Hi Michelle Rose! I’m Lily! Welcome to the Fantasy Writers forum. What’s your favorite fantasy book?

@michelle

Ooo, I’ve never heard of The Eyes of the Dragon. Sound fascinating. What’s it about?

I really like The False Prince series (J. Nielsen), Ranger’s Apprentice (the earlier books) and Medallion (D.L. Watkins.)

No problem! Actually, though I signed up for the Fantasy forum, I mostly jump over to the General Writing so…. I’m not sure…? *haha* Aside from Fantasy, I’ve seen others collab on stories together, play ‘role-playing’ games with characters they create, and sometimes they’ll post a sample chapter of their WIP for feedback.

Aside from Fantasy, do you have any other genres you like or like to write in? If you don’t mind me asking, what’s your WIP about?

@michelle

I have some time! *haha* Wow, that sounds cool! I’m not a fan of horror (never had the stomach for that stuff.) I think I read the ‘Tell-tale Heart’ by Poe in highschool literature. I say ‘I think’ because I don’t remember it. When my younger sister read it, she told me about it (and my mom said I also read it.) It sounded terrifying and I probably blocked it from my mind, which is why I don’t remember lol.

But that’s interesting that Mr. King went in a different direction with his writing. I’ll definitely take a look into that.

Oh no! We can’t have a book-less person!!
Be prepared to come to the ‘Ascendance series’ side!!! My younger sister introduced me to the False Prince a while back and I love the books! It’s about this orphan boy who gets captured by a noble baron. He’s housed with a couple other orphan boys who look similar to him. The baron wants to train one of them to become a ‘false prince’ and take over the throne. And if you love it, the author has written three more books, with a fifth one coming out in October!

Fellow children’s writer!!! I love writing stories for kids!
Are you going to self-pub this children’s story, or try traditional publishing? How long is it? (novel, picture book, etc?)

Ah, yes, I’ve taken a break from my main WIP too (a middle-grade novel about two siblings who rescue a phoenix). I’m working on a short story for now.

Eek! Italian prince? Do elaborate! Will it be YA or another children’s book?

I’d love to see your children’s story! I’m not comfortable leaving my email on the forum; but if you want, I can give you the link to my blog’s contact page where we can exchange emails (if that works for you!)

@michelle

Oh that’s cool that your sister is publishing too! Does she do children’s or YA (and is she seeking traditional publishing?)

*high fives ya back!*
Right now, I’m writing mostly animal tales or fairytale retellings for kids (although I hope to branch out into ‘sci-fi’ or contemporary/mystery). We’ll see how it goes. I post a lot of stories for kids on the blog I run with my sister. For middle-grade I’m into fantasy/dystopian. What kind of children’s stories do you enjoy writing?

As for my short story, it’s also MG. It’s about a girl whose mother is an apothecary. But city officials arrive at their house to stop their practice and arrest them. When they are separated, the girl must escape and continue the medicine delivery her mother was going to make. It’s almost done (*glares at book’s ending which needs a lot of clean-up*). Like I said, ‘almost’ *ahem* *lol*

Ah, I like the title ‘Freddy and Friends’. Which stuffed critter inspired Freddy?

Yes, I can send the link over! (this is for the blog’s contact page.) Do you have a blog too? If so, we could follow each other.

Say Hey!

Poor prince! I hope he remembers enough to tell you how his story goes! 😉

I actually don’t listen to music while I write (I like to pour full concentration into my work). But when I’m not writing, I love Christian artists like Casting Crowns, Selah, Laura Story, and some of Lauren Daigle. I also listen to instrumental or soundtracks on Pandora (but I don’t really pay attention to the artists lol). Or Josh Groban. I like some of his songs.

What about you? Do like to listen to music while writing? What’s your favorite kind of music (or artist?)

Awesome! I look forward to reading your work.
*pulls up a new tab too*

Oh yeah, that’d be great! I’m thinking of maybe posting the first chapter on the forum to see what other people say. We’ll see how this editing goes first 🙂

Aww, I love teddy bears! I have one from when I was two. Her nickname is ‘Juicy’. Yeah, it’s a long story how she got that name XD

So what’s your favorite Beatles’ song so far?

I was also scared and shy about starting a blog. But my mom and sister encouraged me to give it a try, so I did. It’s not so bad. It is definitely a learning curb!

And thanks for following us! We’re sorta re-grouping to figure out how to reach our target audience. Haha, like I said, a learning curb.

