Beautiful Books: The Pieces of Us

(Beware: This post contains a lot of formatting issues that came up out of nowhere, and they are not cooperating with me no matter how many times I edit this post. XD)

There is less than half an hour before NaNoWriMo 2016 officially starts, and I have a test tomorrow, but I’m writing this instead of studying, because I’ve never participated in a Beautiful Books linkup before and I am so excited about NaNo that I can hardly wait to start typing. This year is off to an exciting start. The first surprise was that I was actually going to participate (because how can one face these things while in college?!?!), and the second was that I came up with a plot four days ago. The characters are just screaming to be written, they have a pretty interesting story to tell, and I am so excited to see where this month takes us.

Beautiful Books, if you're interested, is a lovely linkup hosted by Sky @ Further Up & Further In and Cait @ Paper Fury. So many people participated in the linkup this month and I might or might not have been stalking so many posts to see the incredible things people are writing. I can already tell this NaNo will be great. I hope all of those books get published so I can hurry up and read them. XD

Anyway, without further ado, I shall introduce The Pieces of Us!

1. What inspired the idea for your novel, and how long have you had the idea?

Well, as I mentioned above, I’ve had the idea for about four days now, and we’re still going strong. Two of the main characters, Ivan and Dani, have been in my head for about five days, though, because they were really what got the ball rolling with this plot. As far as inspiration goes, I was actually more inspired by pictures this time. I have a board on Pinterest devoted to faces for unnamed/uncreated characters, and I felt like writing that night, so I picked a photo, and I wrote about the guy in it. That was Ivan, and the same thing happened with Dani. So I guess you could say Pinterest pinspired me to write this novel (oh my gosh, not puns; I should really be studying right now).

2. Describe what your novel is about!

Dani Whittington knows that girls like her don’t get happy endings; that’s just how it works. Her foster brother, Ivan O’Direk, knows that life isn’t fair, but he’s done with the system. Soon, Dani will be eighteen, and they can finally get away from their foster father and Arkdale, Alabama as possible. 

Enter Levi Han: a reclusive introvert making a last-ditch effort to graduate high school. In order to graduate, he has to spend an entire summer working on a project, getting to know one of his classmates personally. There’s only one catch: The student the school placed him with is one mistake away from expulsion or - worse - juvie, and it’s up to Levi to keep her out of trouble. 

But wherever Dani Whittington goes, trouble follows, and before he knows it, Levi is embarking on a journey across the country to attend the funeral of a man he has never met. As their stories intertwine and what was supposed to be a simple trip becomes a murder investigation, Levi, Dani, and Ivan find themselves caught in a web of deception and danger with no way out.

3. What is your book’s aesthetic? Use words or photos or whatever you like!

4. Introduce us to each of your characters!

Oh my gosh, okay. There are only three (four if you count Alexander, but all he has is a name; there's also an inkling of another female character in the back of my head, but she has yet to reveal herself). Let me tell you, these three characters listed below are monsters. Once I started writing about their personalities and backstories, I couldn't stop. I'll try to condense everything into a few sentences if I can, but I make no promises.

Levi Han, ladies and gentleman. I'm not sure that I've ever had such a mischievous adorable character before. Despite the fact that he is the main character and the story is in his perspective, I found it hard to get to know Levi. He watches the world, but there is not much he wants to reveal about himself. UNTIL TODAY. So, I was just minding my own business, attempting to form some sort of outline this morning, when all of a sudden, Levi casually throws in something about him not being some easy going, only child, who wants to graduate high school.

Apparently, something serious happened a year ago by the time the story starts, and I still don't know what it is. But it is serious, and he isn't telling anyone about it. Also, there is a more recent conflict with him, too, and I am just like, "Okay, kid. Why are you so messed up? You were supposed to be the GOOD ONE." But no. He isn't the good one. Not even close.

I'm not sure what else to say about him. He doesn't know how to swim. He wants to be a filmmaker. He's a little brat but I love him.

This is Dani Whittington. Her picture is even sideways out of spite for those who want to tell her who to be. I didn't know much about Dani when I first started writing, only that she wasn't the person everyone seemed to think she was, but it wasn't until I began delving into her character more that I realized she had a lot to say. She has grown up in the foster care system since she was eight years old, and it has had a detrimental impact on her life.

Moving from family to family, constantly facing uncertainty and instability, Dani learned to rely on only herself, though in her heart, she longs to trust others. The only person she has remained close to for an extended period of time is Ivan, her foster brother, and although she'll never admit it aloud, she has an enormous soft spot in her heart for him.

She also has a "get-the-bleep-out-of-here" fund and she eats strawberry poptarts for breakfast.

Meet Ivan O'Direk. He was the first character to pop into my head, and also the first (and last) to be quiet so the others would have a turn to talk. I decided to just type whatever came to me the night Ivan was created (instead of obsessing over the smallest of details, which is my usual forte), and this was the second sentence I wrote about Ivan: "He was the kind of guy you could count on to bring you Sour Patch kids at two o'clock in the morning, but the kind of guy who would leave you stranded at a bus stop in the pouring rain because he thought it would make for a great story later."

I don't know what that means, to be honest, but I couldn't continue writing at all until I wrote that down, so I think it's just Ivan. He's kind of quirky, rough around the edges, but when he cares about someone or something, he is loyal and dedicated. He's a weird mixture of a bad boy and a teddy bear, and I still don't understand how that works, but it does. It's Ivan, my quirky little baby.

