#New adult fiction

[theworldofetgoma-blog]

[sleepandblog]

so this probably won't get any attention but does anyone have recommendations for new adult / adult books? like any genre honestly

i've been reading pretty much exclusively YA but i want to get some books that don't only center around teenaged characters because it's not too long before i'm no longer a teenager lol

if you don't have any recs maybe reblog so more people can find this post?? thank you and i love you

[jnledford]

Update!

A fun update I was so excited to share - I have finally found a cover artist for the book!

I don't want to mention who until/unless they give the okay. If they do then there will be a follow-up, but for right now I am just excited to announce this.

Once the deposit is put down then it will be officially secured, but this artist has already looked over the content provided and we have been discussing it a bit. The piece would be completed later in 2025, likely begun around July/August due to their workload, so it will be some time before there is anything more of it. But I am more than happy to share this update with everyone!

[bigdreamsandwildthings]

To say I’m obsessed with this shirt is an understatement 🙈

[cinderswrites]

F A I T H :: 30 Fics in 30 Days 3256 / 30000 words. 11% done!

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This challenge is something I made based off the 30k November challenge. I plan on writing one short story per day every day of November, and since I know I'll probably blow past the 30k mark, I changed the name.

-⛧°。 ⋆༺♱༻⋆。 °⛧-⛧°。 ⋆༺♱༻⋆。 °⛧-⛧°。 ⋆༺♱༻⋆。 °⛧-

"Faith" is a story about challenging beliefs, rebellion, and maybe hope a little bit.

-⛧°。 ⋆༺♱༻⋆。 °⛧-⛧°。 ⋆༺♱༻⋆。 °⛧-⛧°。 ⋆༺♱༻⋆。 °⛧-

:: WC: 3,256 :: CW: mentions of religion, mentions of suicide ::

!! The opinions of the characters in this story do not reflect my personal beliefs or stances on these particular subjects. !!

-⛧°。 ⋆༺♱༻⋆。 °⛧-⛧°。 ⋆༺♱༻⋆。 °⛧-⛧°。 ⋆༺♱༻⋆。 °⛧-

The sun was hot against her back as Audrina trailed behind her father and his wife up the sidewalk to his church. It stood stark white against the deep emeralds of the pine trees behind it. Trees that were evergreen and thick with needles. A forest that called to her, whispered her name almost.

She wanted to be anywhere other than here, that was for damn sure.

Don’t say that.

The harsh voice of her father scolded her in her mind, even though he appeared to be calm and in a pleasant mood as he unlocked the heavy oak door to the church. The twins, her step-mother’s children from a previous marriage, stood off to the side, whispering between each other and shooting her glances with their identical pale blue eyes.

Eyes that reminded her of a dead fish.

“Audrina,” her father said, his voice stern and nasally. Her cornflower blue eyes, a blue that was actually pleasing to look at, jerked towards him like a deer in headlights. “Make sure the pews are clean and everyone’s hymnals are in their place.”

He was a shorter man, rather portly in the middle even if he refused to acknowledge it, if the strain on his white button shirt was any indication. His round face was clean-shaven and there was a tiny cut on the side of his jaw he hadn’t noticed. The blood had dried on their drive to the church and it was what her eyes focused on as he issued his demands.

Always so demanding.

She’d been free of it for the last ten years, at least. But now she was home, back in this tiny awful town somewhere in Nowhere, Colorado. They could hardly be considered a part of what the lower states were often called: the Bible Belt.

Since she was a good daughter, though, she nodded and walked through the door he held open for her. Inside the church, it was dusty and humid, typically in this time of year. It was still early summer. She’d only returned from college a few weeks ago and already she hated this place. The dust was almost thick enough to choke her, and she almost wondered why none of the parishioners helped clean the place up.

She took her time making sure everything was neat and organized like she had been taught as a young girl. They always arrived hours before service anyway. In the background, she could hear the twins still whispering, watching her like the creepy little things they were. Mary Louanne’s daughters might just be the devil’s spawn, she thought to herself.

