I have come to a decision.

What's your decision about Paige? Well, imaginary follower I am making ask this question, my decision is about NaNoWriMo.
I know what you experienced NaNo's are saying..
PAIGE! NaNo is in less than 2 days and you just made your decision NOW?!


Yeah, unfortunately it took me this long to ponder over whether I would be able to handle 50,000 words in one month for a novel I'm still pretty unsure about. I don't even have a pitch for it yet.

I remember last year in the middle of November 2010 when I had just started blogging and gotten more serious about writing, I was on Inkpop and saw everyone talking about NaNoWriMo. I was literally thinking to myself, what the heck is that?! So I finally found out, and by the time I did it was the end of November, so obviously I could not participate.

I promised myself I would this year. I mean, if I actually want to be a novelist in the future, I NEED to do this. It's great experience. And how could I just sit out when everyone else was writing novels? I don't like to be the odd one out.

And when this year rolled around, I found I can't physically and emotionally handle 50,000 words, that's just not possible with my November schedule. I'd go nuts with stress with school being extremely hard this year, dance 4 days a week, and just life.

Trust me, I wish so badly I could do 50k, that would be amazing. I just don't have the time. I'd definitely end up choosing NaNo over school work.. and that would not result very well.

BUT, did you notice I said just 50,000 words?
Maybe, just maybe, I could handle 25,000 in a month. Maybe even a little more.

Yeah, I am aware I won't "win" NaNo if I don't do 50,000. That's okay with me, because I joined the Young Writers Program which is a branch off of NaNoWriMo.

On this site you can set goals other than 50,000. And my goal for November with my novel "Fix You," is 25k for November. So I'm still kind of participating, just not writing 50k.

I mean how could I not participate at all? I love to write, so I can't just not do it when I know something this big is going on around me. I know tons of you guys on here are doing it too, and I don't want to be left out.

I know my blogger friend Qui has been talking a lot about NaNo and is planning to do some pretty awesome stuff on her blog in November in honor of NaNo, and I'm really looking forward to it.

I'll be uploading my book to the NaNoWriMo site and the YWP site, or however that works. So, add me to your writing buddy list on both sites!
My NaNoWriMo profile
My YWP profile. (You must be a member to add me or even see my profile)

Yeah, I won't "win" truly on NaNo, but I'll win in my own mind if I actually make it to 25k by the end of the month.

I actually started an outline for the book. I've never done that before. I didn't get very far, but I still started it! I created a cover and I'm going to write a pitch now! Or at least attempt to...

Do you guys like it?

Read the prologue from Fix You here! Well, add me to your buddy lists and happy writing! Good luck to everyone!

Let me know if you guys are doing YWP or just regular NaNo. Do you guys have any tips for me since this is my first time ever? Planning any fun activities on your blog? Let me know in the comments!

A Reader's Ramble- Vampire Academy Series

Okay, so this isn't a normal Reader's Ramble. I am going to be talking about a series of books called Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead. I can't even put it into categories because.. I just can't. It's impossible because this series is too good for the category system of reviewing. View my Reader's Ramble of the first book alone here.

When I started reading this series, I wasn't really sure how I was going to feel about it. I mean vampires? Come on now. Vampires are lame, they freaking sparkle. If they're anything like Edward Cullen, I'm going to hate this series. 

Those were my thoughts basically going into this series. I was sure I was going to hate it. I actually kind of wanted to hate it. Vampires are so cliche. I can't actually let myself like this series. 

But, I didn't hate it. 

Turns out these vampires are NOTHING like the vampires in Twilight. I don't even know why people compare this series to Twilight. It's nothing, I repeat NOTHING alike! This series blows Twilight in the dust. 

On the back of the books, The Daily Beast said that Vampire Academy is "the obvious heir to the Twilight Throne." 

You know what Paige says? That stinking Twilight never even had a freaking throne because this series murdered it before it even took the throne, and took over. 

Seriously, I know a lot of you guys hate Twilight out there, and because of that you may not want to read this series. I assure you that Vampire Academy has no similarities to Twilight whatsoever, except that fact that the word Vampire is used in each series. 

I hope that is clear to you all now. Because I'm moving on. 

Vampire Academy is not only completely different than Twilight, it's also a million times better! 

Pretty Little Liars is my favorite series of books, I am loyal to those books forever. But after reading these..Vampire Academy is definitely tied for 1st place in my rankings. I never thought I'd read another series I liked as much, and possibly more than PLL, but I did!

I don't know what planet Richelle Mead is from, but I don't think it's Earth. She is a complete genius. I don't know how the heck she came up with such a brilliant, fantastic, amazing, exciting, unique, adventurous, romantic, scary, action-packed, and addicting series. 

