Francis Grey

Author/ Illustrator

[authorfrancisgrey]

🌑✨ THE VELVET FAMILIAR IS COMING ✨🌑

Y'all I am SO excited to share this! 📖💜

"The Velvet Familiar: A Sacred Sensual Grimoire for AFAB Non-Binary Witches" by Raven is about to change the witchcraft game! 🌟

This isn't your basic witchcraft book - this is revolutionary magic for shifting, shimmering souls who deserve to see themselves in spiritual practice! ✨

We're talking:

🕯️ Sacred body mapping rituals

🌙 Moon magic that honours your cycles

💎 Crystal work for gender euphoria

🌿 DIY body-safe oils & herbal teas

🔥 Consent altars & boundary magic

📓 15 chapters of pure enchantment

Book One in our WITCHFLESH Series! 80,000 words of inclusive, accessible, revolutionary witchcraft! 🖤

**18+ content | Neurodivergent accessible | Own voices**

Who else is ready for witchcraft that actually sees you? 👇💜

#TheVelvetFamiliar #NonBinaryWitches #InclusiveWitchcraft #WitchTok #BookTok #LGBTQ+ #NonBinary #Witchcraft #DreamthornStudios #OwnVoices #QueerWitches #TransWitches #WitchyBooks #ComingSoon #RevolutionaryMagic #SacredSensuality #BookLovers #AuthorsOfTikTok #InclusiveBooks #WitchfleshSeries #PaganTok #SpiritualBooks

[authorfrancisgrey]

## the sanctuary transforms 🖤✨

*something magical is stirring in the dreamthorn studio's creative space...*

We're completely reimagining our writer's office — crafting a sanctuary where stories are born from shadow and starlight. Picture gothic stone arches framing tall windows, candlelight dancing across surfaces scattered with quills and bottles of ink that shimmer like captured moonbeams. Floating shelves heavy with leather-bound grimoires and well-loved notebooks, crystals arranged to catch every flicker of light.

Vintage typewriters rest on dark wooden desks, ready to birth tales ranging from gentle children's stories to spine-chilling horror. Mystical artwork covers inspiration boards like a tapestry of dreams and nightmares. Dried herbs and flowers hang above a tea station that looks like it belongs in a witch's cottage.

Soft reading chairs create cosy editing nooks where Claire can polish manuscripts under warm lamplight. Every corner is designed to nurture the kind of stories that understand neurodivergent hearts—where whimsical meets dark, where comfort embraces the shadows.

Francis and Violet are weaving magic into every detail, creating a space that embodies our ethos: *whimsical worlds, darkly blooming* 🌙

This is where dark academia meets creative sanctuary, where the mystical becomes every day, and where stories grow like strange and beautiful flowers in moonlit gardens.

*what does your dream creative space look like? Do you write best surrounded by books and candlelight, or do you need something completely different to let your imagination bloom?*

[authorfrancisgrey]

## Meet the minds behind Dreamthorn Studios 🖤✨

**Francis Grey** — writer • illustrator • co-founder

the heart of our operation, crafting stories that understand neurodivergent souls

**raven blackthorn** — illustrator

weaving visual magic with gothic elegance and dark beauty

**Claire Winters** — editor

the careful hands that polish our words until they gleam

**violet** — writer • assistant

young brilliant mind bringing fresh perspectives to every tale

---

We exist in the spaces between whimsy and darkness, creating stories that span from gentle children's tales to spine-chilling horror. Every word is written with neurodivergent readers in mind because representation matters and authentic voices deserve to be heard.

*whimsical worlds, darkly blooming* 🌙

What draws you to the shadows? What calls to your heart in the space between light and dark?

[authorfrancisgrey]

"Health journey update 💜

Feeling absolutely dreadful right now. Just had three biopsies taken along with cervical scraping procedures (both outside and inside) to remove concerning cells. They also performed cryotherapy - basically freezing treatment to remove the problematic cells.

Heavy bleeding, complete exhaustion, and all without anaesthetic.

I'm sharing this because someone might need to hear it: your health screenings matter. They caught these cells early because I didn't skip my appointment.

Rest and recovery now. One day at a time.

