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FROM MATCHA TO MURDER IS LIVE!

𝐈𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐨 𝐬𝐨 𝐟𝐚𝐫 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐚 𝐦𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐠𝐞, 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐚𝐛𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐢𝐭 𝐚 𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐩 𝐟𝐮𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝. 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲'𝐝 𝐝𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐢𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞, 𝐚𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐥𝐥.  𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞?

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

In the sleepy town of Lochmallow, Amara has built a quiet life for herself as the owner of a tea-and-tarot shop. Half-tiefling, half-drow, and a talented illusionist, she’s used to people whispering behind her back. But when her rival, Glendara, is found dead in the smoldering ruins of her home—bludgeoned by her own crystal ball—Amara’s world is turned upside down.

The sheriff is quick to point fingers at Amara, convinced that the mysterious death is somehow tied to her. With her reputation on the line and the townsfolk growing suspicious, Amara must uncover the truth before the killer strikes again. But the more she digs, the more tangled the clues become, and soon, even Amara’s own magic seems to be working against her.

In a town full of secrets, can Amara unravel the mystery before the shadows close in?

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

𝙁𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙈𝙖𝙩𝙘𝙝𝙖 𝙩𝙤 𝙈𝙪𝙧𝙙𝙚𝙧 is a cozy fantasy mystery with no romance that follows Amara Voren, a half-tiefling half-drow scam artist illusionist extraordinaire, as she tries to solve Lochmallow's first-ever murder. Which of her diverse cast of neighbors is responsible - and can she stop them before they decide to kill again?

Official release date: April 17, 2025

PREORDER HERE!

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gosh it's happening! my book is about to be published!! thank you so much for all of your support (and please keep sending it my way - i'm writing book two right now!)!

please be sure to boost and leave a review if you read it - i am Broke AF and my only advertising is word-of-mouth.

i love you all. thank you so so much 💕💕💕

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I used to write short-form erotica, so technically no, but this is my first time publishing something I've actually poured my heart into! I'm so freaking nervous about it!!

A lot of the time when I find lists of books with asexual characters, they have loads of YA and coming-of-age books, which is great! It's lovely! And it's certainly relatable for a lot of young aces. But I'm 30 and I didn't figure out I was aspec until I was an adult.

I'm perfectly capable of projecting aspec identities on unlabeled characters (I have lots of practice) but it would be nice to have more aspec characters who are already adults and past the coming-of-age stage of life.

Anyone got recs like that?

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Shameless self-plug, but in my novella, From Matcha to Murder, the main character's brother is aspec and even has a full scene to gently let down someone vying for his affection.

It's up for preorder now, but it's available as of April 17!

A lot of the time when I find lists of books with asexual characters, they have loads of YA and coming-of-age books, which is great! It's lovely! And it's certainly relatable for a lot of young aces. But I'm 30 and I didn't figure out I was aspec until I was an adult.

I'm perfectly capable of projecting aspec identities on unlabeled characters (I have lots of practice) but it would be nice to have more aspec characters who are already adults and past the coming-of-age stage of life.

Anyone got recs like that?

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Last Line Tag!

Thank you, @flock-from-the-void , for the tag! I'm currently working on Chosen Against My Will, so I'll share a line from that!

I don't need to see the sweat beading on Baldoni's forehead as I turn toward the table propping me up and select the first tool of the night. It's obvious in the sharp inhale from my nameless lackey, the scrape of the chair legs against the concrete floor, Rocky's soft chuckle. I turned back to face them. The tool glints in my hand, reflecting silver in Baldoni's wide eyes.

@theink-stainedfolk , I think you for sure will enjoy this little snippet. It's from...you know what ;)

TAGGING @willtheweaver - @drchenquill - @rookitowrites - @the-golden-comet - OPEN TAG!

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HEY @theink-stainedfolk LOOK WHO I FOUND

IT'S BALDONI

also I'm still writing that creative showtime I promised you ❤️❤️❤️

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Encouragment for writers that I know seems discouraging at first but I promise it’s motivational-

• Those emotional scenes you’ve planned will never be as good on page as they are in your head. To YOU. Your audience, however, is eating it up. Just because you can’t articulate the emotion of a scene to your satisfaction doesn’t mean it’s not impacting the reader. 

• Sometimes a sentence, a paragraph, or even a whole scene will not be salvagable. Either it wasn’t necessary to the story to begin with, or you can put it to the side and re-write it later, but for now it’s gotta go. It doesn’t make you a bad writer to have to trim, it makes you a good writer to know to trim.

• There are several stories just like yours. And that’s okay, there’s no story in existence of completely original concepts. What makes your story “original” is that it’s yours. No one else can write your story the way you can.

• You have writing weaknesses. Everyone does. But don’t accept your writing weaknesses as unchanging facts about yourself. Don’t be content with being crap at description, dialogue, world building, etc. Writers that are comfortable being crap at things won’t improve, and that’s not you. It’s going to burn, but work that muscle. I promise you’ll like the outcome.

