Hello all!

Blessings for a good Holy Week, and happy Easter to everyone! I cannot believe that it is almost the end of March (and Lent to boot!).

Neither can I believe that this is my last 5-Part Writing special post....

This last post marks also the last of my preparations for Camp NaNoWriMo. Now that the world is somewhat set, and the plot is sketched out, the writing can begin in earnest after April 2nd (for you know I'm not going to write on Easter Sunday).

I have a LOT of goodies for you dear readers today, so let us begin!

First things first:
One thing that I got introduced to in July Camp NaNo was the art of creating avatars. A tradition that my cabin (The Fellowship of the Keyboards) has is to have a drawing or avatar of the MC of the WIP as the author's profile picture.

Janina and Ealdread

Well, I can't "draw". I can trace really well, and if I have about a week, a photo and a ruler, I can transpose a photo into a nice drawing. But picking up a piece of paper and drawing something out of thin air from my head without it looking very cartoonish....forget it.

Queen Carina and King Reijo

So last July, I went hunting for a really nice avatar building site, and that's when I found Azalea/Dolls Divine. My first ever avatar was Eirwen from my July NaNo WIP "Seeds of an Orchard Invisible" and because I found avatar building so addictive, I created avatars for my other SOI characters. You can view those avatars on this post HERE.

Alvilda and Karsten

For the most part I use the Lord of the Rings/Hobbit Scene Maker to make my avatars, which you can find HERE. Recently, I've found two other scene makers that are really similar to the LOTR one that I plan to use in the future (even though I don't like the shows that they are based off of): Game of Thrones and The Tudors.

Magda and Arnor

By far, making the avatars is the most fun and unique way that I can visualize my characters. What's even better - it's my creation, so I can share them as I wish, not bound by copyright!




I like collages a lot. My header would be a case in point.

However...I never do collages for my WIPs. Mainly because of copyright issues. I'm very scrupulous about using uncopyrighted images in my headers and my posts, so the idea of taking other people's photos and sticking them in collages doesn't appeal to me.

However, Pinterest is a HUGE inspiration for me when it comes to writing. So, I'm going to share some screenshots of the secret Pinterest board that I have for this WIP. Because I did avatars for the main/side characters, I'm going to share some aesthetics for my foreign sovereigns/nobles, as well as aesthetics for Castle Sidabras and Duventoliel.


As you can see, there isn't that much there yet...as I develop the world and the foreign kingdoms/states, I plan on adding more to these boards. 


I mainly use Spotify for my music needs, for both writing and life purposes. My Spotify playlist for this WIP is over 8 hrs long, and it consists of tracks from:


1. Peter Crowley
2. Antti Martikainen
3. Selected tracks from Brunuhville and Adrian von Ziegler
4. Medieval/Celtic artists such as Erutan, Arlene Faith, and David Davidson
5. How to Train Your Dragon soundtracks (Ivie...you have no idea how much of a lightbulb move this was...it changed the entire trajectory of my soundtrack.) 
6. Scandivian artists, including Cantus (who did the Norse pieces from Frozen) and Danish String Quartet.
7. Random cinematic/video game pieces that fit, including two songs from Brave.

So, the music vibe I was going for was a mix between Medieval, Celtic, and Scandinavian.While I won't share the entire playlist, I'll most definitely share some of the songs that helped me the most.





This song was the genesis of the original plot bunny for this WIP. I was, in fact, directly inspired by one of the lyrics in the song ("My White Rose"), and that motif just stayed throughout the process of development. Now, its in the title, it's Janina's nickname and seal, and even around my castle grounds! 





I swear, if this WIP is ever made into a movie, I want this song in there towards the end. Can't say much else otherwise I'll spoil it (even though it'll be totally obvious when you listen to the song).


What was your favorite aesthetic/art/music? Is anyone participating in Camp NaNo - and is it really only 2 days until writing starts??? 

 
Scribbingly yours,

Catherine


P.S. In lieu of the fact that several of you commented with this hashtag on my 17 Facts about Me post, here's the button:

Hello all!!

So, I technically wasn't tagged by anyone to do this one....

But....Mary Katherine, Lia and I had so much fun coming up with stuff for Lia's version of this tag, that we decided to repeat the process on MK's blog, and then on mine!

Keeping it consistent with the other two girl's post, I shall start with one fact of my own, and let the other two each share 8 facts. Taking MK's example, I will also be adding personal commentary!

Let us begin!

1. I am a Heinz 57 European when it comes to my ancestry. 

You ready for this?

On my dad's side we have:

Polish (Russia Polish and Galicia/Austrian Polish)
Italian (Naples/Rome)
Possible ancestors from Ukraine and Russia.

On my mom's side we have:

Scottish (Clans Mackinnon, McAlister, and Campbell). Proud to be a Jacobite!
Canadian (Scottish. They took a 300 year detour through Canada to get to America).
German
English
Welsh
Mohawk (Native American)
Ancestors from Netherlands, Ireland, and France.

So excluding the Spanish and Belgium, I pretty much hit all the major countries of Europe between my two parents....(and who knows....maybe my dad's side has it after all...his side still needs a lot of exploring....)



2. If she laughs too hard, she will start hiccuping and it’s the funniest thing ever!

I have the worst hiccups on the planet, I swear...and yes, my hiccups have caused giggle fits, which of course worsens them, and it's a destructive cycle...


