✒ Editor’s Note
Welcome back, Talestack Readers!
Can you believe we’re up to Issue Four?! The creativity and camaraderie of this community never cease to amaze me! We’ve got plenty of projects, milestones, collaborations, shout-outs, and MORE to explore in this exciting issue!
As always, please hype each other up in the comments. Go visit, explore, give virtual high-fives, and let your colleagues know that you’re with them.
Have a fantastic week, and happy writing!
S.E. Reid
Editor of Talestack News📣 Announcements!
Finished Projects:
Ben Woestenburg has finished his 7-part novella, The Evil That Men Do. The whole story is available now, so check Scribbler for more info.
Alexander Ipfelkofer has finished his novella, Part One of The Chronicles of Samuel Carter, and will be releasing each part weekly.
New Projects:
Erica Drayton is running a 100-Word Story Collaboration from July 14th - September 22nd! Follow Erica on Notes to watch the stories unfold every weekend. (The first story, featuring Feasts and Fables, is out now!)
L.C.Marino has just begun releasing his gothic horror novella Bury The Child, as a serial. “It’s a haunted story about a mother, Lydia, grieving the tragic death of her daughter, Adeline. Soon after the girl’s death, Lydia witnesses unexplainable events in her home, calling into question her sanity and her ability to keep her marriage alive. Is grief driving her insane, or is Adeline reaching beyond the grave to reunite with Lydia?”
Josh Fireland started a new serial Chokeville. “Chokeville is a novel about two tough sisters trying to stay afloat in a zesty hardboiled pirate crime city. I finished it last year and am now sending out a new chapter every Thursday.”
Hannah Holm has just started releasing her middle-grade fantasy story, Timothy’s Monsters. “It's about a young boy who has been raised by Sasquatch and a werewolf, and how he navigates having one foot in each world, monster and human. It's his quest to belong. It asks the question, what makes someone a monster?”
reinancruz has just launched her short story review series, where she reviews a speculative fiction short story once per month. Her first issue, about Shards by Ian Rogers, is out now.
Jeff Kinnard has started THREE new reader-guided stories: Trapped Within Darkness (horror), Expedition Epsilon (sci-fi), and Perthro: The Rune of Mystery (historical fiction). Click here to learn more about Choose Fiction!
Milestones & Wins:
Michael Woudenberg is celebrating his 1-year Substack anniversary TODAY!
Ben Woestenburg has just hit 200 subscribers!
Jeff Kinnard just hit a hard-won 30 subscribers!
Peter Harrison just finished a thorough copyedit of his first book, Silent Skies. Find out more about Peter and his editorial process here.
📚 The Bookshelf
(Titles listed in order of release date.)
Simon K Jones’s book, No Adults Allowed, has been re-released with a brand-new cover and blurb. Now available for purchase on Amazon. Original Release Date: 11/24/22
Michael S. Atkinson’s speculative fiction/superhero novel, Who Killed Ron Raven?, is now available for purchase on Amazon. Release Date: 7/6/23
Lisa Kuznak’s sci-fi novel, Pallas, is releasing this week! Click here for a sample chapter and preorder links. Release Date: 7/18/23
Adrian P Conway’s literary/romance novella, The Pelican Crossing, is now available for preorder. Check this post for more details. Release Date: 7/28/23
☕ KimBoo York’s book, Become An Unstoppable Storyteller, is now available for preorder. Click here to learn more! Release Date: 7/31/23
❤ Shout-Outs
Scoot would like to shout out Sujan Sundareswaran for his help designing a cover and typesetting for Sandbox Earth! From Scoot: “Sujan has been tremendous, I can’t wait for you all to see what he’s done for me!”
Michael P. Marpaung would like to shout out Erica Drayton for her work on The List: “When I was putting in the genre for my publication, I saw ‘Christian Fiction’ as an option. Naturally, I was curious so I looked up the authors with that tag. And I found one.”
Joyce Young would like to shout out Deesha Philyaw, Robert Jones, Jr, and Kiese Laymon for their work with Lit16, shedding light on debut writers!
🫱🏻🫲🏾 Connection Corner
M. E. Rothwell has just started The Books That Made Us project, bridging the Substack community through the power of beloved literature. Click the link above to learn how you can get involved!
Mike Paydo is looking for a critique partner! If interested, email Mike at mpaydo@gmail.com
James Don BlueWolf would like critiques on his serial novella, Born to Play. If interested, reach out to James via Notes.
Jeff Kinnard is always looking for feedback and critique. Email at jeff97k@gmail.com or you can tag Jeff on Notes!
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I've said it before, and I'll say it again: this is very cool!
Encouraging authors to keep writing and to improve is kind of everything. It's what makes this place decidedly better than other platforms. Thanks for helping make everyone's experience better!
This is the generosity and community we LOVE here in Substack ... what a brilliant celebration of writers and writing. Fantastic energy and enthusiasm.