Music Monday: So Unfair

Oh, welcome to the new year. While I'm trying to make it my mantra in 2026 to not be so negative, to protect my own calm and peace, and to worry about my reaction to things/people/rhetoric rather that those things themselves. During my holiday break from the DayJob in years past I have enjoyed being a full time writer for two weeks, spending my days working on manuscripts, editing, and generally living my dream of doing this full time.

Then January rolls around and it's time to go back to gathering schedules and making sure that my students have their accommodations and keeping up with classes and zoom sessions and the like. I don't dislike my job... but without interpreting in the mix, it isn't the same as it was. When you have something that makes you as happy and fulfilled as writing does for me, it's hard to put it down for anything less than a lateral move.

In that vein, today's Music Monday is speaking to my feelings--that I have firmly crawled up inside, mind you, with a soft blanket and a mug of warm cider--and I hope it will speak to you too, if you have your own blanket to stave off the back to work after the holiday blues. Captions are on the video. Enjoy... if you can.

Music Monday: XMAS

There is a wonderful tradition in the UK that I miss: the Christmas Number 1 song. There was the one year that one of the competitors was a song about setting a chip pan on fire. Rage against the machine might have won it one year with a song that had nothing to do with Christmas.
This year's Christmas Number 1 is by Kylie Minogue, and by just typing her name I can't get her out of my head... Enjoy, for this last week before the new year when we are all full of chocolate and/cheese, wandering our houses aimlessly as we wonder what day it is. (auto-captions are on the video)

A Christmas Tail: Willow-Pickle's Adventure

I was just having a look around.
I promise.

She looks pretty innocent there, doesn't she?

I write a lot about my wolfhounds, dedicating two books to them (The Complete Clobberpaws), with loads of material from our newest, Stanley. However, that little face there has given me enough material for a multi-volume book...I just have been too busy taking notes to actually write anything.

Yeah, that's my reason. Sure.

Anyway. Since her knee replacements have caused her mobility to be difficult (arthritis is awful), she is no longer able to go through the basement to get to the backyard. She goes through the front yard now and, because of said arthritis, doesn't wear a leash because I can catch her before she gets too far if she decides to head for the road. I could, that is, until Christmas Day.

[Let me pause here to say that she is fine and that when I say the road, I mean the barely used spur that connects our driveway to the road that gives us our address. A LONG driveway, if you will. No dogs were injured in this story, but my heart took a gallop and the t-shirt Hubs had on collected some briars.]

I took both dogs out, Willow on her own and Stanley on leash. I put Stanley in the backyard and shut the gate to see Willow wandering toward the top of the front yard. "Find a spot," I called, as that is her reminder to keep focused and find the perfect poo spot.

Well, that morning, she decided that the spot where she pooed was not the perfect spot. I took my eyes off her for a second to retrieve Stanley from the backyard, and when I looked back she was bustling across the aforementioned end of the spur toward the woodland beyond. I called her and she sped up, head swinging back and forth like John Travolta. My girl was stayin' alive all the way toward the overgrown land that belongs to someone else, her bully breed head keeping her forward momentum going.

The next few minutes went something like this:

Me: Willow don't you dare! Come back here right NOW!

Willow: [swings her head faster and busts through some dead wisteria and kudzu vines]

Me: Willow-Pickle! [that was followed by the zaghareet that includes her name yelled at a pitch my high school voice teacher would be proud of]

Willow: [keeps moving, and then sits for a moment on the white tip of her tail, expertly blending into the overgrowth. I can no longer separate her from the brush until she moves to stand up.]

Me: Simon! I need help! It's Willow! She's escaping!

Mind you, he was inside the house and I was outside so he didn't hear me. I grabbed up Stanley, tightening the slip lead until his eyes were nearly bugging out of his head, cartoon style, and ran for the house. You see, he had already tried to back out of said slip lead and follow his sister until a briar snagged on his fur and he jumped straight up in the air, turning around whilst airborne and aimed for the real street.

I dragged him down to the house and met Simon in the kitchen. After filling him in (WILLOW IS RUNNING AWAY THROUGH THE WOODS!), he went out the door with me right behind him, with poor Stanley left to watch through the window in the kitchen door. I followed him as he headed for the rustle in the woods that I was certain was Willow making her way to the highway but was actually our little adventurer stuck in some kudzu vines. She is little but thinks she is mighty.

