R. Ruhl is Querying🌙

The Scald Crow by Grace Daly! A horror novel that blends modern gothic, disability, and Celtic mythology.

"I gotta focus" meme template with George Constanza from Seinfeld. It's edited to say "I gotta focus. I'm shifting into gothic mode."

🎃👻

Three jack o' lanterns. The first one is carved with a cat, bat, and jack o' lantern. The second one has a jagged smile and large eyes. The third one has a tiny happy face.

1 day till Halloween. Wanted to share these awesome pumpkins my mom carved! I drew the face on the little one 😄

A tortoiseshell kitten named Witch’s Ghost, a black kitten named Alien Invaders, a grey tabby kitten named Cyber Chase, and a black kitten named Legend of the Vampire.

A grey kitten named Zombie Island.

I have an EXTREMELY IMPORTANT UPDATE from my local humane society

Python was awarded a funding grant, funding grant asked Python foundation to remove all diversity and inclusion initiatives they have.

Python foundation said no and rejected the grant.

If you use Python, send a few dollars to the charity to keep it going. I’m pushing a dono on behalf of ScamGuard.

This was learned from those in need Snap Benefits feeding 42 million Americans may stop in November because of the shutdown. 1. Boxed Mac & Cheese (common) = useless without milk & butter (uncommon) 2. Boxed milk is a treasure for cereal loving kids. 3. Pasta and Spaghetti sauce are everywhere. 4. Canned good help more - IF opener included (or pop tops) 5. Cooking oil is a rare luxury but essential 6. Spices, salt, and pepper are true gifts. 7. Tea and coffee make people feel cared for. 8. Sugar and flour are treats. 9. Fresh produce brings huge smiles. 10. Seeds are great in warmer months - growing food helps! 11. Fresh meat is rare. 12. Tuna and crackers make an easy lunch 13. Hamburger Helper needs ground beef to matter. 14. PB & J are common - sandwich bread isn't. 15. Butter or margarine feels like gold. 16. Eggs are a prized commodity. 17. Cake mix & frosting let kids celebrate birthdays. 18. Dish soap is pricey and ALWAYS needed. 19. Feminine hygiene products are a luxury - women often cry when they get them. 20. Everyone loves Stove Top Stuffing. This regime could authorize emergency funding for it but it's choosing not to. Plz keep reposting - we will all need to donate in Nov 2025.

If you can donate food, here's a handy list of items! 🧵 (1/4)

(graphic came from FB)

Today, my spooky seasonal article has been published! Read about how love for horror movies & Halloween have been a unifying factor through 3 generations of my family. It's both personal essay & an analysis of changing societal fears in the US from the 1950s to today.👻
#writesky #booksky #history

AI can help authors beat writer’s block, says Bloomsbury chief Publisher last week reported jump in revenue in academic and professional arm thanks to AI licensing deal

What beats writers block is not treating your body like a factory. What beats writers block is healthcare. What beats writers block is gardening, & rest, & food, & companionship, & reading, & leisure, & anti-capitalism—but of course that’s not a very profitable thing to write, & won’t sell LLMs.

"The Shining" inspired me to add winter weather as a source of gothic isolation and conflict.

#writesky

Not feeling Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan’s latest Monster outing? Tired of people misremembering Ed Gein?

Let’s talk trans horror characters - and as well as the depressing history, let’s talk about some great stuff.

October 15, 2025. 10+15=25. Cool little date observations greatly please me. That is all.

Anyone have recommendations for horror stories about trans men / transmascs? Self promo is okay and welcome!

#booksky #writesky #queerwriters

Two books are labelled as such: "Unwell Women: Misdiagnosis and Myth in a Man-Made World" + "Celtic Myths" =

The cover of "The Scald Crow" has a tuxedo cat holding a bloody bird.

The Scald Crow by Grace Daly is out today! I received an ARC and had nightmares about how it might end until I finished it. A woman is haunted by supernatural occurrences and undiagnosed chronic pain that make her question her perceptions of reality. And there's a cat!
#booksky 📚💙 #horror #halloween

Great recs! Lots to add to the 'to-read' list!

