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b-a-pigeon · 3 days
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Every year I forget about trans rights readathon until it is basically over but if any of you are looking for recs... Hierarchy of the Unseen has two trans protagonists & was written by two trans people so it's basically quadruply trans if you think about it
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b-a-pigeon · 16 days
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Here's what I've been up to lately, other than moving!
Working (editing) a lot, but I think this big contract I started last month is actually a scam :')
Listening to audiobooks. In the past month-ish: half of Braiding Sweetgrass; The Unbroken and The Faithless; The Archive Undying; a few chapters of Eye of the World*
Not writing but thinking about writing. I'm not feeling ready to commit to any of the big projects (Heirloom or Rose Garden) but I'm still posting Heirloom vignettes monthly on Patreon and vaguely considering a Rose Garden prequel about elves (??) which would probably also be for Patreon
Also thinking a lot about rebranding/starting over/new pen name/etc. No real moves on that because I need to find time to write before I find time to worry about those things, but it is a goal for this year!
*Resisting the urge to give my opinions on all of these but I will say that audio is probably not the medium for Archive Undying and, controversially, Wheel of Time seems pretty derivative thus far, which is fine, because I would like to keep to my streak of not reading any Branderson Sanderson books
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b-a-pigeon · 16 days
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[ID: a book cover. it shows a golden lute against a black background, flanked by red foliage and shiny blue crystals. The text reads "The Spirit Well," "Lutesong Book Two," and "R.K. Ashwick." end ID]
One week until The Spirit Well release!!
If you want to read about Emry, Cal, and Aspen's next adventures but don't have the book funds, you're in luck! I still have free ARCs available.
If you want to get a sticker, a bookmark, personalized note from me, and an exclusive illustrated interview with Emry Karic (digital PDF), I still have pre-order gifts available!
I've also got a very exciting day-of event that I'll talk more about tomorrow. 😊
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b-a-pigeon · 16 days
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📣 Call for Beta Readers for Taker of the Third Path 📣
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Writeblr! I am super excited to announce that I'm looking for beta readers for Taker of the Third Path! If this is your first time hearing about the project, here's the synopsis:
Directed by the voice on the wind he calls god, traveling hedgewitch Linmiru settles in an abandoned inn at an ancient crossroads to watch for the next person to follow the overgrown “third path." Ton’s prophecy is deceptively simple: the fate of the world rests on Lin meeting the taker. But as the months drag on with this mysterious stranger nowhere in sight, Lin begins to form a connection with one of the inn’s guests that leaves him questioning his devotion to destiny… And when the taker finally does arrive, Linmiru must face the realization that nothing at the old crossroads has been as it seems.
Interested? Here's the details:
Word count: ~100k (split into two approximately equal sections)
Genres: queer romance (trans MLM), fantasy, potential tragedy
Themes and motifs: fate, grief, guilt and forgiveness, the past and the future, healing and redemption, revenge, love, circles and spirals, fate vs choice, names, ghosts, home, family, threads that connect vs threads that bind, journeys and return, power
Desired feedback: Broad strokes! Right now, I'm most interested in what works and what doesn't work about the story, specifically its plot and characters. Feedback about character development and dynamics, pacing, and clarity of concepts is what is most helpful to me. If accepted as a reader, I'll provide you with both a list of specific questions and a place to leave open ended feedback. Utilize either or both!
Beta period: Four to six weeks for each half, with some flexibility. Files and questionnaires for part 1 of the beta will be sent out in mid-April 2024; I anticipate sending out part 2 beginning of June 2024. If accepted as a reader I'll reach out to you in March to confirm your participation.
Content warnings: “Off-screen” child and sexual abuse; explicit, detailed, consensual sexual content; death; threats of violence; self harm; attempted suicide; manipulation; mild hallucinations; natural disasters; forced relocation; imperialist violence. If you would like to inquire about the presence of a specific trigger not mentioned here, please do so in the optional question at the end of the form, send me an ask or DM, or reach out to me via the email in the form.
