Song of the Week

Stromae, Pomme: “Ma Meilleure Ennemie” (from Arcane)

It’s Monday! First up: Journey to the Water releases on Friday! That’s four days from now!

If you haven’t yet picked up your own copy of Beyond the Frost-Cold Sea, you can get the paperback for 20% off (and pay your writer a little bit more) at this link. The sale is on through the 23rd (next Monday).

I’ve said it before, but it can’t be said enough: I appreciate your patience as I’ve been working to get this book out. I hope it’s worth all the waiting.

Also, if you Kickstarted the Figuratively Speaking Mermaid Tarot and you haven’t received your deck, please reach out to Brooke via Kickstarter. A few folks still haven’t confirmed their shipping addresses.

Petitions I’ve gathered for this week:

Via Our Revolution: Call for a ceasefire now (link now fixed!)

Via Ekō: Suspend the EU Israel Association Agreement for human rights violations

Via USCPR: Stop the forced famine in Gaza

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

Song of the Week

Joe Hisaishi, “Ashitaka and San” (from Princess Mononoke)

Good morning! I hope you had a relaxing weekend, whether it was a holiday for you or not.

If you were expecting the newsletter on the 30th and did not find it in your inbox, do not worry! Due to some poor planning on my part, I haven’t sent it out yet. I got distracted with cooking and also eating. It will be out later today. If you’re not signed up and you’d like to be, put your email address in the box at this link. Be sure to look for the confirmation email afterward.

In case you missed it, you can now take a look at the cover for Journey to the Water. I’m about halfway through my edits and hope to finish them all by the end of the week. The book will release December 20, so be sure to mark your calendars! Also, if you haven’t yet, be sure to visit the “Buy my books” tab above (under the Menu if you’re on mobile) and get your own copy of Beyond the Frost-Cold Sea before the sequel comes out.

For this week, I’ll have the first (edited and shiny) chapter of Journey up here on Wednesday for your perusal, and I’ll stop back on Friday with an update on the publishing process.

Also, all the Figuratively Speaking Mermaid Tarot packages are in the mail and will be arriving soon!

Some petitions:

Via Rep. Rashida Tlaib: Support Palestine’s UN proposal

Via Jewish Voice for Peace: No more weapons to Israel

As always, thanks for being here. Have an excellent week.

Song of the Week

Keane, “Atlantic”

Good morning!

First, good news: if you Kickstarted the Figuratively Speaking Mermaid Tarot Deck, your deck is packed up and ready to be shipped! It should be on its way shortly. There are a few people who haven’t filled out a shipping address yet, so if that’s you, be sure you do that so you can get your deck and other goodies.

In case you missed it, Journey to the Water releases December 20! I can’t restate enough times how grateful I am for your patience. I’ll be working on formatting and edits for the next couple of weeks, and then I’ll have to wait for IngramSpark to approve all my files. I’ll do a cover reveal on Wednesday, so be sure to stop back! You can also follow me on Instagram or Facebook (or both).


Petitions this week, if you’re interested:

Via RootsAction: Hands off Sudan

Via Win Without War: Secure a ceasefire immediately

Via the American Friends Service Committee: Support an arms embargo and an immediate ceasefire

Via Avaaz: Evacuate Mazyouna from Gaza

Take care and have an excellent week.

Song of the Week

Upiko, “CROW”

It’s Monday again. Hi.

This week, I’m finishing my rewrites of Journey to the Water. I am planning to report back once I’ve done that with a release date. While I work on formatting and final edits, I can show you the cover and offer some tantalizing previews. Again, I truly appreciate your patience as I work to get this book into your hands.

If you’re waiting on a Figuratively Speaking Mermaid Tarot deck, good news! As of the last Kickstarter missive (Saturday), the decks are now #22 in the printing queue! (I think they started in the mid-400s.) If you’re not waiting for one now, this also means that they’ll be available for sale soon. I’ll update you as soon as I know more.

Petitions I’ve gathered this week:

Via LeftClick: Support the Trans Bill of Rights

Via MPower Action: Tell Congress to Oppose H.R. 9495 (again)

Via USCPR: Block $20 billion in weapons to Israel

Take care of yourselves this week, and check back again soon!

