L.Y. Levand's Blog, page 29

Quote Day! "True Love Stories..."

"True love stories never have endings." ~ Richard Bach

Too many marriages and relationships fail. Too many exes hate each other. Too many people hurt each other and either don't care, or don't care enough to fix it.

But among all these failed relationships and marriages, a few stand out. I've been blessed with the opportunity to see many of these. To me, this is normal. I've seen men and women who have married only once, and stayed married for decades. I've seen people die who have been married happily to the same person their entire life.

So it's true. True love stories don't have endings. It's not over at 'I do.' It's just beginning. You have a whole life ahead of you - together. Who wants to see an ending?

Weekly Challenge: Time To Stretch!

Weekly challenge:

Stretch your legs three days this week

Stretching is important for keeping you flexible. It can help with your balance, and make it easier to bend over to tie your shoes in the morning. You can choose whichever stretch you like, or do three different ones. Just keep in mind that stretching too far can injure you seriously. Take it slow and easy. If it hurts, let up a bit. It's not a contest, so stop trying to compete.

If you'd like to share your accomplishments, feel free to share! :)

A Robin With Attitude (Free Short Story)

"I don't think going to your house will help the forest, Beenie," said Troy.

"It would save you and your parents," Beenie insisted. "And if no one else will listen to us, maybe they all deserve to be attacked by the gnomes!" Her voice was furious now, even though a tear was sliding down her cheek.

"Beenie!" Troy gasped, sounding shocked. "That's not very nice!"

"Neither was abandoning me to follow that hedgehog all by myself," Beenie shot back, scrubbing at the tears on her face.

Troy was silent for a long moment, and Beenie wondered if she'd hurt his feelings.

"I'm sorry, Beenie," he said. He sounded forlorn, and very, very sad.

"I'm sorry too," she said at last, sniffing again. After what seemed like a long time, she spoke again. "Do you want to get your parents and come to my house?"

"I don't know," said Troy, sounding miserable. "It would save us, but what about everyone else?"

"I don't know," Beenie said. "We can knock on some other doors, but if they're all like that stupid robin we won't be able to help them."

"Stupid robin?!" came an outraged voice. "Stupid robin? I'll show you a stupid robin!"

Too late, Beenie realized that the robin had been listening to their conversation from behind the door. The door in question flew open, and behind it stood a very angry robin. He was eying them with one dark eye, and his feathers were quivering with indignation.

"I was going to help you," he said loftily, but after that, I don't think so!" And he slammed the door in their astonished faces for the second time that night.

"Wait!" Beenie cried. "I'm sorry! Please come back!" She pounded the door with her hands. "Please!"

Harbinger, Tract VII, By Angelica Whaley

Better late than never! :D
TRACT VII: Compromise A fleeting flash of fear lit the boundaries of Man's eyes,
"You may not touch me with intent to harm,"
But equitable tones were met him.

"The obligatory blood sampling may not be contended.
Please comply with the sampling guidelines.
Do not argue the obligatory DNA sampling.
Do not resist the obligatory DNA sampling.

Compliance is appreciated."
But the man retracted,
Borne of fright.

"No DNA shall be taken from me,
Until I learn for what is to be its use,
Or until I learn about the addressee!"

So a compromise was established,
And Man followed DOE, who followed the light.
Even long, long, forever and on,
The light of Compass burned exceedingly bright.

And for every detour, Compass followed man.
"Indeed," thought DOE, "this is the plan."
But he was always unaware.

Your Love Quote of the Week!

"Who, being loved, is poor?" ~ Oscar Wilde Who indeed?

If you have enough to survive, and a person that loves you, what more do you really need? Certainly not the questionable benefit of riches. Love will find a way, it's true. If two people who love each other are in trouble, they will find a way to help each other. And they'll do it because they each want the other to succeed, to be happy, to be healthy.

What person who can say 'they love me' counts him or herself a poor person? They have all the valuable treasures they need.

The Bedtime Challenge

The Weekly Challenge:

Go to bed at the same time every night

I know this is going to be a real challenge for some of you, but it's important. When you don't get enough sleep, your body thinks it needs to eat more. That, and you'll be very grumpy. If you get enough sleep, you'll be happier, healthier, and people won't duck when you come into a room!

