When it Rains it Pours, When it Pours the Roof Caves In

Man when it rains it pours, when it pours the roof caves in, when the roof caves in you get swept upstream without a paddle and boat. I am so tired of all the bad news that seems unending. When we think things are going well something comes and crashes down on us.

I know there are people in worse shape in the world but when we get hit we feel like it can’t get any worse.

I know though that Jehovah God won’t let us be tempted beyond what we can bear. 1 Corinthians 10:13- 13 No temptation has come upon you except what is common to men. But God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear, but along with the temptation he will also make the way out so that you may be able to endure it.

I pray that good news comes to my family soon!

Musings of a Lonely Writer! ----- My Characters Love Lives are Better than Mine

So this time in my Musings of a Lonely Writer segment I will be writing about my characters having way better love lives than I, I know I am probably going to regret admitting this, lol!

Okay so I write primarily Young Adult Novels and what is a Young Adult Novel without even just a hint of romance, even just a teeny tiny love sub-plot works. Romances are sub-plots in all my novels as the adventure, the goal of the characters or the dangerous intrigue are the main-plots.

So when I write about my characters often times a romantic element will pop up for said character, which some of those scenes are fun to write but often leave me mortified as I want no one I know to read them, lol, but I will leave this to my next Musings of a Lonely Writer segment entitled, Musings of a Lonely Writer! ----- Minimalist Intimate Scenes Between Characters Mortify Me.

Any how so some of my favorite characters have had some amazing romances, I mean the kind to make you swoon, even if a bit unrealistic, cause who wants a totally realistic relationship in fiction all the time. I love a far too perfect relationship than the ones that make it so real I hate the characters for it, lol, as you can see I am not only complicated but picky about what I like in a novel relationship.

Now we get to the real nitty-gritty center of things. So I have had some amazing characters fall in love and though I do throw in some troubles I tend to keep them perfectly in love and so maybe that has made me dysfunctional in my thoughts of real relationships and love.

As part of my religion we don’t date until we are ready for marriage. I always thought I would marry young and have kids young. As time went by I didn’t find a man I wanted to date, I’ve been asked out but I was young and wasn’t looking for anything serious and the guys were not of my religion so I said no. So I will admit I have never been on a date and I am 27 years old.

Now my thoughts and views have changed on real relationships and I am not sure I want one but at times I do, so way complicated I know, lol. I know if I get in a relationship the guy will be nothing like my male heroes in my novels and it sort of freaks me out. I mean I know guys in real life are real, not fictional so I know they will have faults, foibles, issues of all kinds but I mean who wouldn’t want to have a guy be like the kind of guy in a novel!

My characters seem to not only be more out going they are better in the way they live, love, raise families, ect. It’s a bit infuriating but then again I do write about them so maybe I give them everything I don’t have. In some ways I don’t want what they have but in other ways I kind of do. I feel right now that I can’t handle dating a guy that is liable to be so real I can’t stand it, lol.

Plus no guy I know even makes me want to think of dating them and I gather they feel the same about me because it’s been ages since I was last asked out. I started to even question if something was wrong with my looks, personality ect. But who needs those worries in their life so I quickly put it out of my head, well maybe not completely, lol!

***

So anyway I thought I would share a bit about my Favorite Couple-

Princess Jadzia Elizabeth Van ton and Jedrek. These two are two of my youngest couples and they are in, “The Green Haven Series”. They I call my Romeo and Juliet couple without all the dying.

Though I have had many wonderful couples in my novels Jadzia and Jedrek take the top spot because of the time and way their relationship blooms. It is a tumultuous time where the kingdom they reside in is on the brink or war. Jadzia is a Princess of a race that Jedrek’s race hates with a passion.

So when Jadzia and Jedrek’s races try to band together it is a very tricky and dangerous thing. Jadzia is young and helps Jedrek who feels older than his young age to finally be able to be young and enjoy his youth. It starts as a friendship and then progresses to more.

Jadzia and Jedrek made me laugh and cry and feel as if I were really along with them on the dangerous trip as Star Crossed Lovers who get a better ending than the couple they copy, Romeo and Juliet. Jadzia and Jedrek get a seemingly content happily ever after.

