GHOST HORSE (Reacting to my first published story!)

Good Thursday to ye! *tips hat*

Okay, I literally have no idea why I just opened the post that way. But I did, so... that's a thing that happened.

I'm really excited about today's post; it's a fun one. Today I'm going to be reacting to an old short story of mine: more specifically, the first thing I ever had published! I totally, 100% stole this idea from Kara Lynn.

I wrote this story when I was eleven. ELEVEN. That was TEN years ago, guys. i'mnotoldi'mnotoldi'mnot

Anyway, like I said, this was the first story of mine that was published. It was in the November/December 2010 issue of StoneSoup Magazine, and boy was I proud of it. alittleprouderthanitdeservedmayhaps I thought it'd be super fun to react to it and let you guys in on all the painfulness.

Well... there's really nothing else I can say to ease you guys into this. So here we go, jumping right in. My present-day comments will be in ORANGE. (be prepared for a looooot of orange.)

***

Ghost Horse original title, for sure.

Thunder roared. Lightning split the sky. Leeto's what the heck kind of name is Leeto, though? mane flapped it flapped? what is it, an American flag? in the harsh wind. The man's what man??? silver arrow glimmered every time lightning struck. He shot at Leeto. The arrow struck Leeto's leg. loving the choppy sentences At the same time, lightning struck Leeto's hide. Leeto's eyes widened. how many times can I say "Leeto" in one paragraph?

lol one paragraph in and I'm already hacking this thing to pieces

Leeto was a special horse. All horses with his blood as in, his descendants, or? were called ghost horses. Ghost horses were magical. They were the only animals-- or living creatures-- to become ghosts after death. okay, this is still a pretty cool concept. for an eleven-year-old.

But there were only two ways for a ghost horse to die. One was for two ghost horses to fight, which was rare. spoiler alert: two ghost horses don't fight in this story. SO WHY DID I FIND IT NECESSARY FOR THAT TO BE A WAY FOR A GHOST HORSE TO DIE?? But even rarer was the other way-- for a ghost horse to be struck by an arrow and lightning at the same time. that's not convoluted at all.

Right now, Leeto's life was fading away. good.

      ***

Leah yawned and made her way downstairs. wow, great entrance. can't wait to see more of this protagonist. A bowl of oatmeal and juice I mean, I like cinnamon in my oatmeal personally, but whatever floats your boat. (or your oats. XD XD) were waiting for her. okay... so not only did her parents leave for work without telling her goodbye, but her mom left her oatmeal out on the table to get cold. and she even poured the orange juice in the bowl to speed up the process. Leah sat down and took a big sip of juice. must have been chunky with all those oats in it. Suddenly, she heard a sound-- something like hooves against metal. can we talk about the fact that she immediately recognized what SPECIFICALLY was making the sound?? what on earth made her come to the conclusion that it was hooves against metal??

Leah ran outside. A pure-black horse was standing next to the shed. Gasping, Leah drank in the sight. hope you didn't get any oats in that drink. The horse's coat was silkier than any she had ever seen. His mane and tail were longer than she knew possible. The horse was a gorgeous sight.

Slowly, Leah walked toward the horse. She grabbed a rope from the shed and looped it around his neck. "You beautiful thing," Leah whispered, stroking his velvet nose. "Where'd you come from?"
At that moment, Leah was very glad that no one else was home. why??? is her dad a horse butcher or something??

      ***

"Come on, boy," Leah urged. "Get in." She held the door to the shed in the woods why the heck is there a shed in the woods?? open and finally got the horse to step inside.

Then she noticed it. Right on the stallion's forehead was a white marking, shaped like an arrow. okay, so apparently death by an arrow causes the shape of an arrow to appear on your forehead. so if you die by fighting another ghost horse does the other horse appear on your forehead?? "I guess that settles it, then," Leah said in a low voice. reading this back, this line always sounds ominous. why is her voice so low all of the sudden? "Your name is Arrow."

      ***

"How was school today, Leah?" Mrs. Koble this is the weirdest last name. I literally made it up. why didn't I just use Brown or something? asked at dinner.

"Um, fine," Leah said. "We learned four-digit division."

Mr. Koble laughed. "I remember the good old fours. brace yourself, this guy's way too enthustiastic about schoolwork. Did you have any problems?"

Leah stared at her beans. I can't ever read this line and not laugh a little. (also... what kind of beans?) 
"No... Mr. Jacobs said I was best in the class." of course he did. and why does Mr. Jacobs have a normal last name but your last name is KOBLE?

"We-ell!" calm down. Mr. Koble rang out. "Good for you, Leah!"

