iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Dr Chiara Bullen @chiarab.bsky.social · 19h

Dyer's Wynd Books are an excellent online indie bookstore based in Glasgow. They have been such a champion of my debut fantasy novel and I'm v. grateful for their support. If anyone fancies picking up The Inn at the Foot of Mount Vengeance, they ship UK-wide! 🏔️🦌 🔗 below! #sff #booksky

A copy of the UK hardback of The Inn at the Foot of Mount Vengeance held up in front of the mountain Buachaille Etive Mòr. The cover is black with the title and my name in gold foil. There is a small white inn below the title and above it sits the outline of a mountain with a small dragon flying across it. The border features illustrations of daggers, dragon-skulls, open books, thistles and thorns.

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Dr Chiara Bullen @chiarab.bsky.social · 13/10/2026

I should have gone to bed a while ago and yet…

A picture of Trudi Canavan’s The Magicians’ Guild next to my unimpressed white and ginger cat

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Dr Chiara Bullen @chiarab.bsky.social · 12/10/2026

Three cons in three weeks – an amateur number for some authors I’m sure, but I am officially done in!!! However I’m also feeling v. inspired after listening to so many author panels, chatting with booksellers and publishing folk, and meeting readers ✍️ ✨

A picture of me holding a microphone chatting at a panel. The authors E.L Hark and Trip Galey

My notebook for panels with a black cat on the front, next to a microphone and water bottle and the audience coming into the room

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Dr Chiara Bullen @chiarab.bsky.social · 11/10/2026

Had an excellent time at my first FantasyCon! Until next time 👋 #fantasycon26

A mirror selfie of me in a green jumper and a brown checked skirt

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Dr Chiara Bullen @chiarab.bsky.social · 10/10/2026

He’s asking me to buy him a Saturday ticket for Fantasycon 👉👈

A black cat next to the fantasy con programme

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Dr Chiara Bullen @chiarab.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

Yeah I mean the Inktober theme says it all really

The trending list on Bluesky today. It reads:

Trending

1.
Canada drops disinformation conference sponsorship
2.
Margaret Hamilton dies at 90
3.
Inktober 2026 day 7: panic
4.
Deadly Russian strikes hit Ukraine
5.
Banned Books Week

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Dr Chiara Bullen @chiarab.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

I had a *love*-ly time chatting all things cozy fantasy romance last night with Mystic Neptune, Sylvie Cathrall, A.T. Qureshi and Sarah Beth Durst as part of HearthCon 2026. All panels are recorded and on the Lazy Dragon Books channel! #booksky #fantasy #SFF

A screenshot of the online panel. Top row left to right: Mystic Neptune, Chiara Bullen, Sylvie Vathrall. Bottom row left to right: A.T. Quereshi and Sarah Beth Durst

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Dr Chiara Bullen @chiarab.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

I’m going to be at FantasyCon in Glasgow! Looking forward to this fine gathering of SFF folks next month♥️ @britfantasysoc.bsky.social

FantasyCon schedule
Friday 9th Oct: The Vibes of Dark Academia
Saturday 10th Oct: Worldbuilding as a Slice of Life

Sunday 11th October: The Expectations of Cosy Fantasy

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Dr Chiara Bullen @chiarab.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

What an article on The Scotsman looks like without reader view. HOW is this considered acceptable? And this doesn’t include the pop up video I closed

A screenshot of The Scotsman website. 75% consists of messy ads all over the screen. Only two small lines of the article are show

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Dr Chiara Bullen @chiarab.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

Looking forward to taking part in the Cozy Fantasy Romance panel with MysticNeptune, AT Quershi, Sylvie Cathrall and Sarah Beth Durst at HearthCon this year! 11am PDT, free & live-streamed on YouTube ♥️🏔️✨ #booksky #fantasy #cozyfantasy

A poster with the book covers of I Ran Away to Evil, The Baby Dragon Cafe, The Art of Charming a Changeling and Sea of Charms. the text reads HearthCon 2026, Saturday October 3rd Online

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Dr Chiara Bullen @chiarab.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

