IIC SERVER

Character Interview

2011-06-28T18:32:00.000-05:00

Saw this on a friend's page, thought I'd do it too. You get a look at a few things that aren't in the book, check it out. ^_^

WARNING: SPOILER ALERT - aka - DON'T READ IT IF YOU HAVEN'T READ SLAYER AND ELITE YET!!

ME: Where did you grow up?

Kitty fidgets with the fabric of her black pants; not entirely comfortable in this position yet. "I grew up all over, actually. My parents were on the run with me throughout my childhood...we didn't stay in one place for very long."

ME: Okay then, describe your childhood family?

"It was just me, mom, and dad," she replies, glancing away from me. Obviously this is a tender subject. "We were happy. They were happy. Until a bunch of bloodsuckers came in and killed them both. That was the end of my childhood for me." Her gaze hardens as she speaks. "My father was a Lyski outcast; a type of elemental immortal. They had three forms, all feline. Humanoid, amalgamate, and grimalkin. Humanoid was human, obviously, amalgamate was a mix, and grimalkin was their large cat form. The Lyski people were very exclusive and he was exiled for bonding with my mother. My mother was a fallen angel, cast from Heaven because another angel (who turned out to be a demon, by the way) fell in love with her, got jealous of her relationship with my dad, and turned her in for fraternization. Angels have very specific kinds of immortals they can mate with. Heaven's insanely protective of that rule."

ME: Hmm. What's your happiest childhood memory?

She smiles only briefly. "There was a tornado watch where we were living when I was...oh I don't know maybe seven or eight. I guess maybe I should have been scared, but I wasn't. We were all down in the basement, the power was out, and we just had a few candles lit. My dad was making me and my mom laugh telling silly stories about the tornado being at a "weather ball" and she had started off as a gust of wind who had one too many drinks and got dizzy and spun out of control." Kitty shrugs as if embarrassed by this story. "It took some of the fear away from the situation." She snorts and the memory makes her smile again. "A drunk tornado..." she snickers.

ME: Alright, you say that should have scared you but it didn't. What's your most frightening childhood memory?

Kitty glares at me. "I think you know the answer to this one..."

ME: Just answer, please.

Her glare deepens and she looks angry. She picks at the fabric of her pants again. "Watching your mother die at the hands of vampires would be enough to terrify anyone, don't you think?"

ME: Sorry. Would you say your childhood was happy then? Why or why not?

She looks away from me again. "All things considered, yes my childhood was happy. What there was of it. Even constantly running, constantly hiding, I was happy because my family was happy. My parents loved each other, and me. They were just trying to keep me safe. My childhood died when my parents did."

ME: Fair enough. Kenric found you after your parents...passed, right?"

She nods. "Yes."

ME: And you went to the IIC after that.

"Right."

ME: Okay, who was your best friend in junior high, while you were there?

Kitty crosses her legs and laces her fingers over one knee; becoming more comfortable as we draw away from the subject of her family. "Kenric was, at first. Because he was the only person I knew. Darien introduced himself after that and he quickly became my best friend. Until he turned dark anyway. But he was my best friend in "junior high" or whatever it's called at the Confederacy.

ME: What activities did you participate in when you were in high school?

Kitty raises an eyebrow at me. "Seriously?"

ME: I have to ask.

She sighs dramatically. "Fine. I killed people."

ME: People?

"Vampires. Demons. Dark fae. Bad guys. All those things that go bump in the night. I slew them."

ME: Nice use of the past tense.

Kitty snorts. "I get tired of hearing people say 'slayed.' That's not a word."

ME: [I laugh] Alright. Did you have a group of friends or just Darien?

"Just Darien. I had a group of enemies though. I don't make friends easily; most Slayers don't."

ME: What were your aspirations in high school?

"Again with the stupid questions. I wanted to avenge my parents' deaths."

ME: Not everyone knows your past, Kitty. I'm just trying to cover all the bases.

"Right right, sorry."

ME: Did you go to college? Where, and what did you study?

Kitty shifts uneasily and I can sense she doesn't like where the conversation is going. "Yes and no. Immortals only go to college if a) they really want a diploma or b) heaven sends them there. Someone like Kenric, scholar that he is, would go to get a diploma. I got sent there on an errand, and before you ask, NO I didn't study. That's not what I was there for."

ME: Why did you get sent there?

Kitty's eyes dart around as if looking to escape. "It was an errand for Heaven, basically. I was sent to track down another immortal."

ME: Okay, good enough. What's your greatest talent?

Without missing a beat: "Killing vampires."

ME: [I snort] Yeah I think we knew that one. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

She looks momentarily thoughtful. "I guess sometimes I wish I wasn't so hardheaded. Or so determined to do things my way or not at all...That's gotten me into trouble a few times. I'm just rebellious at heart I guess." She grins widely at me.

