iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

EmmyKtz 🐙 The Pink Hydra 🔞 @thepinkhydra.com · 30/09/2026

#SongsOfSeptember Check out the master playlist everyone, I highly recommend it! 🥰 Here's my own BIG playlist for Forest of the Morning, my queer, epic fantasy trilogy: www.youtube.com/playlist?lis... Forest of the Morning is a COMPLETE fantasy series, links here: www.thepinkhydra.com/books/fotm

Cover of Forest of the Morning by Emmylou Kotzé featuring a white pencil sketch of two faces, a man and a woman, on a background of green forest foliage with purple morning glories

Cover of Maiden of Despair (Forest of the Morning Book 2) by Emmylou Kotzé featuring a white pencil sketch of a cowled woman on a background of autumn foliage with cobwebs encroaching

Cover of Goddess of the Dark (Forest of the Morning Book 3) by Emmylou Kotzé featuring a white pencil sketch of one hand holding back another as it reaches for a skylight with a skeletal tree on a background of midnight purple foliage with white lilies

Cover of Forest of the Morning: The Complete Trilogy by Emmylou Kotzé, featuring the sketch elements from all 3 book covers (faces, hands, different colours of foliage, cobwebs, morning glories, lilies).

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EmmyKtz 🐙 The Pink Hydra 🔞 @thepinkhydra.com · 30/09/2026

A GOSPEL OF STARS is out now for all lovers of platonic space whump! Come for the misadventure, stay for the social commentary. A space opera novella w/ aroace MC by E.J. LeRoy. thepinkhydra.com/books/gospel thepinkhydra.itch.io/a-gospel-of-stars www.amazon.com/dp/B0HKH247S9

Cover of A Gospel of Stars by E.J. LeRoy featuring graphic design of a Rosary enclosing a spaceship as it hurtles towards a distant planet

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EmmyKtz 🐙 The Pink Hydra 🔞 @thepinkhydra.com · 28/09/2026

My novella Partners in Crime will be part of #SFINCS this year! 🥰 A sword-and-sorcery novella in the shape of a heist movie from the flintlock era, featuring a queer-questioning, ace-spectrum heroine. ⚔️ www.amazon.com/dp/B0HH7LZHWW

Cover of Partners in Crime by Emmylou Kotzé featuring art of a hooded young woman and older male mercenary in a city alley

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EmmyKtz 🐙 The Pink Hydra 🔞 @thepinkhydra.com · 25/09/2026

#WIPSnips Sept 25 - "nation" Synonym: "tribe" Working on the concept of the different nations in A Warlord's Desire. This is a very rough scene far in the future! Just working on the plot details. #⚔️⛓️🖤

“What about the rest of your tribe? Those who weren’t warriors? The children?”
“You will find them here,” Karlan replies, “if you look. In the tents, mostly. Living with the warriors. The truth is, many of our weaker members did not survive the journey across the desert. In particular, not many children.”
Ash is aghast. “They wouldn’t let you take supplies for the crossing?”
“We had to leave our herds behind. The cousins allowed us only our horses, to carry us away, and whatever else each mount could carry on his back. Most household possessions were left behind. People carried the children who were too young to ride on their own, and food.”

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EmmyKtz 🐙 The Pink Hydra 🔞 @thepinkhydra.com · 14/09/2026

#WIPSnips Sept 14 - "month" This is a main theme since A Warlord's Desire is about pregnancy. 😬 CWs apply for mention of sexual relations between master and slave. #⚔️⛓️🖤

His days soon settle into a routine of breakfast, chores, chatting with Tarlek and the other servants, then returning to the tent at evenfall to receive his master, who is usually dead on his feet and falls asleep immediately after dinner. For all of fifteen days, Karlan doesn’t so much as touch or kiss his supposedly alluring young concubine.
Ash supposes his task for this month is over—there’s no more reason for Karlan to want to stick his cock inside him. Ash knows that should make him feel relieved—but some part of himself misses his master’s touch. That odd and fleeting gentleness. The taste of Karlan’s mouth, the slow movements of tongue or phallus when he’s inside Ash. The ache inside himself answered with Karlan’s stinging release of seed. He curls up against his master’s back whilst he sleeps, but it’s not the same.

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EmmyKtz 🐙 The Pink Hydra 🔞 @thepinkhydra.com · 13/09/2026

#SundaySnips Food-related snippet coz I'm hungry 🤣 Tarlek enters the story. 😬 And yes, there is a reason behind him being awkward/threatening towards Ash. #⚔️⛓️🖤

The bustling cook, Tambril, finally notices Ash sitting idle amidst the flurry and ropes him into helping load several enormous brass platters with slices of succulent spiced meat and roasted peppers. The smells make Ash’s mouth water. He recalls similar happenings at his father’s castle, feasts for the victorious after jousting. The spices were different, but Ash helps fill several large flagons with the same wine, rich and deep ruby red.
He barely notices that dusk has fallen until Tarlek arrives with a handful of others to carry the platters away. His friend is wearing the same scowl that has fixed itself upon his face since Ash made his reacquaintance. The men shoulder the groaning platters, heft the flagons. Ash notices that they’re one short.
“Let me help,” he offers. Tarlek puts a hand out to forestall him. Ash looks up.
He and Tarlek always were around the same height, yet Ash grew more slender whilst the blacksmith’s son filled out during their shared adolescence. Somehow that difference seems bigger now than it’s ever been. When Ash was a prince, he would stride amongst the servants and they would defer towards him. He never thought of Tarlek as an underling, but certainly there seemed something a lot smaller about him in those days.

