Author: Madeline Crane

Fantasy writer, tabletop gamer, wearer of hats.

Song of the Week

The Corrs, “My Lagan Love” (traditional)

Hello again!

What the Hex: Fates & Fae was a smashing success, though I may have gotten my name stolen by a fairy. I maintain that I did not give it up–she only noticed it on the front of a book. I did tell her that if she bought a book, she could have access to all the names within, but she didn’t take me up on my offer. I should be safe. At least she didn’t trick me out of my firstborn.

More to the point, I met some returning readers! These markets often have a different crowd every time, and I love meeting new people and talking about books, but it is so lovely to hear that someone liked my work (and in some cases, is coming back for more). So, thank you. You make all this worthwhile.

A new episode of The Well Below the Valley will be up on Patreon this week, hopefully by Wednesday. It’ll be up here for free reading next week. Sometime next week or the week after, baby should be here, and you won’t hear from me for a bit. I’ll be back with new episodes and some more about the comic sometime after the end of May, and I’ll be able to answer comments and emails through my maternity leave. I plan to be back to attending live events in July.

All of this is still up in the air, however, so I’ll keep you updated as much as I can.

A couple of petitions from my inbox this week:

Via No Business With Genocide: Strengthen the arms embargo on Sudan

Via Amnesty International: Return Kilmar Abrego Garcia and others

Via Free Speech for People: Investigate the Unlawful Kidnapping of Rümeysa Öztürk

Via Physicians for Human Rights: Keep immigration enforcement out of hospitals

That’s all I have for today. Thanks for stopping by!

What the Hex: Fates & Fae

What the Hex Witches Market Fates + Fae a marketplace featurin gover 30 vendors offering unique products that celebrate the enchanting worl dof fairies, fates, and magical realms. Explore a curated selection of free mystical workshops and whimsical creations. Sunday, April 27th 12-5pm $3 entry, Kids free Dresden Castle 3775 E Underwood Ave Cudahy, WI

This Sunday!

If you’ve never been to a What the Hex market before, you’re missing out. The venue is gorgeous (converted church with stained-glass windows), the people (vendors, performers, and perusers alike!) are lovely, and the vibes are excellent. There will be some tasty food and storytime for kids! If the image above isn’t cooperating, admission is $3 (kids are free) and doors will be open from 12-5. The address is 3775 E Underwood Ave., Cudahy, WI.

As mentioned before, this will be my last in-person event before I go on maternity leave, so I hope to see you there.

Somewhat relatedly, I haven’t managed to get the next episode of The Well Below the Valley ready for you (it’s about halfway done), so I’ll have it up next week. Thanks so much for your patience.

Song of the Week

Al Stewart, “Time Passages”

Good morning! It’s Monday again.

This Sunday, I’ll be at What the Hex: Fates & Fae! Admission is only $3, and doors will be open from noon until 5. I’ll be joining a delightfully eclectic selection of magical artists and craftspeople, and there will be performances, workshops, and even a storytime for kids. I’ll have all three books available and some new bookmarks. After this, I’ll be going on maternity leave, so I’m hoping to see lots of people there!

I got a little swamped with appointments, nursery furniture, and an unexpected car problem last week and this past weekend (Milwaukee potholes are a class unto themselves), so I’m behind on The Well Below the Valley, but I’m planning on having a new episode up on Patreon sometime this week–it just might not be the usual Wednesday. I’m hoping to have one more (in addition to this week’s) ready before the baby comes, but at this point, my timeline may be quite short. I’ll keep you posted as much as I can.

I’m also still working on the comic script. I hope to finish and start some storyboarding soon, which will give me something to show you!

A couple of petitions from my inbox this week:

Via Civic Shout: Don’t give refugees a death sentence

Via the ACLU: Free those detained in El Salvador

Via Win Without War: Demand the release of detained students and call ICE to testify

That’s all for today. Thanks for stopping by.

The Well Below the Valley, Episode 7: The Souls of the Heathens

A bleak, leafless tree against a sepia-toned sky. Text reads: Space Whales Press presents The Well Below the Valley, an audio drama

Table of Contents

Dramatis Personae
(in order of appearance)

Eloise “ELLIE” Westmont, probably the best investigator of the group. Female, mid 20s, posh English accent.

Detective Chief Inspector ISKANDAR Meshkia, lender of a small degree of official authority to the operation. Male, late 30s, strong Turkish accent.

KURT Cross, actor, veteran, and car-haver. Male, early 30s, New York accent.

The FIRST CULTIST at the scene, Milton’s enforcer. Male, any age, London accent.

The SECOND CULTIST at the scene, perhaps one with more focus on the magic and mysteries. Male, any age, London accent. 

Dr. ERNEST Wilde, a logical person about to be plunged into an illogical world. Male, early 30s, Northern English accent.

Sebastian MILTON, custodian of arcane lore and hidden mysteries. Male, mid 50s, London accent.

JASMINE Indrani, the late professor’s missing assistant. Female, late 20s, could have a British or Indian Accented English accent. 

Henry CARLTON, Ernest’s longtime friend and practical grounding influence. Male, early 30s, London accent.

EMILIA Niyazova, one of the only people in this Godforsaken city who can make a good cup of Turkish coffee. Female, early 20s, slight Russian (actually Kazakh) accent.

NIGEL Blackthorne, believer in magic. Male, early 30s, posh British accent.

Scene 1: Ext. South Bank market – Night

Continue reading “The Well Below the Valley, Episode 7: The Souls of the Heathens” →

Song of the Week

Kate Bush, “Never Be Mine”

Good morning!

