Tessera

Chantrell

@chan-trell.bsky.social

southern gothic writer | poet | hopeless romantic self-publication: adajachantrell.substack.com founder of southern gothic litmag: blackinkocean.bsky.social

27 Posts86 Follower 19 Folgt

Black Ink Ocean Press @blackinkocean.bsky.social · 9mo ago

For southern gothic lovers wanting to be part of a creative team, join BIO staff today🤧 #literarymagazine Apply online at blackinkocean.com

Black Ink Ocean Press @blackinkocean.bsky.social · last yr.

If you like vampires, the southern gothic, or have a taste for folklore and history then this is the perfect place to send in your #poetry, #prose, & #art!!! #writingcommunity #submissionsopen #literarymagazine #vampires #blackinkocean

Black Ink Ocean Press @blackinkocean.bsky.social · last yr.

🖤REMINDER: Submissions are OPEN for a chance to be published in Issue 0!!! We want your mesmerizingly mundane stories that hint at something sinister lying beneath the surface & your messy, misshapen characters trying desperately to hide the cracks that peer into their soul. #southerngothic

Grainy black and white portrait of a girl concealed by shadows, a single beam of light casting an intense glow from her forehead and down to her mouth. Her eyes seem hazy and grey, her hair is dark and styled in twists partially pulled back from her face. White text overlays the cover image:
What we’re looking for
BLACK-INK-OCEAN PRESS & MAGAZINE

Black Ink Ocean Press @blackinkocean.bsky.social · last yr.

What books (other than the ones we’ve listed) give you major southern gothic, vampy vibes?👀 #submissionsopen #writingcommunity #literarymagazine

Books that pair well with our southern gothic vampire-themed Literary Magazine Issue. There are 6 book covers lined in two rows against a burgundy red background:
“This Ravenous Fate” by Hayley Dennings
“Dracula” by Bram Stoker
“A Gathering of Old Men” by Ernest J. Gaines
“The Awakening” by Kate Chopin
“Bloodline” by Ernest J. Gaines
“Jazz” by Toni Morrison
Just below the books is a black ink ocean with white wave lineart, a large black mast drifting in the tide. The litmag title in all caps printed beside it: BLACK-INK-OCEAN PRESS & MAGAZINE

4 book covers split into two columns with text description on how they relate to the southern gothic vampire-themed magazine aesthetic.
“The Ravenous Fate” by Hayley Dennings is about Black vampires in New Orleans which pairs well with the rich cultural and supernatural history of the southern states.
“A Gathering of Old Men” by Ernest J. Gaines is another story based in Louisiana and features old men in a plantation setting. Earnest in its intentions and quite nostalgic in its prose, the tale of these Black gentlemen is imbued with a layer of tension and mystery that fits well into the chilling landscape of the southern gothic genre.
“Dracula” by Bram Stoker is one I’d be remiss to exclude. A proto-gothic novel about the vampire as we’ve known him and a major inspiration within my own writing.
“The Awakening” by Kate Chopin—another Louisiana-based tale—explores my very favorite character archetype. Bordering psychotic, complex female characters who yearn for better lives whilst being trapped within their own bodies and who will often do unthinkable acts to get what they want.

2 book covers split into two columns with text description on how they relate to the southern gothic vampire-themed magazine aesthetic.
“Bloodlines” by Ernest J. Gaines was chosen mainly for its title but also you can’t go wrong with Gaines and his devotion to bringing his experience of being born to sharecroppers and growing up in rural Louisiana to life on the printed page.
And last but certainly not least is “Jazz” by Toni Morrison—by all time favorite novelist—that captures such grit and depth concerning the birth of jazz and its influence on the Black community. Namely listed here for the character of “Wild” a dark, primitive woman with no family ties who has become a major inspiration for the theme of the first issue—ORIGIN.
BELOW THE BOOK LISTINGS is a sea of deep red waves, a glass bottle with a ship trapped inside drifting amongst the foam.
In white text:
Submit to our literary magazine! linktr.ee/blkinkocn
Accepting poetry, prose, & artwork

Chantrell @chan-trell.bsky.social · last yr.

