The Beauty of Poems // I bought my friend's poetry book!!!

You probably noticed in my vlog on Friday, that I read out a poem written by Julia Ryan. And not only that, but it was read out from an actual physical paperback book.

That, my friends, is because Julia Ryan has her AMAZING poetry available to buy.

Hence today you get a post with lots of beautiful photos (credit to my sister - obviously) and not very many words (I blame camp nano).

When I heard the news, I was so super insanely excited. I bought it that day. And YES, it was, like, a bit over twenty dollars (what with converting US dollars to AUD + postage) but that's the price I have to pay for about 80% of new books. And this was absolutely and definitely worth every cent.

"I laugh a lot

for no good reason

sometimes

I just catch myself doing it

and then I grin

and keep on laughing"

"her laugh

it's changed

it seems a bit more open

almost a bit more

f r e e "

 

"I thought that books were

harmless enough

but I was wrong

they aren't just a bunch of words

printed out on paper

they play with your mind

giving you a sensation

of a world

you are yet to be a part of"

Poetry is such a beautiful gift. Reading through this was so amazing and I could honestly feel the realness that was behind each poem. Every poem has a story that shows just a little bit of the author's heart. The part of them that isn't often on display for anyone to see. 

That's one of the things that I love most about poetry and about songs and about writing. It's all like a little glimpse into a deeper person.

"you have to be brave

to let people in

to trust them

with your story

and heart

and love

you can't just run away

bc you are scared"

. . .

"be brave

trust in God

and then

my dear friend

you will find beauty"

I know that with some of my artistic creations (using words, of course, because drawing/paint = nooope) I pour my time and my energy into it and there is so much of me in the stories and the characters and the words and phrases. 

To be entrusted with reading someone else's story and heart should be just as scary as telling people yours. Because we're handling something that is so close to them that it should be frightening. And for me, it is. But in a way that makes me excited and so alive.

Because we've got to be brave, even if it doesn't feel like we can be. 


Check out the lovely Julia Ryan at her blogging corner of the internet to find out more about this wonderful person - and hop over to her poetry blog for some of her amazing works!!
Blog - The Barefoot Gal
Poetry blog(!!!) - Twilight to Dawn
and don't forget to check out her 'my poetry book' page and BUY IT NOW.

Do you like reading or writing poetry?
(if the answer is yes - shoo, off you go and buy Julia's book. If the answer is no. . . off with you and do it anyways)

Wisteria Writer's Tag // apparently it's tagging time

And after ages of silence in the tagging realm SUDDENLY TWO TAGS WITHIN A WEEK OF EACH OTHER.

Boom.

This time it's the Wisteria Writer's Tag which is perfect because it's Camp NaNo and this should fit right in.

and yes I know they're Rain Lillies or something like that, not Wisteria, but shhhh. Still flowers. :P

Thank you to Brianna for tagging me! (everyone go check out her snazzy new blog)

Rules:
1. Thank the blogger who nominated you.
2. Answer the ten questions asked.
3. Add ten (writing or book related) questions of your own.
4. Nominate people.

1. Why did you start writing?

Because my older sister started. And older sisters always do the cool things.
So naturally I copied her.
I had no idea what I was getting myself into.


2. What is your favorite book on writing?

Creating Character Arcs - K. M. Weiland
BECAUSE YES. GO BUY AND READ IT RIGHT NOW.
Also I won this in a giveaway and that was so cool because the giveaway hosts actually bothered to make the effort to send an actual paperback copy all the way to Australia. How cool is that??


3. Who's your favorite character to date?

How can I choose between all my precious babies??? YOU CAN'T ASK ME TO DO THIS.
I think maybe- BUT NO. I cannot do this. *curls up under a blanket and hides from the question*


4. What's your favorite way to write? (pen and paper, computer, typewriter, dictation, etc.)

Usually just computer/laptop, because that's the easiest and quickest. ALTHOUGH I do want to try a just pen-paper novel sometime because that would be super cool.

But can I just bring up that dictation is an option?? I WANT TO MEET SOMEONE WHO USES THIS METHOD. I could not possibly do that. Whenever I try tell a story out loud my brain goes on strike.


