iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Reposted by Amanda Shortman - she/her

notanotheranthology.bsky.social @notanotheranth.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

It's the last few days of our Kickstarter. Don't miss out on these amazing rewards! The merch bundle is just £5, so you don't have to pledge a lot to help us and grab yourself some amazing art by @ruesparks.bsky.social Please note - these are mock ups and not the final products. Link in comments.

Text and graphics on a pastel rainbow background. The text says Last Few Days. Our Kickstarter ends in just a few days. Don't miss out on these rewards. There is then a screenshot of the Not/Feeling Better Kickstarter page with a banner saying "Ending Soon"

Text and images on a pastel rainbow background. The text says Art by Rue Sparks, available as, and then there is a print bundle, a merch bundle, and a tote bag bundle with mock ups showing Rue's art on them.

Text and images on a pastel rainbow background. The text says Books - Not just the new anthology. There are then images of Not/Feeling Better with a mock up cover, the Kickstarter exclusive of Not/Coming Out, and Remains by Lou Willingham and The Inadequacy of Words by Amanda Shortman as Poetry Add-Ons

Text and an illustration of a person in a wheelchair with fist held high and a megaphone in their other hand. The text says Can we hit £1k. Help us meet our stretch goals! We're already fully funded but every pound we raise over this amount helps us reach our stretch goals of providing more free copies and hosting a launch party. Pledge today. link in bio.

132

Reposted by Amanda Shortman - she/her

notanotheranthology.bsky.social @notanotheranth.bsky.social · 25/07/2026

SUBMISSIONS ARE NOW OPEN! Highlights: - prompt: Not/Feeling Better - word limit: 5000 - genre: any, but suitable for distribution to schools - form: any! Poetry, short fiction, memoir

Graphics and text on a pastel rainbow background. There is a character in a wheelchair, with fist in the air and holding a megaphone in the other hand. They are wearing a purple tshirt, red skirt, and purple shoes. Next to them is a Kickstarter badge that says "100% funded". The text above and below the graphics say:

Submissions are NOW open- find full details on how to submit at our website. There's still time to pledge to support our kickstarter

21311

Amanda Shortman - she/her @aspiraldance.bsky.social · 06/07/2026

Oh look, it's me, hello 👋 Don't miss out on this reward!

000

Reposted by Amanda Shortman - she/her

notanotheranthology.bsky.social @notanotheranth.bsky.social · 05/07/2026

We're thrilled to have teamed up with the incredible @ruesparks.bsky.social, a disabled author, artist, and advocate, to bring you these amazing designs. The pop art inspired pieces will feature in the Not/Feeling Better merch bundle, prints bundle, tote bag, and everything bundle. Pledge today! ⬇️

A pastel rainbow background with an oval illustrated portrait of Rue Sparks, who has short hair and wears glasses. The illustration is in a pop art style with the face detailed in various yellow shades and a black background. There is black text above and below the illustration that says "meet the artist - Rue Sparks - they/them - swipe to see their artwork

Two images next to each other. Both have a pastel rainbow background with a pop art inspired illustration on them. The first is of a weekly pill box. It has a paste; yellow background and the pill box is in pastel rainbow colours. The second is of a yellow hearing aid on a purple background. There is text above and below the illustration that says "Available in various rewards on Kickstarter - keep swiping"

Two images next to each other. Both have a pastel rainbow background with a pop art inspired illustration on them. The first is of a walking cane. It has a pastel blue background and the cane is pink. The second is of a pair of blue glasses on an orange background. There is text above and below the illustration that says "Available in various rewards on Kickstarter - keep swiping"

Two images next to each other. Both have a pastel rainbow background with a pop art inspired illustration on them. The first is hand wearing finger splints around the middle finger joints. It has a pastel green background and the hand is pink and the splints are yellow. The second is of a yellow and green manual wheelchair with large back wheels and push handles on the back on a pink background. There is text above and below the illustration that says "Available in various rewards on Kickstarter - pledge today"

132

Amanda Shortman - she/her @aspiraldance.bsky.social · 30/06/2026

Hey @bsky.app it's never felt as friendly here as Threads, and now I know why. Yes, Threads may be owned by Meta, but the people there are amazing. Yesterday I posted about an OCD win and had hundreds of wonderful comments from total strangers. Yet you'd insult them like this? Fuck you!

