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Haley Patricia @haleypatricia.bsky.social · 13d

Opening to Roses 🥀🪦

Chapter One
(The Past: After Death)
In less than one month, three of us will burn again.
Literally. Flames on skin, smoke clogging lungs. Real pleasant stuff.
I still don’t know who lit the match that ended our lives or why it’s supposed to happen again. And I doubt I ever will.
Only one will survive, and no bets are on my train wreck ass. Unless I fix what my rage fire burnt.
Ha. Yeah, right. The wall next to my bed has a whole goddamn hole leftover from my last explosion. My hand trembles as I tease it with my fingertip. I laugh, but nearly choke on a sob anyway. If you googled “person most likely to set their life on fire.” Yeah, I’m your girl.
I wasn’t always this way. Not before Mom died.
Okay, I guess that’s not really true. My temper has always been warm, but it wasn’t until I joined the land of the dead that I realized it had gotten hot enough to burn my life down.
I guess I should be grateful I’m even getting a second chance after all the crap I pulled. No, I’m not a ghost. I’m not alive either, not in any real way. And, let’s be real: I’ll never come back to life. But what’s the point of a second chance when it means losing the only people you care about?
Not that I have to worry. Because the fires inside me don’t linger. They ignite, burning everyone in my vicinity to ashes before I have the chance to put them out.
Want proof? Fine. Let’s rewind.
To the night I burned everything down.

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Haley Patricia @haleypatricia.bsky.social · Aug 19

Lola Montgomery From my book The Naughty List #LoreOutLoud 🎅🏻🎁

“Yeah, I’m excited for your party, Con,” I say. “Should be a fun time.”
“Me too.” Connor grins. “My parents will be gone, so we can drink the night away, baby. You’re all invited. Oh, except Lola.” He smirks.
“Geez.” Lola puts on a smile that doesn’t quite reach her eyes. “Way to make a girl feel special, Connor. Just make out with me, why don’t you? Since apparently treating me like dog shit isn’t enough.”
“You’d like that, wouldn’t you?” he fires back. “My tongue down your throat.”
Lola freezes for a second, then forces a laugh before sticking her finger down her throat and releasing a loud gag. “You wish. I’d rather kiss a frog. And besides.” She leans back in her chair, smirking. “All the girls say you kiss like a slug.”
“Right, I forgot.” Connor smirks back at her. “You only kiss girls. You know that’s a sin, right? Santa’s definitely putting your ass on the naughty list this year.”
The rest of our friends howl with laughter. I start to laugh too, not because I want to, but because I have to. But then I see the frown on Lola’s face. I stop immediately, my mind flashing back to the day she and I practiced kissing in her room. But it didn’t mean anything. She was just showing me how, so I was prepared when a boy tried to kiss me. Don’t get me wrong, kissing that boy at Connor’s last party was hot and all, but he wasn’t as gentle with me as Lola was.
Lola ignores Connor, her cheeks growing bright red as she glances toward the window, tossing her dark, straight hair behind her shoulder. “You know nothing, asshole,” she murmurs.
Lola treats bullying like it’s a crime. Like she promised someone she has to speak up. I’ve always wondered why it bothers her so much. She doesn’t know Lindi the way I do. Whenever I ask her about it, she always changes the subject.
I should say something in her defense, I know that. She is my best friend. But the words get caught in my throat.
“You’re just jealous because the girls like me better than you,” Lola tells Connor.

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Haley Patricia @haleypatricia.bsky.social · Aug 19

This snippet doesn’t have the exact word but is inspired by it. Trigger warning for an aftermath of SA.

Lainey just stares at me for a moment, like she’s trying to decide whether or not to call me out on my crap. Like she’s wondering how much pain I’ll let her see. The ache in my stomach subsides, and it grows warm and fuzzy.
“You’re crying,” Lainey says gently. “You wanna tell me what happened? Who do I need to kill?”
I release an ugly, choked up, laugh. “No one.” I turn my head away from her because I can’t look at her when I’m like this. Part of me wishes she’d waited until I’d stopped crying to barge in here, but the other part doesn’t want her to leave. I haven’t felt this safe in a long time.
But if she stays long enough she’ll see that I’m no more put together that picture frame I smashed after mom died.
“Some guy.” I shake my head as if I can erase the memory from my mind like it’s an etch a sketch. “He touched me…And I didn’t want him to.”
Lainey’s face grows dark. “He what?”
I nod slowly. “But I didn’t stop him.”
“He should have known, though. Should have read your body language. I can always tell when someone I’m kissing isn’t into it.”
“Yeah, but he might not have. Maybe he thought I wanted it.”
Lainey shakes her head, her jaw clenched. “Absolutely the fuck not. You’re not going to blame yourself for this.” She jumps up from the bed. “Now who was the guy?” Her voice is low and dark. “Becasue I swear to god, I’ll kill him.”
“Don’t!” I sob, reaching for her. “Please. He’s going to hurt you too.”
“Okay, okay.” Lainey’s voice softens as she sits back down and takes my hand, tracing gentle circles over my palm. “I won’t force you if you’re not ready. But I’ll be here when you are.” Her jaw tightens. “And then I’ll kill the asshole.” She looks at me for confirmation and I nod, so she places a hand on my knee, so warm it almost burns my skin. “I’m so sorry this happened to you.”