When I saw addicting, I mean LIKE DRUGS. This book is like alcohol, I just always need more of it. This series actually made me cry. Not just cry, bawl. Like huge tears streaming down my face. 

Shadow Kiss, VA #3 and Blood Promise, VA #4 were definitely my favorites. Shadow Kiss was the one that made me cry so hard. I always mention how the only book to ever make me tear up was The Book Thief by Markus Zusak.. and it was really just tearing up a little. 

With Shadow Kiss, they were huge tears and I was actually sobbing. That's just shows you how powerful these books are. 

I also finished the last book, Last Sacrifice in 2 days, and it's 594 pages. That's also gotta say something about these books. 

Each of the six books has such an amazing plot. Each one is equally as exciting and action packed. This series keeps you off the edge of your seat and wanting more the entire time. In each one something completely different happens, the characters go through a whole new exciting adventure. 

The characters! These characters are not just normal vampires. They don't sparkle. They're too good for sparkling. These vampires are just amazing.. I don't even see them as vampires. Like sometimes I forget that fact. 

There are Moroi, the normal, good vampires of society. They drink blood without killing their victims, they have fangs, are pale and tall and have normal colored eyes, not red or anything stupid like that. They can posses five types of power, Earth, Water, Air, Fire, and one other one I'm not going to tell you about... The Moroi basically run the show. 

Then there are Dhampirs. Dhampirs are half Moroi, half human. They look like humans, don't have fangs or drink blood, but they are extremely strong and have great senses. Dhampirs become body gaurds for Moroi, especially the Royal Moroi. 

Our narrator, Rose Hathway is a Dhampir. She is the best friend of Lissa Dragomir, a Royal Moroi. 

Lastly, there are Strigoi. Strigoi are the evil ones, the living dead. They are super pale and have bright red eyes and fangs. They love to kill people, especially Moroi's.  Every Strigoi was once a Moroi, Dhampir, or Human. Strigoi are created, not born. 

No matter what type of character it is, all of them are brilliant. You fall in love with them right away. One of the Moroi in the story is the love of my life. 

Yeah, I'm that obsessed. 

But the thing is, why am I obsessed? It's because Richelle Mead is so good at creating amazing, realistic, and lovable characters! Even though the narrator isn't human and pretty much has nothing in common with me, I still loved her. Rose was so real, so brave, determined, hilarious, strong, and just a wonderful character. 

All of them are amazing. Every single one. The good and evil ones. 

I could go on for paragraphs more about how amazing this series is, but I need to stop now. You know what you guys need to do?

Go. Read. This. Series!

I mean it! I don't care what genre is your favorite, you will fall in love with this series right away anyway. Mine is Contemporary Fiction, but as you can see, I loved it! 

I rate this series 1000 stars. Yeah, I can do that. I created my own system :) 

I really want to thank Marisa, Evie, and Laura for recommending this series to me and finally convincing me to read it. Thanks so, so much guys! 

Lastly, I want you all to most certainly...

 

Let it snow...

Today was the winter's first snow here where I live. I woke up this morning for dance, tired and miserable, then I walked into our kitchen and noticed it was all white outside and more white little flakes were falling from the sky.

This was pretty shocking to me. One, because it's still October. Two, because in all my life I have never seen it snow before Halloween. (Sucks for all those trick or treaters, haha! I'm not even going this year.)

And you know what that means?
We're going to have a bad, bad winter!
And you know what that means?
Tons and tons of school delays and cancellations!

The weather people have been reporting for weeks that this winter here in Pennsylvania is going to be a rough one, and I can't wait! It really didn't snow that much today, like maybe only an inch. But it was still beautiful fluttering down from the sky.
I actually really love snow. Like this morning I was totally miserable and tired before I looked out the window, but seeing that today was the first snow, it just woke me up and brightened my spirits.

I think it's so stunning and awing when it all falls down from the sky. Snow is bright and pretty. (At first anyway.) Rain just depresses me. It's been raining so much lately and I've been in a horrible mood for a while now. My friends were positive I was PMSing. Rain just makes me think of sadness and it makes me tired and depressed. Snow is a sign of beauty and it lifts my spirits.

I mean yeah, the snow is ugly when it gets old and dirty, I hate the cold, I hate winter jackets, I hate wearing long sleeves and being freezing 24-7, but I love seeing snow when it's falling from the sky when it's new and fresh. I love sledding too. 

Don't you just love when the snow sparkles? 

And one of the best things about snow is school delays! I love waking up, seeing I have a delay, then going back to bed. It's the best feeling in the world.

