New Layout

So, how do you guys like the new layout? I thought that it was getting a little old. Plus, I'm heading to San Francisco on Thursday (at 4:30 IN THE FREAKING MORNING...UGH), so I thought I'd get used to seeing the ocean again. To most of your relief, I'm sure, I decided to stick with English and turn off the Hindi Translator, that makes every word I write Hindi. (Cool, yes, but it makes editing a pain in the butt.)

Also: April 1st: SCRIPT FRENZY! Yes, that's right. Another branch of NaNoWriMo. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND DOING IT, FOLKS! It's going to be a blast.

Well, that's all for now.

Ciao.

(Hey, that rhymes.)

Testing, Testing...1, 2, 3...

Okay, let's face it.

Testing sucks.

Especially math testing.

Today, for instance. The UBSCT test: Math Portion. You know, I will be the first to admit (openly, mind you) that I am a worse mathematician than my younger brother is a mime (translates to "terrible"). But the questions on the UBSCT test? Those were so easy they were insulting. I'm all for easy math, but when they make me stay after school and wait outside in the cold for half an hour for the bus just so I can take math on a fifth grade level?

Nuh-uh.

My patience snaps there.

So consider my patience snapped.

Psychic Update and Book List

Well, here's the book list. And I updated Psychic (thanks to a request from the awesomeness Madi). It's here if you want to read it. If you haven't started reading it and WANT to but can't find the earlier stuff, here's that.

1. Sword of Waters by Hilari Bell ****/5
Sequel to Shield of Stars. After Regent Pettibone is removed from power, everything returns to peace and prosperity in the kingdom of Deorthas. But when Arisa's mother, the Falcon (the leader of the rebellion and the new commander of Deorthas's army) asks her to find the Sword of Waters, the legendary weapon that goes with the recently-recovered Shield of Stars, in order to solidify her position, Arisa is torn between loyalty to her mother, and loyalty to her country.
2. The Diamond of Drury Lane by Julia Golding *****
Cat Royal is an orphan in nineteenth century London, living in the Royal Theatre of Drury Lane. When Cat overhears the theatre owner talking about his 'diamond' being delivered to the theatre, she thinks that things have finally begun to get exciting--until everyone else seems to get involved, including Captain Sparkler (the treasonous cartoonist with a price on his head), Billy "Boyle" Shepheard (a local gang leader and Cat's long-time nemesis), Johnny (the mysterious new prompter), Pedro (a freed slave with an incredible talent for playing the violin), and Syd (the local butcher, a boxer, and Cat's friend, almost like a brother). And everyone seems to want a piece of it.
3. The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor ***
Alyss of Wonderland is a princess; at least, that's what she keeps telling herself when she is forced from her kingdom after an attempt to assassinate the entire royal family, instigated by Alyss's evil aunt Redd. Alone and abandoned on the streets of London, Alyss has to get back to Wonderland, save the kingdom, defeat Redd, and reclaim the throne.
4. Gideon the Cutpurse by Linda Buckley-Archer *****
When Peter and Kate, two modern-day London kids, are accidentaly transported back in time--London, 1793, to be exact--due to a backfire with an anti-gravity experiment, they have to team up with Gideon, a mysterious reformed cutpurse, in order to have any hope of getting back home. While Peter and Kate wage a battle against the Tar Man, the henchman preventing them from returning home, Peter and Kate's parents have to wage a battle against all possible odds in order to find them and get them back home.
5. Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians by Brandon Sanderson ****
"So, there I was, tied to an altar made from outdated encyclopedias, about to get sacrificed to the dark powers by a cult of evil Librarians." So begins the tale of Alcatraz Smedry, a not-very-nice-boy (or so he constantly insists) with an uncanny and incredible talent for breaking things. After the librarians steal the Sands of Rashid from him (a birthday gift from his long-dead parents that recently arrived in the mail), Alcatraz, his whacky grandpa (who is late for everything, even getting shot), his cousins Sing and Quentin (who can respectively trip over anything and everything--rather impressively, too--and speak without making a lick of sense), set off to retrieve the sands. And to do that, they have to infiltrate the headquarters of their foes, right into their very lair: the public library.
So, that's all for right now. I've read more, but these are my favorites.

Much Better

Well, Across the Worlds has been updated; twice. And I got chocolate.

So I'm happy.

Anyways; on to business:
1-My Narnia fic (My Lady the Pirate) is doing fairly well; it's hard to write though--I don't do drama. I do comedy. I mean, just look at My Roommate Is a Wraith; 100 Reviews now (Whoo!) and twenty-odd chapters. That's pretty dang good, if I do say so myself.
2-By request of the fabulous Madison (*nudge, wink*), I've started posting chapters of Psychic back on my LJ. If you want to check those out, then either follow the hyper-link or hit the LJ icon at the top-right of my blog (the blue pencil).
3-I'M FREE!!! Yes, I am FINALLY out of one of my WORST classes (too bad it's not math) and am now going into Web Design!!!

