H. L. Docherty (Updates Only)
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hldocherty.bsky.social
H. L. Docherty (Updates Only)
@hldocherty.bsky.social
1K followers 250 following 1.6K posts
Writer of romantasy with chaotic anti-heros, forbidden romance, and things that go bump in the night.
🥀SNOWDROPS & STONES
☀️Rep: Rachel Estep | D4EO Literary Agency
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hldocherty.bsky.social
Because this book is a recipe for disaster, here's one cursed recipe that, once eaten, will leave you wanting more.
#UnhingedPit #NA #F #R #AG
September 23, 2025 at 3:55 PM
hldocherty.bsky.social
Confidently, I can say none of these lot are getting raptured today.
"They're a 10 but..." SNOWDROPS & STONES Edition
Featuring:
🥀Star-Crossed Lovers
🥀Messy Families
🥀Lovers to Enemies
🥀Class Divide
🥀Monsters & Horror Vibes
🥀Dystopian Fantasy
#UnhingedPit #NA #F #R #AG
September 23, 2025 at 10:59 AM
hldocherty.bsky.social
Thrilled to announce that I am now represented by Rachel Estep at D4EO literary agency!

A huge thank you to her for all the love she’s shown my world and characters. I can’t wait to go on this rollercoaster with her!
September 19, 2025 at 6:11 PM
hldocherty.bsky.social
I swear, the only reason I get anything written is because of Lorelai Bean.
#FocusFriend #WritingCommunity
September 5, 2025 at 1:32 PM
hldocherty.bsky.social
It’s been 4 years without the woman who shaped everything I am. I never told her I was writing a book, or that her resilience would carry me through 100+ rejections, all the way to 10 literary agent requests and 2 publishing offers.
Love you, Mam. I miss you.
#WritingCommunity
August 22, 2025 at 1:25 PM
hldocherty.bsky.social
A #NA dual-POV #F #R where These Violent Delights meets Arcane.
Featuring:
🥀 A firebrand FMC from the slums
🥀A gilded MMC with blood on his hands
🥀 Class war meets monster horror
🥀 Fated mates with a twist
🥀 He'd do anything for her
🥀2 publishers interested / 10 manuscript requests.

#PosterPit #Q
August 16, 2025 at 12:49 PM
hldocherty.bsky.social
THESE VIOLENT DELIGHTS x A BALLAD OF SONGBIRDS & SNAKES
Featuring:
❤️‍🔥Star-Crossed Lovers
❤️‍🔥Messy Families
❤️‍🔥Lovers to Enemies
❤️‍🔥Class Divide
❤️‍🔥Fated Mates with a Twist
❤️‍🔥Queer-Norm World
❤️‍🔥Mental Health Rep
❤️‍🔥Monsters & Horror Vibes
❤️‍🔥Dystopian Fantasy
#QueerPit #NA #D #DF #FR #Q
August 15, 2025 at 10:38 PM
hldocherty.bsky.social
I’m just saying, if a lit agent or editor wanted to offer me in the next 30 days, they could save me an entire $25 and that’s like, 2 bottles of wine.
#WritingCommunity
July 31, 2025 at 2:40 PM
hldocherty.bsky.social
Follow me here and everywhere else for more “motivational” quotes with atmospheric backgrounds. *insert Pedro Pascal laughing-to-crying gif*
#WritingCommunity
This draft is meant to be awful and only Future Me has to give a shit. My plot holes are just opportunities for beta readers to be useful. I’m doing them a favour. The story doesn’t have to make sense now. That’s what second drafts and random lightbulb moments at 3am are for. The characters are inconsistent because they’re growing. Rapidly. And possibly against my will.
July 29, 2025 at 12:20 PM
hldocherty.bsky.social
ROMEO & JULIET x THE HUNGER GAMES
Figured I’d pitch my #NA #F #R set in a dystopian world using comments from numerous beta readers. Yes, they're all adults, even the one asking for their mum.
Anti-tropes: Soul mates but drawn together to kill each other.
#UnhingedPit #Q
July 9, 2025 at 12:19 PM
hldocherty.bsky.social
May I present to you the reason why all my energy to read/write has gone out the window lately.
Due 26th Nov.
