Sarah B. Elisa

Red, like my bleeding heart in your hand - 25k prequel novella

Red is centered on two boys growing up in rural Tennessee. Nash is a quiet, dutiful son and brother who knows too much about the cruelty people are capable of. And Teddy is defiant and determined to make a place for himself in the world despite all the ways his body would rather him be tucked away safe and quiet. This story is about how they grow close through childhood into their preteen years and step up to the precipice of something Nash isn't ready to name. #childhood friends to almost lovers #child abuse #disabled characters #found family #sibling bond #codependency Buy RED here

Blue, like don't forget about me - 69k (nice)

Blue is Nash and Teddy's second chance. Reunited after 20 years, they can do it right this time...if only they can weather the emotional turbulence of the funeral that brings them back together and take the plunge into something old and new all at once. #queer romance #mlm yearning #30+ protagonists #second chance romance #aroace side character #hockey players and old people #southern small town Buy BLUE here

Violet, like these delights - 56k (WIP - currently revising)

A month before her brother's wedding is called off, Josephine Owens thinks her biggest challenges are accepting her return to second fiddle and making friends of her new teammates on the Vervain Creek roller derby team. So you could say orchestrating the downfall of the man stalking her family will be something of a surprise. It will take connections both old and new to come together and hold the line, lest the foundation of the new life they've built be ripped out. #aroace protagonist #coming of age in your 30s #roller derby #they may be idiots but they're my idiots #past child abuse #stalking #legal drama #bonding by running from the cops together <3 #barn raising

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I'll be making a dedicated post to ask for beta readers and proofreaders with the goal of sending out the draft in March, but if you already know you're interested, feel free to sign up for one or both now!

CLOSED Sign up to Beta Read Violet in March 2026 — takes place before professional editing. I'm looking for story-level edits, impact on reader, character arcs, etc.

FREE ebooks on Smashwords through January 1st!

RED (25k) follows Nash Owens as he grows up in small town Deliverance, Tennessee with a clingy little sister, abusive father, and a slowly evolving crush on Theodore Spinoza, the boy next door and his best friend.

He imagines he'll be sore about it later, but Teddy is still grinning and the stunning absence of his regret is infectious. It buoys him right 'till the door swings open and his daddy steps in. All the air sucks clean out of the room outside the principal's office where Nash and Teddy are sitting side by side in matching plastic chairs. Then Daddy's eyes light upon him and Nash goes cold all over. And Teddy—Teddy, who looks from Nash to his daddy and knows who he is, but don't ever know when to keep his mouth shut—says, "Nice to finally meet you, Mr. Owens. Nash isn't in trouble, right? He was only doing what you taught him, after all." - Red, like my bleeding heart in your hand

BLUE (65k) takes place 20 years after Teddy and his family moved away. Nash is a nursing aide more practiced at saying goodbye than asking someone to stay, and Teddy—with a pocket full of regret—is back in town for a funeral. Time is short, and Nash has no reason to believe Teddy'll be sticking around this time, but why not enjoy the storms winds while they last? When worst comes to worst, he'll pick up the broken pieces of his heart and it'll be easier for having done it before.

Teddy wrenches his neck to look at him. Then he returns to the notebook with reverent fingers. "Oh," he breathes, "these are your promises." Nash doesn't remember if he mentioned them, or if Teddy knows because Jo spilled the beans last night. The past week is starting to blur from stress. He needs to stop letting himself get swept away. If he doesn't keep his feet, he's going to find himself in a free fall over that cliff whether he jumps or not. Three days. He needs to keep his heart and his head for three more days. - Blue, like don't forget about me

Same books, new sale! Have some silly graphics about it

Get 'em while you can! The next book in the series, Violet, like these delights will be coming out in November-ish this year!

FREE ebooks on Smashwords through January 1st!

RED (25k) follows Nash Owens as he grows up in small town Deliverance, Tennessee with a clingy little sister, abusive father, and a slowly evolving crush on Theodore Spinoza, the boy next door and his best friend.

