Amanda Lien is querying! 🌈🩸🗡️
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alienwrites.bsky.social
Amanda Lien is querying! 🌈🩸🗡️
@alienwrites.bsky.social
47 followers 54 following 130 posts
Querying adult secondary-world fantasy with horror elements, coming up with terrible jokes || Chaotic, queer, chronically ill || The cat's names are Warden and Dulcie || https://alienwrites.com
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alienwrites.bsky.social
Amanda Lien is querying! 🌈🩸🗡️ @alienwrites.bsky.social · 3d
She was raised to protect. Yaira was raised to survive. When Lora wakes after 10 years and becomes the only thing that can quiet Yaira's madness, they fall in love – just as Lora learns her mothers caused the curse destroying Yaira's homeland. #DVPit #A #F #H
alienwrites.bsky.social
I met Daniele at a conference last month and she is such a GRACIOUS critiquer and a wealth of publishing and agenting knowledge! I learned so much from her insights, and you will too! (Plus, her cat is so freaking ADORABLE.)
danieledhunter.bsky.social Daniele Hunter @danieledhunter.bsky.social · 5d
Hi, writers! I'm excited to see y'all at the @marylandwriters.bsky.social Brain to Bookshelf conference in a few short weeks! I'll be available for networking as well as critiques and pitches if anyone would like to sign up. :) marylandwriters.org/MWA_2026_Fro...
Maryland Writers' Association - Dedicated to the Art, Business, and Craft of Writing Since 1988 - MWA 2026 From Brain to Bookshelf Annual Conference
marylandwriters.org
October 1, 2026 at 3:47 PM
alienwrites.bsky.social
Lora wakes after ten years in a cocoon to discover her kingdom dead, its last swordswoman going mad, and herself the only thing that can save her from herself. Then her mothers' confession arrives: they made the madness and left it to kill their only daughter. #DVPit #A #F #H
September 30, 2026 at 11:58 PM
Reposted by Amanda Lien is querying! 🌈🩸🗡️
dvpit.bsky.social
Since bsky is an open forum, we can't control who posts under some hashtags, to ensure you're only seeing the #DVpit feed try a multisearch of #DVpit + category/genre

1) All in quotes (no #): "DVPit YA"
2) Individual quotes: "#DVPit" "#YA"

(capitalization does not matter when searching hashtags)
bluesky search bar with a search for "#DVPit" "#YA" bluesky search bar with the search for "DVpit YA"
September 30, 2026 at 10:27 PM
alienwrites.bsky.social
A shieldmaiden wakes after 10 years to save the woman whose madness quiets at her touch. But the curse destroyed the kingdom, and Lora's mothers created it. Now she must decide what she owes the people her family destroyed – and whether she can save Yaira without becoming like them. #DVPit #A #F #H
September 30, 2026 at 9:01 PM
alienwrites.bsky.social
THIS GILDED ABYSS + THE STARVING SAINTS
Lora can quiet the madness consuming Yaira, the last swordswoman of a ruined kingdom. But the closer they get, the more Lora discovers her mothers caused the curse – and left her behind to die with it. #DVPit #A #F #H
September 30, 2026 at 5:46 PM
alienwrites.bsky.social
She was raised to protect. Yaira was raised to survive. When Lora wakes after 10 years and becomes the only thing that can quiet Yaira's madness, they fall in love – just as Lora learns her mothers caused the curse destroying Yaira's homeland. #DVPit #A #F #H
September 30, 2026 at 3:03 PM
alienwrites.bsky.social
To the dumb fuck claiming to be an "investigative journalist" as a reason for trying to "expose" Jane Doe's identity.

1. Fuck you
2. You are NOT a journalist because if you were, you would know that journalistic ethics codes prioritize PROTECTING the anonymity of survivors*
September 30, 2026 at 2:24 PM
alienwrites.bsky.social
THE RED SCHOLAR'S WAKE + THE STARVING SAINTS
The kingdom is dead. Its last swordswoman is going mad – and Lora is the only thing that quiets her, but also the only person she wants to kill. Then Lora finds her mothers' confession: this was all their fault.
#DVPit #A #F #H #LGBT
September 30, 2026 at 1:15 PM
alienwrites.bsky.social
After 10 years asleep in a silk cocoon, Lora wakes to a ruined kingdom and a swordswoman whose madness falls silent at Lora's touch. To save her, Lora must uncover why her mothers left her behind – and why the madness wants the rest of the kingdom dead. #DVPit #A #F #H #LGBT
September 30, 2026 at 12:01 PM
Reposted by Amanda Lien is querying! 🌈🩸🗡️
ericsmithrocks.bsky.social
Time for a new pinned post!

