Ross McDermott
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beyondtheonions.bsky.social
Ross McDermott
@beyondtheonions.bsky.social
760 followers 460 following 1.2K posts
I write ✍
Author
TUSK: A Beringia Story - https://a.co/d/eJgOYf1
The Murderous Villain Rosco Pitt - https://a.co/d/fx8xng3
Weathervane - a.co/d/3iPzhvE (horror)
(poetry) - Beyond the Onions https://a.co/d/j1SWuiC
https://gravatar.com/beyondtheonions
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beyondtheonions.bsky.social
Ross McDermott @beyondtheonions.bsky.social · Mar 25
"Words lament, pages weep,
Never written if never read."
~ Ross McDermott - Beyond the Onions

TUSK: A Beringia Story - #historicalfantasy
a.co/d/9owR2nQ
The Murderous Villain Rosco Pitt - #western
a.co/d/4dskZHv
Weathervane - #western / #horror
a.co/d/eymNU43

#booklovers #storytime #booksky
beyondtheonions.bsky.social
#WIPSnips #writing #amwriting #wip Sunsetter
Back to the origins - no burgers in the wild west but pull up a chair and have a bowl of Millie's chili - of you dare.
Excerpt from the #novel The Murderous Villain Rosco Pitt
It was the sound of the horses that drew us to the door once again. Freddy was pacing in anticipation of Millie’s chili, and though I told him what Maddie had said, he waved me off with a fluttering hand declaring Millie’s chili always gave him the trots. from The Murderous Villain Rosco PItt book cover, front and back - Emma McDermott design #novel The Murderous Villain Rosco Pitt by Ross McDermott
November 11, 2025 at 2:07 PM
Reposted by Ross McDermott
scifansat.bsky.social
Writers, are you in dark doldrums? Grab a torch, grab a candle! Write by flickering light, as nine days remain to get your Science Fiction, Fantasy, and More to #SciFanSat before submissions close on November 20th at scifansat.com/landing.html!

#SFF #AmWritingScifi #AmWritingFantasy #WritingPrompts
SciFanSat: The Monthly Magazine for Science Fiction, Fantasy and More! November’s theme is FIRE. The deadline for submissions is November 20th, 2025.
November 11, 2025 at 1:04 PM
beyondtheonions.bsky.social
No. No. No!
Say it ain't so!
#photography #winter #snow #London #Ontario #Canada
November 11, 2025 at 1:06 PM
beyondtheonions.bsky.social
#vss365 #mearsue #vssdaily #roller #poem #poetry #rhymetime #writing #amwriting
Beneath the neon’s strobing glow rollers classed both high and low measure odds before they throw but only dice seems to know despite the lady’s lucky blow what, by chance, the numbers show. Feathered felt; a field of green Where plastic cubes dictate the dream A flick of the wrist, a hush filled scene Snake eyes stare; The rollers scream. ~Beyond the Onions~ Ross McDermott ~
November 11, 2025 at 1:00 PM
beyondtheonions.bsky.social
#2wordprompt #shape #sight #vss365 #literature #writing #amwriting #prose
~ from the #literary/western #novel, The Murderous Villain Rosco Pitt ~ by Ross McDermott
"It is cold in the shadow of the mountain. The clearing stretches out before our eyes in the fading light of the day. Already the shape of the sun has dipped below the lofty peak that looms high above our backs, draped in icy mist at the apex of its tip. The mountain seems to bid me adieu, but I don’t turn my sight from the flame that crackles low but warm at the edge of the trees." ~ from the literary/western #novel, The Murderous Villain Rosco Pitt ~ by Ross McDermott
November 10, 2025 at 3:24 PM
beyondtheonions.bsky.social
There you are.
#Winter arrives in #swOntario #Canada
#photo #1st #snow 🌨❄🧥🥶
Orange and yellow leaves clings to trees as winter snow arrives. Ross McDermott photo.
November 9, 2025 at 4:26 PM
beyondtheonions.bsky.social
Captured catfish crumbles in #shock
sentenced to life in #total solitude
though no #laws were broken
only lonely hearts.

