Christmas Tag!

Hey'a, everyone! Christmas is rapidly approaching (eep! I'm not ready!), and in the spirit of the season, Deborah O'Carroll has tagged me with the Christmas Tag!

I'm just not going to post the rules because, guess what, they're basically the same as the rules for any other tag, and I want to answer questions. So let's get right to it!

What is your favourite Christmas treat?
Alllllll the Christmas cookies! But especially ladylocks and fudge and barks (peppermint or peanut butter- I love them both!) and thumbprints. Oh, and macaroons, 'cause coconut is amazing. Basically, Christmas has magnificent quantities of sweets and I love them all.

Are there any special traditions that your family has to celebrate Christmas?
Well, there's the Advent tradition that I've been posting poems for. Other traditions . . . on Christmas Eve, we eat pizza and drive around town looking at all the Christmas lights. And on Christmas Day itself, we have other traditions . . . which I'll talk about in the next question.

How do you normally celebrate Christmas?
Well, we usually eat a big breakfast- eggs and biscuits or baked oatmeal are the most common things. And we open presents after breakfast, and after Daddy's taken a picture of all of us in front of the Christmas tree. We always get dressed up for Christmas too- which I thought was the standard until I found out that most people apparently open presents in their pajamas? Or just normal clothes? I like getting dressed up though. My sister and I used to get matching Christmas dresses almost every year to wear on the day, but then we grew out of all the cute clothes, so now we just wear something pretty and Christmas-y. And then we take turns opening presents, ending with our stockings. I've been informed that most people just go diving in to the gifts under the tree, but I like our method- it makes the present-opening last longer (and gives everyone plenty of time to take pictures. My family is very big on taking pictures).

Do you enjoy getting presents for your friends and family? Do you buy your gifts or go the homemade route?
Ok. Do I enjoy it? Yes and no. I love it when I can find a present that I know the person will enjoy, or that will be a surprise . . . but figuring out what to give people can be kind of stressful at times. And I both buy and make gifts, depending on which works better and what I think and/or know the person will want.

Is it cold where you live? Have you ever had a white Christmas?
Yes. Yes, it is cold. Though not as cold as it could be . . . As for white Christmases, I had a few back in VA, but not a lot. I'll be rather upset if I don't get one this year . . . seriously, I currently live in a place that usually gets a lot of snow, and Christmas is the one day of the year that I actually want snow. So if I end up getting buried in snow when I don't want it but don't even get a dusting when I do . . . yeah. I'll be annoyed.

What’s on your Christmas list this year?
Books. Books. A calendar for next year. The Pandemic board game. The last Hobbit movie. A few cds. More books.

What’s your favourite Christmas song?
Ooh. I actually made a whole post about my favorite Christmas music last year. But I'll highlight and re-highlight some of this year's favorites now. The Promise remains my very favorite Christmas song. I've been listening to Sleigh Ride and Winter Wonderland a lot lately, as well as the Celtic Thunder Christmas album. And for some reason, I've been weirdly obsessed with Pentatonix's cover of White Winter Hymnal, and with the Trans-Siberian Orchestra's Wizards in Winter.

What is your favourite Christmas memory?
I don't know that I have one Christmas memory that stands out over others . . . but I guess the combined memories of all the times we'd go out looking at lights, maybe? Or possibly the first year I got my sister a present with my own money- it was a stuffed polar bear that we both thought was cute.

What does your Christmas Tree look like?
Very full.
Oh, you wanted a picture?
Very well, then.

What are you reading in December? (Anything festive?)
Nothing especially festive, unless you count the Advent storybook, Tabitha's Travels. It's the third in a series set around the time of Jesus' birth, each focusing on a kid who lands him/herself in a great deal of trouble and eventually ending up in Bethlehem in time for that first Christmas. Tabitha is . . . not my favorite character. Let's put it that way. But the first two in the series- Jotham's Journey and Bartholomew's Passage- are pretty fun.