Cancellations are great too. But when we get too many of them they start making us make up the days and we lose our spring break and we have to go longer in the summer. That's the only downside of cancellations. 

Snow makes me so happy. I just had to post about this because today was the first snow of the winter and all.
You know what snow makes me think of?
Christmas!
Christmas is right around the corner and it'll be here before we know it! I love the Christmas season, not just because of the presents. (Well, that is a great part of it..)
But I just love the whole atmosphere of Christmas. The decorations, the lights, the snow, the Christmas trees, the shopping, the foods, the clothes, the time off school, and the snow! And the fact that it's Jesus's birthday also makes it great!

Hot chocolate is always great when it's cold out!

The lights <3

I hate being cold, but I love the snow. So the love for snow kind of overpowers the cold thing. I can't wait for Christmas. My mood just lifts so much. I can't wait till it snows more! Gah! Fall is not my favorite season. I like the leaves changing to all those pretty colors but that's about it. I hate how it turns from warm to freezing so quickly here. Actually, I only like the month of December in winter. The other ones can just go away. I guess November is kind of the winter, but December is my favorite. 

What about you guys? Do you like snow? Hate it? More of a rain person? How excited are you for Christmas? (Or whatever holiday you celebrate.) Has it snowed in your area yet? Leave me some comments! 

Now I am going to go lose myself in the world of Vampire Academy, Last sacrifice! I'll be done with it very soon, so look for a Reader's Ramble on the entire series later today!

Scratch Off Challenge!

Hey guys! So i found this Scratch Off Challenge over at Amy's blog and it looks like fun so I'm going to try it! The ones that are scratched off apply to me! Leave comments and you guys should try this challenge too! It's a fun way to learn about people. Most of this is going to highlighted in white because I copied it... ugh, I hate this blog. Why does it have to be so stupid? 

Appearance
I have/had piercings besides the ears.
I want piercings besides the ears.

I have many scars.
I tan easily.

I wish my hair was a different color.
I have friends who have never seen my natural hair color.
I have a tattoo.
I want a tattoo.

I can be self-conscious about my appearance.
I have/had braces.
I have more than two piercings.

Embarrassment
Disney movies still make me cry.
I’ve laughed so hard I’ve cried.
I’ve glued my hand to something.
I’ve laughed until some kind of beverage came out of my nose.
I’ve touched something sharp/hot/etc to see if it would hurt.

Health
I’ve gotten stitches.
I’ve broken or dislocated a bone.
I’ve had my tonsils removed.
I’ve had my wisdom teeth removed.
I’ve had chicken pox.
I've had malaria.
I've had typhoid.
I've had jaundice.

Travel
I’ve been on a plane.
I’ve been to the US.
I’ve been to Europe.
I've been to at least one other country.
I've never been out of my country.
I’ve driven/ridden over 200 kilometers in one day.

Experiences
I’ve gotten lost in my city.
I’ve seen a shooting star.
I’ve wished on a shooting star.
I’ve seen a meteor shower.
I’ve gone out in public in my pajamas.
I’ve pushed all the buttons on an elevator.
I’ve slapped someone.
I’ve kissed someone underwater.
I’ve chugged something.

I’ve crashed a car.
I’ve been skiing.
I’ve been in a musical.
I’ve auditioned for something.
I’ve been on stage.
I’ve caught a snowflake on my tongue.
I’ve sat on a rooftop at night.
I’ve pranked someone.

I’ve ridden in a taxi.

Honesty / Crime
I’ve been threatened to be arrested.
I’ve broken a law.
I’ve done something I promised someone I wouldn’t.
I’ve done something I promised myself I wouldn’t.
I’ve sneaked out.
I’ve lied about my whereabouts.
I’ve cheated while playing a game.

I’ve been in a fist fight.

Death
I’m afraid of dying.

I hate funerals.
I’ve seen someone/something die.
Someone close to me has attempted/committed suicide.
I have attempted suicide.
I’ve thought about suicide before.
I’ve written a eulogy for myself.

Materialism

I own over 10 music CDs.

I own over 10 novels.

I own over 5 electronic gadgets.

I’m obsessed with anime/manga.

I collected comic books.

I own a lot of makeup.

I own gaming console(s).

I own a car.

I own a bike.

I thrive on compliments.

I thrive on hate.

Random

I can sing low key.

I’ve stolen a tray from a fast food restaurant.

I open up to others easily.

I watch the news occasionally or always.

I like to kill bugs.

I sing in the shower.

I’m a morning person.

I’m a sports cricket fanatic.

I twirl my hair.

I care about grammar.

