Sarai Henderson's Blog, page 258

The Midnight Trail - Part Nine

I know I missed last weeks episode, but with the holiday and the release of my book, I didn't have time to post. I hope you forgive me. Here is part nine.

Part Nine –
I don’t think it was the darkness that scared me the most. It was most likely the unknown thing that was hunting me through the woods. I walked as fast as I could along the trail, but with only the headlamp for light and the occasional beam of moon light that shown through the tree canopy overhead, it was still slow going.
Branches broke in the underbrush up on the hill to my left. What ever it was that was out there, it was getting closer and I was still a long way from the trail head and civilization.
The sled bounced along the uneven terrain, but Chris stayed tied to the poles. If I tried to go any faster, he might fall out and then we would be a sitting duck on the trail as I tried to get his lifeless body back in the sled.
The crashing in the underbrush came closer. It was maybe a hundred feet away. A loud growl echoed down the trail sending a shiver through my body. My breathing became shallow as I stopped moving to listen to the forest. It was close. Its guttural breathing and scraping of claws were easily heard over its stomping through the woods.
It had to be a bear. There was nothing else big enough in this forest to make such a racket. Unless it was Bigfoot coming to call on me. Maybe he would help me carry Chris to the trail head? My mind was working a mile a minute, thinking of things that shouldn’t be so I wouldn’t run in fright, leaving Chris to his fate. I hadn’t worked so hard to save him, only to leave him to be eaten by a bear.
“Alright, Jarrod.” I called to the image of my dead brother to help me think clearly. “I’m not equipped to fight a bear.”
“You don’t have to.” Jarrod’s voice was distant but clear. “You just need to scare it.”
I huffed. “How?”
“Remember when we ere kids, and dad took us on a camping trip out by the coast? That night when we were sleeping in our tent, we woke to the sound of a bear sniffing around the camp fire.”
I remembered. The dim glow from the coals cast a shadow across the tent that was larger than the bear itself. “I remember how I was so scared I wanted to cry.”
Jarrod’s voice chuckled. “Do you remember how dad got rid of the bear?”
How could I forget? “He ran from the tent in his long-johns yelling and waving his arms. He even picked up a stick and started beating on a frying pan.”
The memory made me smile.
“Don’t be a cry baby, Shelby.”
Jarrod’s voice faded into the night, leaving me alone again with the bear coming closer. Snapping back to reality, I set Chris and the sled down carefully and picked up the first stick I could find by the side of the trail and began beating it against a stocky tree trunk. Its deep sound echoed through the forest along side my voice as I yelled. “You’re not going to get me today bear. Not today.”
Eyes shown in the darkness up the hill from me. It wasn’t moving, but I could still hear its deep breathing. I rapped on the tree trunk again and screamed as loud as I could. Words seemed to fail me, but my voice didn’t. The bear hesitated, stepping forward then back, unsure of what to do.
I kept on my wild dance and screaming, unaware that the animal was leaving, bewildered by my ranting. In the distance I heard my voice being called again. Jarrod must have come back to talk sense into me. “Shelby.”
“Jarrod, we did it.” I called back to my brother, but he didn’t answer. Something was different about the forest. He wasn’t answering.
“Shelby.” My name was called again, this time closer. I spun around on the trail to watch where the voice was coming from, expecting to see Jarrod walking toward me. It wasn’t him. Lights bounced in the distance, coming toward us in the dark. Three, maybe four lights illuminating the trail in front of unseen feet.
“Who’s there?” I called out, shading my eyes from the oncoming light.
“Are you Shelby?” It was a man’s voice. He was nearly to me. I could almost make out the shape of him now.
I shook my head, beginning to realize that there were people on the trail looking for me. “Yes.”
The man came to my side. He had a warm smile on his face. He explained that when a lost soul takes their first hike on the Midnight Trail, a small group of the hiking community wait at the trail head to welcome them home when they emerge from the forest.
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Tears streamed down my cheeks as a warm blanket was wrapped around my shoulders. I listened in a daze as the man who identified himself as Greg continued with his story. “When you didn’t show up at the trail head by nightfall, we called 911 and came looking for you.”

