Kara Buchanan 🏳️‍⚧️
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magicariot.com
Kara Buchanan 🏳️‍⚧️
@magicariot.com
11K followers 880 following 10K posts
Author of trans magical girl novel “Magica Riot,” upcoming sequel "Magica Riot: Full Bloom,” and the Maidensong Magica universe.
43 year old trans lesbian from PDX.
Lover of magical girls, sci-fi, anime, and games.
SFWA member.
She/her.
magicariot.com
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magicariot.com
one more thing I’m pleased about: Full Bloom finally gets a portion* of “Jade Evergreen and the Perils of Polybius” into print

*about 5,000 words
OVERTURE Jade Evergreen Portland, Oregon March, 1981 THE PERILS OF POLYBIUS ade Evergreen sighed with relief and returned her lockpicks to her backpack. She brushed back her wavy red hair from the glasses in front of her green eyes and it a pair of flashlights, and handed one to Catherine.
November 13, 2025 at 3:26 AM
magicariot.com
"Magica Riot: Full Bloom" is my second queer Portland magical girl novel and a big emotional gay adventure. And it begins arriving this weekend in print & ebook formats.

I'm building a trans-centric queer magical girl universe here, and I'd love for you to read it. magicariot.com/buy
A photo of paperback copies on a table of "Magica Riot," featuring protagonist Claire in her Riot Purple magical girl costume posing in front of the St. Johns Bridge, and "Magica Riot: Full Bloom," featuring characters Iris and Bloom laying on a bed of orange rain lilies.
November 13, 2025 at 12:42 AM
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She’s a little thicker than the first book 😅
A photo of “Magica Riot: Full Bloom” laying on top of “Magica Riot,” showing that the former is significantly thicker than the latter
November 12, 2025 at 11:42 PM
magicariot.com
Finally, it’s here.

Welcome to the world, “Magica Riot: Full Bloom.” I think a lot of people are going to be happy to meet you. 🥹

magicariot.com/fullbloom
A selfie of a woman with glasses and brown hair wearing a pink Sailor Moon shirt holding a copy of trans magical girl novel “Magica Riot: Full Bloom”
November 12, 2025 at 11:39 PM
magicariot.com
SO! Funny story! I really messed up putting the dates into my print distro! And it turns out the print versions launch THIS FRIDAY.

WHOOPSIE DOODLE 😅

So rather than make all of you ebook buyers wait…I'm moving them all up.

MAGICA RIOT FULL BLOOM LAUNCHES THIS WEEKEND*
Artwork of Bloom, a corrupted magical girl from "Magica Riot" with purple hair, red eyes, a red bow, and a black corset dress and long black gloves. She's standing there looking annoyed and sweaty besides text that reads: "Ha! The authoress made a major error! Data entry proved too great a foe! Magica Riot Full Bloom launches November 14! Or 15th or 16th depending on the storefront! Those blasted magical girls cannot be contained!"
November 12, 2025 at 4:19 PM
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this Bloom art from the print version turned out to be unexpectedly useful 😅
Chibi art of Bloom, a corrupted magical girl from "Magica Riot" with purple hair, red eyes, and a red bow, looking nervous and sweaty and annoyed.
November 12, 2025 at 3:36 PM
magicariot.com
Magica Riot: Full Boom (2025)
The Simpsons focus group guy saying “So, you want a realistic, down-to-earth novel…that’s completely off the wall and swarming with magic robots." The next scene from the Simpsons focus group scene, but instead of Milhouse, Nelson, and Martin, it’s Hana, Nova, and Cass from “Magica Riot.” Nova is saying “And also, it should be crammed full of yuri."
November 12, 2025 at 5:53 AM
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Magica Riot: Full Bloom - it’s this but also crammed full of yuri
The Simpsons focus group scene where the researcher is saying “So, you want a realistic, down-to-earth show…that’s completely off the wall and swarming with magic robots."
November 12, 2025 at 5:36 AM
magicariot.com
lol me too! just now!
A set of Koss Porta Pro headphones on a desk, with oversized purple ear pads, next to a Miyoo Mini Plus handheld emulator and the legs of a Jill Stingray figure
November 11, 2025 at 8:13 PM
magicariot.com
Kara Buchanan’s James Bond turns out to actually secretly be Kara Buchanan’s No One Lives Forever
Artwork for “The Operative: No One Lives Forever” with Cate Archer in her signature orange and white catsuit
November 11, 2025 at 4:16 PM
magicariot.com
Let me write it you cowards. But you may not like what I have in mind…
Tumblr account isuggestforcefem: “I have a suggestion.”
November 11, 2025 at 4:13 PM
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Drop something blue

