As the third entry in the Elemental Witch League trilogy, The Fog raises the stakes to biblical proportions, opening with Satan and the Nephilim unleashing a supernatural “end-of-days” weapon meant to drown the world in terror and death. From there, the novel widens fast—into a globe-spanning, good-versus-evil conflict where a young “Fundamental Witch,” Susan, and her …
Veteran educator and author Margaret Stenerson announces the release of two powerful books that shine a light on the transformative power of knowledge, curiosity, and lifelong learning: My Noble Profession (Third Edition) and The Joy of Knowing: Everyday Wonders and Science Stories. Together, these titles offer a heartfelt tribute to teaching as a calling, and …
The Jesus Trail: Following in the Footsteps of Christ by Pierce Kelley is a deeply moving and contemplative novel that follows sixteen-year-old Mekhaeil Zacharias, a Coptic Christian, as he undertakes a pilgrimage from Nazareth through the Galilee to Jerusalem. Still reeling from the horrific murder of his two older brothers and nineteen other Coptic Christians …
This week’s second story is less legally dense and full of plot twists than our first. But no less important. At the center of it is ElevenLabs, the AI-generated voice giant. You will recall that ElevenLabs was in the news last week because of its audiobook partnership with Spotify. This week, a reminder that ElevenLabs …
The prolific biographer Ackroyd turns his gaze to W.H. Auden (1907-1973), a poet who straddled Britain and America, traditional verse and innovative drama, and canonical high culture and an active gay life. Ackroyd’s Auden is a product of his family and his heritage. His name, perhaps, goes back to Old English. His forbears may have …
Orna Ross explores what social media can — and can’t — do for indie authors in a landscape that has changed beyond recognition. Listen for tips on how to audit what social media truly costs you in time, money, and creative energy; a comparison of the top ten platforms for authors in 2026; and questions …
Forty-one-year-old Amber Tambon—surgeon, spitfire, and bride-to-be—readies herself for the wedding of her dreams to her much younger fiancé, Xavier. The wedding venue: Mayguard Manor, a “castle poised upon the waters of Lake Superior.” The castle has been shut down for over 50 years after the disturbing and mysterious deaths of its owners, but it’s opened …
Thanks to Jane Friedman for pointing toward the Writer Beware piece that forms the basis for this week’s first story. Class action lawsuits taken out by rights holders against tech companies for alleged violations related to copyright law committed in pursuit of the development of large generative AI models. That’s a general description of what …
June 2026. This is the first in a new monthly series on publishing scams, bad actors, and how to protect yourself. Every month, we’ll cover a different angle. This one starts at the beginning: what ALLi’s Watchdog Desk does, how… The post Spammers and Scammers: How to Spot a Publishing Scam in 2026 appeared first …
Toussaint Batiste doesn’t care much for being addressed by his nickname, “Troubleman,” or “Trouble” for short. But having just finished a stretch in prison for involuntary manslaughter committed while he was still with the Philadelphia PD, Toussaint can’t seem to be anywhere, not even in a car belonging to the son of a trusted friend, …
Lavery, a former voice of the “Dear Prudence” advice column at Slate, continues to share keen insights into the human psyche in a touching—and often hilarious—portrait of a woman heading into her 60s without the support and companionship of the nine best friends she’s lost to death or misunderstandings (more than one of these) over …
At Spero School, a punishing facility to which 17-year-old Scott Theriault was shipped out by his mother and stepfather, flimsy behavioral modification methods and open bullying make life miserable for residents. Scott’s death is ruled accidental—he had been drinking before falling into a local river—but his imprisoned father is sure that foul play, not alcohol, …
In this series opener that was originally self-published in 2020, mermaids, who are described as light-skinned, start learning mer-magic in middle school. Lavender-haired sixth grader Brynn Finley can hardly wait to join the ranks of the sea guardians. But her new school presents challenges Brynn hadn’t anticipated: traveling by speed-current without her parents, getting lost …