Two in One!

I'm doing two topics today: one is the great "Characters I Would Name My Kid After" (becaus I can't just used one gender!) that Audrey first used and I'm doing a little something I always think about for some reason: relaxed poses for characters. I'll start with the names!

Characters I'd Name My Kid After

Lillian "Lil" - The Black Hills by Nora Roberts
I've always liked names that start with "L", and she loves animals.

Liesel - The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
Same reason as above! She's such a strong protagonist, too. Unforgettable.

Marcus - A Voice in the Wind by Francine Rivers
I LOVE THIS CHARACTER! I love him, I love his attitude, he's one of the characters I can swoon over. Love him, love him, love the name, oh my gosh.

Julia - A Voice in the Wind by Francine Rivers
I also like names that start with J... and just a warning, I like names that start with A too. Julia was a character that often made me feel whatever she was feeling. Just an amazing book and amazing characters.

Roran - Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini
The name just rolls really well. Roran. I've always liked it. xD

Elva - Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini
I don't know what it is about this name. It sounds kind of magical, but kind of earthbound. I like her character, and her struggles are pretty heartfelt.

Renn - The Chronicles of Ancient Darkness by Michelle Paver
Renn is an amazing person. Her personality, her physique, her skills, her thoughts; they're all just entrancing. Renn was a memorable character for me and always will be. And I just love her name, so. (;

And I can't think of anymore!

Relaxed Poses

Let me explain. I play a lot of video games when I'm not writing, or I like to; and I've noticed that one I fell in LOVE with—Final Fantasy XIII—all the characters have poses that they take when they're idle for a minute or so. This got me wondering what poses my characters would take if they were to be idle for a little bit, and the more I thought about it, the more I realized it can really reflect their personalities, so I thought I would share it. I'm going to use the characters from the Flame Cycle, yay!!!

Ashley Ariana Vaandere - Puts her weight onto one side and fists her hand on her hip, looking ahead. Shows that she has an arrogant disposition and a lot of pride, and that she always wants to move forward.

Alex Xavier Vaandere - Holds one arm over to hold up his elbow, the other hand against his forehead. Shows he's often frustrated, thoughtful, and a bit easily stressed.

Troy Ryan Morr - Relaxes completely, throwing his arms behind his head. Shows he likes to socialize and chill out, and shows confidence.

Ryan Troy Delz - Swings his arms back and forth. Shows some uncertainty, and that he doesn't like to sit still.

Rei Allen James - Takes his weapon and lets it swing back and forth in his hand, looking around. Shows that he doesn't like to sit still at all, and wants to be ready to fight anytime. Shows confidence in skills.

Midori Athena Emerald - Fists both of her hands onto her hips and holds her feet apart, looking around. Shows she is a daydreamer and likes to keep moving to a goal and some others along the way; and that she can be easily distracted.

Alina Mariya Strey - Folds one arm around her back to take hold of the other. Shows a bit of hesitance, but not enough to hinder her by any means.

David Noel Delz - Holds one hand behind his head. Shows a bit of hesitance and that he feels responsible for a number of things; because he wants to have one hand free if anything needs his attention.

Fortune Oran Treston - Crosses his arms and stares at the ground, back straight. Always brooding and deep-thinking, but not eager to move on—just wants to stay where he is. He refuses to allow himself to show any kind of weakness.

Brian Linus Reymon - Searches for a place to relax and leans back. A bit lazy, and won't complain if anyone else does work for him. Shows a sort of "I'm too good for that" complex.

Eva Angela Faire - Folds her hands over her abdomen. Pretends to be a sort of "shield" and "protector." Shows she can be easily frightened, but ready to move forward.

Damian Elias Vilhelm - Punches one fist into an open hand repeatedly. He loves to fight and he'll take any chance he can get of doing so. Extremely confident, capable of being very loud and known to make his voice heard. And, if not his voice, his fists will do the trick.

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Okay, that was fun. It's finals week at school; why do I get a writing high on FINALS WEEK?! Ugh! Hope this occupies you for a bit, and see ya later~ Wish me luck!

Prayers to the victims of Joplin, Missouri.

