Prologue

    Emma hid in an unused corridor where she hoped no one would think to look for her, scrunching up to sit on the floor. She just needed to be alone. Tiny creatures had been pawing at her all day - braiding white flowers into her hair and trussing her up in elaborate gowns - trying to force joy into her through their own smiles. They only meant to please her, but could not understand her sadness. Human emotions were sometimes too complex for them. 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 to sleep, where hauntingly beautiful images chased her in her dreams. The sound of footfalls jarred her awake much later, clacking slowly and getting louder with each step. Him. She shivered and pushed herself further up against the wall, tucking her elaborate dress in around her. She all but stopped breathing, willing herself to become invisible. The footsteps stopped suddenly, hesitating, then picked up again, quicker and much louder. He rounded the corner, a dark shadow against the dusky light filling the hall. Those perfect sapphire eyes found her immediately, and a small sob escaped from her throat.
    He sighed, as if he could read her mind, or at least the fear on her face. Her heart still longed to find some trace of the love she had once imagined in his eyes, but a still place inside said to give up the hope. “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.

It's been awhile...

Hi all. It's been a little busy on my end. Not sure exactly what Kris is up to, as she's approximately 256 miles away, and I'm still in the Middle of Nowhere. But it's been good for me, I've had some time to sit back and look at Beckoned and really think. And if only my laptop were actually in my possession, I would be able to write, because my fingers have been itching. But there are way too many things to do right now. I leave home to go back to college in six days. This is truly bittersweet. I'm so excited to be somewhere else, where family isn't constantly setting curfews (hello, I'm 20!) or asking where I am, and I can relax without being grumbled at. Also, writing is so much easier without my parents constantly asking me what I'm writing about every time they hear my keys click. What, you want me to read every sentence aloud to you? BUT - as excited as I am to be back in my own apartment and everything, there are things that I will miss terribly. 

First on that list, the world's most adorable five-year-old, and inspiration of all my joy, the Terrible AbbyDooZer! Rawr! She's the sweetest, sassiest, most hug-able little thing ever. I'm trying to convince her that it would be perfectly acceptable to move in with her Kessie. But she's stubborn.

  

Second, the beach. I mean, I live RIGHT on it. I always have. It is so hard to be away from the water. I think that's just something only someone in my situation could understand. It becomes a part of you, and a part of how you are and - woops, let me bring that to a screeching halt. You get the picture, no need for me to get all mopey.

I will also miss my dog, Roxie Hart. But she'll be moving up just as soon as The Boy gets settled in his new place. (Oh yeah, The Boy is going with me this year. I'm so excited!)

 I'm gonna miss my family too. And my hometown. And the stupidly comforting feeling of being in my horrendously lime green room (I picked the color out in grade school). But I need to get out, clear my head, go to class, write a book... live. I'll keep you posted on how it goes :)

Till then, I remain somewhat yours.

 <3 always Kelsey Leigh

Bickering Blogfest!!!

Hello all! Here is our submission to Kristen Yard's Bickering Blogfest! Some background information: Emma, Faye's mother, is deathly afraid of everything for her daughter but a big one is losing Faye. Faye and Emma's relationship is tested after Faye makes a big announcement about her possible future. Hope you all enjoy! <3 Kris!  (picture is from http://temporaryinsanitybykym.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/bickering.jpg )

         Emma was racking up customers, and Faye wordlessly stepped around the counter to help. Her mother smiled gratefully, working the register as Faye bagged the various books, occasional c.d.’s, and t-shirts. They smiled as they worked, exchanging pleasantries as customers thanked them. When the last shopper had left the store, her mother sighed dramatically and collapsed on the counter, mumbling something into her crossed arms.

            “I’m sorry, what was that?” Faye smiled at her mother’s antics.

            Emma looked up at her with tired eyes that still held a glint of humor. Faye looked down into the face that so perfectly resembled her own, right down to the sharp cheekbones and button nose. The only real difference between them was that Emma’s eyes were honey brown. “I said, can we please close early?” She laughed a little at her own joke, but Faye could tell she was still partly serious.

