Wednesday, April 30, 2014

Wonderful Word Wednesday: Spumescent





It's Wonderful Word Wednesday again! Here's his week's word!

spumescent
adjective
1.) foamy; foamlike; frothy.

Example Sentence: Rouyn sat on the sandy beach, spumescent waves dyed orange by the setting sun lapping at his bare feet.



Have you seen or used this word before? What do you think of it?

If you liked this post, come back every Saturday for more writing advice, character interviews, book reviews and more! On Sundays I have Soundtrack Sundays where I post a new score piece, Tuesdays are Tea Tuesdays with tea reviews, Wednesdays I have Wonderful Word Wednesdays where I post a new vocabulary word, and Fridays are Fan Fridays where I post tags and other goodies. To help support my dream to be an author follow this blog, like me on Facebook, watch me on deviantART, and follow me on Pinterest and Twitter. If you want to know more about my books check out them out here. Thank you! :)




Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Tea Tuesday: Aang




I'm not really a coffee person. I prefer tea, and I know a lot of fellow writers love tea, too. But have you ever wanted to break out of the Early Grey or English Breakfast norm and try something new? Well, let me help you find some cool new teas! If you need a little hot and flavorful boost to help you reach your writing goal or you're just a lover of tea or you'd like to try some tea but aren't fond of the stereotypical types, these Tea Tuesday posts are for you.

This week's tea is ... 

*drum roll*

Aang


How I found it: One night, I was minding my own business and procrastinating on Facebook when I noticed an ad about Avatar: The Last Airbender teas. Feeling curious, I clicked the link and my mouth dropped open. This site had a whole set of teas of different avatar characters and even more fandom inspired teas! But I particularly wanted this set so after convincing myself that this would be an early birthday gift to me I got it. XD I got this tea in the same set as a Katara and Iroh tea. ^ ^

The Tea: It's sweet, light, and happy like Aang. The tea is a really pretty loose tea with whole chamomile flowers, lavender petals, and dewy cherry bits in it. Though I normally dislike the flavor of cherries, I love this flavor since it's more genuine cherry like bing cherries. The tea has a very flowery flavor with the lavender and chamomile in it. The tea's color is pink, and reminds of the flower wreath Aang wore in season two Earth.


Serving Recommendations: I like this tea with cream and sugar, and I steeped it for three or four minutes.

How much is it and where can you get it? You can find this tea at the Adagio website. I bought this tea in a sample set which was about $22 including shipping and you get a goodly amount of tea since you only need about a teaspoon per cup.

So how good is it? I've had this tea several times since I've gotten it, and I very much enjoy it. I give it five stars! ^ ^

Have you tried this tea? What did you think of it? Have you seenAvatar: The Last Airbender? Who's your favorite character?

Bonus! If you are a first-time Adagio customer I can send you a $5 giftcard! Ask in the comments for details! (This is no joke and no catch I seriously can. It's part of the amazingness of Adagio Teas)

If you liked this post, come back every Saturday for more writing advice, character interviews, book reviews and more! On Sundays I have Soundtrack Sundays where I post a new score piece, Tuesdays are Tea Tuesdays with tea reviews, Wednesdays I have Wonderful Word Wednesdays where I post a new vocabulary word, and Fridays are Fan Fridays where I post tags and other goodies. To help support my dream to be an author follow this blog, like me on Facebook, watch me on deviantART, and follow me on Pinterest and Twitter. If you want to know more about my books check out them out here. Thank you! :)


Sunday, April 27, 2014

Soundtrack Sunday: Sacrifice (Divergent)




It's Soundtrack Sundays and I've finally found this piece I've been trying to post here! It's another track from the Divergent score, and it's soo pretty. The piece is so sad, strings are so beautiful, and the vocals at the end really get you. I love this track! You can find more cool tracks on my Soundtrack Sundays YouTube playlist!


Have you heard this piece before? What do you think of it? Have you seen Divergent?

If you liked this post, come back every Saturday for more writing advice, character interviews, book reviews and more! On Sundays I have Soundtrack Sundays where I post a new score piece, Tuesdays are Tea Tuesdays with tea reviews, Wednesdays I have Wonderful Word Wednesdays where I post a new vocabulary word, and Fridays are Fan Fridays where I post tags and other goodies. To help support my dream to be an author follow this blog, like me on Facebook, watch me on deviantART, and follow me on Pinterest and Twitter. If you want to know more about my books check out them out here. Thank you! :)



Saturday, April 26, 2014

So Your Character is Adopted ...




