Get to Know Me Tag {Writers' Edition}

I decided to shake thing up a bit and do a full tag in a post. I did the non-writers' edition aaagggess ago. But do not feel obligated to read it. o.o It's back in the dark ages of the blog so really. Just continue on.

The rules:

• link back to the person who created the tag (Savannah)
• thank the person who tagged you (Rosalie)
• tag eleven bloggers (like I ever do that :P)

Vital Stats + Appearance

(pen)Name: Abigayle Claire, my first and middle name

Nicknames: Abi. Just so you know, that's the only one you're allowed to use. But there's also Babs and ... worse when my brothers get creative.

Birthday: August 15, 1998. So just like Rosalie who tagged me, I'm about to bid farewell to my teens which is ... yeah, I'm not ready.

Hair color and length: Reddish, brownish blonde. I've lightened it blonde at the ends for now. It's currently mid-back which is short for me.

Eye color: Green

Braces/piercings/tattoos: I've had braces, but currently only have pierced ears. That's all I'm planning on ever having.

Righty or lefty: Lefty!! Like that's news, haha. But since I do most sports right-handed I'm a little ambidextrous I suppose.

Ethnicity: I mean ... white American but a big European blend. My strongest strain is German.

Firsts

First novel written: Ha! Ok, the first one I ever, ever wrote was not novel length, but it was called The Dolphin at Grandpa's Hut. Basically as classy as it sounds all handwritten and illustrated by yours truly in a notebook.

First novel completed: Technically the one above was my first "completed" story longer than a page that I can remember. But for novel-length it's obviously Martin Hospitality.

Award for writing: I've won some voter-based ones from the 2017 Indie E-Con for Martin Hospitality, but the big one was Readers' Favorite. I ... still can't really believe it. I got a 5-star book review from them and then won an honorable mention in the Christian Fiction category. So amazing!!

                             

First publication: Again, Martin Hospitality for self-published. I hope to someday be traditionally published as well.

Conference: The first one I attended was a little one-day conference in East Texas. The first "real" conference was Oregon Christian Writers Conference last summer. *cue angelic singing*

Query/Pitch: I pitched at OCW which was ... terrifying. It was just an idea at the time, but even though it quickly turned into my first rejection, that idea is now a full-length draft. Behind the Act is waiting on some revisions, and then I'll keep pitching it.

Favorites

Novel (that you wrote): Behind the Act. I don't know if that's surprising or not. I think it's my favorite because it was my first manuscript to write off a long-time idea. Even though it hasn't gone far yet, I feel like it's going to be really powerful and go really far someday. That keeps me excited. :)

Genre: Contemporary. I never thought I'd say it, but my favorite thing to write is modern day. It adds a simplicity and relatability that I adore.

Author: Louisa May Alcott.

Writing Music: Typically soundtrack music. I have playlists of relevant songs with lyrics, but I cannot write with lyrics no matter how hard I try. 

Time To Write: Late at night. It's not always my favorite time to write, but it's simply the best for me.

Writing Snack/Drink: Chips, chocolate, or dried mango. Ice cream. ;) Occasionally I drink tea.

Movie: Oh gosh ... I can't choose just one. I love You've Got Mail, The Village, and Anastasia.

Writing Memory: I remember practicing the cursive alphabet for fun (yes, I was that sort of child). I also remember loving a library book on Helen Keller and trying to copy the whole thing down into a sketchbook so I could keep the story. I failed, so I guess my mom decided it didn't matter that I still have three-ish chapters of a plagiarized biography somewhere. xD

Childhood Book: THINKABOUTTHISAHHHHH

Currently

Reading: I'm actually ... not currently reading anything.  After reading two really good books (Thief of Corinth by Tessa Afshar and The Blue Castle by Lucy Maud Montgomery), I'm in a lapse to soak up their 5-star awesomeness.

Writing: Chapter 28 of Martin Crossroads

Listening to: A Good Doctor episode :P (Highly recommend this show!) I'm actually trying to find some new artists to listen to, so give me recs! 

Watching: Anne with an E Season 2. I wasn't 100% crazy about the first season and it's not really following the books ... but I adore Gilbert soooo ...

Learning: I learned new kinds of flowers while working for my florist aunt for two weeks. I learned you can spell "acknowledgement" as "acknowledgment" too. (What?!) In general I'm working on learning patience hehe ... not my strong suit. But this draft isn't coming together as fast as I'd like it too. I babysit a lot and spent time with younger cousins. It's all good practice.

Future

Want To Be Published: I want to continue to be published for forever honestly. I'll be self-publishing Martin Crossroads next and then turning some energy toward querying Behind the Act.