ME: [Laughing] So, any regrets?

She sighs. "If I regretted anything I did in the past, it would distract me from what I'm trying to accomplish in the future; from living my life. So...no."

ME: Okay, I have a question here that asks if you get along with your parents and/or siblings but I guess we can skip that one.

She smirks. "Oh good, you're learning."

ME: Mmmm...okay. Are you married? How do you feel about it? Are you still in love with your spouse?

Her joviality from before immediately fades, replaced by a drawn expression. And then anger. And then sadness again. "I love my...spouse, yes. Marriage works a little differently in the upper ranks of Heaven than on earth. It's...a bond, more than a ritual symbolizing it. My 'marriage' is the first one in the Heavenly Realms, I believe, where the bond is not actually...consummated."

ME: Can...you be a little more specific?

She sighs. "I don't like to talk about it. My first love was killed in battle. He is the father of my only child, and I loved him with more than my life. I loved him with my soul, and part of it died the day he was killed. I love Kenric, who I'm currently 'married' to, but he'll never come close to replacing...him."

ME: You don't like to say his name?

"I can't. It physically hurts me too much, even now."

ME: Okay then, you mentioned your child. Can you describe him or her?

Kitty's eyes brighten only a little at the mention of her child. "Her. She's beautiful. She's some of him and some of me. She has my temper and his...sense of duty, I guess. Wanting to help, wanting to do something for the common good. She wants to go to school, which I didn't. She wants to help, she wants to have a profession. We can't give her one yet."

ME: Why not have her follow in your footsteps as a Slayer?

"She's too powerful, number one. And number two, she's had no training in the fighting field. That's not what she's meant to do, in the end. We haven't been able to tell her what to expect of her profession yet. But that's her story to tell, not mine."

ME: Alrighty. What can you offer the world?

Kitty snorts derisively. "Safety. Every vampire I slay, every demon I kill, makes the human world a little safer. Being an Elite doesn't hurt either. My kill rank is around 700 now, I think..."

ME: What's your strongest opinion?

"Heaven is too powerful. And keeps too tight a rein on its immortals. A story for another day."

ME: Do you say what's on your mind?

"Most of the time. I'm pretty blunt."

ME: I know the answer to this next question, but I'll ask anyway. Are you a peacekeeper?

She laughs and relaxes back into her chair. "Hell no. My IIC profile was flagged as a potential troublemaker until the day I got initiated as an Elite. I started a lot of fights. Kenric was always the peacemaker. Or...him. Yeah."

ME: Moving on then...do you consider yourself intelligent?

She raises an eyebrow at me. "I can do basic math and as you noticed earlier, my grammar's not that bad. I'm not a Technician; they're the super-smart ones. But I have to have common sense and be somewhat street smart to do what I do, so...yes. I think I'm fairly intelligent."

ME: Are you compassionate?

"I can be. Most of the time though, no. It gets me in trouble."

ME: Do you like animals?

She laughs. "I guess, sure. I'm not a crazy cat-lady or anything...Oh wait. Some people might say I am." She points at the obvious feline ears that currently adorn her head and we both laugh. "But seriously though," she continues, "I'm not a super animal-lover. I'm not vegetarian, obviously I'm a carnivore. But some animals are okay, I guess. Elites just generally don't have time for them. Especially when still active, like I am."

ME: So, no pets when you were a kid?

"No."

ME: Okay, do you like where you live? Why or why not?

Kitty shifts her weight so her legs are slung over the arm of the chair. "I guess I do and I don't. I don't like being in the upper realms of Heaven, constantly being scrutinized, that whole thing. But...it beats having to move around all the time, which I've done most of my life. So I guess it's okay."

ME: If you could be any other person, who would you be?

"Geez I don't know. Someone with a simpler life maybe? I'm so busy living mine I really haven't thought about trying to be in someone else's."

ME: Favorite movie or TV show?

"Ananya is the TV watcher, not me. I like that Buffy show alright, though they're way off on how it's done. And I'm really sick of people interpreting vampires as some kind of lovable teddy bears. They're killers. Plain and simple. They always will be. And letting what Angel did to her get in the way of her Slaying. That's just...argh it just frustrates me. But aside from that it's alright."

ME: Alright, not a big TV person. Which character trait do you think is the most important, and why?

Without hesitation: "Strength. We live in a cruel, heartless world. Bad things happen to good people. If you don't have the strength to fight that every single day, then, well, why bother? You have to be willing to fight for what you love the most in this world, and a lot of people give up way too easily. I know I almost did."

ME: Okay, quick twenty questions. Favorite color?

"Green."

ME: Food?

"Pizza and a coke."

ME: Music?

