Megumi by the Firelight - a book chapter extract (part 1)
72The idea of a sleep over for 8 girls was great. The fact that it was going to be 8 girls with wayward sexual tendencies - was even better, and being 16 years old, and bursting with hormones, we were all looking forward to it. There’d be dressing up, make-up, music, games, stories, magic , palm-reading, shopping comparisons, art, jokes, flirting, and later probably some drinking, smoking and card games and then some naughty stuff, experimenting - as we girlies liked to do. Being Sixteen, naughty to us was kissing and sleeping over sometimes. Basically it was a weekend of partly-realistic teenage delinquency and debauchery and a get-together to see who would snog who. We were not yet progressed to the full-on heavy stuff that gay women or adults did. (And some of us never would.) But my friend Penny told me that a last minute change had been made and that a new girl was being added to replace a sick friend. I was surprised to find Ronda tell me “It’s the Jap girl”. There was a Japanese girl in my class, a very quiet girl who spoke to no one. I was surprised; I knew the kid was gay-ish, from Gym Class, but not much more than that. She didn’t mix much, if at all.
Ronda snickered, “Cassy, you always like the quiet ones, don’t you?” I was wary of Ronda – she was always the first to interject with one of her biting satirical remarks, or back-handed compliments. “Why - do we get ear muffs this weekend, Ronda?” I quipped loudly, so the entire classroom could hear. “Since you get all the noisy ones...?” All the girls laughed loudly, (which kinds of surprised me) and Ronda glared at me. Even though the stay-over was at her house, correction, he parents’ near-mansion sized house – Ronda didn’t have the intelligence to try using that to exact some kind of revenge on me. To tell the truth, I think the girls would have kicked up a fuss if she did. Ronda and I were always colliding with each other for some reason. She always tried to wind me up. Either way, nothing was going to stop this girly weekend happening. Not even the quiet Japanese girl. “We don’t even know her name,” said Debra, the American girl that everyone loved. “Yes, what IS her name, anyone know?” Wendy joined in. No one spoke. “Her name is Megumi,” I announced, clearing my throat. “She’s from Kyoto, Japan.” All the girls looked at me.”Ka-chiing!” Ronda smiled like a devil. “Always the quiet ones, Cassy!” You could feel the oxygen being sucked out of the classroom by her snide humour. Oh how I wanted to punch that smile of hers into oblivion. For the first time, I began to wonder just what kind of weekend I was in for...
The house turned out to be bigger than we imagined. Ronda’s parents were super rich. Her parents were from Berlin...and she was super-spoiled, and got everything she asked (or screamed) for. I tried to picture her screaming for something (this was easy to do!) as my Grandad pulled up the car outside the house, and I grabbed my weekend bag. “Have a nice weekend, Cassy. Don’t break anything and don’t get into trouble.” He said with his usual good nature. I kissed my Grandad goodbye, and pulling my scarf around my neck to block out the Autumn chill, I headed up the driveway to the imposing 7 bedroom house, perched on the hill. The summer was gone for this year and school was being its usual drag, so the mid-term break was just our ticket to a nice weekend holiday with a difference. “And no adults around!” Said a voice behind me. Penny appeared with a smile, her blond hair blowing around her pleasant tanned face. I liked Penny. With her was Marla. Marla was loud and heavy, and tended to drop things a lot. But she was attractive despite being big. And all the girls spending this weekend here were all gay or experimenting. We all knew, and we all understood. To outsiders we were anywhere from non-conformists, rebellious outlaws of conventions, to dilettantes, wiki fanatics, witches, or just plain nuts. We were girls who didn’t quite fit in. We were different. As we went into the house I took stock of my surroundings
The eight girls were me, Ronda (the supposed leader whenever we allowed her to lead), Penny (blond and very sweet and a crush of mine), Wendy (black and pretty, bit frail, but smart - I liked her), Marla (looked more 19 than 16, and built like a brick shit house), Avril (Irish red-head, green-eyed, had thick accent and coarse as hell, but straight talking honest, slight in appearance, yet punched (literally) above her weight - I liked her too). Then there was Debra (American, blond, smart, beautiful – family transferred to the UK – I looked forward to knowing her more), and last of all, Megumi, from Japan. As the door closed behind me, I thought I’d stepped into a movie. A huge standing hall area stretched before us. There was a large imposing stairway leading up to a long landing above with a railings that went across the upstairs area. Every wall was filled with paintings. Wooden panels were everywhere. And doors downstairs that lead everywhere. The house was full of rooms. I was so impressed. I told Ronda her house was magnificent. She beamed with pleasure, and we hugged.
