https://aurorahatchel.com/contact daily 0.75 2020-07-06 https://aurorahatchel.com/about daily 0.75 2024-08-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5dd0d50a4e72ce1d58b89f7a/8656282f-498f-4d8c-aff8-166a6a7c9da8/Wedding.jpg About - Hello Darlings, I grew up in Richmond, Virginia spent a long time in Memphis, Tennessee but have ended up in Washington, DC for now. I’ve wanted to be a teacher since I was 16, to help people love words as I love them, and to go to the places that need good teachers more than anywhere else. I started writing poetry when I was 14 years old in a kind of explosion of emotion and sentimentality, as many teenagers do. I stuck with it, and poetry was the lens I used to see the world and the way I spoke to myself, the way I explained existence to myself. It was cathartic and personal and sat in my journals for decades. Teaching is the reason I write now. I moved from poetry to drama when my school couldn’t afford the rights to other productions. I wrote a play about a sad boy meeting a sad girl and fell in love with it. When I sat down to revise it, I knew it had to be a book, not a play. That was 2016, and since then I’ve written a book for each NaNoWriMo. I write the kind of stories I love to read: young adult, middle school, and fantasy. I write for my beautiful wife, Becah, my four children, for my friends, and for myself. I can’t write anything without getting spiritual, without an argument, and without some kind of magic happening. I transitioned in 2022, and it is thanks to my writing that I could see both how much I was hurting and how much I was using dissociation to cope with my body. As someone with autism and PTSD, I had learned to both suppress my emotions to keep me safe and put other people’s happiness and comfortability as my means to protect myself from future abusers. My work obviously explores these conversations about gender, trauma, neurodivergence, and transformation. https://aurorahatchel.com/podcast daily 0.75 2024-08-07 https://aurorahatchel.com/the-fullness-of-time daily 0.75 2024-08-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5dd0d50a4e72ce1d58b89f7a/9296cad6-1190-460c-a166-d585d8790cee/K170+eBook+cover.jpg https://aurorahatchel.com/serotonin-love-and-acid daily 0.75 2024-08-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5dd0d50a4e72ce1d58b89f7a/7fd56701-262a-4460-b255-98ffe957a456/SLA+Cover.jpg https://aurorahatchel.com/sadness-sadness-accessories daily 0.75 2024-08-06 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5dd0d50a4e72ce1d58b89f7a/96b078ce-8f63-4e18-a1a5-251bfbd41acf/K212+eBook+cover.jpg https://aurorahatchel.com/home daily 1.0 2025-03-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5dd0d50a4e72ce1d58b89f7a/1968acca-768c-47a0-8268-8f0aef9f629a/Screenshot+2025-03-25+194824.png https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5dd0d50a4e72ce1d58b89f7a/de511fb1-66d6-4cbc-8e01-af23572f07e9/K212+eBook+cover.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5dd0d50a4e72ce1d58b89f7a/1624293878525-49S2HQNEBMZUKERZYSY3/Elliot+Tanner+Cover.JPG https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5dd0d50a4e72ce1d58b89f7a/7287efec-4283-4de5-a454-d2fe39172d6d/IMG_8539.jpeg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5dd0d50a4e72ce1d58b89f7a/7fd56701-262a-4460-b255-98ffe957a456/SLA+Cover.jpg https://aurorahatchel.com/stories daily 0.75 2020-06-27 https://aurorahatchel.com/stories/winimo monthly 0.5 2021-06-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5dd0d50a4e72ce1d58b89f7a/1584386139588-ZKAO0HJSDEU0M6J1VVSQ/Winimo+SK+1+Official+Cover.JPG Short Stories - Winimo - My Shadow’s Keeper Part 1: Winimo Thiala is the promising daughter of Gwathren Othranus, one of the prominent members of the Dark Elf society. After millennia of fighting against the Empire above ground, the Drow are approaching their breaking point. They need power, no matter the cost. They need