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krakencollective.bsky.social
The Kraken Collective
@krakencollective.bsky.social
930 followers 29 following 170 posts
Collective of queer self-publishing authors putting out queer SFF!

krakencollectivebooks.com
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dnbryn.bsky.social
dnbryn.itch.io/how-to-flaun...
How to Flaunt Your Chains and Surrender a Vein by D. N. Bryn
PRE-ORDER
dnbryn.itch.io
May 7, 2025 at 12:20 PM
krakencollective.bsky.social
Look at the incredible cover Danny has for you today!!
dnbryn.bsky.social D. N. Bryn @dnbryn.bsky.social · May 7
COVER REVEAL?!!! 😍 I'm so excited to bring ya'll this amazing cover (illustrated by @thistlearts.bsky.social with titling by @houdabelgharbi.bsky.social).

The book comes out on May 22nd, with a release party happening at @lavenderbookshop.bsky.social on the 24th!

Ebook pre-order link below...
A reveal for the How to Flaunt Your Chains and Surrender a Vein cover (book four in the Guides For Date Vampires series) including the words "pre-order today" at the bottom. The cover shows two men in a workshop setting. One is of Indian heritage, and wears piratey clothing with pearl necklaces and earrings, and is flirtatiously wrapped in silver metal cords. The other is a lighter-skinned black man with his arms crossed, looking disapprovingly at the first man.
May 7, 2025 at 1:28 PM
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daxaeterna.ink
ICYMI: STARS AND SOIL is a 2024 #IndieInkAwards Finalist in 2 categories!

To celebrate, I've made a bundle on Itch along w the 2 books of mine that were Finalists last year! 3 fantasy books full of ownvoices disability & queer rep $7! DRM-free!

🌈📚💙🪐📚🌎🌈🚀💫
#QueerAdultSFF

itch.io/s/146604/dax...
Indie Ink Awards Finalist Past and Present. Itchio Celebration Sale! A LAKE OF FEATHERS AND MOONBEAMS. 2023 Indie Ink Awards Finalist. Writing the Future We Need: Trans and Non-Binary Representation. Shades and Silver. 2023 Indie Ink Awards Finalist: Writing the Future We Need: Disability Representation by A Disabled Author. Stars and Soil. 2024 Indie Ink Awards Finalist: Writing the Future We Need: Disability Representation by A Disabled Author. Writing the Future We Need; Gay or Lesbian Representation.
January 21, 2025 at 2:38 PM
krakencollective.bsky.social
The Indie Ink Awards finalists are officially up, and we have so many of them !! Thank you all for your votes and support, we wouldn't be there (again!) without you.

Let's make a short thread looking at them more closely <3

🌈📚
The Kraken Logo (a kraken holding a book in each tentacle) next to the Indie Ink Awards Emblem with "2024 Finalist" written next to it. Below are five books in a line. Awakenings by Claudie Arseneault. How to Bare Your Beck and Save a Wreck by D. N. Bryn, How to Bite Your Neighbor and Win a Wage by D. N. Bryn. Stars and Soil by Dax Murray. Yours Celestially by Al Hess.
January 22, 2025 at 1:04 AM
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daxaeterna.ink
#SelfPromotionSaturday

I am a queer, non-binary, sapphic author with disabilities who writes about queer, non-binary, sapphic characters with disabilities overthrowing oppressive regimes.

STARS AND SOIL is the perfect entry point for my on-going series.

books.daxmurray.com/stars-and-soil
Stars and Soil. A sapphic fantasy novel by dax murray. The prince demands Caitlin's hand, but an earl's daughter claims her heart. With power at court ever-shifting, rebellion roiling in the streets, and ancient evils lurking in the shadows, will Caitlin be a pawn or a queen in this dangerous game? An Indie Ink Award Nominee and a Reader's Favorite Five Star Book. Available Amazon, Apple, B&N, Kobo, Google Books, Fable, Itch, Smashwords and more. Revolution. Sapphic Romance. Court Intrigue. Epic Fantasy. Secret Spy Missions. Royal Rivals. Forbidden Magic. Queer Rep. Chronic Illness. Mental illness rep. Catgirls and Nyanbies. Unicorn-People. 30-Something FMC. Second Chance At Love. A queen plotting her own downfall. A king refusing to answer the call. A hidden plot to end it all.
January 18, 2025 at 9:56 PM
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clh2oars.bsky.social
💛🦑 STORIES FROM THE DEEP is now out into the world, and to celebrate, I set up a flash sale on itchio! May contain:

- queer found families
- fantasy road trip
- ocean adventures
- a sentient Wagon
- aro, ace, and nonbinary leads

itch.io/s/145629/sto...

