Wedding Dress and Files

Hey Lovelies!I am overjoyed with the fact that I came back from school to find a new laptop with my old files on it!  There really are not enough words in the English language to cover how happy and relieved I was to see them!  I just was was playing around on with the files then found all of the stuff, I literally sighed with relief!  I probably have to do some HUGE thanks to my dad and his friend for saving my life that was on that harddrive!  I'm friends with my ex, Ryan, and he and I were talking about it he understood how much I was freaking out last weekend.  So since the computer will not be taken away from me since now it has Word (squeals!) I get to keep this pretty little thing!  I probably will have to find a name to fit this laptop....

Okay, so if you are reading the heading you were probably stratching your head wondering why I put in Wedding Dress.  No the wedding dress isn't for me, I'm single as single comes.  I have a guilty pleasure, we can blame my mom for this, but I watch 'Say Yes to the Dress'.  Ryan just found that out recently and he laughed at me.  I got my roomie Heather last year into watching it, and my mom and I have fun watching it.  I am not really a girlie girl and wears dresses myself really, but the show is really addicting in addition amazing what people will spend.  I love getting to look at wedding dresses for different eras with Pirate's Life for Me and Family Ties, plus a couple other stories that aren't time framed base.  With the quiz coming up with Family Ties I thought I would post a picture of the dress that inspired Emma's Wedding dress.  I wasn't sure if I was going to have this picture still, but since I do let's have a little fun!

Now you are probably wondering why i made the picture so big, sorry if it is a little obxious but I just wanted everyone to be able to see all the pretty details that I just fell for! I love Google and had way too much fun researching dresses. I'm sure whatever guy ends up with me is going to have to have a good sense of humor about my researching!
~Ottilie

Emma....

I loved the dress and really thought Violet might have done her best work on this dress.  The dress was an ivory color.  The back had small crystal buttons along my spine.  There was a full, small, scoop neckline that I’ll probably wear with a diamond chocker.  The dress was sleeveless.  The top of the dress had sheer fabric at the straps, the scoop to the sweetheart top absolutely covered in gem beads in small designs.  It was a slim fit, hugging my body to a little above my knees, where it was like a skirt.  More fabric fanned out and I wondered if I spun around if it would spread like a regular dress.  Around the seam of where the skirt started were more beading like a budding flower, with a stem and leaves on both sides, almost like they were turned to the side, drawing more attention to the bud that was near the middle of the dress.  The top of the sweetheart ivory part of the top was outlined in the same sparkles, descending down to the bud.

Before ~Book Review

Hey Lovelies!
There is a new debuting author that deserves some love!  Cambria Hebert is having her first novel (Masquerade) published next month and has written a short story to be the prequel!  I was one of the lucky people who got an advance copy of the prequel, Before!  She is a sweet and sassy lady that you all should check out!  Her blog is linked on the side of my blog.  This is an honest review, because I seriously enjoyed Before and can not wait to read the novel Masquerade.  This is an up coming author that I can't wait to see more from!

4 out of 5 stars
Before is a short story setting up for the debut Young Adult novel Masquerade by Cambria Hebert.  The novelella is written in beautiful language that wraps around your mind placing you in this world.  Cambria's words are descriptive so that the readers can imagine every scene as if they are there.  The main characters Sam and Heven are eager for the readers to get to know them more in Masquerade as we get a peek into their lives in Before.  Sam is part of a dark world that is looming over him, he wants out as his only peace of mind is knowing that a girl he barely knows is safe.  Heven has the prefect life, great friends, date with her crush, and was made head cheerleader which is turned around.  Cambria has written a great short story to set up her novel Masquerade that will have the readers craving for more.


