Rose Black
LightNews LightNews
banner
wordsofrablack.bsky.social
Rose Black
@wordsofrablack.bsky.social
1.4K followers 280 following 1.2K posts
Author of queer adult fantasy, professional computer wrangler, cheese devourer

They / them Repped @RebeccaPodos
Posts Replies Media Videos
wordsofrablack.bsky.social
Anniversary countdown day 4 - the characters

When I sent this to betas, four people send me the same meme when reading - the Brooklyn 99 Rosa and puppy one. Sadly, a lot of things do happen to them!
Convincing you to read my book with the characters Image shows two young men, touching little fingers. The one on the left is white with long blond hair in a single braid. The one on the right is also white, shorter, with short brown hair.They are looking at each other.
November 15, 2025 at 3:08 PM
wordsofrablack.bsky.social
Counting down to publication anniversary, part 3: the dedication.

This is a book about people who have been broken by their experiences, and the difficult and often dangerous choices they've made to carve out a space for themselves.
text reads: Convincing you to read my book with the dedication - for the misfits, the damaged, the dreamers. You belong
November 14, 2025 at 8:46 AM
wordsofrablack.bsky.social
Day two of counting down to my book's pub anniversary. This story possessed me on an October morning. I wrote it faster than anything I've written before.

It is by far the hardest book to pitch. because really, it's two stories curled around each other, like serpents.
text reads Convincing you to read my book with the pitch: Imprisoned for a crime he can't remember then freed by a sea monster, Lucky finds himself on a ship of misfits and heretics. To keep his freedom, he must uncover what happened ten years ago, and why his new companion seems so familiar...
November 13, 2025 at 11:26 AM
wordsofrablack.bsky.social
In a week, it will be the anniversary of my second book coming out, and my second anniversary as an author, so I'm going to count down the days by trying to convince you to read it, starting with the cover - designed by Lydia Blagden and art by Mia Carnevale.

1/
Cover of Fated Winds and Promising Seas. Text around the outside reads convincing you to read my book with the cover
November 12, 2025 at 7:45 AM
wordsofrablack.bsky.social
I also let them kiss, as a treat
Image of two men on a bed kissing. The one on the left has longish blond hair and is shirtless showing top scars. The other wears a crumpled shirt and black tie.
November 11, 2025 at 1:23 PM
wordsofrablack.bsky.social
I'll commission some proper art if I get some Christmas money, but for now, picrew of my two idiots, Seth, royal bodyguard, empire hater, and now murder investigator, and his bratty trans charge, Prince Laurence.
Drawn image of a man in a dark suit and tie, with dark hair, smiling at the camera. Man in brocade coat and cravat, with blond hair down to the collar.
November 11, 2025 at 12:15 PM
wordsofrablack.bsky.social
Convincing you to read my novel by the first sentence! Show me yours if you want
The four walls of his cell had become Lucky’s closest companions. Four grey walls, cold hard stone
November 11, 2025 at 10:45 AM
wordsofrablack.bsky.social
Murder-train book is now up to 50K! I'm really excited about how this book is shaping up. It's fun, it's exciting, it's full of secrets and mysteries, and it's very queer and anti-empire too.

