A Dark and Dangerous Magic

Thanks for reading guys!

Because I Can't Sleep...

I made a cover for Have Mercy.

In Two Days...

NaNo begins!

I did it last year, and won (by miracle) and because the prize is as same as last year's, I definitely want to try to churn out 50,000 words (0r more)

But there's just one little problem.

I'm not ready.

I'm close to being ready, but let's just say I'm not that close.

I literally had one hundred ideas. I went from urban fantasy to science fiction and I finally decided I was going to try writing a contemporary. I know, taking the easy way out.

Then I narrowed it down to four ideas and then those four ideas morphed magically into two. Two very good ideas, but which one do I chose.

Have Mercy

Alden Summerville loves music. It runs in his blood. His mother was a musician and when she died, music became his world. Nothing was going to change his dreams of becoming a famous rocker. Not his dad, who wants Al to get a football scholarship. Not his step-mother, Barbra, who wants him out of his house. No one will stop him from letting music be his life, because if he doesn't have music, then there isn't no point in living.

When Mr. Snyder, his music teacher retires, Alden doesn't know what to do. He thinks that there is no one left in the world on his side, until she comes. She is beautiful, bright, and cares about music almost as much as Alden does, maybe even more. He introduces him to a different world, one he wants to live in. One he will give up everything for.

Mirror, Mirror

Kendall Ryan has never lived in a real home. She's never had her own bed or room, and she's never had a "first kiss" Though she's been kissed by many men, the only man who she would gladly accept a kiss from was Kipling "Kip" Fitzgerald, the man who has been taking care of her for as long as she can remember. But that will never happen because Kip already has his eyes on Pristine "Pris" Walker, the golden-haired beauty of their little "family."

All she wants, all she'll ever need is for Kip to notice her, but he never treats her with love and affection. She's like furniture, just there to help out when needed.

And then a girl goes missing.

There's more to both stories but I don't want to give too much away. I don't know which one I'll do. Hopefully I'll finish tomorrow so I can get playlist and stuff together.

So much to do, so little time...

Teaser Tuesday

Wow, it feels like I haven't done a Teaser Tuesday in a long long time.

Um, okay. Today's teaser is from Shadow when I tried writing it in first person.

The room was dark in a matter of minutes, save for the bright white light that streamed in through the window.

"So, what are you doing after school?" he asked, his voice almost a whisper. The movie was starting now. I've seen Romeo and Juliet before, so I really didn't have any reason to pay attention. But I didn't want to sit here and talk to Sloan. It was too dangerous. The way he made me feel. The way I let myself succumb to his charms, if you could even call it that- was risky. I couldn't let myself give in.

"Why do you care?"

"Well," he moved his chair over until we were thigh to thigh. I didn't want to focus on how near he was, but the jolt of electricity that shot through my veins wasn't making it easy for me. My lips started to numb, and my mouth went dry.

This wasn't good.

"I was wondering if you wanted to, you know, catch a movie or something after-school." I jerked my head in his direction. He was asking me out on a date? I liked him. Maybe even more than I should, and I knew that he was sort of fixed on me. Even Lola, who deemed herself an expert in the art of 'chemistry', declared that Sloan was 'totally into me.' In another world we could be an item, but this was reality and I couldn't be alone with him. I couldn't risk his life. I couldn't let him be another....

"Well?" he pushed. The eagerness in this voice was unusual for him. It was almost like he needed me to say yes, but he didn't know what kind of darkness I could bring into his life. If he knew, he would want me to say no.

"No," I replied.

Sighing, he sank back in his chair. I don't know why, but I turned to look at him. A strand of hair fell in front of his eyes, as he met my gaze. "I just don't get it..." He paused. There was a crease in his eyebrows. "Are you a lesbian?"

My eyes widened, but before I could say anything, he placed his hand on my shoulder. A jolt of electricity shot through my veins. "Because if you are, I'm cool with it. There's nothing wrong with liking girls. Believe me, I understand."

I was aware of the eyes that were on us now. Not everyone had heard what Sloan had said but we had enough attention. I shrugged away from him, dropping my voice. "You're an idiot."

"Look, if it makes you feel better, I'll watch you make out with some chick and I won't even be disgusted or anything."

"I'm not a lesbian, Sloan," I muttered.

He crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair, "Hey, it's either that or you're stupid." His head tilted to the side. "You're like one of the smartest girls in the entire junior class, so that only leaves the first theory."

