Book Review Tuesdays: “Ranger’s Apprentice: Ruins of Gorlan”

John Flanagan’s Ranger’s Apprentice series has been one of my favorite series since high-school. I am currently re-reading the books, and reading ones that I never made it to due to my first round of college. If you are a fan of fantasy, especially where knights, castles, and archers are involved, then this would be a great book for you!

A Summary

The first of Flanagan’s series, Ruins of Gorlan, is the origin story of a young boy, Will. Will was a ward of Baron Arald in Redmont Fief. Unlike his other orphan ward-mates who knew who their parents were, Will was found as a baby, left on the castle steps with the simple note “His mother died in childbirth. His father died a hero. Please care for him. His name is Will.” 

Due to the custom, a day called “Choosing Day” rises and the young people are chosen into their apprenticeships. Will watches his wardmates get into their wished jobs, including his nemesis, the bully Horace. However, he, a small lad, is not chosen for Battleschool to learn to be a soldier and knight. Instead, after a test given by Baron Arald and a mysterious Ranger Halt, Halt chooses Will to become his apprentice. A Ranger’s apprentice.

In the background of all this, and continuing on through Will and Horace’s new found friendship and training, a darkness rises. A foe from the past comes up again in the mountains, and sends hellish beasts called Kalkara after Halt. This challenge is met with Will coming out on top, saving himself and the people with him.

Because of his bravery, Will gets a choice, and he makes the best one and earns his bronze oak leaf, signifying him as part of the Ranger’s guild. He also learns an important fact about his history from Halt.

Personal Reflection

I love fantasy. My favorite books in the world are books by Tolkien, so this book and world speaks to me, especially to my nerdy side. Being fantasy, it can sometimes be difficult to create the most relatable atmosphere. However, this story fixes this by having the characters go through relatable situations and feelings. It shows a young person who grew up with a difficult life overcoming these obstacles and still finding his place in the world. Will also was bullied, but eventually became friends with this bully. It put the characters in situations where they had to make difficult decisions, and showed the rewards or consequences of these decisions.

I loved the pacing of the story, and the imagery that Flanagan builds with his words helps me see the world of Araluen. The characters, while not always the most fleshed out in this first novel, were people I could relate to, especially when I was their age. The action in the story is enough to get your heart pumping, and I could feel the emotions of the characters.

In Conclusion

All of this to say, this is a great book. It may not be for you if fantasy isn’t your thing, but if you are interested in setting foot into the wonderful world that is the fantasy genre, then I would recommend this book to you!

Short-Short Story – The Forbidden Orb

As I go through my classes, I’ll be writing little short stories, and I have loved some of them. I want to know y’all’s opinions. Some of these stories will be out of my comfort zone, so I will want honest opinions on what I could do better.

With this being said, here is my first Short-Short Story, The Forbidden Orb. A bit different from Princess of Waterman Bay, since it is wholeheartedly in the fantasy genre. Also, it’s quite possibly leading into a bigger story I might want to work on! I got really excited working on this.

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What I want to do is forbidden. I want to move, to be closer to the orb. It glistens in the soft cave light. The darkness of the cave and the humming of the orb make everything feel so ominous.

Which is probably why being here is forbidden.

Master Geoff always told me that no good ever came from the orb, but why does my soul fill with this sense of excitement when I am near it?

Without thinking about it, my hand is drawn to the orb.

The other apprentices are outside of the cave, forced me to go in alone. They didn’t want to come in here, they just wanted to get me in trouble. They know that I am fascinated by you.

No one understands this pain and anguish in my heart.

But you seem to.

            My fingers are inches above the orb now. I can feel warmth rising from its dark features. How can something be both light and dark? A spark goes through my finger tip, and suddenly, my body is cold. My eyes close and all is dark.

And quiet.

“All will be fine, just breathe.”

My body jolts at the sudden sound, and I open my eyes to a sea of green. A lady in white smiles at me.

