Tessera

em. rowene

@queerenigma.com

author of gay fantasy webserials & attorney. I have opinions about elves, holmes, & byronic heroes. FRACTURED MAGIC AVAILABLE NOW em or emeric || he/him || twin cities https://www queerenigma.com

1197 Posts2822 Follower 401 Folgt

em. rowene @queerenigma.com · 2w ago

A guide to SUNFALL, an M/M fantasy. #QuestPit #Q #A #F #LGBT "A voice said, Look me in the stars And tell me truly, men of earth, If all the soul-and-body scars Were not too much to pay for birth." -Robert Frost, A Question

A purple to red gradient with fluffy clouds and an art deco border. Text: A guide to SUNFALL, an M/M Romantic Fantasy complete at 102k words

A red to orange gradient with the text: "The Pitch...The mage-hero Helio is the only thing stopping the Deep from destroying his world. So when he dies at the hands of the deep mage Riptide and wakes inexplicably miles away in the body of a boy named Hadley, he hurries back to the fight he'd left behind. But through Hadley's own past with the Deep, Helio gets to know Riptide and, eventually, grows to love him. It leaves him with a choice: the world he loves, or the deep mage trying to destroy it.

An orange to yellow gradient with more clouds in the background. The text: "The snippet..."

“What did you think of Helio?” Helio asked, trying to look more interested in the orange he was peeling than the question. They sat on the porch, settled in its creakiest chairs, and Helio made a game of rocking to a rhythm in his head.
“He seemed lonely,” James said. “On friendly terms with everyone, but always on his own.”
“Oh,” Helio said.
“By the way, I bought you something,” the man went on, digging in his bag and passing Helio a silver cylinder with a sunstone embedded in the lid. It was a powder box for a girl’s vanity, and Helio frowned at it until James said, “You wind the bottom.”
“Oh!” Helio said again. He wound it, and when he lifted the lid, the box chimed a sweet melody in a minor key. Helio smiled at the start, but as the song went on, he found was something terribly sad about it. Familiar, too, like a press on a fading bruise. He immediately rewound it to press again.
“It’s an old Theian hymn,” James said, watching him closely. “Do you like it?”
“Very much,” Helio said. “I don’t know why, but it makes me feel…Well, I don’t rightly know.” He stared at it a moment longer, then looked up and brightened. “Oh look, here comes Louie! Hello, Louie!”

A yellow to purple gradient with more art deco borders. The heading says "For those who enjoy..." and the first subheading reads: "Character-led melancholy like..." Following this subheading is an image of the cover of Frieren and the 2004 film the Fall. The next subheading says, "Unstoppable and inevitable love like..." Under this heading is a picture of the cover of Heaven Official's Blessing as well as a promotional poster for Hadestown the musical. A third subheading reads "Pastoral prose and witty dialogue like..." Under this heading is a photo of a Robert Frost poetry collection and a promotional poster for the film the Philadelphia Story.

em. rowene @queerenigma.com · 2w ago

SUNFALL: about a mage named Helio, who dies at the hands of his enemy and wakes miles away in a new body, with a fresh start. 💥isekai-inspired 💥enemies-to-lovers 💥magical pacts 💥sun & moon 💥examining american hyperindividualism through a 1940s-inspired pastoral fantasy 😊 #QuestPit #F #Q #A #LGBT

A mockup cover/digital painting of two men standing facing each other, one offering the other his hand. The background is red and orange with an eclipsed sun, and the title reads SUNFALL

Red text on a black background: "a voice once said, look me in the stars and tell me truly, men of earth, if all the soul and body scars were not too much to pay for birth." -A Question, Robert Frost

Susan Kaye Quinn is Writing Solarpunk 🌞🌱@susankayequinn.bsky.social · 2w ago

WRITER FRIENDS: if you distribute books using INGRAM SPARK you *need* to fill out this opt-out form so they don't sell your books to AI corps to rip apart and feed to their machine for training AI.

Susan Kaye Quinn is Writing Solarpunk 🌞🌱@susankayequinn.bsky.social · 2w ago

www.ingramcontent.com/page/ai-opt-...

