#poc main character

[queenmayor23]

I started writing a story about Homelander milking a chubby male reader like the cow he is but I don’t remember where I put it.

[alinacapellabooks]

IT'S FINALLY HERE! THE TENGU AND THE ANGEL IS OUT NOW!

Hello, hello, hello, everyone, I have some very exciting news to share with you all! The Tengu And The Angel, my debut novel, is now finally available to buy! That's right, you can now get your very own copy of my fluffy, angsty, gay friends-to-lovers novel! Oh, but why would you want to, you might be asking? What's the book about! Great questions, my friends, and I'll answer them both for you right now!

The Tengu And The Angel is a friends-to-lovers romance about two roommates falling in love, and learning to let go of their pasts. Eighteen year old Kunio Yoshioka has just fled his abusive mother's home in Northampton, and he's journeying up north in search of a new home, and a fresh start in life. He's armed with nothing but his dreams of being a successful artist, and his vivid imagination. He thinks of his new adult self as a tengu; strong, proud, and capable of things his child self could only dream of. Twenty year old Nathaniel seems to have it all; he's gorgeous, he lives in a beautiful apartment in the centre of Newcastle, and he's the owner and founder of Black Rose, a Victorian gothic online boutique. Kunio thinks of him as angel; he's faultlessly polite and kind, and he goes above and beyond to help him when they first meet, even though he doesn't know him. He's also painfully insecure, and he lives under the thumb of his toxic 'best friend', Theo, who uses his mental illness to control him. When Nathaniel takes Kunio in, the two form a close friendship, which slowly blossoms into love. Can the two of them learn to put their pasts behind, and make their relationship work? Well, you're going to have to read it to find out! Get your copy from Rakuten Kobo, or from the Amazon Kindle Store below!

[commander-ben]

Join Graven and Degune on a dark fantasy adventure in my comic The Crimson Tower. now live on kickstarter. We need your help in making this comic a reality and we only have a few more days to do it!

https://tinyurl.com/tctower

[aronlewes]

Diversity in my books

I've been reluctant to make this post, because I feel like my intentions could be easily misconstrued. People might think I'm trying to make myself look a certain way or support some kind of agenda, but no. I've just ALWAYS written diverse books. Simply put, I think there should be all types of characters, for all sorts of people to enjoy. So I feature ALL KINDS of characters -- white, black, abled, disabled, straight, LBGT, pretty, plain, old, young, etc, etc. Writing the same character over and over again just isn't fun to me! (I've also had people personally thank me for Asian and disability representation, which is another reason I'm compiling this list)

So, without further ado, here is a (mostly) comprehensive list of my stories that emphasize diversity (these are major characters and plotlines, btw, not unimportant side plots or characters)

(P.S. - this includes a few books written under my other pen name, Caylen McQueen)

Books with diverse lead characters:

The Darker Ages: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B077HVG9YW (Alfred du Bois is black and I love him and I will take that love to the grave with me!!! He's my guy for life. I'm putting him first because I think he might be my favorite character of all time.)

School for Spirits: A Dead Girl and a Samurai https://www.amazon.com/School-Spirits-Dead-Samurai-Spirit-ebook/dp/B078YNFD4F/ (Taishi is Japanese)

School for Spirits: Rebel Archangel https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07GCXT6WV (Chris Pho is Asian-American)

School for Spirits: Angel of Death https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07K5ZF89N (Luciana is Hispanic)

A Crew of Criminals and Cutthroats: https://www.amazon.com/Crew-Criminals-Cutthroats-Aron-Lewes-ebook/dp/B0BTS5MJLW (Jean-Rene is black... also, I like that Davin is 70+ and kicking ass)

School for Spirits: Almost an Archangel https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07SQW9NN4 (Kaylene is African-American)

The Fourth Dragon: https://www.amazon.com/Fourth-Dragon-Aron-Lewes-ebook/dp/B096QB3MBP (Esmay is black)

An Elven Debutante: https://www.amazon.com/Elven-Debutante-Airships-Dragons-Book-ebook/dp/B0BGJLSMZP/ (Julian is Asian; so is Himiko in book 2)

School for Spirits: Pretty Dead Girl https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09HN5ZYK2 (Vineet is Indian-American... I SUPER love Vineet, he's one of my favorites of all time)

