From Afar...my novel

Prologue

If there is one thing to which young girls can—and do—aspire, it is being in love. They know it is rare to experience such a state, but are determined that they shall be one of the select few to turn out victorious.
Rebecca Dumate never thought about such things. That is, until he entered her life, and then she could think of nothing else. The paragon of perfection and his family moved into the elegant Benbridge estate, just three miles from her own home at Marshall Hall, when she was eleven. Over those three miles lay a lake as smooth as glass followed by rolling hills of lush green grass that led right up to her back door.
It was while she was standing on one of those hills that she caught her first glimpse of her new neighbors. Rebecca had just won yet another race against her three brothers and best friend Isabella Buchanan when she caught sight of the wagons and carts full of servants and luggage. All of the children ran into the house and informed anyone within a hearing distance (and a few that weren't) of the new arrivals. Mr. Dumate had left the very next morning to greet them, and returned with the delightful news that a Lord and Lady Birkham, their two sons, and a cousin Mr. Winters were now taking up residence.
Her brothers had been understandably excited as they had no playmates other than each other, and her elder sister Mary had blushed at her father’s suggestion that she become introduced to the cousin, who was apparently very handsome and in possession of an equally handsome fortune. Mr. Dumate further surprised them all with the information that the family would be dining with them the following evening at Marshall Hall.
The dinner proved to be a most advantageous event for both families. Mr. and Mrs. Dumate found Lord and Lady Birkham to be as pleasant and amiable as Mr. Dumate’s first impression had indicated. They were very well dressed; Lady Birkham had the air of fashion and rank, though with none of the pride and superiority that plagued many of her station. She was exquisitely beautiful, ageless and elegant, and delightfully witty. Lord Birkham was a more somber man, content to let his wife carry the conversations. He, too, had a ready smile, and it was evident that he adored his wife, and that his sons had a great respect and admiration for him.
The sons, Andrew and William, ages fifteen and thirteen, respectively, were very well-mannered boys, energetic and loud, but very respectful. Andrew’s manner was that of a playful nature, and his brother was just as lighthearted who delighted in following Andrew wherever he led. As luck would have it, the Birkham boys became fast friends with Edward and Henry, the younger two of Rebecca’s brothers, who were precisely the same ages.
The most pleasant introduction of the evening was, without a doubt, that of Mr. Winters to Miss Dumate. He was very handsome, and gave as much attention that a single young woman, and her overly anxious parents, could ever hope to receive. Mary, ever the lady, received his compliments with all politeness but could not escape the slight blush on her cheeks. During the course of the meal, little was said between them, but it was not unusual to catch one of them stealing a glance at the other.
Poor Rebecca, being the youngest of the party, found the whole of the meal somewhat dull with no one left to talk to. She did enjoy watching Mary who was behaving very strangely with all her stares and blushes and strove to hide her giggles in her napkin. This won her a look of disapproval from Frederick, her eldest brother, who knew precisely what she was witnessing. Afraid of being rude and of his scolding her, Rebecca immediately plastered a solemn look on her face until she saw Fred cast a wink and a small smile. She returned his smile, and continued her scan of the room.
Her eyes rested upon young Andrew Birkham, who was chatting animatedly with her brothers. She noticed his crooked grin, very straight teeth, and the way his hand was running absentmindedly over his dark curls. He was very different from her brothers, she thought. He was handsome and charming like the prince of her beloved fairy tales. He was a pure example of a gentleman, in her estimation. He would never tie her braids to her own bedpost and then run away laughing. Her scalp still ached from her brothers’ prank last week. No, he was perfect in every way, and she could only imagine how her heart would flutter when he flashed that crooked grin at her. She heard herself sigh, and, shocked by the sound, began to cover it up with a few coughs.
Edward looked at her strangely, his eyes questioning her, but she merely pointed to her throat and smiled. He laughed, and that, thankfully, was the end of it. She breathed a sigh of relief, inwardly this time, and focused once more on her food.
When the meal was completed, they were all to go to the drawing room for further conversation and the looming possibility of a musical recital. The children dreaded the long evening of sitting still and talking about dull subjects until Edward and Henry approached their father with a proposition. The boys asked if they--meaning the two Birkham’s, themselves, and Rebecca--could bring blankets outside so they might all gaze at the stars and find constellations. Mr. Dumate consented and called for Thomas to take the children outside.
Rebecca noticed that Frederick shot them a longing glance as they began to leave, knowing full well that at seventeen he was no longer considered a child, and therefore could not escape the adults. She smiled sympathetically at him, but only received a scowl in return. Making sure no one was looking, she stuck her tongue out and ran to catch up with the boys.
They all went to the large hill behind the house, set down their blankets, and laid upon them; Thomas standing nearby awaiting any order or request. Rebecca settled herself at the end of the line of blankets quickly and immediately began examining the clear night sky. The boys were talking amongst themselves about this star or that planet, leaving her to be silent and thoughtful.
“And what thoughts occupy your mind so completely, Miss Rebecca?”
She started as she realized that the person lying beside her was Andrew Birkham. Suddenly she felt slightly ill but realized that he was expecting an answer and so responded.
“I was trying to pick a star to wish upon,” she told him, half embarrassed and half breathless from having his presence only inches away.
Edward chortled, and Henry snickered quietly. “Don’t be such a girl, Rebecca.” Seeing the slightly hurt look on her face, he repented. “Come on, old chum. Help me find Cassiopeia before Henry does.”
Rebecca smiled in forgiveness and started searching for the constellation. After winning that race, they started again with other constellations until they had exhausted their memory of them. They started indoors again, but before going in, Andrew pulled Rebecca aside.
“Pick out your star, miss.”
She smiled, turned back, and found one, a bright blue in the southern sky. She pointed at it. “That one there.”
He leaned down close to see where she pointed and nodded thoughtfully. “Excellent choice,” he whispered in her ear. “Now, you must wish upon it whenever you can, and you must never tell the wish, otherwise it will not come true.”
Unable to summon her powers of speech, she nodded obediently. Henry called for them both, telling them to hurry. Andrew grinned and ran inside.
Rebecca was completely smitten from that moment on, and was absolutely certain that Andrew Birkham was perfect, her own prince charming. And she vowed there and then, upon that star, that somehow, she was going to win the race for his heart. And Rebecca Dumate never lost a race.

