A-Z Challenge: Z

Z is for ZEDEK!!


Zedek is a fairy. He is Sia's best friend. His role is like the 'older brother.' Despite the fact that Sia can really take care of herself (I mean...come on, she's an assassin!), he's always there for her! Like all my fairies, Zedek has huge wings. I think I seem him mostly with red and orange tones. He has long brown hair, and is basically Dragon (The king of Talithia) right hand man!


Because I haven't written much on Sia's story, I'm not sure how his role plays out, but let's just say, I'm certain Zedek gets into some trouble. lol.


There you have it! The complete A-Z Challenge all focused on my books!


Thanks to everyone who has kept reading! I promise after school I will be a better blogger and come and visit everyone! This week is the first week of dead week, and next week is finals and graduation. I will have pictures!! :D


May is also the start of Blog Me Maybe Blogfest! hosted by Sara McClung!

This one requires that you post everyday and has a theme to this post! I already have my Tuesday slots filled, but if anyone is interested in guest blogging, I'd LOVE LOVE LOVE to have you!


Here are the rules for Blog Me Maybe!


Mondays: May I tell you something about writing?
This can be anything writing-related. A post on craft. A post on your process. A snippet of your WIP, if you like to share. A book on craft that you want to recommend. Things you struggle with. Things you rock at. ANYTHING at all! 


Tuesdays: May I tell you something about myself?
Pretty self-explanatory :) Share something about yourself that your followers might not know. Or maybe they do. It doesn't matter--this is just so people who read your blog can get to know you a little better. 


Wednesdays: May I ask something about you?
Ask your followers something about themselves. 


Thursdays: May I tell you something about someone else?
Make this post about someone else. A writing friend. A critique partner. A person from history who's fascinating. A character from a book. Anyone you want. :) Have a guest poster. Give an interview. Get creative! Just let the spotlight shine on someone else. 


Fridays: May I share something funny?
Fridays = the starts of weekends! BOOYA. Reason to celebrate and laugh on it's own--plus, who doesn't want to see something amusing after a long week?


Sounds amazing! So, if anyone wants to come guest post, just comment or e-mail me at Ashley.M.Nixon-1@ou.edu 


Also, I am going to participate in...*Drumroll*

YAY!! 
This one is hosted by the wonderful Alex J. Cavanaugh! This is exactly what it sounds like, lol. First Loves. You post about first movie, first song/band, first book, and first person. I've had mine written for about a month, lol. SO EXCITED!


Next, May 7th is the day we can write a REFLECTION post on A-Z challenge! Sounds great, doesn't it? It was definitely a challenge, but a wonderful one at that!


Also, don't forget if you are in the Writer's Support Group, our post is due this Wednesday!


lol. SO. MANY. POSTS. 


Now, I enrolled in my nine hours of graduate classes!!! 
Here is what I'm taking: 


Information Sources and Services
Information Users in the Knowledge Society
Information and Knowledge Society


Okay...Now, I'm not sure how interesting these will be, but I have hope. lol. I get to take one in my final year (Spring 2014) called Young Adult Literature because my focus is Middle Grade and Young Adult! Two of these classes are online, hope I can manage that! Never had online classes before.

I also had a job interview on Friday! I hope I got it! The people who interviewed me were wonderful and she said the interview went well herself! Now for the wait. 

So many things going on! Did I mention I also have to move? Yep. And Peru is in one more month! Cannot wait!

Okay, thanks for listening to my updates. Join some blogfests!! 

A-Z Challenge: Y

Y is for Yo-ho-ho and a bottle of rum! Or more specifically, music. lol.

It's hard to find music for pirates, really, so I look for songs that have a sort of theme I can apply to my book.

And just for fun! :)

A-Z Challenge: X

X is for X...marks the spot!

Yeah...I know. But I have something to discuss today cause my head is going to begin to hurt if I keep thinking about it.

Treasure. Treasure in pirate books.

Initially, I had this idea that my pirates would go after something they thought was treasure and discover that it really wasn't treasure. With this rewrite, I'm going, "What in the world are you thinking, guys?" cause I don't know what they're going to end up doing once they go to the spot they told me they were going.

I really think Barren has a plan, but I can't be sure. I keep telling myself just keep reading your book, writing out the conflicts that come to you and keep writing what scenes you see in your head. I'm writing down everything, even if I don't know if I'll use it in the book. I think my problem is I can't get away from the original idea.