Tag yourselves in the chapter headings.
CHAPTER ONE – MAKE SURE I GET A FANCY STATUE CHAPTER TWO – WHIP ME YOURSELF YOU COWARD CHAPTER THREE – HIS HIGHNESS IS IN A BAD MOOD CHAPTER FOUR – AN INTERMITTANT PERSONAL PROBLEM CHAPTER FIVE – ONLY WANT YOU FOR YOUR BODY CHAPTER SIX – WHAT A LOSS TO THE WORLD CHAPTER SEVEN – BEFORE YOU CAN SAY CHOO-CHOO CHAPTER EIGHT – YOU’RE CUTE WHEN YOU’RE BEING TREASONOUS CHAPTER NINE – IF WE BOTH GET HURT IT WILL BE YOUR FAULT CHAPTER TEN – I DESEVE A LITTLE KNEECAPPING CHAPTER ELEVEN – THE HIGHEST OF THE HIGHER UPS CHAPTER TWELVE – AN OBSCENE NUMBER OF PILLOWS CHAPTER THIRTEEN – I’LL EAT LAURENCE’S CRAVAT CHAPTER FOURTEEN – WHICH WAS BAD FOR SETH CHAPTER FIFTEEN – PURE ACCIDENT CHAPTER SIXTEEN – LESS THAN IDEAL CHAPTER SEVENTEEN – NOT SO SPECIAL IN CHAINS CHAPTER EIGHTEEN – IT WAS ALWAYS FUCKING STARS CHAPTER NINETEEN – PROBABLY NOT EVEN A PRETTY FACE CHAPTER TWENTY – WHETHER TO SHOUT, CRY, OR THROW UP
November 5, 2025 at 7:47 PM
wordsofrablack.bsky.social
Black neon tetra fish with text that reads And I'd do it again, bitches
October 21, 2025 at 2:55 PM
wordsofrablack.bsky.social
It's my birthday! While I'd love people to check out my books as a present, I know things are tough right now. So if you can't pick up mine or another trans author's book, can you do me a favour and drop a quick email to your MP or rep, ask them to stand up for trans rights.
Photo of a non binary person with two books by them smiling at the camera. The books are Til Death Do Us Bard and Fated Winds and Promising Seas. There are cute images around the person.
September 23, 2025 at 6:45 AM
wordsofrablack.bsky.social
Anti-empire murder train WIP is now up to 20k!
One of the kitchen staff came to advise them of dinner as Seth lay down his winning hand. “You might want to put a shirt on,” he pointed out. Laurence sighed and pushed his coins over to Seth’s side of the table. “I feel that a prince ought to be able to go to dinner in his dressing gown if he wants. Or maybe we could ask them to bring it here? Carry on playing?” “Are you sure you can continue losing?” Seth pointed out. “If this carries on it will be my dressing gown soon.”
September 17, 2025 at 2:12 PM
wordsofrablack.bsky.social
Something brushed his leg. Jake let out a yelp and almost dropped his phone. He looked down, and almost yelled again, this time in frustration. Brushing up against his ankle was little ginger cat with one white paw. It looked up at Jake with green eyes and said, mrrp. He scooped it up and looked it in the eye. It said meow, and blinked at him, purring away. “Thank you for that minor heart attack,” he muttered. “How did you even get in here?” There was no collar on the cat, but it looked sleek and well fed, so it was more likely to be a pet than feral. “Come on then, Purrtergeist. Let’s put you back outside.”
September 4, 2025 at 3:07 PM
wordsofrablack.bsky.social
It's September, which means it's officially the time of sweaters, soup, and spooky. If you're looking for a cosy book to settle down with your hot drink, that's warm and cute, and full of skeletal creatures, I have the perfect book for you....
#BookSky
Cover of Til Death Do Us Bard surrounded by autumn vibes like falling leaves and hot chocolate with text saying perfect for spoopy season. There is also a skull.
September 3, 2025 at 10:47 AM
wordsofrablack.bsky.social
Offering up these two
Two young men sitting and touching fingers.
August 26, 2025 at 3:08 PM
wordsofrablack.bsky.social
My second book is out in the US in paperback today. Two broken men learning to heal together while the world tries to pull them apart, you can find it in bookstores.

Or maybe not, because getting placement as a queer author is hard these days, so if you don't see it, please consider requesting it.
Cover of FATED WINDS AND PROMISING SEAS on one side of a notebook, next to text reading A prisoner released by a sea serpent and a water manipulating sailor with a debt on his head must uncover their connection in the past to save their home and way of life from a ruthless conformist church. Underneath is another text box reading Achillian romance Mental health rep Sea Serpents Non-binary rep Sailing Ships Water magic Ancient religions Dangerous promises Healing isn't linear Soft and gentle
August 26, 2025 at 12:39 PM
wordsofrablack.bsky.social
It's #NationalBookLoversDay and I love my books. They're both quite different on tone, but equally, they're both very queer, full of found family, love, and adventure. If you love books, pop into your favourite local bookshop and pick them up 💛
Cover of Til Death Do Us Bard with text around it saying bi disaster husbands, badass necromancer grandmother, hurt comfort, like a hug, D&D vibes Cover of FATED WINDS AND PROMISING SEAS with text around it saying ship with queer crew, crew will get you through, mental health rep, fighting fate, sea serpents
August 9, 2025 at 3:56 PM
wordsofrablack.bsky.social
Seth and Laurence don't like each other much, but they're young, horny, and as bodyguard and prince, stuck in each other's company. Soon they'll be trapped together on a train, surrounded by murder, in a desperate hunt to find the killer before they reach their destination.
So he unbuttoned the dark blue jacket, moving his fingers to the ivory waistcoat, adding a new insult with every released button. Laurence pushed himself at Seth, one hand playing through Seth’s hair, intermittently pulling him in to kiss, or to whisper his own insults in Seth’s ear. He’d got three buttons down undone on the shirt, the last layer between him and Laurence’s chest. The prince’s collarbone was visible and just the top of his scars. As with his father, Seth had to give Laurence respect for his decision to sculpt his body to match his true gender. The surgery can’t have been pleasant, and he knew the whispered comments in the other courts weren’t easy to deal with, either. “You’ve stopped,” Laurence murmured. “Don’t tell me you’re tired already.” “Tired of you,” he muttered, gnashing his teeth at Laurence’s raised hand.
August 9, 2025 at 1:07 PM
wordsofrablack.bsky.social
There's a lot of shit going on right now, but hope, joy, and creation are still important. If you're tired of the transphobia and anti queer legislation, can I offer you a book to take you away to a queer normative world for a while?

