Kanani O’Kelly
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kananiokelly.bsky.social
Kanani O’Kelly
@kananiokelly.bsky.social
710 followers 640 following 120 posts
kanaka fantasy writer | believer of impossible things | she/her
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Kanani O’Kelly @kananiokelly.bsky.social · 18d
MOANA x SHADOW AND BONE

An #agentsguide to WHISPERS OF THE SEA, my #amquerying young adult fantasy.

Feat:
🌊 Hawaiian-inspired mythology
🌋 setting as a character
🌊 angry female mc

#QuestPit #YA #F #Q #OwnVoices #AgentGuide
The introduction to my young adult novel, Whispers of the Sea. The pitch: A teen girl embarks on a journey to a mysterious island where she’ll team up with a boy to uncover the whereabouts of her missing uncle. But to save him, Keahi must interfere with the King’s plans to restore power to his kingdom—except the throne was never his to claim, and the island only answers to one: the girl with a heart of fire. For fans of: Disney’s Moana, Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo, and Curious Tides by Pascale Lacelle
Reposted by Kanani O’Kelly
evacharya.bsky.social
AMERICAN ROOMMATE EXPERIMENT X FUNNY STORY

Inspiration has dried for a jilted romance author on a deadline. Then, his old crush moves in as a 'flatmate', and sure, she cures his heartache & writer's block, but now she's all he can think & write about. (Talk about awkward.)
#Questpit #A #R #Q
November 5, 2025 at 8:46 PM
Reposted by Kanani O’Kelly
kikumi67.bsky.social
Japanese-American teen Misa navigates abuse at the hands of a deceased family friend, risking her family's clean image in their culturally insular community—where silence is conformity—if she speaks up

🎌Immigrant story
🌸Coming of age
🫂Family tension
❤️First love

#QuestPit #YA #OWN #Q #agentguide
November 5, 2025 at 3:00 PM
Reposted by Kanani O’Kelly
soph-pl.bsky.social
✈️ Boarding now! Destination: Berlin

A housing mix-up... and the host she shouldn't fall for.

👨‍👦Single dad & forced proximity
🔥Friends-to-lovers slow burn
🌇 ‘90s Berlin as character
🌶️Sex-positive spice
💬 Warm & witty
🛑 Love, career & the cost of duty

#QuestPit #Q #A #R
Snippet: “Wait, are you telling me that in German, the word for f—ing is… what’s a literal translation… ‘birding’?” “I guess.” “Ugh, I'll never see the eagle on the German flag the same way again.” I choke on my beer, spraying the coffee table. As I cough and snort, she slyly pulls a tissue from her pocket and wipes the table. “The eagle’s on the coat of arms, not the flag,” I say weakly, “and we have another word for f—ing, but please don’t use it. It’s really vulgar.” Keywords: Heartfelt; Spicy; Retro; Destination; Romance Before Sunrise movie poster; Every Summer After (Carley Fortune) book cover; Heartless (Elsie Silver) book cover; Kilt Trip (Alexandra Kiley) book cover Background images: Brandenburg Gate (Photo by Florian Wehde on Unsplash); a couple kissing (Design by Freepik; freepik.com); Berlin TV tower (Photo by Hannu Hollström on Unsplash)
November 5, 2025 at 10:58 AM
Reposted by Kanani O’Kelly
sallybromley.bsky.social
Presenting my #agentsguide for
'Beauty is a Brittle Glass'
BLUE SISTERS X THE PUSH X THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY.
🪞 Adult 82k
🪞 Dual POV
🪞 Speculative Elements
🪞 Beauty & Fashion
🪞 LGBTQ
🪞 Friends to Lovers
🪞 Disability Rep
#questpit #A #Q
Green background. Images of a woman's face in a gold picture frame. Splashes of gold. A woman with long dark hair turning sideways, hair blowing in the wind, eyes closed. Splashes of gold paint. A gold handprint. Background is the close up of a woman's face, splashed with gold paint. Three bookcovers. Blue Sisters by Coco Mellors, a young woman's sad face, The Push by Ashley Audrain and The Picture of Dorian Gray and a young handsome man with a partially diseased face. Green background splashed with gold paint. Images of a model on a Catwalk, a woman having injections in her face, a group of spooky trees, a photographer and an evil hand reaching out for a pale woman's hand.
November 5, 2025 at 5:47 PM
Reposted by Kanani O’Kelly
omgrachwrites.bsky.social
LA LA LAND X SEVEN YEAR SLIP

