Enduring Justice by Amy Wallace

Enduring Justice is the third book in the Defenders of Hope series by Amy Wallace. This installment of the series focuses on Hannah Kessler and a dark secret that she has kept to herself since she was a small child. However, the secret is brought to her attention when it connects to a white supremacist who is set free due to a small mistake by her on-again, off-again boyfriend, FBI agent Michael Parker. This thrilling story forces Michael and Hannah to learn the difference between revenge and justice. If you enjoy the crime shows or novels that are everywhere these days, you will definitely enjoy this book!

Purchase the Book Here!

Author Bio: Amy Wallace is the author of Ransomed Dreams and Healing Promises, a homeschool mom, and self-confessed chocoholic. She is a graduate of the Gwinnett County Citizens Police Academy and a contributing author of several books including God Answers Moms’ Prayers and Chicken Soup for the Soul Healthy Living Series: Diabetes. She lives with her husband and three children in Georgia .

vampires in literature

this is another thing i wrote for my eng 112 course. we had to write a 7-page research paper (ick!) but we got to pick the topic that we wrote on. i am one of the millions of fans of twilight so i decided to research how literature has changed the image of vampires as well as our interest in them. enjoy (by the way i have no idea what the giant paragraph of letters below this is. but when i took it out it screwed up my post so i guess i just have to leave it there…)

<!– /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:”"; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:”Times New Roman”; mso-fareast-font-family:”Times New Roman”;} h1 {margin-right:0in; mso-margin-top-alt:auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto; margin-left:0in; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; mso-outline-level:1; font-size:24.0pt; font-family:”Times New Roman”; mso-font-kerning:18.0pt; font-weight:bold;} p.MsoHeader, li.MsoHeader, div.MsoHeader {margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; tab-stops:center 3.0in right 6.0in; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:”Times New Roman”; mso-fareast-font-family:”Times New Roman”;} p.MsoFooter, li.MsoFooter, div.MsoFooter {margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; tab-stops:center 3.0in right 6.0in; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:”Times New Roman”; mso-fareast-font-family:”Times New Roman”;} p.MsoBodyTextIndent, li.MsoBodyTextIndent, div.MsoBodyTextIndent {margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-indent:.5in; line-height:200%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:”Times New Roman”; mso-fareast-font-family:”Times New Roman”;} a:link, span.MsoHyperlink {color:blue; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed {color:purple; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} p {margin-right:0in; mso-margin-top-alt:auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto; margin-left:0in; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:”Times New Roman”; mso-fareast-font-family:”Times New Roman”;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:.75in 63.0pt .5in 63.0pt; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-page-numbers-chapter-style:header-1; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} –>

The word vampire is defined as “a preternatural being, commonly believed to be a reanimated corpse, that is said to suck the blood of sleeping persons at night” (http://dictionary.reference.com/dic?qsrc=2888&q=vampire&search=search). Literature has redefined the idea of a vampire and has made them more interesting and popular than any other supernatural creature. I have tried to discover how much literature has defined the vampire image and why we have such a huge fascination with vampires through this paper.

Our interest in vampires has existed for thousands of years and the beginning of the myths about them could never be pinned to any one culture, since each has their own folklore about vampires and their origins. However, the beginning of the vampire genre of novels and short stories can be narrowed down to the nineteenth century when John William Polidori wrote The Vampyre. It was one of the first novels, and what is believed to be the first in English, about vampires. According to several different sources, he attended a party where Mary Shelley was one of the guests. They read a collection of horror stories and the host encouraged each guest to write a ghost story. Shelley wrote a story that became the classic novel, Frankenstein, and Polidori created a tale that became the basic plot for The Vampyre, which was published in 1819. Later that century, in 1897, Bram Stoker published his famous novel, Dracula, and the vampire fascination became even more popular.

