Michael Whelan
@MichaelWhelan@mastodon.art  ·  activity timestamp 3 days ago

CROWN OF SHADOWS (1995)
Acrylic on Panel - 28" x 22"

There's something in the complexity of an anti-hero that grabs the attention of readers. Such rich characters naturally provide an illustrator with opportunity to revel in the shadows. 1/4

#fantasy #fantasyart #sff #illustration #csfriedman #coldfiretrilogy

An elegant man with shoulder length blonde hair and eyes glinting gold strides between a pair of trees barren of leaves but colored by alien lichen creeping up the trunk. He holds aloft a black sword drenched in purple flame. The edge rides a sinuous curve peaking high then retreating to upturned quillons and a curved grip tapering thin in the middle. The modest flames stand in contrast to shaded greens that tint the mountains behind him. His bearing is regal; his clothes made of fine black leather with gold trim and filigree. A purple sash runs beneath his long jacket, which sways trailing his motion. Behind him ephemeral spirits rise—the most prominent female with one arm and one knee raised. A volcano dominates the background, billowing smoke as it roils with electric green flame.
An elegant man with shoulder length blonde hair and eyes glinting gold strides between a pair of trees barren of leaves but colored by alien lichen creeping up the trunk. He holds aloft a black sword drenched in purple flame. The edge rides a sinuous curve peaking high then retreating to upturned quillons and a curved grip tapering thin in the middle. The modest flames stand in contrast to shaded greens that tint the mountains behind him. His bearing is regal; his clothes made of fine black leather with gold trim and filigree. A purple sash runs beneath his long jacket, which sways trailing his motion. Behind him ephemeral spirits rise—the most prominent female with one arm and one knee raised. A volcano dominates the background, billowing smoke as it roils with electric green flame.
An elegant man with shoulder length blonde hair and eyes glinting gold strides between a pair of trees barren of leaves but colored by alien lichen creeping up the trunk. He holds aloft a black sword drenched in purple flame. The edge rides a sinuous curve peaking high then retreating to upturned quillons and a curved grip tapering thin in the middle. The modest flames stand in contrast to shaded greens that tint the mountains behind him. His bearing is regal; his clothes made of fine black leather with gold trim and filigree. A purple sash runs beneath his long jacket, which sways trailing his motion. Behind him ephemeral spirits rise—the most prominent female with one arm and one knee raised. A volcano dominates the background, billowing smoke as it roils with electric green flame.
Stephanie Burgis
@stephanieburgis@wandering.shop  ·  activity timestamp 4 days ago

Oh hey, for anyone who enjoyed the first of my Unexpected Adventures of Lady & Lord Riven, A Marriage of Undead Inconvenience...I'll be revealing the cover and more details about its sequel, A Honeymoon of Grave Consequence, in Tuesday's newsletter!

Subscribe here: stephanieburgis.com/newsletter

Of course, if you haven't read A Marriage of Undead Inconvenience yet, you can scoop it up now to read it before A Honeymoon of Grave Consequence arrives: https://books2read.com/UndeadInconvenience

#fantasy #romance

The header at the top of the image reads: Out Now. In the center of the image (which has a background of lush crimson rose blossoms) is the front cover of Stephanie Burgis’s A Marriage of Undead Inconvenience, which shows an ominously closed entrance-gate at the top of the cover and a bat with its wings outspread at the bottom, all framed by climbing roses. Four arrows point at the cover with four chunks of text, reading: “Beauty and the Beast, but he’s a vampire” “She’s brilliant, and he loves it” “Tea is very important” and “She *really* loves libraries.”
The header at the top of the image reads: Out Now. In the center of the image (which has a background of lush crimson rose blossoms) is the front cover of Stephanie Burgis’s A Marriage of Undead Inconvenience, which shows an ominously closed entrance-gate at the top of the cover and a bat with its wings outspread at the bottom, all framed by climbing roses. Four arrows point at the cover with four chunks of text, reading: “Beauty and the Beast, but he’s a vampire” “She’s brilliant, and he loves it” “Tea is very important” and “She *really* loves libraries.”
The header at the top of the image reads: Out Now. In the center of the image (which has a background of lush crimson rose blossoms) is the front cover of Stephanie Burgis’s A Marriage of Undead Inconvenience, which shows an ominously closed entrance-gate at the top of the cover and a bat with its wings outspread at the bottom, all framed by climbing roses. Four arrows point at the cover with four chunks of text, reading: “Beauty and the Beast, but he’s a vampire” “She’s brilliant, and he loves it” “Tea is very important” and “She *really* loves libraries.”
Will Elm
@willelm@indieauthors.social  ·  activity timestamp 4 days ago

Great news! My book SHADOW OF THE ELDERS, a low, dark, and epic fantasy is going wide in August. If you've been waiting until the book left Amazon to read it, your wait is about to end! Details to come.

