Top 3 New Years Resolutions (Julie)

It's hard to believe that 2019 is almost done and then a new decade is upon us. This has been a year of much change-leaving my home of five years to move to a new place and then getting married a few weeks ago. With all this, another change is coming. I believe my time on Lands Uncharted has come to an end for now.  It has been an exciting adventure, and I have thoroughly enjoyed my years as a blogger here and being a part of this wonderful community.

Now as I look to a new year of change, I know there are 3 things (at least) that I will commit to doing in 2020. And I hope you will also commit to as well (because they are pretty awesome):

1) Read. Read. Read. Get the picture? You're reading this post because you love to read (I'm assuming anyway). No matter how busy life gets and how many changes happen, continuing to read is essential for one's well-being! I wasn't able to read nearly as much this year as normal, but I treasured every chance I got to read a new fantasy book. I look forward to having the chance to read more this coming year!

2) Keep writing (or start!) I realize not everyone who reads LU writes, though I hope so! If you don't, might I recommend giving it a try in 2020? It's so much like reading but you make the story, and the characters, and the adventures, and the villain. There are endless possibilities to unleash your imagination onto paper, or a document.

3) Keep reading Lands Uncharted! There is so much humor, interesting book reviews, and useful information, that it should be a goal to continue to check out all the excellent posts, especially the news ones! I won't be on LU as a blogger next year, but I definitely will keep up with it and appreciate all the creative posts. It's gonna be good!


I hope you will join me on these ventures and experience the laughter, creativeness, and adventures of lands uncharted! Happy New Year and may it be blessed with tons of stories to read and write!!

Ready Player One (Julie)

Reading the book, Ready Player One, was unplanned but turned out to provide an interesting, thought-provoking read. It's not the sort of thing I usually go for, much preferring epic fantasy, and it did have more language than I like, but I was drawn into the novel by the lure of the mystery game.

Before I go into my thoughts, here's the synopsis from Amazon:
A world at stake. A quest for the ultimate prize. Are you ready?

In the year 2045, reality is an ugly place. The only time Wade Watts really feels alive is when he’s jacked into the OASIS, a vast virtual world where most of humanity spends their days.

When the eccentric creator of the OASIS dies, he leaves behind a series of fiendish puzzles, based on his obsession with the pop culture of decades past. Whoever is first to solve them will inherit his vast fortune—and control of the OASIS itself. 

Then Wade cracks the first clue. Suddenly he’s beset by rivals who’ll kill to take this prize. The race is on—and the only way to survive is to win.

First of all, one thing really surprised me as a reader. I like action in my stories, as I'm sure most of you do. And I mean a lot of action, fairly frequently. It's easy to get bogged down with just the so-called "humdrum" parts of a story, especially in fantasy/sci-fi fiction. So I was really surprised that I stayed interested in this story as I felt that there wasn't as much action as I would normally would want. And that's because the author, Ernest Cline, does a great job with the world and character building, and with his incredible knowledge of 80s pop culture. I mean wow! Granted, I was born in the 80s, so my 5 year old self didn't really get much out of that decade meaning I didn't catch all the many references.

The whole story plot revolves around a world that has/is falling apart and the one escape for just about everyone, even the poor, is virtual reality. Since things have gotten so bad in the real world, most everyone has turned to the OASIS, to escape their problems. Which then leads to the idea of escapism. If we escape our problems how do those problems get fixed? 

Now in the book, the world's problems don't get fixed at the end. I mean(spoiler alert), the ending is good guy wins, so it has a "happy" ending. But the problems aren't fixed. I believe I saw that the author was considering or in the process of writing book two, so maybe that's where we see some of the fixing.

Gaming is such a big deal in today's time. As a teacher, I constantly hear about how much my students play their games and how a large part of their conversations reveal around games, etc... I see what goes on. So it's scary to read about the earth addicted to video games. You even see in the story how it changes people's behaviors-they even have a term for the young people who shut themselves off from the world and only live in the OASIS. They are dependent on their families to provide them with food because they don't work. 

