth became the regent for the young boy. Yet now that he's ofage, Mordreth seems to have no intentions of relinquishing the throne. It looks as though Arthur will have to fight for his throne. If only he had more than just his two servants and the old man he met in the woods for friends. So the old man takes things into his own hands and whisks Athur off to the wedding of a fellow prince, with the intention of finding him some allies.
All is not right at the wedding, however. The groom is missing and the bride had called quits. Where's the groom? Well, he's found a new bride. Now if he can just get her home ...
Sew:https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005G3ZFKG (Kindle)https://www.createspace.com/3615224 (paperback)
Take will be available:https://www.createspace.com/3671689 

The Derao:
http://www.amazon.com/The-Derao-ebook/dp/B008HYSAAS
Lukas's fate is sealed. He is trapped on the top of a mountain waiting to be the supper of the Derao, a fearsome beast that used to be a harmless lizard.
Yet Princess Tabitha, the former owner of the former lizard, may be able to save him.
If she can first forgive him.

"There once was a Hobbit who lived in a hole."

 I am here just long enough to say I shan't be about much this week. I've managed to completely exhaust myself and think it would be wise if I rested before attempting anything else. (Besides, I'm sick as well and would like nothing better then to sleep. *Smirk*) And since this week is the start of my Blog Book Party it seems like a good week to rest. I shall do my best to keep up on comments, then get everything back to normal later on. For now, I hope you enjoy the wonderful guest posts which are all scheduled and thank you everyone for the comments you left in my last post. They were very enjoyable. Now I shall say Adieu and go to bed. And present to you my friend Jessica! P.S. All those who asked about me doing guest posts, I would be most honoured. I shall get a hold of you tomorrow hopefully. Thank you very much for asking!
 Allons-y!

First off, hello and guten Tag! I’m Jessica Hammond, and I have no idea how to start this. (Consider my post started) Ahem. I really struggle with staying on topic, so bear with me while I cover the basics and DON’T chase any chickens that look particularly distracting.I’m a young adult author in every sense, and honestly I’m not too sure how I got to be here, but I’m more than willing to share my advice for my peer writers.First off, write as much as possible. Procrastination is your enemy, and no one likes to lose! If you think you have no time for writing, you’re wrong. Start a journal to write in five minutes before you go to bed. Carry a notebook during school and jot down a sentence or two while you wait for class to start or after you’ve turned in your test. Long car ride? Write! At your sister’s volleyball game? Write! The only way you can justify being a writer is to write.Secondly, offer to edit for friends. You learn a lot by correcting other people’s mistakes. Believe me, grammar and spelling is a major part of writing, and my preferred practice for it is to take someone else’s rough draft and go through sentence by sentence. Your friends will appreciate this too.Get involved. If you’re in a public school, chances are there are both writing and a book clubs. Join one or both. They can encourage and offer their help in your writing. (By no means is any book written by just one person!) If you can’t get involved in your school’s groups, find one at your public library, start one at your church, or scour the internet for like-minded folk willing to gossip about Rick Riordan’s next big novel and about which of the Redwall novels was the best.Finally, humble yourself. Accepting criticism will make your writing better. No one can edit their novel to perfection by themselves, and honestly, not everything you write will be a gift to mankind. Find a friend whose willing to judge what you write as it is, and not as something their friend did. Of all the things I’ve mentioned, I think this one is probably the most important. As I stated earlier, no novel is written by one person alone.If you try to incorporate these things, you’ll be able to find yourself on the way to becoming a better author. (It’s a process that will never end, so you might want to get used to it.) There are millions of other important key parts to writing as well, so try to keep an open mind.I’m actually staying on track! (Insert victory dance here.)Onto the Jess-related news of the night/day/mealtime of your choice. I know none of you (sans Miss Jack) know this, so I have exciting news for you! (Well, I don’t know if you’ll find it exciting, but I do, so I’m going to pretend it is.)I’d like to announce to all of you the official announcement (redundancy is redundant) of my newest writing extravaganza! It’s something totally new for me, and chances are it’s not new for you, especially if you’ve had those teachers who like to read short stories and then decide that somehow Edgar Allen Poe’s  Tell-Tale Heart  is related to John Steinbeck’s  Of Mice and Men .Coming out on a date in the near future (official date to be announced on my blog) is the epic saga (not really) ‘Fourteen: A Collection’. (I’m a very original title-maker.) It is a chronological compilation of poetry and short stories written by yours truly.Why did I write this nonsense? Well, I have a LOT of poetry and stories I wrote last year that I never got around to sharing with people for some reason or another. And frankly, the point of writing is to share it with others, right?I know I’m a very humorous and light-hearted person by nature, and many pieces included in my book will reflect this. That does not mean I won’t be sharing my vain attempts to be tragic, slice-of-life-ish, or (blech) romantic. My aim is to include a bit of every genre I even tried to poke last year, providing a full palette of what goes on inside my cranium when I actually use my brain.Anyway, keep your eyes peeled for more information on ‘Fourteen: A Collection!’
Auf Wiedersehen!
-------Jessica Hammond is a young writer from the Magical Land of Grass and Cows (also known as the Midwest USA) and she has no idea how to write a biography blurb. Her debut novel,  Finding Lily , was published on Smashwords March of 2012. Since then, she’s littered her blog with random (and sometimes coherent) short stories and poems. She lives with her parents, sister, cousin, cat, and imaginary friend, all of whom have influenced her characters and writing voice. You can find her at www.jessica-hammond.blogspot.com.