The Evil Stepdaughter

This has nothing to do with Hitchhiker.
I have no suitable-for-posting blurbs written about that, (one that I just wrote is a huge spoiler) so I wrote something else.  This is a story I've been planning for a while.

My name is Morgan.
Undoubtedly, you know me as the wicked witch or the evil queen.  I don't blame you for thinking that; Snow White has gotten everyone confused.  But I know the real story of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, and if you want to hear it, I'll tell you.  Juts be warned that believing me is an act of high treason.  
First of all, I'd like to make it clear that I do not dabble in dark magic.  I'm no witch.  What I do is what my grandmother taught me; I use natural ingredients from the earth from the earth to create things that silly minds call potions and witch's brews.  Second, I will quite openly admit that Snow White is prettier than me.  Third, I do have a magic mirror.  It's a treasured gift from my friend Malificent and I hate it when people say it's evil.  
The fourth thing I would like to point out is that I am only Snow White's stepmother because my parents forced me to.  I was sixteen when my noble-born father made an arrangement with King Gerard (ugh, how could I marry a man with that name?) for our marriage after Queen Lilla died.  I was ashen-faced throughout the entire wedding.  Want to know why?  Not only was I simply reluctant to marry a 50-year old man, but I was quite in love with someone else!  Imagine telling your true love that you're leaving him because you must marry a scruffy old king.  Tristan was heartbroken, to say the least.
Snow White is only two years younger than me.  I'm sure you can imagine how much influence and authority a sixteen-year old stepmother has over a sassy, vain, fourteen-year old princess.  We didn't get along well, needless to say.  But all her subjects, of course, thought she was just the sweetest thing.
One day Snow White was throwing a fit and told me that I was an ugly old peasant.  Feeling I should at least try to take control of my stepdaughter, I punished her by sending her to the courtyard to wash the stones for five minutes.  I also sent Tristan, who happened to be a knight, to guard her (and make sure she didn't try to get out of her chore).  Four minutes later he came back escorted by guards, accused of having caused "the princess' disappearance".  Visiting him in the dungeon, I learned the truth: Snow White had knocked him out cold and then must have run away.  I was a little upset that he'd allowed a little girl to knock him out, but I forgave him soon enough and helped him escape.
Just a couple days later, the kind received a letter from Snow saying she wouldn't come back unless I was gone, and proceeded to accuse me of abusing her as well as making her scrub the courtyard.  Absurd, of course, but the king promptly divorced me and sent me away quite humiliated and penniless.  On her way home, Snow saw me making a fire with 'my magical potions' as I spent the night in a miserable cave.  Therefore, when she got home, she claimed that I was a witch and, naturally, tried to hunt me down...

That's all.  It's the introduction to a story where I switch the villain and heroine around.  Might do that with a lot of other fairy tales, too.  What do you think?
-Ashley
P.S. Hey, a post before 11:00! :D 

A Blast

While this post's title is not the most creative, it is quite literally this post's content.  Or at least, some of it.
As usual, I managed to finish this one at 11:00 and post it the next day, so it isn't that good.  But hey, you guys will love anything I post, right?...yeah right.

This or some variation of this will most likely be in the book, but I haven't gotten to this part yet.

"You lived here?"  Natalie was incredulous, but Cameron was serious.  "Yeah."
  She stared up at the dilapitated blue building.  "How long has it been abandoned?"  He shrugged.  "I didn't even know my parents moved away until the day I escaped...from them.  I certainly wouldn't have come if they were still here."  There was no pain in his voice; only cold remembrance.
"Do you want to look inside?" he offered.  Natalie's eyes widened.  "Can I?" He arched his brows sarcastically.  "No, I was only teasing you."
Cameron climbed up the porch steps and produced a key from his coat pocket.  "Where did you get that?" Natalie bounded up the steps to stand beside him.  He grinned mischievously.  "I lived here, remember?"  He fitted it into the lock and opened the door.
Immediately a musty, skunk-like smell overwhelmed their senses, but only for a moment.  They slowly stepped inside and found themselves in a dusty foyer.  Cameron turned around and around, taking in the sight of his childhood home.  "I have a lot of memories of this place, despite how young I was when I ran away."  He touched the walls.  "Some good, some bad...no, all bad."  His hand stopped at a spot of blood.  "This was from a papercut of mine.  I remember my father beating me up over that."  Natalie grimaced.  "How horrible," she muttered.  Cameron shrugged.  "I'm over that.  It was a long time ago."
They found the living room nearly bare except for a large threadbare couch sitting in the corner.  Cameron slowly sat down on it, but Natalie remained standing in the middle of the room.  "I've always wondered about this house.  Every time I passed it on the road, I imagined who might have lived here."  She laughed.  "It's weird, I know."  Cameron patted the cushion next to him invitingly.  "I think weird is a good thing," he said.  Nat blushed and sat down.  "I wish my aunt thought the way you do."  He frowned.  "If she was unkind to you, you never have to see her again." She nodded, but he wasn't finished.  "I know The Safe House probably isn't your dream home, but at least there are people who love you there, like Anna and Jesse and..." he stopped, but Nat knew what he'd almost said.  "And me."  She was sure her cheeks were pink, and to distract herself she tried to steer the conversation away from her aunt.  Cameron was right; she didn't ever have to see Aunt Becca again, and the fact that she was happy about it made her feel guilty.
"Do you think your parents missed you after you left?" It was the only thing she could think of to say.  Cameron shrugged.  "Probably not that much.  I certainly didn't miss them." She shook her head sadly.  "I'm sorry they were like that."  He merely nodded, scanning the room anxiously.  "What's the matter?" He glanced back at her.   "Um, probably nothing.  Do you want to see the rest of the house?"  She agreed enthusiastically, but Cameron's sudden anxiety had made her wary.
Cameron led her up the stairs and they wandered through the empty bedrooms.  "Looks like they got rid of all my stuff when they moved," he remarked as they returned to the main floor.  On their way to the kitchen, he halted and raised his hand for silence when Natalie started to speak.  "Shhh.." he whispered.  They stood perfectly still and listened for nearly a full minute.  Tick.  Tick. Tick.  Natalie drew a sharp breath.  "What's that?" she whispered nervously.  "We need to get out of the house."  Nat immediately turned on her heel and ran for the door with Cameron right behind her.  They practically flew down the porch steps and away from the house.  "Was that a -" Natalie started to ask, but before she could finish, Cameron pushed her behind a large rock and order, "Lay down.  Cover your face."  The urgency of his voice compelled her to obey instantly.  He did the same.
The house exploded.
Flaming debris crashed around them, catching tufts of grass on fire.  Cameron took off his coat and held it over their heads.  "Let's get out of here," he shouted, but Natalie needed no urging.  Together they ran, dodging flaming pieces of wood, until they'd reached a safe distance from the fire.  "Your - your house!" Nat sputtered, stunned.  Cameron nodded, staring emotionless at the flames.  "Whoever put the bomb in there knew we were coming.  We should leave before they return."

