Blog Tour: Meet My Main Character

Welcome! I know, it has been quite a long time since I posted on this blog. You have my deepest apologies. Perhaps hearing a bit about one of the bright souls running around in one of my stories will appease you.

I was tagged for this tour by the lovely Faith Blum. She is the author of A Mighty Fortress, which is the first book in the brilliant Hymns of the West series.

On to the questions!

1) What is the name of your character? Is she fictional or a historical person?

One of the main characters of the story is Skye Calderano. (She shares the title of 'main character' with Anden Ramoor, whom you will hear a little more about in the later questions.) She is fictional, not historical; she couldn't be anyway, as she lives in the future!

2) When and where is the story set?

The story is set sometime in the future; probably around the year 3217. It is set on several different planets at various times in the book, but mostly on one planet. I call it Adsila for now, but that name might change. The city of Qytet is where all of the characters, main and supporting, band together.

3) What should we know about her?

Skye is a 16-year-old orphan who is struggling to find her way in life. As a child, she was full of spirit and always curious - always wanting to learn, learn, learn. When her mother died, she became quieter and less excited about things. After her father was gone, she stopped entirely. The flame is still there, but subdued by grief and confusion. Her father, Lenard, and his best friend - Anden Ramoor, so close to Lenard that he was appointed Skye's uncle by her parents - were the co-owners of the starship Pariah; until the ship vanished, and her father was allegedly killed (neither she nor Anden saw him die, but Anden saw him mortally wounded, with injuries hardly anyone could survive - as a result, they [and I, myself] assume he is dead).

She was sent to an orphanage, despite her father having always wanted Anden to be her legal guardian if anything happened to him. Skye is allowed occasional letters from Anden. One day, she senses that he is up to something big - so she runs away from her current foster home and goes to find him.

4) What is the main conflict? What messes up her life?

The conflict starts when she runs away from her foster home to go to where Anden lives and find out what he's up to. When she does, he explains that he has arranged a search for the Pariah: he wants to find the ship, and - hopefully - the man (or alien) who stole it. Skye insists on coming along, some of her old fire coming back. As for what messed up her life - that was the theft of the Pariah, and the death of her father. That was when her entire life got turned upside down.

5) What is the personal goal of the character?

Skye has several goals - she wants to find the Pariah. Her childhood was filled with dreams of someday being the captain, or at least her father's second-in-command. She knows she can no longer fulfill that dream, but it is one reason she so desperately wants to find the ship. She also wants to find out what truly happened to her father - how he died, and why.

She also wants to get permission to have someone she knows and loves as her legal guardian. Not necessarily Anden, but someone she actually knows (family friends, or other relatives), rather than jumping from foster home to foster home.

6) Is there a working title for this novel, and can we read more about it?

The working title is Tomorrow's Bones. However, it is just that - a working title. I have been considering changing it. As for  reading more of it, you can find unedited snippets here and here. You can also look at quotes and character/story inspiration in these two image boards: Tomorrow's Bones {Storyboard} and The Pariah.

7) When can we expect the book to be published?

I'm honestly not sure. I hope to have it published by Summer of 2015. I don't know if I will or not, but I'm certainly going to try.

The next thing I'm supposed to do for this tour is tag 4-5 authors. I managed to get 6!

~*~

Ophelia - Marie Flowers is a  Christian, writer, singer, and Nurse aid. She enjoys using her talents to remind others that there is hope, and that we never truly walk alone in this life. She is the author of two poetry books - Sixteen, So In Love With You and her most recent, Zeal Aspiring. 

Find her books here:

Sixteen, So In Love With You || Zeal Aspiring

Follow Miss Flowers online:

ZA's Writings || Opinions, Thoughts, and General Rambling 

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As a dreamer, tea-drinker and star-chaser, Elizabeth Kirkwood has a dual obsession with writing and talking about brilliant writing.  When not dredging her fingers in authorly ink, you will find her playing guitar, doodling on her friends' Latin notes, or talking about scientific poetry.  Her first novella, Bridled, is to be published in 2014.

