Procrastinate today, write tomorrow…

Hello, again!

I write to you today during one of my classes (sshhh, don’t tell anyone). Don’t worry, though, I can multitask very efficiently. *nods solemnly*
So, the past couple weeks have been quite interesting for me. Firstly, if you haven’t noticed already….

MARK OF THE CORRIPIAN HAS OFFICIALLY BEEN RELEASED!!!

Yes, well, it is true. The day has come (8 days ago, actually), and Mark of the Corripian is officially available for purchase in paperback and e-book format. If you haven’t gotten your copy yet,  you should get one! I’d be delighted to hear your opinion on it.
Before that happened, I attended the Write-in-the-Middle young writers conference at Montevallo University on 20 February. I enjoyed speaking to the middle schoolers and I’m so excited to see where they go in the future. Who knows, maybe one of them will become a best-selling author one day! And I get to say I knew them. (;
Back to the release date of MotC. You may wonder why I did not blog on that very special day. Well, that is a good question. I probably should have found the time, but I had a couple tests to study for aaaaand… It just didn’t happen. I thought about it, though. It’s the thought that counts, right? (No? Well, okay.) I’ve actually thought about blogging a lot over the past few days. Yet, something always seemed more pressing, such as hanging out with my new friends (shout-out to Bailey, Mary, and Sara), watching random movies or TV shows, or writing on Book 2 (I don’t apologize for this one). Though, speaking of TV shows, I’m currently slightly emotionally involved in the show “Arrow. ” A friend of mine who  lives six hours away watches it at the same time as I do, and we discuss it over text. It’s quite an exciting adventure, though often frustrating since the characters do stupid things REPEATEDLY. (Oliver, you know I’m talking to you.) But that’s okay, because in the end it’s only a TV show. Obviously the only real people are the ones in books…
Speaking of books, I have started reading again. (I have phases when I don’t read for a while, and then I remember that I actually enjoy it, so I return to it.) Currently I’m just reading what is required in my World Lit class, plus a few extra stories in my excessively large world lit book. I’ve decided to read Beowulf since I haven’t had a chance to yet (this is for you, Susanna), and maybe I’ll finish it before I finish this semester of school (fingers crossed–I can be a slow/distracted reader at times).
Oh, and I thought I’d answer a question today that I’ve been getting from a few people.

Question: How do you find time to write while keeping up with other aspects of your life?

My Answer: Life? What life?
Okay, just kidding, I have a sort-of life. One of my main characteristics is that I like to plan. I like to know what is going on at exactly what time, and if something needs to be done next week, well it’s all the better if I finish it this week instead. Procrastination is one of my greatest pet peeves, and I often give procrastinators strange looks because I cannot understand their lifestyle choices. (If I have ever given you one of these looks, I apologize. Please, carry on with your life as you see fit and ignore me.)
So, what does that have to do with writing? Much and little at the same time. When it comes to writing, my planning and non-procrastination mottos are completely abandoned. My books have no plans (except for their beginnings/endings and a few key scenes). If I should be writing on Book 2, and I really don’t feel like it, well, chances are, I will find something else to do, such as doodling or watching a movie or going to bed before any of the other college students even begin to think about sleep.
Now, with that said, I still do manage to find the time to write, BUT, I only do it when I am in my “writing mood,” which, sadly, is not any time of the day. If it were, I would have had the entire series finished in maybe a year. Unfortunately, unless I am mentally prepared for writing, nothing will happen. I will end up staring at the words on this computer screen and getting NOTHING done, which benefits no one. So, how do I solve this grand predicament? I do as much homework, studying, etc., as soon as I can so that when I AM in a writing mood, I will be able to devote a section of my day to writing and not regret it later. I usually limit myself on the time I spend on homework (60-90 minute intervals), but with writing, there is no time limit. I write until I cannot write anymore, even if the time leaks into my bedtime (gasp!). Sometimes that is thirty minutes, sometimes it’s two or three hours. The results also vary–sometimes I write 2-4 chapters, and sometimes I manage to finish a single scene.
Late last year (or maybe it was early this year) I made a goal to write 2,000 words a day. Since I’ve gotten to college, that goal has become rather impractical for me. As said previously, I’m only occasionally in the mood to write, so if I were to force myself to sit down and write, I’d only manage to type out garbage. For some writers, this is what they make themselves to do, and it works for them. (Not the part about the garbage, but about forcing themselves to write daily.) However, I’ve found that if I try to do that, my mind will get boggled, and I will only frustrate myself as I stare at the screen for hours on end (yes, this has happened before). So, while some authors will say that you must write EVERY day, I disagree. I think it’s good to figure out what works for you personally, even if it means spending a little more time to complete your work than other people believe is fit. Who are they to tell you how long you should spend on it? It’s your creation. Do what you know is right!

