The Adventures of Ratha James Pt. One

Alright my lovelies, here is the first installment of the pirate story that I told you about last week! Remember, these will only be small snippets for each post, that way y’all don’t get bogged down reading for more than a few minutes. 😀

Image From Google. All rights Belong To Artist.

The Adventures of Ratha James: Part One

It was a typical sunny English morning when the familiar coastline came into sight at long last. That is to say the sky was dreary grey and a steady drizzle slicked the ground and dripped off the nose of anyone who happened to be out and about so early in the day. But it was fine English weather, the sort that no English gentlemen would allow to spoil his morning plans – which at this hour could only be stealing away from a splendid mistress or the arms of whatever woman was available at the nearest brothel. Indeed, no man could dare call himself an Englishman should he even take notice of such common weather. But then, Rath was no common English gentlemen. He wasn’t a fine lord or a lowly cur and he could claim no fine titles or ancient honorable holdings, not even a hovel at the river bank. He was, in fact, a woman, and she was not so fond of being dismally wet, even though she was thankful of the cover the rain provided.

Amalee Ratha James – Ratha as she was known to those closest to her, and Rath by her enemies – was a woman with much on her mind as she paced the polished oak planks of the Raven’s Wing gleaming broad deck. Her heavy brown-black hair was pulled high, out of her face and held into a slick bun with a shining silver clasp as she studied the coastline once more. Devilish amber eyes sparkled under elegant dark brows that knitted together as she squinted to distinguish the different flags fluttering from the masts of the three other vessels anchored near her intended place of port. With a muttered curse, she finally yanked the battered but gleaming looking-glass from the pocket of the fitted black trousers that she preferred to any silk dress or mess of ruffled petticoats. The reflective glass revealed that two of the ships were those of her friend the Lady St. Clare, who allowed Ratha to anchor the Raven’s Wing here in the first place. The third ship bore garish orange and silver flags stamped with entwined songbirds; it was one Ratha wasn’t familiar with. She hesitated, perhaps this was trap; had her friend at long last been discovered as her protector and now was helpless to alert her to the impending danger?

To Be A Pirate Or Not To Be A Pirate?

Hello my lovelies! Sorry for the blogging lapse this week, it’s been a bit of a scheduling nightmare and honestly I just didn’t have anything ready to post (my bad lol). That being said, in my mini desperation I thought back to an old idea I had about posting an on-going story for the blog and I wondered how you all felt about that? I have part of the story already written and I’d post anywhere from 500-1,000 words at a time maybe once or twice a week. The story is a raucous historical romance about a notorious female pirate by the name of Ratha James and her ill-fated return to England where her deadliest enemy — her husband Lord Derek Richards — still waits to reclaim his runaway bride. When her best friend and fellow runaway Maddie Kingston is kidnapped Ratha is forced to delve into a life she thought safe behind her to bring her friend home before it’s too late.

Image From Google. All rights Belong To Artist.

So what do y’all think? Sound intriguing enough for a reoccurring post? Let me know what you think!

Monday Movie: Dear Frankie

Hello my lovelies, it’s time again for another installment of Monday Movies and this week I’ve chosen the incredibly moving film Dear Frankie, starring Gerard Butler, Jack McElhone, and Emily Mortimer. Somehow, and I still don’t know quite how, considering the types of movies I generally watch, I was unaware of this film’s existence until a little over a year ago when the bestie and I saw a preview for it on another DVD. Apparently Dear Frankie was released in 2004, but no one I know ever got the memo; I guess it’s a little known treasure that really needs to be seen by the general populace. Needless to say, the bestie and I embarked on a search to find this movie and watch it for ourselves (the trailer was just amazing) and finally last week I discovered it on YouTube.  After she forked over the rental fee, the bestie and I sat back and waited (and hoped) to be amazed…and we were!

