those things which say a lot, v2

things that say a lot about a person:
their favorite character · the lyrics they write on their hands · the colors they wear · which murder weapon they prefer · how they make their tea
by riddlemehiddleston on tumblr, via kinga and jocee

— I've got so. many. favorite. characters, but my most favorite is probably Ahsoka Tano, followed by Anakin Skywalker, the Doctor, Amy Pond, River Song, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Rory Williams, Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley, Quentin Jacobsen... like I said, I've got a lot of favorite characters. And I'm not ashamed to say most of them are good, if not heroic people. I love good people, I love heroes, even if they're only doing good, heroic things on a small or maybe just personal scale.

— When something strikes a chord with me the last thing I do is write it on my hands, where it can fade and eventually get washed away. But, if I did write song lyrics on my hands, I'd probably write call my name and save me from the dark. It's from "Bring Me to Life" by Evanescence, and I think it's neat yet true. Hearing your name can... remind you who you are, you know?

— Pink, because the color is just so beautiful and intense and I admire what it represents: love. I also wear a lot of blue since I wear a lot of jeans, and other than that coral. I like my bright colors, okay?

— Words, though I don't always realize they can be a murder weapon till I've used them as one. Sigh. Alternatively, this works in the literal sense too, because I'm a writer and occasionally kill my characters off.

— Pekoe, with lots of brown sugar. Simple, but unique.

xoxo | annika

swiggity swag, this is what's in my bag

In no particular order, this is a cross section of my bag.

pictured
Whatever book I'm reading (1)
Lipstick (2)
Chapstick (1)
SPF lip treatment (1)
Blush/Loose Powder (2)
Phone (1)
Earphones (1)
Tin filled with tea bags (1)
Nail polish (2)
Avenger's themed notebook (1)
Pens/Pencils (1)

not pictured
Library card
Camera
Moleskine

xo, I just realized I carry around too much makeup. gah. | ani

those things which say a lot

things that say a lot about people:

the way in which they treat the waiter/waitress
how they feel about the weather
whether they dog ear pages or highlight in books
fingernails
and hands in general
their preferred creative outlet
how much they dread/enjoy talking on the phone
whether or not they drink coffee
if they ever forget to eat
how honest they are with themselves (and others)
if they correct your grammar
and whether or not they get nervous before haircuts.
— By younghabitats on tumblr, via x and x.

01: I would like to think I'm fairly polite to the waitress. While I have had some bad experiences with them (everything from racism to colorism to just really bad service, don't get me started) I know that waiting is their job and that's what they're basically trying to do.

02: I love beautiful weather, especially in the fall + summer. Cloudy, bleak days make me tired and irritable. I only like rain when I can fall asleep to it at night. And fog... well, I hate how if I'm in the car with someone and they're driving, it makes it impossible to see.

03: Neither. The very thought makes my head hurt. I try to keep books as they were when I bought them. It's one of the many reasons I hate loaning them out, as they almost always get returned with a bent page.

04: Both hands are painted a dark turquoise and all chipped up. Short, both because I have a nail-biting problem and when they're long they snag on things. A few of them have cloudy white spots that have been there ever since I was two.

05: My hands look a lot older than I really am and I have a single black ponytail holder on my right wrist.

06: Blogging most of the time, because it lets me do several things that I love like photography, writing, graphic design and programming. I also like poetry, haikus and messing around in my moleskine with a rollerball pen.

07: I don't necessarily dread it but I certainly can get nervous when dealing with people I don't know. And by nervous I mean I forget my own name, what I wanted and my heart goes all thumpity-thump in my ears.

08: I do. Usually sweetened black coffee because dairy can sometimes make me sick. I occasionally have a Mocha or Latte or Cappuccino.

09: I don't really forget. Sometimes I get so caught up in my writing or photography or schoolwork, I just... don't. It's not a good habit, though.

10: I'm honest with myself about some things... others, not so much. It is something I want to work at, though. On that note, I'm brutally honest with other people when I know there's a good chance it won't hurt their feelings. Maybe more so when it comes to things I know I'm better at than them. #oops

11: I used to, but then I recognized I make my fair share of mistakes as well. Still, grammar is a reflection of character and I don't have high first opinions of people who don't know how to use a keyboard, especially if it is on their blog. But if you get a text from me, it's probably got almost every single word written as if I was on a computer.

