Tamara S. Harker
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tamarasharker.com
Tamara S. Harker
@tamarasharker.com
160 followers 350 following 160 posts
Indie epic fantasy author, editor, and avid collector and list-maker. My first novel, The Fruit of War: Stone and Flesh, arrives 1st March 2026!

🚫 GenAI, bigots unwelcome.
(She/Her)
www.tamarasharker.com
https://linktr.ee/tamarasharker
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Tamara S. Harker @tamarasharker.com · 26d
Looking to sink your teeth into a cerebral, rich epic fantasy? "The Fruit of War: Stone and Flesh" will be served 1st March 2026!

Get your first taste by signing up for my newsletter at www.tamarasharker.com!

🪐📚 💙📚
#epicfantasy #darkfantasy #fruitofwar #indiebooks
A dark green banner split in half by a subtle gold border. The left half features a book cover with white text that reads “The Fruit of War, Book 1: Stone and Flesh”, by Tamara S Harker. It shows a man’s hand holding a purple-red fruit cut open to reveal a small skull. In the background is a shadowed orchard with fallen soldiers lying on the ground. The right half of the image describes the book, including a tagline of "Nothing truly dies -- it merely changes." and a launch date of 1st March 2026, both in red text. A donut-shaped pie chart lists its genres as 70% epic fantasy, 20% dark fantasy, and 10% gothic horror. The blurb of the book, in pale green text, reads: "A weary young undertaker is tasked by a dead hero to find an artifact that began – and ended – a recent war. In doing so, he gathers an eclectic group of veterans and greenhorns almost by accident. Yet finding the artifact is only the beginning, and in solving the riddle of the hero’s last request, they are only met with more questions – about the war, their alleged enemy, and the very nature of their world." Finally, green text reads: "For readers who like their fantasy intelligent...immersive...and simmering with ghosts of the past...both figurative and literal."
tamarasharker.com
Fresh banana bread out the oven!
A loaf of fresh banana bread cooling on a wire rack, which is on a pale tan granite countertop.
December 3, 2025 at 11:53 PM
tamarasharker.com
I'm still decompressing / playing catch-up on real-life things, y'all, but I promise I'll be back soon to join in this month's prompt funsies!
December 3, 2025 at 3:30 AM
Reposted by Tamara S. Harker
adamcbassett.com
THE BOOK OF SPORES Kickstarter campaign is almost over! Only 2 days left to grab this anthology of fantasy, sci-fi, and horror stories. 💙📚🪐
www.kickstarter.com/projects/fan...

As we near the end, @adrianmgibson.bsky.social has put together a Spotify playlist of the music that inspired our stories!
A graphic that shows the hardcover Kickstarter-exclusive version of THE BOOK OF SPORES and "Campaign ends on December 4th at 5pm EST" A graphic that shows all tracks in the playlist and each story they correspond to.
December 2, 2025 at 2:30 PM
tamarasharker.com
Great news – my pre-launch page is now live on Kickstarter! Come take a look at what’ll be on offer come January! ❤️

#epicfantasy #fruitofwar #indiebooks #writesky #kickstarter

www.kickstarter.com/projects/tam...
December 1, 2025 at 8:20 PM
tamarasharker.com
Thank you for hosting #novmemeber, Sage! ❤️

Website and newsletter: www.tamarasharker.com
Kickstarter pre-launch page: www.kickstarter.com/projects/tam...
LinkTree for everything else: linktr.ee/tamarasharker

The novel itself arrives 1st March 2026! All follows/subscribes, shares, etc. appreciated!
December 1, 2025 at 2:18 AM
tamarasharker.com
Day 30 of #novemberworldbuilders! Thank you so much for organizing this, Kira!

One of the most notable, for me, had to be polearm combat forms. I really do try hard to make my combat more realistic than 'cool', because that's the kind I appreciate most, so it involved two aspects:

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kiraofthewind.com Kira of the Wind (Erika McCorkle) @kiraofthewind.com · 4d
Last day of #NovemberWorldbuilders! For those of you who have gone down rabbit holes researching random topics for your writing, tell me about it! What did you research? How did you implement it in your story or world?
#NovemberWorldbuilders prompt card Hosted by Kira of the Wind Extra days Something you added to your world after researching The image in the background is a blurred picture of a foresty/rocky landscape with lightning and a mountain in the background
December 1, 2025 at 2:04 AM
tamarasharker.com
I ended up FAR busier this month than I expected, so rather than using #writevember / #novelnovember like I'd intended and taking a break from the business side, I ended up using different creative muscles to get more time-sensitive things off the ground.