Some time had passed and about a half-hour into the service, Audrina slipped out the back of the chapel, making her way to the front door. She was suffocating in this heat, made worse by the many bodies occupying the pews and the thick wafting perfumes that hung heavily in the air from women fanning themselves. It was a church, not a gala. She never understood why the women dressed up to talk about Jesus.

Audrina pushed open the heavy oak door, closing it behind her and turning around, wiping the sweat off her brow. Her thick wavy chestnut brown hair hung almost sadly around her shoulders, also weighed down by the humidity. If only she had an elastic, or a ribbon–

She paused in her motions, taking on the deer in the headlights look again. There was a man some odd ten feet or so from the oak door. He had his hands shoved inside the pockets of his leather jacket–Who the hell wears leather in the eighty degree summer heat?

His dark eyes flicked to her face, startled to see her as well. He shifted his weight from hip to hip for a moment, looking away, his expression troubled. She lowered her hand and folded it in front of her with the other one, watching him carefully. She’d seen him around before, usually after services, hovering on the edge. Watching the parishioners leave. Watching her father thank people and talk with them about the day’s sermon as he always loved to drone on about it long after it was over.

The man reached up to run a hand through his sandy blond hair, a messy thing that fell in loose waves around his face and down his neck. He had ear piercings and tattoos, and there was stubble on his face like he hadn’t bothered to clean up. “So, uh-“ his voice was a smooth and deep timbre, like the low hum of a bass guitar in the rock songs she sneakily listened to sometimes. “Sermon not… good today?” His question was awkward and it was clear he didn’t know what to say.

Audrina looked down with a small smile, trying not to be impolite by laughing. She glanced up at him, shaking her head slightly. “No, no,” she stuck her hands in the pockets of her dress skirt, pockets she’d sewn in herself. “It’s rather… muggy in there. I needed some fresh air, although… it’s not much better out here, is it?”

She raised her hand, blocking the hot sun and looking up in the clear blue sky. For a summer day, it was wonderful. For a Sunday, it was torture.

The man chuckled and scuffed his black boot against the ground, “Yeah, I suppose it isn’t.”

Feeling a little less on edge, she took a few steps towards him until she stood beside him, turning to face the church and look at it as he had been. “Do you need… help, or anything?” she asked with a side glance.

He seemed to stiffen a bit when she came near, even though she’d kept a polite distance between them. “Ah, no…” he hesitated. “Guess I’m just… curious, maybe.”

“About… the church?” she pressed.

“Sorta,” he rubbed the back of his neck, clearly struggling with what he was trying to say. “I don’t know.”

His sigh made her turn her head to look at him. “Well… do you want to go in for service?” she tried a different approach.

His brown eyes met hers as he scoffed, wrinkling his nose. Up close, she could see a smattering of freckles on his face. “No,” he said quickly.

Audrina shrugged, “Alright, then.”

As she looked back at the church, her hands resting in her pockets, she could feel his gaze on the side of her face. Like he was studying her. He spoke up after a minute or so of silence, “What’s your name? I see you around with the priest and his wife sometimes.”

“Audrina,” her blue eyes flicked to him as she answered, before moving back to the church. “Audrina Montgomery. The priest is my father, and his wife is my step-mother, Mary Louanne. Her daughters, the twin girls that are usually hovering around, are Sarah and Jane.”

“Mm,” he grunted in response, looking away. “Those twins, your step-sisters… they’re kinda freaky looking, yeah?” he pointed out.

That brought out a surprise laugh from her, and she tilted her head down, unable to hide her grin. “Yeah, yeah they are,” she agreed. She turned her face towards him again. “They’re always together and always whispering and watching me. It’s definitely… freaky.”

He chuckled in response, and she found it to be a comforting noise for an odd reason, “That’s fucking weird.”

Her lips twitched a little at his cursing. She wasn’t entirely a prude, she’d heard people cursing in college and occasionally did it herself, but she wasn’t used to it. Not in Lone River, at least. “So, who are you?” she questioned, keeping her voice casual and friendly as she looked at him once more.

The man shifted his weight around again, as if debating on telling her. “Miah Banks,” he finally said.

“Miah? That’s a name I haven’t heard,” she raised an eyebrow.