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Heads up, I'm not going to shut up about my next book being published on July 1st. It's now ready for preorder on Amazon!!! The Mark of Dai-Nē by I. N. Knight!!!!

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I'm actually a huge fan of enemies to lovers because I do think it's hot but to be clear "enemies to I think you're attractive and that's overcoming my hatred of you" sucks ASS the trope is about growing RESPECT and GENUINE AFFECTION the POINT is that they always found each other attractive but it doesn't MATTER until they also have a solid relationship built on trust respect and friendship!!!!! Do you understand my vision!!!!

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YOUR COMMENTS WATER MY CROPS, CLEAR MY SKIN, GIVE ME L I F E

Oh we heading STRAIGHT to creative revenge town. Show don't tell, amirite?? Plus Baldoni absolutely deserves it, because I said so.

ALSO I COULDN'T RESIST AHHH

nine lines, nine people

thank you for the tag, @drchenquill and @winterandwords!

this is from chosen against my will!

Baldoni’s face goes whiter than the teeth he spent so much of my money bleaching.  He doesn’t read the note out loud.  He doesn’t need to.  I know what it says – hell, I have it memorized, slotted away in my mind as the note that broke what little trust I had left in my father’s crew.  “I – I don’t –” “Shut him up.”  My tone is steady.  Rocky steps forward and shoves a stained cloth between Baldoni’s teeth.  He thrashes his head, the only body part he can move, but I can see the desperation in his eyes.  He knows it’s too late.  He knows there’s nothing he can say or do that will stop me from exacting my revenge. And as my right hand man, he knows exactly what lays in store for him.  After all, he used to clean my tools afterward.

TAGGING @leahpardo-pa-potato - @theink-stainedfolk - @willtheweaver - @the-golden-comet - @flock-from-the-void - open tag!

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nine lines, nine people

thank you for the tag, @drchenquill and @winterandwords!

this is from chosen against my will!

Baldoni’s face goes whiter than the teeth he spent so much of my money bleaching.  He doesn’t read the note out loud.  He doesn’t need to.  I know what it says – hell, I have it memorized, slotted away in my mind as the note that broke what little trust I had left in my father’s crew.  “I – I don’t –” “Shut him up.”  My tone is steady.  Rocky steps forward and shoves a stained cloth between Baldoni’s teeth.  He thrashes his head, the only body part he can move, but I can see the desperation in his eyes.  He knows it’s too late.  He knows there’s nothing he can say or do that will stop me from exacting my revenge. And as my right hand man, he knows exactly what lays in store for him.  After all, he used to clean my tools afterward.

TAGGING @leahpardo-pa-potato - @theink-stainedfolk - @willtheweaver - @the-golden-comet - @flock-from-the-void - open tag!

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Writing Notes & References

Alchemy ⚜ Antidote to Anxiety ⚜ Attachment ⚜ Autopsy

Art: Elements ⚜ Principles ⚜ Photographs ⚜ Watercolour

Bruises ⚜ Caffeine ⚜ Color Blindness ⚜ Cruise Ships

Children ⚜ Children's Dialogue ⚜ Childhood Bilingualism

Dangerousness ⚜ Drowning ⚜ Dystopia ⚜ Dystopian World

Culture ⚜ Culture Shock ⚜ Ethnocentrism & Cultural Relativism

Emotions: Anger ⚜ Fear ⚜ Happiness ⚜ Sadness

Emotional Intelligence ⚜ Genius (Giftedness) ⚜ Quirks

Facial Expressions ⚜ Laughter & Humour ⚜ Swearing & Taboo

Fantasy Creatures ⚜ Fantasy World Building

Generations ⚜ Literary & Character Tropes

Fight Scenes ⚜ Kill Adverbs

Food: Cooking Basics ⚜ Herbs & Spices ⚜ Sauces ⚜ Wine-tasting ⚜ Aphrodisiacs ⚜ List of Aphrodisiacs ⚜ Food History ⚜ Cocktails ⚜ Literary & Hollywood Cocktails ⚜ Liqueurs

Genre: Crime ⚜ Horror ⚜ Fantasy ⚜ Speculative Biology

Hate ⚜ Love ⚜ Kinds of Love ⚜ The Physiology of Love

How to Write: Food ⚜ Colours ⚜ Drunkenness

Jargon ⚜ Logical Fallacies ⚜ Memory ⚜ Memoir

Magic: Magic System ⚜ 10 Uncommon ⚜ How to Choose

Moon: Part 1 2 ⚜ Related Words

Mystical Items & Objects ⚜ Talisman ⚜ Relics ⚜ Poison

Pain ⚜ Pain & Violence ⚜ Poison Ivy & Poison Oak

Realistic Injuries ⚜ Rejection ⚜ Structural Issues ⚜ Villains

Symbolism: Colors ⚜ Food ⚜ Numbers ⚜ Storms

Thinking ⚜ Thinking Styles ⚜ Thought Distortions

Terms of Endearment ⚜ Ways of Saying "No" ⚜ Yoga

Compilations: Plot ⚜ Character ⚜ Worldbuilding ⚜ For Poets ⚜ Tips & Advice

all posts are queued. will update this every few weeks/months. send questions or requests here ⚜ Writing Resources PDFs

