Sebastian Nothwell's Blog, page 3
June 8, 2025
Ch. 11 - A Mirror for the Prince's Shadow - m x nb romantasy on Patreon
Chapter Eleven of
A Mirror for the Prince's Shadow
- a historical m x nb romantasy featuring dark academia, hurt/comfort, and dragon royalty - is now on Patre♡n! Wherein our hero survives a laboratory accident.
~
“I’m sure he’s just nervous,” Alistair assured Emlyn for the fifth time that afternoon.
For a fifth time, Emlyn found xe couldn’t believe him.
~
Joining me on Patre♡n will give you access to “drawer fic” – aka the 500k+ words worth of manuscripts that have been shelved until I figure out how to fix or finish them. You'll also be invited to join an exclusive Discord server just for patrons!
A new chapter will go up every week. Missing (unwritten) scenes will be indicated by brackets describing what would probably happen if the scene were written. Example: [in this scene Aubrey and Lindsey ride a carousel]
Currently posting…
♡ A Mirror for the Prince's Shadow (historical m x nb romantasy)
Completed works...
♡ the Aubrey & Lindsey solar fantasy project (mm)
♡ A Willing Canvas - John Halloway x Lord Cyril Graves (mm)
♡ The Train Job - Rowena Althorp x Rebekah (ff)
♡ Hold Fast 2 - Hold Faster (mm)
♡ Vampires Vampires Vampires (mmm)
♡ The Sebastian Nothwell Contemporary Expanded Universe (mmm+)
♡ Theo. (transmasc historical mm romance)
See you on Patre♡n!
~
“I’m sure he’s just nervous,” Alistair assured Emlyn for the fifth time that afternoon.
For a fifth time, Emlyn found xe couldn’t believe him.
~
Joining me on Patre♡n will give you access to “drawer fic” – aka the 500k+ words worth of manuscripts that have been shelved until I figure out how to fix or finish them. You'll also be invited to join an exclusive Discord server just for patrons!
A new chapter will go up every week. Missing (unwritten) scenes will be indicated by brackets describing what would probably happen if the scene were written. Example: [in this scene Aubrey and Lindsey ride a carousel]
Currently posting…
♡ A Mirror for the Prince's Shadow (historical m x nb romantasy)
Completed works...
♡ the Aubrey & Lindsey solar fantasy project (mm)
♡ A Willing Canvas - John Halloway x Lord Cyril Graves (mm)
♡ The Train Job - Rowena Althorp x Rebekah (ff)
♡ Hold Fast 2 - Hold Faster (mm)
♡ Vampires Vampires Vampires (mmm)
♡ The Sebastian Nothwell Contemporary Expanded Universe (mmm+)
♡ Theo. (transmasc historical mm romance)
See you on Patre♡n!
June 3, 2025
Groveling – Trope Talk on Right Here Write Queer
There’s a new episode of Right Here Write Queer waiting for you wherever you listen to your fave podcasts!
The hour has arrived for a big apology to slake the reader’s thirst for justice. Tess Carletta (she/her) and I discuss the groveling trope in romance and genre fiction, why it’s so difficult to get right, and what can be done to make it truly satisfying.
Tess Carletta (she/her) is the author of Kit & Basie: A Cozy Immortal MM Romance, a queer cozy fantasy romance, its sequel collection Patchwork, and the forthcoming fantasy novel Goldheart. You can connect with her at her website: tesscarletta.com
The hour has arrived for a big apology to slake the reader’s thirst for justice. Tess Carletta (she/her) and I discuss the groveling trope in romance and genre fiction, why it’s so difficult to get right, and what can be done to make it truly satisfying.
Tess Carletta (she/her) is the author of Kit & Basie: A Cozy Immortal MM Romance, a queer cozy fantasy romance, its sequel collection Patchwork, and the forthcoming fantasy novel Goldheart. You can connect with her at her website: tesscarletta.com
June 1, 2025
Ch. 10 - A Mirror for the Prince's Shadow - m x nb romantasy on Patreon
Chapter Ten of
A Mirror for the Prince's Shadow
- a historical m x nb romantasy featuring dark academia, hurt/comfort, and dragon royalty - is now on Patre♡n! Wherein a wretched dinner is endured.
