I'm a Canadian and a self-published writer. I love reading, writing, talking about books, promoting other writers (sometimes sporaticaly as I'm still a little erratic about checking social media sites). I will sometimes share snippets of my writing and will talk about it to anyone who will listen. I also have three furballs who live with me and will randomly mention them.
About Writing.
I write about LGBTQIA+ characters because I am one, and there was a lack of representation and access to those stories while I was growing up. I wrote Residual Hate, a story about a lesbian mage who gets tangled up with a conspiracy while trying to help out oddballs.
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Here's this week's video! (At the end, I also shout out some authors from Our Tumblr Bookstore, a community that's linked in my pinned post. So, if you want to check that out and their books, you should definitely join!)
So, on this note, let me talk about my magic system. By @sarnai4 definition, it would indeed be classified as a hard magic system. I did delve into it a little bit in Residual Hate, and some aspects are further defined in Finding Balance. The basics, at a glance, are
1) Magic is fueled by a person's metabolism
2) Familiarity allows mages to boost each other; or weaken each other
3) The expression of said magic can vary
Now, to go down through the wormhole into my mind, and all the things I didn't go into fine detail about because omg it was already a long book.
1) While an arch mage has a greater capacity for output of strength, they are more vulnerable to the metabolic costs of said magic. So, a mage like Hitori will out-eat a larger non-mage like Kalen despite him being significantly larger in terms of body weight/size. She is vulnerable to the cold because of her size/caloric demand, and her growth was affected by Kamatari (see Finding Balance 2026 for details, but the overall concept was also in RH). Since she can passively draw in energy from her surroundings, her metabilic demand is always on, and her need for food is consistently high.
Her fellow archmages are slightly different. Aaron easily gets hangry after casting a lot of magic, and Adam's sweet tooth is kind of linked to him being a constant grazer. However, as they've aged, their need for food has also stabilized. They are in their sixties, and the magic they cast is on demand rather than in perpetual flux. They might need to gorge on occasion, but otherwise can get by on an average amount of food.
As a lower tier mage, Claren does not need to eat much more than any other man his size. He can still cast many spells a day, but he does not have the same potential output as Aaron (his bestie), or Adam (his partner). Does that mean all of his spells are weaker? No. Because
2) Familiarity and personality matters. Claren is a snoop, he loves finding out secrets, and he wants to know what is going on. His specialties in vision and tracking magic reflect that. His talents can eclipse and archmage like Aaron since his control over his power is targeted (think the cutting ability of a high focused lazer compared to a bazooka). Since his interests align with Aaron's, they work well, and they can play to each other's strength.
Going deeper, Adam is a healer and a barrier mage. He wants to protect others (ie. Claren) from outside threats and keep them safe. He does not have a taste for offensive magic because that is Aaron's strength, and he always hid behind his brother growing up. While he can be an aggressive cactus, he knows he's more effective as a support. He can boost his brother by being the shield and allowing him to be the weapon, he can be the healer Claren needs as a chronically ill individual, and he wants to preserve the centre of magical learning (Halesborough).
His weakness? Familiarity. Claren can get through his shields because they have been close for so long, that he cannot/does not want to guard effectively against his presence. Magic in Cypressia is based on lifeforce given a boost. He wants Claren to stay close, and is used to layering that into his magic. He can defend against outside threats, but anything that was made by him could be a chink in his spells. For instance, once Hitori made a pathway to Adeliva's clothes, her magical shield became weaker. When she channeled magic into an Opal full of Adeliva's power, she also weakened her shield to the consequences of breaking it (backlash). She made herself vulnerable by seeking connecrion.
However, that same connection can be a boost. She and Faylin can work together to cast stronger magic since song, dance, and woven materials are all intricately linked in patterns. They both draw in energy, and they can shape it with motion (Hitori's pattern dance) or words (Faylin's song). Together, Adam and Aaron could use their blood ties to basically overpower an army between their strengths and understanding of each other. Claren and Aaron could hunt down anything, if Aaron acted as sword and shield while Claren focused as the hound.
So to break that connection, to sever that weakness? You need to break the bond. You need to cut that person from your life, lose familiarity, and remove any hesitation from your soul so your instincts do not tell you to reach out.
3) Hitori was rejected from her homeland. She is an archmage with few ties. So her magic reaches out to reflect that subconscious need to not be alone. She draws in energy, and that terrifies her because she knows it is something she is not allowed to have. She wants to build patterns, wants to make real things to help others, but she needs to hide her true self in many ways. So she pretends to only be a stitch witch. She hides her strength because of past rejections
Faylin appears to have connections, but they are mostly superficial. They are built on words, promises and platitudes for a wealthy nobleman with no real power as the young 3rd son. He wants to be noticed. He wants to make a splash, be loud, and be praised. His song magic satisfies those things, and his strength increases when people join in.