At the moment, my question is...Is there treasure?
I think that's because I wan to know if I'm going to be taking something familiar and making it unfamiliar? Cause trust me...any treasure in my books is not going to be gold and silver, and more than likely it's going to be something no one wants to really deal with. lol.

What do you guys think? I notice that many people loved Pirates of the Caribbean Dead Man's Chest, but when the other movies kinda got all crazy and found their way into a different pursuit, they weren't as popular (I still liked them). lol. What do you think? Traditional? Non-traditional? I'm a fan of doing what my book tells me...that's why I just wait for the characters to speak up...even if that takes for ever *bangs head in hand*

A-Z Challenge: W

Today is the letter W.
haha.
W is for Writer.

Normally, I hate writing about myself, but I made a decision a few days ago that warrants me discussing my writing and my book CUTLASS.

CUTLASS was a 150,000 page novel. It was a novel I just kept editing and re-editing, hoping at some point, after eight years of working on it, it would magically become what I would be satisfied with. I had Barabara Kloss read it (author of Gaia's Secret and scribblesnjots). She pointed out everything that had basically been bothering me for a long time. Things I thought...well, knew wouldn't go away. I'm not sure what I thought would happen to them. Maybe if I ignored them, everyone else would too?

Well, I am rewriting COMPLETELY!
I am changing characters. I renamed Kiera to Larkin and she is basically not the same person. Barren and Kiera are no longer married, but meet at the beginning of the tale. Everything is different. It's overwhelming, but I have created a story board.

My brain was smoking after this. You have no idea. lol. It's not finished either. :/ hahaha.

I've NEVER plotted a story...but I find that this is fun! And having to basically start all over, this really helps me stay focused and kind of move away from my other story. Let's face it, it's hard to forget you wrote a 150,000 word novel.

This will also be YA, btw.

Oh, and I am reading, at the suggestion of Barbara, Anatomy of Story by John Truby.


It's far more interesting to read about how to write when it caters to your own book! :D


There you have it! My announcement. Has anyone else just started over? 

A-Z Challenge: V

V is for Val. Mr. Val to be correct.

Val is a math teacher at Nacoma Knight. He has pretty scary eyes--they're always narrow and black as coal. His gaze is always cold, and it's really hard to tell if he likes anyone at all, or if he's good or evil. I have a hard time figuring out any of these things. lol.

Anora doesn't really like Math, and therefore she doesn't really like Mr. Val, but he seems to be more involved in the strange things happening around Nacoma Knight. The worst part about it all, Shy doesn't seem to think he's a threat. She's not sure if she should trust him or not, especially since he likes to give her detention for every little thing she does.

Despite all this, I like Mr. Val as a character and his role grows and grows.

How do you feel when secondary characters move into primary roles?

P.S. I apologize for not responding to comments! I have three weeks of school left, and I'm trying to wind it all down. Also, I was just hired yesterday for my second job. :/ Since I am basically a receptionist, I hope I can still maintain my blog and be awesome, lol.

<3

A-Z Challenge: U

This is a stretch...but today U is for the Unusual or the Unique.

In all my stories, I try to come up with things that people aren't used to, and if it's a familiar idea, I feel like you want to desensitize people to the familiarity of it. I think this is the goal of every author.

With my pirates, I didn't want a stereotypical world where pirates were just barbaric and had no sense of law. In my books, they do--yes, there are some rogue pirates who disobey and give the pirates a bad name (although, mostly, the Privateers do a good job of giving all pirates a bad name) lol. I also wanted my map and my world to have a different feel. I felt if they were mostly islands, it would seem like a pirate-oriented community anyway.

Does that make sense?

Then I wanted to throw Elves in the mix. Mostly because I love them, and Elves are like ninjas anyway. SO then I could have a ninja-pirate-elf and be awesomeness.

Yeah...

So what do you feel is unique about your novel? :D

A-Z Challenge: T

First. Today is my birthday!! I am 22 years old. Man. :/ haha. I have to go to class today...until 8 tonight, so I'm not so enthused about the events of my birthday. Aaaanddd it's a Monday! 

Anyways, for today's "T" post. T is for Treason. 

I thought this would be interesting, as treason is usually a cataclysmic event in novels. Betrayal comes in all sorts of forms. It can be sibling betrayal, love betrayal, just plain evil betrayal. You can betray your government, your blood, promises. 

I think the one thing in common is the person never expects it. 

