#self published author

[thatdisasterauthor]

I am not sure where my fascination with disasters came from, but I have had it for a long, long time. So much so that I very specifically remember being in Middle School and writing a short story about a tornado hitting our school and trapping all the students in the gym (but none of the teachers, of course, because what fun would it be if the teachers were around?). My poor teacher didn't quite know what to do with me when she tried to pair everyone up by genre to critique one another's stories, as no one else had written something remotely similar. It didn't matter though, I was hooked. That afternoon I was standing in my garage and thinking about how I wanted to grow up to be an author who wrote disaster stories, and I wanted to write one story about each kind of disaster.

After several years (and two agents) trying to get these books picked up traditionally with no luck, I've decided to just do it myself. And so, the Little Disaster Books collection has been born! When you pick up a Little Disaster Book, here's what you're going to get:

A short read. Each book is around 50,000-70,000 words. That's a bit longer than a novella, and shorter than most novels, because sometimes you just need a quick book, not a door-stopper.

Each book is a standalone. Because, again, sometimes you just need something quick that you don't have to invest in for a decade while you wait for each book to come out.

Lots of queer characters of all sorts. The disaster genre is, unfortunately, pretty notorious for either not having queer characters at all, or killing them off. Little Disaster Books will instead center them and their narratives. But, the stories won't be ABOUT queerness, they'll just have characters that are queer.

No quickie romance. There will be characters in relationships (I'm a sucker for books with couples that are already together at the start), and maybe the first blooms of a potential romance, but nobody is falling head over heels when they should be focused on survival.

No gore for gore's sake. Characters might get hurt, or even die, but these aren't horror books or slasher books or anything in that vein.

A realistic look at disaster. I'm not just obsessed with fictional disasters, I'm obsessed with the real ones too. I have spent a lot of time studying disasters, myths around disasters/disaster response, and the sociology of disasters. With Little Disaster Books I have worked very, very hard to make the books as realistic as possible when it comes to things like civilian responders, everyday heroes, and how disaster response tends to work. At the end of the day they are still fiction, but they're fiction heavily grounded in reality. No "everyone for themselves/we're all animals when the lights go out" nonsense here.

Full endings. There's a bit of a trend in survival thrillers for them to end right at the climax/moment of rescue, or within a few pages of it, even if things haven't been fully wrapped up. Little Disaster Books will all have more rounded endings that delve, at least a little bit, into the aftereffects of what the characters go through, because sometimes the after is the hardest part of all.

The first book in this collection, Lie Down in the Ashes, is launching on Kickstarter on Janaury 15th, 2025! Sign up to be notified on launch here. It is about a group of teens who get caught in the middle of a fast moving wildfire that one of them accidentally starts.

Sign up to be notified on launch here.

[writerinturmoil]

[authorpilot]

I poured my heart and soul into this piece, and it's a reflection of my inner world. It's a mix of emotions, thoughts, and experiences that I've tried to capture through colors, textures, and shapes. I hope you see something in it that resonates with you.

[morganeboydauthor]

GHOSTS OF THE STEEL ROAD: PREORDER LIVE!

There are two kinds of people in life: somebodies and nobodies. Know exactly which one you are. Melandra Godfrey may not have had a good life, but it was at least a predictable life. Her father, the last private detective in Zarothe, may have had his long list of rules and the money never added up right, but at least both of those factors were consistent. But when Melandra’s father goes out of town on whatat first seems like a normal job, Melandra’s world becomes unpredictable. A string of murders stokes fears of cult activity. An on-and-off friend warns of strange dangers. A mysterious man arrives at her door with an even more mysterious letter. The Steel Road, the ever-present crux of trade in Zarothe, holds the key to the mysteries around Melandra and throughout her whole life. Getting the answers she wants may mean doing the very thing Melandra hates most: becoming somebody.

That's right, everyone, I have bitten the bullet and e-book preorders for Ghosts of the Steel Road are now LIVE.

Releasing in both e-book and paperback* format on September 26th, Ghosts of the Steel Road is a fantasy novel about prophecies, cults, and the strange things our parents do.

As my debut self-published novel, I will admit it's a little surreal, but I'm so excited to have these years of work out there, and now it's time to properly work on the sequel!

Also, here's that book cover reveal, finally. Decided to keep it simple in the end :D

Check out the e-book preorder here on Amazon!

*Paperback not available for preorder. Yell at KDP about that one. Link will be given for paperback on Sept. 26.

[transannabeth]

happy five years of less than three!!

less than three is officially quite a bit more than three, with its five year anniversary today!

it's hard to believe it's already been five years since it was first published. thank you so much to everyone who has continued supporting me through the ups and downs. every bit of support i've received has meant so much to me, and whether you are a new or a returning reader, i hope this book will hold a special place for each of you. <3

i still happen to have some merch left over from the release, so if you're interested in getting merch or a signed copy, you can buy it here!

Ren has been in love with his best friend for the past three years. He has no intention of confessing, but he can't seem to move on. Calliope has spent most of her life dancing. She's decided to put other interests before it now, but it's hard to let go of something she fought so hard for. Ingrid plans to start over in college, to go beyond what held her back in high school. It's much easier in theory than in practice. Less Than Three is a collection of three short stories about a group of friends. Together, they shoulder their way through romance, all-nighters, and the occasional dragon.

goodreads ♥ amazon ♥ elsewhere ♥ signed copies

[heylookitsdaryl]

Did my first ever vendor event today and sold a few books alongside my pins and stickers — check out my artwork on my @darylsdoodles account.

I made some pretty good sales, made a few friends, and I even met a mutual of mine from TikTok!