A screenshot of a post on Threads by Bluesky. It says: "wishing a happy Monday to all of Mark Zuckerberg's little guinea pigs here on Threads."

There is then a follow up comment, after they got totally roasted, which says:

"hey. we're sorry about the previous post. it was supposed to be a dig at Meta, not Threads users, but that obviously wasn't clear enough. we love guinea pigs. if you were our guinea pigs, we’d never do things like train our AI on your content or sell your data to advertisers."

040

Reposted by Amanda Shortman - she/her

notanotheranthology.bsky.social @notanotheranth.bsky.social · 27/06/2026

GIVEAWAY! We want to grow our community ahead of the launch of our Kickstarter because we want as many people as possible to have the opportunity to submit their writing to us. And we need your help!

122

Reposted by Amanda Shortman - she/her

notanotheranthology.bsky.social @notanotheranth.bsky.social · 18/06/2026

Have you started working on your submission for Not/Feeling Better yet? 👀 Here's a brief overview of our submission guidelines to help you!

Submission guidelines
Short fiction, poetry, essays
Up to 5k words
Multiple poems accepted
Any genre (non-explicit)*
Attach doc without author name
Include content warnings
*We plan to distribute free copies to schools and community groups, so need to be mindful of younger readers

074

Reposted by Amanda Shortman - she/her

notanotheranthology.bsky.social @notanotheranth.bsky.social · 13/06/2026

We thought we'd share the timeline we've set ourselves. We'll launch the Kickstarter soon, and once it's fully funded we'll open for submissions. Autumn will be spent reading them all and choosing the final pieces. And then the Winter will be spent getting ready for publication next Spring!

Black text on a pastel rainbow background that says:

Not/Feeling Better Timeline

Summer 2026 - Kickstarter runs and open to submissions

Autumn 2026 - finalise successful submissions

Winter 2026 - anthology construction & promotion

Spring 2027 - distribute Kickstarter rewards and publish anthology

Please remember that all 3 editors are disabled and/or chronically ill, so the occasional delay may occur.

043

Reposted by Amanda Shortman - she/her

notanotheranthology.bsky.social @notanotheranth.bsky.social · 09/06/2026

You can now sign up to be notified when our Kickstarter is launched. We'll be announcing rewards in due course, but we can let you in on a secret now 🤫 There'll be merch with artwork from an amazing disabled artist, and a second chance to get something from our first anthology 👀 Link in comments.

143

Amanda Shortman - she/her @aspiraldance.bsky.social · 06/06/2026

Eeeeeek, it is official! Our next charity anthology is about disability and chronic illness. More details will follow, but we wanted to let you know the theme so you could start thinking about what you might like to submit.

071

Amanda Shortman - she/her @aspiraldance.bsky.social · 04/06/2026

Anyone wanna play and take a guess? 👀

020

Amanda Shortman - she/her @aspiraldance.bsky.social · 02/06/2026

Cue me excitedly flapping my hands!! Huge hint to the theme here... 👀

050

Amanda Shortman - she/her @aspiraldance.bsky.social · 30/05/2026

Soooo excited about this! Details of our next project will be coming real soon 👀

151

Amanda Shortman - she/her @aspiraldance.bsky.social · 23/04/2026

It's Disability Book Week, and so I thought I would make a post with a load of book recs. I have not read all of these, but I hope to one day. I've had to do it in 2 parts to include all 8 slides. Let me know what books you would add to this list ☺️ #BookSky 💙📚 #DisabilityBookWeek

A Girl Behind Dark Glasses by Jessica Taylor Bearman - ME/CFS

All This Time by Mikki Daughtry a d Rachael Lippincott - Traumatic Brain Injury

Confessions of a Virgin on a Dating App by Sydney Wilder - Endometriosis and Vaginismus

One For All by Lillie Lainoff - POTS

Sick Kids In Love by Hannah Moskowitz - Juvenile Rhejmatoid Arthritis and Gaucher Disease