(Nova animation by Kevin Fagaragan)
November 11, 2025 at 5:44 AM
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The SNES version of SimCity is still something special after all these years
A photograph of a Miyoo Mini Plus handheld emulator running the SNES SimCity at the title screen, featuring “SimCity” in red and blue script over a glittery city skyline
November 11, 2025 at 5:06 AM
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The words "Flam for Portland" in the Zohran Mamdani campaign sign text
November 10, 2025 at 3:44 PM
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If you see this, reskeet with a Sentai team that is not Power Rangers or Super Sentai

Oh, I can do that 😁
Artwork of queer magical girl squad Magica Riot - Riot Red (Sara), Riot Purple (Claire), Riot Blue (Nova), Riot Yellow (Cass), and Riot Green (Hana)
November 9, 2025 at 7:11 PM
magicariot.com
If you read “Magica Riot” and wanted more of it but bigger, more emotional, and somehow even more trans & gay, I have GREAT news for you.

“Magica Riot: Full Bloom” arrives Dec. 5! It’s got everything you can see in this image AND MORE! Portland queer magical girls are BACK magicariot.com/fullbloom
Artwork of the cover art of "Magica Riot: Full Bloom," featuring text "Magica Riot" is in the upper left corner in black in a combination of fantasty/crystalline and punk script fonts, while "Full Bloom" is below it in an interwoven script font in orange, red, and purple. The artwork depicts two trans girls, Iris and Bloom, laying on a bed of orange rain lilies. Iris has purple hair that fades to orange at the tips. She is wearing an orange sun dress, and is laying with her eyes closed. One hand is draped across her stomach, and the other is reaching up. Her fingertips are barely touching those of Bloom, also laying on her back and who is wearing a black corset dress, red bow, and long black gloves. She also has purple hair. Her eyes are open, and red. In her other hand, she holds a purple flower. Iris and Bloom are arranged diagonally across the page, head to head. Across the top, artwork of the five main characters of Magica Riot in a park is placed. Around the book art are placed several blocks of text: "trans protagonist," "entirely queer cast," "tall hot evil sorceress," "thrilling action," "music-based magic," "sinister tech company," queer identity journey," "polyamory adventures," "useless lesbians," "modern-day Portland." Text reading "The next adventure of Portland's queer magical girl rock band" is next. Finally, text at the bottom reads: "Recommended if you like Sailor Moon, Symphogear, Pretty Cure, Power Rangers"
November 8, 2025 at 10:24 PM
magicariot.com
also this flammin car chase!
November 8, 2025 at 6:17 AM
magicariot.com
watched episode 2 of 3 of Gunsmith Cats tonight and my god the Russian assassin lady
Radinov, a Russian assassin woman in “Gunsmith Cats.” She has short hair dyed red and green, thin sunglasses, and a black bulletproof coat with gold trim.
November 8, 2025 at 6:08 AM
magicariot.com
Out celebrating the book completion with the team and I love finding one of the worst movies ever made at a Portland bar on VHS
A photo of a VHS box for the movie R.O.T.O.R. sitting on top of a model of Richard Petty’s NASCAR car at Dot’s in Portland
November 8, 2025 at 2:29 AM
magicariot.com
A portrait of the author awaiting her vegan General Tso’s
A selfie of a Elma in glasses and long brown hair fading to pale blue at the tips, wearing a dark red VA-11 HALL-A shirt and a black suspenders skirt sitting in a restaurant
November 7, 2025 at 9:31 PM
magicariot.com
I had a lot of fun writing the return of Bloom
"Um, stop me if this is a little personal, but I didn't realize Iris was, y'know, like I am. Trans, I mean." "I think it simply never came up," Bloom said. "I've learned a lot of things from Iris and her memories. I had no idea such a subject was so fraught in human society." I sighed. "Yeah, that's one way to put it." "It is baffling," she said. "What concern is it to anybody but the individual what form they were given at birth, and what form they desire now?" I nodded. "Human society has a lot of problems." "So it would seem," she laughed. "Perhaps I should still try to rule over you people. I could, at least, avoid your many mistakes!"
November 7, 2025 at 7:08 AM
magicariot.com
whatever else you’ll find out happens in Full Bloom, Claire is and always will be a useless lesbian

