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Deb E. Howell

@debehowell.mastoart.social.ap.brid.gy

6 followers 0 following 56 posts

Writer from #Aotearoa #NewZealand who dabbles mostly in #Fantasy stories seasoned with a good dollop of #Romance. She/her Very boringly CisHet&White […] 🌉 bridged from ⁂ mastoart.social/@debehowell, follow @ap.brid.gy to interact

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Deb E. Howell @debehowell.mastoart.social.ap.brid.gy · 06/10/2026

Deleted some words. Wrote some words. Ticked over 169k words. Continuing to chip away around work, kids, & other commitments. I will get there. Still a few chapters to edit myself. Then I will see if I can find a good but affordable editor to look it over […] [Original post on mastoart.social]

Screenshot showing a writing achievement of 169,031 words out of a 150,000 word goal achieved on a Manuscript.

Deb E. Howell @debehowell.mastoart.social.ap.brid.gy · 11/09/2026

RE: mastodon.nz/@debe/117251637229794404 A nice inclusion on a Fantasy writing playlist that one.

Deb E. Howell @debehowell.mastoart.social.ap.brid.gy · 02/09/2026

I keep being too busy to write (just life right now). And then I keep seeing reminders that I love it & am quite good at it 😭 I just need to move these projects off my desk & not get any new ones, thanks.

Reposted by Deb E. Howell

Deborah Rose ❌👑 @deberupts.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 14/08/2026

A landmark Yale University study published in Social Science & Medicine found that regular book readers experience a 20% reduction in mortality risk and live roughly 23 months longer than non-readers over a 12-year period. A chapter a day keeps the doctor away: Association of book reading with […]

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Deb E. Howell @debehowell.mastoart.social.ap.brid.gy · 13/08/2026

#ScribesAndMakers Aug 13: Our next featured creator turned a short story into a novel. Have you ever done that, or the reverse? Yes! Sort of. Kind of. Well, not yet, but that's what I'm doing! Sort of. Back in 2018, a writing friend got me to write some stories for a local anthology. I don't […]

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Konaa mac Nessa @kmacnessa.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 13/08/2026

#WIPWednesday sketchbook close up with one of my many "moth-esc" critter designs along with some goofy lil background alien characters.. ✏️ 👽 Do they count as Mothman adjacent, @RyanBFramed ? :blobcatcoffee: #wip #wipart #scifi #scifiart #aliens #creatures […] [Original post on mastodon.social]

A B&W photo of an open sketchbook focused on the left page. The page features three amphibian-esc aliens and one moth-esc alien. The Moth design is shown in both forward facing and side profiles.

Deb E. Howell @debehowell.mastoart.social.ap.brid.gy · 24/07/2026

I once wrote a story about a Kiwi morning TV show host falling for her occasional French chef guest host. I've popped it up here: fictionite.com/f/culinary-delights-… if anyone feels like a short (2149 words), light-hearted, romance short story. #ShortStory […]

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Deb E. Howell @debehowell.mastoart.social.ap.brid.gy · 23/07/2026

Quite intriguing reading a (traditionally published) book that must have had handwriting-to-text applied at some stage. A couple of instances of 'bad' when it should've been 'had'. And then last night I came across a '4' (yes, the digit) when I think it should have been an 'a'.

Deb E. Howell @debehowell.mastoart.social.ap.brid.gy · 09/07/2026

#ScribesAndMakers 7/8. How many spaces do you like after a period/full stop? One. I'm old enough to have learned the two-space thing, but computers were already a thing by the time I finished high school, so despite doing Typing as a subject at school, the habit wasn't too hard to break!

Deb E. Howell @debehowell.mastoart.social.ap.brid.gy · 03/07/2026

#ScribesAndMakers July 3: We have some new people in the community. Re/Introduce yourself and tell us about your creative work. Hi! I'm Deb, a writer of Fantasy novel-length stories, and I hail from Aotearoa/New Zealand. Unfortunately, my writing is squeezed around work, children, household […]

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Deb E. Howell @debehowell.mastoart.social.ap.brid.gy · 03/07/2026

76.8% of the way through a read-through of MT. Getting there slowly. Then need to apply edits. Then ... Maybe another read-through? But I must be getting close to "good enough". Surely.

