F is for Fairytale

Jenna looked out her window, wondering if that day was going to be the day that some prince would come and sweep her off her feet to take her away to his castle.

Her parents had continually told her that he would come soon. Jenna was betrothed to a Prince that lived in a land very far away. But Jenna was getting anxious.

That day, however, her beloved Prince Joshua did come—just not in the way she expected. Jenna was expecting him to arrive in some splendid fashion with trumpets and carriages, with rich velvet robes and gifts.

Yet, Prince Joshua came in the form of a servant, and hardly anyone recognized him. In fact, those that did were his fellow servants.

Prince Joshua didn’t come that way because he had a lack of money, but because he wanted to test Jenna’s character, to see if she only loved him for his wealth. 

One day, when Jenna was out walking in her gardens, a carriage came out at her. Jenna’s feet locked in the middle of the road, just shocked. She was going to die.

But Prince Joshua came out and pushed her out of the way, allowing the horses to trample over him, killing him.

Jenna rushed over to his side. The moment that she actually looked at his eyes, she realized who he was. “No! How could I have not recognized you? Prince! Come back to me!”

Jenna started sobbing, her tears pouring over his dead face.

She screamed until her lungs ached so much she could barely whisper. Some of her brothers came over and carried him back to the palace, distraught that they hadn’t recognized him. 

The whole royal family was terrified that the king would come and wipe them all out for not recognizing him and taking good care of him, for Joshua was the King’s only son.

But, because of Joshua’s sacrifice, the King forgave them.

Two days later, Jenna was once again out in the garden, when Prince Joshua appeared to her, and this time he 

didn’t look like a servant. His face was glowing, and he wore cloaks of bright white. “Jenna.”

Jenna ran up to him and cried at his feet. “How are you here? Why did you die?”

Prince Joshua looked at her tenderly. “I am here because death doesn’t confine me. I died for you—now that I’ve died, you can be forgiven.  If you believe in what you have seen—my death and resurrection—you can come live with me in my Kingdom after you die. Your faith will be tested, but take heart: For I have overcome the world.”  


~Elizabeth

E is for Elemental

Elemental By Emily White

Quote: The moment I let go of my control, the pain vanished, replaced by hunger--for what, I didn't know yet. All I did know was that every cell in my body ached to devour. (Ella)

Summary:

  Just because seventeen-year-old Ella can burn someone to the ground with her mind doesn’t mean she should. But she wants to. For ten years--ever since she was a small child--Ella has been held prisoner. Now that she has escaped, she needs answers.  Who is she? Why was she taken? And who is the boy with the beautiful green eyes who haunts her memories? Is Ella the prophesied Destructor... or will she be the one who's destroyed? (From Emily White's Blog)

Violence/Romance:

 Ella is beaten and bleeding in the beginning of the book and is wounded later as well. The descriptions are not graphic. A woman is killed in a fire that Ella creates. In one part of the book, one man tries to force himself on Ella when he is killed by her. Meir describes the deaths of his family and is hurt quite badly at one point. One person is burned badly and is in a coma. A ceremony is described that involves burning skin.

Ella and Calien kiss a few times. Their feelings for each other involve a need but nothing happens.

Spirituality:

There is a god named Manoo who has to devour someone to keep in power. There also is a god, El, who seems to oversee all.

Overall:

I really liked this book. It had a si-fi feeling but still had fantasy in it. It drew me in and I just had to finish it.

I think that the idea that there is a plan to this world is my favorite part.

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~Leslie

D is for Destruction

Say you glance at a newspaper/magazine, for just long enough to read all of the top headlines. Which type stand out the most?

I don't know about you, but for me it's not the ones that are happy and cheerful, it's the ones that talk about complete and utter chaos.

Because they're interesting. Because they could be life-changing. They can leave you thinking, and can stay in your head for hours (or longer).

It's the same way with books.

I'm not going to remember something where there was no I-can't-believe-that-just-happened moments in it--there needs to be something in there to shake it up. You never knew what you have until it's gone.

For me, at least, I find that the times I care about the characters most is when they're either dead or badly injured (mentally or physically) and can never be the same--because, then, I realize just how much I loved them and therefore just how much I miss them and hope in vain that they can be restored to what they used to be.