On Wednesday, I’ll have the latest episode of The Well Below the Valley up for free reading. This one is the conclusion of the first act! Professor Ragnarsson’s murderer has been identified, but there is more still to uncover. Next up will be the start of the second act, where the investigators all pile into the car to travel to a small town on the moors that holds even more secrets. Something even more sinister than Nigel Blackthorne’s conspiracies about fish people lurks there.

In slightly less than two weeks (Sunday, April 27), I’ll be attending What the Hex: Fates & Fae edition! This will be my last in-person event before I go on maternity leave, so I hope to see you there. I’ll have copies of all my books and some shiny new bookmarks to promote The Well Below the Valley and Chrysanthemum Dawn.

Couple of petitions from the depths of my inbox:

Via Win Without War: Congress must reject war plans for Mexico and Demand the release of detained students and call ICE to testify

Via Feminist Majority: Urge the United Nations to take action to protect women and girls in Afghanistan

That’s all for today. Stop by later for more things to read, or just to say hi. I should be able to answer comments even as I begin maternity leave in May.

New Patreon Post/ The Well Below the Valley, Episode 7

I wonder what horrors you saw there.

Perhaps you will think on them in the days to come.

Episode 7: The Souls of the Heathens

Hey! I remembered to post here!

I have labored long in the Patreon formatting mines to bring you this, the last episode of the first act of THE WELL BELOW THE VALLEY. Professor Ragnarsson’s murderer has been discovered, but there is so much more our investigators don’t know. Here’s a link to the post.

My Patreon is only $3 a month, and you get new episodes a week early, bonus art, and some other stuff as I think of it. Consider subscribing!

Song of the Week

Kamelot, “Veil of Elysium”

Also check out the acoustic version.

Hello! It’s Monday again.

I’m so proud of and grateful for everyone who went out to protest on Saturday, especially because I am currently too big and round to attend myself. May this be the start of something momentous.

I’m also proud of Wisconsin for turning out to vote last week! The polling place where I work was so busy that we ran out of ballots, but with a little patience and the accessible electronic voting machine, we managed to get everyone’s vote counted.

I am definitely slowing down, and my body and brain are both tired all the time, but I’m going to do my very best to get you a new episode of The Well Below the Valley this week. The comic script is also coming along.

Here’s a couple of petitions for this week:

Via MoveOn.org: Protect LGBTQ and immigrant sanctuary communities

Via Action Network: Denounce attacks on immigrants fleeing authoritarianism and violence

Via The Intercept: Free Rumesya Ozturk

That’s all for today. Thanks for being here.

The Well Below the Valley, Episode 6: The Birth of the World to Come

A bleak, leafless tree against a sepia-toned sky. Text reads: Space Whales Press presents The Well Below the Valley, an audio drama

Table of Contents

Dramatis Personae
(in order of appearance)

KURT Cross, the face of Sunset Investigations. Male, early 30s, New York accent.

Detective Chief Inspector ISKANDAR Meshkia, erstwhile believer in a just world. Male, late 30s, strong Turkish accent.

Chief Superintendent Winston PEMBROKE, Sr., an authority figure more interested in results than process. Male, early 60s, English accent with audible mustache.

Eloise “ELLIE” Westmont, private investigator and avid photographer. Female, mid 20s, posh English accent.

A local SWITCHBOARD OPERATOR, brief and professional. Female, probably 20s or 30s, London accent. 

Dr. ERNEST Wilde, intellectual out of his element. Male, early 30s, Northern English accent.

Sebastian MILTON, dealer in rare books and rarer secrets. Male, mid 50s, London accent.

The FIRST CULTIST at the scene, an all-around ruffian. Male, any age, London accent.

Scene 1: Int. London tenement – Day

Continue reading “The Well Below the Valley, Episode 6: The Birth of the World to Come” →

Song of the Week

Ego Likeness, “Breedless”

Good morning!

Tomorrow is election day in Wisconsin (and a couple other places, as well). I want to encourage you to vote, particularly my fellow Wisconsinites, because the election of a Supreme Court Justice and the Superintendent of Schools is going to make a huge difference for me and my impending child. I don’t want to use this platform to tell you whom to vote for, but if you’ve read anything I’ve ever written, you can probably guess in which direction I’d encourage you. Myvote.wi.gov will have any information you might need, and if you’re not registered, you can register on Election Day at your polling place.

The latest episode of The Well Below the Valley will be available for free reading on Wednesday. It’s currently up on Patreon (I forgot to announce it again; sorry!) if you’re interested in reading early. This week, I’m trying to finish up the next episode and the script for the comic, but between election day and my increasingly frequent doctor’s appointments, I may not complete either, but I’m going to give it my best shot.

Barring any emergencies, I plan to attend What the Hex: Fates & Fae Edition on Sunday, April 27. That will be the last event I’m going to attend before the baby gets here (mid-May), though I hope to be back to doing things by late July. I’ll keep you posted!

No petitions today; just go vote!

Tomorrow! Author Night at Studio Moonfall

Studio Moonfall Meet the Author: fantasy author Madeline Crane Friday, March 28th, 4pm to 7pm at Studio Moonfall, 5031 7th Avenue www.studiomoonfall.com Includes the cover of Journey to the Water: Companion to Beyond the Frost-Cold Sea

I’ll be hanging out at Studio Moonfall at 5031 7th Ave in Kenosha from 4 until 7 tomorrow evening. It’s a very chill time in a lovely little shop, so I hope you can stop by!

Here’s the Facebook event if you need more information, and here’s Studio Moonfall’s website if you’d like to see what else there is on offer. It will also be Free Book Friday, so you can pick out a secondhand book while you’re there!