Simon enters the overgrowth, watching for that little white tail. I am dispatched to get the loppers out of the basement--where Willow couldn't get through the vines on the ground, Simon couldn't get through the vines still trying to connect tree to tree. I returned with the loppers in time to see a very disgruntled Willow closing in on where Simon was standing and calling her--and laughing. She came past him and toward me, thought about making a break for it, and changed her mind when I jumped in front of her.

Eventually he freed himself from the overgrowth and I herded Willow back into the house. She was so proud of herself, strutting down the driveway like she was Willow-Pickle Indiana Jones. 

My heart finally stopped pounding about ten minutes later and I think Stanley had forgiven me for having to miss all that action. I mean, it isn't my fault that the blinds were up in the sitting room [good view of the action] but he chose to remain in the kitchen [no view of the action].

She is lucky I love her. Happy Holidays, y'all.

Music Monday: Solstice Music 2025

Yesterday was the Winter Solstice, and since my 2023-2025 have been consumed with things I can't do because...I decided to start 2026 as I mean to go on (since, in some traditions, the solstice is the new year celebration). I cranked up my playlist called "Music Therapy" and deep cleaned the kitchen. In the end, that cleaning meant scrubbing the counter tops, cleaning the stove on top and oven door, tidying the windowsill in the kitchen, and vacuuming up the bits that were flung to the floor in the process. By last night I was bone tired and moving slowly--but it was due to the cleaning and not sitting in the recliner all day watching telly and doom scrolling. SCORE! Anyway, today's song is on all my playlists because I love love love Punjabi music/dance and I love Ed Sheeran. Enjoy--this one works well with any sort of cleaning or just moving. Bonus points for the Punjabi lyrics being included here.

Merry Happy Holidays Christmas Hanukkah Kwanzaa, y'all! 

Music Monday: Here Comes My Sun

All I'm going to say about this is that yesterday my favorite person on earth, my Simon, had a birthday and I'm just so lucky that he was born. He is a lifelong Beatles fan and while I'm not sure this one is a favorite of his, it made me think of him as soon as I heard it. Happy Birthday, sweetie. I demand at least 50 more. 🤟

Music Monday: All Up In My Feelings...

Yeah, this week's song is just representative of where I am at the moment. I'm trying to channel this into writing and so far, Scarlet is tending the shrines in the foothills of the Appalachian mountains. I'm hoping she will continue to talk to me through these edits (which may be responsible for my mood, because edits are NEVER FUN) and help me tell her story the way it is supposed to be told...

Music Monday: Flashback or Flash...Dance?

I have a playlist in my music service called "Music Therapy." It began because I was watching some videos online by several GenX content creators who do nothing in those videos but dance to music that I remember--music from "my time period," the 1980's and early 90's. Sometimes...a lot of the time, lately, if I'm honest, I find myself unable to do anything but put on those tunes and dance around my cluttered house, stepping over my dogs and pretending that everything is going to be okay by the time the song ends. Anyone else? One that struck me (and got me dancing) recently was this tune: "A Little Respect" by Erasure. Y'all, let's dance.

Music Monday: Glisson 100

Well, what else would be stuck in my head? Seriously. We had a great day at Camp yesterday, and while I'm still convinced that it isn't camp without the people that made my time there so amazing...it was still good to be back home. 
This is the song we sand every Friday at Celebration when the kids went home. But it meant more...it was our promise to each other on staff too. Love y'all, through campouts and creek hikes, from water balloons flying from boys row and TPing my own cabin the summer we didn't win clean cabin. So much love. 

My Friend(unknown author)
My friend I think of you daily,Because I care and it’s true,That though we’ve shared a lot together,It’s very rare that I see you.
And I want you to know that God loves you,And that I love you, too.And that even if we’re hardly ever near,I’m talking to him about you
And I’ll be praying for you every morning,As I start off the day with the Lord.And I’ll be praying that you’re walking with Jesus,And abiding in his word.
For you see this Jesus of Nazareth,He means everything to me.For he has taken my life,And he has freed my soul,And he has calmed an angry sea.
And I want you to know that God loves you,And that I love you, too.And that even if we’re hardly ever near,I’m talking to him about you
And I’ll be praying for you every morning,As I start off the day with the Lord.And I’ll be praying that you’re walking with Jesus,And abiding in his word.
Well, I don’t know when I’ll see you again,A month, a year, or maybe more.But if your heart belongs to the savior,I’ll see you in the sky if not before.
And I want you to know that God loves you,And that I love you, too.And that even if we’re hardly ever near,I’m talking to him about you
And I’ll be praying for you every morning,As I start off the day with the Lord.And I’ll be praying that you’re walking with Jesus,And abiding in his word.
And I’ll be praying for you every morning,As I start off the day with the Lord.And I’ll be praying that you’re walking with Jesus,And abiding in his word.
In his word.

