Tessera

Tali Shammas

@talishammas.bsky.social

JD/MBA | Associate Literary Agent at Storm Literary Agency | rep: Marilyn Biderman & Brenna English-Loeb at Transatlantic Agency

174 Posts348 Follower 487 Folgt

Tali Shammas @talishammas.bsky.social · last mo.

🚨 NEW CLIENT ALERT 🚨 I am delighted to welcome Ayishah Hasni to my @stormliterary.bsky.social team! From the moment I read her YA retelling of the Arabian Nights tale of Sinbad the Sailor, I just knew we had to work together. Thank you for trusting me with your work, Ayishah ❤️

Tali Shammas @talishammas.bsky.social · 2mo ago

🚨 CLIENT ANNOUNCEMENT 🚨 I am just thrilled to welcome @pamelamorganwrites.bsky.social to my @stormliterary.bsky.social team! I can't wait to get her story of a child making sense of the reunion between an estranged grandmother and her moms into children's hands! 🤩🎉

Tali Shammas @talishammas.bsky.social · 3mo ago

🚨 ANNOUNCEMENT 🚨 I have joined @stormliterary.bsky.social as an Associate Literary Agent. I will open to queries Thursday, June 11. I’ll be putting my legal background to work and fiercely advocating for my clients. As an editorial agent, I aim to help career writers share their stories.

Michelle Hauck @michelle4laughs.bsky.social · 3mo ago

I'm opening to queries from June 16-19th! Please check my guidelines at my website, but I'm looking for projects for the adult market in the genres of fantasy, horror, science fiction, mystery and thriller.

Tali Shammas @talishammas.bsky.social · 8mo ago

Thrilled and honoured to be mentoring two ultra-talented writers, and working with a fantastic co-mentor!

Round Table Mentor@roundtablementor.bsky.social · 8mo ago

IT’S HERE! 🎉 Congratulations to the 2026 Round Table Mentor mentees! Our mentors are SO excited to get started and will be personally reaching out to their chosen mentee via email to kick things off, so keep an eye on those inboxes! **See more details below 👇**

Tali Shammas @talishammas.bsky.social · 8mo ago

Absolutely thrilled to be working with Katherine on ROT & RUIN!

WriteHive 🐝@writehive.bsky.social · 8mo ago

#WriteHive Mentorship Pairing #19 author Tali Shammas (@talishammas.bsky.social) will mentor Katherine Gray (@kategraycosplay.bsky.social) for her Adult Fantasy novel ROT & RUIN

Tali Shammas @talishammas.bsky.social · 10mo ago

MEXICAN GOTHIC X BOBH X SINNERS Stasi, a gifted painter, enters a competition in which blood magic makes art come alive. But when she uncovers a conspiracy to eliminate magical women, she risks her life to stop those running the show. #GhostPit #A #G #F #H #Agented #LGBT

Beth “B.R” Smith @brsmithbooks.bsky.social · 10mo ago

A girl. Her dog. A whole lot of trouble. When Kit Raglan takes a quick job staying a night in a haunted house to make a few bucks, she expects a quiet night, maybe a ghost if she's really lucky. Instead, she finds a body with her name carved into it. HERE COMES TROUBLE. #GhostPit #A #W #T 👻

An illustration of a ghost overlaid on an oil painting of an old house in the mountains. Text reads: Here Comes Trouble.

Tali Shammas @talishammas.bsky.social · 11mo ago

✨Announcement✨ Absolutely thrilled to announce that I've been chosen as a WriteHive mentor this year! I could not be more excited to read all of your pitches and be a part of this fantastic organization. Swipe to see my wishlist and important dates! @writehive.bsky.social #HiveMentor #WriteHive

Tali Shammas @talishammas.bsky.social · 11mo ago

Thrilled to announce that I'll be mentoring with #HiveMentor this year! I cannot wait to read all of your fantastic pitches.

WriteHive 🐝@writehive.bsky.social · 11mo ago

📢ANNOUNCING the Mentors for the upcoming #HiveMentor program! We have 20 talented mentors from Traditional Publishing, Small/Independent Press, Self-publishing, Cooperative Publishing, Multi-Author Series, Serials & Web Novels and Kickstarter! Take a look 🐝 writehive.org/writehive-me...

Tali Shammas @talishammas.bsky.social · 12mo ago

Thank you so much for the warm welcome! I could not have envisioned better champions for my work ❤️

Transatlantic Agency@transatlanticagcy.bsky.social · 12mo ago

Transatlantic is delighted to welcome @talishammas.bsky.social! Read more: transatlanticagency.com/2025/09/15/t...

Revise & Resub @reviseresub.bsky.social · last yr.