            “You know, it is your store… You don’t have to stay open.” Emma’s eyes glinted mischievously, a sure sign she was contemplating it, especially now that she had gotten approval from her daughter. Emma had always seemed to rely on Faye to be the decision maker, to be the one who kept their family going. Emma needed her, and that was going to make this even harder. She took a deep breath. Best to do it now, while she’s in a good mood, she thought. She inhaled again, sharply, and held it for a moment. Emma noticed and raised an eyebrow, but did not speak. Faye let out the air in a nervous laugh. “I have good news,” she said shakily, knowing full well that her mother would disagree. “I got into all the schools I applied to. And you already know that a couple of months ago I qualified for that honor student’s scholarship… so now all I really have to worry about is which school to choose.” She looked up from the counter, where she had been stacking books to avoid her mother’s gaze. She met Emma’s eyes, and immediately wished that she hadn’t. She saw everything there that she had expected: annoyance mixed with jealous anger, with worry circling the edges. But what she hadn’t anticipated was the raw fear that was stark and vibrant in her mother’s every feature. Pure, uncompromising fear.

            What Faye was unprepared for was her own reaction to it. She had always taken care of Emma, and hadn’t ever minded before. On a normal day she would have soothed Emma, preternaturally accustomed to the way they contradicted their normal roles as mother and daughter, but today she was just livid - how could her mother be so selfish? How could she make something Faye had always wanted feel like something she should have guilt over? As the anger was building up inside Faye, Emma was regaining control over her emotions, hiding behind a carefully composed blank mask.

            “I thought that you had only applied to the local community college.” Emma’s voice was quiet and even, but Faye sensed the thread of frustration straining to break free. She couldn’t tell whether it was meant to be a question or a statement of fact. Either way, Faye was sure that she didn’t want to address it.

            “Mom, can’t you just congratulate me? It’s kind of a big deal to me.” She was sure to keep her growing temper in check. Inside, she tried to calm herself, but it wasn’t working. That question just kept repeating itself, bouncing around inside her skull and clanging like a bell set off at the wrong time. How could her mother be so selfish?

            Emma’s eyes remained cold, and the bells in Faye’s head got louder. After a long moment, Emma dropped her gaze and turned away from her daughter, calling back a weak congratulations over her shoulder as she walked through the store, cleaning it up as she went.

            Faye’s vision turned red and her thoughts were just muddled sounds of rage and expletives. For a moment, she didn’t actually breathe - just stood there trying to calm down. She tried to find the words for her mother, but nothing coherent would come out, and Emma was clear across the store by then, without even a backward glance at her daughter. Finally Faye just backed up, grabbing her bag and slinging it over her shoulder as she rushed away. The familiar smell of books clung to her, but it didn’t comfort her like it normally would have. Instead, she just kept repeating the scene in her head - right up until the moment where their relationship had shattered completely. Faye’s world was in tatters…and she was fuming over it.

            But what she couldn’t know was that after she left, Emma curled herself up in a ball beneath the counter, crying hysterically.

Bad Boy Blogfest ;)

Today's blogfest is hosted by Tina Lynn over at Sweet Niblets, and promises to be tons of fun ;) I look forward to meeting everyone's characters, and we hope you like ours! Oh also, I have been sick, and I still need to get caught up from the Breaking the Rules Blogfest, but I promise to get to everyone's entry VERY SOON!!! Till then, meet Gage!


Some background info: He is tall, with dark brown hair that has a tendency to spike, or to fall into his eyes, depending upon his mood. His eyes are such a deep blue that you could fall flat into them, and his smile says he wants you to. He is the most handsome man you have EVER seen, and oh yeah, by the way, he's the Goblin King. (turns out they aren't all slimy and hairy. Who knew?)


