StanWrites | A Coin for Respite — Dark Fantasy

Multi-published Author. Narrative Designer, Winner of the Fiction potluck, and Honorable Mention for the Q3 2025 Writers of the Future contest.

[StanWrites | A Coin for Respite — Dark Fantasy @bytez91]

We set sail TODAY.

A mother’s love might just be the most dangerous debt of all. A Coin for Respite — my 70k-word dark maritime fantasy novel — is NOW LIVE on Kickstarter!
Cursed sailors.
Grief, discrimination, and the monstrous price of bringing someone back.
Full novel funding proper cover art + special editions
Free prequel short story ("The Coin She Left Behind") already waiting for you
Early bird rewards + stretch goals for maps, art, and more Back now and join the crew before the tide turns:
https://t.co/AooTIhvhhd
If you love grimdark sea tales, desperate family bonds, and stories where hope costs everything… this one’s for you.
#Kickstarter #DarkFantasy #FantasyBooks #IndieAuthor #Crowdfunding #BookLaunch #MicroMay #FantasyNovel #Bookstagram #WritingCommunity

[StanWrites | A Coin for Respite — Dark Fantasy @bytez91]

Hello,
I'm sorry everyone, but the campaign for "A Coin for Respite" has ended. It is not working, and I'm not going to make those who donated have their funds held longer than needed. If you donated, shared, even liked, I appreciate all of the support and hope you find the next good read you're looking for.

[StanWrites | A Coin for Respite — Dark Fantasy @bytez91]

We just crossed 10% — $320 raised!
Huge thanks to our first 4 backers for getting this off the ground.
One of the most exciting pieces of this project is the collaborative cover. I want it to feel right — dark maritime fantasy, moody seas, something haunting and emotional that matches the tone of the prequel.

If you know an artist (or are one) who fits that vibe, drop names, links, or references below. Seriously — this is something we’re shaping together, and your input directly influences the final look.

If you’re curious about the direction, check out the campaign here:
https://t.co/AooTIhvP6L

Back it if you can. Share it if you can’t. Either way — you’re part of this.
#kickstarter #DarkFantasy #writingcommunity #IndieAuthor #CoverArt

[StanWrites | A Coin for Respite — Dark Fantasy @bytez91]

The campaign link for those interested:
https://t.co/e11fgvIIUT

[StanWrites | A Coin for Respite — Dark Fantasy @bytez91]

His life is on loan.

A Coin for Respite is a story about debt—the kind you inherit, the kind you choose, and the kind that comes to collect whether you’re ready or not.

It’s about a mother who gave something she can never get back… and a son trying to pay for it in a world where nothing that matters can be bought.

The book is finished. Written, edited, ready.

This campaign isn’t about making the story—it’s about giving it the face it deserves.

Not something generated.
Not something functional.
Something interpreted.
A real artist. A real vision. A cover that understands what this story is.
And I don’t want to make that decision alone.

If you back this, you’re part of it. You’ll see the process. You’ll help shape the final cover. You’ll help decide what this story looks like when it meets the world.

So if this resonates with you—
if you care about stories that carry weight, and the people who bring them to life—

Follow the campaign.
Comment. Share. Talk to me.

Let’s give this story the face it’s been waiting for.
Link below.
#kickstarter #darkfantasy #fantasybookstagram #indieauthors #crowdfunding #booklaunch #MicroMay #FantasyNovel #bookstagram #writingcommunity

[StanWrites | A Coin for Respite — Dark Fantasy @bytez91]

Kickstarter, here!
https://t.co/e11fgvIIUT

[StanWrites | A Coin for Respite — Dark Fantasy @bytez91]

Mark your calendars, because on May 19th, we set sail!
#writingcommunity #FantasyFiction #Kickstarter

[StanWrites | A Coin for Respite — Dark Fantasy @bytez91]

Just a quick break from my promotional material. With recent posts, updates, etc. I figured I'd make the following known. I am the following: Anti-fascism. Anti-Trump. Pro choice. Pro LGBTQ+. Pro Feminism. Pro Equality. Pro Human Rights.

[StanWrites | A Coin for Respite — Dark Fantasy @bytez91]

Want to read the full short story? You can on my kickstarter.
https://t.co/e11fgvIIUT

[StanWrites | A Coin for Respite — Dark Fantasy @bytez91]

Salt burned her open eyes to nothing. She kept them open anyway. Her boy was down there somewhere.

Then — him. An arm drifting wrong. The angle too loose, too open, in the particular way of things that have stopped holding themselves up.

His life is on loan, and the Ferryman will come to collect.
#DarkFantasy #Writingcommunity #Kickstarter

[StanWrites | A Coin for Respite — Dark Fantasy @bytez91]

@ArtsByTeresa2 https://t.co/e11fgvIIUT

[StanWrites | A Coin for Respite — Dark Fantasy @bytez91]

"The cold bypassed creeping and went straight to claiming—boots, sleeves, the spaces between her teeth."

In the world of A Coin for Respite, a mother’s love might just be the most dangerous debt of all.

My 70,000-word dark fantasy novel is 100% written. Now I need your help to give it the proper cover art it deserves.

