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Rachel Cruz

@rachelthereaderandwriter

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followers

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Reader & Writer
Fantasy & Horrormance
Editing: The Heart of the Castillo’s
Mood reader & STAYTINY
Anti-AI

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#authorvisibilityquest day 5

If you like…

💀Horror books that aren’t scary.
❤️Romance books with MMCs who yearn.
🗡️Fantasy books with high stakes.
😥Characters with anxiety and/or panic attacks.
💔Tropes like enemies to lovers.

Let be friends 😀

Follow to yap with me about new releases, bookish content, and my writing journey.

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#yafantasy #bookishcontent #newreleases

| Horrormance | Fantasy | Young Adult | Mental health rep | book news | authors | writing | Bookstagram | Booktok | Writers of Insta | TBR | Book recs | by @rachelthereaderandwriter

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a month ago

What you’ll find on my Insta:

I’m a reader, writer, and hype girl.

💜I love to talk about what I’m reading, hear about what others are reading, find books for my TBR, discover new releases, and recommend my favorite reads!

💜I also write and I love to talk with other writers about their books and journeys. My books are dark YA fantasies with a heap of magic and a dash of hope.

💜I love to hear you found a great book or you’ve discovered a new favorite author. I want to listen about your latest trip to the bookstore. I’m here to hype you up on your reading adventures! Anything fantastical, magical, and slightly creepy is fair game. (I also prefer my books to at least have some romance.)

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#bookstagrammer #yafiction #hypegirl

| Writers of Insta | Bookstagram | Booktok | Readers | Bookish | Writing community | Book recommendations | Book reviews | new releases | TBR | Gothic | young adult fantasy | horror | romance | Rachel Gillig | RM Gray | Rebecca Ross | Kelly Andrew | BK Borison | Vibes | Wednesday | Addams Family | ATEEZ | Stray Kids | Writing| WIP | by @rachelthereaderandwriter

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3 months ago

Welcome to my Edgar Allen Poe inspired YA Dark Fantasy novel, which I describe as Encanto + The Bachelorette, meets The-Tell Tale Heart. It’s full of poisonous plants, creeping cryptids, and mounting dread. Oh, and buckets of blood. (Did I mention that blood in real life makes me faint? I know, I know, then why am I writing dark fantasy! 🙈)

Currently a WIP, I hope to finish the first draft by late June or early July. After that, I’ll be deep into edits until I’m ready for beta-readers!

What level catches your eye?

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#writersofinsta #bookishcommuníty #wip #pitch

| Young Adult Dark Fantasy | Romance | Horror | Sentient House | Folklore | eldritch creatures | botanical horror | Family trauma | matriarch | magic | magical realism | Latino | TBR | Writing project | writers of Instagram | Bookstagram | Booktok | Pitch | Kelly Andrew | Skyla Arndt | by @rachelthereaderandwriter

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4 months ago

Feminine rage in horror and fantasy

I was going to post about something else today, but this topic just won’t leave my brain. It’s a theme I often look for in books to add to my TBR.

What is it? Basically, a woman’s response of anger when up against the patriarchy, gender inequality, and/or injustice.

Why is it used in movie and books? It’s a ‘safe’ yet rewarding use of anger. Plays out what could happen.

Why do I like it? Because I experience it. I think every woman does. And it’s satisfying to see it in books and on screen. It also makes for some interesting revenge plots.

Looking for recs? I’ve got some of my favorite book, TV, and movie recommendations, all with prime examples of feminine rage.

What’s a common theme you like to read about?

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I’m Rachel, a writer and avid reader of Fantasy & Horrormance. I talk too much about books and k- pop and I’m obsessed with matcha. If you feel a kinship with that, let’s be friends!

#femininerage #yafantasybooks #horrorbooksofinstagram

| Horror | Fantasy | New releases | TBR | Classics | Bookish | Need to read | Five Star reads | Booktok | Bookstagram | RM Gray | Emily Varga | Ava Reid | Autumn Krause | Jelly Andrew | Isabel Ibañez | Crystal Seitz | Hafsah Faizal | Holly Black | Skyla Arndt | Marissa Meyer | Hannah Nicole Maehrer | Kristin Ciccarelli | List | by @rachelthereaderandwriter

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12 hours ago

What I see vs. what I write

Let’s keep this one short and sweet. I need to edit and I keep procrastinating, wasting time on scrolling or creating content. Anyone else guilty of this? If you see me wasting time, tell me to get back to work! 😉

👀 some quotes from my WIP, The Heart of the Castillo’s along with what I saw when I wrote them.

