C. Gockel's Blog, page 120
May 24, 2014
mythosidhe:
heathen-wolf:
Das Rheingold by SceithAilm
another...
another one of those cases of not remembering if I reblogged this before or not…I really need to get back on the ball with my tags >_<
Why only one shoe?
May 23, 2014
May 22, 2014
I Bring the Fire has 225 Reviews!
Thank you Heather Maddalozzo, Em M, Shirley Peter, Nancy Jean Rose, Deborah Johnson, H. Jackson, Patricia Toal, Amazon Customer, Sherry Nix, Tiara Moske, and Dinah Holmes for your reviews on Amazon U.S. And thank you sinita for your review on Amazon U.K.
Because of people like you, other people are willing to take a risk on an indie published series. I’m almost done with the rough draft for Warriors. Hope you continue to like it.
'Pretty' Old Norse Names for your Asgardian OFC
:
So…here’s the thing.
I stumble upon so many Loki/Thor/General Asgardian fics that have a general running problem that makes me want to scream with rage.
Basically,the naming of Original Female Characters sucks balls.
How many of you have OFCs called ‘Raevyn’ or ‘Brianna’…
And what about those of us who just write to hear ourselves...
And what about those of us who just write to hear ourselves snicker?
TINY EXCERPTS FROM WARRIORS
“That —” the man says, “Is not a dog.”
Claire looks at the animal. “Fenrir?” she says. “How did she get so cute, furry, and big?”
No one answers her.
“Of course it’s a dog,” says Bohdi.
“It just ate two kilos of yellowcake,” says the man.
All the adults’ mouths drop open. Claire stands up straighter. At last she has something she can be an authority on! “I had a dog named Buster. He ate a whole sheet cake, once. He just got a little sick—I think Fenrir will be fine.”
Fenrir wiggles by Claire’s feet, looks up, and gives a bark. Claire’s about to pet her, when Bohdi swoops down, scoops her up, and says, “Maybe you shouldn’t touch her just now.”
The man with green eyes turns to Claire. “Uranium yellowcake,” says the man. “It’s radioactive.”
………..
I am seriously considering making the byline for part 5 of I Bring the Fire ”Fenrir, don’t eat that!”
May 21, 2014
May 20, 2014
SCENES FROM THE CUTTING ROOM FLOOR
There was more, but it gave too much away. This following scene isn’t really necessary, because it covers ground that is going to be covered elsewhere in the story.
“A home away from home.” Steve says, snapping Bohdi’s attention back to the present. Steve steps back from the entrance of to the breakroom, letting Beatrice, Amy, and Bohdi step through. Bohdi’s eyes widen. The little kitchenette is still there. But there is a brand new couch, a few beanbags, and an enormous television—bigger than the one at Ama-chan keeps at her place.
“There are snacks in the cupboards,” Steve says. “Popcorn, fruit…If there is anything you want just let me know.”
“A window?” Amy suggests.
Steve sighs. “If there were a window, I’d have to put a guard in here.”
Amy’s shoulders slump, but she doesn’t protest. There are guards down the hall, and they had to step through a tiny phone booth sized space lined with Promethean Wire. Freyja, at least, is able to circumvent magic detectors; but Promethean Wire is another matter. Steve says it’s being installed in critical locations throughout the country, missile silos, the oval office… but there isn’t nearly enough.
Steve’s phone beeps. He looks down, and raises an eyebrow. “Beatrice, they’ve just intercepted a transmission from the Ukraine…”
Bohdi’s nose starts to itch.
Steve shakes his head. Jaw all tight, he says. “What with the situation at Chernobyl and Odin’s minions making diplomatic advances…It could be dangerous for us.” His eyes go momentarily to Amy. “All of us.”
Bohdi can’t stop the sneeze that wracks through him.
Beatrice stands up straighter, swings her umbrella from her wrist and grabs it in opposite hand. Giving it a forceful shake that looks oddly like a salute, she says, “I’m right on it.”
“Good,” says Steve.
Bohdi’s eyes narrow. No sniffle.