Are you an organised little elf or are you still shopping/preparing on Christmas Eve?
Trying to be organized! I'm usually done before Christmas Eve, but I may still be preparing the week of Christmas.

How early do you start to get into the Christmas spirit?
Day after Thanksgiving. No sooner.

Do you make any Christmas crafts? Decorations? Send physical Christmas cards?
I sometimes make Christmas crafts- I used to make pipe-cleaner-and-bead candycanes and cut-paper cards and snowflakes aplenty, but not so much anymore. I am making homemade cards for some of my friends this year, though, so that's fun.

What’s the menu for Christmas Day?!
Depends what we feel like. Some years we have a traditional ham/turkey dinner, but some years we have other foods- lasagna or shepherd's pie especially. Christmas cookies are a given, of course.

What makes it FEEL like Christmas for you? (Weather, specific tradition, food, smell, person, etc.?)
I don't know. The music, maybe? And the excitement of Christmas being almost here? (The problem with that last one is that if I'm more stressed than excited, it doesn't feel like Christmas . . .)

Do you have relatives coming? Excited? Nervous?
Nope, no relatives. For the most part, we spent Christmas with just the four of us, though my grandpa will come some years.

What famous Christmas character do you most identify with? (Scrooge, Elf, Tiny Tim, the Grinch, Santa, etc.)
I haven't the foggiest idea.

If you were to start a new Christmas tradition, what would it be?
Um. I don't know. I like our traditions now . . . ask me again when I've moved out (*shudders*) and maybe I'll have an answer.

What Christmas movies do you like to watch this time of year or what’s your favorite?
White Christmas! Fun fact: a few years ago, at my youth group Christmas party, we were playing a game which involved asking everyone what their favorite Christmas movie was. I'm pretty sure I'm the only one who didn't say something animated. (I did used to love the Barbie Nutcracker, though. And Timmy's Gift, which was a Precious Moments movie about a little angel supposed to deliver a crown to Jesus.)

What’s your favorite Christmasy book or book with a favorite Christmasy part?
Ummmmmmm. Father Christmas shows up in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe; does that count? And as I said, I like Jotham's Journey and Bartholomew's Passage. I really don't read a lot of Christmas-y books . . .

And now to tag people. Pretty sure the tag asks for twelve; I'm cheating and doing . . . fewer.
Allison Rudivich of The Art of Storytelling
Emmarayn Redding at Coffee and Contemplations
Ghost Ryter at Anything, Everything
Hannah Williams at The Writer's Window
IDK323 at World of Panin
And . . . you, reader! If you feel so inclined to do this tag, feel free. Just link back when you do so I can read it.

Thanks for reading, and merry Christmas!
 -Sarah (Leilani Sunblade)

Advent Week 3: Shepherds

This is the third poem in my series of Advent poems. If you haven't already, don't forget to read Week One and Week Two's poems!
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Week Three: Shepherds

In fields outside the little town

Shepherds and their flocks lay down.

~

They thought their normal watch to keep.

~

But they were wakened from their sleep.

~

The angel brought the holy word

~

Of the arrival of the Lord.

~

The shepherds found Him as was said:

~

Their newborn king in manger-bed.

------

 -Sarah (Leilani Sunblade)

Sisterhood of World Bloggers Award

Earlier this week, Emmarayn Redding of Writing in Rivendell tagged me with the Sisterhood of World Bloggers award. Danke, Emmarayn! This seems to be one of those awesome awards that's all questions to answer, so let's get started!

1.  If you were tossed into a fictional world, which genre would you want it to be?  (In other words, which would you have the best chance at surviving?)

Ooh. This is a fun question. My first choice would be fantasy, naturally- something like Narnia or Middle Earth or the world of Goldstone Wood. However, depending on the world and the location within the world, my likelihood of survival might not be too high- by which I mean, if I'm more than a day or two's walk from some kind of civilization or at least other people or if I run into some kind of monster/enemy who wants me dead, I'm probably going to die. However, if there's other people around (whether friend, neutral, or enemy-who-doesn't-want-me-dead), I like to think I could survive by sheer genre-savviness.

