Michael T. Kuester
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michaeltkuester.com
Michael T. Kuester
@michaeltkuester.com
370 followers 200 following 440 posts
Engineer, dreamer, #querying hard #scifi writer. 1st place winner, Writers of the Future Q3 2025. Passionately curious individual. Welcome to my universe. http://michaeltkuester.com
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Michael T. Kuester @michaeltkuester.com · 9d
An agent's guide to SEVEN DAYS ON SAMARKAND:

JURASSIC PARK x THE EXPANSE

Five thousand of Earth's best and brightest hope to coexist with an alien biosphere. But on a planet populated by dinosaurs, is that even possible? #QuestPit #SF #A #Q #U
michaeltkuester.com
#Querying is all about waiting. What to do while wait to be judged, in this week’s “Dear Sir or Madam”. michaeltkuester.com/2026/02/08/d...
Dear Sir or Madam
What to do while waiting for strangers to judge you
michaeltkuester.com
February 8, 2026 at 5:09 PM
michaeltkuester.com
Sorry I've been AWOL, Bluesky. Olympic stuff. How are all my #WritingCommunity peeps doing?
February 8, 2026 at 4:57 PM
michaeltkuester.com
WOW
lalahaenzy.com Omg. WTF is Happening? @lalahaenzy.com · 3d
Sir Ian McKellen performing a monologue from Shakespeare’s Sir Thomas More on the Stephen Colbert show. Never have I heard this monologue performed with such a keen sense of prescience. Nor have I ever been in this exact historical moment.TY Sir Ian, for reaching us once again.
#Pinks #ProudBlue
February 5, 2026 at 3:24 PM
michaeltkuester.com
As always I stayed up to watch the new episode of Starfleet Academy myself. And that’s good, because I don’t think my family would’ve understood my crying.

Thank you, Avery.
a space ship with the letter b on the front
ALT: a space ship with the letter b on the front
media.tenor.com
February 5, 2026 at 3:14 PM
michaeltkuester.com
This morning while writing my James Cook story I was actually able to read the journal of Sydney Parkinson. To see the expedition through his eyes was incredible.
February 4, 2026 at 7:55 PM
michaeltkuester.com
If any of my new followers are wondering what kind of person I am, I just celebrated after using orbital calculations to prove my fictional planet Samarkand has years that last 9.14 Earth years.
February 3, 2026 at 9:43 PM
michaeltkuester.com
Major announcements for my short fiction and my platform, in this week’s “Writer’s Desk”. #WritingCommunity #Booksky michaeltkuester.com/2026/02/02/w...
Writer’s Desk
Writers of the Future cover reveal, my story in the anthology, platform updates, and more
michaeltkuester.com
February 2, 2026 at 4:37 PM
michaeltkuester.com
In the literary world, there’s a term for all the time and effort a writer must put in before they succeed: the “Invisible Work”. What I’ve learned through my toil in obscurity, in this week’s “Dear Sir or Madam”. #querying michaeltkuester.com/2026/02/01/d...
Dear Sir or Madam
Finding your way through the “Invisible Work”
michaeltkuester.com
February 1, 2026 at 4:33 PM
Reposted by Michael T. Kuester
thewormwoods.bsky.social
When Reina discovers a lost elven kingdom in the woods, she will have to decide if saving a friend is worth shattering the fragile boundary between two worlds. 

Make sure to lock your screen and flip 💫upside down 💫

#questpit #q #a #f

🎨 IG @cinematicaroline
January 31, 2026 at 6:04 PM
michaeltkuester.com
Oooo another book trailer! So cool!
hlcarterauthor.bsky.social Heather Carter @hlcarterauthor.bsky.social · 9d
PHANTOM OF THE OPERA X ONE DARK WINDOW
Andra & her brother inherit their childhood home, only to find it in a dark curse's grip. The servants meet grisly ends as a phantom's obsession with Andra grows. She must break free before all is lost.
#QuestPit #AG #WIP #A #F #R #Gothic
January 31, 2026 at 10:43 PM
Reposted by Michael T. Kuester
itsa-me-marci.bsky.social
God Forsaken by Marci Heider

✨Forbidden magic
👑corrupt theocracy
🍃botanical power
✊quiet rebellion
❤️‍🔥slow-burn romance
📚history-as-lie
🗣️soft woman, terrifying destiny
#questpit #F #Q
January 31, 2026 at 9:32 PM
Reposted by Michael T. Kuester
amberjollyauthor.bsky.social
An agent’s guide to RIBBONS OF MIND!

