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Caitlyn Shepherd | NYC

@cm_shepherd

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📖neurospicy genre-blend author
❤️‍🔥certified romantic angst addict
🔮querying: THE DEAD & DIVINE
✍🏻wip: project alexandria🏛️ & project panic🪽
🚫AI

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updated works in progress ❤️‍🔥✨📖

So excited to share an updated WIP list (and I’m absolutely obsessed with this aesthetic) 😍

Here’s the current lineup ⬇️

🥀 THE DEAD AND DIVINE: historical & urban fantasy, dark romance, mystery; querying
🏛️ PROJECT ALEXANDRIA: alternate history, light dystopian, romance, dark academia
🎰 PROJECT PANIC: paranormal romance & urban fantasy
🗡️ PROJECT IMMORTAL: historical & urban romantasy

and I’m looking forward to sharing more about them 👀
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#writersofinstagram #writingcommunity #writergram #bookstagram #worksinprogress | wip, writing, writer, books, bookish, booktok, reading, fantasy, historical, romance, dystopian, paranormal, tbr, draft my, querying by @cm_shepherd

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24 days ago

about the author! ✨

AKA me: CM (Caitlyn) Shepherd! I’m a neurospicy genre-blending author determined to make my dreams of being a trad published author come true! I share juicy details of my writing journey, the ups and downs of the publishing process, and general tomfoolery 🤭

This community is so special and I love seeing what everyone is up to 😎
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#aboutme #writingcommunity #writersofinstagram #authorsofinstagram #writing | writergram, booktok, bookstagram, bookish, books, writer, community, fun facts, fantasy, romance, dystopian, alternate history, wip taken in New York, New York by @cm_shepherd

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15 days ago

an agent’s guide to “The Dead and Divine” for @joypit_pitch_event ❤️‍🔥♟️🥀

THE PITCH:
“The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue” meets “Tell Me Lies” in this genre-blending dark fantasy that weaves together history and romance, featuring two immortals locked in a centuries-long game of deadly fate bound to end an eternal damnation.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Hi! I’m Caitlyn (CM) Shepherd, higher education professional and PhD student by day & genre-blending dark fantasy writer by night. I’ve been writing since I was a little kid, and am so excited to be sharing “The Dead and Divine”, a combination of all the things I love to read.

THE STATS:
“The Dead and Divine” is complete at 119k words, and is about to go into the query trenches! If any agents are interested in learning more, all relevant materials are available upon request ✨

#pitch #joypitaromance #joypitadarkfantasy #joypitafantasy #joypitahistorical | mystery, genre-blending, pitch event, agents guide, fantasy, dark romance, author, aspiring author, writing, writing community, writer by @cm_shepherd

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3 months ago

I have a 4-day weekend so I’m LOCKING IN to write 10k on project panic! 👠🎰🖤🪽

I’ve had this planned (I’m saying planned in the most loose possible sense) for a few weeks, so here’s how I’ve been subtly (and not so subtly) preparing! 🧠👀🎧

I love a good writing sprint to keep me on track and motivated! The goal: add 10k new words on PROJECT PANIC before Monday at midnight ✍🏻⏰

Check back next week to see the results! ✨
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#writingcommunity #writinginspiration #writingsprint #writersofinstagram authorsofinstagram | paranormal romance, fallen angels, Las Vegas, research, writing a book, drafting, novels, fiction, books, writer, author, aspiring author, books, bookish, bookstagram, booktok, writergram, reading by @cm_shepherd

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12 hours ago

THE DEAD AND DIVINE updated guide ✨

This took me SO LONG but with a fancy new word count comes a fancy new guide! I cannot wait to get this book into reader’s hands one day; I hope you all love this wild ride as much as I do 🥹

THE DEAD AND DIVINE is a genre-blending adult fantasy with elements of mystery and dark romance, featuring six centuries of history, two toxic immortals, and one epic mystery that is bound to end in tragedy.

