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Im rooting for all knights/bodyguards who are in love with their charge/the one they are sworn to protect

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Lucian my sweet baby boy i love you so much

Lucian wasn’t sure what the protocol was for comforting a god who sat before you with despair and uncertainty on her face. He wasn’t even particularly good at comforting regular humans, let alone ones who’d become divine. He put down his spoon and reached across the table to tentatively take Imidris’ hand. It felt exactly the same as Aliyne’s did.

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Nyks!!!!! And Sleepy!!! 🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰

"Daniel has tried to teach me about memes and I don't think I did it right but I had Jae help me because he's better at art things and he also doesn't think I did it right, but he also also doesn't think I met a spirit in a forest, so whatever. I'm very happy Aspen is doing well. I wanted to enclose a sprig of rosemary here for them, but I lost it. Maybe they can grow some rosemary themselves. It smells nice. Love, Nyks."

welp, had to stop writing rival potion shops so Aspen could properly respond to this:

(Aspen looking at this meme)

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some arcane pirate au sketches

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This was so much fun!!!

A roundtable of queer and cozy authors discusses why we love the found family trope, what stories do it best, our favorite character dynamics within the trope, and why it rings so true for the queer community.

RK Ashwick (she/her) is the author of the cozy fantasy A Rival Most Vial and its sequel A Captured Cauldron, as well as the Lutesong trilogy beginning with The Stray Spirit. You can connect with her here @ashen-crest and at her website: rkashwick.com 

Tess Carletta (she/her) is the author of Kit & Basie, a queer cozy fantasy romance, its sequel collection Patchwork, and the forthcoming fantasy novel Goldheart. You can connect with her here @tesscarletta and at her website: tesscarletta.com

Noah Hawthorne (he/they), also writing as Aelina Isaacs, is the author of the queer cozy fantasy series Adventures in Levena, beginning with Phantom and Rook. You can connect with him here @noahhawthorneauthor and at their website: neshamapublishing.com

Sarah Wallace (they/she) is the author of the cozy Regency romantasy series Meddle & Mend beginning with Letters to Half Moon Street and coauthor with S.O. Callahan of the Fae & Human Relations series beginning with Breeze Spells and Bridegrooms. You can connect with them on instagram @sarah.wallace.writer

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Last Line Tag CCCXLVI

I was tagged by @space-writes! Thank you!

Have a little snippet from the final ockiss25 snippet I'm still working on! It's from Just Jane:

The door opened and Kell’s face appeared in the gap. “Jane?” “Here,” she responded. “What are you doing?” he demanded, slipping inside and shutting the door. “Following my plan, but in fancy party slippers instead of functional boots.” “We agreed your plan was too risky.” “You and Percy agreed my plan was too risky,” she corrected. “I have more faith in my skills.”

Jane and Kell are doing their thing (bickering) while Jane is doing her thing (crime).

I tag @akindofmagictoo, @winglesswriter, @chauceryfairytales, and anyone else who wants to play! As always, no pressure!

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Has your name every appeared in the credits of a book, or is it likely to in the near future? Then you should join AUTHORS AGAINST BOOK BANS! Transcript below the cut. A version of this zine formatted for print is available to download on my patreon.

Do you make books? Yes? I want YOU to join Authors Against Book Bans! By Maia Kobabe

WHAT IS AABB? 

A coalition of writers, illustrators, editors & other book creators, standing united against the unconstitutional movement to limit the freedom to read. We support the availability of diverse voices in our libraries, in our schools, & in our culture. We pledge to band together against the oppression of literature, to speak when our voices are silenced, to go where our bodies are needed, & to fight to ensure this freedom.

Our concern is not only for the books, but for the children, families, educators, librarians, & communities who suffer when the freedom to read is challenged and taken away.

WHAT CAN AABB OFFER YOU? 

- Regional groups working on legislation to protect authors & the freedom to read state-by-state

- Online trainings on digital security, public speaking, & how to counter book challenges in your community

-Affinity groups for BIPOC authors, queer authors, authors with disabilities, indie, nonfiction, romance writers & more

-Support if your book is challenged!

