Author Updates
Welcome to Substack, The Fractured Body Progress, and More...
Hello, and welcome to the new Substack page! If you’re new to me altogether, my name is Mason Monteith! I am a fantasy author, literary nerd, and part-time poet! I am working towards one day working as a university professor, but as I work towards that goal, I write fantasy novels, flash fiction, poetry, and more.
I have two published novels, The Spellbound Abbey and The Final Born. The Spellbound Abbey will be receiving a rewrite sometime this next year, and currently I am working on the sequel for The Final Born, dubbed: The Fractured Body.
For those who do know me, welcome to the long-awaited update post! I have a lot of good news to share, as this year has been excellent for completing projects, getting organized, and planning for the future! So buckle up and get ready for a big update post!
Life Updates
For my regular, day-to-day life outside books (well, books are still included) a lot has happened! I’ve completed my undergraduate studies with a Bachelor’s in Science in English. I majored in Creative Writing, and have minored in both English and Classical Humanities. I also earned my certificate in Editing and Publishing! It feels good to have earned that degree. Right now, I’m taking a bit of time away from college to save up and work on projects before working on Grad school applications.
I also got a job at a physical location! I’ve worked freelance in editing and still do, but now I also work at a bookstore nearby. It’s been lovely, and even better due to having a wonderful team of coworkers. I actually quite love this job, and being surrounded by books is a plus.
The Fractured Body Progress
Recently, I made a post on Instagram discussing when the book was first sent off for the first round of beta readers, and by gosh, the feedback I received is phenomenal. With this feedback, I will be re-outlining and reworking the novel. Expect more slow burn romance, more fantastical beasts, and even more high-stakes tension in Vasyla!
I’ve also received some amazing commissioned character art in my inbox of Calypso, Leandre, and Ophelya—I plan to post it to my socials towards the end of October or November when I do a call for more beta readers.
In general, though, the publication date should still be early 2026. I don’t want to rush it, though, as I’d prefer a well-polished book being put out as opposed to a rushed one to keep up with others.
What to expect from the sequel? (Spoilers for first book…ish) A new ruler has emerged the victor – and Vasyla must be reborn as they rebuild from the ashes. Yet rebirth does not come without its pains: and the empire’s fate is constantly slipping between greedy hands…
What to Expect from the Substack
So why am I moving to Substack? Well, after some research and testing, I’ve fund the format of using Substack is far simpler than using both Wordpress and Mailerlite together. I still will use my website with Wordpress (I’ll be streamlining that soon if I haven’t already) but using Substack will allow me to spend less time struggling to write posts and more time to write books.
But what can you expect from here? Beyond author update posts like this one here, you can expect:
Writing Advice Posts
Literary Discussions
Book Reviews
Poetry
Flash Fiction
Essays
Publication Announcements
and More!
If you’re interested in my poetry, a few pieces have been posted to my Instagram. I have a few more that will be coming out through various literary magazines. Want to see one now? Go check out The Holy Cravings published through the Dark Poet’s Club.
Why essays and literary discussion posts? To be frank, since college, I’ve found I enjoy the process of developing research or argument papers—and it helps me understand niche subjects better for the fiction I write. So if you enjoy looking at literature from all angles, you’ll enjoy this substack!
Thank you for reading and supporting my author journey!
Cheers,
Mason Monteith