Monday, April 29, 2013

Mistakes I've Found In Harry Potter

What?!?! Ms. Rowling made mistakes (as in plural) in the Harry Potter series?!?! Tut tut. Shame on you.

I'm just kidding. I'm actually kind of glad that she made a few mistakes (yes a few--most of them plot mistakes) in her books, because it shows us that everyone's human, even if they are probably a billionaire and have been on the New York Times Best Sellers list too many times to count on both hands (and feet)! It's good for other writers to see this, too, because it shows us that no matter how many times we edit and look over our books (and no matter how many times our editors do this), we will always miss that one little detail (or maybe even a few), but it'll be okay because everyone will love it anyway.

So without further ado, I give you, "Mistakes I've Found in Harry Potter!"

1. Two Freds or a Mistake?

If you were wondering, it's a mistake. In Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, page 35:

"Blimey, I'm tired," yawned Fred, setting down his fork and knife at last. "I think I'll go to bed and--"
"You will not," snapped Mrs. Weasley. "It's your own fault you've been up all night. You're going to de-gnome the garden for me; they're getting completely out of hand again--"
"Oh, Mum--"
"And you two," she said, glaring at Ron and Fred. "You can go up to bed, dear," she added to Harry. "You didn't ask them to fly that wretched car--"

Did you catch the mistake? No?

If Fred was the one who said, "Blimey, I'm tired," Mrs. Weasley should have glared at Ron and George. She said, "And you two," as in, "You two will also help Fred." But Fred can't help himself. George can, though.

It might be a little mistake, but it just proves how many times I've read this book.

2. Double the Daily Prophet.

This one is a slightly bigger mistake. Did anyone else catch it?

In Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Hermione tells Harry in a letter on page 11 that she took out a Daily Prophet subscription:

I bought your present by owl-order; there was an advertisement in the Daily Prophet (I've been getting it delivered; it's so good to keep up with what's going on in the wizarding world).

Then in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, page 540 Hermione says:

"I've taken out a subscription to the Daily Prophet. I'm getting sick of finding everything out from the Slytherins."

But didn't she already have a subscription to it?

3. Did Harry Inflate Both Aunts?

On the last page in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, there is a preview for Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. The first sentence says:

Harry Potter has to sneak back to his third year at Hogwarts after accidentally inflating his horrible Aunt Petunia.

It should say Aunt Marge, who Harry actually did inflate.

4. Missing End Quotes.

In Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, page 186, Lupin says:

"They planted the Whomping Willow the same year that I arrived here at Hogwarts. People used to play a game, trying to get near enough to touch the trunk. In the end, a boy called Davey Gudgeon nearly lost an eye, and we were forbidden to go near it. No broomstick would have a chance.

But then it launches right into the next paragraph:

"Did you hear about the dementors too?" said Harry with difficulty.

At first it appears as if Lupin is not done talking, seeing as there were no end quotes.

Did anyone catch these mistakes? Have you found any mistakes other than these four? Leave a comment! :D

Saturday, April 27, 2013

Luna Lovegood's 5 Best Qualities

Be sure to check out my guest post on The Book Chewers! :D Click HERE to read about Luna Lovegood's 5 Best Qualities!

Sunday, April 21, 2013

Interview With Teen Author Miriam Joy

Here it is! The long-awaited recently announced interview with fantastic (and hilarious) teen author Miriam Joy, author of St. Mallory's Forever! Miriam will be responding to comments and answering any questions you might have, so be sure to leave her one! Enjoy! :D




1. Who or what inspired you to write?
I've been writing for so long that I can't really remember how I got started. However, the first thing I properly remember writing of my own accord was a play that was heavily influenced by JRR Tolkien. Oh, and I wrote Lord of the Rings fan fiction, though I didn't know what "fan fiction" was at the time. Later, the author Kate Thompson was a massive inspiration for me. Her novel "The New Policeman" was one of the main reasons I got interested in Celtic mythology, something that I write about a lot now. What was more, when I was about eleven or twelve I emailed her explaining how much she meant to me; after some correspondence, I sent her a story of mine and she encouraged me to keep writing. So she was a huge influence on me. But I think generally it was books that inspired me to write. Which would make sense.

2. What are your top three favorite novels?
Wow, so that's a difficult question. I find it hard to differentiate between "novels that influenced me" and "novels that are AMAZING", so I'm going to choose three that are on both lists. That means that even if something was awesome, it might not be here, because it didn't influence me. Maggie Stiefvater's "Ballad" is one of my all-time favourites and I re-read it whenever I'm sad. I absolutely adore the Bartimaeus Trilogy by Jonathan Stroud, too, but my favourite of those would be "Ptolemy's Gate". And "Good Omens" by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett will forever hold a very special place in my heart because it is the funniest novel about the apocalypse that I have ever read.

