My Backyard DIY Summer Projects: Terrariums and Gardening

This is a smaller post while I put together my how-to for my solar-powered lights. Recently, I decided I needed another feel-good project, and lately, something that makes me feel super good is building things and working in my garden and on my patio. So, I decided to build a terrarium for inside near our kitchen sink and make a little succulent bowl for outside on the patio. I also planted some flowers, because I love flowers and so do bees!

I started with the succulent bowl first.

Oh, and my super rad neighbor (who I ran into at the garden store only about a half hour before all of this!) gave me, as she said, "The best margarita you'll ever try," and I'll be honest, it certainly was! I will have to try and find a recipe to share with her next time around. :)

Anyway, you can see my supplies! I chose a bunch of baby succulents, a nice glass bowl, some potting soil, some moss, and (not pictured above, but it is below) some river pebbles.

The first thing I did was fight the pebble packaging. Not even joking. Like, seriously! Who's going to steal river pebbles? It took me almost half of my margarita and some serious determination to pry the lid off of that thing! Ugh!

But once I managed (HA! I am stronger than that blasted tape after all!), I poured about half of the river pebbles into the bowl.

I have no idea why. I guess this helps drain the excess water from the soil or something? No clue. Everyone on Pinterest was doing it, so I wanted to be part of the fad and jumped in (I also did this for my large standing light fixture, but I'll discuss that more in my next post). I smoothed the rocks out because why not, and then it was time for the soil!

I love soil. Like, probably an unhealthy amount. I almost never use gardening gloves (unless I'm picking prickly weeds or working with mulch, because splinters are gross). Anyway, I dumped some potting soil on top of the rocks and sort of eyeballed it. Then, it was time for the plants!

I played around with the succulents' positions for a while, trying to decide what I liked best. This was supposed to be their final form, but then I realized I couldn't get the aloe apart, so I had to put it in the center. Which is fine; it turned out looking pretty!

Last came the decorations. I bought some fairy garden stuff (from the sale bin!). The zebra plant had to be moved to make enough room, but overall, I was pretty happy with the end result.

Can you find the hedgehog in the first shot? ;) I ended up moving him later, but still love how cute he is!

And here the final product is, sitting out by one of my lamps!

Next on my list was the terrarium.

I also filled it with rocks. Honestly, at this point, I think it's just the fashionable thing to do.

Next was the soil! My favorite!

Woah, that's not soil. Okay, but it still shows you how many river pebbles I added and the little wishing well I planned to put inside.

Ah, better! Then, somehow, I managed to squeeze a zebra plant in.

The zebra plant was almost touching the top, which meant it wouldn't have any room to grow. So I took another swig of the best margarita ever, pulled the zebra plant out, and emptied half of the rocks and dirt into my soil bag. Bummer. Once I adjusted the levels, I put the zebra plant back in.

MUCH better. Now the plant has some wiggle room to get a little bigger.

I then stuffed the moss in and fit the wishing well inside. But, there was a problem. I still had this last little cute succulent left, and I had no place to put her! After some contemplation of the deepest kind, I decided the plant deserved to be in the terrarium, not the wishing well.

And boy does she look ADORBS there! Yup, I made the right choice, no doubt about it!

That's not to say the wishing well didn't find a place. It did, right among some freshly planted daisies and moss! Perfect fit!

New Book by K. M. Hodge!!

I am so excited to announce the launch of K.M. Hodge’s third book in her Syndicate-born Trilogy. True Blue Son is the most thrilling and suspenseful book yet.. Are you new to the series? You can get a FREE sample of the award winning first book in series, Red on the Run: Red on the Run. If you pick up an eBook copy of  Red on the Run you will get the first five chapters of Black and White Truth for FREE too! You can also check out the fun Facebook Live video the author did for the second book. Be advised it does contain spoilers for the first book.  

The Syndicate-born Trilogy:  

“K.M. Hodge does a great job of creating a world of suspense and romance that sucks you in.” - Five Star Amazon Reviewer

The Syndicate-born Trilogy takes readers into the deep underbelly of crime and corruption where men and women seek power by any means necessary. Her flawed and relatable characters will stick with you well after you finish the books. The books take you on an emotional roller coaster as the characters go through heart wrenching tragedies and triumphant wins wins. You might need a box of tissues for this series. Grab your FREE sample now or get your FREE copy of the eBook April 27-29.

True Blue Son:

Dr. Zander Ride grew up a son of The Syndicate, his fate as a career criminal all but sealed. With the help of his mother, he escaped a life of crime... until the night The Syndicate shot his mother in cold blood

Zander soon finds refuge in the hands of his mother's hacktivist group, who want his help bringing down the notorious group once and for all. But it comes with a cost. Managed by a different leader and guided by a new deadly mission, the hacktivists force Zander to confront the truth about his parents and the sacrifices they made for the cause.

In the end, Zander must decide how far he's willing to go and what he's willing to sacrifice. Can a child born of The Syndicate bring it all down, or will he be another pointless sacrifice in their struggle for money and power?

Author Bio:

K.M. Hodge grew up in Detroit, where she spent most of her free time weaving wild tales to spook her friends and family. These days, she lives in Texas with her husband and two energetic boys and once again enjoys writing tales of suspense and intrigue that keep her readers up all night. Her stories, which focus on women's issues, friendship, addiction, regrets and second chances, will stay with you long after you finish them. When she isn't writing or being an agent of social change, she reads Independent graphic novels, watches old X-files episodes, streams Detroit Tigers games and binges on Netflix with her husband. She enjoys hearing from her readers, so don't be shy about dropping her a line.

* K.M. Hodge was awarded the winter of 2016 Pinnacle Book Achievement Award for The Syndicate-born Trilogy book #1, Red on the Run.

You can sign up for new release emails and get a FREE GIFT: www.kmhodge.com/subscribe

Website: www.kmhodge.com

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GRAB YOUR COPY TODAY:

(Available for FREE on Kindle Unlimited)

Red on the Run

Black and White Truth

True Blue Son

My First Tattoo

Something happened on Tuesday, something I've been thinking about for about 15 years (no lie). I got my first tattoo. I've been tossing the idea of getting a tattoo around for a long time (half of my life, since the beginning of The Amuli Chronicles, actually), and I decided I finally knew a design I could never regret. One that would mean something to me every single time I looked at it.

