iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Christen Randall @bycrandall.bsky.social · 13/02/2026

…do we hype up events here? Just in case we do, this event I have with Aiden Thomas at Powell’s next week is worth hyping up!!! Come hang out and be cool and nerdy with us Saturday, February 22 at 3PM!

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Wolf & Wyld's Queer Bookstore @wolfwyld.bsky.social · 07/02/2026

🌈📚 📖 According to Plan by Christen Randall @bycrandall.bsky.social queer romance about self-discovery, finding your person, and carving out a space for yourself in unexpected places Affiliate Link bookshop.org/a/100590/978... #booksky #queerbooks #ya

bookshop.org

According to Plan

Check out According to Plan - Three starred reviews! From USA TODAY bestselling author Christen Randall comes a cozy, “authentic, and affirming” (...

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🌈CJ Aralore @cjaralore.bsky.social · 09/02/2026

📖 Currently Reading: The No-Girlfriend Rule by @bycrandall.bsky.social Summary: A teen girl's foray into fantasy tabletop roleplaying brings her new confidence, true friends, and a shot at real, swoon-worthy love. Mixing fantasy roleplaying with real life romance? Count me in! 🎲

Text: Currently Reading
Book Cover: Two girls smiling at each other while walking through a gaming store with a yellow background. Christen Randall and The No-Girlfriend Rule are written on top.
Background: Gaming dice, pen, and paper.

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Christen Randall @bycrandall.bsky.social · 03/02/2026

ACCORDING TO PLAN is out today. I love this book. It’s also a lot of things we aren’t supposed to be right now: fat, queer, neurodivergent, unable to follow the prescribed path to heteronormative, neurotypical success, daring enough to forge its own. Read it if you need some gentle rebellion. 💖

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El's art 🏳️‍⚧️ comms open @eliotdrawings.bsky.social · 23/01/2026

Hey hey authors of #BookSky hire me to draw your character art please! #illustration #commissions

Protagonist of Fifteen Hundred Miles from the Sun

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Jen @popgoesthereader.bsky.social · 31/01/2026

🌟 Hey, YA readers! Don't miss these 50 exciting new young adult books being published in February 2026! 🌟 popgoesthereader.com/hot-off-the-... #BookSky #YALit #KidLit

An illustrated image of a white girl with long, wavy copper-coloured hair wearing a flouncy pink dress and looking over her shoulder with a small smile. At her back stands a white boy with tussled brown hair, wearing a periwinkle and white hockey jersey, with a hockey stick thrown over one shoulder, smiling down at the girl. Above their heads is the text "50 Young Adult Novels Being Published In February 2026" in bold white font.

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Death Becomes Her @danicahere.bsky.social · 10/01/2026

The No Girlfriend Rule was one of my favourite reads of last year, and I’ll can’t tell you how excited my heart is to fall in love with new characters from Christen.

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Christen Randall @bycrandall.bsky.social · 10/01/2026

BOOK JOY! My author copies of ACCORDING TO PLAN came in and let me tell you, you are not prepared for how PINK!!!! this book is! It’s for sure Emerson Pike-approved!

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Jen @popgoesthereader.bsky.social · 07/01/2026

🎉 Pop! Goes The Reader's 40 Most-Anticipated Young Adult Books: January-March 2026 🎉 popgoesthereader.com/40-most-anti... #BookSky #YALit #KidLit

A compilation of twenty-one young adult book covers of books being published from January-March 2026. Books featured include Beth Is Dead by Katie Bernet, Charmed and Dangerous by Shelly Page, Right as Rain by Tashie Bhuiyan, Love on Ice by Sara Ney, Better Catch Up, Krishna Kumar by Anahita Karthik, We're A Bad Idea, Right? by K.L. Walther, The Roommate Arrangement by Samantha Markum,
Estela, Undrowning by René Peña-Govea, Love in Ruins by Auriane Desombre, Winter White by Annie Cardi, The Oks Are Not OK by Grace K. Shim, Ramin Abbas Has MAJOR Questions by Ahmad Saber, This Ain't Our First Rodeo by Liara Tamani, Meet Me Under The Lights by Cassie Miller, Sundown Girls by L.S. Stratton, Until the Clock Strikes Midnight by Alechia Dow, A Barista's Guide To Love & Larceny by Caroline Bonin, Freddie and Stella Got Hot by Maggie Horne, Someone To Daydream About by Sydney Langford, Love Makes Mochi by Stefany Valentine and According To Plan by Christen Randall.

