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jakevanguard.bsky.social
Jake Vanguard
@jakevanguard.bsky.social
620 followers 55 following 310 posts
🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ Queer fantasy indie author (they/he)
📖 FIRST ROSE 🌹 OUT NOW
📖 FIRST SNOW 🌿
📖 HIGANBANA 🪽
📖 Short stories (Itchio)

https://jakevanguard.carrd.co/
Posts Replies Media Videos
Reposted by Jake Vanguard
kayworx.bsky.social
I have a new book out that's free to download this month!!
Finding Bliss is a 25K word novella with side characters from A Mutual Connection. It features a T4T romance with an autistic Domme and a AuDHD sub.
books.bookfunnel.com/neurodiverge...
Bookfunnel promotion event: neurodivergence in queer romance, 27 free original storie, neurodivergent authors and characters. Part 1: January 2026, Finding Bliss by Kay Claire Bookfunnel promotion event: neurodivergence in queer romance, 27 free original storie, neurodivergent authors and characters. Coming January & February 2026
January 4, 2026 at 2:56 PM
Reposted by Jake Vanguard
earlronove.bsky.social
i colored my flowers. and ambrose, i guess! he'd like to go back to his book now.
a young man laying on his stomach and propped up on his elbows. He has red hair, a hazel eye and a green eye, and has a flower tucked behind his ear. He is wearing glasses. He holds a book and stares at the camera, slightly annoyed. White flowers sprout all around him. The colors are soft oranges, yellows, and reds, and feel nostalgic.
January 4, 2026 at 1:25 AM
Reposted by Jake Vanguard
jakevanguard.bsky.social
Looking for ARC readers for my paranormal achillean duology - including angels, demons, and popculture references.

Book 2 - Kintsugi - will release 10 March 2026 🩷

Sign up:
forms.gle/EMcB7JUAm8nz...
A promotional picture with the cover of "Higanbana" in the left top corner and "Kintsugi" in the right top corner. In the middle, the blurb of Kintsugi says: Be Not Afraid, I'm not here to hurt you. Lost and separated from his guardian angel, Nate’s succumbing to the dragging weight and drowning noise of his declining mental health once more. And now, a new, yet loveless, relationship threatens to rapidly destroy the happiness and progress Nate made with Raziel at his side. When a Valentine’s Day celebration with his new partner Rael turns into an eye-opening disaster, Nate is reunited with Raziel–his guardian angel, his love. But despite their joyful reunion, Nate is not the sole reason Raziel returned. A dark plan has been brewing in Heaven, and Raziel needs allies to thwart it. Navigating old and new relationships, Raziel and Nate have to rebuild their trust and forge unlikely alliances, while making up for all the time they spent forced apart. Will they stop Judgment Day, or is the world doomed? /blurb end Underneath is the release date: 10 March 2026 Surrounding the blurb are the following tropes: Satan! ; Heaven & Hell ; Depp love & care ; What's broken can be beautiful ; Enemies turned allies and vice versa ; biblical siblings ; Demons! ; stopping doomsday
January 4, 2026 at 11:15 AM
Reposted by Jake Vanguard
earlronove.bsky.social
New year, new short story up on my itchio (and other retailers)! My weird short story about an immortal soul looking for his other half is up and nicely formatted for your devices!

And, for 24-hours, it's completely pay what you want! Grab yourself a copy! 💀
earlronove.itch.io/immortalityi...
a trope map for Immortality in the Marrow by S. Jean. In the center is the young man from the cover, opening his shirt to reveal blue encrusted ribs within as his eyes glow a haunting shade of blue. Around him are blue wisps of magic alongside the tropes/themes. Those are: dark academia vibes, magic seeped into bones, memory is fickle, reincarnation (but at what cost), searching for your other half, & bittersweet. Along the bottom is where to get your copy and it reads: earlronove.itch.io/immortalityinthemarrow
January 4, 2026 at 4:26 PM
jakevanguard.bsky.social
Looking for ARC readers for my paranormal achillean duology - including angels, demons, and popculture references.