Don't. Be. Afraid. To cause mass destruction in your book! Destruction happens in real life, why shouldn't it happen in books?!

So, tell me in the comments--what's the big chaotic moment in your book?


~Elizabeth

C is for Courageous

No, this is not about the recent movie, although the soundtrack by Casting Crowns did have a bit of influence. It would have been about the movie if I had seen it! Because I haven't, however, I am using my own take on being courageous.

I have had a streak of funny luck lately. I have been seeing, listening to and hearing about movies and books like Courageous. (eg. Facing the Giants, The Blind Side ect.) They all seem to have a common theme. They all are about being courageous. Facing the Giants shows courage. The coach of a football team makes a commitment to trust in God in all circumstances. The coach is at risk of losing his job, his house is falling apart, his car breaks down constantly and he and his wife are unable to have kids. He is falling into the trap of failure. Yet, when things are at their worst, God sends a man to give this coach a message. It gives him the insiration to make a resolution.

Grant Taylor: I want God to bless this team so much people will talk about what He did. But it means we gotta give Him our best in every area. And if we win, we praise Him. And if we lose, we praise Him. Either way we honor Him with our actions and our attitudes. So I'm askin' you... What are you living for? I resolve to give God everything I've got, then I'll leave the results up to Him. I want to know if you'll join me."

So Grant (The Coach) is courageous in his goal to give God his best in all things. More examples? Take The Blind Side (one of my personal favorites) A woman named Leigh Anne takes in a black kid named Michael who is the son of a drug addicted woman and lives on the streets but was accepted into a private christian school. The courage in this movie is the courage that Leigh Anne shows in accepting Michael.


Elaine: [talking about the Tuohy's Christmas card photo with Michael in it]
Elaine: He looks so big compared to you like Jessica Lange right next to King Kong
[amidst chuckles]
Beth: Hey, does Michael get the family discount at Taco Bell? 'Cause if he does Sean is gonna lose a few stores.
Leigh Anne Touhy: He's a good kid.
Elaine: Well, I say you make it official and just adopt him
[laughs]
Leigh Anne Touhy: He's going to be eighteen in a few months it doesn't make much sense to legally adopt.
[they all stare at her]
Sherry: Leigh Ann, is this some sort of white guilt thing?
Elaine: What would your Daddy say?
Leigh Anne Touhy: Um... before or after he turns around in his grave? Daddy's been gone five years Elaine. Make matters worse you were at the funeral, remember? You were Chanel-ing that awful black hat? Look, here's the deal, I don't need y'all to approve my choices alright, but I do ask that you respect them. You have no idea what this boy has been through and if this becomes some running diatribe, I can find overpriced salad a lot closer to home.
Sherry: Leigh Ann, I'm so sorry, we didn't mean to...
Elaine: No, we didn't really.
Beth: I think what you are doing is so great. Opening up your home to him... honey, you are changing that boy's life.
Leigh Anne Touhy: No, he's changing mine.
Elaine: [snidely] And that's great for you. But, seriously, Leigh Ann, aren't you worried for Collins? I mean, she's a beautiful white girl, and he's a big, black boy.
Leigh Anne Touhy: Shame on you.
[gets up]
Leigh Anne Touhy: I'm getting this. [she leaves]

A bit longish, but one of the best quotes from the movie. Leigh Anne is showing God in her actions; she has the courage to stand up for Mike.

How about one last example. This one is not from a movie. This example is real. It is something I see all the time. Well, I see different things about it. What I want to see is Christians being courageous. Sometimes you see people like Tim Tebow who honor God in front of the world. Those people are the ones who will risk embarrassment or worse to honor their God. I want to be one of those people. There is another side to this though. Unfortunately, the best example I see of this side is at a camp I love to go to. In this camp, people are not showing God in what they do. There are power games and drama from people who are christians. It seems like they are just saying they believe in God but are not courageous enough to honor God in all they do.

Well... Here is my challange to you. I know I don't post very much Bible related stuff, but this verse is a good beginning to my challange. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”

Joshua 1:9
My challenge is to be courageous. I am going to try to let God show in all that I do. Particularly in the book I am writing. I want God to show through me. Good luck and God Bless!

~Leslie

B is for Beliefs

I have put aside my old book. It's done with. Over. Finished.  

