Carla Hennes ❌ 👑 aka Radiation Rosie
@tempestteapot.bsky.social
660 followers 950 following 260 posts
Tempest Teapot: energy coiled in small space Epic Fantasy novel Demon’s Bargain #AmQuerying #F #R #YA #A Kahyla Tamrin faces a demon’s bargain where all the options are bad: fight with soul-destroying magic or lose her family, her beloved, and her life.
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tempestteapot.bsky.social
A bastard gentrywoman, Kahyla protects her siblings against assassins, demon-eaten mages, and rivals intent on the throne. She faces a DEMON’S BARGAIN where all the options are bad: fight with soul-destroying magic or lose her family, her beloved, and her life.

#BluePit 📖 #F #R #YA #A #Q
Graphic shows silhouette of couple filled with courtyard, leather armor, and a structure consumed by flames. Six of Crows X Witch King Demon's Bargain A bastard gentrywoman, Kahyla struggles to protect her siblings against assassins, demon-eaten mages, and political rivals intent on the throne. She faces a demon's bargain: fight with soul-destroying magic or lose her family, her beloved, and her life. 120k Epic Fantasy Novel. Tropes list: Deliberate values dissonance Feminist within patriarchy Heel-face turn Slow burn Forbidden love Powers via Possession Coming of Age Quiet girl finds her voice Target markets: adult fantasy for darker themes, detailed world-building, and a blend of magic and political intrigue. YA for coming-of-age story and slow burn romance, while skewing older for the consequences of difficult life choices.  #F #R #YA #A #Q Body count 11, proposals 4, weddings 2
tempestteapot.bsky.social
A fastidious villain just makes me dislike them more.
tempestteapot.bsky.social
Kahyla loves Despard and knows he’s sacrificing a lot for her. She’s fighting against the teachings of the priests who say all Ferruthans and mages are evil. Use her magic and her own crew would turn against her. Do nothing and her people die, helpless against the demonflood.
tempestteapot.bsky.social
#PlotTober

Despard’s father told him he’s weak for caring about others. His Da wanted him to come home a rich and fearsome pirate. Most pirates in Ferruth pretend to privateering against Huxen. Now he’s oath-sworn to the junior queen of Huxen, his beloved Kahyla. War breaks and his country calls.
gunsmile.bsky.social
#PlotTober Day 8: Conflicts for the MC

Answer the prompt on the card by quoting this post. Remember, answering a prompt is always optional. Even if you don't share it publicly, I hope the prompt encourages you to think about it privately.

#WritingCommunity #WritingPrompt #WriteSky
#PlotTober - a WIP plotting game by @gunsmile.bsky.social

8. What are some potential reasons the main character(s) haven't, couldn't, and/or can't pursue these goals yet? Consider other characters, backstory events, circumstances, environmental factors, etc.

Remember: Use the #PlotTober hashtag, engage with others, and have fun!
Reposted by Carla Hennes ❌ 👑 aka Radiation Rosie
woodenvelt.bsky.social
Wren is hiding in a wardrobe while Spencer's aunt and her best friend change the sheets on his bed.

From my romantasy wip about a priest of the dead and a thief with a heart of gold.

#WIPSnips #WriteSky #WritingPrompts #WritingCommunity #Wrencer
 “There has been a blanket in my mum’s wingback chair on two separate occasions in the last few days,” Sylvia’s words were crisp and confident. “And a stack of books beside it today.”

“And that’s important because?” 

“Because Spencer never sits in Mum’s chair. He’s too tall for it.” 

Wren felt oddly conflicted. On one hand, Sylvia’s suspicious nature endeared her to Wren as a kindred spirit. On the other, she couldn’t exactly spring out of the wardrobe and congratulate the woman on her powers of deduction. 

“Sylvia.” A sigh as deep as Saltbeard’s dungeons rattled out of Mrs. Privens. “I have known you since we were both running around with dirt on our knees and pigtails in our hair.”

“Your point being, Etta?” 

	“No point,” Mrs. Privens insisted. “I just want you to remember all those years between us before I say my piece and you get your back up.”