5. Plot first or Character first?

I have this thing called an obsession with theme and character arcs. Theme first. Always.
In plotting my Camp NaNo novel at last minute, I did it in the order of 
1) characters 
2) theme 
3) character arcs 
4) world building 
5) oh wait yes I also need an actual plot. 
(step five was completed 12 hours before Camp NaNo began)


6. Writing essentials? (coffee, a blanket, chocolate, etc.)

Basically the same list that I gave in my post last Monday. XD But just to change it up a little, another thing I like to have when writing (I've discovered this in the last week) is physical things. I printed out my face-claims for my main cast of characters, and it's been SO COOL. Also I did all my theme, character arcs, character profiles, world building, and plot stuff in one notebook. And that's been really good and I'm definitely doing it again.


7. Favorite quote about writing?

That has got to be one of my favourites. I think it's such an important thing to remember, and it's what I keep reminding myself as I'm writing my first drafts.

And right now I'm SURE there's some really really cool quote about writing that I have written down somewhere but I can't remember. So this'll have to do. :P


8. What's your current work-in-progress about?

OKAY YES. *grabs out handily written synopsis*
Actually no. I have no synopsis. Or pitch line. Or any of that stuff.

Basically it's a sci fi novella with hints of fairy tales, not very much green, a smol determined girl called Michayla and a stiff, logical and secretly insecure guy called Braden (who also happens to wear a suit and sunglasses constantly)
Oh yes and it's titled A Sprig of Green if I hadn't already mentioned that.


9. Music or silence?

It honestly depends on my mood. Usually I'm a very music-y person, and I've got playlists for all my characters. But then sometimes I just don't want to have music. And particularly editing, I'm not keen on having music. But again, it depends. Sometimes I like it with editing too.


10. What is the one thing you wish you'd known when you started writing?

Sometimes I think about going back in time, calmly placing my hand on my younger self's shoulder and saying: YOU'RE NEVER GOING TO BE PERFECT, JANE. DEAL WITH IT AND KEEP DOING THE THING. YOU'LL BE FINE.
Also maybe: JEEZ DO A BIT MORE RESEARCH.

*bows* And then my younger self would be terrified and quit writing right away. So I'm not sure there'd actually be any point at all.

Time travel makes everything complicated.


Now I get to think up questions and tag people and ack isn't it exciting?? I'm actually following the rules. *cue shocked gasps from all the readers*


1) What inspired the idea for your current WIP (work in progress), and how long have you had the idea?
2) What are you most looking forward to about this WIP?
3) Have you ever dreamed about your characters?
4) How do you go about naming your characters?
5) Do you plan out your theme?
6) Do you discover the MBTI thing of your characters? (if so, what are the types of your WIP protagonists?)
7) Have you a favourite genre to write in? (or do you like switching it up randomly)
8) What is a big inspiration for you in writing? (a person, book, quote, scenery, ect.)
9) Are you competitive in your word counts, or more chill and relaxed?
10) Do you like sharing small snippets of your work? (*hint hint* :P)


AND THE PEOPLES I AM TAGGING:
(note to said tagged peoples: if you don't want to do this that's fine by me I only spent half the day thinking up these wasted ten questions ahem)

Sarah // Novus Papilio

Clare // Clare's Spot

Quinley // Adventure Awaits

And everyone else who I didn't mention because really I just don't want to make you feel obliged to do this because you mightn't want to. If you haven't done this before, please consider yourself tagged. Like, honestly. Do. Please. I want to see your answers. DO ALL THE ANSWERING, OKAY? :P

Or else you could just answer them in the comments, because I'm a curious person.


Do you make character or story playlists?
(drop me a link if you do!!! Mine are on my youtube channel: here)
What's your's or your character's MBTI??
(as I said, I'm curious. :P)

The Reluctant Godfather - Allison Tebo // Blog Tour

You know those times that you pick up a book, read the first page and just know you're going to enjoy it?