“It’s short for Jeremiah,” he shrugged. “Reagan gave the name to me a while ago.”

“Reagan?” her eyes widened.

As in Reagan, Reagan? The scary ruthless leader of that biker gang on the edge of town her father warned her about when she returned home? Did that mean he was also a gang member?

Miah frowned slightly, his guard going up immediately. “… Yeah, Reagan,” his tone was flat.

Audrina’s face softened, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to sound like that. Truth be told, I haven’t been in Lone River for a lot of years, so I’m still unfamiliar with all… well, you know.”

He nodded, relaxing a little, “I see. I guess I’m just used to people writing us off as devils in leather, or somethin’.”

She let out a soft snort. “Now, Devils in Leather would kind of be a cool name,” she smiled playfully.

Miah’s stoic-looking face cracked into a lopsided grin as he chuckled, “It does sound good. Maybe I should bring it up to Reagan and see what he thinks.”

“Speaking of leather, how are you not melting?” she looked pointedly at his black leather jacket. He didn’t even seem to be sweating.

He shrugged one of his broad shoulders, “Used to it.”

“Well, I’m not, so I’m going to move over that way for some shade,” she started walking towards the tree line. She could already feel the cooler wind from the forest beckoning her, wrapping around her ankles and pulling her forward like invisible tendrils begging her to get closer.

Miah followed behind her without hesitation, his boots crunching against the dry grass and pebble mixture. Audrina sat beneath one of the pine trees, carefully folding her skirt underneath her and behind mindful of the pine needles. He sat down near her, raising one of his knees and draping an arm on top of it. “So, you’re the priest’s daughter, then?” he asked, wanting clarification.

“Unfortunately,” she rolled her eyes, sighing. The cooler air beneath the shade of the trees was already helping her feel less like she was boiling.

He glanced at her curiously, “And you sound happy about that, I see.”

“It’s not that-“ she sighed. “It’s… complicated.”

“Well, life’s kinda like that, I noticed,” he offered casually. “Something you want to get off your mind?”

Audrina studied his face for a moment, wondering if he was being genuine. He wasn’t anything like the monsters her father tried to paint the Sons of Night as. If anything, he seemed rather… calm. She looked away, back to the church once again. “He sent me away,” she explained. “To a private school. Catholic. I lived there until I graduated, and then I went to college, and now I’m home, and it’s…”

“Complicated?”

She glanced at him and smiled. “Yeah. Complicated,” she ran a hand through her thick locks and sighed.

“… It sounds like it might have been rough on you,” Miah stated. “That school, I mean.”

“It was,” she nodded. “I wasn’t able to mail letters to any of my friends back home, and they all moved on and grew up without me. Everything had to be done according to their rules or we were punished unfairly. My father remarried and didn’t even invite me to the wedding. I didn’t even know I had little sisters until I came back, so that should tell you how much he kept in touch with me.”

She looked down at her hands, scratching at some dry skin on her cuticle. Just the thought of that awful school almost made her shiver out of habit. Miah’s voice was gentle as he spoke to her, “You must have been pretty lonely, then. Still, even.”

Audrina looked up at him, not bothering to hide the vulnerable expression on her face. “Yeah… I am,” she huffed a bitter laugh.

Miah’s eyes were filled with something like understanding as he met hers. “Sorry you went through that.”

She shook her head, waving her hand dismissively. “It’s… fine. I’m fine, really. Just figuring out where to go from here,” she let out another sigh.

“My old man wasn’t much of a father, either,” he sympathized. “He tried, but his mind was too… messed up, or somethin’.”

Miah had pulled a cigarette out of the pack he pulled from his jacket, sticking it between his lips and lighting it up. He hesitated for a moment before offering the pack to her.

Audrina stared at it, her heart suddenly skipping a beat. She reached out and took one, leaning towards him as he lit it. She took a careful drag, wrinkling her nose at the vaguely familiar taste of tobacco and nicotine. She’d smoked a few times, mostly socially, in college, but even so, she still coughed a bit.

Miah chuckled a little, exhaling a plume of blue-white smoke himself. “First time?”

