What episode is this anyway? Sorry, for some reason, this has seemed kind of like the season without an end - even though it's still just March. I'll admit that while I still find myself theorizing and lamenting the "what could have been" and even probably "what should have been" of TVD (if the Originals hadn't arrived en masse to derail the show), I'm not nearly as invested in the show as I once was.
Which, I guess, is good...considering the fact that I've basically been on deadline for 12 consecutive months. (That was tiring, and a good lesson in what I can do when I put my mind to it.) But, it's also sad, because I really enjoyed having a bit of a diversion when times were more than just a tad stressful around here.
The one thing that hasn't wavered for me, though, is my love for watching Damon's love for Elena. I'm not sure if I can really say it works in reverse...because so much of the time, Elena's love for Damon is muddled - mired in the realities of life as an overwhelmed teen (even when she was a vampire), mixed with conflicted feelings about loving Stefan too, and simply not wanting to be Katherine.
But Damon's love for Elena has never wavered.
He loved her when she was human.
And now he loves her as a vampire. Just like he told Stefan - Damon loves her either way. When Stefan's been hell-bent on "fixing" her (even when she really wasn't broken), Damon was still there, rock steady, unwavering in his devotion to Elena.
Now Elena's not really Elena any longer...or is she?
This new, emotionless (?) Elena is different. She says what she thinks. Her filter's definitely set on "off." She's manipulative, and she's not hesitating to show Caroline exactly how she feels about her friend butting in where she didn't belong. She's hungry. She doesn't care.
Damon understands because he's been there. His words were prophetic when he said she was a lot more like him than she was like Stefan.
Stefan cautioned her about turning into a ripper, but that's not the danger that looms ahead of Elena.
Right now, she's at risk of destroying everything and every relationship that she has left...and Damon knows it, since he's already walked that path.
He knows "his" Elena's still inside her, even though she's buried - at his request. He's not willing to give up on her. Unlike Stefan, he loves her because she's Elena, not because she's his favorite version of Elena.
And now we're tiptoeing into the world of spoilers........
Watching the clips of next week is painful. While Damon resented Stefan's efforts to "fix" Elena earlier in the season, now he's treading those dangerous waters - because she is broken now. And he's the one who did it.
Looking at the scene on the rooftop, candles are burning. It looks pretty romantic.
He knows Elena loved him once, and those feelings were deep enough to form the sire bond, even if she'd never been brave enough to voice them. He's trying to coax those feelings back...because, true or not, he thinks it's his fault that they're gone.
I'm really afraid of what's coming next. I have a feeling we're entering rocky territory the likes of which the DE fandom has never seen...and that's saying something. Elena isn't Elena right now. She's more frightening than Katherine because she's not really holding onto anything - except her switch staying firmly "off."
If she has an inkling of suspicion that Damon wants to cure her, even if she doesn't want it, I'm very much afraid that she's going to do something that will have long lasting effects on Damon and Elena's relationship.
But Damon waited over 100 years for Katherine. He's not going anywhere. We're just going to have to wait for Elena to find that out.
Friday, March 15, 2013
Friday, March 8, 2013
New Project
I have a new semi-secret project. (Semi-secret, of course, because I don't mind mentioning it...but I'm also not going to reveal too much about it.)
Right now, it's coming along swimmingly. At four days in, I've crossed the 7,000 word mark. That's not exactly record pace for me, but I'm pleased with my word count. If writing as my alter-ego did anything, it taught me how to get a book in on deadline (and I hit wordcounts per day that I didn't think possible).
So, what can I tell you about this new SSP (you know, Semi-Secret Project)?
Those of y'all who know me well, know that I have a different candle for each book.
This book's scent is....Macintosh (from Yankee Candle Company). Originally, it was going to be a different scent, but I discovered I was very allergic to it. It isn't easy to type while sneezing. So, Macintosh it is.
There is one scene that I bought a special votive candle for....True Rose. Hmm, sounds romantic, doesn't it? Hint...hint....
My playlist is still kind of evolving at this point. I'll have to add to the list as the book goes on. Right now, I'm noticing a heavy amount of Mumford & Sons. Here are a few of my preferred writing songs for SSP.
