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@tesscarletta

IT’S ABOUT BEING ENTIRELY DEDICATED SO MUCH TO PROTECTING SOMEONE, ALWAYS BEING PREPARED TO DIE FOR THEM (even if they don’t want you to), YOUR LIFE DOESN’T MATTER IT’S THEIRS

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What do you mean, there's another beta-reading opportunity? I have a lot of projects that have been waiting their turn to be edited and it's not my fault sometimes projects cut in line. This one's never had beta-readers before and I finished my edits finally!

WHEN YESTERDAY ENDS, aka my cottage core curse wip, in which a prickly fellow has to contend with a fey curse. Complete at about 95k words, it's a story about fey, magic, curses, potions, burn out, and loneliness. Full blurb behind the cut or check out the form below which has everything typed out!

Full Blurb!

AMBROSE HOWL left everything behind and found himself in Nettles Hollow, some rural no-name town on the fringe of magic. He settles in as a herbalist at the behest of the local hedge witch and thinks maybe it's not so bad.

At least, until he's visited by RENWICK FREY, a fey lord cursed to eat human hearts to stay alive. Ambrose manages to convince Renwick to give him a chance to break the curse before eating his heart, except Ambrose has no idea where to start and the clock's already ticking. If he can't do it by summer's end, his heart is forfeit. 

To make matters worse, something more is going on than a mere curse and it could put all of Nettles Hollow in danger.

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[ID: a loose digital pencil sketch of Aspen, a forest spirit in human form, with antlers, curly hair, a waistcoat, and rolled-up sleeves. They're holding a floating orb in one hand and a flower crown in the other. They're looking up and smiling at someone off-screen. end ID]

kinda bummed this is just a sketch because this is maybe my favorite drawing of Aspen rn

(they're smiling at Emry, of course)

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I know advertising in pride month can smack of rainbow capitalism, but hear me out: I am not A Rainbow Capitalism. I’m a queer professional freelance editor with five years of experience, here to celebrate and polish queer stories throughout the fruitiest month of the year (and all year round). From now until July 1st, you can get 15% off any of my single editing services so long as:

a) you have a story that’s longer than 10,000 words, and

b) there is some flavour of queerness in there that’s relevant to the story (i.e, more relevant than the off-page second cousin of your main character being mentioned as gay in an otherwise cishet cast).

Rest assured that I won’t ask you to share or ““prove”” your own identity unless you want to tell me, because that’s none of my business and also gatekeeping sucks.

Plus, this discount stacks – so if you’re also eligible for one of my self-published author discounts of 10% (30,000–99,999 words) or 15% (100,000 words or more), you can get a nice 25–30% off.

I can edit:

UK or US English (+ I do my best to factor currency conversion into the rates for international clients)

Fiction – SF/F is my happy place, but all genres are welcome.

Creative non-fiction – e.g., memoir, biography, essays and essay collections.

Middle Grade through to Adult.

If you’re not quite ready for editing but think you will be within the next two months, you can secure an editing slot with this discount now and use it later (ideally before September 1st, but I do understand writing doesn’t always happen when you want it to; just be aware that if you don’t pre-book my services for a specific time or if you need to re-schedule the edit, you may need to wait until I’m available again).

If you’re interested (or just have questions), check out my services page and get in touch:

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Hello! Please take a moment to read🥺 My partner (@groovygrub) is in an urgent need of your help. He is disabled and autistic trans man who is under threat of being kicked out.

Carrd with info and donation links: https://helpcharlie.carrd.co Paypal | Ko-Fi Longer version under the cut. Reblogs appreciated!

Charlie is a 25-year-old disabled and autistic trans man in urgent need of your help. He is currently living in an extremely abusive household, where he faces continuous mistreatment. He’s being disrespected, restricted with basic needs, medical care and safety. And now, he is under threat of being kicked out, with nowhere to go and no means of support.

He’s already dealing with serious chronic illnesses (Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, seizure disorders, POTS, mast cell disease, gastroparesis, ME, trigeminal neuralgia, a history of pulmonary embolism) and his mental health condition suffered deeply from years of trauma. (He struggles with conditions such as depression, generalized anxiety disorder, OCD, and CPTSD, as well as being autistic.) Living in this kind of environment is putting his life at risk.

Your help can give Charlie a real chance to escape this life-threatening situation and get somewhere safer, a place where he can rest, heal and actually live. Even a few dollars can make a difference. It could help cover emergency shelter, food, medical supplies and transportation.

If you are residing in the US and can help with anything else like offering a temporary shelter, a room for rent or transportation, please let us know! We appreciate any help you can offer!

Thank you for reading this and for your support!

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~new video~ go check it out if you are like I was, screaming with despair into the void about the lack of queer representation, and the abundance of homophobia in fantasy worlds! fear not my friends, there is a solution: read indie!