Quite recently, I had one of those wonderful experiences. And I wasn't let down at all. The book -as you have probably guessed by now- was The Reluctant Godfather, by Allison Tebo. I was very privileged to be given a free copy of the book to review, and can I just say that I'm very glad I accepted. Because a) free books can never go wrong xD and b) keep reading to find out why :P

So today, I'm participating in the blog tour in honour of this quirky, funny, Cinderella retelling.

What were my thoughts on this book? Glad you asked.

It was VERY GOOD INDEED. Five. shiny. stars.

First off, the characters. Oh goodness yes the characters. *hugs them all very tightly* (*except for the nasty ones*) They all had arcs and growth through the story that was done so. well. And for a Cinderella retelling, you might think there's only so many options available. BUT NO. These characters are not typical or cliche. Not at all. Let me explain.

-Burndee is sarcastic and grumpy and NEAT. <3 I loved him right from the very first moment because yess it was so cool and unique.

-Ella is sweet and seems naive until she shifts and you get to see a thoughtful deeper side of her that is just beautiful and real.

-Prince Colin admittedly wasn't my favourite, but I still really enjoyed him anyway. I would've liked it better if I'd gotten to see more of him, because as it was I was slightly unsure of the twists and turns of his character and personality.

-And Cynthia and Portia and de Ghent and all of the rest. They were all really well done and written in such a realistic and believable way.

This is a Cinderella retelling so of course there's romance. I'm mostly 'eh' about romance in books, but I know it can be done well. But in The Reluctant Godfather I really enjoyed it. It was done perfectly and I have absolutely nothing to protest about. Except [SPOILER] (highlight text to read) - maybe the very last scene after "they" married? I don't know but it just seemed a little bit forced and didn't quite fit as perfectly as it could have. But hey, I can deal with that. -

I really loved the entire writing style. I absolutely adored the snarky humour and I actually laughed aloud at least once. Basically all the cliches that had a chance in this story were tipped right upside down. For starts, it's a fairy godfather. A smart prince who is actual real and human and won't just toss his life away to any random beautiful lady who has a small foot. A Cinderella who is sweet and hard working and yet is different than every other retelling I've read.

And I have to mention the plot twists. Admittedly, I guessed the main twist waaay before it happened, but that's not too unexpected. And it was still really cool and basically the whole climax had me on edge and giggling and frustrated all at the same time.

Overall, this was a wonderful, easy read. And the main character bakes pastries and cakes. YOU CAN'T GO WRONG THERE. Trust me. Read this and you won't regret it.

Recommended for everyone. It doesn't matter whether you like whimsical fairy tales or not. Think about the grouchy baker, okay? And the cakes and pastries. It'll be great, I promise.

- - -

- the book -

A humorous and magical re-telling of Cinderella from a unique perspective.

Burndee is a young and cantankerous fairy godfather, who would rather bake cakes than help humans. A disgrace to the fairy order, Burndee has only two wards entrusted to his care…a cinder girl and a charming prince.

A royal ball presents Burndee with the brilliant solution of how to make his wards happy with the least amount of effort. He’ll arrange a meeting and hope the two fall in love.

- the author -

ALLISON TEBO is a Christian homeschool graduate in her mid-twenties, who works part time as a sales associate for a major transportation company.  A graduate of London Art College, Allison pursues avenues in cartooning and illustrating as well as singing and voice acting.
In her spare time she writes and blogs at www.allisonswell.com.

It is her goal to write fiction that appeals to many different kinds of people, by writing clean, classic fun.

Her faith in Christ directly influences all she writes about — or does not write about.  Whether the story possesses a strong message or is simply fun and imaginative fiction — her desire is to bring honour to God and to provide quality stories for everyone to enjoy.

- - -

- the giveaway - 

Allison is also hosting an amazing giveaway on her website - prizes including a signed paperback copy of The Reluctant Godfather.

Unfortunately this is ONLY OPEN TO U.S. RESIDENTS. 
(So all fellow Aussies (and other 'international' places) don't get your hopes up. Come visit me and I'll lend you my copy instead. Maybe we could even forge Allison's signature and pretend it was signed? The options are unlimited.)

But for you lucky American peoples, hop over -this link here- to look at the amazing assortment of things Allison has all for free.

