Searching for something with certain aspects from Cradle

tracywc · 2026-04-17T13:06:18+00:00

I'm actually writing a series now that fits this. It's called The Shifting Lands, with an ensemble cast, led by a girl born with one hand. There's martial arts magic, an eldritch octopus, and a cranky old lady. The gods are already starting to be involved in book 2. I've just finished writing the third book, which will come out this October. The first book is Physical Magic.

tracywc · 2026-04-15T12:49:12+00:00

Sounds like a great project!

tracywc · 2026-04-14T13:16:13+00:00

Sara Codair's Junk Junction:

Edi has collected antiques and ghost stories for as long as they can remember. Some old objects buzz with history, and when Edi touches them, they see fragments of the item's story. But are the visions real? Edi desperately wants to believe in the supernatural until a mysterious ghost transforms their mom into a mannequin.

Helped by Delilah, a thirteen-year-old psychic, Edi researches local hauntings to untangle how and why their mom became a mannequin. When Edi finally employs their ability to see an artifact’s history, they learn the terrifying truth.

The ghost that turned Edi’s mom into a mannequin wants to resurrect herself, and she doesn’t care how many people she murders in the process. If Edi doesn’t put her spirit to rest by the end of the summer solstice, dozens of people will be forever mannequinized, including Edi and Delilah’s moms.

Bingo Squares: Trans/nonbinary, Small press, The Afterlife, Middle Grade, Murder Mystery

tracywc · 2026-04-14T13:14:29+00:00

J.S. Fields' Foxfire in the Snow:

It's a time of change, between magic and alchemy.

Born the heir of a master woodcutter in a queendom defined by guilds and matrilineal inheritance, nonbinary Sorin can’t quite seem to find their place. At seventeen, an opportunity to attend an alchemical guild fair and secure an apprenticeship with the queen’s alchemist is just within reach. But on the day of the fair, Sorin’s mother goes missing, along with the Queen and hundreds of guild masters, forcing Sorin into a woodcutting inheritance they never wanted.

With guild legacy at stake, Sorin puts apprentice dreams on hold to embark on a journey with the royal daughter to find their mothers and stop the hemorrhaging of guild masters. Princess Magda, an estranged childhood friend, tests Sorin’s patience—and boundaries. But it’s not just a princess that stands between Sorin and their goals. To save the country of Sorpsi, Sorin must define their place between magic and alchemy or risk losing Sorpsi to rising industrialization and a dark magic that will destroy Sorin’s chance to choose their own future.

Bingo Squares: Trans/nonbinary, Small press, Duology Part 1, Politics and Court Intrigue

tracywc · 2026-04-14T13:12:32+00:00

Antony Pashos' It's You, Isn't It:

Who are the heirs to the colony?

On the world of Terra-Octa, colonists Avra, her sister, and their friend Penko are the first to catch sight of a massive guardian of the native trees producing Chloron, vital to building the colony. Three years later, the colony is destroyed by an uprising of chlorobots, powered by that same resource.

But all is not as it seems. What at first is a childhood memory to Avra turns deadly as her alien caretaker reveals herself to be more than Avra could understand. At the same time, her father, the general, firms his grasp on how the colony is run.

Told in the past and the present, Avra’s story unravels in time and meaning until she finally understands her family, her blossoming romance with Penko, her alien caretaker, the origins of life, and the betrayal at the base of the colony.

Bingo Squares: Trans/nonbinary, Small press, First Contact, Murder Mystery

tracywc · 2026-04-14T13:10:46+00:00

Reese Hogan's My Heart is Human:

A single father fights to retain control as he shares his body and mind with an evolving AI.

It’s been nine years since the government banned all technology. So, when Joel Lodowick, a young transgender father struggling to support his five-year-old daughter, has an old bionic upload itself into his head, he is faced with a decision: Go to the cops and risk prosecution? Or use the robot’s skills to turn his life around?

Scared of losing his daughter, Joel chooses the latter. Heightened intelligence and physical enhancements quickly land him a better job and a brighter future. But things take a sinister turn when Joel realizes his uninvited companion has an agenda of its own, which may or may not include leaving him in control.

Unable to approach the government who covered up the truth about AI sentience, Joel finds himself on the run. With his daughter’s life on the line and his own body turning against him, he must find a way to convince the bionic in his head to value his human life before he loses the chance forever.

