Tessera

Nisha Shirali

@nishashirali.bsky.social

I write about emotional, angsty people. Short stories published in Brilliant Flash Fiction, Flash Fiction Magazine and Litbreak Magazine. Querying a romance/adventure novel set in the Indian Himalayas

27 Posts41 Follower 56 Folgt

missyrahowrites.bsky.social @missyrahowrites.bsky.social · last mo.

Dash and Lily X This Book Made Me Think of You After her mother dies, a grief-stricken teen discovers an advent calendar filled with 24 messages her mom left behind — each one pushing her to rediscover joy and face the Christmas she’d hoped to avoid. 🎄 😢Grief 👯‍♂️ Friendship ❤️ Love #QuestPit #W #YA

Veronica @littlecornerreads.bsky.social · last mo.

Selected for the WNDB Walter Grant and RTM mentorship: 🥡 a restaurant kid who can only date Asians 🧁 her all-American cinnamon roll crush ⚔️ the boy from the rival "Chinese" restaurant 🎬 fake dating ❤️🩹 complicated immigrant parent-child relationships 🌪️ chaotic AAPI found family #QuestPit #YA #W #R

Picture of a mood board cover for Spotify playlist by Littlecornerreads (WIP: Fake Dating Foodies) with the following text below:
"When her long-time crush asks her out, a 16 yo restaurant kid fake dates the son of her family's rival to get her immigrant parents to overturn their "only date Asians" rule, but as the farce continues, she's not just fraternizing with the enemy, she's falling for him."

Lyrics for Taylor Swift's Gorgeous with album art for Reputation (words in quotes are highlighted in pink and blue): You're so gorgeous/I can't say anything to your face, "'cause look at your face/ and I'm so furious/at you for making me feel this way/but what can I say?/you're gorgeous" (last word is circled in red)

Lyrics for Taylor Swift's You Are In Love with album art for 1989 (words in quotes are highlighted in pink and blue): "Small talk, he drives"/Coffee at midnight/The light reflects/The chain on your neck/He says, 'look up'/And "you shoulders brush/no proof, one touch/but you felt enough."

samantha-brins-lee.bsky.social @samantha-brins-lee.bsky.social · last mo.

The corrupt King’s search for palace outsiders means even a glimpse of her face will have her fated for execution. The worlds of Bridgerton and K-dramas collide in this historical fantasy romance. #questpit #Q #A #romantasy

KC Selby @kcselbywrites.bsky.social · last mo.

In THE FUNERAL GUEST (a 78,000-word thriller), an out-of-work actress moonlighting as a professional mourner becomes entangled in a murder investigation after coming face to face with the killer at a funeral. #q #a #t #questpit

Nisha Shirali @nishashirali.bsky.social · last mo.

Sharing my novel LOVE IN THE HIMALAYAS (83,000 words) for #Questpit!!! 🏔️ A woman treks through the Himalayas to impress her crush, but is forced to team up with her rugged, mysterious tour guide instead. 🏔️ Slow-burn romance and yearning 🏔️ BOLLYWOOD vibes #Q #A #Questpit #R

Emilia Young | Author @emiliayoung.bsky.social · last mo.

☕️ THE THINGS WE RUN FOR #Editors Emma Bridge has done everything to make this plan work. She’s got the new name, the new town, the new life . . . She’s also got a nosy boy next door who’s stopping at nothing to get to know her. #QuestPit #YA #C #MY #R #AG #OS #LGBT #Dis #OV

A fake case file lays open. On the left side of the folder is a sketch of a girl with a sticky note beside it that reads: “Emma Bridge is believed to have cut her hair. Police sketch artists have taken a guess at what she may look like now.” Under it is a map of all US railroads with another sticky note that reads: “Last seen in California, current whereabouts unknown. An anonymous tip reports she has made it out of the state.” Under that, the name Emma Bridge is crossed out, replaced with the name Peyton Freys.