Leah smiled. "Pass the potatoes, please."

Mrs. Koble slid the bowl her way. "Tell me, sweetie, what did you learn in history class?"

Leah groaned silently. that seems impossible. She wanted to keep quiet so that she could have room to think about Arrow.

"Uh, about the defeat of the Spanish Armada... I think," Leah replied.

"Quite interesting that was," Mr. Koble approved, cutting off a piece of pork chop. okay, great, now we have all the details about what they're having for dinner. what's for dessert? "I loved reading about that so much when I was a kid, I went searching the libraries just so I could learn more about it."

"That's interesting, Dad," Leah said. Personally, she didn't know how anything about the Spanish Armada could be interesting. "Um, may I be excused?" but you just got a second helping of potatoes!

Mrs. Koble nodded. "Yes, dear."

Leah jumped up and grabbed an apple from the fridge. oh, apples for dessert.

"Heavens!" heavens! Mrs. Koble exclaimed. "You've just eaten a hearty meal. Whatever do you need an apple for?"

"Uh, a science project," Leah lied, bursting out the door before anyone could object. honestly, Mrs. Koble is pretty stupid if she believes this. what tween girl in any story tries to sneak an apple out of the house and isn't secretly harboring a horse?
Once outside, Leah breathed a sigh of relief and headed to the woods.

      ***

"Hello, my beautiful one!" Leah greeted Arrow. She held out the apple, and the horse gobbled it up greedily. Leah sighed. "I'm going to have to find you some real food if you're going to stay here," she announced. I just want to say that I was trying to type this story up really fast and I wasn't really looking, and when I came back and read this part the EXACT thing I had typed for that last line was ":U;n giubg ti gave ti fubd yiy sine reak fiid uf tiy;re giubg ti stat gere," she announced." and to think I took a keyboarding class in high school.

Suddenly, Leah heard a distant voice calling her name.

Leah honestly, why do I reuse her name so often? groaned. "That's my mom. I have to work on a death trap called homework." her mom realized nobody does a science project on an apple out in the middle of the woods. She gave him a kiss on the nose.

      ***

Leah woke to a strange sound. is it hooves against metal again? She heard a shotgun going off outside. A sick feeling washed over her. What if somebody was shooting at Arrow? Had he escaped?

Alarmed, she jumped out of bed and pulled on a pair of sneakers. I really want to know why I even used the word "sneakers" here. I've literally never called my shoes sneakers. I always called them tennis shoes. guess I was trying to fit in with the cool kids. Then she ran outside into the dark night.

"Dad!" she called to the dark figure standing by the shed. "Dad, what's going on?"

"There's a horse," Mr. Koble replied grimly. "Black as night. Shot at it." man, this story turns dark here.

Leah held her breath. "Why?"

"It was trying to kick the shed down." HOLD UP. you're telling me you saw a horse kicking the wall of your old shed and you tried to SHOOT it??? buddy. chill. somebody give this guy some hot tea or something. now I understand why Leah was glad he wasn't home when Arrow showed up. His voice was tight. what happened to that weird overly enthustiastic guy at the dinner table??
Leah's heart skipped a beat. "What happened?"

"Bullet seemed to run right through him." Mr. Koble sounded confused. "Leah, that horse was a ghost."

Leah had to grasp onto her father's arm to keep from falling. "But, Dad," she said, "A ghost?" whoo. award-winning dialogue, right there.

Mr. Koble pushed her back. "Get down!" oh my gosh. this just turned into a war story. he yelled, focusing his gun.

Then Leah saw it. A pitch-black, yet transparent horse stood before them. Mr. Koble held up his gun. didn't he literally just do that a second ago when he focused the thing?

"Dad, no!" Leah screamed. his shed would be avenged.

But Mr. Koble shot.

Just like he said before, the bullet went straight the ghostly figue. The horse was unfazed.

      ***

"Several people have reported a 'ghost horse' to have shown up in their yard," the news lady announced. apparently the news lady just showed up in the yard, too, because I certainly didn't give y'all any warning she was coming. "It seems unbelievable, but it's true. In fact, we even have some pictures."

Leah recognized the horse on the TV screen. No doubt, it was Arrow. The white marking on his foreheard this was an ACTUAL typo in the magazine was unmistakeable. But Leah wondered how this could be. Yesterday, Arrow was normal.

Leah jumped up.

"Where are you going, honey?" Mrs. Koble asked. to work on her apple forest science project.

"Outside!" Leah answered. She grabbed a bag of stale bread because everybody keeps a bag of stale bread lying around and a carrot and ran outside. Leah ran as fast as he could into the woods. She ran until she could see the shed looming ahead of her. Panting, she burst through the door.

