EMERGENCY COMMISSIONS OPEN!!!

OK, so, things are getting ridiculous tight around the home, and although I don't live with my parents, they help me out when they can--sadly the hospital my dad works for as an X-ray tech is shutting down, like today. And they are almost 2 weeks behind on paying him what he's owed which has put my parents in a bind and things at home have us in a bind so I can't help and I hate it

So I'm opening emergency commissions to take on reading/writing/"rubber ducky" work.

If you need an alpha/beta reader, or you need someone to bounce around/develop ideas I'm 100% down for it. I will also take on short stories to write for you! If you have an idea but don't know how to execute it or would simply like someone else to do the leg work for you, I'll do it

Even if you can't take a commission or leave a piece of magic, please share if you would to help me get the word out.

So,

Because apparently I'm a work-obessed fool and can't take even a week off of thinking about wips, I opened up a poll on Twitter and decided to swap the MC of The Terrible Tale of Orson Turner to Calista, the baddie.

Originally, Orson was going to be the sympathetic anti-hero who just wants a decent life despite of all the bad he's done in his past and how shittily he lives his life now. When running into an old flame who he was terrible to in his teen years, he finds out she's been turned into a vampire and tries to convince her to leave her husband and try to find "purity" to "save herself".

In the end Calista was going to die. Leading Nelo to seek long, slow revenge on Orson by following him around and tormenting him.

But then I remembered, no one likes those stories anymore.

So I decided to flip it.

Orson is a guy who has his head so far up his own ass he can see how he's wrong, but refuses to change. He kills Nelo in an attempt to cave man steal Calista and is terrified to find out Nelo was the gentle soul and Calista is willing to scorch the earth for justice of her husband's death.

Now it's Calista who will torment Orson, becoming a powerful and terrifying force of abnormal nature to satisfy her need for revenge on the man who screwed up her life not once, but twice.

Lady Luck

https://my.w.tt/0Ei63UGazY

So I posted the first chapter to my Lady Luck fanfic!

It's set in the world of Destiny the game and the MCs are my two guardians and my husband's guardian. It's gonna be a long one, so buckle up!

Lady Luck

Just wanted to thank everyone for hitting like (and extra special thank you for those who reblog!) On my Lady Luck posts about my Hunter Diana.

I am actually writing a fanfic on Wattpad for the Wattys contest and would really appreciate it if you would read and like the chapters I post!

If it gets enough traction, I might continue it as a Ko-Fi project!

"So here is what I'm offering you: a chance.

Look at my life. Look at the things I've said, the things I've done. See how the promise of a simpler life and true, pure love--even if it was all just a game--see how it drove me, directed me.

Now go find your own."

---The Man They Called Cayde, Book 13, Bad Beat

Nanowrimo Update

okay so for me its offically day 2, and I wanted to go ahead and pop in to say I've been making "meh" progress with #TheBalladOfBlueAquaAndBlack I got 1 scene done that I'm not entirely happy with, and did the big meet up scene between Grayson and Melodi, but I made myself stop before the scene was done so I could look to coming back amd finishing the scene.

Day 1 word count: 2,074

Just had my snack, got my water bottle with me and my maple Belgian waffle candle is lit. It's time to do a brain dump and get to day 2.

“Mel...” Grayson watched as she paced through the kitchen when she passed him a third time he pushed off from the doorway stepping into the kitchen and follow along behind her at a distance, watching her carefully, “Melodi.” She was mumbling to herself, packing a dishtowel as she went, wiping down counters and straightening out of place objects as she went.

“Melodi.” Still, she didn’t answer, stopping her cleaning to put her hands on top of her head and take a shaky breath. Grayson reached out and touched her shoulders gently, which startled her into jumping and turning to look up at him with worry filled eyes. “Hey, what’s wrong?”

“You scared me.” She snapped, rubbing her eyes with her hands as Grayson turned her to face him. “Don’t sneak up on me like that.”

“Melodi I’ve been trying to talk to you for three minutes. Didn’t you hear me?” He watched as she shook her head, nervously putting locks of hair behind her ears. “You’re nervous, what’s wrong?”

“I’m not nervous,” She snapped, slapping away his hands.

