Song of the Week

Loreena McKennitt, “Between the Shadows”

Good morning and happy Indigenous People’s Day!

I am running on very little sleep, but I should have the next episode of The Well Below the Valley ready today. It’ll go up on Patreon on Wednesday. I’ll also be starting a new page of Last Watch Before Dawn this week, in which we’ll finally get some dialogue!

The audiobook of The Book of the New Moon Door is coming along. I think I can safely say that it will be out sometime in November, hopefully early. I’d love to have it ready so that it’s available for anyone who needs something to listen to during holiday travel. I’ll update you as the process goes!

I’ll be out and about this weekend, so if you’re free and in the Milwaukee area, I’d love to see you! First up is the Spooky Frog Horror Book Fair on Saturday the 18th. We’ll be at the Sheraton Milwaukee Brookfield Hotel from 11AM to 4PM. There will be horror authors as well as artists and craftspeople, free hors d’oeuvres while they last, and a live DJ set by Goth Barge. Entry is only $5. If you’re going to the protests that day, I wish you power and safety, whether or not you can find the time to stop by.

On Sunday the 19th, I’ll be at What the Hex: Dia de Muertos from noon until 5PM at Dresden Castle on Underwood, Cudahy, WI. Entry is only $3 and gets you access to the market, live performances, and workshops on magic and healing. What the Hex is always a fantastic time, so if you’ve never made it to one, I highly encourage it.

Some petitions:

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

Via Civic Shout: Hold ICE accountable for civil rights violations

Via the National Campaign for Justice: Demand governors fight Trump’s attempts to deploy their National Guard

That’s all I’ve got for today. Take care, stay warm, and stop by again soon!

Song of the Week

The Decemberists, “Won’t Want for Love (Margaret in the Taiga)”

Good morning!

This week, I’ll be finishing up Episode Three of The Well Below the Valley and working on an outline/script for the first issue of the comic, which now has a title: Chrysanthemum Dawn. In case you missed it, Episode Two of The Well can now be read for free here.

My first event of the year will be Saturday, February 22: the Spooky Frog Horrifying Book Fair! I’ll be amongst an eclectic collection of other horror authors and spooky artists at The Factory, 1120 S Barclay St, Milwaukee. Admission is only $3, and the event runs from noon until 5.

Also, you can find my books on the shelves at Storykeepers Books in West Allis! I’ll be there for a talk in March, so I’ll have more information about that later. I’m very excited to be working with another independent book store.

I am incredibly overwhelmed with everything that has been happening, but here’s something I can do:

Via Demand Progress: Block funding for the deporation machine

Via the American Friends Service Committee: Stop deportations now

Via Rep. Rashida Tlaib: Demand Palestinian self-determination and liberation

Via Action Network: Defend birthright citizenship

Via the US Campaign for Palestinian Rights: Hands off Palestine

The petitions I share are based on the roughly 200 emails I receive every day, and all the important issues are not covered (e.g., I’m very concerned with the stripping of rights from our trans friends and siblings). If you have some helpful things to share, please do!

Okay. That’s all for today. I love you, thanks for being here, be gentle with yourself and others this week.

Journey to the Water Update

Pages: 145
Words: 88548

I am happy to report that the new draft of Journey to the Water is now 88,548 words long. I’m reworking the arc that was roughly chapters XLIV-LI in the original version. You can see some of the new chapter headings on the left of the image.

Also, don’t forget, I’ll be at the Awkward Nerd Book Fair this Sunday in downtown Milwaukee! Come say hi and enjoy a nostalgic throwback to the Scholastic Book Fairs of the 90s.

There are still 10 more days to back the Figuratively Speaking Mermaid Tarot Kickstarter. Three stretch goals have been reached, and there are four more remaining.

That’s it for today. Thanks for stopping by!

Song of the Week

Christen Mooney, “Aisling’s Song” (from The Secret of Kells)

Hello! It’s Monday again.

On Sunday, I’ll be at the Awkward Nerd Book Fair at the Tripoli Shrine Center, 3000 W Wisconsin Avenue, Milwaukee. It’s styled after the Scholastic Book Fairs of the 90s, but geared toward adults, and promises to be a great time! It’ll be open from 11 to 5. For tickets and more information (including the Big Gay Pirate Cruise the evening before), here’s a link.

I’m plugging along on Journey to the Water, and have just about hit a point where I need to write a new plot arc. I wasn’t happy with the adventure to recover an artifact from the kingdom in the trees, so I’m going to try something different.

The Figuratively Speaking Mermaid Tarot Kickstarter has reached FOUR of its stretch goals! There are still two weeks left, so be sure to back the project if you haven’t already.

Petitions:

Via Demand Progress: End US support for the war on Gaza

Via Jewish Voice for Peace: Arms embargo now

Via Ekō: Stop doing business with companies supplying arms to Israel

I think that’s all I’ve got for you today. Stop by again soon!

Song of the Week

The Oh Hellos, “Soldier, Poet, King”

Good morning!

First order of business for this week: this Saturday, I’ll be at Spooky Frog’s Horrorfying Book Fair at X-Ray Arcade in Cudahy, WI. There will be horror books by indie authors, cool spooky art, and other local vendors! Here’s the Facebook event. The event runs from noon until 4, and admission is free, or you can get a $5 VIP ticket and come in an hour early. I’m looking forward to it, and I hope to see you there!

Second: the Figuratively Speaking Mermaid Tarot launches on Kickstarter August 30! Be sure you save the project so you can get the notification. I’m finishing up the guidebook today!

Third: in case you missed it, you can read Episode 1 of The Well Below the Valley here. I had started writing this script as a Patreon exclusive last year, but I had to leave it alone to finish The Book of the New Moon Door. I also wasn’t very happy with it–one twenty-minute (approximately) episode a month wasn’t enough to let me hit a good stride, but was enough to stress me out. This is a new and improved version! I hope to one day produce the audio drama, but for now, I hope you enjoy Episode 1.

Also, stay tuned for the first chapter/episode of a couple other projects over the next couple of months. I’ll hold a vote once they’re all out so you can choose my next serial project.

Lastly, petitions for this week:

Via Rep. Rashida Tlaib: Support the People’s Response Act and invest in public health alternatives to policing

Via Jewish Voice for Peace: Stop Biden’s $20 billion weapons sale to Israel

Via Afghans for a Better Tomorrow: Congress MUST Pass the Afghan Adjustment Act

Via Justice Democrats: Demand the Democratic Party and Harris-Walz campaign support a ceasefire in Gaza

Via Our Revolution: Not another nickel for Netanyahu’s war

This is Not Another Bomb’s Week of Action for Gaza, and there are virtual and in-person events going on, if you’d like to get involved: click here.

I think that’s all I’ve got for you this week. I need to catch up on Journey to the Water rewrites, so I don’t think I’ll have another post for you until next week, but I appreciate you being here.