12: I don't really cut my hair, I just even out split ends. I don't stress over haircuts--I have a ton of hair.

xoxo | annika
--
What says a lot about you? Feel free to do a post like this on your own blog.

wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimey, spacey-wacey

As of today, I view the 2009 movie 2012 as an extremely dark comedy. But I'm not going to lie--I was a little on edge yesterday, waiting for fireballs to rain down from the sky and mountain crushing tsunamis to erase my city clean off the map at any second. Though I do know the date of the world's end is so classified even Jesus doesn't know it, I also know another thing.

It would be mean to kill everybody right before Christmas.

xoxo | annika

Blogging Pet Peeves

As I said when I started a RP Pet Peeves thread once, we all have 'em. This is, in essence, a '10 Things I Hate About Your Blog' post, but with a less extreme title and no number confinements. Let's begin.

Autoplay music.

Many, many blogs I enjoy have autoplay music, so bear with me. Music itself is fine, as long as I have the option to turn it on myself. I probably won't, as someone who keeps her computer on mute the majority of the time. We humans love having power, and when that power is taken away, we get POed. Autoplay music takes away my power to decide and sends me on a wild goose chase through my hectic tabbed and windowed browsing to discover the source of this darned tune. And when, by golly, one of my favorite blogs is the culprit...

Unreadable post fonts.

I understand you want your blog to be 'unique' and 'your own', but for the love of chocolate, don't make me read anything other than Georgia, Times New Roman, Arial, Calibri, Verdana and fonts of a similar appearance. They are the norm for a reason. That reason being most people like their sight as it is. 

lately...

The above pictures were a sibling's idea... I'm surprised at how well they turned out, actually. I mean, it's a Beyblade. An admittedly striking one, though- I just love that shade of red.

 Anyways, you've probably noticed how the image says 'pix&poppy photography' by now. I don't have a photography business or blog {yet...} but I think the name fits. Pix comes from the HTML shortening of 'pixels' {px}, and poppy from... well, I'm not sure. It just popped into my head, and hey, it's a fun word.

I'm almost done with the new blog design; just working out the kinks and putting on the finishing touches. I feel a little prouder than usual about this one. Maybe because I used complementary colors, coordinated fonts and all that snooty stuff this time around. Ha.

By the way, I've decided to stop using a signature. It'll make the design process easier- because let's face it, I barely remember to make and change my button and favicon. I'd rather eat squid eyes--which are beyond creepy looking--than go through and delete/replace the image on the first three posts on the homepage every single time I change my design {which is often, mostly because I enjoy designing} anyways, so buh-bye siggie, hello... no siggie.

But seriously, if I sign off a post with 'your resident wordbender' {kudos to you Avatar: the Last Airbender/Legend of Korra fans who get it} or one of my many nicknames that happen to be derived from the work pink, don't worry. It's just an Annika thing. ;) 

strut your stuff,

pinkerella 

PS} If you still see the old favicon {like me}, don't worry, your--and my-- browsers' caches should catch up soon. 

dear boys//girls

I've decided to join the 'dear boys/girls' linkup, so here we go!

Dear Lux Bonteri,
Stay away from Ahsoka.
Sincerely, I'm Watching You

Dear Clone Wars Team,
Season five trailer. Need I say more?
Sincerely, Still Waiting

Dear Twitter,
How the heck did the rumor One Direction is gay get onto world wide trends? I guess you're called Twitter for a reason...
Sincerely, Shame On You

Dear Artemis Fowl,
You sound so epic in audiobook form.
Sincerely, I'm Crying Rainbows

Dear Big Time Rush,
Why is Elevate so dang catchy? And why is your live performance of it so epic?
Sincerely, Going to Listen to It Again

Dear Spongebob,
You are on the most ignorant show I have ever seen. It's said to reduce intelligence, actually. But I still have no idea why your foolishness makes me go red the in the face with laughter. 

Sincerely, Annika

Dear Me,Finish that writing book before you start another one.Sincerely, You
Dear Korra,You'd get along so well with Ahsoka. Sincerely, You Are Epic 
Dear Cow's Milk,Stay away from me. We are no longer friends.Sincerely, Avoiding You Like the Plague 
Dear Ahsoka,Don't run away with Lux Bonteri. The wrath of an anti-Luxsoka fan is much greater than you can imagine. Sincerely, Jedi In Training
Dear Library Books,Darn your due dates.Sincerely, You're Awesome

P.S. This is totes Demi's theme song.