Starting Over.

I have not been very happy as of late. I've just moved to Cincinnati, and although I lived here in my childhood, it hardly resembles the same place. There are some familiar faces and places and things, but for the most part, it is changed. I have yet to meet any kids from the single's branch here, and so my social circle is limited to the Rahlf's [whom I love to death, mind you...] and the people in my Massage Therapy classes [I'm saving THAT rant for tomorrow...look for it.] So right now, this place is very very lonely for me. It's depressing, actually. I'm praying and reading my scriptures and such, so THAT part of me is ok, but sometimes the Spirit just isn't enough, you know?
It reminds me of a story I heard: There was this little boy who sometimes had problems in the night where he would wake up and cry because he was scared. His mother would come in and would tell him to pray and that Heavenly Father and the Spirit would make him feel better, and that he didn't need to call for her all the time. A few nights later, he called for her in the night again, and she came in and told him the same thing she had before. Her little boy looked up at her, with tears swimming in his big eyes, and said, "Mommy, don't you know? Sometimes you just need someone with skin on."
That's how I feel most of the time! The more I learn about touch in class, the more I wish that I had more exposure to it. That sounds weird, let me try to explain: I am the type of person that loves hugs. I will randomly go up to my mom or a friend and wrap my arms around them purely for the reason that I need that contact. I enjoy being close to people physically, and sometimes I just feel like I have to touch. It makes things more real to me, and I feel more comfortable when I can establish that I have access to it. But right now, I am starving for affectionate human contact. Granted, I get the impersonal professional touch of the students in massage class [which should be comforting, but it's not...again, watch for tomorrow's blog], but it's not the same.
ANYWAY, barring the lack of human contact, I felt that something was missing. So I started going through my writing again, and BOOM I had something to fill my endless hours. I thought I'd start to share some things with you on here. Not all of it, because then when I'm famous, no one would buy the book. And I don't want y'all to save this stuff and publish it under a new name! JERKS! Haha, jk. But I hope you'll bear with me as I begin to open up with my writing, which happens to express more of me than I ever thought it would. Advice on the writing [or anything else, for that matter] is welcome! I'll post it above this. Enjoy!