Pretty great group of folks if you ask me🤧

Black Ink Ocean Press@blackinkocean.bsky.social · last yr.

#subsopen SOUTHERN GOTHIC LITMAG! In the meantime, meet our lovely staff members: •A’Daja, Editor-in-Chief •Brya, Marketing Manager •Marli, Production Manager •J’Kobe, Music Strategist •Anah, Lead Staff Editor •Ayanna, Breon, Diana, & Ruthann are Staff Editors

A full-bloom lily yellow in the center and a darker reddish pink tint at the edge of the petals, set against a black background. Overlaid in the center with white text that reads: Meet the Staff
BLACK-INK-OCEAN PRESS & MAGAZINE

Black Ink Ocean Press @blackinkocean.bsky.social · last yr.

#submissionsopen to be featured in the first edition of Black Ink Ocean Press & Magazine are now open. Click the link in our bio to submit and visit our website. #literarymagazine #litmag #writingcommunity

A faded 2-page newspaper spread lies atop a greyscale sketch art image of a cicada. The newspaper spread includes various images, an assortment of random headline titles, and illegible article columns. Black, upper-cased text is overlaid in the center of the collage that reads: SUBMISSIONS NOW OPEN (in regards to the Black-Ink-Ocean literary magazine).
There is a black arrow pointing to the right with text above it that reads: Swipe to see Issue 0 theme and find out how you can be featured

A dark red backdrop with pale red filigree design creating a rectangle border. White text in the center reads:
ISSUE 0
THEME: Vampirism
There is an ancientness to the vampire that I believe connects heavily to the grandness of the American South.
There is something to be said of legacy, of living forever, tracing back to one’s origins, and giving birth—rather, name—to something new.
Not every story or poem or piece of art has to be ravenous or in seek of wine. BUT, it must get at the heart of the issue: A desire to understand oneself and one’s community by both glancing back at the past and looking forward towards the future.
@ blkinkocn

A black backdrop with dark grey filigree design creating a rectangle border. White text in the center reads:
ISSUE 0
SUB-THEME: Origin
Where does love & life & light begin for the southern vampire? Where does it end?
Across history legends have persisted of the vampire—creature of darkness with a thirst for blood. As of recently, stories such as Interview with a Vampire, Sinners, and The Ravenous Fate have brought the vampire to root and roam on southern soil, and through this newsmag I intend to keep him here. Tether him to something tangible and accessible to the masses.
@ blkinkocn

Chantrell @chan-trell.bsky.social · last yr.

A SOUTHERN GOTHIC LITERARY MAGAZINE?😳🤧

Black Ink Ocean Press@blackinkocean.bsky.social · last yr.

Run of the mill southern gothic mag. Meet Black Ink Ocean Press & Magazine. #literary #

Chantrell @chan-trell.bsky.social · last yr.

New story idea I’m working on about #blackvampires. I used to love supernatural stories as a kid with vampires and werewolves and such, but as I grew up I convinced myself I couldn’t write in that sphere because I rarely saw people who looked like me in them. That changes now. #writingcommunity

Visual collage of black vampires serving face. Girl with glasses and mess bun. Boy with grey eyes and silver grills on teeth wearing all black. Fangs. Girl and a dog. Blonde hair. Dark ambient lighting. Girl with Afro playing chess. Text on screen with story idea.

Chantrell @chan-trell.bsky.social · last yr.

The grim reaper falls in love with the moon. Novel manuscript complete. Currently looking for beta readers. Let me know if you’d be interested!👀 #writingcommunity #betareaders

Black silhouette of a young woman with curly hair peering up at her lover. A grey moon illuminated behind her head, as well as a skeleton hand reaching up towards her cheek. She stands on the left side of a red heart split down the center in a zigzag pattern. Black background with white faces. Digital drawing.

Grim Reaper appearing enamored while gazing at his lover, the moon. Dark cloak concealing everything but his face and a skeletal hand. Stands on the right side of a red heart split down the center in a zigzag pattern. Black background with white faces, and a cut off image of his scythe behind him.

