#(this isn’t the ghost lesbian book)

[daisdu]

Oh my gd, homoerotic birdwatching

[padfoot-lupin77]

Watching Dead Boy Detectives and, well, thoughts while watching:

The cat king is so much worse than I imagined.

“You know you can think things without saying them. Edwin’s obviously jealous” jkfjxdkdkfkhfkd Crystal out here solving the real mysteries

Charles Rowland you are a fucking genius (episode 4, after kicking the bitch lady in the fish)

Why the FUCK are Charles and Crystal making out

Do I want Monty to get out of the way? Absolutely. Do I want him to have a character development and call Esther out on her shit? Of course. Do I still hate him a little? Yeah just a little

Crystal don’t drink that, Maren is about to drug you. (CALLED IT!)

Psychopath lesbians weren’t what I was expecting out of this

Clutching your heart after hugging your best friend isn’t usual platonic behavior. Just saying, Edwin.

David is my mortal enemy. Well. He’s not mortal. But he’s my enemy so still.

“I have feelings for you too” GOOD FOR YOU MONTY! BUT: the feelings he has, are NOT for you so 🤷‍♀️

Tragic Mick’s is Magic Tricks with the first letters swapped

Monty DON’T make me change my mind I don’t quite hate you yet DON’T waste your chance of being on my good books LEAVE my boys alone pls and ty

Can people PLEASE start respecting Jenny’s boundaries

EDWIN DESERVES THE WORLD

Jenny has had enough near-death experiences by now she should be able to see the ghosts (update:🙃)

Can someone murder Esther or send her to hell or smth

Go kiss somewhere else not in front of Edwin you motherfuckers (affectionately)(but also pls stop hurting my boy Edwin)

If Esther isn’t dead and my boys aren’t free by the end of the season I’m suing Netflix

Monty be useful FOR ONCE and turn back to human to save your ex crush and his crush

If the snake starts speaking I’ll lose it

I love Charles so much

Jfkhfdkdkjfdgjdgsgfshfs

[dykefemmegf]

My name is Bunny (they/them) (18) and I’m a nonbinary lesbian. my main acc is @svgarg0re and my asks and dms are open!! <3

my blog is centered around being a femme4butch lesbian! some posts are nsfw, so MDNI (18+) and cis men dni!

i have a boyfriend (he/they) @ghost-of-a-butch

🤍: my butch, cats, jellyfish, dogs, ice cream, snow, books, rain, stuffed animals, mini skirts, lesbians, witchcraft, kemonomimi, vulture culture, horror, poetry

💔(dni): terfs, cis men, straight men, diet accounts, homophobes, transphobes, minors, dykebreakers, race/age play

just pls use common sense, if my blog isn’t for you, keep scrolling!

[cabeswaterdrowned]

book recs? My fav books are trc, aftg, soc, shadowhunters/riordanverse etc and the likes (so basically the most basic literature taste known to man) thanks!

well I enjoy all of those and trc is my fav series so will give you a couple of my main fantasy recs along those lines or not dissimilar and throw in one of my fav thrillers which is very gay and explores dark themes for aftg adjacent rep, and then another suspense book i love. I sort of went with books i could draw some type of lines of comparison to at least one of the books you mentioned.

•The Diviners series by Libba Bray — this is my go to ya fantasy rec these days, it’s historical urban fantasy with some horror and mystery elements. It’s set in 1920’s New York, book one opens focusing mainly on Evie and a specific case of a ghost serial killer but introduces other chars, after the first book it becomes more about an ensemble cast of Diviners who have different supernatural powers and their dynamics, also the main antagonist is bigotry and hate which I’m aware is a concept that can be done poorly in fantasy and I won’t pretend every beat of it is flawless but it is my favorite example of a fantasy series take on that concept that I’ve read. More importantly stunning character work I especially adore the female chars among the diviners Evie Theta and Ling, Ling is one of the most special characters ever and these books should be worth reading because of her INTP canon ace lesbian with autistic swag realness alone. 

I definitely would recommend it to TID/TLH fans for the historical setting and atmosphere as well as some of the playing with man vs machine + to TRC/TDT fans for the characterization and also the second book is largely about Henry and Ling learning about their dream powers and developing a friendship through this and also Ling has a narrative foil in dreamspace she’s gay with just think some of those idea would resonate with trcers + to SoC fans for the ensemble dynamics. 

•The Gemma Doyle trilogy by Libba Bray

This is one I used to describe to people as The Gangsey all girls au set in Victorian London and that’s not fully accurate but it works enough to be a pitch, but basically it’s about this group of four girls who go to a boarding school together and discover a sort of parallel world where they can bee free and realize their ambitions detached from society, but in the real world they’ve awakened horrors they must deal with too. I need to reread this one but it was deeply formative, if you love messy complicated female friendship dynamics and paranormal/mystical plots that are just creepy enough this is for you. Also my favorite character in it is a gay blonde mean girl character who is ambitious and wants autonomy above all else but does also love her friends fiercely Felicity Worthington you will always be famous <3 if you enjoy Jessamine Lovelace and Grace Blackthorn from TSC she has strong parallels to both those chars imo and is better written/handled arc wise. But I will tell you that the other wlw char in the book who is her love interest dies there is byg, just so you no one gets mad at me for that. But still very worth the read imo. 

•The Daughter of Smoke and Bone trilogy by Laini Taylor

this series is a mix of urban fantasy and high fantasy, the first book is set mainly in Prague but large parts of the other books take place in a fantasy world called Eretz so there is a fun parallel worlds element. But it’s about Karou who is one of theee protagonists of the 2010s yet got paid dust justice for my girl, and she’s an art student in Prague who was raised by a family of monsters (chimeara), her surrogate father is Brimstone and he has a business of selling wishes for teeth that Karou sometimes helps with but is frustrated that she isn’t allowed to know why or what they’re for. Karou’s dynamics with the chimearas and with her best friends Zuzana who is also a wonderful character and inspo for my letterboxd url rabidfairy09, are really lovely and the prose is so beautiful… but the story really takes off when the love interest Akiva is introduced I won’t go into details about that because spoilers, but they have one of my absolute favorite romances in the genre that does subvert and play with those paranormal forbidden star crossed romance tropes in ways I think are quite fascinating. Books 2 and 3 are more complicated to describe there is an essential conflict between chimeras or devils vs angels in this world so there’s your modern tsc connection, and very lyrical prose although I find Lainis even lusher and more elegant than trc prose. 

• Sawkill Girls by Clara Legrand 

Ya horror book that I remember reading over the summer in high school and I think it’s a good summer read tonally, part of the plot is one of those stranded on an island survival stories but it’s less intense than like Yellowjackets (no cannibalism), I don’t actually have much to sell about the plot I just enjoyed the vibes and also there are lesbians one of whom is an ambitious driven abuse survivor who had an arc I remember really liking.

•Wild Beauty by Anna-Marie Mclemore I actually really love all the books by her I’ve read but I think this is a great one to start with. Basically there are multiple generations of women who are all witches living together (300 fox way vibes), and Estella has several cousins and she and them are all in love with the same woman who is the daughter of the man who owns the estate, and there’s a thing where boys and this family keep disappearing and then one of them shows up and resulting drama. The main romance is m/f but like all the female chars being bi, it is a good romance from my memory but the main event is the familial dynamics, the main character Estella’s arc around dealing with her internalized self hatred and a lot of anti colonial themes those anti colonial themes and themes of multigenerational trauma are very relevant in all the Mclemore I’ve read so yes, very much would read her starting with this book. Also very gorgeous prose as is in all her magical realism stuff. 

•this one is already quite popular on tumblr so you may have read it but The Folk of the Air series by Holly Black, if you enjoy the cutthroat gang in SoC and that high fantasy world I think you would enjoy it I also get some Zoya vibes as well as Kaz vibes from Jude the main heroine. Won’t bother with detailed description because again, very popular books. 

•Wayward Children series by Seanan McGuire

basically a series of portal fantasies or fairytales for adults, they are all novellas and it’s an ongoing series following several different chars not all of whom appear in each book. But I enjoy them and I think if you like Riordanverse this is like an adult fantasy take on similar concepts in a way, even though it’s not directly mythology based.

