The Hunger Games pics

Here are some Hunger Games pics... :)

Josh Hutcherson as Peeta, the bread maker.

Katniss and Gale in the forest.

Gale and Peeta.

Two pieces of fan art. (above and bellow)

Yeah, I'm a serious fan of these books, and the movie. :) And don't worry, it won't be another Twilight. Far from it, actually, and much, much better.

The Cry of David

I was recently a Semi-Finalist in a contest on a writing site called Figment. While I didn't make it to the actual Finalist poll, it was super cool nonetheless. ;)

Here's the story:


The forest was quiet, with only the sounds of nature surrounding her. It was perfect. With a smile on her lips, Lizzy slipped through a tangled bunch of thin, whip-like trees, books in hand. She always found reading high up in a tree to be a pleasant occupation. Now was no exception, especially with all the drama that had recently been occurring in her life.
   As she walked through the forest, her mind went to the boy she thought she once loved. Not now, though. He had become something she couldn’t explain, always running away from invisible enemies and creating excuse that didn’t even make sense.
   Her eyes filled with tears, but before they could fall, Lizzy blinked them away. She wasn’t about to cry for him. He wasn’t part of her anymore.
   Lizzy’s favorite tree came in sight. Another smile formed on her lips instantly.
   Keeping careful hold on her books, Lizzy began to climb into its fortress. Two minutes later, she sat down in her favorite spot and let out a sigh of content. All of her worry, about life and about David, seemed to vanish. She was alone.
   Or so she thought.
   Before Lizzy could open up her first book, a sound parachuted through the forest. It did not belong to nature.
   Her heart beat picked up slightly. There were a lot of weird people out there; she hoped the sound she heard did not belong to one of them.
   Lizzy half expected to let out a terrified and amused laugh as a deer jumped out of the brush. She really wanted that to happen. It didn’t.
   Out of the forest came the shape of a boy.
   It was David.
   What’s he doing here? How did he find me?
   “Lizzy! I know you’re around here!”
   No you don’t. Lizzy shrunk back into the tree, wishing to be invisible. She didn’t want to hear any more of his excuses.
   “Where are you? Come on, Lizzy! I’m sorry! I really am! But you’ve got to listen to me. I’m not making any of this up. I promise!”
   Whatever.
   “What happened back at the restaurant was real. They truly were after me! They wanted to kill me, Lizzy!”
   Lizzy couldn’t help herself. Sitting up straight in the tree, she called out, “I can’t believe you, David! It’s too much.”
   David found Lizzy in the tree. “Lizzy, please…”
   The brown haired boy wasn’t able to finish his sentence. At that particular moment, another sound filled the forest air. It was a terrifying sound, one that made David fall to the ground in instinct.
   Lizzy wasn’t so fortunate. There wasn’t any time for her to act, no time for her to think, to say another word.
   In no time at all, there was a sick thump as she hit the forest floor. Her books had fallen down, too. They laid there. Lifeless. Just like her.
   The only sound to be heard now was the cry of David.
 

THANKS FOR READING!!! :)

4 Months Left

WHO'S excited about National Novel Writing Month?

I am.

The last time I wrote for NaNoWriMo was in 2009 with my novel: Wolf & Lamb. Unfortunately, Wolf & Lamb remains unfinished, with exactly 28,653 words. Despite these numbers I did complete the 50,000 word assignment, but with some other works of mine as well as with Wolf & Lamb.
   This year, though, I plan on sticking with a single work for the literary abandonment month of November. What I'll write, I still don't know. I have a lot of ideas, though. 

Spy, romance, thriller, dystopian, vampire (just kidding), drama, action... Or all seven. It'll be an utter surprise to everyone.


Myself probably included.

My last NaNo was, as stated above, Wolf & Lamb. It's a spy story, written in third person in two people's perspective. One is the Eagle's Wing apprentice Cody Rose. She's funny, outgoing, and easily entertained. But when it comes to her work as a teenage spy, she's all work.
   The other character is a boy named Unwin Keynes. While Cody works for Eagle, Unwin works for an entirely different group, known as Saber. It's one mission is simple: to rid the world of Eagle. Unwin's mission is a little bit more complex, though. As Saber told him when he was little, Eagle was the reason for his parent's death. Unwin wants Eagle to pay. They'll all pay, even Cody, the girl he's having trouble seeing as an enemy. 
   Two apprentices, one mission. Who will prevail?


