H.L. Schiff
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hlschiffwriting.bsky.social
H.L. Schiff
@hlschiffwriting.bsky.social
54 followers 37 following 14 posts
Writer, video game and language nerd, lover of fantasy and literary fiction. Well, all genres really. Terrible at social media but I might post now and then about cats and writing. Would love to connect! She/Her

Formerly Linnea Schiff.
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hlschiffwriting.bsky.social
H.L. Schiff @hlschiffwriting.bsky.social · 8d
An Agent's Guide to CALL OF THE ELDER.

🐉 Jewish Fantasy
🐉 Agent interest
🐉🐉 DRAGONS 🐉🐉

When a dragon elder summons Eila, the last priestess of her people, she must travel across hostile lands to find him before insanity sets in and she fails her family.

#QuestPit #A #Q #F #agentsguide
Cover slide for an agent's guide to the high fantasy novel, "Call of the Elder." It has the tagline, "She must answer his call or face a fate worse than death. The background is a glacial lake at night with star borders in white. Pitch for Call of the Elder. The background is a glacial lake at night with star borders in white. The Pitch Reads: Fifteen years after violent raids stole her people’s magic, Eila lives a lie. Hiding her forbidden magic, she does everything she can to keep her disabled father warm and fed. The tattoo on her back marks her as dangerous–the ones on her wrists hide her as safe. When, one night, a dragon elder summons her, Eila has no choice but to travel across hostile lands to find him. On the way, she is joined by a king’s soldier from her hometown and a bounty hunter from the east, both of whom want to help her, though their motives are their own. The three of them must work together to get Eila to the vast mountains, find the elder, and deliver an omen to all of the world before the call of the elder breaks her. For Fans Of: with five book covers: The Fifth Season by NK Jemisin, A Dark and Drowning Tide by Allison Saft, Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik, The Jasmine Thrown by Tasha Suri, and An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir. Underneath is a list of book features: Epic fantasy stories, dragons, female power, slow burn romance, compelling characters, jewish stories, intricate world building, inherent queerness, and religious critique. Between each feature is a little golden dragon. The background is a glacial lake at night with star borders in white. First Line: "Based in the light of a cracked oil lamp, Eila struggled to breathe." The background is a glacial lake at night with star borders in white. There is a mood board in the center with varying pictures depicting elements of the story, such a dragons, romance, a pistol, prayer, fire, and a woman in a dress. In the center is the phrase: But the gods heard them, the gods pitied them, the gods intervened. On each side is a list of story attributes: Multi POV, Adult Second World Fantasy, First in a Series, Political in Nature on one side; 1800's Aesthetic, Non-Western Cultures, Has made every beta yell at me, Queer MC and LI on the other.
Reposted by H.L. Schiff
authortaylorleigh.bsky.social
Locke Lamora X ODW

To save her sick sister, visually-impaired thief Nefeli agrees to a treasure hunt for a lost relic. As her sight declines with each use of magic, she must outwit dragons, powerful magic, and—worst of all—politicians before her world goes dark for good.

#questpit #Q #A #F
Black and white background of desert sand dunes with white script "The City of Dragon Glass by Taylor Leigh Agent Guide" Background of black and white desert sand dunes The Pitch Nefeli's gift of sensing magical relics has made her a world-class thief, but tapping into her power comes with a cost: her vision. With every use of her magic, her degenerative eye disorder worsens. A few more heists and Nefeli fears she'll be left with vague shadows in the dark—something she's avoiding at all costs. What use is a thief who can't see what she's trying to steal? But when her sister Sadiya's fragile health crumbles, Nefeli must choose: her sight or her sister. Against Sadiya's wishes, Nefeli agrees to a dangerous job posing as a noble at a political summit. If Nefeli can hunt down a long-hidden relic for a secretive influential family, she'll earn enough for her sister's treatment. The catch? The summit is crawling with dragons, scheming politicians, powerful magic users…and worst of all, Kadir, a former fling who knows Nefeli's not who she claims to be. Nefeli only has a fortnight to find the missing relic before access to the palace closes for another century. If she's going to succeed, she must rely on Kadir's help, despite the risk of him blowing her cover at any moment. And with her vision tunneling in, completing the job will force Nefeli to confront her biggest fear: without her sight, who is she? The City of Dragon Glass by Taylor Leigh Background of black and white desert sand dunes The Snippet "I'm scared," she whispered. "I'm scared of the day I open my eyes and there's nothing left to see. It doesn't matter that there are aids or that so many people thrive without sight. I know that one day, my memories of what things look like will fade—and they will. Even now, I forget constellations that I used to be able to see. Like those constellations, all other images will fade into the darkness until I don't remember the details of a sunset, or the flash of Sadiya's smile. I will be trapped inside my head, smothered by the knowledge of just how much I've forgotten." The City of Dragon Glass by Taylor Leigh Black and white background of desert sand dunes The Comps Two lines of photos, top includes the covers of A Dance of Lies, Godkiller, and One Dark Window Botton line includes The Stardust Thief and The Foxglove King The City of Dragon Glass by Taylor Leigh
January 31, 2026 at 9:36 PM
Reposted by H.L. Schiff
dallasrosebooks.bsky.social
Now #amquerying: LEARNING FOR YOU, the teaching/karaoke romance of my heart 💜

