#noble jones tours | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

shewhoworshipscarlin · 3 months

Text

Fredi Washington

Fredericka Carolyn "Fredi" Washington (December 23, 1903 – June 28, 1994) was an American stage and film actress, civil rights activist, performer, and writer. Washington was of African American descent. She was one of the first Black Americans to gain recognition for film and stage work in the 1920s and 1930s. Washington was active in the Harlem Renaissance, her best known role being Peola in the 1934 film version of Imitation of Life, where she plays a young light-skinned Black woman who decides to pass as white. Her last film role was in One Mile from Heaven (1937), after which she left Hollywood and returned to New York to work in theatre and civil rights activism.

Fredi Washington was born in 1903 in Savannah, Georgia, to Robert T. Washington, a postal worker, and Harriet "Hattie" Walker Ward, a dancer. Both were of African American and European ancestry. Washington was the second of their five children. Her mother died when Fredi was 11 years old. As the oldest girl in her family, she helped raise her younger siblings, Isabel, Rosebud, and Robert, with the help of their grandmother. After their mother's death, Fredi and her sister Isabel were sent to the St. Elizabeth's Convent School for Colored Girls in Cornwells Heights, near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

While still in school in Philadelphia, Washington's family moved north to Harlem, New York. Washington graduated from Julia Richman High School in New York City.

Washington's entertainment career began in 1921 as a chorus girl in the Broadway musical Shuffle Along. She was hired by dancer Josephine Baker as a member of the "Happy Honeysuckles," a cabaret group. Baker became a friend and mentor to her. Washington's collaboration with Baker led to her being discovered by producer Lee Shubert. In 1926, she was recommended for a co-starring role on the Broadway stage with Paul Robeson in the play Black Boy. She quickly became a popular, featured dancer, and toured internationally with her dancing partner, Al Moiret.

Washington turned to acting in the late 1920s. Her first movie role was in Black and Tan (1929), in which she played a Cotton Club dancer who was dying. She acted in a small role in The Emperor Jones (1933) starring Robeson. In 1933, Washington married Lawrence Brown, the trombonist in Duke Ellington's jazz orchestra. That marriage ended in divorce. Washington also played Cab Calloway's love interest in the musical short Cab Calloway's Hi-De-Ho (1934).

Her best-known role was in the 1934 movie Imitation of Life. Washington played a young light-skinned Black woman who chose to pass as white to seek more opportunities in a society restricted by legal and social racial segregation. As Washington had visible European ancestry, the role was considered perfect for her, but it led to her being typecast by filmmakers. Moviegoers sometimes assumed from Washington's appearance—her blue-gray eyes, pale complexion, and light brown hair—that she might have passed in real life. In 1934, she said the role did not reflect her off-screen life, but "If I made Peola seem real enough to merit such statements, I consider such statements compliments and makes me feel I've done my job fairly well." She told reporters in 1949 that she identified as Black "...because I'm honest, firstly, and secondly, you don't have to be white to be good. I've spent most of my life trying to prove to those who think otherwise ... I am a Negro and I am proud of it."[7] Imitation of Life was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture, but it did not win. Years later, in 2007, Time magazine ranked it as among "The 25 Most Important Films on Race."

Washington's experiences in the film industry and theater led her to become a civil rights activist. In an effort to help other Black actors and actresses find more opportunities, in 1937 Washington co-founded the Negro Actors Guild of America, with Noble Sissle, W. C. Handy, Paul Robeson, and Ethel Waters. The organization's mission included speaking out against stereotyping and advocating for a wider range of roles. Washington served as the organization's first executive secretary. She was also heavily involved with the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, widely known as the NAACP. While working with the NAACP, Fredi fought for more representation and better treatment of Black actors in Hollywood because she was one of the few Black actors in Hollywood who had some influence with white studio executives. Aside from working with those organizations to fight for the rights of Black actors, Washington also advocated for the federal protection of Black Americans and was a lobbyist for the Dyer Anti-Lynching Bill, which the NAACP supported.

Despite receiving critical acclaim, she was unable to find much work in the Hollywood of the 1930s and 1940s; Black actresses were expected to have dark skin, and were usually typecast as maids. Directors were concerned about casting a light-skinned Black actress in a romantic role with a white leading man; the film production code prohibited suggestions of miscegenation. Hollywood directors did not offer her any romantic roles. As one modern critic explained, Fredi Washington was "...too beautiful and not dark enough to play maids, but rather too light to act in all-Black movies..."

Washington was a theater writer, and the entertainment editor for The People's Voice (1942–1948), a newspaper for African Americans founded by Adam Clayton Powell Jr., a Baptist minister and politician in New York City who was married to her sister Isabel Washington Powell. She was outspoken about racism faced by African Americans and worked closely with Walter White, then president of the NAACP, to address pressing issues facing Black people in America.

In 1952, Washington married a Stamford dentist, Hugh Anthony Bell, and moved to Greenwich, Connecticut.

Fredi Washington Bell died, aged 90, on June 28, 1994. She died from pneumonia following a series of strokes at St. Joseph Medical Center in Stamford, Connecticut.

#historical #black history month #actress

23 notes · View notes

collecosplay · 5 months

Text

All Hallow's Eve LARP by L'Chaim Games - Meiserich (my ghost OC, yes he was shot in the face)

aka "Ghost Ball! Ghost Ball!", London, 02.12.23

Photos by Astora Photography on FB

My jester took so long to make because I took inspiration from Diana Wynne Jones' 'Howl's Moving Castle' where Sophie cuts up Howl's suit into triangles and then sews it back together, so Meiserich's outer layer is all triangles.

I wanted to make Meiserich out of scraps from previous projects, so virtually all of the cost of the outfit is the time that went into it. I worked on him for six months in virtually any free minute I could find the energy for. But it was worth it.

It's not 100% historically accurate, but this outfit was designed to double as a cosplay for the Fool from Robin Hobb's 'Assassin's Apprentice' and the rest of the Farseer Trilogy. (I still have to read the other books! No spoilers please though I have seen some sneak peeks thanks to fanart <3)

More about Meiserich as a character under the cut!

Meiserich (anglicised pronunciation: My-Zer-Rick) is a colloquial German name for galium odoratum, sweet woodruff. It's a flavour you can get commonly in German desserts and schnapps (Waldmeister), but I've never come across the flavour in the UK.

Meiserich is a jester from the early 1400's and lived in a part of the Holy Roman Empire that is now Germany, namely within the Roman Catholic Diocese of Münster. At the court of Droste zur Aa Meiserich had a close relationship with Lady Klara of the keep. In 1412 this court took part in a knights' jousting tournament in Buda where the future Holy Roman Emperor Sigismund was also in attendance. Whilst there, through social occasions, Lady Klara found out and obtained evidence that Sigismund was the one who poisoned the previous King of Germany, Jobst of Moravia. She confided in Meiserich what had happened.

It comes to light that Lady Klara knows too much, so Sigismund sends soldiers to Münster to besiege the keep. Meiserich encourages his Lady to run and hide with the evidence of the poisoning. As a jester it was also Meiserich's job to act as a messenger and diplomat at times. However, the siege negotiations failed, he was shot dead with an early arquebus design and the castle was fired upon with trebuchets. Lady Klara initially survived in the rubble in an airpocket but ultimately suffocated.

Meiserich usually haunts the ruins of the castle keep he used to live in. It is now a tourist destination and he likes to tease the tourists. He also eavesdrops and through them and the keep staff learns of other things going on in the world. He has not forgotten about Lady Klara and wants to reveal the truth she uncovered to the world.

Please note: The poisoning plot is fictional, Sigismund doing this is something I made up based on some Wikipedia reading I did.

His wish to have fulfilled at the LARP was to have the keep in Münster renovated and restored, revealing the buried corpse of Lady Klara. In her hand are a vial of poison and a letter proving Sigismund was the one who poisoned the previous king of Germany, Jobst of Moravia. It will be a joy for the historians and great to hear the tour guides at the keep bring this up in perpetuity.

And he got his wish fulfilled at the game! I'm so happy. Monsieur Roc Flamboyant (a French noble, 1600's) was touched enough by Meiserich's story and devotion to Lady Klara that he made the wish for Meiserich. I could not have asked for a better end to this game.

Shout out to the podcasts that helped me put together Meiserich as a character:

Gone Medieval by History Hit

We're Not So Different - esp. episode "Medieval Fail Sons: Wenceslas IV & Sigismund"

Weird Medieval Guys - esp. episode "Sieging for Dummies"

The Court Jester by Kleio Pethainou

I'm glad I picked the early 1400's for Meiserich's death, this is still before the Western printing press, Columbus sailing off to the detriment of many, the fall of Constantinople, and the big witch hunting craze, so he died in a bygone world on the cusp of the Early Modern Period.

