Happy early August

Since I won't be here personally to greet you and the new month, I figured I might as well post this up now.


Happy early August!  Remember with the new month there's oh so much more you can work towards and look forward to:)

chapter 12 UPLOADED

I managed to finish chapter twelve today. It will be a while before chapter thirteen is up, but in the mean time you can read what is posted up.
What secrets lie in the diamond?  Was it really Dyanna who gave Celestria the mysterious item?  Are there answers to the seemingly endless list of questions that Celestria is coming across?
You can try to answer these questions yourself when you read Cursed with Power.  There is so much more Celestria is coming to realize as the story moves along, and there is also a lot more that she is noticing she does not know.
How much longer can Celestria go on like this?
Find out when you read the story!
Read it. Review it. Comment it. Add it.

P.S. You won't be hearing from me again until I come back from Otakon.  So sometime around August 1st or 2nd I will hopefully get to post again.

These old pictures are cool, tell me the stories

If you scroll down to the very bottom of the blog you'll see I've added in some new additions to the blog.

In case you were wondering, I made those myself on Polyvore.  For those of you who have no idea what Polyvore is, don't worry; it's not like I did something extremely complicated to make the sets I did for this blog.
By clicking into either set you can embed them into your own blog.  Want to show everyone what other blogs you're following?  Really adore my blog?  You can show it on your own blog.  If you do use it make sure you comment to let me know so I can leave you a thank you on your blog.

What you want me to say that I don't say

Though the book got on 9 watch lists today, it is now up to a rank of 942.

I guess that's not all that bad though, considering...
I began typing up chapter twelve today.  Also, Cursed with Power received a new comment today.  A lot of people seem to like that the story is pretty much the complete opposite of what every other fantasy book is like. And I mean, let's admit it... there really aren't that many books that focus on the bad magicians when there are good ones.  Which is exactly why I made the story the way I did.

What about the diamond Celestria found?!
I know that when Celestria found the diamond it did not seem like that much of an important event, but as you guys are going to find out as you read on... There's more to that diamond that appears to the naked eye.  I can't really give away any spoilers, though --I mean, I could but I am keeping myself from doing so--and it is left to you to read the book and find out what is so significant about that diamond.  Was it really something Dyanna gave Celestria?  And if so, what does that mean for Dyanna?  Is Dyanna still alive?  Is she dead and now a ghost?
So many questions to still be answered.  You'll have to wait until you read the words of Celestria's story to find out whatever more you can.

And you know what I did yesterday evening that was so ironic?!  I was writing up dialog for New Life!  For those of you who are reading this now and saying, "I don't get it..." I'll just tell you know that New Life is the second book in the Magicians series that focuses on Léal's story.  Oh well, at least I wrote it down somewhere so when I write that story later it will be on paper, waiting to be typed up.
Happy writing,
LReneeS

How it started...

I was writing a story, or more like a chapter.  Then, I thought I could really turn it into a real story.  You know, typed and published... After I typed up the first chapter, I didn't stop.

Again, this was just something else I happened to find.  This entry from my journal did not have a date, but it's several years old because this was when I first started writing The Magic of Light.  (Probably four or five years old, to be precise).

Anyway, that is how I started getting into writing as I am now.  That was when my passion for writing truly came out and I started putting it on paper.
Happy writing,
LReneeS 

Waiting --a poem

I happened to be going through my old journal and found this poem.  I should warn you that I am terrible with poetry --even now.  However, I thought I would share it with you anyways.

Waiting

Hoping for someone 

To save me from

The cruel, cruel

Shadows in the world;

Wishing for anyone

To come just so

I don't have to be 

In this cold place alone.

Oh,

I can see the hill tops

Waiting for me.  No more

Of this darkness because you can

Make it all disappear.

Waiting to know

What's real and true.

Sometimes there's isn't always a light,

But sometimes...

Sometimes we have to fight out own battles.

Waiting...

I'm waiting for so much,

But wait...

There you are!

You're right outside my room...

Waiting.

As I said, that poem pretty much sucked.  So when you guys leave your comments try to be nice.  I warned you that it was not going to be a masterpiece.  I just happened to find this poem and thought, "Hey, I can share this with everyone on my blog."

Happy writing,

LReneeS

Away for a few days

After today I will be away from my computer for several days.  Therefore, as you could have guessed, I won't be able to blog or type up new chapters for Cursed with Power.

I promise when I get back that I'll get right back to that, though.  Don't worry; I promise.
However, this won't be my last post for the day.  I'll be coming back to tell you about chapter 12 coming up and when it's uploaded I'll post about that as well.
Cursed with Power is on 9 watch lists now.  Who else is excited?!
Happy writing,
LReneeS

New followers OH FUN!

Hi everyone.  I just wanted to send out a thanks on my blog.  It means a lot to me that people actually will follow what I'm writing here.
So...
Thanks for following me and the stories I write!
Happy writing,
LReneeS

Anyways...

So now that I've finished adding in some more to the blog that I didn't necessary have to add but just felt like it, I am writing this post.

I think of the right side of the blog there's a lot of seemingly random pictures and quotes.  In truth they are not random because they actually make this blog more me, if you get what I mean.

Also, I believe by sometime tomorrow chapter twelve will be coming up.
Will Celestria find out more about the diamond?  Can she ever hope to see Léal again?  Are more mysteries going to be added in before answers?
Only you can find out when you read Cursed with Power.
Read it. Review it. Comment it. Add it.
Happy writing,
LReneeS

12 followers and counting:D

When you guys came on here you might have been as blown away as me when you saw that there are now 12 people following this blog.  I know, it's really shocking, but it's great to see more people on here.