“Okay, maybe that’s the wrong word...” He watched as she shifted on her bare feet and put a hand to her mouth, under the bright kitchen light he could see a vein in her neck pulsing. “You’re anxious. What’s got you worked up?”

“I don’t know...” She mumbled to herself, putting a ail between her teeth, which Grayson promptly took out with a gentle hand. “My heart won’t stop pounding and I just feel like the house is a wreck.”

“Claire was just here on Tuesday,” Gray told her, taking her other hand as it wandered to scratch at her neck.

“What day is it?” She asked, looking for the clock.

“Wed---” Gray found the clock under the cabinet by the window and stopped himself with a sigh, “Thursday....it is three am on Thursday.”

“I just want to sleep,” She complained, head dipping down. “I haven’t slept well in days.”

“I know, I’ve heard you pacing,” Gray have a soft laugh, “You’ve kept me up.” When she didn’t respond by smacking his arm or jerking away her hands he sighed heavily and pulled her out of the kitchen and down the hall to her room by her hand. He didn’t stop outside her door as usual and instead pulled her toward her bed. When he flopped down onto the overly lush comforter and stretched himself out Melodi stayed standing beside her bed.

“What are you doing?” She asked as he adjusted a pillow under his head. He pat the left side of his chest with his right hand and stretched out his left arm.

“Come on. Just one night. Just till you fall asleep, you need rest or you can’t work. You’re run down and looking a bit green---no offense. You’re getting sick from lack of sleep.” He closed his eyes and shifted into the bed to get comfortable. “Come on.”

He looked up at her, how her eyes seemed weak and how she seemed to twitch with the slightest movement. Despite her daily shower and her makeup, he could tell she was disheveled and weak. To Gray’s surprise though, instead of demanding he leave or throwing one of her world-class fits, Melodi climbed in beside him.

Cuddling up with her head over his heart, Gray wrapped an arm around her and began stroking her hair, taking care that his breath was slow and relaxed so that she matched him. Although he had promised her it was just until she fell asleep, Gray could feel his own fatigue settling in, his eyes getting heavy. Even though he promised it was just one night, as he felt himself slipping into sleep he thought of how nice it was to share a bed with someone else again.

I'm trying to shift my childrens picture book from first to third person and honestly everytime I sit down to work on it I cringe and want to walk away.

Send Help.

*rolls across floor angrily*

I want to write on The Ballad of Blu, Aqua and Black but I HAVE NO IDEA WHERE TO START

Hard to believe.  Melodi had thought her “Happily ever after” was already underway with Riley.  Grayson had thought he would die on the streets, working to eat.  Hard to believe their lives turned upside down, and now everything they thought they wanted and needed, no longer mattered. 

They were in the living room, Grayson stretched out across the couch, saxophone in hand and playing random notes or small sections of songs he knew when Melodi asked, “Why did you pick up the sax?” Gray stopped playing and looked over at her, one brow raised in question. “You’re really good, was just wondering why?”  “When I was still in school, they made us choose an instrument to learn.” He answered with a shrug.  “Yeah but...why saxophone?” “It’s not a douche-bag, wanna-be instrument.”  “A what?” Melodi laughed, leaning on the coffee table.  “Well, when a guy decides to learn sometimes like..guitar, it’s because he wants to get girls attention...like a douche-bag.”  “Okay, why not piano?”  “Wanna-be-rich-boy,” Gray replied, shifting his shoulders until he was comfortable again. “Plus, I like the way it sounds.” He played a few notes, pleasing to the ear but unrecognizable.  “You know not every guitarist wants girls attention don’t you?” Melodi asked as he finished his playing. “And pianists aren’t rich boy wannabes?”  “It’s just stuff I got told to me when I was thinking about what to pick.” Gray explained, “My background, learning a guitar meant I was trying to be some sad, casanova pinning for girls attention. Learnin’ piano meant that I wanted to appear sophisticated and well off. Like I was more than a piece of shit.” “Your dad said this to you?” Melodi guessed, watching as Grayson’s eyes looked away from her at the mention of him.  “Some snobs at school too.” He lifted one shoulder before sitting up, “Oh well, doesn’t matter. Helps out with the job and it sounds pretty damn cool if I say so.”  He played a few more notes, slow and passionate as Melodi closed her eyes to listen. She smiled absentmindedly and nodded. 

