A Noble Princess Cover Reveal!!

Hello, humans! I bring wonderful news. It could’ve been a surprise without the title, but guess what’s coming this November?

Sure, Thanksgiving, too, but you have one more thing to be grateful for, which is. . .drumroll, please 🥁. . .Saraina Whiteney’s The Goose Girl fairytale retelling! This story will be a part of the SUMMER novellas for the Cornerstone Series, which include Books 5 – 8. Aside from Miss Saraina Whitney, you’ll see the works of authors Rachel Kovaciny, Abigail Kay Harris, and Madisyn Carlin.

And what do I have to do with this? Again, my uncreative title gives that away, but to clarify, I’m aiding in the cover unveiling of the wonderful Saraina’s novella. Without further ado, behold the details!

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What happens when duty and love tear you in two opposite directions?

Full blurb coming soon.

A Noble Princess is an NA Christian fantasy Goose Girl retelling.

Book #5 in the Cornerstone Series

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Release Date: November 5, 2024

Genre: nonmagical Christian fantasy fairytale retelling

Book Length: Novella

Publisher: Bellator de Lux Publishing

Cover designer: Mountain Peak Edits & Design

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About the Author

A devoted Christian storyspinner, Saraina Whitney’s one weakness is poignant stories threaded with hope. That and the color olive green. Her passion is sharing stories of hope finding broken hearts, pointing back to the Greatest Love Story of all. Known as the quietest of her family of fourteen (…except when she’s singing), she’s a homeschool grad and lives in the windy Illinois countryside, blessed with a magical view of sunsets and stars. When not volleying around obscure inside jokes with siblings, she spends her free moments authoring, falling down research rabbit holes, reveling in the musical perfection of her favorite songs, and daydreaming about a wardrobe that could transport her to her characters’ worlds.

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ABOUT THE SERIES

16 Christian fantasy fairy tale retellings filled with faith, clean romance, danger, and courage from authors Laurie Lucking, Kirsten Fichter, E. G. Bella, Jewel Windall, Saraina Whitney, Rachel Kovaciny, Abigail Kay Harris, Madisyn Carlin, Lucy Peterson, Anna Augustine, Olivia Godfrey, Kendall Hoxsey, K. R. Mattson, C. K. Heartwing,  Kendra E. Ardnek, and Katja H. Labonté.

Pre-order the series! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CPS7ZKXK?binding=kindle_edition

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And now, the moment you’ve all been waiting for.

Oh, the suspense! Oh, the agony!

Just show the cover already! you plead.

Now, now. Remember, good things come to those who wait.

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I can now type consecutive periods and enter at lightning speed. Very fun. Highly recommend.

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All right, enough of the scrolling.

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Doesn’t that look lovely?

All promising covers, don’t you think? 👀 We have much to look forward to in November through December.

Preorder A Noble Princess: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CQ3BH3CX

Add on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/203694496-a-noble-princess-cornerstone-series

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*clicks Want to Read on Goodreads*

I’m surprised I didn’t do that sooner. If you’ve been here a while, you know I worked on a fairytale-ish retelling of my own, so I can understand a teeny fraction of the diligence you’d need. I have much respect for the author. 😊

Stay on your toes for the upcoming blurb, and let me know what you think! I’ll catch you on the flip side. *salutes and does an Aladdin off the balcony*

*magic carpet whisks me away*

Journal- 4/30/2024: Look What I Did!

Guys! I cheated!

I finished it yesterday with a final WC of 10,022, but the story’s not over yet.

Okay, perhaps not entirely. I wrote 7,980 words out of my supposed 10,000 this month, but I started with 2,042 already written. The sad part is that 10k is half the original goal, but I get this confetti-sprinkled pop-up and a bunch of celebratory GIFs at the journey’s end, so what does it matter?

What Story Did You Win with, You Ask?

Why, thank you for such pleasant nosiness! [Su*cide Trigger Warning] It centers on a pastor’s kid and a girl who tries to jump off from her windowsill to end her . . . self. Surprisingly, it’s not as dark as I thought it would turn out, and the contemporary vibes are AGH. Primarily featuring Christian messages, finding your identity in the rubble, doing the right thing when the boundaries are murky, and, of course, goofy Christian friends.

If I ever doubted that contemporary was my favorite genre, my reaction to the scenes that work has sealed the deal for me.

said reaction:

I conceded to the idea on October 16, 2023—the date the Doc claims I began clickity-clackity-ing toward some semblance of a goal. After two days of minor updates, I left it alone until a random December day. I vaguely remember my dad coming home after saving this couple. The wife and her husband had been fighting, and she tried to k*ll herself, but my dad stopped them before she could and counseled them for about four to six hours.