But enough of that; here are my final thoughts:
-I'd like to warn upfront that it does have quite a bit of language and the main character is 18 so some adult themes. 
- if you are into video games, it's a must read
-if you are looking for something to help spur your creativity, check it out
-the book's way better than the movie

Top 3 Romance Book Quotes (Julie)

One week from now I will be married and on my honeymoon!! It's such an exciting (and nerve wracking) time! Here's what goes on in my head: is it going to rain on our outdoor wedding (very possible on a tropical island)? Or will there be a typhoon? Will everything look nice? Will the flies stay out of the food? Yes, those are the issues that we will have to deal with when/if they come up. But despite all of those "if's", I am super excited for a wonderful day no matter what.

One important thing I still need to do is write my vows (here's looking at you, Google)
  
In honor of the writing of vows and all the knee-buckling, swooning, butterfly inducing words to be written, here are three romantic quotes from books:

3)Pride and Prejudice ( of course something from a Jane Austen book had to be on here=)

“I cannot fix on the hour, or the spot, or the look or the words, which laid the foundation. It is too long ago. I was in the middle before I knew that I had begun.”

2) Although the story is sad, it's a beautiful line from Nicholas Sparks's The Notebook:

 “I am nothing special, of this I am sure. I am a common man with common thoughts and I’ve led a common life. There are no monuments dedicated to me and my name will soon be forgotten, but I’ve loved another with all my heart and soul, and to me, this has always been enough.”

1) This one surprised me considering it comes from a beloved kid's story/series, but A.A. Milne, through the wonderful voice of Winnie the Pooh, said this:

"If you live to be a hundred, I want to live to be a hundred minus one day so I never have to live without you." 

Do you have any swoon-worthy, knee-buckling lines from books that you love?

Using Movies to Help Your Writing (Julie)

This may sound crazy, but I just now watched Avatar. I'm not sure why it took me so long, maybe because I kept hearing differing opinions on things about it. Either way, my fiance suggested us watching it for creativity purposes. And so we did.

This isn't a review of the movie, but I can say that it definitely wows in the creativity department. It was amazing how unique the story world was. Of course, it was a movie and movies are all about the visual aspects to feed the imagination.

When writing your own story, you have to put more effort into world building because the reader can't actually "see" it like you can in a movie. It's all about the words you use to paint the image.

But anyway, back to the movie. I found some things not to my liking, like the amount of language, but I really enjoyed the world building. There was so much attention to little details that set the world apart. For some reason, the ears of the aliens (how they moved quite a bit) have stuck with me.

So now, the day after watching it, I'm wondering about my own story:

-have I incorporated those small details that give the characters individual, memorable traits?

-is my story world unique enough to capture the reader's attention and make them visualize it in their minds as if they were watching it on the big screen?

-not only if the imagery is good, but also making sure it isn't overly done? Just like in a movie, there can be too much visually going on and you miss a lot or it just becomes overwhelming. Sometimes in Avatar, it did get a bit too much to look at at one time.

Creating worlds and characters can be a fine line. You can either do too much or too little, so you have to find the right balance of creativity without loosing your audience to sensory or word overload.

Have you seen a movie that has inspired you to rethink about your own writing, or helped you improve your writing?

Top 3 Costumes (Julie)

Halloween is coming soon and even as an adult, dressing up is fun (at least for me). It's a chance to let our creativeness shine. And also to role play from one of our favorite books or movies! I haven't had the chance to do much dressing up the past few years, but if I could, these are the top three choices I would love to try out!



3) Mary Poppins. I'm thinking of the dress she wears on the painting scene. It's so airy and dainty and fun looking. Wearing this one would be sure to put a song in my heart. I could frolic along the avenue eating a spoonful of sugar.

2) A Pride and Prejudice costume would be so much fun!! I love the period costumes and have always wanted to dress up in one of those...especially the ball gowns.


1) Tauriel from The Hobbit. Really, this would be my number one because her outfit is so similar to my own character-who isn't an elf but there are similarities. Dressing as Tauriel would help me get into character in more than one way.

 I doubt I'll be able to dress up this year, but what about you?  Any of the above, or some other favorite character your itching to try out?