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The girls called us into the kitchen. Ronda, as usual was giving orders, welcoming us to Her house, and she’d be dictating our rooms to us, and who our “partners” were to be. And the fighting immediately began. Marla wanted to be with Wendy. Then Wendy wanted to be with me. Then Avril told us to “go and shoite” she was taking her own room, and Debra laughed and said we were all crazy, then I said I wanted to be with either Penny or Wendy. I noticed no one wanted to be with Ronda. Ronda was adamant she would rule on it. Wendy said – let’s draw lots. More yelling. So the straws were drawn, and yes, we ignored the outcomes and chose our partners...all except me...you guessed it, I got to be with the Japanese Girl. (Penny ignored my pained look.) And there was no sign of Megumi, as she hadn’t arrived. My weekend was going from bad to worse. Avril cheered me up and said if the girl didn’t show up, Avril would share with me. I looked longingly at Penny who was heading up the stairs ahead of me. I sighed and thanked Avril for that. What else could I say?
We unpacked and got to choose our rooms, or rather Ronda chose our rooms. “It’s my house, so it’s my rules...” she yelled. Avril chuckled and pushed past her and threw her bag on the floor of the first big room she found. “Avril, what are you doing? I didn’t give you that room?” Avril ignored her and kicked off her shoes, then turned and said in a mater-of-fact voice – “it’s my arse on that bed, them’s my feckin’ rules. Get over it.” I laughed! Good ol’ Avril. We pretty much did the same. I got lucky with a very lovely room with rich wooden furniture and a fireplace, and two chairs and a dressing table. “Cassy, you can’t stay there, that’s my ...er...brother’s room.” I looked at the dressing room mirror, then the wardrobe of ladies clothes. Wendy appeared in the doorway and whistled her approval. “Well, either your brother’s a cross-dresser, and likes nylons, Ronda – in which case – you guys need to talk...” (cue laughter) “or this is a girl’s room.” Actually it was really nice. The window was a bay window and looked out and down the long driveway. I flung myself on the big soft bed. Ronda was not impressed. “My sister will not like that one bit, Cassy.” Avril barged in the room past Ronda. “Put a sock in it, Ronda. She can do what she wants, the house is empty. Jazes, I’m starvin’. Where’s the food? ...”
The mention of food had all the girls clamor down the stairs to find the kitchen. I unpacked some of my bag and discovered there was a toilet behind a door I hadn’t seen. This house was a hotel! I looked out the window, as the rain began to beat down outside. No sign of Megumi, the Japanese girl. I was sixteen, and knew I was bisexual, liked both sexes. So maybe I was a freak. Or maybe it was something else. Well, there was nothing I could do about that. I wasn’t sure what life had planned for me. Now that – I could do something about. I liked my friends, despite their flaws. None of us were perfect. I looked out the window. I began to wonder had something happened to the kid Megumi? And why had no one mentioned it before?
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As we sat in the cheerful kitchen, it was obvious that food wasn’t needed. As pre-arranged, we had all brought some food of our own. Crisps, fruit, fanta, coke, snacks, candy, popcorn, all the things a 16 year old girl would ever need for a weekend stay-over (Marla somehow brought an entire cake!)...and enough chocolate to sink the Bismarck. I wondered had anyone packed a toothbrush, but I kept that to myself. When everyone had moved into the TV room, I checked the fridge. It was packed with all kinds of amazing foods. I gasped. Christmas had come early! The evening wore on and we sat around with the TV blaring in one part of the room, while some of us were checking out the huge music collection of CDs. Ronda ordered us not to scratch them. Ronda was getting on everyone’s nerves. Avril said classical music was “shoite” and gave her a headache. Debra was really nice and everyone liked her. Something told me a modelling career loomed ahead for her. To my surprise, she took an interest in me, asking where my family were from. I told her about my Italian background, and being raised by my grandparents after my parents died while I was a baby. She made me blush when she suddenly said my black curly hair was knockout gorgeous. She called me Gypsy Rose, and meant it in a nice way. That was so cool. She was from Wyoming. I made a mental note to look it up later. Her teeth were perfect. She said in America everyone looked after their teeth. Oh, and everyone got facelifts. I hung onto every word from her. I wished I’d brought a damn notebook. I was asking Wendy and Penny what about Megumi? No one seemed to care. Did anyone have her family’s phone number? Ronda smiled and said not to worry about it. When Ronda smiled like that, I always tended to worry, and for good reason.
It was about Ten o’ clock in the evening, and we were tired of TV now, as it was all politics and rubbish. We were deep in school gossip, asking who was dating who, palm-reading, and Marla was braiding Wendy’s hair (rather badly). Penny was doing her amazing palm-reading, which we all loved and took turns having our palms read. So I was going to be wealthy beyond my dreams and find true love, Debra would be a model, Avril would help starving children in Africa, and Ronda would end up an alcoholic, which filled the room with laughter. Ronda was not impressed. Penny – throwing me a wink - said she was joking.
