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Edition #10.5: Now It's Time For Dragonsleep

Edition #10.5: Now It's Time For Dragonsleep

A Dragonsteel Thank You Letter

Daniel Alexander
December 09, 2024 • Estimated Reading Time: 15 minutes

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No Surprises Here!

Greetings Valthakai, worldhoppers, Allomancers, Feruchemists, Hemalurgists, Radiants, Sandmasters, Returned, Starmarked, Sleepless, Ghostbloods, Aethers, Forgers, Elantrians, Cinderhearts, Yoki-hijo, and any I may have missed…

We’ve wrapped up Dragonsteel Nexus 2024, and in that time, we have been absolutely floored at the turnout for Daniel’s Meet and Greet, the Knight Radiant Panel, and the number of people who made his friends take their pictures with him.

His ego has not shrunk, to say the least.

The Crone will take a back seat for a moment as I wanted to extend a personal thank you to Samantha and Chelsea.

Chelsea compiled the very first arc of Wanderings of the Crone and illustrated it! My reaction video will be up very soon, but first, I need to sleep for about 16 hours. Your effort in this is so, so appreciated, I cannot express how much it meant to both me and the Crone. My biggest concern with reading your gift is crying tears of joy onto the pages.

Samantha, your book recommendations and wildly hilarious candles (one that smells like “a man that created therapy because he needed it” and the other scent is “a man that unknowingly burned his wife alive”) were a highlight to my convention experience. I will absolutely be getting to the novels you brought me, but first, Wind and Truth.

Thank you to everyone who simply showed up. Whether that was my meet and greet, panel, or giving a simple wave as I passed you in the hallway, knowing my Valthakai were present at Dragonsteel made it all the better!

I do this for you, and the Crone does it for tax write-offs.

I would be remiss if I also didn’t thank Octavia, Dragonsteel’s publicist.

It is she who coordinated my attendance for the second year running, and I cannot stress enough how amazing she is at her job.

There are no such things as problems (besides Moash) when Octavia is involved.

Thank you for a wonderful experience, I will see you next year at Dragonsteel Nexus 2025.

Love,

Daniel and the Crone

All Will Be Revealed

Lim has experienced so much, even for a fae.

From pickpocketing merchants and escaping through the precarious walkways above Oderon, to slinging drinks in the backwaters of Marias. Now, she finds herself in the lap of luxury, raised as a coddled and entitled royal.

But nothing is ever as it seems. Someone has been whispering sweet poison into her ear for over a decade, and now our heroine is barreling down a path of secrets and pain that could destroy her and her loved ones.

Uncover all the secrets in the final installment, All the Hidden Things, out December 6, 2024. Don't forget to check out the first and second books, soon to be available for your aural pleasure everywhere audiobooks are sold!

Daniel’s Current Read

Wind and Truth

Brandon Sanderson

Genres: Epic Fantasy, High Fantasy, Found Family With Mental Health Disorders, Did You Know There Are Trading Cards

Do I even need to elaborate on this?

You guys are lucky I even wrote this edition while this book is on my Kindle.

We are at book 5, the end of arc 1 of The Stormlight Archive.

The physical copy weighs 6lbs, and the digital copy is about ten times that in emotional mass.

I started this series around the 8th grade, and it is one that I will laud from the rooftops until my dying breath.

Going from reading in a synagogue to paneling at the convention it is dedicated to is nothing short of extraordinary.

If you don’t know what it’s about at this point, I highly suggest just picking up the first book!

You’ve Heard of Girl Math?

Get Ready for Politician Insider Trading…

Hi financially literate Valthakai…

Normally, when running advertisements, I tend to let them speak for themselves.

But this app is something I find particularly fascinating.

At the risk of sounding like a finance bro, I have a stock portfolio, and back when I was working retail, I helped many coworkers set up their retirement plans.

If you do have questions regarding this thing, we can always start a required channel in our Discord or you can write to the Crone.

In the meantime, I’m going to try out this app!

Dub app raises $17M for first regulated copy trading platform

On Dub, you don't pick the stocks you want to invest in. You pick the people you want to copy, with portfolios based on hedge fund managers, investing experts, and even law makers.

When you copy a portfolio on Dub, you execute the same trades as them automatically. Dub’s team hopes this will make investing more transparent and accessible.

Dub is SEC-registered, member FINRA. All deposits are SIPC-insured.

Free Trial, $89 annually (iOS)

Not investment advice. Full disclosures here.

Dear Crone

An advice column

Dear Crone,

I got what I wanted, but...now what?

I finally figured out (sort of) who I am and what I want at the nearly Crone’s age of 32 (I'm now 34) and have actively worked to change my life.

It's working...the hitch?

My partner’s family doesn't know I have kids nearly two years in.

How to tell them?

Sincerely,

Kace, Mother of Chaos.

Dear Kace, MOC,

I would assess the reasoning behind why you hid your children from your partner’s family for two years.

Is this a part of a no-contact situation?

If so, and you are looking to have them in your life once again, I would suggest a straightforward “you have grandchildren/nieces/nephews, etc.,” message.

If, somehow, life got in the way and you haven’t gotten around to informing them, I would go for the pizzazz route and send them the most shocking holiday card they will ever receive in their life.

