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darkestdawnhq · 4 years ago

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GRETA CATCHLOVE is a 23 year old HALFBLOOD, a former HUFFLEPUFF, and a BOOK SHOP-KEEP who is a CIVILIAN and uses SHE/HER pronouns. They are categorized as CODE THREE. They are currently CLOSED.

HISTORY.

Greta Catchlove was welcomed into the world by two loving parents, who were beyond thrilled to have a beautiful baby girl. Her childhood was almost idyllic – she spent her time doing things that she loved with the people that she loved. Her parents fostered her creativity. Together, Greta and her parents would paint nonsense on blank canvases, read in the afternoon sun, hike, and spend their summers swimming and kayaking at nearby lakes. She was always fascinated by the beauty of the world around her, spending hours sitting in the back garden, just taking all of the beauty in. Watching the ladybugs, caterpillars and ants go about their days, marveling at mushrooms and ferns and oak trees. Greta quickly became the kind of person to give bees water or to save a worm from the pavement. The Catchlove’s never had an excess of money, but they were happy.

Her fascination with the world prompted Greta to start writing at a young age, at first making detailed notes about her observations, but then starting to run away with her imagination. She dreamt up tales of Princesses and Knights, life-sized ladybugs who could sing, tap dancing dragons, and much more, letting her vivid imagination run wild. When she was 11 and she received her Hogwarts letter, she was both excited and terrified. She’d never known anything other than life with her parents, but she was excited to embark on a new adventure, just like the ones that she made up in her imagination.

Tall and gangly, even for an 11-year-old, Greta made her way to Hogwarts, and was immediately sorted into Hufflepuff house. It wasn’t until she got to school that she realized the simple fact that not everyone was nice. She also had no idea how important blood status was becoming in the Wizarding world. Both of her parents were magical, but her Grandma was a Muggle, and Greta didn’t know how anyone could look down on someone as lovely as her Grandma. She never really excelled at her studies, but she never did poorly, either, enjoying subjects like Care of Magical Creatures and History of Magic more than Transfiguration or Charms. Greta enjoyed learning new things, but was never able to stop her imagination from running wild in the middle of her classes. She was friendly and warm, making a few friends, but was always a bit too introverted and sensitive to form any real bonds, worried about rejection from her more outgoing peers.

When the war started to rage, Greta knew that, while she absolutely held sympathies for those who were standing up to He Who Must Not Be Named and his band of bullies, she had nothing to offer the Order. She stayed neutral in the war, not because she didn’t support the cause, or think that everyone deserved to be treated equally, but because she was terrified for herself and her family. Greta was a writer, not a fighter, and didn’t feel strong or brave enough to make a difference. Her neutrality landed her the code three status, and even after the war ended, she has continued to try to keep her head down so as to not draw any attention. She may have been introverted before, but by the time the war ended, she had pretty much cut herself off from everyone, even her parents. They had both gone into hiding with Greta’s Grandma for her safety, and Greta is terrified for them all. She’s afraid that if she steps out of line, that something bad will happen to her family. There have been few who have been reaching out to her, and Greta appreciates it, trying to push herself to really form some deep connections.

After the war ended, Greta started to be plagued by guilt about her inaction, but she is very careful with who she lets her sympathies be known to. It is these sympathies that Sirius Black seems to be very aware of, and though her interactions with him have been pretty few and far between thus far, she’s incredibly worried of the dangers that come with being associated with Order members. It’s flattering that Sirius seems to think she’s capable of more than neutrality, but a small voice in the back of her head can’t help but think that he’s just grasping at straws for an ally. As usual, there’s an internal war raging inside her head - she’s still absolutely terrified of stepping a toe out of line in the new world order, but she’s starting to think that she needs to do more than just sit idly by while injustices happen. Greta is, of course, completely unaware that she’s being closely watched by the new regime, which is probably for the best, as knowing would completely ramp up her anxiety.

If there was one quality that her parents instilled into her, it was kindness. People tend to underestimate Greta because she’s soft spoken, gentle, and kind, but she thinks that there’s a great strength and courage in being kind in a cruel world. She is incredibly observant, noticing things about the world around her that others might miss. Though Greta is very sweet and kind, she tends to be quite sensitive, overly anxious, and overthinks things a lot. She’s more of a dreamer than a doer, letting herself get more lost in her imagination than she is grounded in reality. She has a good sense of humour when you get to know her, tries her best to be hopeful, is very down to earth, and cares incredibly deeply about others. Greta tends to be a bit gullible and naïve, is easily flustered and embarrassed, and certainly isn’t the most skilled witch of the bunch. She is, however, a very talented writer, and hopes that one day, by some miracle, the reign of terror will be over, and she’ll be able to publish one of the many books she’s started writing.

CONNECTIONS.

SIRIUS BLACK: Recruiter. Greta has caught him several times since he went into hiding along with the other newly minted fugitives of the law. She would never turn him in, since she doesn’t agree with the new Ministry or the treatment of muggleborns. However, she does wish he would stop coming to her and looking for her to join their cause. She can’t say how she truly feels about him seeing some strength in her that not many others have, but she doesn’t want to get involved in the dangers of the defeated Order of the Phoenix. She offers him all the help she can each time without accepting his offer to join.

ASLAN SHAFIQ: New Friend. They met at Flourish and Blotts when both were looking over books on herbology and charms. Truthfully, they both reached for the same book at the same time and their hands hit. Greta started talking to Aslan then and discovered that they had a lot in common in their interests and their views. She’s been keeping in touch with him since then and a new friendship is budding between them. It’s such a relief to her in these new days for her to find a new friend to fend off the darkness of the world with.

MOLLY WEASLEY: Companion. Greta started interviewing Molly for a book she was considering writing before the Death Eaters took over. She’d been playing with the idea of a book on charms one uses in the kitchen or one on herbology for your home. Over the afternoons with tea and little babbling babies on Molly’s knee, Great came to really appreciate the kindness, warmth and knowledge of the older witch. However, all hopes of her ever publishing a book like that, or about any topic, came to an end when the Ministry declared that only code ones could be published. She still enjoys talking to Molly when she can, even if it is no longer in pursuit of her book.