And Ronda was dishing out the drinks. At least that was supposed to be the general idea. I noticed she was drinking beer. She very cleverly poured it into a glass to make it look like lemonade, but I ratted her out, and Avril’s amazing Irish nose immediately smelled out the rest of the beer, and the fun started! Beer everyone! Booze over here!! Ronda was furious. Avril was delighted. I was smug, and everyone was downing beer and lager. We were going to be crippled numb drunk before bed time. Suddenly the house door bell rang out and we all froze.
Ronda went to the door, a weird look on her face, and with us right behind her. Opening it, we all looked out and saw a small diminutive soaked dark-haired girl, very Japanese looking and with glasses, and asking was this the house where the stay-over was happening. Ronda looked like she was about to begin some story or other, but Penny pulled Megumi in out of the rain. The girl was soaked.
“You Megoom-ee?” Asked Avril, looking the Asian girl up and down. Megumi nodded in a very polite manner, taking in our appearance. She apologised, saying she got lost, as she seemed to have been given the wrong instructions. Avril looked at a piece of paper Megumi had used for navigation. “Those instructions were written by a gobshite. Who gave you this?” Megumi hesitated, then pointed at Ronda. Some of the girls tittered and chuckled at this news. Ronda went red. “Look, I can explain...” We all rallied around the poor girl and got her out of her coat. Her shoes and stockings were drenched. She was told she’d be saying in my room. She was gasping at the huge house around her. She was overwhelmed. I pitied her. I took her upstairs, made her strip in the bathroom, and as she had no replacement clothes, I found a spare T-shirt and pants of sorts in the wardrobe. (“Screw Ronda’s sister,” I thought) Megumi spent ages in the bathroom. I knocked to see was she alright. The door opened and – smelling of talcum powder - out she came.
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Megumi was shorter than the other girls by a few inches, quite slight and slender in appearance. She looked good in a T-shirt, and the baggy track bottoms would just have to do, and she wore slippers. I made her sit in front of the fireplace that I lit. But here now, without her glasses, she looked quite different. She had large dark friendly eyes, and a thick mop of straight dark hair falling over her eyes, still not quite dry. Her hair gave her an almost cute appearance. She had a pale, slightly fragile yet almost doll-like face. Her skin was smooth and clear, not a blemish or wart. For sixteen, that was impressive. Her expression was always very neutral. She was pretty as a picture and strangely implacable. Seeing her here in this bedroom up close and personal, and not in some school classroom, was quite a contrast.
She nodded as she saw her clothes drying in front of the warm fire, where she now warmed her hands. She thanked me in a way that somehow made me feel important, though I didn’t know how. Her English was excellent though she had a Japanese accent. It had a slight American twang to it. Her parents were teachers. She was polite to a fault, and good-natured. She never spoke unless asked something. I suspected she was very smart. I told her that she was supposed to be my room-mate for the weekend, although she could choose another room if she really felt like it. She looked carefully at me then asked me did I like butterflies? I was taken aback by this. I can’t remember exactly what I said, but I have always loved Butterflies, as our garden lit up with them each summer back home. Megumi smiled at me, and said she would be delighted to stay the weekend with me sharing this room. What a curious girl she was.
Megumi looked at the bed, and asked where she was sleeping. I smiled and told her we were sharing, did she mind? She looked at me for a few seconds, then at the bed. Then me again, then said that would be okay. Again, that implacable neutral expression on her face. I asked had she shared a bed before? She said yes, just not...
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“Not with a British girl before?” I offered. She smiled, and nodded. I told her I didn’t bite. I gave her a friendly wink, then told her there was food down in the kitchen. She perked up immediately. As she went down the large staircase, marveling at the size of the house, I wondered how the weekend would go? I wondered was she really gay, as the girls had said? What would she think of sharing a bed with me? I made my mind up that I would not make any moves on her, just in case. Maybe it would turn out to be just an ordinary weekend, with my friends, and this new girl Megumi. I told Megumi to watch out for Ronda. “She has this thing for being in charge...” I said. Megumi just looked quizzically at me. I said not to worry. “She gave me the wrong directions to the house...” she whispered. “Why did she invite me here, so?” “Because Ronda was trying to be her usual uptight self, messing stuff around,” I replied. “Be on your guard with her, but don’t let it ruin things, Megumi. The girls will like you...” Megumi shot me this wonderful smile. Wow, she was really impressed because she suddenly thanked me for looking after her. She said I was very nice to her, even in class. I was? That kind of brought a lump to my throat. One thing was for sure, with so many different personalities here - it was going to be fun. I felt a strange trembling in my tummy with excitement. And I was looking forward to seeing who would end up snogging who, and who would be fighting with whoever. With my friends, even the new ones - anything was possible...
(Taken from a forthcoming and soon to be published Novel by Cassandra Mantis. Title to be confirmed. All Contents Copyright (c) 2010 / 2011 Cassandra Mantis. All rights reserved.)
