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Rory | Author *₊˚☕୧

@rabauthor.bsky.social

romance author rooted in magic & the untamed | WINTER’S TEETH (Oct. 2026) | Rowan Prose Publishing

167 Posts309 Follower 106 Folgt

Kara (Questpit pinned) 🗡️@karasiert.bsky.social · 3mo ago

🗡️EVEN SENTS FALL When a final assignment leaves more questions than answers, two monster hunters must discover the truth behind the new horrors appearing across the land, even if it means unraveling their own identities and everything they believe in. #QuestPit #W #F #H #YA

Collage of photos including wilting roses and a glass window with text: I am not your perfect daughter, with an X over the word "not."

Collage of photos including a cathedral building and stained glass window with text reading: Who would you have me be?

Jordan C. Shelton @jordancshelton.bsky.social · 3mo ago

A final #questpit pitch for PRINCESS OF NOTHING, my TANGLED X ATLA epic medieval fantasy 🥀⚔️❤️‍🔥 🕯️ gods and mortals 🏰 princess x guard 🕯️ powerless FMC 🏰 complex family dynamics 🕯️ political intrigue 🏰 blood-based elemental magic 🕯️ dëad prophecy 🏰 Darcy-level yearning feat. the blurb and the playlist ✨

A medieval fantasy moodboard with the title: “PRINCESS OF NOTHING” and “an adult epic fantasy” above, and “Fate will bring them together.
Duty will keep them apart.” below.

Text that reads: “Blurb.” Then:
“Cursed by the gods and hidden by her family, Princess Arina Alderon spends her days isolated, enduring the mysterious illness that's plagued her since childhood. As one of the High Avari, the magical royals descended from the gods that once ruled their world, she has a role to play. But without the divine magic of her bloodline, Arina's value comes down to one thing marriage. When the queen demands she choose a husband ahead of her eldest brother's coronation, she's trapped. And the last thing Arina wants is another cage.
Meanwhile, Ren, the mortal blacksmith-turned-captain of the crown prince's elite guard, is torn between battling his dark past and forging his future. But when Arina comes blazing back into his life, demanding his help to take back control of her own, he can't say no. Like her, he lacks the elemental magic of the gods, and if there's one thing Ren understands, its her hunger to prove herself.
And there's no harm in helping his closest friend's sister—is there?
As Ren and Arina train in secret, their forbidden attraction grows, and allegiances begin to shift. A mortal rebellion is resurfacing, entwined with both Ren's past and a dark magic that hasn't been seen for decades. But with the savior heir to the prophecy dead, the realm is left with only magic and wit to defeat this mysterious threat—and Ren and Arina's role is more crucial than they could imagine.
More determined than ever to save their kingdom and earn her freedom, Arina must hone her mind as well as her skill. But the truth is tangled with lies, and unraveling a lifetime of deception will threaten not only her fate, but everything—and everyone—she holds dear.”

A medieval fantasy moodboard with text written over it: “Playlist:
False God by Taylor Swift
Dangerous by Sleep Token
Golden Brown by The Stranglers
Fable by Gigi Perez
The Yawning Grave by Lord Huron
Strangers by Ethel Cain
Darwinism by Halsey”

Sadie A Lindgren @sadiealindgren.bsky.social · 3mo ago

A twisted, quirky retelling of “Princess and the Pea” where she’s not a princess at all, but a fugitive in disguise. ⚔️ Reluctant allies to lovers 🪴 Plant-based magic 💚 Neurodivergent FMC 🏹 Robin Hood-inspired MMC 🏴‍☠️ Pirates 🇸🇪 Swedish folklore Querying late 2026 #Questpit #W #A #RF #F

Liz 👻🍂🪦@thewriteratlas.bsky.social · 9mo ago

NAUSICAA x WILL OF THE MANY After conjuring the ghost of bone magic's inventor, university student Aris attracts the attention of an undead professor who would kill to keep the secret of magic's origins buried. 👻 #GhostPit #A #F #LGBT

The quote: “Aris waited until the groundskeeper turned around the bend of the carriage way to break the window.” Above a series of images: a forest canopy, a student by the river in a historical city, a shelf of oddities including animal skulls, someone in a dress shirt and vest, a forest, a large animal skull, people holding cups and cigarettes around a table, and a notebooks with sketches of a skeleton.