Read Wolf & Lamb here.


Feel free to comment about your own NaNo statues. :)

STAY TUNED! :)

The Hunger Games

Yeah, I'm a total fan. I check updates on IMDB frequently, and was totally rooting for Josh Hutcherson as Peeta even before I knew he was being considered.
   Needless to say, I can't wait for the movie.
   The reason for this post is because they just released the Hunger Games poster. Bellow. Isn't it awesome? 2012 can't come sooner.

May the odds be ever in your favor.

Life of a Southerner

WHAT'S BEEN GOING ON IN MY LIFE...

* I'll start with my Nana. As you all have probably bee informed of by Facebook statues and the like, my Nana is in the hospital right now. We are unsure of the future at this moment, whether she'll even be able to live with us anymore. All is in God's hands. Please pray!

On a brighter note:

* Some friends of ours are getting new furniture, so what did they do with their old couches? They gave them to us, of course! And, gosh, I love them! I loved them before we got them, and now my love is greater. :) Anyway, as it was a three-couch set, we had to do a lot of rearranging. We switched our living room and front room. After a lot of dispute as to how we were going to place everything, we finally got it down. I love the new arrangement a lot. :)
   That rearrangement went to another. Since me and Kaitlyn are finished with school, that leaves only one person doing it. Why have a whole room for that one person to do school? We don't need a school room anymore!
   So, for the first time in like a long time, all four of us don't share a room. I'm totally excited. :)

* I was in  a creative mood, so on the spot, I created an entire story. A short story, actually. In about five minutes, I was writing it.
   The name?
   It's called "The Curse of the Rose Tattoo". Catchy? I thought so, too. :) It's about a Fairy who does something that's forbidden: she Loves a Human boy. They'll both pay the price.
   If you're interested in reading it, go here. I'd love any feedback you might have. Thanks! :)

* For a month now, me, Kate, and Amie have been volunteering at Tamarack Stables. I've learned how to put a saddle on a horse, how to pick their feet, clean their stalls, groom them, and a lot of other things. Anyway, we have scheduled an "Evaluation", to see where we stand in horsemanship, for Saturday at 11.
   I'm pretty sure I'm a Beginner+. But we'll see.
   After the Evaluation, I'll be scheduling my first ever riding lesson. Oh yeah. :)

That's what's been going on in my life so far. 

Have a good day and STAY TUNED! :)

Lucky Filly

Blind Luck was the winner of Saturday's Delaware Handicap. As mentioned in the previous post, I was rooting for Havre de Grace. Also mentioned, every race Blink Luck and Havre de Grace race in together, they all end the same: a dead heat down the wire to the finish line. The only difference is the winner. One or the other.

   Those two fillies have planted their fame everywhere. For that reason, there were only five runners in the Del Cap. One of them was Life At Ten: she's a good 6YO mare, with a lot of experience. Her pedigree is good, with Malibu Moon, A.P Indy, and Saratoga Ten in there. She's been a Breeders' Cup runner, so there's no questioning her talent. However, she wasn't good enough to add any sort of competition for Blind Luck and Havre de Grace.
   The other two runners were Love's Blush and Thundering Emilia. They were just that, though: runners.


Here's the finish:


1) Blind Luck 
2) Havre de Grace
3) Life At Ten
4) Love's Blush
5) Thundering Emilia

I didn't watch the race, but I saw the photo finish picture. It was amazing! Blind Luck won over Havre de Grace by less than a nose. So, so close. Not as close as the 1994 Belmont Stakes, though. But still. Close.

Kaitlyn won this time, but next? Watch out Blind Luck. Here comes Havre de Grace for a comeback. ;)

Dominant

Over the past few years, the dominant gender in horseracing have been the fillies. Zenyatta, Rachel Alexandra, Goldikova... Blind Luck and Havre de Grace.
   The last two fillies have raced together numerous times, dead heating it down the wire to the finish line each time. Who will win this time? everyone wonders. One or the other. Last time they raced together it was Blind Luck.
   Now they will race together again in the Delaware Handicap on July 16th. Who will win? That's what I'm wondering.
   Kaitlyn stands firmly beside Blind Luck, as the filly is by Pollards Vision. She went for him in the 2004 Kentucky Derby.

