Playing Catch-Up

With my internet life, that is.

I just finished up my very first semester of college, ladies and gents. You know that this means? Yup. I now have a month off to write and write and... oh yeah, WRITE. I have a WIP to tidy up and send to agents. =]

But, along with finishing the WIP and attempting to hammer out a rough draft of ANOTHER story, I am also going to catch up and hopefully get ahead in my blogging type things. Like, I have some pre-planned blogs for this blog (not a bunch, really, except maybe in Feb.) and attempting to get WAY ahead on my review blog, which needs lots of TLC from me.

So, I'll be around more. A lot of the time, I'll be playing catch-up.

~Angel

The Newest Member of the Family

World -- I'd like to introduce you to the newest member of my family -- Saffron Emer.

Saffron was originally taken from her litter by a family that couldn't afford her because she, as well as the other pups, weren't being treated.. well, we'll just say they weren't being properly cared for. The family that took her and one of her brothers in, however, couldn't afford nor did they have time to take care of both pups. This is where, a lot of the time, someone at my house is contacted. This time, it was me. And I have a hard time saying no, especially to a little one in need. She was skinny, dirty, and covered in fleas, but I didn't care. I knew she needed someone to love her.

Saffron came to live with me on Friday, and she's been a perfect fit to our crazy house. Taylor and I had to spend some time bathing her and getting every single flea off of her. We fed her a gave her attention that she desperately wanted. She's pretty small, maybe a little bigger than an adult chinchilla. She's full of energy, adventurous, and LOVES her momma (aka, me). She stays upstairs in my room, because she's too small to leave downstairs with the others. And she might, you know, get lost. So, when I'm home, she's at my heels. When I leave, I put her in my bathroom -- which is the biggest in the house and is currently puppy proof and rather nice for a pup's place. She sleeps on her puppy bed in my bathroom, too. My room isn't quite ready yet for a puppy to play in there safely as I sleep -- but by some time this week, she'll end up being curled up in my bed where she always wants to be. =]

I've always wanted to run or help an official No Kill Shelter for animals. When I was young, that's what I wanted to do. I would drag in stays and hurt animals all the time -- it's a wonder my mom didn't kill me! -- but the habit has yet to change.

Since I've moved to our new house, complete with it's 18 acres, this has been a little easier on us space wise. The wild animals (like the turtles I get off the highway occasionally) can go out in the woods. Then there's loads of room for the dogs that sleep outside in the barn or in their pens. And then, there's the inside dogs -- otherwise known as the Goof Troop or Troublesome Trio (well, until Saffron came along). That's Kikyo, Tristan, and Logan -- of the three, Logan is the only one that we didn't willingly bring to live with us. He was a rescue stray pup himself.

Granted, it gets pretty stressful, and sometimes people make me feel pretty bad for having so many -- like I'm doing something bad or trashy by letting animals take up more time than other aspects of my life. "It's a lot to handle", they tell me -- as though I don't already know -- "Do you really think you can care properly for them all?" And of course, I know I can. We've had people come out and check them out to make sure they are all good. We were thanked at our old town because we were keeping a lot of strays from being put down by getting put in the pound. Sure, not all of our dogs have gotten spayed or neutered yet, but we're working on it. And, if by some chance, one gets pregnant, we care for the pups until they are old enough to find new homes, and then take them to said new homes, usually with a towel or blanket and some puppy food to help out the new family. To me, it's more than having a bunch of pets -- it's adding to my family and giving them love when no one else could.

---

Well, I hope you liked this post, and I hope it gave you some insight into my life outside of writing and college. Not to mention -- isn't Saffron just the SWEETEST?!?

~Angel

"You never forget who you really are... no matter how many nights you stay awake trying to."

So, some of you know I messed my knee up like a three or so weeks ago, and that the pain has only gotten worse. Like, to the point of such terrible pain that sometimes I can hardly walk, and in the night it hurts so bad it keeps me awake.