Song of the Week

Anais Mitchell and Jefferson Hamer, “Tam Lin” (Child Ballad 39)

Good morning! Today’s my birthday. I hope you’re having a good day.

I met so many cool people at the Fall Fon du Lac Spirit Fair! I get a small break this week, and then it’s off to the Scorpio Market in Madison on November 9th. Then I think I’m done for the rest of the year.

If you backed the Figuratively Speaking Mermaid Tarot Kickstarter, I am happy to report that the decks have been ordered. I’ll let you know as soon as I get any updates.

The newsletter will come out on Thursday the 31st, so if that’s something you’re interested in, put your email address in the box at this link. Then be sure to check your inbox for a confirmation.

I appreciate your patience as I work to finish Journey to the Water. I’ll be back on Friday with an update for you.

Petitions I’ve collected this week:

Via No Business With Genocide: Pressure Congress to help end the civil war in Sudan

Via USCPR: Block $20 billion in weapons to Israel

Via Action Network: Protect journalists & press in Gaza

That’s it for today. As always, I appreciate you. Have an excellent week.

Song of the Week

Hozier, “Francesca”

Good morning! I’m back!

The Figuratively Speaking Mermaid Tarot Kickstarter was a smashing success. Thank you so much to everyone who pledged. As soon as I hear from Brooke, I will let you know when you can expect your decks in the mail.

I will be working on Journey to the Water until it’s finally done, so you won’t hear much from me. I’ll stop by on Friday for an update.

This month, I’ll be attending What the Hex: Season of the Witch on October 20 in Cudahy, WI, and the Fall Fon du Lac Spirit Fair on October 26. Links lead to their respective Facebook events. I hope to see you there!


It’s October 7 again, and the bombs are still falling and the hostages still haven’t been returned. Tens of thousands are needlessly dead.

Via USCPR: Tell Congress to stop arming Israel

Via Win Without War: Urge President Biden to de-escalate this crisis

Via AFSC: Tell Congress to prevent regional war


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

Journey to the Water Update, plus some other things

Pages: 152
Words 92,362

I’d say I’m close to three-quarters of the way through my rewrites. I appreciate your patience as I’m working to get them done! I know it’s taken me forever and a half to come up with a release date, but I should be able to give you one soon.

I’ll be absent from the blog and my social media for a week, as I’m going on vacation. I will return Monday, October 7, and get back to regular posting as well as finishing this book.

The Figuratively Speaking Mermaid Tarot Kickstarter has reached ALL its stretch goals! There are still a couple of days left to back: it will close at the end of the day (midnight) on Monday, September 30. Thank you so much to everyone who has pledged so far and made this beautiful project a reality.

The newsletter will be going out tomorrow at noon my time (CDT), so if you haven’t yet and would like to, put your email address in the box at this link to sign up. You’ll then need to check your inbox for a confirmation.

I’ll see you on October 7. Until then, take care!

Song of the Week

Spiritbox, “The Void”

Hello again! Happy Bisexual Visibility Day!

I had a great time at the Awkward Nerd Book Fair yesterday! So, full disclosure, I went to a tiny private school in the 90s and did not get to participate in Scholastic Book Fairs. If the Awkward Nerd fair was any indication, I missed out! It was a lovely time and a great crowd.

This is the last week for the Figuratively Speaking Mermaid Tarot Kickstarter! It will close at midnight next Monday. I’m so excited for this beautiful deck to become a reality. Only two stretch goals remain!

The newsletter will come out this Friday, a little earlier than usual. I’ll be taking a vacation from posting between the 28th and October 5th. I’ll have another Journey to the Water update before then, so stop by again!

Petitions for this week:

Via Avaaz: End impunity for regimes that kill, maim, and torture

Via All Out: End forced deportation of Syrian LGBTQIA+ refugees

Via Amnesty International: Join the call to stop weapons transfers

Via Our Revolution: Support Bernie’s resolution to block a $20 billion weapons sale to Israel

That’s all I’ve got for today. Have an excellent 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!