"Something like rock but no screaming. Breaking Benjamin is good, for the most part."

ME: Season?

"Spring."

ME: Do you believe in a higher power?

Kitty laughs. "I work with his angels on occasion, so yes."

ME: Would you consider yourself religious?

"Not in the way that mortals do. 'Religion' applies to us differently than in the mortal world."

ME: What religion would you be, then?

She shrugs. "We don't really have 'religion' like I said. That's based on faith, more or less, and we know he exists."

ME: Wish religion were that easy for all of us.

She laughs again. "No kidding. I don't envy mortals their stupid wars."

ME: Right. Would you lie if you knew you wouldn't be caught?

"Absolutely."

ME: Interesting. If you could do anything, what would it be?

"I'd bring him back." Her eyes go hard at that, which makes me wonder if she hasn't already tried to get him back.

ME: Okay, are you brave? Trustworthy? Honest?

"Yes, yes, and yes."

ME: But you just said you'd lie if you wouldn't get caught.

"I'm brutally honest, with certain people. I'll lie to the Heavenly authorities if I need to, but I'd never lie to Kenric, for example. He knows better by now anyway."

ME: Okay, I guess that makes sense. So what's your biggest fault then?

"The same thing that makes me who I am. I'm stubborn and I have a quick temper." She laughs. "It's why I survived the massacre after he was killed; I was too stubborn to die."

ME: [forced laugh] Yeah okay, so this next question is probably rhetorical then, but have you tried to change your biggest fault?

Her eyes soften and she looks away. "Only once. And god knows I wish I'd changed earlier. If I hadn't been so stubborn, he might have survived."

ME: Do you have a sense of humor?

She rolls her eyes at me. "What do you think?"

ME: You have a great sense of sarcasm.

She laughs. "Yeah, my sense of humor is fairly dry and is limited to sarcasm, I think."

ME: What kind of car to you own?

"A black porsche convertible." She grins at me. "It's fast."

ME: Do you wear designer clothing? Why or why not?

She snorts. "No. Because vampires tend to rip right through my clothes trying to get to my skin. It would be a waste of money."

ME: So you're not rich, I guess?

"No, I am. The IIC is ten times more wealthy than the richest corporation in the mortal world. We don't use currency in the upper levels, and the IIC has invested in too many good companies to fail. I think I'm technically a billionaire in mortal terms, I just don't use it cuz I don't want to. I'm looking at buying a faster car though; maybe a Lambourghini."

ME: That's impressive. Do you donate to any charities or anything?

She snorts again. "Like what? Homeless immortal orphans?"

ME: I'm just asking. Do you even have charities?

"Not really. We have adoption like the mortal world does, but it's the IIC that funds everything. For every Christmas and birthday, every immortal in the IIC gets a lump sum of money to do whatever they want with. We can invest it, spend it, but if we use what we've got, then we have to wait till our next birthday or Christmas or whatever. But that amount of money is usually too high to spend all at once anyway, unless you're just really, really stupid. Or go out and buy one of everything at the nearest mortal supermarket."

ME: Makes sense, I guess. Okay, final question. Describe yourself to me; appearance, personality, anything we haven't covered.

She settles herself into her chair as if about to make a long speech. "I'm about 5'5", average build. My hair is two different colors, light blonde and dark brown, and that's natural from my father's heritage. I got his three forms from him too; human, hybrid, and feline. My eyes are green, and can look like a normal human's eyes, or else they're in their feline form. I have claws too, but they only come out when I'm fighting, and I like to use my daggers anyway. They're my weapon of choice. I've got fallen angel wings, obviously from my mother. They're a dusty brown color with black flight feathers. I can hide them at will, if I want. I'm brutal, pretty violent, and very blunt. I don't stand for BS or for anyone to mock me or those close to me. I've nearly killed people over a small insult. I fight viciously over those who are dear to me, and I've killed hundreds of creatures. In short terms, don't mess with me."

Finally..

2011-06-27T23:37:00.001-05:00

Getting back on after forever.

Revamping the site.
And the blog.

And trying to talk less about politics. ^_^

Geez my neck hurts from sitting at my computer for two straight days.

I'll eventually make a legit layout, but I'm too tired tonight. I'm thinking about adding a tab for my inkpop critiques. Or something like that, idk I'm sleepy.

Go like Slayer on Facebook and follow it on Twitter. And check out the new site while you're at it; it's pretty epic if I do say so myself. The Origins page is the coolest, FYI.

And don't forget to read it. ^_^

http://immortalconfederate.zxq.net/origin.html

-CE

Apparently he took the hint; he's definitely keeping his 'change.'

