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Jeffrey Harlan

@jeffreyharlan.com
356 followers 97 following 725 posts

Barista by evening, author & editor by night. Not a morning person. USAF vet, former SpEd paraprofessional, security guard. Member ALLi & SFWA. Married to @meganeharlan.com Follow me on Mastodon: writing.exchange/@harlander

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Jeffrey Harlan @jeffreyharlan.com · 3h
The zombie in my book isn't infected. It's raised. The dead retain some of what made them people — which changes how you fight them, and how you grieve them. HYAPAC. Ebook $4.99 | Paperback $14.99 | Hardcover $22.99. jhrln.link/hyapac-bsky
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Jeffrey Harlan @jeffreyharlan.com · 07/10/2026
Three days in, and it's real. New Speculations is out: launch week behind the scenes, first sales, early reactions, and the Reigning Pages signing coming this month. Read it or subscribe free: jhrln.link/signup-bsky What HYAPAC scene is still with you? #HYAPAC #Newsletter
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Jeffrey Harlan @jeffreyharlan.com · 06/10/2026
Launch week question: if the apocalypse hit right now, what's the first NON-essential thing you'd grab? Mine's my favorite coffee mug. You? Sentimental? Practical? Irrational? Let's hear it. 👇 Drop your end-of-the-world priority list.
A matte black travel tumbler with a teal rim and a round teal lid sits on a wooden cutting board, viewed from above. The background is softly blurred kitchen counter and objects.
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Jeffrey Harlan @jeffreyharlan.com · 05/10/2026
IT'S HERE. Have Yourself a Post-Apocalyptic Christmas is out now. Dan. Mike. Ayanna. Three seekers. Three endings. One book. Ebook $4.99 | Paperback $14.99 | Hardcover $22.99 Retailers everywhere, or direct: jhrln.link/hyapac-bsky #HYAPAC #BookLaunch
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Jeffrey Harlan @jeffreyharlan.com · 03/10/2026
Last Saturday before the end of the world (in book form). These two are prepared: the apocalypse can't interrupt a good nap, and nobody's recruiting them. HAVE YOURSELF A POST-APOCALYPTIC CHRISTMAS launches Monday, October 5th. Pre-order: jhrln.link/hy... #Caturday #HYAPAC
Two sleeping cats, one dark gray and one cream-colored, are curled together on a black plastic bin by a window with white blinds.
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Jeffrey Harlan @jeffreyharlan.com · 02/10/2026
Weekend challenge: the genre undervalues its healers, quartermasters, engineers. Name the supporting character who deserved the protagonist's chair — book, film, TV, games. 👇📚
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Jeffrey Harlan @jeffreyharlan.com · 01/10/2026
MEET THE SURVIVORS — Week 3 of 3: Ayanna. A nurse at the end of the world who learns she can't save everyone — and saves what she can. From lone survivor to reluctant leader to the last medical researcher left. Monday: the book. jhrln.link/hy... #HYAPAC #CharacterSpotlight #Booksky
A serious-looking woman with glasses and braided hair stands with her arms crossed, wearing a denim shirt. Behind her is a dark, ruined city street with damaged buildings and a cloudy sky.
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Jeffrey Harlan @jeffreyharlan.com · 30/09/2026
New Foundations issue: the launch-prep field report. The book built almost entirely with open source tools on Linux. Proofs shipped but not yet in hand. The honest unknowns, written before launch. The book arrives Monday. Subscribe: jhrln.link/si... #WritingCommunity #Writing #Booksky
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Newsletter - Jeffrey Harlan
Speculations 2026 June: The First Wave Failed. I'm Finishing This Book Anyway. May: From Voodoo to Virus: Why Zombies Still Haunt Us April: Guess Who's Back... Back Again / WonderCon 2026 in Review 2025 November 4: Delayed but Not Stopped / "Renditioned" October 27: Kickstarter Enters Week 3 / "Schrödinger" October 20: Kickstarter Enters Week…
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Jeffrey Harlan @jeffreyharlan.com · 29/09/2026
Question: which fictional supporting character deserved to be the protagonist? The nurse who patches everyone up and vanishes. The quartermaster. The one who held everything together. Who did the genre waste? 📚 #WritingCommunity
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Jeffrey Harlan @jeffreyharlan.com · 28/09/2026
New post: "Who Saves the Savers." The genre loves fighters, hunters, engineers — but when the protagonist bleeds, who's holding the needle? Meet Ayanna, a nurse at the end of the world. jhrln.link/b/4nn Pre-order: jhrln.link/hy...