Stella B James @stellabjames.bsky.social · 3mo ago

Closing my #questpit out with some romance vibes. A slow burn romance between a reckless time traveling bounty hunter and the reserved immortal Librarian he vows to protect at all costs. Even if it means defying Fate and the Council he’s indebted to. #Q #YA #F

A collage featuring a couple with their backs turned towards the viewer, a couple wearing masks for a masquerade, and a woman reaching for the stars all set in front of the face of a large clock

Gianna Her @giannaher.bsky.social · 3mo ago

My agent’s guide to BATTLE OF KISSES ✨✨ TWISTED SERIES x THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA #questpit #A #R #Q

Kara is writing 🏔️✨@karakayr.bsky.social · 3mo ago

GINNY & GEORGIA x THE WITCHER Separated by an unjust exile, a sorceress and her bratty pupil must survive a wintry mountain infested with enemy soldiers and mysterious, deadly spirits while they find their way back to each other. Includes sisterhood & 2 romance subplots #questpit #W #A #F #R #T

Liza Hanna @writtenbylizahanna.bsky.social · 3mo ago

Meet Scottie and Finn (and their horses) from SADDLE UP, a contemporary romance novel complete at 76k words. Scottie is spunky, she does flips off of horses for a living. She’s not afraid of anything… except maybe the idea of falling in love with her former best friend Finn. #questpit #W #R #A

notebook page, picture of a girl with a cowboy hat on a horse, another picture of a horse “my horse sugar written on top” text: “Hi! I’m Scottie trick rider from Antelope Spring” and underneath that is a sketch of a butterfly. text: 27, horse girl, Grandma Sylvie is my hero, Finn’s pretty cool I guess, love a matcha, exactly like other girls.

man on a horse through the mountains. text: Finn Tate, 25 y.o., ranch hand, is obsessed with scottie elwood, just got into college but is afraid to tell anyone, his horse grey, huge nerd

Author Aislin Spurgeon @aislinspurgeon.bsky.social · 3mo ago

When Milo gets dumped minutes before a couples pottery class, he does the only logical thing: shows up alone. Unfortunately for Briar, the overworked studio owner who swore off dating, their chemistry is hotter than a kiln. #questpit #q #a #r #agentguide

Dark, moody graphic featuring hands shaping clay on a pottery wheel. White text reads: “An Agent’s Guide to Glazed & Confused, a 78,000-word adult rom-com.” At the bottom: “sometimes love is messy.”

Dark pottery wheel background with white text titled “The Pitch: fresh from the kiln.” Text overlays the image with the following pitch:

When Milo Hawthorne gets dumped via text—mere minutes before a couples pottery class—he does the only logical thing: shows up solo. But with his heart in shards and Valentine’s Day looming, every glittery red heart and smug little cupid is a reminder of everything he doesn’t have.

Briar Maxton is the overworked owner of the pottery studio cheekily named “The Local Bakery.” She’s poured everything into her business, and dating is the last thing on her to-do list. But since Milo paid for two spots in class and only brought one broken heart, Briar offers a set of private bonus lessons to offset the cost.

When Milo unexpectedly becomes the roommate of Briar’s cantankerous Papaw Melvin, their worlds collide outside the studio too. Milo shows Briar there’s life beyond work, while Briar reminds Milo he’s worth more than the relationship he lost.

But as Briar’s business grows faster than she can manage, her inability to step back threatens the studio she sacrificed everything to build. And when that same studio becomes an ever-growing third wheel, they may lose their chance at something real.

