Joly Fan Fiction Part Three

Part Three

The Simple Medical Student That Turned Into A Fighting Revolutionist 

1832

Joly sat near the front of the room where his fearless revolution leader, Enjolras was standing. A man called Combeferre and another named Courfeyrac stood on both sides of Enjolras. Beside Joly, sat his good friend Jehan, and another close friend called Lesgles. They had formed a group called the Les Amis de l'ABC, otherwise known was Friends of the ABC, was a secret group of students planning a revolution. They met secretly in the back of the Cafe Musain. More of the main members were Feuilly, Bahorel and Graintaire.
"The time is near, gentleman! It's so near it's stirring the blood in their veins, and yet beware," Enjolras turned to face Grantaire who was basically drowning himself in his bottle of wine. "Don't let the wine go to your brains!" Grantaire looked at his hero for a moment, before tilting his bottle back for anther long swig.
"Lamarque is ill and fading quite fast! People say he won't live another week! He's the only one who has ever cared for us! Now he is dying! The people too, must rise! What greater thing is there than to be free?" Combeferre demanded. A young man who stood in the corner, Joly knew him as Marius Pontmercy. Marius was their newest member, and lately he had always been somehow distracted. 
"Marius, wake up! What's wrong today? You as if you've seen a ghost!" Joly proclaimed, as he caught everyone's attention. Everyone but Enjolras, Combeferre, and Courfeyrac. Grantaire handed Marius a cup of wine, as Marius replied, "A ghost you say? A ghost maybe! She was just like a ghost to me. One minute there, then she was gone!" Everyone finally knew what was distracting the newest member of the Friends of the ABC. 
"I am agog, I am aghast! Is Marius in love at last? I've never heard him ooh and ah!" Grantaire teased, drunkly. 
"Have we not all decided who we are? We are not fighting for the rights to a night at the opera, are we now, gentlemen?" Enjolras' words cut into everyone's thoughts. 
"Do we not all realize the colors of this cruel world are changing day by day?" Combeferre joined in. 
"Red, the blood of an angry men! Black the dark of ages past! Red, a world about to dawn! Black, the night that ends at last!" Enjolras took over. They went through these lines until they were sure that it had finally sunk into Marius' thick skull. Joly then turned to Eponine Thenardier. She stood in the opposite corner, her chemise falling off her shoulders, as she watched Marius who didn't even turn an eye for her. Suddenly Gavroche the street urchin burst through the doors.
"General Lamarque is dead!" he declared, sadly. Silence rose through the room as all of the chatter immediately stopped. 
"When is the funeral?" Enjolras demanded. 
"June 5th to my knowledge." Gavroche replied, as he took a seat near the front.
"Lamarque's death is the hour of fate! The man who speaks for the people! This is the sign that we await!" Enjolras' voice boomed. "On his funeral day they will honor his name! With the light of rebellion ablaze in their eyes! We shall build the barricade on the tomb of Lamarque! Gentlemen, the time is here! Let us welcome it gladly with courage and cheer!"
"Let us take to the street with no doubt in our hearts!" a student yelled.
"With a jubilant shout they will come one and all!"
"They will come when we call!"
The minute the meeting ended, most of the people there disappeared quickly. Marius and Eponine one of the very first. Enjolras, Combeferre, Courfeyrac, Joly, Jehan, Feuilly, Bahorel, Lesgles, and Gavroche stayed late. 
"Why is Marius so distracted? We are planning a revolution!" Enjolras sat down, irritatedly. 
"This girl, he's met. As much as we need supporters, we do not need him. Not if he won't think a single thought about the revolution without thoughts of this girl clouding in." Combeferre slid on his coat. Not long after, Enjolras, Combeferre and Gavroche left the Cafe Musain. 
"So, now that Ejolras is not here, let us talk about something always on our minds. The ladies of course!" Courfeyrac uncorked a new bottle of wine. He passed one to Joly and Jehan while he was at it. 
"Mine is a beauty. Such a literary girl. With little hands and feet, and a cruel impatience. I am wild about this girl, Musichetta!" Joly spoke first. Lesgles looked up and replied, "Musichetta, you say? Why, I have a mistress with that name, also. Such beautiful ginger locks and green eyes." 
"Why, my mistress is the same as yours." 
"Well, you must have met her first. I just met her a month ago. I-I- suppose you may have her. There are plenty of ladies to have." Lesgles replied, slightly glumly.
"Ah, my good fellow, why must I be greedy? We share an apartment, books, many other things. Musichetta is just another to add our list. Now she is ours. Not mine, not yours, ours." Lesgles looked satisfied, as he clinked bottles with Joly and they drank. 
With that, the men finished their bottles of wine, before heading home. 

On his way back, Joly stopped by Musichetta's home. He went to the back of the house and eyed each window. He knew not the window that was Musichetta's. One pebble to the wrong window and Joly could be done for. He was already seeing his beautiful love forbiddingly. What if they thought he was trying to break their window to get in? Monsieur André would be furious and turn Joly into the authorities. But two windows stood out. The ones with long flowing drapes. But which on was Musichetta's? Suddenly, a candle was lit and it illuminated the window. The slender shape of a woman was seen through the light drapes. The windows opened suddenly, as Joly hid behind a bush. Musichetta leaned on the window sill, her long soft locks draped down her back and the front of her. 
"Musichetta, my dear!" Joly whispered, as he came out of his hiding place. The young woman's face lit up, as she called, "Joly!" With his arm cocked back, Joly threw a rose up to his love. Smelling the rose, Musichetta, smiled and blew a kiss to the man below. 
"Come away with me!" the man called.
"Forever?"
"No, just for a while. I shan't keep you from a night's slumber." 
"How must I come down? I am not the daintiest person to go down the stairs. Mother or Papa will surely know." 
"Jump to me, Madame. I shall catch you!" Joly held out his arms. Musichetta gathered her dressing robe around her, before she willingly jumped out of her window. The young lovers quickly ran off to the field of wildflowers where Joly had met Jehan two years back. 
"The stars are lovely this evening." murmured Musichetta, as she leaned against Joly chest, as his arms came around her. 
"You mean the diamonds that your eyes shine like, of course!" Joly turned to look at Musichetta's beautiful eyes. She simply smiled and snuggled a little closer against Joly. They sat there for a spell, before Joly spoke again.
"Revolution is upon us, my darling. We may never see each other again." He felt Musichetta start to shake with sobs, as she wailed, "I may never see you again! My poor, sweet Joly, how can this happen to us? Must an unfair king take everything away from us? I do not understand! I do not understand!" Joly tried his best to comfort her, as he replied, "I may return, but promise me that you will marry and have a family if you wish. You mustn't not marry because of me. Promise me, Musichetta, promise me!" 
"I promise you, my love." Musichetta repeated, as she hiccuped. After a few more minutes of comforting Musichetta, Joly took her home. He helped her up to her bedroom and then left. 