Society tends to put all sorts of people into stereotypes. Some of those are accurate, but often times people groups are misrepresented in media because of this stereotype image. The stereotype is derived from true features of these people groups, but usually people believe all people of these people groups are like the stereotype. The dumb Southerner, the heartless hunter, and so on.

When you're a writer and you need research for a character, it's sometimes hard to find people to interview to make sure you're portraying this character accurately. So I've decided to write a series of posts showing my personal experience about being part of some uncommon people groups in roughly ten tips. I'm adopted, homeschooled, Southern, a hunter, a Christian and a geek so I plan to cover all of these people groups.

Yes, I'm adopted. No, I'm not horribly scarred. No, my life isn't totally different than everyone who lives with their birth parents. My life is pretty normal. I often forget I'm adopted. I know many other adopted kids that are pretty normal too. Adopted kids appear often in books. Adoption is a good plot device, but often several adoption no-nos are committed.

Here are ten bits of advice for writing an adopted character:

1.) Real Parents & Birth Parents - When an adopted kid refers to the parents they share genetics with, they're called "birth parents" not "real parents." Often the adopted kid's birth parents have nothing to do with their upbringing whatsoever. The adopted parents are the "real parents" because they raised the kid. They were involved in their lives while most of the time the birth parents are not. The adopted kid receives the same parental bond as if the adopted parents were the birth parents.

2.) The Birth Parents Aren't Always Dead - It seems like a good part of the time in media the birth parents are dead. Perhaps that's the reason why the kid was adopted, but it would be nice to see more stories with birth parents that are alive. My birth mother is alive.

3.) Birth Parents Aren't Always the Parents of Your Dreams - It seems
like in media often times the birth parents are rich and solve the adopted character's problems. Birth parents aren't always rich. They're average people and birth parents can be jerks. They're not always the dream parents.

4.) Adopted Parents Aren't Always Mean - I've also seen adopted parents portrayed as mean people. That's not always true. My parents were very kind to me, the same with my adopted friends' parents. They don't constantly remind you you're not their "real child."

5.) Age Makes a Difference - When the kid is adopted at an older age, it does make a difference. They already spent time with their birth parents, but they often can still bond with their adopted parents as older people. This could happen to a foster kid or a kid adopted from out of the country.

When the kid is younger they don't remember their birth parents and their adopted parents become the only parents they know. But there could be potential tension between a kid adopted when they are older since they aren't used to the new parents. I was adopted from infancy so I have no personal experience in this, but I do know some foster kids that have bonded with their new parents well.


6.) Just Tell Them They're Adopted - Have your adopted parents tell your freaking kid they were adopted. Unless the parents have a great reason not to tell the kid they are adopted then please have them tell the kid. That is a huge and unnecessary shock for the child. Unless you have got a great reason just have them tell the kid. Perhaps if their parents weren't good people they can hold off details, but the kid knowing they are adopted is important. I've known for my entire life and I'm glad I have.

7.) Expectations About Birth Parents - Often us adopted kids fantasize about our birth parents. What we think they are, if they're kind or if they have other kids. It's sometimes disappointing when they don't turn out like we imagine them to be.

8.) The First Meet - When meeting or talk to birth parents or even members of birth family for the first time it is nerve-wracking. The adopted kid wonders, "Will they like me? Are they good people?" The meeting is fraught with awkward silences and the most frequent questions are each other's lives.

9.) Sometimes the Adopted Kid Knows the Birth Parents - I've known my birth mother and my half siblings for my entire life because her aunt adopted me. I've never seen anything like this done before, and I think it would be cool to see it done in media.

10.) What-Could-Have-Beens - Often adopted kids find their minds straying to think about what life could have been if they'd stayed with their birth parents. Sometimes it seems better, sometimes it seems worst. This doesn't happen often, but when something reminds the adopted kid of that, it does.

Some media that portrayed this right: 

Smallville & Man of Steel: Both Superman stories, one a show, one a movie, but in both shows the relationship between Clark and his adopted parents Jonathan and Martha was portrayed accurately and he was told at a young age he was adopted.