•The Locked Tomb series by Tamsyn Muir

This is the other tumblr popular series on the list and has a good amount of overlap with trc/aftg/soc fans so will only give the brief pitch that it’s adult sci fantasy and about lesbian necromancers in space. You will be very confused at least some of the time but it is worth it, trust me. 

•Black Iris by Leah Raeder 

new adult psychological thriller with a sapphic romance that slaps so hard. Delaney Keatings is one of my favorite unreliable narrators and also just an A+ character, there’s not a lot I can say about the actual plot because a lot of it is psychological but will give one other plot hint: vigilantes. Definitely look up trigger warnings before reading this there’s a lot about homophobia and also references to sexual violence, drug use a lot more it’s very in line with Aftg in terms of like, grittiness in that regard. Do highly recommend. 

•Dare Me by Megan Abbott 

like with Mclemore I love this author in general and would recommend everything I’ve read by her but this was my first book of hers so it’s a good introduction, and also a lot of it is about girls on a cheer team having homoerotic psychosexual dynamics as well as the murder, so it’s also in line with aftg thematically in that way. gay sports media. 

There are a lot of others but I don’t want to make this list ridiculously long so… here are some recs <3 thank you so much anon for letting me ramble and I hope you like them!

[thepunkmuppet]

OKAY SO HEAR ME OUT

take this with a massive huge grain of salt, this is NOT a theory, or even necessarily a proper prediction, just a possible plotline for cinderella’s castle that my brain cooked up in the shower just now. I don’t expect this to happen, I won’t be upset if it doesn’t, it’s just a thought I had and I wanted to share it.

SO we’re all thinking this might have elements of the movie labyrinth in it right? with the font, costumes, the addition of “trolls”, and the frog and mouse characters being similar in concept to the side character puppets in that movie, I think it’s pretty likely to be a sort of mish-mash of cinderella and labyrinth.

so my idea is this: to begin with, cinderella lives with her nasty troll stepfamily, and she either has a baby sibling like in labyrinth, OR a high and mighty prince boyfriend who only comes to shag her and then treats her like a peasant around other people. either way, she gets mad at that person, wishes they would disappear, and boom kim’s character arrives, and she’s basically the jared of this story. she whisks the baby / prince away to her castle (which may be at the centre of a labyrinth?? idk) and says that if ella doesn’t come for them by the time the clock strikes twelve, they’ll be hers forever.

ella sets off on this quest, meets the little puppet characters along the way, whatever. she gets to the castle, and faces off with kim’s character, who reveals that none of this was about the person ella was trying to save, but about ella herself. and she summons her stepmother and stepsisters, and ella fights them, finally taking revenge for her real family and facing up to her fear, as they are the real villains of the piece.

now I want this to be a lesbian show as much as anyone else, and it still could be, but basically my idea is that kim’s character actually isn’t a villain at all, but the fairy godmother, and this whole thing was to equip ella with the skills and life lessons to be able to face her step family. she is either presented as a homoerotic love interest for ella (obviously in that case with a title other than “godmother” lmfao), or she is in fact the ghost of her mother. I reckon if the baby was stolen, she would be ella’s mother, if the boyfriend was stolen, she would be ella’s love interest, make sense? it changes the dynamics a lot I feel.

the book that details the basic story lore in this video says that “the lady ashmore was burned at the stake for the crime of witchcraft”, so this could very well be her! the spirit of a witch returned from the grave to help her daughter get revenge and take her life back.

oh and there would be a ball theme / setting in the castle in the final battle because. well yk :)

but yeah that’s just my deranged idea, probably gonna be a nerdy prudes situation where I come up with a whole ass musical in my head and the real thing is NOTHING like it, but yeah idk I thought this was pretty cool :) lmk what you think in the notes!!

oh and the prince would be played by curt mega btw. he would be annoying asf but very cunty

[mybiggaybooktour]

Join the team for V.S. Holmes' January tour of Emissaries before DECEMBER 23.

To sign up to be a host click HERE.

Samsara’s dead have chosen Nel. And the cacophony calls for justice. Archaeologist Dr. Nel Bently has never been farther from home. With a tenuous ceasefire from Lin’s rebellion force and genocidal Harris behind electrobars, Nel dares to hope she might finally return to Earth. But the nagging whispers that dogged her flight are much, much louder. Nel is no stranger to giving a story and voice to the dead, but she never thought it would be so literal. ​With the ghostly cacophony calling for justice, she and Lin set out across the sinister jungle of the Nalawangsa estate. The depths of the overgrown satellite hold the terrible secret behind Samsara’s ghosts, but unless she and Lin can work together, Nel will lose more than just her leg. And their incendiary relationship isn’t helped by the fact that Nel can’t decide whether she wants to kiss Lin, or blast her out the nearest airlock. Dar is comatose, Emilio is exhausted, and the dead need a voice. But Dr. Nel Bently is far better at wielding her temper and trowel than her words.

Dates: January 13 - 17, 2025Author: V.S. Holmes

Series: Stars' Edge: Nel Bently Books (final book, book 6 of 6)

Genre: Adult science fiction, lgbtq sci-fi, sci-fi romance

Representation: Lesbian POV, gay, bi, trans side characters

TW: medical horror, body horror, semi-toxic partner, loss of limb (off page)

[cavaecor]

wasn’t that lorelei andersen walking the cobbled roads of coňstanja? it’s nice to see the gardener and about on such a fine day as this. i’ve heard from the court spies that they are notoriously talentless whilst also managing to be quite determined. the twenty-six year old is eager to explore bran keep. i heard that they themselves are not divine. it’s funny, whenever i think of them, i think of a gracious heart sullied by an infatuation with revenge, a sisyphean resistance to your own ineptitude, and the growing suspicion that you’re in over your head. 

STATS

FULL NAME : lorelei edelweiss quintessa andersen  AGE : twenty-six GENDER / PRONOUNS : cis woman / she/her ORIENTATION : lesbian OCCUPATION : gardener  FAMILY : quintessa andersen, luthor andersen (father), percival andersen (older brother ☠️) FACECLAIM : alisha boe INSPIRATION : love quinn (you), misa amane (death note), tokio (money heist), hanna marin  (pretty little liars),  TRAITS : positive (determined, daring, creative, fun-loving, intuitive, passionate, sentimental, persuasive, protective) / negative (aimless, childish, cowardly, destructive, devious, dogmatic, foolish)

ABOUT

lorelei andersen is born to a family of lesser noble standing— well off enough that the family is accustomed to luxury, but nothing noteworthy enough to be recorded in history books. neither of her parents are divine, so when her brother is born, the first born solarui son— he becomes the light of their lives. after all, it is the planets that orbit the sun. 

she grows to adore him all the same, and despite their rather significant age gap, the pair are inseparable. lorelei follows her brother around and is often likened to his shadow. hijinks find them constantly, the two having endless fun around their family’s manor.

when lorelei’s brother enters the service, she’s sad, angry, and most of— bored. sad because he isn’t there, angry that he made her feel this way (an anger misplaced at best), and bored without her brother to entertain her. 

she’s not particularly good anything. a mundane second daughter who need not aspire to anything else, because her golden boy eldest brother had those bases covered alreeady. there was never any resentment toward her brother— if there weren’t people like her, people average, and not particularly good at anything, then how could others ever hope to be exceptional?

when your brother returns from the army, lorelei immediately notices this difference. she’s changed some, but he’s changed immensely. colder now, and with little time for their childish hijinks any longer. a difficult pill to swallow, but one she hasn’t a choice in doing. 

his engagement to a noblewoman of similar standing comes as little surprise. when she meets her, she decided it was marriage doomed to fail— though how it would reach such failure evaded her. insipid men like her brother did not last long with women like theia. he’s none the wiser to this— an ignorance that only serves as confirmation to lorelei’s suspicions. 

yes, it’s true she suspected he wouldn’t last— but the news of her brother’s death is still unexpected. especially so soon. they’d only been married a year or so, after all. and he’d been dead. the pillar of the andersens is deceased, leaving the remaining members uprooted. her parents are ghosts of their former selves. as time passes, lorelei understands this is a void she’s  incapable of filling.

the rumors are impossible to ignore. even without official confirmation of such, lorelei believes her brother’s death to be theia’s doing. she knows she can’t prove it— only her life in exchange for her brother’s will suffice. an eye for an eye.  

it’s easy to convince her parents to let her live coňstanja as a gardener, after all, she’s sure her former sister in law wouldn’t mind keeping an eye on her— with little to know knowledge that she intended to do the same to her. for lorelei edelweiss quintessa andersen would avenge her older brother at any and all costs. for, revenge was not an art one had to be exceptional in— merely good enough to get by. 