   Me, however, I've been leaning more towards Havre de Grace. Maybe it's because Kate likes the opposite horse, maybe not. Maybe I just like her better. Whatever the case, I'm rooting for the Saint Liam filly.

PHOTOS of these two magnificent fillies.

See what I said? Above, Blind Luck beats Havre de Grace in the Alabama. 

And bellow, Havre de Grace outruns Blind Luck in the Fitz Dixon Cotillion.

Havre de Grace winning the Azeri.

Blind Luck after winning the Alabama.

WHO will dominate in the Del Cap?

STAY TUNED with the results! :)

The Red Jewel

FEEL THE SECRETS, ENTER S'GULAH. 

THE BATTLE HAS JUST BEGUN.

When I began writing in 2007, the first book I created was called The Red Jewel. As a Lord of the Rings fan, it is slightly similar but overall it's its own plot and creative world. Despite the time frame in which it came into  reality, I have yet to finish it. Mostly because I have yet to be satisfied with how I've been writing it. I want it to be perfect. Ya know?
   So for that reason, I have re-written and re-molded it more times than I can count. The first version had three characters. Two males, brothers, and a female, the boy's cousin. Edmund, Elijah, and Atlanta. Thus began my adventure in writing a great fantasy story.
   Luckily, my writing was put to a stop on this story. For one, the way I was writing it was utter crap. And for two, it was too much like the Chronicles of Narnia.
   Over the years, several other versions came and went. Changes came to my story plot as well. Out went the original characters and in came new ones.
   A boy named Alex Rylan became the new main character. The other characters included Devin Hall, a girl named Arla, a prince name Kylan, and a dog named Varn. Those characters still exist today, but one of them goes by different name. Kylan recently became Prince Dartagnan. Alex's last name was changed to "Drell", on acount that "Rylan" sounded too much like Alex Rider.
   Sweat, blood, and tears have gone into this story. Possibly literally.
   Anyway, I am now re-writing The Red Jewel for probably the seventh time. And hopefully the last. What I have written so far, I am tremendously satisfied with.
 
As for the plot of The Red Jewel, I won't tell you a lot, but here's a short summary:

Alex Drell has gone from foster home to foster home, hoping to be accepted somewhere, and hoping to find the answers he's been looking for. No one known anything about his past. No birth record, no hospital bills, no parents. It's like he was zapped into existence.
   Alex is a shadow of confusion and mystery.
   Then suddenly he begins to have dreams, voices in his head. The dreams themselves he can't remember anything about; just that they're another confusing element to his life. The voices, though, tell him things.
   Run, they say. But from what?
   To make things even more cloudy, Alex stumbles upon a boy at school. Devin has dark brown hair and green eyes, just like Alex.
   They're mirror images of each other.
   Dreams, voices. Alex could handle that. Mostly. Then the man with fiery red hair comes into view. He's been watching Alex.
   He's the one, the man thinks. So if he's here, where's the other one?

Join Alex and his quest for answers. Hope it sounds interesting! :)

Read The Red Jewel here.

Thanks for reading! :)

Two Dudes

Yesterday was The Hollywood Goldcup. It's a grade 1, 500,000 dollar purse event. That being said, you now know how big it is.
   Before the race, me and Kaitlyn chose which horse(s) we wanted to win. Kate chose the heavy 1-2 favorite, Twirling Candy. She said she had a "feeling about Twirling Candy". I, however, chose the bay son of Stephen Got Even. First Dude was a contender in the Kentucky Derby a couple years ago, so he wasn't completely unknown. Not at all. He's got a good pedigree, and one of the best trainers. Bob Baffert actually had two of his horses running in the Hollywood Goldcup. First Dude and Game on Dude. No, they're not related. I prefer Game on Dude's pedigree over First Dude's, though. Awesome Again, Devil His Due, Deputy Minister; those are the few awesome runners in Game on Dude's pedigree.
   I didn't watch the race, but I read about it, and was totally amazed.
   At the wire, both Bob Baffert horses were dead heating it to the finish line. First Dude, Game on Dude: who would win?