Right, so feel free to shoot me a message in the blog’s contact form and I’ll send you my email for the story (yikes, I can be so forgetful sometimes XD)

@michelle
*squeels with excitement!*
Aww thanks Michelle!! You’re so sweet!! Ah, don’t worry about it! *realizes I forgot to do the same* lol.
So, I’m Lily, and yes we’re both sisters from an inter-racial family. I’m the oldest at home right now (I have three older sibs who decided to get married *haha*). I have five siblings in total and I’m in my early twenties *sooo old!* lol
If you don’t mind me asking, how old are you?

So, my mom, and sister and I were talking about how homeschool moms are always looking for good content for their kids (did I mention that we’re a homeschooling family?) So we thought of creating a kid-friendly blog for kids and share stories and comics and stuff for them to enjoy.

As for my teddy bear, she’s a pale yellow with a pink hat (and a worn out daisy on top.) She has a sewn on dress with straps that you button, a zipper pouch on her skirt, and velcro strap shoes. I got her when I was about two years old (?) ‘ish’. She was one of those teddies where a little kid could practice ‘dressing a doll’. Ya know, how to button the straps, tie shoe laces, etc.

Anyway, at the time, we were foster-caring a baby girl who we were to call ‘Jolisa’. It was super hard for me to pronounce her name, so I kept saying ‘Juicy’. Then, when the baby went home, I received the teddy bear and named her as such!

Alright! You’re turn! What does Freddy look like and how did he get his name? Are you homeschooled too? (or publich-schooled?)

Also, thanks for the message! I got it and sent you a reply.

*runs and gives you big hug!* Yes!! Fellow adoptee and homeschooler!!!

Wow, Guatemala? That’s amazing. If you don’t mind me asking another question, how old were you guys when you were adopted? My biological parents came from some Asian country, but I was born in the U.S. and adopted shortly after.

Yes, we can be little old ladies writing stories! Ah, I didn’t like the idea of growing up either. BUT Happy early birthday!! Twenty isn’t so bad; you get used to it! (Aside from my mom, I don’t know anyone else who was born in August. So you’re the second one!) 🙂

Hmm, we used a mix of homeschool curriculum. We did Math-U-See, Life of Fred, and for highschool we did ‘Mystery of History’ (or something along that line; it covered history from the Roman Empire and onward.) Ooo, I like the idea of learning history through stories and books instead of the standard textbook. We sorta did something like that with historical fiction books in school.

Aww, Freddy sounds just adorable!!
As for the email, I’ll try sending it again. For some reason, sometimes my replies end up in the spam folder? Or maybe it was a glitch on the form…. I’ll check to see if I can fix it.

So the ultimate sandwich *plops down in chair that happens to be nearby*. How long have ya got? lol
So Amy and I love making sandwiches and at one point we just started experimenting with different combinations of sandwich fixings. Like instead of just a turkey sandwich with mayo and mustard, we would add lettuce, sprouts, tomatoes, quartered artichokes (and a dash of seasoning). We also tried different versions of grilled cheese sandwiches too (like pesto and ham with cheddar etc.) We sometimes make it a friendly game to see who can make the best one. How about you? Do you like sandwiches, and if so, what’s your favorite kind?

When I was in my early teens, we moved to the countryside and tried raising organic, free range laying hens. After a lot of research, we bought a few older hens, then bought and raised our own chicks. For the chicks, we tamed them by talking to them and holding them a lot. As they got older, they really imprinted on us. So much so, that you couldn’t open the back door without them hearing it and running to meet you (I think they expected food more than being petted XD). But it was a lot of fun. Really, chickens are quite funny and actually inspired some fun stories. They ended up being more like pets. We don’t have anymore; we’ve moved since then. How about you? Do you have any pets?

@michelle

Here here! Adoption is such a wonderful blessing!

Ooo, you’re first guess was so close!! Actually, my birth parents were from Laos (right next to Vietnam).
Technically, right after I was born, God place me directly into the family He wanted me to be in. But due to the ‘adoption’ system, things got…erm shuffled around quite a bit and the case wasn’t completed until I turned two (so yours was faster! *passes you cake*)

Ah, I’ll cry with you when we reach forty. Then I’ll remind us that forty is actually young when you compare it to Methusaleh! (the guy ended up being, what? 969 years old?! Compared to him, we’re babies!)

I’m a December baby!! (along with a lot of people in my family… and Xmas, so yeah, very busy month! XD)

Well, my sister and I would end up saying our own sandwich was the best (guess you could say a ‘tie’). Hmm. I think my favorite sandwich is toasted bread, goat cheese, bagel seasoning, tomato, turkey and artichokes. What is your most favorite meat sandwich?

