A World Without Sound

Ever since I got my proof copy of A World Without Sound, it has definitely taken a back-burner to all the other writing projects that I've been getting myself into.

The only problem with that is, this story is one of my favorites and I want it to get better. I want to be able to look at it and know that I worked my absolute hardest on it because I love the plot line so much.

I don't know what to do. NaNoWriMo starts tomorrow, and my heart is telling me to get myself back into a World Without Sound and let NaNoWriMo go by the wayside this year. I want to do it, and I also don't.

So, for today at least, A World Without Sound is going to be worked on. I can't stand to look at it and think of all the great potential in the story, and not DO anything about it.

I'm crazy, I know.

But what fun is being normal, anyways?

NaNoWriMo 2012

Last year was my first REAL year doing NaNoWriMo. And I hit the 50,000 word mark by the 16th of November. How, you ask? Well, I wrote 10,000 words in the first day of NaNoWriMo.

Keep in mind that last year, I was working 1 day a week, doing school 4 days a week and had a LOT more time to write.

This year, I probably won't have as much time, so I can't see myself getting done that early, but I do plan to write as much as I can everyday!

I loved doing NaNoWriMo last year because it really stretched me as a writer. 2012 has slowed down my writing a TON, because I just haven't had the time or energy to write, but I'm hoping this November will get me back into the writing "scene". I can't wait!

I'll share more about my story as time goes on, because I'm not 100% sure of my plot yet! I have ideas here and there, but I have to get it together.

I have a week.

Yikes!

Excerpt From My Newest Story - Eden Ever After

           “Eden! Catch!” The sound of my best friend, Cameron’s, voice causes me to look his way just in time to see him throw the pigskin – aka football – in my direction.
            I catch it, continuing to run toward the end zone. Once inside the lines of the end zone, I throw the football down and do a little dance.
            I hear the crowd roaring, but it’s all in my head. No one is here watching us, just me and Cam playing for the heck of it. Practicing, more like it.
            He says the quarterback needs to practice more than anyone else on the team. I think he just likes playing football with me. But whatever.
            “Good one, Ede!” He runs to me and gives me a pat – or rather, slap – on the back as a congratulations. “You’re getting better every time we play.”
            “What do you expect? I’m great at this sports thing.” Not really. I stink at all sports – but with the help of Cam, I’ve been getting better at football. Today is the first day that I actually caught a pass that he threw. It’s progress.
            He smiles at me, his dark hair, just a bit too long, blowing in the wind. “Getting better, getting better for sure.”
            I roll my eyes. “Of course I am. I’m amazing.”
            “And modest, too.” He grabs the football off the ground and runs with it halfway out the field. “Come on, Ede, one more time?”
            “Really?” My lungs are on fire and I feel like I’ve run three marathons. I am not in shape. At all. Unless you count round as a shape – then I totally am.
            Okay, I’m not fat or anything. But I’m not skinny either. I’m just…me.
            “Yes, really. Come on. Hustle. Move those feet.” He throws the football up into the air and catches it.
            I jog my way to him, trying not to pass out and die from this exertion. I can’t do this much longer. “One more time, that’s it, okay?”
            “Oh, you’re just fine. It’s good for you.”
            “Easy for you to say, you’re just standing back here passing me that dang football. Barely moving at all.”
            He wiggles his eyebrows. “Great, isn’t it?”
            “Sure, great.” I say sarcastically. “This is it. And I mean it.”
            “Fine.” He nods at me, tells me to start running and I do as I’m told, my leg muscles burning the whole way down the field. I. Hate. Cameron. So. Stinking. Much. Right. Now. I. Have. No. Idea. Why. We’re. Even. Friends. I think as I continue running.
            Turning around when he tells me to, I catch the football again, but this time don’t take it to the end zone. I fall to the ground.
            “What are you doing? Run for the touchdown.”
            I hold up the football. “I’ve been tackled. And I am not getting back up.”
            He walks over to me, grabs my arm and pulls me to my feet. “Baby.”
            “Shut up. You’re lucky I even came here with you in the first place.”
            “Oh, you know you love it.”
            “Love would not be the word I’d use.”
            He gives me a side hug. “You smell bad.”
            I push him hard. “Shut up, you jerk.”
            “Hey, I’m just speaking the truth. And the truth is, you need a shower.”