YOU BETWEEN THE LINES x KATHERINE CENTER

When budget cuts threaten her district, new teacher Jules must compete with her annoying(ly handsome) rival to keep her dream job—and avoid falling for him.

#QuestPit #A #R
Agent pitch guide title slide: LEARNING FOR YOU, Adult Contemporary Romance Pitch blurb: Due to impending budget cuts, high school teacher Jules Clark's dream job is already in jeopardy before it's even started. With each department set to get rid of one new hire, Jules must compete with the annoying(ly handsome) former lawyer, Adrian Pierce, to keep her place. Where she finds herself in over her head, he seems to breeze through it all. He also pops up everywhere, from heated encounters in the copy room to a tension-filled work karaoke league, culminating in an assignment to collaborate on a joint teaching unit. As they spend more time together, Jules finds she and Adrian have a lot in common...including a simmering attraction that becomes impossible to ignore. With one job and two of them, Jules worries their growing chemistry can only lead to resentment. Though she lets Adrian in, old fears of not being good enough consume her as the deadline looms closer. If she lets selt-doubt take over, Jules could lose everything-not only her career, but also the love that's right in front of her. Tropes and Vibes: Golden retriever love interest Workplace rivals to lovers Karaoke league shenanigans Complicated family dynamics Forced proximity/collaboration Strong female friendship With the academic setting and workplace rivalry seen in YOU BETWEEN THE LINES, ONE ON ONE, and THE MAKEUP TEST Hazy yellow moodboard with images of teaching, karaoke, books, and rumpled bedsheets 😏
January 31, 2026 at 8:23 PM
Reposted by H.L. Schiff
reviseresub.bsky.social
She leaves behind two sons, 13 and 11 years old. The family has set up a GoFundMe to help the family prepare for the difficult road ahead.

As the #RevPit community, we would love you to share any kind stories or interactions you may have had with Megan. ❤️

gofund.me/a7b6dda99
Donate to Caring for Megan’s Sons as They Navigate Life Ahead, organized by David Records
We are raising funds to support my sister Megan and, most importantl… David Records needs your support for Caring for Megan’s Sons as They Navigate Life Ahead
gofund.me
January 31, 2026 at 7:37 PM
hlschiffwriting.bsky.social
An Agent's Guide to CALL OF THE ELDER.

🐉 Jewish Fantasy
🐉 Agent interest
🐉🐉 DRAGONS 🐉🐉

When a dragon elder summons Eila, the last priestess of her people, she must travel across hostile lands to find him before insanity sets in and she fails her family.