Well, I managed to get in to see my Doctor last week, and it turns out I tore the cruciate ligaments in my knee. He told me I'd need a brace, a lot of rest, and that it wouldn't get better for quite a few weeks. Jooooy. No one is fond of the fact that during some of that healing time I have to go to college. At least, until finals are all done & we're out for Christmas break or winter break -- whatever it's called. They wanted me to take more days off, but we managed to agree I could go back 2 days later. I can't afford to miss a lot of class anymore. Especially with finals coming up.

Though, now, I keep tearing more ligaments up, and they are talking about making me go to the hospital. Worst case scenario -- surgery. Ugh... Not what I need right now.

---

"When one door closes another one opens; but we so often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door, that we do not see the ones which open for us” -- Alexander Graham Bell

So, life is going pretty alright right now. Minus the whole, ya know, knee being all messed up thing. I'm doing pretty good in college. I've got my schedule for next semester. I've been working really hard on getting the WIP edited and perfected so I can dispense it to my Beta Readers and Critique Partner before final edits and -- BAM! -- come January (hopefully) I'll be querying. Let's hope for an agent this time, shall we?

And, like the quote above, I've had some changes in my life lately that have brought some unhappy side effects and "closed doors". It took me a while to stop looking so regretfully at said door, but I finally managed to look away and notice the good things that are there. My friends that love me; my opportunity to make new ones. Success looming in the furture. I'm making plans for the rest of my life, and it's both exciting and terrifying.

But it's something I must do. Regardless if I'm ready or not ready, I have to get ready to land on my feet once I'm done at MAC (my college). I have to know what I'm doing, and where I'm going. Will I just go to MAC and spend the rest of my time writing? Or will I go on to do more things and persue a back up career? Will I move far away, or stay close to what I know? There's a million things on my mind that I've got to be ready to answer unless I want to fall on my face. I guess a lot of it is relying on whether or not I can get published and headed in the right direction before my time at MAC is done.

It's a crazy life, but I'm holding on for the ride.

---

So, my schedule, as previously mentioned, is as follows.

Drawing II MWF from 11:00 to 12:50
English Comp II MWF from 1:00 to 1:50
Intermediate Algebra MW from 3:00 to 4:15

And then on Tuesdays & Thursdays:

History of Art II from 8:00 - 9:15
American History II from 11:00 - 12:15
Color Theory from 1:00 to 2:50

That's 18 hours total. Wowza. At least I'll be done eventually -- hopefully sooner rather than later.

---

And I got most of the To Do list done. My honors stuff is done. My research paper was turned in this week. I turned in my short story to the editor I was talking about. So, I'm getting on top of the ball. Now I have less to do and more time for my editing. Not to mention, we've only got, like, three weeks of classes left. And that means LOADS of writing time for Angel. Like, I really think I may stay up all night quite a few times just to get even more done.

So, speaking of writing and editing, I should probably go do that now.

Adios!

~Angel

"Some die looking for a hand to hold."

So, I was pretty relieved when I scratched some things off my To Do list at long last. Now I've just got:

- 6 papers and 3 art pieces.
- 1 paper for Art History
- Final edits on short story due to editor by Halloween.
- Edit/Revise WIP- Rewrite an older story (code name LWY)
- And whatever else comes my way.

Like half of that has to be done by November 6th. Of course the short story has until Halloween. The WIP needs to be ready for querying (or at least I hope it will be) by January. And I want to try to hammer out a rough draft for the LWY rewrite in November.

So yeah, I'm busy. Not to mention the Halloween related plans I have. Plus there is a project I've been working on that I hope to have ready by next Halloween that's going to seriously take a year of planning and work.

Aaaaand, stay excited, folks! Halloween ( My FAVORITE holiday, might I add) is just around the bend, and with that comes my first bit of in-print publication. I promise to link it to you guys so you can order you're little hearts out.

-----------------

I'm thinking about posting a series of blogs about the places I write, including pics. Anyone digging this idea?

~Angel

Boston and Salem Trip!

Really, we did A LOT in the dew days we were in Boston, and I NEVER wanted to leave Salem. I actually hope to live in Salem one day. It's just so spectacular.

