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Melissa Caruso

@melissacaruso.bsky.social

4K followers 320 following 2.6K posts

Fantasy author (THE TETHERED MAGE, THE OBSIDIAN TOWER, THE LAST HOUR BETWEEN WORLDS, etc). Tea drinker, larper, mom. Swordfights in ballgowns. THE LAST SOUL AMONG WOLVES out now!

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Melissa Caruso @melissacaruso.bsky.social · Oct 21

Hey, welcome to all my new followers! It's so much nicer over here in Bluesky.

I'm Melissa Caruso, author of assorted fantasy books of magic, murder, and mayhem (newest: THE LAST HOUR BETWEEN WORLDS). I also babble about writing craft, my dog, larping, & books.

Welcome! I hope you stay awhile!

A skeptical white terrier with a black eye patch relaxes on an embroidered pillow, dubiously modeling my book, THE LAST HOUR BETWEEN WORLDS, which leans against her flank

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Reposted by Melissa Caruso

Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò @olufemiotaiwo.bsky.social · 7h

repost this if an editor has ever saved you from yourself

violent alien @blipstress.bsky.social · 7h

An actual hot take: Too many authors are afraid of editors watering down their voice or whatever and not afraid enough of editors letting you put any old slop on the page.

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Melissa Caruso @melissacaruso.bsky.social · 11h

It's definitely worth picking up! I really liked it!

Melissa Caruso @melissacaruso.bsky.social · 11h

I hope it gets all the love it deserves! Fun and fresh and the character dynamics are all so great!

Melissa Caruso @melissacaruso.bsky.social · 11h

It's a ton of fun! I love the relationships in it especially!

Melissa Caruso @melissacaruso.bsky.social · 11h

Hope you like the upcoming third volume in the Echo Archives, THE LAST NAME FOR THIS BOOK

Melissa Caruso @melissacaruso.bsky.social · 1d

The Last [One-syllable noun] [Two-syllable preposition] [One-syllable noun] sure is a title corner I've backed myself into

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Melissa Caruso @melissacaruso.bsky.social · 12h

Recently finished and really enjoyed CITY OF OTHERS by Jared Poon! A wondrous but grounded fantasy Singapore, fantastic characters, m/m romance, adventure, overworked civil servants, flawed magical coping mechanisms, saving the world while dealing with office dynamics, a ghost cat, and more!!!

My hand holding a proof of City of Others by Jared Poon

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Melissa Caruso @melissacaruso.bsky.social · 1d

Yuuuuuuuuuuup

Melissa Caruso @melissacaruso.bsky.social · 1d

The Last [One-syllable noun] [Two-syllable preposition] [One-syllable noun] sure is a title corner I've backed myself into

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Melissa Caruso @melissacaruso.bsky.social · 1d

I was kinda incoherent in my last post so let me try again 😆

This super cool animatic/animation packs a ton of worldbuilding, vibes, and character (along with action & teasers of story) into less than 3 minutes!

(And it happens to be created by my teen daughter ❤️)

www.youtube.com/watch?v=0R0r...

Shut Eye | OC Animation

YouTube video by CostConscience

www.youtube.com

Melissa Caruso @melissacaruso.bsky.social · 1d

Thank you!!!

Melissa Caruso @melissacaruso.bsky.social · 1d

As a storyteller I just LOVE what she's doing with dramatic tension, character, pacing, worldbuilding, and vibes...all in less than 3 minutes with no words.

Melissa Caruso @melissacaruso.bsky.social · 1d

Oh WOW, okay, so my teen gave me permission to share this short animatic/animation she did recently, and I am blown away by how much her skills have leveled up!!! 😍

If you're up for checking it out, it's only a few minutes long and (yes I'm her mom BUT) kind of amazing!

youtu.be/0R0rv-TWzEQ?...

Shut Eye | OC Animation

YouTube video by CostConscience

youtu.be

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Melissa Caruso @melissacaruso.bsky.social · 1d

Oh hey, looks like this is up! I had a ton of fun being a guest on the Writing About Dragons and Stuff podcast to talk about a favorite craft topic of mine: plot twists!

open.spotify.com/episode/37ZQ...