"Theory?" I wanted to kick myself for asking. A part of me knew that whatever he was going to say would make me mad. He curled his finger around a strand of my hair, and gently placed it behind my ear. His touch made my skin crawl.

"Usually girls fall head over heals for me, you on the other hand, don't. So, if you put two and two together..."

"Just because I don't want to shove my tongue down your throat like some..."

Something moved in my peripheral vision. I averted my eyes and looked out the window. The snow was falling to the ground in tired white clusters. Everything, from the trees, the cars parked in the parking lot, the rooftops of the houses across the street, were covered in it's crystalline splendor. The hair on the back of my neck stood up. My mouth went dry. Despite the fact that the heat was on in the room, a chill resonated through my body.

Someone was watching me.

Before we are great...

Not everyone starts out great. You have to fail before you are good at anything in life. I've been writing ever since I could pick up a pencil. Nowadays, I think my writing is pretty decent and I'm not ashamed to flaunt it to my teachers and stuff. But when I look back on the things I wrote long ago (three years ago) I want to take a match to it and forget that it ever existed.

But I can't do that. Though my old stories may not be as good as the ones I write today, they are still apart of me. Those characters are still apart of me.

A story that epitomizes this bond I feel with my old writing, is Hazel. I wrote it the summer I turned eleven. The night after I finished reading Jane Eyre I opened up a new document on my computer and start typing away.


Here is a snippet from the story:

It was almost night time when Miss Hilda called for Erin. Erin had dressed in her best clothing and quietly entered her mother's room. Miss Hilda gestured for Erin to sit beside her.
It was quiet for a couple of minutes but then Miss Hilda began to speak.
" You remind me so much of your father. So you will lead a life similar to his." Hilda said coughing
" I pray that I will Miss Hilda." Erin replied closing her eyes
" Your eyes remind me every day of the loser I married." Hilda continued angrily
" That's why you hate me?" Erin asked trying not to cry
" You are cheerful even after I scold you. You are kind even when shown no kindness. I tried for years to break you like I've broken your father but it just hasn't worked yet." Hilda replied softly
" Trying to break me will be like asking for an early grave, Miss Hilda." Erin said coldly
" I know it but I will not give up." Hilda agreed, coughing
" My father and I are stronger than you, together." Erin said
" Please that man is weaker than Winston and you're nothing but an ugly child." Hilda said chuckling
" I don't have to sit here and listen to this." Erin said getting up
" But I have everything you need to know about your future right here in my mind." Hilda exclaimed smiling
" You lie, Miss Hilda!" Erin shouted
" You will be alone in life and will die alone for no one will ever love a hideous face such as yours." Hilda screamed angrily
" I will not become you! You are the one who will die alone and you are the one who will never be loved by me or my father or anyone else." Erin snapped running out of the room
The next day Miss Hilda died in her sleep. No one was by her side and no one had loved her. When the body was taken out of the house, Erin didn't shed a tear for she was happy to have her father and no one else. All day Erin's father had shut himself up in his room and didn't come out. Erin started to worry about him because she thought he would be happy. Then she remembered the sincerity in his eyes when Miss Hilda lied there passed out from the cold. Had Michael really loved Hilda?
After making dinner, Erin ran up to her father's door and knocked on it softly.
" Father, I made dinner if you are hungry." Erin said
" I'm not hungry." Michael replied grimly
" Then I will come in and make you eat." Erin said opening the door
When she opened the door, Erin saw her father on the floor crying. Erin quickly rushed to her father's side and held him close.

If My Life Were A Musical...

Okay, so I didn't just wake up and say that I wanted to write a blog post about what my life would be like if it were a book. No, I didn't. I was over at Amna's blog and she was talking about what her life would be as a musical. Cool thing to think about right?

So, here's how it works:
1. Open your library (iTunes, Winamp, Media Player, iPod, etc)
2. Put it on shuffle
3. Press play
4. For every question, type the song that's playing
5. When you go to a new question, press the next button
6. Don't lie

Opening Credits:
Coffee's for Closers by Fall Out Boy

Waking Up:
Move Along by The All-American Rejects

First Day at School:
I Hate This Part by The Pussycat Dolls

Falling In Love:
Disloyal Order of Water Buffaloes by Fall Out Boy

Losing Virginity:
Black Cat by Mayday Parade

Fight Song:
So What by P!NK

Breaking Up:
You Found Me by The Fray

Prom:
Wake Up Call by Maroon 5

Life:
How to Save a Life by The Fray

Mental Breakdown:
The Scientist by Coldplay

Flashback:
Miserable at Best by Mayday Parade

Getting Back Together:
Thanks for the Memories by Fall Out Boy

Wedding:
Gives You Hell by The All-American Rejects

Final Battle:
Dance, Dance by Fall Out Boy

Funeral Song:
Lost by Coldplay

Ending Credits:
It Ends Tonight by The All-American Rejects

This made me laugh!