Stranger Things (Julie)

Okay, so this post is not about the show (sorry for you fans out there). This post is actually about Margaret Peterson Haddix's book Greystone Secrets: The Strangers. There are some pretty strange things that happen in the story, admittedly some unexpected things.

Here's the synopsis:

Siblings Chess, Emma, and Finn and their widowed mother are very close. They are always there for each other until one strange day a news report turns their world inside out. Three kids, who look exactly like Chess, Emma, and Finn, are reported kidnapped. Even stranger than having their doppelgangers kidnapped, they also share the same exact birthdays and names.

The sibling's mom suddenly leaves on a "work" trip that ends up not really being a work trip. As in many kids's fantasy stories, the kids have to rescue the parent and save the day, or try anyway.

What makes this story different:

Haddix switches from all three sibling's voices. So you have the story being told from a 6th grader's, a 4th grader's, and a 2nd grader's perspective. It's very interesting to read the story from Finn's POV because he is the youngest. How he deals with his mom's disappearance, how he deals with danger, and with new knowledge. Sometimes I felt that he was a bit too babyish for a 2nd grader, but then again, what do I know of an 8 year-old's mind?

Chess, the oldest, isn't very brave. Which I found unusual for the older boy character. Even Emma,a the middle child has moments of freaking out (which would be more real life). It's Finn, the youngest who tends to be the braver one-because he wants to show his siblings that he can handle things.

As with most Haddix's books, there's fantasy/sci-fi involved that includes a dystopian type society. Only this time she builds in alternate worlds.

Cons: 

I felt that the ending was abrupt, although I know this is book one. I wished she would have fleshed out the ending a bit more as there were questions I would have liked answered in this book to help understand things a bit better.


Overall, I enjoyed the book and would read the second one.

Top 3 Snacks to Eat While Writing (Julie)

How many of you love to eat while writing? I certainly do, despite the warnings. I may not start out writing with food nearby but invariably I will get up and find something to munch on while working on my WIP. There are many go-to snacks, but I've narrowed it down to three top choices for me.

Let me start by saying, chocolate is not on the list. Its a given that that yummy substance would be the top choice of anyone(except maybe my sister;) So I'm going to give "other" options for creative thinking foods.



3) Nuts (I have to put at least one healthy choice on here). I specifically like eating almonds while working. They are easy to eat, just pop a few in your mouth and chew. And they don't make your fingers greasy.

2) Ice cream. As long as I don't eat it too fast and get a brain freeze!! But there's something so energizing about eating a cold, smooth bite of ice cream.



1) Popcorn. I love popping a bag of kernels and sitting and munching on them while writing. The only downside to eating popcorn is I can only type with one hand until I'm finished. Unless I want greasy computer keys. It's satisfying and for some reason helps me focus. 

What about you? What is your go-to snack of choice while writing?

Top 3 Ways to DeStress (Julie)

Life changes. Sometimes there are many changes at one time and sometimes just one or two. For me, I'm in the stage of OH MY GOODNESS there are a lot of things going on. But that's okay because they are very exciting things!

I just moved to a new island to start a new teaching job, but also because it's where my fiance is. And we're getting married in 3 months!! So yea, much to do.

With all this staring me in the face, it would be so easy to stress out and go hide in a corner. I won't lie that sometimes I look around for that corner. But instead of putting myself in the corner, I tend to steer toward any or all of the following as ways to get my focus back:


1) Stay in the Word/prayer. Staying rooted in God's Word helps me refocus on what is important.

2) Read. Immerse yourself in a good book. Personally, I prefer to get lost in a fantasy as I want to get away from the real world for a bit.

3) Get outside. Vitamin D and fresh air work wonders from clearing the overworked brain.

How do you de-stress? Do you do any of the above or is there something else you do that works wonders? 

Keen by Laura Zimmerman (Julie)

Multicolored eyes. Banshee songs. Faeries. Teenage love. Death. All come together to make up Laura Zimmerman's new book Keen, Banshee Song Series Book One. I admit teenage books aren't normally my go-to, but it sounded interesting enough to give it a try. And I'm glad I did!