2.  If you could take three people with you to that world, who would you take?

My sister (because she'd be furious if I knowingly went to another world and left her behind), my dad, and . . . either my mom or one of my friends who love fantasy. 

3.  If a stranger broke into your house, but didn't see you immediately, what would you do?  (Assuming you didn't have a phone within arm's reach.)

Duck down and stay very quiet and still and pray very hard. Then, once he'd moved off a little, I'd grab a phone, call 911, and then . . . not sure. Probably look for either better hiding spot or a weapon or both.

4.  What would be the ideal way to meet your future husband, in your opinion?

Stumbling into another world, ending up on an adventure, and having him as a comrade on said adventure. (Hey, you said ideal, not realistic . . .) On a slightly more realistic ideal . . . probably in a situation where I make a reference, he not only recognizes but responds appropriately, and we proceed to have a conversation in references to that fandom . . . or something else equally geeky.

5.  If there's one character from a book/movie you would never want to find sitting in your living room, who would it be?  (Leaving out the ones that are too big or abstract to sit in your living room- i.e. Sauron...)
Probably the Witch King. Or any Nazgul, really.

6.  Is there is one character from a book/movie you would want to find sitting in your living room, who would it be?
. . . I have to pick just one? There are about three hundred and five characters who I'd love to find in my living room/backyard/etc. Though not all at the same time . . . right now, though, I'm doing with Dame Imraldera from The Tales of Goldstone Wood. 

7.  If you could live one day of your life in the style of a television show, what genre would you pick?  (Sitcom, comedy, romance, crime drama, etc)
Oooh. Um. That's a hard one, since I don't watch TV . . . is contemporary fantasy/sci-fi an option? 'Cause I could live with my life turning fantasy/sci-fi for a day. Otherwise . . . um. Mystery/detective, probably. (Is that a genre? Or is it all just crime drama?)  

8.  What character role would you take in the "episode?"
In contemporary fantasy/sci-fi, I'd want to be one of the protagonists, with my sister as the other protagonist. In a mystery/detective show, though, I'd be the sidekick and assistant- the Abigail Rook to the series' R.F. Jackaby. (Or, in other words, the Watson to the show's Sherlock.) 

9.  If someone were to compose a soundtrack for your life, who would you want it to be?
Either Harry Gregson-Williams or Howard Shore. 

10.  Can you give us some examples of their work?
Definitely. Harry Gregson Williams:

Howard Shore:

And now for my questions for other people!

1. I love this question, so I'm stealing it from Emmarayn: if you were tossed into a fictional world, which genre would you want it to be?  (In other words, which would you have the best chance at surviving?)
2. After arriving in that world, what would you do first? 
3. You have an adventure in that other world and now have the choice of whether to stay there with the friends you've made or to return home to your family and former life. What do you decide?
4. Changing the subject: what's your favorite Christmas song?
5. Your favorite Christmas movie?
6.  If you were a superhero, what would your superpower(s) and code name be?
7. Also, who would your arch-nemesis be? (Name, powers, etc.)
8. What villain would you most want to show up on your doorstep (if one had to show up there)? How would you react to said villain?
9. What good guy (from one of your favorite books/series) would you least want to show up on your doorstep? Again, how would you react to him/her?
10. How long did it take you to answer these questions?

 One thing remains . . . to tag people! I shall tag three others, as three is a nice number.
 Ryebrynn of Ryebrynn's Random Ramblings

Katie Grace of A Writer's Faith

Deborah O'Carroll of The Road of a Writer 

Thanks for reading!

 -Sarah (Leilani Sunblade)

Advent Week 2: Bethlehem

This is part two of my series of Advent poems. If you missed the first part, you can find it here.

