Tagged...?!

Yup, tagged.  I've seen these in facebook and emails, but never in blogs, so I just gotta do it!  Here goes:


What do you think of when you the hear the word tag?
...along...and dem are some of the best Girl Scout cookies, too!

Do you think you're hot?
Nope...air conditioning just where it needs to be! ;)

Upload a picture or wallpaper that you're using at the moment.
So, this is my good friend who just celebrated her 40th birthday!  We had a blast celebrating & I love her to pieces!  I was recently uploading these pics, so that's why I chose it.

When was the last time you ate chicken?
um....Monday night.  Chicked salad at Texas Roadhouse.  YUMMY!

The song(s) you listened to recently.
"Rolling In The Deep" by Adele...I'm totally in love with her right now. 

What were you thinking as you were doing this?
That I really should be in bed because the writing conference is tomorrow!  Early.  Really early.

Do you have nicknames? What are they?
A very good friend gave me the moniker of "Ewok" back in high school.  He said it sounded like Lela.  It doesn't.  I have a couple of friends that call me "Lee".

Tag 8 blogger friends:
Weeeell...I don't have 8 blogger friends and the ones I DO have, have already been tagged, so, the next part  this will be blank...at least I fulfilled my "tagged" duties! :P

Who's listed as No. 1?

Say something about No. 5.

How did you get to know No. 3?

How about No. 4?

Leave a message for No. 6.

Leave a lovey dovey message for No. 2.


Do 7 and 8 have any similarities?

DId you know?

So, I have decided I'm basing the religion in my books on the Celtic beliefs of the Iron Age.  Here are some interesting tid-bits!

Maiden Castle in Dorset. An iron age hill fort with an intricate maze of

ramps and ditches, which were supposed to delay and confuse attackers.

Druids. Another area where oral traditions were important was in the training of Druids. There has been a lot of nonsense written about Druids, but they were a curious lot; a sort of super-class of priests, political advisors, teachers, healers, and arbitrators. They had their own universities, where traditional knowledge was passed on by rote. They had the right to speak ahead of the king in council, and may have held more authority than the king. They acted as ambassadors in time of war, they composed verse and upheld the law. They were a sort of glue holding together Celtic culture.

Religion. From what we know of the Celts from Roman commentators, who are, remember, witnesses with an axe to grind, they held many of their religious ceremonies in woodland groves and near sacred water, such as wells and springs. The Romans speak of human sacrifice as being a part of Celtic religion. One thing we do know, the Celts revered human heads.

Celtic warriors would cut off the heads of their enemies in battle and display them as trophies. They mounted heads in doorposts and hung them from their belts. This might seem barbaric to us, but to the Celt the seat of spiritual power was the head, so by taking the head of a vanquished foe they were appropriating that power for themselves. It was a kind of bloody religious observance.
The Iron Age is when we first find cemeteries of ordinary people’s burials (in hole-in-the-ground graves) as opposed to the elaborate barrows of the elite few that provide our main records of burials in earlier periods.


Ok, so the head thing?  Kinda gross.  BUT, using this information, I think souls will play the part of the heads in my own scenario.  And Druids are closely related to my own "Chosen".  There's very little known about Druids and about this particular era in history - I think that's why it fascinates me so.  It allows me to insert my own imagination in there and take aspects of what is known, and apply it to my own world.  So, that's your history lesson for tonight!

Too busy for my own good

Well, I had an awesome weekend!  How about you all?  I spent Friday and Saturday nights in celebration of wonderful friends who have achieved milestones.  Friday was for a friend who graduated nursing school this month and Saturday was for a wonderful friend who turned 40.  I met some really great new people, too.  Good times, but I tell ya, I'm too old to be roaming the bars at 1:00 AM anymore!  lol  Interesting, however, to discover the nightlife hasn't changed so much since I was doing it on a regular basis...

Anywhoodle, that is what has kept me from the keyboard this weekend.  I am a little upset with myself, but glad I got to participate in some real-world activity.  I did spend a great deal of time in thought...

