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Deborah Hawkins, penned Debra Renée Byrd, began writing after a blank book project in elementary school and never stopped, fashioning stories based on her favorite TV shows and movies before creating more original works. She studied at the University of the Arts and Florida State University before settling down and graduating from Temple University. She now resides in her hometown of Dover, DE, where she spends most of her time at work or at church. She loves fantasies, superheroes, is a trekkie and a brown coat. She loves television and lives for Final Fantasy video games, having collected most of them. She has read a myriad of authors, and her favorite authors change whenever she finds a new book that changes her life... "When you can't run, you crawl. When you can't crawl...well, you know the rest." -Tracey, Firefly, "The Message"

Thursday, April 30, 2015

A to Z Challenge: Writing Colors - Zucchini


Welcome to the final day of the A to Z Challenge!

Thank you, all who have followed me while I have been providing different colors for descriptive purposes in writing using the website Color-ize. This has been fun, and I hope you all got something out of the info I've shared with you.

The final color for this challenge is: Zucchini!


Anyone else love zucchini? What about zucchini bread? Mmmm...Anyway, zucchini is a very specific green. It's rich and dark, and to some not a very appealing color, but it is a vegetable, after all. Zucchini's actually one of a very elite list of vegetables I eat without complaint.

So there you have it, 26 colors to help you describe your writing! Thanks again for stopping by. :)

Wednesday, April 29, 2015

A to Z Challenge: Writing Colors - Yellow



One more day....
Welcome back to A to Z!!

This year, I have been providing different colors for descriptive purposes in writing using the website Color-ize to look at an alphabetical list of colors that we can use instead of using the same basic colors we know off the top of our heads. One color can come in so many shades; why not take a look at them?

Today's color is: Yellow.


Really? That's all they have? Nothing else? D'ah, well. Yellow, one of the three primary colors. One of which I'd described in other shades throughout this whole challenge. It's the sun, it's a sunflower, it's a lemon. Can you hear my enthusiasm? In its defense, there are many shades of yellow; I guess there just aren't many colors that begin with Y.

Do you like yellow? Here's Coldplay singing it.




Tuesday, April 28, 2015

A to Z Challenge: Writing Colors - Xanthic



Welcome back to A to Z! We're almost done!

This year, I have been providing different colors for descriptive purposes in writing using the website Color-ize to look at an alphabetical list of colors that we can use instead of using the same basic colors we know off the top of our heads. One color can come in so many shades; why not take a look at them?

Today's color is: Xanthic.


All the images gave me were fish and wildlife, so I imagine no one really uses this color for anything. We should start! It sounds like a great descriptive word. Xanthic is a yellow with enough blue in it to give it a neon green shade. It's vibrant, loud, and apparently found abundantly in nature. :) 

Monday, April 27, 2015

A to Z Challenge: Writing Colors - Wheat


We are on our way to the end of A to Z! How are you doing?

This year, I have been providing different colors for descriptive purposes in writing using the website Color-ize to look at an alphabetical list of colors that we can use instead of using the same basic colors we know off the top of our heads. One color can come in so many shades; why not take a look at them?

Today's color is: Wheat.


There's not much to say about this color for me. Not quite in the brown family, possibly in the white family. It is a fleshy tone, though. I feel like real wheat is a little more yellow. It's fairly neutral.

What do you think?

Saturday, April 25, 2015

A to Z Challenge: Writing Colors - Vermilion


This is the A to Z Challenge, and I welcome you back!

This year, I have been providing different colors for descriptive purposes in writing using the website Color-ize to look at an alphabetical list of colors that we can use instead of using the same basic colors we know off the top of our heads. One color can come in so many shades; why not take a look at them?

Today's color is: Vermilion.


Oh, how I love this color. It's SO beautiful. Not quite red, but it's so rich. When I first heard the word "vermilion," my initial thought was like a reptilian shade of green. Boy, was I surprised when I learned it was the complete opposite. I need this color in lipstick. It's very sultry.