Follow Miss Kirkwood online:

Chasing Woven Glass Through The Storm

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Cathy Baker is a person of many facets. She is an eighteen-year-old college student who loves writing and reading fantasy, and pondering those strange and profound mysteries of life. She has been writing since she was eight, and finished her first novel when she was twelve (not published - she set it aside for some years and is now in the process of revising it). She has been developing other stories ever since. She tends to write in spurts; as with the rest of her hobbies, she often goes for days or weeks without indulging, only to suddenly receive a powerful burst of inspiration at the most inconvenient moment, causing her to drop everything and write. Her alter ego is a winged, six-foot-tall squirrel warrior from a far-off land.

Follow Miss Baker online:

The Journal of a Wanderer on Life's Path

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In the land of reality lives a homeschool graduate named Jessica Verve. She owns four editions of Black Beauty and a vintage dictionary that would put many dumbbells to shame. Hermited away beneath her bed lives a fuzzy red dog who loves to verbally express his emotions while she is in the middle of writing a very important scene in one of her WIPs. Most people think she spends her days spinning tales in one of her favorite genres (Mystery, SciFi, and Character Study) but in reality she is plotting to rule the world [of insects] with an immobile army of carnivorous Venus Fly Traps within the next thirty years. Okay, maybe not…

Follow Miss Verve online:

Jessica Verve

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 Jeremiah Stiles is a werewolf living in the cold, dark, regions of Washington state. He writes science fiction and fantasy when he isn't working secretly in a warehouse or eating things that threaten those whom he loves.

Follow Mr. Stiles online:

Another OtherWorld

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A servant of the Author, and a servant to all who serve him:
Patrick Lauser was born and raised in the tops of the trees in Washington state, and is currently in the tops of the mountains in Ireland (which are about as high as the trees were in Washington).
A reader, starting from the Word of God, and sifting through the world of Ideas (a word he involuntarily tends to capitalize).
A writer of the unheard of, and a thinker of the unthought of.

His hobbies include, but are not limited to: photography, throat singing, wearing camouflage and black, and eating hot-sauce on cake.

Follow Mr. Lauser online:

A Servant of the Author || Pinterest || Google Plus

Of Whispers and Wanderings - Free Promo

Let me guess, that 'free' in the title is what caught your eye. Shush, now, don't deny it. You know it did. ;)

Anyway, yes - I published Of Whispers and Wanderings last year. The ebook is free until May 19th. This isn't a big event or anything like that; I'll save that for my next published work (and no, you don't get any information about that, because for one, I have to finish writing it, and for another, telling you about it ruins the surprise). Here's the link to it on Amazon:

Of Whispers and Wanderings

All that is happening here is that my collection of short stories and poems is free, as far as the ebook goes, for five days. Part of this is to hopefully get more people aware that I'm a writer. The other part is, hey, free books. Everyone likes free books. And it will make them happy to get something for no money. Right?

So yes; that's about all that needs to be said...

Oh! One more thing! I would appreciate it so very much if those of you who do download and read Of Whispers and Wanderings leave a review for it. It would mean a lot, regardless of whether you hated or loved the book. *grins*

I would also appreciate it if anyone who sees this (if they're so inclined) can share the blog post on social networks and what-not. Like I said, I'm trying to get the word out about my books and such. :)

That's all, I suppose. Have fun! I hope. You're free to sue me though if my book, like, makes you blind or gives you permanent brain damage. ;)

Until next time,

Theodora Ashcraft

55 Reading Questions

- 1. Favorite childhood book? Hmm... I loved any books from the Magic Tree House series, or the Bailey School Kids series. I also went through a phase where I read children's Scooby-Doo chapter books, despite having never seen the show. That was what I read in my single digits for the most part. When I was around ten, my all-time favorite book was The Indiana Jones Handbook: The Complete Adventurer's Guide. I loved me some Indiana Jones. 

- 2. What are you reading right now? A Mighty Fortress (Hymns of the West), by Faith Blum; as well as The Doctor Who Character Encyclopedia.