2010-07-08T12:52:00.000-05:00

Read this news article, from which I will be getting some of my quotes. --> http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5juui7didNwh_vzBmJyrbjxkeF-IgD9GR0APG0

With Obama publicly campaigning for his chosen running Senators in Missouri and Nevada, he is blatantly disregarding the statement he made during his OWN campaign about 'bridging the partisan divide.' Yeah, he sure is coming through on a lot...and that 'change' he's promised us? Apparently he's keeping it for his own gain, and that of his own party.

Let's hope that these states see reason and elect Republican, conservative representatives, who can see REASON and understand that the will of the people is what makes (or made, as it seems to be) this nation great.

According to Erica Werner, "Obama's been singling out individual Republican House members for comments he says show they care more about corporations than people."

And this is so much different from showing that HE (as our country's leader) cares more about power, socialism, and 'looking after your own' than the people of this country that HE leads? That elected him into office?

Trust me...push them far enough, and you, Mr. President, will see that the will of the people WILL prevail, and you will be OUT of office just as easily as you were put INTO it.
Does anyone wonder if his thought pattern is that of "Well, maybe if I try to shift the mud-slinging onto them, and make the people think that THEY are the ones who don't care about what the people want, that the people themselves won't pay as much attention to what I'M doing."

A friend of mine pointed out that he is not a great leader, or commander-in-chief fit to run this 'once great nation.' He's merely a celebrity. And I completely agree! He did not win because he was a good, strong leader with any experience in leading a people as great as ours (or used to be), but because he was 'charismatic' and a celebrity.

He promised change, and it's coming in the form of socialism; a tact that is going to RUIN our country. He 'won over' the illegal immigrants, the part of the african-american population who still hold 'racism' over everyone's heads, and the white people who feel guilty about the aforementioned racism. Not to mention the liberal college kids who felt that he was going to somehow be doing us a favor by keeping us on our parents' insurance till we were 25. Go out, get a job, and learn to support yourself. Geez, learn a little independence! That is what our nation was BASED on from the get-go! Other nations make fun of ours now because Obama is NOT a leader. We should be feared and respected as the great nation we once were, not made the laughingstock of the world.

This nation has been hibernating for far too long. We stirred and lashed out when 9/11 hit, when an outside enemy disturbed our peace, but since then we've retreated back into our cave. Now we have an INSIDE enemy trying to turn our country into a socialist economy that the government controls. This, in my opinion, is far worse. For if we have an inside enemy, that makes us far more vulnerable to outside attacks. But now, it seems the people have realized that all of this 'change' he's been promising us, all of these good, great things that he 'promised' to do, have not become a reality, and it doesn't look like they will anytime soon.

During his campaign, did he ever set down a plan for achieving some of these things? When asked the question, did he ever say, "I will accomplish THIS first, and then upon that foundation I will build the rest of my plan. Here are the steps, A, B, and C, and that's how I plan to govern." No, of course not. When asked what he wanted to accomplish during his presidency, all he promised was 'change.' Oh, and making the hard-working people who have labored for what they have all their lives SUPPORT the lazy, greedy people of our country who have decided "I'll just let the government help me with this one."

If I, as a single, white, 20-something, technically uneducated FEMALE can live on my own, hold down a job (two jobs, actually) and support myself ON MY OWN without the aid of the government, I'm pretty sure everyone else can too. I understand that the unemployment rate is high (thanks to the grand economy that with ever bill passed seems to fall into a deeper and deeper hole), but sometimes, you can't always have the job they want. I know for a fact that a lot of people don't have a job because they think it's BENEATH them to work in food service, or in an office answering phones. Sometimes, you don't always have a choice.

Know what's really horrendous? That if this country keeps heading in the direction it's going, if I posted something like this in the future, it could be considered treason for 'slandering the all-powerful socialist President' (who, at that point, wouldn't be a President at all, but a dictator) and I could be arrested. Big Brother society anyone? Reminiscent of Hitler anyone?

It is time to WAKE. UP. November elections are just around the corner, and ladies and gentlemen, we need all the damn help we can get. Go vote. And hope and pray that we can get some officials in office who will temper the will of this almost-madman who is so hellbent on our country collapsing in on itself, and, like Rome, into ruin.

What Can You Do?

2010-03-05T15:38:00.000-06:00

What can you do when you don't have the energy to cry tears that you don't have left?

What can you do when every decision you make shatters another small piece of your soul?

When you have to walk away from something that you think might be amazing.

When you choose to bury yourself in layers of bad judgment and ice, just to get away from the pain.

When every bitter, twisted, amazing, delicious moment in your memory floods to the surface after years of being forgotten?

When keeping busy no longer means not being idle, but rather that you'll be too busy to remember.

When mania is covering depression.

When control is masking confusion.

When you realize that you're so sick in the head and at heart that even years of therapy probably couldn't help you begin to fix what's wrong with you.