If I could give him one power like in BBC Ghosts, I'd say that the two bells on his hat are audible to the living.

#colle's work #LARP #Jesters #Meiserich

14 notes · View notes

lastbluetardis · 1 year

Text

Sacred New Beginnings (17/?)

Summary: James Noble thought he traded away his chance at love and a happy-ever-after when he signed a contract with a record label that turned him into an international celebrity. But a chance meeting in a dive bar may prove him wrong.

Ten x Rose AU

This Chapter: Teen/Mature-ish, ~5200 words

AO3 || Ch1 | Ch2 | Ch3 | Ch4 | Ch5 | Ch6 | Ch7 | Ch8 | Ch9 | Ch10 | Ch11 | Ch12 | Ch13 | Ch14 | Ch15 | Ch16 |

James doesn’t bother to knock; he simply opens the front door and ushers Rose in and out of the cold. It’s beginning to rain, and a damp chill slices through him along with a gust of wind. The house smells of roasting chicken and something chocolatey. His stomach rumbles, having already digested his lunch and looking for dinner.

“It’s us!” he calls, shrugging off his coat and hanging it on the rack by the door. Rose follows suit, and stays a step behind him as footsteps approach.

“Jamie!”

His mum emerges from the kitchen, her gray-streaked brown hair pulled into a messy bun high on her head. He is glad she stayed in comfy, casual clothes as he sees Rose tugging at her shirt.

He opens his arms for his mother, bending to reach her tiny height. Her bony body fits into his, and he takes a moment to breathe in her familiar scent that makes him feel like a small child again.

He kisses her cheek and pulls back, beaming as he says, “Mum, this is Rose.”

Any trace of her nerves is hidden by the broad smile Rose flashes at them.

“It’s nice to meet you, Ms. Noble,” she says.

His mother opens her arms and envelopes Rose in a warm embrace that James is so thankful for. Everyone loves his mother, and his mother loves everyone; she has always had that aura around her that puts everyone at ease, and she’s dialed it up to the max for tonight.

“Oh, please, call me Vera,” she says, squeezing Rose. “I have heard so much about you! I’ve been hoping James would bring you ‘round. Well, I’ve mostly been hoping he would talk to you about how smitten he is, because he can be quite oblivious sometimes.”

His cheeks burn and he mutters, “Mu-uuum!”

But Rose giggles and says, “He did, don’t worry.” She then glances around and says the obligatory, “Your house is lovely!”

“Let me show you around,” he interjects, intercepting Rose from his mum.

His tour lasts all of thirty seconds—a house is a house, isn’t it?—before they’re back in the kitchen. His mum is mashing potatoes, and puts in an unfortunately pitiful pinch of salt. When he tries to add more, his mum smacks his hand.

“You can always add more salt later, but you can’t take it out again! Too much salt will give you high blood pressure.”

He relents with a sigh, then goes to the fridge to root around for something to drink. He finds a bottle of white wine and takes the liberty of opening it and pouring out healthy measures into three glasses.

“Some wine for m’lady,” he whispers into Rose’s ear, affecting the Scottish brogue she’d loved so much.

She elbows him lightly, her cheeks a lovely pink color. He sneaks in a kiss before handing a glass to his mother.

“What can I help with?” he asks.

“Everything is almost done. You could set the table, though.”

He salutes her, and dutifully gathers plates and cutlery from their appropriate cabinets and drawers.

By the time the oven dings, the mashed potatoes and green beans are steaming in their serving platters on the kitchen table. James’s mum takes the chicken out of the oven, and he winces to see absolutely no seasoning on its golden-brown skin. Rose reaches beneath the table to give his knee a quick little squeeze before she says, “That smells divine.”

His mother carves the chicken, heaping out generous portions onto everyone’s plate. James sprinkles salt and pepper on top of his chicken and mashed potatoes as he asks, “What’s new and exciting here in Flydale North?”

“You know my friend Harriet? Harriet Jones, who lives across the street?”

“Yes, I know who she is.”

“She’s been thinking of getting into Parliament. She wants to make some changes to our little constituency and doesn’t think anyone bothers to stick up for the little guy, as she puts it.”

“Oh, good for her!” James has met Harriet Jones a few times—she’s got a fierce tenacity about her, which she masks behind politeness. He smiles to himself; those politicians won’t know what hit them, if she takes office.

“And a new chap’s moved in next door.” His mum’s cheeks go uncharacteristically scarlet, piquing his interest. “I made him some biscuits to welcome him to the neighborhood, and he invited me in for tea.”

James hides his smile in a sip of wine. “Oh, that’s nice of him. What’s his name?”

“Robert,” she answers, her blush deepening. “He’s a professor at the university. He invited me ‘round for tea tomorrow, too.”

Before James can weasel any more details out of his mother, she says, “I’m not sure what he’s after. I think he knows I’m your mum… I can’t tell what his angle is yet.”

“Maybe there is no angle,” he says simply, reaching across the table to squeeze his mum’s hand. “Be careful, but don’t be a recluse, yeah?”

His mum smiles, then shifts her focus to Rose. “I’m sorry, darling, I’ve been stealing the conversation.”

“No, no, it’s fine!”

“Psssh. James tells me you’re a teacher? An English teacher?”

The conversation flows so naturally that a tension James didn’t realize was there lifts from his shoulders. He had expected his mother and Rose to get along well, but it’s going even better than he could have hoped. Rose relaxes the longer they all talk, offering up anecdotes that coincide with whatever story his mum is telling.

Even when his mother brings up slightly embarrassing childhood stories, he can’t bring himself to be too self-conscious, not when Rose is laughing and holding his hand atop the table.

“God, you should see photos of the time James thought he could give himself a haircut…”

“I once wasted loads of my mum’s make-up trying to figure out how to use it. I ended up looking like a clown!…”

“James looked so dapper in his little suit going to prom…”

“I ditched prom and went out clubbing with my mates and boyfriend…”

“He has always been so smart. You know, he won first prize in the school science fair every year…”

“I was rubbish with maths and science, and my teachers were arseholes about it. The only gave help to students who were already good at it…”

“The first ever vacation James took me on, we went to Italy. It’s such a gorgeous country…”

“I’ve never been! Been to Paris though. Once for a school trip, which didn’t end well, and another time a few years ago when my mate got married…”

On and on and on they talk, swapping stories and memories until they’re nearly crying with how hard they’re laughing. He loves how open Rose is being with his mum, and he loves that his mum isn’t being cagey with the details, as she often is, for fear of raking his name through the mud in a future magazine article. But it’s like his mum instinctively trusts Rose, as he does. Maybe it’s because he told her how he’s falling in love with her, or maybe it’s because Rose is one of those rare gems that you want to entrust with all of your secrets.

It hits him suddenly that this could be his future, sitting ‘round the kitchen table into the wee hours of the night, polishing off a bottle of wine and eating far too much chocolate cake as they laugh until their sides hurt. This can be his forever. And God, how he wants this to be his forever. He never wants to show up at his mum’s house alone, never wants to sit through a holiday dinner without Rose by his side, never wants to not be able to share his every thought and feeling with her.

His mum has excused herself to go to the loo, and so he takes the opportunity to thread his fingers through her hair to angle her face up for a kiss. She tastes like chocolate and wine, and he deepens the kiss, catching her lips over and over. She reciprocates just as enthusiastically, slinging her arms around his shoulders to keep him close.

They pop apart when they hear the toilet flush, but he doesn’t go far. Instead, he rests his forehead to hers and tries to catch his breath.

“What was that for?” she pants.

“I just… I really…” I really, really love you. I love you so much my heart is too full to contain it all. I love you too much to put into words. He swallows thickly, and presses a delicate kiss to her lips and replies, “I’m having a really great night with you. Thank you for coming.”

She beams. “I’m having a great time, too.”

They sneak in one more kiss before his mother shuffles down the hallway and begins to clear the table.

“Excuse me, I need the little boys’ room. Then Rose and I probably ought to get going. It’s late.”

“Of course you need a tinkle when it’s time to do the dishes,” his mother says with mock-sternness. “Nothing’s ever changed.”

“I haven’t the foggiest idea of what you mean,” he says sweetly, but he winks and clicks his tongue before trekking down the hall to the loo.

