WIP - "Evermore" Part -

In the past few weeks, I've done - well nothing on the projects I should be doing. Surprisingly I've been rather busy. However - there is still room for improvement. While I have yet to tackle any sort of re-write for any of my current projects, or re-draw for that matter, I will leave you with a little expert of a story I've posted about before, and am still working with on draft number one. (How's that for a sentence!)

A little background for this story: Yes, it came about after I saw the remake, er, "live-action", of Disney's "Beauty and the Beast". Yes the song was stuck in my head. Yes it inspired it. And this is sorta the middle part of the story.....yeah. It's titled the way it is because I'm not overly concerned with an actual title for this piece as of yet. So, without further ado -

"Evermore"
(Part ???)

“My apologies, I didn’t mean to frighten you.”

He stood in the doorway, unwilling to enter the small room with her.

“No, it’s alright,” she straightened the chair. “No harm done.”

She stood near the old desk. The last time he’d been down here was when the brothers had stumbled upon his castle. They’d decided to keep these rooms after learning of the curse. To better fit the atmosphere, was what they’d called it. As he thought about it, all of the others who’d come through had used this room. None had wanted to stay in the upper floors, or have any window near to them. As though the panes to the outside world held some fright.

“You’re curse – there’s little time left to break it, isn’t there?”

Her voice drew him from the past. The question was not one he’d been expecting. There was still much he wanted to discuss with her; none of which involved the topic of his curse.

“How did you –”

The grin she gave him was subtle, but in the candlelight it illuminated the mischief in her eyes.

“These papers here, they were written by others who’ve come to the castle. Others who tried to break the curse,” she picked up the papers, “Can you tell me anything else about it?”

He stared at her, then at the papers in her arms.

“Come, lunch is served.”

He felt guilt for not answering her directly. Being down there so close to the darkness was overwhelming. It was not the place to talk about already dark matters. They were too close to the hidden room where the curse had festered and languished for the past century. There was power in words – power given freely. If spoken too close to the source it would add to that malevolent power. He wouldn’t risk it.

Barely glancing over his should to ensure she was following him back up to the dining room, he could see the slight droop of her shoulders. She’d hoped he would answer. He could see it in her – she wanted to know more.

A thirst for knowledge to understand what cannot be explained, the thought made him smile. No one before her had had that.

* * * * * * * *

Catherine followed him back up the winding stairs. He’d changed the subject when she’d asked about the curse. She tried to understand. There was so much more to this new world she was in. So much that she needed to understand. She needed the truth about this strange place; about why it had seemed to draw her back each time she left. She finally realized the day she’d found her father – he had been right outside the gates leading into the vast gardens. He’d been here before; that was how he’d remembered the castle to make the cast for the music box. He knew about this place. She’d been so close then.

“Mademoiselle.”

Coming out of her memory she looked up. They were back in the lavish (if outdated) dining room. She looked around for the person who’d spoken to her, but found no one. The monster-man-

Tarnish it, she thought, I’ll just call him…Adrian.

The name didn’t fit him, but she couldn’t think of a better one for him. It was frustrating. She would go on a hunt here in the castle to find something that had his name on it. There had to be a diary of someone, or papers, letters, anything to let her know what he might once have been called.

Taking a seat across from him, she set the papers on the chair next to her.

A meal as she’d never seen before was spread out: fresh bread, hot soup, fruits and a few things she didn’t recognize. It was one of the best meals she’d ever had.

Adrian cleared his throat. When she looked up at him he diverted his gaze to the side.

“I wanted to apologize,” he paused. “Again.”

Curious to what he could be apologetic for she waited. The silence continued to stretch while he sat there. She realized he hadn’t eaten a thing.

“Aren’t you hungry?”

He looked right at her and shook his head. The expression in his eyes startled her. Setting down the roll in her hand she glanced down at the food before her. Would he –

“I can help break this curse. The papers I found down in that room – from the others who’ve come before – they have hints to how it can be done.” She caught his eye, “I know I can break it. There’s still a few weeks left before the new year, you have to let me try.”

