Tamara S. Harker
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tamarasharker.com
Tamara S. Harker
@tamarasharker.com
160 followers 350 following 170 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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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
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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
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
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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
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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
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
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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
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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
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
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
tamarasharker.com
Day 21 of #fantasyindiesnovember!

My comfort media is a bit varied. Movie-wise, it's The Last of the Mohicans ('94), Kingdom of Heaven (director's cut), and more. If I just need comforting noise, it's something like BBC Antiques Roadshow, haha.
November 21, 2025 at 9:48 PM
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Isaia has been my biggest challenge to write for a number of reasons, and I like to think that reflects their…inner challenges, shall we say.

#epicfantasy #fruitofwar #indiebooks #writesky #icalaranfieldguide
Dark text and a flowery border on an ivory background. The text reads "Isaia Nenngeleich". 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 Servant-ranked priest of the Order of the Burning Crown at the Temple at Willowbreak Field, and a mildly-skilled Cleric. They are the childhood friend of Fîeron, and hide the strange company of Brethoche. Human."
November 21, 2025 at 9:41 PM
tamarasharker.com
Oh go on, you can have another creature Fieldguide entry, as a treat.

#epicfantasy #fruitofwar #indiebooks #writesky #icalaranfieldguide
Dark text and a flowery border on an ivory background. The text reads "loïka". 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: "Small, flightless, griffin-like mammals of moderate intelligence roughly half the size of an average housecat, largely domesticated as pets."
November 20, 2025 at 6:04 PM
tamarasharker.com
Day 20 of #fantasyindiesnovember!

For the actual meat of my work I inevitably draw on past experiences and the usual surrounding influences -- books, films, etc -- but when it comes to getting inspired for, say, particular scenes, music has to be one of my top inspirations.

[1/2]
November 20, 2025 at 6:02 PM
tamarasharker.com
Time for another creature for our Fieldguide! Owls are one of my favorite animals so of course one of my characters – Unliore – had to keep one as a pet.

#epicfantasy #fruitofwar #indiebooks #writesky #icalaranfieldguide
Dark text and a flowery border on an ivory background. The text reads "mistowls". 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 diurnal, omnivorous, owl-like bird of moderate intelligence, named for their iridescent gray coloring. Occasionally domesticated."
November 19, 2025 at 6:09 PM
tamarasharker.com
#fantasyindiesnovember Day 19! (Catchup)

I'm consistently most challenged by the lack of ability to just immediately start writing when I sit down. Either something's bugging me about my environment or I have to muddle-write my way in a word at a time.
November 19, 2025 at 5:46 PM
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#fantasyindiesnovember Day 18! (Catchup)

Favorite character of my own? I tend to go through phases, especially since sometimes I'll be focused on one or another for a period of time and fall in love with them all over again.

Currently, though, my villain Xa'aroch is winning. 😆
November 19, 2025 at 5:44 PM
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I dedicate Unliore to anyone who has ever struggled with imposter syndrome, or who has otherwise had to fight tooth and nail for what they have!

#epicfantasy #fruitofwar #indiebooks #writesky
Dark text and a flowery border on an ivory background. The text reads "Unliore Jre'ein". 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 Fiîr veteran of the Golden Itoqîr, currently a retainer of the Vitane Family of the Keeping of Keismeb. She is a close friend of Kaavius, and the former childhood friend, mercenary partner, and lover of Brinnlas. She is accompanied by Qeco, a loïka, and Harathsi, a mistowl, as pets. She specializes in Rel and is of Mentor rank. Nae’cthosai."
November 18, 2025 at 7:03 PM