Happy Earth Day! {wordless}

Snippets of Story- April

Yay! Katie finally posted the linkup for Snippets of Story- April! Here are this month's contenders:

Ty tilts his head, curiously laying down his fork. He pokes me. "Ally, you okay?" His big, four year old eyes stare at me. It almost hurts to lie to him.
I shake my head, smiling a little. "No, I'm fine." Turning to Aaron and deciding to make small talk, I give him a big, fake grin. "So, how's college?"
Aaron looks surprised at my sudden interest, but nods enthusiastically. "Oh, awesome; my classes are great." He pauses for a second, glancing up at everyone else. "I have a surprise."
Mom looks interested." Yes?" she asks, leaning in.
"Cate's coming over tomorrow! Isn't that awesome? You can finally meet her!" His grin is almost as bright as the sun. I suddenly have the urge to advocate natural gas, for all the green capabilities of my own inventions.
"Totally awesome," I mutter. "I'm like, psyched." To my embarrassment, my words are filled to the brim with sarcasm.
Aaron frowns a little, giving me a weird look. "Ally, can I talk to you after dinner?"
Mom raises an eyebrow, clearly intrigued. I shoot her a look that says Stay out of this before turning to Aaron. "Why?"
It's Aaron's turn to avoid gazes. "You'll see..."- Of Metal Rainbows

I narrow my eyes to slits, ignoring the sparks that painfully hit my skin as I weld the parts together.
"Aren't you ever going to take a break?" Gavin raises an eyebrow, picking up the tray again. "Or are you just that eager to leave?"
His words rattle me like a hurricane against a skyscraper. "No... of course not."
"I can tell you hate it back there." Gavin's hand reaches for my own.
I yank it away, picking up a screwdriver to cover my actions. "I don't belong here- you know that," I say, avoiding his eyes.
"But you do." Gavin sighs. "Ally, you don't understand... you have no idea how much this place has changed you."
I close my eyes. "I do." It's a lie. As usual. - Of Metal Rainbows

I lean against Gavin, watching as the glass casket is lowered. My heart aches as I notice the soft smile etched on her face. I am tempted to believe the funeral home did that, but something in me knows that's a Grace Amos smile. Pure, happy and finally at peace. - Of Metal Rainbows

...Yes, those are all from the same novel. A mixture of random scenes I jotted down and in-order stuff. For those of you who have been here for a while, you'll remember I dropped this novel for development reasons. It's fine now, with a (mostly) new main character and a more developed plot.


Have a great weekend!

I can't believe this...

...I put the Hunger Games on hold at my library. I owe it to a temporary lapse in judgement, but someday soon Catching Fire and Mockingjay will be in my possession. I'm a hundred something in each queue, but it's only a two and three day wait apparently. I'll be reviewing them here; but be warned, it will not be one of those posts so easily defined by: Omg omg omg omg I luved<3 THG U shuld totally goes and read it bc itz so awezome!!1!1!!!1!1!1!!

I have no idea how this happened. I personally prefer books like Uglies by Scott Westerfield, Matched by Ally Condie and Divergent  by Veronica Roth when it comes to Dystopian and/or Sci-Fi. I'm all for creepy overbearing governments and a choice that could change everything... but I've sampled THG and I'm not so sure about the gazillion super short sentences. Then again, I've been spoiled by the poetic likes of L.M. Montgomery and other classic authors, so to each her own.

Also, I don't really think it's the next Harry Potter. One, because many of the people who hate Harry hypocritically love all the violence in THG. So it cancels out. Two, while this series has an interesting premise, it's not truly a 'different' idea. It is, but it isn't, if you catch my drift. And three, I can already tell this series will not have the exact same 'capture you heart' quality as Harry does. (That, and it isn't a book you want the five year old to grow up with.) In fact, I'm only reading it for three things and three things only: Rue (I fell in love with this character the moment I laid eyes on her movie poster), Katniss' fire dress and Cinna. Two of those aren't even in the two books I managed to barely get my hands on. 

....

For those of you who wonder how I love Star Wars and Artemis Fowl but dislike the violence the the Hunger Games, let me explain. I love action and adventure. Not gore or near-gore. I despise gore. Sci-Fi/Fantasy violence is fine by me, as long as they don't go too far. No straight up blood, no screams you can hear in your head ten years later. No creepy stuff that will make you curl up a month after being exposed to it or make you afraid to go down a slightly dark hallway. Nothing that will make you think that someone typing on the computer in the next room are your siblings--who are secretly hosts to aliens talking in their native tongue--coming to eat you. Or that someone simply moving around is really a serial killer breaking in through the window.