~Ottilie

A not so Sample Sunday

Hey Lovelies!
Not sure if you noticed or know, but I've been missing for a week.  My computer died and I am not sure if I will be getting my files back!  So I've been without a computer, and currently trying not to think of what I might have lost, I'm praying I will be able to get my files back!  So currently I have zero story stuff on my laptop!  So sorry for the lack of post, I'm hoping that I'll get things back I really wanted to send something to my publisher in a couple of months!  So keeping hopes up!
~Ottilie

Snowing news

Hey Lovelies!
Now you might be curious on why I am positing about snow, I am at school (west jersey) and it is snowing.  Not just any snow, but sticking to the ground, caking the trees in layers of white.  It isn't even Halloween and it looks like a White Christmas outside!  I'm in my pjs and a sweatshirt and don't plan on going out into the snow storm.  I seriously might have to move its too early for snow.  I was walking outside a little bit this morning I love when the snow flakes flutter around landing on my hair and eyelashes.  I was hopping around the driveway to get the snow shovels out of the shed to store in the house.  It looks like I wasn't being paranoid now!

So I've been working on Project US a little more.  I keep changing scenes, both taking them out or adding some to help with the other characters.  I've been having some fun!  I'm really feeling that I need to get it published so I can stop proding at it, started it in the year 2004 (November), so I have had a lot of time to play around with it.  However I don't want to play with it too much that the story plot get muddled.  So when I'm done editing it this time, I'm going to try to publish it.  It's a story close to me and my friends who knew me in high school so it shoould be interesting.  Plus I'm on a kick to write some loving stories so Project US and Beneath the Scars will help that fix!  Sooner Project US is done the more I can work on other stories!  I'm hoping to finish rewriting, going to print the god only knows how many pages to help edit!  Should be fun!!  So now there is a chance Project US will be before A Pirates Life for Me...

Just a reminder I'm hoping in a month or a little over a month to have the contest up for the new edition of End of the Line!  I'll probably post a tester up on here just to make sure that it does work how I want it to!  Start looking over Family Ties for the quiz ;)
~Ottilie

Upcoming Giveaway!

Hey Lovelies!
Yes you did infact read the title correctly!  I will be hosting the first giveaway on THIS blog!  So exciting!  Since End of the Line is on it's second person editing it I can start talking about this!  So do you think you know my book Family Ties?  If not the ebook format is only 2.99!  So around a month from now I will be posting a tivia quiz on here, the questions will be dealing with Family Ties, I'll leave the quiz up for about a week to give everyone a fair chance.  Then I will announce the winner, and the prize will be a free e-format copy of End of the Line 2nd edition!  I'm just giddy thinking about it, I'll have fun thinking of questions!  There are a couple other fun things I'm planning for November and December!  The winner of End of the Line will have the new edition before the paperback book is edition!  The new edition has a new scene in it too!  Who wouldn't want to be the first to read something before other people??

Sample Sunday

Hey Lovelies!!
Well I haven't really been sleeping and got woken up early this morning by my partner for a project by a text message for him to not be responsive.  Not good.  However I will not be making you all suffer!  Today is Sample Sunday!!  Free readings, what could be bad about that??  Well today I will be doing Family Ties!  You might be saying, didn't you already do a sample from this story?? I did and you want to know what will be different about this sample, it will be from a male's point of view!  I usually have my stories starting with female character, and since I usually post the first chapter my leading males have been silence.  I love my characters and decided to show a little of one of the Men of Ottilie!  I really should do a day about the guys in my stories...idea for another time!  Well Today's sample and Men of Ottilie is Cory, the best friend of Abby.  He is the sweet, best friend who is always up for a verbal action of wit!  Enjoy!
~Ottilie

Family Ties

Chapter 3

Cory

“Cory, you’re late!” A stern voice cut through the air as each word was pronounced with a sharp tone ahead of me.


I looked up from the side walk to see Abby in her uniform at the corner of the restaurant, right before the road to drive down into the property of the country club. She was standing in front of me with her hands on her hips glaring at me with her foot tapping just for added effect. We were supposed to walk to work together, I was running late. I thought I timed it all right, but unfortunately my alarm decided it did not want to go off on time. Thankfully, Mom woke me up not much longer after that.