Dark pottery wheel background titled “The Comps: dipped in glaze.” Displays book covers for Passion Project, Practice Makes Perfect, and Hello Stranger, with descriptors beneath each. Lower section references Jessica Day and Nick Miller’s first kiss with an image of a kissing couple.

Dark pottery wheel background titled “The Tropes: what’s on the wheel.” White floral pottery illustration surrounds a list including emotional healing, forced proximity, he falls first, found family, grumpy grandpa, cinnamon roll MMC, work-obsessed FMC, opposites attract, Midwest setting, and pottery studio.

Luna 💫@lunacwriting.bsky.social · 3mo ago

A woman cursed with ice powers and vitiligo discovers the heir sent to stop her hides demon blood she can cure. They bargain to save each other. But their souls are bound, she's falling in love, and his death means hers too... #questpit #F #R #Q #OWN

Via Luino @viathewordwitch.bsky.social · 3mo ago

A SONG OF SILVER & SCARLET 🗡 Reluctant assassins ⚔️ Dual POV ✨ Dangerous magic 🏳️‍🌈 All queer cast 💜 Gay panic 👀 Plot twists for days ❤️ Just kiss already! 👑 Queendoms & goddesses 💥 Smash the patriarchy 🥀 Romeo & Juliet retelling 🦊 Czech folklore inspo #QuestPit #Q #YA #F #LGBTQ

A black background with golden swirls at the edges, and a woman holding a sword over half her bloodied face. The photograph is from Pinterest. All art credit to the artist. The text reads:

An Agent’s Gude to A Song of Silver and Scarlet
- YA fantasy
- Queer romance and political intrigue
- Six of Crows x Romeo and Juliet
- 120k words

A black background with golden swirl designs. The text reads:

Comp titles
- The rich, textured world-building of The Sunbearer Trials by Aiden Thomas
- The swoon-worthy romance of So This Is Ever After by FT Lukens
- The magical assassins and thrilling heists of Six of Crows

Tropes
Reluctant assassins
Dual POV
Dangerous magic
All queer cast
Gay panic
Plot twists for days
Just kiss already!
Queendoms & goddesses
Smash the patriarchy
Romeo & Juliet retelling
Czech folklore inspo

A black background with golden swirl designs and a character sketch from Pinterest. All art credit to the artist. The text reads:

Viola is not a princess, but to save the woman she loves, she must become a killer.

Bound by blood magic to serve the ruthless ruler of the assassins’ guild, her only chance of escape is death—until she is offered freedom in exchange for completing a dangerous mission.

Viola’s task is to pose as her queendom’s heir and eliminate the prince of a rival nation, and she must do so without revealing her own secret. Because Viola’s blood runs silver—evidence that she is marked by illegal bone magic—and if it is discovered, she will be executed herself.

A black background with golden swirl designs and a character sketch from Pinterest. All art credit to the artist. The text reads:

Vašek is not a prince, but he would do anything for his little sister.

There is one cure for the sickness draining her life, and their king threatens to withhold it unless Vašek agrees to his plot. Vašek must assume the identity of the crown prince and end a centuries’ old curse by slaughtering another country’s princess. Vašek is no murderer, but if he fails, his sister will die.

When Viola and Vašek’s paths collide, it becomes clear they aren’t the only assassins on the prowl. And the scheming of monarchs can only end in bloodshed.

Jordan C. Shelton @jordancshelton.bsky.social · 3mo ago

Wouldn’t be #questpit without an updated #agentsguide ✨ ❤️‍🔥 TANGLED X AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER ⚔️ Fate will bring them together. Duty will keep them apart. And the truth will threaten everything they hold dear… #NA #F #A #amquerying

An oil painting of a blonde woman with text that reads, “an agent’s guide to: Princess of Nothing, an adult epic medieval fantasy”

A painting of woman in a gold dress with text that reads: “The Comps.” Three book covers are pictured. A Fate Inked In Blood by Danielle L. Jensen with the words “destiny vs autonomy” above and “reclaiming strength and freedom” below. This Woven Kingdom by Tahereh Mafi with “Persian mythology” above and “prophecy + forbidden romance” below. The Knight and The Moth by Rachel Gillig with “dark medieval fantasy” above and “self-discovery” below.
Text that reads: “The Tropes.” They are: forbidden love, multi-POV, lies & betrayals, secret training, fake courting, medieval-European setting, elemental magic, political intrigue, and slow burn.