“We have been waiting for you.”

For me?

            “I see you have questions, come.”

I take the hand before me. Her kind eyes remind me of Mother.

“You have reached the crossroads. A choice is yours to make. We have a job for you, if you wish to take it.”

I am an elementalist’s apprentice. I am not prepared for a task on my own.

            “We understand that this is daunting, but a great reward for you is on the other side.”

Suddenly, a mountain rises up from the ground beneath our feet. We are at the top and the world around us grows into the horizons. Water, earth, trees, and animals enter this world that the woman seemingly creates out of nothing.

“This can all be yours. You only have to say yes.”

This can all be mine? What do I have to do?

            “Say good-bye to the world you know. Destroy those who have wronged you. We will help you harness that power.”

The world I know? What of Mother, the elementalist, my friends?

            “They aren’t important. They will disappoint you, but we don’t have to tell you that.”

I see fire surround the mountain. Laughter reaches my ears, and ash rises to my face. The world burns. My hesitation is brought to life.

Bring down the past? Is that what I want?

“It’s time to give in.”

“No!”

The wind escapes my lungs, and the world goes black. My arm burns, and the forbidden orb glows red.

I have passed the test. I am stronger than those that harmed me. It’s time to leave the cave.

And…we’re back!

A very quick little update before we get back into the normal swing of things.

It has been a long hiatus.

But that doesn’t mean I haven’t been writing during these past few months! Life was hectic for a while. The poor blog has been neglected, but I am getting back into the groove of things this new year!

Lovely Gnome’s Essentials shot off like a rocket during the holidays, and I have had many requests for new soap types so far this year. So that has been taking up a lot of my time.

BUT.

Princess of Waterman Bay has reached a new stage! I have finished editing my first draft, and I am within six chapters of being done with the rewriting process! Draft two is almost in my hands.

And I am so excited.

This is a new year.

And I plan on doing a lot.

A Look Into My Wonderful World of Pirates – About the Exclusive Excerpt!

I’ve finally made it to chapter five in my rewriting of Princess of Waterman Bay! I was stuck in writer’s block for awhile, but during the horrible hurricane that hit my state, I was able to write around 1500 words! Now, I just need to get back into it.

So, what better way of getting back into the writing groove than telling you a little bit of what you will get to see in North Carolina’s Emerging Writers: an Anthology of Fiction? (Aff. Link)

I can’t think of another way.

If you aren’t sure what I’m talking about, you can read a full post about it here. Basically, I got contacted by a publishing company that looks for up and coming authors in their respective states. My excerpt was chosen, and now I hold a published piece of my novel in my hands!

Now, I’m not going to tell you exactly what is in this excerpt, you will have to get the book. However, I really want to tell you a little about it! What will you see when you get the anthology? What will you experience while reading my excerpt?

You will meet the characters.

This excerpt is contained in what is currently Chapter 4 of Princess of Waterman Bay. This means a lot of character development has already happened for my main character, and also for her friends that will be following her along in this story. I’ve introduced most of these characters at this point.

Because of it’s placement, it’s early enough that you don’t get spoiled most character development, but it is still late enough that you get a feel for each person.

You will catch the mood of the novel.

This excerpt is a very emotional turning point of my book. It’s a pivotal scene that really sets the mood of the rest, and is very important part of Felicity’s forward motion. This is one of the reasons I chose this excerpt over others. This is the scene that when I wrote it, I cried. It has enough to show you some of the main themes of my novel without giving too much away.

You will see my wonderful world of pirates.

One of the hardest things I have had to do in this novel is world-building. When you are writing in first-person POV, you have to find ways to show the world is like around your character without it feeling unnatural. You will see small pieces of what Waterman Bay looks like as Felicity travels through the town. I can’t tell you why she is moving through Waterman, you will have to just see for yourself!

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It is a point in the manuscript that points towards so much, though also at nothing. You don’t know what is coming, but when you look back, you will see why this was so important. These are the reasons I chose this excerpt, and why I would love for y’all to read it.