On the right side of the folder is a clipping of newspaper that reads: “Hollywood’s Beloved Missing” with the date 4/13/1996 below it. Text on the page reads: “What we know: YA Contemporary (with mystery and romance), 82k words” “Represented by Amanda Wooden at SBR Media” “Runaway in hiding, fake identity (turned real identity), mental health rep, genderfluid and pan rep, found family, 90s small-town nostalgia.”  
A block of text reads: “Run. What a powerful instinct. Emma Bridge had wanted nothing more than to be with her two siblings in a home that felt safe, but those wishes never came true. With nothing left to lose, Emma runs away from the spotlight of the Hills to a small town across the country, but this new home is anything but the safety she’d been after. The weight of the world has fallen on her shoulders, and she can’t carry it alone. But with her old name in every police station and her new name on every tongue in town, she’s not sure who she can trust to help carry the burden.”

Finally, a stamp says “On sub soon”

Rhiannon Purchon @rhiannonpurchon.bsky.social · last mo.

THE CINNAMON COVENANT / 107k New Adult Nautical Romantasy 🌊🏴‍☠️🩶🐈 ✔️ OUABH X Pirates of the Caribbean ✔️ Worldly, Con-Woman Heroine + Devoted, Virgin Hero ✔️ Twisted True Love Prophecy ✔️ Feminist Morally Grey Pirates ✔️ Teach Me Romance Dynamic + Spice #Q #NA #A #RF #F #R #QuestPit

Ruchi @ruchi-writes.bsky.social · last mo.

💖 SHE’S THE MAN x ICEBREAKER, BUT MAKE IT E-SPORTS 🎮 To join her dream esports team, Cam let everyone assume she's a guy. Now all she has to do is survive the captain, who's sure she's the weak link — without falling for him first. #Q #R #A #questpit #agentsguide #amquerying

Last Pick by Ruchi Dave is an e-sports romance novel, complete at 75k words.

Cameron Day has always felt like a loser—except in the video game League of Champions, where she dominates. So when an esports team mistakes her for a guy and recruits her, she doesn’t correct them.

But to Jacob—their ruthless (and distractingly hot) captain who’s already seen one ex-teammate implode under pressure—she’s a risk they can’t afford. If she cracks, they all go down with her.

The only way forward is to prove she’s not a liability, but the key to pulling them out of freefall.

Contact the author at **@ruchi-writes on x or @ruchi-writes.bsky.social**

Moodboard for Last Pick. Professional esports gamer vibes.

Snippet for Last Pick

“The others got over it much sooner than you did.”

“I didn’t want to complicate things.”

“Why would I complicate things?”

“You know why.” He tucked a stray hair behind my ear, and my skin felt electric where his fingers brushed against me. I leaned into him as his hand slid to the nape of my neck, tilting my head toward his.

“What happened to keeping things professional?”

“This is professional,” he murmured. “Kevin and I do this all the time.”

Comps and Tropes

- **enemies-to-lovers**
- **woman in a male dominated field**
- **Chaos GOBLIN HEROINE**
- **forced proximity**
- **underdog story**
- **impostor syndrome**
- **good intentions, bad decisions**

She’s the Man - **WOMAN PRETENDING TO BE A MAN IN A MALE DOMINATED SPORT (E-Sports)**

Icebreaker by Hannah Grace - **team captain/mentor who is convinced she’s a liability**

The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood - **fake-it-till-you-make-it energy**

Tamara ⛱️🎇🕶️🌊☀️@tamaratoday.bsky.social · last mo.

♣️♦️ PHANTASMA X SINNERS ♥️♠️ This New Adult Fantasy Features: 🃏 Multiple POVs 🎲 A Bisexual Love Triangle 🃏 Deadly Bargains 🎲 Sinful Behavior 🃏 Poisons & Playing Cards 🎲 Black Social Commentary #QuestPit #NA #F #BVM #POC

Left to right.

Top Row: Playing cards that spell out LOVE. A martini glass with a clear drink, dice, and a floating candle inside. A Queen of Hearts card with its eyes scribbled out.

Middle Row: Stairs and an elevator with moody red lighting. “Life is a gamble.” An eerie red hallway with many doors and chandeliers.

Bottom Row: A joker card with a demon on it. A beverage being poured into a glass. Playing cards that are three 6s.

