authorbertslechner

[authorbertslechner]

"I don't believe Tarot is real, but it does work"

Expand on that, king (genuinely curious)

I feel like…

okay, so it’s a lot like conceptual art, or like introspective meditation, at the risk of sounding pretentious

Like. It’s not so much about “the cards are a portal to a higher wisdom that knows more than me” thing- it’s more of a, “given the symbols drawn, could I interpret them posing a question or possibility or suggestion?” Followed by, “is this applicable to my current context? COULD it be?”

Like.

I don’t lay out á tarot hand and say “ah yes, the devil and the tower, I am about to be betrayed”

But I MAY lay out a hand and say, “okay, devil and the tower. Something treacherous and danger. Am I approaching a treacherous or risky situation in my life? What might be a tipping factor? Am I being deliberately reckless? Maybe I should spend some more time working on X project I’ e been thinking of before spending money on it” or “you know what, I HAVE been kind of uncomfortable with X thing, I should say something” or “yeah okay I KNOW Tom from work sucks to work with, I KNOW, yeah maybe I should consider ways of handling that”

Less of a magic oracle, more of a tool for doing literary analysis on real life. Like simplifying everything and laying it out flat so I can gain some distance to untangle my problems without in-your-head crap like projected feelings and social obligation getting in the way and muddying the waters.

So like. I don’t think tarot cards can legit tell the future, but I DO think that self-reflection, mindfulness, and consideration sometimes allow us to predict and calculate our own circumstances.

So, IMO- It’s not real. But it works

If that makes sense

[authorbertslechner]

Has anyone figured out what’s so viscerally wrong with this woman yet

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reblog if you need a hug

[authorbertslechner]

Today I add 'published poet' to my list of accolades! a broken vase, envenomed, is my first poetry collection, and the first time I've ever published any sort of poetry. You may know me for my works in cosmic horror, but this book is in a rather different tangent, and far more personal. I was emotionally abused for nine years by an intimate partner, and after years of processing and healing I decided I wanted to share my story, in the hopes that it would help other people in their healing journeys. This poetry collection is about surviving abuse, but, more importantly, it is about healing from and thriving after abuse, and how hard and bumpy of a journey that healing process is.

It'd mean a lot to me if you'd give it a read, and if you're a survivor like I am, I hope it helps you feel seen, validated, and strong.

You can find a broken vase, envenomed at any indie bookstore that uses bookshop.org for their online sales, and it's also available on kindle unlimited.

[authorbertslechner]

Oh hey it's the 2nd of August. It's international Romani genocide memorial day. 79 years and still the vast majority of countries don't give a fuck about it nor recognize it. Hell on Earth everywhere

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O glorious auric tuber, grace me with your starchy fortune.

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Another breakfast ruined ...

The Roots Grow Into the Earth is over 15% off on Amazon for all of June, and I'll be donating a portion of my royalties per sale to the Trevor Project at the end of the month.

If you like cosmic horror go check it out!

[authorbertslechner]

A look inside my upcoming poetry collection about surviving, healing from, and thriving after abuse. This poetry collection releases August 6th, 2024. Writing it helped me so much in working through my emotions after escaping an abuser, and I really hope reading it will help other people get through their own healing journey.

Special thanks to Fido for allowing me to take photos with him.

[authorbertslechner]

dont ever hesitate. reblog this.

Depression Hotline: 1-630-482-9696

Suicide Hotline: 1-800-784-8433

LifeLine: 1-800-273-8255

Trevor Project: 1-866-488-7386

Sexuality Support: 1-800-246-7743

Eating Disorders Hotline: 1-847-831-3438

Rape and Sexual Assault: 1-800-656-4673

Grief Support: 1-650-321-5272

Runaway: 1-800-843-5200, 1-800-843-5678, 1-800-621-4000

Exhale: After Abortion Hotline/Pro-Voice: 1-866-4394253

Trans LifeLine: 1-877-565-8860

Human Trafficking Hotline: 1-888-373-7888

Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233

BDSM Partner Abuse Hotline: 617-742-4911

Substance Abuse Helpline: (800) 784-6776

[authorbertslechner]

Happy Pride Month, everyone. No matter where you fall on the gender/sexuality spectrum, I see you, I welcome you, and I support you.

[authorbertslechner]

The first proof of my next book has arrived! It absolutely needs some tweaking, but I'm happy with the general layout.

a broken vase, envenomed is a collection of poetry about surviving, healing from, and thriving after abuse. I wrote the poems during my own journey of healing after escaping intimate partner violence, and I've chosen to publish them and share my story to help others with their healing journeys. If you like poetry, and feel like this sort of collection would speak to you, I'm currently distributing free Advanced Reader Copies of the book through Booksirens, and you can check it out there: https://booksirens.com/book/PFFJ4QS/X3TWBXZ

You can also check out what ARC readers have said so far on Goodreads:

[authorbertslechner]

a broken vase, envenomed: Release Date, ARCs, and Editions

Advanced Reader Copies are now available for my poetry collection about surviving, healing from, and thriving after emotional abuse. Read on for details.