Want to read about my novel? Find the link here to learn more about what I am writing. Want to stay up to date on my progress and follow me as a writer? Go like my Facebook Page!

Goals for October 2018

Ah….a new month. So far, it’s been a wonderful month, and I really want to keep it that way! I’ve been so busy with soap stuff and a little bit of writing. It has been so exciting watching things fly off! I had a soap event last month, and I still have three left this year. This will be the most events I’ve attended in a year since I started doing this.

But, a new month means talking through my goals!

• Keep editing and rewriting draft two of Princess of Waterman Bay
• Remind all you lovely readers that you can get an anthology containing an exclusive chapter of Princess of Waterman Bay by following THIS LINK (affiliate link) and searching for “North Carolina’s Emerging Writers: Anthology of Fiction”. 😁
• Work on my social media presence.
• Keep healing from my anxiety.

I came to realize that I wasn’t completing my writing goals each much. I think it was too much at one time, and with too long of a deadline. So, now I am doing a weekly goal. My goal is to complete one chapter a week. I’ve already made more progress this week, so hopefully it is actually helping!

And, as always, you can find an exclusive excerpt from my novel in an anthology of fiction.

I have been doing really well with my social media presence lately, and I am already seeing the results of this! I am planning on doing a few things, like a weekly giveaway on Facebook, and keeping an page with links for Instagram. These are things I have heard help, and I really want this to keep working. God has shown me many, many times that writing and soap-making is what I am supposed to be doing right now.

If you would like to find and follow me on Facebook or Instagram, you can find them here:

Lovely Gnome’s Essentials on Facebook

Instagram: Search for lovely_gnome

So, off to a new month, and hopefully a lot more writing and growing!

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“Hear my cry, O God, listen to my prayer; from the end of the earth I call to you when my heart is faint. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I, for you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the enemy. Let me dwell in your tent forever! Let me take refuge under the shelter of your wings!” – Psalm 61:1-4

Goals for September 2018

Harker’s Island, NC

Wow…this first half of the month has been so crazy busy for me. Right now, I write this post as my state’s coast gets pounded by a hurricane. Praying for all the people down there, including my uncle and his family.

Now that I look forward to the last sixteen days of this month, it’s time to give myself a few goals.

• Keep editing and rewriting draft two of Princess of Waterman Bay
• Remind all you lovely readers that you can get an anthology containing an exclusive chapter of Princess of Waterman Bay by following THIS LINK (affiliate link) and searching for “North Carolina’s Emerging Writers”. 😁
• Add the three new soaps I’ve made to my Etsy shop!
• Get a hold on my anxiety.

Just a few to keep things interesting this month! I hope to do a lot more writing, and sell a lot of soaps. I have been super excited about writing lately, and have gotten a little bit done! I really hope to finish the second draft by mid month in October.

I got my first printed copy of the anthology I was published in! It was so much fun to see something I wrote in a book, and my name in the Table of Contents, and it definitely has helped me get more writing done. I’m over halfway through editing, and about a fourth of the way through rewriting!

Lovely Gnome’s Essentials was able to attend a local festival, and I had so much fun doing it! I was worried about how my anxiety was going to handle the hustle and bustle of a festival, and how it would handle having to deal with people for about 8 hours. To my happy surprise, it was the most normal day that I’ve had in awhile! It’s amazing what God and essential oils can do. 😜

My current week has definitely been a struggle. Usually after a few strong days, I have a weak one or two. The hurricane has not helped that. But despite having a few set backs, I know that I am slowly getting better. I have only God to thank for that. He has helped me focus on Him. I can drive with someone else in the vehicle with me. I’ve been able to go to family things, and go to events, stores, and adventures. I need to keep focusing on that. Some days it’s hard to remember that I am still healing and getting better. Those are the rough days. The days when it feels hopeless and that I’ll never be anxiety free again.

