Extreme Makeover: Abbey Edition

I've been taking stock of my life recently and have decided that there is room for improvement. I've decided to blog about the changes in my lifestyle so that I can keep myself accountable and maybe help some of you who may struggle with the same things that I do.
Here are the changes that I want to make in my life and why I want to make them:

1. Get up with my alarm at 7:35 instead of lazing in bed for 10-20 minutes on my phone.
I have two reasons for this change. The first is that I can get a lot more done in the morning if I get up right away, and the second is that I don't think it's healthy for my (already bad) eyes to look at a screen first thing in the morning.

2. At night, turn my light out no later than 11:00 PM.
I'm the kind of person who needs over eight hours of sleep to function properly the following day. Lately, I have been turning out my light around 11:30; hence, getting exactly eight hours of sleep. I feel exhausted all the time. Getting more sleep may help with this problem.

3. Stop eating processed sugar.
The more I learn about sugar, the more disgusted I am with it. Not only does it make you fat, but it also messes with your brain. My next blog post will talk specifically about why I have stopped eating sugar.

4. Blog twice a week.
There is no reason why I shouldn't post more on my blog. I'm not in school. I work a part-time job. My afternoons are mostly free. So, for the summer, I plan to blog twice a week. On Sunday nights I will do an "Extreme Makeover" update, reflecting on how well I did with my goals over the past seven days. On Thursday mornings, I will post something else regarding reading, writing, or life. Sometimes, I am sure, there will be odd posts peppered throughout the week.

5. Exercise five times a week.
I want to exercise to keep in shape and to start a healthy habit for when I go to school.

6. Wash my face every day.
Maybe if I got rid of the acne, people would stop thinking I'm fifteen.

7. Plan and write stories, read, write blog posts, practice music, exercise, or spend more time with my family and friends rather than watch Youtube videos or Netflix.
Instead of spending my free time doing things to enhance my life, I spend my free time watching too many videos online. I've struggled with this problem before and I'm sure I'll struggle with it again. I don't want my automatic thought to be, "Oh, I've got ten minutes, I wonder if my favorite Youtuber has uploaded a new video?" I want my automatic thought to be, "Oh, I've got ten minutes, why don't I work on a character or read a chapter of a book?"
Strangely, I don't enjoy spending hours watching videos. I enjoy reading. I enjoy writing. I enjoy music. Yet, it's so much easier to be a couch potato. It takes effort to do things, even things I enjoy.
So, I want to train myself to stop relying on mindless entertainment to fill my spare time. Instead, I want to focus my spare time on things that will enrich my life and sharpen my talents.

Looking back at my goals for 2016 (which I made in a blog post here), I see that a lot of the changes I want to make reflect my resolutions at the beginning of the year. I did really well with my resolutions in January; but, like so many, I let my standards relax as the months passed. Now, nearly the end of May, I want to make an effort to be self-controlled and productive again. It will be good training for college in the fall.

Did you make any goals for 2016, and have you followed through with them? Do you struggle with any of the things that I struggle with? Let me know in a comment! I would love to hear from you.

Beautiful People: May 2016 // Catriona

~Beautiful People is a monthly linkup for writers hosted by Cait at Paper Fury and Sky at Further Up and Further In.~

While some family and friends read the third draft of my fantasy novel, I have been working on character profiles for a sci-fi story idea which has been ruminating in my mind for over a year. I will be answering this month's Beautiful People questions about my main character, Catriona, who owns a café.

1. How often do they smile? Would they smile at a stranger?
Because Catriona owns a small café, she often takes on odd jobs that need doing; such as, manning the cash register, clearing tables, or bringing people their food and drinks. As a result, Catriona smiles a lot at many strangers because she wants her café to have a friendly atmosphere.

 

2. What is the cruelest thing they’ve ever been told? And what was their reaction?

Many people—including Catriona's father—told her that travelling offworld, buying an abandoned space station, and turning it into a café would be madness. It would be better to stay at home and work a stable, well-paying job. Catriona was disgusted and disheartened that her family and friends would try to discourage her from her dream. She disregarded their advice and achieved her dream.

 

3. What is the kindest thing they’ve ever been told? And what was their reaction?

Catriona's father gave his approval for Catriona to follow her dream and open a café. After a few years of business, he tells her that he is proud of her effort and how well she has done for herself. Catriona is overjoyed with this complement and hugs her father.