How about you? What songs did you in up with?

Teaser Tuesday

Finally I have something new to share! First off, Happy Teaser Tuesday everyone!

Okay, I know I'm a bit late but hopefully people will still read and tell me what you think. I'm going to try to get to everyone's. My computer has been acting weird, so hopefully it doesn't crash. I have a half-day of school on Thursday so I'll be able to read and comment then, if I don't get to it now.

Today's snippet is from Reborn, my first every Science Fiction WIP. The only thing that makes it SF is that it takes place in the future and that there are "aliens".

Gabriel looked up to the sky. I looked up too. All I could see was a torrent of white, nothingness. There were no birds flapping their wings through the air, and the clouds had long since disappeared.

"We should go back inside," he said, grabbing my arm. His touch felt icy to my skin. It was a new type of feeling, one I wasn't sure I wanted to feel, but I welcomed it. He had never touched me before. Gabriel had made it clear, that we shouldn't touch. His eyes slowly found mine. For seconds, minutes, hours, it seemed, we stared at each other, not speaking a word.

We spoke with our eyes.

Gabriel grabbed my other arm, gently this time. His fingers started traveling up and down, analyzing. Goosebumps rose on my skin, and he seemed to be fascinated by them. He tried smoothing them out, his cold hands sending warmth through my body. I felt my heart thudding against my skin. Why was his touch doing this to me?

"Your heart," he whispered. He knew. He had to know. After being here for so long, he had to know what this meant. I knew what it meant. Though I wouldn't admit it to myself, I knew. I gulped. He closed the distance between us, until there was only a sliver of air separating our bodies.

"It's beating so fast. It sounds so..." He paused.

Without thinking, I grabbed his hand and placed it on my chest. The confusion in his eyes morphed into shock. At first I thought he was going to pull away, but his lips started pulling up at the corners. He was smiling.

My voice shook, "Do you feel it?"

He nodded, his dark curls falling in front of his eyes. "What does it feel like?"

"Sometimes I don't even know it's there. When I am excited or scared it starts to beat rapidly. It's like...I can't think of a word to describe it," I replied.

"It does this when you are excited or scared," Gabriel said, looking up at me from under his eyelashes. He didn't know this, but his eyes were breathing fire. I felt my cheeks flush in their presence. "Which do you feel? Excitement or fear?" He paused. "Addison, if you are frightened of me, I'll..."

"No, Gabriel, it's not you. I'm not afraid of you. I'm just a little overwhelmed."

His eyebrows pulled up, "Tell me, what overwhelms you?"

Your touch. Your presence. Everything about you. I kept my lips sealed, even though the answers to his question were right there on the tip of my tongue. A part of me was thankful that though he was an Observer, he wasn't an expert on the language of the heart.

When I didn't answer, Gabriel closed his eyes, and rested his head gently on my chest. He inhaled and exhaled, as if he were breathing in my heartbeats. With his other arm, he pulled me closer and my heart stuttered. He didn't say anything about it though. He just listened.

"Thunder," he murmured.

"What?" I asked, breathlessly.

"I hear thunder. We have to go inside now."

He pulled away.

Something inside of me told me to react.

I grabbed a hold of his hand.

His eyes were black coals as he stared down at me.

"Addison, what's wrong?"

I looked down. "Please..."

His voice was thick," Please what?"

"Stay with me. Out here, a little longer. I know it's going to rain soon. But please. A few more seconds. I need this." I need you.

Teaser Tuesday

Well, it's Tuesday yet again. And I haven't really been writing. I have been taking notes for one of my SNIs that I keep thinking about. So, I didn't think I had anything to post today but then I found this. It's from Have Mercy and it's from Mercy's POV. It's a little rough, well at least I think it is but I hope you guys enjoy it.

When I woke up this morning, not only was I met with the sound of the sky's tears tap dancing on the roof but I could smell something. It was a strong smell, like odor that came from the gym socks lying around in the boys' locker room, but less potent. I turned over, pressing my nose into my pillow but I could still smell it.

