Exciting News!

WOW. Being on The Write Practice and commenting on other writing blogs has really helped me get around! About a week and a half ago, I commented on Random Writing Rants asking if anyone had advice for me about my query letter. And, amazingly, the author of the blog (Michelle) offered to help me out! I e-mailed her my query letter and she e-mailed me back a couple of times with questions about the letter and my story. Together we came up with a totally new query letter! And she's going to post it this Friday so other people can comment with suggestions. I'm so excited!

Click HERE for more info. And be sure to stop by her blog on Friday!

(PSST! Check out my Reader Appreciation Award post)!

The Reader Appreciation Award! :D

My second award! :D Thanks again, nevillegirl!

Rules

1. Link back to the person who nominated you.
2. Attach the icon to your site.
3. Answer the attached questions.
4. Nominate six bloggers who you feel deserve this award and notify them about their nominations. 

Questions

1. What is your favorite color?
Yellow! It's so happy and bright. If I had to choose a color to describe my personality, it would be yellow. If you would like to check out a post all about colors that I like, click HERE.
2. What is your favorite animal?
A puppy (especially now that we have a dog). They're so cute, cuddly, and playful!
3. What is your favorite non-alcoholic drink?
I think it's a little strange that the words "non-alcoholic" had to be added to this question considering that this award is mostly going to kids. But my favorite drink would have to be Butterbeer. You can read more about it HERE. Other drinks that I like are pink lemonade, hot chocolate, and milkshakes of most any kind.
4. What is your favorite number?
2. It also happens to be my lucky number. For some reason I like even numbers and sometimes I feel the need to do things in twos or fours. Sometimes I wonder if I'm a little OCD . . .
5. What is your favorite day of the week?
Friday. Friday is I.N.C.H. day when all of our friends get together to do an activity.
6. What is your favorite flower?
A sunflower. Mostly because it's yellow, but also because I think the yellow and black mixed together into one flower represents the world. Sure we all have bad days and problems sometimes (that's the black) but most of the time we can be happy and forget about those problems (the yellow). And I'd much rather be happy than sad, wouldn't you?
7. What is your passion?
Writing. Most definitely writing.
8. Do you watch television?
Yes. Not a lot, but some. My favorite shows are Modern Family, Go On, and The Big Bang Theory. I love comedies. I also love movies (mostly comedy and/or fantasy).
9. Who is your favorite author?
J. K. Rowling. Do I even have to answer this question anymore?
10. Do you like 80s movies?
Yes. My favorites are all of the "Back to the Future" movies, "Ferris Beuller's Day Off," "The Princess Bride," the "Karate Kid" movies, "A Christmas Story," "The Three Amigos," "E.T.," and "War Games."
How do you like your eggs?
I like my eggs pretty much any way (except raw), but mostly fried in the middle of toast. Like 'birds in a nest' (but I called it 'dippy eggs and circle toast.')
12. When did you discover blogging?
Around 3rd grade when my parents let me make a blog. I love it! Besides reading blogs that my friends and family write, I've connected with other writers, homeschoolers, and quirky, nerdy, people who are incredibly awesome. (*COUGH* Carla and nevillegirl *COUGH*)
13. Why do you like to blog?
It's like a public, online, journal that all of my friends and family can see. I love to post bits of my stories and poems on here so people can give me feedback.

Nominees

1. Mommy at Sushi and Pizza.

2. Daddy at Sushi and Pizza.

3. Emily at something.

4. Jimmy.

5. Jim.

6. Cici at Meredith and Callixta.

Thanks again! And anyone is welcome to answer these questions themselves in the comments, even if you weren't nominated.

I Wish I Were Rich

And not for the reasons you may think.

Geeky Haikus

The ThinkGeek website has a contest where you can submit your geeky haikus to them and it might get published in their newsletter. If you win, you get a $50 gift card to spend on their website. They have some awesome stuff! I sent them these four haikus. Tell me what you think! :D

Braaaaains the zombie moans.