LUCINDA TALKALOT: Classmate. Though Lucinda was in a different house, Greta always admired her from afar when they were at Hogwarts. The two knew of each other, of course, being in the same year, and Greta always wanted to befriend Lucinda, but wasn’t entirely outgoing enough to know how. Greta always admired Lucinda’s take no prisoners attitude, respecting that she was a fighter who always stood up for herself. Lucinda always had qualities that Greta wished she could have more of – she would have loved to be able to stand up for herself more, but confrontation terrifies her. Since graduating, she’s seen Lucinda around, and always thinks about reaching out. She has nothing to lose, and isn’t quite sure what’s stopping her.

Currently portrayed by NATALIA DYER

#Greta Catchlove #Natalia Dyer fc #skeleton rp #hp rp #new rp #Natalia Dyer #female #halfblood #hufflepuff #civilian #code three #closed

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magicgills · 4 years ago

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was just thinking about everything wrong with the Ella Enchanted movie as far as being a book adaptation and I realized that one of the most bizarre changes was how much added male presence there is in the movie where there previously wasn’t any. Like, this is what I can recall from memory (I read the book once in sixth grade so bear with me):

Slannen was only in the book for like 2 pages as a (reasonably) flat side character who gives Ella some needed essentials on her journey to track down Lucinda (which, by the way, isn’t the driving plot of the book) instead of a supporting character who’s there the entire story and has his own arc.

Char didn’t have an evil uncle in the book. There actually wasn’t any plot to remove Char from the line of succession because the story was about, uh, Ella. There wasn’t really a main antagonist but rather a set of obstacles the Ella had to overcome to free herself. The main one being the curse, but also several others that were usually presented by her own family. There wasn’t any need for a random scary man to come into play.

The magic book ( (the one that movie wrote as a man who got accidentally turned into a book) didn’t have any sentience in the original story, it was just a book. It basically existed as a convenient wikipedia that shows Ella anything she wanted or needed to see, and absolutely never talked.

This isn’t necessarily an “addition” but the change to Ella’s father as a character is also strange. In the movie he’s portrayed as a loving father who knows Ella’s (non-curse related) situation is shitty but encourages her to make the best of it for her own benefit. But in the book he’s callous, having only married his first and second wives for money and only sees his daughter as something to be sold off to any wealthy man who wants to marry her. The only affection he ever even shows Ella is when the curse has caused her to be mindlessly and happily obedient.

There’s a lot of things that went wrong when Ella Enchanted was adapted into a movie. I just find it particularly interesting that while the book was about a young girl who had to (on her own) find a way to free herself from the curse of obedience and learn self-sufficiency, the movie makes it that she needs the help of men in the story and feature them more heavily in narrative.

One of the aforementioned men (+ Char, to some extent) gets a storyline that crowds around Ella’s and makes the story much less her own, which I think is ultimately what takes the heart out of the story and turns into a cheap knockoff

#again #there's several other factors but these are the main ones #also if you've never read the ella enchanted book and you're someone who likes fantasy coming of age stories #i'd recommend it!!!

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legatumrpg · 6 years ago

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We want to start off by thanking everyone for applying. There were some tough decisions that needed to be made, especially when each and every application we received was so unique in their own way. Congratulations to everyone under the cut, your applications absolutely floored us. Each application presented their characters with such nuace or complexity, sometimes even both, we know that you all will bring magic to our little roleplay. Please see our CHECKLIST for further instructions.

LEO IS ACCEPTED FOR THE ROLE OF SIRIUS BLACK ! For all that he pictures capturing his cousins, he can’t picture killing them. Nor can he picture Bellatrix or Regulus killing him. And maybe it’s his subconscious failsafe against hysteria. We had three amazing applications for Sirius, so this was one of our hardest decisions, but it was the way you wrote his flaws that really had us decided. The complexity of who Sirius is and how he got there was so interesting to read and we loved seeing just how much his past still affects his life.

ZED IS ACCEPTED FOR THE ROLE OF SEVERUS SNAPE ! In many ways Severus was changed drastically from the quiet, caring person they had always been to the cold, cynical person they became. We loved seeing the change that occurred which caused Severus to become who they are today. The fact that Severus faith in the Death Eaters being shaken due to the extremes that they don’t believe in and how the Marauders, in a way, reminds them why they chose the side is gold.

ALEXA IS ACCEPTED FOR THE ROLE OF ROMAN MULCIBER ! In the end, Roman was a young god, leaving a trail of scorched earth in his wake. Terror was beauty and war was terror after all. This application is exactly how we envision Roman through all of their temptation, entitlement, and complexity. Everything about the application screamed Roman and none of us wanted to stop reading about them. We know that wherever you take Roman, we’ll not so secretly be rooting for them.

MANU IS ACCEPTED FOR THE ROLE OF RITA SKEETER ! However, Rita always knew she was meant for more. And she shall get everything she always wanted. Fame, fortune and especially recognition. Rita is one of my personal favorite characters and the way you made them come alive is just absolutely beautiful. We know that they are going to do amazing things, even if those things are harsh or twisted. FACE CLAIM CHANGE TO ANA DE ARMAS IS APPROVED.

LUISA IS ACCEPTED FOR THE ROLE OF REMUS LUPIN ! His first memories became those of tearful full moons, of clutching at his mother’s skirt and sobbing, begging her to fix him, falling to his knees in front of the Crucifix on the parlor wall and demanding that she tell him why God had let him become a monster. This application just left us shook. Adding a religious aspect to Remus’ life is something we haven’t seen before and we absolutely love it. We love the idea of Remus being allowed into the werewolf clan and seeing how that plays out.

CAITLIN IS ACCEPTED FOR THE ROLE OF REGULUS BLACK ! After all, a frightened animal is the most dangerous. That line alone had us wanting to accept the application immediately. You really want into the portrayal of Regulus and made him your own. We could go on all day talking about how much we loved your application for Regulus and we really cannot wait to see what happens next to the dear.

