Moe Lane's Blog, page 623
December 18, 2021
The THE LOST CITY trailer.
THE LOST CITY… does not look too bad? And the fact that Daniel Radcliffe is in it is also useful information. Daniel has a net worth of over 100 million, and visibly enjoys the artistic freedom that entails. If he’s in this movie, something about it amused him.
Seriously, it seems goofy; but it might be the good-goofy. Ask me again later.
12/18/21 Snippet, TINSEL RAIN.
I’ve reviewed the first three chapters and I’ve already found an ex-girlfriend and a murder victim that need to be expanded upon. Oops.
Patreon!I stood up when Eddie’s friend (or ‘friend’) came into the bar. She was dressed tonight in a blue and green number that a lot to the imagination while encouraging it; there was a mourning band on one arm. Red hair, gray eyes, and enough makeup to get in the way of any spellcasting; either she wasn’t a mage, or she was taking the night off. I was betting the former.
“Good evening, Shamus,” she said after giving me a handshake that was all business. “I’m Louise Cabada. A glass of the house red will be fine,” she said while sitting down.
Well, that was efficient. I waved a waiter over and sat down myself. “So. Same orphanage as Eddie?”
She gave me a respectful side nod. “Not bad. The last name, I take it?”
“Yup.” You take your last names from your parents, so when you only have one it’s usually because you had to pick it yourself. “And there ain’t that many orphanages in Cin City, either. Seemed reasonable. Ah, not at the same time though, right?”
“Flatterer,” she said. In a different tone that would have been promising; but Louise here wasn’t giving off any kind of come-hither vibes. She wasn’t being hostile, but she wasn’t interested, either. “Eddie was ten years older than me; I came to Santa Elena’s two years after he left it. But there was an ATSE jobs program for, ah, mundane orphans, and I took advantage of it.” She sipped her drink. “That’s how I met Eddie.”
“Ah. So you were friends and coworkers, then. How well did you know Eddie?”
She shrugged. “Intimately. After all, I had also been sleeping with him. Does that surprise you?”
“I’m a Shamus, Senorita Cabada. Everything surprises me.”
“Really? Why is that?”
“Because nobody ever seems to learn better.”
December 17, 2021
12/17/21 Snippet, TINSEL RAIN.
75K. Now I can spend tomorrow assessing the book and breaking what parts need breaking. Then I can add 5K more, and then the first draft is done! Huzzah!
Patreon!“Afternoon, boys,” I said agreeably as I got into the kenwagon. It smelled like body spray and bad beer, in all its wondrous forms, but at least the seats weren’t sticky. I was being arrested in style; they had even splurged for two guards. “Hands where you can see ‘em and no funny moves, right?”
“Yeah, Shamus,” the shorter cop said. “Sorry, Shamus.”
“He’s sorry,” the taller one said. “I ain’t. Don’t mess around, Shamus. And don’t mess with me. You do, you’ll be sorry.”
“I hear you, officer. Oh, and sorry about your dog.”
The taller one frowned. “What about my dog?”
“Oh, my mistake. The way you’re acting, I figured I must’ve run over him.”
Yeah, I know: you shouldn’t crack wise with the cops when they’re arresting you. Well, you shouldn’t. I’m a Shamus; it’s what we do. And sometimes we get cracked wise, upside the head. But if Tall Sour Cop was inclined to take a slap at a prisoner, better to have it where there were witnesses.
But I needn’t have bothered. Tall Sour just said, “I don’t have a dog.”
“You don’t?”
“No. I have a cat.”
“All right.” I paused. “How’s he doing?”
“Who?”
“Your cat.”
Now Tall Sour looked more like Tall Confused. “He’s fine. Why are you asking?”
“Well, you were the one who brought him up. I was worried that something might have happened to him.”
“Oh. Okay.”
“I have a dog,” Short Cop volunteered.
“Wait. When did you get a dog?” asked Tall Confused.
“Three years ago. You know, for the kids?”
“Kids are important,” I interjected. “How’s the dog doing?”
“Ehh,” replied Short Cop, “it’s a dog. She seems pretty happy.”
Tall Sour and I both said something noncommittal, and that seemed to satisfy Short Cop enough. The wagon started creaking itself along.
“Uhh, Shamus?” This was from Short Cop. “I had a question.”
“I don’t think I have a whammy on me,” I said. “I dunno how I could tell, though.”