Week Two: Bethlehem

From you, oh little Bethlehem,

The prophets said would come the lamb.

~

You watched and waited for the day.

~

And for Him to come you prayed.

~

But did you recognize your Lord?

~

Did you know when He was born?

~

You recalled not what prophets said.

~

You found for Him no room or bed.

-------

 -Sarah (Leilani Sunblade)

Advent Week 1: Prophecy

I don't know how many of you all celebrate Advent, but for me, it's always been one of the biggest parts of
the Christmas season. Every night, starting the fourth Sunday before Christmas, we light the candles on the Advent wreath, read from the Bible and one of our Advent storybooks, and my sister and I open a new window on our Advent calendars. I admit that I can get impatient with it at times, particularly when I'm stressed with things I need to get done or I have to step away from chatting with friends, but the season wouldn't be the same without the tradition.

A few years ago, however, I decided that I was tired of all the calendars I'd been doing- particularly as I'd practically memorized the poem from my favorite Advent calendar- and so I decided to write my own Advent poem. Then, because my original poem turned out rather long for nightly reading, I wrote another set of poems last year: four poems, one for each week and each candle in the Advent wreath. As it happened, I ended up writing most of the poems at the last minute, so I couldn't post them . . . but this year, I thought I'd put them up, one per week until Christmas (when I'll possibly post my original Advent poem). And yes, this first poem should've gone up on Sunday. I was putting up the Christmas tree, though, and yesterday I just forgot.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy!
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Week One: Prophecy

The prophecies, they spoke of Him:

The One who freed us all from sin.

~

They called Him shepherd and called Him king.

~

They called Him Light that Life will bring.

~

They called Him lamb and sacrifice.

~

They said that He would be despised.

~

They said He’d come to break the chains.

~

He’d free the people who were slaves.

-------- 

 -Sarah (Leilani Sunblade)

Black Friday Book Sale

Like most other bookworms, great books make their way onto my "things I'm thankful for" list every year. It's hard to choose favorites, but I went ahead and picked five books I read in 2015 and am thankful for.

1. Omega Dragon by Bryan Davis, because Bryan Davis's books are amazing, basically. And because even though I'm sad that this series of series is over . . . I'm thankful that I got to read it, and that I have books that can strengthen my faith so very much.
2. The Warden and the Wolf King by Andrew Peterson, because I was scared of how it might end- and justifiably- but it was amazing all the same. Amazing and beautiful and marvelous and wonderful and terrifying in places, but still shining with light even in the darkest places.  
3. The Penderwicks in Spring by Jeanne Birdsall, because this book is deep and beautiful and heartbreaking. I read it and then I listened to the audiobook and I might've cried a little during the audiobook and I never cry over books. I read The Warden and the Wolf King and I was sad and yelling "Nooooo! No, no, no . . . whyyyyy?" . . . but I didn't cry. But for Batty, I cried.
4. Reflections on the Magic of Writing by Diana Wynne Jones, because it's so rare for me to come across a nonfiction book that I love so much.
5. The Ryn and The Remedy by Serena Chase, because I've been wanting to read it for years and hadn't- but now I finally have, so huzzah!

I don't know about you, but I'm looking forward to another great year of reading! Speaking of more reading, here's one more thing to be grateful for. Books on sale! In honor of Thanksgiving and Black Friday, a group of independent Christian authors banded together to offer over seventy discounted books on Nov 27-30. There's literally something for everyone. Every single book listed on Indie Christian Books is on sale in one or more ways. Find discounted paperbacks, dozens of books offered with free shipping, $0.99 ebooks, package deals and more. Even if you have a budget of $0, new reading material awaits you. Don't know what to pick? The fearless Indie Christian Books team created a quiz that will generate a book list perfect for you! Check it out!  
What awesome reads of 2015 are you grateful for? What books are you looking forward to reading in 2016?