If you love dark fantasy, cursed sailors, and stories about family debt, I’d love for you to check out the project.

https://t.co/AooTIhvhhd

Original Placeholder I designed (Human-made, but I’m a writer, not an illustrator!)

#Bookstagram #DarkFantasy #IndieAuthor #Kickstarter

[StanWrites | A Coin for Respite — Dark Fantasy @bytez91]

@ArtsByTeresa2 Thank you so much! I plan to launch the campaign in about 10 days now. There is a short story on the prelaunch page that you can read for free!

[StanWrites | A Coin for Respite — Dark Fantasy @bytez91]

In my story, A Coin for Respite, a mother’s love might just be the most dangerous debt of all.
My 70,000-word dark fantasy novel is written. Edited. Done.
Now I need your help to give it the proper cover art it deserves.
If you love dark fantasy, cursed sailors, and stories about family debt, I’d love to invite you to check out the project.
Original post, and more info (and art) included below.
#darkfantasy #Indieauthor #WritingCommunity

[StanWrites | A Coin for Respite — Dark Fantasy @bytez91]

"The cold bypassed creeping and went straight to claiming—boots, sleeves, the spaces between her teeth."

In the world of A Coin for Respite, a mother’s love might just be the most dangerous debt of all.

My 70,000-word dark fantasy novel is 100% written. Now I need your help to give it the proper cover art it deserves.

If you love dark fantasy, cursed sailors, and stories about family debt, I’d love for you to check out the project.

https://t.co/AooTIhvhhd

Original Placeholder I designed (Human-made, but I’m a writer, not an illustrator!)

#Bookstagram #DarkFantasy #IndieAuthor #Kickstarter

[StanWrites | A Coin for Respite — Dark Fantasy @bytez91]

"The cold bypassed creeping and went straight to claiming—boots, sleeves, the spaces between her teeth."

In the world of A Coin for Respite, a mother’s love might just be the most dangerous debt of all.

My 70,000-word dark fantasy novel is 100% written. Now I need your help to give it the proper cover art it deserves.

If you love dark fantasy, cursed sailors, and stories about family debt, I’d love for you to check out the project.

https://t.co/AooTIhvhhd

Original Placeholder I designed (Human-made, but I’m a writer, not an illustrator!)

#Bookstagram #DarkFantasy #IndieAuthor #Kickstarter

[StanWrites | A Coin for Respite — Dark Fantasy @bytez91]

His life is on loan, and the Ferryman will come to collect.

We are officially less than three weeks from launch.

A Coin for Respite is a dark maritime fantasy where a mother’s love might just be the most dangerous debt of all. It’s a story about what is taken when you bring someone back, and what it means to begin a life with a life still owed.

Join the crew and get notified the moment we go live:
https://t.co/AooTIhvhhd
#DarkFiction #WritingCommunity #FantasyReaders #Piratebook #IndieAuthor #Kickstarter

[StanWrites | A Coin for Respite — Dark Fantasy @bytez91]

His life is on loan, and the Ferryman will come to collect.

We are officially less than three weeks from launch.

A Coin for Respite is a dark maritime fantasy where a mother’s love might just be the most dangerous debt of all. It’s a story about what is taken when you bring someone back, and what it means to begin a life with a life still owed.

Join the crew and get notified the moment we go live:
https://t.co/AooTIhvhhd
#DarkFiction #WritingCommunity #FantasyReaders #Piratebook #IndieAuthor #Kickstarter

[StanWrites | A Coin for Respite — Dark Fantasy @bytez91]

What happens when you try to save your son, but death has come to collect?

Read "The Coin She Left Behind," a prequel short story to my upcoming novel, A Coin for Respite.

https://t.co/l3v2U3q7Sw

#DarkFantasy #WritingCommunity #fantasyreaders #BookTok #IndieAuthor

[StanWrites | A Coin for Respite — Dark Fantasy @bytez91]

If you haven't had a chance to read my short story, "The Coin she left behind," you can for free below!
Go check it out!

#DarkFantasy #WritingCommunity #fantasyreaders #BookTok #IndieAuthor

[StanWrites | A Coin for Respite — Dark Fantasy @bytez91]

What happens when you try to save your son, but death has come to collect?

Read "The Coin She Left Behind," a prequel short story to my upcoming novel, A Coin for Respite.

https://t.co/l3v2U3q7Sw

#DarkFantasy #WritingCommunity #fantasyreaders #BookTok #IndieAuthor

[StanWrites | A Coin for Respite — Dark Fantasy @bytez91]

5/6 These are just starting points. Backers on the Kickstarter will get to vote and watch the entire process with a professional dark fantasy illustrator.

Full campaign + free prequel story here:
https://t.co/AooTIhvhhd

What do you think — which concept should we develop? 👀

#DarkFantasy #Kickstarter #IndieAuthor

[StanWrites | A Coin for Respite — Dark Fantasy @bytez91]

The original concept art for my Novel
#DarkFantasyArt #BookCoverArt #FantasyArt #IndieAuthor #Kickstarter #DarkFantasy