Here it is! The #RevPit2025 Showcase is LIVE!!! Congratulations to all of our authors and editors! reviseresub.com/showcase

Showcase

reviseresub.com

Amy | Fantasy Author @aekwordcrafter.bsky.social · last yr.

Blood Over Bright Haven x This Monster of Mine An engineer determined to save her sister's life. An energy project on the brink of meltdown. And a woman in a verdant prison, whose lost memories sing to the void—spelling absolution, or doom. #QuestPit #Q #F #A #LGBTQ

Dawn Berkoski @dawnberkoski.bsky.social · last yr.

Raised by corporate vampires with little freedom or choice, Alex is used to Yakuza business rivals and back-alley deals. But nothing prepares him for Jason, a witty bartender who challenges everything he knows, and who harbors secrets as deadly as the vampires after him. #questpit #PR #Q #A #writing

Agent guide for I Am Chosen, M/M paranormal romance. The picture is of a fiery orange and purple sunset over a highway. Photography and story by Dawn Berkoski

Several photos are shown in this Moodboard for I Am Chosen, a paranormal romance. From the top left, a glass of aged scotch surrounded by butterscotch candies, a CEO standing in a high rise office, staring out a window, a giant hotel clock surrounded by Christmas decor, a photo of art depicting demons rising from hell, a sunset with black, billowy clouds hovering over an orange stripe, a dirty cement staircase near a darkened entrance, and the city of London as viewed from the river. Photography, except the man, by Dawn Berkoski

Photo of a vibrant sunset over a graveyard as seen from the window of a fast moving vehicle.
It reads: PITCH:

IN A WORLD CONTROLLED BY CORPORATE VAMPIRES, TWO MEN STRUGGLE FOR AUTONOMY. WILL A CHANCE MEETING
LEAD THEM TO FREEDOM, OR A WEB OF SUBTERFUGE, WHERE EVERY THREAD BRINGS A MONSTER OFFERING DEATH OR PERMANTENT CONFINEMENT?

Photo by Dawn Berkoski

Book vibes are all about the feel of the writing, setting, and story.

The Blue Blood Series by Melissa de la Cruz Is used to represent the wealthy elite vampires living in New York, the fish out of water trope, dark secrets, and others.

The Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice is used to represent young vampires rebelling against old rules and customs. Travel and setting also play a role. A plot point was inspired by the novel.

Yakuza, Japan’s Criminal Underworld by David Kaplan and Alec Dubro, is used to represent some of the vampire rivals business practices. It plays a role in the series arch.

Photography at the bottom: A dark cement staircase and photo of the London Eye by Dawn Berkoski

B. van Bodegom 📃is AGENTED @bvbodegom.bsky.social · last yr.

CABIN IN THE WOODS × JOHN DIES AT THE END × KNIVES OUT When their detective friend is murdered during their annual gaming retreat, 5 dads must rely on years of #TTRPG experience—and puns—to solve the crime before they're all killed off like NPCs in a badly written campaign. #QuestPit #A #H #M #Q

The image shows a horror-comedy novel cover titled "DAD BODIES." The top of the cover reads "THE GAME JUST TOOK A DAD TURN" with "DAD" in a different color.

The background features a haunted house with multiple towers and illuminated windows against a dark backdrop. At the center is a 20-sided die (D20) used in tabletop role-playing games like Dungeons & Dragons, with visible numbers including 1, 7, 13, and 19. The die is surrounded by red blood splatter effects.

At the bottom of the cover are six men with expressions of terror and shock. One man is wearing a white shirt over his head. These men are the dads referenced in the title.

Alissa is Querying ✨🔥🧪@alissalindemann.bsky.social · last yr.

Queen's Shadow X Shadow & Bone "Ballad realized he wasn't the symbol of this revolution. He was the conduit, but that fire was hope. The symbol was always hope." 🌟Chronic Illness Rep ✨LGBTQ+ 🌑Friends to Lovers 🪐Celestial Magic 🔥Alchemy #questpit #q #sff #ya

Photo collage including: an image of snowy mountains with a clear view of the milky way above, a close up of flames and smoke, an image of a young white woman holding fire, an image of a young man with brown skin and long dark brown hair looking off in the distance, an image of a young white man with glasses writing at an antique desk, an image of old apothecary jars of varying sizes, and an image of someone's hands as they burn pieces of paper

Catherine Winters @catherinewinters.com · last yr.

WAYFARERS x MURDERBOT x SOMEONE YOU CAN BUILD A NEST IN Everything fell apart when the human came aboard. Instead of nice meals and quiet cargo runs, Tai's stuck with bickering crewmates, sinister criminals, explosions, and worse, a human who wants to be friends. #QuestPit #A #Q #R #SF #OV #lgbtq

“Did you hear? There’s a human on board.”