~
“Caught you at last,” Emlyn declared with a grin.
Rat froze on the threshold to their dormitory, his fingertips still on the knob. His hand no longer had any putrefying fluids on it, as he’d undergone a hearty scrub up to the elbows before he’d left the dissection laboratory, but he felt as if he tarnished the knob nonetheless. Particularly beneath the gaze of his pristine prince. “What’s amiss?”
Which was really just a less overtly obsequious way of asking what his prince—his captain—required of him.
Emlyn blinked. “Nothing’s amiss. Just wanted to bring you down to dinner.”
~
Joining me on Patre♡n will give you access to “drawer fic” – aka the 500k+ words worth of manuscripts that have been shelved until I figure out how to fix or finish them. You'll also be invited to join an exclusive Discord server just for patrons!
A new chapter will go up every week. Missing (unwritten) scenes will be indicated by brackets describing what would probably happen if the scene were written. Example: [in this scene Aubrey and Lindsey ride a carousel]
Currently posting…
♡ A Mirror for the Prince's Shadow (historical m x nb romantasy)
Completed works...
♡ the Aubrey & Lindsey solar fantasy project (mm)
♡ A Willing Canvas - John Halloway x Lord Cyril Graves (mm)
♡ The Train Job - Rowena Althorp x Rebekah (ff)
♡ Hold Fast 2 - Hold Faster (mm)
♡ Vampires Vampires Vampires (mmm)
♡ The Sebastian Nothwell Contemporary Expanded Universe (mmm+)
♡ Theo. (transmasc historical mm romance)
See you on Patre♡n!
~
“Caught you at last,” Emlyn declared with a grin.
Rat froze on the threshold to their dormitory, his fingertips still on the knob. His hand no longer had any putrefying fluids on it, as he’d undergone a hearty scrub up to the elbows before he’d left the dissection laboratory, but he felt as if he tarnished the knob nonetheless. Particularly beneath the gaze of his pristine prince. “What’s amiss?”
Which was really just a less overtly obsequious way of asking what his prince—his captain—required of him.
Emlyn blinked. “Nothing’s amiss. Just wanted to bring you down to dinner.”
~
Joining me on Patre♡n will give you access to “drawer fic” – aka the 500k+ words worth of manuscripts that have been shelved until I figure out how to fix or finish them. You'll also be invited to join an exclusive Discord server just for patrons!
A new chapter will go up every week. Missing (unwritten) scenes will be indicated by brackets describing what would probably happen if the scene were written. Example: [in this scene Aubrey and Lindsey ride a carousel]
Currently posting…
♡ A Mirror for the Prince's Shadow (historical m x nb romantasy)
Completed works...
♡ the Aubrey & Lindsey solar fantasy project (mm)
♡ A Willing Canvas - John Halloway x Lord Cyril Graves (mm)
♡ The Train Job - Rowena Althorp x Rebekah (ff)
♡ Hold Fast 2 - Hold Faster (mm)
♡ Vampires Vampires Vampires (mmm)
♡ The Sebastian Nothwell Contemporary Expanded Universe (mmm+)
♡ Theo. (transmasc historical mm romance)
See you on Patre♡n!
May 27, 2025
Cozy Capitalism - Trope Talk on Right Here Write Queer
There’s a new episode of Right Here Write Queer waiting for you wherever you listen to your fave podcasts!
Authors RK Ashwick (she/her) and Noah Hawthorne (they/them) discuss why so many cozy fantasy stories feature coffeeshops and bookshops, how to break out of the mold, and where the genre’s economic models may go in the future.
RK Ashwick (she/her) is the author of the Lutesong trilogy beginning with The Stray Spirit, as well as the cozy fantasy series Sidequest Row beginning with A Rival Most Vial. You can connect with her at her website: rkashwick.com
Noah Hawthorne (they/them), also writing as Aelina Isaacs, is the author of the queer cozy fantasy series Adventures in Levena, beginning with Phantom and Rook, and the solarpunk novel The Rebel Foxes, amongst other titles. You can connect with them at their website: neshamapublishing.com
May 25, 2025
Ch. 9 - A Mirror for the Prince's Shadow - m x nb romantasy on Patreon
Chapter Nine of
A Mirror for the Prince's Shadow
- a historical m x nb romantasy featuring dark academia, hurt/comfort, and dragon royalty - is now on Patre♡n! Wherein favoritism goes awry.