Well, there you go, I finally posted something.  Not the best something, but I am severely lacking in inspiration right now.  So if you'll excuse me, I'm off to read Persuasion and perhaps get another post in here before 12:00.  
 -Ashley 

Blog Post. 'Nuff Said.

YAY, GUYS, IT'S A BLOG POST!!!
I'm so sorry that I haven't posted for a few days!!  I would like to say that I was busy, but I really wasn't.  I was writing and mostly reading.  I had writer's block, you see, about the post I was working on, and I always read Jane Austen to get rid of writer's block.  It worked, obviously, since I'm finally posting.  Thank you, Persuasion.

I wrote this from the writing prompt "Your antagonist is making tea for his mother.  What is he thinking?".  It reeks of heartache and sadness for me, because of what Richard lost by choosing such a wicked path.  He lost a loving family.
Actually I shouldn't say "lost".  To phrase it more accurately, he gave up a loving family who would gladly take him back in a heartbeat, if they knew he was alive.  Here come the fangirl tears.  Am I allowed to fangirl over my own novel?  is that kind of conceited?  Maybe these are just Writer Feels.  Yes, Precious, that must be what they are.

Richard plopped the tea bag into his mother's tea cup and rummaged around in the cupboard for sugar cubes.  "It's more of a peace offering, really," he remarked, turning to Alexis.  She cocked her head.  "For what?  You and Mom never argue."  He hesitated.  "Not yet, anyway."  Something in his voice made Alexis' intense dark eyes narrow.  "What are you talking about?"  He looked down at the tea cup, trying to decide whether or not he should tell her.  She wouldn't agree at all, he was sure.  She would try to dissuade him.  But perhaps, if he could explain himself to her, she would see his reasoning, and understand why he needed to do this.  Alex always understood him.
"Richard?" Alex moved closer.  he turned back to her and inhaled deeply.  "I'm joining the army."  To his surprise, Alex nodded, tight-lipped.  "I've been waiting for you to finally tell me," she said quietly.  He nearly gaped.  "You knew?"  She nodded.  "Colin accidentally dropped enough hints for me to put two and two together."  Richard frowned.  "He did, did he?  We agreed on silence...does Mom know?"  Alex shook her head.  "I don't think so."  He breathed a sigh of relief.  "Will you try to convince me to stay?  It won't do any -" Alex shook her head again.  "I know any arguments I'll make will be useless.  I trust you to take care of yourself."  He could have hugged her.  "Thank you," he said earnestly.  She sighed.  "But why?" "I'll tell both you and Mom at the same time," he promised.  "Will you help me convince her?"  She hesitated, then nodded reluctantly.  "I'll do what I can, but that doesn't mean I'm entirely at peace with it," she said, wagging a finger at him.  He grinned.  "Thank you, little sis."  She smiled back, but it seemed half-hearted to him.
Richard and Alexis brought the tea into the living room and gave it to their mother, who was conversing with Colin.  "Oh, thank you, son," she said, taking the cup from him and breathing in its scent.  Richard smiled briefly, then took his seat in a chair near her.  He looked at Alex for help on how to begin.  Your responsibility, she mouthed with a barely perceptible wink.  Their mother caught the exchange but didn't understand, and after watching them uncertainly for a minute, remarked, "Richard, Colin tells me you have an announcement!"  Richard glared at Colin, who shrugged sheepishly.  He playfully punched Colin's shoulder, but soon became serious.  He wasn't quite sure how to begin, so he stated it quickly, hoping to get it over with.  "I'm going into the military."  His mother's jaw dropped.  "Are you serious?" He nodded.  "I've been thinking about this for a long time."  She looked down for a moment.  "Does Alexis know?" she asked quietly.  Alex nodded.  "He told me in the kitchen."  Their mother rubbed her temples as if she'd spontaneously developed a headache.  Richard ran his fingers through his hair.  "Mom.  Please -" "Shhh," she whispered, and Richard looked anxiously at Alex.  She shrugged helplessly.
His mother seemed to struggle to calm herself.  "You remember your father, don't you?"  Richard raised his chin and answered, "Yes, ma'am, I remember what happened to him."  "Then why, Richard?" she looked up, her eyes pained.  "Why do you want to do this to me?"  He looked away.  "I'm not doing it to hurt you."  Convicted, she wiped her eyes and straightened.  "No, I'm sure you aren't...I'm sorry."  Her voice was sincere.  "You are an adult who can make his own decisions.  But can't you tell me why you want to do this?"  Richard heaved a sigh and glanced around the room.  Alex and Colin were sitting next to each other, anxious and disturbed.  He hated to fluster Alexis like this.  He cast her a reassuring look and she smiled faintly.  "I..." How could he tell them the truth?  They would all disagree, try to convince him to leave off his mission.  But he needed to do something, and if his family wasn't going to let him do it if they knew, he wasn't going to tell them.
"I just feel like I need to...follow my father."  He cringed inwardly; that was the biggest lie he'd ever told his own mother.  She was nodding, understanding, and his heart dropped to his stomach when she said, "Well, I'm proud of you then.  Your father was a good man."  And I am not," he thought miserably.  She took his hands in hers and a tear trickled out of her eye.  "I'm going to miss you.  You'll write to us, right?"  I am the worst son in the world, he thought as he nodded.  Alexis got up and stood before him, hands clasped together.  Suddenly she hugged him, gently at first, and then tightened her hold.  "I'm going to miss you, also," she murmured.  He hesitated, shocked, then hugged her back, his heart sinking lower and lower.  I am also the worst brother in the world.