❤︎ stubborn filmmaker & musician
⟡ time-slip (90s/2010s nostalgia)
❤︎ filipino-am childhood sweethearts
⟡ “in every timeline” second chance
❤︎ hawai‘i x california settings
⟡ explores womanhood & gender roles

#QuestPit #Q #A #R #OwnVoices
November 5, 2025 at 2:26 PM
Reposted by Kanani O’Kelly
tamaratoday.bsky.social
SIX OF CROWS X WHAT WAKES THE BELLS

After his sister is cursed by a vengeful goddess, a former pickpocket must steal a relic from the most powerful man in the city to save her. But he can’t pull it off alone, and not everyone in his ragtag crew can be trusted.

#QuestPit #NA #F #BVM #POC #Q #Heist
Left to right. Top row: A foggy city with a spire in the background. The hands of a clock approaching 12. Smoke from an explosive in a building. Middle row: A man in a waistcoat pointing at something. “Tick… Tock…” A man in a waistcoat sitting down. Bottom row: Silver coins covered in blood. A group of people standing inside a clock tower. Rain on a cobblestone street.
November 5, 2025 at 1:56 PM
Reposted by Kanani O’Kelly
anjahudson.bsky.social
A thief, a prince, and a secret decree: The cure for the Ash plague exists, but the King is hoarding it. Their plot to expose the betrayal costs the prince his life, leaving the rebellion with only grief and vengeance.

#YA #Questpit #Q #F #SFF #SF #litagents #WritingCommunity #YADystopian
November 5, 2025 at 2:24 PM
Reposted by Kanani O’Kelly
carolinekwriting.bsky.social
My current November writing challenge WIP, no pitch, just vibes:

👸Royal fake dating
👑Princess x King
✨Humor (I think?)
💔Hopeless romantic who has given up on love
💚’Party 4 u’ vibes
❤️‍🩹Healing each other
🧚Fairytale vibes

#QuestPit #F #R #A #W
November 5, 2025 at 1:33 PM
Reposted by Kanani O’Kelly
thehksmith.bsky.social
LEGENDBORN x DUNE in a #YA fantasy where humanity survives by surrendering memories to a divine intelligence.

To break her family's curse of being sacrificed, Vega must:
⚔️Find her lost brother
💔Ally w/ her first heartbreak
🌑Uncover the truth her world was forced to forget

#QuestPit #SFF #F #Q #RF
A dark space fantasy aesthetic mood board with a collage of photos. Vertically down, from the first column: 1. A violet, light-tinged hole framing a violet sky 2. A faint silhouette of a woman beneath colors like the northern lights 3. Two hands reaching towards one another 4. A sci-fi inspired, dark uniform with a high collar 5. A grand stairwell, perhaps a futuristic religious site, with a single silhouette looking up 6. Two romantic silhouettes against a starry night sky 7. A lone figure with a backpack, standing amongst a shroud of sand-colored fog 8. A hand covered in glitter 9. A silhouette standing in front of a blue-lit circular tunnel entrance 10. A black woman with glitter coating her shoulder, just the bottom half of her face is visible, lips tilted slightly up in a smile 11. A black woman screaming 12. A stream of light breaking through dark clouds 13. An eye turned to show only the whites 14. Figures in robes seemingly suspended in mid-air 15. A figure on a black, sleek futuristic looking motorcycle None of the images are my own. They are all sourced from Pinterest
November 5, 2025 at 12:46 PM
Reposted by Kanani O’Kelly
trangnguyenwrites.bsky.social
ASIAN SIX OF CROWS x MISTBORN

Gemma teams up w/ Ren to uncover a plot to eradicate mages…one that involves the emergence of a mysterious stone that mimics their powers.

