#Lee Ann Kostempski

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Author Bio ~

Hi! I figure I should get back onto Writeblr now that I'm going to be a published author. :D

I'm Lee Ann Kostempski, an anarchist writer who specializes primarily in dark fantasy and horror, though I like to experiment in many genres. I'm also a librarian. Common themes in my writing include:

utopia

class struggle

disability

gender

sexuality

My biggest influences are Ursula K. Le Guin, adrienne maree brown, Mona Awad, and Margaret Killjoy.

I have one published short story and one published novella! You can read the short story, LIKE IT'S A MAD THING, here in the Spring 2020 issue of 34 Orchard for free (trigger warnings: sexism, depression, supernatural horror, gore/body horror). You can buy the novella, THE WORLD AS IT SHOULD BE, here on the Mocha Memoir Press website or on Amazon in print or Kindle format; (trigger warnings: suicidal intent, depression, gore/torture, supernatural horror).

Contact info, links, & more about my current WIPs under the cut! :)

Current projects include:

DEATH & TAXES -- a trilogy retelling the legend of Robin Hood from Maid Marian's point of view, with a dark twist (rough draft);

PARASOCIAL -- a horror novella about celebrities and fan culture taken too far (rough draft);

FOR THE LOVE OF THE LIBRARY -- a departure from my usual genres, this one's a YA coming-of-age story about a senior in high school fighting to save her public library's Teen Section from budget cuts (rough draft; I plan to post this for free on Wattpad when it's complete);

SOULROT LULLABY -- a short cli-fi horror story about an Earthling forced to team up with a descendent of the wealthy humans who fled to Mars against an unexpected threat (completed & currently seeking a home for publication).

[CURRENTLY UNTITLED] -- a potential sequel to THE WORLD AS IT SHOULD BE following a disabled protagonist who flees life with the witch hunters when she realizes they would sooner kill her than protect her, and seeks shelter with witches (outlining).

I also occasionally write fanfiction over on Ao3, and poetry, which I typically post on my Wordpress unless I want to publish it.

You can find me on Instagram and Facebook as well.

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34 ORCHARD'S debut issue--Spring 2020--now available!

34 ORCHARD’S debut issue–Spring 2020–now available!

The cover of the Spring, 2020 issue of 34 ORCHARD. Cover art: “Lost and Found,” by Brandon Kawashima.

The debut issue of 34 Orchard–a new dark literary fiction magazine–is now available!

With cover art by Brandon Kawashima, this issue features artists from as far away as Greece, Nigeria and the UK–as well as right here in the US–and delivers visceral work that unpacks the things we don’t want to…

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"You should get a haircut."

Like It's a Mad Thing by Lee Ann Kostempski, debuting in the Spring 2020 issue of 34 Orchard. Read it on April 25 here.

Recommended for fans of The VVitch, Midsommar, Suspiria, The Exorcist, and other horror stories about angry ladies and the foolish men who would quiet them.

I was inspired to write this by two things: (1) my personal experiences overcoming a fear of the horror genre that manifested in several episodes of sleep paralysis, and (2) my obsession with The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, the first story I read that made me realize the horror genre wasn't all sexist. Mine is a feminist and fiercely political horror tale, for sure, but it was also just a fun way for me to reflect on my transformation from a total scaredy cat into a full-blown horror fanatic--all thanks to some creepy recurring sleep paralysis nightmares.

I hope you'll read and enjoy it when it's released!

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Book trailer number 2 for THE WORLD AS IT SHOULD BE is here and it is 🔥👀!

You can preorder a Kindle edition HERE!

*If you prefer a print copy, that format will be available to order closer to release date!

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Check out the book trailer Mocha Memoirs Press made for The World As It Should Be! 😍🖤

TWAISB tells the story of a witch and a kelpie who become unlikely friends as they struggle to prevent history from repeating itself in a post-apocalyptic Salem, MA. Thematically, it explores the mental and physical tolls of the isolation caused by fascism. It is intended for new adult/adult audiences, and major content warnings include suicidal ideation/intent, gore/torture, and animal death.

You can preorder the Kindle edition now here.

If you prefer physical books, a paperback edition will be available to order closer to the release date. I'll be sure to share it here as soon as it's ready!

And while you're at it, I highly recommend checking out other books in Mocha Memoirs Press' catalog! They're a great small press that make it a mission to publish and amplify voices by authors of marginalized communities.

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A lovely, lengthy review of THE WORLD AS IT SHOULD BE just dropped from Julie Sara Porter, Bookworm Reviews!