He imagines he'll be sore about it later, but Teddy is still grinning and the stunning absence of his regret is infectious. It buoys him right 'till the door swings open and his daddy steps in. All the air sucks clean out of the room outside the principal's office where Nash and Teddy are sitting side by side in matching plastic chairs. Then Daddy's eyes light upon him and Nash goes cold all over. And Teddy—Teddy, who looks from Nash to his daddy and knows who he is, but don't ever know when to keep his mouth shut—says, "Nice to finally meet you, Mr. Owens. Nash isn't in trouble, right? He was only doing what you taught him, after all." - Red, like my bleeding heart in your hand

BLUE (65k) takes place 20 years after Teddy and his family moved away. Nash is a nursing aide more practiced at saying goodbye than asking someone to stay, and Teddy—with a pocket full of regret—is back in town for a funeral. Time is short, and Nash has no reason to believe Teddy'll be sticking around this time, but why not enjoy the storms winds while they last? When worst comes to worst, he'll pick up the broken pieces of his heart and it'll be easier for having done it before.

Teddy wrenches his neck to look at him. Then he returns to the notebook with reverent fingers. "Oh," he breathes, "these are your promises." Nash doesn't remember if he mentioned them, or if Teddy knows because Jo spilled the beans last night. The past week is starting to blur from stress. He needs to stop letting himself get swept away. If he doesn't keep his feet, he's going to find himself in a free fall over that cliff whether he jumps or not. Three days. He needs to keep his heart and his head for three more days. - Blue, like don't forget about me

Same books, new sale! Have some silly graphics about it

Get 'em while you can! The next book in the series, Violet, like these delights will be coming out in November-ish this year!

1. Share their posts! Did you guys know I get twice as much views on my instagram posts just from one person adding them to their story? This helps more people see my work and gives us a better shot against the algorithm!

2. Interact with them! Leaving a comment on a post or sending them a message is a simple way to brighten their day and show them they are seen and appreciated! Tell them what you love about what they do!

3. Tell your friends! Sometimes it takes a dozen posts from an author to get a reader to even consider reading their book, but all it takes is one message that starts with "BESTIE YOU'VE GOTTA CHECK THIS OUT!"

4. Request their books at the library! Yes, you can get your favorite indie author's book to a wider audience and support your local library at the same time! Win-win!

5. Make fan content! Seeing fanart, playlists, edits, and other creations based on your creations is always encouraging. As an author, I would be honored if people loved my characters enough to make fanworks of them.

6. Leave a review! Reviews help show the author people are actually reading their book, let others know why they should read it too, and help boost visibility and community!

7. Buy their books! Obviously, the best way to support an author is to buy their books! If you already have a copy, consider purchasing one to gift to a friend, library, youth center, or little free library!

8. Participate in online giveaways & events. Authors spend a lot of time setting up giveaway events to help build hype and boost community, and by participating, you can help them and maybe claim some goodies for yourself!

9. Merch! If an author sells promo items realated to their book, it helps more than just financially! When other people see your swag, you get to spread the hype! If the author doesn't have merch maybe you can offer to help them design some!!

FREE ebooks on Smashwords through January 1st!

RED (25k) follows Nash Owens as he grows up in small town Deliverance, Tennessee with a clingy little sister, abusive father, and a slowly evolving crush on Theodore Spinoza, the boy next door and his best friend.

He imagines he'll be sore about it later, but Teddy is still grinning and the stunning absence of his regret is infectious. It buoys him right 'till the door swings open and his daddy steps in. All the air sucks clean out of the room outside the principal's office where Nash and Teddy are sitting side by side in matching plastic chairs. Then Daddy's eyes light upon him and Nash goes cold all over. And Teddy—Teddy, who looks from Nash to his daddy and knows who he is, but don't ever know when to keep his mouth shut—says, "Nice to finally meet you, Mr. Owens. Nash isn't in trouble, right? He was only doing what you taught him, after all." - Red, like my bleeding heart in your hand

BLUE (65k) takes place 20 years after Teddy and his family moved away. Nash is a nursing aide more practiced at saying goodbye than asking someone to stay, and Teddy—with a pocket full of regret—is back in town for a funeral. Time is short, and Nash has no reason to believe Teddy'll be sticking around this time, but why not enjoy the storms winds while they last? When worst comes to worst, he'll pick up the broken pieces of his heart and it'll be easier for having done it before.

