Carlee Brae
LightNews LightNews
carleebrae.bsky.social
Carlee Brae
@carleebrae.bsky.social
110 followers 24 following 13 posts
Writer | Dancer | Millennial Mom | Chef | Romance Enthusiast

I wrote a Romantasy retelling of the Phantom of the Opera
I will probably talk too much about Sleep Token

Posts Replies Media Videos
Pinned
carleebrae.bsky.social
Carlee Brae @carleebrae.bsky.social · May 7
OF SONGS AND PHANTOMS is a darkly lush retelling of THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, where the ingenue discovers her voice has forbidden magic, and the only way to save herself from being executed for witchcraft is to place her trust in a mysterious phantom. #Questpit #Q #A #RF
a collage with a ballerina, a cathedral, a marble staircase, a champagne flute, a single red rose, a chandelier, a pile of skulls, a pedestrian bridge, and a group of ballerinas Pitch: Adult Romantasy, 110 000 words As a chorus dancer in the Lutesse City Opera, classically trained soprano Seraphina Dallier does not sing in front of people. That is, until one fateful night, she slips up, and her heretically magical singing voice attracts the attention of a mysterious stranger…and the theocratic authorities. Accused of witchcraft and exiled from everything she has ever known, Seraphina must put her faith in that same stranger, seeking refuge with him in a seductive city of magic hidden beneath the city. But can she trust her heart? Or, will phantoms from her past come back to haunt her, threatening everything she has come to love? For fans of... phantom of the opera retelling, 1920s era, forbidden magic, shadow daddy mmc, he falls first...hard, female rage, lgbtq+ characters, slow burn to spicy spice (with three chili peppers), only one bed, found family Comp Titles: The Gilded Wolves - magical parisian setting, diverse cast of characters Serpent and Dove - magic vs. church, sloooooooow burn, The Vine Witch - secrets and betrayals, "a handsome stranger"
carleebrae.bsky.social
I don't post on here all that much, but I seem to have a bunch of new followers, so HI! I'm Carlee! I write swoon-worthy romantasy and contemporary romance. I am on the path to publishing my debut novel, Of Songs and Phantoms, a romantasy retelling of The Phantom of the Opera!
June 5, 2025 at 6:23 PM
Reposted by Carlee Brae
tamaratoday.bsky.social
🌊 THE BAD ONES X DREDGE 🌊

After an ancient curse is unleashed on their sleepy seaside town, six teens must find a way to break it.

This YA Fantasy Horror features:
👥Dual POV
📜A Deadly Deal
😈Ravenous Monsters
🤫Secrets With Severe Consequences
💔Exes to Allies to [redacted]

#QuestPit #Q #YA #F #H
Left to right. Top row: hands reaching out of the water. A doll head. Human hands with sharpened nails. Middle row: A lighthouse shining through fog. “Are you afraid?” An eerie figure standing beside a tree with a noose. Bottom row: Hands reaching towards each other in the water. A sea creature with glowing eyes and sharp teeth. Multiple hands reaching out of the forest brush.
May 7, 2025 at 4:18 AM
carleebrae.bsky.social
I've had such a fun time reading all these amazing story ideas today. I can't wait to see them out in the real world. 😍

One more time for the evening people! OF SONGS AND PHANTOMS is a Romantasy retelling of the Phantom of the Opera, and my love letter to the performing arts.

