To contribute something outside the box, I'll tell you something about why I just paid a small donation to a photographer, who wants to develop film rolls for 1.200 photographs from the 1950.
One: I love the mystery, and I really, reaaally want to know what's on them. Since I can't develop photographs, and since I don't have the time or the money, all I can do to contribute is a small donation and to spread the word.
Two: I'd love to see more depictions of ancient or medieval times. Especially texts or pictures made by the Celts would have made my day. But we don't have them, because they didn't write things down and only made very few paintings. I want to make sure that future generations get a chance to see what this-or-that time was really like.
Three: The most fascinating visit I ever had was one to a Victorian era museum, where they showed paintings, the first photographs, and a tour through a typical lower-class living quarters. They were able to do that because of photographs that depicted one single storey of a workers house, but couldn't do much more than that. I'd hate to sit by and watch as our grand-children are robbed of a learning experience that would be made possible by small things, like saving a bunch of film rolls.
If you'd like to see what this is all about, please visit this crowdfunding site on Indiegogo!
Dienstag, 28. Juni 2016
Freitag, 24. Juni 2016
Friday Fade-Out! - Bending the Unbreakable, Part 1
Welcome again!
I am still working on padding out my blog with more material for you, so I decided on working on one of my short stories on a weekly basis, and keeping you up to date with regular posts.
I christen this "Friday Fade-Out"!
As we move along, I'll add the new parts to the short story site you'll be able to find in the "Free Appetizers" section, so you'll have two places to read up :)
Well! Let's get started!
It had been such a stupid, high-handed idea to wait a few days before trying to get a recharge for his mimikry talisman. And for what? A pitcher of milk! He could have drunk water, but no, it had sounded like such a good idea back then. Stupid, stupid, stupid! Had he really thought the Fae invaders would ignore a human boy wandering around their commerce district, just three short weeks after they had taken over the city? Amidst a war against his race, and smack-dab in the middle of the frontier? He had been so sure of himself, with all that warm milk in his belly, and then the talisman had run out, and now there was nowhere to hide, no way to sneak back to that peddling Pander merchant and get it recharged.
It was too late.
It didn’t matter how well he knew the cobblestone clad streets, because by now, the Ailill, or Fae, or elves, whatever they were called, had learned all the hidden routes by heart. They were proficient at their jobs, much better trained than the human townsguards had ever been. They had to be; there had been multiple attempts to take back the city in the last few weeks, and each and every one of them had been stopped before the attackers had even reached the main square. And now, Niro was using the exact same rat runs to flee.
Timber framed plaster walls raced by, as he tore through another carriage way and towards the east gate. Thick, sticky sweat burned on his back and arms, running down his spine in itching globs and drenching his torn linen pants with the smell of dread. He had been thirsty before, but by now his tongue was sticking to the roof of his mouth and every breath stung in his dry throat. He didn’t need to look back for his pursuers, though, he knew they were still on his tracks by the rhythmic clinking of their chain armor, and by the sounds of their whistles and shouts. They hadn’t managed to gain ground but they were able to keep up with him, and they definitely could out-endure him in this chase. He was already flagging.
The cobblestones beneath his naked feet rubbed his soles raw, as he skittered around another corner, trying his best to minimize the distance to his destination. There it was, the east gate, still laying in waste and broken, and therefor never closed. It was well guarded on the outside, but nobody would expect a dirty, young street urchin trying to break out by simply hopping the broken boulders. He had done it once before, and right now it was his only chance to escape.
Nearly there, only a few more seconds…
Twenty feet from the gate, a shadow stepped out of a side street just as Niro ran past.
Something hard slapped against his chest, slamming him onto the ground hard enough to steal his breath and paralyze him for a few seconds. When he finally could, he screamed with frustration and panic, only to be silenced by a ruthless kick from the elven woman who had brought him down with one arm and a well placed step. The Fae in guard uniform didn’t gloat or wait for him to catch himself though; she was on him before he could make another move. He only just caught a glimpse of her shiny, scaled armor, brimmed with silver and gold and some other, duller, turquoise colored alloy, then she was out of sight and the sun took the last of his vision, blinding him with its brightness.