I love spam.

I’ve copied more than 30 CDs in a day.

I bake reasonably well.

My favorite color is either white, yellow, pink, blue, red, black, purple, or orange.

I would wear pajamas to school.

I like Martha Stewart.

I laugh at my own jokes.

I eat fast food weekly.

I’ve not turned anything in and still got an A in a certain class.

I can’t sleep if there’s a bug/insect in the room.

I’m really ticklish.

I like chocolate.

I bite my nails.

I’m good at remembering names.

I’m good at remembering dates.

My memory sucks.

I have no idea what I want to do for the rest of my life. 

People

...used to ask if I was anorexic/bulimic. 

...called me fat.

...say I’m skinny.

...have said I’m ugly.

...have said I’m pretty.

...have spread rumors about me.

...force me to eat. 

...say I eat too much

....say I eat too little.

...say I eat too fast.

...say I eat too slow.

...have called me a genius.

...have given me gifts.

Eating

I’ve lost weight.

I’ve gained weight.

I’m at my thinnest.

I’m at my biggest. 

I’ve lost weight and kept it off.

I’ve lost weight, but gained it back. 

My weight affects my mood. 

I diet. 

I’m vegan/vegetarian.

I exercise. 

I’ve fainted from exhaustion. 

Family

I’ve sworn at my parents.

I’ve planned to run away from home before. 

I’ve run away from home. 

I have a sibling less than one year old.

I want kids.

I’ve had kids.

I’ve lost a child.

Relationships

I’m engaged.

I’m married.

I’m a swinger.

I'm in a relationship.

I’ve gone on a blind date.

I have/had a friend with benefits.

I miss someone right now.

I have a fear of abandonment.

I don't like to depend on others. 

I’ve gotten divorced.

I’ve had feelings for someone who didn’t have them back.

Someone has/had feelings for me when I didn’t have them back.

I’ve told someone I loved them when I didn’t.

I’ve told someone I didn’t love them when I did.

I’ve kept something from a past relationship.

Sexuality

I’m a cuddler.

I’ve been kissed in the rain.

I’ve hugged a stranger.

I’ve kissed a stranger.

Bad times

I regularly drink.

I can’t swallow pills.

I can swallow numerous pills at a time without difficulty.

I’ve been diagnosed with depression at some point.

I have anxiety problems.

I shut others out when I’m upset.

I don’t have anyone to talk to when I’m upset.

I have taken/take anti-depressants.

I’ve slept an entire day before.

                                                             

A Reader's Ramble- Daughter of Smoke and Bone

Wow! I haven't done a Reader's Ramble in like a month! But, for this one I will be reviewing Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor. 

Page count- 420

Around the world, black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky. In a dark and dusty shop, a devil's supply of human teeth grown dangerously low. And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherwordly war. 
Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real; she's prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands"; she speaks many languages--not all of them human; and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she's about to find out. 
When one of the strangers--beautiful, haunted Akiva--fixes his fire-colored eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?

This took me about two weeks to read, which is a really long time for me. Why? Because school keeps getting more time consuming and this book was long, and confusing. I was pretty much speechless after finishing it, so this review is going to be difficult to write. 

Plot- You guys may or may not know that Contemporary Fiction is usually my forte. But this.. this.. this... is just remarkable. I don't even care that it wasn't contemporary, I still loved it! This book made me actually get a softer side for fantasy and paranormal books, and now I actually want to read some more like this. (Just no oldie times castles and fairies and ogres, that stuff I still can't stand.) 

But this book.. oh my gosh. Laini Taylor is a genius. This needs to be on the NYT Bestseller list NOW! Once you start reading it, you are taken to another world, a unique and magnificent world that Laini Taylor somehow created. I don't know what planet she comes from, but it's not Earth. The whole story line was just so intriguing and mystified. Like as your reading, you don't even know what the heck is going on but you have to keep reading anyway because it's SO DANG GOOD. It leaves you asking TONS of questions, but that just makes you want to keep reading!

The plot was just wow, wow, wow, wow, wow. I never expected it to end like it did. The whole time I kept asking myself, who is Karou? What is Karou? And by the end I got my shocking answer. It was just so brilliant, one of the best takes on Angels and Demons that probably exists today. 

Not to mention Taylor's writing style. My goodness, that lady has a way with words. They just flow so beautifully and really give you a feel of the story. 

All of you will love it. Like I said, fantasy normally isn't my thing but I am in love with this book.

When does the next one come out?! Ahh!

Setting-Some mystical and magical place called Eretz where angels and demons live but are at war. Somewhere where magic exists and people fly and it's just so wonderful. Such a unique setting. It is confusing at times but it's still amazing. I don't know how she came up with it. 