Indie or Traditional: Both! I'm already indie published, but I really want to be hybrid some day. :)

Wildest Goal: To have my books in Barnes & Noble. It might sound silly but it's one of my biggest. I might die of a heart attack at that moment. To have my books in other languages would be pretty cool as I've already got it in other countries. I'd say to win a famous book award but I kind of fell like I've already done that, too. It's pretty neat to see how many crazy awesome things have already happened largely thanks to God and you guys.

And I'm really just getting started. So now I'm going to go work on Chapter 28. ;)

Nooo, I'm not tagging people. But please do feel free to do this tag or answer some of the questions in the comments! Also, I know I don't do tags on my blog very often. But don't be afraid to tag me if you want to. I often answer some of the questions I'm tagged with in my newsletters. :)

Have a great weekend!

The Bibliophile Sweater Tag

It has been ages since I've posted a tag on my blog. Lately I've been answering them in my newsletter, which is where this one was supposed to go ... but I'm writing this at 11:09pm on Friday night and no blog topics are speaking to me. PLUS, this is no ordinary tag. This tag is not only 10000x cuter and more loveable than most, it was created by my friend Mary. I first saw the tag when my other friend Katie Grace did it and was all aesthetic and everything.

Yes, I know it's nowhere near sweater weather right now (*cries*), but I can dream. There's a thunderstorm going on outside so it at least gets me in a cuddly sweater mood even if it's more humid than a sauna. ;)

Fuzzy sweater

(a book that is the epitome of comfort)

Some Kind of Happiness by Clare Legrand

I know this may seem like an odd choice if you've read it because it's anything but fluffy. I don't think I've related to a book so much in my life, though! And it's kind of all about finding comfort and figuring things out. :)

Striped sweater

(book which you devoured every line of)

The Out of Time Series by Nadine Brandes

These books have everything I could ask for and so much more, including keeping me up late and having the most powerful spiritual themes  in the history of spiritual themes. The whole series received 10/10 shrooms from me.

Ugly Christmas sweater

(book with a weird cover)

Entwined by Heather Dixon

I feel like I just made enemies. *hides* Don't get me wrong, this is another 10/10 shrooms book, but the cover does not match anything I had in my head while reading it. Plus, there's just a little too much happening for my taste. But the book is really good. ;)

Cashmere sweater

(most expensive book you've bought)

Write Great Fiction Series by various (Writer's Digest)

I know the series was on sale, but I still think it was a lot of money. Like ... a lot. Or maybe it came with a magazine subscription or something?? There was a special, OK? xD I'm still working my way through these and hope to get the editing and revision one I'm missing from the series at some point.

Hoodie

(favorite classic book)

The Scarlet Pimpernel by Emmuska Orczy

I mean, I just never tire of it. It's got history, action, espionage, heroism, mystery, and it's so utterly witty and romantic. I've gotten two of my siblings and my mom to read it after hearing I enjoyed it so much which is probably a record. ;)

Cardigan

(book that you bought on impulse)

Summer and Bird by Katherine Catmull

I grabbed this one off Thriftbooks for cheap because it had a cute cover and sounded neat. And was cheap. I haven't read it yet! *hides* I hope it's a fun one. If it's not my cup of tea, you may be seeing it in a giveaway here at some point xD

Turtleneck sweater

(book from your childhood)

Bread and Jam for Francis by Russel Hogan

What kind of horrible decision-making question is this?! xD The Alphapets, Runaway Ralph, Mr. Popper's Penguins, Newton ... they're all ingrained in my childhood.

Homemade knitted sweater

(book that is Indie-published)

The Sorceress and the Squid by Emily Mundell

I felt like picking one of my own is cheating and I cannot say enough good things about this book. All of you must read it!!! It's so whimsical and clever and fun, I can't even handle it. Another 10/10 shrooms for sure.

V-neck sweater

(book that did not meet your expectations)

The Divergent Series by Veronica Roth

I promise I did try to come up with something more original here ... but alas. This is one of the most disappointing  book series I've ever read. And yes, I did wade through the entire trilogy hoping it would get better. It didn't. Maybe 4/10 shrooms? I loved the premise, but that was about it.

Argyle sweater

(book with a unique format)

That Inevitable Victorian Thing by E. K. Johnston

Me: *sees pretty purple hardback in Barnes & Noble*

*opens book and finds pretty formatting*

*reads inside cover flap and is beyond intrigued*

*shelves other books and spends entire gift card*

(Yes, this could also count as an impulse buy!) I get to read this starting next week and I'm SO EXCITED!!! It sounds like Victorian England meets futuristic, sciencey England and dude I'm all for it. Really hoping this is at least an 8 shroom read. It's got some dividers, quotes, "web pages" and other neat things I'm looking forward to diving into.

