Reflections in the Dark: How a Poem Became Backscatter
It started with a poem. In Monsters in the Closet, my queer horror poetry collection, there’s a piece called “The Thing in the Mirror.” It was one of those poems that came quickly but lingered …
Category: Writing Process
Ryder Tombs Heat Scale: Why I Made My Own, and Why Heat Levels Matter in Romance
Romance readers are many things—loyal, curious, emotionally feral. But one thing they aren’t? Mind readers. And when it comes to steam levels, a little clarity can make all the difference between a favorite reread and …
Becoming the Monster: Five Years of Writing Monsters in the Closet
Five years. Five years of ink and blood, of rage and tenderness, of peeling back my own skin to see what lurked beneath. Five years of becoming the monster they told me I was. Monsters …
The Thrill of Crafting a Love That Defies Death – Writing Phantom Bond
I’ve always believed that the best stories aren’t just written—they unfold. They take on a life of their own, twisting in ways you never expected, forcing you to follow the characters down paths you never …
When Lust Meets Power Plays – Writing Hostile Takeover
There’s something electric about writing two men who would rather tear each other down than admit they want to fall into each other — fists clenched, eyes locked, tension so sharp it leaves marks. That’s …