The world spins madly on...

Revisions

2008-07-18T18:05:07Z

I haven't written anything in months. Then, this morning, out of nowhere, Kellen and Braeden and Kyle started chattering away on the drive to work. And so I am starting revisions on what was once titled The Bargain, new title as-of-yet-unknown.

Here is the first, VERY rough, page:

The empty shot glass spun across the bar. It caught the light and cast a shimmering rainbow over the dark mahogany wood. A second later, it hit the floor and shattered.

Kellen’s head hit the bar with it.

The cool, damp surface felt good against her overheated cheek. She closed her eyes and tried not to think about the grime and stickiness she rested on. There were, after all, far worse things to think about.

Like her mother.

“Kellen, that’s disgusting. Pick your head up.”

Her best friend Jordan’s voice pierced the haze of alcohol and numbness. Kellen shook her head.

“Whatever.”

Jordan sighed, an exasperated noise that grated on Kellen’s nerves. She should tell her best friend to head home without her, that she would be fine walking home. The bartender and owner of Sanctuary, Dom, would take care of her as he usually did. She would tell Jordan to go, just as soon… as her head… stopped spinning.

“Get up, Kellen. Now. Dom, help me.”

A sharp tug on Kellen’s arm and she was suddenly upright, stumbling through the hazy bar, supported by Jordan on one side and Dom’s tall, burly form on the other. Patrons watched them as they walked to the rear of the long room. Strange shadows danced high on the walls, reflections of the stained glass windows that stretched up to the steepled ceiling.

Sanctuary was an apt name – before being a gin-soaked hangout for the down and out in the crumbling city, the bar had been a church, old and glorious in its construction. When Dom took the place over, he tore out the pews, upended the dais, but left the statues in shadowed alcoves, the gargoyles perched high on the turrets, and the colorful reflective glass that covered every surface. It gave the place character, he claimed.

Kellen thought it made the structure's transformation even more sanctimonious. Then again, that was part of the reason she loved it so much.

Update...

2008-04-10T23:10:00Z

It was quite an eventful week in my quiet little life! Many bad things, many good things... overall, I'm inclined to say that the good outweighed the bad. Hopefully the rest of my hectic semester will not tip the scales.

Monday: The Good: Elected co-chair of Women's Law Forum at school - position I really wanted. Also appointed treasurer for LGBT caucus. Interview for Volunteer Lawyers Association - spoke with interviewer about Harry Potter Fanfiction (hmmmm). Also received (and accepted) part-time summer research assistant position for head of Legal Research and Writing department: YAYAYAY! The Very Bad: Constitutional Law Professor had a stroke in class!! Luckily, one of best friends at school is a nurse, and she handled the situation brilliantly. Still horrible. He is OK now, in the hospital. Very sad.

Tuesday: SICK! Mono... again :( Boyfriend's birthday, though - somehow managed to throw him a surprise party. Friends drank wine. I drank tea.

Wednesday: SICK! Interview with Judge for summer externship. Was assured by fellow students I would meet with her law clerk for thirty minutes, with Judge for two: law clerk was out sick. Good or bad? Who knows! Spent the entire half hour with the judge, hoping the whole time she wouldn't notice that my glands were so swollen I looked like a dinosaur.

Thursday (today): SICK! But... voicemail during class! FROM JUDGE! GOT JOB! YAYAYAYAY! Summer = Check; part-time paid, part-time unpaid. More than I expected! Also... Constitutional Law Review, practice for Oral Argument.

Friday: Probably still sick. On-call in Civil Procedure. Must read. Also, preparation for Student Bar Association Budget Meetings. Study Group at 2:00.

Saturday: Yup, still sick I'm sure. Budget Meetings for WLF and LGBT in morning. Maybe movie and dinner with boyfriend? Maybe?

Sunday: You got it - stiiiiiillll sick (if I'm pessimistic, I won't be so disappointed when it happens.) Study Group.