- Holland Road (Mumford & Sons)
- I Will Wait (Mumford & Sons)
- Hopeless Wanderer (Mumford & Sons)
- Kiss Me (Ed Sheeran)
- Shake it Out (Florence + the Machine)
- Just Give Me a Reason (Pink)
- It's Time (Imagine Dragons)
- Till Kingdom Come (Coldplay)
- New York (Snow Patrol)
And remember.....
Right now, it's coming along swimmingly. At four days in, I've crossed the 7,000 word mark. That's not exactly record pace for me, but I'm pleased with my word count. If writing as my alter-ego did anything, it taught me how to get a book in on deadline (and I hit wordcounts per day that I didn't think possible).
So, what can I tell you about this new SSP (you know, Semi-Secret Project)?
Those of y'all who know me well, know that I have a different candle for each book.
This book's scent is....Macintosh (from Yankee Candle Company). Originally, it was going to be a different scent, but I discovered I was very allergic to it. It isn't easy to type while sneezing. So, Macintosh it is.
There is one scene that I bought a special votive candle for....True Rose. Hmm, sounds romantic, doesn't it? Hint...hint....
My playlist is still kind of evolving at this point. I'll have to add to the list as the book goes on. Right now, I'm noticing a heavy amount of Mumford & Sons. Here are a few of my preferred writing songs for SSP.
- Holland Road (Mumford & Sons)
- I Will Wait (Mumford & Sons)
- Hopeless Wanderer (Mumford & Sons)
- Kiss Me (Ed Sheeran)
- Shake it Out (Florence + the Machine)
- Just Give Me a Reason (Pink)
- It's Time (Imagine Dragons)
- Till Kingdom Come (Coldplay)
- New York (Snow Patrol)
And remember.....
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Inspirational Thought for the Day
Our family visited the museum this past weekend. One room was filled with quotes about dreams and finding inspiration. I thought it was really pretty cool. For the next few weeks, I'll share a few of them here.
In keeping with this week's Oscar theme, I'm starting with one from Steven Spielberg.
As a writer, I like to think this is what I do as well.
In keeping with this week's Oscar theme, I'm starting with one from Steven Spielberg.
As a writer, I like to think this is what I do as well.
Thursday, February 14, 2013
Book Review - 33 Valentines
Of course there's a knight in shining armor who comes to her rescue (well, in this hero's case, a knight in a plaid blazer).
Sam and Sophie have been life-long friends. He knows why she hates February. He's always been there for her...much like a favorite sweater or comfortable sofa. He's the guy who she can always depend on - until he starts dating someone else. Of course, that's exactly when Sophie realizes Sam's more than a friend to her.
33 Valentines is deeper than most romances I've read. Sophie covers a lot of ground in this book as she finally admits to herself exactly why she wishes the calendar skipped from January straight to March. I'm not normally a fan of multiple flashbacks in a book, but Ms. Monahan's work, and they give us insight into Sophie as Sophie's coming to terms with her own past.
Despite the underlying serious themes in the book, 33 Valentines is liberally sprinkled with humor and light moments. Once I started this story, I had a difficult time putting it down.
I can't wait to read Ms. Monahan's next story.
Rating: 5 out of 5 dog treats
33 Valentines is available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble.
Disclaimer: I was provided an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I received no compensation - monetary or otherwise.
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
Book Review - Anna Dressed in Blood
I'll admit that the last time I read a young adult book told primarily from a guy's point of view was likely back when the Harry Potter books were still new. I'm not sure if I've ever read a young adult book written in first person where the main character was a guy - unless that "never released, never finished" book written from Edward's POV counts...and I don't think it does. So, it took me a little while to get into the rhythm of this book, but I'm really glad I did.
It's deliciously creepy.
More than a little gory (really, some of those scenes in the middle portion of the book kept me up at night).
And the main character made me wonder if the Winchester brothers had a younger sibling they didn't know about....
I really loved the story. Cas' voice was cynical, a little sarcastic, and a touch gritty. He's spent more of his life interacting with the undead (following in his father's footsteps) than being a normal high school student, and it shows. When he's forced to make friends in his new town, he'd be much happier just out dealing with ghosts somewhere - but he needs them when he encounters a ghost like he's never met before.