[1/2]
gunsmile.bsky.social Ange @gunsmile.bsky.social · 4d
#Writevember wrap-up!

We've reached the end of the month. How did you do overall? Are you satisfied with what you produced? Do you have more to write for it, or are you ready for Draft 2? Answer the prompt by quoting this post.

#WritingCommunity #WritingPrompt #WriteSky
#Writevember a November writing challenge prompt tag hosted by @gunsmile.bsky.social November 30: Monthly wrap-up! How did you do? Remember to use the #Writevember hashtag, engage with others, and have fun!
December 1, 2025 at 1:53 AM
tamarasharker.com
To conclude our Fieldguide, I couldn’t resist ending on the most muscular bundle of sunshine you’ll ever meet.

Thanks for reading! If you want to look back, I've archived the set on Pinterest!

www.pinterest.com/tamarasharker/

#epicfantasy #fruitofwar #indiebooks #writesky #icalaranfieldguide
Dark text and a flowery border on an ivory background. The text reads "Phidene Eburos". In the background, slightly transparent, is an illustration of a fictional, purple-red, heart-shaped fruit. Dark text and flowery border on an ivory background; the text reads: "An accomplished and well-loved Éba of the Qalîr division of the Itoqîr, and one of the youngest veterans of the Golden Itoqîr. She is Fîeron’s older sister and the only daughter of the Physiçias Eburos. Her valsar is Stormbane, and she wields a glaive. Human."
November 30, 2025 at 8:17 PM
tamarasharker.com
Who doesn’t love a massive warbear?

#epicfantasy #fruitofwar #indiebooks #writesky #icalaranfieldguide
Dark text and a flowery border on an ivory background. The text reads "valsar". In the background, slightly transparent, is an illustration of a fictional, purple-red, heart-shaped fruit. Dark text and flowery border on an ivory background; the text reads: "An extremely large and hardy bear subspecies, often tamed for use in war. The Itoqîr of Üstraria employ them in the Qalîr Division as shock and anti-siege troops."
November 29, 2025 at 6:12 PM
tamarasharker.com
In honor of that cornucopia of capitalism, Black Friday, let’s look at Ícalaran currencies!

#epicfantasy #fruitofwar #indiebooks #writesky #icalaranfieldguide
Dark text and a flowery border on an ivory background. The text reads "currencies". In the background, slightly transparent, is an illustration of a fictional, purple-red, heart-shaped fruit. Dark text and flowery border on an ivory background; the text reads: "There are several currencies used throughout Ícalar, ranging from coins of precious metals and semiprecious stones, to animal teeth; most valuable of them all in this sea-less place is sal, or salt, against which all other currencies are weighed."
November 28, 2025 at 7:33 PM
tamarasharker.com
Happy Thanksgiving, Bluesky friends! ❤️
A sepia-toned background with a slightly darker flowery border and, mostly transparent, a reddish-purple heart-shaped fruit. Over these is pinkish-red text that reads: "Happy Thanksgiving, US friends, and happy season of giving and gratitude to everyone! I’ll be talking a little more about the season in my upcoming newsletter, but I wanted to drop a quick note here regardless to say that I’m grateful for each and every one of you. Feast well, on whatever that may be, and stay safe as you go! Sending love."
November 27, 2025 at 4:40 PM
tamarasharker.com
Day 27 of the Fieldguide and at last, our villain! He's been a blast to write, and as an alpha-predator I figured what better day to talk about him than a day of feasting. 😬

#epicfantasy #fruitofwar #indiebooks #writesky #icalaranfieldguide
Dark text and a flowery border on an ivory background. The text reads "Xa'aroch". In the background, slightly transparent, is an illustration of a fictional, purple-red, heart-shaped fruit. Dark text and flowery border on an ivory background; the text reads: "One of the few Azgorach to have escaped the Banishing following the end of the War of the Six, he was the first of his kind to have been successfully summoned by warlocks from the otherworld. His indenturement caused him to convince others of his kind to cross over, creating the Azgorach Horde and earning him the title ‘the Door-Opener’. Ba’athorog."
November 27, 2025 at 4:17 PM
tamarasharker.com
Day 25 of #fantasyindiesnovember! (Catchup)

I can't NOT brag about Karina Refrynn, aka WeirdUndead, who illustrated my wonderful cover art and a few other little extras for me, such as the ìkam fruit you'll have seen here and there on my posts.