My sisters and I prayed for them, and my heart went out to the couple. Somehow, it felt like God calling me to return to the story. But my lazy self was hardly consistent in that month. A passable excuse could be the hecticness of the season and my priorities being with school, extracurriculars, and another larger work-in-progress.

Time passed, and when I could’ve forgotten about this, I didn’t. I’m taking that as a sign, small as it might be.

Anyway, though I hit the goal, I’ll keep working on this lump of ideas and see where it goes. I may or may not mention it here since it makes me so darn happy in upcoming posts. Who knows? I would if I planned stuff. I don’t and therefore am as clueless as you. Speaking of planning . . .

I Outlined?

According to recent studies, I’m a pantser. Whenever I put my ideas to parchment, I realize even I wouldn’t read a story with that premise and then promptly lose enthusiasm.

The two lessons I need to learn:

1. Make better premises.
2. Remember that it’s just a rough replica.
3. Experiment!

Yes, I can count. I didn’t consciously take note of the third point of that two-point list, but I still applied it in the outlining process somehow, also unconsciously. I have four Letter-sized scrap pieces of paper to prove it. They might all be hardly a fourth filled, but that counts!

This video by Ana Neu inspired me to at least give it a shot.

As she said in the intro, her guide isn’t exhaustive. Take what may compliment your writing style, and apply it how you please. I used the “brain barf” outline style and place plotting; they’re neat and messy, and I love them. It’s also refreshing to see a young writer (with an extreme yet very authentic Australian accent) being relatable, sharing encouragement and tips openly, and building such a supportive community. She’s Christian, too, and her vlog videos are as aesthetic as they come.

But Back to the Main Topic . . .

Here’s proof, people.

It was inspired by Justin Bieber’s song “Hold On.” How does one translate electric guitar feels into a story? I have no clue, so I opted out of that the first chance I got.

A cool song, nonetheless.

Sure, it says “novella” in incoherent writing on the top-right corner of the page, but will it ever really reach that point? I say no, but we, as always, shall see.

The Place Plotting section looks empty and soulless, but the real one’s on the other page, ye of little faith.

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Okay, That’s Basically It.

Nearly all my academic, extracurricular, and other-ish work is complete. I know, it’s a shock to me, too. I want to say the stress is easing out and making way for a more chill phase, but that would be a lie. A blatant lie.

How was your Camp NaNoWriMo? If you don’t know what that is or didn’t participate, how well did April treat you, and what’s up with writing?

30 minutes later . . .

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Monthly Wrap-Up: October 2023

Wait, it’s November?!

Me, rushing to catch up with time:

My October consisted of an aching back & sore leg muscles, doctor visits, getting sick, celebrating one too many birthdays (Objectively, two is too much.), and bouts with my fleeting bursts of writing inspiration.

And you already know I haven’t been consistent with posting, so there’s that. :’D

But you know what? October was a great month. I enjoyed it. I might even be coaxed into doing it over again.

Imposter Syndrome

Ballet

As with most things, dancing with grace and poise (and turnout and core strength and strong legs and back flexibility and-) requires the cultivation of time and dedication. And don’t forget not only accepting that your feet will undergo irreversible changes but actively choosing that path. GremlinToes4Evah.

Ballet is a process, they say. You won’t see immediate changes, they say. It’s true, and I believe it. But, when doing it, you tend to question if you’ve been going about it wrong all along. Worse yet, if the issue is within you.

Wait a second. That’s me! Where did you find actual footage of my class?!

But that’s just me overthinking.

I’ve been doing ballet for a considerable amount of my life, and a possible contributing factor to why (WHY?!) I still do it is my not having stopped yet.

Yep, so I still do it because I did. Don’t question my logic.

Fun fact: a universal ballet rule is that the student must be silenced for chatting loudly with fellow classmates. Must! If you thought ballerinas were dainty creatures—shy, polite, and quiet—rethink that. Because the extrovert within us is unleashed during ✨ballet class.✨ (More accurately, time before and/or between ballet classes, but bear with me.)

I’m going to be dangerously honest and admit that my past community of budding ballerinas was relatively toxic. As toxic as 8-year-olds can go, which is quite far, believe me. I dreaded going to class every Saturday. But the same community plus a pandemic later, nearly everyone is getting along. With newcomers, too! I wouldn’t trade conversations with people who choose to torture themselves weekly (even daily for some) for a taco.

But multiple tacos? 😬 I’ll get back to you on that one.

(Shhh, secret info, but we student ballerinas don’t all choose this hobby. Ha, “hobby.” As if ballet isn’t 24/7. But I digress. Our parents choose it for us, and we stick with it because the gym and other sports are too easy. You didn’t hear that from me.)

