Sad and disheartening news - but all is not lost!

You must have noticed my absence of posts lately.  Well, life has kind of caught up to me, and I've had to make the hard decision to take a break from blogging for a while.  I find I haven't had time to keep up with/comment on the blogs I follow, and I really want to be able to do that to be a good blogger.  Not only that, I find I don't really have much to say to y'all that is all that important, and even though I think I certainly shall take up the internet pen once more, I think it's time for a sabbatical.  So, even though I *really* regret having to say this, this will be my last post for a while.

However, I am *not* going to delete this blog, so please keep following it, because you'll want to catch up with me when I begin again.  When I do, it will be with purpose and conviction.  You guys have been *amazing*, and I feel bad that I haven't kept up with your blogs and sites like I wanted to.

Also, a friend of mine has started an online support group that I want to share with you.  She is a really special person with type 1 diabetes, and she started this support group and website to connect with other people who have type 1 diabetes.  Please take a look - you will be blessed!

Until later, my faithful friends!  Continue to write for the glory of God!

- Madeline alias *the Bedouin*

A study in description

Something I did for school.  The assignment was to describe something with more than just its physical appearance; to tell its essence in words.  It took a couple tries with a couple different subjects, but I finally settled on this one.

~~~~~~~

The ancient Bible was one of the first things I saw when I stepped into the room. Though its cracked leather cover, faded and worn from ages of poring and studying, was covered in a layer of fine, featherweight dust, it seemed to glow with an aura of sage wisdom and truth untold. The tome could have been as old as the earth itself - as I turned the first page, it cracked with the care and weight of being moved from its place. I replaced it and ran my hand along the cover, leaving an irregular blotch of dustless area that seemed to remove some of the hallowedness of the book. The dust gave it a sense of being the holiest book on earth - though it contained the same words as any cheap pocket Bible you could buy, it was not the same. If there was a Bible that God wrote with his own hand, this was the one. With gravity and splendor it had sat there in the dust for centuries, away from the prying eyes of skeptical readers, its enormous bulk threatening to crack the altar on which it sat with every tiny tremor of the earth, whether they be caused by marauding armies or tectonic plates. In silence, I backed away, and at the door I paused and looked at it again. Even though the high, gothic architecture soared above my head, even though the rows and rows of ancient and stolid pews vied for my attention, even though the golden crucifix, glorious and untarnished, hung in the nave, to me the stalwart and hallowed old book was the only thing in the room.

Novella news...and chocolate chips

Today I'm what you'd call *absolutely thrilled* because....

drumroll please.....

I've just hit 6,000 words in my novella!  Which, for me, is a huge deal, because that's halfway.  (Excuse me for a minute.)

I'M HALFWAY!!!!!!

Thank you.

Things are going swimmingly (which usually means something is about to go wrong...).  I've written parts one and two of four and done a once-over edit on both.  So I'm ready to continue to Part Three!  The excitement is growing!  The writerly happiness is brewing!!  The chocolate chips are disappearing!!

I think I'll have my brother make some frappuchinos to jumpstart Part Three.  What do you think?

In other news, I have a very long summer reading list.  To provide you with some droll enjoyment I shall show you some of the upcoming titles, and you can see what I'm reading.

I'm in the middle of this wonderful tale at present.  Yes, this is a school leftover, and yes, I've already passed the balcony scene.  I hope you don't need an overview of the plot.

I've read this before, but I don't remember anything.  This is also a school leftover.  I'm looking forward to it very much - Lewis is my all-time favorite author.

Apparently a collection of short stories in the Sherlock Holmes style in which Father Brown, a Catholic priest, solves crimes with panache.  This should be interesting.  Leftover from school.

A collection of fantasy short stories by a contemporary of C.S. Lewis.  Also for school.

This looks interesting.  It's science fiction - that's basically all I know about it.  It's the last book in my lit program.

This looks like a pretty hefty read.  I still haven't had time to do this one yet; hope I have time for it this summer.

Ugh, I STILL haven't got around to reading this!!  It's plaguing me with its presence!!!

Still haven't got a hold of this one.  The one at my library was checked out.

Finally decided to find out what this was all about.  The waiting list at my library is 40 people long, I kid you not.  So I guess it'll have to be Borders for me.