That’s all I’ve got for today. Here’s a jewel for you before you go. This was me on the release day of Mark of the Corripian:

Team Corripian, right here!

Got my book, my t-shirt, and–you can’t really see it, but–my necklace with the mark of the Corripian on it. Represent.

Have a safe week, and say something nice to someone today, tomorrow, and the next day. Because nice people are cool.

Farewell to all,

B.H. Parker

“Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a harder battle.” -Plato

New Friends, College Life, and a Book Giveaway!

Hello, wonderful people!

I am currently writing this while waiting for my laundry to complete its drying process… And the coldness of this room is distracting me greatly. *Sigh*
Okay, so let’s begin with some news! Firstly, Mark of the Corripian is currently available for purchase in paperback format! It’s available through Amazon, Barnes&Noble, and Books A Million. Get your copy today! And if you are a book reviewer and would like a review copy, shoot me an email and I would be happy to send you one.
So, I’m in college now. It’s definitely different living in a dorm, but so far I haven’t been homesick…like, at all. Sorry parents, but living away from home is fun. I can stay up past my bedtime and be crazy and yell and scream and blast my music and no one cares. (Okay, let’s be real, I still go to bed at or around 10pm, and I typically like to be quiet because that way I can observe people around me.) So, unfortunately(?), coming to college has not forced me to become your typical exciting, sleep-deprived, coffee-drinking college student. I wake up before 7am even though my first class doesn’t start till 9, and I like to finish my homework BEFORE the day it’s due. I am allergic to procrastination. *shudders*
Before you think I have led an incredibly dull life as a college student (I mean, dude, you haven’t lived until you’ve stayed up all night!), I’d like to inform you that over the past couple of weeks I have befriended ten of the most awesome human beings ever.

This is a group of students from Korea Christian University who visited Freed-Hardeman University for three weeks (my dorm mom is standing in the back, and there I am in the front left!). I cannot even begin to describe how these wonderful people have encouraged me and brightened my day on multiple occasions. They are so welcoming and loving, and I am so blessed to have met them, even if I only got to hang out with them for a short while. They introduced me to many different aspects of their Korean culture, including some really spicy food (check out my Instagram for pictures!), a Korean movie where a bunch of people died (no English subtitles–I was lost the entire time), and a bunch of random Korean words that I love to say at random times (which always cracks up my new friends). I felt like a little kid at times after I’d learn a new word…for instance, I learned the word for “cold,” and, conveniently, it has been cold nearly every day here! So, of course, every time I was walking with them outside, I would proudly utter the Korean word for cold, and they would all get really excited, saying I was a “genius” for remembering. I would mentally pat myself on the back and continue on enjoying their company.

These girls have been especially special (especially special?) to me. In merely three weeks they’ve shown me what it means to be a true friend, and I will never forget them! We’ve shopped at the local mall, gone bowling, played at the arcade, shared six different flavors of ice cream at Baskin Robins, watched a few movies with Korean subtitles, and eaten a couple different Korean meals together, not to mention the many other meals in the university’s cafeteria.
These wonderful people left for New York today, and later will return back to Korea. I am so excited for them to continue their journey, but I am also sad to see them go. I happily stayed up past my bedtime on various nights just to spend time with them, and I would gladly do it again. This experience has been quite an adventure, and so I give a shout-out to each of you: MJ, Ssoo, Ann, Jenny, Sodam, Kong, Hee, Kim, JK, and Shim! Thanks for being awesome friends and I wish you the best of luck in the future. God bless.