A mood board for my manuscript: "SF heist meets F/NB romance: queer aliens rob the TED conference and complain about their human."

The mood board is a spaceship wall with a single looking out over a planet. There are hexagon-shaped polaroid photos taped to the wall and a string of Christmas lights for cheer. On the right is a diagram of a spaceship on a post-it note with alien writing.

There is overlaid text:
Priorities:
Make dinner
Remain cozy
Haul cargo
Go for drinks
Pull off one last score
Try not to fall in love

Problems: Gun-happy pirates, nosy crewmates, terrible translator software, cultural misunderstandings, and a ticking clock.

Found family of dropouts and runaways:
terrifying monster (ordinary human)
agender ship’s cook (fussy)
sweet little old lady (giant bug)
loudmouth nudibranch (adorable)
grumpy single dad (with a secret)
autistic tween (with a bigger secret)
renegade lesbian nun (big player)
the mastermind (in over his head)
Frank the cat (sleepy)

Gizelle @gizellemoney.bsky.social · last yr.

She was born to save the realm. He was created to destroy her. Their souls remember a love that the prophecy was meant to erase. For fans of The Song of Achilles & Fourth Wing #questpit #F #A #Q

Collage of NYC scenes: a stressed man at a laptop, “Members Only” plaque, shadows, elevator panel, empty subway, rooftop views, and cocktails. Dark, elite, and mysterious.

Libby Lineweaver @libbylineweaver.bsky.social · last yr.

CRIER'S WAR x PRIORY OF THE 🍊 TREE Sometimes you just need some magic cats and a shadow dragon to help you sort through the mess of your life. 🤼dual POV ✨gods-based magic 🌈sapphic fantasy ❤️‍🩹enemies to lovers to "it's complicated" 🏛️political intrigue 🐉shadow dragons 😼magic cats #QuestPit #Q #A #F

Artwork of a four-legged dragon with its wings and tail fading into shadow, looking at a tuxedo cat and a gray and white fluffy cat.

Caroline is always writing @carolinekwriting.bsky.social · last yr.

SINNERS x INTERVIEW WITH A VAMPIRE Angeline wakes up with a taste for blood and a two hundred years of missing memories. As visions reveal flashes of her past— a lover, a family, and something chasing her— she must uncover the truth before danger crosses her doorway. #QuestPit #W #S #T #A

Debby ✨ A MOST DECADENT CURSE (Jan. ‘27)✨ 🌊👻🖤@aventurinedebby.bsky.social · last yr.

ONE DARK WINDOW x NINTH HOUSE x NOSFERATU 🩸 When symptoms of a deadly disease w/ vampiric origins manifest on Ligeia Mortem’s 21st birthday, she joins BLOOD & DEATH, a secret society searching for the key to immortality—except to defy death, one must first pay with blood #questpit #a #df #ag

jenn (is querying and writing)@kotegentarri.bsky.social · last yr.

THOROUGHFARE ₊ ⊹ ˑ 𓂃 a religious apostle & western outlaw must work together to stop an eldritch horror spreading across the desert - novella (26k) - a sunshine MMC and grumpy FMC ☀️ - eldritch monsters but the true horror is humanity #questpit #Q #A #H #S #amquerying

red and yellow moodboard of 9 western themed photos; (right to left) a horse, a hand with flames, a creepy cowboy, a western gothic church, artwork of a coffin, flying doves, a body and a crow, a yellow cross, and a woman riding a horse

a pastel moodboard (right to left); a cross with a vulture on top, horses in the desert, a hand with a dove; a velvet background with a finger gun, a person training a horse, a woman resting with a horse in the plains; sculptured hands reaching from the ground; a man and a dark horse, many crosses staked into the ground

Psych. (they/she)@bloodydevotion.bsky.social · last yr.

ninth house x sinners x jordan peele🧠🔬👁️🩸 #QuestPit #YA #H #DR ~ horror academic fantasy ~ eat the rich…literally ~ abandoned by God trauma support group ~ insomniac eldritch horrors inside queer Black vessels (human meatsuits) ~ morbid miracle magic ~ a prayer a day keeps the hunger away(?)

a moodboard collage in a dark brown academic palette featuring hands in the air, gold grillz fangs, a purse full of of diet coke, a creepy stoplight, angel wings, a door that says hell, open books on a desk, and a sign that says there will be no miracles here

Florence Chien 🗡️ REVENANT OF SUROLIFIA (07.07.26)@florencechien.com · last yr.

