Fall Season Wrap-Up!
Talebones Tuesday
Welcome back to Talebones Tuesday!
This weekly(ish) digest is the way I communicate with my readers to let them know what’s been going on around the Talebones landscape, along with any housekeeping to be aware of.
November is over halfway done, which means that the Talebones Fall Season is drawing to a close! Since we’ve had a slight uptick in new subscribers recently (welcome!), I wanted to put together a quick-yet-mighty wrap-up post, summarizing the past three months of work and looking ahead to Winter.
Let’s take a peek!
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Round-Up!
In case you missed it…
The Full Roster of Fall Fiction:
The Wager - in this piece of experimental flash fiction, Polly Welkin finds herself on a mysterious poplar-lined road, trying to convince a stranger to turn around.
Hey Eye - this piece of flash fiction is a tech-horror tale told in four forum posts. It’s a quick little ditty, perfect for fans of creepypasta and all-things-spooky!
At the Foot of the God-Stairs - in this short fiction, college student Maggie’s hike in the wild woods around Mt. Si turns sinister and surreal when she’s pursued by a shadowy force.
The Fair Folk - in this Gothic two-parter set in Ferris Island’s past, Dr. Kenneth Strand’s jealousy of his younger brother leads him into a dark supernatural bargain. But who has he really dealt with? And can they be trusted?
The Bone-Stag - in this short spooky tale, a deer hunter makes a grim mistake and discovers that it did not go unnoticed
Her First Halloween (three part short story) - in this 2024 Halloween special, Ivy and her friends settle in for a fun Halloween gathering without the adults around, a big responsibility. But things get a little spooky when there’s a knock on the door, and no trick-or-treaters are expected on this isolated road…
#sponsored - something strange happened on the Tabby Lark subreddit last week, did you hear? A quick tech-based creepypasta-esque tale told in the form of forum posts and direct messages. (Follow-up to Hey Eye.)
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.
Fall/Winter Merch! - Do you want a piece of Ferris Island for your very own? The Ferris Island Gift Shop is full of souvenirs to help you express your island love in style! Check out our seasonal merch drop, including hoodies, pullovers, and SO MANY mugs!
Councilmembers: snag your 30% off discount code here!
The Orchard Hounds ebook - The very first Ferris Island short story collection is now available in ebook form! While a paperback edition is still on the way, you can snag your digital copy here or explore which thirteen stories are included.
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 you’re a writer on the platform, check out the submission guidelines and email your news to talestack.editor@gmail.com by December 1st to be included in the next issue!)
Do you observe the season of Advent? Check out my poetry-filled, nature-inspired Advent devotional, Pilgrim God! You can purchase it outright or read for free with Kindle Unlimited. And it’s perpetual—buy it once, and you can use it any year!
Stay Tuned for Sayblood’s Children…
Winter is coming, which means new longform fiction here at Talebones!
Introducing WINTER SERIAL 2024…
Sayblood’s Children
A Ferris Island Folktale
Genre: Folk Horror/Romance
Length: 12 Episodes (novella)
Start Date: December 6th
Synopsis: Othniel Brack left his disgraced family name back in England and set sail for the untamed western edge of Washington Territory, seeking a new fortune and a new legacy for himself on a small, barely inhabited island overgrown with wild apple trees.
Life is quiet on that little Orchard Island, until a strange discovery on a windswept beach changes Othniel’s life—and the island’s history—forever.
While this tale will be an especially poignant read for longtime Talebones fans, it can also be enjoyed as a stand-alone work, so no previous knowledge of Ferris Island is required.
What Else to Expect This Winter Season:
regular short fiction (3-4 pieces per month)
a few new pieces of special edition merch
The Orchard Hounds paperback edition
…and more!
Thank you for reading!
This has been such a fun and fruitful Fall Season, and it would not have been possible without the love and support from all of YOU!
I hope your November is treating you well, my friends. I’m so excited to jump into a whole new season of longform fiction with you all. I’ve been itching to start a new serial, and grateful that this place—and this community—make that enthusiasm both possible and productive. Onward and upward!
Love and blessings to all!
Your grateful storyteller,
Looking forward to Sayblood's Children, Sally!
So glad you catch us up frequently... Almost missed a great story!