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EmmyKtz 🐙 The Pink Hydra 🔞 @thepinkhydra.com · 09/09/2026

Seeing as I haven't had the 🥄 to do this all week... #WriterShareWednesday, I HAVE A NOVELLA OUT!! "Partners in Crime" follows an ace, queer heroine, Kara, in discovering herself as she enlists a pair of gay mercenaries (Nico & Fish!) in a daring heist. www.amazon.com/dp/B0HH7SY7FX

Cover of Partners in Crime by Emmylou Kotzé, featuring a hooded young woman and a man in armour in a dark city alleyway

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EmmyKtz 🐙 The Pink Hydra 🔞 @thepinkhydra.com · 06/09/2026

This is kind of Ash & Karlan's entire dynamic. 😅 This is from their first conversation. ❤️ #⚔️⛓️🖤 #WritingQ #WritingPrompts

Seized by inspiration and a sincere wish to avoid the scrutiny of those hard black eyes, Ash moves towards a copper ewer and basin set on a washstand near the tub. “Does your wound require cleansing, my lord?” he asks neutrally, making sure to keep his voice low, deferential.
Karlan grimaces and thumbs the leather braced around his arm. “It does,” he replies, and then his mouth quirks into a half smile. Ash quivers to see it.
“Am I ‘my lord’ to you,” he says offhandedly, “or should it be Master?”
Ash freezes. “I-I-I am sorry, Master,” he stammers, endeavouring to hunch himself down as small as possible. Tears prick behind his eyes as he blinks. What an idiot he is. To think that this man—his owner—would possibly tolerate anything less than total, absolute subordination—
Karlan clicks his tongue. “That was a bad jest, Ashkral. Titles and honours are never less sincere than when they exude from the tongue of one enslaved. If ever you have occasion to refer to me, it shall be with the name my fathers bestowed on me, as Karlan and nothing more.”
Ash is so taken aback that he forgets to answer, or even move, until the warlord shifts again.
“Now bring me water.” He fiddles irritably with the lacings. “I am short of time already.”

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EmmyKtz 🐙 The Pink Hydra 🔞 @thepinkhydra.com · 30/08/2026

#SundaySnips This is fitting as the past week I've been battling my way through a chapter entitled "Cypresses." Here are vibes for "shade" as Karlan and Ash ascend a mountain for a mysterious purpose... 🤫 #⚔️⛓️🖤

Despite its altitude, the bluff is so thickly forested with cypresses it’s impossible to see the view through their tangled branches. A distinct, yet rutted and somewhat overgrown road winds up towards this sheltered spot on the side of the mountain.
“I first discovered this place during our campaign here,” Karlan says. “The road is ancient, I think. I never met anyone else coming up.”
“Some of the farmers worship facets of the god in natural places like this,” Ash responds. “The worship sites come and go. Forgotten, then rediscovered.”
Karlan nods. “That is fitting,” he murmurs, and doesn’t speak again until they reach the summit and dismount.

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EmmyKtz 🐙 The Pink Hydra 🔞 @thepinkhydra.com · 30/08/2026

14. The Forest at the Heart of Her Mage by Hiyodori I've been wanting to check out something from this author, and I'm very interested by the "magical forest" aspect of the main character's emotional journey.

The Forest at the Heart of Her Mage: In this slow-burn sapphic fantasy, a journey through a deadly forest reveals old scars, hidden guilt, and growing love. $1.99 at the Indie Book Sale, indiebook.sale
Fantasy, sci-fi & horror, 29-31 August.

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EmmyKtz 🐙 The Pink Hydra 🔞 @thepinkhydra.com · 30/08/2026

13. Under The Ice Skies by Gwenhyver "Swords and sorcery in space" is a top selling point, and I could never resist a sapphic retelling of the Argonautica!

Under The Ice Skies: A sapphic, swords & sorcery, friends-to-lovers, myth reimagining (in space). $1.99 at the Indie Book Sale, indiebook.sale
Fantasy, sci-fi & horror, 29-31 August.

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EmmyKtz 🐙 The Pink Hydra 🔞 @thepinkhydra.com · 30/08/2026

12. Lucianus by C.J. Beshara Gay romance and battlewizards? Say no more.

Lucianus: Lucianus is one of the most destructive wizards of all time. For his crimes, he was executed. $1.99 at the Indie Book Sale, indiebook.sale
Fantasy, sci-fi & horror, 29-31 August.

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EmmyKtz 🐙 The Pink Hydra 🔞 @thepinkhydra.com · 30/08/2026

11. Merman's Delight by Skyler Nightshade A tiny monster...appreciating 😉 story promising achillean romance.

Merman's Delight: Going against reasoning, a merman falls in love with a lighthouse keeper who's given up on humanity. $1.99 at the Indie Book Sale, indiebook.sale
Fantasy, sci-fi & horror, 29-31 August.

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EmmyKtz 🐙 The Pink Hydra 🔞 @thepinkhydra.com · 30/08/2026

10. The Scandalous Letters of V and J by Felicia Davin Queer historical romance is something I'm always up for, and the promise of epistolary sexual explicitness is deeply tempting 😈

The Scandalous Letters of V and J: V and J - one in exile, the other in hiding - meet in a shabby boarding house in Paris, fall in love, make magic, wreak havoc on each other and everyone who's hurt them. FREE at the Indie Book Sale, indiebook.sale
Fantasy, sci-fi & horror, 29-31 August.

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EmmyKtz 🐙 The Pink Hydra 🔞 @thepinkhydra.com · 30/08/2026

9. The Hand That Feeds by @sasseverett.bsky.social I'll be real, I already own this ebook and it's sitting in my eternal to-read pile. 😅 But the personal drama, royals and knights is still something I'm raring to see.

The Hand That Feeds: An exiled knight is given a new chance at love when he receives an unexpected message from his former king. $1.99 at the Indie Book Sale, indiebook.sale
Fantasy, sci-fi & horror, 29-31 August.