“You can’t smoke out here.”  Grayson turned, plucking the cigarette from his mouth only to see Melodi standing in the poorly lit doorway. He retreated from the hall out into the alleyway to smoke in peace while he waited for Melodi’s next show to start.  “You’re confusing ‘can’t with ‘not supposed to’.” Grayson scoffed with a playful smirk and replaced the cigarette between his lips, taking a short draw on it before exhaling the smoke, as if to illustrate the difference. Melodi stepped out of the doorway, made sure it wouldn’t close behind them fully and walked over to stand beside him as he continued to smoke. “This is the last set right?”  “Yeah,” She moved her long black hair to one shoulder, the soft waves watching the poor light and making them shine softly. “Then we can go home and I can get out of these terrible shoes.” Grayson, on instinct, looked down at her feet. The shoes were red, like her dress and had a stiletto heel, making her appear taller than normal. “You should really put that out.” He looked up as she gestured to his cigarette with a nod of her head.  Grayson exhaled softly into her face, blowing smoke that parted and curled around her face. She closed her eyes as she inhaled and then sighed slowly.  “What,” Gray teased, “You gonna snitch on me?” He chuckled but stared in shock as Melodi plucked it from his mouth and placed it in her own, taking in a long drag. “Hey!” He protested, “You can’t smoke, you gotta sing!” Melodi removed the cigarette from her mouth and smiled slyly.  “I think,” She puckered her lips softly and blew the smoke into Grayson’s face slowly as he had done to her, “You are confusing ‘not supposed to’ with ‘can’t’.” Gray opened his mouth but watched in silence as she took another draw on it before handing it back to him and blowing the smoke out away from them both. “Knock when you’re back.” She turned on her heels and strode through the door, fixing her hair as she went so it laid behind her, covering the low cut out back. Grayson watched her leave and then looked down to the cigarette in his hands, her signature redwood lipstick stain marked where her lips touched the filter. With a soft, disbeliving scoff, Grayson put it between his lips and held it there. 

Tim

Grayson stopped under a large tree, as he placed his hands in his pockets he looked up into the branches and called out.  “Get out of the tree Tim.”  The branches shuffled and twitched for a moment before a pathetic owl impression called back to Grayson. Grayson dipped his head before he looked back up into the darkness and said.  “I know you’re up there...” The owl mysteriously became a cat in that moment, it’s call sounded more frog like than cat.  “Don’t make me come get you Tim.” Gray threatened without heat as he looked down at the tree’s base.A branch snapped and a large body tumbled from higher branches before it caught itself on the last branch and dangled there helplessly. It was a young man, in his early twenties, dressed in a windbreaker jacket and blue jeans. “Not much further, let go.” The young man looked over his shoulder at Grayson, his plain face pale with fear. “Go on.”  Tim let go of the branch and groaned as he hit the ground on his back. Grayson helped the young man to his feet and assisted him in brushing off the dirt and tree debry from his jacket and hair. Tim had a crop of brownish hair, and at a glance Gray could tell it had been styled once to look similar to a young pop artists, for a discount price.  “You can’t keep showing up like this Tim,” Grayson warned, he backed up and glanced over his shoulder, back to the house.  “But Grayson,” Tim started to protest, holding out his arms. Gray silenced him with a raised hand.  “You can’t.” Gray repeated. “I get it, you like Melodi but you’re stalking her and you are making my job harder. Instead of doing what I need to do, I’m fishing you out of trees.”  “I’m sorry it’s jsut she didn’t show up for work and no one would tell me why so I got worried and I wanted to come check up on her!” Tim’s voice squeaked as he spoke in double time.  “We have a doorbell Tim,” Gray shook his head, “If you are worried than come knock on the door or something and I will tell you. Don’t go climbing trees and tresspassing. I could have you arrested.” “Please Grayson don’t!” Tim pleaded as he placed his hands together in a prayer like form. “I’m not,” Gray waved his hand to stop the pleas and panic, “You mean well, you’re just creepy and weird as hell man.” The elder man shook his head and rubbed his eyes with his hand. “Melodi didn’t show up to work because she’s feeling a bit sick. She got dizzy and sick to her stomach. She took the next few days off.” This seemed to worry Tim who opened his mouth to speak but Gray cut him off. “She will be fine with some rest.” “Is she...” Tim croaked out the words, as if he was getting choked on the words. Despite being in the small woods around the side of the house, he lowered his voice to a loud whisper. “Is she pregnant?” This caused Grayson to burst into laughter, he turned circles as Tim watched nervously, wringing his hands together in wait for an answer.  “God no!” Gray bellowed with laughter. “She’s not knocked up!”  “Are, are, are you sure?” Tim stuttered, “You’ve been careful?”  Grayson’s laughted died instantly, he dropped his hand from his eyes and gave Tim a strange look. His brow furrowed, his thin lips tugged down in a scowl. Tim took three steps back and held up his hands, stammering, unable to get his words free from his throat.  “What he hell do you mean have I been careful?” Gray growled, slightly bending so he was eye level with Tim and stalked forward. He tilted his head slightly to one side and narrowed his storm cloud eyes. His steps were measured and slow, his body tense. “I’m sorry!” Tim croaked out as he ducked around the tree and peeked from around the trunk. “Please don’t look at me like that! The way you move, you look like a big dangerous cat and you’re going to rip me limb from limb!”  “Without an explination I just might.” Gray growled as he straighened his spine, towering over Tim by a foot. “I’m her body guard Tim, not her boyfriend. We don’t...” “I’ve seen the wya she looks at you...when you’re not looking!” Tim spoke in his rushed and desperate way. He retreated behind the trunk more as he continued, “You might not realize it, but...she doesn’t look at you like you’re just a guard.” 