As I've said in the past, when I see I have followers I feel as if writing this post can be meaningful to more people than just myself.  Well... Who really knows about that, but I can hope, right?
Happy writing,
LReneeS

Great ranking!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm very happy now because the ranking for Cursed with Power has improved.  For those of you who are not members of IP, I guess I should explain now that the lower the number, the better.
Rank: 938
So white that ranking is still pretty high, I am glad about it because that may very well be the lowest rank I have on all of my projects.

Thank you to everyone who is supporting Cursed with Power.  It means a lot to me and without you guys I don't think I would be able to write as confidently as I am.

However, if you're reading the story please bear with me.  I haven't gotten a chance to get into the deep editing yet, but I know the story needs it.  I think first I am mainly just trying to get the story out onto paper --well, onto the computer really--so it's all there.
Happy writing,
LReneeS

Chapter eleven has been UPLOADED

Chapter eleven of Cursed with Power is finally here!  In this chapter you can join Celestria yet again to solve some of the most important questions in her life.
Are Celestria's dreams foreshadowing something?  What was that light?  What really happened to Dyanna?  Where is Leal?
When you read the book you'll be able to find out as Celestria does.  It's not going to be an easy journey, but Celestria is willing to tell you all about it..
The ending of this chapter was really fun for me to write up, so I am hoping it is just as enjoyable for you to read.
And check out my new page on the blog with the Cursed with Power chapter index!

Read it.  Review it.  Comment it.  Add it.
Happy writing,
LReneeS

Dancing when the stars are blue

Today I'll be typing up chapter eleven.  Perhaps I will even get a chance to start on chapter twelve, but I won't say that's for sure and then get everybody's hope up for nothing.

You might have also realized that the title of this post has nothing to do with what I just mentioned above...  The title is actually lyrics from Tim McGraw's "When the stars go blue" song because it's stuck in my head.

For now that would appear to be all I have to blog until I think of something else. Wow, this was a really short post!  *shocked* Ha ha, don't worry I'll be back with more later, I'm certain.
I will not be giving away what happens in chapter eleven or even talking about it until I have it written or am in the middle of writing it up because I do not fully know what's going into the chapter yet.
Happy writing,
LReneeS

Where I want to write

If you could write anywhere, where would it be?

For me, it would be a simple place like this:
Yes, a creek.  I don't actually know of too many places nearby where I am with creeks, but I think that sort of place would be so peaceful.  It's unlikely for anybody to be walking around or bothering you.  So for me I would like this kind of place, and I think it would also lift my imagination and creativity to another skill.  Something truly descriptive would be there right in front of me.

So long as you have a laptop or a pen and piece of paper, I think you can write wherever you want.  However, the best places to write are places where this is calmness and quiet.  Where you can focus solely on your writing and not have to be distracted by anything else.
Happy writing,
LReneeS

A writer

A writer is not defined by how many books they write....


They are defined by how many people they touch with the words they have written on paper.
I just put this up on my blog because this is a quote from me that I thought I would share.  I always see a lot on people's blogs, but I suppose you could say that I am trying to put some more of me into the blog with my own quotes or stuff from my stories.

Image by DavidTurnbull via Flickr

A lot of people right away think of famous authors when you mention the word "writer", but in truth anyone can be a writer.  Heck, if you're reading this you're probably one yourself.  There are so many struggles you have to face when you're a writer.  Even after you get past the challenge with writing something that's good your journey is far from being over.  After that you have to start mailing agencies and publishers, and before you know it you have your own folder in your email and a drawer in your dresser for rejection letters.
In the end, though, so long as you keep trying and you keep reaching for those stars in the sky you will make it to the top.  Those people who have always supported you and have always believed in you will tell you much of the same.
What I'm telling you in today's post is nothing new.  You already knew that you could eventually become a published author....
Sometimes, though, I think we all need to be reminded that we can get through the publishing doors and out into the world because it's hard.  You know?  Often you want to give up, and I think for myself and every other unpublished author it never hurts to hear again that we will get somewhere and soon.
Happy writing,
LReneeS

Keep climbing that mountain or keep looking out to the stars.  My fellow writers, you can get your story anywhere you want so long as you hold fast to your dreams and hold strong to your confidence and determination.

Starting/ending a chapter

I think often many of us writers ask ourselves how we are going to start and/or end a chapter to the story we're writing or have written.  I believe that you are really asking yourself about each chapter as you write them.  The truth of the matter is that there is no wrong or right way to start or end a chapter in your story.  It's all up to you --the writer.
With the beginning of a chapter it is always hard to know where to start --especially with the first chapter.  After you get past the first chapter it is easy, though.  You may have noticed that a popular thing to do to get the reader automatically interested is have a prologue before the first chapter.  Prologues usually can always draw your readers in because you can make the prologue focus on whatever you want.  Though your first chapter does not necessarily have something of particular interest happen, I myself have always found this helpful.  Once you're past the first chapter the beginnings of your chapter can probably just start off where the last chapter has ended, though some authors have started elsewhere.
Often, though, we writers probably try to come up with shocking endings for our chapters.  You know, the kind that end with a cliff hanger.  The ending that makes your reader want to continue reading more.  However, you may find that you will not always be able to end your chapters this way.  If your readers already like your story, though, I don't think then you have to worry so much.  Your readers will understand that not every chapter can end with a cliff hanger, and if they already like the story then it is appropriate to assume that they will continue reading it nonetheless.  So long as you have interesting action and dialog and so forth in the chapter, I truly believe that your chapter will make it through just fine.