Writing

Swan Lake~

I keep sporadically mentioning this, but I’m still working on Swan Lake. I, uh, wait. I’m aiming for novel length, and I’ve never done that before, so this is all *snort* novel to me.

Oh, gosh. That was terrible humor.

Anyway, is it normal to hit 10K words after 8 *cough* inconsistent *cough* months? Probably not, and that’s okay. I think. I hope.

I’m only on the first draft and wish I could change so much already. But I can’t! I can’t make that mistake! Not with everything I’ve heard about it. And *sigh* I’d rather be safe than sorry.

That Writer Friend

I thought my retelling journey would be a one-person job, but apparently not! I met a writer friend earlier this year with a love for Greek mythology and a familiarity with fairy tales. We’ve grown so close I’ve gone as far as showing her my messy Swan Lake first draft doc file. (Not normal. This is not normal, people.) First draft. I know, crazy. But I’m not a published author; there can’t possibly be risks with that.

She’s provided immense support and even made a work based on it. She recently told me how she loves my pieces, which include a few short stories I gathered the courage to share, and joked that I was her favorite author.

And she shared a part of SL with her mom!

What is this magical feeling?!

It’s suddenly all worth it.

Oh, Woe!

I read a translated short story set in Russia for Lit and was utterly disappointed with myself. I thought I was a genius when picking names for my characters, but those in my Russian ballet-inspired draft were the same as those in the story. My “creative” names were completely generic.

Blast my lack of knowledge with Russian anything! *kicks chair*

Fanfiction Mention

I should modify the heading; instead of “Writing,” why not “Swan Lake Rants”? (Ooh, an uncreative title. Write that down!) But to avoid that, I’ll add something else: I have these two contemporary fanfictions I’m so darn proud of, despite not having drafted them yet. Writing outside of YA is so fun because you’re a child and have these unrealistic views of how having an occupation works. The prospects? Endless!

Info Dump

I’m not a plotter. However, I do organize and write down usable information. Or perhaps unusable. The opportunity to insert a character’s height down to the centimeter has yet to present itself. That means I’m not a pantser, either. What even am I?

Speaking of which, you know those moments where you wonder why you write? My SL novel is a fantasy for a younger audience with a sweet, lowkey romance and a quirky narrator. Doubtless, someone’s written something similar and executed it lightyears better than me.

Then you get encouragement from kind souls (with superb taste), as mentioned above, and you realize…

Maybe there is a story only I can tell. Something unique. Something someone will love. They’ll pick up my book with low expectations, perhaps never before having heard of it, and then they’re whisked away. And when they return from the perilous journey, they clutch the book close to their chest, bug-eyed and magic-drunk, and mutter, “I want to do that again.”

Music

We’re still under the writing subheading. Whew!

I have this Spotify playlist with Old Disney songs with romantic and magical vibes, choice numbers from Swan Lake, a song from Anastasia, the ballroom background music from the Cinderella live-action remake, and “Over the Rainbow” by Judy Garland—not quite in that order.

During the dead hours when I’m sitting quietly, maladaptive daydreaming and all (which wasn’t diagnosed, but I fit the symptoms *sweats*), turning on this playlist is sure to boost the fairy tale & “I’m on Cloud Nine!” feels, and I couldn’t be more thankful. But who to thank? Spotify? Disney? Music? Let’s go with myself for making the playlist. *kisses mirror*

WARNING: The author in no way promotes narcissism to this extreme. Do not try this at home.

The four I keep coming back to:

Lea Salonga!!! ❤

Special mention because of the perfect royal romance feels~

Mid Goodreads

This grandma got a Goodreads account!

I’m clueless about adding friends, joining groups, and following someone, but I love seeing my reads in one place. And nearly everything is on there! Nearly. This Changes Everything by Jacquelle Crow, where? Where?!

I wanna pull a card on you guys and hit you with the “And because of newfound motivation, I finished 7 books this month. Ta-da!”

But nope. Four books are good enough for me. Plus, they were all a pleasure to read. Caraval, Tall Story, Chloe and the Kaishao Boys, & Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Oosh, I still have to write that post about Caraval, shouldn’t I?

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That’s enough about me.

You can expect more content this month. You can, but should you?

I’m kidding.

I’m getting back into the groove! Welcome, new followers! And to those who’ve stuck around, THANK YOU.

URGENT: Fanfic Site Help Needed

I require assistance! I’m at the point in life where the average fanfic writer spews out a barrage of garbage—at least, in his opinion—to look back on and cringe at. This is the pivotal point between creating terrible works with unfounded confidence and better, praiseworthy works with the cloud of imposter syndrome overhead. Writing is so fun!

