Monthly Highlights - June

                                      

I'm not even sure what happened to June. It came by so quickly. I had originally put Monthly Highlights - May, into the draft of this post (and probably wouldn't have realized it if it hadn't been for Camp NaNoWriMo.). 

- I officially signed up for Realm Makers! Eeeee!

- This blog has 58 followers on Google Friend Connect, and combined with email and Bloglovin', I have a little over a hundred, so THANK YOU FOR READING. Seriously, it's astonishing how I can type posts up and people actually read them. *cue the warm and fuzzy feelings*

- School. Is. Finally. Done. This is probably the highlight of the year. So excited for a break so I can get working on all my writing projects. :)

- - -

I read ten books this month. 

Ten books is somewhere between oh-my-goodness-that's-the-world-record-of-books-in-a-month and honestly-you-could-only-manage-one? I haven't decided quite where, though. Onwards to the list:

Moonblood by Anne Elisabeth Stengl: [5/5] This was my third reread of this book, and I enjoyed it as much as the first couple times. It's really fun reading books in this series after the later books and seeing the little moments the author (Anne) references to.

Waterfall by Lisa T. Bergen: [3/5] Time travel in Italy. It sounds cool, but something about it just didn't work for me. I think it was partially the main character - I just couldn't connect with her, and at times the writing felt off. *shrugs* 

                                         

The Selection by Kiera Cass: [4/5] This was basically Cinderella meets Princess Academy meets the story of Esther from the Bible. The writing was done in such a gripping way, that it made it nearly impossible to put down despite the fact that it was more of a romance story than I'm used to.

The Rithmatist by Brandon Sanderson: [5/5] This. Was. Amazing. It had a sort of Harry Potter feel to it, except with chalk. People fought by drawing chalk on the ground. It sounds weird, but... it was awesome.

           

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein: [3/5] Besides some of the novels I've read for school, this is one of the first times I've read a historical novel voluntarily. (I know, I know, it's horrible of me.) I actually really liked it, besides the super depressing ending, all of the language (that docked one star), and the confusion of what was actually happening at the beginning. (Docked another star.)

Son by Lois Lowry: [5/5] I absolutely adored how Lois intertwined all of the previous stories into this one. So awesome. :D

     

A Cast of Stones by Patrick W. Carr: [5/5] A little slow to get into. I really liked the fact that the main character used a staff instead of a sword. It isn't too often in fantasy (at least the books that I've read.) that you see a staff being the main weapon. (I'm not including Gandalf, here. :p)

Cloak of the Light by Chuck Black: [4/5] This book, as well, was a bit slow to get into. There seemed to be a lot more "telling" rather than "showing."

Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld: [5/5] Ooh. So much steampunk. So much amazingness. I really, really, really liked this book. That's all I have to say. xD

Oh! And look! My library copy was signed. I thought that was pretty epic.

Precisely Terminated by Amanda L. Davis: [3/5] There was never a steady cast of secondary characters, and I feel like the challenges repeated themselves throughout the book. *shrugs*

- - -

I got a copy of Out of Darkness Rising in exchange for a review! (This doesn't normally happen, so I'm very rather excited.) 

It's so pretty, too. I could stare at this cover for hours... (Illustrated covers are starting to become my favorite. Anyone else?)

- - -

     

- I basically just babbled along about Camp NaNoWriMo here.

- Heyyyy! I got tagged for the Liebster award. Three times. 

- Do you judge books by their covers? If so, most of you did, so don't feel ashamed.

- AIMEE POSTED THE FIRST CHAPTER OF HER NOVEL, PARIAH. It makes me excited, and you should really go read it.

- One of my favorite authors, Jaye L. Knight, unveiled her new forum! Click on the gorgeous banner to visit it: 

- Cait's bookshelf. There are no words to describe it's awesomeness, so go see it for yourself here.

- My friend, Natasha, started a blog! She actually started it last month, but oh well. You should all go visit her and give her some comment love. :D

- - -

- Katie Grace

Three Word Count Boosting Resources for NaNoWriMo

It's easy to fall behind on your word count. 

Very easy, in fact. NaNoWriMo (or Camp NaNoWriMo) is hard. But the challenge of writing 50,000 words in a month was not made to be easy. It was made to help you write your story.