Roxanne Rhoads, one of the writers on the website, associatedcontent.com, wrote an article called The Erotic Vampire: How Literature Has Changed the Image of Vampires. In it, she discusses why she believes that vampires in the 1800s were more romanticized than any other time before. “…They were the sensual, dark and erotic creatures that… indulged their needs and desires without the constraints and boundaries of humanity such as moral, religious and societal rules and restraints” (Rhoads). Basically, she believes that authors used vampires to escape the normal standards of that repressive time. The idea of a vampire became even more appealing as our standards lowered with time. “How perfect {for our modern times}, a creature that is immortal, retaining youth and beauty forever, forever able to indulge in dark desires…” (Rhoads).

Since the first vampire novels were published, the vampire has been dramatically changed. In original legends, vampires were described as ugly, bloated, and darkly-colored creatures, but as time went on literature changed their image to something much more seductive and bewitching. Vampires are now described as the most beautiful “people” on earth, often with pale skin and dark eyes. They generally use their beauty to help lure humans to them. They are usually said to have heightened senses, especially the sense of smell, so that they can easily track their prey. Some even have extra supernatural abilities, such as mind reading, telling the future, or flying.

Different novels about vampires often tell of different ways that vampires can be “born.” The most popular way that writers describe creating a vampire is sometimes called the “embrace.” A vampire bites the victim and before he or she completely dies of blood loss, the vampire who bit them gives some of his or her blood to the victim. The victim then “dies” but lives of off blood for the rest of his or her eternal life. Another way a vampire can be created, which is described in the Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer, is simply by the vampire biting the victim. In Meyer’s version, the vampires all have venomous fangs and the venom is what creates the new vampire. The only way a vampire is not created is if the victim is completely drained of blood. In both of these versions of vampire creation, the victim is harmed by a bite from a vampire and will eventually die if not created into a vampire. However, in other vampire fiction, the victim is not harmed at all by the bite of a vampire. In the Vampire Beach series by Alex Duval, for example, the vampires must feed on human blood to stay alive, so they often have large parties with humans. The victim isn’t harmed and doesn’t remember much of anything but the feeling of being drunk. “He remembered the ecstasy he’d felt while dancing with her… he’d been beyond happy during their make-out session” (Duval 130). In these novels, the only way for a human to become a vampire is either from their parents or by feeding on a vampire as the vampire feeds on them.

Vampires’ behavior and diet are also described differently in different novels. Almost all vampires are strong and beautiful, but are usually intimidating. Some vampires are like this all the time and others can become more normal when they want to be. Some sleep in coffins while others cannot sleep at all. Most vampires are harmed by sunlight but more modern vampire novelists have changed these stereotypes. In the Twilight series, the vampires are not harmed by the sunlight but instead sparkle like there are diamonds implanted into their skin. In the Vampire Beach series, the vampires have simply adapted and are no longer affected by the sun.

Most vampires are said to be immortal, only having a few ways to die, and others simply age slower than humans. Since vampires are often extremely strong, they can easily kill humans but it is quite difficult to kill them. As mentioned earlier, the sun can kill some vampires. Most modern vampire tales mock the legends saying that crosses and garlic kill them, but older stories often use these as ways that mortals can fight the vampires off. In the Twilight series, a vampire must be dismembered and then burned because otherwise the limbs will attempt to piece themselves back together again. In the Vampire Chronicles, drinking dead blood can kill a vampire, but the vampire in the series that does this comes back to “life” by drinking the blood of animals in the swamp where he was dumped. When a vampire in almost any story is weak, drinking of some kind of blood generally makes them strong again.

The main similarity between vampires in literature is that they all must feed off of some kind of blood to survive. However, they can often drink human blood or the blood of animals. Some vampires feel remorse over having to kill humans and choose to drink animal blood. Other vampires, as in the Vampire Chronicles by Anne Rice and the Twilight series, often look down upon this practice. Most vampires are very full of themselves, and some even think of themselves as gods and that humans are simply there for their entertainment and nourishment. Others however, view themselves as monsters and try to kill themselves, which brings me to another difference in vampire literature.

