Happy News!

I am proud to announce that I have been exempt from my final exam for my Women's Literature class due to the fact that I received an A for the class. I am very thrilled about this because I had a very difficult time with this class and I am proud of myself for being the only one in the class to get an A. Also, not having to take the final, I have more time to spend on my novel Lost Prince of Waydale that is scheduled to be released in the fall (probably around October or November depending on the editor). Another side note, my laptop died on my yesterday so I had to go out and buy a new one last night since my work sort of relies on my computer. I was not happy about spending the money but I really didn't have a choice.

I was thinking about posing a new book review soon and another one of my poems since so many people liked my first one. I will keep everyone updated on the progress of my novel as well as my book reviews.

Poetry time!

Since I never usually post any poetry that I have written I thought I might start doing that instead of the journalist idea.This is only because I am a terrible journalist when it comes to writing anything but crime. So to start with, I will post a poem I did for a poetry contest a few weeks ago called "Heart Breaks Up."

The Melody in my heart,

leaves tiny watermarks imprinting on my soul.

Moonlight bounces off my disappointed stare,

While your tender touch makes me wince with unease.

I fake a smile and grip the prickly grass beneath us.

After taking a deep breath I study you,

Sadness dances across your expression.

I try to remain calm as I slowly get up

And walk away from the me that I have always known,

The me that was you.

My heart breaks upward towards the stars,

Floating away.

Best Loved Fairy Tales-Book Review #14

Now this review is not about just one book but about many stories. Best-Loved Fairy Tales is of course about all the different fairy tales we know and love but it also has ones that aren't as known. I love reading them because they give me inspiration to keep writing my own fantasy story Lost Prince of Waydale that should be released in the fall.

The stories include, "Thumbelina", "The Snow Queen," The Ugly Duckling" and The Princess and the Pea." Some of these stories are pretty well known but others like "The Snail and the Rose-Tree" are less known. I would recommend this book for adults to either read on their own or to their children. Although, some stories might not be as suitable for children as others. Unlike Grim's Fairy Tales, these stories can be quite pleasant. If you are someone who enjoys a quick cute story without getting in invested in a novel, I would definitely recommend this.

Sorry this review is short and not really a review but I was reading some of these stories and thought they were good since I don't have time to read a full length book anymore since school is starting in a few weeks.

How to do proper in-text citations

First off, what exactly is an "in-text citation?" Well basically in a college level course you are required to write research papers in which you have to create what is called a "Work Cited" page. In an MLA style paper it is called Work Cited but in APA style it's called a reference page. For English papers MLA style is used but for scientific, biology or psychology papers APA (American Psychological Association) style is used. In your research paper it is required that you use different sources of information and you have to make sure you put all your sources in your woks cited page at the end of your paper that generally looks like this....

Works cited

Dove, Rita. The Norton Anthology of Literature by Women: The Traditions in English. By Sandra M. Gilbert and Susan Gubar. 3rd ed. Vol. 2. New York: W. W Norton, 2007. 1385. Print.

Cole, Joshua, and Judith G. Coffin. "The New Science of the Seventeenth Century." Western Civilizations: Their History & Their Culture. 3rd ed. Vol. 2. New York: W.W. Norton, 2012. 383-401. Print.

Henry, John. "Scientific Revolution." Europe, 1450 to 1789: Encyclopedia of the Early Modern World. Ed. Jonathan Dewald. Vol. 5. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 2004. 343-352. World History in Context. Web. 19 Mar. 2015.

Always make sure that your sources are listed in alphabetical order, whether its APA or MLA style.

Now an "in-text citation" is something that you put within your essay after you use a quote or information you received from a specific source. For example, I wrote an essay on why video games could have an impact on the behavior of children and I used specific sources to give examples on WHY they could influence behavior. At the end of a quote or the direct information you used, you are supposed to write (in parenthesis) the author's last name (if quoting a person from a book) as well as the page number the information was found. If you are using sources from a website you add the website or articles name. APA style is not done this way so do not follow this for writing a scientific paper. In text citations will look like this....

The scientific revolution marks a decisive break between the Middle Ages and the modern world, but it was rooted in earlier developments. Intellectuals had been observing the natural world since at least the twelfth century so the link between observation and experimentation was not new to the sixteen and seventeen centuries (Cole, Coffin 384.) One event that sparked the scientific revolution was The Renaissance. It encouraged partnership between those interested in the arts and the intellectuals. 