Her weight ground him into the dirt-laden plaster stones beneath him, and he gasped for air, breathing in the stink of days-old dung, ash and straw. It only made him struggle more, and this time the sheen of sweat came to his help. The guard’s grip slipped again and again as she tried to turn him and wrench his arms behind his back, accompanied by his breathless, wheezing screams.
“Stop struggling, you filthy maggot,” she finally bellowed, and slammed the boy’s head against the stone hard enough to make him black out for a few seconds. He could feel her shackle his arms tightly behind his back, then she kicked him and let him lie there as she turned around to wait for the guards still running towards them. Niro still gasped for air, trying to breathe through the pounding in his head and the sick feeling of panic in his stomach. He could feel a trickle of blood slowly make its way down his face, but the pain in his ribs made everything else feel almost numb. It would have been the perfect moment to run on any other day, but not this time. As much as he wanted to use her negligence for a quick escape, the world was spinning too much to even think of moving without spilling his guts onto the floor.
He lay still, panting in the summer heat as the other guards stopped next to his captor. “Quick little rabbit, isn’t he?” Niro could hear one of them say. That elven bastard didn’t even sound breathless.
“They are always this agile when they are young. But then they grow up and get slow and fat,” the female guard huffed dismissively, and Niro felt her gaze wander over his body. “I can’t even guess what age this one is, he’s so filthy and emaciated. Screamed like a piglet, too. I wouldn’t be surprised if they just send him north and be done with him. Nobody needs a starving boy in times like these.” The other guards laughed that low, amused, callous chuckle of people unaffected by the fate of one.
A fearful whine crawled out of Niro’s throat before he could contain it. To be sent north meant to be sent into the mines of Northvale, and that was tantamount to a death sentence. The guards laughed again, as if in response to his fear, happy and uncaring enough to match the moniker humanity had bestowed on them: ‘Alb’, nightmares in the flesh.
“Well, that’s that, then. Get him upright and take him to the reeve, he’ll know what the House will want to do with the boy,” one of the male Fae said, then he raised a hand and waved at the bell tower three times.
The female guard bent down and pulled Niro up by the nape of his neck, but it was too fast and too harsh a movement for his spinning head. The last thing he heard over the sounds of him retching was the ring of the warning bell, telling everyone that the danger was over. Then he thankfully blacked out.
I am still working on padding out my blog with more material for you, so I decided on working on one of my short stories on a weekly basis, and keeping you up to date with regular posts.
I christen this "Friday Fade-Out"!
As we move along, I'll add the new parts to the short story site you'll be able to find in the "Free Appetizers" section, so you'll have two places to read up :)
Well! Let's get started!
Bending the Unbreakable 🐾 🍌
A bell was ringing, filling the streets of Tetharion with its heart-thrumming, clarion sounds. Each ring made Niro try to run faster, although he was already sprinting outright, out of breath, and out of options. There was no possible way to hide in broad daylight, not on a break day, and definitely not from the eyes and ears of the townsguard. They were following him with as much fervor as blood hounds were wont to show, and the sun-kissed heat of mid-summer made every step a hurdle. As he flew by an ox cart, a group of tinkers setting up shop next to one of the open smithies, and a horse trader who had to grab on to the reins of his animals hard as they shied away from the grimy, huffing streak passing them, he cursed himself between the gasps for air.It had been such a stupid, high-handed idea to wait a few days before trying to get a recharge for his mimikry talisman. And for what? A pitcher of milk! He could have drunk water, but no, it had sounded like such a good idea back then. Stupid, stupid, stupid! Had he really thought the Fae invaders would ignore a human boy wandering around their commerce district, just three short weeks after they had taken over the city? Amidst a war against his race, and smack-dab in the middle of the frontier? He had been so sure of himself, with all that warm milk in his belly, and then the talisman had run out, and now there was nowhere to hide, no way to sneak back to that peddling Pander merchant and get it recharged.