I sent this design to an artist named Sarah recommended to me by a friend. She and I discussed briefly what I was looking for, and she tossed a price out. I skimmed her art and did a little more research on her work and on other local artists and studios before deciding, heck yeah, I want to get my first tattoo from this amazing, burgeoning artist. Supporting emerging artists is important to me, and it's an awesome feeling knowing I will get to walk around with her art on my body forever. Pretty sure I chose right!

The design is important to me for a few reasons. First, it's a character's name from one of my book series (the Soulbound series); next, it's the name of the second character I developed for this series: Marik. The two glyphs (yes, two, not three) are split into mar and ik, meaning literally firstborn blood. I like to joke about how my imaginary friends get angry with me if I work on another series or think about other stories, but it's actually true. I wrote a book outside of The Amuli Chronicles last November for NaNoWriMo, and Marik and the others of my Chronicles were so angry, they are only just now speaking with me again. I understand why they were mad; the new book is fairly far removed from my normal work, and it derailed me emotionally and artistically, but I'm glad I gave it a go.

Back to Marik. In the past, when I've considered giving up and walking away from writing, he has always been the one to pull me back. Clae and Eti, too, and they will eventually get their own marks, but for me, Marik represents more than a character or a good friend. He is the person who repeatedly sees me at my worst; he reflects a lot of who I am when I'm at my worst. Hopeless. Angry. Self-loathing. Wrathful. Self-destructive. All of these things sort of combined into this man (Nicholas is the opposite; he's my manic self, but that's another story), and this man is the reason I continue to write. Because in truth, the story I want to tell belongs to him as much as it does me.

So, I messaged Sarah Tuesday morning and asked if she had a slot open that day. Fate, I figured, would be the one to ultimately decide if I got ink or not. She did! I had to rush a hair appointment (have to go back next week to get the rest done; long story there...), but I made it a little early.

After filling in the disclaimer form (including checking a box noting where I understood that tattoos are *gasp* perminant!), she took me back to her cubicle and we chatted a little about the design I wanted. I tossed out the idea of adding watercolor, and she rolled with it. She explained everything to me--from opening the needle and instrument before me to what the pain might be like (of course, this is what I was the most nervous about!). She offered to do a tiny tester, and I was ultimately surprised at how little it hurt (until the needle hit the middle of my wrist--ouch!).

As she worked on the glyphs, she asked what I was thinking of for the watercolor. She and I had already chosen colors, but not really a design. Sarah suggested something organic, and the idea struck me as perfect. I'm a big lover of things being unique. I love to buy items a little scratched up or worn (my angel from the Thai bazaar in Bangkok is a good example; I have the one they used for display instead of one wrapped in a plastic bag... mine has way more character!).

Some of the black ink smudged, as is wont with tattoos, and I mentioned I liked how the smudges looked. She went with it, and lo and behold, after a few adjustments, this was the design!

I went with bright colors because of my depression. I wanted something I could look at for years and years and still see as bright, as impacting, as a brilliant memory and something to inspire me when I'm at my lowest. The positioning of the tattoo, even, was thoroughly thought through. I wanted to be able to almost accidentally look at the tattoo and be able to smile.

That light, that memory, and the meaning of the tattoo as a whole is very important to me. Beyond firstborn blood, this tattoo stands for so much more. It stands for hope. It stands for my dreams. The ink swimming through my skin is a reminder to never give in. A reminder to fight, to believe in what I want in life, and to keep pushing forward no matter the obstacles.

And it certainly won't be my last.

I think a Gundam tattoo might be in order next (but not for a while! I need to save up and really work on the design until it's perfect; it'll be a bit bigger than this one, but just as meaningful).

Do you have any tattoos? What do they mean to you? If not, have you ever thought about getting one and why? Tell me about your body art/dream body art! This is a dialogue, after all. ;)

Thank you for reading!

Fresh Air

Last year was difficult for me, personally, on many levels. I discovered an old friend passed away and suffered, as a result, a depressive episode lasting months. I struggled with personal identity and personal happiness. I lost a job and some dear friends (not by death, but other things); I then found the most amazing job I've ever held.

I stopped writing for a while.

I then wrote a book (65,000 words, written, edited, and sent to beta readers) in exactly a month. I'm still floored.

The voices of my characters vanished during that time. Not the characters from the new book, but the ones from my life-long series. They just... went away. I became lonelier than I've ever been. I never want them to leave me again.

I stopped writing... again.

I seriously questioned my art (for the millionth time).

My best friend's life fell apart, and all I wanted to do was pull her close and tell her the world is not as hateful as it seems. I'm beyond lucky she's in my life. She helped me turn everything around. She helped me see the light and breathe anew.

Then, I clicked back into action. I started focusing on things important to me: my marriage, my art, my BFF, myself. These aren't listed in order of importance. They're all important to me. All equally part of my life--the best parts of my life.

A few days ago, I drew something (and someone) I love dearly for the first time in months. I drew Yaranda Aneys (nee Yassla) from The Soulbound Curse and The Soulless King: Part One.

Nothing fancy. A sketch. A doodle. A moment to reflect on last year--on what I want and why. On why life isn't futile and why things are worth doing. Why this story--and my other--is worth writing.

Yaranda is one of those characters who digs into people. She digs in and won't let go. In a word, she's tenacious. She's passionate. She's pissed off, and she has every reason to be. Her rage helped propel me forward, and I cannot be more thankful. Hers is not a story of love and life. Hers is a story of loss and survival, of struggling to maintain what little she has. In the past, I connected with her least of my characters (and I have a lot of them), but when my heart was heaviest, when my soul darkest, when the world lost its luster, she was the one who took me by the heart and squeezed.

"Do you like to live?"

"Most days."

"Then do something worth living for; or else, your flesh is a waste of life. A waste of generations and time. Do something, or forget us all and become mindless--become nothing."