Tereza Maze @terezamazura.bsky.social · last mo.

📁 CASE FILE: GAMA // QUERYING 📌 Location: Post-apocalyptic Switzerland 👉🏼 When her brain chip starts failing, Anna must return to the scientific collective she fled, where trusting the mysterious stranger she saved may cost her the only thing she has left. Her sanity ☠️ #QuestPit #Q #A #RS #SFF

Kendall Rae @authorkendallrae.bsky.social · last mo.

A bubbly wedding planner meets her match when her client’s stubborn older brother vows to stop the wedding. 💍 Workplace romance 💗 Type A/Type A pairing 💍 Messy characters 💗 Slow burn YEARNING 💍 New England setting 💗 Vision boards, bouquets, and color-coded checklists #Q #A #R #romcom #QuestPit

Vision board of wedding planning in New England setting

ziqing @ziqingpan.bsky.social · last mo.

Hi #questpit! Introducing WORK IN PROGRESS 💌 childhood nemeses to lovers 🏮 set in taiwan! (night markets, coastal views, and yummy food) 🎨 pretty paintings and lies 🫂 complicated family dynamics and found family ❣️ 10 THINGS I HATE ABOUT YOU meets CRAZY RICH ASIANS #Q #R #A #WF

First slide of deck with the following text: An agent’s guide to WORK IN PROGRESS by Ziqing Pan. Adult contemporary romance with women’s fiction crossover completed at 83K words.

Sunset background with a couple sitting by the water

One-line pitch: A struggling ex-artist must plan an exhibition with her infuriating childhood nemesis in Taiwan, all while hiding the truth about her failed career.

Comp titles: Lauren Kung Jessen’s Yin Yang Love Song (for the cultural richness and complicated family dynamics), Jessica Joyce’s You, with a View (for the nemeses to lovers tension), Lily Chu’s The Comeback (for the witty banter), and the movie Crazy Rich Asians (for the Asian-setting, specifically Taiwan)

Tropes: nemeses-to-lovers, forced proximity, opposites attract, he falls first

Themes: quarter-life crisis and self-discovery, self-doubt and fear, change vs. tradition, unconditional love

Pictures in mood board: woman painting by the window, a couple kissing, painting set-up, a man writing notes, and a picture of a couple with flowers

Authors Sarah and Laura Anne @enchantedinksis.bsky.social · last mo.

ANCHORED BY YOU! If Free Willy was a romance with a marine biologist FMC. Can Expect: 🦭Reappearance of teenage Ex 🦭”Of course he’s hot now” Brother’s Best Friend 🦭Second Chance Romance 🦭Forced proximity 🦭Protection of adorable, endangered Hawaiian Monk Seals #questpit #Q #A #R

Elissa Grossell Dickey @elissadickey.bsky.social · last mo.

THE HUNTING PARTY + KNIVES OUT, but make it haunted A reunion on the Irish coast. A 20-year-old murder. One angry entity out for justice - and revenge. 🖤 Toxic friendships 🖤 Enemies to lovers 🖤 Gothic vibes 🖤 Murder mystery 🖤 Isolated setting #Questpit #A #H #T #R #Q

a collage of dark photos including a beach, a ghost in a chair, women dancing, a Gothic window, a couple embracing, a woman looking scared and a woman in the water

Frankie | Querying & Drafting @byfrankiejoy.bsky.social · last mo.

FLEABAG X MARGO’S GOT MONEY TROUBLES A librarian moonlights as a camgirl, but when someone from her past finds her and threatens to expose her, she’s at risk of more than being known; she could be labeled like the banned books kept from the shelves. Disclaimer: slut. #QuestPit #Q #A #LF #R

Florrie Auclair - Querying and Drafting @florrienne.bsky.social · last mo.

ARRIVAL X PARKS & REC A burnt-out lawyer escapes Earth expecting to build humanity's future, only to discover first contact is just another office job—with stranger coworkers, messier politics, and exponentially more paperwork ✨ Monet Inspired Planet ✨ Flirty Bi Alien ML #QuestPit #Q #A #SF #R

An Agent’s Guide to MEETING OF HONESTY by Florrie Auclair

A 100K romantic science-fiction novel

Title slide shows two characters in a romantic dip: an angry human woman in modern clothes and an alien man with flowing, iridescent hair against a soft pink gradient

Pitch Slide:
First contact has more paperwork than Gloria ever imagined.