A twist on Sleeping Beauty but with elemental magic, war, and far more dragons.

🐉⚔️❤️‍🔥🧠🧙🏼‍♀️

#questpit #NA #Editing #romantasy #pitch #agentsguide
January 31, 2026 at 9:26 PM
michaeltkuester.com
Get ready for a very fungal fantasy!
aekwordcrafter.bsky.social Amy | Fantasy Author @aekwordcrafter.bsky.social · 8d
THE RAVEN SCHOLAR x T KINGFISHER

Featuring:
🍄 Sentient Mushroom Companions
🌧️ Murderous Magical Weapons
🍄 Mushroom religion/magic system
🌧️ A permanent rainy season
🍄 She falls first but he falls harder

#QuestPit #AG #A #F #WIP
January 31, 2026 at 7:58 PM
michaeltkuester.com
So in a word, no, “it’s cold and snowing” doesn’t mean “global warming is fake”.
mikeokuda.bsky.social Mike Okuda @mikeokuda.bsky.social · 8d
Warm air masses in the atmosphere rise upward, causing cooler air from neighboring areas, sometimes from the arctic, to rush in. This is how atmospheric heat powers storms. In other words, global warming causes colder, more intense winter storms. www.scientificamerican.com/article/exxo...
Exxon's Own Models Predicted Global Warming--It Ignored Them
Scientists working for the oil giant Exxon in the 1970s and 1980s estimated temperature increases with remarkable accuracy. Those findings could now be used as evidence in climate litigation
www.scientificamerican.com
January 31, 2026 at 7:57 PM
Reposted by Michael T. Kuester
thecrumpet.bsky.social
MY LAST INNOCENT YEAR x GREEN DOT

SURFACE TENSION: The problem with studying intelligent women who make bad choices? You start to see yourself scribbled all over the syllabus. Jenny’s entanglement with her English professor isn’t fiction, but she’s starting to wish it was. #U #W #A #questpit
A collage of photos: a young woman in repose with her eyes closed, in half-profile, sun reflecting on her face; a man’s hand pushing an elevator button; John Singer Sargent’s “Portrait of Madame X,” a painting of a young woman in a sleeveless black dress; a black and white photo of a man embracing a woman from behind, in front of what looks like hotel room window sheers; red and white dahlia flowers on a black background; looking over the shoulder of a person reading a manuscript; a black and white photo taken from the vantage of a woman looking down at her black high heels; a view down a hallway where doorways are visible on the walls; a collection of botanical books open to pages with flowers; a black and white photo of a hotel bed, with an open book, a room service plate, and what looks like recent signs of intimacy; a colorful row of books on a shelf; the title of the WIP “Surface Tension” is superimposed in a central rectangle.
January 31, 2026 at 6:07 PM
Reposted by Michael T. Kuester
wintersleep85.bsky.social
NAUSICAÄ X FF7

Hana is sure she’s the chosen one, meant to save the world, even if her magic is resisting her and the previous chosen one insists she isn’t. Pursued by enemies, she must learn if this is her destiny or if it was a mystical mistake. #questpit #F #A #Q #agentguide
Dark forest. An agent's guide to The Blessing Returned. Adult fantasy. 98,000 words. Dark forest. Pitch. Idealistic Hana Hahl lives in a world that is slowly dying after a failed quest to bring back magic. The only ones left with power are self-serving royals and dark mages, while desperation has given rise to an anti-magic order. Caught up in a mystical event, Hana is blessed with an immense power that could restore nature to the world. As Hana struggles to control the overwhelming force, Lady Kalyn Nossi, the only known survivor of the disastrous quest, directs her to the one person who can help her. Matthias Azel, the failed chosen one, reluctantly agrees to teach Hana while concealing his past from her. Accompanied by Kalyn and a charismatic prince with a dangerous secret, they journey to seek answers about Hana’s destiny. They fend off demonic threats and the anti-magic forces as Hana struggles with magic that seems to resist her and a growing fear that the world isn’t meant to be saved. A dark forest. Snippet. She took a cautious step forward, unaware she was in a spectral form. Little drops of shimmering light followed her path, dissolving into the ground. “But this has to be a sign?” Grass grew where the light fell, delicate bits of nature that should be impossible. “Maybe it’s returning!” The young woman spoke with such bright reverence as if life was a fairy tale and magic was all they needed for a happy ending. It was as if she couldn’t see the shadows approaching her. The inevitable death. “Magic should never return.” After speaking those words, he sprang forward and shoved her away from the shadows. Pain rocked him as soon as he touched her. The scorching mystical agony tore a scream out of him, but it kept her away from the unearthly menace, and the shock did what he intended. Sent him back to his body. A dark forest. Comps. Nausicaä. One Dark Window. The Starless Crown. Godkiller. Final Fantasy VII Remake. Tropes. Chosen One (s)? Ecofantasy. Dieselpunk. Grumpy/Sunshine. LGBTQIA+. Multi POV.
January 31, 2026 at 6:19 AM
Reposted by Michael T. Kuester
jordanmccaffrie.bsky.social
Hey Alexa...combine retelling myths like PERCY JACKSON but w/ the daughter of Hades😵 &➕🧠health in the vibe of GIRL, INTERRUPTED