5. How do you prepare to write? (Outline, research, stocking up on chocolate, howling, etc.?)

I've been attempting to outline lately, mainly because I know that I'll be busy with school and papers and tests, but I have a feeling it might be more howling as the month goes on, because I'm writing 50,000 words on top of school and papers and tests. Chocolate sounds nice, too (let's face it: I'm not prepared).

6. What are you most looking forward to about this novel?

I am definitely looking forward to all of the surprises my characters have in store for each other. I think they're all quite similar, but simultaneously so, so different, so it will be interesting to see them work together and get to know one another. I'm also looking forward to the storyline. It is more focused on crime than any of my other books have ever been, and I think it will be fun to write about that side of things.

7. List 3 things about your novel’s setting.

A town too small to hold wild dreams, a car too small to hold wild teens, and a church too small for a fist fight.

8. What’s your character’s goal and who (or what) stands in the way?

Levi's goal is obviously to keep Dani out of trouble in order to keep him from failing his project. Dani is the one who stands in the way of that, as always. Dani's problem is that she wants to discover who she is, but she is so far disconnected from the life she might have had that she can't quite figure out where she fits into everything else. I'm not really sure what Ivan's goals are yet. He's still being quiet.

9. How does your protagonist change by the end of the novel?

I'm thinking that they'll all have changed drastically by the end of the novel, mostly realizing that there's nothing they have to face alone.

10. What are your book’s themes? How do you want readers to feel when the story is over?

Trust, adventure, crime, friendship. I'm sure these will evolve into other things as the story goes on, but for now, those are the book's themes. I hope that readers will feel encouraged, maybe a little sad (in a good way). I hope this book will cause them to reflect on their own lives and relationships more.

Voila!

Well, that is all! I managed to (barely) finish this before the clock strikes midnight! I'm so excited about this NaNo, and I can't wait to see where these characters will take me!

What about you guys? What are you writing for NaNo? How are you getting along with your characters? How do you prepare to write? I can't wait to hear all about your stories!

Favorite Screen Characters Tag!

Well, I was tagged by one of my favorite people ever Deborah to participate in the wonderful Favorite Screen Characters tag! I actually haven't done a tag, like, ever. So, I'm pretty excited about this! It's rather hard to pick only ten, because there are so many brilliant characters out there and I love them all! But I've managed to narrow it down to a few! Here we go . . .

1. Baymax (Big Hero 6)

Okay. I couldn't resist, but can you blame me? First of all, Big Hero 6 is now one of my favorite movies of all time. The storyline is brilliant, the setting (a mixture of San Fransisco and Tokyo! What's not to love?) is incredible, and the characters are beautiful, each and every one of them. Especially that guy up there. He is Baymax, your personal healthcare companion. ;) His entire existence is to make sure others are healthy and, if not, his job is to make them feel better! I just love him to pieces. It's hard to explain, but he's so adorable and sweet and one of the best characters ever created. If you haven't watched Big Hero 6, you should totally go do that. Right now.

2. Hwang Tae Kyung (You Are Beautiful)

(So I'm into foreign television shows. Haters gonna hate.) Never did I ever imagine someone like Hwang Tae Kyung would end up in a list with someone like Baymax. In contrast to Baymax's ability to care endlessly, Tae Kyung is pretty heartless and cold. In fact, he's one of those characters you hate right off the bat, because he's a jerk to everyone and you kind of wish you could punch him in the face. With a tractor. When I first started watching You Are Beautiful (it's one of my favorite shows ever and it's hilarious and on Netflix, so I highly recommend watching it), I couldn't stand him, but, as the show went on, he kind of grew on me. Don't get me wrong, he was still a jerk, but he was actually super misunderstood and, behind that scowl of his, there was a good person, who cared, but didn't know how to show it. I wish I could explain why I love him, but I don't even know. I just do. A lot. And his smile. His perfect smile. Please Google it.

3. Rico (Twisted)

What can I say? I have a thing for underrated shows and movies. Twisted is by far one of the most interesting TV shows I have ever watched, but it's no where near as popular as it should be (granted, there was only one season, but that's a rant for another post). I thought the characters were very believable and the storyline was awesome, filled with twists (;D) and turns that kept me on the edge of my seat. I loved each and every one of the charries in the show, but my favorite would have to be Rico. He's just so . . . adorkable. There's no other way to describe him. He's awkward and he stutters and he's a victim of unrequited love. He believes in doing the right thing and he's even a little nerdy, to top it all off. I can't imagine a more perfect character. I could literally go on all day about him. Just watch the show. Then you'll understand.

4. Zuko (Avatar: The Last Airbender)

You know how most little girls watch television and root for the hero every time, how they admire a story's protagonist, without giving a second thought to the antagonist? I wasn't that little girl. I spent hours upon hours watching Avatar: The Last Airbender when I was a kid and, even from the start, Zuko was one of my favorite characters. While he was hunting the Avatar in attempt to regain his honor, I liked Zuko. A lot. And, as the years passed and his character played an entirely different role in the show, I never stopped liking him. I liked his anger. I liked his heart. I liked his determination. I liked the way his character grew throughout the series. He is by far one of the most unforgettable characters ever created. Actually, he's probably my favorite character of all time. I guess some things never change.

