Michael Emond
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vinegarmichael.bsky.social
Michael Emond
@vinegarmichael.bsky.social
180 followers 20 following 700 posts
Just a grown man trying his best.

He/Him | Novelist | Artist | Author of "Specters: Echoes of Despair" |
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vinegarmichael.bsky.social
Michael Emond @vinegarmichael.bsky.social · Oct 9
Once again, my debut novel is now available in paperback format and is free to read for Kindle Unlimited subscribers!

If you like dark fantasy, be sure to give it a read!

Link to purchase below:
a.co/d/bBiqTce

#booksky #newreleases #darkfantasy #urbanfantasy #indieauthors #kindleunlimited
vinegarmichael.bsky.social
My current book project is a roughly 26,000-word novella called "How Do You Free a Caged Bird?"

It's an over-the-top thriller about a professional assassin who reluctantly took up the job to provide for his family.

I just finished the first round of edits! \o/

#writesky #booksky #indieauthors
November 11, 2025 at 4:12 PM
vinegarmichael.bsky.social
“Why wouldn’t I name my precious little darlings?”

#WIPSnips #booksky #indieauthors #WIP #writingcommunity #writesky #writingandbooks #fiction
“Oh, come on. No need to be so distant, ” Bullet whined. “I was with Jessie and Issac at the shooting range when I heard you were also here training. Since we got paired up to work on a contract, I thought we could chat for a bit.” Leon groaned. “Y’know ‘Jessie’ and ‘Issac’ are guns, right?” he quipped. “You don’t have to go giving your guns people names and treat them like spoiled puppies.” Bullet laughed. “Why wouldn’t I name my precious little darlings?” she chimed. “Right. Sometimes I forget that your brain’s a few bullets short of a full reload,” Leon thought aloud in frustrated annoyance. “That’s my own fault.” Bullet lips contorted into an amused grin, despite Leon’s blatant animosity towards her. “Even with all of your venom and bile, I’m still looking forward to working another contract with you, Raven. You always know how to show a girl a good time,” she said. Bullet lightly scratched at her throat. “The sight of a bullet or knife piercing flesh… The light leaving somebody’s eyes… The look of terror on their face during their final moments… Killing is just such a rush!” she moaned. Bullet’s cheeks blushed a shade red that was almost as vibrant as her lipstick as she gave Leon an almost intoxicated smile. “And you do it better than anyone else.” Leon grimaced, coiling in disgust. “Ugh! As usual, you are fucking unwell!” he snapped.
November 8, 2025 at 2:43 PM
vinegarmichael.bsky.social
"In a fluid motion, the man flipped over his prey. The smuggler thrashed like a defenseless tortoise stuck on its back."

The opening scene from my current WIP~

#WIPSnips #booksky #indieauthors #writesky #writingcommunity #fiction #writing #WIP
November 7, 2025 at 12:57 PM
vinegarmichael.bsky.social
Made a self-portrait while practicing cel-shading today! \o/

#digitalart #art #procreateart #drawingpractice #drawing #portraits #self-portraits
November 7, 2025 at 3:22 AM
vinegarmichael.bsky.social
Shoutouts to that chaotic and silly side character, who proceeds to utterly demolish the Big Bad of the week the moment they start to take things remotely seriously.

#artsky #digitalart #animatic #writesky #animaticmemes #animememes
November 6, 2025 at 7:49 PM
vinegarmichael.bsky.social
Started making animatic memes for TikTok and the like, since it's quick and dirty, easy to make content, and it gives me another reason to be a little more consistent with my art making.

#artsky #digitalart #drawing #drawingpractice #ProCreateArt
November 6, 2025 at 7:46 PM
vinegarmichael.bsky.social
"That was the last conversation Leon ever had with his dad. The next day, he disappeared without a trace and never came back."