***

I used to be a hopeless romantic *see definition below* but I’ve seen so many friends and family members relationships end so badly it makes me realize how real and hurtful it can be. Maybe that has damaged me or my view of relationships and love. They tell me don’t let what happened to them stop me but in a way it does because I don’t trust easily and I would hate to put trust where it doesn’t belong or with someone who shatters my trust in them. So maybe that is why my characters relationships are so good even when they lean a bit toward realistic, because I don’t want my characters to suffer bad romances.

Maybe I am just so confused about what I want and don’t want for myself but know fully what I want and don’t want for my characters because with them its not real so no damage done but in real life damage can be done.

** Here is the best definition of a Hopeless Romantic: This person is in love with love. They believe in fairy tales and love. They're not to be confused as stalkers or creepy because that's not what a hopeless romantic is. All hopeless romantics are idealists, the sentimental dreamers, the imaginative and the fanciful when you get to know them. They often live with rose colored glasses on. They make love look like an art form with all the romantic things they do for their special someone.

My View Years Ago about being a Hopeless Romantic is: I liked to believe and hear love stories, I loved to see people in love. I believed in fairy tales and hoped some day to have a love story of my own to tell. I hoped, I dreamed and I thought being a writer and avid reader led to me being more of a Hopeless Romantic.

My Views now: I still tend to believe in fairy tales and true love as I know these kinds of relationships are a gift from Jehovah God and should be viewed as a gift. I have just never really seen or experienced the kind of love that would make me view myself any longer as a Hopeless Romantic.

I don’t have rose colored glasses on, I view things the way they are and sometimes that takes a toll on my stories. When I was younger the sweet sentimental love played out in my novels and now my stories tend to go darker in all aspects and the love is portrayed differently now. I often times wish I could see the world and relationships as I did when I was 17 verses 27, and that I could bring that to my stories again. **

Maybe these quotes which I love can have more meaning for me and others.

To love oneself is the beginning of a lifelong romance. -- Oscar Wilde *Maybe for now being okay and loving myself and what I have should be where I start before I look for another to love me and for me to love them.*

Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you've imagined. - Henry David Thoreau *Maybe I don’t want romance yet because there are still things or dreams  I want to accomplish on my own before I start a journey with another person. Things change and so maybe what I always imagined having changed when I didn’t realize it. Maybe what the future holds will be better then what I imagined at first.*

So maybe for now I am slightly alright flying solo until I find some who makes me see reality is better than fiction. A guy who makes me see how great real can be and who could make my male heroes feel like they can’t hold a candle to him, lol! Someone to start a journey with that will far outshine any journey my characters have taken.

Or maybe I find out a solo journey through life is all I will get and I should make the best of it. Maybe exploring the world alone and embracing singleness is what I am to do. I will just have to see where this life leads me. Being 27 years old is not the end. I have many wonderful years ahead of me, and hopefully many wonderful stories, characters, and characters journeys.

This has been Musings of a Lonely Writer and until next time if you feel as I do about feeling your characters have better love lives than you drop me a comment in the comment section of this post, or if you simply have anything to say leave a comment and I would be glad to read it. Remember to Keep Reading, Keep Writing, Keep Inspiring, and above all Love Yourself no matter your relationship status, love yourself the way you are now and don’t feel bad if your characters have way better love lives, or at least come to accept it as I have, lol!

Primavera

Meaning: (Springtime, Born at the Beginning of Spring.)

Origin: (Spanish, Latin, Italian)

Pronunciation: (PReh-Maa-VEER-ah, PReh-Maa-Veh-rah, Pree-Maa-VEER-ah, Pree-Maa-Veh-rah)

Gender: Uni-Sex

I added Primeviere *see on list of posts* not long ago. Its meaning and name itself comes from Primavera and this name is much more common with people. The name and meanings are fresh and lovely just like spring. It’s just a lovely whimsical name.

Behati

Meaning: (Blessing, She Who Brings Happiness, possibly a modern Afrikaans variant of Beata or Beate.)