Alex Larkspur 💛📚🌻@applesncinnamon.bsky.social · 2w ago

#QuestPit 🏹THE BIRD AND THE BLADE🍃 🪶 MM Fantasy Romance 🪶 Bandit x Noble 🪶 Kidnapping! 🪶 Questioning Power Structures 🪶 Singing Bandits 🪶 Robin Hood Vibes 🪶 Certified Bird Guy #W #A #F #RF

Over a green background: THE BIRD AND THE BLADE: MM Fantasy Romance
Comps: Not For the Faint of Heart, The Scottish Boy, Greenwode
Tropes: 🪶 MM Fantasy Romance
🪶 Bandit x Noble
🪶 Kidnapping!
🪶 Questioning Power
Structures
🪶 Singing Bandits
🪶 Robin Hood Vibes
🪶 Certified Bird Guy
A picture of an arrow, a feather, and a sword
Blurb: Callum Amberline is about to get married, but there is one small problem. He’s been kidnapped by bandits. Callum should be furious and indignant, but he’s not these bandits seem to understand him better than his family or betrothed ever have. Especially Wilder, the son of the bandit queen. But one shouldn’t be friendly with one’s kidnappers.
Wilder may have made an impulsive decision kidnapping the betrothed of his arch nemesis, but he’s having a hard time regretting it. He likes Callum, noble though he may be.
As the unfortunate circumstances of their meeting catch of with them, Callum and Wilder must ignore the simmering attraction between them. You can’t fall in love with your kidnapper.
Right?

em. rowene @queerenigma.com · 2w ago

HEAVEN OFFICIALS BLESSING x THE SILVER CHAIR The hero-mage Helio falls in love with a boy. Thanks to a spell, every night, that boy turns into Helio's archenemy, the infamous mage Riptide. Will Helio be able to save him, or will he have to stop him? #QuestPit #A #F #Q #LGBT

A portrait of a young man in a black tank top. His eyes are golden and his skin freckled, his hair red and falling to his shoulders

A portrait of a pale young man with blue eyes. He wears a heavy wool coat and smiles vaguely at the viewer

Blythe Gilpin @blythewrytes.bsky.social · 2w ago

UPROOTED x BRIDGERTON Heidi isn’t interested in her family’s chosen suitor. She’d rather study the cursed forest to secure her tenure track. 📚 Grad School 🏳️‍🌈 Non-binary love interest 🪲 Giant sentient beetles 🎩 Regency vibes 🏛️ Natural History Museums 🐷 Truffle Pigs #QuestPit #A #F #RF #Q #LGBT

A drawing of a woman standing looking out against a red sky. She’s dressed in a white button up shirt, a brown vest, and a purple shawl. She’s holding up a pencil and a journal filled with scraps of paper. At her back stands a dark misty figure in a dark green cloak. Where their left eye would be there is a swirling galaxy instead.

Brooke @brooklynmarie.bsky.social · 2w ago

A photo of a nutria on a beach and the text: if you are seeing this the curse is lifted. have a good day

Cashlin@cashlin.bsky.social · 2w ago

The curse is lifted. Enjoy your evening

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

Excited to finally share my novel, THIEF OF THE VASTBORN, for #questpit!! THE ADVENTURES OF AMINA AL-SIRAFI x THE SONG OF ACHILLES: Fate swap. Drowned world. Queer M/M romance. Enemies to lovers. Sea-dragons?! And more! Read the agent’s guide below. Querying soon! #F #A #RF #Q #W

An agent's guide to Thief of the Vastborn by C.M. Sullivan, adult fantasy + romance, ~112,000 words. The graphic shows a dragon and a sailboat with charts and maps as the background vector.

TEXT: Pitch: In a flooded world survived by waterborne cities, young Zev is given a prophecy that he will die by the same illness that killed his mother. A decade later, when a dying Zev decides to take fate into his own hands, he accidentally swaps fates with the Prophecied Divine, a handsome and sheltered man destined to end the worldwide flood. The graphic shows a sailboat and more charts.

TEXT: Tropes: Queer M/M romance, fate swap, drowned world, sea-dragons, enemies to lovers, forced proximity, slow burn, animal companion, prophecies, pirates, cults. The graphic shows a leaf, an hourglass, and more charts and maps.

TEXT: Comps: The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi by Shannon Chakraborty, high seas adventures; The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller for mythical doomed yaoi; The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon for dragons; The Bone Shard Daughter by Andrea Stewart for drowned world. The graphic shows columns and charts.

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.