She went quiet after that, but I could feel her seething at the back of my mind, and with her my other characters: Marik, Clae, Eti, Janine... countless, countless others whose lives will be lost if I do not keep going.

So tonight, I stepped back and colored a little. This is a work in progress; I still have a long way to go, but at last, I feel fresh. I feel like things will be okay again. And I can't wait to wake up early tomorrow and really dig into my projects. I can't wait to launch back to Inrugia and her peoples. I can't wait to try something new and exciting and continue this story.

I can't wait.

One day at a time. I'll get there. This picture, this character, is a reminder that when life is terrible to us, we can make it through. We can survive. We can pull out of our darkest moments and breathe anew.

So I will. I will push forward. And this time, I will not stop.

The Crushing Truth of Hating Myself to the Core

Every morning, I wake up, and it's the same internal mantra, I hate you. You're terrible. Look at you. Not even worth breathing. Everything about you is scum. You're scum. Nothing would change if you weren't here. The world wouldn't miss you one bit. And that's not me thinking about someone else. That's me thinking about myself. Every morning, every day, and every night, this is what rolls through my mind on repeat. My only relief is when I'm either working or trying to distract myself with an on-going story inside of my head. I used my characters often as an escape from these words. Still, somehow, they come back. They always come back. And I always, always believe them.

Over the past few months, things have become progressively worse. My self-loathing has devolved to a point where I suffer in constant despair. I often find myself romanticizing how my friends wouldn't even notice me missing if I simply stopped talking to them, or if I simply vanished from social media. About how they despise me and how I'm an absolutely horrid person. How I'm just the worst to be around, and how much they hate me for everything I am--and everything I'm not.

It's a pretty crushing feeling to think to yourself repeatedly, Your friends don't even like you. No one likes you. You're a burden. And to know, somewhere deep inside, you believe every single word. Every one. There's a point where it goes beyond me just believing those words, too. There was a point where those words become so ingrained that they're just about burned into my bones. That's how much I believe that little voice. I feel it, deep inside of me, that I'm worthless.

I hit that point about eight years ago. Now, the burns are more like giant gouges, dug so deep that my marrow leaks out from the wounds. No matter how much I try to plaster those gouges shut, they simply crack open again, breaking wider and longer than before.

The more I think about what's going on inside of my head, this tremendous self-loathing, this hatred for everything I am, everything I've done in my life, that I can't help wondering, Am I alone? I doubt it. Self-hatred isn't uncommon. It should be, but it isn't. I bet I throw a virtual stone and at least ten of my Facebook friends have the same self-hatred and deep-down despair that cripples you to the core. That's why I'm writing this. Because, you, my friends, aren't alone, and yes, someone would miss you. I would miss you; I would miss you terribly and deeply and without any way to describe in words the sorrow I'd feel at your loss.

Don't let the self-loathing win. Don't listen to that voice inside of your head, no matter how convincing it is. Please--just remind yourself that you would be passionately missed. That's what keeps me going. I have to remind myself how selfish of me it is to hate myself so much when so many people have put such enormous love into my life. When so many people have shown me their devotion and love for me... and it helps to know that I am loved. Even when the whispers are darkest and the most tempting, I try so hard to remind myself of that outpouring of love.

Because if I don't remember it, if the whispers start telling me that all of that love isn't real and, worse, if I start to believe them... I'm not sure what will happen.

For now, I'm fighting. Please, fight with me.

Facing the Days After

I've thrown myself completely into my work, from revising Frendyl Krune and the Nightmare in the North to working as hard as I can on The Soulless King: Part One. My day-job, too, has consumed me, whether for better or worse. Some days, my skin aches. It's a weird feeling.

I'm still compiling my feelings, my thoughts, and trying to work through the complex surge I've been experiencing over the past week. Sometimes, I'm okay. I can function pretty well and go about my day without any problems. Others, I just stop and start crying because of something stupid. I mean, god, someone texted me about something silly, like a video game, and I just fell apart. Or when my friend who works at a clinic told me about some patients, I cried, but I was also a little glad, because it gave me a little more insight into how things may have been during those impossible years. A battle fought, a struggle so impossible, I'll never be able to understand it.

Still, from what I've learned, from what I've heard, I'm so, so proud of him for what he tried to do. So incredibly floored by how Shannon did his best to come back from the brink. It's an impossible fight, and for a while, it sounds like he was winning. That's truly just downright amazing.

I'm still trying to figure this out. I want to keep focused and keep strong, but it's hard, because I keep thinking about what may have led him down this path. It's frustrating, too, because I really didn't know him the last few years. All of my memories of him are from when we were kids. To me, he was this dorky, funny kid who lit up my life when things got kind of dark. He was just... fun. Like, we were both stupid and we both did stupid things (dares galore at daycare; man, triple-dog-dares ran that daycare). But I get flashes of what he may have been like as he grew older, and it just gets harder. It gets harder, because I think we'd still have had a ton in common.

Death is frustrating and enraging and breaks my soul again and again, because I just think of how close I was to finally reconnecting with him after so many years of searching. Years of thinking I was crazy, because I had no evidence Shannon or his sister even existed. I honestly thought for a while that I made them up as imaginary friends. It wouldn't have been the first time.

Knowing he was real king of makes it harder. There are things I want to show him. Stupid things I hope he would have liked. Game Grumps, for example, or my husband. I honestly think that Shannon would have really liked Micahl. Oh, and my brothers? Forget about it! Man, those three would've been perfect friends, haha. The chaos they could have reaped... I just laugh thinking about it. And then...

Just... ugh. A sourness has crept into my soul. Not bitterness. I'm not bitter, but I feel... sour, like everything just isn't as sweet right now. I think that'll pass in time. Death takes time. Mourning takes time. I keep trying to force myself to focus on other things. On happy things. But the other day, I was talking with a friend about some of the things going on in her life, and they're pretty heavy. She explained how she was trying to force herself to be happy, because happiness comes from the inside (and she's right, of course; my depression and anxiety are much better on days that I make myself be happy and focus on only the good things in my life). I could tell, though, that she was really struggling with her happiness, so I told her that it's all right--healthy, in fact--to be upset, to mourn the bad things going on around her. I explained that her feelings are valid, and that she's allowed to be upset and angry and cry. It's how you start healing, after all.

