Quiz.

I saw this over at Whispers of the Wind and couldn't resist! ;) Enjoy!
1.What's your word count?I don't remember; numbers never stay in my head very long.

2. How long until you finish?
I have a deadline for the revision so sometime around June hopefully.

3. If you have finished, how long did it take you?
Well, I wrote the original draft at easy stages with several friends over the last two years. You do the math.

4. Do you have an outline?
No, I have an original draft! ;)
5. Do you have a plot?
Well, of course I have a plot!!

6. How many words do you typically write a day?I never count them though I imagine it hovers somewhere in the hundreds; especially if I'm writing an exciting scene.

7. What was your greatest word count in one day?
Hmm, around a thousand I suppose. Never really counted.

8. What was your least impressive word count in one day?
Ten to twenty words. So lame.

9. What inspired you to write?
Jane Austen, G.A. Henty, C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, Louisa May Alcott, Edgar Rice Burroughs, H. Rider Haggard, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle – in a word, my heroes. ;) Oh, and my own love of good books and frustration at not being able to find the perfect one!

10. Does your novel/story have a theme song?Uh, I don't think so.

11. Assign each of your major characters a theme song.My main character already has, like, three! She's very complex.

12. Which character is most like you?
Probably Jarha; I can understand him the most.

13. Which character would you most likely be friends with?What kind of a question is that?! I'm already best friends with all my characters!

14. Do you have a Gary-Stu or Mary Sue character?
Huh????

15. Who is your favorite character in your novel?
Probably my main character but I also like her buddies a lot and Aruternin rocks!!

16. Have your characters ever done something completely unexpected?
Yes; unfortunately three of them have the reputation of doing unexpected things all the time.

17. Have you based any of your novel directly on personal experiences?

Nope.

18. Do you believe in plot bunnies?What's a plot bunny?

19. Is there magic in your novel/story?I don't think so though there are a few interesting new developments.

20. Are any holidays celebrated in your novel/story?
Yes.
   
21. Does anyone die?
Uh-huh, yep. Very gruesome deaths too. ;)

22. How many cups of coffee/tea have you consumed during your writing experience?
I try not to have beverages around me when writing.

23. What is the latest you have stayed up writing?
In general or with this particular novel?

24. What is the best line?

"Hold; what's your name friend?" Jarha Zells asked, holding up one hand to stall the man's chatter, which he seemed to sense, could go on and on if left unchecked.

 
"Ah, now there's a story! My mother, bless her dear heart, wanted to name me after her father's uncle's nephew's half cousin's niece's sister's adopted pet pigeon and my father wanted to name me after his great-grandfather's twin brother's uncle's step-son's nephew, and my grandparents wanted to name me after themselves {imagine a scout introducing himself as Bertha! How absurd!} And there was this great big, huge, massive, gigantic argument the day after I was born as to what I would be called. So finally my older sister comes in and says, 'his name will be Welloldboy Val Castaway Flips' and that was the end of that."

 
25. What is the worst line?

Now how would I know that?!

26. Have you dreamed about your novel/story or its characters?Yep; it's one of the most effective ways to get over a sticky situation in the plot.

27. Does your novel rely heavily on allegory?
Not this particular one.

28. Summarize your novel/story in under fifteen words.Fifteen words indeed! Okay: "Princesses betrayed, guardians arrive, prince lost in action, lots of drama, big battle, insane spy." Told you that fifteen words don't cut it. ;)

29. Do you love all your characters?
Yes.

30. Have you done something sadistic or cruel to your characters specifically to increase your word count?Haha! Who doesn't?!
J

31. What was the last thing your main character ate?I don't think she ate. She just crashed out and went to sleep. Doing battle is a little tiring you know.

32. Describe your main character in three words.
Strong, insane, heartbroken.

33. What would your antagonist dress up as for Halloween?
None of the people, however evil or insane, celebrate that stupid "holiday."

34. Does anyone in your story go to a place of worship?Most of them go to church if they're in town; if they're snowbound in the mountains they just get out their Bibles and do some studying together.