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

By: Wilfred Reilly

Published: Jan 1, 2025

It’s always worth remembering that the person responsible for probably 95 percent of what you do is you.

Now that we Westerners know we mostly do have free will, no one seems to like using it. A few days before New Year’s Eve, writing for a — nay, the — conservative magazine, this strikes me as a point worth discussing.

We saw what I’ll call agency-rejectionism first — in very recent discourse — from the feminists. A few weeks back, British pornographic actress Lily Phillips opted to have sex with 101 men in a “gang-bang” scene which she orchestrated and choreographed. The almost universal reaction from women’s advocates was that the fit but slender, blonde Phillips was being abused.

Self-described lesbian radical feminist Julie Bindel penned a raging column for the U.K. Guardian, bold-headlined “Shame on the Men Exploiting Lily Phillips.” Tens of thousands of angry women supported this take across social and digital media, with one typical take being Polly Clark’s: “Lots of men congratulating other men . . . in the face of televised abuse of a woman. Evil is always legalistic and careful with its terms. The Lily Phillips case is not about ‘sex.’ This isn’t about sex. It’s bestial abuse of another human being.” A full list of these responses, including Bindel (again), calling for prison for “any man involved in the torture of this woman,” and the more gender-neutral Hot & Freddy demanding “death penalty for all the dudes,” can be found here.

Unfortunately for Phillips’s unrequested “defenders,” however, there exists basically no evidence of (actual, legal) abuse in her case. Phillips is a 23-year-old adult from a fairly wealthy family, who cleared five British GCSE (“G-level”) exams and went on to college. She has never been sexually abused and describes herself — in one of the articles just linked — as not being a victim of any kind. Her financial manager is her own, feminist, mother. The young woman currently runs a for-profit OnlyFans business, managed by an all-female staff of eight, has made more than $2,500,000 (£2,000,000) to date, and stands to make hundreds of thousands more from her most recent stunt.

As it happens, she not only choreographed that event but booked the setting for it — a nice little Airbnb, now very worried about cleaning and fumigation costs — invited all of the male participants, and contracted with the professional film crew. She now, apparently, plans on a larger-scale repeat. The actress’s new goal is to break the “world sex record” by engaging with 1,000 men in a day (the current mark is 919). Those interested in a casting call may apply here. Perhaps women simply have personal agency, just as men do.

Moving on, a similar wailing cry of, “How could society fail (X amoral person)?” was heard an ocean away at about the same time, when U.S. Marine veteran Daniel Penny was acquitted on the charge of the choking death of vagrant Jordan Neely during a subway fight. A simple Google search for “We all failed Jordan Neely” turns up hundreds of thousands of hits, including predictable drivel from the New Yorker (“The System That Failed Jordan Neely”), USA Today’s main opinion editorial (“Daniel Penny’s Acquittal Isn’t Cause for Celebration”), the Washington Post (“Penny Verdict Reveals How New York City Failed Jordan Neely”), and a major piece from the National Coalition for the Homeless (“Justice Denied: Honoring Jordan Neely and Demanding Change”).

A consistent theme throughout this national coverage is that “America” failed to provide Neely with housing or clean clothing or medical treatment — and that Penny went too hard on him in that train car, perhaps for this reason. But is this empirically true? Not really.

As it happens, Jordan Neely had pretty high-quality housing available to him at the time of his death. He simply opted not to live in it. As the New York-focused website Vital City points out, “in lieu of prison” in a recently decided criminal matter, “Neely was offered 15 months of (free) supportive housing and intensive outpatient psychiatric treatment.” However, he “absconded” from his bungalow after less than two weeks. He was given psychiatric medications while in treatment, but also opted to stop taking these pills: obviously, by default while still under their influence and aware that he could not safely do so.

Not only was Neely’s overall situation largely his fault, so was the very specific situation that led to his death. What is often misleadingly described as Neely “using colorful language” with other passengers on his train car, or “asking them for food and water,” was actually — per my best-possible compilation from several articles and police reports — the phrase: “I’ll hurt everyone here! I will KILL you! I don’t care if I go back to prison!” This obviously insane behavior prompted not merely Daniel Penny but several other random male citizens to confront and restrain Neely.

One glance at Neely’s arrest record would only have strengthened the unsurprising, absolutely correct conclusion that Daniel Penny and his fellow subway heroes drew from their opponent’s crazed ranting and filthy appearance. As it happens, Neely had been locked up some 42 previous times, for crimes including an unprovoked subway attack on a 67-year-old woman (which shattered her orbital bone), breaking the nose of a different subway rider, “pulling down his pants and exposing himself” to an unsuspecting young woman on a train, and attempting to snatch a pre-teen girl away from her guardians . . . in a train station. Neely’s encounter with Penny was only the latest — and, as it turned out, the last — time he fought with strangers on the NYC public rails.

On X and Facebook, we are currently seeing a broader example of the same trend of personal responsibility denial — and one which may hit closer to home for tax-paying readers of this article. Monorail salesman, likely genius, and of-late GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy just began a major conversation and attracted an apple-throwing mob by — while defending most recipients of H-1B foreign “talent” visas — pointing out that white and black American youth may not be the hardest working imaginable occupants of the classroom.

Quoth he: “The reason top tech companies often hire foreign-born & first-generation engineers over ‘native’ Americans isn’t because of an innate American IQ deficit (a lazy & wrong explanation). A key part of it comes down to the c-word: culture. Tough questions demand tough answers & if we’re really serious about fixing the problem, we have to confront the TRUTH: Our American culture has venerated mediocrity over excellence for way too long That doesn’t start in college, it starts YOUNG.”

Ramaswamy was greeted with, alongside some support, an immediate wave of anger and excuses. Elijah Schafer of The Blaze argued: “Vivek — white people built marvelous nations and were almost completely white until 1965. We didn’t have H1B visas replacing jobs and were fine. (H1B support) is only about cheap labor!” Other debaters agreed, with some suggesting that the U.S. should immediately end upper-end foreign migration totally. Our kids? Best in the world!

An honorable and tempting idea. However, as I once noted at book length, a ton of objective statistics indicate that Ramaswamy is largely correct. The average American SAT score was 1024 in the most recent year on record. It’s well below that for Latinos, and below 950 for blacks. Despite this, as writer Adam Grant noted in a sourced response to Ramaswamy, one-third of native-born American college students expect a “B” grade for showing up in class. In contrast, Asian-American students, many foreign born, study roughly three times as much as black kids and twice as much as white kids — and post a 1250 on the annual aptitude test. They tend not to expect a B+ for — forgive me — “being” present.

Delano Squires, a black conservative writer whom I personally know and like, pointed out during the whole Vivek-induced controversy that no one objects to the invocation of personal responsibility or responsibility culture when this is made in the direction of failures or poor people, or even working-class blacks as a whole, or Appalachians. However, we all tend to get a bit testy when similar reminders are made to us or our beautiful children.

Let’s make them to everyone. I intentionally opened this essay with extreme cases, but, as New Year’s Day approaches, it’s always worth remembering that the person responsible for probably 95 percent of what you do is you. Let us all work on ourselves, each other, and the country.

[ Via: https://archive.today/YE3uZ ]

==

This is part of the larger victimhood industry. We have to stop rewarding self-professed "victims" - while not ignoring actual victims - who just refuse to take responsibility for their own actions and choices and feel compelled to blame others.

[richincolor]

New Releases Week of July 17, 2023

What a week! There are so many books to get excited about this Tuesday.

Just a Hat by Shanah Khubiar Blackstone Publishing

It’s 1979, and thirteen-year-old Joseph Nissan can’t help but notice that small-town Texas has something in common with Revolution-era Iran: an absence of fellow Jews. And in such a small town it seems obvious that a brown kid like him was bound to make friends with Latinos–which is a plus, since his new buds, the Ybarra twins, have his back. But when the Iran hostage crisis, two neighborhood bullies, and the local reverend’s beautiful daughter put him in all sorts of danger, Joseph must find new ways to cope at home and at school.

