Ange
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gunsmile.bsky.social
Ange
@gunsmile.bsky.social
1.5K followers 160 following 6.3K posts
36, she/her. Gamer, storyteller, polytheist. I like to write books about monsters, romance, and monster romance. 🇵🇭🇺🇸 amshilling.com

Current projects:
—THE DEVOURING, cosmic horror thriller
—THE CRUCIBLE OF THE BROKEN MOON, space opera romantasy

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gunsmile.bsky.social
Lex, the FMC, flees her home planet with her handmaiden, Talna, after acquiring tickets through black market means and evading the police.

From THE CRUCIBLE OF THE BROKEN MOON, my space opera romantasy. #WIPSnips #WritingCommunity
“Out! Go! Run!” she yelled. Talna and Lex tumbled out of the vehicle with their belongings. “Don’t stop running!” The pair raced for the building. Its glass and metal gleamed pinkish-gold with the sunrise, a resplendent symbol of Dun Crunath’s glory. In the distance, the police sirens grew louder. Lex kept her eyes fixed upon the spaceport’s front doors, forcing herself to suck air into her lungs, to pump her legs, to not look behind her at the city that’d always been her home. From her mind, she banished all thoughts of her family, the palace and its gardens, and the wooden idols of her gods. They could not help her now. She and Talna did not stop running until they reached the gate on their tickets. Lex held her breath as the attendant scanned them on Talna’s datapad. The scanner flashed green. The attendant smiled and ushered them aboard. On the transport ship, Lex sank into a seat and buried her face in trembling hands.
November 16, 2025 at 11:55 AM
gunsmile.bsky.social
#Writevember Week 3

How's your progress on your WIP? Give us an update by quoting this post. The bonus question is optional but encouraged.

#WritingCommunity #WritingPrompt #WriteSky
#Writevember a November writing challenge prompt tag hosted by @gunsmile.bsky.social November 15: Weekly progress check-in! Bonus: If you're a plotter, how did you prepare for this November? If you're a pantser, what initial ideas did you start with? Remember to use the #Writevember hashtag, engage with others, and have fun!
November 15, 2025 at 5:00 AM
gunsmile.bsky.social
All of the actual injuries in THE DEVOURING are spoilers, so here's a... Here's something, lmao. I suppose you could consider it an injury of some fashion.

From the second chapter of my cosmic horror/revenge thriller. CW: autopsy, body horror.
Humming a note of agreement, she picked up a scalpel and sliced into the torso, making a Y-shaped incision across the breastbone and down through the abdominal wall. She peeled back the flesh, exposing the rib cage and the organs underneath. Peering into the body cavity, she did a double take at the sight that greeted her. “What in the world?” The dead organs of the corpse pulsed and quivered with clusters of black holes, none larger than a quarter, most of them much smaller. They reminded Ayana of black tapioca pearls or the honeycomb of beehives, except they swirled in a bizarre, hypnotic pattern. A sudden bout of vertigo seized her; she clutched the edge of the table until the dizziness passed. Her assistant shot her a confused look, his face pale, sweat beading on his forehead. “Ever see anything like this before, Dr. Hudson?” “No, never.”
November 14, 2025 at 4:06 PM
gunsmile.bsky.social
From Daemrin's introductory chapter in THE CRUCIBLE OF THE BROKEN MOON, my space opera romantasy. He and his best friend Stavro have arrived at Belenos, Lex's home planet, to deliver a wanted criminal and collect the bounty.

Also lol @ dropping a title reference in Ch 2. #WIPSnips #WritingCommunity
One of the guards stepped forward, his lip curling in disdain as his eyes flickered over the symbol of the broken moon on Daemrin and Stavro’s armor. “State your business, Katorgans.” Daemrin gave Gillain a hard shove. “Collecting the bounty on this guy. Caiseal Gillain, arson.” The guard squinted at Gillain before his eyes went wide. “That is him. His wanted posters have been all over the news for the past couple of weeks.” His eyes narrowed again, but at Daemrin. “You caught him that quickly? You aren’t conspiring with him on some kind of bounty scheme, are you?” Daemrin scoffed, but Stavro spoke first. “That’s not our way. You’re welcome to try citing an instance of a Katorgan not delivering good on their contract, but I guarantee you can’t.” His tone suggested a tense smile beneath his helmet. “Now, if you’ll excuse us, we’ll be on our way.”
November 14, 2025 at 12:14 PM
gunsmile.bsky.social
"Why does this alien planet use a 24-hour clock?" Because I don't hate myself, dear reader.