#Questpit #Q #A #RF
carleebrae.bsky.social Carlee Brae @carleebrae.bsky.social · May 7
OF SONGS AND PHANTOMS is a darkly lush retelling of THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, where the ingenue discovers her voice has forbidden magic, and the only way to save herself from being executed for witchcraft is to place her trust in a mysterious phantom. #Questpit #Q #A #RF
a collage with a ballerina, a cathedral, a marble staircase, a champagne flute, a single red rose, a chandelier, a pile of skulls, a pedestrian bridge, and a group of ballerinas Pitch: Adult Romantasy, 110 000 words As a chorus dancer in the Lutesse City Opera, classically trained soprano Seraphina Dallier does not sing in front of people. That is, until one fateful night, she slips up, and her heretically magical singing voice attracts the attention of a mysterious stranger…and the theocratic authorities. Accused of witchcraft and exiled from everything she has ever known, Seraphina must put her faith in that same stranger, seeking refuge with him in a seductive city of magic hidden beneath the city. But can she trust her heart? Or, will phantoms from her past come back to haunt her, threatening everything she has come to love? For fans of... phantom of the opera retelling, 1920s era, forbidden magic, shadow daddy mmc, he falls first...hard, female rage, lgbtq+ characters, slow burn to spicy spice (with three chili peppers), only one bed, found family Comp Titles: The Gilded Wolves - magical parisian setting, diverse cast of characters Serpent and Dove - magic vs. church, sloooooooow burn, The Vine Witch - secrets and betrayals, "a handsome stranger"
May 7, 2025 at 10:46 PM
Reposted by Carlee Brae
katedrexel.bsky.social
YELLOWJACKETS x THE LAST HOUSEWIFE

The Flock wanted her to be demure and obedient. Hadley refused and left. They stole her back and stripped her identity—remaking her into something feral, masked, and unrecognizable.

Now she’s coming for them.

#QuestPit #Q #T #A
May 7, 2025 at 8:01 PM
Reposted by Carlee Brae
amberbairdpdx.bsky.social
Amanda thinks her dreams have come true when she's hired at Burrito Gods, a hip fast-casual joint, making a thriving wage, only to find that to climb the ranks she'll have to lose her soul.

⛪️ workplace cult
🌯 foodie satire
🩷sapphic w/trans LI

#questpit #a #w #lf #h
A burrito glowing over a sparkly golden background with the title To the Burrito Gods!
May 7, 2025 at 6:56 PM
carleebrae.bsky.social
I had the honour of being a CP for YIELD and I may be biased but I literally cannot wait for everyone to get to read this book! #Questpit
ladystroud.bsky.social Catie Stroud ✨ @ladystroud.bsky.social · May 7
✨ dark NARNIA x MY LADY JANE ⚔️

A missing faerie. A forbidden elixir. A whole lot of missteps.

One reluctant princess’s quest to right her wrongs.

She craved freedom. What she found could cost her everything.

#QuestPit #Q #A #F #RF
1-paragraph pitch for YIELD, a 100k adult romantic fantasy debut novel. Book comps for YIELD include Assistant to the Villain, Emily Wilde’s, One Dark Window, Nettle and Bone, the Cruel Prince. Media comps are My Lady Jane meets a dark, adult Narnia. YIELD will appeal to fans of: queer characters, a golden retriever MMC (with teeth), one “horse,” cozy AND dark, women’s wrongs, romantic subplot (but still spicy), found family, knife to throat, slow burn(s), and reluctant allies to lovers. A snippet from YIELD in which Thea, the main character and POV, threatens Brynn, her reluctant guide, with a knife to the throat.
May 7, 2025 at 6:30 PM
Reposted by Carlee Brae
electricdc.bsky.social
NPC: The Bard of Aztaeron

⏰ Starts in 2008
🚪 Isekai world
☕️ Baristas become warriors
🐉 Dragons become worse dragons
🥰 Love at first sight
🎭 Grumpy/Sunshine
🎸 Warped Tour membaberries
😶 NPCs
⚔️ LitRPG lite (no math required)
👩 Subversively feminist
🐣 A lost baby
😰 Hubris!

#QuestPit #SFF #Q #R #NA
A cursed video game world. A murderous dragon. A princess in danger. Hey-ho, let's go
May 7, 2025 at 6:22 PM
Reposted by Carlee Brae
authortaylorbrooke.bsky.social
PRETTY LITTLE LIARS x THE LEGACIES

It’s been two years since Devan got away with killing a classmate. But someone knows the truth, and they want revenge. It’s either turn herself in, die, or outsmart her killer before the countdown ends — if the truth doesn't ruin her first.