“Milady Astra,” Vicorian purred, dipping down into an overly flourished bow, flipping his cape out to his side to draw attention to it. “Still will you not accept my marriage offer?”

“What?” Lenel laughed with disbelief from behind Astra, glancing over to Ranon who watched through narrowed eyes. “He can’t be serious?”

“Oh but I am,” Vicorian straightened himself and shrugged, “I’ve been crazy for Astra since we were children.”

“You tormented me alongside my brother when we were children,” Astra corrected with a roll of her eyes.

“Is it not the way of young men to pick on and tease the one they fancy?” Vicorian smirked at Ranon as if looking for another man to agree with him.

“Not really.” The magic weaver said flatly. “Typically, well-written poetry or a bouquet of flowers is the way to show fancy.” Lenel and Astra both turned to look at Ranon who never took his eyes from Vicorian’s face. “A saying like ‘boys will be boys’ is dangerous, they soon believe they can get away with nearly everything. Like murder, rape, and tyranny.” Slowly Ranon’s head cocked to the side and the slightest hint of a smirk played at the left side of his lips as Vicorian glowered at him.

“You’ve spent far too much time in the company of free-thinking women,” Vicorian sighed and shook his head, “You’ve forgotten what it means to truly be a man.”

“I would rather spend my time with those who think for themselves than blindly accept what is told to them.” He crossed his arms over his broad chest, “Just because it was the way doesn’t mean it was the right way, to begin with.”

