Fairy Tale Central Blog Tour!

Happy Saturday, guys! You get an extra post this week because I'm taking part in the blog tour for the upcoming fairy tale website FAIRY TALE CENTRAL!

I'm so excited for this, and I know you all will be too! I love that there will be one fairy tale featured per month, and I can't wait to see all the fun posts about the fairy tales Christine, Faith, and Arielle choose!

So, read on to learn about this exciting new venture!

Once Upon a Time two girls had a dream. A dream of a fairy tale site, an internet library, if you will, for all the fairy tale lovers of the land to gather and converse. To learn, to read, to fangirl/boy, to bask in the goodness that is fairy tales.

As this dream blossomed, the two girls recruited a third. Because, after all, all good fairy tales come in themes of three.

With the third member in place, the girls got to work. The dream began to take shape, until it was no longer just a dream. But something real.

Introducing…

FAIRY TALE CENTRAL

This newly launched site run by Arielle Bailey, Faith White, and Christine Smith, is your source for all things fairy tales.

Every month a single fairy tale will be featured, and posts will include:

• Reviews for retellings/shows/movies/etc.
• Essay, origin, and discussion posts on the featured fairy tale
• Interviews with fairy tale retelling authors
• Galleries featuring fairy tale artists and artisans
• And a whole lot more!

The FTC’s goal is to unlock the magic that is fairy tales and build a community of fellow fairy tale enthusiasts. Arielle, Faith, and Christine are thrilled to share this new fairy tale centric space and connect with all you epic fairy tale fans!

You can CLICK HERE to find the site and join the Fairy Ring! (Don’t worry, you won’t be enchanted or cursed.) And, if you want to connect even more, you can find the FTC on:

• Facebook
• Instagram
• Twitter
• Pinterest

(If you’re inclined to share about the FTC in those places too, you may or may not be blessed by a fairy godmother. *smile, smile*)

Do tell a friend, or a dragon, or the fairy living in the hollow tree behind your house. All humans and mythological creatures alike are welcome!

April Fool's Pranks for the Reader/Writer in Your Life

It's Thursday again! And March is almost over, which means April Fool's Day is very soon! So, today I'll be bringing you guys a Very Helpful list of ideas for April Fool's pranks you can pull on your reader and writer friends. So pull out your prank notebook (because obviously you have one of those) and enjoy!

WARNING: Pulling any of these pranks on your friends may or not put your life in danger. Proceed with caution.

1. ASK TO BORROW A BOOK AND THEN PRETEND TO LOSE IT.

Two weeks pass. Three. A month. Your friend is getting pret-ty nervous that you've forgotten you owe them a book. So when they bring it up, act like you forgot all about it. Then go into panic mode and go rifling through your room, throwing stuff here and there. Maybe even mumble "Oh man, I hope my guacamole didn't spill" as you're looking under your bed.

2. ASK TO BORROW A BOOK. 

Let's be honest, we don't like to share.

3. OFFER TO HELP THEM CLEAN THEIR ROOM AND TOSS ALL THEIR BOOKS WHILE THEY'RE NOT LOOKING.

Say you thought they were leftover schoolbooks.

4. SEND THEM A FAKE EMAIL ANNOUNCING THAT THEIR FAVORITE BOOK SERIES HAS BEEN CANCELED RIGHT BEFORE THE FINALE.

They cancel book series like TV series, right? Well, now's the time to start. (Listen carefully; you'll probably hear your friend wailing from across town.)

5. TURN A SIGNED COPY OF THEIR FAVORITE BOOK INTO A COLORING BOOK.

Bring your little siblings over to your friend's house. Tell siblings they can color. Go into your friend's room and emerge with the signed copy open in your hand and a horrified look on your face.

6. BORROW THEIR LAPTOP AND "DELETE" THEIR NOVEL.

In reality, you're just cutting-and-pasting it onto your flashdrive. But when they go searching for their precious WIP later that day, things are going to get real.

Just be super careful. Because you don't want to, you know, ACTUALLY delete it. (Remember, your health is at stake.)

7. OR, REPLACE THEIR NOVEL WITH GIBBERISH.

Make a copy of the file, then run it through a word scrambler. Present it to the unsuspecting writer
and watch as their eyes grow to size of the moon.

8. WRITE A FAKE ARTICLE BY AN AUTHOR THEY IDOLIZE GIVING INSANE ADVICE.

Your friend a Suzanne Collins fan? Do they aspire to be her and hang on every word she says? Well, share with them an article written by her (or so they think) that encourages them to do such stupid things as naming locations after diseases ("We must travel to Chicken Pox by nightfall"), or turning one character per chapter into a goat, or having a love triangle between two humans and a cookie jar. Of course, you may have to hack Suzanne's website in order to fully pull this one off. Also, this one extends beyond April 1 and you may or may not ruin your friend's up-and-coming writing career. Oh well. No skin off your nose.