5. Joo Byung Hee (Shut Up Flower Boy Band)

(Also known as Shut Up & Let's Go.) You know what? I could literally have done this tag with characters from Shut Up Flower Boy Band alone. No joke. They're all incredible and brilliant and the storyline for that show is just ASDFGHJKL;. There are no words to describe its awesomeness. Like, if I could only fangirl about one thing for the rest of forever, it would be this show, this amazing show that leaves me speechless each time I watch it. There really is no way to describe it. Anyway, I think I'm getting off subject... Byung Hee is really something. He's hard to explain. And, to be honest, he might be a little insane. But he captures the insanity of writers and musicians beautifully. He's himself. He doesn't pretend to be something he's not. He doesn't care what anyone else thinks about him. And, when he loves, he loves with all of his heart. I think he's right up there with Zuko as far as favorite-characters-of-all-time go. He's adorable and crazy and, if he were real, I would totally want to be best friends with him (even if it would be a bit of a safety hazard). <3 I just love him to pieces.

6. Shi Woo (My Lovely Girl)

Let's choose to ignore the fact that Myungsoo is my darling and I will marry him someday. Ahem. What, did someone say something? I didn't hear anything. ANYWAY, this is Shi Woo. He's not the friendliest cow in the pasture, but he's a sweetheart, underneath all the heartbreak and angst. I originally started watching the show because of my love Myungsoo and I wasn't sure what to think when I realized how angry his character was. I mean, I have no doubt that he can pull off playing an angry character (we'll talk about that in a minute), but I was a little disappointed, because this was a new show and I was hoping to see him play a different type of character. AND HE WAS DIFFERENT OH MY GOSH. His role in My Lovely Girl was nothing like I imagined it to be. Shi Woo was a super sweet character, who had been pushed aside countless times in life. He started off pretty angry, but his character grew so, so much throughout the story and it was a beautiful thing to watch. There were moments when he was super confident and then times when he was insecure and you could see past the walls. Characters like this are just so real, to me. The writers captured a lot of beauty with his character and I truly adore him. And Myungsoo. Always Myungsoo.

 
7. Peter Pan (Peter Pan)

For as long as I can remember, Peter Pan has been one of my absolute favorite characters. Sure, he's pretty irresponsible and the only thing he's serious about is never growing up, but THOSE THINGS ARE WHAT MAKE HIM SO LOVABLE. There is truly no greater fairytale than being able to live in a place where no one has to grow up. I love a lot about Peter, to be honest. I like that he's a leader. I like the way he's not afraid of anything. I adore his friendship with Tink and his relationship with Wendy. I like the fact that he believes in rebelling and staying young forever. I like that he's happy. I guess that's the best part about Peter Pan. He's happy, and he's free. Gosh, there are just too many reasons to fangirl over him! ^___^

8. Rapunzel (Tangled)

What can I say? Tangled is an incredible movie. All of the characters are beautiful and hilarious, but, if I had to pick a favorite, I'd definitely pick Rapunzel. She wasn't at all like a damsel in distress, living in a tower and waiting for a prince to come rescue her. In fact, when her prince showed up, she didn't hesitate to knock him in the head with a frying pan. Name one princess in the history of princesses who has done that before. I adore the way she is so curious about the floating lights, the way she's loyal to a fault, the way she keeps her promises and gives others chances. Perhaps my favorite thing about her, though, is the fact that she doesn't fear adventure and, even when faced with fear, she refuses to give up. Gah, she's just so AWESOME. ^___^

 

9. Lee Hyun Soo (Shut Up Flower Boy Band)

Like I said, I could go on forever about Shut Up Flower Boy Band. There was no way I could only mention one character from the show in this post. Even (slightly) more than Byung Hee, I liked Hyun Soo. And no, Myungsoo had nothing to do with that (I was a fan of SUFBB before I was a fan of him, so ha!). At first, he didn't really stand out to me, but, as the show progressed, I realized there were so many wonderful things about this character and he couldn't be ignored. He was another angry person (why do I have a thing for angry characters?). He wasn't exactly thrilled about the hand life had dealt him and he wanted to do something about it. It was amazing, watching him grow and blossom, watching truths come to light and watching him realize where he truly belonged. He was just altogether intriguing and it was super fun to watch his story unfold. And those eyes. THOSE EYES.

10. Mr. Miyagi (The Karate Kid)

Last, but definitely not least, is Mr. Miyagi. I was a kid the first time my parents asked me to watch the movie and I thought it was the most horrifyingly boring film ever created (was it about waxing cars or something?). But, when I got older, I decided to give it another chance and oh, my gosh. The Karate Kid is one of my favorite movies of all time now. Every single one of the characters are absolutely brilliant, especially Mr. Miyagi. For those of you who haven't seen this movie (has anyone not seen this movie? o_O), Mr. Miyagi is a wise, old, maintenance man who works in the apartment building Daniel LaRusso moves into at the beginning of the film. He's super sweet and compassionate, although he doesn't say much, and he's also secretly a karate master. In fact, I won't even say more about this character, because he really speaks for himself. Suffice to say that he's amazing and one of the greatest characters ever.

~ * ~ * ~

Well, there you have it! My favorite screen characters! I highly recommend watching all of the shows listed above. You Are Beautiful, Twisted, Shut Up Flower Boy Band (known there as Shut Up & Let's Go), and The Karate Kid can all be found on Netflix. You can watch My Lovely Girl for free on Drama Fever (you can find all of the Korean shows there for free, actually) and the rest can most likely be found on DVD. Just sayin'. ;D

To be honest, I've yet to meet a lot of bloggers, but I'm working on that! Most of the bloggers I know have already been tagged, but I shall tag a couple who haven't done this, I suppose. XD

I tag:

Alexa @ Summer Snowflakes

Matt @ Oh, the Humanity!

