State of the Library #13

Wherein we discuss haunted houses, writing projects, and the Fae.

Photo by Niki Clark on Unsplash

October was a fun month for me. I got to help with my church’s Trunk or Treat, which meant I got to give away candy. It was a blast, and I’m glad we were able to bring a smile to so many children.

In mid-October, I was able to take part in LegendHaven, put on by Dominic de Souza at

LegendFiction

. Before the con, there was a writer’s camp, which gave me a lot to think about regarding the vocation of a writer. At the con, I got to meet some amazing writers, both published and unpublished, and had an all-round blast. My favorite panel was “No Tame Lions”, where

Karina Fabian

,

S.R. Crickard

,

Karen Ullo

, and

Rebecca W. Martin

discussed the importance of writing characters who sin.

Finally, in October, I went to a haunted house attraction! A friend of mine and I make an annual pilgrimage to either Kreepy Hollow or Scream Acres, which are both in Bishopville, SC.

Kreepy Hollow is known for its manic bus drive through the woods to the haunted house, while actors climb over and through the bus to scare the passengers. Scream Acres forces participants to get off the hayride and hike a short distance into the woods for their haunted houses (yes, plural). This year, we went to Kreepy Hollow, and they outdid themselves with animatronics jumping out of the walls!

How did you celebrate the spookier side of Halloween?

Writing Projects Update

I have several projects on my desk, and I have not been making enough time to work on them. This is my own personal failing, one that I hope to overcome.

Sardis and the Battle for the Library is in the editing phase. I’ve gone back to a previous method of editing, where I print out the document to work on by hand. It’s been enjoyable. Whether I will do this for works longer than a novella, I don’t know. At this time, there is no projected publication date. For the unfamiliar, Sardis is the librarian of the Forgotten Library, and he must confront his past if the Library is to continue to have a future.

Under the Roses, my Beauty and the Beast retelling, is getting fleshed out into a full-length novel. This work has gone on and off the shelf in-between working on Sardis, so progress has been very slow. The novella-turned-novel will also be renamed, but to what, I don’t know.

The novella is still available to read for paid subscribers, by the way. For now, the plan is for it to remain behind the paywall even after the publication of the novel. If you don’t have a paid subscription, why are you waiting?

Typically, I don’t begin work on a new short story until the middle of the month. However, because of the Thanksgiving holiday, I plan to have the story for December written, edited, and ready within the next two weeks.

Poll Time

I want to make business cards to hand out, which means having a real logo for this Substack. Problem is, I can’t decide what I want. I made one option, and the other was made by a friend. Can you help me decide? Option One is two images because each image would have its own use, while Option Two is more all-purpose.

Option One:

Option One

Option Two:

Option Two

Edit: The poll is closed!!! The winner was Option One!! Thank you,

S.E. Reid

for helping me with this great logo!

Poll Results

ICYMI: October

For the Love of Mercy

State of the Library Podcast #4

State of the Library #12

Trick or Treat

November’s Story: Never Offend the Fae

Melia's father told her an old family story about a powerful creature sealed beneath an altar. One day, she has reason to raise that creature, but can she pay the price?

Excerpt:

“I can’t let it go.”

Silence followed Melia’s words after they echoed off the high walls of the ancient, crumbling ruin in which she stood. The roof was long gone, the top edges of the walls reaching up into the glittering obsidian expanse of the night sky.

Melia had kept her lamp shaded to preserve her night vision, so the altar was only a vague, rectangular shape among the shadows.

Wind blew, sighing over the stones. Melia shivered and pulled her coat tighter around her. Her fingers curled into the fabric, gripping it hard enough to turn her knuckles white.

“I don’t want to let it go,” she whispered.

The wind blew harder. Whether that was warning or commiseration, Melia wasn’t sure. All she knew was the rage burning in her gut. She pulled back the shade on her lamp.

Fun fact: this story was inspired by a number of prompts given by

Scoot

. “Never Offend the Fae” drops on Friday, November 8 at 10 am Eastern.