3. What is your favorite genre?
Well, I love Young Adult fiction, but that's a very broad term, as it incorporates a whole load of other genres. I think my favourite genre would have to be science fiction / fantasy, even if I have particular subgenres I prefer (for example, I'm a MASSIVE fan of 'urban fantasy' but not of 'paranormal romance'. The latter is similar to the former but with more kissing and less torture. Ugh). When I stray into Adult fiction, which is often, it's usually the SF section of the library, though I particularly like humorous fantasy such as Tom Holt or Terry Pratchett.

4. What is your favorite thing about writing?
Being able to take revenge on people I know in a way that doesn't get me arrested, i.e. writing them into books and then killing them painfully. No, I'm kidding. I just love writing. I love having the chance to live entirely different lives through my characters, and experience things I won't do in real life. It's also a great emotional outlet and sometimes I use my characters' problems to work through my own. I love the idea that one day I might help someone else work through their problems. And I like watching my beta readers' reactions when I do something awful to their favourite characters. There's a lot of that evil-genius style glee involved in my writing process, I'm not going to lie.

5. What inspired you to write St. Mallory's Forever!?
This question is difficult, because it wasn't actually my idea -- it was Mark's (one half of the Saffina Desforges writing partnership; yes, there are two of them). He's always wanted to write a novel set in a boarding school, and when he found out that Charley actually went to a boarding school, he wanted to collaborate. Initially, I just kind of came along for the ride. While I formed just as many of the characters and plot points as, say, Charley, the initial idea process wasn't mine.

6. What is your favorite thing about writing the same book with other authors? How about your least favorite thing?
Favourite thing is knowing that I'll get a reaction immediately, so I'll know if something works (and if it does, I get to watch them crack up over a line or whatever). Also, if I get stuck I knew I could just ask one of the others to work on it. However, I'm a control freak and it's hard to get over that to relinquish aspects of plot to other people; it can also be frustrating when documents cross in emails, edits don't go through, or people seem to be working to a different timescale! Fortunately we managed to overcome our difficulties though.

7. What advice would you give to other teen authors who want to get published?
Have a blog (that's how I met Mark). Talk to other writers on the internet (that's how I met Charley). Keep writing, keep improving, and make sure you're always learning. Be willing to take advice. Read craft blogs and industry blogs so you know what the writing world is doing before you send out a novel. And don't let anyone tell you that you're too young to be a writer. Follow your dreams! :)

8. Is there anything else you would like to add?
A fifty foot inflatable pink aardvark? Every blog post needs one ... what? That's not possible? Okay, I think we're done here.

Thank you so much, Miriam, for letting me interview you! And remember, she will be responding to comments so feel free to leave her a question, compliment, and anything else that comes to mind.

Saturday, April 20, 2013

Exciting News!

No, I haven't been published. (Sadly).

No, I am not running for president. (Not that I'd want to).

No, I didn't win the lottery.

But I am going to be interviewing Miriam Joy, teen author of St. Mallory's Forever! on my blog in just a few days! :D

I'm not sure when exactly I will be putting the interview up, but I do know that it will be soon! Keep checking back here (or just subscribe to my blog).

YAY!

Friday, April 19, 2013

Literary Dinner Party (What Might Have Happened)

Let the Harry Potter Dinner Party begin! :D (If you were wondering, I brought multiple characters back from the dead to enjoy this fantastic dinner party. Behold my mighty powers).

(The guests enter the great hall. Dumbledore, McGonagall, Sprout, Flitwick, Snape, and Hagrid are already sitting at the staff table. Mrs. Weasley exits the kitchen and sits down at the Gryffindor table).

Hermione: Well, I'm glad that you decided to help the house elves cook the meal, Mrs. Weasley. If they can't be paid, I'm glad they didn't do all of the work by themselves.

Ron: Will you give it a rest, Hermione? They. Like. To. Work.

Hermione: Working is one thing, being a slave is another! If only more people were interested in S.P.E.W. . . .

Dumbledore: May I have your attention, please? I only have a few words for you: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!

McGonagall: Professor, you've already used those words.

Dumbledore: I have? Dear me, my memory must be failing me again. I should go to my pensieve and put that memory back in my head. Right after--

McGonagall: Professor.

Dumbledore: Oh, sorry, Minerva. Tuck in!

(The food magically appears on the golden plates).

Dobby: Harry Potter, sir!

Harry: Dobby! I didn't know you were coming.

