Clara Gordon || The Golden Stair OUT NOW!

Come check out my author website for all THE GOLDEN STAIR links at once! This is an actual photo of what I looked like while creating the site by the way #womeninSTEM 🦆🔗💻 sites.google.com/view/clara-g...

“Wildwood” 🤝 my novel “The Golden Stair” ➡️ October 2026 young adult fantasy release about an anxious brunette who attempts to save her family from the curse of evil blonde witch(es) on the outskirts of a massive deciduous forest while giant birds intervene — all proudly and fully human-made.

In The Golden Stair (❗out now❗) Rapunzel's prince Ash is a bard. His ballad would tell how his blonde girlfriend was really an evil witch, and the soulmate bond really pulled him to a brunette with even longer hair. Then firebirds and death prophecies intervened #Octember #WriteSky #WritingCommunity

”Golden Stair” is 🔔OUT NOW🔔, but I have 2 WIPs in its world: 1️⃣-Like 1997 Anastasia‘s “lost princess reclaiming crown from evil magic,” but now with Yiddish. 2️⃣-Backstory of how Gothel met her husband Mare. A “misunderstood villain backstory“ but this villain couple has no redemption #LitHodgepodge

In “The Golden Stair” (🔔OUT NOW 🔔) , Ash realizes his girlfriend’s a witch, & he really loves Rapunzel. In the Bad Timeline™️ where Ash stays w/ Gisela, that’s a grim version of Bewitched, where Rapunzel sits off singing Lesley Gore & Shelley Fabares torch songs #Octember #WriteSky #WritingCommunity

The Golden Stair is OUT NOW in print and in digital!! Check my pr0file 🔗 to see how to get it. So excited that it’s out in the world 🥹 ☀️ 🌙 🐦‍🔥 👑 🌻 #fairytaleretelling #rapunzel #indiepublishing #selfpublished #writesky #writingcommunity

In “The Golden Stair” (❗️drops TOMORROW❗️) Rapunzel and the witches guarding her live in an abandoned stone tower. Meanwhile, the king and queen hunt for a groom for their daughter that won’t invoke the prophecy where the wrong choice in husband will kill her. #Octember #WritingCommunity #WriteSky

#invisibledisabilitiesweek starts today, so why not add to your TBR an #ownvoices YA romantasy where Rapunzel‘s heavy braid gives her chronic pain in her neck and shoulders? Sunflowers are a design motif throughout the book due to the fantasy Eastern European setting where they grow abundantly 🌻 🌻

Mother Gothel (Galina) and not-quite-human husband Mare are a villain couple who are disgustingly in love and wish to sing a duet. #LitHodgePodge #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts #WriteSky

Rapunzel and her future prince (Raissa & Ash) want to duet, especially since he is a bard in training. Blonde witch Gisela steams in the corner-she and Ash used to duet when they dated. Today she wants to do an amazing solo to show them up. #LitHodgepodge #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts #WriteSky

*️⃣3️⃣DAYS UNTIL RELEASE*️⃣ Introducing Mother Gothel (Galina) and husband Mare, who looks like a man but is really [redacted]. If you’re mad about Disney’s Wish scrapping a villain couple, or wanted Morticia and Gomez Addams to be evil, this is the ship for you #WritingCommunity #WriteSky

*️⃣4️⃣DAYS UNTIL RELEASE*️⃣ More fun with ship dynamics, this time with Ash and Gisela. He soon realizes that she’s one of the witches keeping Rapunzel locked in the tower. Also, the magical soulmate bond was actually pulling him to Rapunzel, not to Gisela. #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts #WriteSky

My Rapunzel inspired YA book THE GOLDEN STAIR drops in just three days! Check out my author website below to pre-order on Amazon, or add it to your Goodreads and Storygraph TBR lists. sites.google.com/view/clara-g... #SpoonieAuthorChat

Alright my dears, I humbly ask a boon. If you have read The Gospel of Haven Novel, it would be super helpful if you could perchance leave a rating or review on Goodreads or Amazon! Doesn't have to be longwinded or even positive, just your honest thoughts.