3. She’s obsessed with Celtic music

I blame it on my overly Celtic roots. I grew up identifying myself as a Highland Scot first, so I was raised on Highland bagpipe music. Irish music (both a capella and instrumental) naturally followed, and then the Celtic-inspired novelling music, and then the Welsh music, and now the Celtic medieval music...

Needless to say...I wasn't surprised in December when Spotify reported that my most-listened to genre was Celtic. Not in the least. 




4. She wants to own a farm one day.

I have agriculture and farming in my blood. My parents have always wanted a farm of their own (even though they've been unsuccessful at getting the land and money).

I personally love historic farming. I'm talking 19th century with animal power and hand tools. After 2 internships, I'm begging for more. But if my career dreams never flourish, I'm sure I can find a way to get a piece of land and have my own animals and crops on it, even if it's only a homestead.


5. She knows how to tap dance!

I do!! Believe it or not, I'm a former dancer of a local dance studio. I danced for about 3 years (between the ages of 8-11).

Besides tap, I also learned Broadway jazz and ballet at the studio. My favorite though, was tap. After I left the studio, I picked up some Irish dance steps and I learned how to square dance. And I do dance 3 modern dances (Cotton-Eyed Joe, Cha-Cha-Slide, and Cupid Shuffle), the rest are too obscene for my tastes.

Because I practiced at home so much, I never forgot any of the steps...I still break out dancing when I'm bored, though I'll switch it up with ballet and Irish dancing.


6. Can Cotton-Eyed Joe like nobody’s business. 

Haha!! I dearly love Cotton-Eyed Joe though...the song as well as the dance!




7. She doesn’t like watermelon

Okay, clarification....I like the watermelon taste...in small quantities. I don't like the watermelon texture at all. It's like gritty strings and I don't like it. Not to mention the juice runs everywhere and makes everything sticky.


8. She joined her church choir as a soprano and is loving it!

I joined last December, just in time for Advent. I loved singing from the pew and I was super excited that I could finally have the time to join my home church choir.

I am not looking forward to my first Holy Week Triduum though...it makes my voice hoarse just thinking about it.


9. She constantly has to slap sense into me.

*shrugs and grins*





10. Loves The Lords of the Rings and wants to be a shield maiden.

Yes, yes indeed. I'm sure you all know of my obsession with Eowyn by now...

I love Tolkien - and the Lord of the Rings - to death. I recently picked up The Simillarion and The Children of Hurin from the library to read, and I'm super excited to read them!

I do have a warrior streak in me - I'm sure it's from the fact that there is at least one ancestor of mine in every major American conflict since the French and Indian War.

While I'm not handy with a sword yet, I have had some self-defense training and some training with guns. I am in desperate need of more though. And I have a great desire to whip myself into shape physically. However, I have this alarming trend of overdoing it and hurting myself rather badly. And my hand-eye coordination could really use some work...


11. A fan of whatever-team-it-was-that-won-the-Super-Bowl-this-year.

THAT’S THE PHILADELPHIA EAGLES, THANK YOU.




12. She likes Coke (the drink, not the drug) and pink lemonade and tea. But no coffee, poor lamb.

Thank you for that clarification....

No, no coffee. I honestly don't like the taste. I had a coffee flavored beer recently just for kicks and giggles....didn't really like it. Roasted/char tastes don't really agree with my tongue, I find.


13. She reads a lot of historical fiction and fantasy, but will read just about anything as long as its well written and cleanly written.

Very accurate! I'm not afraid to go for an occasional military, thriller, dystopia, an epistolary book (a book of letters), or other book. Of course, it goes without saying that I have to be interested in the story....

The biggest things that make me DNF a book are positive situations involving dark magic and lust. As long as those aren't in there, there is a good chance I'll pick it up to read.


14. She loves gummy candy.

Gummy bears, gummy worms, and gummy peach rings are candies that I don't get very often and I love them to death. Other favorite candies include Starburst, 3 Musketeers, Snickers, Skittles and Jelly Beans.




15. She is often mistaken for a much younger person, though she is one of the most mature girls I know. 

*blushes and smiles*

The struggle is real. To understand what I mean, check out this recent post I did on my personal blog.


16. She likes to watch period dramas and chick flicks, but also Marvel movies and animated films.

Nailed that one on the head!

To be honest, I was NOT a movie person when I was a child. If something happened to the characters, I would run and hide until the danger was over. Not joking.

And then sometime during high school, that changed. I think once I figured out that there were tricks to doing some the scenes, something clicked and it wasn't scary for me anymore. You know, like when someone turns on the light and takes the sheet off the ghost.

As for movie tastes, as long as it's fairly clean and has a good story, I'm game for it!


17. Loves the country and would probably not survive if forced to move to a big city like NYC or LA. 

AIN'T THAT THE TRUTH.

Let me put it to you this way. I didn't survive living in a small city when in graduate school. Now I don't mind going to visit a city, even on a regular basis. But to live there?? In a city of any size?? FORGET IT. I'm a country girl until I die. Period. Exclamation mark.

Copyright: Catherine Hawthorn

I'm going to leave this tag open...as I have no idea who has been tagged for this tag or not. And with Camp NaNo looming, I'm sure y'all appreciate the break.

Let's talk! Which fact surprised you? What ethnicities make up your ancestry?