Now, why did I choose to talk about reason and how does it relate to my books? 

In a lot of ways. 

[PICTURE REMOVED]

The third definition of Treason, and one that might fit all my books is this one:  the betrayal of a trust or confidence: breach of faith;treachery. I think this definition can fit many things (like everything I listed above) and I like it because it's not limiting. 

Now, I deal with governments in my book as well, and pirates are considered traitors to the government. So, in this situation, this definition fits best: a violation of allegiance to one's sovereign or to one's state.

Now...forms of treason/betrayal: Mutiny. 

The definition of Mutiny is: revolt or rebellion against constituted authority, especially by sailors against their officers.

In the fourth Pirates of the Caribbean, Jack tries to get the crew of Black Beard to rebel. This is was considered a mutiny. 

[PICTURE REMOVED]

In a world not belonging to my pirates, like the world they fight, this is called revolt or a riot. lol. 

I think you can see a dynamic arising in the two worlds in my book--the pirates and the politicians. Isn't it interesting the different language we apply to good and bad groups? 

A-Z Challenge: S

S is for Sia!

Sia is a new character that began talking to me in Art History class last semester. She told me a sad story about her people who were all massacred brutally. She is set on revenge, and kills anyone associated with the Blood Elf race (those responsible for the death of her people). Here's a snippet from the beginning I have posted on my blog:

Something’s are unpredictable. Like my life, for instance. I'm not supposed to be here. My parents were murdered, my race was butchered until extinction...then there is me. Still breathing and vengeful.

I have one love.

It is for no human.

No immortal.

No living thing.

My love is for one thing--the chase. I hunt a distinct race of Elves called the Bloods, responsible for the extinction of my race. I am their worst enemy. They say I am soulless, I have no sympathy for any age of blood elf, for they only had sympathy for one of my race--and that just so happened to be me.

Who am I?

I am what is called an Arethia.

The only one.

My name is Sia.

I was a Princess, meant to inherit the crown of my kingdom. None of those things exist anymore, however, and what I have become instead is a merciless tracker and murderer.

What, you ask, do I gain from the deaths I deal? Well, nothing, really. I expect to die one day at the hands of a blood elf, maybe hundreds, just as my race did….but as I’ve said…some things are unpredictable.


Sorry it was late, guys! I had work early! :)

...also...new blogger is weird!!
I like it. lol.

A-Z Challenge: R

R is for Remembrance


Remembrance is a Fairy. She is also a Princess, and she is young when you meet her in the book SOULLESS. She originally in my first Trilogy ever that existed a long time ago. lol.

Remembrance is Princess of Talithia, her mother and father are Fairies, their names are Symphony and Dragon.

Dragon is a shape-shifter. Can anyone guess what he changes into? A dragon! lol.
Remembrance does not have this talent, and acts as a little sister to my main character, Sia. She had black hair, a pretty and young face. All my Fairies are human sized and because of this, have huge wings. Their doorways have to be giant...in fact...they don't have doors usually, except in guest quarters. My Fairies also have a natural tattoo on the side of their face around their eyes...some of the Fairies have more pronounced ones, other's have small ones and they all vary in color and design.

Talithia is a city of...well, I always imagine it as glass towers...and they always seem to be a pinkish color. I don't know why...cause if it was me, I'd be like..."no pink!!" but that's what the characters tell me. You also can't get there unless you fly...so if you don't have wings...you're in trouble. lol.

Talithia used to exist in a place called Elrevion...that's not the setting of the book SOULLESS, but I think it Elrevion will end up being mentioned somewhere in SOULLESS...that way my first book is kind of honored. lol.

So...what do you think? Do you like Fairies? Do you spell it differently? Have you read the Iron Fey Series by Julie Kagawa? We have very different takes on Fairies. I also don't think I could focus in my Fairies for a whole book. They are interesting, but they are very...isolated...and don't like to talk much...especially Dragon. haha.


Also!

Amber Clites is having a book giveaway!!

Doesn't this book look awesome!? Check out Amber's blog for more info and enter! :)

A-Z Challenge: Q

Q is for Q&A with Shy Savior =)

I've told you before that I don't write on my vampire books anymore, but I still love them and my characters. I especially love Shy Savior. So, I decided to let you get a feel for his character.

Somethings you should know about Shy. He is a very power half-mortal vampire. He is a student at a school called Nacoma Knight (you might have seen in before ;) ). He's very protective of Anora--a girl who comes to Nacoma as a Freshman and doesn't really know who her family was, or anything about her life.

