iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Michelle Heller | Indie Horror Author @michelleheller.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

I had a dream I was fighting this thing with a group of adventurers and every time we bashed its skull in, it mutated/healed like some kind of fleshy hydra. It was like 70lbs and clammy and warm. It tackled me with this wet slap lmao So anyway what kind totally normal dreams do y'all have?

A forward facing bird with a human skull embedded under its skin just above its beak.

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Michelle Heller | Indie Horror Author @michelleheller.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Part of my day job involves bottle feeding kittens sometimes. This is Pip and he is full of soup. He holds my finger in his wee paws when he eats. He is one apple tall and fits in one hand. I cry. Peep the alt text for some interesting kitten facts!

A teeny tiny black qnd white neonate kitten, about two weeks old, sitting on his fuzzy teddy bear heating pad.

If you ever find a pile of, or a single, tiny tiny kittens, and they're by themselves, please leave them alone at first. Consider:

Are they clean?
Are they chunky?

If they're clean and fat, or even a little grimy and fat, MOM IS COMING BACK. She needs to eat too! Bottle feeding kittens is one of the most adorable things I've ever done but the mortality rate for neonates is SEVENTY PERCENT. They are better off with their moms.

Always call your local shelter/kitten lady for advice. If you ever find a wee kitten who's skinny and not looking good, they DO need help, but be prepared:

It may die. It will be sad.
You will need to get up every two hours to see if it needs food. For weeks. It's very much like having a real baby lol.

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Reposted by Michelle Heller | Indie Horror Author

AC Cross @aaronccross.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

Thanks Eryn! Another great week for #Horrorwriterschat You can find my stuff on Amazon under A.C. Cross, on Patreon under aaronccross or my website at www.aaronccross.com I also could use a beta reader or two for a weird Western novella. Regardless, I always hunger eternally for feedback!

aaronccross.com

AaronCCross

8/5/2026: Since I promised on social media, and we all know that social media promises are legally-binding, I'll be posting a new story under Stories every week in August. Moral of the story: don't...

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Michelle Heller | Indie Horror Author @michelleheller.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

Thanks for hosting again! I especially love micro fiction :B. Nothing new yet, but I have a Tumblr now for my short stories and free eBooks on my BuyMeACoffee! linktr.ee/Michelle_Hel... #HorrorWritersChat

linktr.ee

Michelle_Heller | Linktree

An obscure cryptid that likes to tell spooky stories

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Michelle Heller | Indie Horror Author @michelleheller.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

In one of my WIPs, it's a cabin of sentimental nature. Once the MC is able to let go of what it represents, they can move on. #HorrorWritersChat

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Michelle Heller | Indie Horror Author @michelleheller.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

I know I never put Milo on the counter. Because I lost him in a cornfield when I was nine (long story). I hadn't thought about him in decades. But all the memories came rushing back when I saw those painted-on eyes. If I didn't put him there. Someone did. #HorrorWritersChat

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Michelle Heller | Indie Horror Author @michelleheller.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

All three of the WIPs I'm juggling (without me intending lol) involve one's home becoming corrupted. In one of them, the MC is dealing with an irreversible change that is spreading through her city and beyond. The big theme is "life can't be the same and you have to deal". #HorrorWritersChat

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Michelle Heller | Indie Horror Author @michelleheller.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

Afternoon/Evening fellow weirdos. I'm Michelle Heller, I mostly write body/cosmic/creature horror with a dose of comedy. I had this plastic alligator toy named Milo that I carried EVERYWHERE lol. Alligators/crocs are so common in horror though so it doesn't bug me 🤣. Loved Crawl. #HorrorWritersChat

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Michelle Heller | Indie Horror Author @michelleheller.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

When Trump said he'd run the US like a business I think people should have considered that the one way he's always run businesses was "into the ground"

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Michelle Heller | Indie Horror Author @michelleheller.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

Happy birthday! Hope your day/week/everything is awesome.

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Reposted by Michelle Heller | Indie Horror Author

T.L. Bodine @tlbodine.bsky.social · 08/08/2026

Fulfilment day! This month's zine is an apocalyptic double header featuring myself and guest author @michelleheller.bsky.social

A bright pink zone with 3D block letters reading "notes from the end times".

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Michelle Heller | Indie Horror Author @michelleheller.bsky.social · 06/08/2026

That's so funny you say that because I got into writing via play by post text forums lol!

