#black snake

[cosmicbacklog]

Home and the World by Adam Fuss (2010)

Exploring the mystery, complexity and transience of life

[herpsandbirds]

Red-bellied Black Snakes (Pseudechis porphyriacus), males wrestling, family Elapidae, easternAustralia

Venomous.

2 males engage in ritualistic combat to win the right to pursue a nearby female.

photograph by Wild Portraits Australia

[gwynedd-chronicles]

[omg-snakes]

I realize I've reached a point where I feel more comfortable photographing my ratsnakes during handling. Historically, I haven't felt confident enough to keep hold of them one-handed so I usually don't take photos and just enjoy the moment with them, but they're all quite large and confident now and no longer wiggly/anxious/nippy. They still STINK but that's normal.

Here's Amaris Melantha.

[ellyfarren]

The completed cover for the novel BLACK SNAKE by Sam Farren

The once-humble village of Zaunis has become the centre of all humanity. By writ of the gods, the people have constructed a castle that will serve as a gateway to one of the twin moons watching over them, where they need not fear the ever-encroaching ice. Savu is amongst the thousands who have made the long journey south, though their exodus was no act of piety, nor was it driven by desire. They are one of the few survivors of Pallas, a country used as a stage by the surrounding kingdoms to wage war against one another. Savu now takes refuge in Keld, the country that finds it so easy to forget how brutally it annihilated their homeland. Savu cares little for the castle, now complete, or the promise of yet one more home to lose. As all of humanity makes its slow migration to Zaunis, Savu finds theirself pulled in countless directions by witches, Spearmasters, and gods alike. There is something within Savu that humanity needs, something kept secret from even them, but they only have so much left to give to the people and gods who sacrificed nothing for Pallas.

BLACK SNAKE, the prequel to Bitfrost, is available for pre-order now and releases on 13/06/25

US - UK - AUS - CAN - NL - DE - IN - MX

[flawless-imperfections]

Look who’s back!!

After 5 months missing, my amazing girl Morgana has emerged!! Genuinely thought I’d never see her again! I’m in disbelief, amazement and euphoria - ecstatic isn’t even the word!

Also, look how good she looks despite how long she was gone! She’s active, nice tongue flicks, eyes are clear, no sign of injuries, she’s clearly grown, she has great body condition and she’s weirdly tamer than she was before she went missing.

For precaution she’s on paper towel until I can get a fecal done to test for parasites to be on the safe side (she was obviously finding food somewhere!)

She’ll be in a large flat faunarium for a couple days just while I silicone her vents and make sure they’re sealed off properly. Once I’m happy they are I’ll deep clean the enclosure and put her back in her viv. I’ll give her a few days to settle back in before I give her a meal. She shouldn’t be in there too much longer though as all my reptile enclosures are being upgraded.

But wow…it’s great to have you back my spooky little noodle, I missed you so much🥹🥰🩷

UPDATE:

Morgana’s fecal came back completely free of parasites. This girl literally escaped, thrived, and came back months later like nothing happened😂

[godforsaking]

[castrel64]

Free Books!

With BLACK SNAKE available for pre-order, for the next five days (until 3rd June, 2025), all my books are free! (For any who don’t know, yes, they’re all about lesbians—)

There’s Bitfrost, the sequel to BLACK SNAKE. It tells the story of Metis, a frozen wasteland of a moon, from the perspective of Zaun, a woman preserving her memory via journals after a traumatic brain injury. It’s full of gods, snakes, snow, yet more snow, and a slowly dawning sense of hope—even if everything can’t be magically fixed in a world where magic very much does exist.

The Mountain God Sleeps On Its Back is the tale of Laslin, a god in a mortal shell, travelling the continent and answering prayers, alongside her trusty giant lizard and messenger-hawk. Laslin is joined by Avery, a woman who it never occurs to her to not be in love with, and comes to resent the way her body is slowly changing more than ever. The continent is surrounded on all sides by the Empty Ocean, and dread permeates the air whenever anyone approaches those endless cliffs. For all it’s about love at first sight, Mountain God is a slow-burn romance that touches on the cycle of gods and the horrors of the distant past.

The Rotting Hound is a shorter read, following Vaşak, the appointed knight of the Emissary of Saturn, newly reborn into a mortal vessel. It’s a story of unconditional devotion, a rather literal take on soulmates who can’t live without one another, and two terrible people who are perfect for each other.

The Shattering of the Spirit-Sword Brackish is a two-part series. Castelle, the last Greyser and rightful heir to the throne of Fenroe, has been in hiding for fourteen years. Rebels stormed the capital, slaughtering nobles indiscriminately, and Castelle was one of the few who managed to escape the castle and flee across the archipelago. Just as she’s growing unbearably frustrated with waiting and doing nothing, she’s kidnapped in the night by a woman with a face full of scars. Castelle gets to see her kingdom for the first time in over a decade and must reckon with the changes. There’s also a haunted sword that’s a lesbian.

The Dragonoak trilogy is my oldest work, but hey, people still seem to like it! A necromancer runs away with a passing knight and gets caught up in trouble that spans several continents.