The Missing by Margaret Peterson-Haddix: The main character in this novel named Jonah was adopted and his relationship with his parents was portrayed well.

Gimme Shelter: This movie showed the darker side of birth parents, but still accurate.

Switched At Birth: This show had a lot of neat tension about birth parents and such and it's interesting because the parents didn't know their kids didn't share their genetics.

Are you writing an adopted character? Do you have any questions I didn't answer?

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Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Wonderful Word Wednesday: Sanguinary





It's Wonderful Word Wednesday again, and I have a very interesting word for you all. 
This word is not to be confused with the word "sanguine" which means cheerfully optimistic, hopeful or confident: a sanguine disposition. It's so funny how similar these words are and how polar opposite their definitions are.

sanguinary
adjective
1.) full of or characterized by bloodshed; bloody: a sanguinary struggle.
2.) ready or eager to shed blood; blood thirsty.
3.) composed of or marked with blood.

Example Sentence: Sting revels in sanguinary battles.

A picture of my character Sting. :) 

Have you seen or used this word before? What do you think of it?

If you liked this post, come back every Saturday for more writing advice, character interviews, book reviews and more! On Sundays I have Soundtrack Sundays where I post a new score piece, Tuesdays are Tea Tuesdays with tea reviews, Wednesdays I have Wonderful Word Wednesdays where I post a new vocabulary word, and Fridays are Fan Fridays where I post tags and other goodies. To help support my dream to be an author follow this blog, like me on Facebook, watch me on deviantART, and follow me on Pinterest and Twitter. If you want to know more about my books check out them out here. Thank you! :)



Tuesday, April 22, 2014

Tea Tuesday: Jasmine Dragon Phoenix Pearls




I'm not really a coffee person. I prefer tea, and I know a lot of fellow writers love tea, too. But have you ever wanted to break out of the Early Grey or English Breakfast norm and try something new? Well, let me help you find some cool new teas! If you need a little hot and flavorful boost to help you reach your writing goal or you're just a lover of tea or you'd like to try some tea but aren't fond of the stereotypical types, these Tea Tuesday posts are for you.

This weeks tea is ... 

*drum roll*

Jasmine Dragon Phoenix Pearls

How I found it: I stumbled upon this tea few years back during a lone trip to the mall. The Teavana store had just come to my mall and as always they have a bunch of employees handing out samples so I decided to try a few. I tried this one and enjoyed it and "Jasmine Dragon" reminded me of the Jasmine Dragon from Avatar: The Last Airbender lol so I ended up purchasing some. Plus phoenixes are cool too ...

The Tea: It's a green tea. It's sweet and light with a very Asian flavor. It looks very neat what with the tea rolled into pearls. They unroll when the tea is brewed.

I don't have a character to steal a gif from so here's Kermit the Frog.
Serving Recommendations: Make sure not to steep too long because it can get bitter. I would recommend about three minutes and to add a little sugar to enhance the flavor.

How much is it and where can you get it? This tea is expensive so unless you have a good income I wouldn't purchase it often. You can find it at the Teavana website or in one of their stores.

So how good is it? I give it four stars because of the bitterness tendency and the expense, but it's worth a try if you have the coin. :)


Have you tried this tea? What did you think of it?

If you liked this post, come back every Saturday for more writing advice, character interviews, book reviews and more! On Sundays I have Soundtrack Sundays where I post a new score piece, Tuesdays are Tea Tuesdays with tea reviews, Wednesdays I have Wonderful Word Wednesdays where I post a new vocabulary word, and Fridays are Fan Fridays where I post tags and other goodies. To help support my dream to be an author follow this blog, like me on Facebook, watch me on deviantART, and follow me on Pinterest and Twitter. If you want to know more about my books check out them out here. Thank you! :)


Sunday, April 20, 2014

Soundtrack Sunday: The Son of Flynn (Tron: Legacy)




Well, I had another track for you guys for Soundtrack Sundays, but YouTube deleted all videos of it. *shakes fist at YouTube* So I have an old favorite for you guys. I love the techy sounds from this track from Tron Legacy. ^ ^ It's perfect for science-fiction story! Check out more cool score pieces in my Soundtrack Sundays playlist!



Have you heard this piece before? What do you think of it? Have you seen Tron Legacy?