“What can I say? At least the boss doesn’t know. Are you wearing a skirt!?” I asked as we walked down the short road together as people practiced on the driving range.


She was wearing a white button down dress shirt with a red bow tie and cummerbund. She wore a black skirt that ended little above her knees with black plain dress shoes that didn’t have much of a heel. Abby’s hair was of course in its usual messy bun thing, you really couldn’t see her hair well. I looked at the skirt, shocked again that she was wearing one. That was when I looked at her legs. Sometimes I forget that she isn’t that little girl I grew up with that we are growing up, maturing. That she is actually very pretty and had very nice legs.


“Shut up! I have to wear this thing! It’s part of the uniform so give me a break!” she growled, sliding her hands down looking for pockets that were not on her skirt so she crossed her arms over her stomach.


I smiled at her.


“I just can’t remember, in all the years I have known you, seeing you wearing either a skirt or a dress. The one time I think I did see you wear a dress was for a funeral and you were wearing shorts under it. We have known each other since you were born since I’m older.”


“Bite me, this wasn’t my choice,” she snapped, walking up the stairs of the porch of the restaurant.


I caught up and opened the door and I laughed at her.


“I don’t pay you two to flirt!”


There was our boss standing a few feet away, in the doorway of the room with the bar and a few small tables, giving us evil glances. The rumor was that the country club belonged to the mob and looking at him you could believe it, he definitely looked like the stereotypical head mobster. He was a little shorter than me, but on the broad side, a very solid looking man. He has jet black hair, oiled back, that shined in all of the lights of the place, dark eyes, and a sales man smile.





Work started out as a disaster. Our boss wouldn’t give us any slack, which was probably because we were a couple of minutes late on the first day. On top of that, the people we were serving were such snobs. I looked over at Abby at one point and it looked like Abby was going to throw water into a face of one of the customers. I was planning on asking later what happened on the way home from work. I had people who would change their orders over a hundred times even after I put their food on their table. Then what did those people have the nerve to do, they left a quarter for a tip and they said that since I was one of the poor to use it wisely. That just makes my blood boil with fury.


Abby works here since it is within walking distance from her home. We live a few houses away from each other. We were kind of raised as brother and sister; well, not exactly siblings, but very close as our families were close, so we were always together. Also her family was happy she didn’t have to walk home by herself, that she had me with her to keep her safe. Her parents didn’t want her as a girl to be a defenseless girl, walking alone by herself at night, and her brother had his own life to deal with. Not that I mind walking with my best friend, and we work together. There wasn’t anything we wouldn’t do for each other.


On the walk home, the sun was only starting to go down with a light glow in the air, the sky was filled with oranges and purples. Abby was carrying her shoes instead of wearing them. She wasn’t a high believer in shoes. The second she walked out of the door of the restaurant she took off her shoes and crossed the street in a quick rush before another car came, with me right behind her smiling. This didn’t surprise me because she does this stuff all the time. Not caring that she was going to walk in the street without anything protecting her feet or that she was running in a skirt. She didn’t care what others thought or what people thought was right, she did what she did because it suited her. She didn’t follow others.


“I hate wearing skirts,” Abby growled as she kicked the grass by the sidewalk. “They show off my legs. There was this one guy who was trying to flirt with me. He seriously needed to buy a book on what is acceptable flirting and what will get a girl to throw a drink in his face. On top of that, he tried to touch my legs! I wanted to kill him! Rip him from limb to limb! I told the boss instead, he just shook his head. Then I didn’t have to deal with that table. Men are pigs! Seriously, if the customers are going to act like that, then we should not have to serve them!”


She was still looking at the ground as her voice was hard. It was almost a pout, but a strong voice ready to murder the next male that crossed her path against her wishes. She was walking trying to balance on the side. I kept an eye on her as the cars drove by.


“Abby, do you not realize what I am?” I raised an eyebrow at her as I held an arm out ready for her to grab onto if needed.