Today was a good day. 🙂

[maverick-werewolf]

Happy Halloween - Nonfiction and Fiction for the season!

It's almost Halloween - now is the perfect time to pick up books both nonfiction and fiction on many scary topics! With my books The Werewolf: Past and Future and my edition of Baring-Gould's irreplaceable 1800s subject-spanning folklore source The Book of Werewolves, you'll learn about the fascinating history of werewolf legends and much more! They're must-haves if you like werewolves or even if you don't know why on earth other people like them so much (seriously, you'll find out).

And for all your terrifying fiction needs, I have a selection of dark tales ranging from horror to adventure-horror and many things in-between, featuring zombies, other undead, ancient mummies, werebears, angry spirits, and much more, and of course - werewolves!

Click here to purchase books on my website!

or

Click here to view my Amazon Author page!

Books are also available across other booksellers and platforms, including many digital retailers. They are available in ebook, paperback, and some are even available in hardback formats.

Dare to pick up some copies and discover new, entirely self-published adventures!

Happy Halloween!

[rhymeswithfart]

Fanart of the titular character from the book my friend wrote: The Finnish Cadaver. She is going to publish the book soon

[oatmilk-vampire]

I don’t talk about my books often, but this is something monumental.

My book just made its way to my local library on Friday, and to my atonishment people actually want to read. Are actually reading it.

I'm this close to having a panic attack.

[doll-poetry]

be sure to check my books out yall🌸✒️ & share!

I'd appreciate the support! & always looking for book reviews

[writerinturmoil]

The Squish (poem)

-Kimberly Rivera

I met them at a cowboy-themed party

Stetson hats, flannel shirts, cowboy boots

Fiddle and twangy guitar blasting loud

Scruffy people shuffling in a line

We spent the next three hours discussing Medieval France

(The Hundred Years’ War, The Norman Conquest, Battle of Tours)

And our favorite ice cream flavors

(Zanzibar, lime, Moose Tracks)

We both like The Color Purple and A Clockwork Orange

Apple juice with Corn Flakes

Walks along the bubbling brook

Stargazing on moonless nights

I learned about doo-wop

(The Harptones, The Moonglows, The Five Keys)

I taught them about Victorian poetry

(Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Matthew Arnold, Oscar Wilde)

We exchanged contact information

Boy, do I have a “squish” on them

I hope they have a “squish” on me

Then, the party ended with a yee-haw and a “Hell yeah!”

Note:

What is a squish?

A squish is a platonic crush. It's when you get to know someone and have an intense desire to become friends with them. People in the aro and ace communities commonly use this term.

[readingteabooks]

The Stones Stay Silent by Danny Ride

Leiander is an asexual trans man in a world ruled by strict religious doctrine that dictates even stricter gender roles. When a plague breaks out across the land, the priestesses of his village blame him - and his gender non-conformity - for bringing it upon them. With the help of a friendly demon, Kevv'ach, Lei is able to escape their attempts at conversion therapy and flee his village. He determines to make a pilgrimage to the great stone lith in Horizon, said to be a conduit of the gods' power, with the hope that has the power to change his body to match his gender. 

The story follow's Lei's journey from his small village, to a larger town where he spends a winter working for a very nice couple who run a less nice inn. All the while he is confronted with the effects of the plague, and the drastic measures the Church is going to to halt its spread (with little success). When at last he reaches Horizon things there are only worse. And it turns out that the Church may be keeping secrets of its own which, if revealed, could alter the course of history.

This is very much a character-driven story rather than a plot-driven one. It is entirely focused on Leiander and his journey, both physical and emotional. It is meandering and slow, but I never felt like it dragged. The world is so well realized that I simply enjoyed learning about it alongside Lei and Kevv. There are moments of action and excitement, scenes that are tense or frightening, but these are few and far between. Lei's journey is long and sometimes monotonous, as real life often is. I personally enjoyed the slow pace of the novel, the gradual exploration of the world, meeting the diversity of people in it, and the lingering suspicions that lead up to a reveal. If that is the sort of book you enjoy, then I think you would enjoy this one, but if you're looking for an action-packed adventure with a huge climax, this is not the story for you.

Also there are recipes at the end! I wanna make them.

[authorpilot]

[magerightsyeah]

[author-a-holmes]

Nanowrimo 2023 Wrap Up...

So, I didn't make my 75k or break any personal records, but I'm really not mad about that. I don't know why I thought November was the nano event to try that in, November nano's are almost always a disaster for me. In fact, this is only the second time I've ever hit 50k in November.

But hit it, I did! Final count at 1-minute-to-midnight on November 30th was 51,841 words, which has brought my Darkling Manuscript up to 92,696. That's almost doubled the words I've written throughout the rest of 2023 which is incredible, and I'm so happy.

It also means that it looks like I'm still on track to complete the manuscript by January, which was really my main goal. All in all, I'd call this Nanowrimo a resounding success.

If you're interested in some of my other statistics, I've got some more numbers beneath the cut...

Number of Sprints in November: 132 Sprints Time Spent Writing in November: 43 hours, 45 minutes Estimated Remaining: 20-25k words or 7-10 Chapters.

[hellishrebukesystem]

why would i like obsessive relationships... it's not a judgement, but a question coming out of honest curiosity, as in what captivated you in them?

I think of obsessive relationships as the corner stone of Gothic Literature--the weird borderline between love and completely being consumed. I don't think they are healthy or ideal and it is not the way I'd want to live my real life (having experience a few relationships that border on eroticmania...) but it is an interesting trope of horror and romance...I think as a poetic device it can be quite beautiful.