Story Voyager is taking a break

While I prepare my first book for publishing

Photo by Tom Winckels on Unsplash

When I started this newsletter at the end of September 2022, my main goal was to write and serialize my first mosaic novel, There Is Hope. I kicked-off the serialization on April 10, 2023 and—two years, 2450 subscribers and 21,000 views later—the book is finally complete. I published the last episode on June 15, 2025.

There was a last minute plan to release an extra episode—an Epilogue that links this novel to the next one. Unfortunately, I haven’t written it yet. I have a very clear idea of what this last chapter should be, but something is missing. I don’t yet have a feeling for the place where this last story unfolds, and I need to be able to go there to write it. This will require more reading and a lot more imagining. So I’ve decided to make this extra chapter exclusive to the print edition of the novel. Which brings me to today’s newsletter.

I am getting my debut novel, There Is Hope, ready for print! 🥹

Because of this, I need to take a break from writing this newsletter for the month of August. My attempt to keep the newsletter alive, finish the last episode, write two new short stories, prepare the novel for print, figure out how to publish it—and work a full time job—has failed epically over the past 1.5 months. I don’t know about you, but I need to focus on one thing at a time if I want to get anything done. And I owe it to this novel to bring it out into the world as a beautiful book for you all to enjoy.

So it’s going to be a bit quiet around here for the next 4 weeks while I figure things out. I’ll be back in September with exciting news about the publishing journey.

Thank you so much for subscribing and stepping on the Dust Road with me. I’m not exaggerating when I say this book wouldn’t exist without you. Thank you for reading, commenting, sharing and asking thoughtful questions. Thank you for your amazing feedback and for getting excited about the stories and characters. I hope I’ve been able to give some of that joy back with my stories.

Note for paid subscribers: Your patience will be rewarded with a gift from the fiction studio. More details will follow soon. Thank you for your support 🙏.

I wish you a wonderful August—enjoy the last month of summer (or winter, if you’re down under). See you again in September with a book ready to be published.

Your curator,
Claudia—Builder of myths. Architect of deep futures.

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Here are some pieces from the archives to enjoy while lounging in the sun (or cozying up with a warm cup of tea):

• Smuggler—They call us the zombie children.

• Ice—Two homeless siblings are going on a dream vacation with ice.

• Ladybug—The memories we leave behind.

For more free stories, check out the Cli-fi shorts section anytime.