"Arrow!" she gasped. "You're here!" why did she bring the food if she didn't expect him to be here??

Arrow looked at her in surprise. why did he come back if he didn't expect her to visit??
"How did you do that, boy?" Leah sighed. She opened the bread and held out a piece. Arrow ate heartily. "It's not much," Leah said, sitting on the floor, "But it's food." She dumped the bag out on the floor. As Leah literally, we know her name by now. sat there, watching Arrow eat, several thoughts swept through her mind Why? How? When? They were all unexplained. as is what these questions are actually asking. when what? when was Arrow born? when did Leah's dad go so psycho?

Finally, Arrow finished and lay down. Leah offered him the carrot. "I'd better go," she said, shivering. She stood up. "See you, Arrow."

      ***

For three nights, no sightings of a ghost horse were reported. Leah's mind eased a bit.

But one Saturday night, Leah ran to the shed in the woods these parents are terrible at keeping an eye on their child to say good night to Arrow. "Night, kiddo," I guarantee you I read some horse book where someone calls a horse "kiddo" and stole that idea because no other way would I have come up with that she said, hugging the black shape. "See ya tomorrow." As she left the shed, a warm feeling came over her. She had a horse. Even if it was secret, she had a horse.

Suddenly, a hot light burned her back. Leah spun around. The shed was glowing. Arrow, transparent as ever transparent as ever?! he literally wasn't transparent a half a second ago!,  was galloping striaght through the walls!

"Arrow!" Leah gasped. "You are a ghost horse!" imagine that. thought you already came to that conclusion, dummy.
Arrow turned to look at her. A word on his leg shone like a scar. what? why? "Leeto," Leah whispered. "So that's your real name." yeah, I would also assume that this random foreign word that just burned itself into this horse's leg is his name. NOT.

Tears stung her eyes. She knew that Arrow would never come back.

But suddenly, she was happy. wow, way to bounce back, girl. Leeto okay, kid, make up your mind. is he Arrow or Leeto to you?? was meant to be free.

that was THE most abrupt ending I've ever read in my life.

***

I have... some questions.

number one being WHY DID SOMEBODY PUBLISH THIS

Number one: WHO WAS THAT GUY WITH THE ARROW?? Why was he shooting the poor horse? Did he know he was a ghost horse? How? And if so why was he so determined to kill him?

Number two: Is Leah's dad prepared for the lawsuits he's going to have piled up when he shoots somebody's horse someday because it kicked a wall?

Number three: Why did Leeto/Arrow/whatever the heck stay with Leah for four days and then decide it was time to leave? Did he accomplish something in that time other than terrifying the neighborhood and making Leah think she had a horse now?

Number four: What EXACTLY was the moral of the story??

I can't, guys. xD

Well, anyway. Ahem. I hope you guys enjoyed reading that trainwreck. I might turn this into a series, with whatever super-old stories of mine that I can find. Brace yourselves.

Have you ever reacted to any of your old stories? What's the most ridiculous/funny thing in an old work of yours? Also, HOW'S YOUR FALL GOING??? Because it's officially fall now!! Are you a pumpkin spice latte fan? What's your favorite fall drink/snack? LET'S JUST TALK LITERALLY EVERYTHING FALL!!

THIRST by Jill Williamson -- Cover Reveal!

Hey everyone! Today I'm coming to you with something super exciting: the cover reveal for Jill Williamson's upcoming book, THIRST!

I remember following along on Go Teen Writers when Jill was writing this, so it's super awesome to see it finally released!

Thirst is a prequel to her series The Safe Lands, which I shamefully haven't read yet but is definitely on my TBR!

Here's the summary:

The end of the world is only the beginning. A waterborne disease has contaminated the world’s fresh water, decimating the human race. Seventeen-year-old Eli McShane and his friends flee the chaos and violence in Phoenix and journey north toward the rumored location of a safe water source. They add several to their number, including the mysterious Hannah, who is being hunted by a dangerous man. Desperation brings out the worst in many of the travelers, infecting even those closest to Eli. When division comes, will he be able to hold his group together or will each fall victim to their own thirst for survival?
Join some old friends from Glenrock and Jack's Peak in this thrilling first book of the Thirst Duology. Best-selling author Jill Williamson has brought back the breathtaking suspense of the The Safe Lands series in this chilling prequel that will leave readers panting for the next installment.

Sounds epic, huh? I can't wait to read it!

Hope you're still hanging in there, because now HERE IT IS: THE COVER OF THIRST!