   It was actually a photo finish. Bob Baffert didn't know which of his horses won until the photo was looked at. He was like, "I don't know who won, but I know I did."
   It's that awesome? And nerve-racking. To know you won, but not by which horse.
   My horse won by a nose over Game on Dude. Twirling Candy took a decent third place. There was a filly in the eight horse field, too. She's an Argentina-bred filly, ridden by Joe Talamo, and closely related to A.P. Indy. I was really hoping she would get a good place. Unfortunately she got second to last, in front of Soul Candy.
   That's horseracing for ya.
   I particularly really loved this race; that's why I'm blogging about it. :)

Photos from the race:

From left: First Dude, Game on Dude, and Twirling Candy

For lack of a better name: Pictures

On Sunday, I went to Charming Charlie for the first time. It was an adorably amazing store. I spent 24 dollars on the cute, strapless sun-dress in the pictures bellow and the headband. So cute. :)

You can see my highlights in these pictures, too.

^ Charlie and I. ^

Me and Bo. Well, part of Bo anyway. :)

STAY TUNED for more about my life.

Fireworks Galore

My firework pictures are here! :)

Wow, so I looked at how many pictures of the fireworks that I took and *ahem* there was a grand total of 618. Yeah, I was surprised too.
   Granted there are only like 100 usable ones but... :)

We had a great time at the Fort Belvoir fireworks display. It was well put together. To top it off, we were with some good friends; the evening couldn't have been better. :)
   Funnel cakes are a must, by the way. If ever you go to a Fourth of July display, and they're serving funnel cakes, you have to at least get one. :)

The Grand Finale.

There were so many fireworks going off at the end that this is what our camera got. Cool, right? :)

Wise Choice

Churchill Down's Firecracker Handicap was won by a super large chestnut gelding named Wise Dan. He reminds me of the Preakness Stakes winner, Shackleford, and the Kentucky Derby winner, Animal Kingdom. Shackleford because Wise Dan is huge and chestnut, too, and Animal Kingdom because of Wise Dan's debut win. Animal Kingdom won his first race on dirt, and Wise Dan won his first race on turf.
   Before the race was run, me and Kaitlyn picked out which horse we thought would win. I went with the 7th place finisher, General Quarters. Normally General does good in his races, and he ran in the 2009 Kentucky Derby so he's a horse that I recognize. That's why I chose him. Kaitlyn, though, went with Wise Dan. She has a weakness for large chestnut horses, I think. ;)
   I wanted Wise Dan to place second. Close enough, right?

HOPE YOU ALL HAD A GREAT FOURTH OF JULY!!! :)

The Fourth of July

"Let us never forget the true meaning of the Fourth of July and what it means for our amazing country and the freedom we are afforded here in America, even if it is through Fourth of July quotes. So many take the freedom and liberty they are granted here in the United States of America for granted and forget the true meaning of the day. We may dress up in our nation's colors of red, white and blue, but do we know what the true meaning behind our flag is?"

Freedom's natal day is here,

Fire the guns and shout for freedom,

See the flag above unfurled!

Hail the stars and stripes forever,

Dearest flag in all the world.

- Florence A. Jones

"It is easy to take liberty for granted, when you have never had it taken from you." - Author Unknown

America: land of the free, because of the brave.

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!

Real Steel

CHAMPIONS AREN'T BORN. THEY'RE MADE.

I first saw the trailer to this when at the movies watching Tron: Legacy. It was short and didn't give a lot of information, other than it was about boxing. Everyone else in my family thought it looked stupid, but me? I thought it looked amazingly promising. :)

   Then I saw another trailer to it. Not only did it show the actual plot to the movie, but it showed that I was right. It stars Hugh Jackman (as in Logan from X-Men *eeekkk*), Evangeline Lily, Kevin Durand, and a lot of other awesome people.

   I'm really excited about this one. It comes out in October, so I'm thinking: birthday? ;)

   I guess we'll see. :)

^This just looks really epic. ;)