iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Elise Stephens (she/her) @elisestephens.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Both my children are fighting over who gets to be Miss Scarlet for Clue this morning...The problem with Mommy having favorites is they all imitate them. Lol

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Elise Stephens (she/her) @elisestephens.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

"Hey Mom, your aura is going into the event horizon which means it can't go up. It only goes down." (My son is making Gen Alpha black hole jokes at me.)

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Elise Stephens (she/her) @elisestephens.bsky.social · 14/07/2026

Yes. This. Because relationships are the greatest treasures in this world. <3

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Elise Stephens (she/her) @elisestephens.bsky.social · 02/07/2026

My daughter says satin feels "silvery" and I think she's correct. :)

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Elise Stephens (she/her) @elisestephens.bsky.social · 23/06/2026

I have just rescued a discarded birthday present (new, in the box) by taking a serrated blade and sawing the toy unicorns' horn off, to turn them into horses. Now they are acceptable to my 9-year-old.

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Elise Stephens (she/her) @elisestephens.bsky.social · 18/06/2026

The heat in Seattle has made my roses explode with blooms.

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Elise Stephens (she/her) @elisestephens.bsky.social · 08/05/2026

Unboxing video!! Me getting my first look at A Breath of Time (Flame Tree) in hardcover with sprayed edges and gold foil. 📚💖🎆 #sff #books #romance #fantasy

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Elise Stephens (she/her) @elisestephens.bsky.social · 24/04/2026

Thank you to the Edmonds Heights community for hosting me for my talk on Peacemaking, Fiction and the Real Worl! It was a lovely turnout for #ArabAmerican heritage, and I had a great time! Big thanks to Eryn Duffee, the amazing librarian and to Christina Smith for the beautiful introduction!

Woman with dark, curly, shoulder length hair standing beside a whiteboard and table, holding a book and smiling at audience while she reads from the book.

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Elise Stephens (she/her) @elisestephens.bsky.social · 18/04/2026

I love watching my kids grow up into thoughtful, kind, and responsible humans. It's been quite the journey, but I'm seeing some beautiful flickers of who they'll become.

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Elise Stephens (she/her) @elisestephens.bsky.social · 15/04/2026

Hey, Seattle area peeps! For Arab American Heritage month, I'll be giving a talk on peacemaking and fiction at the Edmonds Heights library next Thursday, April 23 at 12PM! :) #sff #fiction

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Elise Stephens (she/her) @elisestephens.bsky.social · 02/04/2026

This month, on Wed April 23 at 12pm, l be giving a talk at the Edmonds Heights library, in honor of Arab American heritage month. #peacemaking #middleeast #sff #amwriting

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Elise Stephens (she/her) @elisestephens.bsky.social · 26/02/2026

You guys, I'm having one of those brain days where I go to my car to get something, then head back, then swing back again to lock it because I can't remember if I've locked it and a stranger tells me kindly that I've already locked it...

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Elise Stephens (she/her) @elisestephens.bsky.social · 23/02/2026

Friends in the #SFWA community: there are a few more days to submit Nebula nominations and I'd be grateful for your consideration of "Suspension." It's a flash piece and a very quick (and emotionally intense) read. Thank you! www.thecosmicbackground.com/stories/elis...

thecosmicbackground.com

Elise Stephens -- Suspension

Content warning: Miscarriage and depression If the proper balance of sorrow (tears) and hope (blood) are mixed in the correct quantity and potency, then for one hour the donor may glimpse the lost ...

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Elise Stephens (she/her) @elisestephens.bsky.social · 12/02/2026

Just a few lovely pics frommy time at the SuperStars Writing Seminar in Colorado Springs last week! :) (the one on stage was the karaoke party, and the fancy dress was on the red carpet at the banquet night!)

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Elise Stephens (she/her) @elisestephens.bsky.social · 24/01/2026

I just watched August Rush again, and cried and was moved and enchanted and delighted and swept into the power of a modern musical fairy tale. You guys... It's SUCH a GOOD movie! Epic #storytelling #music #family #love #longing #magic

media.tenor.com

a man is playing a guitar and a boy is playing a keyboard in a park

Alt: a man is playing a guitar and a boy is playing a keyboard in a park

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Elise Stephens (she/her) @elisestephens.bsky.social · 17/11/2025

Very pleased to announce that my #sff story "A Song of Smokeless Fire" has been accepted for reprint publication by Flame Tree Publishing in their #romantic #fantasy short story collection: A Breath of Time (Spring 2026). www.flametreepublishing.com/a-breath-of-...

flametreepublishing.com

A Breath of Time

Time – fleeting and eternal – shapes love in A Breath of Time, a new collection filled with stories of lost loves, love discovered, love unreachab

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Elise Stephens (she/her) @elisestephens.bsky.social · 31/10/2025

There are two men playing magic in the sunny spot of my neighborhood coffee shop and one of them has a baby on his shoulder. I love this so much.

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Elise Stephens (she/her) @elisestephens.bsky.social · 13/10/2025

What wonderful news!! Thyme Travellers has won the Ignyte Award for Outstanding Anthology!

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Elise Stephens (she/her) @elisestephens.bsky.social · 10/10/2025

Husband (doing Pilates in our living room): This is hard. Me: (checks what he's doing) You mean swimming with weights? Husband: (grunting) Yeah. Me: That's called drowning.

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Elise Stephens (she/her) @elisestephens.bsky.social · 21/09/2025

17 years ago today I married this wonderful man. He has been so very good, patient and kind in our time together. I'm blessed to have him as friend, partner, love, co-parent and so much more. I love you, James! Happy Anniversary! Here's to many many more.