If you got chills with that last paragraph, that was my intent. If not, then I probably went too far with the alien siblings... because I have no idea where that came from myself. You can attribute the serial killer to my and a sibling's overactive imaginations, though. And that wasn't because of gore... it was because we assume too much from simple sounds when half asleep. :P

#Updates

Happy Easter and/or Passover, everybody! I have a few things on which to bring you up to date.

One, as we all know, Picnik will be gone as of the 19th. Well, I've discovered something awesome: an online editor called Pixlr. Now, while this is great in and of itself, there's also something else. Most designers have extra fonts they've installed on their computer, right? Well, Pixlr somehow brings in all your fonts, which means no more transferring your pictures to Paint to use them. Yay! Also, it gives you the option to create a transparent image.

Two, I've officially gotten a twitter account. The link is under the 'Follow Me On...' tab in my accordion menu.

And finally, three: how do you like the new blog design? It wasn't supposed to happen that way, but the usual 'Annika finds tutorial>>Annika tries tutorial>>Annika likes effect>>Annika proceeds to uncover more HTML tricks and redesigns entire blog' pattern was in order.
Speaking of blog designs, remember CinderScoria, who I interviewed a while ago? Well, she's started her own blog, and I designed it. Check it out here!

Happy Easter!

A Post Where I Just Talk.

Hey, have any of your ever had that feeling? That in blogging, no matter how hard you try, there will always be someone better? Not nicer, prettier, funnier- just better? I mean, if you get a 100 followers, I guarantee somebody else has 1000, and somebody else has 5000.

Yeah. That feeling.

Nobody ever gets it all at once, I think. They just get it sometimes, in little amounts. Like, no matter how awesome your design is, someone has a better designer or is better at HTML. Or has longer, more thoughtful posts- that you can't help but love because they're just so darn thoughtful.

Yeah, well, I'm here to tell you something: don't bother trying to copy everyone. Because if you did, you'd be in one hot mess. Besides, what happens when someone is better than the person your trying to copy?

Dr. Seuss put it better than anybody:

 Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You.

So, why try to be someone else? Who really deserves to have two of them upon this earth anyways? I mean, that wouldn't be fair to the other six billion, nine hundred ninety-nine million, nine hundred ninety-nine thousand, nine hundred ninety-nine peeps on the planet, now would it? You're you, and your blog should reflect that. Not Awesome McAwesomescreenname's.

So, I've decided something.

I usually stay away from touchy topics like politics on this blog. The only truly universal topic I've ever blatantly given my opinion on [here] is home/unschooling. But I've decided something: who cares if someone doesn't agree with me? It's my blog, the world and it's actions filtered through my lens.

 I used to be afraid to make enemies and upset people just because I didn't agree with them on a topic like whether or not the President is doing a good job - and I think he's doing great, with all the stones people hurl at him. There's nothing wrong with being polite, but I also think you're entitled to your opinion too- and no, that does not mean you can talk straight up trash about somebody. I mean about more national/universal things.

 As in: why do Christians consider Muslims their mortal enemy, again? They are not all terrorists, just like Christians are not all evangelicals. And don't start with the suppressing women thing, because while it may be very, very true, Christians do their fair share of it too. Enough with the stereotypes, people.

Or: why don't homosexuals deserve basic human rights? I thought the idea (of homosexuality) was a little surprising at first, but in the end, why is it our business? And as for abortion, what are you going to do if the fetus you save is gay? I don't condone abortion, but I don't think people should just straight up decide when it comes to someone else and their child's future.

*silence at Annika's jawdropping opinions*

I know some of you might not agree with this, and that's okay, everyone is entitled to their opinion. Because I like to think that for every hater in the world, there is a lover. And by that, I don't mean people who simply disagree with some of the stuff I said. Of course not, that wouldn't be reasonable.

<3

Books, Star Wars

Do you know what today is?
Do you?
Do you?
 I suppose I shall have to tell you. Today is... the Star Wars: the Clone Wars, season finale! Yep. And I have a bad feeling Obi-Wan is going to get owned.... by Darth Maul. Don't ask. Heheh. Heh. Heh...

Anyyyyyywayyyyyys...