Characters- I don't even know how I can form complete and logical sentences about the characters, but I must try! 

Karou, mysterious, magical, beautiful Karou. She is one heck of a main character! She is brave, cunning, terrifying, confused, lost, empty, wonderful, amazing, and just so so unique. I wish I was her, or I wish she existed. Even though this story is fantasy, Karou is so real and relatable. She desires what every normal person wants. Love and understanding about who she is. 

A lot of the same words would be used for Akiva. He is just great and so mysterious as well, I loved him. Throughout reading, I wanted to know who he was too. Like what's his past? Why didn't he just kill Karou when he had the chance? What stopped him other than love? Where did he come from? Those are the many aspects that make you want to keep reading. 

Cover-I love it! The fact that she's wearing a mask, and that the mask is blue is perfect! This cover just pops out on a shelf, and the font is beautiful! Simply stunning and it was a great choice.

Overall- Overall, I am so glad I read this and got to experience such awesomeness. Just the plot of this story was amazing and leaves me craving for more. The romance was so beautiful and I hope one day to have one like that for myself. You all just need to read this book. Do it. I don't care what genre you're into, just. Read. It. 

I give this book 5/5 stars! It was an incredible read that leaves you in awe. 

Children's TV- Uhm, what happened?

Yes, I'm 16, a Junior in high school, and I still watch Disney, Nickelodeon, and Cartoon Network. Yes, I am not ashamed to say it, I love shows on those channels. My favorites that still air currently are Spongebob, ICarly, Victorious, Shake It Up, Good Luck Charlie, Fish Hooks, Tom and Jerry, Looney Toons, Regular Show, MAD,  & Adventure Time.

But other than those shows, the other shows kind of disgust me. They have become so stupid, annoying, repulsive, and just a waste of time.

Like these-

This show makes me want to rip my hair out and punch the TV. I've never actually watched a full episode. Seeing 5 minutes of it makes me go insane. It's the dumbest show on the face of the earth. 

This is just stupid. Never watched a full episode. Seeing five minutes of it disgusts me. 

Three words- What. The. Fudge. This is just an idiotic rip off of Jimmy Neutron WHICH was a great show, but this isn't. 

Supah Ninjas and Power Rangers also seem pretty stupid, but I've never even seen any of either of them so I can't judge. Just the word SUPAH in the title makes it seem stupid. 

Yeah, I'm using the word stupid a lot. 

I could talk about Disney's Phineas and Ferb, and Fish Hooks, but those are actually good shows. Disney hasn't disappointed me with their cartoons. (Yet) Disney's So Random is pretty pointless though.

Cartoon Network on the other hand, a lot of shows would be named. Except for All the Looney Toons, Tom and Jerry, MAD, Regular Show, and Adventure Time. 

Shows these days just embarrassing to me. If you're around my age, don't you remember the shows being so much better!? 

People in society wonder.. "Why is the new generation so obtuse at times?"

MAYBE BECAUSE THE SHOWS THEY ARE WATCHING ARE SO STUPID IT KILLS THEIR BRAIN CELLS! 

*Calms self.*

Dating in shows, oh my gosh. Little kids in like first grade are like I HAVE A BOYFRIEND! When I was in first grade, I still thought boys were disgusting. 

Why is that?

Because the shows my generation watched as kids weren't as.. hmm.. what can I call it? Raunchy? Racy? Sexy? Inappropriate? 

I like answering my own questions.

Here is a great example-

I love this show, I really do. But take a look at this that I heard from an episode-

Teddy (To father who is about to go on a date with the mother character)- Alight, you guys go ahead and have some fun tonight. But not too much fun, we have enough kids already. 

And from another episode-

Mother (talking about her trip to a ski resort where her and her husband got married)- They said we were perfect for each other so, we did it!

Father( Quickly and nervously interrupting) Got married! 

That was pretty much my face after I heard both of those lines on the show. They are clearly referencing to sex. IT'S DISNEY CHANNEL! 

In every other show, like Shake it Up, ICarly, Victorious, Good Luck Charlie, and ANT Farm, there is dating and kissing. (ICarly people just LOVE to make out..) 

It's a shame little kids are exposed to that every single day. 

I mean sure, dating and crushes are fine. But does there have to be make out sessions on shows little kids watch? It's just totally uncalled for. 

You know what were two great shows- The Amanda Show and Drake and Josh. 

I wish those were still on. Those are classics.  You should definitely watch all these videos, they are hilarious. It's even more hilarious now that I'm older. 