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Hy Art! I almost confused you for a woman there with your new picture! Hehehe! I am kidding, it's very tattoo-ey! (Is that a word, I wonder?) Yes, it is all going to get very girly here in this hub. And the next few!! LOL! Well, it has that cliff-hanger in the actual book too, Art! You will buy a copy? Aaaaaaw! *Hugs my TattoGuy* Art, that is so sweet!! I will let you know when it is "ready" and finished. I am not quite done writing or editing, but everything here is done in this part. Geez, my first book!
I am doing my own book cover design, and it's all kind of tricky and technical, but I am hoping to release it before Christmas! I am smiling at your Hello Kitty get up! Hey, taking on a role is so You!! LOL! I am so cheeky here today, Art!
The book does have straight stuff in it too, and guys, that's for later. This is the more lascivious stuff! Heh! Male parts! LOL! That is so funny! Yes, we are enjoying our weekend. I promised Cathy I'd ease up on the writing this weekend, so's we can do stuff. No, other stuff, I mean! LOL!
Anyway, I am promoting my book chapter a bit more before dinner! Cheers, moi sweet Art! Have a lovely weekend!! Mwah! XOXOX
I also want to buy it, wow this was awesome my darlin friend. This is going to be a page turner and now I can't stand to wait...LOL Excellent book I LOVE IT! So hurry with that next chapter, I am holding my breath. Your friend and fan, rate up darski
Hello Darski! Do you realise you are an inspiration to me?! You are already a published writer. And you have been through all this already! Page turner? Thank you for saying that! :) There is so much more to the book than just what is here, so there is more to enjoy. Yes, the next part will be happening in the next few days! You can breathe, Darlene! Hehehe! I don't want you getting sick on me! Thanks for being a true fan and friend! Love you! Thanks for the rate up too! XX
Well you certainly know how to engage a reader, Cassy. I'm hooked and looking forward to more of your titillating chapters. :)
Hello drbj: thanks for the comments! I am glad you are hooked, and yes, part 2 is coming soon. I'll be letting hubbers know when the book is finally ready too. Oooh! Titillating is a good word! Heh! Cheers! :)
Never ever doubt yourself ok, you can achieve your dreams, just believe in them because I believe in you xox
I can't hold my breath any longer to wait for the next part. LOL If I had your book in my hands right now, I wouldn't put it down until I'm finished :) Cassandra, this is going to be a best seller! And a big hit movie ;)
I was wondering about what's it gonna be after you sent me the link in my email - with the word MEGUMI..You never mentioned about it. ;) This Japanese girl is interesting. And being 16, and bisexual..Life is so short to like only the males.. LMAO
What can I say, I am so hooked by this story now moi Curly writer :) You're freaking talented! This is bravo and I loved it. Cheers for this soon-to-be-bestseller book ;) XO
You had me from the start. I have never read anything like this yet so I am keen to see what happens next, and can't wait to read more,
Thanks for sharing!! :)SF
Aw, thanks Art! You are so nice to say that! I do believe in myself. It's just the naughty bits to come that tend to worry me, that's all! LOL! Ooops! Don't wanna give too much away!! Cheers, Mr TattoGuy! :) XOXOX
Hy 25 / Fehl / blaise25! The next part is coming soon, I promise! Hey, I keep moi promises! First rule of god business, keep promises! Heh! "Wouldn't put book down...", okay...just writing this all down for the blurb for the bacl of the book! LOL! I am being so cheeky here today! Bestseller. If I sold a few thousand copies I'd be very happy!
Yes, Megumi is a nice Japanese Girl, and I didn't want to give away too much, about who'd be in the house. The girls are all different as you can tell! Quite a mix in fact! Yes, we were all 16! *thinks back fondly to being 16 now* It was only 10 years ago! LOL! At the end of the book, I do a recap on "where are they now..." type of thing. Movie, um...don't know about that, Fehl. But it would be nice. Wait till you read all of it...! :)
You are hooked, and that means you are loving it. Well, I knew ya would! Aw, Thanks Fehl for saying this! I really appreciate this. It will be on Lulu.com pretty soon! I am editing some parts still, and some spelling issues that my "Word" app missed! I also have Cathy to thank for her valuable input. And some of her poems are in here. And there might be a few "guest" poems too later on! *wink* Cheers, Fehl! You're a good friend! Thanks for the wonderful support you have given to me as a writer and friend! XOXO
Sammyfiction, if I had you from the start, then all that work is paying off. Well, if you've not read anything like it, then that may be a good thing! I promise part 2 will be fun, and more "juicy"!! LOL! Thanks for the reading and the support! Cheers! :)
What a great read! Can't wait to see what you put up next!
Wow. Intriguing right from the beginning and a quick read because I was into the story. This is great and a little different (in a good way). I feel invested in a couple of these characters. Great job!
Hy daydreamer: glad you enjoyed the read. Thanks for the comments. More fun and frolics to come here very soon! Cheers!