Scribbingly yours,

Catherine

A work in progress really does mean a work in progress, in some cases. Thank heavens "in progress" means that changes can still be made.

Cause, man did I mess that introductory post up. This is what happens when I get super excited, guys, I spoils things. I do it all the time, ask my brothers.  It drives them CRAZY.

Anyways....

As I develop this story further, and in conjunction with some changing personal philosophies, I think I'm going to change up my focus of The White Rose a little.

Instead of focusing on JUST the romance, I really need to focus on the character development between Janina and Ealdread. How Janina matures. How Ealdread lightens up a little. The romance will stay as a subplot, but this thing is getting restructured before it goes to be "officially" written during Camp NaNoWriMo this April.

Which is excellent news for all of my side characters, because that means that instead being relegated to the wings, they get a much larger presence in the story. Which is really good because I dearly love these side characters.

Speaking of which - today is the day that I get to officially reveal them to you!!!




I'll introduce 7 of the main "side characters" that are in The White Rose. These are the ones that are closest to Janina and bear a lot on her story. (And they are the most developed, *shrug*)

King Ealdread Leofwine: 

Ealdread is the sovereign of the High Kingdom of Aistaraina. He's in his 35th year, and has competed in at least 2-3 other Karala Games before this one. He is one of the very few "bachelor" kings (the first in many generations for Aistaraina, at least) in the "world" that I have. His seal is two swans set in white wax. His temperament is a melancholy phlegmatic.

Ealdread is about 5'10, has rich dark brown hair and gray eyes. He has a muscular and trim build, though that stomach region is threatening to pudge out a little.

Relationship to Janina: At first friend, then good friend, then...well, I think you know already (because I was a bad author and spoiled it all...*facepalm*)




King Reijo Sigurdnir:

Reijo is the sovereign of the High Kingdom of Duventoliel, and married to Carina. He does have a propensity of forgetting his manners at times...a trait that causes great annoyance to his wife and daughters. His seal is a dragon set in silver wax (his sons have the same seal, except that they are set in blue wax), and the livery is set in royal navy with silver dragons. His temperament is a sanguine phlegmatic.

Reijo is 6ft tall, has dirty blond/golden brown hair, and has blue eyes. He has a solid husky build.

Relationship to Janina: Beloved father, and king of her homeland.

Credit: David Revoy

Queen Carina Sigurdnir:

Carina is the queen of Duventoliel, and married to Reijo. She (and Reijo) have 8 children: Eljas, 32, married (Birgetta); Rikhard, 26, married; Orla, 25, married; Leon, 23, single; Tobias, 22, single; Magdalena, 19, single; Alvilda, 16 (almost 17), single; and Janina, 15 (almost 16), single.

She values refinement and deportment a lot and takes her role as role model to the women of Duventoliel very seriously. Carina has dark hair, green hazel eyes, and stands about 5'6. Her birthstone is peridot, a light green gem. Her seal is a rose flower set in red wax, and her standard is a red rose on a light blue field. Her temperatment is a melancholy choleric.

Relationship to Janina: Her dearest mother. 




Princess Magdalena Sigurdnir:

Magdalena, or more commonly known as Magda, is the "villain" of this WIP. She is rather vain, loves more masculine pursuits (she is, in fact, the Patroness of Huntsmen and Grooms for Duventoliel), and despises singleness. The colors red and black are associated with her a lot. Her birthstone is ruby, her standard is a black horse on a red field, and her seal is a horse set in red (and later black) wax. Oh yes, and she has a strange obsession with gloves recently....

Magda is paler than most Duventolians, has alluring dark green eyes, and her mother's dark hair. She stands about 5'6"-5'7". Her temperament is a choleric melancholy.

Relationship to Janina:  Older sister by about 3 1/2 years. Thorn in her side would also be a good relationship title too.....



Princess Alvilda Sigurdnir:

Alvilda is probably the closest character to being Janina's "sidekick". Alvilda is Patroness of Musicians and of the Navy of Duventoliel. One of her favorite hobbies is embroidery and sewing - she, in fact, sewed Janina's first standard banner. She is also a solid book lover. Her seal is an anchor set in dark blue wax, her standard is a dark blue anchor on a gold field. Her birthstone is a sapphire.

Alvilda has dark blue eyes, dark hair, and stands about 5'5". Her temperament is a phlegmatic sanguine.

Relationship to Janina: Older sister by a year, they are best friends, greatest allies as well as sisters.



Prince Karsten Vehiron:

Karsten is the 4th prince of the High Kingdom of Ceberlandon. He is very genial and is set to come to Duventoliel at the time of the Karala Games, but ends up late because of a small skirmish war with the Giants of the North. He is also the first Ceberlandon royal to ever consider a foreign bride.

Karsten is 5'11", has dark brown eyes and hair. His temperament is sanguine phlegmatic.

Relationship to Janina: Rather indirect. He becomes great friends with Ealdread, and has his eyes on a certain favorite sister of hers....




Arnor Ansgar:

Arnor is the son of the arms-keeper of the castle, who has just become a brand new liveryman at the young age of 15. He acts as a courier and bodyguard, and is later assigned to the Princess's Wing upon suggestion by Janina and Alvilda.

Arnor is 5'5", has light brown hair, and browm eyes. His temperament is choleric melancholy.

Relationship to Janina: Childhood playmate, courior and later bodyguard.

