Whatever Happened To Having A Sense Of Humor?

I just read an article on "Yahoo!Sports" which said that Melissa Kellerman was forced to delete her Twitter account after she tweeted jokes about being accidentally tackled by Jason Witten. I'm not really a sports buff, nor do I have anything against the Dallas Cowboys. That being said, she was just joking around! Not to mention that she wasn't the one who inadvertently tackled someone half her size, but that is a mute point. Also, from what I've gathered, professional athletes have pretty thick skin (they kind of have to, or they'd be having nervous breakdowns every five minutes). I don't think Jason Witten really cares that Melissa made a tough-in-cheek tweet that he might not be as tough as he looks or that she jokingly insinuated that he might not be the best choice for trust falls. Oh well, what's done is done, but I think Miss Kellerman deserves a kudos for having a sense of humor about the whole thing and not getting sue-happy (as well as being able to keep a straight face during this photo, considering all that is going on).

Click on the following link to see the article.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/blog/shutdown_corner/post/Cowboys-cheerleader-knocked-over-by-Witten-force?urn=nfl-wp12519

(Image from sports.yahoo.com. It is being used for "fair use" purposes only and all rights are retained by the copyright holder.)

Happy Thanksgiving! The Protector Accepts The Vigilante's Challenge!

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

Today, I wrote a beautiful scene between Sandra and the character codenamed "The Protector." I had never really planned to explore the Protector's character, because she was just supposed to be in the backstory to "Black Swan Rises: Fionnuala." However, that would have been a mistake. The Protector is quickly developing into one of my best and most complex characters. In particular, her rivalry with the Vigilante has a long and far-reaching impact that will transform the entire series, even beyond this first trilogy. I continued and wrote a scene where the Vigilante throws down the gauntlet to the Protector through her messenger, the Consigliere. It needs some polishing, but the tension is great.

Enjoy your turkey, everyone.

"The Siren" Blazes Into Nineveh!

Yesterday, I wrote an amazing scene involving the character codenamed "The Siren." She is a relative of Sandra and one of her deadliest enemies. She is also the right hand of Sandra's archenemy, who is codenamed "The Vigilante." Without giving away too much, the Siren's character is definitely going to allude to the beautiful but evil creatures from "The Odyssey" that led sailors to their deaths with their songs. How that will happen will be revealed when the book comes out.

I don't really have a favorite character per se, but the Siren is definitely one of the strongest ones I have ever developed. As Sandra did in "Daughter of the Seven Seas" (which you can read by following the link under "The Few, The Proud, The Linkworthy!" section) the Siren also reached out to Max. However, the Siren's motives aren't nearly as altruistic. Quite the contrary, she sees all of the evil and sadistic acts that Max commits and thinks that they look fun! Desiring to combine Max's wickedness with her own "fiery spirit", the Siren's sole quest in life is to see if she can outdo the most violent student in all of Nineveh. Her actions eventually forced Sandra to make the decision which would determine whether she would survive her world's deadliest school, or die within its walls.

Another side to Cassandra's other brother

BBC Articles Read: "Barclays bank workers jailed for £1.3m fraud" (England), "DUP 'should reconsider £50 Poots charge' - Sir Alastair Graham" (Northern Ireland), "Most Scottish religious hate crimes 'target Catholics'" (Scotland), "Vaughan-Owen sisters' 'mistake in £161m VAT case'" (Wales), "Eurozone crisis: Cameron and Merkel stress unity" (UK Politics)

BBC Spanish: "Diez cosas que probablemente no sabía la semana pasada" (Curiosidades)


Steps Taken On Operation Abe Lincoln: 1

Today, I wrote three more pages in "A Valiant Effort." I also started rewriting the scene featuring "The Amazon" in "Black Swan Origins: Nineveh." It really didn't need much, since it was strong from the get-go. However, it allowed me to explore a different side to the character of Cassandra's other brother, who is codenamed "The Outlaw." Without giving away too much, this guy is pretty much the opposite of Lammy. He is very violent and aggressive and doesn't give much credence to laws, rules or morality. That being said, there's more to him than meets the eye, and I was glad to get more revelations about him today.