We were sitting at the same table again, under the same window who's gauzy blue curtains does nothing to block out the sun. The only difference this time is the flower. It was a single red rose, beautiful and romantic. Because that was how he wanted it. He wanted us to feel romanced. (Personally, I'm okay with that.)
Kris was sitting beside me this time, with her own notebook, though I noticed she had forgotten a pen. I sighed, then pulled one out of my Mary Poppins-bag. If there is one thing I'm good for, it's extra pens. She took it, chewing on the cap to hide her anxiety. 
"What if he doesn't come?" she asked, tilting her head at me.
"He kind of has to. He doesn't really have a choice." I was worried about it too. 
"I mean... But it's Gage." She emphasized his name like it made a difference. It did. I nodded. I had already considered that. I hoped he would just cooperate, but didn't stock much faith in it. One never knew with Gage.
Suddenly, as if anticipating our doubts and the best way to amuse himself, the Goblin King himself popped into existence with a loud noise, cracking a smile as we both jumped. "Hello, ladies," he said smoothly as he kissed each of us on the back of our hands. We didn't want to feel attracted to him. It just kind of happens. 
In an aside to me, Kristen whispered, "I didn't know you could do that." 
I stuck my tongue out at her. "Of course I can." Clearing my throat, I turned back to Gage, who had watched our exchange like a cat watching mice bicker. Amusement before consumption. 
"So Gage," I tried not to stammer. "Maybe you could tell us what it means exactly. To be the Goblin King."
"I take care of the creatures classified as goblins in the Faerie Realm." He returned easily, like it was an everyday conversation. "Mostly, that means any faerie associated with the earth element. But our court also harbors the more-" here he grinned ferociously, "-troublesome nightmares." He looked down at the tablecloth, then lifted his lashes straight at Kristen. "Do you ever have nightmares?" He winked, and she blushed. Oh boy, I thought. Here comes trouble. I shrugged. Thank goodness it wasn't aimed at me.
I cleared my throat again, to regain their attention. "What does your life consist of? Any special hobbies, or needs maybe? Wanna fill us in on those?"
He wasn't paying any attention to me. Instead, he had stretched his arm across the table to draw circles on the back of Kristen's hand. "Your eyes are so warm," he murmured to her. "Very like Emma's. You're just as beautiful too, you'd make a lovely Goblin Queen." He was practically consuming her with his eyes, and his smile was no better. And Kristen was caught. Dammit. 
"Gage! Where's Faye?" His attention snapped back to me instantaneously.
"Is she not here, with you, in this in-between place?" His eyes were back to their natural, un-consuming state.
I shook my head. "Nope. She must be back with Kale." I shrugged like it was no big deal, but knew it was. He lost his calm facade for a brief moment, and his hair went spiky before he could settle down. He stood up with a languid grace befitting a king, and bent in a small bow towards us. 
"I'm sorry ladies, but I will have to cut this one short. Until next time." He took a moment to grin flirtatiously at Kristen, who had regained enough of herself to blanch noticeably. He popped out of existence again, and we both breathed a sigh of relief. 
I grabbed a bottle of water from my purse, took a swig and passed it to Kris. 
"Whew. Faye's got her work cut out for her, huh?"

Breaking the Rules Blogfest

Hi all. I feel like bleh. Stomach virus. Meh. Anyway, I didn't really have any first drafts to post, so I'm putting up an old poem from high school. It fails, lol. But back then I thought it was amazing, so there you go. Anyway, here we go:







Faded halo hung askew
Over the right eye of the girl in the wrong
Blocking the view of a small-minded town's high school watering hole
The cafeteria, to be more precise.
Smiles came at her from every corner in the room, most forced or too sweet.
She struggled not to glare back
But couldn't form a smile. 
Too many demons
Too many dark shadows called her name.
How could so much have gone wrong?
She had been happy-
Oh, how she had been happy
But she tried to push the limit
Tried to take everything one step further
One step further would up being just over the edge.
She had meant well, honestly she had
Closing her eyes, she sought refuge in the arms of another
The only one who was always there
In high school, a best friend is a miracle.
For her, her friend was the only thing she had left.
More than a miracle. A gift from above.
She struggled through a sadness induced fog as she contemplated her options.
There weren't many. 
But she wasn't giving up, God willing.
She held her head high, and lifted her chin slightly
Fighting off the shame.
She pulled herself together, took three deep breaths
Was almost functional enough to release her friend from her vice-like hug
But then he walked in
Her mistake
And she crumpled apart all over again.