When you thought you were doing fine, and in the span of 48 hours, realize that NOTHING is fine.

What can you do when you try to walk away, but find that you haven't actually been moving at all?

Now I've deluded myself into thinking I was walking away. But I wasn't. I was motionless. I just chose to make myself believe that I had moved far, far away.

Now I've forced myself to finally make that first step.

The worst part is, my judgment is awful right now because of it. Manic, depressive. Manic, depressive. I've gone completely psychotic.

However, this doesn't worry me.

It's that previous statement that worries me.

It doesn't BOTHER me that I have done so many things lately that I swore I'd never do in my lifetime.

But the fact that it doesn't bother me DOES worry me.

I get a rush from it, a high, if you will. How far can I push the boundaries I have always seen as 'safe?' What if there aren't any boundaries anymore? How far could I go?

That could be very, very dangerous.

Let me add just another thing to my list of things I 'have' to do. Let me fill up every hour of every day and night with things that are exhausting, physically and mentally.

Let me go insane.

I want to laugh and cry and scream and run. I want to get away, I want to be someone new. I am tired of being confused and torn two different ways; either by conscience and guilt or words and thoughts. I want to cut the threads of my old life and let them drift away, if only so I can spin myself a cocoon of protective layers against anything and everything around me.

What happens when trust means nothing anymore?

When love is just a fairytale?

When what you are is something you'd never want to see in anyone else. When who you are is something you want to have nothing to do with?

Jesus, I need therapy.

DHT - "I Go Crazy"

2010-03-04T15:14:00.000-06:00

This song came on while I was at work today. I had forgotten about it until now...

---

Hello boy it's been a while
Guess you'll be glad to know
That I've learned how to laugh and smile
Getting over you was slow
They say old lovers can be good friends
But I never thought I'd really see you
I'd really see you again

I go crazy
When I look in your eyes
I still go crazy
No my heart just can't hide that old feeling inside
Way deep down inside
Oh baby you know when I look in your eyes
I go crazy

You say she satisfies your mind
Tells you all of her dreams
I know how much that means to you
I realize that I was blind
Just when I thought I was over you
I see your face and it just ain't true
No it just ain't true

I go crazy
When I look in your eyes
I still go crazy
That old flame comes alive
It's starts burning inside
Way deep down inside
Oh baby
You know when I look in your eyes
I go crazy

I go crazy
You know when I look in your eyes
I go crazy
No my heart just can't hide
That old feeling inside
Way deep down inside
I go crazy
You know when I look in your eyes
I go crazy

Crazy

My Life. As it is.

2010-02-17T15:17:00.000-06:00

I believe that new career changes daunt us all.

I believe that moving to a new place daunts us all.

I also believe that I am NOT daunted by either of these things.

I am seriously considering moving. Not just moving somewhere else in SA, but moving AWAY. I have been stuck in this city (or the surrounding areas) for My. Entire. Life. And I am going crazy because of it.

I at one point had given considerate thought to moving to NYC; however, as an 'uneducated' individual, there wasn't a lot for me there except for (most likely) a lot of debt and probably hardship. Something I'm not a stranger to here. A friend of mine also pointed out that New York is cold for 6 months out of the year (rather than the more-often-than-not 'balmy' 2-3 months of winter here), and I am NOT a fan of the cold. So, while New York might be a good destination for vacation, I have decided that at least at this time, it is not a good place for me to be permanently.

So, my mind wandered to other places and other prospects, and fell on (duh) Austin. This hasn't been a new thought, however, I just have finally started putting serious consideration into it. Though I haven't made up my mind yet, I HAVE decided to at least look into the real estate in the Austin area to see what is there and what I might be able to afford.

That being said, I am also looking into bartending. Now, before anyone jumps into a stereotypical frenzy over the idea of one such as me bartending, please remember that cruise ships and nice resorts also need bartenders, and this would give me the opportunity to travel as well; something I've been itching to do since I was young. It is a very mobile job, as bartenders are needed everywhere, so if I get bored in one place, all it takes is for me to finish up whatever lease I will be in at the time and then move again. Some might say that is an immature way to live life, but I beg to differ. It's an independent way to live life, and I'm so SICK of being dependent! So, I am now going to try and begin this journey to figure out who I am, and where I want to be.

New York

2009-12-01T15:40:00.001-06:00

Imagine this: you're in the most amazing city where a story in your mind takes place. And every five minutes as you're driving in the car, you freak out because you just saw another place where 'such-and-such' happened in your book. Or 'that would be the perfect spot to stage this scene...'

Yeah, that was me this whole week.

I just spent Thanksgiving holiday in NYC where the Slayer book takes place, and good god it was amazing.

I bought a camera and spent a goodly amount of time taking snapshots of people and places, but several of those shots were where I imagined several scenes in my book taking place.