Credit: Thomas Quine

 Besides these side characters, there is also a whole host of foreign soveriegns, nobles, and other Royal siblings and cousins that are mentioned, but not major enough to deserve a spot in this post (at least, at the moment, anyway).



King Ealdread:

“May I remind you, Your Majesty, that you are fast approaching your fourth decade of life? And that you have no heir to the throne?”

Ealdread crossed his arms and looked solidly at his aging counselman. “Mmmm, funny, I thought that was still about 5 years away.”

“Five years is not that much time compared to decades, Your Majesty. No Leofwine King, in all the years of the line’s existence, has ever NOT had an heir by this time in his life! Why should you be the first to break such an illustrious tradition?” The counselman opened his arms in exasperation.

Ealdread was tempted to roll his eyes, but refrained. “If you must know, my dear counselman, I have not found a bride that suited me. All of the “eligible” women that you and the council have paraded before me have either been stuck-up, silly, or…..” He paused briefly, gesturing as if to catch the word that was escaping him. “Slinky!”




King Reijo:

“Is everything all right, daughter?”

“Yes, of course, Father.” Janina fingered the medal around her neck, giving her father a clear view of the shimmering ring of amethyst gems on her finger. She saw the relief in her father's eyes as Ealdread spoke up. “The Princess was feeling a little indisposed, your Majesty. I believe it was the shrimp that was the cause.”

King Reijo’s face crumbled inward as he slapped it with his hand. “I knew there was something I had forgotten to mention to the stewards…..” He gave a short sharp exclamation, and immediately regretted it as his daughter pinned him a sharp look. “Forgive me, Janina….it slipped.”





Queen Carina and Princess Magda:

“Where is Alvilda?” Janina asked her mother.

“She is abed this morning. Time of the Moon, I’m afraid.” Queen Carina’s face flickered concern. Alvilda’s Time of the Moon was one of the severest of all the recent generations, often requiring that she take to her bed for several hours for the pain to diminish.

“Odd, she’s early this month, Mother.” Magda forked a piece of perch into her mouth…still with her gloves on.

“She is…but I assure you, she isn’t faking it, Magda. You know your sister better than that, so don’t even think about it.” Queen Carina’s eyes took on a hard edge as she eyed her middle daughter.

Magda’s eyes opened wide with exasperation and she opened her hands. “Mother! Did I give any hint that I suspected her of such?”

The queen eyed Magda. “Considering your recent behavior, my daughter, I was afraid you might have. Forgive me, I seem to have misjudged you.” Seeing the glint in Magda’s eyes, she quickly added, “This time.”

They continued eating in silence.



Princess Alvilda:

“Good morning Alvie!” Janina said softly as she set herself down on the footstool near the bed.

“Janina….I’m so glad you’ve come.” A cheery, though tired, voice emerged from the blanket.

“I heard from Mother of your condition, so I thought I would steal away to cheer you up for a little while.” Seeing the fire low, Janina got up and stuck another log on herself.

“Oh Janina…you’ll get your good dress dirty if you keep tending the fire like that!” Alvilda playfully scolded her. Janina smiled. “Your comfort is much more important than any dress. It can be washed easily. Besides, I don’t see another servant around, unless you’ve got one hiding under the bed!”

The girls laughed as Janina settled herself again. Alvilda grasped her sister’s hand. “I was afraid Magda would steal you away for the whole day and I would be left here in total loneliness!”

Janina laughed. “Even if she had, I would have at least sent a note to you…” Janina broke off and gasped. “Oh, Alvie! That reminds me, Arnor gave me this letter for you.” She retrieved it from her belt and handed it to her mystified sister. “He passed all the Keeper’s tests, and is a full liveryman now!”

“Who, Arnor?” Alvilda placed the letter on the bedspread beside her and kept her attention to her sister’s lighted face. Her letter could wait, besides, Arnor was a favorite of hers too.



Prince Karsten:

Ealdread started taking the chess pieces out of the box. "So, tell me something, Karsten. Does Ceberlandon really allow royals to marry those of common blood?" 

Karsten laughed genially and settled back into his chair at the familiar question. "Everybody got tired to marrying their distant cousins generation after generation. Can't says I blame them either."

Ealdread raised his eyebrows as he lined up the dark game pieces on his side of the board. "Is the noble population of Ceberlandon really that small?" 

Smiling, Karsten shook his head as his hands moved a pawn. "I assure you it isn't small. It is, in fact, quite large. The problem is that so many families have intermarried...." He raised his eyebrows as Ealdread's black bishop captured a white pawn. "That it is become an absolute nightmare to determine whether or not a marriage is canonically sound or not."  


Arnor:

Janina walked down the corridor towards the East wing of the castle. Her mother’s news about Alvilda had surprised Janina, and she wanted to see her sister on other matters anyway.

She almost collided into a medium-height boy as she turned the corner. She jumped back and was surprised to see the son of the arms-master in a new suit of livery and carrying a new guard’s spear.

“Arnor!” Janina exclaimed with joy. “You’ve passed the Keeper’s tests??”

“Yes indeed, Ja-I mean, Princess.” He made his “bow of protocol” in respect to her station. “Though, I may say, Princess, it’s…rather odd, calling you Princess now….” He trailed off as Janina giggled.

“Well, you have royal permission to refer to me by my Christian name, when we are not in the presence of…certain officials.” She smiled at her blue-eyed childhood friend.

