✒ Editor’s Note
Welcome back, Talestack Readers!
[New around here? Check out our FAQ page!]
Welcome to July! 🌞
It’s about halfway through summer for those of us in the northern hemisphere, and I don’t know about you, but I’ve been spending a LOT of time reading lately.
Between the strange and spooky tales of Stephen King, the eerie rural beauty of Marilynne Robinson’s Gilead, the verses of thoughtful poets like Galway Kinnell and Linda Pastan, and even some challenging historical nonfiction centered around the storied region where I live, I’ve been craving the words of others and finding so much inspiration in the pages of their work.
I don’t feel particularly productive most days—the heat really does a number on my thinking brain. But even so, summer feels like the perfect time to be open, curious, and receptive to other ideas. To new things, new puzzle pieces. Letting what Stephen King called the writer’s “idea net” drag behind, picking up all kinds of flotsam and jetsam. And just like beach-combing, what can seem like junk from far away can turn out to be treasure when you pick it up.
📚 If you feel like it, let us know in the comments below what YOU are reading this season! What have you finished, and what’s still on your list? Inquiring minds would love to know. ❤ (And maybe the next best thing on your TBR is lurking in the issue below!)
Happy reading, happy writing!
S.E. Reid Editor of Talestack News
TALESTACK NEWS is a FREE-TO-READ publication!
Please support us by liking, commenting, sharing, and restacking. Any monetary support is appreciated, but not necessary.
⭐ If you enjoy TALESTACK NEWS, please consider supporting our ongoing efforts in the Substack Fiction space with a One-Time Tip! ⭐
Your generous gifts of any amount help keep this resource FREE for all to read—every dollar counts!
(Thank you! ♥)
📣 Announcements!
New Projects:
Donny Backes has started an ongoing atmospheric serialized story, Spring of 77, Sky was Yellow, Sun was Blue. Excerpt from Part One: “It’s cold even for early April, still small piles of dirty snow leftover from February’s blizzard. We’re behind schedule though we’ll be in the city soon. Hopefully Sis’s bus is running a little late, traffic on Good Friday is lite so we zipped through the tunnel and into P. A. parking.”
Awards:
Congratulations to Iris Shaw, winner of the Science Fiction (Round 3) edition of the Lunar Awards’ 11th Season, along with Runner-up Owen T Badenoch and Honorable Mentions J.B. Ezar and WJ Offutt! Learn more about the winning stories and other cool details in this post from awards ambassador Brian Reindel and guest judge Scoot!
Milestones & Wins:
EllenWrites has announced that her debut literary fiction novel, The Music Between, will be published in November by High Frequency Press! Cover still in development; keep an eye on Ellen’s site for details as they arise. Congratulations, Ellen! 🎉
Please welcome Anshuman to Substack, a fiction writer from India. From Anshuman: “I write observational stories about working and lower-middle-class Indian family life. I’m drawn to minimalist, character-driven fiction, especially the restraint of writers like Raymond Carver and Jhumpa Lahiri. I’m currently working on a linked story cycle following one family across time, and I’d love to connect with other literary fiction writers and readers who enjoy closely observed work.” Check out his latest piece here!
📚 The Bookshelf
(Titles listed in order of release date.)
EJ Trask and A.P. Murphy just released Welcome to the Hinterland, a free digital zine exploring abandoned, forbidden, and liminal places. From EJ: “If you love dead malls you’re going to love this zine.” Featuring work from Sean Thomas McDonnell, Nathan Hatch, Mac Sitko, Lee Summers, EJ Trask, A.P. Murphy, and Hermetic Tardigrade. Available to download here!
Ben Woestenburg is releasing a series of ebooks, collecting his historical fiction novellas under an umbrella called TRILOGY, with the eventual goal of raising funds for print versions. The first one, TRILOGY I: The Bridges of Rome, is a stand alone collection that takes place in Italy: Rome, Montepulciano, and Lake Como. Synopsis: “Three unforgettable novellas set against the timeless beauty of Italy. From Montepulciano to Rome and Lake Como, TRILOGY: The Bridges of Rome explores love, loss, family secrets, and redemption. In Montepulciano a dying actress prepares her children for life without her. In Rome, buried secrets unleash devastating consequences. And at Lake Como, a grieving widower and an Italian-Indian police officer discover that hope can emerge from heartbreak. Richly atmospheric and deeply moving, these stories reveal the fragile bridges between sorrow and healing.” Release Date: 6/2/26
🫱🏻🫲🏾 Connection Corner
CM Torres is announcing Vivid Prose Warm-Up Prompts. From CM: “Every week, I’ll share a random short piece of deliberately flat, ordinary prose. Our challenge? Transform it into our own unique, immersive, vivid version. Writers are invited to rewrite and share their take in the comments so we can all read, discuss, and learn from one another. Athletes practice, doctors practice, and musicians practice with the support and encouragement of others to perfect their skills and reach their highest potential. Writers need practice, too, so this space is dedicated for the practice of writing vivid prose with the support of fellow writers.”
Cole Noble is looking for interested beta readers for his upcoming supernatural wilderness adventure thriller novel, Kronomund. From Cole: “Kronomund follows a team of search and rescue volunteers, trying to uncover the mystery behind a series of prophetic missing posters, which predict future disappearances in the remote national park where they work. While the story delves into the supernatural, it is heavily grounded in mountaineering and wilderness survival. I’m really looking for people who enjoy the genre, and are excited to weigh in. For interested readers, I am offering comp subscription to my story archives. For any writers, I would also be open to a critique swap.”
If you’re interested, please reach out to @colenoble via DM or email at colenobleclimbs@gmail.com with “BETA” in the subject line.
David T Etheredge is inviting the Talestack News readership to Write Club, a nightly meetup for fiction and narrative non-fiction authors to get their stories in front of an energetic group of readers/authors for feedback and (if they want it) critique. From David: “Our first four write club rounds drew 12 - 16 readers each, and the authors all reported the feedback was fun and useful.” All are welcome to join at writeclub.chat for nightly sessions at 7pm EST or learn more details here.
Got something you want us to publish? Have any questions, comments, or feedback? Send it all to:
talestack.editor@gmail.com
✨Talebones runs on YOUR support! ✨
My Tip-Jar! - Enjoying this resource? Show your appreciation with a one-time tip!
Work With Me! - Looking for an editor, beta reader, proofreader, or copywriter? Look no further! Check out my Work With Me site for rates and services.
Shop My Books! - Explore my self-published works, both ebook and paperback, available from various retailers!
Visit the Gift Shop! - Grab a piece of Talebones swag for your very own! Mugs, tees, hats, sweatshirts, and more, updated seasonally!
i'm reading so much this summer!! i love sara dietz and bridget riley's serials now! oh! also kummer wolfe's serial!
Thanks for the shout-out for the Hinterlands fanzine, a lot of fine stuff in there and EJ Trask did a great job in layout!