It was awe-inspiring to say the least.

On top of that, I have discovered the 'New Moon' Score (no, not soundtrack, SCORE), and it's exactly the kind of music I love to listen to: swelling strings, harps, and beautiful piano solos. Which, combined with my overall enthusiasm for being in New York, has led me to write again. I had horrible writer's block for the longest time; coupled with the fact that I lost 60 pages of work due to a stupid editing error. I got them back (thank god that I had the foresight to send each chapter to my email to work on/edit them while I was at my 'real' job), but that still left me with an uninspired feeling and I was generally unhappy that I had to 're-edit' those 60 pages. Again.

But now, with a climactic point in the story finally drawing closer, I feel the acute need to get the rest of this story out of my brain and on to paper before I kill myself trying. Hopefully there will be no more roadblocks from here on out; I have a general idea with how I'm going to end the book (with a few hazy scenes still being mapped out, due to debate on whether or not I feel that they will be necessary to be included or written in a certain manner), and hopefully that means that I will remain somewhat on schedule and have the book done by the middle of January AT THE LATEST. I don't like pushing back a schedule once I've posted a general deadline for myself, but I think in this case it was necessary.

I have a friend of mine editing the first part of the book for me (April, you will probably be rather unhappy with me when we meet again, because I've re-written a few sections that you may have already edited lol), and as soon as she's done with that 307 page monster pdf I sent her, we will began work on Part 2. Soon after that, I hope to have my publisher all worked out and ready for when we finally get the two parts of the book organized into one.

So with that said, I'm going to return to writing in order to stay on schedule. :)

Something you all should know...

2009-10-13T21:50:00.000-05:00

After I finish 'Part 1' of SLAYER, I will NOT BE POSTING ANY MORE OF THE CHAPTERS. This leaves me *approximately* 2-4 chapters to post before the end of 'Part 1'.

*commence groaning*

There are two reasons for this:

A) Because I have to leave some incentive for you to buy the book once it's published...

B) Because I'm going to be so damn busy trying to finish the darn thing I really won't even have the time to edit and post the second half because I'm going to be killing myself trying to get it done by the time I want to.

BUT,

Goodies while the rest of the book is being done:

-A contest will be posted up on DA shortly after that point.

-Updates and some artwork will be posted on DA and/or my personal website, so keep an eye out for both!

-A 'soundtrack' of sorts (currently in the works) will also be posted on the website, containing music I found particularly inspiring while writing Part 1.

And never fear!

I will post tasty tid-bits from Part 2 as it nears completion. (aka, more incentive for you to buy the book. ;))

Love,

In Other News...

2009-10-12T22:56:00.001-05:00

Have you ever read something that touched you in a way that made you ache with a longing you didn't understand?
You realized that whatever you read wasn't in your own life?

Yeah. Welcome to my life.

The quote that follows whenever I make a comment is as follows:
Sometimes I get so caught up in my own fantasy world that I often find myself mourning the fact that it doesn't actually exist.

And that's true.
I'm finally over the massive hump that was "halfway" toward the end of my book. And as I'm starting to speed towards the end with no sign of slowing down or even stopping, I find myself growing sad. Sure, I'm jubilated to know that it's FINALLY going to be done, and people will finally be able to read what I've been slaving over for five years, and maybe, just maybe, laugh and cry with the characters I've grown to know so intimately over the past few years.

But there's an ache in my chest as I realize that once I reach the end, I will no longer be able to learn more about my characters and their lives, or grow to love them more than I already have.
I believe it's like dying, in a way.
The end of your book is like the death of a child.
Or (less morbidly) at least like the death of a small part of yourself.

I know there will be a sequel; that's been decided for a long time.
But knowing that I'm closer to the end than the beginning is very... depressing in a way.
Especially because the sequel (In the works, the title is "Gatekeeper") has nothing to do really with Kitty or Storm. Their time is over; their story is done.

I almost think that I may keep editing and re-editing just to prolong the inevitable end.
(For those of you who have actually been doing your reading homework I HAVE edited and rewritten several parts of the book that you have already read. So the finished product is going to be different than what you've seen here. Not drastically, but enough that you will want to get a copy. )

Yes, obviously this is very bittersweet for me.

On a happier note, I'm pushing for January-February-ish for publication. Yay! There's a chance it may be delayed to March or April, but considering how hard I've been slaving over*cough* I mean working on it the more I feel that I need it to be done and published by no later than February. I turn 20 on the 26th of that month, and I think it would be an awesome birthday present to myself to have it done.