He makes quick work of taking care of his bladder, because regardless of what his mum says, he actually does want to help clear up from dinner. But as he makes his way to the kitchen, he hears his mum and Rose talking in hushed undertones. He frowns and slows, keeping his footsteps silent on the hardwood floor.

What on Earth are they whispering about? Is it just girl gossip? Or… is it more than that?

He knows he shouldn’t eavesdrop, but he can’t help himself, and he stays out of view in the hallway, straining his ears to listen.

“Have you been handling everything all right, Rose?” his mum asks gently. “It can be… quite the adjustment.”

“So far we haven’t been found out,” Rose says. “Apart from some blurry photographs of us and some vague articles.” They’re quiet for a heartbeat, then Rose continues, “I know we’re going to get caught one day, but I just… can’t help but cling to the stupid hope that we can keep our relationship private forever. I don’t want the world to know my name. I don’t want to be splashed across the tabloids. I don’t want people photographing me any time I’m out and about, or if we’re on a date, or…”

His stomach drops and a sour taste blooms in his mouth. Of course she wouldn’t want any of that. Hell, he doesn’t want any of that, either for himself or for her. He wants them to stay private forever, too. But he knows that’s impossible. He’ll be back in the limelight soon enough when he records and promotes his new album. He’ll go around touring, jumping from city to city faster than a blink. He’ll be away from home for months. Be away from Rose for months.

“Oh, sweetheart, I know what you mean,” his mum says. “I was scared to death of the attention when James first got famous. I was so embarrassed by the photographs they would take of me, and I dreaded saying the wrong thing. I made so many mistakes that came back to hurt him, and I was so ashamed of myself for the longest time.”

“I’m terrified of that too,” Rose admits. “It’s so overwhelming. I’ve never had to worry this much about a relationship. I never had so much to consider. Going on a date takes so much planning, and even then, I feel like I’m constantly looking over my shoulder.”

Dinner sits like a lead weight in his belly, and he’s got a dull ringing in his ears as he listens to how hard it is for anyone to be with him. Why do people do it, then? Why would Rose keep seeing him, when it causes her this much stress? Why did his mother stay when she’s got so much anxiety?

But she didn’t stay did she? She moved hours away from you to get some peace and quiet.

James squeezes his eyes shut and clenches his hands into fists, trying to ground himself in the here and now. But what good is it, when his mum’s and Rose’s voices are still coming from the kitchen, commiserating on how difficult their lives are all because of him.

He can’t bear to listen to any more of it. He’s sweating in his jumper, shaking so hard that he’s not sure how the house itself isn’t rattling around him. His blood pulses and pounds through his body, getting his muscles ready to flee fast and far away, to somewhere his presence won’t impact the lives of those he loves.

He can’t breathe, can’t think. Just needs out. Needs to get away. Needs… needs… needs…

Without realizing what he’s doing, James heads to the front door, wrenching it open and stumbling onto the porch. It’s pouring rain, and the cold, damp air hits him like a lorry, stealing the breath he doesn’t really have and sending a bone-deep shudder through him. The air burns down his lungs as he tries to take deep, measured breaths, but he exhales before he can fully finish inhaling.

He scrubs his hands through his hair, pulling at the strands and clenching his teeth against a scream. Why is he like this? Why is he so selfish in wanting to keep people around him, when the only thing he causes them is pain and fear and suffering? He never should have let his mum stay in his life. He should have packed her away, even farther than Flydale North, and told her to never contact him again. He never should have asked for Rose’s number, never should have kept seeing her, never should have let himself fall so hopelessly in love with her, never should have…

“James?”

The door opens behind him, but he’s too busy pacing and gasping for breath to properly acknowledge his mother or Rose.

“James, what are you doing out here?” his mum chides. “It’s freezing. And you haven’t even got shoes on!”

“Getting some air,” he rasps. “Needed some air.”

A familiar hand wraps around his bicep, and he glances down into warm, whiskey-colored eyes that are currently furrowed with worry. Rose touches his cheek, and he squeezes his eyes shut against the tenderness he doesn’t deserve.

She strokes his cheek again, then her touch is gone. “Vera, can we have a minute? Please?”

His mother is silent for a few seconds. “Jamie, what’s the matter? Talk to Mummy.”

He shakes his head and tries to focus on his breathing, which is quite difficult when he can barely feel his body.

“We’ll be inside in a minute,” Rose says. “Just… please let me have a moment to talk to him alone?”

His mother hesitates again, and then says, “At least let me give you your coats.”

She steps back inside, returning moments later with their coats. Rose dons hers straight away, then helps him into his. His limbs don’t feel like his own, and he can’t really tell a difference in the cold.

His mother goes back inside, leaving him and Rose alone on the porch, listening to the rain pounding around them. He expects her to talk, to demand he explain this insane behavior, but she doesn’t. She merely stands beside him, rubbing the small of his back beneath his jumper. Her hand is warm and soft, and it’s the one thing he is able to focus on. He closes his eyes and lets himself feel the weight of her palm, the fragility of her fingers, the texture of her touch, the patterns she is painting along his spine.

Slowly, his breaths come more steadily, and his head isn’t swimming anymore. The roar in his ears fades to the background.

“Are you all right?” she asks quietly.

“Not really,” he admits, staring ahead into the darkened, rain-soaked street.

“Wanna talk about it? This seems… really sudden.”

He sighs, and leans his elbows on the porch railing. Rose continues stroking his back.

“I overheard you and my mother chatting,” he confesses. “I didn’t mean to…” He shakes his head. “Well, yeah, I sort of did. My own fault. I was curious as to what you were talking about. And I just… my life destroys everyone around me. And I wish it didn’t. I wish I wasn’t so selfish to want to keep you. I wish I could let my mum live her life in peace. It feels like everyone’s lives would be so much simpler if mine didn’t exist.”

Rose’s hand stops its stroking, and he slumps into the railing, hardly able to stay on his feet. He’s so tired.

“I’m sorry you feel that way,” she murmurs, removing her hand from his back.

I’m sorry you feel that way, but it’s your own damn fault. You asked for this. You’re the one who wanted to be famous. You could’ve declined a record contract. Why are you being such a baby about this?

The words and accusations clamor around in his skull, echoes of things said by previous partners who were fed up with his childish whining, echoes of things he’s told himself whenever he has been fed up with his own childish whining.

“I wish you didn’t,” Rose continues, much to his confusion. He glances down at her, and she offers him a sad little smile. “I’m really glad you exist.”

He sighs and drops his head, staring at his clenched fists. “How can you say that? I’ve brought you nothing but heartbreak and worry, looking over your shoulder any time you want to be with me, thinking I was just using you for a fuck and a lark.”

“That’s true,” she says quietly, and his heart breaks a little to hear her confirmation. She covers his fist, giving it a squeeze. “But you’ve also brought me so much joy and so many wonderful memories. My life is richer for having known you, James. And I will never, ever regret any of it, the good or the bad.”

“How can you say that?” he repeats, glancing at her out of the corner of his eye. “How can you tell me that I’ve added any value to your life when it’s such a struggle to be with me, to know me?”

Rose hesitates for a fraction of a second, then takes a deep, measured breath. “Because I… I…” She huffs out a sigh, and kneads the heel of her hand into her forehead. She’s quiet for a few seconds, then she turns to look at him, her expression raw and more vulnerable than he’s ever seen it before. “Because I’m in love with you. And being in love with you is worth more than the inconveniences that might pop up.”

He’s too stunned, too stuck on the words I’m in love with you.

“But… why…?”

Rose cracks a grin. “Why am I in love with you? Beats me.”

A surprised laugh burbles out of him, taking some of his anxiety and self-loathing with it. She beams, and opens her arms for him. He gathers her close, clinging to her as though she might disappear, as though she’s going to fade away from him like a dream, taking those precious words with her.

“How can you love me when I make your life so difficult?” he whispers into her neck.

“Because you make me feel alive again,” she answers, feathering her fingers through his hair. “You make me feel safe, like I can tell you anything. Being with you is the most fun I’ve ever had.”

“But… your life is harder with me in it. Always watching out for the paparazzi… dealing with my mood swings… putting up with me freaking out ‘cos you took a photograph of me and I jump to the conclusion that you’re going to sell it to the media…”

“That happened once,” she drawls, flicking his ear. “You’ve gotten better about that.” She rocks them slowly from side to side and continues, “Love doesn’t always make sense, y’know. I started falling for you ages ago, back when we first met. And I knew it didn’t make sense, but I couldn’t help it. I fell so hard for you, which is why it hurt so much to think you thought we were just a bit of fun.”

James clenches his hands into jacket. “I’m so sorry.”