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Michelle Heller | Indie Horror Author @michelleheller.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

Oooo. OooooOoOOOOOh hear me out Exit 8. But it's in the Black Forest in the 1700s and it's a group of kids trying to find their way out after being, of course, explicitly told NOT to go into the weird cursed woods-- #HorrorWritersChat

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Michelle Heller | Indie Horror Author @michelleheller.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

Probably a fair amount. Worst Summer was massively influenced by my retail experience. SOUR DOE is riddled with my childhood of growing up in the absolute middle of nowhere and hearing weird shit in the woods, haha. My WIP is basically me dealing with my dad's death. Etc #HorrorWritersChat

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Michelle Heller | Indie Horror Author @michelleheller.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

It depends ENTIRELY on the story. One of my characters has like, I'm not even kidding, 30k words about his life. Others just get a page! The 30k character is Kyle from The Worst Summer of My Life. He has a LOT of backstory, not all of my which will ever be revealed lol. #HorrorWritersChat

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Michelle Heller | Indie Horror Author @michelleheller.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

Late as hell because work got wild. I'm Michelle Heller, I write really weird horror lol, and...hmm. I don't think I've read a lot of that niche! Does Pride and Prejudice and Zombies count? 🤣. Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter was also a ride. I don't think I have a third 👀 #HorrorWritersChat

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Michelle Heller | Indie Horror Author @michelleheller.bsky.social · 02/08/2026

I'm really bad at keeping up on Social Media because I am not a Social Cryptid so I neglect these pages hardcore BUT For anyone still listening I have three novels/novellas in the works on rotation. Two are sequels. One's brand new. Weeeeeeee

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Michelle Heller | Indie Horror Author @michelleheller.bsky.social · 02/08/2026

In a rabbithole of MLP Analog horror thanks to @danielprofeta.bsky.social this weekend lmao. LOVE this guy, watch all of these, but my favorite one so far is Divine Swamp Fever. Tfw the best body horror you've encountered since The Substance is MLP AUs 🤣 www.youtube.com/watch?v=FBDQ...

youtube.com

Divine Swamp Fever is the scariest MLP has ever been

YouTube video by daniel profeta

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Michelle Heller | Indie Horror Author @michelleheller.bsky.social · 29/07/2026

This was fun to come back for! #HorrorWritersChat was a huge part of my life for a while :). I have nothing new yet, but working on things! In the meantime, my eBooks are all free now 👀 linktr.ee/Michelle_Hel...

linktr.ee

Michelle_Heller | Linktree

An obscure cryptid that likes to tell spooky stories

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Michelle Heller | Indie Horror Author @michelleheller.bsky.social · 29/07/2026

They are essential to preventing coastal erosion and are very important flora. But. STEER CLEAR. If you're planning outdoorsy things on Florida, make sure you know what the machineel looks like.

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Michelle Heller | Indie Horror Author @michelleheller.bsky.social · 29/07/2026

So, once, some people tried to clear a bunch of these out by burning them. Their skin became covered in lesions and the inhalation did unspeakable things to their lungs. They did not survive. Even rainwater dripping off these things will RUIN your day.

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Michelle Heller | Indie Horror Author @michelleheller.bsky.social · 29/07/2026

From my own home of Florida: the Machineel tree. Just standing under it can fuck you up. It is the most toxic tree in the WORLD. I keep telling people that everything everyone's afraid Australia is, is actually Florida, and the Machineel is proof lmao (will comment with info) #HorrorWritersChat

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Michelle Heller | Indie Horror Author @michelleheller.bsky.social · 29/07/2026

I try to brush them off. I pull and cry out, sharp pains flaring deep in my arms. They're growing too fast to fight, and before long, I'm rooted in place. That's when I finally notice Carrie and Jen. Overgrown. My throat fills with roots before I can yell to Jack to stay away. #HorrorWritersChat

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Michelle Heller | Indie Horror Author @michelleheller.bsky.social · 29/07/2026

I have not! Although, one of my long-abandoned (but still planning to get back to it) WIPs involves a parasitic colony of ancient worms that turns human hosts into fungus farms. So...plant-adjacent 🤣 #HorrorWritersChat

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Michelle Heller | Indie Horror Author @michelleheller.bsky.social · 29/07/2026

Ignore the locals screaming at us to leave. It's fine!

