Karen Lucia | Author
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karenlucia.bsky.social
Karen Lucia | Author
@karenlucia.bsky.social
660 followers 530 following 270 posts
Author of Blackburn Station, Landbringer, and the Warriors of Helsvern series. SFF. Fan of video games, eating snacks, and doodling. 💙📚🌈📚 (She/Her)

KarenLuciaAuthor.com

https://linktr.ee/karenluciawrites
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karenlucia.bsky.social
Karen Lucia | Author @karenlucia.bsky.social · Dec 13
You ever ask your author friend "How did you think up this story?" Well, the welcome sequence of my newsletter is all about how I found my stories. Plus, signing up comes with a free short story! Sign up on my website: KarenLuciaAuthor.com
Karen Lucia | Author
KarenLuciaAuthor.com
Reposted by Karen Lucia | Author
angelaboord.bsky.social
Good morning and a new #SFINCS review 😁

Phengaris by Anna Orridge is a creepy queer ecohorror with some excellent imagery and characterization.

www.angelaboord.com/post/sfincs-...

💙🪐📚 #BookSky #indiebooks #Horror #SFF
SFINCS Review: Phengaris by Anna Orridge
There's something very wrong in Thurstrop Wood.Mark Warner never noticed it before. He's there to get away from his life, his ailing mother. Out of his head. Not to think about anything.Birds sing in ...
www.angelaboord.com
November 24, 2025 at 4:07 PM
karenlucia.bsky.social
Started the year not thinking I would do any book fairs because I never have before, and let's be real, it is kind of intimidating. Ended the year doing 3 events, having great interactions and selling well over 200 book in person. Even got the top of my head on the news. Guess it's a thing I do now.
November 18, 2025 at 2:24 PM
karenlucia.bsky.social
Looking for somebody to do a content pull on your writing? May I suggest @quillandcrib.bsky.social

What is a content pull? You know the impact quotes/scenes you see on social media? Sometimes it helps to have objective eyes go through and pull out the lines that excite readers.

#writingcommunity
November 18, 2025 at 2:20 PM
Reposted by Karen Lucia | Author
blog.readindiefantasy.com
Happy Monday! We're starting off today with a review of The Penitent by Robyn Abbot as written by Ryan Kirk:

www.readindiefantasy.com/amorar-book-...
A red banner for AMoRaR with a dragon reading a book and a ghost cat attacking its tail. The text reads Review: The Penitent, and shows the book cover by Robyn Abbott.
November 17, 2025 at 10:14 AM
Reposted by Karen Lucia | Author
blog.readindiefantasy.com
We're starting the day with a recommendation post! We've got @philspeculates.bsky.social Top Ten Indie Books:

www.readindiefantasy.com/amorar-recom...

Have you read any of these and agree with Phil's reccs? #AMoRaR
A banner image for A Month of Rain and Reads featuring a pink dragon reading a book and a ghost cat playing with his tail. The text reads Phil Parker's Top Ten Indie Books and more! There are three book covers on the banner, including Windborn, The Hallows, and Symphony of the Wind.
November 11, 2025 at 10:10 AM
karenlucia.bsky.social
Woot woot. Waking up early on a beautiful day to get some writing in before the kids storm the room. Im really enjoying this WIP. I have a feeling she's going to be a big one.
November 11, 2025 at 11:36 AM
karenlucia.bsky.social
Today's Google search was 'Do vampires poop?' Idk why. But it happened.
November 10, 2025 at 12:59 AM
Reposted by Karen Lucia | Author
blog.readindiefantasy.com
It's a Month of Rain & Reads, and we do take a little time for reading ourselves, too.

Today, we have a review of The Drowned Heir, by @authorizedmusings.bsky.social, which is also a contender in the SFINCS novella competition.

www.readindiefantasy.com/amorar-book-...

#BookSky #AMoRaR #SFINCS
Banner image for our review of The Drowned Heir. Based on the regular AMoRaR banner with the book dragon and the ghost cat, it also shows the cover of the book.
November 9, 2025 at 10:29 AM
Reposted by Karen Lucia | Author
angelaboord.bsky.social
So many of us started writing because we loved to read, but it's so easy to put reading aside when writing becomes a business. I learned the hard way that I needed to read more for my mental health!

Thanks to @blog.readindiefantasy.com for hosting A Month of Rain and Reads!

#AMoRaR #writesky 💙🪐📚
blog.readindiefantasy.com Read Indie Fantasy.com @blog.readindiefantasy.com · 21d
We're starting the day with a fantastic guest post by @angelaboord.bsky.social on the subject of how reading books can help with author burn out, and why we should be reading more:

www.readindiefantasy.com/guest-post-h...

#AMoRaR
A banner image featuring a yellow dragon reading a book and a photo of author Angela Boord with the text: guest post, how reading more helped cure my indie-author burnout.
November 6, 2025 at 7:39 PM
karenlucia.bsky.social
Today is for interviews!
blog.readindiefantasy.com Read Indie Fantasy.com @blog.readindiefantasy.com · 22d
It's A Month of Rain & Reads, and it's time for another cat picture.