“I’ve already forgiven you for that, remember? When I told you we should try falling in love together… well, I was already in love with you, but I wasn’t sure I was ready for you to know. Now, though, I can’t bear the thought of you not knowing how important you are to me. It’s daft, we’ve known each other for a month, but it’s true.”

He holds her tighter. “Loving me is dangerous. The whole world will tear us apart just to know more about us. Everyone is going to follow us around to try to catch a cheeky photo. They’re going to make up stories to suit whatever article they want to sell. They’re going to tarnish your reputation.”

“I know. It’s why it took me so long to tell you I wanted to keep seeing you, after the night you came to my flat about the note I’d sent. I kept going back and forth, wondering what to do, wondering if I was making the right choice. But it’s no choice at all, is it? I’m in love with you, James Noble, and whatever consequences come with that, they’re worth it. You are worth it.”

His eyes burn, and he’s sure he’s about to burst into tears. His thoughts are a tangled, messy snarl, but the one thing that’s churning over and over and over again is…

“You love me?” His voice is weak and fragile, much like his emotional state at the moment.

“Yeah, I do,” she confirms, turning her head to the side to plant a gentle kiss to his neck.

“But I’m going to make your life so much harder than it should be.”

“I’m ready and willing to deal with it. If you’ll help me.”

He pulls his face from her shoulder, finally looking at her.

“Of course I’ll help you,” he says, reaching to cup her cheeks. “Of course I will. Because I’m in love with you too.”

The smile she gives him is the brightest he’s ever seen. “Yeah?”

He nudges the tip of his nose to hers. “Yeah. So in love.”

She giggles, and he finds himself joining in. The awful knot of hatred loosens from around him, and he basks in the joy of loving and being loved by Rose Tyler.

He bends to kiss her, softly and sweetly, as the drumming of rain patters all around them. He kisses her like they’re the only two people in the world, like they’re a pair of nobodies, living their unassuming lives in an unassuming world. He kisses her again and again, wanting to stay in this moment forever, wanting to capture this joy in a bottle, to keep it forever, to open it up whenever he needs a reminder of what happiness feels like.

“I don’t ever want to lose you,” he confesses into her lips between slow kisses.

“Neither do I. I want to be with you forever.” A rush of wind swirls around them, sending a chill through them. “But I want to be with you somewhere warmer, if it’s all the same to you.”

He pulls back with a laugh. “Let’s go back inside. But Rose…” He brushes her hair away from her face, tucking it behind her ear. “Thank you for talking with me.”

She catches his hand and kisses his palm. “Thank you for tellin’ me the truth.”

When they step back inside, his mother ambushes him.

“What’s the matter, Jamie? Did someone write something nasty about you? About Rose?”

“No, Mum.” He wraps her in a hug and says, “Just having a bad night. I heard you and Rose talking, and it made me think… I make your life too complicated, and maybe you’d be better off without me.”

“James Corin Noble, don’t you ever say something like that again,” she growls, pulling back to point a threatening finger into his chest. “You are my life’s greatest joy, and I have never ever regretted having you as my son. I have loved you from the moment I laid eyes on you, and I will love you until the day the good Lord takes my soul from this earth. So don’t you dare suggest my life would be better without you.”

He plants a kiss to her forehead. “It’s just a bit of sadness talking, is all. I’m okay now. Mostly. But Rose and I ought to head out for the night. It’s getting late.”

“Are you sure you want to drive home in this?” she asks. “It’s raining buckets, and it’s a long drive. The roads must be a mess. The guest room is always open to you and Rose.”

He nearly argues, but he can see the apprehension and worry pinching her face.

He glances down at Rose. “Is it okay if we stay the night? I’ve got clothes you can borrow.”

“’Course,” she replies.

The two of them shed their coats, and they all make their way back to the kitchen to finish cleaning up.

His mother bids them goodnight shortly thereafter. She has always been an “early to bed, early to rise” kind of woman, the habit ingrained after twenty years of menial labor jobs that started before dawn. Despite the fact that she hasn’t worked in almost six years hasn’t broken her of that schedule.

James leads Rose to the far wing of the house to the guest suite, where he always sleeps whenever he stays over. They start getting ready for bed, even though they’re not that tired yet, and James turns on the wall-mounted television for a bit of background noise. He turns the channel to some unremarkable crime drama, then folds Rose into his arms, enjoying the warmth of her body beside his.

He intends for them to just have a cuddle, but Rose seems to have other ideas when she pulls him down for a lazy, languorous kiss. He melts into her, his brain emptying of everything except for her. He can feel every inch of contact between them, can feel the hot humidity of her breaths, can feel the bite of her nails against his spine whenever he nips at her bottom lip.

He loses himself, gathering her into his arms and tucking his face into her neck to give her dozens of tiny, searing kisses. She moans, the sound vibrating through her throat and against his lips. She tangles her fingers through his hair, keeping him exactly where he is. He obliges, kissing her neck and delighting in the range of noises she lets out.

Her skin turns red and splotchy, and he hopes he hasn’t gone too far and left a stain of love bites across her neck.

“Don’t stop,” she breathes, arching her head back to showcase the addictive column of her neck. “Love it when you kiss me.”

“Not gonna stop,” he promises, but he shifts his focus to her lips instead. “I love kissing you too much to ever stop.”

He’s getting hard, but ignores it, too wrapped up in kissing her. Rose, however, notices; she palms his erection through his pants.

He bites back a groan, and wraps his fingers around her wrist, halting her. “We don’t have to, if you’re tired or not in the mood.”

“I don’t mind.” She gives him a slow squeeze that sets off sparks behind his eyes.

But he presses, “Don’t do this because you think I want to. We had a lot of sex last night. And this morning. We don’t have to do it again.”

“And what if I want to have sex with you again?” she challenges, but releases her hold on his cock. “Women can really like sex too, y’know.”

This conversation feels stupid and absurd, but now that they’ve wandered down this rabbit hole, he’s compelled to carry on.

“I know that,” he says. “It’s just, I don’t want you to feel like you have to have sex when you don’t want to.”

She’s quiet for a moment, her eyes focused on something he can’t see. Her mood has shifted, and suddenly he regrets ever saying anything. He rests his hand on her hip and gives it a soft, reassuring squeeze.

“I used to be embarrassed of how much I like sex,” she finally admits, her cheeks growing scarlet from something other than desire. “Like… I grew up hearing that boys are sex-crazed animals and as a girl, I probably wouldn’t enjoy sex, or that I shouldn’t want sex, or that it’s dirty of me to sleep around. But I loved it, once I found partners that cared about my pleasure.”

His heart cracks a little, and he’s desperate to reassure her, but he doesn’t want to talk over her and break this fragile memory she’s entrusting to him. So he merely listens, and continues to rub her hip, hoping that his presence is a comfort to her, like hers was to him earlier that night.

“My boyfriends all loved that I wanted to have sex as often as they asked for it. But part of me was so ashamed that I craved sex and intimacy as much as I did. I thought there was something wrong with me, ‘cos nobody ever tells girls that we’re allowed to like sex. Nobody tells us that it’s something that feels really great, or how emotionally satisfying it is to have sex with someone you love. It’s always about men and their urges. I used to hate myself for everything I felt.”

His heart crumples, and he shifts his hand from her hip to her back so he can pull her in for a hug. She molds herself against him, sighing into his neck as she slings her arms loosely around his middle.

“I’ve mostly gotten over those feelings,” she says. “And it’s part of why I really liked bein’ with you, when we first… y’know. You’re a bloody good shag. God, I’d never had anyone like you before. You made me feel so good and you weren’t a total arsehole.”

He stifles a laugh. “You’re welcome, I suppose?”

“My point is,” she says, pinching his waist, “I’ll tell you if I don’t want to have sex. But it’s rare that I won’t want to.”

“Noted. In that case, can I thoroughly fuck you into the mattress? Respectfully, of course.”

She bursts out laughing. “Oh, my God, you’re an idiot. Yes, please fuck me into the mattress. Disrespectfully, if you want.”

He grins, and, like the loving, doting, obliging boyfriend that he is, gets right to it.

#ficandchips #dwfic #doctor who #ten x rose #ten x rose au #james x rose #romance #au #my fic #sacred new beginnings

70 notes · View notes

cartograffiti · 2 years

Text

Thank you Claire from Schuler Books: some data for Queen's Thief fans

The tl;dr of this post is that QT is having an unprecedented surge of interest right now, and I used GoodReads to deliver some facts and figures to the Discord (The Geninsula), and now to Tumblr!

Under the cut: sources of the uptick, beautiful numbers, and a couple fun excerpts from recent reviews.

