#TumbledEmeralds
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csmadsen.bsky.social
Today's #WIPSnips is #retrograde.

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Welp.

See you tomorrow.

#HeavyCrowns #TumbledEmeralds #BYPMW #OftDTftW #Mythicals #Universe #WhyAmIHashtaggingWhenIDidNotDoThePrompt #Help #SocialMediaHasMeInItsNet #MyGodWhyDoTheyLetUsKeepGoingWithThese

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November 18, 2025 at 3:48 PM
csmadsen.bsky.social
Today's #WIPSnips is #week.

In #TumbledEmeralds, Andee has long been painfully aware that her disgustingly wealthy father is both manipulative and dishonest. Buying off a judge is just another Tuesday for him, and she knows it.

#HeavyCrowns #UpperYAContemporaryFantasy #YACrossover

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A screenshot of a word processor. The word "week" is highlighted in pastel green, and the text reads as follows: Andee thought back to when she was a preteen, dealing with her first bully. Much to her dismay, she was known as one of the most beautiful girls in school, but she was no pushover. Years of Sambo, Krav Maga, even a little Wushu—she knew how to handle herself. When Jerome had thrown a water balloon full of urine at her, she’d dodged the splash effortlessly, but the smell was unmistakable. Only her dad’s lawyers had kept her out of repercussions for immediately dropping the putrid boy into a fetal curl of pain where he’d stood proudly laughing only moments before. The legal foxes had gotten her off with the argument that ‘a biological weapon’ had been used. Almost bored, the judge ruled in her favor, but she’d noticed when he drove by the school in a brand new Mercedes a week later.
November 14, 2025 at 3:38 PM
csmadsen.bsky.social
Today's #WIPSnips is #third.

In #TumbledEmeralds, Andee's father explains the reasoning for why Reginald, the reprehensible Lord of the Bronze Flight, is not only allowed to persist, but is even being protected.

#HeavyCrowns #WIP #AmWriting #Mythicals #Universe

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A screenshot of a word processor, with the word "third" highlighted in pastel green. The text reads as follows: “I’m afraid he did, Andee. Though he has a rightful claim to his throne, Reginald is tyrannical and deplorably infantile in the way he operates. There are only three reasons we are stepping in to save him from the Keepers. First of course, is our pride as dragons. We cannot be seen as dishonorable or weak. Second, to place him firmly in our debt. Third? His son and heir has none of his experience, but flails with twice his petulance. If we allow Reginald to die, humanity—and especially our interests—will suffer far more than they currently do with Reginald at the helm of the Bronze Flight.”
November 19, 2025 at 4:38 PM
csmadsen.bsky.social
Today's #WIPSnips is #spend.

Andee's school friend Frank has a father who struggles with alcoholism. Here, she encounters Frank in one of the most unexpected ways possible: A robbery in progress. With Frank as the robber.

#TumbledEmeralds #HeavyCrowns #Mythicals #Universe #WIP #AmWriting

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A screenshot of a word processor, with the word "spend" highlighted in pastel green. The text reads as follows: This was the same sweet boy she’d swapped gaming recommendations with a week ago? They had plans for him to lend her an old system so she could try his favorite title, Fantastic Finale: Tactical. He was sweet and lived alone with his dad, who made him mow lawns and do odd jobs to earn the money that his father would immediately spend on bottles from the liquor store. Throughout their time in school together, Frank never complained, and he’d confided in Andee that he truly believed his dad would get better soon. For that, she pitied the boy… yet here he was with a gun and a mask. Not very pitiable. His trembling voice snapped her out of her memories.
November 17, 2025 at 5:22 PM
csmadsen.bsky.social
Back from an illness! Today's #WIPSnips is #local.

😁! This is the first snippet from Book 1 of my new literary pillar! #HeavyCrowns launches with #TumbledEmeralds, Andee's tale. Her father is powerful, with a #draconic secret, and she's about to inherit more than most could ever hope to handle.

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A screenshot of a word processor. The word "local" is highlighted in pastel green. The text reads as follows: With no money to speak of, there were only two places Andee could really go after eight. Her town was small and conservative, so shops closed at seven on weekdays and stayed closed on Sundays. The smattering of dive bars remained open, as did the solitary big-box store, but she was too young for a bar and too poor for impulse shopping. That left her favorite haunt: the local game store. She’d left her mom to unleash her bucking, tightly reined emotions, electing to take a gym bag full of her favorite trading cards as she left with the keys to the car. Each of her decks was carefully collected, sleeved, and boxed in a protective, shock-absorbent case, so she was comfortable with gently tossing the bag into the back seat before turning the key halfway to start the car's electrical system. Waiting the few seconds in that mode that were required to coax the engine to start, she turned the key all the way, and the old ‘boat’ sprang to life with a throaty rumble.
November 10, 2025 at 4:10 PM
csmadsen.bsky.social
Today's #WIPSnips is #special.

In #TumbledEmeralds, Andee's father has very deep influence in the small town she's lived in for six years. She gets pulled over for rolling a stop sign, and wonders if it's because of him that she drives away without a ticket.