Polka dot sweater

(a book with well-rounded characters)

The Sentinel Trilogy by Jamie Foley

Her characters are gold and make her epic universe even more awesome. She nails a bunch of character arcs and even mulitple POV really well. Right up there with Hunger Games and Harry Potter in my book!

All of those books were either very highly recommended or very highly not recommended :P SUCH A FUN TAG! I'm lame, so I'm not going to tag anyone, but I'd love to hear your answers on your blog or in the comments. :D What are your thoughts on books, sweaters, and this adorable tag?? ^.^

Book Tag Vlog with Ivy Rose

Huge shout out to my brother for posting on Saturday without blowing up my blog! Today I'm bringing you a vlog I filmed with Ivy Rose while I was at her house.

Thanks to Victoria Minks for tagging me for this on YouTube. (You can watch her video here.) I decided the questions were hard enough for me to answer alongside Ivy and it worked out perfectly! They were fun to answer and provided a good distraction from how tired we were.

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Thank you guys for watching! I had a ton of fun with Ivy, and visiting her may have to become a tradition ;) Watch for the huge writing conference, picture-filled post coming your way on Saturday!!

The Three Way Tag

I have gotten tagged three times recently. All the tags were so good, I couldn't say no to any of them. So I hope you can excuse the length for the intriguing questions. Because of this combination, I'm not going to follow all the rules, so you'll have to visit the links I give if you would like to participate more properly :)

First, Rebekah with The Authors are Rising Tag:

1~ How long have you been writing?

As long as I can remember! I truly can't remember a time when everything I watched and read didn't inspire a spin-off story, whether it made it to paper or not :)

2~ What made you decide to become an author?

Every one of those stories I wrote as I kid I viewed as a potential publication, so I guess I was born with that desire. I can't remember deciding! But I chose to seriously consider publishing a work last spring when I had a dream that inspired my current novel. I stuck with it because an actual plot came together.

3~ Where do you find inspiration?

Everywhere! Quite often it is a bizarre dream that sparks a fresh story line, though :)

4~ What's a favorite quote from a book/story you've written?

Well, I got tired of looking. So here's this one from Martin Hospitality:

The two hour drive to Wichita passed quickly and with little mishap. Josiah had been the navigator.

“You’ll need the next exit,” he said.

“No, it’s not until after the bridge, right?”

“Mom, it’s this exit right here. You’ll have to be in the right lane. Mom!”

“Oh, that one?” She craned her neck to see it. “Well, there it goes. Never mind, we’ll take the next one, dear.”

Josiah threw up his hands. “Mom, why am I even navigating if you aren’t going to listen?”

5~ What's the title of the favorite story you've written?

Andora's Folly.

6~ Do you prefer writing in 1st, 2nd, or 3rd person?

I do not like 2nd person. 3rd person is my go-to, but I have issues with POV. So trying 1st might cure me of that ;)

7~ Who's an author you tend to write like?

I've been told Louisa May Alcott and C. S. Lewis, though I wouldn't boast either of those on a broad level.]! Perhaps Janette Oke or Grace Livingston Hill, though I hope I'm not quite like them :)

8~ Do you write in short bursts fairly often, or several thousand words in one sitting but with larger breaks between sittings?

Large bursts (as in entire afternoons) and then I don't touch the story for another week. Instead, it percolates in my mind. 

9~ Have you ever had scenes (usually written late at night and discovered the next morning) when something happens in your story that you weren't expecting? If so, could you tell us what it was?

Well, I added Weasley the cat to Martin Hospitality and I wasn't planning on that.

10~ What's an odd writing quirk you have?

Typing while laying on my stomach. Pretty sure I bruised a rib doing it the other day!

11~ What's the weirdest thing you've researched for a story?

Google Maps of Wichita (walking down the streets with that little drag-and-drop-guy), mad cow disease, and paternal rights in Kansas, and medieval and/or Greek wedding ceremonies. Nothing too exotic yet :)

12~ And...one last thing: Give us a peek into how you write by sharing either a 150 word story/poem or a snippet from one of your longer stories.

This is the first draft of my prologue's conclusion from Andora's Folly:

          "It was not until he gave up harassing Zeph and lunged for Lady Vera that Zeph sprung into action. His blade had been well-forged by a hand that was well-trained and its plunge did not miss the mark.

           The eldest of the sons cried out in horror as his father fell and the youngest burst into tears. Only the middle one remained silent, much as his father would have in a sober state of mind. What was to become of them now that they owed so great a debt to their father’s sworn enemy and now his murderer?

           Zeph was kind enough to provide another house for the boys—a cottage on the outskirts of the village that bordered his own woods. But he did not possess enough mercy to forgive the debt entirely. So the boys became indentured to him at an age hardly old enough to haul wood. The village saw little of them and could do little to help since they were all afflicted themselves, but still they worked on, determined to repay their father’s debt.

