WIP December #1: Introduction + Mini Paintings

I’ve been having a lot of fun with art related posts, and I got this idea at the end of October to do a short art series in the month of December. I wanted to end of the year in a way I haven’t done before. So, starting today and scattered throughout the month of December, I will be posting somewhat random pieces of art including sketches and paintings. I'm calling this WIP (work in progress) December. There will be six posts in total.
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WIP: Mini paintings (waterfall; barn; lake).

            

Comments: If you follow the blog on twitter, you might have caught the tweet about the barn and lake paintings. And let me tell you, I’m having an inordinate amount of fun painting on small pieces of paper. I found that it’s a good exercise because the limited space has challenged me to think about what I’m doing, how I’m doing it, and committing to each color choice and brush stroke. Fun fact: when I paint water, I don’t typically do reflections on. It’s a weird habit that I’ve developed and hope to get away from. So, I wanted to switch it up for the lake piece and actually work on some reflections.

Fun fact #2: waterfalls aren’t that difficult for me—neither are most basic bodies of water like beaches and coves. When I started mixing in traditional painting with digital painting, oceans, waterfalls, and lakes were the subjects I started on and got really good at. I’ve done them often enough to memorize the key features and colors. Water turned into a subject I enjoy painting. It's kind of relaxing.

I’m probably going to be drawing more buildings for WIP December, because I want to get to the point where I can draw from memory instead of relying so much on references for simple things. I need to stop painting bodies of water, and get to work on buildings.
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Release Day Blitz, Excerpt, & Giveaway: Ever the Brave by Erin Summerill

Today, I'm excited to take part in the Ever the Brave release day blitz. If you haven’t heard about this book yet, be sure to check out all the details below. Don't forget to check out the excerpt, and keep scrolling to the end of the post where you can enter for the chance to win one of 3 finished copies of the book courtesy of Erin Summerill, HMH, and Rockstar Book Tours.

About The Book...Title: EVER THE BRAVE (Clash of Kingdoms #2)

Author: Erin Summerill

Pub. Date: December 5, 2017

Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers

Pages: 464

Formats: Hardcover, eBook

Find it: Amazon, B&N, iBooks, TBD, Goodreads

Ever the Divided. Ever the Feared. Ever the Brave.

After saving King Aodren with her newfound Channeler powers, Britta only wants to live a peaceful life in her childhood home. Unfortunately, saving the King has created a tether between them she cannot sever, no matter how much she'd like to, and now he's insisting on making her a noble lady. And there are those who want to use Britta’s power for evil designs. If Britta cannot find a way to harness her new magical ability, her life—as well as her country—may be lost.

The stakes are higher than ever in the sequel to Ever the Hunted, as Britta struggles to protect her kingdom and her heart.

About Book 1...

Title: EVER THE HUNTED

Author: Erin Summerill

Pub. Date: December 27, 2016

Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers

Pages: 400

Formats: Hardcover, eBook, audiobook

Find it: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Goodreads

Seventeen year-old Britta Flannery is at ease only in the woods with her dagger and bow. She spends her days tracking criminals alongside her father, the legendary bounty hunter for the King of Malam—that is, until her father is murdered. Now outcast and alone and having no rights to her father’s land or inheritance, she seeks refuge where she feels most safe: the Ever Woods. When Britta is caught poaching by the royal guard, instead of facing the noose she is offered a deal: her freedom in exchange for her father’s killer.

However, it’s not so simple.

The alleged killer is none other than Cohen McKay, her father’s former apprentice. The only friend she’s ever known. The boy she once loved who broke her heart. She must go on a dangerous quest in a world of warring kingdoms, mad kings, and dark magic to find the real killer. But Britta wields more power than she knows. And soon she will learn what has always made her different will make her a daunting and dangerous force. 

The king and his men ride away into the Ever Woods.

Gillian sweeps in, face beaming. I want to shake her shoulders and erase that smile. I slam the door.

“You look murderous.” Gillian spins around, her skirts swishing against the stone.

“I am.”

A blink. “You don’t like the dresses?”

“Really? You’ve been living with me for a month.”

“Right. So they’re not your usual choice, but they’re variety. Something different form brown trousers.

“They’re for the Royal Winter Feast Ball. He wants to sprinkle royal dust on me and make me noble.”

Gillian presses her hands to her cheeks and pretends to swoon.

“Stop it,” I snap.

She flounces into the bedroom and lifts a rose dress from the bed. That grin. Seeds. She’s as mad as the King Aodren.

The pull to the king, still taut in my chest, halves my attention from her squealing prattle. I press my palm to my sternum. I’d give anything to be free of him. To be able to live in peace on Papa’s land. But I don’t know how to break the bond.

If Enat were still alive — the thought flattens me — she’d know what to do. She’d tell me how to free myself from King Aodren. He’s been gone for five minutes, and I can still pick out his location in the Ever Woods.