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EmmyKtz 🐙 The Pink Hydra 🔞 @thepinkhydra.com · 30/08/2026

8. The Stars Will Be Our Ocean by @lizzieblackwood.bsky.social Romance in space, a heroine with alternative femininity, and a backdrop of a larger galactic intrigue make this chonky book look very promising. 💗

The Stars Will Be Our Ocean: Outcasts on their homeworlds. Allies in deep space. Lovers in spite of everything. Together, Jenna and Tarek can change a galaxy. $2.99 at the Indie Book Sale, indiebook.sale
Fantasy, sci-fi & horror, 29-31 August.

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EmmyKtz 🐙 The Pink Hydra 🔞 @thepinkhydra.com · 30/08/2026

7. Legacy of the Vermillion Blade by Jay Tallsquall Ace heir in a high fantasy world is an intriguing premise to start with, and a love a good multi-character epic to sit down with on a weekend 💝

Legacy of the Vermillion Blade: Asexuality does not mean you can't have a lifetime of love in all of its many forms. FREE at the Indie Book Sale, indiebook.sale
Fantasy, sci-fi & horror, 29-31 August.

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EmmyKtz 🐙 The Pink Hydra 🔞 @thepinkhydra.com · 30/08/2026

6. While We Bleed by Eric Lewis Memory shenanigans are amongst my fave fantasy premises, and the enmity between a scoundrel and his Baroness is instantly intriguing 👀

While We Bleed: His last job went bad. He escaped with his life but not his memory. Now he must resurrect the bastard he once was to put things right. While we still bleed, we still live. $1.99 at the Indie Book Sale, indiebook.sale
Fantasy, sci-fi & horror, 29-31 August.

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EmmyKtz 🐙 The Pink Hydra 🔞 @thepinkhydra.com · 30/08/2026

5. Hills of Heather and Bone by K.E. Andrews A husband-wife pair with weird powers and some gnarly content warnings on the description, including cannibalism. Don't mind if I do. 😈

Hills of Heather and Bone: The bones of the dead hold stories. $1.99 at the Indie Book Sale, indiebook.sale
Fantasy, sci-fi & horror, 29-31 August.

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EmmyKtz 🐙 The Pink Hydra 🔞 @thepinkhydra.com · 30/08/2026

4. Alchemical Dreamer by @mikestruan.com Been waiting a long time for this to go on sale so my broke ass can afford to buy it 😈 😅 "Half-orc boyfriend" is just one of those must-have phrases. 💖

Alchemical Dreamer: The only half-orc of a country. A sharp-tongued noble. Ancient secrets. The hardest alchemy is becoming who you're meant to be. $2.99 at the Indie Book Sale, indiebook.sale
Fantasy, sci-fi & horror, 29-31 August.

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EmmyKtz 🐙 The Pink Hydra 🔞 @thepinkhydra.com · 30/08/2026

3. Bound By Heart by MidnightRose I'm intrigued by the "accidental parent" angle, and attracted by the hints of angst in the description of this one.

Bound By Heart: Rider thought his only purpose was to live and die for magic's freedom, until he meets a helpless baby dragon for whom he breaks the vows of his heart. FREE at the Indie Book Sale, indiebook.sale
Fantasy, sci-fi & horror, 29-31 August.

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EmmyKtz 🐙 The Pink Hydra 🔞 @thepinkhydra.com · 30/08/2026

2. Excoriate by Piamo I've got to give a shout-out to my fellow yaoi connisseur whose worm romance novella took the whole of DDMarket by storm 🪱🖤

Excoriate: wormyaoi ecohorror. $1.99 at the Indie Book Sale, indiebook.sale
Fantasy, sci-fi & horror, 29-31 August.

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EmmyKtz 🐙 The Pink Hydra 🔞 @thepinkhydra.com · 30/08/2026

1. A New Beginning by E.J. Isaacs I am a huge sucker for space opera in general, and adding "military" and "lgbtq+" to the description is just the cherry on top. 🍒

A New Beginning: Strike out into the galaxy! $1.99 at the Indie Book Sale, indiebook.sale
Fantasy, sci-fi & horror, 29-31 August.

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EmmyKtz 🐙 The Pink Hydra 🔞 @thepinkhydra.com · 30/08/2026

The indiebook.sale is running till tomorrow, with hundreds of indie SFF books on discount! My own book, Forest of the Morning is the entire trilogy of an epic fantasy with queer MCs and blood magic. Here's my own list of interesting indie books I've decided to grab while they're on sale: 👇🧵

Forest of the Morning Trilogy: An epic fantasy with queer and ace rep featuring multiple POVs and two romances. $2.99 at the Indie Book Sale, indiebook.sale
Fantasy, sci-fi & horror, 29-31 August.

250+ books are on sale at the Indie Book Sale, fantasy, sci-fi & horror from 29 to 31 August. indiebook.sale

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EmmyKtz 🐙 The Pink Hydra 🔞 @thepinkhydra.com · 29/08/2026

The @narratess.com sale is back - 200+ indie books are on deep discount till Monday! The Forest of the Morning trilogy is on sale for $2.99 - an epic fantasy of 320k words. ⚔️✨ Sale here: indiebook.sale itch bundles: itch.io/b/3867/narra...

