JR Bautista

The pain comes first. Even before I open my eyes, I can feel every sore muscle and aching bone. I haven’t tried to move yet, but something tells me that it’s going to fucking hurt. Maybe I should stay here, laying over the cold stones as my mind drifts away. Maybe I should… just… sleep… But as I’m ready to give in, everything changes. A subtle breeze moves my hair, and even with my eyes closed, I can feel a warm light that turns the shades of black into a dull molten grey. With a groan, I start rolling slowly, trying to escape that unbearable glow, but before I can turn around, I hit something solid.

The first thing I feel is pain. I can feel it even with my eyes closed. There are drums inside my head and lead inside my lungs. My muscles are like glass, ready to break, and my bones… my bones are screaming in every possible language. Maybe I shouldn’t move. Maybe I should… just… sleep… here… on the cold… floor. Before my mind can drift away again, a breeze sweeps through my hair, turning the darkness behind my eyelids into something warmer. Suddenly, the world around gets sharper. I’m not ready yet. With a heavy groan, I start rolling, trying to escape it, but something stops me abruptly. I’ve hit something solid. I’ve hit something that creaks against my aching body.

How it started / How it's going
(Nemo edition)

I've finally started working in the second draft of Nemo.

Things are finally moving. And even if I have a ton of editing and rewriting ahead of me, I can't wait to see where it all ends

That's so, SO real!! 🫣
Because let's face it, despite knowing that first draft shouldn't be 100% perfect, I've struggled with things that didn't make so much sense... or repeated things... or even when I didn't finish sentences altogether.

But yeah, it's exciting when the new ideas come through!

dog collar scene you will always be famous (iykyk) 🌶️

📖 HOLD ME LIKE A GRUDGE, out 03/31/26 with Berkley/PRH. preorders are available wherever you love to shop for books / my bio + you can now request an arc on netgalley and edelweiss! it means a lot to a debut like myself!

It really is the hardest part!
(Seriously, you have no idea how many times I wanted to smash my head against the keyboard in pure frustration)
But I already have some ideas about how to improve the story, so at least that spite will be useful (?) 😂

A sheet of paper is placed over a wooden table. The page includes the following printed text: NEMO DRAFT 1 RECAP DAY ONE 1. CHARLIE - Charlie wakes up feeling pain, sore muscles and aching bones HE WAKES UP BUT HE CAN'T OPEN HIS EYES. - He has been laying over cold stones as their mind is starting to drift away. - They are laying over cold...

Finished my first read of the first draft of 'Nemo' and I've ended up with a 59 page breakdown of everything that's supposed to happen.

There's a lot to do before I can start working on Draft 2. But hopefully, when the time comes, I'll get a better version...

One can dream, I guess!

Cover of the book Name Her Holy on an eReader. Tropes called out are- Trans fem Valkyrie Found family A dead god rising from the grave, nbd Chronically ill chosen one Oath swearing as a lesbian love language Slowest of slowburns Cover art: Book cover art for Name Her Holy by Aubrey Ennis. The cover has two women standing against a starry twilight background with a pale sun. At the forefront Kye stands facing forward, one hand held up with a cold flame and billowing black smoke. She is wearing dark purple robes with a high color and gold accents. She has dark wavy brown hair that comes to her chin, tan skin covered in light scars, and pale gray eyes. Behind her Jude stands in profile, a head taller than Kye. She is in leather armor stamped with meadow floral designs, holding a golden sword etched with light oak leaves. Jude is white, has long auburn hair in a braid with an undercut at the sides. She has a long scar across her nose and freckles on her cheeks. The sun rises behind her. A border of flowers and stars creates an arch above them with a deep purple background.

My sapphic debut novel is about the return of a long dead cosmic god spreading a blight across the stars, and the chosen chronically ill saint and sword wielding Valkyrie trying to stop the coming apocalypse 🌸✨🌑

the-hallowed.carrd.co

The latest episode of Critical Role campaign 4 has been a big rollercoaster of emotions.