As you can see I added the authors name and page number to the citation. Here is another example of an in-text citation: 

The Norton Anthology of Literature by Women claimed that, “Throughout her life, Stowe continued to support her family with writings that contributed to the formation of  national American Literature” (Gilbert and Gubar 601). 

So I hope everyone learned a little something and if you have any further questions, this site is fantastic at providing really good information on everything you need to know for a research paper!

My apologies

On Friday I said I was going to write a post about how to do "in-text" citations and I did not get around to it considering I was in Cape May and I had a lot do to. Unfortunately I spent my Friday night after dinner very sick in my hotel room. I will try to get the articles done as well as my little post about citations. I am also working on a new book review and trying to get my paper for school done since it's due Friday. And I have to work on my novel since my deadline is coming up soon and I have to make it a priority. Tomorrow shall be a busy day for me so everyone stay tuned!

Vacation and news

As most of you know, I will be away all weekend in Cape May beginning Friday. I am considering a few books for my next review and will attempt to read it at the hotel at night but I will probably just be at the beach. Also, since I have signed up for the newspaper and literary club at my university, I thought I would try to polish my skills by writing a few articles on here. Since my main specialty is crime I figured I should try to step out of my comfort zone and do something else. As soon as I pick a topic and write my article I will post it! Also, I received an email from someone yesterday asking me if I would post about how to properly do "in-text" citations for a college level English course so I will be posting that tomorrow.

Lost Prince of Waydale excerpt

As per a request I am going to post a small excerpt to my new novel Lost Prince of Waydale. I would love to share the cover art with you but my artist/designer should have it to me by August 1st. Also, I am going on vacation beginning Friday to Cape May with my boyfriend and I will try to read and write more during that time but no promises. So on to the excerpt...

Collins heart beat faster and faster as he put his hand on the cover of the book and dusted it off. The book was leather bound and very old, as far as Collin could tell, but what did he know. The entire trim of the book had little bronze colored leaves going all around it, some of which were faded. 

His fingers tingled as he ran them across the cover, for a split second, Collin could have sworn he felt the book grow hot like as if it were alive. Taking a deep breath, Collin lifted the cover and stared at the first page. Written on yellowing paper and in an old style font was the title, Lost Prince of Waydale. Collin shivered a bit. Waydale, why did that name sound so familiar to him? He wasn’t sure, but he vaguely remembered hearing his father mention the name once before. By the time Collin turned to the next page he was definitely sure he felt the book getting warmer and warmer under his fingers. Finally he got up the courage to turn to the first page. In the same text as the title, Collin began to read the first paragraph…

“Once upon a time,” Collin rolled his blue eyes at the cliché but continued reading anyway. “There was a faraway magical land that went by the name of Waydale. Waydale was a kingdom of beautiful rolling fields and castles as tall as the deep blue sky.” 

As Collin pictured the kingdom of Waydale in his mind he began to feel very tired and warm, almost like he was under the bright sky in the story. As his heavy eyes began to flutter closed, he felt himself falling forward, and without warning, he felt himself getting pulled towards the book itself. It was almost as if it was calling him into it. Collin finally let his eyes close for good and let himself be pulled by the sleep that he knew he couldn’t evade. The last thing Collin saw was a bright light and he felt a comforting warm sensation, like he was falling asleep under a sunny sky…

The first sound Collin could hear were the birds chirping somewhere above him. Is it morning already? Collin didn’t remember leaving his bedroom window open. He certainly wasn’t in his new house anymore, perhaps he was dreaming. Collin was lying on his back now staring up at a bright blue sky; beneath his fingers he could feel itchy, prickly grass. When Collin lifted his head he saw the most beautiful landscape he could have ever imagined. There was a charming waterfall flowing into a river that was just a few feet away from him. Also, there were large stone buildings that resembled castles straight out of a fairytale or something from the medieval period. There was beautiful farmland off in the distance and horses in the fields behind him.  Collin was so engrossed in the beauty of it that he didn’t hear someone approaching him. 