Have you ever read a summary to a story that was more intriguing than the several first parts of the story itself?  That's because the writer wants to pull you in.  They are going to tell you everything that is most interesting and most important in the summary so while you are reading you will be continuing on to find out more.  All along, however, the great thing is that as the writer one can give hints of something as the story progresses.  What the main character does not know, the reader and writer may know.  Such an example of this would be with my current story, Cursed with Power.  Celestria questions how many of the other Dark magicians are actually still alive, though the reader and the writer already knows that all five are alive.  Throughout the entire Magicians series, each Dark magician ponders about who of their allies is still alive, though it is already known because of the five books in the series that there are only five.

For now that's all of my advice on writing a chapter.  Just remember that when you write a chapter to not worry so much about how it starts and ends because then you might not get all that you wanted in the chapter.  Best of luck to you if you're writing something right now, as I am.
And as for why I did this post?  Well, I just happened to be thinking of it.  I always think a lot about my chapters too, so I figured I would share my thoughts out loud.
Happy writing,
LReneeS

Certain Fate is ALMOST public

I just put up a new word count goal for Certain Fate.  I know I said earlier that I was not going to put that up yet since it's currently on the shelf, but I decided to anyways because I thought "Why not?"

And yeah, as you noticed, I'm really close to 10,000 words for Certain Fate for it to be public on IP.  Like I said, I will eventually at least get it up to that word count so it will be public.  The new cover for the story should be up in a couple of weeks or so.
Happy writing,
LReneeS

Chapter ten has been UPLOADED

I have finally finished and uploaded chapter ten of Cursed with Power.  I'm sorry it kind of took me some time, but I didn't just write all today, as you know.

Chapter ten is finally here... along with several secrets and questions!
For Celestria there has always been a lot of questions left unanswered for her, however in chapter ten she begins to see answers to these questions.  Now what she really has to ask herself is whether these answers are the truth or if there are more secrets that are hiding from her.
What you never expected is going to happen!
So be prepared for the unexpected.
Read the story.  Review it.  Comment.  Add it.

Also, the story is now only on five pick lists, but it is still on eight watch lists.  The ranking is still pretty low --at 1122.  At least the story is slowing making its way up in ranking.
Come tomorrow I will have officially spent a whole month on Cursed with Power so far.  Yeah!
Remember you can suggest quotes on the Cursed with Power quotes page that you think should definitely be posted up.  Most likely whatever you suggest from the book I will put up. :)
Happy writing,
LReneeS

The new layout is up, in case you couldn't tell;P

Please thank Lala for helping me put up this new layout.

And welcome Gabby, my best friend, to the blog because she just got to start following it today.

For those of you who are new to following this blog, you may notice that, yes, I can ramble on about writing a lot.  But I promise I will try to make it interesting for those of you wonderful followers who read this.
Happy writing,
LReneeS

New page with quotes!

I just thought I'd let you guys know that I've put up a new page with quotes from Cursed with Power.  These quotes I have selected and will continue to select as I go through the book because I found these quotes to be memorable in their own way.
You might want to go look at the page to see if there are any quotes you like.  And hey, if you haven't read the story yet this would give you a great reason to read it now.  If you are reading the story and have a quote that you think deserves to be on the page, let me know and I will add it in.  I only need to know the quote and who says it --though I could probably guess correctly without the character's name.
Happy writing,
LReneeS

No Character Monday today... Sorry

Sadly there will not be a Character Monday for today either because I really want to get to work on my story --though it doesn't like that with the way I'm blogging this morning--and I have a lot of other matters to attend to.

But at least you'll get to read another chapter of Cursed with Power sometime today. (Hopefully)!

Are you ready?!
This was the best image I could find on Google for a "magical battle".  You guys get the point, right?  Action. Fighting. Mystery.


I must admit, though, that the chapters with fighting scenes in them usually take me the longest to write up because Celestria isn't fighting just an ordinary kind of people.  It's magicians vs. magicians.  The battling details and effects go up by a lot.  It is not like physical combat or sword fighting... This is magical battles.  So I apologize in advance if at first my battle scenes suck, however I will be doing deep editing once I have the story all finished out. (More editing?! Oh fun)!
Anyways... I think for now that's all I am going to say unless I suddenly think of something else.  Um... Yeah, I think that's about it for now.
Sorry if I bored anyone who was reading this.
Happy writing,
LReneeS

New layout coming SOON & word count goal

A new layout is coming soon to the blog.  Since the one I have right now is only a given Blogger template, Lala over at Lala Land suggested that I get a better one.  She will be making the layout for me and soon it will be up.
I can give you an idea of what it is going to look like....

There it is!  I'm very excite and once I have it up this is the layout that is going to stay.

Now on to my word count goal...
As you might have noticed I put in a word counter for The Magic of Light and Cursed with Power.  I will not be posting up Certain Fate or Everblue until later on because right now they are on the shelf anyways.
You may have also noticed that The Magic of Light is completely "finished".  I am saying this only for now, though in truth it's not because I need to re-edit it a lot.
Also, the word count goal I have set for Cursed with Power is 80,000.  I think this is a fairly decent word count that I would like to get to and possibly go past.  If I could finish the story with over 80,000 words that would wonderful.  It's just something for me to work towards while I'm writing this story, but that word count is not solid stone.  In other words, if I get farther than 80,000 I may change the word count goal I have set for myself or whatnot.
Anyways, I just thought I'd explain that so there wasn't any confusion.
Happy writing,
LReneeS

chapter nine has been UPLOADED

Chapter nine is finally here!  It was actually uploaded to IP yesterday evening, but alas I did not get the chance to post on here that it's up.  You can read it here.
Just when Celestria thought she was safe.... She wasn't!
In this chapter found out how Celestria finds out new information and while trying to stay cautious, she gets herself into trouble yet again.  However, this time Celestria won't be running away.
What happens?  Find out.  Review it.  Leave a comment.  Add it.