Another very common characteristic among vampire literature is the secretive part of a vampiric lifestyle. In some novels, there are covenants that a vampire must follow and in others it is just common knowledge, but in just about any vampire book that you read, the vampire must keep his lifestyle a secret. Not only does it make it easier for the vampire to find a victim, but it also makes him seem mysterious and interesting, which is the kind of character an author often wants in a novel. It also makes for an interesting plotline when a vampire tells a human about his or her self because there is almost always some kind of council of vampires that makes sure that nobody tells their secret. In Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight series, she describes a family in Italy that governs over all vampires. “‘The Volturi are a… very old, very powerful family of our kind. They are the closest thing our world has to a royal family’” (Meyer 19).

Compassion is one side of literary vampires that is not seen too often. The majority of them use their amazing looks and natural charm to lure in their victims, but it is somewhat rare for an author to describe a vampire that loves someone other than his or her self. Interview with a Vampire is a modern novel that shows the kinder side of a vampire. In it, the narrator, Louis feeds off a young girl and his companion turns her into a vampire “daughter,” named Claudia, for them. Louis was intending to leave his companion but he immediately feels a strong paternal love for the girl. He stays with Claudia through all of their adventures and is completely devastated when she is later killed. Louis is quite obviously the type of vampire who feels bad about drinking the blood of humans.

In the Twilight series, another book following a “vegetarian vampire,” author Stephenie Meyer brings to light the romantic side of these “monsters.” Her main character, Bella, falls in love with a vampire named Edward and their relationship is constantly affected by the fact that he has a thirst for her blood that may be even more powerful than his love for her. Meyer perfectly describes the love that they feel for each other despite being from two completely different worlds.

Not only have vampires been changed through literature, but they are also described in a variety of ways in horror films and television shows, several of which are originally based off of vampire novels. Bram Stoker’s Dracula, has inspired more movies and other forms of entertainment than anyone could recall. Another early vampire novel, Carmilla by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu, has created or been referenced in several movies, songs, comics, and video games. More recently, Interview with a Vampire and Queen of the Damned, both a part of the Vampire Chronicles series by Anne Rice, were turned into very successful movies. Teenage girls stood in line for hours to go see the movie Twilight, based on the book of the same name. It made $70.6 million just in its opening weekend and Summit Entertainment is already shooting the sequel, New Moon, which is set to release this fall (http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/b70259_twilight_sucks_in_fanggirls_

706_mil.html).

Vampires are often associated with horror but they have also spawned many comical films and books. Buffy the Vampire Slayer was a hilarious movie about a teenage girl who becomes the next vampire slayer. The movie spawned a television series of the same name as well. MaryJanice Davidson has written a hilarious vampire book series known as the Undead series, about Betsy the reluctant vampire queen and many other authors choose to look at the humorous side of vampires rather than the frightening side.

So why is society still fascinated with vampires, when their stories have been told for so many years? Is it because they seem more realistic than the other monsters in horror stories? Cheryl Brodgesell, a lover of vampire novels and a writer on the website, Associated Content, expressed her opinion in her article, Why are Vampire Stories So Popular? “Our fascination stems from more of an ‘if only it could be real’ sort of fantasy rather than an actual belief in vampires” (Brodgesell). I personally agree with this, but some people have gotten so carried away with vampire folklore that they truly believe that they are vampires. You can find online “vampire support groups” for people who drink blood and sleep in coffins. While I find tales of vampires to be extremely interesting and thought provoking, I cannot imagine actually believing in vampires.

Even though vampires do not exist, it is true that they are the mythical creatures that are most similar to human beings. Vampires were once humans as well, so even if they do not feel emotions anymore, they can at least identify with them. While a few stories tell of vampires turning into animals like bats, wolves, or cats, most stories describe a vampire to simply appear to be an extremely good-looking human. Vampires are just about the only “monster” that someone could find attractive or appealing.

Perhaps society is interested in vampires because they seem so mysterious. This quote is from Chrissy Gottberg’s article Why a Fascination with Vampires, which appears on the website, Associated Content. “The lust that they portray… the woman gladly greeting the vampire’s lips with her own, then bending her head to the side so he can bite the tender flesh of her neck. What a marvelous image that seems, enticing us, and repelling us at the same time” (Gottberg). We read about fantastically beautiful creatures that can live forever and we wish that we could meet them. But at the same time, we are scared to death of this idea of someone who thirsts for our blood.