Gold and black painting background with headline that reads: “The Snippets.”
Then: “She felt, more often than not, like she had been born with a fire in her blood, a fury so ancient that there was no name for it. No, she didn't have magic. But she was forged from iron and quenched in ice, her very being tempered by the same steel that kept the room standing around her. That was her power. Her sheer, unbreakable will.”

“Ren pulled his hand back and balled it into a fist. He thought again of the way he had reached for her in the hall outside the War Room, the way her skin had felt along his. The barest of touches, yet it was like wildfire in his blood. Every nerve was alive at the feeling. And when she glanced down at him, her own features slackened slightly, Ren felt more reckless than he ever had in his life.”

“She had never given much thought to whether she believed in the gods. How could she, when magic existed? When her family, and the others throughout the realms, were born of their own flesh and blood, their power destined to rule kingdoms?
That had never been a question to her, not really. The question had always been: why them? Why this divide between the mortals and gods? There were people who disagreed with the way the world was. Who thought the gods were monsters, not saviors. Who did not worship them but scorn them. And that only left Arina to wonder...
If the gods were monsters, what did that make them?
What did that make her?”

@emilywrites92.bsky.social · 3mo ago

#questpit Meet my WIP Weaver of the Nameless LOTR x The Dark Crystal x TheSilicon Mage Veiled Nameless Oracle ✨ Tortured Cultist 🗡️ Deadly Political Coup Serene Moon Temple-hiding a traitor Murderous Cult-hiding a god #W #RF #A

A shrouded figure stands against a dark cosmic backdrop with threads of light gathered in their hands

The top picture is on a girl with white hair whose eyes a shrouded in stars, the middle picture is of a sickle blade, the bottom is of a dark figure with shoulder length hair and pointy ears

A picture of the covers of the books: nightshade god, the knight and the moth, and from blood and ash. And the posters of the tv show the nevers, and movie the dark crystal

Nadine Flint @nadineflintbooks.bsky.social · 3mo ago

Ok hear me out: AMERICA’s GOT TALENT x PEAKY BLINDERS but with magic (and OCD) Star-crossed lovers—an anxious illusionist and a claustrophobic escape artist—enter a stage magicians competition to win their freedom from their rival crime families. #Q #A #F #RF #QuestPit #revpit ‘25 winner

A 1920s inspired moodboard, with images inside a theatre as well as black and white portraits. The text reads: Myth, Muse, Magician

susan is querying 🎹🌃🪐@sshwrites.bsky.social · 3mo ago

meet my YA Contemporary Romance, THE SELLOUT, featuring: 🙈 a love triangle intertwined with ambition 👩‍🔬 women in STEM! 📚 college students figuring their lives out 😵‍💫 drunk confession(s) ⭐️ separating passion from external expectation #questpit #Q #YA #R

An Agent's Guide to THE SELLOUT
- college setting
- women in STEM
- queer, Asian-American MC
- messy love triangle
- music & identity
90k Word YA Contemporary Romance

Pitch:
When impressionable freshman Mira Wang arrives at MIT, her only solace from her struggles to escape her brother’s shadow is her friendship with Elliot, the piano prodigy she’s idolized since childhood, and Lexie, her charismatic classmate with an eye for the stars—but when the lines between the trio begin to blur into something more, she must find a way to not lose either of them in the process of finding herself.

Comps
- TRUE LOVE AND OTHER IMPOSSIBLE ODDS
- WHEN HARU WAS HERE
- MIDNIGHTS WITH YOU
- I AM NOT JESSICA CHEN
- OPHELIA AFTER ALL

First Chapter:

"There's something about her that refuses to leave the back of my consciousness, in the same way that a song gets stuck in your head. I see, again and again, the flutter of her skirt as she lunges forward, the crack of her racket against the ball ringing in my ears like an echo. The fluid motion of her lithe form, the brilliance of the sky."