I pound my fist on the door. I have to figure out a way to rid myself of the bond. I have to.

Gillian jerks to a stop. “It’s not the end of the world.”

I start to respond, but an answering rush of something strange and shuddery slips under the surface of my skin. I lurch, cradling my suddenly clammy hand, eyeing Gillian, then the door with growing alarm. Unease spreads from the top of my head to my heels, a drop of poison fanning through a jar of ale.

I’ve felt this way before.


“What is it?” Gillian’s fists crinkle a rose-colored gown. Breath suddenly short, I yank the door open and stare deep into the Evers. The breeze’s icy fingers caress my face. There’s nothing to see, but something is very wrong.

“The king.”

About the author...

Erin Summerill was born in England. After spending years bouncing between Air Force bases in Hawaii, England, and California, her family settled in Utah, where Erin graduated with a B.A. in English from Brigham Young University. She had aspirations to write the next great American novel, but writing proved tougher than she first thought. So she grabbed a Nikon and became a professional photographer while crafting manuscript after manuscript. The scenic detour of shooting weddings across the United States, as well as internationally, provided world-building inspiration. It gave her the vision to draft her debut YA fantasy, EVER THE HUNTED. Now when she isn’t writing, or shooting a wedding, she’s chasing her four kids, two dogs, one cat, and five chickens. This could be why she downs massive amounts of Coke Zero and Hot tamales.

Website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Goodreads

3 winners will receive a finished copy of EVER THE BRAVE. This giveaway is US Only and ends December 12th, midnight EST.

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ARC Review: The Girl in the Tower by Katherine Arden

Title: The Girl in the Tower
Series: The Winternight Trilogy #2
Author: Katherine Arden
Source/Format: Netgalley; eARC
More Details: Fantasy; Historical
Publisher/Publication Date: Del Rey; December 5, 2017

Goodreads     Amazon     Barnes & Noble     Book Depository

Synopsis from Goodreads...

The magical adventure begun in The Bear and the Nightingale continues as brave Vasya, now a young woman, is forced to choose between marriage or life in a convent and instead flees her home—but soon finds herself called upon to help defend the city of Moscow when it comes under siege...

Orphaned and cast out as a witch by her village, Vasya’s options are few: resign herself to life in a convent, or allow her older sister to make her a match with a Moscovite prince. Both doom her to life in a tower, cut off from the vast world she longs to explore. So instead she chooses adventure, disguising herself as a boy and riding her horse into the woods. When a battle with some bandits who have been terrorizing the countryside earns her the admiration of the Grand Prince of Moscow, she must carefully guard the secret of her gender to remain in his good graces—even as she realizes his kingdom is under threat from mysterious forces only she will be able to stop...

I've been looking forward to The Girl in the Tower since January, and luckily the wait wasn't too long. I was primarily excited for it because of how much I enjoyed reading the first book in the series, The Bear and the Nightingale. That book had a semi-open ending, and I wanted to know where Arden would take the story since there were so many possibilities. And indeed, The Girl in the Tower picks up shortly after the end of The Bear and the Nightingale. Vasya made her choice, and she intended to stick to it.

By no means was I disappointed by The Girl in the Tower, but I didn’t enjoy it as much as the previous book. I still liked the story, but the first couple of chapters didn’t immediately draw me in the same way The Bear and the Nightingale was able to do. However, once the point of view shifted to Vasya, the story took on a familiar fairytale-like tone, which I was an absolute fan of. It quickly became apparent that this was the dark, icy, and magical sequel I was hoping for.

One of the things I like about Arden’s writing is how atmospheric it is. I particularly enjoyed the historical aspects of the book because of how detailed and real the characters and setting seemed to fit with the time period. She perfectly captured the landscape, weather, and dangers of the setting and society. The folklore is something to be noted too. There are a lot of old tales incorporated into Vasya’s story, which tied in with the magic. It was one of the things I enjoyed so much about The Bear and the Nightingale, and I was glad to see that it carried over into the second book.

That brings me to the characters. While Vasya’s story was the focus, I liked that the secondary characters had personality. They were present in the story, not just there as background noise. Then, there was Vasya. I liked her strength and determination. She learned a lot through her mistakes, and that made her character arch all the more interesting. Morozko—I don’t have much to say about the frost demon, because that would be a spoiler. What I will say is that he's one of my favorite characters in this series, and I appreciated the scenes he was in but wish he would have been more present in the story.

So, while the ending was a little abrupt, The Girl in the Tower was still a solid addition to the series. And if you enjoyed The Bear and the Nightingale, then this is a must read. Now begins the wait for book three.

Disclaimer: This copy of the book was provided by the publisher (Del Rey) via Netgalley for this review.

About the author...