Kym Dehoney ✨ is querying ✨@kymdehoney.bsky.social · last yr.

LA LA LAND🎭 x BOOK LOVERS 📚 Inspired by a scandalous bucket list, ex-best friends revive a long-forgotten dream of writing a musical together, bringing their second chance at love center stage. #questpit #Q #A #R #agentsguide

Morgan Jerkins @mjerkins.bsky.social · last yr.

ChatGPT removes us from community. Writing can be a very collaborative experience even if the typing is done solo. I don't know where I'd be if I didn't have writing center fellows or grad students to help me extract what I wanted to say. That community strengthened my confidence and skill.

Judith Webster @judithlwebster.bsky.social · last yr.

In Cardonia destiny is dealt w/the pull of a card from the Deck of Fates. When Elara draws the Joker—a card that shouldn't exist—she must unlock her powers or lose her head but her only hope lies w/the Prince whose charm hides a rebellion to shatter the kingdom #Questpit #Q #A #F

James A Lyons @jalwrites.bsky.social · last yr.

Whilst honouring his estranged uncle's dying wish to reunite an iconic group of 1980's drag activists, a young gay man learns the dark truth about his adoptive mother. With her past about to impact his future, he must choose—his uncle’s legacy or the woman who raised him. #questpit #Con #NA #AG

A fake DVD cover featuring a black and white image of a drag queen smoking. The title EAST END BOYS AND WEST END GIRLS is prominent at the bottom next to a 15 age rating sticker. Along the top are the names Harri Forrester, Wilma Dickfit, Princess Thigh-Ana, Westward Hoe, and Jack Montague.

Yaira Pujols @yairap.bsky.social · last yr.

When sheltered Catalina Wesley falls in love with the vampire haunting her dreams, she must decide whether to resist their eternal bond or confront her worst fear, and his greatest desire—death #W #FR #PR #YA #Questpit

Scarlet Mitchell ⚒️ The Gerzean Blade out NOW!😍@scarletvmitchell.bsky.social · last yr.

All depressed Helena wants is fool her therapist long enough to graduate. When she meets a beautiful woman who claims to be a gargoyle, she is drawn to the magic of another world. Seeking answers to painful questions, she must face a technicolor hellscape or lose everything. #QuestPit #YA #F #Q

Moodboard for Rooted in Stone YA Urban Fantasy
"All darkness needs... is protection from the light."
Gargoyles extending from a church steeple. A gargoyle spewing rainwater, charcoal drawing of angels wings, a brilliant rainbow sunset over a beach, painted hills, a mermaid’s tail, goth style knee-high buckled boots, the anarchy symbol, crows flying over a misty cathedral spire.

Kat Spada is writing ✍️@katexmachina.bsky.social · last yr.

For #QuestPit I'm sharing part of the Agent's Guide for PAINTED FLOWERS NEVER DIE, plus an excerpt from @theblcklst.bsky.social's professional manuscript evaluation, which described the novel as having "strong commercial appeal." I #AmQuerying this book club-ready spec fic w/ romance. #Q #A #S #R

A graphic introducing the Agent's Guide for PAINTED FLOWERS NEVER DIE, 90K words, book club ready, speculative fiction. By Katherine Spada. @katexmachina on Bluesky; @kat_ex_machina on Twitter

A text graphic with The Pitch for PAINTED FLOWERS NEVER DIE, which reads: Maria and her husband have known fame from a young age, her as a dancer and him as a Grammy-winning music producer. When he dies in a headline-dominating plane crash, Maria spends twenty years unable to wrench her life out of the ashes of grief. Her career stalls as she becomes a celebrity known only for her proximity to tragedy. Until the night her husband’s portrait is debuted at the Art Institute of Chicago. In the midst of drunkenly humiliating herself, Maria sees an apparition that offers her a chance to escape her misery. She chases it through the museum and leaps, piercing the veil of real life and plunging into the worlds beyond the canvas.