Isn't it beautiful? I need this on my shelf. *heart eyes*

You can preorder Thirst here: http://jillwilliamson.com/thirst

Congratulations to Jill on her new book, and make sure you all go preorder it!

GRANDMA, WHAT A LOVELY NECKLACE YOU HAVE (Little Red Riding Hood flash fiction!)

My titles for these stories are getting worse and worse. xD

But anyway. If you hadn't already guessed, today I'm sharing another installment of The Adventures of Trentley and Jynnia! (Definitely not an official title, but it'll do for now. xD)

This month's fairytale on The Fairytale Central is Little Red Riding Hood! Which is super exciting and is also making me want to write a Red Riding Hood retelling?? I'll just hold onto that idea, though, since I do want to write a fairytale series about Trentley and Jynnia. ;)

I honestly didn't know how I was going to work this prompt in at first, but then it just seemed to fall into place. You can find the original post with the prompt HERE; and here's the prompt:

Aaaand here's my story! Hope you enjoy!

      ***

 "Should I tell your grandmother about how you got turned into a frog?"
 Jynnia glared at Trentley, unable to keep the smile from her lips. "Of course not," she said, sidestepping to give him a playful shove. "You haven't met my grandmother. She would absolutely flip if she heard something like that happened to me."
 Trentley stumbled off the sidewalk, laughing.
 "That is, if she even believed us," Jynnia added as she took the first step up onto Grandma's porch.
 Living in exile-- as Jynnia liked to call it-- was not easy. The past few weeks had been quite the ride: genies, bears, and the like. Hiding out in the woods gave people lots of opportunities to question their honor, too, as they had learned when they returned home.
 But now it seemed that things had calmed down, for which they were glad. They hadn't found a jewel in a while, but such an everyday action as walking down a sidewalk had never felt so good.
 Their arms were linked as they walked, and Jynnia held a basket of the cookies she had baked for her grandmother on the other arm. "I can't wait for you to meet Grandma," she said. "She's the sweetest lady and I know she's going to absolutely love you, too." She looked up at him and smiled. "But what's not to love?"
 Trentley smiled too, and leaned down to touch his nose to hers.
 When Jynnia knocked on the door, a sweet voice called, "Come in!"
 "Hmm." Jynnia tilted her head as she turned the doorknob. "She sounds like she has a cold." Stepping inside, she called, "Grandma? Where are you?"
 "I'm in the sitting room," Grandma called back in a hoarse voice. "And wait until you see the lovely new necklace I've gotten!"
 Jynnia smiled and led Trentley to the sitting room. "She's always finding new--"
 She stopped short when she stepped through the doorway. She and Trentley shared a wide-eyed look. "Grandma," she whispered. "Where did you get that?"
 There, on a chain around Grandma's neck, was one of the jewels that they sought.
 "I found it at a pawn shop," she said, adjusting the blanket over her lap. "They were kind enough to put it on a chain for me!"
 Jynnia swallowed.
 "And you must be Trentley!" Grandma smiled, and Jynnia's heart skipped. When the old lady opened her mouth, Jynnia saw the most horrendous fangs protruding from her gums.
 "Oh my gosh," she said. "What big teeth you have, Grandmother!" That line? Really?
 Grandma grinned and stood up from her chair. A strange light came into her eyes. "All the better to--"
 Jynnia backed away. "Eat me with?"
 She laughed, throwing aside her blanket. Her smile faded. "I was hoping you wouldn't notice."
 "Yeahhh, I'm not sure why you thought that would work." Jynnia threw the basket of cookies at her and bolted down the hallway. Trentley followed her, and a growl and heavy footsteps told her Grandma followed her, too.
 They locked themselves in the bathroom, and Jynnia leaned against the door, breathing heavily. "My... my grandma's a monster," she huffed.
 "I'm just going to assume she's not always like this?" Trentley ventured.
 Jynnia started talking fast. "No! She's not! And of all the jewels she could have found, why did it have to be the one that brought Little Red Riding Hood to life? Why couldn't I have found it and worn a red cape? But noo, my grandma has to find it and become a--"
 The door suddenly shook with a loud thump, and Jynnia jumped across the room. Leaning backward against the sink, she stared at the door.
 "Let me in!" Grandma yelled. "This is my house!"
 "Grandma," Jynnia said shakily. "I think you need to take that necklace off."
 "No!" Grandma yelled. "It's my necklace!"
 "Grandma, it's not good for you!" Jynnia started for the door again, opening her mouth for another protest. Trentley grabbed her wrists and gently stopped her.
 "Maybe talking calmly will help," he suggested. "We'll just open the door and--"