I think I need to take my own advice. Let myself mourn instead of forcing myself to just shut everything down. Time will heal this. I've reconnected with two amazing people, and that's a positive note. One I can be more than satisfied with. I've learned a lot about myself and a little about my past. But for the next few days (see: my weekend), I'll be letting myself mourn a little more deeply so my heart and soul can begin to heal.

There are other things going on in my life. I've had to relinquish my D&D session time. Mostly because of work and time constraints, but there are other more personal reasons for needing to walk away. I'll miss playing, but I know in my heart I'm doing the right thing for me right now. Sometimes it's all you can do.

For now, I'll be writing, mourning, and spending time with my memories. Because right now, that's really all I can focus on. Thank you, all, for the love and support over the past week. Truly, your support means the world to me. Just remember to tell the people you love and care for how much they mean to you.

Of my Childhood Best Friend

I'm not sure how to approach this, but I do know that I'm angry and sad and have broken into tears more times in the last few hours than I have over the course of years. And it's all because after searching for an old friend through Facebook for years in the hopes that he or his sister were on social media, I finally found him. I finally found his page.

And he's dead.

I don't know how, I don't know why, but he's gone. This kid... well, this man, because he was a man when he died--we were pretty close as kids. For a while, he was the only friend I had. My true best friend. The only one I played with, the only one whose house I visited, and the only one who visited my house. He came to all of my birthday parties. His sister was my sister's best friend. We all got along great. He and I would terrorize our sisters, because c'mon, that's what siblings do. He always showed off his latest baseball cards or his Pokemon cards or we played ball in the street. He was the reason I started playing Pokemon in the first place. I got cards just so I could trade with him. I got a GameBoy Color, just so he and I could play together. We told dumb jokes to each other. We laughed and shared our dreams and got picked on.

And now he's gone.

I don't know how long he's been dead. I want to respect his family and not ask, not pry, because we literally haven't spoken in a decade and a half, but... I want to know how long I've lived while he has not. But I need to respect them. I need to respect that his sister probably doesn't even remember me or realize how much his death has impacted me, even after we haven't talked for so long. I need to do that, even when I want to know what happened and why it happened and why I couldn't have stopped it. I keep thinking, I could have been there if I'd searched harder, if I'd found him sooner. I could have stopped this. He might still be here if I'd just...

If I'd only...

If I'd...

But I don't think there was anything I could have done. I'll never know. Maybe that's why I'm so angry. Why my heart and face and chest and entire body hurt so badly right now. Because I'll never know if my presence would have made a difference in his life or not.

My soul hurts.

When we were kids, Shannon was... he was smart. Funny. Always smiling. Taking dares from the other boys at the daycare we were in together, even though they treated him like crap. I never really understood that. Maybe it was just because he was an awesome guy. I always figured he'd become something amazing, you know? He was the type of person who could really change lives. Not just talk about doing it, but actually do something about the world we live in, actually do something to make the lives of those around him better. I figured he'd always become something so profound that the world would just... change for the better because of him.

That goodness has been snuffed out. But... I mean, do I even have a right to feel this way, to be this angry, this hurt, this... lost? Especially after not talking to him or even seeing him for so long? People change... something must have changed. But I don't know what. I almost don't even care. I'm so mad right now... at no one, at everyone, at myself... He might have been dead for five years for all I know. Longer, maybe. And it's just... unfair. I feel like the world should be screaming and mourning and raging all at once over the loss of this man.

I wasn't there, so I didn't see the tears shed, the screaming and mourning and wailing of his family after he died. Their pain and heartache weren't something I witnessed. I didn't witness any of it, and now, everything seems so... so quiet over his absence. No obituary. Nothing. Just... just silence. I keep wondering how anyone could go on after losing someone like him.

Just...

Just love the people you have with you. Reach out to people you cared for or were close to in the past. Because one day, you might stumble across them, but it could be too late. Too late to say everything you wanted to say, too late to tell someone how much they meant to you, what they did to impact your life, how they made you a better person just because you knew them. Too late... too late to even say goodbye.

RIP, Shannon Fox. The world has lost a great light.

Things are Happening... and they're EXCITING!

Hey, everyone. Sorry for being so quiet lately. There's been a huge change in my life recently--a good one, of course, but a change nonetheless!

I got a second (see: paying) job. Full-time as an editor for an amazing company. It's been an insane couple of weeks, and my schedule is nuts, but I love it, and I wouldn't change it for the world. Especially since this is giving me money to pump back into my true passion--my books. My Inrugia, my amuli, my ekra, and denayn, and all of the characters who rule my life.

That said, no, I have not stopped writing or working during this time. To give you an idea of what's going on, my amazing editor is currently working on two of my books--The Soulless King: Part One and Frendyl Krune and the Nightmare in the North. We're just about done with The Soulless King: Part One, which, OH MY GOSH. Gals and gents, I honestly never thought I'd see this book written. It just seemed so... so big and so beyond my abilities, but with Phil checking my every mishap along the way, double-checking my work... well, it is happening. I'm truly so glad and thankful that he is my editor. Fate is crazy like that.

Speaking of which! I have a book signing coming up this December at a local Barnes & Noble! At least three of the Frendyl Krune books will be available for you to purchase and have me sign, and I'm really hoping the fourth one will be ready and in print! Here's the address and phone number:

Thorncreek Crossing

701 E 120th Ave
Thornton, CO 80233

(720) 872-2619

My signing will be in the afternoon of December 20, but it's going to be so much fun! Come down and meet me and pick up some great Holiday gifts while you're at it!

And of course these aren't the only projects I'm working on right now. The Soulless King: Part Two and Part Three are in my queue and getting their comeuppance, I promise. ;) Also in the works is a stand-alone book called The Rise of the Four Kings. All of these are going to be released by Evolved Publishing next year.