Ideas for fanfictions (and sequels to the drafts yet to be drafted, for some reason) have been bouncing about in my head for a while, and recently, I was overcome with the desire to share it somewhere, somehow, some way.

I’m not too proud of my lurking-type style of reading fanfics. I never made accounts for any site for fear of excessive freedom, temptation, email subscriptions, and forgetting my password.

The point? Shh, we’re getting there.

As you might know, sites brimming with the colorful ideas of enthusiasts of other works who construct works based on the original story don’t…well…

They don’t tend to be the cleanest.

So, you understand my dilemma. There’s creating fanfics and letting your imaginative mind run free. Yay! On the other hand, there’s encountering questionable forms of something you enjoy. Boo!

I’d requested advice from writer friends, but I need more info. And here we are.

The search: for two fanfiction sites to write and read fanfics—one with a reputation for quality writing (1) and the other visually pleasing (2). I’m tempted to add “read good fanfiction,” but are there really 100% clean fics on any site?

The bar for the second one isn’t too high. I don’t see myself regularly perusing its digital shelves, considering I’ll be more for aesthetics. Covers can be pretty, you guys.

Here are some sites I’ve heard of:

1. AO3
2. Quotev
3. FanFiction.Net
4. Tumblr
5. Commaful

There’s also Wattpad, but I scratched that off the list recently. I’m willing to hear an argument on its value because I was previously lured in by the layout of its stories and book covers. Is it more trouble than it’s worth, though? We have reason to believe so.

Archive of Our Own – (1)

I already requested to be invited, but considering I’m a newbie, I’m not comfortable sharing anything yet. My account will likely be centered on reading and giving kudos.

Quotev – 15% (1), 85% (2)

From my observation, the works can fall under Wattpad-y style, and the genres don’t just encompass fanfiction. Still, the layout is simple, and I heard good feedback from a friend. There are stories done well, she assured.

FanFiction.Net – 95% (1) 5% (2)

I plan to get this alongside AO3; it’s the site I’m most familiar with after good old AO3. I’m slightly hesitant after seeing it’s a bit complicated to navigate and operate, and I’m not a big fan of the formatting. But I’ve come across engaging stories, and the option for covers is there, so plus points for you, FF.Net.

Tumblr – 25% (1), 75% (2)

Second to FF.Net in familiarity. It puts a lot of pressure on your site to be pretty, which could be overwhelming. It’s also not exclusive to fanfiction, which is a pro and a con.

Commaful – (2)

You either love it or hate it. I’ve heard praise for its gOrGeOuS eVeRyThInG, but I’ve caught issues here and there. Unfortunately, the reasons for those issues remain unknown, as I can’t find my sources anymore. UGH. (It’s late where I live, and I’m procrastinating on everything and nothing.)

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Thank you for watching this self-torture.

I made a list in my second writing notebook and gave each a +1 point in green or a -1 point in red, depending on the articles I read to research this. I’m that desperate. Help me.

Share in the comments what sites you use or had an account in before but left or perhaps the ones you have acquaintances in or heard positive or negative feedback about. Or, at the very least, do an eeny meany miny moe and end my misery.

The ✨eXpLaNaTiOn✨: Campin’ (Journal- 8/22/2023)

written: 8/18/2023~

finished: today~ :’D

Shhh, no, that was not an unannounced hiatus.

Wassup, peeps! I write this with a throbbing shoulder, an itchy throat, and burning eyes. Why? Because I put this off for a while. Why? Unimportant. Moving on.

OH MY GOODNESS, YOU GUYS. I survived three whole days of social interaction. With HUMANS. How? God’s providence. Let’s give Him a clap offering, y’all.

The event: a high school camping trip. The name’s trippy, considering there were cell phones and Wi-Fi. Also, we didn’t set up our tents and morph into stinky, cranky gorillas who smell like lake water. (“Where else were we supposed to take a bath, huh?!”)

The location was—oops! I almost revealed the specifics of where I live. Haha, nice try! All I’ll say is it was a recreation center with many tops. Spinning tops, not blouses. That’s all you’re getting from me.

Before I forget, let’s get into the details.

🚌 DAY 1- Nervous Feels 🚍

The time: 4:30 a.m.

Butterflies. Butterflies nervously fluttered in my tummy. I’ve been craving social interaction, but getting it was too much. I felt too horrified to go, but I was more terrified of being late. Guess who dragged my patootie out of the house? Good ol’ Mom. (Shoutout to Mom! <3)

After emotionally preparing for this, she would not let me sit this out. Nuh-uh. The payments had been dealt with, the bags were packed the day before, the sister was woken, and the transportation arrangements were made. There was no backing out of this one.