Believing she can reunite with her husband if she finds his portrait, Maria searches within the museum’s collection, navigating the exciting and often dangerous scenes of well-known paintings, helped and hindered by the figures within them. She encounters others like her, teaming up with Liam, a professor from London with a troubled past, to help save him from being stuck in the paintings forever. Their growing bond opens Maria up to the potential of new love, challenging her goal of reunion with her long-dead husband. As she and Liam explore 19th century Paris, pop art, and Pollock, confronting the past and pursuing a violent art thief, Maria rediscovers the vibrant, empathetic person she was before loss. Ultimately she must decide whether to embrace an unknown future in the real world, or hide behind the painted fantasy of a static existence in her husband’s portrait.

A graphic with comp titles that reads: Like THE MIDNIGHT LIBRARY by Matt Haig, it captures the hopefulness of a woman's journey through different worlds, which forces her to face the question, "What makes life worth living?

Fans of V.E. Schwab's THE INVISIBLE LIFE OF ADDIE LARUE will appreciate its elements of romance kindled within fantastical circumstances.

There are also cover images for A LOVE SONG FOR RICKI WILDE by Tia Williams, Akira Kurosawa's DREAMS, Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine's SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE, and Lucy Dacus performing "Ankles."

A text graphic that reads:

The Black List
PAINTED FLOWERS NEVER DIE by Katherine Spada
Professional Evaluation Excerpt

PAINTED FLOWERS provides an interesting perspective on how we memorialize and remember those we've lost, and what moving on means for different people; watching Maria interact with other [crash] victims' loved ones offers some deeply humanizing context.

The world of high art is painted with delicious specificity—the posturing, the inflated sense of self-importance!

The paintings are magical and exciting, so lush and sensory-driven, especially with the built-in game of trying to identify the paintings before the book itself does.

[Spoiler]'s cameo in particular is entertaining yet thematically relevant, without being too in-the-weeds so as to alienate the reader.

The prose operates in two modes: more familiar, commercial-leaning women's fiction, and then these detailed, immersive descriptions. This is also illustrative of what the book is doing as a whole: offering a simple, emotional, book club-friendly narrative, and layering magical realism over it.

This novel straddles the worlds of contemporary and fantasy fiction in a similar way to Matt Haig's mega-bestseller THE MIDNIGHT LIBRARY, or V.E. Schwab's equally popular THE INVISIBLE LIFE OF ADDIE LARUE, though the magic here operates on a smaller scale.

Magical realism has been gaining momentum since these comparative novels were published, and PAINTED FLOWERS' unique combination of both adventure novel and character-driven healing novel give it strong commercial appeal.

Max Gruff @maximilliangruff.bsky.social · last yr.

Phantom Thread x The Last Witch of Scotland “ In the highlands and in the glens, where the volcanic streams tick with waters yet prime, and the corncrake cries and the air is a Gaelic hymn, where blood was ploughed from a crop of people now peregrine. ” #questpit #LF #H #Q #OS

Robb // R.M. Sayan @rmsayan.bsky.social · last yr.

FER SOROLL is an #A #HF #HR novel set in 15th c. Catalonia, with the added challenge of werewolves. To keep the farm animals in town safe, there’s only one man willing and able to spend the night defending them—of course, our love interest :) #questpit #W #LGBTQ #QueerMF

Excerpt from Fer Soroll, by R. M. Sayan, that reads:
“That is one mean-looking dog. You fight that thing?”
Manel propped the pitchfork on the ground again. “Not usually. S’ not that strong, but…” He trailed off trying to find the right word, but Vadoma could sort of guess the rest. Vicious? Savage? “Desperate.”
Well, she didn’t know if any of that sympathy was deserved, but it occurred to her then that most, if not all, of the wolves they had just fought might be people Manel knew and lived with.
End excerpt.

Excerpt from Fer Soroll, by R. M. Sayan, that reads:
“Wait,” he said, and she almost huffed. There were no werewolves around anymore, hadn’t been for hours, and she could really use a rest now, but she waited anyways. Instead of watching the sun, she watched him, waiting for his signal. The way the gentle morning light caressed his rough features was alluring to watch, and she was glad the wolves were long gone, because right now, she couldn’t have torn her eyes away from him if she wanted to. Then a ray of sunlight peeked over the horizon, announcing the official start to the day, and he turned to look up at her probably for the first time that night, eyes gleaming like honey in this light. “Y’ can come down now. Help me pack up.”
End excerpt.

