What is Ruminato?
The word ruminato is a long-lost Italian word meaning “to ruminate.” The word has been lost for so long that there is no real evidence that it ever existed.
In other words, I made the word up because I liked the sound of it.
Ruminato is a collection of my ruminations on everything from politics to culture. Some of what I write here can also be found on the Medium platform. You’ll find fiction and essays, mostly, with a unique perspective and hopefully a touch of humor.
Many of the stories here were populated from the Ghost platform, which I abandoned because it didn’t quite give me what I needed. I will continue to post older stories, mostly fiction into Ruminato, but I won’t be sending them as newsletters.
And who am I? I’m the author of MagicLand, a 2023 finalist for a Feathered Quill Award:
Charles Bastille is a pseudonym for my real name, Charles White. The pseudonym was created because MagicLand’s publisher was concerned about SEO on such a common name. This makes sense because I spend hours every year fighting credit reporting agencies that mistakenly include bogus accounts on my credit report. It’s not as bad as having Smith as a surname, or, if I was a Vietnamese dude, Nguyen, but it’s close.
Nevertheless, I have had mixed feelings about the efficacy of the pseudonym, so I’ve also released two other self-published books under my real name, one a novella called The Trial of Summary James, and the other, Psalm of Vampires.
The Bastille name seems easier to surface on the interwebs, so I’m sticking with that for now.
Psalm of Vampires is a dark comedy/police procedural vampire novel that I haven’t spent much time marketing, so if you read it and like it, I hope you’ll do that for me by sharing it and reviewing it! It’s not that I’m lazy. I just have limited resources right now. You can find samples for that here, too.
My upcoming novel, Restive Souls, has been in development for a few years and is about ready to be unleashed upon the unsuspecting public. Restive Souls is an alternative history novel that asks the question, “What if the British had won the Revolutionary War and freed the slaves immediately after?” Needless to say, those who are opposed to an accurate telling of early American history won’t be pleased with the answer.
The Trial of Summary James is an early teaser for that work set in the modern era, whereas Restive Souls takes place between 1776 and 1830.
You can find more information and some early access under the Restive Souls tab on this website.
Either way, my name is Charles, and I’m glad you’re here.
Why subscribe?
Subscribe to get full access to the newsletter and publication archives.
Most of my newsletters and posts are free. In fact, if you see a “Pay to read more” block, it’s probably a mistake, so please let me know. One exception is early access to novels and the occasional excerpt.
Stay up-to-date
Never miss an update—every new post is sent directly to your email inbox. For a spam-free, ad-free reading experience, plus audio and community features, get the Substack app.
Join the crew
Be part of a community of people who share your interests. Participate in the comments section, or support this work with a paid subscription.
Paid Subscriptions
Paying subscribers will get the benefit of seeing some of my fiction in the early stages of development. You’ll be able to offer feedback on beta reads and other early development work.
Be a Founder
Being a Founder is like offering an endowment to a writer or artist. In this case, you will be helping me complete the editorial process for Restive Souls and help fund its promotion. Modern publishers often don’t put much effort into book marketing unless it’s for a known author. I am not a well-known author (yet).
In addition, I am hoping to “open source” Restive Souls to other authors. As the story veers away from its European origins, I’ll want to see what African-American and First Nation writers, among others, can do with the storyline. Endowments will help pay for this, as well as help fund final “technical” editors to look for mistakes in the history of the novel’s timeline or the cultural aspects of the novel.
I’ve spent three-plus years researching and writing the novel, but there’s almost no chance there isn’t an error or two, especially considering that much of the history I’m relying on is not well documented. Ultimately, since Restive Souls is an alternative history novel, fiction wins, but I’ll be looking for another set of eyes, anyway.
As a “Founder,” you’ll be in on the ground floor of a brand new “IP” experience.
To learn more about the tech platform that powers this publication, visit Substack.com.