My grandmother swears this is the best book in the world, and my brother happened to have it on loan.  So I guess I'll read it.

I heard about this from a friend - so I want to check it out.  Again, the waiting list at the library is astronomical.

A perennial favorite of mine that I'm certain you're all familiar with.  Ah, the adventure, the pathos.  It never gets old.

Now, as I'm looking at this list, it seems a little ambitious.  But I'll see what I can do.  I'm a champion reader. *grins*

Till the end!  Endurance and victory!  For Narnia, and for Aslan!  Tora! etc, etc.

~ Madeline alias *the Bedouin*

Candid Room Tag

So, Chris decided to tag *everyone* that follows his blog with the Candid Room Tag.  Which means, unfortunately for me, that you have to take a picture of your room, without cleaning it, and put it on your public blog.  So he wrenched it out of me.  *sigh*

Maya Angelou

I KNOW WHY THE CAGED BIRD SINGS

A free bird leaps on the back

Of the wind and floats downstream

Till the current ends and dips his wing

In the orange suns rays

And dares to claim the sky.

But a BIRD that stalks down his narrow cage

Can seldom see through his bars of rage

His wings are clipped and his feet are tied

So he opens his throat to sing.

The caged bird sings with a fearful trill

Of things unknown but longed for still

And his tune is heard on the distant hill for

The caged bird sings of freedom.

The free bird thinks of another breeze

And the trade winds soft through

The sighing trees

And the fat worms waiting on a dawn-bright

Lawn and he names the sky his own.

But a caged BIRD stands on the grave of dreams

His shadow shouts on a nightmare scream

His wings are clipped and his feet are tied

So he opens his throat to sing.

The caged bird sings with

A fearful trill of things unknown

But longed for still and his

Tune is heard on the distant hill

For the caged bird sings of freedom.

 

 

- Maya Angelou

Writing and Beloved

Hi guys, sorry I've been neglecting my blog lately.  You know how it is with finishing up the school year and everything.  I've had no time for anything, much less writing.

About that, I just realized that I hadn't used my code for my free proof copy of my Nano novel from CreateSpace - so I decided I better spruce it up a little so I could send it in.  Unfortunately, the code expires the 30th of this month, so I really am in a bind as to whether or not I should throw myself into finishing/fixing it up by the 30th or just send it like it is.  I still haven't decided, but I guess I will have to soon - I'm leaning towards sending it like it is.

At any rate, my novella is on hold for the present.  I still have high hopes for it, though, and I think I'll get back to it more prepared to finish the first draft strongly.

I hope soon to begin posting regularly again - until then, here's something I want to share with you: the beautiful lyrics to a song my friend introduced me to by one of my favorite bands, Tenth Avenue North (you can listen to it in my playlist at the bottom of the page).

--Beloved--

Love of my life
Look deep in my eyes

There you will find what you need

Give me your life

Lust and the lies

The past you're afraid I might see

You've been running away from me

You're my beloved

Lover I'm yours
Death shall not part us

It's you I died for

For better or worse

Forever we'll be

Our Love it unites us

It binds you to me

It's a mystery

Love of my life

Look deep in my eyes

There you will find what you need

I'm the giver of life

I'll clothe you in white
My immaculate bride you will be

Oh come running home to me

You're my beloved

Lover I'm yours

Death shall not part us

It's you I died for

For better or worse

Forever we'll be

Our Love it unites us

It binds you to me

Well you've been a mistress, my wife

Chasing lovers it won't satisfy

Won't you let me make you my bride

You will drink of my lips

And you'll taste new life

Cause you're my beloved

Lover I'm yours

Death shall not part us

It's you I died for

For better or worse

Forever we'll be

Our Love it unites us
And it binds you to me

 

You're my beloved

Forever we'll be

Our love it unites us

And it binds you to me

It's a mystery

It's a mystery

I've been awarded...

Thanks to Noah and Ness, I've been awarded the "Prolific Blogger Award" and the "Stylish Blogger Award"!  Thanks for thinking of me, guys!  =D

I will now award...