Interest form here! By filling it out, you're not agreeing to beta for this project---simply indicating your interest to do so, so if you think you might want to do it but aren't totally sure you'll have time yet or etc, you're still more than welcome to submit!
Want to learn more about Taker of the Third Path? Read the full summary (under the cut), browse my taker of the third path tag, or check out a free preview on Patreon!
Linmiru Oddatma has spent the last ten years wandering. In accordance with the agreement they made the day he cast off his childhood name, Lin trusts that Ton, the Windblown, god of things caught in the wind, will lead him to the people who most need the help that he is best equipped to render. He fully intends to dedicate his life to this work. When he pictures his future, it is a spiral widening, taking him ever further from where he’s been before.
He never imagines that Ton will entrust him with a prophecy so powerful and profound that it will change the world.
Now Lin finds himself an innkeeper in the remote Kagognair Fastness, his wandering arrested by lonely days spent watching and waiting for the one who will next travel the overgrown third path outside his door. He does not know what will happen when they meet—but he does know that failing to do so carries deadly consequences.
Thankfully, he has a few distractions to help him pass his long days besides doing divinations to better understand Ton’s instructions. The faerie village of E'Dedga, situated in the adjacent valley, is more than eager to allow him to teach its cadre of magically gifted children. Lin is especially grateful to find Rukne, a boy increasingly alienated from his peers by his start-and-go magical development, among his students. The young faerie is exactly the type of person Lin longs to help the most. Rukne, more than anyone he's ever met, reminds him of the person he lost so long ago.
Naturally, Linmiru has visitors to the inn to entertain as well. His favorite is Olma, an aging wizard who spends her stays cracking jokes, smoking pipeweed, and regaling Lin with stories from her youth. 
But not all of Linmiru’s guests are quite so delightful. In fact, his most regular visitor is anything but.
Linmiru confirmed the day he first met Gent that he is not the taker of the third path—just as he confirmed his wish that the man never come back. Quiet, impenetrable, and with a name that is not a name at all, Gent returns to the Siffsarta with disturbing frequency. Whenever he's not holed up in his room or glaring at him in hateful silence, Gent insults Lin’s religion and interrogates his reasons for running the inn. Lin can handle a bit of rudeness, but Gent’s presence sets him on edge. He seems to want something from Lin; what it is, he has no idea.
But the worst thing about Gent isn’t the fact that he might be dangerous. It’s that, despite all reason, Linmiru is attracted to him.
As the wheel of the seasons turns, Lin learns more about Gent, about the faeries, and about the Fastness—a place of deep magic with a long and ancient history. In contrast, he understands less and less about the coming prophecy. Ton's answers to his questions are vague, cryptic, or absent entirely. Lin's frustration with his situation, with himself, and with his god only grows. He begins to feel—and Ton confirms—that there is something he's not quite seeing.
He doesn’t think Ton means Gent’s attraction to him, unnoticed by Lin until the instant before he first kissed him. Nor does he think Ton means the realization, deep into the nights he spends with Gent, that he is starting not to care about the prophecy. If he could get to the heart of what has brought Gent here, of what happened in his past, and help this man who is somehow more gentle with him than anyone has ever been, he wouldn't mind if the world as he knew it came to an end. Maybe then the dreams of his past that increasingly plague him would end, too.
As winter bears down—as Lin finds Rukne ostracized by the people of his village—as he learns the terrible meaning behind Gent's real name—as the past and the future run together, compressing into the present, Lin finds himself, at a critical moment, unable to move. The truth behind Ton’s prophecy is nothing like he ever expected.
If he doesn't want everything to end when he finally confronts the taker of the third path, Linmiru will have to be like a spiral, and turn away in the same movement that he turns back.
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b-a-pigeon · 16 days
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Finally finally FINALLY finished this spread for @fellamarsh and @b-a-pigeon character Kor from Hierarchy of the Unseen!! I love Kor so much, he made me laugh so hard, and I just find his motivations incredibly relatable.