A snippet from the first draft of THE CRUCIBLE OF THE BROKEN MOON Chapter 4. #SFFChat
A shuttle arrived on schedule. Though it was empty except for the driver, Talna ushered Lex to the back, where they sat half-hidden by all the seats in front of them. They did not speak a word for the entire ten-minute ride. Above the doors, screens flashed yellow letters against a black background: CURFEW AT 21:00. ALL VIOLATERS WILL BE ARRESTED. Disembarking at Riverside, Lex checked the time on her datapad. 20:32. She shot a nervous glance over the platform’s railing at the street below but saw no patrols. The neighborhood was deserted, its residents having retreated into the safety and warmth of their homes. Only the metal hulls of inert skiffs slumbered outside beneath a thin blanket of snow.
November 14, 2025 at 12:11 AM
gunsmile.bsky.social
I wrote this last night, made revisions this morning, and made myself tear up. 🥲 From Chapter 4 of THE CRUCIBLE OF THE BROKEN MOON, my space opera romantasy.
Lex took a deep, steadying breath. She thought of her bedroom in the Golden Palace and the lifetime’s worth of her belongings on its shelves and walls: Childhood dolls faded with age and love. Her clar dorn board, its stone pieces worn smooth from countless games. Her late grandmother’s beloved harpa and the books of sheet music she’d inherited. Her thoughts traveled from the bedroom through the rest of the palace. They lingered on the ancient tapestries with their gorgeous forest scenes; on the massive kitchen where the cook snuck her fresh sickleberry scones, even as an adult; and on the rear garden at the height of summer, when the snowbelles were in full bloom, filling the air with their delicate fragrance. How her mother loved those flowers. If she left, would she see her room again? Taste sickleberry? Feel the warmth of the Belenosi sun? Smell the snowbelles and know her mother was near? It didn’t matter. Her mother was dead. And if Lex didn’t leave, all hope died with her. She met Talna’s gaze. “Offworld, then. Let’s do it.”
November 13, 2025 at 3:40 PM
gunsmile.bsky.social
Convincing you to read my novel by the first sentence. Share yours if you want!

Here's the first line from my space opera romantasy, THE CRUCIBLE OF THE BROKEN MOON.
Chapter One Five men stood in a line at the far wall of the execution chamber, looking past the rifles of the firing squad and into the glass window at Lex and her family.
November 11, 2025 at 9:44 PM
gunsmile.bsky.social
Introducing Daemrin, the MMC of THE CRUCIBLE OF THE BROKEN MOON, my space opera romantasy. In this snip from Ch 2, he butts heads with Belenos' Minister of Foreign Affairs, Wellay. "Moonie" is a pejorative referencing the Katorgan emblem/symbol, the broken moon. #WIPSnips #WritingCommunity
The smile curled into a sneer. “You listen to me! I’m an official here on Belenos, and you’re nothing but a blood-hungry moonie. I make the decisions, not you.” Heat flushed Daemrin’s face beneath his helmet, and his vision went red. He wanted nothing more than to reach past the pikes and seize Wellay, but with a dozen guards in the foyer and his payment still held hostage by the Belenosi, he had the disadvantage. Instead, he stepped right up against the polearms, his gloved hands clenched into fists. The crossed shafts shoved against his breastplate, but he stood unmoving, unwilling to let them cow him into submission. “Daemrin,” Stavro warned. Daemrin ignored him. “All you little shits think you’re so tough when you’re waving around these big guns and sticks, puffing yourself up in your bright colors like some gods-damned lizards. Bet you think you’ve got the upper hand since this blood-hungry moonie came into your house unarmed, huh? Better think again, Willy. I could shove my hand down your throat and yank your heart out before these guys even tried to cut me down. You wanna see?” The minister’s face turned as red as his jacket. “Barbarian! Uncivilized beast!”
November 8, 2025 at 7:30 PM
gunsmile.bsky.social
#Writevember Week 2

How's your progress on your WIP? Give us an update by quoting this post. The bonus question is optional but encouraged.

