The Storypunk Report, Issue #47
Author Karen Eisenbrey’s monthly newsletter

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Time to Get Cozy!

A warm Storypunk welcome to subscribers new and old. I appreciate anyone who takes a chance on a new-to-you author, as well as loyal fans. If you haven’t already, be sure to download your free gift, “Wizard in the Mosh Pit”, a goofy portal fantasy in which the main characters of two separate series meet and hijinks ensue. Find it HERE.

I don’t know about you, but I’m ready to snuggle up with a hot drink, a warm blanket, and a good book. Feel free to include any pets who want to snuggle with you! (But be sure to vote first.) October was a roller coaster for me personally. I began the month coordinating my 96-year-old dad’s move to assisted living (stressful!) while also planning a long weekend getaway with my spouse to celebrate our 40th wedding anniversary (fun!). We had a great time in beautiful Port Townsend, with day trips to Dungeness Spit and Hurricane Ridge. On our last night, my brother called to let me know Dad was in the hospital. He passed away the following morning, so I quickly shifted from coordinating his move to being executor of his estate: stressful and exhausting. I suspect the grief will hit me when I think I’ve finished processing. Mostly, I’m grateful to have had him in my life for so long. In the midst of all that, Promise Stones and Granny’s Bones (Tales from Deep River Book 3) came out. (More on that below.) Whee! The thrill ride is starting to smooth out as I check things off the to-do list.

After a little time off with no live events, I am looking forward to two upcoming holiday markets: ShoreLake Arts Outdoor Holiday Arts Market, Saturday, November 21 10 am – 3 pm in the Ridgecrest neighborhood of Shoreline, WA; and Roosevelt High School Holiday Bazaar, Saturday, December 12 10 am – 4 pm 1410 NE 66th St, Seattle WA. If you are in the area, these are both good events for finding unique holiday gifts (for loved ones or yourself), including books by me and my fellow indie authors. If you can’t make it but want a signed copy of Ego & Endurance, I know there are a few copies available at Island Books on Mercer Island, Ridgecrest Books in Shoreline, and Third Place Books – Ravenna. Ridgecrest also has Daughter of Magic, The Gospel According to St. Rage, and A Quest for Hidden Things.

Writing/Publishing News

Promise Stones and Granny’s Bones (Tales from Deep River Book 3) launched on Tuesday, October 20! Reviews are beginning to trickle in from early readers. Melinda writes: “The Tales from Deep River series is rooted in a Pacific Northwest inspired world of magic. In this third installment, Crane and Ketty grow into adulthood, still shaped by their first love, but now facing their own individual choices. Growing up has its responsibilities – and consequences. But magic continues to shape their lives and choices. I am looking forward to the next in the series!”

I finished a revision pass to Aketnan the Peacebringer (Tales from Deep River Book 5) just before October blew up in my face. I let it sit for a couple of weeks but am now dipping back into it to make sure my bigger additions hang together with the rest of the story. This one is the finale that wraps up Ketty and Crane’s cozy fantasy adventure with lots of drama and all the feels, so I want to get it right.

My short story “Chad’s Mole” was accepted for Antifa Lit Journal Vol. 4! A formerly privileged, apolitical young man finds out what it’s like to lose rights, and discovers an unexpected community quietly fighting back. Release date TBA, but I will announce it here when I know. Submissions are open now for Volume 5. More info and submission guidelines may be found HERE.

I have submitted my micro-fiction story “I Knew Him, Horatio” to four publications so far. The first two rejected it, but I haven’t heard back from the last two yet, so maybe I’ll have news to share next month.

What I’m Reading

I don’t read a lot of bestsellers, but my bookshelf and Kindle are always full of interesting new books that I’ve collected from other independent authors. Here’s what came up for me over the past month, in the order I read them, with links to my full reviews:

The Sea-Glass Shore by Julie Salmon Kelleher
This is a lovely literary fantasy; a gentle fairy tale for adults who are in or have survived the chaos years of child-rearing. The writing uses rhythm and repetition to achieve a timeless, folkloric feel in a contemporary setting. Jack and Rona both know how stories of selkies and humans usually go and are determined to not be those people as they make a life together on a beautiful little cove. I really love how they deliberately build trust, yet still fall into unexpected messes of their own making, which is what generally happens when you add children to the mix. And what children! Lucy and Murray are so different and so alike, and neither seems neurotypical. They felt believably like kids I have known. If you like contemporary fiction based in folklore, I highly recommend this one.

The Shell and other uncanny tales by S. E. Reid
This slim collection of speculative stories brings eerie chills and cozy vibes, monsters and mystery. If you like imaginative, character-driven spec fic with plenty of heart to balance the darkness, check this one out.

