Tamara S. Harker

OMG I want one??😍

Day 9 of #MarchWorldbuilders!

There's a plethora, as with my flora! I'd say probably 80% of my bestiary is fictional, even if they often have basis in one or two real-world species or in mythological creatures.

Usually they arose from specific needs, but sometimes they're just thrown in for fun!

...is a very dark gray in coloring, but they come in a range of earth-toned colors! They're carnivorous and moderately trainable, so they're often kept for pest control. Provisioners love them for this reason; they can also be used to hunt while on assignment.

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...have them as pets! They're small, quadrupedal, egg-laying mammals about half the size of an average house cat. As far as features go, they're pretty griffin-like -- blend of fur and feathers, small beak, two wings -- but they can fly less than a yard or two in a burst.

Qeco...

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Day 8 of #MarchWorldbuilders! (Catchup)

I've talked about the valsar and kōza a fair deal before, so today I'll look at one of Unliore's two companion animals: Qeco, a loïka!

Loïka as a whole are a largely domesticated species, with wild/feral populations being rare, so lots of people...

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Autistic Fiction Bundle (April 1st -14th) Itchio Text: This form is for authors to sign up to the Autistic Fiction Bundle, organised by Elise Carlson, to run on Itchio during the first two weeks of Autism Awareness Month (April 1st-14th). Limit of one book per author. Eligibility & Genre: You, the author are autistic At least one character is autistic (AuDHD is fine, as is autistic coded/ presenting, as opposed to explicitly stated to be autistic) All genres welcome. Preorders: Pre-orders are welcome, if your book releases within 5 weeks of the bundle's end date. Please state the release date in your Itch book description, so readers know when they can download your book. Categories: YA and Adult Fiction, novellas and full length novels.

Autistic Authors,
As next month is Autism Awareness Month (yeah, I know acceptance is more important!), I'll be hosting an Autistic Fiction book bundle on Itchio (yes your book must be on Itch to enter.)

Let me know if you'd like me to DM you a sign up form!
And feel free to comment questions.

Tamara S. Harker Website of indie epic fantasy author Tamara S. Harker.

Good morning, friends! Quick PSA that if you want a *numbered* paperback of my debut epic fantasy book, there's only about twenty left!

www.tamarasharker.com/books

kthxluvubye! 😘

That's absolutely heartbreaking! 😔

"I'm on a mission! A.K.A., how it's going one week post-launch!"

Two maps -- the world, and the United States -- in white with their countries/states delineated. Some countries/states are filled-in with dark turquoise. "So Far: Three countries, nine states!"

"A huge thank-you to everyone who has bought a copy already, whether that's from me or a retailer, or otherwise spread the word and shared they they think! You rock!"

"Haven't taken a bite yet? Not sure what it might do to your TBR? Read the Prologue and Chapter 1 for free at www.tamarasharker.com/books and join the map!"

I've truly been blown away by how well my first week has gone! It's modest of course compared to others', but it's just the kind of steady, organic growth I want.

A huge thank-you to everyone who has given my debut a chance so far! ❤️

Happy Saturday, #PretendPanel friends!

Like many, budget I think is the biggest, simplest roadblock. That being said -- and I alluded to this yesterday -- I don't think it would solve all problems, because many of the tools themselves aren't completely effective. A lot will always be luck.

...or who otherwise didn't adhere to nae'cthosai ways; often used to scare children. As creatures, they appear vaguely humanoid with an exaggeration of the marks of Ctho they possessed in life, but with a loss of personality and a penchant for cruelty, violence, and predatory behavior.

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...when a nae'cthosai, at the end of their Walking life, becomes a crealoth instead of a tree, or a tree will re-humanize as a crealoth. Though it is not scientifically understood why this happens and appears to be random, common belief is that it happens to those that were sinful in life...

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...a monstrous sub-species of nae'cthosai. (Nae'cthosai are my dryad/nymph-like race; they have two stages of life -- the Walking, where they're humanoid, and the Resting, where they literally put down roots and become trees from then on.)

