Waking Rose

When Waking Rose came out I eagerly grabbed the first copy I came across and jumped into the adventures of my favorite couple, Fish and Rose.  Well, they weren't a couple for most of the book - but we all knew that was coming.
Now as for the story, once again I've invited several of the character's to share their story with you all.

Paul: Hi, I'm Paul Fester and this is -

Alex: Alex O'Donnell, very pleased to meet you.

Hey wait... where are Fish and Rose?  This is their book, they are supposed to be helping out here!

Alex: Well you see, Ben called us at the last minute and said that he and Rose couldn't make it after all and so that's why we're here!

Paul: We do know the story...

Very well.  Carry on!

Paul: Great!  Well let's see... Alex and I met Rose at Mercy College the fall that she started going there.  I was in a bioethics class with her and Alex was in... a different class.

Alex: Theology.  So we met her, discovered that she read Chesterton and all became great friends!  As long as she didn't mention sewing and remind us that she was a girl, she was great to talk to!

Paul: Yeah, it was a lot of fun!  We even made her a Lady of the Sacra Cor.

Alex: The Sacra Cor was the guys dorm that Paul and I stayed in, and we all had formed ourselves into a band of knights.  We practiced weaponry, fighting skills and pledged ourselves to the defense of our ladies.

Paul: After I got to know Rose - oh, and I think I had met Ben, Fish, at this point - we started working on this "Monster Bioethics Paper", as Rose put it.  She was going to do hers on abuse of patients at the hospital, something her dad had worked on while he was in the newspaper during the time the Brier's lived around the college.  I helped her to do some searching in the boxes of old papers that the Brier's stored in a family barn nearby.  Then Rose ran into a dead end and decided to a paper on the care of comatose patients instead.

Alex: Yeah, and this whole time poor Paul had a crush on Rose, but it was pointless 'cause - 

Paul: Hey!  Spoiler!

Alex: It wasn't a spoiler, it was a teaser.


Paul: Whatever.  It was around this time then - 


Alex: That tragedy struck!  Disaster befell us!  And if you want to know what it was, you'll have to go and read Waking Rose, available wherever the Fairy Tale Novels are sold! Handing it back over to -

Paul: Wait!  If you didn't know this already, Alex and I do have our own books.  I am in "The Midnight Dancers" and Alex stars in "Alex O'Donnell and the 40 Cyberthieves".  NOW handing it back over to Miss Rose Marchen.

Thank you both for doing this review for me and in place of Rose and Fish!

Waking Rose is a beautiful story, very nearly my favorite one of the series.  Just a note to readers who haven't read this book yet, it is probably Regina's darkest book and does deal with some tricky issues, so younger readers may want to have their parents input on it first. (And parents, you can now go to the "Picky Parent's Guide" on the Fairy Tale Novels Website to check out any issues!) 

Overall, a highly recommended book and one that I think guys and girls alike will really enjoy.

An Long Expected Update

It has been soooooo long since I last did a real blog post!  By that I mean a blog post that wasn't pirates themed, or a review of something or talking about Ink and Fairydust... the last time I did something personal was July 1st when I talked about the first day of ReginaCon!  But even that wasn't me just rambling on and on about - me. ;)
In fact overall I've been neglecting this poor blog quite shamefully. Well, today I shall write a long and delightfully random and rambling blog post that shall probably be of interest only to myself.

Summer time is nearly over now... it was quite an action packed summer at that!  A trip to Florida in May, a travel down to Virginia in June, a weeks break and than off to Ave Cor Mariae Summer Girls Camp 2010!  It was lovely getting to see old friends again for a wonderful week of faith and fun.  Then the mornings of the last two weeks of July were spent enjoying "Musica Dominum Dei", a Sacred Music camp run by a young lady I know.  We learned Gregorian chant, a few hymns, as well as music interpretation.  The music interpretation was so much fun!  I loved listening to the songs and either writing a story for it, painting with colors that expressed the mood, or coming up with an explanation for the different rhythms, instruments... it makes listening to music even that much more interesting and fun!  We finished the week by traveling up to a convent and singing for Mass there.  The sisters were very welcoming and we had a lovely breakfast with them afterward.

August has been spent in anticipation of college.  I went to my orientation day the first week of August and had a grand time.  I love my college and I can't wait until classes start!  I'll be doing English, Math, Intro to Visual Literacy and my first year experience class for the first term.  I'm looking forward to the Honors retreat in a few weeks - which, funnily enough, is at the same place as Ave Cor Mariae!  It'll be nice to see the girls I met at Orientation and get to know them a little bit better before we jump into the fun and activities of Welcome Week.  I am glad I met them, it's reassuring to already know some people with similar interests when venturing into a strange and new world.

So now I am waiting in impatient expectation for classes to start while my friends have all left and started college already.  This will be a new experience for me, no doubt of that.  Driving to classes everyday, actually having to drive everyday.  Bleh, not looking forward to that - I'm not overly fond of driving.  Getting a job (I hope!)... being in a classroom.  I think the classroom will be the biggest change and adjustment for me.  For most of my highschool, I taught myself and only had my mom teaching me when I was stuck on something and couldn't figure it out on my own.  So to have someone teaching me, not being able to go ahead or fall behind when I want to (*cough* No, I didn't fall behind that much.) and sharing a classroom with a bunch of other people instead of just myself in my room... yeah, it'll be different!  But I am very excited to be starting this new chapter in my life!

Well... I believe that is the extent of my ramblings for today.  I shall try to not let quite so many months pass before I write again!  Farewell.

An Interview

To give ye more time ta come up with the rest o' the quotes, what I'm postin' today is a two part video interview with Hans Zimmer, the composer o' the Pirates score!