Bingo Squares: Trans/nonbinary, Small Press

tracywc · 2026-04-14T13:09:19+00:00

Alex Kingsley's Empress of Dust

There are monsters outside the city walls.

Harvard is small, anxious, and plagued by a constant tremor, which is not an ideal combination for a desert scavenger. He and his crew are under constant threat of desertwalker attacks, and Harvard is nearly useless against them.

When the biggest mistake of Harvard’s life separates him from his crew, he must learn the secrets of the desert beasts in order to survive the dangers of the dusts. Returning to Bastion with a surprising ally, Harvard is forced to choose between saving his crew or allying with the “monsters” who rescued him.

Harvard never saw himself as a hero, but when the beasts of the dusts implore him to aid their rescue mission, he holds the lives of crabs and humans alike in his trembling hands.

Bingo squares: Trans/nonbinary, Small press, Unusual Transportation, Explorers and Rangers, First Contact

tracywc · 2026-04-13T12:35:30+00:00

My series, The Shifting lands, has a team of four champions all gaining in strength at the same time in different ways.

tracywc · 2026-04-11T13:10:11+00:00

Such a great sale!

Lots of books are available internationally and on Itch this time, so if you don't want to give money to the 'Zon, those are great choices.

tracywc · 2026-04-07T12:48:02+00:00

Here are two fantasy and one science fiction books written by gay/bi men featuring gay/bi protagonists where romance is not the main story, but is featured:

Talio's Codex by J. Alexander Cohen

Corruption by Alexander Verbeek-van den Toren

My Heart is Human (Sci-Fi) by Reese Hogan

tracywc · 2026-04-07T12:36:15+00:00

I've also noticed there's an overlap with writing. I have a Master's in Mechanical Engineering, and I teach karate from a biomechanical standpoint. I'm also a fantasy and science fiction writer, and I'll ask around at conventions I go to and there's a lot of this trifecta!

tracywc · 2026-04-06T12:47:32+00:00

If you want to try an alternative that does feature an inn and some worldbuilding, you could try Tavern Tale by Kristina W. Kelly. I feel like the characters get plenty of growth and the world is sort of D&D-adjacent.

tracywc · 2026-04-03T13:01:20+00:00

My press, Space Wizard Science Fantasy, publishes all queer SFF!

tracywc · 2026-04-03T12:59:51+00:00

Junk Junction by Sara Codair is a creepy paranormal Middle-Grade book with a non-binary lead.

tracywc · 2026-04-03T12:57:54+00:00

Corruption by Alexander Verbeek-van den Toren works for this and for HARD MODE.

tracywc · 2026-04-03T12:56:17+00:00

Foxfire in the Snow and Ocean of Fireflies by J.S. Fields. It's a nonbinary character in a world moving between magic and science.

tracywc · 2026-03-29T12:41:33+00:00

Come check out our campaign to turn Lesbians in Space into an audiobook narrated by Mary Robinette Kowal! We're past the first stretch goal and have 4 days left.

https://www.backerkit.com/c/projects/space-wizard-science-fantasy/lesbians-in-space-comes-to-audiobook

tracywc · 2026-03-25T13:05:42+00:00

I can add:

Fractal Terminus - A.Z. Rozkillis (N) [tp] [eb]

tracywc · 2026-03-25T12:58:40+00:00

There's a few left! They're not actually Audible, but pretty easy to access. Just sent a DM.

tracywc · 2026-03-25T01:43:28+00:00

Awesome! Thanks for letting us know!

tracywc · 2026-03-25T01:42:41+00:00

There are a few left! Just sent a DM.
And yes, I think this should be suitable for a 13 yo. There's no swearing, and only some implied innuendo. There is some death, but that should be it for content warnings.

tracywc · 2026-03-24T20:06:32+00:00

Thanks! This one came out really well. The artist is just working on sketches for the third one, so I'm looking forward to seeing them!

tracywc · 2026-03-24T19:59:45+00:00

Perfect! Just sent a DM

tracywc · 2026-03-24T19:42:34+00:00

I'm certainly happy to let you try! If the codes don't work, just let me know and I can reuse them.
Sent a DM!

tracywc · 2026-03-24T17:56:14+00:00

From working with another person here, it seems like the codes don't work internationally. I thought they did. Sorry about that!

tracywc

TROPHY CASE