Thursday, May 27, 2010

No longer MIA


Well as indicated in the title, I am no longer missing in action! I was actually on vacation visiting some friends and family in Arkansas and Oklahoma. Unfortunately, at my grandparent’s house in Oklahoma my phone looses all service completely. This would be why all my friends thought I had disappeared. While in Oklahoma I took some pictures at this beautiful lake called Tenkiller, I know weird name for a lake but it’s Cherokee so I like it. Anyway, all of these pictures are from the lake and the ones that I liked the best. 

 

So in regards to Beckoned, I am so excited about Chapter 2!!! Kelsey is doing an amazing job at making our characters come to life. She is also doing some awesome twittering and book promoting. And yes as soon as the chapter is reviewed and approved by the Secret Nazi aka me there will be a sneak peak! Well yall there wasn’t much to post so enjoy the pictures and get stoked for Chapter 2 of BECKONED!!!!


Kristen 8)

Friday, May 21, 2010

Chapter Two!


Exciting news! Chapter Two is almost complete! (and by complete, I mean nowhere near done because it still needs to be edited and shot and flown in via helicopter for surgery and then edited again and then maybe, just maybe, it will be complete!) I thought I had finished it earlier, but when I read it all the way through I just felt like something was missing... oh yeah, the actual story! Sometimes I get a little distracted by my own thoughts so that I don't even realize what's getting on the paper. But that's kind of the beauty of being an unpublished author. I have all the time in the world to screw up and then fix it and then yes, screw up again. Granted, I want to get this published. I want to share our story with the world. But the true beauty is that no one is riding my back to get it done. I wonder if published authors miss that sense of peace?

In a completely unrelated note, Kristen has been missing for a few days. We found her though, don't worry. Isn't it funny that today, in our technology era, that people can still find ways to lose themselves? *raises eyebrows at roommate*
(I've been spending a lot of time on St. Simon's Island... it's very close to my home. All of the pictures in this post are from my adventures there.) Well, for those of us not on vacation *eyes roommate disdainfully* the summer has officially started... I go back to work on Monday. A job is a job... I just wish I had a different one. A job that actually highlighted my talents and that I enjoyed thoroughly. Dream a little dream, right?

Back to Beckoned... I am so excited with the direction that Chapter Two is taking. Hopefully Kristen the Secret Nazi will let me post at least a little sneak peek once it's complete (refer to the first paragraph for a definition of complete)*also*(I'm just kidding about the Nazi thing... if it weren't for her, I would probably post the whole book online. She keeps me in check.)For any other writers out there, have you ever noticed how your writing sometimes seems to have a mind of it's own? It is both beautiful and scary. But that's why I love it so much. :)

Monday, May 10, 2010

Full Chapter One


So if you are a facebook friend or a follower on twitter, you already know. But just in case, Kristen and I entered a bit of Beckoned into Melissa Marr's writing contest, Radiant Prose. Which means, for anybody who wanted more, that you can see the full version of chapter one up online at http://radiantprose.com/entry/view/361 :) And if you're going to read it, please vote for us too!

Thanks all!

Love,
Kelsey Leigh


P.S. The picture is something I took in my hometown. Nothing special or representative of anything Beckoned-related... or is it? Hmmm... Lol

Sunday, May 2, 2010

Beckoned



Hey peeps....um, pretend I said something cooler than peeps, something awesome. Anyway, we told you we're writing a book? Well, in an exciting endeavor, we're posting up our synopsis, prologue, and a very teeny tiny bit of chapter one. Please, PLEASE, leave comments, that's what we really need here. While I do admit that encouragement is what we're hoping for, constructive criticism is also appreciated. Well, without further ado, here's Beckoned! Enjoy!

--Love, Kelsey Leigh

P.S. Image above is originally from https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzwac9m6SkWCxzSMoKgPRu5bfRWTtvU3CvIHrdPRYHxcP9kVgFSWzSQLC3X9Sj0RQkW6Fm7-zxOsDi-JRuv3FSpzUiMV9FkgJjuA7q6SGG-tyFnsIKvFhpOV3srkQjDsI5j05FdhKL4xs/s400/hand_reaching_out_thumb3.jpg.

P.S.S. Things in parentheses are supposed to be italicized. Don't worry, it doesn't happen much.


Synopsis


Faelynn Kendrick has spent her life babysitting her mother, which wasn’t such a bad thing, after all. Her mother was eccentric, to be sure, but she was also her best friend. But no matter how much she loved her life - the faded yellow house on the edge of the woods, the sweet simplicity of a small southern town, the unexplainably wondrous smell of the books in her mother’s store - she had always wanted more. She wanted to wander, to explore, to do things she had never done before……but worry for her mother had always kept her hanging back.
Until one day, a fight with her mother sparks a fire in Faye that commits her to one decision - leaving. Which makes it the perfect time for other forces to reach out and draw her in… When Faye is beckoned into another world by a mysterious and alluring stranger, a royal rogue named Gage, she finds everything she ever wanted: adventure, magic, and freedom. But is it really as perfect as it seems? Can there be another motive for Gage’s unquestioning affection? When the magic surrounding her threatens to close in, Faye must rely on a deeper, more primal magic to get back home - her own.


