The Dragon's Skin: The Second of the Dragon Books

Via Pinterest

NEW BOOK, NEW BOOK, NEW BOOK!
 
So I'm not sharing plot or anything right now, but I'm super excited. I'm figuring some of it out. As always, the starting point was hard. But the Dragon Books are just so awesome in my eyes (yes, I may be bias), so I stuck and am moving forward.
  For anyone, who doesn't know, this is the sequel to The Dragons' Stones. Its working title is The Dragon's Skin, and I hope that it will stick. I'm plotting horrible things for Ciara, Aleksander, and the good ship Ciarander.

Stay tuned!

Want to know more or see my inspiration? Check out the Dragon Books Pinterest board right here.

P.S. Check out the label THE KINGDOM OF FIRE AND ICE for info about the first dragon book.

Find my new blog here.

5 Things I do as a Writer

Now, I am not - repeat, NOT - the poster child for anyone's writing routine. I kinda just do the writing thing and pray it works out. That's it, more or less. So please don't model yourself after me.

   I stand by that disclaimer, but I would also like to share a few things I do that I think help me. Hopefully, one or two will be helpful for someone else.

1. PULL MY HAIR BACK. Is it just me, or does having hair out of the way remove one more distraction? It also feels more serious, so I take what I'm doing more seriously.
2. I GO BACK AND CAPITALIZE  THE WORD "WAS". This is one of my favorite editing hacks. It helps me find weak sentences and really think through what I've written.
3. I LET A FEW FRIENDS READ AS I'M WRITING. My besties read as I write, and it's sooo great!! They give me my first feedback, fangirl over everything, and help with title ideas.
4. I TALK IT OUT. Writing can be lonely. But a couple of my brothers are such blessing and listen when I need it. This gives me unique brainstorming opportunities. Plus, one of them always sees things in ways I never do.
5. I READ BOOKS THAT MAKE ME FEEL HEAVY. Examples would be The Book Thief  and The Return of the King. These books have writing that is galaxies beyond even my best efforts and push me forward.

Hope someone finds this helpful. I'm off to Inkling Adventures, Book One.

Find my new blog here.

Goals of 2019

Via Pinterest

Apparently, wanting post regularly and actually posting regularly are two separate things. Go figure.

   Be that as it may, I do have a post for this week. It feels a little late set my yearly goals, but I find it helpful to write them out. Yes, I know I miss most of them, but still....

1. Possibly start a new blog ~ I've been toying with this for a bit. Mostly it's because I may drop my pen name, which appears at the bottom of most posts, and because I don't really do braids anymore.
2. Go to Joni and Friends again ~ I hope to volunteer at the Knoxville, TN Family Retreat again as a Short Term Missionary. This will be my fourth year, and it remains a yearly miracle in my life.
3. Start college ~ I would love to get two semesters in, but I'll praise God for whatever He brings in this.
4. Write 55,000 words ~ I wrote around 50k in 2018. That's the most I've ever done, and I'm determine to top it. 55k should get me through Lady Bloodhawk-Draft One and about halfway through Inkling Adventures-Rewrite, Book One.

Four goals, twelve months. (Okay, eleven.) Here's to God's plan

RhoXie

Find my new blog here.

2018 Goals Reviewed

Hey, look, y'all! I'm alive.

   Retail work during holidays left me with zero energy but produced this strange thing called "money". But I'm back now, and I hope to get on top of posting regularly again. Right now, it's time to review the goals I set for 2018. Here goes nothing!

1. Graduate High School ~ Check. At least I did that.
2. Rewrite Inkling Adventures ~ Um.. where is that? All I did for it this year was some planning. That's better than nothing, right?
3. Finish draft one of Lady Bloodhawk ~ I picked it up yesterday for the first time I can even remember. So... no.
4. Publish The Kingdom of Fire and Ice ~ I didn't do that either, but I added 45k words to it. It's a better story for that, so I still consider this a success.
5. Do a short hair series ~ I think there was one, maybe two posts. And now my hair's grown out again. Oh well.