Rewrote most of an important scene, Next one involves "The Amazon"

BBC UK Articles Read: “St Paul's Cathedral protest camp deadline passes" (England), “Executive agrees key priorities for government” (Northern Ireland), “Inverness firm hands over Spanish wave power plant” (Scotland), “Sacked boundary commissioner Paul Wood speaks out” (Wales)

BBC Spanish Article: “Tropas de EE.UU. en Australia: aumenta la apuesta estratégica contra China” (Internacional)

Steps Taken On Operation Abe Lincoln: 0

I wrote two more pages in "A Valiant Effort Today." I also included some more Nordic Mythology into "Black Swan Origins: Nineveh", as well as some Gilgamesh references. I rewrote the majority of a scene in which the characters codenamed "The Protector" and "The Court Jester" go on a mission. When I first wrote it, I glossed over the details so that I could move on to more exciting and emotionally powerful scenes. However, now the object which they are trying to obtain actually has a major impact on the plot. I only stopped because I really need some sleep. The next scene that gets edited involves "The Amazon." She wasn't a planned part of the book: she just kind of showed up and took over. You know you are writing a good story when characters are actually demanding to be a part of it.

"The Patrician" Rises, Will Not Let Her Sidetrack Me

I've been getting a lot of ideas about a character for my series, who shall be codenamed "The Patrician." She is very elegant and refined, but also ruthless and arrogant. However, I want to do a twist on the stereotypical noblewoman. For example, she is highly trained in martial arts and can take as many punches as she gives. She also has the street smarts of a mob hitman (how she got these is my secret...for now). That being said, I don't want to do too much at once, so right now, she is just getting notes in a folder. However, sooner or later, she will make an appearance, and her impact will never be forgotten.

"The Hunger Games" Movie Looks Epic!!!

A few days ago, I saw the trailer for "The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins. Now, I read the book last year at the suggestion of someone I knew at church, who said that my book, "Black Swan Rises: Fionnuala", reminded her of it a little. The key word there is "a little": other than children killing each other in a dystopian world, there are no similarities. Even then, that aspect of my novel was only shown through flashbacks, since Sandra already graduated from Nineveh when it began. I read "The Hunger Games" out of curiousity and found it to be a well-written action story. Katniss' and Peeta's struggle to survive the games was engaging and the reality TV twist was new and innovative. Collins' also did a great job researching wilderness survival and it clearly showed in her work. That being said, I did think it was overhyped. I gave it a solid 'B', but didn't think that it would be the next "Harry Potter" or "Twilight."

Then the trailer changed EVERYTHING!

I am now hooked! The movie looks amazing! I'm betting that it will be even better than the book! Don't believe me? Check out the trailer!

http://gma.yahoo.com/video/movies-26594261/hunger-games-trailer-makes-debut-on-gma-27248969.html

More progress on "A Valiant Effort", Mentors for Sandra and Company

Milestones reached in Operation Abe Lincoln so far: 2

BBC Articles Read: "Man rescued by Birmingham riot-death brothers" (England), "Police in Northern Ireland consider using mini drones" (Northern Ireland), "MSPs clash over strike day plans" (Scotland), "Leveson inquiry: 'Brutal' for Charlotte Church's family" (Wales)

BBC Spanish Article: "Más cerca de los lagos de la luna de Júpiter" (Ciencia)

I actually read a lot more than that this week, but do you really want me to hunt through my notes and paste everything into one blog post?

Anyway, I was really interested in the Birmingham article in particular, because two of my British friends are originally from Birmingham. It was great to read about how Shazad Ali and Abdul Musavir were good Samaritans, rescuing Mohammed Akhtar after he was brutally beaten and carjacked. Those guys were truly heroic not only for that, but also for trying to stop the looters during the riots, and it is nice to read about people doing the right thing in the news and bravely giving their lives to defend others.

I typed up three more pages of "A Valiant Effort." Got to the part where me and my coworkers are doing a summer practicum, which was really fun. I also decided to appoint a mentor for Ian, one of Sandra's best friends. Now Sandra, Schyla, Toni, and Ian are all paired up with older girls for "Black Swan Origins: Nineveh." I now know where they get their respective personalities from. Sandra, like her mentor, is very protective and motherly, although she sometimes overdoes it. Schyla, like her mentor, is tough, hot-headed, and has a serious attitude problem, but always backs her friends when they need her. Toni, like her mentor, is very upbeat and funny. Ian, like her mentor, is very thoughtful, observant, and perceptive. Obviously, I am only leaking these details because these characters are copyrighted and already appeared in "Heart of Flesh." Everything else, you are just going to have to wait for.

Dos Santos Owns Velasquez!!!