The End Is Near, My Friends!!! Part 4 May Be The End Of Our Young Revolutionist's Life. Comment Your Thoughts On Part 3 Of My Joly Fan Fiction!!!

Bring In The Books Series: The Messenger by Siri Mitchell

Okay, so this is my last book for my Bring In The Books Series. This was the one I wanted to read most of all. Let down, you ask? Sort of.
PLOT:
Hannah Sunderland is a young Quaker woman, trying to live her simple life in these hard times. She and her family are soon forced out of their house when a General comes and takes over. They move in with Hannah's mother's sister who is not a Quaker. They get news that Hannah's twin brother Robert, who had gone against his faith of not taking sides, and who left home to be a rebel, is in prison. Hannah is worried and wants to see him. But she needs a pass to get in, and how would she get one? Jeremiah Jones is a Colonial spy, who has lost in arm in battle. He is a cold-hearted person. He needs to deliver a very important message with a sergeant in jail. That's about as easy as trying to walk on a tightrope with no experience. The two meet within the first few pages, but not until a little later into the book does a plan form. Hannah wants to go into the jail to see her brother, Jeremiah needs a message delivered inside.

SIDE CHARACTERS:
Aunt Rebekah (Hannah's Aunt)
Polly Pennington (Hannah's cousin)
John Lindley (I don't know what to call him. Jeremiah's ex-friend perhaps?)

REVIEW:
Yes this was a let down, but not too much. I loved Hannah and not just because she had my name :)! She was determined to do right for the prisoner and determined to still live by most of her morals like not lying-not even to save her own life. Jeremiah, I kinda liked. Not as much as Travis Archer from Short Straw Bride, but he was okay. I don' know if I would call this a romance. Hannah and Jeremiah don't like each other at all, no matter how much they see each other, so you can see that the romance and modesty level is very low. The book was written like "The Help". One chapter Hannah was narrated her side in first person, then in the next chapter Jeremiah did it. It was annoying for the first few chapters, but I got the hang of it. The characters were good, as well as the plot. The story is rocky and slow, but a pretty good read. This novel gets a 4 out of 5 stars for me.

So, we have reached our destination and our journey is over. (sniffles and wipes tears) I hope you enjoyed them and I hope some or all of these are one your reading list!!!!!

Tag, You Are It!

Alright, so I was over at Eva Schon's blog Ramblings of a Janeite, when I saw this awesome link-up! There are 12 questions and you get to answer them all. Link to the tab here. So (or possibly most) of my answers will be pretty long and all based on what I remember and the truth.

What was your first-ever piece of writing?
Well, I actually remember this clear as day!!! The "book" and when I wrote it. I was five years old in kindergarten when I wrote it. I actually just threw it away, probably three years or so ago. It didn't have a title, but it was about three maids who worked for a cruel king, then the king fell in love with one of the maids, whom I named Kida, after the movie Atlantis the Lost Empire. (Haha, I know!). Then they got married and had a beach party honeymoon! Crazy, I know, but that was my first ever book!

How old were you when you first began writing?
Up in question 1, I was five when I started to write. I guess I've always been a heavy writer. When I was I public school, I guarantee you I spent more time writing my novels and reading others, then learning math, language arts and anything.

Name two writing goals. One short term and one long term.
Well, for the long term goal, I would love to finish my book "The Last Dance" and get it published as soon as I can. JOKING! I'm not getting my book published anytime soon :(. Then my short one, I don't think I have a short one. All of them are pretty long!

Do you write fiction or non-fiction?
Fiction without a doubt!!! I've tried non-fiction and it just. does. not. work. at. all. Big bust!

Bouncing off question 4, what's your favorite genre to write in?
Probably for my "Holding The Secrets" series that would be under adventure, crime maybe and fiction. The Last Dance would be under fiction, romance, and I guess maybe "ballet"? I like to stick with Christian romance and Wild West stuff..........

One writing lesson you've learned since 2013 began.
You will probably think me, odd, but I don't know........ Probably learning when to write a number like this: 5 or five. I always got those mixed up. 

Favorite author, off the top of your head!
Janelle Mowery and Victor Hugo and Gaston Leroux. I know it says "author" but I can't pick, really!

Three Current Favorite Books.
When All My Dreams Come True, When Love Gets In The Way and When Two Hearts Meet.

Biggest influence on your writing {Person}:
That's a wonderful and hard question. I don't know anyone who has been an influence on my writing. Perhaps Lori Wick and Janelle Mowery would be on my list.

What's your go-to writing music?
Ooh, this has to be my favorite question! It would probably be The Phantom of the Opera 25th Anniversary at the Royal Albert Hall soundtrack, the Love Never Dies Australian Version soundtracks from t3hfiasc0's playlists, Les Misérables 2012 Movie soundtrack from yiquanchong's playlist, and possibly my country music playlist, which ranges from The Band Perry to Carrie Underwood. Possibly some Christian on the side. Which ever I feel like listening to, is what I listen to. I don't have to listen to a sad song to write a sad scene. For all you or I know, I could be listening to the song Awake and Alive by the band Skillet, while writing a death scene. Who knows! I could be writing a happy scene and listening to Calls Me Home by Shannon LaBrie. 

