Category: music

Song of the Week

Robert Johnson, “Cross Road Blues”

Good morning! Here’s a classic for you today.

What the Hex: Vampire was a resounding success! I only have two copies of The Book of the New Moon Door left. I’ll have to order more before my next market, which should be sometime in March. I’ll let you know as soon as I do!

This week, I’ll have a new chapter of Journey to the Water on Patreon tomorrow, and last week’s chapter up here on Wednesday.

Petitions for this week:

Via Just Foreign Policy: Ceasefire in the Middle East

Via CodePink: Send a Valentine to Congress for Gaza

Via Adalah Justice Project: Tell Biden Staff to Quit Genocide

That’s all I’ve got for now. Be well, I love you, thanks for being here.

Song of the Week

Arum Rae, “If I Didn’t Know Better”

Good morning!

First things first: I’ll be at What the Hex: Vampire this Sunday at Dresden Castle on Underwood (Cudahy, WI). Admission is free, and doors open at 11 AM! There will be workshops, a drag performance, and a whole collection of magical artists, makers, and craftspeople. Here’s a link to the Facebook event and one to the event’s Instagram page for more information.

I’ll have a new chapter of Journey to the Water up on Patreon tomorrow, and last week’s chapter will be up here on Wednesday. This month and next month, I’ll be working hard to finish this draft! Also on Instagram, I’m participating in a daily posting challenge that features this book, if you’re interested in that sort of thing.

More petitions today:

Tell Biden to end US complicity in genocide

Tell Biden & Secretary Blinken to restore funding to UNRWA

Thanks for being here, and have an excellent week.

Song of the Week

Juanes, “A Dios le Pido”

This song is brought to you by my AP Spanish class, circa 2008. It contains several different kinds of pronouns, the subjunctive case, and transitive and reflexive verbs! It’s also a banger, as the kids say.

Anyway, hi, I’m back. I’ll have a new chapter of Journey to the Water on Patreon tomorrow, and the previous chapter will be free to read here on the blog on Wednesday. I also have the first of twenty-ish episodes of a new draft of The Well Below the Valley finished. Would that be something you would want to read? I’d be happy to post one episode as a teaser while I work on the rest. It’s something like 45 pages long, which will hopefully translate into 45 minutes or so of audio. Let me know in the comments if you’re interested.

If you’ve finished either of my books, this is your semi-regular reminder to post a review on whatever platform you like best! It really helps get the word out, and even if you didn’t like it, a negative review can help the right reader find what they’re looking for.

Please keep pressure on the Biden administration and your Senators and Representatives to support a ceasefire in Gaza. Here’s another petition. Also, if you’re in Chicago, you can go to City Hall this Wednesday (January 31) starting at 9 AM to support the city’s ceasefire resolution.

I think that’s it for today. Take care, I love you, thank you for being here.

Song of the Week

Within Temptation featuring Chris Jones, “Utopia”

Good morning! I hope you’re staying warm. It’s -4 Fahrenheit where I am right now, and I managed to get road salt in my phone’s charging port the other day. I’m not sure if it’s worth braving the windchill to go get it looked at.

There will be a new chapter of Journey to the Water on Patreon tomorrow, and last week’s chapter will be up here on Wednesday.

My friend and business partner Brooke and her Figuratively Speaking Tarot will be featured at the Wicked Wonderland Mini Art Market this Friday and Saturday in Milwaukee’s Third Ward! Here’s the Facebook event. I’m very excited and proud of her.

Thanks for stopping by! Have an excellent week.

Song of the Week

Fiona Apple, “I Know”

Good afternoon! I had an appointment this morning, so here’s all of this, starting with a song.

Journey to the Water continues this week: new chapter on Patreon tomorrow, and last week’s chapter will be up here on the blog on Wednesday. I’m also working on a new version of The Well Below the Valley, but I don’t have any news in that regard at the moment.

I hope you’re enjoying The Book of the New Moon Door! If you have a minute, be sure to leave a review on whatever platform you like best.

I guess this has turned into a space where I share petitions, so here’s another: ask the White House to stop supplying white phosphorus weapons to Israel

I think that’s all for today. I appreciate you, and assure you that all my content is created without the use of AI. Whether it uses any regular intelligence is a different matter entirely.

Song of the Week

Queens of the Stone Age, “My God Is the Sun”

Happy New Year!