*️⃣4️⃣ DAYS UNTIL RELEASE DAY*️⃣ Let’s have some fun with ship dynamics, starting off with the main couple, this world’s version of Rapunzel and her prince. #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts #WriteSky

My version of Mother Gothel (Galina) and daughter Gisela have such fun scheming to put Gisela on the throne, and being Broadway-soprano-style belters along the way. Galina’s husband Mare is just cheering them on in the background like ⬇️⬇️ #AwesomeCharacters #WriteSky #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts

*️⃣5️⃣DAYS UNTIL RELEASE DAY*️⃣ “A stone tower of soaring height” is a metaphor since this tower was built with a construction crew, not by the stones magically soaring upwards or the tower soaring upwards on its own to see how high it could go. #LitHodgepodge #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts #WriteSky

It helps having a mental fancast/face-claim in my head for all of my characters. That way they feel more human and not just like a character sheet. #SpoonieAuthChat

Princess Raissa loves gardening and researching plant biology. It makes her feel more protected against the witches’ potion garden right outside her tower. Ash finds joy in practicing to be a bard on his guitar, playing ye olde indie rock music and ye olde stadium rock. #WritingPrompt #AuthorSky

RIP Princess Raissa of Cherta, you would’ve loved #AdaLovelaceDay today celebrating Women In STEM. This Rapunzel studies plant biology so she knows what exactly is growing in the witches’ potion garden. It helps her feel protected against any magic surrounding her. #WritingCommunity #AuthorSky

Is Viktor upside-down today? Yes. #CatSky

Raissa would give cuttings from her hair. She’s desperate to lighten the weight. I’m writing a Galina x Mare prequel story where she gladly makes a deal with him trading away her firstborn, which they raise together. That was the night Gisela was conceived. 👀 🔥 #Octember #WriteSky #WritingCommunity

Raissa likes how determined (but not forceful) Ash is to help her escape the tower. Ash likes that Raissa doesn’t use her crown to be cruel to others. Mare and Galina are a strong villain couple because they can match each other’s freak. #LitHodgepodge #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts #WriteSky

*️⃣7️⃣ DAYS UNTIL RELEASE DAY*️⃣ TFW you’re a witch working with the queen’s midwives to give the pregnant queen potions you think will curse the baby to be born an ugly monster, but instead just gave baby Rapunzel her long and occasionally golden hair. #WriteSky #AuthorSky #WritingCommunity

*️⃣8️⃣DAYS UNTIL RELEASE DAY*️⃣ Deatra Cohen‘s “Woven Roots” was the source of this potion Ash takes. He needs to break up with his current girlfriend (Gothel’s daughter Gisela, still ensnaring him with her beauty and song) in order to help court and save Rapunzel. #WriteSky #AuthorSky #WritingCommunity

My characters would probably all have the easiest time being trapped in Tetris. My story takes place in a fantasy world inspired by Russia/Eastern Europe anyway. #WriteSky #WritingCommunity #Octember

Gothel (Galina) and her daughter Gisela are both accomplished plant witches who enjoy luring in victims with their entrancing soprano singing. Gisela’s dad Mare looks like a man, but is secretly [REDACTED] and thus can be magically trapped. #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts #WriteSky #LitHodgepodge

Ash is the future Rapunzel‘s Prince, but before that, he gets trapped in a relationship with a very alluring blonde girl who turns out to be Gothel‘s evil daughter. In his spare time, he is training to be a bard playing ye olde indie rock. 🎸 #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts #WriteSky #LitHodgepodge

Princess Raizel’s been stuck in a tall tower for the past five years with not much else to do besides read about plant science or brush her overly bushy and curly brown hair. She’d love to be “accidentally” trapped outside so she can escape. #LitHodgepodge #WriteSky #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts

*️⃣9️⃣DAYS UNTIL RELEASE DAY*️⃣ Another potion Ash takes, courtesy of Deatra Cohen‘s folklore book “Woven Roots.” Ash needs all the help he can get. He needs courage to break up with Gothel‘s daughter, start courting Rapunzel instead, and help R escape the tower. #WriteSky #AuthorSky #WritingCommunity

*️⃣🔟DAYS UNTIL RELEASE*️⃣ “Woven Roots” by Deatra Cohen taught me shtetl magic folklore for THE GOLDEN STAIR. Ash buys this potion to psych himself up to work at Rapunzel‘s Tower under Gothel‘s daughter-and to break up with the daughter and court Rapunzel instead. #WritingCommunity #WriteSky #AuthorSky