#QuestPit #A #Q #F #agentsguide
Cover slide for an agent's guide to the high fantasy novel, "Call of the Elder." It has the tagline, "She must answer his call or face a fate worse than death. The background is a glacial lake at night with star borders in white. Pitch for Call of the Elder. The background is a glacial lake at night with star borders in white. The Pitch Reads: Fifteen years after violent raids stole her people’s magic, Eila lives a lie. Hiding her forbidden magic, she does everything she can to keep her disabled father warm and fed. The tattoo on her back marks her as dangerous–the ones on her wrists hide her as safe. When, one night, a dragon elder summons her, Eila has no choice but to travel across hostile lands to find him. On the way, she is joined by a king’s soldier from her hometown and a bounty hunter from the east, both of whom want to help her, though their motives are their own. The three of them must work together to get Eila to the vast mountains, find the elder, and deliver an omen to all of the world before the call of the elder breaks her. For Fans Of: with five book covers: The Fifth Season by NK Jemisin, A Dark and Drowning Tide by Allison Saft, Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik, The Jasmine Thrown by Tasha Suri, and An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir. Underneath is a list of book features: Epic fantasy stories, dragons, female power, slow burn romance, compelling characters, jewish stories, intricate world building, inherent queerness, and religious critique. Between each feature is a little golden dragon. The background is a glacial lake at night with star borders in white. First Line: "Based in the light of a cracked oil lamp, Eila struggled to breathe." The background is a glacial lake at night with star borders in white. There is a mood board in the center with varying pictures depicting elements of the story, such a dragons, romance, a pistol, prayer, fire, and a woman in a dress. In the center is the phrase: But the gods heard them, the gods pitied them, the gods intervened. On each side is a list of story attributes: Multi POV, Adult Second World Fantasy, First in a Series, Political in Nature on one side; 1800's Aesthetic, Non-Western Cultures, Has made every beta yell at me, Queer MC and LI on the other.
January 31, 2026 at 8:07 PM
Reposted by H.L. Schiff
dallasrosebooks.bsky.social
When budget cuts threaten her dream job, new high school English teacher Jules must compete with her annoying(ly handsome) rival to keep her place. But when they start to bond through group projects and a work karaoke league, her heart—and her career—are on the line.

#QuestPit #A #R #Q
Hazy yellow themed moodboard with photos of books, an apple, various teaching-themed images, a karaoke microphone, and a cute pup!
January 31, 2026 at 7:01 PM
Reposted by H.L. Schiff
smossman.bsky.social
PIRANESI x SOMEONE YOU CAN BUILD A NEST IN

A murdered cat becomes a human and tries to ascend to godhood for revenge. But in limbo, rage isn't enough to survive.

🔪 Revenge plot
🏚️Liminal Spaces
🐈‍⬛Cat POV
🎭 Unreliable narrator
☠️ Body horror
#Questpit #A #F #H #DF #W #DIS #POC
A moodboard for GODCAT, an adult dark fantasy, featuring six black cats and one magpie eye in the center.
January 31, 2026 at 11:18 AM
Reposted by H.L. Schiff
rihdaraklay.bsky.social
WE HARVEST THE CARNAGE
a fantasy horror about a college freshman who joins a club of pre-meds to harvest the organs of the elite with body magic
🫀dark academia x body horror x STEM
🫀south asian rep x bi4bi
🫀vengeance, moral ambiguity, & guts galore
#questpit #W #A #F #H
medical illustrations of a skull and a spine in the top left corner; a bronze statue of Lady Justice in the top right corner; a picture of a red brick house and a tree mid-autumn with red and orange leaves hanging on its branches in the bottom left corner; and a close-up of michaelangelo’s david in the bottom right corner.
January 31, 2026 at 4:17 PM
Reposted by H.L. Schiff
athenakane.bsky.social
TAMSYN MUIR x HUNGER GAMES x BACHELORETTE

Pretending to be a man, Dorian enters a deadly tournament to kill the priestess whose magic is draining the planet & pursue her interests: swords & women. But in the labyrinth, the cameras aren't the only thing she must evade.

#A #SF #F #LGBT #W #QuestPit
Top Left - Angel in mist with wings spreading over praying worshippers Top Middle - a skyline of a city in ruin Top Right - A woman with black hair whose neck is held by a shadowy mist Middle Left - a white drone against greenery, looking like a butterfly Middle - a woman with a painted face a black gothic veil and crown, holding a bouquet of yellow flowers Middle right - an abandoned ferris wheel Bottom left - woman pressing a knife to someone's chin Bottom middle - a broken sarcophagus Bottom right - bloodied fists
January 31, 2026 at 4:51 PM
hlschiffwriting.bsky.social
Chika is amazing! Let's help support them! You get some fantastic art out of it 😀
chikasaurus-x.bsky.social chikasaurus-x.bsky.social @chikasaurus-x.bsky.social · 8d
Hello everyone, I am opening SOS Commissions. If you have the means and desire, please consider helping a human artist pay their bills and purchasing a custom work of art!

(More details about what's going on in the comments.)