So there's my update.

Oh, and I'll be doing a new reading list this week or next.

That's all.

Musings of an Irate Author

As the 'great and wise' Brandon Sanderson once said: "If you don't believe what I'm telling you, then ask yourself this: would any decent, kind-hearted individual become a writer? Of course not."

He's totally right.

Author's do not become authors to make the world a better place, okay? For the most part, we write because we like to, we need to vent, or we need an outlet for our sarcastic comments. Or a combination of all three.

We also have short tempers (well, at least I do, as well as most of the author's I've met). Irritation is something that comes easily to us, the kind that makes you throw your keyboard against the nearest wall when Microsoft Word keeps auto-correcting a word you keep typing that should not be corrected. We're time bombs where the fuse is reoccurring and inaccurate; bombs that have a tendency to blow up over and over again, therefore denying the laws of science (don't tell me you've never wondered where science-fiction authors come from).

For instance: I stayed up all of last night/morning to read a KICK-TOAST fanfic (Narnia) called Across the Worlds by Star Dragon Fire (READ IT!!!!!!) and it left off without finishing the story; she hasn't updated it! The same thing happened with emeraldteardrops' Lost Chronices of Narnia: the Beast of Witherby; she hasn't updated it in almost TWO MONTHS!*

(*Another thing about us writers: it should be noted that many of us are bleedin' hypocrites. I myself left off a few fanfics for a few months...But that's not the point!)

Yes, we may be grammar Nazi's at times. And yes, we do have a tendency to 'occasionally' abuse caffeinated beverages. In fact, we even have a nasty little habit of saying things that everyone else is thinking but no one is rude and blunt enough to actually say it.

But really, we're just a bunch of irate curmudgeons who don't know the meaning of '8 hours of sleep' and 'no caffeine'.

So, I guess the point is: UPDATE YOUR FANFICS, PEOPLE!!!

Another One?

Well, since I'm just crazy about consistency, *rolls eyes*, I've started ANOTHER fanfic. Now, before you reach for sharp object and/or firearms (depending on your personal tastes), here's the basic gist of the story:

Title: My Lady the Pirate
Category: Chronicles of Narnia (Hey, why not?)
Genre: Adventure/General Swashbuckling
Rating: T (violence, Shakespearean insults--they're more fun than usual insults--and the usual brouhaha)
Characters: Susan, with a little bit of Edmund/Lucy/Peter/Caspian/Reepicheep/Trumpkin in other chapters. Mostly Susan, though.
Summary: Slightly AU. After being backed into a corner in an air raid, Susan ends up, once again, in Narnia, where she becomes captain of the Sherwood and sets out to free Narnia of pirates. Susan the Gentle becomes Susan the Fierce, Narnia's sea-faring Robin Hood. Meanwhile, Peter, Lucy, Edmund, Caspian and a few others get together to try and find Susan, who apparently went missing without a trace, and bring her back. (But she's having waaaay too much fun for that.)

Til the Fat Lady Sings

Well, I'm back after my week-long ban from the computer. I've since updated Summer With the Cullens, A Cullen Story, and Dawn of the Personality-Challenged Power Rangers. And I've also put up a new story, a Stargate Atlantis one-shot called 'Til the Fat Lady Sings.

Til the Fat Lady Sings
Going off-world to an uninhabited snow planet to investigate energy readings, Sheppard explains snow sports to the team...with an example, of course.

Well, I've been frantically reading and writing fanfic (especially writing) since school will start to go haywire in January; testing, testing, assignments, testing, (did I mention testing?) So I'm trying to tie up some of my fics (I also need to do two more Cullen season stories, Fall and Winter).

Well, that's the quick update. Oh! Before I forget, I've started working of Psychosomatic, the sequel to Psychic. I know, it's a bit premature (since I still have to edit the first one, a task I'm dreading). And I've also started going through the little bit of a fantasy novel (creatively known as Untitled_1 for now), since I found a complete plotline for it the other day.

The fun never ends.

Long Live The Psycopath

Well, today is my official one-year anniversary for writing/posting fanfic! As promised, here are all the links to my fanfics (with summaries):