A Curse So Dark And Lonely by Brigud Kemmerer - Cerebral Palsy

Even If We're Broken by AM Weald - Chronic Pain and Mental Health

Every Little Piece Of My Heart vy Non Pratt - Lupus

LATE bloomer by Mazey Eddings - Autism

Every Borrowed Beat by Erin Stweart - Heart Failure

It's all in your head by Sabina Nordqvist - IIH and Chronic Pain

The Chemistry Test by Georgina Frankir - EDS

Get a Life Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert - Fibromyalgia

A Love like the sun vy Riss M Neilson - Kidney disease

Joined at the joints by Marissa Eller - Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis

Breathing underwater by Abbey Lee Nash - Epilepsy

Battle of the Bookstores by Ali Brady - Dyslexia

Not Safe for Work by Nisha J Tuli - Chronic Migraine

Even Odds by Miah Onsha - PCOS & Anxiety

Sick and Tired by Paivi Montgomery - ME/CFS

When life gives you lemons by Noor Sasha - Epilepsy

Lightguard by Hayley Turner - OCD

With stars in her eyes by andie Burke - Migraine

Love Letters for Joy by Melissa See - Cerebral Palsy

161

Amanda Shortman - she/her @aspiraldance.bsky.social · 21/04/2026

It's my birthday next week & these would make my day! 1) Sponsor Oscar's fundraising challenge. He is currently just over halfway. www.justgiving.com/page/oscar-2... 2) Watch BBC Lifeline on Sunday 26th April at 2.50pm when @actionforme.bsky.social will be on. www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b...

A banner with party hats and balloons in the background and some screenshots of things on top. There is text that says "help me celebrate my birthday by supporting Action for ME" and then there is a screenshot of Oscar's 250k for ME part 2 showing he has raised 74% of his fundraising target and asking you to donate, alongside a screenshot of BBC One's Lifeline with a message that Action for ME is next on on Sunday at 2.50pm and a request for you to watch.

000

Amanda Shortman - she/her @aspiraldance.bsky.social · 17/04/2026

My friend Kenzie (who was one of my co-editors on @notcomingout.bsky.social) needs to raise £1,000 to get legal help from an advocacy firm with her PIP appeal. For those who don't know, PIP is the UK disability benefit. Kenzie has ME/CFS. Please help if you can 💙 www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding...

justgiving.com

Help raise £1000 to Fund my PIP Appeal – JustGiving Crowdfunding

Iʼm raising money to Fund my PIP Appeal. Support this JustGiving Crowdfunding Page.

123

Amanda Shortman - she/her @aspiraldance.bsky.social · 31/03/2026

I flew through yesterday on adrenaline and crashed spectacularly in the evening. My AuDHD didn't help - I ended up in hyperfocus and couldn't stop even when my body was screaming at me. Needless to say, the PEM is immense today. I feel horrific 😫

020

Amanda Shortman - she/her @aspiraldance.bsky.social · 31/03/2026

Happy Trans Day of Visibility. I want to use my space to raise up the voices of Trans people. If you're trans, feel free to post links to your profile, fundraiser, books, artwork, business etc in the comments. And if you are cis, like, share, go follow and support them. #TransDayOfVisibility

An illustration of 3 people holding a trans flag. One is a white person with long brown hair in a wheelchair, one is a brown person with long red hair crouching down, and one is a white person with short pink hair standing up.

This is on a trams flag background with white text that says Trans Day Of Visibility - Let's Highlight the Voices of the Trans Community.

031

Amanda Shortman - she/her @aspiraldance.bsky.social · 30/03/2026

Can you help me get into double digits with downloads of my book during the Indie Visible Charity Book Sale? It is completely free, and a perfect read for anyone living with disability, chronic illness, mental health issues, or neurodiversity. www.indievisibleevents.com

An ebook version of the book The Inadequaxy of Words by Amanda Shortman. The cover is cream with a pale blue splash of colour and a line drawing of a face with eyes closed. There is black text that says: Free poetry book about disability, chronic illness, mental health, and neurodiversity, 30th & 31st March at IndieVisibleEvents.Com. There are arrows coming out of the book to point at various themes - chronic pain, anxiety, isolation, chronic fatigue, identity, unreliable bodies, resilience, and medical battles

065

Amanda Shortman - she/her @aspiraldance.bsky.social · 25/03/2026

I'm really struggling. I don't know if it's fallout from my cardiology appointment or hormonal shifts due to Zoladex, but I'm swinging between rage, sadness, and numbness. Just sharing, as I want to try and stay ahead of any mental health spiral. Will be talking to the GP about it on Friday.

