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sarah l. hawthorn (A FATE WORSE THAN DROWNING '26)

@slhawthorn.bsky.social

960 followers 430 following 610 posts

Haligonian SFFH writer / She/They / A FATE WORSE THAN DROWNING 🌊 (Sourcebooks 2026) / Maritime Cryptid / Hazel stan 🐈 / Rep: Larissa Melo Pienkowski at Azantian Literary Agency

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sarah l. hawthorn (A FATE WORSE THAN DROWNING '26) @slhawthorn.bsky.social · Nov 17

A FATE WORSE THAN DROWNING is my love letter to sisterhood, feminine rage, and revenge.

Ft. Faustian bargains, escaping 1860s patriarchy, the ghost of an island lighthouse keeper gutted by the young lady seeking shelter at his door, and the spiral of a sister's love warped with fear and power.
✍️

Publishers Marketplace Deal Report: Category Fiction - Debut from June 24, 2024.

"A FATE WORSE THAN DROWNING" by Sarah L. Hawthorn Imprint: Sourcebooks.

Sarah L. Hawthorn's A FATE WORSE THAN DROWNING, a queer historical speculative novel about a lighthouse keeper who leads sailors to their death as part of a devil's bargain to save her sister, but when a shipwrecked survivor washes ashore, breaking her deal with the devil and stealing her sister's heart, so is left with an impossible choice, to Jenna Jankowski at Sourcebooks, in a two-book deal, by Larissa Melo Pienkowski at Jill Grinberg Literary Management (world English). Rights: sam@jillgrinbergliterary.com

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sarah l. hawthorn (A FATE WORSE THAN DROWNING '26) @slhawthorn.bsky.social · 20h

Love food videos otherwise! Just please let me skip them sometimes without the algorithm going OH YOU HATE FOOD NOW, HUH at me 😭 it's not my fault my stomach is wired wrong and sometimes decides it's time for Everything To Be Very Bad for a while!!!!

sarah l. hawthorn (A FATE WORSE THAN DROWNING '26) @slhawthorn.bsky.social · 20h

As a girlie with nausea issues I want a "pretend food doesn't exist" setting on all apps where I can switch it on and scroll in peace to not get food reels mixed in with cute cats etc.

There are dozens of us 😔

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sarah l. hawthorn (A FATE WORSE THAN DROWNING '26) @slhawthorn.bsky.social · 1d

exCitement for yOur debut can be so Very funny because somE days I'm at my day-job or wRiting or playing with my cat and suddenly my brain'S like !!! remember hOw your childhood dreams are cOming true?? are you taking this in?? what it if goes wroNg??

what if it goes better than you'd ever hoped??😇

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sarah l. hawthorn (A FATE WORSE THAN DROWNING '26) @slhawthorn.bsky.social · 3d

Had a lovely time at a local used bookstore today called Fluffy Cat Books! Posted a little haul video over on the tictacs: www.tiktok.com/@slhawthorn/...

I'm still new to posting videos of myself BUT I'm happy with this one and even edited out at least half the ums! 🥰 📚👀 #booksky

Used Bookstore Haul!! I grabbed some local gems, a new horror I can't wait to read, and a reading journal (and bonus sticker!). All from a lovely store in Lower Sackville called Fluffy Cat Books! #Boo...

TikTok video by ✨ sarah l. hawthorn✨

www.tiktok.com

sarah l. hawthorn (A FATE WORSE THAN DROWNING '26) @slhawthorn.bsky.social · 9d

GORGEOUS OMG THOSE COLOURS!!

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Reposted by sarah l. hawthorn (A FATE WORSE THAN DROWNING '26)

Noelle Monét | ADD BOUND BY FURY ON GOODREADS @noellemonet.bsky.social · 9d

🦋𝓒𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓻 𝓡𝓮𝓿𝓮𝓪𝓵🦋

I am SO incredibly thrilled to finally share the beautiful cover & 𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐮𝐱𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 of my YA dark academia contemporary fantasy BOUND BY FURY!!

BOUND BY FURY is now available to preorder across all US/Canadian book retailers (🔗 is in my bïø)

Pink background with constellations and bound by fury cover with sprayed edges. Deluxe limited edition. The striking hardcover edition includes gorgeous celestial stained edges!

Cover of bound by fury over pink background with constellations. Cover is blue black and pink with a black girl and white male in front of a pink moon.

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sarah l. hawthorn (A FATE WORSE THAN DROWNING '26) @slhawthorn.bsky.social · 11d

🥹 that is such a kind thought!! Things are going great - cannot WAIT to share more when everything's ready!

sarah l. hawthorn (A FATE WORSE THAN DROWNING '26) @slhawthorn.bsky.social · 11d

It's been a while since a proper update!! I've kept busy finishing dev & copy edits on A FATE WORSE THAN DROWNING, publishing behind-the-scenes things I can't wait to share, & keeping up with a full-time job to boot.

I finally got a standing desk and walking pad. I think it's pretty cute honestly!!

A standing desk set above a walking pad. There are pink and green desk accessories on the green desk including cloud-shaped wrist rests, a sage green notebook, headphones, a mouse, and a water bottle. The laptop is open and the desktop background includes the words A FATE WORSE THAN DROWNING.