Born in Texas, Katherine attended Middlebury College, where she studied French and Russian literature. She has lived abroad in France and in Moscow, and is fluent in both French and Russian. She has also lived in Hawaii, where she spent time guiding horse trips while writing The Bear and the Nightingale. She currently lives in Vermont...

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Music Monday (33): Holiday Music Part 1

Rules:

• Music Monday is a weekly meme hosted by Lauren Stoolfire at Always Me that asks you to share one or two songs that you've recently enjoyed. For the rules, visit the page HERE 

Breana: This is one post I always look forward to writing. And this year is no different, except for the fact that there have been a lot of holiday albums released just in time for December. My pick this week is Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy by Lindsey Stirling. I was already a fan of Stirling’s music before she released her holiday album, Warmer in the Winter. Needless to say, I’ve been enjoying it. One of my favorites from the album is Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy, which also has a gorgeous music video.

 

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Adri: For this Music Monday, I’m choosing  Christmas C ’mon also by Lindsey Stirling; featuring vocals from Becky G, this song appears on the same album. I think I like this song because she preformed it on Dancing with the Stars on the outside stage, albeit, I attended the inside portion… but hey, we got to see the finale performances. Honestly, on a side note, I found her freestyle performance on the first night of the finale exciting. After the finale, we got her CD ASAP.

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What are you listening to this week?

2017 Holiday Gift Guide

Yep, it’s December, which means that I get to do another holiday gift guide—fun stuff. Last year, I did a semi-last-minute holiday gift guide. However, this year I wanted to be more prepared for it. So, as the year has gone by, I've sporadically jotted down a few items I wanted to include in 2017s holiday gift guide. The challenge I encountered was coming up with new things to add so that 2017s post wouldn't be an absolute repeat of 2016s list. As always, this isn't a literal list. Instead, this post is meant to give you—the reader—some possible ideas about gifts. And, this year, Adri is joining me with some of her own input. Also, we'll link to as many of the items on the list as possible, but keep in mind that availability and pricing changes—we have no control over it—and some things we just couldn't find online. All linked items will be in bold italics. Anyway, I'm going to stop rambling. On to the list!

Stuff to buy… 

• Funko
• Household items (Coffee cups; Snow globes; stylish storage)

Breana: There are a lot of household items that could make good gifts to someone whose looking for them. Coffee cups are an automatic choice, but there are also seasonal snow globes, and stylish storage (which I forgot to include when we took the picture).

• CDs: Janelle Monae's The Electric Lady; Grimes's Art Angels; Lindsey Stirling's Warmer in the Winter
• Books, reference Books, & Journals
• Makeup (lipstick)

Adri: When choosing makeup for someone, take into consideration things like if their skin is sensitive. Or check to see which brands they regularly use and if there is a color/product they want, but don’t have.

• EOS (lotion & lip balm): Gift Set

Adri: If you’re purchasing EOS for someone else, be cautious of some of the natural ingredients like coconut, which to my understanding, some people have an allergy to.

• Nail polish colors: Metallica; Burgundy Frost

Breana: you can find this brand of nail polish—wet n wild—online, but it's cheaper to go in-store and buy it.

• Perfume 
• Art supplies: Sakura Pigma Fine Liners; Sakura Koi Pocket Field Sketch Box; Prismacolor Premier Colored Pencils)

Breana: When shopping at Michaels, keep an eye out for good deals. Art supplies aren't cheap, but check Michaels frequently for daily/weekly coupons. Also, some things may be cheaper in-store. Just remember to compare prices.

• Subscriptions: Discover Magazine 

Breana: I’m using Discover Magazine as an example, but it's not the only one. There are a lot of different subscription types: magazines, boxes (books, makeup, etc.). There’s a lot of them out there.

DIY Stuff…

While we were setting up for the first part of this post, Adri came up with the idea to add a DIY section. I thought it was a great idea since not all gifts have to be bought. They can also be made.

• Blank Canvases

Breana: make your loved one a painting—or picture—whichever you prefer. Don’t be afraid of the blank canvas or paper. Start with something simple or do what's within your skill set. Just don't wrap a blank canvas like a gift, unless the person actually wants them like that. 

• Knit & Yarn items (magic circle, the start of a hat; yarn bird; necklace)
• Gloves or other sewing goods

Adri: The gloves are made out of a four-way stretch fabric with a pattern made by tracing the outline of my hand. For other types of fabric you may need a different pattern. If you want to make gloves for your family or friends without suspicion, one way may be to act like you need a reference for drawing hands. Have them trace at least one hand with fingers spread out on one piece of paper. And you should be set for short gloves. For longer gloves, find a sneaky way to get arm measurements. Just a sewing note: instead of cutting the outline, I applied it to the fabric and sewed it by hand due to personal preference. I then trimmed the seam allowances.