But I need to remember that God is there, and even if I’m never truly anxiety free again, He’ll still be there, holding my hand and giving me the strength to keep walking forward.

I don’t plan on ever being in that horrible hole again.

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“I lift my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.” Psalms 121:1-2

“Princess of Waterman Bay” – A Sneak Peek into this Wonderful World of Pirates

This blog post contains one affiliate link (WHATTTT), meaning that I get a small commission of the profit from the book if you buy it using this link. This doesn’t add any cost to you, whatsoever. Just helps this writer to follow her dream! You can find it by going to pre-orders and searching for North Carolina’s Emerging Writers.

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I am so excited. I will be able to hold an excerpt of my novel, printed by a publisher, in my hands in just over a week! If you want to also read this excerpt, you can follow this LINK (affiliate link) and find the anthology, available for pre-order! I will tell you more about this excerpt in the coming days.

Thankfully, all of this excitement has helped me rewrite and edit more of my manuscript. That is why, I have decided that it is time to give you all a new excerpt from my story! It’s short and sweet, but it is one of my favorite scenes. It is a bit emotional, and gives a little more insight into the Felicity’s character. That’s what I love about difficult situations in novels, they usually add this development to the character.

As always, here is a little bit about the novel:

1. My story is written in first person view.
2. It is still a work in progress.
3. It is a healthy mixture of historical fiction and fantasy. (Meaning, set in a real time era of history, but in fantasy lands.)
4. Our heroine’s name is Felicity Settler, and her father is a captain of Waterman’s Navy.

You can read more about the novel here and I have two more excerpts posted here and here.

Be sure to let me know what you think!

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Papa is hugging me tightly. We are down on the docks, preparing for his departure. I can’t believe that is already time for him to leave again.

Something feels different…

Something doesn’t feel right…

Goals for August 2018

Mini golfing on our vacation!

This blog post contains one affiliate link (WHATTTT), meaning that I get a small commission of the profit from the book if you buy it using this link. This doesn’t add any cost to you, whatsoever. Just helps this writer to follow her dream!

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Well, I am in my happy Treehouse now, and I must say, it’s amazing. With all of the packing and moving, I didn’t get much done in the writing goals for July.

What I did get done though, was moving and staying calm. My anxiety has gotten so much better lately. I still have my bad moments, but that’s normal. It’s not ‘oh, I’m never going to leave the apartment’. It’s more of, ‘oh my word, I am overwhelmed by everything right now, I need to take a step back and breathe for a moment.’ Focusing on God and working with a counselor have done so much for me these past few weeks. I even went on a week long vacation with the Hero where we had to drive four hours to get to our destination. I am so glad that I did it.

But, enough about that.

What are my new goals for this month?

• Finish editing and rewriting Princess of Waterman Bay.
• Finish unpacking everything from the move.
• Make at least ten sales in Etsy this month.
• BUY THE ANTHOLOGY THAT MY EXCERPT IS IN.

Ahem. Yes. This month, they are publishing an excerpt from Princess of Waterman Bay in their North Carolina’s Emerging Writers: An Anthology of Fiction (*Affiliate Link). I am so excited. I can’t wait to hold something physical that has a piece of my writing in it. It is a large step towards my dream of being a published author one day.

That  is why I am working crazy hard to get the second draft of my novel finished.

On the side, I am still making soap. I love making soap, and I had a great month of sales in July. I really hope to keep this momentum going through August as well.

So, I am greatly looking forward to this month, and all that it has in it.

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Writing is Hard: My Writing Must-Haves While Editing My Novel

The number one issue I have while I am editing is keeping myself motivated. Writing on a schedule has never really worked for me. It didn’t work in school, which led to many a late night, turning in papers at the last minute.

So how do I keep myself motivated to keep going on something where I have no true deadline? Writing is hard. Yes, creative writing does come pretty easily to me, and I love love love doing it. That doesn’t mean that it is always easy. I still have to utilize different ways to keep these creative writing juices flowing. Here are three things that I use to keep me motivated when I am trying to write.