I'm still (very slowly, as they aren't a priority right now) working on the Yorsyl Rises series and Axis of the Soul. Part III should be coming out here in a month or so, depending on my schedule. I'm going to try and get back into releasing Axis once a week, but we'll see. I want to redesign the cover, and I think that might be what's really holding me back right now. I made the current cover, but I'm not happy with it. We'll see what happens in the coming weeks.

My amazing VA for the Frendyl Krune series and I just got off the phone, and things are going swimmingly for the first Frendyl Krune audio book. If I have my way, the same VA will be working with us on the Soulbound series as well. Fingers crossed, please! He's super talented, and I'd love to have the opportunity to work with him again!

There's one more project that's taking up a good chunk of my time, but I'm not going to talk about it until next year. Sorry! I want to make sure everything's in order before anything's announced.

Gosh, when do I sleep? Well, if I slept, I wouldn't be able to bring you fun stories! Anyway, I hope the next update won't be far off. Have a lovely night!

5 Things that need to Happen for the Animorphs Movie to be a Success

I've been rereading K.A. Applegate's fantastic Animorphs series the last month or two, and during that time, I've heard numerous rumors across the Internet that Universal Studios purchased the rights to produce an Animorphs film. Whether or not this is true doesn't matter right now. There is no IMDB listing and very few sources to back this claim. If Universal did purchase the rights, there's a good chance they're keeping it hush-hush until a decent screen play is produced.

Because, let's face it... the 90s TV series, no matter how much you might have enjoyed it, was terrible compared to the books themselves. Not only did none of the actors really fit their roles (except maybe Shawn Ashmore, but even that was stretching it), but let's not even get started on set design, the fact that Tobias was cast as a red-shouldered hawk, not a red-tailed hawk (which bothered me to no end as a child), and the, um, Andalites themselves. Sorry, Nickelodeon, but that was probably one of the worst adaptions I've ever seen.

If a film is to be made, some things must be noted--especially if the company producing the film wants to make money off of it... and if they want to create something far, far better than the film's predecessor.

Number One: Pick a Plot

The series is made up of 54 fairly short books, each with its own unique plot, as well as four Megamorphs books, two Alternamorphs, and the various chronicles books, plus Visser. This expansive set of stories offers a myriad of plots to chose from, some of which (like the Chee plot, which is more subdued but still rather important, as it ties in with the Ellimist plot) merge together rather nicely, and could be boiled down into a cohesive film that focuses solely on the main series itself.

Another way to do this is choose a set of books (perhaps the first five or ten), and make it clear that the film is the first in a set. From there, follow the plot closely and get as much information right as possible. I can't tell you how irritating it was to see so many things done incorrectly in the TV series. As a huge fan, the inconsistencies were hard to swallow and actually made me want to stop reading the books themselves.

Number Two: Keep it 90s

The books were huge in the 90s. These were a staple to every 90s kid's reading collection. I know that there was a point where Scholastic tried to update the books to fit better in the 2000s, and that the reprint and rewrite failed pretty horribly. Part of the Animorphs charm was that the kids knew things we did. They watched the same shows as us. They were challenged because the Internet was still dial-up. Technology of the time meant none of them had cell phones. The juxtaposition between Andalite and Yeerk technology compared to that of humans was brilliantly played out. And let's face it, this film isn't going to be made for kids. No--it's going to be made for 90s kids. So, please, don't try to update it. Keep the setting in the 90s where it belongs. You wouldn't update Harry Potter to take place with iPads and smart phones, would you? No! So don't do it to Animorphs.

Number Three: Design

The third element that needed the most help in the TV series was design. The studio working on this film, I sincerely hope, would rely a lot on computer graphics and animation to bring out the stellar imagery of Applegate's universe. I mean, imagine an Andalite! Oh my gosh--or even a Hork-Bajir! Ah! I can see the gorgeous scenery in my head, the insanely gross morphing, and the plot simply glowing from solid use of computer animation, or at least, adaption. Think Avatar, and you've got a pretty good idea of how gorgeous this film could be.

PS--I'm not talking lovable, kid-friendly 3D animation. I'm taking art. I'm talking adult-friendly animation that would make your jaw hit the floor, and could be a movie you'd introduce your 13-year-old to as a way to get them interested in grown-up films (like, again, Avatar). We don't need cartoonesque Andalites. That would just be sad. :/

Number Four: Characters

For the love of god, make the characters the right age! Seriously. I hated that the characters were all 16+ in the TV show. These are kids. They're, as Marco states in The Extreme, in junior high school. They can't be older than 14, and they shouldn't be. The whole point of Animorphs was to show what kids can do--that even kids, and in my humble opinion, especially kids, can save the world. Don't show them as older teens. Don't give them cars or cool gadgets. The reason these kids were so likable was that they were just like us. We all came from similar positions in life as Tobias, or Rachel, or Jake, or Cassie, or Marco--and even Ax was someone I identified strongly with.

And in regards to the cast, please, please, please try to have the actors match their characters. I remember thinking, That's not Cassie, or That's not Marco--and not because of looks. The attitude the actors exuded on-screen was palpably not the same as their characters, and it bothered me. I felt like I was watching an Alternamorphs, but with characters whose names were the same as the main cast.

Number Five: Get Applegate to Help Out

I'd love to see K.A. Applegate help write the script, or at least some of the ghost writers who worked with her. I think this would help to keep everything consistent in the film franchise, and would maintain a strong sense of nostalgia.

Also, if these films are made, I'd love to see The Hork-Bajir Chronicles and The Andalite Chronicles made into films as well. Can you just imagine how amazing those would be on the silver screen? I'm fangirling just thinking about it!