Hy izettl: I'm glad you find it intriguing, as well as a quick read. I was afraid the hub might be a bit on the long side, it's well over 2400 words! Um, yes - it is different. Heh! I'm glad the characters are getting that reaction! Cheers! Stay tuned - part 2 coming soon!
Wow - simply loved it but what is happening next? Simply can't wait to find out!!!
Congrats Cassy! I absolutely loved reading this story and it has only begun...I can't wait for more! I miss reading your work. I have been so busy with school, it's so not fair! :-) I look forward to winter break so I can breathe a little, read a lot of hubs and finally have time to write some more. All my writing these days are for tons of homework assignments. It's definitely worth while and I love what I'm doing but can't wait for a break! Keep up the great work you are doing and I look forward to reading the next part of this story! :-) Jess
Hello acaetnna! I'm glad you loved it! What's happening next is getting published in the next 24 hours in fact! Heh! Stay tuned! It's gets juicy! Hehehe!
Hello Jess! Your comments are always great here! I was wondering where you'd been. The school assignments! Ugh! A necessary evil, I'm afraid! It's funny cos the 8 characters in the story are on a winter's break from School! Heh! The next part will be published within the next 24 hours here! Thanks for the nice comments as always! We missed ya, Jess! :)
Part 2 is cool, Cassy. Please hurry up to part 3, it's your finest hour. :) XOX
Cassandra, how could you write so well! :) Love the way you write, I forgot I was reading coz I felt I was watching a movie. Every girl is beautiful and Megumi shines the most. She's as pretty as the firelight and as mysterious as it is. This is a story that the readers want to chase just like a firefly you want to catch and chase till the end..Bravo!
Fehl adores this ;) Cheers and congrats! XO
Astra, you don't have long to wait. What am I saying? you can read this any time, silly girl! LOL! You're supposed to be my proof-reader! :D XOXOXOX
Hey Fehl, thanks for the really awesome comments! Coming from a poet such as you, that is high praise indeed! :D
The movie thing, a few people are saying that. It's funny because it gets very like that in part three. I am getting good reviews. I am glad you are really getting into the spirit of the story, as the characters all have their own curious idiosyncrasies! It really pops in the third part. The third part is hilarious. I think it will qualify as the funniest hub I will have ever written. There are other chapters that are more recent parts that are just as funny.
I am preparing a detailed write up for moi website this week. More nice treats to watch out for in Cheeky Girls Apartment!
Megumi is enigmatic, and comes into her own in the third part and onward! Yes she does shine a lot, as you'll see.
Your description, likening this to a firefly...! Wow! May I use that as a quote? Hehehe! Fehl, you are such a fan! This comment made my day! You're a star! Thanks for that! XOXOX
That comment was supposed to be for the part two.Having two accounts in HP is confusing sometimes LOL
Hmmm quote? That would be a pleasure! The firefly thought was capturing me since I was writing my stargazer hub and it flies over here, too :) Can I eat KFC while reading your part 3? I'm guessing I'd laugh to death coz it's gonna be so funny ;)
..I still think you should hook up with Quentin Tarrantino and the two of you should collaborate on a screenplay - or maybe he could adapt your book into one ..... well it's always a thrill to hear from you and receive comments which make me feel giddy like a school girl with a cellphone because honey you write like the wind - yes that wind which blows in the 5th direction!!!!!
Hey Fehl / 25, no problem! I really love the Firefly comment! Even Cathy thought it was so neat! :) I blame that wonderful Star Gazer! Heh! Tell her we said hy to her! LOL!
Um, yes, major KFC for part 3, as it gets very er juicy! LOL! It is entertaining!! Glad you love this Megumi Hub! XO
Hey Colin! I am thrilled you love the Megumi hub! Thanks for the comments! Screenplay! Mr Tarrantino would be great! And as Megumi is Japanese, he could add some kung fu or something! This is starting to sound interesting on a cinematic level now. LOL! Getting giddy already? It has more to come, Colin. :D Cheers!
Good stuff.I'm enjoying it.
Hello Dark Heart,
Thanks for the comment. There's a part three coming soon! Cheers!
Eminently readable Cheeky Girl! Well done.
Hy Jane, thanks for the nice comments! I appreciate it. More to come in p.3! Cheers!
I like womenly centered stories. Didn't know you can also write like this, I am congratulating you in advance. Each characters are unique. I can't do this, LOL, I like her name Megumi..Maita
Hello Maita! Thanks for the comments here! This is just the part 1 bit! It gets funnier as it goes on, part 3 is all ready to go, and Cathy laughed herself silly reading it. Yes, Megumi is a Japanese chick! LOL!
This is really good. You tell the story really well and i too want to read on.
Good job.