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Listening to - Sulyya Springs - Masashi Hamauzu [LISTEN TO THIS! So soothing, and I'm finding it amazing to write with.]
Reading - Black Hills - Nora Roberts/Eldest - Christopher Paolini
Watching - News.
Quote - "We are about to change history." - Saphira "We're throwing ourselves off a cliff without knowing how deep the water below is." - Eragon "Ah, but what a glorious flight!" - Saphira | Eldest - Christopher Paolini

ONE LAST QUESTION! When you guys do reviews, do you guys make some on older books that were published in, say, 1980-1990 or so? If so, I could put quite a few reviews...

Later! DFTBA!

Meeting New Characters

I've recently started on a new project in the meantime while I work on Flame Dancer and the third book in the installment of the Flame Cycle. This is a new idea I have, it's going to be a trilogy; and it's my first attempt at a first-person-present-tense. So it's delving into new territory, but it's exciting at the same time! ALSO, it's my first attempt at a ... er, I can't think of what you would call it right now. I'm not sure it's paranormal... but it's a romance, too! (:

Anyway, I'm taking FOREVER to put posts on here, so I think I'm going to do some quickies every now and then instead of devoting my time to make long, heartwrenching posts that I know make each of you cry with such emotion, because my posts are THAT GREAT. [/so joking lol]

Anyway, here: you get to meet the protagonist from my new project, Linked! Her name: Marissa Raye Conman. Before you read, let me explain:

The country she's from is one of which that only sprouted up around 2000, from around southeast Canada. It eventually grew, and it grew a sense of chivalry that hasn't been seen since World War I. It waged war with Canada and got some territory, and then a brief one with the US until an armistice was signed that gave it bits of a few states. Marissa lives in one of these "bits", up in Maine; but they changed the name of their state to Saber. I have yet to see if the timeline will be suitable for me or not, so we'll see; but that's how it is for now.

THE SURVEY WASN'T BY ME!! Yes, this is terribly disorganized, but I'm only copy-pasting this. See this page for the surveys. My friends, I think I have hit the jackpot: http://www.squidoo.com/CharacterProfiles

What is your character's full name? - Marissa Raye Conman
How old is your character throughout the majority of the story? - 16.
Date of birth? - March 3, 2003 [the year is 2019]
Place of birth? - Saber, Rosaria [Saber is the name of the State. Rosaria is the name of the nation.]
Male or Female? - Female
Current Address? - 524 E. Cider St.
How many brothers/sisters does your character have? Older? Younger? Which one is he/she closest to? - No siblings.
What is your character's overall health like? - I'm generally pretty active; I run around with friends a lot. I've never touched a cigarette but now and then I'll take a swig of alcohol without my mom's knowing. I eat healthy, but I have a bit of an obsession with cheese and crackers...
What type of personality does your character have? - I'm upfront; I like to have the last word in any conversation. I tend to be a bit shy around political figures or news reporters (where I am, there's a lot of them) but I don't shy away.
Zodiac sign? - Pisces.
Chinese zodiac sign? - Sheep.
Lives with? - My mother.
Marital status? - Don't even have a boyfriend.
Ethnic background? - Rosarian and some German.

• Preferred nickname? - Rissa.
• Current occupation? - Student.
• Dream occupation he/she wishes to do? - Peace coordinator.
• Occupation he/she finds the most revolting and would never do? - Politics.
• Religion raised as by parents? - Christian.
• Religion now conforms to? - I'm not sure.
• Political affiliation(s)? - I stay away from this.
• Type of education received? Current education level? - Junior at Ramsy Academy.
• Hometown? - Saber.
• Has/wants children? - No clue yet.
• Has/wants pets? - I'd like to have a bird someday...
• What is your worst/greatest fear? Why? - Being forced into something I don't want to do, because that's all my world consists of.
• Are you afraid of the dark? - No.
• Do you fear spiders? - Depends on the size.
• Who do you fear the most? Why? - Losing someone, because I've lost enough already.
• What one event had the biggest impact of the fears you have today? How? - The fire...
• Do you think you could ever overcome your fears? - I don't think so.
• Do you sleep with the light on? - Depends on the day I've had.
• Do you faint at the sight of blood? - Not that I know of.
• Was there someone whose life, perception of the world, or beliefs affected what you fear today? - My mother's, and my friend Melinda's.
• Who scares you more: God or Satan? - Currently, God.
• Are you afraid to die? - Yes. More than you can imagine.
• What fear do you have that hampers part of your life to the extent that you really wish you could put an end to this fear? - Terrorist attacks.

