sarah l. hawthorn (A FATE WORSE THAN DROWNING '26)
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slhawthorn.bsky.social
sarah l. hawthorn (A FATE WORSE THAN DROWNING '26)
@slhawthorn.bsky.social
970 followers 430 following 650 posts
Haligonian SFFH writer / She/They / A FATE WORSE THAN DROWNING 🌊 (Sourcebooks 2026) / Maritime Cryptid / Hazel stan 🐈 / Rep: Larissa Melo Pienkowski at Azantian Literary Agency
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slhawthorn.bsky.social
HAPPY GOTCHA DAY TO THE BEST GIRL HAZEL BASIL !!!
A calico cat tucked into a dinosaur print blanket while on a person's lap at a desk as they try to type. A calico cat with her tongue stuck out a little, looking up in a silly way. A calico cat in a man's lap, looking at playing cards as if she is playing a card game. A calico cat sitting in a fake Christmas tree, looking directly at the camera between the branches.
November 25, 2025 at 12:28 PM
slhawthorn.bsky.social
how am I supposed to write under these conditions???
a calico cat is tucked into a dinosaur print blanket at the desk of a writer, who is trying to write at a keyboard. a calico cat is laying her head delicately against a person's arm, while the person is trying to type at a keyboard just out of frame of the photo.
November 23, 2025 at 3:33 PM
slhawthorn.bsky.social
Kermit hugging an iPhone with heart emojis surrounding him while he cries.
November 18, 2025 at 11:51 AM
slhawthorn.bsky.social
Cozy brie bake Sunday 🩷
A coffee table with a wheel of melted Brie with walnuts and dried cranberries, cut up green apples, and cut up baguette slices.
November 16, 2025 at 10:42 PM
slhawthorn.bsky.social
I can be your angle (eepy baby) or your debil (ferocious toy hunter)
A calico cat sleeping on a grey couch. A calico cat looking up with green eyes while sitting on a couch, with a colourful toy mouse in front of her.
November 14, 2025 at 12:57 PM
slhawthorn.bsky.social
Convincing you to read my novel by the first sentence. Share yours if you want.

👀👻🐟

(A FATE WORSE THAN DROWNING, 2026)
I CUT THE COD DOWNWARD, behind the head and near the gills, to create a space in the cavity. The blade runs down its back in shal- low sections until the body becomes thin enough to slice end to end. A sharp knife makes all the difference between a quick, clean cut and a massacre of choppy, gut-covered bits. Smaller fish, like pollock or mackerel, can be opened with one quick swipe of the blade down the backbone. Cod requires patience. “You’ve gotten better at that cut since you did it to me,” says the man I murdered last year. He floats a few inches off the ground, idling near the stairs.
November 11, 2025 at 1:24 PM
slhawthorn.bsky.social
Pretty sure Hazel approves??
A calico cat looking sideways to Sarah, who is looking back at the cat. Sarah has bright pink hair with brown at the edges.
November 8, 2025 at 8:39 PM
slhawthorn.bsky.social
Piiiiiiiiiink!!!!!!!!!!!!?!!!!! 🩷🌸🩷

It's been 3 years since I last dyed it and I love it so much 🩷
Sarah smiling at the camera with bright pink hair, mixed with brown at the edges.
November 8, 2025 at 8:30 PM
slhawthorn.bsky.social
Hazel is here to tell you to shoot for your dreams, especially if the dream is to sit directly in front of whatever work "needs" to get done given you are much more important than words on a monitor ❤️
A calico cat looking up at the camera with green eyes, sitting on a desk with a notebook, phone, airpods, and lit up keyboard.
November 6, 2025 at 11:31 PM
slhawthorn.bsky.social
Had a fun little trip down to the Valley today for speciality cheeses, Korean food, vinyl searching, and cider tasting 🧡🧡🧡
Sarah, a white non-binary person (she/they), in a black beanie with a ghost embroidered on it and a cozy fall sweater, sorting through vinyls at a record shop.
November 1, 2025 at 7:25 PM
slhawthorn.bsky.social
the energy tonight
A gengar plushie sitting on the back of a couch with a blue jays hat on its head.
November 1, 2025 at 2:09 AM
slhawthorn.bsky.social
It's been a while since a proper update!! I've kept busy finishing dev & copy edits on A FATE WORSE THAN DROWNING, publishing behind-the-scenes things I can't wait to share, & keeping up with a full-time job to boot.

