C. Gockel's Blog, page 148

Everyone looks better with a filter. Me. Color pencil filter.

Need a headshot for a book promotion, but this is probably too artsy.

When I first started writing I Bring the Fire two large crows started following me. They disappeared for awhile, but now they’re back.

Coincidence?

ibringthefireodin:

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askthederpvengers:

My money’s on the redhead.

(But as much as I love both Lokis, they are like comparing apples to oranges.)

Modern Norse Loki’s design belongs to erebusodora. She drew it for me in our art trade and I had to use the design.

Jaw clenched, Amy grinds out, “Throwing the thong was still wrong.”

Bohdi tilts his head. “Why?”

Amy takes a deep breath. “How would you like it if someone threw your underwear at work?”

Bohdi’s smile drops. That’s a big question. “Why are they throwing it?”

Amy sighs. “Because they had sex with you and you forgot and left it at their place…I don’t know.” The last words come out in a huff.

How would Bohdi feel about that?

“Well?” Amy says.

Bohdi scratches his chin. “So everyone in the office would know I had sex?”

“Yes,” Amy snips.

Bohdi laughs. “Awesome!” He shakes his head. “Some people have strange ideas about Asian men.”

An interview with Loki—post Halloween. (Neither he, nor I, am terribly organized).

X  X  X  X

Manny’s delicatessen isn’t technically an all-you-can-eat establishment. However, as Loki prepares to sit down with a pastrami sandwich overflowing a bed of rye, matzo ball soup, beet and goat cheese salad, meatloaf, liver & onions, sardines, herrings, and cole slaw, he thinks that might all be in semantics. He puts his tray down on metal table, pulls out the chair, prepares to sit down…

…and instead he falls.

And keeps falling. The air around him shifts, colors appear and disappear, and then he lands, with a thud on his rear. Bouncing a bit, he blinks, and opens his eyes to find himself staring at his reflection in a darkened computer monitor. His ginger hair is wild. And he’s scowling. Obviously.

He looks around, judging by the amount of electronic devices he is in an office of some kind…

“Oh, you’re here!” a woman’s voice says.

Loki’s eyes snap up. Behind the monitor is a middle aged human woman with mousy, mussed, brown hair. Peering at him owlishly through slightly askew glasses she whispers. “It worked.”

Loki’s skin heats, his hands curl around the armrests of the chair he has landed on. “What sort of magic is this!”

The woman’s lips purse and her forehead crinkles. “The magic of artistic license?”

“What?” snaps Loki. A form of enchantment he knows nothing about? Standing from his chair, he walks around the desk to glare down at the woman. She is sitting on an aeron chair in front of her own oversized monitor.

Fluttering her hands nervously, she says, “We have to hurry, my husband will be home soon, and my toddler’s nap will be over…and…”

So that’s what this is about. He snorts.

Stopping her stammering, the woman stares at him, wide eyed and fidgety.

Sauntering over to lean on her desk he takes a look up and down her body. “I realize,” he says. “That I have a certain reputation, for a lack of discrimination…but could you have at least put on a pair of socks without holes?”

The woman looks down at her socks, and back up at him, eyes blinking rapidly behind her glasses. “What?”

He glowers down at her. Besides holey socks she’s wearing a winter scarf, and a enormous sweater. Overall, she gives the impression of an overly large potato. Reaching forward he removes a piece of lint from from her potato-sack-posing-as-a-garment, plucks off a piece of lint, and flicks it away. “Is this how you seduce a man? No wonder you’ve had to resort to magic.”

Her mouth drops open. Throwing her hands up, she says, “No, oh, no!” The woman bites her lip. “I write books about you, and someone suggested I should interview you, but my husband, he said, no, absolutely not, no more chaos in the house, two children is enough, and well…” She looks away. “No, I don’t want sex, maybe sleep…but this is the only time I have so…”

Loki straightens. “You write books about me?” he asks suspiciously.

Turning back to face him she nods vigorously. “Oh, yes, well, ebooks really, but someday…Well, anyway, you’re the hero.”

Loki takes a step back—and bumps into a wall. It’s a small office. “Really?” he says.

She nods again. “Yep, I’m trying to redeem you.”

Loki scowls. He’s heard that before. Peering at her through narrowed eyes, he says, “You’re not trying to make me boring, are you?”

Throwing her hands up in the air, she says, “Oh, no, by redeeming you I’m trying to redeem the whole concept of chaos itself.”

Loki’s stomach flutters. “Redeeming…chaos?” Usually, he has been extolled to stop creating chaos…which he can’t, no matter how hard he tries. It just seems to follow him everywhere.

