Falling for History-Ole' West RANDOM EXCERPT

Here's an excerpt if "Ole' West"! ENJOY!

READ AN EXCERPT HERE!

A NEW addition to my "Falling for History" novels. Let's visit the Ole' West, shall we?

I was just hit BIG TIME with inspiration for this book. I've always wanted to do a YA western, I don't think I have heard any Western YAs. :D Let me know if there is any. lol. I'm going to have Billy the Kid in this one. Hope ya'll take an interest in it. :)

Everyone has heard many legends on Billy the Kid, right? At how he was, the youngest and most wanted outlaw of the old west?
That is right, I tell you.
However, of course, there are some unknown aspects of Billy’s story.
For one, I, Vera Grendel, traveled with him for a month. For two, he wasn’t a heartless murderer, he was a sweet, kind, caring, lost boy, who felt that his life calculated up to nothing. For three, the one legend about his death, when Billy supposedly went into Pedro Maxwell’s sister Paulita’s bedroom? You would think they were together, but let me tell you, Paulita was only nine years old and I was the one in that room. And for four, Sheriff Pat Garret was not a good man at all, he was a murderer and a vicious man.
Anyways, this story isn’t about the legends of Billy the Kid and his unavoidable death. This is a story of how I fell back into time and fell in love with William Henry, the lost boy behind Billy the Kid.
This is our story, set in 1881, over one hundred years before I even existed. This shouldn’t have been possible, but it was, and it did happen.

For real I think that Billy was a lost and confused kid. And I think Pat Garret killed him wrongly. It seemed like a cowardly way to kill somone in the dark. >_< I feel sorry for Billy.

Deadly, New York City, College, and Church. So pretty much all updates on me!

BLOG UPDATE

Yeah, I think I'm going to try to blog more often. <3 I miss it too much.

I just updated my template! As you can see, my banner says "Waiting for the snow..." I literally mean it. I would love to have a white Christmas. But I hardly doubt I'll get it. :/ We've only got a skiff of snow a few weeks ago and haven't had any since. It makes me sad. I actually like snow, when it's not taking my electricity. >_< Well, if I don't get any snow, I'll look on my blog and imagine its snow falling outside. LOL

Anyways, the reason behind the picture of the willow tree and graveyard, I used for this template. Well, it's featured on my NaNo's book cover, and I look at it as a promotional thingy. SPEAKING of my NaNo!

NANOWRIMO

I know I said it in my last post that I am almost done with Deadly Deceived, but I am this time. My ending kept changing in my head and couldn't decide which one to do! Ya, know how that goes? Well, anyways, I think I'm going to stick with this one. And THEN I am going to go through it all, add stuff, take out stuff, and then edit it to my best. ^_^ Because I won NaNoWriMo, so I am going to get five copies printed out! ^_^ One will got to Mariella Hunt, Hannah Hunt, Misty Williams, my mom and I will share one, and then I have an extra. ^_^ Here's the book cover I worked on and I may still work on if I see fit. Such a perfectionist.

NEW YORK CITY

From the left, Joesph, Laura, Katie, Chyanne, me,
Sararose, Tessa, Kaleigh, and Johnathon.

Just a few weeks ago I got to go to New York City with my church's youth group and my mom. It was fun, buuuuuttttttt tiring. I swear I had blisters on top of blisters! However, I liked NY, but I didn't LOVE it. Quite honestly, it smelled like urine and the people were just downright rude. >_< I couldn't tell you how many people I shurgged off and came "this" close to slugging them in the frickin' face. Nevertheless, I went the good ole' Christian way, turn my left cheek and PLOWED through them. LOL.
Rockefeller Plaza was the worst. We lost HALF of our youth group in the crowd. Oh yeah, Lucy Hale from Pretty Little Liars was Ice Skating around this time. Did I know it? No! I just kept MISSING her by "this" much. Very aggravating, ya, know? That's be like meeting MY Seleste Worthington in person! But noooo, I didn't get to meet her. >_<

HOWEVER, now onto the things that I LIKED/LOVED about NY. ^_^ Yes, there are something aspects I liked. LOL.
Like... Central Park, where I got to meet Balto--well, the statue anyways. ^_^ I have always been a big fan of that movie. Too bad that Kevin Baccon that voiced Balto wasn't there. :/ That would have made my day!
Then my youth teacher told me how that Patrick Dempsey has been rumored to jog in the park. Guess what? I kept on a lookin' but I didn't see that pretty butt running anywhere. Gr. >_< However, I didn't stop looking. lol.
That park is beautiful! Saw some mimes and those people that act like statues. That was pretty dag'gone cool.