Ali Z @alizagame.bsky.social · last yr.

When Leah, the pastor's daughter, goes missing, Brooke doesn't just have to prove foul play was involved — she has to prove to her cult-like church that Leah existed in the first place. #questpit #ya #querying #LGBT #writingcommunity

el🦋 | drafting🌿@thatfunkylilfey.bsky.social · last yr.

WOLF AMONG US x ONE DARK WINDOW A college student by day, investigator by night haunted by her brother's ghost. A former high priestess harboring both a relic and the soul trapped within it. With something stirring beyond the veil, can they save the soul of the city? [ #questpit ; #W ; #A ; #F]

Collage of Inspiration for arcadia.wip by @thatfunkylilfey

Media References: The Wolf Among Us, Baldur's Gate 3, John Wick, One Dark Window, The City We Became

Music: Saturn by SZA ; Inbred by Ethel Cain, lyrics included "I'm not scared of God, I'm scared he was gone all along"

Text: other worldly beings are closer than you may think ; giant corpse world ; looking half a corpse and half a god ; was she now a goddess or a monster? perhaps neither. perhaps both ; did you come into contact with unknown magical forces ; sinners welcome ; 'academic career, other activities, harm to others"

Misc. Images: a hollowed rib cage ; a figure with long white hair, kneeled, hands on the ground, in all white in a black room ; hands faced palm up in red lighting ; modern bridges for foot traffic under an overpass ; a cable car passing between a gap in apartments in Chongqing, China ; a telephone booth lit in blue light ; the barrel of a revolver showing only one bullet ; a figure who's elf ear and white hair are only visible, their skin is purple ; a figure facing away with white hair in an updo and purple skin

Kat Spada is writing ✍️@katexmachina.bsky.social · last yr.

A #QuestPit peek at one of my WIPs… I've been deep in research on my historical romance, but currently #AmWriting a novelization of this pilot inspired by my own career shift from Hollywood to the zoo! ANIMAL INSTINCTS: this rom-com is much simpler and more grounded than my previous novel! #W #A #R

Kat Spada is writing ✍️@katexmachina.bsky.social · last yr.

ANIMAL INSTINCTS: After a red carpet outburst a publicist loses her job and has to build back her reputation through community service & anger management. When she’s assigned to clean up poop at the zoo, she has to get down and dirty, bringing her unique skills to help the animal kingdom. #ScreenPit

A fashionable young woman with a vintage camera does a model pose. In the background, a gorilla appears to give a lecture to visitors at the zoo.

Allie Pearl @alliewrites.bsky.social · last yr.

The Lamb × To Be Devoured With her sanity declining, acolyte Haidee must rely on her sapphic lover, High Priestess Nysa, to bring her back. But what once was love, grows into obsession and what once was thirst for sacrificial blood grows into a hunger for flesh. #questpit #W

Vanessa Stefaniuk 🍂@quietsnooze.bsky.social · last yr.

BLOOD ON OUR NAMES: a fey courtly murder plot where a trio of strangers with secrets that could betray one another flee fate, only to end up in the arms of destiny. Magic. Meddling. Monstrosity. Three implausible allies. Only one second chance. #questpit #W #F #A

BLOOD ON OUR NAMES by Vanessa Stefaniuk
A book cover illustration with the silhouette of a many eyed raven perched on a rocky surface in front of a grassy hill. Juxtaposed in the sky is a smirking man with dark hair and the pointed ears of an elf. There is an overlay on the raven silhouette of three characters: an elf in the front holding up an axe as she prepares to stripe, her hair orange, her eyes focused, her earasaid plaid wrapped over her shoulders. A half-orc with ear caps to point out her ears looks upward in anticipation, ready for a fight. The hag child is a man turning to look over his knitted sweater covered shoulder, his ears wreathed by rowan berry and flowers and leaves as he turns his red eyes upward. The fight has a dnd quality of having just rolled initiative.

