Sincerely, Me

"Artists use lies to tell the truth."  - V for Vendetta

Hey lovelies!  I have decided to start posting a blog to keep you all up to date with developments in my stories (currently Of Raindrops, Flowers,& Wishing Wells and Secondhand Wings), just so that you all know that I haven't fallen off the face of the earth or anything.  I'll also give you teasers and post drawings occasionally.

So as of right now, Raindrops is in it's fiftieth(!) chapter, and as you know, it's been a WIP for a long time.  This is mostly due to the fact that I have been re-writing the story, and I've been having more inspiration with that than with the newest chapter.  I won't post the re-written version of Raindrops until I catch up with myself (and I'm only in the third chapter right now), but I will continue to post new chapters as I get around to them.  Fifty is going to be the longest yet, and it will include Peter's answer to Bellatrix's offer, the play, the beginnings of recruitment for the Order of the Phoenix by Alice and Frank, Remus and Vanessa's reaction to the Werewolf Rights bill, Amelia's plans now that she is no longer involved in the MoM, the Ministry's reaction to Amelia's double-crossing, Lily coming to her senses (or in a way, loosing her senses completely), and further details about the war with Voldemort.  But while you wait for all of that, I've decided to give you a snippet of what the new Raindrops is going to look like.  This is an excerpt from Chapter One:

Her cold, bare feet drug in the grey sand as she swung back and forth in the low swing.  The wood beam above creaked in protest at the weight, as though it had not been used in many years, and the chains reeked of rust and mildew.

It was, like everything else in the small industrial town (ironically named Lantern City), in desperate need of repair, but the landlords that owned most of the area around the old textile mill had never seen fit to waste money on something children would not use.  Few people went outside at all due to the thick smog that hung in the air like a dark, suppressive cloud, and those that did hurried from one place to the next, shielding their faces and never stopping to speak with anyone.

The only residents of the town were those who worked in the mill, and over time, they had taken on the filthy, grey look that had seeped into the small brick houses and stamped out any amount of color there once was.  Their faces were ashy; their hair was somewhere between grey and mousy brown and hung limp about their thin, sallow faces; their eyes were flat and pale, and no longer told the million little stories that most eyes can convey.

She looked up suddenly when she heard the sound of feet on the cobbled street, and saw a man in the dusty, grey uniform that all of the mill workers wore.  His salt-and-pepper hair looked out of place on such a young man, but the shadows of lines forming on his brow told her what she already knew—work at the mill aged people far too quickly, drained them much too soon.

He caught sight of her sitting in the swing and seemed unable to look away, like he was suddenly a child brought into a toy store for the first time and astounded by the innumerable colors and sounds.  She blushed and turned her head, and the man kept walking, but she could feel his eyes on her until he turned onto Factory Way.

Her mother had once described her as the stained glass windows in a dreary old church, and while the once-beautiful windows in the church at the end of the road had long-since been boarded up, the girl could understand the analogy.  Perhaps, had she lived in the little town year-round, she would have faded, too, but she attended school far away, and as such, had maintained her vibrant color.

Her skin was pale, but not in the sickly way that most in the town had, and accented with freckles.  Many girls her age hated their freckles, but she was able to see them as just one more part of the spectrum.  Cracked pink lips framed her wide mouth, which was full of too-big teeth that all showed when she smiled, and her shockingly green eyes were almond-shaped and surrounded by thick black lashes.  But easily the feature that stood out the most was the long, red-bronze hair that curled softly and thickly down her back.

She had, however, inherited the rail-thin figure that was common in the townspeople, though while at school she was able to gain a small amount of weight.  But she always appeared too thin to truly be healthy.  During her time at home, she seemed to absorb the smell of smoke from the mill until she could not get it out of her skin for weeks into the school year.

She coughed, the smog getting into her lungs and affecting her breathing, but still she sat in the swing.  She was waiting for him.  She and him—an unlikely pair that was misunderstood wherever they went.  While at home, the locals assumed that they would be yet another marriage of convenience, as so many were, and at school, people thought of their friendship as impractical, impossible even. 

He was supposed to be there, and the only reason she could imagine that he would be late would be that his father, who was far too fond of liquor, had been rampaging drunkenly about and hurt him or his pacifistic mother.

As soon as the thought of her friend in trouble crossed her mind, she was on her feet, but a second set of footsteps interrupted her.

Hope you guys liked it so far, let me know what your thoughts are on the whole process.  Obviously, this is just the introduction to Lily's life, so there isn't any real interaction yet, but still talk to me! I'm re-doing a lot of the story, and writing all of fifth year, since I skipped so much of it when I first wrote it.  Let me know if there is anything you want to see (Constance's home life, Regulus at school, a confrontation between Lily and Remus, whatever you want).

As for Secondhand Wings, my current priority is Chapter Fifty of Raindrops, but once I get that out, I plan to continue with Wings ASAP.  I can't honestly tell you what I have in store, because I haven't decided yet, but in no way have I forgotten this story!

And I wanted to say THANK YOU to all of those who have reviewed both stories and sent me notes to ask where I am and if I'm okay.  It all means so much to me that you guys care, and I promise to get back on track hopefully by this weekend.  I'm taking the ACT for the last time on Saturday, but I'm hoping to write Saturday afternoon and hopefully Sunday afternoon as well.  I LOVE YOU ALL TO BITS!

Love Always,
Kayla