Auri is a trio consisting of Tuomas Holopainen (keyboards, songwriting), Troy Donockley (various winds, guitar, vocals), and Johanna Kurkela (vocals). The first two are bandmates in the Finnish symphonic metal band Nightwish, Johanna is Tuomas' spouse and has her own career as a singer going. For their upcoming third album, Auri have added a drummer and, no surprise, it is Nightwish drummer Kai Hahto. So half of Nightwish is now in Auri as well. With Nightwish on hiatus for this year, they are also able to do a fairly extensive tour, something Auri has not always been able to do given all members have other musical lives.

Trivia: The name is taken from a character in Patrick Rothfuss' Kingkiller Chronicles, a favourite of Tuomas. He has also written songs based on the books for both Nightwish and Auri.

Since I'm here, I'll put on a fresh pot of coffee and some tea. Cold beverages are lookin' good. Here's some brownies, too.

So you want to get paid for your writing? Really? Well, here's some possible markets. This list is heavier on "literary fiction", i.e. general fiction not aligned to a specific genre, and has less of the genre markets that tend to dominate the monthly lists. Still, markets like Clarkesworld and Escape Artists (who have several fiction podcasts and sites geared to various genres) are here, too. See what you think. Maybe your next publication is in here someplace.

» 57 Literary Journals that Pay Their Authors

I actually think that I have been to more National than State Parks in my journeys around the US. However, provincial parks up here can be quite nice, so I imagine your state parks can be, too. Still, most of the famous ones are national parks so that.

Hike or mountain bike a trail?

Been very into extreme metal of late and contemplating what that says of my state of mind. My discovery of the week is Orbit Culture, a melodic death metal act from Sweden (there's lots of those). This is the leadoff single from their upcoming fifth album.

I think I would prefer The Mavericks to Dwight, truth be told. Not that either is my usual anyhow. Always find it interesting when a supporting act outshines the leads.

Glad your daughter's surgery went okay. Wishing her a good and speedy (as possible) recovery.

Good morning!! After a run of nice days, we've got cloud and a chance of showers in my world today. Oh well, the grass and other greenery will appreciate it.

Coffee is on. Went with Tobermory Flowerpot Island. Teas are Earl Grey and Yorkshire. Fresh pitchers of lemonade and iced tea await in the fridge along with restocked sodas. And I'll put a plate of cookies out.

Ugh. Sick plus jet lag sounds quite unpleasant. Though I have been there, done that myself. Glad you had a good trip. Germany is a nice country.

Throwing on some coffee and tea just in case others happen by. Got my housework done. On to cutting the grass next. Tomorrow, maybe we'll do some hiking or biking for Mother's Day. Depends on what we feel like.

Later, alligators.

Been trying to listen to some non-metal this week. I've been into prog rock since my teens so been listening to a lot of that. One of my favourite prog artists is UK musician-producer-songwriter Steven Wilson and his new solo album (he has also had some bands) The Overview came out earlier this Spring. He is now on tour. The album consists of two long compositions, "Objects Outlive Us" and "The Overview". On the first disc, both are in their full forms so there's only two long tracks, while the second has the individual sections of each piece broken out into separate tracks. Here is "Objects: Meanwhile" from "Objects Outlive Us".

S-F horror does more for me. Lovecraft's "The Colour Out of Space" is one of my favourite horror stories and also one of the seminal works of s-f horror (alien lifeforce that arrives on a meteor wipes out an isolated farm family).

Canoe or kayak for paddling?

Good morning! Sunny but chilly day so far here.

Given current activity levels, not sure there's much point to this, but I'll put on a pot of Deathwish Dark Roast coffee. There's a pot of Yorkshire Gold tea waiting, too, along with a hot kettle. Cold drinks are stocked.

I am taking another swing at a story that's been stewing forever. Had some new ideas on where to go with it yesterday but have only noted them in my writer's notebook so far. And got a project on the go for another site, too.

Quote by Cora
Like most bands, they evolved over time in their music, which I sometimes like, but they had a drastic downwards change after Viva La Vida.