#WomensHealth #CervicalScreening #HealthJourney #EarlyDetection #SelfCare"

[authorfrancisgrey]

"✨ THE SPACE BETWEEN SORROW AND STARLIGHT ✨

I've been sitting with this image for days now, watching it unfold into something unexpected within my next manuscript.

There's a character taking shape—a pianist in Victorian London whose grief manifests as a cosmic entity. Each note he plays draws stardust from his tears, forming a being between worlds. Not quite ghost, not quite guardian, but something woven from the fabric of his deepest emotions.

The concept speaks to something I've always believed: that art is the most profound alchemy humans possess. We take our rawest emotions—grief, longing, joy, wonder—and transform them into something that transcends our mortal experience. Something that connects rather than isolates.

For this character, his cosmic companion begins as embodied sorrow, but as the story progresses, she becomes something else entirely. Protection. Wisdom. The parts of himself he thought lost forever, returned to him transformed by his own creative expression.

This is the magic I'm most interested in exploring—not spells or incantations, but the extraordinary alchemy that happens in ordinary human hearts. How we take what breaks us and reshape it into something that heals not only ourselves but others who encounter our art.

In the novel, this manifestation eventually becomes visible to others when he plays—but only to those who have experienced similar depths of feeling. Only to those who recognize the particular shade of blue that grief becomes when transformed into starlight.

For those who create from your deepest places, I'd love to know: what art has emerged from your most profound emotions? What forms have your feelings taken when expressed through your chosen medium?

#magicalrealism #creativealchemy #artisticexpression #emotionalmagic #victorianfantasy #cosmicconnections #stardustsorrow #manifestations #musicandmagic #creativemanifestations #dreamthornstudios #francisgreyauthor #newnovel #writinginspiration #characterdevelopment #artfromgrief #beautyfromashes #creativityandhealing #artisticalchemy #writersoftumblr #ghoststories #emotionalghosts #victorianmagic #pianomystery #starfilledsorrow #cosmicmanifestations #arthealswounds"

[authorfrancisgrey]

"A personal note that might matter to you ❤️

Tomorrow I head to the hospital for follow-up tests after an abnormal smear result. I'm sharing this (despite being absolutely terrified) because sometimes the most important messages come from our most vulnerable moments.

To every woman reading this: PLEASE keep up with your cervical screening appointments.

Yes, they're uncomfortable.

Yes, they can feel embarrassing.

Yes, they might be anxiety-inducing.

But those few minutes of discomfort could literally save your life.

If I hadn't gone for my routine screening, I wouldn't know something needed medical attention. Early detection means early treatment, and early treatment dramatically improves outcomes.

So this is my plea to you:

• Check when your last screening was

• Book one if you're due or overdue

• Remind the people you love to do the same

Your health matters. You matter. And sometimes looking after ourselves is the most radical act of self-love we can practice.

Sending strength to anyone else navigating health worries right now. We've got this. 💕

#womenshealth #cervicalscreening #smeartest #healthawareness #earlydetectionsaveslives #checkupssavelives #selfcare #cancerprevention"

[authorfrancisgrey]

"✨ MEET MY NEW MUSE ✨

This is what my last brain cell looks like after losing an entire manuscript to a computer glitch: a wobbly bubble creature blowing toxic skull bubbles while standing in a puddle of its own essence.

Not to be dramatic, but I've never related to anything more in my life.

Writers, this is your reminder that sometimes you just need to laugh at the absurdity of it all. One minute you're crafting elaborate fantasy worlds with complex magic systems, the next you're staring at your blank screen contemplating a new career writing children's books about sentient soap bubbles with poor life choices.

Einstein (my dog and literary critic) suggests that perhaps this bubble creature needs to appear in my next book as a manifestation of writer's block. I'm not saying he's right, but I'm not saying he's wrong either.