✨ THE REVENANT OF SUROLIFIA ✨ belle époque vibes | so many schemes 🗡️ an imperial officer bent on revenge 🪽 a thief plotting scandals & revolution 🩸 they aim to kill each other 🔥 but must cooperate to stop another war 📅 07.07.26 #questpit #P #A #F

When the Empire of Colours slaughters 17,000 of his silver-eyed kin, Lucas Rhine buries his hatred, hides his eyes behind coloured lenses, and vows to liberate his country through a diplomatic secession.

Usurped prince Faye Phlorik escapes from prison and joins the revolutionaries. They need a silver-eyed champion to rally the people, and Faye needs their resources to reclaim his crown.

Lucas and Faye must eliminate each other to achieve their goals. But when the empire's warships come again, they must unite their forces or there will be nothing left of the people they're both trying to liberate.

The Revenant of Surolifia
A political fantasy
Florence Chien

Lily Wzy is drafting a mysterious new wip @lilywzy.bsky.social · last yr.

Priory🍊Tree x She Who Bcame☀️ 🪭Manchu+Mongol+Han inspired 🏹God blood as ink for tattoo magic 🪭An eldritch craving familial love 🏹A failing chosen one 🪭A saboteur of her own rebellion 🏹An heir w/ perfect life until the facade rips 🪭Queernorm ancient Asia #questpit #Q #F #A #agentguide #agentsguide

An agent's guide to: when ink swallows the sun, a 108k-word adult imperial-asia epic fantasy by @lilywzy_

Illegitimate child Ning Liyue must navigate the palace to chase clues about her long-lost mother’s foreign origins. When her quest collides with a failing chosen one trying to revive his tribe’s tattoo magic, they must uncover ugly truths and survive a budding rebellion to achieve their goals—and choose their loyalties in a crumbling empire.

The released moonlight casts an ethereal glow on the Empress, darkening the surrounding night. Liyue can’t tell who started it, but hundreds of guests crumble to the ground, pressing their foreheads to the ground in uneven worship. Ten thousand years to my Empress! Their chants rise and fall and rise again until no other sound exists in the world.

Like a crane among chickens, Liyue alone remains standing, unable to remove her gaze from the Empress while others fix theirs to the floor. The star dims, liquid shadows seem to swish within it like ink as the Empress lowers the scepter. Her low-lidded gaze sweeps over her subjects and lingers on Liyue. It’s not out of curiosity toward Liyue’s unique appearance nor offense from her standing, but a disturbing satisfaction.

Who is the Jinyu Empress?

Should the heavens hear this thought and convey it to Her Majesty, Liyue’s head would roll on the ground. Bathed in the pallid moonlight that basks the feast in an inhuman coldness, she decid

themes and elements: inspired by manchu, mongol, and than. God blood as ink for tattoo magic. creation vs destruction with a twist. Duty vs desire. kindness vs ambition. 4-pov. riches to rags. failing chosen one

wott 🌱@wottenmoss.bsky.social · last yr.

#agentguide for WHEN THE MAGPIE FLIES (81k queer fantasy) When troublemaker and hobbyist scholar Magpie is chosen by the spirits, she breaks an ancient tradition rather than leave her best friend behind—and brings the wrath of spirits and humans alike down upon the realm. #questpit #Q #F

Text: An agent’s guide to When the Magpie Flies by M H Wottenmoss. Background of mountains, trees, and a giant mushroom. A magpie flies in the sky.

Pitch: Magpie of Lornwhen, hobbyist scholar and incurable troublemaker, dreams of becoming a Conduit. As the realm’s only defense against monstrous spirits, Conduits are beloved and privileged—and it’s Magpie’s best chance to escape the undertow of poverty. When a spirit chooses her for the honor, marking her with a cold, entrancing touch, her dream is suddenly within reach. To fully ascend as a Conduit, Magpie, alongside the other newly-chosen, must embark on a journey into the heart of the spiritwoods.
The only thing holding her back is her best friend, Calladonna.
There are rumors about how Conduits are changed by the mysterious journey, and Calla can’t shake the feeling that if Magpie leaves, she won’t come back. Determined to reassure her, Magpie convinces Calla to come along in secret, hidden from the other Conduits. For the first time, Magpie’s future is bright and shining—until one of the other Conduits turns up dead, and it seems like Calla may be to blame.

Comps: A Dark and Drowning Tide by Allison Saft: clueless lesbians, murder and betrayal, journey of ascension. Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher: found family, humor and darkness, perilous quest.

Also featuring undiscovered magic, monstrous spirits, chaotic academia, ill-advised rituals, haunted forest, queer & autistic ensemble cast, giant mushrooms, original music

Opening lines: The world went dark just after she jumped off the roof. In one moment she could see the clocktower before her, the ledge beneath its defunct face familiar and inviting, and in the next there was nothing. It wasn't an uncommon occurrence, necessarily, but damn if that wasn't inconvenient timing.