Squeaks

Seth

Nathan P.

Rebecca

Now I shall award...

Celebrilomiel

 

Rebecca

 

 

And now I have to write five random things about myself.  *sighs*

 

1. I have 7 siblings

2. I love rotini pasta

3. I can't stand clocks ticking when I'm trying to sleep

4. I'm scared of ghosts....

5. I don't like lace

 

I'll try to comment on all of your blogs in the near future...sometime...lol  When I get the chance.  But anyway.

Update and "rose novella"

I apologize to y'all for the absence of posts recently...my life has been really busy (whose isn't?).  This week is performance week for my dance school, and what with mother's day and all...plus I'm trying to keep up with schoolwork and still find time to work on my novella.  About that!  I guess it's high time I told you guys a little about it.  =D


My novella is based on a concept of my dance teachers' for one of our pieces this year.  The main theme is about sacrifice, and it involves some (hopefully non-cheesy) time travel elements.  The main character is a girl whose story is loosely based on Rachel Scott of Columbine.  Her family is having trouble, and she doesn't know what to do about it.  She keeps seeing this motif of a rose with long thorns on the stem, but she doesn't know what it means until she learns from God that she is going to die very soon.  She also learns that if she dies like she is now, without her heart being in the right place, her family will fall apart.  Then she is taken to two different places in history where she is shown things that prepare her for what she has to face, and hopefully the ending will be as cool as I'm imagining it to be.


At any rate, I have about 3,500 words done at the moment out of about 12-15 K (hopefully that'll be my ending word count).  I've finished the first of four major scenes - it needs a lot of editing, but hopefully I can get this thing taken care of in a pretty reasonable amount of time.  For me.  At this point I have no idea how long that is.  (Hang on, that's not funny...)

Here's an excerpt:

“What?” Alex blurted under her breath, suddenly apprehensive. “I don't know what to do!”


You don't have to – I do. But I need you to trust me, Alex. I'm calling out to you now, all you have to do is obey.

The rose snatched Alex's attention in the corner of her eye. The surface of its petals seemed to be dripping a dark, red liquid, like ice slowly drips water. It looked like the rose was bleeding. Fascinated, Alex couldn't tear her eyes away from the strangely morbid sight.

“What do you mean?” she breathed. “What's happening?”

You will be killed on Friday morning.

At first, Alex didn't really believe what she was hearing. But as the feeling grew on her, the force of the unspoken words grew stronger, and she knew it to be true. She'd be a fool to not understand.

If you do this without me, the tragedy will destroy your family.

A doubt crept into her mind, a doubt that suggested she was being forced into what was about to happen. What kind of a choice did that leave her, if this feeling rang true? But she knew that it did, and pushed the doubt away, struggling to maintain her bearings. What did this mean? What options did she have?

“Is there any way I can survive?” Alex found herself pleading with reality, panicking, trying to find a way out of the future. “I don't want to die!”

They have made their choice. I won't stop them – I gave them free will, just like I gave you free will. I gave it to all humans alike.

“How -” she faltered, “how do I save my family? How can I fit the rest of my life into one night?” The impact of what she knew to be true was rushing at her like the full force of a freight train. Her mind was spinning out of control, and she clutched the sides of her head with white fingers.

Put your trust in me, Alex. I can turn your death into something greater than you could ever imagine – perhaps even stop another tragedy like the one that will kill you. And it will bring your family together – trust me, Alex. I don't want you to go down without me. You will be lost without me.
 
 
~Madeline alias *the Bedouin*

Project Dance

Now I shall do my overdue post on my trip to Project Dance.  =D  It was at Times Square, New York City, and the dancing lasted all day long on a stage set up right in front of the Millenium Hotel.  Our dance, set to Josh Groban's My Confession, went very well, and I think we were all very pleased with the result.  =D

It was a total blast the whole time, besides sore feet from walking all over the place.  Friday night we had an awesome time of worship and prayer - God really touched my heart.  On Saturday night we went to see Wicked on Broadway - that was really good, especially the costumes.  My favorite character was Glinda.  If you'd seen it you'd know what I mean...*laughs at self*

Between shopping, dancing, and sightseeing, we practically ran around the entire time.  But it was probably the most fun I've ever had.  It wouldn't have happened without my amazing teacher!!