Tessa, me, and Chyanne at Bryant Park

This was when we first got there in Time Square during the day
we went back that night to wait out our time.
We witnessed a proposal! If it wasn't staged, anyways.

Went on my first boat EVER! I'm deathly afraid of water you guys! This was very nerve racking for me! We went on the ferry/boat whatever, so we can just pass the Statue of Liberty. We weren't about to go on that island with LOADS of people and definitely get lost from each other. We were already having problems with staying together. I almost thought the teens was itching to get lost. lol. :) It was funny at time. Okay, the boat ride, I kind of did get a little sick on it. :/ Let's say, I rather feel the motor of the boat, than feel it when they turn it off to float on into docking. 0_o It reminded it that I was on A LOT of water. I HATE water, got a phobic of it. >_< And to make it worse, OUR side was leaning a little bit more than the other. Talk about puke moment! But I didn't though, I kept my cool and dignity in tact. lol.
My absolute favorite place was Time Square. Aside from the business that made my skin crawl. I loved the screens, broadway billboards, stores, and the Today Show's studio. That made me excited. :) I didn't care for the langerie advertisements everywhere, though. :/ It wasn't too pleasant to see a half naked girl on a building size plasma screen. It's the truth, sex sells, and I think it's degrading to the woman's gender.

Ground Zero construction

The main reason we went to NY, was to see Ground Zero. I cried and prayed. I can't describe how I felt, by looking up in the sky, picturing people jumping to their deaths from those two buildings. I remember watching it on TV while I was only nine-years-old. It was surreal to be at the location that it happened. While there, I realized by looking through my youth group. Some of them weren't old enough to really realize or possibly remember it happening. Some of the teens are like thirteen and fourteen, that would some of them would have been, three and four years old when it happened. At nine for me, I had a hard time understanding how serious it was back then. I didn't realize the tragedy until I was a few years older. Being at the source really hit me hard at what really happened. It kind of made me sick, honestly. But I prayed and cried hard. I also stood there and thought on how Trump puts his millions into useless and pointless things like hotels for snobby stars like Paris Hilton, and he doesn't put the majority of his money towards good things like building a monument in the memory of all these souls that was lost on 9/11. I shook my head at this.
Anyways, this trip was rememberable. I got to stand in the door of Simon and Shuster! That was something to experienced!
I wouldn't want to live in NY, because the day that I was there, I missed my country hillsides and the sounds of wildlife, not nightlife. Even if it's funny to see guys trying to fight a car. Seriously, that happened! That was entertaining!

COLLEGE

 Well, I survived my first semester of College, by the grace of God! I got all As in every one of my classes! I felt so scared about my College 101 grade, because I didn't understand her directions on the Final Project. :/ But I got a 100%! Plus a 100% on my Psychology Final Presentation! Oh, yeah, a 100% on my English Final too! She said I improved so much this semester with essays and GRAMMAR! *gasps* Grammar? Oh you, have to be wrong! Yes! I indeed said GRAMMAR. I know, I'm surprised too! Oh I passed Speech with flying colors! I absolutely LOVED my Speech teacher Mrs. Banks. That woman is so on fire for God that it made me so happy to walk into her classroom!
Well, my next semester will consist of these classes.
Humanities
Computer and Office Apps
English 110
Fine Arts
Hopefully, I'll do just as good this semester as I did last!

CHURCH

I'm writing the Easter play for this year! It's called "An Easter Hymn". It's about a girl who rebels against her mother, because she's mad at her and God for her father being killed in war. She moves in with her no good boyfriend who uses her in any way possible. Then one night she's visited by a ghostly figure "the Holy Ghost", who show her her past, present, and future. Making her realize things that were in front of her face. Just think "A Christmas Carol" just Eastery. I'm very nervous about this!

So anyways, I'm going to get back to writing Deadly Deceived! Night, night! I'll blog soon! Enjoy this simply me blog post! Hope it entertains you!

GOD BLESS!

1 Peter 4:10!

NaNoWriMo `11 "Deadly Deceived" Trailer!

I'm at 48k, now, guys! I'm so close that I can taste it! I really LOVE this plot!

STOP SCROLLING. This is such a beautiful story. Please read and reblog.

A 14-year-old dog Abbey died last month. The day after she passed away my 4-year-old daughter Meredith was crying and talking about how much she missed Abbey. She asked if we could write a letter to God so that when Abbey got to heaven, God would recognize her. I told her that I thought we could so, and she dictated these words:

Dear God,

Will you please take care of my dog? She died yesterday and is with you in heaven. I miss her very much. I am happy that you let me have her as my dog even though she got sick.