As he struggles to trust others and stay true to himself, a fiercely guarded family secret keeps his father at a distance, and even his piano teacher, Miss Eleanor–who is like a grandmother to him–can’t always protect him. But Joseph is not alone, and with a little help from his friends he finds the courage to confront his fears and discovers he can inspire others to find their courage, too.

Firebird by Sunmi HarperCollins

Caroline Kim is feeling the weight of sophomore year. When she starts tutoring infamous senior Kimberly Park-Ocampo–a charismatic lesbian, friend to rich kids and punks alike–Caroline is flustered . . . but intrigued

Their friendship kindles and before they know it, the two are sneaking out for late-night drives, bonding beneath the stars over music, dreams, and a shared desire of getting away from it all.

A connection begins to smolder . . . but will feelings of guilt and the mounting pressure of life outside of these adventures extinguish their spark before it catches fire?

I’m Not Here to Make Friends by Andrew Yang

Terrace House meets Loveboat, Taipei in this fun, frothy, incisive YA debut, following two teens and their unforgettable summer on a reality show.

When Sabine Zhang is picked for Hotel California, a teen reality show with an all-Asian cast, she jumps at the opportunity. As one of few Asians at her high school in the Midwest, she’s always felt as if she was playing a side character in someone else’s story. But on this show, she’ll finally have a chance to step into the spotlight.

All Yoona Bae wants is to get away. The girls at church think she’s mean, her mom thinks she’s a troublemaker, and she’s tired of fighting against her unearned bad reputation. So when she’s invited to appear on Hotel California, Yoona sees it as an opportunity to chill out, make some friends, maybe even get a tan.

But life on the show isn’t all sunshine and self-actualization. The producers want drama at all costs, even if it means pitting Sabine and Yoona against each other. With the season finale looming, can the girls figure out a peaceful way forward, before they lose control of their own narratives?

Frontera by Julio Anta, Jacoby Salcedo (Illustrator)

Mateo makes the dangerous journey back home to the United States through the Sonoran Desert with the help of a new friend, a ghost named Guillermo in a supernatural borderland odyssey by debut graphic novelists Julio Anta and Jacoby Salcedo. As long as he remembers to stay smart and keep his eyes open, Mateo knows that he can survive the trek across the Sonoran Desert that will take him from Mexico to the United States.

That is until he’s caught by the Border Patrol only moments after sneaking across the fence in the dead of night. Escaping their clutches comes at a price and, lost in the desert without a guide or water, Mateo is ill-prepared for the unforgiving heat that is sure to arrive come sunrise. With the odds stacked against him, his one chance at survival may be putting his trust in something, or rather someone, that he isn’t even sure exists. If you’d asked him if ghosts were real before he found himself face-to-face with one, Mateo wouldn’t have even considered it.

But now, confronted with the nearly undeniable presence of Guillermo, he’s having second thoughts. Having spent his afterlife guiding migrants to safety, Guillermo knows things about the Sonoran Desert far beyond what could be explained by a mere hallucination. But even as Mateo forms an uneasy partnership with Guillermo, survival is still uncertain. The Sonoran Desert, with its hostile temperatures and inhabitants, is teeming with danger as the Border Patrol and rogue militias prowl its deadly terrain. As his journey stretches on, Mateo will have to decide exactly what and who he’s willing to sacrifice to find home.

A Guide to the Dark by Meriam Metoui Henry Holt

You can check out of Room 9, but you can never leave.

The Haunting of Hill House meets Nina LaCour in this paranormal mystery YA about the ghosts we carry with us.

Something is building, simmering just out of reach.

The room is watching. But Mira and Layla don’t know this yet. When the two best friends are stranded on their spring break college tour road trip, they find themselves at the Wildwood Motel, located in the middle of nowhere, Indiana. Mira can’t shake the feeling that there is something wrong and rotten about their room. Inside, she’s haunted by nightmares of her dead brother. When she wakes up, he’s still there.

Layla doesn’t see him. Or notice anything suspicious about Room 9. The place may be a little run down, but it has a certain charm she can’t wait to capture on camera. If Layla is being honest, she’s too preoccupied with confusing feelings for Mira to see much else. But when they learn eight people died in that same room, they realize there must be a connection between the deaths and the unexplainable things that keep happening inside it. They just have to find the connection before Mira becomes the ninth.

Under This Forgetful Sky by Lauren Yero

In the spirit of Paolo Bacigalupi and Laini Taylor, this futuristic star-crossed love story follows two teens in a starkly unequal world struggling to find their place.

Sixteen-year-old Rumi Sabzwari has spent his entire life behind the armored walls of St. Iago, which protect citizens of the Union of Upper Cities from the outside world’s environmental devastation. But when rebels infect his father with a fatal virus, Rumi escapes St. Iago, desperate to find a cure.

In the ruined city of Paraíso, Rumi meets fifteen-year-old Paz, who agrees to guide him on his journey. As they travel together, Rumi finds himself drawn to Paz—and behind her tough exterior, she begins to feel the same way. But Paz knows more about Rumi’s father’s illness than she’s saying and has her own agenda. With the powerful forces at play in their cities putting them at odds, can the two learn to trust in each other—enough to imagine a different world?

Clementine and Danny Save the World by Livia Blackburne

You’ve Got Mail gets a YA twist in this rom-com that spotlights the power of activism and community organizing in the face of gentrification.

Clementine Chan believes in the power of the written word. Under the pseudonym Hibiscus, she runs a popular blog reviewing tea shops and discussing larger issues within her Chinatown community. She has a loyal, kind following, save for this one sour grape named BobaBoy888.

Danny Mok is allergic to change, and the gentrification seeping into Chinatown breaks his heart. He channels his frustration into his internet alter ego, BobaBoy888, bickering with local blogger Hibiscus over all things Chinatown and tea.

When a major corporation reveals plans that threaten to shut down the Mok’s beloved tea shop, Clementine and Danny find themselves working together in real life to save this community they both love. But as they fall hard for this cause—and each other—they have no clue that their online personas have been fighting for years.

When the truth comes to light, can Danny and Clementine still find their happily-ever-after?

I Am Not Alone by Francisco X. Stork Scholastic Press

Alberto’s life isn’t easy: He’s an undocumented immigrant from Mexico who lives with his sister’s abusive boyfriend—but he’d always accepted his place in the world. Until he starts hearing the voice of a man called Captain America, a voice that wants him to achieve more, no matter the cost.

Grace has it all: She has a supportive boyfriend, she’s on track to be valedictorian, and she’s sure to go to the college of her dreams. Still, nothing feels right to her any more after the divorce of her parents, and feels she needs something more.

When Alberto and Grace meet, they have an immediate and electric connection. But when Alberto is present at the scene of a terrible crime, he becomes a suspect. And with his developing schizophrenia, he’s not even sure he believes in his own innocence.

Can Grace find a way to prove Alberto’s innocence to himself and the world?

This is a page-turning thriller and a sensitive story about mental health, love, and community that will appeal to anyone who has struggled with their place in the world, from award-winning author Francisco X. Stork.

What a Desi Girl Wants Sabina Khan

The romance of Becky Albertalli meets the nuanced family dynamics of Darius the Great is Not Okay in this YA novel from acclaimed author Sabina Khan.

Mehar hasn’t been back to India since she and her mother moved away when she was only four. Hasn’t visited her father, her grandmother, her family, or the home where she grew up. Why would she? Her father made it clear that she’s not his priority when he chose not to come to the US with them.

But when her father announces his engagement to socialite Naz, Mehar reluctantly agrees to return for the wedding. Maybe she and her father can heal their broken relationship. And after all, her father is Indian royalty, and his home is a palace–the wedding is going to be a once-in-a-lifetime affair.

While her father still doesn’t make the time for her, Mehar barely cares once she meets Sufiya, her grandmother’s assistant, and one of the most grounded, thoughtful, kind people she’s ever met! Though they come from totally different worlds, their friendship slowly starts to blossom into something more . . . Mehar thinks.

Meanwhile, Mehar’s dislike for Naz and her social media influencer daughter, Aleena, deepens. She can tell that the two of them are just using her father for his money. Mehar’s starting to think that putting a stop to this wedding might be the best thing for everyone involved.

