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Rhiannon J. Taylor/R. J. Howell

@mytherea.bsky.social

Spec fic writer and digital artist. Publishes under R. J. Howell. Stonecoast MFA grad. Fiction in Worlds of Possibility, Giganotosaurus, Flame Tree, and Heartlines Spec, among others. Codex, SFWA. Queer, Ace. She/them. https://linktr.ee/rjhowell

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Rhiannon J. Taylor/R. J. Howell@mytherea.bsky.social · yesterday

I started learning Italian-style rapier fencing and am officially ~OBSESSED~. I'm not particularly good, but honestly, the goal isn't to be competition worthy, the goal is to be active and do something athletic that I enjoy. If I remain a novice forever but am still having fun, fine by me!

Rhiannon J. Taylor/R. J. Howell@mytherea.bsky.social · last wk.

Because I like nice, round numbers, and I've caught the 50k screenshot for three different books, so I might as well catch a fourth, eh? Eren is being overly dramatic. And unwisely chucking very sharp daggers at tables on a starship. The artificial gravity is *probably* fine, but...

Screenshot of a novel in progress at 50,000 words.
Jess Nevins@jessnevins.bsky.social · 2w ago

Re: kids making noise in libraries. Sure, it can be annoying. But that is one of the prices you pay for having working libraries with employed librarians and kids who grow up to love reading and love libraries. A library as quiet as a fly on a feather duster is a dead library.

C.M. Sullivan 🍉@cmsullivan.bsky.social · 2w ago

AMINA AL-SIRAFI x QUEEN'S THIEF A dying thief switches fates with a man prophesied to end the worldwide flood. What's worse than death? Oh, consigning the guy you love to it. 🐉 sea-dragons 🏛️ floating libraries 🌊 flooded world ⛵ high seas adventures 🔥 slow burn romance #questpit #A #F #W #Q

A graphic depicts the text "THIEF OF THE VASTBORN" by C.M. Sullivan. The graphic shows a dragon statue; a marble column with an ocean view; a red-haired man with a blue eye gazing skyward; a grotto filled with seawater; part of a scarred man's face; a mosaic sun insignia; the statue of a half-veiled woman; a ship-rope and the open sea; and Greco-Roman style columns with an orange tree.
Gus Ryer@gusryer.bsky.social · 2w ago

HORIZON 0 Dawn 🤝 ARCHIVE UNDYING When a machine god severs the world from ancient nanotech, two engineer priests, a blademaster, and her warrior-poet twin must hunt it for a cure—and revenge. Failure will doom the world to divine wrath. But success? That will be deadly. #QuestPit #A #SF #F #Q

A giant spaceship hovers over a dusty, walled fantasy cityscape. In the foreground, two figures stand in shadow looking out over the scene. The words "An Agent's Guide to CASCADE, by Gus Ryer" is along the top. His website, gusryer.com, is below. A slide with metadata and story elements for CASCADE: Genre: Science Fiction with Fantasy Elements Wordcount: +-130,000 It shows the book covers for the following: ASHES OF THE SUN, Django Wexler THE ARCHIVE UNDYING, Emma Mieko Candon ELDER RACE, Adrian Tchaikovsky NOTES FROM THE BURNING AGE, Claire North Ps5's Horizon Zero Dawn Below that are the following phrases: Found family Failed terraforming A vast, hidden history Nanotech magic system Epic fantasy quest in a sci-fi world Ancient mechanical gods Arachnid mammals & guard drones Sword (1) vs. Railguns (lots) A warrior woman with a winged helmet, armor, cape, and spear is along the right side of the image, fractured into triangles. Part of the following pitch is along the left: Lendi never asked to be a God Keeper—one of the engineer-priests who command ancient nanotech. Abandoned on their temple doorstep and raised under their strict thumb, she longs to escape. She almost gets her chance when an ancient machine god crashes to the planet in a blaze of fire. But, instead, Lendi is dispatched far away—alongside her devout friend—to investigate the disappearance of a remote village’s Keeper. And she’ll be tracked. In that village, Sedna has no patience for their Keeper’s rules or mysticism, especially since the fool vanished. She’s more concerned with defending her people with her warrior-poet twin. But, when a flood of malfunctioning nanites devours her town, Sedna and her brother are left with nothing but each other—and vengeance. As the four converge... Chapter 1 THE RUSH IS ON! This Tuesday, Planetfall, Inc. announced it would join the rash of megacorps racing to deploy terraforming infrastructure through the newly stabilized Taurine Strait. Previously dominated by New World Corporation, the franchised development of pseudoterra worlds is slated to be the hot market sector of the twenty-fifth century. -Excerpt from InvestSyder: Stellar Ed., June 15, 2398 The streets of Mahyan never fully slept. Night’s darkness, not yet broken by either the sun’s rise or the blinding, baleful Eye of Toros, wrapped Lendi more completely than her robes. Still, she couldn’t shake the feeling that eyes were on her. She wanted nothing more than to run. An eager vendor barred her way with his stringy arm. “A fine morning calls for a fine meal, miss.” He smiled and fanned out a selection of skewered mutton and whalemeat wrapped in sea grass. Pungent, spiced oil dripped onto the dusty street. Lendi glared at him, her legs practically vibrating with the..
Josephine Payment@josephine-erin.bsky.social · 2w ago