Watch the recap video here!

My group is exactly 23 seconds into the video - with the black shawls.  The song playing in the background is the song for the group dance we all learned - the people with white T-shirts in the video are doing the *super fun* group dance.  Doing the group dance in the middle of the Times Square intersection was such an experience - the passers-by stopped to look and cheer us on.  Some even started dancing with us!  Also in the video are scenes from Friday night's worship service at a nearby high school.

I had such an amazing time and am already praying that I'll be able to go next year!

Speak with conviction!

A really great video my friend sent me.  We all need to watch this - it's a poem by Taylor Mali.

Eggs...yeah

I have so much to tell you all - I don't have time for it now, though, except to say that I got back from Project Dance NY on Sunday and had the time of my life!  I still have to get the pics from my friends b/c I didn't bring a camera, so for now eggs will have to do.  lol  Also, I'll have to post an update later on my novella...but anyway.  Hope you enjoy this, I thought it was hilarious!  I got them in a forwarded email.

A new project in the works

First off I'm going to admit that I believed the Google article that said they changed their name to Topeka.  (Yes, I clicked on the name, yes, I read the article, yes, I was incredulous...yes, I believed it.  How embarrassing.)  *phew*  Glad that's out of the way... (I didn't realize it was April 1st, all right?  Geez.)

Okay, now I have to announce a project I've started work on - I'm doing a novella based on the theme of one of the dances my class is doing.  I haven't started wrtiting yet, but I'm gathering ideas in a notebook and outlining a little (if you can believe it, I've never outlined anything in my life, but I have this sneaking feeling that it's going to help me tremendously).  I really can't wait to get started - the main theme is about sacrifice, and it's going to have parts set during a few different times in history (it may sound cheesy, but yes, the main character *does* time travel - it's just different than you're imagining, I expect).  The only trouble I am currently having is pinpointing the identity of the MC.  I know it's going to be a girl, and I think I might base her off of Rachel Scott of Columbine (or someone like her) but I'm not quite sure yet.

Anyway, so far I'm excited about it, and I'll expect it to be probably about 15,000 words when finished, perhaps less.  I'll keep you updated - please pray for me, if you can!  I know I can't do this by myself, and I need all the help I can get.

Oh yes, and - I just got a haircut!  Now my hair is a grand total of two inches long!!  I LOVE IT!

jk....(you weren't fooled, were you?)

Read about some of Google's best April Fool's jokes.

I'm feeling violated...

All right, I've told several people I was going to do this post, so here it is - I know I don't usually do politics on here, but as I'll explain, this is not just politics.  This is real.

We all know that our government passed socialized healthcare a few days ago.  I don't know whether or not you are/were an Obama supporter, but whatever party you side with, I don't know of anyone who is happy in the least with what just went on.  There is no possible way that our Congressmen and women and Senators could not have known that over sixty-five percent of Americans did not want this bill to be passed into law - but they passed it anyway.  They looked at their constituents and said, "We don't care what you think, and we're just going to do whatever the heck we want."  That makes me angry, and I don't know what you think, but I thought these guys were supposed to be working for us, not the other way around.

Socialized healthcare - socialized anything - is not American.  A free country is not entrenched in a system against their will - that kind of thing is what happened (and is happening) in countries like Russia and China.  With this system, too many people will be forced to do too many things that they don't want to do - including paying stiff penalties if they don't comply with the healthcare system.  It is scary that our country is beginning to show alarming and blatant signs of turning into a socialized superpower.

My cousin's husband is a Cuban-American - his parents came over from Cuba to escape from the dictatorial government there that oppressed countless people.  He recognizes the threat to freedom that is in this healthcare bill because his parents saw the same thing in Cuba.  They, along with millions of immigrants who come from oppressive nations like Cuba, understand more than we do about this threat - they realize that we are only a few steps away from becoming like the countries they left.  Too often do we take our freedom for granted - we have become less vigilant, complacent in our routines, and in that we have failed to see what is taking place right under our noses. 

