State of the Library #9
June is a nice month. It’s the month of the Sacred Heart. It’s the month in which I got married (fourteen years and counting, now!). It’s also the month when it begins to feel like the sun is trying to parboil South Carolina.
I wouldn’t say I didn’t write during June. I obviously did if you are reading anything of mine in July. And it’s very difficult to shut off the writer brain. The best one can do is redirect to a different kind of writing. June passed with a lot of no-pressure-writing and recharging of the writerly batteries. It also included a lovely vacation to celebrate our wedding anniversary. All around, it was a good month.
Membership in The Forbidden Section
I am still learning how to create on Substack. For the life of me, I could not figure out how to individually add people to the Forbidden Section section of this newsletter. This is important because I am adding a perk that will post only to that section and I need to make sure paid subscribers know about it. All I could do was add everyone to the section and check a box that means anyone who subscribes for free subscribes to all sections.
What this means is that you may get notifications about posts you cannot access. Being subscribed to the Forbidden Section does not necessarily mean you can see what’s there. If you wish to see the posts, you will need to pay for a subscription.
You can go into your subscription and de-list yourself from the Forbidden Section if you like. I apologize for any inconvenience or annoyance this may cause. I’m just a technologically stupid writer bumbling around on the Internet. I’ve included a couple of how-to links if you need them:
New Paid Subscriber Perk
I really wanted to come up with something that made paying for a subscription worth it. The snarky reply to that would be, “Well, your writing should be good enough to make it worth it.” And people should be able to live comfortably on minimum wage, but that’s just not the economy we’re in, now, is it?
My original idea was to record audio versions of my stories. However, I learned very quickly that I am not a voice actor. Instead, I am going to record podcast versions of the State of the Library posts. These versions will contain personal and behind the scenes information not found in the written versions. This perk begins this month!
More perks will be added over time, so please keep an eye out.
Under the Roses Free Through August
Originally, I was going to move my novella, Under the Roses, to the Forbidden Section on August 1. However, I remembered that August is dedicated to the Immaculate Heart. And since the Feast of the Immaculate Heart plays a big role in the novella’s inciting incident (writer speak for the event that kicks off the plot), I decided to postpone until September. So, on September 1, Under the Roses will be going behind a paywall.
ICYMI: May
Not a lot was posted in May, but I do want to highlight a pleasant surprise.
wrote a lovely reflection that was inspired by Under the Roses. I am still a little speechless about that and am so very grateful. I am including a link to the post. She’s a good writer, so I recommend you also visit her fiction ‘stack, .
Story for July:
“A Sudden Turn of Events” — It's just another day in the Forbidden Library when a knock breaks the quiet, and Sardis is faced with an unsettling change.
The knock broke the quiet, causing Sardis to flinch and his pen to skip across the page. He scowled at the blots as they vanished. Niall, a brilliantly red and green feathered lizard, was curled in his bed on the desk. He lifted his head and chirped. His wings rustled, as if he was thinking of getting up.
“You can stay here,” Sardis replied, setting the pen aside.
He stood and took a moment to collect himself, brushing a bit of dust off his tunic. Visitors didn’t appear often, after all, and he liked to look at least presentable. Satisfied, he went to answer the door.
A thin young woman in a yellow dress stood on the threshold. A fine netting of topazes was draped over her head. “Um. Hello.”
“A Sudden Turn of Events” will publish Friday, July 8, 2024 at 10 am EST.
Oh good! I am going to do a mini-round-up of some favourites at the start of August so I am glad “Under the Roses” will still be accessible!