I am writing a new book called "The Sorceress." Here's the first chapter. Tell me what you think! :D As you already know, I am open to all honest criticism.
Chapter 1
Anya ran through the woods, fear beating against her heart in a rhythym worthy of a drum.
She wiped sweat off her forehead, breathing hard. She was sure the goblins had seen her. How could they not have noticed the immistakable glint of green as she stole the emerald?
Anya quickly climbed a tree and removed her pack. She pulled out the precious emerald and clutched it tightly, hardly daring to believe that it was real. Was this the actual emerald she had been attempting to steal for months now? Anya pressed her ear to the emerald. Sure enough the familiar buzz of energy that meant the emerald was real was there.
Anya replaced the gem carefully, wrapping it in the cloth she had with her. She closed her pack and slid down the tree, scratching her elbow as she went.
Anya heard a branch snap and leapt behind a bush, landing lightly on her feet. She moved a few branches out of the way so she could peer through at what had just followed her.
Ten naked green creatures were running through the woods on all fours. They were extremely skinny and their arms and legs were long and fragile looking. Their ears were long and pointed like an elf’s. Their eyes were small and always black. Their voices were either very high-pitched or very low. It was never in between. They were obviously angry.
Anya squinted her eyes and strained to hear what the goblins were talking about. They were speaking in loud whispers. One goblin was pushing another goblin to the ground agrily and seemed to be accusing him of something. The other eight were huddled in a circle and were talking a little more calmly. They seemed to be plotting something.
“I told you to stay by the emerald!” a goblin said to another goblin lying in the dirt. “Where were you when you were on guard?”
“I-I- was guarding the C-Captain,” the goblin in the dirt stammered. “H-he needed p-protection.”
“No he didn’t, you brainless git. We can get another Captain. What we can’t do is get another emerald!”
“Please! Please!” A goblin armed with a smaller version of the sword Anya held pulled the goblin off of the terrified creature cowering on the ground.
“Stop wasting time, Snorc,” the deep-voiced goblin growled. He grabbed Snorc’s arm. “We need to find the human.”
Snorc pulled his arm away from the other goblin and bared his teeth.
“I want to make sure I don’t get punished for this,” Snorc said. “When we inform the Captain of what happened, I want it to be made clear that I didn’t do anything.”
Goblins, Anya thought. Always looking out for others.
“We might not have to tell him anything if we find that girl fast and get the emerald back.”
“You don’t understand,” Snorc protested, fear visible in his eyes. “You don’t have to be scared of anything. The Captain won’t punish his second in command. You don’t know the means of torture he punishes us with.”
“I know full well what the Captain does for punishment,” the goblin retorted. Anya saw his ugly green face draing of color slightly. “And I agree full-heartedly. Now let’s get a move on.”
Anya waited with baited breath for the goblins to gallop off into the woods. Unfortunately, they were going the same way Anya needed to go to get to the King’s castle.
Anya peeked around the bush for any remaining goblins and, spotting no danger, set off down the woods, landing lightly on the balls of her feet. Anya sticked to the shadows, hoping if she ran into trouble that the goblins wouldn’t notice her in the darkness.
Any noise that Anya heard made her jump: a squirrel scurrying across the leaves, a bird singing loudly, an occaisonal deer that snapped a branch in half.
The woods were darkening faster and faster as the sun set. The trees rich with leaves blocked out most of the sunlight, making it harder to navigate the large woods.
Anya had no trouble though. She could walk through the woods with her eyes shut and her feet would take her right where she needed to go. Anya couldn’t keep track of how many times she had walked this path. She had come to these woods many times to hunt for food with a poorly made bow an arrow before the king had sought her help. Those days were the worst. Anya remembered the times where she had to beg for scraps from the garbage can and people felt bad for her and tossed her change for food. She remembered when her ribs were poking through her skin and half a loaf of stale bread was a feast. She remembered a soldier coming through the woods on horseback and watched her fight off two goblins that had swords. She remembered his stunned face as she finished them off with a flourish. The soldier didn’t explain anything but told her to climb on behind him. She was taken to the castle and was given a bath, some proper clothing, and more food than she could ever imagine she’d be able to eat. Then she was brought to the king and the soldier was right next to him. She listened to the soldier explain to the king was he had seen her do and how she seemed to glow when she was fighting. The king had listened thoughtfully and then told her all about the emerald and the goblins want to take over the kingdom. He had told her that the emerald gives the holder magical powers and that the king needed it back so the goblins wouldn’t over throw him and leave the kingdom in ruins.
Anya made it out the entrance of the forest and saw no goblins. She hurried down the lane and into town where most of the shops were closing up for the day. She ran to the castle and the guards let her in, closing the gate behind her.