#QuestPit #Q #YA #T
May 7, 2025 at 6:22 PM
Reposted by Carlee Brae
tylerstasi.bsky.social
#QuestPit #W #F #agentguide #agentsguide

THE FAMILIAR x CRIMSON ROAD

introducing my whimsical steampunk gothic fantasy
🥀🕯️🫀🕷️🕰️ in which:

An impoverished enchantress subjects herself to the prince's service to keep her forbidden magic a secret.
alessandra wip sample of writing/chapter moodboard and tropes. alessandra wip comps
May 7, 2025 at 6:23 PM
Reposted by Carlee Brae
bvbodegom.bsky.social
OFFICE SPACE × THANK YOU FOR SMOKING

2089, death is a luxury for the rich, and Wren is the rising top salesman—until a spiteful coworker and a depressed trillionaire force him to rethink his talents and what a “happy ending” means in a world with a price tag on your last smile.

#QuestPit #A #SF #W
The image shows a movie poster for "HAPPY DEATH INC." written and directed by B VAN BODEGOM. The poster features a person lying on what appears to be a pillow or white surface, dressed in a black suit with a white collar and dark tie. The person has a forced smile on their face. Overlaid on the image in large white handwritten-style text are the words "HAPPY DEATH INC." At the top of the poster is the tagline "How much would you pay to die with a smile?" At the bottom corners are award-style laurels with the descriptions "Darkly Funny" on the left and "Social Commentary" on the right. The overall tone of the poster suggests a dark comedy or satirical thriller about a business related to death services.
May 7, 2025 at 6:23 PM
Reposted by Carlee Brae
natalielouise83.bsky.social
Sneaky repost for the evening crowd… 👀
#questpit
natalielouise83.bsky.social Natalie is ✨ writing a new thing✨ @natalielouise83.bsky.social · May 7
Twenty-five years ago, men made history. But HER story will change everything…

🌊 Multi-POV
🌊 Feminine rage / ‘Good For Her’
🌊 Horror elements
🌊 Orcadian folklore
🌊 Atmospheric setting
🌊 Twisty plot
🌊 Editor interest

#questpit #Q #A #HF #agentsguide
Text: An agent’s guide to The Ballad of Agnes Day, a 112k upmarket historical novel. Image: Two vintage-style mermaids with their tails entwined and a blood spatter across one corner. The pitch: When a storms wrecks his islands’s passenger steamer, sparing only a girl believed to be one of the monstrous Finfolk, a grieving musician must uncover who she really is before more of his people die. Moodboard: Evil-looking mermaids, a violin, poisonous mushrooms and passenger steamers on stormy seas, with a moody blue-green hue. Comps: The Sirens by Emilia Hart, Jamaica Inn by Daphne du Maurier, The Square of Sevens by Laura Shepherd-Robinson as book covers The snippet: ‘Are you seeing this?’ he cried. ‘Do you see them?’ ​ Dazed, Morton peered around him. All he could see was the black oil spill of the water, its steady surge and release. ‘What do you mean?’ he called back, blood thundering in his ears. ​ Edward’s eyes grew glossy with tears. Then he began to jerk around like a petrified beast, causing the boat to lurch beneath them. ‘They’re everywhere,’ he said in terror and wonderment. ‘They’re coming for me.’
May 7, 2025 at 6:25 PM
Reposted by Carlee Brae
deeesssssiiii.bsky.social
Her quiet life shattered when an outlaw-her husband’s old friend-returns, bringing danger and an undesirable attraction. As their bond deepens into forbidden love, she finds herself torn between loyalty and desire. #questpit #W #YA #R
May 7, 2025 at 6:25 PM
Reposted by Carlee Brae
abibonetawrites.bsky.social
WHAT LIES IN THE WOODS × JACKAL