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Elise Stephens (she/her) @elisestephens.bsky.social · 12/09/2025

This kid logged onto his homework (from the homeschool resource center) and immediately started tackling it while he waited for his sister to finish her piano lesson. Super proud of the student he is growing into!

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Elise Stephens (she/her) @elisestephens.bsky.social · 08/09/2025

I continue to be grateful for the chance to share this story.

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Elise Stephens (she/her) @elisestephens.bsky.social · 03/09/2025

I'm excited for you, this book, and bringing your story to the world @chrismarnone.bsky.social!

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Reposted by Elise Stephens (she/her)

Zohran Kwame Mamdani @zohrankmamdani.bsky.social · 22/08/2025

Leading global experts just confirmed what we’ve long known: Gaza is in famine. At least half a million Palestinians are facing starvation, acute malnutrition and death. And it’s likely to spread. The U.S. government is not a bystander to this genocide. We can end it today.

reuters.com

Gaza City officially in famine, says global hunger monitor

Gaza City and surrounding areas are officially suffering from famine, and it will likely spread, a global hunger monitor determined on Friday, an assessment that will escalate pressure on Israel to allow more aid into the Palestinian enclave.

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Elise Stephens (she/her) @elisestephens.bsky.social · 03/09/2025

This bottle of sake totally matches my vibe. And then I realized I was wearing black and gold after I took the picture.

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Elise Stephens (she/her) @elisestephens.bsky.social · 28/08/2025

Summer is on its way out, and that is always hard for me, but I found this wind chime/garden art at the garlic festival in Centralia and is going to help brighten my patio as the days grow a little darker.

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Elise Stephens (she/her) @elisestephens.bsky.social · 17/08/2025

Thank you to @reecallahan.bsky.social for this awesome picture she captured of me during barcon at @seattlein2025.org Worldcon last night!

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Elise Stephens (she/her) @elisestephens.bsky.social · 17/08/2025

Dear @seattlein2025.org Worldcon, I had such a beautiful time connecting with old friends and making new ones and having science fiction and Fantasy and writing adventures. Here's to many more to come!

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Elise Stephens (she/her) @elisestephens.bsky.social · 15/08/2025

Hey Seattle! I'm at Worldcon and having so much fun!

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Elise Stephens (she/her) @elisestephens.bsky.social · 16/07/2025

When you get together with dear writer friends for a week, the rest of life shines brighter.

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Elise Stephens (she/her) @elisestephens.bsky.social · 09/06/2025

Woohoo!!! Thyme Travellers is a finalist for the Ingyte Award! Congratulations to @soniasulaiman.bsky.social and all my fellow authors!

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Elise Stephens (she/her) @elisestephens.bsky.social · 09/05/2025

Had a rough parenting and homeschooling day yesterday and shared it with a mama friend. She dropped this off on the bench outside my house! (Made me cry.) Thank God for friends who see our hard days and respond with love!

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Elise Stephens (she/her) @elisestephens.bsky.social · 08/05/2025

My new fantasy short story with singing magic is just about ready for its first submission!! I love the complexity of music and what it requires of us emotionally and relationally to be able to sing in harmony (literal and metaphorical) with another person. And yes, the story touches on that. ;)

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Elise Stephens (she/her) @elisestephens.bsky.social · 20/04/2025

Well, that was a lovely Norwescon. I met some wonderful new people and deepened several existing friendships.

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Elise Stephens (she/her) @elisestephens.bsky.social · 11/04/2025

I'll be at Norwescon in Seattle next week! I'd love to see you! Can't post my full sched due to space limitations, but here's a peek! APRIL 17 Reading: 4:30pm - 5:00pm APRIL 18 Tips for Tricky Conversations -11:00am - 12:00pm APRIL 19 Music, Characters, and Community - 11:00am - 12:00pm

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Elise Stephens (she/her) @elisestephens.bsky.social · 11/04/2025

While reading over panels to select ones I'd be interested in joining at an upcoming con, one panel looked particularly interesting. The wording was almost familiar. *Neck prickles.* I had to go back and check my notes. Yes, dear reader, I'd pitched that panel and forgot I'd done so.

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Elise Stephens (she/her) @elisestephens.bsky.social · 05/03/2025

That moment when the #coffeeshop feels really loud... And then you realize that your fantasy music playlist is blasting from your laptop speakers and you hadn't realized it... #amwriting #sff

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Elise Stephens (she/her) @elisestephens.bsky.social · 02/03/2025

Phoenix latte art! (The barista is my husband, James!)

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Elise Stephens (she/her) @elisestephens.bsky.social · 28/02/2025

Baking life hack: Last night I tried substituting the vegetable oil in my brownies with the exact same volume of applesauce. You guys, it totally worked! The brownies came out more like a chocolate cake than a thick and gooey brownie, but they were great with ice cream!

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Elise Stephens (she/her) @elisestephens.bsky.social · 22/02/2025

Music-themed fantasy short story drafted. I have a name for this one that I really like. Want to hear it? Ok! I'm calling it "Sing the Wall." #sff #amwriting #music

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Elise Stephens (she/her) @elisestephens.bsky.social · 19/02/2025

Doing research for a short story with a music-based culture and I'm thinking some of the characters will have music-based names, too. Names ideas that I like: Cadence, Pitch, and Trill. #music #amwriting #sff

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Elise Stephens (she/her) @elisestephens.bsky.social · 15/02/2025

You guys, I love the SuperStars Writing Seminar. But I really love dressing up for the banquet night!!

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Elise Stephens (she/her) @elisestephens.bsky.social · 14/02/2025

A small army of snowmen are marching across our street this morning.

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