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Christen Randall @bycrandall.bsky.social · 02/12/2025

Thank you, @slj.com, for this ⭐️starred⭐️ review of According to Plan! Mal meets the world in two(ish) months! I’m so excited they have already had such a warm reception. I can’t wait for them to find their readers!

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Christen Randall @bycrandall.bsky.social · 01/12/2025

Is Bluesky becoming where I make fun of my Canva graphics and nothing else?????? Maybe! I don’t know how to be reliably entertaining on one platform let alone 2873829 so this is where we have landed, folks.

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Christen Randall @bycrandall.bsky.social · 01/12/2025

More beautiful Canva “art” for self promo!!!!!! I am not good at this stuff but you know who would have cleaned up at the marketing graphic game? Preteen Christen who only had MS Paint, a folder CRAMMED FULL of cartoon/“prep” dolls, and a dream. …maybe I should make a cartoon doll advert…

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Christen Randall @bycrandall.bsky.social · 24/11/2025

Okay look I know this is not a very sales-y place BUT I created this design on my own as a not-very-visual person and I am proud of it so I am sharing it!!!! Making my Canva Pro subscription WORK this month. 💅🏻✨

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El's art 🏳️‍⚧️ comms open @eliotdrawings.bsky.social · 18/11/2025

Calming girlfriend 🌈 Aini & Hollis from The No-Girlfriend Rule by @bycrandall.bsky.social ✨ #BookSky #TTRPG #YA

Aini holds Hollis's face and tells her nice things as she calms down from an anxiety attack.

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El's art 🏳️‍⚧️ comms open @eliotdrawings.bsky.social · 18/11/2025

Everyone buy and read this TTRPG-filled novel with the best girl squad, and then also preorder the author's upcoming book! bsky.app/profile/bycr...

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El's art 🏳️‍⚧️ comms open @eliotdrawings.bsky.social · 18/11/2025

Discussing fantasy with your gf 🌈✨ Hollis & Aini from The No-Girlfriend Rule from @bycrandall.bsky.social ♥️ #BookSky #YA #TTRPG

hollis a fat redheaded girl and aini a brown girl with short dyed hair, chatting up about fantasy excitedly

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Christen Randall @bycrandall.bsky.social · 18/11/2025

I feel silly calling my “preorder campaign” a preorder campaign because it’s small stuff I am making on my own, but flashy preorder campaigns are expensive and the reality of being a working class author is that I can’t afford to commission artists or ship items. Let’s call it punk rock DIY????

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Christen Randall @bycrandall.bsky.social · 18/11/2025

Signed preorders are here! I’m really hype to partner with one of my favorite local independent bookstores to offer signed preorders of According to Plan! As a thank you, I’ll also stuff your copy with some extra swag, inspired by the book and handmade by me!

On a green, blue, purple, orange and pink color-blocked background is a centered image of the cover of ACCORDING TO PLAN by Christen Randall. Above it, in black text boxes, are the words “Signed Preorders!” Below in a black text box is the text, “The According to Plan Sort-Of Preorder Campaign!”

On a green, blue, purple, orange and pink color-blocked background is the centered text, “Preoder this! Get this!” On the Preorder This side is an image of the cover of ACCORDING TO PLAN by Christen Randall on the lefthand side, with the text “signed and personalized by yours truly!” On the Get This! side is an image of a bookmark with Christen Randall’s face on it in, designed in the style of According to Plan’s cover, two zines, and a hand-written Post-it note that features a heart and the phrase “make stuff that matter.” Below is the text “Only when you preorder through Joseph Beth Booksellers. Bit.ly/SignedATP.”

