1. I had my 2 year blogoversary this month!! As part of a dual celebration with Lia @ The Singing Writer, we decided to publish the first part of our Ask Us Anything vlog, which you can view in the post or on YouTube. 







Similar to last month's wrap-up, I'm just concentrating on monthly goals here. The yearly goals still have either had too little progress or have not been worked on at all this month. Hopefully soon, I'll be able to report more progress, but in the meantime, what has been accomplished this month? 


February Goals:


1. Finish Part 1 the Super Secret Project that I started with Lia

A resounding success, after a week's effort!

This may never have gotten done, if Lia and I hadn't gotten the brainstorm to complete this project for our blogoversaries. And that would have be a grave disappointment to everyone who asked questions! Now that it has been officially revealed, and I encourage everyone to check out the first installments, which you can find on my blogoversary post and stay tuned for next month's installments!

2. Write the February Fantasy What If Tag

I managed to squeeze this in at the last minute! I had almost forgotten it again....and that would have been frightfully embarrassing.

3. Write my regular M4M and RW posts.

This was a success, sort of. I had to push off my RW post due to complications with my blogoversary videos, but it will be going up this weekend!

4. Write 3k (or more) for The White Rose

Ahh, the only failure of this month. My guess is that since I had a full plate of blogging this month that I really didn't have the appetite to write more on The White Rose. Which is sad, because my story needs to grow some more!

Bonus: Do a better job on commenting on blogs again

Well, it may not have been as fast as it was a year ago, but I think I've been doing better? I've definitely commented more recently.....I mean, commenting within the week is much better than commenting within the month, right?




So now that February is gone into the past, what's March going to bring?

Well, hopefully these goals will be completed:

March Goals:

1. Re-plot Fair Winds

Since I'm going on a beach vacation at the end of the month, what better time to re-plot my pirate story?!

2. Upload 2nd part of Ask Us Anything before March 14

Lia's blogoversary is March 14, so in keeping with our dual 2 year blogoversary thing, I've got to get the second part of the AUA vlog created, edited and uploaded before then. I know I'm going to lose a week already, so I've got to get this thing underway really soon!


3. Prep for Camp NaNo

This one is extremely important. Frankly, even though I really should work on The White Rose, I cannot deny that there may be a switch in WIP for this one. Strong contestants are Fair Winds and Shattered Chandelier. A lot of development needs to go into both before they can be written much further (plus, this development could also count as part of Project Blueprint, even if I hold to writing TWR during Camp).


4. Write at least two more Taggy Tuesday posts. 

I've got some really old tags hanging around that need to be released to the world, since I've been hinting their release for months. I know that I will be writing the Get to Know Me Tag Writers Edition this upcoming month (FINALLY), and maybe a few other old ones from MK will show up this month too. I'll be cranking out blog posts next week while I housesit for someone, so we'll see how it goes!


Bonus: Write M4M and RW posts.

Self-explanatory, right? I may take this off of the goals list later on this month, but it's good to keep these repetitive goals in mind, otherwise it's easy to forget....





And so ends this wrap-up!!

Gather round, my dear friends, and tell me your adventures in February! I'm sure you have better stories to share than these poor ones. Does anyone have any harrowing tales of near-freezing or comfortable tales of home-life they wish to share? I'm all ears!

Scribblingly yours,

At long last, I finally start tackling my Tag-To-Do List. Which has grown again by two tags. I hereby reinstitute Taggy Tuesday in hopes to getting my stash down again. Because really, this track record of doing tags 8 months after getting them is really bad and it needs to STAHP.

Anyhoo, I got tagged to do this tag from LAST YEAR by a very dear blogging friend of mine, Erica @ Story of a Storyteller. You can view her original post HERE. If you would like to have this year's tag, I suggest you stop by Jenelle Schmidt's blog which is HERE.


Ze Rules
1. Thank the blogger who tagged you. (Thank you Erica!!)
2. Include the graphic somewhere in your post. (it's above!)
3. Answer the questions. (As if I had a choice in this manner?)
4. Tag a few bloggers--and let them know they've been tagged.
5. Have fun!


1. Your car breaks down in the middle of nowhere. The cast of the most recent fantasy book you've read comes to your assistance . . . Who are they? Will they be helpful?

That would be the cast of Disowned by Sarah Addison-Fox. (A book well worth reading, by the way).

So I imagine that who would show up would be Celeste, Mick, Ethan, Maggie, Joe and Sadie. Joe would be all over the car, seeing how it would work - while Mick would be trying to extract him from it. Ethan would probably offer me Spook to ride for help. Celeste would stay back and watch everything. Maggie and Sadie would be calming me down - after all, I would be in a rather excitable state of mind.

So I imagine that they would be helpful in the long run :).


2. You go to bed one evening and wake up in the lair of the villain of the last fairytale you read. Where are you and how do you plan to get out?

D'ahhhhhh. Well, the last original fairytale that I read was well over a year ago (I've been trying to find fairy stories, but I keep finding retellings. Go figure.) happens to be Snow White.

So the lair that I would end up is probably the Step-Queen's bedchamber. After all, I'm assuming that she would have her mirror there.

So, I'm going to hide under her bed and wait until she's off doing her queenly stuff. I may consult the mirror and I may not. I would see if I could drain her stash of poisons either in the cracks of the floor or the fireplace though - because really, she could kill someone with that stuff.

And if she finds me? Well, I suppose I could claim to be the clumsy maid, but I bet that mirror would rat me out. Maybe I should have consulted him after all. Oh well, too late for that now. I guess I would be enslaved right about now....so I get sent down the kitchens to work. And then the handsome gardeners boy would see me and make secret plans to hustle me off into a private chapel where a nice priest would see to my welfare and send me back to my family.




3. You are transported into a fantasy realm and given a mythical creature as a companion and best friend . . . Which mythical creature do you get?

Well.....I think that my little companion would be a Kellas Cat. For those familiar with Scottish folklore, it's a real cat that inspired the Cat Sith legends.

They are large black cats (slightly larger than domestic cats) that have a white patch on their chest. According to Wikipedia, they are a hybrid between a domestic cat and a Scottish wildcat.