#WIPSnips #booksky #indieauthors #WIP #writingcommunity #writesky #fiction
Xavier got up from his seat, sitting beside his son, gently placing his hand on Leon’s shoulder. “There will come a day when I won’t be around anymore,” Xavier said, staring up at the stars in the sky. “I want to make sure you can protect yourself, and the things you care about most.” Leon looked up at his father’s face, noticing for the first time in his life the broken man that hid behind a tough exterior. “What do you mean?” he asked. “Things change, Leon,” his father replied. “Nothing lasts forever.” A pained and melancholy smile carved itself into Xavier’s lips as he gazed upon the moon. “I know I’m terrible at showing it, but I love you, Lily, Jamie, and your mom very much,” he said. “That’s why, if something happens to us, I want you to be able to be there for Lily and Jamie, Leon. They’ll be all you ever have. They will need their big brother to watch out for them— to protect them from anyone who would want to hurt them.” That was the last conversation Leon ever had with his dad. The next day, he disappeared without a trace and never came back. No matter how much time passed, no matter how much Leon was able to rationalize the reasoning for the hellish training his father put him through, he could never let go of the bitter resentment he had for the man
November 6, 2025 at 3:18 PM
vinegarmichael.bsky.social
Me: "Why do I feel so tired, burnt out, and crabby?"

Also me: *Stays up until 3 AM drawing/book editing, stare at screens all day, struggle to eat in a timely manner, and fail to meet basic nutrient requirements like protein.

#writesky #artsky #indieauthors
November 6, 2025 at 2:21 AM
vinegarmichael.bsky.social
The secret to my creativity? I never outgrew that part of me from middle school that would imagine AMVs of my OC's duking it out whenever I listened to music.

#writingcommunity #artsky #indieauthors #memes #arthumor #writerhumor
November 5, 2025 at 7:29 PM
vinegarmichael.bsky.social
"The sound of the bumpy and uneven dirt roads underneath hummed outside the car."

Trails or roads, they're both pathways you use to get places.

#WIPSnips #booksky #writesky #writingcommmunity #indieauthors #WIP #fiction
The sound of the bumpy and uneven dirt roads underneath hummed outside the car. “We already talked about it earlier today, Raven,” Bullet replied. “We’re assassins. It doesn’t matter what our reasons are. We’re tools meant to kill, and we’re tossed out like old trash the moment we’re no longer useful.” Leon stared out the car window as early evening stars started to twinkle in the night sky. “And Oblivion essentially runs a monopoly in this industry,” he said. “They have powerful financial backers and many influential allies in high places. If you betray the organization, there’s no escape. Short of going off the grid entirely, any person who rebels or leaves is a dead man. That’s probably why Charon chose to band with some other defectors and hole up in the middle of a remote ghost town. It was the only feasible way they could possibly escape.” As Leon spoke this truth aloud, he once again cursed his lot in life. His fate was sealed the moment he joined Oblivion. Whether he met his end at the hands of another assassin or because he failed a contract for whatever reason, Oblivion would own him, body and soul, until the day he died. In Leon’s eyes, Charon’s rebellion was foolish. Pointless. Even knowing that, a small flame of envy burned within the Black Bird of Death, jealous that Charon was courageous enough to try to defy the fate that Leon himself had already obediently accepted.
November 5, 2025 at 5:39 PM
vinegarmichael.bsky.social
"Ready? Then show me!"

I had a tutorial on cel-shading pop up on my TikTok FYP, and I just had to give it a shot with an unfinished sketch of Chun-Li I made back in 2023.

Rare TikTok W, TBH.

#art #digitalart #fanart #streetfighter #videogameart #fanart #fightinggames #procreateart #chunli
November 5, 2025 at 3:48 PM
vinegarmichael.bsky.social
Some more drawing practice I did this morning. Far from perfect, but I learned a lot fiddling in ProCreate today.

#art #ocart #characterdesign #digitialart #characterart #drawing #procreateart #ocs #drawing
November 4, 2025 at 5:24 PM
vinegarmichael.bsky.social
"Such straightforward compassion was something that never came naturally to him, nor was it something he ever had the luxury of utilizing."

From my WIP, How Do You Free a Caged Bird?