Then you have Adeliva. Someone who was not socialized at a young age. Her parents lied to her about their desires, and they lived in an isolated space in the woods. Once her latent magic was uncovered and released, she found people overwhelming. She now knows everyone's thoughts, and her survival instincts are screaming at her. Hitori saves her, but for how long? What is her worth? Can she help? Can she repay a kindness when she is ignorant of the world and society?
4) Finally? Consequences. Too much magic, too little food? Your body breaks down. Too much stress? Your control slips. Get unlucky enough to be born with magical anemia? Your lifeforce slowly dwindles.
Does all of the above ever get explained in equally rambling detail in the books? No. As Sarnai mentioned, people would be overwhelmed.
So psychology+ life energy+ environmental triggers = my system? @meharker , tagging you because of notifications.
this was so fun and unique thank you so much!!! ive always loved mermaids this was so fun sjfklsjfklds i was so tempted to pull a hamlet and have my mermaid hold the skull and be a siren but i decided to make it look normal jsdklfjsdlkfjsd
Thank you for the tag🥰🥰!!! Almost let out a happy squeal when I saw all the mermaids😍! Had to make my girl, Adara (from the Changing Waters Trilogy).
This cracked me up because each time I tried to make her look less villainous, it seemed less like her🤣. She is NOT a villain in the story, but she is a very ruthless heroine. So...take that as you may. She doesn’t hold the skull of her enemy in the books, but she totally would if given the chance.
@somesouthparkfan23 So you can make Narissa! Open tags for who else wants to play!
Since I've already shown the main cast here on Tumblr for the Rumpel Story, I figured I'd have a little fun and show their heights in relation to each other!
I wanted to have a tall FMC, so we've got Roj on the far left. Don't underestimate Egon despite his size, though! He could easily kill everyone here if he wanted to. Thankfully, he's a nice imp :D. And then we have our resident, literal giant, Anatjari too.
[This is for my October 2028, horror-fantasy trilogy! It's a spin on the classic tale of Rumpelstiltskin and features underrated mythology from all around the world. If you'd like to be added to the alert list for this story when it comes out [or the tag list, so you'll see updates as I work on it], just let me know in the comments or reblogs!]
Part 3 of the Avatar the Last Airbender AU that incorporates @steph-manser's cast from Residual Hate!
This story imagines a world where Aang ISN'T the last airbender, but he's one of few. They were almost hunted down, so they're very rare now. Fortunately, one bender just happens to be an airbender AND firebender and now, he's infiltrating the Fire Nation. (I also might have just brought Iroh into the story :D. Love him!)
i am still here, still alive, still doing fine, just very very burnt out from marketing and author social media and all the work that comes from being a self published author. i know it's what i signed up for, but with the state of the world, ai entering our spaces, and few people having the bandwidth to actually stay and engage with my content about my books, it's been hard for me to summon the motivation to promote them.
that said, i do have a new romantasy novel coming out next month, about a king who meets his soulmate who happens to be his war prisoner- probably the last book you'll hear about from me for a while. i still love writing as much as i always have, and i have switched mainly to writing fanfiction for the pitt everyday (you can find my sideblog @hawksredrobe for that!) but marketing is a bitch.
so if you enjoy queer indie novels and want to support them, give my books a try, or boost this post :)
(Just in case anybody wants a look into my bizarre plans🤣)
Changing Waters (2/3 Published): This is my debut action-fantasy and has one more released planned for January 2027 before it's complete! It follows a young sorcerer and mutated, aquatic person named Kostas, his best friend (a mermaid named Adara), and other villagers of an underwater kingdom. For the youths' entire lives, mutated subjects have been getting massacred by the royal soldiers thanks to the orders of the corrupt royal vizier. Now, it's time to fight back...or accept death. The general vibes include found family, friends-to-lovers romance (no-spice), high stakes, drama, coming-of-age, and twists & turns. It's a war, so who can you trust and who will make it out alive?
Greek Skits-ology (Published): This was my 2nd book! It's an anthology and comedy all set in the world of Greek mythology. There are retellings, interviews, and therapy sessions. It's also the shortest story on the line-up, so it's good for having some mostly light-hearted fun. (I say "mostly" because there's still trauma involved. I'm still me😀. I.e. the therapy sessions...) The vibes for this one are pretty silly, though. Not much is meant to be taken seriously, so you admittedly can still learn about the myths, but there's a tongue-in-cheek tone.