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Reposted by Haley Patricia

Marina Lucas | Author @authormarinalucas.bsky.social · Aug 15

An agents guide to THE OTHER SIDE OF ETERNITY, my Gideon The Ninth meets Fable For The End of The World adult dark fantasy 🖤

Featuring:
🌗 Sapphic enemies to lovers
✨ Magic & monsters inspired by Appalachian folklore & Greek mythology
🌗 A ruthless patriarchy vs vengeful goddesses

#QueerPit #A

A title page on dark blue faded background

The pitch page on the same dark blue faded background with some arrow designs framing it

A comps page with photos of Gideon The Ninth and Fable For The End Of The World covers on the same dark blue faded background

A tropes and themes page on a dark blue faded background

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Haley Patricia @haleypatricia.bsky.social · Aug 16

Love!!

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Haley Patricia @haleypatricia.bsky.social · Aug 16

Alexandra is a fire who won’t burn out until she and her friends literally go up in flames. They have one month in the past as ghosts to fix the mistakes that lit the match & catch their killer. But someone’s rewriting history and only one of them can return to life. #PosterPit

In exactly one month, three of us will burn again.
Only one will survive, and no bets are on my train wreck ass.
Unless I fix what my fire burnt.

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Haley Patricia @haleypatricia.bsky.social · Aug 7

Aww thank you ❤️

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Haley Patricia @haleypatricia.bsky.social · Aug 6

When the US outlaws same-sex attraction due to rising infertility, Raya is sent to a conversion camp after her wristband monitor catches her staring at a girl too long. There, she meets a group of rebels and must decide if fighting the system is worth the risk. 🏳️‍🌈

#Questpit #YA

Rainbow flags with blue sky backgrounds. Two girls kissing.

Chapter One
My eyes are about to betray me.
I chew on my bottom lip until I taste metal, my gaze locked on Mrs. Jones, as she rambles on about The Genetic Drought. If my eyes even shift over to Liora Flowers, I’m a goner. Damn her for having such beautiful blue eyes and straight brown locks that look like they feel like silk.
But I guess I’ll never know. Because any sign of homosexuality will get me locked up at Camp Genesis. Hell to the no.
I roll my eyes as Mrs. Jones continues her lesson because I’ve heard this all before. Well, technically I looked it up on the Infonet, but whatever. I was bored during English, okay?
Long story short, there was an infertility crisis known as The Genetic Drought, and ever since then, America has never been the same, and it was all gay people’s fault, and blah, blah, blah.
Extremism at its finest, am I right?
I’ve always thought the whole banning same sex attraction altogether was a bit dramatic, but who am I to judge?
If I even think about voicing that aloud, I’ll be in cuffs by lunch.
“Back in The Unnatural Days, same sex attraction was still legalized, until 2041 when the government created the Repopulation Law outlawing it,” Mrs. Jones continues, spitting the words out like they’re poison. My chest grows tight and I sink into my chair.
If I had just been born a year earlier, I would have lived through a time where my attraction to girls wasn’t a crime. I would have been a baby, but still. Now it’s seventeen years later and nothing has changed.
Of course Mrs. Jones is talking about this today. It’s Repop day. The “anniversary” of the day they stripped away our rights.
The government needed someone to blame for birth rates tanking, so of course, they picked us. Claimed we were choosing a sinful lifestyle over our duty. As if birth rates weren’t decreasing for straight couples, too.