And anyone else who might read this and wish to participate! :D

The rules are to pick ten favorite screen characters and then tag ten bloggers (or, you know, two bloggers and eight invisible ones :P). So, yeah! I hope y'all enjoyed the tag! And now I have another one to get to since a certain writer tagged me again . . . ^_^ Have a wonderful day!

Beautiful People: The Parental Unit {June 2015}

Greetings! I suppose I should find it odd that I only participate in Beautiful People linkups every other month, but the last (and first!) few I've participated in have just been so exciting! There was the Valentine's Day edition, the sibling edition, and now the parental edition! It doesn't get much better than that! ^___^

Anyway, I was super excited to find out that this one was about parents. Why, you ask? Because my characters actually have them this time! It's nice writing YA again. I kind of missed my sweet charries having families in the picture. I kind of miss writing about families in general. It's a beautiful thing. <3

Speaking of beautiful, if you haven't heard of the Beautiful People linkup yet, you can learn more and even participate this month by clicking here. It's a writing meme hosted every month by these lovely ladies: Sky at Further Up and Further In and Cait at Paper Fury. (I might or might not have been stalking their incredible blogs over the last few days...)

 

This month, I'll be writing about characters from my newest novel (OH MY GOSH I'M STILL SO EXCITED ABOUT IT), titled A Thousand Wishes. It's a YA novel revolving around two siblings who have never met, Jordan and Eloise Forde. I haven't written a lot of it yet, only a couple excerpts, but I can't wait to delve deeper into their story and find out more about who the characters are! In fact, I found myself wondering about their parents yesterday, so this linkup came just in time. ;)

I'm going to focus mainly on Jordan and his parents, because his back story is still pretty unclear and I'd love to know more about him (silly, secretive character). I might try this with Eloise as well, though. I guess we'll see. Anyway, Jordan, unlike his sister, has never actually met his family. Not since he could remember, at least. (I shared an excerpt of the novel in this post, where Jordan meets his dad for the first time.) So, here are the charries and then on with the questions!

~ * ~ * ~ 

Robert Forde

Jordan Forde

Marilyn Gerrard

1. Do they know their biological parents? Why/why not?

Jordan actually knows neither of them. He hasn't seen his father since he and his mother left, when he was four, nor does he remember the man. He lived with his mother until he was six years old. She abandoned him then, placing him in the foster care system just before she disappeared. He hasn't seen her since.

2. Have they inherited any physical resemblances from their parents?

He shares his father's nose and brown hair, but he has his mother's height and crystal blue eyes.

3. What is their parental figure(s) dress style? Add pictures if you like!

Robert refuses to wear casual clothing of any sort. T-shirts? Tacky. Jeans? Hideous. And sweat pants? A gigantic no-no. He prefers wearing more formal clothing - khaki pants, dress shoes, button-up shirts (no plaid, ever). He also tends to wear a watch and even a suit and tie, on special occasions.

I haven't really given a lot of thought as to what Marilyn looks like. I imagine she differs drastically from Robert in style, though. Like, first of all, she is obsessed with jeans and even jean jackets (every now and then). Perhaps this is because Robert hated them so much and wearing them is her indirect way of spiting him, although she hasn't seen him in years. I also imagine that she enjoys wearing dresses - not the ones worn to dinner parties, or wedding receptions, but the dresses you'd wear out and about on a sunny day, dresses that make you feel happy and free. I doubt she likes jewelry that much. Except for earrings. She loves earrings. (Poor Robert. He only got a small paragraph. My little fashionista isn't so fashionable, after all.) 

4. Do they share any personality traits with their parental figures? And which do they take after most?

Jordan tends to be rather distant, which is unintentional and he gets it from his father, who also has a habit of keeping everyone at a distance in fear of getting hurt. The two are pretty laid back and it takes a lot to anger them. They also love people and the life and craziness that comes with each and every individual. Opposite of Eloise and Marilyn, Jordan and Robert enjoy being in the company of others, whether close friends or complete strangers.

However, Jordan takes after his mother in terms of his flighty nature. He is not accustomed to a stable lifestyle, therefore he finds himself getting nervous when things start becoming too comfortable. He is used to moving from place to place and he refuses to get too attached to anyone. He is also prideful to a fault, something he blames solely on his mother. Overall, he takes after both of his parents in many ways, but perhaps he is slightly more like his father.

5. Do they get along with their parental figure(s) or do they clash?

Due to the fact that the lifestyles of Jordan and Robert differ greatly, they tend to disagree on many things. For instance, Jordan is rather free spirited and has a habit of doing things his own way, without concern for how others feel or are affected by his actions. This worries Robert to no end, for he is used to his way of living and losing control of his own life is something he fears most. It is often these diversities that cause the two to clash, creating disagreements about what is and isn't acceptable. Outside of values, however, they tend to get along with one another. Jordan is grateful to have a dad and Robert hopes to make up for lost time.

Marilyn has been nonexistent in Jordan's life for the past fourteen years, therefore she and Jordan possess no relationship at the moment. However, if she were to return, I'm sure Jordan would resent her for abandoning him and destroying the life they could have had. Their relationship would probably be strained at best.

6. If they had to describe their parental figure(s) in one word, what would it be?

Marilyn: Absent

Robert: Distant

7. How has their parental figure(s) helped them most in their life?

Marilyn, despite her many shortcomings, managed to help Jordan the most. She taught him to be self sufficient, resourceful, and capable of handling himself. Her absence, as well as his time in the foster care system, taught him to grow up quickly and rely on himself. He will never admit it to anyone, but, in spite of everything, his mother did one thing right: She helped him realize the type of person - and even parent, someday - he didn't want to become.