If, however, you use Amazon, then what are you waiting for? Its available now! Check it out. https://a.co/d/9WRy4Bt

#bookstodon #books #fantasy#SFF #writingcommunity @indieauthors @bookstodon

Book promotion image with Shadow of the Elders book cover. Author Will Elm. Red background, black tree in the center growing out of a white angular design and surrounded by repeating white lines that recede into distance. Three people, black, shadows, walk white paths towards the tree. Quotes on the left read "An unflinching and soulful journey through the ruins of tradition toward something radical: freedom, chosen family, and strength through survival." and separately, "Imaginative, intense, and full of heart." Available wide coming soon!
Book promotion image with Shadow of the Elders book cover. Author Will Elm. Red background, black tree in the center growing out of a white angular design and surrounded by repeating white lines that recede into distance. Three people, black, shadows, walk white paths towards the tree. Quotes on the left read "An unflinching and soulful journey through the ruins of tradition toward something radical: freedom, chosen family, and strength through survival." and separately, "Imaginative, intense, and full of heart." Available wide coming soon!
Book promotion image with Shadow of the Elders book cover. Author Will Elm. Red background, black tree in the center growing out of a white angular design and surrounded by repeating white lines that recede into distance. Three people, black, shadows, walk white paths towards the tree. Quotes on the left read "An unflinching and soulful journey through the ruins of tradition toward something radical: freedom, chosen family, and strength through survival." and separately, "Imaginative, intense, and full of heart." Available wide coming soon!
Jess Mahler
@JessMahler@indiepocalypse.social  ·  activity timestamp 6 days ago

2000 words edited today. Less than usual, but progress still counts.

---
Kyawtchais' Cenn had loved the trees. Loved them enough that in spite of the risks, ey had insisted on going out into the forest when eir contractions began. Penpy had a common name – dawn. Ey insisted eir child would have a name that meant something more than the time of day ey had been born.

Penpy had gotten eir wish. Deep in the forest at night, attended by fearful healers and hired guards, ey had given birth. The moment the child had left eir body, eir eyes had been locked on the foxfire glow only seen by those who dared the woods at night. Kyawtchaisawt, the cold fire was called. Kyawtchais, then, became eir infant's name.

It was a name that spoke of mystery, of secret things, of deep darkness.

#AmEditing#Snippet#Fantasy#PlantingLife

alcinnz
alcinnz boosted
Cullen McHael
@Engurrand@corteximplant.com  ·  activity timestamp 2 weeks ago

I’ve been reading a lot of YA books and as a public service announcement, please tell your YA book author and reader friends that you can’t spar with real weapons. Ever. Do not spar with sharp weapons. Do not train with sharp weapons. Do not wave a sharp weapon around. This seems like a very obvious thing maybe but YA books keep telling me that YA authors don’t know about practice blades. Practice blades may be metal but without an edge or a tip, or they may be wood. They weigh the same as real blades, and they have the same basic set of features. You can’t train with sharp blades even if you are super good.

Kids are already going to want to swing around a sharp blade if they have one. Let them at least have heard that is a bad idea. Please be the reason somebody doesn’t get stabbed.

#writing#Fantasy #youngadult
Andrew Wooldridge 🐲
@triptych@social.lol  ·  activity timestamp 2 weeks ago

I wrote a steampunk ish Isekai novel called the Clockwork Apprentice - 90% hand written but I was stuck on the ending so I had Claude help out with the last few chapters. I can now focus on other works https://clockwork-apprentice.puter.site/ #amwritingfantasy #fantasy #fantasynovel #gaslamp
Jess Mahler
@JessMahler@indiepocalypse.social  ·  activity timestamp 2 weeks ago

Planting Life in a Dying City is not a love story in the traditional sense. But there is so much love in this story.

----
"I hope the day comes when you can give yourself to me as well. But you have shown me that you accept me as I am. I know if that day never comes, it will be because of your grief and not, as with others, because you reject me." Kolchais smiled and felt the smile to the depths of eir soul. Ey knew Lefeng now. Knew eir spouse-to-be as ey had known few others. Ey would grieve, yes, for a long time. But when ey was ready to move, ey would not be stopped.

Kolchais turned to face the night sky with Lefeng, the stars that guided the farwalkers and boatfolk in their journeys. When the day came, Lefeng would find Kolchais still here, steady as the stars themselves, which never stopped moving, but were always where you needed them to be. "How can I be angry that you grieve them? When it only shows me how great your soul is and how strongly you value those you love."

Slowly, Lefeng leaned over until eir head rested against Kolchais. Together, they watched the night sky.

"Perhaps one day, you can take me to the mountains. Show me how the stars are meant to look."

"I would like that."

"The spinner could come too."

"I think ey loves eir markets, the way I loved the mountains."

"Yes. But ey could still come if ey wants."

"Yes."

#AmEditing#Snippet#Fantasy