💥 energy magic
❤️‍🔥 slow burn (reluctant allies to…?)
🏠 found family
⚔️ heists, in a 🀄️ parlor
🧐 research subplot

#Questpit #A #F #Q
November 5, 2025 at 12:50 PM
Reposted by Kanani O’Kelly
ocumeghalu.bsky.social
*BIG FIVE EDITOR INTEREST*

When a heroic ancestry and truths of an old war surface, a guilt-stricken girl races to free her imprisoned friend and subdue a radical foe while a hesitant prince debates whether remaining loyal to the crown is worth the moral turmoil.

#Q #YA #F #questpit
an agent's guide to awakening by o.c. umeghalu "the pitch" - For Cindren Alacaster, guilt is her anchor as much as it is her jailer. Thrust upon a whirlwind journey to rescue her friend from certain death, she finds that the abnormality of her golden eyes speaks of a heroic ancestry whispered amongst the forsaken. Something once slumbering has manifested within her, forcing her hand in rallying against an emerging threat and painting her destiny as dark as the cloak she was born to wear. As the country’s prince, Nazar Heiron should know better than looking to follow his own heart. But the stirring of longing he’s hidden deep within forces him to walk the razor-thin line of desire and treachery for the only girl he’s ever loved: his personal sentry. And when the truth of the last war to be fought on his country’s soil emerges, he must decide whether or not to put into practice once empty words that championed justice or finally step into the hypocrisy he’s believed to nurture. themes/comps - Forged Family (the Gaang, Quil and the others) Reckoning with Inner Turmoil (guilt, indecision, shame, responsibility) Ancestral Abilities (think Aang’s/Corayne’s birthrights) Bloodied Crown (think Zuko grappling with the Fire Nation seeking to conquer the world/Corayne looking to close Spindles opened by her uncle) Looming Global Threat (ie: Firelord Ozai/Taristan) Romantic Subplot (different love interest for each MC) Complicated Sibling Relationship (ie: Azula and Zuko) Betrayal (ie: Aiz and Quil) samples
November 5, 2025 at 12:15 PM
Reposted by Kanani O’Kelly
goodsamiratan.bsky.social
AMARI X JUJUTSU KAISEN
After stealing her first mission, 13yo Maeve opens a portal to the realm of the 7 Deadly Sins—where she must strengthen the barrier keeping them imprisoned. If only ex-friends, talking urns, and magical mazes weren’t a part of the deal too… #Questpit #MG #F #Q
Left to right: (Left) A 13-year-old Native American/Māori boy with long curly hair tied in a ponytail. He wears tiny gold hoops in his ears. His uniform is lilac and gold. A lilac jacket with the initials MA stitched into it, a gold vest with purple lining, a gold tie, and plaid, purple pants. The tallest of the group. (Middle) A 13-year-old Black girl with light blue hair styled into cornrows. She has multiple piercings on each ear, including two dangling crescent moons. She has a mole under her eye. She wears the same uniform as the previous boy, but her jacket is buttoned up and she wears a skirt. She has a slight gap between her two front teeth. Much shorter than the boy on the left, slightly taller than the boy on the right. (Right) A 13-year-old Black/Filipino boy who's wearing the same uniform as the previous two. He's added a dark purple hoodie to his uniform. His dark hair is sectioned into twists. He's wearing circular, golden-rimmed sunglasses. A small, red fox is perched on his shoulders.
November 5, 2025 at 12:15 PM
Reposted by Kanani O’Kelly
chantaldanieli.bsky.social
THE GREAT ALONE x LOVE & OTHER WORDS