 

4. What is one strong memory that has stuck with your character from childhood? Why is it so powerful and lasting?

Catriona's mother died when she was four. She doesn't remember her mother well, but she does remember her father's grief and how it overshadowed their whole life for several years.

 

5. What book (a real actual published book!) do you think your character would benefit from reading?
The Betty Crocker Cookbook. Catriona's café already serves food and drink from varied worlds, but earth is not one of them. I think I speak for all the human characters in the story that the café could use some human cuisine on the menu.

 

6. Have they ever been seriously injured? How severely? How did they react?

Once, a Gobulouse Fish wrapped its poisonous tentacles around Catriona's foot and stung her. She went to her father for comfort and he took her to the doctor immediately. Thankfully, the doctor was able to extract the poison before it spread through Catriona's bloodstream. He was able to save her foot, too, though now it is crisscrossed with thin, white scars.

 

7. Do they like and get along with their neighbours?

Catriona's neighbors include the planet Rodo, which her café orbits, and also a mechanic's shop, which also orbits Rodo. She gets along with both places well. There is a steady stream of customers who travel from Rodo to Catriona's café every day after school or work for her signature snacks and drinks.

 

8. On a scale from 1 to 10 (1 being easy and 10 being difficult) how easy are they to get along with?

2. Catriona is very personable. She has friendships with many of her regular customers. Even if Catriona doesn't like someone or disagrees with someone, she will treat them fairly and kindly.

 

9. If they could travel anywhere [in the world], where would they go? (I've altered this question slightly since Catriona doesn't live on her home planet anymore.)

Catriona has already achieved her dream of travelling offworld to open a café. Now, she would like to visit Mars to meet her friend Gruce's family.

 

10. Who was the last person they held hands with?
Hmm, I don't know. I guess Catriona is a hold-hands-and-don't-tell kind of person.

Books that I will most definitely, for sure, hopefully, maybe... read over the summer

I imagine that I won't have a lot of time for recreational reading this fall since I will be attending college, so, I will have to do a lot of reading over the summer! Here is my summer reading list:


The books on my list are from my own shelves in a desperate last-ditch effort to read as many of my unread books as possible before I leave for college.

1 & 2. The Story of the Amulet and The Magic World by E. Nesbit.
E. Nesbit is my favorite children's author. I own eight of her books, but have only read two of them. I'm reading The Story of the Treasure Seekers (Bastables #1) right now and hope to read these other two books in the next few weeks.
Probability of Abbey finishing both books by the end of summer: 65%

3. Murder by the Book by Julianna Deerling.
This is a mystery novel that I picked up at the Christian bookstore when we had extra money on a gift card. Christian novels can be hit and miss, but this one looks good. I believe it's set in the 1920s (or thereabouts), which is my favorite time period to read about.
Probability of Abbey finishing book by the end of summer: 80%

4. Fair Weather by Richard Peck.
Two of my favorites books EVER were written by Richard Peck (A Long Way From Chicago and A Year Down Yonder). This is another of his books that I picked up at Half Price Books. It's fairly (haha, see what I did there?) short and seems like a perfect summer book.
Probability of Abbey finishing book by the end of summer: 90%

5. The Hero of Ages by Brandon Sanderson.
This is the final book in the Mistborn trilogy. I read the first two books but couldn't get into the third one. If I don't finish this one by the end of the summer, I will probably read the synopsis online and give the book to my friend who has been eyeballing it. (I see you there, TMG.)
Probability of Abbey finishing book by the end of summer: 10%

6. Anon, Sir, Anon by Rachel Heffington.
I loved Rachel Heffington's first book Fly Away Home (read my review here). Her second book is a mystery with a character who consistently quotes Shakespeare. That sounds like a perfect combination to me!
Probability of Abbey finishing book by the end of summer: 90%

7. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott.
Three of my friends have read this in the past two years and enjoyed it immensely. After hearing their glowing reviews, of course I want to read this book!
Probability of Abbey finishing book by the end of summer: 20%

8. Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy.
I've been reading a lot of Russian history over the past few months. I figured that I would give Russian literature a try.
Probability of Abbey finishing book by the end of summer: 80%

9. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte.
This book has been at the top of my to-read list since 2011. Oops. Maybe I'll finally get to it this summer.
Probability of Abbey finishing book by the end of summer: 30%

10. Into the Vast by DJ Edwardson.
I finally got a copy of Into the Vast! Hurray! I can't wait to start it!
Probability of Abbey finishing book by the end of summer: 90%