 No need to open the door, because it came flying toward them at that moment. Jynnia screamed and Trentley pulled her out of its path. It crashed into the sink, cracking the enamel, and then bounced onto the wall, puncturing it. And there where the door should have been stood Grandma: now covered in fur and sporting sharp claws on her fingers. She ripped the glasses from her nose-turned-snout and tossed them to the floor.
 "Grandma!" Jynnia exclaimed in the same tone that one would use to scold a toddler.
 "I haven't eaten all day, you know," Grandma said, creeping toward them. "And those cookies were ruined when you so foolishly threw them on the floor." Her gaze switched from Jynnia to Trentley. She licked her lips.
 "No!" Jynnia stepped in front of him and held her hands out. "Grandma, just think for a minute. This isn't you. You're my grandma, not a wolf."
 "What's wrong with being both?" She didn't take her eyes off Trentley. She took a few slow steps forward, and then she pounced.
 Jynnia screamed and Trentley shoved her out of the way. He ducked just in time to avoid Grandma's lunge, and he and Jynnia scrambled out the doorless door.
 "What do we do?" Jynnia cried as they ran down the hall. "We can't leave her like this!"
 "We've got to get that necklace," Trentley said.
 Grandma came barreling down the hallway toward them, running on all fours. Trentley and Jynnia entered the kitchen, and Jynnia opened the cupboards
 "What are you doing?" Trentley cried. Now was not the time for a snack.
 Jynnia looked wildly around."We've got to feed her or she'll never calm down! And she'll eat you," she said. Glancing over at the counter, she saw a package of frozen chicken  that Grandma must have been thawing for dinner.
 Grandma burst into the kitchen, her claws scratching everything they touched. She growled when she saw them standing there. "Hold still, you juicy hunk of flesh," she hissed at Trentley.
 "Grandma, look." Jynnia took the chicken out of the package and held it out in front of her. Blood and water dripped from the raw meat onto the floor, but she hoped that made it look more enticing to her wolf-grandma.
 It must have been working, as Grandma began to drool.
 "Here." Jynnia tossed a chicken leg to her, and grimaced as her grandma slurped it down like a spaghetti noodle. Jynnia stepped forward a few inches, holding the next piece of chicken out. Trentley followed her and began edging around Grandma, whose attention was no longer on him but the chicken.
 "Good chicken, huh?" Jynnia said, her hands shaking. If this went wrong it could all be over. She tried not to imagine Grandma sucking Trentley down like she had that chicken leg.
 She made eye contact with Trentley, who was now behind Grandma. Jynnia gave the slightest nod and tossed the chicken to Grandma, who lunged for it. At the same instant Trentley grabbed the chain of the necklace and yanked.
 The chain broke, and the jewel went flying through the air. Trentley almost fell over his own feet to catch it, and shoved it in his pocket. Out of sight, out of mind.
 Grandma whimpered, and then before Jynnia's eyes she began to change back into the kind old grandma Jynnia knew and loved. On her hands and knees, she shook her head and rubbed her eyes. "What's happened?" she mumbled, and Jynnia was beyond happy to hear her grandma's real voice again. No cold. No growling.
 "Grandma!" Jynnia fell to her knees and threw her arms around Grandma.
 "Dear child, what have I done?" Grandma hugged her back, but then pulled away. "Where are my glasses? I can't even see your beautiful face."
 "I, uh, think you lost them in the bathroom," Jynnia said. "Are you feeling better?"
 "Yes, I think so, although I'll feel even better if you can tell me what just happened!" She turned around to face Trentley and squinted. "Trentley! I meet you for the first time and I try to eat you! What kind of a hostess am I?"
 "That's all right, ma'am," Trentley said. "You weren't yourself."
 "Please tell me what happened," Grandma said.
 "We will," Jynnia promised, helping her grandmother to her feet. "Although it's kind of a long story." She looked at Trentley. "We have got to find the rest of those jewels."

      ***

Lol, if it's not Trentley or Jynnia turning into an animal, it's somebody else. xD These guys just can't catch a break.

I realized while writing this one that I'm not certain what world I want these to be taking place in. Obviously it's a universe where magic is thought to be pretend, since people don't believe that these fairytales actually happened. But I'm not sure whether I want it to be our modern-day world, or maybe a more simplistic world, without the technology? Or maybe the real world in the past? (Okay, suddenly falling in love with the idea of 1940's fairytale retellings...) I don't if any of that made sense, but if you understood, tell me your thoughts!

Also, Christine inspired me to start a Pinterest board for these stories! You can find that HERE. There's not much to it yet, but stay tuned!

