We Have Entered the October Country

State of the Library #23

Photo by Hoover Tung on Unsplash

What you’ll find in this issue:

• A meditation on autumn.

• Easter Egg reveal.

• New structure for The Forgotten Library.

• Forbidden Section Update.

• Link round-up!

• A different sort of ghost in “Cycles of Haunting.”

…that country where it is always turning late in the year. That country where the hills are fog and the rivers are mist; where noons go quickly, dusks and twilights linger, and midnights stay. That country composed in the main of cellars, sub-cellars, coal-bins, closets, attics, and pantries faced away from the sun. That country whose people are autumn people, thinking only autumn thoughts. Whose people passing at night on the empty walks sound like rain…

Ray Bradbury, The October Country

Autumn is my favorite season. That’s partially due, in all honesty, to the fact that I live in the South. In the height of summer, not even nighttime allows a reprieve from the oppressive heat and humidity. It makes sense to love the season that brings an end to that misery.

But it’s more than that. In autumn, things are not as they appear. It appears that the trees and plants are all dying. But they aren’t, not really. They are simply going to sleep. It appears that all of the birds and animals are vanishing. They aren’t. Some are migrating, some are hibernating, and some are so into their business of winter preparations, they can’t be bothered with being seen.

Darkness encroaches. The days become softer. For some reason, my mind is clearer in autumn, and it’s not entirely the temperature. Spring is beautiful and nicely warm, but it’s also loud and brash. Spring is the beginning of the cloud that engulfs me until an October wind comes along to blow it away. If there was a land of eternal autumn, I would go live there in a heartbeat and pray I never take it for granted.

And I really freaking love Halloween.

“Jak in the Cornfield” Easter Egg

I let it be known that there was an Easter Egg in September’s story, “Jak in the Cornfield.” No one said they picked up on it, so maybe I was being a little too obscure. Or maybe I don’t understand what an Easter Egg is. Anway, here it is:

That was what brought him to a small town called Somerset, on the far edge of the Valase Kingdom, where it touched the Kingdom of Inlas’s northwestern tip.

The Kingdom of Inlas is first mentioned in “A Sudden Turn of Events” as the place of origin of Malo, Sardis’s apprentice. It is also mentioned a few times in Sardis and the Battle for the Library, especially the Epilogue.

Could this mean that Jak might meet Malo??

New Format for the Library

I began this Substack with the intention of re-discovering my writer’s voice and my own goals. Hence, the Forgotten Library.

However, I feel that I finally have my feet under me. I think I have found my voice. And people have been asking for the return of certain characters and places. So, after examining my overall goals and desires, I’ve decided to do a restructure.

>First, there will be a “seasons structure.”

There will still be the once monthly short story, but instead of writing whatever strikes my fancy, each season will revolve around one of the worlds I have created. At the beginning of each season, I will announce that world.

Each season will run for three months and will roughly coincide with the actual season in my part of the Northern Hemisphere. The winter season will be November 2025 through January 2026.

>There will be a minimum of two posts a month.

The first post will be my short story, and the second post will be a nonfiction piece.

>Finally, the State of the Library will not be every month.

If you’re paying attention, you’ll notice that I said, “a minimum of two posts.” At the beginning of each season, I’ll send out a State of the Library giving you an idea of what to expect for the season and the posting schedule.

I’m hoping this new format will also open up my time to allow me to write more longer pieces for publication, as well as putting together short story collections. I’ll still be periodically putting things behind a paywall, of course. And, yes, I do still plan on posting the serial The Wind has Teeth when it’s ready.

Update to the Forbidden Section

It’s that time again. Two stories are shuffled off to The Forbidden Section, which is only accessible to paid subscribers. Those stories are:

• “Vanishing into the Night”

• “Jak in the Cornfield”

If you would like to read those stories and others, please consider becoming a paid subscriber!

ICYMI: September 2025

It’s been a busy month! Please check out my post on LegendHaven. I would love to see my readers there.

I was on Blasters and Blades for a solo interview!

October 2025 Story: “Cycles of Haunting”

Eloise is haunted by the violence of her childhood. When she tries to find closure, she unearths a ghost of a different kind.

Excerpt:

Ellie woke to the sound of the world ending. Fear iced her heart.

She slithered out of her bed, sliding under it. Dust tickled her nose. She sneezed into her elbow like Mama taught her.

Screams leaked through the walls. Ellie covered her ears with her hands. Heavy items fell, smashing to the floor. Something shattered.

Silence.

Then, soft weeping.

Tears stung Ellie’s eyes. She bit her bottom lip as her own little cries tried to work their way up her throat.

A warm hand pressed into Ellie’s back.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Green Lady.

“Cycles of Haunting” will publish on Friday, October 10 at 10 am Eastern.