As you might imagine, Richard merely wanted to punish those who killed his father in war.  An ambitious young 29-year old man was just what the...erm, Bad Guys... wanted, and they found him and told him that his father had been part of them before he was killed by the...erm, good guys.  Richard believed them.  Even though his father had actually been part of the good guys and had been killed by the leader of the bad guys, whose name happens to be Ford, as I'm sure you'll remember from my last post.  
Richard really didn't stop loving his family or caring about them.  He did write to them before he joined the BGs.  It's just that once he started on his vengeful path with such terrible influences around him in the BG community, he found that thinking of his family caused him to feel guilty.  As he grew older, he found his thirst for revenge to be childish, and put it away for the pure joy of being MEAN.  MEAN RICHARD.  And thinking about his dear sister Alexis and beloved mother just made him FEEL.  And he couldn't tolerate FEELING.  It distracted him from his work.  Therefore, he allowed them to believe he was dead.

In the second book that I might write, there may be more of Alexis.  Because I really like her.  Who else likes Alex?  Anyway, she may or may not go on a mission to find her brother after she discovers he may yet be alive.
Or I'll go back in time and revisit her family's life.
Or I'll continue the Hitchhiker story as it left off.
Or....um, out of ideas.  I call for a vote.  Even though it might not actually influence my final decision, it's fun.  Which idea do you guys like best?

Älä ole tuollainen Richard,

-Ashley

(Because I'm nice: http://translate.google.com/#auto/fi/)

P.S. Don't any of you actually care about Cameron and Natalie, or are you ALL rooting for these random secondary characters that will hardly even appear in the book/s/?!?!?

 

Maybe Not Quite So Deluxe...

This post is really short, really late, and really written at 11:00 pm.
So don't judge. ;)

This piece of writing, once again inspired by a writing prompt and once again in the Hitchhiker world, is written from Lucy's perspective.  How I loathe Lucy.  I've been writing this off and on all day; the majority was written at 11:00.  Therefore, it's probably not too good.  Therefore, this is the one post that I don't want any negative feedback on because it's not fair. xD

"Just coffee." Richard leaned against the counter and waited impatiently for an employee to give him his order.  Lucy frowned.  She couldn't understand how he lived on coffee and yet still had those muscles.  He hardly worked out in his spare time, too - at least, as far as she knew, and she prided herself on knowing a lot about him.  They were, after all, partners.
Richard moved away with his coffee and she stepped up, setting her elbows on the counter and smiling sweetly at the handsome young waiter.  "Can you get me a salad and a diet Coke?"  She would show Richard how to eat healthy.  She considered ordering a cheeseburger in case he really wanted to eat after smelling her food.  But he merely stood against the wall, watching her with cold impatience.  She sighed.  One day he would warm up to her.
The employees were taking too long with her order; she didn't have to time to wait all day.  "Hurry up!" She snapped.  They just nodded and called, "We're working on it, ma'am!"  Their politeness only annoyed her more, and when they finally handed her her tray, she snatched it out of their hands angrily and followed Richard away.
Ford was sitting at a table in the corner.  Richard sat down on the opposite side and calmly sipped his coffee while Lucy set her tray next to him and started eating.  No one spoke for the next few minutes as they finished their food and drinks.
"Richard.  Tell Lucy what you saw yesterday," Ford spoke up in his smooth voice.  Lucy didn't miss the annoyance in Richard's face as he set down his cup and, without looking at her, said, "Cameron.  On the road.  Hitchhiking."  Her jaw dropped.  "That's impossible!" she argued.  Ford frowned.  "I didn't bring you here to defend yourself.  What I want you to do is find the girl who picked him up and make her tell you where she dropped him off."  He turned to Richard.  "Give us the specifics again."  Richard looked up as if reading words off the ceiling.  "They were about a mile down the road from the jail when he got into her car.." Ford raised up his hand.  "According to the information you gave me last night, you have approximately thirty minutes before Natalie passes through this part of town.  Talk fast or talk on the way."  Lucy cleared her throat, still unable to believe what Richard had said.  "How do you know her name?  And if this was Cameron you saw -" "It was," Richard interrupted irritably.  She snorted.  "If it was Cameron, why didn't you follow him?"  He looked away.  Ford smirked.  "That has already been dealt with.  Now off, and he will tell you on the way what I want you to do."  Richard seemed grateful to be leaving, but Lucy still had questions.  "How do you know who she is?  What does he want us to do?  Where are we going?"  Her partner groaned.  "I'll tell you.  Let's go."