“Thank you, Janina.” He bowed again, and turned to go but stopped himself. “Oh! I was to give this correspondence to Princess Alvilda. Have you seen her?” He brings forth a letter from his crisp navy shirt embroidered with a silver dragon.

Janina giggled again. “You are in luck! I was about to go to her quarters. I’ll bring it to her, it will save you a few steps.” She held out her hand, and Arnor placed the letter in it. Thanking her, Arnor bowed and left her.






As previously mentioned, it is Alvilda. Since Janina was born, Alvilda has always been at her side. She knows ever every quirk, every dislike, every thing possible about Janina. Even her mother doesn't know her as well, I would wager.



This is going to get complicated, so hold on to your seats!

So Ealdread and Karsten become very good friends (Karsten becomes more of a sidekick/brother figure to Ealdread) so they work together a lot.

Karsten and Alvilda also are a team of themselves. They are working to keep Magda from interfering with Janina and the tournament.

Alvilda and Janina are a team, obviously. Queen Carina is often teamed with them too, especially with the Games prep.

Arnor and Ealdread become allies rather quickly, especially after...certain instances happen.

King Reijo, Queen Carina, and Alvilda are support for Janina when she deals with Magda.

And lastly, Janina and Ealdread become a solid team as they get to know each other.





Queen Carina is suspicious of King Ealdread. She isn't sure that he is totally honorable when it comes to Janina.

Reijo is a little wary of both Ealdread and Karsten simply because they are looking at his daughters. A normal father thing.

Janina sometimes thinks her mother a little harsh.



Vain. Brash. Impure.

That about sums up Magda.


Well, the main thing that gets Magda in trouble is that she is discovered to be in a...hem...clandestine relationship with a man. If you get my meaning. Which of course, is a great big no-no in every single decent civilized society.

I mentioned that she despises singleness, right? Well, the nobles are fun suitors and she breaks a heart every few weeks. Oh yeah, one of those girls.

So when she is discovered, with the addition of some damaging evidence from Janina, she is disgraced and stripped from ever becoming a Blue Star. And because of that, well, she has a beef with Janina and wants to see her fall. Because there is nothing worse than having a younger sister usurp you.



Magda is definitely a person that works alone. Sometimes a "devoted" follower will sometimes run interference for her, but it doesn't happen often.



Being haughty, Magda carries herself high. She looks down at a lot of people in spite of her medium height. She walks stiffly and fast in public, and she sneaks a lot when she is out of company.

Talk? Well, the insolent tone of protested innocence never really leaves her, even when she is in earnest. She has a loud, projecting, and a very clear voice (so no one can mistake her meaning).



Well, in addition to the above characteristics, the obsession with the gloves is also attached to her vanity. She always has wanted pale skin, and with her Duventoliel heritage, that's a little rough to come by. She always has some kind of flashy jewelry, and she was the first in many generations to experiment with makeup.

Her mind often wool-gathers (fruitless as it is) and her eye contact is horrible. She is easily charmed by handsome looks and easy-going manners. Her speech can range from being smooth as a cat's to forceful as a pitt bull.

What do you think of all my supporting characters? Which one was your favorite? Any comments or critiques would be wonderful! Is anyone else doing Camp NaNo? Is April really only about 10 days away??? 

Hello all!

Here I am again, with another new installment of the 5-Part Writing Special!!

Today is a really special day because I will be (properly) introducing my ever so lovely Main Character. Which will make her very happy because I kind of introduced her haphazardly in the first post of this tag which ruffled Her Royal Highness a little. She's not quite used to the democratic ways of America...quite a difference from her home in Duventoliel.

And now....to correct that injustice.....

*assumes heraldic voice*

Presenting....

The Champion of the Orphan....

Patroness of the Bards....

and the Blue Star of Duventoliel...

Her Royal Highness,

Princess Janina of the Royal House of Sigurdnir!

*puts off heraldic scroll*

Dear me, that seems a little sparse. Allow me dear readers, to explain further.

So, Janina is the youngest child of King Reijo and Queen Carina Sigurdnir, the youngest of 8 to be exact. Her title Champion of the Orphan is a traditional title to the youngest princess, but she really is devoted to the orphanages in Duventoliel and has direct responsibility over them.

Her title Patroness of the Bards is her own choosing. She loves poetry and so she chooses to support them in the kingdom.

The Blue Star of Duventoliel....ah yes, that was a surprise. That is a title basically denoting her as the next available royal bride of Duventoliel. It is noted by a circlet of silver, with deep blue gems of Elvish origin.





If this was silver, it would be spot on....alas, no images exist of the circlet outside of Duventoliel, so we are forced with a cheap alternative...thanks Pinterest.

Well, the goals of Janina are: to choose a champion wisely, and to prove her maturity and ability to lead a people.

The goals of Magda, the "villian" in this story (who also happens to be her older sister by 4 years), is gain a husband through any cattiness she can. Even though she was to be the Blue Star, she wished to ensnare a man before that time. Unfortunately for her, she gets exposed and caught, of which she blames Janina (in truth, Janina had very little to do with the exposure, she only had a small, but particulary damaging piece of evidence).

Now that she is disgraced and her "deserved" title given to another, she looks to cast her snares like the proverbial harlot - and maybe trip up a fair princess in the process. 



Her personality is a phlegmatic sanguine, so it can be a little difficult to motivate her sometimes. Making people happy is usually the best motivator for her. Her love language is acts of service, so she'll often do little things for others.