Vixen's Chosen https://www.amazon.com/Vixens-Chosen-Fox-Assassin-Book-ebook/dp/B08ZD63ZXQ/ (Kylin is a kitsune, and it's strongly hinted that she is Japanese)

Angels & Outlaws: https://www.amazon.com/Angels-Outlaws-Aron-Lewes-ebook/dp/B0BDGBK95Y/ (Bo Lightfoot is Native American)

A Family of Wizards: https://www.amazon.com/Wizard-80s-Family-Wizards-Book-ebook/dp/B0B478DMNP/ (the titular magical family is Chinese)

Pride & Prejudice & Airships: https://www.amazon.com/Pride-Prejudice-Airships-Steampunk-Book-ebook/dp/B07G38N7FF/ (Bin Li is Asian)

Whispers of Steam: https://www.amazon.com/Caged-Princess-Whispers-Steam-Book-ebook/dp/B088PF6K36 (leads in this book are a pair of brown-skinned mercenaries, an Asian hero-turned-villain-turned-hero, and a bisexual woman)

Ghost of Redemption: https://www.amazon.com/Ghost-Redemption-School-Spirits-Story-ebook/dp/B096Q9Q5ZY/ (Johnny Wong is biracial)

Little Alien on the Prairie: https://www.amazon.com/Little-Alien-Prairie-First-Contact-ebook/dp/B08PDGS9PC/ (Rain is Native American)

The Wishing Princess: https://www.amazon.com/Wishing-Princess-Magic-Dreams-Book-ebook/dp/B09ZVL578X/ (the MC's eventual love interest, Nils, is a dark-skinned elf)

Palace of Maids: https://www.amazon.com/Palace-Maids-Weird-Portal-Fantasy-ebook/dp/B098TNW5K5 (Dustin is indigenous)

Books with disability representation:

School for Spirits: Rebel Archangel https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07GCXT6WV (Anna uses a wheelchair)

The Darker Ages: https://www.amazon.com/Darker-Ages-Aron-Lewes-ebook/dp/B077HVG9YW/ (Alice has quadriplegia)

Vixen's Challenge: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08ZD26H6H (Sara uses a wheelchair)

A Sheriff's Redemption: https://www.amazon.com/Sheriffs-Redemption-Lady-Robin-Hood-ebook/dp/B0784QFSKX (the Sheriff of Nottingham's younger brother, Kinlay, is disabled)

Cinderella & Dragons: https://www.amazon.com/Cinderella-Dragons-Complete-Aron-Lewes-ebook/dp/B07D3GLSPW (Terra uses crutches)

Books with LBGT+ characters:

My Lady Robin Hood series https://www.amazon.com/Lady-Locksley-Robin-Hood-Book-ebook/dp/B077LJ9G8N/ (there are many diverse characters in this series, but my trans Little John is most prominent, imo)

The Darker Ages: https://www.amazon.com/Darker-Ages-Aron-Lewes-ebook/dp/B077HVG9YW/ (Jalen/Jai is trans)(Jonathan is bisexual and ends up in a relationship with a man)

The Darkest Knight: https://www.amazon.com/Darkest-Knight-Black-Chronicles-Book-ebook/dp/B07HFTSNDD (Daniul is asexual... and autistic, for that matter... he's another one of my all-time favorite characters)

The Barefoot Barmaid: https://www.amazon.com/Barefoot-Barmaid-Belles-Bullets-Book-ebook (there are a ton of diverse characters throughout the series, but there is a gay couple, and Vee is a lesbian)

(I could have more LGBT+ characters, imo, but there are other authors do it better... actually, I'm thinking of one author friend in particular, and if she's reading this... DO write that gay historical, please! I want it!!)

I've probably forgotten some, but I'd say this is a pretty decent (and growing!) list. Also, many of my series starters are free, so they should be easy to get into!

Whoever you are out there, I hope you check out my work! <3

[that-random-outsider]

So I finally started watching moon girl and I'm so excited to learn more about this character. When I was younger my friend gave me a book on all the best female marvel characters and I've been wondering about her story ever since. I had never seen a character that was my age and looked like me be on marvel let alone be labeled a super genius!! I definently am excited to explore this series especially on the day I started working on my research paper about black animated characters. I really hope I don't regret this.