THE GOLDEN STAIR as a musical: 🔹Raissa (Rapunzel) sung by Emmy Rossum in an alto key. 🔹Her future prince Ash is a bard w/ solos written by Ezra Koenig or DJO. 🔹Gothel + her daughter Gisela would get villain songs sung by Megan Hilty + Renée Rapp. #LitHodgepodge #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts

Out of all my characters in THE GOLDEN STAIR, only the Malinowska family would be eligible to turn into Santa because only the Malinowskas celebrate Christmas haha. That being said, Mother Gothel’s estranged evil husband Mare would kill it as Krampus. #Octember #WriteSky #WritingCommunity

*️⃣🔟DAYS UNTIL RELEASE*️⃣ “Woven Roots” by Deatra Cohen taught me shtetl magic folklore for THE GOLDEN STAIR. Ash buys this potion to psych himself up to work at Rapunzel‘s Tower under Gothel‘s daughter-and to break up with the daughter and court Rapunzel instead. #WritingCommunity #WriteSky #AuthorSky

*️⃣ 1️⃣1️⃣ DAYS UNTIL RELEASE DAY *️⃣ Deatra Cohen’s “Ashkenazi Herbalism” was a great folklore source for THE GOLDEN STAIR. She writes in Russia, water lily seeds in a liquid form were used as a vocal health gargle by singers - and used in love potions. #WritingCommunity

The Shadow Prince My piece for one of this year's #drawtober topics. Wanted to follow up on the rider from the last year. 💕 #originalart

My author brand is “fairytales but make them more Jewish and more disabled/chronically ill.“ #WritingCommunity

In THE GOLDEN STAIR, Rapunzel’s Mother Gothel (aka Galina) has a daughter through her villain couple with Mare. Mare is a mysterious man who‘s Not Quite Human. And without spoiling much, I’ll just say he reminds me of that time Johnny Knoxville played Rasputin. #Octember #WriteSky #WritingCommunity

In THE GOLDEN STAIR, before he becomes Rapunzel‘s future prince, Ash ends up ensnared in the affections of Mother Gothel’s witch daughter. #Octember #WriteSky #WritingCommunity

*️⃣1️⃣2️⃣ DAYS TO GO UNTIL RELEASE DAY*️⃣ Today‘s playlist is Gisela’s Mix. Mother Gothel’s daughter may look and sing like a theatrical pop princess, but it’s all a façade hiding how much of a murderous menace she really is. #writersky #authorsky #WritingCommunity

*️⃣1️⃣3️⃣ DAYS TO GO UNTIL RELEASE DAY*️⃣ Today‘s playlist is Ash’s Mix. One day he’ll be Rapunzel‘s future prince, but for now he’s an aspiring bard. I imagine he plays a lot of ye olde indie rock and ye olde stadium rock. #writersky #authorsky #WritingCommunity

*️⃣1️⃣4️⃣ DAYS TO GO UNTIL RELEASE DAY*️⃣ While we wait, I thought I’d share songs reminding me of the main characters. Today is for Raissa’s Mix. I imagine this Rapunzel listens to lots of wistful fairytale inspired pop, plus songs yearning for love that hasn’t come around just yet. #writersky #authorsky

tasteofcountry.com/give-like-do... 📣Today only on 9 to 5 Day/Dolly Parton Day/Give Like Dolly Day, all proceeds from online sales of American Eagle “The Dolly Jeans” will be donated to the Imagination Library 🥺 🦋

Raissa Molina from Forgotten Island 🤝 Raissa Lebedeva from The Golden Stair ➡️anxious long-haired brunettes who are forced to become fantasy heroines against their will [support original animation with forgotten island this weekend! and support indie publishing by pre-ordering the golden stair!]

THE GOLDEN STAIR is now listed on StoryGraph as well as on Goodreads! Go add it to your TBR now... 📚SG: app.thestorygraph.com/books/1e54c6... 📚GR: www.goodreads.com/book/show/25...

And now for the official cover reveal, with art by @julsiji.bsky.social . Isn’t it gorgeous? I wanted an art noveau storybook feel, from the lettering to the flowery borders around the tower. Look for the firebird feathers and the Ukrainian inspired flower crown from the fantasy kingdom of Cherta.