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Started crying over that poor woman that was run over by that racist while protesting

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I haven't fully talked about it here, but I'm working on an anthology story and I just sent off my revised version to my editor!!

can't wait to tell you all more about my sapphic rivals witches. there's banter. there's angst. there's goddess rituals. there's hypothermia. we've got it all 💖

(but seriously, more to come on it soon!)

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hayden x monroe - mining accidents 🩹

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Sascha shakes his head. "I loved her. I will only ever love her. It's as simple as that."

"I don't expect you to mourn her forever. Nor would she. She would murder us both if she ever thought you would be unhappy on my account."

"I will always be unhappy. She isn't here any more. There is not a day that goes by where I don't long to awaken to behold her or to turn and find her there. To hear her laugh. I can never replace her and nor would I want to." Sacha's eyes find his wedding band. There isn't grief in his eyes but rather fondness, a reminiscence that speaks well of their time and strength to his vow.

TLP Taglist

@reignnyx @writinglyra @pressedpapyrus @serpentarii @thevintagelover @seas-dubh @dameschnee123 @donutwithinadonut @mikaelsona @giuliawritesanddoeskpop @sunaora @mayawritesbooks @veneritia @trapped-inadystopianovel @hysteriwah @mothertaemresa @rise-again-2001 @underwoodinc @seamaiden @writer-somewhat @lord-fallen @writingoflarka @ashen-crest @pen-and-inks @strawstories @nerdygoblin @ortolon @chigyowastaken @residentofthedisc @elysianluv @lividdreamz @ladywithoringes @imawriternotamathematician @writeblrfantasy @ginghampearlsnsweettea @spicysequoia @ethereal-puppet @carmensapientia @snapdragoncrown @thats-my-type-writer @intellectualintelligent @ezra-ezra-ezra   @rosemarys-for-remembrance @looking-for-the-stories   @asingledropofwinter @queengiuliettafirstlady @gwensparlour @miladydreams @iespeciallyme @princess-summershine

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Was so much fun talking to Tess about Goldheart!!! Get hyped, it’s an amazing book!

Growing flowers out of your skin all by yourself, handsome? Plant magic, putting characters through the wringer, and sunflowers vs. lilies—Tess Carletta talks with RK Ashwick about her new queer romantasy novel Goldheart.

Tess Carletta (she/her) is the author of Kit & Basie, a queer cozy fantasy romance, its sequel collection Patchwork, and the forthcoming fantasy novel Goldheart. You can connect with her here @tesscarletta

RK Ashwick (she/her) is the author of the Lutesong trilogy beginning with The Stray Spirit, as well as the cozy fantasy series Sidequest Row beginning with A Rival Most Vial. You can connect with her here @ashen-crest

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Hey everyone, remember that being sick or healing from injuries is a hard time for your body. You have to eat a lot and lay still and be kind to yourself! [large neon sign that says HYPOCRITE descends from the ceiling and points at me] Hey what the heck what's this who put that there

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My Debut Poetry Book Is Out Today! 💙🐚💙

You Do Not Have To Apologize For Your Existence is officially out on Amazon!!

I will hopefully be pushing it to other platforms in the near future, but for now, a much needed bask in the moment.

Thank you for all your support!

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Happy STS! As it's the first Saturday of Pride Month, how about a little rainbow roll call? How do your characters identify?

Happy Pride month!! 🌈

Ambrose: gay

Dawn, Brinna: lesbian

Eli, Georgie, Rory: bi

Banneker, Aspen, Nat, Cal: on the ace-aro spectrum

Grim, Aspen, Tiegan: non-binary

I feel like I'm missing people (and there are plenty of other characters where their identities just aren't specified). But that's what I can think of at the moment!

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Happy STS! What are your characters' relationships like with their parents or parental figures?

LOL uhhhhhhhhh

Some have perfectly healthy relationships! Cal makes sure to save her parents in The Stray Spirit (and we meet them shortly after that, they're very nice), and Dawn has her whole family involved in her wedding planning in DfaD. Banneker is pen pals with his mom, who lives on the coast, and Eli talks to his family back in Kolkea all the time.

The ones who very specifically do not have healthy relationships with their parents are Emry and Ambrose, and it's extremely plot relevant for both of them.

Emry is trying to get into the Auric Guild to prove to his parents he's worth something.

Ambrose's parents brought him to the Scar, secured him the apprenticeship at the Griffin's Claw at the tender age of eight, and then left and never came back. Whoops!

It's fine. They'll be fine. Mostly.

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Happy WBW! What are beauty standards like in your world?

I don't think I introduce anything too wildly different in my books. I do mention certain fashion standards in ARMV, like not wearing white on the lower levels of the Scar due to all the dust. Dawn exemplifies Scarrish fashion ideals by wearing a lot of bright colors and patterns (though she's partial to pinks and purples, specifically).

And in the Lutesong series (continuing with fashion standards), Cal chides Emry for always wearing monotones and grays, and Emry makes fun of her for having fashionable but functionally useless capes.