The State of the Newsletter, Part 3
The Cat and the Comma Issue #17
Is this eating crow? I’m not wholly sure.
As I mentioned in my last couple of posts, I was heavily contemplating leaving the Substack space as a newsletter host due to its stance on bigotry on the platform. I initially set out to find a proper alternative and eventually decided, for the sake of consolidation, to just host future updates on my Patreon. There’s just one problem with that: I can’t migrate all my newsletter subs to Patreon.
After a lot of time to think, I’ve decided to return tentatively to the Substack fold. A lot of authors I know and respect use Substack, and it just makes things easier for me to be where the people are. So… The Cat and the Comma is going to continue to remain here.
With that out of the way, I’ve had a fair amount of updates since I’ve last sent a broadcast into the aether. Let’s chat.
Misc. Professional Update
First off, my second publication and debut novel comes out in two months! A Sharper, More Lasting Pain is my sapphic fantasy dark academia novel about three Casters at a magic college and the monstrous tragedy which befalls them. It is currently up on Barnes & Noble for pre-order [maybe? I did proofreading recently, so it may be temporarily unavailable] and is still maintaining its release date of October 10th in paperback and in ebook. You can add it on Goodreads as well. It will also, upon release, be available on itch.io and Kobo!
As of my last post, When the Stars Were Brighter, my short story collection, is also available! You can find it on Barnes & Noble, my itch.io, or on Kobo! I’m also working to make it available on a couple more online retailers. And it’s also on Goodreads.
I have also been putting myself out there more with in-person events! I attended two pride festivals as a vendor in June, and then last month I had my first author signing! I posted a bit about all three events on my Instagram. What comes next? I’m so glad you asked!
I am waiting to hear more about the next big indie author event at my Barnes & Noble. So far, I know it’s the first weekend of October, which means it’ll be prior to ASMLP’s “official” release, but I’ll still be able to sell it there!
I have an ASMLP book launch scheduled at a local bookstore on October 12th
I have my next author signing scheduled for the first weekend of November!
I am currently looking into how to get myself enrolled as a vendor in the Tulip Festival, one of the biggest spring events in my state. This would be… HUGE.
I am also looking to do an author event at yet another book store by the end of the year… but nothing official yet.
Did you also know I’ve done a couple of interviews? I did this interview with Fantasy Newspaper on Instagram back in June, as well as this one with BookieBuffy—also on Instagram. I also have this interview I did with Indie Author Interviews. Hopefully, the first handful of many!
To round this segment out, a final announcement: I’ve started school! I am working towards an AFA in Written Arts which will transfer to a university for a BFA. How all this goes is going to dictate whether I transition to acquire an MFA after the fact. I’m not opposed to the idea, at least.
Writing Update
Since A Sharper, More Lasting Pain is now completed and awaiting publication, I spent a while deciding what my next publication would be. Currently, I am working on Across This Hollow Distance, my gothic fantasy novella inspired by the myth of Eros and Psyche about a woman married off as a ghost bride and her dead wife’s monstrous secret. Currently, I am aiming to have this released by April 1st, 2025, so that I have it out in time for the aforementioned Tulip Festival. I fell a little bit behind on my trajectory thus far because school started, but I’m hoping to wrangle myself back into shape before long. Here’s an excerpt from where I’m at, though.
Later, Rianne traced lazy circles into Claudine’s bare back with the tip of her nail. They were tangled together in the depths of a spare bedroom, black curtains drawn closed to further shroud them in the darkness. Black curtains which Rianne had been quick enough to realize were no longer in her own bedroom.
She couldn’t say she felt bad for what she had done. Like many people in the world, Rianne had worldly needs at times. And it wasn’t as if Claudine hadn’t reciprocated interest, despite her misgivings. Rianne’s wife was dead and so Rianne had no need for shame. The two of them were two hungry women. Together, they had feasted.
And feast they had. Claudine had a clear lack of experience, but what she lacked in worldly knowledge she’d made up for in eagerness, drawing Rianne to the brink multiple times under her guidance. And when it had been Rianne’s turn to reciprocate, she’d devoured her protege until her pleasant mewls had turned to rapturous song.
Across This Hollow Distance is also interesting in that it is part of a planned trilogy of standalone novellas set in my overarching fantasy world that explores humanity vs. monstrosity and relationships with the monstrous through three different lenses. This novella is the first book and A Bitter-Tasting Blade is the second, following a monster hunter and a reformed monster woman who are forced to work together on a mission from the A.C.A.S. and is planned to come out sometime in October 2025. There is a currently-untitled third novella planned as well… all I know so far is it’s heavily inspired by the Healing Church in Bloodborne and involves a woman imprisoned by a cult with the supposed cure to the world’s monster crisis within her blood and the monster woman who arrives to the church seeking said cure. So that’ll be fun.
To round this out… um. Surprise! A Sharper, More Lasting Pain will have a sequel! I wasn’t planning on having one, to be honest. A couple of betas begged for one and I toyed around with the thought of one but was eventually fine to just leave this novel as a standalone… But then my editor read it and after edits essentially said, “No. You can’t leave it like this. There needs to be a sequel.” And so I got my tired lil brain working again and turns out there was a sequel hidden inside me this whole time. So that’s something. I don’t currently have a title I’m 100% happy with, but the duology is called “A Brutal, More Monstrous Dance”, if that tells you anything.
I am also looking to submit to an anthology centered on divinity and what that means, which is being curated by my editor! I love getting the chance to talk about being a Hellenic Polytheist or to write about it and to discuss my relationship with the Theoi more… and I feel like this would be a perfect place to do so.
Media Update
I’ve again been busy this month, but somehow managed to read 13 books. Right now, I’m prioritizing the handful of ARCs I’ve been granted access to [including We Will Devour the Night, sequel to When the Stars Alight by Camilla Andrew!], so I think I’ll be busy with those this month. I’m also currently reading through Nettle and Bone by T. Kingfisher.
Otherwise, I’m rewatching House [again]. I’ve been playing Kirby Airride lately with my partner. And in recent days I’ve found myself longing for the comfort of old MMOs… So I’m looking into playing Runescape and World of Warcraft again.
Blog Update
The only update I have here is any more “blog”ish posts are going to be posted on my Patreon first and only. After my first time being a vendor, for example, I made this free post about 5 things I learned! You don’t need to be a member of my Patreon to read it.
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 Ladz, author of The Fealty of Monsters.
Winter 1917. After years on the run from a dangerous cult, twenty-three-year-old Sasza and his father have established themselves among the Odonic Empire’s ruling class. But there’s a problem: Sasza is a vampire, and vampires aren’t supposed to get involved in human governance. What the aristocracy doesn’t know, after all, cannot hurt them.
Unfortunately, Sasza is far more involved than a stealth vampire should be. Not only does he work to quell the rumors of the vampires’ responsibility for an unsolved massacre, his lover is also the pro-proletariat Ilya, the Empire’s Finance Minister, who tries to recruit Sasza into the same cult hunting him.
Then—the Emperor declares war against the Vampire States. Diplomacy has failed. Sasza quickly learns that he will do anything to preserve peace–including giving in to the monstrosity he spent so many years concealing from even himself.
Info about it can be found here. It’s currently on sale for $1.99 as well! Buy it here.
The Cat Thanks
One of the perks for higher-tier patrons is shout-outs at the end of newsletters. Special thanks to Ceph, Hannah, and Larkspur. If you want to have your name here with theirs, subscribe to my Patreon!
And that’s a wrap. I wish you well on all of your endeavors and hope you stay safe.
Kindest regards,
Alex