The room became hazy. Mild panic reached into her.

“Don’t let her win! If I am the last one to try, bring me back,” her voice lowered to a whisper. She saw him coming around to her, “Don’t let her win….there’s still a way to break….”

What are you currently working on? Feel free to leave a comment, or a little bit about anything you're working on.

Book Nook: Of Grave Concern

Over the last few weeks I have had the pleasure of reading and finishing a few different books. Allow me to introduce you a a rather paranormal western.

Today's novel will be:

Book: Of Grave Concern

Series: Ophelia Wylde Paranormal Mystery #1

Author: Max McCoy

Ophelia Wylde is a woman of twenty and eight years and already a widow. As with many other women who've lost their husbands in the great Civil War, she's distrought about the loss of her husband Jonathan. Every single woman who lost a loved one has turned to Spiritualism to try and have one last word with their beloved.

Having been tricked once already, Ophelia is now a Spiritualist in search of one final Seance that will allow her to speak with Jonathan. However, on her way to that final session she's waylaid in Dodge City, due to an uncanny resemblence to a murderess from the prarie.

With her friend and companion Eddie (quoth the raven, literally), Ophelia becomes entrangled in an old murder when she sees the ghost of a girl that was murdered.

While trapped in Dodge she keeps up her work as a Spiritualist, all the while trying to figure out a way to clear her name. (Email and phones hadn't been invented yet, so trying to find a source is impossible.)

While Spiritualism is a scam, and Ophelia knows it, only one other person in town seems to know it. Jack Calder is a bounty hunter, here to keep an eye on her so she doesn't run. However when a reading goes wrong and she's buried six feet under - literally - the dead start speaking. They have dozens of things to say.

There is a twist at the end, which I won't spoil for you. Pick up a copy of "Of Grave Concern" today!


Got any books you'd recommend I review? Leave a comment below.

August First - Infamy, or Cosplay

Alrighty.

Being the first Tuesday of the month the plan for today is completely random!

I think I'll take today and discuss cosplay.

There are many different ways you can go about doing this. You can order a hand-made costume from someone who will put all their will and effort into creating a magnificent piece. (They've had years of practice and are dedicated to their projects, ensuring you won't get a flimsy piece. If I had all the money I needed I would commission them all the time, they are far and beyond awesome!)

Or you can go the route those of us with smaller bank accounts go: home-made, extreme budgeting.

Now, sometimes its good to save up to get quality fabrics and bows and ribbons, other times you have to make do with what you already have.

I have lucked out with finding a few pieces that when properly assembled have combined to make cool cosplays.

As much as I want to include photos, I'm kinda not wanting to get my face out there .... yet. Eh, screw it. I'll add the photos. With that said, I don't do make-up all that well, so it's always a bare minimum. Also I dyed my hair once, for fun, and have no wigs. Sometimes you can get to the dollar store and buy a relatively cheap wig and dye it the desired color.

So, here are a few cosplays that I have done.


1. Dorothy Gale.

This was is relatively easy. I already had the jumper from . . . an old friend who gave it away . . . ..Then I added a white Tee underneath, some short 50's style white socks (though technically their blue in the movie, meh), and while I walked around I used my red strawberry shoes. I did carry around a pair of red pumps and silver heels. (Props if you know the difference.)

You can cheat and make it simple, but use gingham or plaid. Funny enough I had a TON of people think I was Belle from 'Beauty and the Beast'. .... while it was flattering, I kinda had to scratch my head and wonder if they saw the pattern .... or the stuffed dog I was carrying around.... They are similar in many ways, so you have to make sure you can tell the difference. (Though I think the pigtails might have been a giveaway.)

2. The Pie Ho

Yes, you read that right. A couple years back there was an amazing TV show called "Pushing Daisies". It ran for three seasons then sadly was cancelled because of the infamous writers strike. Go check out this gem of a show, which stars Lee Pace before he joined the Lord of the Rings family.