#bubbletrouble #writershumor #creativechaos #writingcommunity #authorlife #francisgreyauthor #dreamthornstudio #creativemeltdown #writersblock #bubblebuddy #toxicskullbubbles #whyisthissorelatable #authorproblems #writerscoping #laughthroughthepain #creativespirits #oddinspirations #authorlessonsinsurvival #writersofdespair #literaryhumor #whenwritinggoeswrong #bubblepersonification #childrenscharacter #weirdmuses #artisticcrisis"

[authorfrancisgrey]

"A STUDY IN CONTRASTS

*Einstein: peacefully curled in a bed too small for his lanky body, dreaming of whatever literary dogs dream of, not a care in the world, the embodiment of tranquility*

*Me: staring at a blank document where 70,000 words of my next novel used to exist before a computer glitch erased it from existence, questioning my relationship with technology, wondering if this is the universe's way of telling me the draft wasn't good enough anyway, contemplating a new career as a hermit who writes exclusively on paper with quill pens*

I keep looking at Einstein's peaceful face for comfort. He doesn't know. He doesn't understand that three months of work just vanished. That characters I loved no longer exist outside my imperfect memory. That plot twists I was proud of have untwisted themselves into oblivion.

He just knows his bed is warm, if slightly too small, and that eventually I'll stop making those strange human distress noises and give him dinner.

Maybe there's wisdom in that.

To my fellow writers: let my pain be your lesson. Back up your work. Multiple places. Obsessively. Right now.

To everyone else: if you see a writer today, maybe buy them a coffee or give them a hug. We're fragile creatures, especially when technology betrays us.

#authorlife #writingdisaster #70000wordsvanished #computersbetrayal #writerloss #ithurtssomuch #backupyourwork #dogsofdisaster #literarycrisis #writersproblems #dreamthornstudio #francisgreyauthor #dogsofcomfort #authorinneed #writingcommunity #technologicalbetrayal #manuscriptloss #creativeheartbreak #novelinprogress #novelnotinprogress #dogtherapy #literarycompanion #authordog #einsteinthedog #writerspain #creativerecovery #writingprocess #whenwritinggoeswrong"

[authorfrancisgrey]

"✨ FIELD NOTES FROM THE VEIL ✨

There are places where stories whisper more loudly than others. The veil between worlds thins to gossamer; if you listen with the right ears, you might hear voices from the other side.

Last night's paranormal investigation at Ravenswood Cemetery yielded the kind of research that doesn't fit neatly into notebooks or digital recordings, though we collected both. It's the feeling that matters—the weight of centuries pressing down, the sensation of being watched by eyes you cannot see, the way the air seems to hold its breath around specific graves.

The sisters in this photo (our research team's lead investigators) recorded several EVPS near the Hargrove family plot—whispers that, when played back, formed fragmented sentences about a lost child. The temperature dropped nearly eight degrees when we approached the unmarked grave in the northwest corner. And something—we're still reviewing the footage to determine what—briefly appeared behind Emma when she held out the lantern.

As an author of paranormal fiction, I find these expeditions essential. The characters in my upcoming novel, the spectral sisters of Echo House, demand authenticity. They want their story told with the reverence of someone who has stood at the threshold and acknowledged what waits beyond.

For those who might ask, "Is it frightening?" Sometimes. But there's a difference between fear and reverence, between exploitation and documentation. We approach these spaces with respect, with protection rituals performed before and after, with the understanding that we are guests in a place where the dead have precedence.

What stories would you brave the darkness to uncover?

#fieldnotesfromtheveil #paranormalresearch #graveyardexpedition #ghosthunting #liminalspaces #authorresearch #spectralencounters #hauntedplaces #midnightinvestigations #theveilisnthin #emfreadings #evpsessions #voicesfromtheyond #paranormalteam #francisgreyauthor #dreamthornstudio #paranormalwriter #ghoststories #cemeterywalks #hauntedresearch #writingprocess #paranormalfiction #ghosthunters #spiritualresearchers #betweenworlds #storiesfromtheveil #paranormalinvestigators #hauntedwritings #ghostlore #cemeteryghosts"

[authorfrancisgrey]

"THE BIRTHPLACE OF STORIES... 🌿✨

I often get asked where my story ideas come from. The truth? Many begin on paths just like this one.

There's a special kind of magic in woodland paths—the way sunlight dapples through leaves, the mysterious quality of what might wait around the bend, the sense that you're walking between worlds.

