nighteyes_dayspring

The Darkness in the Light (short story)

This month, I figured I'd pull one of my older short stories that only a few of you have likely read. The Darkness in the Light appeared back in 2023 in Fang 11. I completed edits on this though back in 2020, so this piece is over five years old now. Anyway, I hope you all are having a happy Halloween, and I hope you enjoy this fantastical and spicy tale.

Charexin glanced at the wrinkled map and then back up at the town in the valley below. The map called this place Chaucer and...

The Survey (Short Story)

This is something I've been working on for a little bit. A while back, a friend sent me a screen grab of an reprinted article. They used the title, "The form is always there, menacing you," which was a direct quote from the poet who was interviewed in the article. Well, that line got me thinking, and I decided to write a short story, treating the quote as a writing prompt.

It sat there, on my desk, waiting, knowing that I would need to get to it soon. The boxes on the form jus...

The Fall Equinox (Poem)

I've been writing this secret since the last winter solstice and yesterday I finished this up. I tweaked it today, and now it's ready to share.

In the golden light of the fading day,

the balance is found between summer and winter.

The night shall equal the day,

as leaves slowly turn fiery in the shortening days.

Even though my fur has started to thicken,

and the wind promises cold nights ahead,

there are many beautiful days still befor...

Megaplex 2025

It’s once again time to head to Orlando for Megaplex. I’ll be vending in the dealer’s den, table D18, but I don’t have any writing panels at the con this year. I actually forget to apply for any, and that’s on me. Beyond that though, I’m looking forward to getting out of town and seeing friends, so if you’re going, I’ll see you there!

August 2025 Update

I went into August thinking, now that I had The Blood of Life done, it would be a calm, relaxing month that would let me knock out backlogged tasks. August turned out to be anything but that. I’ve been fairly busy personally, and I’ve not had the time to really sit down and work like I wanted to. Megaplex is also this upcoming weekend, so I don’t have time to work over the three day weekend.

That’s a little frustrating because I did finish a short story called “The Fo...

We Have Always Been Here (Poem)

When the legions came, we went with them,

for we were already there.

When the conquistadors needlessly shed blood­­­—

for a god they called merciful and just—

we both bled upon the ground and did the bleeding,

because we were there, on both sides of the tragedy.

We will always be here,

no matter how much they try and get rid of us.

In the darkest hours, we will be there, standing up

and in the brightest light, we will be ther...

Black Velvet and Silver Studs (Poem)

I'm still trying to figure out the best way to share poetry on here, so trying something different this time. Using an image makes my line space clear, but it's it's not accessible. So, I'm including the text below also. Also, this one is free, because I'm posting it up on social media. It's loaded with a lot of personal imagery about when i was a younger. Bonus points if you pick out the two bands I referenced.

Black Velvet and Silver Studs

by NightEyes Da...

End of July 2025 Update

Doing two furry cons this month, one anime con where I helped my fiancé, and then getting sick has cut down on how much time I’ve had for working on new material. I’ve been meaning with the release of “The Blood of Life,” to get out some behind some scenes content of the book release process, but I haven’t been sure what to talk about. It’s a lot finishing up a book, and I mean to write about that and what distributing a book is like. I also have some reflections on the situation...

Off to Chomp

I’m heading down Chomp which a one-day furry vendor market tomorrow, in Orlando. If you’re in the Orlando area, check it out. I’ll have copies of The Blood of Life, and this will be the first time you can get the lighter version of the cover. Also, the e-book for the novel is now on Itch.io. I’ll get distribution going on other platforms, when I get back home.

Stalking the Night at Anthrocon

Well, Anthrocon is just around the corner, and I have a new book coming out at the con! The Blood of Life is an erotic furry vampire novel, and it is my second novel. I worked really hard to get this ready for the con, and I can’t wait for people to read it. The book will be available at my dealer’s table, I03. It’s also on sale online now. An e-book will be coming out ...

Why Queer Representation is Important to Me

Since it’s pride month, I’d like to reflect for a moment on queer representation and how important it is. LGBTQ+ characters are often few and far between in most media, and the current political climate in the USA doesn’t mean that’s going to improve. In fact, the very existence of any LGBTQ+ media in the USA is under threat right now. So, I’d like to share my story of why I think this type of media is important, and why we need to defend it.

Growing up in the 80s and 90s, the...

Summer Solstice (Poem)

Day of light, day or warmth,

when the sun is at its zenith in the north—

let cooling winds come and stir the air,

for my fur is hot, and I pant in the heat.

I will rest from the heat of the day in the shade of the day,

and chase the fireflies through the forest at dusk.

Let us light bonfires in the scant dark of night,

and dance in their light, celebrating the summer,

because only in the dark will the air be cool,

and can a wolf t...

Edit, Edit, Edit

I have, since I got back from FWA, been working really hard to finish up “The Blood of Life” for release at Anthrocon. While I’ve not tracked it, this has entailed working something like 30-40 hours a week on top of my day job. I’ve even take some time off from work during this process to work on polishing up the novel. While I’m not 100% sure it’s going to release at he con, things are looking good in that department.

I submitted the files to the printing company last night...

Understanding Inspiration, an In-depth Example

People often ask me where I get my ideas from, or how I get inspired. This is a very personal question, and it’s really difficult to answer. Plus, what I do may not work for others. This step in the creative process is something I don’t know how to really help people with; all I can do I suggest ways for people to open themselves to the world and their own thoughts in hopes that it lets them find their own inspirations. As part of that, I’ve got an example of something I wrote in the ca...