I hope you will play with her. She likes to swim and play with balls. I am sending a picture of her so when you see her you will know that she is my dog. I really miss her.

Love, Meredith

We put the letter in an envelope with a picture of Abbey and Meredith and addressed it to God/Heaven. We put our return address on it. Then Meredith pasted several stamps on the front of the envelope because she said it would take lots of stamps to get the letter all the way to heaven. That afternoon she dropped it into the letter box at the post office. A few days later, she asked if God had gotten the letter yet. I told her that I thought He had.

Yesterday, there was a package wrapped in gold paper on our front porch addressed, ‘To Meredith’ in an unfamiliar hand. Meredith opened it. Inside was a book by Mr. Rogers called, ‘When a Pet Dies.’ Taped to the inside front cover was the letter we had written to God in its opened envelope. On the opposite page was the picture of Abbey & Meredith and this note:

Dear Meredith,

Abbey arrived safely in heaven. Having the picture was a big help and I recognized her right away.

Abbey isn’t sick anymore. Her spirit is here with me just like it stays in your heart. Abbey loved being your dog. Since we don’t need our bodies in heaven, I don’t have any pockets to keep your picture in so I am sending it back to you in this little book for you to keep and have something to remember Abbey by.

Thank you for the beautiful letter and thank your mother for helping you write it and sending it to me. What a wonderful mother you have. I picked her especially for you. I send my blessings every day and remember that I love you very much. By the way, I’m easy to find. I am wherever there is love.

Love, God

Don’t say you’re too busy to forward this. Just go ahead and do it.

Comment if you cried while reading this! I cried like a BABY! Cause' I remember feeling like this when my dogs would die when I was at that age. IT HURT. This is so beautiful!

Inspriational Godly Qoutes by Moi.

Haven't blogged in a while, so here's one for you guys that love God.


"You shouldn't only go to God when you need something from Him. You should always be in the Lord, ready to be used by Him to witness about His love unto the world. That's like loving your parents only when they buy you a new toy or lift your grounding punishment from you. Does that sound right? You can only answer this question yourself, and only you and God will really know what your answer really is."

"You can't endure others' burdens, because it'll add more to your own. Sympathize, but not let them take you over. Don't let your heart on your sleeve bleed for that one person you cannot do anymore for. Leave it up to God. He'll take care whatever that needs to be taken care of.
Give your heart to others that need your help even more, the ones that will listen to you and your advice. Sometimes you have to let things take its course, and let God be the fate of that person in mind. Keep in mind, you can only do so much. God is the only person who can do an infinite MORE."

19 More Days Until Carrier of the Mark Is OUT! And Plotting My NaNoWriMo!

Due to Leigh's publishing date coming up in October, I'm bringing back the review I had given her in the early days of Inkpop. ^_^ I had the pleasure of reading it before it got published. And since then I have followed Leigh's journey through the publishing industry with Carrier. Now it's right up on the date that the world will get to read this masterpiece!

Well, due to inkpop having deleted my review on Carrier, I can't find it anywhere. >_<

But along the lines, I said something about how it reminded me of Twilight. But as I think of it, it really doesn't, because honestly, Carrier is better and more unique. It was just the theme of forbidden love was the only thing that resembled it.

Give me a break, I was a Twi-Hard--more than I am now, I mean literally, I was one of those crazy Twi-Hards. Nothing but Edward on the brain. lol. I still love it, don't get me wrong, I've just moved onto other books now. Like Carrier for instance!

Also, along the line of the review followed on how it was great and became one of my favorite reads! It really is! I'm still drooling over Adam deRis--and Rian. ;D I'd take me some Rian anyday! The beauty of Kinsale and Megan's adventure through love and her painful obstacles. And this is only the first book! I can't imagine what could happen in the next two!

This a work of genius! And I'm so lucky to have immersed myself into Leigh's world before Carrier went into print! 

Okay, now onto my NaNoWriMo.

After a post on The Escapism Project by my friend Mariella. She posted a picture of a girl sitting on top of a brick wall. A new plot idea imediately popped into my mind. Then Anna M. posted a blog on NaNoWriMo, and got me thinking on working on this new plot idea for it! It's a short but sweet novel idea that I could quickly write up--hopefully. I think I can take at least 2k a day in November, I could overkill the wordcount by the end of the month! Anyways, here's the Pitch and cover below!

“Sometimes you’ve got to be free as the wind…”

Five centuries in a small garden in the middle of a forest, out of sight and out of mind by humans.

For five centuries she has been bounded to Kayhir Nadalla garden, to never set foot outside the confined brick walls. For five centuries she was haunted by the memories of her beloved, Dramir Wavia. For four centuries of knowing she’ll never see him ever again.