Writer pals, I host query letters and nonfiction book proposals, free, on my site. www.ericsmithrocks.com/perfect-pitch

Near Philly? I host free in-person AMAs with industry pros often. www.neighborhoodliterary.com/neighborhoods

Hope these resources will be helpful.
Perfect Pitch — ERIC SMITH
www.ericsmithrocks.com
September 28, 2026 at 11:50 PM
alienwrites.bsky.social
Terrible news: what they say is true. If you write more, then you'll also write faster.

This, brought to you by my newly-unlocked, honed-over-10-years ability to outline a full MS in a weekend.
September 28, 2026 at 6:49 PM
alienwrites.bsky.social
Every time I outline a new MS I’m reminded that the outline is the most important tool in your arsenal when your goal is to draft quickly and well.

…but I still get driven nuts by the process lol
September 27, 2026 at 8:57 PM
Reposted by Amanda Lien is querying! 🌈🩸🗡️
mikechenwriter.bsky.social
It never gets old hearing this about your art, please tell creators nice things
sagetyrtle.bsky.social Sage Tyrtle 🇨🇦 @sagetyrtle.bsky.social · 8d
Just finished A Quantum Love Story by @mikechenwriter.bsky.social and absolutely loved it. Mike Chen did a fantastic job writing from a woman's point of view, and I really enjoyed the unexpected second half. Time travel! Kindness! Loops! SCIENCE! Highly recommend it.
Cover of the book A Quantum Love Story by Mike Chen, which features line drawings of a cat, a donut, etc. as well as two people walking on a red line towards each other.
September 25, 2026 at 2:43 PM
alienwrites.bsky.social
[rubs hands together] a new manuscript idea has landed

Modern gothic horror with sapphic romance, anyone?
Herve's Elmo in Flames Meme
Alt: Herve's Elmo in Flames Meme
static.klipy.com
September 26, 2026 at 9:22 PM
alienwrites.bsky.social
#askDV – When looking at short-form pitches during events like DVPit, what catches your eye? And what, if anything, would keep you from requesting a full based on a query prompted by a pitch event like this? (I know it's super subjective, I've just always wanted to know!)
September 24, 2026 at 5:04 PM
alienwrites.bsky.social
My cats make up their mind where the ROACH IS, challenge level impossible
September 24, 2026 at 2:59 AM
Reposted by Amanda Lien is querying! 🌈🩸🗡️
elizmanderson.com
tl;dr: get a booster IF:

you're unvaccinated
you're not sure and can't find out whether you got the double-dose MMR vaccine
you're vaccinated but were vaccinated between 1963 and 1967
jadewalker.bsky.social Jade Walker @jadewalker.bsky.social · 10d
Measles cases in the U.S. are at a 30-year high. There are currently 3,471 cases throughout the country, and there have been 4 measles-related deaths this year. By comparison, there were 85 cases in 2000. www.huffpost.com/entry/measle...
This 1 Group Of Adults May Need A Measles Booster As Cases Reach A 30-Year High
Doctors warn that about 38% to 40% of measles cases this year have been in adults. Here’s what you need to know.
www.huffpost.com
September 23, 2026 at 11:31 PM
alienwrites.bsky.social
The marketer in me is totally jumping out: When I'm writing at the intersection of the story I want to tell and what agents can sell, how do I balance that with the fact that publishing moves slowly while trends move quickly? Where should I focus my research/energy for best results? #AskDV
September 17, 2026 at 8:51 PM
alienwrites.bsky.social
This is now in the querying trenches AAAAAAA #amquerying
alienwrites.bsky.social Amanda Lien is querying! 🌈🩸🗡️ @alienwrites.bsky.social · Apr 30
THE RED SCHOLAR'S WAKE x THIS GILDED ABYSS x SILKSONG

A woman wakes from a decade-long cursed sleep to find a dying kingdom, one surviving swordswoman, and the unbearable possibility that her own people left her there on purpose.

