ISSUE TWENTY
[March 4th - March 18th]
✒ Editor’s Note
Welcome back, Talestack Readers!
March is flying by, and fiction is all around…
We may have been just shy of celebrating this issue on Saint Patrick’s Day, but never fear: it’s always a lucky day here at TALESTACK NEWS! 🍀
The Substack fiction community is growing all the time, and it makes me happier than I can say to see so many new names and new projects in my inbox every time I send out an editorial call! There’s no better feeling, and—I believe—no better place to tell stories!
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
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📣 Announcements!
Finished Projects:
- of VERSE is concluding her six-part fantasy pulp detective story Thorne: The Withering Shore, on March 29th. A new Thorne mystery will begin soon after, so stay tuned for more details! Excerpt: “I was always told that the day belonged to us but the night belongs to them. It was never a truth I wanted to unfurl but all paths are leading me there, down to the pier at the end of the line. Down to the darkness that bleeds into the withering shore.” Read the First Chapter here!
New Projects:
- of Kindling is launching her first-ever short story collection, Lights Out. From Shaina: “Inspired by folk horror and mythology, this collection of short stories will explore the unknown, the consequences of touching the forbidden, and the mysteries that lurk in the dark, unexplored places of the world. Inspired by my early exposure to horror, dark sci-fi and dark fantasy through anthologies and collections such as Scary Stories To Tell in the Dark, The Illustrated Man, The Twilight Zone, and Tales From the Crypt. Each week a new fear unlocked.” Look for the collection to launch the final week of March!
- of The Liar’s Bench is launching his first serialized novella, called The Ties That Bind, “a Deep South mystery with a bit of magic thrown in for good measure. It's about a man with the Gift who doesn't want it, trying to find someone who can't be found.” The serial will be ten parts, releasing every Friday. Read Part One here!
- has just launched a new fiction newsletter called Where the Wheat Grows! In her About page, Julie says: “As a full-time homemaker, my passion for ‘homemaking’ also translates into how I tell stories. I love sharing pieces that allow you to set down the world's stressors and enjoy feel-good plots that fill your heart with love and hope.” Head on over and give her a warm welcome!
- has just launched a new serialized novel called The Legend of Leanna Page: Vol. I - A Beginning. The story is published under the name of an in-world narrator, , and will release a new chapter every week. Synopsis: “The legendary Leanna Page is known throughout all Elenvia for her trials and adventures which led to their better world. Now, that legend is being introduced to our world by Cedar Flyte, themself the descendant of an Elenvian, in a fast-paced mythopoetic queer literary fantasy. In a world divided in two, Leanna – born directly into the center of that division – must find a way to bring all the different parts of her dangerous world together... or risk her life, love, and freedom trying.” Check out the first installment here!
- of Redd Oscar Writes is starting a new science fiction serial called Hunted on March 21st. Synopsis: “Hunted follows the life of a mercenary band aboard the Firethorn as they are hunted across the galaxy, become entangled in a war, and are shocked to discover a metal stowaway.” Check out Redd’s Spring Season post for more info!
Milestones & Wins:
- of The Xen’in Universe (under the pen name Steffen Larken) is contributing three short stories to an upcoming anthology, for a shared universe created by TSR back in the late 80s/early 90s (the "Dragon Dice" game). To join in the upcoming Kickstarter from TreeShaker Books to help finance the project, check out the project page here. For more information, check out Alex’s recent post on Substack!
- of Girl With Antlers recently signed with a literary agent after two years of querying her fantasy novel! Congratulations, Kerani! You can read more about it at her announcement post, here.
Short fiction collaboration
is celebrating its first Substack anniversary on March 21st, along with its first 100 subscribers! From co-founder njmksr: “We're a character focused, world driven sci-fi short story collection/anthology set in the 26th century of a world not too unlike our own, and we follow the lives of people as they watch that world falling apart around them— and how they keep their hopes and dreams alive in the face of history.” Congratulations to Waybound!
📚 The Bookshelf
(Titles listed in order of release date.)
- ’s epic science fiction novel, Bad Company, is now available for purchase through Amazon! (Note: this is Book Three in his Vindicators series.) Release Date: 3/15/24
- ’s collection of 100-word stories, The First 100, is now available for preorder on Amazon or wherever print books are sold online! Release Date: 4/2/24
📝 Submissions Bulletin
There’s still time to enter the 2024 Gibberish Writing Competition, but the window of opportunity is closing! Applications must be in by March 22nd to be considered for selection, so act fast if interested.
❤ Shout-Outs
- would like to shout out , who recently started a new newsletter for her fiction called Heartfelt Fiction. From Kerani: “Sara writes characters that are real and grounded, with all the little nuances that make you feel like you could reach out your hand and touch them through the page. Her prose often reminds me of Donna Tartt, detailed and lyric and methodical all at the same time. She has this way of making everyday moments feel so big and tangible, I can't recommend her writing enough!”
- would like to shout out of The Môrdreigiau Chronicles. Patricia says: “I just found a new serial to read and I thought I'd tell you about the author to give her a shout out because her story, The Mordreigiau Chronicles, has sea dragons and I don't think I need to say more. ;)”
Got something you want us to publish? Have any questions, comments, or feedback? Send it all to:
talestack.editor@gmail.com
Thank you for this community. I came to substack for the fiction (both to read and to share), so this kind of roundup is exactly what my writerly heart needs.
I'm going to be honest— I had no idea there was so much fiction on Substack. I still don't know why Substack doesn't recognize Waybound as pingable— maybe something to do with the custom URL. Congrats to everyone who's hit their milestones, and thanks for the shoutout!