Now, onto other book news. I’ve been writing periodically on Book 2–I typically try to work on it a little each day, even if it’s just to read over what I’ve written and brainstorm for the future. So far, I’ve made it to around 40,000 words while keeping up with my homework, so I’d say that’s a plus. My roommate is certainly enjoying my little writing spurts, as I’ve occasionally asked her for her help on words I cannot think of (I usually figure them out after a minute or so of intense thinking, so her help typically goes unused), and on a few occasions I have flopped over groaning because my darn characters just won’t do what I want them to. Gosh, Xavier. Quit being so annoying.
So shout-out to Michal, also, for putting up with my writing shenanigans and for being cool enough to tell people that I’ve written a book.
Since I’ve been in college, I’ve had this crazy thing called free time, and I decided to make a video of pronunciations from Mark of the Corripian. You can check it out here:

Aside from that, I attended the B’ham Local Authors Expo and met some pretty cool people! One of them also thought I was cool, and she was so awesome as to host me on her blog! Check it out here and also take a look at her novel, Heir to the Lamp! Oh, and if you look at the before mentioned blogpost, there is a giveaway for Mark of the Corripian, so don’t miss out! You must enter before 28 February!

That’s all the craziness of my life that I can think of to share with you right now. I hope you all have a safe and blessed weekend.

Farewell to all,

B.H. Parker

“If we find ourselves with a desire that nothing in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that we were made for another world.” -C.S. Lewis

It’s been a while!

Hello, wonderful people!

It’s been a VERY long time since I blogged, and I apologize. I will try to get you caught up on everything in this post!!

I will start off by telling you about my summer. The first big thing I did after graduating was getting my hair cut! This was a major ordeal for me because I had not had short hair since 10 years ago! I ended up getting 12 inches cut off, which I donated to Locks of Love. My best friend, Virginia Dyer, supported me in this nerve-racking event. I can proudly say that I made it out alive and unscathed!!

Donated 12 inches to locks of love!

Through June I mostly focused on editing Mark of the Corripian (it is, as of now, fully edited), and writing Book 2 in the Corripian Chronicles. In early July I went on a mission trip with my youth group to Honduras, where we helped build a house for a local family. I’ve always heard that going on a mission trip out of the country is an eye-opening experience, and I now truly believe that. It was wonderful to be able to see the way the Hondurans lived with what we as Americans would consider next to nothing, yet they were such joyous and thankful people. Their faith in God was also very inspiring and uplifting. Even when they had no food to eat, they trusted Him to provide, and He did.

Hanging out with the sweet Honduran kids!

Shortly after Honduras, I went on a second mission trip to Kentucky, where my youth group worked at Potter Children’s Home. This was also a great trip in which we worked to serve the families of Potter and to glorify God in our work.

Me and a little girl from Potter!

Somewhere in between these mission trips and everything else that went on in the summer, I also got my cover image for Mark of the Corripian! Credits for this beautiful cover goes to Kathryn Kramer, my graphic designer.

Corripian Chronicles Book1: Mark of the Corripian

It makes me so happy just to look at it, so I hope you all enjoy it, as well!!

As I said before, Mark of the Corripian has been fully edited. The next step in the process is layout (designing the inside of the book), which will begin in September. After that will be printing time!! We are hoping the book will be available for purchase on the publisher’s website and this website in NOVEMBER. That’s just in time for Christmas shopping!!

I promise to do a better job at keeping you all updated when I have new information. For one, I have some promotional items that are available for anyone who would like them!

Push cards and Bookmarks

If you would like one, please email me at bhparker@ymail.com

Also, if you have any questions about me, the book, or writing, feel free to contact me at the same email! I would love to discuss any of the above with you if you are interested.

That’s all I have for today. I hope everyone has a safe Labor Day weekend.