“I’m sure I don’t know what you mean.” Having never seen Spencer’s aunt, Wren couldn’t judge whether they looked anything alike, but there was undoubtedly a strong resemblance in the way Sylvia’s voice turned frosty and stiff.

“I’ll spell it out plain, then. Ever since you retired, you’ve had your nose so far into Spencer’s business the boy can’t break wind for fear you’ll pass out.”

A surprised chuckle caught behind Wren’s teeth, only held in check by years of practice and the hand she clamped over her mouth. Mrs. Privens had more brass under her starched skirts than Wren had given her credit for. She suddenly didn’t care that her leg was starting to fall asleep or that a stray belt buckle was digging uncomfortably into her back. This was a better show than the Quintisday Follies on opening night.   

“Etta May Privens, I never…”
tempestteapot.bsky.social
#WIPSnips #WritingCommunity #amquerying #writesky #epicfantasy 💙📚 🪐📚

From my Epic Fantasy novel Demon’s Bargain. Falsely accused, Despard rots in a cell. The Baron could help, but his price is an alliance marriage to Kahyla. Redbird is Despard’s nickname for his beloved Kahyla.

Dungeon = cell
	A clatter of doors, a dance of candlelight, and a startlingly fresh breeze warned Despard that someone had arrived outside his cell. His door opened and the jailer placed a three-legged stool inside.
	“Give a knock when you’re done, Your Grace,” said the jailer.
	Blocking the light from the other room, Baron Gooseport entered and sat carefully on the stool. His trousers were an imperceptible dark color, but his jacket was brilliant white. A silver goose quill formed the clasp of his dark green woolen capelet. Blond hair drooped around his face.
	The door rattled and shut, latched but not locked. The silence stretched awkwardly.
	Was that whisper the beating of redbird wings or his heart?
	Dammit I won’t beg, not if it hurts her.
	“I’m not going to bow, if that’s what you’re waiting for,” said Despard.
	“There isn’t room,” said Gooseport with a snort. “But not the welcome I expected for someone who could help you. You’re drowning in trouble but refuse a rope?”
	Despard tried to read the other man’s eyes in the shadows. “Is Kahyla married?”
	Gooseport shook his head. “Not without permission from her Paer.”
	“But did she agree? Did she promise you anything to help me?”
	“Not yet,” said Gooseport, leaning into a shaft of light. “But I can’t keep spending favors on maybe. I’ve already lost standing by arguing for you. As a Ferruthan, their suspicion runs heavily against you. The patricians are convinced you took advantage of her and then pressured her into naming you her Paer.”
	“Because an evil Ferruthan would do that, not a pious Huxen like Bizal.” Despard scooted back against the wall.
tempestteapot.bsky.social
For Despard, it’s primarily love for Kahyla. He‘s seen what a demon-mage can do and almost lost her, so he knows the danger of demons on the loose. But he doesn’t have the same cultural revulsion for mages that Kahyla does and has his own loyalty to his home country and father-issues of his own.
gunsmile.bsky.social
#PlotTober Day 7: Main character motivations

Answer the prompt on the card by quoting this post. Remember, answering a prompt is always optional. Even if you don't share it publicly, I hope the prompt encourages you to think about it privately.

#WritingCommunity #WritingPrompt #WriteSky
#PlotTober - a WIP plotting game by @gunsmile.bsky.social

7. Now that you've come up with some goals for your main character, ask yourself: why do they care? What are some potential motivations for pursuing these goals, even against their better judgment or self-interest?

Remember: Use the #PlotTober hashtag, engage with others, and have fun!
Reposted by Carla Hennes ❌ 👑 aka Radiation Rosie
trailofleaves.bsky.social
Out today, in the autumn issue of @kaleidotrope.bsky.social, my story of a space pilot dealing with her first clone resurrection, with a little help from the rescue ship's AI and several kinds of cheese.