For this I borrowed the pie dress from a friend of mine (who also loves the show). I used a white sweater for that '50's style that is common on the show. I had leggings and flats (if you go to convention WEAR FLATS! Then change into heels for photos, unless you can rock heels all frekin day long in which case I bow to you.) I cheated with this and used my Tardis purse, carrying Gigi with me too. But simple.

There are a few more I have, but I will save them to update later on as it's 11:56 and I need this posted in the next 2 minutes!


........

Post your favorite cosplay!

(Possible Part Two Tomorow!)

OMD: Krull

Welcome to Obscure Movie Day!
(OMD for all title's going forward.)


As promised in my post last week (or the week before, whichever) - here is the topic for the week. The movie I decided to review is one of my favorites that came out of the 1980's. It super obscure (took me months to find a DVD copy!), but it is a lovable sci-fy fantasy movie from back when the genre was still relatively unliked. I give you:

KRULL

To start off with, I was going to add some clips from YouTube, when I found THE ENTIRE MOVIE! So - there you go.

Wow - the bounds of the internet still rather amaze me.

Okay - here is the brief synopsis of the movie:

The planet Krull has been invaded by a ruthless entity known only as the Beast. Each planet his mysterious castle has come to has been overtaken by he and his knights known as Slayers. The Beast has come to break an old prophecy telling of a Queen whose son shall rule the galaxy.

The Princess Lyssa and Prince Colwyn, who are from different kingdoms, decided to marry in order to form a union to defeat the Beast. On the eve of their wedding the Beast and his Slayers attack the party, kidnapping the princess and killing all but Colwny and Ynyr, the Old One.

Together they set out to find a mystical weapon known only as the Glaive, the only weapon that can defeat the Beast. On their quest they encounter a band of mercenaries, thieves, and bandits. With their small band they seek out how to find the castle of the Beast, which relocates every day to a different part of the world.

There are two mystics who can divine where the castle will be the following day. The Emerald Seer and the Widow of the Web. Ynyr goes to the Widow of the Web, the only other one who knows where the location of the Beast's castle will be. She grants him safe passage past the Crystal Spider on his way out to tell the others.

The group sets out soon after and find the castle. And then...

I'm afraid you'll have to go and watch the film.

Since it is on YouTube, you can easily watch it now. The music is lovely, and the cinematography is absolutely stunning! The costumes are of excellent condition and set you in the period of the piece.

With music by James Horner (the man responsible for the soundtrack to Titanic), you'll be pulled into the world of Krull and all its splendor!



If you have a film you think is obscure that I should review, leave a comment below. I love watching old movies - though try and keep it under PG-13 (there's some flicks I won't touch with a 30-ft pole!).

What are some obscure movies you love that most people don't know about?

Come back next month for another exciting round of Obscure Movie Day!

WIP - Fictional

Today I bring you "Work In Progress" Day!!

I began this story after watching a movie. The set, costumes, scenery, and a particular song grabbed my attention. And my imagination. I've been writing this in two page parts - to keep it from becoming too stale. It's also helped me to further my own writing. I've also been posting this on WattPad, if you care to see it over there I will add a link at the end.

Here is Part One of a little fictional story titled (for the moment) "Evermore".

She didn’t know how it was she’d come to be trapped in this place. It was a palace of winding halls, stairs that led to four different routes. Going up you could either go straight to the top, go left a few steps and then head towards the outer courtyard, go to the right and up a small set towards the living quarters, or even take a small door and head down into the lower levels.

It was a maze that you could easily become engulfed and lost inside. There were so many different possibilities to go to – so many towers to explore.

“How did I come to be here, alone?”

She’d been running up and down, back and forth yet hadn’t come across another living soul. There was no sense to this. Someone had to have brought her here. Some had to have been there when she was left…?

A door slammed somewhere up above her. Her heard skipped a beat, momentarily doing a skip as a mazurka. A slamming door meant there was another person here. Someone she could ask for the way to an exit. Possibly someone who could help her understand why she was in this place.