After a decade into the fifth century, she wants to be freed. And the only way for Kayhir to be freed, is to have a human fall in love with her.

She can lure a human easily, get them to give into her with ease, but the delicate contours of love are a totally different story.

When Wen Haddox stumbles into her garden, he appears to be the classified A jerk. But he has hidden secrets and pain.

Kayhir cannot stand him and Wen wants her badly—not in a  loving way either.

But Kayhir won’t take any chances of losing a chance to be freed of her confinement. So she plays the love game on Wen.

But can she make this jerk fall for her?

More importantly, could she fall for him?

                                             

   I'm currently working on the outline and cluster for it. I have outlined the first two chapters!                               

   Sorry that I haven't posted in a while, College has been hectic lately. Especially, Psychology, with the constant quizzes, and College 101 isn't fun at all. (That woman barely grades anything! Or tells the assignment instructions clearly!) But good news is, I've got a A--well almost an A, in Psychology and a A in English! My English teacher has taught me a good bit in writing, like clustering for instance. It helps me some in plotting. And oh my gosh, my Speech teacher, Mrs. Banks, is the best! She's an inspriationt to me! She's the type of teacher I want to be! She makes you feel comfortable and at ease in her classroom. I think I could do a speech pretty comfortably now.

  I've decided to stay at the community college to finish out my Degree in General Education, so I can teach Preschool for a few years, then after the few years I'll work my way up through the grades until I've explored them and figure out what grade I do best teaching in. ^_^

  Well, I'm going to either go to bed or study Psychology. Learning about Human Development this week. Did you know that the brain is the first to develope, before the heart? I didn't until I read it this week.

  Night!

 



UPDATE ON EVERYTHING KRISSY! It's COLLEGE time!

I’m sorry, everyone that follows my itty bitty blog. I have been pretty busy lately, with writing, the book blog I’m contributing to (the escapism project), church trips, and now COLLEGE! Did ya hear me? COLLEGE!

Dude, I’m in college. I never thought I’d be a college girl!

Here’s the classes I’m taking! Oh yeah, I’m majoring in General Education.

English 099

Psychology 104

Speech 100-04

College 101

What? Psychology?! YES! Lol. It is a class filler, I’m supposed to get in 30 hours at the community college, to get me prepared for the SATs next year, so I can transfer over to State University next door, where the fun will begin on my major!

Hope to blog more often! I hate that I’m neglecting my blog duties!

 

Fan Fiction-The Fading Labyrinth-by ME! I have a new obsession!

This is a fan fiction I am writing on the '86 movie and comic book "Labyrinth". In the movie it stars David Bowie and Jennifer Connely. It's a lovely story, just take a watch at it. ^_^
Oh yeah, I got obsessed with this because of one of my best friends Brandy. *playfully glares at her*

“The Fading Labyrinth”

A Labyrinth Fan Fiction written by Kristia S.

Chapter One-

                   The Fading

Sarah knew Jareth had followed her from Toby's throne room. He would always follow her, she could depend on him to always to be not far from her side; almost as sure as there was a sky and ground. Jareth would always be there for her. She was ashamed that she never realized that before. She had caused him so much pain... and she never seen that until then.

Sarah took a deep breath, looking into the mirror that mirrored the over world. But it was directed on one scene she painfully recognized. Her old bedroom, from when she first encountered the Goblin King, where she wished her beloved little brother away to this castle. It was same as always; even the empty cubby on the wall, the same cubby where Lancelot used to be perched. He seemed to watch over Sarah, while she slept.  

"Jareth," Sarah began.
       He stood beside her. She then felt his gaze shift onto her. "Yes, love?" his breath came out in a rush, as if he had been running.

He has...after me, for years, guilt punched Sarah in her stomach. Does he sense that this is all coming to an end too, the same way I sense?

"Why have you been so patient wi—" she stopped finding the right words. "I mean, why have you waited for me to...fall in love with you?" She didn't dare to look at him then. "What's so special about me, Jareth?"

It seemed like a gentle breeze blew from Jareth around her. A scent wafting from it smelled sweet and lovely. Sarah couldn’t help but inhale the fragrance.

"What's the word special really mean, my dear Sarah?" his hand came to rest on her shoulder lightly. "Something that puts you in a mere category, maintaining you wholly in one place? How can that be possible?"

"Stop answering my question with questions, Jareth." Sarah moved from the mirror to the window to view the Labyrinth. "I am no longer playing your mind games. I am way too tired to play."