I dread when I shall wake up tomorrow and realize how terrible this is.  Good night, faithful readers, and thanks for putting up with my incompetence.  :)
-A Very Tired Ashley 
 

Colin's Coming (Writing Prompt)

I'm very excited to show this to you guys.

 This little piece of writing, inspired by the writing prompt "Write about when you cried before the guests arrived", fits into Hitchhiker.  But that's not what's exciting about it.  What's exciting is the fact that it's written from Richard's 20-some-year-old sister's perspective, and it takes place many years before the events of Hitchhiker!  Which means it most certainly will not be in the book.  So, once again, you guys are incredibly lucky.  
I'm thinking about making this a two or three book series, and perhaps the second book will...oops, no spoilers. 
Anyway, by the time Cameron escapes from those villains affectionately known as BGs and Natalie picks him up off the side of the road, Alexis and Colin are already married.  Sorry for the cheesy post name; oh well.

A lead weight formed in my heart as Mom hung up the phone.  I knew what she was going to say and fought the urge to hide.  "Colin's coming."  Normally those two words brought excitement, but today I was pained to hear them.  I liked Colin; he himself wasn't the problem at all.  It was the fact that this would be the first time Mom and I would see him without Richard.
Mom saw the look on my face, understood, and hugged me.  We stood there for a couple minutes, silently sharing in each others' grief, and I don't think I ever loved her as I did at that moment.  Finally she released me from her arms and looked into my dark eyes with compassion.  "I have to start cooking something; he will probably be hungry."  I watched her pull out her recipe box and paw through it. "I haven't cooked for a man in ages," she remarked.  Tears blurred my vision.  Richard used to eat like a horse.  "Do you want me to help?" I asked, desperate for something to distract me.  Mom nodded, smiling, and I realized when I studied that smile that I was not the only one suffering.  Mom's usual perky posture was gone, and the sparkle in her eyes was dimmed.  Seeing her trying to be happy, I wiped my eyes and donned an apron.
We thumbed through all our recipes, making feeble jokes about Colin that neither of us thought was funny but we both felt compelled to laugh at for each others' sake.  When we came across Richard's favorite food, we tried to ignore it, but we both felt lumps in our throats as we remembered the last time we'd shared that meal with him.  It was so long ago - too long.  Before he'd joined the Army.  Before he'd died.  Now I was older than he was when he left.  
Mom seemed to guess my thoughts, because she said, "I know this will be painful.  It is for me, too.  Richard was my son as well as your brother.  But Colin also shares our grief; Richard was his best friend.  He doesn't want to be greeted by sad faces.  He wants to be encouraged.  So we must do our best to help him."  I swallowed and nodded.  Mom was right, as usual.  Standing straighter, I nodded and forced a smile.  "That's my girl."  Mom's eyes brightened.
She finally decided what to cook.  I didn't care what we made; I probably wouldn't be able to eat anyway.  But spending that time with Mom was like a balm to my soul.
Colin arrived at our doorstep just as we were putting dinner in the oven.  I answered his knock.  "Alexis!" He exclaimed, shaking my hand warmly.  I responded in kind, but I couldn't believe the change in him.  He looked older than he had when I'd seen him last.  Granted, that was a few years ago at Richard's funeral, but the stress lines around his eyes couldn't possible have been developed by the passing of time.  "Where's your mother?" he asked.  My jaw nearly dropped to the floor.  Colin had always called her "Mom".
Just then, Mom herself appeared behind me.  "Colin!  Please come in."  He obliged, and we all made ourselves comfortable in Mom's richly furnished living room.  Colin leaned back and studied his surroundings.  "It's good to be here again," he remarked.  "I've missed this place, but I decided to stay away in case I invoked painful memories for you two.  Finally my selfishness overcame my kindness."  He gave us a half-hearted wink, and I felt terrible for how I'd treated his impending visit.  "It's wonderful to have you back," I ventured.  He turned his entrancing green-brown eyes on me.  "Thank you!..so, how are you?"  He didn't end his sentence with the word I knew he was thinking.  "How are you recovering is what he meant to ask.  "We're alright.  How's your family?"  Mom spoke up, and I sighed inwardly.  The formality and stiffness of the conversation made me want to cry for the loss of the easy communication we'd had when Richard was around.
Suddenly Mom jumped up.  "I'm sorry, but I forgot the food in the oven!  Please excuse me!" She hurried out of the room.  I couldn't help laughing, and Colin joined me.  Thank you, Mom, I thought as I felt the tension ease.
We fell into relating what had gone on in our separate lives since we'd seen each other.  We were careful not to mention Richard, even though everything we said or did brought a new memory of him.  Finally Colin growled in frustration.  He got up and sat next to me on the couch.  "I'm sick of avoiding the topic," he whispered.  "I shouldn't have to never speak of my best friend again.  How have you been since Richard died?"  I swallowed.  "It's been very hard on both Mom and me..." I began.  He shook his head.  "No, I want to know about you.  Alex..." The way he said my name made my breath catch in my throat.  He stared into my eyes.  "I love you."  The words were stated like a mere fact, but his eyes betrayed so much more emotion.  I fought tears as I realized I'd been waiting for this moment for years.

Well, that's all!  Sorry for the suspenseful ending.  But let me get you thinking.  Adrian pretended he was in the Army, and when he was captured, it was made to look like he'd died in action.  Richard used to be a fairly respectable young man until he fell in with bad company and stopped visiting his family that often (though they hardly knew anything about his change of heart).  A little later, he joined the army.  And that's where he was proven to be worthy of joining the BGs, who apparently watched all trainees and picked out the skilled ones.

That's all I'm saying.

