Tag: love

Back to the Present

Forgot my blood pressure meds last night.  As it was cooler this AM, I made coffee around noon.  Not being a total idiot, it was 50/50 decaf.  Halfway through my second cup, I wondered why I felt so tanjed awful.  I moved to the other side of the formal dining table (where I write) and picked up the BP machine.

164/90.  I then recalled my missed med.  Which I took immediately.  By dinner, and after several glasses of wine, I checked again.  150/90.

Dammit!  I took a third half-pill and reached for the whiskey.  At least I was able to wrap up Part 2 today! Be a shame to die before I complete part 3 and the book!  For those that are new or do not recall, the very last section, called “present day,” hearkens back to this.

There will be a break of a few days as I have to see the unfolding of the joint campaign of the Nation and the City’s Regular Army & Militia A against the cannibals.  Only once they are defeated can I allow things to go to hell.  Halloween comes fast; must make haste slowly.

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Rebellion

An explanation of the surprise Nichole walked into in the last post.  I’d tried to fit Joe into this as well, getting everyone together before things go to hell, but it didn’t work:  I had to keep the 3.5-way conversation as tight as possible, so his part came right back out.

We’re north of 43k words!  I knew Nichole would have a meeting with Mayor Johnson before she was seconded to the Nation.  Seeing here that his daughter – and possible successor, Teresa is present, I think the Army general, Tessmer, will be there, as well.  Four-way dynamics are easiest to write, and in my advanced years, I am all about easy!

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Reaching Power

The few times I was out of cosplay as Elias Ainsworth, I tried to take pictures of the other fantastic outfits at Matsuricon.  Those moments, honestly, were few and far between.  About every thirty minutes I had to take the mask off – too hot! – but it got to the point others would see my clothes and the head and say, “Oh my gosh!  Can I take your picture?!” and back on the head went.

If you’re curious and on Instagram, try my account, @machciv, along with #Matsuricon.

In other news, I realized as I was waking up this morning, that, so far from a power source, Nichole would need to carry some with her.  The rest of this scene wrote itself.

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“Get Chance & Luck!”

A little over 5000 words this weekend.  I feel less useless.  There’s a bit more to the story than what’s below, but the whiskey was starting to win over the caffeine, so it will keep.  Things have to come to a quick head here in part two so that I can ‘flash-forward’ to where it opened with the entire folk of the horsemen on the move into the Centralia Valley.  That leaves me part three:  I gloss their victory over the cannibals, followed quickly by escalating demands from the horsemen and the City.  Then:  Adrianople.

That’s later.  For now, Nichole misses her friends and writes them letters.

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Drencum

“… which is what we was drinking, as we sat about the Korova Milk Bar, trying to make up our raszudoks as to what to do this evening…” ~ A Clockwork Orange.

I’ve been taking caffeine tabs with my boxed wine.  And my beta-blockers.  I’m going to die soon, aren’t I?

Prep-work done with one line into the badlands.  This story is about to go places I can only imagine!  Unlimited Witch Works!

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A Nasty Outbreak… of Plot!

I’ve left plenty of lampshades hanging, time to turn on the lights.  Should be no surprises for anyone following along; I don’t like surprising readers… I’d much rather have them get to the end of chapter (or entire book), put it down, and mutter, “never thought of it that way!”

Also:  when Teresa stood and said, “mess me up!” I broke out laughing.  I’ve no idea where that came from!  Hilarious!

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Doing Your Best

Some caffeine and alcohol in the afternoon helped me to lay down the rest of their dinner.  I’ve over 1k words beyond that, but it’s another day and back to political stuff with Teresa.  I hope to wrap it up tomorrow and then wait and see what comes next. I think there will be one more installment with Mac, followed by the POP back to ‘present’ of Nichole with the Nation on the move…

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001

At 19,074 words, the raw manuscript of Part 1/3 of Nichole5’s second book is complete.  While trying to keep it light-hearted and romantic, I had no choice but to lay some groundwork for what’s coming:  Nichole & John Brunelli personally reconning what’s going on across the Columbia River, to the far northeast of the City.  Teresa both a passive informant as well as secretly excited at the possibility of succeeding her father in power*.  And finally the simple girl, Mackenzie:  who just wants to make beautiful art, about to become a double-agent.

Nearly 20k words, and not one battle!  I must be thinking back to my roots as an author!  Wonder what that bodes for Part 2/3?  Will it open in the middle of combat, or will things continue to progress slow by slow?  The world wonders.  And for Nike and Zom’s?  I’m not remotely close to looking past that curtain.

*I recalled the scene from Robert Graves “I, Claudius,” where, some days after being picked to be Emperor by the Praetorian Guard, Claudius meets with a select few of the Senate leadership:

A senator:  “You are not fit for this job!”

Claudius:  “I agree.  I am old; some say I am without my wits.  But I am alive while dozens of my family went to the grave with theirs fully intact!  You say I have no experience… do you have more?  I’ve been in the Imperial Household since my birth, watching how it works.  Do you know more?”

Expect Teresa (via Nichole) to have a similar speech in Part 3/3… if she’s still alive.  Also, I hope in this installment I’ve captured Nichole’s recognition of the moral grey zone she’s stepped out into, by asking what she does of her friend.  I realized, just now, that she’s created a box of safety around her boyfriend.  Good Lord, but that’s going to backfire.

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Friend for dinner

Work sucked less; dog still not well.  After work had to walk to my car in the rain.  I’m writing books set in Portland, so I regarded it as theater training.  Still maneuvering my way to the conclusion of Part 1 while at the same time laying the groundwork for Part 2

I want to show that Gil and Nichole love one another, but at the same time I want to show that they both know there’s something very odd about their relationship.  In other words, it’s a pretty typical guy-gal thing.

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