List three to five writing quirks of yours.
Hm. Well, I don't know if you would call these quirks. But whenever I write in my notebook, in which I hate, because then I have to manually transferre it all to the laptop I share with my sisters. I hate switching from a pen with black to blue ink. If I write with a pencil, it can't be sharp as a knife point. It almost has to be slightly dulled. It's very odd, I know. I hate when I get water or food on my paper, and I can't stand it when it crinkles, bends, or when it rips. 

What, in three sentences or less, does your writing mean to you?
Three sentences? That's it? (Those DON'T Count!) Writing means EVERYTHING to me! It's my lively hood, my life, my thoughts, my ideas, it all means so much for me, and I wish some of  the people I'm closest to would understand this. It's one of a few things that make me, me, and I'm so glad to have such a passion for writing. 

So, I hope you enjoyed learn a little more about me, and about my life of writing. Some of my answers may possibly be a little shocking, like writing my first short-story when I was five. From the music of musicals to country music, I am a very unique person. Some may call it weird or odd, I like to call it unique and original. 

Sippin' Sweet Tea: 8-27-13

Okie dokie! Third Sippin' Sweet Tea. If you haven't already noticed, I am doing a pattern of these. I will post one every month of the 27th. My first one was on the 26th, but when I published my second, I noticed I was a day late. Six and seven are my favorite numbers, but seven has always been lucky for me. So I'll stick with the sevens. Maybe, when 2014 comes, I'll shake it up and do the 26th.

Now, I am still neglecting my novel The Last Dance. I need to look up what kind of dance moves there are. None of my stories have been moving much. I am spending some time reading, blogging and pinning on Pinterest. Pinterest is addicting. Period.

I have been writing a special fan fiction, about Joly, one of my favorite barricade boys! He is one of the underrated ones. Enjolras is slightly overrated (ducks from a booing crowd). He's a great character, don't get me wrong, but Joly is plain underrated. Victor Hugo doesn't help. Every barricade boy, even Feuilly and Lesgles have a back story. Joly gets a small little paragraph dedicated all just about how he is a hypochondriac. Honestly, NOT FAIR!!! So, I'm hopefully giving Joly the attention he deserves. I hope you all are enjoying! Part 3 is taking me a while. I'll drop a hint on what it's about: It's going slowly, because it's in the time of preparing for revolution. And since Victor hugo doesn't give me much to work with, I'll just have to work with what I got. Which is basically nothin'.

Not much has been going on in my personal life. The PBR is back on! (can I get a hallelujah here, Kenzie?) And Luke Snyder will be retiring this year (sniffles back a waterfall of tears) WHO IS CUTTING AN ONION IN HERE? I DEMAND TO KNOW!!!!!!! But at least he had a good run! If only he could just take it all at the Word Finals this year!!! I doubt it, but hey, a girl can dream, right?

School has started up for me. Being home schooled, I started up later than other school around me. I am taking Algebra, Rhetoric, Vocabulary, History, Science, and French. I am learning French by an app called Mango. I used to take Chinese on Rosetta Stone, but I didn't like it at all. Hate would be too strong of a word, and it is not a very nice word either. So I'll say, I disliked it very much. Better, right? Rosetta Stone will show you a picture of something, but it won't tell you what it means in English. Like it could be a picture of a woman doing some wacky hand gesture. What is that suppose to mean? They teach us phrases like, "Woman is wearing white socks." When am I ever going to say that if I go to China some day? I have no intentions, by the way. Mango teaches us things we're going to need. I'm in the basics, like hello, goodbye, mister, madame, see you later, thank you, you're welcome, do you speak English and more. Things I'm actually going to need to know how to say. I was to go to France for my hopeful senior trip. What places would I visit? Victor Hugo's house, the streets where the barricades were, the Cafe Musain, which is now a dumb McDonald's. Okay, let's pause for a moment, shall we? Why on earth would we replace a historical landmark and turn it into a fast-food restaurant? WHY, WHY, WHY??????? Okay, I'm done venting. Then I would want to go to the Paris Opera house and check out Box 5, and try to find some some cool hidden trap doors that Erik used. That would be amazing. Oh yes, who could ever forget the Eiffel Tower? Imagine watching the sunset at the top? Can you imagine, because I sure can!

I've been reading a book called Life Without Limits by Nick Vujicic. It's more of a self-help book, though it does tell his story. I can't believe how good it was. Actually, quite a bit of it can apply to me! I am still reading it, and so far, I am deeply impressed. Nick has such a good attitude, even though he has no arms or legs.

I"m totally loving the weather here. I usually don't like super hot weather, but it's a super good thing we have a large above-ground pool. It's always cold, the temperature around 80 or higher on a super SUPER hot day- just the way I like it! I love jumping right into a cold pool! What a splash to the face!!!!

There is a new series on television on the TLC channel called "Who Do You Think You Are?", about celebrities who dig deeper into their ancestry roots. I've only seen two, and I haven't finished them yet. The one with Chelsea Handler was kind of boring. It about her grand-father who may have been a Nazi sympathizer. I was expecting something better. It seemed to go really slow. The one I'm in the middle of is Chris O' Donnell. This was is awesome! Great paced, he finds some amazing things!!!!

So, I'm trying to choreograph my little sister's routine for the talent show next year in July. Yes it's quite aways away, but I figure if she keeps practicing it, she'll perfect it and be confident about performing it in time.

That been all in my life for this month. I don't think there is anything worth actually noting at the minute. I'll update it if I remember anything. This is Sippin' Sweet Tea.

Words Of Wisdom: Colossians 1:16-17

Joly Fan Fiction Part Two

Part Two:

Even A Hypochondriac's Life Without Love Is Sorely Empty

1829

Joly hurried to the medical school building. The sky was cold and dark looking, while rain slightly soaked Joly. On his way, he stopped to check his pulse, before heading on again. He was early as usual for his class, but Monsieur Dufarge never minded. He took off his coat and shook the water droplets off of his cane before walking into the room. He entered the room, but not before he left his cane propped on the door frame. 