Q’Zion T. Gipson has a ✨ BOOK DEAL!✨@qziontgipson.bsky.social · 2w ago

Presenting a gorgeous reader's guide for my debut YA climate romantasy novel, THE ROOTS OF DESTINY, which will be releasing in summer of 2027! 🌸 Stay tuned for more exciting updates! #QuestPit #YA #F #P #TBP

On an off-black background with gorgeous pink flowers and butterflies:

A Reader's Guide to THE ROOTS OF DESTINY, a YA Climate Fantasy Coming Summer 2027 by Q'Zion T. Gipson

On an off-black background with gorgeous pink flowers and butterflies:

PITCH - After a failed experiment to make plants live forever, all toxic vegetation was burned for the sake of humanity. In 2091, when 16-year-old Vee discovers Evergreen, an enchanted garden with roots to her ancestry, she must embrace the forbidden magic blooming in her veins before Evergreen and The Human Realm fall to an eternal darkness.

On an off-black background with gorgeous pink flowers and butterflies:
COMP TITLES
Divining the Leaves by Shveta Thakrar: Enchanted Garden
House of Marionne by J. Elle: Botany Boarding School
Legendborn by Tracy Deonn: Found Family

On an off-black background with gorgeous pink flowers and butterflies:

THE VIBES
A mood board consisting of 9 square photographs with a green, blue, and, pink, yellow and white color scheme. In the center, there is a teenage Black girl in an enchanted garden, with the photos surrounding her illustrating the beauty within it: a feeding hummingbird, a calm lake, baby ducklings, a resting butterfly, and magical white and pink blooms.

In white text, there is a list of tropes in THE ROOTS OF DESTINY, including:
Black girl MC
Plant magic system
Near future
Magical blooms
Botany boarding school
Found family
Human x fae romance
He falls first and harder
Female friendships

Chantal Danieli — is editing! 🕯️@chantaldanieli.bsky.social · 2w ago

JANE EYRE x THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA 🕯️forbidden gothic romance 🕯️slow burn 🕯️yearning à la anthony bridgerton 🕯️black swan-esque awakening 🕯️2000's setting 🕯️devouring obsession but make it consensual 🕯️secret lake meetings — coming to agent inboxes September 2026 🍂 #questpit #W #A #NA #R

My Sweet Unbecoming
A forbidden gothic romance
Coming to agent inboxes September 2026

Comps & Pitch
The Phantom of the Opera
Jane Eyre
Bridgerton — The Viscount Who Loved Me

When a scandal exiles her to Lucerne, disgraced Olivia Rooney falls for the one man she’s forbidden to love—Théodore Chair-Beaumont, the brooding aristocrat sworn to matrimony with another.
But beneath his restraint lies a wound that mirrors her own. And falling for him could not only repeat the tragedy that broke him before. It could ruin her reputation, once and for all.

Tropes
Forbidden Romance
High Society Match Making
European Setting
Slow Burn
Love VS Duty
Black Swan-esque Awakening
Masquerade Ball
2000’s Setting
Obsessive yearning
Secret Lake Meetings

em. rowene @queerenigma.com · 2w ago

man, it's been so long since I've participated in a hype/pitch event 🙏 I'm glad I found out about this one in time!!

Alex Larkspur 💛📚🌻@applesncinnamon.bsky.social · 2w ago

#QuestPit 🌷Flower Fairy WIP 🧚 🪻 MM Fantasy Romance 🪻 Fairy x Gardener 🪻 Sweet Garden Setting 🪻 Healing and Growing 🪻 Grumpy Fairy 🪻 Patient Gardner 🪻 Love in Many Forms 🪻HEA #W #A #F #RF

Over a background of chicory flowers: FLOWER FAIRY WIP - Cozy Fantasy Romance
SNIPPET: The human let out a long, low whistle, surveying the garden. Chicory felt a swell of pride for a moment. Yes, human, look upon his garden and see the beauty! See the wonder! Look at all the hard work Chicory put in! All the plants, bugs, and animals are so well cared for! The garden is a wonder! A masterpiece! A—
“What a mess!” The human laughed, running a gloved hand through his hair. “They weren’t kidding about it being a fixer-upper. Oh well, I wanted a project. The gods provide.”
Chicory was stunned for a moment, too shocked to do anything but watch as the human turned back towards the cottage. Then anger boiled through him, burning him up like he had been laying in the sun at the height of summer.
How dare he? How dare this interloper… this stranger… this… this… this human come to Chicory’s garden and insult it like that? The garden was not a mess! It was not as neat as some gardens, granted, but Chicory had been taking very good care of it. He was proud of this garden.
TROPES: 🪻 MM Fantasy Romance
🪻 Fairy x Gardener
🪻 Sweet Garden Setting
🪻 Healing and Growing
🪻 Grumpy Fairy
🪻 Patient Gardner
🪻 Love in Many Forms
🪻HEA
BLURB: Chicory the Flower Fairy has lived in the garden all on his own for years. And his garden is perfectly fine, thank you very much! It may be a little overgrown, but it’s his home. His solitary existence is disrupted by the arrival of Silas Glenn, a human farmer who wants to “fix” Chicory’s garden. Chicory will have to learn to get along with Silas for the sake of the garden, and perhaps for the sake of his own heart.
A picture of gardening tools

