April Recap

Lots of Good Things from April!

Note: If you’re using an agentic browser, please don’t have it summarize webpages. Read 0x03 of this article to learn why.

With May starting, I wanted to showcase some great articles/stories from April, as well as my Book Recommendations and original fiction from last month in case you missed some.

But first, some news from last month and the start of this month!

Last month, T.H. Meyer published A Comprehensive Growing List of Cozy & Clean Substack Reads Without “Sanitized” Boredom and included The Moon Station in it.

Thank you for including my serial on your list, T.H. Meyer!

And in her words: “I’m looking for elements that a clean reader would want. So if you know someone serializing “clean” fiction or faith-based stories, let me know” (Paragraph 11).

If you serialize clean fiction or faith-based stories and aren’t already on her list, you know what to do!

Also, you may remember I wrote a Book Recommendation of Skinless, a gripping YA novel by my friend Anne Social. Anne just released Skinless in paperback! You can pick up a copy here.

My friend Elizabeth Klein’s Elizion series (I posted a recommendation for its first book, The Elizion Shield, here), is still in the running for the 2025 CIBA SERIES Book Awards Long List. You can check out her series here.

My friend C. J. Charles’s second book in The Spectral Detective series (I posted recommendations for the prequel and first book) King in the Dark: Part Two: Swan’s Song is now out! Find it here.

And here’s Bugguffin from The Moon Station again (hand-drawn by me):

And now, some articles/stories from April.

They Upgraded the Toll Scam (And It’s Working) by Cyber Safety Watchdog

A must-read covering new versions of a scam.

Don’t forget to check out more of Cyber Safety Watchdog Weekly. There you’ll learn about different scams through clearly-worded posts that make cyber safety much easier to understand.

What Every Writer Should Know About Frostbite by Alley Hart

An in-depth explanation of frostbite. A must-read even if you don’t plan to write about it.

Don’t forget to check out more of Writing Rural with Alley. There you’ll find great information and practical advice for writing realistic rural life in your stories—including what is and is not likely to go wrong for your characters in specific situations.

Alley Hart is now sharing fiction!

Check out her romance serial Betrayal in Azbor in her other publication, Steel & Silk: Tales From Z Kingdoms.

A design mistake that made sales... by S. E. Grosskopf

S. E. Grosskopf shares a business card design secret.

Don’t forget to check out more of Author’s Substack. There you’ll find book reviews that might introduce you to your next great read, as well as chapters of Lowan’s Checkmate (find its Table of Contents here) and Shamrock Hunt (find its Table of Contents here).

S. E. Grosskopf’s Welcome Post includes links to the full first book of the Lowan series and its prequel—both of which are FREE!

Is Your Local AI Model Backdoored by Your Politics? Sleeper Agents Exposed by ToxSec

A must-read on what local AI models are capable of.

Is Claude Code Secretly Installing Spyware? by ToxSec

A must-read on what Claude AI is capable of.

Don’t forget to check out more of Toxsec. There you’ll find articles and videos on the current state of AI.

How I Grew Enough Salad to Not Have to Buy Any All Winter by Tiffany Deluccia

An article offering tips for growing salad greens.

Don’t forget to check out more of GVL GARDENING with Tiffany Deluccia. There you’ll find gardening information and tips for growing your own food.

How to write natural dialogue by Writer's Unblock

Great tips on writing dialogue that sounds natural.

Don’t forget to check out more of Writer’s Unblock. There you’ll find articles that are quick reads yet full of practical writing advice. You’ll also find prompts that give you practice applying the advice.

15 Free Online Courses for Creatives by Sarah Rae Draws

Looking to learn more about a particular kind of art? These FREE courses might help.

Don’t forget to check out more of Sarah Rae is a Real Artist. There you’ll find articles on art and self-teaching/learning, and personal stories from Sarah Rae Draws’s experience.

Blood of Old and The Mansion by C. J. Charles

Two great flash fiction pieces.

Don’t forget to check out more of C. J. Charles. There you’ll find more flash fiction, personal Posts, writing advice, and FREE prequels to his different series (you can find links for two of them at the bottom of his post here.)

What James Bond Comic Strips Taught Me About Storytelling by @robopulp

An interesting discussion of finding the right format for storytelling.

Don’t forget to check out more of @robopulp. There you’ll find insightful articles and videos on writing, other forms of art, and pop culture.

The Decide to Survive Drill by tonyblauer

A thought-provoking article about self-confidence, managing (rather than fighting) fear in a dangerous situation, visualizing a fictional dangerous scenario as a means of preparing yourself for real danger, and why it works.

Don’t forget to check out more of Tony Blauer’s “Be Your Own Bodyguard®” Publication. There you’ll find additional articles on self-defense, training, and how to respond in dangerous situations.

Black Box - Experience Lyrical by Cory

In Cory’s words, “A continuation of the black box, shown in lyrical form of how it feels—what happens when a seizure hits me” (Paragraph 1).

Don’t forget to check out more of Cory. There you’ll find personal reflections, poetry, and fiction.

The pricing post I wish existed when I started by Valerie Parizeault

If you’re a freelancer graphic artist or web designer and aren’t sure how much to charge for your projects, this article may be helpful to you.

Don’t forget to check out more of The Late-bloomer Club. There you’ll find personal stories about Valerie Parizeault’s experiences, advice on improving your art, and tips on business for freelancing creatives.

What To Cut From Your Writing Process by Letters From the Lair

Encouragement for your writing process.

Don’t forget to check out more of Letters From The Lair. There you’ll find more thoughts and advice on writing.

Publishing Course Company Fined $1.5 Million by FTC by Dale L. Roberts

Publishing news, a warning about scammers, and much more.

Don’t forget to check out more of Self-Publishing with Dale. There you’ll find more publishing news, information, and advice.

(And regardless of month, I recommend Dalibor’s Substack, a publication of practical security advice on making yourself and your home safer, personal stories that may make you smile, and personal stories that will make you think.)

(I also recommend Shadows of Control, for information and advice regarding domestic abuse, coercive control, and how they harm victims.)

And if you have elderly parents or friends, check out Vance Frost, who writes about potential medical and legal dangers for seniors.

Also, if you’re an author planning to sell books at an Expo, check out Keith Robinson’s setup here. It might give you ideas for arranging your table(s)!

April’s Book Recommendations Are…

Farts Make Noise by Kelly Brakenhoff

The Unicorn Curse by S. E. Grosskopf

Backstage Pass by John Ford Coley

Short Days, Shorter Stories 2: A Second Anthology of Flash Fiction Short Stories by C. J. Charles

April’s Original Fiction Includes…

“Bugguffin” (Part 3) and (Part 4) and “Informed Consent” (Part 1) and (Part 2)

That’s all for the April Recap.

This month, I hope to share three Book Recommendations and five installments of The Moon Station series.

I hope your May is the best it can be.

Is there anything you’re looking forward to this month? I’d love to hear about it in the comments.

Thank you so much for being here—and I don’t just mean on this list.