Sep 30, 2011

Novel: The Bombardiers (Sara's Summary)

It's time for another The Bombardiers summary, guys. I know you all have been waiting for it. This time, it centers around another main character, Sara Miller.

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Sara's Summary

Sara's parents were born in Altea. So was her sister. So was she. She has grown up within the confines of the "perfect world," and she never doubted that it was all that it claimed to be. She has never in her memory been assaulted. She has never in her memory been afraid. She has never in her memory been worried about her well being or her future.

But after a single life-changing incident, Sara learns that her memory may have been lying to her all along.

She didn't mean to overhear them talking about the terrorist Xi. She was doing her job, her internship, doing inventory in a lonely supply room. And then they were there, standing outside the room, talking. And none of it would have amounted to anything if that camera hadn't been there the entire time, recording Sara's presence. 

And later, Sara thinks, after the memory of her entire existence has been erased from everyone she knows and loves, the camera should have been her first clue. But, she knows, it no longer matters how she ended up here, doing what she's doing. Because she wouldn't have it any other way.

She's a Bombardier, and if takes dismantling Altea piece by piece in order to get the world to see the atrocities its government has committed, then so be it. Because according to the world, Sara Miller no longer exists. And if Sara is nonexistent, then as far as she's concerned, she can do whatever the hell she wants.

And the only thing she wants is for Altea to fall.

Review: Vampire Diaries S3, Episode 3

Warning: This review will contains spoilers. And opinions. Lots of them.

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Oh, yes! It's that time again.

Last time, we were left with several lingering questions. What exactly is happening with Jeremy? What is Caroline in for now that's she stuck in that basement cell with her father, who seems to be about to torture her. Meanwhile, a disappointed Klaus heads off to find out why he can't create hybrids. 

This episode, we're greeted to quite a few shocks. Elena and Damon go Stefan hunting and get more than they bargained for. Their journey leads them to Chicago, where (surprise, surprise) Klaus and Stefan have showed up to question an "old" witch, Gloria, about contacting the spirit of "the original witch" in order to find out why he can't create that hybrid army that he wants.

Sep 29, 2011

News: 9/29

So, I have a lot of schoolwork to do, but I'm trying my hardest to keep up. Here's what's on the plate for next week. As you've probably noticed, I'm doing construction on the blog. I'm going to add some more pages (WIPs and things), but everything should remain available through the changes. =) Now, onto the news.

1.) More reviews are coming! The Vampire Diaries Season 3, Episode 3 review has already been written. I'm just waiting on the screen caps to come out. The Secret Circle Episode 3 review should follow sometime soon. And of course, I can't forget Supernatural Season 7, Episode 2.

2.) Expect more poetry. I'm still planning out The Legionnaire and The Visionary (for my maybe-e-book), but I have a lot of other shorter poems in store!

3.) More The Bombardiers synopses are on the way! Expect a summary for each of the major characters (there are five in total, and you've seen Xi's, so that leaves four heading your way soon). After I've posted all four, there will be a character listing which explains in much greater detail just what the hell is going on in that novel (which you will probably be grateful for).

4.) As for that short story I mentioned, expect it the week after next. I'm on Fall Break for four days, which is long enough for me to churn it out (finally, a break!).

And that is all! See you next post.

Sep 28, 2011

Review: The Secret Circle, Episode 2

This is, unfortunately, very late due to the amount of school work I had this week, but here it is finally (the day before episode 3 comes out...-snort-).

When I heard about The Secret Circle and found out it was yet another L.J. Smith work, I was immediately cautious. I'm not a fan of Smith's writing, but The Vampire Diaries TV adaptation blew me away, so I decided to give this one a chance too.

And truthfully, it was a lot like I expected to be. The tone is a bit more juvenile. The characters don't appear or act nearly as old as the VD characters, and the show (thus far) seems a bit lighter in terms of hardcore violence (specifically bloody/gore) than its predecessor.

Like usual, before I begin the review, let's recap on the premiere episode.

Sep 27, 2011

Thinking about an E-book.

So, guys, I've been mulling this over for the past few days. Obviously, I'm working on getting into traditional publishing for my novels, like The Bombardiers, but I've also been considering what to do with my other works. I'm considering writing an anthology of poems and publishing it to the Kindle (or perhaps short stories, or perhaps both).

What do you think about this?

Right now, I've got a slowly maturing idea for an epically long poem I've entitled The Legionnaire. And I also have several other major poetic works stirring in the back of my mind.

So, how would you all feel about an e-book from me in the future? Not any time especially soon, but perhaps the fall or winter next year?

I've been so interested in getting into publishing my works for such a long time, so do you think it'd be a good idea to ease in with an e-book? Up until the present, the only option for an author was to try for traditional publishing, but with the advent of e-book market, that's all changed. I'm hoping I can get at least a toe in the door of the published world with a smaller work than a novel before I jump into the traditional novel publishing game.

How do you all feel about this?

Sep 25, 2011

Novel: The Bombardiers (Xi's Summary)

So, I've teased you enough about this, huh? Time for a first summary now!