Yeah, I kind of got into them for a while but they lost me at some point. But an artist that doesn't really evolve is just as likely to lose me. I like artists that evolve. I recently did a listen through of all five albums by the defunct Dutch metal band After Forever. My favourite singer, Floor Jansen, started her career as a vocalist and songwriter in that band at sixteen and was in her late twenties by the time they broke up. There's a clear evolution, especially around the third album where some major lineup changes happened. Still recognizable as After Forever all the way through, but the last album from 2007 is distinctly different from the first in 1999. But in that case, I actually like the last couple albums the best of the bunch.

Nice to see you around again, Cora. Lovely day might be a stretch here. It's workday and the weather is a bit meh. We'll see how things go.

Never Enough - Loren Allred

First Monday of the month so the monthly list of calls for submissions and contests is up. Lots of spec fic (sf, fantasy, horror, and related) options this month. Cryptids, spec-fic relationship stories, Halloween nostalgia. And for those not inclined to writing spec fic, there's themes like best dressed and modern slavery. So take a look. Maybe there's home here for something you're writing.

» 32 Themed Calls and Contests for May 2025

Sunday morning means Sunday Tea!! (black tea with Bourbon vanilla). And there's some Dark Roast Guatamalan coffee in the coffee pot. Cold drinks are refreshed, sodas are stocked up. There's goodies out, too. What's up for you this Sunday?

Yorkshire Gold

Lanternlight - Nightwish

Fun one. From 2010, Floor Jansen with her band ReVamp rocking into a Lady Gaga cover.

Plain old water right now.

Groan. That pun likely deserves a bit of extra drilling. 🙄😀

I haven't finished much of anything recently. Writing but things just seem to go nowhere.

New album from Canadian indie alt-pop singer-songwriter Lights is out today. A26 is the title of the album. Nice, lively electronic pop. Here's a track.

We've been doing a lot of cruise ships but I kind prefer a resort. Can just crash somewhere and write.

Zombies or vampires?

Julia - Eurythmics

Only a few hours left until the weekend here. Got plans? I'm kind of winging it, esp. given our weather is going to suck. Chance of showers every day until Tuesday.

Coffee is Deathwish Dark Roast.

Teas are Yorkshire Gold and Assam.

Pitchers are washed and there's fresh iced tea and lemonade mixed up in the fridge. Sodas are stocked.

Here's some brownies if you're needing a chocolate and sugar fix.

Get Back - The Beatles

Running. Me and swimming had a falling out many years ago.

King of the world or modest life in obscurity?

And Emma's performance of "Strong", for my money one of the finest songs from Floor's own pen. It originally debuted on an album by After Forever, the band that launched Floor's career.

Dang, I swear I came across a good cover of "Both Sides Now" recently since Anna mentioned Joni Mitchell but there's so bleeping many on YouTube, I'm no longer sure which one. Checked my music threads on another site to no avail but was reminded of this one.

I came across Emma Heesters for the first time due to her being on the same season of the Dutch music reality series Beste Zangers as Nightwish lead singer Floor Jansen. On the show, Emma delivered a beautiful cover of Floor's song "Strong" dedicating it to her mother, who had cancer (the song was originally about Floor's mother and her struggles with a form of arthritis). Skip ahead 5 years and it was Emma announcing to her fans that she was being treated for cervical cancer. At 28. F*** cancer. She is apparently through her first rounds of treatment and seems to be doing okay right now, releasing this upbeat new single recently.

Every Breath You Take - The Police

Quote by AnnaMayZing

I recently saw a vlog on YouTube from 2021 with Tuomas Holopainen (Nightwish). In it, he mentioned Darkwoods My Betrothed, a band with which he has played keyboard for many years, but has no other input. I thought I would take a listen... Nope, not for me. I prefer the more melodic metal rather than Black Metal.

I need to give them another listen. My appreciation for extreme metal styles has changed since I last tried them and I might be more amenable to them now. And Tuomas needs no other input, IMHO, just his style of playing reveals his presence if you're familiar with his work.

Kardashev, my new metal discovery of the week, kind of split the difference with their progressive deathgaze (as it's called). Some very heavy death metal elements including some of the fastest blastbeats I have ever heard, but also some lighter, more melodic moments. They are possibly the most extreme band that I have actually liked to date. Their 2022 album Liminal Rites, from which this comes, blew my mind yesterday.

Tram