Farewell to all,

B.H. Parker

“For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.” -Galatians 5:13 (ESV)

The Characters Are People, Too…

Good afternoon!

I hope you have all had a wonderful day so far! My day has been quite enjoyable, indeed–it snowed! If you live down south, you may understand how big a deal snow is. Being in Alabama, snow is equivalent to some kind of natural disaster: SHUT ALL SCHOOLS DOWN, SEND HOME THE KIDS, STOCK UP ON BREAD AND WATER, STAY SAFE AND WARM INSIDE YOUR HOMES IF POSSIBLE–WE ARE EXPECTING UP TO THREE INCHES OF SNOW…

Welcome to Alabama, folks. (Okay, that was a minor exaggeration, but sometimes it feels this way!) It snowed pretty steadily for about half an hour, but it’s stopped now, and the snow is already melting. It was rather short lived, but it was fun while it lasted!

Also, this week has been wonderful and terrible for me as far as my progress for Book 2. It’s been wonderful because I actually WROTE on it (which I haven’t done for about three months), but it’s been terrible because I decided to scrap all that I had written previously (over 20,000 words) and start over. No worries, though. I did the same for Book 1, and it turned out fine. (;

Soooo. On to the question of the day!! Many different people have asked me this question over the months, so I thought I might as well answer it on here in case anyone else was wondering.

Question: Are any of the characters in your book based on real people?

My Answer: Yes and No. But mostly yes!

This is a really fun question to answer, but at the same time  difficult. There are a few characters that are literally based on my friends–personality, features, the works. And then some of the characters have a trait or two picked out from people I know.

To start off with, I will say that four characters in MotC are based on people I know. Two are directly based on two of my friends (look and act like them), one is a child version of my friend (17-year-old friend, but her character is an adorable 5-year-old), and one simply shares a name with my friend and a few physical features. It’s really fun for me to add in people I know as characters, and I always like to ask my friends if they’d like to be in my book. My first question is always “If you could have a super power, what would it be?” Some people take it seriously, some don’t. Only the worthiest end up in my book. (;

It’s also really helpful for me to use people I know as characters because I already know them. I don’t have to guess at how they’re feeling or what they would do in a certain situation (though, if I have my doubts, I can always ask!). But at the same time, I enjoy creating totally new characters!

Aside from that, there are three or four more characters based on people I know in the following novels.

Now, I also create characters who remind me of my friends and family, but don’t specifically plan on doing it; it just…happens. I usually realize later on that a certain character reminds me of someone. For instance, when my mother began reading my book (which wasn’t until after I began the second version), she pointed out that Xavier reminded her of me. I was like, NO WAY!!! It was the first time anyone had mentioned it, and I’d never really thought about it before then. I think after she said it, though, I got really into it, and kind of blew it up more. It was nice to have a character that I could relate to and that I didn’t have to think too hard when writing about.

Zenia is a TOTALLY different story. I really have to think when writing in her POV. But, now, looking back, she resembles one of my friends in a few ways. I think I picked out all my favorite attributes–her kindness, genuineness, and positive outlook–and stuck them all on Zenia. At the same time, though, she’s totally different from my friend in a lot of ways. So, I’m not sure if that counts… Hmm…

Until the book actually comes out, I won’t really go into detail about which character resembles whom. Though, I hope my answer was sufficient for today!

On a slightly random note, I drew a picture of two of my characters yesterday, and I thought I’d share it with you. So, here it is!

Look! It’s Xavier and Farrah!! A younger version of them, anyways. (:

All righty, folks, that’s it for tonight. Have a safe, blessed week. And watch out for that fluffy, cold, white stuff falling from the sky!

Farewell to all,

B.H. Parker

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.” -Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV)

The Characters Have Changed, Indeed

Hello there!

I hope you have all had a wonderful day. I’m super excited right now because tomorrow is Friday, and Friday is one of my FAVORITE days ever.