Seriously, I feel like it has had me on the edge of my seat the whole time. I can't wait to see where the story and the characters go moving forward!

It also has chaos, the stress of filmmaking, a group of friends that are the true heroes of the story and a big vulnerable heart.

Also, this first cover, it's something that I've illustrated and designed myself. Maybe it will change, but for now I think it's a good fit for the story.

YAMATPS is a romance, but it's NOT only a romance, because there are conversations about burnout and how some dreams may not fit us anymore, grief, depression, and their lingering effects.

But most of all, this is a story of someone who can finally see that they can have a place on this stories.

Portrait photography. JR stands in front of two big black shelves filled with book. On their hands, and hiding the lower half of their face, they are holding a small black e-reader that shows the cover of ‘You And Me And The Perfect Scene’ on its screen.

Flatlay shot. A white tablet is set over a pile of script pages, some old storyboard sketches and an old clapperboard. On the screen of the device appears the cover of ‘You And Me And The Perfect Scene’ by JR Bautista.

A more detailed look to the cover of ‘You And Me And The Perfect Scene’ by JR Bautista. The cover is set against an orange background. At the top of it, there’s a tagline: ‘Every Love Story Needs A Bit Of (Movie) Magic’. · At the centre, there are two illustrations, a few sketches and the title of the book. · The first illustration is placed right under the tagline, on the left side of the cover. It shows the character of Wes inside a red square, holding a book and looking down to the right. Beside this square, there’s one word: YOU. It has an arrow that points to the aforementioned illustration, the sketch of a mouse cursor set over the U. And near this word, there’s a sketch of a heart. · Between the first and the second illustration, there’s a drawing a post-it with the word AND set at the centre of everything. · The second illustration appears under all the this, on the right side of the cover. It shows the character of Dani inside of a green square, holding a few papers and looking up. · Right next to that, on the left side, there’s one big word (ME) with an arrow pointing to the second illustration. Near that word, there’s a small sketched star. · Under all this appears the rest of the title: AND THE PERFECT SCENE. · And at the bottom of the picture rest the name of the author: JR Bautista

Before Dani Molina can reach his dream of being a professional film and video editor, he needs to graduate from film school. · Things should be easy, right? · He has a great group of friends with whom he can work both inside the school and outside of it, an okay eye for finding the right cuts and the beats to set a montage, and he’s ready to start their last project, the short film that stands between them and graduation. · But life isn’t like a movie and Dani is not meant to be the main character. Maybe that’s why they hasn’t confessed their feelings to Wes, one of their friends and the screenwriter on their final project. But Wesley can’t like him back, that’s impossible… He’s too fat, too broken, too annoying… · When a confrontation with another classmate makes Dani and his friends lose the cast for their short film, just a week before starting filming, Ari (Dani’s best friend and the director of the short film) will have a silly idea: Cast Dani and Wes as the romantic leads of the story. · Reluctantly, Dani agrees. · As filming approaches, chaos is assured and things will change in many ways, showing Dani that maybe his character on the short film is not the only one who can have a love story of his own.

Recently I finished the first draft of 'You And Me And The Perfect Scene', so I feel it's a good time to do an introduction post, share more about this story of mine and also do a small reveal of the first cover.

Maybe it's still a long way to go before this one is out, but we are one step closer!

a man with glasses and a mustache is looking down Alt: a man with glasses and a mustache taps a microphone. 'IS THIS ON?' appears at the bottom of the image in big blocky white letters.

So...

Hi!

I know it's been a long, long time since I last posted anything here. But I thought I could try to come back and maybe try to be a bit more active here and all that.

We'll see how long that last...

Signed Hardcover Name Her Holy - PRE-ORDER - AubreyEnnis's Ko-fi Shop *Signed Hardcover of Name Her Holy* This pre-order is for a signed hardcover copy of Name Her Holy by Aubrey Ennis. Your order will come with a print...