- 3. What books do you have on request at the library? I have The Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer's Guide To Character Expression, by Angela Ackerman on hold. I usually have a lot more, but with college classes and such, I haven't had a lot of time to read, so I've had to cut back on how many books I place a hold on. *pouts*

- 4. Bad book habit? Hoarding. I get books from the library, read them, and then hoard them for as long as I possibly can because 'what if I want to re-read it?'. Or I hoard them and tell myself, 'I'll have time to read this soon'.

- 5. What do you currently have checked out at the library? Hehehe... lots and lots of stuff. Among them are Living and Working in Britain (David Hampshire); Cultures of the World: Great Britain; Feed The Children First: Irish Memories of the Great Hunger (Mary E. Lyons); Focus on the United Kingdom; Being Irish (Paddy Logue); Living and Working in Ireland (Joe Laredo); and The Magician's Nephew (C.S. Lewis). Yes... you can see my obsession with the United Kingdom quite clearly, I'm sure.

- 6. Do you have an e-reader? Sort of; I have a Kindle app downloaded onto my laptop.

- 7. Do you prefer to read one book at a time, or several at once? I usually read several at one time; I always have. I don't know why.

- 8. Have your reading habits changed since starting a blog? No, I don't think so.

- 9. Least favourite book you have read this year (so far)? That would have to be The Complete Idiot's Guide to Vitamins and Minerals, which I was required to read for school. Bleh. :P

- 10. Favourite book you have read this year? Come on, let me choose the top three, people! Angel Fall (Coleman Luck), Firmament Radialloy (J. Grace Pennington), and Unlikely Loves: 43 Heartwarming True Stories From The Animal Kingdom (Jennifer S. Holland).

- 11. How often do you read out of your comfort zone? I read some more sci-fi this year than I usually do; but I don't often read out of my comfort zone. I should fix that.

- 12. What is your reading comfort zone? I tend to avoid romance, though lately I've been changing that. My only real requirement is that a book is always rated PG. I will not tolerate explicit violence, gore, romance, language, etc.

- 13. Can you read in the car? Yepyep! I prefer to listen to music and daydream though; then I get new story ideas. :D

- 14. Favorite place to read? Hm... I tend to read anywhere and everywhere (usually on the floor), but lately I've very much enjoyed reading on our new sofa.

- 15. What is your policy on book lending? I trust probably 97% of my friends to borrow a book from me and return it in good shape, so I'm totally willing to lend books to them; I'm only a little wary if they have younger siblings or animals that might possibly pose a threat to said books, but I'll still lend it to them, trusting them to keep it safe.

- 16. Do you ever dog-ear books? *coughs* Heh... yes. I'm really lazy and rarely use bookmarks, except in very special books or my Bible. And when you're keeping track of, say, lots of recipes, or several writing prompts, it's easier to dog-ear than to stick over a dozen bookmarks or slips of paper into the book.

- 17. Do you ever write in the margins of your books? Never. Well, there was that one time when I was a kid, and I scrawled stuff in the margins of my Calvin and Hobbes book... but I was a kid then.

- 18. Not even with textbooks? I haven't written in the margins of a textbook yet... okay, I take that back, I doodled in the margins of my co-op's writing textbooks when I was ten. Other than that, I haven't though. *grins*

- 19. What is your favourite language to read in? English. XD

- 20. What makes you love a book? Third-dimensional characters that I can relate to or look up to; realistic emotion, and lots of it; an engaging writing style that doesn't sound too formal or old-fashioned; and I also love a book with some humour and/or situations I can relate to.

- 21. What will inspire you to recommend a book? If it's a book one of my friends wrote (and all books written by all of my friends are good, so it's totally acceptable!), I'll always recommend it. I'll also recommend a book if I know it's something a person will be interested in, or if I think it will help them in some way. It honestly depends more on the person instead of the book, when it comes to choosing to recommend a book.