1. The Angel Experience (Maximum Ride)
Kat is a human-tigris hybrid: part human, part Bengal tiger. When she escapes Itex at the cost of her mentor's life and meets Max and the flock, can they trust her, help her to avenge the death of her mentor, and bring down the place that ruined her life?
2. Spring With the Cullens (Twilight)
The Cullens are your typical American Vampire family. They're just an ordinary family with lots of issues. With a few twists. Hippie Carlisle, Civil War Anniversaries, hormone-injected cows, sneaking blood behind the house, momness; the list goes on.
3. Translator (Power Rangers)
Sydney has always understood her teammates better than anyone else did. A look at the team dynamic, from Sydney's perspective. Syd/Bridge friendship.
4. School's Out--For Now (Maximum Ride)
Sequel to Angel Experience. Max is captured, and the flock needs help to get to her. Where else to go than Kat in Seattle? Crazy hacker/inventor Chi Kit, a very bored Max, and Fang trying to lead.
5. Summer With the Cullens (Twilight)
The Cullens are at it once again. Road Trips, summer jobs, fish tanks, and summer camp, Bella is once again caught up in the madness. Whether it's hiking or just watching TV, the Cullens have a knack for trouble. And, as usual, she's right in the middle.
6. Dawn of the Personality-Challenged Power Rangers (Power Rangers...obviously)
What's happening to the SPD rangers? Sky thinks he's a Broadway star, Z thinks she's a lawyer, Jack thinks he's the star of a sitcom, Sydney is a goth-girl treehugger--can our newly germaphobic Bridge Carson solve the mystery and sort of save the world?
7. My Roommate Is a Wraith (Stargate: Atlantis)
After a very unusual experience of being in a Hive cell with three Wraith, John Sheppard unwittingly offers assistance if he's ever needed. He has no idea what he's getting himself into. But the Wraith might not be as bad, or as different, as he thought.
8. A Cullen Story (Twilight)
All 10-year-old Jasper wants for Christmas is a Replica Stonewall Jackson Civil War Confederate Rifle BB gun. The response, from his brother Edward, his foster parents, his teachers, and the pretty Mary Alice from 2 streets over: You'll shoot your eye out.

You can find my fanfic page here, if you want to.

Oh, and today is reveal day, so EVERYONE WHO VISITS THIS PAGE, LEAVE A COMMENT, PLEASE!

Psychosomatic

I'm horrible. I know. But I honestly couldn't help myself.

So there.

I just started writing Psychosomatic, the sequel to Psychic. I know, I know; I have to edit the first one and all; I will, I swear, but Psychosomatic is NOT going to wait. Hello multitasking.

Anyway, in case you haven't checked it out yet, I started posting A Cullen Story, and I'll be updating again REAL soon.

Oh, and my fanfic-writing anniversary is on the 11th this month, so I'll be doing another post then as well, with links and summaries to my stories, as well as updating every single one of them (*gasp* Shocking, I know).

That post will count as a Reveal Day. Everyone who visits this blog for that post, LEAVE A COMMENT. I've been seeing the most amazing places showing up on the blog map, and I want to meet you guys!

Well, lots of writing to do if I have to update everything soon.

Ciao.

IT'S ALIIIIVE!

Well, Psychic is in the final stages of the first draft, and I've officially reached the 50K line for NaNo. All I can say (as much as I love my book) is: finally!!!

On that note, another Twilight fanfic is underway: A Cullen Story. This is basically a redo of the classic 1984 movie, A Christmas Story, but with a twist...

Jasper Whitlock is a ten-year-old boy who is living in Indiana with his half-brother Edward and their foster parents Carlisle and Esme. Jasper, already grumpy from the cold weather (he's originally from Texas) and being ignored by the pretty neighbor girl Mary Alice, decides that the only thing he wants for Christmas is a Replica Stonewall Jackson Civil War Confederate Rifle BB gun. But everyone from Carlisle and Esme to his school teachers to Santa says 'You'll shoot your eye out!' What is Jasper going to do?!

I should be posting the first chapter within the first few days of December.

Official Pics

Okay. So, here are the "official" character pics for Psychic.

Carrie:

Cody:
Steph:

Alison:

Benson Twins:

(Eugene)
(...and Jasper. And no, this did not have anything to do with the whole Twilight thing.)

The Professor:
Alexandria:
Cynthia:
Holly-Elizabeth:
Oliver:
Alexander:
Cassandra:
Bridge:
Well, here's what I've got right now. Tell me what you think, I can't read your minds. I leave that to Steph.

For Those of You Who Want to Read it...

Wow! I just installed a map for the blog, to see where you guys are all coming from. There's Germany, Slovenia, Brazil, Czech Republic, Finland--that's pretty darn cool.

So anyway, I'm about 52 pages (MicrosoftWord) into Psychic, and the plot bunnies are biting me in the butt. One word for you guys: plot. It's a serious pain in the buttinsky, believe you me. If you want to read it, then go to my LiveJournal page; it's on there.

In the meantime, more boring banners, because I can't seem to stop making them:

(TAPS: When 'home just isn't good enough.--cheesy, I know, but it was like 1 in the morning; I got bored.)

(T.A.P.S. Transylvanian Academy of Psychic Senses)

(She just doesn't LOOK homicidal--Carrie.)

Psychic Update/Covers

Another update. The first 5,000 words have been written. So far it's all about Bridge at the IPS (International Police Squadron), but it's turning out much better than expected. I even have a great bomb-diffusing scene. I finished the book cover (early draft, anyway) and I'm waiting for it to get to the good part. Here's some more posters (since you're all sick to death of them by now):

(No. 1: my first draft; not using this one much)
(No. 2: not using this one much either. It looks like the cover to a museum guidebook.)
(No. 3: yeah, I'm using this one.)