“No,” she mumbled, her cheeks heating up a little out of embarrassment. “Been a while.”

“Rebellious,” he said, amused. “I like it.”

Audrina couldn’t hide the smile that comment caused, “S-shut up…”

“Anyway,” Miah continued after a moment. “My dad was the kind of person that just couldn’t handle life, I think. He ended up offing himself when I was sixteen.”

She took a drag and it went down easier this time, exhaling and looking at him in surprise. “S-suicide?” she whispered.

He nodded.

“Jeez,” she let out a breath, “I’m sorry, Miah.”

The blond shook his head, “Don’t be. It’s a selfish thing, suicide. You think you’re keeping others from being burdened by you, but really you’re just leaving behind people that need you.”

She looked at the church again. Her mind wondered what sort of deity would be so cruel to afflict someone’s mind with such torment that their only relief was to no longer exist. “Do you believe? In God, religion, or anything like that?” she asked suddenly.

Miah laughed bitterly, “Hell no. What about you? Did your little school girl pinafore and habit leech your beliefs out of you?” His tease was almost on the mark.

Audrina scoffed, shooting a glare at him. “I wasn’t a nun, jeez,” she grumbled. “But that school certainly didn’t help. I also experienced a lot in college, and that kind of helped me separate the church from reality, as it is.”

“Yeah? Were you the rebellious preacher’s daughter once daddy’s eyes weren’t on you?” he continued his almost-mocking tone, but she could tell there was no malice hidden in his words.

She rolled her eyes, taking another drag and pausing before answering. “I experimented like any other young adult, I suppose. I definitely feel like a fish out of water being back here, though.” she frowned.

“Mm, I can imagine,” he nodded solemnly, finishing his cigarette and stubbing it out in the dirt, flicking the butt away.

Audrina followed its trajectory until it settled on the ground somewhere. She finished hers as well and flicked it away in the same manner. “What about you? How… have you been, after what happened with your dad?” she asked.

Miah took a deep breath, “Better now. I was just a runt back then, so I didn’t have much goin’ for me. Reagan actually found me and took me in. Wouldn’t let me prospect until I was eighteen, though.”

“Prospect? What’s that?”

He glanced at her and smiled, “Right. It’s when you first join a club, like a probationary period. A test trial, if you prefer. Gotta prove your worth and your loyalty to your brothers and all that before you get patched in.”

Audrina took a closer look at his leather jacket, noting the various patches on it, “I’m assuming ‘patched in’ means you get something like that, and you’re official?”

“Yeah. It’s called a cut. We always wear our cuts no matter what,” he explained, and she could hear that hint of pride in his tone.

“You also said ‘brothers’. Is that what you guys are? A brotherhood of sorts?”

“Something like that. It’s hard to explain, but once you’re in the club, you’re in for life. It becomes your life, and the other members, your brothers, are your family. We protect our family, always. We always have each other’s backs,” Miah spoke in a somber tone, and she could tell that this ‘club’ of his was very serious for him.

It made her think of the church again. Always was she making comparisons, but she couldn’t help it. Religion had been her life for so long, and this biker, Miah, was speaking about something that seemed deeper even than the bond the parishioners had with their priest. Almost like a blood oath or something.

Audrina was envious. “It sounds incredible,” her voice was quiet. “That sense of family and loyalty, even if you aren’t actually related… I can’t imagine what that’s like.”

She could feel his brown eyes on her again, watching her. Probably seeing if she was teasing or being mocking. “It is,” he agreed. “Like nothing else.”

She was about to say something else when the old brass bell on top of the church suddenly tolled, its rings clanging out into the still summer heat. It made her flinch and she looked upset that their conversation had to end now.

Together, they stood up and walked back out into the summer sun, now a comfortable warmth rather than a blazing heat on her skin. The door to the church opened and people started leaving, looking red and sweaty and uncomfortable. Audrina crossed her arms over her chest and turned to Miah. “Will I see you again?” she furrowed her brows a little, frowning.

It should have been embarrassing, the almost desperate tone in her voice, but she couldn’t help it. He was like nothing she’d ever seen or experienced before. If anything, he was far more understanding than any of the ‘devout Catholics’ that were currently coming out of their sardine can.