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
I Got Tagged!!! AGAIN!!! :D
Maxim at I Don't Eat My Drumsticks tagged me so now I am doing this blog activity again!!! :D Here are the rules:
1. Post these rules.
2. Post a photo of yourself and then write eleven things about yourself.
3. Answer the questions for you in the original post.
4. Create eleven new questions and then tag three people to answer them.
5. Go to their blogs and tell them you have tagged them.
1. Post these rules.
2. Post a photo of yourself and then write eleven things about yourself.
3. Answer the questions for you in the original post.
4. Create eleven new questions and then tag three people to answer them.
5. Go to their blogs and tell them you have tagged them.
Me With My Brother Right Before Our Homeschool Groups' Saint Patrick's Day Dance (Sorry For The Squinty Eyes, The Sun Was Bright) ;)
1. I love randomness.
2. My favorite TV shows are American Idol, Amazing Race, Modern Family, Big Bang Theory, and Wizards of Waverly Place.
3. I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE (and did I mention LOVE?) Harry Potter! :D
4. I'm saving up for my own laptop! :D Only about $240 to go. ;) :P
5. Did I mention I LOVE Harry Potter? ;)
6. My favorite magazine is American Girl.
7. I play violin and piano.
8. A few days ago, I submitted two stories and a poem to the Stone Soup magazine. Hopefully they publish it. :D
9. I submitted my story "Fantasya: A Giant Problem" to the Adams Literary Agency. I hope they publish it! :D
10. I think Potter Puppet Pals is hysterical. ;) :D
11. I have an iPod touch and use it daily to listen to music while I type my stories. :D
Maxim's questions for me:
1. What is your favorite band? The Civil Wars. Their music is haunting and I love the harmony between the boy and the girl. They also did "Safe and Sound" with Taylor Swift, one of my favorite songs by her! :D
2. Who is your favorite singer? Taylor Swift. She is an incredible singer and songwriter and she is very take-charge. She's also nerdy which is cool! :D
3. What is your favorite game? My favorite BOARD game would be Settlers of Catan or Harry Potter Clue. My favorite COMPUTER game would be Webkinz! :D
4. What is your favorite thing to see outside? Animals, the sky, the clouds, and trees.
5. If you could see any movie in 3D, what would it be? Any of the Harry Potter movies or the Hunger Games.
6. What is your favorite shoe brand? I don't have one, but I love sandals and Converse. :D
7. If you could force your sibling to do something, what would it be? Hmm . . . I'd force my brother to like Taylor Swift. XD
8. What is the worst thing that ever happened to you? Probably twisting my ankle. :P Very painful.
9. What is the best thing that ever happened to you? Ooooh . . . I can't decide! Some very very good things that have happened to me are getting a puppy, going to Harry Potter World, meeting my best friend, being a part of INCH, I could go on and on. :D
10. What is your favorite outside activity? During spring and summer and fall: playing Capture the Flag and going to the park. During the summer: swimming. During the winter: sledding and playing in the snow. :D
11. What is your favorite thing to draw? Animals, nature, smiley faces, peace signs, hearts, stars, swirls, random doodles . . . ;) :D
My questions for the people I tag:
1. What is your favorite band?
2. What qualities do you dislike in people?
3. What do you do when you are sad?
4. What do you do when you are angry?
5. What is your favorite stuffed animal?
6. What is your comfort food and drink?
7. If you could have any one superpower, what would it be?
8. What do you want to be when you grow up?
9. What is your favorite book?
10. What is your favorite movie?
11. If you could add any one decoration to your room, what would the decoration be?
I now tag Get Well Jake, Redpunzel, and X Marks the Spot! Have fun! :D
3. What is your favorite game? My favorite BOARD game would be Settlers of Catan or Harry Potter Clue. My favorite COMPUTER game would be Webkinz! :D
4. What is your favorite thing to see outside? Animals, the sky, the clouds, and trees.
5. If you could see any movie in 3D, what would it be? Any of the Harry Potter movies or the Hunger Games.
6. What is your favorite shoe brand? I don't have one, but I love sandals and Converse. :D
7. If you could force your sibling to do something, what would it be? Hmm . . . I'd force my brother to like Taylor Swift. XD
8. What is the worst thing that ever happened to you? Probably twisting my ankle. :P Very painful.
9. What is the best thing that ever happened to you? Ooooh . . . I can't decide! Some very very good things that have happened to me are getting a puppy, going to Harry Potter World, meeting my best friend, being a part of INCH, I could go on and on. :D
10. What is your favorite outside activity? During spring and summer and fall: playing Capture the Flag and going to the park. During the summer: swimming. During the winter: sledding and playing in the snow. :D
11. What is your favorite thing to draw? Animals, nature, smiley faces, peace signs, hearts, stars, swirls, random doodles . . . ;) :D
My questions for the people I tag:
