Tag: folk music

Song of the Week

Barnaby Bright, “Highway 9”

Hello there! Happy Monday.

So, last week, we had a very large, very sickly tree removed from our yard. Unfortunately, while doing so, the tree service completely destroyed the majority of our garden. I was devastated and spent the week doing emotional yard work to clean up the damage and prepare for next spring (the fall harvest was ruined). This, and the resultant blisters and sore muscles, cut into my writing time last week, so there’s been a minor disruption to the posting schedule.

The latest chapter of Journey to the Water will be up here on Wednesday. There won’t be a new chapter of The Book of the New Moon Door until next week, and the upcoming episode of The Well Below the Valley has been pushed to November. For a while, I thought that I could get it out October 1 along with getting ready for Bitchcraft Fair and releasing the first chapter of The Tarot of the Gates at the same time, but I think that was too ambitious even before all this happened.

Speaking of Bitchcraft Fair, it is happening LESS THAN ONE WEEK FROM NOW. Here is a link where you can get tickets and find out more!

Also, the exciting preview of The Tarot of the Gates will be available October 1 as planned. You can go to my Instagram to find out about the setting and the accompanying deck!

I think that’s it for this week. Thank you for being patient with me, and if you’ll be in the Milwaukee area, I hope I’ll see you on Sunday!

Song of the Week

The Civil Wars, “Sour Times” (Portishead cover)

Hello there. I guess it’s Monday again? Time is a soup.

Let’s see. I’m back on my normal posting schedule, so tomorrow, I’ll have a new chapter of The Book of the New Moon Door up on Patreon, and the latest chapter of Journey to the Water will be up here on Wednesday. Just so you know, dear reader, you are welcome to give me feedback on either of these projects! If you like them, or if you want to yell at me about them, comments are always open. This is your chance to affect the plot or save your favorite character from doom.

In other news, my bookmarks arrived!

Five bookmarks with the title Beyond the Frost-Cold Sea. From left to right: Eske in the boat against the lind-worm, Khalim doing magic, Aysulu doing horse archery, Eske against the salamander, Eske and Khalim. The reverse side is shown below, with the text "Space Whales Press: queer fantasy & weird tales for the people. Words by Madeline Crane, art by Brooke Marie Miller."

If you want one or more of them for your very own, you’ll have to stop by our table at Bitchcraft Fair Milwaukee on October 2! I’ll update as soon as I know our booth number.

As I’m preparing for this and other, future events, streaming has been the proverbial plate that I’ve let drop. I’m hoping to either pick it back up or start a different project for YouTube (video essays?) soon. Also, I haven’t forgotten about the whole newsletter thing. I appreciate your patience.

I’m happy you’re here, and I hope you stop by again soon. Have an excellent week.

Song of the Week

Rachael Cantu, “Devil’s Thunder”

Happy Monday! This song is brought to you by one of my undergraduate literature classes. We were reading Paradise Lost and our professor was a big Grey’s Anatomy fan (or Private Practice, I guess?). It’s very 2009.

This week, here in 2022, I’ll have a new chapter of Journey to the Water up on Patreon, probably on Wednesday, because I’ll be working at a polling place for the primary election all day tomorrow. (Vote in your primaries, everyone!) I should be back on my usual posting schedule next week.

In case you missed it, I’m going to a convention in October! I’ll be signing books and handing out some gorgeous bookmarks.

I appreciate you! Have an excellent week.

Song of the Week

Dar Williams, “Comfortably Numb” (Pink Floyd cover)

Hi there. Happy Monday.

Last week was busier than I thought, so here’s the plan for this week: Episode 5 of The Well Below the Valley will release tomorrow on Patreon. Going forward, I plan to release episodes on the first of each month. On Wednesday, the latest chapter of The Book of the New Moon Door will be up here on the blog.

In other news, it looks like I’m taking this show on the road in October! If you’ll be in the Milwaukee area and want a signed copy of Beyond the Frost-Cold Sea (or want me to sign the copy you already have), stay tuned for more information!

I appreciate you! Thanks for being here. And you’re listening to something that makes your ears happy, leave some music recommendations in the comments! I’m open to any genre.

Song of the Week

Enya, “How Can I Keep from Singing?” (American hymn)

I’m no longer religious, but I don’t deny the comfort of the old songs. Also, I was a 90’s kid. Enya is where it’s at.

Okay. The Newsletter Poll is now closed. Not too many responses, but they were overwhelmingly in favor of a newsletter, so I will get working on that and it will be available later this summer. There will be a way to sign up with your email.