~
“You needn’t look so sour,” Alistair told Emlyn in a tone of gentle teasing. “It’s full marks.”
This did nothing to improve Emlyn’s opinion of the essay that the professor had just handed back to xir.
Xe had dashed it off a scant hour before it was due. Its core argument—if it had any, and if xe were questioned now xe knew xe couldn’t give its summary—was borne not of rigorous study and reflection but rather of a flailing hazard towards points xe’d heard fellow students make in the lecture. It was not xir best work, and xe knew it. Therefore the essay could not have received full marks on its own merit.
Which left Emlyn to wonder what other reasons might lead xir professor to grade it so highly.
~
Joining me on Patre♡n will give you access to “drawer fic” – aka the 500k+ words worth of manuscripts that have been shelved until I figure out how to fix or finish them. You'll also be invited to join an exclusive Discord server just for patrons!
A new chapter will go up every week. Missing (unwritten) scenes will be indicated by brackets describing what would probably happen if the scene were written. Example: [in this scene Aubrey and Lindsey ride a carousel]
Currently posting…
♡ A Mirror for the Prince's Shadow (historical m x nb romantasy)
Completed works...
♡ the Aubrey & Lindsey solar fantasy project (mm)
♡ A Willing Canvas - John Halloway x Lord Cyril Graves (mm)
♡ The Train Job - Rowena Althorp x Rebekah (ff)
♡ Hold Fast 2 - Hold Faster (mm)
♡ Vampires Vampires Vampires (mmm)
♡ The Sebastian Nothwell Contemporary Expanded Universe (mmm+)
♡ Theo. (transmasc historical mm romance)
See you on Patre♡n!
~
“You needn’t look so sour,” Alistair told Emlyn in a tone of gentle teasing. “It’s full marks.”
This did nothing to improve Emlyn’s opinion of the essay that the professor had just handed back to xir.
Xe had dashed it off a scant hour before it was due. Its core argument—if it had any, and if xe were questioned now xe knew xe couldn’t give its summary—was borne not of rigorous study and reflection but rather of a flailing hazard towards points xe’d heard fellow students make in the lecture. It was not xir best work, and xe knew it. Therefore the essay could not have received full marks on its own merit.
Which left Emlyn to wonder what other reasons might lead xir professor to grade it so highly.
~
Joining me on Patre♡n will give you access to “drawer fic” – aka the 500k+ words worth of manuscripts that have been shelved until I figure out how to fix or finish them. You'll also be invited to join an exclusive Discord server just for patrons!
A new chapter will go up every week. Missing (unwritten) scenes will be indicated by brackets describing what would probably happen if the scene were written. Example: [in this scene Aubrey and Lindsey ride a carousel]
Currently posting…
♡ A Mirror for the Prince's Shadow (historical m x nb romantasy)
Completed works...
♡ the Aubrey & Lindsey solar fantasy project (mm)
♡ A Willing Canvas - John Halloway x Lord Cyril Graves (mm)
♡ The Train Job - Rowena Althorp x Rebekah (ff)
♡ Hold Fast 2 - Hold Faster (mm)
♡ Vampires Vampires Vampires (mmm)
♡ The Sebastian Nothwell Contemporary Expanded Universe (mmm+)
♡ Theo. (transmasc historical mm romance)
See you on Patre♡n!
May 20, 2025
Immortality - Trope Talk on Right Here Write Queer
There’s a new episode of Right Here Write Queer waiting for you wherever you listen to your fave podcasts!
Indie authors RK Ashwick, Tess Carletta, and Noah Hawthorne discuss their immortal characters and how they use immortality in their writing—from forest spirits to fae descendants and everything between and beyond. Spoilers ahead!