Friday I spent a fair amount of time researching the craft of writing, thinking about the high concept statement, mainly.  I have a wonderful friend and critique partner who sends wonderful information on story development, how to PLOT (scary) your story, and developing a high concept statement.  Well, that got me thinking...what would my high concept statement be for the current work in progress?  This is hard, really.  It's a one- or two-sentence description of your entire story.  Here's what I came up with:

     A priest struggles to recover the stolen souls of innocents, facing a demon he unwittingly helped bring into the world, assassins trying to stop him at every turn, his absent god, elves that see and talk to spirits, and a half-drunken dwarf, all while battling with his flagging faith and love that is forbidden.

It's not the best and I'm sure it'll change through the course of the project, but you get the point.  It has also already changed the course of my story.  I had thought orginally that souls would have to be given up willingly, but I've decided they can be stolen.  I've also changed my mind about how the story begins.  So, even though I didn't spend the weekend with fingers to keyboard, it was still productive!

I hope you all have had a wonderful weekend as well and now we can look forward to the long weekend ahead! :P

SPOILER: Pity party, the Lela Show...

Well, it's one of those days.  You know, the ones where you can't put a finger on what it is, but something has you sadder than you've felt in a long time?  Just me?  I figured as much...  Writing, or blogging is supposed to be a healing tool, right?  Well, I could use some healing at this juncture, so I write.

I've cried most of the morning.  I went to bed with that twisty knot in my stomach; the one that tells me I'm sad, but I couldn't understand why.  Everyone around me seems so happy.  Maybe that's it.  I want that, but can't understand why I don't have it.  I don't feel happy most days, I just paste the smile on and go because who wants to be around the Debbie Downer all the time?  I know what I've become.  Doesn't mean I like it, but I know, all the same.  I have secrets that would chase away the few remaining ties.  Big secrets that I know for sure others wouldn't agree with.  But it was my choice and I carry them, and they get pretty heavy - maybe that's what I'm feeling at this point, the heaviness of what I'm carrying around.

I have to go run an autism meeting today and stand there and act strong for all those hopeful faces staring back.  Those faces who look to me to have some of the answers they're looking for.  I've been one of those faces.  How can I be strong for them when my own life feels like it's out of control?  I have not achieved anything my younger self wanted...and now I'm so unmotivated it feels like I never will.  Again, time to paste on the happy face, right?  Throw around some hope, even if I don't believe it.

So if you've read all the way through, sorry you had to endure that.  But, it's my blog and I'm using it for therapy today!  I know there's only one or two of you who actually read anyway.  Alrighty...I wasn't looking for any sympathy, just trying to clear my head and get my emotions in check, so don't feel like you have to leave any messages - I'll be better, just needed to vent.  Ok, back to the grind, and as the title of this page says, reality is WAY overrated!

Things just don't happen quick enough...

There's just so many things I would like to accomplish in my life.  They never happen quick enough for me.  I really have to work on this patience thing...one of many flaws I need to work on!  Well, the semester is coming to a close and I can't wait to get started with summer plans, which of course, are big.  Half of them won't get done and the other half will teeter between half-done and almost-done...lol.

I have home projects, of course - turning our spare room into an office/study space for homeschool (if we go that route).  I have a bedroom set in the garage that needs to be stained dark so I can use it in my bedroom.  I'd love to replace all that random furniture with something that matches!

I have writing projects.  Rewrites on Reborn are priority, so I can start submitting.  I plan to do these in the evenings.  Starting Seige of Souls is a must!  Mornings will be alotted to the new story.  I have to get into a rhythm again with my own writing.  I learned so much this semester!  I actually started thinking about the places where my characters can be strengthened and where I could start cutting and adding, etc.  I'm so excited to get to work on it all! :)

So, that's an awfully full summer!  And I relish the chaos!  I think I'm happiest when I have no time to slow down and breathe.  Weird, but, it's me - always has been.  Ok, I'll be back on Saturday - my goal is to post every Saturday, at least, more if I can.  I'll even start including snippets of chapters for you once I get going on the new book.  See y'all soon!

A few cool things

So, I got a night out with the hubby!  The kid went to his "parents night out" deal and TJ drug himself out to take me to dinner.  Well, the anniversary is coming up so he probably figures he has to be nice to me...lol.  He did point out to me, however, we have been together for half my life...you gasp, but tis true!  I was 19 when we moved in together...you do the math; I do not admit to age.

