I love Substack because we gather in a place with thousands of other people, and yet it still feels personal.
Recently, I shared a note that began as a random thought popping into my head. There was no strategy behind it, no hard feelings I was trying to get over—just a simple note… or so I thought.
It turns out, it resonated with many of you. I don’t usually share my own statistics (because about midway through the year, I stopped trying to “grow” on this platform and let it be what it was). But this note has had such a huge response in the form of comments and new subscribers that I thought I’d share it here.
Thank you all for your support—it means a lot to me.
A few updates in Bookland.
In August, I paused my third book to go back and rewrite the first book in the series, Beyond the Water’s Edge. I’m happy to announce that after many long hours, the rewrite is finished!
Maybe it’s just the books I’ve been reading, but it feels like fantasy has gotten dark, like every book is racing to present the most tragic character in the most brutal world. What about adventure? What about a character with a longing that many of us can relate to—a desire to understand and find a place in the world?
Beyond the Water’s Edge is a YA portal fantasy revolving around themes of identity, resilience, and, at the heart of it, an adventure.
A few quotes from the book:
Slowly, she met his eye, understood every unspoken word. There was another world out there. Filled with people like her. Who would understand her. And just for a moment it was so tempting it scared her.
She spun around, met the darkness of night tumbling out from beyond the passage like a jar of ink tipped on its side. Assured herself she could still get back.
She was a stranger in a strange land, looking out across a world she didn’t understand.
The forest rose like a rogue wave swallowing the horizon. She slowed to a stop before the knotted tangle of branches and shoots twining around one another in a living tapestry.
Blurb:
What you don’t know can’t hurt you—at least that’s what people say. Those people have never harbored a secret others would kill for.
Alaira Hughes is counting down the days until graduation, dreaming of a summer of beach trips before she’s whisked away to college. She doesn’t know it yet, but her days in this world are numbered.
A seemingly magical path hidden in the woods leads her to a world of light. After walking away from an accident that should have killed her, the line between dream and reality begins to blur.
When a mysterious hunter tracks her down, she must team up with an otherworldly traveler with secrets of his own if she has any hope of survival. But there’s more to this new world than appearances suggest. In this place, time is a foreign concept, memories a target on your back, and the past a closely guarded secret.
In the shadows, a force grows—one that threatens to overtake both worlds. Alaira’s new power may be the last hope—if she can learn to control it before her enemies find her. The race is on to learn the truth.
And the truth can be deadly.
You can still snag a free copy at Smashwords’ End-of-Year sale.
Until next time—thanks for reading!
Janine Eaby is the author of Beyond the Water’s Edge—a fantasy book series influenced by her faith, love of nature, and desire for adventure. For fans of portal fantasies to other worlds like The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.
Thank you for writing this!
I love your authenticity, which as a newbie Im trying very hard to hold onto!