Part 1: selling out is good

We can actually track the start of the surge back to 2020's publication of Return of the Thief, because the series being complete got it a lot of positive press, but the activity of the past couple months (especially February-now, I'm writing on May 31 2022), has been another thing entirely.

RotT, and Disney+ optioning The Thief, has meant we're getting a lot of new international editions. The UK is getting a beautiful release of new editions in paperback and audiobook. The series is being translated into Spanish and Italian for the first time, and we know in The Geninsula of translations underway into Hebrew and Bangla. (Parts of the series have previously been released in at least 15 languages, but until now only Romanian had kept up with the whole set.) MWT is currently on a tour of Italy and the UK to promote these new editions, and a number of giveaways and influencer spotlights were arranged by publishers to get The Thief | Il ladro in readers' hands.

In March, the independent bookstore Schuler Books (not, as it has often been misreported, a library or Barnes & Noble) *posted a TikTok* of some of their staff showing off books they wish they could read for the first time, again. (It's adorable, click the link if you haven't seen it.) This TikTok went viral, now with 17.5 million views, and it opens with Claire talking about The Thief.

Only two weeks later, The Thief was sold out in US paperback. I'm talking gone. Even Amazon cannot get you a new copy of either the 2017 (Joel Tippie) or 2005 (Vince Natale) covers anymore, previously readily available, let alone older ones. They have to reprint it! In the meantime, the Steve West audiobook seems to be doing very well, and the hardcover unremarkably. Several Geninsula members who are members of large library systems have reported long waitlists typical of bestsellers. I wholly attribute this attention to Claire. Claire is the best, our hero!

Lots of recent reviews (see below) also said Laini Taylor suggested it, but if there's a specific recent source for that (she's a known fan of long standing), I can't find it. Let me know if you know!

Part 2: GoodReads is useful sometimes

So GoodReads *has this nice feature* where they rank the top 200 books from each publishing year, with #1 being the one their users have most interacted with, and refresh it monthly [Edit: this was a mistype, it’s weekly]--so you can see which books of the same age have remained or become popular as of this month [Edit: week]. This does not mean it only accounts for what was interacted with within that month [Edit: week], just that it's that up to date.

Right now, The Thief is number 14 out of all of 1996. The books that beat it are all truly famous things like Bridget Jones's Diary, Angela's Ashes, Fight Club, and The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. (The only book ranked above it that hasn't been adapted for film is Neverwhere, which has received a radio play with a high-profile cast. [Edit: ...And is itself a novelization of a TV series.] [Edit: Infinite Jest has been a play, but not filmed.] I am making direct eye contact with Mickey Mouse.) Some of the other series marketed as fantasy it beats out include entries from Tortall, Discworld, The Witcher, and Redwall.

The Queen of Attolia is the only other one that is currently on the top 200 list for its year, but it's 77, above more Tamora Pierce, a boxset of A Song of Ice and Fire, and buzzy authors like Julia Quinn and Junji Ito.

The fact that a second book is ranking this high tells us people are currently working their way through the series in honestly what has to be large numbers. I won't be surprised if later books start ranking in the coming months.

It also tells us people really are actively reading them, not just marking the first one as possibly interesting--lots of users don't mark sequels as to-read until they've read the first, or the preceding one, etc.

Now, with the books ranked this high, how much interaction does that represent? Well, The Thief has 77,921 ratings, and 236,000+ shelvings, and considering that finishing without rating is somewhat uncommon…that's about 150,000 users who are planning to read, or currently reading, this book. The same math for QoA is less dramatic--about 20k people have it on the agenda--but when 20k is 50% of its all-time ratings, that's...still an explosion.

This of course only represents the people who a) use GoodReads and b) keep up with their to-be-read list there, so this is only a fraction of readers in general who are likely to read it in the near future.

Part 3: The reviews are in

Giveaways of advance reader copies in the UK led to a burst of reviews in February, which were a bit puzzling to read through, as a number of them seemed to me to have come from people who did not know the genre or even the age market for the book when they entered for it, and hadn't actually been drawn to the story therefore.

A much more striking wave of reviews came later, as the UK, Spanish, and Italian readers began to interact with it organically, and a large burst of people who specifically said they'd picked it up because of Claire from Schuler Books. (Or, more often, "A TikTok with a cute librarian [sic].") These reviews have the usual range of reactions, but an overall level of enthusiasm I feel is high.

Laini Taylor was the second-most successful recommender. Many people compared The Thief favorably to Rick Riordan, Leigh Bardugo, GRR Martin, and Sarah J. Maas. (This was the first time I'd seen the series pitched to SJM's fans! I haven't read her work, but hadn't thought it was in a similar niche.) I was delighted to see several people calling it the best fantasy of travel and landscape they've read since JRR Tolkien!

The apparent age range of reviewers is quite wide, which reflects my experience of the fandom, where I've regularly chatted with people from 13 to their 60s, and likely older. There were some very cute reactions from reviewing tweens and teenagers who said that they were surprised such an OLD book from the nineties held up.

Some other book trend remarks I found interesting: lots of surprise there was no romance, including some people who, looking for a potential romance among the traveling party, proposed both Gen/Sophos (fine) and Gen/the magus (insane, thank you so much, I have questions.) A number of people who remarked that they were pleased to find a fantasy that wasn't "too fantastical," lots of positivity about feeling it had a "timeless" style, and one person who said they have found it difficult to find engaging recent YA books with boy protagonists.

Delightful excerpts from reviews of TT:

a novel that is a credit to the English language.

I loved the world MWT created, had it been an artwork it would perhaps have been more Claude Monet than Michelangelo

[Original review in Spanish, from Argentina] Gen is the best thing that has ever happened to me

The Thief also pairs very nicely with cheese and dried fruit.

The importance of narrators:

I'm giving this a 5 star rating because I listened to it as an audiobook and the narrator sounds like Henry Cavill and I have a crush on him. So, 5 stars.

And my favorite reaction to The Queen of Attolia:

This is shockingly...kinky???

Okay, thanks for reading! I'm really excited, since it looks like the fandom is in the process of...tripling? Something like that. If you have news about how the book is being promoted, or new translations/re-releases, I'd love to hear!

#Queen's Thief #The Queen's Thief #Megan Whalen Turner #The Thief #The Queen of Attolia #bookblr #long post

181 notes · View notes

deanbrainrotwritings · 11 months

Text

— a b o u t m e ˚₊‧꒰ა ☆ ໒꒱ ‧₊˚

— COMFORT CHARACTERS

dean winchester, the doctor, wanda maximoff, cayde-6

— FAVOURITE CHARACTERS

donna noble, bill potts, link, mobius, nick fury, woo-young woo, loki, jordan li, obi-wan kenobi, eric effiong, merlin, anakin skywalker, joel miller, killian jones, moon knight, beau arlen, claire novak, donna hanscum, jo harvelle, soldier boy, charlie bradbury, mary winchester, clara oswald, amy pond, 12th doctor, daenerys targaryen, frank castle, carlos cervantez, sirius black, martha jones, din djarin, r2d2, matt murdock, mazikeen, mr. gold +more

— FAVOURITE SERIES AND MOVIES

supernatural, resident alien, the winchesters, doctor who, the boys, scooby-doo, the grand tour, heroes, gen v, big sky, marvel, dc comics, extraordinary attorney woo, the last of us, bullet train, the mandalorian, dark angel, sex education, business proposal, hannibal, strong girl bong-soon, weightlifting fairy kim bok-joo, modern family, parks and recreation, good omens, sherlock holmes, bee and puppycat, game of thrones, buffy the vampire slayer, harry potter, john wick, star wars, the sandman, the umbrella academy, adventure time, brooklyn 99, invader zim, dexter, tombstone, austin powers, mega mind, scott pilgrim vs. the world, teen wolf, the king : eternal monarch, ten inch hero, the vampire diaries, the devil’s hour, narcos, my bloody valentine, miraculous ladybug, the originals, a monster calls, smallville, the walking dead, you, the magicians, merlin, once upon a time, criminal minds, house md, devour, fairly odd parents, true crime, dawson’s creek + more

— FAVOURITE DUOS

merlin & arthur, twelve & clara, ten & donna, house & wilson, scooby-doo & shaggy, link & midna, sherlock & john, c3po & r2d2, nikki & pug, anakin & obiwan, anakin & ahsoka, din djarin & grogu, mobius & loki, lemon & tangerine, ron & april, stiles & derek, natasha & clint

— FAVOURITE SHIPS

wanda/vision, wanda/loki, thor/jane, river/the doctor, amy/rory, vastra/jenny, jo/dean, cassie/dean, lisa/dean, bela/dean, jessica/sam, rowena/sam, eileen/sam, jody/donna, meg/castiel, charlie/jo, saint-14/osiris, eris/drifter, ray holt/kevin, tara/willow, spike/buffy, sirius/remus, andy/april, jordan/marie, lucifer/chloe

— OTHER FAVOURITE THINGS

destiny, legend of zelda, bts, muse, avenged sevenfold, led zeppelin, radio company, my chemical romance, fall out boy, waterparks (band), lots of music, coconut milk, cooking/baking, drawing, tea, coffee, honey, chocolate, spicy foods, doughnuts, all shades of green, books, astronomy, physics, liquid eyeliner, bees, animals, silly pens, rocks, dinosaurs, flowers/plants, comic books, paradoxes, carl jung, friedrich nietzsche, cowboys, soft blankets, superheroes, fun socks, shoes, bags, lip tint>>>

do not steal, plagiarise, translate, or republish my work on another platform

#about me #a

8 notes · View notes

sykhan048 · 2 years

Text

Your Beloved...(Chapter 11)

Mini and Cutler walking together. After some time they both stop as cutler is tired now. His leg is weak now. They were sat on the sea shore.

