Music Monday: Ghosts...in the Machine?

I am a recent convert to all things Yungblud. I discovered this amazing young artist at the time we lost Ozzy because they had an absolutely beautiful friendship...and I've gradually been listening to his work. This song hit me pretty hard today when I saw a concert clip of him performing it on social media, and now it is in the back of my head singing to me about Sath and Gin, Em and Lex, and Lark and Connor (who you haven't met yet but I hope you will soon). It's is just beautiful, and I hope you enjoy it. Lyrics are in the video.

Music Monday: Release the ..Florence?

Now, I love Florence + the Machine. Love. Adore. Will stop dead in my tracks if she comes on the radio or playlist. But this new one, Kraken, hit me right in the chest with the first line: "Sometimes my body seems so alien to me..."

Anyone that has had cancer treatment can relate, but I think when your treatment involves an amputation like a double mastectomy, it makes that feeling more vivid. My clothes don't fit like they did. I can't trust that I can put things away in a high cupboard or even do things like brush my teeth. My hair was growing back with luscious curls and then when I started on the next to the last phase, Verzenio, it became thin again. 

"...so when your hand reached out I just pushed it farther down..."

I've reached the point where I'm starting to be okay with me and I'm finding the tribe that buoyed me up during active treatment has gone back to their regular lives...and while that is okay, I mean if course it is, I do feel invisible. A lot. To the point that Florence saves me yet again:

"Do you see me now?"

Enjoy. 

Music Monday: Relax my Beloved...Ginny

I was hopping around among playlists on a LONG drive recently and found an old one called "Music for Orana." As I was on my way to a book event in Knoxville (hello LONG delays on I40 from Asheville to the Tennessee state line), I put that on to get me in the headspace to sell the stories I wrote about my Orana characters...who have in many ways become more real to me than some real people in my life. Authors, you know what I mean about the voices that wake you up in the middle of the night to deliver a plot twist...

Anyway, the title for this song by Alex Clare slid onto the screen just behind my steering wheel and I took a quick second to remember what part of the books was inspired by this song. Two seconds later I knew... This is what I imagine it is like for Gin to feel the bond in her mind when Taeben is controlling her but convincing her he does it because he cares for her. 

Relax my beloved, don't worry for me

Don't shed a tear for me, always be near for me

Be confident my love, don't bow your head for me

Promise you'll smile for me, don't ever cry for me

He is soothing her and convincing her to let him take care of her. He wants her to be the best version of herself, unlike the Qatu Sath who wants to hold her back so he has to rescue her. He begs her to smile for him, though her smile is the bit that brings into sharp focus what he is actually doing, and it breaks him a bit each time.

Enjoy. The lyrics are in the video.

Music Monday: Not Irrelevant At All

 I've got nothing to add to this, really, except that this is where I am in this quagmire of a timeline we're living in now, and it helps to remind me what I need to stand for and stand up to...because you can call me irrelevant, insignificant...I won't call on you at all.

Music Monday: May the Fourth be With You...

 ...and also with you. (I am nothing if not a good UMC preacher's daughter/sister/sister in law/niece.) Enjoy.

Music Monday: Celts at Faire

This weekend was my first one back at the Georgia Renaissance Festival (spring) and despite the dust and a slightly skittish wolfhound it was glorious. One more Irish tune to play for this weekend of pipes, drums, and Celtic culture, i nGaeilge of course. It mentions Grace O'Malley! How could I not...enjoy.
Lyrics below.

Oró Sé Do Bheatha 'Bhaile by Seth Staton Watkins
Óró ′sé do bheatha 'bhaileÓró ′sé do bheatha 'bhaileÓró 'sé do bheatha ′bhaile!Anois ar theacht an tsamhraidh!
Óró ′sé do bheatha 'bhaileÓró ′sé do bheatha 'bhaileÓró ′sé do bheatha 'bhaile!Anois ar theacht an tsamhraidh!
′Sé do bheatha a bhean ba léanmharB'é ár gcreach tú bheith i ngéibhinnDo dhúiche bhreá i seilibh meirleach!Is tú díolta leis na Gallaibh
Óró 'sé do bheatha ′bhaileÓró ′sé do bheatha 'bhaileÓró ′sé do bheatha 'bhaile!Anois ar theacht an tsamhraidh
Tá Gráinne Mhaol ag teacht thar sáileÓglaigh armtha léi mar ghardaGaeil iad féin is ní Gaill ná Spáinnigh!Cuirfidh siad ruaig ar Ghallaibh!
Óró ′sé do bheatha 'bhaileÓró ′sé do bheatha 'bhaileÓró 'sé do bheatha ′bhaile!Anois ar theacht an tsamhraidh
A bhuí le rí na bhfeart go bhfeiceannMuna mbíonn beo ina dhiaidh ach seachtainGráinne Mhaol is míle gaiscíochAg fógairt fáin ar Ghallaibh
Óró ′sé do bheatha 'bhaileÓró ′sé do bheatha 'bhaileÓró ′sé do bheatha 'bhaile!Anois ar theacht an tsamhraidh
Óró ′sé do bheatha 'bhaileÓró 'sé do bheatha ′bhaileÓró ′sé do bheatha 'bhaile!Anois ar theacht an tsamhraidh

Music Monday: Sanctuary, for those Searching

There seems to be similarity among those of us in GenX when it comes to ways to de-stress. One of them is dancing to fantastic 80s music--whether you're in the car or your kitchen, it is a hit of dopamine that apparently we need from time to time. There's even a group of women of a certain age that I follow on the socials that post nothing but videos of them dancing to the songs that were the soundtrack to my life in the 80s and I am HERE FOR IT.