The other day I went to the library and I found all sorts of awesome books! Lemonade Mouth by Mark Peter Hughes (it's what they based the movie off of), four Artemis Fowls (plus a graphic novel), The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan, A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray, Shine by Lauren Myracle, Pretties by Scott Westerfield and Mediator: Twilight by Meg Cabot.
Wowza. That's a lot of books. And I got three more than expected because I found an extra one and two that were some of the exact same holds that hadn't come through. I can't wait to read them, all of them look so good. And the covers are so beautiful.

*dreamy voice* Did I mention I love books?

Also, I know I've been posting mostly picture oriented posts lately, and I'll try to-

Yoda: Do or do not. There is no try.

I mean, I will be cutting back on the picture oriented posts. Thanks Yoda. I'll be keeping it to Silver Lining Sundays, How Pinteresting (on Wednesdays) and I might do a tutorial every now and then- blogger buttons, anyone?. If there's something with a blog you want to learn how to do, like install a background on Minima, change Minima's size, make a header or download fonts, feel free to say so in a comment. I'll direct you to a tutorial or post one. 

Writing: An Indecisive Art

Writing is hard. This may sound whiny to the average person, but it really isn't. They clearly aren't taking into account the planning, thinking, and then the stressing when you swear you hit 'Ctrl + S'  before logging off. 

And then there's that day when every insecurity and put down you've ever told to stuff it that your inner editor's said comes back tenfold:

Are you kidding? You call that writing?

Seriously?

Oh, God. And you say you want to be a bestseller...

*insert character name* is a complete waste of time. A dog could tell you that.   

You and your idea of a good romance makes me sick. 

Just kill *insert character name* already... 

And the list goes on. Of course, these eventually do go away. You know, when you read back over that brilliant scene and just start crying buckets or going into hysterics over your own work.

But somehow, you get past all this. Bravo. But then you have another question as you stare at your painfully blank document:

Uh, so like, what do I write?

Yep. Even if you have about a billion notes on a story, how the heck are you supposed to just sit down an put the words to paper... er, word document? Well, to illustrate just how hard that is, I'm going to describe a common writing day:

You sit down on the sofa/chair/bed and pull out your laptop/typewriter/pen. "I think I'm gonna write a bit," you say, opening your document/typewriter/notebook. Proudly, you see the *insert number* words you've written. 

This is gonna be a piece of cake! you think. You write for about 30 minutes, then start procrastinating. In this order, you check:

{Computer Writers}

***

Email

Favorite Websites 

Blogger

Forum

RP 

Twitter, Facebook etc. (optional) 

{Pen&Paper, Typewriters}

***

Mailbox

Library

Book 

Newsletter 

And then you go back to your document and decide to give your character weird. hair for no apparent reason besides the fact you saw a totally awesome photo on Pinterest.

And in the end... you don't even remember what you set out to do. Besides google pics of cute kittens. But then, however many months/years(/lives?! O_O) later, as you hold your finished manuscript in your hands, you think:

It was all worth it. 

                 

A Burning Inspiration

Fire doesn't really scare me. Not unless it's untamed. Or a threat. Still, I don't really care for it. Usually. 

But lately, I've kind of had a fixation with it. Not the fire itself, the embers, really. And yes, that does mean:

My favorite name is currently Ember 

My favorite phrase is 'Playing with fire' (by the way, I don't condone this. I just like the dangerous edge to the words) 

It has inspired some writing

Something is alluring about the glowing red orbs that linger for hours after you snuff out the flames, barely keeping their hold on life. They eventually go out and are relatively harmless, but remember, they are fire. You can't forget that.  

Tagged, I Have Been

Yes, I know I already posted today. But Amaranthine (yes, no linky love >:D) tagged me with  the 11 tag that's been making its rounds in the blogsphere. 


The Rules:
1) Post these rules.
2) Post 11 random things about yourself.
3) Answer the questions the tagger set for you in their post.
4) Create 11 new questions for the people you tag to answer.
5) Go to their blog and tell them they’ve been tagged.
6) No cop-outs in the tagging section like, “If you are reading this” or “if you follow me”. You have to legitimately tag people! 
 