Monday: ORAL ARGUMENT DAY!!!! Yup, twelve minutes in front of three judges (aka one district court judge and two volunteer lawyers) defending the Appellate Brief I slaved over for weeks. Hope I do not make a fool of myself. Hope I win. Pray for me. Think SUMMARY JUDGMENT thoughts.

Tuesday-May 15: STUDY, STUDY, STUDY, PASS FINALS, STUDY, STUDY, STUDY!!!

May 15: Collapse.

The Secret to Resurrection...

2008-02-05T14:14:24Z

Lives inside my refrigerator.

This post is not for the squeamish. Last week, I was very happily munching on a bowl of salad - you know, the works, lettuce, tomatoes, shaved carrots, a little scoop of tuna, some cucumbers - when I looked down and said "hey that doesn't look like a piece of lettuce!"

It wasn't. It was a bug. A pretty big sucker, stiff as a board and flat as a pancake. Pretty gross, but not SUPER bad. I mean, it happens, right?

My grandfather (see prior post for a better understanding of these actions) was not too pleased. He insisted on taking the bug and refrigerating it in a little plastic baggy. He was absolutely determined to do research to find out whom he could report this to. This was a week ago. SEVEN DAYS with the bug in its little plastic coffin in the fridge.

He finally got around to calling the FDA yesterday about it - he was sitting at his kitchen table on the phone with the woman. I was sitting across from him, perusing my constitutional law book. The bug - and its open bag - was in between us. I happened to glance down in the middle of his phone conversation. I dropped my book.

THE BUG WAS ALIVE, CHIPPER, AND STROLLING ACROSS THE KITCHEN TABLE.

Cue the screaming, hopping up and down, gag reflex. The bug seemed quite pleased to be causing such general mayhem. The woman from the FDA officially thinks we're nuts, and the man we spoke to from the salad company wants us to send the bug back - presumably to see if it can survive the voyage. I don't *want* to send my bug back. I've named him Frank, for Frankenbug. I don't think I have a choice though.

If they get credit for an elixir of life, I'll be pissed.

The sky is falling!

2008-01-17T00:25:51Z

Let me preface this post by saying that I have one of those wonderful, kooky grandfathers - we call him Joe. He is the type who is always coming up with new inventions (like getting squirrels drunk so he can catch them) and is always salvaging whatever my poor, beleaguered parents try to throw out from our childhood (like half-broken doll carriages).

Picture this: bright orange warning cones block half my driveway, a white plastic lawn chair teeters precariously on a large boulder on the other side of the driveway. The cones prevent my mom from parking in the garage and create a three-car pileup at the very end of my driveway.

Enter my mom:

Mom: Joe? What's with the cones?
Joe: What cones?
Mom: The cones that are stopping me from parking in my own driveway.
Joe: Oh, those cones. They're for the branch.
Mom: What branch?
Joe: The branch that's about to fall.
Mom: Why is the branch about to fall?
Joe: Because I've been trying to pull it down all day!
Mom: Why have you been trying to pull it down?
Joe: Because it's about to fall!
Mom: O-kaaaaaay. Let's try this: what's with the chair?
Joe: I was standing on it, of course, trying to pull the branch down.
Mom: Of course you were.
Joe: I threw the baseball attached to the fishing wire, trying to get it down - but I hit a car that was driving by.
Mom: You hit a car that was driving by??
Joe: Don't worry, they thought it was a nut.
Mom: I need to go hyperventilate now.
Joe: Don't walk near the cones, by the way. The fishing wire's still there.
Mom: No wonder we have no friends.

** Half Hour Later **

Dad storms into the house...

Dad: He's nuts. He's ****ing nuts.
Mom: Don't walk by the cones.
Dad: ** Holding a tangle of wire **
Me: **Dies laughing.**

Treasure Hunt

2008-01-08T20:00:47Z

I am hunting. For what, you ask? It's a logical question.

Unfortunately, my answer is less than logical: yes, 42,000 words and 150+ pages later, I am hunting for a plot.

Plot?

PLOTTTT???

Anybody seen a plot?

Yes, I am still sick and apparently, also delirious.