Also, throw in ❤️=Noah & Allie’s in THE NOTEBOOK
(but like…make Noah an Incubus😈)✌️

✍️82K #A #F
🤬Angry girls & gods
📸Readers say…👇
#questpit #Q #DF & elements of #RF #PR #H
Conversations with Readers #1; Reader: “I am very emotionally invested in the Ava/Cole relationship already (insert crying emoji) Ima need them to work things out or I might actually cry” insert three crying emojis. Me: “Maybe they do, maybe they don’t?” insert girl shrugging emoji. Reader: “I will be reading tonight until I have to go to sleep,” insert nervous emoji. Conversations with Readers #2; Reader: “Also sorry it’s taken me a minute, today I’ve been able to sit down and actually read read and I cannot put it down!” Conversation with Readers #3; Reader: “Not you booping the goddess of memories” insert laughing emoji, crying emoji, laughing emoji, “I may or may not have laughed out loud in a very quiet room when I read that part” insert three laughing emojis Conversation with Readers #4; Reader: “I’ve been resisting the urge to text you so many times because I didn’t want to blow up your phone,” insert laughing emoji, “I’ve been out here laughing, crying, all the things.” Conversation with Readers #5; Reader: “The consequences were so perfect considering the (expletive) they did to get themselves there in the first place” insert OK gesture, “And I really did love it so much for real,” insert crying emoji x3 and 3 heart emojis, “I couldn’t put it down, I had to know what was happening!” Conversation with Readers #6; Reader: “I love Waffles so much,” insert crying emoji x3, “I just picture Oakley with two heads, growing fifteen feet tall with spikes and scary teeth,” nervous emoji, crying emoji. Me: “Rawr” insert laughing emoji Reader: Also (expletive) Katarina and creepy (expletive) Jeff. And Demeter for that matter.” Me: insert laughing emojis, “Yeah they’re awful.” Reader: “I have so many things to talk to you about, so many emotions,” (insert crying and nervous emojis).
January 31, 2026 at 4:22 PM
Reposted by Michael T. Kuester
milliesun.bsky.social
milliesun.bsky.social Millie Sun @milliesun.bsky.social · 8d
HOW TO LOSE A GUY IN 10 DAYS x A SONG TO DROWN RIVERS

She planned to be the terror in his life.
He planned to ignore her.
Neither planned on saving a crumbling empire from a tyrant—or falling in love.

91K-word adult fantasy romcom / Smoochpit '25 mentee
#questpit #A #RF #Q
moodboard for Lady Han's Manual for Matrimonial Mayhem showing plum blossoms; a man fighting in bamboo forest; a view of a Chinese palace through red gates; a woman with a death stare; a man with a serious displeased look; moon-gate looking into a Chinese garden with a pavillion on the pond; a man kissing a woman's neck intimately; Chinese calligraphy and brush pen
January 31, 2026 at 4:01 PM
Reposted by Michael T. Kuester
kristinmock.bsky.social
THE LITTLE MERMAID meets APPALACHIAN HORROR

When Lily, a shadow-demon bound to the underworld, triggers an ancient prophecy, she must navigate a cult devoted to her estranged mother or become the catalyst that destroys her family and the Ozarks

#QuestPit #A #H #F #DF #Q
January 31, 2026 at 3:47 PM
michaeltkuester.com
Wow! Great story idea, and this post and agents guide is all so neatly laid out! Everything an agent needs to know about their next favorite book.
briannaswan.bsky.social Brianna is Querying @briannaswan.bsky.social · 8d
An agent's guide to Love and Mud