Forest of the Morning trilogy by Emmylou Kotzé. An epic fantasy with queer and ace rep featuring multiple POVs and two romances. On sale for $2.99

Indie Book Sale
Fantasy SciFi and Horror
29-31 August 2026

Fantasy - Thrill Bundle

46 books for $105

A Drifting Sun by Ashley Capes
A Bitter Drink by Azalea Forrest
Lantern by Burgundy Athena Pendragon
This Too Shall Burn by Cat Rector
Ajakava by Chaitanya Murali
Elven by D.C. Hart
Stars and Soil by Dax Murray
Petition by Delilah Waan
Moonshadow's Guardian by Dianna Gunn
The Fate of Lenn by Dylan Madeley
Forest of the Morning Trilogy by Emmylou Kotzé
Merchants of Knowledge and Magic by Erika McCorkle
The Scandalous Letters of V and J by Felicia Davin
Prajwalita by Geetha Krishnan
The Successor by Hannah E. Carey
Well of Souls by harmonia grey
Imbued by Helyna L. Clove
The Crane Moon Cycle Duology by J.C. Snow
Spirit Seekers 1-5 by Janna Ruth
The Edge of the World by JD Rivers
Memories of Sorcery and Sand by Joanna Maciejewska
The Curse of Dragon Tail Island by Jonathan Nevair
Vision of Alliance by Joyce Reynolds-Ward
Over the Dragon's Gate by Juliana Jones
The Order of the Key by Justine Manzano
Taking Flight by K Scriven
Elixir Bound by Katie L. Carroll
Lost Blades by Liz Sauco
Carved by Water by M. K. Nedjelkovic
The Spider's Friend by M.C. Burnell
The Blood Prince by Marie Blanchet
Tethered to Darkness by Matt Falcon
The Backwards Knight by Matthew Siadak
The Protector and the Annihilation by Naila Moonsi
Blade Reforged by Niranjan
Nectar for the God by Patrick Samphire
The Living Sword 2 by Pemry Janes
However Many Must Die by Phil Williams
Between Starfalls by S. Kaeth
The Threads That Weave by Sienna Eggler
Rescue from the Orc Fortress by Simon Wolfe
The Flaws of Gravity by Stephanie Caye
Scars of the Raven by T.C. Smith
The Scroungers by Thomas J Devens
The Thirteenth Hour by Trudie Skies
Physical Magic by William C. Tracy

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EmmyKtz 🐙 The Pink Hydra 🔞 @thepinkhydra.com · 28/08/2026

#WIPSnips August 28 - "snuggle" A lot of snuggling in this snippet as Ash starts to catch some serious feelings 💝 #⚔️⛓️🖤

Karlan lays himself down on the furs with a satisfied grunt. Ash turns to him and worms himself into the circle of his arms. His master seems somewhat taken aback, but allows Ash to stay there as the sweat dries on their bodies and Karlan’s breathing slows.
Ash falls asleep still nestled there. His last recollection of this day is of looking deep into Karlan’s eyes, savouring the feel of his master’s sword-calluses against his achy body.

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EmmyKtz 🐙 The Pink Hydra 🔞 @thepinkhydra.com · 26/08/2026

This is from my slave x warlord mpreg novel, A WARLORD'S DESIRE. 🥰 This is honestly a passion project in every possible way & I've been LOVING working on it. The themes are so incredibly crunchy & I'm so invested in telling this messed up love story. 🖤 #nsfwocdaily #nsfw #⚔️⛓️🖤

The warlord’s hands are on him now, and they seem almost gentle. Ash makes himself pliant, offers no resistance as Karlan turns him round and sets him upon his knees again, presenting his opening with ankles apart. He must like this position. He caresses Ash as he carefully manoeuvres him, callused hands exploring the curvature of Ash’s buttocks, fondling the rounded edges of his hips.
Fuck. Ash’s phallus is going hard already. For the warlord. For those strong fingers on the curves of his body, and the soft breath tickling the back of his neck as the warlord makes himself more aroused. For Karlan.
He feels his buttocks gently eased apart, then the pressure of Karlan’s hard cock against his opening. He’s very wet today, no lack of lubrication, but still there’s a slight discomfort. He gasps and puts out his hands to steady himself, trying to balance on all fours as Karlan slides inside him. He has to remind himself not to clench, but isn’t quite in control. The stretch this time isn’t as traumatic, and to Ash’s intense surprise he realizes that Karlan is being gentle. His strokes are slow, his cock moving in such a way that Ash’s wetness increases and his phallus responds in kind. He fondles Ash rather than gripping him, huge hands stroking down his thighs then gently pulling him upright by the waist. He embraces Ash, bringing his body close, and nuzzles his face into that spot in the hollow of his neck he’s already spent so much time in.
To his own utter surprise, Ash doesn’t register any pain. The absence of it allows him to feel every small sensation of what Karlan does to his body. The softness of his lips against Ash’s bare skin, the roughness of his hands as he runs them over Ash’s chest. The way the opening of his birth canal responds to the pressure of Karlan’s cock, widening itself so that there is more of it for him to glide over, a greater area of intense pleasure reducing Ash to nothing so much as a bag of warm soup in the warlord’s hands.

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EmmyKtz 🐙 The Pink Hydra 🔞 @thepinkhydra.com · 25/08/2026

#WIPSnips August 25 - "panic" **MAJOR** CWs for a very short snippet! After-effects of sexual assault + major anxiety over miscarriage. Poor Ash goes through *all* of it in this book. I maintain that his story will have a happy ending though. 😆 #⚔️⛓️🖤

Ash wipes himself, sees blood, and regards it dully. He wipes again. There’s more dripping out of him. Panic encloses his heart. If it doesn’t stop… What if it’s not from being raped, but because he’s losing the child? He bites his lip hard enough to bring tears, and checks again. No, the blood seems to be stopping… Maybe it’s nothing.

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EmmyKtz 🐙 The Pink Hydra 🔞 @thepinkhydra.com · 22/08/2026

#WIPSnips August 22 - "fresh" I love this moment between Ash & Karlan. Yes, the fact that Ash - accidentally - rips off the bandage on Karlan's half-healed wound the first day they're together is NOT incidental. 🥰 #⚔️⛓️🖤

He hasn’t succeeded in undoing the leather brace with his left hand. Ash kneels beside the bed, takes his master’s hand in both his own, and deftly picks the knotted leather loose. The wound scraped along his wrist is an old one, and has not been tended in many days. Karlan hisses in pain as Ash pulls the entire bandage away, the scab coming off stuck to a strip of linen that was furled underneath the leather. But the blood runs scarlet, a good colour, and there’s no foul odour.
“I’m sorry,” Ash manages as the warlord frowns over the injury freshly torn open.
“No matter,” Karlan returns. “It had to be done.”
He laves his arm in the clean, cool water of the basin and instructs Ash to bring soap, fresh bandages, and a kind of greenish ointment that smells strongly of mint.