🌈📚 💙📚 🌈🚀💫
An arrow points to Stories from the Deep and says "celebrate this guy's release!". Next to it are the covers for books 1-3, with the text "by buying these 3 for only $5!". Only on itchio
January 9, 2025 at 12:58 PM
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whistberry.bsky.social
Time for #AnIndieADay when I share self-pub/small press books that I love every day in January!

Today it's Mazarin Blues by @al-distortion.bsky.social

Hard-to-describe and totally surprising mix of mystery, thriller, dystopian nightmare, and more than one delightful LGBTQIA+ romance

#booksky
Mazarin Blues (Hep Cats of Boise #1)
A '21-22 SPSFC semifinalist Introvert Reed Rothwell is…
www.goodreads.com
January 9, 2025 at 3:28 PM
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daxaeterna.ink
My fantasy novel about savvy spies, rambunctious cat-folk, fiesty unicorn-people, and rebellious workers ending the monarchy—and being very queer while doing so—is on sale for just $0.99.

It's also go sapphic yearning. Did I mention the Sapphic Yearning?

books.daxmurray.com/stars-and-soil
Stars and Soil. Holiday Special! $0.99! Catgirl & Nyanbies. Unicorn-People. 30-Something FMC. Second Chance At Love. Queer Rep like WOAH. Disability Rep. Chronic Illness Rep. Mental Illness Rep. Revolution. Sapphic Romance. Court Intrigue. Epic Fantasy. Secret Spy Missions. Royal Rivals. Rivals-to-Lovers. Forbidden Magic. Caitlin knows she can't trust anyone, not even her allies. But can she trust her heart?
December 24, 2024 at 4:35 AM
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clh2oars.bsky.social
Stock up on books, grab a blanket, and settle down by the fire for a cozy reading time ❄️

Storybundle put together a great selection of Cozy Fantasy books for you to enjoy! It's PWYW, but if you hit $20, you get all 10 available books (including my own AWAKENINGS!)

storybundle.com/fantasy

#fantasy
10 book covers with the title "bundle up with 10 cozy fantasy books" and the inscription "all 10 for $20!" at the url storynbundle.com/fantasy The ten books are: The Season of Dragons by Tansy Rayner Roberts Good Neighbors by Stephanie Burgis Drinks and Sinkholes by S. Usher Evans A Spirited Engagement by Belinda Kroll Mouse's Folly by T. Thorn Coyle Baking Bad by Kim M. Watt Awakenings by Claudie Arseneault The Court and Castle Chansany by Charlotte E. English Once Upon Thyme by Celine Jeanjean The Thread that Binds by Cedar McCloud
December 17, 2024 at 4:04 PM
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daxaeterna.ink
You can also currently get all of them on Itchio in my holiday bundle! DRM-Free so you can use on any device and in any reading app!

itch.io/s/141133/sap...
A LAKE OF FEATHERS AND MOONBEAMS, SHADES AND SILVER, STARS AND SOIL, and SMOKE AND STEEL lined up against a background of snow drifts and falling snow. Itchio Holiday Sale - 4 Epic sapphic fantasy books! $8.99!
December 17, 2024 at 6:18 PM
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daxaeterna.ink
Looking for something sapphic and queer to read during your holiday flights / train rides / bus journeys? I have several fantasy books that might be for you!

