Author: Madeline Crane

Fantasy writer, tabletop gamer, wearer of hats.

Song of the Week

Darling Violetta, “Sanctuary” (theme from Angel)

It’s Monday again.

There are things happening in blog-land this week! First, I’ll have the latest chapter of Journey to the Water available here on Wednesday. Patreon supporters could read it a week early, so if that’s something that interests you, it’s only $3 a month!

Special thanks to Brooke Miller, Stephen Crane, Lili Crane, Jane McCreedy, and Chelsea Cheveria for supporting me on Patreon and making my work possible. I can now afford my meds on Patreon alone, which is pretty cool.

Speaking of Patreon, I’ll be holding a special Patreon Livestream this weekend! I’ll be playing a game and chatting with viewers about fantasy tropes and whatever else you want to talk about. It’s also great background entertainment for your holiday baking. I’ll have more details later this week as I finalize my schedule.

I’ll also be on Twitch tonight and possibly Saturday night, pending holiday prep.

Line edits for Beyond the Frost-Cold Sea are continuing. I’ll update you all when they’re done and let you know my next steps toward publication!

As always, thank you for reading, and have an excellent week.

Beyond the Frost-Cold Sea Update!

Hello, friends! The new draft of Beyond the Frost-Cold Sea is done! It clocks in at 89,811 words.

Now it’s time for line edits. Wish me luck!

New Patreon Post / Journey to the Water Interlude One

You cannot return from whence you came, and beyond the borders of this place lie the spirit wilds. You’d be likely to have your face stolen, or worse.

Journey to the Water Interlude One

The latest chapter of Journey to the Water is now available on Patreon! I’m very excited about this one, as you’ll not only be able to check on what’s going on with Khalim, but you’ll also find out a little about the cosmology of this setting.

Thank you to everyone who supports me on Patreon. It’s been really helpful, and I’m so, so grateful.

If you’re not a Patreon subscriber, would you consider becoming one? It’s only $3 a month, and if I get one more subscriber, I can pay for both the meds I have to take to keep me functional (and writing!) all year round. Plus, you get all chapters a week early, Patreon livestreams where you can chat with me about fantasy tropes and whatever else you like, and there will be a new, Patreon-exclusive story starting sometime in the near-ish future.

If not, don’t worry, I still appreciate you and you can read this chapter here on the blog next week!

Song of the Week

Jen Titus, “O Death” (traditional, from Supernatural)

Happy Monday! I hope you are safe and warm wherever you are. We’ve had our first snowfall here. It didn’t accumulate much, but more is coming.

This week, I’ll have the next chapter of Journey to the Water available on Patreon. I’m planning on a Patreon Livestream soon as well, so stay tuned for updates on that. It’s only $3 a month, and you get livestreams, early chapters, and some other bonus content that’s in the works.

The Tea and Sidequests Channel will be streaming Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice tonight at 6pm US Central time.

Also, an update: I am partway through rewriting the last chapter of Beyond the Frost-Cold Sea! I’m hoping to finish up today, and then do final edits this week. I should have a release date soon!

Thanks for being here. Have an excellent week.

Journey to the Water Chapter V: The Emerald Sea

Journey to the Water cover image: three evergreen trees stand on a hillside, shrouded in bluish fog. Subtitle reads: the sequel to Beyond the Frost-Cold Sea.

Table of Contents

I was a day out of Banwa town, and I had yet to see another soul on the muddy road beside the river. It likely would not have made a difference—Bran was a steppe horse, an exceedingly rare sight this far south. Any other traveler would have been just as much at a loss as I. 

I took him down the riverbank and into the snow-fed water, letting it cool his legs and his belly. He rallied after a few minutes, and we continued on our way, but after an hour he slowed again, panting. 

Aysulu would have known what to do. But she was half a world away, and I had not seen her in more than a year, since I had left Phyreios. Bran had been her last gift to me. I considered, briefly, leaving him, or selling him in the hopes that he would find his way into the hands of someone who could better care for him, but as soon as the thought came to me, I pushed it aside. He deserved better, as did Aysulu’s friendship, and I feared he was the only thing keeping me from the madness of solitude as I traveled alone in this strange land. 

Continue reading “Journey to the Water Chapter V: The Emerald Sea” →

NaNo Update: Calling It Here

Hello, friends. As predicted, the booster shot has hit me like a small-to-medium tractor, and my whole body hurts and my brain is mush.

The final update

I am about halfway through Chapter XXIV of Beyond the Frost-Cold Sea, with a total of 76,832 words. The draft has grown more than I anticipated! The original version of this book, published on this blog between 2019 and 2020, was 77,707 words. With three and a half chapters left, I’m guessing this new version will be well over the expected 80k.

I expect I’ll be back at it tomorrow–my second Covid shot back in April put me down for about 24 hours–and I hope to have this draft done by the end of the week. Then comes final revisions, researching ebook and print-on-demand platforms, formatting, and uploading!

I will keep you posted!

Also, check back tomorrow for the latest chapter of Journey to the Water.

I appreciate you!

Song of the Week

The Paul Schwartz Project, “Addio”

Happy Monday.

So, I looked it up, and I am writing to you from (stolen) Potawatomi land. It’s a good thing to know.

The latest chapter of Journey to the Water will be up on Wednesday, so check back here soon!

There are two days left for my NaNo challenge. Whether I finish on time or not is going to depend on whether or not the booster shot I’m getting this afternoon knocks me flat. On a similar theme, I may or may not be on Twitch this evening, but my streaming partner/husband will be there.

I’ve noticed some new traffic to the blog, so welcome everyone! I’ve set up the layout and color scheme according to what makes sense to me, but if I can make any changes to make reading easier and more accessible, please let me know! Comments are open.

Have an excellent week.

NaNo Update: The Home Stretch

12,000 words (of an estimated 80k) and 3 days to go! If you’re curious, I’m a little ways in to rewriting Interlude Four of Beyond the Frost-Cold Sea.

I’ll be on Twitch tonight streaming Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice if you want to come hang out with me.

New Patreon Post/Journey to the Water Chapter V

“I am looking for the seers of these islands. A dragon told me that they could help me.”

Journey to the Water Chapter V

The latest chapter is now available on Patreon! You can unlock it and also get all future chapters early for less than a medium cup of black coffee a month. There are also added benefits, like Patreon livestreams and my undying gratitude.

If not, you’ll see this chapter here on the website next week.

Song of the Week

Freya Ridings, “Ultraviolet”

It’s Monday again. The wind has turned cold, but injustice pierces deeper than frost.

The Bible says perfect love drives out fear. Martin Luther King, Jr. said that only love can drive out hate. I love my community–my city, my loved ones, my people–more than others hate and fear us, and that is what gives me strength. I hope you can also find strength in the long winter.

I’ll have the latest chapter of Journey to the Water up on Patreon this week, and I’ll be on Twitch this evening and Saturday evening playing some games.

I wish you the best this week.