TIP: If your friend idolizes Tolkien or Lewis, this will not work. The author MUST be alive.

9. JUST STEAL ALL THEIR BOOKS AND HOLD THEM FOR RANSOM.

This is less of an April Fool's joke and more of a twisted way to just make some extra money? But hey, it works.

10. HIRE AN ACTOR TO PLAY A CHARACTER FROM YOUR FRIEND'S BOOK AND HAUNT THEM.

This one is super convoluted and requires quite a bit of effort. But it's worth it, so hear me out. You want to find somebody that looks EXACTLY like the character; if your friend has chosen an actor to represent the character, this may cost you a pretty penny. (But don't worry, because you've earned all that money from holding those books for ransom!) Proceed to dress the person up like the character, teach them their mannerisms, etc. Once you feel they are ready, release them and let them haunt your friend's life. Make sure they don't tell your friend who they are, though; just kind of let them appear in their daily lives without any actual confirmation of who they are. More mysterious that way. (Imagine the character randomly standing in line behind your friend at the grocery store. Or bumping into them on the street.)

TROUBLESHOOTING: If your friend is happy to meet their character instead of totally creeped out, you should have a backup plan. This plan includes plotting a real-life death scene for the character.  Lots of drama. (Of course, don't actually kill the actor. That would create a whole new mess.)

So there it is, your definitive list of April Fool's jokes to play on your reader and writer friends! Remember, these are all extremely dangerous and as a result, your friend may put you in a book as a character and kill you. Just beware. Tread very, very carefully.

please note that these are all jokes and not at all recommended

So what's the best April Fool's prank that you've ever pulled? Or been pulled on you? Would you put someone in your book and kill them if they did any of these things to you?

twenty-one.

Monday, March 18, 2013

Right now I'm sitting in my bedroom and I feel really happy. I can smell my birthday cake baking in the kitchen, and I hear a bunch of beautiful little birds chirping outside my open window. It's a pretty day, one of those days when you just feel happy and peaceful. The kind of day that makes you want to go outside and sing. I may do that.

Right now I'll just stay in my bedroom and enjoy this perfect moment. This is a gorgeous day.

I wrote that in my journal six years ago, on my fifteenth birthday. I remember it vividly, how the warm scent of baking cake floated down the hallway to my room, the blue sky, the birds outside my window. I had probably either just finished school or had taken a break to write in my journal.

Because I wanted to capture that moment.

At first glance when reading the words I wrote that day, you probably wouldn't think there was anything off. That I was anything but a happy person celebrating my birthday. But the reason I sounded so happy, that I wanted to write down the simple loveliness of that day, was that at the time, good days were really rare for me.

I'm not trying to sound melodramatic, but it's true. The time that I wrote that entry was a very dark time for me. That birthday stood out so much because the rest of my days I spent feeling sorry for myself, feeling invisible, like I didn't matter. Like life didn't matter.

But.

Later that year, everything changed. The details are for another time, but suffice to know that if it weren't for God interfering in my life who knows where I would be now. And a year later to the day, I was able to write this entry in my journal:

March 18, 2014

Last year my birthday was very different for me. It wasn't filled with tragedy or anything. But I didn't have the Lord then, not really. I wasn't doing what I could to serve and please Him. I was angry with Him for not listening. I was depressed and thought nobody in the world loved me. I wanted out of life.

God has changed my life since then. So much has happened in the past year, good and bad. I've learned to appreciate the life I have and to trust Him in all things. I thank the Lord for the attitude I was able to carry into this new season of my life.

This past Monday I turned twenty-one. It's now been years since I felt the way I did when I wrote that first journal entry. I've struggled with plenty of other things since then, but never have I felt so hopeless and insignificant as I did in those days. My life completely turned around.

Every birthday I remember that day with its watered-down joy, and I'm so thankful that each birthday I've had since then has been full of real joy and peace. I think about that journal entry and I'm reminded how far I've come.

Twenty-one means a lot to me because it's a testament of how long it's been since my mindset was so dark. It says that I'm still here, I overcame, and I'm thankful. Monday I went to work, came home, spent time with my family. And not once did I feel that old hopelessness because it's in my past now.

I struggled with whether I wanted to post this, because never before have I told anybody about any of this and it's very personal. But I feel it's time to share it with you guys, because my goal with this blog is to reach someone out there who might need to hear the words I'm saying. To share the things that matter to me and let them become things that matter to others.