To Die Forq

Please check out the new blog

I have created with my good friend,

Angelica! It's called To Die For and it is

geared toward teenage girls!

To Die For

New Dad, New Life - Characters :)

The other day, I posted about Hazel from my newest story, New Dad, New Life. I posted a bit about the story in that post, but not much. But just in case you haven't read that post, I will give the basis of the story again.

Hazel has two younger siblings and a mom who is getting remarried. The only problem is that her fiance lives in Texas and as soon as the two get married, the whole family is moving there. So the family is going from living in New York City to small-town, Texas. 
So this story is of meeting new people, getting new surroundings & trying to help others. I'll post an excerpt or two from this story soon, but right now, I'm going to work on introducing you to my characters.

Of course, I posted about Hazel a few days ago, but I will give a little more about her here: 

Hazel Nicole Connolly:

Age:19

Hair Color: Blonde

Eye Color: Green 

Height: 5'1" 

Personality: Funny, witty, easygoing

Occupation: Barista at Starbucks 

Lives in: New York City (moving to Texas in story) 

Siblings: Adelaide Anne, Evelyn Marie

Adelaide Anne Connolly: 

 

Age: 17

Hair Color: Blonde

Eye Color: Green

Height: 5'3" 

Personality: Rebellious, funny

Occupation: Student (looking for job) 

Lives in: NYC - moving to Texas

Siblings: Hazel Nicole, Evelyn Marie 

Evelyn Marie Connolly:

Age: 9 

Hair: Blonde 

Eyes: Green

Height: 4'11" 

Personality: Outgoing, funny, loves to meet new people, has lots of friends
Occupation: Student :D 

Lives in: NYC...moves to Texas :) 

Siblings: Hazel Nicole, Adelaide Anne

Cameron Mark Brown:

On a totally unrelated topic, Nick Jonas got a crew cut. What in the world? He doesn't even look like himself! 

Relation to Hazel: Boyfriend 

Age: 21

Hair Color: Brown

Eye Color: Brown 

Height: 5'10" 

Personality: Sweet, fun to be around

Occupation: College student - going to be a lawyer

Lives in: NYC



 Dannii Kay Ambrose:

Relationship to Hazel: Best friend

Age: 20
Hair Color: Dirty Blonde
Eye Color: Brown
Height: 5'5"
Personality: Very city-girl, only likes the people in her circle
Occupation: Barista at Starbucks
Lives in: NYC

Finley Noelle Smith: 

  
Relationship to Hazel: coworker when she moves to Texas
Age: 21
Hair Color: Red
Eye Color:Hazel
Height: 5'6" 
Personality: Businesslike when she needs to be, fun when needs to be
Occupation: Works on Hugh Atkin's farm (Hazel's step-dad)
Lives in: Small town, Texas 


Rhett William Schuyler:

 

Relationship to Hazel: Coworker at Hugh's ranch in Texas
Age: 23
Hair Color: Brown
Eye Color: Hazel 
Height: 6'2" 
Personality: Closed up because of his past, sweet, nice
Occupation: Ranch hand
Lives in: Small town, Texas
 

Meet Hazel

So I was thinking that I was going to be a part of Camp NaNoWriMo this year, but when it came right down to it, I knew that I didn't have the time to do it this June. Maybe by the time August comes along, I'll have the time. But if not, November of course, is my time! I loved doing NaNo last year, it really sparked me in ways that writing never has before.


But anyways, today, I started rewriting a story that I'd started a couple of days ago. The story just wasn't flowing right - there was something missing - and I figured out what that was, so I completely restarted it and am farther in it now than I was before! 


So, I would like to introduce my main character from that story:

Hazel Nicole Connolly 

Age:19

Hair Color: Blonde

Eye Color: Green 

Height: 5'1" 

Personality: Funny, witty, easygoing

Occupation: Barista at Starbucks 

Lives in: New York City (moving to Texas in story) 

Siblings: Adelaide Anne, Evelyn Marie

The idea for this book is for it to be witty. So far, so good. I hope. 

The plot goes something like this:

Hazel's dad - a musician - left the family a few years ago. Now Hazel's Mom is getting remarried to a Texas cowboy named Hugh. When they are married, Hazel's family moves to Texas and she has to leave behind her boyfriend, Cameron. Although she doesn't like this fact, she is glad to be getting away from her life in the city. 