Mini: Is your leg hurting?

Cutler: Yes, (sigh) A little.

Mini: The infection is recover but your leg is became little weak now.

Cutler: But it's better than lost of leg. If the infection won't recover maybe you would have been cut my leg.

Mini: yes. but Thank god.

Cutler: By the way we are staying together almost 1 month. But We don't know anything other than each other's names. And as friends, we have the right to know about each other. Is not it?

Mini: Yes, you're right. let's start.

Cutler: So, I am Lord Cutler Becket. The...

Mini: The Chairman of East India Trading Company. You joined East India Trading Company as a governor. For many years you faithfully served the Company, eventually becoming the Director of West African Imports and Exports for the Company. From your post in calabar , you organized a search for the mythical island of karma, hoping to find its legendary trajor. But something happened there and you mission became unsuccessful. You nonetheless continued to work for the Company. More than a decade after the incompleat mission, You were granted the title of , eventually becoming the Company's governor. As a duly appointed representative of king george II, he led the Company's expansion in the Caribbean, taking control over Port royal with the blessing of the Crown, turning it into his base of operations. With the huge EITC fleet and army of mercenaries an under your command, Lord Beckett made it his goal to forever annihilate piracy from the world. And then.....

Cutler: How do you know that?

Mini: amm....actually...(nervous)

Cutler: who are you? How do you know about this? (suspicious)

Mini: (in mind) If I tell him that I am from future then he will take this in wrong way. I won't be able to know him properly.

Cutler: Mini...

Mini: oh..come on Cutler... You only said this to me.

Cutler: Did I? When?

Mini: When you was at unconscious state.

Cutler: Really?

Mini: yes.. and you were also muttering some like sparrow, pirates many things. What was that mean?

Cutler: AAhan...long story. I will tell you later. Now will you tell me about yourself?

Mini: Ok...(bright smile) As you know my name. Soudamini Sen. You can understand by my name that I am from India, West Bengal. I am a doctor. Actually I'm studying in medical science. My vacation is started so I decided to do a tour of Caribbean.

Cutler: Strange.

Mini: why?

Cutler: Because I didn't hear about any Indian is studying and they are involved at this noble work.

Mini is about to argue but the she remember that She is in past.

Mini: Yes, now it's looking rare but in future this will be an ultimate truth.

Mini said with a sparkling eyes.

Cutler: (in mind) Will it really happen? Don't know. But there was a determination in her voice. It makes me forcefully believe that it will surely happen. She is so young. But sometimes talk like a matured person.

Mini: Hey, where have you lost? (waving her hand)

Cutler: Oh...nowhere.

Mini: Breakfast in ready. I think we should go.

Cutler: Hmm...let's go.

She help him to stand and they headed to their hut.

Black pearl,

Barbosa: (tensed) hey Captain Turner. you should stay careful.

Will: What happen?

Barbosa: Devy jone is get his life back.

Elizabeth: WHAT?????

Elizabeth: Barbosa, how can be Devy Jones is alive? Will was stabbed on his heart and killed him.

Barbosa: You forgot one thing your highness. Calypso is alive. Maybe she did something.

Will: But Barbosa, It was a rule that The Dutchman must have a Captain. And The Captain should be immoral.

Elizabeth: Devy jones, stated this ritual. He cut his heart and close it in a chest. So that's why will cut his heart and dedicate himself to the sea and take this responsibility. The Captain of Dutchman has a responsibility to the souls of people who died in the sea. He take them to the after life.

Bill turner: But Calypso is an unpredicted goddess. We can't guess her intention your highness.

Bill Turner came there.

Barbosa: your highness, I need sometime to find more detail regarding this.

Elizabeth: ok...Mr. Gibs you will bring jack.

Mr. gibs: aye...

Elizabeth: dismiss.

Everyone is gone. Elizabeth is looking worried.

Elizabeth: Will...

She went to him.

Will: don't worry Elizabeth.

Elizabeth is about to hug him.

CAP'N TURNER. WE SHOULD SET SAIL.

Will: aye...(to Elizabeth) I have to go. take care.

Will went to his ship. Elizabeth is looking at him with teary eyes.

Bill came and held her shoulder.

Elizabeth: Father...(teary eye)

Bill: Dear, My son is alive with the power of you love. Don't worry. He'll back.

Elizabeth wipes her tears and nods.

Bill: So, your highness. May I take my leave ?

Elizabeth: (smile) Sure Mr. Turner.

Will: Mr. turner

Bill look at Will.

Will: if you say you can stay with your beloved daughter-in-law.

Elizabeth: Well he has more experience than you Captain Turner and you really need him my dear husband.

She look at Bill.

Bill: Yes, your highness....Aye Aye Cap'n.

The Dutchman set the sail and Barbosa keep researching for the reason of the mess is going.

#@fandom-imaginees #potc #potc fanfiction #lord cutler beckett #lord cutler beckett x reader #cutler beckett #cutler beckett x reader #pirates #pirates of the carribean: at worlds end #pirates of the carribean #pirates of the caribbean #fanfiction #cutler beckett imagine #cutler beckett fanfiction #cutler becket X fem reader #tomholander #cutler becket x oc

2 notes · View notes

mirandamckenni1 · 5 months

Text

youtube

Hoist the Colours- @Malinda, @the.bobbybass, @LaurenPaley and @Colm_R_McGuinness SEE ME ON TOUR: https://ift.tt/OjwZAbT STREAM AND DOWNLOAD THIS SONG: https://ift.tt/MDLJGSW STREAM my folk EP: https://ift.tt/JzkNiG0 SUBSCRIBE and hit that bell: https://bit.ly/2OgWtuA SUPPORT my videos on Patreon: http://bit.ly/MKRsupport FOLLOW ME ON SPOTIFY: https://ift.tt/mG4tAdg MERCH: https://shopmalinda.com From The Pirates of the Caribbean- At Worlds End!! Follow me on: Twitter @missmalindakat https://twitter.com/missmalindakat Facebook https://ift.tt/n0tHMuJ Instagram @missmalindakat https://ift.tt/xB42U8Q TikTok @malindamusic https://ift.tt/AQlJrVj Bobby Waters TikTok: https://ift.tt/msOVtav YouTube: shorturl.at/uxBL2 Lauren Paley Patreon: https://ift.tt/o0aw8I7 INSTAGRAM: https://ift.tt/K6ZUPwn TIK TOK: https://ift.tt/LTQGXp8 Colm McGuinnes ✨YOU CAN SUPPORT ME AT✨ https://ift.tt/vZNwLrG 🐦 TWITTER: https://twitter.com/NiceViolinBoy 📷 INSTA: https://ift.tt/nSIYhaw... 🎵 SOUNDCLOUD: https://ift.tt/WdrMRNt 🎵 BANDCAMP: https://ift.tt/0UrD6Of For fan mail: 3430 Connecticut Ave NW PO Box 11855 Washington DC 20008 **EQUIPMENT** (all links are affiliate links, so if you buy from here you support me too!) AUDIO For singing: http://amzn.to/2wwYXRo For vlogging: http://amzn.to/2wyQfSE A great start mic: http://amzn.to/2xhkScb Interface: http://amzn.to/2fAxFyM VIDEO Camera: http://amzn.to/2hi08JS Lens: http://amzn.to/2fABZ14 Vlog camera: http://amzn.to/2xnN4vT I use Logic and Final Cut Pro to edit audio and video respectively :) THANK YOU PATRONS!! Christian Ashby Ed Banas Russ Billings Caleb Bukowsky Heather BookCat Bree Campbell Douglas Charles Will & Sheila Cole James Copple Stephanie Burns Mariah Dierking Samuel Duckworth Adrian Durand Fr. Joe Fessenden The Fishers Andy Fowler Mariah Fyock-Williams Robert Gibbons Jr Mimi Ginsburg Marlo Delfin Gonzales Pippa Hillebrand Brian Hughes Jonathan Isip Joseph K. Dave Jones Rita K Balazs Kis Raphael Lauterbach Mathieu Landru Kiara Maken Alex Molloy Ben Mobley Geoffrey Morgan Eystein Nicolaysen Jonathan Neese Noble Monster Comics TK Ostinato Rachel-Maya RC Christine Violet Rose P.S. Norbert Schmitz Martin Schorel Christoph Schreiner Jeff Schwarz Alexis Sullivan Steven Snyder Mary Hall Surface Theodore Ts'o Danny Underwood Hank van Deventer Reinier van Grieken Yum Van Vechten David Vollbracht Andrew Walliker via YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4T5sxTVGoE

