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#queerwriters line share "still" from The First Mate and the Dryad's Daughter 🦜 💚 🌴 currently first drafting

Daphne huffed, lowering her tired arms, unable to keep from smiling as the crew cheered and Paxos sailed clean through the gap between the warships. Though the clouds were dissipating, she could still feel their energy in every goosepimple on her back. Every buffet of wind in the sails was the breath in her lungs. She was power and potential, irrepresable, irresistible.

She turned to find Iona, and met her eyes. With all her will she sent the message through her glance alone: Tonight.

1101

#SundaySnips "turn" Novice mage note to self: do not get distracted from the fight by the hot DPS from The First Mate and the Dryad's Daughter 🦜 💚 🌴 currently first drafting

It might have been a mistake, turning to look, because now she was stuck watching Iona. If Daphne had thought her fast in sparring, now was another magnitude of speed entirely. Where Iona stepped, death followed, swift, merciful in the efficiency, but cruel in the glee she voiced. Daphne's blood thrummed now with a different energy. She raised her arms again to call the storm, and found it sluggish now. At most, she'd get another strike out of it. The clouds' rage was dwindling, or her mood was misaligned with it; she couldn't say truly what was different now, for her lack of training, but her chant took on an edge of begging.

2273

Ok this is the closest I've got sorry 😅 #sapphicmoon snippet from The First Mate and the Dryad's Daughter 🦜 💚 🌴 currently first drafting

Not even a quarter of the way down the well-worn road, Daphne looked back over her shoulder and, without missing a beat, started jogging. "We might want to hurry things up!" she cried out, head down.

"What?" Iona spun around. More than seeing, it was the rustling and crashing in the jungle behind her that made her shoulder blades tense so hard they almost met. "To the Paxos!" she shouted, waving the other three ahead of her.

In the sea of treetops the way they had come, the head of a huge moving tree bobbed and flowed through the others like an angry commuter bustling through a crowded street, not caring who they budged up against or even knocked down. Leaves shook as if in a gale in its wake, and boughs and trunks complained with creaks and snaps.

Iona took off, not caring to see in any further detail.

The others had overtaken Daphne, who was waiting. Iona caught up in quick order, taking her by the hand. The party of five barreled down the road into the village, picking up stray farm-workers along the way as the people in the fields saw the oncoming fury of the dryads. If only they could make it to the village, perhaps they would turn back ...?

181

Kara Moon 🏴‍☠️💜⚓️ @karamoonauthor.com · 26/09/2026

#WIPSnips "delay" from A Prayer for the Pirate Queen 🏴‍☠️ 💜 ⚓️ currently in third draft revisions

"I don't yet see why I am vital to this mission."

Kallista's lips pressed together before she spoke. "Because it's likely they've been tortured by our oh-so-benevolent Polis ... and by my old colleagues no less, since it's a naval prison. All those sons and daughters of Seraphinople, hmm?"

"Oh Saints. And I made you delay this rescue mission for my failed return." What horrors had those poor women been through in the last few days, and for Geni's sake? No wonder Iona had been angry.

1271

#WIPSnips "observe" from A Prayer for the Pirate Queen 🏴‍☠️ 💜 ⚓️ currently in third draft revisions

Geni left the day room, falling back against the door with the rock of the ship. Or at least that was what she told herself, because dramatically sighing and leaning against the door out of exasperation should have been beneath her. A moment's observation told her no one on deck had seen, so she crossed to the cabins and her sick bay.

1272

Kara Moon 🏴‍☠️💜⚓️ @karamoonauthor.com · 26/09/2026

#pretendpanel , it's that time again. Thanks for joining me this month. See you again with a brand new theme in October. September 26th: Freebie Saturday - post anything! #WritingCommunity #Writers #Authors #WritingPrompts

#pretendpanel
a daily prompt tag hosted by @karamoonauthor.com
September 26th: Freebie Saturday!
Post anything you want e.g. plug something, acknowledge someone, ask a question
Please support your fellow #pretentpanel posters with replies, likes and reposts
New #pretendpanel questions every Friday and Saturday. Hop in any time!

0243

#LesFicFri "happy" Sure you are, Daphne 😔 from The First Mate and the Dryad's Daughter 🦜 💚 🌴 currently first drafting

Below, the sea sucked at the side of the ship, inescapable. Straight, to her left, and to her right, there was no sign of home. She charged over to the other side of the deck and looked there too. "Wow, we've gotten so far from Antea already."

