Bruce Buchanan
LightNews LightNews
bbuchananwomble.bsky.social
Bruce Buchanan
@bbuchananwomble.bsky.social
580 followers 480 following 710 posts
Writer of fiction. New Adult fantasy novel THE BLACKSMITH'S BOY (2025) and THE RETURN OF THE CERULEAN BLUR (2026), both from Wild Ink Publishing.
https://brucebuchananauthor.com/
Posts Replies Media Videos
Pinned
bbuchananwomble.bsky.social
Bruce Buchanan @bbuchananwomble.bsky.social · 2d
THE GOTH GIRL WHO SAVED THE WORLD
Witchy 1980s high school adventure: A goth music-obsessed teen unearths a secret coven’s plot to summon a demon king, Charlotte risks her life to save the people she loves, even as confronts uncomfortable truths about them.

#BluePit📖 #Q #YA #F
Charlotte Sumner listens to Siouxsie and the Banshees at her library job. Ian Morris enters the scene behind her.
Reposted by Bruce Buchanan
dawnberkoski.bsky.social
Guimarães Castle, Portugal. This is one of the Medieval castles that inspired my romcom fantasy, Another Quest. My homage to The Princess Bride, Monty Python's Life of Brian, and Willow. For young adults and immature adults everywhere. Coming to inboxes soon! #TravelTuesday #BluePit #Writing
Guimarães Castle, Portugal
After spending time in Braga, I traveled Southeast towards the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Guimarães, a city that dates to the 9th century. There, I gazed up at the magnificent 12th century Guima…
dawnberkoski.com
January 13, 2026 at 2:04 PM
Reposted by Bruce Buchanan
wintersleep85.bsky.social
NAUSICAÄ X FF7

Nature is decaying, nobles are hoarding magic, and demons prey on everyone. A possible chosen one, a man who failed his destiny, and a woman rejected by fate must work together for one last chance to save the dying world.

#BluePit 📖 #A #F #Q #agentguide
Dark forest. An agent's guide to The Blessing Returned. Adult fantasy. 98,000 words. Dark forest. Pitch. Idealistic Hana Hahl lives in a world that is slowly dying after a failed quest to bring back magic. The only ones left with power are self-serving royals and dark mages, while desperation has given rise to an anti-magic order. Caught up in a mystical event, Hana is blessed with an immense power that could restore nature to the world. As Hana struggles to control the overwhelming force, Lady Kalyn Nossi, the only known survivor of the disastrous quest, directs her to the one person who can help her. Matthias Azel, the failed chosen one, reluctantly agrees to teach Hana while concealing his past from her. Accompanied by Kalyn and a charismatic prince with a dangerous secret, they journey to seek answers about Hana’s destiny. They fend off demonic threats and the anti-magic forces as Hana struggles with magic that seems to resist her and a growing fear that the world isn’t meant to be saved. A dark forest. Comps. Nausicaä. One Dark Window. The Starless Crown. Godkiller. Final Fantasy VII Remake. Tropes. Chosen One (s)? Ecofantasy. Dieselpunk. Grumpy/Sunshine. LGBTQIA+. Multi POV. A dark forest. Snippet. She took a cautious step forward, unaware she was in a spectral form. Little drops of shimmering light followed her path, dissolving into the ground. “But this has to be a sign?” Grass grew where the light fell, delicate bits of nature that should be impossible. “Maybe it’s returning!” The young woman spoke with such bright reverence as if life was a fairy tale and magic was all they needed for a happy ending. It was as if she couldn’t see the shadows approaching her. The inevitable death. “Magic should never return.” After speaking those words, he sprang forward and shoved her away from the shadows. Pain rocked him as soon as he touched her. The scorching mystical agony tore a scream out of him, but it kept her away from the unearthly menace, and the shock did what he intended. Sent him back to his body.
January 13, 2026 at 6:51 AM
Reposted by Bruce Buchanan
adregem.bsky.social
In a dark kingdom where light is toxic and steel is untouchable, a mortal woman with a flashlight and a cosplay sword becomes a monster king’s obsession and the realm’s best weapon against a vengeful demigod. ཐིཋྀ THE MOTH KING (109K) ཐིཋྀ #BluePit 📖 #NA #F #R #Q #ND
Bats in a cave; the full moon; a death's head moth; fog in a forest; a light house; cracked earth; a sword. There are line drawings of moths and mushrooms around the edges.
January 13, 2026 at 7:59 PM
Reposted by Bruce Buchanan
catherinewinters.com
F/NB WAYFARERS x MURDERBOT