This time, the cat picture comes joined by an interview with the cat's owner, Minneapolis-based Sci-Fi and Fantasy author Karen Lucia @karenlucia.bsky.social

www.readindiefantasy.com/amorar-inter...

#AMoRaR #BookSky
Banner Image for our interview with Karen Lucia. The banner shows the book dragon and the ghost cat, and there's a picture of Karen on top of it.
November 5, 2025 at 1:28 PM
karenlucia.bsky.social
Learn a little more about me, Landbringer, and Blackburn Station!
November 5, 2025 at 1:03 PM
Reposted by Karen Lucia | Author
blog.readindiefantasy.com
Today we're hosting a recommendation of Hidden Indie SFF Gems, including underrated fantasy and sci-fi, written by @nicksnapeauthor.bsky.social

www.readindiefantasy.com/amorar-recom...
A banner image for A Month of Rain and Reads featuring a pink dragon reading a book and a ghost cat playing with his tail. The text reads Hidden Indie SFF Gems and more! There are three book covers on the banner, including The Ezekiel Factor, The Crimson Fire, and Icebreaker.
November 4, 2025 at 10:31 AM
Reposted by Karen Lucia | Author
blog.readindiefantasy.com
A Month of Rain & Reads
Daily Challenge 4: Be Gay! - Share a book with a gay protagonist and tell us what makes it awesome.

The prize for today's challenge is a copy of Kill Me Quick, by @josiejaffrey.bsky.social

Reply or repost with your answer to enter, and remember to include the tag #AMoRaR
A picture showing today's challenge with the text BE GAY
November 4, 2025 at 9:21 AM
karenlucia.bsky.social
A quick novella with D&D fantasy quest vibes.

💙📚💙🌈📚🌈
On the left is the cover of the novella The Awakening of Lora Abernathy. On the right it reads: If you like D&D vibes, a whole variety of representations, and a werewolf with lyme disease on a quest to prove her place in the world, check this one out. The writing is solid. There are three POVs. None of the characters seems all that keen on talking about their history, but keep being forced to confront it though their individual nightmares. This novella felt like the first episode of a longer series. At the end of the story, I felt like we recieved the big reveal on a larger villian at hand. But if this were a pilot episode, I would be looking for episode 2 to see what is actually going on in the world.
November 2, 2025 at 2:08 PM
Reposted by Karen Lucia | Author
blog.readindiefantasy.com
It's a Month of Rain and Reads, and it's time for our second interview.

Today, we have @benschenkman.bsky.social, author of contemporary fantasy series The Devil You Know, and more recently, Let Sleeping Gods Lie.

www.readindiefantasy.com/amorar-inter...

#AMoRaR #BookSky
Banner image for our interview with Ben Schenkman. The banner is as usual the image of the book dragon and the ghost cat, along with a picture of Ben.
November 2, 2025 at 1:07 PM
Reposted by Karen Lucia | Author
nils.readindiefantasy.com
Here's my first review/recommendation for this season's edition of the SFINCS novella competition.
blog.readindiefantasy.com Read Indie Fantasy.com @blog.readindiefantasy.com · Oct 9
It's time for our first SFINCS review for the season.

Here are Nils' thoughts on Mistaken Captives by @rhiannonheld.bsky.social

A tale of werewolves, accidental meetings, and desperate attempts to escape.
Banner image for the book review of Mistaken Captives by Rhiannon Held. The banner shows the cover of the book over a background of a misty forest. A picture of a wolf's eyes has been overlaid on the background to hint at the werewolfiness of the story.
October 9, 2025 at 10:52 AM
Reposted by Karen Lucia | Author
suebavey.bsky.social
Here’s my review of SFINCS3 round 1 contestant Water’s Edge by Ellie Lieberman

pagechewing.com/sfincs3-roun...

@thesfincs.bsky.social #novella #horror
October 13, 2025 at 12:31 AM
Reposted by Karen Lucia | Author
voicesofvalhoon.bsky.social
My first two reviews for #SFINCS are up!