My next solo publication is a broken vase, envenomed: a short poetry collection about surviving, healing from, and thriving after emotional abuse, based on my own experiences as a survivor of intimate partner violence.a broken vase, envenomed, will be releasing August 6th, 2024, in eBook and paperback formats.The paperback edition comes with quite a few extra blank pages that I hope readers will…

[authorbertslechner]

Today's aesthetic: cosmic horror tabletop RPGs from the 1980s whose creators wrote the "madness rules" by simply plagiarising a list of disorders and their descriptions from the DSM-II and turning it into a d100 lookup table, except the DSM-II still listed "homosexuality" as a mental disorder (it wasn't removed until the DSM-III), with the result that there are several published tabletop RPGs where there's a small but non-zero chance that seeing Cthulhu will make you gay.

[authorbertslechner]

WIP Questionnaire

tagged by @coffeewritesfiction, thank you!

tagging @mthollowell-writes @bertwriteshorror @marrowwife @elizaellwrites and whoever else wants to do this!

Blank questions below the cut.

1. What is the first part of your WIP that you created?

It started because I was fascinated by the concept of a church grim/cemetery guardian dog spirit, and I wanted to do something set in southeast Missouri because I have a lot of personal connections to the area and I've spent a lot of time there. So the story came from a combination of those images/vibes.

2. If your story was a TV show, what would the theme song/intro be?

I can't think of any specific songs, but it would definitely be something folk song-ish about ghosts or forgotten cemeteries.

3. What are your favorite characters that you made? Why?

Aside from my MC, definitely Will. (Wilhelmina, but no one ever calls her that.) She's an old woman who lives by herself in a middle of nowhere farmimg area. She can fix a tractor by looking at it, makes the best iced tea you've ever tasted, knows the history and urban legends of the area better than anyone around, and tells the best campfire stories.

4. What other pieces of media do you think your fan base would share?

So the two things I'm taking inspiration from for vibes/mood/aesthetic are the podcast Old Gold of Appalachia and The Twisted Ones by T Kingfisher. They're both significantly more horror than this one is going to be, but I am kind of targeting it at people who like stuff with "rural folklore dark fantasy" vibes, which is probably a similar audience.

5. What has been your biggest struggle with your WIP?

I think.... the length? I'm afraid it's going to turn out super short and I won't have enough plot. But only the first draft will tell.

6. Are there any animals in your story? Talk about them!

EHEHEHEHE

The grim! He's a very good boy despite being a ghost dog made of black mist with glowing red eyes. His owner loved him very much and buried him in the place he himself planned to be buried somewhere around 100 years ago, and the dog has stuck around to guard the cemetery ever since. If you try to desecrate the remains you will get Bitten (and who knows what happens when a ghost dog bites you!) but otherwise he is a Friend.

Also Mora names him Grim because she's uncreative with names. (It's me. I'm uncreative with names. I'm just projecting that onto her.)

7. How do your characters get around? (Ex. Trains, horses, cars, dragons, etc.)

Well, Mora specifically has a shitty old truck that she bought for cheap because she was going to learn to fix it up. She has not learned to fix it up. She has been putting up with this shitty old truck for years now. But someday! Someday she will do it! She might have gotten fond of the truck's quirks in the meantime though.

8. What part of your WIP are you working on right now?

Outlining. Mostly. Just throwing ideas at a page right now.

9. What aspects (tropes, maybe) of your WIP do you think will draw people in?

- The whole concept of my MC being bonded with a ghost dog/person who's followed around by a spirit companion

- The overall.... vibes I guess? Of it being set in the US Midwest in farming country, and the fact that it focuses on an old forgotten cemetery.

10. What are your hopes for your WIP?

Oh gosh, I really don't know. Although I'd have to say "someone likes it enough to draw fanart of my ghost dog and his human friend" is up there somewhere.

1. What is the first part of your WIP that you created?

2. If your story was a TV show, what would the theme song/intro be?

3. What are your favorite characters that you made? Why?

4. What other pieces of media do you think your fan base would share?

5. What has been your biggest struggle with your WIP?

6. Are there any animals in your story? Talk about them!

7. How do your characters get around? (Ex. Trains, horses, cars, dragons, etc.)

8. What part of your WIP are you working on right now?

9. What aspects (tropes, maybe) of your WIP do you think will draw people in?

10. What are your hopes for your WIP?

[authorbertslechner]

Cover Reveal: a broken vase, envenomed

Check out the cover for my next book, a collection of poetry about surviving, healing from, and thriving after emotional abuse.

Exciting news!The cover for my next book is live, and I’ve settled on a publication window! This collection of poetry is very different from the rest of my body of work: a far more personal, vulnerable piece, drawn directly from personal experience.a broken vase, envenomed is a collection of my poetry about surviving, healing from, and thriving after emotional abuse. Writing the poems in this…

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Live Debut: He Wouldn't Say Its Name

My newest short cosmic horror story, He Wouldn’t Say Its Name, is now available to watch on my YouTube channel! It is also embedded here in this blog and on the media page for the website.I’ll likely be saving the publication of this story for a future release, so a physical version may not be available for a while. Until then please enjoy my live narration (and the frequent interruptions by my…