Well, that's about the same as 2017's goals.

RhoXie

KoFaI Snippet

This is from my WIP The Kingdom of Fire and Ice. I just topped 45k words, and it's still going strong. Enjoy!

Via Pinterest

~~~

She tried again. Prepared for the wind’s forcefulness, she made it this time. A minute later, she had the rope. A second passed, then two and three.

Come on, Ciara, I thought. Come on! Then it happened. The sail went slack. The force pushing against the rudder eased. I found I could breathe again, not even sure when I stopped.

For a moment, lightning lit up the sky, but as thunder boomed, I couldn’t find Ciara. She wasn’t at the starboard railing. Panic filled me worse than the rain filled my eyes.

“Ciara! Ciara!” I yelled her name, but only the pounding rain and waves answered me.

“Ciara, where are you? Answer me!”

Wind howled in my ears, drowning out any other sound. Then it just stopped. The waves shrunk, and the rain slowed. I stood up, my eyes searching for Ciara. But she wasn’t on the Aegir.

“Ciara!”

“Aleksander, help!”

My eyes ran over the deck again. She wasn’t there. The blood at my temples pounded. I realized the truth.

“Help me -”

Ciara was somewhere in the water. Blocked by the darkness, I couldn’t see her. But I knew I could hear her.

~~~

RhoXie

Elevator Pitch

Via Google

I'm going to my first ever writers' conference at the end of the month. Am I excited? Of course! Am I nervous? As all get-out!

   Anyway, a friend pointed out that I need a one sentence summary and a one paragraph summary of my WIP, The Kingdom of Fire and Ice. Or as they're sometimes known, an Elevator Pitch. So here goes.

One Sentence Summary:

A runaway princess and a guilt-ridden man seek out a fantasy kingdom.

One Paragraph Summary:

Ciara is desperate to win her freedom by retrieving the Stone of Fire and Ice, but the Stones aren't supposed to exist. Aleksander has agreed to help Ciara for the sake of his missing sister. Together they find healing as they work to reach the Stones' homeland, the Kingdom of Fire and Ice.

Okay that wasn't too bad. Now I just need to memorize them.

RhoXie 

What's Up With Me

So this is a new kind of post. A round up of what I'm doing in my life. Hopefully it won't be boring.

What I'm reading:

THE MYSTERIOUS BENEDICT SOCIETY

by Trenton Lee Stewart.

I'm not far into it, but it's interesting so far. A group of children and world stakes, that kind of thing.

What I'm writing:

Via Pinterest

THE KINGDOM OF FIRE AND ICE

We're about to hit 30k in word count here, and I still have two chapters at least to write.

Then there's editing, editing, editing. So fun-time!

How I'm fixing my hair:

Via Pinterest

THE FAN BUN

Super easy and comfortable.

I wore it all day yesterday, and I have a half-up version in right now.

Anyone want a tutorial?

What I'm laughing at:

Via Pinterest

Why does this make me laugh so hard every time I read this?

Why?

 It's soooo bad!

What I'm learning:

God's plan beats my plan.

End of story.

Now if I can just remember that when actually need to.

RhoXie

Where I am Now

Via Google

Some of y'all might have noticed that my last few posts have been about discouragement and then hope. That's kind of where I've been with my writing lately.

   Recently, I pretty much got hit upside my head with how much I don't know about the publishing world. And I really didn't know what to do. See I've had a plan for my life for about four years or so, and suddenly it all got turned upside down and inside out.

   It felt so scary to me, but God used it so amazingly. He made realize that He hasn't really had a place in my writing for a long time. Everything had been my plan, not His. And that was wrong.

   Now? Now I'm praying for my writing again and waiting for God to show me His will for these stories. And it's wonderful.

RhoXie

Snip! Snip!

Oh, snap! It's snippet time!

Via Google

For anyone who can't guess, this post is nothing more than bits and pieces from a WIP. Today's subject is The Kingdom of Fire and Ice. Let's get this party started!