A note on the Ebooks Only page. All books are listed as "Sold Out." This only refers to paperback copies of these titles. Please click onto the product pages to find descriptions and links to discounted or free ebooks.

Acknowledgements: Thanks to Leah E. Good for her work organizing this sale, Gloria Repp for completing the time consuming job of uploading book info to the sale website, and Hannah Mills for her fantastic design work on the website graphics. Hannah can be contacted at hmills(at)omorecollege(dot)edu for more information about her design services.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Have a blessed Thanksgiving, everyone!

Unless you're in somewhere other than the U.S. In which case, have a happy Thursday, and be thankful that you're not dealing with Black Friday tomorrow.

NaNoWriMo Day 22

Wordcount: 54,569
Words Written Today: 878
Words I Still Need to Write Today: 0
Writing Music Obsession: 10 Hours Nordic Music
Most Words Written In One Day: 5,292 on 11/15
Fewest Words Written In One Day: 488 on 11/19
Average Words Per Day: 2480 words

I've said it the last two years, and I'll say it again: HUZZAH!

It's weird, but I don't really feel the same "Yes! I won!" excitement this year as I usually do. Maybe it's because I'm still hoping to keep going at a strong pace for the rest of November in hopes of finishing not just the 50K but the whole storyline by the end of the month. I have decided, though, that I probably won't try to finish Monster in the Castle this month . . . probably. It depends how long Binding Destiny takes me. (I still want to finish both stories by New Year's Eve, though, if I can. We'll see how it works out.)

Also, a funny-ish thing (or series of things?) happened this week. Those who read NaNoToons are aware that a handwriting WriMo was recently introduced- with an accompanying joke about arm cramps. I was happy to see handwriters finally represented in the comic, but also a bit bemused, since I can never remember getting any kind of cramps from writing- only from typing or using the computer mouse. On Friday, my youth leaders also made a comment about "Don't you get cramps from handwriting?" and I said that no, I don't. Cue Saturday . . . and my fingers start cramping halfway through the afternoon. (Oh, the irony!) On the upside, it never reached a full-on hand cramp.

How's your NaNo going? How far are you from the finish line? Had any hand cramps, whether you type or handwrite?
Thanks for reading!
 -Sarah (Leilani Sunblade)

NaNoWriMo Day 16

Wordcount: 42,185
Words Written Today: 1,199
Words I Still Need to Write Today: 0; I'm taking today as a light day.
Writing Music Obsession: Back to the Said the Sky Dubstep Mix

Yesterday was a very long writing day. I wrote a little over 5K, which makes it one of my most productive writing days ever. For that reason (and for other personal reasons) I'm taking today about half-off; I'm doing what I need to do for the Dice Quest crawl, and nothing more. Though I do have a Teenage Superhero Society post to write . . . I might not do that tonight, though, because my awesome parents bought me The King's Scrolls so now I need to reread Resistance to remind myself of characters and plot and such. And it would be really, really nice to read something.

Anyway! In celebration of being-past-40K and also of various other stuff, I'm posting snippets from Binding Destiny.

"Taika! The time has come!"

This is my first line. I'm fairly happy with it. It's not the best first line I've ever written, but it's not the worst either.

~~~

The door opened. Two guards dressed in green and brown emerged first, glanced around, and then stepped aside. Next emerged a young man a few years older than Mikkel, dark-skinned and dark-haired, dressed in a blue tunic and dark brown cloak. At his side was a lady about his same age. Tanned and red-haired, she was obviously not an Aralan native- though she wore the formal outfit of a lady Aralan soldier: green tunic, knee-length skirt over leggings, a short dark green cloak, and brown leather chestpiece, shoulder guards, and bracers. She carried herself with the grace of a Seeker or some other order used to walking unseen in shadows; used to swift, precise movements and unerring accuracy- yet she also seemed to shrink into herself as if nervous of something. The young man, on the other hand, walked with easy, quiet confidence- not pride, but certainty. Behind them followed two more guards, one looking serious as the first two, the other definitely smirking.

Mikkel's first impression of Katelyn, Aedon, and Jarek . . . who is definitely in this novel. But he's behaving and actually being more helpful than Aedon is, so I'm not complaining.

