The Shale Project

The Shale Project The Shale Project is a multimedia storytelling initiative roughly in the shape of a planet. Welcome!

Only 7 HOURS remain in The Heretic's Guide to Homecoming !!!! 😍😍😍If you've been waiting to back the project, there has g...
11/28/2025

Only 7 HOURS remain in The Heretic's Guide to Homecoming !!!! 😍😍😍

If you've been waiting to back the project, there has genuinely never been a better time! Get the audiobook! Get the album! Get ebooks! Get behind the scenes content! Get EVERYTHING!

Or don't, I'm not the boss of you, but then I'm not responsible for your FOMO 😤

Genuinely—we are SO GRATEFUL for everyone's support so far. It is amazing and comforting to know that the project is fully funded and can come into the world next year.

For the next few hours, we're going to be screeching about our dreams of a victory lap! 100 backers and/or $7k sounds exciting, don't you think? 👀

🌟JOIN US IN THE GLORIOUS UNKNOWN 🌟

xoxo
Team Shale

We are at 36 hours to go on the and have officially reached true blue Avi Posting across channels!!! Shale's most chaot...
11/27/2025

We are at 36 hours to go on the and have officially reached true blue Avi Posting across channels!!! Shale's most chaotic creator is speaking for the planet!!!! 📢

The past ??? days have been a delight and a blur, and we are at long last counting in hours instead of days!!!! So let's talk about your part in this, you community minded creature you!

🏆 If you've already backed the project: THANK YOU FOR THE SUPPORT AND THE DOPAMINE!!!!

🧠 If you've been like "I should do that": NOW IS THE TIME YOU FRICKIN PROCRASTINATOR!!!!

🎶 If you're like "audiobooks aren't for me but I like music": WE HAVE A MUSIC ONLY OPTION CHECK IT OUT!!!!

💖 If you're like "I love you but I don't need this": PLEASE SHARE IT!!! SPREAD THE WORD!!!

🤡 If you're like "I don't even like you guys": then omg go look at something else, find your joy elsewhere!!

🤔 If you're like "wait I don't know what this project is": JUST LOOK AT THE REST OF OUR PAGE DON'T MAKE ME TYPE IT AGAIN

XOXOXOXOXOXO

Almost everything recorded so far was recorded between the hours of 11pm-3am on account of the fact that the world is lo...
11/26/2025

Almost everything recorded so far was recorded between the hours of 11pm-3am on account of the fact that the world is loud in the daytime! These are the five most influential animal figures that have been involved in the process 💕

From the helpers to the hinderers to the ???? to the sworn enemies... Meet The Creatures!

Looking for an hour of lovely listening? Tune into an interview with and about lyrical language, mental health, and th...
11/24/2025

Looking for an hour of lovely listening? Tune into an interview with and about lyrical language, mental health, and the making of the Heretic's Guide orchestrated audiobook ❤️‍🔥📚🎶

And go subscribe to Sean's YouTube channel to keep up with his future interviews!! 😍 We can't wait to see what brilliant book talks he gets up to next.

✨ Link in bio ✨

We call upon the wishes of Baby Sienna: go back the for the Heretic's Guide orchestrated audiobook! We are over 120% fu...
11/24/2025

We call upon the wishes of Baby Sienna: go back the for the Heretic's Guide orchestrated audiobook! We are over 120% funded, but this tiny Aries in its little bunny ears believes in our ability to take things further.

🌟 If you've already honored the wishes of this fearsome creature, do your part by SHARING the Kickstarter far and wide!

🌟 If you haven't backed it yet but know you're going to but just keep waiting (Avi does this, nobody's judging you), go hit the REMIND ME button so you don't miss your chance.

🌟 If you've decided now is your moment and you want some applause for it, comment I DID IT, O WISE BABY SIENNA! and we will applaud you indeed!!!

LINK IN BIO

11/23/2025

"This is the part, you would think, where true love is meant to break the spell. But the poison on the boy's breath is without a sense of kindness or comedic narrative."

Did you want some folktales in your fantasy? Or some short story in your novel?

The myth of Birdhouse Girl (pictured!) is one of several nested stories-in-story that appear in Sienna Tristen's fantasy novel, The Heretic's Guide to Homecoming. In the audiobook version, each of these tales will fly on the wings of a full orchestral accompaniment.

Want to know what happens to our girl? Listen to the whole legend as a sneak peek demo on Kickstarter!

Link in bio 🐦📚🎶

You've stolen our hearts matey! And now we will... respectfully ask for your support backing our Kickstarter at a tier t...
11/21/2025

You've stolen our hearts matey! And now we will... respectfully ask for your support backing our Kickstarter at a tier that respects both your interests and financial capacity. YARRRR 🏴‍☠️

🦜LINK IN BIO 🦜

11/18/2025

"Behold; from language, life."

The Heretic's Guide to Homecoming is a slow-burn fantasy roadtrip novel with mental health advocacy at its core. It's lyrical, it's introspective, and it's wondering if you'd like to sit down and have a cup of tea together.