The spotted cat meowed in response, and Aurelia shook her head. “No, you’re wrong. It must have been when we were getting those herbs.”

I frowned. Who was this Aravis she kept bringing up? And why did she seem to only speak to her?

Aurelia took the tankard from me. From her shoulder, the cat leaned forward and sniffed it. Then it mewed loudly, as if in triumph.

“Fine!” Aurelia snapped. “I lost it when I tried to reach the time of King Jakob VII. Must you be right about everything?”

The cat only purred.

She sighed. “Of course, you must, Aravis. You’re a cat.”

The cat was named Aravis. As I realized that, my frustration cleared. The tankard did belong to Aurelia, and Aravis was the cat. Now only one mystery remained. Would Ciara pay me?

The tavern keeper’s mouth dropped. “The thoroughbred stallion given to you by Lord Huntinburg? That Ross?”

“Yes, that Ross.”

“Do you still have his papers?”

“In my pack.”

I frowned slightly to myself. How had Aleksander gotten such a fine horse? I remembered he’d said Ross was a reward for loyal service, but what service was worth such a valuable horse?

Meanwhile, the tavern keeper kept talking. “Then forget the gold. Ross will get you the boat.”

“Good. Let’s go then,” Aleksander said, standing up.

“Why go anywhere?” the older man asked and pointed across the room. “The owner of the boat you want is right over there.”

I followed his hand to a middle-aged woman sitting in the corner. She clutched a tankard as if it was the only thing keeping her alive.

“Go talk to her,” the tavern keeper said, collecting our empty cups. “Just be careful. She doesn’t need any more grief.”

As he walked back to the bar, I glanced at Aleksander. “Are we going?”

“Yeah,” he said, nodding. “But listen to what he said about being careful.”

Behind me, I heard an order. “Archers, load.”

My panic turned to fear, and I pushed myself harder. They had archers! Father would have ordered them to retrieve me at all costs. I had to get away.

“Fire!”

Through our pounding feet, I heard the hiss of flying arrows. A moment later, they were all around us. I felt one whiz by my ear but kept running. In the snow ahead of me, another arrow buried itself. I dodged it, still running.

Besides me, Aleksander dodged his own arrow. Suddenly, no more fell, and for a second, I thought we were free. But I was wrong; the arrows were only the beginning. Armor clanged rapidly. A glance behind told me it was foot soldiers. Swords drawn, they chased us.

“Aleksander!”

“I see them!”

“They’re gaining!”

“Just keep running! We have to make it to the Kingdom!”

And that's it!

RhoXie

Five World Building Tips

So I think world-building is critical for a book. Mess it up, and the book loses creditably. Which means we writers have to get it right. So how do we do that?
   Well... I'm no expert, but I think a few rules of thumb might help. Let's go!

1. Give your world a history. Even if your world is just a town, a past makes it feel real.
2. Make it part of a bigger world. Foreigners, maps of continents... They all help make seem part of a larger existence.
3. Fill it with details of nature and weather. They're a part of our life, so make them part of your characters' life.
4. Give it a literature and culture past. Books, philosophy, myths, or legends give a sense of time and development to your story's present.
5. Have fun with it. Enjoying it is the best way to do it. And chances are, you'll do more that way too.

That's it,
RhoXie

Via Google

Character/Book Pictures

I feel horrible about my last post. Be honest. y'all. Was it a cop-out? 'Cause that's what it felt like to me.

   So I want to do better this week, but I really don't want to take the time to actually write something. (And I want to write for a living.😕) Yeah, I'm crappy some days. So let's do this because then I can feel like this post might be useful.

    I love having pictures for my characters and locations in my books. So I keep a supply in my google photos and drive. Here's some of my favorites.

Fairy princess?

What broke your heart?

A Wizard's tower, perhaps?

Warring friends?

Beauty's beast?

Seen a ghost?
Been a ghost?

Desert raider?

Hope y'all enjoy these and that they inspire you somehow in your own writing.

RhoXie