There Have Been Some Changes
State of the Library #20
In this Issue:
How did I spend my June break
Wyrd West: Rawhide Revenants is out
Substack Revamped and New Website
Additions to the Forbidden Section
In Case You Missed It (ICYMI)
“Vanishing Into the Night”
Usually, we go on a vacation in June to celebrate our wedding anniversary (15 years this year!). However, this time we decided to postpone our vacation to the autumn so we can go camping. (There is absolutely no way I am going camping in the summer. We did that once to see a total eclipse and we’re never doing that again, ever.)
The object of my break was to give my writing brain a bit of a rest. I had really pushed it so far this year, at least by my standards, and it got to the point where every word had to be prized out of my brain with a crowbar.
So, I spent the majority of the month working on my story bible (an enormous reference document to keep this Substack organized), created a website, reorganized my Substack (more on that below), researched for my novella, and did a bunch of other little stuff I had let pile up. I read a lot, not for pleasure but to see how better authors than me go about writing.
I will admit that, by the end, I was creatively going a little stir crazy, so I gave in and started working on my novella in the last full week of June. Sue me.
Wyrd West: Rawhide Revenants
I am so excited to be a part of this trilogy of anthologies, and am still a little floored that my story, “The Hard Road Home,” was accepted. If you haven’t picked up your copy, then what are you waiting for?
This is a selection of ten stories that all take place in some version of the Wild West, and things get weird. In my story, Wesley Cobb is a failed cowboy who visits a circus sideshow and gets roped into a job that is so much more than it appears.
New Website and Revamped Substack
I revamped the Substack to improve the organization and to create space for a new universe. Yep, I plan to write more stories taking place in Bramblerest!
Also, my new website isn’t much of one, honestly. I was rather happy to have just this Substack and one or two social media pages. However, it’s been recommended to me that I have a website, especially as I start being published in anthologies and magazines. That way, there’s an easy way to list my bibliography. And it helps people find me on The Google.
Going Into the Forbidden Section
It’s that time again to add to the Forbidden Section, a.k.a. the paywall. This time, it will be:
Sardis and the Battle for the Library (serial)
“Edgar Did It” (monthly story)
If you missed those stories and want to read other stories in the Forbidden Section, please consider upgrading to a paid membership. It’s only $15 for the year and $2.50 for the month!
ICYMI: May 2025
And Now for Something Completely Different
Read about Rawhide Revenants, my June break, and what's next for Sardis.
Magic in the Margins
Emma owns Tome and Tail Bookery, a little bookstore in magical Bramblerest. Everything is going normally until a series of break-ins disturb the town's peace, and then Emma receives an unusual customer.
Breaking News: Rawhide Revenants Now Available!
There was no way I was going to be able to hold in the news until my next State of the Library newsletter (coming to you in July).
July Story: “Vanishing Into the Night”
A new Baxton County tale! When Daisy's missing brother reappears under a startling circumstance, her life turns momentarily surreal, only for her to come to some very disturbing conclusions.
This story is a little darker than my others. It contains mentions of emotional abuse, drug use, and drug paraphernalia.
Excerpt:
A low humming scraped the air. Pressure built up against her eardrums.
“Larry, you hear that?” Daisy asked.
Larry lowered his phone and sat up. “Yeah.” He grasped the edge of the prep counter and hauled himself to his feet with a grunt. “The hell is it?”
“I dunno.”
Lights throbbed outside, shattering the dark and painting the inside of the diner with red and blue.
“Cops?” Larry asked, his eyes widening slightly.
Daisy rounded the counter. “No one cares about what you got in your trunk, Larry.” She approached the large, plate-glass windows and looked out. “I don’t see any cops.”
Exterior lights barely cast back the shadows of the parking lot. The unkempt bushes lining one side, separating them from the 7-11 gas station, thrashed and bent in a strong wind. Napkins and crumbled bottles skittered over the pitted and pockmarked parking lot. The lights quickened their pace. She spotted movement in the sky above.
“Vanishing into the Night” will publish on Friday, July 11 at 10 am Eastern.