Book 2 - Kintsugi - will release 10 March 2026 🩷

Sign up:
forms.gle/EMcB7JUAm8nz...
A promotional picture with the cover of "Higanbana" in the left top corner and "Kintsugi" in the right top corner. In the middle, the blurb of Kintsugi says: Be Not Afraid, I'm not here to hurt you. Lost and separated from his guardian angel, Nate’s succumbing to the dragging weight and drowning noise of his declining mental health once more. And now, a new, yet loveless, relationship threatens to rapidly destroy the happiness and progress Nate made with Raziel at his side. When a Valentine’s Day celebration with his new partner Rael turns into an eye-opening disaster, Nate is reunited with Raziel–his guardian angel, his love. But despite their joyful reunion, Nate is not the sole reason Raziel returned. A dark plan has been brewing in Heaven, and Raziel needs allies to thwart it. Navigating old and new relationships, Raziel and Nate have to rebuild their trust and forge unlikely alliances, while making up for all the time they spent forced apart. Will they stop Judgment Day, or is the world doomed? /blurb end Underneath is the release date: 10 March 2026 Surrounding the blurb are the following tropes: Satan! ; Heaven & Hell ; Depp love & care ; What's broken can be beautiful ; Enemies turned allies and vice versa ; biblical siblings ; Demons! ; stopping doomsday
January 4, 2026 at 11:15 AM
Reposted by Jake Vanguard
kaizeal.aquakatpublishing.com
If you've already been to the megasale page, you know there's a *ton* of great books available this year. If you're feeling overwhelmed and looking for some suggestions, here's 20 books I'm checking out! 🧵👇

Note: many of these are wide so check megasale.yrliu.com for all retailers

#booksky 🪐📚⚔️🌈🚀
December 26, 2025 at 11:56 PM
Reposted by Jake Vanguard
earlronove.bsky.social
I made a lot of shitposty things for BE NOT AFRAID (& there is one more coming!) and I still really like these, so Shitpost Saturday Night!

Perfect summary of the first three chapters of BE NOT AFRAID, my horror novella, & it's 25% off on itchio until next year!
earlronove.itch.io/benotafraid
a graphic comprised of a photograph of a park and a rolls-royce in the background, both with blue and pale pink as colors, with a character portrait of an angel (??) in the front. The angel has pale skin, wide eyes with huge pupils, dark greasy hair, and is wearing a dark robe. He has black wings with eyeballs within them. He is smiling wide as blood streams down from his mouth and nose. The text accompanying the image reads: What do you do when this angel (??) invites (drags) you into his Rolls-Royce? you fuckin GET OUT Be Not Afraid is out now! books.earlronove.com/benotafraid a graphic comprised of a photograph of an empty street lined with lamps and a Rolls-Royce in the center. The colors are heavy on the blues and reds, looking rather distressed. On the top of the Rolls-Royce is a young man with yellow wings and a lead pipe balanced on his shoulder. The text accompanying the image reads: okay so you didn't get out of the rolls-royce... what do you do when this angel (??) opens it like a tin can? you fuckin RUN Be Not Afraid is out now! books.earlronove.com/benotafraid a graphic comprised of an overexposed photo of a hotel as the background. Blues and blacks take up the dark colors, while anything lighter is a searing shade of red. In front of the photo is an illustration of a smiling young man. He has white hair, fair skin, wing tattoos across his shoulders, and has translucent, sparkling wings sprouting from his back. Text on the graphic reads: just kidding, this angel likes you (probably). maybe if you stick with him, you'll get out ALIVE... BE NOT AFRAID is out now! books.earlronove.com/benotafraid
December 21, 2025 at 1:22 AM
Reposted by Jake Vanguard
chiefwritesbook.bsky.social
The end-of-year indie fantasy bundle is here! Get 64 awesome fantasy books by indie authors for only $45 - including Song of the Wolf!

itch.io/b/3409/end-o...

