Favorite Quotes From My Favorite Books

Ok, so it's supposed to be my favorite quote of all time but no matter how hard I tried I couldn't narrow it down to just one. It was hard enough to keep from putting in every single one that popped into my head when I read a similar blog title on Practice of Maddness. Reading this put into mind all of the lines in my favorite books that I look forward to reading when I open those books for the millionth time. Some of them are funny, some of them will probably make no sense to you when you read them, but they all have one thing in common in that they are a part of the reason I go back to those books again and again.

This is by no means the entire list, just a few of the ones I thought should make it here today. So, without further ado, let's get to it.......

"As we stood smiling at each other, I told her that I have always known hers is a tattoo. This doesn't trouble me. The fact that she wanted so much to prove that we share a destiny only deepens my love for her." Odd Thomas - Odd Thomas


"No! I don't want to go over!" - Jack Sawyer - Black House - upon returning to the Territories

"You are God's fool, that's what you are. You who possessed the dark secret that soared above everything, rendered everything meaningless, and what did you do with it, in those months when you ruled alone from Magnus's tower, but try to live like a good man! A good man!" - Nicki - The Vampire Lestat

"No, little one, you're not dying. You're coming now into my protection and perhaps if the stars are with us, if they are kind to us, you'll never die at all." - Marius - The Vampire Armand

"Why didn't I just walk away? Oh right, because I'm an idiot." - Jacob - Breaking Dawn

....
That should be good for now. Of course if I feel others should have made it here that I didn't think of while writing this then I will be adding those as well. And for those of you smirking at me due to the last quote allow me to just say I am fully aware of all the flaws of this series that people out there like to point out but I would also like to say that I really could care less. I have loved the Twilight books since I read the first one and I make no secret about being a fan. :)

Feel free to comment and leave your own favorite quote as well. I would love to see what others have to say!



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Revamps and Rewrites

Well, this is going to be short, sweet, and to the point.... which coming from me is quite a feat :)

Revamping both blogs, though admittedly I haven't even made it to the other one yet, to refresh the look a wee bit...not too much though because if I try changing too much I'll just end up changing everything and I won't like it as much as I do now. Anyway, also added another author to this one because when it comes to writing she is as we always say, the other half of my brain. We just work so well together, I figured why not? Plus I can think of no other person in the world that I would entrust to write on my baby. Admittedly it's not a very popular blog but I take a certain amount of pride in it for some reason. I'm strange that way though. :D Allow me to introduce Christine, sometimes referred to as Greeny ;), and say that I'm glad she agreed to post here and I know she will be a valuable contribution here at My Fantasy Life. Ok, enough of my cheesy moment...

So, after the revamp is finished (a new post is already in the works also) I am also going back to the two stories I left behind. The Occult Collection and Immortal are going to be pulled from their graves......thankfully. I say this because they are my two favorite stories I've ever had ideas for and written. Something about them appeals to me more than any other WIP has and I did not like that I had to let them die...at least for a little while. And since their voices have not only been living in my head this whole time, but recently screaming to be let out, I must do as they wish. Just as an aside, Immortal is being revised, not edited. After taking a look at about three chapters of it I realized that it wasn't coming across as well as I originally thought so we are going back to do it the way it wants to be done.

Off we go........................................

The First Final Stage

WOW! I have finally managed to do something that has been eluding me for the past year and a half…at least. Tonight I put the finishing touches on a story I have been working on for over two years now. Of course we're only talking first draft here, but still it's quite an accomplishment for me, especially lately. Unfortunately due to my life circumstances I have not been able to devote the amount of time I would like to my writing and I have stories that are suffering and being ignored because of it. Over the last couple of days however I have found it damn near irresistible. I just had to finish this story! I've had stories and characters screaming in my head before but this was like an absolute takeover of my mind. I slept even less than normal at night and I could barely concentrate on my studies. BUT the good thing is, it's done!

This particular story, Immortal, has been one of my favorites to write even though it's been a very long process for me. Generally when I start on a story I can pound it out within a few months. This one was not so easy to complete. Because of my now non-existent work schedule, school, and other personal issues I didn't have the time to sit and write this story the way I wanted to. I always carry my notebook around with me in my purse so I was at least able to jot down ideas and dialogue when they came to me. I was so excited when I finally got to sit down at my computer and type it all out into the file I had started so long ago. What really surprised me was that I remembered every detail of what I was thinking at the time I wrote each particular note. This never happens for me. Usually I write a note and have to add a lot of detail to it so that I make sure I get it right in the story, but with Immortal I didn't have to do that. I had a few notes in the book that were just one or two words here and there and I managed to remember exactly what I was thinking and why I wrote it down. So with all of this I was able to finish up the last few chapters of the book.