read.daxmurray.com

🌈📚💙🧡🦄📚🚀💫
Shades and Silver Tales of Disability, Doubt, and Identity Scions and Shadows #0.5 Indie Ink Award Finalist 2023: Disability Representation by a Disabled Author The birthright of every Ástfríður is to know each metal in the earth, command it, bend it to their desires. To hear metal singing, some of it waiting just beneath the surface, so much of it deeper in the earth. If they wanted, they knew they could pluck that metal from the earth, melt it with a thought, and shape it as they pleased with a breath of air and their will. Each Ástfríður must choose which metal they would wear upon their heads, denoting the path they would walk. They craft beautiful horns to wear on their brow, forged with the metal they wish to identify with. But Britt does not know if they can choose the path they want, if they can overcome a past which has stolen their identity. The day has come for them to choose and they have no idea if they have any right to even try to. And Astrid has never felt the pull of the metal at all Wearing a forged circlet and horn, they try to navigate a world that they feel has rejected them, all the while fearing someone will learn their secret. The Veil of the Ástfríður has kept them hidden from the world and safe from intruders. Yet Britt and Astrid feel they are imposters in their own homes. The Veil Keeps Them Safe. Their Secrets Make Them Threats. books.daxmurray.com/shades-and-silver A LAKE OF FEATHERS AND MOONBEAMS An Epic Sapphic Fantasy Strange things can be said of the forest that spans the border of two kingdoms long at war. An evil sorcerer has made it his dominion, or an elegant enchantress has claimed it as her domain and grants wishes to those who chance upon her, or maybe the forest is guarded by an ancient and wrathful spirit. Katya calls the forest home, living a life of magic and charms with her partner Ivan. But a threat looms over their forest, some darkness and danger that Ivan swears to protect her from. Katya finds herself caught up in a web of grudges and deception spanning generations, but most dangerous of all is the beautiful princess who stumbled into their woods. A princess who sets Katya’s heart fluttering with both desire and fear. As forces rally to rescue the princess or go to war, Katya must take measure of her own powers and decide what she is willing to sacrifice. Will she retreat to the safety of what's familiar or give up everything she knows to spread her wings and fly? Will she betray her heart? Or will she learn to fly? books.daxmurray.com/feathers-and-moonbeams Available at most major retailers SMOKE AND STEEL An Epic Sapphic Fantasy Being one of the youngest of the Sua royals never stopped Saritrah from scheming to take the throne. But violent insurrectionists shattered those plans when they stormed the palace and decimated her family. In the years since, she has amassed an army and will return to claim her crown. However, Ashur, her one remaining sibling, has done the same, and she must act soon if she's to secure her prize before he snatches it from her claws. After Ashur razes the Temple of Yshuld, the surviving Seers promise her the power to ensure victory. But it will mean abandoning her legion to venture into the endless desert and locate a lost city. Soon, however, she suspects that none of the women are who they claim to be, even to each other. One woman cryptically alludes to a paradisical past; another awakens in the night plagued by dreams of a frightening future; the last woman never speaks. But the more she questions her new companions' motives, the more she must question her own. Is the Oracle's vision of calamity an omen of what will happen if she fails to claim her crown? Or a promise of what will come if she succeeds? She will have her crown. She will have her destiny. books.daxmurray.com/smoke-and-steel available at most major retailers Stars and Soil An Epic, Sapphic Fantasy The land is dying, commoners are protesting, and workers are revolting. The king is ailing, but the prince is not stepping in to quell the unrest. Caitlin doesn't care—she hasn't cared about anything since the day her world shattered and she lost everything. But fate intervenes to make her care, throwing first a rebellion leader and then the spoiled prince in her path, giving her the influence and power to rule the realm as queen or tear it all down from the inside. Caitlin would be more than happy to destroy the kingdom, but there's more to the story than the rebels know. Darker forces lurk behind the throne, and if Caitlin is to keep her head attached to her shoulders, she will need to learn more about court politics and ignore the fluttering of her heart whenever she sees a certain court lady. Caught in a web of deception and conspiracies—militant revolutionaries, cryptic priestesses, and a secretive lady-in-waiting with a ruthless family—Caitlin must unravel the truth of a long-hidden magical prophecy, or she will become yet another pawn of an enemy far more dangerous than a tyrannical king. An enemy that has been plotting in the shadows for centuries. And it has its sights set on making Caitlin into its weapon. The Time of Kings is Over. Revolution Rising. books.daxmurray.com/stars-and-soil Available at most major retailers.
December 17, 2024 at 5:37 PM
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clh2oars.bsky.social
THE CHRONICLES OF NEREZIA is my current main ongoing series, and is sort of … Queer Found Family Road Trip in a JRPG world? Except with more games?

claudiearseneault.com/nerezia/
Four book covers depicting changing landscapes, from red sand desert to lush mountain valley to sea side city to a beach with a golden kraken. They link up into one image
September 18, 2024 at 3:07 PM
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lyssachiavari.bsky.social
Deleting my dating apps so I can meet lesbians the old-fashioned way:

Helping a group of cheerleaders take down an alien invasion and discovering my own superpowers along the way 👽

www.lyssachiavari.com/books/cheerl...
The cover of Cheerleaders from Planet X
November 27, 2024 at 7:53 PM
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daxaeterna.ink
Re-boosting for the Wednesday crowd.

You can get 40-50% the retail price for paperbacks and hardcovers for my Sapphic / Queer epic fantasy books. Get one for yourself, get one for your friend, get one to offer to the dragon in exchange for safe passage through her territory on your quest.

🌈📚🦄🧡
daxaeterna.ink Dax, sapphic fantasy author @daxaeterna.ink · Nov 25
Are you looking to save money on paperbacks and hardcover copies?