MANU IS ACCEPTED FOR THE ROLE OF MOLLY WEASLEY ! Then, a hatred started to grow inside Molly’s chest. the otherwise sweet and caring mother to all was facing a feeling she could not quite process – anger. Molly is so many things; a mother, a sister, a friend but they are also are a person who isn’t without their flaws. We know that you are going to do wonders and we are at the edge of our seats to see Molly going down a darker path.

SKY IS ACCEPTED FOR THE ROLE OF MARLENE MCKINNON ! Hogwarts was a battleground for Marlene; not one where she encountered bloodshed or death, but one in which her knowledge would be tested. Marlene is a character of force. They are always sure of themselves and when things don’t happen as they plan, they can get a bit heated. We absolutely loved how you portrayed Marlene and how they are even more drawn into the cause due to the recent deaths. We cannot wait for Marlene’s fight to come alive.

LARA IS ACCEPTED FOR THE ROLE OF MARY MACDONALD ! Even broken dolls have sharp edges. We could have quoted anything from this application and it would have been exactly how we imagine Mary. The way you handled Mary’s attack was written just so beautifully and the way that you controlled her emotions and response which left so much room for development with the other players involved is just wonderful. We are so excited to have you with us! FACE CLAIM CHANGE TO COURTNEY EATON IS APPROVED.

SASS IS ACCEPTED FOR THE ROLE OF LUCINDA TALKALOT ! Blood separated them, but superficially she saw herself as an equal. The way that you describe how exactly they feel when it comes to blood and their doubts that they keep hidden away is just so beautifully written. As our admin Neetu pointed out, it’s like being dropped in the middle of shark-infested waters and constantly wondering where your next attack is coming from but instead of physical attacks, they are verbal and underhanded. This reminded us of Icarus, just without the disastrous end...yet.

AL IS ACCEPTED FOR THE ROLE OF LILY EVANS ! Starting off, she was only assigned to puff pieces — aimed towards teenage girls, and housewives — slowly, but steadily, she took to spinning them in a way that she could talk directly to her audience, sending off strong messages about the world and situation they are living in. A way of voicing her opinion. Lily is such an icon and we really feel like you managed to capture exactly that in your biography. You really show that Lily has a lot of passion for many different things which ultimately left them wanting to send messages, to get their voice across to those who may have the same thoughts as them. They really are a force to be reckoned with.

ERIN IS ACCEPTED FOR THE ROLE OF JAMES POTTER ! Even in the midst of a war, he can’t shake his wholehearted belief in the inherent goodness of the world. This application gives us more than the bully narrative of James back in Hogwarts. It shows that yes, James made mistakes, and yes he was, and on still levels still is, immature but James has grown so much since their years at Hogwarts. They are more than their mistakes and this application really shows that aspect of him.

MARIE IS ACCEPTED FOR THE ROLE OF ISABELLA WILKES ! There are many downfalls to infinite wealth—but as Isabella Wilkes will frequently note on, “it’s also really fucking fun.” We cannot describe a better quote other than this one that just has Isabella’s name written all over it. We are absolutely living for Isabella and the tragic mistake they made resulting in actual consequence. The biography gave us a look at their entire life and we just absolutely love it. We know that you are going to be an amazing Isabella!

HOLLY IS ACCEPTED FOR THE ROLE OF GILDEROY LOCKHART ! Anyone with a pulse and a Daily Prophet subscription can tell that war has arrived, but even with the future of the Wizarding World at stake, he struggles to care about something unless it involves him personally. As admin Neetu stated, ‘ I stan a man who stans himself. ’ This application is just beautifully written and shows every single aspect of Gilderoy and their big head. We cannot say anything but nice words about the application as we believe that you completely nailed them.

JEN IS ACCEPTED FOR THE ROLE OF EVAN ROSIER ! Like an eagle crowned with the Rosier insignia, Evan soared. We absolutely loved every bit of this application. The fact that they came into the deadly elite group with distrust in their hearts? Golden. We absolutely love how Evan seems like they don’t really want anything to do with the cause but rather they want safety from the people involved.

JO IS ACCEPTED FOR THE ROLE OF CHARITY BURBAGE ! All her life, she was sweet Charity. Soft Charity. Shy Charity. Charity ‘can’t-make-her-own-choices’ Burbage. She wants to be strong Charity. Wow. This was very much a different take with Charity than we expected and we absolutely loved it. We loved how their parents want them to be a good pureblood and don’t approve “joining the Muggles”, really we just loved every bit of it! FACE CLAIM CHANGE TO BAE SUZY IS APPROVED.

HAYLEY IS ACCEPTED FOR THE ROLE OF ARTHUR WEASLEY ! You see, they use very thin strips of hard material connected by ropes to cover their windows instead of curtains. Isn’t that fascinating? We absolutely loved this far more than just what JK Rowling wrote. You have captured everything that is Arthur and honestly, we cannot find one single flaw in this application? Arthur has captured our hearts not just by being a loving husband and father but also due to their curious eye and warm spark in their soul. We really hope that he discovers the function of a rubber duck. AGE CHANGE HAS BEEN APPROVED.

G IS ACCEPTED FOR THE ROLE AMYCUS CARROW ! The golden boy, the perfect child, the heir to his family’s legacy — the one thing that finally made his father believe he had made something good. The whole thing about their parents wanting to save their heir was honestly so beautifully written. As you said, Alecto was just as loved, but Amycus was worshipped. And the fact that Amycus believes themself as equal to Voldemort? Just, all around wow.

ALEXA IS ACCEPTED FOR THE ROLE OF AMELIA BONES ! Justice might as well as have been her first spoken word, because young Amelia Bones refused to yield for any form of injustice she witnessed though at the time injustice for Amelia meant not sharing a toy broomstick with the rest of the group. Okay, you absolutely nailed Amelia. The quote alone just screams her name. We loved the fact that Amelia struggles to understand the cause of Death Eaters and how focused they are on justice. Everything about this application is just solid.

LIZ IS ACCEPTED FOR THE ROLE OF ALICE FORTESCUE ! Her only option now is to find the answers herself, regardless of the danger that might put her in. This was another hard decision, four applications and all of them amazing. Alice’s edges and raw anger came across so vividly and we cannot get over it. The writing of this application is absolutely beautiful, we are so excited to see the trouble she stirs up.