35. How many romantic relationships take place in your novel/story?
Haha! Not telling, it would give too much away!!

36. Are there any explosions in your novel/story?
Well, of course there are explosions! What with the already explosive combination of insane scouts, spies, dragons, and being snowbound for months on end, you can bet there are explosions!

37. Is there an apocalypse in your novel/story?
Not exactly though some people think that the union of the two most insane and crazy persons ever born is the end of the world.

38. Does your novel take place in a post-apocalyptic world?
No, though the sequel might. ;)

39. Are there zombies, vampires or werewolves in your novel/story?
No way! Zombies would go back to the grave were they to meet my main characters, vampires would shrivel and dry up, and werewolves would promptly be killed.

40. Are there witches, wizards or mythological creatures/figures in your novel/story?Witches and wizards would flee screaming in terror at the mere mention of my characters' names. There are other mythical beasts like dragons, dwarves and fairies of course, but they're not important.

41. Is anyone reincarnated?
absolutely NOT!!!

42. Is anyone physically ailed?
Ailed? As in wounded and near death?

43. Is anyone mentally ill?
No. Not exactly. . . . It depends on who you ask in my little fantasy world. ;)

44. Does anyone have swine flu?Nope. Swine don't hang out in the snowy mountains.

45. Who has pets in your novel and what are they?

My main character has a Northern Harrier falcon, Aruternin has a hound dog {I think}, and then there are horses of course, and that dragon.

46. Are there angels, demons, or any religious references/figures in your novel/story?
No.

47. How about political figures?
No.

48. Is there incessant drinking?No; they only drink a little wine when they're sick or wounded.

49. Are there board games? If so, which ones?
Chess.

50. Are there any dream sequences?
Like nightmares and flashbacks? Yes. Prophetic dreams? Not so much.

51. Is there humor?
Sure is.

52. Is there tragedy?Uh, read the book and find out because I'm not saying!

53. Does anyone have a temper tantrum?
Hmm, yes. J Several times actually.

54. How many characters end up single at the end of your novel/story?Anyone under twenty; with the exception of Benadiah and his lady who are forced to wait a few years till they're older.

55. Is anyone in your novel/story adopted?
Not exactly.

56. Does anyone in your novel/story wear glasses?
Yes. And yes, it takes place in a Medieval-style fantasy world.

57. Has your novel/story provided insight about your life?
Why would it?

58. Your personality?
Are we still on the insight question?

59. Has your novel/story inspired anyone?Nope. ;) Well, except for my darling friends who wrote it with me. It's a series you see.

60. How many people have asked to read your novel/story?
No one expect those who helped write the original.

61. Have you drawn any of your characters?Never even tried; I'm not very talented with art.

62. Has anyone drawn your characters for you?Yes; one of my co-authors did. She's an awesome young lady!

63. Does anyone vomit in your novel/story?
Not yet they haven't!

64. Does anyone bleed in your novel/story?
Yes; lots of bleeding happens and blood is spilled everywhere! Hahaha!!!!!

65. Do any of your characters watch TV?
No, but if they did have TV Doomer would certainly watch it.

66. What size shoe does your main character wear?
*snorts* Who cares??

67. Do any of the characters in your novel/story use a computer?
No.

68. How would you react if your novel/story was erased entirely?Well, I've already lost my copy of the original but thankfully my buddies all have copies.

69. Did you cry at killing off any of your characters?

No; I never cry.

70. Did you cheer when killing off one of your characters?
*grins wickedly* Not saying.

71. What advice would you give to a fellow writer?Read the masters {most of which were already mentioned}, limit your intake of television and movies, don't play computer/video games, and read, read, read! But under no circumstance should you read anything that was published after 1960; especially anything you find in the teen section at your local library!!!

72. Describe your ending in three words.
Not again; ARUTERNIN!!!

73. Are there any love triangles, squares, hexagons, etc.?
Nope. ;)

74. On a scale of 1-10 (1 being the least stressful, 10 being the most) how does your stress rank?
About a 2. I already wrote most of it so the revision should go pretty smoothly. If only the weather would let up! ;)

75. Was it worth it?

Was what? The novel or this quiz thing?