Hello kirutaye, it is always wonderful to get the opinion of a fellow writer! I am glad yo enjoyed my Megumi by the Firelight. Feel free to explore the other 2 parts if you wish, as they continue the story. Based on your comment, I think you will enjoy them, especially part three which is very funny. Thanks for this, and I will check your hubs too! :)
Such a beautiful story. thanks for the tweets. I must tell you how wonderful you write. It feels so real. I almost want to be in the house too. Very filmic and you write like a pro. I wll read your next chapter. Nice.
Hello Moore, sorry I didn't know I was tweeting you, your name escapes me. I tweet so many people, and I got two twitter accounts! Well, you are a fan. It's a wonder you are not on HubPages. Let me know if you are. And please feel free to read the three current parts of Megumi by the Firelight. Part 4 is coming soon. Cheers!
this is realy good! I want an autographed copy when you publish! is this based on truth? i see you used your own name as the narrator.
Hello Nikki! Yes this is true 100%, a few girls name however I had to change as they requested. Some said okay and gave permission.
Okay, there's a brief book synopsis on my apartment website (in my hubs profile) and on Astra Nomik's poetry site (where I noticed a link to you too, by the way..!) and the book basically is an autu-bi-ography. With emphasis on the word Bi! Heh! And you will love it! One autographed version for you on the way for the amazing Nikki! And it is told in the first person.
One change to the book is it is now co-written by me and Cathy Nerujen, as she suggested so many darn improvements...I gave in and made her an offer she could not refuse! LOL! Cathy is a big fan of your hubs too, Nikki. I can see why! Cheers!
Wow that is really cool. Hmm some sleep overs you girls had! If only I had had those kinds but with boys haha, I never snuck a boy in late at night, I was a good girl. ;)
Auto-BI-ography. haha that is too funny. And that would be awesome, I will gladly buy a copy from you, but please be sure to autograph it with a sweet little message for the amazing Nikki lol. When do you think it will be finished? or is it already? And yes I was checking out astra's weebly profile a little while ago and saw Cheekys Apartment. I saw a link to me too. that is so sweet of cathy. I just might have to make me a weebly account. Thanks so much. You guys are awesome!
Now on to part 2!
Nikki I am sure you were a paragon of girly virtue! Heh! Oh, well boys are a different though no less interesting story. Gasps! Heh! I am kidding! Yes it was a great weekend and I will never forget it, it was fun. The letter or note writer culprit was a person we never dreamed of...it was a great time and we had lots of fun! Heh! To much fun perhaps!
Aw I will have it personally monogrammed by myself and my co-writer Cathy Nerujen who saved my life by helping out with editing too, she spotted lots of thing that needed fixing, Nikki. Anything for a friend! :) I can't say for sure, and I am not giving any more dates till I am certain I won't miss my release day. I will keep you posted, Nikki! It will be on sale on all my websites on dedicated checkouts, and on Facebook and about 12 other websites I have nominated. It will be an ebook and paperback!
Yes, Cathy has a link to you, and several other hubbers on her Better Than Ever website on Weebly where I host 2 of my own domains too. I love Weebly. Ask me any questions you like, NIkki. Weebly is awesome! We will have to add you to the Hubs Hall of Fame on our Hubs page on the Apartment site. :)
Weebly and Blogger are both free and excellent! Thanks for checking out my Megumi chapters! See you in Part 2! :)
Hmm Well I'm kinda thinking it was rhonda at the moment, but I think she was too drunk to write anything at the time lol. Maybe its marla, but idk since she said that she got called rascist things before too, but she kinda backed away from that group hug thing or whatever. Maybe its not even one of the girls...Or its penny. cause shes jealous too. I know it wasnt debra... Anywayz cant wait to find out!
I am working on a vampire novel, and I'm sure it probably needs some editing too. But English was my best subject in high school so I should be able to find any errors myself but doesnt hurt to have someone else go over it too. I get stuck every now and then. I am only on chapter 6, I never have enough time to work on it long. Where do you go to get published? cause I so want to get mine published without having to pay out the ass to do it. lol
Ah the Hubs Hall of Fame? That would be awesome! And I will definitely try and make a weebly account. Thanks! Haha see you in Part 5!
Hello Nikki, wow you sure are lapping up the love in the Love Shack here! LOL! I am delighted this is baking your noodle, as it is a puzzle I want people to figure out before I publish this in next 24 hours!
Wow! You are writing a VAMPIRE novel. There is a big demand for these books and publishers are always looking for good writers with an original idea and the talent to make the book work (code speak for "Sequels"!)
I am finished my own book, but it was too long, as I er...overshot the runway due to heavy word count issues...! It was too damn long! LOL! XLibris and Lulu are my two aims. And I am making plans for a special eBook. I am making a version of my own using fantastic software that can create eBooks.
Yes, Weebly is awesome! I have several sites made on Weebly and I own my own domains, so can advertise and display whatever I want, as included. Have a look at
www.webonist.com
for more weebly ideas too, Nikki. You are a great writer! Cheers!