#BookSky 🩵📚 📢📚 📦📚
A green-themed graphic featuring a silhouette of a person in a hat and cloak standing on a cliff, facing a flying dragon. Text reads: end-of-year indie fantasy mega bundle, 64 books for $45, december 1st - 15th" A second graphic with the same features as the first, except the person on a cliff is replaced with a cover of Song of the Wolf by T.C. Smith. Text reads: "end-of-year indie fantasy mega bundle, get this book...and 63 others for $45, december 1st - 15th"
December 1, 2025 at 3:33 AM
Reposted by Jake Vanguard
eliseswritings.bsky.social
If MANY hours of fantastical escape appeal to you, with everything from traditional magic, royals and gods, to thieves, detectives, anti-heroes, shape shifters and (queer) found family... this bundle's worth a browse.

(Its even got librarians & necromancy 😉.)

🌈📚💙📚🪐 itch.io/b/3409/end-o...
End of the year indie Fantasy Mega Bundle. 64 Books $45. December 1st-15th. Background: figure wearing hat and cloak stands on clifftop looking towards dragon in flight.
November 30, 2025 at 5:47 AM
Reposted by Jake Vanguard
earlronove.bsky.social
10 days remain until BE NOT AFRAID's release Dec 9th! One of the seraphs is here checking in to see if you've pre-ordered it yet (you're gonna get real tired of him; he's very insistent). Also, have a snippet!

Find your copy on itchio, amz, b&n, and more below!
books.earlronove.com/benotafraid
Countdown graphic for BE NOT AFRAID. The seraph character stands staring creepily at the viewer, holding a copy of Be Not Afraid by S. Jean. His wings spread out behind him, one eyeball showing beneath the feathers. His grin is full of sharp teeth and blood trails down his chin. A word bubble from him reads: "PREORDER MY BOOK". Along the bottom of the image is more text that reads: "10 days remain" and a URL for where to find the book: books.earlronove.com/benotafraid Writing snippet graphic for BE NOT AFRAID with a URL for preorders at the bottom (books.earlronove.com/benotafraid). The snippet reads: "Another one picked up his head and turned to look at Trent. Not by turning his body; his neck had twisted itself all the way around, past the point of breaking. Trent froze. Of course he fucking did. He had to pick his jaw off the goddamned ground. The light flickered again and then the other four were looking at him. Their eyelids had peeled back, revealing wide milky-white eyes that glowed. Their mouths slowly split into grins, lips thinned to show mouths of too many teeth."
November 29, 2025 at 12:44 PM
Reposted by Jake Vanguard
conradaltmann.com
Zero ai in these Black Friday bundles. All indie authors and a variety of genres. Running today and tomorrow!

Make sure you check out the smaller sub-bundles too for more savings. 📚💙 #booksky

itch.io/b/3378/black...
November 28, 2025 at 4:57 AM
Reposted by Jake Vanguard
ormakal.bsky.social
If you're part of #WeAintBuyingIt, you should perhaps check out this bundle of books where 100% of the proceeds go to the creators, organised by @aimeecozza.com

#booksky #queersky #queerwriters #queeradultsff 🌈🚀💫 📚🌎 #writingcommunity 📢 📚🖤 🌈📚🪐 #blacksky #books
Creator Day Bundle by Aimee Cozza and 45 others
Creator Day Bundle: 74 items for $50.00
itch.io
November 28, 2025 at 12:34 AM
Reposted by Jake Vanguard
ormakal.bsky.social
Hey #WeAintBuyingIt peeps, check out this bundle of books on itch-io that goes to indie creators, most of whom are marginalised!

There are two smaller bundles, linked in the big bundle page!

#booksky #queersky #blacksky #queerwriters #queeradultsff 📢📚 🩷🧙♂️⚔️ 🪐📚 📚🖤 🌈📚🪐
Black Friday BIG Bundle! by Niranjan and 27 others
Black Friday BIG Bundle!: 41 items for $56.00
itch.io
November 27, 2025 at 8:30 PM
Reposted by Jake Vanguard
shimaira.com
The Black Friday sale is live 😁
There's a big bundle but also 2 smaller bundles (linked on the same page)
itch.io/b/3378/black...

Go and grab some ebooks 💃
And be quick: these bundles are only available for 3 days!