Do you like it?

Friday, April 24, 2015

A to Z Challenge: Writing Colors - Ultramarine


As I tell my ladies at Zumba, we are in the home stretch!
Welcome back to the A to Z Challenge!

This year, I have been providing different colors for descriptive purposes in writing using the website Color-ize to look at an alphabetical list of colors that we can use instead of using the same basic colors we know off the top of our heads. One color can come in so many shades; why not take a look at them?

Today's color is: Ultramarine.


Go Google-Image this color. Go on.

What action figure is that?? lol Some of these colors pop up the weirdest results. Is it some weird Omega-force doll or something? Oh well.

Blue used to be my favorite color, and this beautiful dark blue is one of the reasons why. It's so strong and rich in color. Ultramarine is an interesting word as well, and is apparently associated with superheroes. It would make a pretty cool sci-fi or mutant hair color.

Thursday, April 23, 2015

A to Z Challenge: Writing Colors - Two for T: Thistle & Terra Cotta


Welcome back! This is the A to Z Challenge!

This year, I have been providing different colors for descriptive purposes in writing using the website Color-ize to look at an alphabetical list of colors that we can use instead of using the same basic colors we know off the top of our heads. One color can come in so many shades; why not take a look at them?

Today, I'm giving you two colors.

Today's first color is: Thistle.


Thistle is such a serene color. It's cool, calming, and a very soft shade of purple. I think of a field of thistles when I see this color, as I should I guess. Purples are one of those colors not often noticed in nature, hence my favorite quote from The Color Purple: "I think it pisses God off when you walk by the color purple in a field and don't notice it."

Today's second color is: Terra Cotta.


I like this color. It definitely reminds me of sunsets and the rooftops of desert-style houses. It's a cool orange color with tones of blue to make it a tolerable shade. It's another beautiful color found in nature.

Wednesday, April 22, 2015

A to Z Challenge: Writing Colors - Saffron


Welcome back to the A to Z Challenge!

This year, I have been providing different colors for descriptive purposes in writing using the website Color-ize to look at an alphabetical list of colors that we can use instead of using the same basic colors we know off the top of our heads. One color can come in so many shades; why not take a look at them?

Today's color is brought to us by The Gap:


Saffron.


I'm mad about saffron, too, because when I Googled it, it's a predominantly red plant. How deceptive! I also think of good ol' Saffron from Firefly, Christina Hendricks, but anyway. Another shade of gold here. Saffron is a very warm color, especially in its spice-state. It also kind of sounds like a seductive color (even before I saw Firefly).

Are you mad about saffron?

Tuesday, April 21, 2015

A to Z Challenge: Writing Colors - Raw Umber


Welcome to Week 4 of the A to Z Challenge!

This year, I have been providing different colors for descriptive purposes in writing using the website Color-ize to look at an alphabetical list of colors that we can use instead of using the same basic colors we know off the top of our heads. One color can come in so many shades; why not take a look at them?

Today's color is: Raw Umber.


This is a rich, tasty color. "Brown" sometimes is just not enough, and there are many ways to go, from a light, golden brown, to this dark, cool tone. I don't know if you would ever describe a person as having raw umber skin, but maybe dark umber would suffice. Umber is a pretty word to me. :)

What do you think?

Monday, April 20, 2015

A to Z Challenge: Writing Colors - Quartz Grey



Cheers to the Weekend, A to Z Challengers!

This is the end of week three! Can you believe it? Anyway, this year, I am providing different colors for descriptive purposes in writing using the website Color-ize to look at an alphabetical list of colors that we can use instead of using the same basic colors we know off the top of our heads. One color can come in so many shades; why not take a look at them?

Today's color is: Quartz Grey.