Caoine's (pronounced Cane) a half-breed who doesn't know where she belongs. Different from her
peers with her pale hair and almost albino skin, and the most strikingly odd feature...her multicolored eyes. It's not the best recipe for making friends in high school.

Being a teenager is never easy, but Caoine has slightly bigger problems than boys, or even bullies. She sings songs. Songs of death. Since the day she was born, she's been cursed as a banshee, to sing the song of death every night. But now, her curse is acting up and there just so happens to be a handsome boy at her new school.

Here's what Amazon has to say:

You must walk the darkness to find the light.

Half-faerie Caoine has no control over the banshee lament she sings each night, predicting the death of others. A senior in a brand new high school, she expects the same response she’s received at every other school: judgment from fellow students over her unusual eyes and unnaturally white skin and hair. However, when Caoine arrives at West Lincoln High, for the first time in her life she finds friends. Real friends.

But being a teenager is never easy, especially when the star soccer player, Oliver, sets his sights on her. Allowing him to get close means revealing her curse to the human world. She can’t let that happen.

Life spins further out of control when her lament comes out during the day, those whose death she predicts die right in front of her, and a dark faerie known only as the Unseelie prince blames Caoine by leaving her the creepiest notes ever. Her curse is not supposed to work like that.

In a race against time, Caoine must uncover the Unseelie prince’s identity and stop a spell before it unleashes hell on earth, all while trying to control her banshee song and finding a place among her peers.

Senior year just got real.


Don't just take mine (or Amazon's word for it) check it out for yourself!

Top 3 Animal Hybrids (Julie)

For my first book of the summer, I chose the 3rd book in Lisa McMann's Going Wild series. I previously did a post on the second book that you can find here. It has been a fun series, and I'm sad to see it come to an end.

The premise of the series is some teenagers wear bracelets that have certain animal DNA in it that allows them to "become" that animal. For example, if your bracelet has the monkey abilities, then when you turn it on to that one, you can swing and jump around. Pretty cool huh?

In the 3rd book, the "mad" scientist, aka the bad guy, is producing bracelets that allow the wearer to use multiple animal abilities at one time. So imagine swinging around like a monkey but with the strength of an elephant! Poor trees!!

But it's a lot of fun thinking about what kind of animal abilities would be good together. So here is my top three "hybrid bracelets" if I had a cool animal-giving bracelet (oh and I've limited it to only 3 animals each bracelet):

3) dolphin, panther, elephant. This one is good for land or water! You can swim and breath underwater,

run swiftly, and have the strength of an elephant.


2) plumed basilisk, sea cucumber, and dragon millipedes. These are more of the unknown species but with really cool powers. The basilisk can walk on water; the sea cucumber can shapeshift to fit through small areas; and the dragon millipedes can shoot cyanide. Now there's a lethal combo!

1) eagle, gecko, chameleon. I feel a bit Spiderman on this one, except the camouflage. But with these abilities, I would be able to fly, climb walls, and camouflage myself. All of which would be very useful for the enemy.

Animals have so many awesome abilities, many of which are relatively unknown. Can you think of a favorite combo that would be

really fun or really intimidating? I'd love to hear!

A Writer's Life Ponderings (Julie)

The topic for this post is VERY round about related to Father's Day, in the basic sense that as a writer, you are the father and mother of your story baby.

Unfortunately, I haven't been able to do any writing lately because of several things going on. For awhile, I didn't think about writing, but once things started slowing down, I started getting a familiar nudge at the back of my mind. That draw to leave the real world and pay attention to my baby. It's kind of like my characters are speaking to me from their story...we miss you...come back and finish our story!

Do you ever have that feeling when you've neglected writing for a time for whatever reason? I liken it to that feeling you get when you haven't talked to someone (family member or friend) in a few days and you feel the need to call them.

So what about you? Do your characters ever call to you from their story? Or maybe you get that feeling when you have a new story developing and it calls to you to start it?

Top 3 Home Libraries (Julie)

What is your ideal home library like? Are you the Professor Henry Higgins type where there's at least two stories of books?

Or are you the Belle kind of library where the whole room is choke full of books?

Perhaps you are more of a simpler type of a few bookcases with just your favorite books?