I gladly hand mine over.

It wasn't good, anyways.
 

My computer will

Slowly restart while I sit

And wish for more speed.

Sitting, waiting, sigh.

Will my bacon ever fry?

Distracted. Sniff. Burned.

Angry birds and some

Seven Little words makes for

The perfect weekend.

By the way, I won another award! :D But that will be the next post I write. 

Which haiku was your favorite and why? Feedback is always appreciated! 

The Sisterhood Of The World Bloggers Award!!!! :D

Thank you so much, nevillegirl! :D I was so excited when I saw this!

Rules

• Acknowledge the person who passed the award to you and provide their link.
• Include the award logo on your blog.
• Answer the ten questions posted below.
• Make up your own ten questions for the next people.
• Nominate blogs and link those you have especially enjoyed reading. The number you can select is up to you.
• Notify each individual that you have nominated them.

Questions of Strangeness Written by nevillegirl

Would you rather be a lobster or a crab?

Probably a lobster. Crabs seem to be eaten far more often.

What was the last book you read?

An Archie comic. But that's a comic book and probably doesn't count. The last "real" book that I read was either Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows on CD (read by Jim Dale) or Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver. Both books are awesome! :D

How do you feel about sheep?

I like them. They're fuzzy and adorable.

Where are the wild things?

In a story book. (Or so we all think . . . dun dun dunnnnnnn . . .)

What have I got in my pockets?

Handses! Knife! String—or nothing!

Which of your blog posts are you most proud of?

I have a few that I really love and are proud of. First off, my Write Practice posts (click HERE to see the most recent one) which you can see by going to the side of my blog and clicking on the different links, my gratitude posts (look in the blog archives of November 2012 to see), and my Encyclopedia of Me posts (which you can find all throughout the blog archives). Click these links to see some of my other well-loved posts:

Tissues Are Necessary When You Read These Three Books

OPERATION: HELP THE ELF!

Red - An Album Review

Happy Birthday, Harry Potter!

How Pixar's Brave Represents What I Love in Books

Happy Election Day! :D

Funny Videos

Random Thoughts and an Ode to Sandals

A Poem for My Mom

My Winning Poem 

Unjournaling

More Unjournaling

Scout Pictures #2.

Would you rather be an octopus or a squid?

Hmm . . . probably an octopus. Then I could squirt ink! And that would mean my pens would never run out of ink. I hate it when that happens. Plus I could do eight things at once, and that's always cool. ;)

What will you be known for ten years in the future?

Hopefully for being a best-selling writer, a peace-lover, and someone who supports equal rights for everyone.

What is the funniest song lyric you have ever misheard?

The opening of "Chasing the Sun" by The Wanted. The voices are all high-pitched so they sound like Alvin and the Chipmunks and I'm almost positive they say, "I need somebody" but it sounds like either, "Bring me a bunny," "Bring me some honey," or "Bring me some money."

What would your superhero name be?

When I was younger I wrote comics where my stuffed cat and I were superheroes called Karate Kate and Karate Cat but now that doesn't seem appropriate since I take Tae Kwon Do and not karate. I think I'd want something more nerdy, anyway. Ideas? :P

Nominees

My mom and dad at Sushi and Pizza

My brother Maxim at I Don't Eat My Drumsticks

Carla at Redpunzel

nevillegirl at Musings From Neville's Navel (I don't know how this will work, though, since she's already won it once. But I really want to nominate her all the same!)

Mary at Coffee, Yarn, and Words

Multiple friends at Get Well Jake

Joe Bunting at The Write Practice (This one is just sort of honorary since this website is professional. It's one of the top ten writing blogs and is WAY too professional for an award like this. So I'm not going to do the tag for him or anything, but EVERYONE should check this blog out. It's seriously one of the best).