11 & 12. King's Warrior and Yorien's Hand by Jenelle Leanne Schmidt.
I'm so excited to read the next installment in Jenelle's Minstrel Song series! But, before I read Yorien's Hand, I figured that I should re-read King's Warrior so that the characters and plot are fresh in my mind.
Probability of Abbey finishing both books by the end of summer: 50%

13. The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien.
After I finish The Silmarillion, I want to continue in Middle Earth. I want to read The Hobbit over the summer so that I can bring The Lord of the Rings to school with me as my before-bed read.
Probability of Abbey finishing book by the end of the summer: 95%

14. Master and Commander by Patrick O'Brien.
I've been meaning to read Master and Commander since I saw the movie a few years ago. Since this is a nautical adventure, I feel like I need to read it by the sea. Because of this, I might take it camping with me since we camp near the water.
Probability of Abbey finishing book by the end of summer: 40%

Now, it is entirely possible that I won't read any of these books. I might go to the library and come out with a stack of books. I might decide that none of the books on my list fit my mood and end up reading The Doll People again. My goal is to read as many of the books on my list, though! I'll keep you updated.
What's on your summer reading list?

An Interview with Jack Lewis Baillot about Research

My friend Jack is releasing a novel on May 31st!

 

Brothers-In-Arms is a story about two best friends—Japhet, a Jew, and Franz—growing up in Hitler-controlled Germany.

I asked Jack about her connection with historical fiction and her research process. Here are her answers:

What first interested you in historical fiction?
The history bit of it. I love history. I didn't like to read a lot of historical fiction though, because most of what I found were romantic stories with the same kind of plot line. But when I did find one with a different plot I would snatch it up and devour it. Even though I had the idea for my book for a while I didn't think I'd ever write historical fiction, or come to love writing it as much as I did.

Have you ever written historical fiction before?
Just a couple Pioneer stories when I first started to write. I did one I was quite proud of about two families traveling to California. Someday I might edit it.

Why did you choose to write a story about World War II?
Mostly I wanted to show the war from the German side. I wanted to show not all Germans were Nazis, but also wanted to show how Hitler was able to brain wash so many of them. I felt like their side deserved to be told.

Were you intimidated by the amount of research that goes into writing historical fiction?

Not really. I love research. And I got to read some amazing books. Unbroken was one, and I will forever be grateful for research because it brought me that amazing story.

What was your research process for this book?

Oops, kind of answered that one above, didn't I? Well, I knew the facts about WWII from history books, but I wanted to know about the people. I wanted to know what they felt and thought and suffered. So instead of googling facts, I read biographies. I got to know what the mind set was like back then, I learned how scared, hungry, and confused so many people were. I learned first hand of their courage and how they refused to give up even with so much against them. Research, I believe, works better done this way.

(I agree with you! I think the best way to learn about history is to read autobiographies or biographies about the every day lives of the people living in whatever era you are studying.)

Do you think you will write another historical novel in the future, and do you think you will do your research the same way you did for Brothers-In-Arms?

Yes. In fact I have a couple already started. And yes, I do want to do research the same way but I don't think it will work for one book. (Since I can find little on the Tuskegee Airmen.)

Is there one time period in history that you would love to write about, but haven't yet?

The American Civil War. I guess I have a thing with wars, which sounds bad now that I think about it...

What is your favorite time in history to learn about?

The Middle Ages, especially Scotland in that period. Or Scotland in the days of Wallace, because that man...(I might have a book planned in which he makes an appearance.)

Thanks for visiting my blog and answering my questions, Jack!

Jack is one of those strange people who calls herself an Author. She spends a lot of her time writing and even less time editing. She likes to write about friendships which is partly how Brothers-in-Arms came to be. More than ten years in the making, this is the book she dreaded the most writing, but which also has the most meaning for her.

When Jack isn't writing, which doesn't happen too often, she keeps busy with various other hobbies – such as reading, playing the bagpipes to the dread of her neighbors, and drinking tea – which might not be considered a hobby by most but which should be.

She lives in a cabin in the woods with her dog and a library which isn't quite equal to Prince Adam's but will be given enough time and a secret doorway.

Find Jack here:

Facebook

Twitter

Goodreads

Blog

Preorder Brothers-In-Arms here.