And later today chapter ten should be up.  I'm not giving away any spoilers... but chapter ten is going to be action-packed!
Enter the magical world.  Read Cursed with Power.
Happy writing,
LReneeS

That was then this is now

Just for the heck of it I thought I'd show how the covers changed for Cursed with Power.  I mean, it's not like you guys care, but I felt like sharing anyhow.

Original cover:

New cover:

So there you have it, my fellow followers, the difference is here before you in this very post.  I'll be posting up more once I have chapter nine finished and uploaded.  I need to get to work with finishing that... Sorry it's taking a bit, everyone.
Happy writing,
LReneeS

Not sure how this happened but who cares?!

I just went onto Cursed with Power and now it is on 6 pick lists and 8 watch lists.

Well, I'm grateful to whoever decided to add it to their pick and watch lists.  I'm just really hoping that this is not one of those things where I get excited and then the next day the numbers suddenly go down.  That would be so terrible!
Right now I can't figure out who put it on their picks suddenly.... Hmm....

Happy writing,
LReneeS

It's here... the NEW COVER!

The new cover is finally here, everyone.  Curtis on IP made me this so all credit goes to him.  You can see the new cover in all its glory when you read the story on IP.
I am also eventually going to have a new cover up for Certain Fate.  My best friend, Muffin Hero, is making it.  As of right now, though, she's pretty busy so she's not entirely sure when she will get to drawing the cover for me.
Hope you guys like the new cover.  Tell me your thoughts on it.  Love it, like it, hate it?  Let me know.  (Of course, if you hate it I ask you tell me very nicely).
Also, I am working on chapter nine but I do not know when it will be finished.  I got distracted, as you can tell with writing it.
Happy writing,
LReneeS

So much to see, so much to do

Hopefully everyone likes the new little additions here and there that I added into the blog.
Sadly, I couldn't actually find too many blogging buttons I liked so I went onto my Neopets account -whoa, ancient stuff!--and took some of my prized images off there for the heck of it.
Anyways, I really adore the new stuff I put up so hopefully everyone following this blog does too.
And I would change the layout to this blog to something that's not on a blogger template, but as I think I mentioned early, when I tried that yesterday I failed epically at that.  HTML and I just do not work together well at all... Oh well, for now I think the layout's good enough for me.
I put up the old cover for Cursed with Power because I still haven't gotten the new one yet, but I'll definitely post about that when I do.  Of course I will, I think it's all I've been talking about all morning.
Now I really should get back to typing chapter nine.  Look how much time I already wasted messing around with my blog... *sigh* Oh well, at least it was worth it, right?
I'm sure I'll be returning later...
Happy writing,
LReneeS

The Assassin! Why isn't it on your picks?!

This post is for my friend Lala of Lala Land.  She is working on getting her book, The Assassin, in the top five list on IP.  I have this book on my pick list and I refuse to take it down until it is in the top five.

Please help my friend get this amazing story noticed.  Read it here.  Comment it here.  Add it to your picks today.

Good luck, Lala. Your book definitely deserves to go into the top five.

If you're viewing this post, what are you waiting for?  Please read this amazing story.
Your opinion counts. Read the story.
Happy writing,
LReneeS

New cover coming very soon!

The new cover for Cursed with Power is done, so as soon as I get the link to the image or whatever I will post it up.
I am really thrilled about it because the artists says that he knows I'm going to love it!
I'm so very excited right now! Can you tell?!
Happy writing,
LReneeS

It's a miracle!

Never mind about what I said about a minute ago. I just figured out how to put buttons on the blog, so guess what?
Now the blog's getting more added to it!
Also, I forgot to tell you guys this yesterday.  Even though I made a cover for Cursed with Power, it obviously wasn't the most amazing thing ever. So Curtis on IP is making me a new cover. I'll post it up when I check my inbox and hear back from him.  I'm really excited!

And just random fact I wanted to point out: Adam Lambert came out with a new music video for his song "If I had you". You can watch it on his official website.  I know that has nothing to do with anything,  but I just wanted to announce it because I saw the video yesterday and a part of me died because it was so beautiful.  You should go check it out.


Happy writing,
LReneeS

Yeah, that's pretty cool

Hey everybody.
First off I wanted to say thanks to the new followers who have joined on with this blog.
And secondly, I am not that great with HTML to be honest.  I have looked online and was trying to change the background of my blog but apparently I did something entirely wrong because there continued to this error.

And the "will blog for comments" is something I will definitely put up on my blog when I figure out how to.
In the mean time... I'll be searching for the truth answers.
Happy writing,
LReneeS

On more pick & watch lists!

I just wanted to stop in to blog that Cursed with Power is now on five pick lists and six watch lists.  Thanks everyone for the support!
I'm so happy right now because I found this out.:)
Happy writing,
LReneeS

Are you writing fantasy?

Are you writing fantasy?! Are you writing a fantasy novel or are considering writing one soon?  Have you written fantasy before?
Fantasy writers: I really want to get in contact with you guys because I feel that we could bounce ideas off of each other --so to speak.  I have some new ideas for my own fantasy novel I'm writing right now and I feel that it would be more beneficial if I shared them with other fantasy writers so we could all share our opinions.
So if you write fantasy or are considering to do so, let's talk about a forum or a blog we could all get together on to share ideas.  
Or maybe even I could make up a new blog just for that... But if I did that I would have to know who would be in for it.
Comment and let me know because I want to hear your thoughts as soon as possible. And I really think we all could benefit from this. We wouldn't have to be nervous about adding something new into our fantasy novel(s) if we had somewhere where we told other writers such as ourselves.  I mean, really, who else can you ask about something you're going to do in your book besides your friends?
Happy writing,
LReneeS