#WritingCommunity #WritingPrompt #WriteSky
#Writevember a November writing challenge prompt tag hosted by @gunsmile.bsky.social November 8: Weekly progress check-in! Bonus: What inspired your WIP? Remember to use the #Writevember hashtag, engage with others, and have fun!
November 8, 2025 at 5:00 AM
gunsmile.bsky.social
From the first chapter of THE CRUCIBLE OF THE BROKEN MOON, my space opera romantasy. The FMC, Lex, is eating dinner with her family (father Marcas, uncle Hendry, cousin Malina) and about to get herself in trouble by interjecting with a pesky topic. #WIPSnips #WritingCommunity
“We need to lift the tax on goods from Imbrasus, Uncle,” Malina was saying to Marcas. “People can manage starving through the winter, but they need either black iron or firewood, and we have precious little of both. Either that, or we send logging teams beyond the habitable zone to harvest Belen trees.” “Absolutely not,” said Hendry. “The king is not going to waste the military’s time or resources protecting loggers in uncharted territory.” “But we’ve made advancements charting the terrain south of Nara’s Reach and tracking the movement of the storms there. With enough data and the right conditions, a team could last up to two weeks and harvest five hundred pounds of untouched timber.” Something Malina had said stuck in Lex’s mind, a stubborn stain refusing to wash away with the flow of conversation. “People cannot manage starving through the winter,” she interrupted, raising her voice. “Where do you get the idea that people can just ignore their hunger and subsist off—what, firewood? Certainly not black iron.” A shudder rolled through her at the thought of putting one of those small, unsettling stones in her mouth.
November 7, 2025 at 2:17 PM
gunsmile.bsky.social
The incredible @sbeep.bsky.social drew this awesome sketch commission (!!!) of mine and @tryhardmushroom.bsky.social's PCs for our Degenesis: Rebirth campaign! 😍😍😍 Thank you so much, we love it!

Please consider hiring Helen for your character art and illustration needs. Joining her Patreon is free.
A bald man and red-haired woman are walking together and talking. The man is wearing an armored black-and-white uniform with a cape. He is carrying a sheathed sword and holstered pistol, and a red, eight-pointed star is pinned to the front of his uniform. The woman has her hair in a braid and is wearing a long-sleeved shirt, a sleeveless vest, and trousers. She carries a hunting rifle slung over her shoulder and a bag with medicinal herbs.
November 6, 2025 at 2:26 PM
gunsmile.bsky.social
A late post, but I really want to share this: the opening paragraphs to THE CRUCIBLE OF THE BROKEN MOON, my space opera romantasy. It's first draft quality, but I think I've captured the mood/tone well. #WIPSnips #WritingCommunity
Five men stood in a line at the far wall of the execution chamber, looking past the rifles of the firing squad and into the glass window at Lex and her family. Despite their filthy clothing, unshaven faces, and shackles, the condemned men did not seem like prisoners to her. Their backs were too straight, their stances too proud, and their steely eyes bore into her admonishingly. Averting her own gaze, she shifted her weight from one foot to the other. A rustle of fabric to her left was her only warning before her father’s fingers seized her wrist. She winced but did not try to pull away, not with her aunt and uncle and cousins nearby, not with millions of Belenosi citizens watching through the cameras. “Don’t you dare look away, Olexia,” her father hissed. His grip tightened, crushing her bones. “Watch, or I’ll whip the hide off your back.”
November 5, 2025 at 1:12 AM
gunsmile.bsky.social
I cannot describe how fucking happy I am to finally be writing an original story from the POV of my son, my oldest character, my pride and joy, that son of a bitch, Daemrin Savaric.
Chapter Two Electronic riffs, an aggressive bass beat, and growling lyrics blasted through the speakers in Marauder’s cockpit as Daemrin dropped the starship out of warp space.
November 3, 2025 at 8:48 PM
gunsmile.bsky.social
Took a break from writing to go on a date night with the husband. 💖
A prime rib sandwich cooked to medium rare, with a side of thin, crispy French fries and three condiment bowls of horseradish, au jus, and ketchup. Two brownies sandwiching vanilla ice cream, topped with an enormous dollop of whipped cream and chocolate caramel drizzle.
November 1, 2025 at 11:52 PM
gunsmile.bsky.social
Brunch: eaten.
DUNE soundtrack: playing.
Microsoft Word: open.