- 22. Favourite genre? Ack! Um... poetry, fantasy, sci-fi (sci-fi that isn't too technological; if I can't understand the terms or concepts used, I lose interest in a book, unless the characters are phenomenal), fiction set in certain historical eras, I've recently begun to get interested in romance... anything good, really. *laughs*

- 23. Genre you rarely read (but wish you did)? Sci-fi. I love a good sci-fi book, but I can rarely find one that captures my attention. I can probably count on one and a half hands the sci-fi books I've read and actually enjoyed.

- 24. Favourite biography? *ponders* I've not read many in my lifetime... if I had to say, probably the one on Steve Irwin I first read as a nine-year-old, and re-read many times throughout the years. Steve Irwin has always been one of my role models; I wish he had lived longer.

- 25. Have you ever read a self-help book? Erm... what's that? I've read 'how to write novels/poetry/fiction/etc.' books, I've read books intended to help me learn how to make my panic attacks go away (it didn't work)...

- 26. Favourite cookbook? Any cookbook that tells me how to cook things from a book or a show. A Middle-Earth cookbook, or a Narnia cookbook... or a Doctor Who cookbook if I could find a decent one... 

- 27. Most inspirational book you've read this year (fiction or non-fiction)? I've read a few. One is Firmament Radialloy by J. Grace Pennington. Another is A Mighty Fortress by Faith Blum. Do Hard Things by the Harris brothers. Angel Fall by Coleman Luck. Annnd a book two wonderful adoptive family members of mine are writing but haven't finished yet. So I shall keep the title a secret. ;)

- 28. Favourite reading snack? Something that won't make a mess; cheese crisps I can use a spoon to eat are nice, though very rare. I love to drink tea while reading or writing as well... or while I watch things, such as Doctor Who.

- 29. Name a case in which hype ruined your reading experience. Probably... The Hunger Games. Everyone was going on about how amazing it was, but when I read it, I didn't understand why people like it so much - it's violent, and most of the characters annoyed me in some or other way.

- 30. How often do you agree with critics about a book? I haven't the slightest idea.

- 31. How do you feel about giving bad/negative reviews? I don't like it, but I try my hardest to be honest, while at the same time, finding the good things about the book as well. I'm very laid-back in my reading, so I don't often have a totally negative review - in fact, most of the time, the only problems with a book are minor things going against my moral views, and various grammar/spelling/punctuation problems.

- 32. If you could read in a foreign language, which language would you choose? Gaelic or Welsh! Both are such lovely languages.

- 33. Most intimidating book you've ever read? Hmm... probably The Hiding Place, by Corrie Ten Boom, which I read for school in 7th grade. I should probably hunt that book down and re-read it.

- 34. Most intimidating book you're too nervous to begin? Um... George Orwell's 1984 is the first one to come to mind.

- 35. Favourite poet? Ophelia-Marie Flowers, Juliet L., and Elizabeth K. *grins* But other favourites include Robert Frost and Robert Burns, though I like others as well.

- 36. How many books do you usually have checked out of the library at any given time? Oh... it used to be around twenty-five. Since school got harder, though, it's more like ten or so.

- 37. How often have you returned books to the library unread? Many times, but mostly recently - it's not my fault, college plus my mom's insistence on a specific (and rather early) bedtime make it hard for me to finish or sometimes even start books.

- 38. Favourite fictional character? Not fair! Um, Dustfinger from the Inkheart series... Boromir from the Lord of the Rings series... Jed from A Mighty Fortress... the talking cats from the Books of Elsewhere series (especially Harvey)... Alex and Amanda from Angel Fall (along with every single other character)... Crash from Firmament Radialloy... oh! And Scarl from The Farwalker Trilogy. So many favourite characters!

- 39. Favourite fictional villain? Hmm... I have no idea... Murtagh from the Inheritance Cycle. Because I don't and never will consider him a villain, but others seem to think he is. : P

- 40. Books I'm most likely to bring on vacation? It all depends. I haven't been on vacation in eleven years; this November was the first time. I brought my Bible and Aubrey Hansen's Peter's Angel. I know that whenever I go on vacation from here on out, I'm definitely always bringing a Bible.

