In this month's Alchemy Ink: I return to work, sprain a finger (!), review the month — and year — in writing, and offer my usual watching and reading recommendations. 2025 was ... a year. Here's to a more balanced 2026! open.substack.com/pub/melaniem...

Stories by yours truly @myexplodingpen.bsky.social, @premeemohamed.com, @pbarmby.bsky.social, @melaniemarttila.bsky.social, @harkback.bsky.social, @niallspain.bsky.social, Jim Robb, Chris O’Halloran, & Dwain Campbell. SuperCanucks will be flying off the shelves in March 2026! Preorder now!

This month's Alchemy Ink features a new format. You can read what you want and ignore the rest. Let me know what you think. Seriously. There's a poll at the end 🙂 open.substack.com/pub/melaniem...

Ah! My heart! The fabulous Frances Boyle has reviewed The Art of Floating for ARC Poetry. It's a gift and a poem of its own. I expected nothing less from a sister word witch 💜💜💜 arcpoetry.ca/editorials/m...

I am super excited to reveal the cover and table of contents for the forthcoming SuperCanucks: An anthology of Canadian small-town superheroes, edited by Andy Taylor and Matthew Del Papa, to be published March 21, 2026, by Latitude 46 Publishing! open.substack.com/pub/melaniem...

Super Canucks features stories by yours truly, @premeemohamed.com, @melaniemarttila.bsky.social, @harkback.bsky.social, @niallspain.bsky.social, @pbarmby.bsky.social, Jim Robb, Chris O’Halloran, & Dwain Campbell. Coming March 2026! Preorder now! store.latitude46publishing.com/products/sup...

My review of Mona Awad’s We Love You, Bunny was released into the wild by The Seaboard Review of Books today! It’s hilarious and horrific and weirdly touching by turns and will take you down so many rabbit holes (pun intended). www.theseaboardreview.ca/p/we-love-yo...

“Like Water for Weary Souls is both a compulsive mystery and an immersive experience of Sudbury’s history," says reviewer @melaniemarttila.bsky.social. www.theseaboardreview.ca/p/like-water...

The Leading Ladies Fantasy Bundle: You know how it goes. There's one female character in the book, and she's a love interest. She's given little to do and less to wear. She has no good lines, and nothing to contribute save her helplessness. These are not those stories. storybundle.com/fantasy

October’s Alchemy Ink was delayed because October was hectic, though mostly awesome, and the time change always discombobulates me for a couple of weeks. Better late than never? Also, this post is even longer than my usual epic scrawl. You have been warned. open.substack.com/pub/melaniem...

My review of Liisa Kovala's Like Water for Weary Souls is out in today's The Seaboard Review of Books! If you enjoy historical fiction, mysteries, or women's fiction, you should really check it out. It's fabulous! www.theseaboardreview.ca/p/like-water...

On the last weekend of October, I went to Writing on the Rocks, a Wild Ground Writing retreat. Highly recommend any WGW retreat. I've been to 2 now, and they were both fabulous! open.substack.com/pub/melaniem...

The last 2 weeks of October were busy, and then the return to Standard time messed me up. So, this post-con report was delayed. But I had fun, did 2 panels, attended 2 launches, and got some awesome pub news! open.substack.com/pub/melaniem...

Hey! Apparently it's #IReadCanadian day! If only there was somewhere readers looking for new #Canadian SFF authors to read could find a bunch of them all in one place... 🤔 a.co/d/azXj9pF

Super Canucks features stories by @premeemohamed.com, @melaniemarttila.bsky.social, @harkback.bsky.social @myexplodingpen.bsky.social @niallspain.bsky.social @pbarmby.bsky.social, Jim Robb, Chris O’Halloran,and Dwain Campbell. Coming March 2026. 2/2

Can-Con is 1 week away! I’ll be on two panels at this year's Can-Con! The first will be “The Art of Rest” at 8 pm on Friday, October 17, and the second is “The Taste of Sadness: Writing Emotional Dysregulation” at 2:30 pm on Sunday, October 19. www.can-con.org/schedule

Wordstock is in 2 weeks! Take a gander at this year's line up and while you're at it, subscribe to the Wordstock Substack to keep up to date on what's happening with Sudbury's literary festival. Don't forget to get your tickets! Streaming available! wordstocksudbury.substack.com/p/are-you-jo...

It's @canconsffh.bsky.social next weekend! I'm excited for: snazzy new venue; time with friends old & new; dope panels & events + fave Toronto bookstore @bakkaphoenix.bsky.social; the thrill of enthusiastic readers; copious beers; etc. Thankfully, I have a slim schedule this year. See below!

Getting back out into the world while respecting my energy levels and maintaining healthy boundaries can be tricksy, but it can be done. Some writerly news to share causing much excite, and my usual takes on what I've been watching and reading. open.substack.com/pub/melaniem...

My review of We Bury Nothing by Kate Blair is out in today's The Seaboard Review! It's a fabulous YA historical mystery that ties the past to the present with an engaging and topical plot. Reader, I loved it :) www.theseaboardreview.ca/p/we-bury-no...

I’ll be on two panels at this year's Can-Con! The first will be “The Art of Rest” at 8 pm on Friday, October 17, and the second is “The Taste of Sadness: Writing Emotional Dysregulation” at 2:30 pm on Sunday, October 19. www.can-con.org/schedule

My review of Birch and Jay by Allister Thompson is in today's The Seaboard Review of Books. Allister already reached out on IG and said he liked it (he really liked it!). Such an honour to support a fellow northeastern Ontario and Latitude 46 author. www.theseaboardreview.ca/p/birch-and-...