If I were...

1. If I were a month, I would be - March.
2. If I were a day of the week, I would be - Monday. (Monday is the day I'm ready for the world.)
3. If I were a time of day, I would be - Sunset. (Because it can be red or gold, like Rosaria's crest.)
4. If I were a planet, I would be - Mercury. (Because, like the element, it's hard for me to stay still.)
5. If I were a sea animal, I would be - a seahorse. Dunno why.
6. If I were a direction, I would be - West.
7. If I were a historical figure, I would be - Woodrow Wilson.
8. If I were a liquid, I would be - Mercury.
9. If I were a bird I would be - a raven. They are known to be clever, and cunning; and that's what I rely on.
10. If I were a cat I would be - I don't really care for cats...
11. If I were a dog I would be - a cocker spaniel.
12. If I were a tree, I would be - I don't know.
13. If I were a tool, I would be - the nail that gets drilled into a piece of equipment whether it wants to be or not.
14. If I were a flower, I would be - a pansy.
15. If I were a type of weather, I would be - Yesterday? Sunny, not a cloud in sight. Today? Hurricanes and tornados on the weather forecast...
16. If I were an animal, I would be - an iguana. Don't ask me why.
17. If I were a season I would be - spring.
18. If I were a holiday I would be - February 2, Rosaria's Independence Day.
19. If I were a color, I would be - gold.
20. If I were an emotion, I would be - Yesterday, bubbly. Today, hateful.
21. If I were a sound, I would be - an E-flat.
22. If I were an element, I would be - Which element? Chemical - mercury. Otherwise, earth.
23. If I were a car, I would be - Corvette!
24. If I were a food, I would be - Bread.
25. If I were a place, I would be - Home.
26. If I were a body of water I would be - the Baltic Sea.
27. If I were a song I would be - Extraterrestrial - Katy Perry.
28. If I were a book I would be - Tex.
29. If I were a gemstone I would be - aquamarine.
30. If I were a metal I would be - nickel.
31. If I were a word, I would be - endangered.

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I hope this works for a few days! I'll get around to reading your blog posts too, soon enough; but hopefully once school gets out next week I'll have plenty more posts. (: Later!

City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare | Review

Title: City of Fallen Angels

Author: Cassandra Clare

Published: April 5, 2011

Number of Pages: 424

Rating: 3/5

SYNOPSIS

City of Fallen Angels takes place two months after the events of City of Glass. In it, a mysterious someone’s killing the Shadowhunters who used to be in Valentine’s Circle and displaying their bodies around New York City in a manner designed to provoke hostility between Downworlders and Shadowhunters, leaving tensions running high in the city and disrupting Clary’s plan to lead as normal a life as she can — training to be a Shadowhunter, and pursuing her relationship with Jace. As Jace and Clary delve into the issue of the murdered Shadowhunters, they discover a mystery that has deeply personal consequences for them — consequences that may strengthen their relationship, or rip it apart forever.

Meanwhile, internecine warfare among vampires is tearing the Downworld community apart, and only Simon — the Daylighter who everyone wants on their side — can decide the outcome; too bad he wants nothing to do with Downworld politics. Love, blood, betrayal and revenge: the stakes are higher than ever in City of Fallen Angels. (goodreads)

QUOTE

"What kind of guardian are you? Shouldn't you have gone to the bathroom with him?" Isabelle demanded.

Jordan looked horrified. "Dudes," he said, "do not follow other dudes to the bathroom."

REVIEW

 

Okay. So this is going to be a long one, guaranteed. I'm sorry to say I was the teensiest bit disappointed with the premise of the story. It's really impossible for me to count the number of books I've read that involve guy-shies-away-from-girl-because-of-some-internal-reason cliché, and now I have to add another to it. I would have been really offended if I were Clary through most of the book, but when you do find out why Jace is avoiding her, he actually does have a pretty legitimate reason. Not like other books I've read, haha.

