I did the dumb thing of going outside, watering trees, and then rubbing my eyes. In April. Now my eyes will be red and itchy until July. Hooray spring.

#FantasyFriday My debut fantasy novel, In The Shadow Of The Sanctum, is coming out next month! The link below is a *no cost* way to: ✅ Support an #LGBTQ -owned indie publisher 🏳️‍🌈 ✅ Support a debut #indieauthor 📖 (me!) ✅ Find out about cool new #sff books 🏰🚀 www.backerkit.com/call_to_acti...

Share someone who looks stylish wearing the colour red.

Well hey, the first book of my very weird science fantasy trilogy The Spider's Friend is on sale on most retailers for $1.99 Check it out! books2read.com/SpidersFriend

#SFFChat Q4: BLOOD MOON is a romantasy breathing new life into an old tale. Red Little and a werewolf join forces to find a cure for Red's elderly grandmother. Spicy recipes bring former enemies closer as sparks fly in this delicious mash-up of Little Red Riding Hood & the Great British Baking Show.

#SFFChat Q3: Oh man. Good question. I would have to say that Ehla would win a Lifetime Achievement Award for Badassery. Yeah, that seems right.

#SFFChat Q2: I would love to co-write a book with Sabaa Tahir. In addition to being a phenomenal writer, she seems like a really good person. And both would be equally important to me in a writing partner.

#SFFChat Q1: The Sanctum's Shadow: 1 part sadistic high priest 1 part scared protagonist A few drops of revolutionaries A note of magical Song Mix thoroughly in a dark vat of religious oppression, stirring with malice & manipulation. Develop flavor with self-discovery and garnish with hope.

#SFFChat Intro: Hi, I'm Dan and I write fantasy books. I am excited to pitch THREE-BEAN CHILI, a spicy alternative to bland, watery soups. The lead characters (Black, Red, and Pinto beans) are accompanied by a spicy collection of side characters, including onions, red peppers, cumin, and paprika.

ICYMI: Meet the woman who has been on the front lines of both #votingrights & #reproductiverights fights. She's one of the smartest people you've never heard of. msmagazine.com/2026/03/23/r... via @msmagazine.com

Mike Pence got totally owned here: Jewish plaintiffs won a ruling against Indiana's abortion ban, using the law he signed 11 years ago as governor to help evangelicals refuse to cater gay weddings and such. Now similar challenges could win in other red states. We tell the story at @forward.com.

Happy Trans Day of Visibility. I know trans people and I know fascists who are making life difficult for trans people. The trans people are pretty cool and I'm glad I know them. The fascists can go fall down a deep dark hole.

ICYMI: Meet the woman who has been on the front lines of both #votingrights & #reproductiverights fights. She's one of the smartest people you've never heard of. msmagazine.com/2026/03/23/r... via @msmagazine.com

#SFFChat Outro Thanks for the interesting chat! I have a book coming out next week! Ahh! If you like MM Fantasy on the lighter side (but not cosy imo) check out The Need for Dandelions! Uni link: books2read.com/u/meYkPE Itch: bit.ly/3N1RDWk Cover by: @nooskadraws.bsky.social

#SFFChat Q4: My work falls on the lighter side because there is a hopefulness in it. I want the sun to rise and push back the shadows, so that comes through. But definitely not cozy -- there are dark elements and a few dark moments that push it to the middle-ish of the spectrum.

#SFFChat Q3: I recently read Darkblade: Assassin by @andypeloquinauthor.bsky.social -- it is unabashedly dark in the best way, with grim tones throughout. On the light side, I still have warm fuzzies from The Spellshop by @sarahbethdurst.bsky.social. If you want great, cozy writing, read it today.

#SFFChat Q2: Light or cozy sff is the book you read on an autumn morning, sipping coffee or tea, and wrapped in your favorite blanket. The book warms you, makes you smile -- not laugh like a comedy, but smile contentedly -- and you feel buoyed when you put it down.

#SFFChat Q1: I think dark means both substance and tone. For substance, there is more violence (physical, maybe psychological) with more descriptions of the violence. And there's also a more grim tone -- almost normalizing the violence and need for violence. Also, the climax may not be HEA or HFN.

#SFFChat Intro: Hi, I'm Dan and I write fantasy books. I am not a dancer, but I married into an Indian family and now I absolutely love dancing at Indian weddings. Is "wedding dancing" a style? We all write fiction, so it is now.

Want a **no-cost** way to: ✅ Support an #LGBTQ -owned indie publisher 🏳️‍🌈 ✅ Support a debut #indieauthor 📖 ✅ Find out about cool new #sff books 🏰🚀 Just sign up (below) to find out more about an upcoming pre-order campaign! #WritingCommunity #sffbooks #fantasybooks www.backerkit.com/call_to_acti...

Republicans are determined to roll back both voting rights and reproductive rights. Those who know can see the through-line. And here’s a profile of someone who has been at the center of both fights for decades. Well worth your time to read. msmagazine.com/2026/03/23/r... via @msmagazine.com

For @reprorights.org's Rachana Desai Martin, voting rights and reproductive rights have always been the same battle. The SAVE America Act just proved her right.

