Tag: Galleries of Stone

Release Day for Farley

Magical Mountains. Master Sculptors. World Travelers. While Galleries of Stone sits solidly in the #CozyFantasy category, the sequel series is as adventurous as Tupper Meadowsweet’s younger brother, who finally has his turn in the limelight. Farley plans to go everywhere, try everything, and love every minute of it. If you enjoyed the original trilogy & always wished to see more of that world, Journeymen of Stone will give you that chance. Today’s digital release will (eventually) be followed by a print & audio editions. Thanks to everyone who trusts my writing enough to embark on adventures from another pen name. ::twinkle::

Ursa superstition. Pika bards. Fwan twins. Mard pirates. Basq custom. Clow keepers. Tisk lords.
Farley Meadowsweet always planned to travel beyond the quiet Flox village where he was born. He’s finally, finally on his way to greatness, alongside Dessa, the mountain who called him, and Torio Kite. The two men share a unique affinity for stone, which makes them perfect for a dangerous vocation, hunting rogue statues known as the Misbegotten.
Aboard the Moontide, the newest ship in the Harrow fleet, Farley must deal with Larkin Rakefang. Aurelius and Ulrica’s fourth son is less than thrilled with the rite of passage his father set—keeping the Flox alive during a journey that spans continents.

Release Day: May 23, 2023
Amazon | shelve on Goodreads 

Read First. Farley kicks off a new series, but it definitely follows in the footsteps of Galleries of Stone. You can read (or listen) to the original trilogy now!

by Categories: Also MeTags: , 2 Comments

Galleries of Stone

News Flash! Because of a last-minute shuffle in his schedule, Travis Baldree’s narration of the third book in the Galleries of Stone trilogy by C.J. Milbrandt has been pulled to … TOMORROW! I’m always recommending this cozy fantasy series (it’s even linked on this blog’s sticky post: Want MOAR? Try this highly recommended series >>), in part because (dun, dun, dunnnn) I wrote it. (CJ is one of my other pen names.) Naturally, I always recommend starting a trilogy at the beginning, but if you want a free sample & to meet Tupper, Freydolf, and the rest … drop by in the morning for LIVE narration! ::twinkle::

How do you listen? You’ll need to join Travis’s Discord server, Cryptid Audio: https://discord.gg/duzCS2D Most days, he starts his sessions between 8am-9am. I’ll be there early. Hope you can drop in, too!

by Categories: Also MeTags: , 2 Comments

Audio Release

Galleries of Stone. The first book in the Galleries of Stone trilogy has released as an audio book. These stories have long been my comfort reads (yes, I’m entirely biased), but having the tale narrated by Travis Baldree brings the whole experience to a new level. If you haven’t already heard about this trilogy, it’s a gently-paced sort of story. Slice-of-Life. Cozy Fantasy. But as it goes along, aspirations crop up. To quote Aurelius Harrow, it has ambitions, but they’re deucedly small ones. If you trust my storytelling, try this, too. Book 1 is called … Meadowsweet.

A magical master sculptor banished from his homeland
hires the only Flox boy with the nubs to take his hand.


Story Summary. In places where the Twelve Mountains are honored for their magic, children are tested for affinity. But the villages in Morven’s foothills no longer remember stone lore. The Flox have forgotten the Statuary and the wonders that fill its winding galleries. All that remains are stories to frighten children and gossip about a monster living in the heights.
Necessity drives Freydolf to hire a Flox servant. Tupper Meadowsweet isn’t the cleverest child, but he’s brave enough to follow his Pred master onto Morven, where he finds hints of faraway lands, diverse races, unique customs, long histories … and danger.

Meadowsweet on Audible >>

by Categories: Also MeTags: , 3 Comments

Ahead of Schedule

Travis Baldree Narrates. As many of you know, Travis is our narrator for the Amaranthine Saga. Currently, the first five books & Governed by Whimsy: The Anthology (Songs of the Amaranthine, #1-4) are available in audio format. As it happens, whenever the publisher/author allows, Travis streams while he works. He’ll begin streaming Harrow (Galleries of Stone, #2) by C.J. Milbrandt today, so I’m inviting you all to join us on the Cryptid Audio server. Maybe you’ll only be able to sneak a few peeks. Maybe (like me) you’ll be camped out for every single session. Here’s the link: https://discord.gg/duzCS2D

Why would I be so excited that this series is coming to audio? You can read more about the Galleries of Stone trilogy on this post. (Spoiler: I wrote these books. That this is another of my pen names.) ::twinkle::

Keeping it simple:

  • Get Discord (desktop edition is spiffy, but of course there’s an app, too)
  • Click the link to join Cryptid Audio
  • Choose a nickname for use on that server (especially if you want me to recognize you) – to do so, click the Cryptid Audio drop-down menu (top left on the desktop edition) & select “change nickname”
  • Choose a role (as a “Listener,” you’ll receive a notification when Travis begins his sessions)
  • Show up & join the #listeners-lounge to chat
  • When it’s time, Travis will show up as LIVE & sharing his screen. I usually pop out the video so I can also chat, but I’m on a laptop, so I have the luxury of space.
  • Schedule! Travis generally starts around 8:30am PACIFIC. There’s often a coffee break, a lunch break, and an afternoon session. Make sure to secure “Listener” status if you want a ping when he’s starting up again.
  • He’ll be reading Harrow beginning today, Wednesday, December 15. He already recorded Meadowsweet back in October, and Rakefang is on his docket for 2022. These audio books will release over the course of next year.
  • How long? Oooh, I think Travis will need 4 days (give or take), so it’ll be a Harrow right into the weekend.
  • Leveling Up. There’s a sort of mini-game that runs on the server. If you chat, you gain XP, and when you attain sufficient XP, you level up. Whenever that happens, Travis will congratulate you. And this is quite wonderful. Chatting is highly encouraged.
  • Fair Warning. You can definitely chat with me during these sessions, but I have DMs and Friends Requests turned off. I mostly use Discord to stay in touch with my kids. If I started chatting with my readers, too, I’d never get any writing done! ::twinkle::

Reminder! Travis also reads Bard & Barbarian, my Patreon exclusive story. Narrated chapters post every other Wednesday over there.

If you have questions that google/faq lists can’t answer, nudge me in comments or email me (if that’s more comfy). Who else is ready for more of Freydolf & Tupper. (And the titular Aurelius, of course!)

by Categories: Also MeTags: , 4 Comments

Tomorrow Morning

Do you have Discord? As many of you know, Travis Baldree is our narrator for the Amaranthine Saga. Currently, the first four books & Governed by Whimsy: The Anthology (Songs of the Amaranthine, #1-4) are available in audio format. Fumiko and the Finicky Nestmate will release on November 9. As it happens, whenever the publisher/author allows, Travis streams while he works. He’ll begin streaming Meadowsweet (Galleries of Stone, #1) by C.J. Milbrandt tomorrow, so I’m inviting you all to join us on the Cryptid Audio server. Maybe you’ll only be able to sneak a few peeks. Maybe (like me) you’ll be camped out for every single session. Here’s the link: https://discord.gg/duzCS2D

Why would I be so excited that this series is coming to audio? You can read more about the Galleries of Stone trilogy on this post. (Spoiler: I wrote these books. That this is another of my pen names.) ::twinkle::

Keeping it simple:

  • Get Discord (desktop edition is spiffy, but of course there’s an app, too)
  • Click the link to join Cryptid Audio
  • Choose a nickname for use on that server (especially if you want me to recognize you) – to do so, click the Cryptid Audio drop-down menu (top left on the desktop edition) & select “change nickname”
  • Choose a role (as a “Listener,” you’ll receive a notification when Travis begins his sessions)
  • Show up & join the #listeners-lounge to chat
  • When it’s showtime, Travis will show up as LIVE & sharing his screen. I usually pop out the video so I can also chat, but I’m on a laptop, so I have the luxury of space.
  • Schedule! Travis generally works from 8:30-11am & from 1-3pm PACIFIC. But sometimes he starts early, so make sure to secure “Listener” status if you want a ping when he’s starting up again.
  • He’ll be reading Meadowsweet beginning tomorrow, Friday, October 15. Yes, the other books in the trilogy are on his schedule.
  • How long? Oooh, I think Travis will need 4 days (give or take), so it’ll be a Meadowsweet kind of weekend.
  • Leveling Up. There’s a sort of mini-game that runs on the server. If you chat, you gain XP, and when you attain sufficient XP, you level up. Whenever that happens, Travis will congratulate you. And this is quite wonderful. Chatting is highly encouraged.
  • Fair Warning. You can definitely chat with me during these sessions, but I have DMs and Friends Requests turned off. I mostly use Discord to stay in touch with my kids. If I started chatting with my readers, too, I’d never get any writing done! ::twinkle::

Reminder! Travis also reads Bard & Barbarian, my Patreon exclusive story. Narrated chapters post every other Wednesday over there.

If you have questions that google/faq lists can’t answer, nudge me in comments or email me (if that’s more comfy). I’m looking forward to introducing all of you to Freydolf & Tupper.

by Categories: Also MeTags: , 5 Comments

October Things

Busy, Busy Month. Tomorrow is the 1st of October, and I’m kind of reeling over how much FUN STUFF will be packed into the coming month. Let’s do a quick run-down to sync our calendars. ::twinkle::

Fumiko and the Finicky Nestmate (ebook) is currently available for pre-order in ALL the online venues. Those of you who buy the digital edition will boost my First Week numbers, which pleases the algorithms. Thanks for that! But I still have the most fun getting signed books (with all those personal touches & swag) into your hands. As per tradition, I’ll open up pre-orders for Fumiko on OCTOBER 1. (Yep, that’s tomorrow.) Details about those on the Signed Books page >>

. . .

October kicks off Inktober, and that means a month of Jacques Smythe. Lord Mettlebright’s Man will honor its beginnings by updating every day during October, using this year’s prompt table. Look forward to it!

. . .

Some of you have coaxed by other stories I’ve written, and I’m grateful that so many of you have picked up the Galleries of Stone trilogy, which I published under another penname. Unless there’s a change in the schedule (such things do keep us on our toes), Travis Baldree will begin narrating Bk1: Meadowsweet in October, and you can listen in. He streams his recording sessions live, and it’s so much fun to watch him work. I’ll be there, probably too giddy to be sensible.

by Categories: Random AsidesTags: , , 1 Comment