I went out with a friend tonight to see Cain Velasquez vs. Junior dos Santos. I had seen Velasquez destroy Brock Lesnar to win the UFC heavyweight championship, and while I was certain that dos Santos wouldn't go down without a fight, I was betting on the champion. So naturally, dos Santo destroys Velasquez in about a minute. Go figure. I still can't believe it. After clocking Velasquez with a right, he pounced on him like a tiger, pounding him until the referee stopped the match. So much for the epic, five-round encounter I was expecting to justify me not watching it at home.

(Image from sports.yahoo.com)

"A Valiant Effort" Takes The Forefront Once More, Fleshing Out Toni's Mentor, Will Zimmerman gets me hooked on "Sanctuary"

BBC Articles Read: “Harry Redknapp and Milan Mandaric in tax evasion trial” (England), “Fermanagh businessman Sean Quinn declared bankrupt” (Northern Ireland), “EIS teaching union threatens strike action” (Scotland), “Ysbyty Ifan honours El Bandito's memory with plaque” (Wales)

BBC Spanish Article: “La muerte de Blake Mora complica el escenario en México” (América Latina)

Make-up Articles: “MoD dismisses wounded soldiers redundancy plan” and “Minister Francis Maude urges '15-minute strike'” (UK Politics), “Free nursery places for 140,000 disadvantaged toddlers” and “Private schools cutting spending in downturn” (UK Education)

Operation Abe Lincoln results: 2 milestones reached.

I made the decision to continue working on "A Valiant Effort." I will still work on "Black Swan Origins: Nineveh" as well, but "A Valiant Effort" is my priority. In other words, if I have another crazy week like this one and only have time to work on one, it will be "A Valiant Effort." I also wrote a small excerpt in which Toni's mentor talks about the new leadership of the gang founded by Sandra's elder sisters. I don't think she's fully come into her own yet, but she is getting there. Basically, she's a free-spirited, happy-go-lucky prankster, but I want her humor to be appropriate to the dark fantasy vibe of the story (i.e. no whoopie-cushions). I'll probably have to write two or three more excerpts before she finally jumps off the phrase and I get to yell "She's alive! SHE'S ALIVE" and laugh like a maniac.

Late last night, after watching WWE Smackdown, I watched an episode of "Sanctuary." My favorite part was the backstory of Dr. Will Zimmerman and his relationship with his father, which was told in flashbacks as he lay recovering in Liberia. The main plot with Dr. Helen Magnus dealing with thieves and smugglers was alright, and it was certainly fun to see the main bad guy be an Irish mobster-type villain. That being said, Will (masterfully portrayed by Robin Dunne) was the one who kept my attention and is my favorite character in the show. I can't wait until next week's episode.

(Photo from en.wikipedia.org. It's being used for Fair Use/Commentary only and its rights are retained by the original copyright holder).

New Strategy for Operation Abe Lincoln, Max's Family Tree Done

BBC Articles Read: “London 2012: Torch relay heading for 1,000 places” (England), “5,402 outstanding arrest warrants in Northern Ireland” (Northern Ireland), “Lamont launches Scottish Labour Party leader bid” (Scotland), “Welsh government urged to justify spending” (Wales)

BBC Spanish Article Read: “Después de Grecia, el blanco del pánico europeo ahora es Italia” (Economía)

Steps Taken In Operation Abe Lincoln: 0

I decided to start reading articles in Spanish to keep my fluency. Also, today will be the last day that I have nothing to show for Operation Abe Lincoln except for a "goose egg." To be more productive, I'm avoiding Barnes and Noble until after I get work done. There are too many distractions there (such as "Steve Jobs: The Exclusive Biography" by Walter Isaacson, which I will buy as my reward when I make the progress that I need to make), so it needs to wait until I get results.

I also did Max's family tree. Her maternal grandmother's name may be changed later on, but for now, I just decided to put something down so that I can get some sleep.

The Consigliere's Family Tree

BBC Articles Read: “Lion sighting reports disrupt rail service” (England), “Lady Gaga dominates MTV Europe Music Awards in Belfast” (Northern Ireland), “QC Paul McBride leaves Tories after two years” (Scotland), “Presumed consent organ donation to be Welsh law by 2015” (Wales)

Sunday Bonus Article: “UK could give £40bn to the IMF, Danny Alexander says” (UK Politics)

Total Steps Taken in Operation Abe Lincoln Last Week: 12

Today I did the family tree of Cassandra's nemesis' chief advisor. I'm going to codename her "the Consigliere" because, if the main antagonist's gang was the mob, that's the position that is the most similar to hers. She's also the cousin of Cassandra's best friend, Schyla, but they get along as well as lions and hyenas. Yangvaadans aren't known for having good family relationships.