Dobby: Dobby just wanted to thank you, sir, for the socks you gave Dobby for his birthday, sir. You are most kind.

Malfoy: Did you seriously give a house elf a birthday present, Potter? First mudbloods, now house elves? You really should live with pigs. At least they're cleaner.

Dobby: You must not insult Harry Potter!

Peeves: Oooh, Peevesy smells trouble! Peeves should add to the fight, don't you think?

(Peeves drops a water balloon on Ron's head).

Ron: You little--

(Ron calls Peeves a rude name).

Mrs. Weasley: Ron!

(Ron's ears turn pink).

Fred: You know, that's a good color on you.

Ron: Shut up.

Sirius: Peeves was a lot tamer in our years.

Lupin: Yes, but that might've been because he was our partner in crime.

Sirius: Not your partner in crime, being a prefect and all.

Lupin: I'm surprised I didn't lose my badge after I helped you pull off all of those clever schemes.

Sirius: Like the time we managed to get Peeves to drop that bucket of dung bombs on old Snivellus's head?

Lupin: His hair never looked so good.

(Harry and Ron laugh).

Hermione: You two were really awful in your years.

Sirius: Nah. We were just stupid.

Moaning Myrtle: I notice you didn't mention the time you flushed me down the toilet.

Harry: Myrtle! What are you doing out of your bathroom?

Moaning Myrtle: Oh, so now I'm a prisoner as well as a ghost? I can leave my bathroom if I want to.

Harry (remembering his fourth year when Myrtle came into the prefect's bathroom): Yeah, I know.

Sirius: Ah, Myrtle, that was an accident! I didn't see you when that happened!

Moaning: That's me. Poor, pathetic, invisible Myrtle.

Peeves: You forgot friendless!

(Moaning Myrtle glides away, crying).

Luna: Ooh, Peeves, you were rather rude.

(Peeves sticks his tongue out at Luna).

Luna: Are we going to have any more D.A. meetings, Harry?

Harry: Er--I dunno.

Luna: Oh, I hope we do. None of my friends visit me anymore. It would be nice to see them again.

Ron: Er, Luna, nobody visits you anymore because no one knows where you live.

Luna: I don't live anywhere, really. I just sort of wander the country. I'm looking for a rare breed of nargles. Daddy's working on a nargle repellent to advertise in The Quibbler and we need some testers.

Hermione (with a considerable amount of sarcasm in her voice): I'm sure it'll be a big hit.

Luna: Yes, it should be. We've been getting tons of letters asking how to get rid of nargles. It's a rather difficult process, seeing as you have to get your hands on powdered unicorn horns, a feather of a gray owl, and the eye of a Crumple-Horned Snorkak, but Daddy's repellent should make it easier.

(Ron snorts into his pudding).

Luna: You can laugh, Ron, but when nargles start to infest your living room, Daddy won't give you a discount.

Neville: Have you actually seen a nargle?

Luna: Oh, no, they're invisible. You can hear them, though, if you listen hard enough.

(Dumbledore claps his hands together).

Dumbledore: It's getting late, and your rooms are all ready for you. I hope you will all join us for breakfast tomorrow. Good night!

Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Literary Dinner Party (or The Dinner Party I'd Love To Have, Minus A Few People)

I'm going to try and do this with only Harry Potter characters.

1.  One character who likes to cook. Mrs. Weasley.

2.  One character who has money to fund the party. Malfoy. Not that he'd want to. Actually, Harry would have the gold, too, wouldn't he?
3.  One character who might cause a scene. Again, Malfoy. Along with Crabbe, Goyle, Pansy Parkinson, and any of the other Slytherins. (You're not invited! Any of you!)
4.  One character who is funny/amusing. Ron, Dobby, and Luna.

5.  One character who is super social/popular. Viktor Krum. And when I say him, I mean popular, because he's nowhere near being super social.

6.  One villain.
Voldermort. And Bellatrix. And Umbridge. The list of people those three tormented could wallpaper my bedroom . . . five times over.
7.  One couple (doesn't have to be romantic). Then I'd have to say Luna and Ron/Harry/Hermione, because the exchanges they had were hilarious.


