15/04/2013 - Blog Poll, Please VOTE!

Hello!

So as you see (or should see) to the right, we have a poll going on. The reason? Well, my posts or updates have been really slow lately. I've run out of ideas. :-\ That and I don't have much time to organise my posts until the 19th of April (my holiday's start then).

So to help me decide what to post next, I created a poll. Anyone can vote on this blog, so please, take 30 seconds of your time and click a button. Seriously. DO IT!!!

Anyway, to help you with your choice, I have decided to post a little bit about each choice here.



#1 - Short Stories - These will be spontaneous, not really regular. They will also vary in topic. The good thing about this is that you can suggest things for me to write about.

#2 - Book Reviews/Recommendations - These will be once a week, whenever I finish a book. They will usually be about Wattpad stories that I get requests to read, so you might not be able to go and buy a copy if you want to read it.

#3 - Informative Articles - Articles from around the world about the biggest news topics, my take on them. They'll be informative, but opinionated, too. I can never seem to stick with detached, boring news article type speech.

#4 - Interviews With Other Authors - These will be sparse. I cannot guarantee when these will be posted, but if you would like to see them, I will try to get them. They won't be with huge authors like J.K Rowling though.

#5 - Guest Posts - Posts by other authors. Cannot guarantee these will happen but I will try my best to make it happen if you want them. Also, if you want to contribute something to the blog, please let me know.

#6 - A Blog-Only Story, 1 Chapter Per Week (for 6 months) - I will write a 24 chapter story for the blog only, posting one chapter a week for 6 months. These will be short chapters, but hopefully enjoyable. This story, although yet to be confirmed, will be about a girl who wakes up in hospital and finds out that she has full use of her brain and now has special powers. I've been wanting to write this story for a while, but I can never find the motivation to finish it as I have no plans to get it published.

#7 - Poems - I hate poetry, but I will try to write a poem a week. No guarantee on them being any good though.



Anyway, now you know what the choices are. So look to the right and VOTE!!

09/04/2013 - To Create A Vampire

Ingredients
8 x Centranthus Flowers (signify immortality & never ending love)
6 x Dahlia Flowers (create extreme beauty and selfishness)
3L Apple Water (create immunity from sickness)
12 x Wild Delphinium Flowers (create bloodlust)
2 x fruit bat fangs (enhance teeth strength for tearing flesh)
15 x mosquitoes - dead, crushed (create desire for blood)
1L Drinkers own blood (extra strength for transition and need to feed)
1 x Large Tiberium Jewel (creates venom for ability to turn others into vampires)


Method

1. Crush the petals of the Centranthus, Dahlia and Wilde Delphinium in a small bowl.
2. In another bowl, crush the fangs of the fruit bat. Add the fangs to the crushed flower petals.
3. In a large bowl or jug, mix the apple water with the blood. It MUST be the blood of the drinker or this will not work.
4. Crush the mosquitoes and add them to the liquid. Then add the flower/fang mixture.
5. Melt the Tiberium jewel and add it to the liquid.
6. Mix everything by stirring the concoction twelve times clockwise, then once anti-clockwise.
7. Repeat step 6 twice more.
8. Once stirred, say this: "Tibi Immortalitatem. Tibi aeternam salutem. Sis semper et perpetuo valere decet. Ego donum et maledicentibus vobis cum vitae. Ita mote sit."
9. The drinker should then take the potion.

*the spell must be performed at midnight*

8/04/2013 - Future Spells

TO SEE THE FUTURE

Passing moments as you dance
Call upon my sacred glance
Call upon my witches sight
Bless me with vision, a sacred light,
Moving time, making flight
Give me now a second sight




TO VISIT THE FUTURE

My knowledge gone, I must move on
Take me to the future at once





TO RETURN FROM THE FUTURE

My time is up, I found what lack
Send me home, send me back





TO SUMMON FROM THE FUTURE

With knowledge that is not yet sound
Keep me rooted to the ground
Begging for a gift to flay
Send it back to help my aid





TO SEND TO THE FUTURE

There are things not of this time
nor in their rightful and proper place
I use the power inside of me
Send them back through time and space

06/04/2013 - Tough Guy by Dave Dearman

Well hello! Today we have a guest post from Mr Dave Dearman, a Kiwi author and English teacher. He used to be my old English teacher actually. Here, we have one of his poems:






You know, I am a real tough guy,
I don't care about school.
I'm strong, the girls all look at me,
I really am so cool.

My face is handsome and I like
The way I do my hair.
But school is really boring - 
And I really just don't care.

I never do my homework,
 And I sleep when I'm in class.
I flick the girls with rubber bands
And wait for time to pass.