Frankly, everything else is either too violent, too outlandish and weird, or just not interesting enough. Even though I'm a dog person by nature, I think I'd like to have a Kellas Cat with me in the wilds of the moors.


4. In a strange series of coincidences, you end up needing to take the place of your favorite fantasy hero or heroine. Who are you?

Shall I answer this in a riddle? I believe I shall.

Eyes of silver gray, hair of shimmering gold

Tall she stands on Windfola

Sword on her side, shield on her arm

No man shall hinder the White Lady as she rides. 

Who is she? 


Stumped? Here is the answer: *Eowyn, Shieldmaiden of Rohan*


5. To go along with question #4, now that you are that character, is there anything you would do differently than that character, now that you are running the show?

Umm, maybe. Instead of sneaking out disguised as a guy, I'd probably assemble an army of women to protect the city of Rohan. Frankly, I'd be terrible at sneaking around disguised as a man.

Oh wait! I actually have a better one. I would sneak in, but as a cook or a nurse or something. I'd hide a short sword in my dress and maybe steal some armor off of one of my wounded/dead comrade or something. (wow, that sounds just wrong, doesn't it? But he won't be needing it.....)

And then, when the men aren't looking, I'll blend in with them and seek out the Witch-King.

Though, the more I look at it, the more that I think Eowyn's storyline works better somehow. Don't ask me why.




6. If you were yourself in a fantasy novel, what role do you think you would play in the story?

I think that I would see myself more as a mentor character than the heroine or any other character. I have too much of a studious background and too many facts and cautions swirling around my head to think much of heroics.

But then, I don't see myself as being old though...I see myself being in a fantasy novel as I am now - a young woman in my mid-twenties. Is there such a mentor? Or shall I be a trendsetter? Or is it that I have a hidden destiny to complete the mission that my Chosen One leaves behind?


7. One morning, as you are going about your daily business, you pick up an everyday item and a voice booms in your head with prophetic words about your future. What object is it, and what is the prophecy?

We're going to presume that the prophetic voice is from God, then? Because I wouldn't take stock of it if it wasn't.

With my luck, the object would be my rosary beads.

For those who are non-Catholic, it's a necklace-like string of 59 beads with a crucifix on the end, and a medal in the middle. It's used to aid keeping track of the repeated prayers (Our Fathers, Hail Marys and Glory Bes) that I say while meditating on the lives and mysteries of Our Lord and Our Lady - which I do daily with my family.


As for prophecy, I won't put words in God's Mouth. Though I'm sure it will follow the lines of various other prophecies that other saints have been given in the past: I shall have many difficulties to work though on this earth, but in the end, my soul will be purified. And that is satisfactory to me.


8. You are transported into a magical realm and turned into a mythical beast . . . What beast/fantasy creature do you want to be?

I would have a coat of black, a long flowing tail, four solid hoofs, with a feminine torso clothed in a leather jerkin, and long flowing black hair.

If that poetic piece of prose confused the dickens out of you, I wish to be...

A centaur.

Which happens to be my favorite mythical creature.


9. If you could read your way into any fantasy realm, but the catch is you can never leave, would you? Which realm would you choose?

Welp, there is only one acceptable answer to this. And that would be a solid yes.

As for the realm....has anyone made a guess of which one I would choose?

If you thought Middle Earth, congratulations. Have a piece of lembas on me.



10. As you are going about your normal day, you discover that you have a magical power. What is it?

Well, since I already possess the magical ability to spin tales, create meals, and such.....maybe the power of an extensive memory. That seems realistic and would serve me well in the future. So many problems have been created from ill memory recently that I would love it if that was reversed....




I Tag:

Lacy @ Life of an Elf (to be fair, she did ask, LOL)

and anyone else who wants an outdated tag!


Your turn! What role do you see yourself in a fantasy novel? What mythological creature would you want as a best friend (or to turn into?) Any suggestions on how to NOT procrastinate on favorite subjects such as tags? Chat with me in the comments! 

Scribblingly yours,

Catherine

*Catherine wanders in bleary-eyed*

Well, it is finished. Finally. It only took forever and a day, but it's up.....

*readers are confused*

Oh. Right. I should explain.

So today is my second blogoversary. The date of which totally sneaked up on me and threw a pillowcase over my head. Apparently Lia's caught her off guard too.

So, since my blogoversary and Lia's blogoversary (for our two respective second blogs) are only a month apart, so we decided to do a joint blogoversary celebration.

And what have we decided to do, you may ask?

Well, it is my pleasure to reveal the Super Secret Project that Lia and I have been working on since December.

*readers look at each other with confusion...again*

Oh dear. It has been a while since I announced that, wasn't it?

So in the middle of December, Lia and I sent out an Ask Us Anything request - and boy, did you guys respond!!

And now, I can reveal just what we were using the questions for.


Cool, no?

There were a few reasons why we did it this way. One is that we don't have access to a reliable camera. Two, I'm still leery about putting my actual face out there just yet.

So, we recorded the audio part while I visited Lia this past December. I had a voice recorder that I had bought in college. Just before we recorded the audio, it occurred to us that the easiest thing to do was to upload the audio as part of a YouTube video rather than trying to embed the sound bite. So if you catch references to that as the vlog progresses, that's why.

Anyway, the hard part came much later. It took a solid week to edit the 2 hour (yes, that is 2 HOURS) of raw audio. During this editing process, it was decided to split up the vlog into two parts - one for answering the questions on Lia's blog and one answering the questions for my blog. This way we could keep all of the rambles but not have it be such a monstrosity.

And then it was tabled for a bit as I worked on other more pressing projects. We had no initial idea when we were going to publish this. That is, until this past Wednesday night.....







And that's a wrap! How did you like our little scheme? Should we do more? 

Scribblingly yours,

Catherine

Join the latest linkup HERE!

Yes, yes, I'm well aware that this is now the third Meet the Books post in a row. I'm sure you poor readers are heartily sick of this linkup right now. But a promise is a promise, and I'll keep my word or perish in the attempt. I promise I shall have a somewhat real post next time.....