This list is of course not all-inclusive, but I do think these five things are the foundation to what could be an amazing Animorphs film (or possible, film franchise). And Universal, if you're listening and you've bought the rights, you'd make 12-year-old Kira so, so happy if you made this film. Just sayin', it's an untapped market! ;)

Keto Update & More: Week Two and Beyond

Good morning and happy Friday, everyone! So, I wanted to update ya'll on a few things. First off is the ketogenic diet. In my last post, I talked about how I'd plateaued after losing only four pounds this go around. Well, it seems I was a little quick to make that assumption. As of today, I'm down 6 pounds (18 lbs total from before my first keto session). I have a lot more to lose before I'll be happy, but for the last two days, I've been losing roughly a pound a day. This is pretty cool--it's also because I changed my activities.

Instead of running--which seems to give me a terrible stitch in the chest--I've changed over to yard work. Our yard needed some work anyways, but my husband and I have been weeding and planting some late-season things (bushes, trees, etc.), and not only does it help to keep my chest from hurting, but it also seems to have worked as a way to kick-start my metabolism again.

I've also been keeping a keener eye on my carb intake. I suspect because we cut so many carbs naturally after our last keto round, my body was already used to getting less than 80g of carbs a day, so bumping down to 20g wasn't doing much. I've kept an eye on it and am sitting at less than 10g/day now, which makes me pretty happy. I also suspect that my... beer intake after the first week and a half on keto may have caused me to jump out of ketosis. It's a bummer, but I've learned my lesson. I'm planning a cheat day Monday (for special reasons), but after that, will get back in the habit of cheating once every two weeks. And most of that cheating will be beer. Sorry, I love my brew.

Still doing well without sugar, which makes me insanely happy. I did try to make my own whipped cream yesterday and added a half packet of TruVia, but man. That crap is too sweet for me. I ended up refrigerating most of the whipped cream in some coffee, and it melted (not surprisingly). I'm glad to see that my tolerance for sweets has gone down, though. Maybe once I'm off keto around the holidays, I can keep to that low-sweet tolerance. Hopefully. Pie is one of my favorite things in the world.

Yesterday, my brilliant cover artist, Mallory Rock, sent me the cover for Frendyl Krune Origins: Her Tired Heart, and I have to say--it's beautiful! I'm going to share the new cover in my newsletter on August 1, so if you haven't signed up yet, now might be the time to do it--especially if you want to see new covers before they're shown off to the public! I'll be revealing the cover here, but it'll be a few weeks later.

The cover for Frendyl Krune and the Nightmare in the North will be revealed once I have the final draft. I'm excited to see where Mallory takes this one!

Look for Frendyl Krune Origins: Her Tired Heart on September 26, 2017, and Frendyl Krune and the Nightmare in the North on November 28, 2017! Both are sure to thrill readers of all ages!

Frustration with the Ketogenic Diet

Hey, all. So I've been on keto for two weeks exactly now, and I've plateaued. Almost instantly, I stopped losing weight. I'm running four times a week and weight lifting at least twice a week. My calories sit just under 1300/day, which, to me, is already at the brink of me not wanting to cut any lower.

I've only lost four pounds since starting, and I'm not sure why. The last time I was on keto, I lost seven pounds in a week, and then eight more the following week before becoming addicted to sugar again. This is beyond frustrating and infuriating. I'm at my wit's end. No clue what more to do. No idea what to change. I'm already eating mostly lean meats, salads, and healthy fats. And I want to scream.

I don't want to give up on keto. My goal is what has kept me pushing forward, what has kept me focused, but if I cease to lose weight, no matter what I try, I may have no choice but to back out and try something else. Four pounds? Plateauing less than two weeks after I've begun this diet? It's insane!!

Ugh. Sorry. I just don't know what to do. Just frustrated and angry. I take in less than 20g of carbs a day, less than 5g of sugar... Any help or thoughts would be sincerely appreciated. I'm not even using almond or coconut flour this time around. Literally, I only get carbs from my coffee (heavy whipping cream), cheeses, and my salads!

Maybe this week will be better. I'll just have to wait and see. :/ Thanks for any help...

First Big Drawing Project in a While!

Hi, everyone. I hope you're having an eventful weekend! I sure have. I've taken a short break from writing to focus on a gift for a close friend of mine (my previously mentioned co-author of our Epics of Etheliu series, which we'll be starting to rough out on Monday), C. G. Malcolm.

I started this last night, because I was literally shaking and couldn't keep still long enough to write. My mind's been going like the Road Runner on about 6 pitchers of coffee since Friday night, and drawing helps me to zone out and focus my energy. No thoughts. Nothing except the lines and the pencil/pen. I wanted to do something a little more traditional, and of course, now that I'm looking at the picture, I see about a million mistakes. Hopefully my friend won't care.

I wish I'd taken more process pictures. I think it might have been nice to show you the process during the 8 or so hours I poured into this illustration. Ah, well. A lesson for next time, I suppose! Anyway, here's me nearing the pencil stage.

I used a myriad of references during the sketching phase, which I normally don't have to worry about. Usually I'm drawing my own creations, so it was a little strange having to jump back and forth between various images. I think I ended up with like 7 tabs open on my phone while I sketched last night! Fun!

Initially, I planned to start inking last night, but I was so deliriously tired that I couldn't even keep my eyes open, so inking was out of the question. I woke up this morning, and after some yard work, I started the inking process. This is an image from the stage where I inked a bit and finalized a few of the pencil bits, adding more, clarifying a few things, etc.

Here was when I began to notice a few things that I wanted to add and adjust, such as the flags, the saddle bag, the bedroll, and the checkered bit near the horse's rump. The lines came out rather good, I think, for not having practiced with pens in a long time. I think the last illustration I inked was for Frendyl Krune Origins: Their Pretty Bones! That was a while ago.

Once everything was inked to satisfaction, I went back through and shaded, added some details, and erased all of the pencil lines. While I'm not 100% pleased with the outcome, I'm still happy enough to pass the picture on to my friend. So much to learn still!

Here's the finished piece!

And some close-up pictures...

I still have a lot to learn, but at least it was nice to draw again. I might give it another go sometime soon.

For those wondering, I have considered opening myself to commission work. If you're interested, feel free to let me know, and we can talk. :) I work best in pencil and ink, but have had some success with PhotoShop and mouse work.