Lots of love and please tell me how I did,
-Ashley

Inspired By A Prompt

From the Writers Write Facebook page, I saw a writing prompt that I decided to try.  It fits in rather well with Hitchhiker, though it may not necessarily be in the finished book.
Which means you guys got one of my Special Edition Super Deluxe VIP peeks.  Feel special.

 
Guess what antagonist I chose?  Richard!!!!

Here it goes.

"Adrian didn't want to leave me behind."
Richard's eyes flew open.  He grunted and shook his head, trying to clear Cameron's words from his dreams, but they haunted him like a phantom.  In fact, they hadn't left him all day, since the moment Cameron spoke them.  "Why?" he muttered.  Never in all his wicked life had he been affected by his victims.  Life had always been so easy to terminate, the human body so frail and easy to break.  He'd been sure he had managed to bury his conscience, which had only ever hindered him from his work, under a crust of insensitivity and coldness.  What was this feeling?  Where did these second thoughts come from?  Why was he having doubts?
By now he had roused himself too much to go back to sleep.  He sat up and swung his long legs over the side of the bed, rubbing his face with his hands.  In the darkness, he could see the scene from earlier that day playing out.  Cameron was sitting in a chair, surrounded by armed guards.  Richard himself was standing in front of him, taunting him, but Cameron merely folded his arms and looked straight ahead.  Lucy walked into the room.  At this, Richard frowned in disgust.  He hated Lucy, that conceited, foolish, ignorant, conniving little spy...she abraded him to no end.
Suddenly very irritated, he got up and, leaning on the basin in the corner of his bedroom, he splashed cool water on his face.  Tomorrow would be an eventful day; he couldn't afford to develop a conscience.  Looking into the mirror, he barely discerned his face in the blackness, with his sharp forehead and a nose that Lucy found it pleasing to sock from time to time.  Richard gripped the edge of the sink in frustration.  He felt trapped between traitorous thoughts and his violent lifestyle that was strangely showing itself in a new light.  
Suddenly he grinned.  At least now there was someone sitting in a cell on whom, tomorrow, he would vent his anger.
Or will I?
The words stole into his mind like a poison.  Unable to shake the feeling of guilt, he struck the mirror repeatedly with his fist until it cracked, then shattered, leaving his knuckles bloody and torn.  He paid no attention, panting and staring at the monster in the jagged shards of glass as he realized the question was not "would he do that" but "could he."
Could he do that to Cameron?  Could he continue to be a monster?

As always, I appreciate, love, and encourage feedback!  Please no one cry like I almost did while writing this...sorry this post was late and, as always, sorry for the briefness!
-Ashley 

Character Post ~ Richard

Richard's likeness is based on that of actor Richard Armitage.

Don't you hate it when you find yourself feeling sorry for an antagonist?
Yeah, that's how I feel when I write about Richard.

"Sometimes you know your villain is doing really terrible things, but you want him to succeed because he's doing it with such finesse.  You want to see him get his comeuppance but you also want to see him pull it off.  It's a real paradox." -Richard Armitage

 Can I just mention that I love Richard Armitage?  He understands!

Richard is, indeed, named after Richard Armitage.  He also looks like him.  Not only because RA's usual characters and acting style fit him, but also because I had to have someone in my book based on him.  It's a salute, you know, to my favorite actor.

Well, I did not mean to make this a Richard Armitage Appreciation Post.  Moving on:
Richard is a soldier under the bad guys.  (If anyone happens to have any ideas on what to call them, please share.  I seriously haven't a clue of why they are even bad, except that my ongoing explanation is they're developing some sort of weapon that they are planning on using for mass destruction.  Don't laugh; my novel is still in its early stages!)
He usually works with Lucy, a spy/assassin/Black Widow/Natasha Romanov kind of girl.  Except that she's probably not as smart.  Lucy kind of lets her pride overrule her intelligence.  But this post is not about her.
Richard has been working for the BG (bad guys) for so long that he hardly questions anything, going about his dirty work with a mask of indifference and cruelty.  He himself ensured the capture of Cameron and Adrian that fateful day. 
He is strong, skilled, and smart, but years of serving under a demanding leader have dulled his conscience and willfulness, leaving him a most valuable soldier.  

Later in the story, when the BGs again get a hold of Cameron (no, he is not going to be the type of character who always gets caught; it just happens that way.), Richard starts to feel a prick of conscience.  Especially after he realizes the affection Adrian and Cameron have for each other, he starts to ponder things.  And when all three of them + Natalie are trapped in a building that's about to blow up by the leader of the bad guys who is trying to kill them, Richard makes his decision.  
...almost got carried away there.  Better not give out any spoilers.


I'd like to go into a detailed tragedy about his horrible backstory and the terrible life he's led; the decisions made by him and those around him that led him to be the way he is...but I've got nothing on that.  Richard is just bad, unfortunately.  He chose to be evil and cruel.  He chose to lead that life, and later he chooses to renounce it.  Oh, did I say that out loud?  That was a spoiler.  at least you don't know he sacrifices hi---ummmm, never mind.



My humblest and greatest apologies for not posting yesterday, but I was gone nearly half the day.  I do hope you don't stop reading my blog because of all the awful things I've probably done to you with this post.  Mayhap if you give me lots and lots of support, I will eventually finish this darn book and publish it so you can read it.  ;)

Im melleth nir mellon, a goheno nin enni nin ogel(ness),
-Ashley.
P.S. Sorry for the rough translations! I'm no expert in Sindarin and I am grateful for Hisweloke's Sindarin dictionary.  It's just fun to put a few lines in elvish at the end, ya know?

 

 

Character Post ~ Jesse and Anna [???]

I have not decided on their last name. 
Jesse's got a lot of Irish in him.  I know Jesse isn't really an Irish name, but who cares?  It fits him.