I've set up links to purchase my books in physical copies basically at-cost via IngramSpark.

Hardcovers: $14.99 - $15.99

Paperbacks: $7.99 - $10.99

#BlackFriday #Books #Sapphic #LGBTQ #SFF

read.daxmurray.com/ingramspark
Save BIG when you buy direct from Ingram Spark. Hardcover: $15.99 or less. Paperback: $10.99 or less. read.daxmurray.com/ingramspark. background: pink and orange (yay lesbiansssss) desert background with my book ocvers super imposed over top.
November 27, 2024 at 3:31 PM
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clh2oars.bsky.social
We're getting ever closer to the release of STORIES FROM THE DEEP!

Introducing a whole ass kraken ✨🐙

The Chronicles of Nerezia is a series of high fantasy novellas with an all queer cast and no romance~ LOTS of board/card games though!

Perfect to sit down for a cozy even, links 👇
Preorder STORIES FROM THE DEEP! Tentacles of a golden kraken surrounding a whirlpool at the bottom of which stands a dark-skinned person. Text on the side says: Queer fantasy novella, aromantic, asexual, non-binary, found family road trip, beach episode, lore drop. The three covers from Nerezia novels, with additional information next to them. Awakenings (book 1) has found family road trip, quiet/loudmouth (platonic), aro, ace, and non-binary. Flooded Secrets (book 2) has snarky cat mom, bickering-to-friends, swarm of kittens!, and The Sea Spirit Festival (book 3) has Fantasy festival, underwater mysteries, and mysterious organization
November 27, 2024 at 10:52 PM
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clh2oars.bsky.social
A little overview of my three main series!

If you're new here, I write primarily queer fantasy with a focus on platonic relationships. I have more than these three, but they're good starting points!

claudiearseneault.com/my-books/

🌈📚 💙📚 #AspecAuthors
Three book covers with additional information underneath. City of Strife has High Fantasy, 15+ POV all queer, 100-135k words, Unrelenting idealism and platonic love in the face of cruelty. Baker Thief has Fantasy, Dual POV, 105k words, Québec-inspired, puns and romance tropes but platonic. Awakenings has High Fantasy, Single POV, 25k-30k words, queer found family road trip with games. All three of these are also marked as having "aromantic and asexual characters having adventures"
November 9, 2024 at 6:13 PM
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roannasylver.bsky.social
📚 I know everything is on fire, but it would mean the world to be nominated for the #IndieInkAwards, and I'm Eligible!

🧛 STAKE SAUCE: M/M, Grumpy Human/Sunshine Vampire fun

🧜‍♀️ MOON-BRIGHT TIDES: F/F Witch/Merm short story, darkly atmospheric, healing

💜 Nominate at indiestorygeek.com! THANK YOU!
Nominate STAKE SAUCE ARC 1: THE SECRET INGREDIENT IS LOVE. NO, REALLY Writing The Future We Need categories: Asexual or aromantic, non-binary or trans, neurodivergent representation by a neurodivergent author, disability rep by a disabled author Nominate MOON-BRIGHT TIDES for: Best Setting, and Writing The Future We Need for LGBTQ+ representation, neurodivergent representation by neurodivergent author, and mental health representation
November 12, 2024 at 7:45 PM
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dovelynnwriter.bsky.social
It is the season of novellas, so… hi! I have a couple you could use to help reach reading goals and the like.

Also personally I think they’re really fun, good stories you might enjoy.

They’ll get their own post in thread with links, but you can get them anywhere!
Three of S.L. Dove Cooper’s absolutely not cosy prose novellas: The Shimmering Prayer of Sûkiurâq: fantasy Courage Is the Price: SF Sweetness Bled and Brindled: fantasy
November 18, 2024 at 6:53 PM
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dovelynnwriter.bsky.social
Oh, it's awards eligibility season again, isn't it? I did stuff this year! Somehow.

Have a graphic and a small thread of info and links to the shinies for your consideration.
S.L. Dove Cooper 2024 Awards Eligibility Fiction (Novelette) Snow as Soft as Feathers (7874 words) Non-fiction (Short Form) Unto this all knights were sworn: Asexual and Aromantic Representation in Early Fantasy Series - Medium A Short And Very Incomplete List of Cosy SFF Titles: And some cool things it suggests about the genre - Medium Cosy SFF: A Comparison Of Definitions - Medium
November 2, 2024 at 9:25 AM
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daxaeterna.ink
I want to gush about your queer / lgbtqia+ fantasy, scifi, or horror book in my bi-weekly newsletter. Pick a date you would like your book promoted and fill out a quick form.