When aliens arrive on the same planet Gloria's crew intend to colonize, of course they want the same land: the Sunny Spot, the only area with enough light to grow crops with a unique biome. But their territory dispute is moot if a toxic moss ravages it first. Gloria must now facilitate first contact and work with Emeric, the charming alien leader, to manage their shared collaboration.

From alien strangers to bickering rivals, Gloria finds herself developing feelings for Emeric. Until secrets shatter their growing bond. Now she must weaponize bureaucratic red tape and enlist the help of her crew to negotiate—but it means coming clean about her own secrets. At the risk of losing the only people she cares about (including the alien causing her problems), Gloria must be honest with them—and herself—to ensure humanity has a home and its autonomy.

Comp Slide:
The Left Hand of Darkness
Arrival
Parks & Recreation
I Was a Teenage Exocolonist
Translation State
Overruled

With the text: diverse cast, examination of cultural values, alien diplomacy & communication, bureaucratic satire, lush colony planet, legal conflicts, workplace rivals-to-lovers, and prickly FMC

Excerpt Slide

Image of Gloria, a human woman wearing business clothes with a clipboard obscuring the bottom half of her face

Text:
His other hand pointed to their adjoined palms. Beginning at their pinkie fingers, he bounced to the next digit and enunciated a new, unintelligible word. Each finger anointed until reaching her thumb. This was the oddest difference between their hands; his was longer with an extra joint. Clarity crashed into her. Her inhale sharpened.

Five fingers.

Across the universe, she met a new lifeform and they both had five fingers on each hand.

"Oh my god," Gloria breathed. Ironically, it was their shared features that overwhelmed her. Comfort should accompany commonality, but instead, it made this fever dream of an experience harder to deny. It was tangible that she was standing here with a bipedal humanoid with five fingers, even if his skin was blue and he had rainbow hair and feathery moth antennae. Either she was going to start laughing hysterically or throw up.

Warble, the alien agreed (she had no idea if that was an affirmative).

sherlyn is seeking rep 🖤@sherlynsvault.bsky.social · 9mo ago

BETTING ON YOU x HAPPY PLACE Meet Lysandra Guerrera, a best-selling author based in Scotland. DONT FORGET ME is a second chance, dark academia, romance novel with themes of hispanic rep, women’s fiction, and trauma. 🖤 #wippit #Q #R #NA #amquerying

Jess Riley @jrileywrites.bsky.social · last mo.

First #QuestPit! So I made an #editorsguide to SECONDHAND STARDUST: my dark and zany take on a world in which reincarnation is real. #OS #AG #A #S #U #D #SFF 🔎Found family ❔Memory rebuilding 💕Second-chance love 👥Soulmates, but subvert the trope 📚History, but written by those who were there

Original artwork by Violet Daubner of a young man in a gas mask astride a bike on a sand dune next to a cow skull. Utility poles rise against a magenta & violet sunset, with the moon peeking through dark clouds.

Blurb synopsis accompanied by black and white photo of two hands reaching for one another.

Two book covers are featured above the excerpt: Retro by Jessica Goldstein & The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley, along with poster art featuring the Amazon Prime series Fallout.

Nisha Shirali @nishashirali.bsky.social · last mo.

Milla is ok 👌@heytheremelilah.bsky.social · last mo.

Jyothika is the opposite of what her traditional Indian mother believes a woman should be. But when an emergency hysterectomy at twenty-eight blindsides her, she is left not only without her womb but also without the identity she has built around womanhood. #QuestPit #Q #A #WF

An Agent's Guide To: PALASH

Women's Fiction, 96k Words, Completed Manuscript

A childfree British-Indian woman undergoes an emergency hysterectomy and is forced to confront her identity as cultural expectations surrounding marriage and motherhood begin closing in around her.