If you liked this post, come back every Saturday for more writing advice, character interviews, book reviews and more! On Sundays I have Soundtrack Sundays where I post a new score piece, Tuesdays are Tea Tuesdays with tea reviews, Wednesdays I have Wonderful Word Wednesdays where I post a new vocabulary word, and Fridays are Fan Fridays where I post tags and other goodies. To help support my dream to be an author follow this blog, like me on Facebook, watch me on deviantART, and follow me on Pinterest and Twitter. If you want to know more about my books check out them out here. Thank you! :)



Saturday, April 19, 2014

Why You Should Read--and Love It!




In 2013, 80% of US families didn't buy a book. 70% of adults haven't even read a book in the last five years. 56% of young people claim they've read more than ten books a year. 33% of high school graduates will never read another book. 42% of college students will never read a book after they graduate. 15% of inmates are literate.

These are some sad statistics. We wonder why we get these posts on Facebook by people with atrocious grammar and spelling. We wonder why kids are failing in school. I believe it's because they don't read and particularly read novels.

Thousands of authors put their time (months to years), blood, sweat, tears, and souls into those novels that our generation is ignoring. Obviously published authors have at least some people who read to keep them going, but wouldn't it be nice if we had more people reading? Both young people and adults?

I've asked a group of young readers/writers about what sorts of excuses they've heard from people who don't read give for not reading, and I'm going to debunk them all. Thank you to everyone who contributed. :) Here at thirteen reading excuses debunked:

Excuse #1 "It's not really important." - Reading is indeed important. It is good for your brain. It helps improve concentration, analytical skills, memory, and vocabulary which in turn benefits you in school, work, and just daily life.

Excuse #2: "I don't have time." - Yet you have time to go out with friends and play video games and watch reruns of your favorite show and text your friends and search goofy videos on YouTube or Best Vines. Yeah, you're swamped.

Excuse #3 "Books are boring." - I suppose you think the many shows and movies based on books are boring too then like "How to Train Your Dragon", "Frozen", "Twilight", and "The Hunger Games." Books are stories in another form.

Excuse #4 "I can just watch the movie."- Books have benefits movies do not. They include intriguing details, and the best thing is you can get inside the character's head in a book. You hear their thoughts and observe their motivations by walking in their shoes. You can picture the characters and scenes any way you want. You can immerse yourself in this world created by words upon pages. You can get into another person's head other than your own and that gives you perspective.

Excuse #5 "I can't sit still long enough."- If you can sit still long enough through
school or church or driving or watching a movie or watching fifty plus episodes of your favorite show, you can sit down long enough to read a book.

Excuse #6 "All the plots are the same."- Firstly, do you know the exact definition of a plot? People sometimes confuse this term thinking it's just a basic premise like because that character has a bow in that book and that one does too they're the same. *gets flashbacks of someone confusing my elf costume for a Katniss costume* It is a story line. The story or sequence of events in something such as a novel, play, or movie. There are infinite ways a plot can go. Will that person die? Will they get together? Will they accomplish their goal?

Excuse #7: "I can't relate to any of the characters."- So out of all the millions of books in the world you can't relate to at least one character? I find that very hard to believe.

Excuse #8 "It takes me too long to get into it."- What kind of books are you reading? When were they written? Perhaps you need to switch genres or try a different author. Authors nowadays work hard on hooking the reader as soon as possible and many of them are quite good. I'm sure one will interest you.

Excuse #9 "I have enough reading to do for school/work."- Reading for school is different than pleasure reading. I can get bored reading about some facts about something I care absolutely nothing about that I have to take a test on that counts as fifty percent of my grade that I'm totally dreading. Novel-reading is relaxing and stress relieving. If anything it should help you get through required school reading and become a better reader for school. Plus you learn things during reading so you can look smart around your peers. ;)

Excuse #10 "It's too hard."- What about it is too hard? The big words? The fact that you have to think while doing it? You can increase your vocabulary with the big words, and more thinking never hurt anybody.

Excuse #11 "I'm a slow reader."- That's not really an excuse. It's a fact. I'm a slow reader. Just because you read a book at a slower pace than others that doesn't mean you're incapable of reading. You absorb more by reading slow.