You can follow up with that by photoshopping your children into old photos and convincing your unwitting in-laws that they’re going insane.

Maniacally,

The Crone

Dear Crone,

I’m single, in my twenties and on the apps, trying to live a little yk?

But I keep getting into situations with men where I have to enforce that no means no- sexually as well as(lacking) interest-wise.

I’m growing wary of men but still wish to explore and experience.

Should I try with women?

Or just give up?

Disillusionedly,

Not So Roaring Twenties

Dear Roaring,

First of all, only try women if you’re curious about them.

Sexuality is many things, but a last resort isn’t one of them. I only say that as it may leave you feeling more disappointed.

If you like men, great, but you’re going to have to brave that wilderness.

To start, I would suggest making sure you understand the vibe of each app— some of them are significantly more geared towards immediate satisfaction— and potentially focusing on the ones that provide (even slightly) higher quality options.

Keeping sex entirely on your terms, in that you’d prefer a planned scenario as opposed to a spontaneous thing, can require a subtle touch.

Suggesting interactions that are more innocent: coffee shop dates, bookstore meetups, or outdoor scenarios are less intimate than dinner, drinks, or the like.

The best of both worlds are always willing to listen, respect your boundaries, and actively seek to know more than just what’s in your pants.

Patience is a pain but still a virtue.

Swipingly,

The Crone

Hi Crone!

I’m having trouble because my hot werewolf boyfriend and my hot vampire boyfriend won’t stop making out with each other!

I don’t mind, but I feel left out as the hot fae boyfriend.

What do I do?

Sincerely,

Cypress

Dear Cypress,

Communication in these scenarios is always key.

Clearly, there is something between your werewolf and vampire that is getting them going, and making sure that you are also participating in their love/sexual languages can be an important part of your physical intimacy.

Similarly, if you’re feeling left out, that is also something to inform them of, as it is okay to ask that they include you in their… I’m going to say rutting for variety’s sake.

They should be just as interested in turning you on as vice versa.

As I’ve said before, foreplay isn’t just for the bedroom.

You can tease and tempt in many, many, many subtle ways throughout the day.

Worst case scenario, there are always toys and a cuck chair.

Oscillatingly,

The Crone

Dear Crone,

My elder brother is getting married.

As much as we’ve fought to the point where he has dragged me off a 2-foot bed by the hair.

I love him.

And he wants me to be part of the wedding.

How should I approach this, I spar with alcohol, and a part of me wants to drink my cares away, but I love/care for him too much to ruin this.

Please Help!!!

WhyDoILiveLikeThis

Dear WhyDoI,

Mazel tov to your brother!

It’s wonderful for adult siblings to enjoy being in each other’s lives.

However, you now have a decision to make.

I do not know how you are around alcohol.

Would the access at his wedding be too tempting, yes or no?

Do you lack the restraint to have only one drink?

Would it spiral into event-ruining behavior?

Given your concerns, I think it would be very understandable to bring them up with your brother, and also recognize that it is possible you may not be able to attend.

If you are struggling with your relationship with alcohol, it is best to meet with a professional and find a support group.

You are not wrong for trying to better yourself, even if that means you have to excuse yourself (for now) from certain milestones.

Your brother and your future self will thank you for it.

Gently,

The Crone

Dear Crone,

I am turning 21 in a few days.

I think it's time for me to grow up and get serious about my life.

Any advice on what should I do?

Also, I applied for a Digital Marketing Internship, and they gave me an assignment to do.

I completed it and submitted it.

They have emailed me back, too.

Just wanted to share.

Excitedly,

Nerdy Bitch

Dear Nerdy,

I think it’s great that you are seeking to take life more seriously.

21 is a stepping stone for adulthood.

But again, it is just that, a stepping stone.

You are still very much in the process of learning who you are, and what it means to be yourself— everyone is.

If you’re trying to take your life seriously, assess where you want to be 5 years from now— romantically, financially, and professionally.

Simultaneously, allow yourself the room for those goals to change as you continue to grow up.

Adulthood is not as definitive as an exact age, it’s a mindset that encompasses lasting growth.

Well done on your internship work, I’m so excited to see what you may do!

Love,

The Crone

Need Advice?

The Soft Covers

Because Sometimes Fantasy is Nice

The Nonspoiler Reason You Need to Read the Stormlight Archive

By now, many of you are aware of my love for the Cosmere.

I have provided reading orders (Edition #2: A Worldhopper's Guide to the Cosmere), character analysis, and death threats gentle suggestions to try to get our beloved Valthakai to begin this journey and join me in its greatness.

So I figured I’d detour a bit from the standard issue soft covers and try to convince you without spoilers.

I’ll ask you:

When have you felt most alone?

When did the breaks in your spirit seem like they will physically shatter you?

You’re here now, and you are still dealing with the shadows of your past.

You have gotten stronger, but that doesn’t mean you have forgotten.

You look back and wonder how you survived in the first place, and a part of you fears sliding back there.

Know I’m proud of you for how far you’ve come.

Now wrap that with magical swords, armor, and the ability to break worlds, bind gods, and achieve your truest self, and you have the Stormlight Archive.

I can only recommend this series to people who enjoy being seen.

Come say the Oaths.