#writesky #writingcommunity #booksky #indieauthors #WIPSnips #WIP #writing #books #literaryfiction #fiction
“I honestly can’t remember what our dad even looks like,” Jamie confessed. “Whenever I try to picture any sort of father figure in my life… You’re the only person that ever comes to mind.” Jamie placed his hand on Leon’s shoulder. “You’ve done so much for Lily and me, and we want to return the favor somehow,” he said. “So maybe at least try to meet us halfway, okay?” To Leon, Jamie’s honesty was like the sun. Warm. Bright. Radiant to a point where it was nearly blinding. It felt like a punch to the gut, the way he envied that trait in his brother. All the Black Bird of Death knew was self-reliance, deceit, violence, and killing. Such straightforward compassion was something that never came naturally to him, nor was it something he ever had the luxury of utilizing. As Leon had experienced firsthand, many times before, most problems in life couldn’t be solved by simply being true to yourself. Most of the time, all anyone could ever do was choke down all the bitter unfairness and injustice in the world and carry on suffering in silence.
November 3, 2025 at 1:52 PM
vinegarmichael.bsky.social
Finished writing the first draft for my second book. \o/

It's a bit of a hot mess, and there is a mountain of editing that needs to be done, but I've earned myself a pat on the back for now.

#writingcommunity #booksky #writesky #indieauthors #writingandbooks #WIP
squidward from spongebob is holding a piece of paper that says i did it on it
ALT: squidward from spongebob is holding a piece of paper that says i did it on it
media.tenor.com
November 3, 2025 at 12:49 AM
vinegarmichael.bsky.social
One of things I find the most challenging as I write my first over the top thriller is striking that right balance between plausible and acceptable breaks from reality for rule of cool reasons.

#writingcommunity #booksky #writesky #indieauthors
November 1, 2025 at 11:26 PM
Reposted by Michael Emond
maky24.bsky.social
Nightwing

#art #artsky #nightwing #comic #dc #illustration
November 1, 2025 at 7:43 PM
vinegarmichael.bsky.social
“I became a monster, and now I have nothing to show for it.”

From my WIP, How Do You Free a Caged Bird?

#WIPsnips #booksky #writesky #writingcommunity #indieauthors #WIP #writing #books #fiction
He bore a thousand-yard stare as he gazed up into the night sky from the ground. “I can’t cut it as an assassin— let alone as a person,” he trembled. “I’m pathetic…” His chest tightened. Memories of the kills Leon had performed as the Black Bird of Death flashed before his eyes. Leon pictured the smiling faces of Jamie and Lily, and the horror and disgust he was certain they would feel if they knew the kind of feral beast their big brother truly was. “I became a monster, and now I have nothing to show for it,” he whimpered. “If I don’t figure something out right now, I am fucking screwed.”
October 31, 2025 at 4:27 PM
vinegarmichael.bsky.social
How it feels looking at the progress you made after pushing through writer's block to write for an hour and a half.

#writesky #booksky #writingcommunity #indieauthors #authorproblems
a cartoon of spongebob reading a piece of paper with the words now let 's see how it looks so far
ALT: a cartoon of spongebob reading a piece of paper with the words now let 's see how it looks so far
media.tenor.com
October 30, 2025 at 4:24 PM
vinegarmichael.bsky.social
"Yet here you are, with no trace of any such bloodline and in defiance of that truth. You’re like a freak of nature.”

An expert from my debut novel, Specters: Echoes of Despair, now available to purchase on Amazon.

#booksky #indieauthors #writesky #darkfantasy #urbanfantasy #fiction #newreleases
I was skeptical. Bennet’s explanations all sounded so far-fetched, like something out of a low-budget fantasy anime. His explanations all defied basic human logic. “This sounds made up,” I said. Bennet's eyes narrowed, his expression both amused and mischievous. “To any onlooker, a boy who can see monsters that no one else can sounds like something straight out of a work of fiction,” he said. “Often, the only people who can see Specters and Others are mages from particular bloodlines—bloodlines that are, to put it bluntly, rapidly dwindling to the point of nonexistence. Yet here you are, with no trace of any such bloodline and in defiance of that truth. You’re like a freak of nature.”
October 29, 2025 at 2:40 PM
vinegarmichael.bsky.social
"If you wanted to excel at information gathering the way Viper did, you needed to be able to put on a charming facade and lie through your teeth as easily as you would breathe."