Zoe is ✨querying✨@zgauthor.bsky.social · 3mo ago

SIX OF 🐦‍⬛x OUR 🏳️ MEANS ☠️ 🏴‍☠️ A murder mystery—everyone is suspicious 🪶 Neurodivergent MC/disabled LI 🌊 Sirens, dragons, deadly seas 🕯️Cold ex-pirate & charismatic pirate captain work together to survive 🌈 Sapphic “you’re a means to an end” to lovers #QuestPit #Q #YA #F #RF #MY #OWN #LGBT

Beth Michaela...querying writer.@bmfwriter.bsky.social · 3mo ago

Adult Paranormal Romance A preservationist studying a sealed manor discovers the house is alive because a man is bound within its walls. She must break his curse before the last heir dies or he becomes part of it forever. 🥀🖤✨️ #Questpit #PR #R #Q

Hanna Patrick is Querying @hannapatrick.bsky.social · 3mo ago

Covenant of the Damned (119k rom. fantasy) in microtropes! When the Lord she’s sworn to protect is poisoned, a headstrong guard reluctantly allies with a loathsome king to find the Holy Grail before the Lord dies or the relic falls into the hands of evil sorcerers. #Q #RF #F #A #QuestPit

Cover slide to introduce the microtropes that you can expect to see in "Covenant of the Damned," a 119k romantic fantasy that is now querying. The background is an ethereal oil painting

the microtropes listed are: reluctant allies, only one horse, he's been thirty for the last 230 years, elemental-based magic systems, lady knights, she's the chosen one, and he tends to her wounds. There's an icon of a computer cursor hovering over a box that says "select all," to indicate that all microtropes are present in "Covenant of the Damned"

On this slide there is a painted hand holding a sword and a repetition of the pitch. The image also states that this book is perfect for fans of [Lady] Knights of the Round Table retellings and every Gilmore Girls stan who was rooting for Rory to end up with Jess Mariano.

Elise Rustøen @eliserustoen.bsky.social · 3mo ago

Scream Queens x Divergent in PROJECT GLITCH A dystopian romantic heist with 🕷️ Rival gangs 👾 Cyberpunk setting 🫆 Forced proximity 🖤 Morally grey characters 🕸️ A lethal, cult-like girl gang #questpit #W #NA #D Querying late summer/fall <3

List of tropes:
Dystopian, romance, heist
Teenage lovers to unaccounted for for many years, to rival gang members actually trying to kill each other to reluctant allies to lovers again???
Idk, it’s complicated..
Cyberpunk
Forced proximity
is it a gang or is it a cult?
Anything can be a murder weapon if you try hard enough
tending to wounds

Pitch:
Project Glitch is about a gang member trying to earn her initiation by killing all her exes, when she's redirected to infiltrate a rival gang's heist—led by her last remaining ex-boyfriend—to steal information from an impenetrable city with the potential to save or obliterate their corrupt world.

Opening lines:
Eyes on the target. Awaiting orders to shoot." I tighten my grip on the rifle.
The breeze sweeps some brown stray hairs over my eyes as I follow the target through my scope—Raymond, 25, male, with dark shaggy hair and a bag slung over his shoulder. Also known as my second ex-boyfriend.
"Awaiting orders to shoot," I repeat. My trigger finger burns to move.
The traffic drums in the background—car horns ring through the dirty air between dilapidated skyscrapers. Raymond dabs up one of the bouncers across the street. I track his every move; when he steps back to let a group pass by, when he scratches the five o'clock shadow on his chin, when he nods towards the entrance door two steps ahead of them. All that stands between me and my official initiation into the Coven, is one bullet in his brain.