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Michelle Heller | Indie Horror Author @michelleheller.bsky.social · 29/07/2026

Well hey all. It has been a HOT minute since I've done one of these. I'm Michelle Heller, I write mostly comedy horror, and my favorite plant based horror has gotta be The Ruins by Scott Smith. And honestly? The movie was great, too! #HorrorWritersChat

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Michelle Heller | Indie Horror Author @michelleheller.bsky.social · 17/07/2026

"Is there supposed to be audio here?" "I dunno, it's David Lynch so..."

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Michelle Heller | Indie Horror Author @michelleheller.bsky.social · 17/07/2026

The significant other had never seen Twin Peaks/FWWM so I decided to fix that. I'd never seen The Return so now we're on an adventure together. The dialogue audio fucked up on Episode 4 and we watched it for like 14 minutes assuming it was intentional 🤣

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Michelle Heller | Indie Horror Author @michelleheller.bsky.social · 07/05/2026

Skill issue. I am an extremely visual thinker as well. This is why I doodle and take notes on my own writing so I don't forget stuff. AI can stuff it, I will organize my own shit, thanks.

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Michelle Heller | Indie Horror Author @michelleheller.bsky.social · 02/05/2026

[Bob Seger voice] She's runnin from the knife goose Everybody hide, that menace is loooose RUNNIN FROM THE KNIFE GOOSE

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Reposted by Michelle Heller | Indie Horror Author

Brave Burattino 🪱 @braveburattino.bsky.social · 08/04/2026

The worms are angry

digital painting a deer covered in blood. It has a long neck made of worms. It's head still intact, worms burst from the eye sockets and mouth.

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Michelle Heller | Indie Horror Author @michelleheller.bsky.social · 25/03/2026

🤣 I've kinda moved to Tumblr but I still peek in here once in a while to make sure no one's trying to contact me haha

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Michelle Heller | Indie Horror Author @michelleheller.bsky.social · 09/03/2026

I'M BACK, FRIENDS. I'm approaching this at a different angle, now. I'm primarily posting free shorts on Tumblr while offering novels, when I finish them, for cheap (paperback) and free (eBook). A more in-depth post about what I'm gonna be doing from now on:

buymeacoffee.com

Hello, Fellow Horror Lovers! — Michelle Heller

Post by Michelle Heller

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Michelle Heller | Indie Horror Author @michelleheller.bsky.social · 19/02/2026

I'm not gonna make any /official/ announcements yet but I've been cooking something up these past few weeks (or months? what is time lmao) to have my cake and eat it too. We'll see 😂. I'm still writing things it's just...too expensive to self-publish. So I'm fiddling with that. 👀

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Michelle Heller | Indie Horror Author @michelleheller.bsky.social · 05/02/2026

I might finish the Worst series over time because I really love those characters. My brain bounces from thing to thing so I'm certain I'll come back it it one day, though I'm not sure I'd publish them officially. It's just so expensive 😭

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Michelle Heller | Indie Horror Author @michelleheller.bsky.social · 05/02/2026

I'm still writing, just mostly to declutter my brain instead of anything I plan to publish. Being a storyteller without an audience just didn't make the costs worth it. Constant submission rejections also sucked. Just don't have the skill to make it work. Ah well. It was fun!

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Michelle Heller | Indie Horror Author @michelleheller.bsky.social · 05/02/2026

I am no longer writing. I've lowered my prices on my Lulu store, and the novels I have will always be available, but I sadly do not have an audience and can't afford to continue doing this. It's been rad, y'all. If you want a silly book, they're here: www.lulu.com/search?contr...

lulu.com

Choose from thousands of sizes, paper types, and binding options to print a custom book.

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Michelle Heller | Indie Horror Author @michelleheller.bsky.social · 14/01/2026

But I've been putting my writing efforts into other, more fulfilling things lately. It's a bummer, but I just can't financially justify writing to a wall. I'll still be around because y'all are awesome, but it's clear that I couldn't quite hack it at this. But that's okay. It was so much fun.

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Michelle Heller | Indie Horror Author @michelleheller.bsky.social · 14/01/2026

I don't have the audience to pay for this passion of mine. I'm not writing anything that sells. I just can't dump any more into it. I'll be leaving all my stuff up just for old time's sake; the books I have completed will always be available! 🧵

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Michelle Heller | Indie Horror Author @michelleheller.bsky.social · 14/01/2026

This is because of The Horrors of course, and those of us on this income deferrment are going to be kicked off it any day now. My monthly expenses will probably be unreasonable after that. It saddens me to make this thread, really, but the reality is this: 🧵

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