[poppletonink]

Memphis Review

★★★★☆ - 4 stars

"Miriam can provide for Miriam"

In the Summer of 1995, ten-year-old Joan, her mother (Miriam), and her younger sister (Mya) escape her father's vicious and violent temper. In doing so, they return to Miriam's childhood home - a home in Memphis, a home with her half-sister August. However, when they arrive there, Joan finds that though she does not remember much from her short time in Memphis as a child, she finds that she does remember her cousin Derek, and she does remember what he did to her seven years prior. Whilst escaping into her artwork and meeting the enigmatic characters of Memphis, she unravels the history of three generations of her family - the dramas, the sacrifices, the love - in order to find her own way of healing.

Stringfellow weaves her writing in a beautiful, meticulous manner, leaving nothing unsaid whilst retaining the fluidity and allure of a poet's masterpiece. The gorgeous setting descriptions in Memphis were astounding. They were descriptions that make you feel as though you are standing right where the characters stand, right in their place, experiencing the beauty vicariously through them.

Though the writing is wonderful and a delightful indulgence for any reader, Memphis does deal with a lot of dark subject matter. It discusses topics such as rape and domestic abuse and it doesn't hold back in anger when discussing said topics - in fact, its handling of these topics is one of the many reasons to love this book. Nevertheless, it must be noted that the discussions of these topics through the strong black women we follow as readers, may be triggering for people, and I would recommend reading a trigger warning list before jumping headfirst into this amazing book.

Simply put, Memphis is like a modern Toni Morrison novel: a feminist generational saga that explores the experiences of black women worldwide. It tells a tale of hurt and healing, and following your passions and dreams even if it seems impossible. It discusses the importance of family and how sometimes we hurt the people we love most. The thing about Memphis is that it delves into these topics so incredibly well; I am in awe.

[house-of-slayterr]

@slashers-and-witchcraft

Now I’m watching Amphibia! It’s so much better than Big City Green. Frogs are one of my favorite things and the main character is a super cool mixed girl. She’s Thai- American which I think is super cool! Personality wise I’m very much enjoying her, like same bestie.

[nightlyteaandpaper]

"The cave was as dark as the night sky, but I could have sworn I could see the stars in her eyes." -Sahad Parjan

[queerbooks-inthedark]

I Hope You Get This Message - Farah Naz Rishi

[review] You should read this book. It's so good. An emotional piece that's not only about what three people would do for their loved ones at the end of the world but also why the world is worth saving. It speaks in a way about how humans have destroyed earth. I loved every minute of it. I mean this book as at the top of the list. It made me laugh, cry, and yearn. One of the few times i've seen a muslim character in a book, and definitely touched my heart.

Representation: Gay

Quotes from the Book:

And Jesse would stay here. Jesse would always stay here. Above him, the stars were winking. Gloating, maybe. Or maybe they felt sorry for him, too.

In the poem, Rumi banters with God over life's usual philosophical questions: what to do with that pesky thing called a heart, where to focus one's eyes, etcetera, etcetera. But when Rumi asks God what to do with his pain and sorrow, God tells him, "Stay with it. The wound is the place where the Light enters you.

"You can afford to be a little selfish every once in a while, you know. Do you even know how to live for yourself? Because that's a thing, Cate. That's a thing people do. And now is kind of a great time to start."

I swear to all you alien colonizers out there, if I die before Derek knows I've been crushing on him all year, I'm taking you bitches down with me. Up yours, Mia

The thing about the end of the world was this: either everything mattered, or nothing did.

[valentinedivineart]

Myra’s concept piece. I adore this character and after ten plus years of world building I am so happy to finally reveal and talk about the main character of this world. 

I spent the first seven years rping and creating characters of the world with childhood friends. The next four years would be dedicated to reworking, streamlining and creating the actual world. After all that work had been done I sat with myself trying to figure out how I would tell everything, who would be the character to travel with the reader. Who would help unpack the world and be the tour guide. That’s how Myra was created. I went back and forth for months trying to use original characters from the first few years of work but it never felt right. Their stories were really pieces of the larger story but never really could encompass everything. I needed a new view.