So pick out your favorite jammies, set your alarm clock, and choose your bedtime. If you keep it up for several weeks, you should notice a big difference. You might even wake up naturally before the alarm goes off.

Let us know how you do in the comments below! :)

Valentine's Day +....Planning?

I realized this morning that I hadn't written a blog post for today. Somehow, when I was writing up posts, I missed the one for today. I'm not sure how it happened, but it gave me a topic.

Planning.

February is the month when Valentine's Day is celebrated. But what does Valentine's Day have to do with planning?

It's simple, really. Who plans for their future? Most of us have plans for our future, or at least dreams. But who really plans for love? If you're like me you've heard that 'love is all you need' and 'love conquers all.' But that's not true. Not really. All you have to do is look at all the women who are abused every year. Their love hasn't saved them. In some cases, it's trapped them.

I think that this could partially be helped by a little planning. Waiting for marriage, being sure what qualities a good husband, boyfriend, father, would have, and knowing what danger signs to watch for. Just a little planning could go a long way.

I'm not saying to plan everything out. There's a lot of fun to be had with surprises. As long as they're not unpleasant. So plan accordingly, and good luck!

February 16th, 2013

Beenie fell backward as an angry robin spluttered.

"Get back!" the robin pointed a cane at Troy, who was still dripping. "What do you want?" He narrowed his eyes at them both.

"The gnomes are coming!" Beenie blurted. "They have a machine that can destroy things!"

"Very funny," the robin said, tapping the end of his cane on his doorstep.

"It's not a joke," Troy said, trying to wring water from his tail. "We saw it, and they're chasing us right now. They'll be after my parents! Can you help us? Please?"

"Go home, kids. Even if I didn't think this was a joke, there's nothing I can do to help you. You should know that nobody fights the gnomes." He turned around to go back inside.

"But if you don't they'll fix the machine and attack the forest!" Beenie said, grabbing the door before it could close.

"Then we'll handle it when it comes. If it comes," said the Robin, closing the door. 

"But if Troy's parents get hurt, it'll be all my fault!" Beenie cried, slapping her hands on the door. The robin didn't answer, and she leaned up against the door and slid to the ground. She sniffled. "I'm sorry, Troy," she said.

"It's okay," Troy said, huddling up next to her. But he didn't get too close; he was still wet.

"Do you think anyone will help us?" Beenie asked, sounding like she had a cold.

"No," Troy said softly. "They're all too scared of the gnomes."

"I could take you to my house," said Beenie. "It might be safe there."

Harbinger, Tracts Five and Six, By Angelica Whaley

Tract V: Rescue
In from the ravine's great mouth, harsh sunlight bade,
'Come to me', and DOE cursed its calling.
Then she thought, "Has Mother come to rescue me?"

Subtly the light shifted. Up, up there, a figure stood.
Peering, moving, waving a blurred arm. Not Mother.
DOE zoomed a wary eye up to the silhouette,
a man-like shape. Escaping left.

DOE leapt to her hooves and struck them against the soil,
In a fierce, silentious, and indistinct race.
"Who are you? Who are you?" rang her robotic vocals.

No answer. No answer from the man-being.
She sprinted the harder, straining cord and wire.
"Who are you? Who are you?" Could they even hear?
At last in the gloom a choking mass of rocks met her,

And she leapt over them with a sheet of sparks each
bound.
To freedom! Where darkness parted to give way to light!
To wonder! To discovery! By and by sun's blinding light
engulfed her.

A hand caught her canon at the last great leap,
and heaved DOE from her doom.
She could not feel his warmth, though imagined she could.
TRACT VI: The Greatest Discovery Who are you?" the robotic ungulate inquired,
giving impartial expression, standing still.
In the heavy air she gleamed drab grey.

The man was sparsely dressed in cotton twill,
With ebon tresses and algae eyes,
A testament, perhaps, to his good will?
They sparkled invitingly, his hand extended.

"Quem é você? Ով եք դուք? 你是谁？kdo jste?"
Selectively DOE reiterated the phrase,
Every time in different tongue.

But the man rested a palm to her nose,
Opening his mouth he said, "I understood the first time."
And DOE felt thoroughly surprised.
"Your discovery will further the PROWH,

Or, the Proposed Remedy for the Obfuscated Whereabouts of
Humans.
Cryogenically preserved DNA sampling requested."
However, the man put up his arms to resist.