Grains not included. Grey is a multi-faceted color. It's one of the colors where if you say grey, everyone has their own shade of it in their mind. I feel like this is usually one of two shades that I think of. It's a dark grey, one that I like more than other shades of grey, actually (I held back on a cheesy 50 Shades reference. You're welcome). Quartz itself is a beautiful mineral, but it's actually pretty clear, so I guess the color name creators just felt that this would be the color of quartz on a 2D setting...Ah well.

Saturday, April 18, 2015

A to Z Challenge: Writing Colors - Puce


It's Friday! But it's also April, and that means, welcome back to the A to Z Challenge!

This year, I am providing different colors for descriptive purposes in writing using the website Color-ize to look at an alphabetical list of colors that we can use instead of using the same basic colors we know off the top of our heads. One color can come in so many shades; why not take a look at them?

Today's color is: Puce.


(Note to self: puce is apparently French for "flea". Do not image-Google it again.)

I. Love. Puce. Pink is one of my favorite colors anyway, but this one is so cool and a little less aggressive (people REALLY hate pink!). I used puce once to describe the lip color of one of my characters in a short story. I think it provided the image I was going for...though the story didn't go anywhere. Anyway, puce has a lot of blue in it, which is what makes it a milder color on the pink spectrum.

Friday, April 17, 2015

A to Z Challenge: Writing Colors - Olive & Olivine


Welcome back to the A to Z Challenge!

This year, I am providing different colors for descriptive purposes in writing using the website Color-ize to look at an alphabetical list of colors that we can use instead of using the same basic colors we know off the top of our heads. One color can come in so many shades; why not take a look at them?

Today's colors are: Olive & Olivine


Olive is an interesting green. Poor green gets a bad rap. I blame olive. lol I love green olives, though. It's a muddy green, moving closer to brown in a spectrum. Oddly enough, when I think of my main character Ghuli in my fantasy WIP, this is the color of her eyes, but I described them as:


Olivine in hue. This is actually too light a color for someone of her race. Now I'm mad at myself. Olivine is a prettier word, though. *sigh* I think this is actually a cooler tone than olive, and it reminds me of leek soup. While olive makes me think of mud and muck, olivine gives me the color of a mystical swamp or moss. How about you?

Thursday, April 16, 2015

A to Z Challenge: Writing Colors - Navajo White



Welcome back to the A to Z Challenge!

This year, I am providing different colors for descriptive purposes in writing using the website Color-ize to look at an alphabetical list of colors that we can use instead of using the same basic colors we know off the top of our heads. One color can come in so many shades, so why not take a look at them?

Today's color is: Navajo White.


Hm...Well, it is a flesh-tone-type color, so...okay. Navajo white is a sandy color of which I can't particularly describe, but I imagine out in Navajo territory, this may be as white as things get? A lot of sun and desert, I think. Scrolling down the images...sorta-kinda. It's a very vibrant color for as neutral as it is.

What do you think about it?

Wednesday, April 15, 2015

A to Z Challenge: Writing Colors - Mustard


Happy Hump Day!
Welcome back to the A to Z Challenge!

(You can probably skip this next paragraph, if you've been following me lol.)

This year, I am providing different colors for descriptive purposes in writing using the website Color-ize to look at an alphabetical list of colors that we can use instead of using the same basic colors we know off the top of our heads. One color can come in so many shades, so why not take a look at them?

Today's color is: Mustard


A tasty little color, isn't it? Yellow is a complex color, as we saw with Gamboge. The shades can range from having a green hue to an orange hue. I'd say this is a cooler yellow than most and probably falls in the middle just before getting to the greener shades. When you say mustard, however, people tend to know what color yellow you mean. Unless you say brown mustard or something (but who does that?).

Sidenote: When I reached "M" my first thought was marigold, but then I realized it's a flower, not necessarily a color. *sigh*

Tuesday, April 14, 2015

A to Z Challenge: Writing Colors - Lime vs. Lime Green


Welcome back to the A to Z Challenge!