I walked out of the forest that night with a new sense of self. I wasn’t afraid anymore. Afraid of the unknown. Afraid of losing someone, and for some reason I was able to finally forgive myself for Jarrod’s accident. He wasn’t truly gone. I knew that now. He would forever live on the Midnight Trail.
Thank you for joining Shelby and I on this journey of forgiveness. I hope you come back again in the future for another story.

Menu: Week 153

I finally had a few hours this weekend to work on some photo editing. I have over 1200 photos to go through, but I'm excited to work on them because they are of a wonderful bride and a woman that I consider my sister. She was married on the 4th of July.

On another note. I missed part nine of the Midnight Trail last Friday because of the holiday and my book release. I was a little busy. I even had a hard time getting my menu out on time. Here's to another week.

Enjoy!

Monday- Basil and tomato tortellini 
Tuesday- Chicken Tacos
Wednesday- Spanish Rice
Thursday- Cheesy Pork Chops
Friday- Teriyaki Chicken
Saturday- Steak and Blue cheese sauce
Sunday
- Tuna sandwiches

July Movies

My husband and I did some movie watching the last few weeks. We saw some good and some bad movies, but we will get to that...

Bachelorette (2012) - I only watched this movie because it had Rebel Wilson in it, but it turns out her part was small compared to the rest of the cast.

The movie is about four friends and one of them is getting married. The other three throw her a bachelorette party and they get drunk and rip the wedding dress. The whole movie they are trying to fix the dress and they get into lots of trouble.

If you want to watch the trailer, check it out here.

Everyone in this movie is messed up and its pretty funny. I would give this movie 3 out of 5 stars for terrible friends and lack of Rebel Wilson.






10 Cloverfield Lane (2016) - This movie messed with my brain. At first I thought it was about one thing, then half way through the movie I thought it was about another thing, then at the end it was a completely different thing. I guess that's a sign of a good movie right?

If you like suspense thrillers and underground bunkers, you will like this movie, but if you don't like crazy twisted endings then don't bother watching. I felt like my mind was blown at the end. I'm not going to spoil it for you, your just going to have to watch it.

Check out the trailer here.

I'm going to give this crazy move 4 out of 5 stars because I still don't know what I was watching. The end was that twisted.

London (2005) - When I mentioned that I watched a really bad move, I left out the part where I watched half of it before I skipped randomly forward to see if it got any better and unfortunately it didn't look like it.

This movie is about a guy who goes over to his ex-girl friend's, best friend's house and does drugs in her bathroom the whole movie, and I mean the whole movie. They never leave the bathroom. They talked about random stuff and it seemed like there was no plot at all. I couldn't finish it, which is sad because it has Chris Evans and Jason Sathem in it. To amazing actors.

If you want to watch the trailer, go here, but seriously, don't bother.

This movie gets a 1 out of 5 stars only because of the actors in it, other wise I would have given it a big fat zero!



How to be Single (2016) - If you need a good crack up, this movie is it. Rebel Wilson is totally awesome and says the most crazy things. The women in this show are pretty messed up but how could you not be when you're single in New York.

The movie is about three women who are going through singledom in a different way. One is living it up, one is newly single and doesn't know how to handle it, one loves to be single but finds herself in a relationship, and one is trying way to hard to find a man and no one wants her. Its an epic ladies night movie that I watched with my husband, poor guy.

Here is the trailer.

I'm going to give this movie a 5 out of 5 because I laughed the whole movie and I love Rebel Wilson.









Rocket Science (2007) - This movie peeked my interest because the main character has a stutter that is somewhat similar to the one my oldest son struggles with.

Its about a boy who joins a debate team to impress a girl but s held back because of his speech impairment. By the end of the movie he shows everyone that they were wrong about him.