Sabrina Movie Review.

Title: Sabrina.

Starring: Humphrey Bogart {Linus Larrabee}, Audrey Hepburn {Sabrina Fairchild}, William Holden {David Larrabee}, Walter Hampden {Oliver Larrabee}, Martha Hyer {Elizabeth Tyson}, Nella Walker {Maude Larrabee}, and John Williams {Thomas Fairchild}.

Year of Release: 1954.

Gene: Black-and-White, Classic, Romance, Comedy.

Plot: Sabrina Fairchild, the daughter of a chauffeur who works for the wealthy Larrabee family, falls madly in love with the rather wild younger Larrabee brother David. Despairing of being noticed by the distracted young man who's been married three times already, Sabrina tries to commit suicide by locking herself in the garage with all the cars running. Her plans are ruined, however, when the hard working older Larrabee brother Linus unexpectedly walks into the garage, calmly shuts off all the engines, and, after quizzing her about the engines, carries the fainting Sabrina up to her room near her father's. Sabrina is sent to Paris where she takes cooking lessons, writes long letters to her father, and tries to get over her crush on David. Meeting a friendly old baron distracts her somewhat and her new companion buys her a whole new fashionable wardrobe.

Two years after leaving, Sabrina returns home as an educated, fashionable, and sophisticated young woman. David, now engaged to be married to the heiress of a business associate of Linus', picks her up at the station, completely unaware of who she is till they pull into the courtyard of his grand mansion and she hooks the horn to get everyone's attention. Shocked that the girl he barely noticed has blossomed into such a beautiful young woman, David seems to fall head over heels for Sabrina who soaks up every minute of his attention. Linus, keen on David's marriage, conveniently gets his brother bedridden and then distracts Sabrina by courting her himself. At first, this cold blooded business man is simply trying to prevent a social scandal but eventually he begins to fall in love with Sabrina, and starts mentally panicking over what to do about his newfound feelings for a girl twenty years younger than himself. 

It is David, who realizes that Sabrina has also fallen in love with Linus, who saves the day in the most unexpectedly yet predictable manner in the end.

Likes/Dislikes: It is an old Hollywood trend to have younger girls and older men fall in love and get married in many of its movies, and if done well then this isn't such a bad trend. Sabrina, in one of her letters home, writes that she "has learned to be in the world and of the world" which goes against what Jesus taught us. Linus and David call each other names {"He thinks I'm an idiot" says David to Sabrina when he's explaining something to her} but these family interactions are quite amusing to my family and I.

Rating: Being an old movie, it's officially unrated: my personal rating is PG.

Date Report Written: February 21, 2011.

Note: I tried to post this yesterday but apparently it didn't go through. :) Oh well. I shall hopefully have a review on The Tiphereth Trilogy next week if all goes well.

The Teacher Book Review.