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Haley Patricia @haleypatricia.bsky.social · Jun 19

Here’s mine :)

“Come here.” Lainey places her phone on the dresser next to her. “Let me hold you for a bit. It’s okay.” She looks at Anna in the bed across from her. “She won’t see. She’s sleeping. I think all that crying tired her out.”
I stand still for a moment. I don’t want to just crawl back to her—not after the way she treated me.
But I really need a hug right now.
“Alright,” I rasp. Rubbing at my sore eyes, I crawl into bed beside Lainey and allow her to wrap her arms around me. I fall into her chest, Angel’s words echoing in my mind. It wasn’t an accident.
“Don’t think about it,” Lainey mumbles into my hair. “Just rest. We can talk about it tomorrow.”
Her fingers trace gentle circles on my back. I assume she’s trying to soothe me, but it doesn’t help. Because tomorrow doesn’t exist. At least not one where I’m alive. And what did Angel mean when he said that I was the fire? Trying to figure it out is making my head ache.
Lainey massages my hands, which helps a lot since they still ache from gripping the bat. But that’s nothing compared to the pain in my stomach. The memory of the shattered glass, Timothy’s pissed off face—it all makes me want to puke. I should have done what Anna always does—just swallowed my anger until it dissolved.
Then it hits me. I’m the reason we’re dead. My fire burned someone who was angry enough to burn back.
“It’s my fault,” I whisper. “Us dying was all my fault. That’s what Angel meant when he said I was the fire.”
Lainey goes quiet, holding her breath. Or maybe she’s not. Can we even breathe now that we’re dead? “What do you mean?” She runs her hands up and down my arms, sending tingles through my body. “It’s not like you started the fire.”
“Yeah, but I made someone pissed enough that they did,” I sob. Maybe that theory is far-fetched but what else could Angel have meant?
“Shh.” Lainey kisses my forehead. “I know. You’re scared and it hurts. But you can’t blame yourself.”
“I can when it’s my fault.”
“No.” She tilts my chin so my eyes meet …

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Haley Patricia @haleypatricia.bsky.social · Jun 4

Lainey and Alexandra 🏳️‍🌈

Lainey sits on her bed, chugging a metal flask.
“Please don’t tell me that’s what I think it is,” I say.
“Yes, it’s alcohol.” She shrugs. “So what? I need it.”
“No you don’t.” I rip it out of her hand harsher than I mean to. The flask still feels warm from her touch. “You’ve had enough. Your body is done with your bullshit and so am I. Why do you think you’ve been throwing up all evening?”
Lainey chuckles, not getting the hint that I’m being serious. But then a tear slides down her cheek, ripping off her mask.
“I’m sorry.” I brush some sweaty, tousled hair out of her face, feeling like an absolute ass for snapping at her when she needs help. “I didn’t mean to be an asshole. I just don’t want to see you drink yourself to death.”
“Trust me, I don’t either.” Lainey groans, leaning back onto her pillow as she wipes her tears away. “Ugh, I feel like I’m going to throw up again.” Clutching her stomach, she gags then swallows. “Never mind, I’m good.”
I never thought I’d see this day. Lainey is usually a bright light. But right now, she’s dim.
“You really want to know why I kissed that guy at Carter’s party?” she says after a moment of silence.
I cock an eyebrow. I’m torn between being over hearing about the situation and wanting to know. “Why?”
“Because he’s an asshole,” Lainey says. “And so am I. I’m good enough for him. But I’m not good enough for you. I don’t deserve you.”
“That’s not true.” If anything I’m the one who’s not good enough for Lainey. I thought that was why she kissed him.
“It is,” Lainey releases a sarcastic, bitter laugh. “And you know it. God, why do you even like me? I’ve treated you like shit.” She chews on her bottom lip. “I’m sorry.” Then she gags again. She rushes over to bathroom and I follow her, watching as she heaves into the toilet. I want to help in some way so I hold her curls back as she finishes. Once she’s done, she wipes her mouth on her sleeve, leans against the tub, and sobs.
“It’s okay.” I trace gentle circles on her back. “Yo…

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Haley Patricia @haleypatricia.bsky.social · Jun 4

#wipsnips word was wait!!

“Boo!” A tap on my shoulder makes me jump.
I whip around to see no one other than Sean Nicholson, wearing a yankees baseball cap and a smile.
“God, Sean.” I hold my hand to my heart. “You could have announced yourself.”
“Take a chill pill, will you?” Sean chuckles, nudging his black-skinned elbow against my winter-pailed arm. “Why you gotta be so…”
“Don’t say it,” I say.
“Touch-y,” Sean finishes.
“I am not,” I snap, even though I have no right when I was the one who was an asshole. My eyes shift to the blood soaked bandage wrapped around his hand. “Is your hand okay?”
“Eh, it’s all good.” Sean shrugs me off. “I’m tough, like the Hulk. Grrr.” He flexes his non-existent muscles, causing some passerby to stare. Sean just waves and smiles at them.
“Well, that’s good,” I say. “I’m glad you didn't pass out.”
Sean cracks up even though I’m being serious. “Nah. It’s all good. Like I said, I’m like the hulk. Plus, the nurse was super chill and gentle.”
“Alright then.” I can’t help but smile. “Oh, wait. Whatever happened to Bobby?”
“Oh, he’s in the Dean’s office right now, I assume getting a very stern talking to,” Sean says. “You know what they say, karma’s an asshole.”