His smile was a warm one, and he reached out to poke her cheek with one of his calloused fingers. “Smile,” he said, and it wasn’t a demand nor a suggestion. “Whatever bad shit is going on, just keep smiling, okay?”

Her breath left her, her blue eyes widening. She could feel her cheeks heat up again. “I…”

Miah reached up to brush his thumb over her eyebrow, where that strawberry birthmark marred her face like a splotch of red paint staining her skin. A mark that her father had said she was kissed by an angel, while Mary Louanne said she was branded by the devil. A mark that she was otherwise self-conscious of until this moment.

“I’ll be around again,” he answered her question, dropping his hand.

“… You promise?” she whispered.

Almost like it was ingrained in her, she could feel her father’s gaze boring into her back, knowing he’d have words for her later. Miah glanced over her shoulder, and she knew who he was looking at without turning around. “Yeah. I promise,” he said softly.

He nodded at her and turned to start walking away. She stood in place and watched him head to the old black Harley that had been parked at the edge of the gravel lot in front of the church. The roar of the motorcycle felt like something ignited inside of her.

“Audrina? Who was that?” her father’s voice sounded huffy and impatient as he strolled up next to her, placing a heavy hand on her shoulder.

Miah turned and shot her a wink before revving his bike and riding away.

“No one important,” she smiled as she lied, knowing she might have just found something—rather, someone—new to put her faith in.

[theauthorpaula]

DISTORTED PERCEPTIONS THE NOVEL

[penwrythe]

Well, this is interesting...

So uh, I just realized while working on revisions for my Life Cycle of a Object Mimic document that my object ocs in WOR have strange family structure dynamics due to them being asexual reproducers lol.

Here's an image is from Jeff Searle's blog post "What is Sex?" Just showing this to show a quick example of what I mean by my Object ocs being asexual reproducers.

Here's a quick sketch of me trying to figure out the family tree. Solid line is relation through the Progenitor/Ichor and dash lines is only social relation (partners). Broken dash lines represent no social relation.

Note about the sketch below: if the text is not clear, Progenitor #1 has no siblings, dies and yields at least three withered kernels, all of which are their offspring. These grow into curios, then later adult Objects. One of the siblings had a Partner, then dies becoming Progenitor #2. That Partner is now the Guardian of the curio Progenitor #2 yielded. This Guardian only have a social relation with the curio through Progenitor #2 (Guardian is the living parent while the progenitor is the deceased parent). This curio grows up into an Adult Object, then dies with no partner of any kind nor altrices to care for their curios (possibly had no access to an abbey). They yield four withered kernels, that grow into curios, that then grow into Adults. One of these adults die, becoming Progenitor #5, once again had no partner, but an altrix from an abbey steps in to care for Progenitor #5's curio. This altrix (and all altrices) are only caregivers and have no social relation with the curio. Curio grows up into an adult, then dies as Progenitor #6, yielding a single kernel, that grows up, and is now currently an Adult. This adult, and any adults/curios still alive in this graft (not counting guardians or altrices), make up the family lineage of Progenitor #1.

In short, all my Object ocs (Mimickind) in my worldbuilding only share relations through their progenitor, then their progenitor's progenitor, and so on. Any members still living are all siblings of the Progenitor or the offspring of the Progenitor.

When Objects die a true death, they leave behind a withered kernel, and once cracked open, exposes a germ to be used for growing a new curio. The only "parent" is the guardian - buuuuut thanks to a few lore changes - guardians are not just the Object who is pair-bonded with the curio's progenitor (that is just common for most objectkind).

Let me explain.

In the case of a curio's progenitor's partner is dead (both "parents"), the next one to be a guardian (depending if they accept this task btw) is either siblings of the progenitor, another Object who steps in to take care (say an adoptive Object from the original guardian family or the altrix of an abbey).

Since direct relations are perceived only through the progenitor and not through the Guardian (due to guardians being any kind of object who steps in to care for a curio), all family matters are controlled by siblings and (maybe) cousins? There's no parent (mother/fathers) or grandparents?

I'm not sure?? How this works??