This year, I am providing different colors for descriptive purposes in writing using the website Color-ize to look at an alphabetical list of colors that we can use instead of using the same basic colors we know off the top of our heads. One color can come in so many shades, so why not take a look at them? :) We are currently looking at Shades of Green.

Today, there is a battle between Lime and Lime Green.

This is Lime Green.

And this is Lime.

Can you spot the difference? Lime is a little more electric, whereas lime green (which now looks weird) is more like the skin of a lime. They're also very close to yesterday's Kelly, but the subtleties are there. Lime (or lime green) usually gets put on a character with a lot of personality to show that they're an energetic person, and it's easy to see why. It comes off as a loud color.

What do you think?

Monday, April 13, 2015

A to Z Challenge: Writing Colors - Kelly Green


Ohhh, Paddy, dear, and did you hear the news that's goin' 'round?
Happy A to Z Challenge Monday!

This year, I am providing different colors for descriptive purposes in writing using the website Color-ize to look at an alphabetical list of colors that we can use instead of using the same basic colors we know off the top of our heads. One color can come in so many shades, so why not take a look at them? :) We are currently in the Shades of Green series.

Today's color is: Kelly Green!


Kelly green is my favorite green, not because of Ireland, but it's not too bright and it's still vibrant, and looks good on me, hehe. I think when most people say "green" this is the color they think of, too. It's the typical grass color in kid's drawings, and most reptiles and amphibians get drawn as this color, even though I think they're a tad darker in reality.

Saturday, April 11, 2015

A to Z Challenge: Writing Colors - Jade



Cheers to the Weekend! Welcome back to A to Z.

This year, I am providing different colors for descriptive purposes in writing using the website Color-ize to look at an alphabetical list of colors that we can use instead of using the same basic colors we know off the top of our heads. One color can come in so many shades, so why not take a look at them? :)  We are about to begin another series: Shades of Green!

Today's color is: Jade


Image-wise, this was a hard color to find! They only gave me jewels, and the further down I scrolled, I saw Jade from Victorious, so I just took this sample of paint. Jade is one of those bluish green colors I fight with in my closet, but it's so pretty. It's a nice cool color that is good for any occasion, I think. It also makes for a good fantasy eye-color (IRL, I think this color only comes in contacts, never naturally), and sci-fi skin tone if you're into that sort of thing (giggle).

Friday, April 10, 2015

A to Z Challenge: Writing Colors - Ivory



Happy Friday! Welcome back to the A to Z Challenge!

This year, I am providing different colors for descriptive purposes in writing using the website Color-ize to look at an alphabetical list of colors that we can use instead of using the same basic colors we know off the top of our heads. One color can come in so many shades, so why not take a look at them? :)

Today's color is: Ivory


Anyone else singing "Ebony and Ivory" in their heads? Ivory is a beautiful color. It may also be known as Winter White for those who still adhere to the No White After Labor Day thing. Many women walk around in it during the Winter months. If I recall, J-Lo's famous stolen suit in Maid in Manhattan was a Winter White suit...No, it was just white, but her sweater was ivory. Shades of white are very interesting.

Thursday, April 9, 2015

A to Z Challenge: Writing Colors - Hollywood Cerise



Welcome back to the A to Z Challenge!

This year, I am providing different colors for descriptive purposes in writing using the website Color-ize to look at an alphabetical list of colors that we can use instead of using the same basic colors we know off the top of our heads. One color can come in so many shades, so why not take a look at them? :)

Today's color is: Hollywood Cerise


You mean hot pink? lol Hollywood Cerise is perfectly pretentious, isn't it? It also kind of looks like fuchsia, but it's a tad darker. I don't know who would say Hollywood Cerise anywhere unless in dialogue where the other person says, "Hollywood what?" And then a description follows, which is followed by mockery, etc., etc.

What do you think of the name?

Wednesday, April 8, 2015

A to Z Challenge: Writing Colors - Gamboge



Hi there. :) Welcome back to the A to Z Challenge!