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Christen Randall @bycrandall.bsky.social · 08/11/2025

My first review for ACCORDING TO PLAN came in and it’s a star from Kirkus! I’m presenting it without comment because honestly I’m speechless. Thank you, Kirkus!

On a plain white background is cover of According to Plan by Christen Randall. At its top right corner is a blue star within a circle. Below is the header “According to Plan by Christen Randall. Release Date Feb. 3, 2026. A rich, authentic, and affirming story about building your community.”

On a white back round is the review in full:
A nonbinary neurodivergent teen in Kentucky fights to find a safe space after their school magazine is cancelled.

Mal Flowers has always followed The Plan: They’ll be the editor of their school’s literary magazine, get good grades to keep their hypercritical mother happy, and support their sister until they both leave their small town for college. When the school loses funding, making it impossible for Collage to continue publication, Mal feels lost. And they’re not the only student desperately seeking another creative outlet. Loud and exuberant Emerson suggests the group go rogue and create a zine. Though Emerson is seemingly Mal’s opposite in every way, the more they work together, the more Mal feels like they’ve finally found a place where they belong and a person who gets them. Emerson, who’s bisexual and has ADHD, depression, and anxiety, offers Mal the comfort of being understood. Mal is a well-realized character, a fat teen who describes their experiences with dyslexia, ADHD, and possible autism in ways that are understandable and relatable. Alongside their sweet romance, Randall also realistically explores Mal’s struggles with family pressure and finding their own interests; these relationships are exceptionally well drawn. Interspersed between chapters are pages from Mal’s planner, text messages, emails, and pages from the zine, adding visual interest. Mal and Emerson are white, and the zine crew is diverse in race, sexual orientation, and gender identity.

A rich, authentic, and affirming story about building your community. (Ficton. 13-18.)

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Christen Randall @bycrandall.bsky.social · 05/11/2025

My second book is up on Netgalley! I’m so excited (and anxious but that’s the norm) for this cast of characters to meet the world. I am really proud of this book! Check it out if you love a cozy-but-complicated coming of age queer romance. Mal’s story is for you!

On a pink background with white checkerboard pattern, centered in a white starburst shape: REQUEST NOW ON NETGALLEY!
Below, on the right hand side: an image of the cover of According to Plan by Christen Randall.
To the left, the descriptors: Queer YA! neurodivergent for neurodivergent romance! kids making zines and creating community in the back room of a local coffee shop!

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Christen Randall @bycrandall.bsky.social · 29/09/2025

To Brag: I visited Ohio Renaissance Festival yesterday and through a series of events which mostly include me being an insufferable extrovert and Emotional On Main IRL, I was named the Queen’s Royal Author. Thanks for unlocking this Author Goal I didn’t know I had, ORF!

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Mass Teen Choice Book Award @mateenbookaward.bsky.social · 27/09/2025

If your boyfriend won't let you join their tabletop roleplaying game, maybe you should find your own group to play with. Which is exactly what Hollis Beckwith is trying to do in THE NO-GIRLFRIEND RULE by @bycrandall.bsky.social #MTCBA #thenogirlfriendrule #ireadya #yabooks #teenreads

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Christen Randall @bycrandall.bsky.social · 24/09/2025

Bookseller pals! The Kids’ Indie Next nomination deadline is November 3, and I’m asking you to consider ACCORDING TO PLAN for yours!

On a green, blue, purple, orange, and pink colorblocked background, an image of the cover of ACCORDING TO PLAN by Christen Randall is in the top left corner. Beside it, with a pink headline, is the text “BOOKSELLERS! Consider ACCORDING TO PLAN for your Kids’ Indie Next Noms!” Below, with the heading “EARLY PRAISE” are the following pull quotes: “A must-read!” – Jonny Garza Villa, Stonewall Book Award-winning author of Canto Contigo; “Warm, witty, and wonderfully queer!" – Aiden Thomas, New York Times bestselling author of Cemetery Boys; “A total joy to read!” – Kristy Boyce, New York Times bestselling author of Dating & Dragons; “I LOVE it, Boo!” – Barclay Randall, my dad. Below that, in a black textbox, is the reminder: “(The deadline for the January/February list is NOVEMBER 3!)”