This one showed up for me this morning and I'd forgotten how wonderful this song is...and how much it helps. Soooooo much. (lyrics below)

She Sells Sanctuary-The Cult
Oh, the heads that turnMake my back burnAnd those heads that turnMake my back, make my back burn
The sparkle in your eyesKeeps me aliveAnd the sparkle in your eyesKeeps me alive, keeps me alive
The worldOh, the world turns aroundThe world and the world, yeahThe world drags me down
Oh, the heads that turnMake my back burnAnd those heads that turnMake my back, make my back burn, yeahYeah, yeah, yeah
The fire in your eyes keeps me aliveAnd the fire in your eyes keeps me aliveInside her you'll find sanctuaryInside her you'll find sanctuary
And the world, the world turns aroundAnd the world, and the world, the world drags me downAnd the world, and the world, and the world, the world turns aroundAnd the world, and the world, and the world, and the worldThe world drags me down
Ah, hey yeah, hey yeahAnd the world, and the world turns aroundAnd the world, and the worldYeah, the world drags me downAnd the world, yeah, the world turns aroundAnd the world, and the world, the world drags me down
SanctuarySanctuary

Music Monday, err...Tuesday?

One more from Chasing Abbey because I am more and more in love with this band...and I'm still waiting for them to release Saoirse... But this one speaks to the state of our country and our world today. 

"The scars of war are hard to fade/so who's to gain?/So who's to gain? Ní mise (not me)/Ní tusa (not you)\Ní mise (not me)/Ní tusa (not you)."

Appearance Alert: SC Comicon!

For my second signing event in 2026, I'm over the moon (with Artemis II) to get to tell you I will be at SC Comicon this weekend! Saturday and Sunday, 10-6ish, I will be in the Vendor Hall in Artist's Alley with books ready to go home with you!

I will be in space 1032 (marked on the floor map below) which is on the opposite side of the hall from last fall if you came to the one day Fall Comicon, and will have all of my Orana Chronicles epic fantasy novels, The World of Arcstone litRPG duology, and the first in the alternative fiction series Luminous Beings series, Strið.

I hope to see you, not just because my books need homes but because the line up for this Comicon is amazing! Anson Mount (Star Trek: SNW), Ron Perlman (Beauty and the Beast), Ruth Connell (SPN), Mark Sheppard (SPN, Firefly)...it's going to be amazing! Also, there will be authors I love there, including Darin Kennedy, Matthew Saunders, and the Crowded Shelf!

For more info, click here. See you this weekend!

Music Monday: Arís is arís for...reasons.

I'm not going to pretend that y'all don't know what is going on in the world right now. We all do, especially those of us in the US as we watch the juxtaposition of reports out of Iran and its neighbors and the rhetoric coming from the White House. Again and again...and it's only been a year and a half. 

This song is not about that, but it feels like the entire world is crying arís is arís (again and again) every time a new atrocity happens. Also, this past weekend was the 110th anniversary of the Easter Rising, and I would imagine that the ancestors are looking at us in amazement and horror that we have not yet learned those lessons. Cén uair a chríochaíonn sé? (When does it end?)

Hopefully before the Dorchadas, Dorchadas, Dorchadas sa chroí (Darkness, Darkness Darkness in the heart)...

Music Monday: Ruaghéim

I've been listening to a lot of Irish music this spring, and finding that I can pick up more Gaeilge (Irish) that way than I am on Duolingo or by just looking up words and sentences. While waiting for Chasing Abbey to put out Saoirse, I'm sharing a song from the Irish Kings. Enjoy...and ROAR.

Lyrics:

Fair auld pride for the county I
Was called upon to lead
Was born and bred with a braisened head
By a wild Atlantic sea

Through fear we ride and death we stride
And face a life of toil
We're marching on where we belong
On Ireland's rugged soil

So run and power on and power on
And follow me
I'll bring you to the light
In through the fight

As men we live and bleed
So fear be gone and blood be on
Our tweed and garments wore
And men will pray and rue the day
They hear the Irish roar

Ireland
Bleed Ireland
Live Ireland
Breathe Ireland
Lift Ireland
Lead Ireland
Be I.R.E.L.A.N.D.
(Glóir, Croí, Grá, Éire)

Ireland
Bleed Ireland
Live Ireland
Breathe Ireland
Lift Ireland
Lead Ireland
Be I.R.E.L.A.N.D.
(Glóir, Croí, Grá, Éire)


We are but land and grit and sand
And bog and stone and flame
Our spirits wake through crashing lakes
And songs without a name

From Clare to Down, from hill to town
The bloodline runs afar
And every grave where good men lay
Shall guide us through the dark