The Nine Crashes of Flight Lieutenant Hilla Quinn

www.kaleidotrope.net/autumn-2025/...
“The Nine Crashes of Flight Lieutenant Hilla Quinn” by Louise Hughes
www.kaleidotrope.net
tempestteapot.bsky.social
#WIPSnips #WritingCommunity #amquerying #writesky 💙📚 🪐📚 With ghost story vibes and a feminist journey, “Haint Blue” in VOICES LIKE THESE from @story-forge.bsky.social When you work in a haunted house, the fake monsters are your family and real props open dimensional windows. More at bit.ly/46BBttP
	“You can trust Lizzie. She can hide you from angry Daddy.” Sharing beers after the haunt closed, Lizzie had slurred through a song she sang to calm her patients in the pediatric ER. “She knows Momma’s lullaby - the Water’s Wide.” Cassie only sang the first verse, skipping the later verses about love betrayed.
	The boy turned, starting to hum. Cassie licked her dry lips and sang.
	The water’s wide, I can’t cross o’er
	The child’s pale legs crawled.
	And neither have I wings to fly.
	Smoke swirled as he opened the actor’s door.
	Give me a boat that can carry two.
	The door closed behind him.
	And we shall cross, my love and I.
	Cassie wiped another smoky tear from her eyes. Safe, he was safe with Lizzie. She stared at the blank wall as the light died away and the device faltered into silence. A persistent buzzing sounded from her shoulder.
	Cassie picked up the fallen earpiece and mashed it into her ear.
	“Cassie, do you copy?” Lizzie’s voice bounced through the line. “Cassie, where are you?”
	Cassie keyed the mic. “Cassie here.”
	Her thumb fell away from the button. Where was she? Right where she was needed. By November, long gone from Todd and building a new life.
Reposted by Carla Hennes ❌ 👑 aka Radiation Rosie
kaylee-scott.bsky.social
Today’s #wipsnips word is “safe”. #writingcommunity #writingprompts #writersky #writesky #parenting #babies #parenthood
I always wanted to be a mom. Okay, that’s not true. There was a period in my life where I could not understand anyone wanting that kind of responsibility and being financially, physically, and emotionally tied down like that. It seemed so suffocating to me. What happens if you have a baby and realize “eh, this just isn’t for me?”  You can’t return them. I mean, okay, there are Safe Havens. And they serve their purpose. But they’re also for extreme scenarios and you can’t drop off a teenager there. This isn’t like buying a pair of expensive shoes and realizing they pinch your toes so you bring them back. This is a human. This is growing a human, birthing a human, naming a human, and literally being the only way that human survives day in and day out for a really long ass time. It is not sunshine and rainbows. It’s not adorable onesies and lullabies. It is up-the-back and into the hair shit explosions covering those adorable onesies while you sing made up songs about how you wish this screaming banshee would just stop crying for seemingly no reason so you can get some sleep for the first time in months. It is a war zone that you are entering, essentially, unarmed. 
tempestteapot.bsky.social
That’s why I decided to do this story for #plotober. I have great ideas for before the pirates (marriage is what bwings us together) and the pirate attack itself and the fallout (navy won’t pay the prize money? Let’s steal the ship back!). But the final climax is a vague fog.
tempestteapot.bsky.social
1 large goal of finding a defense against the coming demons but many smaller goals along the way. I’m concerned that the smaller goals will overwhelm the final mcguffin at the end. Kidnapped by pirates is hard to top but raises the stakes for them to escape and continue their journey.
gunsmile.bsky.social
#PlotTober Day 6: Main character goals

Answer the prompt on the card by quoting this post. Remember, answering a prompt is always optional. Even if you don't share it publicly, I hope the prompt encourages you to think about it privately.

#WritingCommunity #WritingPrompt #WriteSky
#PlotTober - a WIP plotting game by @gunsmile.bsky.social

6. Main characters are driven by actionable goals, but not every goal is created equal. For your MC, they should be specific, tangible, personal, achievable, and urgent. Can you think of some goals for your MC that meet this criteria?