If you haven't read HOTU, go read it it's so good. 💖
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b-a-pigeon · 30 days
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Hi! I have a minute to be online for the first time in forever, so here's a quick update. First of all - thank you for your generosity and kindness to everyone who reblogged my promo posts, purchased a book, sent money, etc. while I was stressing about housing! Thank you for your patience to everyone who has messaged me or tagged me in a post in the past month or two! I'm still working on getting back to people.
To follow up on my last personal post... the housemate who was harassing me abruptly moved out last month. After what I went through with them, though, I was just feeling so wary of introducing another unknown element into my life and household—and I was already so deep in the process of finding a new place—that I decided to move out, anyway. I move into my new place on Friday(!!??) It'll be a big change and a little bit of a financial risk given how wildly inconsistent my freelance income is from month to month, but I'm mostly excited about it!
In more blog-relevant news: I've been working on What From the Water Rises a lot recently; I'm still torn between Heirloom and Rose Garden as my next big solo project. Fell & I have some cool Hierarchy of the Unseen stuff coming up (though all of this has us a bit behind schedule on the sequel...) and I'm also very much looking forward to hyping up Fell's Taker of the Third Path, which is coming out later this year 😇
Definitely excited for things to start settling in the coming weeks so I can get back to writing, sharing thoughts about my writing with you all, and checking in on what you're all up to!! Thanks again for all of your patience & support at this very weird time.
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b-a-pigeon · 2 months
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Six months later: I have read all of the books and it was NOT all in my head!!
I'm reading Robin Hobb's Farseer books for the first time (I know) & I can't tell if the gay subtext is all in my head or not ??
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b-a-pigeon · 2 months
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A rare personal update: The last week or so has been a nightmare, and though the worst of it is definitely over, the fallout is that I'm (probably) moving in about six weeks.
To make a very long story short: a roommate who has historically harassed me, falsely accused me of crimes, called the cops on me, etc. (among many other, relatively minor boundary-crossing and passive-aggressive behaviors) has unexpectedly expressed their intent to re-sign the lease on our house this March.
So... fuck that! The likeliest outcome here is that I'm moving into a 1BR apartment this March. I'll be fine, probably, but this is very short notice given that I'm financially reliant on precarious freelance work, moving is expensive, and my rent might go up considerably.
At this point, I'm facing a lot of anxiety and uncertainty, not a concrete need; I'm not asking for donations now or hopefully ever. But, you know... if any writers out there are looking for a copy editor, line editor, proofreader, or sensitivity reader (or know someone who is), maybe consider hiring me!
If not, I also have books you can buy; Hierarchy of the Unseen ebooks are still on sale all month! You can also support me via Patreon or Ko-fi, or in all of those little ways that provide visibility to indie authors (if you've read my books: you can leave a review, post on social media, tell your friends...!)
Thank you all for all of the support you've provided me in the past, and any support you're wiling to offer in the present. I appreciate you all 🖤
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b-a-pigeon · 3 months
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Hierarchy of the Unseen e-books are $2.99 all month!
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Hierarchy of the Unseen is a character-driven fantasy about a devout demon hunter who isn't fully human and a lackluster demon who isn't quite committed to his role in the world. Reviewers have called it “immersive,” “complex,” and “page-turning” and compared it (too kindly!) to Ursula K. Le Guin, Octavia Butler, and Good Omens.
🌞 🌑 Read a full summary & grab your copy wherever you buy ebooks! 🌑 🌞
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b-a-pigeon · 3 months
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I am back from vacation but I have nothing interesting to say except that HotU is on sale all month :) I'm writing up more detailed posts to queue for later, but for now... ebooks are $2.99US! Great opportunity to finally check out this book I've been posting about for the past year, support some cool indie authors with no money, fulfill your 2024 resolution to read more books, etc.