I love your kitties’ names! They sound just adorable! What is one of the funniest things they’ve ever done?
No, we don’t have pets at the moment. But we do have a lot of wildlife around our house (squirrels, birds, wild rabbits, deer, etc.) So yeah, it can be quite entertaining to watch them.

And I almost forgot to ask! How many siblings do you have?

@michelle

*thanks you for the cake*
Alrighty!! I’m back!! So sorry for disappearing. I came onto the forum, answered someone else’s question, then tried to reply to you. Something went wrong and the reply didn’t go through. Then my chromebook went on the fritz and refused to cooperate. Don’t know why it wasn’t working, though when I checked today, it seemed to work *crosses fingers and prays it won’t go be-zerks!* XD Anyway, sorry for the delay *hands out cookies* 🙂

Actually, Methusaleh is in the Bible (he’s related to Noah.) And yes, we must learn his secret to long life (which, now that I think about it, has its pros and cons… How would you fit so many candles on b-day cake??)

Ah the holidays and birthdays. So, my birthday comes way before Christmas so we celebrate it then. For other family members, they wait until January and we get together and exchange gifts (though due to the ‘shall-not-be-named’ virus, we’ve sent gifts through the mail last year.) What’s your favorite Christmas tradition?

Ooo, as for Christmas songs… *unrolls super long list* Basically, any of my favorite ones are by Casting Crowns, Laura Story, or Francesca Battistelli. What about you? What’s your favorite Christmas song/or Christian artist?

Mmm! Italian antipasto?! I’ve never heard of that before! *starts researching on Pinterest* That sounds really good!

Aww, your kitties sound so adorable! I used to have a cat named Patches (she died several years ago.)
Hmm, most amusing things our wildlife has done. Well, one day we spread out a bunch of birdseed in our front yard and a big gray squirrel began stuffing himself with it. When he was super full, he climbed onto our porch swing, laid across the top and fell asleep while the breeze rocked the swing! I manage to take a picture of it (I might post it on our blog later this summer; we’ll see!)

But is it spying if the animals watch us when we’re not looking? *blows mind* Guess we’re even XD

@michelle

*thanks you for the cookies too* 🙂
We used to have an artificial tree that we’d assemble each year (actually, it was a lot of fun putting it together; we’d do it while listening to music) and decorate it with our favorite ornaments (we’d get to pick a new one each year). Unfortunately, we lost it when we moved (just before the pandemic hit *yikes!*) So last year, we did a live tree. It was fun. How about you? Fake tree or live one instead?

Ooo, I also love looking at Christmas lights! What’s your favorite Christmas gift? I think mine was…*scratches head and thinks really hard* … Wow. I’m actually drawing a blank *haha* *ahem* I think one of the best gifts I got was some Christmas money from my parents one year, and I bought a needle-felting kit (and I have fallen in love with the craft ever since. I also bought a tiny stuffed dragon and named her Singe. I still have her!)

I think the Little Drummer Boy is such a sweet song! *passes you tissue*

Yes! I did get evidence of a squirrel! *dunn dunn dunn!* (wonders if I should now join CIA or FBI…)
Hmm… I can’t seem to post a picture here… I’ll see if I can send it via email, if that’s okay. And yes! Let’s hope the pencil sister email works! *keeps and eye out for incoming messages* 🙂

Hobbies… Well, I did mention needle-felting. I like photographing ridiculous squirrels. And I love decorating journals with washi tape and stickers (though I’m not the best *lol*) I also love notebooks (duh Lily, it’s more like an obsession XD) What about you? What are your favorite hobbies?

Ice Cream?! Did someone say ice cream? *quickly composes herself* So, when I was in my late teens, I developed a sort of milk intolerance😭 So I can’t have a lot of dairy all the time. I can have a little every now and then (and I’m totally fine. I won’t explode…. right?)😁 Let’s keep fingers crossed. ANYWAY. I do love ice cream made with coconut milk (the salted caramel flavor is my absolute favorite. Amy loves the chocolate one, but don’t listen to her! 😄) So I do love it… on special occasions and in moderation 🙂 What are your thoughts on ice cream?

Oh yeah, I can. My Chromebook will do a few emojis (as I just remembered and inserted them in this conversation!).

@michelle
*returns from the mounds of story editing and dusts myself off*
Hey! Thanks for the link! I’ll definitely check out your story!

And as for Christmas trees, I wish I could say we trekked into the snow-laden mountains, axes over our shoulder, and found the perfect tree, cut it down, and took it home where we drank hot cocoa. Actually…. we just went to a makeshift tree lot and bought a nice looking, pre-cut pine XD

Ooo, I remember getting a small rosemary tree once. It smelled so nice! Ah, I’m so sorry you got allergies from it.