Title: The Teacher.
Author: Miss Katie Hepner.
Gene: Christian, Historical Fiction, Romance, Women's Rights, Biblical Worldview.
Plot: When orphaned fifteen-year-old Maria Dalton takes the job of Chesterfield's new schoolteacher, she gets more than she bargained for in the commission. The Grady boys, the troublemakers of the small relatively peaceful town, were successful in forcing out the last teacher, Robert Merrill, and intend to accomplish the same with Maria. Knowing this, eighteen-year-old Wesley Elliot, the school supervisor's son and good friend of the former teacher, decides to go back to school to protect Maria from the Grady boys. Working as a clerk when he's not in school, Wesley is in the perfect position to help Maria when she is unfairly accused of breaking a window during her first day of school and leaves the poor orphan looking for an opportunity to repay him for his kindness. Two years pass by peacefully and then the Civil War breaks out, interrupting the steady pace of life in Chesterfield. Wesley, with his mother's permission, enlists on the Union side and during the war keeps his mother and siblings well supplied with news and earnings sent home while also having several noteworthy adventures. During his absence, Maria finds the opportunity she looked for to repay Wesley's kindness to her and then finds herself besieged by the admiring young men of the town.
The turmoil caused by the war hasn't even ended yet before Darwin's Theory of Evolution becomes the talk of the town and the Women's Rights movement begins to gain momentum, causing many people to reconsider where they stand in their opinions. Wesley and Maria both stand firmly on the Word of God and never waver to the end, each representing the common views of the time, especially Maria who represents the little known views of the women of that time period before the Women's Rights movement disillusioned the majority of the youthful generation following the war.
Likes/Dislikes: The homeschooled authoress wrote this book when she was fifteen and for a first go at the noble profession of writing, it's pretty good. However, there is a lack of useful description and the pace is rather unsteady, moving too fast and causing the reader to feel like they must hurry to finish the book. The scenes, while very good and engaging of themselves could have done with a bit more explanation here and there. Some readers don't like a lot of description in books; I understand that and have no objection to it, so long as there is given at one point or another during the story some sort of rough sketch to give the mind something to envision. The characters were all drawn very well and I liked each one {expect the Grady boys of course} immensely and the arguments presented by the characters were all very good. Modern day readers must be aware, however, that our modern culture is vastly different from the Civil War one and therefore they ought to remember that the authoress isn't trying to attack or offend what society now takes for granted; she is simply trying to present us with the views of the women of that era in the most creative manner possibly and I applaud her for doing so!
Rating: G; I highly recommend this book to all readers, especially families with pre-teen and teenage children.
Date Report Written: March 19, 2011.

Giveaway!

Okay, it's not my giveaway but it's still worth telling you about. ;)

The giveaway is hosted by Austenesque Reviews and the prize is Margaret Sullivan's The Jane Austen Handbook. That is a really good book; trust me, I've read it before. ;) Go to this link for further instructions on how to enter the giveaway: http://janeaustenreviews.blogspot.com/2011/03/jane-austen-handbook-margaret-c.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+blogspot%2FVVDyR+%28Austenesque+Reviews%29

God bless! :)

Proverbs 17 NKJV.

"Better is a dry morsel with quietness, Than a house full of feasting with strife.

A wise servant will rule over a son who causes shame, And will share an inheritance among the brothers.

The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold, But the Lord tests the hearts.

An evildoer gives heed to false lips; A liar listens eagerly to a spiteful tongue.

He who mocks the poor reproaches his Maker; He who is glad at calamity will not go unpunished.

Children's children are the crown of old men, And the glory of children is their father.

Excellent speech is not becoming to a fool, Much less lying lips to a prince.

A present is a precious stone in the eyes of its possessor; Wherever he turns, he prospers.

He who covers a transgression seeks love, But he who repeats a matter separates friends.

Rebuke is more effective for a wise man Than a hundred blows on a fool.

An evil man seeks only rebellion; Therefore a cruel messenger will be sent against him.

Let a man meet a bear robbed of her cubs, Rather than a fool in his folly.

Whoever rewards evil for good, Evil will not depart from his house.

The beginning of strife is like releasing water; Therefore stop contention before a quarrel starts.

He who justifies the wicked, and he who condemns the just, Both of them alike are an abomination to the Lord.

Why is there in the hands of a fool the purchase price of wisdom, Since he has no heart for it?

A friend loves at all times, And a brother is born for adversity.

A man devoid of understanding shakes hands in a pledge, And becomes surety for his friend.

He who loves transgression loves strife, And he who exalts his gate seeks destruction.

He who has a deceitful heart finds no good, And he who has a perverse tongue falls into evil.

He who begets a scoffer does so to his sorrow, And the father of a fool has no joy.

A merry heart does good, like medicine, But a broken spirit dries the bones.

A wicked man accepts a bribe behind the back, To pervert the ways of justice.

Wisdom is in the sight of him who has understanding, But the eyes of a fool are on the ends of the earth.

A foolish son is a grief to his father, And bitterness to her who bore him.

Also, to punish the righteous is not good, Nor to strike princes for their uprightness.