All of chapter eight

After taking a break and printing out the chapter so I could review it, I finally have concluded chapter eight.  In other words, all of chapter eight is now on IP for you to read.
And I know you guys are wondering when the next battle will be but it's not like I'm going to give you a spoiler and admit that another battle is going to happen between chapters 9-10. Never mind, I just have given you that spoiler.
I know the chapters are not perfect and I will not be going into the painful and extensive editing until I'm 'finished' with the book, but for the time being please bear with what I have.  As always, I want to hear your opinions on the chapters so far, and if there is anything you want to make sure is put into the book always feel free to give me a shout out here on the blog.
Keep checking back in because I'm starting chapter nine this evening and hopefully tomorrow I will have it up.  If it's not up by tomorrow I should have it up on Monday, and I believe on Monday I will be doing Character Monday.
Happy writing,
LReneeS

Part of chapter 8 is UPLOADED

Most of chapter eight has been uploaded into IP.  However, the ending of the chapter will not be up until probably later this afternoon or this evening.
So far I feel as if the chapter started out good but now it's like... It's like it's not going smoothly anymore as I had wanted to.
I will post again when the remainder of the chapter is up for you to read, but at least for now
the results of the battle are here!
If you read chapter seven you know that it ended with a huge cliff hanger.
Who survived?! That is left for you to find out when you read it.
Happy writing,
LReneeS

READ this and voice your thoughts

Okay IP members, here we go...
I have been on IP for probably a full year or more now and I totally love IP.  I have nothing against the site and all of the people on there are usually really nice.
But really, let's talk about the book swapping.
I know that everybody always has a lot to do and a lot of people to swap with, so I understand when people can only read the first chapter of a book, leave a comment, and then move on.  What I don't understand is this: there are people who will leave comments on your work and say that they "love it" and "wanna read more" but they never return to the story!  I mean, I might not have a right to complain about this because I know I can't always return to a story I really like either, but I suppose that when you're the writer of the story it bother you when people who seem interested aren't.
So what is up with that? Does anybody know?  Putting aside that they might have other projects to read or are really busy, why would they not return?
I suppose here this is where the writer of the story is supposed to PM the person and remind them, "Hey, you left a comment on my book and I was wondering why you haven't returned to it."
The picking... I honestly don't know if pick lists are that significant because I don't know too many people on IP that get bored and decide to look at their IP friends' pick lists for good books.  Most of the books that are on pick lists are usually ones with high rankings anyways.
So yes, I realize that this was kind of like me just ranting on about how I don't understand how some people on IP, but I was just hoping that some other IP members like me would agree or be able to relate.  Please feel free to tell me your thoughts on this.
Happy writing,
LReneeS

I put hands up in the air sometimes, singing eh-oh there's an echo

Does anyone else find that the "Dynamite" song is very easy to get stuck in your head?  (Oh, the randomness of that)...
I fixed the "Now working on" page so you can look at it and not get confused.  The two stories I have listed as "on the shelf" are Everblue and Certain Fate.  For any of you who were really excited to read more of those projects and are now upset, please do not worry.  Those two novels are only "on the shelf" right now because I'm working on Cursed with Power.  I am going to go back and finish those novels, but I do not know exactly when yet.  I know I need to at least get Certain Fate up to 10,000 words because it's still not public on IP yet.
Did I tell you the exciting exciting news? When I went to upload chapter seven to Cursed with Power on IP yesterday I saw that now the book is on three pick lists.  I am very glad and excited about that.  I know it's only three, but for me that matters a lot.  I take every new addition to a pick list and a watch list as something more than what probably most people do.  Of course, it will be a long while before my story gets out of the darkness and into the light, if you catch my meaning.  If you're reading this and doing nothing else, why not stop by and find out for yourself what Cursed with Power is all about.  Read it here. 
Remember, the end results of the first battle in Cursed with Power should be up by this afternoon or this evening at the latest.  There's a lot more battling to happen before the story's over. But I don't want to say too much more or I'll give something away!
And if you read Cursed with Power I promise to return the favor and read something of yours.
Happy writing,
LReneeS

Sorry about my "now working on" page

I tried to fix my "Now working on" page, but for some reason it is now working on so I will have to fix it later. Or actually I might try to do it now because in case you didn't notice the summary for Everblue is running into the summary of Certain Fate.
Why is it always that my project pages get ruined like this...?
Happy writing,
LReneeS

Just so you know...

I thought I'd let you know --in case you were curious--that I haven't put up the edits for chapters six or seven yet.  I do not know when I will actually get to that because right now I'm on a roll --so to speak--with the story and I do not want to get side tracked by editing. I assure you that edits will go up in time to come, but as of right now I do not know when it will come up.
Also, I just wanted to thank Lala over at Lala Land for giving me an award on her blog.  I feel like now every time I go on a blog I'm following people are suddenly handing out awards and saying wonderful things about me. *sniff* That's so touching, guys.
And apparently sometimes when I start rambling on about writing it tends to get very boring, so I ask you forgive me if I have ever bored you.  (I really do not try to do that)...
Happy writing,
LReneeS

Hey, look a new layout

I wanted to change the layout of my blog because well first off, everyone else has been changing their layouts like there is now tomorrow and secondly, I felt the blog needed an exciting change.  I can only hope that now my blog looks somewhat prettier, but since I am a bit bias in this position you can probably tell me best.

So this shall be the layout unless I come across something better and feel that I have to change. Let me know your thoughts on it.
And yes, today I will be working on chapter eight. The results of the battle are coming sooner than you expect. Keep checking in so you can find out who survived in the battle.
Happy writing,
LReneeS

Chapter seven has been UPLOADED

Guys, I have finally finished chapter seven.  It took me hours to finish this up and yes it will need to be edited a thousand more times --like the other chapters--before it's bullet proof, but it is finally finished and on IP.
By the time you read this post you will be able to read the chapter yourself.  And the question you have to ask yourself is:
Can Celestria live through the battle?
Find out when you read chapter seven!  And you'll find out the ending results to the battle in chapter eight, so stay tuned for that.   I'll let you know when I have that typed up and uploaded.
Happy writing,
LReneeS

To you guys who are amazing

Since Riv gave me this award I am apparently supposed to pass it on to people who mean a lot to me on my blog.