Whaa??! There’s another use for notebooks besides writing?!!! Okay, seriously. I love how you can just organize ideas into a notebook, and you can make how you want. Apps are fine for on the go, but there’s a certain freedom when doing it yourself on paper (if that makes sense). What do you like most about notebooks?

Hmm, I’ve never tried cucumber and dill. (Taught you well, I have oh apprentice XD) Do you like Star Wars? They’re some of my favorite movies. What’s your favorite movie?

Here’s a fun question: Who or what inspired your love of writing children’s stories? (i.e a particular book/author?)

Also, (cause I like throwing out random questions *grins*) what’s your favorite book of the Bible?

@michelle

So, I’m working on my middle-grade short story. It’s about a girl who’s mother is an apothecary. When city officials destroy their practice and separate them, the girl must find a way to survive. I’m almost through with edits *grimaces*. The first few rounds of editing are actually fun as you get to experiment with new ideas to make it better. Towards the end, you just try not to bang your head on the computer XD

Yeah, a phone’s keyboard is so small! And then there’s the wonderful auto-correct *slams palm onto forehead* So typos aren’t our biggest problem *lol* (also, I just love stickers! I probably have way too many XD)

I like Cara too. And Mando. And Baby Yoda. I’d say the original movies and the last three Star Wars movies (in the saga) are my favorite (’cause it’s hard for me to decide) 😉

Yes! Children’s books can explore wonderful themes that a child can grasp (and still retain innocence, wonder, and still not be preachy!) Awhile back, I read a book called ‘The Remember Balloons’. It beautifully dealt with a child’s view of a grandparent’s memory loss. Or ‘I Love You Forever’ *cues sobbing and tears*

Hmm. Favorite children’s book (wait, I have to chose just one?! *pulls out long list*)…. I loved the Blue Kangaroo series and The Big Green Pocketbook. When I got a bit older, I loved the Knights’ Tales by Gerald Morris (particularly the one about Lancelot. Seriously, if you haven’t read it, be prepared for non-stop laughter.) I still read middle-grade books, so When You Reach Me and Walk Two Moons have been a favorite (and in need of a serious re-read. *adds to TBR list*)
What is your favorite children’s book(s)?

I also wrote a short story about some of our tiny dolls for school (have you heard of Calico Critters?) I’ve always carried stories around in my head. I love telling them. So, I guess you could say God gave me this love for story-telling. 🙂

Proverbs is a good one! I love the Psalms. With all the crazy stuff going on in the world, the Psalms have been reassuring that God is still in control.

Cool, I’ve heard of the Chosen, but I haven’t seen it yet. Do you like it? What’s your favorite part? Also, what’s your favorite movie?

@michelle

*passes tissues* I know, right?!

Ooo *slams palm onto forehead* I forgot to ask you how your Fourth of July went! (what did you do?) My family just stayed home (’cause of the heat… and I actually forgot…*oops*) We watched the movie Catching Faith. It was okay; I honestly felt it could be deeper. What’s your least favorite Christian movie?

Whaaa? A Christian tv series NOT made by Hollywood?!
Hmm. I do like Esther. I used to read her story a lot as a kid. Who’s your favorite Bible character (aside from Christ)?
Ooo, I’ve seen Journey Back to Christmas! It’s been a while, but I remember liking the premise.

Mozart sounds cool; movies based on real people can be fun (or heart-breaking like Two Hearts *no pun intended*). Hey, have you ever seen movies about famous authors? (i.e Finding Neverland, Saving Mr. Banks, etc?)

Tarzan is a good Disney movie; I love the song ‘You’ll Be in My Heart’. What’s your favorite Disney song? My favorite Disney movie would be either Tangled, or Frozen. Or the live action Cinderella movie….

Yep! That’d be the Calico Critters! We grew up playing with them (along with some other critters made by Only Hearts doll company; sadly it went out of business years ago *sniffs*) For school, we took pictures of them in the backyard and then wrote short stories to go with it. Have you ever had any Calico Critters?

@michelle

We moved to the country awhile back, but when we lived in the city, we’d often hear neighbor ‘practicing’ with fireworks before the fourth too; or they’d do it late into the night when all other fireworks were supposed to be over. Of course we don’t need sleep! XD)

Hmm, I haven’t seen The Man Who Invented Christmas, though I’ve heard a lot of people recommend it! I also want to see the one about Tolkien, and I’m waiting for a movie on C.S Lewis! *starts pitching his life story to movie makers!*

*claps hands together too* Girl! I grew up listening to A Whole New World!! Back when we had cds *soo long ago* *lol* we used to listen to Disney songs in the car. That song was also one of my favorites! I also love the songs from the live-action Disney princess movies (but I’ll stop now, or we’ll be here foreeever XD)

I used to have some barbie dolls when I was younger, but then we eventually switched to the Disney princess dolls. (Is it just me, or do some of the more recent barbie dolls look, erm, mad? haha)

Veggie Tales!! Actually, yes we did! The Silly Songs With Larry were the best parts! *still waiting for my water buffalo* lol. Hey, what was your favorite kids show growing up?