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I’m a bit early this week but I wanted to get this particular ask out before I get sucked back into my quilting hyperfixation ^.^ Your characters have a killer headache. Who is taking painkillers right away and who tries to tough it out? Do any of them try something besides painkillers for relief?

Quilting??? I love quilting! My mom is amazing at it! I'm terrible at it but it's great fun :3

Let's see... I think Astaria and Tiatha and Xænte and Kira would immediately take painkillers. They absolutely see painkillers as tools and helpful ones at that.

Kia and Neia? Absolutely not. Painkillers are for the weak. They are meant for weak little babies. And Kia and Neia are not babies!

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PSA: if you ever see me do a tag and I say “tagging whoever wants to do it,” and you think “she probably doesn’t mean me, though.” I do. I mean you. Say I tagged you. I want to read your stuff, I promise. Tagging people just takes Energy that I don’t always have and am not always sure who wants to be tagged. But please, if you ever see me do a game, and you think “wow I want to do that!” Even if I do tag other people, just do it. Say I tagged you. I will not mind, in fact, I will be happy to see your stuff. Ok? Good. That is all. Carry on.

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I just finished it this morning and I'm screaming crying throwing up

WE NEED A SUPPORT GROUP

I have finished Apprentice to the Villian and im so ….

Like what am I supposed to do now ???? How am I supposed to go on ??? Like what ????

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Hi! Happy Saturday! I’ve got another weird question this week: if your WIP(s) get mainstream popular in the future, what relationship(s) do you think will get misinterpreted the most by readers? It can be any type of relationship - romantic pairing, platonic friends, parent-child, etc.

Hello hello! Welcome back to my weirdness! I do hope you enjoy your stay!

Hmmmm, I think I'm most worried about Amara and Hendryk's relationship in the Tea and Tarot series. They're brother and sister, and EXTREMELY close. Like "I'd kill for you" close. But due to their playful banter, I'm worried that people will assume they're a couple, like Wincest or Pinecest.

Another WIP I'm worried about is the untitled one that takes place in the same universe, and the relationship: Draven the Inquisitor and Kira the leonin mage. They start off as enemies/reluctant allies and slowly grow closer as the book continues. I'm worried that people will ship them as well, even though their relationship becomes more of a father/daughter situation. Ordinarily I wouldn't care (I mean, I started off shipping those two!), but Draven has made it explicitly clear that he only has eyes for Tiatha and will brutally murder anyone else for even looking at him romantically.

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𝐈𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐨 𝐬𝐨 𝐟𝐚𝐫 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐚 𝐦𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐠𝐞, 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐚𝐛𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐢𝐭 𝐚 𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐩 𝐟𝐮𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝. 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲'𝐝 𝐝𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐢𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞, 𝐚𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐥𝐥.  𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞?

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

In the sleepy town of Lochmallow, Amara has built a quiet life for herself as the owner of a tea-and-tarot shop. Half-tiefling, half-drow, and a talented illusionist, she’s used to people whispering behind her back. But when her rival, Glendara, is found dead in the smoldering ruins of her home—bludgeoned by her own crystal ball—Amara’s world is turned upside down.

The sheriff is quick to point fingers at Amara, convinced that the mysterious death is somehow tied to her. With her reputation on the line and the townsfolk growing suspicious, Amara must uncover the truth before the killer strikes again. But the more she digs, the more tangled the clues become, and soon, even Amara’s own magic seems to be working against her.

In a town full of secrets, can Amara unravel the mystery before the shadows close in?

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

𝙁𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙈𝙖𝙩𝙘𝙝𝙖 𝙩𝙤 𝙈𝙪𝙧𝙙𝙚𝙧 is a cozy fantasy mystery with no romance that follows Amara Voren, a half-tiefling half-drow scam artist illusionist extraordinaire, as she tries to solve Lochmallow's first-ever murder. Which of her diverse cast of neighbors is responsible - and can she stop them before they decide to kill again?

Official release date: April 17, 2025

PREORDER HERE!

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gosh it's happening! my book is about to be published!! thank you so much for all of your support (and please keep sending it my way - i'm writing book two right now!)!

please be sure to boost and leave a review if you read it - i am Broke AF and my only advertising is word-of-mouth.

i love you all. thank you so so much 💕💕💕