There's no way anyone else can write your story for you. Only you can do it, and depressing as it sounds, no amount of procrastination will assist you in finishing your novel.

So to help you as Camp approaches, I've compiled a list of resources to help you attack your word goal for the month that are (hopefully!) at least a little bit fun.

- - -

1. Word Wars 

Word Wars have proven to be the single most helpful motivator in getting me to write. 

If you haven't heard of a Word War, it's where two or more writers come together (virtually. :p) and write for a certain set amount of time, the most common being ten, fifteen, or twenty minutes. At the end of the allotted time you compare word counts with each other to see who won the "war." Honestly, it isn't as much as a competition rather than a great motivator, but you can view it either way.

If you don't have writing buddies to war with, never fear! There are places on the internet I've found that supply Word Wars, almost whenever you need them.

|| Pinterest Board  ||

  Follow Mary's board Word Wars on Pinterest.

People will pin pictures asking for a Word War. You'll share your results and work out the times using the comment sections on that pin. If you want to join the board, just comment under one of the pins and someone will add you.

|| @NaNoWordSprints on Twitter ||

 If you're a Twitter person, there's an official account for NaNoWriMo Word Sprints.They only tweet during the NaNo months (April, July, and November), so make sure to take advantage of them while they last!

|| Facebook Word War Group ||

 Though this group is busiest during the NaNoWriMo season, there are over three hundred writers, and usually one of them's bound to war with you. When my friends aren't able to war, this is always the next place I go.

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If you can't find any Word Wars with all three of the options I listed above, send me a message over the Camp NaNoWriMo site! | My profile |  Believe me, I am always in need of a Word War and would love to help you out.

- - -

2. Word Crawls 

Word Crawls have become my new favorite thing.  I'll give a quick rundown on what they are:

A word crawl is a type of word sprint that collects a number of word wars, prompts, and sprints into one challenge. Generally themed, participants are encouraged to complete each portion of the challenge in order. Many of these challenges take the form of a choose your own adventure-style story, giving participants mini-rewards in the form of the progression of the story or punishments for failures. They may also be referred to as pub crawls, a reference to the real life activity of the same name from which the word crawls are derived.
- (Taken from Wikiwrimo )

Some of my favorites are...

|| The Mountain Adventure Crawl ||

|| The Fantasy Crawl ||

This one is awesome and very long -- it'll get you lots of words if you follow it all the way through.

|| Harry Potter Crawl ||

Definitely for the Harry Potter fans out there.

|| Hunger Games Crawl ||

And here's one for the Hunger Games people...

|| Camp Crawl ||

For all you Camp NaNoWriMo Campers.

Those are just a few of the many crawls that are on the NaNoWriMo forum. You can find loads more here: Word Wars, Prompts, Sprints.

- - -

3. Word Sprints

Word Sprints are basically like Word Wars, but instead of racing with a time limit, you /sprint/ to a certain amount of words. (300, 500, etc...) Word Sprints are helpful when you have a certain amount of words left to reach your word count for the day, or there are plenty of instances in the Word Crawls (above) where you'll need to write x amount of words.

Two great websites for this are...

Write or Die | old | new |

Write or die. You can only choose one. 

(Ha, I'm kidding.) 

You'll notice that there are two version of Write or Die, the old, and the new. The old has less capabilities, though I view it as less distracting. The new is a lot more fancy. Both work well, it just depends on your preference.

Write or Die keeps you motivated with consequences. If you don't write anything in a certain amount of seconds (you can change your settings to the level of difficulty you want), flashing red lights, creepy sounds, or even your words disappearing can force you to keep writing instead of staring at the blinking cursor.

You can use Write or Die for setting a word goal, but it also has a timer if you choose to use that for Word Wars.

WriteDeck 

This is geared towards sprint with other writers and racing to a word goal. It's super fun, and for me, the most motivating way to write those words. Who doesn't like a little competition?

If you don't have anyone to sprint with, you can also create an account and sprint against yourself. Percentage bars keep you updated with how far along you are.

Like so.

- - -

This was a long post, but I hope that it was helpful! I wish you luck with Camp -- be prepared for a crazy and awesome month. 

- Katie Grace 

Have you used any of these resources? Are there any other helpful websites that I should know of for Camp? 

AND CAMP IS IN FIVE DAYS. ARE YOU READY?