But what happens when telling her father the truth about Naz and Aleena means putting her relationship with Sufiya at risk . . .

The Legacy of Yangchen (The Yangchen Novels #2) by F.C. Lee Amulet Books

Avatar Yangchen has succeeded in bringing a measure of stability to Bin-Er, but her successes have been limited to a single city, and rumors concerning Unanimity—a weapon capable of total obliteration—have led to increasing tensions among the Four Nations.

Desperate to restore diplomacy, Yangchen attempts to de-escalate hostilities between heads of state. But in the wake of a brutal assassination and the freeing of Unanimity, Yangchen is forced to bring Kavik—the trusted former companion whose betrayal crushed her—back into her fold.

As the Four Nations teeter on the brink of conflict and she begins to unravel the power-hungry Zongdu Chaisee’s true agenda, Yangchen is forced to measure the worth of humanity, and how much can be sacrificed in the name of balance.

This taut and provocative fourth installment in the Chronicles of the Avatar series follows Avatar Yangchen as she charts the course of her legacy, finally making peace with her choices and facing Avatarhood with the courage it demands.

Splintered Magic (The Mirror #4) by L.L. McKinney Disney Hyperion

Can dreams come true when you’re living with a family curse?

NEW YORK CITY, 2000

Twins Trey and Tai are not like other high schoolers. Trey struggles to suppress his surging magical abilities, which continually impede his dream of making first chair cello in orchestra. A budding photographer, Tai just wants to take pictures and maybe find someone to take them with. But disturbing images keep appearing in Tai’s camera lens, reigniting the twins’ search for their mother, who mysteriously disappeared ten years earlier. As the two discover more clues, Trey and Tai also uncover strange secrets about their magical ancestors and about a cunning villain who threatens their very survival. Together, Trey and Tai must work to unearth the past and preserve the future of their family.

The Mirror: Splintered Magic is the fourth book in the innovative YA fairy-tale quartet following one family—and the curse that plagues it—over several generations.

[feral-writer-do-not-feed]

Alright guys. I know I never post and I know no one’s gonna see this but I’m tryna get some writing done and to do that, I need to yap and brain storm and have people to bounce ideas off of and this hellscape echo chamber seems like a cesspit I’m unlikely to damage or traumatize by shouting into so without further ado, introducing a book that I sorta kinda have to write for my senior thesis and which I am not making any progress on currently:

Where the Fire Never Goes Out

A murder mystery following four dysfunctional siblings whose parents were recently murdered in their childhood home and the numerous people, dead and alive, who haunt these siblings as they try to hold onto any scrap of normalcy they’ve ever managed to grip at any means necessary.

The book will include

Explorations of childhood trauma, how it impacts teens and young adults, and what the true meaning of “guilty” really is

Abusive family dynamics including children

A serial killer or two

A shit ton of religious symbolism

The American coastal south (yes this means the religion is Christianity; I know I know, we’re all very sad it isn’t Greek mythology)

Gay people

Graphic violence

Stupid twists

Terrible people

Drugs

Tortured Poets Lesbians

Ghosts (the sad psychological kind; not the fun kind)

Characters I am still in the process of developing

Romcom elements (yes I’m serious)

Implied sexual violence and emotional incest (no one is ever raped or assaulted sexually; this is a hard rule)

Dogs (they do not die)

Fish (some of them might die idk)

Other animals (there’s a character named Noah if you can’t tell)

A lot of pathetic men

Possible gender fuckery, as of yet undecided

Mental illness

Present tense

Except in flashbacks of which I’m sure there’ll be many

Dark comedy

Discussion of abortion, infanticide, and medical abuse

Other stuff I’m as of yet unaware of because I DON’T KNOW WHAT THE FUCK I’M DOING

If anyone is at all interested in knowing more, helping, or brainstorming with me, feel free and relentlessly encouraged to comment, or use my asks. I am struggling.

[ecargmura]

Whisper Me A Love Song Episode 4 Review - Aki, No!

Of these three, which one is the worst in your opinion? Powerpoint transition slides, showing a band practicing via slideshows or unexpected lesbian love drama? For me, it’s the second one. This is an anime that has singing and a band as a premise, yet you cut the band practice? Heresy.

Yori’s decision to join the band officially was so she could get Himari to fall in love with her genuinely. At first, she only took music as a little hobby that she indulges in to express herself, but she decides to take it seriously. It’s actually a nice feeling to find a drive when you want to do something you like. For example, I like writing, so the drive to want to take writing seriously is something I totally understand. 

Because Yori decides to join the band, the time she spends with Himari lessens, which upsets Himari, but she knows she can’t have her to herself all the time. This causes Himari to think about joining a club on days she doesn’t meet with Yori. After searching around, Himari decides to join the cooking club as there’s only one active member and two ghost members.

Two new characters make their debut. The first is the other member of the cooking club, Momoka Satomiya. First off, I love her design. The side bun with the light brown hair is just the good mix of ladylike and cute. While she’s like a big sister to Himari and that she likes cooking, she’s rather mysterious in a way. She looks as if she could be a potential love rival to Yori and she gets that feeling too, especially since Yori got all jealous of Himari constantly mentioning her, which, in turn, affects her music. However, whether she’ll be another of Himari’s suitors or a side couple with the girl with the long blue hair is unknown. Her voice actress is Reina Ueda and I didn’t expect to see that name pop up in a yuri anime; she’s in everything now! What’s next, she’s going to be in a BL anime as a side character? Will she be in Yugioh? Digimon?

The second is that girl with the long blue hair. She has a guitar or a bass on her back, showcasing that she’s in a band. However, she doesn’t seem to be in SSSGirls and is in a different band. Given that the anime is about bands, it makes sense that there should be several bands or at least a rival one at that. This girl seems like she’s a rival band member. Does she have a love line with Momoka, given that she’s a ghost member of the cooking club and she asked her to feed her banana bread?

The tension in the air I felt when Aki revealed her feelings for Yori to Himari was sharp. It was a bit obvious she liked Yori and it was hinted at, but for her to actually go in and declare herself as competition to Himari makes me worried. Aki, don’t be a snake or I’ll throw a book at you. Since I’ve never watched a yuri anime until now, how bad are love triangles in yuri shows? Are they messy? Are they dramatic? If they are, I’ll be both excited and worried.

Gosh, I just hope nothing bad happens afterwards. I just hope that this doesn’t cause Himari to rush things through and hurt Yori by asking her out when her feelings aren’t mutual yet. The last thing I need is for Himari to be reckless. Despite that, I think the little twist with Aki is a good sign that the romance in this show isn’t all sweet, pure and straightforward. It’s got some seasoning and that’s okay! I like my sweet romances and the seasoned ones too! What are your thoughts on this episode?

[eva-reviews]

Briefly, A Delicious Life by Nell Stevens -- A Review

Book Trigger Warnings: Sexual Assault, death, mentions of the afterlife, suicidal ideation, chronic illness, sexism, homophobia, mental illness, rape, grooming, child abuse, alcohol, pedophilia, eating disorders

My Rating

I give this book a solid 7/10. I really enjoyed this book, and I would suggest it to anyone. It was confusing at times, because of the constant switching of times, and if read over long periods it can be more confusing, goes between Present day, Blanca's perspective, and George's perspective. So you have to remember where you left off at some points, and at others points it skips for months at a time. It does mention the rape of a minor in the second chapter (pages 9-11), which leads to a pregnancy, it is not detailed but it can be triggering. You can skip those pages if you need to and it doesn’t change anything. I wish we had gotten a little more of how people reacted to Blancas death, it did feel a little rushed, but other than that it was really enjoyable.

Overview

Our main character, Blanca, has been dead for 300+ years and can not move on in her afterlife. She flits through her mundane existence watching others enjoy the simplicity of life, the fearful kisses of men, the passions of sex, the sweetness of an orange, the grumblings of hunger, and the feeling of heartbreak when losing someone. She is able to enjoy the simple pleasures of life by sharing a conscience with living people around her.

Blanca resides on the top of the hill on the island of Valldemossa, in a little town called Mallorca; in the Charterhouse, which is an old monastery. Blanca has watched secret relationships bloom and crumble, families move in and out and people live their lives to the end very end, waiting for someone to join her. On this specific November in 1838, an unconventional family moves into the Charterhouse, and Blanca falls in love with the mother, George. Their relationship is entirely one-sided and is more admiring than a relationship; Balance watches as George writes her book, the children play and fight, and Chopin lives a dying life.