RK Ashwick (she/her) is the author of the Lutesong trilogy beginning with The Stray Spirit, as well as the cozy fantasy series Sidequest Row beginning with A Rival Most Vial. You can connect with her at her website: rkashwick.com
Tess Carletta (she/her) is the author of Kit & Basie, a queer cozy fantasy romance, its sequel collection Patchwork, and the forthcoming fantasy novel Goldheart. You can connect with her at her website: tesscarletta.com
Noah Hawthorne (they/them), also writing as Aelina Isaacs, is the author of the queer cozy fantasy series Adventures in Levena, beginning with Phantom and Rook, and the solarpunk novel The Rebel Foxes, amongst other titles. You can connect with them at their website: neshamapublishing.com
May 18, 2025
Ch. 8 - A Mirror for the Prince's Shadow - m x nb romantasy on Patreon
Chapter Eight of
A Mirror for the Prince's Shadow
- a historical m x nb romantasy featuring dark academia, hurt/comfort, and dragon royalty - is now on Patre♡n! Wherein friendships are forged.
~
The library wasn’t quite so bad as the dining hall, by Rat’s reckoning. For one thing, it proved quieter. For another, his nerves weren’t frayed by old instincts gnawing at the back of his mind, insisting everyone lurking over his hunched shoulders intended to steal his food. After all, the posted rules on the end-caps of shelves reminded students that no food or drink would be permitted on the premises.
Stares and whispers, however, continued.
~
Joining me on Patre♡n will give you access to “drawer fic” – aka the 500k+ words worth of manuscripts that have been shelved until I figure out how to fix or finish them. You'll also be invited to join an exclusive Discord server just for patrons!
A new chapter will go up every week. Missing (unwritten) scenes will be indicated by brackets describing what would probably happen if the scene were written. Example: [in this scene Aubrey and Lindsey ride a carousel]
Currently posting…
♡ A Mirror for the Prince's Shadow (historical m x nb romantasy)
Completed works...
♡ the Aubrey & Lindsey solar fantasy project (mm)
♡ A Willing Canvas - John Halloway x Lord Cyril Graves (mm)
♡ The Train Job - Rowena Althorp x Rebekah (ff)
♡ Hold Fast 2 - Hold Faster (mm)
♡ Vampires Vampires Vampires (mmm)
♡ The Sebastian Nothwell Contemporary Expanded Universe (mmm+)
♡ Theo. (transmasc historical mm romance)
See you on Patre♡n!
~
The library wasn’t quite so bad as the dining hall, by Rat’s reckoning. For one thing, it proved quieter. For another, his nerves weren’t frayed by old instincts gnawing at the back of his mind, insisting everyone lurking over his hunched shoulders intended to steal his food. After all, the posted rules on the end-caps of shelves reminded students that no food or drink would be permitted on the premises.
Stares and whispers, however, continued.
~
Joining me on Patre♡n will give you access to “drawer fic” – aka the 500k+ words worth of manuscripts that have been shelved until I figure out how to fix or finish them. You'll also be invited to join an exclusive Discord server just for patrons!
A new chapter will go up every week. Missing (unwritten) scenes will be indicated by brackets describing what would probably happen if the scene were written. Example: [in this scene Aubrey and Lindsey ride a carousel]
Currently posting…
♡ A Mirror for the Prince's Shadow (historical m x nb romantasy)
Completed works...
♡ the Aubrey & Lindsey solar fantasy project (mm)
♡ A Willing Canvas - John Halloway x Lord Cyril Graves (mm)
♡ The Train Job - Rowena Althorp x Rebekah (ff)
♡ Hold Fast 2 - Hold Faster (mm)
♡ Vampires Vampires Vampires (mmm)
♡ The Sebastian Nothwell Contemporary Expanded Universe (mmm+)
♡ Theo. (transmasc historical mm romance)
See you on Patre♡n!
May 13, 2025
Astrophobia with Vesper Doom on Right Here Write Queer!
There’s a new episode of Right Here Write Queer waiting for you wherever you listen to your fave podcasts!
Carolina Cruz (they/them) is joined by Vesper Doom (she/they) to discuss their space horror anthology Astrophobia—including an audio love letter to the Alien films and the joy of collaborating with human authors and human artists.