Maybe society is so fascinated with vampires because they can never get sick and it is almost impossible for them to die. People are so desperate for eternal youth that I think that quite a few people would give up everything just to stay young forever. While many novels glamorize the life of a vampire, most at least touch on the loneliness of living for eternity and the pain of losing your loved ones that may or may not be vampires. Still, other horror stories tell tales of scary monsters who have nothing and are nothing. But vampires seem to have everything we could ever want or need. They have beauty, wealth, and what every mortal desires: eternal life. I think we are so interested in vampires because they possess what we cannot have.

In conclusion, literature has shaped the idea of the vampire more than any other media source. They were changed from disgusting creatures that nobody wanted anything to do with into the most gorgeous people on the planet that every human swoons over. Though they may possess very different characteristics, behavior, and diets, they all have a similar motive. Feeding off of blood, whether it is from a human or an animal, and the difficulties that go along with it, is the common theme in vampire literature. Novels can use a scary, romantic or even humorous tale to share this idea with the world.

While literature has been the main source of change for vampires, films and television have also played an important role in the vampire’s metamorphosis from undesirable to charming. Whether they are funny, horrific, or romantic, movies about vampires have continually done well in the box office and television shows featuring them often get high ratings. The second purpose of my paper was to discover why this is.

Our fascination with vampires stems from the fact that they have what we can only dream of, eternal life. Possessing that means you will appear youthful forever and will have more money than you could ever need. Another reason for our interest in vampires is their mysterious nature. We can be intrigued by their beauty in one moment and terrified of their need for our blood in the next. We also feel a strong connection to vampires since they are the only supernatural creatures that are usually in human form. They were once human, so they should be able to at least understand our emotions, even if they do not feel them anymore. This quote by Megan Oakley, contributor to the online magazine, Suite 101, summarizes my opinion on our interest in vampires very well in her article, The History of Vampires: A Cross-Cultural Phenomenon and Dracula’s Legacy. “So, why the fascination with the tales of Lestat, Edward and Bella, and Selene? Perhaps it is because the vampire represents the summation of collective human fears: a being, lurking in the shadows, which looks human but can take a life in moments, while offering the seductive promise of everlasting life, the ultimate goal of individuals everywhere” (Oakley).

august baby!

i found this online once and when i read through it i realized that it fits me perfectly. can people really tell what your personality is like from your birth month?

I’m an August baby! Outgoing personality. Takes risks. Feeds on attention. No self control. Kind Hearted. Self confident. Loud and boisterous. Easy to get along with and talk to, has an “everything’s peachy” attitude. Likes talking and singing. Loves music. Daydreamer. Easily distracted. Hates not being trusted. BIG imagination. Loves to be loved. Hates studying. In need of “that someone.” Longs for freedom. Rebellious when withheld or restricted. Stubborn. Curious. Independent. Strong willed. A fighter.

“outgoing personality.” ask anyone who knows me and they’ll tell you. i talk a lot! i try to make friends or at least be nice to the people around me and i don’t understand how people (but girls especially) can be so catty and rude to people in their classes or grades. you have to be around these people for at least another year so you should try to at least put up with them.

“loves music.” all you have to do is read my post about pandora.com to realize that this one is VERY true.

“hates not being trusted.” this is a big one for me. i always try not to tell someones secrets when they tell me one so i don’t understand why people don’t trust me. maybe because i talk all the time. this goes along with my fear of rejection and it’s something that i have vowed to work on. as much i don’t like being turned away, life is full of it so i’d better get at least somewhat used to the idea.

“in need of  ‘that someone.’” having the need to have a boyfriend all the time. yet another thing that i am trying to work on. i can’t wait to grow up and get married and have kids. it is the thing i want most in life. you won’t hear many teenagers say it but if i could (and i had the right guy) i would get married right now. i just need to trust God to bring my perfect guy to me. and i need to remember that it’s on his timing not mine.