I liked it, but a few days ago as I was typing, I thought: What is the purpose of this book? What are the morals I'm trying to show my readers? What will they gain from it? Does the light of Christ shine through it? 

I am, as I have stated before, a Christian. And I want Christ to shine in everything I do... and it wasn't in my book. So, I'm starting a  new one! It's called (drum-roll, please....).... 

The Un-Spoken! 

I'm going to be posting excerpts of it as I write, and all critiques are highly appreciated.  

But the tea only lasted so long. There are times in life to delay, and there are others when you have to get up and deal with the situation that life has given you. Realizing the truth, Emily took her empty Styrofoam cup and hurled it at the door, only to regret it seconds later.

She clenched her teeth as tears began to pour out of her eyes. Why was this happening to her? She was a good person, was she not? 

The nurse knocked softly on the door. “Emily, honey, can I come in?”

Emily’s response was barely audible. “Yes.”  

The nurse approached Emily’s chair with care. “Have you made your decision yet, sweet-heart?”

Emily nodded.

            

            "Then let's talk...."  

Now, I'm writing with a purpose again--and I couldn't be happier with my decision. Writing is so much easier when you actually believe it yourself. 

Have you ever had a time when you felt that your writing lacked purpose? What did you do in response? Tell me in the comments!

~Elizabeth

Book Three!

OK, so Wayne Thomas Batson (one of the BEST authors out there) teamed up with Christopher Hopper (author/musician) to write the Berinfall Prophesy Series.

Except, when I started reading the series, there were only two books out of the 3(+) to be published. But, Mr. Batson just announced today on his blog (click here to view the official post) that the next book is coming on May 15th!!! I'll put the cover on here as soon as it is revealed. And it is going to be called (drum roll please...)...

The Tide of Unmaking! 

So, anyway, it should be epic. And if you haven't started the series yet--you should seriously start because they are some awesome books.

 ~Elizabeth

A is for Amazing

So, Leslie and I are signed up for the A-Z Blog-fest (click the picture for more info). Essentially, every day of the week except Sunday (with today being the only exception, considering that it is the 1st of the month) Leslie and myself will be going through the alphabet with our posts.

A is for Amazing!

Why would we, as writers (or as anything) settle for something that is just "OK", "Good Enough", and "Fine"?

Why wouldn't we want to shoot for the extraordinary?  I mean, honestly, why write anything at all if you aren't going to make it your very best?

A speaker at a conference I went to (Alex Kendrick) said that we must, "Choose what is best over what is good." Now, even though he was talking about our morals at that point, I think it is an excellent quote that can apply to any and everything.

So, today, instead of settling, shoot higher. Do your best, and you may be surprised how far you come.

~Elizabeth

Elemental Trailer Reveal!

So, today is the official release of Elemental's book trailer! So, without further ado, here's the link!

http://emilytwhite.blogspot.com/2012/03/elemental-book-trailer-is-here.html?m=1

~Elizabeth

Pi Day!

Today is (officially) Pi Day!!! Alright, so maybe this is a little dorky, but I like it...

 ~Elizabeth

Alright, so for those of you who have been following for a while, you would know that for a while now I've been posting bits and pieces of the book I'm attempting to write. Well, I completely re-wrote the beginning of it--tell me what you think!

---

I held the silver butterfly on my necklace up off of my neck so that I could view its intricate features. I looked at the old elven writing that went along the border of its wings. . .I still had no idea what it said.

I stood up and walked towards the windows, placing my hand upon the stained glass. I longed to go outside, longed to feel the fresh air. To run. . .to be free.

Ever since my mother died, my father had refused to let me go outside. After all, that was how she died.

I had gone outside one day, running in the fields and picking dandelions. Then, I decided to go into the woods. But I wound up going deeper into them than I had originally planned.

As dusk arrived, my father sent a search party out for me. They found me well into the night and carried me back.

I caught a terrible, unknown disease from those woods. And it was contagious.

For weeks, I saw the disease slowly choke the life out of both my mother and myself. Over half of the guards didn’t survive it.

I lived, my mother didn’t, and my father’s heart began to have a sudden aloofness towards me.

I wanted so desperately to have the courage to someday break through that window, to live each moment to the hilt.

But it took me over three years to finally work up the guts to actually leave. 
 
~Elizabeth