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Spellbound: Chapter One

You are about to read chapter one of my new YA library witch adventure SPELLBOUND. This is a passion project I have been working on for almost a decade now. Emily is a character that is very near and dear to my heart, and I loved every second of bringing her to life. If you enjoy this chapter, please let me know! I would be happy to add you to the list for the ARC PR box giveaway. And of course,…

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#book release #fantasy #fantasy fiction #indie author #indie book #lgbt author #lgbt fiction #new book #sci-fi/fantasy

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Save the library. Save the world.

Are you ready for a new YA fantasy adventure? Emily Carlisle was never the main character of her own story. Known only as the Witch of the Stacks, she helped any hero or heroine who asked. Potions, spells, and the occasional magical artifact were passed on. She never kept the power for herself, and never wanted to be anything more than a support character. That is, until the Rot began to spread…

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#book release #cozy fantasy #fantasy #fantasy fiction #indie author #indie book #lgbt author #lgbt fiction #new book #sci-fi/fantasy

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Long Time No See!

I know I haven’t updated this website in a loooooong time, but that’s because I’ve been up to something exciting! My new book, Spellbound, will be coming out May 18th! Pre-orders are available on Amazon now, and I have a special event running. For a short time, you can apply for a FREE e-ARC of Spellbound! These ARCs will be going out on April 18th, one month before the release of the book. If…

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#ARC giveaway #book giveaway #book release #cozy fantasy #fantasy #fantasy fiction #indie author #indie book #lgbt author #lgbt fiction #new book #sapphic fantasy

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Beta Reader Discord: Open!

Hi everyone! I’ve recently opened a Discord server for beta readers. The link to join is right here: BOOP But the link is only active for SEVEN DAYS. That’s right: the window for beta readers CLOSES in ONE WEEK! That means you have one week to join my beta reader discord and get early access to ALL of my upcoming books, series, and also a community where you can share your own writing for…

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#beta readers #discord link #fantasy #fantasy fiction #indie author #lgbt author #lgbt fiction #sci-fi/fantasy

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Dark Moon-- Sales Goals!

Well, it’s been a long road, hasn’t it? You joined me in experiencing Ashlyn and Talia’s story just three years ago, but for me, this story has taken over a decade to come to full completion. I’m definitely not done with these characters yet. There are a few more stories down the road for them, but for now, let’s rest on our laurels and give these characters a much needed break. To celebrate the…

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#book giveaway #book release #fantasy #fantasy fiction #indie author #indie book #lgbt author #lgbt fiction #moon trilogy #new book #sci-fi/fantasy

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End of an Era: Finishing a Decade-Long Book Series

When I was sixteen, I bought a cool-looking dragon notebook from Barnes and Noble with my Christmas money. I had no idea what I would write in it, but later that week, an idea came to me: a girl with red hair, dreaming of a werewolf every night. I didn’t know it yet, but that small idea would eventually become Waxing Moon, my debut novel, and its sequel Waning Moon. Now, I’m working on the third…

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#book release #dark moon #fantasy #fantasy fiction #indie author #indie book #lgbt author #lgbt fiction #moon trilogy #new book #sci-fi/fantasy #trilogy #waning moon #waxing moon

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The best part of worldbuilding is making something that sucks. Magic schools with bullshit rules that don't work. Spaceships that are built stupid. My favourite thing to do is to make an inconvenient world that is full of stupid things for boring reasons, and then putting a character int here and making them live with that.

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7 Sci-Fi/Fantasy Series by Women You Need to Read.

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How To Develop Your Characters

1) Reveal your character slowly. If you info-dump too much about your protagonist straight away, there is no more wonder surrounding them. By slowly unraveling details about a character, the reader can understand them more fully and see their growth happen in real-time. When your character begins to open up naturally as the story progresses, they’ll reveal things about themselves through their actions or dialogue.

2) All protagonists should have a goal. When a character sets out to complete their goal, that is when the story is born as well as their character arc. The obstacles they have to overcome and the setbacks they face develop them as the story progresses. When you give your character a goal and make it hard for them to reach it, they begin to figure things out and grow as a person.