📢📚💙 #DiscountBooks
"A Black Friday promo graphic that announces a Big Black Friday Bundle in bubbly teal letters. 41 stories for $56. 26-29 November. In the middle of the graphic is a QR code to follow. The graphic has a border comprised of the books in the bundle." List of Books: Big Bundle Winner Takes All Errant Wings Only My Eyes Move Adamere in Swan Doce Drosera The Sarcophagus of Lamia What May Rise From the Ashes Rescue from the Orc Fortress My Lord Refilling The Well Prince Ewald the Brave Moral Laundry Dark Heart of Ilmoure The Crimson Knight Remnants of Relics Ancient as the Stars The Re-Emergence Danseur Fimbulvinter's Fires Humanborn The Edge of a World Gift of Water Usurper War of the Space Dragons Why Odin Drinks Where Dreams Are Lost Bad Grains The Fate of Lenn First Snow Loyalty to the Max From the Grave of the Gods Still Life Memories of Sorcery and Sand Secluded Gift Impostor Dragons of Atlanta Set in Stone Life Remains Shadows Dark and Deadly Child of the Forest Child of the Sun A Black Friday promo graphic that announces a Black Friday, small #1, Bundle in bubbly teal letters. 20 stories for $27. 26-29 November. In the middle of the graphic is a QR code to follow. The graphic has a border comprised of the books in the bundle. A Black Friday promo graphic that announces a Black Friday, small #2, Bundle in bubbly teal letters. 22 stories for $29. 26-29 November. In the middle of the graphic is a QR code to follow. The graphic has a border comprised of the books in the bundle.
November 26, 2025 at 9:39 PM
jakevanguard.bsky.social
@thatwriterjess.bsky.social & I are currently collaborating on a Black Week sale specifically for indie authors. It includes editing bundles, design packages, and mixed bundles as well.
We have both % sales and flat rates.

All info can be found here:

www.instagram.com/thelanguages...
November 25, 2025 at 3:14 PM
Reposted by Jake Vanguard
eliseswritings.bsky.social
If anyone's got a moment to give indie authors feedback on what does/ doesn't work for you as a reader re. Itch book bundles, please answer these 9 questions.

(They're mostly multiple choice 😉).
Book Bundle Questionnaire
Help organizers improve indie book bundles! If you've ever considered buying a book bundle on itch.io, but decided NOT to, let us know why!
docs.google.com
November 25, 2025 at 10:57 AM
Reposted by Jake Vanguard
earlronove.bsky.social
be not afraid... for behold, I bring you g̶͉̟͓̾̔̂ŏ̴̮̤͇̹͕̠̿ǫ̵̭̻͈̟͕̓͋d̴̲̖̩̿͒ tidings...

Nothing bad ever happens on a subway.
Even if the lights go off and something divine stares at you in the dark...

BE NOT AFRAID, my survival horror novella, is out in one month on Dec 9th! Preorder today!
👁️ books.earlronove.com/benotafraid
November 8, 2025 at 2:05 PM
Reposted by Jake Vanguard
jakevanguard.bsky.social
SURPRISE ANNOUNCEMENT - Angelverse 2 will land early next year!
To be precise, March 10th, 2026!

I'm really excited for this book - It dives deeper into the machinations of Heaven and Hell, including WHY Satan fell...or was pushed out?

ARC & cover reveal sign-up open!

forms.gle/QNhMjRAgqGBe...
Background are spines of the book "Higanbana" by Jake Vanguard. Centered are the covers of Higanbana and a mock-up of the yet untitled sequel On the bottom's a release date of 10 March 2026 Background are spines of the book "Higanbana" by Jake Vanguard. Following is the blurb: Lost and separated from his guardian angel, Nate’s succumbing to the dragging weight and drowning noise of his declining mental health once more. And now, a new, yet loveless, relationship threatens to rapidly destroy the happiness and progress Nate made with Raziel at his side. When a Valentine’s Day celebration with his new partner Rael turns into an eye-opening disaster, Nate is reunited with Raziel–his guardian angel, his love. But despite their joyful reunion, Nate is not the sole reason Raziel returned. A dark plan has been brewing in Heaven, and Raziel needs allies to thwart it. Navigating old and new relationships, Raziel and Nate have to rebuild their trust and forge unlikely alliances, while making up for all the time they spent forced apart. Will they stop Judgment Day, or is the world doomed? To the left lower corner is a mock-up covered of the yet untitled Angelverse 2 book
November 24, 2025 at 10:01 AM
jakevanguard.bsky.social
SURPRISE ANNOUNCEMENT - Angelverse 2 will land early next year!
To be precise, March 10th, 2026!