Remember: Use the #PlotTober hashtag, engage with others, and have fun!
tempestteapot.bsky.social
#WIPSnips #WritingCommunity #amquerying #writesky 💙📚 🪐📚 With ghost story vibes and a feminist journey, “Haint Blue” in VOICES LIKE THESE from @story-forge.bsky.social When you work in a haunted house, the fake monsters are your family and real props open dimensional windows. More at bit.ly/46BBttP
	Lizzie held Cassie’s shoulders, forcing her to meet her eyes. “If he shows up at the gate, he’s not getting in. Security knows what he looks like.”
	“In a mask?” Cassie tugged a stray hair out of the drying latex, ignoring the pain. “Last week, he sweet-talked his way on site with a new prop, talking like he knew the Nightmare Farm owner.” Collecting odds and ends from the university labs, Todd would wire them up, showing off his engineering skills to his adoring girlfriend. Most of the junk in the mad scientist room came from him. “After dumping the prop, he showed up at the flaming coffin scene.”
	“Oh, Cassie–”
	“He didn’t know about the trick door, so I snuck away before he could start any of his arguments.” She hunched her shoulders as though she could repeat the vanishing act.
	Tapping Cassie’s chin, Lizzie said, “You’re smarter than you think…And you missed a spot while slitting your throat.”
	Cassie grinned and snapped the scissors at her. “Begone, foul demon!”
Reposted by Carla Hennes ❌ 👑 aka Radiation Rosie
woodenvelt.bsky.social
Things are warming up in the kitchen...

From my romantasy wip about a priest of the dead and a thief with a heart of gold.

#WIPSnips #WriteSky #WritingPrompts #WritingCommunity #Wrencer
Unfair, Wren smirked, closing the last few steps between them. It seemed Spencer was the rare sort of person who could be damp and rumpled and devastatingly handsome all at once. It was becoming a worryingly common occurrence of late for Wren to find herself in close proximity to the good brother. And yet, not worrying enough for her to back away from him. 

“Thank you.” Spencer’s voice was a low rumble, as dark as aged mahogany. It was dangerous, that voice. It turned all her sharp and clever bits into claggy day-old porridge. Wren’s eyes lingered on Spencer’s skin, prickled with gooseflesh and pink from scrubbing. A black blob still stained his jaw at the corner.

“You missed a bit.” 

Her fingers moved without bothering to consult her addled brain, catching the hem of the towel around his neck to brush at the dark smear. Wren’s thumb stroked idly back and forth, slowly revealing the stubble-dusted skin underneath. Her heart thundered like hoofbeats, the rhythm of a panicked mare that had thrown off its lead. Spencer’s gaze turned dark and depthless, his earlier amusement swallowed up by something else entirely.
Reposted by Carla Hennes ❌ 👑 aka Radiation Rosie
tempestteapot.bsky.social
According to legend, the wizard-kings were killed and their demons driven out by the Grand Ry's ancestors, but no one knows how. None of the demon-hunters remain and the chain of oral knowledge was broken after a massacre. Why are the monasteries evenly spaced around the last battlefield?
kiraofthewind.com
Here are the #OctoberWorldbuilders prompts!

Assuming I'm not doing other peoples prompts (I haven't seen any yet that I really want to do?) I might actually stay on top of these, this time around 🤣

I just realized I can actually fit all the text in the alt text, woo hoo!
October Worldbuilders prompt list

WEEK 1: DESERTS
1: Name of a desert in your world
2: What’s your desert society like?
3: Desert town architecture
4: Desert animals/plants
5: Myth/legend/religion about
desert
6: How do they survive?
7: Clothes/dance/music from
desert society

WEEK 2: SPORTS AND GAMES
8: Does your MC play a sport?
9: Board games in your book’s world?
10: Competitive game/sport
11: Cooperative game/sport
12: Equipment/pieces
13: History/famous figure involved in a sport/game
14: Strategy for winning

WEEK 3: INFRASTRUCTURE AND CITIES
15: Trade routes
16: Fire/police/hospital services
17: Where does their food come from?
18: Tech: Electricity? Steam power? Mills?
19: Sanitation, sewer system, hygiene
20: Who developed the infrastructure? Government employees? Soldiers? Private business? Are taxes or slaves involved?
21: Housing (Style? Architecture? Amenities available in your world?)