Vesper Doom (she/they) is the author of sci-fi, fantasy, and horror works like Broodmother, The Binding of Bloom Mountain, and the upcoming Metropolis Down. You can connect with her on their website: vesperdoom.com
Carolina Cruz (they/them) is the author of the vampire horror romance Blood in the Water and the queer fantasy series The Creed of Gethin (beginning with The Unwanted Prophet). You can connect with them on instagram @ninawolverina
Ashland Public Library RomCon!
Come join us on Saturday, May 17th for the 4th Annual RomCon - Romance Authors Festival - at the Ashland Public Library.
Meet some of your favorite romance authors, get signed books, listen in on panels, play along with romance games, and mingle with other romance lovers. It's going to be a fabulous day!
Authors include...
• L.E. Eldridge
• Jenny L. Howe
• Caroline Linden
• Riss M. Neilson
• Kass O'Shire
• Tara L. Roí
• Joanna Shupe
• Tara Tai
• and Sebastian Nothwell (yours truly!)
Along with our panel moderators...
• Meena Jain
• Evelyn Richardson
• and Barbara Tanner Wallace
Our panel theme is Bucking the Romance Trends - how authors are forging their own paths in their genres, in romance, and in the publishing industry.
Schedule of Events:
9:30-10:30am
Caroline, Sebastian, and Joanna
Topic: Historical Romance Panel
Moderated by Historical Romance Author, Evelyn Richardson.
10:45-11:15am
Romance Family Feud!
All Authors
11:15am-12pm
Dedicated booksale/signing. (Note: Joanna will be leaving at 12:15pm!)
Lunch Break - 12-1pm - BYO
1:00-2:00 pm
Contemporary Romance Panel
Tara, Tara, Jenny, Riss
Moderated by Contemporary Romance and Mystery Writer, Barbara Tanner Wallace.
2-2:30pm
Dedicated Booksale/Signing Times
2:30-3:30pm
Monster Romance Panel
L.E., Sebastian, Kass
Moderated by librarian, Meena Jain.
Books for sale and signing will be provided by Aesop's Fable. You can also PREORDER books from our authors through Aesop's and we will bring them to the Fest for you to have signed. And, finally, if you have books by our authors at home, please feel free to bring them and have them signed (limit is 3 per author).
This program is sponsored by the Friends of the Ashland Public Library.
Meet some of your favorite romance authors, get signed books, listen in on panels, play along with romance games, and mingle with other romance lovers. It's going to be a fabulous day!
Authors include...
• L.E. Eldridge
• Jenny L. Howe
• Caroline Linden
• Riss M. Neilson
• Kass O'Shire
• Tara L. Roí
• Joanna Shupe
• Tara Tai
• and Sebastian Nothwell (yours truly!)
Along with our panel moderators...
• Meena Jain
• Evelyn Richardson
• and Barbara Tanner Wallace
Our panel theme is Bucking the Romance Trends - how authors are forging their own paths in their genres, in romance, and in the publishing industry.
Schedule of Events:
9:30-10:30am
Caroline, Sebastian, and Joanna
Topic: Historical Romance Panel
Moderated by Historical Romance Author, Evelyn Richardson.
10:45-11:15am
Romance Family Feud!
All Authors
11:15am-12pm
Dedicated booksale/signing. (Note: Joanna will be leaving at 12:15pm!)
Lunch Break - 12-1pm - BYO
1:00-2:00 pm
Contemporary Romance Panel
Tara, Tara, Jenny, Riss
Moderated by Contemporary Romance and Mystery Writer, Barbara Tanner Wallace.
2-2:30pm
Dedicated Booksale/Signing Times
2:30-3:30pm
Monster Romance Panel
L.E., Sebastian, Kass
Moderated by librarian, Meena Jain.
Books for sale and signing will be provided by Aesop's Fable. You can also PREORDER books from our authors through Aesop's and we will bring them to the Fest for you to have signed. And, finally, if you have books by our authors at home, please feel free to bring them and have them signed (limit is 3 per author).
This program is sponsored by the Friends of the Ashland Public Library.
