Greetings, Talebones Readers!
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.
How has summer been treating you??
First of all, I want to welcome the new folks who have found me over the last few months through various means. Thank you so much for jumping aboard! ❤
I’ve been on a creative hiatus of sorts this summer, and honestly? It’s been a really necessary refresh. A lot of my time has been spent offline, tackling household tasks as well as following a need for more spontaneous delight and joy in my days, and I’ve really, really appreciated the break.
In August, I’ll be soaking up some of that last sumptuous summer break while also turning my attention to gathering momentum again in September. Because of this, I figured now would be a good time to check in, say hi, and update you all on what’s been happening and what’s intended to happen when the new season dawns.
Ready?
Let’s go!!
✨ First, A Quick Word From Our Sponsor… ✨
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And now, back to Talebones Tuesday…
Round-Up!
In case you missed it…
SUMMER SEASON SHORT FICTION:
The Things We Are - in this quick flash fiction ditty, a piece of Pacific Northwest folklore is told from an unusual perspective
The Snag in the River - a small collection of mysterious diary entries that paint an eerie picture of the settlement of a fabled town: Cullahan, Washington
The Blue Thread - a widowed farmer reaches for happiness by the light of the midsummer bonfire
Imp Interview with Shaina Read - I recently sat down with Shaina Read from the Macabre Monday team to discuss my horror novella, Imp, as well as other aspects of horror storytelling, finding inspiration, and more!
Crafting Serial Fiction with Simon K Jones - If you’ve ever been curious about how to plan, write, and publish serial fiction online, this complete six-part livestream series—a conversation between me and fellow serializer Simon K Jones—covers all of that and so much more! It’s free to listen to, makes no wild promises or unfair expectations, and offers realistic tips and good-humored wisdom for all phases of the process. Check it out!
New around here? Most of my 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!
I 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 you’re a writer on the platform, read the submission guidelines and email your news to talestack.editor@gmail.com by September 6th to be included in the next issue!)
Summer Musings - A Personal Note 🌞
As a former educator of many years, I’ve always had a love-hate relationship with summer. I enjoy the warm, lazy days (when they’re not excessively hot, that is) and the time spent watching things grow and flourish and fruit in the garden. But there’s also an innate feeling of preparation to this season, a drumbeat of getting ready. And even though I’m not prepping a classroom anymore, I still feel that September is the gateway to some kind of reset.
This summer, I’ve spent some time carefully considering Substack and how it fits into the overall scheme of my writing life. The platform continues to change and evolve, both in ways that I like and in ways that I feel…less than enthused about. But, despite it all, this platform is still my favorite place to play, to experiment, and to finish what I start. I don’t see that changing any time soon.
A huge part of that is YOU. All of you! Newbie or longtime reader, paid sub or free, quiet lurker or frequent commenter, open-every-email or pick-and-choose…all of you make Talebones what it is, and I could not be more grateful for this peaceful, playful little corner in the vast ocean of the Internet. Thank you. ❤
As we head into the Fall Season around here, I’m not anticipating any big changes or adaptations to how I show up in this space. Any tweaks you see will be relatively minor, just ways that I can make sure I’m still bringing you compelling stories and quality fiction resources in a way that’s sustainable (for me) and fun (for you).
To that end, a couple of quick notes:
Talestack News is on a full break until September. I sent this out in an email last week, so hopefully this won’t take anyone by surprise…but summer has been very quiet in the News, and my most recent inbox check only had one announcement in it. 😬 So I decided to take a little break in August, let summer run its course, and return for the next issue on September 7th.
PLEASE feel free to send your news at any time over the next few weeks to talestack.editor@gmail.com to make sure it’s in the first September issue when we return!
Paid subscribers—I owe you a long-overdue Revision Diary post. I’m aware, and I’m so sorry. The summer slowdown hit my novel’s revisions, too, but I do have some updates for you. (Think: color-coded notecards. Oh boy.) The new post is on its way!
The next official update you’ll hear from me won’t be until the end of the month. I’m going to enjoy the rest of my hiatus (my birthday is this week! woohoo!) and spend some time doing a little site admin, brainstorming, and other behind-the-scenes activities ahead of September. I’ve also got a garden to mind and a house to tidy up before the cozy months are upon us, so there’s lots to do! That said, I’ll be around on Notes and may even post another piece of short fiction if the mood strikes me, so I won’t be too far away!
Until then…how about a little preview of what to expect in September? 👀
COMING SOON - The Red Hive! 💀🐝
This September, I am excited to announce an all-new serial novella, set in an uncanny fantasy world that may or may not be familiar to long-time readers…
Title: The Red Hive
Genre: Dark/uncanny fantasy
Synopsis: The island of Orthro is dying, and with it the cult that has flourished there for centuries, hidden away in an abbey of stone filled with vast hives of sacred bees.
But Tyss, a young acolyte who has never known any home but the small island, is not willing to perish with the rest of her religion. She enlists the aid of an unlikely ally to help her escape the abbey and navigate the violent sea and the strange lands beyond, unaware that she carries a dark hope with her, and sinister seeds ready to take root in new soil…
*******
So, this one’s been cooking in the background for a bit.
The idea itself had been percolating since early this year, but back in May, I decided to set myself an experiment. I wanted to see how far I could get writing a draft without serializing. Could I write a whole novella without sharing any of it online?
The answer? No. (Well, not entirely. 😂)
Over the course of a month or two, I managed to get a chunk of it drafted, plus a detailed outline. But the experiment proved something to me that—honestly?—I feel pretty good about.
I really like serializing. I like that it keeps me moving, and I like that it incentivizes finishing a project. While writing quietly has its perks, serializing is a tool in my current toolbox that I don’t want to take for granted.
So! In short, The Red Hive is coming to Talebones this fall, and I’m really excited to introduce you all to these characters!
How long will it be?
I’m not entirely sure, although if my outline is any indication, it’ll be about the length of my usual novellas (around 10-12 weekly chapters). My goal is to keep it a Fall Season (three-month) project and not allow it to spill its banks.
Here’s hoping. (lol)
Is it connected to any previous work?
This story is set in a fantasy world that I’ve written in before and will have some connective tissue to previous stories set in that world. But never fear: you do not need to read anything first to prepare for this story. I do my darndest to make sure that my online stories stand on their own and can be enjoyed in isolation, and this one will be no exception.
The other stories set in this place are all available in my short fiction collection The Shell. If you’ve read the other stories set in this world—great! They will add some color to your experience. 😉
When will the first chapter drop?
I am planning to launch this one on Friday, September 4th.
If you have any other questions, throw ‘em in the comments!
Otherwise—stay tuned! ❤
Review Highlight: Bonewhistle! 🦦
If you’ve 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 Bonewhistle!
In this collection of tales from a haunted island in the Pacific Northwest, nothing is quite what it seems…
A quick, spooky little mix of stories, perfect for a weekend read!
Have you read Bonewhistle? I would love an honest review!
For self-published authors, there’s no multi-million-dollar engine running promotion, marketing, and other advertising…there’s 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 they’ll love!
And you don’t have to write a long review, either. A simple star-rating or a “Loved it!” both work just as well!
You can review my books on:
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. ♥
Talebones Runs On Your Support!
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 $5/month or $50/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 tier’s perks here.
Thank you for reading!
I really appreciate you sticking around for this update!
I hope that August treats all of us kindly, no matter where the season leads us, and I’m excited to reconvene with you all in the harvest air of September!
Blessings to all, wherever you may be. ❤
Your grateful storyteller,
Hey happy birthday for this week!! 🎉🎉🎉🎉