- 41. The longest I've gone without reading. Hmm... probably about a week. But that's only if you don't count reading textbooks. If that counts, I've probably never gone longer than a day or two.

- 42. Name a book that you could/would not finish. I never managed to finish Brisingr by Christopher Paolini; it just wasn't as enjoyable as the first two books. Nothing else is coming to mind at the moment, though I'm sure there are more.

- 43. What distracts you easily when you're reading? Loud and/or obnoxious noises. I hate it when people are vacuuming while I'm trying to read, or when my brother is doing something annoying (such as bouncing a hard plastic ball against the wall, producing a loud clacking sound, repeatedly), or a loud television in the background (it's even worse when the movie/show that's playing is something I don't like).

- 44. Favourite film adaptation of a novel? Hmm... Inkheart... and Eragon. And How To Train Your Dragon... I like almost all film adaptations of books.

- 45. Most disappointing film adaptation? I... can't really think of one at the moment.

- 46. The most money I've ever spent in a bookstore at one time? I rarely get to go to bookstores. I went to Barnes & Noble once though, and spent about fifteen dollars on a collection of Sherlock Holmes stories; but I spent the money using a gift card.

- 47. How often do you skim a book before reading it? Quite often. I don't know entirely why; maybe to get a feel of the book to see if I'd enjoy it. If it's nonfiction, I skim from section to section depending on what I want to read about first (like with the 'living and working in' books I mentioned earlier, I tend to skip around to avoid the stuff about finances because I don't understand that stuff at this time in my life, XD).

- 48. What would cause you to stop reading a book halfway through? Bad language, excessive gore, or something or other that might give me nightmares. Or explicit romance. No, nope, nopity-nope.

- 49. Do you like to keep your books organised? Yes. But somehow they always get disorganised again. XD

- 50. Do you prefer to keep books or give them away once you've read them? It depends. I tend to only get rid of books by giving them to friends as gifts, or if I've grown out of them.

- 51. Are there any books you've been avoiding? Not that I know of...

- 52. Name a book that made you angry. The Miller Brothers' book Hunter Brown and the Consuming Fire, in which a favorite character of mine died. At the same time, I loved the book, because it introduced one of my favorite characters - Stoney. I was also angry when Christopher Paolini killed off Brom, and made Murtagh 'turn evil'.

- 53. A book you didn't expect to like but did? Hmm... I tried reading Inkheart when I was about ten, but didn't like it. Then I saw the movie, realised which book it was, tried the book again... and loved it. Also, the Books of Elsewhere series. 

- 54. A book that you expected to like but didn't? The Hunger Games.

- 55. Favourite guilt-free, pleasure reading? ... which means...?

Author Interview With - J. Grace Pennington!

And, introducing Miss J. Grace Pennington! It was a joy to get the chance to interview her.

1.      So, tell us about your latest book.

My latest book is called Firmament: In His Image, and is the second book in my Firmament sci-fi series.  The logline is: After accidentally running awry of the laws of a civilization that scientifically shouldn't exist, a stranded away team must figure out what?s going on and find a way to escape before they are all executed.

More information can be found at http://firmamentseries.com/in-his-image/


2.      How long have you been writing?

Since I was about five years old.  I was always a storyteller, and one afternoon while my mom was napping, it occurred to me that I could write a book, so I did.  It only had six pages, but it was a book nonetheless, and I haven't stopped writing since!


3.      What is your favorite genre(s) to write in?

Science-fiction, hands down.  I enjoy exploring ideas to their furthest potential and creating fascinating new worlds and problems, but still leaving a semblance of reality.  I think sci-fi is a great genre for Christians, because they can address a lot of issues very strongly.


4.      Where do you get inspiration?

Everywhere!  Dreams, life, books, movies, imagination.  A lot of times I'll start off with a list of different things I want to include (a specific relationship, a setting, a premise, even an object) and try to build a story that includes all of them.


5.      What is a typical schedule for you?

Schedule?  What's that? ;)  I suppose loosely I get up between seven and eight, do chores for my family, then after lunch I try to do writing-related stuff.  But I often will write none at all for days and then thousands of words in one afternoon.  It's sadly erratic.  I must remedy this.


