Women's Day 2014

Hey guys!

Sorry I haven't been posting. Found out I wrote Warrior in the wrong type of voice, so every few sentences (every sentence in some paragraphs) has to be overhauled and rewritten. Needless to say, I did 5 chaps one week, and this week I've done 1. Seriously, 1 in 7 days. ><

But I do have enough pictures for at least two weeks in pics, and I decided to not be productive and instead write about today.

Today is International Women's Day. It's a day for the ladies. I saw a vid (saw, as in read the title, not watch. I like my music :3 ) where someone wanted to talk about the most girl-empowering authors. I'm gonna talk about the strongest female characters in books that I've read. These aren't about women becoming men, but women being gentle, kind, loving, and still strong.

To start things off, I'm gonna talk about one of my favorite series of all time, and the one that changed my definition of a powerful woman. The Sevenwaters Series by Juliet Marillier.

All six of these ladies are incredible strong. Sorcha, who sacrificed so much for her brother's, including (she thought) the love of her life. Liadan, who refused to listen to anyone, including those she viewed as gods, because she knew what was right. Fainne, who learned she was being played and went with it, because she knew the only way to stop her own grandmother was perhaps to sacrifice her own life. Clodagh, who knew that her brother was stolen and was determined to save him, and the changling who'd been switched with him. Sibeal, a seer whose life turned out to be completely different from what she expected, and decided to follow her heart. And Maeve, the scarred girl who thought herself as worthless, and ended up saving her whole family, and her people, and still found out she was more than she ever thought she was.

This series shows women as they really are: strong, independent, weak, beautiful, ugly. They doubt themselves, doubt they matter or can do what needs doing. But they're determined to make their own Happily Ever After, and while they don't all get exactly what they want, they prove to themselves and the world that they're more than what they seem.


Another series I love to pieces is The Black Jewels series by Anne Bishop:

There are 4 main characters: Daemon, Lucivar, Saetan, and Jaenelle. Jaenelle may be the only woman, but she's the savior the whole world has been waiting for for millennia. And she's completely different from what everyone expects. They want a strong, powerful queen who can sweep away the evil High Priestess that's been destroying the world one nation at a time. And while she is that, she's so much more. She begins as a little girl facing the most horrific abuse who falls into a coma at the end of book 1 and beginning of book 2. When she awakens, the last thing she wants to do is rule. She refuses to go to war, to rule over her friends. But she sacrifices so much to protect those she loves, including her dreams, her wishes, and almost her own life. We follow her from the odd 7 year old until after her death and watch how a strong woman change change those around her for the better. It's an amazing story and I highly recommend it--but there is sex and a bit of gore. Look for my video reviews of this series coming soon!


I probably can come up with many more, but these truly changed me. I learned that the strongest of women don't kick ass. They don't need to. Sorcha ends a fiery feud by merely yawning, saying she's tired, and giving short, direct advice to each man involved that silences them one at a time. Jaenelle can blow up a nation, but would rather almost kill herself healing every person involved in a conflict. They show what I've always heard about women:

and

“Women bring with them into the world a certain virtue, a divine gift that makes them adept at instilling such qualities as faith, courage, empathy, and refinement in relationships and in cultures." - D. Todd Christofferson

So ladies, remember. You don't have to be like a man to be strong. Be a woman, a lady. Be kind, loving, and tough as nails. Because to me, that's a woman in her prime.

<3 p="">

Happy "Tell a Fairytale" Day!

Hey ya'll!

It's "Tell a Fairytale" Day! I've never heard of this, but I gotta jump on the bandwagon.

One book that I loved dearly (and was stolen from me) was a copy of Grimm's Fairytales from the 1930s with original watercolor pictures. I no longer own it (dang it!), but I know the fairytales I grew up with were NOTHING like how they really are. They are sad stories teaching lessons, and sometimes just horror stories that were told in ancient time to frighten little children before bed.

I've read many adaptations of fairytales, but one of my favorites is none other than Juliet Marillier's Sevenwaters Series, the first novel, Daughter of the Forest, in particular. It was my first true adult novel I ever read, back in 7th Grade. Many a time, when I should've been rechecking my work I was reading this baby, and the two novels that came after, Son of the Shadows and Child of the Prophecy.

