Moe Lane's Blog, page 173

‘Cape Cod Girls.’

Cape Cod Girls, The Revels Chorus

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Semi-regular reminder: review the independent authors you read.

Don’t forget to review the books you read! Not just my books: do it for all the independent authors you read. They are desperate for reviews. Even more desperate than me, if that’s at all possible. I am more fortunate than most, really.

It helps if I remind myself of that, from time to time.

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‘Adieu Alban Ladies.’

A bit of folk song I’m working on, set in SM Stirling’s Island trilogy (time travel, alternate history). It still needs some scansioning.

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Adieu Alban Ladies

Farewell and adieu to you Alban ladies
Farewell and adieu to you ladies so gay
For on the next tide we strike for the Island
So this night’s the last in your arms that we’ll stay.

We’ll rant and we’ll roar like Nantucket whalers
We’ll rant and we’ll roar above and below
Until we take sight of the Sankaty Light
Then straight round the Island and homeward we’ll go.

We filled our sails full, winter wind on the sou’west,
We measured at noon, our bearings to find
Twas four weeks to voyage, if the winds stayed a-steady
So we squared our main yard and paid the weather no mind.

We’ll rant and we’ll roar like Nantucket whalers
We’ll rant and we’ll roar above and below
Until we take sight of the Sankaty Light
Then straight round the Island and homeward we’ll go.

Now let every gal drink off her full bumper
And let every tar drink off his full glass
We’ll drink and be jolly and drown melancholy
Here’s to the health of my swan-favored lass.

We’ll rant and we’ll roar like Nantucket whalers
We’ll rant and we’ll roar above and below
Until we take sight of the Sankaty Light
Then straight round the Island and homeward we’ll go.

We watched like a hawk when passing Tartessos
In case we might spy a privateer’s sails;
But then we hove west, Canaries behind us
And then made our Passage in spite of the gales.

We’ll rant and we’ll roar like Nantucket whalers
We’ll rant and we’ll roar above and below
Until we take sight of the Sankaty Light
Then straight round the Island and homeward we’ll go.

The signal is made for our good ship to anchor
All safe at the docks, that night for to lie;
So comb out your hair, tars; take your back pay
Haul out your best dainties
To the tavern we’ll fly.

We’ll rant and we’ll roar like Nantucket whalers
We’ll rant and we’ll roar above and below
Until we take sight of the Sankaty Light
Then straight round the Island and homeward we’ll go.

Now let every gal drink off her full bumper
And let every tar drink off his full glass
We’ll drink and be jolly and drown melancholy
Here’s to the health of my swan-favored lass

We’ll rant and we’ll roar like Nantucket whalers
We’ll rant and we’ll roar above and below
Until we take sight of the Sankaty Light
Then straight round the Island and homeward we’ll go.

Check out this week’s “Book Promo And Vignettes By Luke, Mary Catelli and ‘Nother Mike.”

Partially because my own book is in there, but also because I picked up Mary Catelli’s Journeys and Wizardry fantasy collection, and I quite like it. It’s a collection of short stories where magic needs to be taken seriously, and that appeals to me. You might find other books you like there, too.

The ‘Yeah, World Leaders Would Probably Act Like This’ RUMOURS trailer.

After about thirteen years in The Life you lose some illusions, you know what I mean? I’m curious about if RUMOURS is as cynical about it as I am. Hopefully even more. I miss that old wide-eyed innocence of mine.

The “Yes. We are aware” THU[N]DERBOLTS* teaser trailer.

I don’t know why it’s ‘Thunderbolts*.’ I do know that the people who made this movie are under no illusions about just how far the MCU has fallen. This looks like… well, it pretty much is what you have left after your original Avenger draws died (Iron Man), retired (Cap), died (Black Widow), is absolutely through with this [expletive deleted] (Hawkeye), been relegated to comic relief (Thor), or is being played by Mark Ruffalo.

And yet, it doesn’t actually look too bad. At least they know.

PS: My accidentally misspelling ‘Thunderbolts’ says it all, doesn’t it?

‘Paddy West.’

Paddy West, Pyrates Royale

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09/22/2024 Snippet, THE LAST DAYS OF UNHOLY TOLEDO.

I need to speed this up.

Patreon!

 They gave the sneerers a wide berth, and were avoided in turn, but the deeper they got into the room, the more oppressive its atmosphere became. Oppressive, offensive — and steadily more surreal. “I don’t know why these statues bother me so,” Nat muttered as they cleared yet another set of pedestals. These were empty, and… dusty? It was hard to tell, in the nightmarishly colored air. But there were a few stone figures, each carved to suggest that they were wrapped in linen cloth. “In fact, I almost think that the stone is moving,” Nat went on.

“Those aren’t statues!” the Monsignor rasped. “Keep looking up!”

Nat jerked his head up, and this time he saw something move in the high ceiling above. “Is that one of your monsters?”

“Almost certainly.” The Monsignor hissed frustration. “You two are alive because it cannot decide which of us to attack first. Go off by yourself, and it will strike you, the moment you lose focus. These fools thought their magic powerful enough to let them face and trap the creatures, taking the power for their own. You can see how well that worked for them!”

Tweets of the Day, We Stand In The Presence Of Greatness edition.

Of a sort.

Ladies and gentlemen, only two teams in major league baseball have lost 120 games. One of those teams still has several games left to play. We're setting generational records at this point. Let's enjoy the crapulence because it's all we're gonna get.

— Jeff Blehar is *BOX OFFICE POISON* (@EsotericCD) September 22, 2024

And the Mets are actually playing above .500 ball this year. …What sorcery is this?

Fright Reads this Saturday!

Fright Reads is Saturday, September 28th and Sunday, September 29th, in Millersville, MD. I will be selling my books both days, and part of a panel on Saturday (I’ll be talking a little on crowdfunding). Come on by! Or, if you’re not in Maryland: buy my books now! TALES FROM THE FERMI RESOLUTION Vol 2: LIGHTS IN THE DAKNESS has just come out, after all.

I will also happily sign any of my books that were previously purchased. It’ll be cool!

#commissionearned