The lie that she can still trust her sister Magda. She grapples with a lot of trust issues between her and Magda, especially after Magda is disgraced.

And that her young age (she's only about 15), won't be an obstacle at any point. No one has really discriminated her because of her age before....*shifts eyes*

Random fact: Her favorite flower, and her seal, is a white rose.

Bet you didn't see that coming, LOL.^^



Being so young, she still has some childish petulance and habits that she still hasn't put off yet. She also gets really annoyed if she is ignorant in any fashion. Basically any mannerism that would cause suspicion of her being "only a child" is one that she hates....and works to avoid.



Janina doesn't necessarily love herself or any of her traits....she instead loves the effects that her service to her kingdom generates and that she makes people happy.

For example, Janina leads a Sodality of orphan girls. They do many little services to the churches and shrines in Sidabras, and they grow stronger in their feminine vocations in the meantime. She sees a lot of change (for good) in girl's characters and the benefits it has on the community and she couldn't be happier.

(A Sodality is a young girl's group, devoted to the Blessed Virgin, which strengthens the faith, vocations and fellowship of girls between the ages of 8-18.)

Okay, she does love that she has a talent for making people happy. Better?



Her greatest strength is to dispel tension and mediate between parties, which makes her a great diplomat.

Her weakness is probably her naivety and social inexperience. A rather easy fault to overcome, but one that requires a little embarrasment now and again to do so.



Another random fact that you didn't need to know: This dress (with the exception of the sleeves, the original was without the gossamer fabric and was tighter to the upper arm and stopped at the elbow) is similar to one of the ones that Janina wears to the solemn Karala Games events. I LOVE THE SILVER DRAGONS EMBROIDERED ON IT. It was perfection. If it wasn't 1am right now, I'd squeal.


Janina will often go on long walks when she isn't busy with her royal, state or personal obligations. She'll often go the creeks surrounding the castle and observe the fish, the birds and the occasional critter that she finds roaming around. As a child, she often climbed into trees to visit birds nests, and even raised a nest full of little songbirds after her brothers ruthlessly killed the parents.



Janina has rich golden-brown hair (lightens in summer), and it is quite long. Her eyes are a mossy green. A well formed nose and a strong chin give a classic beautiful look about her. She stands about 5'4.

A picture will do better than just words though. Take a look at this "official portrait" I snagged off of Pinterest. In my mind, this is the perfect representation of Janina.

again with the ginormous picture....stupid pixelation.

I'm trying my best NOT to model this Main Character off of myself. All of my other MCs - Ciara, Eirwen, and even Gail - have a distinct part of me in them. Magda (the villian) is actually based somewhat off me in a villian AU situation.

Like Janina, I have long hair, I (was) in a Sodality, and I'm somewhat of a diplomat. And I do like to serve in a cause (maybe a little too much *cough RW cough*)

Janina is different from me in a lot more ways though - I'm the oldest, less innocent, much more melancholic, I'm obviously not a princess, I have different tastes in almost all the arts (music, poetry, etc.), and I do not have the talent of making every person happy either....


And so, that is the Princess Janina, in a nutshell. Be sure to check out the fellow contributors posts, and meet all of their awesome MCs! 


How do you like Janina? Or my sneaky way of adding in character details? Chat with me in the comments!! 

Scribblingly yours,

Catherine

Hello all!!

Well, here I am with my first "Taggy Tuesday" post!

I decided to a squishing of 3 tags in here because originally this was going to part of the whole "March Tag Madness" thing. And since it was fairly well completed, I didn't see the point of separating it all out again. And with the tags being on one day a week, it will give a chance for some variety instead of being all-tags-all-the-time.

So I'm going to knock out three tags that have been on the shelf for a while: The Winter Wonderland Tag (which I swear is the twin sister to the Christmas Tag that I did earlier this year), The Tag of Sunshine, and The Rising Author Tag.

So without further ado, let us begin!

How appropriate...as I'm writing this I'm getting snow. Joy.

I was tagged by Awdur @ The Pen of Awdur...an embarrasingly long time. Awdur is someone that I connected to rather recently because of of the cool mix between old-fashioned sewing and books. You can check out her post HERE. And then I got tagged again, this time by Mary Katherine @ Sarcastic Scribblings. She is one of my alphas and an awesome person in general :). You can view MK's post HERE.

Rules:

1. Link back to the Storybook Journal - another blog I follow now! She did a great post recently on the flaws of the 2005 P&P film...which I happen to agree 100% with, even though I like the movie :).
2. Answer the questions!
3. Tag at least 3 other bloggers (or more if you feel so inclined)

Well, that is simple enough....now onto the questions!


1. Name a few things you like about Winter and a few things you don't like about Winter.

I Like:

The sheer beauty that snow and ice can create. Hoarfrost is one of my favorite natural phenomenons.
Snowball fights.
Building snow forts and making snow angels.
Hot cocoa and tea :)

I Don't Like:

The cold.
The mud and slush that comes after snow.
The salt spray that is all over my car.
Scraping ice off of the cars.
Ice in general.
The fact that my room seems to be the coldest room in the house.....


2. When you were a kid, did you believe in Santa Claus? 

.....yes. Yes I did. We didn't really know the legend of St. Nicholas until I started attending the Latin Mass on a regular basis, so we were taught about Santy Claus. And yes, I did sit on his knee, multiple times. It was a highlight of my childhood to sit on Santa's lap and get a picture taken.



