iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Crystal Maldonado @crystalwrote.bsky.social · 19/03/2025

That feeling on the first sunny 60+ degree day of the year driving with the windows down and your music blaring is ✨ unparalleled ✨

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kelly jensen @heykellyjensen.bsky.social · 03/02/2025

Okay, pals. Time for action this month. We're going to do that by funding classrooms that are specifically seeking out Black history books. These classrooms are those that are in historically underfunded communities. These asks are from teachers whose students benefit directly.

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Crystal Maldonado @crystalwrote.bsky.social · 10/02/2025

thank you to whatever AI program Microsoft Word is using to make grammar suggestions because it's a constant reminder that we'll always need humans who write/edit

A screenshot from Microsoft Word that shows the sentence: "a reminder that you're part of something bigger than yourself." The suggested change from AI suggests changing "you're" to "your"

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Eric Palicki @ericpalicki.bsky.social · 24/01/2025

THE meme of 2025 for me.

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kelly jensen @heykellyjensen.bsky.social · 06/02/2025

Why are we the people paying taxes this year for government goods and services that are being stolen from us by a billionaire who himself doesn't pay a goddamn cent in taxes?

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Kevin Collins @kwcollins.bsky.social · 05/02/2025

We have to get out of the mindset that these people are going to follow the law. Yes that’s how it’s supposed to work, but we are entering a different paradigm. They believe they are the law, not subject to it

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Sandra Proudman @sandraproudman.bsky.social · 15/01/2025

✨PLEASE SHARE✨ It is live!!! There are over 260 AMAZING items to bid on in the 2nd annual #KidLit4Ceasefire auction from year-long mentorships to signed books to full manuscript critiques to art commissions the fundraiser has you covered! 🇵🇸 Link: bit.ly/KidLit4Cease...

A graphic that says 260+ items #KidLit4Ceasefire 2025 Auction (January 15-31st) Visit Auction: https://bit.ly/kidlit4ceasefire2025auction

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Crystal Maldonado @crystalwrote.bsky.social · 27/01/2025

So excited to be part of this panel on The Power of Romance on Saturday, 2/8, 4-6 p.m., with romance authors Sarah MacLean, Jenny L. Howe, and Carissa Broadbent—just in time for Valentine's Day! Register: www.eventbrite.com/e/the-power-...

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Crystal Maldonado @crystalwrote.bsky.social · 22/01/2025

Arcs of GET REAL, CHLOE TORRES have arrived, and I'm doing a giveaway over on Instagram! Enter: www.instagram.com/p/DFIqwSpTemz/ I'll randomly choose one winner on Monday, Jan. 27, at noon ET. Giveaway is open internationally. 🦋💛 Cover art: Saniyyah Zahid Jacket Design: Chelsea Hunter

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kelly jensen @heykellyjensen.bsky.social · 19/01/2025

Another fun read from @crystalwrote.bsky.social, hitting shelves in May. Three brown girls who used to be besties are now on a cross country road trip to see their (former) favorite band play one night only. Will old hurts rekindle? Can the girls become friends again? Is love about to bloom?

book cover for get real, chloe torres by crystal maldonado

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Crystal Maldonado @crystalwrote.bsky.social · 19/01/2025

TikTok time of death: 1/18/25, 10:30pm ET 😭😭😭

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Crystal Maldonado @crystalwrote.bsky.social · 17/01/2025

there are a bunch of sweet little birds chirping outside my window this morning and it's making me so happy 🥲

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Crystal Maldonado @crystalwrote.bsky.social · 14/01/2025

Fluorescent lights in the workplace are a crime

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Indige Tea 🦬🧡 : ✊🏾 @colouredwilde.bsky.social · 11/01/2025

I want to remind everyone that your local library is both physical AND digital. You hate streaming everything because the price is ridiculous? Library. You hate ads because they're every 3 mins or less? Library. You want to reduce your digital footprint? Library. You want sourced info? Library.

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Jeanette Bradley @jbradley.bsky.social · 10/01/2025

Rhode Island friends! Follow our new AABB account for legislative updates and event listings! (Also everyone in #kidlit - if you haven't already joined AABB, please join!)