(this is in the two chapter preview on the site so I don’t feel too bad sharing it here too hehe)
"Aw," I blushed, "thanks, Haze. It felt good to finally do it." "T'll bet," she said. She grinned and gave my hand another squeeze. "You know, if you're too tired to go the rest of the way to your apartment, you could just crash here." I laughed and protested instinctively. "Oh, you don't have to do that, Haze. I know you're tired, too. I'll just head home. I should check on my apartment, anyway." Hazel gave me an odd look and nodded. "Okay! We'll see." She smiled, leaned in, and kissed my cheek. "Goodnight, Claire." I managed to croak out a "goodnight" as she turned to head up to her apartment. I returned to the van, only to find the rest of the band blocking the side doorway, giving me disappointed looks. "Claire, what are you doing?" Cass asked. "Um, going home?" I replied, as if I were unsteadily answering a teacher after being called on in class. "Is that really the best course of action here?" Hana asked. "I mean, that's where my bed is," I said. Cass shook her head. "Claire. I ask again, what are you doing? Get up there and celebrate with her!" "Didn't we already do that?" I asked. "Celebrate," Cass repeated. Slowly, realization crept up on me. "Oh. Oh!" Sara laughed. "You're such a useless lesbian. It's impressive." "I just didn't want to bother her!" I protested. "Pretty sure she's already bothered, if ya get my drift, babe," Nova said. Cass grabbed the doors to pull them shut. "Go have fun, alright?" "Consider it an order," Sara added.
November 7, 2025 at 6:51 AM
magicariot.com
losing my mind every time the characters can’t see through these disguises
Haruka and Sailor Uranus, from Sailor Moon Makoto and Sailor Jupiter, from Sailor Moon Michiru and Sailor Neptune, from Sailor Moon Usagi and Sailor Moon, from Sailor Moon
November 7, 2025 at 1:53 AM
magicariot.com
Claire and Bloom boarding the MAX train in the opening chapters of “Magica Riot: Full Bloom" and making the barest effort to disguise the fact that they are internationally famous magical beings
Nico Yazawa from “Love Live” wearing sunglasses and a mask Yohane from “Love Live Sunshine” wearing sunglasses and a mask
November 7, 2025 at 1:21 AM
magicariot.com
I’m building a trans-centric entirely queer contemporary magical girl universe with my own two hands and incredible art, editing, & voice collaborators. Zero AI. The next novel comes out on December 5th, so you’ve got a lot of fun and feels ahead of you. 🥹

Come join the adventure at magicariot.com
A graphic featuring a banner image of the members of queer Portland magical girl rock band Magica Riot - Sara (Riot Red), Claire (Riot Purple), Nova (Riot Blue), Cass (Riot Yellow), and Hana (Riot Green), standing in the waterfront park in downtown Portland amid the cherry blossoms. Below them, artwork for the two main novels - Magica Riot and Magica Riot: Full Bloom - are arranged side-by-side. “Magica Riot” features a purple color scheme and Claire posing dramatically amid purple clouds and the outline of the St. Johns Bridge in Portland, while “Full Bloom” features characters Iris and Bloom laying on orange rain lilies while touching fingertips. Text on the graphic reads: “Read the adventures of Portland’s queer magical girl rock band. Trans protagonist, music-based magic, useless lesbians, thrilling action, found family energy, modern-day Portland. Recommended if you like: Sailor Moon, Symphogear, Pretty Cure, Power Rangers."
November 6, 2025 at 5:37 AM