Teddy wrenches his neck to look at him. Then he returns to the notebook with reverent fingers. "Oh," he breathes, "these are your promises." Nash doesn't remember if he mentioned them, or if Teddy knows because Jo spilled the beans last night. The past week is starting to blur from stress. He needs to stop letting himself get swept away. If he doesn't keep his feet, he's going to find himself in a free fall over that cliff whether he jumps or not. Three days. He needs to keep his heart and his head for three more days. - Blue, like don't forget about me

FREE ebooks on Smashwords through January 1st!

RED (25k) follows Nash Owens as he grows up in small town Deliverance, Tennessee with a clingy little sister, abusive father, and a slowly evolving crush on Theodore Spinoza, the boy next door and his best friend.

He imagines he'll be sore about it later, but Teddy is still grinning and the stunning absence of his regret is infectious. It buoys him right 'till the door swings open and his daddy steps in. All the air sucks clean out of the room outside the principal's office where Nash and Teddy are sitting side by side in matching plastic chairs. Then Daddy's eyes light upon him and Nash goes cold all over. And Teddy—Teddy, who looks from Nash to his daddy and knows who he is, but don't ever know when to keep his mouth shut—says, "Nice to finally meet you, Mr. Owens. Nash isn't in trouble, right? He was only doing what you taught him, after all." - Red, like my bleeding heart in your hand

BLUE (65k) takes place 20 years after Teddy and his family moved away. Nash is a nursing aide more practiced at saying goodbye than asking someone to stay, and Teddy—with a pocket full of regret—is back in town for a funeral. Time is short, and Nash has no reason to believe Teddy'll be sticking around this time, but why not enjoy the storms winds while they last? When worst comes to worst, he'll pick up the broken pieces of his heart and it'll be easier for having done it before.

Teddy wrenches his neck to look at him. Then he returns to the notebook with reverent fingers. "Oh," he breathes, "these are your promises." Nash doesn't remember if he mentioned them, or if Teddy knows because Jo spilled the beans last night. The past week is starting to blur from stress. He needs to stop letting himself get swept away. If he doesn't keep his feet, he's going to find himself in a free fall over that cliff whether he jumps or not. Three days. He needs to keep his heart and his head for three more days. - Blue, like don't forget about me

Both the Hardcover and the Paperback are available for purchase on my Kofi shop! You should be able to message me to request a specific message if you want. If you order a copy before October 31st, I'll also include a postcard and bookmark with illustrations from the story in your package!

Buy Here!

I'm so sorry that shipping is limited to US only for now, but even within the US, flat rate shipping almost costs as much as the book itself. I've done my best to price everything to keep the costs reasonable for you and for me, but until I can figure out/afford a better option for direct sales, this will have to be location limited :(

That being said, if you still want to get a non-signed physical copy of the book, Ingramspark has started distributing hardcovers through some storefronts. They're holding my paperbacks hostage in the "Processing" stage but as soon as I get that sorted out, I will let everyone know! If you don't see your preferred shop here, check back later, and it might pop up! Again, Ingram is horrifically slow and I am obsessively checking all the listings lmao

This is an ongoing series by @sarahseeandersen called “Fangs” - it’s absolutely worth following and keeping up with!

no

particular

another book review came in, and I love how they start off by just..... dragging the main character to shit.

Every writer dreams about having a massive fandom. Today, we're going to put ourselves in the shoes of future readers.

Only on Smashwords and only for the month of July, Red, like my bleeding heart in your hand is FREE on ebook and the Blue, like don't forget about me ebook is 50% off!

Find my books here and use coupon code SSW50 to get in on the deal.

What's all this then?

RED is the prequel novella that takes place in rural Tennessee and follows Nash Owens from ages 6 to 12 as he takes on an abusive father, negligent mother, and falls hard for the boy next door.