LET'S GET THIS SHOW ON THE ROAD!!!
The Crucible of the Broken Moon - Draft 1.docx • Saved
November 1, 2025 at 3:19 PM
gunsmile.bsky.social
#Writevember begins!

Let's start with who you are, the WIP you'll be working on this month, and your writing goal. Answer the prompt on the card by quoting this post.

#WritingCommunity #WritingPrompt #WriteSky
#Writevember a November writing challenge prompt tag hosted by @gunsmile.bsky.social November 1: Introduce yourself, your WIP, and your writing goal for this month. Remember to use the #Writevember hashtag, engage with others, and have fun!
November 1, 2025 at 4:00 AM
gunsmile.bsky.social
#PlotTober Day 31: Monthly wrap-up

Answer the prompt on the card by quoting this post. Remember, answering a prompt is always optional. And on this final day, I would like to thank everyone for participating. I hope you had fun!

#WritingCommunity #WritingPrompt #WriteSky
#PlotTober - a WIP plotting game by @gunsmile.bsky.social 31. Thanks for participating! What did you think of this plotting exercise? For those who started with a brand new WIP, did you brainstorm a lot of new ideas? For those using an existing but unfinished WIP, were you able to enhance or improve your plot? Remember: Use the #PlotTober hashtag, engage with others, and have fun!
October 31, 2025 at 4:01 AM
gunsmile.bsky.social
A small snip from THE DEVOURING, my cosmic horror/revenge thriller. Jason has just recited the eulogy for his brother in front of Ayana to practice his delivery. #WIPSnips #WritingCommunity
Jason paused for two heartbeats, his eyes downcast. Then he offered Ayana a small, sad smile and murmured a soft, “Thank you for coming.” Before her eyes, his persona vanished, evaporating from his body like mist. His expression reverted to its unsmiling intensity, and the slouch rolled out of his shoulders. She took a deep breath, breaking his spell over her. “It’s really good, but it’d be more convincing if you can look teary-eyed, especially at the end.”
October 30, 2025 at 3:48 PM
gunsmile.bsky.social
I wasn't going to share SpaceWIP's title until November, but then I stayed up late last night making this mood board, and I can't *not* share it. So...

Introducing THE CRUCIBLE OF THE BROKEN MOON, Book 1 of the Katorgan Saga. #PlotTober
A red moon against a blue-red night sky, a black-haired man and a red-haired woman embracing with their faces hidden, a person standing in a diamond-shaped viewport overlooking a planet, a woman veiled in black with a black sunburst around her head, a field of stone with the words THE CRUCIBLE OF THE BROKEN MOON, three soldiers in sci-fi armor carrying rifles, a gloved hand wielding a knife, a black stone floating in the air, art of spaceships in outer space.
October 30, 2025 at 12:10 PM
gunsmile.bsky.social
#PlotTober Day 30: Art/aesthetic inspirations & vibes

Answer the prompt on the card by quoting this post. Remember, answering a prompt is always optional. Even if you don't share it publicly, I hope the prompt encourages you to think about it privately.

#WritingCommunity #WritingPrompt #WriteSky
#PlotTober - a WIP plotting game by @gunsmile.bsky.social 30. Share some art/aesthetic inspirations and vibes for your WIP. Remember: Use the #PlotTober hashtag, engage with others, and have fun!
October 30, 2025 at 4:00 AM
gunsmile.bsky.social
#PlotTober Day 29: Music inspirations & vibes

Answer the prompt on the card by quoting this post. Remember, answering a prompt is always optional. Even if you don't share it publicly, I hope the prompt encourages you to think about it privately.