Image From Google

Dear Frankie is one of those films where everything is just superbly done, the cinematography, the story, the acting, the EVERYTHING, and it leaves you breathless and perhaps a bit teary at the end. (That last letter…OH  MY GOODNESS…the tears!) Personally I whimpered throughout the entire thing, but like I’ve said before, I’m a notorious crier when it comes to films, I can’t help it – I mean, every time Frankie said “Da” I about lost it. And thankfully, it wasn’t just a one-note film: there was a great deal of complexity and comedy, a dash of romance, suspense, warmth, and just so much more. It truly runs the emotional gambit. Emily Mortimer’s portrayal of a mom trying her hardest to protect her son was emotionally spot-on, I constantly felt her fear, angst, worry, and the all-encompassing love she had for her son.  And being a serious fan of Gerard Butler, I have to say this may be my favorite movie of his now, just the way his character interacted with Frankie touched my heart. Though, I think Jack McElhone’s depiction of Frankie stole the movie from these other great actors; really, he was amazing!

Image From Google

The premise of the movie is this: Frankie, his mother, and his grandmother are almost constantly on the move, they settle into a place for a time and then leave whenever they (the mom and grandmother) feel it’s necessary, (the movie explains why but I’m trying to avoid spoilers, though in all honesty I’m probably going to give something away later…just because I want to give my two cents on the subject). Frankie’s father is noticeably absent, but almost all of the narration is Frankie talking to his father through letters which he faithfully writes and has sent to the ship at sea where his father supposedly works. Frankie, we learn, is deaf, so his narration is the only way the movie-watcher gets to hear his voice and inner thoughts, and incidentally, it’s also the only way his mother gets to hear his voice, as she is the one who receives these letters and she is the one who writes back, pretending to be Frankie’s father. Why the deception, you may ask, well you’ll find out later.

Anyway, Frankie has a giant map in his room with which he tracks his father’s ship as each new letter explains where the ship is now and what it’s like in this new place and through the letters he bonds with a father he can’t even remember. And after a bet (involving his treasured stamp collection that contains all the stamps his father has sent him from across the world) is made at school involving a bully, Frankie learns that his father’s ship is heading back to Scotland and he hopes to finally see his mysterious father. Frankie’s mother then leaps into frantic action, she can’t let Frankie down, and so she goes about “finding” him a father, sort of like hiring a daddy-for-a-day. Gerard Butler ends up being that man. So Frankie finally gets to meet the father he loves so much and over the course of two days, Gerard realizes just how special Frankie and his mother are.

Image From Google

Now, I don’t want to give away the ending, so I’ll stop my synopsis there (though I will say the ending is more hope-inspiring than the cathartic release I was expecting). I went into this movie hopeful but unsure and left cheering. Frankie completely captured my heart, as did the rest of the characters, and I just couldn’t believe how well done this movie was. It was simply superb! And although elements of the story were a little fantastical, it didn’t feel that way, everything came across as really realistic, especially the scenes we see of Frankie’s real father.

*Spoiler Alert* These scenes chilled me to the bone and I was incredibly glad they were few and very brief. Having personally experienced mental abuse, I could completely relate to the grandmother’s near constant panic and the mother’s reluctance to let her guard down with such a man as her ex. The scene where the father is so apologetic and charming and then completely lashes out the moment he is denied something he wants, wow…trust me, it’s very realistic and it left me clutching my chair with quite a bit of force.

So if you’re one for semi-heartwarming tales of family, love, and the unpredictability of life, I’d say definitely give this movie a try! I also advise bringing some tissues, just in case you’re anything life me (seriously, I whimpered/sniffled the entire length of the movie)! If you have seen Dear Frankie, what did you think? Did you tear up a bit, or were you stoic on the outside but a complete emotional wreck on the inside? Let me know what you think!

Image From Google

(Next on the must find and watch list is: Adam, starring Hugh Dancy. Sooner or later, I’ll find this film and I have high hopes for it!)