*Catherine ignores the doubters and pulls up her notes*

Today's book in question is, ironically, the one that I chose for the first of 3 Meet the Books linkups that I missed this past summer. Why I'm doing this one last doesn't quite make sense....but oh well. Hardly anything about me makes sense some days.

This is my crossover novel - the one that, I think, changed me from being a poor baby writer to becoming a serious authoress. This novel, while it barely got anything written for it, was the very first story that....

I created original characters for, with their own unique personalities and everything. (Anything previous to this was either caricatures of real people or TV heroes....I told you I was a poor baby writer).

I created a somewhat decent plot (at least, it had a clear beginning, a middle and an end.) And, most importantly.....I spent hours researching to get the details right.

Yep. Research was the game changer for me. Everything else before (and even a little afterwards) was for funsies only. Any novel/novella that I have attempted since has had some element of research in it - which I think has improved the quality of the writing.




What is the genre?

It's technically contemporary, even though there is an Amish subplot in it. It originally was an Amish story, but it's kind of, well, morphing. (And thank heavens, the original story was horrible.)


What is the title? Time period?

As I find these old WIPs and re-look at them with improved writer eyes, I usually wind up changing the title too. I have said before that I hope that it's the last time it happens, but considering what happened with SOI last week, I'm going to keep my mouth shut.

This work was formerly known as:

It's A Matter of Faith, My Girl 

Yeesh, what a long title. For the record, it did come from an old quote of one of my characters - one that I hope to keep in there. Also, it was supposed to be indicative of it being a "conversion" story - which, to be frank, it was. A conversion from Amish to Catholic, to be exact.

Since then, I've added a character's POV - which has added a whole new contemporary spin. Hence, I decided to blend the old and new elements into this new title:


Originally I wanted to title it just "Plain and Simple" but then I found out that title was also shared by a popular book written by an Amish writer. Oops. Then I got another plotting idea of adding the element of lying in there, so that fixed it.

Oh yes, and the time period is in the present day - maybe a little earlier (like 2010, maybe?).


How is it written (Point of view, MC, etc.)?

So, like many of my works, it's in an omniscent view. It follows two POVs - my main Amish character and her English friend/love interest.

This is probably my first dual POV work ever, but I really don't think that either one of these characters has enough of a story to make a full novel. And their stories intersect so much anyway, it's easier.


Who are the characters?

Katherine Albrecht - A 17 year old Amish girl, the oldest daughter of her family. She is tall (5'7"), has brown hair and an average figure. Her temperament is a melancholy phlegmatic. She tends to dress in purple or green dresses - her favorite being a lavender. She lives on a farm in Lancaster County, PA and her favorite job is feeding calves (in addition to her domestic chores of cooking, gardening and hanging up the laundry). She is studying under her mother to become a model Amish housewife and studying her Amish faith in preparation for her Amish baptism. Katherine has 7 siblings: Elizabeth, 15; Thomas, 13; James, 11; Sarah, 10; Faith, 6; Stephen, 3; Elias, infant.

John Stratford - a 22 year old Catholic man. He is also tall (6'2"), has dark brown hair, and has a muscular/rugged appearance. He has a dual degree in agronomy and animal science from a top university, and is a volunteer fireman. His interests include blacksmithing (from a reenactor job he did over a few summers), hunting, fishing and music. His temperament is a melancholy choleric. John has two sisters: Anna, 17; and Maria, 23; as well as one brother, Peter, who is 19. His grandfather, Noah Callahan, owns and operates a dairy farm (Clothilde Farm). His uncle, Keith Callahan, is a big dairy farmer - he owns and manages two separate farms.

Jacob Weaver - An Amishman in his early 20s. Has been pursuing Katherine for the past year (they spend a lot of Rumspringa time together). He is a definite melancholy. He has blond hair, blue eyes, and is more of a medium height (5'8").

Camelia (Cammy) Andrews: A teenage girl who lives on her family's dairy farm, but is just starting to learn how to work it. She is a typical, entitled millennial. Has black hair, brown eyes, piercings in her ears. She is about 5'2", and has a little weight she could lose.

Marco Ramirez: A legal immigrant from Colombia, Central America. Is short (5'5"), black hair, brown eyes, tanned skin color. Is fluent in English, but does speak with a noticeable accent. He's a hired hand on the Andrew's farm.

Bruce Andrews: The manager of the Andrew's dairy farm. He's around 40 years of age, with many tan lines and a hard choleric temperament. He constantly feels rushed and cuts corners in order to get stuff done faster. Though he champions safety, he does several things that are not safe. He's of medium height (5'7"). brown eyes, and brown hair.




What does the plot consist of?

.....can I get back to you on that?

Right now, the plot is a mess of interactions between characters. Besides the bit at the beginning where there is a barn fire. *sigh*

When I originally plotted it, the main plot was a conversion story of Katherine to Catholicism. After looking at it again, I'll probably keep it - but it will only be half of the story. The other half will center around John and his struggles with the dairy, quarter-life crisis, and other stuff. It will definitely be a dual POV book, which I'm kinda excited about.


What is the setting?

Currently, it's Lancaster County, PA. There is a possibility I may change it to Cumberland County, PA, but it's unlikely with my research notes.


What gave you the idea?

I live in an area with a decent Amish/Mennonite population, so it started as a curious obsession with learning about them and their culture (not so much the religious aspect of it) in late middle school/early high school.

Right about the time of my "reversion" is when I started to explore the "conversion" aspect of it. And then recently with my job at the dairy, I decided to explore the "contemporary dairy" angle.

Like I said, it's morphing.


Who are the favorite characters so far?

Ummm....John, Cammy and Marco are my current favorites. Maybe because I'm spending the most time with them right now...LOL.

Katherine is being a bit of a brat at the moment, so I'll reserve judgement until I've had a chance to actually work with her.


What is the favorite scene so far?

*coughs nervously*

I have less than 1k written....so I can't answer that question.

*coughs again*



Any themes of music for this work?

Yes, indeed! I have a theme song for John Stratford, which is also one of my favorite new country hits:


(And I totally didn't borrow the "simple" element of the title from this song, oh no....*giggles*)


Any drawings?

