#the Restoration Program

[marydublinauthor]

Little personal post! Last night @kendsleyauthor and I were featured with another local author at a fantasy panel via our local indie bookstore! (Anne joined via discord on my phone!) We got to talk about world building, magic, The Heart Between Kingdoms and Shot in the Dark!

Dreaming forever that I can do this full time someday 🥺

So wild to be talking about Jon and Sylvia and Cliff to THE WORLD IN PERSON?? After all this time!

[tea-potato-gt]

The Restoration Program as memes for @kendsleyauthor and @marydublinauthor

I’ve had this book for a while, but I waited to read it till I was in a good headspace because I knew it was gonna be ROUGH, and I’m glad I did 🫣😬🫡Although, anything that has to do with the Trinket universe is was gonna be messed up… 🫠🫠🫠

*spoilers ahead*

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Everytime someone says “What was lost has been restored,” I think: “The Greater Good” 😶

———————

Ryan: “Just because you would’ve happily let mom die if you were in my position…”

———————

Me if I put the book down at page 208 (the wedding) and lived the rest of my life in ignorant bliss😌👰‍♀️🤵‍♂️

————————

Ryan if he was in the department store and that child tried to grab Nicole. (No one would have been safe.)

——————

Ryan: “I’ll never be like him, I promise you.”

——————

Me @ Ryan when he starts isolating Nicole from other people:

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Ryan: “Just because you can’t take care of Rebecca the same way anymore doesn’t give you the right to judge me for how I handle my own business.”

———————

People online theorizing what NüPrints are…

———————

Nicole: “You never would have done this to me if I was human!”

———————

——————

Carlos and Dr. Burman running away together

———————

Me @ Ryan when he disrespected Nicole’s bodily autonomy, ignores her feelings on where she wants to go or see, deliberately lied about getting kicked out of the partners group, gaslit her, cheated on her, Killed her, and especially when he doesn’t listen to her when she says no:

——————

Me at the implication they already started making the Trinkets…

———————

Nicole:

Darlene:

Ryan at the end: (He gaslit, gatekept, and girlbossed too close to the sun) (And it seems like he never learned…)

Carlos:

Dr. Burman when someone derails his sessions:

———————

Me after finishing the Restoration Program:

After thoughts…

I will say, I knew this was going to have a bad ending from all the posts on Insta and Tumblr. So from the start I had a feeling Ryan was going to end up killing Nicole. (So… Yay me? I got it right?)

My original theory was that she was going to be the first Print to get pregnant (I think I remember reading that Prints can have kids and Trinkets can’t. Maybe I made that up.) And THEN he was going to kill her.

I will say, when they were discussing bringing her back to life (after Ryan killed her), I was so scared they were gonna turn her into a Trinket. I really thought that’s where this was going… but Nicole’s ending was a lot worse. A never ending cycle of life and death, not knowing what happened in her previous lives or if Ryan will really learn and do better.

I think the worst part about all this is that in the eyes of the law, Nicole is not considered human anymore (more like property), and because of this, Ryan never faces any consequences for killing her (possibly MULTIPLE times). So as long as Ryan (or anyone for that matter) has enough money, they can keep making mistakes and hurting/killing the Prints with no repercussions... The sentiments that they are not humans and have no right will eventually lead to the mistreatment of Trinkets and the ostracization of the Prints in the future. People will justify the mistreatment of Trinkets because most of them were convicted of crimes (falsely accused or not), so people think Trinkets are getting what they deserve.

I think I’m a little traumatized by red string🤪

Now I need to go lie down. 🫠

———————

Awesome story as always! 💙

[kendsleyauthor]

New G/t Novel Available!

THE RESTORATION PROGRAM is available NOW in paperback and e-book! 🎉🎉🎉

Amazon |||| Goodreads

The first book of the PRINT / TRINKET UNIVERSE is finally here! It's time to meet Nicole and Ryan!

Content warning: This book contains mature themes, depictions of emotional abuse, and sexual assault. Intended for appropriate readers ages 18+.