 Jesse is Adrian's greatest friend, and also a good friend of Cameron's (see My Works if you don't know who they are).  He is married to the leader of the technological research division of The Safe House, Anna [???].  
Jesse is slightly gruff, but his kind heart shows itself often.  He loves his wife dearly, and when Natalie enters into their lives, his family sort of takes her under their wings while Cameron is busy.  Jesse also teaches her how various martial arts techniques and how to use weapons such as knives and guns.  

Jesse is extremely skilled in all types of combat and can be ruthless when he must.  Defending Cameron is his main objective; he would do anything to protect the young man his best friend loved so much.  

When Adrian and Cameron were taken by the dark powers (sorry, LOTR is on my mind and that terminology for "capture" just kinda came out there), Jesse very reluctantly accepted the burden of Captaining the Safe House.  For four years he believed his two friends to be dead, and was at last accepting their doom when Cameron returned.  No words could express the joy he felt, dimmed only by Cameron's admittance that he did not know where Adrian was.  

That was short.  If anyone has any questions about Jesse and his life, let me know.  But because I feel guilty for the shortness, here's a bonus post about Jesse's wife Anna.

Anna.  Firm, clever, no-nonsense person.  She may hide behind a mask of control and tranquility, but inside she has a heart of gold.  Natalie finds a true friend in her and her husband.

Anna is just as highly trained as Jesse and Cameron, but has a lesser probability of ever having to use her skills, as she is the head honcho of the technological research division of The Safe House...as I've already said.  She doesn't go on secret missions like the other soldiers, but this doesn't stop her from being an invaluable part of the base.  Without her and her large team of researchers, The Safe House would not have it's incredible technology such as the ability to make objects vanish.  I don't pretend to know how that works; you've got to use your imagination.

Anna is also a good friend of Cameron's, and when he returns "home" after four years, she sees to his many wounds and makes sure he's properly taken care of.  She has a motherly sense in her even though she can't have children.



Again, that was short and if anyone has any questions about these characters, please ask! :) 
Tomorrow, we will take a peek at my personal favorite villain I've ever written about because he's so human.  Richard.  

Also, if anyone has any ideas on Jesse's and Anna's last name, PLEASE HELP ME.  YOU'RE MY ONLY HOPE.

Dar aglareb,
Stay glorious,
-Ashley
 

Tasty Tidbits (Continued)

When I publish "Hitchhiker", I'm writing in the acknowledgements "To my baby sister, without whom this book would have been completed a couple years earlier."
Don't get me wrong: I love the child.  

I confess I got hardly any writing done; just a page and a third.  Thanks to dear little M, who demands my attention constantly.  So I will post what I did write.  Tell me what you think; as always, this is Super Deluxe Special Edition VIP Unedited stuff we've got here.  

P.S. It's continuing where we left off yesterday!

 "You can cook?" His voice was hopeful.  She laughed.  "I cooked pancakes for my aunt yesterday, and she seemed to like them - which is a compliment in itself."  All interest in food was lost to Cameron at this mere glance into Natalie's life.  "Why do you say that?  is she a food critic?"  he asked.  Nat shook her head, searching for a way to answer him without putting Aunt Becca down.  "She's not one for praising," she said dismissively.  Cameron bit his lip as if trying to decide whether or not he should press for more details.  "You live with her?" he prodded carefully.  Nat sighed.  "Yes; I have since my father died - um, since he was captured."  She leaned toward him and said seriously, "Today, you are going to be made Captain.  Whatever you want me to do, I will do it.  I just want to save my father."  Her tone was unwavering.  Cameron blinked.  "I...will remember that."  Nat nodded, satisfied.  "Good.  I want to learn how to use a gun."  He blinked again.  "Really?  That's...I mean, it's a good decision for...someone in your position...I was hoping you would...yeah, I'll talk to Jesse."

"Th-th-th-that's all, folks!" as Porky Pig would say.  

Tomorrow, I will hopefully post something about a character.  Maybe a character post about Jesse.  

  Elen síla lúmenn' omentielvo,
A star shines upon the hour of our meeting, (Next time I'm not gonna say what it means)
-Ashley

Some Tasty Tidbits

Over the years, I've written many random little pieces of what may have grown into a novel had I not given up on them.

Of course, not all of these were actually worth continuing, but hey.  

The first piece is from an attempt to rewrite "The Princess and the Pea".  Laurel is a princess bearing a magical golden pea to a safe place; she's attacked by highwaymen along the way.

Laurel clutched her golden box as the carriage lurched, then stopped.  Rain beat the mountainside into a swirling, muddy river, and thunder crashed.  She strained to hear the driver's voice over the deafening noise.  "Princess!  we're caught in a deep rut!  I must -" his yell was cut off by another boom of thunder that shook the ground.  The horses neighed in terror.  Laurel leaned to look out of the window, anxiety clutching at her heart.  They must not stop for long.  She had no time to linger.
An ugly face appeared in front of her.  She screamed.  Highwaymen now surrounded the carriage, climbing all over it and stripping it of its valuables.  A few of them burst inside, and one tried to snatch her golden box.  "No!" Laurel shrieked, throwing herself to the side - right into the arms of another man.  He wrenched the box from her shaking hands.  "What's this?" he sneered.  Suddenly there were screams from outside, and the carriage began to tip.  The men blanched and scrambled frantically out, ignoring Laurel.  The carriage rolled to one side, and she was thrown onto one wall.  Her face hit the window, and she screamed as a sheer cliff rushed past her.

It's amazing how that took up two pages in my notebook.  I skip lines and had, at the time of writing this, big handwriting.