3. Is there a book or movie that you like to watch during the winter - as opposed to any other time of the year?

White Christmas. That definitely cements it to me that it is winter. Snow and ski lodges will do that.



4. Is there a particular Christmas movie that you watch every year as a tradition?

See the above answer.



5. Do you usually get a fake tree or a real tree for Christmas? Who is in charge of decorating it?

We have a 50 year old fake tree that we use every year. We had real trees when I was really really little, but then we rescued a fake one that Mom had growing up. It's still holding together...despite having the pole replaced. And having bare tips on a few of the branches. Oh well, at least the needles have stopped dropping....for the most part.

Mom is most definitely in charge of the tree (it is, after all, HER tree), although we do put up our own personal ornaments. Mom and I tend to be tree police though, LOL.

A couple of years ago, we discovered that we had too many ornaments for our 8ft tall fake tree, and had a small tree that we used in between the real trees and getting our big tree. So now, we have two trees up during Christmas (in separate rooms of course). And I'M in charge of the little tree :).

Copyright: Catherine Hawthorn. Our big 50 year old fake tree.

6. Does your family usually stay home or go visiting (relatives, friends, etc.) on Christmas Day?

We stay home, and for the most part, so does our family and friends. We did have family over for Christmas a couple of times, but it was mostly because they couldn't be there for New Years.


7. What does your family usually do on New Years Eve? Any traditions? Do you ever stay up to midnight?

A lot of times, we'll either play a board game or watch a long movie as we wait up for the New Year to start. While we do watch the ball drop, we don't tune in until right as it begins to descend. Not very fond of the entertainment, to be honest. We have our own brand that we like better :).


8. Do you get snow where you live? If so, have you ever built a snowman? Is his name Olaf?

We do get snow a fair bit, usually in February it seems. Yes, I have built a snowman! Several, actually.

I think these are my sibling's snowmen....

However, we haven't made any since Frozen came out, so we never named them Olaf. Or anything for that matter....except maybe Frosty.



9. If it's snowing outside, would you rather go outside and build snowmen and enjoy it? Or would you rather stay inside, curled up in a blanket with a cup of tea and a movie/book?

For the most part, I do like to stay inside curled up in a blanket, with a book :). If anybody knows anything about me, it's that I don't. like. the. cold.

Though I do get the wild desire to go out and play in the snow occasionally....


10. When do you start looking forward to Spring?

After January ends. I'm usually sick of winter by that point, and I long to be outside in the warm sunshine.


I'm leaving this tag open - as most people really probably don't want to think about winter right now. I sure don't right now...





Back in January, I was tagged for this cute tag by Mira @ Stepping into Sunshine! For those who don't know her, she is a ray of sunshine itself. I always feel inspired and warm whenever I visit her little corner. You can view her post HERE.

Rules:

1. Thank the person who tagged you (Thank you, Mira dear!)
2. Answer the questions.
3. Tag at least 2 bloggers with 7 questions of your own.



1. Would you survive in your favorite fictional world?

I'm not totally sure. Can I take the book as my guide? That may increase my chances :).

Considering my favorite fictional worlds tend to be Tolkeinish - such as Middle-Earth, Algaesea (Paolini), and Aistaraina (my own), it wouldn't be a bad idea, at least...


2. What did you want to be when you grew up at age five?

Oh gracious. I'm sure I had an idea...that changed every few weeks.

I know that when I was around 9, I wanted to be a vet. I had that dream in mind for several years, and was considering it for college up until high school. In the end, the 8 years of school and the emotional toll that it entailed convinced me to take up agriculture instead.



3. C.S. Lewis or J.R.R. Tolkien?

Oh goodness.....why must it be one or the other?! Is it a choice between a pure allegory or a partial allegory with complex world and races?!

These guys were really good friends with each other in real life. There is a persistent theory that C.S. Lewis based Digory/The Professor on Tolkien and Tolkien based Treebeard on Lewis.

I say, both. Cause I love them both. Picking one of these two would be like picking Kat or Lia from Catholic Girl Stuff. Just way way too hard. Nope.


4. Favorite musical?

Of all time? It may surprise you...

Photo Credit: IMDB

This was my introduction into musicals, so it holds a very special place in my heart...despite it's rather cheesy storyline.



5. What song do you breathe to?

If I had only access to one song, it would be this song:


It is an original song by an a capella group called Clamavi de Profundis. The bulk of their repertoire is actually original compositions to J.R.R. Tolkien's poems - including The Song of Durin, Lament for Boromir, and most recently, The Ent's Marching Song. 

6. Do you write in cursive or print?

I write in a scrawl. Ask Lia.

It tends to resemble print for the most part. Though it can become more cursive-like occasionally.


7. What would you do for a Klondike bar?

I love Klondike bars, and would do a fair amount for it (as long it doesn't involve embarrasing myself, we're good. *nods*)

And now that I've finished answering those, it is now time to reveal my 7 questions:

1. Do you tan or burn in the summer?
2. What was your favorite movie as a middle schooler?
3. What is your favorite summer treat?
4. Which book has traveled with you the most?
5. What is your favorite outdoor activity?
6. Do you like boats? Or do you get seasick?
7. Would you survive if you were teleported to 100 years ago?