Synopsis:

Nicole’s tragic death was only the beginning. Against all odds, Nicole Zhou wakes up from a fatal car accident to find that she is a beneficiary of a cutting-edge procedure: the Restoration Program. By transferring her consciousness into a new body, her life has been saved. The only problem? Her new body is merely ten inches tall. As she tries to continue building a life with her boyfriend, Ryan Northe, she struggles to grapple with the strange world developing around her. With each passing day, she questions whether the procedure really saved her life or plunged her into a fate worse than death. Regardless of her fears, both the Restoration Program and Ryan agree: what was lost has been restored. The first in a thrilling New Adult trilogy filled with suspense, romance, and the dawning of a new, strange world, The Restoration Program is perfect for fans of Black Mirror, Westworld, and romance books with an existential twist. It appeals widely to fans who enjoy a love story turned darkly on its head.

If you've enjoyed the stories @marydublinauthor and I have posted about the print / trinket universe, this one is definitely for you! Come and read about the origin of Prints in this universe 👀🧬

If you give our book a read, make sure to leave a review on Amazon/Goodreads!! Reviews are the best way to support indie authors, as it leads to more readers discovering our work!

Thank you so much for all the support over the years! It's time to get this trilogy going! 😍✨

[vibinglikethat]

me after finishing the restoration program by @marydublinauthor and @kendsleyauthor

kind of insane how fast i read it like omg...it hooked me in DEEP. anyway the ENDING OH MY GOD. I WILL NOT BE FORGETTING THAT ENDING ANYTIME SOON. please check out the restoration program!!! i can't recommend it enough it's so good!

i havent seen black mirror but i hear if you like black mirror, you'll probably like the restoration program. regardless, it's worth checking out. the writing alone is pretty incredible. ALSO there's a preview of the second book at the end and i need more!! omg if book 2 were available right now i would literally buy it lol

but yeah. absolutely one hell of a rollercoaster of a book. 1000/10.

[whatthisfemsheplikes]

JUST FINISHED READING THE RESTORATION PROGRAM AND I AM NOT OKAY!

Once again, @marydublinauthor and @kendsleyauthor have knocked it out of the park with this book! I loved reading every second of it, and it had me on the edge of my seat so many times! I'd say the whole last third of the book (or more, honestly) had me so tense about what was gonna happen, but I mean that in the best way possible.

If you want to read a great, suspenseful, and exciting g/t book (book 1 of a series!) then I highly recommend checking out The Restoration Program! I also strongly recommend that you CHECK TRIGGER WARNINGS BEFORE READING! There were so many scenes that made me have to stop and take a breath at how tense things were getting, and it got pretty dark in some parts. That said, I was hooked from the beginning and I hope you guys give this a read if you're interested! The book is available on Amazon and Kindle Unlimited!

Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go think about that ending and all the events leading up to it for a loooooooooooooooooooooong time as I try to process everything that just happened. Mary and Anne, I look forward to more of these emotional rollercoasters whenever book 2 and 3 come out! I will be forwarding all my therapy bills to Ryan Northe for the foreseeable future.

[bittykimmy13]

Any updates on any publications? Just saw your post on smoke and mirrors and now I’m about to reread everything you ever wrote.

Loved the Halloween snippets btw

AHHH you're so sweet!! 🥰 I hope you enjoy your rereading journey!!

As for updates, our main publication project we're focusing on right now is The Restoration Program, the first book of the print/trinket universe! We're currently revising the first draft and getting feedback along the way from beta readers so we can make this book as marvelous of a read as possible 💕 Can't give specific dates yet, but rest assured it's in the works!

And thank you!! I'm still working on my October prompts, and I have a few more that I'll be posting soon ✨

[fallen-grace-smd]

Finished reading the Restoration Program.

I enjoyed it quite a bit.

Details and spoilers under the readmore

The detail work on the unhealthy dynamics of the relationship are all the way in the beginning of the story if you notice it. Such as Nicole thinking that her husband wasn't talking to his parents but he is.

The changing dynamic from loving husband to possessive abuser in a step by step, day by day. So you can see it in real time.

Many little things leading up to the big reveal that indicates that Ryan is lying. How Ryan treated his coworker. How he already knew how to do shibari with a nuprint, how he'll leave her alone but also know what she is saying, etc.

All the little hints and clues that triggered my own memories of my abusive ex. It's the little things such as "don't tell anyone else." Or the look like he owned her when she went to live with her friend for a while.