This second excerpt was a story I was writing based on a dream I had where I was a Persian princess married off to a random rich sultan.  

"Turn around, miss, please," Dara, Nafeera's personal maid, murmured.  Nafeera turned to let Dara braid her hair.  She felt numb with anger.  Today she was to be presented to the Sultan of Agrasha.  No, she thought bitterly, not "presented".  She was being sold.  Sold to the Sultan by her own father in exchange for six hundred soldiers, three cities, and five hundred gold pieces.  "Five hundred gold pieces," she muttered.  "Father loves gold more than me."  Dara clucked sympathetically.  "I shall miss you, my lady," she ventured.
Nafeera left the Palace of Amirshahn with great fanfare, but she was insensitive to all of it.  She snapped at the servants and refused their help in getting onto her camel.  She scowled back at the bright city, hung with flowers and banners.  A tear ran down her cheek.  I will never see this place again, she thought, glancing with hatred at her father riding next to her.  He regarded her with cold eyes, and she met his gaze with an equally cold stare.
By camel, it was a fortnight's traveling time to Sultan Amjhad's palace.  The first night, servants set up tents near an oasis, taking care that Nafeera and her father's quarters were directly next to the water.  
Nafeera sat alone on her mat, staring straight ahead.  Her initial anger had subsided, leaving only a lead weight that had anchored itself in her heart.  Suddenly she felt suffocated.  Pulling on slippers, she fled the tent and walked around the pool of water to the other side, away from the camp.  Stars twinkled and winked at her.  She hated them for their mirth.

I actually want to continue that one someday, but literally that is the only thing I ever wrote for it.  Directly underneath those last words in my notebook, it says "To be continued when I have more inspiration."

My third piece is from The Crescent Mark, which, if you read the section about it in "My Works", is about a girl named Scarlett who, obviously, has a mark shaped like a crescent on her palm.

Scarlett sat up abruptly, wincing.  The crescent shaped scar on her palm was burning so much that it glowed faintly red in the darkness of the bedroom.  She rubbed it as the sleepy fog that clouded her mind slowly faded away.  As soon as she'd regained her thoughts, she remembered the reason her scar burned.  It had never been so painful or so bright before, and it meant one of her family was hurt.

                                                                       .....
 To not waste a lot of words, because the part after that is rather boring: she checked her parents and found they were fine.  Having no other family members, she remembered that walking away from the hurting person always alleviates the pain, so she gets out of bed.

Walking to the opposite end of the house did not relieve the pain.  Climbing the ladder into the loft alleviated it, but only a little, so that the change was hardly noticeable.
At last she pulled on a hood and stole out of the house into the storm.  Normally she would have grabbed a lantern, but her scar was shining brightly enough to see a little ways in front of her.  
Despite the help of her crescent mark, the rain was heavy and Scarlett was soon utterly disoriented.  A quick flash of lightning revealed the road nearly right in front of her and...something else.  She strained to identify the huge lump in the road.  
Suddenly the mark felt like it exploded, sending her to her knees.  The excruciating pain lasted only a few seconds; it soon dulled back to what it had been before.
Another flash of lightning showed her a terrible sight.  A wagon lay broken and smashed in the mud - trapping an old man under its wreckage.  There were no horses in sight.
Scarlett gasped and scrambled to her feet.  Running to the wreck, she knelt by the injured man and shouted above the noise of the storm, "My lord?" She had to strain to hear herself.  He didn't respond.  Heart pounding, she checked his wrist for a pulse.  He was alive and breathing.

That's all! Bwahahahaha.

Please, everyone, stay alive.  Tomorrow I will post a LONGER thing that takes up 4 pages in my notebook.  Unless everyone wants something from Hitchhiker again.  What do you guys think?

May you not be dead from my cruelty,
-Ashley   
 

The Promised Blurb

What I'm about to show you is what I just wrote in "Hitchhiker".
The most recent thing I've written.  You're getting a Super Deluxe Special Edition Live Preview.  Ooh, did I mention this is also completely unedited, un-looked-over, and ridiculously fresh?  Feel special.

 Natalie couldn't believe the junk the soldiers of The Safe House lived on.
She stared at her plate, idly pushing the literally fried eggs around with her fork.  Cameron, across the table from her, had already finished eating and was watching her with confusion.
"What's the matter?"he finally asked.  She looked up, pretending to have been startled from a reverie.  "Hm? Nothing."  She smiled, having found that Cameron brightened up whenever she did so.  His eyes slid to her food.  "You don't like that, do you?"  She glanced down and reddened, but he was grinning.  "I didn't expect you to.  Unfortunately it's all our 'cook' can handle."  Nat snorted, remembering the pancakes she'd made for her aunt just the other day.  "Even I could do better than this," she muttered, half laughingly, half disgustedly.  Cameron's eyebrows arched.  "You can cook?" His voice was hopeful.

And because that's the last paragraph I've written, that's all I'm going to post of it today.  
I was laughing with my friend because I thought I never put humor in my stories; I'm just not very skilled in that area (my friend, of course, vehemently denied it).  Give me feedback!  I hope this at least tickled your funny bone...in a thigh-slapping, rolling on the floor kind of way...no, seriously, it's not that funny.  At least I hope it wasn't that funny.  

May you not die in agitation over the shortness of this post (I might post something else later today),
-Ashley 
 

Character Post ~ Natalie Ross

Natalie's likeness is based on that of singer/actress Alexz Johnson.

Natalie, a character from my "Hitchhiker" story, is a little bit of me, and a little bit of who I want to be.
I actually feel it's important to give our heroes/heroines a little bit of our personality and/or traits so that we can relate to them.  It's easier to write about someone we can relate to.