Thanks Cheeky. Yea I know everyone is doing vampire stuff lately, but good thing about vampire stuff, it never grows old. and I have a different take on them in my story, and its written in the first person point of view of a vampire.
Oh and I signed up for a google adsense today, thanks to you and cathy, and I will try the amazon ads thing, i just really dont know how all that stuff works. I have to enter my tax info when I get home to complete everything. and next off to make a weebly account. or try to anyway lol. thanks for the support, and I will check out that webonist site. Thanks!
The Vampire thing is very popular. You are a great writer who I feel could take the Vampire theme and push it in new directions, Nikki. It's just a wee suggestion, of course. Yes, it never grows old, as you rightly say. No matter what you have you are writing and I am delighted with this! Well done!
Cathy mentioned that you mailed her about a photo site! Wow! I have just seen this! And Cathy left a comment on your blog I see! Well done for picking Weebly! It's so easy to use. Congrats on choosing the Adsense activation. I have Amazon and the Hub Ads system and I am getting income on all of them, so well done! I would say your hub score will climb as this happens when you sign up late to Adsense but with some good indexed hubs under your belt, as you have. Cathy's climbed up a good bit.
I don't have that tax thing the way you do as I am not from the USA. But it is a small detail, as it takes a while for the income to build up. You have nothing to worry about, you have taken a major step up, and I admire you for doing it. :)
Well done on Weebly too! Your photos look awesome. I love the special colorizing you have done on some of them. And I think you are making great progress by doing this. Make sure to link to your Facebook and it will get traffic to your Weebly pages. Cheers, Nikki! :)
Yes I am definitely gonna push it in new directions. I think it is quite interesting. and believable.
Yes I got her comment, You should comment on my website as well! hehe I hope you like it. This is my first time making my own website so I really dont know what all I can do with it yet.
Yes I am using the amazon ads now too and the hub ads, I added some amazon ads to my more recent hubs. So anything you might be interested in buying click my ad! lol help me earn some moneys. Yea and I figured the tax thing out, my bf was helping me set everything up with the amazon ads too. I think i might earn a little bit, not much. I have google adsense on my website too. Apparently i already had 53 views and made like a penny. lol weebly takes like 50.0% of your revenue. it would have been 16 cents haha big baller over here lol I dont expect to make much. but i am glad I did it. Its pretty neat.
Thanks so much. I'm glad you like my photos. I really dont get as much feedback on my photography as I would like, Like my poetry on hubpages, so its good to know people like it. and yea i posted a link on my facebook. and added my website to my info. I know at least one person has checked it out because she told me so lol. Thanks again! hehe. Cheers to you too!
Wow, Nikki I am so proud of you. You get a big Hug for that! Push ahead with your book, and I will buy it and support you. I'd love to see perhaps tiny samples of it on the hubs but that is a personal choice, so don't mind my saying this.
Congrats on the Amazon and Hubs ads too. Hubs is doing good for me right now, and Cathy too.
There is a rule about not clicking each others ad in hub pages, please read the fine print, Nikki. Don't get caught by the rules. Clicking each others ads is a no-no.
Not allowed.
Your clicks have to come from without. Mine too. Natural and not unnatural. Weebly allows you more latitude and adsense all you want, as you have discovered. You can play around with adsense sizes in your ads there. Choose text, art, big or small. Nothing like on Hubs, where it is all pre-formatted and chosen for us.
You are a great Photographer. Put the links into your Facebook profile so it is visible more. YOu are on the right track and I hope you earn good income from it all.It will take time at first. Nothing beats getting that first Google check! Aaaah yes! Thanks to Cathy for the comments too. Cheers, Nikki! I m glad you are part of the Weebly family. I will add a link from my site to your tonight! :)
Thanks so much Cassy! Yea I thought about doing that, but wasnt sure. I will just for you though. I am only on ch.6 right now. I need to take more time to write on it.
Oh and I thought the rule was dont click on your own ads, But its for other hubbers too? OK, but I was joking anyway lol. But what if you see someones ad and its something you want? Will you get in trouble for clicking their ads. I havent clicked any ads, just wondering.
Thanks again, and thats cool of you. I want to add yours and cathys site to mine too.
Hey, you are fine, Nikki! :) Please don't publish anything just on my account! Wow! There might be copyright issues or something you need to consider, or whatever. I copyrighted my work before putting anything up on hubs. Ch. 6 already. Well done. I am impressed. please take your time.
Sorry for that thing about the clicks, yeah its also bad to click your own ads, a few friends I know got banned or hit by that. Yup, the rules are a pain, but I am tired of losing good friends and I hope you are okay. Your score is great. And I saw your Weebly site. Its really great, Nikki! WTF did I see Cathy blogging in there? How the...? LOL! Wowwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!!!!!!
You are amazing! You are letting Astra guest blog? Holy crap! That is amazing! This is food for thought, Nikki! I love the Weebly feature that lets you add feature or guest writers or bloggers!