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Haley Patricia @haleypatricia.bsky.social · May 23

Aww thank you!!

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Haley Patricia @haleypatricia.bsky.social · May 23

After being killed in a fire, Alexandra and her friends have one month in the past to solve their own murder and fix the mistakes that led to it. But history is being rewritten, and only one of them can come back to life. #WIPPit #YA

Changing the past isn’t so easy when a killer is rewriting history.
Sixteen-year-old Alexandra is a fire that won’t burn out. Her hot temper has always been the thing she’s hated the most about herself. But she never thought it would lead to her death.
A few weeks before Christmas, Alexandra, her siblings, and the girl she’s in a situationship with are accidentally killed in a fire. But death is just the beginning—they wake up in the afterlife and meet a man named Angel who delivers two shocking pieces of news: the bad decisions they made in their past lives have them on the road to hell, and the fire that killed them wasn’t an accident, it was murder.
Angel transports the teens back in time one month before the fire, so that they can change history, uncover their killer, and correct the mistakes that got them killed. But the past isn’t how Alexandra remembers it. The gaps in her memory suggest someone is tampering with the fabric of time. And when the teens discover that the killer has also been traveling through time, they become even more determined to catch them. The rule was supposed to be that if Alexandra and her friends succeeded they would get their lives back. If they failed, they were to return to the afterlife where they’d be erased from existence—forever. But there’s a twist: only one of them can come back to life.

Every year of my life, I celebrated my birthday, fully aware that it was the day I was born. And every year I passed my death date, with no knowledge that it was the anniversary of my passing.

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Haley Patricia @haleypatricia.bsky.social · May 18

Reposting my #WIPsnips post because there was an error.

Anna’s eyes shift to my bloody lip. “What the hell happened?” Her voice shakes with concern.
“I got jumped,” I rasp, tears welling up in my eyes. It’s not the physical pain, it’s the embarrassment. How did I let my fire burn so hot that I got beaten to a pulp like this? I’m supposed to be doing better.
“Oh my god.” Anna’s face falls. “Are you okay? Do you need ice? Some ointment? Are you hurt anywhere else?”
“I’m fine.” I hope my voice doesn’t sound too hoarse. I want her to stop, because if she asks any more questions I’ll really start to cry.
“I cleaned her up with some water, but she might need actual antiseptic,” Lainey tells Anna. “We should also probably bandage her up. I didn’t have anything on me.”
“Wait a minute,” I say, my focus elsewhere now. “I’m confused.”
“Why?” Lainey glances around.
I point to the building on the other side of the street. “Didn’t that house get rebuilt six months ago?”
Anna looks at Lainey. “Do you know if she hit her head?”
“No.” Aiden appears behind her. “She’s right. And look.” He pulls out his phone. “My phone says it’s November 2nd.”
“No, it’s November 8th ,” Anna corrects him, her lips curving into a frown. “I check the date every morning.”
“I know, I do too,” Aiden tells her. “That’s what’s weird about it.”
“Maybe something’s wrong with your phone.” Lainey pulls hers out of her pocket. “Wait.” She grows stiff. “It says it’s November 2nd of 2025.”
“What the hell?” My stomach drops as I take a look at her lock screen. It’s over a year before the fire. How did we travel this far back? This was never part of the plan. Unless Angel did it. I didn’t know he had this much power.

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Haley Patricia @haleypatricia.bsky.social · May 8

Prologue for afterlife #WIP

Prologue
(The Past: After Death)
Thursday, November 19, 2026, 6:30 a.m.

In exactly one month, I’ll be dead again.
Unless I fix what my fire burnt.
I put my phone on the dresser and hop out of bed. I pull a purple shirt out of my closet. Last time I wore green. Nothing can be the same.
Each footstep in the hallway makes the floorboards vibrate. Dad’s probably on his way downstairs to make breakfast. Last time, my sister Anna laughed at a stack of burnt toast. This time, I don’t think either of us will be laughing.
Dad can’t know what I’m planning. I have to make him believe that things are normal. That this is the first time we’ve ever lived through this day.
The bedroom door creaks open. Anna stands at the entrance, her natural curls looking as beautiful as ever. Last time she spent over an hour straightening her hair to impress everyone.
My eyes shift to her Band-Aid covered fingers. She’s been picking at her skin again. Anxiety followed her to her grave.
I feel like someone sewed my cheeks back to make me smile. But hopefully Anna’s convinced by it. “Don’t worry,” I try to reassure her. “We’re going to be okay.”
Anna nods slowly, but her eyes tell a different story. She doesn’t believe me.
I’m not sure why. This should be easy enough. We just have to make sure we don’t make the same choices we did last time.