Anywho, on to a brief description of my week. First off, for some reason every TV show decided to have its season premier this week, and I was totally out of the loop. I went on the DVR list a few days ago to see about three of my shows had been recorded. Which meant, of course, I had to watch them right away. (;

Currently I’m really into Once Upon A Time–I love the fairytale references. Speaking of fairytales, one of my favorite books right now is Grimm’s Fairy Tales. I’ve got this giant book (which weighs about ten pounds) full of around two hundred fairy tales. Let me tell you, Disney’s version of the stories (such as Snow White, Cinderella, and Rapunzel) are so totally not the same…

Anyways, I read this one fairytale yesterday about an old man who lived with his son and daughter-in-law and their young son. The man’s son and his wife made the old man eat in the corner of the room behind the stove because he would spill his food and I guess just because they didn’t want to look at him. Anyways, they made him eat like this all the time, so one day the little boy started getting together some wood to build something. His parents asked what he was making, and he told them he was making a trough for them to eat out of when they got old. Then the parents cried and let the old man eat at the table again. (I think the story’s called “The Old Man and His Grandson” if you want to look it up!) I mean, who comes up with this? Though, I like the fact that they always conclude the stories with a happy ending and some kind of life lesson…

Aside from all that, I have a question to answer!! This one is from Virginia Dyer, who is simply amazing with her on-the-spot questioning. (;

Question: How much have the characters changed from when they were first created?

My Answer: A lot.

Wasn’t that short answer informative? I thought it was nicely worded. Now onto the detailed answer.

If you read the last blog post, you know that when I began writing MotC, I had no clear goal in mind; I was just writing for the fun of it. Because of this, I felt no reason to really delve into the minds of the characters to figure out who they really were because, well, that took time and energy. And all I wanted when I began this story was some way to spend my free time doing something enjoyable. Though, as I moved along, it was only enjoyable if I had an intricate plot with likable, believable characters whom I knew as well as I knew myself.

So, I began the journey of discovering who my characters were. This involved figuring out the detailed history for both main characters, as well as many supporting characters, and creating thorough descriptions for each character, which I have combined in a large binder that I carry with me everywhere nowadays. (;

Okay, so about the changes the characters have gone through. Zenia Curser, the female protagonist, has developed a personality, most importantly. When I was first writing the story, she was just there, doing whatever I felt like she should do. She really didn’t have a definite personality, which was a big problem that I’ve attempted to fix over many months. :-P

As for Xavier, the male protagonist, so many things have happened. First off, his memory loss actually wasn’t in the original version of the story (but is an important part now). He’s also become a main character, which is probably the biggest change. His personality has pretty much stayed the same, though: cocky, oftentimes sarcastic, and a loner.

There have been many changes in the other characters, as well. For instance, two characters, Brent and April Colt, used to be very prevalent figures in the story, but now their importance has withered. I’ve created more characters since the creation of the story, and these characters have turned out to be far more important than the former characters.

To sum it up, the characters in my book have gone through so many changes, it’s hard to think of–even harder to name–all of them. I’m just hoping that in the end, all the changes are for the best! (;

Thanks for the wonderful question, Virginia!

And before I go, I’d like to give a big shout-out to my creative writing classmates!! Today was super fun! I can’t wait until next week. (;

I hope you all have a great night, a fabulous Friday, and a safe weekend!

Farewell to all,

B.H. Parker

“Toward the scorners he is scornful, but to the humble he gives favor.” -Proverbs 3:34 (ESV)

Character Names Origin

Good evening! I hope this post finds you all well.

Currently my puppy is barking wildly at my pet rats, and I’m finding it slightly difficult to focus… My father keeps warning him that he is going to be bitten, but it seems my puppy does not understand English. How unfortunate…

Anywho, it’s been a while since I last blogged. As it turns out, I haven’t had much time to do anything lately. Though, today I will try to update you on bookly things.

First off, my book has been going through copyediting this month, which covers grammatical and structural errors. Though, next month will mark the beginning of conceptual editing, when I will actually be working with an editor to make the story the best it can be (Eep!).

It’s extremely sad how long it’s taking me to read through my own manuscript. What normally takes me two to five day to finish (this even includes editing, commenting, etc.) is taking me nearly one month to finish. Crazy stuff, guys.