Still, if anyone finds my plot hitchhiking its way to Vegas with a sign that reads "In the market for a new writer," direct it my way if you please. Thanks.

Teaser Tuesday:

“Sweetie…” Her mom’s voice held a hesitant note.

Kellen raised her head. “What is it?”

“It sounds like you and this Kyle are very attached to each other. Or maybe it’s Braeden… I can’t quite tell.” Shannon tilted her head, frowning. “Either way, you know what a bad idea it is to invest too much in what they tell you.”

“Mom!” Kellen shook her head. “I’m trying to tell you that one of the only two faeries who can help me save your life was just kidnapped by the embodiment of evil, and the other one is not answering my call, and you want to talk to me about my love life?”

“I’m your mother,” Shannon demurred. “Of course I want to talk about your love life.”

Revision Frenzy

2007-11-17T04:52:13Z

"If you should die before me, ask if you can bring a friend." Stone Temple Pilots.

If there is one quote to sum up the entirety of my novel, Bonded, this is it.

And I think, thanks to jengt's awesome critique, I have finally finished revising it. For this time, anyway.

I'm exhausted, but very pleased.

Goodnight everyone!!

Teaser Tuesday

2007-11-06T17:31:24Z

Braeden chuckled. The sound had a rusty quality to it. “No, I’m sure it won’t.” His eyes bored into hers. “If you’re not happy in this world, you could always come back to mine.”

“Yeah, because you made it sound so appealing,” Kellen shot back.

“For me,” he corrected. “It’s unappealing to me… because I’ve been there for so long. Things haven’t changed. I’m…” He hesitated, and flexed his shoulders. “I’m tired,” he said finally. “I’m tired of staring over my shoulder, worrying about what I say. The courts are covered in traps, just waiting to trip me up if I do the wrong thing, say the wrong thing, act the wrong way. I’m just plain tired of it.”

Kellen let out a breath. “Yeah, still sounds a little like an all-expenses paid trip to hell.”

Before she could draw another breath, Braeden’s hand cupped her chin gently. He turned her face this way and that in the moonlight. Her skin burned where he touched.

“Not for you,” he said.

“If you stole me, wouldn’t I become a servant?”

His hand tightened reflexively, then relaxed again. “Not you,” he said again. “I wouldn’t do that to you. I… couldn’t.”

Kellen met his gaze squarely. “Would you have a choice?”

Need some serious writing advice...

2007-10-31T19:28:58Z

Oh man, guys, I need some advice.

Soooo I've been querying lightly on my once-retired manuscript, Bonded. Including a status query for an agent who's had the full for six months or so, who I never heard back from. I always use the same e-mail address... but now, all of a sudden, I've discovered that for some reason, this e-mail is just not working. I've done a billion tests today, from all different types of accounts, and they're not working.

So here's my breakdown, all to agents who have this e-mail address which is not working:

4 regular queries
1 status query

Is it truly unprofessional to e-mail them back and ask them politely to e-mail me back to a different e-mail address (one that I know is working)?? If this is okay, how would you all phrase an e-mail like that?

This makes me panic.

This is where I go to school...

2007-10-29T18:53:41Z

I was driving into school this morning, and realized just how closely the city I spend 95% of my time in mirrors the story in my book. I even named it the same thing: the Ironbound. If you know anything about Northeastern cities (or have read anything that lists the 10 worst cities in the United States in the last ten years) then you know where it is.

Pray for me. Hard. :)

"To her surprise, he came easily, though his gaze was still trained with deadly accuracy on the petrified cabbie. She kept one hand on his arm, talking as quickly as she could to distract him as they walked. Dawn approached quickly over the abandoned streets of the Ironbound. The buildings they passed stared down with plaster faces that were chipped and worn. Looming structures of metal and iron jutted over the rooftops, their bases buried in the river that ran alongside the city. Licks of smoke and fog curled into the sky, mingling with grayish looking clouds. It would be a rainy day; Kellen felt a couple of droplets land on her hair and cheeks."