So anyways, keep reading to find out if you got an award!  I picked five people who either are either following this blog or have inspired me in someway or another.

Riv Re of Fantasy Fanatic  She is a constant follower of this blog and always leaves comments.  Her blog is interesting to read and though she denies it, she actually does have a great sense of humor. Not only that, but she's a hard-working writer and is part of my blogging staff on Write Here.

Lala of Lala Land.  Whatever would I do without her?  She's a excellent writer and has helped me more than I can thank her for on Write Here.  Besides that, I think she finds the best layouts for both blogs she manages; and let me tell you, Write Here's blog would be very boring without her helping with the design.  Plus, she comes on Write Here often and thank God for that because otherwise it might be a ghost town.

Elana Johnson of Elana Johnson, Author.  She's a wonderful writer who gets her posts on her blog interesting. Though sadly I do not get to comment often on her blog, I do read it and she usually has some great posts going on. Thanks for the advise you've given out, Elana.

Muffin Hero of Write Here.  Though she hasn't made a blog yet, she is going to soon and personally I cannot wait!  She's my best friend and probably the greatest artist I know. She's always willing to do several drawings for my story covers, and they always turn out amazing.  She also will be part of the blogging staff for Write Here soon.  If it wasn't for her sense of humor and willingness to read my work, who knows where I would be now.


Carole Gunn of Write Here.  While Carole also does not have a blogger profile, I have to give her this award as well because she is a wonderful writer and one of the best writing friends online I have.  She's always willing to listen to my new, crazy ideas and she understands when I'm feeling down about a rejection letter. Carole, one day you and I will both have our stories published; I'm sure of it.

So thank you to all of the people I listed above. If you didn't get an award, please do not take it personally. I have a lot of people to thank, and it is all of you (both mentioned above and reading this) that I will forever have to thank for getting me farther in my career as a writer and so forth.
If you have a blog and you got an award, please do take your award and pass it on to people who you want to thank.

Happy writing,
LReneeS

New Q and A on the Magicians series

Here some new Qs and As on the Magicians series. My next post will just be Qs and As specifically focusing on how far I've come in Cursed with Power. All right, so here we go... again.

Why did you choose the names you chose for the Magicians series?

I did a lot of researching on the Internet and so forth to come up with the colorful list of names I have in the series. I've always imagined magicians to have strange and rare kind of names,and so I chose the rarest names for the main five Dark magicians.
Did the origin and meaning of these names come into play for your final decision?
Definitely not. I did not look up the meaning of these names until after finding them, and by then I was already set on keeping the names.  Nonetheless, I'll tell you about the meanings...

Celestria:
Celestria's name was one of the many that showed up in rare medieval names for females.  It is actually said to mean "heavenly", which I thought was a bit ironic for a Dark magician to be named.  However, I thought this name sounded good and the fact that it's rare just makes it work even better because I have always imagined magicians to have strange names.
Léal:
This name actually means "faithful".  Though it is said to be French and sometimes used as a name for girls, it was in the list of rare medieval names for males.  Personally I just chose this name because I thought it was unique, and I don't know about you but a guy named Léal is a guy I would want to know more about --just kidding, it's not thatinteresting.
Dyanna:
Instead of it being spelled as Dianna or Diana, I chose this spelling.  I think it was also common back in the medieval times era for names to have a "y" in them for some reason...  Dyanna is said to mean "divine".
Alaire:
While this name sounds much more likely for a female, it was actually on the list for male names.  (And yes, it was rare).  The meaning is between "cheerful" and "hilarious".
Gracien:
Gracien was another one of the rare male names in the medieval times era.  It was also spelled commonly as Gracyen, but I figured since I already had a main character with a "y" in her name that I would not put it also in a male character's name.  I was only able to find that Gracien means that you are "responsible, expressive, inspirational"
What makes the series more effective by having the narrators be the Dark magicians?
It makes it so that the narration is more tense and that the reader and Dark magician can come together differently than in past stories with magicians. Generally, the reader never gets to understand everything about the Dark magician or even learn that much about them. However, this series changes that so you only know the most about the Dark magicians, and since they are the main characters you have to rely on them for information. There's more of a mysterious and exciting tone in the series also because neither the Dark magician or the reader really know how everything is going to end.
Why did you choose magicians as your main focus?
I have always found the stories with magicians in them to be the most fascinating. Nothing says that magic or magicians ever existed and therefore when working with a story focusing on people with magic, the author truly can make the story goes as they want it to and can make the laws of magic on their own opinion.
Why is the prologue of each book a letter?
Each letter is written to a person that is significant to the main character in some way. By having the main character write to this person we know nothing about, it leaves there to be a time later for the reader to find out who the person is and why the main character would write to them. Of course, the main character never directly comes out and says why they wrote to that person, but is something that the reader will be able to make their own decision about.
Who do you think will enjoy reading the Magicians series?
I think anyone who has a passion for fantasy and magic will enjoy this series.  The main age focus is young adults, but I think also older individuals could find enjoyment in this series if they like stories with a deep plot and interesting characters. Besides magic, there is also action, adventure, romance, suspense, mystery, and etc. involved throughout these books.
Why did you chose to make a whole series out of this?
With a series I get to explore the characters in more depth and also can make the endings such as "to be continued". It makes the story last longer and it gives me the chance to go into depth with every single Dark magician in the series. In the end, the reader will have read about Celestria, Léal, Gracien, Alaire, and Dyanna and then can truly decide who they liked and disliked the most out of the group.
Why did you chose only five Dark magicians to have lived? And how come there are never any other Dark magicians in the series?
I do not know why I chose five --that number just came to me when I thought up the story. There are other Dark magicians mentioned throughout the series, but when I said that there were only five Dark magicians left I literally meant that was all there is. This is the series that focuses on a group of powerful people who have been alas overwhelmed by the forces of good. They are definitely going to struggle before they come to meet whatever fate awaits them.
Will we ever find out the complete details of what happened to the other Dark magicians?
Yes, you are going to find out everything at some point or another.  And in Gracien's Staircase it will all come to an end somehow. (I say somehow for now because I don't know the full details of the ending yet, not that I would give them away anyways)...
If magic was ever real at a time and this had happened, what do you think the reality of the results and reactions would have been?
My thoughts on that I pretty much put into this series.  I think what happens to these five Dark magicians sounds believable for the situation that occurred.
Since you have only worked with Léal and Celestria so far, who do you favor more?
I think I like Léal more. There's something about his attitude and personality that makes him enjoyable to work with, though I can't say I hate Celestria. The way those to "get along" with each other is something I really love working with.
Which do you think readers will like the most?
It's hard to say because I've been getting different reactions. Some people tend to find Celestria "annoying" because of how she reacts to matters, but others think she has a voice that keeps pulling you in fore more. Léal and Celstria are both equally determined I would say at this point, but I think that readers will change their feelings towards both characters many times before actually coming to the conclusion of who they like better.


