Tag: writing

The Well Below the Valley, Episode 12: Sundown

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)

Inspector ISKANDAR Meshkia, former Ottoman cavalry officer. Male, late 30s, strong Turkish accent.

JASMINE Indrani, practical ex-academic. Female, late 20s, could have a British or Indian Accented English accent.

KURT Cross, reluctantly courageous private eye. Male, early 30s, New York accent. 

MARJANI Kaur, director and doctor of the women’s home. Female, early 30s, could have a British or Indian Accented English accent.

VIOLET, a resident of the women’s home after her house was lost in a fire. Female, 50s, Northern English accent. 

BELLA, the young daughter of a women’s home resident. Female, four years old, Northern English accent. 

WINIFRED, Bella’s mother and a war widow. Female, mid-30s, Northern English accent. 

Dr. ERNEST Wilde, who far prefers the boring routines of his lab. Male, early 30s, Northern English accent. 

JONATHAN Martel, defender of the Westmont estate and its young mistress. Male, mid-50s, Northern English accent. 

Eloise “ELLIE” Westmont, who wants to keep her past and present lives separate. Female, mid 20s, posh British accent. 

AURELIA Westmont, less than blissful in ignorance. Female, late teens, posh English accent.

JAMES MacDonald, refugee from the ransacked bookshop. Male, early 30s, Northern English accent. 

Sheriff Norbert OAKS, cult enforcer. Male, mid-40s, Northern English accent.

Richard LESTER and Charles PICK, Whitmoor police deputies. Both male, mid-20s, Northern English accents. 

Father John WHITNEY, Whitmoor cult leader. Male, early 50s, Northern English accent. 

MARIE Campbell, unwilling cult sacrifice. Female, early 20s, Northern English accent.

Scene 1: Int. Whitmoor Area Women’s Home – Night

MUSIC: OPENING THEME.

The music fades out quickly, leaving the tense, empty quiet of the house. A floorboard creaks above; MARJANI and the residents are upstairs, while JASMINE waits by the front door. We can hear her breathing softly. Distant, muffled shouts indicate the activity in the town. 

The loud, rapid pounding of a fist on the outside of the door breaks the quiet. JASMINE draws in a breath. 

Continue reading “The Well Below the Valley, Episode 12: Sundown” →

Last Watch Before Dawn: Volume 1, Page 3

This page kicked my butt and adding text in Photoshop is not exactly a nightmare, but more like one of those frustrating dreams where you’re trying to do a simple task and your brain keeps generating obstacles.

I’m still working out the art style and used some fancy brushes for this one. Let me know what you think.

Below the cut to save your RAM:

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Last Watch Before Dawn: Volume 1, Page 2

I think I’ve been threatening you with this page for like two weeks now. Maybe three.

Below the cut to spare your RAM:

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The Well Below the Valley, Episode 11: Dust to Dust

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)

Father John WHITNEY, leader of the Whitmoor church and all that entails. Male, early 50s, Northern English accent. 

Dr. ERNEST Wilde, botanist and semi-voluntary investigator. Male, early 30s, Northern English accent. 

Eloise “ELLIE” Westmont, protective older cousin. Female, mid 20s, posh British accent. 

KURT Cross, veteran of the French Foreign Legion, among other things. Male, early 30s, New York accent. 

Inspector ISKANDAR Meshkia, who has seen this before. Male, late 30s, strong Turkish accent.

AURELIA Westmont, sheltered heiress. Female, late teens, posh British accent.

A pair of Whitmoor CULTISTS, searching for a particular text. Both male, ages can vary, Northern English accents. 

JAMES MacDonald, oblivious citizen and book enthusiast. Male, early 30s, Northern English accent. 

Scene 1: Int. Whitmoor Parish Church – Day

MUSIC: OPENING THEME.

Father WHITNEY approaches the investigators at a casual pace. The floorboards creak, and his steps echo; the church is a tall, narrow building. 

Continue reading “The Well Below the Valley, Episode 11: Dust to Dust” →

Last Watch Before Dawn: Volume 1, Page 1

So it begins!

To avoid gumming up your scrolling with a huge image, I’ll put it below the cut:

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The Well Below the Valley, Episode 10: All Who Have Ears to Hear

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)

KURT Cross, actor, private investigator, and former skeptic. Male, early 30s, New York accent. 

Inspector ISKANDAR Meshkia, Metropolitan police detective and raging caffeine addict. Male, late 30s, strong Turkish accent.

Dr. ERNEST Wilde, skeptic enough for the whole group. Male, early 30s, Northern English accent. 

Eloise “ELLIE: Westmont, returned home at last. Female, mid 20s, posh British accent. 

JASMINE Indrani, haunted by the ghost of her mentor. Female, late 20s, could have a British or Indian Accented English accent.

A Whitmoor FARMER, unwelcoming to outsiders and unphased by recent events. Male, middle aged, Northern English accent. 

Constable Ben COREY, who learned not to ask questions. Male, mid 20s, Northern English accent. 

MARIE Campbell, post office attendant and dreamer. Female, early 20s, Northern English accent. 

Robert SANGFORD, telegraph operator and de facto postmaster. Male, early 40s, Northern English accent. 

Father John WHITNEY, Whitmoor parish priest. Male, early 50s, Northern English accent. 

Scene 1: Int. Westmont estate, third floor – Day

MUSIC: OPENING THEME.

KURT wakes, shaking off a dream; to represent the dream lingering, the sounds of a drone, a steady drip of water into a metal sink, and the rattle of an old radiator fade in after the music and fade out as he narrates. 

Continue reading “The Well Below the Valley, Episode 10: All Who Have Ears to Hear” →

The Well Below the Valley, Episode 9: Green Grows the Lily

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)

CLAIRE Cooper, harbinger of the new world. Female, late teens, Northern English accent.

Dr. MARJANI Kaur, caretaker of the women’s home. Female, early 30s, could have a British or Indian Accented English accent.

JASMINE Indrani, no longer an academic. Female, late 20s, could have a British or Indian Accented English accent.

Dr. ERNEST Wilde, torn between horror and scientific curiosity. Male, early 30s, Northern English accent.

Eloise “ELLIE” Westmont, heir to ancient secrets. Female, mid-20s, posh English accent.

KURT Cross, who has accepted the occult but doesn’t like it. Male, early 30s, New York accent.

Inspector ISKANDAR Meshkia, believer in a better world despite all evidence to the contrary. Male, late 30s, strong Turkish accent.

The voice of Professor Emundr RAGNARSSON, speaking once more from beyond the grave. Male, late 50s, Icelandic accent.

JONATHAN Martel, long-serving butler of the Westmont estate. Male, mid-50s, Northern English accent.

AURELIA Westmont, sole resident of the Westmont estate and Ellie’s favorite cousin. Female, late teens, posh English accent.

Sheriff Norbert OAKS, Whitmoor gatekeeper. Male, mid-40s, Northern English accent. 

JAMES MacDonald, friendly neighborhood bookbinder. Male, early 30s, Northern English accent. 

The voice of ESTRILDA de Westemond, witch in captivity. Female, early 20s, Northern English accent.

Scene 1: Int. Whitmoor Area Women’s Home, upstairs bedroom – Day

Continue reading “The Well Below the Valley, Episode 9: Green Grows the Lily” →

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

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!

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” →