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Crystal Maldonado @crystalwrote.bsky.social · 10/01/2025

working on book edits humbles me every time as I realize I don't, in fact, know how to spell as well as I think I do 😳

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Crystal Maldonado @crystalwrote.bsky.social · 09/01/2025

In today's newsletter, I wrote about how 2024 was the year I went into hiding — and how I'm trying to be better about nurturing myself in 2025. crystalwrote.substack.com/p/nurturing-...

crystalwrote.substack.com

Nurturing My Life in 2025

2024 was the year I went into hiding.

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Crystal Maldonado @crystalwrote.bsky.social · 08/01/2025

spending every spare moment this week watching tiktoks set to bad bunny's dtmf and crying

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Alanna Bennett @alannabennett.bsky.social · 25/12/2024

NO ONE does it like Beyoncé

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Phil Lewis @phillewis.bsky.social · 25/12/2024

Beyoncé brings out Tiera Kennedy, Tanner Adell, Brittney Spencer and Reyna Roberts

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Ira Madison III @irathethird.bsky.social · 25/12/2024

“BANG!!!” Beyoncé stands with Luigi 😌

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Alejandra Caraballo @esqueer.net · 08/12/2024

Every conservative columnist right now.

The image features a cropped screenshot of an article headline, authored by Alice Thomson, titled "Don’t replace the culture war with class war." Below the headline, a crying man meme is superimposed with text saying:

"Bro please don’t worry about why you pay more in taxes than billionaires. Worry about the War on Christmas & The Trans Agenda. Please bro. Stay distracted bro."

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Joseph Lee @josephvlee.bsky.social · 28/11/2024

400+ years after the "First Thanksgiving" most Americans have no idea that the Wampanoag people are still here. My tribe, the Aquinnah Wampanoag, is on Martha's Vineyard and we're still fighting for our land and rights. We’re also doing some cool stuff. 🧵👇 if you’d like to learn more & support us

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Crystal Maldonado @crystalwrote.bsky.social · 27/11/2024

The cover for my next YA romcom, GET REAL, CHLOE TORRES is here!!! Thank you to the wildly talented team who created this cover: Saniyyah Zahid, cover illustration, and Chelsea Hunter, jacket design. Special thank you to BookRiot for sharing the cover and an excerpt! bookriot.com/cover-reveal...

bookriot.com

A Sapphic Retelling of Iconic Movie Crossroads: Cover Reveal and Excerpt of GET REAL, CHLOE TORRES by Crystal Maldonado

Pining Sapphics, bucket lists, and cross-country trips await you in GET REAL, CHLOE TORRES, Crystal Maldonado's latest YA romance.

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Crystal Maldonado @crystalwrote.bsky.social · 27/11/2024

GET REAL, CHLOE TORRES is a YA romcom that reimagines the iconic 2002 Britney Spears film “Crossroads” and features: ✨ Sapphic romance ✨ Body diversity/fat MC ✨ Second-chance friendships ✨ Latine/LGBTQIA+ rep ✨ Boy bands and fangirls Coming May 13, 2025! Preorder: holidayhouse.com/book/get-rea...

An illustrated cover for GET REAL, CHLOE TORRES featuring three gorgeous sapphic besties in a field of flowers with butterflies

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Maggie Tokuda-Hall @maggietokudahall.bsky.social · 27/11/2024

If you are interested in the fight against book bans, I'd love to invite you to listen to this episode, where we had a chance to deep dive into the philosophy of fighting for our kids' freedom to read. Kelly is one of the nation's foremost experts on bans, and it was a pleasure to chat with her!

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Crystal Maldonado @crystalwrote.bsky.social · 27/11/2024

bookriot.com

A Sapphic Retelling of Iconic Movie Crossroads: Cover Reveal and Excerpt of GET REAL, CHLOE TORRES by Crystal Maldonado

Pining Sapphics, bucket lists, and cross-country trips await you in GET REAL, CHLOE TORRES, Crystal Maldonado's latest YA romance.

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Crystal Maldonado @crystalwrote.bsky.social · 26/11/2024

i didn't know kate hudson had a christmas song but it just came up for me on spotify it's unfairly good??

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kelly jensen @heykellyjensen.bsky.social · 26/11/2024

I'll have another big (& frustrating) story on my personal substack, Well Sourced, this weekend. If you're not subscribed, get it right to your inbox here --> wellsourced.substack.com Everything I post is free, but paid subscriptions help keep my daughter in books and books and books <3

wellsourced.substack.com

Well Sourced from Kelly Jensen | Substack

Everything books, feminism, mental health, culture, yoga, and more, with wit, sarcasm, and intellection (& of course, it's always well sourced!). Click to read Well Sourced from Kelly Jensen, a Substa...