This year, I am providing different colors for descriptive purposes in writing using the website Color-ize to look at an alphabetical list of colors that we can use instead of using the same basic colors we know off the top of our heads. One color can come in so many shades, so why not take a look at them? :)

Today's color is: Gamboge


Okay, I've never heard of this color, and if you use it in a story, more power to you. It actually reminds me of goldenrod, which also starts with G, so win-win! It's a beautiful color, and the name gamboge actually reminds me of Africa for some reason. Probably because of Gambia. It's not quite orange, not quite yellow (and actually, this is probably a half-shade darker than a "yellow" school bus), and it's a fairly cool tone. Wheat fields, sunset...that's what comes to mind.

Tuesday, April 7, 2015

A to Z Challenge: Writing Colors - Fuchsia


Hello again! Happy Tuesday, Happy A to Z Challenge Day!

This year, I am providing different colors for descriptive purposes in writing using the website Color-ize to look at an alphabetical list of colors that we can use instead of using the same basic colors we know off the top of our heads. One color can come in so many shades, so why not take a look at them? :)

Today's color is: Fuchsia


My mom is the queen of knowing random trivia no one else does. This color (which goes after purple in my ROYGBIV closet) gets its name from the fuchsia flower named after the German botanist Leonhart Fuchs. While hurting my eyes here, on fabric it's a beautiful color, especially on silk or satin, or on a sari. It especially pairs well with bright blues. So, if you're looking for a different word to use other than pink, try fuchsia!

Monday, April 6, 2015

A to Z Challenge: Writing Colors - Ecru


Happy Monday! Welcome back to the A to Z Challenge.

This year, I am providing different colors for descriptive purposes in writing using the website Color-ize to look at an alphabetical list of colors that we can use instead of using the same basic colors we know off the top of our heads. One color can come in so many shades, so why not take a look at them? :)

Today's color is: Ecru


This is an interesting color, kind of tan, not quite sandy, but people probably call it that. The first time I heard it was in a Colgate commercial. The teacher's teeth were NOT ecru, but kids are...kids. lol It's a nice color in many different situations. A beach just after high tide, wallpaper, kind of the dark patch of camouflage in army uniforms for the desert.

Saturday, April 4, 2015

A to Z Challenge: Writing Colors - Denim


Good morning! Welcome back to the A to Z Challenge.

This year, I decided to provide different colors for descriptive purposes in writing. I'm using the website Color-ize to look at an alphabetical list of colors that we can use instead of using the same basic colors we know off the top of our heads. One color can come in so many shades, so why not take a look at them? :)

Our last look into Shades of Blue for now:




I still sing this when we say denim, lol. Denim is interesting. There are so many jean colors that even this might not be the normal denim color, but that's the one I think of. I'm not sure how many people walk around saying denim in a story (I think we all just say bluejeans now), but I say it in real life, so it's possible.

Friday, April 3, 2015

A to Z Challenge: Writing Colors - The Beautiful C's


Welcome back to the A to Z Challenge!

This year, I decided to provide different colors for descriptive purposes in writing. I'm using the website Color-ize to look at an alphabetical list of colors that we can use instead of using the same basic colors we know off the top of our heads. One color can come in so many shades, so why not take a look at them? :)

We are still in my Shades of Blue series, and this one is a 3-for-1 deal! Let us sail the beautiful C's. (See what I did there? hehe)

My favorite one to say (but least favorite in my
closet because, you know, ROYGBIV): Cerulean.


My favorite to look at: Cornflower blue. It's just so pretty!


And the one that hurts my eyes but is nearest to my heart because of my WIP, Cyan.


These are three expressive colors that can also depict certain moods in a story. Cyan is one of those beach water colors or sky colors I used to draw with in Paint. It is also the eye color and name of one of the supporting characters in my WIP, The Crystal Bearer, whom I named after a character in Final Fantasy VI.

Which is your favorite?