A little over 6 o’clock.

The meet-up: church. I was my awkward self. Half self-conscious, half-unabashed. If you think that balances things out, you are WRONG. There was no balance. None whatsoever.

There were so many PEOPLE, 96.67% of whom my sister knew. It was incredibly overwhelming. I wanted to curl up into a ball. Back at home. Studying. Or sleeping. I was usually sleeping at that hour, would you believe it?

I stood guard over the luggage (we were advised not to bring those, and instead a duffle or a backpack, but oh, well) since no one else seemed to be. Sister dearest was out making arrangements. How shameful. She was busy as a bee while I helplessly stood in the drizzling rain, weirdly leaning on some box donations.

If you couldn’t tell, she was a higher-up. I was a participant.

*whisper* But nepotism. *whisper*

7 o’clock something.

Boarding time.

Don’t die.

Don’t die.

Don’t die. Pretty please.

The other participants came flooding in. I didn’t know what bus I was supposed to be on. I could count the number of buses on my fingers, though. One, two, three, four. That was fun…if I had thought of it. What I did think of was not moving at all and just listening to whatever Mother beckoned. “Breanna, go here.” “Breanna, go there.” “Breanna, listen to your sister.” “Breanna, ask her first.”

I eventually ended up on Bus 1. The first few seconds of peaceful chaos were torture. I sat quietly because that’s what a good girl would do. Then I saw someone.

Someone I recognized.

It was a miracle!

I approached her, and she later told me my “eyes twinkled” as I confirmed her name and invited her to sit with me. Mind you, I hadn’t known her. I had seen her in a Zoom breakout prior in preparation for the camp.

She was most definitely extroverted. Thank the heavens. Within two minutes, we were the loudest pair on the bus that seated forty people or more. (There were not forty people, but it had the capacity for them.)

Five hours or more flew by in a snap. Of course, we were slightly drained by the first and only stopover, but mostly, the conversations did not run dry. In addition to that were bus games held by the other students in authority. I didn’t know them and still don’t, but God might let me in due time.

Arrival—time not logged.

Lunch—the word made my mouth water. Why hadn’t I bought anything at the gas stop? Oh, right. I had money, but I was underage and afraid of misusing it, not unlike the one-talented dude in that one parable of Jesus.

(I bought something by Day 2; don’t worry.)

The fatigue never really went away. There was a Welcoming Program, a Special Program, getting comfy in our rooms with our roommates, and the first of a four-part Bible Program. I was so ready to hit the sack.

A race. Wow. They were holding a race. Imagine the type of figurative fist pump I gave the air. An underwhelming one, that’s what. My underprepared patootie had a camp kit—each kid was given one—but hadn’t anticipated such a swift transition.

It had started. We were doing it. So, all throughout, I lugged a backpack chock-full of half the things I brought to a relatively straining sports event.

It was fun, honestly, and not that bad at all. But I was on the same team as a crazily talkative roommate, and she witnessed my not-so-pleasant side. I was cranky. I was sleep-deprived. I was at fault. I know. I apologized after, but…

Dinner first! My cabin leader engaged in small talk, and I cannot tell her how much I appreciated how she made us feel included. Plus, she had the same name as my sister, which was confuddling.

Our cabin room had an icebreaker game—two truths, one lie. And my, oh my. Thirteen-year-olds sure liked dating. I wasn’t one of them, being unkissed and hardly talking to guys. I made friends with them (though some I vibed with more within the coming days), but that was draining. Goodness, me. Tea. Tea everywhere.

I was ready to hit the sack. So ready. Born ready.

“Congratulations, campers! Next on our list is a one-hour and ten-minute Open Mic night, where we homeschoolers showcase our incredible talent!”

(That’s the time in the flyer, but in reality, it came later and was prolonged.)

Hnnnngh.

Do you know how talented homeschoolers are?

EXTREMELY.

This was going to be a long night.

And you can’t go on saying I was selfish. Half my roomies backed out thirty minutes shy of the end, me included. I hadn’t showered. Is this what being a rogue teen felt like? Sleeping at midnight, partying in the late hours? If so, I wanted nothing of it.

Healthline, my love, er, my most trusted health source, said, not ad verbatim, “Sleeping with wet hair is bery bad.” That advice was thrown out the window coz when my newly washed head slammed on my pillow, I was as good as knocked out.

That’s when I knew I was an introvert. Eh, ambivert. Whatever.

And guess what? There were two more days just like that. No, they were more eventful. And I would have made a separate post about them, but I’m WordPress-ed out; thank you very much.