11 Random Things: 

1. Despite the fact that I like hot pink, I despise light pink. 
2. I don't get the Justin Beiber craze.
3. I love Artemis Fowl <3 
4. I want a Fine and Dandy Blog Designs design. Badly. XD
5. I think Cleopatra and Elizabeth I are awesome.
6. I also like Catherine the Great and Eleanor of Aquitaine
7. When people with bad grammar insist it's spelled 'grammer' I get ticked off. 
8. I've noticed Sundays are almost always sunny
9. I like pie and pi (3.14) equally ;)
10. I use XD way too much
11. I prefer Blogger to Wordpress 

Amaranthine's Questions: 

1. What’s a famous movie you haven’t seen but would like to?

The Percy Jackson movie. 

2. What’s a famous book you haven’t read but would like to?


The Hunger Games.


3. What’s your dream pet?


A... horse.


4.What’s your favorite fruit?


Strawberries


5. If you didn’t know all the rules for a game, would you make up the rest of the rules yourself or change games to a game you did know the rules for?


Make up the rest


6. Name one blogger you really admire and link to them,

Qui from Freckles and Pointe Shoes

7. Who’s your favorite male/female movie/book/TV show character of all time?


Ahsoka Tano.

8. Your top 5 fictional crushes?


Ew! Duuuude... not cool. I think the correct answer is None. 

9.What’s your ideal follower number?


282. I just like the number... I dunno why.

10. What’s your ideal age?


18? Hmnn, not sure... 

11. If you could automatically speak any language fluently, which would you prefer?

French  

Now, I tag: Ashley and Hannah. 


My Questions:

1. What are your three favorite colors?
2. What is your favorite book?
3. Warsie (Star Wars) Or Trekkie (Star Trek)?
4. Favorite Name?
5. Favorite TV show?
6. Favorite Genre?
7. What is your favorite blog? (Add a Link) 
8. Who is your favorite super hero/villain?
9. Who is your favorite author?
10. What do you want to be when you grow up? 
11. Singing or Dancing? 

Literary Heroine Blog Party!

Hiya! Annika here. Ashley over at Cheery-O  did one of these, and I thought it was really neat, so here we are! 


Introduce yourself!  Divulge your life's vision, likes, dislikes, aspirations, or something completely random!

• 
  
• Likes? Writing, Blogging, RPing, learning new things. Not to mention... Star Wars and Artemis Fowl! And Harry Potter. And Anne of Green Gables. And Percy Jackson and the- you get the point ;) Dreams... hmnn... beign a bestselling author, definitely. 
• 
  
• What, to you, forms the essence of a true heroine? 

• 
  
• One who is kind, well educated, resourceful, outspoken and just. And a major book worm.
• 
  
• Share (up to) four heroines of literature that you most admire and relate to.  

• 
  
• Anne Shirley, Marguerite St. Just and... Annabeth Chase.

• Five of your favorite historical novels?  

• Anne of Green Gabels, Rainbow Valley, The Scarlet Pimpernel, Anne of the Island and  Anne's House of Dreams  
• 
  
• Out of those five books who is your favorite main character and why? 

Anne. She is kind, resourceful and her antics are heartwarming.

• Out of those five books who is your favorite secondary character and why? 

• Gilbert Blythe or the Scarlet Pimpernel. They are both kind and heroic.

If you were to plan out your dream vacation, where would you travel to - and what would you plan to do there? 

• 
  
• Egypt! Or England... or Paris? I would write in Paris, explore England and find a lost tomb in Egypt!

• What is your favorite time period and culture to read about? 
• 
  
• 
  
• Tudor England and Ancient Egypt!

• You have been invited to perform at the local charity concert. Singing, comedy, recitation - what is your act comprised of? 
• 
  
• Easy. I would read my book out loud, alternating the voices for each character!

• If you were to attend a party where each guest was to portray a heroine of literature, who would you select to represent? 
• 
  
• Elizabeth Benett or Anne of Green Gables, if we're going old school. For a book from now? Hermione Granger!

• What are your sentiments on the subject of chocolate? 
• 
  
• Not completely crazy about it, but yes, I like it quite a bit.

• Favorite author(s)? 
• 
  
• Rick Riordan, Eoin Colfer, J.K. Rolwing, Lisi Harrison, Gail Carson Levine, L.M. Montgomery and E.D. Baker  

• Besides essentials, what would you take on a visiting voyage to a foreign land? 
• 
  
• Books. And a computer. 

• In which century were most of the books you read written? 
• The 21st! 

• In your opinion, the ultimate hero in literature is…
• 
  
• It's a tie between Harry Potter and Percy Jackson!

• Describe your ideal dwelling place. 