WEEK 4: AESTHETCS/VIBES
22: Share a moodboard or art
23: Aesthetics of a town/city
24: Overall vibe of your story/book/wip
25: Religious/cultural vibes/influences
26: Clothing and accessories
27: What feeling or thoughts do you hope your readers come away with after reading your story?
28: Something special about your world

Extra days:
29: Plans for next month
30: Recent character you’ve created
31: Which of your characters would you like to see someone cosplay? (Or who would you cosplay yourself?)
tempestteapot.bsky.social
Trying to keep it to just the two MCs, at least as POV, but the privateer captain may insist on getting her own subplot. The legend of Anne Bonny and Mary Reed are inspirations for some of her exploits. Anne escaped execution claiming pregnancy.
gunsmile.bsky.social
#PlotTober Day 5: Main character ideas

Answer the prompt on the card by quoting this post. Remember, answering a prompt is always optional. Even if you don't share it publicly, I hope the prompt encourages you to think about it privately.

#WritingCommunity #WritingPrompt #WriteSky
#PlotTober - a WIP plotting game by @gunsmile.bsky.social

5. How many main characters would suit your WIP? What are your initial ideas for them? What are some inspirations for them that you can draw on from existing media you enjoy?

Remember: Use the #PlotTober hashtag, engage with others, and have fun!
tempestteapot.bsky.social
#WIPSnips #WritingCommunity #amquerying #writesky #epicfantasy 💙📚 🪐📚

From my Epic Fantasy novel Demon’s Bargain. Entering a foreign temple might imperil her soul, but Kahyla must find Despard to help with her Dancing Day ceremony before it's too late.

store = cart
	Nestled next to a Silva temple, the market appealed to worshipers and priests alike. A cart offered two-handled cups and bowls, some in etched silver but most in simple clay. Tinkling with coins on string, the cart’s awning displayed metal discs flashing a woman’s face on one side. Despard’s cloak had sported a closure with a similar coin, but Kahyla hadn’t realized the connection to the goddess. Underneath an awning, an artist worked on a laughing young woman, winding shiny white ribbons into rows of braids. Set apart, a somber peddler sat surrounded by baskets filled with small empty bottles.
	Kahyla stretched her neck to find Malgrim’s white hair.
	“Are you lost? Do you need help?” asked the peddler, rising from his three-legged stool.
	“No, I’m not lost…” Master Kurth would say she was lost in many ways. No one thought she would be in Bivmiav by Spring’s Eve. Why did asking for help feel like handing her soul over to a demon? Admitting she needed help wasn’t a failure of her strength. Either they would help or they wouldn’t. She needed Malgrim’s help to find Despard and Despard’s help for her Dancing Day. Despard had told her not to seek him out in public, but she had to find him. Would he understand when she explained, like the night of the assassin? Or respond with anger and disappointment in her? He had stayed away from the guardroom, but his poem…ah, his poem had suggested things would change in the spring. What memory should she hold tight - the blood-stained cloak or sugar-crusted berries? Mindful of the cost, she chose hope.
tempestteapot.bsky.social
I got one that had hijacked a real author's profile (but spelled the last name wrong) who tried to send me to her agent...with a scammy gmail address. Reported as Illegal/Urgent and blocked.
tempestteapot.bsky.social
Sending some sibling sadness your way.

Kahyla faces a DEMON’S BARGAIN where all the options are bad: fight with soul-destroying magic or lose her family, her beloved, and her life.