There's also, like relationship stuff to figure out, too.

Okay, so right now in my worldbuilding, Pair-Bonds are

romantic or platonic pairings of one or more Objects. All Objects are instinctively asexual and have no instinct to find suitable mates with strong genes to ensure the health and fitness of their offspring. Instead, they are driven to protect their partner until they die, where upon death, the deceased’s curio(s) will have a greater chance to surviving to adulthood with the help of the deceased’s living partner.

Guardians in my worldbuilding are:

an Object who is usually become their curio’s benefactor after that curio’s progenitor died. They usually act as parental figures of their curios, aiding in the curio’s education and growth while they grow up in an abbey. In the case of no surviving partner, the progenitor’s or the guardian’s family may step in to aid the curio. The Guardian’s family may participate in helping the guardian care for the curio(s), but are not considered related to the progenitor’s family though the progenitor’s curio and are not related through pair-bonds. If either family rejects the curio, the curio will have an altrix or adoptive Object to act as guardian.

So, family is relation through the Progenitor (and their lineage through past Progenitors). Guardians (either pair-bonds, other Objects, or altrices) are not considered part of the Progenitor's family (and lineage). The Progenitor's family is made up of their siblings (if alive) or cousins (if also alive) of the curio (cousins being the offspring of the Progenitor's siblings, who would have died to yield a kernel). All family matters are controlled by the Progenitor's family while the Guardian(s) (and their family) have no say as they are not seen as relatives to the Progenitor. The Guardian's family (their siblings and cousins) are not a part the Progenitor's family because of this.

The only role of the Guardian(s) is to ensure the Progenitor's curio is kept safe (either rearing them or having an abbey rear them).

~Skipping ahead a bit on a thought~

So lets say you have an Object who had just started their lineage by their existence (cough a human dies then gets inverted cough), then dies (becomes a Progenitor) and yields a kernel. That kernel is cracked, germ comes out then grows into a curio. Let's say that Progenitor had a partner. That Partner now cares for their curio as a Guardian. But since the Progenitor has no siblings or cousins, that Guardian now becomes the adoptive family of that curio. The Guardian's family also steps in to care for the curio, but still retain their independence from that curio and the curio's future lineage.

So the curio grows up into an adult but their Guardian grows old, dies, then has a kernel. They had no partner in their life. So would this mean that the adult Object that the Guardian once took care of now cares for the curio of the Guardian? What does this mean for the adult Object to the curio? Is the curio a "sibling" or "child" of the adult Object in this scenario?

I rather the adult Object in this scenario see the curio as a "sibling" because uuuuuuh "child" implies something real bad and not great (yeah ew no). So maybe the adult Object is a Sibling Guardian or a Grand-Sibling of their Guardian's curio?

I'll think upon this a bit more lol.

[ritabs]

NEW STORY: Mirage Manhattan — WxW Superhero Romance

So, I found out about the Kindle Vellys like entirely too late but a challenge never stopped me and I've had this quick novella idea in my head for months. I literally outlined it July 30 and started writing August 1st. Welcome to my crackpot NaNoWriMo, but instead of a month, I have about 3 weeks and I'm expecting it to be about 30k instead of 50 :)

I'm a little stressed.

So, if you want a gay superhero story, this is for you. Imagine MHA style quirks with the Boys media/government system and a Wanda Maximoff/Atom Eve Queer MC. I'm so hype for this and I feel like a lot of other people will be too.

For Kindle Vella, the first 3 episodes are free, I have 2 episodes available right now, so if you'd like to tune in and watch me churn out 8 more episodes in 2 weeks, feel free to follow along! I really want to win this thing and I put myself in the absolute worst situation to do so, but we're here!

If you want to read and follow along, I've put the link below. Thanks for your support! XOXO - Rita BS

Mirage Manhattan

SYPNOSIS: In the year 2105, the world has adapted to the ravages of climate change. Ninety-nine percent of all living creature has developed unique powers to survive in this new reality—except for Samirah Hayes. As a young, newly debuted YA fantasy author, she belongs to the 1 percent of the population who remains unevolved, with no affinity to her name.