Myra Celeste is a young woman finally stepping out into the world having grown up in a very remote town in the northern part of the world. With the readers she is experiencing the magic and wonder of it all while at the same time coming into herself. I am really excited for her and the world I have been working on.

This project has become such a large part of who I am and it has grown with me, changing and developing alongside me. I am very happy that Myra will get to be the face of all this labor.

So more on Myra to come!!

[thestarshavefallenbook]

The book for this blog is down below!

[alinacapellabooks]

HUGE ANNOUNCEMENT! THE TENGU AND THE ANGEL RELEASE DATE!

Hello, hello, dear followers, and all else who are viewing this post! I have some very exciting news for you all! My debut novel, The Tengu And The Angel, will officially be releasing on Kobo, and Amazon, on the tenth of December, 2023, so there'll be plenty of opportunities for you to grab your copy! Oh, but why would you want to grab a copy, you might ask? What's the book about? Those are brilliant questions, my friends, and I'm going to tell you the answers right now!

The Tengu And The Angel is a friends-to-lovers romance about two roommates falling in love, and learning to let go of their pasts. Eighteen year old Kunio Yoshioka has just fled his abusive mother's home in Northampton, and he's journeying up north in search of a new home, and a fresh start in life. He's armed with nothing but his dreams of being a successful artist, and his vivid imagination. He thinks of his new adult self as a tengu; strong, proud, and capable of things his child self could only dream of. Twenty year old Nathaniel seems to have it all; he's gorgeous, he lives in a beautiful apartment in the centre of Newcastle, and he's the owner and founder of Black Rose, a Victorian gothic online boutique. Kunio thinks of him as angel; he's faultlessly polite and kind, and he goes above and beyond to help him when they first meet, even though he doesn't know him. He's also painfully insecure, and he lives under the thumb of his toxic 'best friend', Theo, who uses his mental illness to control him. When Nathaniel takes Kunio in, the two form a close friendship, which slowly blossoms into love. Can the two of them learn to put their pasts behind, and make their relationship work? Get your copy, and find out, in December 2023!

Meet The Characters:

Kunio:

Nathaniel:

[commander-ben]

The crimson tower kickstarter is now live! Taking influences from Classic fantasy to create a dark noir fantasy detective story taking influence from Samurai Jack, Elden Ring, Hellboy and the works of Michael Morecock. 

Join Graven and Degune on a dark and twisting andventure to uncover a mystery of Graven’s past. 

http://kck.st/3XYWY17

[sparklingdumpsterfire3]

ENTRY #1

It all started as just another test. My father designed it for a simulation for my sister and I do complete before the summer finished.

He and his colleagues had been working on the mutatious virus for years, testing it to make sure it could never be released, and that it could be cured.

My sister and I's goal however was not to cure it, but to contain it.

Once inside a host, the virus could take control of the brain, learning from the host's dna what is necessary for survival and reproduction, not of it's host but of it's own kind.

This virus was designed to spread through direct contact with blood and saliva or blood on blood. It could be airborne if it mutates long enough and takes over quickly.

Symptoms were sacre to find and hard to detect as anything but a small cold. So the host could not prevent it from spreading once infected. At least that’s all we knew about it in the beginning.

Why my father would create such a virus, I do not know but it was never meant to leave our facility.

But of course it did.

ENTRY #2

"Hey Charming" Matthew said matching my pace to walk with me. "I heard you're dad's testing out the new sim today, are you ready?"

Matthew Sandler is the closest thing to a friend I have at the facility, which is quite devestating. He and I grew up together in a weird sense. His father is Head Engineering for the Tech unit so we often were in the same meeting room whenever an important meeting happened, which was every week.

He and my sister started dating back when we were 12, it was the grossiest thing in the world and something about their relationship seemed so wrong, maybe it was the fact that children were shoving their tongues down each other's throats.

I was forced to tag along in every embarrassing and awkward date they had until we turned 15. Then my father decided he would allow me to go off on my own. But by then, Matthew was suddenly attached to my hip.

Everywhere I went he was not far, even outside of the facility he would follow me around. I don't understand why, but he claims it's just so he can find my weakness and then get ahead of me for top junior agent. Everyone who’s anyone knows my only rival is Fren Jhobe and even see sticks to basic weekend stalking.