We're releasing a fully immersive, orchestrated audiobook version - and we want you to be part of the magic! 📚🎶

Back our Kickstarter (which funded in under 6 days!) to support the production of 20+ hours of spellbinding storytime. The Heretic's Guide audiobook will combine narration with atmospheric ambience, sound effects, character themes, and over 2 hours of original music to transport you to the vivid, mysterious world of Shale.

🎵 We've something for everyone: not an audiobook listener? You can pick up the instrumental album! 🎵

📘 New to Heretic's Guide? eBooks and signed paperbacks can be added to your pledge! 📘

🌟 Superfan who has everything? Sienna's offering unreleased "deleted scenes" from the original manuscript! 🌟

Support small publishers. Celebrate the human-made. Uplift independent artists. The world needs more passion projects!

Make your pledge before November 28 and jump into one more glorious unknown with us. ☄️

ALT TEXT:

A poster showcasing the Kickstarter for Sienna Tristen's audiobook of The Heretic's Guide to Homecoming. The middle of the image is a photo of Sienna, a small human with short blonde hair wearing chunky black-and-pink headphones and a patterned magenta scarf, a black long-sleeve shirt, and a pleated blue skirt. They are seated with a copy of The Heretic's Guide to Homecoming on their lap. The book is open and their face bears the pensive expression of someone reading. Behind them is a detailed wallpaper, coloured in teal and dusky rose, bearing motifs of snakes, bees, moons and flowers. On the top and bottom of the image, and on top of a blue circle in the middle-left space, text appears in white serif font.

TEXT: Sienna Tristen - The Heretic's Guide to Homecoming Orchestrated Audiobook. 20+ hours of narration. 2+ hou

11/14/2025

If she had it her way, Bunny of .n.honey fame would have recorded every voice, instrument, and sound effect in The Heretic's Guide to Homecoming audiobook. 😺📢🎶

As it is, she must remain NEGLECTED and ENTIRELY DENIED LOVE!!!! And all this despite the fact that she is this project's biggest advocate, and urgently needs you to hear that there are only TWO WEEKS LEFT in our Kickstarter campaign.

We have surpassed an incredible 110% funded, but still we (like Bunny) yearn for more! If you haven't backed the project yet, go check it out in our bio 👀 Both the audiobook and instrumental album will never be cheaper than they are right now!

And hey: for every backer we get tonight, a new Bunny picture will be posted in our story so she can finally get the unending tide of attention that she deserves. 💕💕💕

😺 DO IT FOR HER 😺

Looking for some good conversation to keep you company as you get cozy in the chilly weather? ❄️Come hang out with and ...
11/14/2025

Looking for some good conversation to keep you company as you get cozy in the chilly weather? ❄️

Come hang out with and .l.stuart this Monday November 17th from 7-8:30pm for a delightful fireside chat and celebration! They'll be talking worldbuilding, indie publishing, audiobook making, and more 🌟

This will also be at about the halfway point of the Kickstarter—and we'd love to bounce around about all the support we've received so far! If you back the project during the event (and let us know!), you can get a live thank you out of Sienna. Maybe they'll even read you a poem 👀

The link to the event on P.L.'s YouTube channel is in our bio! Hope to see you there ❤️‍🔥📚🎶

11/13/2025

Pause, breathe, enjoy the vast beauty of the earth. The days are getting shorter here, and the dark is creeping in, but that's all the more reason to dream of faraway fantasylands.

And why not add a moment of soothing storytime while we're at it? 📖

The orchestrated audiobook of The Heretic's Guide to Homecoming: a steadfast companion for your journeys, no matter how far you may roam.

Back the Kickstarter before November 28 to help bring this adventure to life! ❤️‍🔥📚🎶

🎉🎉🎉 IT HAS HAPPENED!!!! 🎉🎉🎉The Heretic's Guide to Homecoming orchestrated audiobook has officially FUNDED on !!!!!6 day...
11/10/2025

🎉🎉🎉 IT HAS HAPPENED!!!! 🎉🎉🎉

The Heretic's Guide to Homecoming orchestrated audiobook has officially FUNDED on !!!!!

6 days
61 backers
$5,4024 CAD

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU to everyone who helped us make this happen in such a rush of joy!!!

Get ready for more gleeful, truly chaotic promo over the next 18 days! 😍 Into the GLORIOUS unknown!!!!!

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Hamilton, ON

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The Story of a Planet

Shale can be described as a multimedia storytelling initiative roughly in the shape of a planet. It serves as a hub for the different stories we intend to publish, and is essentially a world building playground. The website itself offers you the tools to navigate different parts of the world featured in our stories, and gives more in-depth information on these places. Feel free to ask us questions about the specific places as well–your questions are what help us know what kind of information people might like to see when exploring!

Our flagship project is The Heretic’s Guide to Homecoming, Book One: Theory, written by our own Sienna Tristen. She, alongside Avi Silver, are the two current creators and contributors to The Shale Project.

For more information on the project, please visit our website: www.welcometoshale.com

Interested in ordering The Heretic’s Guide? Order your copy off of Amazon or inquire at your local bookstores! https://amzn.to/2w2Bp74