A Big Ol' Springy Update! đź
Talebones Tuesday
Greetings, Talebones Readers!
This weekly(ish) digest is the way I communicate with my readers to let them know whatâs been going on around the Talebones landscape, along with any housekeeping to be aware of.
Happy March, everyone!! đ
It never fails; March is the first month of every year when I start to feelâŚwellâŚhuman. đ And 2026 is shaping up to be no exception! Spring Season on Talebones is going to be a fun balance of some behind-the-scenes maintenance stuff and some exciting public projects as I tackle my novel revisions AND catch up on posting short fiction, something Iâve sorely missed around here.
First, a quick bit of admin:
As mentioned in a previous missive, I have decided to move away from the âCouncilâ branding for Paid Subscriptions, opting for slightly more boring (but arguably much clearer) language. Check out the updated Support Talebones! page to see what a Talebones Paid Subscription gets you! (Paid subscribers: Iâve also updated this yearâs discount code for the Etsy store, so be sure to take a peek at that before you make any upcoming purchases!)
The first week of April, Talebones Paid Subscriptions will be INCREASING to $5/month and $50/year â if you upgrade before the end of March, you lock in the CURRENT lower price! (Note: rates will not change for any current paid subscribersâthe rate you signed up with is the rate you keep.)
In any case, this missive is a bit longer than normal, so grab yourself a snack and letâs dive in!
⨠First, A Quick Word From Our Sponsor⌠â¨
Work With Me! - Looking for an editor, beta reader, proofreader, or copywriter? Look no further! Check out my NEW AND IMPROVED Work With Me site for rates and services! Donât see something that works for you? Reach out via email or DMâIâm happy to discuss. Letâs make your projects sing!
Shop My Books! - Explore my self-published works, both ebook and paperback, available from various retailers!
Visit the Gift Shop! - Grab a piece of Talebones swag or a Ferris Island souvenir for your very own! Mugs, tees, hats, sweatshirts, and more, updated seasonally!
And now, back to Talebones TuesdayâŚ
Round-Up!
In case you missed itâŚ
What Passes Down - an uncanny tale about a mysterious old family photo, a reluctant storyteller, and an impossible romanceâŚ
Weathering Change Book Review - Over on my nonfiction newsletter, The Wildroot Parables, I put together an honest review of the recently-released book Weathering Change by Courtney Ellis. If youâre interested in faith and nature and the seasonality of life, check out my review at the link!
Day in the Life of a _____Writer - Last week, Trevor Cohen gathered writers from all over the Substack platform to take part in a fun collaborative event! You can check out my own somewhat interpretive entry at the link, or even jump into the collaboration yourself.
Our supernatural/dystopian serial Smoke-Mouth is rounding the corner to its conclusion. Synopsis: Jenny-Dog is just fine on her own. Jenny-Dog needs no one and no one needs her. Until a fool young stranger shows up, says sheâs walking all the way to the crippled mountainâto Lawetlatâla, to Smoke-Mouthâand asks if Jenny wants to come along. Jenny doesnât fancy their chances. After all, itâs over a hundred miles on a dangerous road through a once-modern region laid bare by quakes and crisis. There are many-eyed angels hovering in the summer sky, and hungry thieves lurking in the woods with violence in their hearts. But the mountain is calling. And when Smoke-Mouth calls, the dreamers reply.
Explore the Table of Contents
Get started here - Episode One: The Fool
Read the latest episode here - Episode Seventeen: To The Tower
New around here? Most of our speculative fiction takes place on a haunted island in Washington State called Ferris Island. Check out the landing page to see which stories are currently available to read here online, along with other info and resources!
We also have stories of various genres set elsewhere, listed here.
TALESTACK NEWS is a twice-monthly bulletin of Substack fiction news where I collate as many announcements, projects, submissions opportunities, community endeavors, and generally cool things as I can gather. Check out the most recent issue here! (And if youâre a writer on the platform, read the submission guidelines and email your news to talestack.editor@gmail.com by March 15th to be included in the next issue!)
A Serial Draws To An End⌠đž
At long last, long-running serial Smoke-Mouth is nearing its (real and true) ending.
Episode Eighteen will be the final episode, with an Epilogue to follow. Both are fully outlined and ready to roll. âĽ
I started Smoke-Mouth halfway through last summer as a bit of a pivot after I felt I had to shelve a previous serial indefinitely. I meant to keep it to my typical âtwelve episodes and an epilogueâ structure, but it took on a life of its own⌠to the tune of six further episodes. đł Combine that with my own difficulties staying motivated over the winter, and it became âthe little serial with a looooooooong journey to walk.â
My relationship with this serial has been, well, a bit oddâsometimes inspired, sometimes strainedâbut as I near the ending, I feel only affection for this story and its characters. It is definitely one that Iâm placing reverently on the ârevise and publishâ pile, though I have other projects waiting in line first. Iâm excited to return to this tale in the future and see how it evolves in the interim.