*Tropes*
*Reader reviews*
*vibes*

#Q currently querying
#R love in wild places
#A medium spiced
#questpit
An agent's guide to love and mud Familiar tropes in wild places Reader reviews
January 31, 2026 at 5:28 PM
michaeltkuester.com
Oh hell yes! Solarpunk! This is my jam!
celticxpanda.bsky.social Panda/Kou 🎋♠️ @celticxpanda.bsky.social · 8d
Runaway to a solarpunk PNW in ARTIFICIAL SUNFLOWERS, where you find:

🧪 Women in STEM
🔫 Handsome Super Soldier Clones
🪶 An Indigenous FMC
💪 Rebellion against a Post WWIII cyberpunk monolith
🌻 Hope against all odds

#QuestPit #A #SF #R #W
A quick guide to Artificial Sunflowers The pitch, alongside vibe-setting photos of a microscope, solar panels, a hand drawing a gun, and a vintage car Tropes and Themes for Artificial Sunflowers An excerpt from Artificial Sunflowers
January 31, 2026 at 5:26 PM
Reposted by Michael T. Kuester
harrietward.bsky.social
#Agents I am currently querying DIVINE BLOOD, a voice heavy, character driven romantic fantasy told from the point of view of a corrupt king's evil advisor - and love interest.

TWs: Classism, power imbalance, violence. The FMC and MMC have a very unpleasant start.
#questpit #Q #F #DF #R #A
January 31, 2026 at 5:16 PM
michaeltkuester.com
I mean I'd sell it and run as fast as I could. But I'll bet the characters in this story will come up with a much more entertaining and unnerving answer to the question.
ggglimpopo.bsky.social Ggglimpopo @ggglimpopo.bsky.social · 8d
HOW TO KILL MEN AND GET AWAY WITH IT X A YEAR IN PROVENCE

What would you do if you discovered the house you inherited once belonged to a suspected serial killer?
#QuestPit #A #Th #U #Q
French living room with bowl of lemons, sunshine and an open door
January 31, 2026 at 5:24 PM
Reposted by Michael T. Kuester
thecrumpet.bsky.social
ALL FOURS x THE WEDDING PEOPLE

THIS ENDS NOW: Lainey can orchestrate perfect days but can't stay put in a marriage, no matter how good the man. Only one way to quit bolting: face the cunning ex who taught her love is a disappearing trick—and who still has his hooks in her. #A #U #Q #WF #QuestPit
A collage of photos: row 1 (l-r): the interior of Yale University’s Sterling Memorial Library, showing a Gothic cathedral-like entrance; a classic red Vermont farmhouse in winter, covered in snow, nestled among bare trees; a woman silhouetted against a frosted window, while sunlight spills through the window; row 2 (l-r): two hands reaching for each other in low lighting against a black background; a dark-haired woman floating face upwards in water, surrounded by white flowers, her eyes open; Spilled glass candle with wax still aflame, flickering against a black backdrop; row 3 (l-r): Sunlight streaming through a quiet pine forest, illuminating a narrow dirt path; black and white photo of a person gripping the back of another person’s head from behind ; a man’s hand clasping a woman’s hand showing her wedding ring, with a snow-covered fir tree in the background; row 4 (l-r): three antique keys on twine; dark green leaves, covered in dew; the title of the novel, “This Ends Now” written on a scrap of spiral-bound lined notepaper.
January 31, 2026 at 1:18 PM
Reposted by Michael T. Kuester
meljrey.bsky.social
DIVINE RIVALS/STRANGER THINGS
When plants take over the world & an eminent botanist ends up dead, a reporter persuades a rival plant hunter to seek the truth. But as they become entangled, & the victims pile up, they’ll need sharp secateurs to avoid being next.
#QuestPit #W #YA #NA #SFF
A mood board collage: Top row: a wooden doorway flanked by two trees; carnivorous plants; a moss covered tree trunk growing next to some classical architectural columns. Middle row: an axe resting in a tree stump; a narrow London street; a greenhouse with some overgrown cacti. Bottom row: Harry Richardson in Poldark wearing a blacksmith apron; a manor house covered in ivy; a young woman in a library wearing a beret and glasses staring thoughtfully into through a window.
January 31, 2026 at 5:00 AM