-A very active discord community

Author: What if my book hasn’t been challenged? 

Maia: JOIN!

Author: Ok, but what if I’m really busy and can’t do much organizing right now? 

Maia: JOIN ANYWAY! 

Even if all you do is sign up, your membership will help lend weight to the letters AABB sends to publishers & legislators. As of January 2025, AABB has 3500+ members. Check out the recent open letter to publishers on AABB’s socials & feel free to share it with your contacts. 

An Open Letter to Our Publishers- instagram.com/p/DCzYmKcR8uq

Maia: I’ve been facing intense challenges to my book since 2021. Knowing that I am not alone in the fight against censorship is what keeps my spirits up! 

Watching the folks in AABB share information, co-write legislation, show up to library & school board meetings, & speak up to publishers about the need to protect diverse books & minority authors has been amazing! 

This is a weird & scary time to be an author, but you are not alone! Join thousands of us fighting for the freedom to read, the freedom to write, the freedom to teach, the freedom to learn, & the freedom to share our stories!

AABB on instagram / AABB on bluesky

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i really like in fiction when they're like oh no!!! the bad guys are about to win!!! and Character Who Keeps Trying To Sacrifice Themself For The Greater Good is like. gentlemen i have an idea

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Aspen tucked the pencil behind their ear and she broke into a sob.

FUCK YOU CAL NOW I'M CRYING

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I've decided I need an Ambrose Beake plushie because once his series is over, I'm still going to need my emotional support potioneer in some shape or form. he's too bonded to my soul at this point.

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"If you're removing the epic quest, you need to replace that plot with something else"

^ this!

"But if you don't see the stakes as really meaning something to the characters, or get to know them enough to understand why the "low" stakes are actually so high for them, then there's nothing to hold onto."

^ also this!

Cozy fantasy can work. It's such a delightful way to dig into characters. To explore deeper, sensitive themes in a gentler way, for the author, the character, and the reader. To explore settings that might be ignored in darker or more epic genres. It just takes work- as does any book!

(and I'm just so, so glad people liked Rival.)

Cozy Fantasy and Why It Doesn't Work

I think I am among many who feel like they should love cozy fantasy and have found it an incredibly lacking genre.

This newly branded "cozy fantasy" genre that has taken readers by storm since 2020 and while it is new that books are now marketed as cozy, the genre itself isn't new. Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones is a great example of the genre before it was labeled and also how to make it work.

Cozy fantasy is defined by many as fantasy with low stakes. Fantasy aesthetic but less sword fights. On paper, it sounds great. But the execution has been less than stellar for readers like me. The lack of physical stakes has also impacted the emotional stakes of these books, creating forgettable characters with boring problems. As a romance reader, I find this frustrating. Romance is known for being a predictable and formulaic genre, the now defunct Romance Writers of America defined romances as needing happy endings, a term romances have continued to follow. Yet these romance texts manage to have low physical stakes (how to date your neighbor, how to confront your toxic friends, etc) while still maintaining high personal stakes that keep readers invested and begging for more. So I was initially confused why cozy fantasy authors struggle to write texts that connect to readers like me.

I think I have found the answer which is the genre is just here for vibes. It is all about aesthetic, not even worldbuilding that fantasy is known for as most cozy fantasy I read have so many problems as soon as you ask one question. It is hard to acknowledge that a genre that is pitched to work for readers like me doesn't work for many of us. Especially because occasionally there is one that works beautifully to my taste.

I often say my favorite cozy fantasies that are more contemporary are short and visual, which I plays into the idea of the genre being an aesthetic. The Bakery Dragon by Devin Elle Kurtz is a good example because it is a simple story that is given the perfect amount of pages and gorgeous visuals without dragging on when the message is very clear and easy to understand. Books like The Phoenix Keeper and Legends and Lattes have absolutely nothing for me, their very clear message hitting the reader over and over so the readers don't miss it and focusing on the aesthetic of worldbuilding rather than the reality of the fantastic elements within the world.

