oh sweet name, I blog you again

It's time for Sunday catchup! I'll lead off with a reminder: If you've enjoyed any of the ebooks I've written, I'd be grateful if you could take a few minutes and write a review, for Amazon, Goodreads, your social media or elsewhere. Reviews do help attract new readers, and new readers in turn get the word out to bring in more. Whatever you can do is deeply appreciated. Thanks! More after the cut.


I mentioned a while back that Meri Amber, the delightful Australian nerd musicmaker, was releasing a new collection, Origin Story. To celebrate its release, Meri is running a contest, and the winner gets a CD of Origin Story, a copy of her earlier CD EP Super, and lots of other goodies! To enter, head to Meri's web page and scroll down. (You'll be signed up for her mailing list, but that's okay because her emails are fun to read.)

When I saw the Doubleclicks playing live last year, they had the audience help with a "Mad Lib" style song, where we provided a bunch of words and they fit them in to make a strange yet appealing tune. On their website, they've posted a link to a Google Docs form created by fan John May, where you can write your own song! I decided to give mine a steampunk twist, and here are the results - with the chords in case you want to play and sing along.

I Like to repair airship
(from Blank Mad Lib Song)
by The Doubleclicks & Robert Dahlen

[G]
I like to repair [G] airship
I like to drink [Em] tea
Cause [C] when I do and I’m with you
I feel [D] brass, and so horrific

[G]I like to march clockwork
[Em]I like to hammer scone
Cause [C] when I do and I’m with you
I feel [D] strawberry, so many-tentacled

[D]It’s like I am flying
In [C] the tea room, far away
[D]It’s like we are boiling
in [C] my secret workshop every day
when we soar [G] parasol

[Em]The octopus is full of copper [G] cogs
And it is a majestic, stylish day
[Em]The the ocean floor is full of askew [D] gears
I am rampaging in such a towering [G] way

It’s just you and me
And [Em] kraken, that makes three
[C]and I stumble every time I crush
a hot [D] flip

When I repair [G] airship.

And speaking of steampunk, this was the ideal snack for an afternoon of writing on Friday. What was I writing while this was being munched? Stay tuned...