My Thoughts

I went into this book only knowing that it was a lesbian relationship between a woman and a ghost. Which it is, but it is also so much more and nothing like that at all. We start with the very first sentence “Of course, it wasn’t the first time I’d seen two men kissing”, you can probably see where this is going. In most books, they try to ease you into the romance, they don’t start with a 300+ year old ghost watching two monks making out and progressing to having sex. Blanca is very lonely, as most would be if they were not able to communicate with others and watch all of their family members die off. She flits around the Charterhouse and across the island, often visiting her last living relative, her great-great-granddaughter, Bernadita; and making The Sacristan's life a living hell by sprinkling bread crumbs into all of his food, as he has celiac disease; he raped a young girl. It isn’t until George and her family move in, does Blanca have something to do with her time. When I started this book, I thought it was a love story between a ghost and a mortal woman that was reciprocated on both sides. Not a relationship where George is being watched all day, every day. Blanca steals Georges's shirt to smell and imagen that George is with her, she imagens what inside of George's vagina would feel like and how it would be to kiss her. She often caresses George as she sleeps and kisses her neck.

George is not your typical woman, not like a “I’m not like other girls” kind of way more of a “dresses suck, I wish I could fuck women all the time and not be questioned about it” kind of way. George wears shirts and pants in a time when women wore dresses, she smokes cigars, she writes books, has sex with women, and is generally unwomanlike for the time she is in. George was married, that's how her kids came about, but she and her husband divorced. It wasn't a typical relationship either way, he had sex with the maids and any other woman that would have him , while she handled the finances and wrote her books. She jumped from man to man, and the occasional woman, she went to parties and lived alone in Paris, this is where she met her most prominent partner, Francis Chopin. Yes, the real famous pianist. Although they thoroughly enjoyed each other, they did not do well together. Chopin is needy, “girlish”, and babies Solange (George's daughter) and George is controlling, adventurous, and rash, she can’t stay in one place for long. Chopin possibly has consumption disease (ie. TB) or some other unidentified ailment. And they go to Mallorca, Spajn in hopes it will make him better. It doesn’t work, and he gets much worse.

The book jumps between the present, Blanca's past, and Georges's past. I’ll focus on one character at a time. First Blance. We learn that Blanca was 14 when she died, she had a pretty ok life. It was going fine, until Ham fucked it up. Ham is a novice Monk from the monastery that Blanca notices when the monks go on a walk. Ham diverges from the group and goes to the beach instead, and Blanca follows, which is when her fate was sealed. They meet on the beach multiple times, and Ham convinces Blanca they should have sex. Which is an A+ idea, Ham! Blanca doesn’t really enjoy it, because screw women's pleasure right! Only men should enjoy sex. Ham tells Blanca to wash her vagina out after as to not get pregnant, great idea Ham. And… it didn’t work, Blanca got pregnant, it's obviously her fault because a monk/man could never cause that. Nope. Never. I hate Ham so much, who's nickname is Ham anyway? It's so stupid. And when Blanca and her mom confront him about her being pregnant and how they have to get married, he blames her for running his life! Like what? NO. Just because you found out your actions have consequences for the first time in your life does not mean you can blame everyone else for an issue you helped cause. And then after she breaks down because she doesn't want this baby he asks her to have sex again?? NO! Anyway, Blanca ends up dying of childbirth in his room with blood everywhere, so I guess that's payback enough.

Now on to George. As a child, George was sent to a boarding school taught by nuns. I love the queer religious trauma already. She meets a friend here, nicknamed Boy for her boyish nature. She is rebellious and punched George at their first meeting. They begin meeting up at night, playing and talking. They have a game where they have to save the lost princess and when George asks what Boy is going to do when they save the princess, she responds “I’ll kiss her”, this is Georges's first experience with a non-heteronormative idea. George admired Boy for her willingness to not conform to society norms, like women wearing dresses, and reading books not writing books. George is most likely bisexual, and she was in straight relationships, like her husband, a poet names Jules, and Chopin, however when she was with Jules she also met an actress named Marie. They start off as friends, exchanging letters, moving on to longing glances and later on it is implied that she and George had sex when Jules leaves for the night. George admits to fantasizing about having sex with her, mentioning what she would imagen touching another women's vulva.

Conclusion

As I finished the last few pages, I found myself reflecting on life, genuinely, I hadn't thought of the nuances that I pass over just because I do it all the time. Like enjoying the subtleties of fruit, the laughter I hear when on a walk, the breeze that flows through the trees — unconventional love, and the pursuit of identity. "Briefly, A Delicious Life" is a testament to the power of storytelling to shed light on the human experience in all its complexities from the point of view of someone whose life ended too early.

In short, this book is a worthy addition to anyone's shelf, especially if you like ghosts, queerness, and revenge.

[reviewsthatburn]

CHANGLESS is a pretty good book which is utterly ruined by a terrible ending. 

CHANGELESS begins with annoyances and crises, the regiment has appeared on the lawn and a mysterious plague of mortality has fallen upon London’s normally supernatural residents. This introduces Madame Lefoux, a hat-maker and inventor who affects masculine dress as a matter of course. There’s an entirely new storyline related to Madame Lefoux, Ivy, the mortality plague, and a sudden need to travel to Scotland. This doesn’t wrap up anything left hanging, though it is nice to see Alexia and Conall as a married couple. Several things related to the mortality issue and Conall’s past are introduced and resolved. This isn’t the final book and has a very sudden cliffhanger which demands to be addressed in the next volume. Alexia is still the main narrator and her voice is consistent, though there are some sections following other characters. I like Madame Lefoux, she's a great addition to the ensemble of characters.

Full Review at Link

[wherewordsare]

Weird Questions for Writers (because writers are weird)

1. What font do you write in? Do you actually care or is that just the default setting? so i've never actually used Wattpad for it's intended purposes, but I use it to draft things because it has better organization features than google docs and I have a chromebook so my options are pretty limited (if anyone has a better free writing website I would love recommendations). because of that I have to use the default, but when I got to google docs for formatting it's times new roman or i'm going to freak out

2. If you had to give up your keyboard and write your stories exclusively by hand, could you do it? If you already write everything by hand, a) are you a wizard and b) pen or pencil? there were a couple months where I didn't have a laptop so I had to write by hand and I will only use the precise v5 rolling ball pen (ideally the clicky one not the capped one)

3. What is your writing ritual and why is it cursed? i've recently buckled down because i've decided that I do want to pursue writing as a career and my way of doing that is that I completely drafted out a detailed chapter by chapter outline of the book that i'm writing and am forcing myself to write it completely linear so I have to push through the boring parts and to minimize the possibility of continuity issues

4. What’s a word that makes you go absolutely feral? feral good or feral bad? I have to force myself not to add 'perhaps' to every sentence because I love a little intrigue, but if you ever catch me using 'growled' in a way that's supposed to be sexy just know that i've been replaced with a doppelganger

5. Do you have any writing superstitions? What are they and why are they 100% true? no

6. What is your darkest fear about writing? that i'm cringe

7. What is your deepest joy about writing? the whole thing! I've been telling stories quite literally since I learned how to talk (according to my mom) and it just feels like this innate part of my existence. if i'm not writing I feel incomplete

8. If you had to write an entire story without either action or dialogue, which would you choose and how would it go? action. one of my biggest struggles is keeping things interesting so honestly this would be a breeze for me lmao

9. Do you believe in ghosts? This isn’t about writing I just wanna know. I think so yeah

10. Has a piece of writing ever “haunted” you? Has your own writing haunted you? What does that mean to you? someday i'm going to write an adult contemporary psychological horror based on this incredibly disturbing dream I had, but it is literally the most draining and unpleasant thing i've ever written and yet I feel so compelled to put it to paper

11. Do you believe in the old advice to “kill your darlings?” Are you a ruthless darling assassin? What happens to the darlings you murder? Do you have a darling graveyard? Do you grieve? sort of? I actually don't really believe in having 'darlings' at all to avoid falling into pitfalls of creating characters that are too good or too cool (the anti mary sue discourse of the early 2010s permanently altered my brain chemistry). if I find myself getting too attached to a character I pull back and assess what i've written and go from there