💔

#2wordprompt #vss365 #writing #poem #poetry #amwriting
jason-h-abbott.bsky.social Jason H. Abbott @jason-h-abbott.bsky.social · 2d
Write. Create. Be inspired. The #2WordPrompt for 09-NOV-25 is:

Total & Shock

#Prompt
November 9, 2025 at 1:49 PM
beyondtheonions.bsky.social
#WIPSnips #picture (portrait) #amwriting #horror/western #fiction #writing #writingcommunity
This snippet is from the #novel Weathervane , prequel to my current #wip Sunsetter ( #comingsoon )-- a tale of ancient evil in the wilds of the west.
*A haunting #tableau
#books #booksky #read
I had no time to think on his words. My horror reached its pinnacle. All of them appeared, hideous phantoms on the road through Salvation; a twisted, family portrait painted on the night. Noah stood in the middle, just a boy with long, dark, wet-looking hair, purple waistcoat with raised collar framing his white face. In his hand he held a chain, thick and iron. It dangled down to entwine around the neck of the naked woman, who kneeled in the snow at his side with her head lowered. Flanking them stood the Nashers, the two that remained, gun-fighter ready, their hands hovered over their pistols hanging loosely at their hips. They were blonde, the both of them, Elijah and his brother whose name I did not know. Both sported cowpoke hats and wore dark dusters that seemed frozen in a wind that did not blow, billowing out behind them. The brothers did not hide their fangs behind tight-lipped grins, but snarled openly with bad intentions stabbing from their black-lustred eyes. excerpt from the novel Weathervane by Ross McDermott
November 9, 2025 at 1:16 PM
beyondtheonions.bsky.social
Rippling the fabric
in the darkness of the mind
vessel left behind

#SciFaikuSaturday #vessel #haiku #amwriting #writing #poem #poetry
November 8, 2025 at 12:59 PM
beyondtheonions.bsky.social
Distance equals #time, #without one there would be no other.

The bell tower sounds.
It sweeps through cobblestone
breaking free to roll
across the hills
it's #language known
but only as time passes
do ears detect the toll.

#2wordprompt #vss365 #poem #poetry #writing #amwriting
jason-h-abbott.bsky.social Jason H. Abbott @jason-h-abbott.bsky.social · 3d
Write. Create. Be inspired. The #2WordPrompt for 08-NOV-25 is:

Without & Time

#Prompt
November 8, 2025 at 12:28 PM
beyondtheonions.bsky.social
#WIPSnips #little #amwriting #western/horror #genre-bending #fiction
Today's #snippet comes from the #novel Weathervane, prequel to my current #wip Sunsetter - continuing the tale of ancient evil in the wilds of the west.
*Rosco awakes to find Noah by his bed.
#books #booksky #writing
I propped up a pillow and scrutinized the boy. Noah ‘allowed’ my inspection. His slick, black hair was pulled back and tied tight. From the tail of the hawk, three orange-tinged feathers sprouted up from behind his head. He smirked and even half-turned as I took note of his strange attire. He wore the skins of animals and jewels of bone, claws, and gems of turquoise stones adorned his neck. He looked like a boy that had been playing ‘Indian,’ but somehow seemed well-suited to the dress of the people. His face, though usually pale and drawn, was flushed with warmth and the glow of life. His cheeks were full and his skin glistened with a sheen it had never possessed before. His narrow, brown eyes beamed curiosity. His pupils pulsed – a cat taking interest. “I was hunting,” he said, plain and simple, like that was something every little boy does in the middle of a blizzard in the foothills of the Cascades in the dead of the night. from the novel Weathervane -- available now: https://a.co/d/0rUBPmi Back and front cover of the novel Weathervane, by Ross McDermott. https://a.co/d/0rUBPmi
November 8, 2025 at 12:00 PM
beyondtheonions.bsky.social
The revolutionists of #history;
The terrorists of ther time.
Blurred lines.

#vss365
November 7, 2025 at 2:13 PM
beyondtheonions.bsky.social
A war of wind and trees
raging throughout #history
A casualty of leaves
where #breeze plays a #role

The treaty of the winter white
And wind claims a victory
as breeze sings brother's praises
a whisper soft, yet biting cold.