I'm really excited for this book - It dives deeper into the machinations of Heaven and Hell, including WHY Satan fell...or was pushed out?

ARC & cover reveal sign-up open!

forms.gle/QNhMjRAgqGBe...
Background are spines of the book "Higanbana" by Jake Vanguard. Centered are the covers of Higanbana and a mock-up of the yet untitled sequel On the bottom's a release date of 10 March 2026 Background are spines of the book "Higanbana" by Jake Vanguard. Following is the blurb: Lost and separated from his guardian angel, Nate’s succumbing to the dragging weight and drowning noise of his declining mental health once more. And now, a new, yet loveless, relationship threatens to rapidly destroy the happiness and progress Nate made with Raziel at his side. When a Valentine’s Day celebration with his new partner Rael turns into an eye-opening disaster, Nate is reunited with Raziel–his guardian angel, his love. But despite their joyful reunion, Nate is not the sole reason Raziel returned. A dark plan has been brewing in Heaven, and Raziel needs allies to thwart it. Navigating old and new relationships, Raziel and Nate have to rebuild their trust and forge unlikely alliances, while making up for all the time they spent forced apart. Will they stop Judgment Day, or is the world doomed? To the left lower corner is a mock-up covered of the yet untitled Angelverse 2 book
November 24, 2025 at 10:01 AM
Reposted by Jake Vanguard
earlronove.bsky.social
As we continue to approach BE NOT AFRAID's release on December 9th, I thought I could share some fun facts about my horror novella. I think they're fun, anyway.

Preorder my horror novella feat. a guitarist's very bad night & some violent angels today! ➡️ books.earlronove.com/benotafraid
BE NOT AFRAID Fun Facts! graphic. In the left is the book's cover, featuring Seth flying across with his white hair, pink wings, and coy smile. To the right are the fun facts. They are: - approx 32k words & 155pgs - 3 end of chapter illustrations - “be not afraid” is uttered 10 times - blood is mentioned 73 times - Trent swears at least 126 times (counting his narration & dialogue) - 1 Rolls-Royce is destroyed - at least 5 wings are torn off - uncounted number of seraphs are bludgeoned by a lead pipe - Trent learns 3AM is a perfectly acceptable time to stroll through the park Along the bottom is a call to action for ordering preorders and the december 6th release date. Preorders can be found at books.earlronove.com/benotafraid
November 21, 2025 at 2:34 PM
Reposted by Jake Vanguard
bmwillows.bsky.social
The Cardplay Duology ebook box set is on sale for $0.99! With the holidays around the corner, it could make a great gift for the YA Urban Fantasy reader in your life (or for yourself 😉✨)