- - -

“You humans certainly have your hearts set on being happy, don’t you?”

- Burndee, The Reluctant Godfather

- - -

Are you all ready to give this book a closer look now?
(if not PLEASE SPEAK TO ME AND I WILL CHANGE YOUR MIND. You're welcome, in advance)
Are there any of 'those books' that you've read and fallen in love with at first sight?
(such romance. Love at first sight. xP)

Explore Leira Blog Tour: K is for Ky Huntyr

I have a thing for characters by the name of Ky. (Cai, Kai and Kye work too.) When I stumbled across the Songkeeper Chronicles (actually, it was probably my sister who found them, but I do enough stumbling for us both so yeah.) (I'm not sure how that side note got so off track in one sentence.) I fell in love with Ky Huntyr immediately.

And today you guys get to hear all about him!!!

Author Gillian Bronte Adams is here today and she's going to give a rundown of this super epic Ky-fellow who Jane won't stop flailing over.

So without further ramblings, I'll hand over the stage to Gillian!

- - -

Thanks, Jane, for hosting me here and helping me celebrate the (almost) one year book birthday for Songkeeper! (If this is your first encounter with the blog tour, we are continuing a series of alphabet posts looking at the world and characters and magical creatures of the Songkeeper Chronicles. And you can follow the tour at Gillian's website and find a list of all the stops at #exploreleira tour.) And we also have an awesome giveaway that you can enter at the end!

Today, we’re looking at the letter …

K is for Ky Huntyr

Oddly enough, it is sometimes easier to write one of these spotlight posts about a minor or secondary character than one of the major point of view characters. I’m not entirely sure why. Perhaps because there is so much information about these main characters spinning around inside my head, that it’s hard to translate that firestorm into words on a page.


So what is it that makes Ky who he is? He is not the biggest or the strongest, not the fastest or the bravest, not the smartest or the most well-spoken. He isn’t always right, even when he is convinced that he is. But he has conviction and the courage to back it up, and he cares deeply about those he seeks to protect.

Ky lives in the occupied city of Kerby. Five years before the events of Orphan’s Song, the soldiers of the Takhran, the Khelari, took over the city. They established a digging works along the banks of the River Adayn just outside the city walls. Not long after, people began to disappear. Taken, by the dark soldiers.

Three years before Orphan’s Song, Ky’s parents were taken. Forced onto the streets, he found refuge and a new “home” in the Underground, where he was paired as a “younger brother” to Dizzier to learn the ropes. 
When it came to training, Dizzier preferred to literally hammer his point home with punches. Ky is too free-thinking for his own good. In the Underground, survival is key … but Ky just couldn’t master the art of survival at the expense of others. Somewhere in between dodging dark soldiers, avoiding Dizzier, and nicking enough bread and apples from the market to contribute his fair share, Ky met Paddy and made a fast friend.


Paddy chuckled softly. “You’re such a fool, y’ know that, Ky?”
He snorted. “Thanks, friend.”
–Orphan’s Song


In many ways, Paddy is far more his brother than Dizzier.

For a weapon, Ky chose a sling that he wears wrapped around his waist like a belt. Like all in the Underground, he must undergo sword training in the Ring, but something about the blades always strikes him as unbalanced and clunky. He will wield a blade in a pinch, but only then.

We see the roots of Ky’s character in Orphan’s Song but he really blossoms and grows in Songkeeper. When the world falls apart, a person’s true mettle is revealed, and that is true of Ky. He’s got guts and plenty of them. We love to see heroes overcome, and Ky is an overcomer. Knock him down, and he’ll drag himself back to his feet. Weaving and staggering to keep from falling again.

But standing ... and sometimes that is enough.


Cade was halfway across the room by the time Ky managed to lurch to his feet. Head spinning, he yanked the sling from his waist, snatched a rock from the cavern floor, and relying on feel rather than sight, sent it zinging against the blade in Cade’s hand.
He spat out a mouthful of blood and forced himself to stand straight. “The fight’s not over.”
– Songkeeper


What makes Ky who he is?