"Like I said, we let you sleep in."

Daphne sighed, and let the wistful spell of homesickness flee from her. It was only a little feeling. Really, she was happy. "Right then. Carry on."

0125

#sapphiclineshare "atmosphere" from A Prayer for the Pirate Queen 🏴‍☠️💜⚓️ currently in third draft revisions I'm so mean with my dramatic irony where you know Kallista thinks she's crossed a line but now her body language has Geni scared that's she's crossing a line and 😭

It was time they had a serious conversation. Or, skip the conversation entirely ...

Geni made the mistake of opening her eyes first, rather than her mouth. The words were ready to tumble out, but when she took in the visual feedback—the stiffness of Kallista's posture, and the look of worry and discomfort on her face, eyes ever so slightly wavering in her direction as if Kallista had reason to be wary of her—Geni stopped herself. The other times had to have been her imagination. This was not the face of someone who wanted to be touched by her right now.

She peeled her fingers away and stepped back. Kallista's cheek bore a new faint pink scar. It was actually rather dashing—and Geni locked that thought down for the moment, given the frigid atmosphere of the room, and stepped back in front of the desk again. "That's as good as I can get it."

091

#pretendpanel Thank you to my girlfriend for today's prompt suggestion 🫶 Here's a snippet with a few sounds in it, from A Prayer for the Pirate Queen 🏴‍☠️ 💜 ⚓️ currently in third draft revisions

Kallista drew her close, not sure which one of them was shaking with fear, if not both. The light wavered with the sway of the boat and ship clunking together. Screams and shouts outside were oddly muffled, and instead the waves below and their breath within were amplified. Trapped in this semi-darkness, Kallista gave in for a moment. She kissed Geni's cheek and murmured close to her ear, "We're going to make it."

0246

A bit of a change of speed today #pretendpanel - to cap off our month of questions around sound and audio, show me... September 25th: Snippet share - how do you depict sound and/or voice? #WritingCommunity #Writers #Authors #WritingPrompts

#pretendpanel
a daily prompt tag hosted by @karamoonauthor.com
September 25th:
Snippet share - how do you depict sound and/or voice?
Please support your fellow #pretentpanel posters with replies, likes and reposts
New #pretendpanel questions every Friday and Saturday. Hop in any time!

0252

Kara Moon 🏴‍☠️💜⚓️ @karamoonauthor.com · 24/09/2026

#WIPSnips no explicit use of "nation" so I'm going with when a bunch of nations get mentioned from A Prayer for the Pirate Queen 🏴‍☠️ 💜 ⚓️ currently in third draft revisions

"Why don't you leave? Take the Paxos, and go somewhere else? Tianzo, Gaelle, the Nairun Territories ... I hear they're all much more permissive than what our country has become under Neopolis."

Kallista folded her arms and quirked an eyebrow. "Well ... why don't you leave?"

Geni looked down at her lap, where her hands tangled with one another. She stilled them. "Because Iunia is home."

"There it is. Same answer." Kallista gazed out at the dancers. If Geni had to describe the way the captain looked at her crew enjoying themselves, she would have called it affectionate. "Iunia is my home, and I'm not going to let them take it away from me. Besides, I'll be cold in my grave before I let Heliodorus scare me away."

0261

#TBBPrompt "grief" from A Prayer for the Pirate Queen 🏴‍☠️💜⚓️ currently in third draft revisions

"What's the next stop then?"

"Nausicu, if that's all right?"

"Mmm. Nice place. Nausicu it is."

Geni sat taller, chiding herself for how for granted she was taking all of this—this closeness with the captain, and the arrangement between them—especially with the grief she'd given the poor woman with all her arguments. She owed more than just an apology: she owed a great deal of thanks to Kallista.

062

Kara Moon 🏴‍☠️💜⚓️ @karamoonauthor.com · 24/09/2026

Daphne's magic trance gives her the guts to go for that first kiss 💋 A #snippet from The First Mate and the Dryad's Daughter 🦜💚🌴 currently first drafting #BookSky #WriteSky #WIP

Text is surrounded by border of small squares with art done in dark brown and white. Figures depicted include: a mythical parrot, a white flower, a nereid, a sphinx, a harpy, a cherub, a sparm whale, a cat on a ship's deck, a mermaid, a dragon flying over islands, a hippocampus, a seagull, a satyr, a dryad.