🌸✨🌑 HARDCOVER PRE-ORDERS ARE LIVE 🌑✨🌸

You can pre-order signed your signed hardcover of Name Her Holy through the end of September, books will ship mid to late October 🍂

There will be a new print and new stickers that come with your order!

ko-fi.com/s/2d4dda2eb3

European Citizens' Initiative Give your support !

If you're an EU citizen, please don't forget to sign this petition for a ban on conversion therapy practices. The deadline (May 17) is really close, but with the rate at which it's been gaining signatures these last few days it looks like it might still reach the required threshold!

Artwork of Kye and Jude from the book Name Her Holy. They are both in profile, facing away from each other, framed by a cathedral window of starlit night and dark blighted flowers above. Kye has dark brown short hair, a high collared dark cloak with gold chains hanging from the shoulders. Her eyes are almost white, her tan skin is covered in scars. Her one hand held up has magic billowing from it and trailing upward. Jude is in a brown jacket and linen shirt, leaning on a bronze sword. Her hair is auburn in a long braid, undercut, she is white, has a long scar over her nose. A banner of a star chart frames the bottom with a black void at the center.

Very late to #sapphicsaturday but here’s to Kye and Jude who have been out in the world almost three months and I’m still reeling from all the love they’ve gotten 🫶🏻

💙🤍🩷

Stop Forcing A.I. Into Every Fucking Thing!

Stop Forcing A.I. Into Every Fucking Thing!

Trying to write a heated scene and I'm here giggling like a school kid, kicking my feet and feeling utterly silly.

Maybe I'm too demisexual for something like this... Or maybe I'm just a plain and simple fool... Who knows...

But I salute everyone who can get these scenes done in a beat

Mood board of nine images: 1. A woman with a long auburn braid looking away 2. A long sword, pointing down, held by two hands at rest among lily pads 3. A person standing at the horizon between a flat reflective water that mirrors the stars above 4. A crop of an angels wing from a classical painting 5. A hand holding up a simple flower crown of white flowers 6. An eclipse of the sun, a flare of light singing out from behind the moon and the clouds 7. Black and rocky shores in pale light 8. A woman laying in repose in the water, pale in white linen dress with flowers floating around her 9. A woman in silhouette, tilting backwards her short hair covering her face

A little Name Her Holy book two moodboard to keep me motivated—

The working title has been Crown Her Ruin for some time now (but god knows I’ll change it six times before release sooo)

This part of the story has been such a challenge already, in the best and worst way

#Booksky #sapphicbooks

Have you ever written a line that just HURTS you?

Because I've just done that and OOF

(Or maybe it's the fact that I wasn't planning it but still fits with something that's going to happen later and... yeah... IT HURTS AND IT'S ALL MY FAULT)

Thanks, Aubrey! 🥺

There's still time before 'Nemo' can be out. But I'm proud of this cover.

In many ways, 'Nemo' is a story about memory and identity. So a while back, I created this cover, inspired in the 'Narcissus' by Valerio Cioli.

This Narcissus Denied is the best concept for this story.

Thank you to everyone who has read and talked about Name Her Holy!

It really means the world to me, and the word of mouth recommendations go such a long way for indie books 💖🫶🏻💖

#IndieApril #Booksky 🌈📚

Bringing this back to say hey if you wanted to read about this little guy just doing her damndest to high-mask her way through the apocalypse (written by the high masking autistic who realized they were while writing her), uhhhhh have I got the itch bundle for you 🫡

YouTube video by SearchlightPictures ANOTHER EARTH: The Russian Cosmonaut

First time rewatching 'Another Earth' (2011) in ages.

This was a big influence on me as a storyteller. Something that still lingers on my writing. It's beautiful, raw and so achingly human.

A larger than life story that breaths on a small scale.
I love it to pieces.
youtu.be/eOU0JhkHY3w?...

This month so far has been tiring for a myriad of reasons, but if there's one thing that I know for sure is that maybe it's time for me to formally introduce YAMATPS.