When I walk down paths like this, characters start talking to me. Einstein from "Paws of Prophecy" first wagged his tail at me on a similar path. The mysterious Nathan Greyson from "The Wolf of Grimm Park" appeared between shadow and light just like this. And the magical paintings from "The Artist's Shadow" began to shimmer and move in my mind during quiet forest walks.

As a neurodivergent creator, these in-between spaces—not quite wilderness, not quite tamed—speak to something essential in how I experience the world. The patterns of light, the symphony of greens, the gentle chaos of nature that somehow makes perfect sense... these are the birthplaces of magic.

Where do you find your inspiration? What paths lead you to your most creative spaces?

#AuthorLife #CreativeProcess #StoryOrigins #MagicalPaths #WritingInspiration #NeurodivergentCreator #FrancisGrey #FindingStories #MagicalWorlds #CreativeJourney #DreamthornStudio #AuthorThoughts"

[authorfrancisgrey]

"🐾 NEW BOOK ALERT: 'PAWS OF PROPHECY: A NASHER'S TALE'! 🐾

My new middle-grade fantasy has finally arrived in bookstores and I couldn't be more excited to introduce you to Einstein and the magical Biscuit Kingdom!

In a world where gravy flows in rivers and magic shimmers in the air, young Einstein never imagined he'd follow in the legendary pawprints of his father, King Nasher. But when strange magic awakens in his paw and the kingdom's gravy rivers begin to vanish without explanation, Einstein's ordinary puppy life takes an extraordinary turn.

With a glowing crystal key that seems to have chosen him, Einstein embarks on a quest through enchanted forests, ancient ruins carved with mysterious symbols, and lands where the very air tastes of cinnamon and adventure. But shadows lurk at the edges of this once-peaceful kingdom. A forgotten clan, banished generations ago, has returned with unknown intentions, and Einstein discovers that saving his home may depend on more than just magic—it might require the courage of his heart and the strength of bonds he thought were long lost.

This book is for every child who's ever looked at their pet and wondered what adventures they might have when humans aren't watching. It's for readers who believe in magic hiding in ordinary places, who understand that sometimes the smallest among us can be the bravest heroes of all.

So grab your magical crystal key, pack some biscuit-shaped treats, and join Einstein on an adventure that will keep young readers turning pages long after bedtime!

Available NOW on Amazon! 🦴✨

#pawsofprophecy #nasherstale #middlegradelit #kidsbooks #magicalpets #dogadventures #newbook #bookrelease #childrenslit #kidlit #dogmagic #frankisgrey #francisgreyauthor #bookblr #bookishposts #animalfantasy #magicaladventures #middlegradefantasy #bookrecommendations #indieauthor #amazonbooks #readingcommunity #childrensbookworm #doglovers #animalmagic #magicaldogs #bookwithpets #booksaboutdogs #readingforpleasure #middleschoolbooks #juniorreaders #fantasyforchildren #magicalquests"

[authorfrancisgrey]

"🌙 'THE WOLF OF GRIMM PARK: CRIMSON SHADOWS' HAS EMERGED FROM THE FOG! 🌙

My new Victorian gothic fantasy has finally stepped out of the shadows, and I'm thrilled to invite you into the fog-shrouded streets of a London you've never seen before.

In a city where gaslights flicker and secrets hide behind every elegant façade, nineteen-year-old illustrator Archer Holloway has always been drawn to mysterious Grimm Park. He sketches faces that haunt his dreams there, never expecting one to manifest in flesh and blood.

Nathan Greyson appears like a figure torn from Archer's imagination—tall and imposing, with distinctive silver-streaked hair and amber eyes that seem to burn through the darkness. When Nathan saves Archer from a sinister ambush, he reveals a London concealed beneath layers of fog and propriety. A London where ancient magic flows through bloodlines, where hollow-eyed servants hunt in the night, and where the elegant Countess Ravenna Winterblood claims to be Archer's long-lost grandmother.

But as the blood moon approaches, Archer discovers the Countess is an ancient sorceress who sacrificed his parents and now requires his blood for a ritual that has persisted for centuries. With only his family's crimson cloak and Nathan's protection, Archer must uncover the truth about his bloodline before becoming the next sacrifice.