Prologue


There, in the depths of the castle where she hoped no one would think to look for her, Emma squeezed herself into a small alcove, scrunching up to sit on the floor. The paper she clenched in her hands crinkled up at the edges, the picture fading from so much recent use. She stared at the muted colors again, tracing their images with fingers that had grown too thin. Tears made their way down her face, discoloring the page as they dripped down. “Tomorrow,” she told the photograph, “I marry a king.”
Sobs shook her frail form until she finally drifted into sleep, where hauntingly beautiful images chased her in her dreams. She woke up much later to the sound of footfalls, clacking slowly, getting louder with each step. It was him. She shivered, pushing herself further up against the wall and tucking in the skirts of her elaborate dress around her. She all but stopped breathing, willing herself to become a statue. All too soon however, those perfect sapphire eyes lit on her, and a small sob escaped from her throat. That horrible, beautiful monster.
He sighed, as if he could read her mind, or at least the fear on her face. “Emma,” he whispered, lowering himself to meet her gaze. “I am afraid that we need to talk. It seems that I was wrong about you.” She whimpered. That horrible, beautiful monster.


Sneak Peek of Chapter One



She was walking through the woods. Now, there was nothing particularly wrong with that, except she should have been at home in bed. She should have been asleep. But instead, she was traipsing through the woods in the middle of the night like some sort of flower-child, wearing this long, flowing gown and no shoes! She looked down at the delicate lace covering her legs and feet in disdain. Even on her least sensible days, she knew better than to go tromping through the brush and brambles without flip-flops on at least.
She stopped walking and looked around. The moon was brighter than she had ever seen it before, low and glowing silver in the sky. She could see a narrow trail stretching through a grove of oak trees ahead of her; wooden boards were set into the dirt path like steps leading up. She hesitated. Where was she? She had never been here before, and a feeling in her stomach told her she was very far from home.
(You know where to go. Just keep on following the path, mon cher.) She shivered. So she was hearing voices now? An incredibly charming, utterly convincing, undeniably male voice at that? She found herself moving towards the path, willingly pulled by some force she couldn’t identify . She climbed up the wooden steps, looking down almost absently as she felt the slight sting of a splinter lodging itself in her right foot. It didn’t matter - there was something wonderful at the top of that hill.
She could see a glowing up ahead, like concentrated sunlight, golden and intense; she couldn’t look directly at it. But she caught the outline of things: a huge, majestic but oddly shaped tree; something whose shape gave the faint hint of gates; and a man, who she knew was staring directly at her, though she couldn’t see his face. It was his voice she had heard whispering across her mind, his voice she could hear now. (Take my hand.) The stranger extended his arm, palm up and towards her. (Take my hand and follow me, mon cher. Come back with me.) She almost did, almost reached out to clasp those mysterious fingers… when she remembered.
What about Emma? Her steps faltered - she couldn‘t leave her mother behind. The thought was barely formed in her head when she was already turning away, leaving that mysterious stranger reaching for her, that welcoming glowing light pulsing at her back. She could feel him calling for her, but it was a frustrated sound without words. The shock of it radiated through her, and she stumbled, lost her footing, and fell headfirst down the hill. She closed her eyes, bracing herself as her stomach flew up into her throat and…
…she woke up flinging her tangled limbs in a fit, pillows flung across the room and comforter nowhere to be seen. Faye’s eyes were opened wide as she panned her room frantically, looking for the silhouetted man. She could still feel him in her mind, could still feel that frustrated cry. But she didn’t see him anywhere, and slowly the paranoia faded - it was only a dream. As the panic inside her died down, exhaustion crept back in, till her eyes closed and her body relaxed. She faded off to sleep, thinking of that warm golden light and her irritated stranger. But when sleep came, no dreams followed.

Saturday, May 1, 2010

Kristen Nichole :)





Well everyone I am the second half of this crazy and slightly psychotic endeavor. Like my roommate I am an education major, but I want to work with kids in Middle School teaching Science and Social Studies. Unlike my friend, the English language hates me and, well, the feeling is mutual. However much we hate each other, English and I, I still love reading. My favorite books are young adult, fantasy, historical fiction, and science fiction, but I still love them all. My passion is photography, if taking pictures could make a real everyday living, I would be out and snapping pictures every day. But in the real world photography doesn’t pay bills, so I’m sticking with my second passion – education.
Hmm, so random stuff about me…well I am from a small town where the high school football team is practically worshipped. Both of my parents are police officers and I am the older of two girls. I like to stick out my tongue when taking pictures, it’s a habit. I like to knit and I am obsessed with playing the Sims. I love to travel and, hopefully one day I will get the opportunity, and I like to collect shot glasses from places I have been. My family and friends mean the world to me and I would not be who I am today without them. I’m a down to earth, crazy, loud, and sometimes sarcastic girl from the south. I try to live life to its fullest and enjoy every minute of it. Alright ladies and gents, enjoy the blog!

Kelsey Leigh


Just thought I'd introduce myself... I'm an English Education major, and literature is one of my passions, as is teaching, among other things. I'm unstoppable, darlings. My favorite books are young adult and fantasy, but I love all books.
Now...my quirks...I love penguins. I have a small collection of them, though none are the real things, unfortunately. My second favorite bird is the flamingo. Because if you can't wear a tux, you might as well be pink. I love taking pictures. If I don't know something, I google it, or IMDB it. I have a tendency to make words verbs that are not originally verbs. I wrinkle up my nose when I am displeased. It's not a voluntary thing, it just kind of happens. I have a southern accent that only gets thicker if I'm over-excited or upset. I'm from a big family; my youngest sister AbbyDooZer is the monster of my heart. And my Marvin is the love of my life and the best thing that ever happened to me. And he better know that, for sure.
I can be sarcastic and snarky, but it's all with a good heart and a warm smile behind it. I like to think that I shine, metaphorically, anyway.