Find her here: @weirdundead.bsky.social! ❤️
A book cover with white text that reads “The Fruit of War, Book 1: Stone and Flesh”, by Tamara S Harker. It shows a man’s hand holding a purple-red fruit cut open to reveal a small skull. In the background is a shadowed orchard with fallen soldiers lying on the ground.
November 26, 2025 at 8:28 PM
tamarasharker.com
Day 24 of #fantasyindiesnovember! (Catchup)

I try to! It really helps me. But usually it's without lyrics; exceptions are when a song gets me into enough of a 'trance' of concentration where it doesn't matter. Whatever it is, though, it's usually one song on repeat while I capture a specific mood.
November 26, 2025 at 8:24 PM
tamarasharker.com
Day 25 of #novemberworldbuilders! (Catchup)

The War of the Six is the most recent to have ended, twelve years before our story begins. Current events are set in the 'Long Wake', wherein four of Ícalar's six countries are still reeling from the war's consequences.

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kiraofthewind.com Kira of the Wind (Erika McCorkle) @kiraofthewind.com · 9d
#NovemberWorldbuilders Does your fictional world have any wars in its history that are now over? What was the conflict about? What were the repercussions of it?
#NovemberWorldbuilders prompt card Hosted by Kira of the Wind Week 4: HISTORY 25. A war that has ended The image in the background is a blurred picture of a foresty/rocky landscape with lightning and a mountain in the background
November 26, 2025 at 8:19 PM
tamarasharker.com
As many of us prepare our bodies for everything we’re going to stuff ourselves with tomorrow, let’s look at an equally-tasty Ícalaran carb!

#epicfantasy #fruitofwar #indiebooks #writesky #icalaranfieldguide
Dark text and a flowery border on an ivory background. The text reads "ches / breadbark". In the background, slightly transparent, is an illustration of a fictional, purple-red, heart-shaped fruit. Dark text and flowery border on an ivory background; the text reads: "Deciduous trees that grow to an average of twenty-five feet tall, with thick six-foot trunks on average. They are common and widespread throughout Ícalar, and are highly-valued as a crop owing to their thick, spongy bark that is edible and treated as a near-replacement for bread products, giving rise to its common name of 'breadbark'."
November 26, 2025 at 8:10 PM
tamarasharker.com
While I love magic as much as the next fantasy-enjoyer, I am at heart a practical person. Pair these with my appreciation for fashion, and it was inevitable that I look out for my channelers.

#epicfantasy #fruitofwar #indiebooks #writesky #icalaranfieldguide
Dark text and a flowery border on an ivory background. The text reads "bloodsilk". In the background, slightly transparent, is an illustration of a fictional, purple-red, heart-shaped fruit. Dark text and flowery border on an ivory background; the text reads: "An in-world variant of silk alongside cloudweave, with the added benefit of being Éga-resistant and thus commonly worn by channelers. The fibers have the unique ability to become imprinted by patterns of Éga use. Pure bloodsilk is rare and expensive; it is often blended with other fabrics."
November 25, 2025 at 10:12 PM
tamarasharker.com
If you’ve been looking for a bitter, sassy, naga-like roommate who appears and disappears via fire magic at inconvenient moments, look no further!

#epicfantasy #fruitofwar #indiebooks #writesky #icalaranfieldguide
Dark text and a flowery border on an ivory background. The text reads "Brethoche". In the background, slightly transparent, is an illustration of a fictional, purple-red, heart-shaped fruit. Dark text and flowery border on an ivory background; the text reads: "A mysterious, clandestine companion of Isaia at the Temple at Willowbreak Field. Eisorcei."
November 24, 2025 at 7:51 PM
tamarasharker.com
Day 23 of #fantasyindiesnovember!

I still struggle with this sometimes, but: the most boring yet soundest advice I can give is to simply give yourself permission to feel that way, question whether you'd say the same things to a friend, and then knuckle down and do the work anyway.