I guess my point is. . . I realize this genre isn't for me since I have realized it is more of an aesthetic than anything. .. .but I want it to be. Should I let it go and put my efforts elsewhere? Or should I keep exploring this new trend and find the hidden gems?

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why did I drink coffee before writing the final climactic chapter of tsc? why'd I do this to myself? I have questions. for myself. about my own actions.

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Hey everyone, I know it's going to be a busy day for a lot of people, but Google enrolled everyone over 18 into their AI program automatically.

If you have a google account, first go to gemini.google.com/extensions and turn everything off.

Then you need to go to myactivity.google.com/product/gemini and turn off all Gemini activity tracking. You do have to do them in that order to make sure it works.

Honestly, I'm not sure how long this will last, but this should keep Gemini off your projects for a bit.

I saw this over on bluesky and figured it would be good to spread on here. It only takes a few minutes to do.

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Daughter of fantasy villains decides to rebel against her parents by actually going through with her arranged marriage to a local golden retriever of a prince instead of running off with some local villain-to-be or conquering said golden retriever’s kingdom and ruling it solo like her parents expect her to. Plus, sue her, she’s into the clean-cut earnest look.

At the same time, local prince charming discovers that he’s actually very into the gothic fiance his parents have landed him with in order to try and establish peace with the local evil lair down the lane, he would never have guessed a spiderweb pattern could look so fetching on a ball gown…?

Meanwhile, two pairs of parents in a tizzy because they both expected their offspring to whole-heartedly reject this union and give them an excuse to conquer their goody-two-shoes/evil neighbours, they’re not supposed to actually like each other-!

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Hi ember

Storyday is every day! What are the personal subplots of your side characters, like what's going on with them adjacent to the main plot?

Hi Sleepy!!

Let’s see…

For Spirit’s Curse:

- Aspen is sorting out their new role as leader of spirits and what they want to do next vs what they should do next, and how that differs from their current life with Emry and Cal and the Guild

- Emry is also sorting out Aspen’s new role and what that means for their future together. He doesn’t feel like he can do things without Aspen, but that might have to change.

- Damir is dealing with a family reunion he didn’t want, and it’s dredging up his past. Fun times for him!

For Draught for a Dragon:

- Ambrose is dealing with Wedding Emotions(TM). Mostly about family, and how Scarrish weddings focus so heavily on traditional family and he doesn’t have one. It dredges up a lot of complicated emotions for him- his visibility in a wedding, his sense of belonging there, etc. He isnt yet engaged to Eli, but knows he will be, and is involved in Dawn and Rory’s wedding planning, which is what is inciting all these emotions.

- Meanwhile, Eli is both helping Ames with that and prepping his proposal to Ames.

- Meanwhile meanwhile, Nat is making Big Mistakes while trying to prove she belongs on the street. (She already belongs, of course. She just doesn’t get that.)

Thanks for the ask!!

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May I interest you in upcoming black bisexual books by black authors? Also a few bonus books which are not upcoming but I am looking forward to read them so I included them too!

Happy Black history month!

Books included:

Solo Stan by Talia Tucker @taliatuck

Where Shadows Meet by Patrice Caldwell

The Poisons We Drink by Bethany Baptiste

Iron Tongue of Midnight by Brittany N. Williams

Something Kindred by Ciera Burch

The Billion Dollar Dynasty by Dominique Davis

Flirting Lessons by Jasmine Guillory

Roar of the Lambs by Jamison Shea

Spiraling Out by Maya Ameyaw

An Arcane Inheritance by Kamilah Cole

Death Card by Jasmine Smith

Sparks Fly by Zakiya N. Jamal

Bonus books:

Everyone's Thinking It by Aleema Omotoni

More to Love by Georgina Kiersten

In The House of Transcendence by Amanda B. Weaver (formerly Amanda Ross)