My sister, Imani, says it's because he's my guardian angel and it's his duty to keep me out of trouble. Which is funny because she's the biggest troublemaker in the facility.

"Sandler." I said not answering his question but acknowledging his presence. What can I say, I’m a civil man.

"Imani and I were gonna skip it for some us time, could you cover for us?" He asked with no shame.

"No. You've both already missed 12 sims, and the last thing you should be doing is trying to impregnate my sister in our own father's facility!" I said sharply.

The thought of them having any sort of "us time" sent shivers down my back and a sick feeling down in my stomach.

"Look dude, man to man let's talk. I have needs, you have needs, we all have needs and I have someone to satisfy them, you don't but that shouldn't stop you from-"

"My sister isn't dating you just to satisfy your needs. She's not interested in some cheap lazy douchebag who's only interest is getting into her pants. Besides even if you were off fooling around, wouldn't you only need what 5 minutes?" I said cutting him off.

He seemed angry and I saw his hand clench. But I could tell, that no matter what my sister said to try to convince him otherwise, he would no longer miss the sim.

He stopped walking besides me and turned around without another look. Of course I would only know that because I looked back, I always look back.

The sim prep room was a mixture of labs, computer rooms, and a board room.

My father and his colleagues sat in the board room and would watch the test from there. The labs held the people who would serve as the hosts for the virus and their vitals and brain activity would be monitored the entire time.

I knocked lightly on my father's door, there was hardly any need since the door was made of glass.

"Come on in Edward." My father said tiredly.

I walked in and took a seat besides one of the military officers, Braden. He was the youngest graduating soldier and made it to highest clearance at just 18, now he's 19 and takes part in my father's operations and experiments.

He's the closest thing to a brother I have, which is quite enjoyable.

"Are you doing the sim alone again?" He asked as I sat down.

"No, Matthew and Imani should be here soon, they're just a little late." My father frowned at this. "Imani still gets a bit nervous before the sims" I added quickly before he thought they were fooling around.

I could hear the small quick steps that could only belong to my spoiled and bratty older twin, Imani.

She walked in with a sense of superiority and flashed a quick but very effective smile at the members of the team. She had the effect of taking over a room with her presence and could manipulate any man or women into doing her bidding with the right swing of her hips or tilt of her head when she smiled.

That's why I'm surprised she and Matthew lasted for 6 years, she had a tendency to sleep around, something we both got from our father.

"Wonderful for you to finally join us, Imani. I imagine Matthew won't be far behind?" Father said standing up and walking towards his presentation board and straightening his uniform.

"Present sir!" Matthew said from the doorway. His hair was a bit wet and unorganized and he struggled to fix it.

He father frowned unimpressively and motioned for him to sit, which he did right by my side as he always did.

Braden to my left, Matthew to my right, and Imani to the right of him.

"Today's sim is testing my new virus, we call it Xigolic Max, danger level 5 nearing 6 and spread through contact of your blood, and infected host will move with intent though clumsily, once they find a suitable target, the target will be pursued until contained." He said showing a picture of a young child strapped to a table.

His eyes were bloodshot and his gums blackened. His back arched as he tried to reach the doctor in front of him, that's mom, I realized and smiled softly.

She didn't seemed the single bit frazed, so neither would I.

"Sir, when you say contained.....you don't mean dead right? You just mean secured and out of harm's way." Matthew asked, he was always nervous about killing.

"The host doesn't feel pain." Was the answer and Matthew's face turned a pale color.

I was undeterred, if killing some infected people meant the virus could be controlled, I had no problem with it. I just hope Mom is the slightest bit impressed with my performance.

The last time I heard a 'good job don't from her was when I was 10 and it was after I passed the highest level science exam. She also passed it at that age so I'm sure she was mostly complimenting herself.

"You start in 10 minutes, go get ready" Father said and sat down to discuss with his colleagues.

We stood in unison and walked out.

"What if they do feel pain? What if your father was only trying to make me feel better? Oh God what if I barf inside the suit? What if I'm not quick enough to get out of their way?" Matthew asked as we dressed in our too large hazmat suits.