This novel is beautiful, holding the magic and beauty of the original tale it was based on, The Six Swans. Sorcha is the seven child and only daughter of Lord Colum of Sevenwaters. Her mother died while giving birth to her, which broke her father's heart. Raised by her six older brothers, she's powerless as she watches an evil sorceress win her father's heart and destroy her world from the inside out. When the seven of them try to free their father with old magic, Lady Oonagh (the sorceress) turns the boys into swans while Sorcha flees. To lift the curse, she has to weave starwort, a plant covered in spines so fine it looks fuzzy (kinda like cholla. Don't know what that is? The bane of my existence here in the desert), into shirts for each of them. Along the way she endures terrible dangers and even has to leave her native Ireland for the home of her enemy, the Britons (England). She finds true love and learns the greatest sacrifice. It's beautiful.

Though, for my Mormon friends and family, there's a rape scene in this novel and sex in many of the others.

I love this series, and want to own all of them. Fairytale woven into true art without the typical clichés.

Now, if you don't want to check that out, you should check out the prologues to LA Knight's two novels that take fairytales and turn them on their heads, The Shepherd's Daughter, and I Hear the Bones Singing.

The Shepherd's Daughter - Prologue

 

 



I Hear the Bones Singing - Prologue

 



Here are the covers for Daughter of the Forest, and the rest of the Sevenwaters Series. I hope you enjoy them, and never forget there's magic and adventure around every corner!

<3

 

 

(The long ones are the front and back covers for Heir to the Shadows)

 

 

 

You know, with all the pictures, I realized I haven't told the fairytale! So let me give a quick one (if you want to read these novels and don't want to find out, don't continue reading)

 

Once upon a time, deep in the ancient forest of Sevenwaters, live seven children. Their names, in order of eldest to youngest, were Liam, Diarmid, Cormack, Conor, Finbar, Padriac, and little Sorcha, the only sister. Their childhood was filled with running wild in the forest, learning about the earth and land that their father lead as Lord Colum. Their lives were peaceful, though a terrible war raged between the island nations of Erin and Britton.

 

One terrible night, a boy Britton was taken captive. Unwilling to let a boy of sixteen die a terrible death, Finbar and Sorcha worked together to free him. This was the beginning of the change that would shift their lives forever.

 

After Sorcha had helped the boy, Simon, heal, she was summoned home and learned that a terrible sorceress had taken hold of her father's heart and home, the Lady Oonagh. Determined to free their father, land, and lives, they go to a great birch tree to try to break Oonagh's power. But before they could act, the witch had captured the boys, and it was all Sorcha could do to flee and watch in horror as her brothers became swans.

 

The Lady of the Forest, faerie queen of Sevenwaters, granted Sorcha the power to free her brothers under certain conditions. First, she must never speak, never make a sound with her voice. She could not ever write. And second, she had to weave shirts out of the starwort plant, a terrible flower covered in thin, monstrous thorns. If she would do these things, her brothers would return to her as men. But she could see them as men twice a year, on the longest day of the year, and on the longest night, but only so long as the sun was set. By dawn, they were nothing more than birds.

 

Sorcha did these things, never speaking, never crying out, even as the making of the plants tore her hands and scarred them forever. But one night, a terrible fever took her, and, determined to become cool, she slipped into the river. Three men, Britons, all of them, saw her fall in and not surface. Frightened for her safety, they saved her. Seeing her alone, they decided to take her back with them, for the leader, Red, was Lord Hugh of Harrowfield, nephew to Lord Richard, leader of the Britton's army.

 

There, Red tried to protect her from his people, who looked down on her, and from his uncle, who wished to learn her secrets and perhaps gain some knowledge that would defeat his enemy, Lord Colum. But when he learned that his younger brother, Simon, was alive, he left to Erin once more, hoping to find his only sibling. To protect her, he married her and gave her his name, but it wasn't enough.

 

While he was gone, the winter solstice came, and with it, her brother Conor flew across the ocean, hoping to protect her. They were spotted together, and by dawn, she was charged with witchcraft and adultery. After a horrifying trial, Sorcha was sentenced to burn at the stake. But before they can, Red returned with Simon, and her brothers flew down to protect her until her husband could reach her. All of the shirts had been completed, and she quickly place them upon the six swans. All, that is, but the left sleeve of the shirt that fell on Finbar, who bore a white swan's wing in place of an arm for the rest of his life.