When talking about voting rights and reproductive rights, we're talking about the same issues: power and control. My wife has been at the center of both battles, so she knows what she's talking about. Check out this profile in @msmagazine.com: msmagazine.com/2026/03/23/r...

Just finished another rewatch of The Good Place, and still convinced it is the best show. It’s as perfect as a television show can be.

APRIL - Pitch Events! April 1st, we start the month off with #ChaosPit (chaospit.org)! April 18th, #PosterPit (@posterpitevent.bsky.social)! Then, on April 29th, we close out the month #QuestPit (@questpit.bsky.social)! #WritingCommunity #WriteSky #AmQuerying #AmWriting

There has to be a word for obsessively polishing the WIP when you should just press send and respond to the request for a full. @dandesaimartin.bsky.social #skywriters #booksky #amwriting #sff

Interested in helping out an LGBTQ-owned indie publisher? @gdpub.bsky.social is about to launch a pre-order for several books (including mine!). Sign up to know when it starts. It's a great, *no-cost* way to support new & emerging authors! www.backerkit.com/call_to_acti... #writingcommunity #books

Trump’s wealth vs your retirement. Pretty clear who Republicans are working for, and it ain’t us.

#Bukowski #quotes

Interested in helping out an LGBTQ-owned indie publisher? @gdpub.bsky.social is about to launch a pre-order for several books (including mine!). Sign up to know when it starts. It's a great, *no-cost* way to support new & emerging authors! www.backerkit.com/call_to_acti... #writingcommunity #books

COMING SOON: A new #fantasybook from me. In a realm where High Priests maintain absolute power through violence and manipulation, Ehla finds herself at the center of a rebellion she wants no part of. dandesaimartin.com/spring-2026-... #writingcommunity #books #fantasybooks #newbooks

#SFF Outro Thank you for the fun chat! The Need for Dandelions comes out on March 31st! You can preorder it today! Uni link: books2read.com/u/meYkPE Itch: bit.ly/3N1RDWk Cover by: @nooskadraws.bsky.social

#SFFChat Q4: This is from a comedic fantasy I am co-writing with the brilliant @jonathanstamper.bsky.social.

#SFFChat Q3: I really enjoyed reading about Amina al-Sarafi (by S.A. Chakraborty). She's a legendary muslim pirate woman from 10th (?) century, so pretty outside my background. The whole book was fascinating and broadened my horizons.

#SFFChat Q2: Honesty and empathy. If I write from the POV of a villain, I want the reader to see their perspective, because we are all heroes in our own minds (even if misguided). For different backgrounds, I try to be careful, respectful, and be sure that I am not perpetuating harmful stereotypes.

#SFFChat Q1: For reading, I don't care about 1st or 3rd POV. For writing, i like close 3rd among a small number because the world is a complex place, and I want my books to show how different people view what is happening. I think (hope) it gives depth to the world and characters.

#SFFChat Intro: Hi, I am Dan and I write fantasy books. If I were a polar bear, I would search for Lyra from the His Dark Materials books to try to join her on adventures.

F*ck ICE End the war Impeach Trump Support Indie Authors

"She was afraid of the truth. She was afraid of the lies. But mostly afraid she couldn’t tell the difference between the two anymore." - From In The Shadow Of The Sanctum My DEBUT FANTASY is coming out this spring! Read more about it here: dandesaimartin.com/spring-2026-... #Fantasybooks #books

COVER REVEAL: SOTS arrives this spring. Revel in its glory. #SFF kingdom, get yours!

ICYMI: My debut novel, In The Shadow Of The Sanctum, is coming out THIS SPRING! Read more about it here: dandesaimartin.com/spring-2026-... #Booksky #Fantasybooks #authors #writingcommunity

Don't forget: ASK YOUR LIBRARY TO BUY THE BOOK!! Libraries pay higher rates for books and requesting that your library purchase a book: A) costs you nothing and B) will make the author so, so happy

COVER REVEAL: Here is the cover to my debut novel, In The Shadow Of The Sanctum, coming this spring from @gdpub.bsky.social. I could not be happier with it. (1/3) #booksky #writingcommunity #fantasybook #authors #writing #fantasybooks

We try to minimize our political content here but PLEASE educate yourself about your local politics, at least enough to vote for local politicians who aren't actively trying to harm marginalized communities (because there isn't always someone who really has your best interests at heart)

#SFFChat Q4: I got page 171, line 11: "While the High Priest in Thardot would wear robes of bright purples and greens, Rasto’s High Priest wore robes ranging in hue from light brown in the summer to dark brown in the winter."

#SFFChat Q3: I am re-reading Wheel of Time, and I really enjoy Mat's relationship with luck throughout the entire series. It is very character-specific, and such a fun read every time he's in scenes.

#SFFChat Q2: In my book, In the Shadow of the Sanctum, one of the characters is confronted with the idea of predestination in light of an all-knowing god. Another character is rebelling against, as she calls it, "a dusty old prophecy" that she rejects. And both themes will be explored in sequels.

#SFFChat Q1: I think that fantasy settings are the PERFECT opportunity to explore the role of free will. And I love books that do it -- from the Dragonlance novels (Twins trilogy) to Wheel of Time, I enjoy reading about characters who struggle with the idea of fate and free will.