What planet are you from? FALSE!
I pretty much peed my pants on that whole part.

See? Why can't good shows like this come on kids' channels anymore?
I'm not saying all today's TV shows are bad, but you guys know what I mean.
What is your opinion? Did you pee your pants laughing at these videos? Let me know!

Beautiful People-NaNoWriMo Edition (Check out the prologue!)

Hey guys! I haven't posted since Monday.. wow.. anyways. Yay! it's time for Beautiful People! This one is quite different though, hence the whole NaNoWriMo Edition thing. I don't even know if I'm going to do it. Probably not. I mean I have a new novel I'm working on, but time just simply doesn't allow. With dance 4 days a week, homework, and just life, I don't know if I could handle it. I mean 50k is  A LOT for one month. I feel like if I do this with my new novel, I'll get really upset because I'll think I'm trashing it. Rushing through it with no editing whatsoever. Gah. Anyway, I'll try this post anyway. Who knows, maybe I'll try NaNoWriMo too.

View my previous Beautiful People post for this book here!
I don't even have a title for my new book, or a pitch. I have character names,a cover, and a little over 2,000 words written for it. Which is cheating because I started before November... :(

Here is the cover-

Obviously, there will be a title and my name on there and stuff, once I think of something!

Here are my two main characters-

Alice Meyers, the main character. She's not the narrator. She's 17 years old and is going to be a senior in high school after the summer ends. She lives with her dad and older sister. Alice is slowly becoming an alcoholic, and she doesn't know it. She's a party-er, a risk taker, a wild child, and boy crazy. Get the picture? 

This is Faye Roberts. Faye is the narrator of my story. She was also 17 and would be senior. Faye is pretty much the polar opposite of Alice. She is a total good girl. She cares about her future and her grades. She lives with her mom, dad, and younger brother. She likes boys, but isn't boy crazy. With her attitude combined with Alice's, their friendship is balanced out. Faye would do anything to stop Alice from becoming an alcoholic. She just wants her to have a great and successful future, like any good best friend would want for their best friend. Her character is unique, not just in her personality, in her being. If you read the prologue below, you'll see how. She's not your normal narrator. 

Onto the questions!

1. Sum up your novel in five words or less. I can't, I haven't really gotten that far into it yet. Just know that it will be passionate, thrilling, entertaining, and a emotional and physical  journey. 

2. Novel title? Like I said above, I don't know. I was thinking about Fix you, But, I'm still working on it. 

3. Sum up your characters in one word. Alice- Determined. Faye- Compassionate.

4. Advice for newbies in 3 words? I'm a newbie....

5. Tell us about your secondary characters, how do they affect the story? My secondary characters play such a huge, huge role in affecting the story. Alice's mom, dad, and older sister really influence a lot. Landon Skye plays a huge role too, and helps create some romance. 

6. Do you plan to stay up until midnight on the 31st? No. One, it's a school night. Two, it's a Monday, I'll be dead tired. And I'm still conflicting on whether I'm going to even participate..

7. How many years have you done NaNoWriMo? cough None cough. 

8. What came first, characters or plot idea? I think the plot idea. But, it's weird. Because my plot was inspired by someone who I know and used to be close to in my real life. 

9. How much prep do you do before November? I can't really answer this one either...

10. Now be honest, how do you really feel about NaNo? Conflicted and confused. Like I said, I am conflicted over whether I will participate, and just confused on the whole process. How can I write 50K in a month and not edit at all? And just rush through it with no care in the world? I don't know if I can do that. It'll be a piece of shit crap. 

Guess what? I am going to share with you guys the short prologue of this book! Just keep in mind, it is a rough draft and still needs work. But please let me know what you think of it!

~Prologue~

I’d always imagined death to be cold, like an icy grip, succumbing you over to the other side with no hope of escaping its clutches.

But I was warm.

A gentle heat pressed against my heart as I began slipping away from life as I knew it. You know how they say dead people are always cold? Everyone at funerals slowly waltzes by the casket, dressed in all black attire, and touches the person’s hand for the last time, thinking how frozen it feels against their skin. Maybe it’s because the heat of their soul escaped their body, found a better place to reside, like mine was doing now.

The pain throbbing on my skull was beginning to dull as the heat intensified. The scene in front of my eyes quickly blurred and my hearing became muffled. My best friend’s faint screams rang in my ears, begging for me to stay with her. 

It was pulling me under, drowning me in the flames. Unfortunately, this wasn’t something I could swim out of. My heart beat began to sound like a clock ticking loudly in my ears, reminding me my time was about to run out.

