Category: music

Song of the Week

Clannad, “I Will Find You”

Good morning! (Pretty sure it’s still morning.)

I had a lovely time at What the Hex! Hello to everyone I met there, as well as old friends. I think I still have enough books to take to Bookoween in Kenosha on the 31st.

I didn’t get as much work on Last Watch Before Dawn done over the weekend as I had hoped, between the market and having to draw three new panels (and make room for them on the page), but I’ve finished 61 of 90 pages and should be nearly done by this time next week.

A couple of petitions for today:

Via Action Corps: The people want peace with Iran

Via Oxfam: Gaza’s reconstruction must be led by Palestinians

Via National Campaign for Justice: Children must have lawyers in immigration court

I’ll be back with an update on Friday. In the meantime, have an excellent week.

Song of the Week

Kate Rusby, “Sir Eglamore” (traditional)

Good afternoon!

The day has kind of gotten away from me, but baby is napping directly on my chest, so I have some time to provide the customary weekly update.

I have completed 41 of 90 pages of Last Watch Before Dawn, Vol 1! That means I’ve finished the first two (very short) chapters and almost finished the third (much longer) chapter. I’ll be back on Friday with another update.

This Saturday is What the Hex: The Moon! 3-9pm at Dresden Castle on Underwood, Cudahy, WI. I’ll be there with Brooke, who will have some new cards! I’ve got the same books, but if you haven’t grabbed a Last Watch bookmark yet, be sure to get one before they run out. Also grab a book while you’re at it!

Brooke has also very generously painted a beautiful cover image for the comic, and I’m excited to show it to you once I have it formatted. That will be after edits are done.

My email is pretty low on petitions this week, so instead of that, I’ll encourage you to check your voter registration. myvote.wi.gov has everything Wisconsinites need, and I’d imagine other states have similar sites.

Thanks for being here! Stop by again soon, and I hope to see you at What the Hex!

Song of the Week

First Aid Kit, “Winter Is All Over You”

Good morning!

I am happy to report that I have completed edits on sixteen pages! I’m hoping to be done before the end of the month, and release Volume 1 in mid-November.

On October 17, I’ll be at What the Hex: The Moon, and on October 31, I’ll be at Studio Moonfall’s Bookoween. More on those as we get closer, but in the meantime, mark your calendars!

A couple of petitions for today:

Via Faithful America: End child detention

Via The Workers Circle: Protect Haitian TPS

Via IMEU Policy Project: Stop land theft in the West Bank

Thanks for being here! I’ll be back Friday with another update. Have an excellent week.

Song of the Week

Sam Brookes, “Black Feathers”

Good morning!

I have spent all weekend wrestling with formatting, and it looks like I’m going to have to do it myself instead of relying on IngramSpark’s automatic tools. I’ve always used them before for my books, but full-page images are proving to be too much for them.

I’ll be working on the newsletter today, and it will go out on Wednesday at noon my time (US Central Daylight). If you’re not signed up and would like to be, put your email in the box at this link. It will then send a confirmation to your inbox.

After I’m done with that, it’s time for editing! I’ll be working on that for what will feel like forever, but I might have an idea of when I’ll be done by the end of the week. In any case, I’ll be back Friday with another update. In the meantime, feel free to keep leaving comments! I appreciate them all, and your input will help guide me as I get Last Watch Before Dawn into publishing shape.

A couple of petitions for this week:

Via Just Foreign Policy: Stop war with Cuba

Via Win Without War: Block the bombs

Via Arsenal Pac: Demand medical associations publicly report on conditions in detention camps

That’s what I’ve got for you today. See you again soon!

Song of the Week

The Paper Kites, “Willow Tree March”

Good morning!

In case you missed it, Last Watch Before Dawn, Volume 1 is complete! You can now read it all the way through. Start here or visit the table of contents here. I’m working on taking notes on a printed copy for editing, so now’s the perfect time for you, dear reader, to let me know what you think about it. Comments are open on each post, including this one, but you can also reach me on Facebook, Instagram, Bluesky, or by email (madeline @ spacewhalespress . com).

A note on email: if you are instead intending to send me yet another AI-written proposal asking me for money so that your book club that definitely exists will read one of my books, I’m not going to read it and I am going to put some sort of curse on you.