Microsoft Outlook asks to translate Gàidhlig in emails so I thought I'd let it have a go 🤦‍♀️ Looking forward to mice sports day 🐭🎾

An email that reads: Féilall na Gàidhlig – days of sports for the islanders, working mice, and for the sake of our community in the area;

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Dr Chiara Bullen @chiarab.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

today’s small* joy is this tiramisu brioche bun *it is decidedly not small

A baked brioche bun topped with fresh cream and coco powder in a white styrofoam box

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Dr Chiara Bullen @chiarab.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

Handed in book 2 edits then bought a new book and went to the pub to celebrate. I got ID’d. What a Monday! Small joys all round.

A copy of Saul Leslie’s A Working Title I Want to Change next to a glass of white wine outside

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Dr Chiara Bullen @chiarab.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

Today’s small joy is the beautiful way my book parcel arrived! From Dryad Books (an online SFF bookstore) #tinyjoy #booksky

A book is wrapped in brown paper and tied with a string. There is a note, a bookmark and a wax seal attached. Forest green tissue paper is behind

A closeup of a bookmark with a beautiful, green forest illustration of a figure dancing amongst trees

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Dr Chiara Bullen @chiarab.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

Yesterday’s small joy was crossing the Snuff Mill bridge during a beautiful sunset 🧡

A blue sky and the sunset hitting the old mill building across the snuff mill bridge

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Dr Chiara Bullen @chiarab.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

I'm so looking forward to speaking with Justin Lee Anderson and Shona Kinsella on the Scottish Fantasy Panel at Waterstones Aberdeen on 9th September! Tickets here: www.waterstones.com/events/scott...

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Dr Chiara Bullen @chiarab.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

My book is one month old today(!)while I am 384 months old today 🥳🦌🏔️

A picture of me and seven copies of my book The Inn at the Foot of Mount Vengeance piled in front of me/below my face. 4 copies are illustrated spines, 3 at the top are black spines with the title of the book and my name in gold.

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Dr Chiara Bullen @chiarab.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

Today’s small joy is an explosive birthday pastry courtesy of my partner 🥳

A small cup of coffee and a huge pain au chocolat with a sparkler candle sticking out the top. My slightly cluttered kitchen is in the background

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Dr Chiara Bullen @chiarab.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

Today’s small joy is a new book

A copy of On The Calculation of Volume held up against an orange wall

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Dr Chiara Bullen @chiarab.bsky.social · 04/08/2026

The Inn at the Foot of Mount Vengeance got a lovely review in Booklist, so it was a good excuse to bring out my subpar canva skills. 🥳 #fantasysky #booksky

A quote which reads: "Bullen's debut is a sweet, cozy fantasy about finding fulfillment in the mundane an living a great life in the small moments." It is on a backdrop of Glencoe, the small lagangarbh hut next to the US cover of The Inn at the Foot of Mount Vengeance.

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Dr Chiara Bullen @chiarab.bsky.social · 27/07/2026

today’s small joy: leeks & eggs & butterbeans

A pan with cooked leeks, eggs and Butterbeans all crowded together. A scattering of chilli flakes sits on top of them

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Dr Chiara Bullen @chiarab.bsky.social · 24/07/2026

hey just picked this up has anyone heard of it ?

A copy of Caro Claire Burke’s Yesteryear held up in front of a green wall

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Dr Chiara Bullen @chiarab.bsky.social · 22/07/2026

today’s small joy: catching my cat mid-yawn while taking photos of her basking in the evening sun.

A white and orange cat curled up on a cat tower, golden sun streaming across her back. Her face looks like an exaggerated surprised face as she is caught mid yawn/ she is lifted straight from early 2000s meme culture.

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Dr Chiara Bullen @chiarab.bsky.social · 21/07/2026

Today’s small joy: throwing dinner together with little thought or direction, creating something inadvertently bright & tasty with my partner while we talked about our day.

A white plate with orzo, prawns, courgette, onion and tomatoes.