Full reviews on my blog⬇️
It's You, Isn't It? weirdereviews.blogspot.com/2025/09/its-...
The Drowned Heir
weirdereviews.blogspot.com/2025/09/the-...
Short review for It's You, Isn't It? by Antony Paschos Genre: SciFi I was really intrigued by the premise of this book, and I do still think it’s a unique spin on the space colonialism trope, but the prose made it quite difficult to read at some points. I often got lost in the prose, it was rather repetitive, the dialogue was stilted, and I found myself having a hard time caring about the characters. Twice when we were about to get some very interesting worldbuilding about the Platani and the Gardeners it was glossed over or completely shut down because Avra (the MC) was ‘bored’. But that kind of lore is exactly what I want in a book like this! That being said, I did enjoy the ending, the worldbuilding was interesting, and the back and forth of telling the story pre-revolt and during was an interesting framing device that worked well for this story. Short review for The Drowned Heir by Jennifer R. Donohue Genre: Fantasy I was drawn in by the blurb and then even further drawn in by the first chapter. Donohue weaves together a unique story filled with worldbuilding that draws from folklore, rich descriptions, and a plot that pulls you along to the very end. I particularly loved the worldbuilding in this one. The nature of the charms, tattoos, and rituals of the world felt very in line with the lifestyle of the characters in the coastal village. The main character’s constant struggle with accepting her new responsibility as her uncle’s heir all while housing his restless spirit was such an interesting dynamic to watch unfurl. I’d recommend The Drowned Heir to anyone that loves low magic fantasies with a nautical feel and complicated family dynamics.
September 28, 2025 at 9:14 PM
Reposted by Karen Lucia | Author
helynalc.bsky.social
My first review for #SFINCS Round 1 is up! #SFINCS3 #TheWIPs

Also, stealing @stevewestenra.bsky.social's idea, and this will be a thread (if I don't forget lol) #BookSky

helynalclove.com/2025/09/29/s...
SFINCS3 Round 1 Review – Olga Werby: Good Girl
This year I’m a judge for the yearly indie novella competition, SFINCS (The Speculative Fiction Indie Novella Championship), and I thought I’d resurrect my blog for the purpose of posti…
helynalclove.com
September 29, 2025 at 8:29 AM
Reposted by Karen Lucia | Author
helynalc.bsky.social
My second review for #SFINCS Round 1 is up! #SFINCS3 #TheWIPs

I read Daughters of the Blue Moon by Millie Abecassis, a dark fantasy retelling of Little Red Riding Hood. #BookSky

helynalclove.com/2025/09/29/s...
SFINCS3 Round 1 Review – Millie Abecassis: Daughters of the Blue Moon
I read this novella for the indie novella competition, SFINCS. The following review is my own personal opinion as a judge and does not reflect the views of the team as a whole. Find out more about …
helynalclove.com
September 29, 2025 at 4:43 PM
Reposted by Karen Lucia | Author
stevewestenra.bsky.social
My third #SFINCS review is up on Before We Go Blog! This time it's for Thomas J. Devens's Grimdark epic fantasy, The Dregs:

beforewegoblog.com/sfincs-revie...

#SFINCS3
SFINCS Review: The Dregs by Thomas J. Devens
"The Speculative Fiction Indie Novella Championship (SFINCS, pronounced “sphinx”) is a yearly competition to recognize, honor, and celebrate the t
beforewegoblog.com
October 19, 2025 at 1:50 PM
Reposted by Karen Lucia | Author
suebavey.bsky.social
Here’s my review is SFINCS3 contestant A Second Life Worth Living by Karen Lucia:

pagechewing.com/sfincs-3-rou...

@thesfincs.bsky.social #novella #sff #booksky @karenlucia.bsky.social
October 18, 2025 at 2:49 AM
Reposted by Karen Lucia | Author
thesfincs.bsky.social
Curious to see what reviews were done this week for SFINCS3? Check out the updated page!
#bookreview
#writers
#booksky💙📚🪐

www.sfincscompetition.com/sfincs3
SFINCS3 | The Speculative Fict
www.sfincscompetition.com
October 12, 2025 at 12:22 PM
Reposted by Karen Lucia | Author
quillandcrib.bsky.social
Finishing up now, any more takers? Got 1 slot left, and I'd love to do some fantasy romance or romantasy or scifi romance! 🥰
quillandcrib.bsky.social Marie Sinadjan @quillandcrib.bsky.social · Oct 10
As my way of thanking the indie writing community for supporting me through the years, I'm offering free content/quote pulls for my birthday! Preference for BIPOC or disabled authors + SFF books on the shorter side. Turnaround will be 3 weeks - I have a baby so I can't be as fast as I used to alas 😅
October 15, 2025 at 11:07 AM
karenlucia.bsky.social
For any indie authors looking for somebody to do content pulls on their work, check this out!
quillandcrib.bsky.social Marie Sinadjan @quillandcrib.bsky.social · Oct 14
Finished reading book no. 2, @karenlucia.bsky.social's A Second Life Worth Living. I have so much to say about it, it's so good!

Will need to sit down and put together the content I've pulled, hopefully the baby sleeps early and well tonight so I can be on the laptop 😅 Anyway, 1 slot still open!
quillandcrib.bsky.social Marie Sinadjan @quillandcrib.bsky.social · Oct 10
As my way of thanking the indie writing community for supporting me through the years, I'm offering free content/quote pulls for my birthday! Preference for BIPOC or disabled authors + SFF books on the shorter side. Turnaround will be 3 weeks - I have a baby so I can't be as fast as I used to alas 😅
October 14, 2025 at 5:22 PM