 

The story mainly, to me, revolves around Simon. Funny that I didn't know his last name until I read this... he's establishing himself more and more in the nature of being a vampire, and at the same time trying to live a normal life—being in a band, living with his mom. But there's just that one little complication: the Mark on his forehead. Puts a dampener on a lot of things for him. Shadowhunter interest, vampire interest, and apparently vampire hate too. Basically a long chain of vampires are trying to get to Simon, because he's a Daylighter; but his Mark protects him.

 

So, this arc... I did enjoy it. I really enjoyed reading for Simon, but I was really speeding along because I was more eager for Clary's point-of-view. Simon just seemed a little ignorant to me for a lot of the book. Not to mention, he makes a lot of cruddy mistakes all at once that NO normal guy would EVER consider making, even one at a time. Or vampire mistakes too. It kind of took away a bit of my affection for him, unfortunately; I can gladly say some of it returned by the end of the book, but it's just not the same.

 

Meanwhile Jace and Clary struggle with their own problems. Jace is avoiding her, as I said; and Clary is patiently waiting for him to decide when he's going to tell her what the matter is. She follows through with Shadowhunter training, not that she does as much training as she does making out, exactly. Jace is still trying to find out more about his real father, so Clary makes the assumption of his avoidance being about Valentine.

 

I really loved Jace's point-of-view. It was more real to me than any of the other characters through CoFA. I've always felt like Jace was the most realistic person of the entire book, and I'm glad it remained that way in Book 4. There's a point when it talks about Jace constantly repeating one line to himself, until all meaning of that phrase is lost but he just keeps thinking it in order to make it real. I LOVED this, mainly because I know that it's something that actually happens to people (me, for instance). Cassandra Clare made a beautiful, beautiful depiction of the distress there.

 

Meanwhile Clary is trying to juggle both Simon's problems and her own. Not a good advisory. She gets a little overwhelmed, which means she has to take time away from what she really needs to be concentrating on and only sees parts of the main picture, less than she usually does. Her POV is just as interesting and in-depth as it always has been, but I was just the slightest bit disappointed. For the *insert number here*th time.

 

Maia returns, as well as Isabelle (who, I am SO GLAD to say, still is and always will be my favorite character. I love Isabelle). Luke and Clary's mom are engaged, thank God—I've waited for three whole books for them to tie the knot, and at last they're getting there! Alec and Magnus are on vacation for most of the book, but halfway through some events regarding Simon have need for Magnus' intervention, and it puts a rod in their relationship. Magnus clears everything up in the end, though. Which makes me happy. Their characteristics are still the same; they're all still just as lovable as they were in City of Glass.

 

I'm trying as hard as I can to prevent spoilers, but I'm not sure how well it's working. I will say we do get to meet another Greater Demon, one who sent shivers down my spine. Though I didn't care for the plot, Cassandra Clare still writes everything beautifully; her descriptions are unmatched, and the dialogue is fresh and interesting. She juggles a lot in this fourth installment, and she does a pretty good job of evening it all out. She still succeeded in making an ending that made me both satisfied and angry at the same time, so points for that.

 

In conclusion, I was satisfied with City of Fallen Angels—but, in my honest opinion, I really think that she could have just left it unwritten. The ending of City of Glass was a better ending to me. I was satisfied, but disappointed (again). Don't let this put you off—it's still a really, really good book; and it raises some questions that I'm eager for the answers to. The book was lovely, I'll give it that. But that's all I'll give it.

 

As for the entire series?

 

LIVE LONG THE MORTAL INSTRUMENTS :D

 

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Listening to: Hitomi no Tsubasa - Access

Reading: Eragon by Christopher Paolini

Watching: Code Geass

Quote: "You are not trivial." - Magnus Bane | City of Fallen Angels | Cassandra Clare

 

Note: I'm sorry Wordbird, they still haven't fixed the Feedburner app D:

To everyone: I'm sorry I haven't been putting ANYTHING on here. My finals are coming up for the end of the school year and I haven't had time. ): I'll try to put another post of some sort up tonight to make up for it! Love you guys!