He who has knowledge spares his words, And a man of understanding is of a calm spirit.

Even a fool is counted wise when he holds his peace; When he shuts his lips, he is considered perceptive."

Mine is the Night Book Review.

Title: Mine is the Night.

Author: Liz Curtis Higgs.

Gene: Christian, Historical Fiction, Romance, Biblical Retelling.

Plot: Following the rebellion of Prince Charlie and his Scottish followers against King George of England in 1746, many rebels are rounded up and executed while their wives and daughters are left in terrible danger. Marjory Kerr and her daughter-in-law Elisabeth Kerr were unceremoniously kicked out of the former's estate upon the death of her sons Donald and Andrew who had supported Prince Charlie; stripped of their titles, homeless and out of money, the two women return to Marjory's hometown of Selkirk in the Lowlands of Scotland where Marjory's long-neglected cousin Anne Kerr lives. Anne proves to be of a forgiving and charitable nature and lets her tarnished relatives move into her tiny house with her. Elisabeth, a Highlander and a weaver's daughter, promptly finds work the Monday after they arrive and sews shirts for Michael Dalgliesh, a tailor and Anne's childhood crush.

Rumors travel quickly in the small town of Selkirk and it isn't long before everyone knows that Bell Hill, one of the local estates, has been bought by Admiral Lord Jack Buchanan, a favorite of King George's. Suddenly out of a job, Elisabeth considers her options and trots up to Bell Hill when said estate is hiring household servants and applies for a position as a dressmaker. Elisabeth receives a favorable reception from Mrs. Pringle, the housekeeper, when she does the work of three days' mending in one without complaining and sews a beautiful gown for her, finishing it just in time for Mrs. Pringle to wear it when the Admiral arrives. Unexpectedly, Elisabeth finds the Admiral to be a generous man who promptly hires her to sew dresses for all of his female staff and pays her well. As Elisabeth spends six days a week over the following summer sewing dresses, she and the Admiral befriend each other and then begin to fall in love; there is one major complication to their future and that is that Elisabeth is the widow of a rebel and needs the king's pardon before she can marry the Admiral.

Meanwhile, Anne and Marjory also have their own dramas going on and all three women lose sleep when their tales reach their climaxes, yet they never once lose faith in God's loving care and provision.

Likes/Dislikes: This is the sequel to Here Burns my Candle by the same author and concludes the Kerr women's exciting adventures. This is also the first book by Mrs. Higgs that I've read and I must say, I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of writing and was very impressed with the book. I especially enjoyed that it was a 1746 retelling of the book of Ruth. However, there is one scene where Elisabeth finds herself in grave danger {though she is rescued of course} which reminded me that this isn't the kind of book young girls should read, however much I enjoyed it. Other than that, this book is highly recommended! To download the free first chapter, go to
http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/2011/01/19/sneak-peek-mine-is-the-night-by-liz-curtis-higgs/

Rating: PG-14 or 15 and up for content and reading level.

Date Report Written: March 12, 2011.


I received a free copy of this book from WaterBrook Publications and was not required to write a positive review.

Key Largo Movie Review.

Title: Key Largo.

 Starring: Humphrey Bogart {Frank McCloud}, Lauren Bacall {Nora Temple}, Lionel Barrymore {James Temple}, Edward G. Robinson {Johnny Rocco}, Claire Trevor {Gaye Dawn}, Thomas Gomez {Richard "Curly" Hoff}, Harry Lewis {Edward "Toots" Bass}, and John Rodney {Deputy Clyde Sawyer}.

 Gene: Black-and-White, Action/Adventure, Classic.

 Year of Release: 1948.

 Plot: Frank McCloud is returning from the Second World War and has come to Key Largo {of the coast of Florida} to visit the father and widow of his dead comrade. When he arrives at Mr. Temple's inn, he meets a questionable group of people hanging at the bar who snare at him and tell him to beat it, thinking he's planning on staying at the inn. When he tells them he simply wants to see Mr. Temple they brighten up and send him out to the dock where he finds the crippled old man sunning himself and meets the lovely Nora Temple who, after the twosome have heard the story of how their beloved husband and son died, shows him around the inn. A storm is expected so McCloud willingly helps Nora tie the boat down and get the shutters all closed up in preparation for it.