What are you procrastinating on today? 😭

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I’m Rachel, a writer and avid reader of Fantasy & Horrormance. I talk too much about books and k- pop and I’m obsessed with matcha. If you feel a kinship with that, let’s be friends!

#writers #horrormance #quotes

| Fantasy | Young adult | Writer | Writergram | Authors of Insta | Booktok | Bookstagram | WIP | Project | Querying | Editing | Gothic | Sentient house | Curses | Matriarchy | Magic | Encanto | Edgar Allan Poe | Folklore | Central America | Literary Agent | by @rachelthereaderandwriter

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a day ago

It may not solve anything, but at least you’ll have a yummy drink to help get you through it 🤣

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I’m Rachel, a writer and avid reader of Fantasy & Horrormance. I talk too much about books and k- pop and I’m obsessed with matcha. If you feel a kinship with that, let’s be friends!

#seasonaldrinks #halloweendrink #bookish

| Bookish | Booktok | Bookstagram | Matcha | Fuel | Cute cup | Frankenstein’s monster drink | Young adult fantasy | Reel | Horrormance | by @rachelthereaderandwriter

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2 days ago

Looking for a completed duology or trilogy?

I’ve got you 😉

Here are my personal recs for completed duologies and trilogies I have read and loved! This is not an all inclusive list, but it does contain most of my faves.

Featuring:

Rebecca Ross, Marissa Meyer, Rachel Gillig, Hafsah Faizal, Ava Reid, RM Gray, Stephanie Garber, and Neal Schusterman. (And I know, I know, several of these have a companion novel or novella, but all are still considered duologies or trilogies even with the edition. Just more to love!)

PS- today is a day for trying new fonts 🤣

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I’m Rachel, an author and avid reader of Fantasy Horrormance. Follow me if you want to see more content about gothic reads, new releases, random k-pop references, and my writing journey. I love to talk about books!

| Book recs | Recommendations | Trilogy | Duology | Duet | Elements of Cadence | Letters of Wnxhantment | Gilded | The Shepard King | Sands of Arawiya | A Study in Drowning | Nightweaver | Renegades | Caraval | Arc of a Scythe | Bookish | Booktok | Bookstagram | #bookish #completedseries #youngadultfantasy by @rachelthereaderandwriter

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3 days ago

Aesthetics of my favorite MMCs

If I were giving out awards to all my favorite leading men in books I’ve read over the past two years, these would be my nominees.

In no particular order:

Lysander from The Gravewood- A vampire gang leader hiding out in an abandoned snow lodge. May be physically turning into a monster, but desperate to stay ‘human’.

Roman from Divine Rivals- Newspaper journalist who may or may not have feeling for his work rival. Follows her across the country, ‘for work’.

Titus from Starchaser- Eerie Prince turned pirate, he longs to be free of his chains, both metaphorical and physical.

Will from Nightweaver- Powerful bone-wielder with a penchant for growing flowers. There may be more than meets the eye here…

Rory from The Knight and the Moth- An ignoble knight who would do anything she asked. Lots of eyeliner.

Preston from A Study in Drowning- Studious literary student obsessed with taking down a famous author. Chain smoker and occasional drinker.

Peter from Your Blood, My Bones- A boy who just doesn’t stay dead. Total animal lover.

Elwood from Together We Rot- Young man whose parents may or may not run a cult. Obsessed with moths.

Torin from A Fire Endless- Commander turned leader of the Tamerlaine clan and husband to Sidra. Would do anything to keep his family and people safe.

Colton from The Whispering Dark- Student at an occult university. Through to have died as a child; he came back because he saw her.

See any we have in common? Drop your favorite MMC 👇 in the comments.

P.S.- should I do my favorite FMCs next?

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#characteraesthetic #youngadultfantasy #bookish

| Pinterest | Bookstagram | Bookish | Booktok | Awards for the best MMCs | Main male character | Horror | Fantasy | Kelly Andrew | Rebecca Ross | RM Gray | Rachel Gillig | Ava Reid | Skyla Arndt | Characters explained badly | Humorous | Bookshelf | Favorite authors | five star reads | by @rachelthereaderandwriter

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3 days ago

It is ok to DNF?

Obviously yes, you can DNF whatever you want! But as an anxious girlie, this can get more difficult.

I was reading a book early this week and I kept feeling like something was wrong with me. Why aren’t I clicking with it? Maybe it will get better? Am I in a reading slump? Am I sick?

These thoughts swirled around in my brain thinking I was the problem, when maybe it was just the book.