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Authors Against Book Bans @authorsabb.bsky.social · 25/11/2024

An Open Letter to our Publishers has been sent to over 90 Publishing CEOs this morning in response to the concerns of our members. 1/4

With the election of the trump administration and its policies as embodied by Project 2025, we authors have deep concerns about how our publishers will be operating and how publishers will advocate for and protect authors. Trump's agenda explicitly calls for the criminalization of authors, teachers, librarians, and publishing professionals with the consequences including, "imprison[ment]," and being "classed as registered sex offenders" (pg 4 Project 2025)

For authors who are not citizens, this could also result in deportation. This promises to be a pro-censorship, pro-book-banning administration, and the successful implementation of its policies will require willing compliance of America's institutions, including its corporations.

The freedom to write is as important as the freedom to read. We have been heartened by many publishers' willingness to engage in legal and legislative pathways to fight book banning and want to be sure that you will double-down on your fight during this consequential time.

This past week AABB help open forums with authors from all genres and age levels to better understand author concerns and needs. While this may not be a complete list due to the rapid turnaround, we know we have a short time before January to prepare for what is to come and we want to this start this conversation sooner rather than later.

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Amanda Hunt @thenextgenlib.bsky.social · 24/11/2024

Got 3 min? Learn how @brainpop can support Ts Ss & #librarians in grades K-8! Watch here: tiny.cc/TAE27 #edtech #librarian #library #brainpop #gamification #gamify #teachers #teacher #educators

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Crystal Maldonado @crystalwrote.bsky.social · 23/11/2024

Wow, I really needed to read both of these poems — They’re by Jocelyne Jam @goodthings4blackgirls on TikTok And ThePosterandPostcard on Etsy, where you can support her work

It is often said that hate burns brighter
But I know that what burns bright fizzles quickly
They say rage is power
But I know tenderness can move mountains
Grain by faithful grain
They say darkness is deeper
But I’ve felt the bottomless well of a mothers care
The endless fathoms of a friends forgiveness
I have seen light burst in the darkness
I have heard it said
That cruelty is more honest, but truth lives in the eyes of those who choose again and again to stay soft
They say hate is heavier but I have never seen it rest
Never seen it make a home
Never watched it grow a garden
Or build a bridge or heal a wound
They say love is weak
But I have heard tales told of love lifting cars off trapped children
I’ve seen it work three jobs
Seen it wake up early to make breakfast
Seen it stay up late to just say goodnight
Some say hate is natural
But there is nothing natural about being the antithesis of yourself
Even wolves raise their young
Even trees share their sugar
Even cells pass nutrients through their walls
There is nothing exotic about poison
And make no mistake, hate is poison
Nothing mysterious about thorns
Nothing sophisticated about shadows
Love is the original rebellion
The first light the older power the deepest spell the truest wild
Everything else is just pretending

We are taught that pearls come from irritation
The diamond from pressure
The muscle from strain
But I tore of the gospel of struggle
Of earning my place in the world
Through gritted teeth and bloodied knuckles
So watch me now
I choose the unlocked door
The clear path
The yes that does not hesitate
When something catches
When the key won’t turn
When the thread snags
I no longer force it
I’ve learned to read the signs
When doors keep jamming
When paths grow too thorny
When every step feels like wading through mud
These are not challenges for me
To overcome
They are compass needles pointing elsewhere
This is not laziness
This is not surrender
This is wisdom learned
From every breath I take
The inhale does not wrestle the exhale
The heart does not
Argue with its own beating
What’s meant for me will welcome me
Like coming home

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Crystal Maldonado @crystalwrote.bsky.social · 23/11/2024

I’m due for an intro post, so hi! I’m Crystal Maldonado, a YA/MG author who writes stories featuring fat, Puerto Rican main characters! I mostly write YA romcoms for people with lots of feelings. My next YA romcom, GET REAL, CHLOE TORRES, arrives spring 2025! 🫶🏽

Me, a fat brown woman, wearing a coffee cup patterned dress

Me, a fat brown woman, holding my three YA books

Me, a fat brown woman, holding The Fall of Whit Rivera at the Mass Book Awards

Me and author Julie Murphy and Will with our Camp Sylvania books

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Sandra Proudman @sandraproudman.bsky.social · 23/11/2024

25% of kids in the US are Latinx, so here’s your Latinx KidLit starter pack and make sure to read, boost, and support Latinx stories all year long! go.bsky.app/CGXLiaz

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ashley fairbanks @ziibiing.com · 20/11/2024

Think about this before you make a shitty AI meme.