DANI IS ACCEPTED FOR THE ROLE OF ALECTO CARROW ! Alecto can so easily remember the day she was approached by the Dark Lord in her dreams, with his promises of allowing her to have the powers that she so deserved and had been craving yet would never have because she was not the heir. Everything that we envisioned about Alecto goes back to her parents. Her anger, her power, her desire to be better and this application really reflected on that. We loved the fact that she’s never going to forgive her parents for thinking she’s inferior, it really just screams like Alecto!

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comicreliefmorlock · 5 years ago

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And, of course, I had to throw in my two cents.

Hearing Wuffie remark on the book as she read it, I had to snag my own ebook copy and read it as well. And being the bookmonster I am, I finished it first, went back to reread another book in a similar vein and I'm on a second read of "Baby Teeth" to compare it.

Comparing this to "We Need to Talk About Kevin" really only touches on the flimsiest parallels. Both moms give up careers they love, can't connect with their child and have obtuse husbands. Both lose patience, snap at their child and lash out when they feel trapped.

The difference is very much in how Hanna and Kevin are portrayed.

Kevin *feels* like a psychopath in his emotional detachment, manipulative behavior and calculated approach. A different parent likely could've helped avoid encouraging that behavior--Dr. James Fallon, after all, discovered he had a psychopathic brain and a family history to back it, but had the parenting that kept him from seeking out criminal behavior for the stimulation psychopaths so badly want.

Perhaps it's the lack of perspective from Kevin that makes the story one-sided in favor of a confused, frustrated, isolated mother. Perhaps the author just committed a bit more wholeheartedly to portraying what happens with a psychopath in the family.

[Jury is still out, I believe, on whether or not children can actually be diagnosed as psychopathic, but I know some specialists in the field are heavily in favor of diagnosing psychopathic tendancies -before- any aberrant or dangerous behaviors can be established.]

"Baby Teeth" presents Hanna as... a kid.

Like she's obviously bonded with her father--who, as it turns out, was being a fake all along, or just lied about that to please his wife, idk, they were not exactly clearly framed. Her chapters express frustration with wanting "color" in her room, a room that her mother ferociously cleans, keeps white and pristine and won't let Hanna personalize in the ways that are so very dear to children. (And necessary.)

Hanna's an imaginative kid who -should- have been in therapy long before the book began, especially considering the family's socio-economic level. There's no reason for her not to have gotten intervention sooner, aside from the father's conviction that "she just needs time."

Look, the kid is seven years old, non-verbal and both parents can see she can read and write, do mathematics and get up to antics. Get the kid into a specialized program, talk to someone about elective mutism (which was especially twitchy to see, considering how many books by Torey Hayden I've read) but don't just assume "she'll do it when she's ready."

{Also, BookDad, if you were so worried about your kid being self-conscious about a possible lisp, WHY DIDN'T YOU PRESS THE THERAPY ISSUE YEARS AGO?}

Does Hanna engage in unacceptable behavior? Yes. Can children actually pose a physical threat to their parents? Yes. Did this book approach that well?

...eh...

Honestly, I would've cheered if Hanna had succeeded in offing her mother. That would've given the book more weight and possibly could've approached the "dangers of ignoring your child's warning signs behavior" much more directly.

Compared to a book by Lucinda Berry ("The Perfect Child") ”Baby Teeth” really felt like the author read WNTTAK and cringed hard before writing her own, much gentler version. By comparison, Lucinda Berry's psychopathic child has a history of severe abuse, uses triangulation to set her adoptive parents on opposing sides and displays many of the hallmarks of psychopathy.

Also, the parents in Lucinda Berry's novel aren't horrible people. The husband is--of course--easily blinded by the child and rather stupid for not paying closer attention to his wife. But at least this couple genuinely wanted a child and honestly tried to parent as best they could.

The reviews I read consistently slammed the ending, but honestly, unless an author is willing to go straight to the dark heart of the matter, there's no satisfying resolution possible for a book like this. "The Bad Seed" had the mother die and Rhoda free to murder to her heart's content. "The Perfect Child" had little Janie taken to a psychiatric facility, much like "Baby Teeth" but without the parents showing how immature they are.

I had no problems with the ending because it legitimately felt like the author tried hard to wrap the story up in such a way that the loose ends she saw visible were all handled.

All in all, not the worst book I've read, but I've definitely read better on the subject.

First book of the new year, and the “child monster” trend continues. Odd bit of synergy in that.

I do feel like there’s an undercurrent of ableism and...autismphobia? Is that a thing? It’s making me nervous about where this is heading but I’ll stick it out. Hoping it surprises me.

#Baby Teeth #Book Reviews #Books are life #Reading is life #Lucinda Berry was much better #And We Need to Talk About Kevin was better still #but this wasn't bad

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exurnaresurgamrp · 7 years ago

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I'm sick and tired of always being sick and tired.

Name: Lucinda Talkalot Year: 7th Blood status: Pure-Blood House: Ravenclaw Extra: Ravenclaw quidditch team - beater

BIO

Bio: Up to player

CHARACTER POINTS:

+ Lucinda is one of those people who just breezes through life without anyone really knowing how. She’s the one who wins the ‘most likely to become a WAG’ award at graduation. The thing is that she always seems to be doing anything but studying, arrives to exams 5 minutes before the scheduled start (without any notes in sight), and averages ‘exceeds expectations’ across the board.

+ Lucinda’s short term memory isn’t the greatest. A fact that she has become very good at masking. But she’s sick of constantly forgetting her books in the Great Hall, or misplacing her broom maintenance kit. What’s worse is when somebody picks up upon any of her lapses, and there’s only one way Lucinda deals with such things, a fiery anger that you had better hope you are far away from.

+ A Lucinda Talkalot party is not an event that you miss. In fact, if there’s wind that the Ravenclaw has a mixer in the works, you suck up to her every whim in order to simply get an invite. Second years have been known to scrounge for any little job just so that they can be present.

CONNECTIONS

BELLATRIX BLACK - close friend here was a balance between Bellatrix and Lucinda that most people couldn’t quite hold onto – the reality that Bella was careful and control whereas Lucinda was reckless and flowing through the world with little regard into long term. Well, they certainly kept each other grounded when it came down to it. Things were tense now, with the reality that Rodolphus had seemingly picked Bella over her (something that Luc was never going to understand) and more often than not, Lucinda found herself tense around her best friend for the first time.