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. #BluePit #BluePit📖 #SF #A #Q #R #LGBT
Mood board/Agent's guide for my novel CARGO - a queer SF/heist/romance - 113,000 words "Did you hear? There's a human on board." A graphic of the wall of a spaceship with sticky notes and polaroid photos taped up. There are twinkle lights hanging from the ceiling. alien ship's cook (fussy, anxious) + terrifying monster (ordinary human) PITCH: Tai’s terrified of humans. Everyone is. Violent pack hunters, humans are notorious for their strength, sharp teeth, and carnivorous appetites. But the ship’s cook is safe among the multispecies crew of the cargo hauler Coreward Baker: everyone knows the warrior species rarely leave their own space. Then Captain Raz hires Clarke, a human horticulturist. Even after Tai overcomes their fear, they can’t stand Clarke. She’s bossy. Annoying. Useless in the galley, bad in a space suit. She might as well be cargo. Worse, she’s intent on befriending Tai—and why can’t they stop thinking about her, anyway? That’s when things go wrong. As Tai starts to realize their feelings for Clarke, they’re horrified to learn that nobody on their crew of dropouts and runaways is quite who they seem, least of all Clarke. And it’s no coincidence. Raz reveals they’ve each been handpicked for a heist he’s spent years planning—and no one’s allowed to say no. PRIORITIES: make dinner remain cozy haul cargo go for drinks pull off one last score try not to fall in love FIRST PAGE: “Did you hear? There’s a Human on board.” I choked on my noodles and turned to stare at the diners at the next table. Like most of the restaurant’s patrons, the pair had hidden their profiles, a halfhearted attempt at anonymity. “Gross,” the speaker’s crewmate said, oblivious to my alarm. “I hope it leaves soon.” “Don’t let it hear you say that,” the first worker laughed. She made a show of looking for Humans, her eyes darting from table to table. It. I frowned. I knew the workers’ language distinguished between people and things, and ‘it’ was an unkind choice of words at best. The second worker shuddered. “I don’t know why we let them come here.” The first laughed. “Are you going to stop them?” COMPS: Murderbot by Martha Wells Someone You Can Build a Nest In by John Wisewell The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers TROPES: Non-binary narrator masking anxiety with sarcasm lying to themselves non-human perspective (afraid of humans) neurodivergent main characters metaphorically disabled protagonist slow-burn friends-to-lovers and enemies to lovers in the same relationship disabilitynorm and queernorm setting found family loveable pet/terrifying monster
January 13, 2026 at 5:06 AM
Reposted by Bruce Buchanan
fosterja8.bsky.social
"A Human Burden" is a short story anthology that delves into a multitude of different types of burdens. From the burden of time to the burden of a promise, each story brings a new complexity, a new weight to bear, and a distinct struggle to overcome.
#BluePit #BluePit 📖 #A #W
A HUMAN BURDEN BOOK POSTER
January 13, 2026 at 12:01 PM
Reposted by Bruce Buchanan
regalhouse.bsky.social
We are so excited to have signed with Beth Castrodale for The Time of Reaping (our second novel with Beth!), which will come out as part of our stellar Fall 2027 Frontlist season! #happydance regalhousepublishing.com/beth-castrod...
January 13, 2026 at 8:17 PM
bbuchananwomble.bsky.social
These Witches Don’t Burn X Pudge and Prejudice X The Cure’s Disintegration album

A shy, music-obsessed teen falls for the new guy at school - only to discover he's involved in an ancient feud between rival covens.
#Bluepit #Q #YA #F
The Goth Girl Who Saved the World - a music-fueled YA contemporary fantasy set in the 1980s. Charlotte Sumner loves 1980s post-punk music - high school, not so much. But while working her after-school job, new classmate Ian Morris alt-rocks her world. Not only is Ian a good witch, but an evil coven operates at their school and plans to summon a demon king! The only thing standing between earth & apocalypse is a teenage girl in black lipstick and Doc Martens. Meet the Characters: Charlotte - The lonely goth girl finds herself in an ancient rivalry between two covens of witches: one good and one evil. Ian - The mysterious new kid in the Depeche Mode t-shirt. Ms. Moore - Charlotte's mentor and after-school boss. Mrs. Allison - Charlotte's mean trigonometry teacher and Charlotte's anxiety fuel. The Grindylow Coven - the evil witches! Charlotte must discover what they are up to. Tropes: Unlikely hero. Coming-of-age. High stakes. Buffy the Vampire Slayer meets Pretty in Pink. Supernatural Young Adult high school adventure with a 1980s post-punk soundtrack.
January 13, 2026 at 7:35 PM
Reposted by Bruce Buchanan
bvbodegom.bsky.social
THE LIES OF LOCKE LAMORA × BEST SERVED COLD × THE BUTCHER BOY

When a Court Jester snaps and brutally murders the tyrant king, he must perform and slay his way out of a kingdom in chaos, hunted by loyalists, hailed by rebels, while his sanity slips and fractures.