May 20, 2025 at 12:17 PM
hldocherty.bsky.social
I’m arguing with bots on the internet. How’s everyone else’s day going?
#WritingCommunity
May 4, 2025 at 1:16 PM
hldocherty.bsky.social
I didn't partake in #PosterPit because of some personal things on my end, but I had started a poster so I thought I'd share. It's nothing amazing (and excuse any dyslexia typos); I just didn't have time, but it seems a shame to waste it!
#amquerying #WritingCommmunity
April 22, 2025 at 10:22 AM
hldocherty.bsky.social
HELP!
I may have been offered a publishing contract 👀! Any #LitAgents who could read over this for me would be doing me a tremendous solid. Even better, if any want to check out my #AgentsGuid and rep me that'd be cool too, lol.
#WritingCommunity please spread this about!
#amquerying #mswl
April 4, 2025 at 11:29 AM
hldocherty.bsky.social
A girl from the slums with more repressed baggage than an airport, and a privileged boy with daddy issues team up to emotionally destroy each other in the middle of a war.
Also, there are monsters. #ChaosPit #NA #F #R #Q
Literary Blacklist Snowdrops & Stones sex, dugs, swearing, violent (basically all the good stuff). romeo and juliet retelling (with a tenuous hfn). complex family dynamics. themes of grief, loss, repressed trauma, generational trauma. Basically lots of trauma. Too long (but actually not long enough; used to be 178k words). lqbtqia+ is simply okay, and there's no social commentary on that. This 108,000-word novel claims to be a romantic dystopian fantasy for adults, but let’s call it what it is: emotional warfare wrapped in Monsters, rebellion, and illegal magic use. Alayna, a short-tempered rebel with more trauma than coping mechanisms, falls for the son of the governor—the same governor responsible for murdering her people. Tiv, the quiet rich boy in question, is so guilt-ridden and soft-spoken it’s a miracle he can string a sentence together without apologising. Their relationship unravels at speed when their families get involved. tiv's father bans the relationship, separating them, and ALAYNA'S brother starts a rebellion with all the subtlety of a nuclear bomb, intent on destroying tiv's family. There are enough morally grey characters to destroy a rainbow. No one is okay. Everyone is lying. you'll cry over a flower. I do not recommend publishing this book unless you're prepared to be emotionally concussed. You’ve been warned.
April 1, 2025 at 2:08 PM
hldocherty.bsky.social
I’m being cheeky & using the post where I post all my #unhingedpit pitches in one place to post another😂.
Have some dating profiles & songs:
Alayna: Little Girl Gone by Chinchilla
Tiv: Cast the Bronze by Raynes
Ben: Feed The Machine by Poor Man’s Poison
Marcan: Control by Halsey
#NA #F #R #DS #Q
March 28, 2025 at 5:48 PM
hldocherty.bsky.social
What my CPs thought about my 'Romeo and Juliet but make it dystopian, horror, and fantasy' MS.
One was clearly more thirsty than the others.
#UnhingedPit #NA #F #R #DS #Q
This book gets no more than 1 star from me for how it RIPPED OUT MY FUCKING SOUL! Okay, maybe 2, bc Ben was hilarious.  Alright, the world-building is awesome, I'll give it 3 for that. Right, having me kicking my feet deserves some cred too, but absolutely no more than 4.  FUCK! THE EPIC LOVE STORY—I'M DYING!!! Take 5! Take 10! Take a fucking million, just leave me alone, I need to go mend my aching heart.  Snowdrops and Stones-or whatever she's calling it these days-has not just one unhinged book boyfriend I want to climb, but 2. Do I still want to add songs to my book playlist? Yes. Do I wish I could climb into that world? Absolutely not; it's a fucked up place to be. But gods I need more of it. The best thing I can say about this book is that it hurt me very deeply and yet I never wanted to put it down. The characters are so well-written that you kind of want to wrap them in a soft blanket and give them a hot drink even while they’re committing horrifying war crimes and you know t
March 28, 2025 at 2:46 PM
hldocherty.bsky.social
Why the Romeo and Juliet meets The Hunger Games mix up, SNOWDROPS AND STONES should be blacklisted. #UnhingedPit #NA #F #R #DS #Q
- sex, dugs, swearing, violent (basically all the good stuff) romeo and juliet retelling (with a tenuous hfn). - complex family dynamics - themes of grief, loss, repressed trauma, generational trauma (and lots more) - Too long (but actually not long enough; used to be 178k words) lqbtqia+ is simply okay, and there's no social commentary on that. This 109,000-word novel claims to be a romantic dystopian fantasy for adults, but let’s call it what it is: emotional warfare wrapped in betrayal, rebellion, and illegal magic use. The story kicks off with Alayna, a short-tempered rebel with more trauma than coping mechanisms, who falls for the son of the governor—the same governor responsible for murdering her people. Tiv, the quiet rich boy in question, is so guilt-ridden and soft-spoken it’s a miracle he can string a sentence together without apologising. Their relationship unravels at the speed when their families get involved. tiv's father bans the relationship, separating them, and ALAYN
March 28, 2025 at 1:29 PM
hldocherty.bsky.social
This book has no chill, and neither does anyone in it. Welcome to SNOWDOPS AND STONES. You're not leaving emotionally intact.