I typically don't do drawings for my writing projects and I don't think I did any for this one (unless I happen to find some stashed away somewhere....)

However, I did do two avatars - one for Cammy and one for Katherine. I haven't been able to create ones for my guys yet....

Katherine Albrecht

I created Katherine's avatar with Azalea Doll's French Folklore creator. I was super impressed that I was able to create an avatar that even resembled the Amish style of clothing. It works!

Cammy Andrews

Doesn't she look like she's stepped out of the barn? I created Cammy's avatar with the Casual Style Dress up game from Azalea's Dolls. This one had a lot of options to choose from in terms of clothing, colors and style. The only thing that I really don't like is how the avatar has her arms raised. To me, it just looks odd. However, it's too good of a creator to pass up on, and I think I shall be using this one for when I create characters for my other contemporary work, Shattered Chandelier.



Any snippets?

Well, here are two.

The first is the one and only snippet that I wrote in high school:

“Grandmother, please tell a story.”

A simple plea. Easy to fulfill, too. I went to the bookshelf and peered at the fairy tales that my grandchildren enjoyed. Suddenly my oldest granddaughter, Anna Lucia, piped up.

“Grandmother, don’t tell us one of those fairy tales! Tell us a new story!”

I turned from the bookcase and looked at the inquiring little faces. “A new story? What other stories could I tell? I have no new books, and I’m not that good at making up stories.”

My husband wandered quietly into the room. “What about your story, Katherine?” “Yeah, Grandmother, what about you, and your family?”

I suddenly started. My story! Oh goodness! “Should I, John? It would mean a lot of unanswered questions....”“But why should the knowledge of their family be kept a secret much longer, Katherine? They are old enough to know.” I yielded to my husband’s reasoning.

“All right, children, I’ll tell you my story,” the children cheered, “but you may be surprised by the outcome. Let me get my old diary....”



Ouch. Apparently in high school, I never knew how to break dialogue. For the record, the diary is disappearing from the story henceforth. It really has no place, as I'm not writing an epistolary book.

The second one was written during this past summer:


It was universally agreed upon later that John Stratford should have stayed in bed on Thursday the 11th.

Having woken up 15 minutes past his alarm, he made a mad dash around the house – grabbing barn clothes from the dryer (tripping over the laundry), forgot to close his water bottle and thus spilled half of it on the floor, and managed to forget his breakfast entirely.

When he dashed through the milk house at 10 minutes to 5 (of course he would hit every single red light in downtown Lancaster) he managed to step at least two kittens tails and almost tripped over their mother, all of whom yowled in protest. It upset him so much that he ran into the office door without opening it first.

Thoroughly wishing that God had created humans with the ability to melt through solid objects, John rammed his time card into the machine. 

 He marched his way out to the parlor floor, where 6 newly sprayed cow udders awaited him. He noticed that the white scraper and Marco were missing, and Cammy was at the opposite end slowly working her way down. John snatched up a paper towel, only to find that half a dozen were suddenly on the floor. Grumbling, he picked them up and stuffed them in his jeans pocket. At least they would be used for his hands if not for a cow.

Marco knew something was off with John the moment that he came back into the barn and noticed that John had sprayed his hands with teat dip and was reaching for the water hose to spray the cow. Marco did him a favor and sprayed him instead.


Holy moly, what a difference 6 years makes.....


Strong point in story?

There isn't enough of the story to determine a strong point at this period of time. Maybe after I actually get a draft of this put together, I'll have a better idea.

If y'all have any opinions from what the snippets reveal, feel free to tell me - I'm clueless over here.

Weak point in story?

Without a doubt, it is the plot....like all of my stories apparently. After looking at some of the notes in readiness for Camp NaNo, I quickly realized that it badly needs restructuring - especially taking in mind the new direction of the story. Since it was originally plotted as a single omnipotent POV, taking it to a dual POV is going to be interesting....




What are your plans for it?

If this work is ever published, it will be indie-published. I highly doubt that any publishing house in their right mind would ever pick up this book.
It definitely is a more personal project from my heart than a novel with a defined audience. So, I'll leave it in the indie market so people can grab at will. I doubt that it would give many good reviews anyway....


Any particular writing habits for it?

I like to write or plot this work while I'm watching Amish documentaries. Something about the American Experience documentaries about the Amish puts me in the mood to work on the story. Maybe because I got some of the ideas and story research from said documentaries.....


If it were made into a movie, what would be your ideal cast?


Katherine Albrecht - Melissa Gilbert (Little House on the Prairie) as a young 20-something woman? That sounds like a great choice to me! Laura Ingalls and Katherine are spunky and stubborn, so it's a great fit.

John Stratford - Taylor Kinney, who plays Kelly Severide in Chicago Fire may actually be a good fit. He's one of the physical inspirations for John, and what do you know - its another firefighter character! Personality wise, it's a close match too.

Jacob Weaver - Dean Butler (Little House on the Prairie) actually would be good. His version of Almanzo got a lot of flak from the book purists and I can totally understand why. But, that character is an almost perfect fit for Jacob - slightly arrogant, stupid, and can get very jealous. And the look is great - imagine Butler in a straw hat and simple clothes and it is a spitting image!

Camelia (Cammy) Andrews - A very young version of Sigrid Thornton is perfect for this role. Jessica Harrison (Snowy River) and Cammy have a lot of personality similarities and the look is almost perfect (just need a few ear piercings to help).

Marco Ramirez - A younger version of Michael Peña (who plays Luis in Ant-Man) would be fabulous for the role. I know that Peña is of Mexican descent and not Colombian, but hey, it's somewhat close, right? (Maybe if someone found a Colombian actor, that would be swell....)

Bruce Andrews - uhhhhh...for some reason, Hank Pym (Ant-Man) is coming to mind. Don't know why. He just is.



And with that, my debt of honor has been paid. And so, I believe I shall close.

Now I pass the mic to you! In your opinions, what IS the strong point of this story? Have you any stories that are "morphing"? Is this work even remotely interesting to a reading audience? Chat with me in the comments below! 