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Xi's summary

There is a nation. It's name it Altea. And for the last fifty years, it has been proclaimed the utopia of the world. Millions try to immigrate. Millions more lament their inability to do so. And governments from across the entire planet use Altea as a model of the perfect world.

Altea has no crime. It has no poverty. It has no conflict. It has no social issues.

Except it does.

And for the last five decades, the people who control Altea, the Prime Executives, have been keeping that a secret by using their own technology against the very citizens they pretend to protect. The criminals, the delinquents, the poor...they exist. And when they come into existence, they are promptly erased from it. 

And not a single person knows this.

Except Xi.

Xi sees the truth. Xi hears the truth. Xi knows the truth. And despite the Prime Executives best attempts, Xi exists.

And Xi will do anything and everything to prove to all of Altea and the rest of the world that the others do too.

Even if it means destroying the hopes and dreams of all humanity.

Sep 24, 2011

Review: Supernatural Season 7 Premiere

Warning: This review will contains spoilers. And opinions. Lots of them.

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Before I begin, I must admit that I wasn't sure where season 7 would be heading. I like Cas--a lot--and I was worried about what they were planning for him. (And yet, even after this premiere, I'm still not so clear on where this is heading.) For most of season 6, I felt a bit let down (the "mother of all", anyone?), and I was hoping for some redemption in the story line this season.

My first thoughts after the episode ended, unfortunately, were still ambivalent. But before I explain why, let's recap.

At the end of season 6, we were left with two major problems. In order to defeat Raphael, Castiel absorbed all the souls in purgatory after tricking Raphael and Crowley with an old 'bait and switch.' Super-charged, he pulled a snap-and-explode a la Lucifer and splattered Raphael all over the room. Unfortunately, the massive amount of souls and power warped his mind and left him thinking he was the 'new God.'


Sep 23, 2011

Novel: The Bombardiers (Second Peek)

Hi, it's time for another The Bombardiers peek! Still no full summary for you yet, but we'll get there.


(On a brief other note, I'll get around to the Supernatural premiere and Secret Circle Ep 2 reviews tomorrow. No time for them tonight! Ack!)

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"Recent reports confirm that Xi is not working alone..."
"Xi has banded together with several others..."
"Attacked the national army..."
"...stole highly advanced weaponry..."
They were different.

"Can anyone stop these monsters?"
"We don't know what they want..."
"No demands have been made..."
"It's baffling!"

And yet, they were alike.

"What could these people possibly hope to gain?"
"Why hasn't the government been able to stop them?"
"We have yet to receive word..."
"The Executives have been silent..."

They came together by chance.

"Today, seventy two lives were lost..."
"A medical facility, of all places...!"
"These monsters must be stopped!"
"Why does our government seem...?"
"Since we have been so helpless?"     

And they have only one goal.

"The people want the truth..."
"...starting the suspect the Executives aren't..."
"Are they being truthful?"
"Some are starting to think that..."

To expose the truth.

"How many people have to die?"
"The people are living in terror..."
"We're afraid..."
"We're all afraid..."
"...Of these people, these..."

Even if the world hates them for it.

"Today, they gave us a name..."
"...signed their work..."
"...left us their signature..."
"These monsters call themselves..."
"They call themselves..."

The Bombardiers      

Sep 22, 2011

Review: Vampire Diaries S3, Episode 2

Warning: This review will contains spoilers. And opinions. Lots of them.

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I missed reviewing the premiere, so let's recap.
 
The new season begins with Stefan tagging along with Klaus, who's on a mission to create a hybrid army. Stefan, while still retaining some of his human side, has almost completely lost his mind, and he now kills on a whim. 

Elena (it's her birthday!), now without a guardian or a boyfriend, is left to pick up the pieces and move on. But of course, we're talking about Elena, so she won't move on. Ever. Unfortunately, every time she finds a clue to Stefan's location, Damon and Alaric do their best to make sure it amounts to nothing. 


Damon, on the other hand, has been actively tracking Stefan's every location, and he knows exactly who Stefan is killing and how. Except he won't tell Elena. Because he wants to protect her. The typical motive.



Sep 20, 2011

Novel: The Bombardiers (First Peek)

So, NaNo is still pretty far off, but my new novel is already stewing and steaming in the back of my mind. For a long time, this idea wasn't a novel at all, just a random conglomeration of characters with amusing attitudes.

And then, the other day, whilst watching that one great fanmade scene for the Hunger Games movie (you know, this one) after being disappointed in the first official sneak peek...

...I had an idea.

I don't know where it came from (but then again I usually don't), but I did know it was the best thing I'd come up with in a long time.

So, without further ado, the first peak at The Bombardiers.

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"For the first time in the history of Altea..."
"Today, the first recorded crime in our history was committed..."
"An unknown criminal hacked into the Central Bank..."
"...hacked the system..."
"...stole 3.1 million dari..."
"...and left a message..."

Xi sees.

"The federal police still have no leads..."
"People everywhere are panicking...."
"Today, at the National Armory..."
"...another message..."

Xi hears.

"The Prime Executives held a emergency meeting..."
"During a meeting of the Executives today..."
"...their computers were hacked..."
"...and yet another message..."

