The State of the Newsletter, Part 2
The Cat and the Comma Issue #16
Firstly, I apologize for my extended absence from posting. I was without internet for a long while, which made many things difficult on me.
In any case, this will likely be my final newsletter on Substack. Let’s discuss why and where I’m going!
Misc. Professional Update
First off, surprise! For those who haven’t been keeping up on my tumblr, I compiled a short story collection of shorts I’ve previously published as well as a couple of extra shorts. I first did this because I’m going to be a vendor at a couple of local pride events next month, and this helped me save on printing costs, but it’s also just something I’ve been thinking of doing for a long time, anyway. You can preorder it from Barnes & Noble here! The collection is titled When the Stars Were Brighter and you can add it on Goodreads! I’ll also be posting the ebook on most online retailers, short of Amazon. It will be released on May 31st!
I’m still on track for publishing A Sharper, More Lasting Pain and I’ve even brought forward the publication date. ASMLP will now be available on October 10th on Barnes & Noble, and the ebook will be available most ebook places (again, short of Amazon). Rewrites are closed to finished, and next month I will be sending them to an editor. Once edits are complete, formatting and whatnot should go relatively smoothly. I cannot tell you how unbelievably excited I am. As always, you can add it on Goodreads ahead of time.
Speaking of my shorts, I had to once again move them. Gumroad recently decided to change their rules on what sorts of content are allowed on their platform, and while I do not currently have works which would violate these new guidelines, their puritanical stance on erotic works is not something I abide by. At this time, my shorts are available on my itch.io instead.
And now, the announcement I teased at the beginning: I will no longer be using Substack for writing updates. As of writing this, I haven’t found a perfect replacement to this site, but I have something suitable enough. As you may be aware, I have a Patreon where I will often post my shorts for supporters to receive, among other things. I want to be able to utilize that platform more, so I think it’s best if I use it as a newsletter hub as well. This is where I plan to stay for the foreseeable future, so I do hope to see you there. The only unfortunate part is I don’t see a way to transfer subscribers from here to there, so you’re welcome to subscribe as a free member over there if you so desire to continue following my journey.
Writing Update
I’ve spent most of the last couple of months working on another round of rewrites, writing a new short story (included in WtSWB!), and pounding out a few thousand words here and there on some miscellaneous projects. For the rest of May, I’m working on completing rewrites for ASMLP. In lieu of sharing rewritten stuff, though, I’d like to share the first few lines of my new short, Following a Northern Star, which is a short centered on mecha piloting, the bullshit going on in the aerospace industry, my frustrations with capitalism, and autistic women coping badly with losing the people they love. You can read this and a few of my other shorts in When the Stars Were Brighter, out May 31st!
The crane whirred over Jane's head, carrying with it the next piece of humanity's salvation. Pearlescent metal gleamed under the force of the artificial lights, so bright she raised a hand to try to block some of the glare. Two slim arms jutted from an oil-slick torso. Hollow tubes formed the wrists. If she squinted hard enough, she could peer through the dark tunnels, recall the way her feeble headlamp had lit her path weeks ago. The chill of the ventilation system and the reek of MPK stayed with her even now.
“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”
Jane cut a glance to her team lead. Tom rocked on his heels, face beaming and thumbs tucked through the straps of his coveralls as he regarded the mechanical beast twirling in the air above them. She (barely) repressed a sneer at the sight of his enthusiasm.
“I suppose,” she said, wrangling her voice into emitting a pleasantness she did not feel.
Her focus returned to the torso in full now. From the Seal Hub (rather, the Shit Hub to most of her team), this piece would travel to one of many assembly bays. Large, unwieldy hands would be attached to the wrists and a head would fasten itself to the goreless neckhole. Mechanical hips and thick, sturdy legs would complete the ensemble–unless the faceless, unfathomably-rich clientele to whom this machine was commissioned desired to add some wings or other gaudy accouterments.
To Jane, though, no amount of sparkling paint would gloss over her bones-deep loathing of these machines.
In other writing news, once ASMLP rewrites are finished, I have a couple of novellas I want to mess around with. One of them, hopefully, I can get finished for a release next February. It’s called Before the Moon Sets and it’s about vampires, necromancers, polyamorous relationships, women with huge snakes as pets (not a metaphor), and struggling to overcome and accept your grief. I will be sharing more information regarding this novella as updates come over on my Patreon.
Media Update
Since I’ve been so busy, my media consumption has kind of been all over the place. I’m currently reading through The Tiger’s Daughter by K. Arsenault Rivera and really enjoying myself with that one! I’m also doing a reread of Howl’s Moving Castle as well. I’m chewing on plaster waiting for the special edition to be shipped.
Otherwise, I’ve been watching Bojack Horseman (again) and I’m on the final season now. This show is… a lot sometimes. I’ve also been watching The Great British Baking Show to help balance things out. This, too, has been reduced due to how busy I’ve been though.
And on the gaming front… the same thing, really. I’ve been pecking at Bravely Default again, at least.
Blog Update
As I mentioned at the top of this newsletter, all “blog” posts and newsletter posts will be migrated to my Patreon. As such, I have no updates.
The Cat Recommends
I like to use this space to shout out other indie writers, cause I think we could all use a boost from time to time. This time, I’m using this space to shout out Morgan Dante, who just released their newest work, Unholy with Eyes Like Wolves!
Noémie, a dishonored and widowed noblewoman in early 17th century Hungary, finds herself in an unenviable position: After grievous trauma and loss, her last chance to regain her honor comes when she must serve as Lady Erzsébet Báthory’s handmaiden. Báthory is stoic and imperious, and as Noémie struggles to acclimate and accept her present and future, she begins to have dreams about a mysterious woman. Worse, there are stories of disappearance and deaths in the castle, and Noémie might be next.
A sapphic historical horror romance with vampires and based on CARMILLA. Báthory x FMC x Carmilla. Perfect for fans of A DOWRY OF BLOOD.
You can purchase it here!
And that’s a wrap, for the last time on this website. I wish you well on all of your endeavors and hope our paths continue to cross.
Kindest regards,
Alex