Teaser Tuesday

2007-10-09T21:13:26Z

Kellen wrinkled her brow and stared back at him. Slowly, things started to make sense. She turned her head. The men skulking around the pool tables stared back at her, their eyes glowing an eerie red under the haze of lights and smoke. The woman at the far end of the bar flicked her cigarette once, twice, and then darted out a long tongue to catch the ashes as they fell. Kellen jumped as a heavy hand fell around her shoulders. The gray-haired man leered down at her as he had before… except now, rounded horns protruded from the mass of tangled hair. He licked his lips with a forked tongue.

Kellen swallowed a cry and flattened herself against the bar.

"I tried to tell you..."

Teaser Tuesday

2007-09-25T18:40:06Z

Teaser!! (For the first Tuesday in a long time :))

“I am done with serving, do you hear me?” Braeden’s voice shook the walls with its fury, and Kellen couldn’t stifle a small gasp. The sound echoed from the ceiling, reminding her of the first angry crash of thunder that signaled the beginning of an October storm. A large crack snaked its way down the mirror. The temperature in the room dropped several degrees until she started to shiver from the cold. Anger made his distorted reflection terrible to look at, the scar standing out in harsh relief. She clutched the sides of the sink until her knuckles turned white, and didn’t let go until the sound had faded from the room. White-faced, she trembled.

She watched, her throat tight, as the anger faded from his face. Braeden’s hands circled her neck lightly, their thumbs resting on the beating pulse in her neck. He could choke her, so easily. She’d never been this terrified of anyone before.

Word count!

2007-09-24T01:30:10Z

So, after my revelation the other day, I decided to join jonowrimo. My outward goal is to finish the first draft of my new YA; in order to accomplish this, I decided I needed to hit 1,000 words a day. It's a pretty steep goal, considering I have class from 8:30-3:45 pretty much every day, and we're supposed to put in 3 hours outside of class for every 1 hour in class.

I didn't write a single word today.

... then again, I think I can afford a day, considering I wrote over 5,000 yesterday!! :)

For the first time in over three months, I believe I'll have a teaser for Teaser Tuesday. This makes me happier than I can say.

10,800 / 50,000
(21.6%)

Teaser!

2007-09-20T21:51:12Z

Right when I first got into law school, a professor who I respected and admired told me that if I chose to go, I could kiss my dreams of writing YA books goodbye.

It was one of the worst moments of my life.

Since then, all summer, I didn't want to write. I was too scared, frightened that somehow, pursuing one passion would force me to forego the other. I resisted writing, even when it hurt not to, and ruthlessly slammed down every idea that popped into my mind. I closed the lights on my WIPs, told myself they were no good anyway, and settled in to study cases.

And then I got to law school, and imagine my shock when one of my professors told us that he wrote fiction, short stories, novels, that were actually published and well-received. That, in addition to being a respected lawyer at a top 50 law school, he had managed to pursue his dream of writing.

I was still scared. But if he could do it... maybe I could too?

And then I got a new idea... I tried to ignore it and I tried to push it down. But it wouldn't go away.

Maybe I really can do this. I hope I can.

Can I?

The Bargain - Teaser 1 :)

“Kellen.” Suddenly, he was no longer beside her. Now he stood in front of her, just out of reach. She could see him, look him right in the eyes, every time her swing drew back. “What if I told you I could free your mother from this disease?”

Kellen’s chest exploded; without a second thought, she launched herself off the swing and hit him straight in the chest. They both went down, tumbling head over feet until Kellen lay stretched out on top of him. Tears ran down her cheeks.

“I’d tell you I would do anything,” she hissed. “Anything at all.”

Braeden's face, at first faintly shocked, settled into an easy grin.

“Then I’d say we have a bargain.”

Word Count

2007-09-11T18:59:39Z

I've never used one of these word count meters before, but here goes:

13,482 / 58,000
(23.2%)

This is my revision word count on Bonded from yesterday to today, although it's definitely going faster than it will soon. I start to hit the meat of the changes in a couple of chapters, and that, plus added law school work, will slow me down considerably.

Still, we shall see :)

Fun Bonded quote of the day: “Want to dance?”