I need a timeline cleanse. How about a table of contents announcement! That’s right—despite the world being on fire, it’s time to reveal the TOC for Year’s Best Canadian F&SF Volume 3! It was VERY hard to narrow the list down but it's all killer, no filler. The book launches October 14. Enjoy! 1/2

“Thyme Travellers is fabulous...the timing of this anthology is perfect.” Review by @melaniemarttila.bsky.social. THYME TRAVELLERS is published by @fernpub.bsky.social. #speculativefiction #palestinianfiction @soniasulaiman.bsky.social theseaboardreview.substack.com/p/thyme-trav...

My review of Thyme Travellers: An Anthology of Palestinian Speculative Fiction edited by Sonia Sulaiman is now out in The Seaboard Review! This was such a touching and timely anthology to read. You should all get a copy! www.theseaboardreview.ca/p/thyme-trav...

Keeping a level head as I re-enter the world. Exciting writing-related stuff is happening! Writing and revision progress, and as always, lots of thoughts about stuff I watched and read. Join me for my review of this writer’s life in August. open.substack.com/pub/melaniem...

I'm furiously happy about this interview in On Creative Writing! Let the happy dancing commence! www.oncreativewriting.com/post/neurodi...

Progress is being made! And I guess I'm a book reviewer now? But, as ever, the more things change, the more they stay the same. It's a process. And a journey. And a becoming. Will let you know how it all turns out. open.substack.com/pub/melaniem...

"....a thought-provoking, and timely novel" @melaniemarttila.bsky.social reviews THE MIDNIGHT PROJECT by Christy Climenhage. #clifi #climatechange www.theseaboardreview.ca/p/the-midnig...

Six weeks off work can make a lot of difference. And also very little difference at all. Except, of course, that I read a lot of books and watched a lot of movies. This post is a looong one, folks. open.substack.com/pub/melaniem...

It's been a rough month and I'm not out of the burnout woods yet. Finally put my own mask on first and took sick leave to recover from burnout. Availing myself or EAP and learning to pay attention to my feelings. It's a work in progress. And so am I. open.substack.com/pub/melaniem...

New lessons in the life autistic, election stress, work stress, and counting spoons for the writing. It’s all part of the month in this writer’s life. open.substack.com/pub/melaniem...

I am so excited to be on an episode of Suzy Vadori's Show Don't Tell Writing Podcast! We just recorded this yesterday and I'm amazed at how quickly Liz put together the final version. www.buzzsprout.com/2333353/epis...

Yes, the sh*t has officially hit the fan. Struggling? I know I am. Some Substack recommendations to keep Canadians abreast of events, an upcoming local poetry reading, and some lovely reading and watching recommendations to soothe the world-weary soul. open.substack.com/pub/melaniem...

The Aurora Awards are accepting nominations until April 5th 2025. I humbly offer my eligible works for consideration. But you know, if you're Canadian and you love science fiction and fantasy, join the CSFFA and nominate your favourite authors. open.substack.com/pub/melaniem...

Sweet lord, but aren't we all tolerating ambiguity these days? Some thoughts, my month in writing, some interesting articles, what I'm doing to stay sane, and all the things I'm watching and reading. The latest issue of Alchemy Ink, free to read, always. open.substack.com/pub/melaniem...

✨ ARE YOU READY TO ORGANIZE FOR QUEER RIGHTS? ✨ Anti-2SLGBTQIA+ hate is on the rise in Canada and around the world. We have a choice: to sit back and let others decide our fate, or to come together and decide for ourselves. We choose to organize. Today, we're launching RainbowEquality.ca

Writers and creators with privilege, want to use it to support the marginalized/oppressed creatives in your communities? Sign up for the Writing the Other "Are You My Ally?" Webinar! Deadline to register is March 2nd! writingtheother.com/are-you-my-a...

January 2025 was a bit much. So is this month's Alchemy Ink. A wee ramble in addition to the usual life in general, the month in writing, of interest on the interwebz, filling the well, and what I'm watching and reading segments. It's big, but it's worth it 😊 open.substack.com/pub/melaniem...

Happy New Year, all! The December issue of Alchemy Ink is out and free to read. open.substack.com/pub/melaniem...

Winter has arrived in northeastern Ontario, and I'm sick again (!) Find out what else is going on in this writer's life in the latest Alchemy Ink. melaniemarttila.substack.com/p/alchemy-in...

If you're into romance reading, try the novels of M.Francis Lamont. Three series and counting! #EBookGifts

"“There is no depression more debilitating than knowing that you cannot go back home, even though you’re already there.”--Lynna Dresden in "A Diary in the Age of Water" #books #ecofiction #EBookGifts ninamunteanu.me/2023/12/31/w...

#EBookGifts Poetry lover on your list? Consider The Art of Floating, direct from Latitude 46 Publishing or Amazon $9.99 CAD. store.latitude46publishing.com/products/the...

#EBookGifts Poetry lover on your list? Consider The Art of Floating, direct from Latitude 46 Publishing or Amazon.ca $9.99 CAD. store.latitude46publishing.com/products/the...

A terrific nonfiction book by @jmgalat.bsky.social Optimism & activism in age-appropriate ways for young people. #EBookGifts

Delighted to share: King Kwong, my bio of hockey hero Larry Kwong, made it to #1 in hockey ebooks on Amazon in May this year. It's doing well on Kobo, too. Available on over a dozen online vendors thru books2read.com/kwong #EBookGifts

There are four books now available from in Celu Amberstone's series Tales of Tasimu. Here are links to them all at books2read.com/b/taste #EBookGifts The final two books in the series will be released early in 2025 from Kashallan Press!

My second novel, Run J Run: friendship, polyamory, and queer, non-traditional family combined with a mystery and a contemporary urban psychological drama. Content warning for suicidal ideation, child abuse, racialized violence. Dark in parts but also full of hope and light. #EBookGifts (2 of 3)