Archer never anticipated developing forbidden feelings for Nathan—a man who walks between human and wolf, whose loyalty might belong to the woman who seeks Archer's blood. As danger closes in from all sides, Archer must decide if he can trust a man whose nature changes with the moon.

This is the first in a Gothic Victorian trilogy featuring supernatural romance, werewolves, and a male retelling of Little Red Riding Hood that asks: What happens when the wolf might not be the villain of the story after all?

Available NOW on Amazon! 🐺✨

#thewolfofgrimmpark #crimsonshadows #newbook #bookrelease #adultbooks #fantasybooks #gothicfantasy #victorianwerewolf #frankisgrey #francisgreyauthor #bookblr #bookishposts #queerlit #lgbtqbooks #darkfantasy #werewolfbooks #gothicromance #booklaunch #bookrecommendations #indieauthor #amazonbooks #readingcommunity #bookworm #paranormalfiction #victorianfantasy #gayfantasybooks #queerparanormal #lgbtqfantasy #werewolfromance #fairytaleretelling #littleredridinghood #bookwitchery #gothiclit #booksouttumblr #paramormalromance"

[authorfrancisgrey]

"🎨 'THE ARTIST'S SHADOW' IS HERE! 🎨

My new novel has finally emerged from the canvas into reality, and I couldn't be more excited to share Lyra's story with you all!

Imagine discovering that art isn't just something you create—it's a doorway between worlds. That's what fourteen-year-old Lyra learns when she moves into her missing grandmother's cottage and finds paintings that whisper, shimmer, and move when no one's watching.

As Lyra develops her magical artistic abilities with special colour-shifting pigments (wouldn't we all love those?), she uncovers a family gift that lets her see beyond our world. But gifts like these always come with a price...and a choice no fourteen-year-old should make.

'The Artist's Shadow' explores the spaces between creation and destruction, between family loyalty and protecting the greater good, between this world and whatever lies beyond the frame.

Available NOW on Amazon! 🖌️✨

(And yes, if you're wondering why this story feels so real... let's say some of us know more about magical pigments than we're allowed to admit... 👻)

#theartistsshadow #newbook #bookrelease #yabooks #fantasybooks #magicalrealism #artmagic #frankisgrey #francisgreyauthor #bookblr #bookishposts #yabookblr #yafantasy #paranormalya #ghostlybooks #artisticmagic #booklaunch #bookrecommendations #indieauthor #amazonbooks #readingcommunity #bookworm #paranormalfiction #dimensionaltravel #familysecrets #yafantasybooks #bookishart #creativemagic #dimensionalmagic #paintingmagic #artwitchery #bookwitchery #magicalart #booksouttumblr #parallelworlds"

[authorfrancisgrey]

"The Flower Moon rises tonight, heavy and luminous against the indigo sky.

There's something different about this moon—the way it hangs just a little lower, how its light seems to catch on petals and leaves, turning ordinary gardens into otherworldly realms. I've always felt that this is when the boundary between worlds is at its thinnest, when stories whisper most urgently to be told.

My desk is prepared: candles made with pressed flowers from last spring, ink infused with rose petals and moonwater collected during the last full moon, pages waiting for words to bloom across them. The Flower Moon has always been when my characters speak most clearly to me—when the fae and witches and ancient beings who inhabit my stories seem to sit beside me, dictating their tales directly into my ear.

Tonight I'll write until my fingers ache, until the moon begins her descent toward morning. There's a novel brewing inside me that can only emerge under this particular light—something wild and beautiful and honest in ways I cannot access during ordinary nights.

Does anyone else feel this pull? This urgent creative tide that rises with the Flower Moon? I'd love to hear your experiences, your rituals, the ways in which you honor this magical time.

