The Tea and Sidequests Twitch channel has an accompanying YouTube channel, where you can watch past streams, such as this one:
We’ll be back on Twitch tomorrow evening!
Author: Madeline Crane
Fantasy writer, tabletop gamer, wearer of hats.
Song of the Week
Tori Amos, “Wednesday”
Happy Monday. I am writing this from underneath a snow drift, so that’s how things are going here.
I’ve been having trouble keeping up with The Book of the New Moon Door along with all my other projects and responsibilities. In order to stay on a predictable schedule, I’m going to be posting a chapter every other week. I’ll revisit this when I finish the current draft of my book, either going back to a chapter a week or starting a new project to alternate with it. I am planning on starting the sequel to Beyond the Frost-Cold Sea in the spring, so keep an eye out for that.
So, with that being said, there won’t be a new chapter up this week. The next chapter will be up next week, probably Wednesday.
In the meantime, I’ll be on Twitch tonight playing a game–I haven’t decided which yet. If you haven’t visited the Tea and Sidequests channel, you’re missing out, because we are a delight.
Have an excellent week, and stay safe and warm.
The Book of the New Moon Door: Chapter Fifteen
Lady Breckenridge
Berend turns on his heel and starts walking north again, between rows of leaning Shell District construction. He places one foot in front of the other, parallel with the dirty gutter, and at each cross street he moves from one corner to the next, careful not to give himself even the chance to make an unintended turn.
This route should lead him to the place where the Shell district and the West Gate meet, just outside the Temple District. It might not be exactly where he was turned around before, but it should be close. Would he see some kind of shimmering barrier, like in the old stories? Three days ago, he wouldn’t have believed it. Now he’s ready to believe anything. It’s a dangerous state to be in, and he knows it.
I’m not going mad, I’m not going mad, he says to himself with each careful step. There’s an explanation and I’m going to find it.
Continue reading “The Book of the New Moon Door: Chapter Fifteen”Song of the Week
Bright Eyes, “Middleman”
Happy Monday! It is fully winter now, and pervasively, oppressively gray everywhere I look, but I’m trying to stay positive. Please enjoy this song.
I’ll be on Twitch tonight playing Darkest Dungeon! I will also be back here later this week with another chapter of The Book of the New Moon Door. Check back soon!
Have an excellent week, whatever the weather is where you are.
The Book of the New Moon Door: Chapter Fourteen
Deflection
Berend wakes up from the sort of dreamless, black unconsciousness he cultivated on long marches as a young man. As much as the discoveries of last night—indeed, of the last few days—unsettled him, his body needed sleep, and would get it however it could.
He picks himself up and goes to the door of his room. On the floor outside is a tray, with a dish of still-cold butter and another with several pieces of hearty brown bread. An envelope sits between the plates. Berend’s other clothes, now clean of the dust and rot of the manor and its ghost, lie in a neatly folded stack to one side.
Continue reading “The Book of the New Moon Door: Chapter Fourteen”Song of the Week
Blanco White, “El Búho”
Happy Monday. It’s also Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. As the Southern Poverty Law Center likes to say, today, the march continues.
There will be a new chapter of The Book of the New Moon Door sometime this week. While you’re waiting, check out the Stories tab above to catch up on anything you missed 🙂
I’ll also be on the Tea and Sidequests channel this evening and Saturday evening.
Keep fighting the good fight, and have an excellent week.
Song of the Week
Al Green, “Take Me to the River”
I was considering posting either Annie Lennox or the Talking Heads’ version, but decided to go with the original.
It’s Monday again.
Here are two things I’m going to be doing this week, and I would like to gently encourage you to do the same:
First, I’m going to be contacting my Senators and Representatives, and encouraging them to take action to investigate the attempted fascist coup on the Capitol and remove the president from office. The links there will help you find your congresspeople and get in touch with them.
Second, I’m going to be practicing self-care and getting plenty of rest. The work of restoring democracy and creating the equal and just future we imagine continues and will go on, and we won’t be able to do that work if we all get ill. We are still in a pandemic.
With that being said, I’m unsure if I will be able to get another chapter of The Book of the New Moon Door up this week. If not, I’ll be sure to post one next week and try to resume a regular schedule.
Tea and Sidequests will be streaming tonight and Saturday night, 6-8 pm. Tonight’s game will be Mount and Blade II: Bannerlord, and Saturday should be a return to Darkest Dungeon. If you have the time and inclination, we’d love it if you’d stop by.
I hope you are healthy and safe. Have an excellent week.
The Book of the New Moon Door: Chapter Thirteen
Warehouse
Gregor is silent as he leads Berend and Isabel through the dim, grimy streets of the Shell District. It’s been more than a full day since the last rain, but the gutters are still wet, the runoff blackened with the city’s filth. A faint, putrid miasma hangs above the street, held in by the overhanging buildings. Gregor’s lantern does little to push the shadows away.
They’re heading for the West Gate, where the highway enters Mondirra. It receives all the overland traffic, and the city divides its industry between it and the River District. Isabel has been there exactly twice: once to enter, and once to leave, when she was here last. She had been an apprentice, then, young and wide-eyed at the marvels of the largest city she had ever seen, following at the heels of her teacher.
Mondirra isn’t as fascinating and glamorous as she remembers. Now, she mostly sees the dirt.
Continue reading “The Book of the New Moon Door: Chapter Thirteen”Song of the Week
Loreena McKennitt, “All Souls Night”
Happy Monday! Here we are in the new year. Please enjoy this song, about beautiful festivals and the passing of the old and the welcoming of the new.
I will be on Twitch tonight making terrible commentary as my husband and streaming partner plays Mount and Blade II: Bannerlord. You can find our channel here. If you stop by and chat, you may see some cats as well. We’ll also be streaming on Saturday, but I haven’t decided what game yet. We might do more Darkest Dungeon.
There will be a new chapter of The Book of the New Moon Door here later this week! I’m trying for Wednesday, but we’ll see how my time management goes.
Announcing the Tea and Sidequests channel!
My husband and I have created a joint Twitch channel! You can find it here!
We’re going to be streaming Monday and Saturday evenings, starting next week, from 6 to 8 in the evening (US Central time).
I’m very excited to start sharing some of our favorite games with you. In this time of isolation, I’m also looking forward to chatting with old and new friends. I hope you can stop by sometime!
If you miss a stream, we’re going to be uploading them to YouTube here. I’ve also updated the social icons at the bottom of the blog to these new sites.
Happy New Year!
Space Whales Press 