Sorry, aside from the blog, I don’t really have social media. I’m more introverted and social media is a bit overwhelming for me. What about you? Do you do social media?

I’ve just been doing research on self-publishing, keeping our wild rabbits alive with food and water, and becoming obsessed with six-word stories (it’s actually a lot of fun once you get the hang of it.) What have you been doing lately? Have you ever tried six word stories?

@michelle

Hey! How’s it going? Let’s see, it’s pretty quiet out in the country. We have about an acre of land. Ooo, you live near the ocean? That’s cool! What’s it like? Do you go often? What’s your favorite part of visiting the beach? We used to have family that lived along the coast (it was a great excuse to go to the beach lol)

Oh man, I remember Blockbuster! And we still have a box of old cd’s! (of course, our cd player broke down years ago… XD).

We have an Ariel doll too (somewhere in a doll basket in the house.) We did a lot of the Disney Princesses, like Rapunzel and Belle. My personal favorite was one we called ‘Maggie’. Before the knock-off dolls got really cheap, they made a nice ‘Merida’ doll (Target sold them). Someone gave us that doll, only we already had a Merida one! So we decided to call her ‘Maggie’. I used to sew some dresses for her. Actually, I was a bit older when we started getting Disney dolls (they mostly belonged to my younger sisters!) But we did share. And I was temporarily the doll’s seamstress. I never got paid though XD *ahem, still waiting for a check*. Aside from Ariel, which other dolls did you have?

Speaking of the ‘good old doll days’, have you heard of The Only Hearts Club dolls?

Yeah, I don’t think I could rock the bright red hair either…. or blond like Rapunzel *haha*. My favorite princess was Mulan; probably because we had the same hair. Then, after Frozen came out, Anna became my next favorite princess.

Yes, Larry did wear that cowboy hat! *pictures it on his head* I thought the ‘Blues’ song was funny (where Larry tried to sound sad and blue, but couldn’t. Then that lemon destroyed his cookie. That scene always cracks me up XD) Or ‘The Pirates Who Don’t Do Anything’. That was a good one too *realizes that the song are now going to be stuck in my head foreeever* *heelp!* *and petitions that the bear trap song be officially recorded.* (cause I definitely need more Veggie Tales songs stuck in my head *haha*)

What was your favorite silly song(s) and who was your favorite character(s)? I really liked Bob. Or Petunia. She was cute. And Jr. Asparagus.

Also, what were some of your favorite kids tv shows growing up? (Aside from Veggie Tales.)

Okay, six word stories are so much fun (and challenging!) The point is to tell a whole story in six words. It’s supposed to pack a punch and evoke emotion. A famous one goes like this:
For Sale: Baby Shoes. Never Worn.

It’s cool how you can get so much from what isn’t said. Anywho, this girl that I follow recently started a six word story challenge on her blog (I’ll leave the link below, if you’re interested.)

If At First You Don’t Succeed

@michelle

My favorite part of the beach is collecting the shells or rocks. Yeah, we have a box full of them XD But it so hard to pass them by! So many cool shapes and colors. I love the delicate feel of the shells and sand dollars; and one time we found a whale-shaped rock! Walking through the waves was fun. Oh, and can’t forget visiting family too! lol

Well, you probably don’t want to see my first attempt at a dress (it was made of felt and I accidentally sewed the sleeves closed! Poor doll!)
Ah, that’s good that Barbie and the Disney dolls got along. What roles did Barbie and Friends play? Did you have any princes?

Whaa?! I also watched those shows too! (even Thomas, though it wasn’t my favorite. We had a cousin, though, who loved that series.) Charlie and Lola was a definite favorite. I love the take on the sibling trope (Charlie is just the sweetest!!!) We also watched The Backyardigans and Martha Speaks (which I will unashamedly watch all over again. ‘Cause, it’s a talking dog who is absolutely hysterical!)

@michelle

Ah, I think it was a comic strip about the beach. Interestingly enough, I haven’t really done a story set along the beach. I mostly lean toward forests!