I know that, as a Christian, I don't need to worry about my personal future.  God's got it - but that doesn't mean in the slightest that He wants us to sit back and let our government bully us around.  We need to make ourselves heard and let them know that we will not stand for this.  We will not allow them to use bribery and backroom deals to pass a bill that we don't want - is bribery something that should be allowed in a democracy?  And by the president of the United States?

I am tired of this, and I think a whole lot of normal, everyday folks are tired of it, too.  They are waking up - they are seeing what's happened while they weren't looking - and they are ready to fight back.  They are ready to scare their leaders into listening to them - not with weapons, but with words - and soon there will be so many of us that they can't help but listen to us.

Watch Glenn Beck's show from Friday and get a more in-depth view of what I'm talking about.  This man is on top of it.

I've been tagged!

*Live In A Book Tag*

I've been tagged by Celebrilomiel (Celeb) over at Melody of the Miscellaneous!

Rules: Name eight books you'd like to live in for a week, and then tag eight people.

(in no particular order)

1.  Isle of Swords and Isle of Fire by Wayne Batson.  Pirate adventures rock.  I would totally love to be in that book.  Wielding swords and awesome pirate pistols and fighting off enemies!

2.  The Last Battle by C.S. Lewis.  I really want to see what Aslan's Country looks like and what the ending looks like! ...all right, fine, and include all the other Narnia books in this one too.  But especially this one.  I love Narnia!

3. The Slopes of War by N.A. Perez.  I'd never heard of it until last year when I read it for school, but it's REALLY good.  I'd want to live in it because I'd want to experience what the Civil War was like.

4.  Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl.  Yes, I picked this book.  *sigh*

5.  Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes.  One of my favorite favorite books ever since I was little.  I'd want to experience the Revolutionary War and perhaps meet Johnny - he's an interesting character.

6. The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien.  This book is just so classic and epic - I would have loved to travel along with the group, meet Gandalf and Bilbo and all the dwarves...*sighs* And the dragon would have been coolness.

7. Nothing to Fear by Jackie French Koller.  This book has a completely wonderful set of realistic characters that I would LOVE to meet, especially the MC, Danny.  It's set during the Great Depression, another time period it would be ultimately cool to see.

8.  Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson.  It just piques the imagination - pirates and all that.  Totally cool, awesomely epic.  Just all-around a good yarn.  I'd love to see Long John Silver in person...and Jim...and all those people.  It would just be so cool.

Okay, now that I've done my duty, I will proceed to tag eight people.  =D

Lydia @ Plum Pudding!

Rebecca @ Singing in His Name

Storyteller @ Storyteller: A Writer's Journey

Jacob Parker @ The Yodeling Dwarf

Nathan Petrie @ Whispered Roars

Brianna @ Writer's Thoughts

Wayne Batson @ Enter the Door Within

Chris @ My Ink Spot

I'll comment on your blogs to tell you you've been tagged...sometime when I get the chance...so if you see this or get the comment, whichever comes first, YOU'VE BEEN TAGGED!

Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH

The story of Mrs. Frisby is a truly charming tale among children's novels, lighthearted, but at the same time gravely serious about the problems of the animal characters.
The writing is quaint, readable, and engrossing, and Mrs. Frisby, a widowed mouse with four small children, is a main character you cannot help but sympathize with. I rooted for her all the way on her journey to save her youngest son, Timothy - braving the cat, an owl, and Farmer Fitzgibbon along the way.

Don't be mistaken, though - this is not simply a whimsical farm tale with talking animals. Subtly and quietly, certain pertinent issues are introduced - and even though they're not very deep, it carries the book out of the realm of simply a story for kindergarteners. All in all, it's a lighthearted, matter-of-fact story that you'll most likely enjoy, whether you're in first grade or a college graduate.

Jane Eyre

Jane Eyre is one of those old books that comes with a reputation - I knew it had one, but wasn't exactly sure what it was.  So it was without very much bias that I cracked open my 643-page paperback copy - basically, I had no idea what to expect.  I found myself very pleasantly surprised.

One might expect such a long book with such old-fashioned language to be dry or tedious - happily, it was neither.  I found myself helplessly and very willingly compelled to read until past midnight in order to find out what happens to Jane.  The old-fashioned language and British grammar, far from being cumbersome, added quite a charming touch to the story (I admit I often "tried out" the various accents in my head!)