Beatrice turns on her heel, and exits the breakroom. Steve walks over to the entertainment center, and takes out some remote controls. “There are movies and—”
His phone buzzes with a text. Pulling his phone out of his pocket, he barely scans it before saying. “Looks like the special opps team has arrived ahead of schedule.”
Bohdi sneezes again. Steve, the bastard, looks like he’s about to burst out laughing. But all he does is say, “Guess I’ll have to leave you two kids alone. Have fun.” And then he leaves the room too.
Bohdi blinks. He didn’t sense a lie there… and why is Steve lying anyway? He knows Bohdi can sense it? Is he just trying to make Bohdi sneeze on purpose?
“I wouldn’t mind watching a movie,” says Amy.
Bohdi turns around and sees Amy looking between the different remote controls. And then it hits him. They’re alone. Fenrir whines at Amy’s feet. Amy tosses the dog a giant rawhide bone, and Squeakers launches himself from her pocket to the top of the television to the ceiling. Bohdi cranes his neck and watches the mouse scurry into the light fixture. Almost alone.
Picking up the remotes, Amy goes over to the couch, sits down and says, “Want to help me figure these out?”
Bohdi’s eyes drop to Amy. Even with her head bent over the remotes, he can see the hint of the furrow that’s seemed to have settled into her brow over the past few days. Her hair is gathered in a loose bun at the nape of her neck. Like him, she’s wearing clothes bureau agents bought for them. They’re new, but too big. Still… he can remember her in the Vanir Princess outfit. He smiles.
Glancing up at him, Amy says, “What?”
“Nothing,” he says, flouncing down onto the couch possibly closer than is strictly necessary. She doesn’t move away.
A few minutes later they’ve got the television on, have found the sound, and a seemingly limitless menu of every streaming content provider known to man. Footsteps sound in the hall, crisp and sharp, and they both turn to the door. Sigyn walks by. She looks like a California beach blonde who’s decided to go corporate, and doing a damn fine job of it. Her golden hair is sleek. Her makeup is neat and professional on her tan skin. The sharp charcoal suit she wears looks like it was made for her.
“How come she gets clothes that don’t make her look like a hobo?” Bohdi whispers.
Amy sighs. “She probably altered them herself with parts she scavenged from office supplies. She’s resourceful like that.”
“She doesn’t seem like the type that would marry Loki.”
Next to him, Amy sits a little straighter. “What is that supposed to mean?”
Bohdi’s eyes go wide. Did he say that out loud? He tries to smile disarmingly. It earns him a scowl. He drops the smile.
“It’s just, she seems…so…”
“Perfect?” Amy supplies.
Bohdi rubs the back of his neck. He feels like he just stepped into a pool expecting the shallow end and wound up in deep waters. “I was actually going to say…” Polished. “Organized.” He tilts his head. “Focused.”
“I don’t know what she saw in him…” Amy says. “But she is nearly perfect.” There’s something a little bitter in her tone.
“She is moral, accomplished, and strong. She can do anything…”
Bohdi’s hand finds his lighter. He flicks it, annoyed and not sure why. “She’s hundreds of years old, right?”
Amy slumps back against the cushions. “Yes.”
“Are you comparing yourself to someone who is hundreds of years old?”
Amy’s mouth opens but no sounds comes out.
Rolling his eyes, Bohdi says, “That’s stupid.” Slumping back into the cushions, he starts navigating to the instant movie section.
“Thanks,” says Amy.
Bohdi rubs his nose, and tries to hold off an impending sneeze. “What?” he says. “I was being nice.”
“Your nice has a funny way of being mean,” she says, drawing back to the corner of the couch.
“I’m being honest.” Bohdi says, dropping the remote to his knee. “You once told me Loki didn’t love you. I did notice how you got all mopey about it. Obviously, the root of that insecurity is this unfair comparison you have going between you and Sigyn…and maybe that’s why you’ve been all nervous and quiet and weird these past few days. I just solved all your problems.”
Leaning toward him, Amy hisses. “That’s not why I—.”
“What problem?” says Nari.