12. If a genie offered you three writing wishes, what would they be? Btw if you wish for more wishes the genie turns all your current WIPs into Lorem Ipsum, I don’t make the rules. 10 million dollars, guaranteed success for both my partner and I, and for our dog to be young and healthy until she's 50 years old

13. What is a subject matter that is incredibly difficult for you write about? What is easy? TW: the aforementioned book that haunts me is filled with a lot of doom and gloom and metaphors for r*pe which is just extremely unpleasant, but at times cathartic. as for what's easy the answer is lesbians and women in general

14. Do you lend your books to people? Are people scared to borrow books from you? Do you know exactly where all your “lost” books are and which specific friend from school you haven’t seen in twelve years still possesses them? Will you ever get them back? I don't usually lend things out just because, while i'm a writer, I don't really talk much about what I read with other people who aren't my partner and we live together so it's not like they're leaving out apartment

15. Do you write in the margins of your books? Dog-ear your pages? Read in the bath? Why or why not? Do you judge people who do these things? Can we still be friends? yes lmao

16. What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever used as a bookmark? tbh I feel like if I were to tell the truth I could get in trouble on Tumblr so just do what you will with that information

17. Talk to me about the minutiae of your current WIP. Tell me about the lore, the history, the detail, the things that won’t make it in the text. witches are always born afab, but they can absolutely be trans men (wizards) or non-binary (sorcerers maybe?). there's really only one witch who's an actual character so we're probably not gonna get into that

18. Choose a passage from your writing. Tell me about the backstory of this moment. How you came up with it, how it changed from start to end. Spicy addition: Questioner provides the passage. so i'm gonna chose an out of context passage that is subject to change because i'm still pretty early in my linear writing journey. Also this might be a tad spoilery, but it's only a little past the halfway point of book 1 and I plan for this to be a trilogy. "Castle Killmaera had always been on the horizon of her childhood, standing forlornly on the hill its crumbling towers a pale shadow of their former glory, however Joan had never set foot within its blacked walls. Her father had always told her that it was no place for children; that it was dangerous and she could get herself killed by falling rubble or rotting floorboards. She remembered asking him from time to time about the stories of old that his grandfather had told him, but he was tight-lipped and loath to tell her anything more than the simplest legends of their homeland's former glory. Her great-grandfather had been young when his kingdom fell, barely older than she was now, and her own grandfather only four years old still, young as he had been, he remembered it well. He had spoken of that day to her only once just months after her father's death and shortly before she had left to the capital to begin her training. Looking back on it she wondered now if he had told her the story to dissuade her from making that choice, but the meaning had been lost on her young mind." context: Joan is a knight who serves our main kingdom, however she is also the great-granddaughter of the last king of a kingdom that was concord by said main kingdom. her father instilled within her the belief that they owed main kingdom their service and gratitude because their lives were spared and they were even allowed to join the ranks of the other noble families, however at this point she has begun to question his philosophy concept: this point is basically what kicks off the main plot which has a lot of themes of colonization and subjugation. this particular example is heavily based on and inspired by the occupation of the rest of the British Isles by England

19. Tell me a story about your writing journey. When did you start? Why did you start? Were there bumps along the way? Where are you now and where are you going? i've been writing as long as I can remember and I fully intend on trying to get published and making a career as an author

20. If a witch offered you the choice between eternal happiness with your one true love and the ability to finally finish, perfect, and publish your dearest, darlingest, most precious WIP in exactly the way you've always imagined it — which would you choose? You can’t have both sorry, life’s a bitch. what if i've already found happiness with my soulmate? I'd chose them obviously

21. Could you ever quit writing? Do you ever wish you could? Why or why not? no and I would never want to

22. How organized are you with your writing? Describe to me your organization method, if it exists. What tools do you use? Notebooks? Binders? Apps? The Cloud? I think I mentioned this in the first question, but I use wattpad's writing tool since my chromebook's abilities are pretty limited and it serves me just fine. I like to make bulleted outlines for everything so I can assess the pacing and move things around or cut them out entirely if they mess with the flow too much

23. Describe the physical environment in which you write. Be as detailed as possible. Tell me what’s around you as you work. Paint me a picture. currently i'm sitting on the old brown sectional we have in the middle of our small living room. Baby Einstein is playing on the TV since our 11 month old refuses to allow our dog to eat when he's not in his playpen and today he was hardly enthused about being contained. i'm drinking my coffee which went cold an hour ago and my partner is sleeping in since our son is teething and they were up late comforting him.

24. How much prep work do you put into your stories? What does that look like for you? Do you enjoy this part or do you just want to get on with it? I like to set up a strong foundation and if it's fantasy i'll make a map of the world, but as I write sometimes things change and yes I do enjoy it quite a bit

25. What is a weird, hyper-specific detail you know about one of your characters that is completely irrelevant to the story? two side characters in book 2 are having an affair, but i won't say who

26. How do you get into your character’s head? How do you get out? Do you ever regret going in there in the first place? I know this is kind of a bad answer, but I kind of just do? I think I write in a way that's a little more detached (this particular story is third person limited told from two POVs) so it's less like getting into character for me and more like getting to know the characters as separate people and judging their actions accordingly

27. Who is the most stressful character you’ve ever written? Why? the main character from the psychological horror I keep having to put down. she's just an extremely tortured and miserable person and it brings me down

28. Who is the most delightful character you’ve ever written? Why? tbh I have no idea

29. Where do you draw your inspiration? What do you do when the inspiration well runs dry? good ol' pinterest. I have boards for all my works and it's honestly kind of funny how many plot points have been inspired by random images

30. Talk to me about the role dreams play in your writing life. Have you ever used material from your dreams in your writing? Have you ever written in a dream? Did you remember it when you woke up? as previously mentioned the psychological horror novel is based on a dream I had

31. Write a short love letter to your readers. what is up my fellow queer women

32. What is a line from a poem/novel/fanfic etc that you return to from time and time again? How did you find it? What does it mean to you? oooo! I read the great Gatsby for the first time when I was like 13 and this quote hit me like a gut punch. “I hope she'll be a fool -- that's the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool.”

33. Do you practice any other art besides writing? Does that art ever tie into your writing, or is it entirely separate? I do a little drawing and sometimes draw characters from my works since it's good to get a visual. I also do music, but that's its own thing

34. Thoughts on the Oxford comma, Go: perfectly fine, but can easily be overused which gets annoying

35. What’s your favorite writing rule to smash into smithereens? contractions in prose. I don't use them for the fantasy series i'm working on, but when it comes to contemporary it can really add to the pov character's voice

36. They say to Write What You Know. Setting aside for a moment the fact that this is terrible advice...what do you Know? not much

37. If you were to be remembered only by the words you’ve put on the page, what would future historians think of you? probably that I was a queer woman (I physically cannot bring myself to write men as anything more than side characters i'm being so fr about this)

38. What is something about your writing process YOU think is Really Weird? If you are comfortable, please share. If you’re not comfortable, what do you think cats say about us? I mean my writing process is that I just sit down and do it, but based on these questions that might be weird in and of itself?

39. What keeps you writing when you feel like giving up? the desire to not have to get up and go to work five days a week

40. Please share a poem with me, I need it. completely unironically this might be my favorite poem of all time

i stole this from @chdarling cause I was feeling bored

[laurenssapphicshelf]

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CW: Moderate: grief, fire

Minor: kidnapping/confinement, car accident reference, divorce reference, homophobia reference.

Rep: Lesbian MC. Queer, Non-Binary, POC side characters

Roses Are Red, Violet Is Dead by Morgan Spellman

Pub: 1/2/24

Pages: 230

Series: Book 2

ASIN: B0CS7QN4Q3

Publisher: Meadow Cat Press

Blurb: Abby Spector is back on the case, ready to solve another paranormal mystery. This time, she’s investigating a haunting at a charming Connecticut Bed and Breakfast just in time for Valentine's Day.

The halls of Willow’s Edge Bed and Breakfast are filled with love—and ghosts. A restless spirit threatens to turn romantic evenings into full-on nightmares. Guests are spooked, staff are quitting, and Willow’s Edge’s reputation is on the line. When Abby gets a call from her cousin, the manager, she’s thrilled at the opportunity to help.