Also, since I took karate for seven years, I read an article titled "Fighters in L.A. for BJJ tournament stop a robbery at hotel." Basically, two mixed martial artists named Brent Alvarez and Billy Denney stopped someone from robbing a hotel in L.A.'s Koreatown. However, rather than seriously maiming the burglar, they simply restrained him using holds and talked him into giving up his gun and the stolen money. I am thankful that they have embraced the true spirit of the martial arts (self-defense) rather than use this situation as an excuse to injure someone for the sake of showing off their fighting prowess. When I was student at the American Karate Academy, I once heard a story from an instructor about a teenager who slashed up another karate student with kamas in a dispute over a girl. I am glad these two men chose the higher path, even though they could have done otherwise since they were preventing a crime rather than dealing with a personal dispute. You can read the article here.

http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/Fighters-in-L-A-for-BJJ-tournament-stop-a-robbe?urn=mma-wp9093

All In The Family

BBC Articles Read: “Ed Miliband warns of St Paul's protest 'danger signals'”(England), “Lady Gaga set to dominate MTV awards” (Northern Ireland), “Ruth Davidson: David Cameron is not my boss in Scotland” (Scotland), “Tributes to Welsh Jewish leader” (Wales)

Steps Taken In Operation Abe Lincoln: 2

Last night I did the family trees for four of the major characters of "Black Swan Origins: Nineveh." Cassandra's was already done beforehand; all I had to figure out was the birth year of her mother's first husband. Her nemesis' family tree was a pain in the neck, because her father (whom, ideally, I'd like portrayed by Kevin Bacon), loves to sow his seed, so to speak. Her protector's family tree was a little less difficult because it was a two-parent household, and allowed me to kill two birds with one stone since the fourth main character is her cousin. I still have to do a couple more family trees, primarily of male characters and Cassandra's nemesis' cousin. I can't wait. I love choosing names, in particular the challenge of giving conventional nicknames to unconventional names. For example, Toni's full name is actually Latona, not Antonia. On a side note, Latona is also the name of the mother of Apollo and Artemis in Greco-Roman mythology. I have no plans of working that into the series as of yet, although that may change in the future. At any rate, naming my characters is one of the most fun parts of writing, and the family trees allow me to do that, so I'm going back to it right about...now.

Nods To WWE/UFC In "Black Swan Origins"? We Shall See...

BBC Articles Read: “FA appeals against Wayne Rooney's England ban” (England), “Stars arrive for Belfast MTV awards” (Northern Ireland), “Ruth Davidson elected new Scottish Conservative leader” (Scotland), “Flooding hits Newport and stops Cardiff rugby match” (Wales)

Steps Taken In Operation Abe Lincoln: 5 (including 2 made right after last post)

Today I was really busy with work, so I didn't get very much writing done. However, I did get some ideas for how the fighting competitions at Nineveh Academy work. These ideas have not been fleshed out quite yet, but let's just say I am going to integrate my interest in WWE more into my work (cocks the People's Eyebrow). The fighting itself is going to be more UFC-esque, but the hype and drama of WWE is definitely going to have an influence as well.

I need to work out some family trees before I catch up on some sleep. Worldbuilding is definitely tough, but as we all know from "Lord of the Rings", it's totally worth it.

"No Air" Becomes Part of My Series' Unofficial Soundtrack

BBC Articles Read: “EDL Leader Suspended Sentence For Headbutt” (England), “Belfast Gets Ready For MTV Awards” (Northern Ireland), “Parties Urge SNP To ‘Think Again” Over Bigotry Bill” (Scotland), “Wrex Factor Win Lands Kayleigh Lebanon Snow White Role” (Wales).

Steps Taken In Operation Abe Lincoln: 5

I finally found the song that I will use as the unofficial theme for the love between two characters of my series. This couple is eventually divinely inspired to write the majority of the "Song of Solomon" of their God's scriptures, which is completed by a couple of the next generation. Ironically, it's a hip hop song, and I don't particularly care for hip hop anymore, even though I am black and proud of it. Nonetheless, it is freaking awesome, called "No Air" by Chris Brown and Jordin Sparks. I won't say which characters it describes because I don't want to give any spoilers. I will, however, give one hint: neither of them are Cassandra.

I finished reading "Gilgamesh." Epic win, literally (pun intended). That being said, the plot was nothing special. It is, however, redeemed by some freaking cool names, neat background in Sumerian culture and myth, and great descriptions.