May 11, 2025
Ch. 7 - A Mirror for the Prince's Shadow - m x nb romantasy on Patreon
Chapter Seven of
A Mirror for the Prince's Shadow
- a historical m x nb romantasy featuring dark academia, hurt/comfort, and dragon royalty - is now on Patre♡n! Wherein we crank the yearning up to eleven.
~
“Oh!” Emlyn smiled. The whole room brightened. “There you are. We missed you at dinner.”
An unforgivably selfish part of Rat felt pleased to have been missed. However… “We?”
“Alistair,” Emlyn replied, hanging up xir coat and scarf. “And Cassilda, and Oriel, and Quince—y’know, everybody.”
Rat very much doubted any of them had noted his absence, much less missed it. Either Emlyn hadn’t noticed—which seemed doubtful, given the canny ease with which Emlyn navigated society—or Emlyn had told a polite lie to spare Rat’s feelings and perhaps foster goodwill between disparate circles.
Which made Rat wonder if Emlyn had lied about xirself as well. Had xe actually missed him at dinner, or, upon seeing him sitting alone in their dormitory, had xe remembered that xe ought to have missed him and bent the truth accordingly?
“Did you eat earlier?” Emlyn asked, jolting Rat out of his spiraling thoughts.
~
Joining me on Patre♡n will give you access to “drawer fic” – aka the 500k+ words worth of manuscripts that have been shelved until I figure out how to fix or finish them. You'll also be invited to join an exclusive Discord server just for patrons!
A new chapter will go up every week. Missing (unwritten) scenes will be indicated by brackets describing what would probably happen if the scene were written. Example: [in this scene Aubrey and Lindsey ride a carousel]
Currently posting…
♡ A Mirror for the Prince's Shadow (historical m x nb romantasy)
Completed works...
♡ the Aubrey & Lindsey solar fantasy project (mm)
♡ A Willing Canvas - John Halloway x Lord Cyril Graves (mm)
♡ The Train Job - Rowena Althorp x Rebekah (ff)
♡ Hold Fast 2 - Hold Faster (mm)
♡ Vampires Vampires Vampires (mmm)
♡ The Sebastian Nothwell Contemporary Expanded Universe (mmm+)
♡ Theo. (transmasc historical mm romance)
See you on Patre♡n!
~
“Oh!” Emlyn smiled. The whole room brightened. “There you are. We missed you at dinner.”
An unforgivably selfish part of Rat felt pleased to have been missed. However… “We?”
“Alistair,” Emlyn replied, hanging up xir coat and scarf. “And Cassilda, and Oriel, and Quince—y’know, everybody.”
Rat very much doubted any of them had noted his absence, much less missed it. Either Emlyn hadn’t noticed—which seemed doubtful, given the canny ease with which Emlyn navigated society—or Emlyn had told a polite lie to spare Rat’s feelings and perhaps foster goodwill between disparate circles.
Which made Rat wonder if Emlyn had lied about xirself as well. Had xe actually missed him at dinner, or, upon seeing him sitting alone in their dormitory, had xe remembered that xe ought to have missed him and bent the truth accordingly?
“Did you eat earlier?” Emlyn asked, jolting Rat out of his spiraling thoughts.
~
Joining me on Patre♡n will give you access to “drawer fic” – aka the 500k+ words worth of manuscripts that have been shelved until I figure out how to fix or finish them. You'll also be invited to join an exclusive Discord server just for patrons!
A new chapter will go up every week. Missing (unwritten) scenes will be indicated by brackets describing what would probably happen if the scene were written. Example: [in this scene Aubrey and Lindsey ride a carousel]
Currently posting…
♡ A Mirror for the Prince's Shadow (historical m x nb romantasy)
Completed works...
♡ the Aubrey & Lindsey solar fantasy project (mm)
♡ A Willing Canvas - John Halloway x Lord Cyril Graves (mm)
♡ The Train Job - Rowena Althorp x Rebekah (ff)
♡ Hold Fast 2 - Hold Faster (mm)
♡ Vampires Vampires Vampires (mmm)
♡ The Sebastian Nothwell Contemporary Expanded Universe (mmm+)
♡ Theo. (transmasc historical mm romance)
See you on Patre♡n!