MechaniChris @chrisakins.bsky.social · last yr.

Grim Portents HITCHHIKER’S GUIDE X CONSTANTINE A man is murdered by a hell-beast on his wedding day. Now, with the help of the reaper who collected his soul, he must uncover who is releasing monsters from Hell if he wants to return to the life he was robbed of 📖 #Q #A #DF #PR #Hu #H #QuestPit

Cover for Grim Portents featuring a skeleton hand gripping a feather, emerging from a flaming book over a maze

Poster Cover for Grim Portents featuring Bill and Sonny. Bill is a dark featured man in a suit and kind of a Mark Ruffalo vibe. Sonny is a rotting corpse man with a cardigan. Behind them are a girl with glowing eyes and a glowing book, a woman with a shotgun, two shadow creatures, and the face of a demon. The words GRIM PORTENTS are big and in a classic Indiana Jones Style font

"I always told myself it wasn't real. It was a figment of my imagination, the mind playing tricks. It was just a shadow.
But now the monster had been given a name, an identity.
It was real."
BILL BAKER WANTS NOTHING MORE THAN TO MARRY THE WOMAN HE LOVES, BUT WHEN HIS WEDDING IS INTERRUPTED BY A RAMPAGING HELL-BEAST, HIS LIFE IS THROWN INTO DISARRAY. DESPERATE FOR A SECOND CHANCE, HE WILL DO ANYTHING TO SET HIS FUTURE BACK ON TRACK.
NOW, WITH THE HELP OF A SOUL-COLLECTING REAPER NAMED SONNY, HE MUST UNCOVER WHO IS RELEASING MONSTERS FROM HELL, IN ORDER TO EARN BACK THE LIFE THAT WAS STOLEN FROM HIM AND PREVENT THE ONCOMING END OF DAYS.
FACED WITH THE CHOICE BETWEEN WHAT IS RIGHT, AND WHAT IS EASY, BILL MAY HAVE TO SACRIFICE ALL HE HOLDS DEAR FOR ONE LAST SHOT AT LIFE.

Elise Betz #amquerying and seeking representation @elisebetz.bsky.social · last yr.

#questpit #Q #A #RF #agentsguide Love isn't blind, it sees you for who you truly are Brienne of Tarth x Dardevil x Tristan & Isolde with HEA 👸Bi-racial, facially disfigured princess 👨‍🦯Blind, disabled romantic interest 💞Against the odds romance 💰Bachelor auction (brothel) 😍He falls first 🌶️ Spicy HEA

Gray cloud background with female warrior silhouette with swords.
Text: The Sun Diamond Princess & the Blind Assassin
Agent's Guide
100K Adult Romantacy, light fantasy,
bi-racial princess, disabled blind romantic interest, he falls first, against the odds romance, bachelor auction (brothel),
reverse Beauty & the Beast, lots of angst.

Gray cloud background with a female warrior with sword silhouette.
Text: The Sun Diamond Princess & the Blind Assassin
The Pitch
A blind former assassin saves a facially disfigured princess from an assassin sent by her mother, the queen regent. On the run together, the princess brokers peace with a warring country, offering herself up for marriage with hopes of returning home and deposing her tyrannical mother. The princess is torn between her love for her country and her love for the blind assassin.

Gray cloud background with a female warrior with sword silhouette.
Text: The Sun Diamond Princess & the Blind Assassin
Comps
Breinne of Tarth x Daredevil x Tristan & Isolde with HEA
Images of Brienne f Tarthe, Daredevil and painting of Tristan & Isolde.

Gray cloud background with a female warrior with sword silhouette.
Text: The Sun Diamond Princess & the Blind Assassin
Quotes
First sentence, first page:
If beauty was a currency for women to procure a husband, Princess Myra was a pauper.
“You have been my anchor, stopping me from being carried away on a tide of hopelessness.”
The sting of Arzhang’s heartbreak was worse than any sting of the lash.