Song of the Week

Paris Paloma, “Labour”

Good morning!

This is a very exciting week, because Part Three of The Book of the New Moon Door is starting! The first chapter will post on Patreon tomorrow. The latest chapter of Journey to the Water will be up here on Wednesday.

I am four chapters into my sprint to the end of The Book of the New Moon Door, so wish me luck as I continue that this week.

In other news, I’ll be at the What the Hex Witches’ Market, along with Brooke of the Figuratively Speaking Tarot, on Saturday, May 6! It will be open from noon to 6pm at Falcon Bowl in Milwaukee. Here’s a link to the Facebook event, and here’s one to the Instagram page. As soon as I find out our booth number, I’ll let you know!

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

The Book of the New Moon Door: Part Two, Chapter Twenty-Six

The Void

The Book of the New Moon Door cover image: A book with yellowing, wrinkled pages lies open on an old wooden desk, with a sprig of lavender lying in the center.

Table of Contents

Isabel gets to her knees and grips the back of the driver’s seat. It’s empty, and the carriage jerks and bumps over the fog-shrouded terrain with no apparent guidance. Ghostly figures part like water before it, barely lifting their heads to acknowledge it. Their attention is focused on the crumbling wall, and the seething mass of eyes behind it. 

Where are we going? Either the carriage is compelled by a base, inanimate desire to move despite its lack of horses, or it has some destination it seeks out mindlessly like a compass needle finding north. Isabel can’t wait to find out when it will stop. Her body, and Brother Risoven’s, are still sitting on the carriage’s physical counterpart, less than an arm’s length from the horde of undead filling the streets of Mondirra. When the angry corpses pull the wheels off the carriage, which won’t be long given their numbers, both she and Risoven will be torn to bloody shreds in no time at all. 

Risoven’s spirit crouches behind her, one arm over his eyes and the other hand gripping the edge of the open window below him. He prays in a breathless, whispered litany: “Watcher on the wall, master of the gate, guardian of the bridge, shepherd of all souls, deliver us, please.”

Ondir isn’t listening, wherever he might be now. Isabel reaches out and shakes Risoven by the shoulder. “We have to hurry.”

Continue reading “The Book of the New Moon Door: Part Two, Chapter Twenty-Six” →

New Patreon Post/ Journey to the Water Chapter XXXII

There was magic here, crafted to deceive the senses and confuse the mind. I adjusted my grip on Bran’s halter, pulling him close. I could trust him, and I could trust my enchanted harpoon, but all else could have been an illusion. I had walked once again into danger.

Chapter XXXII: Svilsara

Eske travels to what looks like a safe haven in the desert, but all is not as it seems. You can read this chapter right now on Patreon, or wait until next week for it to make its appearance here.

Song of the Week

Hozier and Bear McCreary, “Blood Upon the Snow” (from God of War: Ragnarök)

You know, I’ve never played a God of War game, but this song makes me want to.

That’s going to have to wait, however, because I’m starting Part Three of The Book of the New Moon Door! I’ll post a NaNo update on Friday. The last chapter of Part Two will be up here on Wednesday. There will also be a new chapter of Journey to the Water on Patreon tomorrow.

Responses to the New Moon Door poll were sparse and mixed, so I think I will maintain the chapter-by-chapter posting schedule for now. I’ll reevaluate when Part Three is written (my goal is by the end of May), and maybe again when editing is done (late summer). If all the chapters haven’t been posted by then, I may save the ending for the published book 😉

Also, I’ll make a bigger announcement later, but I’ll be at the What the Hex Witches’ Market on May 6 at Falcon Bowl in Milwaukee! Mostly, I’ll be supporting Brooke and her Figuratively Speaking Tarot, but I’ll have a few copies of Beyond the Frost-Cold Sea to sell and sign and some bookmarks to hand out. Stay tuned for more details.

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

Journey to the Water Interlude Four: The Land of Ghosts

Journey to the Water cover image: three evergreen trees stand on a hillside, shrouded in bluish fog. Subtitle reads: the sequel to Beyond the Frost-Cold Sea.

Table of Contents

Khalim took a breath. Cold, wet air, heavy with the scent of rain and decaying vegetation, chilled him from the inside of his chest, where his heart only shivered instead of beating, down to his feet and the tips of his fingers. He took a step back. 

The beast rose up out of the underbrush, its forelimbs thick as tree trunks. Thick, black hair covered each arm and the shadowed body, wet and shiny in the scarlet glow of its eyes. A mask of bone, the larger mirror of the one on the creature still clinging to Khalim’s back, reflected an oval of burning red light. Below the mask, two rows of sharp teeth stretched out in a sinister smile. 

Khalim had the distinct impression that this was a smile, not just an animal’s threat display in response to the sound of his approach. It could see him, and the sight of him amused it. 

“Is this your mother?” Khalim whispered to the creature on his back, “or did you just take me here to be eaten?”

Continue reading “Journey to the Water Interlude Four: The Land of Ghosts” →

New Patreon Post/ The Book of the New Moon Door: Part Two, Chapter Twenty-Six

“Some of us are still alive,” says Isabel, “for the moment.”

“We’ll see how long that lasts.”

The Book of the New Moon Door

It’s the last chapter of Part Two, now available on Patreon! If you’re not a subscriber, worry not, it will be here next week. In the meantime, make sure you’re caught up by checking the Stories tab above (under the Menu if you’re on mobile).

Song of the Week

Eilís Ní Shúilleabháin, “A Ógánaigh An Chúil Chraobhaigh”

Happy Monday! Here’s a sad song.

I’m starting Part Three of The Book of the New Moon Door this week, but in the meantime, the last chapter of Part Two will be up on Patreon on Wednesday, and the latest chapter of Journey to the Water will make its appearance here on Thursday. The normal posting schedule is delayed this week due to the election on Tuesday, since I’ll be working at a polling place all day. If you have an election tomorrow, especially if you’re in Wisconsin, don’t forget to vote!

That’s all for this week. Stop by again soon!

New Patreon Post/ The Well Below the Valley, Episode 11

In this episode, the stakeout of Milton’s Rare Books goes immediately awry, and our investigators have their first taste of real magic (and it’s not great for them). You can download the annotated PDF on Patreon, and you can check out a free preview below the cut.

The Well Below the Valley is the script for an audio drama based on my module of the same name for the Call of Cthulhu roleplaying game system. If you’re not worried about spoilers, you can check out the module here.

Continue reading “New Patreon Post/ The Well Below the Valley, Episode 11” →

New Patreon Post/ Journey to the Water, Interlude Four

Khalim wanted to pray, but there was no one to listen. Once, he had carried a god with him, and though he did not ask for much, whatever he had asked for had been granted  to him–safety, reassurance, and the power to heal. With these gifts, he’d had nothing to fear. Nothing could harm him in any way that mattered. 

He should never have left the city.

Interlude Four: The Land of Ghosts

There is a new chapter of Journey to the Water available on Patreon. If you’re not a subscriber, why not give it a try? You get serial chapters a week early, plus access to exclusive content like The Well Below the Valley.

Song of the Week

Donovan, “Season of the Witch”

Happy Monday!

If you haven’t voted in the New Moon Door poll, be sure to do that soon!

This week, I’ll have a new chapter of Journey to the Water up on Patreon tomorrow, and I’m working on the next episode of The Well Below the Valley, to be released on Saturday the 1st. Also, the March edition of the newsletter will go out on Friday.

Have an excellent week!