Books similar to Project Glitch:
Butcher and Blackbrid by Brynne Weaver
Coldwire & These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong
Scion by James Islington
To Cage a Wild Bird by Brooke Fast
Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi
Divergent by Veronica Roth

Elise Rustøen @eliserustoen.bsky.social · 3mo ago

House of the Dragon x The Bachelorette in THE SUITOR'S TRIAL A NA political fantasy with ✨ Enemies to lovers ⚔️ Deadly challenge 👁️ A lethal FMC (& MMC) 🌷Formal balls 👑 Low historical fantasy 🗡️ 1880's inspired, but daggers and swords #questpit #W #NA #F (currently editing)

The Suitor's Trial, tropes, by Elise Rustøen

Enemies to lovers
Court politics
Reluctant allies
Morally grey characters
Lethal main characters
Dual POV
Deadly trial
Knife to throat

Ether way; this ends with a marriage or an execution.
You are hereby invited to THE SUITOR'S TRIAL
A princess who doesn't want to get married and share her throne, arranges trials to kill off her suitors, when suitor number 8 proposes with intentions of revenge whilst new dark forces loom in the background—threatening to destroy them both and take the throne for much darker purposes
By Elise Rustøen @eliserustoen

Snippets of THE SUITOR'S TRIAL
Two years, three weeks and five days since I swore I'd take revenge, and finally, my time has come. My pocket watch, amid the clutter on my desk, ticks as slowly as ever. Just five more minutes. Then a servant will lead me into the king's office to sign away the rest of my life—along with it, taking the first step towards retribution.

"Don't you look lovely this evening?"
I twist around with my dagger ready to stab. Hayes stops it right beneath the hollow of his jaw.
"Why that's not a very nice way to greet your future husband." He's paler than usual under the poor streetlight, a new cut across his temple.
"If I really thought you were to be my future husband I wouldn't have missed."
"For all you know, I might be into that."
"Clearly." I look him up and down.
"Now, let's get to what we came here for, shall we?" He pries the dagger from my grip and shoves it back into my holster, gracing my thigh in the effort. "Did you bring the letter?"

My gaze stays stuck on her as she laughs—at the new cut on her cheek from my ring—as she stands up, spitting blood on the ground and smearing the residue across her face.
"Look, we match." There's blood on her teeth as she grins.
She adjusts the grip on her daggers in a millisecond, tossing another my way. A knee pounds into my gut as I duck. I catch it—pulling her out of balance. And suddenly we're both back on the ground.
Securing her feet on both sides of me, she aims her daggers straight for my head.
I shift over, but not enough to avoid the burn at the tip of my ear. Another punch reaches my lip before I grip her wrist, lock my foot around hers and shove her off to switch positions. Before she can get away, I strike her jaw—hoping he'll take the hint and pretend to lose already.
With her free hand she snatches another dagger from my hip. I knock it out of her hand, catching it and bringing the tip to her throat. "I think that's enough."

Books similar to THE SUITOR'S TRIAL

Sword Catcher by Cassandra Clare
The Cruel Prince by Holly Black
The Selection by Kiera Cass
The Will of the Many by James Islington
The Savior's Champion by Jenna Moreci
The Princess Knight by Cait Jacobs
A Song of Ice and Fire by George R. R. Martin
Powerless by Lauren Roberts

anna sarlet @sacrosanctious.bsky.social · 3mo ago

Beauty & the Beast × Dracula: A Love Tale introducing THE LAST KISS OF WINTER 🖤🥀🌨️ ∗ 85k word gothic tragedy ∗ star-crossed lovers ∗ vampire aristocracy ∗ winter isolation ∗ regency era ∗ forbidden romance ∗ found family querying this fall ₊°｡❆ #questpit #W #A

Luna 💫@lunacwriting.bsky.social · 3mo ago

A morally grey Snow White reimagining where the "fairest of them all" is cursed with ice powers and snow blooming across her skin—vitiligo the world calls monstrous. A prophecy says only the Andes realm heir can stop her. Too bad their souls are bound. #QuestPit #F #R #Q #OWN

A poster/illustration made by me (LunaCWriting) of a hand holding a heart-shaped red apple dripping liquid against a black background, with the text “Bring Me His Heart.” and my manuscript title 'The Apricity Between Us.'