She really didn’t look stable. Yet I smiled at her weird childish quirk. She has always done that that I can remember.


“You’re not a man, you’re Cory.” She finally looked at me, rolling her eyes, like I should already know this.


I just rolled my eyes, knowing I had come to expect that from her - Abby the queen of sarcasm and bluntness. I still thought of her as that little girl in pig tails and jean overalls with her Raggedy Ann doll she carried around in a tight hug. That doll was never far from where she was: her grandmother, I think, gave it to her. I can remember it sitting in her backpack while we were in school, even to fourth grade. I had given her a Raggedy Andy doll when we were six and she has both on her bed to this day.


Then there are times I find myself looking at her legs, or just really looking at her, and then I realize that she isn’t that little girl anymore. We are growing up and I don’t even remember seeing this process happening. It was like I woke up recently and there stood this new version of Abby. I would call myself a sick person for looking at my friend that way. I find myself mentally smacking myself. She is my friend and I’m supposed to protect her from guys, not to look at her.


“Cory, you want to come in for a little bit?” Her voice was softer and snapped me from my thoughts. How did we get here?


She tilted her head, looking at me, standing in front of the gate in front of her house.


“Sure, I’ll call my mom when I get in too.”


Abby opened the little gate with a hard push and walked up the small walkway with me right behind her. She kicked her front door a couple of times before it opened. Abby refused to let me help her with opening the door. Her dad has been too busy to fix that and the gate because of his hours at the office so they’ve been broken for a couple of years now. She just laughs it off and says it’s her work out for her muscles since gym class was a joke.


When it finally swung open, she went in first with me behind her. After I moved aside, she ran into the door as it slammed into place with her rubbing her one shoulder afterwards. When I looked in the room, Josh was sitting there with the TV on while he had his books opened across his lap along with a couple next to him. Seeing him studying wasn’t something that unusual.


Abby and her brother look a lot alike. At the beginning of the year all Abby would have to do is walk into the room and the teachers would know, by just looking at her, before asking, if she was related to him. Both have the chestnut brown hair and eyes from their parents. He has glasses though. He isn’t the Poindexter guy in glasses. He is one of those guys who still have girls falling at his feet guys. He worked at the sports center by us and a lot of the girls from school go over there just to drool over him. He was still a high man on campus. Yet he’s very level headed and acts like I’m family also, not just one of Abby’s “little” friends.


He has offered to drive us to school, but Abby told him we would rather walk. Wasn’t that nice of her to speak for the both of us? Did I mention that both had the spunky, fierce personality? Well, she was more out front with it than he was, most thought he was laid back. Though I see him at home and really interacting with his sister and that alone speaks about a lot of fire going on. At times it’s kind of funny depending on the fight that’s going on.


Josh waved to us as we headed for the stairs to go into Abby’s room, not saying a word, but sticking to his studies. She hated talking downstairs because she hated Josh and her parents listening to our conversations. She was not as vocal around people’s families, including her own. At times it was kind of funny, but I was the same way - it was easier to talk when families weren’t hovering. As we climbed up the narrow stairs, I couldn’t help but poke her in the back just to hear her scream. I started to smile, she was very ticklish. It was one of her secrets that she tries to keep hidden from everyone. I was one of the few people who knew about how bad it was. She stopped dead in her tracks and turned around to face me, her chestnut brown eyes met with mine. Her hands were firmly on her hips.


“So you want to play that game, do you?” she asked, challenging me, her eyes narrowing as she shifted her weight to the side.


“No, I just wanted to get on your nerves.” I gave a small laugh raising a hand, pretending like I was about to do it again when I wasn’t.


She stuck her tongue out at me and continued up the last couple of stairs quickly, and then walked down the five or six feet to her room. Right in between her room and Josh’s, on the thin wall that divided the two, was a phone with a long cord whose parts were starting to uncoil. Her house had two phones, one in the kitchen and the other was up here for the two of them to answer so they wouldn’t have to go racing around the house looking for phones, especially when they were upstairs in their rooms. She walked into her room and closed the door, to probably change, so I called my house.