BLUE is the book where the romance happens. Twenty years later, Nash reconnects with his childhood best friend at a funeral of all places. Emotions are high, hopes cradled close to the chest, and Nash is forced reckon with the notion that he's got a second shot at something special, but it could all crumble apart just the same as it did the first time around.

Y'all have done a great job jumping on getting Red for free this month, but I cannot stress enough that the happily ever after is in Blue.

Are you seeing this shit ^^^ Eleven people got the best friends to almost lovers PREQUEL NOVELLA, but there is no sign that any of them got Blue, the book where the actual romance happens.

This is bad. People are going to be mad at me 🥺 Luckily! Blue is still 50% off on Smashwords through the rest of July. That's only $2.49 USD! What a bargain for a happy ending!

Buy Blue! Buy happiness!

Only on Smashwords and only for the month of July, Red, like my bleeding heart in your hand is FREE on ebook and the Blue, like don't forget about me ebook is 50% off!

Find my books here and use coupon code SSW50 to get in on the deal.

What's all this then?

RED is the prequel novella that takes place in rural Tennessee and follows Nash Owens from ages 6 to 12 as he takes on an abusive father, negligent mother, and falls hard for the boy next door.

BLUE is the book where the romance happens. Twenty years later, Nash reconnects with his childhood best friend at a funeral of all places. Emotions are high, hopes cradled close to the chest, and Nash is forced reckon with the notion that he's got a second shot at something special, but it could all crumble apart just the same as it did the first time around.

Y'all have done a great job jumping on getting Red for free this month, but I cannot stress enough that the happily ever after is in Blue.

Are you seeing this shit ^^^ Eleven people got the best friends to almost lovers PREQUEL NOVELLA, but there is no sign that any of them got Blue, the book where the actual romance happens.

This is bad. People are going to be mad at me 🥺 Luckily! Blue is still 50% off on Smashwords through the rest of July. That's only $2.49 USD! What a bargain for a happy ending!

Buy Blue! Buy happiness!

Only on Smashwords and only for the month of July, Red, like my bleeding heart in your hand is FREE on ebook and the Blue, like don't forget about me ebook is 50% off!

Find my books here and use coupon code SSW50 to get in on the deal.

What's all this then?

RED is the prequel novella that takes place in rural Tennessee and follows Nash Owens from ages 6 to 12 as he takes on an abusive father, negligent mother, and falls hard for the boy next door.

BLUE is the book where the romance happens. Twenty years later, Nash reconnects with his childhood best friend at a funeral of all places. Emotions are high, hopes cradled close to the chest, and Nash is forced reckon with the notion that he's got a second shot at something special, but it could all crumble apart just the same as it did the first time around.

Ooo I do! Sort of. I don't like celebrity face casts which is what it seems like everyone else does, but I do have some random people I've stolen off the internet that pretty closely fit what I see in my head, although they aren't perfect.

Nash is the guy on the left (heavy brow, biggish nose, gray eyes, poor shave, frowny, just enough length and curl to his hair to get flippy around the ears and neck) + the freckles of the guy on the right

Image 1: no source and I blacked out the hat's stupid slogan don't worry about it Image 2: Photographed by Jaclyn Moy on Unsplash

Here's Teddy and Jo <3 Teddy should be more bronzy but otherwise he's really close. The build, the jaw, the hair 👨‍🍳💋👌 Jo's freckles should be a bit more contained to nose and cheeks but the shape of her face and her expression really nail it for me.

Image 1: Matthew Hitt photographed by Abercrombie and Fitch Image 2: Photographed by Curtis Potvin on Unsplash

And of course no face casting would be complete without Nash's cane or the boat (∩^o^)⊃━☆

These aren't worth sourcing except for Image 2: FromtheheartbyMary on Etsy

Except imagine that cane sleeve all faded and stretched out and sagging and dirty 🥰 And these are obviously for Blue. For Red it was a lot more vibes based. But here have this meme I made two years ago that I just rediscovered bahahaaha