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Welp.

My cabin mates have been texting their hearts out at 100+ messages/per minute. Is that average speed? I have no clue. I am very uncultured in Gen Z lingo. Fr.

Check These Stuff Out!~A Purely Promotional Post~

This is an advertisement. I had to let you know before you continued.

And yet, you still proceeded to read this. What a shame.

Actually, no. No, it is not, merely because what I have to feature is self-promotional, sure, but also other-people-promotional. Isn’t humility and selflessness such a lovely thing?

I wouldn’t know.

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What do you mean it’s still July?!

The pandemic stole two years from my life. Yes, I am using that as an excuse for my immaturity. But come on, nobody told me this year would be like the Earth outlet was switched back on. It was slow at first, but then it all came crashing down as if time were nipping you in the heels.

Just me? ‘Kay.

In simpler terms, July was a busy month.

My ideas well had run dry, so what better time to substitute some original stuff with unoriginal stuff, right?

Anyway.

For Ye Mystery Lovers

Chaos We Unravel centers on the close-knit lookalike sisters whose personalities couldn’t clash more. It’s Independence Day, and Chelsea and Michelle expected a stress-free hang-out. With their older brother, Justin, and Jenna, the plan was 1) snacks and 2) enjoying the show. But when a fire and a gunshot ring out, another mystery finds them yet again. Now they just have to follow it.

synopsis by moi

Amanda and Anita, the writers behind this excellent work, share the clues email-by-email and encourage you to interact, sniffing out the clues and revealing your hunches. It tested my deductive skills, and I couldn’t be more thrilled. Plus, the best friends are incredibly, well, friendly.

Chaos We Unravel

The mysteries aren’t murder-level—a relief for me, who has difficulty finding clean ones—and lean more toward being realistic. As a relatively jumpy person, they have not kept me up at night, thank goodness, and will probably not haunt you whenever you’re alone with your thoughts.

Note: I probably discovered Hours We Regret, the predecessor of Chaos We Unravel, and the main book by Amanda and Anita, from Virginia @Books by Virginia, but I’m not quite sure since I can’t find the post where she promoted it. But visit her blog, you guys.

For Christian Teens

I’m so blessed to have discovered The Rebelution.

Being a teen in this day and age is hard. It’s always been. But with temptations amplified by the widespread impact of the internet, it’s even more challenging. People look down on us, judging us as inadequate and not skilled enough before we even prove ourselves. Sometimes, even we see ourselves that way.

But it’s not about us. It’s about God, and He can use teenagers where we are. We can learn about Him and know Him during this confusing stage. Developing Christlike character isn’t just for adults. We can start now, and the Reb will help you grow.

the Rebelution

The link leads you to their site, where articles that benefit you as a writer and a young Christian are published weekly. And I highly recommend joining their weekly newsletter, from which you get 27 book recommendations…for free. Now, that’s a good deal.

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Thank you for reading!

Out of curiosity…

And if you’re wondering why that was so incredibly short, then…

*runs away but with 100x more dramatic flair*

Does anyone know where to get captivating titles? {Open Wounds- 7/8/2023}

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A Dump of Art

It’s me again. Tired of it yet?

This is going to be a brief post; worry not. Before I continue, remember that post where I said I’d put some reviews up? No? Well, scratch that. I recently discovered that I don’t like giving reviews on things. Not everything can be summarized in a few stars, and I got a little overwhelmed with the idea of doing so with books I’m not sure how I feel about.

Anyway, this week was a rollercoaster, but not to toot my own horn, but I’m pretty sure I succeeded in keeping my priorities straight. Er, sort of.

Enough detouring. Behold!

My Artistic Improvement! (Including a Very Special Fanart Piece)

From February 19, the date I most recently posted a dump, to today, I polished my skills quite a bit, or I’d like to think so. See for yourself.

Let’s arrange this by date.

My imagination of Odette’s appearance shifted from a blonde, fair-skinned young lady to a tanned, brunette girl in planning my version of Swan Lake.

I’m not happy with this, but it’s better than most. See? I can be candid.

The settings automatically changed this picture (I don’t draw horizontally), but I’m too lazy to change it, so tilt your head a bit if you want to enjoy it.

This is a rendition of Halle Bailey without her illustrious fins and sequins. Funny, I didn’t know I was drawing her when I did this because the reference photo was another rendition of her, so I accidentally did a celebrity fanart. Hmm.

Related: Journal- 6/7/2023 (Movie Reviews, Brain Dumpings, and the Search for Clarity)

Ugh, it’s lopsided.