She shrugs. “Well, chaos, at it’s most basic level is change…and well, life is chaos.” She lets out a long breath. “I have children. I know.”

Loki sighs, a little bittersweetly. Children are chaos, and he loved all his…

She turns towards her computer. “And really, as a person who works from home in the tech field and makes a decent living, I can tell you, I have benefited directly from chaos. Especially as a woman it has…”

“Spare me your feminist clap-trap!” Waving a hand he says, “Proceed with your questions!”

Her lips purse. She bites her lip. “Right, well these are questions directly from fans…”

Loki beams. He has fans. Delightful. “Go on,” he says, giving his smile a touch of a leer.

Clearing her throat, and spinning to put her hands on her keyboard, the woman says, “What do you think of late night television?”

Giving a flick of his wrist he says, “Why watch late night television when there is so much free porn on the internet! Next question!”

She looks back at him. “Errr…actually, that was the only question I have…”

Loki stares at her a moment.

She ducks her head.

“The only question?” Loki asks with the raise of an eyebrow.

Biting her lips she says, “I didn’t say I was a popular author.”

Typical. Shoulders slumping, Loki lets out a long breath and snips. “I’m glad that my redemption is in such capable hands.”

Straightening in her chair, the woman says, “Hey, I’ve been compared to Neil Gaiman!”

Loki’s nose begins to itch furiously. Someone isn’t quite telling the truth. He narrows his eyes at her.

Clasping her hands together, she says tentatively, “Once even favorably?”

Loki snorts. Turning, he takes a step forward and grabs hold of the office door. It is a small office. “Do you have any food?” he asks.

Without waiting for a response he opens the door and steps out into a living area. A little boy with dark brown curls is sitting on a couch staring down at a digital tablet. He doesn’t even bother to look up as Loki enters the room. Loki’s eyes slide to the side to see double doors leading to a balcony overlooking Chicago’s West Loop. He’d guess he’s about 8 stories up. His eyes slide the other way—and right into the kitchen.

“Please don’t be loud. You’ll wake the toddler,” The woman says.

Ignoring her, Loki goes to the far end of the kitchen…in about four long strides. It isn’t a very big home. He opens the furthest cabinet and his eyes immediately light on a bag of Ghirardelli dark chocolate chips. Licking his lips he takes out the bag, it’s still mostly full, but judging by the ragged opening…

Raising an eyebrow, he peers into the chips. “Do you have mice in this house?”

“No!” she says.

Loki shrugs. “I wouldn’t care anyway.” He dips back his head and begins to empty the contents of the bag into his mouth.

From the door comes a knock. The boy on the couch instantly becomes alert. “Maybe that is UPS.” Without letting go of his tablet he dashes through the kitchen and out of sight, presumably to the front door.

From the office comes a ding. The womans eyes go wide. “That’s Facebook! Maybe someone has another question!” Turning, quickly she disappears.

From Loki’s other side he hears a door open. And then the boy says, “Who are you?”

A deep, rich, familiar voice, rumbles through the house. “Did somone call for a trickster?”

Author’s Note:
Who is at the door? Will the author’s husband come in at an inopportune time? Shall I continue? Anymore questions for Loki?

The first part of my series I Bring the Fire is FREE — links to download it are in the sidebar.

A great way to analyze site traffic! This is a terrific way for anyone advertising on the intertubes to check the relative value of a service.

I went through and analyzed all the sites I have for e-book advertising—because I am compulsive like that.

It takes a huge suspension of disbelief to jump into a new world, and I really appreciate everyone letting the world know in reviews that I Bring the Fire is worth it. It means a lot to me.

So thank you Wright, Ida Briggs, Rebecca Stigers, Megan Earlye and Sylvia T. Bazemore “Techgal”, Iris for your reviews of I Bring the Fire on Amazon and Goodreads.

Thank you Iris (again!), Nicole, rainymom, Nicole Mcdevitt “aleryan”, Carolyn Dymock for your reviews of Monsters.

And thanks J E and Iris for your reviews of Chaos.

Thank you Iris, LKL, C. Reynoso, and Maggie Morrison for your reviews of In the Balance.

And thanks J. Simpson for reviewing my anthology!

Just writin’. Listening to this…

In the Balance - An I Bring the Fire Novella 
NOW AVAILABLE ON ITUNES

Called into ADUO’s offices to identify a magical artifact, Amy is taken on a journey beyond the universe itself. She comes face to face with the good and the bad of the forces of order and chaos, and has to chose for herself which of many imperfect paths to take.

The fate of the Nine Realms is in the balance. This time, it’s in Amy’s hands.

An I Bring the Fire novella that takes place after Chaos.

Download it Now From iTunes>

(Also available at Smashwords & Amazon)