Embedded Files
Dietrich Hale has spent his whole life in a gilded cage, playing the son his father needs for the cameras.
One reckless night changes that. Dietrich breaks out of his Gold Coast cage and crashes into Callen Pierce, into The Den, and into the truth about SLS, the Spoke, and his own family that no amount of good breeding can un-know.
Status: Final draft complete. Currently seeking literary representation.
MOOD BOARD
MOOD BOARD
Silk sheets in a gilded cage
Infection, stigma, secrecy
Weaponized treatment
Playing a role you'll never truly be
Chosen name, chosen family
Crossing the wall and not going back
Loving what you're told to fear
Hope in a community that only knows loss
Truth found between the lines of a notebook
A gala, a protest, a secret worth dying for
Standing for others, but also yourself
THEMES
THEMES
This novel draws from my lived experience as a queer, HIV-positive person and from the many stories queer history has handed down to us. I wanted to write the kind of book I never saw growing up: one where queer identity, crisis, resilience, and community aren’t subplots but the beating heart of the story.
I’m exploring:
The emotional aftermath of crisis
How fear shapes identity
The ways people rebuild themselves
Queer lineage and cultural memory
Transformation - chosen or otherwise
FOR READERS WHO LOVED
FOR READERS WHO LOVED
Stories where love and power are never separate, and neither one comes cheap.
The Green Creek Series by TJ Klune
Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir
Captive Prince by C.S. Pacat
WANT MORE?
WANT MORE?
Lyco is finished, but the story doesn't stop there. I'm sharing behind-the-scenes notes, querying updates, and glimpses into the world of SLS on my substack.
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