I could almost see her in my head now; tears streaming down her pale, heart shaped face, her pink lips crying towards me, and her fragile hands shaking my shoulders oh so desperately. I wanted to stay with her, I really did. The force pressing against my whole body preferred otherwise, though.

My mouth wouldn’t open no matter how hard I struggled. The words were in my throat, just waiting to be spoken. I longed to call back to her, promising I would never leave.


It was a promise what would ultimately be broken, but she needed me in her life more than ever now. What kind of friend was I to just leave her like this? The guilt was already towering over me.

I remember when I first met Alice. We were so innocent and young, back when boys, makeup, and parties didn’t even come to mind. We never thought it would end like this. She didn’t know she’d accidently send me to my grave, neither of us did.

A white light suddenly flashed before my eyes, and I couldn’t hear Alice’s sobs or the approaching sirens anymore. 

That’s when I knew the clock had stopped ticking.

***

So, that's the prologue! What do you guys think? Is it chilling? That's what I was going for. Any suggestions? Let me know! 

Featured Follower # 2- Taylor Lynn

Hey everyone! Time for me to introduce my next Featured Follower to you all! If some of you didn't know, I am doing these posts in honor of The 828's 1 year birthday and getting up to 100 followers!

So, without further a do, here is Featured Follower # 2!

Hey! I’m Taylor Lynn. I’m vegan, homeschooled, a Lord of the Rings/Harry Potter fanatic, a bookworm, a music-lover, and above all, a teen who loves history, photography, writing, Greek mythology, fantasy and the sea. My dream is to become a bestselling novelist. Want to learn more? Read my blog!

This is Taylor Lynn. Taylor started following me when I had around 40 or so followers, so she's been here a while! She found my blog somehow and left a comment for me. That's where it all started for us!

Taylor owns the blog Perfectly Sensible Nonsense!






Taylor has herself a pretty awesome blog over there. She posts about a variety of things. From books, writing, photography, family,friends, adventures, entertainment, and just random fun posts!

When I first saw Taylor's blog, I wasn't too sure about it. Her and me didn't seem to have that much in common. I mean a lot of you love Harry Potter and Lord Of the Rings and Star Wars and I hate that stuff, so whenever I see a blogger likes those things, it usually takes me a little bit to warm up to their blog.

But Taylor's didn't take me long at all. I soon found that Taylor's blog was super awesome and her posts were really entertaining to read. Turns out we actually do have a lot in common and now we are email buddies! (I still need to answer our most recent one.. I will eventually, Taylor!)

She's a writer like most of us, and sometimes she posts about her novel and such. Sometimes she does book reviews, and sometimes photography. She is an AMAZING photographer!
Her posts always have really creative titles too, which draw you in to read them. Her posts are also very real and relatable to every day life. They are also very interesting and genuine. You can see her love for her family, friends, writing, and photography through her blog.

But the thing about Taylor is her personality. She is pretty much the nicest blogger I have ever met. She comments on ALL my posts, which I very much appreciate, and she is just such a sweet girl. Her comments always make me feel better if I'm upset, or sometimes make my day, or make me laugh, or whatever! She is a very kind, active, and loyal follower. You can just tell through her blog and comments that she is an extremely nice girl who will go really far in life! I am very lucky to have Taylor as my Blogger Buddy!

She posts quite often and sometimes has guests posts on her blog too. (one of them was me!) She's done a vlog before too!

So I highly recommend checking out Taylor's blog and following her, you won't regret it!
Right now she has 74 followers, let's get her some more!

Love ya, Taylor!

Check back tomorrow or Wednesday for Featured Follower # 3!

Featured Follower # 1- Devin

Hi guys! So, as you may or may not know, October 11th was The 828's one year anniversary! And since I can't do a giveaway, I figured this would be pretty cool to do. So, in honor of my one year anniversary AND in honor of getting over 100 followers, I have decided to do some Featured Follower posts! I'll probably do around 8 of them over the course of the next 8 days. If I can find 8. Maybe more, maybe less. We'll see.

Just to clear some things up before I start, if I don't choose you as a Featured Follower, it does not mean I don't love you. Because I love you all. The 8 or so people I choose are chosen for a reason. The biggest reason being they deserve way more followers than they have. If you have around 150 followers, you won't be featured. Just because 150 is a lot. They are also chosen because they are very loyal, kind, and active followers of mine. They are also chosen because they post quite regularly. Not once a month, or once every couple months. And not every post is about how they haven't posted in a while. 

Okay, let's begin!

This is Devin.

1 Corinthians 15:10a- "But by the grace of God, I am what I am." I am a Christian, a cheerleader, a softball player, an addicted shopper, a cook, a writer, a best friend, a sister, a daughter. Take it or leave it, but don't try to change it. 