It has a young Anna Kendrick in it, who plays the love interest turned complete B-word. Check out the trailer here.

I'm going to give this movie a 3 out of 5 stars for over coming fears and the realty of high school.







Here are some July movies for you to enjoy... Or not. If you have a movie you think I will like, emphasis on the "like," then please send me an email or comment bellow.

HUNTER - Now available for purchase

It's an exciting day! I now get to officially call myself an author, something that I've been dreaming of since I was a kid. My first book HUNTER was released yesterday for purchase. You can buy it right now for Kindle on Amazon or from my publisher's webpage Evernight Teen. You will be able to pick up a paperback copy soon.

Thanks to all of you for being so supportive.

****



Sixteen-year-old Hunter belongs to the Telepathic Alliance for the Latent or Newly manifested, otherwise known as Talon, a bounty hunter community known for their ruthless tactics. Her latest mission in San Diego was supposed to be a piece of cake, but when the job takes a treacherous and deadly turn, not even her telepathic abilities could have warned her of the dangers lurking around the corner. 
There is only one place for Hunter to go, and that is straight into the hands of the government and their Psychic Intelligence Team, but even the “normal” world isn’t safe. With each passing hour throwing her deeper into the game of life and death, Hunter must decide who to trust before this mission becomes her last.

Menu: Week 152

I know the menu is really late, but it was the 4th of July and I had more important things to do. Like photograph my baby sisters wedding. I have 1200 photos to sort through and edit. It was an amazing day.

Also, in other good news. I can't stop sharing the coer art for my novel. It will be released this friday the 8th and as soon as I know the where you can purchase, I will share.

Enjoy this weeks half menu.

Wednesday- What ever Amy wants
Thursday- Chicken and Spanish Rice
Friday- Cheese Burgers
Saturday- Nachos
Sunday
- Tuna Sandwiches

The Midnight Trail - Part Eight

Part Eight
Even though the sun was now down behind the tree line, sweat beaded at my temples and ran down my back. The weight from the full sled pulled on my arms. Every rock on the ground jarred the wooden poles and radiated up my arms. I was beginning to lose the feeling in my fingers, but I had to go on. It only strengthened my resolve.
The trail along the water bank took a sharp turn and headed up a slight incline. I stopped at the bottom, looking up the twenty or so feet that I had to pull my unconscious ward up. “You’ve got to be kidding me?”
The light was nearly gone and the path up the hill was narrow. The right side of the trail dropped away sharply as the left side met a wall of hard dirt and debris on the other side. There would be no room for error. If for some reason one of the poles of the sled slipped off the side of the trail, Chris would fall into the swift moving river and I would be unable to save him.
“Ok. I can do this. I can do this.” I spoke to myself, but it didn’t help my nerves from taking me over. My arms shook as I took the first steps up the hill, pulling with all my strength on the sled. “You need to lose some weight, Chris. This would be so much easier if you were one hundred and fifty pounds lighter.”
My breath came in heavy puffs and my injured leg threatened to give out. Rocks crumbled away from the weight of the sled on the edge of the trail. I didn’t want to look back, fearing that if I stopped moving up the hill for even a split second, my momentum would be lost and I wouldn’t be able to pull it the rest of the way up the hill.
Step by step we ascended, the light all but gone by the time my feet touched the sold trail at the top of the incline. I carefully set the sled down in the dirt and dropped to my knees and rolled onto my back to catch my breath. Even in the dim light I recognized The Midnight Trail. It was twice as wide as the sled and smooth enough to pull it easily. I couldn’t help but laugh from the joy of finding my way back to something familiar.
I swung my backpack off my back and pulled a bottle of water from the inside, taking a large swig of the cool liquid. There was still a long way back to the parking area, but at least I knew where I was. Stuffing the bottle back inside my pack, I rummaged around the bottom for the head mounted flashlight that I had taken from Chris’s pack. Placing it snugly over my head, I turned on the light to illuminate the trail.
It was bright in the nearly dark world around me. The trail was clear as it cut through the night like a beacon of hope. “Well, buddy. It’s going to be a long night. We should probably get going.”
I spoke to Chris like he could speak back to me, but it was the only thing keeping me from freaking out in the silence of the forest. Lifting the poles back up to my waist, I set off again into the night, but I didn’t make ten steps before the quiet was pierced with a long howl off in the distance. My heart began to race and my hands were shaking as I listened. The howl was followed by a growl that was closer. Something was out there and I didn’t know what it was.