You don’t have to read or like every book.

So give yourself permission to DNF. And don’t be hard on yourself.

Happy Friday!

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#dnf #tbr #bookish

| Reader | did not finish | Paranormal Romance | New release | Booktok | Bookstagram | Bookish | Mental health | unlikable characters | mood reader | Young adult fantasy | Horror | to be read | Booksta | by @rachelthereaderandwriter

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7 days ago

✍️ Learn with me, as I edit my second full manuscript

I’m learning this as I go, but maybe some of what I’ve picked up could help you! I’m currently editing my second full manuscript, after writing one other and two partials.

✋You don’t have to go it alone- there is strength is asking for help or feedback

🖨️Physical editing over digital- I think better with something physically in front of me. Every mark of my pen helps me to improve my writing and it’s so satisfying!

📖Reading about writing- find a book that intrigues you! You can learn so much.

🧋Take breaks- you need to refill your creative well

🎉Celebrate the little things- small wins need to be emphasized too. Writing is hard, celebrate doing the thing!

👍Keep improving- staying still is stagnant. Every time you read about writing, write something new, edit your work, beta read, read a craft book, read a book for fun, you learn!

And if anyone hasn’t told you lately, you’re killin’ it!

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#writingjourney #authorsofinsta #writingadvice

| Reader | Writer | Bookish | Bookstagram | Booktok | Save the Cat | Craft books | manuscript | currently writing | editing | writers group | Discord | Authors | Writers | Horrormance | Young adult | K-Pop and books | BTS | motivation | by @rachelthereaderandwriter

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8 days ago

🧺Build your own Boo Basket🧺

Choose what you’d like to receive in a Boo Basket and get a bonus book rec at the end. I had some hard choices with these, like Reese’s vs. salt water taffy? I LOVE both!

Let me know what you got!

Y’all, I think I want a Jellycat… they are so cute! This all started because I wanted to include them in a post so I’d have an excuse to look at them. Does anyone have one? Are they super soft? Squishy? Weighted? Let me know!

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#fallbooks #spookyseasonreading #boobasket

| Book rec | Recommendation | Five star reads | TBR | Need to read | Bookstagram | Bookish | Booktok | Jellycat | Face mask | Halloween | Spooky | Young adult fantasy | Horror | Romance | Vampires | Gargoyles | Bigfoot | Cryptid | Rachel Gillig | Kelly Andrew | Erin A. Craig | Mallory Marlowe | by @rachelthereaderandwriter

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9 days ago

How I am improving my craft (aka writing)

*Cue Changbin dancing to Farming*

I’ve been thinking about how to become a better writer a lot lately. With two full manuscripts under my belt and two others half-finished, I can look back and definitely say I’ve grown, but there’s so much more I want to do.

With little funds and limited time, here are ways I have been improving.

📚Consuming books in my genre- I’m devouring any books that have a horror romance and bonus points if there is a sentient setting! Once I’m done with these edits, I hope to read Mexican Gothic, which has a similar setting to mine. I also want to read an Erin A Craig book as they are dripping in gothic atmospheric.

📝 Reading gothic poetry and stories- I really want to work on my prose and what better way than reading poetry! I’m particularly influenced by the American Gothic writers.

🎬Watching movies and shows- You mean watching movies and tv can help you become a better writer? Of course! I’m a few episodes in to Spooky in Love and the tension and yearning is palpable. It’s a masterclass in forbidden love. And I’m gearing up to watch Ready or Not, just hoping it isn’t too scary 🫣

⌨️Writing more- self explanatory, just do the thing!

📖Reading craft books- I purchased Save the Cat, the horror version. Can’t wait to dig in!

👥Talking to other writers- I am not in this alone! I have my writing discord and so many fabulous writing friends on Insta. They have been so helpful in tips and tricks of the trade. Plus it’s just fun to talk about books!

& taking breaks when I need it. While I’m still ‘farming’, I do still stop to refill my well when I need to. Long drives are helpful for me to regain ideas. Getting a good nights rest is key. And matcha always goes a long way 😉

Any tips or recs? Send them my way. Happy writing and reading!

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#writersofinstagram #thecraftofwriting #horrormance

| Young adult fantasy | Horrormance | Stray Kids | SKZ | Mexican Gothic | The Hacienda | House of Salt and Sorrows | House of Hollow | Edgar Allan Poe | The Raven | Tell Tale Heart | Spooky in Love | Knives Out | Writers or insta | Authors | Querying | by @rachelthereaderandwriter

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16 days ago