So, here we go!

Me: What do you consider to be your greatest achievement?
Shy: At this point it would be defeating Nacoma Knight.

Me: Can you tell us about Nacoma Knight?
Shy: I'm not sure why you'd want to know anything about him. He was a decietful man. He is evil.

Me: Okay. Sorry I asked....*clears throat* What is your most treasured possession?
Shy: *smirks and raises a silver chain around his neck*

Me: Okay...what is that?
Shy: A necklace.

Me: Yeah, I see that...but why is it your most treasured possession?
Shy: *very quietly* I...I took it from someone years ago.

Me: That sounds like stealing.
Shy: *glares*

Me: You're not usually this grumpy.
Shy: You don't usually ask these questions.

Me: *glares* What's your most marked characteristic?
Shy: *twists a piece of silver hair around his finger* My hair...wouldn't you agree?

Me: You did gray prematurely.
Shy: *sulks* And you said I was mean.

Me: *hahahaha* What is your greatest fear.
Shy: *frowns* At the moment, I don't want Anora to hate me.

Me: ooohhhhooo. What did you do?
Shy: Bad things. Very bad things. *twists the chain around his neck nervously*

Me: Wouldn't have anything to do with that necklace, would it?
Shy: *eyes on me* Part of it.



Oh, Shy.

This is a Final Fantasy Character...but I love the hair!

A-Z Challenge: P

P is for...you guessed it! Pirates.

I wanted to explain a few things about my pirates, because they are a little different from ordinary pirates.

We all know there are several kinds of pirates: there are Corsairs, these are romantic versions of pirates. I think mostly because they were in the Mediterranean and often classified as Christian or Muslim. (A famous Muslim Corsair was actually named Barbarossa). Interesting huh? I always loved the name.

Privateers work for the government, the most famous is probably Sir Francis Drake. We all know about him. Hated by Phillip of Spain...destroyer of several Spanish ships. Yep. He worked for Queen Elizabeth, and he was pretty awesome.

There are buccaneers and these are probably going to be your "Pirates of the Caribbean" pirates--they were often near Tortuga. If you want, you can say Port Royal (Which actually existed, but was destroyed by an earthquake).

My pirates sail what's called The Orient (meaning The East and has varying geographical locations depending on where you're at...haha). You learned about this previously. My pirate deal with various enemies, mainly the government and privateers. They work to protect the sea and their island (Silver Crest). In the book CUTLASS, you follow Barren Reed and Leaf Tinavin, in their present situation, they highly regret the choices of their past. They were true to the term piracy--Barren sought revenge for his father's death and Leaf was the rebellious prince.

They grew up some, soon realize that what it means to be a pirate in The Orient, is protecting your right to sail. Their is corruption on the sea, and The Orient knows this. People who do not belong their sail--these are the privateers.

Privateers are often worse that pirates, for though their purpose is to raid pirates ships, infiltrate routes and so forth, they often find they have a better life as a Privateer, finding wealth, being free from all laws, and create the havoc people like Barren are accused of starting.

Does that all make sense?

Anyone read "The Seafarer"? 

If you have/haven't/don't want to read it, I understand, but when I read it in my Sophomore Anglo-Saxon Literature class, I read a great sense of the speaker being deeply connected to the sea, and that's how I always thought of my pirates. They are in tune with a spirit and that spirit is not innate in everyone--it's a special gift. When those who don't belong begin to go after a calling that isn't theirs, they fail...or worse, The Orient retaliates!

You'll have to read my book to see my take on maps/black spots ect. There are no mermaids. Sorry to disappoint. I hope my Elves make up for that! =)


Ohkay. Lastly, here are some pictures of pirates...cause I know we all enjoy them!

Most famous, are Pirates of the Caribbean. I have to give them credit for making Elizabeth Swan's role pretty big.

Anyone see Cutthroat Island? It was pretty...pirate-y. hahaha.

Because I can.

Anyone see the syfy version of Neverland? I really liked it!! This is a pirate Aaya. She was realllllly mean.

This is there Captain Hook: James Hook.

Stardust pirates. They were silly. LOL.

Always thought he looked a little pirate-ish. haha.


Okay...I'm done. I could go on forever...but I won't!

A-Z Challenge: O

O is for...The Orient!

Bet you didn't think I would have an O! haha.