UNDER MY OWN MAKING, an upmarket women’s fiction with:

🌊 a scarred heiress
🌊 estranged childhood friends turned lovers
🌊 hard-earned slow-burn romance
🌊 toxic family
🌊 coastal small town
🌊 found family

#questpit #Q #A #R #WF
November 5, 2025 at 6:50 AM
Reposted by Kanani O’Kelly
jklambo.bsky.social
🧁 She's a jaded pastry chef
🍰 He's a charismatic baker
❤️‍🔥 When their rivalry reaches an all-time high & sweet lies turn to bitter truths, will they be able to achieve their desires unscathed or will all they've worked for go down in flames?

#questpit #R #NA #A #W
Project Sugar and Spice moodboard Top row: black girl with curly hair holding up a peace sign in front of painted wall; palmiers sprinkled with granulated sugar; black guy with short curly hair standing behind workplace Middle row: Freshly baked brookies (combination of brownies and cookies); "I really want to kiss you and be cute with you and fall asleep in your arms and go on stupid dates, but I also want to sort of light you on fire and throw myself into traffic so idk" quote; freshly made choux pastry (cream puffs) Bottom row: pastry chef drizzling chocolate into a bowl; black couple holding each other in their arms; an assortment of bread in a dimly lit bakery
November 5, 2025 at 5:13 AM
Reposted by Kanani O’Kelly
nialu.bsky.social
THE WEDDING CRASHER x THE WEDDING DATE x ONLY FOR THE WEEK

Ezra has always been there for his best friend, Anais. But when she asks him to be her Man of Honor for her wedding, he can’t refuse even if he’s in love with her and she’s marrying the wrong man.

#A #R #QuestPit #W
a collage for Nia P’s work in progress Dont Say I Do. Nine photo collage of a man holding a rose, heart shaped ice cubes in coffee, a bright floral spread as a center piece on a table for a wedding party, sock covered feet playfully touching, white satin sheets, friends in a movie theater together, a photo of a major city in Virginia, a shadow of a hand holding wine, and a girl with French curl braids.
November 5, 2025 at 6:07 AM
Reposted by Kanani O’Kelly
livalcott.bsky.social
An #Agentsguide to EVERY CRUEL CORPSE, a YA/NA fantasy about two reapers who kill instead of guide for a government in the afterlife, who perform magical rituals in order to destroy the ghosts that haunt them.

HOUSE OF SALT & SORROWS x DIVINE RIVALS

#Questpit #Q #YA #A #PR #F
November 5, 2025 at 5:51 AM
Reposted by Kanani O’Kelly
ayishahhasni.bsky.social
ONE THOUSAND AND ONE VOYAGES is a YA retelling of the Arabian Nights tale of Sinbad the Sailor #questpit #Q #YA #HF

🏴‍☠️pirate x princess
☀️sunshine x darkness
🕌muslim protagonists
🌙creatures from islamic folklore
🌊seafaring adventure
🌏17th-century indian ocean
✨interest from 2 big 5 editors
Agents' Guide for One Thousand and One Voyages by Ayishah Hasni. Pitch: In a YA retelling of the Arabian Nights tale of Sinbad the Sailor, a snarky pirate must accompany a happy-go-lucky princess on a journey across the monster-filled Indian Ocean to rescue her fiance from a mysteriously moving island. Comps: The Stardust Thief, Spice Road, Pirates of the Caribbean and Fable. Snippet from manuscript. First line: Though Prince Zakar was not particularly knowledgeable about nautical affairs, he did not think that being chased by an island was a common part of sailing.
November 5, 2025 at 5:26 AM
Reposted by Kanani O’Kelly
emmaalmunshi.bsky.social
A KINGDOM TO DROWN ME

6 Keys 🔑
5 Centuries of magical politics ✨
4 Djinn on a mission ⚔️
3 Threats Mona Al’Maii must navigate 💀
2 Hot-headed, kindred souls 🖤
1 Secret that could ruin it all 🧭

The Knight and the Moth x Heavenly Bodies

#Questpit #Q #RF #agentsguide #NA #agentguide
November 5, 2025 at 5:03 AM
Reposted by Kanani O’Kelly
ocumeghalu.bsky.social
REALM BREAKER x ATLA x HEIR

Guilt is Cindren's anchor as much as it's her jailer, but her golden eyes speak of ancestry whispered amongst the forsaken. Something once slumbering has emerged within her, painting her destiny as dark as the cloak she was born to wear.

