Cal Black
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thatcalamity.bsky.social
Cal Black
@thatcalamity.bsky.social
1.2K followers 310 following 1.4K posts
Author: Legends & Legacies, Shattered Spirits: The Fall of Ishcairn, Cat mom, She/Her, cryptid of the wilds 🍁🇨🇦

https://superstitionpub.com
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thatcalamity.bsky.social
from SHATTERED SPIRITS: The Fall of Ishcairn

Convincing you to read my novel by the first sentence. Share yours if you want!
November 11, 2025 at 1:57 PM
thatcalamity.bsky.social
October 25, 2025 at 10:39 PM
thatcalamity.bsky.social
Last day of cancon, grabbing a fancy breakfast before loading up the car, then I'll be at the vendor's room for most of the day!

...I've bought four books already. Please come buy some of mine so I don't have to carry them all home.
October 19, 2025 at 12:58 PM
thatcalamity.bsky.social
Joke's on you, I already had brain damage!
October 15, 2025 at 4:58 PM
thatcalamity.bsky.social
also look at how awesome this new logo is!
October 13, 2025 at 2:31 PM
thatcalamity.bsky.social
My own Bird is most of these... but clumsy. So clumsy.
September 26, 2025 at 3:28 AM
thatcalamity.bsky.social
This year was supposed to better than last year's con but God damn I'm exhausted.
September 6, 2025 at 11:48 PM
thatcalamity.bsky.social
Bird gave me a frigging heart attack earlier because she was sleeping with her mouth open and looked liked she'd died.

She was just really really deeply asleep. She's fine, btw.
September 4, 2025 at 9:06 PM
thatcalamity.bsky.social
~~When you pull up, I pull up a little late to the party~~

Okay, I've been out and only been able to sit down and list some of the books I've picked up at the Naratess sale indiebook.sale

🚂🐉🪓My own 'No Land for Heroes' is also on sale for 0.99! Dragons, train robberies, and clusterfucks oh my!
Banner for the Narratess Indie Book Sale. A chonky dragon reads a book at the bottom, a pile of skulls with a candle and ghost sit on the left of the text, and a space ship flies by a planet on the right of the text. surrounding the banner are covers of various books taking part in the sale. Above: a black and orange book cover for "No Land for Heroes by Cal Black" with the title framed by an orange dragon and tomahawk style axe. On the black part is a steam locomotive approaching the viewer. Next to the cover is a blurb:"When she robs the wrong man, Deputy Mildred Berry must decide how much of her violent past she can face, if she can face it at all." Below: Banner for the Narratess Indie Book Sale. A chonky dragon reads a book at the bottom, a pile of skulls with a candle and ghost sit on the left of the text, and a space ship flies by a planet on the right of the text.
August 24, 2025 at 12:32 AM
thatcalamity.bsky.social
Me: I need to save for a house.
Michael's:
August 17, 2025 at 5:27 PM
thatcalamity.bsky.social
cough cough.
a book cover titled "no land for heroes" with an etching of a steam locomotive and flanked by an orange dragon and axe. a book cover titled "no port in a storm" with an etching of a steam boat and flanked by a green revolver and crocodilian monster
July 29, 2025 at 4:40 PM
thatcalamity.bsky.social
@krystlematar.bsky.social damn, they're spying on us
July 28, 2025 at 12:39 PM
thatcalamity.bsky.social
a cute drawing of a hamster with giant eyes is wearing a Williams F1 team racing hat and is 'carrying' (it's placed next to it) a flag that says 'Williams racing'. Above the critter, there's text that says "go weeyums!"
July 26, 2025 at 5:20 PM
thatcalamity.bsky.social
Vetch is so fetch.
#WriteSky #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts
The thatched roof needed replacing, but Velta had yet to find the strength to uproot the witch’s vetch that had grown through the old straw, holding it together with corkscrew vines and cheerful purple flowers
July 18, 2025 at 4:51 PM
thatcalamity.bsky.social
15. A line I'm proud of: Everyone needs a little Floor Time™️ now and then.
“Hut-Hut, is it okay if I talk this through?” she asked, looking over to the hearthfire. It had settled down to coals, which meant the hut was either sleeping, or it was ignoring her. “I’ll take that as a yes,” the witch said, slipping off her chair to lie on the floorboards, holding her paper up to read.
July 15, 2025 at 7:09 PM
thatcalamity.bsky.social
12: Snippet "Complicated"
It was something old and wild, contained by a web of wizardry that forced it into a crude compulsion shape. But it was the core that had Velta intrigued. She knew better than to pluck at a wizard’s spell. They were often overly complicated and had hidden traps laid for the unwary.
July 15, 2025 at 6:58 PM
thatcalamity.bsky.social
11. Free space:
There was a single path through the mess with a travelling trunk at the end, illuminated by an impressive colony of gloom caps growing from its base that cast the attic in a blue glow. It was all very mystical, and Velta hovered at the top of the ladder, caught off guard by just how many things there were to look at. Impatiently, the trunk popped open, sending another plume of dust up into the air.
July 15, 2025 at 6:52 PM
thatcalamity.bsky.social
I forgot the damn hashtags again.