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Crystal Maldonado @crystalwrote.bsky.social · 20/11/2024

Sabrina Carpenter’s glittery on stage wardrobe is exactly what I would spend my money on if I was rich

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Crystal Maldonado @crystalwrote.bsky.social · 19/11/2024

i've rewatched gilmore girls a zillion times now and i cry like a baby during the finale every single time 😭 "mom. you've given me everything i need."

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Olivia Dade @oliviawrites.bsky.social · 19/11/2024

I can finally show everyone my ZOMROMCOM cover! It captures the fun, funny, romantic, action-y, and slightly goofy tone of my book so perfectly, and I can't stop staring at it. I hope you love it too! AMZ: go.oliviadade.com/Zamz Other vendors: go.oliviadade.com/Zprh Goodreads: go.oliviadade.com/Zgr

The illustrated cover of ZOMROMCOM by Olivia Dade, featuring the tagline: Love can make you lose your head. The background is a speckly bright purple, and in the foreground are a man dressed in black and a woman in bright pink overalls and a white tank top standing back to back and holding hands. He has a huge sword at the ready, and she is brandishing a shiny cleaver. All around them, clutching at them from the edges of the image, are bright green zombie hands.

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Sarah Nicolas @sarahnfisk.bsky.social · 18/11/2024

For our (FREE) December writing classes, I kinda felt like we'd need some self care themed ones for December... Find them all at www.ocls.org/writerscorner and remember that the library card field can be left blank. @pageturnerlit.bsky.social @ginnymyerssain.bsky.social @deanalisenby.bsky.social

Building a Rejection-Proof Mindset
Virtual
Tuesday, December 3, 7 p.m.
Author and editor Swati Hegde will reveal psychologically proven tips to build a rejection-proof mindset, so querying authors can learn how to persevere, take rejection in their stride and keep going.

The Writing Life: Tips and Techniques for Managing Life as a Working Writer
Virtual
Saturday, December 7, 11 a.m.
New York Times bestselling author Ginny Myers Sain will discuss navigating the writing life, including setting up a schedule, when (if) to quit your day job, navigating writer’s block and more.

Recognizing and Combating Imposter Syndrome for Writers
Virtual
Thursday, December 12, 7 p.m.
Literary agent Daniel Cramer will highlight signs and symptoms of imposter syndrome, its impact on creative individuals and strategies for overcoming imposter syndrome.

Stretch & Movement Breaks for Writers
Virtual
Tuesday, December 17, 7 p.m.
Many writers develop muscle pain and joint stiffness after sessions at the keyboard. Learn how to take breaks to stretch and move your body with author and yoga teacher Deana Lisenby.

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Kat Cho @katchowrites.bsky.social · 15/11/2024

Books Unbanned is a response to an increasingly coordinated effort to remove books from library shelves "We invite individuals ages 13-21 to apply for a free BPL eCard, providing access to our full eBook/audiobook collection as well as our learning databases." Apply here www.bklynlibrary.org/card/

bklynlibrary.org

Books Unbanned | Brooklyn Public Library

Recognizing Two Years of Books UnbannedIn April 2022, Brooklyn Public Library joined those fighting for the rights of teens nationwide to read what they like, discover themselves, and form their own o...

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Phil Lewis @phillewis.bsky.social · 18/11/2024

Netflix announces Beyoncé will perform at halftime for the Texans-Ravens game live on December 25

A photo of Beyonce with a football; she is wearing a red, white and blue dress with a cowboy hat. She is standing on top of a car covered in roses.

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Crystal Maldonado @crystalwrote.bsky.social · 18/11/2024

I’ve been away from any Twitter-ish app for so long I forgot how much I missed it 😭

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Crystal Maldonado @crystalwrote.bsky.social · 24/10/2023

things breaking my heart in britney spears's new memoir (spoilers):

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Crystal Maldonado @crystalwrote.bsky.social · 23/10/2023

i'm 5,000 years late to this place but it looks just like og twitter and i think that's cute!!

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