 

The seven returned home and found it all but deserted. The Lady Oonagh had fled the moment she felt her spell break, and with her she had taken her only child. For Lord Colum had sired one more son, but that is another tale for another time.

 

Shortly after returning, Red was captured, and confessed that he loved Sorcha more than his family, more than his title and land, more than life itself. He gave Simon his inheritance, and spent the rest of his life in Erin, living with Sorcha, whose hands had been healed by the Lady of the Forest. Together, they lived happily ever after.

 

<3

My Week(s) in Photos!

Sorry! Sorry! Sorry! I know, I'm not posting a lot, but both me and LA Knight have been sick. And I haven't done much that required photos...until this week.

Soo, here's what I've been up to that I can photograph!

 

Even the Grumpmister can be cute, once in a rare while! I loves Mighty anyway!

 

 

This is my I-wanna-be-cozy-and-yet-still-chic outfit! <3

 

 

You know that Camo jacket that I'm in love with? Went patch shopping with my daddy to spice it up and still honor my daddy's military service. He was in the navy in Vietnam from 1970-1973. Two tours.

You can check out my word to those in the military here: https://www.facebook.com/llobrien13/posts/391721437571424?comment_id=2672368

 

 

Angel was super comfy during the LDS First Presidency Broadcast. First she was all over Daddy...

 

 

...then she wouldn' leave Mommy and Me alone! She is very loved! :3

 

 

I was getting my Pikachu on! (ignore the circle, I was just doodling)

 

 

I'm obsessed with this novel! This is the latest installment of the Sevenwaters Series, my favorite girl-power novels!

 

 

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas! All my gifts are in here...well, almost all of them. Still have a few in the works!

 

 

So how's you past few weeks been! I hope nobody's been too sick! XP

 

I hope you've been super cheap on your gifts and have taken the time to just chill!

 

<3



Happy Hobbit Day!

Happy Tolkien Week and Hobbit Day!

75 years ago this week, The Hobbit was published, and today is Bilbo and Frodo Baggins' birthday! Hobbit Freaks like myself all over the world are celebrating, and for this momentous occasion, The Hobbit has a new trailer!!! I don't know about you guys, but I am SO EXCITED! Like, seriously!

Okay, I sound beyond lame. Anywho...

So, since I have like, 1 picture for this week, I'm gonna do this blog instead.

When I was a kid, one thing that my brother and I absolutely LOVED was listening to our dad read something. He would usually read something from the scriptures, but sometimes, he would read The Hobbit, or The Lord of the Rings. I remember my dad reading Bilbo and Smaug, Sam fighting Shilob (I think that's one of the reasons I'm so terrified of bugs, and especially spiders), Aragorn and the Western Alliance talking with the Voice of Sauron, The Final Council, Eowyn vs The Lord of the Nazgul, Eowyn and Faramir talking, among others. I loved The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit before I could read, and have been an advid fan ever since.

I knew about The Lord of the Rings movies over a year before The Fellowship of the Ring's trailer was released. My dad told both me and David, my brother, that we couldn't see any of the movies until we finished the books. My brother cannot focus on books and barely reads. But we both finished The Hobbit and all of The Lord of the Rings long before The Fellowship's released date. We ordered tickets a month in advance, and went with a full crew of family and friends for all 3 movies.

But more than anything, because I'm a writer, and have had a love of fantasy and stories since I was very little, The Lord of Rings literally changed my life. I've never read such a beautiful book before. Very few novels have anything like the language found in those novels. In fact, I've actually never found one that came close. LA Knight can do it when she really, REALLY tries, though that's not often. So does Juliet Marillier's Seven Waters Series, Wicked by Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguie (though I don't reccomend that one, it's description is the only thing I like)...and that's about it that I can think of. LA Knight hasn't published anything with that voice, but she has some great unfinished works from a while back that can do it, and her Once Upon a Time has it at times.

The Lord of the Rings was so amazing. I remember me and my brother talking about how it just sucked us in, taking us to a magical world where trees talk, elves run around, dragons can burn your house down, and a simple archer can be a king. And "the smallest person can change the course of the future". Since we were in such a terrible place at the time, it was so uplifting.

Basically, this week is a week to celebrate something that has brought so much amazing experiences into my life. Just sitting down on the floor while my dad read four pages out of a huge book when there was nothing else to do is one of my favorite memories I will always carry with me.

So thank you, Professor Tolkien. You really changed my life.

<3