Warning: Camp NaNoWriMo Approaches

Notice: While today's post is just about Camp NaNoWriMo in general, a list of resources is coming to the blog to help you achieve your Camp NaNoWriMo word goal. Post will come up on the 25th of May! 

Writers, come forth! Take a seat and listen. Whip out those notebooks, grab a few pens, your trusty laptop, and check your pantry to make sure that your supply of coffee is well stocked.

Why?

It is almost that time. 

It is almost time for us to unleash our inner-insane writer selves to this "Camp" we mumble about under our breath. It's almost time for your mind to rotate on but one gear: "Write... Write... Write..."

Be prepared, for your eyes will start straining from the eerie blue glow of the screen, or, if you're writing on paper, you will see nothing but lines and scribbles crossing through your head.

Be ready. Pinterest will become as a distant pleasure. Your word count will hang over your head, your inner editor sneering at the barely legible sentences you will furiously write. Most of the time, at least for me, it turns out something like this:

This is what happens when you try to reach your word count quickly.

People may ask you what your summer plans are. You'll smile and say, "Camp... ah, NaNoWriMo." They'll nod their heads in response and talk about how they loved summer camps when they were a young child.

Little do they know that this camp is anything but normal.

Instead of swimming in lakes, you'll be swimming in plot holes, plot problems, and scenes that beg to be written.

Counselors do not wake you from your bed in the morning. If you even got any sleep, the cause for rising is from the cries of your cabin mates, preparing for Word Wars, or your characters babbling inside your head.

We put things like this on our doors.

Coffee is always on the menu. The cafeteria is not filled with different assortments of sandwiches or hamburgers, instead you file through the line with a notebook and a pen at hand, snatching up different personalities and goals for the protagonist. (*cough* That's really how cliched stereotypes are made. A whole batch of them gets cooked up, and we writers have nothing else to choose from.)

But we're all here for a purpose. All of the campers alike are here for a single reason: To write their story that needs to be told.

The stories, with absolutely no doubt, will not be perfect in their first draft. It is seemingly impossible. Typos, grammar inconsistencies, and stubborn scenes will litter your manuscript.

It will take hours on hours to edit it all. It will take countless amounts of energy and sleepless nights. It is no easy task to write a novel.

I'm being so horribly depressing, so I will refer back to my point: "We all have a story that needs to be told."

Write that story. There's a reason it came to your mind, whether God gave it to your or it's just your genius brain doing it's job. You can edit  later. You can rewrite later. There will be time to correct those millions of mistakes.

 Just. Write.

- - -

After reading what I wrote above (I applaud you for sticking around this far. *hands over chocolate*), you may either be completely excited, or completely confused.

Don't worry if you are one of the latter; I was there once, too. If you want to know more about this mysterious "Camp NaNoWriMo," (it's only mysterious because it exists on the internet) you can visit their website, or this blog post explains it rather well.

At Camp this year, I'm not ...actually... writing... I'm still going to Camp, but instead I'll be editing. 

... I know. How delightfully fun, right? *sarcasm* But if I ever want to get published, editing is a necessity. So I will edit. Maybe not with copious amounts of smiles and joy, but I will get it done.

I hope to see you at Camp!

- Katie Grace

What are you writing for camp this year? Or are you *gasp* editing? I want to hear allllll about your projects and word counts and goals and such!

Top Ten Tuesday - Anticipated Releases of 2015

This weeks Top Ten Tuesday prompt is fun. Ready for it?

Top Ten Most Anticipated Releases For the Rest of 2015 

I love releases. As soon as I hear the release date of a long-awaited book, I'll start a countdown for it. Yes. I'm one of those people. Can you imagine the celebration when said book actually comes out?

Though despite the awesomeness of it, (come on, new books!) I could only come up with five. I know, it's pitiful. So you're going to have to help me out and name some books that I SHOULD be excited about!

Here's my list of upcoming releases that I'm beyond excited about: (Pictures lead to Goodreads)

Samara's Peril

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Release Date: November, tentatively.

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When an imminent threat rises against the country of Samara, those in Landale must face two desperate struggles--one on the walls of Samara's might stronghold and the other on the battlefield of Jace's heart, where victory might only be achievable through great sacrifice.

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Poison Crown: The Smallman's Heir

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Release Date: Autumn sometime.

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A princess gone mad.
A queen obsessed. 
A kingdom succumbing to poison.

