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Shannon Ives

@thestickwitch

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Flatlander writing from the VT woods.
next: WE HAVE RUINED EACH OTHER WITH OUR LOVE 🌾
out now: THOSE FATAL FLOWERS 🥀
rep’d by @agentbakerbooks

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𝒽𝒾, 𝓉𝒽𝑒𝓇𝑒!

for those of you who are new here or don’t know me very well, i’m shannon ives!

i’m a horror & historical fantasy writer scribbling away in the deep, dark woods of vermont. i write about montrous women (sometimes literal, sometimes figurative).

the main character in my debut novel, those fatal flowers, is a literally a siren (wings and talons, no sexy mermaids here). meanwhile, the main character in my upcoming novel might be human, but her heart is very much monstrous…

i studied anthropology and latin in college, and filled up my schedule with as many classes on mythology, magic, and the ancient world that i could find (including one on human & animal sacrifices, which is, uh, relevant to most my work. hmmm what does that say about me, i wonder?)

if you’re looking for more writing friends to obsess over robert eggers films, women’s wrongs, and “good for her” moments with, i’m your girl!

nice to meet y’all 🥀

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#writings #writersofinstagram #horrorwriter by @thestickwitch

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2 months ago

PM official, baby!!! I can finally talk about how my weirdo little lovecraft on the prairie book has found a home at @pagestreethorror under the incredible eye of @alexandrawallie 🥹🌾🩸

this one is for the folks who were obsessed with Oregon Trail, the Donner party, the Kirsten American Girl Doll, and Little House on the Prairie as kids (did anyone else build sod houses for their Barbies and then play out their funerals when disaster inevitably struck, or was that just me?).

Can’t wait for you all to venture back to 1866 with me to meet (and hopefully survive) Della Halloran ✨ but, please, be warned—out on those rolling plains, the stars shine too brightly, the wind never stops whispering, and maybe, just maybe, something sleeps beneath the grasses 🌾🩸

#horrorwriter #2027debut #authorsofig by @thestickwitch

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2 months ago

𝒶 𝑔𝓊𝒾𝒹𝑒 𝓉𝑜 𝒯𝒽𝑜𝓈𝑒 𝐹𝒶𝓉𝒶𝓁 𝐹𝓁𝑜𝓌𝑒𝓇𝓈…

I’ve seen a few of these going around (be sure to check out both from @cate_baumer and @catandherwips !!) and wanted to make one for Those Fatal Flowers 🥀

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#writings #writersofinstagram #writing #prose #writer #writingcommunity #debutauthor #debutauthors by @thestickwitch

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2 years ago

WE HAVE RUINED EACH OTHER WITH OUR LOVE is taking its first steps into the world for blurbs, which feels just as surreal this time around as it did for THOSE FATAL FLOWERS. wdym authors I deeply respect and admire are reading my words?? absolutely wild.

anyway, in honor of that (and in memory of #favelinefriday from the old writing twitter days), here’s a paragraph that’s existed from the very first draft and holds a special place in my heart 🌾🩸 by @thestickwitch

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no matter the genre, I’m a simple woman who loves to write yearning ✨

if you're a reader who loves...
🥀 the sapphic longing in films like PORTRAIT OF A LADY ON FIRE and AMMONITE
🥀 mythology retellings centering female voices like Madeline Miller and Jennifer Saint
🥀 love stories that occur across time and place like OUTLANDER

then Those Fatal Flowers might be your perfect next read ✨ by @thestickwitch

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2 days ago

When I was in high school, I was incredibly fortunate to have taken a class called Structure of the English Language that taught me grammar basics. I thought it might be helpful to share the little that I know for folks who would either like a refresher or who didn’t have the same opportunity to learn that I did.

Understanding how sentences are constructed and when to use certain punctuation can go a long way in helping produce cleaner drafts.

To quote my old English teacher, every sentence can be boiled down to basic parts. All else is window dressing...

the examples used in this post come from A FARE WORSE THAN DROWNING, @slhawthorn's best selling debut. If it's not on your TBR yet, what are you waiting for? go on! go add it now, then come back here to learn about commas! 🌊

#writingtips by @thestickwitch

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3 days ago

it’s the perfect rainy October morning, and I’m in my feelings so here’s a little line from We Have Ruined Each Other With Our Love 🌾 by @thestickwitch

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4 days ago

if you’ve been craving a story in the vein of Saltburn x The Haunting of Bly Manor featuring:

🖤 “is the house haunted or is it me?”
⛲ obsession that turns into madness
🖤 toxic relationships
⛲ spooky garden

then look no further than @_lizpinto’s incredible Melbourgh Manor. You can pre-order your hardcover and paperback copies through The Crow Shoppe. If ebooks are more your jam, they’re available for pre-order on Amazon.

