The Well Below the Valley, Episode 8: And In the Lowest Deep, a Lower Deep Opens Wide

A bleak, leafless tree against a sepia-toned sky. Text reads: Space Whales Press presents The Well Below the Valley, an audio drama

Table of Contents

Dramatis Personae
(in order of appearance)

FREYDÍS Emundrsdóttir, in search of closure. Female, late 20s, slight Icelandic accent.

Inspector ISKANDAR Meshkia, torn between following orders and pursuing the truth. Male, late 30s, strong Turkish accent.

Chief Superintendent Winston PEMBROKE, Sr., determined to put this whole affair behind us. Male, early 60s, English accent with audible mustache.

KURT Cross, former actor and perhaps current believer in magic. Male, early 30s, New York accent.

William “WILL” Grey, bartender and gatekeeper of the Cross and Coin. Male, late 20s, London accent. 

Dr. ERNEST Wilde, botanist and believer in rationality. Male, early 30s, Northern English accent.

Professor Frederick HALE, another of Milton’s victims. Male, early 50s, posh British accent.

Eloise “ELLIE” Westmont, descendent of a long line of occultists and eccentrics. Female, mid-20s, posh English accent.

JASMINE Indrani, interim director of the Whitmoor Area Women’s Home. Female, late 20s, could have a British or Indian Accented English accent.

MARJANI Kaur, resident doctor of the Whitmoor Area Women’s Home. Female, early 30s, could have a British or Indian Accented English accent.

CLAIRE Cooper, the chosen one. Female, late teens, Northern English accent.

Scene 1: Int. Scotland Yard – Day

Continue reading “The Well Below the Valley, Episode 8: And In the Lowest Deep, a Lower Deep Opens Wide” →

Song of the Week

This Cold Night, “Black Cathedral”

Hello!

This is almost certainly going to be the last weekly update before I go on maternity leave. My baby is proving incredibly stubborn and likely won’t be born without some help (she’s still head-up and seems very comfortable there), so I’m going in on Thursday to get that help.

The latest episode of The Well Below the Valley will be up here on Wednesday, then you won’t hear from me for a little while. I plan to return you to your regularly scheduled nonsense sometime in June, probably later in the month. I’ll have a new episode (and, baby willing, a new posting schedule) and some comic sketches shortly after. There will also not be another newsletter until the end of June, and I won’t be at any in-person events until the July edition of the Kenosha Book Festival.

If everything continues to go according to plan, I’ll put some maternity leave announcements up here and on my social media on Wednesday. I’ll be able to answer emails and comments (though likely not immediately) if you need me for anything, and of course, my books will be available from wherever you buy books.

In the meantime, wish me luck, and I’ll be back soon! Thanks for reading.

New Patreon Post/ The Well Below the Valley, Episode 8

If I don’t stay busy, I feel like I’m drowning again.

There’s brackish water in the back of my throat. My lungs burn. 

My vision goes black around the edges.

We depart London with our investigators for the rural town of Whitmoor, where strange things have had a good long time to get entrenched. This is the beginning of the second act! You can read this episode right now on Patreon for only $3 (as a per-month subscription, or to purchase just this one post).

Song of the Week

The Corrs, “My Lagan Love” (traditional)

Hello again!

What the Hex: Fates & Fae was a smashing success, though I may have gotten my name stolen by a fairy. I maintain that I did not give it up–she only noticed it on the front of a book. I did tell her that if she bought a book, she could have access to all the names within, but she didn’t take me up on my offer. I should be safe. At least she didn’t trick me out of my firstborn.

More to the point, I met some returning readers! These markets often have a different crowd every time, and I love meeting new people and talking about books, but it is so lovely to hear that someone liked my work (and in some cases, is coming back for more). So, thank you. You make all this worthwhile.

A new episode of The Well Below the Valley will be up on Patreon this week, hopefully by Wednesday. It’ll be up here for free reading next week. Sometime next week or the week after, baby should be here, and you won’t hear from me for a bit. I’ll be back with new episodes and some more about the comic sometime after the end of May, and I’ll be able to answer comments and emails through my maternity leave. I plan to be back to attending live events in July.

All of this is still up in the air, however, so I’ll keep you updated as much as I can.

A couple of petitions from my inbox this week:

Via No Business With Genocide: Strengthen the arms embargo on Sudan

Via Amnesty International: Return Kilmar Abrego Garcia and others

Via Free Speech for People: Investigate the Unlawful Kidnapping of Rümeysa Öztürk

Via Physicians for Human Rights: Keep immigration enforcement out of hospitals

That’s all I have for today. Thanks for stopping by!

What the Hex: Fates & Fae

What the Hex Witches Market Fates + Fae a marketplace featurin gover 30 vendors offering unique products that celebrate the enchanting worl dof fairies, fates, and magical realms. Explore a curated selection of free mystical workshops and whimsical creations. Sunday, April 27th 12-5pm $3 entry, Kids free Dresden Castle 3775 E Underwood Ave Cudahy, WI

This Sunday!

If you’ve never been to a What the Hex market before, you’re missing out. The venue is gorgeous (converted church with stained-glass windows), the people (vendors, performers, and perusers alike!) are lovely, and the vibes are excellent. There will be some tasty food and storytime for kids! If the image above isn’t cooperating, admission is $3 (kids are free) and doors will be open from 12-5. The address is 3775 E Underwood Ave., Cudahy, WI.

As mentioned before, this will be my last in-person event before I go on maternity leave, so I hope to see you there.

Somewhat relatedly, I haven’t managed to get the next episode of The Well Below the Valley ready for you (it’s about halfway done), so I’ll have it up next week. Thanks so much for your patience.