The text:

"It's time," Daphne answered. Already her hair was responding to the static in the clouds above, raising up, hefty locks bouyant like so much seaweed on the waves. The sky tugged at every part of her, and the only way she could think to show Iona so was with a kiss.

It was brief, but that moment held in it the aching breath before the storm's inevitable break. Iona leaned into it, her hands so gentle around Daphne's waist as if she understood the reverence required to hold the girl who was the lightning. Daphne gripped her strong upper arms, squeezing the muscles there, hoping against hope to impart some small part of the sky's power to Iona's limbs to make her strikes as swift.

a snippet from The First Mate and the Dryad's Daughter by Kara Moon

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Kara Moon 🏴‍☠️💜⚓️ @karamoonauthor.com · 23/09/2026

#WIPSnips "tumble" (or tumbling in this case) from A Prayer for the Pirate Queen 🏴‍☠️💜⚓️ currently in third draft revisions

"Talos!" Kallista barked, and the Erapetran teen jumped and only just stopped the planks from tumbling down.

"Captain!"

"You are not to be helping out with this. A gut wound is nothing to sneeze at."

"Honestly, Captain, I'm fine—"

Kallista stomped over to the carpenters and told them, "Sorry folks, but you're not to send this boy fetching and carrying anymore. He's recovering from a serious injury."

The Islander man in charge nodded with a diffident shrug. Talos put his load down in front of the carpenters, and followed Kallista as she walked away.

"Please, Captain. I just want to be useful. Doc's magic has got me close to fully healed already. Plenty of other injured people are helping out in so many ways. Even you, with that arm, you're carrying things."

Of course others were working while injured. This crew were all just as bad as her. "Letters. Barely weigh a thing." Her arm twinged as if to contradict her.

"Still. Come on, Kāpene, please."

0364

Kara Moon 🏴‍☠️💜⚓️ @karamoonauthor.com · 21/09/2026

#WIPSnips "stream" from A Prayer for the Pirate Queen 🏴‍☠️ 💜 ⚓️ currently in third draft revisions

Geni took a breath, and walked out, heading straight for the double doors with her shoulders up by her ears. The expected shout to stop her never came. She paused at the doors, as any good parishioner should, to genuflect to the Six Saints, and no one in the large room paid her a moment's notice. Then she was out, walking amongst the mid-morning bustle of Seraphinople, the colourful stream of people bound in by stately white-grey walls on wide, tidy streets.

1333

Kara Moon 🏴‍☠️💜⚓️ @karamoonauthor.com · 21/09/2026

#queerwriters line share "floor" from The First Mate and the Dryad's Daughter 🦜 💚 🌴 currently first drafting

Daphne awoke with a start to find her bed moving. Above, a wooden ceiling, too close to her head for comfort, swayed back and forth across her vision. Speaking of her head, that ached like the insides of it had been scraped against bark. Her body was bent in an unfamiliar curve. Grabbing the sides of the thing cupping her, she remembered the word and everything that went with it:

Hammock.

Ship.

Pirates.

With a gasp, she rolled out and onto the floor.

051

Kara Moon 🏴‍☠️💜⚓️ @karamoonauthor.com · 20/09/2026

#WIPSnips "signal" from A Prayer for the Pirate Queen 🏴‍☠️ 💜 ⚓️ currently in third draft revisions

Kallista tipped her head from side to side, but her arms remained crossed. "Fair enough." She narrowed her eyes over her cup of wine, and when she'd taken her sip, spoke again. "Tell me something, Geni."

Geni now, was it? Interesting. Geni wriggled in her seat, sitting taller. The use of her first name signalled a shift to her. Perhaps it was the wine, or the relaxed atmosphere, but Kallista reminded her of their first meeting in the taverna on Didaea. If only they could go back there, to the same spirit in which they met, free of the disagreements of the last few weeks. "What is it?" she asked, keeping her voice low, conspiratorial.

