Talestack News - ISSUE 25
[May 20th - June 3rd]
✒ Editor’s Note
Welcome back, Talestack Readers!
And just like that, it’s June!
In my wanderings through Substack—and especially Notes—I’ve been seeing more and more fresh faces in the fiction neighborhood, searching for readers and fellow writers. It does my heart good to know that storytelling is alive and well, here, and I’m honored that TALESTACK NEWS gets to be a part of it!
This issue highlights projects from some new and established voices in various genres, as well as some truly wonderful opportunies to connect across the storytelling community, both on this platform and beyond.
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
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Please support us by liking, commenting, sharing, and restacking. Any monetary support is appreciated, but not necessary.
📣 Announcements!
New Projects:
- has just launched a new science fiction serial called If I Ruled The World, which will run through the summer. Synopsis: “Fifteen-year-old Mille failed the academy exam again, putting her future in jeopardy. Her mother, in desperation, employs the nefarious Klado. She is sure that under their strict tutelage, Mille will finally pass. But Klado is much more than a stern disciplinarian. And Mille is preparing for much more than an exam. This mystical space odyssey through a galaxy on the other side of the universe is about diverse cultures, how they emerge, who they favor, and who they reject.” Jump into Chapter One here!
- of Vampires & The Vapors has just launched a new serialized novel called A Vampire Cursed. Synopsis: “The story is about an ancient Vampire who has an illness called The Tediums. It occurs when vampires have lived so long that they are literally, bored out of their minds. Eilidh lives in the town of Redbough which was created as a haven for outcasts of the supernatural kind and humans have started to relocate there now. We follow Eilidh and her daylighter, Miriam, who comes to understand that she has no memories at all of her life before she came to work for Eilidh.” Check out the Introduction here!
- will be publishing a new serialized dark fantasy novel in weekly installments called Dark as Dawn, Bright as Night. Synopsis: “Death is only the beginning for Mae as she faces an ancient goddess of light and a self-made demon of the dark in a battle to save her father and her soul. Dark as Dawn, Bright as Night will appeal to adult readers of upmarket horror, urban and new adult fantasy, as well as lovers of ghost stories and folk tales.” Click here for more information about the upcoming serial!
- will be continuing her serialized supernatural mystery, Freelance and Fishmaids, with a twelve-episode second season beginning June 7th! Synopsis: “A few months after the events of the previous season, freelancer Caroline and her partner Captain Reyville have regained their groove chasing strange phenomena, aided by their friends and allies across the island. But when they are approached by a new acquaintance with an intriguing proposition, they will find their skills, resolve, and even their deepening relationship tested. On Ferris Island, the past and the present often go hand in hand.” Before the new season starts, you can catch up with Season One here!
Milestones & Wins:
- is celebrating reaching the halfway mark of his first novel, The Glaciermen, with a full release set for Winter 2024! Synopsis: “The thrilling adventure of a boy’s survival after a plane crash on the ice sheet of Southern Greenland, where man is not the apex predator, and an ancient evil holds the secret to survival. A science team searches a long-frozen airline crash for clues to unlock the mysteries hidden in DNA, but discovers something much more sinister underneath the ice.”
Substack writer
would like to introduce the fiction readers on this platform to the ongoing seven-part contemporary fiction series he has been posting on his blog, called Jack and Diane. Synopsis: “Jack and Diane are two retirees, both having lost spouses, looking for companionship, dealing with their own harsh realities.” You can read the series on Bob’s blog or cross-posted on Bob’s newsletter.- of Lamp Post in the Marsh has posted a new piece of short fiction he would especially like to highlight, called Last Act of the Apostle. From Daniel: “It’s a brief tale written in the vein of O’Henry that takes place in the early 5th century on Saint Paul’s Island, located just off the coast of Malta.” Fans of historical fiction with a touch of the strange should check it out!
📚 The Bookshelf
(Titles listed in order of release date.)
- ’s fantasy kidlit novel, Faire Exchange, is now available for purchase through Amazon and other booksellers! Check out Alex’s post here for more information about the book. Release Date: 5/28/24
- ’s YA romance novel, Never, Not Ever, is now available for backing on Kickstarter! Release Date: July 2024 (estimated)
📝 Submissions Bulletin
Microfiction maestros
and have banded together to create a whole new community for the writers among us who favor bite-sized narratives and a more limited wordcount: welcome to MicroStack! The newsletter’s doors officially open July 1st, but you can check out their introductory post for more information about what to expect and how to join the fun!- of the Lunar Awards is hosting his second Prompt Quest, in which storytellers get to flex their unique takes on two prompts, one science fiction and one fantasy. Clink the Prompt Quest link for the prompts, rules, and guidelines for how you can use those stories in a future Lunar Awards season!
- would like to announce that the Killer Shorts Contest—hosted by her wife—is back in action with a brand-new Short Story category! This renowned contest is for short story horror and horror comedy stories and comes with some truly incredible prizes, including an amazing trophy and a one-on-one mentorship call with author/screenwriter Chris Hicks! Click the Killer Shorts Contest link for more about submission guidelines and other details.
🫱🏻🫲🏾 Connection Corner
Interested in supporting more Substack fiction writers? Check out the first part of the June Fiction Blast put together by
at his project Suspension of This Belief! This collection includes tales from , , , , , , , , , and . Stay tuned for the second part and ten more stories, coming out in a few weeks!
Got something you want us to publish? Have any questions, comments, or feedback? Send it all to:
talestack.editor@gmail.com
Wow! There is so much great stuff in here!!!! I did not plan to spend an hour, but whatever. I'll make it up by staying up till midnight. And, double thanks for the shoutout for my story. I LOVE IT SO MUCH!!!!
As a shout out (I like them), I highly recommend Garen Marie's story btw - it's exceptionally written with brilliantly drawn characters and very atmospheric. There's a generous touch of Gaiman-esque otherworldliness I get from it. It's exciting too...
And I'm only two episodes in...