Selling it Back

So, as a college student, obviously I want to save as much money as possible.  I like financial security. ;)  Therefore, when the end of the semester comes around, I, like the rest of EVERYONE, try to sell back my textbooks at the bookstore.
Ha.  Good luck with that.
The most annoying thing about selling back textbooks?  The most expensive books are the ones they won't take back.  I mean, seriously, you lure us in with the promise of half our money back at the end of the semester, and then you won't pay up on the ones we really need?  Aaaarghghgh!!!!
No, of course I'm not bitter.
So I naturally didn't have high hopes when I went to sell back my textbooks this semester.  And I was right: they wouldn't buy back any of them.  Not one. single. textbook.  Although to be fair, the ones they were most likely to buy back were the ones I actually decided to keep (hated my anthropology class, but the books we read were actually quite fascinating).
What surprised me most, however, was the reaction of the clerk I was trying to sell them back with.  Like I said, I hadn't really expected much when I went in, so when she couldn't buy any of them, I shrugged it off and made a joke about burning the ones I really hated.  Her response: she gave me a $10 gift card to the bookstore and said thanks for not chewing her out.
I was surprised, obviously, and then when I thought about it, I was a little exasperated.  I mean, really people, she's a college student too, here!  It's not her fault the university is stingy, have none of you ever worked in retail before?  Honestly!
Yep.  Textbooks.  What a flippin' joy.

Fare thee well, friend!
Mira

Superman vs Clark Kent

I was thinking recently about Superman, and I realized something.  Everyone likes to talk bad about Lois Lane because she was in love with the hero (Superman) and barely gave the "regular, ordinary guy" (Clark Kent) the time of day.  People say she was shallow for only noticing the hero, the one with all the glory, but the thing is, they don't realize that's who Superman was. 
The thing about Superman is that, when he was mild-mannered, normal every-day Clark Kent, that was when he was putting on an act.  That was when he was lying.  Lois was in love with who he really was: strong, confident, and willing to put his life on the line to save other people.  She wasn't enticed by his lie, because she could tell that Clark Kent wasn't actually genuine.  He was always putting on a front, always hiding.  Superman, on the other hand, was always himself.  He knew who he was, and he wasn't afraid of it.  That's what attracted Lois Lane.  Not his good looks, or his chivalrous behavior (though both are good ;) ), because honestly, Clark Kent both had the same thing.  Believe it or not, they are the same guy.  The difference was that one put up a front, and one was honest about himself.
That's not to say I don't have my problems with Lois Lane (seriously, how many times do you have to get your butt saved before you learn to be a bit more careful when you get your stories?!), but I actually think she made the right choice as far as men go.  Pick the man who's going to be honest with you, because you never know what the fakers are hiding.

Fare thee well, friend!
Mira

The Song Caster

What better way to celebrate the end of finals, apologize for my absence during said finals, and kickstart summer than by introducing an absolutely FABULOUS new book?

Without further ado, I am excited to announce the fourth book in The Wilderhark Tales, by Danielle Shipley:

The dull doom of impending marriage at his back and a reticent royal at his side, remarkable minstrel Gant-o’-the-Lute is off in search of adventure, and you can be sure he finds it – complete with much music, magicked maidens, and a dangerous power so great, Lute might for once find himself outmatched.

The Song Caster

Book Four of The Wilderhark Tales

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An enchantress’s curse turns a spoiled royal into a beast; a princess’s pricked finger places her under a hundred-year spell; bales of straw are spun as golden as the singing harp whisked down a giant beanstalk – all within sight of Wilderhark, the forest that’s seen it all.

You’ve heard the stories – of young men scaling rope-like braids to assist the tower-bound damsel; of gorgeous gowns appearing just in time for a midnight ball; of frog princes, and swan princes, and princes saved from drowning by maidens of the sea. Tales of magic. Tales of adventure. Most of all, tales of true love.

Once upon a time, you knew them as fairytales. Know them now as Wilderhark’s.

And of course, we can't forget the lovely Ms. Shipley:

About the Author:

Danielle E. Shipley’s first novelettes told the everyday misadventures of wacky kids like herself. …Or so she thought. Unbeknownst to them all, half of her characters were actually closeted elves, dwarves, fairies, or some combination thereof. When it all came to light, Danielle did the sensible thing: Packed up and moved to Fantasy Land, where daily rent is the low, low price of her heart, soul, blood, sweat, tears, firstborn child, sanity, and words; lots of them. She’s also been known to spend short bursts of time in the real-life Chicago area with the parents who home schooled her and the two little sisters who keep her humble. When she’s not living the highs and lows of writing young adult novels, she’s probably blogging about it at www.EverOnWord.wordpress.com. Her first novel, “Inspired”, is now available through J. Taylor Publishing.