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sarah l. hawthorn (A FATE WORSE THAN DROWNING '26) @slhawthorn.bsky.social · 26d

Very good guess!! It's a dupe I've been liking the formula of more since it's more of a lip clay/less drying! And thank you ❤️❤️

sarah l. hawthorn (A FATE WORSE THAN DROWNING '26) @slhawthorn.bsky.social · 26d

had a fun day today 🧡

A selfie of Sarah, wearing an orange sweater and Opalite necklace, with long dark hair and a straight fringe with teal eyeshadow and long pointed eyeliner.

A close up photo of a beaded friendship bracelet that says Opalite on it, sitting on a gray jewelry mat.

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sarah l. hawthorn (A FATE WORSE THAN DROWNING '26) @slhawthorn.bsky.social · Sep 28

like how can we not!

sarah l. hawthorn (A FATE WORSE THAN DROWNING '26) @slhawthorn.bsky.social · Sep 28

omg hazel the world traveler!!!

sarah l. hawthorn (A FATE WORSE THAN DROWNING '26) @slhawthorn.bsky.social · Sep 28

specifically:

a close up of the calico cat from the original post, only showing the pink nose, mouth, chin, and one of the back paws of the cat.

sarah l. hawthorn (A FATE WORSE THAN DROWNING '26) @slhawthorn.bsky.social · Sep 28

have you considered... her?

a calico cat with green eyes. She is lying on a gray blanket on a bed. Her paws are visible and they are a mix of pink and black. Her green eyes are looking to the side.

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sarah l. hawthorn (A FATE WORSE THAN DROWNING '26) @slhawthorn.bsky.social · Sep 24

300 DAYS UNTIL A FATE WORSE THAN DROWNING 📢👻🌊😈‼️

I can't wait to share this book with the world. It's also raw as my heart 🥹

If you like historic maritime locales, dysfunctional sisters, deals with the devil, feminist revenge, ghosts, shipwrecks, or just a good spooky time - I hope you'll read it!

sarah l. hawthorn (A FATE WORSE THAN DROWNING '26) @slhawthorn.bsky.social · Sep 23

301 days until A FATE WORSE THAN DROWNING is released 😳

Fun fact: The name of the island featured in the book changed over the centuries, including Isle Verte, Rous' Island, and Wood Island until it was known as Devils Island (due to a misspelled last name) with permanent settlement in the 1830s!

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sarah l. hawthorn (A FATE WORSE THAN DROWNING '26) @slhawthorn.bsky.social · Sep 21

I think you'd love it!!

sarah l. hawthorn (A FATE WORSE THAN DROWNING '26) @slhawthorn.bsky.social · Sep 21

Ohhh I've not heard of the first before but Butcher has been on my list for a while!!

sarah l. hawthorn (A FATE WORSE THAN DROWNING '26) @slhawthorn.bsky.social · Sep 21

You're always reading the coolest stuff!

sarah l. hawthorn (A FATE WORSE THAN DROWNING '26) @slhawthorn.bsky.social · Sep 21

Good picks!! I've had Whisperwood on my TBR for forever haha!

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sarah l. hawthorn (A FATE WORSE THAN DROWNING '26) @slhawthorn.bsky.social · Sep 21

I'm loving it! It's really fun to read something so fun and creepy in a Medieval setting! And the characters are stellar as always!

And oooo that sounds great, I'd not heard of it before but adding to my tbr :)

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sarah l. hawthorn (A FATE WORSE THAN DROWNING '26) @slhawthorn.bsky.social · Sep 21

What are you reading lately?? 👀

I'm nearly done THE STARVING SAINTS, just started A WITCH'S GUIDE TO MAGICAL INNKEEPING (only 6 days left on my libby loan haha), and reading PROJECT HAIL MARY before bed (trying to get back into reading physical books and not just audio).

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sarah l. hawthorn (A FATE WORSE THAN DROWNING '26) @slhawthorn.bsky.social · Sep 20

a very good problem to have: how to i fit everyone in the acknowledgements asking for a friend

i am the friend help there are too many people who have been very kind and great and cared about this book!!!

sarah l. hawthorn (A FATE WORSE THAN DROWNING '26) @slhawthorn.bsky.social · Sep 20

back into the watery abyss i go!!!!!

A screenshot of a Spotify list of playlists in a folder titled "A Fate Worse Than Drowning". The playlsits are titled "Copy Edits Round 3: Choosing Violence", "Dev Edits Round 2: This Time It's Personal", and "Concetrated Dev Edits Playlist AFWTD". Each playlist has a reaction image that is too small to read but features cute animals such as a small cat in a cowboy hat, a tiny bunny on a sidewalk, and a guinea pig in a pink toy car.

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sarah l. hawthorn (A FATE WORSE THAN DROWNING '26) @slhawthorn.bsky.social · Sep 13

me reminding myself that the journey is part of the experience and I should find ways to enjoy the uncertainty and growth despite the discomfort to make a lifetime of writing possible:

a screenshot of Roller Coaster Tycoon that has the words "THE RIDE NEVER ENDS" on a sign while people walk by. A large skeleton is smiling while lifting his top hat over his head beside the sign.