What is in the forest and do you think it’s coming for Shelby and Chris? Make sure you come back next week to find out if our characters will survive The Midnight Trail.

3 Tips for Beginner Freelance Writers

Over the last couple of years, I've had some amazing opportunities to write for blogs, web pages and publications. I'm not saying I'm an expert by all means, but there is something about sharing your writing with the world that draws me closer to freelancing and away from the normal mainstream jobs. Freelancing comes in all shapes and forms, writing styles and opportunities, but today I wanted to share a few tips with you that helped me over come my fears of putting myself out there.

1. There is always fear - Its the truest statement that anyone can ever say. Putting yourself out in the world for everyone to see, being vulnerable with your craft is hard. Not everyone will give you the support you will need and want. Not everyone will like your style of writing. It's going to happen and the best thing you can do is jump in feet first and worry about the fear later.

2. Find yourself a community - I've been lucky enough to find a community of writers online that share my same goals and struggles. When that fear starts to settle into the back of my mind, gnawing at my self esteem and pushing its way into the front of my mind, I reach out to my community for support and words of encouragement. They've all been there. They know what I'm going through and they will help me through it.

3. Tools are just as important - Every writer knows that without a pen and paper, a thought will never become a story. You need the tools of the trade to help your business grow. I never leave home without my laptop, Dropbox to keep me attached to my writing anywhere I go, Tweetdeck so I can make sure my readers know that there is a new post on my blog even when I'm busy, and Invoice2go so I can send invoices to all my clients from my mobile phone. This last one is a big one because you want to get paid don't you? Invoice2go has all the services you need to keep track of your finances.

Freelancing is not going to be for everyone. I love being an author just as much, but to keep my skills sharp and well rounded I write as much as possible and so should you.

June Movies - Part Three

Back again with some more movies that you may or may not want to see. Read on to find out how I rated these titles...
A Good Day to Die Hard (2013) - I have to say that I love all the Die Hard movies and that I own them all except this one on DVD. You just can't go wrong with Bruce Willis and then to add Jai Courtney who could potentially carry on the series since he plays John McClane Jr. 
If you want action, this movie has it. If you want an awkward reunion between father and son, this movie has it. Do you want betrayal and lies, well guess what, this movies has it.

To get your Die Hard fix, click here for the trailer.

I can't say enough about this movie and I will gladly give it a 5 out of 5 stars for pure awesomeness!







The Scorch Trials (2015) - So I thought the first Maze Runner movie was good. It left me hanging but in a good way and I wanted to see this movie as soon as it came out. This movie though, it really didn't live up to its name. The kids didn't spend much time in The Scorch even though they made a bg deal out of it in the beginning.

That all being said, if you can look past the weirdness of the kids supposedly being immune to this virus and then they come down with it (I might have missed something in the movie about this, but it wasn't clear,) then this is a great YA thriller that you should see.

You probably already watched the trailer, but here it is again.

I'll give it a 4 out of 5 stars only because I'm confused about the immunity thing.






The Loss of a Teardrop Diamond (2008) - I have been on a quest to watch every single Chris Evans movie he has ever been in and I'm starting to get into the lesser known movies on the list. I've never even heard of this movie until now, but it does have some big name actors in it like Bryce Dallas Howard.