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Dr Chiara Bullen @chiarab.bsky.social · 21/07/2026

I googled something to do with soap and the google AI slop machine immediately and confidently spewed out nonsense (Glasgow is not a hard water region). I hate it here

An answer from Google Gemini reading: Hard water buildup: If you live in a hard water area (which is common across many regions, including Glasgow), minerals in the water react with soap to create a difficult-to-rinse soap scum

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Dr Chiara Bullen @chiarab.bsky.social · 20/07/2026

Recently visited Arran for a friend's wedding. No time to climb Goatfell (one of my fav 🏔️) but there was plenty of sun, food & reading. I read Female, Nude by Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett over the course of the trip and I really enjoyed the depiction of class & creative industries. Hmu with similar recs!

I am reading my kindle on an Arran beach, holding it up. My legs are in the frame and beyond there is a rocky, sandy beach and the sparkling water

A kindle is next to a glass of white wine on a table outdoors. The sun is setting, and the sky is a gloriously gentle mix of orange and light blue.

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Dr Chiara Bullen @chiarab.bsky.social · 19/07/2026

The 2am halftime macaroni pie was also 👌

A macaroni pie sits in front of a pint of tennents on a pub bar, with a can and a small bottle of wine behind it

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Dr Chiara Bullen @chiarab.bsky.social · 19/07/2026

I’m going to miss world cup summer!! Throw back to the Scotland game I watched in The Park Bar in Glasgow which featured three (maybe four???) pipers

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Dr Chiara Bullen @chiarab.bsky.social · 18/07/2026

Picked up the new edition of A Working Mother recently, which features an excellent introduction from @kirstininnes.bsky.social @aowensarchive.bsky.social — I highly recommend!

A highlight of the introductory essay in A Working Mother. The essay is written by Kristin Innes, and the highlighted section reads: ‘Owens had got herself known as ‘a writer of men’ (a term that tends only to be applied when the writer herself is a woman’).

I’m holding a book: A Working Mother by Agnes Owens. I’m in a sunny park, and next to the book is a bookmark which reads ‘the bookmonger’

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Dr Chiara Bullen @chiarab.bsky.social · 14/07/2026

I still can’t believe I got to see a Mighty Nein show in Edinburgh! It was such a gorgeous night, all D&D should be played in front of a castle💥🏴‍☠️

The cast of critical role on stage taking their bows

The screen next to the stage showing the cast of critical role taking a picture. The sky is a pale blue and there are people taking pictures.

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Dr Chiara Bullen @chiarab.bsky.social · 10/07/2026

It was a proper dream come true moment at my sold out launch event in Glasgow on Tuesday!! I could not have asked for a better way to launch The Inn at the Foot of Mount Vengeance ♥️🏔️ I'm so grateful to everyone who came and picked up a copy!

A crowd of about 100 people in the Waterstones Sauchiehall Street Cafe. There are large windows and fairylights. At the front is a stage with two seated speakers, and a large screen behind them.

I am sitting on the Waterstones stage. There is a Waterstones banner next to me and a copy of my book on a table on the other side. I am wearing a black dress, docs, and am holding a microphone.

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Dr Chiara Bullen @chiarab.bsky.social · 04/07/2026

Very cool to have The Inn at the Foot of Mount Vengeance on this list of upcoming SFF books! Only 3 days to go until publication! #booksky #academicsky #SFF winteriscoming.net/9-new-fantas...

A review excerpt that reads "A cozy fantasy perfct for grad students, researchers, and lifelong learners" with the US cover of The Inn at the Foot of Mount Vengeance by Chiara Bullen. The backdrop features Scottish hills with the sun streaming down on the book cover. The review is from WinterIsComing.Net

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Dr Chiara Bullen @chiarab.bsky.social · 26/06/2026

cool and refreshing heatwave eats 🍽️

Cold noodles, edamame, cucumber, coriander, mango and prawns marinated in chilli and coriander

A pasta salad with tomatoes, olive oil, rocket, cucumber and Parmesan

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Dr Chiara Bullen @chiarab.bsky.social · 19/06/2026

Opened the door to a jump scare 🐧

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Dr Chiara Bullen @chiarab.bsky.social · 19/06/2026

Doing this thing for motivation where I try and match my mug to the project I’m working on. This is my funky little Crathes Castle mug 🏰🗡️✨

A mug with the ceiling illustrations of Crathes castle, depicting a figure of a woman. Behind the mug is a laptop with a word doc open, and a candelabra with some white candles.