Now have some memes.
#UnhingedPit #NA #F #R #DS #Q
March 28, 2025 at 12:05 PM
hldocherty.bsky.social
This is so satisfying.
From 178k to sub 110k.
#WritingCommunity
March 23, 2025 at 12:00 PM
hldocherty.bsky.social
If you need me, I’ll be in a reading hole for a few days.
Suzanne, the love of my life and biggest inspiration, thank you for finally giving me a book I’ve been waiting for for 15 years.
#WritingCommunity #booktwt
March 18, 2025 at 1:16 PM
hldocherty.bsky.social
ROMEO AND JULIET x THE HUNGER GAMES
🥀 Forbidden Love
🥀 Family Feuding/Messy Family Dynamics
🥀 Queer-Norm World
🥀 Morally Grey Characters
🥀 Coming of Age themes of Identity, Grief, and Loss
🥀 Strong FMC / Soft MMC
🥀 Monsters/Hidden Magic

#PopUpPit #LuckyPit #NA #FR #Q
SNOWDROPS AND STONES A 110k Dystopian Fantasy Romance with horror elements A hotheaded rebel catches the eye of a quiet, guilt-ridden aristocrat—who just so happens to be the governor’s son—in a triste that could end her life. When war puts them on opposite sides and pushes them both to their limits, they're torn between their family loyalties and each other. They don't know that no matter what they choose, it'll end in blood.
March 17, 2025 at 7:12 PM
hldocherty.bsky.social
New name because after removing 67k words, it's basically a new book!

ROMEO & JULIET meets THE HUNGER GAMES when a fiery rebel and shy aristocrat find forbidden love amid a brutal uprising, hidden magic, and deadly monsters that could destroy them both.
#LuckyPit #PopUpPit #PopUpPitA #NA #FR #Q
ROMEO AND JULIET meets THE HUNGER GAMES in: SNOWDROPS AND STONES A 110k New Adult dystopian romantasy by H. L. Docherty The fire snarled as it chewed the wood of my home. Heat singed my face, winter's bite contrasting with sweat soaking through my ragged hoodie. I gagged on smoke curling in my throat but swallowed the cough. I wouldn't give them the satisfaction. If they wanted me scared, they should've used explosives. Mum's eyes flashed at the burnt college entrance sign in our garden. Harroworth Central College was still visible beneath the scorch marks with Scabs not welcome scrawled across it. Like we were nothing but dead skin, picked at until we bled.
March 17, 2025 at 12:00 PM
hldocherty.bsky.social
Was it easy? No. Is my MS better for it? Absolutely. Thanks to @2thestrugglebus.bsky.social for doing half the work, and @charmstrong.bsky.social Editor's Guide for doing the other half.
Am I done? NOPE. Still got another 8k words to go at least 🫠
#WritingCommunity
March 14, 2025 at 2:42 PM
hldocherty.bsky.social
As it’s my balloon day, I’m asking for presents in the form of full requests and offers of rep from the lovely #LitAgents out there.
Actually, at this point, I’ll also take rejections from the unyielding slew of maybe piles 😂
Have a beautiful Friday you lovely lot!
#WritingCommunity
February 21, 2025 at 12:35 PM