So for those of you who might be struggling-- don't give up. Trust God. Trust that you are worth something and that it will get better. It will get better, and someday you'll look back and realize just how far away the pain is. My prayers are with you.

Books I Really Really (Really) Want to Read in 2019

Hey guys! Okay, it totally seems like yesterday that I posted my February highlights. March is going by pretty fast and I'm really not sure I'm okay with it. The first few months of the year always go by really quickly; we start out with all these goals and plans and then it's like BAM, we're a fourth of the way through the year and you're afraid you haven't really done enough yet.

But anyway! That's all beside the point. Sort of. Well, this post is sort of a reminder that there's still a LOT left of the year to accomplish your goals! Which is good, because today I'm sharing with you guys what books I want to read this year-- and there are a lot of them.

Of course, there are lots more books on my TBR list. But these books are the ones that I'm ITCHING 
to get around to and want to get my hands on as soon as possible. Aaaand here's the list!

(also, none of the books in that photo are actually on these list... xD they're all just random books on my bookshelf that I haven't read yet. also, some of them still have Goodwill stickers on them.)

OUT OF TIME TRILOGY BY NADINE BRANDES

The rest of this list isn't going to be in any particular order, but these really are first on my list. I have heard from so many people that these books are so good! I'm a sucker for trilogies and I've been looking for more fantasy books, so I can't wait to get these.

WITHIN THESE LINES BY STEPHANIE MORRILL

This book just came out and I'm SO excited to get it! I actually haven't read anything by Stephanie Morrill yet, but this might be the first one of hers I get because one, I LOVE the WWII era, and two, it's kind of special because I actually followed along with the author on the Go Teen Writers blog when she wrote it.

BLOOD OF KINGS TRILOGY BY JILL WILLIAMSON

Another fantasy trilogy I've heard good things about! I can't wait to get these books, because I feel like they're going to be epic.

THE WARROR MAIDEN BY MELANIE DICKERSON

This is the next book in the Hagenheim series, which I've kept up with since the third book came out. I'm really looking forward to reading the next chapter of the family's story. (The Piper's Pursuit also releases this year, but since it comes out in December I probably won't get to it until next year.)

PERFECT SCOUNDRELS BY ALLY CARTER

I read the first two Heist Society books a couple of years ago and I've never gotten around to this one 
because my library doesn't have it. (Come on, library. Get it together.) I think I'll want to reread the first two before I get around to this one, though, so I don't forget everything and go into #3 all 
confused. xD

A THOUSAND PERFECT NOTES BY C.G. DREWS

I am WAY past overdue reading this one, because I love Cait and her blog and I'm so happy for her and I just need this, okay?

WINTER BY MARISSA MEYER

I NEED TO READ THIS. Again, I am WAYY past overdue because I've read the first three Lunar 
Chronicles books and my library HAS this one!! (I guess I've just been daunted by alllll those pages. o.o) I probably should reread the first three books of this one, too? I guess we'll see, because like I said, that's a lot of pages. xD

STORYWORLD FIRST BY JILL WILLIAMSON

I've been wanting to read this for a while, as I'm always trying to make my storyworlds better; and I decided earlier this year that I wanted to try to read some writing books. Hopefully this year I can finally get ahold of this one!


Okay, whew, that was a lot of books. I think I hear my bank account crying. But it's fine. I really can't wait to dig into all of these, and I'm sure you can expect a few book reviews, too!

Also, on a completely unrelated note... THIS IS MY LAST BLOG POST AS A 20-YEAR-OLD. Yikes. I turn 21 on Monday and I can still barely comprehend that. I still feel like I'm 16. xD

Me whenever I remember how old I am.

Have you read any of the books on my list? Any other books I should read as soon as possible?? What do you want to read this year?

The Fantasy Favorites Tag!

Soo apparently there's this thing that Jenelle Schmidt started where February is fantasy month??? And I only heard about this like a week ago???

So, yeah, missed out on that. BUT I saw Christine and Nicole do this Fantasy Favorites Tag, and it looked ridiculously fun. So even though it's not technically Fantasy Month anymore, I just had to do the tag! Fantasy is my favorite genre (to read and write), and I just loved this tag from the moment I saw it.

THE RULES:

Thank the blogger who tagged you. Nobody technically tagged me, but Nicole mass-tagged everyone who read her post, so thank you Nicole. xD

Include the graphic somewhere in your post.

Answer the questions.

Tag a few blogger friends - and let them know they’ve been tagged!

All right, now that that's clear, let's get on with the tag!

What is your favorite fantasy book? ONE favorite fantasy book?? What is this cruelty?

I don't have one favorite fantasy book... I have two favorite fantasy series. Hehe. And those would be the good old faithfuls, Chronicles of Narnia and Lord of the Rings.