“Hey, Mom.”


“Hello Cory, I thought work ended a little bit ago.”


I leaned against the opposite side of the wall. She wouldn’t care I was here, our families were close.


“I’m at Abby’s, actually. We’re just going to hang out for a little bit. Is that okay?” I asked switching ears for the phone, looking at Abby’s door waiting for her to open it up.


“Yeah of course, I’ll leave dinner in the fridge if you don’t eat there.”


“Thanks, Mom. Bye.”


“You’re welcome honey, love you.”


“Love you too.”


“Bye.”


“Bye Mom,” I responded and hung up the phone.


I stood in front of Abby’s door waiting for her to be done.


“Abby, I didn’t think getting changed was rocket science,” I spoke, enjoying poking her buttons any moment I could get.


“Oh, hold your horses. I’m attempting to not leave my clothes to get wrinkled on the floor and there are too many buttons so you can hold on two seconds!”


I leaned against the wall waiting for her to be done, after working that many hours I was growing impatient. I was kind of tired too which was probably not helping at all. I sighed as I tapped the back of my head against the wall lightly. What took girls so much time to get ready? Or would it just be the fact that I was being inpatient? She didn’t need to get dressed up again, she was probably only putting on a t-shirt and shorts anyway, so this was ridiculous.


I heard her door creak open, it needed to be oiled which I offered to do for her. I looked over to see her dark brown hair was still pinned back in a messy bun with a few flyaways that curled naturally and hung by her brown eyes and around her face. She was only partially in the door way as she pushed back some of the hair out of her eyes.


I walked into her room as I took my bow tie off and shoved it in my pocket so I could unbutton the first button of my shirt, I could finally breathe. My breath was caught in my throat when I saw her fully. She was wearing a pale lime green sleeveless shirt that had lace dark green straps along with green and blue shorts. Who made shorts like that legal?!


She sat down on her bed that was on the floor against the wall as she folded her legs. She left room so I could sit next to her on the bed. I stood in the middle of the small room. She raised an eyebrow at me as she titled her head and looked at me with confused brown eyes.


“Is something wrong, Cory?” Abby asked, slightly shaking her head with her eyes never leaving mine.


“No, why do you ask?” I asked, clearing my throat a little.


“You just seem a little off or something,” Abby spoke, raising an eyebrow.


“Nah, I’m just a little tired that’s all.”


“So I guess watching a movie is out of the question?”


“Nah, I’ll be fine.”


“Okay weirdo, then come sit next to me so we can start the movie.”


Nervously I sat down next to her as she started the movie. She sat back with me pulling the blanket up for us as the movie started.

Upkeepings

Hey Lovelies!
Oh you are so lucky I wasn't posting last week!  For those of you who are friends with me, you witnessed part of my mini meltdown from school.  So have I been up to, I'm currently in Hamilton school district and I'll be teaching a junior class starting the 24, haha no they don't know I am a published author!  So with all the assignments with school writing has been on low on the back burner, not happy what so ever about that considering I thought up those 4 new story ideas BEGGING  to be written!  I feel like the new characters (some of which are old ones returning ;) ) are being held hostage in a tight prison cell.  Since I have had off the last few days I'm enjoying the down time of sleep and writing.  My homwork on the other side has been put on a minor hold...oops...anywho Amy and I are working on the editing of End of the Line, which needs to be done asap, I hate delaying things, I like timed schedules, it's so bad blame my mom for being a CPA.  I will still be holding a contest for a couple free copies of End of the Line in e-format to those who can answer my questions about Family Ties when more of the editing is done by the second editor!  That and the cover is done!  Been also questioning the order of what book will be published when, as in the order!  Since I've been working on Project US which I'm pretty excited for, as soon as that is done I'm going to be writing more on the new stories!  I should get back to the homework...
~Ottilie