Star Wars x Arthuriana Prince Tristan has always believed in three things – honor, loyalty, and his king, but when a quest across a haunted asteroid belt, and the charms of an enemy knight shake his convictions, he must defy the narratives that bind him, before its too late #questpit #A #Q #SFF

Title slide describing the metadata of a novel titled 'a horizon perilous', now querying, an adult space fantasy complete at 109,000 wordsA pitch of the novel: Prince Tristan has always believed in three things – honor, loyalty, and his king, but when a quest across a haunted asteroid belt, and the charms of an enemy knight shake his convictions, he must find the courage to defy the narratives that bind him, before he's reduced to a pawn in a tyrant’s game.Comp titles - The Knight and the Moth by Rachel Gilig, The Everlasting by Alix E Harrow, Dark Rise by C S Pacat, The Bright Sword by Lev Grossman, The Second Death of Locke by V L Bovalino, and Winter's Orbit by Everina Maxwell Art of the 3 main characters of A Horizon Perilous. Prince Tristan, heir to Karnos, a man with curly dark hair. Sir Lancelot, Tristan’s estwhile enemy, a man with long black hair, and Princess Isolde, a dubious ally with plans of her own, a young dark skinned woman with braids. All characters have their eyes covered because against a shape-shifting foe, keeping eyes hidden is the only way to preserve one's identity
Stephanie Winter@wintersleep85.bsky.social · 2w ago

NAUSICAÄ X FF7 Hana is sure she’s the chosen one, even if her magic is resisting her and the previous chosen one insists she isn’t. But if it isn’t her destiny, then no one can save the world from poisonous dark magic, endless wars, and powerful demons. #Questpit #A #F #Q

Dark forest. An agent's guide to The Blessing Returned. Adult fantasy. 98,000 words.Dark forest. Pitch. Idealistic Hana Hahl lives in a world that is slowly dying after a failed quest to bring back magic. The only ones left with power are self-serving royals and dark mages, while desperation has given rise to an anti-magic order. Caught up in a mystical event, Hana is blessed with an immense power that could restore nature to the world. As Hana struggles to control the overwhelming force, Lady Kalyn Nossi, the only known survivor of the disastrous quest, directs her to the one person who can help her. Matthias Azel, the failed chosen one, reluctantly agrees to teach Hana while concealing his past from her. Accompanied by Kalyn and a charismatic prince with a dangerous secret, they journey to seek answers about Hana’s destiny. They fend off demonic threats and the anti-magic forces as Hana struggles with magic that seems to resist her and a growing fear that the world isn’t meant to be saved.A dark forest. Snippet. She took a cautious step forward, unaware she was in a spectral form. Little drops of shimmering light followed her path, dissolving into the ground. “But this has to be a sign?” Grass grew where the light fell, delicate bits of nature that should be impossible. “Maybe it’s returning!” The young woman spoke with such bright reverence as if life was a fairy tale and magic was all they needed for a happy ending. It was as if she couldn’t see the shadows approaching her. The inevitable death. “Magic should never return.” After speaking those words, he sprang forward and shoved her away from the shadows. Pain rocked him as soon as he touched her. The scorching mystical agony tore a scream out of him, but it kept her away from the unearthly menace, and the shock did what he intended. Sent him back to his body.A dark forest. Comps. Nausicaä. One Dark Window. The Starless Crown. Godkiller. Final Fantasy VII Remake. Tropes. Chosen One (s)? Ecofantasy. Dieselpunk. Grumpy/Sunshine. 1930s vibes. Love triangle. LGBTQIA+ rep. Cynical mentor. Dying world. Found family.
PJ (he/him) is querying...@pjwrites.bsky.social · 2w ago

THE EVERWINTER KING Desperate to find his missing sun god, a former holy king returns home to compete in trials meant to bring his god back and stop the onslaught of an endless winter. 🏳️‍🌈 Queer norm world ☀️ Light-based magic 🏳️‍⚧️ Trans love interest 👑 Hidden royalty #QuestPit #Q #A #F #LGBT