 The pace really picks up when the other guests of the inn start acting very suspicious and get the Temples and McCloud thoroughly alarmed. When they protest against their behavior, the now confirmed villains march them up to meet the reclusive boss of the gang who turns out to be the deported gangster Johnny Rocco. Having lost his will to fight, McCloud seems cold and distant as Rocco interrogates his new prisoners and tests McCloud by handing him a gun and telling the former soldier to shoot him. McCloud refuses which disappoints the Temples and the kidnapped sheriff's deputy, but when the deputy grabs the gun and turns it on Rocco, it is discovered in a tragic manner that the gun was never loaded.

 Now fully under the control of the gangsters, the prisoners are forced to hang out in the bar downstairs where they listen to the hurricane outside blow and rage, unnerving Rocco and finally sending a tree crashing through the window. McCloud begins to lose his callous exterior and regain his will to fight as he is witness to Rocco's brutality. When it comes time for the gangsters to leave the island, they enlist McCloud to pilot the getaway boat, the stage for the final showdown between good and bad.

 Likes/Dislikes: Rocco first comes into the film in a bathtub but nothing graphic is shown thankfully. Several men, including two innocent Indians and the deputy, lose their lives off camera to the hardened gangsters, but other than that this is a pretty good movie and is recommended for all viewers save the very young.

 Rating: Most black-and-whites aren't rated; my rating is PG.

 Date Report Written: February 15, 2011.

A Glimpse of History.

Despite having a liking for history and learning all I can about it, I have never had a very keen desire to learn anything too detailed about World War II though I have over the years picked up odd bits of information here and there such as who Rommel was. It wasn't until a week or two ago when my mother, my youngest brother and I were flipping channels on our television one night after dinner and stumbled upon an engaging and very interesting film based upon a true story. The movie had been made around 2002 and starred Adrien Brody: it was called The Pianist. The next day after watching the majority of this gripping movie, I reserved from our local library the movie on DVD to watch again and the original story written by Wladyslaw Szpilman. I started reading the book when my parents brought it home on Tuesday and read the majority of it yesterday afternoon, concluding the day by watching the movie with my whole family in the evening. I've never read anything quite like it before and it sure as heck beat Anne Frank's diary to dust! At the back of the book were included excerpts from the diary of Captain Wilm Hosenfeld, the German officer who saved the Jewish pianist's life toward the end of the war and the German occupation of Poland. One of the entries stood out to me more than the others and I decided to post it here for your enjoyment and perhaps enlightenment also. I give it as it was printed in the book and trust you to draw your own conclusions from it.
"1 September 1942
Why did this war have to happen at all? Because humanity had to be shown where its godlessness was taking it. First of all Bolshevism killed millions, saying it was done to introduce a new world order. But the Bolshevists could act as they did only because they had turned away from God and Christian teaching. Now National Socialism is doing the same in Germany. It forbids people to practice their religion, the young are brought up godless, the Church is opposed and its property appropriated, anyone who thinks differently is terrorized, the free human nature of the German people is debased and they are turned into terrified slaves. The truth is kept from them. They can play no part in the fate of their nation.
There are no commandments now against stealing, killing or lying, not if they go against people's personal interest. This denial of God's commandments leads to all the other immoral manifestations of greed – unjust self-enrichment, hatred, deceit, sexual license resulting in infertility and the downfall of the German people. God allows all this to happen, lets these forces have power and allows so many innocent people to perish to show mankind that without him we are only animals in conflict, who believe we have to destroy each other. We will not listen to the divine commandment: 'Love one another.' Very well, then, says God, try the Devil's commandment, the opposite: 'Hate one another.' We know the story of the Deluge from Holy Scripture. Why did the first race of men come to such a tragic end? Because they had abandoned God and must die, guilty and innocent alike. They had only themselves to blame for their punishment. And it is the same today."