#vss365 #2wordprompt #poem #poetry #writing #amwriting #seasons
November 7, 2025 at 11:13 AM
beyondtheonions.bsky.social
#WIPSnips #movement #amwriting #horror/western #fiction #wip Sunsetter - an ancient tale of evil in the wilds of the west and sequel to the #novel Weathervane.
*Shadows in the trees -- the children of Noah are watching👀
#books #writing
I stood alone in the middle of the clearing, my rifle poised as I turned slowly, taking in the silence of the outpost. I could see the fires of camps set around the tree line, but no men moved in the light of those flames; just small, hooded shadows now stood where those men should have been. The children of Noah were watching. I cycled my Winchester, readying a round as I slowly moved across the clearing, my eyes scanning the dark for any sudden movement. “Slayter!” A whispered shout spun me around. It was the voice of Joe, who now stood in the opened door of the mercantile. “Slayter.” He beckoned desperately with one hand. “Over here. Hurry. Take cover!” from the work in progress Sunsetter, sequel to the novel Weathervane by Ross McDermott
November 7, 2025 at 10:09 AM
beyondtheonions.bsky.social
Now this is fascinating...👀
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
#books #booklovers #booksky
Poisonous books are lurking inside this London, Ont., library | CBC News
A student at Western University found 96 'poison' books that contain arsenic, a toxic element dangerous to humans, across the campus' libraries. Student Karen Wen says those books tell a story beyond ...
www.cbc.ca
November 6, 2025 at 6:09 PM
Reposted by Ross McDermott
jason-h-abbott.bsky.social
“Flame-Taught Witch”

Art by me for November’s upcoming #SciFanSat issue and its theme of FIRE! Writers, 14 days remain until submissions are due on November 20th. Full details are on our landing page at scifansat.com/landing.html!

#SFF #AmWritingScifi #AmWritingFantasy #WritingPrompts
A fantasy illustration of a witch floating atop a column of fire, a wave of illumed smoke and flames behind her. In one hand she holds her broom, in the other, a growing sphere of fire.
November 6, 2025 at 11:04 AM
beyondtheonions.bsky.social
Hey America! There you are. It's been a minute. 😄 🍁🍁🍁 - we're missing you guys -- hurry back!
November 5, 2025 at 1:52 PM
beyondtheonions.bsky.social
#vss365 #famous (vibe) #poem #poetry #rhymetime #amwriting #tonguencheek 😉
Batman and Robin; Lois and Superman Kid Shelleen and Cat Ballou Hollywood cast them as indivisible If only they knew the things that I knew. Batman wears a MAGA hat Robin stormed the Capital Lois quit her day job, became a right-wing radical. Superman left years ago on some unknown sabbatical And no one under fifty even knows the other two. Beyond the Onions - Ross McDermott
November 5, 2025 at 11:31 AM
Reposted by Ross McDermott
beyondtheonions.bsky.social
#WIPSnips #trail #amwriting #horror/western #genre-bending #fiction #wip Sunsetter, sequel to the #novel Weathervane - continuing the tale of an ancient evil in the wilds of the west.
*Arriving at the Triple C Outpost Francis and his friends come under attack. #HappyTrails!
#books #booksky #read
The stench hit our senses before our eyes even noticed the thinning of the forest and the industrious sounds of labour emanating from the clearing that was just coming into view. Fortunately, the assault was a momentary case of proximity, as the wagon train was passing the privies the outpost had dug, and to the right of the trail six wooden outhouses stood crooked and rickety, precarious in their stance. Mumbled words of admonishment and disgust rumbled obscenities up and down the train of wagons, and Maddie began to gag and retch in the wake of the assault. McTavish pulled his neckerchief up to cover his nose and mouth, his eyes burning glassy as he whipped his head to and fro, one hand holding the kerchief firm to his face. As we passed so too did the stench, driven off to the east by the prevailing wind, much to our relief. I wondered if them boys had proper shovels; if they maybe should have dug them holes deeper. from the wip/novel Sunsetter by Ross McDermott
November 5, 2025 at 10:52 AM
beyondtheonions.bsky.social
#2wordprompt #poetry - not, #poem - not, #writing - not. Just asking a #question.

