Two of my reviews were published in The Maple Tree Literary Supplement back in January.
A Thousand Tiny Awakenings edited by Connor Lafortune and Lindsay Mayhew
and
Palpitations by Thomas Leduc
Both published by Latitude 46 Publishing in 2025!
www.mtls.ca/issue28/mela...
Trying to stay afloat as the hits keep coming. Being gentle with myself as I get back into the writing groove. It’s a process. As is the ongoing uncertainty at work, an autistic fave, let me tell you … It’s the usual mixed bag.
open.substack.com/pub/melaniem...
If you haven't yet read Shani Mootoo's Starry Starry Night, please do! It's a powerhouse of immersive point of view and is by turns touching, horrifying, and lyrical.
Thanks to The Seaboard Review of Books for publishing my review!
www.theseaboardreview.ca/p/starry-sta...
In just under a month, on March 21st from 1 to 3 pm, SuperCanucks will be having its Sudbury Launch at the main branch of the Greater Sudbury Public Library. If you’re in the area, come on out and support us!
melaniemarttila.substack.com/p/supercanuc...
Year's Best Canadian Fantasy and Science Fiction (in which my poem, Vasilisa, appears alongside a whole passel of excellence!) is on the Locus Magazine recommended reading list!
All that to say, read the list, and vote if you can.
locusmag.com/2026/02/2025...
It's been a year of a month, folks. Love and light to everyone, and strength to those who need it.
open.substack.com/pub/melaniem...
Here's a press release from Heidi Ulrichsen for Sudbury.com about Super Canucks coming out March 21, 2026 from Latitude 46 Publishing!
My story, "Old Crow," is in there!
www.sudbury.com/local-news/s...
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...
The cover of SuperCanucks.
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...
Graphic showing author Suyi Davies Okungbowa's schedule for Can Con 2025 (Friday 17th October to Sunday 19th October, 2025). Text reads: 3 panels, 1 signing Sat 18, 10-10:50 AM, Mainstream: Slow Fiction with Ada Hoffmann, Luke R.J. Maynard, Sienna Tristen (moderator) Sat 18, 3-3:30 PM, Newbridge: Book signing! FREE bookmarks for all signees! Sat 18, 7-7:50 PM, Leaders: Lived Experience as Story Fodder with A. D. Sui, D.G. Valdron, Susan Forest (moderator) Sun 19, 11:30A-12:20P, Traders: The Continuation of Epic Fantasy with S.M. Carrière, Anuja Varghese, Y.M. Pang (moderator)
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