Her Fake Superhero Boyfriend by H. L. Burke
I’d had a roller coaster of a month and craved something light and sweet. This superpowered rom-com scratched that itch. Fluffy romance, superpowers, and a heist? Oh yeah. The leads, KC and Mira, are appealing and fit well together in spite of their different upbringings and experiences. The question wasn’t so much “Will they?” as “How will they?” with so many forces trying to keep them apart. I also really enjoyed the idea of a supervillain using his face-shifting powers to impersonate a superhero, and being actually a better human being than the so-called hero. Mira’s snooty, rich family was so hilariously awful, it was easy to root against them, especially when Mira was so sweet and talented. If you need some superpowered fun in your life, check this one out.

The Woman Who Died A Lot by Jasper Fforde
This was a reread in preparation for Dark Reading Matter, the eighth and final installment in the Thursday Next series, but it had been long enough that I might as well have been reading the book for the first time. Which was great fun! I have been enjoying Thursday Next’s wacky adventures since The Eyre Affair. I love the alternative reality where literature is taken extremely seriously, librarians are badasses, and time travel can still affect the present even after it has been found to be impossible. The plot is a hilariously tangled web of complications and threats, some we’ve seen before (Goliath Corp., synthetic Thursdays, mindworms) and others, new in this book (a smiting from the Almighty, an asteroid collision, a new kind of synthetic Thursday). It was great fun to see how a disabled but restless Thursday would deal with it all, with a little help from family, friends, and rivals. Up next: Dark Reading Matter!

I am also reading the regular weeklyish installments of Benjamin Gorman’s new serial novel Brick by Brick (formerly Tilting at Windmills). It’s a contemporary quixotic fantasy with a lot to say about the curses (and possible blessings) of our current moment, while also fictionalizing the Brickgate scandal. It is being released in text, audio, and video formats. Find all of them HERE.

Blog Highlights

Since November 2010, I have written Square Pig in a Round Hole, a weekly blog about band names. I comb through the nightlife listings on EverOut, choose five band names, and briefly respond to each one.  Here are some highlights (with links to full posts) from the past month:

October 3
Punchin’ Grumpy
2026 has pushed us beyond spitting mad. Now we’re swinging fists.

October 10
Drop the Star
…and bring on the understudy. A new star is born; the circle of life.

October 17
Catzap!
Static discharge while you’re petting your feline friend startles everyone, but the cat blames you.

October 24
Heirloom Monsters
Built to scare for generations.

October 31
smush
When you bump the jack-o-lantern that’s been on the porch for a month.

Other News and Events

INTERVIEWS
Check out the Readings and Interviews page on my website.

EVENTS
Check out the Events page on my website! Here’s what’s coming up soon:

ShoreLake Arts Outdoor Holiday Arts Market
Saturday, November 21 10 am – 3 pm
Exact location TBA, Ridgecrest neighborhood (NE 165th St & 5th Ave NE)
Shoreline, WA
I will be in the Author Event Network booth offering signed copies of all my books, alongside other fine local authors. In 2025, we had an indoor location, which we hope will be the case this year, too.

Roosevelt High School Holiday Bazaar
Saturday, December 12 10 am – 4 pm
1410 NE 66th St, Seattle WA
I will be in the Author Event Network booth offering signed copies of all my books. This is always a fun event, with live music, food, and 50+ artisan vendors offering great gift items. The free event is put on by Roosevelt High School’s Technology Student Association to raise funds for their STEM club.

FUNDRAISERS

Anti-fascist Write-athon
On November 1, 2026, writers from around the world joined on a Zoom call or met in person at BOLD Coffee and Books in Portland, OR, and hammered away at their keyboards, working on whatever work-in-progress they chose. We took breaks to commiserate with fellow anti-fascist writers. (I did my writing on October 31 because my Sunday schedule was full, so I had to commiserate with myself!) We wrote a team total of at least 19,114 words (of which 2,624 were mine) while raising funds for the Antifa Lit Journal and the various not-for-profit groups it promotes. This will allow the journal to more fairly compensate the authors/poets/visual artists who contribute, and it will help promote organizations fighting fascism in court and on the streets.

Learn more, register for the next one, or donate HERE anytime.

At the end of the write-athon, the host of the event wrote and recorded an essay responding to some of the flack received in the YouTube livestream chat for daring to call fascism fascism. You can find the essay and video HERE.

MERCH SHOP!

In my online shop, I offer merchandise associated with the fictional garage band St. Rage (featured in The Gospel According to St. Rage and Barbara and the Rage Brigade), including T-shirts, hoodies, coffee mugs, and stickers. Shirts are available in a range of colors and styles. I welcome photos of fans wearing shirts or holding books!

Join the Rage Brigade!
I run a Facebook group, The Rage Brigade, for conversations about science fiction, fantasy, superheroes, magic, and music. If that sounds like fun, please check it out here.

Find details on any of my books HERE