Xi knows.

"Bystanders stopped walking and cars stopped moving..."
"The entire highway was backed up for miles..."
"Everyone was staring at it..."
"On every single public digital billboard..."
"...is this the last message?"

Xi is.

"The country is in an uproar..."
"How do we combat this unknown...?"
"The world wants to know..."
"Who is Xi?"

News: 9/20

So, I've been thinking about my line up for the next week or so, and here's what I've come up with.

1.) A Review of the Vampire Diaries episode 2 (sorry I missed the premiere)

2.) A Review of The Secret Circle episode 2 (also sorry I missed that premiere)

3.) A Review of the premiere of Supernatural

4.) At least 1 or 2 more poems

5.) Perhaps a short story may be in the works?

That's all I have for now. I need to organize my upcoming book list in order to figure out which book reviews to do first.

Anyone have recommendations on some new books hitting the market soon? I want to know what you all would be interested in seeing a review of.

So, with that, see you next time!

Sep 19, 2011

Poetry: The Divination

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I looked back to the beginning of the end of all things
And within it I saw the wondrous and strange
There was a light within the darkness
That burned my soul right through
And within that light
There was the truth
Of life
Of me
Of you


I peered back to the start of the breaking of my soul
And within it I saw things that at once were foretold
In a crack there was a sign, a memory of mine
It fired every neuron in my shattered, broken mind
And within those shards of me
There was a piece of you
That bound us together
Through and through


I stretched forth my hand and covered the searing sun
I blackened the bright day and with that, I was done
I could not face my memories, not a single one
Until I saw with my cold eyes, the black of setting sun
And within that darkness,
I saw another light
And I ran far from it
In pure and utter fright


But that light appeared before me once again
And it burned right through my retinas and deep into my brain
It burned past my barriers, my thick brick towers fell
And I was forced to face the light, I was forced to tell
Because the light was not a sin
Instead the sin was me
And my sin was to hide the truth
From you
From life
From me


I knew from the beginning of the beginning not the end
That my fortress walls would eventually cave in
I knew this to be true and yet I turned away to cry
Because I knew from the beginning that my words would just be lies
There was never a doubt of this
My divination was not wrong
The truth was meant to be set free
As it has been all along

posted to d'Verse 

Maxwell and Mocha: The First Month

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So, it's been over a month now since I brought little Maxwell the Himalayan home. And this was kinda how it went. Mocha acted like his momma. He gave me all sorts of weird faces when I would take pictures of him. And he slept in the weirdest ways imaginable. Now he's a about 2 pounds of fat and fluff. And I can't wait to see him again over Fall Break!

Sep 18, 2011

Poetry: American Gods

Beating on iron and digging out coal
The wiping of sweat and the dying of souls
Thousands of ants that were trapped in a glass
While men with cigars did nothing but laugh

They wore black and pinstripes
They rose to the top
They puffed on cigars
And they paid off the cops
Now they are legends
The barons of old
But they have not gone
Infamous, and still cold

Digging out ditches and coughing on dust
Now vying for pennies and begging for crusts
They had broken their chains and escaped into light
Cushioned and well-fed until they lost the fight

There once a dream
It was called "middle class"
But it was a dream,
And thus, it couldn't last
The barons stole out from the night
With new faces
And erased all the gains
That the poor made in paces

Minimum wage with a family of four
Yelling and screaming, but getting no more
Voices ignored by the men with cigars
Who control 99 and the food and the cars

They laugh and they bicker
But they lack any care
If it is not making money
Then it is out of their hair
Because they have already won
Through the decades of fraud
And now they wear the masks
of American Gods

But God is design
The design of mere man
And like in decades past
He can change once again
If the peddlers are finally
Allowed once more to see
Then perhaps they can
Overthrow the "gods"
When they please

Ignorance and Senselessness are the new Knowledge
Despite the record number going to college
But a spark lights a fire which bursts into flames
And devours the wall between what is and what became

There is a future
And though it looks bleak
The future can change
For those who so seek
The God that you know
Can morph once more
Benevolent or Vengeful
To settle the score

Because God is in man
Not just at the top
Not just in the suits
With cigars and cops
He is in all
And in every intention
He could be the credit for
Every invention

But the invention of lying
And the invention of fraud
Does not befit the title
of American God
So if one was to seek
To overthrow their domain
He must simply look left and
look right and again
Because all around me
And all around you
Are the American Gods
Whose souls are true

Welcome to the New Window!

So, after neglecting Whispers for the longest time, I've finally gotten around to redoing the layout and creating a new angle for it. I intend to add a review element this time around. Books, movies, TV shows...anything with a plot is at my mercy! I already have several books on my radar due for fall and winter releases, so you can expect to see some literary criticism hit the blog in a couple months. Until then, I have quite a few shows I'm looking forward to critiquing.

Poetry will return too, of course! It's my staple. You should start seeing new works in a few days. I'll also be keeping track of my NaNo project again this year, so look out for it come November!

And for anyone who wondered where I ran off to, so sorry I didn't get back into this sooner! But I'm here now, and that's what matters, yeah?