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EmmyKtz 🐙 The Pink Hydra 🔞 @thepinkhydra.com · 21/08/2026

#WIPSnips August 21 - "wine" I'm soooo close to breaking 1K followers, so to celebrate, YOU 🫵 get exclusive first look at Ash & Karlan's first kiss, mid-coitus! 🥰🫠 Obvious spice level warning for this one: 😈 🌶️🌶️🌶️ #⚔️⛓️🖤

Ash whimpers as Karlan’s cock finds a particularly sensitive spot inside him, and Karlan kisses him again. Deep and intimate, he tastes like something Ash has yearned for but never, ever known.
Their bodies writhe together for a long time, a give and a take, an alternating dance that isn’t forced nor painful. As Karlan kisses him Ash dares to respond in kind, pushing his tongue forward to meet Karlan’s, tasting of his mouth, drinking him like small sips of wine. Karlan’s breath hitches in pleasure. His hands encircle Ash’s hips, angling for an even deeper way to drive himself inside. Ash feels his birth canal yield like a tender flower, opening its petals for Karlan.

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EmmyKtz 🐙 The Pink Hydra 🔞 @thepinkhydra.com · 20/08/2026

THE CELESTIAL BLADE by @ashleygao.bsky.social is out now in ebook & paperback on Ko-fi, itch, Kobo (Plus), Amazon, Lulu and bookshop.org! Need some short romance and/or erotic wuxia adventure? 🥰 We gotcha! Links here: www.thepinkhydra.com/books/celest...

The Celestial Blade by Ashley Y. Gao. Cover art features a woman with a handprint on her back and a glowing magical sword in a bamboo forest

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EmmyKtz 🐙 The Pink Hydra 🔞 @thepinkhydra.com · 17/08/2026

#WIPSnips August 17 - "dark" Back to the very start of the story. ♥️ This is how it all begins #⚔️⛓️🖤

Benjy brightens visibly at the sight of Ash when he exits the tent, clean and sweet-smelling, wavy dark hair tumbling to his jawline, smooth-shaven and neatly attired in the simple tunic and sandals. He bears no unseemly scars nor other marks upon his skin—the welts from the last lashing have faded, and Ash has not been so badly behaved as to earn a slave tattoo in the three months he’s been here.
A lovely gift, Ash thinks, and his heart begins to flutter all over again.
A gift for the warlord Karlan.

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EmmyKtz 🐙 The Pink Hydra 🔞 @thepinkhydra.com · 15/08/2026

I'm proud to announce that both Pink Hydra releases for August are from authors who speak English as a second language. THE CELESTIAL BLADE is a wuxia novella with queer romance. www.thepinkhydra.com/books/celest... YOU MIGHT SAVE LIVES is a dystopian short story with some hard-hitting truths.

Cover of The Celestial Blade by Ashley Y. Gao featuring a red and black sword blade hovering over a woman's bare back

Cover of You Might Save Lives by S. R. Hallow for our August zine featuring the gold lettered title over a photograph of a rainy city street

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EmmyKtz 🐙 The Pink Hydra 🔞 @thepinkhydra.com · 15/08/2026

#WIPSnips August 15 - "spicy" "Spice" + some actual spicy action - this is turning out to be one of **those** parties. 😈 #⚔️⛓️🖤

In the shadows cast by orange-bright embers, Ash sees the glint of gold from coin and jewellery, hears soft gasps and the occasional loud squeal accompanied by harsh laughter. He doesn’t blush as he would have at any time before now. Instead he feels an irresistible draw to look closer, something stirring in his stomach that has nothing to do with the proximity of spiced meat and wine. He makes out the outlines of hard fingers against soft flesh, of silken fabric rucked up, of movement where jewelled hand meets bared crotch. He studies the shadows further and realizes that it’s not always a matter of warrior and whore. Two boys younger than Ash himself are embracing topless in a quiet throughway between two tents. When Ash pads past he hears the unmistakable sucking sounds of tongue in mouth, of wet saliva, of bare hand caressing flesh.

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EmmyKtz 🐙 The Pink Hydra 🔞 @thepinkhydra.com · 13/08/2026

#WIPSnips August 13 - "sniff" Fresh from the brain factory!!! A little mirrored moment in a sweet chapter I wanted to write before some more plot-heavy things happen. ❤️ #⚔️⛓️🖤

First part of the snippet:

Ash’s circling thoughts still as his master stands up, not even looking in his direction. Karlan neatens his hair and strides over to the table. His gaze sweeps across the honeyed biscuits, dried fruit and preserves that Tambril has laid out. Then he lifts the still-steaming, earthenware cup.
“What’s this?” he asks with a cautious sniff.
“It’s an herbal tea. For the day after… an over-indulgence. My father used to have it all the time, after feasts.”
Karlan raises one eyebrow dubiously. Ash sharply recalls their very first conversation, just five days ago.
“It’s—it’s not poisoned,” he stammers. “I wouldn’t even know how to… I’ll drink it first.”
“There’s no need,” Karlan says quietly, and downs a deep swallow. Ash blinks.
“I trust your word,” Karlan says. “And gods know, Ashkral… if you wanted to kill me, I think you’d have tried something smarter than this.” He takes a seat at the table, and gestures towards another chair. “Join me. Eat.”