I don't know about you, but I'm still dreaming of my home library.  So here's my top 3 dream home libraries!

Number 3 goes to the Henry Higgins type. It definitely has to have the spiral staircase because you never know when you want to slide down!






Number 2 goes to the cozy library nook. It's hard to beat a comfy window seat while you read a favorite book surrounded by more of your favorite books!

And my Number 1 spot goes to the most amazing home library ever!!! The library with a secret passage! I mean, what could be better? When you're supposed to be in bed but you sneak through the secret passageway to the library for a midnight read? Right? Or maybe I've just watched too many old mystery movies...

No matter what you personal preference, you just can't beat having a lovely home library. It's like having another world inside your own home!

The Collectors (Julie)

Be careful what you wish for!! Because it just might come true in Jacqueline West's fantasy The Collectors. Wishes seem like such good things. But what we think is just harmless wishing, might have unintended and disturbing consequences. For example, if you wished that dinosaurs still lived...I don't know about you, but I'm picturing Jurassic Park!! 

Or maybe you wish that aliens were real. Well, umm that'd be cool unless they were the ones in possession of a Death Star or something. So if you aren't very, very careful, your wish might turn out to be something totally unexpected. The ideas are endless. I wish everything would taste like chocolate!! Then a few months later, you hate chocolate (gasp) but what can you do now? Go drown your sorrows in more chocolate?

Fortunately, we have a mysterious group of people called the Collectors, and it's their job to "save us from ourselves". They are the unnoticeables who show up at birthday parties, wishing wells, ect... to grab that wish before it could potentially do harm.

Except one young boy does notice one. And follows her and her pet squirrel to an underground world of mystery and shimmery lights. However, all is not as it seems as the boy, Van, gets caught up in the world of those trying to stop dreams and those trying to let dreams run free. Who's right and who's wrong? Is it the man who gives him a cute little wish catcher animal, or is it the girl with the moss colored eyes and talking squirrel?

Interested? Check it out from the link at the beginning!

What about you? If you could have one wish, what would it be?

Avengers, Avengers, Avengers (Julie)

The Marvel universe is taking over everywhere! I can't scroll through Facebook without seeing an Endgame post at least every other one! Of course, most of them are all warnings of don't spoil it!

Well, don't worry. No spoilers here because I haven't seen Endgame yet. But to get into the spirit of things, I'm using this opportunity to list my favorite three Marvel movies.

Warning: These are my opinions only ;)

3) The Black Panther. I was skeptical watching this one because of the mixed reviews I kept seeing, but I decided to give it a try when a good friend of mine recommended it. I'm glad I did! Wakanda is
great fuel for the imagination!


2) Ant Man and Ant Man and the Wasp. Somehow I missed these

when they came out, and it wasn't until sitting on a long flight that I decided why not check out this Ant Man and Wasp movie. I thoroughly enjoyed it, although I was a bit confused since it was the second movie. So when I got back home, the first thing I did was rent Ant Man.

I like these two because they are action packed but the whole movie is much lighter than many of the other Marvel movies. There's still really cool technology and super heroes moves, but lots of humor and fun, likeable characters.


1) Captain America. That's all that needs to be said, right?? Captain America is just the epitome of a good man. He fights for his convictions and doesn't back down in the face of adversity, even if it's amongst his friends. Who wouldn't want someone like that fighting for you?

Feel free to disagree, but these are my picks, and I'm sticking to them:)

Julie's Writing Playlist

“Music is a moral law. It gives a soul to the Universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, a charm to sadness, gaiety and life to everything. It is the essence of order, and leads to all that is good and just and beautiful.” Said Plato.


I remember once in elementary school ( a very long time ago) the teacher gave us a blank sheet of paper. She said close your eyes and draw whatever comes to mind as you listen to the music. This was a fun exercise in the versatility of the mind to be moved by certain musical patterns. 

As a fantasy writer, music is key to helping give flight to my imagination. But it's not just any music that will do. Each scene I'm writing needs a particular type of music to really stir up the imaginative flow. And it's not easy finding just the right piece. I've spent lots of time listening to different songs, waiting for inspiration to strike. 