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Mass Teen Choice Book Award @mateenbookaward.bsky.social · 19/08/2025

When Hollis is blocked from joining her boyfriend's group to play the tabletop roleplaying game, Secrets & Sorcery, she finds a group of her own... and it changes her entire life. Find out more in the next book on our list of 2025 nominees, THE NO-GIRLFRIEND RULE by @bycrandall.bsky.social #Booksky

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Christen Randall @bycrandall.bsky.social · 17/07/2025

Me, out loud, while reading a kissin’ scene as I finish pass pages, sitting alone at my desk, with no one home but the cats who are both in another room: “Gay.”

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Christen Randall @bycrandall.bsky.social · 15/07/2025

HEY THAT’S MY MENTEE!!!! SUMMER V. ROBBIE RIBALDI is full of heart and growth and all the good things I love about Middle Grade. @tracierenee.bsky.social is a talent AND just a delightful person, and I am so proud! Agents and editors, TAKE NOTE. Tracie is brilliant!

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Tracie Renee (she/her) @tracierenee.bsky.social · 14/07/2025

Delighted to see my #amquerying #MG #NIV on this list--especially after an early draft failed to place last year. This version was deeply revised with the guidance of my awesome writing mentor @bycrandall.bsky.social. Thank you so much, @iaminprint.bsky.social and #agent Penny Holroyde!

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Christen Randall @bycrandall.bsky.social · 11/07/2025

I reached my peak of marketing today. I’m afraid I’ll never be as good as this again.

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Death Becomes Her @danicahere.bsky.social · 06/07/2025

@bycrandall.bsky.social Just now finished The No-Girlfriend Rule, and needed to immediately come and tell you how special it is. Thank you for creating these amazing characters. They were an absolute delight to spend time with, even when I was crying.

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Christen Randall @bycrandall.bsky.social · 09/07/2025

Y’all, I have pass pages for According to Plan and this book is about to be so so so pretty.

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Christen Randall @bycrandall.bsky.social · 26/06/2025

I know I neglect this app but I'm revising a cool thing right now and need the internet to know about this line because it makes me laugh each time I read it: The stupid industrial-strength mattress cover on the dorm bed crinkles like it’s a paid actor in this absolute crapshow. .....okay byeeee.

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Children's Books Ireland @childrensbooksireland.ie · 03/06/2025

🌈Pride guide 2025🌈 The 2025 Read with Pride Guide has arrived! Inside you will find 100 recommended titles and 100 ‘read also’ suggestions. That’s 200 books celebrating LBGTQ+ love, joy, and identity. Find out more and download for free ⬇️ childrensbooksireland.ie/our-recommen... #ReadWithPride

The cover of the Pride Guide is superimposed over an image of a blue sky with a Pride flag waving behind it.

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Pushkin Press @pushkinpress.com · 13/06/2025

THRILLED that The No-Girlfriend Rule by @bycrandall.bsky.social is included in the CBI Read with Pride guide 🏳️‍🌈 'This charming LGBTQ+ coming of age story shows us that we can discover the most about ourselves in the unlikeliest of places' 🌈 More Pushkin pride coming soon! @pushkinpress.com

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Christen Randall @bycrandall.bsky.social · 12/06/2025

My second newsletter went live on Substack today! If you want to know more about According to Plan or my undying love for pickles and libraries, check it out. 😎🥒📚

open.substack.com

ACCORDING TO PLAN Cover Reveal!