I’ll be back on Friday with a progress update. In the meantime, here are some petitions:

Via Win Without War: Block the bombs

Via Campaign for a New Myanmar: Restore TPS for Burmese refugees

Via Save the Children: Resume lifesaving aid for children

Thanks for being here, and have an excellent week.

Song of the Week

Kamelot, “Beneath the Moon (Tunglið)”

Good morning!

This is the last week of Last Watch Before Dawn! The last two pages will be up Tuesday and Friday. If you’ve been following along, I appreciate you taking the time, and I welcome your feedback! Comments are open on each post, including this one. Let me know your thoughts, like if someone’s arms look wonky, or if you have a favorite character you want to see more of in the next volume, or anything else that comes to mind.

After these last pages are finished, I’ll be printing out the draft to start taking notes. Once I start editing in the next week or so, I’ll have a better idea of when it will be ready for publication, so stay tuned!

A couple of petitions for today:

Via Daily Kos: Close cruel detention centers

Via MPower Action: Stop settler violence in the West Bank

Via Just Foreign Policy: End the illegal blockade of Cuba

That’s all for today. Take care, and stop by again soon.

Song of the Week

Paris Paloma, “Pyrrhus (you go where I cannot)”

Good morning! I hope you get some rest from your labors, if not today, then soon.

We have two more weeks of Last Watch Before Dawn! To that end, there will be new pages up Tuesday and Friday. After this draft is done, I’ll let you know what to expect going forward as I get it ready for publication.

A couple of petitions for today:

Via KIND: Protect children and demand oversight of emergency detention facilities

Via iAmerica: Pass the Dream and Promise Act

Via No Business With Genocide: Pass the Uyghur Forced Labor Disclosure Act

That’s all for today. I’ll be back with more comic, so stop by again soon!

Song of the Week

Florence + the Machine, “The Old Religion”

Good morning!

The newsletter will be going out later today, probably later than the usual noon, as I haven’t written it yet. I was traveling all weekend, and my baby experienced jousters at the Renaissance Faire and penguins at the aquarium! She slept very hard when we finally got home.

If you’d like to receive the newsletter, here’s the signup link. Be sure to check your inbox for a confirmation.

We have only three more weeks of Last Watch Before Dawn before this volume is done! New pages will go out tomorrow and Friday.

A couple of petitions:

Via Daily Kos: End the water crisis in Puerto Rico

Via Amnesty International: Palestinian journalists disappeared

As always, thanks for being here, and have an excellent week.

Song of the Week

Dolly Parton, “Jolene” (33 rpm)

I guess it’s good afternoon, now. Here’s something fun.

Brooke is going to be at the Milwaukee Mature Indie Literature Festival (MKE MILFest) on Saturday the 29th! As the name suggests, it’s an adults only event, and it will be at The Sugar Maple, 441 E Lincoln Ave, from 2 until 7 in the evening. Her gorgeous Dancing with Death set of cards will be available for purchase for the first time!

In the meantime, I’ll have a new page of Last Watch Before Dawn for you on Tuesday and Friday. We’re down to the last eight pages! One more month before this draft is finished!

The newsletter will come out on Monday the 31st. Here’s the signup link if you’re interested. Be sure to check your inbox afterward for a confirmation.

A couple of petitions for today:

Via Just Foreign Policy: End the illegal blockade of Cuba

Via Amnesty International: Close family detention centers

Via Save the Children: Protect children from war

Thanks for being here. Stop by again soon, and have an excellent week.

Song of the Week

Nikki Day, “the architect’s daughter”

Good morning!

I expected the Book Gymboree to be a bit chaotic, with so many authors there, but it ended up being lovely. I was at a table next to Nikki Day, a singer/songwriter and poet, so I’m sharing one of her songs with you! I hope you enjoy.

There are ten more pages of Last Watch Before Dawn remaining. Two of them will go up this week. The end is in sight. I’ve replaced the battery in my tablet pen twice since I started, and I should have replaced the nib a long time ago, but I’ve got some more on the way.

In the meantime, here are some petitions:

Via The Swarm: Stop ICE from blinding and injuring peaceful protestors

Via Maine Immigrants’ Rights Coalition: Demand a full and transparent investigation into ICE killing

Via Civic Shout: Stop Trump’s illegal boat strikes

That’s all for today. Thanks for being here, and stop by again soon!