Origin: (German)

Pronunciation: (ba-hot-ee, be-ott-ee, bay-AHT-ee, bay-AH-tee)

Gender: Female

I know this name and others will too as the name of super-model Behati Prinsloo who is married to Maroon 5 singer front man Adam Levine who is also a judge on The Voice. I love the meanings a lot and the name itself is unique and lovely. It seems a name fit for a Fantasy realm kind of story as the look and feel seems to denote.

Gunnar

Meaning: (Lighter, Battler, Warrior, Fight, Army, Battle Strong, Derived from the Old Norse Gunnarr, which is from the word Gunnr (War, Strife, Battle). The name Gunnar was borne by several interesting characters in Norse Legend, one of whom was the son of Giuki and Grimhild. He was the brother of Gudrun and the husband of Brynhild. Also known as 'Roland.' The name Gunnar means fighter, soldier, and attacker, but mostly is referred to by the Viking saying which means Brave and Bold warrior (gunnr "war" and arr "warrior").)

Origin: (Norse, Scandinavian, Swedish, Danish, Norse Mythology, German)

Pronunciation: (GOO-nar, GOON-ar, GUW-N-er, GAHN- aaR, GUH-ner)

Gender: Male

I was reading a novel called, “Listen for the Whisperer” by Phyllis A. Whitney last month and the main male character was named Gunnar. I came to like the name a lot and I had no problems with pronunciation at all. I immediately knew it as GOO-nar. Americans may hear this as GUH-ner though but I prefer the correct pronunciation as it sounds much better and stronger. GUH-ner sounds like GUN-er and thus excuse me sounds a tad bit redneck like.

The meanings are strong and this strikes me as such a masculine brave name even had I not known the meanings. It has a nice old history of use and I do love Viking names. All in all I love it and would love to see this name used a bit more often.

Twila

Meaning: (Wildflower, Light in Dark Places, Morning Star, Early Evening, Double Woven, Woven with a Double Thread, Perhaps based on the English word Twilight, or maybe from a Cajun pronunciation of French étoile "star". It came into use as an American given name in the late 19th century.)

Origin: (Middle English)

Pronunciation: (TWIE-lə, TWY-lə, TWAYLaa)

Gender: Female

I started watching a movie called Summer’s Moon. It has Twilight actress Ashley Green in it. I regret watching the movie as it was crazy disturbing but Ashley Greens characters mother is named Twila. I really came to like the name.

It reminds me of Twilight and I am not the only one. A lot of naming forums have said it being similar to Twilight is a downfall for them as it leads to being saying Twilight so you must be a fan of the novel Twilight by Stephanie Myers. Personally I think of the Twilight hour and how beautiful and majestic it often is and has been described or portrayed in movies, novels, plays, art, etcetera.

I love the other meanings though as well. Wildflower gives a view of a carefree beautiful old soul in a young body kind of character. Light in Dark Places makes me think Fantasy or Sci-Fi a character who is the light in a dark situation. Morning Star is beautiful and emits a very out of this world feel.

All in all it is beautiful and I think it is majestic even with the Twilight connection. In a few years people will forget about Twilight novel and it won’t destroy Twilight or Twila for anyone.

Belinda

Meaning: (Beautiful, Bright Serpent, Beautiful Snake, Bright Linden Tree, Serpentine, This name first arose in the 17th century, and was subsequently used by Alexander Pope in his poem 'The Rape of the Lock' (1712).

It has often been taken to mean 'Beautiful Snake', in reference to the snake as a sacred symbol of wisdom and immortality in medieval times.)

Origin: (Italian, Latin, Old German, English, Spanish)

Pronunciation:  (bə-LIN-də, Beh-LIHND-ah, buh-lIHn-duh)

Gender: Female

Though I don’t use names associated with witches in my novels as I’ve mentioned before this name is most famous for a witch, Belinda the Good Witch in The Wizard of OZ. the meanings are beautiful and the name most everyone’s heard of but it isn’t used too much. I first saw this name in a novel I was reading and at first I was on the fence with it but I do like it a little bit more now.