Karyn whipped her head around. A wimpy-looking Batman leered at her from just inches away. He shouted his question again and grinned, showing a mouthful of braces.

She cringed. “Sorry, I’m more a Joker type of girl.”

New Story?

2007-09-06T13:45:13Z

It's no wonder lawyers don't have sense of humors - law school sucks it all out of them.**

In order to stay sane, I've made a writing goal for myself: I will finish a draft of a novel by the end of this semester. I did no writing over the summer, and I feel like I'm going nuts, especially with all of my time being taken up by cases that are interesting, to be sure, but very very tedious.

I'm frightened I've lost my creative ability, so I'm going to set aside some writing time for myself... three weeks in, and I haven't exactly figured out how to fit the writing into the hectic schedule of being a 1L. But I will.

In the meantime, at least I've got SOME sort of hook down. It's pretty crappy, actually, and doesn't have any of the fun elements in the story yet (romance! mistaken identity! angst!) but it's something, at least, and in the meantime, I get to learn lots of fun stuff about Celtic mythology.

Whooo.

The Bargain (tentative)

Kellen Morgan’s made a deal with the devil himself: the Dark Man, the most dangerous faery in Celtic lore. In return for freeing her mother from a terminal disease, Kellen will undergo three trials for his dark majesty. But it doesn’t take long to realize that whatever Kellen is searching for, she’s not the only one. And as her twenty-first century life fades into the background, Kellen realizes she’s not only fighting for her mother’s life anymore… she’s fighting for her own.

**I'm allowed to say this now because I'm a JD candidate... wow that sounds weird.

Random Update

2007-06-15T07:02:57Z

Summer before law school - pretty amazing. I love the work I'm doing - I work for a senior citizen day care center, aimed especially at those senior citizens who don't yet need nursing home care, but who have serious disabilities, be they mental, physical, or otherwise. It's both depressing and encouraging. It is encouraging because for some of these seniors, this center is all that they have to keep them going or else they would likely deteriorate - in short, they live for the social interaction, sense of individuality, and the chance to do activities like tai chi (they're so cute!!) and bingo or trips to casinos (so funny!) and other fun events. Not to mention the fact that many of them might not be eating at all or taking their medicines if not for the meals we serve and the fact that we have a full-on nursing staff to take their vitals, and the free transportation to and from any doctor-related visits we offer.

Why is it depressing then? It's depressing because they honestly need this - the joy they get simply from us remembering their name and calling them by it is absolutely humbling. They've been used to being lumped in under the blanket "medicaid" label for so long that any chance to be seen as a person is something absolutely foreign and breathtaking for them. And for me, it's sad to know that these are the facts of life for some people. The whole situation is really making me think long and hard about getting into poverty/public policy law. For once, I feel like I'm making a huge difference. There's really no other way to describe it but humbling.

The only teensy problem is the location of the center - where it is located is mostly a Hispanic area, which naturally means that most of the seniors speak Spanish only. What's the problem, then?

I, um, don't.

While I'm mostly working with computers here right now, I do want to get involved with the seniors, which necessitates a pretty decent knowledge Spanish. About a thousand flash cards later, I'm still learning... if anyone has any suggestions, I'm totally open to anything that would open these lines of communication! Stupid self - why did I take french???

Buenas noches everyone!!!

Teaser Tuesday

2007-04-24T16:32:58Z

I have too many ideas flitting around in my mind; I can't keep focused :( Well that, plus the fact that finals, graduation, and summer are right around the corner...

Here's a little teaser to a new piece, a more traditional fantasy... in some ways...

“I’m selling you into slavery, girl. And there’s not a thing you can do about it.”

A shadow fell across the entrance to the small, three-room house. Caliana looked up in surprise, almost dropping the large wooden spoon she was using. The man who had spoken was terrifyingly large, his considerable girth blocking out all sunlight. A large scar wove its way down one cheek, pulling the corner of his mouth up into a perpetual sneer. More than a day’s worth of whiskers on his chin gave him a grizzled look. He stared at her with one, unblinking blue eye – the other one was droopy, the pupil milky-white.