Excuse #12 "They don't have enough pictures."- Number one: How old are you? The only the books that have pictures are children's books unless there's the occasional illustration, but those are rare. Also text messages don't have pictures unless you count the selfie on your friend's profile pic. You read dozens of books worth of texts.

Excuse #13: "There are other forms of entertainment I like better."- After listing all the benefits I've shown you, do you think that you could give it a go again? Reading is a time of peace and edification--with the occasional tense bit that makes you want to jump out of your skin.

When you read an author, a person, long dead or miles away you may never meet is communicating with you and sharing with you a bit of their heart. Read books that lift you up, because they are a great influence on your mind. You may learn something in the book that may change your life and make you a better person.

So join us readers no matter how old you are, no matter if you're rich or poor (there are libraries), no matter what's going on in your life, no matter where you are in the world, and let's go on an adventure.


Have you been inspired to read? Are there any excuses I haven't covered? Have you read a book lately?

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Wednesday, April 16, 2014

Wonderful Word Wednesday: Kleptomania




It's Wonderful Wednesdays again and I have one of my favorite words here! 
I also heard this one in a video game around ten years ago for the first time ... Proof they can be educational! lol

kleptomania
noun
1.) an irresistible impulse to steal, stemming from emotional disturbance rather than economic need.

Example Sentence: Ashlyn has kleptomania.


I thought about picking some cliche thief picture, but I decided Skyrim is cooler.
And no this isn't the game I learned the word from, but you can easily become a kleptomaniac lol.

Have you seen or used this word before? What do you think of it?

If you liked this post, come back every Saturday for more writing advice, character interviews, book reviews and more! On Sundays I have Soundtrack Sundays where I post a new score piece, Tuesdays are Tea Tuesdays with tea reviews, Wednesdays I have Wonderful Word Wednesdays where I post a new vocabulary word, and Fridays are Fan Fridays where I post tags and other goodies. To help support my dream to be an author follow this blog, like me on Facebook, watch me on deviantART, and follow me on Pinterest and Twitter. If you want to know more about my books check out them out here. Thank you! :)



Tuesday, April 15, 2014

Tea Tuesday: Katara




I'm not really a coffee person. I prefer tea, and I know a lot of fellow writers love tea, too. But have you ever wanted to break out of the Early Grey or English Breakfast norm and try something new? Well, let me help you find some cool new teas! If you need a little hot and flavorful boost to help you reach your writing goal or you're just a lover of tea or you'd like to try some tea but aren't fond of the stereotypical types, these Tea Tuesday posts are for you.

This week's tea is ... 

*drum roll*

Katara


How I found it: One night, I was minding my own business and procrastinating on Facebook when I noticed an ad about Avatar: The Last Airbender teas. Feeling curious, I clicked the link and my mouth dropped open. This site had a whole set of teas of different avatar characters and even more fandom inspired teas! But I particularly wanted this set so after convincing myself that this would be an early birthday gift to me I got it. XD

The Tea: This tea is a fandom tea from Adagio (an online tea company), and it comes in this absolutely adorable tin that is definitely going on my nerdy shelf. It's inspired by the Katara from Avatar: The Last Airbender, one of my favorite TV shows. The tea is sweet with a spicy kick just like Katara's personality with masala chai, almond, and a touch of cream. It's a light tea with a nutty after taste. I could see her drinking it.

Hair loopy wave.

Serving Recommendations: I enjoy the tea with sugar, cream and a tap of cinnamon. It enhances the flavors of the tea and makes it even more delightful. I steeped mine for three minutes.

How much is it and where can you get it? You can find this tea at the Adagio website. I bought this tea in a sample set which was about $22 including shipping and you get a goodly amount of tea since you only need about a teaspoon per cup.

So how good is it? This has become my favorite tea ever! Five stars!


Have you tried this tea? What did you think of it? Have you seen Avatar: The Last Airbender? Who's your favorite character?