Hi, I’m Caitie @findmeinfairytales.bsky.social · 2w ago

An agent’s guide to SWAN SONG, a Swan Lake x Cyrano de Bergerac reimagining. A grieving sister uses letters to manipulate the only girl who can break her brother’s curse using true love’s kiss, but the girls accidentally fall in love instead, jeopardizing the brother’s life. #QuestPit #Q #YA #F

em. rowene @queerenigma.com · 2w ago

🌿viktor aleksander🌿🌸patreon launch!🌸@nooskadraws.bsky.social · 2w ago

i've put my old MM inktober comic on my kofi 🖤👻 30+ pages of a victorian gentleman yearning after the ghost of a medieval knight ✨ ko-fi.com/s/5e7b17e1b2 ✨

Cover of my comic "a rose by any other name" a victorian gentleman and the ghost of a medieval knight hold each other in a tender embrace.

An inked page from my old inktober comic. It has 3 panels.
1. A close up of the gentleman and knight smiling.
Gutter: Knight says "He is my secret and all that I hold dear."
2. The gentleman and knight hold hands as they walk down the hall.
Knight: "It has been too long since I danced!"
Gentleman, mutters fondly with a smile: "I hope I am not a disastrous partner!"
3. The Knight and Gentleman keep talking as they make their way through the corridor, past framed portraits and framed landscapes.

An inked page from my old inktober comic. It has 5 panels.
1. Unlit candles in a candelabra.
2. The Gentleman reaches out for the Knight with a wide smile.
3. Framed portraits, and the Knight's ghostly tendrils swirl.
Knight: "Oh!"
4. A vase of flowers, a bust of an unnamed noble. Music notes begin to drift across the panel.
Knight: "I hear music!"
Gentleman: "Isn't it wonderful?"
5. The Knight and the Gentleman stand next to each other before a closed door. The Gentleman rests his hand on the Knight's shoulder. Music drifts from the door.
Gentleman: "Hmm." "It appears as though they started the party without us."

Brielle 💖@briellebear.bsky.social · 3w ago

I really hate the “I don’t owe anyone anything” mentality because we actually owe each other and this planet a lot. You don’t have to be selfless all the time or burn yourself out but you should be kind and helpful and compassionate to the best of your ability. We need to care about each other more

Heartlines Spec @heartlines-spec.com · last mo.

Hear ye, hear ye! It's time to OFFICIALLY announce our Table of Contents for Issue 11. Releasing on July 31 (iykyk), it's a summer special with stories and poetry from new and old friends!

A view of Confederation Bridge to Prince Edward Island. The landscape is tinted purple with "Issue 11" in white text with a watercolour heart behind the first letter

A pink flat background with watercolour flowers around the corners. The list of the contributors in Issue 11 is in white text.

The list reads: Fiction, Moh Afdhaal, Hap Aziz, Ares J. Benoit, J. A. Espersmyth, Esther Lim, Avra Margariti, Jillian Schedneck, T.R. Steele. Poetry: Chris Clemens, Wren Douglas, R. F. Hovis, Diem Okoye, Julia Sinclair

Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò @olufemiotaiwo.bsky.social · last mo.

helpful coverage from @elpais.com english.elpais.com/usa/2025-08-...

In the heart of the Miccosukee, the Native American tribe that shut down Alligator Alcatraz

The community found refuge from white persecution deep in the Everglades swamps centuries ago. Together with environmental groups, they succeeded in forcing the closure of the immigration detention ce...

english.elpais.com

Rebecca Nagle@rebeccanagle.bsky.social · last mo.