#QuestPit #A #F #W #AgentsGuide
An agent's guide cover slide for Child of Silk and Shield, a 90,000-word adult fantasy with horror elements querying June 2026. Black background with bold orange distressed typography on the left and three diagonal image strips on the right showing close-ups of two women's faces and a ghostly silk-wrapped figure. Pitch slide for Child of Silk and Shield. Orange italic tagline reads: Survive the madness. Preserve the kingdom. Salvage your savior's sanity. Three paragraphs of white pitch copy describe protagonist Lora awakening from a decade-long cursed sleep in a dying kingdom, making a vow with a maddened swordswoman named Yaira, and confronting the possibility her own people are responsible for the destruction. Three diagonal atmospheric strips on the right show a ruined castle, a crumbling stone mask, and a spiral stone staircase descending into darkness. Comps slide with a dark textured silk background. Large orange distressed header reads FOR FANS OF. Three comp images are displayed side by side: The Red Scholar's Wake by Aliette de Bodard, captioned WLW main pairing, forced partnership that evolves into romance; Hollow Knight: Silksong, captioned haunted world, sword-and-shield battles, learning about the world as the protagonist does; and This Gilded Abyss by Rebecca Thorne, captioned haunting and possession as suspense and danger mechanisms. Excerpt slide for Child of Silk and Shield. Large orange distressed header reads EXCERPT. White and orange body text presents a passage from Chapter One in which Lora, newly awakened, assesses the armed and grinning swordswoman crouching over her and concludes that madness can sustain someone in a way no training can match. Three diagonal image strips on the right show a close-up of a woman's silver eyes, a swirl of white silk threads, and a second woman's face partially obscured by windswept hair.
September 14, 2026 at 9:34 PM
alienwrites.bsky.social
Love sending a query that can include a very specific anime comp because it's on her list of anime she really enjoyed heehee

in totally unrelated news, read the Bungo Stray Dogs light novels and then watch the anime
September 14, 2026 at 9:33 PM
alienwrites.bsky.social
THE RED SCHOLAR'S WAKE x THIS GILDED ABYSS x SILKSONG

A woman wakes from a decade-long cursed sleep to find a dying kingdom, one surviving swordswoman, and the unbearable possibility that her own people left her there on purpose.

#QuestPit #A #F #W #AgentsGuide
An agent's guide cover slide for Child of Silk and Shield, a 90,000-word adult fantasy with horror elements querying June 2026. Black background with bold orange distressed typography on the left and three diagonal image strips on the right showing close-ups of two women's faces and a ghostly silk-wrapped figure. Pitch slide for Child of Silk and Shield. Orange italic tagline reads: Survive the madness. Preserve the kingdom. Salvage your savior's sanity. Three paragraphs of white pitch copy describe protagonist Lora awakening from a decade-long cursed sleep in a dying kingdom, making a vow with a maddened swordswoman named Yaira, and confronting the possibility her own people are responsible for the destruction. Three diagonal atmospheric strips on the right show a ruined castle, a crumbling stone mask, and a spiral stone staircase descending into darkness. Comps slide with a dark textured silk background. Large orange distressed header reads FOR FANS OF. Three comp images are displayed side by side: The Red Scholar's Wake by Aliette de Bodard, captioned WLW main pairing, forced partnership that evolves into romance; Hollow Knight: Silksong, captioned haunted world, sword-and-shield battles, learning about the world as the protagonist does; and This Gilded Abyss by Rebecca Thorne, captioned haunting and possession as suspense and danger mechanisms. Excerpt slide for Child of Silk and Shield. Large orange distressed header reads EXCERPT. White and orange body text presents a passage from Chapter One in which Lora, newly awakened, assesses the armed and grinning swordswoman crouching over her and concludes that madness can sustain someone in a way no training can match. Three diagonal image strips on the right show a close-up of a woman's silver eyes, a swirl of white silk threads, and a second woman's face partially obscured by windswept hair.
April 30, 2026 at 1:00 AM
alienwrites.bsky.social
THE RED SCHOLAR'S WAKE x THIS GILDED ABYSS

A cursed sleeper. A swordswoman losing herself to madness. A vow that may cost them both everything.