"I know I'm early, Monsieur, but I was wondering-," Joly started as he rolled up the cuffs of his shirt sleeves and looked up. A pretty woman with green eyes and ginger curls with tints of red turned. She had a simple pretty dress of pink silk and her fair hair was tied back with a simple white ribbon. She looked like a young school girl, probably not even a day over fifteen. She looked very superb, with beautiful eyes of a fortune teller. White and dimpled, well dressed, with obvious little hands and feet, there was no wonder why Joly was attracted to her. Her eyes sparkled as he stood like a statue near the door. 

"I'm sorry, Monsieur Dufarge is not here, quite yet. My name is Musichetta André. I am a new student here." Musichetta blushed, as she bumped into one of the tables. With a soft smile, Joly took her hand and kissed it after saying, "Mademoiselle Musichetta André, I am Monsieur Joly Dubois." 

"Monsieur Joly Dubois." Musichetta repeated slowly. She liked the sound of that. Not soon after they became aquatinted, Monsieur Dufarge and the other medical students arrived. Never in his life had Joly been so distracted in class. He had always been a good student, who paid attention and drank in every word that Monsieur Dufarge spoke. But with Musichetta two rows to the right and two seats ahead of him, she was his perfect view. To Joly's luck, Monsieur Dufarge said nothing, he only sent the young man a smile. When the students were leaving, Joly caught up with Musichetta.
"Maemoiselle, may I help you with your cloak?" Joly spied a mint green cloak that Musichetta was reaching for. With a shy smile, the young girl replied, "You may." After put the cloak around her, Joly slipped on his own coat and grabbed his cane, before asking, "May I escort you home, Madame?" She complied, but it took them far longer than they both imagined to get to a house that was just three street corners away. They stopped for some bread and wine, then went to explore some new shops, before Joly eventually got Musichetta home. Monsieur André had been obviously waiting for his daughter's return. After all, they were indeed a great hour and a half late.
"Good bye, Monsieur, thank you for walking me home." Musichetta said, a look of sadness plagued her eyes, as she turned to slip inside her home. Monsieur André waited until he could hear his daughter no longer, before stepping outside to talk to Joly.
"Young lad, my daughter is only sixteen. I don't want you filling her mind with such ridiculous romantic ideas. Keep them to yourself, and stay away from my daughter." Monsieur André ordered before heading back inside, not even giving Joly a chance to speak. With a depressed sigh, Joly started his walk home. He was two street corners from Musichetta's house, when he heard a bright sweet voice call, "Monsieur!" Musichetta ran through the streets, dodging anyone who was in her way. She put her hands on Joly's face and gave him a long soft kiss, before running back home. Swaying a bit, Joly's felt his heart dancing, as he walked home. After that day, Joly and Musichetta spent many days together. They only had little pockets of time, but they spent it wisely. They had dinner every weekend at lovely restaurants and walked often in the park as long as it was sunny and bright, they even went to a few operas. Musichetta used little lies, by saying things like "I am visiting Adele" and "I am going on a walk". She made a routine of telling a new one every day. They were in love and both agreed to take their relationship very slowly for the first year. Musichetta liked Joly's company, Joly, the same. Musichetta learned that Joly was a hypochondriac and Joly learned that she was slightly sulky with cruel impatience. A literary girl was she, to Joly's delight. Though early in their relationship, they discussed hopeful plans of eloping in the summer of the next eight years or so.

It was the year of 1830, when Joly was walking the streets. He had a bundle of wildflowers of all different kinds. Even though he knew a few of them were actually weeds, they still looked like flowers. He was taking Musichetta out for a special dinner tomorrow night. A sweet tune shook all of Joly's thoughts. A sweet tune on the flute was coming from a field of wildflowers. Joly could see no one until he walked further into the field. A man, awkwardly dressed, lay in the field, a flute to his lips. He had a bundle of flowers beside him, obviously for his own love that night.
"Pardon me, Monsieur." Joly began. The man immediately stopped playing, a blush rose to his cheeks.
"I'm sorry, I am Monsieur Jean Prouvaire. Most people call me Jehan. What did you think of that tune? I am writing this for my love." Joly relaxed, and smiled. "I am Monsieur Joly Dubois. Would you play for my love and I tomorrow night?" Standing to his full height, Jehan smiled, and replied, "I would be honored. But, I must be gone by nine to spend time with my own." Nodding, Joly agreed. Within those days, Joly and Jehan got to know each other. Joly was surprised at how soft and kind Jehan was in one moment, and then extremely brave and manly at the other. Better yet, Jehan was an amazing poet. Whenever Joly needed a poem for Musichetta, he went to Jehan. Jehan had a softer side to him, and that's what Joly liked about him. Jehan enjoyed the company of Joly, and they became very good friends.

The next night, Joly waited patiently for Musichetta. Jehan was cleaning his flute, and the waiter was setting down a basket of bread, a wine bottle and glasses, along with their dinner. Musichetta appeared at the door. Dressed in a stylish gown of mint and pink, Musichetta looked like a dream, with her ginger hair left down in curls.
"Musichetta, this is my friend, Jehan Prouvaire." Joly did introductions before they ate.
"Bonsoir, Madame." Jehan bowed respectfully. As Joly and Musichetta ate, they discussed plans of the future while Jehan played his flute. Not long after they were done, Jehan had headed back to meet his own love, while Joly walked Musichetta home. He gave her a long sweet kiss, before she disappeared inside. What lied ahead for Joly and Musichetta? Marriage, a family, more? But, that was in 1830. Only God knew what was in store for Joly's life in the future.


What Do You Think About Part 2 Of My Joly Fan Fiction? I Hope You Enjoyed It!!! Part 3 Coming Soon!!! Comment Your Thoughts, I'd Love To Hear Them And Any Suggestions For Part 3!!!