Then towards the end when she's cut off from other nuprints and how the scientist disappeared, along with other vanishing nuprints which indicates that the nuprints are losing progress, not gaining it, in human rights ans they're either running away, or being taken away.

Again being cut off is something I'm familiar with.

Nicole catching Ryan cheating on her.

Ryan killing Nicole and how the police don't care.

(Did Ryan get any consequences for hurting Nicole's friend? I am unclear but if he did it clearly did not stick)

The ending was absolutely a torment nexus ending. Nicole being created again and again constantly in the possession of her abusive husband Ryan. With a vague sense of deja vu and how staff of both Ryan's law agency and the Restoration Program are placing bets on whether or not this print of Nicole will accept Ryan's affections and how long she'll last.

Apparently the other prints of Nicole have been committing suicide rather than accept how Ryan is treating them, or Ryan kills them himself. Accidental or not, he's still killing them.

Then the hint of the trinkets in prisoners and how the Restoration Program is getting funding by playing on people's grief, love, and obsession to get them to fund the Restoration Program.

Odds are Ryan is like a white whale to them, wealthy, fanatical, constantly killing the prints so he needs more, and willing to bribe, borrow, steal, and blackmail to get the funding.

So overall great book, very descriptive and well written.

That being said I did have to put it down a lot because Ryan's treatment of Nicole triggered my anxiety more than a few times so it's a very realistic description of an abusive relationship.

My congratulations to both of the authors. I'll be looking forward to the other books.

[sage-nebula]

I've seen some people surprised that Kit feels murderous toward Tails in the newest issue, but honestly? I really think this tracks. Setting aside his original programming to kill Tails, let's look at their relationship in chronological order, shall we?

As we know, they met in Eggperial City, where Kit tried to do his job and kill Tails. Tails quickly set to work on talking Kit down, which he did mostly successfully (mostly, because it all went to pot the instant Tails suggested they find Sonic). The thing is, if he has taken the time to look back on it (and I'm sure he has for reasons I'll get to), I don't think Kit sees Tails as really being kind in retrospect. I think he sees Tails as having manipulated him.

And the thing is: he's right.

Look at Tails's smirk after Kit shows surprise that Tails likes his gear. That's a got him smirk if I've ever seen one. Tails has clued into a vulnerability of Kit's that he can use to his advantage.

He further tries to draw similarities between them ("I'm different too and people didn't like that either") and asks leading questions ("you don't get support huh?") to get the result he wants. We have further confirmation that this is deliberate manipulation on Tails's part by his internal monologue about Kit's emotional instability.

Now, none of this is to say Tails is a bad person. Kit was genuinely trying to murder him and Tails was trying to de-escalate the situation to save his own life, without physically harming Kit if possible. As funny as memes about Tails murdering the Kukku Army are, generally he tries to avoid hurting others if he can. He's a nice boy.

But what happened after this?

Well, more specifically: Tails mentioned wanting to find Sonic for help, Kit attacked again, Tails knocked Kit out, and then after Kit comes to and they all leave the city . . .

. . . he's told that Surge died.

Surge was his one reason for living thanks to Starline's programming, and she died while Kit was unconscious because Kit fell for Tails's manipulation and then was overpowered. We don't get a look inside his head during the time when he believes Surge has died, but there is a strong possibility that he blamed himself, because if he had drowned Tails right away like he was supposed to, he could have gone to help Surge. But he didn't, so he couldn't, so she's dead. That's mostly on him, but he could easily resent Tails for it, too.

And speaking of resentment:

Kit finds out Surge is alive, and of course his first instinct is to think Sonic lied so that he could kill Surge off for good. So he goes to get revenge, only to be blocked by Tails. And that's when we get that gem of a line: "Why would you bother with me? You already have him."

Remember that, when he thought Surge was dead, he figured he could be used by Sonic instead:

But while he of course doesn't want to serve Sonic now, he has also realized that if Surge HAD actually died, Sonic would still have no use for him, because Sonic already has Tails. Tails, who can break his water tails easily. Tails, who easily manipulated him in Eggperial City. Tails, who disabled his water pack and knocked him out.

So far, Tails has bested Kit at every turn, leaving Kit to feel inferior and worthless by comparison.