Perhaps we're all connected by silver threads of moonlight, writing our separate stories that are somehow part of the same ancient tale. 🌕🌸✨

#flowermoontales #witchywriter #moonmagic #francisgreyauthor #fullmooncreativity #writingwitchery #authorlife #magicalwriting #bloomingwords #spiritualcreativity #lunarwisdom #mysticalinspiration #witchesofftumblr #bookwitch #writingcommunity #nightblooms #moonlitpages #creativemagic #flowermoonritual #enchantedwriting #storytellingmagic #wordcraft #magicalrealism #witchythings #pagansoftumblr #writualmagic #quillwitchery #maymagic #springtimewisdom"

[authorfrancisgrey]

Buy The Wolf of Grimm Park: Crimson Park by Grey, Francis (ISBN: 9798282514803) from Amazon's Book Store. Everyday low prices and free deliv

[authorfrancisgrey]

MAY THE 4TH BE WITH YOU, FELLOW DREAMERS

Today, as we celebrate a certain beloved space saga, I find myself reflecting on the incredible power of storytelling.

As a creator of whimsical worlds where mechanical spiders weave bridges of light and magical pups save kingdoms, I owe so much to the stories that showed me just how far imagination could take us. Those tales of lightsabers and space battles, of hope restored and darkness overcome, were some of the first to show me that fantasy isn’t just escape—it’s a lens through which we can better understand our own reality.

The force of creativity connects all storytellers across time and space. We’re all just trying to capture a little magic, whether it’s set against the backdrop of distant stars or within enchanted forests here on Earth.

So today, I’m raising my blue milk in a toast to everyone who uses their imagination as a force for good, who creates worlds where heroes can rise, where differences are strengths, and where even the smallest creatures can change the fate of entire galaxies.

Remember: “Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter.” Our stories, our dreams, our creations—these are the things that truly connect us across the stars.

May the 4th be with you all, always.

(And yes, I’m keeping a close eye on my dogs today to ensure they don’t start trying to build lightsabers or X-wings out of household objects…)

#MayThe4thBeWithYou #StarWarsDay #Storytelling #CreativeForce #AuthorLife #DreamthornStudio #WhimsicalWorlds #CreativityForce #ImaginationUnleashed #MayTheFourth #WritingCommunity #StorytellerLife #MagicalWorlds #CreativeInspiration

[authorfrancisgrey]

✨ “PAWS OF PROPHECY: A NASHER’S TALE” - COMPLETED! ✨

After months of writing, rewriting, and lots of inspiration from my own four-legged companions, I’m thrilled to announce that my middle-grade fantasy novel “Paws of Prophecy” is FINISHED!

This book holds a special place in my heart, dedicated to my two most excellent companions—Nasher, my wise and loyal hero who taught me about quiet strength, and Einstein, my wild “excellent nut job” who reminds me daily that adventure is everywhere if we’re willing to chase it.

About the Book:

Einstein never thought he’d follow in the pawprints of his father—the legendary King Nasher—until a strange magic awakens in his paw, and the gravy rivers of the Biscuit Kingdom begin to vanish. With a glowing crystal key, a head full of questions, and a tail that won’t stop wagging, Einstein sets off on a quest through magical lands, mysterious ruins, and ancient prophecies.

But shadows are stirring. A forgotten clan has returned, and the kingdom’s fate may rest on more than magic—it may depend on Einstein’s courage, heart, and the strength of a bond that never truly faded.

The world of the Biscuit Kingdom came to me during those quiet moments watching my own dogs dream—their paws twitching as they chased rabbits or treats in their sleep. What magical worlds do our companions visit when they drift off? What adventures might they have that we can only imagine?

This story explores the special bond between pets and their humans, the courage it takes to live up to a legacy, and the discovery that our own unique magic is often different from—but just as powerful as—those we admire.

I can’t wait to share Einstein and Nasher’s adventures with you all! Thank you to everyone who supported me through this journey.

Would you like to know more about the magical system of crystal keys? The geography of the Biscuit Kingdom? Or how I developed Einstein’s character? Let me know in the comments!

#PawsOfProphecy #DreamthornStudio #MiddleGradeFantasy #DogMagic #BiscuitKingdom #KidsBooks #NewRelease #ChildrensFantasy #MagicalAdventure #DogLovers #BookAnnouncement #AuthorLife #WhimsicalWorlds #CompletedBook #FrancisGrey #NashersLegacy #CrystalKeys #ProphecyBook #MagicalPets #FantasyForKids #WritingCommunity #AmWriting #BookWriting #CreativeProcess #AnimalCharacters #FantasyWorldbuilding