Category: music

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!

Song of the Week

The Decemberists, “Down By the Water”

Good morning! ETA: Wisconsin folks, the primary election is tomorrow! myvote.wi.gov has everything you need.

The Book Gymboree is this Saturday!

The Book Gymboree 2026 RecPlex Author Book Fair Indoors Pleasant Prairie, WI Free Admission Sat Aug 15th Calling all readers Looking for your next book? Come spend the day with dozens of talented local authors at The Book Gymboree at the RecPlex! Check out local authors and shop books! Saturday | August 14th 10:00 AM | 4:00 PM Contact us: info@bloodmane.com

I’ll be one of MANY local authors, so I’m sure you’ll find your next favorite book! See you there!

New pages of Last Watch Before Dawn will be up Tuesday and Friday. According to my outline, we are 12 pages from the end.

Some petitions for this week:

Via Amnesty International: Save Dr. Abu Safiya’s life

Via New/Mode: No war on Cuba

Via IMEU Policy Project: Bring Sama Safi home

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

That’s all for today. Stop by again soon, and I hope to see you Saturday!

Song of the Week

Renee Christine, “The Body and the Blood”

Good morning!

Chapter Five of Last Watch Before Dawn begins tomorrow! I am busy drawing a town and hating every minute of it. Buildings are both difficult and boring to draw, especially in groups. Regardless, new pages will be up Tuesday and Friday.

I’m headed out to a book fair on the 15th! The Book Gymboree is organized by Wisconsin author AJ West, and it will take place at the RecPlex in Pleasant Prairie. Admission is free, and there are more than 40 authors who will be in attendance, so you’ll be sure to find your next favorite book!

A couple of petitions:

Via Win Without War: No funds for Trump’s wars

Via Civic Shout: Stop the illegal boat strikes

Via No Business with Genocide: Support peace, accountability, and human rights in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Thanks for being here. Have an excellent week, and stop by again soon.

Song of the Week

Billy Vicente, “Above the Ground”

Good morning!

We’ve arrived at the end of the month again, so if you’re signed up for the newsletter, it will be going out noon my time (US Central) on Friday. If you’re not signed up and would like to be, put your email in the box at this link. Be sure to check your inbox for a confirmation afterward.

Tomorrow will be the last page of Chapter Four of this volume of Last Watch Before Dawn, and on Friday I’ll have some bonus art, which will be available for paid subscribers on Patreon (and, eventually, in the published version of this volume). The fifth and final chapter will begin next week.

Here are a couple of petitions I’ve signed, and you might want to too:

Via Amnesty International: Close the Dilley detention center

Via Campaign for a New Myanmar: Support TPS for Burma

Via No Business With Genocide: Stop the UAE from funding genocide in Sudan

That’s what I’ve got for you today. Take care and have an excellent week.

Song of the Week

Vas, “Amrita”

Good morning! Or afternoon, I guess.

I am writing to you from within a cloud of wildfire smoke today, so I hope you are well and staying safe.

Two more pages of Last Watch Before Dawn this week. This chapter should conclude on Tuesday of next week, and then we’re on to the last one! The end of this volume is in sight!

After this volume is edited and published, I want to start the second volume and a new book. I don’t know how that will work with my schedule, but I plan to figure it out. We’ll talk about the new book soon; I want to get your opinions, so please overcome your fear of answering poll questions and leaving comments. I’m nice, I promise.

A couple petitions:

Via Amnesty International: Get ICE out of our communities and Help stop the bloodshed in Sudan

Via The Workers Circle: Protect over 350,000 Haitian refugees from deportation

That’s all I have for you today. I love you, please take care, and stop by again soon.

Song of the Week

Stormclouds, “Cassilda’s Song” (from The King in Yellow)

Today’s post is late because I had a family event to attend, but here it is! Also, my car is working. There’s some brief nudity in the video as it goes through the artist’s tarot deck, just so you know. This is my favorite version of Cassilda’s Song, and one of the few human-made versions to be found on the internet.

New comic pages this week! I think we’re five away from the end of this chapter.

Here are all of the petitions I’ve collected to free Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya from Israeli detention. He has been tortured and believes himself to be close to death:

MPower Action

Amnesty International

US Campaign for Palestinian Rights

Institute for Middle East Understanding

That’s what I’ve got for you today. I love you; take care of yourselves.

Song of the Week

Buckethead, Azam Ali, and Serj Tankian, “Coma”

Good morning!

Well, it happened: the battery in my tablet pen finally died. I sent my husband on a quest for AAAA batteries, which I wasn’t aware existed until owning this pen. They’re very tiny.

So, now that I have those, I’ll have a new page of Last Watch Before Dawn for you tomorrow and Friday. Our protagonists are on the move!

A couple of petitions:

Via Native Organizers Alliance: protect Two-Spirit and trans people, immigrants, bodily and Tribal sovereignty, and organizations receiving federal funding

Via Daily Kos: Close cruel detention centers

Via Demand Progress: Reject $3.3 billion in taxpayer funding for Israel’s military

That’s all for today. Take care of yourselves, and have an excellent week.

Song of the Week

MAREWREW, “Sonkayno”

Good morning! More Ainu music for today.

I am so sad to have missed the Chicago Pride Book Fest. My car stopped working on the way out of Milwaukee, and despite trying very hard (we got a jump from roadside assistance, but it didn’t help), we ended up having to head home. Fortunately, it managed to make it there (at like 35 miles an hour, max), so we didn’t get stranded. I’m taking it in to the dealership today.

If the newsletter is something that interests you, it’s going to go out at noon tomorrow (Central time). You can put your email in the box at this link. Be sure to check your inbox right after for a confirmation. This edition has garden and cat pictures, plus a bunch of Brooke’s new paintings.

New pages of Last Watch Before Dawn this week. This coming month will finish up Chapter Four, and then we’re on to the last one!

A couple of petitions:

Via Native Organizers Alliance: Save the Equal Access Rule

Via Action Collective: Drop the 30-year charges against ICE protestors

Via All Out: Stop deporting LGBT+ people into danger

That’s all for now. I love you, take care, and have an excellent week.