000

Amanda Shortman - she/her @aspiraldance.bsky.social · 21/03/2026

It's World Poetry Day. So I thought it was high time I shared this with the world ☺️ I wrote it to submit to an anthology. It wasn't successful, and I haven't known what to do with it since. But it's one of my favourite poems ever. It sums up so much of mine & @theajane.bsky.social's relationship.

Black text on a pastel background that says:

She’d never known sex like this, this absurd, bewildering mixture of lust, mind-boggling pleasure, laughter, and silliness, but it was perfect.
-The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna

She’d always known exactly what I needed,
never pushing or pulling beyond the boundaries
known only by the intimacy of
sex, and exploration, and care.
Like how the smallest of touches on
this part of my body could reduce me to tears, but
this part would make me cry from laughter at the
absurd nature of our relationship. Forever a
bewildering combination of sex and supplication, a
mixture of can and can’t, and do and don’t,
of ‘YES! Don’t stop!’ and ‘ARGH! That hurts!’ -
lust broken by a popped hip or muscle cramp, that
mind-boggling experience of seeking
pleasure in a wonky body.
Laughter carried us through it all, laughter
and care for the other, always as
silliness reigned and the weight of the world dropped.
But here in the folds of the bed, this dance of ours,
it taught me the greatest lesson of all, which
was that we are
perfect in our imperfection.

030

Amanda Shortman - she/her @aspiraldance.bsky.social · 20/03/2026

Day 31 I keep forgetting to post these on here, but I thought my fellow author friends might appreciate this one. It's an out of print book by my very favourite author. I've been looking for a copy for years, and finally found one on Vinted. I can't wait to read it! 😃 #40DaysOfGratitude

A hardback copy of the book Tortall A Spy's Guide by Tamora Pierce. It has a black cover with two crossed keys on the front.

020

Amanda Shortman - she/her @aspiraldance.bsky.social · 20/03/2026

I had my first Zoladex injection last Friday. Here's how it's going. The weirdest change has been my aversion to food. That happened last time I had Zoladex too - I survived on gluten free fishfingers and spaghetti for weeks 🙈 Trying to keep it a bit more varied this time. But 🤢

White text on a red background that says The Zoladex Diaries The First Week. There is an illustration of a white woman with long dark hair wearing a yellow tshirt and pink knickers and holding her hands in front of her belly in pain.

White text on a red background that says: things to note. Zoladex has been prescribed due to Endo and Adeno. I have used GnRH analogues before, but usually Synarel. The one time I used Zoladex, I became intensely paranoid. We hope it was a HRT issue and not the zoladex itself. It's just one more step in a very long process, I hope it helps.

White text on a red background that says symptoms so far. I've had more migraines and dizziness, but that could be due to other factors. I've had a significant increase in joint pain and instability. I've had some mild spotting. The thought of food makes me feel sick, even when hungry. I feel a little more emotional than usual, but so far so good.

030

Amanda Shortman - she/her @aspiraldance.bsky.social · 20/03/2026

Remembered it was non-uniform day today just as O's mini bus arrived. That was the quickest outfit change ever 😂 So glad I remembered at the last moment, so he didn't stick out as the only kid who forgot!

020

Amanda Shortman - she/her @aspiraldance.bsky.social · 18/03/2026

40 Days of Gratitude | Day 29 Today I am grateful for a beautiful, sunny day 😎 We've managed to do a bit of gardening, and now I am reclining in a chair in the shade to rest whilst listening to the birds. Bliss. #40DaysOfGratitude

Amanda, a middle aged white woman with long, dark auburn hair is sitting in the garden in front of a wall and fence with a climbing rise and bug house on them. She is wearing a pale blue dress with pink flower print and tintm.d glasses. She also has drop earrings with painted red dragon wings on the