⛓️‍💥Feminist within patriarchy
🔥❤️ Slow burn
🕴️Powers via Possession
🚶‍♀️Coming of Age
🗣️Quiet girl finds her voice
Graphic shows silhouette of couple filled with courtyard, leather armor, and a structure consumed by flames. Six of Crows X Witch King Demon's Bargain A bastard gentrywoman, Kahyla struggles to protect her siblings against assassins, demon-eaten mages, and political rivals intent on the throne. She faces a demon's bargain: fight with soul-destroying magic or lose her family, her beloved, and her life. 120k Epic Fantasy Novel. Tropes list: Deliberate values dissonance Feminist within patriarchy Heel-face turn Slow burn Forbidden love Powers via Possession Coming of Age Quiet girl finds her voice Target markets: adult fantasy for darker themes, detailed world-building, and a blend of magic and political intrigue. YA for coming-of-age story and slow burn romance, while skewing older for the consequences of difficult life choices.  #F #R #YA #A #Q Body count 11, proposals 4, weddings 2
tempestteapot.bsky.social
#WIPSnips #WritingCommunity #amquerying #writesky 💙📚 🪐📚 With ghost story vibes and a feminist journey: “Haint Blue” in VOICES LIKE THESE from @story-forge.bsky.social ‪When you work in a haunted house, the fake monsters are your family and real props open dimensional windows. bit.ly/46BBttP
"follow"
	With a peal of hideous cackling, Cassie counted off the next staggered entry.
	An evil clown tumbled out of an actor's door. “Cassie, I got a follow.” Never interact with troublemakers, she had trained them. Follow them until you can report. The black-eyed harlequin pointed to a group of basketball-jerseyed teenagers at the exit. “Assholes were flinging props around.” She grinned. “Mean one got shocked in the mad scientist room.”
	Ah, hell. If the vandals had damaged the device…Maybe instead of exploding, it would actually work.
	“Keep on their tail. I’ll call it in.” Cassie gave the clown a light push. She keyed the mic under her shredded top. “Cassie to Security. Vandal follow headed to the corn maze. Clown tailing.”
Reposted by Carla Hennes ❌ 👑 aka Radiation Rosie
ringles.bsky.social
#WIPSnips 4: hunt

An academic discussion gets a little confrontational.

(There's *some* hunting in SECONDARY... but a lot more anthropology. The science is correct to the best of my ability.)

#SciFi #ScienceFiction #SFF
I decided to shoot for more bonus points, and broke the silence. “Actually, women often have a pretty good social position in hunter-gatherer societies.”
He blinked, as did several others at the table. The wolf-women favored me with considering glances; Ellen’s was cautious.
“Even when there’s a division of labor, it’s usually not that sharp. Something like eighty percent of the hunter-gatherer societies we know of include women hunters.” I gave Felix a pointed glance. “Social power often seems to depend on how many calories people bring in.” His eyes had narrowed; I met his scowl. “A lot of places, hunting’s just a bonus; it’s the gathering that really feeds the group.” I allowed myself a modest grin. “Turns out guys can do a decent job sharing power when their meals depend on it.”
tempestteapot.bsky.social
#WritingCommunity #amquerying #writesky 💙📚 🪐📚

Out now! bit.ly/4mLwQSw

Ghost story vibes & feminist journey: “Haint Blue” in VOICES LIKE THESE from ‪@story-forge.bsky.social‬ When you work in a haunted house, the fake monsters are your family and real props open dimensional windows.
Voices Like These: A StoryForge Anthology
A StoryForge Anthology
bit.ly
tempestteapot.bsky.social
#WritingCommunity #amquerying #writesky 💙📚 🪐📚

Out now! bit.ly/4mLwQSw

Ghost story vibes & feminist journey: “Haint Blue” in VOICES LIKE THESE from @story-forge.bsky.social When you work in a haunted house, the fake monsters are your family and real props open dimensional windows.
Voices Like These: A Short Story Anthology — StoryForge
StoryForge has published our first book! 20 short stories compiled into one anthology. Every story is a window to a different world. Which window will you open first?
bit.ly
tempestteapot.bsky.social
#octoberworldbuilders day 3

In the puppet vodes with permanent cities, thick clay brick walls to hold the heat in the night and cool during the day. For the Grand Ry, gathering grounds fill with felted wool tents passed down through the mother’s line.
tempestteapot.bsky.social
#octoberworldbuilders day 2

The descendants of the wizard-king have intermarried with the invaders. The new society centers around the Grand Ry who rules his conquered kingdoms or puppet vodes through his daughters. Try NOT to marry the Rya or you’ll end up dead.
kiraofthewind.com
#OctoberWorldbuilders
Week 1: Deserts
Day 1: Tell me the name of a desert in your world that you'll be talking about this week!

I have been debating which one I want to yap about! I think I'll talk about the Morenzal desert this time. It's on the Quarantined Plane, which I rarely get to talk about