Of course I was thrown off at first by the meanings with Snake. I was like why would you name someone after a snake as I always associate them with poison and danger. I never knew the snake was a sacred symbol of wisdom and immortality in medieval times. Now that I know that I feel better about the meanings.

The last thing was the poem by Alexander Pope 'The Rape of the Lock' (1712). I was disappointed that the name was associated with the poem but after looking the poem up the poem is not what I thought and I am less upset about it now.

EDIT December 11, 2015:

Okay so I am a dork, lol! I was watching The Wizard of Oz a few weeks back and low and behold the good witch is not named Belinda but Glinda. I so thought it was Belinda. So it may not be a witches name in that movie but I keep thinking I saw it in that capacity some place, whether novel or movie, but maybe I am completely wrong there.

So instead of changing the details above I decided to own up to my stupid dorky mistake here in the edit and leave my stupidness above but do know as far as I know Belinda was not used in The Wizard of Oz.

Penny

Meaning: (Flower, Diminutive of Penelope.)

Origin: (English)

Pronunciation: (PEN-ee, PEH-nee)

Gender: Female

This is mostly a nickname for Penelope *see on list of posts*. But some see and have used this name as a stand alone name not a nickname. It is fun and pretty in a way. I’ve heard this in a few TV shows and novels and I like it a little bit more each time I hear it. Though I prefer Penny still a bit more as a nickname rather than a stand alone name.

I actually have a thought for a future Princess named Penelope who goes exclusively by Penny, so Princess Penelope / Princess Penny, both are so cute and I love it a lot.

Calla

Meaning: (The Most Beautiful, Lark, Church, Monastery, From the name of a type of lily. Use of the name may also be inspired by Greek καλλος (kallos) meaning "Beauty". Also possibly a variant of Caoilainn an Irish Gaelic name meaning "Slim and Fair", or from Kelila meaning "Crown of Laurel" or a short form of Michaela.)

Origin: (Greek, English, Celtic, Irish Gaelic)

Pronunciation: (CAL-lah, KAL-ə, KA-lə, KAELLaa)

Gender: Female

I love the meanings of this name and the short nature of it I like a lot as well. A lot will think of Calla Lily when they see this and that is great as most everyone knows how to pronounce Calla Lilly so they will know how to say Calla minus the Lily part, unless of course your character is named Calla Lily.

I see a very strong determined character that’s bold and brave when tested. But on the other hand I see a character that is at first not exactly the strongest but grows to be the strongest and boldest and bravest character. Then again I see as well a mischievous trouble maker like character. So as you see this name is diverse in a way and is simple, short and very pretty.

 

 

 

 

Leven

Meaning: (Life, Hearts Child, United, Joined Attached, Dearest Friend, English Surname and Place Name. It is etymologically related to the name Lennox. This name is derived from the Middle English given name "Lefwine", (Old English "Leofwine"), composed of the elements "laof" meaning "dear" or "beloved", plus, "wine" a friend. One Wilfricus filius (son of) Leofwini is recorded in the Old English Bynames Register in 1010. The surname may also be derived from an Anglicized form of the Gaelic patronymic Mac Giolla Giullin, "son of (mac) the servant of (giolla) William". The modern idiom of the spelling includes Lewins, Lewen, Livens, Levens. In 1660 Elonor Lewen was born at Kirk Michael, Isle of Man. George, son of Thomas and Mary Lewens, was christened in London in March 1700. Jemima Scot Lewen was born in East Lothian, Haddington, Scotland on the 29th July 1869. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of John Lewyn, which was dated 1230, in the "Northamptonshire Register", during the reign of King Henry 111, known as "The Frenchman", 1216 - 1272. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

Read more: http://www.surnamedb.com/Surname/Leven#ixzz3ftq7rn00 )

Origin: (Dutch, Hebrew, Old English)

Pronunciation: (L-EH-v-uh-n, l-EE-v-uh-n)

Gender: Male, Possibly Uni-Sex

I love the meanings of this unique name and the history and usage is interesting as well. I think in a way this reminds me of leaven bread, lol! I think the name looks like leavin’ and one of the pronunciations is like that.