Now querying! 🤭

Art by @sera.k.wren & @_luxciia 💖
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#writingcommunity #writersofinstagram #writergram #agentsguide #readersguide | fantasy, romance, mystery, historical, a guide, writing, writers, writer, reading, reader, bookstagram, bookish, books, author, aspiring author by @cm_shepherd

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2 days ago

starting the week off strong! 💪🏻

May you achieve all your hopes, goals, and wildest dreams ✨ and you better support other authors along the way 👆🏻this community is magical!
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#writinginspiration #motivation #writingcommunity #writersofinstagram #authorsofinstagram | writergram, writertok, booktok, bookstagram, books, bookish, writing, weiter, author, aspiring author by @cm_shepherd

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4 days ago

hey I wrote a book. 👀‼️🤯

I saw people posting this on their Instagram story from threads and idk if I’m even doing the trend right but it’s all fun and games here! (Just games when Osiris-my main male character-is around) 😶

Art by @_luxciia and @sera.k.wren ❤️‍🔥

THE DEAD AND DIVINE ⬇️
🔮genre-blending adult fantasy with elements of mystery and dark romance
✨complete at 105k, querying
✌🏻dual timeline + dual pov
🏺spans six centuries of history w/ fantasy elements based on real ancient cult
❤️‍🩹heaps of romantic angst, spice, and reverse tropes
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#writingcommunity #writersofinstagram #writergram #fantasybooks #queryingauthors | writer, writing, booktok, books, bookish, book trends, writing trends, book writing, dark romance, historical, mystery, historical fantasy by @cm_shepherd

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7 days ago

I SURVIVED THE CUT ✂️

I’m gonna get a t-shirt saying I survived to commemorate it. But seriously wow what a whirlwind week this was ‼️

FIFTEEN THOUSAND WORDS. GONE. and the story feels much stronger for it (hopefully the new readers feel the same!) BUT I honestly could not have done this without taking a full step back from this manuscript for a long (for me lol) period of time. Reiterating that breaks are good and necessary!!!! 😄

Distance not only makes the heart grow fonder (bc I freaking LOVE this story) but it makes the backspace button much less scary (and boy, was she was USED). 😏

So here I am, spilling the tea on how I accomplished such a huge slash in my word count when I really thought (clearly naively lol) that I was done! 😅

I’m also (very tentatively) feeling more optimistic about re-entering the query trenches with a much more acceptable word count for debuts! Though I still have MANY with my former word count outstanding. 🤞🏻

Sorry for the long caption and if you made it this far then ily 🥹🫶🏻 and comment your fave fruit so I know who made it this far 🍌😂
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#writergram #writingcommunity #writersofinstagram #authorcommunity #editingabook | editing, fiction, drafting, querying, writing, writer, aspiring writer, aspiring author, word count, genre, fantasy, romance, historical, mystery, genre-blend, example, writing inspiration, craft by @cm_shepherd

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9 days ago

THE DEAD AND DIVINE: yearning edition 😮‍💨🤤

The people have spoken! Since the poll was almost tied between “yearning” and “zero context foreshadowing” here’s a bit of both! I hope you enjoy ❤️‍🔥

🥀 THE DEAD AND DIVINE is a genre-blending fusion of historical and urban fantasy, mystery, and dark romance about a woman who accidentally becomes immortal, forcing her into a centuries long conflict with a charismatic demon that is bound to end in their eternal damnation.

Art by @_luxciia 💖
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#writingcommunity #writersofinstagram #authorsofinstagram #author #fantasy | writing a book, writer, aspiring author, dark fantasy, dark romance, historical, mystery, genre blend, novel, bookstagram, booktok, writergram by @cm_shepherd

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13 days ago

a day in my life ✨

I thought it would be fun to share lil peek into my life as a girlie who is juggling a 9-5 in higher ed, PhD coursework, and multiple stages of the writing process 🤓

What does a day in your life look like? 💭
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#writingcommunityً #writersofinstagram #writergram #authorsoninstagram #bookstagram | writer, writing, drafting, editing, querying, day in the life, PhD, books, tbr, reading, reader, booktok, aspiring author, author taken in New York City by @cm_shepherd

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20 days ago

a little midweek motivation ✨

I’ve been appreciating seeing these on my feed lately so I wanted to share some motivations I tell myself when things feel really icky and hard 🫶🏻

The process of being an author is an emotional rollercoaster, but I’m not letting the steep nosedives keep me from creating. What goes down must come up eventually! 🎢
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#writingcommunity #writersofinstagram #writinginspiration #authorsofinstagram #aspiringauthor | author, writer, inspiration, quotes, drafting, editing, queuing, author, tbr, bookstagram, bookish, booktok by @cm_shepherd

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22 days ago