When Amélia receives a painting from her presumed murdered mother, a game they used to play when she was a child, she comes back home to play without knowing if the man who kidnapped them 10 years prior is behind it.
#questpit #A #W #T #MY #H
May 7, 2025 at 6:25 PM
carleebrae.bsky.social
If you, like me, loved (hyperfixated on?) the Phantom of the Opera, but thought that maybe the FMC deserved to be the SUBJECT of the story...then I wrote this for you!
#Questpit #Q #A #RF
carleebrae.bsky.social Carlee Brae @carleebrae.bsky.social · May 7
OF SONGS AND PHANTOMS is a darkly lush retelling of THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, where the ingenue discovers her voice has forbidden magic, and the only way to save herself from being executed for witchcraft is to place her trust in a mysterious phantom. #Questpit #Q #A #RF
a collage with a ballerina, a cathedral, a marble staircase, a champagne flute, a single red rose, a chandelier, a pile of skulls, a pedestrian bridge, and a group of ballerinas Pitch: Adult Romantasy, 110 000 words As a chorus dancer in the Lutesse City Opera, classically trained soprano Seraphina Dallier does not sing in front of people. That is, until one fateful night, she slips up, and her heretically magical singing voice attracts the attention of a mysterious stranger…and the theocratic authorities. Accused of witchcraft and exiled from everything she has ever known, Seraphina must put her faith in that same stranger, seeking refuge with him in a seductive city of magic hidden beneath the city. But can she trust her heart? Or, will phantoms from her past come back to haunt her, threatening everything she has come to love? For fans of... phantom of the opera retelling, 1920s era, forbidden magic, shadow daddy mmc, he falls first...hard, female rage, lgbtq+ characters, slow burn to spicy spice (with three chili peppers), only one bed, found family Comp Titles: The Gilded Wolves - magical parisian setting, diverse cast of characters Serpent and Dove - magic vs. church, sloooooooow burn, The Vine Witch - secrets and betrayals, "a handsome stranger"
May 7, 2025 at 6:09 PM
Reposted by Carlee Brae
jalwrites.bsky.social
Whilst honouring his estranged uncle's dying wish to reunite an iconic group of 1980's drag activists, a young gay man learns the dark truth about his adoptive mother. With her past about to impact his future, he must choose—his uncle’s legacy or the woman who raised him.

#questpit #Con #NA #AG
A fake DVD cover featuring a black and white image of a drag queen smoking. The title EAST END BOYS AND WEST END GIRLS is prominent at the bottom next to a 15 age rating sticker. Along the top are the names Harri Forrester, Wilma Dickfit, Princess Thigh-Ana, Westward Hoe, and Jack Montague.
May 7, 2025 at 3:20 PM
Reposted by Carlee Brae
yairap.bsky.social
When sheltered Catalina Wesley falls in love with the vampire haunting her dreams, she must decide whether to resist their eternal bond or confront her worst fear, and his greatest desire—death

#W #FR #PR #YA #Questpit
May 7, 2025 at 3:21 PM
Reposted by Carlee Brae
carosas.bsky.social
SHARP OBJECTS + A STUDY IN DROWNING + COLONIAL LATIN AMERICA

🌨️ grief & sisterhood
✨ forgotten magic
🪻 "memory is a punishment"
🔪 an academy w/ rotten sins
🌊 toxic friendships

#questpit #W #YA #F #OWN
A mood board with an text snippet. The text reads: 'I’m glad I’m the sick one. The one that hears things and sees fading silhouettes. I hope my sister is always happy and never suffers at the hands of her own thoughts like I do.' The mood board features 9 images. A snowy path with a blood trail. A foggy landscape of araucarias. An embordered cloth with the words: 'God loves you. But not enough to save you.' A collection of dark paintings. The front of a castle. A painting of two people kissing. A white silhouette looking as a ghost in the threshold. A painting of someone holding a book. And a hand, drowning in a body of water.
May 7, 2025 at 3:22 PM
Reposted by Carlee Brae
charwritesstories.bsky.social
POWERLESS X ONE DARK WINDOW

An updated #agentguide for my YA-crossover romantasy 🥀 that I #amquerying

🌊 gothic coastal setting
🦇 underground magical society
🥀 slow burn dual-pov pinning
🔮 memory snatchers
🩸 feminine rage core
🧠 mental health/ neuro 🌶️ rep