Title page for an agent's guide to THE EVERWINTER KING. The title is placed over a moodboard featuring a Mediterranean inspired setting and royalty imagery. In addition to the title the page reads "Adult Fantasy Standalone. Queer normative world. MM romance subplot. 99,000 words." THE EVERWINTER KING's pitch. PITCH A former holy king does the one thing he swore he’d never do in search of his missing god. He goes home. Malachi was born with God’s voice in his head. When God vanishes in the midst of a decade-long winter, Mal breaks the oath he made to himself and returns to the home he abandoned—the city where he was raised to be king. There, he’s marked to compete in trials meant to select God’s new emissary. His replacement. After succeeding in the first trial, Mal demands entry to the royal temple, where he learns the skies are empty. God has stopped speaking to his priests and Mal alike. With no other avenue for answers, Mal must win the competition for God’s favor and assume the throne he never wanted, or risk losing his oldest friend for good and damning the world to a worsening everwinter.An excerpt from THE EVERWINTER KING. Next to the excerpt is character art of the main character. He has light bright skin, dark brown hair, facial hair, and a simple jerkin over white shirt. His eye is glowing like the sun. EXCERPT STARTS BELOW “My head hurts,” Malachi mumbled into his drink. “They say King Ridaris’ eye glowed like this.” Did they? Malachi shuffled through his memories for any mention of that from his mothers, or the history books, and found nothing. “I think it means God knows who you are.” Sen lowered her voice, eyes shifting toward the surrounding priests. Kinder to pretend she did it out of concern for his headache. “You need to be careful.” “Aye.” “It hasn’t stopped glowing. Everyone else’s did.” He raised a hand to cover his eye, pausing to marvel at the light pouring over his fingers and palm. It spilled into every crack, crevice, and scar his hand had to offer, like liquid pooled against his skin. Malachi closed his fist around the cold light and pressed it to his face. “Hurts.” “Close your eyes,” Samara offered. “Rest. We’ll handle it from here.” For once, he did just that.A page listing comp titles. Comp titles for THE EVERWINTER KING include: "The Raven Scholar" by Antonia Hodgson, "The Raven Tower" by Ann Leckie, "WITCH KING" by Martha Wells, and "The Red Winter" by Cameron Sullivan. Similarities include: godly shenanigans, political trials, queer-norm worlds, queer male leads, messy homecomings, and a second chance subplot. Bonus comp! Dragon Age 2.
Courtney Floyd@courtney-floyd.com · 3w ago

Apropos of too many things lately, here's a spite poem I wrote a few weeks ago **makes unflinching eye contact while jamming more em dashes in** full disrespect to anyone writing with AI and also to the idea that we should change our voices and styles because the plagiarism machine is copying us

I will not cede my em dashes I gathered them over countless afternoons in the languorous haze of foxing pages––breathing in the must of bygone times. I unearthed them in a hundred many-branching conversations––no eye contact, just enthusiasm and did you know that rabbit trailing bliss. I knelt at Emily Dickinson’s feet, and Emily Brontë’s, felt the press of punctuation against each shoulder––a knighting. A charge. I will not cede them. I am oath-bound, sworn in fealty to complexity, to the broken, never-ending word. I must wield––.
Rhiannon J. Taylor/R. J. Howell@mytherea.bsky.social · 3w ago

17k words in ten days feels quite nice, I have to say. Is it wise to write a sequel to an unpublished book that I'm currently querying? Probably not, but the way I figure it, I'm having fun so even if it goes nowhere, I'll have that. Also, two books in a year would be QUITE fine. Onward!

Screenshot of a novel in progress at 37,000 words.
Rhiannon J. Taylor/R. J. Howell@mytherea.bsky.social · 4w ago

*gasp* What is this? Is that...20k of yet another new book? Why yes it is! June was absolutely appalling for writing (conferences, conventions, and dental surgery, oh my), but I tentatively declare that I'm back on track. May the words commence! (I wanna say I wrote two books in a year, damn it!)

Screenshot of a new book! And at 20,000 words to boot!
Rhiannon J. Taylor/R. J. Howell@mytherea.bsky.social · last mo.

ALA haul! Okay, these weren't *all* the books, but they were the ones I claimed as mine. The rest of the trunkful will be claimed by coworkers or given as free giveaways at my work, mostly for summer reading program participation prizes (read a book? Get an arc!). You get sooooo many books at ALA.

Photograph of a stack of 10 books I received at the American Library Association conference last weekend. They are a mix of hard covers and advanced reader copies.
Rhiannon J. Taylor/R. J. Howell@mytherea.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Conventions are hard when you have an undiagnosed and untreated jaw infection. Urgent care is a wonderful thing, and I am very grateful it exists. Antibiotics are absolute magic. Nebulas and Scintillation, complete. Next up: 4th Street! Really, who decided to put everything in June?