Devin was one of my first followers from the beginning. I think she found my blog somehow, but I really don't remember.
Devin is the owner of the blog called, "The Everyday Effect." 

The Everyday Effect is definitely one of my favorite blogs in all the blogs I follow, and I follow A LOT of blogs. Whenever I see Devin has posted something, I automatically click on it because I know it will be a great one.

First off, Devin is such a sweet person and a great blogger friend to have. She is a frequent commenter and her comments always make me smile. All around, she is just an amazing blogger buddy!

Her blog.. her... blog... is.. so... wonderful! Her posts are just so unique and so relatable! Like every time she posts, it's about something that I have experienced in my life or am going through at the moment. She tells it like it is and her posts are really interesting and entertaining.

The coolest thing Devin does with her posts is she expresses her feelings through the lyrics of music. She uses songs we all know and love by great artists, for example Taylor Swift, and relates those lyrics to what she's going through in life! It's so interesting to read and see what she can elaborate from those simple song lyrics.

Like yesterday, she did a post relating to the song "Untouchable," by Taylor Swift. That is like my favorite Swift song of ALL TIME. It's a great post, go on her blog and check it out.

Actually, go check out ALL her posts. And while you're at it, you should just click the follow button too. Because trust me, you won't regret it.
Devin has 57 followers right now, let's get her some more! She for sure deserves it!  Go follow The Everyday Effect now!
Love you, Devin! Thanks for being such an awesome follower and a great friend!

Look out later today or tomorrow for the next Featured Follower post!

One year later...

Once apon a time, there was a bored girl named Paige. Exactly a year ago today, she decided to make a blog. She didn't think it would come to anything at all. She figured it would just be a little unseen sight where she would post random things, helping her become more experienced as an aspiring writer. A few posts were posted, and no comments were made. Paige didn't really mind, this was just a little hobby. Then she got her first comment, and it was someone giving her a Versatile Blogger Award. Paige was shocked, she never even thought anyone viewed her blog. 
She was wrong. 
And now exactly a year later, that little, meaningless blog has 102 followers and 16,160 page views. 


Yes, today The 828 turns one year old! Has it been a year already? Wow, they grow up so fast! *tear*

That story is completely true. When I started this blog, I was still totally into being a journalist ( and I still am, somewhat) But, this blog was going to be like my own little news blog, just to post about things I thought were exciting in the world. Which I do occasionally, but not really.
Now, I don't even really know what type of blog this is. Hm. I guess it's a little bit of a book blog, and a writing blog, and a blog for teen girls, random stuff. It's a mix of all sorts of things now.

Over the past year, I've met (well you know, met on the internet) some pretty amazing bloggers, and you all know who you are. Thank you all of you, for being my inspiration to blog. For always commenting. For putting my button on your sidebars. For even looking at this blog once and a while. Because without you guys, I would have stopped blogging a long time ago!

And I mean, it's a pretty beautiful blog isn't it? That's all thanks to Evie at Twin Butterfly Designs- go check her out!

This blog and all of you guys helped me discover my love for reading at writing. I found out about TONS of cool books from the blogger world, and learned a lot more about writing since I've been on here. Now, my main dream is to be an author.

So like I said above, I never thought this blog would amount to anything, but I mean look at it now! I never dreamed of even having 50 followers, let alone 100! Thank you so much, guys!
The 828 is also Global, look!

United States

United Kingdom

Canada

Australia

Germany

Russia

Philippines

Denmark

France

India

Saudi Arabia

Netherlands

Brazil

Japan

Latvia

Spain

Those are really spread out and I don't know why, BUT, that's amazing that people have looked at this blog all around the world! 

May 2011 was my most popular month, topping all the other months in page view numbers. May was also the month where I had the most posts. 

I've gotten a total of 1121 comments.

I've done a total of 302 posts.

The post that I got the most comments on so far is Why did you start writing?  I'm glad, because I really like that post. 

My most popular post was Dance Moms, really? I think that's because someone else on another site linked to me in their article about Dance Moms, but still. 

Thank you all 102 of you for all your support, and just following my blog. It means the world to me. 

But if I can ask you guys...

 What do you like about my blog? Why did you start following it? Do you enjoy my posts? What was my favorite post of yours, do you remember? Do you have any suggestions for me? Do you wish I did something more often? 

Tell me why you like my blog! Or why you don't like it, if you're a hater. 

Well, I think to honor my year anniversary and all of you guys, I'm going to do some "Featured Follower" posts very soon. So check back for those!

Anyway, thanks so much everyone. Happy birthday The 828!