Eager to grow her budding paranormal investigation agency, Abby takes on the seemingly straightforward assignment: vanquish the ghost of Violet Lovelace, a young waitress who died in a 1975 fire. Abby is confident she can wrap up the hauntings in 24 hours, leaving plenty of time for her romantic plans with Mina. What could possibly go wrong?

As Abby and her bookish best friend, Lucas, delve into a series of increasingly peculiar hauntings, they discover Violet isn’t the only ghost roaming the halls. Someone is leaving spooky messages on mirrors and walls—including a chilling accusation of murder.

Will Abby’s antics reveal the true culprit, or will the duo find themselves thrust into a repeat of past tragedies? Get ready for another cozy, humorous, and heartfelt paranormal mystery in this sequel to Say I Boo.

⭐️ 4

🌶️ N/A

[rippeanuts1950-2000]

Diary of a teenage ghost Hunter

Friday June 25th 4:00 pm My bedroom)

What does a 16 year old ghost hunter do when her parents force her to move to some weird ass town in the middle of nowhere? Find the nearest book shop of course! Joking, joking. Though that is exactly what I did as soon as my parents said I could go out. Hey, don’t judge me. The bookshop was the one thing I was looking forward to about this place and let me tell you, it was worth the wait.

The place shouldn’t even be called a shop! It should be called a book armory? No, wait, that sounds weird. A book outlet? Nope, it still doesn’t work. Whatever, I’ll figure it out later. So I went to the huge bookshop that I think used to be a Barnes & Nobles that got turned into a regular bookshop. It’s nice to know I’m supporting a small business. Small meaning it’s owned by a family and not some corporate place. Like I said, the place was huge. Anyway, I went in and spent twenty minutes just gaping at everything. It was beautiful. Filled to the brim with books and really cool knick knacks at some great prices. No joke, I bought a sketch book, some pens and pencils, a journal, some decorations for my room, and some books I’ve been wanting for a while, for under $200! I’m living the dream life honestly.

While I was there, I ran into what I could only describe as a stereotypical mean girl. I did not get her name because I ran away before she could scream at me. That happens to me way more than it should. Trouble is, I don’t know if she was a ghost or not. No one else seemed to notice her and I got a few weird looks when I screamed an apology at her. Maybe I was just too loud? Well if she wasn’t a ghost at least I don’t have to deal with her at school since mom and dad finally agreed to homeschool me. I think it was a way to get me to shut up about not wanting to hide my sexuality from people even if I get bullied. I’m a proud lesbian, I’m not hiding that part of me.

No matter how hard it is.

NOPE! DON’T GO THAT ROUTE BRAIN!

But I also won’t deal with it cause it’s summertime thank goddess.

Anyway, I love my new journal! It’s so pretty and it has cute little chibi ghosts on the cover! I cannot not wait to use it for more interesting things I find at the bookshop. Oh and write stuff about my ghost hunting. That’s also why I got it.

Obviously. 

Also my new room is really cool. Mom and Dad found this huge house for surprisingly less than a million dollars and I got the top floor all to myself. Granted, there’s only three rooms up here but Mom says I can turn the second room into an art room! Isn’t that great! Now I won’t have to go outside to make something because my parents are neat freaks and they hate messes. The room I'm in currently is my bedroom and it has all my stuff in it since Dad came up here first to set everything up while Mom and I drove down here yesterday. I still need to unpack so I should probably get started. 

Saturday June 26th 1:30 am My Closet)

Holy shit.

That’s all I have to say after what has been transpiring for the past hour and half.

I knew there was a reason why my parents got the house so cheap!

Twelve people died here.

Correction, twelve people were killed here.

TWELVE PEOPLE WERE KILLED HERE!

WHAT THE FUCK!

Look, I get that my parents want me to help in the family business and hunt ghosts so that we help them go to the other side and blah blah. Especially since I’m the only one in my family since my great great grandma who can see ghosts. But moving me into a house where the souls are still haunting it and need to go to the otherside, is taking it too far!

Okay let me start from the beginning.

It all started after I woke up at midnight. I was thirsty so I went downstairs to get a glass of water. I get my glass of water and go back to my room, knowing that I probably wouldn’t be able to go back to sleep. So I’m thinking about what book I’m gonna read or if I should watch tv on my phone again, when I see a very pretty girl with silky black hair and pale skin digging through my closet and muttering that I have too much flannel. Being the mature person that I am, I threw my water at her and screamed, “Begone intruder!” The girl just looked at me and smirked.

“I’m dead and I live here, so I’m not an intruder.” She said and that’s when I realized that the girl had gashes all over her body and her very cute outfit was covered in blood. “Why are you in my room?” I asked, not thinking what else to say. The girl snorted and floated over to me. “Because you, Cassandra Mendez, are going to help me and my cousins with our problem.” She said, placing her hands on my shoulders. Instead of feeling cold and uncomfortable like it usually does when a ghost touches me, it felt pleasantly icy and comforting. “Whoa, whoa. You know my name and I don’t know yours! That’s not fair.” I said, because all my brain cells left me when the pretty ghost girl touched me.

The girl giggled. “You’re right, that isn’t fair Cassandra. Let’s fix that, shall we? I’m Butterfly Thompson, nice to meet you.” Butterfly said and now that I could properly see her eyes, I noticed they were light green. “Butterfly, that’s an interesting name.” I said. “My parents were hippies, Cassandra.” She said as she let go of my shoulders. She went back to digging in my closet. “Cassie.” I said dumbly. Butterfly looked up, confused. “What?” She asked. “I go by Cassie, not Cassandra. Now can you tell me why you're here?” I asked, really hoping this whole thing was some dream.

“Cassie. I like that. Less of a mouthful. Anyway, I’m here to save you from the flannel nightmare that is your closet.” Butterfly said and I tried to ignore the way my stomach fluttered when she said my name. “You and I both know that’s not true.” I said exasperated. She hummed in response. “Oh but it could be. But unfortunately it’s not. At least not right now. I’m here because I need your help to prove that my family and I were murdered.” Butterfly said. I blinked at her. First of all, why me? Second of all, she was murdered? “How many people died and how did they die?” I asked, not sure what else to say.

Butterfly started counting on her fingers. “Twelve. They took out Blake and Bloom and their parents first. Stabbed Aunt Bria and Uncle Braxton I think, I was hiding in the closet with Burst so I don’t know. They pushed Blake and Bloom out the window, their deaths were immediate. Then they went after Blaze and Briar but Aunt Britnay and Uncle Ben fought back. Unfortunately, their battle was for naught as the killer somehow managed to strangle them before throwing Briar and Blaze out the window as well. They took a little longer than the other two to die. You know this guy had a thing for throwing kids out the window. Then they came to closet me and my brother were in. Mom and Dad fought as hard as they could but in the end they didn’t make it either. I don’t know how they were killed. The killer pulled me out of the closet first but unlike my cousins I fought back. They managed to get a couple gashes and hits on me before I was thrown out the window. My death was immediate. Burst’s wasn't. They died in the rose bushes, bleeding out because the killer stabbed him before throwing them out the window like everyone else.” Butterfly said, her voice monotone.

“Then why was the killer not caught?” I asked, because it sounded like a bunch of innocent people were brutally murdered here, no questions asked. Butterfly sighed and sat on my bed. “They were smart. They made it look like the adults committed suicide and that us kids fell off the roof. Even down to the fact that they made it look like Burst was impaled. But we know the truth.” She said, a bitter smile on face. “Where do I come in?” I asked and she grinned. “You’re gonna be homeschooled, it's summer, you can talk to all of us, and you can talk to our friends who are alive and help us! Together you can find a way to figure out who the killer is and why they did it so we can put their ass in jail.” Butterfly said excitedly.

“Wait us?” I asked, because I thought she was the only ghost here. She nodded vigorously. “Yes us, I was sent to talk to you before we bombroad you with everything.” She explained. “Let me think about this before I do anything.” I said. Butterfly nodded. “Okay, get back to me in the morning! Sleep well Cassie.” She said, giving me a hug before floating down somewhere. 

Well after writing this down, I know what to do. I have to help her. She didn’t deserve what happened to her and her family at all. Now I’m actually gonna go to bed because, damn, I'm tired.