We didn’t have any more Barbie dolls when we got our Disney dolls; and for a long time we only had Flynn Rider. Poor guy. Whenever our dollies had a ball, he had to escort each and every one of them! We helped him out by one day getting Prince Charming. (except, Prince Charming only wanted to escort Cinderella *lol*) Flynn was grateful for the extra help, though😆

Hmm. I don’t remember all the trains names. I guess Thomas. We also used to have a Thomas and Friends train set. Setting up the wooden tracks was fun.
That’s such an adorable story about when you were five! Did you ever get a Thomas train toy like your friend?

Maybe Uniqua was a bug/alien that was…. unique? Haha, perhaps it will always remain a mystery.

AWW!!! Little Bear was just the sweetest!! I loooved Duck ’cause she just so funny and I loved Emily and Cat and No-Feet (ironic name for a garden snake). Who was your favorite character? Man, they just don’t make kids shows like they used too. Maybe if novel writing doesn’t work out for us, we could go into writing kids show for kids 😉

Oh, another throw-back; what about Blue’s Clues or Barney and Friends? Have you ever seen those?

Whaaa?!!! Summer is almost over already?! *sobs*
Ahem. Well, I did enjoy geocaching with my family and we found an awesome creek to have a picnic at. What was the highlight of your summer? Are you going to school in the fall?

I’d say we go to a Bible-based church (have you ever heard of John MacArthur? It’s something like his church.) What kind of church do you go to?

@michelle

Aww, that’s so cute that you named the car Thomas! We kinda call ours ‘Betsy’. Why? Umm, not sure how it got started. The nickname sorta stuck 😄

That’s so sweet that your mom got you both Ariel dolls! No not at all, I love a good family story!

Hmm, but technically Duck did keep the little ones out of the potato salad… by eating it before they could!😆
Oh girl, I loved Blue and Steve! (I even used to have ‘handy-dandy notebook’. Though, not a cool mailbox like they had!). So true! Some books do get turned into tv series (like Martha Speaks.) Dreaming big still!

*Ahem* Well, yes sandwiches… But also chips and hummus too! (am I that predictable?!)

Awesome! What was the Asian market like? (ironically, I’ve never been 😂) What was your favorite asian snack?

I don’t know if ‘Bible-based’ is an official denomination (all I know is that we don’t belong to one technically speaking.) That’s great that you guys could meet on zoom. What have you been studying lately?

Good childhood memories… I’d say playing Chron. of Narnia and Little Women with my friends when we were kids (though, not at the same time. That’d just end up kinda weird😆)
Or playing Sharks and Minnows with kids after our choir class (basically, and over-glorified game of tag 😉)
When I was in my early teens, we also raised chickens and it was so much fun! Lots of fun memories/stories about them!

Yes, we did watch some Barbie movies like The Princess and the Pauper, Twelve Dancing Princesses, Swan Lake (though I remember thinking the bad guy was kinda scary. Now, I’d probably cringe at the animation back then!) And I remember they did a Rapunzel version that we watched on DVR *gasps and clutches chest!* That was quite a throwback!
Did you watch Barbie movies too, and if so, which were your favorites?

Yeah, I did Awana for a while, but being an introvert, I didn’t do a ton of youth group stuff (I was also a bit shy and awkward when I was younger.) But I did do choir, which was my most favorite homeschool group. How about you? Did you do Awana and youth group? Have you ever done choir?

@michelle

I’M BACK!!! *whew*

Yes, I did get your message! It almost got lost in my inbox; and then just after I found it and clicked the link my computer ‘fritzed’ and I had to quit (who knew computers could be so fickle and such *lol*)

Aww, I loved Steve (and Joe) too! Steve kinda reminded me of my older brother who talked quietly just like him.

Hmm, I’m pretty sure it was turkey sandwiches with sprouts or something.

We don’t eat a lot of sugar too, but Hi Chew sounds delicious!

*thanks you for the tea and cake* Btw, what’s your favorite tea?
That’s such a sweet story! I do believe we never ‘accidentally’ meet people; but that God brings them into our lives for a reason, even if it’s for a short time. Have you ever heard the song ‘For Good’? It’s from some Broadway show; I only heard it performed by a high school girls’ ensemble one year.

So here’s a random question; over on another forum (Kingdom Pen) people have been asking newcomers this question: Do you like pineapple on pizza? (or something like that).
And this is going to sound strange, but have you ever been on the K.P forum? (I remember trying to find a topic on there, so I went waay back through some of the previous conversations, and I thought I saw your name, but wasn’t sure…? I got distracted and forgot where I saw it).