0285

Kara Moon 🏴‍☠️💜⚓️ @karamoonauthor.com · 20/09/2026

#SundaySnips "crisp" from A Prayer for the Pirate Queen 🏴‍☠️ 💜 ⚓️ currently in third draft revisions

"Midshipmen!" she called across the deck as she strode past. The sailors stood crisply to attention. "Talos is not to help. He's got a gut wound. Find another crew member."

The Erapetran boy slumped and whined audibly, but the three trained sailors saluted smartly. Certain of her order being respected, Kallista clipped her way down the steep ladder towards the quartermaster's office.

0153

Kara Moon 🏴‍☠️💜⚓️ @karamoonauthor.com · 19/09/2026

I wonder what the range of answers will look like today. Tell me, #pretendpanel ... September 19th: Have you ever read your work aloud? #WritingCommunity #Writers #Authors #WritingPrompts

#pretendpanel
a daily prompt tag hosted by @karamoonauthor.com
September 19th: Have you ever read your work aloud?
Please support your fellow #pretentpanel posters with replies, likes and reposts
New #pretendpanel questions every Friday and Saturday. Hop in any time!

6394

Kara Moon 🏴‍☠️💜⚓️ @karamoonauthor.com · 19/09/2026

#WIPSnips "payment" - not the word, but the action from The First Mate and the Dryad's Daughter 🦜 💚 🌴 currently first drafting

The other two dresses suited Daphne too. "I want to keep wearing this one today, is that all right?" she said of the final one, with its teal bodice and green and blue parti-coloured skirt.

"Of course," Iona answered. While she dug in her coin purse for the appropriate funds, Daphne blithely wafted her way out of the store.

"Hey!" the woman behind the counter cried out.

Before the shopkeeper could give chase, Iona intercepted her. "Sorry, she's a bit new to ... well, everything. Let me pay up."

0191

Kara Moon 🏴‍☠️💜⚓️ @karamoonauthor.com · 18/09/2026

#pretendpanel Now's the time to tell us (if you have this) one of your potentially most ridiculous ambitions... (who me?) September 18th: Dreamcast your audiobook/radio dramatisation. #WritingCommunity #Writers #Authors #WritingPrompts

#pretendpanel
a daily prompt tag hosted by @karamoonauthor.com
September 18th: Dreamcast your audiobook/radio dramatisation.
Please support your fellow #pretentpanel posters with replies, likes and reposts
New #pretendpanel questions every Friday and Saturday. Hop in any time!

0121

Kara Moon 🏴‍☠️💜⚓️ @karamoonauthor.com · 18/09/2026

#sapphiclineshare here's a few of the senses in one paragraph... from The First Mate and the Dryad's Daughter 🦜 💚 🌴 currently first drafting

Now, at the start of her first shift on the second day, she was already desperate for sleep again. In the rhythm of the oars cutting through the waves; the fug of breath and sweat; the callouses on her palms almost not enough, tenderising with her hours long gripping of the end of her oar; in the low drone of songs she hadn't learnt yet, songs of the seafarers and not the grove dwellers: she danced again in her mind's eye as a dandelion seed tossed on waves, with no hope of rooting herself in earth.

073

Kara Moon 🏴‍☠️💜⚓️ @karamoonauthor.com · 18/09/2026

#TBBPrompt "disguise" from A Prayer for the Pirate Queen 🏴‍☠️ 💜 ⚓️ currently in third draft revisions

Geni shifted her posture, mirroring Kallista's more serious aspect. "They're not letting most women, no. But when you're a nun, you don't exactly count as a typical woman." She lifted the flap of her satchel to reveal a thick wad of folded clothing, in the cream and green colours of some order or other.

"A nun?" Kallista laughed aloud, and received a coy answering smile from Geni. "Truly? It's not just a disguise?"

"Truly. I've been a nun for almost a decade now."

062

Kara Moon 🏴‍☠️💜⚓️ @karamoonauthor.com · 17/09/2026

#WIPSnips "effort" from The First Mate and the Dryad's Daughter 🦜 💚 🌴 currently first drafting

It was lovely how candid he was being with her. Were all humans this way? No, the older members of the crew weren't so open with her last night. Welcoming, but not sharing every detail of their lives like Talos here. And the one she had wanted to be most open to her at the party was coy, as if toying with her. Most dryads weren't very open, but that was their way. Words could be such an effort for them sometimes ... and hers had been a babbling brook. Ever did they remind her of that. She adopted some caginess from them as she carefully phrased, "So these mages ... Are they still around anywhere?"