When he meets Anna, he may have just met his match.
I highly recommend this book for fans of things that go bump in the night.
5 out of 5 dog treats
It's deliciously creepy.
More than a little gory (really, some of those scenes in the middle portion of the book kept me up at night).
And the main character made me wonder if the Winchester brothers had a younger sibling they didn't know about....
I really loved the story. Cas' voice was cynical, a little sarcastic, and a touch gritty. He's spent more of his life interacting with the undead (following in his father's footsteps) than being a normal high school student, and it shows. When he's forced to make friends in his new town, he'd be much happier just out dealing with ghosts somewhere - but he needs them when he encounters a ghost like he's never met before.
When he meets Anna, he may have just met his match.
I highly recommend this book for fans of things that go bump in the night.
5 out of 5 dog treats
Sunday, December 9, 2012
Deep Thoughts About TVD - Episode 408
"Tell her to live life without you and never think of you again - to stop caring about you.
And then leave her...." Witch in New Orleans
The sire bond is a sticky situation.
In one episode, we learned that sire bonds only form when the human was in love with the vampire before he/she turned (which, I'll admit, I'd already guessed). We also learned that there is a cure, but it comes at quite a cost.
The vampire has to tell his sired vampire to live without him/her....to stop thinking about the "master" vampire, and then the "master" has to leave.
All the while knowing that the sired vampire is truly in love with his/her master.
So I can stop with the awkward him/her stuff, I'm going to take it to a more basic level. Let's discuss the implications for Damon and Elena.
Damon already knew about sired vampires - we saw that way back when Tyler's bond to Klaus formed. He was aware of sire bonds because he'd sired another vampire. (What does that say about Damon that this "one in a million" occurrence had happened more than once?)
I'm fairly sure that Charlotte was a plot device - simply sired so that Stefan could witness (and to a lesser extent, Damon) the lengths of Charlotte's devotion. While both brothers were horrified that Charlotte had spent the last 40 years counting bricks, I'm pretty sure it meant different things to the two brothers.
Damon was hit by guilt, since he left after assuming the witch did what she said and had broken the sire bond. He didn't realize that Charlotte was waiting for him to return.
I'm pretty certain that Stefan saw a different picture. He focused on the extreme devotion Charlotte had for Damon. She was so intent on wanting to please Damon that she'd waited on the same street corner for 40 years. Stefan doesn't want to see Elena bound by that type of devotion - especially since (in my opinion), that's how he's rationalizing Elena's feelings for him changing to such a degree since she turned.
So, as the brothers leave New Orleans, Damon's task is clear. He has to free Elena. He has to tell her to stop caring about him - and leave. Stefan's convinced that Damon will do it because Damon can't be selfish with Elena.
But dealing with Elena's bond isn't as simple as Charlotte's.
Because he knows that Elena loved him while she was still human. She had to truly be in love with him before she turned for this to even become an issue. Becoming a vampire has given her the strength to look past all the criticism and condemnation from the rest of her "friends" and admit that she loves Damon. And now, to break that bond, he has to do the very thing he wants to avoid - he has to take away her choice to love him.
He promised never to leave her, but that's exactly what he has to do in order to break the bond.
So where does that leave him?
At some point, he's going to have to look into those deep brown eyes, the ones brimming with tears at the thought of losing him, and he's going to have to break the bond.
Why?
Because they can't stay in this honeymoon phase forever.
Damon and Elena can never be allowed to be this happy - and, honestly, have you ever seen either of them happier than at the opening of this episode (and I'm not just talking about the time in bed, I'm also addressing the "getting Elena ready for school" moments). Or at least they can't be this happy until the show's over or takes a substantially different direction.
Because Damon will never completely believe it's real for Elena.
We heard him admit it to her. He wants to know that everything she feels for him is real - otherwise, he would have compelled her a long time ago. Right now, he refused to break the sire bond because it's the right thing to do for her (to keep her from the confusion and grief evident on Charlotte's face), but at some point...that little hint of doubt that Elena doesn't really love him this much has to go away.
Because someone's probably going to use it against them.
I predict at some point, he's going to have to break the bond in order to save her. He loves her so much that he's going to have to let her go, no matter the amount of pain it will cause both of them.