Scribbingly yours,

Catherine

Join the latest linkup HERE

Well, it took a little longer than expected to put up, but I'm here again with the second of three installments of Meet the Books!.

And just in case anyone missed last week's and are wondering why the dickens I'm doing this rather long tag multiple times, I will explain it thus:

I have a rather long debt of honor to pay - having been rather absent for the past six months, I missed two of these linkups. And since this tag is so helpful to introduce my many many WIPs, I didn't want to get further behind. So when Belle Anne put up the latest installment, I made a rather rash promise to give her not one, but three to make up for lost material of sorts.

Today, I'm introducing one that is probably familiar to most of my older readers (or at least, those who remember the Rooglewood contest of 2017). And now allow me to roll back the curtain here....


What is the genre?

The genre is historical fiction...at least right now it is. Originally, I was thinking fantasy for this one, but it morphed more into a historical fiction as I researched for it. Maybe I'll add in some fantasy later on.....*shifts eyes*

Since I have been informed by Nicki Chapelway that Historical Fantasy is a real genre, maybe I shall morph it into a historical fantasy. I'll have to play around with it.


What is the title? Time period?

Ohh goodness. Please fasten your seatbelts, this is going to be a bumpy ride.....

Originally this story was christened:



A rather unoriginal and boring title if I do say so myself. I suppose a naming wizard is allowed to have a mulligan or two....

When I loosened the rather gripping influence that Snow White had on the original piece, I created a new title:



This one had more interest and gave a somewhat better idea of where the story was going. I quite liked the title for some time.

However, as I was creating another mock cover for it, I began to re-thinking the title again. Seeds of An Orchard Invisible seemed long and rather confusing. It's part of a Welsh proverb that I'm using as a theme for the book.

A seed hidden in the heart of an apple is an orchard invisible  

I still wish to reflect that proverb in my title somehow, but not have it so long.

After a lot of reflection....I think I've got it. Let me know what you guys think of this:



Ya know - I quite like it. The book cover from Canva makes it even better :).

The time period of this piece is between 800-1100 AD. Which, for those who are not history nerds, is smack in the middle of the Medieval period.



How is it written (Point of view, MC, etc.)?

It's written in a third person limited, from the point of view of Eirwen, my MC. At the initial drafting stage, I thought that this was the best POV for this story...and to be frankly honest, it probably still is.



Who are the characters?

Eirwen - Princess Eirwen is the oldest child of King Aneirin and the late Queen Heulwen, and she is just about to reach the age of majority. She has really long dark hair, dark eyes and a rather slender 5'5" figure. Her resting expression is a little on the stern side, but once you get to know her, she warms up. She is an avid hunter, but she is also a very talented needlewoman. She desires nothing more than to be a good queen to her people.

Gareth - Gareth is the son of King and Queen of Ergyng, a rival kingdom to the west of Glywysing. He has just reached the age of majority (21). Gareth has a medium-light brown hair, and dark green eyes. He's rather tall (5'8"), but also on the lightweight side. Gareth strives to be as chivalrous as his namesake, the great Sir Gareth of the Round Table. Gareth has a very important mission tasked to him - he must make an alliance between the Kingdoms of Ergyng and Glywysing.

Aneirin - Aneirin is Eirwen's father, and the ruler of Glywysing. Aneirin has dark eyes, and dark hair and beard. He is rather heavy boned, but doesn't have much extra weight. He is about 5'6". He is a rather soft, kindly father and ruler. He is no pushover, but he is willing to let people have the inch.

Ceinwen - Ceinwen is his current wife. She is much younger than Aneirin, and is distantly related to Queen Heulwen, but from a lower family. She has a thing for green dresses, why nobody knows. Probably to match her cat-green eyes or something. She has straw-blond hair and is tall and willowy (about 5'8").

Sarnai - Sarnai is originally from a very far off land (An ancient province in northwestern China). She was brought to Glywysing as a conquest bride for a high chief that was a mercenary in the Germanic forces as a very young woman. Now an aging widow, she is forced to remain in the Queen-Consort's household as a handmaid against her will. Sarnai has extensive knowledge of plants and what they give. Her son, also in employ of the Queen-Consort, frequently travels in search of unusual plants for his mother to study. Sarnai has dark eyes, rather short (about 5ft) and rather heavy set. She wears loose bright clothing - her favorite color is pink.

Lilliwen - Lady Lilliwen is the half-sister of my antagonist, Ceinwen. Like Ceinwen, she has blond hair, but she has blue eyes instead of green. She's also not as tall as Ceinwen (she's around 5'6"). Lilliwen is a legitimate daughter of a baron of Cymru (Wales), while Ceinwen is illegitimate. Thus, Ceinwen acts a sort of lady-in-waiting to Lilliwen. Lilliwen makes friends with Eirwen fairly early on, and it is she that her father plans to marry.

Wulfstan - Wulfstan is a lower huntsman that is serving a debtor's service sentence in reparation for poaching crimes against the the lower townspeople. Wulfstan is a strapping man, with fair skin, dark hair and black eyes. While he doesn't look it, Wulfstan comes from Viking stock. He is a very fierce man, not one to meet in a dark alley. Wulfstan's parents left him behind as a child in the woods. It was by hard scrabbling that he learned to survive them. He knows how to be silent, and how to be loud. He can blend very easily into the underbrush, and is a very deadly shot if need be.

Taliesin - Taliesin is one of the oldest counsel members and also a Chronicler. He has a long gray beard, dark eyes, and a sad expression on his face. Every afternoon for several hours, he sits by a pool and writes out the Palace Chronicles. Underbrush around the pool hides him from view except his reflection......

And then there are the cadre of rogues...

Yale - A 14 year old lad with a freckled face, curly reddish brown hair, and dark eyes.

Emrys - A 18 year old boy with straw-colored hair and dark eyes. He likes hoods, they're a great disguise.

Merrion - A 15 year old lad with curly dark brown hair and dark eyes. He is a genial guy, who is a crack archer. His arch rival is Cadell.

Cadell - A 16 year old boy, with a heavy-boned figure, short dark hair, and light brown eyes. He is also a good archer, but not as good as Merrion. He also has a pretty hot temper and likes to pick fights with Merrion.

