Notes from Inside the Haunted House

January 28, 2026

It is likely to be a bit of a truncated newsletter this week, as I have once again not managed to get to all the things I wanted to for this edition. That included somehow not watching a movie and not getting a book finished. Were it not for the fact that I have been churning out a ton of words, I would absolutely allow you all to hiss and boo at me for being lazy. I do, though have a couple of things to talk about, so let’s get to those.

My New Project - Macabre Mail

This little idea came about thanks to an ad from Amazon where they tried to shill me a typewriter that I want but do not need. In thinking about what I would do with that beautiful machine, I came up with the idea of Macabre Mail. Essentially, I would write personalized stories for customers and make them look particularly weird and beautiful with some artistic little additions. The typewriter is just too expensive, though, but I have figured out a way to do it with spooky stationary and my laptop. I am going to have 2 different levels available and will provide more details once I have everything I need to get started.

What I’m Watching and Reading

While I haven’t been able to sit down and take in a movie this past week, I did manage to catch up on a couple of episodes of Monarch: Legacy of Monsters. There is a new season coming, so I really want to get Season 1 wrapped before the new one arrives. If you love kaijus and monster mayhem, you’ll love this show.

I have 3 books on the go, one of which is close to done. I will definitely have a review next week, as I am close to done with one of them. I have a few books from Substack authors lined up and ready to go, so I want to get my butt in gear with reading once more.

Subscriber Sale

Okay, let’s close things out with the stuff that makes me uncomfortable. To be able to pay for all the stuff I want to do, I will need more than what I currently have, which is pretty damn close to zero. Anyway, I have dropped the price of my annual subscription on Substack to $30. I post something new 6 days per week (and sometimes 7), so I think I provide good value. Alternatively, a wee donation on Buy Me A Coffee also helps, but zero pressure on anyone to donate anything, as I will always deliver a lot of free stuff, too.

That’s about it for this week. I promise to get better at doing what I have planned for the newsletter, and I might also start dropping a weekly drabble here that does not appear anywhere else. Until next week, stay ghoulish.

JW