I have helped Cathy add you site add on ours! Have a look when you get the chance. I chose one of the photos that Cathy liked - it's a rose and plenty of red. Cathy loves red! :D Cheers!
Ah yes copywriting, yea i definitely want to get it copywrited before even sending it in to get published or anything, where do you go to copyright your work?
Ah well i dont click on ads, like ever. so no problem there lol. Hmm i dont even know what my hub score is lol. and yes I added her and a few other people as editors for my site. They can add or change anything they like. I asked that they dont change my theme and stuff but if they want to add or fix any errors they see thats fine. and astra added her own blog about me which i thought was way cool. lol if you send me your email address I can add you as an editor too and you can add a blog if you want. that would be awesome.
I will check that out ASAP. Thanks! And roses are my fave flower! :)
actually cassy, I believe I sent you an email already to edit my website. I got your email address off your hub profile or website one or the other and added you as an editor. So you can add your own blog or whatever too. :)
Yes, do register yourself and copyright your work. All writers have to register themselves for copyright purposes. I don't know the copyright org in the USA, but the UK one is here:
http://www.copyrightservice.co.uk/
OKay, I found the USA Office - you can register your work online.
The USA Office is here:
I know the Berne Convention has superseded the need to register your work, but in the USA there are legal advantages to registering even if it costs the few dollars or whatever. If you ever find yourself following up some infringement issues, registration would be paramount ...not trynna scare you or anything but if you take writing serious, then you'll have to do it eventually. It's "as inevitable as puberty". LOL! That's what writers say to me anyway. Hehehe!
I would be delighted to add something to your website at some stage, Nikki. Cheers! I am however bust enough with three websites of my own to tend to. Working on my third new domain as I speak. I am a glutton for punishment. LOL! And I will add your website url to my pages when they are published online.
Adding a blog would be fun, Nikki! Thanks for adding me. Oh I will check my email! Cheers! I am honoured! Cheers! :)
OK thanks i will check it out. oh yes I know it needs to be done. dont want anyone tryna steal my work.
yes I know yu are busy busy, always on the go cathy says. hence why you are so successful.
Thanks Cassy!
Hey Nikki, if you just double your number of sites and blogs, you'll double your income. My sites are hitting page 1 in search results now after a long time. And I promise I will add some amazing things to your website! (I gave Cathy some code for adding comments for ya! Heh!) And I will get more good things - you should get the site well publicised, use Facebook and Twitter. Tweet your links every other day (not too many tweets or people will unfollow you on Twitter. My 2nd Twitter account just hit 400 followers today. My main one has 1060 already.
What can I say? Twitter works. Just 5 mins a day and it pays off, Nikki! :) Try those things I mentioned and get your pages copy-protected as you have poetry and quality writing and photos there. Cathy is great too! Anyone can make an income from the internet! My First Adsense paycheck paid for my websites!
I figured that I have to speculate in order to accumulate! LOL! Cheers Nikki! You're great! :)
I will try the twitter thing again. Thanks cass. Yea I saw the comments thing that was cool, not getting any comments though lol. but its all good. eh when I decide to finally get my novel published and ever put together a poetry book I will definitely make sure everything is copyrighted.
Yes, you should! Twitter works for me, I am getting good traffic and its nice when someone even re-tweets one of my links. Wehey! LOL! What have you got to lose? Oh you will get comments. Cathy is getting a small few on her free Weebly website. She's getting her own Twitter. Twitter will become indispensable when you are going to promote something. So start promoting the ...uh...promotions! LOL! Cheers Nikki! :)
ok i made my twitter account https://twitter.com/#!/Nikkimj19
Hy Nikki! Hey well done! I just followed you in my Twitter accounts! Might take a few mins to see them! Cheers! :)
awesome I got it! yay! i has followers hehe
Yes, and Astra is following you too! Way to go, Nikki! :)
Great story I love your style and characters. Now I need to read the next chapters.
Also thanks for the info on copywritte.
Hey marshacanada, thanks for checking out my first chapter of "Megumi by the firelight". Glad to have a fan here! I am planning a whole book, with the Megumi chapters in it. Cheers! Have a great weekend!
TattoGuy 18 months ago
Damm it I was just getting into it and you end the first part like those cruel buggers from Eastenders. What can I say Cassy, this is just amazing and hey I want to buy a copy of this novel when you do get it released.
I was wondering what your book would be like but jeeeez this had me in the house in my Hello Kitty T shirt and one of the girls, hey when I read I take on a character role ok ; )
Anyways I look forward to part 2, why oh why was I born the wrong sex. I kinda think if I had been born a girl I deff would have been a Lesbian, like who wants to fiddle with male parts, hmm well besides me, my own that is lol, jeeez I better stop before I get in trouble, enjoy yer weekend moi friend, this is GREAT with a capital G xoxo