030

Amanda Shortman - she/her @aspiraldance.bsky.social · 17/03/2026

Just managed to dictate 875 words for my WIP whilst laying in bed, nursing a migraine. No idea how badly it has picked up the words 🤔 and it's going to need me to edit in punctuation properly later (I am still not used to that bit). But that's 875 words that wouldn't have been written otherwise 😃

030

Amanda Shortman - she/her @aspiraldance.bsky.social · 17/03/2026

Does anyone else find that the Cefaly electrodes never seem to remain properly sticky for long? I'm pretty sure it is not user error, given I have 2 other TENS machines with a variety of electrodes that last several times as long. It costs me a fortune replacing them each month. #Migraine

011

Amanda Shortman - she/her @aspiraldance.bsky.social · 17/03/2026

Hey you. Yes, you! Come close, I have something important to tell you... You are amazing ☺️ I know it might not feel that way right now, but I see it. You are incredible. And I am so happy you are here today ❤️

media.tenor.com

a cartoon of a cat holding flowers on top of the earth

Alt: a cartoon of a cat holding flowers on top of the earth and the words, "the world is so much more beautiful with you in it"

031

Reposted by Amanda Shortman - she/her

Rachel Bowdler / Bonnie Woods @rachelbowdler.bsky.social · 16/03/2026

MEET ME ON ST PATRICK’S DAY is FREE until the 18th! ☘️ second chance romance 🇮🇪 chance encounters ☘️ mental health rep 🇮🇪 plus-size pan Irish MMC ☘️ slow burn (like, years) 🇮🇪 NYC setting ☘️ right person, wrong time Available mostly everywhere you get your ebooks including itch.io & ko-fi!

056

Amanda Shortman - she/her @aspiraldance.bsky.social · 15/03/2026

My book is free this month for #LongCovidAwarenessMonth It's made to be as accessible as possible, whilst still sharing insights into life with chronic illness that are punchy enough to grab the attention of those around you. I hope it helps. Much solidarity to you all ❤️ books2read.com/u/3RAgOY

061

Amanda Shortman - she/her @aspiraldance.bsky.social · 15/03/2026

Day 26 Today is Mother's Day in the UK. This was what O wrote in my card 🥹 O was only 3 when I got sick with ME/CFS. He doesn't remember a non-sick version of me. And I often grieve for all the things we've lost. But it turns out he's more focused on other parts of who I am 🥰 #40DaysOfGratitude

A handwritten message that says:

Dear mum

I'm so lucky to have a mother as generous as you

Love from Oscar
Xxoox

070

Amanda Shortman - she/her @aspiraldance.bsky.social · 14/03/2026

Hey fellow authors 👋 Do any of you use a voice to text option for writing that you would recommend? I am frustrated by how rarely I can sit at my laptop & write due to health issues. I use an android phone and windows laptop - ideally I'd dictate on my phone & edit on laptop later. Thanks ☺️

113

Amanda Shortman - she/her @aspiraldance.bsky.social · 14/03/2026

The side of my right boob really fucking hurts 😫 Is this the first symptom from my Zoladex injection (seems rather quick, I only had it yesterday), or is it my lymph nodes swelling from this virus (seems a bit late, I've been sick all week)? 🤔

130

Amanda Shortman - she/her @aspiraldance.bsky.social · 13/03/2026

I have THE WORST migraine today. It's one of those where you feel like your whole body is dying 😭 And I just gagged, literally gagged, when @theajane.bsky.social kissed me 😳 She just smells so *wrong* to me when I get like this. In a way I cannot explain. I hate it.

020

Amanda Shortman - she/her @aspiraldance.bsky.social · 13/03/2026

Um... I just learned about human chimeras. And, well, now I'm wondering if I am one... When I was born there was a twin placenta, but no twin. So there is every chance I absorbed my twin's DNA whilst in utero. My parents always joked I must have got my twin's share of issues 😂

030

Amanda Shortman - she/her @aspiraldance.bsky.social · 12/03/2026

When your nails are so freaking bendable thanks to hEDS, that popping blister packs for your meds causes one to bend at a 90 degree angle 🙃

A close up of an index finger where the top left corner has bent at a 90 degree angle

