Writing | A Place of Sand

Update [10/28/25]: Now also available as a paperback from Feltrinelli in Italy and Waterstone’s in the UK.

Update [10/15/25]: The Late Worm is now available as a paperback from Amazon US.

My fourth book of flash fiction/poetry is now out and (mostly) available. The “mostly” is because there are some technical issues I’m sorting out with Amazon US. The Kindle version is available everywhere. The print version is presently available in the US at B&N and in UK/Italy/Europe at Amazon.co.uk. The detailed purchase links are on the relevant book page.

This book carries on in much the same indescribable fashion as the first three books. Oh wait, I just described it, so it’s not indescribable. Or maybe I spawned a universe-collapsing paradox. We’ll have to wait and see.

Anyway, check out my new book if you have a hankering for pretentious pseudo-philosophy, thinly-veiled allegories, and the occasional sociopath holding forth on this or that.

In the near future, I plan to put out a collection of all four books plus a variety of aphorisms that don’t fit in elsewhere. This may seem redundant, but only to the uninitiated. The initiated will realize that it can’t be redundant if it wasn’t dundant to start with. Also, I’ll include an index of first lines — which is the hallmark of books of famous poetry by famous people.

Of course, in their cases, it is usually compiled by one of the hundreds of scholars dedicated to scrutinizing every word they said. Thankfully for my sanity and theirs, nobody troubles to scrutinize every word I say … or any word I say, which means I can say any words I choose and escape scrutiny. Schlombosculation et vinum transtripula expidosion. There, I said it. Word which will escape scrutiny. They sound vaguely latin, but I’ll leave it to the scholars to decipher them. Otherwise, how will they get their PhDs in literature and have solid careers in the meatpacking industry?

Read on Substack

Update (8/8/22): I’ve ditched Vella. The Tale of Rin now exclusively is available on Substack. I’ve amended the post below to reflect this.

My epic fantasy series “The Tale of Rin” now is being serialized on Substack. New episodes come out on Wednesdays and Sundays. Here’s the description:

“Just because Rin is indestructible doesn’t mean she can’t be hurt. On her quest to remedy an ancient sin, a single act of casual cruelty sets off an avalanche of events which threaten to destroy everything. Rin must rein in her assistant, a man of fierce attachment and questionable conviction, while avoiding her devious ex-husband, who will stop at nothing to reclaim her. In the balance lies her heart and the fate of the world.“

Of the anticipated 6 volumes in the series, the first 2.5 have been written (and the rest mapped out). The first is publication ready and the 2nd close to that state. The first volume, “Protege”, likely will serialize to around 70-80 “episodes”.

The first 10 episodes will be free on Substack. Paid subscriptions are $5 per month (approximately 8 episodes) or $30 per year. Frankly, I would have preferred to charge less, but $5 is the lowest Substack allows. Note that a paid subscription gives you access to previous episodes as well — so don’t hesitate to subscribe at any point!

This is my first serialized novel, so please make some allowance for a few hiccups early on. If you encounter formatting errors or other weirdness please let me know. Such things aren’t always evident to the author, and these platforms are really clunky and buggy to post to.

Disclaimer: This is a work of original fiction, and any resemblance to real people or other fiction is purely coincidental.

Sensitivity Warning: This work may not be appropriate for readers highly sensitive to violence (including the occasional implication of possible sexual violence). Reader discretion is advised. Based on beta reader feedback, I’ve toned down a couple of scenes to make it more palatable to a broad audience. If you’re ok with something like Game of Thrones you should be fine with this.

I hope you enjoy the world I create and have a thrilling journey through it. Whether or not you find Rin an amiable companion, I’m sure you will find her an interesting one.

READ ON Substack