Kirstyn McDermott's Avatar

Kirstyn McDermott

@fearofemeralds.bsky.social

Australian author of contemporary gothic, horror and fairy tales. Owned by two cats. Drinks too much gin, or maybe not enough. Current status: exhausted. she/her www.kirstynmcdermott.com

735 Followers  |  331 Following  |  49 Posts  |  Joined: 20.09.2023  |  2.1001

Latest posts by fearofemeralds.bsky.social on Bluesky

And thanks, you proofreading folk are worth your weight on gold!

25.09.2025 08:22 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 1    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Sorry not sorry, Kate!

25.09.2025 08:21 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 1    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

I know!!

10.09.2025 09:23 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 1    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
The cover of 'What the Bones Know' by Kirstyn McDermott. The image is a green-tinged night scene of the front of a house seen at a distance through trees. One window shines with a yellow glow. In the foreground the ghostly, transparent figure of a young girl drifts close to the edge of frame. The title is printed in large red capital letters, taking up almost the entire cover, and wavering as though viewed underwater. The tagline reads, "Sometimes what is buried does not stay buried".

The cover of 'What the Bones Know' by Kirstyn McDermott. The image is a green-tinged night scene of the front of a house seen at a distance through trees. One window shines with a yellow glow. In the foreground the ghostly, transparent figure of a young girl drifts close to the edge of frame. The title is printed in large red capital letters, taking up almost the entire cover, and wavering as though viewed underwater. The tagline reads, "Sometimes what is buried does not stay buried".

Does my next novel have a fabulous cover that I can finally reveal to the world? WHY YES IT DOES THANK YOU FOR ASKING.

To be released March 2026 and you can pre-order it here: www.harpercollins.com.au/978103892277...

10.09.2025 07:14 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 9    ๐Ÿ” 7    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 2    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Monthly reminder: Many people have a book in them, but it takes a special kind of freak to leave the Land of Laziness, cross the Plains of Procrastination and Insecurity Mountain, find the Blade of No One Made You Do This, and use it to cut your chest open and yank that book out.

01.08.2025 13:16 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 10744    ๐Ÿ” 1595    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 434    ๐Ÿ“Œ 156

When I was little, the U.S. military came to our home at gunpoint and took me and my family away. We were imprisoned for years in barbed wire camps simply because we were Japanese American. I have spent my life telling that story, hoping it would never be repeated.

21.07.2025 17:20 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 69097    ๐Ÿ” 21141    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1605    ๐Ÿ“Œ 754

Your report on the ending doesn't encourage me to revisit.

12.06.2025 09:42 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 1    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

I think this was the first King novel I started but never finished.

11.06.2025 10:47 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 1    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

This is a magnificent collection which will stick to your ribs like nothing else!

27.05.2025 07:51 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 3    ๐Ÿ” 3    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

I hate that "AIs" (aka people-pleasing hallucinating plagiarism engines) are trained on work stolen from writers, incl. all my books. I hate more that it's eroding our ability or even desire to think. I get it. Thinking is hard. It's ALSO the work. It's the whole point. It's what makes us human.

09.05.2025 10:51 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 137    ๐Ÿ” 27    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 3    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
Copy of the collection Never Afters by Kirstyn McDermott standing alongside a small stack of additional copies. The cover features a woman in historical garb standing before an arched window looking out on a wintry landscape. Sitting on the stack of books is an enthusiastic-looking gargoyle. Or maybe he's just hungry ...

Copy of the collection Never Afters by Kirstyn McDermott standing alongside a small stack of additional copies. The cover features a woman in historical garb standing before an arched window looking out on a wintry landscape. Sitting on the stack of books is an enthusiastic-looking gargoyle. Or maybe he's just hungry ...

My author copies of Never Afters have arrived! It's such a beautiful book and I am so thrilled to see this collection of revisioned fairy tales out in the world.

09.05.2025 13:37 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 7    ๐Ÿ” 1    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
The front cover of Kirstyn McDermott's Never AFters, featuring a young woman in regency dress standing at an arched window, looking over a winter landscape. The cover is for the book, presented on a tablet.

The front cover of Kirstyn McDermott's Never AFters, featuring a young woman in regency dress standing at an arched window, looking over a winter landscape. The cover is for the book, presented on a tablet.

Happy Book Birthday to @fearofemeralds.bsky.social's NEVER AFTERS omnibus, which is out in ebook and trade paperback today.

Brain Jar Press Store: www.brainjarpress.com/product/neve...

Other Retailers: books2read.com/NeverAftersO...

06.05.2025 09:51 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 1    ๐Ÿ” 1    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Ooh!

