Legolas' LotR Hairstyle

    Okay, I admit it. I am totally the reason Legolas says this. But at least I'm not only one. (And Faye, didn't I get you on this one? You weren't expecting this!)  What can we say? He has the BEST facial expressions!

See what I mean? 

   Seriously though, Legolas's style is probably the most practical in this whole series! Most of the others are too time-consuming and complicated for everyday wear. (Speaking of others, I've touched up Galadriel's Waves in case any of y'all had trouble with the heat method.)

Legolas' LotR Hairstyle

1- Brush hair back so that you have no part-line.

2- Section off the top layer of hair and braid it in the back. You should leave about an inch of loose hair above each ear.

3- On the left side, pick up a small section of hair and divide it into three parts.

4- Cross the bottom section over the middle one. You now have new middle and bottom sections.

5- Cross the top section over the new middle one. You now have new top and middle sections.

6- Repeat step 4.

7- Add a small piece of loose hair to the top section, and then cross it all over the middle section. You now have new top and middle sections.

8- Repeat steps 6-7 five more times. Be sure to add hair only to the top.

9- Stop adding hair and finish with a regular braid.

10- Repeat steps 3-9 on the right side.

You may have click the picture to be able to read the caption.

   Have fun with this. Who's your favorite LotR character? Leave me a comment and tell me!

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Visiting The Land - The Setting of my Book

   The Land is a place of streams, forests, and much, much more. It is a place of beauty and nature, peace and harmony. It is separate from our part of the world but still joined by the thin link of the Inklings.

   Its inhabitants, the Landers, vary greatly. There are wise elves and stubborn dwarves. They love and care for the earth, on all its levels. But not all Landers are good.

   No, Rud Ones also roam The Land. Their goal is the destruction of mankind, and they will not rest until it is so.

   Though a place of wondrous beauty, The Land has its dangers. Dragons fly the skies, and monsters swim the seas.It is to this place Priss Chancing comes in Inkling Adventures.

   Other information about Inkling Adventures can be found here, here, and here.

Friend of Sinners

   Jesus, friend of sinners. We've all heard this, and it's true. Jesus, friend of sinners. It has become cliche. Jesus, friend of sinners. But that's not all He was.
   Jesus was a sin-bearer. Due to the cross, He lost His perfection. He lived completely, totally without a single sin. Yet He willingly bore sin on that cross, and He did it for you, for me.
   More than that, Jesus took it a step further. He bore sin itself.

For our sake, he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.                                                                                           ~ 2 Corinthians 5: 21

    Jesus bore the cult prostitute's sin. He carried the homosexual's. He bore the serial killer's and the terrorist of 9-11's as well. He took the adulterer's, the addict's, the abuser's, and the abortionist's. He carried the sin of the thief on the other cross. He bore all of that sin. He took something He had never known for us.

   Why?

   Because He loved us. He wanted to heal us. He wanted to restore us. Because that is what a friend does. Jesus, friend of sinners. 

Arwen's Helm's Deep Hairstyle

Here's a piece of LotR trivia for y'all: Arwen was going to appear at Helm's Deep in the movies. They had even done some filming, but then Peter Jackson decided to cut it. (Oh my gosh! I almost typed Percy Jackson instead of Peter Jackson!)

So, to continue my LotR/Hobbit series, today I'm going show y'all how to do the braid she would have worn. (If you missed the first post, click here.) It's a bit complicated, but I'll try to break it down into easy-to-follow steps, okay? Here we go!

(Oh look who's in the background of this one!)

Arwen's Helm's Deep Braid

1- Brush hair and make a middle part.

2- By the right temple, pick up a small section of hair and divide it into three equal pieces.

3- Cross the bottom section over the middle one. The bottom piece is now your new middle, and the old middle is your new bottom.

4- Then cross the top section over your new middle. Now you have another new middle section and a new top.

5- Pick up a little bit of loose hair and add it to the bottom section. You should pick the loose hair up from your hairline. (That's the edge of your hair.)

6- Cross the bottom with the added hair over the middle. You once again have a new middle and bottom.

7- Repeat step 4.

8- Repeat step 3 and then step 4 again.

9- Repeat steps 5-8 until you're about an inch and half from the nape of your neck. (See 2nd picture.) Then finish with a normal braid

10- Repeat steps 2-9 on the other side of your head. When you've done that, you should have two braids, each with about an 8th of your hair.

11- Divide the remaining loose hair into six pieces. You may want to clip every other section to keep them separated.

12- Braid each of the six pieces. You now have eight braids.

13- Take the two original braids and cross them, one on top and one on bottom.

14- Divide the braids into groups of two braids each.

15- Cross the right outside group under the right middle and over the left middle.

16- Cross the left outside group over the left middle and over the right middle.

17- Repeat steps 15 -16 until the braid is complete.

Whew! That was a doozy! Here's an extra picture for sitting through all that. 

If any of y'all try it, I'd love to hear about in a comment. By the way, what is the most random piece of LotR trivia you know?

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Cover Reveal - Espionage

  Record!!! I've never done five posts in one month before! But anyway, this about my friend/fellow author Morgan Elizabeth Huneke's newest book.  A companion to her Time Captives Trilogy, I'm looking forward to the release of this book. It should be awesome! :) But first, Morgan kindly answered some questions for me. (Isn't she amajing?!)

How do you go about planning a book?
It really depends on the book, but I try to figure out my major plot points. I have to know my general storyline, though if I try to plot out any details beforehand, they usually change when I get there. When I come to a blank section of the story and I am stuck, I write out a list of events that need to happen before the next plot point. I'm sort of a cross between a plotter and a pantser.

How long does it usually to write a book?
Again, it depends on the book. I've gotten to the point where I can write one draft of a middle grade book in a couple months fairly easily, but trying to write my first YA in a few months has been a major challenge. I think it's usually about two to three years from the beginning of the draft to publication, though.

Do you have any tips for editing?
Go through your manuscript with a fine tooth comb. Don't be afraid to cut, add, or rewrite. Listen to the feedback you get.  Try to pick up on your bad writing habits so you can correct them. Learn what good writing is, and strive towards it. And save it as a new draft. Even if you only end up wanting those previous drafts for posterity's sake, it's still good to  have them just in case.

And now for the cover!

You can get a sneak peek at the book here!

Morgan Elizabeth Huneke is a homeschool graduate who lives in Georgia. She has enjoyed creating characters and writing stories since early childhood. Her other interests include reading, playing the piano and violin, and politics. She is the author of Across the Stars and The Experiment as well as the Time Captives fantasy trilogy.

Find my new blog here.

"Fairies Die if You Ignore Them!"

   

   Many of y'all may not recognize this quote, but it's from Peter Pan in Scarlet. This book is the only authorized sequel to Peter Pan, and it's stunning! Though unlike the original in style, it is still amazing. The adventure begins when dreams leak from Neverland. Wendy and the Lost Boys who came back at the end of Peter Pan worry that something may have happened to Peter. They must get back, but how?

   Do they get back? Has something happened to the Marvelous Boy? Why are the dreams leaking out? There's only one way to find out! Read Peter Pan in Scarlet, available here, here, and here.

Things for Writers to Note:

1.) The plot is original and well thought out.

2.) The backstory is well-done.

3.) New characters fit story well.

Writing Challenge:

Use steel and snow in the same metaphor. (Yes, I know that's rather Tolkien-ish.)

   Did anyone do last month's challenge about orange? I used it as a wall color of all things. What did y'all do? I'd love to hear from y'all about it! So leave me a comment.