~~~

Katelyn did so, stroking the griffin almost as if she were stroking a cat. She grinned at Aedon. "Oh stars. I'm petting a griffin. Petting. A griffin. My life is made."

Aedon made a mock-disappointed face. "So . . . I suppose anything I ever do will pale in comparison with petting a griffin."

Katelyn laughed. "No. My life can be made more than once."

"Can it?" Aedon approached the griffin from the other side. "Or are you just saying that to make me feel better?"

"It can. I can think of three things you could do that would top this."

The griffin chose that moment to hiss and shake itself. Katelyn jerked back. "Oh- um. Sorry? I didn't mean offense?"

There are griffins in my novel! Finally! I've been wanting to write a novel with griffins for ages. So far, Taika has the most to do with griffins (she's had three griffin rides so far) but I had to put in this one mostly so Katelyn could express my griffin-excitement for me.

~~~

"We'll need to keep an eye on what she's doing, then," Sir Leod said. "Seeker Estijar? Can you assign a rotation of your Seekers to revisit Rushire and watch Eira? None are to outright attack her, whatever she does. If she sees and attacks them, they run like the hounds of midnight are after them- What?" He gave the Aralan girl a confused glance.

The girl seemed to find something highly amusing, and she struggled to force a straight face. "Nothing. Nothing at all. Carry on. You were saying."

In which we are reminded that Katelyn was a fangirl before she was a character, and in which Sir Leod unknowingly makes a reference to a certain book series which both Kate and I love.

~~~

"Lady Cavanaugh?" Pieces clicked together in Taika's mind from her father's descriptions of events in other worlds. "Wait. You're Katelyn Shadowwalker? The lost-girl-turned-[Shadowwalker]-turned-Hero?"

"My name is Katelyn Stevens," she said, with considerable force. "But . . . yes. That is me. I thought I didn't have a reputation here yet."

I have become more glad than ever that I decided to include Katelyn, Aedon, and Jarek in Binding Destiny. They're basically the only people who don't view everything Taika says and does with utmost suspicion simply because she's a Coradin. And Katelyn and Taika are rapidly becoming friends, and it's a lot of fun to write- they have quite a bit in common.

~~~

"I miss you, Da," Taika whispered. "You'd know what to do. How to handle all this. I miss your excitement, your passion . . . I miss how you'd listen when I was upset and then try to help- or just try to distract me and cheer me up, if the problem wasn't one you could solve. I miss knowing you were here for me. I miss waking up to your voice calling me to the day, and I miss you pulling me away from my books or my tinkering to tell me about your plans because you just had to share them with someone."

She rubbed the dark pommel stone of the sword with her sleeve. "I miss you, Da. I wish you were here; we could hide by ourselves here and be safe and happy like we were. Except . . . we couldn't. Because you'd still feel like you had to fix what had gone too far. So maybe we'd have allied with Rushire anyway- but we would have each other when they think it's fine to say and do whatever they want because we're usually enemies. Maybe that would be better."

I needed words and didn't know what to do . . . so Taika spent a scene being sad and missing her father. I think it turned out rather well.

~~~

The trip back passed slower than the trip there- perhaps the griffin was reluctant to return. Taika wouldn't blame him if he was. If she could fly on her own, soar freely through the endless blue sky, she didn't think she'd ever come to earth. She'd just fly and fly and fly, crossing mountains and ocean and whatever lay on the sea's other side, stopping only when exhaustion forced her to fold her wings and snatch a few hours' sleep.

More griffins. Taika and I both needed a break from arguments and angst.

How's your NaNo going? Any favorite bits that you've written recently? Please tell me in the comments!
Thanks for reading!
-Sarah (Leilani Sunblade)