#WriteSky #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts #StrangeandSundryMagics
“Ground Gloamcap to light the spirit’s way,” Velta muttered as her mind began to jump from ingredient to ingredient, stringing them along into her spell. “Hearthbloom petals to call the spirit home."
July 11, 2025 at 12:46 PM
thatcalamity.bsky.social
I self-published for timeline reasons but turns out I really enjoy the whole process of it? (except advertising) But also, some of the books I'm writing are just too weird for trad pub. I mean, cowboy elves?
I have plans to query for a few other books, but I need to write them first.
four book covers placed on a background that looks like a desk, complete with a mug of coffee. From left to right: 'Shattered Spirits' has a mysterious and gloomy vibe, showing a lighthouse in the middle of a storm, with dark tentacles behind it. 'Strange and Sundry Magics' is a whimsical book with a ghost cat and a desk full of magical items on the front. 'No Land for heroes' has a dragon and train on it, while it's sister book 'No port in a storm' has a steamboat travelling down a river, with a figure signalling the shore with a flare.
July 5, 2025 at 4:30 PM
thatcalamity.bsky.social
Excuse me while I go cut every 'deep sigh' instance in my wip. There are so many 😱

#WIPSnips #WritingCommunity #WriteSky #WritingPrompts
With a groan, Velta twisted to reach into one of the saddlebags hanging from her broom. Digging past her day’s harvest of herbs and fungi, her fingertips brushed something cool and smooth. Grabbing the little bottle of sea salt, Velta slipped off her broom and lowered herself into the water. The water that enveloped her legs was still cold, despite the warm weather. Her feet kicked up a small cloud of silt that quickly hid the white bones below. Freshly fed, the aloe stirred, sluggishly reaching out to wrap a strong tendril around her leg. Her boot protected her from the small lancets that lined the edges of its leaves. Each secreted a mild sap that could paralyse a full-grown stag, but a plant this large didn’t need its lancets to immobilize her. Its leaves were strong enough that it could drag her under. Unstopping the salt vial, she shoved her hand down as deep as she could without having to put her face into the water. Shaking the little bottle, she let the water dissolve the salt and carry it to the aloe’s base. A second leaf wrapped around her wrist, the little pricks of heat on her arm a warning that if she didn’t act soon, she might join the skeleton for good.
July 3, 2025 at 2:11 PM
thatcalamity.bsky.social
Intro: Hi I'm Cal.

My current WIP is 'Strange and Sundry Magics', a story about a pacifist witch facing a lot of problems because the Chosen One turned up dead in her swamp.

The biggest problem? There's a prophecy the kingdom will fall to darkness.
#FantasyIndiesJuly
A book cover. The title in blue and indigo text: Strange & Sundry Magics. In blue text at the bottom is the author: Cal Black. Centered on the cover is a cluttered desk with fantastical objects and plants, with a blue ghost cat sitting in front of it, with a cat skull for a face. Next to him is an iron cauldron emitting purple sparkling smoke that curls up around the title.
July 2, 2025 at 3:57 PM
thatcalamity.bsky.social
Let's do this! #FantasyIndiesJuly
Now that I have time to work actively on the WIP again, I can chat about it without guilt.
The list of prompts for #FantasyIndiesJuly
July 2, 2025 at 3:50 PM
thatcalamity.bsky.social
Hello! It's that time again, the celebration of all things red and maple: Canada day is tomorrow! To celebrate Canadian SFF, a few creators have gotten together to make a bundle of 16 great SFF stories for only 20$ USD.

That's only 1.25$ per book!

itch.io/b/3114/the-c...
The canadian [canada flag] science fiction & fantasy bundle, june 30-july 6. $20 USD for 16 great reads
June 30, 2025 at 5:09 PM
thatcalamity.bsky.social
it is done
June 29, 2025 at 1:51 PM
thatcalamity.bsky.social
Just saying.
a book cover with an etching of an old river paddleboat, with a figure standing on the prow holding a flare that is emitting smoke. On the river bank smoke and light from an answering flare is seen. The title 'No Port in a Storm' is flanked by a green revolver and a green reptilian monster that looks a little like someone crossed a dinosaur and a crocodile. In smaller white text at the top: Legends & Legacies book two' and at the bottom in the same font is the author's name: Cal Black "No masters," clem whispered. "No Kings," Millie finished for her. The words 'No Masters' and 'No kings' are highlighted in yellow.
June 14, 2025 at 5:10 PM