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A Time to Speak

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Release Date: This fall.

 - 

No back cover blurb yet.

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Five Enchanted Roses

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Release Date: July 27th.

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A ship bearing the souls of sinful sailors drifts upon a ghostly sea. An abbey looms as the final defense between mortals and ghouls of the underworld. In the stillness of a throne room, statues stand forever frozen in a moment of terror. Monsters and men stalk their prey deep in the jungle’s shadows. A rose blooms in the dead of winter, sheltered in the ruins of an ancient Scottish castle.

And only true love can free the Beast from his prison.

-

Knife

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Release date: July 21st. 

- 

Forget everything you think you know about faeries. . . . Creatures full of magic and whimsy? Not in the Oakenwyld. Not anymore. Deep inside the great Oak lies a dying faery realm, bursting with secrets instead of magic. Long ago the faeries mysteriously lost their magic. Robbed of their powers, they have become selfish and dull–witted. Now their numbers are dwindling and their very survival is at stake. Only one young faery–Knife–is determined to find out where her people's magic has gone and try to get it back. Unlike her sisters, Knife is fierce and independent. She's not afraid of anything–not the vicious crows, the strict Faery Queen, or the fascinating humans living nearby. But when Knife disobeys the Faery Queen and befriends a human named Paul, her quest becomes more dangerous than she realizes. Knife is a gripping tale of lost magic, high adventure, and surprising friendship in which the fate of an entire realm rests on the shoulders of one brave faery rebel.

-

Katie Grace

This post was a bit on the shorter end, so instead let's start some discussion in the comments. Are you looking forward to any of these books?What books are you looking forward to in the upcoming year?Are there any upcoming releases I should be excited about?!

Do YOU Judge Books By Their Covers?

You know how the saying goes.

Don't judge a book by it's cover. 

I've gone along with this saying for most of my life without giving it any thought. Sure, it makes sense. Who cares what the outside looks like? My favorite book would be just as fabulous if it was hardbound in a plain black binding.

A couple days ago I had a discussion with a friend about book covers. She said, "I want to be proud of the cover on my book -- happy to show it to people, you know, instead of "Hey, here's my book. Ignore the cover...I promise the content is much better!"

I totally and one hundred percent agree. When I'm an author someday (At least I can hope that I'll be, right?) a professional looking cover is extremely important. People these days are visual. Pinterest is all about images. Basically the only way to catch people's attention is to have an eye catching book cover.

Or maybe you're browsing shelves in the library. The first things that catch me about the book is the title, and then the cover. (Of course I read the blurb, too, but you always have to see the cover first.) Those are the reasons you pick up the book and check them out. 

I'm reading Messenger right now by Lois Lowry. When I first checked it out of the library, I was a bit confused. 

What is actually on the cover? Sure, there are hands, but what is behind them? Is it supposed to be a person? Is that a head? Or a forest?

The cover certainly raises questions, but not necessarily in the best way.

Between the Messenger and the conversation with my friend, it all got me thinking and led me back to the question I asked in the first place. 

Do you judge books by their
covers?

I have come to a conclusion. 

I, quietly but shamelessly, judge books by their covers. 

BUT... 

That does not mean I'll put the book aside and forever refuse to read it. (Unless it's an inappropriate cover. But anyways.) Covers do not shy me away from books; they just don't please the visual and creative part of my mind. I'll still read the book. I'll still recommend it. But a cover is a hard thing to avoid. I will automatically assume an opinion of the story. 

I do, unfortunately, judge books by their covers.

- Katie Grace

Do YOU judge books by their covers? Or are you able to ignore the picture on the front? Do you have a favorite cover?

Liebster Award - TIMES THREE!

Greetings. *salutes* 
I have been nominated by not one, not two, but three different bloggers for the Liebster award.

Those these award don't tend to be the most original type of post, I actually really enjoy reading posts like these and being able to discover unique facts about the bloggers behind the blogs I'm following. 

I got nominated by Bailey, Alea, and Victoria for this award. Thank you so much! 

Rules: 

1. Thank the person who nominated you and link to their blog.
2. Answer the 11 questions from the blog who nominated you.
3. Nominate 11 bloggers to receive this award.
4. Come up with 11 questions for your nominees!