BREAKING: Alligator Alcatraz has officially closed. A lot of outlets won’t report on this, but the Miccosukee Tribe played a key role in the fight.

em. rowene @queerenigma.com · 2mo ago

Helio, Louie, and Peggy from Sunfall!! I love how they turned out so much 🧡

Virgil Casper 🏳️‍⚧️💫💕@vcyarr.bsky.social · 2mo ago

for @queerenigma.com ! Thank you so much for commissioning me. I loved drawing these guyssss~ #artsky #ocart #ocsky #commission

illustration of three characters in an art deco frame

Virgil Casper 🏳️‍⚧️💫💕@vcyarr.bsky.social · 2mo ago

for @queerenigma.com ! Thank you so much for commissioning me. I loved drawing these guyssss~ #artsky #ocart #ocsky #commission

🌿viktor aleksander🌿🌸patreon launch!🌸@nooskadraws.bsky.social · 2mo ago

a trans knight to celebrate my 2 years on testosterone anniversary! 🏳️‍⚧️✨⚔️

A rough sketch illustration of a black armoured knight. There are top surgery scars on his breastplate. He leans forward in a movement of action, wielding a longsword and holding a shield with a rising phoenix emblem. Fire burns in the background in the trans flag colours.

Bree (half of Kit Rocha)@mostlybree.kitrocha.com · 2mo ago

If you are looking for a way to help the folks in Minneapolis, a member of the National Lawyer's Guild passed along this fundraiser for legal costs for those arrested yesterday: chuffed.org/project/1865... You can also donate directly to the NLG: www.paypal.com/donate?token...

Legal Defense Fund for MN Anti-ICE Organizers

On the morning of June 16th 2026, fifteen anti-ICE organizers were arrested in aggressive raids across the Twin Cities.

chuffed.org

em. rowene @queerenigma.com · 2mo ago

HAPPY PRIDE and have a SHORT STORY! Feat. a trans paladin and his feelings toward his former goddess. ⚔️🛡️ For fellow lovers of D&D and havers of religious trauma. www.queerenigma.com/sun-shears/

Header: New short story! Feat. a transmasc paladin and his troubled relationship with his former goddess.

Snippet: "Delidah only has a short time in our world, as she returns to her mountain each morning and greets the sun. She spends that time searching, not presiding over old temples." "Searching? Searching for what?" Tam asked. "Someone she lost," the paladin said softly. "Someone who no longer exists. So you see, the gods do mourn. They remember us, as small as we are."

Graphic: Image contains two photos, one of an angel statue and one of a knight in an illuminated manuscript.

Ilhan Omar @ilhanmn.bsky.social · 2mo ago

While the killers of Renée Good and Alex Pretti walk free, the DOJ is busy bringing bogus charges against protesters. The Administration thinks intimidation will make us back down. They keep learning the same lesson: Minnesotans don't scare easily. We organize for our rights ✊🏽

em. rowene @queerenigma.com · 2mo ago

the hardest part of transitioning, to me, has been looking in the mirror & seeing more of my father's face every day, almost an exact copy-paste. there's a sadness there, in having pride in being his son and seeing so much of him in me, yet knowing that when he looks, he sees someone else entirely.

J || Vampire Pyramid Scheme 🦇 🏳️‍⚧️ | ✨ BIPOCVampDay Cometh 🩸@vampirepyramid.bsky.social · 2mo ago

🩸🦇 Applications for Vampires of Color/After Dark 2026 are open! Details and application forms are here: vampirepyramidscheme.com/bipocvampday/zine-2026/ Contributor submissions close on 6/30/2026 at 11:59pm PST. #vampires #callforsubmission #art #writing #charity #anthology #sicklecellawareness

J || Vampire Pyramid Scheme 🦇 🏳️‍⚧️ | ✨ BIPOCVampDay Cometh 🩸@vampirepyramid.bsky.social · 2mo ago

We want your BIPOC Vampires! Vampires of Color and After Dark (NSFW) anthologies are back for another year of fundraising for #BIPOCVampDay and the SCDAA. If your work features BIPOC vampires we would love to see your application starting 6/15! vampirepyramidscheme.com/bipocvampday/zine-2026

✷vetiver✷@vetiverfox.bsky.social · 3y ago

The creature hunts at dusk 🌒

it looks like you're writing a novel @gr8writingtips.bsky.social · 2mo ago

i'm sorry, "apparently some readers only read dialogue now, so make sure you put anything important in quotation marks"

it looks like you're writing a novel@gr8writingtips.bsky.social · 2mo ago

apparently some readers only read dialogue now, so make sure you put anything important in quotation marks

em. rowene @queerenigma.com · 2mo ago

Okay don't ask me to explain this, but if you like both fantasy and Sufjan Stevens, you will probably love Sunfall.