I guess it's time to scream about my ace-spec romance from the roofs

a medieval style digital drawing of an androgynous brown-skinned knight on horseback on a hill, stabbing a long gold spear into a blue dragon on the ground. the knight has a gold halo behind their head and wears a suit of silver armor with a nonbinary flag striped tunic and a trans flag as a cape. their horse is white, with blue tack with trans pride trim. there is black gothic text at the top and bottom of the image reading “A world without trans people has never existed and never will.” there’s an ornate pale blue border around the image, filled with pink and blue scrollwork, gold hearts filled with colorful flowers, a smiley bat, two smiley moles, and two smiling frogs holding up trans flags.

a world without trans people has never existed and never will

Book cover art for Name Her Holy by Aubrey Ennis. The cover has two women standing against a starry twilight background with a pale sun. At the forefront Kye stands facing forward, one hand held up with a cold flame and billowing black smoke. She is wearing dark purple robes with a high color and gold accents. She has dark wavy brown hair that comes to her chin, tan skin covered in light scars, and pale gray eyes. Behind her Jude stands in profile, a head taller than Kye. She is in leather armor stamped with meadow floral designs, holding a golden sword etched with light oak leaves. Jude is white, has long auburn hair in a braid with an undercut at the sides. She has a long scar across her nose and freckles on her cheeks. The sun rises behind her. A border of flowers and stars creates an arch above them with a deep purple background. Tropes listed around the cover are: sapphic space fantasy, get in loser we’re going to fight god, trans sword lesbian, chronically ill chosen one, literal sun/moon sword/shield lesbians, super slooow burn

Just a reminder as you’re making your picks for the upcoming #TransRightsReadathon if you want a trans sword lesbian MC and a genderqueer chronically ill MC, Name Her Holy might be for you 🌑✨

I’ll also be donating all earnings for the month of March to www.transyouthequality.org 💖

#Booksky 🌈📚

Well, I've officially reached 60k on the first draft of YAMATPS.

12/20 chapters drafted
8 more to go!

Maybe this is one of those days when I need to remind me that first drafts don't need to be perfect...

But at least I'm doing some progress with the first draft of YAMATPS and I'll take that as a win

A book cover. This cover has a black background with tiny white stars. The title text at the bottom reads “Mercy” with the name “Ian Haramaki” underneath it. The majority of the cover is a pale man with dark curly hair wearing intricately patterned priest vestments depicting saints, gold swirls, black suns, and black and gold teardrops. Importantly, the vestments have a circular cutout over the chest. Behind the figure’s head is a circle of gold, surrounded by a ring of gray snake scales, further surrounded by a gray 8 point star with black lines radiating from the center. Around the 8 point star is another ring of gold with white angel wings surrounding it. A pair of dark gray hands with gold freckles emerge from the ring of gold to cover the face and mouth of the main figure in an erotic manner.

A trope map featuring the cover for Mercy by Ian Haramaki. The background is a blurred out foggy forest. The text at the top reads: Available in ebook, paperback, hardcover, and audio. Books2read.com/Mercynovel. In clockwise order, the tropes are: Hurt/Comfort, Forced Proximity, Touch Him and Die, Hothead Angel, "Worship on the Altar" with three pepper emojis and one fire emoji, cozy -and- dark, taking "confession" with three pepper emojis and one fire emoji, Boob window priest, slow burn (for impatient people), and grumpy x sunshine

Two figures lying in a field of white lily flowers. The bottom right figure has pale skin, dark curly hair, and a dark shirt on with crying eyliner. The figure on the top left has long red hair and a dark red sweatshirt with darker skin and flower freckles.

The Trans Rights Readathon starts soon! If you'd like to read a book from a trans author, then maybe give my book Mercy a shot :) It's about a priest with a boob window and a hothead angel who fall in love and then deal with so many problems lol. (Cover art by Soren Häxan) #Romancelandia 🌈📚 💙📚 🌈💜 🌶️📚