I haven’t been in a ton of homeschooled groups myself; but usually it was a group of our friends and we played at each others house. Or after choir we’d play over-glorified games of tag out on the lawn XD
One time, we went to a friend’s house (they lived out in the country and had several acres of land). There was a huge hill out back and we climbed it and played Chronicles of Narnia (however, in our group, it was pretty much all girls and just one little brother lol).

No worries, I enjoy hearing life stories! As for squirrels, it’s been rather hot lately, so aside from the occasional one scurrying up the tree… well, nothing. However, the rabbits have been coming out in the evening. There was a big one and a little one that shared some food that we left for them (usually, they don’t always share, so I think this could’ve been a mama and baby.)

How has your writing been going?
Editing and formatting is slow but steady! 🙂

@michelle

So I have five siblings in all (two brothers, three sisters.) How many siblings do you have?

Ooo, tea. I like mint tea when it’s hot. But for ice tea, I’d say it’s a toss up between the dragon fruit tea refresher at Starbucks, or Tazo’s peach tea (fun fact: when we took road trips, sometimes we’d get drinks for lunch, and Tazo’s peach tea was a favorite in our family.)
However, I also love coffee, so it’s my usual morning drink (or orange juice… yeah, I can’t make up my mind XD)

Yeah, I can’t have pizza much either (due to wheat and some minor dairy allergies.) What about you?
I like artichokes, mushrooms, olive, chicken, etc. Don’t have the guts to try anchovies (is it legal to put fish on pizza?!) What’s your favorite toppings? If you could pick only three (not including sauce and cheese) what would it be?

Yes yes! I do remember seeing a rose! I joined S.E first, then joined K.P (though I found K.P first and then S.E next *lol* Yeah, that’s a long story.) Personally, I like S.E because I’m meeting fellow children’s writers (who knew we were a rare species! XD) But I do enjoy K.P because I have a few friends over there too. Which forum do you enjoy best?

*ducks behind bush and then carefully peers over*
I don’t see any squirrels now…. so we’re probably in the clear!
Aww, you have rabbits too?! They are just the cutest!

Yeah, I feel ya. Sometimes when writing has ground to a halt, I like to step back and do something different. Like go to the library and get a bunch of biography books! 😆
No, but seriously. It does help to do something different. So what kind of artwork have you been doing? (Sadly, aside from being tech incompetent, my art skills are also… lacking *haha*.)

We went to visit family at the coast. It was a lot of fun and we got to visit some new family friends, have lunch, and play games.
As for my most favorite vacation? Probably when we camped in a rv park in Nebraska. They had a rock climbing wall which was cool. Oh, and we also visited the Ark Encounter in Kentucky a long time ago. That was fun.
What’s your favorite vacation memory?

@michelle

Don’t worry, I don’t really scream… wastes necessary lung power sometimes 😊 But a unicorn drink? Does it come with sparkles? It sounds really interesting. Anyway, that’s okay. I was older when I first started drinking coffee. I tried a bit when I was little, hated the taste (the ice cream version was better but still…) Now, I love it, so I guess my taste has matured 😉

Favorite dessert? I actually don’t like dessert *ducks as angry dessert people throw spoons my way*
Haha! Just kidding! *brushes myself off and plucks plastic spoon from my head* Gotcha there, for a second! I actually like fudge brownies with caramel ice cream (dairy free.)
What’s your favorite dessert?

Yes, finding you was a real blessing for me too! Hey, I just recently activated my Goodreads account and I’m hoping to connect with other children’s writers! Are you on Goodreads? I can send you my link below. I’m hoping to start a fellow Christian indie/trad children’s writers group (wow, that’s a mouthful). I’m still working out kinks before it is officially live.

Wait, aren’t all cats high maintenance? *jumps as one glares judgmentally at me* I hope you guys find the right house.

Oh darn! I have to name just one?! Um… let’s see. I think I’ll go with Walk Two Moons (though I reserve the right to change my mind later!) I won’t give much away, but it’s a MG book that deals with learning to accept difficult situations, and learning to deal with denial. I love how the author weaves a story within the story, a skill I hope to master one day.
Now your turn! Favorite book and why?

Girl, you have to ask the tough questions! There’s so much advice I’ve learned. I think one important thing I’ve learned recently (and still learning) is that the focus is not the ‘goal’ but the journey. With my writing, I want to get my work published, but it seems so hard to get there it’s discouraging. As a Christian, I feel defeated when sin creeps into my life. But it’s about what I learn along the way with writing (such as patience and perseverance), and walking with God, (such as always seeking Him and growing in His Word). I hope that makes sense.
What’s the best advice you’ve received?

Oh, that’s easy. I love the color blue and pretty much any shade except the neon type. Or the gray/blue tones. What’s yours?