#Mythicals #Universe #HeavyCrowns

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A screenshot of a word processor, with the word "special" highlighted in pastel green. The text reads as follows: What was up with the officer’s response, just chucking her license through the window without a word and driving off in the opposite direction? The reasonable part of Andee chided her for being a conspiracy theorist. She wasn’t special; the cop just had to respond to a real emergency somewhere on the other side of town. That was the most reasonable thing to think, but Andee had a very insistent gut feeling that his response was based on what he found when he went back to his cruiser to run her license. Her father’s shadow seemed to whisper its involvement in everything. Was she being paranoid, or was she just right?
November 20, 2025 at 7:58 PM
csmadsen.bsky.social
Today's #WIPSnips is #direction.

In #TumbledEmeralds, Andee wants to allow her mom to cry in peace. She runs to her favorite haunt: a hobby shop. But... her classmate is trying to rob it. How will she react to Frank violating her holy sanctuary?

#HeavyCrowns #YACrossover #Mythicals #Universe

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A screenshot of a word processor, with the word "direction" highlighted in pastel green. The text reads as follows: She was shocked to have the door opened not by Gerald or Troy, but by one of her graduating class members, a quiet guy named Frank. His hood was up, and he had something—nylon panties?—pulled tightly over his face, obscuring it… just not well enough to hide his identity from her. An old double-barreled shotgun rested uneasily in his hands, loosely pointed in her direction. Frank with a gun. Impossible.
November 21, 2025 at 4:24 PM
csmadsen.bsky.social
Today's #WIPSnips is #build.

In #TumbledEmeralds, Andee's father is entrenched, and he seems to be connected to everyone. She wants to build her own list of contacts, without having their loyalty paid first to her father.

#HeavyCrowns #UpperYAContemporaryFantasy #YACrossover

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Word processor text that has the word "build" highlighted in pastel green. The text reads as follows: Beaming at their gratitude, the old Andee came out a bit, and she gave a shy wave as the elevator doors closed. The nearly silent glass cylinder ushered her back to her new home, a fishbowl so high in the sky she could parade around naked and nobody would ever see. Well, she could after she got the keycards changed. That was problematic, because she knew she wouldn’t be able to out-do her father’s connections. Whoever she found to do work like that would likely already be known to him. Andee scowled. There had to be a way to outmaneuver him. What did she have that he didn’t? Empathy. That was the ticket. That was her edge. If she built genuine connections with the people she interacted with, if she did them favors first, then she knew she could build more loyalty from those people than her father could ever command with his money and influence. It felt like a distorted Russian doll, planning to use genuine empathy and kindness as a tactic. It was the best move forward.
November 13, 2025 at 10:42 PM
csmadsen.bsky.social
I wrote the ending to Tumbled Emeralds today.

Now for a polish/expansion pass. Cut some fluff. Add some depth. Add missing sensory details. Make it sing in the dress rehearsal, and distribute it to the heartbreakingly short list of alpha readers.

#TumbledEmeralds #HeavyCrowns

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December 16, 2025 at 6:51 PM
csmadsen.bsky.social
TRIGGER WARNING: Being seen in a state of partial undress.

Today's #WIPSnips is #shirt. In #TumbledEmeralds, Andee just moved into a fancy penthouse, and doesn't realize the doorbell uses a two-way video call until it's too late. Her reaction is... different.

#HeavyCrowns #Mythicals #Universe
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A screenshot of a word processor, with the word "shirt" highlighted in pastel green. The text reads as follows: She’d just thrown on some clean underclothes from her bag when the elevator buzzed. Running over to the panel, she was horrified to see that it was a video call with Claudio, and she’d just appeared on the high-resolution monitor in her underclothes. Freezing in horror, her mind felt a talon curl up inside, and the tiny version of her on the monitor didn’t allow her expression to break. Leaning forward slightly, she gave a jaunty wave to her father’s lackey. “As you can see, I’m not quite ready to go. I’ll be down in a minute.” Not waiting for his response, she hit the clearly-marked “End Call” button, then dashed back to her gym bag, unrolling a t-shirt and a fresh pair of sweatpants. She was annoyed that Claudio had seen her in that state, but it couldn’t be undone, and something in her mind was dismissive of the whole affair. She kind of agreed with herself—it wasn’t really an important event, in the scheme of things. Andee blinked and cocked her head. What? A week ago, she would’ve called Denise in tears and probably sobbed for hours about it. Whatever it was, she just couldn’t quite bring herself to care about a random twenty-something dude seeing her in her bra and panties, and that felt really weird. It was annoying to her, but not hurtful. It wasn’t that she had no shame, it was… what? She couldn’t quite define it to herself.
November 12, 2025 at 7:18 PM
csmadsen.bsky.social
Exactly one week ago, I posted 109 pages and about 31,000 words.

Now I'm at 168 pages and 47.5k words.

With a full-time job, two adorable kids, and a household that I do chores in.

I'm cookin'.

#TumbledEmeralds #HeavyCrowns

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December 8, 2025 at 11:40 PM
csmadsen.bsky.social
🥹

Amanda, you make me feel so seen on this platform, NGL. You and my homie H.A. Carlson are so real for interacting with me so often. Thanks!

I've reached approximately 104 pages and 30,000 words. It's gettin' real!

#HeavyCrowns #TumbledEmeralds #MythicalsUniverse
November 26, 2025 at 8:51 PM