Music Monday: Geeking Out in 2025

This weekend I had a table at the Geekery Market in North Carolina. 

My festive safe space, complete with books.

It's like a Christmas Market for nerdy types and it's always a good time. Even though I didn't sell many books, I feel like the ones that found homes were where they were supposed to be. 

But this song is one of a group of songs that really seem to address how this geeky lifestyle makes you feel...they have several others (Sometimes you've gotta backstab a MF is one of my favorites) but this one reminds me of my own group, Lorem Ipsum, and our poor DM ("why are you like this?") The line, "You can't stop what can't be planned," absolutely is our table at any given session. So after a fully geeky weekend, I bring you Chaotic Stupid Forever. Enjoy. No roll required.

Um...Tuneful Tuesday?

 Y'all, this autumn has been insane. I've got to be better about planning my events and, in general, my time. In October I had somewhere I had to be to sell books all but one weekend. Then November started and I've since done two weekends at the Georgia Renaissance Festival and have a book event this weekend and a reunion at the summer camp I attended as a camper/worked as a counselor next Saturday. Then I'm back to the renn fest for the 29th of November and 6th of December. What in the world?

I mean, I know what happened. I was out of commission for so long thanks to cancer treatment that I took every opportunity offered to be OUT and ABOUT. Well, the end result is that I may be OUT as in PASSED OUT come 7th December. Today's music Monday became Tuneful Tuesday because I've been running ragged...round and round like I used to do on a roller rink when I was a kid. 

This song makes me want to strap on some skates and hit the rink...hopefully with wheels down and not on my face, but it's been a few years now. Enjoy! The captions work, I tested them...you just have to turn them on. WOO!

Music Monday on Tuesday: Kyrie, y'all

I've recently started listening to a playlist I call Music Therapy after seeing loads of fellow Gen X folks financing to "our" music on the clock app. This one came on and it struck me that it was spot on for the past two years of cancer treatment for me. The title, "Kyrie Eleison" which means "Lord Have Mercy" is more than a prayer to God in the Christian tradition, to me anyway. In my mind, it is a general call for help... and it worked for me during those years. I had a tribe, a found family, in the form of a private social media group called "Yeeting Eugene," and those folks pulled me along on days I couldn't do it myself. So here is my reminder to ask for help... and mercy. I hope it helps you too. (The video has captions for the lyrics.)

 

Defeating Dragons...in the Guise of Scammers

Don’t tempt me, AI...

 There's a monster that authors, especially of the self published/ indie published variety, have to deal with...the scammer. It can be anything from wanting to publish my novel for the low, low price of hundreds of dollars, promote my book on Amazon to get me more readers (again for hundreds of dollars), or the one I got recently: to feature me and my work in an online book club. 

Sounds great, huh? How could that last one be a scam? Follow along, my dears, and I will show you...this is a conversation/cold email from this week. 

Dear Nancy E. Dunne,

My name is [redacted], and I organize [redacted]. Our readers are drawn to immersive fantasy that blends emotional truth with rich world-building, and Storm: An Arcstone Novel does this with rare sensitivity and imagination.

Your exploration of destiny, courage, and the inner storms that shape identity resonates deeply with our group. We admire how you weave themes of hope and self-discovery through a universe that feels both magical and deeply human.

We would be honored to have you join us virtually on October 23, 2025, to discuss your creative journey and the heart behind Storm.

If you have a magic wand, what will you change in your present result ???

Warm regards,

[Redacted]

[I ignored this one. Sometimes they just go away, but this one was very persistent.]

Hello  Nancy E. Dunne,

[Too many spaces between hello and my name. Really? Rookie giveaway.]

I truly value your work on Storm: An Arcstone Novel and would love to see you at our upcoming event. Wednesday is the final day to confirm your participation, but you can also confirm today to secure your spot early. Your story deserves this spotlight.

If you have a magic wand, what will you change in your business outcome or present result???