#QuestPit #YA #litagents
Sorros, a YA- crossover romantasy by C. Klimaitis. Pictured: a gothic medieval coastal setting with cliffs, a bat, caves, a rabbit, and a medieval woman The pitch: Kasia’s magic lands her a one way ticket out of the noose and into the clutches of the elite. But when a handsome memory snatcher gives her the opportunity to help magical-individuals like her, she must choose just how much she is willing to risk to put his pet back in its rightful place. For fans of Powerless (dual-pov pinning, down bad for her), One Dark Window (gothic medieval world, curse with consequences), Godkiller (political intrigue + queer cast), Dowry of Blood (feminine rage, revenge) Opening lines: Kasia has always known that her secret could end in her death. The knowledge trailed her like a shadow that grew with each passing year. She peered into the reflection in the saltwater and could have sworn she saw a noose hanging right above her head, waiting. She wasn’t sure which one was worse, her secret, or the dread threatening to swallow her whole.
May 7, 2025 at 2:38 PM
Reposted by Carlee Brae
jhelenwrites.bsky.social
A STUDY IN DROWNING x A LANGUAGE OF DRAGONS

an enchanted dragon flame ravages two countries & rival dragon scholar & son of dragon slayers ally to find a cure. but an occult group wants the flame, too, forcing them to choose: save each other or burn.

#questpit #ya #f #w
May 7, 2025 at 2:48 PM
carleebrae.bsky.social
"Hey Carlee, do you have an even more specific list of tropes for OF SONGS AND PHANTOMS?" Oh, I'm so glad you asked, yes I do. 😅
MORE VIBES, MORE TROPES, AND A SNIPPET!
#questpit #Q #A #RF #currentlyquerying
For fans of....(extra specific version) -she sings and dances, he's a musician -he washes the blood of their enemies out of her hair - "I had nowhere else to go." - magic is linked to the arts - a dangerous masquerade -theatre setting - light stalking done with love - healing religious trauma - pan MMC, ADHD FMC - a magical drag show "When we were made it was no accident, you've got me in a chokehold" with a picture of two hands raised in the air, a man and a woman's sillhouette kissing, a red and gold mask, and a ballerina in relevé a snippet of text against a skull background
May 7, 2025 at 2:48 PM
Reposted by Carlee Brae
reganiswriting.bsky.social
#QuestPit #A #RF #Q

PRINCESS MONONOKE meets Roth's BLOOD MERCY

Minot didn't expect to meet her soulmate on an impromptu business trip. She also didn't expect to witness a murder, meet a monstrous god, & become the subject of a nationwide scandal.

But yk what they say about the best laid plans...
reganiswriting.bsky.social 💕Regan Schell💕 @reganiswriting.bsky.social · Mar 18
🌳 An Agent's Guide to BETWEEN VIRIDIAN TREES 🌳

A lush, folkloric monster romantasy between a downtrodden candle-seller and the mysterious stranger whose reappearance turns her life upside down. Suddenly embroiled in an ancient conspiracy, Minot must choose: tell the truth now, or lie forever?
Agent's guide page 1. Upon a dark and mysterious forest background is the text: "An Agent's Guide to Between Viridian Trees, a novel by Regan Schell. 130,000 words | Adult Romantasy | Complete Manuscript" The Pitch: After her father’s chronic illness leaves her near-penniless, candle saleswoman Minot Cardevine travels to the capital to close a high-profile deal with the leader of her nation’s church. Unfortunately, her simple task is swiftly derailed, first by the sudden reappearance of a mysterious stranger, then by the bloody assassination of her client. To stop the violence, Minot must follow her stranger into the den of a monstrous god, where she discovers the ancient lie at the heart of her country’s faith — and the forgotten truth that might save its people from a deadly plague. Comp Titles: Princess Mononoke (Environmental destruction, vengeful forest spirits) and Blood Mercy by Vela Roth (forbidden love, misunderstood magical beings). Tropes, Themes, & Features: cyclical violence, generational trauma, historical narrative, fate versus choice, humans versus nature, magical disease, strange dreams, monsters in the forest, budding industrialism, high stakes, and complex female antagonist. Excerpt: Each time Minot’s father told the story, its beginning was the same. A long, long time ago, deep, deep in the woods, before even the ancient witches ruled the primordial land, there existed nothing but monsters and chaos. The sky was an endless sea of black; the oceans vast and bubbling. Humans had not yet risen as the masters of the world, but were still like to creatures themselves. And it was then, in that benighted time, that the beasts of eld laid claim to the forests. Auguste Cardevine recited the tale almost every night, but unfailingly, Minot listened with bated breath. He spoke the words with his jaw set hard, voice thin, like he was recalling a memory rather than telling a fairy tale. And when he reached the part about the mountain, his timbre grew dark as the night, and Minot had to lean in close to catch each rumbling syllable. This was her favorite bit; the one she replayed in her mind during the smallest hours, when she was meant to be sleeping. For in that far off time of fantasy, nestled in the bowels of a rocky crevice, there was a boiling vat of pure, untamed magic. From its mouth sprang a never-ending stream of horrors — all shaped and birthed by the evil spirit-god Ashira. The Mother of Monsters.
May 7, 2025 at 2:30 PM
Reposted by Carlee Brae
qziontgipson.bsky.social
🍃 WHERE THE DARK STANDS STILL X LEGENDBORN ✨ = THE ROOTS OF DESTINY 🌷