AUDREY SHACKLEBOLT - rival She didn’t like her – as much as Lucinda wanted to because she was damn good at Quidditch and seemed like she could be a good time, there was something about aligning herself with someone that was from a stuck up snob of a family like the Shacklebolts that made Lucinda want to just rip her hair out if she spent too much time around her. It made her choke on her words and bite her tongue hard to keep from saying something she shouldn’t from the knowledge that at some point, from all accounts, Audrey was probably going to be the one putting people in Azkaban and Lucinda didn’t want to be one of those people.

RODOLPHUS LESTRANGE - ex-betrothed There’d been a plan, a plan that Lucinda was more than okay with when it came down to it. She was supposed to marry Rodolphus after they finished Hogwarts and carry on their careers and have children and be partners together. It’d been derailed and she didn’t even know how to look at him anymore, let alone talk to him without the plans that were placed in front of them and were now in front of her best friend. No, she didn’t think that she’d loved the man and she certainly couldn’t be jealous of Bellatrix but that didn’t mean that she had to be okay with giving up something that she wanted.

LUCINDA TALKALOT is portrayed by IMAAN HAMMAM and is OPEN

#Lucinda Talkalot #imaan hammam #marauders era rp #marauders rp #modern marauders #o #of #Ravenclaw #f

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hemcountry · 7 years ago

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LAUDERDALE'S LIFE - A SONGWRITING LEGEND

It’s not too often that you get the opportunity to speak to someone like Jim Lauderdale, where most of the names that come up in conversation have all secured their own places in the music history books, too. Harlan Howard, Buck Owens, Ralph Stanley, Buddy Miller, Robert Hunter, Patty Loveless, George Jones, Harry Chapin, John Oates, Lucinda Williams, Rodney Crowell, John Levanthal, Emory Gordy Jnr. And for good measure, a tale relating to John Lennon that almost steals a beat of your heart when you think about it for a moment. Nope, it’s definitely not too often that you hit lucky enough to chat with someone like Jim. Hardly surprising, though, given the fact that there aren’t many like Jim out there. In fact, when we talk about Jim Lauderdale, we’re into talking about once-in-a-lifetime talents territory. And it was my good fortune, and great pleasure, to talk to the man himself recently.

Jim Lauderdale, one of country music’s true songwriting legends.

Sadly, when we spoke it was only a few days after the shooting at Jason Aldean’s concert in Las Vegas, followed by the untimely death of a true rock and roll icon,Tom Petty. It would have been impossible not to begin by touching on both for a moment, so I asked Jim if he’d like to share what was going through his mind on either event?

“Yes, oh my gosh. It was mind-numbing, both of those different tragedies. What happened in Las Vegas was just unfathomable. I’m still, and I think everybody is really, we’re just reeling from it. And then Tom last night. I mean, he’d just wrapped up a very successful leg of his tour and seemed to be very healthy. His music really brought a lot of enjoyment to millions of people. He was a real master [entertainer] and he’s really gonna be missed.”

‘London Southern’, OUT NOW

Jim’s new album, ‘London Southern’, is his 29th, an extraordinary output by anyone’s measure. It includes a song co-written with John Oates, called ‘If I Can’t Resist.’ Now Jim has described Oates as being, ‘More hungry than most guys that are on their way up.’ I put it to Jim that, given his vast back catalogue, that same could be said of him. And I asked him, what keeps him hungry to keep on writing and recording?

“It’s just the desire to get these songs out as they come to me, or if I’m collaborating with others. It’s just a need I have. Something I have to do is to write, and then to sing. So I stay in the studio frequently and I tour more and more these days. It seems like both the recording and the touring has continued to grow through the years, and I’m really glad about that. So writing songs and recording them, it’s just such an intense, challenging, but wonderful process. And like I said, I just have to do it.”

I’d read somewhere once that Jim never ‘refuses’ a song if he feels one coming on, even if it has nothing to do with whatever specific project he might be working on at that time. If the song comes to him, Jim takes it.

“Yes, that’s right. And I often wonder if my mind plays tricks on me, that when I’m working on a particular project, that’s when I get song ideas for a different style of music [laughs]. If I’m working on more of a soul type thing, then I might get an idea for a bluegrass song, or a traditional country type song, or vice-versa. But that’s o.k! I let my mind play those tricks! [laughs].”

Jim with stars of the ‘Nashville’ tv show, Chris Carmack (L) and Sam Palladio

Whenever I’m thinking of buying an album by an artist I don’t really know much about, one of the first things I do is check out the song titles and the songwriting credits. That’s how I first discovered an amazing Texan artist called Sunny Sweeney, she has three of Jim’s songs on her ‘Heartbreaker’s Hall of Fame’ record. In other words, if I see a Jim Lauderdale song on an album, that’s good enough for me: sold! And Jim is often referred to as a ‘songwriter’s songwriter.’ I wondered what it meant to him to be the subject of such a description?

“It’s very flattering. But I try not to…well, I feel like I’m still in the beginning stages of my career, so I don’t let that stuff go to my head because I’m always onto the next project. And it’s always challenging for me to get through those projects and come up to the level of other writers that are out there. So I’m always kinda doing the next thing and not thinking too much about my past work.”

As a writer Jim is nothing short of prolific. A few years back, he released a staggering FOUR records in just ONE year. How does something like that work on a business level?

“[Laughs] It doesn’t! It doesn’t work that way [laughs]. And even though I get told that by people trying to advise me, I just do it anyway. And actually, this record that’s out now, ‘London Southern’, those records came out after I’d recorded ‘London Southern’ and I was waiting for the right home for it. So these other things were kinda coming out, these other songs and project ideas, and I thought, well, ‘London Southern’ will hopefully be out in the spring-time so I’ve got to clear the decks and get these others out. And this went on for three or four years. So finally, I found a home for it which is in the U.K, on a label called Proper Records, that really liked the album a lot. I knew from their enthusiasm about it that it was in the right place at last so I’m really happy about finding that home for it.”