The Orient is where my pirates live. There are the Orient Islands and then The Orient Sea, though it isn't the only sea in my world, it is the place I focus on. To the North, there is The Octent, which I never talk about really, but several people (like Tetherion's wife) are from there.

I'll start with the Orient islands. My list of islands are probably words some people will recognize...as most of them are versions of Spanish words. I originally had very different names, names that sounded more fantastical than they needed to be. I decided to go with more European sounding names. The only island that retained it's name was Silver Crest.

Maris - biggest island, most ports. It's where the King stays
     -Ensis - The king has a castle here. It's often the place where the nobility go.
In the opening pages of CUTLASS, you'll see this type of scene described at Maris:

Oro Isle - has a lot of significance in the second book.
Silver Crest - pirate haven
Estrellas - this is a penal colony.
Arcarum - Arcarum has seven provinces.

Much of my inspiration for Arcarum comes from Italy. Pictures like this is what I always see in my head.

Aurum - Elvish territory
Conn - Jess often stayed here.

These are just a few islands that remain significant throughout the Trilogy.

The Orient Sea is a very interesting place. She has a spirit of her own and is often 'calling' to the pirates to sail. She also comes to their rescue in times of need. The Pirates know how she works, they know she can be both ruthless and loving at the same time. They never take the sea for granted because they know the government seeks to stop them from sailing (and has almost succeeded).

So...there's a little bit about The Orient! :)

Can you often find pictures of things you see in your head?

A-Z Challenge: N

N is for Not Pirates!

J/K.

Well, kinda not! It's for a school called Nacoma Knight. Nacoma is a private school named after its namesake...a man obviously named Nacoma Knight...haha. He was a vampire lord who thought teaching vampires to live with humans was a good idea...then he turned evil. While I love my characters and the story, I don't talk/work on it much, if at all. Vampire need to sleep. lol.

Anyway, my inspiration for the place is a combination of a French Opera House meets Gothic-style church.

Cool right??!

The outside kinda looks like this...the windows are definitely close!

I wanted this place to look frightening. And I think this does the trick. ahaha. It's surrounded by thick woods, and I don't have a specific place in the real world where it's located...so I avoid mentioning that.

What do you think? Would you go to a school that looked like the above?

A-Z Challenge: M

M is for Maps!

Can't have a fantasy world without maps. My first one is one of the Orient that you guys have probably seen before.

This one is pretty old and I have to change the layout. We're working with photoshop to try and make one this time. My friend Brittiny (the one who did my banner) also embellished this. I love it! :) I plan to make this more detailed and make a smaller map of Arcarum showing how the Provinces are divided.

Now, this one is an old man from my first trilogy.

This was a very detailed map of old Elrevion and New Elrevion (Two different places) and they fit together to form a huge map. I loved doing this. It was so fun! I painted it and made it look all cool (in my opinion) haha.

I hope you guys enjoyed my maps!

Do you like when books have maps in the front?

A-Z Challenge: L

L is for....wait for it!!!

LEAF TINAVIN!

Leaf would probably not prefer that you call him "Prince" but seeing as how he is a Prince, it cannot be avoided sometimes. Because I can't really think of Leaf in human terms (yet....) I always think of him as a pretty Final Fantasy character or something like that. So I'm just going to let you set your sites on these pretty blond-haired Elves. From what I can tell, these are all peoples characters.

He and Kenna would be perfect, huh?
http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/344462-characters

http://www.elfpack.com/_Alagaesia%20Characters?where=1&name=Alagaesia%20Characters

Anyways.

I know you guys have met Leaf before. I interviewed him HERE once. He is a very funny Elf. He has sea-green eyes, and blonde hair. He love the sea, and despite what you think of him at any given point, he's always concerned about his people. He is a natural leader, and he and Barren Reed are best friends. Leaf is not afraid to tell you like it is. Despite his being an Elf, he hasn't been around very long. He is a little older than Barren. In his short life, he's seen and done a lot of things he regrets. He doesn't really look forward to immortality, but he'll take what he can get and make the best of it. I mean, he has his whole life to redeem his past deeds, right?

His name, ironically, came from the Viking Leif Erickson (yeah...the guy who REALLY discovered America, lol). Leaf likes his bow, but uses a pistol and long sword, too. He's got some good advice if you listen.

So, what do you think of Leaf? Would you want him to be your king?

