It's been a quiet few weeks here, the kind where you look up and realize you've written far more than you planned to. In a good way. When I posted the New Year's update, we were at chapter 15. Now we're at 22, and Arc 1 is complete. That feels worth mentioning, not because of the number, but because Finn's first arc of settling into Alder's Crossing is done. The foundation is laid. The kettle's warm. I can see the chapters getting views, and I hope that means these stories are landing with some readers. I hope that they're giving you what I need from cozy fantasy. More soon. The next arc has some things brewing I think you'll like.

Happy New Year from the smallest, most chaotic café in Alder's Crossing. There's something right about starting 2026 with new chapters—four of them, actually. Chapters 12-15 are live now. This batch has a lot in it. Quiet moments that surprised me while writing them. A conversation I've been building toward since the beginning. And in Chapter 15... well. Someone walks into Finn's life who isn't here to make things easier. I won't say more than that. Just that I've been waiting to write this character for weeks, and they showed up on the page exactly as uncooperative as I hoped. If you're settling into the new year with a warm drink and need something to read, maybe these chapters will be good company. There's some gentleness in here. And some tension. Both felt necessary. Here's to a year of small magics and chosen family. The kettle's on. - Noah

I've been quietly working on something for a while now. A cozy fantasy about an Emotional Brewer named Finn, an ambitious apprentice, and a very judgmental cat. The first 10 chapters of Alder & Brew are up. If you need gentle magic and found family right now, maybe this is for you. Many more chapters are already written and just in need of editing.