#Q #YA #F #questpit
quote - "Fate. A word meaning destiny. Fate. A word meaning doom." ---Benton James Kessler the title "Awakening" against a dark crimson background with red florals surrounded by the phrases forged family, golden-eyed chosen one, betrayal, azula + zuko esque relationship, soft-hearted prince, budding love, ancestral power and forbidden romance
November 5, 2025 at 5:15 AM
kananiokelly.bsky.social
MOANA x SHADOW AND BONE

An #agentsguide to WHISPERS OF THE SEA, my #amquerying young adult fantasy.

Feat:
🌊 Hawaiian-inspired mythology
🌋 setting as a character
🌊 angry female mc

#QuestPit #YA #F #Q #OwnVoices #AgentGuide
The introduction to my young adult novel, Whispers of the Sea. The pitch: A teen girl embarks on a journey to a mysterious island where she’ll team up with a boy to uncover the whereabouts of her missing uncle. But to save him, Keahi must interfere with the King’s plans to restore power to his kingdom—except the throne was never his to claim, and the island only answers to one: the girl with a heart of fire. For fans of: Disney’s Moana, Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo, and Curious Tides by Pascale Lacelle
November 5, 2025 at 5:08 AM
kananiokelly.bsky.social
The best time was had participating in #DVPit yesterday and having the chance to connect with other fellow writers. I’m always so amazed by the creativity during pitch events, and I wish you all the best of luck with querying!
October 9, 2025 at 4:51 PM
kananiokelly.bsky.social
MOANA x SHADOW & BONE

To save her uncle, Keahi must interfere with the King’s plans to restore his kingdom’s power—except the throne was never his to claim, & the island only answers to one: the girl with a heart of fire

🌋 Hawaiian folklore
🌌 sentient island
🌊 found family

#DVPit #YA #F #NHPI
A moodboard that encompasses some of the themes in my book. Such images include: a shark, a volcano eruption, dark corridors, books, a clock ticking, a stormy sea, and two images of a palace’s exterior.
October 8, 2025 at 10:56 PM
kananiokelly.bsky.social
The island only answers to one: the girl with a heart of fire & she’ll burn the world to protect the ones she loves.

MOANA x SHADOW AND BONE feat:
🌌 cultural reclamation under colonial rule
🌋 a magical volcano
🌊 a sentient sea with 🦈 messengers

#DVPit #YA #F #NHPI
A moodboard that encompasses some of the themes in my book. Such images include: a shark, a volcano eruption, dark corridors, books, a clock ticking, a stormy sea, and two images of a palace’s exterior.
October 8, 2025 at 7:16 PM
kananiokelly.bsky.social
MOANA x SHADOW & BONE

The sea whispers, the land remembers, & the island refuses to forgive. The king has worked hard to keep the truths buried, but little does he know Keahi holds the key to unlock it all—& she’ll stop at nothing to protect those she loves.

#DVPit #YA #F #NHPI
October 8, 2025 at 6:00 PM
kananiokelly.bsky.social
MOANA x SHADOW & BONE

To save her uncle, Keahi must interfere with the King’s plans to restore his kingdom’s power—except the throne was never his to claim, & the island only answers to one: the girl with a heart of fire

🌋 Hawaiian folklore
🌌 sentient island
🌊 found family

#DVPit #YA #F #NHPI
October 8, 2025 at 4:07 PM