Cici at Meredith and Callixta 

My Questions 

1. Do you like to write? If so, what kind of stuff? (Stories, reports, poems, just blogging, etc.)

2. What book or movie has inspired you most and why?

3. What song gives you chills every time you hear it?

4. What is the weirdest thing you do?

5. If you could eat a color, what color would you eat and what would it taste like?

6. What is your favorite stuffed animal and why? (You can post a picture, if you'd like)!

7. What is your favorite gaming website and why?

8. What annoys you most?

9. If you could have a million dollars for a day, what would you do with it?

10. If you were ruler of the world for a day, what would you do to change the world? 

Thanks again, nevillegirl, for the award! :D I had tons of fun!

Tissues Are Necessary When You Read These Three Books

I cheated on this one a bit by talking about the whole series instead of one book. I cried during the end of the fifth and sixth books and I cried multiple times during the seventh book. BEST SERIES EVER. If you haven't read them I highly recommend that you do. Though I don't think I even have to say this anymore because if you've read my blog enough you already know what I think about this series.




My mom, brother, and I just recently finished this and we all cried during the end. Throughout the whole book you're thinking this is known to be a sad book? Then at the end BAM! You're caught completely off guard. The ending is very sweet. You can read my review of it HERE.




I'm the only one in my family who has read this book. I was able to read the whole thing over two late nights of reading. It's very good, but you're guaranteed to be in tears by the middle of the book. And if you're a dog lover or you have a dog or both you'll use up your whole box of tissues in minutes.

All of these books are excellent and I recommend that you read them. The sadness only adds to the sweetness of the book. If you've read any of these books, let me know what you think in the comments! :D

Blog Meme--Weirdest Things

Here are the rules:

1. If you are tagged, answer the questions in the meme in a blog post on your blog.
2. Make sure at the beginning of your post you put a link to the blog of the person who tagged you.
3. Tag at least three people to do the same thing (you can tag more than three people if you would like).
4. Have fun! :D

What do you think the weirdest color is? Orange.

What is the weirdest TV show/movie you have ever seen? "Yo Gabba Gabba." It's slightly disturbing for a little kid's show.

What is the weirdest food you have ever tried? Raw baby octopus. And yes, I have actually eaten this. Ask my parents.

What is the weirdest drink you have ever tried? A creation of my brother's that included root beer, Coca Cola, Dr. Pepper, and many other sodas.

Who is your weirdest friend? Avery. By far. Her blog doesn't even begin to show the weirdness.

What is the weirdest thing you have ever seen on the internet? THIS.

What is the weirdest thing your pet has ever done? Scout has done many strange things, but I think barking at her reflection after getting a haircut takes the cake.

What is the weirdest book you have ever read? I Am a Genius of Unspeakable Evil and I Want to Be Your Class President by Josh Lieb. It was hilarious, but bizarre.

What is the weirdest blog you follow? Redpunzel. Carla is delightfully odd.

I am going to tag Mommy, Daddy, my brother, Cici, Rich, and nevillegirl. Have fun! :D

Red - An Album Review

I'm going to start doing reviews of different albums, starting with this one: Red. Red is the fourth album that Taylor Swift has released and is the first album where she really collaborated with different artists to write and record her songs. This is my personal favorite album by her so far. I'll review each song on the album separately and rate each song with a number between 1-5: 1 being "I hated it," 2 being "I didn't like it," 3 being "It was okay," 4 being "I liked it," and 5 being "I loved it."

State of Grace

State of Grace is an unusual song for Taylor Swift. It's very upbeat and big and has more of a movie soundtrack sound rather than a country one. It's a great first song for Red since it really shows that she's branching out in this album. I would give State of Grace a 5.

Red

Red is Taylor Swift all the way. She tells a story in only three minutes and forty-three seconds by using colors to describe her emotions in a country-pop style. This song is very much like many of her other songs in Fearless and Speak Now. I would give Red a 4.

Treacherous

Treacherous is very different from State of Grace and Red, showing, yet again, the diversity of Taylor Swift's latest album. This song is calm and lyrical and fairly simple compared to her other songs. I would give Treacherous a 4.