Anyway, in the next few months, several big things are happening: 1) I'm officially requesting certain rights to the image that I used for Kitty on the cover of "SLAYER." I don't personally know Addison Gill, and I'm going to have to request permission from the photographer to use her face model as Kitty. Hopefully that will go well. 2) I'm getting an official website, if only to sell my book (so people who don't know me in real life won't have to go to incredible lengths to get a copy.). 3) I will be posting a contest in December-ish (depending on whether or not I think I'll get the book done when I say I will) for the book itself, because I love DA. Please see my previous journal entry for a bit more info.

Now I'm going back to my writing. Deadlines to meet, and all that, you know...

So I'm Planning a Contest...:)

2009-10-12T22:55:00.002-05:00

This is just a heads up to my readers...fans...all those awesome people...

I really want to see some fan art for my book.

So (as soon as it's finished of course), I'm going to announce a contest through deviantart for fan art for my book.

I haven't decided all of the prizes yet, but rest assured that they will include deviantart subscriptions, feature pages in my book, and signed copies of the books and some original artwork. If anyone has any other ideas for prizes, let me know, I'm always open to suggestions.

The next chapter is on its way to being done!

Sneak Preview?

2009-10-12T22:55:00.001-05:00

I admit, I got the idea from Stephenie Meyer, who releases quotes from the later parts of her book before it comes out. So here's my version. Enjoy.
---

"I saw the pain register in Storm's eyes before his expression hardened and he replied in a low voice, "If that is your intent, then perhaps we should stop altogether."

"“I'm through listening to you! You have nothing to say that I will EVER consider listening to again!” Storm finally forced his way into my room.
"Get away from me you bastard. I snarled at him. My fangs flashed dangerously."

"“Please? You think that asking politely is going to make this okay? Kitty what have you done?!”

"I hissed at him. “You're the reason she fell.” I accused him."

"“Baylen? How...what are you doing here? What happened?” The vampire hybrid smiled crookedly. “I think I told you once, a long time ago, that I'd rather help you out than my half-brothers and sisters, if the need arose.""

Origins.

2009-10-12T22:54:00.001-05:00

So I recently moved into a new apartment, and had to pack up all of my stuff into boxes and bags, and move them.

Something you all should understand about me is that I am a Class-One-Packrat. I have pictures I drew from back in the 2nd and 3rd grade lol.
So I don't bother to look through them all when I'm moving, because I'm naturally assuming that I'll keep them.

Not this time.

One of my friends who was helping me move decided that it was time to clean house and get rid of stuff I never look at anymore.
That included going through nearly a hundred or so drawings that I've kept since forever, and getting rid of the ones that were outdated or just not drawn very well lol.

So it was no surprise that I found my original sketches of a few of the stories I'm currently writing, including Slayer.
Originally, she was a lot like Catwoman, and she had a sidekick.
She used whips and magic instead of martial arts and knives.
She wore lots of black leather, and she had a tail. She looked a lot more feline than human, and she didn't have wings.
Her ears were huge, taking up the entire side of her head, rather than just being larger than 'elf' ears, but proportionate to her body.

Now for those of you who have seen Treasure Planet, you will be able to imagine what she looked like a lot easier because she looked a LOT like the captain from that kids' movie. So did her sidekick lol.

And she never was going to meet anyone named Storm. Or any type of soulmate for that matter.

The character evolved into something a little more like who she is now, changing from just being some kind of magical feline superhero to being a 'mutant,' or a 'freak.' She still had a tail, and no wings. The American government picked up pretty cases like her and dropped her off on some shielded, protected 'island' where they performed 'tests.' The government just picked up vampires, angels, hybrids, etc, and threw them all into one place to keep them contained. But they broke off into to factions; good and evil. That's kinda where the idea of a league of immortals came from.

Kitty met another set of creatures like her (it wasn't until later that I decided she'd be one of a kind), a mother and her two sons. All that Kitty knows about the island is that her parents disappeared years before, and that they were somewhere on the island. Originally, she would have been the savior of all the immortals on the island, including the bad ones. She would have wound up dating the oldest son of the two brothers. Happily ever after.

However, the whole lack of a 'good immortals vs. evil immortals' theme continued to bug me even as I had this storyline planned out. Vampires have always been a source of creativity for me, and I was at the time writing another book called "Caught Between Immortal Lust" which at the time, would have turned out a lot like Twilight as far as the whole 'human loves vampire' theme goes. (It currently is going to be the third book in the Slayer series.) But I wanted to include vampires in my 'Kitty' book. So she went from being the 'savior' of the all the immortal races to the 'destroyer' of one in particular. Vampires. I took her parents out of the story completely, which gave me an excellent motive for her single-minded destruction of creatures that I to this day, still love. (Trust me, mine and Kitty's relationship is very love-hate lol.) Vampires are bad, Kitty is 'good.'