Pooping back in to add: Meet my character, Alessia, from That One Fantasy Story I’ll Probably Never Get Around to Do™. She’s a 5’1, 14-year-old female with a hint of Asian descent (which is extremely broad, I know—I should know) who resides in a humble village in a world where Vikings, kings, half-creatures, and iPhones co-exist. She wants nothing more than to please the people she loves, admires, and holds dear, not consisting of her friends. She keeps them at arm’s length; vulnerability is a weakness, and she won’t permit it to ensnare her.

Related: Get to Know My WIPs!

I forgot whom I used as a reference, but the artist was on Instagram. I’m pretty sure she was recreating objects as humans and their outfits; yes, it sounds as cool as it is.

Just a random smirker with a headband.

A random, dimpled girl with—I imagine—pink highlights at the tips of her hair.

The one to the left is a sketch in which I tried a new style. I’m not too proud of it, but it looks fine. The one on the right is a selfier whose hands I am extremely irked with. They look…tentacle-y and bony—not what I was going for.

I have a love-hate relationship with ponytails: I love the ponytail, hate tying it.

“Part of that wooorrld” ~credits to Olaf

I HATE that her legs aren’t proportional. I used another Instagram reference for this sketch—a human, non-sketch one.

I’m…not sure who this is. Let’s call her “a random girl with poofy hair that was a pleasure to draw.”

AND! Drumroll, please.

A special appearance from an outstanding piece of work! Please welcome…
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…Charlotte Ford from Natalie/The Texas Lass’s novella, Reciprocity!

I worked very diligently on that rifle and apologize for forgetting one doodad or thingamabob. I tried, okay?! Also, I was too lazy to draw her tac vest, as slaving on her weapon took a significant chunk of my time working on the overall result. She wasn’t supposed to have the gun, but I had to put it in. I had to. Well, whaddya think?

(Look. At. Her. HANDS. Then look away right after because they’re not that good.)

(And I don’t know what’s going on with her hair either.)

This is my version, so it might not match how you imagine her when reading the snippets.

…unless you haven’t read it yet. And my, oh my, are you in for a treat!

Or a trick. It’s a two-way street.

And now I’m faced with a predicament: To tag Miss Texan’s posts or not? I intended this to be a surprise, hence, not wanting to notify her, but she deserves her recognition. What to do…

Oh, well. Credit where credit’s due, I guess.

No, wait! Here’s her website link: The Texas Lass — Reflections, Reviews, & Random Writings

Listen carefully, all right? You will be directed to her homepage. Scroll down and click anything with the word “Reciprocity” in the title. I’d advise the announcement post, but start with the first chapter if you’re impatient (and self-aware).

Of course, you might not like zombies and apocalyptic stuff, but I didn’t either. And trust me, stepping out of your comfort zone is worth it in this situation.

That would be a perfect segue into why you should follow my advice, but I’m so avid that I might run my mouth. No need to get into the eerie feels, well-communicated urgency, and exquisitely planned out backstories—you’ll have to see it for yourself. Which will be a rabbit hole to another thing and the thing after that, which is…

Heyyy! And that’s me running my mouth, kids. Gosh, you’d think the girl would learn.

That’s all for today.

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I definitely nailed that abrupt ending.

My WIP Updates

You know those moments when you just don’t want to create? The inspiration is uninspiring, and the motivation unmotivating. You just lay motionless, waiting for something to happen.

I’m experiencing it now. Making myself start writing this took a lot of coaxing. It’s hard to combat, and sometimes the answer is stepping back for a bit.

If you assumed that this was a hiatus announcement, think again! You…probably didn’t because of the title. Yeah, I have to work on my subtlety. Next time.

The other sometimes is looking back at what you have done for encouragement. I can’t do that because I haven’t finished any writing projects I’ve begun yet. But I initiated stuff, which is better than nothing, right? Right?

If you’re curious, stick around for glimpses into my less-than-half-formed WIPs.

The ✨Glimpses✨

1. Swan Lake (a novella…hopefully)

Description: 🏹🦢👑🌒🧙🏻‍♂️

Stage: Drafting (Planning isn’t complete yet, so what possessed me to start is beyond me.)

Completed Chapters: 3, currently in 4

Characters

• Main: Prince Siegfried, Princess Odette
• Major: Axel, King Christoph, Queen Uberta, King William

Goal(s): 15+ chapters • over 20,000 words • succeeding in writing from a narrator’s POV • giving Siegfried and Odette’s relationship some much-needed depth (as compared to their The Swan Princess counterparts)

Related: What’s Your WIP? (in which you will find a blurb, a snippet, and other important things)

Extra Info

The moment you realize your so-called “original work” is nothing more than fanfic of a specific Swan Princess movie…

…is not a pleasant moment. My apologies to anyone who thought I could pull that off. Original work. Ha, hilarious.