Melodi laid her head on the coffee table, sighing heavily for the third time since she had sat down. Grayson was stretched out on the couch just out of reach, reading a book; at the sigh he laid the book on his chest to keep his place, and raised a brow as he watched her silently for a moment. She was dressed in a soft pastel pink cami, the thin straps falling off her shoulders as she turned her head to look out the window on the left side of the room. “This shouldn’t be this hard.” She complained flatly. “I’m a singer…writing songs should be as natural as breathing…” “That’s not always right.” Grayson rolled his cool grey eyes to the ceiling before looking back at her. Her long obsidian hair was pulled back halfway to keep long strands from her face but her bangs where left to lay against her freshly washed face. “Some singers pay others to write their songs.” “Giovanni wants three new numbers to go with the music he had composed but…I just..” Melodi lifted her head from the glass table and stared down hatefully at the pink notebook she had been scribbling in prior to the sighing. “I…can’t….words right now.” She placed her hands on either side of her head and propped up on the table by her elbows. “When does he want it?” Grayson asked as he sat up, placing a bookmark in between the pages and closing his thick book. “Wait, you're supposed to be taking a break for a while.” He pointed the book at her, “This is like a mini-vacation, you're not supposed to be working.” “I just feel like I really need to be doing this.” Melodi sighed and picked up her pencil, tapping it against the cream colored page of the notebook before scribbling out whatever words she had written before. “AUGH!” “Oh for shit's sake,” Grayson swung his feet to the plush carpet and walked over to the table. At a quick glance, he could see the page was filled with nothing but scribbles, whatever words of love or scorn she had thought of before had been abandoned. “Give me that.” He slapped the notebook closed before scooping it up in his hand and walking away toward the bookshelf. “Hey!” Melodi jumped to her feet and ran up behind him just in time to jump and miss his hand as he placed the notebook on top of the bookshelf high above her head. “Don’t let me catch you climbing it.” Grayson reached over and flicked her nose with his fingers. “I won’t need to,” She turned and reached low to the ground and froze, “Where’s my step stool?” When she turned her sea colored eyes on him with an accusatory glare, she watched as he glanced at the top of the bookshelf. There on the corner was all the evidence that she needed to see what he did. “You put it up there too! Get it down!” “No.” Grayson began studying the books on the shelf, his hard brow knitting together in concentration as Melodi pushed on his arm. “Gray! I need that, get it down!” “I said. No.” He grabbed a book from the shelf and tapped it against her head with a soft thump. “Here.” He put the book on top of her head and walked away, forcing her to grab it to avoid dropping it. “What is it?” She snapped, turning it over and reading the title. “A book. Read it.” Grayson started to reclaim his place on the couch when Melodi scoffed and gave him an irritated look. “What?” “I need to work Grayson, please.” She gestured to the bookshelf, “Get my stuff down. Don’t make me climb it.” “Climb it and I’ll hide them somewhere else.” Grayson threatened with a cold look. “Look, you're burnt out. You need a break. There’s no shame in it. Leave the notebook where it is and read a book, just one book. And we’ll see if you get any bites after.” When she didn’t move or change her expression he rubbed his face with his free hand and tossed his book to the couch. “Hang on, wait here and for the love of Pete don’t climb the bookshelf.” Grayson pointed at her as he walked toward the door, disappearing and reappearing with a playful glare to make sure she hadn’t tried to sneak away. When he left and stayed in the other room, Melodi walked to the couch and sank down on the edge of the seat, reading the title. It was a contemporary romance, something that someone had gifted her for one of her shows that she had never bothered to pick up and read. She had just finished reading the blurb on the back when Grayson came back with two glasses. One was filled halfway with water and the other was empty. He handed her the half full glass and kept the empty one. “Hey, can you share some of that?” He gestured to her glass and held out his. She cocked a brow at him and didn’t move. “Humor me.” He watched as she began pouring some of the water into the glass and used his free hand to tip her hand until the water had been transferred fully. “Top it off.” “I can’t, it’s empty?” She gave him a confused look, tilting the glass upside down over his and letting the last few drops dribble into the glass. “Exactly.” “Exactly what?” “Like you. You've tapped out Mel. My Nana used to say ‘you can’t give from an empty glass’. It was a reminder for self-care.” He took the empty glass from her and turned, placing them both on the coffee table. “When you’re out, you’re out. It’s not a bad thing, it’s just your way of knowing you need to relax a bit. Take a break, read a book, a nice nap, binge a series or something.” He shrugged before picking his book back up and flopping down on the empty seat beside her. “You gotta recharge every now and then.” As he turned in the seat he was surprised to see that Melodi adjusted herself, so she laid between his legs, her own laying across him. He watched with the hint of a smile as she opened the book to the first page and began to read, settling in against his legs comfortably. As Grayson started to open his book he heard her say. “Gray?” “Hm?” “Could you pour me half of that water?” “Sure.” He reached out and pulled the coffee table closer to the couch, pouring most of the water into the empty glass and handing it to her. Her eyes never stopped scanning the page as she took it and drank. Grayson shook his head as he settled back into the armrest opening his own book back to his page and began to read.

#TheBalladOfBlueAquaAndBlack Aqua for Melodi Blue for Riley  Black for Grayson What would you do if you learned that someone had prevented you from being with your one true love because they loved them as much as you would? What would you do if they did it, life after life? Time after time?