Jane's story is mostly one of tragedy - there is a central love story, but it is not sappy or sentimental in the least (I've never seen the movie, but I'm pretty sure it's highly romantic).  The characters, Jane at the foremost, are highly realistic - none of them are perfect, all their flaws are evident, and the physical descriptions are nothing short of brilliant; she outlines in precise, encompassing detail every aspect of a character's appearance and attitude and what Jane learns about their personality through it.

In short, Jane Eyre kept me completetly enthralled all the way - I felt for her, was keenly aware of her emotions, and wished for her dreams to be fulfilled - sometimes a frustrating task for the reader!  Like Jane, the storytelling is level-headed, sensible, and realistic, with just enough imagination and fantasy.  I was thoroughly satisfied with this tale.

Blog button for tribe contest

----PLEASE NOTE THIS IS FOR TRIBE SWIFTSTORM ONLY!-----

If you are in another tribe, please do not copy or use this button.

I painted a watercolor of the seven elf lords and decided to make a button out of it to earn a few extra vanadils.  =D  I emailed Wayne Batson about it and he said if you post it on your sidebar it is worth 100 vanadils, so please do this if you are in Swiftstorm to gain a couple extra points!!  If you put it up, please include a link to the Curse of the Spider King Amazon page.  Thanks!

ALSO:  if you are going to use it, please do not use it in any other way except for a sidebar button or included in a blog post - it is original work, so please respect that.  Thanks.

"I don't want to go by myself!"

We were in the car last night, and my little sister Gabrielle (age four) was sitting next to me.  It's dark out, and she's looking at the moon.  This was approximately the ensuing dialogue.

Gabrielle:  "I wish I could touch the moon."  *sigh*

Me:  "Well, if you grow up and become an astronaut then you could."

(some time passes)

Gabrielle:  "But I don't wanna go by myself!"

She is so adorable.  Oh yeah, and you have to hear about what she said the other day...(we were also in the car.)

*police car passes us*

Gabrielle:  "Oooo, a police car!"

Me:  "Gabbyelle, you wanna be a police when you grow up?"  (she nods with a big smile)  "Then you could drive one of those cool cars."

Gabrielle:  "Yeah, with those cool blue headlights."

So many books, so little time...

Well, at the moment I feel kind of swamped.  First, I'm way behind in reading for school...which makes it harder to read what I have lined up to read for fun (which is the reason I'm trying my best to avoid lining things up for fun...).  It's just that *Robinson Crusoe* can get a little tedious...it's taken me quite a while to get through it.  You don't even want to know how many weeks (yes, weeks) I'm behind in school reading.  *sigh*  But I just wanted to share with you my lineup so you guys can just get a glimpse of the stuff I'll be reading (hopefully) in the near future.

Going Solo, an autobiography by Roald Dahl of his years as a military pilot...

A Separate Peace by John Knowles...don't know much about what it's about...

Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert O'Brien - no idea what that's about  *looks a little scared*

and the last of the school books (up to now) - Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte.

Now for the for-fun titles...Dewey by Vicki Myron (my grandmother gave it to me for Christmas and I still haven't read it...*sigh* I feel bad...)

Aaand last but not least, the book we all know and love...*winks*...Eragon by Christopher Paolini.  Everyone's always telling me how "amazing" it is and I've just never gotten around to reading it.  I guess I'm behind the times a little...heh heh...

Obviously, I've never read any of these books before.  If you have, I'd love it if you'd drop me a comment and tell me what I'm in for.  ;D

Historical fiction or fiction set in history?

My assignment: write a historical fiction short story set in any time period I choose.  My problem: what constitutes historical fiction?

I've been wondering about this lately, and I wanted to know what you guys think about it.  Is historical fiction a story surrounding a particular, specific event?  Or is it a work of fiction set in any time that's before now?

I could easily come up with a storyline that is set in a historical time...but doesn't really have much to do with an actual event or social issues of the period (for example: is Anne of Green Gables historical fiction?).  Obviously, a story like To Kill a Mockingbird is historical fiction, as it deals with social problems of the time.  But technically, if the setting is before now it's in history, and if it's not nonfiction it's fiction.  That presents a very broad scope.

What do you think?  I'd like your opinions if you have the time.