For anyone interested, we did an episode with Shane Hawk not too long ago all about Indigenous Horror. Really fun conversation, check it out!

Half Sick of Shadows is a gothic where horror never comes from characters' identities. Modern audience shouldn't find diversity scary! Instead, horror comes from the wealth inequality, environmental issues, & medical field hurdles of the 19th cent that remain relevant today. #DVPit #H #A #DIS #LGBT

Half Sick of Shadows: Gothic! 2 disabled & queer friends accept work from literal bloodsucking capitalists. The closer they get to uncovering the truth, the worse their symptoms get, & they must learn to trust their instincts to oppose both monsters & dismissal from doctors. #DVPit #A #H #DIS #TV

Fantasy mystery is so interesting!

Half Sick of Shadows: queer escapist 19th century horror with:
Subverted gothic gender expectations
Disabled MCs
Platonic love
Community vs Capitalism
Study of dark family secrets
Enemies to lovers in an aroace way
Rants against light pollution
October setting🌚
#DVPit #A #H #LGBT #TV #DIS #CI #ND

Half Sick of Shadows: The vampire is explored newly through a disability lens & is a symbol for mystery diagnosis!
If a chronically ill character got a flareup, why would they assume blood loss? It's then a fight to be believed by doctors that new symptoms aren't imagined.
#DVPit #A #H #DIS #TV #CI

Novel I'm querying: 1897, in late October, in an opulent manor in a mountainous place where it's always cloudy.

Novel I'm drafting: the distant future, aboard a spaceship heading for a diplomacy summit in a distant star system.

#writesky #queerwriters

I gotta shift into Halloween mode

“You may think I’m a stiff leader. I figure that if I act cool and collected, no one will know how close I come to falling.”

From my current cosmic horror/mystery WIP 🌌🔍

#writesky #lgbtqwriters

Gothic horror and cosmic horror are my favorites. I focus on disabled and queer characters, and often eco themes. I'm querying a novel in which the vampire is a symbol for mystery diagnosis and also is a literal bloodsucking capitalist.
There's more about my horror writing on my site! #writesky

My horror writing takes a disability lens.

You don't know what's causing new symptoms.
You're told your pain is all in your head.
You're told not to trust your body.
"It's just you."
You start to worry if you're really not sick. You still keep feeling worse.

It's chilling!
#writesky #pretendpanel

Important: The Horror Zine does NOT accept any material that contains adult or sexually explicit content; abuse or harming of women or children; any rape scenes; serial killers; slasher; gore for gore's sake, or splatter punk. We do NOT accept any religious or political themes. We do NOT accept any submissions written in Olde English, Victorian, or 19th Century styles. We do NOT accept any submissions told in a diary or letter or journal format, written in numbered chapters, told as memories, or told entirely as dialogue (someone recounting past events). We do NOT accept any submissions created with the use of, or any assistance form, Artificial Intelligence (AI). We do NOT accept fan fiction.

Then what the fuck is the point of you

Haven Spec Magazine, Submission Page Fiction and Poetry for the 21st Century!

Haven Spec Magazine is now open to submissions by authors of historically marginalized backgrounds only!

We want to read more works by Black writers, Indigenous writers, disabled writers, gay and lesbian and trans writers, and other folks whose voices must be heard!

www.havenspec.com/submit/

OMG tomorrow. Out tomorrow. It's been years of research, literal blood, sweat & tears went into this. It's full of heart & very personal stuff. And if I do say so myself, I also think it's very smart & unique. Your support of AMERICA'S MOST GOTHIC will mean the world. Thanks for signal-boosting. 🖤

Most of my characters are on the aromantic and/or asexual spectrums, some without me even setting out to make them that way, because I apparently can't write anything else... do with that what you will. 🖤🩶🤍💜💚

#writesky #aromantic #asexual #queerprompts

The Starlight Theater Halloween Double-feature

Two new stories by yours truly, plus a special Halloween framing story. Watercolor art by @patricbates.bsky.social. Numbered first print run of 50 copies, so they will go fast!

www.etsy.com/listing/4376...

"If you are struggling to feel the tension on the page, consider poisoning your MC."

#writesky #writingcommunity #writingprompt