So, I know how the fandom portrays Jehan, I just hope I did a good job. Yes, I know he sounds kinda "girly", but I hope my small description of him about being kind and then manly does him justice to the way he and Joly meets. Musichetta, you will hopefully know from the Brick. (she is Joly and Lesgles' mistress) Why did I decide to make Joly and Jehan friends? That's a simple question. If you read my first "Sippin' Sweet Tea", you'll know that they are my favorite barricade boys. So that's my fun little reason!!! Hope you enjoyed!!!

Words Of Wisdom: 1 John 1:9

Joly Fan Fiction Part One

Part One: 

The Race Home Ends At The Finish Line To Heaven's Gates

1816 France

Joly, Anneliese, and three boys ran through the snow covered streets. School had just finished up for the day and Joly and Anneliese were anxious to get home. As quick as he was, Anneliese was nearly just as fast as him. 
"I'm going to beat you home, Anna!" Joly yelled behind him. Anna hiked her heavy skirts up and picked up her pace, hollering, "No you won't!" Joly then noticed how some of the boys were cutting across the frozen lake and his sister was following. Joly had stayed on the riverbanks, not wanting to get wet. He was quite a ways away from Anna, near the bridge to cross when he noticed Anna on the frozen river. All of the boys ran past, as Anna was about ten feet behind them when the ice started to crack. 
"Anna!" Joly screamed as the ice broke from under his sister. He threw down his school bag and ran to help his sister. In his clumsiness of falling and slipping on the icy grounds, it took Joly longer to get to his sister. The hole in the middle of the river was small and he could see Anna's arms just above the surface of the ice. Anna was thrashing wildly, the weight of her heavy skirts was making trying to hold her head above the water a struggle. She knew how to swim, Joly made that his job for her to know how. But what good is that when you feel your arms and legs going numb in below degrees temperature water? The boys watched worriedly on the other side of the river. A small crowd was gathering on the other side of the river where the boys were. Women watched, as men were slow to make it down the slope to the riverbank on the way to help. Joly felt the ice cracking under him, but hardly noticed at the moment, as he reached down to grab his sister. Suddenly a loud crack sounded and Joly also fell into the water. The feel of the freezing water hit him like a fist in the face. He couldn't feel the bottom of the river, as he grabbed Anneliese' hand. Adding her petticoats, heavy winter dress, and her large wool coat, Anneliese was quite heavy. Inch by inch, Joly pushed on, trying to get the the side of the river. Anna's cold arms were around his neck, as he felt her trying her best to help him by kicking her legs. Must, keep, trying! Come on, Joly, move quicker! But it was a task, fighting the river's strong current, and the way Joly felt his legs going numb. It took about five more minutes for Joly to find the bottom of the river. He also didn't know how much timed passed. In his head it felt like an hour, but in all reality, it was about twenty minutes. Men pulled the young boy up the river bank and loaded both him and his sister into a waiting ambulance. When they got home, Joly's mother was horrified. Marianne Dubois shooed the men away from her daughter, before stripping off all of her daughter's soaked clothes, and quickly ran a hot bath. Anneliese was soaked to the bone. The doctor shook his head to Marianne, as Joly waited for news of his sister. He had taken off all of his clothes, replaced now by fresh new ones, and was waiting in the warm kitchen with a steaming cup of tea. He got up to go to his sister's room. He seemed fine, because he had not been in the water as long as Anna. Finally, after waiting an for about an hour, Joly would wait no longer. A maid would not let him in, but she eventually gave up as he pushed past her to where his sister was lying silently in her large bed. Along with having her long thick winter nightgown on, Anna was swabbed with comforters, three extra blankets and several extra pillows in bed. Joly felt her hand, and his heart sank when he felt how cold it was. 
"Anna?" Joly whispered. She moaned and turned to look at her brother. "How cold I feel!" she proclaimed taking Joly's hand in hers. Her eyes looked sad and merry at the same time. Her face was pale and her skin was cold. "I love you, Joly. You have always been smarter and quicker than me. But.......I do not feel quite as well as I usually do, but, mmm, I still, beat, you, Home." Anneliese blew her last breath in these words and moved no longer. Joly cried out, "No! Anneliese! Please, Anneliese! Come back!" He put his head into the covers and muffled his words through his tears, "Come back!" The funeral was the next Saturday. And that was the day when Joly firmly dedicated the next twelve years to work towards becoming a doctor. Along with that, he became a serious hypochondriac. He had to wash his hands often and spent time inspecting his tongue in his mirror. He was also likely to have panic attacks, and was quite uncomfortable and worried at times. He had habits of checking his pulse in thunderstorms, and sleeping in a very important position at night, the head of his bed facing south and the foot facing north. He never forgot the death of his beloved sister, and thought about her often. If only she was alive at this moment! How I miss you, sister! Joly thought silently. 

Hope You Enjoyed The First Part Of My Joly Fan-Fiction!!! Second Part To Come Soon!!! Comment Your Thoughts!!!

I know this is probably totally heart-breaking, but imagine listening to Calls Me Home by Sharon LaBrie along with writing it. Adds even more sadness. This song was from one Les Mis inspired fan-videos. Link here. 

Bring In The Books Series: Sixty Acres And A Bride by Regina Jennings

Okay! Fourth book out of five, we are reaching the end of our destination. (sniffles and tears up) Now, this book was kind of a let down, as well.
PLOT:

Sixty Acres and a Bride
By Regina Jennings
*I Do Not Own Picture

Rosa Garner is a young mexican woman who has lived in Mexico for quite a while. Now, her husband has died, and with her mother-in-law Louise and Aunt Mary to seek a new life and family out in Texas.  Weston Garner, Louise's nephew agrees to let Rosa and Louise work for him, while he is grieving over his own lost love. Rosa, being Mexican and beautiful is a fine catch to the men of the town, but basically a disgrace to the women's society. Everything she does causes mens unwanted attentions to come, therefore the woman are disgusted by this new woman. Such things that Rosa innocently do are disgraces to any women. Such as the way her skirts don't touch her ankles, she doesn't wear a corset, yada yada yada. But geez, she's Mexican, not American, that's her culture! Ladies, give her a break!!!! In this book, Rosa and Louise struggle with financial problems. They must come up with $166 by three months. But just Rosa, struggles with unwanted attention from an unwelcome man, the gossip of every woman in town, being basically forced into a marriage to Weston Garner, and struggling with the woman who has been in love with Weston for quite a while. Weston sort of drove me nuts. From reading Short Straw Bride, I was hoping for a protector, for someone who tried to love Rosa even though he was forced into a marriage. It didn't happen.