The movie is based 1957 screen play written by Tennessee Williams. The characters in the movie have these ridiculous gone with the wind kind of accents that make you shiver every time they open their mouths. I think the acting itself is great but the story is just too terrible for me to like.

Its all about a girl named Fisher who hires Evans character to take her to parties. A long story short, she promises to help Evans crazy mother get out of a mental hospital if he marries her because she has alienated everyone else and no one will love her. I'm not going to spoil the end and tell you what Evans character does, but this is one messed up movie.

If you want to watch the trailer and their bad accents, click here.

If you are trying to finish your Chris Evans movie list then you have to see it, but I will give this movie a 3 out of 5 stars for the actors commitment to those ridiculous accents.

Sunshine (2007) - Ok, so this was another movie on my Chris Evans list but I really do like a good Armageddon thriller. Especially ones set in space.

The whole premise of this movie is a crew of eight people are sent hurtling toward the sun where they will detonate a bomb inside of the star to try and reactivate it since it is dying. They aren't the first ship that was sent into space though. The first crew dispersed seven years earlier without a trace. When they pick up the distress call from the first ship, they deiced to investigate (First mistake) and all heal starts break loose.

Now, I was good with this movie up until they introduced this weird space/time shifting character from out of now where. I almost got sick with the blurry vision on the screen. Granted I was streaming the movie on youtube, but still. (Yes, you can currently watch the whole movie on youtube.)

Check out the trailer here.

I will give this move 4 out of 5 stars for epic space travel and all around bad decision making.  

Menu: Week 151

One more week until the 4th of July. It just happens to be one of my favorite holidays, but this year is going to be even more special. A young woman that I consider to be a little sister, is getting married. I'm so excited for her!

The menu this week is going to be amazing, so please stick around and eat it all up.

Monday- Chicken Caesar Wraps
Tuesday- Worlds Best Tacos
Wednesday- Taco Soup
Thursday- Pork Lo Mein
Friday- Chicken Stir Fry
Saturday- Hot Roast Beef Sandwiches
Sunday- Tuna Sandwiches

Author Interview with Danielle Belwater

Today I’m very lucky to be interviewing Danielle Belwater author of "Of Blood and Snow," book two of the Erlanis Chronicles.

Hi Danielle, thank you for agreeing to this interview. Tell us a little about yourself and your background?

This is always a tricky question! Like a lot of people I struggle talking about myself. I’m a country girl, and live on a property with my family and all our pets South East of Adelaide, South Australia. When I’m not writing, I’m spending time with my family or decorating cakes. I love being creative in a totally different media.

I've always wanted to visit Australia, It's on my bucket list.

What are your ambitions for your writing career?

I want to finish the Erlanis Chronicles. There is at least one more book in the works, but if I get to the end of writing book 3 and there are more stories to tell, well, I’m just the messenger.

I also have a series based in Japanese mythology and a broad, sweeping fantasy series in the pipeline.

Wow, you're one busy mama. I love it!

So, what have you written?

Of Fire & Roses, The Erlanis Chronicles #1
Of Blood & Snow, The Erlanis Chronicles #2

I am definitely putting these on my "too read list."

Where can we buy or see them?

http://www.amazon.com/Danielle-Belwater/e/B00IGHWANO
http://www.evernightteen.com
http://www.allromanceebooks.com

Give us an insight into your main character. What does he/she do that is so special?

Both my main characters would tell you that they are not special at all, but they need to keep
quiet and let me tell you about them!

Nate, while a typical teenager, has an inner strength and wiseness beyond his years, even though he acts like a 12 year old sometimes.

Cora, her gifts are a bit more obvious, I can’t give too much away lest I spoil the story, but not
only does she have an inner fortitude that would rival King Kong’s, she has other more hands on
gifts. Cora sees them as a weakness, but she just needs to let go of the fear and be the champion everyone else sees her as.

Interesting, your characters sound very down to earth but extraordinary at the same time.

What are you working on at the moment?