Well, that wasn't too painful now, was it? I had to fight myself from editing this as I typed it up. Oh, well. Be sure to check out the other entries at Elizabeth's blog here.
Mmkthanxbai.

<3 Kelsey Leigh

Awards - SQUEEEEEE!!! :D (and giveaway info)

I picked the worst day imaginable to be far away from my computer. *sigh* I have learned my lesson. (No, I probably haven't. I just can't stay glued here all day...The Boyfriend needs tending to occasionally.) Anywho... Something AMAZING happened. We got our very first, AND our very second award!! Yay! *throws confetti!* (note to self - find someone to pick up confetti.) The adorable Renae and the charming Suzie over at The Siren's Song and ~Writer Junkie~ (respectively) have both gifted us the Versatile Blogger Award. Yay! *another handful of confetti* Thank you ladies!!

Now, here are the rules:
1. Thank and link back to the person who gave you this award.
2. Share 7 things about yourself.
3. Pass the award along to 15 bloggers who you have recently discovered and who you think are fantastic for whatever reason! (In no particular order...)
4. Contact the bloggers you've picked and let them know about the award.

See, those aren't so bad, huh? Actually, I think it'll be tons of fun :) Here we go! (P.S. I'm adding my 7 things at the moment, with the assumption that Kristen will update this post at a later time with hers. So keep checking in!)

Kelsey Leigh's 7 things:
1. I wish life were a musical.
2. I hate feet. Even my own. bleh.
3. I cannot be parted from my cell phone. NOoOoOo!
4. I talk to inanimate objects. And sometimes expect them to respond. (shhh.)
5. Sometimes I get so caught up in writing/reading that I forget to do basic things. Like eat, or sleep.
6. My nose wrinkles up involuntarily when I am displeased.
7. I like to find the humor in everything. 

Kristen's 7 things:
1. Most people think I'm shy and quiet they get to know me and find out the opposite.
2. My southern accent comes and goes in spurts.
3. I'm the worst storyteller known to man, but my friends find it amusing.
4. Reading generally consumes my existence.
5. I'm short and so clumsy that I tend to trip on flat surfaces...a lot.
6. I absolutely hate spiders.
7. I love sticking out my tongue in pictures...its kinda my trademark. :)





And now, our award goes to:
1. Jinxie at Jinxie' World 
2. NL Gervasio at http://nlgervasio.wordpress.com/ 
3. Amalia at http://hellia.blogspot.com/ 
4. Dave Bartlett at http://bartie-blog.blogspot.com/ 
5. W. J. Howard at http://bloodlegger.blogspot.com/ 
6. Andrew at http://blog.dawnsrise.com/ 
7. Mia at http://literaryjamandtoast.blogspot.com/ 
8. Sharon at http://sharongerlach.wordpress.com/ 
9. Sandra at http://ulbrichalmazan.blogspot.com/ 
10. Valerie at http://candleinsunshine.com/asthemoonclimbs/ 
11. Bethany Elizabeth at http://beyeager.blogspot.com/ 
12. H. C. Palmquist at http://wantonactsofwriting.wordpress.com/ 
13. Ju at http://judimello.blogspot.com/ 
14. Elizabeth at http://elizabethmueller.blogspot.com/ 
15. Janet at http://janetsumnerjohnson.blogspot.com/ 

Now we have also had a surge of followers lately, so I wanted to say hi to everyone, and thank you! Kris and I are getting together this weekend to talk about hosting our own blogfest, and also a giveaway! Yes, a giveaway!!! Woo! So remember, keep checking in either here or in the twitterverse. Thanks all!