Second part:

As they work, Karlan fishes out a leather pouch from his belongings and takes a couple of dark, oily-looking cubes from it, popping one into his mouth before offering the second to Ash.
It’s Ash’s turn to ask “What’s this?” and sniff. The little square is made up of dried meat, laced together with suet and some kind of fruit.
“Venison and dried berries,” Karlan replies. “Nothing better to keep a man going during a hard trek across the plains.”
Ash dubiously takes a nibble. It’s barely even sweet, but Karlan shows far more gusto for the snack than he did Tambril’s honeyed biscuits.

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EmmyKtz 🐙 The Pink Hydra 🔞 @thepinkhydra.com · 10/08/2026

#WIPSnips August 10 - "admit" Angst incoming 🥴 Yes there is a backstory here and yeah Karlan is still a bit of a cunt tbh 😁 #⚔️⛓️🖤

Karlan frowns. “They treat you badly?”
“No.” Ash fidgets. “They treat me differently.”
Karlan rocks back on his haunches. “As they well might,” he says quietly. “None of them…” His face softens as he looks back at Ash.
“In truth, I do not know how it is you should spend your days,” he admits. “My people keep few slaves, and have no place for concubines.” The word makes Ash’s face heat even as they calmly regard each other.
“My birthgiver,” Karlan continues abruptly, “was a warrior.”
Ash’s eyes widen in surprise. The way Karlan is looking at him now makes him burn all over.
“He was no slave, but my sire’s shield-companion.” The words are delivered matter-of-factly, with no hesitation. Yet Ash senses something much deeper behind the simple statements Karlan is divulging.

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EmmyKtz 🐙 The Pink Hydra 🔞 @thepinkhydra.com · 09/08/2026

Post your book covers! 📚💖 Graphic designs by... me! Including a few photographs and drawings of my own. 📸

Cover of Runaway, a novella. Featuring graphic design of a woman's hand with curling smoke over sand dunes, surrounded by a crown, a sword, an axe, and a snake against a black background

Cover of What Happens in Camp. Black-and-white stock photograph of a bare-chested young man, with a dagger overlaid. There's a spatter of red over the dagger blade.

Cover of Goddess of the Dark. White line drawing of two people's hands, one reaching for some kind of skylight framing a tree and the other trying to hold them back. Art is superimposed on a leafy background turned purple and blue, as if it's taking place at night or in a subterranean setting. The cover is peppered with white lilies.

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EmmyKtz 🐙 The Pink Hydra 🔞 @thepinkhydra.com · 01/08/2026

#WIPSnips August 1 - "Coherent" This encounter is a little rough (both in terms of what's happening AND the fact it's not gone through editing). 🤣😈 This is a WIP that has explicit sex in pretty much every chapter so this is a good taste of what's to come 😁 #⚔️⛓️🖤

Karlan laughs gruffly and pushes Ash away, unbuckling everything himself until he is stripped down to tunic and trousers. He turns back towards Ash still perched uncomfortably on the side of the chair, wraps his arms around him and kisses him. Deep and tender, without reservation. Heat rises through Ash’s chest and face, and his whole body is limp when the warlord gently lifts him.
Karlan dumps Ash on the bed, then quickly strips off the rest of his clothes. His cock is already engorged, his magnificent body slightly damp with sweat. Ash opens his legs obediently for Karlan to place himself between them, leans up to receive his mouth. His chest is sensitive against Karlan’s bare skin. The warlord soon notices, reaching up a hand to caress Ash’s nipples, to gently squeeze the flesh around them. His fingers are hard but controlled, and his touch doesn’t engender pain. Rather, it’s Ash who presses harder against him, wanting more pressure, gasping incoherently with desire. The blanket underneath him feels damp when he moves. His body feels feverish, hot and aching with anticipation, with the desire for Karlan to be inside of him. Only whatever remains of Ash’s battered pride keeps him from voicing this, from telling Karlan how badly he wants to be fucked.

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EmmyKtz 🐙 The Pink Hydra 🔞 @thepinkhydra.com · 01/08/2026

aw man I gotta record this moment 👀😍

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EmmyKtz 🐙 The Pink Hydra 🔞 @thepinkhydra.com · 24/07/2026

#WIPSnips July 24 - "Cacophony" Going back to Forest of the Morning where I actually have this word 😅 A chapter ending in book 2, just before it all falls apart for Fish. 💔

“You’re drunker than I am,” Kevin laughed, sitting back.
“No.” Fish felt more sober than he had all evening, and dread wound itself suffocatingly into the fibres of his being. “That’s not what this is. Can’t you feel it?” He looked at Kevin, who was regarding him now with puzzled bemusement. “No,” he whispered to himself, “no, you wouldn’t.” He stood up just as another lurch throbbed all through him, and fought to keep it under control. Some instinct in him called out to Brightfeather, and he felt the presence of the quetzal in the back of his mind, reassuring and earthing him in the midst of the sudden cacophony that raged through his senses.
“What’s wrong?” Kevin asked, frowning.
What could he say? Fish didn’t know precisely what was about to happen. “Danger,” he gasped at last, giving voice to the warning which rang throughout his body, singing of discord unleashed in the ether, of silver, brimstone, darkness and blood. “I—I think we’re under attack.”