A Deeper Glimpse...A Darker Glimpse

This post has been deleted by the blogger, as it was a vain attempt to vent some very personal things and resulted in misunderstandings and concern rather than being seen for what it was meant to be. Sorry.

Oh the stories I have to tell...

No, I didn't die. No, I was not abducted by aliens. And no, I did not win 5 million dollars, move to a deserted island with a very attractive very single doctor, and completely enjoy forgetting about every single one of you. Fabulous, though that last sounds.

I have been INSANELY busy.

Let me explain. No, there is too much. Let me sum up: I have been packing for my move to Cincy, shopping for a fabulous outfit that I can wear this weekend to the wedding of some high school friends [ladies, you understand the pressure THAT puts on a girl...] and then Breaking Dawn came out. Oh, Breaking Dawn, how did I ever live without you? Anyway, I stayed up all night and read the entire thing [I read fast] and then I went to sleep about 7:45 Saturday morning. Here's where it gets fuzzy. so I'll speak in third person. Apparently, Becky got up about 11 and decided to go and take a shower. However, unbeknownst to  her, during her brief hours of sleep, her body pillow with the thick velvety case fell off of the bed and landed atop the only AC vent in her room. Now, for those of you who have not memorized everything about Becky's life, her room faces directly east and she has 2 windows. Therefore, it gets VERY warm in her room in the mornings. Thus, the thick body pillow with the velvety covering landing on the only source of cool air for the entire room rendered things a bit complicated. So, Becky, as she always does, sprang out of bed without a second thought and certainly no recovery for her head, and darted to the bathroom to cleanse herself. Upon reaching the bathroom, the heat of the room and the staying up all night caught up with her. She passed out and on her way to the floor, hit her head on either the toilet paper holder or the toilet itself, we aren't entirely sure, as no one saw her do it.

Now, her brave sister Jenny, hero of the day, was downstairs and heard the thump and, upon receiving no satisfactory audible response from Becky, ascended to the bathroom to ascertain the situation. She found Becky sitting up, feet propped against the door, making no sense. Thinking quickly and taking in Becky's pale and VERY sweaty state, she helped her undress and get into the bathtub, where she began to cool her off with cold water. Their mother arrived soon after and, upon hearing Becky repeat herself many MANY times, decided that a trip to the ER would be advisable.

After many hours, a catheter, a CT scan, blood tests, and waiting, the trusty staff of the Home Hospital in Lafayette decided that Becky had a concussion and needed to stay overnight for further observation. They moved her up into a room, and this is where Becky's memory began to kick in, and she no longer needed to repeat the same questions over and over and over and over and...well, you get the idea.

So. That was that. It was very frustrating for me, and very exasperating. But I went home on Sunday, and Mom helped me to finish packing [ok, she did it all and I sat in a chair and told her yes or no]. I drove to Cincy on Monday, with about 50 trillion guardian angels, I'm sure, and I went to my first day of school yesterday. Hoo, BUDDY, are there some characters in that class! It will be a very interesting time, lemme tell ya. 

Today I did very little. Job hunting and therapeutic book purchasing. [Don't mock me,  it works.] School again tomorrow, and then I plan on moving my things into a semi-permanent place and cleaning on Friday. But shhh! Don't tell Lori. She's out of town.

Which reminds me... Readers of this blog will please take a moment now to raise a cheer for the birth of Lorelei Brynn Rahlf. She came on August 5th at 4:30 MST (or is it MDT?) and weighed 8 lbs 9 oz. Happy parents are Tony and Melanie Rahlf, and excited big brother Soren. HUZZAH!

More updates to follow in the coming days, and more writing for those of you who are enlightened enough to receive it. Thank you and good night.

I've been tagged.....

Thanks, Kerstin, for giving me something to do!
The rules are as follows for this chain letter:
1. Link to the person who tagged you.
2. Post the rules on your blog.
3. Write six random things about yourself.
4. Write six random people at the end of your post by linking to their blogs.
5. Let each person know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their website.
6. Let your tagger know when your blog entry is up.

Six random things:

I have a stronger attachment to my books than my clothes.

I eat my pancakes with peanut butter and syrup

I am the smallest member of my immediate family.

I've been writing stuff since I was in first grade...it's mostly rubbish, but STILL...