Originally, she never dated Kenric. Originally, he was more like her big brother, and Darien was the only love complication between her and Storm. Originally, it was all in third person.
To make her one of a kind, I had to throw in a wild card as far as her bloodline came in. Her father was originally a demon; a cat demon lol. Her mother became a fallen angel, which gave her wings. I took away her tail (I thought she'd look too much like an anime character lol) and gave her three forms; human, hybrid, and cat. Originally she used her feline form more often.

Originally, the book was supposed to be called "The International Immortality League."

Originally, Darien never became a dark creature.
Originally, Baylen was never in the story.
Originally, the war over Kitty was started for a different reason. (The real reason I still can't say because I haven't written it yet. XD)

Originally, a lot of things were going to be different.
Isn't it funny about origins?

Heroines.

2009-10-12T22:53:00.000-05:00

As one may have deduced from my writings (whether or not you've been able to make it to my website to read them all), teen romance plays a very solid part in most of my stories.
However, it most assuredly takes second place to the main plots of my books, which mostly revolve around the heroine herself.

Yes, the romance she has with the obvious male protagonist makes her a stronger person, or brings out qualities/abilities she may have not discovered on her own. The romance/relationship lays down the foundation for the much more involved plot.

Take Twilight for example. (Please don't flame me on this one guys, I love Twilight just as much as the next girl, I think Stephenie Meyer is brilliant, in her own way.)

The plot is simple; Romeo and Juliet recreated. But the plot revolves strictly around Edward and Bella's relationship. In the first book, James comes after her because Edward protects her, and Edward is forced to save her from the psychotic vampire. In New Moon, the basis for the whole book is that Bella cannot live without Edward. Third book, same ideas, different antagonists, etc and so forth.

Now the books are brilliant in their own way; the simple, timeless forbidden love story has drawn millions of readers in, made even more intriguing by the vampiric twist.
But though Bella is the heroine, there is never a very big plot that does NOT involve her relationship with Edward. Renesmee and the Volturi was a nice touch in the last book (I think this was the only one in the series where we saw Bella change in any way, vampire transformation nonwithstanding); Renesmee forced Bella to let go of her previous life, fears, and limitations, without Edward's help (Keep in mind though, that it was Edward crossing the line between friend and foe that made her realize that it was her own limitations that kept her shield from expanding).

Twilight is one of my favorite book series; I really do love the simple, uncomplicated plot that revolves around their relationship. Very typical paranormal teen romance.

But, my plotlines are so different from that. Each heroine has a story, a reason for why she is who she is, and through her relationship with her significant other, she changes. Whether dramatically or subtly, whether she come into an ancestral power or her personality changes, there is always another plot that revolves specifically around the heroine rather than the romance.

Romance, especially for teenage girls, is always going to be an important part of any book--that's what draws so many teenagers to them.

But I also think that a heroine should be reliant upon herself, have her own strengths and weaknesses, and her own STORY that not only complements the love shared between the two characters, but also compliments her own personality. The romance should enrich the story, but not be the foremost part of it.

I like a girl with a little spark of her own, don't you?

A Different World

2009-10-12T22:50:00.001-05:00

I see the world a little differently than most people.
I ride the bus to and from work, and so often I find myself telling a story about the different people that get on and off the bus.
I like to people watch, you see. It's infinitely interesting.

Like the little wrinkled old man sitting at the far end of the bus.
He's not old you see. No, he's actually a fairly young immortal, but his features have been ravaged by Tyme.
No, not Time, TYME.
Tyme is a giant wraithlike demon that with every slash of his giant claws has prematurely aged hundreds of immortals, beyond any healer's repair.
He was finally destroyed by the young, beautiful dark-skinned woman who just stepped onto the bus with her three small children.
She is glorious, and her children very much take after her.
No one would know that their father was a demonic creature, not even the children themselves, and even now, she is running to keep them out of his clutches, to keep them safe.

And then there's the young looking girl who is fidgeting nervously in the very very back, looking very much like she wants to jump out of her seat and bolt. No one would guess that she is a dark fae, doing a dark errand for an even darker lord.
She looks at me, catches me watching, and then ducks her head again. She knows that I know what she is, what she is up to.

My world is full of vivid colors, both bright and dark, and often accompanied by epic music in the background.
I see clouds, and I know they are there, not because it's going to rain, but because an Air elemental is calling upon them to aid him in his desperate battle against the Fire Warlord.

I believe that every artist has their 'muse,' and mine happens to be Two Steps from Hell, and Within Temptation.
They speak to me what words could never say.
And they help make my world more and more of a reality.

First Blogger Post

2009-10-12T22:33:00.001-05:00

For the record, a lot of my first posts are going to be put up all at once because I'm importing from several other blogs. From now on I'll only be posting on this one though, so bear with me as I go through these introductory stages of getting my Slayer site together. :)