This was the view from our hotel in Boston. GORGEOUS, right?!




Not to mention, just across the street was King's Chapel - which, I believe, is the oldest cemetery in Boston. It was amazing!

That's my mom over there. You can tell which luggage is mine. *cough* Skull bag. *cough*

The very first day we got there, we went on a duck tour -- which was pretty awesome.

On the duck, we saw a car -- IN THE WATER!

I don't remember which day, but one of the days we went on a walking historical tour with a very entertaining guide.

She was one of my favorite things on the entire trip! I'd always wanted to see a real street performer! I tipped her and got a picture with her.

We went to the aquarium one morning. I loved the seals. ^_^ I bought a little seal stuffed animal and named him Bently.

Then, right after the aquarium, we went on a whale watch. This was one of the most amazing experiences of my entire life. You're feet away from these huge majestic creatures.

It's just... beautiful.

Salem:

We went on this really cool Haunted Footsteps tour through Salem that I really loved. We walked around in the dark and heard stories about some of Salem's grim past.


The above two pictures are from the House of Seven Gables. It was actually really cool, especially when Taylor and I (Taylor = the boyfriend) went up a secret staircase passageway!!


Taylor on the phone with his mom in one of the cemetery's the day before we left. Isn't he handsome? ^_^

More cemetery goodness.

I'm obsessed with the Salem Witch Trials, and was in love with the little tribute they had for the victims. They had all these little benches with the names of those that lost their lives. A lot of them had flowers and such on them. It was really touching.

Though we did a TON of amazing things in Salem, one of my favorite things was the Nightmare Gallery -- a museum with recreated horror movie legends!! They had everything from the classics, like Nosferatu, Dracula, Frankenstein, and The Creature from the Black Lagoon to more modern things, like Freddy, Jason, Pinhead, and some newer zombies. It was AMAZING!!!

I wish I would've gotten more pictures of all the things we did, but I was having so much fun DOING them that I just didn't have time!

Hope you guys enjoyed!

~Angel

Catching you all up. =]

As usual, I have ten billion and thirteen things to do.

Like, for instance, the day after I got home, I had to go buy my college textbooks. Luckily, for me, I had scholarship money for my books, so I didn't have to pay a dime. I guess the stresses I put myself through are worth it.

College is going alright. It was an adjustment at first, but I think I'm getting the hang of it. I have a great GPA, at least. And I'm not failing Algebra. =]

And I'd like to tell you all that I am about to post this INCREDIBLE BLOG complete with PICTURES from BOSTON and SALEM -- but, I'm not. At least, not right now. I have a ton to do, as stated before, and a couple things have to be done before that. But I figured I'd be polite and let you all know I'm not dead, and that I did have a wonderful time.

I also finished the rough draft of my WIP, and while waiting to begin revisions, I'm working on an older manuscipt's rewrite. And my wonderful friend / critique partner just got through reading B.O.E. (to refresh: the manuscript sent out to agents) and gave me an AMAZING critique that I really needed. So, I hope to work on that a tad when I get a chance. But back to the WIP -- I hope to work my butt off to get it super shiny edited by January so I can start querying agents about it.

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention: I'm writing a play for my old high school that will be the spring play. The spring play is a HUGE deal, so I'm really excited to be writing it, as well as being a major part in the casting/directing process.

And I eventually have some articles coming out in print, but I don't know the exact date. I'll post when I know, and I hope that all of you will buy a copy or twenty. ;]

I kinda think I need to get away for a while again. I was thinking about New York in May. I might go to New Orleans sometime for a brief and cheap vacation. Either way, I want to get OUT OF MISSOURI.

Oh yeah -- Don't forget to check out the amazingness of my review blog:
http://angelyoungreviews.blogspot.com/

Well, I'm off to write (as usual).

~Angel

Be back soon!

Thursday morning I'm off to Boston and Salem for a week! Try not to miss me too much!

Much blogging and blabbing about the trip when I return!


~Angel