Happy writing,
LReneeS

Chapter six has been UPLOADED

After working on the chapter for pretty much most of yesterday evening and today's afternoon, I have finally finished it.  While there are still edits I have to make to chapter six, I am proud to say that by the time you read this post the chapter will be up on IP.
There were no changes made to how chapter six ended playing out.  And it looks like chapter seven is going to have the battle scene in it.
Please consider reading Cursed with Power when you get the chance.  Read it.

Also, I'm going to be posting answers to some questions you might have had from hearing about the Magicians series and/or Cursed with Power.  Consider checking that out, and feel free to ask your own questions if you don't see them up.
Happy writing,
LReneeS

Chapter 6 today

I am working on chapter six of Cursed with Power today.  I began it yesterday and started doing some editing, but it was not finished and therefore I didn't mention anything about it.
I am hoping to have the chapter finished today and start edits later this evening. I'll keep you updated, as always.
Happy writing,
LReneeS

Why do chapters take so long to be uploaded?

Riv asked me in an earlier post why it is that is seems the chapters for Cursed with Power takes so long to be up on IP.  So instead of making a very long comment to her that might bore her halfway through reading it, I decided to write a post explaining it.
Here's what happens...

1. I write the chapter --usually I try and finish the whole chapter just so then it's completely finished and I don't have to make comments saying it's not.
2. I upload the chapter.
3. I print out the chapter and review and edit it.
4. I put the edits in the next morning to the chapter.
5. Upload the chapter again

So you see, this is why is seems like it takes a while for my chapters to get up.  So when I say that I have the edits up, understand this means that the chapter is already finished but I've just looked it over and fixed things here and there because alas my writing is not perfect.

I am going to have to of course review the chapters again and again once I have the story finished, but for now it's kind of a two-day thing I spend with each chapter.

I usually try to blog that a new chapter is up as soon as it is uploaded, but sometimes I am kept from doing so.

All in all, I am just trying to fix what I see that is really bothering me before saying the chapter is all done and done.  Hopefully this will count worth something when you guys get to reading the book.  As always, though, there will be more edits I will have to go through before the story's ready for publication or anything like such.  First things first, I have to finish the story.

I thank you if you are joining me on this journey as I work hard and feverishly to finish Cursed with Power so that you will be able to read it as much as your heart desires to.  As always, I am interested in what you think and if you should ever have a question that you feel has not been answered about the book, something on my blog, or whatever else comes to mind feel free to ask away.

When you do get to reading Cursed with Power please consider telling me your thoughts so far on Celestria.  I'm interested in how you feel about her.

Happy writing,

LReneeS

I got an award?!

Today I found out that I got an award from one of my close writing friends online.  Riv Re from Fantasy Fanatic decided to mention me in her awards to three of her "peeps".
You can read the full post here. And here's what she said:
LReneeS over at Fictional Writer. LRS is awesome; constant commenter, dedicated blogger, writing lover, the whole thing.
I found that to be so nice of her to say about me. I was like, "No way, someone really thinks all of that about me?!"
So since Riv is probably read this post now...
Thank you, Riv. I think you're a dedicated writer and blogger as well and I enjoy reading your blog when I can. Without you and Lala I don't know if I'd ever get any comments on here and I also wouldn't have many people to chat with on Write Here.
You're the best!


Happy writing,
LReneeS

the coming of chapter six!

Even though at first I thought I was going to wait to make this post, I decided otherwise.
Please keep in mind that this is only supposed to give you an idea of what will be in chapter six of Cursed with Power and that there may be changes depending on what happens in the chapter once I have it all typed up.  And yes, I will post up about those changes when I know them.  For now...
Chapter six is coming...

In chapter six, Celestria comes to meet an elderly woman named Elyn.  Celestria hides the fact that she's a magician from the woman and spends the night at her boarding home.  The chapter ends with a dream that disturbs Celestria.  It is left to the reader and Celestria to decide if the dream was foreshadowing something or was simply mysterious because it was a dream.

Happy writing,

LReneeS

Airplanes in the night sky like shooting stars...