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Who Saves the Savers: Healers in Apocalyptic Fiction
Apocalyptic fiction valorizes fighters and forgets healers. Meet the nurse who goes searching for her sister — and finds out who she becomes on the way.
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Jeffrey Harlan @jeffreyharlan.com · 26/09/2026
Mike and Zomb-me, day nine: Ash watches over a body that doesn't know he exists. Snowball remains untroubled by a conscience. 😴👻 #Caturday #HYAPC
Two cats rest on top of a black cabinet by a window with horizontal blinds: a gray cat sits in the foreground facing the window, while a white cat sleeps curled up behind him. A lamp stands to the left, and bright light shines through a gap in the blinds.
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Jeffrey Harlan @jeffreyharlan.com · 25/09/2026
Weekend challenge: share the strangest thing your draft ever surprised you with. 👻📚 #WritingChallenge #AmWriting
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Jeffrey Harlan @jeffreyharlan.com · 24/09/2026
MEET THE SURVIVORS — Week 2 of 3: Mike. A ghost haunting his own zombified body: "Zomb-me." Planned as comic relief until the premise grew teeth & became the book's emotional spine. HAVE YOURSELF A POST-APOCALYPTIC CHRISTMAS, Oct 5. Pre-order: jhrln.link/hy... #HYAPAC #CharacterSpotlight
Mike, a ghost, stands beside Zomb-me, his zombified body, in a ruined city street.
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Jeffrey Harlan @jeffreyharlan.com · 23/09/2026
Two weeks from today: HAVE YOURSELF A POST-APOCALYPTIC CHRISTMAS. 🎄 Three survivors. Three stories that refused to stay short. One novel about hope at the end of the world. Pre-order: jhrln.link/hy... #Booksky #HYAPAC #ComingSoon
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Jeffrey Harlan @jeffreyharlan.com · 22/09/2026
What's a wild idea that grew teeth while you wrote it? A comedy that turned horror, a side character who took over — when did your draft surprise you? 📝 #WritingCommunity #AmWriting
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Jeffrey Harlan @jeffreyharlan.com · 21/09/2026
New post: "From Jiminy Cricket to Existential Horror." A ghost haunting his own zombie started as comedy — "No, don't eat that!" The book had other plans. From a Galaxy Quest homage to existential horror Read now: jhrln.link/b/4nV Pre-order: jhrln.link/hy...
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How a Comic Zombie Idea Became Existential Horror
From dark comedy to existential horror: how one silly premise grew teeth, and what drafting a PTSD metaphor taught me about letting a story become itself.
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Jeffrey Harlan @jeffreyharlan.com · 19/09/2026
These two could probably sleep through an apocalypse. jhrln.link/hyapac-bsky #HYAPAC #Caturday
A gray cat sleeps, sprawled on top of a white cat, who is sleeping on a pillow on a desk chair.
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Jeffrey Harlan @jeffreyharlan.com · 18/09/2026
Friday #WritingChallenge: share one story idea that's personal to you. Mine: a diabetic man hunting insulin through the apocalypse. Growing out of my diagnosis, decades of genre reading, and waiting for a book that never came. So I wrote it. Yours? Reply below. jhrln.link/hy...
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The world ended. Now the battle begins.
Two months ago, a mysterious plague swept the planet. Billions died. Then they rose again as feral cannibals with an unquenchable hunger. Three people find themselves caught up in a mythic struggle for the fate of humanity: Ayanna, a nurse searching for her lost sister who finds herself thrust into leadership; Dan, a diabetic who just wants to find enough medicine to keep himself alive, but instead becomes a symbol for others; and Mike, who died, only to discover that his consciousness was somehow tethered to his reanimated corpse, unable to do anything but watch as it hunts the living. Their separate paths collide at an oasis in the caldera of a dormant volcano in the frozen Canadian Arctic, with demons led by Krampus on one side, and angels led by a resurrected Saint Nicholas — who proves to have little in common with the myths surrounding him — on the other. Have Yourself a Post-Apocalyptic Christmas is a supernatural zombie apocalypse featuring angels and demons at war, moral complexity on the nature of the undead, found family in the ruins of civilization, and Arctic survival in a volcanic caldera. As the line between human and monster blurs, the ability to choose hope will become their greatest weapon. This epic story of supernatural horror set against the winter holidays is perfect for fans of Max Brooks’ World War Z and Robert Kirkman’s The Walking Dead. Content Advisory: Have Yourself a Post-Apocalyptic Christmas includes large-scale loss of life, medical trauma, graphic violence, body horror, and gore.