Unfortunately, he has yet to spend too much time with Robert, so there hasn't been a lot of time for father/son bonding, but he supposes the Fordes offering him a place to stay was pretty helpful, especially since he was homeless when they met him.

8. What was their biggest fight with their parental figure(s)?

He never really fought with his mother much. I'd love to see a fight between he and Robert, though, just because their lifestyles and perspectives are so different. Actually, there's a pretty big fight coming, I think, but I have a feeling it's too spoiler-y to mention here, so . . . >:D

9. Tracing back the family tree, what nationalities are in their ancestry?

This is such a great question, but I don't knooooow. I'm thinking his father has some Irish family waaay down the line and perhaps his mother has some Native American family members, going even further back, but his immediate family is American.

10. What's their favorite memory with their parental figure(s)?

His favorite memory with his mother would definitely have to be when she taught him to ride a bike. She was often a frustrated person, who never paid him much attention, but she looked so happy that day, happier than he had ever seen her. Her hair was pulled back, away from her face, and she spoke kindly to him, helping him keep his balance for a while, and even holding him as he cried after skinning his knees on the cement. It remains one of his happiest memories.
 

Again, he hasn't spent too much time with Robert yet, but hopefully that will change. Right now, we're still at the I-just-met-you-oh-my-gosh-this-family-dinner-is-awkward stage, but things are looking up!

~ * ~ * ~

Well, that's all! I went into this knowing very little about my babies, but now I know so much and it just makes me love them more! Beautiful People is such an amazing thing and I'm happy to be participating in it! I'm relieved to have at least some of Jordan's past unraveled at last and I'm excited to see what else this book has in store for me!

So, what about you guys? How are your relationships with your parents/families? Do you often write about characters with parents, or do prefer a few Lost Boys (or girls!)? What's your view on family in fiction/YA? Any favorite fictional parents? Tell me all! I wanna know! ^___^

Oh! And I might have gotten a Pinterest account over the weekend . . . And pinned too many things and spent way too much time fangirling. So, um . . . Yeah. This is a thing now. ;D Feel free to check out my boards and suggest some I should follow! I'm kinda in love with Pinterest at the moment. XD

The Many Ramblings of an Excited Author

Guys. Exciting news. Like, really exciting. Seriously, you'll never guess what it is.

I STARTED A NEW NOVEL.

Okay, okay. I know. How strange is it that I - a writer, mind you - would start a new novel? How odd is it that I, of all people, would insist on writing more than one book in my lifetime? (Please take note of the sarcasm here.)

To be honest, maybe this isn't huge, exciting news for everyone else, but for me, it's like I'm getting my muse back. I was kind of starting to feel like I'd spend the rest of my days as a writer working on Pro Deo et Patria. (Fun fact: Do you know how long writers tend to write? Forever, that's how long. So, in other words, I was beginning to think I'd spend forever working on that one novel.) I felt like those charries had forced all other charries out of my head and I was just stuck with them. And only them. Forever. O__O

Of course, like any author, I love my characters, all of them, and I had a great time working on that novel. But inspiration fades when you work on one thing nonstop for - what - two years. Yeah... I needed a break.

AND I FINALLY GOT IT AND I'M SO EXCITED AND HAPPY OH MY GOSH.

Ahem. All right. I suppose you're wondering about the details of this new story (or not; either way, I'm about to tell you). I was debating on a title the other day when, suddenly, something came to mind! This rarely happens, since titles tend to give me a lot of trouble. However, this one sounded like it could work (and it was even in English this time!), so I was perfectly happy with it.

The Truth About Forever. Yes, it did sound like the title of a book. And a good one. I was proud of myself. In fact, I was so proud, I even dared to think, "Hey! That kind of sounds like the title of a book Sarah Dessen would write!" And she's one of my favorite authors. So I was super happy. It still sounded familiar, though, like a title I'd heard before, so, in order to put my mind at ease, I decided to Google it, just to make sure there was no such book out there. Lo and behold, there it was: The first result, on Amazon. The Truth About Forever is indeed a book. And by who? None other than Sarah Dessen herself. Oh, suddenly everything made sense.

For a moment, I sat there in disappointment. The perfect title was not even an original one, merely something I had read in a list of books by my favorite author at some point. However, this agony was short-lived, because that was when I remembered something my little sister had said the day before. We'd been driving by a field of dandelions, all of them a beautiful, bright yellow. "There are so many of them," she told me, "and one day, when they're the kind you can blow, we'll come back out here and make a thousand wishes."

It was a simple statement, but, to me, it held such depth. The thought of returning to this field with her and actually making one thousand wishes on each of those dandelions was beautiful, something you would see in the movies, like thousands of paper airplanes being thrown through the air, or dozens of origami swans being dropped into a pond. To me, the imagery was incredible and I couldn't imagine anything more perfect. So I wrote it down in a notebook. Maybe I'd need a title in the future.

Turns out the future arrived quickly and there I was, in search of a new name for this book. So, yeah. My newest novel officially has a title. And not one stolen from the cover of a Sarah Dessen book.

A Thousand Wishes is the name and I couldn't love it more.

The first thing that surprised me about this story was that it was not a fantasy book. Pro Deo et Patria and its sequel were the first fantasy novels I'd ever written, but I fell in love with the genre - creating new worlds, where perilous adventures and kingdoms at war were okay, filling them with dragons and elves and fairies. I thought I'd never go back to writing about anything else. I adored this genre. It was creative, fun, enchanting. Who needed regular ol' YA fiction now? I had fantasy on my side!