Be sure to follow Liz and @quillandcrowpublishinghouse for more updates! ✨ and how beautiful is this cover?? Absolutely stunning, @faylane14 😍

𝔪𝔢𝔩𝔟𝔬𝔲𝔯𝔤𝔥 𝔪𝔞𝔫𝔬𝔯… 🏚️🥀

The wife of Melbourgh Manor’s heir is missing. Only the butler knows what happened...

When a young Theodore (Theo) Ashford is hired as a footman for the Melbourgh family, he is eager to please. He happily disappears in the manor’s many busy rooms and hallways, doing menial tasks for its wealthy residents. But then he meets Joseph, the charming and elusive heir to the estate. Their relationship quickly becomes toxic—and deadly.

Fast forward a few years: Theo is now the butler, and Joseph is head of the house. Everything is falling into place, one piece at a time...until Rachel, Joseph’s new wife, arrives. When she mysteriously goes missing, the manor falls into disrepair, Joseph hides away in his bedroom, and something is lurking the manor’s halls and gardens at night. As much as he’d rather forget what happened, Theo is forced to confront his past and the man he’s promised to protect.

Will Theo let the manor’s past consume him? Or will he become its greatest monster? by @thestickwitch

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10 days ago

𝔞 𝔴𝔯𝔦𝔱𝔢𝔯'𝔰 𝔤𝔲𝔦𝔡𝔢 𝔱𝔬 𝔟𝔞𝔰𝔦𝔠 𝔤𝔯𝔞𝔪𝔪𝔞𝔯...

When I was in high school, I was incredibly fortunate to have taken a class called Structure of the English Language that taught me grammar basics. I thought it might be helpful to share the little that I know for folks who would either like a refresher or who didn’t have the same opportunity to learn that I did.

Understanding how sentences are constructed and when to use certain punctuation can go a long way in helping produce cleaner drafts.

To quote my old English teacher, every sentence can be boiled down to basic parts. All else is window dressing...

the examples used in this post come from THE FACELESS THING WE ADORE, @stopithester's absolutely fantastic, Stoker-nominated debut. If you haven't read it yet, what are you waiting for??

#writingtips by @thestickwitch

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11 days ago

writing with a family and a full time job was never an easy thing to juggle, but as of last week, the security of that full time job is no longer, and friends, the anxiety around re-entering THIS job market is… high, to say the least.

sometimes old things have to burn so something new can bloom in its wake, and i guess this is me manifesting.

🕯️✨ by @thestickwitch

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12 days ago

EVEN MORE book recs featuring bisexual characters! if you’re looking for books with bi representation, preorder these debuts coming out in 2027! happy bi visibility day and month 🩷💜💙 read queer all year!

PART TWO:
🩷💜💙 DELICIOUS MINDS by @authorthealiu
🩷💜💙 BLOOD OF QUEENS by @maceylevington
🩷💜💙 THE KIDS ARE NOT OKAY by @c_murphy_writes
🩷💜💙 BLOODBATH AT VAMPCON by @melofsometrades
🩷💜💙 WE HAVE RUINED EACH OTHER WITH OUR LOVE by @thestickwitch

🏷️: #2027debuts #debutauthors #debutbooks #bisexual #queer Book recs from 2027 debuts for Bisexual Visibility Day: Part Two
Bi flag colors of blue, purple, and pink overlay an image of open books with baby’s breath between the pages by @thestickwitch

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21 days ago

October is right around the corner which means it’s almost time for horror-themed movie nights! So here is Part 1 of pick a horror movie, get a 2027 debut book rec! 💀👻

If you picked…
Crimson Peak then you get THE LEGACY OF POE by @demri_18

If you picked…
The Wind then you get WE HAVE RUINED EACH OTHER WITH OUR LOVE by @thestickwitch

If you picked…
CAM then you get TROPHIES by @heidizuva

If you picked…
I Saw The TV Glow then you get THE NORMAL MONSTER CLUB by @bwinterose

If you picked…
The ‘Burbs then you get NOBODY PANIC! by @cjvickauthor

What did you pick? 👀

Follow each author for exciting updates & stay tuned for more horror movie/debut book recs! 👀

🏷️: #horror #movies #books #bookrecs #halloween Skull background with text that says:
Pick a horror movie
Get a 2027 debut book rec
Part 1
Imagery of 5 movie posters including Crimson Peak, The Wind, CAM, The ‘Burbs, I Saw the TV glow by @thestickwitch

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22 days ago