**Wait a #minute. Shouldn't he already be in #prison?

#POTUS #mugshot #Inmate number #PO1135809 -- #POTUS Georgia Department of Corrections #photo
A picture of an asshole named Donald J. Trump.
November 5, 2025 at 11:19 AM
beyondtheonions.bsky.social
#WIPSnips #trail #amwriting #horror/western #genre-bending #fiction #wip Sunsetter, sequel to the #novel Weathervane - continuing the tale of an ancient evil in the wilds of the west.
*Arriving at the Triple C Outpost Francis and his friends come under attack. #HappyTrails!
#books #booksky #read
The stench hit our senses before our eyes even noticed the thinning of the forest and the industrious sounds of labour emanating from the clearing that was just coming into view. Fortunately, the assault was a momentary case of proximity, as the wagon train was passing the privies the outpost had dug, and to the right of the trail six wooden outhouses stood crooked and rickety, precarious in their stance. Mumbled words of admonishment and disgust rumbled obscenities up and down the train of wagons, and Maddie began to gag and retch in the wake of the assault. McTavish pulled his neckerchief up to cover his nose and mouth, his eyes burning glassy as he whipped his head to and fro, one hand holding the kerchief firm to his face. As we passed so too did the stench, driven off to the east by the prevailing wind, much to our relief. I wondered if them boys had proper shovels; if they maybe should have dug them holes deeper. from the wip/novel Sunsetter by Ross McDermott
November 5, 2025 at 10:52 AM
beyondtheonions.bsky.social
The #lift began to plummet.
Steel wires snapped before the summit.
Dark and bottomless it had seemed
a endless shaft, one could dream,
but the impact begged to #differ.

#2wordprompt #poem #poetry #writing #amwriting #writingcommunity #blueskywriters #elevatophobia
November 4, 2025 at 11:58 AM
beyondtheonions.bsky.social
#WIPSnips #steel #vss365 #education #amwriting #horror/western #fiction #wip Sunsetter - continuing the tale of ancient evil in the wilds of the west.
*Francis feels the angst of self doubt.
#books #novel #read #writingcommunity
A needle of self-doubt, foreign to me, pierced the fabric of my thoughts while the slow boil of creeping fear – also foreign – bubbled in the pit of my stomach. I had never faced such danger, here in the real world, and though the education of a Sunsetter prepared me to control my emotions, to steel my mind and remain anchored, here, in the real world, my failure to remain alert through the night; to have allowed a mortal foe to catch me unprepared made me feel I may have dropped a stitch or two in my hurriedness to save nine. from the wip Sunsetter - sequel to the novel Weathervane by Ross McDermott
November 4, 2025 at 11:26 AM
Reposted by Ross McDermott
beyondtheonions.bsky.social
#WIPSnips #monster #amwriting #horror #western #genre-bending #fiction #Halloween
From the #novel Weathervane and prequel to current #wip Sunsetter #comingsoon
*The attempted seduction of the murderous villain Rosco Pitt
#books #booksky 🧛‍♂️🧛‍♀️🦇 #vampir #vampire
My stomach lunged and my eyes would not falter from the trickle of blood that now oozed from his self-inflicted wound. I felt my tongue roll in my mouth and my entire body battered me with an urge to drink. He drew the wound closer. I could smell the blood. It carried the taste of metal and muddy earth. I felt drawn to the aroma and the thickness of the flow. “Drink,” he whispered. “Drink and live forever, Rosco. Polish the pearl of vengeance in your heart and look to the west, to the armies of V’ar kielius. As you yourself have said, it is he who is the plague, the god of the steppe who created me, this monster you now gaze upon. “V’ar kielius, Arakiel, what ever name you choose, the fallen angel mocks us both and toys with us in his twisted game of immortality. Drink Rosco, and let loose your chaotic whirlwind of revenge with more power than your mortal mind could ever imagine.” excerpt from the novel Weathervane by Ross McDermott
October 31, 2025 at 10:04 AM
beyondtheonions.bsky.social
Bending with the fire
#simply #music soothes the beasts
tethered to the flames

~ beck and call ~

#2wordprompt #haiku #poem #poetry #writing #Halloween #horror #witchy
🎵
jason-h-abbott.bsky.social Jason H. Abbott @jason-h-abbott.bsky.social · 11d
Write. Create. Be inspired. The #2WordPrompt for 31-OCT-25 is:

Simply & Music

#Prompt
October 31, 2025 at 12:33 PM