From my WIP, How Do You Free a Caged Bird?

#WIP #WIPSnips #writesky #indieauthors #booksky #writingcommunity
Every interaction Leon had with Viper always felt about as pleasant to him as getting a cavity filled. Granted, Leon always hated having to deal with his fellow agents at Oblivion in general. Viper was an intelligence agent and an assassin specializing in the use of poison. Whenever the Black Bird of Death got a new contract for a kill, Viper would be the one to give him a formal briefing regarding the operation to take place. Leon had at one point heard a rumor that this vile two-faced snake was actually the scion of a large pharmaceutical company that was a front for an old and prestigious clan of assassins, and that he had joined Oblivion to cozy up to the big shots who headed the organization. Despite his obsession with poison, Viper was one of the higher-functioning assassins when it came to interacting in “normal” society. If you wanted to excel at information gathering the way Viper did, you needed to be able to put on a charming facade and lie through your teeth as easily as you would breathe.
October 28, 2025 at 4:58 PM
vinegarmichael.bsky.social
"Leon desperately tried not to think about the voices of his past victims begging for their lives or the stench of blood that always lingered afterward."

From my WIP, How Do You Free a Caged Bird?

#WIPSnips #booksky #writesky #WIP #indieauthors #writingcommunity #thrillerbooks #fiction
The cupcakes he had made the day before were carefully stored in an air-tight Tupperware container for freshness, and now it was time to prepare the frosting. Leon had already settled on a fresh strawberry buttercream for the cupcakes, setting a bowl of organic, freshly rinsed strawberries he bought just for the occasion. It was simple enough to make for Leon. Buttercream was a frosting made from equal parts sugar and room temperature butter whipped to perfection, Leon choosing in this case to substitute the usual vanilla extract for a strawberry extract instead. As the stand mixer cranked away with the butter and sugar mixture, Leon prepared a cutting board and a knife, placing a few strawberries on the surface to cut off the tips before finally cubing them. As Leon held the knife in his hand, he grimaced for a moment as an image flashed before his mind. Corpses. Lots and lots of corpses. Each one was brutally stabbed or lying limp with a thrown knife sticking out of a vital vein or artery. The mental image made Leon shudder. He took a breath in, holding it for a moment, before slowly exhaling. “Pull yourself together…” He muttered quietly to himself. Leon carried on, finely chopping the strawberries a few at a time. As he did, Leon desperately tried not to think about the voices of his past victims begging for their lives or the stench of blood that always lingered afterward. Even if Leon ever did get the chance to leave Oblivion, would it even be possible for him to lead a peaceful life? After the things he had seen and the atrocities he had committed with his own two hands, Leon knew deep down that he’d never know peace for the rest of his miserable life.
October 27, 2025 at 4:42 PM
vinegarmichael.bsky.social
Making that final push to finish the first draft of my second book, and I'm constantly having to remind myself that the first draft is always going to be a hot mess, and that's okay.

It's much easier to edit a messy draft than a blank one.

#writingcommunity #booksky #writingandbooks #writesky
October 26, 2025 at 3:00 PM
Reposted by Michael Emond
maky24.bsky.social
WIP but its so cute. Im still playing around with details but I gotta go to work so hopefully I can return to this soon.

#art #artsky #wip #eevee #illustration #digitalart
October 22, 2025 at 7:04 PM
Reposted by Michael Emond
dtpowell.bsky.social
Working on some details & textures! 🏁
#art #sketch #illustration
October 16, 2025 at 2:17 PM
Reposted by Michael Emond
dtpowell.bsky.social
Testing new marker brushes & textures in Procreate with this figure sketch!
#art #sketch #procreate
October 14, 2025 at 2:08 PM