But when she gets to Texas, she finds out that it's a lot different than she imagined. They're about 45 minutes from a Target, 1/2 hour from Wal-Mart and 2 hours from a mall. She feels very claustrophobic.

Nowhere else to work, Hazel's step-dad hires her to help with the bookkeeping and filing. Which means that she has to work with his other employee, Finley Smith. Truth is, Finley and Hazel do not get along. At all. 

And then, Hugh hires Rhett Schuyler - a very intriguing cowboy who is more closed up than anyone Hazel has ever met. That fact makes Hazel want to learn more about this mysterious man. 

What will happen to Hazel Connolly - city-girl turned Texan? Will she move back to New York City where her boyfriend lives, begging her to come home every day? Or will she stay in Texas where her family is - and the mysterious cowboy resides? 

~ashley


thanks to Crystal for letting me use her pictures for Hazel. :)

Hey!

....everyone!

Check out the We'll Be Young Forever Characters Page! I just finished putting it together and I thought you might all be interested in seeing it!

Meet Eden!

Hi everyone! I have started a new story. Maybe the reason that I haven't written on my blog about writing anymore!

This story is about Eden McCallahan. At the beginning, she is a work-a-holic. She spends all her time at work. But in the first chapter, she decides to take the summer off work and go home to spend time with her family. The family that she's been neglecting since she finished college. (Only going home for her brother's, and then her sister's, weddings.)

She starts spending time with her sister, brother-in-law and their baby son, Connor. When a sudden tragedy happens and her sister is killed, and Eden has to have to start raising her nephew, she knows that she can't go back to the big city and back to her old job. She starts working for a small business in her home town.

Then the unexpected happens....

...she finds out that her ex-boyfriend, Trevor, has also moved back into town. (No cover model for him as of yet...but when I get one, you'll be the first to know!) When they FINALLY see each other, they realize that their feelings for each other haven't actually gone away.

But neither are ready for a relationship...but they need friendship.

Eden finds out what the most important things in life are. They aren't work and trying to find the perfect man to live her life with. They are family and friends that truly care about you.

But Eden does want love....

...Will she choose her brother-in-law (her sister's husband who needs help with his son), or will she choose the guy she used to date before they both went off to college and went separate ways?

I am about 45,000 words into my story and I've only started it less than 10 days ago.

Check back for more about this story in the next few weeks! :)

~Ashley

ps...thanks to my beautiful friend Ashley for letting me use her for the cover model for Eden! 

For You Hunger Games Fans

Thanks to my friend, Kylie, for sharing this with me.

Gale:  You're on the phone with your baker he's upset 
Katniss:  oh no 
Gale:  Goin' off about some cake that he burnt 
Gale:  'cause he doesn't know how to hunt like I do 
Katniss:  Gale stop 
Gale:  I'm in the woods it's a typical Sunday afternoon 
Gale:  I'm hunting the kind of squirrels he doesn't like 
Gale:  He'll never be able to hunt like I do 
Gale:  CUZ HE BAKES BREAD 
Gale:  I MAKE SNARES 
Gale:  HE EATS CUPCAKES 
Gale:  AND I HUNT BEARS 
Katniss:  Gale just stop 

Ideas For Book 2

So I've been working on ideas for book two to A World Without Sound. I had, at first, thought that the book was just going to be a stand-alone, but I always have way too many ideas for my stories that they could never fit in one book.

So I always end up with series'. I can't help it.

I wasn't sure how I was going to think up a title for book 2, because I wasn't sure that I could come up with something that was going to sound as awesome as A World Without Sound. I love the title for my book, and was really proud of myself for coming up with it. But trying to come up with another creative title for book 2, felt really hard.

Not to mention the fact that I thought maybe I'd used up all my creativity on A World Without Sound.

But thanks to my amazing friends on Facebook, I've gotten some amazing ideas for the title for book 2...and I'm going to share them now. Leave a comment below letting me know which is your favorite.

1. The Sound of Silence
2. A World Without Words
3. The Music of Silence

Proof Copy

About a week ago, I finished my book, A World Without Sound. I decided that I was going to order a proof copy of it, because I've always wanted to hold the book "in my hand", so to speak.

