January update and new Episode!

It’s been quiet on the blog and if you’ve been wondering where I’ve been or if I’ve been doing any writing, I’m here to update you.

2016 was the worst possible year for me. Not only did my husband’s mental health slip until he nearly killed himself and changed medication (he’s doing fine now mentally) but the week before Christmas, he had a minor workplace accident that escalated to him not being able to feel or move his legs and ended up with him being rushed to Accident & Emergency for emergency back surgery on a Sunday morning.

He’s been in hospital ever since, so for about 5 weeks now, learning to walk again.

He’ll never get back to being 100%. We’re not sure where he’ll end up. Likely not in a wheelchair, but we’re not sure whether he’ll be dependent on a walking frame, crutches, a walking stick, or just a walking boot around the non-responsive leg that is hampering his ability.

So my role in life has changed as well. Not only am I his carer for his mental health, but I am his carer for his new disability.

Hopefully he’ll be home within the next month and I will have some more free time to work on my writing and blogging again.

So now that I’ve told you the bad stuff, I’ll explain why No Angel hasn’t had an update.

Because of my husband’s stay in hospital, I haven’t had much free time to write. However, before he went into hospital, I committed to taking part in the Episode Interactive Forum’s February 2017 Writer’s Contest, called Cupid’s Arrow “stories of unexpected love”

When Cupid’s Arrow strikes you fall hard and you fall fast for someone unexpected, someone MC wouldn’t see themselves with if not for Cupid’s magic…

I committed to doing this contest, and I requested cover art from the most talented artist I know, awkwardlyxx of The Awkward Cover Art Shoppe, and then, ten days later, my world turned upside down. My time has been split between the hospital, my full-time day job, and sleeping because I’m exhausted.

Now that I was committed, I couldn’t pull out. I only had time to write either my contest piece or something for No Angel, so No Angel went on the back-burner.

So my contest piece was written and submitted within the deadline with a gorgeous cover, and now I’m revealing it to you.

Cupid’s Arrow: Guardian Trials

Eight teens compete to become the new Guardian to the King and Queen. Will unexpected love get in the way of duty?

In this fantasy romance, you play the part of Delta, the Water Tribe’s candidate for the new Guardian to the Sun King and Moon Queen.

During the trials, you unexpectedly fall in love with the sensitive, sweet Fire Tribe candidate, Ignatius ‘Nate’. But when the Moon Queen is kidnapped by the Storm King, it is up to Delta to muster all her courage and cunning to overcome his power and rescue her beloved Queen.

Available to read on Episode Interactive.

I might do some introductory posts in the next few weeks, but at least now you know why it’s been so quiet over here.

Episodes are free to play: you start out with about two passes but you can earn up to four or five which regenerate over a few hours. You CAN buy passes and gems, but you don’t HAVE to.

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30 Day Disney Princess Challenge: Day 24

Day 24: Favorite Parent

This one is difficult for me because there’s aspects of each parent that I really like.

For example, Aurora’s parents are willing to let her go to save her life. It can’t be easy giving up a baby to three kooky fairies and not knowing how your beloved daughter is growing up.

I really like King Triton’s willingness to bend the rules once he discovers how making Ariel a human will make her so happy.

I love Maurice’s eternal love for Belle and refusal to accept that she’s ‘odd’.

I love that the Sultan wants what is best for Jasmine and allows her to marry a commoner.

Chief Powhatan is a very strong and determined leader but also is good at making allies, and he won’t back down from a fight until Pocahontas literally throws her body in front of John’s.

I love that Mulan’s father is willing to go back to war to save his family. He may be crippled but he still walks tall.

I’m actually not a huge fan of Tiana’s parents, mostly because her dad kind of misguides her about wishing on stars and hard work, and her mother doesn’t fully support her dream from the start, and to be honest I’m still trying to ‘get’ the message of The Princess and the Frog.

But to be honest, I think I like Rapunzel’s parents best. They don’t talk in the entire film, but you can tell the depth of love they have for each other and their missing daughter. The scenes are small and so are the details, but I love every scene they are in. Especially when they are getting ready to light the lanterns, and the king cries a single tear, man that scene always sets me off. They never gave up hope, they didn’t try to replace Rapunzel with another heir, they are just good, dedicated people and beloved by their kingdom.

Meet The Cast of No Angel: Tristan

Today it’s time to meet one of the secondary characters in No Angel, an Episode Interactive story you can play on the app from iOS and Android.

This is Tristan.

He’s Persephone’s eventual love interest although they do not get along at first.

Unfortunately I can’t really go into why I named his Tristan as it’s a huge spoiler.

Also I can’t talk about why he’s so pale instead of a person of colour, because that’s a spoiler, too. He has purple eyes. And that’s a spoiler as well. I hope you pay close attention to what happens at the beginning of Chapter 4!

His personality is a little abrasive, a little hot-headed, but fiercely loyal and protective of his loved ones. He feels his duty keenly but over time has learned to bend the rules a little.

He wears black to show his affinity with Persephone and the hint of red is also a spoiler, so I can’t tell you what it means, but you’ll figure it out when you read the story…

When No Angel was going to be a contemporary novel, there was no Tristan. I added him exclusively for the the interactive story once I figured out I could do something a little cooler than just a regular whodunnit.

I hope you enjoy Tristan’s part in No Angel and please remember to share and recommend the story!

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30 Day Disney Princess Challenge: Day 23

Day 23: Favorite DanCe Scene

How can I pick anything other than the super iconic ballroom scene from Beauty and the Beast?

They won Best Original Song for it!

It was one of the first films to seamlessly integrate 3D and hand drawn animations!

It was SUPER ROMANTIC.

Yellow was such an unconventional colour for Belle’s dress, and the way it moved was just gorgeous. It was inspiration for my own wedding dress.

Beast looked TOTALLY HANDSOME in his suit.

Let’s look at it in GIF format:

Meet The Cast of No Angel: Serena

Today it’s time to meet one of the secondary characters in No Angel, an Episode Interactive story you can play on the app from iOS and Android.

This is Serena.

She’s Persephone’s best friend and they have been for a long time.

Serena is named after the team cheer leader Serena from Legally Blonde the musical, and like her namesake, she is also the captain of the cheer leading squad.

As you can see, she is a minority, being a mixed-race young woman. She’s also a minority in another way, but I don’t want to spoil that. You’ll have to play to find out.

As for her personality, she’s fiercely loyal, pretty smart, always prepared, and has a little rebellious streak, as evidenced by the shaved part of her hair.

I love her bohemian sense of style. Her colour palette is brown.

When I made No Angel I knew my lead twins and their parents were going to need to be white, and so were several other characters. Therefore I made it a point to include as many other POC in the cast.

I hope you enjoy Serena’s part in No Angel and please remember to share and recommend the story!