Furry Weekend Atlanta 2025

Furry Weekend Atlanta, (FWA) is actually the first con I’ve ever been to, way back in 2006, when it was still a small furry con out by the airport. The con has changed so much since then, it’s hard to believe it’s the same event. This year, FWA will again have record attendance, and while I don’t know what the attendance will be, it might top 20,000 furs. In 2006, there were only 563 of us.

Growth like this brings changes, and just like FWA has grown and changed, I’ve grown an...

The Ambush Outside of Morbone (Short Story Draft)

This is a project I've been sitting on I plan to revisit later, but I polished up the scene. I plan to use this character for later projects, but I'm happy in introduce her here. She's in the same universe that Gnoll Tales is set in.

The curse had taken everything from Basilea, and in its place it had given her death and sadness. It had given her madness, and pain, and yet deep down, deep below in herself, there was hope. There was more than the curse inside of herself. ...

Heading out to Texas Furry Fiesta

I'll be at Texas Furry Fiesta this weekend. This year, TFF held a lottery for half their artist alley tables before the con, and I wasn't lucky enough to get in there. I'll be trying for the daily lottery each day for the con, but I don't know if I can get selected or not. You'll have to check my Bluesky and Mastodon accounts to find out...

The Package (Short Story)

It feels good to post a new short story on here.

“It’s only for four months,” Theo told me when he was leaving. “You know I can’t pass up this opportunity, Felix.”

I wanted to argue then, I wanted to scream that he didn’t need to go, but I couldn’t argue the fact. A chance to work in that lab was definitely something he couldn’t pass up. We’d been over this before, and it was my anxiety that was talking now. Theo had spent years on his doctorate...

New Story up Wednesday

I have been slammed with stuff to do recently, but I am working on a new Patreon story with the feels for you all.

The Spring Equinox (Poem)

Day of balance, day of equality,

let the day and the night sing together as equals,

Let the flowers bloom now that winter has ended

The cold is over, and now the earth shall blossom—

may I find joy in this beauty.

And I, like the earth, shall change.

My fur will thin, as the days grow warmer and lengthen,

coming off in great tumbleweeds as my coat renews itself,

as I become ready for the touch of the sun.

The birds shall sing, and...

Back from Fur the More

I've got a lot to do this week, including spending some time on Patreon content. I do want to share a thread I posted on social media today, just because it provides a nice update on how I'm doing and how things are going writing wise.

Being back to work after a con is tiring, but I'm in really good spirits this morning. The last weekend was rather affirming, and I got good news on the way back home.

First, sales at the con went well, and that is always nice to hav...

Fur the More 2025

It’s Friday morning, and I’m at Fur the More this morning. I’ve got a dealer’s table, and I will be doing two panels at this con. The first is Adult Writing General tonight at 10 PM. The other is Writing Habits and Staying Productive on Sunday at noon. Both should be a lot of fun, so if you’re at the con, come by and say hi. I’ve got a preview of my next novel at the table you can check out.

When the Fire Consumes (Poem)

As I've said before, sometimes I channel my feelings into my work. I drafting this on my phone lying in bed one night this week.

The horizon burns a dangerous orange,

as ash falls from the sky,

fluffy and gray in the burnt light.

The fires have taken what matters

and yet still they burn,

in the ecstasy of destruction.

I had hopes and dreams,

I had plans that are going up in flame,

and yet the fires cares not for me. 2025-03-01 04:44:40 +0000 UTC View Post

February Update

I’ve been too quiet this month, and that’s my fault. I’ve been focusing on my novel, and I’ve put most of my energy this month into editing it. I’m happy to say the book is now with an editor, so I can take a break for a bit before they get back to me with what they think.  The political situation in the USA has also been distressingly too relevant to LGBTQ+ people, and the stress hasn’t been good for my productivity.

It did get me to write a poem called “Fuck This Sh...

The Tale of the Huntsman (Novel Excerpt)

Below is a short folk tale that's contained in my upcoming novel, The Blood of Life. It relates to the plot of the book but it also stands on it's own.

Many years ago, during a time of great war, a hunter, desperate to feed his starving family set out into the woods in search of game. He rode for days, but he found nothing. The war had driven away all the game from the land, and so the bear returned to his village, heartbroken and hungry.

How...

Snow Day (poem)

I live in Florida, and it actually snowed Tuesday night where I am in North Florida, so I decided to write a poem about the joys of playing in snow I remember as a kid.

The tinkling of ice gives way to the muffled thud of snow,

and then the storm comes.

O how I have missed you.

O how I want to run out into you,

my fur frosted in your wonder,

my breath steaming in the air.

Snow is the domain of the wolf,

and deep down, I want...

Forward Into 2025

With 2024 now in the rearview mirror. It’s a good time to look back and reflect. I always feel like I haven’t done enough, but when I went to total it all up, I did quite a bit more in 2024 then I thought I did.

I wrote six different short stories last year. Some of them have been released, and others are still in the editing process. I also released a poetry chapbook, Therianthropic Dreams, at Anthrocon, and half the poetry in there I wrote this year. Finally, I finis...

The Blood of Life - Chapter 7 - The Lonely Hunt

I think this is the last complete chapter of the novel I will share since I'm knee deep now into revising later chapters, but there's an excerpt I plan to publish next month. With how the writing and editing of this book has gone, updates for the book to Patreon have been inconsistent. I'm still working out what the best workflow for Patreon content is that also lets me stay focused on my big projects like the novel. I'll discuss that at some point next year once I get through major edits...