I'm really good at basketball,
I play it every day.
The others do their homework,
But I go out and play.

I am the tallest in my class,
The other kids are small.
This is because I was held back,
But I don't care at all.

My friends, when I was in Form 1
Are now two years ahead.
This is because I never did
The things the teachers said.

But sometimes, when I look around
I think - you know, if only
I'd done my work, well then perhaps
I wouldn't feel so lonely.




Comment below!

05/04/2013 - Rebel With A Cause by Ashleigh Neame - Excerpt 3

They drove through a series of winding streets and when they hit a long straight, Kaitlyn relaxed a bit. That was, until she saw the U-turn at the dead end. Bekah slowed down a little then pulled on the handbrake, swiftly manoeuvring the car around the cones. Kaitlyn felt the seatbelt cut into her when she fell against it. She hit the back of the seat with a thump.

Ouch, she cried mentally. Whiplash.


They made their way back the way they came, with a few variations along the way. Bekah kept on pushing the speed limits, leaving Kaitlyn terrified out of her mind. Without either of them seeing it coming, Bekah lost control of the car. She swerved dangerously and came perilously close to hitting a lamppost on the passenger side – where Kaitlyn was sitting. Kaitlyn screamed.

04/04/2013 - Rebel With A Cause by Ashleigh Neame - Excerpt 2

“What the fuck?” the guy screamed. “What the hell is going on?”Regan scowled. “What's your name, dipshit?”

The guy scowled right back. “Dude! You fucking wet me! What the fuck?”


Regan sprayed him again.


“I asked you a question,” he said sternly. “And I expect an answer. Don’t make me repeat myself. I don’t like it when I have to repeat myself.”


“Name's Carter,” the boy said.

“And how old are you, Carter?”


“I'm eighteen.”


Regan went and turned the water off, leaving a sopping wet Carter on his lawn. “Ok, Carter,” he said when he got back. “Here's how it's gonna be. You're going to go back to where you came from, and never see my daughter again. If you come near my house again, I will call the police and have you arrested."

03/04/2013 - Forgotten Bride

Another poem I wrote in high school. What do you think?


She sat at the altar
alone and thoughtful.
Her make-up was set
and a bouquet of flowers
sat on her lap.

Her veil covered her face
hiding the silent tears.
She looked utterly divine
but she was sad.

No one had showed,
not even the groom.
Her sad smile fell
and the tears flowed faster.

02/04/2013 - Dying For Food

This was a poem I wrote back in year 12, my last year at high school. Let me know what you think!



Starving.
She was starving.
The rotten rubbish
provided no sustenance.
She was still starving.

Her brother came home,
furious at the lack of food.

Punches were thrown,
shouts were heard,
everything went black -
she flew away like a bird.

29/03/2013 - Easter Break & Monthly Newsletter

Hello all! I'm very sorry, but in my country, it's Easter Break this weekend, so I'm going away, and I won't be home until the 2nd of April. I'm really sorry, but this unfortunately means that I won't be posting anymore until then. I apologise if you are a regular visitor, so please accept my apology. When I get back, I will try and write as much as possible.

Also, the weekly book review by Geri Craig will not be happening this weekend as scheduled. It will start the week after, on the 7th of April.

I am also thinking of releasing a monthly newsletter. It will only be about a page or two, because it will consist of the top 5 posts per month, as well as one of Geri Craig's book reviews.

If there is something you would like to see in the newsletter or on the blog, let me know. Also, if you have any comments/letters/rants about the blog or news or anything else, please submit a 150 word (no more!) to me via e-mail. I will post three in the newsletter. Also, to receive the newsletter, you will need to email me and let me know. Your email will go into a spreadsheet so you can stop receiving the newsletter any time. I will not spam you with mail - you should only receive a newsletter from me once a month, unless things change.

Comment below your thoughts about a newsletter.

Write soon!
Ashleigh Neame

25/03/2013 - A Very Elaborate Way of Saying Something

Hey! Welcome to another blog post.

Now, as you can probably tell, this blog is turning out nothing like the title...oops. Guess I'll have to think of a better name and URL. Any ideas? Comment below!

Now, onto the post. This is actually something I did in my Creative Writing lecture this afternoon. Let me know if you like it!

There is a class of which was cancelled,
Which is to be today.
No such message was received,
About the change of date.
To go or not to go is the question,
As such an internal debate.
Should I or should I not do,
What doth do my mate?
I shall not do what most will do,
Which is to go, take place.
Thee shall go, to go home
To thee happiest space.

Can anyone guess what I'm talking about? Comment below!

Ciao for now,
Ashleigh.