The next time they meet, it is a trap where Kit is again supposed to kill Tails. And once more Tails is able to manipulate Kit into temporarily backing down:

Tails thinks Kit has gone back to being, if not friendly, then reasonable. But he hasn't. Kit stops specifically when Tails says Surge is hurting herself, because he doesn't want Surge to be hurt. And I think Tails knows that, and that's why he said it. But Kit also knows that he is being manipulated here, and his silence is him watching for his opportunity. Such as here:

Peep Kit in the second panel. He watches as Tails dives after Sonic. Had Tails hit the water, he would have been fried right along Sonic. But did Kit care? No. He watched. Surge could have easily killed Tails just as she (temporarily) killed Sonic, and Kit would not have cared at all, because at this point he does not see Tails as a friend: he sees him as a manipulative enemy.

This is further cemented by what he says and does at the end of the issue.

He uses his water tails to grab Tails and move him out of the way in the very same way that he does to Sonic. And he says, "I'll bury you all here." All, including Tails. While the focus is put on Sonic's anger because he is the main character, that doesn't change the fact that he is including Tails when he says that he will bury them all. He sees Tails as no different from Sonic, Starline, or Eggman. Tails manipulated and used him, just as the rest did. He just pretended to be nice while he did it.

So when he finally comes back in this most recent issue, it comes as no surprise to me that this is his attitude:

His history with Tails is extremely personal, and not in a good way. It can be easy to miss because most of the focus on Kit has been on his codependent relationship with Surge, and he hasn't openly voiced how he feels about Tails until this particular issue. But when you piece together every step of their relationship (Tails manipulating him, Tails overpowering him, Kit saying Sonic has no use for him because he has Tails), it paints a very clear picture that Kit feels every bit as suffering in Tails's shadow as Surge does in Sonic's. The only reasons why Kit isn't more proactive about it is because of his programming as a support figure. Supporting Surge comes before all else, so if Surge is hurting herself it's best to hang back. And if Surge doesn't want to go after the Restoration because it's a losing battle with just the two of them, then he needs to follow her lead.

But those feelings of resentment are still boiling under his surface. And now that he has the opportunity to unleash them, he won't miss the chance to strike.

[january-summers]

The real season 19 ending is Agent Washington jolting out of a daze in a PFL meeting and reeming Epsilon for his shitty writing and treatment of the characters.

“And why do you keep giving me Hollywood brain damage?!?!”

“Also what is your beef with Sigma?” | “He’s a bitch for real though!” | “No he’s not!”

“Wait. Is this a simulation?” | “… no. 😈” | “… you are such an asshole.”

[cillpiines]

every single update of Hels to Pay (by @aquaquadrant and @lunarcrown) makes me insane and if it were fanart for something I made I'd wanna see it so I am obligated to post my silly iterations of these guys

Bravo and Timmy at McDonalds is older but it holds up I think

[nostalgicfun]

blurry little lamb 💛

[marydublinauthor]

Sylvia x Poptarts coming at you MAY 14!!

Preorder (ebook) available now!

SYNOPSIS:

Welcome to a world where fairies and monsters roam alongside mournful spirits.

For decades, no threat has touched Elysia. The underground village where Sylvia has lived alongside her fellow fairies is well-fortified, providing safety in its earthen walls.

But Sylvia craves more.

Her curiosity leads her to trespass the strict boundaries of her village, leading her to cross paths with violent creatures she has heard of only by firelight whispers.

Human hunters— Jon and Cliff— who suspect Sylvia’s involvement in a string of gruesome disappearances.

A harrowing captivity transforms into an unlikely alliance when Sylvia saves Jon’s life by sealing a magical pact with the enigmatic Ancients— fae powers who demand a cryptic price.

Sylvia is left with no choice but to stay by Jon’s side while he and Cliff hunt for a ruthless werewolf, determined to free herself from the Ancients’ settlement.

As the dangerous hunt unfolds, Sylvia finds that not all legends about hunters are true.

The world is wider than she ever could have imagined in Elysia.

She realizes she and Jon may have more in common than she ever could have imagined— and icy hostility melts into forbidden attraction.

But… that’s impossible.

Can Sylvia sever the enigmatic bond in time— protecting her own heart in the process?

Find out SHOT IN THE DARK, our Supernatural meets Fern Gully urban fantasy novel.