- - -

 || Below are Victoria's questions. ||

1. If you could read only three books for the rest of your life (besides the Bible), what would they be?
... Fantastic. It's this type of question. *groans* I'm going to completely cheat, and name my three favorite series. (I know. I'm such a rebel. xD) They would be: The Ilyon Chronicles by Jaye L. Knight, The Tales of Goldstone Woods by Anne Elisabeth Stengl, and Out of Time Series by Nadine Brandes. 

2. Would you rather go skiing or surfing?
Ooh. I want to try surfing. I think I'd be horrible at it, though. xD

3. Hypothetical situation: an evil dictator rose up and suddenly made a law that everyone has to paint their bedroom a different color from what is it. What color would you paint yours?
You know, thank you for asking this question, Victoria. Because just in case it ever does happen, I'll know what color to paint it. Right now it's a blue (which is my favorite color). I'd probably paint it a cream or a white so I could put some pictures and decorations on the walls. 

4. What is a foreign language you don’t know how to speak that you really want to learn to?
Elvish. (It's a foreign language, right?) And I'm actually learning Sindarin with a friend right now, so hopefully I'll be able to actually speak it in the future. :D

5. Do you find reading or watching a movie more relaxing?
I find both of them relaxing. I think watching a movie is more mindless, so in that sense it's more relaxing, but I like reading more. (Does that make sense?)

6. Why did you start blogging, and what is the purpose of your blog?
I wanted a place to ramble, create discussions, and share advice that I personally learned through my time as a beginning writer. The purpose was to provide enjoyable posts, helpful tips, and start to build up a blogging platform for when I'm (Lord willing) published someday. And since I sit at home for most of the week, it's a place for my extroverted self to run free. xD

7. Hypothetical situation: you’re walking down the street, and see your favorite author/actor/singer/celebrity/famous person sitting at a table in a cafe. What do you do?
Well. 
*favorite authors, take note* 
Ha. I'd probably wouldn't freak out very much unless it was one of my favorite authors. I'm not much a celebrity/famous person/singer freak, though if I recognized them I'd probably ask for a picture.
Buuut, if they were one of my favoritest authors, I would freak out. If I had time in advance to prepare myself, I wouldn't freak out as much on the outside, though believe me, I would be freaking out on the inside. xD 
If I was with my mom in the cafe, I'd drag her along for support, and then grin like a fool. Hopefully I'd have the brain to ask for a picture or something to remember the occasion by.

8. Would you prefer to be asked biology terms or American history trivia?
Noooo. Not biology.
I suppose that leaves American history, then.

9. What is your favorite type of tea to drink?
I'm going to be super boring here.
I don't drink tea. I might if my family did, but they don't, so there's no reason to buy tea. Maybe someday, though, and then I shall hope to remember to come and update this post. :p

10. What do you think is most essential for a good book to have?
A plot might be a good thing to have. Or an author. Both would work out quite nicely.
Heh. Truthfully speaking now, a good book has to have a likeable character. It has to have a character with clear motives, and a reason to make me say, "Yes! I want you to win and not the bad guy/villain/evil masterlord."

11. What are some nonfiction books you’ve read that you really like?
I remember reading Kisses for Katie and really enjoying it. Otherwise my mom just got the book Soul Surfer which I'm excited to read eventually.

Thank you for the questions, Victoria! You came up with some awesome ones. 

- - -

|| Next are Bailey's questions ||

1. Do you have any secret talents/skills?

I once ate a whole pizza all by myself. 

2. Why/when did you decide to start a blog?

I partially answered that question above, but I first started my blog at the end of August. I've been blogging for a little over nine months now. (It's amazing how time flies.)

3. Have you ever met anyone famous?

Hm. 

I don't think so. I've been to a local music concert with some famous Christian singers, (Matthew West, TobyMac, Mercy Me, Tenth Avenue North...) but I have never actually met any of them. 

4. Is there a skill that you have always wanted to learn?

I've always wanted to draw very well, especially digitally. I love making cover designs for fun, and it would be simply amazing to be able to make my own covers as well for other people.

5. Are there any fun/interesting traditions that you have with your family/friends?

Every year, the whole extended side of my dad's family travels to a resort up north, rents out nearly the whole place, and parties relaxes the whole week. One of the special traditions we have is a Yahtzee tournament with about 25 people. It's really awesome. I won two years ago. :D

6. Any pet peeves?

I can't stand having dry skin. I put lotion on constantly. :p

7. Can you touch your tongue to your nose?

*tries it* 

Nope. Still can't. 