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EmmyKtz 🐙 The Pink Hydra 🔞 @thepinkhydra.com · 21/07/2026

For someone who dies before the beginning of the book Ash's father has an outsize influence on the narrative so I HAD to post this #wipsnip - "Family" 😭 #⚔️⛓️🖤

Ash looks over at the other boy as they rearrange their dirty tunics and head back. A change of clothes, thankfully, awaits them back at their quarters, along with a shared bucket of washing-water. Sol is silent as usual, carrying his fate with a quiet dignity on his broad shoulders, looking only at his feet. Ash rolls his own angular shoulders, a dull exhaustion settled in his bones. He thinks of his father, of the sweet dream he just awoke from. It wasn’t a memory. The dream wasn’t reflective of reality. In the dream Lord Orzan smiled at him, spoke words of approval and pride, and drew Ash into a tight bear hug.
That never happened in reality. Ash can remember only a handful of times, in the whole of his nearly-nineteen years, when his father was pleased with him. Orzan was a stern lord, a stern parent. Never give the masses more than they strictly require. Never bestow upon the boy any unneeded paternal affection.
Ash wants to ask Sol about his own fathers, Orzan’s master of horse and his master saddler. But the master of horse is dead, and the saddler has been sent to the warlord Meighie to outfit his finest horses. Sol may never see him again. Ash bites his tongue.

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EmmyKtz 🐙 The Pink Hydra 🔞 @thepinkhydra.com · 21/07/2026

Meanwhile, those yearning for iffy consent, tormented men with deep psychological issues, and actually interesting relationship dynamics, feel free to check out my UNETHICAL romantic m/m sword-and-sorcery novella Runaway: 😈🚩 www.thepinkhydra.com/books/runaway

Cover of Runaway by Emmylou Kotzé featuring graphic design with a smoking hand over desert dunes, a snake, sword, axe and crown

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EmmyKtz 🐙 The Pink Hydra 🔞 @thepinkhydra.com · 19/07/2026

#SundaySnips "Smoke" #⚔️⛓️🖤 Ash and Karlan's first meeting. ❤️ This is a flashback and still soft from the oven! 🥧 (Written just this week)

Ash shivers even more violently, and drops to his knees. This man is going to kill him like he killed his father. Ash doesn’t want to die. Doesn’t want to end a nameless hero, a cold body stretched out upon a pile of other dead heroes. The footsteps approach inexorably as his vision blurs.
The footsteps stop, boots coming to a halt just inside Ash’s fog of tears. The warlord kneels in front of him and, in a gesture almost gentle, lifts the pot-helm from his head.
Ash looks up. His wide, terrified eyes meet the black hawk’s-gaze depths of the warlord Karlan’s.
Ash swallows hard. His fate rests upon this man’s mercy. “Please,” he whispers, and can say nothing else.
The warlord’s visage is gritty, his hands gory with spilled blood. When he speaks, his voice comes harsh as though roughened with smoke.
“It’s all right, little prince.” He doesn’t smile, but something in his eyes eases Ash’s fear somewhat. “Do as you’re told, and you won’t be harmed. I swear it upon the grave of your father.”

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EmmyKtz 🐙 The Pink Hydra 🔞 @thepinkhydra.com · 19/07/2026

#WIPSnips July 19 - "divine" This snippet was *way* too good to pass up. 💔 #⚔️⛓️🖤

Ash won’t name it yet, but it sits within him like an old friend. He gives it the space to settle and expand. If all that Karlan did to him hasn’t driven it away, it must be true. And more—he knows that it lives within Karlan too. He has seen it in the warlord’s eyes when looking at him, like he’s something precious to be savoured, a pleasure Karlan never even dreamed of having. An unexpected gift which the warlord fears to lose as much as Ash fears the uprooting uncertainty that might come with Karlan’s death.
Ash feels this like he feels the certainty of the earth beneath his feet. He knows it the way he knows that apples fall to earth when thrown, that rain is wet and sunlight blinding, that dusk precedes dawn and day turns into night.
He sends up a prayer to the Many-Faceted God. Out of all the turmoil, there is only one thing that Ash is absolutely certain he wants. He sees no shame in asking the divine presence to grant it.
He wants Karlan to survive and return from battle victorious. He wants Karlan to return to him.

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EmmyKtz 🐙 The Pink Hydra 🔞 @thepinkhydra.com · 17/07/2026

#WIPSnips July 17 - "acquire" I am 20K words in and already I love Ash & Karlan so much. 🥰 These kids are literally taking over my life with their zany love story. Some suggestive thoughts here from Ash's side but nothing explicit 😏 #⚔️⛓️🖤

Ash stacks his newly acquired possessions beside the lumpy mattress, gets up again and surveys the tent, feeling pent-up with some kind of nameless energy. He notices the dishevelled state of Karlan’s bed and strides over to neaten it. Like the tent itself, Karlan’s bedclothes are clean by the standards of a military encampment. Yet as Ash shakes out the blankets he can’t help but notice something new filling the air—and his nose.
Ash’s own bed in the labourers’ camp was disgusting, of course, but the scent of Karlan’s blankets is different from what Ash remembers of his bedsheets back in his father’s keep. They smell of him.
That scent doesn’t repel Ash—quite the opposite, in fact. He finds himself thinking of the two of them together—himself and Karlan, close together on this bed this very morning. He recalls how it felt to touch Karlan’s bare skin with his own, the thrill of looking up to meet his eyes. He thinks of Karlan’s muscled calves and thighs just visible below the hem of his tunic. Wonders how it would feel to touch the other parts of him. Not just his hand. The smoothness of his shaven face—will it rasp like Ash’s own, or be silky to the touch? When Karlan takes off his tunic—which he certainly will at some point in front of Ash—will his ass and waist be as magnificent as Ash imagines them to be?
Ash halts his thoughts, horrified. His fist clenches around the fringe of the blanket he was rearranging.
Ash knows nothing about sex save the possibility of pregnancy. His father warned him away from any romantic association for that reason. He’s never shared a bond with any other youth that went beyond simple friendship. He’s never undressed in front of anyone with that intention.