SHOT IN THE DARK is an action-packed novel that explores the courage it takes to embrace our true identity entwined with haunting themes of forbidden love and found family.

@kendsleyauthor

[clumsiestgiantess]

Some angsty g/t thoughts for y’all:

Helpless tinies, not even because of giants but because of their environment.

So not necessarily borrowers or fairies — just because they’re used to it and have lived with it their whole lives.  I’m talking about someone who has to deal with the simple and mind-boggling fact that everything they knew is suddenly so much bigger.

To some tinies it might be interesting or even fun to have oversized and ridiculously scaled objects at first.  However, once they come across something their own size that they remember being able to palm in a single hand, they can all-to-easily connect the dots and realize that they are now something that can easily be palmed in a person’s hand.

Just imagine a tiny getting frustrated at their giant over not being able to do things or go places that would’ve been so easy for them previously.  Before becoming small, the tiny might have preferred someone doing things for them out of love or friendship, but now that they know they can’t, suddenly a giant doing nice things for them becomes an awful reminder that they can’t do those things.  So when they inevitably lash out at the giant, the giant ends up feeling hurt and confused.  They were only trying to help.  In fact, they have to help, because the tiny would be lost otherwise.

The tiny used to love having someone they could depend on.  Unfortunately, there’s a fine line between wanting dependance and needing it.

[kendsleyauthor]

Ryan and Nicole for number 15 sharing a bed?

((OTP Prompts))

Think of this like a deleted scene from The Restoration Program. 😘 A majority of the book is from Nicole's perspective, so here's a moment from Ryan's!

Pre-orders for the book begin on June 1! Release day is July 1! ✨

@marydublinauthor 🌸

Closer

Every night since Nicole had worked up the courage to share the bed with him, he worried she would change her mind. 

She had made progress in many ways since her Restoration, but it was never linear.

Some days, she let him cook for her; others, she snapped that she could do it herself. Some days, she leaned into his grasp readily; others, she flinched from his touch like it burned. Some days, she stared up at him like she couldn’t believe he was real; others, she ducked her head and wouldn’t look at him at all.

“Ry?” Nicole was on her pillow, nowhere near settled for the night. She played with the tip of her braid. 

A steady stream of rain pattered through the window, filling the beat of silence between them.

He suppressed a disappointed sigh. Here it comes, he thought. She was going to tell him that she wanted a break from sleeping next to him—that she’d rather sleep on the nightstand in her Program-issued bed.

“You okay?” he asked, sliding his hand toward her.

She gestured for him to stop. Something sparkled in her eyes, animated yet dubious. “I want to try something. Can you stay like that and hold still?”

“I think I can manage that.”

The pillow barely shifted under her weight as she eased toward the edge and moved near his shoulder. To his shock, she crawled onto him. He nearly broke his promise to hold still, dying to lift a hand and follow her path. Instead, he went as far as holding his breath.

Finally, she settled just above his abdomen, kneeling with her hands on her lap. Ryan found his breath, and it made Nicole falter for balance for a second. They stared at each other as thunder rumbled outside. 

“What brought this on?” Ryan asked, marveling at the way she gently rose and fell with his breaths.

She shrugged. “It’s storming.”

“And?”

A sly smile lit up her face. She dropped, curling up on her side. “So, I wanted to be closer.”

Closer. Ryan hadn’t been able to put it into words before, but even with her sleeping on her pillow, he had still felt the gaping degree of separation between them. She’d slept halfway under his palm before, but now… now he could really feel her presence.

“And you want to sleep like this?” Ryan slowly brought his hand over her, fingers curling over her front, and his thumb pressing lightly to the small of her back. 

Nicole snuggled against his shirt. “We can give it a try. But if you roll over even a fraction, I’m biting you. Got it?” 

She peeked up at him, and his heart nearly melted at that familiar, mischievous look in her eye. That, coupled with her slight weight and warmth threatened to bring happy tears to his eyes. He gingerly applied pressure. He’d hugged her before, but this was different. This was more than a temporary embrace.

Finally, she was really coming around.

[vibinglikethat]

THE RESTORATION PROGRAM BY @marydublinauthor and @kendsleyauthor IS AVAILABLE NOW!!! I'M SO EXCITED TO READ IT OH MY GOD

[hanahope101-2]

Happy 13th anniversary 🎉🌸