[1/2]
November 24, 2025 at 4:43 AM
tamarasharker.com
Day 22 of #novmemeber! (Catchup)

Fîeron -- A little elitist, can be condescending. Too self-reliant, sometimes. Too easily represses his own feelings.

Devatska -- Proud/stubborn, impatient with folks who aren't as smart/informed.

Kōtia -- Ah, the arrogance of youth.

[1/2]
sagetgreene.bsky.social Sage T. Greene, Author @sagetgreene.bsky.social · 12d
#Novmemeber 22

Earlier, we shared some Antagonist green flags. Now let's see some Main Character red flags! 🟥
22. Your Main Character's red flags A prompt game for the month of November, titled #Novmemeber (as in meme). Hosted by @sagetgreene.bsky.social . The bottom says "Have fun, interact, and remember alt text!" There is a silly emoji face with wild eyes and tongue sticking out, and some fall-style leaves in the corners.
November 24, 2025 at 4:39 AM
tamarasharker.com
Day 22 of #fantasyindiesnovember! (Catchup)

We're dipping into Book 2 again, this time from the POV of Brethoche, an eisorcei. The eisorcei have the (varying) ability to teleport in a flash of flame, known as flash-traveling, and I wanted to take a moment to describe how that feels to them/her.
A text extract, dark writing on a pale yellow background, which reads: "Brethoche retreated from the flame and all who resided there. Slowly she reminded the fibers of her being what they were – bone, nerve, fluid, flesh – and she felt herself sink into the physical world, becoming solid again, taking on weight, her senses dragging their heels. Rock beneath her; dust and faint death on the air tempered with the scent of distant flowers; the minute skittering of beetles through moldering, crumbled charcoal. Breath in her lungs. It was like being reborn, every time."
November 24, 2025 at 4:31 AM
tamarasharker.com
Day 23 of #novemberworldbuilders! (Squeezing this in under the wire, tonight.)

Peithya Bocohs was something of a /thought/ leader rather than a political one, and is a key figure in channeler history. They were responsible for removing much of the stigma surrounding channeling as a practice.

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kiraofthewind.com Kira of the Wind (Erika McCorkle) @kiraofthewind.com · 11d
We're talking about our fictional world's history this week, #NovemberWorldbuilders. Tell me about a ruler or leader who made an impact in your world. How are they remembered by those living in the future?
#NovemberWorldbuilders prompt card Hosted by Kira of the Wind Week 4: HISTORY 23. Long-dead rulers/leaders The image in the background is a blurred picture of a foresty/rocky landscape with lightning and a mountain in the background
November 24, 2025 at 4:27 AM
tamarasharker.com
A fieldguide to Ícalar wouldn’t be complete without talking about Ícalar itself!

#epicfantasy #fruitofwar #indiebooks #writesky #sff #icalaranfieldguide
Dark text and a flowery border on an ivory background. The text reads "Icalar and the Precipice". In the background, slightly transparent, is an illustration of a fictional, purple-red, heart-shaped fruit. Dark text and flowery border on an ivory background; the text reads: "The setting continent, also called ‘the tuya’ for its geological shape. It consists of six occupied kingdoms – Balaqalneyis, Kiva, Íyr, Ünenshuut, Seyis-Gol, Ünenshuut, and Üstraria – and the Creqira, unoccupied and considered holy, as the source of all fresh water. The very edge of the tuya is known as the Precipice."
November 23, 2025 at 6:26 PM
tamarasharker.com
Sorry I've been a bit light on the prompts the past few days, friends! I've been buried under shipping and distribution math and unit costs and other number-related bullsh*t that takes me longer than other people. I sorta see the light at the end of the tunnel but that could just be a migraine. 😂
November 22, 2025 at 6:37 PM
tamarasharker.com
Fieldguide Day 22!

My Clerics are a shameless hat-tip to all the healers who have looked after us in our various games.

#epicfantasy #fruitofwar #indiebooks #writesky #icalaranfieldguide
Dark text and a flowery border on an ivory background. The text reads "Clerics". In the background, slightly transparent, is an illustration of a fictional, purple-red, heart-shaped fruit. Dark text and flowery border on an ivory background; the text reads: "The channeler counterpart to Physiçias, specializing in use of Aré for healing. They are currently more common than Physiçias due to technological limitations."
November 22, 2025 at 6:34 PM