#WritingCommunity #WritingPrompt #WriteSky
#PlotTober - a WIP plotting game by @gunsmile.bsky.social 29. Share some music inspirations and vibes for your WIP. Remember: Use the #PlotTober hashtag, engage with others, and have fun!
October 29, 2025 at 4:01 AM
gunsmile.bsky.social
#PlotTober Day 28: Potential genre(s)

Answer the prompt on the card by quoting this post. Remember, answering a prompt is always optional. Even if you don't share it publicly, I hope the prompt encourages you to think about it privately.

#WritingCommunity #WritingPrompt #WriteSky
#PlotTober - a WIP plotting game by @gunsmile.bsky.social 28. Based on everything you've brainstormed this month, what genre(s) are you considering for your WIP, if you didn't already pick them at the start of your planning? Remember: Use the #PlotTober hashtag, engage with others, and have fun!
October 28, 2025 at 4:01 AM
gunsmile.bsky.social
I had a weird day. Felt like cheering myself up by compiling some old hype/positive comments from THE DEVOURING's alpha readers into a couple of nice graphics, as a self-care treat. I want to do the same thing with beta reader comments, too.
Black bubbles of text, outlined in white with drop shadows, are in front of a black and white cityscape at night. -happy sigh- Grand fuckin slam, Ange I LOVE YOUR BOOK Jason and Ayana are both excellent characters and I want to dig into their psyches ANGE FUCKIN BRAVO I've seen a lot of horror movies that wanted to pull off what you did that couldn't even come close You did a great job making me root for them while still being like, "This is so bad, I shouldn't want this." I had really high expectations for this and you blew past all of them Black bubbles of text, outlined in white with drop shadows, are in front of a black and white cityscape at night. We were charging like a freight train into the last act and I didn't want to put it down. This is so good and also absolutely wild Your pacing is just so good. Just absolutely phenomenal character work. Your dialogue is so tight & crisp The way you set up the opposing characters and play with perspective and morality, the horror, the build and reveal, absolutely phenomenal *thunderous applause* That whole ending was so good—the writing was magnificent. I am in awe and also full of dread. Excellent work.
October 28, 2025 at 1:55 AM
gunsmile.bsky.social
I received some beta reader feedback today that got me discussing the MCs of my cosmic horror/thriller, THE DEVOURING, with my writers group, which prompted me to whip this up.

I love Jason and Ayana with all my heart. 🥹❤️ They are the most terrible people, and I'm so happy with their story.
CHARACTER INFLUENCE MEME By DanSyron Choose 4 of your Original/Fan Characters and put a picture of them in the rightmost box after the '=' sign. Then, in the boxes beside them, put pictures of other characters that influenced their designs from TV shows, games, movies, etc. However, the tricky part is that you can't put other Fanmade/Original user created characters as influences. This will help people relate to your characters more and better understand their personalities and quirks. If you have less than 4 characters, crop this meme on the bottom to shorten the columns. Have fun! Row 1: Agent 47 (Hitman) + John Wick (John Wick) + Dexter Morgan (Dexter) + Millions Knives (Trigun) = Jason Ridley Row 2: Claire Underwood (House of Cards) + Dana Scully (The X-Files) + Poison Ivy (DC Comics) + Bones Brennan (Bones) = Ayana Hudson
October 27, 2025 at 4:26 PM
gunsmile.bsky.social
Announcing #Writevember!

Whether you're doing classic NaNoWriMo or setting your own writing goals, join the tag for weekly progress updates, accountability, and community. I'll post the week's prompt on each date for folks to quote repost.

#WritingCommunity #WriteSky #WritingPrompt #AmWriting
#Writevember a November writing challenge prompt tag hosted by @gunsmile.bsky.social November 1: Introduce yourself, your WIP, and your writing goal for this month. November 8: Weekly progress check-in! Bonus: What inspired your WIP? November 15: Weekly progress check-in! Bonus: If you're a plotter, how did you prepare for this November? If you're a pantser, what initial ideas did you start with? November 22: Weekly progress check-in! Bonus: Share a favorite part of what you've worked on so far. November 30: Monthly wrap-up! How did you do?
October 27, 2025 at 11:02 AM