Ep. 172: Plot Twists 2: What a Twist!

open.spotify.com

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Melissa Caruso @melissacaruso.bsky.social · 1d

Glad you liked it! And happy birthday!!!

Melissa Caruso @melissacaruso.bsky.social · 2d

Image description/alt text: A hardcover copy of NORTH IS THE NIGHT by Emily Rath, with a blue & white cover featuring snowy mythic forest & animals & a couple of stylized figures representing the two main characters, red foil on the title, & sprayed edges with more snowy forest

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Melissa Caruso @melissacaruso.bsky.social · 2d

Ah, I thought I already described it in the post! Thanks for the poke! Will add a comment with a bit more of a description.

Melissa Caruso @melissacaruso.bsky.social · 2d

My copy of NORTH IS THE NIGHT arrived and it’s an absolutely GORGEOUS special edition with illustrated end papers that is worthy of the incredible mythic snowy underworld quest vibes of this epic and beautifully written sapphic fantasy! 😍

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Melissa Caruso @melissacaruso.bsky.social · 2d

I just genuinely didn't know they were a nonprofit and that's important to me in this era of big corporations & individuals exerting their own influence to shape the news narrative, so I wanted to share that around!

Melissa Caruso @melissacaruso.bsky.social · 2d

I see I need to add that I am not, like, an expert on the AP nor am I claiming that their framing is always perfect or that they don't make mistakes. Just sharing that they're independent and can't be bought. It's fine if you don't like them and I'm not really interested in arguing or defending them

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Melissa Caruso @melissacaruso.bsky.social · 2d

I feel like it's just really important right now to have a national source of news that no one can buy

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Melissa Caruso @melissacaruso.bsky.social · 2d

Full disclosure, my brother is an AP news editor, but this only means I've heard enough of his work stories to know that they are underfunded and understaffed but continuously working their asses off and often risking their lives out of sheer dedication to bringing you the news

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Melissa Caruso @melissacaruso.bsky.social · 2d

So if you're concerned about the dwindling independence of mainstream journalism, remember that the Associated Press is a nonprofit org that can never be bought by a corporation and is full of people genuinely passionate about doing good reporting: apnews.com

I set up a small recurring donation

Associated Press News: Breaking News | Latest News Today

Read the latest headlines, breaking news, and videos at APNews.com, the definitive source for independent journalism from every corner of the globe.

apnews.com

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Melissa Caruso @melissacaruso.bsky.social · 4d

RIGHT?!?!?!?!

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Reposted by Melissa Caruso

kat (she/they) @katkale.bsky.social · 4d

Had this realization about three of my favorite fantasy novels I've read this year: Asunder by @kerstinhall.bsky.social, The Last Hour Between Worlds by @melissacaruso.bsky.social and The Witch Roads by @kateelliottsff.bsky.social. All of them also have queer characters :) #booksky

A venn diagram featuring three fantasy novels. In one circle is the cover of "Asunder" by Kerstin Hall, in the second circle is the cover of "The Witch Roads" by Kate Elliott, and in the last circle is the cover of "The Last Hour Between Worlds" by Melissa Caruso. Where the circles of Asunder and The Witch Roads overlaps is text reading, "Terrifying eldritch beings and blood magic." Where the circles of Asunder and The Last Hour Between Worlds overlaps is text reading "Charming and incorporeal love interests." Where the circles of The Witch Roads and the Last Hour Between Worlds overlaps is text reading, "MC travels perilously for a living." Where the circles of all three books overlaps is text reading "Appreciation for a good pair of boots." End description.

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Reposted by Melissa Caruso

Veronica O'Neill @zookie-art.bsky.social · 4d

A fun fact about this piece - the jagged 'magic' is depicted in beautiful silver foil on the actual cover! Matching the foil on the art that I did for the first book~

(Photo credit to Cat Book Nook on insta)

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