State of the Library #15
As I write this, I am fighting the pre-Christmas panic. You know what I mean. Or maybe you’re one of those really responsible people, and you have no idea what it’s like to look at the calendar and go, “Oh, crap. It’s five days until Christmas. People are coming over for dinner on Christmas Eve and I still have things to shop for.”
If you listen very carefully in the middle of the night, you can hear the shrieks of those who suffer from pre-Christmas panic.
But you are reading this post-New Year’s. We will be ensconced in 2025, looking forward to the new horrors blessings that await. I am hopeful that this Substack will continue to grow and so will I as a writer. I hope the very best for you, dear reader, for this new year.
How did your Christmas Day go? Do you continue celebrating for the full twelve days? If so, how?
Podcast No More
I have done a total of six podcasts, and the reception has not been what I have hoped. I’ve gotten no feedback (that is, none of my paid subscribers have commented on them). From the statistics I am seeing on the back end, it doesn’t appear that the State of the Library Podcast is something anyone is enjoying. So, I am going to drop it from my paid subscriber perks, though those six episodes will remain available in the Forbidden Section.
I will try to brainstorm more paid subscriber perks, but it’s hard to know what people will want or like. So, if there is something that would lure you into being a paid subscriber, please comment it on this newsletter!
The Forbidden Section Update
Things had gotten so thoroughly away from me last year that I forgot to put things away in the Forbidden Section, which is only for my paid subscribers. My deepest apologies. The stories that are now for paid readers only are
“Callings and Crossings”
“Never Offend the Fae”
“In the Gloaming”
I’ve also made the decision that at the beginning of every quarter, two stories rather than only one will go behind the paywall. If you’re not a paid subscriber, maybe this is your sign. It’s only $2.50 a month.
Project Updates
I have gotten some beta reader feedback for Sardis and the Battle for the Library. My tentative publication date for the first story of this serial will be Saturday, February 15.
I’m excited to announce that January’s story is an addition to
’s writing collaborative project, “Christmas in Selene City”. It was one of my goals to take part in more projects like this, so I’m excited to start strong.Even though I won’t be doing a paid-only podcast here, there is something podcast related in the works elsewhere. I don’t want to say more than that, since everything is still in the rough draft phase, but I will say that it’s going to be fun.
ICYMI: December 2024
In the Gloaming
While working on a spaceship, a strange knocking lures Tony out into darkness, where he encounters a being beyond his imagination.
January Story
When Cecilia moved to Selene City with her handsome, new husband, she anticipated a life of adventure on the lunar base. However, James has retreated into his work as a microbiologist. Cecilia feels abandoned and as lonely as the moon’s landscape. That’s when the tantalizing music begins, pulling her like a tide to its source: somewhere outside.
Excerpt:
Cecilia paced from the tiny living room, to kitchenette, back to the windows, and then along the same path to the stove. She drummed her fingers on the glass cover.
James’ request that she remain home had been a little strange. But another long evening by herself felt too dark and cold. It wouldn’t hurt to visit the Dome for a little while. Cecilia slipped on her shoes and left the quarters.
The hallway was empty. She hadn’t heard anyone walk by for hours. No doubt, everyone was either down in the Dome or at home for last-minute prep. Almost everyone, anyway.
She thought about making good on her earlier threat and marching down to the labs. Her stomach curdled. And if she got down there and discovered he wasn’t experimenting with bok choy or soil samples or whatever it was? What if something—someone—else entirely had his attention?
Shaking her head, Cecilia strode down the hallway and boarded the moving sidewalk. In the distance, music played. She shoved her hands in her pockets, tapping a foot to the beat of the song. The idea that something other than science kept James captivated was one that lurked on the fringes of her thoughts. She tried not to give it fuel, but it was becoming harder to ignore.
She hummed along with the music. It was familiar. A half-remembered melody from another, simpler time. It had a happy, quick beat. Something to dance and sing along to. It certainly wasn’t holiday-type music. What was the title? She could almost think of it…
“Heart Music” will be published on Friday, January 10, 2025 at 10 am Eastern.
So excited to read the rest of "Heart Music"!!