6.      Do you have a favorite food or drink to snack on while you write?

Tea and homemade granola is good.  Preferably black tea.  But milk and brownies or cookies will do.  So will M&Ms and water.  But tea is a favorite.


7.      What is one tip you would give to other writers?

My secret?  Writer's block doesn't exist.  Keep writing and don't stop, not even when you have no ideas.  Like genius, writing is about one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration.  Hard work and perseverance is what gets books written.  Press forward even if it's junk, because you can edit anything but a blank page!

Thanks for the interview!

Angel Song

The shooting star like dragon flight leaves a trail that snakes through the sky, not straight at all. Two glittering trails lead south. Another, possibly the brightest of all, shoots clear across the country, going eastward over the silver waves to a land far across the sea—so far away, it may as well just be a fairy tale land.

How funny it is that one place, one house, can waver between ‘home’ and ‘wasteland’.

When you were here, the lonely ocean suddenly blazed with dawn light… and I felt the peacefulness of home. Your heartsongs made me brave. Walking the woodland paths at night no longer terrified me—my mama by my side, my brother up ahead. How could I be scared when you were with me?

The shifting shadows and night-creature sounds no longer struck fear into my soul. If truth were to be told, I barely noticed them.

The fuzzy blue light glows from the small devices in your hands chased the shadows away. My mama’s voice, clear and soft and beautiful—the voice of an angel in a dream too wonderful for words—ringing through the cool night air, echoing above the night noises and the rustling of the leaves.

The leaves. As the singing fills the night, the leaves spiral down and around, whispering their way through a dance only they know the steps to. Fluttering and flickering, caught in the breeze; caught in a dance that ends when they land at our feet with a final hushed murmur, bowing to us—young princesses and a prince, standing in a forest glade; feeling so very close to Aslan.

The cold begins to become too much, but we stay in the glade, talking quietly. It seems we’re the only ones in the entire forest. I stand on the edge of a hill, murmuring fantasy tunes to myself.

The realization strikes me—I’m here, in the forest at night, with some of the people I love most in this world. A mama and a brother whom I have never seen and may never see again after this night.

The sudden need to return to the glade, where I can see you, hits me. I leave the woodland and go back.

Later, we sit in a square room that is colder than the rest of the house. This room holds so many memories, some of them painful—but I have never felt safer or happier than I do now, here with you.

I haven’t laughed or grinned this much in what seems like ages upon ages. This happiness I feel… so strange… something I haven’t felt in so long.

As usual for me, I try to move and instead nearly fall off of the swaying mattress. I find myself in Mama’s arms and relax. I had forgotten how peaceful and infinitely loved being held makes me feel. I want to stay in her arms forever and ever.

I know I can’t. There is a curfew for me, even tonight. I soon have to leave and return to my own little wolf den at the other side of the house. I stand, say quietly ‘goodnight’ and ‘I love you’.

Mama tells me she knows. I turn to leave; my feet are just as clumsy as always, and I stumble. Cheeks warming, I glance back sheepishly, and see a warm and smiling face looking at me. I smile back, and then bumble my way down dark steps, through a dimly-lit series of rooms, and up more dark steps to my wolf den.

I leave my clothes on rather than change into pyjamas. I smell traces of my mama’s perfume, and it keeps me calm; makes me feel as though I’m still in her arms, instead of alone in my room—as I so often am.

I type away in my journal before being whirled away by the Sandman to the Land of Dreams. I awake early, remember just who is asleep on the other side of the house, and become excited all over again. I force myself to return to the Land of Dreams—there is no use wandering the house five hours before anyone else has been roused.

My big brother is the first to appear, the rumple-haired prince with his gentle smile. I only just met him for the first time, but feel as close to him as I do with all of my brothers—feel the same heartache-mixture of little-sister pride and love that I feel for all of my brothers.

The princesses soon wake up as well—my mama and her twin sister, both as beautiful as they were the night before. I’m quieter than I was last night, but I watch everything with a smile on my face.