3) Create obstacles. And then more obstacles. The more conflict that you shove in your protagonist’s face, the more active they have to be in the story. It’s by actively making choices that someone begins to transform. Give your protagonist physical obstacles to overcome but also internal ones like doubt, regret, anger, confusion, lust, etc. 

4) Let them Fail. Overwhelm your character, push them to their limits, kick them when they’re low, make them feel like their heart will never heal… and then help them overcome the hardship. (Or not, if your story consists of a negative character arc). Regardless, failure is an important part of any story because no one is perfect and readers love seeing a protagonist overcome the impossible. Have your protagonist fail continuously throughout the story… big failures, little failures, half-failures… it all builds character.

5) Enhance their growth by having static characters in the story. Protagonists are typically dynamic characters which means they change throughout the story. It can be smart to contrast a dynamic character with a minor static/flat character who remains the same throughout the story. If two characters come from the same starting point but only one changes, the audience can see the growth that has really happened to them.

6) Give your character a past that they can overcome. A backstory, an origin, a past. We all start somewhere. The way we grew up undoubtedly shaped us into who we are today and it’s no different for a character. Whether your character comes from a backstory of hardships or privilege, you must know the reasons behind who they are at the start of your story. Then, you can start developing them… making them into a better or worse person.

For example, maybe your protagonist has a deathly fear of cars because of being in an accident as a child. Put them and a love interest in a car together or have them take walks by a highway late at night. Perhaps he even shows her what a car looks like under the hood and helps her to understand the safety features. This all develops your character into growing past their fear, which we understand because of their past.

7) Give your character’s flaws that are real. I don’t mean little flaws like being bad a math or extremely clumsy. While these are all aspects that are okay to give a character, your protagonist needs a more deep and intense obstacle to overcome. A werewolf who can’t control their anger and transforms sporadically. A cheerleader who shakes so badly from presentation anxiety that she risks dropping a teammate. These traits are realistic and relatable to the audience and can be overcome as the character develops, learns, and grows throughout the story.

Instagram: coffeebeanwriting

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Resources For Writing Deaf, Mute, or Blind Characters

Despite the fact that I am not deaf, mute, or blind myself, one of the most common questions I receive is how to portray characters with these disabilities in fiction.

As such, I’ve compiled the resources I’ve accumulated (from real life deaf, mute, or blind people) into a handy masterlist.

Deaf Characters:

Deaf characters masterpost

Deaf dialogue thread

Dialogue with signing characters (also applies to mute characters.)

A deaf author’s advice on deaf characters

Dialogue between deaf characters

Mute Characters

Life as a Mute

My Silent Summer:  Life as a Mute

What It’s Like Being Mute

21 People Reveal What It’s Really Like To Be Mute

I am a 20 year old Mute, ask me anything at all!

Blind Characters:

The 33 Worst Mistakes Writers Make About Blind Characters.

@referenceforwriters masterpost of resources for writing/playing blind characters.

The youtube channel of the wonderful Tommy Edison, a man blind from birth with great insight into the depiction of blind people and their lives.

An Absolute Write thread on the depiction of blind characters, with lots of different viewpoints and some great tips.

And finally, this short, handy masterpost of resources for writing blind characters.

Characters Who Are Blind in One Eye

4 Ways Life Looks Shockingly Different With One Eye

Learning to Live With One Eye

Adapting to the Loss of an Eye

Adapting to Eye Loss and Monocular Vision

Monocular Depth Perception

Deaf-Blind Characters

What Is It Like To Be Deafblind?

Going Deaf and Blind in a City of Noise and Lights

Deaf and Blind by 30

Sarita is Blind, Deaf, and Employed (video)

Born Deaf and Blind, This Eritrean American Graduated Harvard Law School (video)

A Day of a Deaf Blind Person

Lesser Known Things About Being Deafblind

How the Deaf-Blind Communicate

Early Interactions With Children Who Are Deaf-Blind

Raising a DeafBlind Baby

If you have any more resources to add, let me know!  I’ll be adding to this post as I find more resources.