Alrighty. Now for a question from my dear FCP, Jacquelyn Hovey!

Question: How did you come up with your interesting character names?

HOLY PICKLED MUFFINS, I LOVE THIS QUESTION!!!! Sorry, just had to get that out before I went into the answer. (:

My Answer: Okay, here’s the short answer: Latin, the Bible, and randomness.

And now for the more involved answer! Oh, goody!! :D

So, I took two years of Latin (Sophomore and Junior year) and absolutely loved it. Not necessarily for translating or even for structuring my own sentences, but for the vocabulary. If you’ve ever studied Latin, or just taken a peek at the language, you can probably figure out that so many English (and many other languages) words have Latin roots. That part fascinated me as well because I loved to learn a new Latin word, then figure out whether or not there were any English words that came from it. Quite enjoyable, indeed.

Bouncing off of that, I use Latin words for many of my character names. For instance, the two main characters’ last names have Latin bases: Zenia Curser (curro, currere, cucurri, cursus–meaning to run over, traverse) and Xavier Patrocinor (patrocinium–patronage, protection). Now, I don’t choose these names randomly–they each mean something. Zenia’s last name describes her Ability: she can run at incredible speeds without tiring. Xavier’s last name describes what he must become in MotC: Zenia’s protector.

Now, the second place I go to find character names is the Bible. It’s a great place to find unusual names, and I really enjoy searching through it to find the perfect one (:

Zenia’s parents names are Josiah and Meribah, and her step father’s name is Micah (all from the Bible). Also, Kedesh, the name of the western country on Macathia is from the Bible–it’s one of the cities of refuge in the Old Testament. (:

The last place I go to find names is my own randomness. Sometimes I come up with a character that just doesn’t fit any name I find, so I simply create my own or use a random word. (Even though I say I come up with the names, I’m sure they are owned by some random person over yonder on the other side of the world or something…) For example, in MotC, there are Thalion, Rune, Relik, and Mirus, to name a few.

Oh, and I also look through a baby names book to find character names. I simply cannot stand naming a character a random name that does not fit his or her personality, so I make certain the meanings of the names in some way describe the characters. (:

I hope that answered your question, Jacquelyn! :D

And, since I’m on the subject of naming things, I’ll also mention that I derived the word “Corripian” from the Latin word “corripio,” which means “to take hold of, to snatch up; to seize.” This definition describes the capabilities of the Corripian, which I will not describe any more for the time being! (;

And that’s all I have to say for today! I hope you all have a safe, blessed week, and–of course–a merry Christmas!!! :D

Farewell to all,

B.H. Parker

“Let them know that you, whose name is the Lord—that you alone are the Most High over all the earth.” -Psalm 83:18 (NIV)

Most Relatable Character… For Me, At Least!

Hello once again!! I hope you have all had an enjoyable, blessed week! (:

First off, today’s my birthday!! I have been waiting for this day for so many years… I am officially old enough to order merchandise off of the commercials on TV!! YES!!

So, that was completely random. Though, on that random note, I will tell you briefly how my week has gone. First off, my puppy has been monopolizing my time, making it rather difficult to do anything other than care for him. And because of this, while I was out of the house (with him) on Thursday, I managed to misplace my printed-out manuscript. Talk about utter distress. I thought I was going to die.

Worst. Moment. Ever.

BUT. I will have you know that I have located my manuscript, and all is well again in the world! Plus, I’m doing much better on reading through my story! On top of that, copy editing for MotC has begun, and next month conceptual editing will begin!! I’m SO excited!!! :D

Now, on to the next part of my blog: Today I am going to answer a question from a fan who I am also able to call a very good friend, Sarah Kathryn Eubanks!!

Question: Who is the character you feel you can most relate to?

Might I say this is a fantabulous question? It makes me quite happy indeed. (:

My Answer: This requires another brief character description!! Yippee!! Though, if you don’t want to read an entire character description, I will give you the quick answer: Xavier Patrocinor.