I Knew You Were Trouble

The fourth song in Red is as different from the first three songs as those three songs are different from each other. I Knew You Were Trouble has that same sort of beat and feel as many of the songs on the radio today, but with better lyrics and without a heavy beat. This is actually one of the few songs that my brother really likes by Taylor Swift. Rather than singing about something that was someone else's fault, Taylor sings about her being to blame. Hence the lyrics, "I knew you were trouble when you walked in. So shame on me now." I would give I Knew You Were Trouble a 4.

All Too Well

All Too Well is a bit like Treacherous in its lyrical style and its detail, but this song is more country than Treacherous. It reminds me of the song Dear John even though they are very different. Most people think it's about Jake Gyllenhaal since Taylor spent Thanksgiving with his family once in 2010 and left her scarf there, as the song states in the first verse. I would give All Too Well a 4.

22  

22 is very upbeat, catchy, and fun. It's easy to dance to and easy to memorize. My best friend said that 22 is one of her favorite songs from Red. One of the funny things about this song, as my BFF pointed out one time, is that while Taylor Swift is on tour, she will be singing 22 while she is 23, since Taylor's birthday is on December 13. I would give 22 a 4.

I Almost Do

I Almost Do is very similar to All Too Well and Treacherous. Mellow, simple, and detailed. Not one of my personal favorites. Though it's not one of the stronger tracks on Red, it's still good. I would give I Almost Do a 3.

We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together

I bet most of you have heard this song at least once or twice on the radio. This single and popular track is extremely popular and I've seen Taylor perform this song countless times on multiple talk shows. Fun, extremely catchy, and easy to dance to, just like 22, this song is a hit. I also recommend watching the hilarious music video. I would give We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together a 5.

Stay Stay Stay 

This tune is upbeat and fun. I've danced to it many times in my bedroom whenever it comes up on my iPod. It could easily be in a movie and is one of my favorite tracks from Red. I would give Stay Stay Stay a 5.

The Last Time 

The Last Time is a song that is not only sung by Taylor Swift, but by Snow Patrol, too. These two sound great together in this wonderful song. The first word that comes to mind when trying to describe this track is big. It's big and makes you feel good. I would give The Last Time a 4.

Holy Ground

Whenever this song starts I get it mixed up with State of Grace. They sound so similar. This song also sounds like it could be in a movie. This is another one of my favorites from Red. I would give Holy Ground a 5.

Sad Beautiful Tragic 

This song should be called Sad Beautiful Haunting, because that's exactly what it is. One of the most calm and beautiful songs I've heard Taylor sing since Never Grow Up and Safe and Sound. I would give Sad Beautiful Tragic a 5.

The Lucky One 

The Lucky One is a simple but lyrical song about what life is really like behind closed doors for the big movie stars and singers. It shows how it looks glamorous on the outside but really isn't so great on the inside. Some people think it's about Taylor's personal life or Joni Mitchell and others think it's about Lynn Anderson or Lana Del Rey. I would give The Lucky One a 5.

Everything Has Changed 

Everything Has Changed is sung by Taylor Swift and Ed Sheeran. The two together are fantastic with amazing harmony and great chemistry. Everything Has Changed is a lot like Sad Beautiful Tragic, but a bit faster and louder. I would give Everything Has Changed a 5.

Starlight 

Starlight is similar to I Knew You Were Trouble and 22. Starlight is fun and fairly simple, but not one of my favorites. It's good, just not as good as it could be, in my opinion. I would give Starlight a 4.

Begin Again 

Begin Again is a great last track for Red. It's strong, beautiful, and is a perfect happy ending for an amazing album. I would give Begin Again a 5.

Taylor was very smart to start collaborating with other people to help write and sing her songs for this album. It helped her branch out from her normal country style into a more pop and indie sort of sound. This is my favorite album by her so far and I can't wait to see what she comes up with next! My overall rating for Red is a 5. And the best part is?

(Drumroll please).

I'm going to see her in concert!!!! :D