But no. This book decided it did not wish to be a fantasy novel. It wanted to be a young adult novel, with no dragons or fairies or worlds with names I can't pronounce. It was an odd feeling, returning to my first love in that way. It felt kind of like I'd gone on a long, far away trip, to someplace unfamiliar, and then, after countless months had passed, there I was, coming home. Familiarity surrounded me and I felt this overwhelming nostalgia. It was amazing, to be perfectly honest. I guess YA is my home, in a way.

And, as if this novel hadn't already thrown countless curveballs my way, it decided it did not want to be written like a normal book. No, if I was going to write, it was going to be something completely different and out of my comfort zone. It was, for starters, in first person. I never write in first person. Ever.

And that wasn't enough. Noooo. A Thousand Wishes refused to follow my rules. In fact, it insisted on breaking every last one of them. Meaning? "No, that's all right. We don't need to start at the beginning like a normal book. Let's just begin right here at this nice spot in the middle, when you don't know who the characters are or why they are or what they're doing. That works, right?"

It had to work, because, worse than the characters taking control of the book, the book itself was taking over. And when that happens, it might be time to listen.

I knew nothing about the characters when I started, in the middle of the story. I only knew that, at the moment, there were two of them, a brother and a sister, who'd never met before. In my head, he looked like Jordan Witzigreuter and she looked like Miranda Cosgrove. That was all the information I had when I began typing. No title, no real plot, and only two characters, without names or personalities or back stories. This is what happened:

~ * ~ * ~

He stepped into the house slowly, sneakers tracking dirt and flower petals from our garden. Upon entering, his eyes went wide, mouth forming a perfect circle as if his surprise hadn't been evident before. His bag, old and tattered, wet from the rain storm, escaped his grasp and collided with the hardwood floor, a puddle forming beneath it. I could tell he was taking it all in - the spiral staircase leading up to the second floor, the chandelier hanging from the skylight above, the black, grand piano adjacent to the wall. It must have been like something from a magazine, or straight out of a movie, a room most people would never see in a lifetime. It was nothing special, of course - most houses in our neighborhood looked identical to this - but, to people like Jordan, this was like glimpsing into another world, or, in his case, the life he might have had.

My mother entered the room now, heels clicking nosily across the floor. "Oh! You've arrived!" she cheered, clapping her hands together as she crossed the room. "I'll have George gather the rest of your things! George-" She stopped when something splattered beneath her heels, surprise forcing her to a halt. It was the water from Jordan's bag, seeping through the fabric and creating a stream across the hardwood. I bit my tongue, waiting for her to explode, to scold him for making such a mess (after all, that floor hadn't had a single drop spilled on it since 1940, when her parents had built the house), but she never did. Instead, she took a deep breath, her gaze following the trail to his bag. "Oh, dear!" I could sense the irritation under her concerned facade, but also there was a hint of sorrow, as if she felt horrible about being angry in the first place. "Is that your only bag? Surely there are more outside!"

Jordan, who hadn't uttered a word since his arrival, watched as she strode over to the window, moving the satin curtains to peer outside, in search of a taxi she would never find. "No, this is all." He barely met my gaze before stooping down and grabbing his duffel bag from the floor. Finally noticing the water, his eyes widened again and he looked like he wanted to say something, but my mother beat him to it.

"Oh, dear, a few belongings just won't do!" She crossed the floor once more, taking the bag from his hands and holding it at a safe distance, as if it carried some sort unearthly, homeless disease. "Don't you worry about this, dearie! I'll just take it and have George put away your things. Wait, where is George? Did he not hear his name being called? George! George?" And then she stalked off down the hallway, the sound of her footsteps fading in the distance.

I waited until she was gone to speak, "I'm sorry about . . . her. She can be a little-"

He raised his eyebrows. "Scatterbrained?"

"I was going to say George-oriented, but yeah, that too." I motioned around the room, where rays of light filtered in from above, littering the floor with sparkling beams. "So, what do you think?"

He glanced around the room again, as if just remembering he was still here. He wore a bewildered expression, a mixture of horror and amazement apparent on his face. "I . . . um, it's nice." He was trying his best to remain calm, to act normal, but I could tell he was still a bit overwhelmed by all of this. "So" - he shoved his hands into his pockets and met my gaze - "who was she? An aunt? A cousin?"

"My step mom, actually." I hoped my disdain wasn't evident. "Dad married her shortly after-"

"Right. I get it." He shrugged his shoulders, his struggle to appear optimistic a visible battle. "So, where is . . .?"

"Dad?" I laughed. "It's okay. You can say it, you know." I wasn't so sure I'd ever get used to all of this - the awkward, the uncertainty, my brother. "He's here, somewhere. I told him you were coming."

"Does he know-"

"No. I didn't tell him."

"Didn't tell whom what?" Laughter erupted from within my father as he emerged from the hallway, a wide, goofy grin on his face, as usual. "We're not keeping any secrets around here, are we?"

I smiled as he approached us. "Nope, just discussing the fact that I . . . forgot to tell you Jordan is allergic to sweet potatoes, so Mom can't make her famous casserole tonight. Right, Jordan?"

I looked to him for assistance, to help put my father's mind at ease, but, if he had been stunned before, he was frozen now. His mouth hung open as he stared up at my - our - father, who was several inches taller than him, with short, brown hair and identical blue eyes. I could see him analyzing this man, taking in the button-up shirt, the khaki pants, the expensive ear piece. What must this be like for Jordan, laying eyes on him for the first time? What had he imagined, when picturing his dad? Had he imagined a jeans and t-shirt kind of guy? A businessman? What could he possibly be thinking now, as he met his father for the first time in twenty, long years?