DOE stuck out her nose, it was swat away.
A hand against her obdurate hide was hardly enough.
"You are Mother's greatest discovery. A sample is
requested."

The Talisman of El, By Alecia Stone!

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Talisman of El by Alecia Stone

WHAT IF YOUR WHOLE LIFE WAS A LIE?

One Planet.

Two Worlds.

Population: Human ... 7 billion.
Others ... unknown.

When 14-year-old Char­lie Blake wakes up sweat­ing and gasp­ing for air in the mid­dle of the night, he knows it is hap­pen­ing again. This time he wit­nesses a bru­tal mur­der. He's afraid to tell any­one. No one would believe him ... because it was a dream. Just like the one he had four years ago - the day before his dad died.

Char­lie doesn't know why this is hap­pen­ing. He would give any­thing to have an ordi­nary life. The prob­lem: he doesn't belong in the world he knows as home.

He belongs with the others.


Author Interview: 'Talisman Of El' by Alecia Stone

1: Why did you choose the name 'The Talisman of El' for your book?

I chose to call the first book Talisman Of El – also the name of the trilogy – because the Talisman Of El is an object in the book that is a central part of the story. It’s what brings the characters together and sets them on their journey.

2: In what way are the two worlds connected?

The two worlds – our world and Arcadia – are connected through the main character, Charlie Blake, who has a history in both worlds. Also, both worlds exist on planet Earth.

3: What would you say has been the best part about writing this book?

The best part about writing this book has been in the creation of Arcadia and creating the inhabitants of that world. I find the people of Arcadia to be rather fascinating and I enjoyed writing about their history.

4: In what way(s) do the inhabitants of the second world differ from humans?

The biggest difference is that they are not human. Some are immortal while others have a long life span. They exist in another dimension which is governed by different rules where their emotions and interactions are completely different to what mortals are used to. They also have great abilities which include the ability to teleport and see in the dark. Each kingdom possesses different powers.

5: How did you come up with the idea for Charlie to have nightmares before terrible things happen?

Strangely enough, I know someone who possesses this quality – not quite like Charlie’s ability – but having the intuition of knowing what’s coming before it happens. I quite like this aspect to his character. Having the ability to know the future comes with great responsibility.

6: Are you considering a sequel?

Yes. Talisman Of El is the first book in a trilogy. I’m currently writing the sequel.

7: Which character is your favorite, and why?

As much as I love all the characters, I would have to say that Charlie Blake is my favourite. He just has a big heart. He’s good natured, but I also like the fact that he’s flawed and doesn’t necessarily always think before he does something. I quite like his imperfection.

8: If there was one thing you could change about your book, or the process of writing it, what would it be?

In terms of the writing process, I’d probably go about learning how to plan. I usually start to plan after I’ve written the first draft. Then again, perhaps my lack of planning is what has saved me from developing writer’s block. In regards to the book, to be honest, because I didn’t plan to write a book, I wouldn’t change anything about it. It’s raw and unplanned. It is what it is.

Author Bio:

Alecia Stone has been in love with anything and everything paranormal for many years. She grad­u­ated with a BA in Film & TV and has worked in tele­vi­sion for a short period of time before branch­ing out into storytelling. When she isn't writ­ing, she enjoys going to the movies, lis­ten­ing to music, and travelling. Talisman Of El is her first novel. She currently lives in England, UK.



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Author Alecia Stone



Alecia Stone is the author of Talisman Of El (Centrinian, 2012), the first book in the Talisman Of El trilogy. She graduated with a BA in Film & TV and has worked in television for a short period of time before branching out into storytelling. Alecia loves anything and everything paranormal. Her fascination with all things supernatural sparked her obsession with books, particularly young adult fantasy fiction, which she has never grown out of. She was inspired to become an author after reading Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen at the age of fourteen.

In 2008, Alecia started working on Talisman Of El, a contemporary young adult fantasy fiction inspired by people who disappeared mysteriously, including, but not limited to, Amelia Earhart and Percy Harrison Fawcett, who went on an expedition in search of an ancient lost city. When she isn’t writing, she enjoys going to the movies, listening to music, and travelling.

Talisman Of El is her first novel. At present, Alecia lives in England, United Kingdom with her family.


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