someone like Thiala Othranus to ascend. Every day her mother prays to her dark god that Thiala will show talent for Shadow magic, that she’ll be the power that helps break the chains of the Empire on their people. But what happens if Gwathren’s prayers are answered? What would it mean for Thiala to descend deeper into Shadow? Below is an excerpt, but you can buy the whole story now on Amazon or Gumroad. https://aurorahatchel.com/stories/from-grace monthly 0.5 2020-10-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5dd0d50a4e72ce1d58b89f7a/1584386183521-M8YIUME7UA5JQSO8D9SO/From+Grace+Official+Cover.JPG Short Stories - From Grace - From Grace Margaret Veloren the Fifth comes from a long line of fallen angels. Her family now rules the island of Spart, intimidating the mortals with one of their divine advantages: firearms. But someone has been selling weapons outside of the family, and Margaret heads out on her own to investigate, despite her mother’s explicit instructions. Below is an excerpt, but you can find the whole story on Gumroad and Amazon. https://aurorahatchel.com/stories/the-himmeldorf-job monthly 0.5 2020-10-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5dd0d50a4e72ce1d58b89f7a/1584298703081-0B6EN9YR8YO8DJW4OH80/The+Himmeldorf+Job+Official+Cover.JPG Short Stories - The Himmeldorf Job - The Himmeldorf Job A group of Zoldak, Empire mercenaries/constables for hire, investigate missing sheep in the small village of Himmeldorf. It doesn’t take them long to find the culprit, but bringing it down may be a much more complex, and painful, dilemma. Below is an excerpt from the story, but you can find the whole story on Gumroad or Amazon. https://aurorahatchel.com/stories/shadows-reach monthly 0.5 2020-06-27 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5dd0d50a4e72ce1d58b89f7a/1592773394395-2VVDUZQOK3M1Z86A5H7B/Shadow%27s+Reach+SK+5+Official+Cover.JPG Short Stories - Shadow's Reach - Shadow’s Reach There’s a war to start, and now that Thiala and her squad are dead, it’s left to Vaeril to start it. The shipment of saltpeter arrives in Letzemisto, but Vaeril needs a skilled alchemist to turn it into black powder illegally. Then he needs help setting the bomb in the Empire’s capital and setting it off. Luckily, Vaeril is an incredibly persuasive bastard. After all, it’s hard work being the worst of the worst. This concludes the My Shadow’s Keeper Series as told from Vaeril’s point of view and Medora, a Dwarven girl he has captured. https://aurorahatchel.com/stories/between-my-lies monthly 0.5 2020-06-27 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5dd0d50a4e72ce1d58b89f7a/1592772814013-59THUS3P7LAYK1D4MV77/Between+My+Lies+SK+4+Official+Cover.JPG Short Stories - Between My Lies - Between My Lies Ximo is dead. Lucan is dead. The adventurers are getting closer, and Thiala is running out of options and allies. With her cover blown, Thiala resorts to acts of desperation, setting the small town of Karasdorf on fire. But if she gets the shipment of saltpeter safely to Vaeril, she’ll still be trapped between her twisted past and grim future, between the ocean and her enemies, between her lies and judgement. This story continues the Shadow’s Keeper Series and is told from Thiala’s perspective as she faces off against the Zoldak heroes once more. An excerpt is below, but you can find the full text on Amazon. https://aurorahatchel.com/stories/entwined monthly 0.5 2020-06-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5dd0d50a4e72ce1d58b89f7a/1592772104917-42QSGGZSYQN72IQX1GXG/Entwined+SK+3+Official+Cover.JPG Short Stories - Entwined - Entwined After defeating the adventurers that tried to stop their plan in the Dwarven mines, Thiala and her squad of Drow freedom fighters have to decide what to do now that their cover is blown. Without the experience and strength of Ximo, Thiala relies on the twins Dara and Lucan to guide them safely to the shore. Once