Grabbing fistfuls of her skirts, she sped up the main staircase, ignoring the other routes possible. Heading directly up to the top she checked each room that she passed. None of the dust had been disturbed; the dust on the floor was old. There was still no one around.

The banging from above continued. She continued her upward spiral. Reaching a door at the top she clung to the edge of the frame; just outside was a narrow walkway across a long drop. On the other side was a room suspended above the courtyard far below her, supported by flying buttresses coming from the surrounding towers. It was shaped like the other, easily blending in so that you wouldn’t know it was suspended unless you had this aerial view.

Timid at the narrow, rail-less walkway she paused. This couldn’t have been where the noise had come from – could it?

The door across form her banged wide, startling her. Looking across the expanse she watched someone emerge from within.

“Hello?”

Her voice echoed through the enclosed court. The figure on the other side paused, almost seemed frozen in place. As she watched they turned around, coming out into the early morning’s light.

Her heart skipped again, from uncertainty, fear, and horror. The face leering back at her seemed to be full of nothing but remorse, hate, anger, and … loneliness.

It seemed masked by the effects of an ancient cursed buried long ago in the fairy tales she recalled from her childhood. It had to be a mask; there was no other way to describe the face, the tall imposing posture from across the way. Horns rose from the side of the head, curving back around the skull. Dark brown hair seemed to wave in between, setting off a pair of gleaming eyes in a noble face. The clothes were tattered remnants of a long ago forgotten and bygone age. And yet the emotion in those eyes was enough to freeze her in the open doorway, wondering whether or not this was some dream.

They locked eyes, staring at the other. Each was curious, confused by the presence of the other across the narrow walkway. For a moment there was a spell of immovability between them. Nothing to stop this moment from lingering on and on.

A crow cawed from one of the turrets where it perched, breaking into the silent moment.

She blinked, watched him step away from that curious door into the suspended room. Her heart began beating faster, something deep inside of her knowing that it would not be wise to be caught by those hands with the slender fingers. She knew that running would be the best option. She willed herself to move. He took a step towards her.

In an instant she had spun around and begun her descent down the winding stairs back through to the lower levels. Her heart hammering in her chest blocked out all other noises. A sense of safety beyond this old, ancient place was the only thing on her mind. This place had to have an exit. Even if the doors were all blocked, she could move the barriers. She would break the glass on the windows. She would find a way out of this haunted place, away from that cursed man in his suspended room far above her.

“Wait!”

The shout echoed throughout the whole castle, repeating off the stone walls, bouncing back until it surrounded her. Her hands shook as she reached for the banister to try and catch her breath.

“No,” she whispered it to the silence and emptiness around her. “No!”

She screamed back. Her voice took off back up the stairs towards the man with the horns. Dashing towards the main staircase she ran as fast as she could, nearly running into the front door. There was a huge bar over the knobs, preventing anyone from entering – or exiting. Searching around, she found a small patch of window that was not blocked. Picking up stool she slammed it into the glass. Watching it explode outward she used a cushion and broke off the remnants that had clung to the frame once she’d broken the rest of it off.

“Wait!”

Turning for an instant she saw him at the top of the stairs. His voice was close to her, a mixture of rage and imploring. Shaking it off, she dove through the hole she’d made and escaped.

What are you working on right now? Art work or writing?

Leave a comment below with a link to you work, or comment on what I could do better.

Here is the link to my WattPad: Evermore

Book Nook - Classic Corner

I know, I know, I did a book review last week. But hear me out, I've got a (loose, extremely loose) plan for this blog going forward.

The first week is up for grabs right now. Maybe I'll do a post about a comment or something the readers choose. Right now, it's up for grabs.

Second week will be a Book Review. Books will range from classics to new, young adult to .... regular adult (seriously, is it only the ages that make these books different?). Expect a lot of murder mysteries (Cozy Mysteries), as that is the major genre I read currently.