Regina Jennings
Author of Sixty Acres and a Bride
*I Do Not Own Picture

SIDE CHARACTERS:
Molly and Nicholas Lovelace (Friends (if you want to call them that) of Weston and Rosa
Eliza (Related to Weston (I don't remember how)
Mr. Tillerton (A man attracted to Rosa)
Jake, Willie, and Red (Weston's ranch hands)
















REVIEW:
This book was another sort of dud for me. This and Prize Of My Heart were a bit of let-downs for me. I don't know what I didn't like about them. Maybe the characters, or the plot, or something. Great writings, good characters with many flaws. I like characters who are not perfect. This book in a way, is like a Western version of Ruth, Naomi, and Boaz. It even references in there. Romance is kept a a very decent modesty level, which I appreciate. This book gets a 3 and 1/2 stars for me.

Bring In The Books Series: Short Straw Bride by Karen Witemeyer

Okay, I'll be honest. The last two books I've reviewed have not been on my favorites list. This one, well, let's just say this one is a step up.

Short Straw Bride
By Karen Witemeyer
*I Do Not Own Picture

PLOT:
First we'll start off with the prologue, because that is quite important in this story. Meredith Hayes is a ten year old girl at the moment in the year of 1870. An ornery boy throws her lunch tin into the Archer Land. What is Archer Land? A land where trespassers and snoopy people aren't welcome. In fact, they are most likely welcomed by guns. When Meredith bravely goes into the Archer land to retrieve her tin, she steps into a trap that snaps her ankle. Travis Archer, one of the four Archer brothers, 17 at the time, find her, he expects a man who is simply lurking around. On the contrary, it's an innocent little girl with piercing blue eyes. He helps her out of the trap, retrieves her tin, and goes against his father's promise never to leave Archer Land to get Meredith safely home.
Alright, now (takes remote control and fast forwards) to the year of 1882. Meredith is now 22 and is being courted by a rich man named Roy Mitchell. She doesn't want to be courted by him and often thinks and dreams about Travis Archer. She walks with a limp from the accident still to that day. On a "date' with Mitchell, she overhears him talking about plans to burn down the Archer's barn, after a failed attempt of buying the land. Now, Meredith has always wanted to repay Travis for helping her 12 years ago, so she thinks that this is her chance. But will Travis be the same man he was 12 years ago? When she rides alone to Archer Land, she finds out that he is not the same man. Hard hearted as he is, after explaining and showing proof of her scar, Travis realizes it is Meredith, the girl he helped years ago. Now, the Archer's barn burns and Meredith is hurt in the process. Now with her reputation in tatters, Meredith's uncle Everett tells her she must marry one of the Archer brothers. The Archers decide to draw straws-but not before Travis rigs the competition, making sure that he's the one to win the hand of Meredith.
SIDE CHARACTERS:
Uncle Everett (Meredith's uncle)
Aunt Noreen (Meredith's stern aunt)
Cassandra (I can't find her last name in the book, but she's Meredith's younger cousin)
Crockett Archer (Travis' Brother)
Bowie "Jim" Archer (Travis' Brother)
Neil Archer (Travis' Youngest Brother)
Roy Mitchell (Meredith's hopeful suitor, nemesis of Travis Archer)
Moses, Myra, and Josiah Jackson (Friends of Meredith)

Karen Witemeyer
Author of Short Straw Bride
*I Do Not Own Picture

Now, review time!!!! I like Meredith's spirit. She is relentless to do what is right, even putting herself in harms way. She has no intention of giving in to evil that surrounds her, and even works to put hope in her one-sided marriage. Travis is a good definition of a protector. Yes, he's a bad husband at the start, but heck, he just got thrown into a marriage that was picked by drawing straws! He tries to start off trying to slowly (and I mean SLOWLY) court Meredith, much to her dismay. But geez, the guy needs time. I love how to cares so deeply about Meredith to protect her. He lightens up throughout the book, having his fiery moments. They both show their love for each other in different ways. Meredith by helping, warning, and being a wife to a man who is going slow to learn to be a husband and Travis by being a protector, but giving and taking a little. Absolutely beautifully written, more like the Christian novels I read. The romance is kept on an excellent balance, which I appreciate. For me, this book gets 4 and 1/2 stars out of 5 for me!!!!!!

Have You Read Short Straw Bride? What Do You Think About My Review And What Is Yours? Is This On Your To Read List? Comment Below!

Words Of Wisdom: Proverbs 3:5-6

Farewell Luke Snyder

So, just last night I found out that Luke Snyder will be retiring after this 2013 season. I can't tell you how devastated I was as I read this. Let's just say I was tearing up and banging my fist on the table. I was more devastated than when I found out Colby Yates was retiring. As I said in my earlier post on my favorite bull riders, Luke is my number one favorite. I will miss him tremendously. After all, he's a veteran of the sport for 12 years, and he will be 31 in October. 30 is usually the end of the road for bull riders. Every time that a bull rider announces that he will retire, I shall do a farewell post. He's set a few records as you can read in the article, and I know that I am not the only one who will miss this fun cowboy. Even on television, and was just this spunky young kid doing one of the most dangerous sports in the world. For the other bull riders that I have missed:

Farewell, 
Chris Shivers
Colby Yates
Brendan Clark
and Luke Snyder

Bring In The Books Series: Prize Of My Heart by Lisa Norato

This is the second book out of the five that I will do. I apologize for not posting as consistently as I have, but I had been waiting for my books and reading them all. My last book has not come in, so that one shall be put on hold. This book is called Prize of My Heart by Lisa Norato.