(Adult fantasy with horror elements, 90k words, querying June 2026.)

#QuestPit #A #F #W
A five-image gothic fantasy moodboard for Child of Silk and Shield. A large black and white photograph of a spiral stone staircase descending into darkness anchors the left side. On the upper right, a close-up of hands pulling apart translucent silk or web-like threads. In the middle right, a pale figure in white lies unconscious in dark grass, hands reaching toward her from the shadows. On the lower left, two hands clasping gently, one in a white lace-cuffed sleeve and one in dark fabric against a green background. On the lower right, a pair of ballet feet in pointe shoes standing in dark reflective water, with black liquid trailing down the skin.
April 29, 2026 at 5:15 PM
alienwrites.bsky.social
What if the girl who woke you from a cursed slumber not only tasks you with saving the kingdom's sanity...but also wields madness as a love language?

CHILD OF SILK AND SHIELD, adult fantasy with horror elements. 90k words, querying summer 2026. Get ready!

#QuestPit #A #F #W
A square excerpt card for Child of Silk and Shield against a dark textured background showing faint silk threads. In orange text, the opening line reads: "I calm the madness when I touch you." Below in white body text: It's not what Lora means to say, but she never says what she means to when it comes to this woman. Instead, she does things like kneel in half-dead grass with her blood under her nails. She's still holding Yaira's hand. Her skin shivers at the closeness. At the bottom left in orange distressed display font: CHILD OF SILK AND SHIELD. At the bottom right in the same font: QUERYING SUMMER 2026.
April 29, 2026 at 1:10 PM
alienwrites.bsky.social
Presenting my #agentsguide to CHILD OF SILK AND SHIELD, featuring:

🩸 a madness tied to blood
🕸️ adventures through the remnants of a ruined kingdom
🗡️ tenuous partnerships born of survival and sarcasm

+ my personal fave:
🏳️‍🌈 reluctant-allies-to-lovers yuri!

#QuestPit #W #A #F
An agent's guide cover slide for Child of Silk and Shield, a 90,000-word adult fantasy with horror elements querying June 2026. Black background with bold orange distressed typography on the left and three diagonal image strips on the right showing close-ups of two women's faces and a ghostly silk-wrapped figure. Pitch slide for Child of Silk and Shield. Orange italic tagline reads: Survive the madness. Preserve the kingdom. Salvage your savior's sanity. Three paragraphs of white pitch copy describe protagonist Lora awakening from a decade-long cursed sleep abandoned in a dying kingdom, making a vow with a self-described mad swordswoman named Yaira, and reckoning with the unbearable possibility that her own people unleashed the possessing madness and left her behind by design. Three diagonal atmospheric strips on the right show a ruined castle shrouded in fog, a crumbling stone mask, and a spiral stone staircase descending into darkness. Comps slide with a dark textured silk background. Large orange distressed header reads FOR FANS OF. Three comp images are displayed side by side: The Red Scholar's Wake by Aliette de Bodard, captioned WLW main pairing, forced partnership that evolves into romance; Hollow Knight: Silksong, captioned haunted world, sword-and-shield battles, learning about the world as the protagonist does; and This Gilded Abyss by Rebecca Thorne, captioned haunting and possession as suspense and danger mechanisms. Excerpt slide for Child of Silk and Shield. Large orange distressed header reads EXCERPT. White and orange body text presents a passage from Chapter One in which Lora, newly awakened, assesses the armed and grinning swordswoman crouching over her and concludes that madness can sustain someone in a way no training can match. Three diagonal image strips on the right show a close-up of a woman's silver eyes, a swirl of white silk threads, and a second woman's face partially obscured by windswept hair.
April 29, 2026 at 4:08 AM
alienwrites.bsky.social
In addition to PosterPit, I'm also watching my phone like a hawk because I made an offer on a house and I REALLY want it...so that's been fun!
April 18, 2026 at 11:27 PM