A smile that falters as the realization hits; these special, wonderful people through whom God shines so brightly… will be gone a mere two hours from now.

The smile stays, but with a bittersweet shadow of dread tucked away at the corner of my lips. The thunder of my heart starts to speed up as I resign myself to the fact that this dream of beauty and happiness and I-feel-like-I’m-home is about to end.

And the moment comes too soon, just after I give my mama two gifts which I had planned to give her long ago—a ceramic figurine and a bracelet which I made myself… a bracelet of red and gold and purple. Red for Christ’s blood, gold for hope and light, and purple for the royalty of our King. I chose the colors with care.

Snapshots are taken, frozen glimpses as poor substitutes for the reality that was. Memories caught in the tumbling crimson and stars that is Time.

The end of the peace is oh so near. I can feel it in my bones, in my soul—the ache is returning.

I am unable to bear the thought of staying inside while the three of you leave. The little child inside of me tags along after you, just barely managing not to cling to her mama’s hand.

Mama hugs me. I hug her back fiercely tight, and I wonder—can she sense the way my throat is tightening, the way I struggle to force the words out without choking them? Can she see the tears hiding just behind my eyes, a mere breath away from glittering on my eyelashes?

I turn, and go to hug my big brother. He holds out his arms before I reach him, and I stumble into them. And for a moment, in his arms, I don’t feel so very lost. He hugs me tight, and I hug him back, whispering that it had been nice to meet him—unable to say anything more without sobbing.

I was shaking. I didn’t even realize… but you did. You felt me trembling, and wondered why. Perhaps I should have spoken the truth—that I was struggling to hide the tears, that my heart was already breaking to see them leaving. But I could not have found the words, even if I had tried.

I manage a tremulous smile, letting my gaze fall upon the prince and princesses one last time before turning. Instead of bolting—flying like my crumbling heart desires, fleeing to hide in a lonely corner and sob the pain away—I force myself to walk. The flood of heartache comes rushing in, and once again I feel lost in a sea of uncertainty and nameless emotions without faces.

Every step is an effort; can anyone see it? Movements like a robot. One foot in front of the other; you can do it, you sad little lass, you can. One step, then another, and another—movements slow and methodical, that of a mechanical toy.

The door is reached, and it feels miles away. The tears enter my eyes as I enter the house, and through the window I see the red car drive away… as warm liquid shards of my heart chase one another down my cheeks.

~~

Never say goodbye, because goodbye means going away, and going away means forgetting.

I don't want to forget. Never, ever. It hurts so much to remember, but I have to. I have to cling to the silver threads, keep my gaze upon the glowing firedust that drifts from world to world, from time to time.

How can such tiny and frail things such as tears send a person to their knees? Send a person collapsing to the floor, into shuddering sobs that make her insides feel as though they're caving in?

Tiny things, tears. Such little things.

And so powerful.

The stars, fallen tears of angels, creating glittering trails of light in the sky, joining hearts together from oh so far away.

Can you see it?

I can, even though the shadows hide it sometimes. It makes my heart ache with the pain of longing and sorrow and love and so many dreams.

Can you feel it?

I can. Oh, I can. Every single heartbeat.

And you know what else? Sometimes, late at night, when no one is awake but me and my dreamworld companions and the Doctor...

The sweet song of an angel's lullaby echoes to me from across time and space, from a fairy land across the sea, wrapping me in the loving arms of my very own angel.

Can you hear it, my friends?

I can. Oh, how I can.

Another Giveaway!

You are invited to a Winter Giveaway with Gillian Adams over at ofbattlesdragonsandswordsofadamant.blogspot.com. Enter the giveaway for a chance to win two fantasy books!

Advertising for a giveaway!

My awesome friend Faith is hosting a giveaway, right here:

http://faithblum.wordpress.com/2013/10/25/amazing-surprising-fun-exciting-giveaway/

It's part of a thing called the No Fear Indie Blog Hop. Basically, there are a ton of fun giveaways to enter, and Faith's is one of them. I encourage you to check it out!