Brynmor - A 17 year old lad with a light tan complexion,  chin-length red hair and goatee, and green eyes. He's tall (5'11") and rather slender. Has a tendency to drink too much.

Rhisiart - A 13 year old boy with bright blue eyes and straw blond hair. He stole a battleax from his poor father and ran away to become a knight.

Gethin - A 19 year old man with wavy shoulder-length dark red hair, bright blue/green eyes and a light tan complexion. He joins the Rogues extremely late in the story and is the most mature of them all.



What does the plot consist of?

It starts with a prologue detailing the death of Queen Heulwin from childbirth. Unlike many adaptations, Eirwen knows her mother well and is fond of her. Naturally, the death of both her mother and baby brother are hard to take.

The plot moves forward to when her father must marry again. Eirwen fights to rule by his side, since she is "almost" 18, and can take care of her siblings just fine. Her father insists on marrying again though. He grows attached to Lady Lilliwen, who has a genuine attachment to both the children and their father.

Unfortunately, Lilliwen's half sister Ceinwen has other ideas. Through subterfuge, Ceinwen takes Lilliwen's place....and makes life miserable. In the midst of this mess, Prince Gareth comes riding in to try to collaborate an alliance.

There is much more drama than this, but I don't risk spoilers by saying much more.



What is the setting?

The setting is 9th-12th century Wales. So, medieval time period in a section of the UK that really isn't novelized that much.

Though to be quite honest, I am taking a little liberty and mixing in some more earlier Welsh history too.


What gave you the idea?

Ummmmmm.

*riffles through archives*

Apparently according to past posts, Rooglewood was the only thing that supposedly gave me the idea of the story.

Which I know that's not 100% true. Why, oh why didn't I document it better???

Maybe because I actually don't know where it actually came from. Other than staring at the Grimm version for a seeming decade and analyzing the themes.

That seems plausible actually......


Who are the favorite characters so far?

To be frankly honest, my favorite character is Lilliwen. It's really unusual for me to love a side character more than I love the main characters, but......it's true!

Lilliwen is a cliche-breaker. Instead of being that stereotypical evil stepmother, she genuinely cares about both Aneirin and all of his children....and may I say that Eirwen has a special place in her heart especially? She's very very motherly and feminine and.....I loves her to DEATH.



What is the favorite scene so far?

One of my absolute favorites is when Eirwen meets the first "rogue" which is Merrion. The poor guy was just starting his career of highway robbery - needless to say, he was a bit nervous.


Any themes of music for this work?

Of course! I have an entire playlist, but I won't share the entire thing.....it's 4 1/2 hours long.

I use a lot of traditional Welsh music and medieval video game themes for this WIP. This is actually probably my heaviest use of video game music in a soundtrack....

The main theme, I suppose would be Y Gog Lwydias (a Welsh song, translates to The Grey Cuckoo). The lyrics don't really have much connection to the story, but it's such a pretty song and it gets me in the mood to write SOI.




Now this version is a bit darker than the Sian James version that I have saved, but it's still a pretty song to write to.



Any drawings?

There are indeed avatars that I'm willing to share again!

They can all be found in this post (with the exception of Lilliwen, who is below):




Any snippets?

It was hard to find one that I haven't shared before, but I believe I found one:

Merrion’s head snapped back. He went down in a heap. A hand was thrust over Eirwen’s mouth. “Not a sound, my little miss. You carrying anything?” 

Eirwen tried to shake her head to signify “no”, but the hand held her too tightly.

A low growl came from her left and the youth’s hooded head turned. Merrion’s fist slammed into him. Grunting, the youth released Eirwen’s mouth and fully faced his attacker. A yell sounded and a fully pitched battle of the fists ensued. Eirwen saw her opportunity and attempted to remount her horse. A rustle sounded to her right and her horse shied. Eirwen crashed to the ground, landing on her back.

She attempted to pick herself back up, but found it rather painful to do so. When she shifted in an attempt to get up, she found her horse being firmly tied to a tree by a short lad with a freckled face. A knife held her fast in a minute.


Strong point in story?

Well, according to my alphas, the strength of the WIP is in my characters. They have already adopted several of my rogues and have grown quite a hatred of my villain. I've added some extra snippets with some of their commentary for your enjoyment:





Weak point in story?

The weak point in this story is definitely my plot. Trying to make it original and make it believable really is where I failed when I was trying to write this story. It soooo could use a re-plot.


What are your plans for it?

Originally, this story was destined for the Rooglewood Five Poisoned Apples Contest, but it never came together in time.

So, when I ever finish it, I'll probably publish Indie-publish it. Because I somehow doubt that traditional publishers will be interested in this story.


Any particular writing habits for it?

No, not exactly. Except that this is the only novel that I will listen to Welsh music for hours on end....no other novel before or since has had that habit!


If it were made into a movie, what would be your ideal cast?

Eirwen - Sigrid Thornton (Jessica Harrison, The Man from Snowy River) is perfect for this role. She has that rebellious spirit down pat, as well as her sense of duty.

Gareth - Zac Efron. His performance in The Greatest Showman was wonderful - a perfectly flawed boy who has a heart of gold.

Aneirin - Sean Bean. Yes, I know, I'm cruel - since Sean Bean always dies. And I know he's already played a version of Snow White's father....but hey. I try.

Ceinwen - Tamsin Egerton is the visual inspiration for Ceinwen, so maybe she would be a good fit?

Sarnai - A much older version of Claudia Kim??? My knowledge of Asian actresses is horrible.

Lilliwen - Ummm, actually, I'm going with a slightly older Lily James. She's so gentle and a great strong female character. I especially loved her as Cinderella (and Lilliwen is kinda sorta a Cinderella character of sorts....)

Wulfstan - Oooooh, if Tim Curry could ever get a little buffer, I bet you he would play a very nice Wulfstan. Maybe. It probably is too minor of a role for such an A-list actor. The look is right though....

Taliesin - Liam Neeson. First, the deep voice is quite good for a soothing mentor. And the look is old enough to be a good age for Taliesin.