The Narnia books have just grown to mean so much more to me since the last time I read them. And Lord of the Rings just... UGH. I can't even begin to tell you how much I love that story. Even though I never thought I'd include those books in my favorites a few years ago (because of how long and heavy they are), I can't help it now. They're not easy reads, but they're just soo beautiful.

And, also, I have to add The Farwalker's Quest by Joni Sensel to this, because right now it's probably my favorite outside of the two I mentioned.

What is your favorite fantasy movie or TV show (or both!)? Umm probably Return of the King? Of course, I include the whole LOTR trilogy in that, but I think ROTK is my favorite out of the three.

And also The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. I do love the other two Narnia movies as well, but this one is just the most magical and charming and... it's just amazing.

As for fantasy TV show, well, I've only really watched one. (I've watched some of Atlantis but I'm 
still lollygagging in the first season.) So, I have to say Once Upon A Time on this one. (I only watched up through season 4, but from what I've heard about the rest of it I don't think I missed out on much.)

Also, can I count H20: Just Add Water in this?? Because I ADORE that show.

Who is your favorite fantasy hero/heroine? Ugh. This is a hard one. I like Ariel in the Farwalker trilogy. She's so strong and brave, even though she's so young. Can I bunch all the Pevensie kids into one character and use that?? Oh, and Bilbo Baggins from The Hobbit!

I CAN'T WITH THESE QUESTIONS.

Who is your favorite fantasy side-kick? Sam Gamgee. 

MY. HEART.

Who is your favorite fantasy villain? (the one you most love to hate?) I wrote a paragraph about some villains that I love and then realized that... I don't hate them. So they don't belong here. SO that being said, I believe my favorite love-to-hate villain would have to the White Witch from Narnia. She's so evil and despicable and manipulative.

What is your favorite fantasy sub-genre? I wasn't 100% sure how to answer this one, but I think it would be medieval fantasy.

What is your favorite thing about fantasy? So many things! I love how fantasy takes you into a whole different world and makes you love it and wish you could go there. There's just something so amazing and addictive about all the impossible things that can happen in fantasy, and reading or watching this world that you want so badly to be real.

What is your favorite fantasy realm? Oh, Narnia. Hands-down.

What is your favorite fantasy magic system? This is a really tough question and one I'm not sure about. I was trying to think of an outside-the-box answer, and I came up with The Shifter by Janice Hardy. Nya could take other people's pain away, but she had to pull it into her own body. Also, I love how the Silvertongues on Inkheart could make things come true by reading aloud.

This is a total cheat answer, because instead of giving you a favorite magic system I just told you a couple of random powers that I like. Oops.

Sell me a fantasy book! Have you written a fantasy book? Give me your best pitch for it! Have you read an exceptionally great fantasy book recently? Convince me to make it my next read! When I first saw this tag, this question immediately made me think of one of my favorite books that not many people have heard of: The Farwalker's Quest by Joni Sensel. Because I don't have to sell Lord of the Rings or Narnia (they're already known well enough!), so I wanted to use this opportunity to flail about this lesser-known book that I adore!

The Farwalker's Quest is the simple tale of Ariel, a young girl who is about to take the test that will determine whether she be named a Healtouch, her desired trade, or a Fool. But two mysterious strangers come to town and interrupt Ariel's whole life, tearing her away from her home and everything she ever knew. 

When I started reading this book, I expected a cute little fantasy story that might be pretty good. Instead I got my heart ripped out. I felt like I went through the story with Ariel, like my emotions went along with hers every step of her journey. The characters and the magic were fascinating, and I loved how every person has their own trade that they have to master. (And that includes talking to 
trees. I mean, how cool is that?)

The feeling of this book reminded me a lot of Lord of the Rings; in both stories, I feel close to the characters, as if I've gone through every trial with them. Their journeys make me emotional.

The best thing about this book is that when I reread it, I ACTUALLY ENJOYED IT EVEN MORE THAN I DID THE FIRST TIME. Which is crazy and possibly the only time that's ever happened. Even knowing exactly what was going to happen, I still couldn't wait to come home every day and get back into it. It was just that good.

Aaand that's the last question! I apologize for the abundance of LOTR and Narnia answers here... *shrugs* I'm predictable, I guess. But hey, now I need you guys to give me alllll the fantasy book recommendations because I love fantasy and I CLEARLY haven't read enough!! So throw me all your favorites!

And now for the tagging... I'm going to do the lazy, predictable thing and just tag EVERYONE to do this because why not? That's how I got it. I stole it. xD So if you want to do this tag, go ahead! Thanks for reading!

Got any fantasy recommendations? Share with me some of your favorite fantasy books so I can add them to my TBR!