Plot time!!!! This book is set in Massachusetts in the year of 1815. For me, I love to read 1800 books.

Prize of My Heart
By Lisa Norato
*I Do Not Own Picture

Most of my favorite books are set in the 1800 something time frame. Our main characters are Brogan Talvis, who is searching for his long lost son, who was abandoned by his late wife. It has been three years, and Brogan feels he has finally got the right place. He plans to basically kidnap his son and sail away forever. But young, beautiful Lorena Huntley puts a screeching halt to that plan. The daughter of a ship-builder, Lorena is the caregiver of "Andrew (Drew)" (the boy's real name is Benjamin, but for his new name, Benjamin is his middle name). She is a fierce protector and cares very deeply for Drew. Brogan and Lorena's relationship starts off very rocky and they both are very guarded. Brogan finds himself attracted to Lorena, as is she, but when Brogan means to put his plan into action, Lorena is kidnapped against her will. Brogan now, (long story short) has to choose between rescuing his son or the woman who he finds himself falling for. Side characters are Jabez Smith, Brogan's right hand ship-mate, Nathaniel Huntley, Lorena's father, George Louder, a man nearly begging Lorena to marry him, and Temperance Culliford, a maid in the Huntley's house.

Lisa Norato
Author of Prize of My Heart
*I Do Not Own Picture

So, now that we've gone through the plot and characters now I will begin my review. The way they talk is old-time and a bit of Pirate-ish talk, Brogan being a privateer. It was a bit hard to understand. The book seemed to go slow, as well as on and on and on and on. It seemed like Brogan was going to put his plan into action any time soon, and then STOP! It never happens. It went into a pattern. Thought. Stop. Thought. Stop. This book isn't the best book I've read, but it's not the worst either. The writing style was beautiful and I'm sure quite a bit of research went into this book. The ending was also great. I'll give this book 3 and 3/4 stars out of 5 for me.

Words Of Wisdom: Romans 8:31

The Phantom of the Opera At Grand Ledge High School Version

Now, we all know how many different high school versions there are of Les Mis, Phantom and all those other great musicals. I hadn't seen any high school or non-professional versions of either. That was until yesterday and the day before yesterday. I was listening to the "Rehearsal for Don Juan Triumphant" scene of Phantom 25, and everyone has seen those "suggested videos" alongside the screen. One caught my eye and my full undivided attention. It was called The Phantom of the Opera ACT 1{FULL} High School Stage. My goodness, that was amazing! Here is the cast, I'm so sorry the list is so short, but that's all the names I could find.

The Phantom of the Opera
At Grand Ledge High School
*I Do Not Own Picture 

Erik (The Phantom): Robert Mueller
Christine Daaé: Erin Fillingham
Vicomte de Chagny Raoul: Tyler Lorencen
Carlotta: Nicole Paparelli

Mueller's voice was amazing. He was almost at par with Ramin Karimloo. His acting was spot on. You could see his emotions. Anger in The Final Lair, hurt and confusion in All I Ask Of You (First Reprise), sadness at the end of The Final Lair, and yeah. With a little more training and experience, he could go far. That's all I'm going to say. If I wanted to rant and rave, this would be MUCH longer, but I won't. Alright, Fillingham was a good Christine. When she sang her part in "The Phantom of the Opera" song, it was almost a mix of Emmy Rossum and Sierra Boggess. She was good, but I think she needs just a little more training. Acting wise: Phenomenal! For her, other than that, Brava, Brava, Bravissima! Now, we come upon Lorencen, who played Raoul. I don't know if his voice is developed yet. He struck a few notes wrong, and his acting wasn't all too great. His words seemed stiff, and in the scene "Think Of Me", there was no happiness, surprise, or joy that he has met up with his childhood friend. There are more scenes like that, but it was all right. Madame Giry. Oh. My. Goodness. This Madame Giry was excellent. Her staff stabbing the ground was AWESOME! Her voice, beautiful, her acting even better! Meg Giry, I was not impressed. Her voice, is okay, and I don't she performed too much. Carlotta was brilliant, singing and acting wise.

The Phantom of the Opera
Poor Fool, He Makes Me Laugh Scene
*I Do Not Own Picture

Now, I have told before how much I love Monsieur Firmin and Andre, but sadly in this version, they replaced Monsieur Andre with a girl, now named Ana. The guy who played Firmin was good, but I was not thoroughly impress with the girl who played Ana.

Scenery and sets were spot on, and they even had the chandelier, and it FELL!!!!!!!! Erik's lair was the best scenery ever! They had the large gate thingy, all of the candelabras, the monkey box, even the boat!!! One thing that I saw, was they used a keyboard as the organ. I kinda wished they would have used a real organ. This entire thing, I believe, was about or over (I don't know which) $80,000, whereas a normal one would cost only $10,000. The whole thing was funded by all kinds of fundraisers and all sorts of things. I was thoroughly impressed with this performance. It looks as if everyone was very dedicated to doing this, and I wouldn't blame them! Now, there's one sad thing about being home schooled (not really, homeschooling is awesome!) But sadly, our "school", will never get to put on a great show like Phantom. Alas, I would never work as Christine Daaé. Why, you may ask? Because, and I'm no genius, I don't think I am a soprano. I think I am a mezzo-soprano. AKA, I cannot hit Christine's high note in Think Of Me or her High E at the end of The Phantom of the Opera. That, and Cosette or Eponine would be my absolute dream rolls. Too bad I'll never get the chance. Either way, this performance was brilliant. You can see how this was well-organized, not just some silly musical just thrown together. I really appreciate the dedication and the will put into this. And I'm sure I'm not the only one. 4 and 3/4 stars out of 5 for me! Brava, Brava, Bravissima! Now click Link 1 for Part 1 and Link 2 for Part 2. The video quality was excellent, as was sound! You will not regret it!!! I was very satisfied with this version, and I hope you will be too!
P.S. I'm so sorry about the bad quality of the photographs! These were the best I could find.