I finally got a standing desk and walking pad. I think it's pretty cute honestly!!
A standing desk set above a walking pad. There are pink and green desk accessories on the green desk including cloud-shaped wrist rests, a sage green notebook, headphones, a mouse, and a water bottle. The laptop is open and the desktop background includes the words A FATE WORSE THAN DROWNING.
October 19, 2025 at 7:26 PM
slhawthorn.bsky.social
Very good guess!! It's a dupe I've been liking the formula of more since it's more of a lip clay/less drying! And thank you ❤️❤️
Into u lipstick Shade EM11
October 3, 2025 at 11:33 PM
slhawthorn.bsky.social
had a fun day today 🧡
A selfie of Sarah, wearing an orange sweater and Opalite necklace, with long dark hair and a straight fringe with teal eyeshadow and long pointed eyeliner. A close up photo of a beaded friendship bracelet that says Opalite on it, sitting on a gray jewelry mat.
October 3, 2025 at 11:21 PM
slhawthorn.bsky.social
specifically:
a close up of the calico cat from the original post, only showing the pink nose, mouth, chin, and one of the back paws of the cat.
September 28, 2025 at 1:39 PM
slhawthorn.bsky.social
have you considered... her?
a calico cat with green eyes. She is lying on a gray blanket on a bed. Her paws are visible and they are a mix of pink and black. Her green eyes are looking to the side.
September 28, 2025 at 1:38 PM
slhawthorn.bsky.social
back into the watery abyss i go!!!!!
A screenshot of a Spotify list of playlists in a folder titled "A Fate Worse Than Drowning". The playlsits are titled "Copy Edits Round 3: Choosing Violence", "Dev Edits Round 2: This Time It's Personal", and "Concetrated Dev Edits Playlist AFWTD". Each playlist has a reaction image that is too small to read but features cute animals such as a small cat in a cowboy hat, a tiny bunny on a sidewalk, and a guinea pig in a pink toy car.
September 20, 2025 at 1:49 PM
slhawthorn.bsky.social
me reminding myself that the journey is part of the experience and I should find ways to enjoy the uncertainty and growth despite the discomfort to make a lifetime of writing possible:
a screenshot of Roller Coaster Tycoon that has the words "THE RIDE NEVER ENDS" on a sign while people walk by. A large skeleton is smiling while lifting his top hat over his head beside the sign.
September 13, 2025 at 5:44 PM
slhawthorn.bsky.social
Reached "buzzing with excitement for an idea now that it's working" with Work 2 concept, folks ✨
A glittery photo of a small hamster with pink sunglasses driving a small plastic doll convertible car (also pink). The words overlayed: "the horrors persist, but so do I".
August 21, 2025 at 12:54 AM
slhawthorn.bsky.social
Got to see three vineyards, a cheese shop, an antique bookstore, a church-turned-brewery, a few farmers' markets, and some goats today!
A photo of Sarah, a white non-binary person (she/they) in a blue linen shirt and gold rimmed glasses, smiling in front of a vineyard. The sky is very blue and the fields in the distance are green and yellow. A street photo of a blue store labelled "The Wolfville Cheese Shop" with a cartoon cheese on the window. An antique bookstore showing a room with many bookcases filled to the brim with old books. In the background is a rocking chair.
August 15, 2025 at 10:33 PM
slhawthorn.bsky.social
Like:
a photo from inside a car going across a bridge in Dartmouth. In the background is a large plume of smoke coming from a wildfire across the Bedford basin.
August 13, 2025 at 4:20 PM
slhawthorn.bsky.social
Highlight of yesterday: Fun beach day off from work!

Lowlight of yesterday: Emergency alert for a wildfire <10 minutes from my place 🙃 (we're fine!)
A photo of a North Atlantic beach in Nova Scotia with dark, wet sand in the foreground and small hills in the background.
August 13, 2025 at 4:17 PM
slhawthorn.bsky.social
We are now officially one year out to the day until A FATE WORSE THAN DROWNING, my debut historical fantasy novel, comes out!!!!

I can't wait to share this book with the world. I know there are readers who will love Elle and Liney, the Nova Scotia folklore, devil's bargains and so much more 🌊

#✍️
Historical fantasy, LGBTQ+, Maritime Gothic. "one deal with the devil makes a fool. Two, a villain." A Fate Worse Than Drowning, Poisoned Pen Press / Sourcebooks, Summer 2026. A lighthouse keeper leads sailors to their death as part of a devil's bargain to save her sister. When a shipwrecked survivor washes ashore, breaking her deal and stealing her sister's heart, she's left with an impossible choice.
July 21, 2025 at 9:52 AM
slhawthorn.bsky.social
Consider: her
A calico cat looking up with large green eyes while lying on a desk. A calico cat winking while lying down on a desk.
July 18, 2025 at 1:49 PM
slhawthorn.bsky.social
life footage of me realizing I can write another unhinged girl even Worse™️
An edited photo of a cat with its mouth wide open and eyes glowing, as though demonic.
July 13, 2025 at 5:06 PM