Rhiannon J. Taylor/R. J. Howell@mytherea.bsky.social · 3mo ago

WIP sketch of Eren and Kel sparring with hologram swords. In truth, Eren should be nowhere near Kel. That two handed sword has a hell of a reach and can be swung *quick*. In an actual bout, Eren would chuck the dagger at Kel then subsequently be holo-murdered. But hey, artistic liberties.

WIP sketch of two elf men sparring with swords, one with a sword and dagger and the other with a two handed greatsword.
Rhiannon J. Taylor/R. J. Howell@mytherea.bsky.social · 3mo ago

Though I'd been fighting it for years, it turned out that one of my wisdom teeth was impacted and badly infected, so Wednesday, I caved and had the four of them removed. I am now on a pureed diet of squishy foods for the next few days. I also learned I accidentally HALF-dosed myself with pain meds.

Rhiannon J. Taylor/R. J. Howell@mytherea.bsky.social · 3mo ago

Last of the doodles! (For now) Jumping ahead a little in the timeline for this one, since Kel isn't introduced in Starfall, but *eventually* Eren gets a telepathic elf friend, and they end up in a deep queerplatonic, ride-or-die relationship. And I REALLY want to write that book... SFW version.

Doodle/sketch of Eren and Kel, two telepathic elf dudes, sitting back-to-back, almost touching but not quite, and posing with various sharp cutlery (Kel is holding a sheathed sword, Eren has a bare dagger near his feet.
Rhiannon J. Taylor/R. J. Howell@mytherea.bsky.social · 3mo ago

Eren looking aggressive with his hologram sword (and he got his hands on another emitter, so also has a dagger). Again, probably the most engaged his facial muscles ever are, just in general. He's trained to maintain a look of haughty aloofness at all times. Except maybe when swinging a sword.

Eren in a combat-stance, swinging his hologram sword and looking very intense. He's wearing shorts and a t-shirt, and his feet are bare.
Rhiannon J. Taylor/R. J. Howell@mytherea.bsky.social · 3mo ago

More doodles, this one of Eren and Lae in exercise gear for Security boot camp. Eren is very uncomfortable with all the exposed knees in public, though it's the embarrassment on behalf of someone else entirely ignorant that they *should* be embarrassed. At least, by his standards.

Doodle/sketch of Eren and Lae standing next to each other dressed in shorts and t-shirts. Eren is staring at the camera looking embarrassed and blushing. Lae is smirking at him, completely misreading the source of his embarrassment.
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Gibster@gibsterific.bsky.social · 3mo ago

Curse of the Golden Tattoo Thankfully, it’s not every unkind word said to Gemma that’s stiched into her skin—only from loved ones. Her family curse passes from mother to daughter. To avoid passing it down when she becomes pregnant, she must find magic of her own. #QuestPit #A #F #U #Q

Curse of the Golden Tattoo. Shows a squiggle of ink and a tattoo gun from the letter G. Golden text and a red and orange threaded carpet.Pitch Thankfully, it’s not every unkind word said to Gemma that’s stiched into her skin—only from loved ones. Her family curse passes from mother to daughter. To avoid passing it down when she becomes pregnant, she must find magic of her own. Golden text and a red and orange threaded carpet.First Lines My mother gave me my first tattoo when I was six months old—by accident. I believe that story. Accidents happen. Words slipped out. All the other tattoos were on purpose. Golden text and a red and orange threaded carpet.Comps The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue meets Ten Thousand Doors of January. Golden text and a red and orange threaded carpet.
Rio Lombana@riolombana.bsky.social · 3mo ago

#QuestPit #W #A #F #RF Howl's Moving Castle x The Wizard of Oz An autistic demi-girl nun and her golden retriever boyfriend track down God to demand They explain the invisible wall shoving her across the magical shifting world. Two disaster bisexuals, trapped in a sidescroller. Will they kiss??

ECONOMY OF MOVEMENT on map background.Pitch: Remi's peaceful life as a nun is interrupted when an invisible wall appears, sweeping her across her magical, shifting world like a 3D sidescroller. To escape this curse, she’ll have to break her vow of silence, not fall in love with (or murder) the chatterbox traveling with her, and confront the Mapmaker Themself—the god who created her world.HOWL'S MOVING CASTLE x DUNGEON CRAWLER CARL bi 4 bi neurodivergent love golden retriever boyfriend simulation theory for the discerning romantasy girliesFIRST LINE: The monastery's map had just gone out of date again when Remi found another crack in the world.