In the heart of the moment….

Another area in which Jim moves at an astounding pace is when he co-writes with Robert Hunter, lyricist of The Grateful Dead, with whom Jim has recorded and released a number of albums. Once, they wrote EIGHTEEN songs in just EIGHT days, and another time, a phenomenal TEN songs in a day and a half! In those instances where Jim and Robert write together, are they going in with ideas ready to bounce off each other or does every song start from scratch?

“Starting from scratch, usually. In the early days when Robert Hunter and I started writing, I was doing my first album with one of my bluegrass heroes named Ralph Stanley. So I contacted Robert just on a whim, thinking, you know, he’s probably not going to return my message but I’ll at least try. But I think he and Jerry Garcia were such fans of The Stanley Brothers that he agreed! So we went from there. And either he would give me a completed lyric and I would write the music to it, or I would give him a melody. And when we’re in each other’s presence he would either hand me a lyric or a melody would just come out, which I would record quickly and send to his computer. Then he’d work in one room, while I’d work in different room coming up with another melody. Usually one or the other of us gives our contribution to the other to get things started. But during those circumstances we’re both usually pretty fast with each other. And it’s something I still have to pinch myself about, to realise that I’ve written with Robert. I think we must have written about one hundred songs together.”

Now if that ain’t a view….! Jim on the Opry stage again.

J.T Osbourne, of The Brothers Osbourne, observed recently that he feels like Nashville songwriters these days might be thinking too much about what they think people want to hear, and not enough about what they, as songwriters, actually want to say. What was Jim’s take on this?

“He might be onto something there. I think that there are so many talented songwriters in Nashville. And I think that it’s hard to know what’s going on in their creative process. But in a lot of circumstances when you’re co-writing the goal is to get someone to record that song. So I think that’s sometimes how trends happen in the music market, when one thing is successful then it’s followed by a lot of things that sound like it, whether it’s melodically or thematically. So, it could be a conscious or a sub-conscious thing with writers sometimes. But there are just so many talented songwriters that end up in Nashville and write with each other, and with commercial music in general, even the most mundane type songs will be written by great writers who are still more than capable of writing profound and deep songs. But these other ones ended up kind of making it through the cracks and somehow being commercially successful. But those writers, there’s more than meets the eye as far as their abilities go. Does that make any sense?”

Jim and Buddy Miller backstage at the Ryman.

One of my favourite songs of Jim’s (and one of my fav country songs, come to think of it) is ‘The King Of Broken Hearts.’ I love the story of how Jim wrote it after hearing Gram Parsons describe George Jones as being just that; the king of broken hearts. But what’s always intrigued me is the story of how George himself came so close to recording the song….

“That’s right, that’s right. I was working on an album that was being co-produced by Rodney Crowell and John Levanthal and I got a call at the studio from Emory Gordy Jnr., who’s married to Patty Loveless, and is a very talented producer and bass player, and he told me that George wanted to record the song. So I was totally overjoyed. Then Emory said, ‘But there’s a problem. George is having a hard time singing this part of the song, could you change the timing of it?’ So I thought for a minute, and I think I said well, yeah, sure, sure. But then I think I thought for another minute more and I said, ya know, it just won’t work. Unfortunately. That’s like such a huge part of the melody of the song. So I had to say gosh, ya know if there’s any way he can do it that’s great, but I can’t change it. And it wasn’t a matter of principle or stubborness or anything, it was just that it would it would totally change the song. So it wouldn’t be what it was if I did that. But I did get to perform that song in front of him at one of his birthday celebrations at the Grand Ole Opry house so that was really special. And there was a play that was in Nashville at the Ryman Auditorium, about Tammy Wynette, and I actually portrayed George Jones in that. And that was a real thrill for me. And he came to the show, too. I’m a George Jones…freak, I guess [laughs]. I just love his music so much, and his voice.”

Jim with Ricky Skaggs

Harlan Howard, even today, some fifteen years after his passing, is still regarded by many as the master of country music songwriters. And naturally, there’s another great story here about Jim, and when he and Harlan wrote together. I’m sure there’s probably far more than one, indeed, but one I particularly love concerns the song ‘You’ll Know When It’s Right.’ Essentially, Jim was telling Howard his story of one particular heartache and Howard reassuringly replied, ‘You’ll know when it’s right’, and went on to craft the song from the rest of the details of Jim’s pain! That, folks, is songwriting genius! But what was it, in Jim’s view, that made Harlan Howard so special as a writer?

“Well, he was very in touch with mankind. He had worked in a factory in Detroit before he ended up moving to California for a while, He was roommates in California with Bobby Bare and kind of got into getting cuts with Buck Owens and things, so eventually moved to Nashville. But I think that when he worked at an auto-factory in Detroit at like a eight-to-five job, that he had a strong work ethic. And he wanted to get away from that kind of life and just be a songwriter. But one thing he would tell me when we wrote, was that he really wanted to go abroad, to places like the U.K, and Ireland, and just sit at a bar and talk to a guy who drives a truck. He said, ‘I just want to sit there and talk to the everyday working man.’ I just feel that he had such an understanding, and an empathy, with the everyday person, somebody that didn’t have great wealth or a title or whatever. He was more comfortable in that kind of situation. I think his understanding of the human psyche really, is what came through in his songs. He had a very conversational way of writing as well. He was really a great guy, who was very passionate about life and about music. It was a great experience to write with him and to be his friend.”

Pattly Loveless once said that Jim, as a songwriter, knew how to, ‘Gut an emotion, head right to the truth, and keep going.’ Is that an instinctual ability, or something that can be learned?

“Well, maybe both. I know that songwriting is something that, for me, parts of it are effortless and come easy. But then other things take a lot of effort on my part to finish. The melodies are always the easiest things for me. And sometimes titles are as well. But to really get into a song and make it work is the challenge for me.”

Sometimes all you need is a comfy chair, your guitar, and some peace and quiet….

So how does Jim know when a song is as bare as it can be, how does he gauge when it’s ready?