1. Ambiance

Whether it is indoors watching movies, outside listening to music and the wind, or curled up on my bed, I’ve got to have a good writing environment. This usually varies from day to day for me, however. Some days I need to be around a lot of people to get anything done, and other days sitting inside the Treehouse (my new apartment) is really all I need. Changing this up can help with my writer’s block, which I also talk about here.

But ambiance is so much more than just the area I am in. Sometimes I need it to be quiet, with only natural noises around me. Sometimes I need loud, powerful music to keep me distracted from things around me and focused on the writing in front of me. My favorite things to listen to are the Pirates of the Caribbean soundtracks. They are that one thing that really gets me going when I am trying to write, and it has always been that way, ever since college.

Kinda poetic.

I also tend to use some essential oils to help me stay focused. I have a couple that I use for my anxiety, shown here in the picture. One of them is also really good at keeping me focused. The Worry-Free Synergy can keep my head from wandering, so I put that one in my diffuser bracelet whenever I need that extra boost of confidence and focus.

2. Food. Just…food.

No, my snacks aren’t always a handful of chocolate chips…or maybe it is. I can’t drink coffee, so I have to get my tiny little bit of writer’s caffeine from somewhere…right? It’s in the job description! I always try to keep some sort of good snack type food on hand. Something that is easily eaten while using my computer.

And healthy.

Maybe.

Since I can’t drink anything with caffeine in it, I drink lots of herbal teas. One that I have found that keeps me motivated and focused is a turmeric tea. I started drinking because of back issues, and found out that it also helps me focus!

3. Tools

Hello, my name is Erin and I have a post-it note and notebook addiction.

This isn’t even half of the post-it notes I have, and we just won’t talk about how many empty or slightly used notebooks that are sitting in that box in my bedroom. I do eventually use them, but it does take me a while to get through things…

However, I have found that getting some of these new office things can actually help my motivation levels! Sometimes I will even just get a new pen or pencil. I have a lot of writing tools. And, even if it seems to waste like ten minutes to set up, I get all of these items out when I write. There’s just something happy about it to me. It won’t take me as long as soon as I get my writer’s nook set up in the Treehouse!

Now, all some of these things won’t necessarily work for you. Every person is different and because of this, different things motivate us. That doesn’t mean that new ideas or tips aren’t helpful.

Do you have something that motivates you to write? Do you perhaps have a set way of doing things that helps your fingers fly across that keyboard? Let me know by commenting below!

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Sources: Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean soundtrack

Goals for July 2018

Well, oh dear. Here I am again posting my goals post so late into the month.

I will say though, it has been for some good reasons!

Handsome Hero, Ultron and I will be moving to our new place this week! I am taking a break from all of that to write this quick post, and the promise that I will be more consistent from here on out.

Last month’s goals:

• Write at least one blog post a week (THOUGH I DID WRITE THREE!!)
• Continue working through my fears and anxiety with God’s help
• POST AND UPLOAD THE SOAP GIFT BASKETS I HAVE BEEN WORKING ON
• Edit at least one section of Princess of Waterman Bay a day
• Getting ready for moving
• Have fun doing the two vendor fairs I am attending this month!

Despite my drop off of writing, I have gotten a lot done these past few weeks. My anxiety has gotten incredibly better. I am moving into our new place this week. I get my excerpt to look over this week. (Oh, did you not here about that? Check it out in my recent update on Princess of Waterman Bay here.)

God has really blessed me.

So what do I have to try to get done the rest of July?

• Finish editing Princess of Waterman Bay
• Start setting up the Treehouse (new apartment)
• Keep working through anxieties with God

Because moving is going to take up a lot of my time, I am going to focus on small things for now. Editing is a large goal for this month. I still want to finish the second draft of my novel by the time the excerpt is published next month!

July, let’s do this.