Most of all, I am so grateful to those of you whoâve been here since the start of this serial, and those who jumped on at any stage of the process. Your love for this tale has kept me writing when all I wanted to do was hide in shame from my writerâs block.
Thank you. âĽ
Iâll be putting together a public Q&A of some sort after the story is over. So if you have ANY questions about Smoke-Mouthâs writing, development, or story, feel free to throw them in the comment sections of the remaining episodes. Iâll gather them up and answer them when all is concluded!
Interested in catching up with Smoke-Mouth before it ends?
đž JUMP INTO EPISODE ONE! đž
March Tale, March Sale! đ
Looking for a springtime story for your March TBR?
To celebrate the month of March (when the story is set), my springtime magical realism novella, Ivy & Ixos, is 50% OFF when you purchase either the ebook or paperback on Amazon!
But act fastâthis sale ends on March 31st!
Get ready for a mysterious adventure in the Washington woodsâŚ
Set during the uncertain days of March 2020, 10-year-old Ivy is sent to live with her estranged father while her aunt, a hospital nurse, is unable to care for her during lockdown.
What starts as an adventure turns into a mystery, as at her fatherâs home in the western Washington forests Ivy finds uncanny quiet, a cabin full of hidden memories, and a family secret too strange to be believed.
đż PURCHASE IVY & IXOS ON SALE HERE! đż
My NEW Freelance Website! â
Itâs impossible to overstate how instrumental Substack has been to the expansion and deepening of my freelance editing work.
A few years ago, when sites like Upwork dried up or got overloaded with AI slop, folks on Substack became the best clients I could ever ask for, and I am so grateful. Many a Substack-based client has unwittingly saved my bacon by paying a bill, contributing toward a surprise expense, or helping me afford a bag of dog food at just the right time!
Instead of listing my rates on a random Substack page, Iâve long felt it was overdue for my freelancing to have its own shiny new site, connected to my personal domain, with updated rates AND some clarity around my AI policies as an editor, since some professional nuance is required in this brave new world weâre in.
And now itâs here!
â CHECK IT OUT! â
(NOTE ABOUT MY RATE CHANGES: previous clients and/or paid subscribers to Talebones are entitled to discounts and grandfathered-in rates, so please reach out to me before you do any mental math! âĽ)
Review Highlight: The Shell! đĽ
If youâve read any of my books, I would be so honored if you would pause now to leave a rating or review.
But this month, I would be especially grateful for reviews of The Shell!
This collection of eight speculative short stories contains tales of mystery, magic, and the macabre woven with vivid landscapes, challenging questions, and glimmers of unlikely hope.
One five-star review on Amazon calls it âthe sort of book that restores oneâs faith in Speculative Fiction [âŚ] All the stories in this Collection are different, in tone, subject and length. None disappoint.â
Have you read The Shell? I would love an honest review!
For self-published authors, thereâs no multi-million-dollar engine running promotion, marketing, and other advertisingâŚthereâs just me! So ratings and reviews go a LONG way in raising indie books in algorithms, triggering retailers to suggest them to customers, and helping new readers find self-published books that theyâll love!
And you donât have to write a long review, either. A simple star-rating or a âLoved it!â both work just as well!
You can review my books on:
Storygraph:
Or you can visit the books on their individual My Books pages to review them on the sites of specific retailers, like B&N, Kobo, or Fable!
Thank you SO MUCH for taking the time to leave a review!
It really, really means the most. âĽ
Thinking of Supporting Talebones? Act Now!
Talebones is kept afloat by a beautiful and diverse tapestry of support, from my freelance day job as a writer and editor to purchases of books and merch AND the bountiful generosity of my paid subscribers!
You can become a Talebones Paid Subscriber for $3.75/month or $45/year (or go above and beyond as a Founding Member) to gain access to ALL online Talebones fiction past and present, exclusive resources, discounts to merch/products and freelance/consulting services, and more!
Learn more about each tierâs perks here.
NOTE: Paid Subscription rates will INCREASE the first week of April!
Lock in the current price by upgrading today!
Thank you for reading!
Phew, you made it to the end! Well done! đ
Iâve kept you long enough, so I wonât belabor the pointâthank you for your continued support of Talebones, whether you see yourself as a casual reader, a lurker, a contributor, or a fervent fan. I am so excited to step into Spring Season with you!
Your attention is a precious resource, and I never take it for granted. âĽ
Your grateful storyteller,
I know we writers have more stories than time to write them. When you had to pivot (insert Friends meme here), how did you know this would be the one to replace the camper serialânot only that it had the legs to finish (and then some as it broke bounds) but was the right one for right now?
"My relationship with this serial has been, well, a bit oddâsometimes inspired, sometimes strainedâbut as I near the ending, I feel only affection for this story and its characters.".... Boy oh boy, I hear you loud and clear on this sentence, S.E. and to be honest, I feel this way about almost everything I write. There are those few exceptions when everything just falls together but normally, either I or the story, get moody with each other. We break up temporarily, then get back together. Kind of like a lover's quarrel? ... Maybe? - Jim