I hope this helps, and happy writing!  <3

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Trans aro & ace books (part one)

THE MANY HALF-LIVED LIVES OF SAM SYLVESTER / acespec nonbinary MC, aroace major character

TWO DARK MOONS / arospec MC, nonbinary MC

*TELL ME HOW IT ENDS / nonbinary aroace major character

NOT YOUR BACKUP / aroacespec MC, trans love interest

MEET CUTE DIARY / trans MC, ace love interest

THE WITCH KING / trans MC, demi love interest, ace major character

THE ORACLE STONE / major aro & nonbinary characters

GENDER QUEER / memoir about being trans and aspec

*THE STONES STAY SILENT / trans aroace MC

*haven’t read

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New Book Giveaway!

Hi everyone! On April 1st, my new book The Stone Sings True releases on Amazon! In celebration, I have some exciting news. First of all, the first book in my Caelum Stories, The Ghost and the Real Girl, is available for FREE on Amazon for the next week! This is a great chance to get introduced to the world of Caelum and its characters. Second, I have a special event just for The Stone Sings…

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#book announcement #book giveaway #book recommendation #book release #fantasy fiction #giveaway #indie author #indie book #lgbt author #lgbt fiction #new book

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Hello everyone!

I have a book coming out next Saturday! It’s a little gay, very magical, and builds on the world in THE GHOST AND THE REAL GIRL.

All her life, Adi has felt at home underground. The daughter of copper miners, it was expected that she would follow her parents’ into the Red Mines as soon as she was old enough. Only now, she wakes to find gemstones in her bed every morning. At first, it's exciting. New crystals ever day, and maybe her parents won't have to work for days on end. However, it soon becomes clear that each time she brings something to the surface, it vanishes from below, making the mountain crumble underneath them.

Suddenly one day, an earthquake buries her father and the other miners under ten tons of rock, trapping them deep underground. Adi must summon all of her new magic to find a way through the caves that snake their way through the mountain before they run out of air, water, and hope.

Preorder your copy now!!

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Hello everyone!

I have a book coming out next Saturday! It’s a little gay, very magical, and builds on the world in THE GHOST AND THE REAL GIRL.

All her life, Adi has felt at home underground. The daughter of copper miners, it was expected that she would follow her parents’ into the Red Mines as soon as she was old enough. Only now, she wakes to find gemstones in her bed every morning. At first, it's exciting. New crystals ever day, and maybe her parents won't have to work for days on end. However, it soon becomes clear that each time she brings something to the surface, it vanishes from below, making the mountain crumble underneath them.

Suddenly one day, an earthquake buries her father and the other miners under ten tons of rock, trapping them deep underground. Adi must summon all of her new magic to find a way through the caves that snake their way through the mountain before they run out of air, water, and hope.

Preorder your copy now!!

#writing #indie author #indie book #fantasy fiction #book release #lgbt fiction #sci-fi/fantasy #new book #fantasy #lgbt author #queer literature #tgatrg #fantasy literature #lgbt book #the ghost and the real girl #book recommendation #book announcement #indie release

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How to Avoid the Dreaded "Sequel Slump": Five Tips on Making Your Sequels Shine

One of the worst things about being a writer is writing the follow-up to a well-received book. You’ve sat with the good reviews for a while, let them build up your self-esteem, and then… you have to write the sequel. Everyone can name at least one sequel that fell short of the high standards set by its predecessor, and hopefully everyone can also name a sequel that went above and beyond the…

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#author advice #fantasy fiction #indie author #indie book #sci-fi/fantasy #writing advice

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I’m absolutely punching F Scott Fitzgerald Square on the jaw. Stealing all his good shit from Zelda and then institutionalizing her is the BIGGEST sick move.

✨Wack-An-Author!!!✨

Pick a dead classic author from this poll that you'd personally want to punch!! This is all fun in games, I love bullying dead people 💛.

Listen everyone wants to beat up Lovecraft. That's a given, no competition. So he's not here.

#classic lit #f scott fitzgerald

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My podcast interview with The Chapter Goddess is available now!

Check it out here!

#writing #indie author #indie book #fantasy fiction #book release #lgbt fiction #sci-fi/fantasy #the ghost and the real girl #lgbt author #queer literature #tgatrg #fantasy #fantasy literature #lgbt book #podcast #book podcast