Crealoths occasionally arise when...

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Day 7 of #MarchWorldbuilders!

Gawd this is rife with potential spoilers, but I shall do my best, even if it means keeping things a bit brief.

Fîeron has a very significant one, and that's all I'll say about that! 😉

Another pair of deuteragonists encounter a crealoth, which is in essence...

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...in other, similar industries, such as Ünenshuut's fruit, nut, and timber trade. In other words, it's arguable that whomever learns the lessons of the tinja trade brings prosperity to their home city if not their nation, meaning some places are recovering from the war quicker than others.

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...more and more gungeinga groves to spring up and prosper, with their byproducts entering more widespread consumption as well. What was once haphazard local cultivation is now an exemplary system of organized fields, processing stations, and preservation systems that is being emulated...

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...most countries prior to the Age of Reformation had fairly set, local diets. The tinja trade has arguably been one of the only notable businesses to take root and thrive *after* the war, and thus help revitalize some communities.

In turn, those injections of wealth have encouraged...

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...and has since become pretty widespread throughout Ícalar by multiple classes.

Though agriculture and international export of agricultural goods isn't rare, the demand for tinja represents one of the quickest efforts at non-native cultivation for economical purposes. Previously...

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...can be roasted to create in-world coffee (known as tinja)!

Tinja groves are becoming common, especially in Kiva, and Qalneyan tinja is growing as an export following the war: traditionally regarded as a working-class drink, it was popularized and rose through the ranks of soldiers...

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...as well as their drought tolerance; they're most common in and native to Balaqalneyis but can be grown semi-successfully in Kiva. They're valued for their fruit (colloquially called gun-gun), which feature heavily in the Balaqalneyis diet, and their nuts, which...

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Day 6 of #MarchWorldbuilders! (Catchup)

Oh this is a great opportunity to talk about gungeinga! While I don't have a wealth of specifics on the farming practices, let's dive in anyway.

Gungeinga are a relatively common tree known for their ratty appearance and clump-like groves...

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Yes! To be clear, I think like any tool it can be useful, and obviously it's encouraged to be able to say "hey if you like XYZ you'll like this!", but...it can be so reductionist! I trust my readers to be able to read my back cover, draw their own comparisons, and decide whether to take the plunge!

Three contemporary action fantasy books in the 'Forest Exiles' series by Mark J. Engels: Werecats Emergent, Werecats Convergent, and Werecats Resurgent. The covers depict the main female character Pawly in various story related garb, from the neck down, as she stalks toward the viewer with her arms held slightly out to either side. From elbow down, her forearms and hand grow fur, and her fingers are tipped with sharp talons.

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Yes, precisely!

YES precisely! It's the same skill set -- you're telling a story, at its core -- it's just a different medium!

...the point that it's difficult to use them effectively to navigate either as an author or a reader.

To be clear, it can be worked with, and I don't think there's any helping it. It can get in the way of forming genuine connections, which is the part about marketing I love!

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...that often don't serve the reader OR the writer, such as tropes and comp-titles -- I think these things have morphed from trad-publishing biz shorthand into blanket terms that are either not fully understood by the folks who now wield them or are used deliberately misleadingly, to...

[4/?]

...I strongly dislike the pressure to be everywhere, to do things a certain way, or to bow to trends or be on certain platforms. I think that's misleading and demoralizing.

I'm not totally against hyping up my writing or my business, but I dislike over-reliance on things...

[3/?]

...I am of the very firm belief that it's possible to find a way that's genuine to you, along with a schedule/system that works for you. I also think these things won't be successful if you don't put in the work to at least understand how basic marketing and design work.

For me personally...

[2/?]

Hello again, #PretendPanel friends!

Like most, I think, I have a mixed relationship bordering on animosity toward it. I think it's a necessary evil, particularly as an indie. I think what I most resent is how much brainpower and time it takes away from the writing itself.

HOWEVER...

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