“Excuse me, boy?” Collin heard a man’s voice from a few feet away. “Are you lost or hurt?” A young man, around eighteen or nineteen years of age asked him, sounding concerned. Collin turned around to face the man and as soon as the young man saw Collin’s face, he froze for a moment, but then he smiled wide. Practically running, the brown eyed, curly haired man, went over to Collin to help him off the ground. “I’m sorry sir, I- I didn’t realize you were coming so soon, are you alright, have you been hurt” the man seemed almost…panicked? Collin shook his head and took the man’s hand and got up from the grass. 

When Collin got up he brushed off his dirty jeans and tried to take a deep breath. 

“I-I’m fine, I was just having a nap…I think.” The truth was, Collin had no idea where he was or how he got here. Collin thought for a moment, what was he doing right before he fell asleep? Suddenly, Collin gasped! Reading! He had been reading the book that he found in his home. “Waydale” Collin whispered to himself quietly, he was amazed at how vividly he was dreaming about Waydale. The young man nodded at Collin and got down on his left knee in front of Collin in a bow.

“Welcome back to Waydale Prince Collin James” the man bowed his head and looked up at Collin’s stunned face after a few seconds. “My name is Flint Gregory and we in Waydale have been waiting for your arrival sir.” Collin stared at Flint for a moment, and thought, Me? A Prince? 

Tunnels- Book review #13

As promised, my next book review will be for Tunnels by Rodrick Gordon and Brian Williams. This book is about 472 pages long and that is the first reason why I love it. Now without giving too much away about the plot I will just give a quick overview.
          Tunnels is basically about a boy named Will, whose father goes missing after discovering a hole that leads underground. The boy and his friend Chester goes after him down the hole and discovers a hidden world located under modern day London. This society is very secret and has many questionable rules. The two boys see strange creatures they consider pets and meet a family with a boy not so different in age as Will and Chester. Will eventually finds out a shocking family secret and questions everything his parents ever told him.
           I loved this book because it took me to a whole other place that makes you forget where you are. Also, the authors create a situation that seems impossible but possible at the same time. I was always fascinated by the idea of there being a whole other world underground. I also like this book because of the mystery and drama that is involved. I love reading about drama, but I hate having it in my life. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes adventure and mystery. They're several other books in the series and I would recommend reading all of them!  

League of Legends, Pokemon GO and Nancy Drew.

I know they're not many (if any at all) that read my blog but I wanted to discuss a little bit about myself. Other then reading and writing book reviews I also like to do several other things. For example, I am a huge fan of the MOBA (Multiplayer Online Battle Arena) League of Legends. I main the support champions that do most of the work but never get credit. I enjoy playing the champions that heal instead of being in all the action.
          Also, I am a huge fan of Pokemon since I grew up in the 90's when it first aired and I love playing the games. The new Pokemon app was just released in the US today called Pokemon GO. This app allows you to walk around your neighborhood (or drive to a different one) and "catch" Pokemon and challenge others around you. I find this fun because it is a good way to get myself out of my apartment and join the real world. My college (Cedar Crest College) has a lot of "Pokestops," these are places where you can find more Pokeballs, healing potions and even rare Pokemon eggs!
          The last thing I like to do is play and read Nancy Drew. Since I did a book review on one or two of my favorite Nancy Drew books, this shouldn't be a huge surprise. Nancy Drew has always been a go to for me when I was feeling down or needed to distract myself. They are games that require a lot of thinking and concentration which is why I enjoy it so much.
          Well now you know a little more about me and I probably wasted my time writing this. Anyway, I will have my next book reivew for Tunnels out this weekend.

My next book review

Since I have been working tirelessly on my new book Lost Prince of Waydale, I have not had much time for reading. However, I bought several books on Sunday from the secondhand store and will chose one of them to read and review. I have my eye on one in particular called Tunnels by Roderick Gordon. This book pretty interesting and I got it because it targets a similar age range to the book I am writing so I thought it could give me some ideas.
         My summer class will be over in about a month and a week so that means I will either be able to write a lot, or not at all. As you know I am starting school in August to obtain my BA in English. My school is Cedar Crest College and it is a private school. So I hope that goes well. I will be joining several clubs including the Commuters Awareness Board, the newspaper and the literary magazine. I am also excited to meet new friends!
         Overall I will be working on my new book, my papers, and my book review. I will try to have the review out by the end of the week but Tunnels is fairly long. I hope everyone had a happy and safe Fourth of July.