I’m a baby writer, so I’ll jump for joy if this first attempt at a novella passes 10,000 words. Don’t expect…a plot. Or do expect it and then be disappointed. But in truth, the only reason anyone would read till the end would be for the action, not my sorry, unpolished writing.

Enough self-deprecation for now. Moving on.

2. That One Fantasy Story I’ve Been Planning for Forever (novel?)

Description: 🗺🤝🏻🍂🚢⚔

Blurb:

The village electing her father as chief changed a lot of lives: her father’s, her family’s, and her own. Nothing changed, they said. They were wrong; everything did. An ever-increasing burden of pressure was laid on Alessia’s shoulders—she has to be the best. She has to prove herself. When the opportunity to go on a quest affecting not only her village but the surrounding ones, friend or foe, is presented to her, she grabs at it. So what if her father doesn’t know? She’s assembled her little band of coworkers, the best of the best: Brielle—her sharp, analytical, and strategical best friend, Sienna—the history buff with access to forbidden maps, and Zed—the self-claimed tech whiz with a sense of humor. Everything will fall into the plan, the plan she’s planning to make sometime in the future. So, imagine her dismay to having to work with a stowaway, a spy, from a neighboring tribe, with which they weren’t on good terms. How’d her life become such a mess?

It’s pretty vague, but it’ll become something one day.

Stage: Planning

Characters

• Main: Alessia
• Major: Marcos, Brielle, Sienna, Zed

Goal(s): 30+ chapters • over 30,000 words • developing the individual characters • *gulp* pulling off the hero hating herself and finding peace at the end arc • Enemies to Lov- say what? Who said? Huh?… Ignore that. • and other stuff

Storytime

If you’re like me, you were too lazy to read the blurb. Chunky paragraphs induce headaches.

To summarize, my MC—Alessia—is a troubled girl; she goes on a quest with friends; an enemy was there (a “there” I will not disclose) before they set off and has to come. Gasp. Originality and articulateness abound.

I haven’t got a plot, but, funny thing, I’ve been brainstorming on this since last year. How sad is that?!

And yes, we are equipping children to do such outrageous things. Perfect!

3. Oh my goodness, I still haven’t finished that “Prompt to Paper” anecdote (a short story)

I’m taking this opportunity to apologize for not yet posting this. It’s not professional or ethical.

I have—How do I say this?—given up on it. So, either someone requests me to complete it, or you, my dear reader, refresh this post once or twice to see what the outline was for the rest of it. No, this isn’t an attempt to get more views. I’m being serious. (Do the second one! Do the second one! ~your conscience)

Edit: Never mind, I’ve made it easy.

2. The Clark family is on a kalesa, exploring the walled city. Adam—their charming tour guide with impressive fluency in English—gets along with Dad just fine and regards all sites with respect. He claims they’re ancient, and Thomas can’t help but agree as the carriage’s horse trots past a historically significant Starbucks.

• Don and Angelo sit among other POWs (Prisoners of War) in the stench-filled dungeons of Fort Santiago. If the Japanese officials wouldn’t kill them, they would easily suffocate with such little air circulation. Don worries about Angelo. “That gash won’t make surviving much easier.” But Angelo convinces Don that whatever happens…happens. With nothing else to do but count the segundos till they die, Don shares his cigarette pack with his cellmates. A Japanese soldier calls him to come out and follow him. There was business to be done.

3. Thom and company return after strolling around Baluerte de San Diego. Marie (his sister) thought it was pretty, and he genuinely agrees that the site was interesting, more so after Dad gives some insight. Thom gets jittery after finding out they had one last stop: Fort Santiago. They reach there as quickly as he’d hoped, and Adam tells them all about how American and Filipino soldiers died there due to suffocation and the heat. Thom is moved and asks if his grandpa might’ve died there. Dad says it was his own great-grandpa, Thom’s great-great-grandpa. Thom is silent for the rest of the travel. He asks his dad if they could visit again sometime.

Goodness me, I feel so evil.

4. Some Unimportant Fanfics

Descriptions: 1. 🥼🥽🤦🏼‍♀️🕷🕸 , 2. 🌬🍃👩🏻👻📿🌊

Which begs the question: Should I get an AO3 account? We’ll see.

Share in the comments how you feel about certain platforms where fanfics are regularly published. (AO3, Fanfiction.Net, Wattpad, etc.) Which do you prefer? Which gave you the best experience? The worst? Any advice is appreciated!

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Thank you for reading!

And come back next time oooooooon CKJ!