His indomitable spirit. He simply will not give up. Driven by conviction and hope, he rises and rises and rises again, determined to stand for what he believes to be right.


Trivia Question: What item does Ky “nick” in the market place in Orphan’s Song to earn a place in Cade’s approval?

What character qualities do you admire most in your favorite characters?

- - -

Check out the links below for a place to purchase the books:

Amazon: Orphan’s Song, Songkeeper

Barnes and Nobles: Orphan’s Song, Songkeeper

And before you leave, don’t forget to enter the giveaway! 

One lucky winner will take home a copy of Orphan’s Song, Songkeeper, and a gorgeous handmade mug. Two lucky winners will take home copies of Songkeeper! Open to international entries. Enter through the Rafflecopter below and be sure to visit Gillian's website to continue following the blog tour. You can earn new entries for each post that you visit along the way. 
Winners will be announced after April 15th.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

GILLIAN BRONTE ADAMS is a sword-wielding, horse-riding, coffee-loving speculative fiction author from the great state of Texas. During the day, she manages the equestrian program at a youth camp. But at night, she kicks off her boots and spurs, pulls out her trusty laptop, and transforms into a novelist. She is the author of Orphan’s Song, Songkeeper, and Out of Darkness Rising. Visit Gillian online at her blog, Twitter, or Facebook page.

- - -

What character qualities do you admire most in your favorite characters?
Interested in reading these books yet?
(hint: the answer is yes)
Check out my reviews here: Orphan's Song, Songkeeper

Rejoice in the Day

Christmas is nigh. And with Christmas comes much busyness. Last minute organizing presents (if you're anything like me- cough cough), getting decorations up, music, family, finishing up school for the year.

But through all of that one thing should stand out.

Joy.

Christmas is to bring joy and hope and peace to the world. In the most amazing example of selfless, sacrificial love, God sent his Son to us -His enemies- to show us his awesomeness and to die to give us new life.

Life can be stressful, and Christmas too. But through that, can't we take the time to step out of the chaos and really realise what it is that we're celebrating?

For me, I love the chance of holidays to just pull out of the humdrum of day-to-day life and be reminded to marvel at the amazing and awesome things our God has done, and to give Him all the glory.

An internet friend of mine recently did a post on A Time of Peace and that was partially my inspiration for this. It made me start thinking about what I actually think of when I hear the word Christmas. Do I skip to thinking about food and fun and water fights and miss the all-so-obvious Christ? It seems so obvious, and yet it's still so easy to forget.

One of the Christmas songs I quite like is 'Born is the King (It's Christmas)' because the words are so true, and I feel that they really display how Christmas is a time to celebrate Jesus. And to celebrate him joyfully.

It's a time to lift up your voice and sing His praise. A time to rejoice with great joy. Because even though life is tough, He is shaping us, and He is working in us. And we can't lose this fight.

Because in Christ the victory is already won.

And if that isn't something to rejoice about, I don't know what is.

So take the time to feel the joy! Pause in the busyness and thank our great God for all that He has done. 

Spare a moment or two, and REJOICE.

This year might've been tough at times, with its fair share of tears and fears and laughter. And maybe next year is looming ahead with deadlines and plans and things that are just so impossibly far beyond your control. And y'know what?

That's okay.

Because our God is bigger than anything we could ever face in this world. And He is holding our lives in His hands.

I can't think of a safer place to be.

Go spread some Christmas joy!

The Tag of Description

As I promised, here is another tag! The Describe Tag, where you basically describe a bunch/five of your characters. Fun!

Hey look, I actually used the proper picture for once! :)

Here are the rules: oh wait. There are no rules. But just so you guys all know what I'm doing, I'll write out the assumed rules in a ruley sounding way (and proceed to break half a dozen of them).

1. Choose five (or more) characters of your creation to participate

2. Answer the questions about them

3. Tag one person per character*

(*Cool optional: choose a person who you think is similar to the character)

4. I think that's basically it now

5. It took me so long to think up all that

6. I hope you appreciate it

7. This is the last rule

8. Just kidding

There, I've got two rules I'll actually follow and half a dozen to break. All set to go then!