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Jeffrey Harlan @jeffreyharlan.com · 17/09/2026
Three survivors. Three shorts that became one novel. Week 1: Dan—a diabetic hunting insulin through the apocalypse, no miracle cure coming. Written for every diabetic this genre skips. HAVE YOURSELF A POST-APOCALYPTIC CHRISTMAS, Oct 5. Pre-order: jhrln.link/hyapac-bsky #HYAPAC
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Jeffrey Harlan @jeffreyharlan.com · 16/09/2026
New Foundations: "Writing What You Live: Representation as Craft." Inside: why research has a ceiling, character first / condition second, the magic solution trap, and the responsibilities of writing your own condition. Subscribe: jhrln.link/ne... #WritingCommunity #Representation #Craft
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Newsletter - Jeffrey Harlan
Speculations 2026 June: The First Wave Failed. I'm Finishing This Book Anyway. May: From Voodoo to Virus: Why Zombies Still Haunt Us April: Guess Who's Back... Back Again / WonderCon 2026 in Review 2025 November 4: Delayed but Not Stopped / "Renditioned" October 27: Kickstarter Enters Week 3 / "Schrödinger" October 20: Kickstarter Enters Week…
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Jeffrey Harlan @jeffreyharlan.com · 15/09/2026
Question for the apocalypse-minded: if your medication ran out tomorrow, how long would you realistically last? Weeks? Months? Hours? I've thought about this as a Type 2 diabetic. That thinking shaped my new post on chronic illness in apocalyptic fiction:
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Finding Diabetes in Post-Apocalyptic Fiction
A diabetic author on representing chronic illness in apocalypse fiction, the short film Type 1, and his novel Have Yourself a Post-Apocalyptic Christmas.
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Jeffrey Harlan @jeffreyharlan.com · 14/09/2026
NEW on the blog: Finding Diabetes in Post-Apocalyptic Fiction. I'm a diabetic and lifelong apocalyptic fiction fan, and the genre keeps ignoring people like me—killing us off or treating insulin as a throwaway plot device. Time to fix that. jhrln.link/b/4nC #WritingCommunity #AmWriting
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Finding Diabetes in Post-Apocalyptic Fiction
A diabetic author on representing chronic illness in apocalypse fiction, the short film Type 1, and his novel Have Yourself a Post-Apocalyptic Christmas.
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Jeffrey Harlan @jeffreyharlan.com · 03/09/2026
OFFICIALLY AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER: Have Yourself a Post-Apocalyptic Christmas Horror meets holiday cheer in a cosmic war between angels and demons. If your stockings are hung by the chimney with dread — this one's for you. Out October 5th. jhrln.link/hyapac #Author #IndieAuthor #Booksky
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Jeffrey Harlan @jeffreyharlan.com · 31/08/2026
Writing Through Hardship: Finishing a Novel When Things Go Sideways. A family crisis, job changes, plot rewrites — all of it got in the way. Here's how I finished anyway, and what I learned about buffers, outlines, and showing up when life doesn't cooperate. jhrln.link/b/4m9 #AmWriting
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Jeffrey Harlan @jeffreyharlan.com · 08/08/2026
Eleven years ago today, Megan and I got married. Time flies!
Megan and Jeffrey stand with their parents at the altar of a church after getting married
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Reposted by Jeffrey Harlan
Rowdy Rebel @rowdyrebel.bsky.social · 01/08/2026
🦉🐟💗
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Jeffrey Harlan @jeffreyharlan.com · 01/08/2026
I'm glad that I got that clock up as securely as I did... #Caturday #Cats
A gray cat sits atop a wall-mounted clock
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Jeffrey Harlan @jeffreyharlan.com · 19/07/2026
Yes, I'm still around. Yes, I'm still writing. The end is so very nigh. #WritingCommunity #AuthorLife #Writing #AmWriting
Screenshot of a spreadsheet listing a book's chapters and their status. Chapters 1-21 are complete, chapter 22 is in progress, and chapters 23-30 are incomplete.