A-Z Challenge: K

K is for Kenna

I've always liked this picture. lol.
http://www.amaranthia.com/modules/userpage/index.php?page_id=1473

Kenna is hard to talk about. Like many of my characters, I can't tell you a whole lot about her. She has blonde hair and blue eyes. She's described as lithe and graceful.

Sooooo, here is an interview...it's not too detailed, but you can get a sense of her as a character and as an Elf.

Interview with Kenna: 

Me: Where do you live? 

Kenna: I lived in Aurum. 

Me: Did you like it there?

Kenna: Yes. 

Me: Who is your best friend?

Kenna: A prince. *smiles*

Me: You mean Leaf Tinavin?

Kenna: Yes. 

Me: What would he say is your best quality? 

Kenna: He would say I am too caring...or perhaps too quiet. 

Me: You don't say much. 

Kenna: *smiles*

Me: What do you like most about being an Elf?

Kenna: I love the connection I have with the land. No one understands it like we do. 

Me: Is that why your people like to sail so much?

Kenna: Perhaps. The sea is a different animal entirely. The sea must speak to you before you feel her toil, before you can earn her trust. 

Me: Has it spoken to you?

Kenna: *shakes head, frowns* Not like it has to Leaf. 

Me: You seem sad.
Kenna: I miss him. 

Annnndddd, that's all I can give you! =) 

A-Z Challenge: J

J is for John Reed.

John is part of the Reed family. Yes, the infamous Royal Family I have been telling you about for the past five seven posts, lol. If you need reminding of where he stands, here's the tree:

                                           Cathmor = Odessa 
                                                                |
                  Iliana =  Tetherion           Jess = Sysara 
                           |                                                           |
          Natherious  Datherious       William    Barren = Kiera 
                                                                           ||
                                                                   Victoria 
                                                                            |
                                                                       John 


John is fifteen when you meet him. He is very confused about who he is because his uncle, Barren Reed is a pirate (a notorious terror at that), and his father is Ambassador William Reed (a good for nothing evil man). John knows one thing, however, he does not want to be like his father. He refuses apprenticeships and is imprisoned (yes, at fifteen). He looks up to Barren, and funny enough, Barren looks up to John. John is very mature for his age, and you'll see his childhood will lend it self to his cynical side.

His mother was murdered by his father, who never paid him any mind (except, of course when he disobeyed). John's role in the first book will prepare you well for what he does in the second. He becomes such an amazing character. I adore him. He looks like Barren and William--brown hair, brown eyes. He'll end up being compared to Barren a lot, and John doesn't mind that.

I can't find a picture of him, or anything close that the moment. lol. I have more "J" characters I was going to give you, but it's harder when you bring them in from the second and third book, so I'll stay away from that!

...this could be an older John...idk. This guy plays Lancelot in the BBC version of Merlin, which I love!

*sigh* beautiful pirates. =)

A-Z Challenge: I

I is for a character named Issac Noble. He appeared as a merchant with a strawberry cart once. He will never do that again. LOL. I just didn't work. Because this character is a third book character, I cannot be descriptive. Instead, I am going to be very vague. So vague....none of you will know what is going on. How will I do this....well, through pictures.

Everything I will show here is a part of Issac. It won't give anything away because some of the pictures are just what something belonging to him might look like. Vague, right?!? Just use your imagination!

Some of these you may not get. Especially the first one. But that's okay. I will tell you, Issac had dark curly hair and blue eyes. He's a nice guy, but deeply saddened.

Well, that was tough. *wipes brow*.

A-Z Challenge: H

H is for Hollow Dallon!

Oh, Hollow. He has an interesting name and a very critical disposition. He is Cove Rowell's best friend. His wife's name is Joannah. He has three children, all girls: Scarlett, Terra, Jaqueline. He is a Senator in Arcarum and is assinged to the Provience of Kentworth. He is also a pirate and sails as Cove's first-mate. He is very protective of those he loves, thought it's probably hard to tell. He has bright blonde hair and his eyes always look black. Often he stands aside quietly, arms crossed, observing. He is full of insight.

I haven't found anyone who looks really like him. Sometimes, I can only see my characters as Final Fantasy characters. I found this. Not that this dude looks completely like him (the hair is all wrong..costume, too) but still. Cool pic!! haha.

Hollow is a very experienced fighter. He was not born privileged. He actually worked his way up in the political world in Arcarum. Cove saw potential in him and asked him to join his crew. Hollow is probably the most family-oriented character, it's very apparent in his nature. He's very mistrusting of Elves (Leaf, especially), but he soon gets over that the longer he's around them.