Madelyn Knecht ✨🌈@madelynknecht.bsky.social · 3mo ago

What if Enid mended broken hearts for a living... and Wednesday arrived without a heart at all? ❤️‍🩹sunshine MC hiding secrets 🫀LI who doesn't know what it means to be human 🔥a deadly mystery 🪶quirky, meddling witch (ahem, enchantress) #questpit #AG #YA #F #R for #Editors

Heart-covered white background. Image in the center is artwork of a blonde girl in a strawberry dress holding hands with a brunette in all black standing in front of a clinic called HEARTS TO MEND. Text reads: YA sapphic speculative romance. Sapphic romance, slow burn, grumpy x sunshine, equal angst&humor, found family, unique magic system, teaching the LI to be human

Straith 🍉@straith.ca · 3mo ago

EVERY YEAR THE SUMMER: Totally hypothetically, what if you were an extremely repressed knight and the only way you could save reality was to let yourself be really, really bi? A24's THE GREEN KNIGHT w/ a transmasc protagonist (and this time the MFM romance is full-blown canon) #Q #A #F #questpit

EVERY YEAR THE SUMMER: an agent's guide. Text is set against a mixed-media backdrop featuring a largely black-and-white landscape, with one cutout section showing a bright green bit of the landscape with a hunched figure looking despondent.

EVERY YEAR THE SUMMER is a 103k standalone adult weird fantasy. It's A24's THE GREEN KNIGHT meets GROUNDHOG DAY but with an MFM throuple romance. Text is set against a mixed-media backdrop featuring a largely black-and-white landscape, with one cutout section showing a bright green bit of the landscape with a hunched figure looking despondent.

Comps: THE EVERLASTING, by Alix E. Harrow, for folklore-inspired time loop romance featuring memory. THE SPEAR CUTS THROUGH WATER, by Simon Jimenez, for being queer, lyrical and dreamlike. THE BRIGHT SWORD, by Lev Grossman, for Arthuriana not retold, but reimagined. Text is accompanied by various sketches and images of knights and figures: one drowning in petal-scattered water, one holding aloft a sword with their face blurred out, one lying dead with flowers growing from their chest.

"I will not behead you again, beloved."

At Midwinter, one knight beheads another for an audience of jeering immortal courtiers. At Midsummer, he rides into the hinterland to be beheaded by the same man he killed—then returns to life to tread the cycle anew, lest his own body punish him for straying. The only one who remembers the loop, Sir Gavin knows that being a good knight—and a good man—means surrendering to the brutal beheading ritual again and again. It is only by this ritual that the seasons keep turning.

One cycle, the usual Midwinter blizzard becomes a flood, killing the children of Camelot while Gavin is lost in his own apathy. The seasons, he realizes, are collapsing. Gavin, as a good man ought, blames this on some failure of his to uphold his knightly morals, a blame that only escalates when he learns that the world's instability has spread to Hautdesert, where resides the married couple for whom he harbours a secret passion.

There's no time to get swept up in the lord and lady's delicious new kissing games, nor to trade literal and figurative jabs with the beguiling Green Knight. If Gavin cannot soon find a way to repair the seasons while continuing to complete the loop's knightly quests in sequence, the kingdom will drown in the pitiless sea, and with it his beloveds—and it will have been his fault alone.

@authorkba.bsky.social · 3mo ago

An agent’s guide to BLURRED—a romantic suspense where memory is unreliable, wolves look like sheep, and love is deadly. 🧠 Amnesia 👊🏻 Escaping abuse 🖤 Forbidden love/love triangle 🔥 Slow burn 🩺 Doctor/nurse 🤕 Trauma recovery 🏡 Small town 🌶️🌶️ Spice #W #WIP #A #RF #T #QuestPit