The ultimate test will come when we watch to see if Elena will be able to overcome her "master's" orders to forget him and prove that her love for him is real.
And then leave her...." Witch in New Orleans
The sire bond is a sticky situation.
In one episode, we learned that sire bonds only form when the human was in love with the vampire before he/she turned (which, I'll admit, I'd already guessed). We also learned that there is a cure, but it comes at quite a cost.
The vampire has to tell his sired vampire to live without him/her....to stop thinking about the "master" vampire, and then the "master" has to leave.
All the while knowing that the sired vampire is truly in love with his/her master.
So I can stop with the awkward him/her stuff, I'm going to take it to a more basic level. Let's discuss the implications for Damon and Elena.
Damon already knew about sired vampires - we saw that way back when Tyler's bond to Klaus formed. He was aware of sire bonds because he'd sired another vampire. (What does that say about Damon that this "one in a million" occurrence had happened more than once?)
I'm fairly sure that Charlotte was a plot device - simply sired so that Stefan could witness (and to a lesser extent, Damon) the lengths of Charlotte's devotion. While both brothers were horrified that Charlotte had spent the last 40 years counting bricks, I'm pretty sure it meant different things to the two brothers.
Damon was hit by guilt, since he left after assuming the witch did what she said and had broken the sire bond. He didn't realize that Charlotte was waiting for him to return.
I'm pretty certain that Stefan saw a different picture. He focused on the extreme devotion Charlotte had for Damon. She was so intent on wanting to please Damon that she'd waited on the same street corner for 40 years. Stefan doesn't want to see Elena bound by that type of devotion - especially since (in my opinion), that's how he's rationalizing Elena's feelings for him changing to such a degree since she turned.
So, as the brothers leave New Orleans, Damon's task is clear. He has to free Elena. He has to tell her to stop caring about him - and leave. Stefan's convinced that Damon will do it because Damon can't be selfish with Elena.
But dealing with Elena's bond isn't as simple as Charlotte's.
Because he knows that Elena loved him while she was still human. She had to truly be in love with him before she turned for this to even become an issue. Becoming a vampire has given her the strength to look past all the criticism and condemnation from the rest of her "friends" and admit that she loves Damon. And now, to break that bond, he has to do the very thing he wants to avoid - he has to take away her choice to love him.
He promised never to leave her, but that's exactly what he has to do in order to break the bond.
So where does that leave him?
At some point, he's going to have to look into those deep brown eyes, the ones brimming with tears at the thought of losing him, and he's going to have to break the bond.
Why?
Because they can't stay in this honeymoon phase forever.
Damon and Elena can never be allowed to be this happy - and, honestly, have you ever seen either of them happier than at the opening of this episode (and I'm not just talking about the time in bed, I'm also addressing the "getting Elena ready for school" moments). Or at least they can't be this happy until the show's over or takes a substantially different direction.
Because Damon will never completely believe it's real for Elena.
We heard him admit it to her. He wants to know that everything she feels for him is real - otherwise, he would have compelled her a long time ago. Right now, he refused to break the sire bond because it's the right thing to do for her (to keep her from the confusion and grief evident on Charlotte's face), but at some point...that little hint of doubt that Elena doesn't really love him this much has to go away.
Because someone's probably going to use it against them.
I predict at some point, he's going to have to break the bond in order to save her. He loves her so much that he's going to have to let her go, no matter the amount of pain it will cause both of them.
The ultimate test will come when we watch to see if Elena will be able to overcome her "master's" orders to forget him and prove that her love for him is real.
Friday, November 30, 2012
Thinking Deep Thoughts about Episode 407
Must be Friday. I'm thinking deep thoughts about TVD again - sadly, this interferes with the chapter I'm working on, so I'm going to go ahead and get these out of the way.
This was a complicated episode with too many players (not Matt - he can stay forever) and too many plots running through 42 minutes, so I'm not even going to attempt an analysis of the whole thing. Instead, I'm focusing on two points.
Let's go.
I'm not starting with the obvious topic because, honestly, one short scene impacted me more than any other section of the episode. Shall we discuss Stefan and Elena's conversation about Jeremy?
Do you even know the real Elena?