8.  One hero/heroine. Now you're all expecting me to say Harry, aren't you? But this prompt said one hero/heroine not the hero/heroine. So I'm going to name a few people and what they did to help Harry along the way (SPOILER ALERT FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVEN'T READ THE BOOKS BUT REALLY SHOULD):
Ron: He supported Harry the whole time with just about everything and clued him in with the things Harry didn't know about the wizarding world.
Hermione: Can we just say that she was the brain of this trio?
Ginny/Luna/Neville: The Department of Mysteries. Need I say more?
Neville: I have to mention him twice because he's just so awesome. Chopping off Nagini's head was one of the greatest highlights in the seventh book.
Dumbledore: Let's say sacrificing himself, teaching Harry about love, and devising a whole plan that lasted since Harry was born just about sums it up.
Snape: Dedicating his whole life to Lily/Harry so Harry could live and defeat Voldemort.
Sirius: The Department of Mysteries. *Sniff*
Dobby: Malfoy Manor. *Double Sniff*
9.  One underappreciated character. This answer is dedicated to nevillegirl from Musings From Neville's Navel. I'd have to say Lupin, because Harry was more focused on Sirius (though I can see why, seeing as he's the only "family" he had left) even though Lupin was a better role model. He wasn't nearly as reckless as Sirius was and, hello? Patronuses?

10.  One character of your own choosing. Hermione. She's the first one I'd invite to my Literary Dinner Party. ("Hello, long-lost twin!") ;)

I tag you all! See if you can come up with your own Harry Potter Literary Dinner Party or base it off of another book or do whatever the heck you want! Leave a comment! :D

Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Pass the Parcel Party Game

The Notebook Sisters is hosting this really cool party where they have interviews with authors, party games, and giveaways! :D This game is called "Pass the Parcel" (otherwise known as a blog tag). I will be answering some questions they wrote about YA books.





1. Name your top 5 favourite YA authors!  J. K. Rowling, Suzanne Collins, Tamora Pierce, James Patterson, and Brandon Mull/Rick Riordan. (I couldn't choose between those last two).
2. What's the last YA book you read and what did you think of it?
It's hard to keep track, but the last YA book I read was probably Going Bovine by Libba Bray. It was hard to get into, but after I finished the first 70 pages I really liked it. In my opinion, the swearing in the book was verrrry excessive. It lost a lot of its power after reading five different swear words before you finished the second page, but I guess the author wanted to show that the characters weren't very educated (which they weren't) or something. It was bizarre, but had lots of action, humorous moments, and some sweet parts. My favorite characters were Dulcie the punk angel full of witty bits of wisdom and Balder, the Norse God disguised as a garden gnome.
3. What's your favourite YA genre? (Dystopian, romance, sci-fi, contemporary, etc.)
Fantasy and/or Dystopian.
4. Let's talk characters! Pick a character you love and tell us why?
Hermione Granger, because she's a lot like me in the sense that she's a nerd, has brown hair that's always out of control, and is a good friend. I love smart characters that aren't portrayed as awkward or "un-cool." Nerds rule!
5. Top YA villain?
Severus Snape. (Seeing the theme here)? Although, I'm not sure he counts as a villain. Even though I hated him for six whole books, I thought he was extremely awesome after seeing his memories. I won't give anything away for those of you who haven't read the last book (but at this point, come on, people. Get a move on)!
6. Top YA couple?
I don't really get into romance that much, though I don't mind if it's part of the book. I guess I'd have to say Katniss and Peeta, because it wasn't mushy or played up too much. I'm getting sick and tired of love triangles and, in my opinion, there was never a love triangle in The Hunger Games. Gale was a friend. That's it.
7. With dystopian on the decline, what do you think will be the next hot-trend in YA? I have no idea, but I hope it's something besides romance based books. I think there should be more books from the villain's point of view. Actually, I've never read a book from the villain's point of view. "Megamind" and "Wreck-It Ralph" were both movies. Maybe I should take care of that . . .
8. What's the next YA book on your to-be-read pile? Witch and Wizard by James Patterson, The Soul and The Seeker (the next two books in The Host series) by Stephenie Meyer, and Divergent #3. (title soon to be revealed) by Veronica Roth.
9. What's the fastest time you've ever finished reading a book in? (And what was the book?!)
I don't really keep track of this stuff, but I can finish any average sized book (about 300-400 pages) during one late night. But that's only if I really like the book. I finished The Host (a 600 page novel) in two late nights.
10. (And now for the burning question) Do you think books should be sorted according to colour or title? (This matters.) Title, I guess. It's easier to remember the title of a book than it is to remember the color of a book. The books in my room aren't very organized, though. ;)

If anyone would like to do this tag, please do! I'd love to read it! :D

Thursday, April 4, 2013

Dear Dr. King

Dear Dr. King,

45 years ago today,
You were shot and killed by James Earl Ray.

Sometimes I wonder if you hadn't died,
If you could've done more when you were alive.

Then sometimes I think that by being the martyr,
You helped to do more with things that are harder.

Did you know I walked on your bedroom floor?
That I touched your house,
The kitchen door?
Today you could have been 84.

