Marian L Thorpe: writer & birder

Three Months I’ve decided to include the map in all weekly posts, at the end, so those who’d like to refer to the places I’m talking about can do it more easily.

Every year, October and juncos arrive together.

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The cover of Marian L Thorpe's new collection of short stories and verse. It shows Hadrian's Wall from a distance, with a small figure beyond in near the left hand edge, and rolling hills in the distance.

The e-book of Beyond the Wall, my new short story collection, is now available for pre-order. Oct 31 release.
(Not a fan of the particular e-book platform? DM me.)
books2read.com/u/3LO82w
The paperback will be available about the same time, and I'll post that information then. #booksky

The Birthday Present A vignette.

"I like it here at the docks, among the ships and the cargo and the crying gulls."

#booksky

mlthorpeauthor.substack.com/p/the-birthd...

Surpassed 100,000 words on An Unwise Prince today. I might get the first draft finished this year after all!

#booksky

😆

The working cover -- not the final one -- for my next book, a collection of my best short stories and verse from the past 25 years (!) of being a published author. Out in late October - more details to come. #poetry #shortstories #fiction #Booksky

The Battle of the Tabha A condensed and slightly modified excerpt from Empire’s Hostage.

‘I looked around me, at the plain and the mountains, and thought about what had happened here, the blood and bones lying beneath the soil.’ #shortstory #fiction #historicalfantasy

Huge thanks to ‪@liisp.bsky.social‬ for both her review of Bjarndýr and the Marsh Monster and her 'character reveal' for some of the main characters from the works-in-progress, the duology An Unwise Prince and A Distant Obligation.

Thanks, Liis!

Welcome, Kira!

🏁Last book read: Dragonfired by J. Zachary Pike
🏁Current read: Empire’s Reckoning by @marianlthorpe.bsky.social
🏁Added to TBR: The Chosen One Con by @trudieskies.readindiefantasy.com
🏁Next read: whatever’s on my NetGalley, I need to catch up 😬

Share yours! #BookSky

Without you asking it to? The AI summary feature's been there a while, but I've never had it create one unless I requested it to.

The August edition of A Muse Bouche Review is out with stories from @reneegendron.bsky.social @marianlthorpe.bsky.social @jpgarlandauthor.bsky.social Arlene Davies-Fuhr and Wendy Nuttall

mailchi.mp/7a91b581238b...

#shortstories
#muse
#readingcommunity

"Hidden" - a modified #vignette from Empire's Passing. #shortstory

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This Writer's Diary July 28 - Aug 2, 2025

‘…the drama played out in the same way. To have seen it once was a moment to remember; twice was never to be expected.’

Summer Reruns: The Patch of Grass "I’ll miss his cooking."

“She’s so looking forward to a proper garden,” Fred told me.

#fiction #shortstory

“Fifty years ago, when Göran of Varsland declared war on the Casillard, Ésparias and Linrathe and Vilkmë supported us,” Wilnoth said. “Ésparias and Linrathe provided money, not soldiers. Funds with which to pay mercenaries, and the loan of ships of Ésparias’s navy to transport them. Neither country made a declaration of war against Varsland.” Guthlaf spoke authoritatively. “But,” Cenric said, “if the threat is real, and we had this warning and did nothing, surely that violates the precepts of the Casillard? We are pledged to aid other cities of the Confederacy.”

July 26th #WIPSnips 'bail' -- or in this case, one of its many synonyms: 'pledge'
#WIP #AnUnwisePrince

July 25th #WIPSnipes 'thrive' - or in this case, a synonym, 'prosper'. MC Cenric discussing an investment.#WIP #AnUnwisePrince

Unlocking the door to the warehouse, Cenric beckoned him inside. The furs lay on a long table, piled and tied with bands of cloth. Kirt was no real judge of fur, but he knew what trimmed his own cloaks and gloves and winter tunics, and it wasn’t fur like this, thin, brittle, shedding. These should be thick, lustrous, soft, the pelts taken at the height of winter. “I see your concern.”

July 24 #WIPSnips 'inside'

#WIP #AnUnwisePrince

The inn wasn't busy. If ships had arrived on today’s tide, Casille’s merchants had more pressing things to do; if not, they were occupied with the shipments from yesterday or the day before. Once the contents of barrels and bales had been assessed and deals made in the warehouses and offices and houses of the traders, Ferrand’s tables would be full. Only minor or routine business was conducted in public.

July 23 #WIPSnips: 'minor'. A bit of worldbuilding from #AnUnwisePrince #WIP

Truth mirroring (my) fiction: a headline from my local paper today, and a snippet from Empire’s Exile.

Luce stood, placing her wine glass on the low table, looking down at her uncle in the flickering light. His face was drawn. “Are you all right, Magister?” “A headache, nothing more. They are becoming more frequent.” “And will, if you continue to refuse to have those cataracts removed.” An old dispute. The surgery was new. Luce had learned it in Agade; had performed it a few times. Her uncle would not countenance it. The thought of a needle inserted into his eye made him ill, he said.

July 22 #WIPSnips: needle.
MC Luce, a physician, being concerned and frustrated by her uncle's reluctance to consider cataract surgery. (In the equivalent of the 13th C, so I might be on his side in this.) #WIP #AnUnwisePrince

It turns out picking up odd jobs in other dimensions is a bit easier if you happen to have forklift certification. Who knew?

From Tennyson's arc of The Atlas Brothers Break the Multiverse

#WIPSnips #WritingCommunity #WriteSky #AmWriting

July 21 #WIPSnips. A synonym today; 'guarantee'

MC Cenric at work. #WIP #AnUnwisePrince

Andric’s ability to see in the dark saved them. Rothgar saw the upward lunge of the man who’d lain hidden, half covered with the tatters of last year’s leaves, but it was Andric who launched himself forward, his knife on a downward arc, to knock the assailant away from his captain. The clouds cleared the moon. The man stared up at his attacker, choking out, “Andric?” “Wulf?” The knife’s descent stopped.

Jly 20 #WIPSnips 'moon'. An unexpected - and almost fatal - meeting of comrades after a battle. #WIP #AnUnwisePrince

a black and white soccer ball with a blue rim ALT: a black and white soccer ball with a blue rim

Sat down for a ten minute break. Husband was watching the Women's UEFA Euros, France-Germany. 2 hours later, I was still watching. What a game! Persistence, determination, & team work (& a touch of luck) led Germany to the victory, even after a 13th minute🟥which took them down to 10 players.

Summer colours.

An hour, perhaps two or three, to inform everyone, to deal with questions and concerns and words of sympathy; to give comfort where she could. Only then could she go back to her uncle’s rooms, to begin a search, one that she must disguise as simply familiarizing herself with the administration of the Taèchsel. Somewhere in his papers there should be – must be – a list, no doubt in code, of the men and women who had reported to Rainard. Reported not to the Magister of Berncastre, but to the spymaster for the Prince of Ésparias.

'Search' for #WIPSnips. Luce is dealing with the responsibilities that fall to her after her uncle's stroke. #WIP #AnUnwisePrince.

Summer Reruns: Chronology Another story from my first weeks on Substack.

'How much time do you need?'

An antique store owner is more than he first appears to be.

mlthorpeauthor.substack.com/p/summer-rer...