It has been stated that I have the ugliest feet in the Connolly family, and that includes grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins.

I'm a little obsessed with good smelling things. Body spray, lotion, candles, bath salts, aromatherapy sticks... (and that's just on my desk and dresser right now....)

And I am going to tag.......Erin, Celeste, Jane, Jackie, Alicia, and Kylie!

To do....Or Not to do.....

So I woke up this morning at the semi-normal (because my windows face directly east....) hour of 7:45, laid in bed for another hour reading New Moon, and then sat up, looked around my room, and decided that I really didn't HAVE to get out of bed today. But then my newly installed adult portion of my brain said, "Yes, Becky, you do. You have a ton to do and you have to do it." Well, I fought with that stupid adult side for fifteen minutes, and then finally decided that I COULD get up without acutally doing anything.
Perhaps I should explain...currently, my room is littered with various articles of clothing, random bits of papers, and a general disaster thanks to my graduating, moving, travelling, and having to move again. Since I have NO idea how much space I actually have at my new place, the idea of beginning to pack again terrifies me. Not to mention that my parents have asked me to go through all of the stuff that USED to be in my closet and throw things out... Can we say ick? They have youth program service projects for things like that!
Anyway, the writing process is going EXTREMELY well, even though Jenny seems to think I'm anti-social. Whatever. I'm not going to stop, if that's what she means...love her, though. She's such a goof.
So who knows how much of whatever is going to get done today. I only have a week until Orientation, so I should do SOMETHING besides write today. Like take a shower. That I can do.

This time I really am back, I promise.

Well, I hope none of you thought I was dead, though I wouldn't blame you if you did, seeing as how I haven't posted on here in AGES. But never fear, I am alive and well....mostly....
Ok, here comes the explanation. Last April, if you recall, I took the atheletic training certification exam. I found out on the day of my graduation ceremony AFTER I had graduated that I had failed. To make a very long story very short, I was devastated, and didn't want to duscuss it. But I went off to England, and had a marvelous time and only thought about the test every single day. But there was nothing I could do about it overseas, so I didn't worry about it. Just before I came home the scores of the test were sent out and I found out that I had failed by 6 points. Just 6. That's all. That took some getting over. Anyway, I came home, started unpacking, and then went to Omaha for Jenny, as you all know. And since then I have done nothing but study, eat, sleep, and occasionally take a shower. I have not been blogging or writing at all, and, trust me, I felt the pain of that! After months of nothing but writing, try telling yourself to stop. It sucks. ANYWHO, I just took the test again this morning, feel GREAT about it, and so now I am BACK!
So, here's what the dealio is: I move to Cincinnati at the end of this month for massage school. But before then, I have to organize my room, PACK my room, finish editing From Afar, send of 7 more letters to literary agents, get some more work done on To Love Again, and transfer all of my written novel notes into my computer so that I have all of the information in one place!
I think I might die.....
Oh, for those of you who are new to my writing schemes: From Afar is my first novel. It's all done, but there is still some editing and revising needed. It's the first in a series about the Birkham family, set in Regency England, but without the high-faluting mumbo-jumbo. It's told a lot like how my brain sees things and thinks things, so I find it pretty funny. To Love Again is the second book in the series, and is not even halfway done, which is BAD considering I wanted to have the first draft done by Halloween....might have to make that Thanksgiving..... If you want to know more about all of that stuff, email me at rebelconn@gmail.com. I'm ALWAYS more than happy to talk about these things!!!!
Right, I also have to find a job in Cincy. I just applied to one at the new hospital opening in Liberty in their Rehabilitation center, so we'll see. School starts on August 5th, so that will be exciting.
OH! And I also have to buy and read Breaking Dawn on August 2nd. Please don't call me that day, I won't answer. Or if I do, I might be issuing all sorts of mean, horrible, nasty threats that I may or may not follow through with, depending on how it ends and how many of you call.
Yes, I am a Twilight-aholic. So what? It's good stuff! GO EDWARD!
Anyway, that's my current life in a nutshell. Confused? So am I. But somehow I'll manage to connect all the various parts of me, and figure out who I am, what I am doing, and where it all will lead me. Wow, that sounds tiring. I think I'll have to pack some M&Ms for that...