<3 Kelsey Leigh 

Character Interview Blogfest :)

Today's blogfest is hosted by the ever lovely Sangu over at Echoes of a Wayward Mind. And I thought I would interview my main - main character from Beckoned, Faye. She's quirky but wise, with a sense of humor that kicks ass and a strong and caring heart. I could talk to you about her personality forever, but I think it's probably just best to let her speak for herself. Here goes :)

Faye is sitting at a small table in a sunlit room. There wasn't much that can be seen, because most everything was washed out by golden light. But what was visible was perfectly detailed. There was a singular pink daisy in a short blue vase. The vase matched the gauzy pale blue curtains exactly. She picked at the table cloth - it had a lacy floral pattern that reminded her of... something. It danced in the back of her memory just out of reach. I sat across the table from her, notepad and pen in hand. 
 She blinked at her new surroundings and at me, startled but unafraid. That's the way I wrote her. "Where am I?" she asked calmly.
"I'm sorry," I replied. "I know this isn't your world, but I just wanted to ask you a few questions." I paused, then added shyly, "I'm the writer."
She rested her forehead on her hand and sighed in exasperation. "It figures. How many more worlds are you planning on dragging me into? I'm still trying to handle the latest one."
"How is that going, by the way?"
"Well it's... It's wonderful. I have so much fun there. Gage has been amazing, and his brother Kale is fantastic too. And your world is just... well, it's just beautiful. It's -" she chuckled. "It's out of this world." Rolling her eyes at her own joke, she beamed at me, and I smiled back, though a little sadly.
"What about the bad things?" I ask her. "The dark things? Don't they bother you?"
She looked a little startled, as if maybe she thought I wouldn't bring that part up. Her expression quickly turned thoughtful. "I guess it bothered me at first. But it's in their nature. They aren't all like you and me. Some were born just to be the things that go bump in the night. Can I blame them for being themselves?" She shrugged, then continued. "Besides, the light is nothing without the darkness. How can I appreciate the beauty without having seen its' counterpart?" I smiled at her. It was why she was my favorite, her openness and compassion towards others, no matter what the species. 
I cleared my throat some, and shuffled the papers in front of me. "I guess we should ask some more questions. Shop things, you know? I had a stack of index cards here somewhere... Oh, well. Off the top of my head then. So, can you tell us about your parents?"
She leaned forward across the table and stage-whispered, "You already know my parents."
"I know, I know, but it's not for me, you see. Other people want to know."
She looked around curiously. "Oh? Who?"
I was getting exasperated at this point. "Don't worry about that. Just talk."
She frowned at me, but spoke none-the-less. "I only know my mother. When I was growing up, she was so superstitious, and so afraid for me, like something was always out to get me. Her biggest fear was that I would get snatched away. Though, I guess that now that I have, that fear was perfectly logical." Her lips pursed thoughtfully for a moment, till she quickly added, "But it was my choice to come here. And I wouldn't have run away if she hadn't been harassing me. Besides, going there is the best thing that's ever happened to me. I love it there." She nodded defiantly, daring me to disagree with her. 
I smiled at her unruliness. "So tell me about Gage and Kale. Anything to share there?" I winked, and she responded with a blush.
"Gage has been amazing. He's the one who took me there, you know? He's a king there. He kind of adopted me into his family. His subjects even call me 'princess.'" She giggled, then quieted. "And then there's Kale, his brother. I'm pretty sure both of them like me, but there's just something about Kale." She smiled and ducked her head. "I think I love them both."
I sighed; I was afraid of that. "Are you having a hard time choosing between them?"
She looked me straight in the eye as she answered. "Yeah, honest to goodness, I really am."
I made a note on my paper so she wouldn't see my face. "Don't worry, it will get easier."
She was instantly aware. "What does that mean? What do you know?" She glared at me, leaning across the table, grey eyes sparking. 
I was prepared for her reaction, and it didn't faze me. "Don't worry. Everything will be okay in the end."
She tilted her head to the side slightly, studying me. "How do you know?" she asked cautiously.
I laughed at that. "Because I don't write sad books."
She laughed too, and the tension eased. I looked down at my watch and sighed. 
"I have to send you back."
"I guess that's probably a good thing. Kale and Gage will be wondering what I'm up to." She cringed, then added, "I wish they wouldn't fight so much." 
I laughed a little as she started to fade, and then reminded her. "They're goblins, Faye. That's just what they do."

-Thanks all, hope you enjoyed! Be sure to check out the other entries too! Also, keep checking back or checking in with twitter. Kris and I will be hosting a giveaway soon!!!


<3 Kelsey Leigh

*Update: I used the word check a lot last night.*