Mind of a Pirate (Published): This was my first adult book. It stars Lesia Hunte, a 25-year-old pirate captain from Barbados. Pirates and psychology get to blend on her ship, The Clinic, where neurodivergent people are given a home and family instead of only facing the abuse they've come to expect in the year 1700. This story is mostly about self-improvement, learning to love who you are regardless of what others say, and opening up to those who care about you. There are also elements of low fantasy!
War Siblings (WIP. Slated for May 2027): This is my Greek myth drama trilogy! It stars Athena and Ares, showing them grow from young gods who are trying to figure out the world and the politics of Olympus, then eventually become the fearsome gods we know from myths. (It's just not exactly how the myths say.) Book 1 is upper YA, but I think book 2 gets into new adult territory. I'm predicting the same for book 3 although I haven't started writing that one yet. Expect drama, grief, a mentally ill lead, suspense with royal politics, and plenty of family and sibling dynamics.
Rumpel Story (WIP. Slated for October 2028): This is going to be my intro to horror. It's an adult horror-fantasy trilogy that does a spin on the classic tale of Rumpelstiltskin, all mixed in with some myths from around the world that I don't think get enough attention. It stars Roj, a young witch who was adopted by an imp shortly after her birth. When her normal (to her) life gets turned upside down, she's thrown into a world of monsters she's never seen and a band of warriors tasked with keeping balance. The vibes here are spooky, but she's also someone who copes with humor, so there is some comedy here and there. Otherwise, lots of familial and platonic love and learning to push yourself past your limits.
Big Series (WIP. Slated for 2030): This is by far my longest series. It also has 2 parts, the second acting as a sequel. To focus on part one, it's got a dual POV with half of the story starring Faruq, an oddly quiet orphan from Bonaire who wants little more than to be left alone. Unfortunately, that doesn't happen. When people start going missing, he's pulled down a rabbit hole and into danger. The other half stars Renné, a young girl from France whose mother is a zoologist. After getting approached by someone who wants to create genetically-altered people, Renné is exposed to a world just beginning to have superheroes and villains. The vibes here are dealing with crime fighting, abuse and traumas, found family, action, psychology, and mental health.
Loved to Death (WIP. These last 3 titles are not the official names. Slated for 2031): This is a horror-romance that I'm planning. We see dating shows all the time with...questionable therapists on the team to make sure everyone is okay. In this world, they're upfront with the fact that they are picking people based on views and potential for drama. The name of the game? Finding love. The prize? Your life. Either fall in love by the end of this trainwreck or die trying! The vibes here are: Absurdity, various forms of horror like psychological, gruesomeness, trauma, fake dating, and high stakes. Basically, I want to try writing a romance book that would genuinely hold my interest, so it had to get horrific!
Businesses have their 5 year plan and I do too! If any of these sound neat to you, I hope you'll follow along for the journey and/or check out the books that are already available!
(Really brief for anybody who's curious about what's next, these are a couple extra WIPs that are too vague/too far out to go into depth here, but I'll give a teeny taste: Flamingoes! High school/crime drama with fish. Egyptian mythology gets a turn. A hard sci-fi novel that's hopefully not too ambitious for me. Genies(?)! And Moots in-person. Okay, that's enough for now🤣. I'll make a new one of these when I have enough new projects that are fleshed out)
This link will show you all the mainstream stores, but it's also available on my Itch.io page!
The sort of is paperbacks and hardcovers. There's some conflcts with ISBN's and Ingram can print a placeholder file if I upload that, so I'm having to wait to upload the final post-proofread file, which should have them all going up next week.
So if you want to preorder the ebook, you can do that now. If you'd like to preorder the paperback or hardcover, those should be going up somewhere around the 22nd-25th of May. Estimate!
So, I'm super excited about seeing Darkling on store websites, but why should you also be super excited?!
Because I'm offering Preorder Goodies!
Both physical and digital preorder gifts!
After you've preordered your copy of Darkling, head on over to the new "Preorder" page on my website and submit your details.
If you'd like to recieve the physical preorder items, I will need you to send me an address and name that your country's postal system will recognise!
(I sent a friend something to their PO Box once, and it got sent back because I didn't have the legal name attached to the POBox, so please keep that in mind)
If you'd like the digital item pack, I'll need you to enter the email address you'd like it sent to.
None of the information you enter on this form will be retained, in any way, after I have delivered your items via email or to my local post office.
And what am I offering?!
Physical Items!
Handwritten Thank You!
Printed Character Art of Lizzy
Art of Lizzy's Pendant as a Sticker
Fey Touched Fridge Magnet
Optional Signed Bookplates
Digital Items!
Bonus Scene from Booker's POV set between books 1 & 2