The Phantom of the Opera
I'm Not Sure If This Was From
The Phantom Of The Opera Scene
Or The Music Of The Night
*I Do Not Own Picture

The Phantom of the Opera
Scene From Think Of Me
*I Do Not Own Picture

If You Choose To Watch This, What Do You Think Of The Cast? Tell Me Your Opinion In The Comments Box Below!

Let The Music Move You: King Of New York (Newsies Disney Movie Version)

One song that has been in my mind is "King of New York" in the Disney movie Newsies. This song is upbeat and bouncy, and has a good rhythm. It's one of those songs that you get your head bobbin' with.
For anyone who has maybe heard of Newsies, but doesn't quite know this song, it's basically about the Newsies, who just got their faces and names on the front page of the paper. They sing about what they could do, now that they are "famous". It's a great song that you and your little brothers or sisters can get into. Clink this to see the video with the scene of "King of New York" in the Disney movie. Scene quality is pretty blurry, but the sound is great. Having seen the movie and this scene a million times, I always listen to the music and do something else, not just watching it. Overall, fun and great song with an excellent cast!

Newsies Cast
*I Do Not Own Picture

Newsies
*I Do Not Own Picture

Movie Cast of Newsies
*I Do Not Own Picture

Bring In The Books Series: Words Spoken True by Ann. H. Gabhart

My first book is called Words Spoken True by Ann H. Gabhart. This story is set in 1855 in Louisville, Kentucky, where two local papers are going head-to-head. First I'll introduce you to the main characters. Adriane Darcy and her father Wade Darcy, are the owners of the paper called the Tribune. They have been running this successful paper for quite a while. Now, meet Blake Garett. He is the new editor of the Tribune's arch nemesis paper the Herald. Some side characters are Duff Egan, an Irish immigrant who works for the Tribune, Beck, Wade Darcy's elderly right hand man, and Stanley Jimson, a rich young man who intends to marry Adriane. Now, this time period was when German and Irish immigrants were flooding into the state of Kentucky. Also, politics and all were also on the rise. If that could be bad enough, what about a mysterious person who has been murdering innocent young Irish girls?

Words Spoken True
By Ann H. Gabhart
*I Do Not Own Picture

So, with that little summary done, I'll tell you a little bit about Miss Darcy. Adriane is a young woman, twenty-two years of age, with an opinionated mouth and beauty on her side. She works with her father, writing for the Tribune, and is expected to marry young Stanley Jimson, a rich young lad who wants her hand in marriage. Adriane is not at all that thrilled. She does not love Stanley and tells her father. But she struggles with honoring her father, as the Bible tells her. Alas, she still does not want to marry a man she does not love. She meets Blake Garett at benefit tea, they immediately have a strong unusual connection. But they are sworn enemies. Adriane wants nothing to do with Blake, whereas he cannot stop thinking about her after they meet. He even ends up saving her life a little further into the book.

Blake Garret. Where do I start? A "Northerner", who has come to Lousville and taken over the job as editor for the paper the Herald. He was once engaged, but a tragedy happened, stopping that plan. He has moved on in his life, not planning to be a relationship any time soon, and most certainly not married. But now he runs into Adriane Darcy the sworn enemy of the Herald. He is immediately taken with her as soon as he lays eyes on her. He does not like the idea of Adriane marrying Stanley, at least not on his watch.

Ann H. Gabhart
Author of Words Spoken True
*I Do Not Own Picture

Since this is a romance, you can hopefully see a little love triangle occurring. Now, reading such good Christian Romance from authors like Janelle Mowery and Lori Wick, I guess I was expecting this to be just as good. Don't get me wrong, it was good, but I've read better. This book is good for much older teenagers and adults. I would not recommend this book for young teenagers like me. As much as I like Christian Romance, this one was too romantic for my taste. Ann H. Gabhart went a tad bit deep in some intimate scenes, I read these parts and read them as quickly as I could to skid past them and get on with the story. Just being me, it was kind of uncomfortable reading these parts, and I did not like how it focused on them so much. I'm a person inside of a box, who reads books from not a big variety of authors. Lori Wick and Janelle Mowery always maintained a pretty good balance with the romance in their books. Ann H. Gabhart, eh not too much. I wanted the book to be more about the newspapers and the killer. The writing style was excellent, as was the plot. But just the intimate scenes were not needed. The book would have been just as good without them. I am glad to tell you, overall without these problems the book was pretty good. This book is probably just a one time read for me. My favorite characters were Duff Egan and Beck. Next up, would probably be Adriane and Blake. Surprising that I like the side characters over the main ones? So am I. So. Am. I. This book gets a 3 and 3/4 stars out of five for me.

ATTENTION!!!! My next reviews won't come out for about four days. I'm waiting on one book for someone to return before I get my last four books, so hold tight while we stop at the gas station for a little break!

What Do You Think About My Review, And Will This Be On Your Reading List? Comment Below On What You Think Of My Review!

Hey Guys, Special Announcement!

Hello, everybody! So, this week I have been looking forward to reading some good Christian Romance novels that I found at the fair. I didn't have enough money to buy them (I didn't even really want to), so I decided I'll get them through the libraries around here. But, why just read them for fun, when you can read them for fun and write a review on them? So, I will be having a Bring In The Books Series. I wanted to do a 10 part series, but just now as I type this, I checked my account to see I only have five on my reading list. So, this will be a Bring In The Book 5 Part Series. I'll give my review, rating, overall look of the writing itself, characters, and more. Now, I know I've been pretty consistent of getting a blog post out every single day for a while, but it might be a day or two in between the reviews. Because:
1. I have to wait on getting them from different libraries (shipping and all)
2. Then I have to read them (Fun, but takes me a little bit of time)
3. My busy life
4. And just writing a good honest review takes a bit of time

But, I'm hoping to have my first one out tomorrow, already having got and read the first book. (Hurrah!) The series will start tomorrow, and go on until our destination is reached. So sit back, relax with a jar of sweet tea and a bag of jellybeans and popcorn, and enjoy the ride!