Bohdi’s eyes shift to the doorway. His lip might curl up at sight of Loki’s son. Turning back to the television, Bohdi says, “We’re trying to decide what movie to watch.” He reads the first title he sees. “Oh, look, North by Northwest.”
“That is a good movie,” says Amy, voice quiet and tight. “Always helps me when I’m in a bad mood. Let’s watch it.”
Bohdi prepares to select it, but then Nari says, “A classic! I remember seeing that in the theaters with Valli when it was first released.” And Bohdi suddenly doesn’t want to watch it anymore.
“Really?” Amy says, sounding much too interested. “How did you sneak down to Earth?”
“Well, it’s quite a story. You know we actually wound up at the premiere and—”
Bohdi scrolls down to the next movie. “Or we can watch An Affair to Remember.” He internally blanches. He’s heard some of the guys in the Marines say they’ve gotten misty eyed at the end of that one. He doesn’t want to get misty in front of Nari.
“Another classic!” says Nari. He sits down on a beanbag next to Amy’s feet, lays back so he’s looking up at her, and grins. “And romantic.”
Bohdi’s skin heats. It’s a good thing the FBI ran away with the rest of Amy’s magic serum because if he were magic right now, something would be on fire. And it would probably be Nari’s hair.
“I don’t know,” Amy says. “I think North by Northwest is more romantic.”
“Really?” the question tumbles out of Nari and Bohdi’s mouth at the same time.
Amy’s face goes a little pink and she looks at her shoes. “It’s got the most romantic line of any movie ever.”
“What line is that?” says Nari.
“Guess!” says Amy.
“I’ve never seen the movie,” Bohdi says. But it’s like he isn’t in the room.
“Hmmmm…” says Nari, rubbing his chin.
“I’ll give you a hint,” Amy says. “Who’s side are you on, anyway?”
Nari sits up on the beanbag, turns to her and raises an eyebrow. “Why your side always, Darling.”
Clapping her hands together, Amy says, “That’s it!”
Rolling his eyes, Bohdi snorts. “Isn’t that a bit patronizing? Someone who always is on your side no matter what probably is lying to you, and they’re lying to you because they don’t respect you enough to tell you the truth!”
Amy’s brow furrows. “But being always on someone’s side doesn’t mean you don’t argue.”
Bohdi’s skin heats. He opens his mouth… and then realizes he doesn’t have a rebuttal.
Beatrice walks into the room, sparing him from having to say anything. Without preamble she walks past Nari, and seats herself on the couch between Amy and Bohdi, even though there isn’t quite enough room. “Oh! North by Northwest!” She says. “One of my favorites. Let’s watch it!”
“Nari and Valli were at the Premiere,” Amy says.
“It’s quite a story,” says Nari.
“Do tell,” says Beatrice.
“Well,” says Nari. “We first had to sneak past Heimdall.”
Bohdi puts down the remote, and stands up. He’s almost out of the room, when Amy says, “Where are you going?”
“To have a smoke.”
Her nose wrinkles up, but she doesn’t try to stop him.
Are You an Author? Do You Want to Join me on a Blog Tour?
I’ve been asked to participate in a blog tour. Step three is to refer to three writer’s blogs that continue the tour. Would you like to be refered?
Below are the questions and rules.
Send me a note and let me know!
…..
Step One: Acknowledge the person and site that involved you in the blog tour. (That would be me in this case)
Step Two: Answer the four questions below about your writing process. (You may tweak them slightly if you want.)
1) What am I working on?
2) How does my work differ from others of its genre?
3) Why do I write what I do?
4) How does my writing process work?
Step Three: Say who is up next (your own chosen three). Give a bio and link to their websites. Their date will be the week of June 2nd.
Here are some examples of what’s been happening so far:
http://wonderingjourney.blogspot.com/2014/05/blog-tour-my-writing-process.html
http://www.nat-russo.com/2014/05/my-writing-process-blog-tour.html
http://www.erinalbertbooks.com/1/post/2013/10/my-writing-process-blog-tour.html
http://kathunsworth.com/2014/04/27/my-writing-process-tour/#respond