On a different note, is anybody else panicking yet because NaNo is less than two months away??? That's kind of crazy. Actually, no, that's REALLY crazy. I can't believe it's already been almost a year since I started Roots to Claim and won my first NaNo. o.o Time flies. But I'm super excited about THIS NaNo and I MIIIGHT be planning on writing the first book of Trentley and Jynnia's series this November?? *whistles and strolls away*

Also, I just want to say THANK YOU to everyone who read my story on Havok this week and left the sweetest comments! This was the first story I've had published since I was thirteen, and it was so surreal experiencing that again. And this time I had you guys to support me, so it was THAT much better.

To treat myself that day, I bought this gorgeous book of fairytales! Isn't it beautiful?! *heart eyes*

That's all for today! Thank you guys so much for reading and I hope you enjoyed it!

What time/world do you think these stories should take place in? Are you getting excited/terrified about NaNoWriMo? How's your fall going so far? (even if isn't actually technically fall yet and I just like to pretend it is because September)

FLY -- I HAVE A STORY ON HAVOK TODAY!

Hi guys! I'm just popping in today to share something very exciting: I have a short story on Havok today!!

Of course I already announced this weeks ago, but I wanted to remind you that if you're not a paid subscriber to Havok, you can only read my story TODAY! So hop on over and read Fly, which is inspired by a song from the 70s! Leave your guesses on the song on the Havok website, and while you're at it go ahead and subscribe because it's only like $5 and why not?

Thank you guys for reading! I'm so, so excited to be sharing this with you all and I hope you enjoy! :D

Introducing THE HOBBITON TAG! (A Birthday Celebration!)

My dear Bagginses and Boffins, Tooks and Brandybucks, Grubbs, Chubbs, Hornblowers, Bolgers, Bracegirdles and Proudfoots...

Oh. Well, none of those people are probably reading... but hello and welcome!

This month contains a very special day for us fangirls and boys... September 22 is Bilbo and Frodo Baggins' birthday! And to celebrate, I created the HOBBITON TAG!

I wanted to do something special for Hobbit Day and a tag seemed like the best way to get other people involved in the celebration, too! (I know, I literally just did a tag last week, but this is a special occasion.) Of course, it's not quite September 22 yet, but I wanted to get this up earlier in the month so that we can celebrate all month long. (Obviously you're welcome to do the tag after September, too!)

This is unique type of tag, I think, with somewhat different questions. I wanted it to feel pleasant and homey, like you're living in the Shire in the middle of autumn (the 22nd is also the day before the first of fall!). Also, the questions aren't solely focused on Bilbo's eleventy-first birthday, but hobbits and Hobbiton in general. Basically a celebration of hobbits and their quiet, humble lives because FEELS.

Now hit play on Concerning Hobbits, try not to cry (or is that just me?) and have fun with the tag! I hope you all like it!

1. Please use the above graphic and link back to me!
2. Answer the questions!
3. Tag as few or as many people you'd like!

That's it! I'll share my answers to the questions first, then the blank questions will be at the end of the post.

1. You've invited Bilbo over for second breakfast. What are you serving? Some sort of comfort food! Maybe some homemade banana bread or cinnamon rolls. Perhaps some cooked fruit with cinnamon too, and of course coffee!

2. It's a nice, cozy evening in your hobbit hole. What kind of hot drink do you relax with? Coffee!

3. You have to invite either Gollum or the Sackville-Bagginses to your birthday party. Who do you choose? I'll have to go with Gollum. At least I could probably occupy him in a corner somewhere. I'm not big on the idea of having to hide my spoons.

4. Cold weather has settled into the Shire. Do you curl up with a sweater or a blanket? I'm a sweater/sweatshirt girl for the most part! If it's really cold, though, you can bet I'll be snuggled up with a sweater AND a comfy blanket!

5. Who would you rather go on an adventure with, Bilbo or Frodo? *starts to complain because this is a mean question*

*remembers that I wrote the questions*

Okay, listen, Frodo, I love you and all, but I'm going to have to go with Bilbo. I mean, look how excited he is!

6. You're stuck in your hobbit hole with a snowstorm outside. How do you spend your evening? Definitely reading, drinking coffee, and writing!

7. You're planning your birthday party. What's the entertainment: Gandalf's fireworks or Merry and Pippin's singing and dancing? Merry and Pippin's singing and dancing! They would really liven up a party and bring such a bright, carefree mood!