It was too late.
It didn’t matter how well he knew the cobblestone clad streets, because by now, the Ailill, or Fae, or elves, whatever they were called, had learned all the hidden routes by heart. They were proficient at their jobs, much better trained than the human townsguards had ever been. They had to be; there had been multiple attempts to take back the city in the last few weeks, and each and every one of them had been stopped before the attackers had even reached the main square. And now, Niro was using the exact same rat runs to flee.
Timber framed plaster walls raced by, as he tore through another carriage way and towards the east gate. Thick, sticky sweat burned on his back and arms, running down his spine in itching globs and drenching his torn linen pants with the smell of dread. He had been thirsty before, but by now his tongue was sticking to the roof of his mouth and every breath stung in his dry throat. He didn’t need to look back for his pursuers, though, he knew they were still on his tracks by the rhythmic clinking of their chain armor, and by the sounds of their whistles and shouts. They hadn’t managed to gain ground but they were able to keep up with him, and they definitely could out-endure him in this chase. He was already flagging.
The cobblestones beneath his naked feet rubbed his soles raw, as he skittered around another corner, trying his best to minimize the distance to his destination. There it was, the east gate, still laying in waste and broken, and therefor never closed. It was well guarded on the outside, but nobody would expect a dirty, young street urchin trying to break out by simply hopping the broken boulders. He had done it once before, and right now it was his only chance to escape.
Nearly there, only a few more seconds…
Twenty feet from the gate, a shadow stepped out of a side street just as Niro ran past.
Something hard slapped against his chest, slamming him onto the ground hard enough to steal his breath and paralyze him for a few seconds. When he finally could, he screamed with frustration and panic, only to be silenced by a ruthless kick from the elven woman who had brought him down with one arm and a well placed step. The Fae in guard uniform didn’t gloat or wait for him to catch himself though; she was on him before he could make another move. He only just caught a glimpse of her shiny, scaled armor, brimmed with silver and gold and some other, duller, turquoise colored alloy, then she was out of sight and the sun took the last of his vision, blinding him with its brightness.
Her weight ground him into the dirt-laden plaster stones beneath him, and he gasped for air, breathing in the stink of days-old dung, ash and straw. It only made him struggle more, and this time the sheen of sweat came to his help. The guard’s grip slipped again and again as she tried to turn him and wrench his arms behind his back, accompanied by his breathless, wheezing screams.
“Stop struggling, you filthy maggot,” she finally bellowed, and slammed the boy’s head against the stone hard enough to make him black out for a few seconds. He could feel her shackle his arms tightly behind his back, then she kicked him and let him lie there as she turned around to wait for the guards still running towards them. Niro still gasped for air, trying to breathe through the pounding in his head and the sick feeling of panic in his stomach. He could feel a trickle of blood slowly make its way down his face, but the pain in his ribs made everything else feel almost numb. It would have been the perfect moment to run on any other day, but not this time. As much as he wanted to use her negligence for a quick escape, the world was spinning too much to even think of moving without spilling his guts onto the floor.
He lay still, panting in the summer heat as the other guards stopped next to his captor. “Quick little rabbit, isn’t he?” Niro could hear one of them say. That elven bastard didn’t even sound breathless.
“They are always this agile when they are young. But then they grow up and get slow and fat,” the female guard huffed dismissively, and Niro felt her gaze wander over his body. “I can’t even guess what age this one is, he’s so filthy and emaciated. Screamed like a piglet, too. I wouldn’t be surprised if they just send him north and be done with him. Nobody needs a starving boy in times like these.” The other guards laughed that low, amused, callous chuckle of people unaffected by the fate of one.
A fearful whine crawled out of Niro’s throat before he could contain it. To be sent north meant to be sent into the mines of Northvale, and that was tantamount to a death sentence. The guards laughed again, as if in response to his fear, happy and uncaring enough to match the moniker humanity had bestowed on them: ‘Alb’, nightmares in the flesh.