“independent.” this was the only description that i did not completely agree with. as much as i can’t wait to move out and start my life outside of my tiny little town, i will admit i’m a little scared of it. i depend on people a lot but i really am making an effort to become somewhat more independent.

“a fighter.” it makes me sound like some warrior against everything bad in the world. but i’m not. i get scared of stupid things like horror movies and the dark. but i do fight for what i believe in.

sick of being sick

i hate being sick don’t you? the kind of sick where you can’t go up or down the stairs without being exhausted from the effort.  i was sick for a whole week but i didn’t go to the doctor until four days into my illness. it started last monday and just kept getting worse. thank goodness that we had snow days on wednesday and friday and two hour delays on tuesday and thursday. otherwise i don’t know if i could’ve gone to school at all. i realized by not going to the doctor for so long that i am a very stubborn person. i tried to fix the problem all by myself.. well, with the help of some different medicines. but, none of them worked (except ny-quil! ny-quil induced sleeps are my favorite). but no matter what i tried they just weren’t working. fortunately the doctor prescribed some medication on friday and by sunday night i was pretty much just as good as new. but i learned i should probably leave some things to the professionals to fix instead of just taking it into my own hands.

three things i dont get about boys

I wrote this for my ENG 112 course. I’ll probably be posting more stuff that I write for it soon. Feel free to comment

Boys. “Can’t live with them, can’t live without them,” so the old saying goes. I couldn’t agree more. Boys are sweaty, gross, rude, insane, but they are also gorgeous, sweet, loving. And of course they are kind of necessary for survival of the human race. But why do they have to be so different from girls?
The main thing I don’t get about guys is why they can’t just tell you straight up how they feel. I know girls are often round-a-bout in the way that they tell you things but most boys won’t even tell things at all. Life would be so much easier if a guy would tell you as soon as the issue was raised, whether or not he is actually going to date you or not. He doesn’t have to ask you out on the spot or even in the near future, but he should at least let you know whether or not to abandon all hope.
Another thing that guys do that I don’t understand is when they feel the need to do things that are “manly.” The stereotypical male never asks for directions, never actually listens to their wife/girlfriend, always forgets anniversaries and birthdays, and never ever cries, at least not in front of anyone else. A man who listens, remembers important things and is sensitive is a woman’s dream guy. If a man were to do almost exactly the opposite of what is expected of him, women would be beating down his door for a date.
One of the other things that I don’t understand about men is how they don’t pick up on what women want them to do. When a girl says “I’m so ugly,” she wants her boyfriend to tell her that she is the most beautiful person on earth. When a woman says “Oh never mind, it’s not important,” nothing could be more important. Even though some of these signals are hard to pick up on, you would think that eventually a man would begin to remember them. Unfortunately, most men don’t have attention spans that are long enough.

Only Nuns Change Habits Overnight

Flipping through the table of contents of Only Nuns Change Habits Overnight, and seeing chapter titles like, What if the Hokey Pokey Really is What its all About and Humor Required, Sanity Optional, you can tell that it is not going to be your average self-help book. Author, Karen Scalf Linaman, provides multiple hilarious anecdotes about her attempts and successes in changing her life for the better. While I don’t normally enjoy self-help books, Linaman’s comical writing style left me wanting to read more and more. Most chapters start out with a story from Linaman’s life and she refers back to it for most of that chapter while revealing some of her “52 Ways to Master the Art of Personal Change.” Then, at the end of each chapter, she includes questions and bible verses to reflect on either in a group or on your own. In my opinion, Linaman provides everything you need to make a change for the better in your life. You just need to use the motivational tools in the book to accomplish the change in your life. Also, if you find that you’ve enjoyed Only Nuns Change Habit Overnight, Linaman has written several other books that you could look for including, I’m Not Suffering from Insanity…I’m Enjoying Every Minute of It and Due to Rising Energy Costs, the Light at the End of the Tunnel Has Been Turned Off.
This book is available here.