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Dr Chiara Bullen @chiarab.bsky.social · 17/06/2026

Behind every hero, there’s a historian. Holding my UK and US author copies in my hands, yet I still can’t believe The Inn at the Foot of Mount Vengeance will be out in the world soon!! Coming July 7th 🦌🏔️♥️

The UK and US hardback copies of the inn at the foot of Mount vengeance held up against a green wall

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Dr Chiara Bullen @chiarab.bsky.social · 03/06/2026

Last night at the Del Rey summer party, I got to see finished copies of my book for the first time (and sign 100 of them for attendees!) Magical and surreal.

My hand holding up a copy of The Inn at the foot of Mount Vengeance. The cover for The Inn at the Foot of Mount Vengeance by chiara Bullen The tagline reads! Behind every hero, there's a historian." The cover is framed by icons; two open books at the bottom, green quills and thistle leaves above. Two golden daggers frame the title, and thorns lead up to two dragon heads. Above the title there is the image of a mountain and a small dragon. Below the title, there is an image of the white inn, a stag behind it and a path leading to the front door. The colour palette is mostly light gold, a teal green and black.

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Dr Chiara Bullen @chiarab.bsky.social · 03/06/2026

Please, Premier Inn Hammersmith restaurant art, you’re making me blush 👉👈

A huge white print that, bizarrely, reads: “I can resist everything except temptation’ in a premier inn restaurant

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Dr Chiara Bullen @chiarab.bsky.social · 31/05/2026

A week today until I get to talk all things cozy fantasy at Cymera festival in Edinburgh! Get yr tickets to the hottest sff fest in town at cymerafestival.co.uk #booksky #sff

An advertisement reading ‘in-person panel’ Authors Amy Coombe, Chiara Bullen and Lucy Jane Wood are pictured. They will speak on the panel BOOKS AND BAKES, on June 7th.

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Dr Chiara Bullen @chiarab.bsky.social · 21/05/2026

We have a pre-order campaign for THE INN AT THE FOOT OF MOUNT VENGEANCE ♥️🏔️🦌 Get a signed copy and this beautiful character print by Chay Ruby when you pre-order from Dryad Books! #booksky www.dryad-books.co.uk/product-page...

A faded bookshelf is in the background. In the foreground, the UK edition of the Inn at the Foot of Mount Vengeance and the featured character print. The text reads: preorder from Dryad Books by July 6th to receive signed bookplate and an A5 art print.

Two characters drink tea in front of a window with a mountain in the distance. The character on the left is a man with pointed ears, blonde hair, antlers, a green cloak and trousers. The character on the write is a woman with teal skin, white horns, a tail, and curling black hair. A table with flowers, tea and snacks sits between them.

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Dr Chiara Bullen @chiarab.bsky.social · 08/05/2026

"A fantasy rooted in the Scottish landscape, which explores class and connection and much more - it is a real treat." V. grateful to Mairi Oliver of Lighthouse Books for including this wonderful review of The Inn at the Foot of Mount Vengeance in The Bookseller's Scottish Books highlights!

A screenshot of The Bookseller published May 8 2026. The headline reads: "Books Spotlight Scotland: A Scottish summer that promises to hit the high notes." The review of Chiara Bullen's The Inn at the Foot of Mount Vengeance reads: There is a special comfort in dark times, to getting lost in a wholesome literary quest novel with a well-built world. "Behind every hero, there's a historian..." In Bullen's accomplished debut, an ambitious young
scholar is sent to research the mysteries of an adventurer's inn - only to uncover a centuries-old secret. A fantasy rooted in the Scottish landscape, which explores class and connection and much more - it is a real treat.

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