So the other day, I ordered 2 copies of my unedited book, A World Without Sound. The cover looks great, and it even looks great inside...but the editing definitely needs done. Since I ordered 2 copies, I'm using one as my Editing book - I write all the mistakes in pencil and I plan to fix those mistakes in draft 2.

Well, I got my proof copies in the mail today! I'm so excited. So below are a couple of pictures from when I received them this morning. :D

Just a laugh :)

Another excerpt from what I typed up today. Let me know what ya think!

The next morning I awake to Trent tapping me, quite hard by the way, on the shoulder. I open my eyes and give him an evil look that says, “Get out or I’ll hurt you.”
He continues tapping and I start tapping him on the face, his nose, cheeks, arms, chest.
“What are you doing, Shaelyn?”
“Looking for your snooze button.” I joke. Although right now, I wish he really did have one.
“Um, sorry, don’t have one of those. Get up. Now.” He grabs the covers and pulls them off of me.
Oh, no he didn’t! Nobody pulls the covers off of Shaelyn Renay Hartford without big trouble aftward. I get up and chase after the brother who so rudely tore the covers off of my body.
When I get ahold of him, he’s so gonna regret it. So!
I follow him down the long hallway, running full force, then down the winding staircase. Then to the kitchen where Mom is cooking an amazingly yummy smelling breakfast.
I stop abruptly.
Bacon.
I smell bacon.
I slid across the floor in my socked feet. “Can I have a pice?”
She hands me one and I quickly run after my brother who has gone outside to the patio. I sneak outside and look around for him, but he’s nowhere to be found.
Before I can think, hands grip my legs and I am thrown over Trent’s back. I kick and slap at him, knowing full-well what’s coming.
He throws me lke I’m nothing, into the freezing cold pool. Maybe this pool wasn’t as awesome as I once thought.
Now it’s my least favorite thing.
“Trent! Now my pajamas are wet!” I pull my soaking wet body out of the pool. Yuck.
I’m all soggy.
“Sorry, but it got you awake.”
I growl.
“And mad.” He adds.
I walk toward him. “No, I’m not mad at you. I love you. Let me give you a big hug.” I throw my arms around him and give him a big, huge hug. ‘Cause I love my big brother.
Oh, so much.
He tries to pull away but I pull him only closer.
Finally, when I think he is pretty wet, I pull back “Mess. With. Me!” I snap my fingers.

Another Excerpt

I was typing up this part up this morning and it made me smile because it's definitely shows the friendship that Cody & Shae have. :)

Yes, and speaking of which…I turn back to him. “Uh, speaking of bathrooms…”
“Aw, Shae. Seriously?” His eyes drill into me. “You just woke up and you have to go already? You women are so annoying.”
“I’ve been asleep for hours, so I should think its normal for me to have to pee.” I point to an exit sign in hopes that he will pull off. “Please? With cherries on top?”
“Fine.” He turns on the turn signal and exits the highway.
“SO where are we now?” I ask as he pulls into a McDonald’s parking lot.
“Further south than Philly. Further north than Texas.”
“Wow, profound stuff right there.” I roll my eyes. Stepping down from the Tahoe is a task in and of itself. Not only am I short, the SUV is high, so I sort-of have to jump. Which today proves to be harder than usual. I throw myself out of the door and land on the side of my right ankle.
Pain. Searing pain! Whoever I see next, I’m gonna hurt. “Cody, get over here.” I yell. ‘Cause I’m gonna hurt him, opposed to some stranger, because it seems safter.
“What?” he appears, a smirk on his face. “Oh, are you okay?”
“Would I be on the ground clutching my ankle if I were okay?” Sarcasm win – again!
“What happened?” He leans down beside me and starts touching my ankle.
I suck in a breath as he touches the part of my foot that really hurts. “I fell out of your truck.”
“Obviously we need to invest in a step-ladder for you.” He lets go of my foot. “It doesn’t seem like anything is broken. You should be fine.”
“And you became a doctor when?” I try to stand but my foot protests and I fall back onto the dirty and cold pavement.
“Today.” He rolls his eyes. “Do you want me to help you?”
“Duh.” I let him put his arm around me and help me up, then walk into the McDonald’s. When we get to the bathroom, I force a smile. “I doubt you wanna go in there, so I’ll jump.”
“Jump?” He lifts an eyebrow. “Can’t wait to see this one.”
I glare at him.
“Um, I mean, see you in a few minutes.” He grins.

~Ashley