All right, for those of you who want to know who Xavier is, stick around!!

Xavier Ace Patrocinor was born in Kedesh, the western country on Macathia. He is twenty-one when the story begins, he is working at a government agency in Solum, and his Ability allows him to sense and control another person’s feeling/emotions. Unfortunately, I cannot tell you too much about Xavier because parts of his past are mysteries since he has lost two years of his memory.

Anyways, you are probably wondering why I can relate to him. I shall now tell you.

Xavier’s not a people person, he prefers to be by himself most of the time, and he can occasionally be somewhat jerk-ish. He’s very independent, confident (though can sometimes be seen as cocky), and clever. I can relate in that neither of us is good with people, and we don’t suffer fools well. Also, we both like for everything to be in specific place, and know when something is not where it is supposed to be. Neither of us has much patience, and we prefer to work alone. -_-

With all these similarities, it’s easy for me to relate to him and understand his thoughts and feelings in certain situations. So, in many cases while I am writing in Xavier’s POV, I simply think to myself, “What would I do in this situation (if I were a 21-year-old man with a superhuman Ability)?” Yet, even though we are much alike, we have many differences. For instance, Xavier is not good with children. At all. He finds them to be loud, breakable, and troublesome. I, on the other hand, adore children and care for them very much! So, sometimes it’s difficult for me to write about him around children because I must completely abandon my own knowledge and put myself in his shoes. But I somehow make it work! (;

Also, I’m afraid the two of us would not get along so well if he lived here on Earth. We are both strong-willed and like to speak our mind, so we would surely have many disagreements. I would prefer he be my older brother in real life, if anything at all. >_<

I hope that answered your question, Sarah (and thanks so much for asking)!!!

Also, before I go, I have a couple of very important shout-outs: One to Madison Bassett for being an awesome friend and fan (it makes me feel so special that you actually plan on reading my book!!), and one to Linley Jones for making my birthday so special and for being a great friend who puts up with my craziness. You guys rock my socks! :D

I hope all of you have a great week! Stay safe!

Farewell to all,

B.H. Parker

“Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.” -Psalm 62:5-6 (NIV)

Happy Birthday Wishes!

Hello again!

Today is a very, very special day. Why, you ask? IT’S ZENIA’S BIRTHDAY!!!

Now, if you are thinking, “Who in the world is Zenia, and why should I care when she was born?”, then I shall inform you!! (And if you already know, please bear with me.)

Zenia Curser, daughter of Josiah and Meribah Curser, is one of the protagonists in my first book, Mark of the Corripian. Her birthday is December 3, 2709–Wow, that’s a long time from now!! Yes, well, MotC is set quite a few centuries in the future. But I shall write about that later. Today is all about Zenia!

Zenia is an only child, born in the first colony of Solum, which is the eastern country on Macathia (the planet on which MotC is based). Zenia is seventeen when the story begins and like nearly everyone else on Macathia, Zenia possesses a superhuman Ability–hers allows her to move at lightening speeds without tiring. She has a very kind, nurturing personality, though in some cases can be seen as somewhat naïve (but don’t hold it against her–she’s had a very sheltered life!). She is rather quick to trust others, even after being betrayed by those closest to her.

At the beginning of the book, you learn that her father died four years prior, and she struggles throughout the story to cope with his death. From the way she handles this and the murder she witnesses, you can see the way she responds to death–she dwells on the moment, unable to let it go or to forgive herself for not doing something to help.

Now, from that description, she kind of sounds like a flower-picking pansy who cries when a ladybug gets stepped on. She’s not that pathetic. She does have her moments of strength in the first book, mostly when she is helping someone else–this is when her true courage reveals itself. She will go through great lengths to protect others, whether she knows them or not. This was how her father raised her–to treat every human life as special and worthy. Zenia upholds her father’s teachings, and longs to do everything in her power to make him proud and to honor him.

Well, that about sums it up for tonight! I hope you enjoyed the mini description of Zenia Curser. She’s a fun one! (:

Farewell to all,

B.H. Parker

“Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” -John 15:13 (NIV)