Samirah's ordinary life takes a dramatic turn when her brother mysteriously vanishes, and her mother refuses to reveal his whereabouts. Overnight, Samirah discovers she possesses insanely powerful illusionary abilities. With an uncontrollable affinity and a missing brother, she falls under the supervision of Flux, a hero of the Cape Corps, a military branch dedicated to training heroes who respond to global missions.

From a recent graduate author to a fledgling superhero, Samirah’s life undergoes a radical transformation. She must navigate her new powers, the search for her brother, and a developing relationship with her superhero roommate.

[rizhagreywrites]

Title: Duty and Deceit

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A dark historical fantasy romance.

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Blurb:

Hardened by a lifetime of espionage, Roxas's loyalty to the empire knows no bounds. But this comes at a cost—his family believes he's dead. He sheds faces and names like a snake's skin, controlling the emotions of those around him with ease. Yet his carefully constructed world falls apart when he meets Kaia Nuwas, a determined imperial soldier in training, unknowingly caught in his web of deception.

Kaia would do anything for the people she considers family. Trained by Roxas's mother, she deems herself strong enough to protect those she loves. But could she save a man who doesn't want to be saved?

The novella is a gripping prequel to the Cries of the Nine, full of dark themes, moral ambiguity, sacrifice, and deception.

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[theworldofetgoma-blog]

[shewhotellsstories]

I think a lot of discourse surrounding Young Adult fiction could be solved if publishers just invested in marketing and selling New Adult fiction. The life of a 17-year-old and the life 23-year-old are pretty different and that's okay.

[newadultfiction]

(via Siblings in Fiction)

[bigdreamsandwildthings]

This shirt says it all 🫶🏻

[cinderswrites]

S A N C T U M :: 30 Fics in 30 Days 4510 / 30000 words. 15% done!

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This challenge is something I made based off the 30k November challenge. I plan on writing one short story per day every day of November, and since I know I'll probably blow past the 30k mark, I changed the name.

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"Sanctum" is a story about the one person that makes everything feel okay, regardless of what you feel you are. It's written in 2nd perspective as it involves one of my Sons of Night characters, and those characters are eventually going to be their own interactive/character blog.

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:: WC: 1,254 :: CW: trauma, murder, brief mentions of sexual & domestic abuse, mentions of blood ::

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The darkness inside Pierce was something he couldn’t quite get a grasp on. It festered, whispered to him when he wasn’t expecting it. Like caresses of black wisps stroking his face, a voice so soft in his ear telling him…

They don’t belong here. Look at them all, throwing themselves on your friends, your brothers.

They’ll ruin them, too.

Like they ruined you.

“No,” he whispered under his breath. He was sitting at the end of the bar in the clubhouse, far in the corner where no one else was around. Nursing a glass of scotch so aged, it was almost like drinking gasoline. “Stop.”

You’ll save them again, right?

Like you always do.

Wring their pretty little necks.

They don’t d e s e r v e to live.

“No, that’s not t-true,” he reached up with a shaky hand, scrubbing it over his face. “I’m not like that anymore. I-I’ve changed.”

Pierce gripped the thick glass in his hand, the amber liquid inside trembling. His heart rate was starting to pick up, the hairs on the back of his neck were prickling almost painfully, and he was trying not to look at the person that was currently pressed up against Jericho. Completely throwing themselves at the president of the Sons.

“How pathetic,” he and the voice whispered together.

He made a disgruntled noise, picking up his glass and downing the rest of the burning drink inside, wrinkling his nose. He set it down on the bar top with a thud and pushed up from his seat. He was about to make his way to where Jericho was when he heard another voice.

“Pietr!”

That soft and beautiful tone of yours.

Like a sweet sanguine lullaby.

His cerulean eyes flicked around and almost panicked until he settled on your face as you walked up to him. “Hey, you’re here,” you said, smiling at him.

A smile that was like a spotlight in a dark room, shooing away the shadows and dark tendrils in his mind. “B-bunny,” he called you that adorable nickname as he always did. “I wasn’t expecting you tonight.”

“Yeah, my shift ended early and I know Fridays are kind of busy for the club,” you explained. “I wanted to surprise you. So, surprise!”