@michelle

Haha, no problem. Sometimes my emails end up in spam at random. Not sure why *shrugs*

Okay, on Goodreads, just click ‘add friend’ next to my profile; then I’ll add your name to the group (honestly, I’m so new to this… so we’ll see how this works XD)

Awesome! We had some brownies last week. My sisters and I got baptized by our dad.

As for dairy free recs… um there was one that I liked but I suddenly can’t remember the name of the company! *lol*
I know we’ve done So Delicious a few times (they used to do ice cream sandwiches, but I haven’t seen them in a while. It’s weird how some food is disappearing and then reappearing. *suddenly wonders if we’re in the twilight zone* )
Anywho, chocolate cake is a great choice too!

Whaa? The prince gets stuck in a tower instead?!
There was a funny writing prompt I came across a long time ago. It went something like ‘What if the knight got trapped in a tower by an evil princess and the dragon had to save him. Or the dragon was trapped by the knight and the princess had to rescue it. Or… and you get the idea! XD)

Pink is a lovely color. I like the deep rose or magenta shades. Do you have a particular pink shade that you like, or is it just all pink all the time?

Oh man. Um, I’d say I’d like to meet the character Lucy Pevensie from the Chronicles of Narnia. Maybe have some tea together and talk about her many adventures.
Who would you rather meet? Favorite author or character?

Life has been going great! Thanks for asking. How are things going for you?

Okay, my turn for some random questions: How do you feel about Star Wars?
What is your favorite tv show that you’ve watched recently (or over the past couple years).
And what was your favorite childhood book?

@michelle

Hi! I just approved the friendship and sent an invite to the group (I think you have to approve that too). Yes, we’ll learn together!

I think with one brownie mix it already came with chocolate chunks in it. Another time, before we switched over to eating more healthy, we used to use caramel in our brownies for Christmas. I remember we used to buy a bag of wrapped caramel chunks; we’d take the wrappers off and melt it all in a pan before adding it to the brownies.

We rented a pool at someone’s house and our dad baptised us there. It was really nice and shaded, and we got to go swimming afterward (with brownies to celebrate 🙂 )
Have you been baptised?

Aww, Little Bear is a good choice too. I’d also like to meet Duck and No Feet. Oh, and Emily and her doll too!

Eeek! That’s super exciting! How are you finding your agents? Also, I’m curious: What made you decide to pursue traditional publishing?

Um, I’d say a tentative yes to being a Star Wars fan. I have family members who are bigger fans than me (and will tell me the make a model of the different ships, etc. XD)
But I do like Rey and Rose and Admiral Holdo. They’re my favorite characters. Cara is cool too.

I loved The Big Green Pocketbook. My parents would read it to me many times.

You did?! How were the Thomas movies? Which was your favorite?

I’ve been trying the new Highschool Musical series. The second season is okay. I feel like they unnecessarily changed some of the characters relationship for the sake of ‘adding drama’. I’m also watching Heartland. Have you seen either?

*hugs you back*
No problem! Really, I understand how busy life can get.

Awesome! Who’s your favorite Heartland character? I think we’re on season 10. It’s so cool to see the different sports that horses are in (aside from racing and jumping!)
I know, right?! There are so many seasons, and it looks like they’re going to keep at it.

Oh man, how to explain the highschool musical tv series… it’s hard to describe. Some people call it a ‘mockumentary’. Like, what if the school where the movie was filmed was real? What would the kids going to that school be like? And the ‘students’ are kinda interviewed like a documentary as they prepare for their school’s drama theater performance. There’s singing and dancing like the movies…and yeah, it’s hard to explain XD

Hmm, I do like the original trilogy, but also The Force Awakens. I like those characters because I feel like they’re a good example of a deep, non-cliche female character. Why do you like your favorite Star Wars characters?

No, I just went straight down!

Oh dear, random question time! XD Bring it on!

1.) I’d go to Africa to visit Katie Davis (an amazing missionary; you should check out her autobiography!) And I’d like to revisit different states in the U.S
If you could anywhere, where would it be?

2.) Hmm. I’d actually say pasta with alfredo sauce! I mean, normally I can’t have it due to allergies, but if this is my last meal, well then I’d go for it!😄
What would your last meal be?

3.) Oh dear, I have to pick only one?!!!😲 …Okay, I’ll go to my Bible, because honestly, when I need to be comforted or reminded of who God is, I turn there. It’s a book that I read constantly.
What’s your favorite book of all time?

*looks around* So far, everything’s been rather quiet! I’ve spotted a couple fleeing across the road😉 What about you? Have you seen any suspicious squirrel activity?

@michelle

Oops! Forgot the tag *haha* *ahem*