Honestly, I didn’t have a post planned for today.
I’ve been in a reading slump (I blame Zenith – sorrynotsorry) / haven’t had time or energy to read…there needs to be more hours in a day.
BUT, there is an upside.
Even though I’ve been busy as hell, I’ve had plenty of time to think…wait, no maybe that’s a bad thing. I’ve been thinking about the Fantasy WIP I’ve been working on, and I’ve come up with a bunch of little ideas that I cannot wait to write down! So yay!
Here’s a brief synopsis:
Emma and Jonas, heirs of waring Courts in the land of Adina. In an attempt to end the war that has been raging so long that no one knows why they are still fighting, they agree to marry each other, knowing nothing about the other person. When they do meet, there is this unexplainable attraction, knowing, and fear of the strong feelings they feel for each other.
Though, all is not well in the world. There is one person who doesn’t want the fighting to end. She wants the power all to herself, so she steals it. The magic Emma had been born to protect falls into the wrong hand. In order to save her Court and the land they live in, she embarks on a journey to find her ancestors – because it all began with them.
^ Synopsis above is a pretty blanket idea of the story. A few things have changed, but I’m really enjoying these two characters.
That’s how all my stories start – with two names.
Two names, which eventually become characters, and then once I’ve got a pretty good (albeit rough) grasp on the characters, I figure out the story. Sometimes it’s a song, or a movie that initially inspires the story. For this current WIP, which is currently being called “Kingdom of Grace” (subject to change) – I can’t actually recall what specific thing inspired me, but I wanted to write this epic fantasy for these two characters. I didn’t want the journey to be easy, I didn’t want their relationship to be easy. I wanted these two to struggle a little bit.
For my SF project, “Destiny”, I came up with my MC’s name while touring Towson University in MD. My tour guide’s name was McKenna, and I fell in love with it. It was different, something I had never heard before, and I knew it was my MC’s name. Then came Connor, and he was pretty similar to McKenna, but vastly different in the way he grew up, and that ignited their own issues.
In some of the first drafts, Connor was a real asshole to McKenna, and it took a long long time for him to warm up to her…I ditched that plot element a long time ago, and now they start off on better terms, but are in no way completely in sync with each other all of the time. Both are very head strong and stubborn, and that often gets in their way.
-Destiny follows McKenna Hampton as she embarks on a journey away from Earth and into the stars. The UAF Destiny, an intergalactic ship, ferries the last of humanity away from the dying Earth, to their new home, in the recently discovered Auraelis Galaxy.
Brought on board to finish her parent’s research, McKenna works to solve the problem plaguing the women on board. There are those who would try to stop her by any means necessary, and she cannot let them win.
With the help of Connor, her brother, and Jack, they face more danger than they ever thought they would have to. The UAF Destiny is their home, and she would be dammed if she lost it. –
^It’s a rough synopsis, but this story is one I’ve been working on for – oh my god – seven years. Though it’s almost ready for the next step, so that’s terrifying and exciting.
I’m still pushing my way through The Heart of the Empire – it’s not a bad book, just reading slumps make it difficult. When I do get into it, I’m really into the world and the characters and the conflict, but if I stop reading for any reason, I find it hard to pick back up. Hopefully I’ll be able to finish it this weekend, and get back on track with reading. February is almost over, and I haven’t finished one book on my TBR.
I did receive something exciting in the mail today! 
If you don’t know, I’m a huge Brigid Kemmerer fan – all of her books are just so wonderful.
Also, if you don’t know, there’s this tag on Twitter – #booksfortrade.
I was able to snag this copy of Letters to the Lost – which is phenomenal by the way.
I had never participated in #booksfortrade so I was definitely nervous. A millions thoughts were racing through my head, but thankfully it was successful – the girl I traded with was so freaking nice! – and now I can add this ARC to my collection of Brigid books!
One more bit of exciting news – well – I guess it’s two bits.
In a little over a month, I’m going to Apollycon in D.C. and I’m so excited! I bought tickets last June, and I can’t believe it’s almost time! So many authors are going to be there, and I’m so excited to see everyone!
As for the other bit of news. I get to take my friend to her first book signing / book festival in March. One of her favorite authors is going to be there, and I haven’t told her yet! I’m pretty sure she is going to freak out, and I cannot wait!
Well, hopefully I’ll be back to regular scheduled programming – i.e. book reviews – soon. Gotta get out of this reading slump! There are so many good books that I want to read, and I need to get on it!
Writing The Universe 