Short Cop shook his head. “No, that’s not it. Thanks for saying, though.”
“You’re welcome.” I waited for a moment. “So. What’s the question?”
“Oh, right. Do you have a dog?”
I blinked. “Not since I was a kid. Why?”
“I dunno. It seemed important. I guess we had to ask, or something.”
I sighed, inside where it wouldn’t show. This was gonna be a long kenwagon ride back to the Castle.
Movie of the Week: RED.
I started watching RED just for one particular scene, and now we’re in for the long haul. I mean, every time I remind myself that I have stuff to do tonight another A-List actor shows up and shoots somebody. What else am I gonna do?
12/17/21 Snippet, THE STARS ARE WRONG.
BEWARE THE RIGHT-ANGLED ONES!
Patreon!“But if you do not know where you must go,” continued Willkoad, “then let us ask the priests. Come with me: there is a church of the Dreamer nearby. I shall take you to its vicar. If anyone would know of troubles on the streets, it would be him.”
I was surprised. “What? The Church has opened a fane here?” The Dreamers were one of Seacity’s oldest faiths, and most respected; its warriors were instrumental in breaking the ancestors of the Kee in battle. They were unpopular among the Kee for precisely the same reason.
Willkoad looked pained. “Excuse me, good Guardian: here in the district it is a ‘church,’ not a ‘fane.’ I beg forgiveness for the correction, but words matter to us poor, foolish Kee. The Church has found it easier going to allow us these harmless… accommodations.”
The thought of taking counsel with a priest of the Dreamers — someone like me, if likely old-fashioned and censorious of the modern world — was a powerful appeal. Or perhaps it was simply the idea of having someone with more authority or knowledge to heed. Whatever the reason, I allowed myself to follow Willkoad as we walked deeper into the District, and its painfully straight streets. I do not know for how long, or in which direction; each corner was like the next, each street was a twin to its neighbor, and no place was distinct enough to fix itself in my memory. I was soon lost in this maze of rectangles and boxes.
The Christmas Chapbook sale has begun!
Starting today and continuing until Christmas Eve, pick up Kindle copies of my illustrated chapbooks ANAGNORISIS, REVISIONARY, and DECISIONS for only 99 cents! Each chapbook has four stories, each with its own illustration. Perfect for casual reading!
Anagnorisis: Four Tales of Transformation: HOLDOUTS speaks to the aftermath of the Vampire Wars; THE HOUSE matches a unsettling location with an unsettling protagonist; OLD LOU examines what it’s like to have a barely-controlled monster in your head; and NOTHING LIKE A GOOD BOOK introduces the occult investigatory team of Cosgrove and Stewart!Revisionary: Four Tales of the Mythos: In SIMMON’S BOOK, learn why you shouldn’t listen to anything you read. In POLLY WANT, thrill as a human being faces down a terrifying alien deathworld monster. In WICKED WHY, get it through your head that ‘Why’ is always the wrong thing to ask. And in IMPURITIES, discover some of the perils faced by the small businesswoman in a unique business environment.Decisions: Four Tales of Choices: See a card sharp play a high-stakes game of bluff and blood in PIGEON! Participate in a final funeral in LE ROI EST MORT! Watch a man battle ruffians and himself in RESCUE FROM CHATEAU D’ALÉATOIRE! And marvel at the unique fate of a man who learns too much in DEEP IN THE HEART OF SEX FISH!#commissionearned
December 16, 2021
Tweet of the Day, New @HPLHS Solstice Carol! edition.
Nice. Mind you, the HPL Historical Society is only going to be recording the one song. So maybe it’ll be free? In which case: double nice.
Matt Foyer and @witchhouserocks returned to HQ today to record a new solstice carol! Stay tuned! pic.twitter.com/M18WnpaZGm
— HPLHS (@hplhs) December 17, 2021
Revealed further! The TINSEL RAIN cover!
Admittedly, in lower resolution.
By the clever and talented Shaenon Garrity, obviously. There was a Metropolis poster I was struck by, and so we went with that as an inspiration. Danged if I know what the next cover’s going to look like. I barely know what the next book is probably going to look like, honestly. We’ll figure it out, though.
#commissionearned
Moe Lane
PS: Expect a Kickstarter for TINSEL RAIN next year. The Kickstarter money from FROZEN DREAMS has been well and truly… kicked.