I was fortunate enough to be offered an early read, so I can tell you with absolute surety that this is one of the best books I've read in years.  There's joy and pain, lessons and loss, and above all, love (because really, what fairy tale is complete without it?).  If you haven't read the first three, get with the program, people, because these books are great!  If you have, then you most absolutely must read this latest in Wilderhark adventures!  Book details are as follows:

 Full Title: “The Song Caster (Book Four of The Wilderhark Tales)”

ISBN: 978-0-9891846-3-2

Genre: Young Adult Fairytale

Length: Novella (212 pages)

Release Date: Tuesday, June 24, 2014

Future availability: Paperback (Amazon.com) and eBook (Amazon.com and BarnesAndNoble.com)

Add “The Song Caster” to your Goodreads shelf today!

Also, if you like free stuff, you should check out Danielle's blog for updates on her launch week giveaway!  Always lots of fun! :)

Fare thee well, friend!

Mira 

P.S. For those of you expecting a Book of Mormon story today, that will be up as soon as I regain the energy lost in the scramble of finals week. :) 

Ammon!

Odd, isn't it, that we go from one of the saddest stories in the entire Book of Mormon to one of my absolute favorites?  Alma and Amulek had gone out to preach again, and you'll never guess who they ran into.
Go ahead.  Guess. 
They ran into the sons of Mosiah!  You know, the ones that disappeared into Lamanite territory all those years before?  They'd finally come home!  And they'd brought a few friends along with them...
When they left for Lamanite country, they decided to split up in order to reach more people.  Their spiritual leader (at least, I assume so from the text), Ammon, decided to go to what was called the land of Ishmael.  Now, in this particular province, the Lamanites had a custom where they captured any Nephite in their lands and took them to their king, Lamoni.  He would decide whether to throw him out, kill him, or imprison him.  However, when Ammon was brought before Lamoni and they asked why on earth he had decided to go wandering around in Lamanite territory, Ammon told them that he merely wanted to live among the Lamanites for a while.  This impressed Lamoni so much that he actually offered to let Ammon marry one of his daughters.  Ammon, however, declined and simply offered to be Lamoni's servant.
His first test came while he was watering Lamoni's sheep.

Fare thee well, friend!
Mira

Extra Teacher

So, I take piano lessons from my sister-in-law, Kar.  Most of the time, by the time I come she's already put her little girl, Anne, to bed, but this past Wednesday she was still up, and my poor brother was swamped with enough homework that Kar felt bad about pulling him away to put Anne to bed, so she actually let her help "teach".
Cutest piano lesson EVER!  Anne repeated everything Kar said, even if she had no idea what she was saying, in her adorable "little girl" voice, and it was ADORABLE!!!
There was a point where my brother actually did come out to see if he should put her to bed, and she gave him the funniest pout and told him Mommy said she could see the lesson.  If you've never seen a little kid glare, it's the greatest way to brighten your day (don't ask me why, logically it should be terrifying).

Fare thee well, friend!
Mira

Ammonihah

Hey guys.  I know I'm late posting this, but... well, this is probably the saddest story in The Book of Mormon.  I wanted to make sure I got it right.

Alma and Amulek started preaching again in Ammonihah, and actually had an incredible amount of success.  Except, when the righteous start having success, the wicked start to feel threatened.  The leaders of the city, including Amulek's family, stoned the believers, threw the men out of the city, and burned their wives and children.  They forced Alma and Amulek to watch.
After that they locked Alma and Amulek in prison and tortured them for days.  Finally, Alma prayed, and the prison fell to the ground around them.  It killed the men torturing them, but left them unscathed.  They were able to get out of the city all right, but then it fell to them to explain what happened to the men who had been forced to leave their wives and children in the city.
Unfortunately for Ammonihah, God does not leave vengeance for long.  Not long after Alma and Amulek went back to Zarahemla (Alma housed Amulek the same way Amulek had housed him), Ammonihah was destroyed by Lamanites.  It was such a horrifying destruction, they didn't have time to bury all the dead, and the entire region started to smell like rotting corpses.  The city couldn't be rebuilt for years.

Fare thee well, friend!
Mira