"Nah, we handed them over to their people a few islands back. Sorry, if you wanted their help with something, you're out of luck."

0263

Kara Moon 🏴‍☠️💜⚓️ @karamoonauthor.com · 17/09/2026

#WIPSnips "call" from The First Mate and the Dryad's Daughter 🦜 💚 🌴 currently first drafting

On deck, the captain stood at the highest point, beside the helmswoman. Daphne approached, any of the usual intimidation she felt around the woman bypassed by the call of the storm and the urgency of the moment. There were indeed three ships following too close for comfort. "Captain?"

Kallista Audax regarded her, hard-eyed analysis giving way to a rare softness. "What is it, sailor?"

Here was the moment. There was no taking back what she said now. Surely she could trust Iona's best friend with this knowledge? Either way, the need was dire. "I can harness the lightning. If you want me to."

091

Kara Moon 🏴‍☠️💜⚓️ @karamoonauthor.com · 12/09/2026

#pretendpanel now I'm asking you as writers... September 12th: Do you have any plans to put your work into audio format? #WritingCommunity #Writers #Authors #WritingPrompts

#pretendpanel
a daily prompt tag hosted by @karamoonauthor.com
September 12th: Do you have any plans to put your work into audio format?
Please support your fellow #pretentpanel posters with replies, likes and reposts
New #pretendpanel questions every Friday and Saturday. Hop in any time!

4414

Kara Moon 🏴‍☠️💜⚓️ @karamoonauthor.com · 12/09/2026

#WIPSnips "exhaust" Fresh! From A Prayer for the Pirate Queen 🏴‍☠️ 💜 ⚓️ currently in third draft revisions

"The captain's going to be so stoked with that," Stephania finally said, leaning on the desk once she'd truly exhausted pretending at her task.

Geni could hardly care if she blushed in response. It was so hot, she was probably bright red already. "I hope so. I've put a lot of work into it."

"You and the captain make a cute couple."

"Beg your pardon?" Geni snapped before she could help herself. The needle came up faster than she'd anticipated, and she stabbed her thumb enough to draw blood.

1231

Kara Moon 🏴‍☠️💜⚓️ @karamoonauthor.com · 11/09/2026

#LesFicFri "regret" from A Prayer for the Pirate Queen 🏴‍☠️ 💜 ⚓️ currently in third draft revisions

Geni latched onto the small amount of interest nonetheless, regretting it even as she did, her ramble carrying her to places she hadn't intended. "I suppose it helped of course that I'd been through it myself, twice. I knew how it gave me mood swings. Sometimes I felt like the most beautiful creature on Ao Rakona, burgeoning with life. Other times I felt so tired and glum, and bloated, and ugly ..."

"You could never be—" Kallista began, then stopped. After a breath, she met Geni's eyes. Geni felt she could almost read the thought behind her eyes: too late to leave it unsaid. "You could never be ugly, Doctor Philistos."

082

Kara Moon 🏴‍☠️💜⚓️ @karamoonauthor.com · 11/09/2026

#sapphiclineshare "evening" from The First Mate and the Dryad's Daughter 🦜 💚 🌴 currently first drafting

There were so many other things Daphne wanted to say to her, bad, but also the good. Like how embarrassing it had been that her mother had woken up and ridden one of the Oldest Ones to battle. That poor tree, what would she do now? Wander the grove wordless until her roots tethered her again? How long would that take? Really, it hadn't been necessary. Cerelia had told her off plenty of times as a child when she climbed the thick, trusting boughs of the Oldest Ones. Never did she think she'd see one awoken, least of all to fetch her back. But obviously Daphne meant that much to Cerelia.

Thinking on that too long would ruin the evening.

062

Kara Moon 🏴‍☠️💜⚓️ @karamoonauthor.com · 11/09/2026

#pretendpanel you can answer this as a reader/listener, writer, or both, but we will get more specific about audiobooks and your writing in the next question. September 11th: How do you feel about audiobooks? #WritingCommunity #Writers #Authors #WritingPrompts

#pretendpanel
a daily prompt tag hosted by @karamoonauthor.com
September 11th: How do you feel about audiobooks?
Please support your fellow #pretentpanel posters with replies, likes and reposts
New #pretendpanel questions every Friday and Saturday. Hop in any time!