Deb E. Howell @debehowell.mastoart.social.ap.brid.gy · 26/06/2026

Spent today's writing time playing with a marketing idea and designing the Guardians & Guides Calendar. FantasyNameGenerators for the win to help fill in the blanks on naming visible planets so I could then name the days of the week. All these details are unlikely to fully land on the pages […]

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Deb E. Howell @debehowell.mastoart.social.ap.brid.gy · 19/06/2026

I knew it. I knew I'd written that bit and not just imagined it. I even vaguely reference it in a later scene, and yet, it had disappeared (I think in my move from Scrivener back to Campfire). Found it though. That is the beauty of Scrivener sections being saved in rtf format. I don't have […]

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Deb E. Howell @debehowell.mastoart.social.ap.brid.gy · 18/06/2026

Oh no. This book really doesn't need to get any longer. Why on Earth am I extending a scene by another 400+ words? Well, because although the old version hit a nice "beat", it left something to be desired in the characters reaching an understanding of their predicament. And it looks bad when […]

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Deb E. Howell @debehowell.mastoart.social.ap.brid.gy · 15/06/2026

Have finally added my Feed to my website. Should give me more incentive to post semi-frequently.

Deb E. Howell @debehowell.mastoart.social.ap.brid.gy · 12/06/2026

It's music night (NZST) over on my mastodonnz instance. I wish I had more space to dance.

Deb E. Howell @debehowell.mastoart.social.ap.brid.gy · 12/06/2026

When I *feel* a scene, even when I know how it works out (cos I write it, eh?), that's when I know I have a winner. That scene can stay. #AmEditing

Deb E. Howell @debehowell.mastoart.social.ap.brid.gy · 31/03/2026

You know when you're working on a story & it's so exciting, but you can't really talk about it because you would end up with a Princess Bride moment "There is too much" & the summarizing just doesn't do it justice, but you're far from finished so you can't share it with anyone in it's current […]

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Deb E. Howell @debehowell.mastoart.social.ap.brid.gy · 19/03/2026

Around laundry, I pondered some world building questions for my next series. I wanted to have some idea of a soul's journey and possible ghost activity in my world as that will be one of the first challenges a new Guardian of Death will have to deal with. Hopefully not too far out from being […]

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Deb E. Howell @debehowell.mastoart.social.ap.brid.gy · 11/03/2026

Digging deeper into my plot & world building of my new project. I'm liking that the ideas I already have basically write the story for me. And the short stories that sparked the whole thing aren't chapters, after all. There is much more to show, to set the scene as things kick off. I had been […]

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Deb E. Howell @debehowell.mastoart.social.ap.brid.gy · 28/02/2026

I typed THE END yesterday. Granted, that's a 1st draft and I can already think of tweaks for that final chapter. But I've officially got the story fully laid out … unless some editor says I should scrap the whole thing. I don't know. It's the first series I've ever written and completed, so […]

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Deb E. Howell @debehowell.mastoart.social.ap.brid.gy · 26/02/2026

I do believe I have just one chapter left to write.

Deb E. Howell @debehowell.mastoart.social.ap.brid.gy · 25/02/2026

When your cat lies across your arms & blocks your view of the laptop screen, I guess she's telling you you've done enough writing today, thank you. Best writing day in years. All because I had access to a different routine today, while my youngest is off at school camp, so I don't need to pick […]

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Deb E. Howell @debehowell.mastoart.social.ap.brid.gy · 19/02/2026

LOL. Sigh. I was having such a good working day. Now I have to do HR for work.

Deb E. Howell @debehowell.mastoart.social.ap.brid.gy · 17/02/2026

Time to cook dinner, listening to System of a Down.

Deb E. Howell @debehowell.mastoart.social.ap.brid.gy · 15/02/2026

📚 Exciting News! 📚 My book, Healer's Touch, remains FREE on Ream from February 14-21, 2026 as part of the #ReamRaid event! 🎉 Discover amazing stories and support indie authors. Check it out here: reamstories.com/shelf/mbv7i9h9Bylj #ReamRaid #FreeBooks #IndieAuthors Warrior's Touch is […]

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Deb E. Howell @debehowell.mastoart.social.ap.brid.gy · 07/02/2026

#WritersCoffeeClub 2/7. Share a pair of consecutive lines of a current or recent project. “He has to love a human,” said Bua. “Fall in love *with,*” Zia clarified. “Oh dear. Oh no.” ~ from "The Wolf & The Source" proposed book 1 of the Guardians & Guides series just after Ekon is cursed to […]

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Deb E. Howell @debehowell.mastoart.social.ap.brid.gy · 07/02/2026

Being good and getting some writing done, so I have the writing playlist (the one with moody rock music that largely does include lyrics) on. Current tune: Weta "Hole" 🎵So long, yeah …🎵 Sigh. RIP Aaron. What a dude. youtu.be/_WyHIXiqgT0 #amwriting

Deb E. Howell @debehowell.mastoart.social.ap.brid.gy · 13/01/2026

Really feeling the energy of TOOL's "Lateralus" at the moment.