Finish the Quote

Alrighty mates, lets see how well your memory of quotes is.  Now, wi'out cheatin' boi watchin' the movie or lookin' it up... finish each quote, who said it, what movie it's from an' if ye're really good - what line comes after?

#1 - Cuttlefish. Eh? Let us not, ____________ cuttlefish... flipping glorious little sausages. Pen them up together, and ___________ ... Human nature, in'it? Ooor... fish nature...

#2 -  Still _______________ , Signal the men, set the flags and make good to clear port.

#3 -  The pirates come out, unprepared and unawares. _________... send 'em down to see Old Hob.

#4 - Land is where you are safe, Jack Sparrow, and __________ you.

#5 - I understand. It's a game of deception. But your __________, not just your own. What are they wagering?

#6 - Love, that is a ______________ and fierce and huge-ish. And gone. Why is it gone?

#7 - You didn't beat me. You ignored ________. In a fair fight, I'd kill you.



An' after ye are done wi' this, head over to Cap'n Barbossa's deck an' check out 'is caption contest!

Pirates Week 2010

Ahoy mates!  Moi deah friend Cap'n Wolfgang Barbossa remoinded me that it was toim for the annual Pirates Week!  So hear oi am, Cap'n Fox Turner again, a wee bit late and not likely to be able to post every day, but heah the same!

So to start off my week... heah are some videos... I shall try to gather together a quote and caption game for later in the week...

First, how ta play the theme song... not sure how you would actually transfer this knowledge... still, it's fun to watch!



David Garret and "He's A Pirate" ,very good!

Black as Night

Hello there!  I'm back again after ignoring you all with another review of one of Regina Doman's books!  This time I'll be reviewing "Black as Night", Regina's second book and my hesitant favorite.  (Hesitant only because I love all of her books so much that it is hard to choose a favorite!)

I wasn't sure whether or not to introduce anyone this time around, seeing as how the people - or should I say, person - I introduced last time rather took over my post!  But then I thought that since they did such a wonderful and entertaining job, I'd give it a shot.  Blanche, Bear, Brother Leon?  Would you care to take over at this point?

Blanche: Bear, you can do it.

Bear: You started the story.

Brother Leon: I can't start talking until you do!  The book starts with you running - 

Blanche: *smiles*

Bear: *laughs* Brother Leon, I thought the idea was to have Blanche start out, not us tell her part of the story for her?

Blanche: Oh, this feels so awkward... can't one of you please start?

Brother Leon: I'll start.  Once upon a time in New York City, it was night time.  Scratch that, I'm telling it from my point of view, so it was morning.  It was morning.  In most places, Morning is a time for peace, quiet, good coffee when it's not my turn to make it... but not in the Friary of St. Giles.  At least not this morning.  After breakfast I had gone to take some donations to the vestibule where we stored them, when I discovered Blanche.

Blanche: You see, the previous night I was chased by two boys on the subway. I ran to the Friary because to me it was Saint Catharine's Church, a part of the high school I had attended.  Bear had given me a key to the church and I hadn't known that someone had bought the place after the school closed down.

Brother Leon: *laughs* Yeah, we gave her a start when she woke up and saw seven guys in brown robes looking down at her.

Blanche: You were very warm and welcoming, and I enjoyed my stay there.  My mom, Rose and Bear were all out of town and I was being chased by a danger that I couldn't face on my own.  The friars were a heaven sent refuge while I tried to figure out what to do.

Bear: And I'm so glad they were there for you.  Following the events of "The Shadow of the Bear", Freet's arrest and not having to live on the streets anymore... I was struggling with finding direction in my life.  I loved Blanche, but I didn't know if I was ready for marriage or even if I would be any good as a husband, given the role model I unfortunately had in my dad.  So I left for a trip to Europe to try and get things sorted.  I had invited Blanche to come with, but she stayed home with her job and ended up getting caught up in this crazy adventure, which turned into a bit of a nightmare for all of us.

Blanche: *smiles at him* But it ended like a wonderful dream.

Brother Leon: Cutting in so you two won't give the end away... 

Bear: I wasn't going to!

Brother Leon: Just the same.  So folks, if you want to find out what the nightmare was and how it turned into a dream and enjoy a little suspense and laughter along the way, check out "Black as Night", available for purchase from http://www.fairytalenovels.com! Handing it back over now to you Rose.

Rose: Oh great!  Hey everyone I -

Brother Leon: Not you!  The other Rose!


Rose: Awww drat.


Thank you Brother Leon, you three did a very good job with this review.  Such a good job that I really don't have anything to add other than why this book is my favorite.

For quite a while after "Waking Rose" came out, it was my favorite book.  After all, it was full of great things that you'll hear about when I do a review on it, plus the main character was Rose!  Then I joined the forum as one of the zillion Rose's on there and shared in the general fan excitement over Fish and Rose... and then I started to feel a little bad for Blanche and Bear.  Rose and Fish are wonderful people and I love them dearly, but they do tend to overshadow their older siblings!  I re-re-read "Black as Night" and rediscovered a wonderful, beautiful, entrancing story that all-too-often gets hidden behind "The Shadow of the Bear" and "Waking Rose".  And to add to that - this book has Brother Leon!  I will say unreservedly that Brother Leon is my most favorite Fairy Tale Novels character ever, and the main reason why "Black as Night" get's first place on my list.  He's funny, compassionate, brave, get's a gun pointed at him and knocked out by a stack of school desks getting pushed on him (yeah... you have to be in danger of death or at least knocked unconscious at least once in your life to get into my favorite character club) and he's just amazing!

So if you haven't read "Black as Night" ever or it's been a while since you've picked it up, I give you my full and hearty encouragement to go and do so now.