030

Amanda Shortman - she/her @aspiraldance.bsky.social · 12/03/2026

My joints are not happy. This cold virus has made my hEDS worse than ever 😫 So I'm trying to make a list of fiction with disability rep, and am going to treat myself to at least one of them. But before I make my choice, which books am I missing? #BookSky 📚💙 www.amazon.co.uk/hz/wishlist/...

amazon.co.uk

Check out my list on Amazon

020

Amanda Shortman - she/her @aspiraldance.bsky.social · 12/03/2026

Just a quick reminder that my poetry book about disability, chronic illness, mental health, and neurodiversity is available FOR FREE this month. #BookSky 💙📚 books2read.com/u/3RAgOY

Black text on a pale blue background that says: Am I even human in your eyes? Too much weight in a careless world. Get your free copy at https://books2read.com/u/3RAgOY Then there is a picture of the book The Inadequacy of Words on an reader. The cover is cream with a pale blue splash of colour and a line drawing of a face with eyes closed.

081

Amanda Shortman - she/her @aspiraldance.bsky.social · 11/03/2026

Day 22 I started reading this today. It's been on my TBR for a couple of years. I kept putting it off as I know I'm going to find it a really tough read. But this week a friend offered to buddy read with me, so we can discuss it as I read. And I am so so grateful for that 🥰 #40DaysOfGratitude

The book, A Girl Behind Dark Glasses by Jessica Taylor-Bearman. The books cover is white with a greyscale photo of a white girl wearing sunglasses. Her hair is turning into tint colourful butterflies.

010

Amanda Shortman - she/her @aspiraldance.bsky.social · 10/03/2026

Day 21 I'm still sick, but it's a gorgeous day, which reminded me how grateful I am for this mini garden. It sits right outside my window, and looks after itself. I can see flowers from my bed, as well as birds looking for worms. In a couple of months it'll be full of blooms #40DaysOfGratitude

The grey base of an old guinea pig cage sits on a metal stand in the corner between two windows. It is full of green leaves with a couple if orange flowers starting to appear.

020

Reposted by Amanda Shortman - she/her

Elise (they/them)🇦🇺 🏳️‍⚧️ @eliseswords.eurosky.social · 09/03/2026

Autistic Authors, As next month is Autism Awareness Month (yeah, I know acceptance is more important!), I'll be hosting an Autistic Fiction book bundle on Itchio (yes your book must be on Itch to enter.) Let me know if you'd like me to DM you a sign up form! And feel free to comment questions.

279865

Amanda Shortman - she/her @aspiraldance.bsky.social · 09/03/2026

Day 20 I have a cold 😭 so I'm grateful that when I went to the Co-op to get lemon and honey for my tea, I found these on offer too ☺️ These are my favourite naughty little treat. Yes, they're cheaper to make, but on days like this I need the easiest option. And they're yummy 😋 #40DaysOfGratitude

A plastic container of chocolate cornflakes clusters from the Co-op

130

Amanda Shortman - she/her @aspiraldance.bsky.social · 08/03/2026

Day 19 Today I am really grateful for this massager. My back and shoulders are so tense and sore, and being able to slowly work at the muscles this way is so helpful. Even if it does hurt like fuck 😫 #40DaysOfGratitude

Amanda, a white, middle aged woman with long dark auburn hair and dark brown eyes is sitting in bed using a massager that is wrapped around her shoulders and held in place by arm straps.

010

Amanda Shortman - she/her @aspiraldance.bsky.social · 08/03/2026

8th March is International Women's Day, and as I'm a big reader I thought I would share some of the books with strong female leads that have really made a mark on me through the years. Which books/characters would you add to this list? #InternationalWomensDay #BookSky 💙📚

YA Fantasy by Tamora Pierce.

Song of the Lioness - Alanna hides her gender so she can become a knight. This book's cover has an illustration of a sword with golden hilt on a dark purple background.

The Immortals - Daine must learn to wield her wild magic to save the kingdom. This book has a dark black cover with a shaft of light shining on a vial of blue liquid.

Protector of The Small - Kel is the first female page since Alanna, will she succeed? This cover has an illustration of a young person with short page boy style hair and a black eye holding a kitten.

Contemporary Romance by Talia Hibbert.

Get a Life, Chloe Brown - Chloe wants to expand her world which is limited by Fibromyalgia. This book has the title in large text on a very pale blue background with an illustration of a curvy black woman kissing a white man with ginger hair. There is a grey cat at their feet.