Author Bio:

Karen Linamen is a popular speaker and the celebrated author of ten books for women, including Due to Rising Energy Costs the Light at the End of the Tunnel Has Been Turned Off and Just Hand Over the Chocolate and No One Will Get Hurt. She has been featured on more than one hundred radio programs, including FamilyLife Today. Publishers Weekly describes her as “funny, forthright and unforgettable.” Linamen lives with her family in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Visit her website at www.karenlinamen.com.

music-aholics UNITE!

okay, i’ll admit it. i’m a music-aholic. i’m a huge band geek and love to make music as well as listen to it. i won’t drive or ride in the car without a CD in or the radio on. i have multiple CDs of the most random types of music you could imagine. my mp3 player is full and i can’t bear to delete any of my songs to add more. i constantly force my friends to make me new CDs. whether it’s techno, rap, pop, rock, classics, or my personal favorite, 80s music, i always want to listen to it. i can’t get enough of my music.

i’ve found a place for my fellow music-aholics. it’s called pandora.com. if you live under a rock (or without the internet), i’ll fill you in. you go to the website and make an account with just your email (don’t you hate when websites have you fill in every detail of your life to make an account through them). then you’re ready for the fun part. you have the ability to make a different station for all of your favorite types of music. you simply type in an artist or song and the website uses amazing technology to create your own personalized radio station with (gasp) no commercials! and that’s only the beginning of the pluses. if you make a station based off of a song it won’t play the song right away, instead playing similar ones, usually by the same artist. if they play a song you don’t like then just click the “thumbs down” button and they will never play it again. if you like it, click the “thumbs up” button and it will play it the next time you log in. you can even add songs from one station to another.

i have found very few disadvantages to pandora so far. one negative is that their music licenses make them limit the number of songs that you can skip each hour. of course if you really feel the need to hear a different song, then you can just create another station based on another song. another bad thing would be that you can’t choose the order that the songs play in. of course this is coming from the girl who will listen to a song on repeat for an hour, so maybe the forced changing of songs is a good thing.

this has expanded my favorite song list in crazy ways. i find myself clicking the “thumbs up” button a whole lot more than the “thumbs down” button since the technology pretty much insures that you will be hearing songs like the one that the station is created for. it’s so much better than the normal radio since you can pause, delete, and skip the songs that you are listening to. pandora really has satisfied my craving for more new music.

anticlimactic ordeals

have you ever been scared to death to do something for fear or hurting yourself or someone else? and when it actually occurs and the conflict is resolved, either for better or worse, then nothing really happens. your life goes on. you expect everyone to rush up with either congratulations or consolation but it doesnt happen. you just have to go on dealing with school or work or life in general. its so… anticlimactic. you spend hours rehearsing how you’re going to deal with this ordeal, then it comes and goes without a second glance.

i’m not sure how to deal with such an occurence besides just moving on.

Hello world!

so i’ve always wondered what the big deal is about blogging. is it because you want everyone to read about your life? or so you can keep your friends updated on what’s going on? or maybe you’re doing it for yourself. maybe it’s to be used as a journal for thoughts and prayers. or maybe it can be the diary you never kept as a kid (yep i was one of those kids who begged for a notebook to write in, wrote in it for about a week, then threw it under my bed to get lost). i guess my blog will be all of these things and more.

the main reason i decided to make a blog was because of a suggestion from my dad. “you wanna be an editor right?” of course i do. english has always been my favorite subject and i’ve been a bookworm since i started reading. i became editor of the school newspaper (the blue blazer) this year and even though it sounds nerdy, i’ll admit it. i LOVE editing. for some crazy reason, i love to read articles, stories, books, yearbooks… anything and look for errors to fix. editing has somehow become my passion and in two years when i graduate and go to (hopefully) capital university, i’d like to major in english (with a focus on literature) and minor in journalism.

so, to sum up my first blog, i’m writing for experience. you can’t walk into a newspaper or publishing company and expect them to hand you an editor’s job. you actually have to write some articles or stories first and i’m hoping to add a successful blog to the list of things i’ve written. i’m not doing it just so other people will read and comment on it (although that would be nice). i’m writing down my completely random thoughts so that one day my dream of being an editor can become a reality.

this would be me. at my aunts wedding.