"But Sarah that is what I am not." She felt him beside her once more. "I'm simply explaining why I love you so much." His breath was at her ear, sending pleasant tingles down her neck to the bottom of her quivering, nervous stomach. "It is simply indescribable...you are indescribable." His hand came up to her face, having her to turn towards him. His thumb began to trace her jaw line to her chin, making her bottom lips tremble in the slight.

Sarah looked at his lips, just there awaiting hers to meet his at last, after all of those years. She could finally take what was rightfully hers…the Goblin King’s kiss. The kiss would free Jareth completely from his Labyrinth realm. A true love’s kiss, that’ll free the tormented, saddened soul that had haunted the Labyrinth for centuries.

Jareth stood there waiting, like he always did. Waiting for her… He would allow her to do anything as she pleases to him. That is what she hoped, anyways. She hoped he would allow anything for her.

Sadness came back into her heart and she turned away, before she could make the life changing move. She felt Jareth’s disappointment glaring into the side of her head, but he never said or shown it.

"Jareth, everyone will be leaving for the over world. They chose to live in my world, for their sakes of a further life." She looked over her shoulder to the mirror again, seeing that world's beings, the very characters from her mind, leaving the Underground to become part of her world. "Toby's kingdom is rising and the old kingdom is fading. This has to happen or…"

"My kingdom is vanishing before my very eyes." He walked away, seeming to shut off from Sarah. "Soon… I'll go along with it." He whispered, his blonde hair shadowing his eyes that fell to the floor. "Why are you doing this to me, Sarah?"

"It's time for Toby to take it from me… to take it from you." It was then Sarah's turn to walk to him, offering what comfort she could give to a Goblin. "I'm growing tired and weary, my love..." She bit her lip at realizing that it was the first time she called him her love. "You are too, Jareth. I've seen your powers weakening. I’ve seen how your powers deplete more and more every time you use them.” She saw his fists clench at his sides, but he never raised his face to her. She laid her hand on one of his tensed fists; he relaxed slightly at her touch. “I feel that, too, Jareth. It’s worse on me; I’ve been so tired and drained. I-I don’t think I could live much longer if I go on."

“Don’t talk like that.” He shot her a glare. “I will never allow you to die.” His stare was strict and yet soft in its own way.

“I’m only telling you what could happen, if I continue to let my mind power the Underground.” Just right then, she felt her knees shake a little under exhaustion. She swayed in her stand, having to lean into Jareth for support. His arms come around her protectively, keeping her from falling. “Jareth, it’s taking all my energy to make sure everyone and you exist in this world.”

“But Tobias…” he began.

“Toby can only have control over this world in part of mine. For him to be in full control, I need to will my control to him. He’s your heir; he’s more powerful than I am.” She allowed her head to fall against his chest.
" I understand that..." Jareth raised her head with tilting her chin with his index finger. She then noticed he had a sad smile playing on his lips. "Did I hear right, I'm your love?"

Sarah whispers, "You've always been, I just never realized it until lately."

Jareth takes her face in his hands, his nose rubbing against hers softly. "That sounded better than I ever imagined..." He was stalling her conversation; he didn’t want to hear what she had to say.

But Sarah couldn’t let him avoid the inevitable.

"Jareth, how long have you ruled?" Sarah asked, pulling away slightly.

He looked down at her with tired, hazy eyes. "A thousand and three hundred years."

Sarah reached up and caressed his face. "A thousand and three hundred years of ruthless ruling, Goblin King," she whispered. "A thousand and three hundred years of no love loving you." She traced his features with her light finger tips, memorizing every feature on his lovely face. "A thousand and three hundred years of hiding the true you. The true you, I see behind your eyes, waiting in the darkness of this Labyrinth. A beautiful, kind hearted, honest, loyal, wonderful man you hide behind a powerful ruler’s facade."

That seemed to hit a soft spot in Jareth. The skin around his eyes tightened and his jaw clenched.
Sarah smiled, "Remember the time limit you gave me to go through the Labyrinth?"

He nodded.

"Jareth," her eyes swelled with tears. "I'm going to give you a time limit to come and follow me to my world. To leave all of this behind you, your power, your immortality, the kingdom..."

“I am a ruler, Sarah. I cannot give it up, I am nothing without my power. Even if my kingdom is to another, I still have what powers I have left to keep me, me. Don’t you understand?” he retreated from her out of arms reach. “For years I have this and for more years I will tell you, Sarah. I can give you whatever you desire with my power…”

“If only if I let you rule me.” Sarah slightly snapped at his old chide. “Jareth, no one will ever rule me. No matter how much I love you, I cannot let you rule me.”

“Why, why is it so bad for me to rule you?” he surprisingly asked calmly. “Tell me, Sarah.”