#commissions #art #artist #digitalart #noai #emergencycommissions #ocs
January 31, 2026 at 4:54 PM
Reposted by H.L. Schiff
rihdaraklay.bsky.social
LET THEM *BE* CAKE 🍰
Under a fascist empire led by a queen whose touch can turn bodies into sugar, a grieving royal translator finds solace in outlawed books. But when caught, she must escape and lead the revolution inspired by her defiance, or face being turned into royal dessert.
#roundtablementor
October 27, 2025 at 12:39 PM
Reposted by H.L. Schiff
ivy-lin.bsky.social
IT CAME!! Thank you so much VERVE Books for the opportunity to contribute to this moving and important anthology!! 🥹

If you're like me, SOMEONE LIKE ME will make you shed tears of joy! Preorder here: www.vervebooks.co.uk/bookpage.php...
August 8, 2025 at 4:38 PM
hlschiffwriting.bsky.social
All Eila wants is to find her lost dragon.

And. You know. Not die trying to find him.

Not that anyone's making this easy for her.

#UnhingedPit #A #F #Q
Lost dragon poster in the vein of a lost dog poster. The poster is orange, black, and white with dragon paw prints, a circular image of a black dragon. Text reads: "Lost Dragon. Reward Eila's Sanity. Last seen somewhere in the Miantbore Mountains harassing people with fiery dreams. If found, please tell Eila." In small font it reads, "But keep it hush hush. She's on a secret mission." There are flames in the corners.
July 9, 2025 at 6:24 PM
hlschiffwriting.bsky.social
Aaaaaah I love seeing my idiot child in drawing form! Gooie is right. I can't draw 🤣 Guess I have to keep on writing then!

Thank you so much!!!!
gooiemuffin.bsky.social Gooie Muffin @gooiemuffin.bsky.social · Jun 23
OC DRAWING CHALLENGE #20: Eila by my lovely friend @hlschiffwriting.bsky.social is a character in one of her books. She’s a prolific writer who writes way faster than me, but I school her at drawing so it evens out in the end 😜

#gooieart #oc #ocsky #art
Digital color drawing of a brown skinned woman with long black hair tied into a braid that cascades down her shoulder, looking 3/4s to the right with golden eyes and a simple green top that is hand stitched with a square cut mid-chest
June 23, 2025 at 6:13 AM
Reposted by H.L. Schiff
corrinney.bsky.social
FRANKENSTEIN but in a Cantonese matriarchy.

When an entomologist’s insect-pheromone powers evolves her into a gigantic Kaiju-like Asian monster, and when she and the cocky swordswoman sent to take her hostage fall in love, they must decide if their love is worth dying for.
#SEAsianPit #A #H #F #R
Canton Gothic, love or pheromones, violent yearning, doomed romance, moths, swordswoman, lanterns, Chinese women
May 31, 2025 at 7:33 PM
Reposted by H.L. Schiff
ivy-lin.bsky.social
KOMI CAN'T COMMUNICATE x TO ALL THE BOYS

Selectively mute 16yo Lena Mei wants to read a Chinese poem to honour her late mother, but she can’t read it. A charming autistic polyglot offers to help—not only with her speech but also in discovering her own autism.

#SEAsianPit #W #YA #CR
Quote from The Love In Your Words: “If this year has taught me anything besides how deeply one can feel heartache and pain, it’s that time spent nurturing love can heal sorrow.” Top row, left to right: the Liverpool Chinatown arch, floating red Chinese lanterns, the Royal Liver Building lit up in red in front of the night sky Middle row, left to right: The Royal Albert Dock, the quote from The Love In Your Words, cranes on a shipping dock lit up at night Bottom row, left to right: candles and flowers on gravestones at night, a couple standing underneath an umbrella on a rainy night, fairy lights shaped like stars and moons hanging from trees
May 31, 2025 at 12:01 PM
Reposted by H.L. Schiff
athenakane.bsky.social
GIDEON THE NINTH x EMBER IN THE ASHES

🗡️murderous fem bodyguard with shadow magic
👑 a butch lesbian prince
💘 who hate each other
⚔️ need to work together
🧟 to discover who's trying to kill the prince
❤️‍🔥 and... recover their trust after the tragedy that drove them apart #questpit #A #F #W
3x3 moodboard - a blond woman in black clothes leaning against a table - hand with black mist - masculine person in white old fashioned jacket with steepled fingers - roman architecture - a woman with a black cape waving behind her - a garden with a gazebo - two people embracing and kissing - curly dagger - a woman in a Greek dress with a dagger tucked in her garter
May 7, 2025 at 7:47 AM
Reposted by H.L. Schiff
smossman.bsky.social
LAST AIRBENDER x MISTBORN x FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST

Set in a world inspired by Golden Age Islamic astronomy, a delinquent village girl fights alongside a snobby magicless princess to escape a royal family who see her elemental powers as a threat to their rule. #questpit #YA #F #W
A moodboard for #QuestPit featuring from left to right, top to bottom: gold scales, a girl sitting on a bench in black and white, friendship bracelets, factories emitting plumes of smoke, a statue of a prince, "friend" scrabble letters, gold rings, mountains, a comet, a star in the center with "beware the stars" written on it, a broken heart, a princess in a dress and crown, knights with a horse, knuckles covered in blood, and a watchtower. The moodboard is assembled to represent the aesthetics of the YA Fantasy, Starsent.
May 7, 2025 at 12:01 PM
Reposted by H.L. Schiff
ivy-lin.bsky.social
When 16yo Lena Mei turns to an autistic polyglot to learn Mandarin, she doesn’t expect to fall for him—or uncover a painful connection between their families that could uproot their growing love.
#YA #R #QuestPit #W
A picture of Lena and Alistair walking underneath an umbrella together, wearing blue and grey school uniforms. Romance tropes: Friends to Lovers, Forbidden Romance Character tropes for Alistair: Rich, Mentor, Infodumper, Sunshine/Golden Retriever, Fake Confidence, Speaks more than ten languages Character tropes for Lena: Poor, Mentee, Selectively mute, Grumpy/Black cat, No confidence, Barely speaks one language Art by Joy Ling
May 7, 2025 at 10:49 AM
Reposted by H.L. Schiff
gooiemuffin.bsky.social
✨ 💖 WOWIE 560 FOLLOWERS YIPPEE!! 💖 ✨

Now I shall give back by drawing (a portrait of) YOUR OC:

👉 Follow me
👉 Give me a reference
👉 Briefly describe your OC’s personality

🪶 It may take time, but I will draw all of them or so help me GOD
🪶 It will have simple color and shading
🪶 Like and Share ❤️
Digital color drawing of Gooie’s birdsona reaching up with their 5-6 strange barn owl talons with watery eyes and a big owlish smile, looking up toward floating text that reads “I WILL DRAW YOUR OC” and then an arrow pointing at the owl’s face with dark text that reads “Gooie thanking her followers”
May 6, 2025 at 3:31 AM
Reposted by H.L. Schiff
athenakane.bsky.social
Here's my agent's guide to THIS FAITH YOU BLEED FOR, an adult gothic fan(g)tasy, complete at 104k. #amquerying
April 5, 2025 at 9:41 AM
Reposted by H.L. Schiff
ivy-lin.bsky.social
An agent’s guide to The Love In Your Words: a YA Romance set in Liverpool, where a selectively mute girl falls for an autistic polyglot who helps her embrace her Chinese heritage and neurodivergence.
#YA #Romance #writingcommunity #litagents #agentguide
Title: “The Love In Your Words” Genre: YA Romance Word Count: 65,000 words A picture of Lena and Alistair walking underneath an umbrella together, wearing blue and grey school uniforms. The Royal Liver Building is in the background as red paper lanterns float in the sky. Pitch Sixteen-year-old Lena Mei has always felt like an outsider — too “Western” to be Chinese, too “weird” for everyone else — until Alistair Wong, an autistic polyglot, helps her reclaim her heritage by teaching her to read a Mandarin poem her late mother left behind. As their connection deepens, a devastating family secret threatens to uproot their budding love, forcing Lena to choose between family loyalty and a future with the boy who accepts her for who she is. Tropes & Themes Autism & Neurodivergence, Language & Identity, Chinese Diaspora, Immigration, Grief & Healing, Friends to Lovers, Slow Burn, Forbidden Romance, Grumpy/Sunshine, Found Family Comps “Something More” by Jackie Khalilieh (Autism & Neurodivergence) “Never Thought I’d End Up Here” by Ann Liang (Language, Heritage & Chinese Diaspora) “Komi Can’t Communicate” (Overcoming Anxiety & Communication Difficulties)
May 6, 2025 at 5:42 PM
hlschiffwriting.bsky.social
I'm not on social media much, but I'm going to try. I always say that, but...eh?

I'm H.L. Schiff and I'm a writer looking to start querying my high fantasy novel this coming fall. I love to travel, study, play video games, and write. I write mostly fantasy though I'll dabble in contemp genres too!
May 5, 2025 at 7:49 PM