Caliana shrugged and resumed stirring the stew.

“Sure,” she agreed readily. “When do I leave?”

This is not my week.

2007-04-15T21:49:32Z

Thanks to the monsoon that is currently hitting the New York-New Jersey area, I got in a car accident this afternoon.

I'm fine, all the passengers were fine... my car, my beautiful baby, is not so fine :(

This is so not my week.

Teaser Tuesday

2007-04-10T22:40:32Z

In better news... I'm finally on time!!!!

Chuckling to herself, Calla started to turn back to Devon when something large and very heavy knocked the breath out of her. Before she could even blink, the wood doorjamb pressed against her back and Devon’s face loomed in her vision.

“What do you want with her?” he snarled, his fist curled in the collar of her shirt. She caught her breath – he’d never looked more fey and less human, his lips curled back in a snarl, his eyes molten and glittering. She licked her lips, knowing that the desire pooling in her belly also showed on her face.

“What do you want with her is the better question, I think. And whatever you might want, you can find here.” She brought one hand up to caress the side of his cool, smooth cheek. Ice-cold, just as a faerie’s should be. He flinched, but only clenched the material of her shirt tighter. Her voice hardened. “Do you know the penalty for assaulting your queen?”

That got through to him – he let go and backed up a couple of steps. She raised two fingers to her neck, swollen and sore from where he’d held her tight, and shuddered with barely-suppressed pleasure.

“Of course, there is a fine line between assault and enthusiasm – I don’t think you were quite there yet. Care to try again?”

“You’re disgusting.” His voice was even, but the fire that had danced in his eyes smoldered once more – that volatile, depraved side he tried so hard to conceal. She could use that to her advantage, she knew. After all, he was half-fey as well as half-human, the two sides constantly warring with one another. And if anybody could bring out the beastly side in someone, she could.

He continued. “And you’re not my queen any longer. Or have you forgotten that you banished me?”

Calla sighed and pressed her full lips into a pout. “It always comes back to that miniscule detail, doesn’t it?” She waved her hand dismissively. “What, darling?”

He was staring at her in amazement – as though he’d never really seen her before. She couldn’t tell if it was a good thing or not. “Miniscule,” he echoed finally, sounding tired. “Did you order the attack on Drea?”

“Why would I do something like that?” She raised her eyebrows, trying to sound innocent and sweet. But he knew her better than anyone, knew the lengths she’d go to get what she wanted. To get rid of what she didn’t. He knew the truth, and he turned away from her.

“Don’t touch her again,” he warned in a low voice.

She looked at him sharply, her pride pricked and anger flaring. “And don’t threaten me, Devon. You may not live under my rule, but you are still in my court. You are still mine.” In more ways than one.

She spun on her heel and stalked back toward the door. His last words stopped her.

“I’m half yours,” he replied. “I’m only half.”

How well she knew it.

Ulcer

2007-04-10T16:23:59Z

I apologize in advance for anyone who wants to slap me and say "shut up" after this post, but I am graduating college in May, and within the last four days my life has been thrown into turmoil - and I believe I have developed an ulcer. (jk)

A. I got into law school
B. I got accepted to NYU's Publishing Institute
C. I got offered a job at the academic publisher I work for

... Is it bad if you decide your future by rolling a dice?

Yay!

2007-04-06T18:06:38Z

Ummm.... I got into law school!! :)

That is all.

Teaser (late, again!)

2007-04-05T00:52:47Z

This time, it's from Drea's point-of-view. It takes place in the cafeteria at Audley College, where Drea's eating lunch with her roommate Morgan and Morgan's creepy (hint) boyfriend Julien when Devon shows up.

“So Andrea, I couldn’t help but notice you wear that necklace all the time. It’s a very original piece.”

An awkward silence fell at Julien’s sudden comment, and Drea blinked, once, twice. She wiped her mouth with a paper napkin, stalling for time.

“It was my great-grandmother’s,” she said. “I got it when I was born, and I’ve never taken it off since.”