Deb E. Howell @debehowell.mastoart.social.ap.brid.gy · 13/01/2026

New Chapter (well, part 2 of a longer chapter) up on Royal Road: www.royalroad.com/fiction/42601/dea… #Bookstodon #Fantasy #Romantasy

Deadly Touch series (Healer's Touch [COMPLETE], Warrior's Touch [COMPLETE], Magician's Touch [ONGOING])

Deadwood meets The Vampire Diaries in this tale of brother versus brother and blood-magic set in a gaslamp fantasy world. Healer's Touch and Warrior's Touch are available on Amazon Kindle. Llew has a gift. Her body heals itself from any injury, at a cost to anyone nearby. Llew’s father disappeared when she was eleven, leaving her orphaned, as far as (...)

Deb E. Howell @debehowell.mastoart.social.ap.brid.gy · 12/01/2026

I *will* finish this chapter today. I typed it, so now I have to. I need to go make lunch for the kids on school holidays, but I will have time this afternoon. Come, inspiration, what words to complete this chapter, eh? (I know what the characters need to do, and maybe say, I just need to […]

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Wendy Palmer @wendypalmer.mastodon.au.ap.brid.gy · 08/12/2025

The #SmashWords sale has started! Lots of discounts and free books for the rest of December. Browse all sale items here: www.smashwords.com/shelves/promos Mine are cosy-adjacent fantasy with romance, often queer, all 25% off […] [Original post on mastodon.au]

A decorative image saying the sale is December 8 to January 1 and it's a great opportunity to support indie authors and get DRM-free books.

Deb E. Howell @debehowell.mastoart.social.ap.brid.gy · 03/12/2025

I assume I'm not the first person to interpret "Dragonsbane" by Barbara Hambly as being a story (at least in part) about the difficult choice a creative woman must make between improving her craft and dedicating herself to her family … I mean, swap out Jenny's magecraft for any art (writing […]

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Deb E. Howell @debehowell.mastoart.social.ap.brid.gy · 28/11/2025

After several years of thinking that white text on black on my phone was good enough, I have revived my Kobo Glo. My reading speed is much better. The battery life not so good.

Deb E. Howell @debehowell.mastoart.social.ap.brid.gy · 25/11/2025

It is the time of year where everything is a bit overwhelming. Still, I managed 99 words yesterday. Better than nothing. #IndieAuthor #SlowWriter

Deb E. Howell @debehowell.mastoart.social.ap.brid.gy · 21/11/2025

So relevant to Llew in "Magician's Touch" TOOL "The Patient" 🎵If there were no rewards to reap No loving embrace to see me through This tedious path I've chosen here I certainly would've walked away By now Gonna wait it out🎵 youtu.be/rDrhI1GUnNg

Deb E. Howell @debehowell.mastoart.social.ap.brid.gy · 18/11/2025

#WritersCoffeeClub Nov 17, What role does race play in your work? So, I have two unique "races" I'm my world. Thing is, though, generically, they can crop up from a range of pairings (I've done the punnet squares!), so it's not quite like our world. I have Kara (s. Karan) who are extra fast & […]

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Deb E. Howell @debehowell.mastoart.social.ap.brid.gy · 18/11/2025

#PennedPossibilities 848 — What type of antagonist do you have? Tell us a bit about them. The dead type now. Mwahahaha. Spoilers? Maybe. But I am at the very near end of book 3 of a trilogy, so … I think he would fit the narcissist label. He was the brother of my mMC; very smart, but fueled by […]

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Deb E. Howell @debehowell.mastoart.social.ap.brid.gy · 18/11/2025

If I follow you, I don't *expect* you to follow me back. I might not post the stuff you want to see in your timeline. If you follow me, please accept the same. If you follow this account, it's possible I will follow you from my non-writerly account, if I think your content suits that version […]

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Deb E. Howell @debehowell.mastoart.social.ap.brid.gy · 18/11/2025

“When I’m dead, I’ll do as the dead do, but while I live I gotta eat.” -- Jonas, Magician's Touch, book 3 in the Deadly Touch series. #IndieFiction #IndieAuthor #IndieWriter #FantasyReads #Romantasy #Romantic Fantasy […]

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Deb E. Howell @debehowell.mastoart.social.ap.brid.gy · 18/11/2025

Time to type up today's words. How many did I handwrite today? (Won't be heaps, I had to squeeze it between school runs, laundry, & bathroom cleaning, but I did ignore advertising for a marketing team member for work, so that gave me time …)

Deb E. Howell @debehowell.mastoart.social.ap.brid.gy · 31/08/2025

Post for pinning: I share my #Fantasy series for free over on #RoyalRoad. www.royalroad.com/fiction/42601/dea… Books 1 & 2 are complete. Book 3 is nearly done, partially edited, & updated each time I complete a chapter ... You can buy it […]

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