I'm afraid my rogues will have to be cast from teenage actors that I have no idea what the names are.


And with that, I close.

Now it is your turn to have the microphone ;). For those of you who wrote a story for Rooglewood, what did you do with it? Have you struggled with being too cliche? Is there a such thing as too many retellings of the same story? Chat with me in the comments! 

Scribbingly yours,

Catherine

So I have a confession to make...

I have been quite a terrible blogger. Besides neglecting the comment box and delivering rather sub-par content, I have neglected to take part in my favorite blogging activity....

Linkups!

Literally, I've by-passed many a Language of World's post (despite the fact that I really should  participate - it is tailored for speculative authors like myself!). And I've quite forgotten to take part of my dear friend Belle Anne's link up, Meet the Books!. I have this terrible fear of being late and so I take the never rather than the late. A terrible strategy, I beg you not to take it.

But no more!

For for the next few days, I shall publish not one but three Meet the Books! posts - one for this segment that Belle just published and two more to make up for the two linkups that I missed this summer and fall. If you think me extreme, I say to you that my honor as a blogger is at stake so I must make this quest come to fruition or perish.

Now that my theatrics are out of the way, I shall reveal the topic of this particular Meet the Books! segment (I'll just ignore the fact that I put it in the title)....






What is the genre?

I guess you could consider it a loose historical fiction, but I really consider it more of a pirate fiction story. If that is even a genre. Maybe it's a sub-genre....


What is the title? Time period?

The title is Fair Winds. Each volume also has a separate name: "Sassy Devil" and "Fallen Angel".

The time period is set just after the Golden Age of Piracy, closer to 1740-45.


How is it written (Point of view, MC, etc.)?

It is mostly written in third person limited from my MC Ciara's POV. Though it does switch occasionally to third person omnipotent in the draft (yet another thing I have to fix....)




Who are the characters?

Ciara Arlen - My dark-haired, dark-eyed, and very melancholic MC. She is independent, impulsive and maybe a little sassy now and then. However, she's very very protective over her sister Grace. She loves to learn and observe and catches on to things easily. She is one to adapt, not to fight, if she can avoid it. She has lots of ghosts haunting her, especially from being teased and gossiped about as a child. She may or may not be smitten with Colin.

Colin Raeburn - A mysterious young man that is found in an abandoned ship on the seas. Is also known as Robert Colin. He is a handsome and muscular man with dark hair and bright blue eyes. He loves children and takes Grace into his confidence easily.

Grace Arlen - She is the 7 year old sister of Ciara. She inherited her father's blond hair and bright eyes. She is super sweet, kind-hearted and meek. Ciara views her as a jewel and secretly wishes she could act like her.

Leo & Jacinta Arlen - Ciara and Grace's parents. Leo is an English fisherman who makes his home near Dover. Jacinta is of Spanish blood. Leo is often away on fishing expeditions, leaving Ciara to take a lot of the work onto her shoulders. Both her parents wish that this didn't have to happen.

Arthur Livingston - Ciara and Grace's uncle by marriage (their aunt is their father's sister). He is a high commander in the British Navy and is stationed in the British colonies in America.

Mollie "Thieving Magpie" Saunders - Ciara's friend and confidante through most of the story. She has a common-law relationship with the Captain (they were married by a ship captain, only by Magpie's insistence). Magpie has dark red hair, green eyes, and is heavy-boned.  She wears breeches and waistcoats like a man, but chooses more feminine colors (like a washed out red or a light purplish vest). She loves to drink alcohol, sing, and fight with her mates.

Ernest "Tall Tide" Dacre - The captain of the pirate vessel. Of Spanish descent with dark hair and eyes, he rules the ship with a tight hand to the tiller. He keeps his men to a strict code, but does a lot of shady deals on the side. Has an air of refinement in public, but in private can be just as brash as any seaman. His special fondness is for his lady Magpie.


The Crew:

William "Sly Dog" Gunner - Red beard and hair. Good at sailing, but can’t fight. Has access to chloroform. Can also be referred to as Billy.
Dage Morris - Has a red, yellow and green outfits (stripes?) “A whirl of bright yellow, dark green and red stripes soon tackled the driver to the dock”
Thomas "Barnacle" Sampson - Red eyes, very brawny. First mate.
John "Lazyjacks" Hunt - Red scarf on head. Quartermaster.
Elias "Shiny Buckles" Ripper - Thin and blond. Has mirror, is very vain.
Degory "Black Shackles" Creegh - Barbary. Muscular, black hair, wicked green eyes.
Bartholomew "Devil’s Grin" Raw - Thin, red-haired. Is a klutz.
Myles "Silver Tooth" Butcher - The cook. Sweetly gruff.



What does the plot consist of?

This is going off the rough first draft so bear with me here....

Ciara loses both her parents in a storm (father drowns, mother disappears mysteriously). She is left to take care of her sister Grace. Her uncle Arthur writes to her, and asks her to come to Plymouth to meet him as he can't leave their sick aunt. He was supposed to send his lieutenant to escort them, however, the letter somehow got separated.

Ciara, in a stubborn independent fashion, decides to go Plymouth on her own. In trying to get to the inn, she meets up with a stranger who lures her and Grace onto his ship. Ciara is now forced to survive on this pirate ship or her sister will be harmed.

As they sail for the Caribbean, they see an abandoned ship on the water. There they find Colin, who appears to be a pirate on the way to trial in England. He tries to gain Ciara's trust (and maybe even love?) but Ciara isn't sure she's ready to follow another stranger....



What is the setting?

Coastal England and the Atlantic Ocean in the first volume. By the second volume, we are close to the Carolina coast and maybe an island hideout or two.




What gave you the idea?

I got the idea during my college creative writing class. I don't exactly remember what the trigger was for the story - probably something that my professor mentioned - but I do remember having the idea pop into my head during the beginning third of class. I spent the rest of class that day plotting the story.

Actually to be honest, Fallen Angel was plotted first....but then I got so so fascinated by my little captainess that I decided to explore her further. And that is how Sassy Devil came about.



Who are the favorite characters so far?