W/ 14 agent and indie press requests, it features

🌷 enchanted forest
✨ BIPOC rep
🍃 plant magic system
🌷 shadow monsters
🍃 found family
🌷 botany boarding school
✨dark secrets

#QuestPit #Q #YA #F #SF
A mood board consisting of 9 square photographs with a green, blue, and, pink, yellow and white color scheme. In the center, there is a teenage Black girl in an enchanted garden, with the photos surrounding her illustrating the beauty within it: a feeding hummingbird, a calm lake, baby ducklings, a resting butterfly, and magical white and pink blooms.
May 7, 2025 at 2:32 PM
Reposted by Carlee Brae
ladystroud.bsky.social
More vibes for YIELD, my adult romantic fantasy novel #currentlyquerying

Do you like stories that blend romance, adventure, and humor? Do you like books that make you laugh and then rip your heart out? Tales that are cozy *AND* dark? 🧚🏼

#QuestPit #Q #A #RF
A song playlist for YIELD featuring songs like Hot to go! by Chappell Roan and Vertigo by Alice Merton. A mood board for YIELD portraying dark, whimsical, romantic vibes.
May 7, 2025 at 2:29 PM
Reposted by Carlee Brae
goodwords.bsky.social
THE SPELLSHOP x HOWL'S MOVING CASTLE

A curmudgeonly witch with a chronic illness must work with a cheerful thief to stand up to a greedy pharmaceutical company.

#QuestPit #A #RF #F #agentsguide #disabilityrep #chronicillnessrep #cozyromanticfantasy
A slide with green leaves and green watercolor stains says "The Pitch: A curmudgeonly witch with a chronic illness must work with a cheerful thief to stand up to a greedy pharmaceutical company." A black cat looks over it's shoulder at the text in the bottom right corner. Tropes and Highlights include: found family, one bed at the inn, witches and familiars, cozy vibes, grumpy + sunshine, bi-for-bi romance, chronic illness rep, and foraging dates. Think, The Spellshop X Howl's Moving Castle. This text is on top of a green slide with green watercolor splotches and leaves. The book covers for The Spellshop and Howl's Moving Castle are in the center of the image. Comps is written in the corner. Four book covers are shown in a row. Under the Whispering Door + Legends & Lattes + The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches = Potions Unincorporated. The words The Humor, The Cozy Fantasy Vibes, and The Romance make up the formula for the not yet published book on the far right. The slide is green with green water color splotches. A green vine is on the top right and the outline of a leaf and two mushrooms is on the bottom right. First Lines is written at the top of the slide. The Text in the middle is on a tan, worn looking page background which says: Potions Unincorporated. Twelve vials sat on a shelf where one hundred should rest. Linatta Mosset picked up one of the tapered glasses---thumb-sized and filled to the brim with a warm, green liquid.
May 7, 2025 at 4:51 AM
Reposted by Carlee Brae
sarahhelmrich.bsky.social
Plagued by the choice between duty to her people and following her heart, a competition for the princess’s hand in marriage holds the key to her Kingdom’s survival.

🏹Marriage Competition
✨Secret Romance
🔮Meddling Mind Magic
📚Secrets of the Past
💕Second Chance Romance

#QuestPit #Q #A #F #RF
May 7, 2025 at 4:07 AM