8. Of course as a hobbit, you prefer to go barefoot. But if you were the sort for such things, would you prefer fuzzy socks or cozy slippers? Lately I've been loving slippers. But I usually wear socks WITH the slippers, so. xD

9. Sam's brought you some of his autumn harvest! What do you make; pumpkin pie? Baked apples? Butternut squash soup? The options are endless! Aww, thank you Sam! This is why you're my favorite. I'm definitely going to make something with pumpkin; maybe a pie or a cheesecake.

10. It's a beautiful, crisp autumn day in the Shire. What are your plans for the day? Oh, so many possibilities. I'll go for a walk with my dog (even though I'm a hobbit now so Xander's almost as big as I am, whoops), sit outside and read... is there a coffee shop in Hobbiton? Because I'll definitely make a stop there.

Wow, I feel like I just took a stroll through the Shire. :') Excuse me while I weep in a corner because I've just made myself majorly emotional and I can't deal.

Anyway! Enough of that. I hope you all enjoyed this and have tons of fun with the tag! Since this is its first appearance, I won't tag anybody specific, but if you're reading this, YOU'RE TAGGED! And make sure you comment here (or on any of my future posts) with the link to your post because that will make my heart ridiculously happy.

1. You've invited Bilbo over for second breakfast. What are you serving?
2. It's a nice, cozy evening in your hobbit hole. What kind of hot drink do you relax with?
3. You have to invite either Gollum or the Sackville-Bagginses to your birthday party. Who do you choose?
4. Cold weather has hit the Shire. Do you curl up with a sweater or a blanket?
5. Who would you rather go on an adventure with, Bilbo or Frodo?
6. You're stuck in your hobbit hole with a snowstorm outside. How do you spend your evening?
7. You're planning your birthday party. What's the entertainment: Gandalf's fireworks or Merry and Pippin's singing and dancing?
8. Of course as a hobbit, you prefer to go barefoot. But if you were the sort for such things, would you prefer fuzzy socks or cozy slippers?
9. Sam's brought you some of his autumn harvest! What do you make; pumpkin pie? Baked apples? Butternut squash soup? The options are endless!
10. It's a beautiful, crisp autumn day in the Shire. What are your plans for the day?

Thanks for reading! Are you going to do this tag? Don't forget to leave me a link to your post so I can read it! And the important question: Does "Concerning Hobbits" make you want to cry, too? 

The 20 Question Book Tag!

Guess what?

THIS IS MY FIFTIETH POST.

Whoa. It really hit me as I wrote that how many that is. Like, I've actually written fifty posts. :o That's actually really crazy. Wow.

BUT ANYWAY. Today I'm doing the 20 Question Book Tag! Thank you for the tag, Nicole! :D

Also, I just want to say: MY Q&A IS COMING. At least if I can help it. Jeez, YouTube and I are not friends. But if I can ever win it over, the video IS coming. *dramatic sigh*

How many books are too many in a series? I haven't read a lot of long series, but maybe somewhere around six or so?? It really just depends on the series. The Chronicles of Narnia has seven books but it doesn't feel too long. I recently read the Oz series which had like twelve books and enjoyed it. So I don't really have a numerical answer for this one. xD But as soon as it starts feeling forced or stretched out, that's enough, dude.

How do you feel about cliff-hangers? I mean, how does any reader feel about cliff-hangers??? I love them, but they make me hate everything. So there's that. xD

Hardcover or paperback? Hardcover. There was a time when I would say paperback, and maybe in some cases I still would, but hardcovers are just so pretty. Plus I have this annoying habit of subconsciously bending the back cover and remaining pages of paperbacks when I'm reading them, so they'll make noise. xD

Favorite book? Are you kidding me? Well, my favorite book from this year is A Time To Speak by Nadine Brandes, and that's the best answer you're going to get.

Least favorite book? PARADISE LOST. Oh my goodness. I tried reading the thing for school and I couldn't make myself get through it. Maybe I'm just uncultured, I don't know. But that book made me SUFFER.

Love triangles, yes or no? Generally? No. Do them right/interestingly? Sure.

The most recent book you couldn’t finish? I didn't finish Marissa Meyer's Renegades just for some stuff I didn't personally like.

A book you are currently reading? Havok Season One: Rebirth.

Last book you recommended to someone? I think I recommended Melanie Dickerson's books to a friend of mine.

Oldest book you’ve read? (publication date) If I were going to count Paradise Lost, that would be it. But since I didn't finish it, I'm going to say A Christmas Carol. It was published in 1843, so as far as I know it's the oldest.

Newest book you’ve read? (publication date) Pretty sure this is The Orphan's Wish by Melanie Dickerson. I know, I'm super behind on all the new releases.

Favorite author? JUST ONE?? What is with these questions?? Currently it's Nadine Brandes.