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Jeffrey Harlan @jeffreyharlan.com · 19/07/2026
Oh hi it's me
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Jeffrey Harlan @jeffreyharlan.com · 18/07/2026
Happy birthday Ash! Our little kitten isn't so little anymore; now he's a year old! #Caturday #Cats
A gray cat sits in a large plastic crate
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Jeffrey Harlan @jeffreyharlan.com · 18/07/2026
Ash and Snowball like the padded rugs in the kitchen. #Caturday #Cats
A white cat and a gray cat lay on padded mats on the kitchen floor
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Jeffrey Harlan @jeffreyharlan.com · 11/07/2026
Ash certainly seems comfortable... #Caturday #Cats
A gray cat sleeps in a twisted position, half curled, half on his back, with his forelegs stretched out above his head
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Jeffrey Harlan @jeffreyharlan.com · 09/07/2026
Now is your best chance to find my entire ebook collection for a promotional price at Smashwords as part of their Annual Summer/Winter Sale! You can find all my on-sale books at www.smashwords.com/p.... #SWSale2026 #Smashwords #Books #BookSale #Booksky
Illustration of a beach and a winter scene with the words Smashwords July Summer / Winter Sale and the link smashwords.com/sale
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Jeffrey Harlan @jeffreyharlan.com · 06/07/2026
Absolutely this. ARCs and Libraries are fantastic ways to get books. Also check out public domain resources like @gutenberg.org or digitalcomicmuseum.com
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Reposted by Jeffrey Harlan
M Meerkat @kackbro.bsky.social · 04/07/2026
NO 👇 BULLSHIT DETECTED
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Jeffrey Harlan @jeffreyharlan.com · 04/07/2026
Snowball wants to help with drafting my book. #WritingCommunity #AuthorLife #Writing #Caturday #Cats
A white cat sits on a man's lap, pushing a compact word processor away to make room for him to sit.
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Jeffrey Harlan @jeffreyharlan.com · 03/07/2026
Mine. Have Yourself a Post-Apocalyptic Christmas is set for release in October.
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Reposted by Jeffrey Harlan
Innsmouth Looksmaxxing @gonebabygone.bsky.social · 03/07/2026
This fucking brave kid, God bless her
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Jeffrey Harlan @jeffreyharlan.com · 02/07/2026
Stepping back for most of July. On deadline to finish the first draft of Have Yourself a Post-Apocalyptic Christmas — zombies, Krampus, St. Nicholas, & humans in a supernatural war. 15 chapters. 30 days. Subscribers, check your inbox — this month's Speculations newsletter has the full update.
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Jeffrey Harlan @jeffreyharlan.com · 29/06/2026
A conversation with a teenage coworker has left me with serious questions about our educational system. Me: *Talking about a particularly comfortable pair of combat boots I owned.* Her: Did you wear those in Vietnam? Me: Vietnam ended almost 5 years before I was born. 1/2
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Jeffrey Harlan @jeffreyharlan.com · 27/06/2026
Why just relax or just play when you can do both at the same time? #Caturday #Cats
A gray cat lays on his side on a sofa while playing with a toy hanging from a cat tree nearby
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Jeffrey Harlan @jeffreyharlan.com · 22/06/2026
Related point: My (and others') writing doesn't sound like AI; AI sounds like our writing because it was built using pirated copies of our work.
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Jeffrey Harlan @jeffreyharlan.com · 20/06/2026
Nothing quite like a box that fits for your sits... #Caturday #Cats
A white cat curls up in a small box underneath a desk
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Jeffrey Harlan @jeffreyharlan.com · 18/06/2026
I say we take off and nuke the entire site from orbit. It's the only way to be sure.
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Jeffrey Harlan @jeffreyharlan.com · 18/06/2026
I'm not getting much writing done today, because, well... we're at Disneyland. #WritingCommunity #AuthorLife #Writing
A woman with dark hair and a man with glasses and a black ball cap smile for the camera. The Millennium Falcon is in the background.
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Jeffrey Harlan @jeffreyharlan.com · 16/06/2026
Working on Have Yourself a Post-Apocalyptic Christmas while Megan is at the dentist. One thing I love about my Freewrite Traveler is its portability. #WritingCommunity #AuthorLife #Writing #AmWriting
A Freewrite Traveler portable word processor sits open on a lap. A story is partially written on the e-ink screen.
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Jeffrey Harlan @jeffreyharlan.com · 15/06/2026
When I was a history undergrad, I penned such bangers as "Four-Color Jihad: Fredric Wertham and the Anti-Comics Crusade" and "Romance and Kryptonite: The Portrayal of Lois Lane in the 1950s"
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Jeffrey Harlan @jeffreyharlan.com · 15/06/2026
PTSD service dogs aren't emotional support animals—they're trained medical partners performing tasks like Deep Pressure Therapy, room sweeping, and nightmare interruption. On International Working Animal Day: respect their space. Read more: jhrln.link/b/4iT #PTSDAwareness
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Jeffrey Harlan @jeffreyharlan.com · 14/06/2026
So, what are you reading this weekend? (the second one is actually my WIP, with chapter outlines for the parts I'm still writing)
Photo of an ebook reader screen with eight book covers shown, each indicating reading progress by percentage
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