“I just kinda know. I have that feeling. There’s an expression, ‘Stick a fork in it’ [laughs], so I think you just kind of instinctively know. It’s like, o.k, I’ve said it, I’ve gotten the point across, and it doesn’t need to be edited or tweaked, or added to. Mind you, with most songs I worry if something is over five minutes! Buck Owens used to say, ‘Well, you’re only two and a half minutes away from a hit!’ Meaning that at any given time, not me personally, but a person can write something and it lasts two and a half minutes and hey…it’s a hit song! And radio has changed a lot, and records have changed a lot. They don’t have to be as short these days. But that was kind of a formula for many years in pop music and country music, that songs were roughly that length or less.”

My last question was one I tend to end with whenever I can. One about advice for songwriters. Michael Weston King, the British singer/songwriter, said the best piece of advice he ever received came from the legendary Townes Van Zandt, and it was just two simple words: Keep going. Now Jim himself has said before that whenever he’s feeling bad or going through something a little on the tough side, he tells himself that he needs to write himself out of that situation. Which, when you think about it, isn’t too far off what Townes advised. But what is the best piece of advice Jim has ever been given?

“I was living in New York city years ago, and Buddy Miller had moved up there at the same time. And interestingly enough, there was an influx of country music writers and singers and musicians that converged on New York city, of all places! Buddy Miller calls it The Great Country Music Scare of 1980 for New York city! [laughs]. I had just gotten a job in a house-band at a large new country venue in Jersey, and they would have national acts come and play there and we’d be the opening act. So that was a big deal for me, and I though this was my big break. But I had auditioned for a play where I was playing the banjo and the guitar – the play had a small bluegrass band – and one actor ended up being called Cotton Patch Gospel. And Harry Chapin, the singer/songwriter, wrote the music. So I auditioned, but I didn’t get it. But the man who did couldn’t fulfill his duties in the show so they offered me the role, but I turned it down. Because I said I had this new thing where I had to do my own music. And Harry Chapin said to me, ‘Well, you’ve got to do your own songs, and don’t forget that.’ He was very gracious. He said you’ve got to do your own things, don’t just do other peoples.’ And that’s what I really wanted to do, but he really reinforced it. He said, ‘Keep that fire in your belly.’ In other words, that passion, that urgency about things. And I thought that was really good advice. I was very fortunate years ago, I used to sing on Lucinda Williams’ albums back when her ‘Car Wheels On A Gravel Road’ album came out, and she had allowed me to open the show playing solo acoustic, then be in her band singing harmonies. So during that time I had already recorded an album and I was ready to put it out. But hearing her songs, and singing them night after night, I realised that the record I had just wasn’t up to par. Not that I wanted it to be like her record, which it couldn’t be, because nobody could do that. Now she didn’t say this to me about my record, even though she had heard it. But for me, from being around people like her, and Robert Hunter, and Harlan Howard, it’s almost like osmosis..it’s like your own kind of understanding of their process, and what they do, or the end result of their work. And in that case, with Lucinda, I just knew that I had to try harder and dig deeper. Because her songs were such masterpieces. I knew I had to go back to the drawing board, so I did, I scrapped that album. You’ve got to be honest with yourself.”

Jim Lauderdale, a master songsmith.

Before I let Jim back to the studio (he was recording on the day we spoke) there was one other thing I had to ask him about. I’d read before, but I was never sure if it was true or just a myth, that Jim had actually been outside The Dakota Hotel in New York on the day John Lennon was shot….?

“That’s right. I used to have to pick up and deliver camera equipment for Annie Leibovitz, so that was the tragic day that she did that last photo-shoot with John and Yoko. I had a gig the night before, a country gig, and I had one [coming up] that night, and I was really tired. I was waiting outside in the hope of catching a glimpse of John and Yoko, and I waited for a while but then I thought I only live a couple of blocks down the street, I’m gonna see him again, ya know.”

And did he really believe that he had actually seen Mark Chapman, standing there, waiting, as it would later transpire, to carry out his evil plan?

“I did, I did. I know I did because part of my thoughts were was I gonna stand around like this other guy waiting for an autograph, and he had an album in his hands at the time. And there was a woman standing with him at the time, but I think she was just another bystander.”

* Jim’s new album, ‘London Southern’, is out now.

Jim’s new album, ‘London Southern’, is out now

LAUDERDALE’S LIFE – A SONGWRITING LEGEND was originally published on HEM COUNTRY

#Interview #Jim Lauderdale #countrymusic #countrynews. IrishCountry #UKCountry

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graceivers · 8 years ago

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Review #18 - The Protector

The Protector Author: Jodi Ellen Malpas Genre: Bodyguards, Contemporary Romance, Military, Romantic Suspense Rating: ★★★★★ Recommendation: worth reading; would read again Summary: When Camille Logan’s life is threatened, her father hires Jake Sharp to be her bodyguard. Jake almost passes on the job, but he craves work to keep his demons at bay. When the two grow close and attached, though, it becomes apparent that Jake isn’t the only one doing the saving.

Female Lead: What I loved about Camille Logan’s character is pretty much what Jake loves about her. She’s incredibly strong and not at all the girl people think she is. So, yes, her background is not quite squeaky clean. She was in a relationship with an abusive guy who also happens to be a drug addict and sucked Camille into that lifestyle for a while. Because of who her father is, she’s all over the tabloids and of course the media only cares about juicy gossip and not the real story. The real story is that Camille is nothing like the girl she’s been portrayed as in those pictures. Jake finds this out quickly, and it’s everything.

Yes, Camille lives a glamorous life. She is wealthy; she’s a model; she’s obviously beautiful. But she has career goals and wants to be more than just a pretty face. She wants to launch a fashion line with her friend. Great. What’s even better? The tiniest detail—that she refuses to bend to investors terms because she wants to create a line with sizes that fit ALL WOMEN—is so, so important to her character, and I commend Malpas for including such a small thing that really shows us the kind of person Camille is. She’s not afraid to be independent and live on her own terms when it matters.

