I'm Not Dead, I Swear

I've been really mistreating this blog the past ten months or so, I know, I know.  I'm sorry.  A lot of things have happened that either took up all of my time or energy.  Now I'm just really out of the swing of things.  But there will continue to be posts.  They may not be regular, but there will be posts.

I start college at the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown on Monday.  My major going in is Creative Writing and if everything goes well, I'd like to do a double major with Theatre Arts (acting/directing concentration) plus a minor in French.  My classes for the first semester are: Medieval French Courtly Romance (may swap for a different class because it doesn't help me much with getting my degree), Composition 2, Topics in Philosophy (Moral Psychology), Intro to Physical Oceanography, and Intro to Creative Writing.

I may work 10-12 hours a week.  In addition to that, I have my own reading to do, as well as writing.  I will soon begin some in-depth research into Sumatra, Borneo, Java, and Peninsular Malaysia in order to write a fantasy story with a setting based upon those areas of South-East Asia.  I'm also teaching myself how to play the mandolin (here is me playing and singing "Let Her Go" with my sister providing backing vocals).  There are various school activities I'd like to become involved in too.  I do a good bit of volunteering with my church and have done some pulpit-filling in the past.  And maybe I'll spend some time socially!

Despite all of this, keeping myself busy may actually help me to keep this blog going.  When I'm going, I usually expend all of my energy working on the various things that make up my life.  We shall just have to see how things go.

If you're really, really lucky, you'll soon get a review of any or all of the following in the coming days: The Autumn Republic by Brian McClellan, Firefight by Brandon Sanderson, and A Study in Scarlet by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

Some Contest Entry Stories

"Usually the Arsenic Works" (Contemporary Fantasy; Special Challenge Runner Up that week)
"Two For Hell" (Horror)
"Rivulets" (Christian)