Full Synopsis:

Can a Jew and a Nazi survive Hitler's Germany?
Franz Kappel and Japhet Buchanan never expected their friendship to be tested by the Third Reich. Friends from early childhood, the boys form an inseparable, brotherly bond. Growing up in a little German village, they escape most of the struggles of war until the day Japhet is banished from school for being a Jew, and later has a rib broken when other village boys beat him up. Franz learns he is putting himself in danger for spending so much time with Japhet but continues to stand up for his Jewish friend even at the risk to himself. Then one day their lives are shattered when they see first-hand that the price of being a Jew is dangerously high. 
With the war now on their doorsteps, Franz and Japhet come up with a desperate plan to save their families and get them out of Germany alive. Leaving behind the lives they've always known, they move into Berlin with nothing to protect them but forged papers and each other. Convinced their friendship can keep them going, the boys try and make a new life for themselves while trying to keep their true identities and Japhet's heritage a secret. Taking his best friend's safety upon himself, Franz joins the Nazis in an attempt to get valuable information. At the same time, Japhet joins the Jewish Resistance, neither friend telling the other of their new occupations.
With everyone in their world telling them a Nazi and a Jew can't be friends, it is only a matter of time before they believe all the lies themselves, until neither is certain if they are fighting against a race of people or fighting for their homeland. Somehow they have to survive the horrors of World War II, even when all of Germany seems to be against them.

College

This may come as a surprise to some of you, but I don't want to pick up other people's trash for the rest of my life, even if I do get to drive a golf cart.

Those of you who followed my last blog may remember this post from in December. I shared how I thought God had called me to work in full-time ministry only to realize in my senior year of high school (fall 2014) that I had neither the gifting nor the passion for that work. My plan to attend college after graduating collapsed under the weight of this realization. Shocked from this collapse, I decided to take a gap year to work, to continue my music, to edit my fantasy story, and to seek God's will in my life. At this time, I couldn't think about college without feeling overwhelmed to the point of tears.
I ended my blog post in December asking, "What's next?" and answering, "I don't know, but I have faith in God."
Only in the past few weeks have I realized how long the shock that I was not to go to college to become a ministry worker reverberated in my life. Sometime in January, however, the last echo of that shock faded into the distance. I was able to contemplate the future again. I began to see patches of blue sky poke out between the gray clouds. It is not a coincidence that things started to be okay again at the same time that I started to set apart time in the morning to read my Bible and pray.

In February and March I began researching colleges.
I knew I wanted a college nearby relatives which either meant staying in the Pacific Northwest or going to the Midwest. I started with a simple Google search of Christian colleges in those two areas. Once I had a list of schools, I looked at their English and music programs. My dad helped me rate each college on a scale of 0-3 and then made me a spreadsheet. Looking at this spreadsheet, I dismissed seven of the ten colleges I had on my list.

In April, I applied for the remaining three colleges on my list: George Fox University in Oregon, Dordt College in Iowa, and the University of Northwestern in St. Paul, Minnesota. Four days after applying, I heard back from the University of Northwestern St. Paul. They accepted me!! The tears I cried were not because I was overwhelmed at the thought of going to college; no, these tears were happy because my number one school accepted me.

Looking at where I was five months ago compared to now astonishes me. I have grown so much and I attribute it all to God. He works all things for the good of his plan.
Five months ago I was sad and lost because of an unknown future. I wasn't confidant at work and scared of every trucker who came up to ask me for directions.
Now, I'm excited for a tangible future. I'm excited to go to school to earn an English major and music minor. I'm confidant at work and have "leveled up," so to say, in my speaking skills. I'm able to talk easily with truckers and that one Jimmy John's worker whom I always seem to run in to.

Yet, I am still afraid. Soon, I will leave my family and friends to live in a dormitory. I'll have to interact with strangers all the time—until they become friends. I'll have to go to classes in a real school—something I've never done before. I'll have to study hard—something I haven't done for a year. I'll have to do my own laundry—something I still haven't learned.
I don't do well (at all) with new situations because I'm terrified of doing something wrong and being rebuked for it, yet I know that after the first few months, when I've gotten used to my new life and fallen into a routine, everything will be fine. God is still watching over me, just as he was five months ago when I had no clear direction in my life and when it seemed like I would be driving a golf cart for the rest of my life picking up McDonalds wrappers.

I'm excited to learn, I'm excited to make new friends, and I'm even excited to live on my own. Change scares me, but also exhilarates me because I know in a year from now I'll look back and see how much I've grown in the space of twelve months.

I'll keep you updated on this new chapter in the book of my life!