My favorite characters are Colin, Ciara and Grace. Their dynamics are one of my favorites to write....especially Colin and Ciara. For reasons.



What is the favorite scene so far?

Quite honestly, it's a scene that I wrote much later after I wrote the first draft. It is the only scene of Fallen Angel that is written.

I wrote it while I was vacationing down in the Carolinas and I had payed a visit to the beach. It was November and the ocean was warm, so I took a brief swim. I later captured that experience by putting it in Ciara's point of view.....and in a blog post called The Ocean, She Plays.

Every time I read that scene, I remember vividly my own sea bathing experience. And to be frankly honest, I think it's one of my best written scenes for this WIP.


Any themes of music for this work?

I sure do! Here are some from my playlist:

Thieving Magpie's Theme:


Main Theme:


Ciara's Theme (or one of them, at least):



Honorable mentions include "Destination Tortuga" and "Port Royal" by Antti Martikainen


Any drawings?

As you all know, I rarely draw. I usually do avatars in order to show what my characters look like.

So far, the only avatar that I have available is one for Thieving Magpie:




Any snippets?

Happy to oblige you :)

Suddenly, there was a loud cacophony of pings, curses and girlish screams. Ciara and Magpie rushed towards the quarter-deck and nearly were slashed to pieces by Devil's Grin Raw and Shiny Buckles as they arrived. Grace was huddled in a corner, crying.
"I tell you, Raw, let me get the water for the pretty one!"
"No way, ya seatimber! I saw her first!"
By this time, Magpie had drawn her corsair, and now had started yelling at her mates.
"Ya lazy lubbers! Stop fighting this instant! Stop it, I say!" Magpie started matching blow for blow, trying to disarm her mates.
"Shut up, Thieving Magpie! And stay out of t'is!" Raw shoved Magpie to the deck very roughly.
"Yeah, t'is is our fight!" Shiny Buckles's black hair bristled as he lunged hard at her.
Ciara, her temper starting to flare, had just stepped up to Raw when she and the rest cowered following a gunshot from above their heads.
Ciara looked toward the mast, to what Magpie called the crow's nest, and spotted the captain glaring down on them. He slowly lowered himself down to the deck.
"Magpie! I warned you about this! You keep those girls outta the way of my crew or they'll end up like the last bunch of females I let on this ship!"


And here is one more:

Ciara fastened an eye patch given to her by Magpie, and headed down into one of the holds. When she reached the bottom she noticed that it felt strangely....empty.
Suddenly, a chain rattled.
Ciara scurried back toward the ladder, but was stopped by a beam of light that was entering through a porthole. She suddenly saw a form...a human form. And it moved!
Ciara tried to scream, but no sound came out of her mouth.
"Well, well, and well. I know the devil can assume an angel of light, but this is ridiculous.” A hearty baritone greeted her.
Ciara shook her head in disbelief. There was a man with the darkest hair and bluest eyes she had ever seen, sitting down in the hold, chained. Did he really just speak to her?
“Of course, there is one way to tell if you are an angel or a devil. There is a key near where you are standing. Fetch it over here, and unchain me.”



Strong point in story?

After reviewing the story again, I believe that the only real strong points of the story are some of the descriptions and emotions. And maybe the characterizations of some of the characters. It's tough to see since it's in such a rough state.


Weak point in story?

My pirates aren't bad enough. I really want to destroy the romanticism behind these characters, if I can....

The plot is a very loose affair and needs to have a lot more added to it to make it a good story. As my professor said, the seams are also very visible.

Also, the first draft was written before I really knew about writing realistically, so there is that to fix.


What are your plans for it?

I do want to publish this story one day - if only to hand the first copy to my old Creative Writing professor. She loved the story very much and wished to see it published even in it's really rotten first draft form. Even after I left the class, she would still occasionally inquire if I ever got any further with "my little pirate wench".



Any particular writing habits for it?

If I recall, this may be the WIP in which I drink the most alcohol to. Don't quote me on that, since I rarely drink alcohol when I'm writing....it slows down the muse.

I do like to write this WIP at a certain beach resort in the Carolinas. Something about the Atlantic beach gives me strong vibes for the story. I've been known to write on the beach too. Believe me, if I had access to that beach more often, I'd probably have a good portion of the story re-written by now...


If it were made into a movie, what would be your ideal cast?

Ciara Arlen - Anna Poppelwell immediately comes to mind. Ciara is a lot like Susan Pevensie, except she has this impulsive, independent streak that Susan doesn't.

Colin Raeburn - Admittedly, Orlando Bloom's Will Turner was the physical inspiration for Colin Raeburn. I couldn't tell you if he would be a good fit or not for the character as I've not seen him act as of yet (don't judge me!!!). 

However, now that I think about it, Ben Barnes actually could be a good fit for Colin. I'm remembering back to when he played Sam Adams in a historical drama I watched a few years ago (but don't recommend due to the fact that there are impure scenes in there *whoops*) and I was impressed with his acting there.

Grace Arlen - A young Debbie Turner (the actress who played Marta in Sound of Music) may be a good fit for this role....if anyone can think of a kind-hearted child actor, let me know...

Mollie "Thieving Magpie" Saunders - Oddly enough, I'm thinking along the lines of Scarlet Johanssen. Magpie is an edgy woman but she can't seem to get away from that feminine core.....and Scarlet kinda nails that well.

Ernest "Tall Tide" Dacre - Maybe an older Chris Pine? *wrinkles brows*

Leo Arlen - *head desk* Where the heck is a stubborn blond mustached British dude?

Jacinta Arlen - Carroll Baker from The Miracle (1959). Not only is it the right look, but the character of Theresa may also have similarities to Jacinta. Unfortunately, Jacinta isn't that well developed yet.....

As for the crew, they have too minor of a role to really peg. Except that Black Shackles absolutely needs to have Mediterranean heritage. Everyone else can be a random English actor that can be picked up for peanuts, in my book.




And so concludes this installment of Meet the Books!

Now I am curious, dear friends....what stood out to you the most? What was your favorite? What could be improved? Share your thoughts in the comments! 

Scribblingly yours,

Catherine