           And all the while Zeph’s little girl, whose blue eyes had grown so large at the sight of the brawl, played happily in her meadow. Her one instruction was that she was never, on any circumstance, to enter the wood."

The Wisteria Writers Tag comes from Morning:

1~ Take your most despised store. Describe what it looks like and why you hate it. Now, imagine your protagonist and antagonist of your current WIP visiting the store for the first time, separately. How would they react, and what would they buy? ("Nothing," won't be an acceptable answer!)

I can't think of a store I truly despise, but I am not a fan of Dollar Generals. The ones near my house are usually disorganized, dirty, and tightly compacted. Going from Andora's Folly, Andora would be a little overwhelmed and sweep through while holding her skirt up. She would settle on something pretty for her hair. Rome could care less about the condition and would purchase a hatchet.

2~ Do you have quirky writing rituals you need to in order to begin writing, such as editing with the door closed and a purple pen, all while wearing mismatched fuzzy socks? If you do, describe them.

I prefer to have a snack, drink, notes, pens, and silence before I get started. Otherwise, I end up running around finding all of those things. I'm not sure that's too unusual, though ;)

3~ Which of your characters from your WIP embodies what your entire writing process resembles?

Using Andora's Folly again, Andora very much represents my writing process. Andora is conceited, proud, means well, but good intention only gets her so far. Eventually she has to learn to roll up her sleeves and dive in if she wants to accomplish anything :)

4~ List the top three writing conferences you'd want to visit.

Realm Makers, American Christian Fiction Writers, and Writer's Digest, in that order.

5~ If you had to collaborate with a published author, who would it be and what would you two write about?

I would collaborate with Connilyn Cossette on Biblical Historical Fiction surrounding the vinedressers who were left behind during the Babylonian Captivity (2 Kings 25:12).

6~ Your sources of inspiration?

Life. Small details, little known facts, unique names. The way I perceive things and how I would describe a sensation in the moment.

7~ Quick! You're on a five minute break from editing--but your first choice of food to snack on ran out! Name your other two brain foods.

No chocolate?! Then I would go to chips of any variety or fresh blueberries. Or Mexican food :D

8~ What's a writing-related question that bothers you when people ask?

"What's your book about?" I get asked this a lot, and it's a good question. But I feel like I can never explain it well, so . . . yeah. Not my favorite :)

9~ List two songs that would describe both the good and bad sides of your deuteragonist.

I'm gonna admit, I had to look up that last word (but I guessed right)! My second main character in Martin Hospitality is probably Josiah Martin, since he shares POV. This was hard to do!
Good side:

Bad side:

10~ Up to this point, what is your current word count for this post?

1,615 words

Micaiah brings us the final tag, Would You Rather:

1~ Would you rather read only trilogies or stand-alones?

Probably trilogies for the character and world building. :)

2~ Would you rather read only male or female authors?

Hm . . . probably female, actually. All my favorites are by women. (Did not realize that until now.)

3~ Would you rather shop at Barnes and Noble or Amazon?

For books? B&N. I mean, forget my budget. But if I could only shop at one ever, I would sadly have to go with Amazon, due to variety, prices, and free shipping.

4~ Would you rather have books become T.V. shows or movies?

Probably movies. Generally, I prefer several movies in a row to a TV show. I mean, can you see The Hunger Games, Anne of Green Gables, or Harry Potter as a TV show? I didn't think so.

5~ Would you rather read five pages a day or five books a week?

Since I do have a life don't look so surprised, I would have to say 5 pages a day. I feel like that's about all I manage anyhow. About once a season/holiday, I have a 5 books a week spree :)

6~ Would you rather be a professional reviewer or an author?

An author. I enjoy reviewing books, but I put it off, and it takes me forever!

7~ Would you rather read your top 20 favorite books over and over again, or always read new ones you've never read before?

New ones, methinks. I enjoy new perspectives and fresh ideas. Besides, if it would be active starting now, I've already reread most of my favorites ;)

8~ Would you rather be a librarian or a bookseller?

Bookseller is a little vague. Cashier at a bookstore? Self-promotion of my own books? Either way, probably a bookseller. Organization would be my favorite part of a library :)

9~ Would you rather read only your favorite genre(s) or anything but your favorite?

Probably my favorite? They're my favorite for a reason. I would be branching out enough by having to read only new books ;)

10~ Would you rather read only physical books or e-books?

Only physical books! Forgive me, dear bank account.

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And there you have it: three tags at once!! Take a deep breath and take some chocolate if you actually read all of that. Answer some of your favorite questions in the comments, or debate my answers if you dared to disagree. ;)