23.04.2025 07:55 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 0    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

100% agree. It's probably my top tip for new writers. Read your work aloud. Even novel-length manuscripts. Make the time - and stay hydrated!

26.03.2025 09:56 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 4    ๐Ÿ” 1    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
Post image

ICYMI earlier, here's the cover for my new novella (out in October this year): The Cold House!

It's contemporary folk horror and published by Titan Books, the fabulous cover is by @missnatmack. ๐Ÿ˜๐Ÿ˜๐Ÿ˜

21.03.2025 09:16 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 33    ๐Ÿ” 4    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 2    ๐Ÿ“Œ 1

One of my very favourite novels. So wonderful to see it available again in print!

13.03.2025 01:49 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 3    ๐Ÿ” 1    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
Preview
Editorial: A president just disrespected America in the Oval Office. It wasnโ€™t Zelensky Itโ€™s time to say it plainly. Americaโ€™s leadership has switched sides in the war. The American people have not, and they should speak up. In the past several weeks, the U.S. leadership has demonstrate...

NEW: A searing editorial in the The Kyiv Independent.

โ€œItโ€™s time to say it plainly. Americaโ€™s leadership has switched sides in the war. The American people have not, and they should speak up.

โ€œA president just disrespected America in the Oval Office. It wasnโ€™t Zelensky.โ€

@kyivindependent.com

28.02.2025 22:45 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 68033    ๐Ÿ” 19336    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1279    ๐Ÿ“Œ 1048
Post image 20.02.2025 14:35 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 58545    ๐Ÿ” 13131    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 582    ๐Ÿ“Œ 364

You just have to slow cook them for 12 hours in a spicy marinade

19.02.2025 04:45 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 1    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
Preview
Instead of defending its artists, Creative Australia hangs Sabsabi and Dagostino out to dry If conservative media is going to dictate cultural policy, Australian culture will face a reckoning.

Excellent summary of the Creative Australia debacle to date from @beneltham.bsky.social and Catriona Menzies-Pike www.crikey.com.au/2025/02/17/k...

17.02.2025 09:01 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 33    ๐Ÿ” 12    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

If you want to erase a group of people, you begin with the language that describes them.

14.02.2025 06:22 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 1    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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On sale, today through March 7th.
www.audiobooks.com/promotions/p...

13.02.2025 04:19 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 6    ๐Ÿ” 1    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

And people to do his shopping, prepare his food, wash his clothes, pay his bills, renew his licences and registrations, keep his house(s), fuel and maintain his cars/planes/yachts, and all the other scut work that the rest of us need to fit into our weekends before "spare" time even gets a look in

02.02.2025 06:27 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 1    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

She has an incredibly privileged life, allowing her to spend time on her needs instead of money. Most people do not have that amount of time, unless they also quit their jobs. What underpins this woman's life is a network of moneyed people that allow her to live this way. She still relies on money.

01.02.2025 05:10 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 13    ๐Ÿ” 1    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
The cover of Angela Slatter's The Night Stair against a red, concrete textured background. Accompanying text reads "Available March 25 in Chapbook and Ebook"

The cover of Angela Slatter's The Night Stair against a red, concrete textured background. Accompanying text reads "Available March 25 in Chapbook and Ebook"

We're extraordinarily pleased to open pre-orders on Angela Slatter aka AG Slatter's chapbook, The Night Stair, featuring a tale of vampires, vengenace, and treachery set in Angela's Sourdough universe.

Get the free ebook today at offers.brainjarpress.com/thenightstair

31.01.2025 08:14 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 14    ๐Ÿ” 12    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

This looks like a phenomenal anthology. With amazing covers!

29.01.2025 00:20 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 13    ๐Ÿ” 1    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

If you see this, quote with flowers from your gallery.

27.01.2025 10:04 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 1    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
An elongated black cat sleeping on her human's legs (which are covered by a black and floral-patterned quilt) and doing her best to prevent said human from getting out of bed. Not pictured: thunderous purring.

An elongated black cat sleeping on her human's legs (which are covered by a black and floral-patterned quilt) and doing her best to prevent said human from getting out of bed. Not pictured: thunderous purring.

My cat makes a very good argument for spending the whole day in bed, but alas, I have Stupid Human Things to do.

25.01.2025 00:42 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 3    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Never thought there would be an opportunity for an appropriate, non-inflammatory use of #notallmen but (hopefully) here we are.

25.01.2025 00:33 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 0    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Yep.

25.01.2025 00:25 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 7    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

@fearofemeralds is following 19 prominent accounts