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Stuff I've Been Reading: September 2023

Okay, I guess I lied when I said my reading would probably take a dip now that the school year has started and I’m back at work, because it turns out I read a LOT this month–mostly horror and classics–and a lot of them were actually pretty hefty tomes. There’s something about autumn that just makes me want to curl up and read period dramas and spooky stories all day, I s’pose. Honestly, there…

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The Inspiration Behind THE WORLD AS IT SHOULD BE

Cher cannot save everyone, and neither can I. No one can. No single "hero" like Gandalf or Katniss is going to swoop in and magically save us all. And yes, the fascists are currently winning. That doesn't mean it's not worth fighting them.

“Margaret [Killjoy]: I suppose your work does have a fairly dark tone, often very fatalistic or nihilistic. Do you think that mirrors how you see the political situation? Or is it a reflection of something else? [Professor] Calamity: I think the world we live in is pretty bleak (though I am pretty upbeat in person). I’ve always been attracted to characters living in very bleak times, how they’re…

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PRINT copies of The World As It Should Be available NOW!

For those of you who have been waiting patiently, the physical, print copy of THE WORLD AS IT SHOULD BE is available to order NOW from Mocha Memoirs Press for $10.99. Click here to order! The Kindle eBook edition is also available, on their website or on Amazon, for $3.99. Please check out the rest of their awesome, diverse catalog while you’re visiting their site, and thank you for supporting…

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A Playlist for THE WORLD AS IT SHOULD BE

When I was working on THE WORLD AS IT SHOULD BE, I had a carefully curated playlist of some dark indie and Western pop songs that I thought best captured the mood of the story. After all the hard work I put into that playlist, I thought I'd share it here!

AHHHHH, it’s THE WORLD AS IT SHOULD BE Kindle edition D-Day! Those of you who pre-ordered an eBook copy of TWAISB should see it in your Kindle library as of today! 😀 (If you’ve preordered a physical copy–don’t worry, that should be on its way to you soon too.) I cannot believe this day is finally here. I’m both excited and terrified for you all to read this book. Thank you to everyone who has…

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If you preordered a Kindle edition of THE WORLD AS IT SHOULD BE, it should now be available in your library! A print version should be available to order later this week, if that's your preferred reading format.

If you love all things witches and ghosts and spooky season, then you'll love this novella! In a post-apocalyptic Salem, a witch and a kelpie uncover a terrifying truth: the town's deadly past is about to repeat itself.

You can order a Kindle edition here.

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COVER REVEAL & PRE-ORDER: The World As It Should Be, Kindle edition!

THE WORLD AS IT SHOULD BE officially has a cover, and I am in love! Check it out: [Cover art by Maya Preisler, published by Mocha Memoirs Press.] I did a fun little reveal over on TikTok as well: @leeannwrites AAAAHHHHH COVER REVEAL TIMEEEE!!!! 🎉 (TW for the image: if you don’t like undead horses and/or anglerfish, be warned!) Thank you so much to @Maya for this stellar cover art! I love it so…

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News: I'm Finally On TikTok!

This isn’t a long post at all. I just have some social media news to share! If you haven’t already heard, I recently joined TikTok and made my li’l debut on BookTok. My username is @leeannwrites. You can follow me here for information about my forthcoming book, THE WORLD AS IT SHOULD BE, as well as other bookish content (and the occasional dance challenge, because y’all know I’m a bit of a…

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resisting the fade

Today's my "half birthday"! :p I've officially been 30 for 6 months, and though so far it's been much better than my 20s, I miss the colors of childhood.

If three is a soft blue and ten is bold red,twenty is a fading yellow; thirty, gray. So clearly, I remember three: the cool silk of a beloved blanketsqueezed in my tiny, warm fists; five: sticky peanut butter pullingbaby teeth loose from their roots; eight: Grandma running wrinkly fingertips through my hair  as I doze to the laugh tracks of TV Land; sixteen: fridge-chilled aloe vera smeared…

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after orpheus

Just an old poem that's been sitting in my backlog for a while. Orpheus & Eurydice has always been my favorite myth that has a lot to say about loss and grief, sooo, I wrote about it. :)

hades and his whole hellish hordebegged me, “do yourself a favor,   sister: don’t lookback.” they promised if i just drankfrom the river lethe, the achein my soulwould fade, and i couldrest   once and for all.i could let you go.   forever. and sure, at first i thought,  why not? screw him.i would do what you could not:   don’t look back.how hard could it be?i would leave you to the topsoilfor…

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identity theft

This isn't my best poem, but it's something on my mind a lot as we cope with inflation, the widening wealth gap, and wage stagnation. My hair has always been a large part of my self-expression and sacrificing that got me all up in my feelings. :p

Groceries and rentand bills andhair colorand those never-ending student loans, and – One of these is not like the others.Not a necessity. Well, not to you. To me, it’s the last piece of myselfthat I must sacrifice on the altarof our great dollar billif I hope to survive. To them, it’s a luxury I don’t deserve,and anyway, don’t you know? There are thosewho don’t even have one dollar to…