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EmmyKtz 🐙 The Pink Hydra 🔞 @thepinkhydra.com · 15/07/2026

#AwesomeCharacters In my upcoming novella Partners in Crime, the MC, Kara, is non-binary and asexual biromantic. The entire story is about her figuring out these aspects of herself... and an opportunity for me the writer to talk about my own contradictions. 😉 Most of all, I love... 1/

Part of the upcoming cover for PARTNERS IN CRIME showing Kara, a female-presenting character dressed in a hooded cloak in a dark alley

Text excerpt from a draft version of the novella:

She drew on the shirt. It smelled faintly of tobacco but was otherwise clean.
“You take my hat, too,” he continued. “Hide your hair under it.”
“I have a better idea,” Kara said, suddenly energized. “We cut it off.”
Fisher studied her for a moment, an odd look in his golden-brown eyes. “Cut it off? Are you sure?”
Kara shrugged and seized one of her daggers. “Been wanting to do this for a while now.”
“Whoa there,” Fisher said, raising his hands for her to wait. “We can cut it if you want, but not with that.” He moved through the doorway, back towards Klavbert. There was a short, murmured conversation, then he returned holding a dagger that was much sharper than hers and a pair of tiny beard-scissors.
“Are you sure about this?” he asked again, and Kara nodded enthusiastically.
After it was done, Fisher made her wear the hat anyway, since it was her face the guards might recognize. As they emerged on the street, the teeth of an icy wind bit under an overcast sky. Kara felt lighter without the tangled braid, as if some small weight of the past had been lifted from her. With the short-cropped hair, and in a man’s shirt and jacket, there were some who might take her at first glance for a boy. She found she didn’t dislike the idea in the least.

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EmmyKtz 🐙 The Pink Hydra 🔞 @thepinkhydra.com · 15/07/2026

#WIPSnips July 15 - "Coach" I have JUST finished the first iteration of the opening chapters of "A Warlord's Desire" and I'm DYING to share so here is a synonym for "coach" - *instructed* 😅 This is Karlan and Ash's first meeting after... y'know... that thing where Karlan razed Ash's city 😬 #⚔️⛓️🖤

“What do I call you?” Karlan asks, coming inside.
“Ash.” The answer comes automatically.
Karlan pauses. “Is that the name your fathers gave you?”
He doesn’t remember, Ash realizes. Their first meeting has stuck in his own mind all these weeks like an embedded splinter—but for Karlan, it meant little. Of course, the warlord has killed many fathers. Razed many cities. Ash fixes his gaze upon the floor and clenches his hands a little tighter as he replies: “No. My proper name is Ashkral.”
Karlan grunts, but without seeing his face, Ash cannot read his mood. The warlord tucks Ash’s papers into his belt and walks past him to perch on the bed, which sags slightly beneath his weight. Something stirs in Ash that feels a little different from fear. Even without his armour, the warlord Karlan is an imposing hulk of a man. He is older than Ash, no longer a youth yet still a young man, and secure in his strength. Corded muscles run along the inner length of his arms and calves. Ash has already noted the carefully balanced weight of every movement the warlord makes. Karlan is efficient in everything he does. His limbs run taut with massed power, yet nothing about him seems pent-up nor uncomfortable. The deliberate, measured nature of his movements reminds Ash of a stalking leopard.
“I requested a personal servant,” Karlan continues quietly. Ash nods again. “You are to share my tent, keep my possessions in good order, fetch and carry what I ask of you, and assist me with grooming and armouring should I require it.” He pauses, and his gaze lingers upon Ash in a way that deeply unsettles him.
Ash fidgets with his hands. He is Karlan’s property now, to dispose with as the warlord pleases. What would it please Karlan for Ash to do? He requested a servant. Ash was raised a nobleman’s son, but in these past weeks he has been well instructed in his role. Fetch and carry. Obey. Never look your master directly in the eye.

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EmmyKtz 🐙 The Pink Hydra 🔞 @thepinkhydra.com · 10/07/2026

My addition to the writing discourse today is to say that my files are actually... really well organized. If I had a trillion "final_final_draft.docx" files I would probably have a nervous breakdown. 😅 I don't wanna dunk on anybody so I'm not quoting that post - my file names are below. 💀 1/🧵

My file list which goes as follows:

rocks.txt
rules of Saxon pronunciation.docx
Runaway - smut.docx
Runaway - snippets & notes.docx
Runaway.docx
sanctuary.docx
Sci-fi with dead wife.txt

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EmmyKtz 🐙 The Pink Hydra 🔞 @thepinkhydra.com · 09/07/2026

... don't be like Fish, kids. 🙏 #AwesomeCharacters (cw: self harm, smoking)

Snippet from Maiden of Despair:

“Fish, stop it.” Nico reached out decisively, and shut the book with a clap. Fish started, and looked up at him as if he had forgotten all about his presence. The dagger hung loosely from his hand, and Nico reached out and took it from him.
“Let me bandage this,” he said, taking Fish’s unresisting left hand. He burrowed in the pack, found a clean cloth that had been intended to dress his own wounds should they reopen, and tore a ribbon from it.
“You’ve only just recovered from what they did to you last time,” he continued. “Give it a while before you hurt yourself again. I’m sure there isn’t anything in that book so urgent that you need to open your own veins to get at it.”
Fish watched as Nico carefully bandaged his hand, looking bemused. “It’s just blood,” he said at last. “It doesn’t matter.”
“And if you got wound-fever from that cut?” Nico’s voice came out harsher than he had intended, and Fish’s eyes seemed very young and wide as he looked up at his partner.

Snippet from Maiden of Despair:

Fish sighed, tossed curls that were soaked with sweat out of his eyes, and pulled a cigarillo from his trouser pocket. Like many of the finer things in life, tobacco was more readily available in Qwu’Mallorn, and the quality was far better than the stuff he used to smoke in Ülhard. Fish rolled the cigarillo in his fingers, put it to his lips, and then on a whim snapped his fingers together. The magic that was still sparking from him translated into a brief flame, and the cigarillo was lit as he inhaled.
He probably shouldn’t do magic so close to his own face. He didn’t care.

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