From page one, Homecoming grabs you by the throat and doesn’t let go. A small town spirals as deaths stack up, and the story keeps one question pulsing underneath: curse or something worse? The pacing is relentless, the mystery hooks deep, and the gore lands hard.

My 2026 Indie Author Reading Challenge continues with book #4: The Silent Flower by Art M. This sci-fi tale drops advanced technology into an Old West-style town, complete with robots and horses. The premise intrigued me, but the rushed pacing and thin character development kept it from landing.

"Boys Don’t Dance" by Alex Preston, illustrated by Andi Andriansyah, is a poignant children's picture book that addresses a boy's passion for dancing amid societal judgment. Its concise rhyming structure conveys emotions effectively, making it ideal for read-alouds. This book promotes self-expression and kindness, resonating with children navigating gendered interests.

The Woodland Academy by K. D. Williams is a Christian magic academy fantasy featuring a 7th grader navigating a mysterious school environment. The story engages readers with strong character development and a compelling mystery buildup, although heavy evangelism may affect pacing for some. Recommended for Christian parents and preteens. Rated 4.5/5.

The article explores the complexities of faith deconstruction in writing, emphasizing that it's a messy emotional process rather than a neat intellectual exercise. It highlights the significance of cognitive dissonance, community dynamics, and tangible costs of beliefs. Effective storytelling incorporates contradictions, micro-betrayals, and character-driven decisions to authentically portray this journey.

The content emphasizes creating a sustainable writing schedule instead of focusing on high word counts, which can lead to burnout. It suggests short writing sessions, separating drafting and revising days, and having a fallback plan for challenging weeks. The goal is consistency, with tracking sessions over word count for effective progress.

The Baltic Sanction by Jade Saul is an action-driven spy thriller with high stakes, rated 3/5. While the pacing and tension are commendable, issues like editing flaws, a crowded cast, and repetitive phrasing hinder deeper engagement. It suits readers who favor relentless action but may disappoint those seeking character depth.

The 20-Minute Scene Audit helps writers improve dragging scenes without rewriting. Often, scenes lack clear desires, direction, or significant change. Through a brief audit, writers identify the scene's purpose, locate friction, and enhance engagement with micro-promises. This process encourages targeted adjustments that restore momentum and maintain narrative flow.

In 2026, the author resolves to follow their own advice as an indie writer, emphasizing consistency over intensity. They aim to simplify their writing and marketing efforts, focusing on small, manageable tasks to build momentum. Their mantra highlights the importance of messy, consistent actions to achieve success and maintain accountability.

The Urban Fantasy Starter Guide 2026 offers an overview of urban fantasy, describing its blend of modern settings and hidden supernatural elements. It outlines key themes, tropes, and entry points based on reader preferences. The guide encourages readers to delve into urban fantasy, emphasizing its immersive and consequence-driven storytelling.

The article discusses strategies for BookTok creators focusing on urban fantasy to attract the right readers rather than just gaining views. It emphasizes the importance of signaling the urban fantasy promise and using effective hooks, qualifying the audience, and turning one idea into multiple posts. Consistency is key in converting the audience.

The article offers a practical 30-minute SEO checklist tailored for authors to enhance their website's performance at year-end. It covers essential aspects like optimizing titles, meta descriptions, internal links, and images. The advice emphasizes straightforward, small adjustments to improve clarity and searchability without the need for complex technical knowledge.

Afterlife urban fantasy captivates by overlaying a recognizable modern world with a haunting second layer of consequence. This genre deepens moral dilemmas, enriches character identity, and emphasizes emotional stakes like grief and regret. Effective storytelling reveals a consistent, physics-like system while allowing characters to navigate the unseen's impact on their lives.

The post outlines a 12-week author marketing plan using a flywheel approach, focusing on consistent engagement through one SEO blog post, an email, and multiple social media posts each week. This method aims to create a sustainable system, encouraging repeatable actions rather than overwhelming campaigns, ultimately building long-term audience engagement.

The blog post explores the art of writing modern Christmas ghost stories, highlighting the effective combination of a warm holiday setting and underlying dread. Key ingredients for these stories include specific hauntings, personal wounds, and emotional stakes, along with prompts and tips for incorporating urban fantasy elements to enhance the narrative.

The article provides a "minimum viable momentum" plan for writers struggling to maintain productivity during the chaotic holiday season. It emphasizes achievable writing goals, practical tactics, and the importance of small, consistent efforts to protect one’s writing habit. The aim is to ensure writers end the holidays ready for renewed creativity.

Lost Between Twin Moons by C.G. Steele is a captivating portal fantasy featuring James, an engaging protagonist who navigates a mysterious, survival-driven world. The book excels in emotional connection and subtle world-building, inviting curiosity without overwhelming detail. It balances urgency with intrigue, making it a compelling series opener. Rating: 5/5 stars.

The Indie Author Marketing Plan for 2026 proposes a manageable weekly system focusing on building an audience through email, SEO, and social media. It emphasizes creating engaging content, maintaining consistent communication, and ensuring clear calls to action. The strategy prioritizes value-driven marketing over complex, overwhelming plans.

The article discusses a marketing strategy for authors on platforms like BookTok, promoting the "Comment 'Sample'" approach to convert casual viewers into subscribers. It emphasizes the effectiveness of micro-commitments, specific actions, and avoiding common pitfalls that hinder conversions. The goal is to direct interested readers to a free sample of the book.

This post provides urban fantasy authors with 15 effective hook templates for engaging audiences on TikTok and Instagram Reels. It emphasizes the importance of a strong hook—combining intrusion, rules, and cost—to captivate viewers quickly. Additionally, it includes filming tips and advice for finding compelling urban fantasy reads.

Urban fantasy remains vibrant in 2026 by blending modern life with mythic elements and emotional stakes. Readers expect relatable settings, intricate relationships, and consequences from magical interactions. Successful urban fantasy should avoid traditional tropes, focusing instead on realism and character-driven narratives to engage audiences seeking fresh, compelling stories.

Amazon's upcoming change on January 20, 2026, allows verified purchasers of DRM-free Kindle books to download EPUB and PDF files. This impacts authors who have opted for DRM-free settings, requiring updates to books published before December 9, 2025. Authors should review DRM settings and communicate changes to readers.

Writing Faith Deconstruction Into Urban Fantasy Without Turning It Into a Sermon Home » Blog / Newsletter » Craft & Themes Writing Faith Deconstruction Into Urban Fantasy Without Turning It Into a Sermon Urban fantasy is basically built for deconstruction arcs: the world looks normal… until it doesn’t, and the invisible rules demand an answer. The trick is writing belief, doubt, grief, and meaning with nuance—so readers feel…