Overall, he's a pretty good guy, though you wonder sometimes...

Make sure you check out my dear friend, Dani's blog! She's doing a great job. She is also unofficially taking part in the A-Z Blogging Challenge! She will be giving you glimpses of her book, Elbion! Her characters are riveting, be careful! You'll fall for them fast! Go HERE to see her blog! :)

I'm clearing my schedule so I can catch up on some awesome A-Z blogs!! Much love! <3

A-Z Challenge: G

G is for Galleons and Guns!

Yay pirate words!!

You'll probably will recognize Galleons from any pirate movie. They were common in the 18th and 19th century. I wondered how people could tell these a part from other ships, so I googled Galleons and found this on Wikipedia:

The most distinguishing features of the galleon include the long beak, the lateen-rigged mizzenmasts, and the square gallery at the stern off the captain's cabin. In larger galleons, a fourth mast was added, usually a lateen-rigged mizzen, called the bonaventure mizzen.

Aren't some of those names funny?!?  You can also go to the wiki page for Galleons to see a list of some famous ones! (Ex....A ship called Vasa that inspired the design for the Flying Dutchman!).

Some of my ships are called The Kindrick, The Cathal, and The Emerald. You see pirates fly black sails, but in my books, I thought that was stupid cause that just says you're a pirate run!! So I don't do that. haha.

Many of my pirates use Flintlock pistols.

My pirates usually have more than one weapon on them other than a Flintlock pistol. They are very annoying cause they only have one shot. I think there were newer ones actually, that held more shots, but I'll have to research that again. I can't remember. Anyway, it's just easier to have them carry more weapons, especially daggers.

This is a swivel cannon. It's super fun. LOL. 

In conjunction with scatter projectiles, these are super cool. I watched a youtube video to make sure what I wanted to happen could actually happen. That's the magic of youtube! 

A-Z Challenge: F

I can't believe I'm still on this!! LOL. I swear I will be around to blogs soon!! I can't wait to see what everyone else has done from A-F!

And now...F is for Family Trees!!

You saw one yesterday which was the royal family of Aurum (The Elves). This one is for The Royal Family of the Orient.

                                   Cathmor = Odessa 
                                                  |
                  Iliana =  Tetherion           Jess = Sysara 
                           |                                     |
          Natherious  Datherious       William    Barren = Kiera 
                                                         ||
                                                     Victoria 
                                                          |
                                                       John 
A little about these people:

Cathmor will appear in a book I'm going to work on soon called Arsenal. (Get it? My books are called Cutlass, Flintlock, and Cannon). He wasn't a very good person. Got along with Tetherion more than Jess, mainly because Teth was the oldest and the heir. Naturally he's pretty concerned with producing the male heir. Odessa got through her second child and died soon after Jess was born of pneumonia. Tetherion married Iliana, a Princess from The Octent Sea. She died in childbirth giving birth to her twins Natherious and Datherious. Dath being the oldest, you've already heard some stuff about him. lol.

Jess did not marry Sysara, however, they had two children. Sysara you will hear about, so I won't say much about her, as well as Jess. They had two children, William and Barren. William is the oldest...he's also the meanest and he doesn't like Jess. In fact, he kills his father to gain favor as a politician in Maris. Barren will always loathe him for this.

Barren marries Kiera and they have one of the sweetest relationships ever. Kiera is the daughter of Lord Christopher Lee, one of Barren's enemies. They basically eloped in order to marry.

That's all I can tell you! (Well, not all...but I have to be careful!).

Hope you enjoyed!

A-Z Challenge: E

E is for Elves!

I love Elves. I fell in love with them when I read the Lord of the Rings, as I am sure we all did. ;) This gets kinda complicated and my posts are super short because I can't give a lot away. :/

My Elves, well...I'm not sure how much they vary, but they are the only race in The Orient that practice magic. These people were once looked up to because of their power. When you meet my Elves, there aren't many left. They live on an Island called Aurum and like to be around water. I love thinking about their lore because they are a very connected people. They have oral traditions and because of this, most of their history does not pass to the world beyond their boarders. They are a feared people in the time you meet them in my book--they are sort of seen as a myth. When people see them out of their native land, they are often struck by their appearance because it is other-worldly. They are folk who try to stay out of the progress of the rest of the world and are governed by their own king (Tetherion does not rule over their lands, Aurum is in the far South of The Orient).