Trans, non binary, and sapphic authors (indie, small press, and trad!) especially encouraged to sign up ✨
daxaeterna.ink Dax, sapphic fantasy author @daxaeterna.ink · Nov 18
I am planning out the next year-ish of my newsletter & am looking for #queer #sffh books to promote & share! If you are an author of such books, please sign up for a spot!

My readers PARTICULARLY enjoy: sapphic, trans femme, & non-binary protagonists in high fantasy worlds.

calendly.com/daxaeterna
November 18, 2024 at 8:29 PM
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daxaeterna.ink
Before I had to bed, just a reminder that I have some, imho, pretty good sapphic fantasy books.

read.daxmurray.com
Dax Murray. Epic fantasy. Sapphic romance. Disability representation. Available at most major retailers. Read.daxmurray.com A row of books against a magical crystal ball background.
November 19, 2024 at 9:20 PM
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daxaeterna.ink
Time to get into more specifics about each of my recs! Starting with Fantasy, winding through Sci-Fi, and finishing strong with VAMPIRES. Books2Read links provided where I could find them! #AceWeek
Purple gradient background like the Asexual Pride flag with books grouped together into categories (Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Vampires). Ace Week Recommendations. Indie Author Edition. Fantasy: Riyati Rebirth. City of Strife. Party of Fools. Sweetness Bled and Brindled. Baker Thief. Awakenings. SciFi: Heart of the Covenant. Fourth World. The Handler's Gambit. Vampires; From the Dark We Came. How To Sell Your Blood and Fall in Love. Stake Sauce.
October 23, 2024 at 1:43 AM
krakencollective.bsky.social
58 hours and less than $250 USD to go !

I know we can get this funded before the deadline, and make SHADES AND SILVER into an audiobook.
booksthatburn.com Books That Burn @booksthatburn.com · Oct 23
Only two days left to fund the audiobook for Shades and Silver by Dax Murray!
Send me a screenshot of your Kickstarter receipt and I'll match it by upping my pledge (match stops when the project is funded).
#Disability #BookSky #QueerSFF @daxaeterna.bsky.social @krakencollective.bsky.social
💙📚🌈
SHADES AND SILVER: The Audiobook
SHADES AND SILVER, an anthology of fantasy stories about disability, unicorn-people, and belonging, brought to life by a human narrator
buff.ly
October 23, 2024 at 5:30 PM
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daxaeterna.ink
If you want amazing #AceWeek recommendations for sci fi and fantasy books, may I recommend the @krakencollective.bsky.social catelog? www.krakencollectivebooks.com/genre/asexual/
Asexual - The Kraken Collective
www.krakencollectivebooks.com
October 22, 2024 at 6:14 PM
krakencollective.bsky.social
Hey hey, we've passed 900!! How fast can we get it to $1000, you think?

Remember, if you pledge, you can send a screenshot to @booksthatburn.com to have them match the pledge!

🌈📚 💙📚
daxaeterna.ink Dax, sapphic fantasy author @daxaeterna.ink · Oct 21
Want to push back on AI taking narrators jobs? Want to help a disabled, queer indie author make their fantasy book more accessible w an audiobook?

Please back the Kickstarter for SHADES & SILVER today & get your pledge MATCHED by @booksthatburn.com

www.kickstarter.com/projects/dax...
ENDING SOON. Kickstarter. SHADES AND SILVER by DAX MURRAY. THE AUDIOBOOK. Send a screenshot of your pledge to booksthatburn@yahoo.com and let them know on BlueSky DMS! Queer Tales of Disability, Doubt, and Identity. SHADES AND SILVER: Audiobook. Narrated by Kyle Rocco East. A protrait of Kyle Rocco East is on the left. KRE has their head resting on the back of the hand, looking at the camera with a slight smile. They are wearing a cut-off flannel vest and their hair is messy/wavey. On the right is a mock up of an ipad and an iphone, each displaying the cover of SHADES AND SILVER with headphones and ear buds around them. In the center is a honey-comb hexegon shaped badge that reads "WRITE HIVE INDIE INK AWARDS 2023 Finalist." On the left is a hegegon shaped honeycomb pattern badge that says WRITEHIVE Indie Ink Awards: 2023 Finalist. In the center in an ipad displaying the cover for SHADES AND SILVER. Text: SHADES AND SILVER: Writing the Future We Need: Best Disability Representation by a Disabled Author."
October 22, 2024 at 6:21 PM