#IFTTT #YouTube #Youtube

0 notes

radiomaxmusic · 5 months

Text

Thursday, December 21, 2023 9pm ET: Feature LP: Kenny Wayne Shepherd - 10 Days Out: Blues from the Backroads (2007)

10 Days Out: Blues from the Backroads is a CD/DVD and is the fifth release from American blues band Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band. The documentary film was directed by Noble Jones and produced by Phillipa Davis. It was executive produced by Kelly Norris Sarno, Devin Sarno, Ken Shepherd, and Kristin Forbes. It was edited by Mark Morton. The CD was produced by Jerry Harrison. Tour still photography,…

View On WordPress

#2007 #Blues #Feature LP #Kenny Wayne Shepherd #RadioMax #Wikipedia

1 note · View note

cocktailsfairytales · 10 months

Text

Watch Your Back

by Stacy Claflin, Author

(Ariana Jones, #1)

Publication date: May 22nd 2022

Genres: Adult, Thriller

Synopsis:

Even perfect neighborhoods have deadly secrets.

Ariana and Damon moved to the gated neighborhood of Rosy Hills to leave behind their traumatic pasts. Now they have their dream jobs and are part of a tight group of friends. All of that crumbles when their neighbor Rita disappears without a trace.

Now it looks like one of their own could be a killer. Ariana and Damon must figure out who it is, or they risk never finding Rita alive. If they don’t reach her in time, they could all end up dead…

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61031538-watch-your-back

Purchase:

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3K63MVv

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/watch-your-back-stacy-claflin/1141397327

iBooks: https://books.apple.com/us/book/watch-your-back/id1621364524

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/watch-your-back-18

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=myFtEAAAQBAJ&PAffiliateID=1101lwQw

AUTHOR BIO:

Stacy Claflin is a USA Today bestselling thriller author who has published more than 75 novels, including Girl in Trouble and The Perfect Death. She has always been curious about the human mind, and in her quest to learn more, she earned a degree in Psychology. Her favorite course was Abnormal Behavior, which has been useful in writing fiction.

Her love for thrillers goes back to her early childhood when she fell in love with Unsolved Mysteries and America’s Most Wanted. When Stacy was five, she got mad at a babysitter who wouldn’t let her watch the evening news. These days, she spends her free time listening to true crime podcasts or watching documentaries on the subject.

She has been telling stories for as long as she can remember, and as child would often get into trouble for trying to convince friends her wild tales were true. Now she puts her creativity to better use by writing page-turning stories that leave readers begging for more.

Stacy occasionally dabbles in other genres, so as you peruse her library of works, you’ll find some romance and paranormal tales, all with strong suspense elements.

Join Stacy's newsletter to get three free novels: https://stacyclaflin.com/newsletter

Author links:

https://stacyclaflin.com/

https://www.facebook.com/stacy.claflin.author

https://twitter.com/growwithstacy

https://www.instagram.com/stacy.claflin/

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6591338.Stacy_Claflin

GIVEAWAY

Blitz-wide giveaway (INT)

Prize will be listed on the Rafflecopter shortly

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/d04251235501

Hosted by Xpresso Book Tours

0 notes

fanthatracks · 1 year

Text

With the arrival on US Disney Plus of The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones, Lucasfilm take a look back at the groundbreaking series and how the adventures of Henry Jones Jr. as a child and a teenager entering the Great War gave him not only the opportunity to meet an incredible array of historical characters but develop the skills and nerve to become the worlds greatest archaeologist. The Young Indy series comprises 22 feature-length episodes that span Indy’s life between roughly 1908 and 1920. The early episodes depict Indy around the age of 10 (played by Corey Carrier) when he joins his parents and tutor on a world lecture tour, visiting locations as varied as the Egyptian pyramids, the streets of Paris, and the Great Wall of China. The majority of episodes follow Indy as a teenager into his early adulthood (played by Sean Patrick Flanery). Running away from home, he gets caught up in the Mexican Revolution before joining the Belgian army in World War I. These adventures take Indy to innumerable locales from the Congolese jungles to the islands of the southern Pacific Ocean. As the series ends, Indy is back in the United States studying archaeology, on the cusp of becoming the hero we know from Harrison Ford’s portrayal on the big screen. For Indy fans, the series adds layers of background to this alluring character. What inspired him to become an archaeologist? How did he learn to make things up as he goes? When did he first fall in love? There are important insights into Indy’s relationship with his father, which is often tragic but ultimately redeemed. Entirely absent from the movies is Indy’s mother Anna. Young Indy viewers discover how she taught her son compassion and sensitivity. There are other original characters who help shape the man, including his teacher Helen Seymour, his friend Remy Baudouin, as well as the many historical figures. In short, this series can change the way you watch the Indy movies. For those less familiar with Indy’s big screen adventures, Young Indy is of equal interest. Each episode is unique in its subject matter and storytelling style. It’s full of close-up looks at diverse lands and peoples. To embrace the cliché, there’s truly something for everyone in Young Indy. Although George Lucas primarily aimed to inspire young people to learn more about history, grown-ups are by no means immune to its many wonders and lessons, from the ecological ideas of Theodore Roosevelt to the noble sacrifices of the English Suffragettes to the Black pioneers of jazz in 1920s Chicago. [amazon box="0593597915"]

#IndianaJones

0 notes

allthingsdarkanddirty · 1 year

Text

★✩★ NEW RELEASE TOUR ★✩★

Justice for Ginger

Thanksgiving Brides Book 5

By Annee Jones

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/62922257/

Hosted by DS Book Promotions

AMAZON

US https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0B8X67QXF/

UK https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0B8X67QXF/

CA https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B0B8X67QXF/

AU https://www.amazon.com.au/gp/product/B0B8X67QXF/

Available on Kindle Unlimited

Start the Series Here:

Blurb:

Five years ago, Ginger Carlyle turned down a marriage proposal that everyone, including Jacob Noble, thought she would agree to. Five years ago, Jacob Noble took a job in a northern California mining town that he hoped would help him to forget the love he’d left behind in Ashton. But there was no way he could forget Ginger, or his own broken heart. Back in Ashton, Ginger has been beset by tragedy after tragedy. After her father’s death, she is the only one who can care for her ailing mother and manage the family house and land. But hard work isn’t enough when the bank comes looking for the mortgage payments. Unable to tell her mother the truth about their dire financial circumstances, Ginger will have to work even harder to make sure that their Thanksgiving holiday is as joyful as it always was when her father was alive. However, after Ginger is accused of stealing from her new employer, her whole world is turned upside down. She's dragged to the sheriff’s office where she's shocked to discover the new deputy is none other than the very man whose proposal, she turned down all those years ago. As the past is re-visited and secrets come to light, is there hope that justice will be Ginger's in time for Thanksgiving?

Follow Annee Jones:

Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Annee-Jones/e/B08KSFSHX1/

Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21136605/

BookBub https://www.bookbub.com/authors/annee...

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/AuthorAnneeJones

Website www.anneejones.com

#newrelease #justiceforginger #thanksgivingbrides #secondchance #bookish #booklove #kindleunlimitedbooks #anneejones #dsbookpromotions

@AuthorAnneeJones @DS Book Promotions

0 notes

joyffree · 1 year

Text

★✩★ NEW RELEASE TOUR ★✩★ Justice for Ginger Thanksgiving Brides Book 5 By Annee Jones Hosted by DS Book Promotions

Five years ago, Ginger Carlyle turned down a marriage proposal that everyone, including Jacob Noble, thought she would agree to.