“Well, that’s that, then. Get him upright and take him to the reeve, he’ll know what the House will want to do with the boy,” one of the male Fae said, then he raised a hand and waved at the bell tower three times.
The female guard bent down and pulled Niro up by the nape of his neck, but it was too fast and too harsh a movement for his spinning head. The last thing he heard over the sounds of him retching was the ring of the warning bell, telling everyone that the danger was over. Then he thankfully blacked out.
Mittwoch, 22. Juni 2016
Welcome to my new site!
Welcome, willkommen, bienvenue, bienvenido!
I finally got around to designing a blog for my work as an author and I'm thrilled you found me! As I dive deeper and deeper into the workings of being an author-- which I now proudly am able to call myself-- I discovered a few things I didn't know before. For instance, a good author has a blog. Not one of those strictly on-topic-blogs, but a kind of welcome-sign for his or her readers to congregate and communicate.
And here I always thought I'd be able to skip the spotlight :D
No more skipping my fans for me, though, I am taking this very seriously and I'll try my best to keep you up to date on my work and other interesting topics that coincide with my stories.
Since you are new to this site- after all, it's all but a few hours old- let me give you a tour. I tried to make the layout as easy on the eyes and structured as possible, but since I've been staring at it for hours and hours, maybe you can give me some pointers as to what's still missing and what parts I should keep working on.
About the Author
I admit, I hate talking about myself. I think this is a flaw most ladies share and it's really hard to overcome. I've tried to give you a short and crispy insight into little ol' me, but it'll definitely get a do-over, as soon as I know what is bothering me with that site. And a picture! Of course I'll add a sufficiently preposterous picture :)
Free Appetizers
This section will hold all my short stories and vignettes, free reading material for new and old visitors. I added a little icon index to make browsing easier. It'll make sense as soon as there's more than one link.
Books by me
You actually can't see that category yet, since I didn't like how empty it looked. I'll fill it with my published works, release dates, covers and reviews, as soon as there is something to show you. Patience, patience!
My worlds
A big thanks to my friend Denise for suggesting this category! Since I'm one of those writers who like to create their universes for more than one story, I'll put all my backgrounds and side information, those little tid-bits of knowledge that won't actually be in any of my stories but still might tickle your fancy, in there.
So, you like? What additions to my blog would you suggest?
I finally got around to designing a blog for my work as an author and I'm thrilled you found me! As I dive deeper and deeper into the workings of being an author-- which I now proudly am able to call myself-- I discovered a few things I didn't know before. For instance, a good author has a blog. Not one of those strictly on-topic-blogs, but a kind of welcome-sign for his or her readers to congregate and communicate.
And here I always thought I'd be able to skip the spotlight :D
No more skipping my fans for me, though, I am taking this very seriously and I'll try my best to keep you up to date on my work and other interesting topics that coincide with my stories.
Since you are new to this site- after all, it's all but a few hours old- let me give you a tour. I tried to make the layout as easy on the eyes and structured as possible, but since I've been staring at it for hours and hours, maybe you can give me some pointers as to what's still missing and what parts I should keep working on.
About the Author
I admit, I hate talking about myself. I think this is a flaw most ladies share and it's really hard to overcome. I've tried to give you a short and crispy insight into little ol' me, but it'll definitely get a do-over, as soon as I know what is bothering me with that site. And a picture! Of course I'll add a sufficiently preposterous picture :)
Free Appetizers
This section will hold all my short stories and vignettes, free reading material for new and old visitors. I added a little icon index to make browsing easier. It'll make sense as soon as there's more than one link.
Books by me
You actually can't see that category yet, since I didn't like how empty it looked. I'll fill it with my published works, release dates, covers and reviews, as soon as there is something to show you. Patience, patience!
My worlds
A big thanks to my friend Denise for suggesting this category! Since I'm one of those writers who like to create their universes for more than one story, I'll put all my backgrounds and side information, those little tid-bits of knowledge that won't actually be in any of my stories but still might tickle your fancy, in there.
So, you like? What additions to my blog would you suggest?
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