Since the one meaning is “Hearts Child” it kind of makes me see this name being used in a re-imagining of Alice in Wonderland, lol! Like the Queen of Hearts son is Leven Heart so meaning “Hearts Child Heart”, weird in a way but works, though in truth Jack Heart would work more but in a re-imagining Leven might work. I’ve been toying with the idea for a re-imagining of Alice in Wonderland for awhile so this may be first on my list. But that doesn’t mean others can’t get their hands on this name for their novel.

Also “Hearts Child” could have to do with one feeling in their heart as if they are young and child like. Or it could be about one having a desire in their heart to have a child and then having one and naming it this. There are many ways that meaning could go.

Coventry

Meaning: (Habitational name from the city of Coventry in the West Midlands, which probably named with the genitive case of an Old English personal name Cofa (Compare Coveney) + Old English Treow “Tree”. This is an English locational surname from the city of Coventry in the county of Warwickshire. The place name was first recorded in the year 1043 as "Couaentree", and as "Coventrev" in the famous Domesday Book of 1086, when the Norman clerks gave it their form. Acording to the Oxford Dictionary of English Places Names, the name means "Cofa's tree", with Cofa being a pre 7th century Olde English personal name. However the word cofa can also mean a valley, so another possible explanation is the trees in the valley. Also the word "tree" had other connotations and could refer to the public gallows, with many places having such objects as the centre point of the parish! Locational surnames were by their nature, usually "from" names. That is to say names given to people after they left their original homes to move somewhere else. When this happened, these people would take or be given as their surname the name of the place from whence they came. It is not therefore surprising that the first recording of this surname is some way from Coventry with Thomas de Coventre being recorded as a land owner in the city Oxford in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, whilst Johannes de Coventre is recorded in the Poll tax register of Yorkshire in 1379.

Read more: http://www.surnamedb.com/Surname/Coventry#ixzz3fto81BtO)

Origin: (English)

Pronunciation: (k-UH-vuh-n-tree, kuhv-uhn-tree, KUV-uhn-tree, Go to this link and run your cursor over the word to hear how this name is pronounced: http://www.howjsay.com/index.php?word=coventry  )

Gender: Uni-Sex

I’ve heard this word a few times but never thought of it as a name. It apparently is surname but I think it would be a beautiful first name. It has a unique history and decent meaning. The only down fall is it may have referred to gallows or places near gallows, which is a bit dark. But most won’t realize that so it’s not that big of a downfall.

Also I think I heard this in reference to Witches (I think it was in a Disney Channel Movie years ago, Twitches and Twitches Too) and so it’s a bit of a down fall there for me as I don’t believe in incorporating magic or anything to do with magic and witches in my novels. Of course this can be over looked and maybe other authors won’t see this as a down fall at all.

Illiana / Illyana / Ileana

Meaning: (The Lord has Responded, Bright, Trojan, The poetic name for the ancient City of Troy was “llion.” A cognate of the Greek Helene, a name derived from Ele (Light). Ileanna has been used by the Greek Royal Family.)

Origin: (English, German, Spanish, Latin, Old Greek, Hebrew)

Pronunciation: (ee-lee-AHN-ah, ee-lee-AH-nə, Iy-Liy-AE-N-aa, ILL-ee-AHN-ah)

Gender: Female

I was watching a TV show and a characters name was Illiana. I’ve heard this name a few other places as well before and after watching the show. The meanings are pretty as is the name itself. It’s interesting that it’s a poetic name for the City of Troy as well. All the variant spellings are interesting though with English speakers I would try and stick with the closest variant to the actual pronunciation so it will be pronounced properly when a reader reads your novel.

Braum

Meaning: (Americanized Form of German Brahm. Jewish (Ashkenazic): Perhaps a variant of Braun. Father of a Mighty Nation. Short form of Abraham.)

Origin: (Hebrew, German, English, Dutch)

Pronunciation: (BRaeM)

Gender: Male

Similar in many ways to Bram *see on list of posts* but come to think of it, it does have very few differences. The meanings are strong and it has a decent look to it. I like the name but it is however a name I don’t think I will be very memorable with me.