Five years ago, Jacob Noble took a job in a northern California mining town that he hoped would help him to forget the love he’d left behind in Ashton. But there was no way he could forget Ginger, or his own broken heart.

@DS_Promotions1 @AuthorAnneeJones @DS Book Promotions

#newrelease #justiceforginger #thanksgivingbrides #secondchance #bookish #booklove #kindleunlimited #books #anneejones #dsbookpromotions

0 notes

whimsicaldragonette · 2 years

Text

Blog Tour: The Drowned Woods by Emily Lloyd-Jones

Welcome to my stop on The Drowned Woods book tour with TBR and Beyond Tours. (This blog tour is also posted on my Wordpress book review blog Whimsical Dragonette.)

Tour Schedule

Book Info:

TITLE: The Drowned Woods AUTHOR: Emily Lloyd-Jones PUBLISHER: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers RELEASE DATE: August 16, 2022 GENRES: Young Adult Fantasy

Book Links:

Goodreads

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Book Depository

Indigo

Indiebound

Bookshop.org

Synopsis:

A magical, ethereal fantasy from IndieBound bestselling author Emily Lloyd-Jones.

Once upon a time, the kingdoms of Wales were rife with magic and conflict, and eighteen-year-old Mererid “Mer” is well-acquainted with both. She is the last living water diviner and has spent years running from the prince who bound her into his service. Under the prince’s orders, she located the wells of his enemies, and he poisoned them without her knowledge, causing hundreds of deaths. After discovering what he had done, Mer went to great lengths to disappear from his reach. Then Mer’s old handler returns with a proposition: use her powers to bring down the very prince that abused them both.

The best way to do that is to destroy the magical well that keeps the prince’s lands safe. With a motley crew of allies, including a fae-cursed young man, the lady of thieves, and a corgi that may or may not be a spy, Mer may finally be able to steal precious freedom and peace for herself. After all, a person with a knife is one thing…but a person with a cause can topple kingdoms.

The Drowned Woods—set in the same world as The Bone Houses but with a whole new, unforgettable cast of characters—is part heist novel, part dark fairy tale.

Author Bio:

Emily Lloyd-Jones grew up on a vineyard in rural Oregon, where she played in evergreen forests and learned to fear sheep. She has a BA in English from Western Oregon University and a MA in publishing from Rosemont College. She currently resides in Northern California, where she enjoys wandering in redwood forests. Her young adult novels include Illusive, Deceptive, The Hearts We Sold, The Bone Houses, and the forthcoming The Drowned Woods. Her debut middle grade, Unseen Magic, will release in 2022.

Author Links:

Website

Twitter

Instagram

Goodreads

#TBR and Beyond #tbr and beyond tours #blog tour #ya fantasy #emily lloyd jones #the bone houses #the drowned woods #shilo reads

0 notes

gdayinla · 2 years

Text

Saturday, July 23, 2022

moon in gemini

I wake up with no plan for the day. Thank god. I need a lazy weekend. I get dressed in a white ribbed top and mom jeans with my fuchsia button up shirt. If I could pick an outfit to wear everyday it’d be a ribbed top where I don’t have to wear a bra, ripped mom jeans and sneakers (cardigan/button up depending on the day). Something about the compression and fit is so comfortable in those ribbed tops. They have their own section in my closer.. Something about wearing a top where your nipples can be seen is exciting- not in a way where the material is transparent, but the kind of shirt that’s a reminder that heyy they’re there and alert.

Zuzu has continued her assault on the carpet, so I go to the nearest PEtCo, spend 187 dollars, drive home and set it up for her. She’s not pleased with the bags I’ve placed on the floor until she realizes it’s all for her. Then she’s more than happy. I leave her to explore her new things.

I need to buy The Summer I Turned Pretty. The nearest Barnes and Noble is in Calabasas, which is closer than I expect it to be. I buy the trilogy and Daisy Jones and the Six- The author wrote The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, so this made my list.

I drive into Santa Monica and park myself at my favorite Starbucks at 5. I think I’ve found my new favorite spot to read. Don’t be surprised if this is spot is frequently mentioned from now on. I get a strawberry açaí refresher with lemonade instead of a pink drink. I think I’ll stick with this for a while. As much as I love a pink drink, this is more exciting. It matches my bright button up shirt and the color of my nail polish and I feel pink.

I read the Summer I Turned Pretty at a table in the shade. I take note of the differences between the book and show, and unusually, I favor the show. Not that I don’t like the book. I do. Sometimes I find myself confused by time jumps. I question if Taylor is at the beach house in Cousins presently or in the past. Stephen leaves with his dad for a trip to tour colleges and I find myself wondering about the changes the show made. When does everything with the debutante come into play? Was Shayla in the books? I also ignore the parts in the book where they describe Belly with blue-gray eyes. I can only picture Lola.

I’ve been feeling so pink lately. I think it’s a feeling that’s better than happy. It’s content and it’s free and I feel it on the weekends when. I sit and read and really think, wow I’m reading a book in LA. Living on the West Coast is something that’s still exciting for me. I don’t want any of it to become familiar. I want the excitement every time I drive out here.

And I decide I’m going to the beach. Fuck it.

And when the clock hits 6, I climb in my car, type in Will rogers Beach and start the 6 mile drive to the beach. The highway ends and I’m on the PCH.

I see the beach.

I start to tear up a little. Hell, I’ve made it.

Then I freak out at the sight of the black house next to the pink and purple house from the meme and start yelling. Was not expecting to see them.

I listen to Golden even though it’s cloudy outside because that’s how you’re supposed to listen to it.

I find my way to parking and walk into the cold sand. The water comes in a series of small waves then one large one that crashes onto the sand with force. I roll up my jeans and walk to where I imagine the water will roll over my ankles. The water crashes onto the sand just below my knees. The bottom of my pants are soaked and covered in sand.

And I laugh.

I laugh as I stumble back in the shifting sand and move to stand where it won’t get me. For once, I’m not too concerned about my wet sandy clothing.

I plant myself in a spot on my towel and begin to read. I can’t help but look up at what’s happening around me.

Kids are throwing sand at one another and they’re covered head to toe in it. I can’t remember a time where that wouldn’t have driven me insane.

The bottom of my jeans are soaked and covered in sand still. It bothers me but not in a way it normally would. I’m just happy to be at the beach.

It’s cold - but next time I’ll come in shorts or swimsuit bottoms. I’ll bring something to eat.

A beautiful plus size woman comes with a man with his ass hanging out of the back of his trunks. She looks amazing. He’s there. At least she has him properly trained to take Instagram photos of her

A group plays music way too loud. They’re having fun now and they’re cheering as one of their friends dances and shakes her ass. And I wonder what it would’ve been like to go to college near the ocean, to take beach trips with my friends on the weekends, to go set up tents by the water tonight even get in because of how cold it is. Then I notice they brought a blowup couch. Odd.

I remember I’m in bright pink. I decide to paint my nails pink tonight. I fucking love pink and how it makes me feel.

I’d only seen this beach flying over it two years ago. Who would’ve thought I’d be living just miles from it.

The Coast Guard waves as the helicopter flies by but I noticed too late and don’t wave back. I feel almost sad about it. But the previously mentioned boyfriend tells his girlfriend he waved. I’m glad

My hands are sticky. My hair is sticky. I think I’ll get it wet tonight when I shower.

I leave at 7:30 because of the cold.

I drive to McDonald’s and spend way to much money for what I buy. Target is a stop for ivory soap- which they don’t have. It was going to be a buffer between Zuzu and the carpet. Instead I buy more pink nail polish.

I decide I need to go to the pool. It’s something inside of me that says ‘you need to be in water right now’. So I put on my swimsuit and head down to the pool. It’s empty and I swim alone. A family in a nearby apartment talks loudly in a language that I don’t know. I notice the kids glancing over at me and looking away quickly when I look back.

The urge to dive under the water and swim 8 feet down is one I have to fight. A week old piercing can’t go under the water. I’m also concerned about it’s healing in general but have high hopes. I swim alone until 10 and head back inside. I wash my hair, shampooing once. I put on my fuzzy grey UNT sweatshirt and climb onto my couch with my giant blanket.

In my rewatch of Stranger Things four, El says

“At first I missed all the spring flowers, but now I find it pretty here too.”

I’m also getting used to the hills covered in dead grass. But the flowering trees make me happy.

I get ready for bed.

0 notes