3403

Kara Moon 🏴‍☠️💜⚓️ @karamoonauthor.com · 10/09/2026

#WIPSnips "teeth" from The First Mate and the Dryad's Daughter 🦜 💚 🌴 currently first drafting

Daphne's eyes strayed quite obviously to her shoulders, to the gaping glimpse of collarbone Iona's loose shirt afforded—on purpose, naturally. The half-dryad's teeth grazed her bottom lip as her eyes danced along Iona's skin. Iona couldn't lie; it was very complimentary, and as much as she was starting to write-off anything happening between her and the seemingly inexperienced Daphne, it was nice to be admired by a gorgeous woman.

1161

Kara Moon 🏴‍☠️💜⚓️ @karamoonauthor.com · 10/09/2026

#TBBPrompt "mystery" from A Prayer for the Pirate Queen 🏴‍☠️ 💜 ⚓️ currently in third draft revisions

"Hoo boy. Believe me, I won't be telling her this one. The last thing she needs to know is how stupidly similar you are, pushing yourselves to ridiculous lengths and then trying to tough it out."

It had never before occurred to Geni how true that was. Now why, she queried most agitatedly, did the comparison make some part of her feel ill, while another mystery part lit up as if kissed by a sudden sunbeam?

073

Kara Moon 🏴‍☠️💜⚓️ @karamoonauthor.com · 09/09/2026

#WIPSnips rig(ging) from The First Mate and the Dryad's Daughter 🦜 💚 🌴 currently first drafting

Fifteen minutes later, the three of them were back on deck, fair warmed-up from running around town to find any other stragglers. "You'd best get into your trousers so you can climb that rigging," Iona told Daphne, placing her bundle of clothes new and old in the girl's arms.

Daphne smiled sadly. "Thanks for half of a lovely day."

"We'll get more."

The half-dryad pursed her lips, barely concealing a smirk. "I suppose you've earned the chance."

1345

Kara Moon 🏴‍☠️💜⚓️ @karamoonauthor.com · 08/09/2026

#WIPSnips "mental" Fresh bit from the third draft of A Prayer for the Pirate Queen 🏴‍☠️💜⚓️

"Cap— ... Kallista?" Kallista snapped out of her spiral to find Geni tilting her head, smile turned wary. "Come back."

"Hmm?" She took a bite out of her scone, embarrassed to be so perceived.

"You went far away, and to nowhere good, I'm guessing. This is your day off. If you're to escape into mental fantasies, let them be good ones."

Once she was done nearly choking on her mouthful, Kallista nodded effusively. "Quite right, Doc—er, Geni."

0322

Kara Moon 🏴‍☠️💜⚓️ @karamoonauthor.com · 07/09/2026

#queerwriters line share... no "ignite" so I went with "burning" from The First Mate and the Dryad's Daughter 🦜 💚 🌴 currently first drafting

"It's not fair. She told me last night she wouldn't have sex with me while I was as drunk as I was. Well, I'm not drunk anymore."

"Shameless," Talos exclaimed through his chuckles.

Shame? Then that was a thing amongst humans too, was it? Her mother had called the sexuality of humans shameless too, and Daphne had longed to go out in the world and find out for herself. None of the dryads would have it off with her, because they were either related to her, or too terrified of her mother to do anything with her. So Daphne had gotten by with songs, tales, her own imaginings and solo efforts. And her mother had half-teased, half-cajoled her for this feeling burning inside her all these years. Had attributed it all to Daphne's human heritage.

031

Kara Moon 🏴‍☠️💜⚓️ @karamoonauthor.com · 06/09/2026

#SundaySnips "leaf" from A Prayer for the Pirate Queen 🏴‍☠️ 💜 ⚓️ currently in third draft revisions

Iona appeared before Ophira did, carrying a leafy envelope in one arm. "Ah, Cap, good. I got given a gift from a local, but there's only enough for the two of us, not the whole crew." She lifted the edge of the leaf to show Kallista, and steamy, sugary air wafted out. When it cleared, the tops of two sugar-dusted pastries sat invitingly within the green envelope.

Kallista had been feeling like she hadn't had enough time with Iona lately. "Well then, let's go wash those down with a coffee in my day room."