“I am my own person; I thought you have learned that over the years.” She stared into his eyes. “No one rules over me, even if I gain everything in return. I have to have my freewill, not that of someone else’s, even if I am emotionally tied to you.” Sarah looked away to the mirror that actually reflects their reflections. She saw herself and Jareth standing within mere feet of each other, the two that seemed to be destined to belong to each other. So obvious from knowing that their paths would always lead back to where they were. They should not have been standing even an inch apart; they both should be in one another’s arms. They were soul mates, even though; one of them did not have a soul.

But he could, if he listens to me. Sarah thought sadly.

There was a silence for a period of time. Sarah knew she had made some progress in making him understand what she was saying. That was how her father would stop an argument with her Irene, when she was right; he would go quiet and won’t speak anymore on the matter. That was what Jareth was doing, he has surrendered the argument.

"I have to leave room for Toby's new world. I have to leave to allow enough room for his to come to life.” Sarah bit her lip. “And I want to start a new life..." He looked away from her, anguish spilling out onto his expression. He was thinking she was going to break him once again and just leave him there to ache for her. Was it that little did he understand of what she was telling him?

"Jareth, I want you to be part of that new life with me. To come with me and build a life together." She held her breath, afraid of what she would hear him response.

He looked back at her with wide eyes.

"But you need to surrender your pride and power to be with me..." Sarah took his face in her hands, and ran her thumbs over his cheeks, making him tremble underneath her touch. "You have to give up the thing you treasure the most. And I know that is your Goblin powers and the Labyrinth are that. You've lived behind them for far too long, my Jareth." Anger flashed behind his eyes for a split second, just as Sarah knew it would. And she dreaded that response, because she knew then it would be harder for him to let his pride go. "To prove that you are worthy to be with me, that you are worthy to gain a soul."

Jareth jerked away from Sarah, his cape whipping and snapping at her feet. "What have you done to me, Sarah!" he yelled in anger at her. Sarah slightly flinched, a little wounded at his words. "I'm supposed to be the one to rule over you! Not you over me!" his face was in hers then, mad anger flaming within his eyes. "I'm the one with so much power. You should be trembling in fear, within my presence!" he hissed. "But you, Sarah—you find the tiniest of cracks within me and grab hold of my heart and turn me into your puppet!" he was then across the room in a flash.

"That's what love is!" Sarah snapped. “You love me and no matter how much you deny what I say about you ruling over me…you know it isn’t right as well.”

"If that what love really is..." he turned to her. “Knowing what is right and what is wrong.” He began to toss one of his crystal balls that appeared out of nowhere, through the air in high and wide arches.  “How do you know that me ruling over you is wrong? What tells you that is wrong?”

“I feel it in my soul…” Sarah said, “A heavy realization setting in on my mind and heart at the thought of it.”

Jareth paused tossing the crystal; a small smirked played upon his lips. “In your soul,” Sarah didn’t like how he said it or how his expression expressed what he was thinking. Their talk was turning for the worse right then and there, she just knew it. He chuckled lightly as he walked over to Sarah slowly, juggling, now, three crystal balls. He juggled them so fast that it made a whistling noise through the air. “In your soul, is that right, Sarah?” she slightly nodded. He leaned into her, his eyes showing no emotion within their never-ending depths of his wake. His breath hitting her eye lashes and cheeks pleasantly. Nothing could ever prepare her for what she was about to hear next; something that would squeeze her heart and smother out her very own breath.

“Then I wouldn’t know what a soul is.” A fire flamed behind Jareth’s eyes. Anger, no, shame? “Maybe then the reason why I don’t see your way is that I—” he looked away. “—don’t love you, like you and I thought. How can I love you, without a soul?”

“That’s not what I mea—” Sarah started, but was silenced by Jareth’s finger to her lips.

“Maybe it is best for me to fade along with the Labyrinth, Sarah.” Jareth said.

"The Iron Knight" by Julie Kagawa review

Title: “The Iron Knight”

Series: #4 The Iron Fey

Author: Julie Kagawa

Publisher: Harlequin

Publish Date: October 18^th 2011

 This is an epic finale to one of my favorite series!

       Riveting, exciting, intoxicating, breath taking, adventurous, heartbreaking, and a sigh of an ending! You will be thrown into many loops that’ll leave your head spinning, or with a tad bit of an concussion afterwards. When you think it couldn’t get any worse, it does, when you think it couldn’t get any better, it does. As I said, so many loops are within this book.

You’ll find yourself begging for it to not to end! But yet, the ending you cannot miss or avoid. It swirls you in many circles of closure and heartbreak that it takes your breath away. If you don’t want to cry, don’t read it. You’ll even find yourself feeling sorry for the “bad” guy. By the end I did not have dry eyes.