Song of the Week

Al Stewart, “Time Passages”

Good morning! It’s Monday again.

This Sunday, I’ll be at What the Hex: Fates & Fae! Admission is only $3, and doors will be open from noon until 5. I’ll be joining a delightfully eclectic selection of magical artists and craftspeople, and there will be performances, workshops, and even a storytime for kids. I’ll have all three books available and some new bookmarks. After this, I’ll be going on maternity leave, so I’m hoping to see lots of people there!

I got a little swamped with appointments, nursery furniture, and an unexpected car problem last week and this past weekend (Milwaukee potholes are a class unto themselves), so I’m behind on The Well Below the Valley, but I’m planning on having a new episode up on Patreon sometime this week–it just might not be the usual Wednesday. I’m hoping to have one more (in addition to this week’s) ready before the baby comes, but at this point, my timeline may be quite short. I’ll keep you posted as much as I can.

I’m also still working on the comic script. I hope to finish and start some storyboarding soon, which will give me something to show you!

A couple of petitions from my inbox this week:

Via Civic Shout: Don’t give refugees a death sentence

Via the ACLU: Free those detained in El Salvador

Via Win Without War: Demand the release of detained students and call ICE to testify

That’s all for today. Thanks for stopping by.

The Well Below the Valley, Episode 7: The Souls of the Heathens

A bleak, leafless tree against a sepia-toned sky. Text reads: Space Whales Press presents The Well Below the Valley, an audio drama

Table of Contents

Dramatis Personae
(in order of appearance)

Eloise “ELLIE” Westmont, probably the best investigator of the group. Female, mid 20s, posh English accent.

Detective Chief Inspector ISKANDAR Meshkia, lender of a small degree of official authority to the operation. Male, late 30s, strong Turkish accent.

KURT Cross, actor, veteran, and car-haver. Male, early 30s, New York accent.

The FIRST CULTIST at the scene, Milton’s enforcer. Male, any age, London accent.

The SECOND CULTIST at the scene, perhaps one with more focus on the magic and mysteries. Male, any age, London accent. 

Dr. ERNEST Wilde, a logical person about to be plunged into an illogical world. Male, early 30s, Northern English accent.

Sebastian MILTON, custodian of arcane lore and hidden mysteries. Male, mid 50s, London accent.

JASMINE Indrani, the late professor’s missing assistant. Female, late 20s, could have a British or Indian Accented English accent. 

Henry CARLTON, Ernest’s longtime friend and practical grounding influence. Male, early 30s, London accent.

EMILIA Niyazova, one of the only people in this Godforsaken city who can make a good cup of Turkish coffee. Female, early 20s, slight Russian (actually Kazakh) accent.

NIGEL Blackthorne, believer in magic. Male, early 30s, posh British accent.

Scene 1: Ext. South Bank market – Night

Continue reading “The Well Below the Valley, Episode 7: The Souls of the Heathens” →

Song of the Week

Kate Bush, “Never Be Mine”

Good morning!

On Wednesday, I’ll have the latest episode of The Well Below the Valley up for free reading. This one is the conclusion of the first act! Professor Ragnarsson’s murderer has been identified, but there is more still to uncover. Next up will be the start of the second act, where the investigators all pile into the car to travel to a small town on the moors that holds even more secrets. Something even more sinister than Nigel Blackthorne’s conspiracies about fish people lurks there.

In slightly less than two weeks (Sunday, April 27), I’ll be attending What the Hex: Fates & Fae edition! This will be my last in-person event before I go on maternity leave, so I hope to see you there. I’ll have copies of all my books and some shiny new bookmarks to promote The Well Below the Valley and Chrysanthemum Dawn.

Couple of petitions from the depths of my inbox:

Via Win Without War: Congress must reject war plans for Mexico and Demand the release of detained students and call ICE to testify

Via Feminist Majority: Urge the United Nations to take action to protect women and girls in Afghanistan

That’s all for today. Stop by later for more things to read, or just to say hi. I should be able to answer comments even as I begin maternity leave in May.

New Patreon Post/ The Well Below the Valley, Episode 7

I wonder what horrors you saw there.

Perhaps you will think on them in the days to come.

Episode 7: The Souls of the Heathens

Hey! I remembered to post here!

I have labored long in the Patreon formatting mines to bring you this, the last episode of the first act of THE WELL BELOW THE VALLEY. Professor Ragnarsson’s murderer has been discovered, but there is so much more our investigators don’t know. Here’s a link to the post.

My Patreon is only $3 a month, and you get new episodes a week early, bonus art, and some other stuff as I think of it. Consider subscribing!

Song of the Week

Kamelot, “Veil of Elysium”

Also check out the acoustic version.

Hello! It’s Monday again.

I’m so proud of and grateful for everyone who went out to protest on Saturday, especially because I am currently too big and round to attend myself. May this be the start of something momentous.

I’m also proud of Wisconsin for turning out to vote last week! The polling place where I work was so busy that we ran out of ballots, but with a little patience and the accessible electronic voting machine, we managed to get everyone’s vote counted.

I am definitely slowing down, and my body and brain are both tired all the time, but I’m going to do my very best to get you a new episode of The Well Below the Valley this week. The comic script is also coming along.

Here’s a couple of petitions for this week:

Via MoveOn.org: Protect LGBTQ and immigrant sanctuary communities

Via Action Network: Denounce attacks on immigrants fleeing authoritarianism and violence

Via The Intercept: Free Rumesya Ozturk

That’s all for today. Thanks for being here.