Julien nodded and shot a glance at Devon that she couldn’t decipher. One look at Devon and she could tell he had no idea why Julien was so interested all of a sudden. Morgan pouted, disliking anything that diverted Julien’s attention from herself. She leaned forward and draped herself over his arm.

“Julien…”

“Not now, Morgan.” Julien’s voice was sharp, and Drea flinched. Again she felt that phantom flutter over her left shoulder, and she saw Devon look at her suddenly. She slid her gaze to his.

“Is there a bug or something there?”

Devon’s eyes shuttered, and he clenched his fork so hard that his knuckles whitened. “What are you talking about?”

“So you’ve never taken it off? Not to shower or anything?” Julien pressed. When Drea shook her head silently, he leaned back in his chair and draped an arm over a sulky Morgan. “Fascinating. It looks like it’s made out of iron – an interesting choice of metal.”

“My great-grandfather worked as blacksmith,” Drea replied shortly, the flutter still moving out of the corner of her eye. But she knew if she turned her head, it’d be gone. That was how it always went. She tried to concentrate on the conversation.

Julien raised an eyebrow and squinted. “And an intriguing engraving as well – visum verus is it? Now whatever does that mean?”

Before Drea could answer that she had no idea, a thousand things happened at once.

The persistent flutter that she’d been trying to convince herself wasn’t there at all flared up into angry, beating pulses. Drea ducked instinctively, but wasn’t fast enough – a sharp pain bit into the side of her neck. She slumped forward, catching sight of Morgan’s stunned face as she began to shriek. Julien’s dark eyes took on a menacing glitter and his mouth curved into a snarl. He leaned forward, prepared to spring.

But before he could, Devon leapt out of his chair, his eyes flashing wildly. He banged his fist on the table so hard that all the trays and dishes clattered noisily.

“Enough!” he roared.

Silence fell.

sierra515 @ 2007-03-31T18:24:00

2007-03-31T23:32:43Z

Ooooh, first time getting tagged :) I'm aware that my excitement likely makes me a loser.

This one came from memegirls</b></a>: Would a rose by any other name smell as sweet? If you're as name obsessed as we are, fill out this Meme Girls original meme and share your name- and your favorites- with the blogging world. Then tag five friends to do the same.

1. First Name: Sara

2. Middle Name: Megan

3. Name you go by: Sara... it's not exactly easy to shorten a four-letter name

4. Name(s) your parents call(ed) you: Sabo, Brat (lovably, of course)

5. Other nicknames (past and present): I'm sadly nickname-less. Sa? Ra? If anyone's got ideas, I'd be happy to hear them!

6. What did you call yourself when you were little? Sara

7. Were your parents considering any other names (that you know of) before they settled on yours?
Samantha... they ended up going with "Sara" because she was the bitchy character on one of my mother's favorite soap operas.

8. What does your name mean?
"Beloved Princess" - it's not something I've EVER let them forget, either.

9. Do any famous people share your name? Yes, very many!

10. Can you pronounce your name backwards? Aras

11. Favorite girls' names: Isabella, Jordan, Anna

12. Favorite boys' names: Nathan, Adam

13. Favorite name you've ever read in a book: Clary (as a nickname for Clarissa) in cassandraclare's City of Bones

14. Favorite name from a TV show: Izzy from Grey's Anatomy

15. Favorite name for a dog/cat: Hahaha... um, I guess I'll go with my dog's name: Winky. And she looks like a little drunken elf, I kid you not.

WRITERLY BONUS QUESTION:
16. Favorite character name from one of your own books: Talon... she's a fabulously fun character to write, although she's not exactly the nicest girl in the world.

Ummm... I think everyone in my friendslist has already been tagged, so I'm tagging anyone who hasn't been yet!

Jumping on the bandwagon

2007-03-30T15:45:20Z

Sooooo I'm feeling a little blocked these days, inspiration-wise. I'm just sort of stranded in writerland, not really sure where I want to go from here. So even though it's not Tuesday, I'm going to post a little piece of my WIP to hopefully jump-start my engines.