So rise and power on and power on
And follow me
I'll lead you through the light, into the fight
As men we shall but lead

Our mothers weep, their sorrows deep
But know the cause is true
For every son that bears a gun
A thousand more will do

Ireland
Bleed Ireland
Live Ireland
Breathe Ireland
Lift Ireland
Lead Ireland
Be I.R.E.L.A.N.D.
(Glóir, Croí, Grá, Éire)

Ireland
Bleed Ireland
Live Ireland
Breathe Ireland
Lift Ireland
Lead Ireland
Be I.R.E.L.A.N.D.
(Glóir, Croí, Grá, Éire)


Ireland
Bleed Ireland
Live Ireland
Breathe Ireland
Lift Ireland
Lead Ireland
Be I.R.E.L.A.N.D.
(Glóir, Croí, Grá, Éire)

Ireland
Bleed Ireland
Live Ireland
Breathe Ireland
Lift Ireland
Lead Ireland
Be I.R.E.L.A.N.D.
(Glóir, Croí, Grá, Éire)


(Glóir, Croí, Grá, Éire)

(Glóir, Croí, Grá, Éire)

(Glóir, Croí, Grá, Éire)

(Glóir, Croí, Grá, Éire)


Ireland
Bleed Ireland
Live Ireland
Breathe Ireland
Lift Ireland
Lead Ireland
Be I.R.E.L.A.N.D.


Ireland
Bleed Ireland
Live Ireland
Breathe Ireland
Lift Ireland
Lead Ireland
Be I.R.E.L.A.N.D.

Ireland
Bleed Ireland
Live Ireland
Breathe Ireland
Lift Ireland
Lead Ireland
Be I.R.E.L.A.N.D.

Ireland
Bleed Ireland
Live Ireland
Breathe Ireland
Lift Ireland
Lead Ireland
Be I.R.E.L.A.N.D.


(Glóir, Croí, Grá, Éire)
(Glóir, Croí, Grá, Éire)

Music Monday: 7 reasons why (I love this song)...

When I was living in the UK this song was in an advert for The Sarah Silverman Show and it was one of my favorites...the show and the song. I can't get it on Spotify now, but it came up in my social media memories yesterday and I had to listen to it and smile. Also, the lyrics make me think of some of my couples...specifically Luke and Scarlet, whom y'all haven't met yet. Enjoy. {The lyrics are in the captions.}

Music Monday: The Statues are...Golden...

I watched the Oscars last night, and while I was really hoping that Sinners would win all 16 categories for which it was nominated, I was also holding hope for "Golden" from K-Pop Demon Hunters as the best original song. Not just because that bop is a total earworm, but because it's been a first. The first KPop song nominated for an Oscar (I think). And as it happens, the first one to win an Oscar...and before they could say much, they were played off. But they won...and here is the lyric video for the song. It speaks to me as me as well as my characters, with the theme of working through obstacles to get to who you are meant to be. 즐기다 (pronounced jeulgida...Enjoy.)

On the most magical of dogs...🍀

[I sent a part of this essay to the program 1A on NPR this morning, but it had to be short. If you have met an Irish Wolfhound, you know that there is nothing short in that experience, so here is the rest.]

Bryn (L) and Ciaragh (R)

When I was diagnosed with cancer three years ago, my Irish Wolfhounds really saw me through it. This is my thank you to them...and don't worry, Willow-Pickle has her own story.

Ciaragh at GARF

Ciaragh (Keerah), my younger girl, was diagnosed with lymphoma shortly after I started chemo. At almost 7, she didn't make it through that battle, even though we were briefly on in the same chemo regimine, so when I rang that bell in Dec of 2023, I could feel her clobberpaws on my chest. You can see it in the video... It looks like I grabbed the rope and got knocked backwards a step or two. Our Cailín Ádh. We were the lucky ones, my Kiki-Bear.

Bryn after a successful heist at GARF

When I finished treatment in 2024, I didn't know it at the time but I was being given the time to focus on walking my 11.5 year old wolfhound Bryn home to the Bridge, as she deserved. Always there with her silly expression and snuggly nature, she made sure that I never gave up because someone had to feed her and give her treats when my husband was at work! Our Bryndled Beastie, who taught us so much about living with these giant, mythical dogs...and how to hide my snacks up HIGH.

Stanley, the Ken Doll of Irish Wolfhounds

And now that I'm navigating my new normal and new body, I have Stanley... He is a huge, gorgeous, blond boy who has learned to help me up off the floor and is just always there, carrying the souls of my two big girls in his beautiful caramel colored eyes. Our Bánbhuí Beastie...my sweet protector and buddy, here to lead me out of my sadness and into the backyard.

🍀

Go raibh míle maith agaibh, a mhadraí luachmhara. Is leatsa mo ghrá go léir.

🍀

Music Monday: Féile Éireannach

This weekend was the Irish Fest in Camden, SC. We took Stanley and Willow and had a pretty good if not SUNNY AND HOT good time. Today's music choice is one I was already familiar with and heard played...it's an absolute banger and a sad take on the leftovers after the British ruled Ireland. Éire go deo.