The next episode of The Well Below the Valley, titled “Convergence,” will be up on Patreon tomorrow! Interlude Two of Journey to the Water will accompany it. The latest chapter of The Book of the New Moon Door will be up here on the blog on Wednesday.

This past weekend, I went to the Oddities and Curiosities Expo!

The writer, a brunette white woman with a short side cut & a bun, glasses, and multiple layered skirts, carrying a mask and a hat, looks up at a banner reading "The Oddities & Curiosities Expo." The backdrop is dark blue with an Art Deco circular design.
A somewhat blurry banner (I took a bad picture) featuring an illustrated pile of skulls and the title "Skulls! Skulls! Skulls!!!" stands behind a set of velvet ropes.

I’m not super into taxidermy (I haven’t eaten meat for something like 16 years), but there were vampire hunting kits, cryptid paraphernalia, antique and gothic fashions, and so much great art. I’ll have a post up on Instagram today with some more pictures.

Thank you for being here. Have an excellent week.

Song of the Week

Donovan, “Hurdy Gurdy Man”

Good morning! It’s Monday again.

This week, I’ll have the next chapter of The Book of the New Moon Door up on Patreon tomorrow, and the latest chapter of Journey to the Water will be posted here on the blog on Wednesday.

I’ll also have the next episode of The Well Below the Valley up on Patreon by the end of this week! This is a Patreon-exclusive project consisting of scripts for 20-minute episodes of an audio drama based on my Call of Cthulhu module. You can see a free preview of the first episode here. If you sign up for Patreon before the end of the month, you can download both episodes for free before I charge everyone on May 1st (Episode 3 will release in late May). It’s only $3 a month, and you get to read all chapters a week early in addition to Patreon exclusives like this one.

In other news, Twitch streaming will probably start again next month. I will keep you posted.

Thanks for being here! Have an excellent week.

Song of the Week

Matthew and the Atlas, “Out of the Darkness”

Happy Monday! I hope it looks like spring where you are, because it sure doesn’t here.

This week, I’ll have the latest chapter of Journey to the Water up on Wednesday. I’m working on the next chapter of The Book of the New Moon Door, and that will be up on Patreon when it’s finished.

In case you missed it, the first episode of The Well Below the Valley is available for download on Patreon only! Click here for a preview and more information.

I’m doing a writing challenge for the month of April over on Instagram, if that’s a thing that interests you. It will feature snippets of The Book of the New Moon Door and some fun images.

I think that’s it for this week. Thanks for stopping by!

Song of the Week

Takénobu, “Shady Grove” (Appalachian folk song)

Hello again. It’s Monday.

Not too much happening this week: there will be a new chapter of The Book of the New Moon Door up on Patreon tomorrow. I’m also working on the audio drama script I wrote about last week. If you’ve got an extra three dollars a month and want to support what I do, now is an excellent time to sign up for Patreon. If you sign up before the end of the month, you’ll get the first episode of The Well Below the Valley for free, as you won’t be charged until April 1.

I should be back to something resembling a regular posting schedule next week.

Odin update:

Continue reading “Song of the Week” →

Song of the Week

Nina Simone, “Black is the Color of My True Love’s Hair” (Scottish-American folk song)

Happy Monday! It’s Valentine’s Day, so in honor of the beheaded performer of marriages, tell someone you love them and be sure to pick up half-priced chocolate tomorrow.

This week, the next chapter of Journey to the Water will be up on Patreon. In other news, Part Two of The Book of the New Moon Door is starting on Patreon next week and here on the blog the week after! I’ll be alternating between Journey and New Moon Door until one or both are finished. Patreon subscribers will be getting each chapter a week early, so if you haven’t yet, consider subscribing! There will also be a Patreon-exclusive project coming in March.

That’s all for now! Thanks for being here.

P.S. If you still need to catch up on Part One of The Book of the New Moon Door, you can start with the first chapter here or find all the chapters under the Stories tab above.

Song of the Week

Laura Marling, “Night Terror”

It’s Monday again. It’s Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, also. The wheels of history turn toward justice, but slowly, and not without great effort.

Here’s what’s happening in my world this week:

I’ll be on Twitch tonight from 6pm until 8 Central time, if you’d like to stop by and chat. [ETA: no stream Thursday. See you next week!]

On Wednesday, I’ll have the latest chapter of Journey to the Water up! If you need to catch up, all available chapters are under the Stories tab above.

I’m finishing up the final formatting of Beyond the Frost-Cold Sea. I should have an update later this week, which will hopefully include information on paperback preorders.

I think that’s it! Have an excellent week.