This is a post to all of the writers out there who believe that airplanes could be in the night sky like shooting stars. For every writer is dreaming to get farther with what they are writing.

Sometimes you wish that what you write could be like the sun and light up the whole world. Often you are dying to get everything down on paper the right way. You're working day and night to put all of your heart and soul into this one story, and sometimes you can't even go to sleep because your mind is so stuck on the story. The characters become the story and the story becomes your life. Are you going to want to give up? Of course, that's perfectly normal. Will you give up? No, not really because deep down inside you know that you can't give up. Look at how much time you've already spent on the story. Look at all of the words that have already formed chapters. Despite how badly you may feel you need to give in and give up, in all truth you cannot now. So keep on writing because one day someone will realize and acknowledge everything you put into your writing. If it's not today, it will be soon.

Happy writing,

LReneeS

Updates

So I put up the edits for chapter five of Cursed with Power today. They are now on IP so you can read it.

I am beginning to work on chapter six of Cursed with Power, but I cannot guarantee that I will finish it by this evening seeing as I am just starting right now.

Though I'm bias, I felt that chapter five had the most intense and interesting dialog so far. A close friend of mine has already begun to read Cursed with Power, and so far she has decided that she has a lot of questions and that the story is interesting enough for her to want to read more. I promise to all readers of the book that your questions will be answered in time to come.

About chapter six... I know in a post or two ago I said that there was going to be a battle, but let me tell you know that I do not think that battle is going to take place until around chapters 7-9. Chapter five ended up being much longer than I had expected and some that was going to originally go in that chapter is now going into the next chapter and so forth. I don't know when the battle is coming, but yes there is going to be a battle.

Keep checking in on my blog. I'll keep you updated.

Happy writing,

LReneeS

Chapter five has been UPLOADED

After spending pretty much my entire day working on chapter five, I have finally finished it and uploaded it to IP. Read it.

I really think you will like chapter five. It has had the most intense dialog so far in the novel. However, what I said was going to happen at the end is not happening in this chapter because it was already six pages with just one huge thing happening.

Somewhere in chapters 6-8 --and this is only a guess right now because I'm not sure when it is going to happen for certain-- an epic battle will occur! Trust me, you're not going to want to miss out on that!

So please consider reading what you've missed. I'll do edits for the chapter tonight, and hopefully tomorrow I will have chapter six finished and uploaded. I'll keep you updated, as always and I'll let you know when I have the next chapter up.

Happy writing,

LReneeS

This is a crazy, crazy idea

Fair warning: The following is me telling you about a crazy idea of mine. Feel free to tell me that in your comment(s).

So like I was saying on Write Here, I have this crazy idea for when I finish Cursed with Power. I say it's crazy because... Well, I'll explain that after I tell you.

I was thinking that after I finish Cursed with Power all the way through I might try sending it to agencies/publishers.

Why is this a crazy idea????

This is insane because I've been trying to get The Magic of Light published and that's still not published, though I've been working on it for FIVE YEARS. Nonetheless, I mean what do I have to lose? I figured I just might as well try then because it's going to be a long while before I finish the book anyways.

This does not mean I'm giving up trying to get The Magic of Light published. This simply means that while probably still trying with The Magic of Light, I'm going to see if I can get any further with Cursed with Power.

So yes, now you can tell me that I'm out of my mind.

Happy writing,

LReneeS

The coming of chapter five!

Chapter five is coming!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I am typing up the fifth chapter of Cursed with Power while you are reading this post. To get you interested, I am going to give you a little insight on what's going to happen so you'll be interested enough to read it.

If you have not read up to chapter four by now it is up to you whether to read this next part, but I promise I'm not giving away anything major.

COMING UP...

Celestria and Léal continue their search for Ruald. They meet someone who you may or may not sense is hiding something and...

The end of the chapter revolves around a dream. It's up to you, the reader, to determine whether the dream is warning Celestria of something, foreshadowing something, or is just a dream and is supposed to be mysterious. What do you think?

Read chapter five to find out all this and more!

And in chapter six there is going to be a battle scene

Happy writing,

LReneeS

I have an idea I'm going to share!

I have this idea for Cursed with Power that it would be awesome to have a map at the beginning of the map. You know, like how LOTR had and the Merlin series and many other great stories? I do not actually know when I would go through with this idea or how I would want the map to look, but I am very optimistic towards this idea.

I also do not know who would do the map so far because let me tell you that I cannot draw any kind of map... no matter even if it's made up. So if anyone knows people with artist abilities, please let me know.
And as always, I want to hear your thoughts on this. Tell me what you think because I really am interested in knowing.

Happy writing,

LReneeS

Uploaded!

I am uploading Cursed with Power with the new re-edits to chapters 2-4. By the time you read this post the edits will be up, so you should definitely stop on by and read it to tell me what you think.

Since I am done with the editing for now, I am going to be returning to typing up chapter five of Cursed with Power.

Now I feel as if I am more organized or prepared, I suppose I should say, with the entire Magicians series because I have dedicated a whole journal to the series so I can write whatever that I think of in there.

I have began briefly thinking up the past histories to all five main characters, but many are still being processed because I haven't been able to fully think them out. I guess it's not that much of a problem, though, because you know when you have an idea for the next book that the idea changes a lot before it is actually bullet proof and something you want to use.

Happy writing,

LReneeS

Ohhhhhhhh wow

I just went onto IP because I'm uploading Cursed with Power with the new re-edits I made yesterday evening and guess what?

On 2 Pick Lists

On 5 Watch Lists

I've been thinking that the watch lists number and the pick lists number were the other way around. In other words, I thought that Cursed with Power was on more pick lists than watches, but it turns out I fooled myself.

Wow...

It just goes to show that when you're not paying attention it will come back to haunt you later.

Happy writing,

LReneeS