1. What is your favorite band?
2. What qualities do you dislike in people?
3. What do you do when you are sad?
4. What do you do when you are angry?
5. What is your favorite stuffed animal?
6. What is your comfort food and drink?
7. If you could have any one superpower, what would it be?
8. What do you want to be when you grow up?
9. What is your favorite book?
10. What is your favorite movie?
11. If you could add any one decoration to your room, what would the decoration be?
I now tag Get Well Jake, Redpunzel, and X Marks the Spot! Have fun! :D
Friday, May 18, 2012
100 POSTS!!! :D :D :D
This is officially my 100th post on this blog!!! :D :D :D Congratulations to me! :D I will now celebrate by doing a jig and singing at the top of my lungs and eating some Reese's Peanut Butter Cups and some other stuff! :D Or maybe I'll just stick to the jig . . . ;)
Thursday, May 10, 2012
I Was Tagged :D
Mary at Coffee, Yarn, and Words tagged me so now I am doing this blog activity. Here are the rules:
1. Post these rules.
2. Post a photo of yourself and then write eleven things about yourself.
3. Answer the questions for you in the original post.
4. Create eleven new questions and then tag three people to answer them.
5. Go to their blog and tell them you have tagged them.
1. Post these rules.
2. Post a photo of yourself and then write eleven things about yourself.
3. Answer the questions for you in the original post.
4. Create eleven new questions and then tag three people to answer them.
5. Go to their blog and tell them you have tagged them.
 | ||||
1. I am homeschooled and I'm part of the home school group my mom set up where I met my best friend.
2. There are five people in my family: my mom, my dad, my brother, me, and our adorable shi-chon puppy named Scout (who is technically not a person but I think she counts). ;)
3. My favorite food is sushi and my favorite drink is pink lemonade.
4. I've been to the midnight release of the seventh Harry Potter book, both parts of the Deathly Hallows movie, and the Hunger Games movie. That's right, FOUR midnight showings/releases. ;)
5. In order, my favorite book series are Harry Potter, the Hunger Games, Percy Jackson, Fablehaven, and the Song of the Lioness.
6. My favorite movies are "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2" and "The Hunger Games."
7. My favorite stuffed animal is a very dirty, old, stuffed cat named Menedy that I've had since I was two or three.
8. I am 12 and my favorite color is yellow.
9. My favorite singer is Taylor Swift and my favorite songs are "Who Says" by Selena Gomez, "Radio Radio" by Brooke White, "Safe and Sound" by Taylor Swift, "Enchanted" by Taylor Swift, and "Eyes Open" by Taylor Swift.
10. I want to be an author when I grow up and I read a write a ton. I have participated in NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) three years in a row now. :D
11. I am a nerd and I love to learn. :D
Mary's questions for me:
1. If you were to write a book about your life, what would the title be? "Type Book Title Here." It's creative and funny. :D
2. If you were to change your name, what name would you choose? I wouldn't change my name. I love my name. But if I had to, I'd change it to Katherine or Hermione. (Hermione is my favorite book character and Katherine is similar to my name).
3. What is your favorite school subject and why? Writing. Writing writing writing. I love to write. I especially love creative writing. When you're writing fiction, you're in charge. You control the characters and the story. You decide the fate of everyone and everything in the book. You can create your own world. My second favorite subject is history because it's like reading a story.
4. What is your favorite hairstyle? I love long, straight hair. I also like wavy, but on me I like long and straight hair.
5. In your dream your pet would be . . . Well, since I already have a dog, I'd say a pegasus. I love horses, but I would love to fly (not by an airplane or a vehicle, just fly like a superhero), so it's the perfect combination! :D
6. Is there a character in a book, movie, or TV show that you think is like you? What about this character makes her similar to you? Hermione Granger from the Harry Potter series. She's smart, and witty, and doesn't take anyone's crap. Her hair is even the same color as mine (well, mine's darker, but it's close enough) and my hair looks like hers when I get out of bed. ;)
7. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would that be? I like myself the way I am and I wouldn't change anything about my personality or appearance. Well, I guess I would make myself taller, but other than that . . . ;)
8. What is your favorite thing about yourself? Ugh, I hate these questions. I always sound all full of myself when I answer them. :P But I guess I like that I'm a good friend. I'm thoughtful, and friendly, and I'm a good listener. (I'm also a good talker). ;)
9. What is your favorite hobby? Reading and writing. :D
10. What is the riskiest thing you've ever done? I don't think I've ever done anything "risky" although I am a bit of a daredevil when it comes to amusement park rides. ;)
11. If you could have any superpower, which one would you choose? The ability to fly. Oh my gosh, I would love to be able to fly! :D I could go anywhere I wanted and it would be so much fun! :D (If anyone has an old broomstick I could take, leave a comment. Oh, and please include a quaffle, a snitch, two bludgers, and two beaters' bats). ;)
My questions for the people I tag:
1. What is your favorite color and why?
2. What is your favorite book and why?
3. What is your favorite movie and why?
4. What is your dream pet and why?
5. What is your dream vacation and why?
6. What is your favorite song and why?
7. What do you daydream about?
8. Who is your best friend and why?
9. Is there a famous person you would love to meet? Why would you want to meet the person?
10. Do you sing in the shower?
11. Do you ever think about doing something to change the world? If you do, what would you want to change? It could be a law or a different way of doing something.
I'm going to tag Sushi and Pizza, Duct Tape World, and Juice Box! :D Have fun! :D
2. There are five people in my family: my mom, my dad, my brother, me, and our adorable shi-chon puppy named Scout (who is technically not a person but I think she counts). ;)
3. My favorite food is sushi and my favorite drink is pink lemonade.
4. I've been to the midnight release of the seventh Harry Potter book, both parts of the Deathly Hallows movie, and the Hunger Games movie. That's right, FOUR midnight showings/releases. ;)
5. In order, my favorite book series are Harry Potter, the Hunger Games, Percy Jackson, Fablehaven, and the Song of the Lioness.
6. My favorite movies are "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2" and "The Hunger Games."
7. My favorite stuffed animal is a very dirty, old, stuffed cat named Menedy that I've had since I was two or three.
8. I am 12 and my favorite color is yellow.
9. My favorite singer is Taylor Swift and my favorite songs are "Who Says" by Selena Gomez, "Radio Radio" by Brooke White, "Safe and Sound" by Taylor Swift, "Enchanted" by Taylor Swift, and "Eyes Open" by Taylor Swift.
10. I want to be an author when I grow up and I read a write a ton. I have participated in NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) three years in a row now. :D
11. I am a nerd and I love to learn. :D
Mary's questions for me:
1. If you were to write a book about your life, what would the title be? "Type Book Title Here." It's creative and funny. :D
2. If you were to change your name, what name would you choose? I wouldn't change my name. I love my name. But if I had to, I'd change it to Katherine or Hermione. (Hermione is my favorite book character and Katherine is similar to my name).
3. What is your favorite school subject and why? Writing. Writing writing writing. I love to write. I especially love creative writing. When you're writing fiction, you're in charge. You control the characters and the story. You decide the fate of everyone and everything in the book. You can create your own world. My second favorite subject is history because it's like reading a story.
4. What is your favorite hairstyle? I love long, straight hair. I also like wavy, but on me I like long and straight hair.
5. In your dream your pet would be . . . Well, since I already have a dog, I'd say a pegasus. I love horses, but I would love to fly (not by an airplane or a vehicle, just fly like a superhero), so it's the perfect combination! :D
6. Is there a character in a book, movie, or TV show that you think is like you? What about this character makes her similar to you? Hermione Granger from the Harry Potter series. She's smart, and witty, and doesn't take anyone's crap. Her hair is even the same color as mine (well, mine's darker, but it's close enough) and my hair looks like hers when I get out of bed. ;)
7. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would that be? I like myself the way I am and I wouldn't change anything about my personality or appearance. Well, I guess I would make myself taller, but other than that . . . ;)
8. What is your favorite thing about yourself? Ugh, I hate these questions. I always sound all full of myself when I answer them. :P But I guess I like that I'm a good friend. I'm thoughtful, and friendly, and I'm a good listener. (I'm also a good talker). ;)
9. What is your favorite hobby? Reading and writing. :D
10. What is the riskiest thing you've ever done? I don't think I've ever done anything "risky" although I am a bit of a daredevil when it comes to amusement park rides. ;)
11. If you could have any superpower, which one would you choose? The ability to fly. Oh my gosh, I would love to be able to fly! :D I could go anywhere I wanted and it would be so much fun! :D (If anyone has an old broomstick I could take, leave a comment. Oh, and please include a quaffle, a snitch, two bludgers, and two beaters' bats). ;)
My questions for the people I tag:
1. What is your favorite color and why?
2. What is your favorite book and why?
3. What is your favorite movie and why?
4. What is your dream pet and why?
5. What is your dream vacation and why?
6. What is your favorite song and why?
7. What do you daydream about?
8. Who is your best friend and why?
9. Is there a famous person you would love to meet? Why would you want to meet the person?
10. Do you sing in the shower?
11. Do you ever think about doing something to change the world? If you do, what would you want to change? It could be a law or a different way of doing something.
I'm going to tag Sushi and Pizza, Duct Tape World, and Juice Box! :D Have fun! :D