there, they can ship the saltpeter they stole to Vaeril, and with that, he can make the black powder needed to start a war with the Empire. This part continues the story of Thiala’s mission into the Empire from the perspective of Lucan the monk and Dara the ranger. https://aurorahatchel.com/stories/the-biased-judge monthly 0.5 2020-04-04 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5dd0d50a4e72ce1d58b89f7a/1584386504615-W4L8JB7I9FYEJEHEO9RT/Biased+Judge+Official+Cover.JPG Short Stories - The Biased Judge - The Biased Judge After ending an adventure with her party, the crew of the Silverwing, Sabra goes off on her own to complete a vision quest with her deity, the Daughter. She hopes to exchange her oaths of vengeance for a new story, and so she makes for the Temple of The Broken Heart. There is an excerpt below, but the full story can be found on Amazon. https://aurorahatchel.com/stories/ancestors monthly 0.5 2020-06-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5dd0d50a4e72ce1d58b89f7a/1588624642595-TX1N66DBEFW2ZQ7E2COK/Ancestors+SK+2+Official+Cover.JPG Short Stories - Ancestors - Ancestors Ximo is a retired freedom fighter that’s gave up the quest for Drow vengeance against the Empire when his wife got sick. But an old friend brings him back into the fold to watch over a new elite squad of umbramancers, masters of shadow magic. The job is simple: protect the youngsters while they collect enough saltpeter to make a bomb in the heart of the Empire. But Ximo doesn’t realize how expendable he is to the new squad or his old friend. This story continues the tale of Thiala’s greatest mission from Vaeril through from Ximo’s perspective, continuing the My Shadow’s Keeper Series. Below is an excerpt, you can find the full story on Amazon. https://aurorahatchel.com/poetry daily 0.75 2024-08-07 https://aurorahatchel.com/poetry/musth monthly 0.5 2024-08-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5dd0d50a4e72ce1d58b89f7a/880270a1-e16b-4011-b5e3-fc447031c534/injured+elephant.png https://aurorahatchel.com/poetry/here-i-am monthly 0.5 2024-08-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5dd0d50a4e72ce1d58b89f7a/2f9eb3a8-8e6d-4f30-9d78-990ecd4dcd5f/oak+tree+with+turtle+%281%29.png https://aurorahatchel.com/poetry/trans-joy monthly 0.5 2024-08-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5dd0d50a4e72ce1d58b89f7a/23daeb8c-2f6e-4e3f-a655-09d669c36e74/lipstick+stain+drink.png https://aurorahatchel.com/poetry/conversations-with-sleeping-people monthly 0.5 2024-08-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5dd0d50a4e72ce1d58b89f7a/a215fa89-bfd5-4872-b728-3a7410118a8e/woman+floating+sea.png https://aurorahatchel.com/poetry/a-rejection-letter-for-jk-rowling monthly 0.5 2024-08-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5dd0d50a4e72ce1d58b89f7a/44163695-bad5-4143-81cc-43b5adab3a78/letter+and+potion+%281%29.png https://aurorahatchel.com/poetry/my-voice monthly 0.5 2024-08-06 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5dd0d50a4e72ce1d58b89f7a/c6f016db-9437-47a1-bce6-c5b49f632354/larnyx+floral.png https://aurorahatchel.com/poetry/constellations monthly 0.5 2024-08-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5dd0d50a4e72ce1d58b89f7a/de5ca79c-f2e2-4cea-81d4-f35db9efb7f5/Hand+with+black+liquid.png https://aurorahatchel.com/poetry/selah-poetry monthly 0.5 2020-01-09 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5dd0d50a4e72ce1d58b89f7a/1578587334191-T0UGEGTXOG4QJUTVPK2Y/Selah+Poetry.JPG Poetry - Selah Poetry - Selah Poetry This is where I’ve posted a lot of my work poetry. You can find examples of my Psalmist Project where I rewrite Psalms with a contemporary and personal lens. You can also see some originals, blogs, and even work of my students. https://aurorahatchel.com/poetry/what-kind-of-day-it-has-been monthly 0.5 2024-03-19 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5dd0d50a4e72ce1d58b89f7a/a5b143c3-5b12-4b91-99a2-4105b1579f98/diet+coke+wine.png