Now comes the hard part. Self-editing. Just the thought of it makes me cringe. As I've stated a million times before this is not something that I am very good at. I don't edit my writing; I butcher it and murder it until there's nothing left but the main concept of the story with a few good scenes or dialogue I can't bring myself to get rid of. I have vowed however that this time it will not happen the way it always has in the past. In the very little spare time I had while I was working I was able to do some research and get some tips on how to be a better self-editor. It's nice to know that I'm not the only one that struggles with this and the tips I did get were extremely helpful…so far at least. I started the editing process earlier this evening and think I'll be going back to it here shortly. I think the reason I'm trying so hard this time is that this particular story is one that I really, really want to get out there. This one I have more confidence in and am more comfortable sending it off to betas and my friends/editors for corrections, suggestions, and advice. Baby steps, right? The first time I subbed a story I about cried when I read the feedback for it. But it was good feedback, even if some of it was a little harsh, such is the nature of the writing beast. Once I went back and read the story with all of the suggestions given to me in mind I realized that for the most part they were right. The story wasn't good enough, not nearly good enough. But that was ok. I didn't expect it to be perfect anyway so I made the adjustments where I needed to. Unfortunately that story has gone nowhere since. But that's because that story is in the M/T/S genre and I'm more of a Fantasy girl so I wasn't really feeling it. Maybe there will come a time when I can go back to it, actually better than maybe since I already have the idea for a sequel in mind, but for now I'm just sticking to my Fantasy writing because that I know I can do better than M/T/S.

So anyway, Immortal is wrapped around the prophecy made about Makayla (my favorite witch ever!) centuries before she was born. Very powerful, destined to be the best, blah blah blah, you get the picture. Sounds like a million other Fantasy stories you've read huh? That's what I thought too when I started it, not that it really mattered to me. I get an idea in my head and I'm far too obsessive not to see it through to the end. The things that I love the most about the story are the twists and turns and little things here and there you are not expecting to happen. Like the types of friends that Makayla associates with, one of which is a very powerful demon that nevertheless assists Makayla every chance she gets. And the "villain" that she is "destined to destroy" is not who you expect him to be. That particular twist happens to be my favorite one, though it doesn't come until the very end of the story. Anywho, the problem she runs into throughout the story is trying to find out how to destroy this particular villain without also killing herself in the process. Without giving too much of the story away they have fought in the past and both have been injured severely, mentally and physically. With the help of her teacher/mentor/secret lover Samuel, Makayla finally finds a way to destroy the one being on earth that can kill her. Will she actually go through with it is the question…

Late-night Thoughts

I'm having trouble sleeping once again and so I'm browsing the internet tonight in search of information on a new book coming out that I've been dying to read. It's called Shadowrise by Tad Williams and it's the third book in what is now going to be a four book series. Originally it was three, but there was just too much to tell so it was extended.

Now, I am a huge fan of Tad Williams and I've been following the progress of this book for around a year now, ever since I went to the library and snatched up Shadowmarch on a whim I've been obsessed with the series. That little factoid shouldn't be so surprising as those of you who know me know that when I find a book I *really* like, I become obsessed with it quickly and want to read it over and over again. The good thing about the Shadowmarch series is that there is so much going on within each book, there are little things here and there that are missed in the first reading that I get to pick up in the second or third....or hundredth.

It happened by chance one day when I was in the library looking for a new Sci-Fi/Fantasy book to get into. Before this I had never even heard of Tad Williams before. What first caught me, obviously, was the cover art for Shadowmarch. Just looking at the hardcover copy of the book made me want to read it. Then of course I read the back of the book to get a feel for the story and walked directly to the counter. As long as that book is I think I devoured it within a day or two. After that I ran and picked up Shadowplay, the second book in the series.

Once again I was not disappointed. I think both books are amazing and I am so excited to see how everything turns out. I will note that part of Chapter 3 of Shadowrise was released by Tad sometime last year, and being a member of his message board I quickly jumped at the opportunity to check it out. I was a little reluctant because I knew I would have to wait to read more, but I just couldn't resist. And I'm glad I didn't. The little bit of the book I got to read was great. Well, recently I have been following Tad's wife on Twitter, where she releases excerpts from his books, and I have been given another gift of getting to read even more of the third book.

The official release date is March 4 and I for one will be at the nearest Barnes & Noble to pick it up. I don't actually own the other two, but they are on my list of books to buy in the near future as I would like to revisit them again. It's been long enough I think that I can go back to them without seeming completely obsessive. ;-)

One more thing to note is that the fourth installment of the series is called Shadowheart and is set to be released "shortly after Shadowrise". We all know how these things go and it could be a little while before it comes out, but I for one, am really looking forward to it.