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Haley Patricia @haleypatricia.bsky.social · May 7

Aww thank you!!

Haley Patricia @haleypatricia.bsky.social · May 7

Thank you so much!!

Haley Patricia @haleypatricia.bsky.social · May 7

After being killed in a fire, Alexandra and her friends have one month in the past to solve their own murder and fix the mistakes that led to it. But history is being rewritten, and only one of them can come back to life. #questpit #YA #WIP

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Haley Patricia @haleypatricia.bsky.social · Apr 19

Ahh thank you so much!

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Haley Patricia @haleypatricia.bsky.social · Apr 19

Thanks so much!!

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Haley Patricia @haleypatricia.bsky.social · Apr 19

Thank you so much!

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Haley Patricia @haleypatricia.bsky.social · Apr 19

When Alexandra and her friends die in a fire, they’re given one chance to go back, solve their own murder, and correct the past. But the timeline has changed, a killer is rewriting history, and dark forces want them dead for good. #posterpit

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Haley Patricia @haleypatricia.bsky.social · Apr 18

Pitch card for Roses are Dead! 🥀🪦

When Alexandra and her friends die in a fire, they’re given a second chance to go back in time, solve their own murder, and correct the mistakes that got them killed. But between a past that’s different than they remember it, a killer traveling through time, and dark forces that want to keep them in the afterlife forever, they’ll have to race against time, not only to save their lives but to stop a fate worse than death.

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Haley Patricia @haleypatricia.bsky.social · Apr 16

#WIPsnips word was fear

I’m sorry,” Alaina rasps into my shoulder. “I’m sorry you have to see me like this.”
“Don’t.” I gently trace my fingers over her bandaged knuckles. “Don’t do that.”
Alaina pulls back and looks me in the face, her eyes droopy. “You look so tired,” I say.
“I’m not,” Alaina says. “Can I kiss you?”
I nod, but I don’t lean in. She’s still bruised and I don’t want to hurt her.
I slowly lift my hand to her face, giving her a chance to pull away. But she doesn’t. I trace my fingers over the bruise on her cheek. When she leans into my hand, I know she’s ready for my mouth.
There’s nothing rough about the kiss. It’s slow, gentle, tender. Her lips tremble against mine, and I taste salt. Her mouth is wet, and I can’t tell if it’s from her tears or mine. Neither of us pull back, though.
Her hand slips to the back of my head, holding me there, like she needs the contact. I keep my hands on her cheeks, careful not to press down her bruise.
We breathe each other in, our lips brushing over and over like each other’s mouths are our oxygen.
I pull back for air, leaning my forehead against hers.
“Thank you,” Alaina breathes. “I needed that.”
I plant a soft kiss on her forehead. “I know. I did too.”

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Haley Patricia @haleypatricia.bsky.social · Apr 15

Today’s #WIPsnips prompt was fear. #writersky

“Sit,” I tell Alaina, rushing to the bathroom to grab a first aid kit. When I return she’s still standing, her eyes locked on the floor.
“Come on, Lainey.” I gently take her elbow and lead her over to my bed.
She finally obeys my order, wincing as she takes a seat on the edge. It’s strange seeing her like this, raw bloody knees, a split lip, and a dark bruise forming on her right cheek. But at the same time, I don’t think I’ve ever wanted to kiss her more baldy.
“I’m fine,” Alaina tries to reassure me, but it doesn’t work.
“Don’t do that,” I say. “Stop acting all tough. You got jumped Alaina. Nothing about that is okay.” My hands tremble as I shuffle around the first aid kit for some rubbing alcohol. When I get my hands on the person who hurt her, it will all be over for them. My blood starts to boil like a pot of hot water. I want to scream.
Alaina grips my wrist with bloody knuckles. “You’re shaking.”
“I’m fine.” I keep my eyes on the kit, refusing to look at her until I’ve calmed down. The last thing she needs right now is for me to have an outburst.
I pour the rubbing alcohol on a piece of gauze and rub it over her knee. She hisses and grabs onto my hand.
“Shit, sorry,” I whisper. “I’m trying to be gentle.” Those words feel foreign coming out of my mouth. Gentle is not a word anyone would use to describe me.
She grits her teeth. “I know you are.”
“Want to talk about what happened?” I ask, skipping the alcohol step for her other knee and placing bandages on both.
Alaina gives a head a slow shake. “Not right now.”

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