In this epic finale, you’ll discover more about Ariella and Ash’s past and the relationship that they had. And the real reason why by her death almost tore Ash apart completely. And why he was so determined to kill Puck by that oath. You even discover his feelings behind that oath. And also you’ll get a look into Puck and Ash’s friendship.

Ash’s past is dark, darker than I ever pegged him for. If you thought he was a smug puppy in the last books, that had a heart, and wanted to be good within the Unseelie court. You thought wrong. At one point he was just as bad as his brother Rowan. Yes, he may have more of a heart than the rest of the Winter fey, but in the long run he was just as bad as they were. His past is dark.

But even through all of that, you find yourself falling more and more for Ash through the book. You get to understand him to a whole other level. You get to see Ash’s life through his eyes. His most beloved ones—some you know and some you thought wouldn’t be considered a loved one to Ash—you get to see how protective and what he thinks of them for real.

Ash is thrown through a trial at every single corner he takes. You feel the mental, imaginary slap every time he is slapped with another tribulation. It hurts even more each time. I felt for him so intimately, that it even pained me.

A reader will even find their self falling for Puck more on the way as well. He’s such a comical relief that it is so funny, that you’re rolling from side to side at him in laughter. If I didn’t like Puck before, I love him now. He even had some “Ron Weasley’ moments with “Spiders, why does it always have to be spiders? I had tears in my eyes with laughter at that quote! I had a flash of “Chamber of Secrets” there!

There will be a giant surprise. Watch out, it’s a punch in the gut! It’s something that you would never guess from a million miles away. It sent me into orbit and I was really shocked. Just be prepared.

The ending is very satisfying and in a level of a heartbreak as well. There’s a dull ache in me still about the ending. Let’s say there is a painful choice of yet another person that Ash loves, that’ll haunt him for the rest of his life in a aching sort of way. Along with other haunting voices of the past he’ll have to endure.

This has been an addictive read. I could barely put it down! I lost a night’s sleep because of this book. I haven’t gotten hold of book like this in a long while!

Amazing job, Julie! I hope you’ll write more epic books like this in the future! I would be honored to read them gladly!

      I rate this book five stars!

     

R.I.P Caylee Anthony. I Love You, Angel. "She's Going Places"

    "We will sing sweet Caylee's praises/
She's safe in the arms of God's good graces/
She's going places/"



   Caylee is one of the main reasons I look forward to Heaven. I want to get there see, hug, and say ‘I love you, Caylee’. And then tell her that I’m sorry for how she left the other world in such a tragic, torturous way.

    I would love to play in God’s meadows with her, Jesus, and the rest of the little children. I honestly can see that now. I can also see Jesus taking Caylee’s hand and walking down the golden walks of Heaven. Her skipping beside Him, singing “My Only Sunshine” like she did to her Great Grandpa in the nursing home. She would be singing it for Jesus and everyone. That song would be her beautiful praise! A beautiful praise from a beautiful little girl. Jesus being her sunshine and she and He is ours! I vividly see her looking up with those big, gorgeous, brown eyes and smiling that toothy smile of hers. I wish I could see her right now, but I will have to wait. For how long? I don’t know. However, I can’t wait to see Jesus, Caylee, my family who has passed on, face to face.

Ohhhh Looky Looky here!

Tied Destinies-       Grasped Fates   -     Echoed Possibilities

      Do you guys notice anything different from above book covers? Just think on it…think on it…think on it. Got it?

      If you noticed that there is a third Time With Seleste book cover. ^_^ And it’s says…BOOK THREE-ECHOED POSSIBILITIES. Does it add up yet?

Time With Seleste is going to be a TRILOGY! Ya heard me? A trilogy now! As in three books.

I’ve been praying to God for a trilogy, because the two part series wasn’t making it for me. I didn’t have enough plot to write a third book. Yeahhh…I was thinking on a origin’s book, but that wouldn’t considered YA. When it would be about the ancestor Specials. So yeah, that wasn’t going to work out.

But now it will! With an adding of a new crop of characters! And a new MC, that Seleste will have to share the spotlight with. Her name is Echo Feyth. She’s a blonde, light blue eyed, beauty. Well, she isn’t exactly, a new character, per se. She’s been in the first two books, but not a main character. She was pretty much a background character, working the behind the scenes in a quiet sort of way. Maybe I’ll have her help Seleste every now and then. :D

I can’t say much on this character or plot, because it would give some MAJOR spoilers. :p

Let’s say this journey, is going to take the gang into the not so far future of Specials and time travel. ;D Let’s say about twenty years? Where there is an even worse war that they are used to dealing with? And that there is a sickness going around, killing off Specials, slowly, in a torturous way?