#BluePit 📖 #A #D #F #H #W #DIS
Book cover for "Mark of the Jester" by B. van Bodegom (author of Dad Bodies). Dark fantasy novel. Features a split jester mask in black and white halves with a red smile on the white half. 'The' runs vertically down the center, with decorative silhouettes of roses framing the mask. High-contrast graphic design in black, white, and red.
January 13, 2026 at 5:05 AM
Reposted by Bruce Buchanan
jundlife.bsky.social
DUNE X THE UNBROKEN
Those born with psychic gifts are conscripted into a guild to defend their home mysterious strangers prophesied in visions. Even if it means submitting to a Guildmaster who would rather the city burn than admit defeat.
"Monsters make Monsters"
#Q #BluePit #F #AgentsGuide
The Stranger's War - 94K Crossover Fantasy. Those born with psychic gifts are conscripted in a brutal guild to defend their home from a mysterious enemy only known as strangers. Sylin wants to survive and find her place, Nahara wants to reject his assigned life, and Viktus the guildmaster would burn the city to the ground rather than face defeat.
January 13, 2026 at 9:59 AM
Reposted by Bruce Buchanan
chrisakins.bsky.social
EARTHLINGS!

BODY SNATCHERS x THE RUNAWAYS

When a 2nd generation alien sleeper cell is ordered to abduct her human friend, she saves her and goes rogue. Now her fellow operatives must track her down, but should they help her to sabotage the coming invasion instead?

📖 #Bluepit #W #YA #SF
Title of EARTHLINGS! over a view of the planet fl group of second generation aliens sleeper cells have spent their entire lives assimilating to human culture and gathering intelligence for the home world. To them, the eventual overthrow of farth has always been a distant goal meant for future generations. Now, when ordered to abduct and replace a human girl they have betriended, one of the alien operatives realizes that they have grown to care more for their found home and family than they do for their own people. She sabotages the abduction and goes on the run with the human girl. Her friends are ordered to track her down; but now questioning their own mission, they find themselves wondering if the entire invasion is a mistake and if they have more in common with these Earthlings than they ever thought...
January 13, 2026 at 3:29 PM
Reposted by Bruce Buchanan
danaripleywrites.bsky.social
WHIP IT x PEOPLE WE MEET ON VACATION

A wild child roller derby skater crashes into a situationship with a man whose determination to save his family business puts him on a collision course with her beloved animal shelter. Will she risk her heart to save what she loves?

#BluePit 📖 #W #A #R
Title Page (cartoon legs in the air, wearing pale blue roller skates with pink wheels) Agent's Guide to: Love Hits Big by Dana Ripley Adult/Contemporary Rom-Com Janey Pfeiffer, better known as Daisy Chainsaw, cares about two things in life—roller derby and running the Little Paws animal rescue. After meeting the straight-laced Alan Monroe at a Fireball-fueled roller derby after party, she invites him for a one-night stand. Their encounter turns into a full-blown situationship, and Janey falls harder for Alan than from a brutal hip check on the derby track. When Alan’s determination to save his family business puts him on a collision course with the struggling Little Paws, Janey must decide whether to sacrifice her heart as she races to save the animals she loves. Tropes/Vibes Banging into love Bisexual FMC MMC falls first (and fast) Opposites attract (Dive Bar vibes vs Country Club vibes) Friends-with-benefits with a splash of fake dating Fighting to save what they love Chosen family Mood board for Love Hits Big Clockwise, starting with upper left: Roller derby bout; roller derby jammer's booty while skating; large white dog; couple killing; Bojangles logo; couple in bed, clasping hands; wild party
January 13, 2026 at 2:58 PM
Reposted by Bruce Buchanan
ryanraeharbuck.bsky.social
What if she remembers the accident, her paralysis, and her dead mother for the first time again?