The episode opened with Damon making a simple request to Stefan - leave Jeremy out of his "find a cure" plan. Look for another Hunter, but keep Elena's little brother safe. Why? Because Damon understands Elena. She would never want to save herself at the expense of Jeremy's mental stability.
And what did Stefan do?
He deliberately brought a vampire (maybe more than one - I kind of blurred over that section in my brain because it was painful) to Jeremy in order to make the map grow, simply to find the cure for Elena.
Watching Elena's face as she processed that information....seeing the horror dawn on her was one of the most emotionally resonant scenes in the episode. Stefan sacrificed Jeremy to bring back "his" Elena - the one he could love.
In this moment, the full horror of who Stefan really is became clear to her. Early in the series, he referred to himself as a monster. He was right. He was so consumed by desire and greed to bring his Elena back that he was willing to destroy the person who meant more to Elena than anyone in the world. And I think Elena realized she'd never really met the real Stefan. That's why it was so easy for her to fall into bed with Damon later in the episode. All this time she'd been faithfully clinging to someone who didn't really exist, and Stefan's actions with Jeremy destroyed the faith she'd always had in him.
I struggle to see how Stefan and Elena could reunite after his actions with Jeremy.
Yes, Damon killed Jeremy in the premiere of season two, but he was acting on blind rage - not that it really excuses his actions. Stefan's actions are different. He planned what he was going to do. He thought it out. He was deliberate. He knew what he wanted, and nothing was going to deter him from his plan...even Elena's love for her brother.
The Elephant in the Room
Come on y'all, this is my YA-friendly blog, so just get your minds out of the gutter. I'm talking about the sire bond.
Or as I like to call it - Caroline's Screaming Banshee Moment. (Really, that's how I referred to it in a text to my husband.)
I've read the interview with Julie Plec. (I also read an interview a few years ago where she said we wouldn't see Katherine till late season two or early season three...and that was about a day before Katherine arrived in Mystic Falls.)
Y'all know how much I disliked The Five, but by golly, I'm thankful for it now because we're about to revisit a few scenes.
Anyone remember the first victim Damon pointed out to Elena? Cute, blonde, had a picture of her little sister (or her niece - something like that) on her cell phone. Yes? Y'all with me? What happened to the young lady?
Nothing.
Damon told Elena to feed on her and she didn't because she didn't want to. Yep, sounds just like someone who has to do her "master's" will to me.
When explaining the sire bond to Caroline, Tyler says that it makes you want to please the person who sired you. You do what they want because you believe its the right thing to do. So...about that....
After Elena has learned to successfully feed, she's pretty effectively slut-shamed by Bonnie for enjoying the process of feeding. When Damon and Bonnie face off about Damon's attempts to turn Elena into someone like him, he responds that Elena already is. And then what happens?
Damon takes Elena home where Elena admits that Damon's right. It would be easier to just enjoy the feed - accept the fact that she's a vampire now and she's changed. With tears in her eyes, she looks at him and admits that she can't. Because she doesn't want to be like him.
Yep, sounds just like an unbreakable sire bond to me.
I'll admit it. I'm confused after this episode. (And I'm angry that the scene showing Damon and Elena's first time was intercut with the "lightbulb" moment for the Stefan/Caroline brain trust.) Throughout the season, we've seen just as many instances where Elena's gone against Damon's wishes as the times that she's agreed with him.
I think this whole "sire bond" thing is a ploy for Stefan to twist the knife into Damon's psyche. Elena's in love with Damon. She has been for a while. Klaus knows it - and that's what he was referring to when he was flirting with Caroline.
My final opinion on this episode is still to be decided. I need to know where they're going with this sire thing since it confuses me. If Elena were sired to Damon, I'm pretty sure she would have picked up the cell phone to call Stefan the minute Damon asked her to, and she definitely would have apologized to Stefan for misinterpreting his motivations for lying to her - because Damon wanted her to forgive his little brother.
Thanks for taking the time to read. Feel free to leave a comment or two. I'd love to hear what you have to say.
This was a complicated episode with too many players (not Matt - he can stay forever) and too many plots running through 42 minutes, so I'm not even going to attempt an analysis of the whole thing. Instead, I'm focusing on two points.
Let's go.