Warm regards,

[Redacted]

[So this time i decided to answer…]

I'm curious why you chose the second book in a series for your focus. What did you think of the first?

Cheers!

Nancy

["She" wrote back. Usually, when I call them out for wanting to highlight the second book in a series, they disappear. But not this one. Persistent.]

Dear Nancy,

Thank you so much for your thoughtful reply! That’s a wonderful question, and one that truly reflects the depth of your storytelling across the Orana Chronicles and Arcstone worlds.

We were first introduced to your work through Wanderer and Tempest, and what stood out most to our readers was the way your universe evolves with each installment, the emotional stakes rise, but so does the spiritual and psychological depth. Storm felt like a natural continuation for our group because it captures that moment where your characters begin to fully confront destiny rather than simply move through it.

That growth, both internal and cosmic, is exactly what makes your series resonate so powerfully with our readers. It’s not just fantasy, it’s a reflection of the courage it takes to face change and self-realization.

We’d be honored to spotlight Storm during our October 23 virtual session while also touching on the roots of your world in The Nature Walker Trilogy. The goal is to celebrate how the threads connect, showing your evolution as both a storyteller and world-builder.

Would you like me to share the event details and the short registration process so we can confirm your feature?

Warm regards,

[I'm thinking AI]

[At this point "she'd" shown "her" hand. Register for an appearance in a book club feature? That sounds like I have to pay you for the privilege and Nancy doesn't pay to play, friend.]

Actually no, I don't think so, but I appreciate the invitation.

There isn't a way to tie Storm's plot in with the Nature Walker Trilogy because they are from different series. I hope that your members enjoyed Wanderer and Tempest and will enjoy the first book in the World of Arcstone series if they have a chance to read it. Have a great evening!

Cheers!

Nancy

[No answer so far this morning…I must have blown up the algorithm.]

Next? 

Music Monday: Home to Newcastle

Reet...

Y'all that know me know I'm a Newcastle United supporter by marriage, and at first I will admit that I didn't get what that meant. Even when I lived in the UK, I didn't completely understand. But I made a concious effort to understand the sport (football) and the team. I read about the history and the famous names...and then the height of my education came last November when we took a tour of St. James's Park, NUFC's home stadium.

But y'all, the city is pretty amazing as well. It has its issues like all cities of that size do, but the people there are so kind. I have officially added it to my list of "when we move, I'd like to live in" places in the UK. This song is an example of the love Geordies hold for their home, and I love that it has the lyrics on the screen to help you with that gorgeous accent.

Hinny Howay!

Music Monday...maybe?

Y'all ignore me. I'm exhausted, but in a good way. I spent this weekend at the Upstate Renaissance Faire with my book babies, finding new homes for quite a few of them and enjoying time with folks I only see once a year. Big shout out here to Michelle from Livy & Co. for being a great neighbor and for always supporting The Hounds of East Fairhaven at URF!

So, on to the music...there was a lot of it this weekend as we were between two stages but this one is stuck in my head now...imagine a quartet with guitar and fiddle and a female voice with the lyrics and you've got my weekend in your head too! I need a nap... Huzzah! 

Music Monday: Not just any old bog...

I will be brief today because the song takes a lot of breath control. Give it a try! Also, it will forever remind my of my Irish Fae Dog, Bryn, who would thump her tail in time to this version.

O-ro the rattlin' bog, the bog down in the valley-oO-ro the rattlin' bog, the bog down in the valley-o
And in that bog there was a hole, a rare hole, a rattlin' holeWith the hole in the bogAnd the bog down in the valley-o.

And in that hole there was a tree, a rare tree, a rattlin' treeWith the tree in the hole and the hole in the bogAnd the bog down in the valley-o.
Now on that tree there was a limb, a rare limb, a rattlin' limbWith the limb on the tree and the tree in the hole and the hole in the bogAnd the bog down in the valley-o.
Now on that limb there was a branch, a rare branch, a rattlin' branchWith the branch on the limb and the limb on the tree and the tree in the hole and the hole in the bogAnd the bog down in the valley-o.
(Repeat, adding a line each time)Now on that branch there was a twig, a rare twig, a rattlin' twig.....
Now on that twig there was a nest, a rare nest, a rattlin' nest.....
Now in that nest there was an egg , a rare egg, a rattlin' egg.....
Now in that egg there was a bird, a rare bird, a rattlin' bird.....
Now on that bird there was a feather, a rare feather, a rattlin' feather .....