ICYMI Friday, August 14, 2026
Happy Friday, all! I hope everyone’s having a good summer. It’s been a pretty busy week here at SRP! In case you missed it (ICYMI) here’s what we’ve been up to:
Mark Posey
I Can’t Believe I Forgot to Tell You About The Summer Garden
Sometimes the stories we’re most excited about are the ones we forget to talk about. For months, I’ve been quietly publishing The Summer Garden every Sunday on Substack—a gentle serial about grief, friendship, second chances, and the unexpected community found in a neighborhood garden. If you haven’t discovered Scotty and the residents of Mill Creek Community Garden yet, now’s the perfect time to step through the gate.
Trust Your Reader
Readers are smarter than many writers give them credit for. When we explain every emotion, clue, or joke, we take away one of reading’s greatest pleasures: discovering the story for themselves. Sometimes the best editing advice is also the simplest—trust your reader.
The Books We Never Actually Finish
Ever noticed how some books sit half-finished for weeks—or even months—not because you stopped enjoying them, but because life simply got in the way? The best stories are patient. They’re always ready to welcome you back.
The Glamorous Life of an Independent Publisher
People often imagine independent publishing as a world of elegant offices, literary conversations, and endless coffee. The reality is rather more chaotic. One moment you’re the publisher, the next you’re fixing EPUBs, answering customer emails, wrestling with accounting reports, or hunting down invisible formatting errors. It’s a juggling act—but somehow, it’s still one of the most rewarding jobs there is.
The Recliner Is Not My Friend
Some writing obstacles aren’t plot problems or lack of inspiration—they’re upholstered. After unexpectedly finishing an entire chapter of Fall From Grace in a single day, I discovered the biggest difference wasn’t my writing. It was where I sat. The recliner I’d always considered a harmless pre-writing stop had quietly become the world’s most comfortable procrastination machine.
My Google Search History Should Probably Come with a Lawyer
A thriller writer’s Google search history can look alarmingly criminal—especially when questions about silencers, DNA and extradition sit beside tomato varieties, bitter cucumbers and homemade hummus.
The People Who Quietly Stay With Us
Years after finishing a novel, it’s rarely the plot we remember best. It’s the people. The quiet characters who felt real, who made us laugh, who gave the story its heart. Those are the ones who stay with us—and perhaps that’s true of the people we meet in life, too.
What’s On My Desk This Summer
Writers rarely work on just one book at a time. While readers see the finished novel, there’s often an entire queue of stories in progress behind it—drafts, edits, serials, and ideas waiting for their turn. Here’s a look at what’s currently occupying my writing desk this summer, from new thriller adventures to ongoing serial fiction and the next novel waiting in the wings.
Why Serial Fiction Might Be Ready for a Comeback
Serial fiction may look old-fashioned, but today’s audiences consume serialized stories everywhere—from television and podcasts to newsletters and streaming platforms. As publishing tools evolve, serialization offers new ways for readers to discover stories, engage with characters over time, and become part of an ongoing reading experience.