I’ve always got stories in the works. I’m currently writing Book 3 in the Erlanis Chronicles, which continues the story of Nate and Cora but the focus shifts and things go in an unexpected direction.

I’m also writing a novel called “Let Her Go”which is a ghost love story based in Japanese mythology.

Ghost love story? How do you come up with this stuff? I'm intrigued and will keep my eye out for that one in the future. 

Which actor/actress would you like to see playing the lead character from your most recent book?

I always thought Shailene Woodley would play Cora, but after seeing Mia Wasikowska in a few things lately, I think she’d do a bang up job as Cora as well. But in saying that, I do adore Chloe Grace Moretz, oh dear, I can’t choose.

Nate has got that Josh Hutcherson vibe going on, but Nate is hotter and taller.

I'm always a fan of Josh Hutcherson, good choice. I don't know how you could pick between those three actresses? They are all amazing.

When did you decide to become a writer?

When I was 5. I can still remember sitting on my bed when I was little and when my Dad asked the question that all parents ask their kids, what do you want to be when you grow up? I said a writer. I kind of got sidetracked along the way, but always knew that one day I would get to where I am.

I love hearing stories like this, it makes it all that much better when your dreams come true and you become an author. It's fulfilling a life long goal.

Do you have a special time to write or how is your day structured?

Structure? There is no structure, when I have five minutes or an idea, I scribble down whatever I can. I don’t really have a process.

Sometimes I think this is better.  feel like when you sit down to write, it has to be forced and we all know that forcing it never turns out the way you want it to.

Do you write every day, or when you have time?

It will depend on where I am at with the story. If I’m gunning to get a manuscript finished, I’ll set a goal to write 1000 words a day. Then I know that I will at least have a manuscript, in some form, within a month or two. It’s only then does the hard slog of editing begin!

Ugh, editing. The bane of my existence.  wish that everything would just come out of my brain the right way the first time.

Do you work to an outline or plot or do you prefer just see where an idea takes you?

I usually do a combination of flying by the seat of my pants, plotting and being told where to go by my characters! They tell the story, I’m just the messenger!

It's the ultimate dilemma, pantsing vs. plotting. Another example that there is no write or wrong way to write a story.

Do you read much and if so who are your favorite authors?

I read as often as time will allow. In the times BC (before children) I used to mow through 2 or 3 books a week. Now, I’m lucky if I will finish a book in a month. There are just so many other things that end up taking priority.

As a mother myself, I know the feeling. It took my almost nine years to finish my last Robert Jordan book.

What book/s are you reading at present?

I’m reading Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre.

I haven't read that one, though I have read Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. Does that count?

What advice would you give to your younger self?

Don’t panic! And don’t be in such a rush. Everything will happen when it’s supposed to. If it hasn’t happened yet, it just means your not ready.

True story!

If you could have been the original author of any book, what would it have been and why?

Harry Potter. Then I wouldn’t have to worry about not having money to do all the other fun stuff I like to do!

Yes, I would pick that one or Twilight.

What advice would you give to aspiring writers?

Don’t wait until you have the perfect idea, don’t get bogged down in creating elaborate character profiles, don’t wait until you think you have better writing ability, just don’t wait. All your ideas are perfect, you’re characters often change as you write, writing ability can be learnt during the process and your finished novel ends up nothing like your first draft anyway, that’s what editing is for.

Words of wisdom, thank you.

How can readers discover more about you and you work?

Website: www.daniellebelwater.com
Blog: www.daniellebelwater.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DanielleBelwaterAuthor/?pnref=lhc
Twitter: @DBelwater
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Danielle-Belwater/e/B00IGHWANO
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/DanielleBelwater

Thank you very much for taking the time out of your busy schedule to take part in this interview. I've had a lot of fun getting to know a little bit about you and your writing style and can't wait to dig into the Erlanis Chronicles (When the kids let me). Don't miss Danielle's second novel available now to purchase.