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b-a-pigeon · 3 months
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It's not like this is a spectacularly original set of plot points or anything, so I don't really care, tbh. I often rework themes and plotlines from my previous work! I really just had not thought about it! Heirloom is a contemporary/urban fantasy about a psychic vampire hunter and Outside the Rose Garden is a secondary-world fantasy about a wizard who makes a deal with an angel to kill a prince so I was not thinking about them as being remotely similar
In 2024, I either need to focus on either Outside the Rose Garden or Heirloom, so I've been making little pro/con lists and experimenting with writing bits and pieces of both... and the more I consider it, the more I realize how weirdly similar these stories are! The tones/vibes/settings/etc. are all so distinct that I wasn't really thinking about it, but plot-wise, these are both stories about unlikable, neurotic trans people seeking (ill-advised) revenge for their siblings and staring (also ill-advised) relationships with mysterious nonhuman characters in the process....
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b-a-pigeon · 3 months
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In 2024, I either need to focus on either Outside the Rose Garden or Heirloom, so I've been making little pro/con lists and experimenting with writing bits and pieces of both... and the more I consider it, the more I realize how weirdly similar these stories are! The tones/vibes/settings/etc. are all so distinct that I wasn't really thinking about it, but plot-wise, these are both stories about unlikable, neurotic trans people seeking (ill-advised) revenge for their siblings and staring (also ill-advised) relationships with mysterious nonhuman characters in the process....
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b-a-pigeon · 3 months
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My Top Five Books of the Year
#5. Piranesi by Susanna Clarke
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The Beauty of the House is immeasurable; its Kindness infinite.
I absolutely adored this book. The visuals, the environment, the dreamy quality to it all... the slow unraveling of the mystery of the House and its inhabitants... the metaphysical themes... Piranesi was haunting and exquisite and I highly recommend it. 
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b-a-pigeon · 3 months
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Hierarchy of the Unseen by B. Pigeon & Fell A. Marsh
goodreads
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Demons and humans are locked in endless struggle. This is an intrinsic fact of nature. The demons believe their salvation lies in bleeding humanity of the life-force called light, while the humans are equally determined to defend it. Within the sprawling empire of Lu-nevet, the two sides have settled into an uneasy peace, employing less violent tactics. But this peace can only hold for so long. The state religion of Lukeira sends devout demon hunter Mitzli deep into the borderlands to bless the victims of demonic pranks. Once they arrive, however, they find unexpected signs of violence. They team up with irreligious hunter Veleiry to investigate—and the destruction the two uncover is an ominous sign of what’s to come. Meanwhile, shiftless demon Kor falls under the scrutiny of his vampiric commander, Mant—meaning he must actually do the work of tormenting humans, rather than taking credit from his now-ex-partner Yez. Slowly, he begins to realize that the demons’ strategy is shifting, and may be heading down a path he cannot follow. Mitzli and Kor will have to betray their respective factions if they want to put an end to the violence before it escalates. But the two of them, both outcasts among their own kind, are the only ones who know the truth. How can they protect the world if no one will listen?
Mod opinion: I hadn't heard of this book before and unfortunately fantasy books with a lot of world building rarely interest me, but if you like fantasy with lots of world building this sounds interesting.
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b-a-pigeon · 3 months
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Remembered that Fell and I had previously talked about making merch like, two years ago and just mocked up a bunch of fake mugs that were only funny to us on Canva and forgot about it
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b-a-pigeon · 3 months
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A very brief writing year in review:
Published Hierarchy of the Unseen
Wrote a ton of What From the Water Rises
Drafted 50k words of Outside the Rose Garden
Thought a lot of thoughts about Heirloom
A very brief list of 2024 plans:
New pen name!!??
Likely publishing either Rose Garden or Heirloom...
Merch & book boxes :)
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b-a-pigeon · 3 months
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Oh! And I should mention that I have like 20 physical copies of various books that I can sell for pretty cheap once the name on them is no longer accurate 😌 Reallyyy hoping to get the name change done sometime this winter or early spring, so hopefully it'll be soon-ish!
If you'd like to be notified of the book sale, I'll probably announce it first in the newsletter; you can sign up & also download a preview of Hierarchy of the Unseen (if you want) here!!
2024 is the year I change my pen name to something that's like... actually possible to Google & a little less silly!!
I'm dreading coming up with another name but very excited to feel like I'll have a fresh start :)
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