✒ Editor’s Note
Welcome back, Talestack Readers!
Can you tell it’s almost spooky season?!
We’ve got some fiction fun to explore this issue, including some fall-themed treats!
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
Correction:
In our last issue, our link to the first piece of exclusive content for Michael P. Marpaung’s space opera novel, Inquisitor’s Promise, was incorrect. You can find that backstory content here!
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📣 Announcements!
Finished Projects:
Alexander M Crow has just finished the final episode of his serialized fantasy novelette, Dust and Death. “In a land of dust, some things are best left buried, terrors that can strain the very balance of the mind: fear is one thing, but this goes far, far beyond that.”
Michael P. Marpaung has just finished his promotional project for Inquisitor’s Promise, which includes info about the backstory, politics, and major characters of the novel.
New Projects:
J.E. Fishman has just started serializing his speculative fiction novel at We Once Were Giants, including his commentary on the writing process and the science behind the fiction.
Birgitte Rasine has just launched her second Substack called The Cacao Muse, a library-café of deeply curated knowledge and stories about the world of chocolate. You can also find her novel, The Jaguar and the Cacao Tree, serialized there, which Birgitte describes as The Chronicles of Narnia and The Golden Compass blended together and dipped in chocolate.
Debs Stott recently re-jigged her Substack to have a tighter focus and is now in her second week of publishing new journeys at Mappery: Not just for Navigation. These journeys are based around her love of creating hand-made art maps and writing stories to accompany them, both fictional and real-life. Check out The Curious Questers Road Trip (a fictional, fantasy road trip), Personal Atlas (a visual memoir), or Mapambo (occasional letters).
S.L. Linton has just started a new Substack called The Forgotten Library, “a collection of speculative fiction about God’s grace bursting into people’s lives in strange and sometimes disconcerting ways, all occurring in a multi-universe. You will find here a blend of fairytale, horror, fantasy, and science fiction, from a Catholic point of view.” Stay tuned for her first short story, dropping October 13th!
Alexander M Crow will share the first episode of Death and Taxes on October 6th, a fantasy novella set in the same world as his finished novelette. “Death and Taxes—the only certainties in life—examines the lengths one woman will go to in order to provide security for her family. Lengths which keep getting longer and longer. Get it right and Merie will be free. If not, there’ll be four more orphans on the streets.”
Jeff Kinnard is launching the official Macabre Monday newsletter TODAY. It will feature a digest of the writers participating in Macabre Monday in an effort to start conversations, spread the word of the community, and gain attention for the participants. There will also be a horror writing contest launched for the month of October (more details to follow on the launch).
Awards:
Edward Rooster won a September writing contest at Infinite Loops, a publication and creative community founded by Jim O'Shaughnessy, for Our Imagination Is A Camera Of The Mind!
Milestones & Wins:
William F. Edwards is celebrating a recent milestone of hitting 100 subscribers at The Warthog Report!
K. Héenmouth is celebrating one full year on Substack at A Basket of Herbs and Feathers!
Edward Rooster is celebrating two years and 500 subscribers at From The Future!
📚 The Bookshelf
(Titles listed in order of release date.)
J.E. Fishman’s speculative fiction novel, We Once Were Giants, is available to purchase through Amazon! Release Date: 8/1/23
John Coon’s recently-completed horror serial, Snow Dragon, is now available to preorder in ebook and paperback through these retailers or you can read it now as a paid subscriber to Strange New Worlds! Release Date: 10/10/23
📝 Submissions Bulletin
The Chronicler is inviting everyone to take part in this Macabre Monday prompt. The theme for this round is “liminal space” and the deadline is the 9th of October. “I want this to be an opportunity for people to discover writers that they wouldn't otherwise. There are so many people with so much talent who are maybe not active on Notes but deserve to be seen!”
John Coon is opening his secondary Substack newsletter, The Indie Life, to guest posts from fellow Substack indie authors. Guest posts are open to any indie author on Substack who has independently published or self-published one or more books and has had demonstrable success with sales and visibility with said books. Reach out to John at john_coon@outlook.com to pitch ideas for guest posts.
The fourth season of the spectacular Lunar Awards has just begun! Read the linked post for entry rules and prizes, including a new spooky-themed badge!
CROSSROAD PRESS has just started their 15-day open call submission window for novels and nonfiction. Learn more here!
❤ Shout-Outs
Birgitte Rasine would like to shout out Amran Gowani - “His satire is sharp, witty, and profound, and yet completely disarming. His posts have made many a rough week so much easier on a Friday morning. Can Amran please run for president, this country would be so much better off with a leader who calls it like it is! :)”
The Editor would like to shout out Patricia J.L. 👻🧶🖊️’s fun, fall-themed flash fiction based on Meaghan McIsaac’s artwork. Love a good seasonal “unofficial” collab!
🫱🏻🫲🏾 Connection Corner
Debs Stott would love to collaborate and co-author stories with other Substackers! If interested, reach out by tagging her on Notes!
Got something you want us to publish? Have any questions, comments, or feedback? Send it all to:
talestack.editor@gmail.com
Many thanks for including my news! This is certainly a packed issue, I really can see how fiction is growing here on Substack, there are more and more of us sharing stories, but also more people reading too. This is a great thing, for us all.
Thanks again.
Silly me! Forgot to have you include the start of PENTOBER in your newsletter. Maybe I'll remember for the next one to shoot you an email about it. Either way, day 2 starts today. Just about to share all of the submissions from yesterday's kickoff!