"Hesitate and you fail" I said to him and ignored his persistent questioning.

He's done this countless times before, it's best to just say nothing. If you try to make him feel better he'll just worry even more and give me a headache.

*"Simulation start in T-minus 1 minute" *

"Count to three" I whispered and cracked my knuckles and grabbed my pistols and semi-automatic.

I don't like loud guns and prefer knives, but I have "pre-sniper position" as Imani calls it.

I stay at the corners or 7 ft from wherever Imani and Matthew decide to go.

I switched my coms on and loaded my pistol.

*"10...9...8...7...6"*

"I really think I'm going to barf this time" Matthew said through the coms and his breathing grew heavy and nervous.

*"...5...4...3...2...1...Begin"*

The doors slid open to reveal and large set up of some dismantled city, broken glass was everywhere, dead bodies, gas, and fires lined the streets and inside the buildings.

I walked out and signaled for Matthew to go my opposite.

"This is Charming, requesting position" I said calmly and controlling my breathing so it was easier to understand me.

"Charming 2 here, positioned behind a large dumpster, no sign of life nor infected." Imani said softly.

"Sandler here, positioned between a stone building and bookstore, main street. Some infected spotted walking aimlessly. Count 4."

I turned the corner and headed towards main street when something behind me stumbled.

I turned and saw an infected perso-host, with bloodshot eyes scrambling my way.

I shot it square in the heart then the head, I couldn't tell which was most effective.

I scanned my surroundings once more before crouching down and slowly walking out of the alley.

"This is Charming, aim for heart and head to contain virus."

"Charming 2 here, no infected detected"

I could tell she felt good about that, but she knew without any kills she would fail.

"Sandler, requesting permission to shoot"

I could see him across the street gun loaded and pointed at the head of an infected.

I raised my semi-automatic towards the group it walked with.

"Permission granted"

They went down quickly but the noise caused 2 others too head towards main street.

"Sandler, 2 infected on the street to your right, coming up. Stand back and allow me to shoot"

"Negative sir" he replied and jumped out and shot the 2 infected.

"Follow orders Sandler, your weapon is louder than mine." I said irritated but didn't show it, instead I crept back and headed towards the large dumpster Imani mentioned earlier.

"Position, Charming 2?"

"Behind bookstore past main street, requesting help" She said.

The sound of gunshots filled the air as I moved towards her, 8 infected were coming up behind her so I shot down most of them.

I ran towards the alley she was in, and saw the massive amount of infected.

"Help is here" I said trying to stay back while shooting them down.

My aim is normally spot on but some of my bullets were short and everytime I tried to go closer, the 7ft marker in my helmet went off.

"Charming, there's a balcony in that house on the corner, get there and I'll take your spot!" Matthew shouted running towards us.

"No, Ed don't leave! I can't hold them back here!" Charming 2, I mean Imani cried out from behind a traffic blockage. The infected already surrounded her and we're clawing and spitting out huge globs of saliva at her feet and trying to rip away her suit.

I took a quick glance around and broke into a sprint to get to the building.

"Fuck don't shoot!" Imani yelled and my blood ran cold.

I climbed up the stairs and threw myself at the balcony doors. A huge mass of infected had climbed into her and were screeching and ripping away at her suit.

"END SIM!" I yelled shooting the most aggressive ones.

Matthew stood watching in shock as my sister screamed for help.

*"Request denied"*

*"Simulation level of difficulty increased"*

The house I was in started to collapse. I stumbled on the tilting floors reaching for the rails and walls to keep me in a good shooting position.

"Sandler get your ass in there!" I commanded.

"...Yes sir" he whispered and shots ran out.

I climbed over the ledge once the building had sturdied out.

My sister was laying in a pool of blood, hers and theirs. Matthew had shot down the rest and stood with his gun hanging uselessly.

*"Simulation ending"*

"Charming 2 out of commission. Requesting medics. Sandler report." I ordered breathlessly.

"Charming: 17 kills, Charming 2: 12 kills, Sandler: 10 kills" He said still in a whisper.

[chateaucapricorne]

🖤

[heyimboredtalktome]

im thinking about people growing up with black annabeth and desi grover and suddenly the world doesn't seem like such a bad place