Take a Hint, Dani Brown - Dani doesn't want a relationship but suddenly she's fake dating. This book's cover is bright yellow with large text and an illustration of a Brown man carrying a black woman with short pink hair in his arms.

Act Your Age, Eve Brown - Eve tries to prove to her family that her life isn't just a mess. This book's cover is a bright turquoise blue with large text and a curvy black woman with long purple hair kissing a white guy with blond hair.

Varied genres by indie authors

Gloria by Katherine Shaw - Gloria must escape her husband to save herself and her daughter. This book's cover has an illustration of a white woman's face obscured by her curly ginger hair blowing across it. She stands in front of a dock.

Heroes and Harbingers by Ark Horton - Bree (the chosen one) and Ms Sirin (her teacher) uncover deadly secrets. This book's cover is a dark silhouette of a city scape with palm trees and crows flying in a stormy sky.

Perception Check by Astrid Knight - Violet must enter a world that terrifies her to save her friend. This book's cover is a dark red with an illustration of the back of a girl with long brown hair looking over a skyline that changes in the middle to be two separate worlds.

Various genres by trad pubbed authors

Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson- Elisabeth must overcome her fear of magic in order to save the world. This book's cover has an illustration of a girl with long brown hair wielding a sword.

The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna - Mika Moon discovers what it means to truly belong in this magical read. This book's cover has an illustration of a large house on a hill with a yellow car driving up to it.

It's All In Your Head by Sabina Norqvist - Skylar battles her health whilst falling in love and meeting online friends. This book's cover is a lilac colour with the title taking up most of the page and with a white woman resting propped up against the start of the text and a white man with a cane leaning against the end.

192

Amanda Shortman - she/her @aspiraldance.bsky.social · 07/03/2026

Day 18 Today I'm grateful for the reading stand @theajane.bsky.social gave me for Valentine's Day 🥰 I have an ARC of Lightguard by Hayley Turner I really need to finish before it's published on 24th March! And this means I can recline and be comfortably supported as I read ☺️ #40DaysOfGratitude

An old style Kindle sits on a slanted wooden stand which sits on top of a bed. There is a paperback book half hidden by the stand, and a Kindle Fire on a stand further down the bed in the background.

010

Amanda Shortman - she/her @aspiraldance.bsky.social · 07/03/2026

Day 17 I'm posting this a day late 😳 I took this photo yesterday lunchtime, but then got so caught up in book admin that I totally forgot. Anyway, Spring is almost here, and so it felt time to have the first "salad-y" meal of the year 😃 #40DaysOfGratitude

A white dinner plate with half a pork pie, some potato salad, a vegetable salad, chopped avocado and tomato, and some basil.

020

Reposted by Amanda Shortman - she/her

notanotheranthology.bsky.social @notanotheranth.bsky.social · 06/03/2026

We are excited to share that Not/Coming Out is taking part in the Indie Visible charity event on 30th & 31st March. Pop the date in your diary, because it's going to be a great chance to fill up your e-reader with lots of free and discounted books!

Black text on a pastel rainbow background that says: Free eBook! Not/Coming Out is part of the Indie Visible charity events - 30th & 31st March. IndieVisibleEvents.Com. There is an image of an e-reader with the book Not/Coming Out on it, which has a black cover with a white line illustration of a wardrobe/closet which is closed and has a jacket hanging off the top and a teddy bear on the floor in front of it.

053

Amanda Shortman - she/her @aspiraldance.bsky.social · 06/03/2026

I'm delighted to announce that my poetry book is available for FREE for the rest of March. It will also be in the Indie Visible Charity Event 30th & 31st March. I know how hard it can be to explain what life is like with chronic illness. Hopefully my book will help you feel less alone.

Black text on a pale blue background that says: March is the awareness month for Long Covid, Endometriosis, and Brain Tumours. So to support those with these conditions, I've made my poetry book about chronic illness free this month. Get your FREE copy at https://Books2Read.Com/U/3RAgOY. There is an image of an ereader with the book The Inadequacy of Words on it, which has a pale cream front cover with a light blue splash and a line drawing of a face with eyes closed.

11510