So I picked five characters from my current WIP Monsieur Scattlocke: Will Scattlocke, Emir Salib/Ben Kit, Alexis Kit, Allan Adell and General Somethingorother (No seriously. His name is General Somethingorother. I haven't thought up anything better yet).

Here goes. Will first.

Monsieur Will Scattlocke 

(more widely known in the Great Federation as the outlaw William Escarlate)

Is the character magical?

No, I wouldn't really say that. Unless you call surviving for seven years as a world-wide outlaw magical. Aside from that, none of these guys are magic.


Is the character mean, loud, quiet, reserved, etc.?

I'd say he was more reserved than the other options. He's a good leader (hence he becomes the leader of the Sherwood outlaws) and a good run-away-from-the-Great-Federation-er. He's had plenty of practice with that.


Is the character the main character of the book it's in?

Eh...yes. Hence the title Monsieur Scattlocke. It's kinda his famous cover name. (heh, get it. cover name. No? Never mind then.)


What hair colour (if applicable) does the character have? 

Can I just point out the 'if applicable'? I mean, were they going to have no hair? Actually...I don't think I've ever had a character with no hair...but that's kinda beside the point.

Will's hair is dark brown. Like, really dark brown, almost black.


What is your character? Human or other?

He's a superhero! Er, nope. Not actually. He's just your ordinary young mastermind escape artist. He's also been an outlaw for seven years. Ever since he stole a loaf of stale bread for his starving sister, got conscripted into the army, ran away, got caught again, ran away again...and so on. He had a happy childhood as you can tell.


Good or bad?

I would hope the main character was good...So yes. He's good.


My description: 

Erm...come to think of it. I don't think I've ever described him in words before...Always a first time! I'll do it from Merian Fitzwalter's (she's the maid Marian kind of person) point of view, just to make it interesting.

“Something tapped against the window. Merian jolted awake, confused for a moment to find herself slumped at the writing desk.

The window slid up with a scrape, allowing a gust of cold wind into the room.

A dark figure vaulted through the open window, landing lithely on the floor. The outlaw had kept his promise after all.

Straightening, the slim man stepped forward into the flickering light of the lantern. A black mask covered the top half of his face, matching the rest of his raiment. Dark hair fell across his forehead, not quite concealing the eyes – bright in the candlelight.

Overall, he looked just like what he was: the leader of the infamous band of outlaws.

Monsieur Scattlocke himself.”

Emir Salib 

(otherwise know as AusIntel Agent Benjamin Kit)

Is the character magical?

Well...let's see. Again, it really depends on your idea of magical...If you count dashing charm and boyish good looks...? Not to mention a brilliant sense of humour, an amazing talent at getting lost (I mean, he was sent to the Middle East and he ended up in Britain. Go figure), and not too bad a shot with his gun.


Is the character mean, loud, quiet, reserved, etc.?

He's hilariously funny of course. An awkward, quirky kind of person, I'd call him.


Is the character the main character of the book it's in?

Well...about that. He's also in the sequel to Monsieur Scattlocke and is the main character then so...it counts as a yes. It's actually only in the sequel that you discover who he really is (and that his name is actually Benjamin Kit not Emir) and all that. You guys are all getting the spoilers. :)


What hair colour (if applicable) does the character have?

Brown. Lightish brown and...that's about it.


What is your character? Human or other?

Definitely human. But Australian, which, with the circumstances in the world, is basically as strange as a random elf hanging around.


Good or bad?

Good. Although some of his jokes are undoubtedly bad. A good deal are good though.


My description:

Again, I don't think I do much straight out describing of the characters in the book. I prefer to just put in little details here and there so people know what he looks like but aren't blinded by the blindingly obvious descriptions. I'll stick in a scene between Emir/Ben and his older sister Alexis (Ben calls her Lexi, just so you know) so you can get a kinda idea of them. Personality-wise, rather than physical. 

“Voices. There were a lot of voices. They sounded strangely familiar, particularly the one just next to his…bed? Where was he anyway? Ben pushed aside the fog of nothingness and cracked open his eyes.

“He’s awake,” someone said. “Maybe.”