♠️ amazon.com/dp/B0FC6Y3W51
♥️ amazon.co.uk/dp/B0FC6Y3W51

#BookSky #WritingCommunity
Promo graphic that reads "I got a BookBub Featured Deal?! Cardplay Duology Digital Box Set 99 cents on Kindle (US and UK), or get Bloody Spade and Bleeding Heart for 99 cents each (US and International). Image also has a 3D mock-up of a physical box set featuring art of the story's main duo, Ellen and Iori. Ellen is a girl with long white hair and a scythe, Iori is a boy with cat ears and a cat tail. A black ink-like substance swirls around them. A promotional graphic featuring 3D mock-ups of Bloody Spade and Bleeding Heart's, surrounded by a list of tropes/themes that appear in the Cardplay Duology. Text reads: Abundant hurt/comfort, inky body horror, hot-tempered fire wielder, bird girl with plant magic, a celestial deity with a penchant for murder, a budding QPR, returned magic, slow-burn romantic subplot, asexual panic, monsters born from malice, softhearted scythe-wielding girl, snarky cat-eared thief. Bloody Spade's cover depicts a black silhouette of a short-haired cat-eared boy with a glowing purple spade in front of him. Bleeding Heart's depicts a white silhouette of a girl with deer antlers and long flowing hair with a glowing heart in front of her.
November 17, 2025 at 2:40 PM
Reposted by Jake Vanguard
bmwillows.bsky.social
Hey, guess what else: Preorders are officially open for THE HOWLING DARK, my scifi fantasy novel about fugitive werewolf brothers on a perilous journey home across a post-apocalyptic landscape! 🐺🌓

PREORDER: amazon.com/dp/B0G1KFVKVM
ADD ON GR/SG: thehowlingdark.carrd.co
Kindle pre-order promo graphic for THE HOWLING DARK, coming mid or late 2026. Centered in the graphic is the placeholder cover for the book, featuring the protagonist looking with a neutral expression into the camera, holding a spear. He's backlit and framed by leafless branches. He is a 22-year-old white man with long black and white hair, one brown eye and one blue, and a scar over his left eye. He's wearing a parka with a fur-lined hood over a tan sweater. Sylvain is an eclipse-born werewolf who knows neither his bestial form nor the post-nuclear wilds his kind hail from. Raised on the orbital research station Zodiac, he’s grown accustomed to a life of peaceful predictability. Though fantasies of visiting his birthplace may be out of reach due to medical restrictions, he has a loving boyfriend and all of his essential needs are met. What more could he want?In the opinion of his elder brother, the answer is: everything.Believing them abducted as children, Illia has always sworn to someday return with his brother to the mountains they were taken from. And when a peculiar turn in Sylvain’s health brings to light an ugly truth, someday becomes now—whether Sylvain is ready for it or not.Soon enough, the brothers find themselves fugitives on the planet’s surface, pursued by the government and bloodthirsty huntsmen, and under the unexpected guidance of the rebel Sundogs. All that lies between them and home is miles of unfamiliar countryside, toxic wastelands, a parasitic garden of death . . . and the question of how much they’re willing to risk in order to get there.
November 17, 2025 at 6:15 PM
Reposted by Jake Vanguard
ormakal.bsky.social
Ever wished you could start a revolution? Destroy the rotten systems?

Or just cheer on the ones bold enough?

This bundle of books is especially for you! Last chance to grab it!

💙📚 🌈🚀💫 📚🌎 📢📚 🩷🧙♂️⚔️ 🪐📚 🩸 📦 #booksky #queersky
Burn It Down! by mcburnell and 17 others
Burn It Down!: 17 items for $16.00
itch.io
November 16, 2025 at 10:08 AM
jakevanguard.bsky.social
We already received some amazing submissions for our futuristic horror anthology - but we'd love to receive some more!
Submission is open for 2 more months. If you have any questions, send us an e-mail or message 🩷

All info can be found via moo-and-meeks.carrd.co#horroranth
anthology call - A FUTURISTIC QUEER HORROR ANTHOLOGY Short stories of 2,500-8,500 words Queer characters and/or themes Futuristic settings combined with horror elements Preferred subgenres: techno-horror, cosmic horror, biomechanical horror Submissions open until: 20 January 2026 Curated by Ezra Wren & Jake Vanguard Send us an email on moo.and.meeks@gmail.com
November 15, 2025 at 4:42 PM
Reposted by Jake Vanguard
kayworx.bsky.social
Only a few more days until my next book is out 😱
Book cover of A Mutual Connection by Kay Claire on a pastel holographic pattern background. Text around cover from top clockwise: Proudly South African, ADHD rep, they/them pronouns, pan4pan, hidden identity, coming out 19 November, preorder now, e/em/eir pronouns, T4T, tattoo studio, online friends
November 15, 2025 at 3:05 PM