Natalie's father Adrian was a soldier in the US Army, and her mother, Ingrid, had a job at the grocery store.  Her family was never rich, but they could live reasonably comfortably most of the time.  Whenever Adrian was shipped overseas, Ingrid's true side came out: she was not the loving wife and mother that she pretended to be when Adrian was around.  She wasn't abusive, but neglectful and uncaring, hiring a babysitter to look after Nat while she went out to gamble and drink with friends.
When Adrian was reported killed in action, Ingrid felt she was free.  She dropped Natalie off at her aunt Becca's house and never came back.  Nat wasn't quite as sorry as she supposed she should be; at least Aunt Becca was rich and mostly left her to herself.  However, this attitude only came after weeks of misery.
Nat grew up pretty much alone; she didn't bother to try to make friends at school, and though there were a few people who called themselves her 'friends', Natalie, when she was older, soon figured out that they only wanted privileges from the rich aunt.  
One fateful day, when she was seventeen, Nat was driving home from the grocery store when she did exactly what the sign outside the city jail told her not to: she picked up a hitchhiker.  She'd been distracted; afraid she was lost because of a detour; then the kindness of her heart wouldn't allow her to leave the rather bedraggled looking young man to the sweltering heat of July.  Perhaps at certain moments of her life after that, she would regret having done this.  But...I'm not giving any spoilers.  Except that the young man was Cameron, who you'll remember, if you read my first post, is the very good friend of Natalie's supposedly dead father. 

  Nat's a little naive, like me, but she wouldn't have believed Cameron that her life was in danger if, the very next day,  two ruffians hadn't happened to put her car in a ditch and try to kidnap her.  It was then, when Cameron (who she hadn't expected to ever see again) saved her, that she wondered if her life of dullness would become an adventure...but did she want that adventure?  Living in The Safe House, with all the soldier boys, wasn't exactly her idea of exciting.  Thankfully Cameron provided her with her own bedroom...and her own bathroom.

Nat is thoughtful and kind, despite what the people around her have taught her to be.  She loved her father with all her heart and when Cameron told her there was hope of him being alive, she would have done anything to save him - even go to The Safe House and allow them to train her into a soldier.

  A tendency for optimism is always a wonderful thing, and the more terrible things the world piles on top of Natalie, the more she strives to find happiness or at least the strength to keep going.  She's brave (one of the qualities that I DO NOT possess!) and can be a little impulsive.  Not to mention the fact that she can get sassy, a trait that she tries not to show, but around so many boys it kind of jumps out. 

My writing account on Pinterest, Weaver of Worlds, has a board dedicated to Natalie.  

Thanks for reading! What do you think?  Tomorrow I'll post a blurb! :)
-Ashley

 

Character Post ~ Cameron Walker

Hey guys! This is my first post!

Here I am!  Having had so many requests for a blog, I finally decided to make one.  Maybe it will boost my motivation to write the stories I'll be blogging about, maybe it won't ;)

Cameron's likeness is based on that of actor Julian Morris.

Cameron is a character from my story Hitchhiker.  You can read about it in My Works.
I personally really like Cameron.  He's a true gentleman, despite what a terrible life he's led.  
He was around ten years old when he ran away from abusive parents to live in a shack in the middle of nowhere.  He met a man named Adrian Ross, who took a liking to him and offered to sort of adopt him.  Cameron agreed, and Adrian introduced him to the underground top-secret facility which Adrian captained.  He called it "The Safe House", and it had at first been a research facility.  Then another top-secret organization rose up with evil intentions, and The Safe House was called upon to stop them, becoming a secret military base as well as a research base.  
Cameron learned fast everything Adrian taught him.  He became smart, strong, and skilled in pretty much every art of self-defense and offense.  Adrian even lined him up to be Captain when Adrian himself no longer could.  
Cameron was only fourteen when he and Adrian were captured while on a spy mission into the enemy HQ.  They were placed in separate prisons and Cameron knew not what was happening to his beloved Captain.  His captors set him to work in their mines, where all their prisoners worked to supply "Them" (having not thought of a name for them, I merely say "Them" and "They") with the materials needed for their weapons and resources.  Sometimes they would attempt to drug his food to get information, but he hardly ate anything, so their attempts always failed.
When he turned 16, they began to resort to worse methods of extracting information such as torture, but it was unusual that they would be so focused on him when they had the Captain of the Safe House in their grasp also.  Cameron later realized they must have been using him as insurance that Adrian would do what they wanted.


I've been depicting him as a bit dramatic so that when I go through and edit everything, I will know his thoughts and be able to write him a little better, but with his true heart in mind.  Here is a little blurb from my story:

"The only thing that kept me alive, my only consolation, was a fellow prisoner who encouraged me by his example.  He was an older man, but he never gave in, never gave up, always stood up when he was knocked down.  Every day when I was dragged out of some torture room, he soothed my pains and gave me strength to fight another day.  When I escaped, he forced me to leave him behind, because he thought he would slow me down..." Cameron's voice cracked.  He put his head in his hands and was silent.

Before you say that anyone would act a little dramatic with that experience in their past, I must remind you that he is a fully trained soldier who has been taught all his life that junk happens.  Anyway, I'll change it when I go through it a second time.  Right now, I want to write from his heart.

Cameron is a level-headed, mature young man despite the fact that the past four years of his life were spent in a prison cell.  He's quick-thinking and kind.  But he can also be a little hot tempered, especially when his honor and pride as a soldier are tested.  He is also extremely protective of Natalie, leading him to butt heads with some of his superiors.  

My writing account on Pinterest, Weaver of Worlds,  has a board dedicated to Cameron.

 Elen síla lúmenn' omentielvo,
A star shines upon the hour of our meeting,
-Ashley