#BluePit📖 #Q #A #WF #DIS
THINGS WE CAN(NOT) title page-- black and white photo of a Parisian cafe. Purple corner banner with "Agent's Guide" and yellow description of the book in the bottom left corner. "The Pitch" with the same black and white Parisian cafe background and a cream text box in the center with the pitch written in a neutral font. "The Comps" at the top left with 3 book covers underneath and "The Moodboard" in the bottom right, with the same black and white Parisian cafe background "The Excerpt" with the same black and white Parisian cafe background and a cream text box in the center and the first few paragraphs of the book in a simple text.
January 13, 2026 at 5:09 PM
Reposted by Bruce Buchanan
kelseawolf-writes.bsky.social
When Alice discovers her family founded a magical secret society of curse breakers, she is framed for a deadly curse. To clear her name and save her aunt she must follow riddles and sail treacherous seas with a rag tag crew as they battle towards a way to break the spell. #bluepit📖 #f #ya #mg #q
A mood board with a light blue background and the title of a book The Society of Curse Breakers in the upper center. There are picture scattered across like loose photographs. Clockwise, a dock, a capybara, a swamp, a map of Florida, a light house, a sailing ship, a tunnel, an old brick mansion and and old fashioned diving suit. Clock wise there are words on small slips of paper. Betrayal, diverse magic systems, cryptids, strange villains, pirates, spirits, curses, urban fantasy, and found family.
January 13, 2026 at 1:05 PM
Reposted by Bruce Buchanan
emiliayoung.bsky.social
#Editors THE THINGS WE RUN FOR ( #OnSub 2026!)

Emma Bridge ran to find a safe home, but the town she picked is anything but. When she gets wrapped up in a cold case that threatens her siblings, who can she turn to while keeping her secrets safe?

#BluePit📖 #BluePit #YA #R #M
#DIS #LGBT #OV #OS
Editor’s Guide To: The Things We Run For YA Drama Mystery with Romance 94k Words Represented by Amanda Wooden at SBR Media 4/13/1995 Run. What a powerful instinct. Emma Bridge had wanted nothing more than to be with her two siblings in a home that felt safe, but those wishes never came true. With nothing left to lose, Emma runs away from the spotlight of the Hills to a small town across the country, but this new home is anything but the safety she’d been after. The weight of the world has fallen on her shoulders, and she can’t carry it alone. But with her old name in every police station and her new name on every tongue in town, she’s not sure who she can trust to help carry the burden. What we know: -Runaway in Hiding -Fake Identity (turned real identity) -Mental Health Rep -Genderfluid and Pan Rep -Found Family -90s Small-Town Nostalgia At the bottom, the name Emma Bridge is crossed out and replaced with Peyton Freys 6/23/1995 “The Hills have Eyes” There’s a collage of pictures. Picture one is of two people, one sitting on the counter with the other in front of them. Picture two is go a small-town street with snowy homes to either side. Picture three shows a row of high school desks. Picture four shows a box of police evidence. Picture five shows a group of kids sitting behind an abandoned building. Picture six shows someone flipping off a police car. Picture seven shows a paper with the words “Child Custody Hearing” printed on it. The last picture shows a boy at a school desk, writing something into a notebook. In the bottom right, it says Going on submission in 2026
January 13, 2026 at 5:00 AM
Reposted by Bruce Buchanan
cachitawrites.bsky.social
A magicless girl barters her way into a whimsical Catholic wizard school. As her best friend is pulled into prophecy, she uncovers a dark scheme tied to the deal that let her in—and realizes growing up may mean standing alone.
#w #BluePit📖 #YA #F #LGBTQ #POC #Latina
Mood board for my whimsical YA fantasy with a warm Howls Moving Castle meets Derry Girls Vibe
January 13, 2026 at 2:14 PM
Reposted by Bruce Buchanan
thekellerverse.bsky.social
#Bluepit

Mass effect x Treasure Planet/ Master and Commander in Space

6 years after the Death of Earth and Humanity's Uplift into the Jada Empire. Elise Clarke is enlisted into the Royal Fleet. Can she overcome her trauma and prove Humanity can find a place in the Galaxy?

#Q #SF #SFF
January 13, 2026 at 6:22 AM
Reposted by Bruce Buchanan
teisha42.bsky.social
New Atlantis: Intergalactic Zoo (115K words) is a #sci-fi novel with multiple POVs that will appeal to fans of the diverse found families of The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet & The House on the Cerulean Sea. The novel features ...