You waved your hands a little and it was adorable. Pierce’s normally hard-set expression softened into a smile. “I see,” he murmured.

“Well? Come on, let’s go sit somewhere quiet. I have so much to catch you up on,” you grabbed his hand in yours, and the warmth of it sent a shock wave through his entire being.

He couldn’t help but be pulled along by you as you led him through the common room and the kitchen, out to the back porch. No one was out here right now. Usually the others used it for grilling and hanging out on evenings when there weren’t club parties.

You chose to sit on one of the picnic tables, leaning back against the table part and looking out into the field behind the clubhouse. The light remained off and before you both spread a gorgeous inky indigo sky, dotted with thousands of stars.

It was one of the things Pierce loved about Lone River. It was far enough away from any major cities that light pollution wasn’t a thing. The skies were always beautiful at night.

On this rather warm fall evening, Pierce sat next to you, crossing his arms lazily over his chest. His long legs stretched out in front of him. There was a silence between you two that stretched for a few minutes, before he finally broke it. “What’s your news?” he asked curiously.

Pierce listened as you rambled on about the new things in your life, some big event that happened that you were excited for. He relaxed against the table, his eyes closed as he focused on your words, a soft smile on his face.

A smile only reserved for you.

For you were the only thing in the entire world that made him feel normal. That made him forget what a monster he truly was. Forget the moments in time that he let the rage take over, only to come out of it to blood soaked hands, gasping for air. To see another body beneath him, snuffed out like they were a candle left on for too long.

The blood washed off, but the memories didn’t.

You continued talking until you glanced over and noticed his expression, pausing mid-sentence. “… Pietr?” you called softly.

He jerked like he’d been forced awake, turning his head to look at you with those beautiful blue eyes of his. You always thought he was so damn gorgeous, you were lucky to have his attention at all. If you really knew what he was, you’d probably change that opinion real quick.

“Yes?” he blinked.

“Oh, nothing, really. You almost looked like you were sleeping,” you chuckled, looking away shyly. Sometimes his gaze was so intense when it was focused solely on you like it was now.

“Mm,” he hummed, smiling a little more. “I was just listening to you, bunny. Your voice is relaxing.”

“R-really?”

“It is,” he insisted softly. “It…”

Calms the voices in my head. Soothes my inner monster. Reminds me that I’m human.

“… makes me feel better, I guess,” Pierce finished with that instead.

You looked at him again, studying his face. He looked… tired, almost. But that wasn’t quite the word for it, was it? “Are you doing okay?” you asked, genuine concern in your tone.

He raised his eyebrows, blinking at you again. “I’m…”

Drowning in c r i m s o n when you’re not around. A M O N S T E R, not unlike those in the scary books you like to read.

Pierce sighed, “I’m fine, bunny.”

You weren’t convinced. “Hey, you can… talk to me, you know? It doesn’t always just have to be me rambling here,” you laughed a little nervously, looking at your hands and fidgeting. “I want… I want to be able to be a soundboard for you, too, you know.”

The admission made the feeling in his chest flutter with something warm and sweet. He reached out to you, his fingers ghosting across your brow and brushing your hair from your face. “You help just by being here,” he murmured. “With you around, I feel like I can breathe.”

The vulnerable and soft look on your face as you turned to gaze up at him almost seized his aching heart. “Pietr…” you didn’t know what to say.

Pierce’s knuckles caressed your cheek just so. These little touches, the barely-theres, were the only things he allowed himself to do to you. If he let himself give into temptation with you…

Well, there’s no telling what he might wake up to.

And he couldn’t do that. Not with you! Not when you provided him a sanctuary and reminded him of what he was like before Vanessa, before the assault when he was younger. When he was still ignorant to the horrors of this cruel world.

“Don’t stop talking,” his voice was a strained plea as he withdrew his hand from your face.

You nodded a little and turned your face skyward as you picked up where you left off. Pierce’s heart rate relaxed again, and he allowed himself a moment of mercy to lean against your arm slightly, enough to feel your presence next to him. His eyes closed again as your voice carried on.