Standalone adult fantasy, written by a genderqueer author.
Cover of Til Death Do Us Bard with text around it saying bi disaster husbands, badass necromancer grandmother, hurt comfort, like a hug, D&D vibes Cover of FATED WINDS AND PROMISING SEAS with text around it saying ship with queer crew, crew will get you through, mental health rep, fighting fate, sea serpents
July 16, 2025 at 2:46 PM
wordsofrablack.bsky.social
Happy Non-binary people's Day!

I wasn't out when these two were published, but I was on the way. Fates Winds features a pair of non-binary twins who use they/them pronouns, and are an important and accepted part of the crew.

💛🤍💜🖤

#nonbinarypeoplesday
Non-binary flag background showing covers for TIL DEATH DO US BARD and FATED WINDS AND PROMISING SEAS with the message happy non binary people's day.
July 14, 2025 at 12:41 PM
wordsofrablack.bsky.social
Me: I am writing a haunted house book, there will be creepy and mysterious happenings.

My characters:
“Finger on the planchette, please.” He turned to the recorder, checking it was still going. “Spirit board session, Brithwake Manor. Time is now… Nine forty-seven.” He put his own finger on the wooden planchette. “Is there anyone here who would like to speak with us?” Daniel gave a derisive snort. “Quiet or I shall oui-jam this board up your nose.”
July 11, 2025 at 7:14 PM
wordsofrablack.bsky.social
“Jake,” he said and this time he was begging. Wake up. Tell me what to do. Tell me how to make it all right.
Sceen shot of word showing word count of 50k
July 10, 2025 at 8:44 PM
wordsofrablack.bsky.social
Past 45K on haunted house book, hoping to finish in a week or two.

"Would you stay in a haunted house for 10K? How about if it meant staying with your ex? For sceptic Daniel and pun-loving believer Jake, it's a question of whether the ghosts or the ghosting will get to them first."
“It’s fine. Come and help me with the board.” “Do I have to?” he asked, but he slid off the table and sauntered over, still holding his empty glass. “Yes, you do. Sit.” Jake gestured to the chair on the other side of the table. “You’re my partn-aagh in the spooky.” “It’s fine. It was nothing.” “It wasn’t nothing,” he protested. “After the way I treated you, you could have told me to get fucked.” “I’m going to be honest, I preferred it when you came to me to get fucked,” Daniel said, and Jake almost dropped the coffee cup. “Remember when you got you first binder, how you said it was seeing yourself for the first time? What about surgery? How many jokes did you make about getting things off your chest? Yeah, there were risks. Maybe people judged you for those choices. But it made you happy, Jake. Really happy. You can’t live your life on maybes and what ifs, not when they’re only holding you back.” Jake couldn’t breathe. The air was being pushed out of the room too and he couldn’t suck enough down. It rattled in his chest, doing nothing to sustain his body. He needed to get out. He needed to get out, get out now. Something touched his hand and Jake yelp, leaping into the air. He turned and ran. The door slammed behind him.
July 7, 2025 at 6:11 PM
wordsofrablack.bsky.social
Hit 40K on the haunted house book. Even ancient evil says trans rights. Don't be worse than ancient evil 🏳️‍⚧️
“The house…” This was stupid, this was stupid, this was stupid. “The house doesn’t seem to like men much. Of all the violent deaths in the house, all but one were men. It might not mean anything though. Men are more prone to taking risks, doing stupid things.” “I mean, you’re not wrong. Still. Means one good thing, though.” “What possible good thing could this be?” Daniel demanded. “It might be a haunted house that hates us, but at least it doesn’t misgender.”
June 29, 2025 at 4:34 PM
wordsofrablack.bsky.social
He's the absolute worst:
“Are you travelling on business or pleasure?” Arthur asked, reaching for a slice of toast. “Pleasure.” He gripped the woman’s hand. “We just got engaged, you know. My father paid for the trip. He’s in property, you know. Very wealthy. This is my fiancée Perdita. Say hello to the nice gentlemen, Perdy.” She murmured a greeting, her eyes still fixed firmly on the table. “You’ll have to forgive her,” Sean said. “I’m working to fix her, but she’s an ongoing project, you know.” Beside him, Arthur bristled.
June 27, 2025 at 7:49 AM
wordsofrablack.bsky.social
40 plus appreciation post. Reskeet with a pic of you're the right side of 40.
Person with long dark curly hair and glasses wearing a shirt with red and orange peacock feathers in front of a Waterstones stand.
June 24, 2025 at 12:56 PM