The Royal Line looks like this:

 King Linden --- Queen Fira 
                      |
         Leaf           Limb 

It's not much, really. It's hard to have an extensive family tree when you live forever, lol.  Leaf and Limb are twins and they have their own complicated story. You'll learn about that sometime.

Leaf is a rebellious prince. He decided he wanted to be a pirate, so he ran off and joined Barren's crew (before that he did some things he regrets, got some people killed...ya know...pirate stuff). Sometimes it's hard to remember he is a prince. He has blonde hair, sea-green eyes, and likes to sail (of course). He is Barren's best friend. Despite his rebellious nature, he'd do anything for his people and Barren.

When the twins were younger, Leaf saved Limb from drowning. Limb was really never the same around water again. Which really sucks cause he's surrounded by it! Of the two, Limb is the quietest and not really the leader, so it's sort of hard for him to be left by his brother.

I write about Elves in another book I'm working on called SOULLESS. I think this world will deal specifically with Elves and Fairies.

My Elves are split into difference races:

Blood Elves
Arethian Elves
Water Elves

There will probably be more, I can't see the world very clearly. These three are all at war...oh, and the Arethian Elves don't really exist anymore. Only one does and she's out for her revenge!

A-Z Challenge: D

D is for my character Datherious.

There isn't a lot I can actually tell you about Datherious (not because there isn't a lot, because i'll give away too much). He has dark eyes and dark hair. He wil usually try to keep it shorter. Sometimes he has a beard...when he wants to be older. He's very quiet, but observant. Don't go thinking he's not looking, cause he is! So is his brother. LOL.

He looks a little like this:

He has a twin named Natherious, and he is the oldest. He acts as a leader.
I like writing about twins because I am one. lol.
His nickname is Dath.
He is also a Prince.
When you meet him, he will not want his title as prince.

Datherious is a very interesting name. And I'm not sure where I got it from...but I always liked it. His father is named Tetherion. His mother died at childbrith.

A-Z Challenge: C

I decided for this one C would be for Cove, but I would give you a short story instead. It's probably not well-edited, but I hope you like it, none-the-less! :)

...and in reality, it's not that short. LOL. It's 4851 words. It WILL have errors and who knows what else, but I thought this would be fun for everyone...and you'd get to see the context of some of the things I posted for Blogfests earlier in the year.

You can go here to read Cove & Sara's story.

I will probably just leave this up temporarily. So, enjoy while it's there! :)

A-Z Challenge: B

Today is the letter B! (I feel like I'm on sesame street!)

B is for Barren, my MC.

Or if you like the cartoon one:

He's the second from the left. 

I decided I would interview Barren for this one:

*Barren acts like he's comfortable in his chair, but really isn't*
Me: So, are you ready? These are tough questions!

Barren: As ready as I'm going to be. 

Me: Okay then. First question: What do you like most about yourself?

Barren: *quiet for a long moment* I guess I can say I like myself now. I like who I am now. 

Me: Can you elaborate? 

Barren: *uneasy* I regret many things in my past. I am a pirate, after all...I'll let you guess as to why I hate the person I was.

Me: *nods in understand* What would your best friend say was your best attribute? 

Barren: *laughs* Leaf would say I didn't have one. *pause* Maybe my selflessness. 

Me: What about the worst attribute?

Barren: selflessness. 

Me: By this point in your life, what do you regret most? 

Barren: *shifts uneasily* Murder. 

Me: *shutters* Are we supposed to think you're a good person? 

Barren: *pause* I hope you do. 

A-Z Challenge: A

Today is the letter A!

I decided my A-Z challenge would be themed for my characters. I have a lot of A characters, but on this one, I have to go with someone from Cutlass because otherwise, I might give too much away. I wish I could introduce everyone to the new characters in Flintlock, but that'll just have to wait!

So, the character of the day is Alex McCloud!

I think Donald Sutherland would be close to what Alex looks like..with a few exceptions.

 

By the time my main character, Barren, meets Alex, he's in his 60's, but he's still sailing. He began as a member of Jess' crew (Barren's father). His face is pretty scarred, he's even missing an eye. Alex is very wise, and, along with Devan, helps Barren connect a lot of the holes in his past. He introduces Barren and Cove which becomes an invaluable friendship.  He is married to Mary McCloud and they have no children, but really take to John Reed, Barren's nephew.

I like to think of Alex as a grandfather figure...

One who really likes guns. lol.