#BluePitHype #BluePit📖 #SF #Q #A #LGBT #ND #TR #WIPSnips

(1/7)
January 13, 2026 at 11:01 AM
Reposted by Bruce Buchanan
gracelizaa.bsky.social
OCTOBER DAYE X WELCOME TO NIGHTVALE

When a blood-drained body is found at the edge of Foggy Dell, a quirky town in Northern California, Maisie—local ghost speaker—and Stacy—biologist and supernatural skeptic—become unlikely partners, investigating the mysterious death.

#BluePit 📖 #Q #PN #M
A corkboard with photos of the forest and ocean and notes pinned to it. The notes: “Vampire???”, “Time of death: midnight”, and “Tremulous Oak Sanctuary: might not be a cult (but also might be)”.
January 13, 2026 at 4:45 PM
Reposted by Bruce Buchanan
sagecollins.bsky.social
HALF LIFE x MINDWALKER

Taylor’s not threatened by BOIS, androids made to be perfect BFs. The girl he 💘s, head of their BOIS' rights club, would never buy one

When Taylor learns he's a BOIS-friend, he's 😡 at her hypocrisy & starts a revolution to prove he's > his programming

#BluePit📖 #YA #Q #SF
January 13, 2026 at 4:43 PM
Reposted by Bruce Buchanan
mariahstillbrook.bsky.social
I had so much fun beta reading this one!
January 13, 2026 at 4:50 PM
Reposted by Bruce Buchanan
dianebillas.bsky.social
I beta read this book and it's so good!!
January 13, 2026 at 4:42 PM
Reposted by Bruce Buchanan
thecrumpet.bsky.social
HELLO BEAUTIFUL x SANDWICH

THIS ENDS NOW: Lainey can orchestrate perfect days but can't stay put in a marriage, no matter how good the man. Only one way to quit bolting: face the cunning ex who taught her love is a disappearing trick—and who still has his hooks in her. #A #UP #Q #WF #BluePit 📖
A collage of photos: row 1 (l-r): the interior of Yale University’s Sterling Memorial Library, showing a Gothic cathedral-like entrance; a classic red Vermont farmhouse in winter, covered in snow, nestled among bare trees; a woman silhouetted against a frosted window, while sunlight spills through the window; row 2 (l-r): two hands reaching for each other in low lighting against a black background; a dark-haired woman floating face upwards in water, surrounded by white flowers, her eyes open; Spilled glass candle with wax still aflame, flickering against a black backdrop; row 3 (l-r): Sunlight streaming through a quiet pine forest, illuminating a narrow dirt path; black and white photo of a person gripping the back of another person’s head from behind ; a man’s hand clasping a woman’s hand showing her wedding ring, with a snow-covered fir tree in the background; row 4 (l-r): three antique keys on twine; dark green leaves, covered in dew; the title of the novel, “This Ends Now” written on a scrap of spiral-bound lined notepaper.
January 13, 2026 at 3:09 PM
bbuchananwomble.bsky.social
THE GOTH GIRL WHO SAVED THE WORLD
Witchy 1980s high school adventure: A goth music-obsessed teen unearths a secret coven’s plot to summon a demon king, Charlotte risks her life to save the people she loves, even as confronts uncomfortable truths about them.

#BluePit📖 #Q #YA #F
Charlotte Sumner listens to Siouxsie and the Banshees at her library job. Ian Morris enters the scene behind her.
January 13, 2026 at 4:42 PM
bbuchananwomble.bsky.social
I was lucky to beta read this one as well. It’s so cool! 😎
mariahstillbrook.bsky.social Mariah Stillbrook @mariahstillbrook.bsky.social · 2d
This 90s horror about a haunted mannequin in small town America is sure to possess Grady Hendrix fans, however 18 yo closeted lesbian Roxy, who finds herself face to face with that evil pair of glass eyes, may seem less enthused.

#BluePit📖 #A #Q #H #LGBT #BluePit
January 13, 2026 at 4:38 PM
bbuchananwomble.bsky.social
I beta read this book & it’s fantastic!
dianebillas.bsky.social Diane Billas (she/her) queer YA author @dianebillas.bsky.social · 3d
QUEER NANCY DREW
17-yr-old Emmie is suspect #1 of a murder during her mom's book event. She needs to get her life back and not get killed in the process.
💖 Sapphic crush
🕵️ Amateur investigation
🎃 Halloween vibes
📚Indie bookstore
🐈 Store cat
🌈Queer cast
#BluePit📖 #Q #YA #M #LGBT #OV
January 13, 2026 at 4:37 PM