Ben blinked again, scanning the room. Two people stood by the door, a doctor at the foot of his bed, and then he saw Lexi. She knelt by his bed, eyes anxiously watching him.

“Lexi?” he groaned hopefully.

Relief flooded his sister’s stormy eyes, a smile breaking out. “Oh Ben,” she said, then sat back, her relief instantly traded for criticism. “Britain?” she began. “You are sent to the Middle East to gather information and you end up in Britain?”

“I got lost,” Ben protested lamely.

“You can say that again,” Lexi rolled her eyes.

“I got—” the words were cut off as she put her hand over his mouth.

“I can't believe you could be such an idiot,” she started, then broke. “But you’re alive.” Diving forward she wrapped Ben in a hug.

He ignored the pain, hugging her back. “I missed you,” he murmured into her hair.

Lexi drew back. “You missed me?” she asked, her voice rising with incredulity. “You missed me? I thought you were dead.”

Ben started to reply but she held up a hand. “And you were actually taking a holiday in Britain and breaking the Great Federation’s most wanted outlaw out of jail. Honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised if they take your badge.”

“They’re not planning to, are they?” Ben asked in alarm.

“You’d better come up with some good excuses, moron,” she said, eyes meeting his lovingly.

“What about ‘I am a moron’?” Ben suggested.

“No need to state the obvious,” she retorted with a smile.”

Alexis Lilianna Kit

Is the character magical?

Nope. She's nice, but not magic.


Is the character mean, loud, quiet, reserved, etc.?

She's a reasonably reserved and quiet person, (as in, not crazy hyper) although for Ben she can be the bossy big sister. And then with her job with the AusIntel (Australian Intelligence) she has to order people around a bit at least, and she's pretty good at that.


Is the character the main character of the book it's in?

Nah, but I have considered that if I can think up the idea for a third book she could take her turn at the main-character-ing. But that's all still a while away and my brain will explode if I think too hard about writing a trilogy. A far too terrifying thought.


What hair colour (if applicable) does the character have?

Erm, brown. Dark brown this time, but not as dark as Will's.


What is your character? Human or other?

Last I checked she was human.


Good or bad?

Good. Yeah, Lexi's definitely good. Good at a lot of things. Like calling her brother a moron.


My description:

I'm just going to make something up this time: She's amusing at times, not as much as Ben naturally. She is medium height and build, 19, and engaged to someone I haven't named yet. She looks a bit like the picture:

Allan Adell

(the Monsieur Scattlocke version of Alan-a-Dale)

Is the character magical?

Again. Nope. Maybe I should've just gotten rid of this question. He's reasonably good at playing his lute, and can probably play something that sounds magical.


Is the character mean, loud, quiet, reserved, etc.?

Reserved, I reckon. He was with Robin Hood (who is a complete idiot, by the way, that's why Will eventually took over the leading of the outlaws) for quite a while but never got brave enough to actually protest about anything. He's a follower sort of guy.

And he's quite amusing when he starts falling in love with Avice the shepherdess.


Is the character the main character of the book it's in?

No, but he's Will's second-in-command kind of person. A bit like what Will Scarlet is normally to Robin Hood in the slightly less unusual retellings.


What hair colour (if applicable) does the character have?

Redish brown, but I can't say my picture of him is terribly clear. (very annoying) I'm getting it slowly.


What is your character? Human or other?

He's an outlaw minstrel who ain't that bad at archery. Assuredly human.


Good or bad?

Guess what? Allan's good too. Don't worry, the next one won't be. 


My description:

The picture isn't quite right. I imagine his hair a little browner and less orange. I'm also thinking he's a bit older than it looks in the picture, but it's the best I've got. Allan's about twenty-something, a minstrel, is Will's good friend from as soon as he joins the gang. He meets Avice in a raid on the Sheriff's tax wagons and they get married by Friar Tuck after some amount of time that I haven't worked out yet. You can really see how much of this book is planned out, can't you?

General Somethingorother 

(the leader of the Great Federation and the dude who has no name)

Is the character magical?

Heh. No. Evil. Grumpy. Likes imagining smashing people's faces into walls (and probably does it from time to time). But not magical.