I'm not starting with the obvious topic because, honestly, one short scene impacted me more than any other section of the episode. Shall we discuss Stefan and Elena's conversation about Jeremy?
Do you even know the real Elena?
The episode opened with Damon making a simple request to Stefan - leave Jeremy out of his "find a cure" plan. Look for another Hunter, but keep Elena's little brother safe. Why? Because Damon understands Elena. She would never want to save herself at the expense of Jeremy's mental stability.
And what did Stefan do?
He deliberately brought a vampire (maybe more than one - I kind of blurred over that section in my brain because it was painful) to Jeremy in order to make the map grow, simply to find the cure for Elena.
Watching Elena's face as she processed that information....seeing the horror dawn on her was one of the most emotionally resonant scenes in the episode. Stefan sacrificed Jeremy to bring back "his" Elena - the one he could love.
In this moment, the full horror of who Stefan really is became clear to her. Early in the series, he referred to himself as a monster. He was right. He was so consumed by desire and greed to bring his Elena back that he was willing to destroy the person who meant more to Elena than anyone in the world. And I think Elena realized she'd never really met the real Stefan. That's why it was so easy for her to fall into bed with Damon later in the episode. All this time she'd been faithfully clinging to someone who didn't really exist, and Stefan's actions with Jeremy destroyed the faith she'd always had in him.
I struggle to see how Stefan and Elena could reunite after his actions with Jeremy.
Yes, Damon killed Jeremy in the premiere of season two, but he was acting on blind rage - not that it really excuses his actions. Stefan's actions are different. He planned what he was going to do. He thought it out. He was deliberate. He knew what he wanted, and nothing was going to deter him from his plan...even Elena's love for her brother.
The Elephant in the Room
Come on y'all, this is my YA-friendly blog, so just get your minds out of the gutter. I'm talking about the sire bond.
Or as I like to call it - Caroline's Screaming Banshee Moment. (Really, that's how I referred to it in a text to my husband.)
I've read the interview with Julie Plec. (I also read an interview a few years ago where she said we wouldn't see Katherine till late season two or early season three...and that was about a day before Katherine arrived in Mystic Falls.)
Y'all know how much I disliked The Five, but by golly, I'm thankful for it now because we're about to revisit a few scenes.
Anyone remember the first victim Damon pointed out to Elena? Cute, blonde, had a picture of her little sister (or her niece - something like that) on her cell phone. Yes? Y'all with me? What happened to the young lady?
Nothing.
Damon told Elena to feed on her and she didn't because she didn't want to. Yep, sounds just like someone who has to do her "master's" will to me.
When explaining the sire bond to Caroline, Tyler says that it makes you want to please the person who sired you. You do what they want because you believe its the right thing to do. So...about that....
After Elena has learned to successfully feed, she's pretty effectively slut-shamed by Bonnie for enjoying the process of feeding. When Damon and Bonnie face off about Damon's attempts to turn Elena into someone like him, he responds that Elena already is. And then what happens?
Damon takes Elena home where Elena admits that Damon's right. It would be easier to just enjoy the feed - accept the fact that she's a vampire now and she's changed. With tears in her eyes, she looks at him and admits that she can't. Because she doesn't want to be like him.
Yep, sounds just like an unbreakable sire bond to me.
I'll admit it. I'm confused after this episode. (And I'm angry that the scene showing Damon and Elena's first time was intercut with the "lightbulb" moment for the Stefan/Caroline brain trust.) Throughout the season, we've seen just as many instances where Elena's gone against Damon's wishes as the times that she's agreed with him.
I think this whole "sire bond" thing is a ploy for Stefan to twist the knife into Damon's psyche. Elena's in love with Damon. She has been for a while. Klaus knows it - and that's what he was referring to when he was flirting with Caroline.
My final opinion on this episode is still to be decided. I need to know where they're going with this sire thing since it confuses me. If Elena were sired to Damon, I'm pretty sure she would have picked up the cell phone to call Stefan the minute Damon asked her to, and she definitely would have apologized to Stefan for misinterpreting his motivations for lying to her - because Damon wanted her to forgive his little brother.
Thanks for taking the time to read. Feel free to leave a comment or two. I'd love to hear what you have to say.
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