     And that time itself is attacking the earth, bringing back past threats like Hitler into the future? And maybe even past threats such as the original Legacies that almost destroyed the world?

Hmm…sound interesting, yet?

I am very excited for this new add on plot! I can’t wait to start writing! But I have an obsession with outlining things anymore, because I don’t want to jump into this blind again. So it’s going to be a while, unfortunately. :/ I hate that I can’t speed write them and let my writer besties read em! I feel really bad about that! Like Jannette’s been waiting on my outline for the next draft of the first book and I haven’t even really got started. Then Hannah and Mariella, I’ve been running my mouth about these books, probably told them every single detail of them with my rants. And I have nothing to show for, unless the sucky draft I got done for Tied Destinies, counts for anything. AND I’m kind of ashamed for anyone to even look at that one. Such nasty grammar and plot line, that goes around and around in circles. It’s grrr…. Lol.

Anyways, I am EXCITED!!!! *says in sing song voice*

PRAISE JESUS for this inspiration!

Are ya’ll ready for this? I  AM!

    With lots of love, Kristia S.<3<3<3
    God Bless<3<3<3
    1 Peter 4:10 <3<3<3

This is out of the NORM. A Program Review! "Stoik iMagic 5.0"

   Currently Listening To: "Can't Shut Up" by Anthem Lights

   Watching: The Casey Anthony Trial (This is getting ridiculous)

   Many people have been asking on how I've been making my book covers, photo manipulations, banners, and blog layouts. And their first assumption is "Photoshop". Nope. ^_^ I use a fairly, free program called "Stoik iMagic 5.0" originally known as "Samsung Master", when it came with Samsung cameras. But recently they have renamed and discontinued the Samsung Master version, to Stoik iMagic 5.0.

   Sure it's not photoshop or anything remotely that awesome. This program you are limited by certain things, but if you learn how to use it right, you can come pretty close  (keyword: CLOSE) to the same results of Photoshop. It's taken me about two years to catch onto this program, and I can finally get pretty good results, that of similar to photoshop. This is because I have a lot of freetime on my hands.


Two of my newest designs

    I mostly use this program to make book covers that are on Inkpop and this blog.  Book covers for my books and occasionally for other writer's books as well.
   If I have the right pictures and got a good vision of a cover in mind, it'll take me at least a day to make a decent looking book cover. But I can make an amazing one in two or three days, where I'm a dag'gone perfectionist.
   The editing tools on this program is great, if you know how to use them, with when, where, and how. It's that picky.
I really like how I can select a certain section of a picture, like hair, eyes, skin, and lips. And change the color to your desire, with the Hue/saturation tool. Or adjust the shadow and light in Levels. These are the three most used tools that I use, while designing my picture projects, select section, Hue/saturation, and Levels.
  If you're having blocks in (pixel resolution) your desire picture you want to use. There's these pretty good options that works most of the time. Sometimes, there's just no saving a picture from its' blocky sickness. First, I try Resize option, where you can go in and up the resolution to my reccomendation 300 per units in inch. Any bigger than that you'll have a slack in the loading and editing, because it's pretty big now. If that doesn't work I use my last resort, Noise Reduction. To remove the blocks, only check off Smooth Sigma. It'll smooth areas, but sometimes it makes it look funky. However, you can work with it long enough to make the funkiness go away.


Book cover for my Christian Contemporary
novel "The Right Whisper"
(working title)
Models: Laura Mullins and Joesph Baird

    The font options are GREAT! You can put shadows behind your font, the shadows can be the color you desire. Of course, I download new fonts to add to my collection, from Abstract Fonts. That is where I get my cool butterflies from. ^_^

  The only two cons I have about this program.  It tends to get frozen on certain areas of editing and opening pictures. :/ And then whatever you're working on is lost, due to you having to close and restart the program, but it maybe just my computer. So I suggest constantly save, when you've done major edits, just in case.

   And the other one is the black background in the picture editing tray. Because when you are working on a project that calls for a black background, it gets pretty hard to determine where's the edge of your picture is, and to where paste the picture edits. I wish there was an option that you can change the background color.



A DVD cover for my newest music video project
with my friend Katie Mullins.
"Through the Darkness"



But anyways, I really suggest this program, when you are on a budget. It has a free version that only shaves off just a few tools, that you can live without for awhile. You can download it HERE. Comment in this post if you want me to do a tutorial on a certain area you need some help in. ^_^ I'd be happy to do it!

Well that's it for now!

With lots of love, Kristia S.<3<3<3

God Bless<3<3<3

1 Peter 4:10<3<3<3