If Dad noticed his surprise, he didn't show it. "Oh, you must be Jordan." His smile widened, if possible, and he extended a hand. "Robert Forde. Pleasure to meet you, son."

Jordan's gaze flickered to meet mine before he stared back up at Dad. If only he knew.

"You, too, sir." He offered the smallest of smiles. "I really appreciate you opening up your home like this. I, uh, don't mean to intrude."

Dad gave him a hard pat on the shoulder. "It's no problem at all. Any friend of Eloise is a friend of mine."

Translation: "Any daughter of mine is a sister of yours."

Jordan didn't glance at me, instead he nodded, mustering up what little strength he had left to smile, a real one this time. "Thanks. I really-"

Dad's earpiece beeped then and he held up a finger to silence his son, pressing a button with the other hand. "Robert Forde speaking." A pause. "Oh, yes, Jerry. Thanks for getting back to me. That business deal is important and we can't afford to-" Another pause. "Yes, I know." He offered Jordan an apologetic look, mouthing "I've gotta take this" before heading out of the room. He failed to glance back at either of us.

Jordan stared after him, as if he were trying to make sense of all this. We stood there in silence, him staring into the now vacant hallway and me watching him, waiting for him to say something, anything. Several minutes passed before he finally spoke up, "So . . . That was him."

"Yeah." I grinned. "What did you think?"

He tore his gaze away from the hallway and, at last, I could see the mixture of pain and joy hiding behind that crooked smile of his. "I think I love sweet potatoes and you suck at lying."

I snorted and then we laughed, because that's what brothers and sisters do: Laugh at each other.

~ * ~ * ~

~ * ~ * ~

So, yeah. It's not literary perfection, nor is it anything super unusual, but I guess that's what I love about YA. It doesn't have to be any one thing. It can be many different things, all wrapped into one package. The plan hadn't been to give the MMC the name Jordan, especially not when I pictured him as Jordan Witzigreuter, but, when I was going over names in my head, Jordan was the only one that fit for this character. So I left it that way.

And Eloise. Eloise was truly the last name on Earth I'd ever pick for a character, but I asked my family for help with names and one of my sisters suggested that one, among others. At first, I didn't like it at all, but something about it felt right, so, as a final surprise, my main character was named Eloise.

This book is made up of things I didn't expect.

So, to continue the trend, I wrote a blog post. Not surprising? Well, then, guess what? You just read all I've written of A Thousand Wishes. No one has ever read a whole novel of mine, but now you have. If that isn't strange, I don't know what is.

Expect the unexpected, you guys. You never know when a book might start writing itself.

Beautiful People: Gael and Morella Whalen {April 2015}

Greetings, fellow blog people! I wanted to post this yesterday - it was National Siblings Day, after all - but I was so busy I didn't have time. To be honest, I was super excited when I found out that this month's Beautiful People linkup (hosted by the lovely Sky @ Further Up & Further In and the awesome Cait @ Paper Fury) would be about siblings. I adore my brother and sisters, so it's always fun to write about fictional siblings. (Come to think of it, I literally can't name a single novel I've written where a character didn't have siblings. o_O)

I thought about using Elroy and Donovan Plemmons this month, but I had already talked about them in a recent post, so I decided against it. Instead, I suppose we'll talk about Gael and Morella Whalen, from that novel I'm always working on. >.> Their whole plot is really spoiler-y (Gael is really spoiler-y), but I love them and, besides, Elroy and Donovan hog the spotlight all the time. I wanted to find an image for Gael and Morella, but they are no doubt the hardest characters to find faces for. No one is as cute as Morella or as angry as Gael (except for Kim Myungsoo, but his eyes are brown, not blue <3). Ah, what the heck? There has to be a picture of Myungsoo and a little girl somewhere . . .

"Where did Mommy and Daddy go?"

     For a long moment, Gael stared at her in silence. The question - so direct, yet filled with so much confusion - had caught him off guard. In the months that had passed since their parents left, Gael had received this question countless times. He knew Morella deserved an answer, he knew she deserved the truth, but he knew better than anyone that the truth, once discovered, wasn't at all freeing, but instead a prison that kept one tied to the bitter reality brought out by secrets. He couldn't - no, wouldn't - do that to Morella. He refused.
     "I've told you before," he explained, his voice soft so he wouldn't upset her. "They're away, taking care of people."
     "What kind of people?"
     "Family."
     Morella paused, pondering this. "But . . . We're family, too. Why don't they take care of us?"
     It was an innocent question, asked by an innocent girl. It was a question worthy of a response, but, for this, Gael had no answer. He sighed, leaning forward to plant a kiss on the top of her head. "I don't know, Morella." He pulled the blankets up to her chin and offered the smallest of smiles. "Just get some sleep. Sweet dreams." He stood, starting toward the doorway after blowing out the candle next to her bed.
     "Bruhder?"
     He stopped at the doorway, forcing his gaze to meet hers. "What is it?"
     She blinked at him, blue eyes wide. "Mommy and Daddy were like the dragon, right?"
     "What dragon?"
     "From your story. They're not here." Her smile returned and she beamed at him. "But that's okay, Bruhder! We still have each other."
     Another sharp pain stabbed through his heart, but he forced it away. "Oh, really? And who were we, in the story?"
     "I was the princess!" She grinned and he noticed the gap between her two front teeth. "And you were my smile! We made other people happy and, even when things were tough, you never left me like the dragon did! Right?"
     This hit him like yet another punch in the gut and he hoped she couldn't see the tears that sprang into his eyes. He tried to blink them away, but one escaped and rolled down his cheek just to spite him, to remind him that he should have been wiser, he should have been a better brother to Morella than he was. "Right," he spoke, but his voice caught and his next words came out in only a whisper, "I'm sorry."
     If she heard him, or even noticed anything was wrong, she didn't let on. Instead, she offered him a wide grin. "Good night, Bruhder! I love you!"
     Wiping another stray tear away, he smiled softly at her. "I love you more."