And realizing my plan for this Substack fell apart immediately. 😎

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Christen Randall @bycrandall.bsky.social · 04/06/2025

I’m excited to partner with @lgbtqreads.bsky.social to reveal the cover of my next queer YA romance, ACCORDING TO PLAN! I can’t wait for y’all to meet Mal and Emerson in this cozy neurodivergent love story about finding your place, your people, and your own path. Cover illustration by Liz Parkes.

lgbtqreads.com

Exclusive Cover Reveal: According to Plan by Christen Randall

Today on the site I’m delighted to welcome Christen Randall to reveal the cover of their upcoming bi4bi contemporary YA romance, According to Plan, releasing February 3, 2026 from Simon &…

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Mass Teen Choice Book Award @mateenbookaward.bsky.social · 29/03/2025

Meet the 21 nominees for the 2025 Mass Teen Choice Book Award! This is the only award in the Bay State that invites students in grades 7-12 to vote for their favorite recently published books.

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Christen Randall @bycrandall.bsky.social · 01/04/2025

I am way too neurodivergent for April Fools Day.

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Christen Randall @bycrandall.bsky.social · 05/03/2025

Bragging on my WTMP mentee real quick: I just finished my read-through of her revision on her MG novel-in-verse and Y’ALL!!!! She CRUSHED it. I laughed! I cried! I feel like trying…and maybe learning to skateboard. @tracierenee.bsky.social and ROBBIE RIBALDI are ones to watch!

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Christen Randall @bycrandall.bsky.social · 04/03/2025

The No-Girlfriend Rule is out in paperback today! 🥳🎲✨

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Christen Randall @bycrandall.bsky.social · 04/03/2025

My SubStack is LIVE! Check out my first newsletter and subscribe! bychristenrandall.substack.com/p/writing-my...

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Christen Randall @bycrandall.bsky.social · 27/02/2025

HEY check me and MK’s giveaway out over on Insta! Book shipping will be US only, but fear not, international friends! We will ship some cool flat swag to you! If you enjoyed TNGR, you’ll definitely like Roll for Love! Check it out!

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MK England @mkengland.bsky.social · 27/02/2025

Giveaway! ✨ To celebrate the paperback release of The No-Girlfriend Rule and the upcoming release of Roll for Love, @bycrandall.bsky.social and I are doing a giveaway of our nerdy sapphic YA romances over on instagram! www.instagram.com/p/DGlTOoPgYcw/ Enter for your chance to win the following: 👇

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Christen Randall @bycrandall.bsky.social · 25/02/2025

Okay but Anita’s YA debut coming out this summer, DONUT SUMMER, instantly became one of my favorite books ever when I got read an ARC. So I am 🥹🥹🥹

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anita kelly 🌈 @anitakellywrites.bsky.social · 22/02/2025

ACCORDING TO PLAN, by @bycrandall.bsky.social YA contemporary; ARC; out October from Atheneum (no cover released yet) This is all about queer kids in Kentucky finding community and empowerment through ZINES and making art and it was so truly inspiring and important and I loved it so much

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Christen Randall @bycrandall.bsky.social · 25/02/2025

I am VERY HYPE for this love coming up on Sunday!!! Come hang out with me and MK and chat all things nerdy and queer. 😎😎😎

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MK England @mkengland.bsky.social · 25/02/2025

If y'all are still over on instagram at all, @bycrandall.bsky.social and I will be doing an IG Live this Sunday at 7pm Eastern! There'll also be a giveaway going live on IG running Thursday through Sunday. Stay tuned! In the meantime... 👇

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Christen Randall @bycrandall.bsky.social · 16/02/2025

I’m not sure if this is the kind of place where we are emo on main, but I’ve been extra thankful for my writing pals lately and just need to say it somewhere. Truly the best of them, y’all.

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Christen Randall @bycrandall.bsky.social · 15/02/2025

The No-Girlfriend Rule comes to paperback March 4th! Even cooler: the first chapter of my next cozy, feel-good romance ACCORDING TO PLAN, is included at the end! Be the first to meet my new nonbinary, neurodivergent af lead, Mal Flowers!

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