• Big, cozy with a bigggg study and tons of inspiration and pink! Plus some Tudor touches and roses! And a perfect writing place...
•  

Sum up your fashion style in five words. 

• 
  
• Pink, chic, comfortable, action, fun!

• Have you ever wanted to change a character’s name? 
• 
  
• Actually... No!

• In your opinion, the most dastardly villain of all literature is... 
• 
  
• Lord Voldemort! Oh yes, his noseless villainy is delightful! 

• Three favorite Non-fiction books? 
• 
  
• 
  
• I don't read non-fiction much... but perhaps Writing Magic by Gail Carson Levine,  most books on Egypt :)

• Your duties met for the day, how would you choose to spend a carefree summer afternoon? 
• 
  
• 
  
• Writing and reading outside... 

• 
  
• Create a verbal sketch of your dream hat - in such a way as will best portray your true character. 
• 
  
• Hats?! Hmnn, not really my style, but a sparkly pink beret!

• Share the most significant event(s) that have marked your life in the past year. 

• Winning nanowrimo and having my first finished novel.

• Share the Bible passage(s) that have been most inspiring to you recently.

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” - the Holy Bible, 

• 1 Corinthians 13:4–8

Artemis Fowl...

Okay, I will admit when I first heard about it, I thought it was just another crummy series with another anti-social anti-hero. But for the sake of it, I picked up Eternity Code and Opal Deception, the latter of which I'm reading now.   

They are just amazing! I mean, the villains are ingenious, the hero isn't too good, and his alienation and awkwardness among others around his age is relateable, in a twisted way. And the plots keep you on the edge of your seat right till the last page. 

Artemis is seriously the male personification of awesomeness (Ahsoka being the female one.)

One of the things I really like about this series is the blend of Fantasy and Sci-Fi. I love both genres and are constantly torn between them, so this is a fresh breath of air.

So with that, I only have one thing to tell you if you have a minute:

            Pick up a copy Artemis Fowl. You won't regret it.

P.S. I don't really like how they keep trying to show him as a short, playing-dress-up type of kid in a suit. In the graphic novel, he looks 7, not 13, in my opinion. I see him as a sharp, tall, pale boy with black hair and narrow eyes, not... a baby faced dude with red glasses.

Spotlight Author: Gail Carson Levine

Hello! Annika here. Today on Spotlight, we're going to talk about one of my favoritest authors ever: Gail Carson Levine.

I came upon this outstanding author by chance a couple years ago. I was milling around in the paperback section, thinking there weren't any more good books. Boy was I wrong. Ella Enchanted caught my eye. It looked like it would be a gook book, so I brought it home and started reading... it was AMAZING! 

The fantasy world seemed so real, the characters right next to you, the danger your own! And Ella was just a darling, like an old friend. I read it again sometime later. Still I was blown away! 

Now, I will admit I've only read a few of Gail's books. But the ones I have read were superb. After I was done with Ella, I discovered the Princess Tales, retellings of old fairy tales that usually featured a princess or a to be princess. The only downside was that they were a quick read, as I read them in about two hours, even with distractions. But they were still very entertaining, with good morals, plots and characters overall. 

Now, for something that kept me just as captivated as Ella: Fairest. 

Enter Ava, a chubby, frying-pan-black haired girl, an orphan that was adopted by innkeepers. But there is one thing about her that is more beautiful than any of the other characters: Her singing voice. In the language they speak in the book, Ava actually means 'lark'. Despite her looks, she is one of the best characters I've read in a book in a long time. I highly recommend it to anyone who likes outstanding books and fantasy. 

And now, to a book I'm actually reading now: Writing Magic. I bought it because I kind of needed a writing book and I wanted to learn some of the master's fantasy writing secrets. It's really good and I'm about halfway through, but I can say it's improved my writing already and even induced a few new ideas!

Well, that's today's post. May the Force be with you!

Days Like Golden Honey?

Ever had one of those days like golden honey? Well, I love those types of days. There's something magical, something special about them. Something that makes you wanna dance. Like, when you made up with the person who asked to see your novel (and even sent them some of it)? Where you discover you have ten followers (thanksies Sarah!)? That one of your favorite blogs isn't dead and even has a beast new design? That maybe math isn't so hard? That your crazy new Forum is going great? Your new favicon finally showed up? Days when you feel like you could touch the sky? Do anything? Yepo. I'm having one of those. And I can't wait to see what the rest of it brings :)