I've collected quite the playlist over the years and would like to share some of the main ones I listen too while writing.


1) Lord of the Rings Calm mix. This is my all time favorite and normal go-to. This one works well when writing your more normal scenes or ethereal scenes. It's not very helpful when writing high action scenes because this is a calm mix. 

2) Spooky Music Compilation This one is so much fun! It's great for any scene that includes anything spooky, like sneaking through a dark forest or even engaging with mischievous creatures.

3) Requiem for a Dream This one is perfect for a high action/fight scene! It is very dramatic and I can just visualize an epic fight scene whenever I listen to it.

Others: I have a full list of instrumental songs that I skim through but here is a group that is one of my favorites:

Two Steps From Hell: this memorable group has tons of songs from calm to epic. It's just a matter of trying them out. Click on the name to hear my favorite.

What are some of your go-tos for writing? I'd love to hear about your favorites!

House Hunters 2nd Edition (Julie)

This week was Parent Teacher Conference day at my school. Many parents come in asking how I'm

doing. Well, it's the spring semester, spring break is in two weeks, and the kids are going crazy, including your own. "I'm doing pretty good." I politely tell them with a smile and then change the subject. I just have to make it two more weeks for a break.

Ahhh spring break. It brings up visions of quiet solitude with a good book or even going to a new place, where no one will recognize you...

This post is dedicated to all those longing for a vacation. A chance to get away and experience something new...something different...

Below are my top 3 vacation rental ideas:

3) These two are out of this world. Bring along all those sci-fi novels you've been wanting to read and chill in your own space ship. Or if you prefer something a bit more down to earth, you can get some R&R in a rented airplane. It's better than a first class seat!

Look out for any bicycles

Emergency vehicles may arrive every so often

2) For beach lovers. I love collecting seashells at the beach and am always on the lookout for that "perfect" shell. So these two rentals are right up my alley.

Hope there's no creepy crawly hiding inside

Don't have to worry about sand here

I wonder if they have ocean waves playing in the background with the scent of the sea wafting through the house? As long as they don't smell like real shells...

1) Up in the trees. I chose tree houses as my number one because I love the tree house from Swiss Family Robinson! I always thought it was the coolest house ever. Of course now that I'm older, and have thought it through a little more, I'll definitely make sure there is some sort of protection against things that crawl...

Don't step to the left. Or Right.

Those are awfully large toadstools

Really, any of these would be perfect for a writer's getaway. Surrounded by all the creativity is surely to spark a flood of ideas!! 
 
So which would you choose as the perfect getaway/hideaway?         

Calling All Dragon Lovers (Julie)

It doesn't get much better in life than sitting down with the next book of your favorite series. For me, it's the Fablehaven series by Brandon Mull. Hands down my favorite. Fairies, magic, cool weapons, narrow escapes, epic battles, dragons, fun characters...the list goes on and on.  In fact, it's that series that got me started on writing my own.

The original series has five books. As with all your favorite stories, you hate to see them come to an end and you wish the author would continue them. Well, I got my wish. Brandon Mull has started a continuation series of Fablehaven called Dragonwatch.


I'm currently finishing up the second book in the Dragonwatch series: Wrath of the Dragon King. And it is full of dragons of all varieties.

Here's a little peak at what you'll find in Dragonwatch:
The dragons have been confined to the secret sanctuaries for magical creatures long enough. They want their freedom. They want revenge.

Several things struck me as I read this book:
-Mull has an incredible talent of weaving in information (characters/objects/etc...) that comes into play later on. It seems so effortless. But it also shows how much planning and outlining he must do to incorporate all those little things to make the story flow smoothly.
-Along the same lines, the world building is very creative. There are several fun weapons that show up in this book: a bag of gale force winds, a sword that can also shoot a bolt of lightening, and a bow that can shoot up to three hundred arrows at one time!
 -Even though this is the 7th book in the whole Fablehaven series, the ideas and action are fresh. One thing I'm struggling with on writing the second book in my series is making sure that I am coming up with fresh ideas. There were definitely some surprise scenes in this one!

So, if your looking for a fun, imaginative fantasy adventure then check out the series (links above).