My wonderful friend made me a wonderful photo to help boost my creativity - it's designed to be a wallpaper for my computer so that I can look at it whenever I open the laptop - inspiration at your fingertips!  I love the effort she put in to helping me get into the writing mood.  I probably don't deserve such wonderful friends but am very thankful I do have them!  (Thanks, Nik!)  I keep pulling it up to look at it.  I especially like the part that says "by Lela Robichaux".  tee hee

I've got a few scenes running around in my mind, and I've decided on an opening, which will immediately introduce the two characters above, Elerbee and Tia.  I've done some work tweaking my world's map to include the places these two will have to travel.  They start in Jareen, Elerbee's hometown and also the seat of the Elder (the highest priestly official, who governs the three main sects).  Their journey will keep them in the western part of the world, traveling to the Wintry Woods, where they hook up with Hadra and I'm thinking they'll travel through the dwarven lands to pick up Durlag, who had gone back there to help rebuild after Rekho destroyed the city (that's from the first book, for those who aren't familiar).  They'll employ him as a guide, yet again, since he's been all over Cantor as a soldier in the armies that first banished the dragons.  So far, that's all I've got on the map.  I haven't decided where the demon has holed up but probably just outside some huge city in the mountainous region where he has access to harvest all the souls he wants - of course, unrest would be beneficial, so he doesn't have to do too much persuading of the people to give up their souls for promises of either money, glory or a better life for their families...I think the bad guy is also a priest.  I had thought mage, but, no...I think it will be better if it is one of Elerbee's own - poor Elerbee, I have hell planned for him in this story! 

Here's a visual of my bad guy, who has yet to be named.  Yes, Rufus Sewell serves wonderfully as the antagonist!  His eyes just hold this really intense feeling.  Plus, every time I've seen him portray the bad guy, he's done such an excellent job!  I don't think that power is his only motive here.  There has to be more of why he would agree to set up house with a demon and do its bidding.  What could the demon have on him...hmmm?

This requires more thought.  So, until next time!  I hope you keep coming back.  :)

But is it the end?

Well, this is to be the last official blog post for class...I intend to keep posting at least once a week, so I do hope you will all come back from time to time!

It's been a hectic week.  Trent's had some issues at school this week but he's uber stressed about this silly iLeap testing next week.  I'm not a huge standardized testing fan, if you can't tell.  Tonight he told me that he is nervous about doing well because he wants to do well for his school so they get a good score and get their 5th star back...telling, no?  This huge burden should not be on a bunch of 11 and 12 year old's shoulders.  They should be encouraged to do their best, certainly, but to hound them to do well because the school wants that 5th star ranking...I just have no more words for that.  *sigh*

On to the story!  YAY! :)  So, I threw out the idea on my new ranger character to friends and family this week and she wasn't so warmly received...lol.  I like her, though, so that's what counts.  :)~  She is an elf, but an elf that has been 'touched' by her god; Chosen, like Elerbee.  But, when an elf is Chosen by their deity, they become what is known as a Spirit Elf.  They are able to hear, see and communicate with the spiritual realm.  Biggest drawback from this, they become partially spirit...this particular elf wears a cape with a hood that covers all but one of her eyes.  When she removes the hood, she reveals a ghostly face...kind of transparent and milky (you know, like a ghost).  Her right arm is the same.  Cool part?  She can reach through walls and when she touches anyone with that hand or arm, she has the effect of "ghost touch" - chilling the person to the bone and even sucking the life out of them, leaving them permanently affected from having come into such close contact with the realm of spirit.  She'll immediately be able to see that Tia has no soul, since a soul is of the spirital realm.  That's where she'll come in handy since they'll be chasing all these stolen souls...Her name is Hadra, meaning "half" in my elven language, she lives beyond Jareen, to the west, past the mountains where the dwarves live, in a place called the Wintry Woods.  All of the Spirit Elves go here once they are touched - people are kind of scared of them, so they separate themselves from the population but they go about helping, in disguise, hiding and in ways that people won't know it's them.  So far, I only have the one picture of her...I'll have to enlist my brother-in-law to draw her up for me...

SO, hopefully, I'll see some of you back next week!  I don't know how much I'll be able to think on my story because I've got tons of school work to do, but any and all of my free time finds me drifting off to Cantor to plot out the story and develop the characters...they only live in my blog right now and I can't wait to start writing some of this down!