Also, sorry for the bad photos! This illustration is 14x11 and doesn't fit on our scanner, so taking pictures with my phone was the only way to show this picture off. :)

Thanks for reading, and have a lovely weekend!

Keto: End of Week One

Hi everyone! So, today marks the end of my first week back on keto. I had mixed results, and I think it's mostly because I gave my body the first week to adjust to the new diet without working out. I'll start weight lifting and running either this afternoon or tomorrow, depending on how my body feels.

The cool thing is that I'm already down 3 pounds. Yay! I broke that barrier I couldn't seem to get through during my first round of keto a few months ago, which feels pretty good. I kept wondering if I might not be able to break through that barrier, and WHAM, this morning, I finally did. So glad to see my weight dropping.

Something else odd--I had keto flu for like a day and a half, but it didn't start until Monday, and I kind of think part of that was being hungover from Sunday (whiskey tasting, which I stuck to whiskies that were either no-or-low carb). I felt a little blegh on Tuesday, too, but today? I feel fine today. Hungry, but fine (and I'm currently enjoying a salad, so that will go away soon enough--okay, the salad is actually gone, but it was super YUM!). I can't wait for the energy part of the diet to kick in. ;)

I think the biggest struggle I've had with the diet (other than my husband noshing on chips literally right next to me) has been my greens wilting stupid fast. Like we buy them, I put them out to dry a little, because our grocery store over-mists them, and then the next day they're wilted and crappy! From my research, I've discovered that I need to wash them and then place them in a Ziploc bag with a small opening and a paper towel. I'll give that a shot. Hopefully it will work, otherwise, this diet is going to be a heck of a lot more difficult than I thought. :/

My hunger returned, which is good. Oh, I also figured out that eggs aren't terrible if I cook them over-medium. Something about scrambled eggs or mixing the yolk with the white really bothers my stomach, so I've stopped doing that. ;) Now just two sausages (1 carb each, 0.5 sugars each) and an over-medium egg work super well for breakfasts. I'll admit, I still don't eat the egg every day--I'm having troubles willing myself to down eggs, even when prepared over-medium and coated in salt. Maybe I have an allergy? I didn't have problems with eggs before I started keto last time, but it could just be that I overindulged in them. Who knows.

Anyway, I think I'll write an short update blog each week on Wednesday to kind of keep me focused on the diet and on my goals. It should help. And I'll admit--today I'm craving ice cream like no other. Maybe in a few months, I'll have some. That pesky sugar addiction needs to be worked out of my system completely before I even think about eating refined sugar. The only thing I truly do miss that I'm planning to enjoy in a week or two is beer. Gods, but I miss my ale. Soon, my Precious, soon I will enjoy you.

Have a lovely week, and thanks for reading!

Project Updates

Hi all. I hope you're having a fantastic Tuesday! I know I am. Today, I'm continuing to push forward in The Soulless King. This book is quite a bit larger than the first of the Soulbound series, which topped out at roughly 176,000 words and was split into three segments, each between 60,000 and 70,000 words. Part One of The Soulless King is currently with my editor, and pre-revisions, is at just over 70,000. Usually during the editing and revision process, about 10,000 words are added, so... yeah. This book will be a bit longer. I'm already planning parts of The Throne of Souls, which is the third book in the Soulbound arc, and boy! That one is going to be hefty. No doubt about it, especially with everything I'm building up in The Soulless King.

I'm nearing the end of my major writing season, which typically lasts from December through the end of August. I have one and a half books to write left (Frendyl Krune and the Nightmare in the North and The Soulless King: Part Two; I consider TSK-P2 half a book because I am still in the editing/revision phase before it goes off to my editor), which is truly not too bad. I'll also be finishing The Rise of the Four Kings here in a month or so, but that won't be available until next year.

A few other projects have since been completed or are awaiting the final editing phase with my editor. The main two right now are Frendyl Krune Origins: Her Tired Heart and The Soulless King: Part One. It's nice to know that things will be slowing down a smidge between the end of next month and the end of December. I won't cease writing, mind you, because I still have deadlines early next spring, but at least I won't have to sit at my desk between 10-15 hours a day trying to get things done.

The slow season will also offer me a little time to finish some miscellaneous projects I've had in the works. Axis of the Soul, for one, as well as the first in my co-authored series, Epics of Etheliu, which I am writing with C. Gaston (or C.G. Malcom, as he has not yet decided what his pen name will be). This particular series, and more notably, the first book, has been in the works for well over seven years now. We've spent much of that time developing the world, the cultures, and the magic system, as well as delving into the politics and the structures of the civilizations. While Mr. Malcom and I only meet up once a week to work on this book (and in the past, more often when time allowed), it is getting close to time to pen the first draft of the first book, and I'm beyond excited. Mr. Malcom is one of my best friends, and it's great to see where this story is headed. I think fans of The Amuli Chronicles will truly enjoy Epics of Etheliu!

For now, that's the majority of what I have on my plate. I'm pushing through it, and sooner rather than later, you'll be enjoying the first two parts of The Soulless King and the fourth Frendyl Krune book!

Thanks for reading, and I hope to have more to share soon!

Keto: Round Two: FIGHT!

Hey, all. So I wasn't going to announce this, because I was worried I might back out and decide not to continue with it. As some of you know, I've struggled with my weight for a long time and a few months ago, I tried a ketogenic diet. I lost 15 pounds total, which was awesome, but I stopped because I had a cheat day and got addicted to sugar again. Ugh!

Well, I weighed in after my wedding and honeymoon, and by some miracle, I've kept off 12 of those 15 pounds during the two months where I wasn't keto. I was astounded. No way had I managed to keep off all of that weight after pigging out on cake, Georgia Boys BBQ, and other bad-for-you-sweeties. But the scale we have is pretty accurate. So I have to assume it didn't lie to me.

Armed with the knowledge that I'd managed to keep off the majority of the weight over such a long span of time, I've decided to go back on the ketogenic diet. Only this time, I'm changing a few things. I'm not going to try and make cinnamon buns or anything that I'd normally eat bread-wise. Why? Well, honestly, I don't really like bread. It's just such a staple in the American diet that I've eaten it without realizing I don't particularly like it. Potatoes, on the other hand, will be harder for me to get over. I do love me some hash browns and baked potatoes. Oh well! Maybe in a month or so, I'll have a small cheat meal.