I’ll have a new chapter of Journey to the Water on Patreon tomorrow, and last week’s chapter will be up here on Wednesday. This will be the posting schedule until further notice. Right now, I’m writing them only slightly ahead of when I’m making them available, but I hope to build up a backlog over the next couple of months.

I’ll also be working on The Well Below the Valley a bit this week. In case you’ve missed it, this is a historical, Lovecraftian horror audio drama based on my module for the Call of Cthulhu role-playing game system (you can find the tabletop version under the Modules tab above/under the Menu). Let me know in the comments if you are interested in reading the script or would prefer to listen to the eventual audio version without spoilers.

Over on Instagram, I’m doing at-least-weekly, casual one-card readings with a gigantic, mixed-up monster Tarot deck, if that’s something that interests you.

If you have a minute, I’d appreciate you signing this petition: no US weapons for war crimes

Year in Review, Part the First

As is tradition, all the Songs of the Week for this year are collected, in order, in this playlist.

I’ll have a new chapter of Journey to the Water up on Patreon today, and tomorrow I’ll have the second part of the Year in Review as well as last week’s chapter. Also, a year-end edition of the newsletter will go out this weekend. Here’s the signup link again.

This week, I’m also working on some book club discussion questions for The Book of the New Moon Door. A reader requested them, but I’ll make them available to everyone in website and downloadable PDF form.

It’s been a rough year. I hope the next one treats you well.

Song of the Week

Bright Eyes, “Coat Check Dream Song”

Good morning!

In case you missed it, The Book of the New Moon Door is now available! Check out the “Buy my books” tab above (under the Menu if you’re on mobile) or take a peek at the sidebar. You’ve probably also noticed a few other changes, mainly that the serial version of this book has been moved to the bottom of the Stories page, and the Directory post at the top of the blog has been condensed to help with the visual clutter.

I’ve written a brief little chapter of Journey to the Water to get us back on track with that serial novel, and it will be available on Patreon tomorrow and here on the blog next week. I’m still finding my footing after leaving it for so long, but I want to make sure I’m providing new chapters on a somewhat regular basis.

Along with Journey, I want to get the audio play of The Well Below the Valley going again, and I want to make some changes to my Patreon and Ko-fi pages and create some better rewards. Stay tuned for more updates over the next few weeks.

Before you go, I’ve been collecting all the petitions surrounding a ceasefire in Gaza on Instagram. There’s a story highlight labeled “CEASEFIRE NOW” that has all of them together. If you haven’t signed any of them, I encourage you to do so. I think I have four or five of them from different organizations there.

As always, thanks for being here. I appreciate you.

Song of the Week

Kate Bush, “The Morning Fog”

Good morning!

The Book of the New Moon Door releases this Friday! I’ll have all the retail links for you then. If you preordered a copy, they are supposed to arrive at my house tomorrow. I’ll be heading to the post office today to get some Priority Mail envelopes to put them in, and the wrapping paper, sealing wax, bookmarks, and stickers are already here. Gods willing and the weather holds, I should be sending them out on Wednesday!

No new chapters this week. Journey to the Water should start up again next week with a new chapter on Patreon, and then I’ll be back to a regular posting schedule. All the previous chapters are under the Stories tab above (under the Menu if you’re on mobile), if you need to catch up. Thank you for being patient while I was focusing on getting New Moon Door done.

Here’s a tool from the Friends Committee on National Legislation to write Congress asking for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza. I’ve sent a letter, and I hope you will too.

As always, thanks for being here. Stop by again later this week for more updates as we get closer to release day!

Song of the Week

Delta Rae, “The Beast”

Good afternoon!

Preorders for The Book of the New Moon Door are officially closed! I’ve ordered the books from the printer, and hopefully I’ll have some more news about that soon. The book officially releases December 15, when it will be available from all the major online retailers (Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple Books, probably others too).

The last two chapters of the serial version of New Moon Door will be up here on the blog on Wednesday. I’ll be working on getting Journey to the Water running again, so expect to see new chapters in the next couple of weeks. I’m hoping to publish Journey next year, so I’d better get on that.

Tell President Biden to redouble his efforts to renew the ceasefire in Gaza. Win Without War is hoping to collect 10,000 signatures today.

Thanks for all you do! Have an excellent week.