Category: Random Ramblings

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A Comment Said Too Lightly

Opened Bible CrossToday was the last day of classes. We are going to get together this evening and celebrate the end of three years together, as soon as classes end.

Just as our last Danish class are about to start, a message sounds over the intercom, calling all teachers and students to the meeting hall. We all make our way down there, talking among ourselves and wondering why the whole school is suddenly gathering together. As our exams are going to be published tomorrow, we assume it has something to do with that. Though it makes little sense to call the whole school together, instead of only the third year students.

It’s unusually quiet in the hall, since everyone are confused about the purpose of the meeting. I sit down beside a couple of my male classmates and one of them offhandedly comments:

“Did someone else take the ticket?” Less than two months ago, a second year student got drunk and jumped out from his hotel window during a class trip to London and died a few days later. That morning we were called together like this as well.

I pat his shoulder and says dryly that that is an untimely joke, in case someone actually had died.

That’s the moment our principal walks up on stage and inform us that one of our fellow students died from cancer yesterday.

After hearing the principal talk about the deceased for a while, and holding a minute of silence, we walk back to our classes. My classmate walks beside me.

“Touché.” He says. “I’m going to Hell.”

“Yeah…” I say quietly. “You are.”

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Hawks, Birthdays and Chicken Blood

As it is my birthday, I thought it called for a personal blog instead of my usual observations and thoughts on indie publishing!

One year older, but not the least bit smarter. I’m just as weird and messed up as I was yesterday. Now I’m just covered in blood as well…

That sentence will actually sound less scary after you hear how I spent my day!

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Harris Hawk Most people celebrate their birthdays by going out with friends or family… I decided to spend my day together with a falconer and a couple of his Harris Hawks.

As some of you might know, aside from being a writer, I have a dream of one day becoming a falconer and get to work with birds of prey. I have always had a great fascination for those beautiful birds, and it’s a wonder all my books aren’t filled with falcons(I should totally give Selissa a falcon…).

There’s only a few practicing falconers in Denmark, but luckily I live relatively close to one who offers so called ‘Hawk Walks’ where you get to take out one of his Harris Hawks after having been taught the basics of controlling a falconry bird. It’s a fantastic experience, getting to feel how it is to work together with such an amazing hunter.  It’s definitely addictive.

This was the third time I visited this falconer(I have a nice scar as a reminder of the only time I tried to walk with another falconer’s bird) and the first two times I got to fly the bird he usually used for these ‘walks’, called Odin. Since Odin is used to fly to strangers, he is of course very easy to handle and pretty trustful, but apparently he was on ‘vacation’. What a hawk does on vacation, I will never know…

So it was a huge boost of confidence when the falconer let me try handling one of his hunting hawks, Frigg.

The thing about Harris Hawks(And most other birds of prey) is that the males have a milder temper and are easier to handle. The females are not only almost twice as big, they are also less trustful and more eager to kill. And Frigg is a female Harris Hawk, and not only that, a pretty young one in terms of training.

Compared to Odin, this was like working with a completely wild bird. Normally, I’m pretty calm while handling these birds, but usually I have always been able to read their intents. I admit to being kind of nervous when Frigg landed on my glove and didn’t immediately take off again, but instead sat and studied me intensely. Its eyes were wild and unreadable, not calm like the birds I have tried holding before and in that moment I was not quite sure if it wanted to rip into my face instead of simply taking off from my hand. And the talons on this bird were twice as big as the ones on the male hawks, so that didn’t make me feel much more secure…

But despite my nervousness, it was a very special experience to hold this creature. Everyone can hold a bird that just sit calmly on your hand, another thing is to hold one that, though trained, still very wild in its behavior.

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Because of Frigg’s more stubborn and untrustworthy manner, we only went for a short walk with her. For the main trip, he bought out another male Harris Hawk, called Bob.

Yep, that’s right. Odin, Frigg… Bob.

Harris HawkAnyway, with Bob, who was much calmer and mild-tempered(Not to mention the fact that his talons weren’t long enough to cut all the way through my hand), I was back in my comfort zone and I found him to be a very pleasant partner as we walked through the fields with the falconer.

Now, we’re coming to the part where my hands are covered in blood and chicken feathers. I still remember the first time I had to reach into a falconer back, knowing that it was filled with chopped-up chickens. Surprisingly, you get used to it very fast. So fast, in fact, that you forget what has been underneath your nails before you bite them later… Yuck.