And then back to cleaning my apartment...

“Good girl,” Devon murmured. He took another step forward, but stopped again as she started to tremble. Damn. “Drea, I know what you’re seeing right now. And I know how scary it – I – must be. But you have to understand something!”

“Scary?” Drea gasped the word out, staring at him like she couldn’t believe what she saw. Who would? He saw himself reflected in her eyes, saw the golden hair that shone brighter than the moonlight, the inhumanly perfect features… the eyes that flowed like molten lava. No matter how hard he pretended, he was not human. And right now, he didn’t look it.

“Okay,” he agreed, taking one step closer. “Terrifying is a better word for it. But I can explain. Only… we need to get out of here. If you’d just come with me, before it’s too late.” He held out one hand, hoping despite the odds that she’d come along easily. As easily as she’d come out here just minutes ago.

He hoped in vain; not unexpectedly, she backed away from him.

“Come with you?” She rose from the bench and shook her head, flinching as the wind around them howled.

Devon flinched too, but for an altogether different reason. His skin started to prickle, and the tiny hairs on the back of his neck stood at attention. He wiggled his fingers, beseeching her with everything in him to come closer. To get out of there!

“Drea, please.” He wasn’t above begging. It was too dark out, there were too many of them… there was no way he could stand against them all.

“Too late for what?” Drea’s voice grew louder. She took a step backward, until the backs of her knees hit the bench. She sat down heavily. “What – who – are you?”

Devon shook his head, every nerve ending firing like crazy. Soon, they would be here soon. “Drea, I’m…”

He froze as a preternaturally pale hand shot out of the darkness and landed lightly on her shoulder. Her face changed, and she twisted around before he could tell her to stop, to pretend she didn’t feel it, to ignore it.

“Pretty girl, he’s just like me.”

Devon caught a glimpse of a gaping grin filled with rotted teeth before the hag spoke again, amending her previous statement.

“He’s like us.”

Devon raised his eyes. Everywhere he looked, fey melted out of the shadows, their feet gliding noiselessly over the cold ground. Hags, sprites, nymphs, goblins, trolls… the assortment was unending. And every eye was bright. Feverish.

After all, a Sighted one was a rare find.

And an even rarer kill.

Too many good books to read!

2007-03-27T01:36:58Z

Reading quickly - very quickly - has both its pros and its cons.

I've always been excellent at standardized testing, which I suppose you could say is a perk. My SATs were not a source of stress; my LSATs were a breeze. Reading for school has never been a problem - I can generally sit down with a 400-500 page book and read it in less than three hours. And yes, I read every word, and freakishly enough, I can usually recite passages back if I concentrate. After one read. I don't need to mention how happy this makes me during exams - word vomit, anyone? I spill everything I remember - which is usually an awful lot - onto the page and usually end up leaving the exam with more than half the time remaining. Yes, reading quickly has its perks.

BUT.

But it also has its drawbacks. Since Friday night, I've gone through seven books - and reread one of them three times, another twice, and the final, a whopping four times. I run out of books quickly. And since I am a piddling college student, these trips to Barnes and Noble get pricey. I know... the library. But I'm one of those people who just love, love, love to have a book of my very own! I don't write in them. No, no, I would never do that. But sometimes, in the middle of the night, I'll wake up with a passage in my head. And then I'll just have to re-read that book. And wouldn't you know it? The library isn't open at 3 in the morning. Fools.

But there is a real drawback of reading quickly: it's over so fast! And, greedy little girl that I am, I want more MORE MORE!! I just finished Cassandra Clare's City of Bones. Yeah, it's about five hundred pages. And yeah, I finished it in under two hours. And YEAH, now I am sitting here saying... 2008?? 2008?? I have to wait until 2008 to read on?

Clearly I'm going to need to find myself a hobby. That, or buy the rest of Barnes and Noble while I'm waiting.

I'm not a savor person - I don't think I can be, when it comes to reading. But really, all I'm saying here, is do yourself a favor and go out and get this book!!

(And then come cry with me while we wait until April 2008)