Movie poster that's an image of a warrior woman carrying a sword that rests on her shoulder. The text is: By Rhysling finalist A.J. Van Belle. A feminist retelling of Beowulf. Peril in modern academia. Rage against the silencing of women. "A masterpiece." - A close friend of the author’s who has excellent taste. Badass women, past and present. We Blame the Wild Things. In this dual-timeline upmarket novel, a feminist retelling of Beowulf is intertwined with modern scholars uncovering the truth behind the legend. On submission.

#PosterPit #AG #C #HF

In this dual-timeline novel, a feminist retelling of Beowulf is intertwined with modern scholars uncovering the truth behind the legend.

A fast-paced literary puzzle that rages against the silencing of women.

#WeBlameTheWildThings #OnSubmission

Mood board with two images of an early-medieval warrior woman, a modern woman writing in a notebook at a desk with a stack of books and papers, and a magnifying glass and an old parchment manuscript. Plus an image of a sword resting on top of an old book.

Write a feminist Beowulf retelling, they said. It won't break your brain, they said.

LIES! I can't stop thinking about it and can't unsee the fact that this is probably how Beowulf *really* happened.

#WeBlameTheWildThings is my on-sub upmarket novel. Stay tuned...

Nobody:
Me: A feminist retelling of Beowulf, you say? With modern scholars uncovering the truth & healing their own trauma in the process? Excuse me BRB✍️
The world (hopefully): HELL yes

#WeBlameTheWildThings is my upmarket novel on submission & I can't wait for you to read it

New banner to celebrate my upmarket novel #WeBlameTheWildThings going on sub!

Editing my website in preparation for #WeBlameTheWildThings heading out to editors' inboxes later today. So. Friggin. Excited to share this book with the world.

It's a fast-paced upmarket novel with:
-a dual timeline
-sharp pointy things
-old parchment
-& cool science.

Image of a warrior woman. Text: We Blame the Wild Things by A.J. Van Belle. A novel on submission. The monster is the thing we name, all of us, pushing outside of us the things that are sharp and needless and wild inside us, the things that cut our soul strings from their moorings. We break the crockery that holds the milk of life, we blame the wild things for it, and the wild things are all of us.

Don't mind me, just obsessing over my upmarket dual-timeline modern scholars/Dark Ages feminist Beowulf retelling interlaced with a modern woman's empowerment story.

#WeBlameTheWildThings

Image of books and a warrior woman's silhouette, with arrows pointing to text that says: fighting back against the silencing of women's stories dual timeline present: scholars uncovering buried truths dual timeline past: feminist retelling of Beowulf upmarket novel with heart and bite badass women past and present

Book description: WE BLAME THE WILD THINGS is an upmarket novel that interweaves a tale of modern scholars uncovering the past with a feminist retelling of Beowulf as it could have happened. Grad student Mira’s research was stolen and she risks failure. But in a 1500yo parchment dictated by Beowulf herself, Mira sees a chance to save her career. She’s running out of time to verify the manuscript’s origins and present her findings, while the student who stole her research dogs her with threats. But it’s not only Mira’s future that hangs in the balance. If she can succeed in convincing the world of the truth behind “the real Beowulf” story, she will also be able to share her own truth, reclaim her right to the PhD she’s earned, and be a voice for the collective experience of silenced women.

We're days away from sending my novel #weblamethewildthings out on submission, and I'm still trying to process how deeply I feel this story and how amazed I am that it came to me and has taken such an incredible shape that I can't wait to share.

On left, a woman warrior from Dark Ages Scandinavia. On right, a young woman in the present day, holding a worn, old manuscript. In the middle, the text We Blame the Wild Things. A.J. Van Belle

My soon-to-be on-sub upmarket novel has a new title: #WeBlameTheWildThings

In the present, a grad student's research is stolen. Her only hope of saving her future is to uncover the truth of the events that inspired the poem Beowulf.

In the past, warrior Ylfa learns Grendel is not the real monster.