Not Dead Yet Newsletter 5 {{contact.email}}
May 15, 2026 11:01 am
Hey there,
I'm not dead yet. Unlike the unfortunate characters in my stories, I'm alive and writing. As you may know, I write fantasy in the grimdark genre.
Extra email next week
I try to keep emails to you, my readers, to a minimum. I do signup confirmation emails because the law requires it in some places. And then you get my newsletters.
Nothing else.
Like many of my readers I don't like getting email floods. In fact, I just unfollowed an author I like because I got tired of their daily emails.
Well, please forgive me as next week I'm sending out an extra email.
The reason for it is that on May 20th, my new grimdark book, "Everyone Dies", goes live on Amazon Kindle. To celebrate the occasion I'll be sending out an extra email. Hopefully you open the email and follow it to the book. And read it and leave a review.
Single or double quotes?
Should I use single or double quotes for dialogue? I was raised in the USA so I default to double quotes, but I've spent years in the UK so I often default to British spellings and grammar. Recently someone suggested I move my works to single quote to be more "British" as I already lean into various Britishisms.
I'm apprehensive about a switch. Double quotes means contractions and plural words are easier to handle. It also means I don't make massive change less than a week before publication. OTOH, it could be argued that single quotes gives the text a more archaic feeling. Also, for future writing single quotes helps because on my UK keyboard the single quote is one keystroke and double quotes requires a shift.
Historically British authors like Tolkien and the entire Victorian crew used single quotes. However, popular modern British grimdark authors like Mark Lawrence and Michael Fletcher and Jon Cronshaw use double quotes, probably because it makes handling grammar a bit easier.
Here's the poll. I look forward to your vote and especially your commentary.
Awesome book deals
Unnatural things are afoot in Lapachka village. A monster lurks the streets, killing at random. Father Gavriil is spooked. The villagers terrified. Through it all Olya grieves for a friend murdered before the madness began. A friend who will not go quietly.
In a realm where priests hunt magic, Princess Ella hides her heresy beneath a crown. When her brother binds the kingdom to a fanatical priesthood, and her forbidden power awakens, she becomes the spark that could ignite a holy war. But love is its own kind of curse, and the fire she starts may consume them all. Ella's Dominion is Book 1 of The Lost Warriors, a dark, medieval fantasy series about love, power, and betrayal.
Would you do anything for magic?
A plague has swept through the village of Dasen, taking all the magic from the place and the druids. Master Rody longs for the day that it returns. Back when conversing with nature is normal and casting spells is natural to them.
The desire grows urgent as deadly forces arise from years of captivity. Years of magical absence has left the village defenseless. But just when everything seems bleak, an ordinary boy rises up to the challenge. Will he be able to prove himself among his cruel peers? Will he even reach the Cave of Time before it’s too late?
After more than seven brutal years on the frontlines, Sergeant Harlow Rushin is finally heading home. But the Witch War has left her scars—not just on his body, but on his soul. The man returning is not the same as the one who left.
Harlow’s journey takes a dark turn when he is confronted by a cursed, sentient blade at a corrupted shrine. Faced with the temptation to seek glory or restore peace, Harlow’s decision will shape more than just his own fate.
A Fading Memory is a poignant standalone story in the world of Warden of Harrow, offering a glimpse into a world where magic and war collide, and where the greatest battles are often fought within.
Collections of book deals
Here are collections of curated grimdark and dark sci-fi and fantasy stories.
Until May 20th,
Daniel Roy Greenfeld