And then of course, her resilience must be mentioned. She kicks her minor drug habit and comes clean; she cuts things off with her abusive ex. That’s strength right there—knowing what’s wrong for you and leaving it behind to live a better life. And then after suffering through another traumatic ordeal, the pinnacle of this book, she bounces back so quickly. There wasn’t any real physical harm done to her, but Camille seriously took like a day to recover from the scary incident and was basically back to her old self in the span of two to three days. Part of me thinks this decision was a little hasty on Malpas’ part because she needed to close out the book with a happy ending. But another part of me sees this as just part of this character’s strength. Regardless, Camille is still a great character and a heroine readers can get behind and root for. Male Lead: Malpas writes a rather tortured character here. Jake Sharp is demanding in that you can feel his presence. He commands attention because he is in fact lethal and dangerous but also, of course, because he has an attractive aura to him. He absolutely fits into that category of the guy that girls want to be the only one that can get through to him and fix. Camille doesn’t necessarily fit the female role there, but I think Jake slots into that tortured soul saved by a woman, his one true love, very well. It’s not a bad thing. Jake’s past mistakes haunt him and he becomes a coldhearted and closed off machine until Camille comes into his life.

Speaking of his mistakes, the tiny issue I had with that was the way it was portrayed. Malpas made it out like he did some horrendously egregious thing when in reality his mistake wasn’t that big. Yes, he absolutely made a mistake when his personal life clouded his judgment in his professional life and got people killed, but the way Malpas kept referring to it until the truth was revealed made it sound like he was the one that pulled the trigger and point-blank killed the people who were dead as a result of his actions. He didn’t. He absolutely didn’t. He made bad decisions, but he wasn’t beyond redeeming. And he was wronged too, which likely helped readers—myself included—sympathize a little more. Plot & Writing: The Protector is bodyguard plot done right. There is a legitimate threat that Malpas doesn’t skimp on. She goes there, writes the nitty gritty, and isn’t afraid to insert violence into the book. Maybe I’ve just been reading the wrong books or something, but this is the first time I really felt the suspense when dealing with life-threatening situation plots. Jake is a real presence when it comes to physical protection. There’s physicality, actual fighting, and a gun that isn’t a prop but actually put to use. Again, I’ve probably been reading all the wrong books when it comes to these kinds of plots, so this was a real treat and definitely what I consider romantic suspense done right.

The relationship between Jake and Camille is intense and amazing. Do I believe they fell in love within the span of a few weeks? Yes, I honestly do. The characters may not know every single tiny little thing about each other but what they do know—the big, important, character-telling stuff—is enough for me to be sold on this couple. Jake’s emotions and love for Camille is so potent and strong every time we get his POV. And Camille, it’s evident that she’s attached to him, that she feels safe with him, that he’s the first true man to see her for who she is. It’s not hard to accept their love and that Camille is saving Jake just as much as he is saving her. She’s his angel, and he’s her savior. It’s freaking perfect.

One minor thing. Or maybe two. Every scene was just about perfect except two parts. One, the part where Jake takes Camille to his place in the countryside and they have their weird little Adam and Eve moment naked in the woods/garden? And then the scene right after they make love there and Jake teaches Camille how to use a gun? That was so, so out of place for me. I didn’t need a physical scene where we find out Jake is an accurate shot; it was already well-established that I didn’t think Camille needed the physical proof and I definitely didn’t think she needed to handle a gun. Their little Adam and Eve moment, meh, I can chalk up to a little out of character for Jake and maybe just not my thing, but juxtaposing that with the gun scene right afterwards? Didn’t make sense to me.

And then my maybe second minor thing. I question how necessary it was that Malpas made Jake have a daughter that he all but abandoned until the way end. Personally, I think the book would have been the same if the kid was eliminated. She was super cute and sweet, but again, I felt she was a little out of place. I firmly believe the end would have been basically the same without the presence of Jake’s daughter. The ending was great and I didn’t even miss having an epilogue, but I think everything was already resolved without throwing a child into the mix. Jake and Camille’s relationship throughout the book and leading to the end was already perfect as it was. I didn’t need a happy little family ending—even though both leads are aware of the fact that it’s going to take time before they get used to it all—but this decision by Malpas to include the child made the ending a little too neat for me when I all wanted was Jake and Camille together after working through the issues of their respective pasts and the threats to her future. Secondary Characters & Plots: Huge shoutout to Heather, an amazing friend to Camille. Before Jake came along, Heather was absolutely Camille’s rock. She was the only one that knew about the abusive ex and has been there for Camille through all the bad times. Malpas writes the dynamic between the girls well, and their friendship is so amazing to read. Together, the girls are funny, serious, determined, and loyal. If you want to talk about friendship goals, look no further than here.

Actually, I commend Malpas for writing great secondary characters all around regardless if I liked that particular character or not. All of them had distinctive personalities, and all of them felt necessary. No one was bland. Camille’s father is a disgusting human being, as is the abusive ex Sebastian, but Malpas weaves them into the narrative so well. And there are people like TJ, Camille’s mother, and Lucinda who all have their respective parts. These were interesting characters to read about, and I enjoyed their presence in the book.

Likewise, Malpas does an amazing job with incorporating secondary plots within the circle of characters in the book. It’s not some random threat from some random person that is so distantly related to the characters. And though we never see/meet the people behind the threats, their motives are nicely woven into the main storyline. Major props to Malpas for connecting everything cohesively. Favorite Part(s): Obviously when Jake saves Camille from Sebastian and then carries her out of the nightclub. OBVIOUSLY. There is nothing better that that singular moment—her shaken and slightly bruised body cradled in his arms as he walks out of there with one thing on his mind and that is to protect her. That’s it. That’s the essence of the whole book. He’s her bodyguard at first, yes, but he’s gone beyond the call of duty then. Jake is Camille’s protector. The message is loud and clear there, and it really doesn’t get any better than that. Final Thoughts: Like I said before, The Protector is the bodyguard plot done right. There’s emotion and depth and character and relationship exploration and development and just about everything is amazing. I can’t get over Jake and Camille—how much they need each other, how they save each other, how they come to love each other. Their relationship is pretty epic, which perfectly fits the grand and intense plot. Malpas delivers on many levels, which makes The Protector a highly recommended read from me.

#book: the protector #author: jodi ellen malpas #genre: bodyguards #genre: contemporary romance #genre: military #genre: romantic suspense #rating: five stars

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