The two bloggers that I tag are: Natasha @ The Natasha Hart and Karyssa @ No Coffee No Can Do.

And now, for the last tag!!





D.G. Snapper tagged me for this a few weeks ago. Snaps is one of the collaborators in the 5-part Writing Special, and a super awesome blogger in general. I dearly love her snark, and all of her writing posts are inspiration gold, especially the one that she did on the Book of Genesis. You can view her tag post HERE. Thank you dear friend, for passing this on to me!

 Rules:

1. No tagging back.
2. Tag 4 people
3. Thank the person who tagged you.

1. What is the longest you've ever written in a single writing session? (i.e. 2 hours? 30 mins?)

I think I wrote for 3 hours straight at some point. Which is the longest I've ever written ever. It was one of those times when the muse was actually cooperative - which is rare, let me tell you. *nods*


2. What is the funniest scene you've ever written?

*digs through writing*

Well, I'll have to go with a partial repeat snippet from From the Cave, since, well, it's the one with the most humor. Everything else is only a sarcastic line or two....I think I need to work on integrating more humor.

Mindlessly, Gail started for the kitchen as she not only changed songs on her iPod, but checked her phone for text and Facebook messages and pulled up a sci-fi book on her Kindle. Suddenly, she was sucked down into the carpet by a thing with ten legs….or was it a bag with a picture of a poufy plastic bag fort-like thing?

Must have been the iced tea. She didn't remember her parents owning such an object. Gail disentangled herself from fort-like thing, and proceeded to crash headlong into some metal boxes. Gail groaned. Where were these monsters coming from?

“Oh, you're FINALLY home!”

Gail's right hand started twitching from fear as she looked up into her father's icy stare. This could not be good. Alan Duncan never stayed up past 9:30 pm, on account of the fact that he had to be at work at 5 in the morning.

“Let me guess, I'm groun...ded…right?” Gail wearily cleared herself from the metal boxes, and slouched her way up to a sitting position.

“Um, yes, that can be safely assumed, among other things.” He nodded briskly a few times in a knowing attitude, and continued. “Your mother will appreciate your help in packing tomorrow.”

“Packing? That means...va...ca…tion, right?” Gail felt accomplished that she managed a three-syllable word in her state.

Her father raised an eyebrow. “Why don't you find out tomorrow? Right now, I think that tipsy-tot needs some sleep.”

“Aw Dad, I'm not….that….tipsy…...” Gail stopped, realizing that she had given herself away, and gave up in defeat as her father half-dragged her to her room.


3. Which of your characters is the most annoying?

Ummm, Rose o'Neill from Rose of Culmore is probably my most annoying character. She is really mysterious. I can't figure out her true character, her motives, or anything! She is the reason that I tabled this story back in May. Until I get her straightened out, this story is going nowhere.



4. How many of your stories (whether one chapter or fifty chapters through) have you planned for?

At least half a dozen, maybe more. Just check out my WIPs list if you don't believe me.

Most only have a chapter synopsis, but a couple of them have chapter maps. Being a plantster, I do my planning in stages.


5. If given the choice to write in a jungle filled with monkeys, or in the Antarctic with a bunch of penguins, which would you choose and why?

Oh good heavens. What a choice.

I hate the cold...but monkeys would really annoy the crap out of me. At least penguins would leave me alone...maybe nuzzle up or something but that wouldn't be as annoying as monkeys trying to steal my pen and rip my paper, and then some.

So as long as you supply 30 blankets, lots of wraps, and possibly a cabin with a warm fireplace, I'd got to the Antarctic.





6. How do you worldbuild?

Well, questionnaires really help (Melissa's Questions to Ask series has changed my world building forever, I swear. Go check them out, you'll understand!).

Otherwise, the world just kinda springs out of my imagination, strongly helped by images on Pinterest. And maybe a song or two. A lot ends up naturally in the scenes that I end up writing (that I piece together later).



7. If someone told you that you were a strange writer, how would you respond?

I'd laugh, and ask why in the world it took you so long to figure it out. Cause I think that would be obvious...


8. What would you do if you received an email from your main character saying that she'd like to meet you for coffee (or tea, whatever the character's preference)

Well, first I would freak out. Cause I would want to know how the dickens Janina managed to pass through to Earth from my "universe" - since people of Elvish descent can't pass through the ordinary magic portals that I know of.

I would be estatic too, because then she can give me news of all my little characters, especially her....oh shoot. Spoilers. Sorry guys. And I would jump immediately in my car, probably dragging an alpha or two....



9. Is there a scene you wish you had written differently?

Ummm, yeah. Wayyyy to many to count, sister. I was re-reading a lot of my WIPs in order to find a good snippet for Question 2 and a lot of it was...well junk. Especially Fair Winds. I think I need to run that through some betas one of these days, I need some constructive feedback on it. Like yesterday.


10. Which of your characters do you connect most with?

Eirwen, my MC from Seeds of an Orchard Invisible. She has a fault that I share with her - a tendancy towards interior anger. Her struggle with that and the desire to fulfill her vocation is also one that I share.

Eirwen

And at last, I've come to the end!!! 

Tell me honestly dear readers....is this tag squishing thing a good idea??? Now that I have a scheduled "tag day" is it better to do just single posts from now on? Because this tag squishing thing is getting to be a pain in the head.....

Scribblingly yours,

Catherine