Third week will be a WIP on projects I'm working on. These will either be one of the many stories I've got running, one of the crafts I'm trying to get together for a business I'm running (Zaney Designs!), or a piece of art.

Fourth week will be Obscure Film Review week. Because there are tons out there that did not garner enough "media coverage" or what not. These could also be films that I enjoy watching and hope you might take a gander at them as well. Again films will range from the Silent Era to present. I will try and review movies not in theaters - or ones that you can either check out at the library or RedBox, or stream.

Whew! Now that the housecleaning is done, here is my Book Review for the week.

Book: Eyes Like the Stars

Series: Theatre Illuminata, #1

Author: Lisa Mantchev

As many of you know, I am a HUGE theatre nut. So you can imagine all of my bundled excitement, thrill, astonishment, and over bounding joy when I saw this series on the shelf. I couldn’t burst out about this, being inside the library and all, but when I got outside with my shiny book I whooted (cross between a woo-hoo and a hoot….).

But, I digress.

This book series takes place inside the Theatre Illuminata, a playhouse in the city (unnamed). The entire series surrounds the life of Beatrice Shakespeare Smith, Bertie for short. She lives inside the theatre, onstage using varying sets for her bedroom, cafe, and other. The entire series is her trying to find out who her parents are and why they left her at the Illuminata.

This first book sees Bertie trying to prove she's helpful to the cast and crew. So she set sets out to re-stage the production of “Hamlet”.

Let’s not forget - every character from every single play is alive and well, living backstage too. At curtain call they all come to life to repeat their lines. When not onstage they roam the backstage areas, talking, chatting, living their lives. Only they cannot leave the theatre...

What’s keeping them all there? The Book. The Book contains every play performed, all of their lines, and their lives.

Among those friends of Bertie’s are Peaseblossom, Cobweb, Mustardseed, and Moth (those mischievous fairies from A Midsummer Night’s Dream), Nate (a dashing pirate from The Little Mermaid) and, though often more mischievous Ariel (the sprite from The Tempest).

With all the excitement going around, it’s difficult to keep up with the Book, the current shows going on, and having to re-stage Hamlet in a whole new setting! What’s a girl to do?

Dying her hair a vivid blue, plunging on ahead, and writing her own script is what!

This is a book series that I highly, highly, recommend!

What's a book you'd like to see me review? Leave a few titles in the comments below.

RoseBlood - Book Review

This past weekend I had the immense pleasure of reading the newest novel by A.G. Howard, Roseblood.

This is a retelling of one of my personally favorite novels, The Phantom of the Opera.

We start off the story with our heroine, Rune Germain. A black haired songstress who despises her singing abilities. While her song soars the music seems to take away her, leaving her weak and ill. Her mother and Aunt decide to send her off to a new prestigious opera college outside of Paris, Roseblood.

Roseblood is an old theatre that had suffered massive fire, leaving the top floors devastated. Having been abandoned by the previous owners and then sold, it has been remodeled to fit a new school. Housing 50 students, 6 teachers, and one groundskeeper only the first three floors are in use. With ties to the infamous tragedy and Opera Ghost, it's a prime location for a phantom.

Thorn lives at the theatre, has lived there since his childhood. When he hears Rune sing he becomes fascinated by the sound of her voice. Wanting to help her with the gift of music, he begins playing violin for her at night while everyone else is asleep.

With new friends who try to keep her grounded in reality, Rune finds herself drawn deeper and deeper into the tale that's been haunting her since childhood.

With an opera role in the balance and a masquerade coming up, Rune has to act fast to save her mind from falling into further insanity.

But the masquerade is the one place where the phantom can truly come out and begin the game.

I would love to tell you more about this, but I don't want to give away any more details! For Phans of the original novel, and the various other adaptations, CHECK THIS OUT!

Also - you can follow the amazing adventures in writing of A. G. Howard, she's on practically all social media.

EDIT: I do not own the image!