Bonus! If you are a first-time Adagio customer I can send you a $5 giftcard! Ask in the comments for details! (This is no joke and no catch I seriously can. It's part of the amazingness of Adagio Teas)

If you liked this post, come back every Saturday for more writing advice, character interviews, book reviews and more! On Sundays I have Soundtrack Sundays where I post a new score piece, Tuesdays are Tea Tuesdays with tea reviews, Wednesdays I have Wonderful Word Wednesdays where I post a new vocabulary word, and Fridays are Fan Fridays where I post tags and other goodies. To help support my dream to be an author follow this blog, like me on Facebook, watch me on deviantART, and follow me on Pinterest and Twitter. If you want to know more about my books check out them out here. Thank you! :)


Sunday, April 13, 2014

Soundtrack Sunday: Experience (Ludovico Einaudi)




It's Soundtrack Sunday again! I have a beautiful piece I found in a writers group. The strings are so pretty. It reminds me of a really emotional scene for a book. The build is gorgeous too! And no I'm not sure how to pronounce the composer's name lol, but he's good. You can check out more cool soundtrack pieces in my Soundtrack Sundays YouTube playlist


Have you heard this piece before? What do you think of it?

If you liked this post, come back every Saturday for more writing advice, character interviews, book reviews and more! On Sundays I have Soundtrack Sundays where I post a new score piece, Tuesdays are Tea Tuesdays with tea reviews, Wednesdays I have Wonderful Word Wednesdays where I post a new vocabulary word, and Fridays are Fan Fridays where I post tags and other goodies. To help support my dream to be an author follow this blog, like me on Facebook, watch me on deviantART, and follow me on Pinterest and Twitter. If you want to know more about my books check out them out here. Thank you! :)



Saturday, April 12, 2014

Now I'm 21



Random photos hoot near a farm next to my neighborhood the day before my birthday.
Yes I do have something glowing in my hands. ;)
So now I'm twenty-one. Wow that's weird ... I'm a full-fledged adult now. It's definitely different, but I believe my twentieth year has been one of my best. Honestly, years seventeen through nineteen weren't the greatest for me, but now I finally feel like things are looking up. My writing and my walk with God have grown exponentially, and my overall life has gotten better. The year doesn't completely start for me until after my birthday since it's pretty close to the beginning of it lol.

Here are some highlights from my twentieth year:

In May 2013, I finally saved up enough to get my first car. ^ ^ I named it Tony after Tony Stark. ;)

In June, I went to Rock City. That was pretty awesome. ^ ^ Yes, that's a waterfall in the background. ;)

Also in June, I went to Jacksonville beach with my best friend Cassidy and totally got fried like a bug. XD Darn you, pale skin! I was also introduced to Skyrim on this trip lol.

In September, I went to DragonCon! :D Also amazing! I wore a  handmade Mirkwood elf costume, and next to me is a guy cosplaying as War Luigi. He suggested I use the plunger as an arrow lol.

In November, I donned my elf costume again for the Lady Lake Renaissance Faire in Florida my friend Cassidy participated in. :) I love this costume. XD This would be the fourth time I've worn it to an event.

In November, I got a job at Yogli Mogli Frozen Yogurt. ^ ^

In February 2014, I have started taking Kung Fu for self defense, exercise--and book research of course. ;) I love it. ^ ^

In February/March of 2014, I attended the Florida Christian Writers Conference for my fifth year. I got permission to send from two agents, and I was awarded Teen Writer of the Year. :)

For my twenty first birthday I went to Medieval Times with my other best friend Alyssa! :D Nothing like some jousting on your birthday lol.

Aside from all these amazing events with awesome people, I've reached a lot of writing goals. I rewrote one book, drafted another, and edited several times. I'm working on doing even more this year. I have two agents interested in my work, and I wrote over eight thousand words last year in one day. Yeah, that bit needed a lot of editing. I've also as you can see started to post more consistently. Yay commitment lol. Lastly, I got two new book ideas to contend with my other ones lol. 

Thanks to you all I've been getting an average of a thousand views a month adding to making my twentieth year awesome. My blog is growing slowly but surely. Thank you all for your support and helping me with my dream to become an author. You guys rock!

Have you been to any of these places? What are some big writing goals you've accomplished this past year?

If you liked this post, come back every Saturday for more writing advice, character interviews, book reviews and more! On Sundays I have Soundtrack Sundays where I post a new score piece, Tuesdays are Tea Tuesdays with tea reviews, Wednesdays I have Wonderful Word Wednesdays where I post a new vocabulary word, and Fridays are Fan Fridays where I post tags and other goodies. To help support my dream to be an author follow this blog, like me on Facebook, watch me on deviantART, and follow me on Pinterest and Twitter. If you want to know more about my books check out them out here. Thank you! :)