I'm also not going to do cheat days very often. I made the mistake of having one cheat day and had a ton of sugar, and WHAM, all of my hard work went away. I became addicted to sugar again. AGAIN. Ugh! Sugar is my worst weakness. I usually can manage to ignore the cravings after a few days, but the very minute I eat sugar again, it's like I never went on the diet at all. I just can't control it. So, this time around I've decided not to have any sugar on my cheat days, or if I do, it'll be in small amounts and never from things like candy or pastries. We'll see how it goes, but I want to try and stay as far away from refined sugar as possible, since that's what undid me last time.

I started being completely keto last Wednesday, and I've been weighing myself every day to make sure I'm sticking with the program. Holding myself accountable and all. I understand that as a woman, weight will fluctuate for a while, so I'm not doing anything super extreme when I do gain back a partial pound or so--mostly, I'm just trying to make sure that the trend is still downward and healthily so. This morning, though, I had a pleasant surprise! I've lost two entire pounds. That's a good feeling, since that means I'm almost back to the point where I stopped losing weight. I'm hoping this time around, I don't plateau for a little while. If I could lose another 15 pounds, I'd be pretty stoked, even if that means plateauing after those 15 drop off.

The amount I want to lose overall... well, it's going to be a long journey. That's why I'm so determined to stick with this for as long as I can. I feel better, feel less hungry, and am more determined than ever to become healthy. Losing weight and making sure I work out to keep from being skinny-fat is a huge part of that. I'm also trying to make sure I balance the oils I take in, and focusing on protein being my main source of incoming food. As time goes on, I'll adjust. Salads and fresh greens, too, play a large role in my new diet. Don't worry, for those who know keto well--I make sure to have plenty of oils and fats. Cheese, bacon, and oil-based salad dressing play an enormous role in my meals, too. ;) I'm not about to starve myself of the exact fuel my body needs!

There are tons of other benefits for me being on keto. The first and foremost is the energy. WOW. What a huge difference. In the few days (what, five??) that I've been on keto, I noticed almost a light-switch like change in energy levels. This happened last time, I think, but slower. I also didn't have the keto flu this time around. If I did, it was super short. Like less than a day. Odd, huh? I keep waiting for the flu to hit me, and nothing. Overall, I'm far less hungry, which is amazing, but it also worries me a little. I have to force myself to eat sometimes. This is the first morning I woke up hungry enough to actually eat more than a few slices of bacon and an egg.

Speaking of eggs, I think one of the bigger challenges for me will be eating them. I'm not a big fan of eggs. Period. I used to love them, but the last round of keto burned me out on them pretty hard. Like to the point where I feel nauseated just by smelling them cooking. I'm not exactly sure why that is, but I'm taking the cue and listening to my body. I think I'll back off on eggs for a little while and see how I feel in a few weeks.

Overall, I'm excited with how quickly I'm seeing results. Super glad, too, that I'm not living to eat, but eating to live. Usually I'm too hungry on diets to get very far without over-indulging on calories, and since I'm waiting until tomorrow to start working out (for medical reasons and because I wanted to be over the keto flu first), I really didn't want to over-eat during the first week. That said, I'd be lying if I didn't note a little concern over how little I've actually wanted to eat the last few days. It was a bit scary for a time, because I didn't even think about how little I was taking in. Today, I seem to have a normal appetite--not overly hungry, but also not completely uninterested in food. Hopefully I can keep to that balance, but we'll see. The first few weeks are usually the most important in terms of how the body balances out. My hunger may also be aresult of the whiskey tasting I partook in last night. My bet is that I may have kicked myself out of keto, but we'll see.

More updates will come as I continue forward. :) This blog isn't meant to be about the keto diet; I want to note that there are tons of other resources across the Internet about the diet itself, so please don't take my results or my alterations as proof of the diet. Do research and inform yourself. I can't eat most fruits due to allergies, and as I mentioned, I'm not overly fond of baked carbs (beer is another story, and I'll miss it), and I hate cereal with a scathing passion... so keto makes sense for my needs. Listen to your body. Listen to its needs. And more than anything, don't get discouraged. You will plateau. You will cease to lose weight at a certain point. That's okay. Just keep to the changes you've made, and eventually, the plateau will break (might have to cut calories, but be careful and do research first!).

Thanks for reading!

New Short Story is OUT!

This week, the third installment of the Frendyl Krune Origins short story series was published through Evolved Publishing--which is pretty darn exciting! This short is probably one of my favorites so far, and unlike the others, doesn't focus on one of the core group from the Frendyl Krune main series of books.

I've had a few people approach me, noting that they would love to read Frendyl Krune Origins: Their Pretty Bones, and wanted to know in which order to read this Middle Grade epic fantasy series. I've listed that, along with links to each story, below!

Frendyl Krune and the Blood of the Sun
Frendyl Krune Origins: The Ekrim's Oath
Frendyl Krune and the Snake Across the Sea
Frendyl Krune Origins: The Sandstone Script
Frendyl Krune and the Stone Princess
Frendyl Krune Origins: Their Pretty Bones

More of the Frendyl Krune series will be coming out this year, namely Frendyl Krune Origins: Her Tired Heart (due out September 26!) and Frendyl Krune and the Nightmare in the North (due out November 28!). This will bring the series within one short story and two full-length books of being completed! That's pretty darn exciting.

The face-stealer Laakashiin fell into the realm of the gods, and when Frendyl Krune left him behind, the god Batrisk swallowed him whole. Now Laakashiin sees all, knows all, and fears the worst, for Batrisk plans to steal the fabled Blood of the Sun from Frendyl. To keep the deranged god from claiming such vast power, Laakashiin must fight to keep Batrisk trapped below ground—or succumb to the god’s will and lose himself forever.

To grab a copy of Frendyl Krune Origins: Their Pretty Bones, go here!

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