~ * ~ * ~

1. What is the first memory they have of each other?

Gael's first memory of Morella was just after she'd been born. He was only twelve at the time, terrified of holding children, but when his mother finally convinced him to take her, it was a perfect fit. He fell in love with her immediately, already giving in to her adorable charms.

Morella's first memory of Gael, on the other hand, was several years later, when she was three and he was fifteen. Their parents were out of town one night and she woke up in the midst of a thunderstorm. She was terrified and raced into Gael's room. He let her climb onto his bed and he sang soft lullabies until her tears subsided and she fell asleep.

2. Describe their relationship in 3 words?

Close, protective, complicated.


3. What kind of things do they like to do together?

In spite of their age difference and responsibilities, they try to spend a great deal of time together. Most often, Morella convinces Gael to play dolls with her on a pretty regular basis. She enjoys this, because Gael made the dolls for her when they couldn't afford to purchase any. She also enjoys doing his hair (and her own).

Aside from that, Gael likes taking her to visit the dragons. As a dragon caretaker, he finds it important that he teaches Morella some of what he knows. They both enjoy caring for the dragons and going on adventures together (which really means that Morella pretends they're in the sky while Gael works).

4. What was their biggest fight?

Their biggest fight was shortly after their parents left. Morella missed them terribly and felt ignored by her older brother, who was stressed and working day and night to provide for himself and Morella. There was a lot of screaming involved in their fight, Morella was crying, and the conversation ended with Gael telling her that their parents didn't love them. Morella then called Gael a liar and said she hated him before running to her room. It was then when he decided not to tell her the truth about what had happened with their parents, for he never again wanted to hurt her the way he had that night.

5. How far would they go to save each other?

Throughout the entire novel, Gael shows his willingness to sacrifice many things - including his life - to save his sister. Morella is what drives him, what keeps him working so hard to make a better life for them. She is most important to him and he would go to any length to keep her safe.

Morella, only five years old in the story, doesn't know much about sacrifice at all. She loves her brother more than anyone, and she would stand up for him in a heartbeat, but she is still only a child, afraid of danger and trouble. She would do many things to save Gael, but she wouldn't go as far as he would for her.

6. What are their pet peeves about each other?

Most often, Gael finds himself annoyed by the fact that Morella refuses to listen to him. She has a tendency to wander off without telling him, or to open the door for strangers. Perhaps it is because adventure runs in their blood, but Morella is intent on inserting herself into dangerous situations and going on perilous adventures. This annoys and worries Gael to no end. Aside from that, he utterly despises being told he is just like their parents.


Morella finds herself most annoyed by Gael's busy schedule. She longs to spend every waking moment with her brother, but that isn't at all possible with his work schedule. And, on the rare occasions when he does have a moment to spare, he's too tired to spend hours upon hours playing dolls with her. Even worse, she cannot stand how bossy he is. She's a big girl now - she can open doors and wander off whenever she wants to.

7. What are their favorite things about each other?

Gael knows there would be a neverending list of things he loves about Morella, but, if he had to pick only a few, he would say, first, he adores her forgiving heart. Being one to hold grudges, Gael finds it both beautiful and refreshing to watch Morella forgive so effortlessly. He admires her heart and love for other people. Second would be tenacity. No matter what she is attempting, Morella refuses to quit until she has accomplished something.


Morella's favorite things about Gael are both his bravery and his love for her. She admires his strength in the midst of tough situations. She hopes she will grow up and become as brave and strong as he is. She also loves his love for her and his want to help those in need.

8. What traits do they share? Mannerisms, clothing, quirks, looks, etc?

They both have dark brown, almost black hair, and midnight blue eyes, for starters. Aside from physical appearances, however, they share the same stubborn nature. Once their minds have been made up, that's it - there will be no convincing them otherwise. And, although Gael would argue, they both have big hearts. A lot of their mannerisms are similar as well, but mainly because Morella enjoys mimicking her brother.

9. Who has the strongest personality?

That's a tough one - both Whalens can be quite the handful when they want to be. However, Morella's personality is probably the strongest. Although Gael's anger is what drives his personality, Morella is much more outspoken and energetic, in contrast to her cold and anti-social brother. During a tantrum, she can become your worst nightmare and, when in a good mood, she is the kindest, most outgoing person around. She's always intent on getting what she wants, though, and she's not afraid to let anyone know it.

10. How does their relationship change throughout your story?

When the novel begins, the siblings are close and Gael's love for his sister is evident in everything he does. As the novel progresses, it becomes clear that Gael is literally willing to go to any length to protect his sister. It isn't until the end, however, that Morella makes her love for her brother known as well and it is then when Gael realizes just how close they are. Even through all of the crap I put them through in that book, their relationship was much stronger in the end than it was in the beginning, as Morella realized the extent of Gael's love for her and vice versa.

So, that's it! Beautiful People is just so much fun! ^___^ I learn so much about my charries this way. Let me know what you think! :D

What about you guys? Do you have any siblings in real life? What about in your books? Do you prefer writing about only children or big families? Let me know! I'd love to hear about them! ^_^