Poetry - What Kind of Day It Has Been What Kind of Day It Has Been https://aurorahatchel.com/elliot-tanner-the-worlds-curse daily 0.75 2024-09-27 https://aurorahatchel.com/elliot-tanner-the-worlds-curse/project-one-djg4f monthly 0.5 2021-07-03 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5dd0d50a4e72ce1d58b89f7a/1625344073436-WM9M5MQ8CS2M29ZVSH9P/Gryffindor+Staircase.jpg Elliot Tanner & The World's Curse - Chapter 1: The Gryffindor Staircase https://aurorahatchel.com/elliot-tanner-the-worlds-curse/chaptertwo monthly 0.5 2021-07-10 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5dd0d50a4e72ce1d58b89f7a/1625344879507-UBW8PWSOREUHKD8KUE76/Boys+Dormitory.png Elliot Tanner & The World's Curse - Chapter 2: Conversations in Moonlight https://aurorahatchel.com/elliot-tanner-the-worlds-curse/chapterthree monthly 0.5 2021-07-17 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5dd0d50a4e72ce1d58b89f7a/1626536771775-EAV5XJ8ZQJIRDMCRZ09E/McGonagall%27s+Classroom.jpg Elliot Tanner & The World's Curse - Chapter 3: The Immutability Paradox https://aurorahatchel.com/elliot-tanner-the-worlds-curse/chaptersix monthly 0.5 2024-09-27 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5dd0d50a4e72ce1d58b89f7a/1635113098412-93819QRQR514QOJ7OP6V/myrtles+bathroom.png Elliot Tanner & The World's Curse - Chapter 6: Lacewings & Specters https://aurorahatchel.com/elliot-tanner-the-worlds-curse/chapterfive monthly 0.5 2021-10-16 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5dd0d50a4e72ce1d58b89f7a/1634399330653-E6M5CADLG3SGBF5AB6LB/Hospital+Wing.jpg Elliot Tanner & The World's Curse - Chapter 5: Imperius Mundus https://aurorahatchel.com/elliot-tanner-the-worlds-curse/chapterfour monthly 0.5 2021-10-16 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5dd0d50a4e72ce1d58b89f7a/1634399223345-DUX7CSEXKOKWLI1LLW5W/Divinations+Classroom.jpg Elliot Tanner & The World's Curse - Chapter 4: The World's Curse https://aurorahatchel.com/elliot-tanner-the-worlds-curse/chaptersix-jzprt monthly 0.5 2024-08-06 https://aurorahatchel.com/elliot-tanner-the-worlds-curse/chaptersix-ry5t8 monthly 0.5 2024-09-27 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5dd0d50a4e72ce1d58b89f7a/1635113098412-93819QRQR514QOJ7OP6V/myrtles+bathroom.png Elliot Tanner & The World's Curse - Chapter 6: Lacewings & Specters (Copy) https://aurorahatchel.com/elliot-tanner-the-worlds-curse/chaptersix-rbgw6 monthly 0.5 2024-09-27 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5dd0d50a4e72ce1d58b89f7a/1635113098412-93819QRQR514QOJ7OP6V/myrtles+bathroom.png Elliot Tanner & The World's Curse - Chapter 6: Lacewings & Specters (Copy) https://aurorahatchel.com/elliot-tanner-the-worlds-curse/chaptersix-fmrbw monthly 0.5 2024-09-27 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5dd0d50a4e72ce1d58b89f7a/1635113098412-93819QRQR514QOJ7OP6V/myrtles+bathroom.png Elliot Tanner & The World's Curse - Chapter 6: Lacewings & Specters (Copy) https://aurorahatchel.com/elliot-tanner-the-worlds-curse/chaptersix-nc9l9 monthly 0.5 2024-09-27 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5dd0d50a4e72ce1d58b89f7a/1635113098412-93819QRQR514QOJ7OP6V/myrtles+bathroom.png Elliot Tanner & The World's Curse - Chapter 6: Lacewings & Specters (Copy) https://aurorahatchel.com/elliot-tanner-the-worlds-curse/chaptersix-jzprt-gz84m monthly 0.5 2024-08-06 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5dd0d50a4e72ce1d58b89f7a/1635113098412-93819QRQR514QOJ7OP6V/myrtles+bathroom.png Elliot Tanner & The World's Curse - Chapter 6: Lacewings & Specters (Copy) (Copy) https://aurorahatchel.com/elliot-tanner-the-worlds-curse/chaptersix-jzprt-6mssr monthly 0.5 2024-08-06 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5dd0d50a4e72ce1d58b89f7a/1635113098412-93819QRQR514QOJ7OP6V/myrtles+bathroom.png Elliot Tanner & The World's Curse - Chapter 6: Lacewings & Specters (Copy) (Copy)