1162

Kara Moon 🏴‍☠️💜⚓️ @karamoonauthor.com · 06/09/2026

#WIPSnips "sigh" from A Prayer for the Pirate Queen 🏴‍☠️ 💜 ⚓️ currently in third draft revisions

A great sigh behind her drew Kallista's attention back to the six women huddled together. Geni drew the dying woman to her feet. The doctor's shoulders hunched and her breathing was laboured, worse than the woman now standing beside her. The three younger mages gathered around their rescued friend, babbling quietly away in their own tongue. Despite the lack of translation, their wonderment was clear. The matriarch of the prisoners rolled her shoulders and stood tall. She patted Geni on the shoulder as if in thanks. Her face was no longer so drawn, her eyes livelier than before.

Geni turned to Kallista. In the first glimpse she was clearly exhausted, but a breath later she was smiling. "I've done what I can, Captain."

"Done wha—Saints, Doctor, you've done more than what you can. That woman in the middle looked near death."

Geni shook her head. "No, I doubt that. She just looked worse than she was. If she had been dying, I wouldn't have been able to do anything for her."

1293

Kara Moon 🏴‍☠️💜⚓️ @karamoonauthor.com · 05/09/2026

#pretendpanel please lavish me with whatever descriptions you'd like ... September 5th: Do you have specific voices in mind for your characters when you write? #WritingCommunity #Writers #Authors #WritingPrompts

#pretendpanel
a daily prompt tag hosted by @karamoonauthor.com
September 5th: Do you have specific voices in mind for your characters when you write?
Please support your fellow #pretentpanel posters with replies, likes and reposts
New #pretendpanel questions every Friday and Saturday. Hop in any time!

1372

#sapphiclineshare "dawn" from A Prayer for the Pirate Queen 🏴‍☠️ 💜 ⚓️ currently in third draft revisions 😏 some of you are gonna get silly about it, I see you 😜

"Come, sit up here and I'll get a diagnosis."

Kallista blinked her surprise, and it dawned on Geni that she was bossing around the captain in her own damned office. Nevertheless, Kallista rose from the floor (deck? Was it still called a deck when it was inside a room—a cabin, rather?) and went to sit on the chair behind her desk as she'd been told.

"Good—" Geni murmured, and only just held herself back from adding 'girl'. Saints, what was getting into her? "Where does it hurt, usually?"

063

#LesFicFri "free" from A Prayer for the Pirate Queen 🏴‍☠️ 💜 ⚓️ currently in third draft revisions

She stopped at the door, hand on the frame, and looked over her shoulder. "And actually, Captain? The rest of the crew might have gone free, if things were different. But I'm sure the people you freed on Erapetra would feel differently. And if you'd never helped them, then you would have never have been in the right place and the right time to help me. So I for one am grateful you did what you did."

Kallista nodded more solemnly at that than Geni had expected. Geni hurriedly shut the door, scared she'd outstayed her welcome, and played the wrong notes with those last flirtations.

1114

Some people talk about being able to vividly see what they are writing. But I wanna know, #pretendpanel ... September 4th: Do you *hear* what you are writing? #WritingCommunity #Writers #Authors #WritingPrompts

#pretendpanel
a daily prompt tag hosted by @karamoonauthor.com
September 4th: Do you *hear* what you are writing?
Please support your fellow #pretentpanel posters with replies, likes and reposts
New #pretendpanel questions every Friday and Saturday. Hop in any time!

5399

#WIPSnips "collapse" from A Prayer for the Pirate Queen 🏴‍☠️ 💜 ⚓️ currently in third draft revisions (Lol is this the opposite of the 'no homo' moment? 😆)

"You're off in your own world, aren't you, sweetness?"

She looked up. The man whose abdomen she was tending to smiled at her as she ladled cream onto his burns. He flexed his plentiful muscles and winked at her. After a moment's pause, his grin collapsed into confusion.

Oh. He was flirting.

She had to restrain the smirk that tried to fight its way onto her lips. If he only knew what was going on in her head right now, he would know there wasn't any point in bothering. She was completely immune to the charms of his well-muscled body.

"That's 'doctor' to you, young man," she scolded, allowing an edge of a smile to peek through. His smile returned, sheepish this time.

0210