8. What is the craziest thing you have ever done?

Probably the time where I wrote 50,000 words in two weeks...

9. Have you ever traveled anywhere amazing? Or, where in the world would you like to visit someday?

Last fall I went to the Grand Canyon. That was... amazing. The views were so pretty. I really wish I had brought my computer along to write -- that would've been epic. 

10. If you had to choose, what are your top 4 favorite books? (I know it can be so difficult to choose just one.)

It's even more difficult to choose four, I think. xD 

Can I cheat again? I'm going to name my top four favorite authors this time. Nadine Brandes, Jaye L. Knight, Anne Elisabeth Stengl, and Andrew Peterson.

11. What is something that makes you happy?

Blogging, writing, my friends, family, Church, reading, pizza... That was not something. That was somethings. Oops.

- - -

|| Lastly, here are Alea's questions! ||

1. Why did you name your blog what you did?

I cannot take credit for the title of this blog. My wonderful friend, Athelas, actually came up for the title. 
But I like the name because it: 

1. It says I'm a writer. 
2. It says I'm a Christian. 
3. My first novel that I wrote was titled Faith.

2. Do you have a posting schedule?

Nope. 
I probably should, though. For the summer I'm planning to post once a week, so you won't get any more 20 day hiatuses. 

3. Do you like pizza?

Is this even a question?

4. What is your favorite book (or book series)?

Wow.
You people love to torture me with trying to pick my favorite books.
I'll have to say the Ilyon Chronicles, just since it has been so fun to follow the series since it was first born.

5. Have you ever fangirled about your own writing?

I've been rather proud of certain snippets or sections, but I can't say I've fangirled. 
...Yet. xD

6. Are you on Pinterest?

I'm a writer. Of course I'm on Pinterest. I mean, how else would I procrastinate?
(You can find me here!)

7. Do you play a musical instrument?  If so, what do you play?

Yes! I play two, actually. I've been playing the piano for nine years, and just started learning guitar last week. 
Help my fingers -- I think they're dying from the pain. (Not really in case you're worrying. I'm just being dramatic.)

8. What kind of music do you like?

Christian. I mostly listen to instrumentals now for my writing, though. :p I love Brunuhville, and then listen to all sorts of music with soundfuel for writing.

9. Have you ever tried a tutorial from the Internet and had it backfire or not work?  (If so please share the story!)

Not yet! (Which I'm very thankful for.) I've tried a few tutorials and they've all worked out so far. 
But if I fail someday, I'll have to edit it back into this post. (Along with the tea. xD)

10. Do you like to swim?

Not exactly.
I'm not much of a water person. There are a few occasions where I enjoy getting into the water, but most of the time I'd rather write and read and blog.

11. If any fictional character could be your best friend, who would it be?

Do you know how hard this question was? I think, maybe, Rose Red from The Tales of Goldstone Woods. She's amazingly strong (both mentally and physically) for her age, and keeps an amazing attitude despite the circumstances she's in. I really admire her as a character.
That's only one of the characters from the long list I could choose from. Seriously, there are so many awesome characters out there. 

- - -

The questions for my nominees are below. I stole a few questions from the ones I got asked, just since I thought they were so wonderful. :)

My Questions: 

- Why do you write?

- If any fictional character could be your best friend, who would it be?

- What's one really weird dream you've had?

- If you found a portal that could transport you to any fictional world of your choice, where would you go?

- Paperback or Kindle? Why?

- What's one post you've written that you're most proud of? 

- What's an interesting quirk that you have?

- Can you share a picture of your bookshelf? (More commonly known as: a #shelfie.)

- What are three things on your bucketlist? Or do you even have a bucketlist?

- How old were you when you started writing?

- Share the last sentence of your WIP with us!

I tag...

|| Aimee || Ana || Ally || Emily || Ghost Ryter || Sarah || Rcubed || Mickayla || Shantelle || Audrey || Natasha || Morgan ||

Don't feel like you have to do it -- I'm just throwing it out there for whoever wants to. :)

- Katie Grace

Well. Time for some questions. What would you do if you saw your favorite author sitting in a cafe? And which fictional character would you choose to be your best friend?