Buying books or borrowing? Buying! *watches with glee as bookshelves fill up*

A book you dislike that everyone seems to love? Artemis Fowl. I just couldn't get into that one. I might try the rest of the series, though.

Bookmarks or dog-ears? Bookmarks! Hands off my precious pages!

A book you can always reread? The Farwalker's Quest by Joni Sensel.

Can you read while hearing music? Sometimes. Weirdly, if I'm listening to music with my earbuds in the car, I can still read, but if there's music playing somewhere in the house, I get distracted.

One POV or multiple POVs? I feel like most of my favorite books have just one POV, but then there's also Lord of the Rings which definitely has multiple POVs. So it's a toss-up on this one!

Do you read a book in one sitting or over multiple days? *cries* I used to read books in one sitting. Then I got a job. :( Lately I haven't even been reading books over days. It's been more like over weeks. I've been suuuch a slow reader lately and I HATE it but I'm trying not to be too hard on myself. And also to read more. xD

Who do you tag?

Rakayle, Victoria, Christine, and Keturah!


Aaand here are the questions for your convenience:

How many books are too many in a series?
How do you feel about cliff-hangers?
Hardcover or paperback?
Favorite book?
Least favorite book?
Love triangles, yes or no?
The most recent book you couldn’t finish?
A book you are currently reading?
Last book you recommended to someone?
Oldest book you’ve read? (publication date)
Newest book you’ve read? (publication date)
Favorite author?
Buying books or borrowing?
A book you dislike that everyone seems to love?
Bookmarks or dog-ears?
A book you can always reread?
Can you read while hearing music?
One POV or multiple POVs?
Do you read a book in one sitting or over multiple days?
Who do you tag?

I HAVE MORE EXCITING NEWS.

Remember when I told you I had a story coming to Havok this month?? Well, I am BEYOND ecstatic to tell you that I have another story coming next month, too!!!

And not just that, but my story Higher will be on Havok on October 1, which means that IT'S THE FIRST STORY OF EIGHTIES MONTH!!

I'm so excited (and a little bit intimidated) that MY story will be the first one people will read in the eighties category! And I still can't quite grasp that I have TWO upcoming Havok stories. Whoa. I'm so happy and grateful.

ANYWAY. Thank you guys for reading and listening to me scream about my stories! I hope everyone's having a great month so far and enjoying the fallishness! Even though it's not cool yet where I live, you can bet I'm living for the pumpkin spice lattes and the fall candles. Gotta soak up every minute even if it is hot outside. ;)

Me, right now.

So how's your month going? What kind of fallish things are you doing? And feel free to answer a few of the above questions in the comments!

ONE-YEAR BLOGAVERSARY CELEBRATION!!

THE DAY IS FINALLY HERE.

TODAY IS MY ONE-YEAR BLOGAVERSARY!!

Sooo, today didn't go quite as planned. I really wanted to get everything ready after midnight last night and have everything ready for you guys to see this morning. BUT my Q&A video put quite a damper on all that. As a matter of fact, it's not quite ready yet. IT'S STILL COMING! So don't worry about that. But after a looooong process of editing (and editing AGAIN) and saving (and saving AGAIN), I discovered that it takes exactly 12434985.8 years to upload a video on YouTube. So. I'm just waiting for that to go through and then I'll post the video! (Hopefully tomorrow.) Sorry it'll be late. :(

BUT on to happier things!! I seriously can't believe I've had this blog for a year now. My mind is blown thinking about all the words I've written and you guys have read, and the friends I've made, and just all the awesomeness that has come with having a blog. Seriously. It's been so fun.

A moment for some acknowledgements:

GO TEEN WRITERS. This was the first blog I started reading and therefore without it I would NOT be here. Thank you Stephanie, Shannon, and Jill!

GOD. For giving me my love of words and stories and allowing me this opportunity to share my voice with you all.

MY READERS. For following my blog, leaving the sweetest comments, and encouraging me so much in my writing, blogging, and everything else. I love you guys.

THE WHOLE BLOGGING COMMUNITY. Because you. Guys. ROCK. From the moment I even suggested that I MIGHT start a blog, everyone was so supportive and encouraging and I just can't thank you enough.

Aaand I haven't mentioned this yet but I'm sure you've noticed: I HAVE A NEW BLOG DESIGN!! And I'm in LOOOOVE with it! I worked really hard to get it looking just right and EEEEP it looks exactly as I'd hoped and I'm just so happy with it! *stares at it and dies*

Thank you guys so much for being with me this past year, and I look forward to what's to come! ALLLL the hugs, chocolate, and love!