What's up with the subscription?
If you're familiar with Patreon, then this is similar! I use Ghost to handle my website, newsletter and subscription service all in one. This makes it easier for me to handle everything in one place, and also gives me control over my own work and audience in a way that Patreon doesn't allow. Other services like Substack and Patreon also have high fees per subscription that Ghost doesn't have, which means more funds go to supporting my writing instead of the platform!
What is The Wards Will Fall?
The Wards Will Fall is a dark fantasy novel, the first book in a series. I am currently releasing early access chapters as a thank you to my newsletter subscribers. The first chapter started releasing October 27, 2025. A chapter a week releases every Monday until the novel wraps up in approximately November 2026.
Chapters can be read through email or through my website. It has gone through two rewrites as well as several rounds of editing thanks to feedback from my amazing writing group and a handful of lovely beta readers. After the early access chapters are done releasing, the book will be professionally edited and published in 2027.
After the first novel finishes, I plan to draft the second book in the series and release early draft chapters for my newsletter as well.
Why did you decide to release early access chapters of The Wards Will Fall?
I wrote this book during a major period of my life when I was figuring things out in 2018. This book ended up being a big part of that, but I put it away to work on other projects. I have several books planned in a series that follow Maxwell. This was a good way to ensure I gave the attention to this series that I want to give it and share it with anyone else who might resonate with it.
Why do I have to sign up to read past Chapter 5 of The Wards Will Fall?
I wanted to make the chapter releases fully public, but with the rise of genAI ripping from stolen work, I wanted to make it harder for bots to steal my writing. This does mean the rest of the chapters are behind a subscription wall, but it seemed like the best compromise I could find to protect the writing I worked hard on and ensure I can continue to write sustainably.
Can I read a full copy of The Wards Will Fall without waiting for weekly posts?
Nope. I plan to launch a special physical and e-book edition of The Wards Will Fall through Kickstarter in March 2027 after I finish releasing the book through my newsletter. After the Kickstarter campaign is finished, it will be published wide.
Is there a way to read chapters ahead of time of The Wards Will Fall?
I offer a paid subscription tier to read three chapters ahead! You can change your subscription through the account page.
Do you have other writing I can read?
I am currently working on a few different novels and short stories along with The Wards Will Fall. Devouring Fortune releases October 13, 2026. I have several other novels planned for future release, including a separate series set in the same universe as The Wards Will Fall. This separate series will not be available for early access reading through my newsletter.
What can I expect from subscribing to your newsletter?
Besides the weekly chapter releases of The Wards Will Fall, subscribing gives you access to the audio narration of each chapter and the ability to leave comments. I will email you the new chapter weekly. You can also expect a monthly update post with news, writing thoughts, garden-related ramblings and sneak peeks.
What's your stance on AI?
It's trash! I don't use genAI/LLM in any stage of my writing and I don't work with anyone who uses it either. I do not use genAI in any part of my work.