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After that, the walk went relatively unevenful and I didn’t get any new scars to my collection. And I found out that it’s very difficult to drink a juice box with a falconer glove on one hand and the other smeared in blood and feathers. Not to mention an impatient hawk who was annoyed at not getting a juice box as well…

I did get to say hallo to a couple of the falconer’s owls afterwards, though, including a 4 weeks old Eagle Owl who was still covered in silky down. It was so fluffy it was adorable!

I also got the good news that his Burrowing Owls have laid eggs, which means there might soon be a little birdie for me!

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Pictures from the trip:

 

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J.K. Rowling Announces the Title of New Book

As a die-hard Harry Potter fan, I was very excited to hear that J.K. Rowling was released a new book, this time for adults!

Now, the publisher has annouced that the title will be The Casual Vacancy and is going to be released worldwide on the 27th September! I’m so looking forward to it!

We even got a plot summary from Little, Brown:

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When Barry Fairweather dies unexpectedly in his early forties, the little town of Pagford is left in shock.

Pagford is, seemingly, an English idyll, with a cobbled market square and an ancient abbey, but what lies behind the pretty façade is a town at war.

Rich at war with poor, teenagers at war with their parents, wives at war with their husbands, teachers at war with their pupils…Pagford is not what it first seems.

And the empty seat left by Barry on the parish council soon becomes the catalyst for the biggest war the town has yet seen. Who will triumph in an election fraught with passion, duplicity and unexpected revelations?

Blackly comic, thought-provoking and constantly surprising, The Casual Vacancy is J.K. Rowling’s first novel for adults.

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I’m very torn about Rowling releasing a new book, as I know it will never be able to live up to people’s expectations, but I can’t help being excited about it as well! If she can write children’s books that swallow adults all over the world whole, what will her adult books be like?

Read more on Little, Brown’s website: http://www.littlebrown.co.uk/TheCasualVacancy

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SubRosa – A Webcomic

SubRosa is a new webcomic created by my good friend Hans Christian, who goes under the alias Divergence 5 in cyperspace. He is not only the person who designs my book covers for me, but also the guy who originally came up with the character of Alassane! He has been such an amazing help in writing Resounding Echo and in keeping me optimistic about my writing, so I have already waited way too long with dedicating a blog post to him!

He has always been an incredible creative person and I’m very excited about his latest project, the webcomic SubRosa!

It’s only in the beginning stages, but maybe this post can encourage him to hurry up with some new pages!

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Prologue:

After 113 years of war and struggle, times are changing. Not for the better, not for the worse, but in ways that will take it in a completely different direction.
The Curse is upon us. It will claim many victims as it rages among us. It will not hesitate and It will not cease.
The Unmentionables will not rest before they’ve reached their goal.
But some will stand against The Unmentionables.
They will defy the Curse, but only time can tell if they will succeed. The way they must go is clear, but not without obstacles. The Unmentionables will not tolerate anyone going against them and will do everything in their power to stop them from foiling their plan.
Many signs will appear during the journey for answers… Some will tell the story of the Creaters’ return, but in the ears of the unknowing it is merely an old tale.
But soon… The truth will be told.

 

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The prologue here is about the only thing he has given me as a clue to the plot of the comic, so only time will tell what is going to happen in the future! I’ll wait with bated breath(So when I die, it’s ALL his fault)…

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Samoyed Spring Cleaning

Spring has arrived. The sun is shining, birds are chirping… And my white furballs are developing their adult dog coat!

So before I could even consider spring cleaning the house, my doggies needed a thoughout brushing!

So that’s what I did… Recruiting my father and arming both of us with dog brushes, I went to war!

Samoyeds

One hour later, I was more covered in fur than the dogs, and the dogs looked… About the same.

And worst of all, they just stood there looking innocent as if they hadn’t made me wrestle them for an hour until I was out of breath and had dog fur up my nose.

On the other hand, I now have enough dog hair to soundproof my bedroom… Or knit a dozen sweaters. I’m beginning to believe the only reason farmers raise sheep instead of samoyeds is the smell of wet dog when you wash the wool…

I have always wondered why such long-haired dogs didn’t shed more than they do. Now I know it’s just because they save up until they can shed an entire coat at once!

Dog fur

I had to mash it all together to be able to hold it, and half of it was still attached to my clothes(And a great deal in my nose…)! And Aika is just sitting and grinning at me while my back is turned! Why did I even get the only dog breed capable of grinning?!