Sunday was supposed to be a day of rest, and here I was getting out of bed. I slipped on my slippers and pulled open my door. The fragrance assaulted my nose and then I knew what it was.

Something was burning.

My mother was cooking.

As I moved down the stairs, I stopped and looked out the window.

I hated rain. It came and it went, leaving behind sorrow and pain in it's wake. Even when the sun came out and it was a new day, it was still there somehow, engraved in the leaves, the ground, trickling down the window. It was always there, and no amount of sun could scare it away.

I touched the glass, and a chill resonated through my fingers. Something about this day seemed so familiar. I stood there, my toes curled in my slippers, remembering.

Remembering the cold wet droplets, the burnt toast, and two eyes, two cold, evil eyes.

There was only one person my mother cooked for.

I could feel my heart skip a beat.

I could feel a buried ache in my stomach rise from the dead.

The closer I got to the kitchen, the stronger the pain grew. My mother was standing over the stove, her dry black hair pulled up into a loose ponytail. It bobbed up and down, as she flipped something that looked like a black saucer onto a plate. As if sensing my presence, she turned to look at me, a smile pasted under her distant brown eyes.

"Good morning," she said. My mouth felt dry. All the memories. All the pain. It was all coming back to me. I grabbed a hold of the door frame to keep from falling over. There, sitting at the table staring at me with those familiar glassy blue eyes, was the man who I thought I would never have to see again.

My father was out of prison.

SHIVER by Maggie Stiefvater

SUMMARY

For years, Grace has watched the wolves in the woods behind her house. One yellow-eyed wolf--her wolf--is a chilling presence she can't seem to live without. Meanwhile, Sam has lived two lives: In winter, the frozen woods, the protection of the pack, and the silent company of a fearless girl. In summer, a few precious months of being human . . . until the cold makes him shift back again.

Now, Grace meets a yellow-eyed boy whose familiarity takes her breath away. It's her wolf. It has to be. But as winter nears, Sam must fight to stay human--or risk losing himself, and Grace, forever.

REVIEW

I had never read anything by Maggie Stiefvater. I have read great reviews on her previous book Lament and I am intrigued by the premise of the "sequel" Ballad. But when I saw Kristin's review of Shiver, I knew that I had to check this book out.

When I went to the book store, I really wanted to buy more than one book because I had enough money for two. I was going to wait to buy Shiver because I had two books that I wanted to read and then I just sat there and looked at the cover. That one red dot in the mist of the blues and the whites drew me in. So long story short, I left Borders with Shiver in my hand and I could not wait to get home to read it.

I had a lot of Pre-calc homework to do and I usually am one to do my homework before I do anything else, but the book was staring at me. So I opened the book, felt the crisp pages between my fingers and began to read. And I kept reading and reading, until I realized that I seriously needed to do my homework.

It became a routine. I would do some of my homework and then I would read some more. Soon, it became impossible to put it down. While I was reading Shiver, I laughed at how cute Sam is, I cried because of his past and because I wanted these two characters to be together. I cried at how beautiful the words were, like poetry, smooth and rhythmic, how they touched my soul even though they had no hands or fingers. I love how the book itself made me shiver. It made me want to curl up under the blankets and stay there.

And when I finished, I cried. I finished Shiver last night before I went to bed. The tears wouldn't stop streaming down my face because this book was so beautiful. I've never read anything so touching, so real.

I love the new outlook on werewolves. I love that Sam isn't your typical male love interest. He has flaws and he isn't afraid to feel.

But I felt that his side of the story was more developed than Grace's. I found myself quickly reading through her parts, just so that I could be with Sam. This beautiful, golden-eyed, lyric-writing, sensitive, boy-who loves deeply. Ah, I love Sam, seriously I do. His past makes you want to hold him close and never let him go. And when I was reading his side of the story, I felt like he was truly there and you might think I'm crazy for being in love with a fictional character, but Sam, he is truly a gem. And I think it's going to be hard for anyone to cast the right guy to play him.


Another thing I liked about this book, was that it wasn't predictable. I could not pin down how it was going to end and when I reached the last page...wow. I've seen a lot of reviews where people are saying that this story is much like Twilight. No. I have to disagree. The only similarity I see is that a human girl is falling for a not-so human guy. That idea has been used so many times but Miss Stiefvater has done an amazing job making this story her own.


In honor of Music Monday and my book review of Shiver, here is a song that I think fits the book: