Happy Holidays from George and Steph!

The Real Deal: George and Steph's Wedding

Once again, there's been another wedding for the Listening to My Heart story. And once again, I'm here to share the non posed, real time, unedited, completely real wedding of George Frederick Davila and Stephanie Brooke Hathaway.

I don't know who designed the wedding aspect of Sims 3, but every time my Sims get married, I shake my head at the absurdity that happens. You'd think after posting about two other weddings, Charlie and Kate's and Charlotte and Ethan's, that there couldn't possibly be anything else that would surprise me with Sim weddings. . .leave it to George and Steph to prove me wrong. LOL!

Maybe by generation 4 things will calm down and the weddings will be surprise free. . .who am I kidding? This is the Hobbles and Davilas were talking about. ;)

So here it is, George and Steph's wedding:

Well, first we need the bride and groom. And they can be found. . .

Kissing! Of course because that's what George and Steph are almost always doing when they're in the same place. Hey you two! Knock it off! You need to get married, and there's no kissing before a wedding!

Well, now that we've gotten those two to cooperate, let's make sure the rest of the family is ready to go. . .

Hey, guys, where's the other third of the family? They're where?

Um. . .you know there's a reason that I spent time nicely placing chairs near the wedding arch, right guys? Cause it would be way more comfortable to watch the wedding sitting down with an unobstructed view. All those flowers kind of make it hard to see what's going on if you stand behind them.

Not you too, Trev?

Trev: Well, you know when in Rome. . .

But you're not in Rome, Trev. You're in Appaloosa!

Trev: Exactly!

Um. . .okay. Whatever. Let's just get on with it.

Steph: Why did we decide to have so many flowers? It. . ah. . .makes me. . .achoo! Sneeze.

George: ' Sup Uncle Charlie?

Charlie: 'Sup George?

Just some friendly family chatter over the flower bushes that are in back of the wedding arch!!! Oh my gosh, guys! Can you please go sit in the chairs?

Oh look! The whole family has gathered behind the arch. . .I swear, I've never seen this before, but George and Steph look like their ready to start. Hopefully nothing else will distract from this beautiful, serious event.

And just like that, Kate starts to hold her wrist. 

*Side note - Why did the creators of Sims 3 decide that holding ones wrist was the universal way for Sims to show that they're happy at weddings????*

Scarlett looks less than thrilled that she cancelled a tour date to be at the wedding.

Let's check back in with the bride and groom. . .Wait! Do you hear that? Someone's crying!

Charlie. . .you and your children are bothering those around you. Look, Chuck and Ethan can't even concentrate on the wedding:

Charlie: I'm sorry. I'll try to get myself together.

Thanks, Charlie. I appreciate it and I'm sure George and Steph would too. Maybe those standing on the other side of the arch are fairing better.

Wait, is that. . .

Yup, it's Trev hiding behind one of his cousins. What's wrong, Sugar?

Trev: I just. . .I just can't believe that my baby brother is getting married. 

Yeah, I understand, cause it seems like yesterday that he was just a tiny little George.

Trev: No. Because now I'm the only kid whose not married. And I'm the oldest!!

*Sandy nods* Oh. Well, we're working on that sweetie.

What about the mother of the groom? Maybe she's feeling less emotional.

She seems to be holding up pretty well. But, how can she see past her nephew that's standing in front of her. Hey! Nephew! Move out of the way! You know what? If you turn around, you can actually see the wedding! Novel idea.

Well, even if he's not going to turn around and watch, I think we should. 

*Sandy smacks her own forehead*

Not the wrist holding thing again!!

Oh my gosh! Even Jeff is participating. . .

*Sighs* Enough with the distractions, let's watch the wedding.

So beautiful!

HALLELUJAH!!!

What in the. . .?

Jeff, did you just scream out?

Jeff: HALLELUJAH!!! They finally got married!! 

I completely agree Jeff. It's about damn time.

Oh! Hold on! I think the big kiss is going to happen. . .

Oh my God, George! Are you trying to kiss her or inhale her face? Easy Tiger!

Much better! And look at all the people holding their wrists! Maybe they're checking their pulse? Afraid that the excitement of the wedding will get them too excited?

I don't know, but the only "normal" looking ones are George and Steph. Who are of course making lovey eyes at each other.

Oh dear, Trev's started crying again. . .

Hey Bridge! Did you get to see any of the wedding?

Bridge: No, not really.

Gee, I wonder why! Couldn't possibly be because someone stood in front of you the whole time, which wouldn't have happened if everyone had sat in the chairs. . .but I digress.

Well, now that the ceremony is over, it's time to party!! There's a big dance floor and I know you all like to dance! Whatda say?

That's what I like to see! Happy Sims dancing their pants off! I mean, look at Chuck!

I never knew he had moves like that! Everyone else is getting down too! But why is Steph dancing by herself? Hey Steph, where's George?

Steph: He's in the tall grass.

Doing what?

Steph: Dancing. . .

Oh okay. Really? 

Steph: *nods* Yup. With Uncle Jeff.

Oh this I have got to see!!!!

Wow. Just. . .wow. Let's go find someone who actually knows how to dance. Oh Trev!!!!

Trev: What's up pretty lady?

*Sandy blushes* That's sweet of you, Trev. I was wondering if you could dance us out of this crazy wedding.

Trev: Does a firefly have a light up butt?

Wha. . .I don't know. Just dance.

Trev: You got it!

And that, friends, was the real deal wedding of George and Steph. All I can say is thank goodness it's over, they're married, and hopefully there won't be another one for a while. . .

Jeff: Um, Star and I still have to get married.

*Sandy smacks her forehead again.* Crap!!

Trev: Yeah, and I might want to do that sometime too. . .

*Sandy reaches for the wine bottle* If y'all need me, I'll be chugging my big bottle of white zinfandel. 

Thanks for reading!

♥Sandybeachgirl♥

More pictures of George and Steph's Wedding

Since I took a gazillion pictures of their wedding but didn't want to post all of them in the chapter, I've posted many of the ones that didn't make it on my Simblr. If you'd like to check them out, click HERE.

Here's one of my favorites:

George - Chapter Twenty Two: Once in a Lifetime - Part Two

I've included the song that inspired this chapter, which, like many songs for George's story, is a Michael Bolton song (I guess George is a fan. lol!)

 ****Steph****

Saturday, August 28th

I woke up on the morning of our wedding and knew from the barely visible light coming through the curtains that it was still very early. The time on the clock confirmed it and I mumbled as I rolled over on my side and tried to go back to sleep, but the excitement I felt kept that from happening. My feet started to involuntarily flip up and down and I realized that I was biting my lip and I laughed at myself.

"George would be laughing at me right now." I said to myself and I realized at that moment how much I missed him. I missed feeling him next to me, waking up to his arm wrapped around my waist, to him greeting me good morning by calling me Sunshine. . .It was all too much; the excitement, missing him, the longing for him. . .I jumped out of bed and found some running clothes hoping that if I could get in a run it would take some of the edge off. I quickly pulled my hair back and quietly made my way down the back staircase.

As I neared the kitchen I heard voices and found myself chuckling as I remembered that no one in that house slept late. I walked into the kitchen and saw Grandpa Chuck, Uncle Charlie, and Aunt Kate who all looked shocked to see me.

"What are you doing up? And are you going for a run?" Aunt Kate asked me.

"I couldn't sleep anymore and I have to do something or I'll go crazy, so yes, I'm going for a run." I smiled at them and they all shook their heads.

"Did you sleep well?" Grandpa Chuck wondered as he poured himself another cup of coffee.

"Pretty good; I don't sleep well the first night in a different place anyway, add that to what today is. . .I slept as well as I expected to."

"Well, you should probably get movin' if you want to get that run in. If Charlotte isn't up by the time you get back we'll grab some pots and pans and bang on them until she comes out." I laughed at the picture of Uncle Charlie scrounging up pots and pans and leading an assault on Charlotte's room.

"I can just imagine how happy that would make Charlotte." We all chuckled and I waved as I walked outside and looked around as I stretched. My eyes quickly looked across the street and I smiled as I looked at George's old house. I thought back to the first moment that I saw it and the ginormous ranch that I now stood outside of. It amazed me how much my life had changed in the eight months since that Christmas. I had been accepted by a wonderful family, which had always been one of my dreams; but after twenty one years of not having anything close to that, I had begun to believe that it would never happen. That had all changed last Christmas when I had first laid eyes on the ranch and George's old house. 

I began to run in the opposite direction of Bridge's house, not wanting to take the chance that I might see George as I ran past the small dirt road that led to her house, and my thoughts wandered to him. We had only known each other for ten months, had only really started to get to know each other in the last eight, but even after those eight short months, there was no way I could imagine my life without him. 

Although, if someone had told me the night that we first saw each other that I had met my future husband, I would have thought they were an idiot. Not the superhero guy, the guy who mysteriously appeared out of the shadows of a dark alley to "save" me. Not the guy who stood against the wall at parties as he watched and analyzed people. But as I kept running I realized that as I looked back even to those first times that we ran into each other, that there had been something there, as Grandpa Chuck had put it the night before, there had been a spark; and after last night I knew just how much George and I owed to Charlotte, Trev, and also Grandma Amanda for helping George and I get to this day.

I turned another corner and continued to think about George and how we had gotten to this day when the sight of someone running toward me stopped me in my tracks and I shook my head. . .

George - Chapter Twenty Two: Once in a Lifetime - Part One

OMG! I'm so sorry this took so long to publish!!! I am so particular about wedding chapters and I finally feel like this one is ready. Thank God!!! Lol!

I've split it into two parts because this is George, and he likes to talk, and he was very particular about what could be cut from this chapter. Plus, there's a ton of pictures. I took over 1,000 just for this chapter (I might have a picture taking problem).

Anyway, without further ado, I finally present to you, George and Steph's wedding. Hope you enjoy and that it was worth the really long wait!

♥Sandybeachgirl♥

****Steph****

“I’m starting to wonder if I’m going to find a dress that’s exactly what I’m looking for.” I lamented as Charlotte and I stood in a dressing room at the bridal shop. “I’m having fun but none of the ones I’ve tried on has given me the feeling that you had when you first put on your dress.”

She sweetly smiled and put a hand on my arm. “We’ll find it! It took me how many dresses to find ‘the one?’”

I chuckled. “I think it was ten. . .I lost count after the sixth one.” I kidded.

“Haha! It was nine.” She smiled again. “You've only tried on three dresses so don't lose hope. I’m convinced that somewhere in this store the right dress is waiting for you to find it.” She turned around and started looking through the dresses that the consultant had picked out. “Once you find your dress, what else do you need to do?"

"Oh my. . ." I sighed. "Well, there's the invitations, the flowers; which one of the magazines you gave me had some great ideas. . ."  She turned around and smiled at me before scanning the dresses again. "There's the food, the decorations; it's almost overwhelming."

"Well at least you know the when and where" She turned around and held up a dress for me to inspect and I shook my head. 

"That was the easy part, it didn't take us long to make the decision to have it in Appaloosa and at the end of August. With his work schedule picking up after that and with Ethan and I starting the catering business around the same time, it just made sense to have it sooner rather than later. Plus, I don't think George would have agreed to waiting; not that I would want to either."

She laughed and pulled out another dress that had the lace detail and form that I had wanted. I nodded and as we continued to talk about the wedding, Charlotte helped me out of one dress and into the other.

"With the wedding being at the ranch, though, you won't have to worry too much, right?"

"That's true. I talked to your Mom and Aunt Kate the other day and they already knew who to call for food and decorations. If it wasn't for them, and you, I think I just might start freaking out." I admitted the last part as she fastened the last button on the new dress and as she walked around to face me, her face lit up like a Christmas tree.

"I think you might freak out when you see this dress. . ." I tried to turn around to look in the mirror but she stopped me before I could. "Oh no! You need to go out and see it for the first time in the big mirrors." She opened the dressing room door and as I stepped out a mile wide grin spread across the consultant's lips and she nodded at Charlotte who had the same grin on her face. I started to comment on it when I caught the first glimpse of the dress in the large mirrors.

"Oh my. . ." I breathed in and held my breath as I stood staring at myself in what I realized then would be my wedding dress. I had seen that happen to Charlotte when she tried on her dress; from the moment she had seen herself in it, she had known she had found the dress. 

Update on Stories

Wow! It’s been way too long! It’s amazing how fast time passes when you’re busy! That’s what happened with me. I got incredibly busy, craziness ensued, and about a month ago I looked at Listening and saw that it had been months since I posted a chapter.

So here’s the short version of what’s been going on (at least I’ll try to make it a short one), I basically volunteer full time in my kids’ schools. I work all day long, come home, and I’ve had no motivation to get pictures for chapters. Then when things slowed down this summer, my laptop acted like it was going to die. I was fortunate to get a new one and then I had the fun task of transferring files. I’m an organization fanatic and all of the file transferring allowed me the chance to reorganize everything which took way longer than I thought it would.

But somehow in all that craziness I was still able to write. I wrote for George, Jeff, but mostly for Trev. He needed it since his story was just starting up. So I have all these chapters for the three stories with no pictures. Two weeks ago, I started to venture in game again and have been gradually working on getting pictures for all four blogs and my Simblr.  And glory be, I finally feel like I’m at a place where I can breath a little and get some chapter pics. Specifically Trev chapter pics. I’m working on his next two chapters and then George will get married. Poor George! He’s been married on paper forever! Lol!

Anyway, I just wanted to give an update since I dropped off the face of the Earth. I’m crossing my fingers that Trev’s chapters will be out this week. :) George. . .well it’s a wedding chapter and we all know how time consuming those can be to get pictures for. ;)

Liebster Award - Part Trois

I'm humbled that any of my stories were nominated at all, so to find out someone else nominated Listening for this is just. . .Wow! Thank you all so much who have nominated this story and also to anyone that reads this or any of my stories!  This particular nomination came from hellohannah who currently writes Dustland Farytale and has a completed story called Doors (which was one of the first sim stories I was addicted to.) I highly recommend both (obviously since I nominated both for this same award.) :) ! Thank you hellohannah!

The Liebster Award is a way of bloggers supporting other bloggers. The rules for receiving this award are to:

• Post the award on your blog.
• Thank the blogger who presented the award and link back to their blog.
• Nominate 5-11 bloggers whom you feel deserve this award and have fewer than or equal to 3,000 followers.
• Answer 11 questions posted by the nominator, and ask your nominees 11 questions. 

Nominations: These are the stories I originally nominated. I'm sharing them again since I love all of them! I've already asked them questions so I won't be posing additional ones.

blythelyre for The Torres Legacy
MrsOogieBoogie for The Insane Dubois Legacy
LateKnightSimmer for Echoes of Eternity
Marsar for A Pair of Brown Eyes
hellohannah for Dustland Fairytale and Doors
lilyparkersims for Jill's 100 Baby Challenge
RebornMonster for Life is an Odyssey
itsjulie for Through Colour Blind Eyes
lovesstorms for Ramsey Wishacy


hellohannah's Questions
1: Can you remember the first story/legacy you ever wrote for The Sims? (Published or unpublished, it doesn’t matter) What was it about?
It's actually this one. Listening to My Heart is the first thing I've ever written for The Sims. I picked a legacy since that's how I play The Sims; I create a family and then play many generations. So for me, it just made sense to pick a story format that fit with how I play.

2: You are locked in a room with one of your characters for 24 hours. Who is it and how do you pass the time?
Just one. . .? Well, Trev would want me to pick him. . .Lol! I think I would pick Steph, though. She would be a fun person to get stuck in a room with. We would talk about running and food, fix each others hair, maybe do each others nails. Dang! Why can't characters be real? I'd love to do that with her!

3: Some words we love the sound of and others make us cringe. What are some of your favourite and least favourite words?
I love to say awesome. I don't know why. Lol! It's my go to word. I also like the word wunderbar (German for wonderful). And I love to say Dude! especially to my son.  Words that I can't stand are any that are disrespectful to others and are meant to hurt people. Unfortunately, too many to list.


4: Did you start playing The Sims when it first came out or was your first game on Sims 2 or 3? (or 4!)
 I've played it since the beginning and have loved every minute of it and have probably spent a small fortune on them. :D

5: Who is the last Sim that you created? Did you just make them for fun or are they a part of your story?
Coach Nick Haines. He's Pamela's Dad in Trev's story; a very important character who I've grown pretty fond of. 

6: Who is your favourite published author and what is your favourite book?
 Oh Lord! Hard question. . .(can you smell the smoke as I try to think). . .Honestly, right now, and this is so cliche, but it's Jane Austen. I only read Pride and Prejudice in the last year and a half (I don't know why it took me so long) and ever since then I can't stop reading her books and also sequels that other authors have written based on her books.

7: How do you feel about criticism? Would you rather people kept honest opinions about your writing to themselves & avoid feeling hurt, or for them to be brutally honest with you about what can be improved?
I am one of those people that believes in telling the truth, but in a nice way. I love when readers ask questions when something doesn't make sense. It provides a way for me to look at how I wrote something and then figure out how I can write it better the next time. So I do appreciate it when readers engage in a discussion about elements of a story, but like anyone else, it's nice to hear that the story is appreciated.


8: Are any of your characters similar to you? Which ones? In what way?
Of all the characters that I write, the one that is most like myself is Star, and she is the hardest for me to write for. She's very much an introvert, likes her privacy, stands off to the sides and doesn't like to be the center of attention, which is why it's hard to write for her. At the same time, she is very passionate about those she loves and will step out of her comfort zone if it means that they benefit from her doing so. 

9: If you had to be on a reality TV show, which would you choose to be on?
I don't watch reality shows. I know, I'm strange, but I watch very little TV. There's only 2 shows that I can't live without and it's Castle and Once Upon a Time. I will cry when both of them end. But if I was on Castle, I'd want to be the killer and have Nathan Fillion run after me, tackle, and then cuff me. I'm serious. . .can someone make that happen? If I was on Once Upon a Time, I'd want to be part of some plot line where Captain Hook falls madly in love with me and I sail away with him on the Jolly Roger. Again, if anyone reading this could make that happen, I would greatly appreciate it. :)

10: Think of a couple in your story, if they had never met, are there other characters that you think they would have ended up dating instead?
I think Amanda might have ended up with Johnny if Chuck hadn't been in the picture. Bridge. . .I just can't picture her without Carson. And George had given up on love until he met Steph so I can't really picture him with anyone else either. Maybe it's harder with the later generations since their partner has been an integral part of their stories since the beginning.

11: What’s the hardest/most uncomfortable thing you’ve ever had to write?
Honestly, it's sex scenes because I feel like I'm witnessing something that is, for the most part, a private act. And while the subject isn't embarrassing for me, I wouldn't personally sit in a room and take detailed notes about others engaging in such activities. And that's what it feels like for me since the characters are very real to me. So I have to go into a zone and just write what happens. But like all writing challenges, it gets easier each time so the most recent scene that I wrote between Jeff and Star (spoiler alert if you haven't reached that point in their story), was much easier than Bridge and Carson's, which was the first one I wrote.

Liebster Award - Part Deux

Listening to My Heart was nominated again for this award by two other bloggers, itsjulie who writes Through Colour Blind Eyes and by Daijah V who writes Beauty as well as many other stories. Thank you both so much for the nominations! 

The Liebster Award is a way of bloggers supporting other bloggers. The rules for receiving this award are to:

• Post the award on your blog.
• Thank the blogger who presented the award and link back to their blog.
• Nominate 5-11 bloggers whom you feel deserve this award and have fewer than or equal to 3,000 followers.
• Answer 11 questions posted by the nominator, and ask your nominees 11 questions. 

Nominations: (Since it's been less than 24 hours since I nominated these stories and I really like them, I'm giving them another shout out but with no questions to answer.)

blythelyre for The Torres Legacy
MrsOogieBoogie for The Insane Dubois Legacy
LateKnightSimmer for Echoes of Eternity
Marsar for A Pair of Brown Eyes
hellohannah for Dustland Fairytale and Doors
lilyparkersims for Jill's 100 Baby Challenge
RebornMonster for Life is an Odyssey
itsjulie for Through Colour Blind Eyes
lovesstorms for Ramsey Wishacy



itsjulie's Questions:
 1.  If you were stranded on a desert island with one of the sim characters from your story - which one would you like it to be?
Oh wow. . .ummmm. . .who am I kidding! It would have to be Trev. Nice to look at, great sense of humor. . .Sign me up!!! Lol!

2.  How long have you been playing the sims for and what got you started?
I've been playing the Sims since the first year the first game came out. So for a long time. I can't even remember what got me started playing but I was hooked pretty quickly. I've never played any game as long as it and I don't see myself stopping anytime soon. Well worth the bazillion dollars spent on base games, expansion and stuff packs. :)

3.  What other hobbies do you have outside of simming, blogging and writing.
I crosstitch and sing not as much as I used to but I still enjoy doing both.

4.  What is your favourite sim trait and why?
Athletic, only because it allows me the chance to watch Trev and others flex their muscles. (I really have no shame when it comes to Trev.)

5.  Do you think there is an age limit to when you should be playing sims, or an age when it is not acceptable anymore?
I think the rating EA gives the game is good. I figure there's a reason for it. However, I don't think there's an age where it is unacceptable to play anymore. If I'm still playing at 50 or 60, so be it. :)

6.  Where do you get the inspiration from for your writing?
From reading other Sims stories and just reading in general. I've been on a massive Jane Austen kick for the last six months so if you see anything that looks like a nod to her works, it's probably not a coincidence.

7.  What do you love most about the Sims game.  What keeps you playing it?
I think it's the fact that the story is always different. Since the Sims can have any combination of traits and careers, it keeps it interesting. Plus, it's kind of fun to tell a Sim what to do and where to go. 

8.  How seriously do you take your writing?  Is it just for fun or would you like to make a living out of it one day?
I don't think I'm anywhere close to being talented enough to make a living out of writing; but if I was, I'd do it. I do try to make a conscious effort to improve on my writing and I'm a perfectionist so I won't publish something unless I'm happy with it. So in that respect, I take my writing seriously.

9.  Which are your favourite world, expansion pack and premade sim?
Favorite world would have to be Appaloosa. Favorite expansion pack would be Seasons. Favorite premade sim is hands down Carson Davila.

10.  Five sim traits that describe you.
Family Oriented, Friendly, Hopeless Romantic, Perfectionist, Virtuoso

11.  Tell me a random fact about yourself.
I have almost no sense of smell. Always been that way and I have no idea why, but it comes in handy when there are things that aren't worth smelling. :)


DaijahV's Questions: 
1. When did you start writing?
I have no idea, I remember writing a story in third grade and my teacher asked me to share it with the class. I think that's when the writing bug first bit me. But I honestly can't think back to a time when I didn't write something.

2. Are any of your characters or situations based on real people or events?

Yes. . .lol! Hmm, well, Amanda, Carson, and Star are all based loosely on real people. And Amanda moving to the country from the city is based on some of my own experiences (like the way people treated her like an outsider). 

3. What inspires you to write?

Other writers inspire me to write. Reading great stories and sharing in the experiences of the characters from those stories inspires me to want to share my own character's experiences.

4. Which of your characters is your favorite?

Trev. He's my sugar. I love him way too much and he knows it. He's very good about monopolizing my time and getting me to write stuff for him and take pictures of him.

5. Who is your favorite author?

I can't pick a favorite author for Sims stories, but my favorite author has to be Jane Austen. I don't know what it is about her stories, but I could read all of them over and over and over again.

6. What kind of books do you read?

Books about people in history, mostly British and American. Right now I'm reading a book about Victoria and Albert and a book about Abraham Lincoln. My favorite type of book to read is historical romance. I'm a sucker for them and have a hard time putting them down.

7. If you could use the Sims Time Machine, where would you go and why?

I have some weird fascination with living in the 1800s so probably then. I'm drawn to that time period for some reason.

8. You're stranded on a deserted island with 4 characters from your story(ies). Who are they and what do you think would happen?

Trev, George, Steph, Carson

Steph: Maybe we should get a fire going. . .

George: Good idea! Why don't we split up and look for firewood. Steph and I can search over there and Dad and Trev, you can search over there.

Trev: Why do you get to choose where to look?

George: Why not?

Trev: Maybe I wanted to check over there.

Carson (in a calm voice): Knock it off guys.

George and Trev: Yes sir. . .

  

9. If you could be any character from a book or movie, who would you be and why?

Elizabeth Bennet, I like her spunk and she gets to be with Mr. Darcy. lol!

10. If you could marry the man/woman of your dreams, who would you choose and why?

I already married him about 14 1/2 years ago. :)

11. Sims have a lot of quirky and fun inventions and objects not found in real life. If you could choose one thing (for example, spellbook, time machine, Bonehilda) what would it be and why? (Feel free to choose from any of the amazing custom creations as well e.g. Pose Player, Pregnancy controller, lighting tweaks, etc.)

I would choose the Book of Talent that treeag created. It would be so nice to be able to master any skill.

Liebster Award

Thank you to the amazingly talented blythelyre author of The Torres Legacy for nominating me for this award. You are too kind! 


The Liebster Award is a way of bloggers supporting other bloggers.
The rules for receiving this award are to:

• Post the award on your blog.
• Thank the blogger who presented the award and link back to their blog.
• Nominate 5-11 bloggers whom you feel deserve this award and have fewer than or equal to 3,000 followers.
• Answer 11 questions posted by the nominator, and ask your nominees 11 questions.

Nominations: (I know some of you have been nominated before, but I love your stories and want to make everyone aware of your amazing stories! Don't feel like you have to answer the questions though.) :)

blythelyre for The Torres Legacy
MrsOogieBoogie for The Insane Dubois Legacy
LateKnightSimmer for Echoes of Eternity
Marsar for A Pair of Brown Eyes
hellohannah for Dustland Fairytale and Doors
lilyparkersims for Jill's 100 Baby Challenge
RebornMonster for Life is an Odyssey
itsjulie for Through Colour Blind Eyes
lovesstorms for Ramsey Wishacy

Blythelyre's Questions:
1) The scene you love the most from your story and why it's your favorite.
I'd have to say the scene where Trev has his heart attack and sees Carson.  It affirms that Carson's been around for the kids when previously it's been hinted at. And at that point in his life, that's who Trev really needs a push from. The others really miss him and their lives would be completely different if he was still alive, but Trev is the one who really needed Carson. I just really love how that scene shows all of that and sets up for the direction of the remaining chapters for the third generation.

2) A character you wish you never created.
Hmm. . .I can honestly say that I've never felt that way about a character. There are some that are harder to write for (not for Listening though, more so for Jeff's story). I truly believe that all the characters I've had in Listening have served a specific purpose and for that reason alone, I've never wished that I hadn't created a character.

3) How did your story come to pass? Did you write it on purpose or was it a happy accident?
Both? lol! I played the Sims since it first came out and after years of playing all three versions (four hadn't come out yet), I realized that I had made up stories about the families I played. Then I stumbled upon the Sims 3 forums and saw that other lovers of the game did write stories. So I made Amanda, chose Appaloosa as a town, and started to write a story based on her in game adventures. Little did I know that it would evolve into the story that it has.

4) Would you ever think about publishing your story?
Nah. I'm good with it being in blog format. I like taking the pictures and even though I love to read books without pictures, one of the reasons I enjoy stories based off of the Sims games is that they contain pictures. 

5) How does your writing process begin? Do you have a routine, a schedule or does it just flow whenever?
All of my stories are character driven so my writing process begins with a short story or wish that a character wants to share. For instance, George really wanted to analyze Steph at the beginning of their story. But he needed a way to do that and I just kept seeing him standing against a wall at a party and her giving him a hard time about it. That's how the chapter "A Challenging Puzzle" began to form. 

I don't have a writing schedule but I do tend to write in spurts which means I usually have several chapters written that are waiting for pictures.

6) What is the weirdest plot idea you've ever had?
How about a woman faking being pregnant to get a guy to marry her and then faking a miscarriage after they're married, and then getting the guy (her husband) drunk so he'd sleep with her so she could actually get pregnant to then try to shoot at the woman he's actually in love with. . .? By far the weirdest one. :D

7) Does your family/friends support your writing?
Support - yes. Understand - not really. But Hubby's a smart man and he knows that if the wife isn't happy then no one's happy. And writing makes me happy. :)

8) Did you always want to write?
It's one of those things that I've always enjoyed doing whether it was writing in a journal, on a blog, or even writing reports. It's not something that I think I could do as a job, but do for the enjoyment of it.  I'm not sure I answered the question. Hahaha! 

9) Happily-ever-after or no?
Yes and no. I love happy endings but sometimes they're not meant to be. But I do believe that good can come from even the worst situations so even though a happy ending may seem impossible, I believe that it can still be found. Maybe not in the way that was originally thought and with a few more twists and turns. :)

10) Name a character from another story you would like to make an appearance in your own.
Just one?!!! I can't pick one. I don't believe in limiting myself. Lol! Tony and Riley from The Torres Legacy. I would love for George and Steph to have them over for dinner. Also Gibson and Gareth Dubois from The Insane Dubois Legacy. Just because I love them but I think the Davilas might be a little concerned about their safety.

11) If you had to start all over again, would you change anything about your story? If so, what?
I wouldn't change the story but I would rewrite some of the earlier chapters. From the beginning to at least mid way through Generation 2. 



My Questions:
1. Do any writers inspire you? Blog writers or novel writers?
2. When you have writers block, do you plow through it and keep writing or do you take a step back and take a break?
3. Are there other types of stories you're interested in writing? Some other genre that you'd like to try writing for?
4. Do you do any character development before you start writing for a character or do you figure the character out as you write for them?
5. How much editing do you do for your story? Is it an ongoing process? Do you have many drafts for your chapters?
6. Where is the weirdest place you've ever gotten inspiration for a scene for your story? 
7. If you could live with any one of your characters who would you choose, where would you live, and why?
8. What was the thing that sparked your interest and pushed you to start writing your story?
9. If you write a legacy, which is your favorite generation and why? If you write a story that isn't a legacy, what is your favorite chapter and why?
10. What is your favorite line in your story? Why?
11. What is one thing that has surprised you about your story? Has it taken a different direction than you thought? Have readers reacted different than you imagined?

 

The return of Listening, Ray, and Back to Life

After taking an unscheduled and unexpected hiatus, I'm finally able to return to posting chapters for all of the Hobble/Davila stories. So sorry for the long delay! I had every intention of posting Jeff's chapters when I got bombarded by my duties at school. Then we went on vacation and I took that time to look over the chapters I had written and there were several of Jeff's that I wasn't entirely happy with. So I tweaked them and then looked at Trev's. . .the same thing happened with his next two chapters. And as much as I wanted to publish something, I don't want to rush the chapters and post something that I'm not happy with.

So in my spare time, I've been tweaking the chapters and getting pictures for each of them. Unfortunately, I haven't had much spare time, so it's taken much longer than expected. The good news is that the kids are only in school for 13 and a half more days (not counting weekends) and my duties at the school will taper off after that; which means chapter postings will become more frequent.

Thank you so much for supporting this and the other stories I write! I hope that when the next chapters are published, they'll have been worth the wait. :)

A Thousand Pardons!!!

I am sooooo sorry I have been away for so long!!!  We were snowed in for a couple weeks, kids had no school for that whole time, and I had 16 reports I needed to write while the kids were home from school. . .Not the funnest time. Loved having the kids home, but the reports. . .UGH!

So I've had no time to write or read anything until yesterday. But now that things have calmed down (as much as they can around here), I'm in the process of editing Jeff's chapters (4 total), Writing Trev's next (almost done), and in order for George's to come out, I have to get the other two stories out (since things happen that go along with George's. . .that will make sense later, after I publish the chapters). Anyway, I'm hoping to have Jeff's out by this weekend. Trev's by early next week, and George's by mid next week. That's the plan anyway. Lol!

Hope everyone is well and hasn't been snowed in. I'm ready for Spring!!! Who else is with me?

Valentine's Day Special - The Not Newlywed Game

Happy Valentine's Day to everyone!!! I had to do something special for this day of love; and what better way then to get some couples together? For this game, I've enlisted the main couples from Listening, Ray, and Back to Life to play a little game. . .a Not Newlywed Game. . .hope you enjoy!

******

Stew Winkler: Welcome back to another episode of the Not Newlywed Game. Let's meet today's contestants.

Announcer: Our first couple recently got engaged and are excited to be planning their wedding! He's a grief psychologist from Appaloosa, she's a possible soon-to-be caterer from Lucky Palms. . .Let's welcome, George Davila and Steph Hathaway!

*Applause from the crowd*

Announcer: Next we have the newly dating couple who have known each other their whole lives! He's a political science major from Appaloosa, she's a interior design major also from Appaloosa. . .Let's welcome, Jeff Hobble and Star Randall!

*Applause from the audience*

Announcer: Our last couple isn't even dating yet, but that hasn't stopped them from joining us on the Not Newlywed Game! He's a pro-football quarterback from Appaloosa, she's a sports journalist from Bridgeport. . .Let's welcome, Trevor Davila and Pamela Haines.

*Applause from the crowd*

Stew: Now that we've welcomed our couples, let's go over the rules. . .

Pamela: Umm. . .Stew is it?

Stew: Yes?

Pamela: I umm. . .think there's been some kind of mistake. *motions back and forth with her hands between her and Trev* We're not even dating. . .Let alone we barely talk to each other.

Trev: That'll make it even more fun! *laughter from the audience*

*Pamela chuckles uncomfortably*

Pamela: No, really. . .Trev, this can't go well.

Trev: But if we win, our chapter gets published first. . .

Pamela: *looks at Stew* Really?

Stew: That's right Pamela! There will be two rounds with three questions each, for each question answered correctly, your team receives a point. There's a bonus question at the end where you can determine the points you want to risk, and the team with the most points at the end, gets their chapter/chapters posted first.

George: Chapters? I'm only aware of one for us. . .

Steph: That might have something to do with the fact that someone likes to talk and ours end up being longer.

*Jeff, Star, and Trev laugh as Pam looks confused.*

Pamela: I'm sorry, but do you know these people? *Pam looks at Trev*

Trev: Oh!

Stew: Well, as Trev explains who everyone is, let's hear a word from our Sponsor. . .

Announcer: The Sims - A highly addictive game where you can control computer generated characters and make up crazy stories for them.  Back to you Stew!

Stew: All right, so now that everyone's caught up. . .*looks at Pam and she nods* Let's start the first round. Ladies you'll be answering the questions and writing down your answers on the cards in front of you. Gentleman, you should write down the answer that you think your partner will write down. First question ladies, where were you the first time you saw your partner?