Marching,
Leading,
And teaching what's right.
All of that ended with a bullet in flight.

Racists,
Bigots,
People filled with hate.
By the time we changed,
It was far too late.
For this never should have happened
To the human race.

How is it that we creatures
With brilliant minds
Could be so hateful
And so blind?
How is it that deep down we knew what was true,
But we would keep screaming terrible things
Until our faces turned blue?

Dear Dr. King,
I'm writing to say,
That I hoped while you lived
You lived every day.

Sincerely,
Kate

Monday, April 1, 2013

Read All About It!

I found this very cool blog meme/blogging thingy where you answer questions about the book you are currently writing. Technically you're supposed to get tagged for this but it looked like so much fun that I couldn't resist.

Please feel free to steal this idea and put it on your blog.

1: What is the working title of your book?

As I'm writing several books, I'll just choose the one that I am the most excited about at the moment. The working title (and probably the permanent title) is The Sorceress.

2: Where did the idea come from for the book?

I'm not positive, but I'm pretty sure that finishing The Song of the Lioness series by Tamora Pierce had something to do with it, along with reading The Hunger Games.

3: What genre does your book come under?

YA (or middle grade, but I'm not sure which) medieval fantasy.

4: Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?



Ooh, that's a tough one. I still don't know a ton of actors and actresses, but I guess for my main character (Anya Perriwinkle) I'd choose Jennifer Lawrence. Anya looks a lot like Katniss (minus the braid) in my opinion.

Anya Perriwinkle (Sorry for the slight blurriness. This was the best picture I could find that looked like Anya).

I couldn't find anyone for my secondary character (Ronald Smith), but Josh Hutcherson is the closest person I could find that looked like him, and even then he isn't what I pictured. Ronald is tall, has sandy brown hair, and brown eyes.

I couldn't find any other good actors or actresses for my other characters. I can picture a lot of my characters as people from The Hunger Games for some reason (for instance, my villain--Lional--looks a bit like Cato), but I didn't think oh my gosh, this person looks exactly like this character! with anyone except for Jennifer Lawrence.

5: What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

16-year-old Anya Perriwinkle tries to find a way to join the king's army, despite being a girl, while also trying to save the kingdom of Stormcastle from a power-hungry group of goblins and thieves.

That synopsis is something I just cooked up. I'm not very good at being brief.

6: Is your book self-published, published by an independent publisher, or represented by an agency?

Ha ha. It's not even finished yet, but I hope it can get represented by an agency!

7: How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?

I haven't finished it yet, but it's taken me at least six months of me writing on and off to work out the first 40,000 words (or 114 pages).



8: What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

The Song of the Lioness series by Tamora Pierce and I guess sort of The Lord of the Rings series by J. R. R. Tolkien. It's definitely more like Tamora Pierce's books, though.

9: Who or what inspired you to write this book?



I think this is a lot like the second question, but Tamora Pierce inspired me. I love her novels, which are all medieval fantasy. She--like J. K. Rowling and so many others--has created her own world so easily and with so much detail.

10: What are some of the big differences between this book and other books you've written?

This book is one of the few books I've written that's in the third person. It was actually very enjoyable. I liked it more than I thought I would.

11: What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?

This book has a strong, female protagonist, unique characters, magic, and battles meant to keep you on the edge of your seat.

Now for the first chapter. Sorry for the weird formatting. Blogger doesn't like me today. Tell me what you think in the comments! :D

Chapter 1
Anya ran through the woods, fear beating against her heart in a
rhythm 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 unmistakable
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 was there. The emerald was real.
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.
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 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 to the ground angrily and seemed to be accusing him of
something. The other eight were huddled in a circle, talking a little more
calmly. They seemed to be plotting something.
“I told you to stay by the emerald!” a goblin said to another lying in
the dirt. “You were supposed to be 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 change from green to yellow. He
gulped and continued. “And I agree with his methods completely. Now let’s get a move on.”
Anya waited with baited breath for the goblins to gallop off into the
woods. They were headed toward the king's castle, the same way Anya
needed to go. Anya gritted her teeth and hoped they wouldn’t actually go to
the 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 stuck 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, or an occasional 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 through 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 and 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 with 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 what he had seen her do. 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 reached the entrance of the forest and saw no goblins. Hoping
they wouldn’t see her and follow her, she hurried down the lane and into
town where most of the shops were closing up for the day. The sun hadn’t
quite set and she ran to the castle, gave her name, and the guards let her in,
closing the door behind her.


More about Cosmo coming soon! :D 

We're Moving

To Kansas.

By the end of this year.

APRIL FOOL'S!!!! ;)

What pranks have you pulled today? Leave a comment! :D