Is the character mean, loud, quiet, reserved, etc.?

As I said, he likes imagining smashing peoples faces into walls (particularly his IT-expert who is the one person who can get away with annoying him).


Is the character the main character of the book it's in?

General Somethingorother is the Big Bad Villain Dude. Absolutely not the main character. He mostly comes into play in book two (which I should say, is called Agent Kit at this stage) when he really kicks into his evilness.


What hair colour (if applicable) does the character have?

I haven't really spent much time imagining this guy. He's hair's black, and always slicked back perfectly. And looks evil. There. I just thought that up off the top of my head, hopefully it'll be okay.


What is your character? Human or other?

Evil villain dude, and luckily human. Though his IT-expert (Milson) helps him work out some stuff that could be considered slightly inhuman.


Good or bad?

BAD. Mwahahahahaha!


My description:

I don't even have a picture for this guy. Just do your best to imagine a grumpy villain who killed his own dad to get his position, the leader of literally half the world, person who generally kills the people who annoy him (except for Milson 'cause no one else is as good as him), and a bunch of other evil stuff.

Not to mention the fact that he wants to execute Will and make Ben die a slow and painful death for interfering with those plans of execution.



So there we go. The tag of Description. And I only did rule one and two so I actually did break half a dozen. I sadly don't know that many bloggers, and certainly none who are like General Somethingorother (phew). For Ben I'd have to tag myself (heheh) and Will...I have no clue. Lexi and Allan likewise. 

I hope you enjoyed this rather long tag of characters. If you wanna do it, sure, go ahead! I'd love to see your answers. 

Fair Winds!

Jane Maree

Brotherband Book Six: The Ghostfaces

Okaaay, so this post has taken a while in coming because I've been slack on my 'Ranger's Apprentice and Brotherband new books Watch' so I only recently (as in, about half a month ago) found out more than slight rumors.

Here is the cover...

Meh, no cover yet, but I'm sure it'll turn up soon enough (and quite possibly I'll do another blog post on it). 

But here is the synopsis. This'll probably change and be refined slightly before the release date but it's all I've got so far.

(Wait for it...)

When the Brotherband crew are caught in a massive storm at sea, they’re blown far off course and wash up on the shores of a land so far west that Hal can’t recognize it from any of his maps. Eerily, the locals are nowhere in sight, yet the Herons have a creeping feeling they are being watched.

Suddenly the silence is broken when a massive, marauding bear appears, advancing on two children. The crew springs into action and rescues the children from the bear’s clutches, which earns them the gratitude and friendship of the local Mawagansett tribe, who finally reveal themselves. But the peace is short-lived. The Ghostfaces, a ruthless, warlike tribe who shave their heads and paint their faces white, are on the warpath once more. It’s been ten years since they raided the Mawagansett village, but they’re coming back to pillage and reap destruction. As the enemy approaches, the Herons gear up to help their new friends repel an invasion.

In this sixth book in the action-packed Brotherband Chronicles, the Herons find themselves in unfamiliar lands and prepare for battle with a ruthless, unknown enemy.

It sounds kinda interesting and strange at the same time. Also sounds just slightly similar to stories about Leif Erikson discovering America...Hmmm, I wonder...

I'm really looking forward to reading it though. But wait! I haven't told you the release date! There are slight conflicting resources on this point. Random House Australia says that it's in May but other places say June...I'll just go with the May one 'cause Random House is the publisher so if they don't know I'll start getting worried. (Also, the June one might be American but I really dunno.)

16/05/2016

That is the hopefully, maybe release date of Brotherband Six - The Ghostfaces!!!

Read this series everyone, I'm telling you for the...er...somethingth time, but you really should. 

I also discovered here that apparently there's going to be another book about Will and Maddie and at least one more prequel. I reckon there should be something about Gillan's apprenticeship, because that sounds extremely amusing...

Anyway, I'm keeping a half-watch for the cover and will hopefully do a post to show you all what it looks like. Anyone else dying (not literally) to read it? And, if not dying, really looking forward to it?

Fare Thee Well!