Philtrum’s Guidance Deck. I’ve begun a new series of illustrations that I’m turning into art cards for my patrons. They’ll be based on the cards in Philtrum Kemp’s guidance deck in the Immortal Holmes series. You may recall the frontispiece illustration from Folk-Spelled, which was Fifth of Forest.
::twinkle::
In Folk-Spelled (Immortal Holmes, No.1), we meet Ramage, who’s a friend from back home for Philtrum Kemp. Ramage is a harpy and a small business owner. He helps to feed the people of Newcomb. You’ll find his restaurant near Rowan Station in the Trestle District.
If you like these kinds of background details, you’ll find lots more on my Patreon.
Sketch Peek. While most of my behind-the-scenes posts about Folk-Spelled (and the upcoming Else-Moored) can be found over on my Patreon, I don’t mind sharing a few peeks here on my blog. This is an early sketch of Arty, a student at the Academy of Mages. He’s a street artist and a skater boi and a friend indeed to out-of-towner Enzo, who’s his next-door neighbor.
Series illustrator Mart Lett and I are already working on a new set of cast portraits to help with promotion in 2026. If you don’t want to miss any early news and sketch peeks, you know where to find me. ::twinkle::
Artsy Souvenir. While I was traipsing through art galleries in the nation’s capital, I visited plenty of museum shops. I collect enamel pins. I send my fair share of postcards. And I’m always on the lookout for a book-related souvenir. This is the treasure I brought home.
::twinkle::
Of the Badge Irregulars. Varti Weller’s best friend Phil is properly Philtrum, which is a lovely word. He’s a blithesome fellow.
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More behind-the-scenes details about Folk-Spelled to come! The books is now available in digital, print, and audio editions. (You can also procure author-signed copies from me.) It’d be brillsome if you picked one up, and truly stellward if you recommended it to another reader, rated it wherever you picked it up, and left a review.
Eyes in the Shadows. When I described Skrik to illustrator Mart Lett, I compared his form as something between a feline & a small gargoyle, a shadow with wisping edges that are in constant motion.
He’s small enough to perch on Enzo’s shoulder. In fact, he’ll often drape himself along his shoulders and peek out from under his hair. Shy thing.
More behind-the-scenes details about Folk-Spelled are sure to turn up here. But if you want LOTS more posts like this, they’re the sort of thing I share over on Patreon. Consider joining, even as a free member. I’d be grateful.
Getting the Word Out. I’m doing what I can to give the Immortal Holmes series the best possible start. After receiving an Editor’s Pick from BookLife Reviews and its subsequent appearance in Publisher’s Weekly, I reserved ad space. This will be appearing soon and I hope it catches the eye & the interest of new readers.
How would YOU blurb Folk-Spelled? ::twinkle::
Thank you, as always, for supporting my storytelling. When you read, rate, review, and recommend my books, you’re making a world of difference for an indie author like me.
Always Hexagons, Please. Favorite things tend to work their way into my books, which is why Ramage keeps games on the tables at The Speckled Hen. Naturally, I needed to make them fit in with Newcomb’s unique culture, so chess became a six-sided melee, and decks of cards gained a couple of extra suits. During my research, I found (and purchased) this simple puzzle game, which is just the sort of thing you might play with friends while waiting for dinner to arrive at your table.
Details, details. I do love details!
I thought y’all might enjoy learning how I came up with some of the names of cast members, places, etc. I’ll share more from time to time so that you can appreciate what an absolute nerd I am about words.
Nice! Great to see Folk-Spelled in a recent issue of Publisher’s Weekly. Definitely celebrating that lightning bolt, which means my book was an Editor’s Pick. Want to read the review? I included the whole of it back on this post.
Grateful to all of you who trust my storytelling enough to dip into a new series.
If Looks Could Kill. One of my Folk-Spelled cast members is a gorgon. When I was picking and choosing recurring characters, I wanted to mix things up. That’s one of the reasons why I took two traditionally female creatures (harpies & gorgons) and created a male counterpart. Durst’s steampunk-style goggles counteract his deadly gaze.
This month’s Patreon mailing is a portrait of Durst created by Mart Lett, series illustrator, from which the above art is cropped. Want great mail? Head on over and see if one of my Patreon tiers suits. I’d appreciate the additional support.
Purdle the Water Sprite. I’ve been asked several times about his size. In my notes, he’s just six inches tall, so quite small. His trusty steed Cubit‘s name is a hint about his size, since a cubit was an ancient measure, roughly the distance from one’s fingertips to one’s elbow.
::twinkle::Mr. Hudson. In the original Sherlock Holmes mysteries, he and Watson relied upon Mrs. Hudson, who lived downstairs at 221 Baker Street and served as … well, housekeeper and cook. I felt there needed to be a Hudson on the premises in my own series, but opted for a slightly different head of the household. And so Thomas was added to my cast.
Close crop from “Hudson & Holmes,” one of the portraits that Mart Lett, series illustrator, created for the art card series that I have been sending out to patrons. Yes, Thomas’s hair is purple. His fashion sense has folksome leanings. ::twinkle::
Author-signed copies of Folk-Spelled are available, and as usual, they include personal touches that you can’t get in other places. This time around, we created a seal like those used in the Bastion’s Files & Evidence division, the sort of thing Varti Weller would use to stamp the documents he archives.
Green ink, of course. Very royal. Very official business.
If you’re interested in nabbing a book for yourself, details can be found on the Signed Books page. Reminder: the cost of author copies will be going up on June 1, 2025 to help balance out the increased cost of shipping. So in a way, if you splurge now, your books is kinda, sorta on sale! ::twinkle::
FORTHRIGHT 