iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

fionajanemack@bsky.social @fionajanemack.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

My latest Substack post. "As a lifelong reader of novels set in the 19th and early 20th century Britain, I’ve always wondered about how young women on the marriage market felt as they approached the unveiling of the great mystery of sex." fmackintosh.substack.com/p/behind-the...

B&w photograph by Gertrude Kasebier from c1910 of a young bride in a veil with her head down.

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fionajanemack@bsky.social @fionajanemack.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

I'm delighted to be reading from Ancestral Virgins at this 804 Lit Salon event this coming Saturday in north-west DC at 7pm. All welcome - free registration available at the link below. mailchi.mp/25fa06f4ae6c...

mailchi.mp

804 Lit Salon on October 10th at 7p

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fionajanemack@bsky.social @fionajanemack.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

Thank you so much for your kind words about Ancestral Virgins! 🙏

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fionajanemack@bsky.social @fionajanemack.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

I'm delighted with this review of Ancestral Virgins from the blogger Sharon Beyond the Books. "Drew me in from the first page! An authentic, immersive and such an emotional read. I know it will stay in my mind for a long time to come!" sharonbeyondthebooks.uk/2026/09/23/f...

sharonbeyondthebooks.uk

Fiona J Mackintosh – Ancestral Virgins

Thanks to Rachel’s Random Resources and the author for my place on the tour and the gifted eBook. In early 20th century Britain, society was changing rapidly, but not much was changing for wo…

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Deborah Miles @againsttheflow.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

For the Ancestral Virgins #blogtour I've a #guestpost from #Author Fiona J. Mackintosh on the value of a sensitivity reader when creating characters with disabilities buff.ly/XstdGbU @rararesources.bsky.social @fionajanemack.bsky.social #historicalfiction #socialchange #novel #brothersandsisters

buff.ly

https://buff.ly/XstdGbU

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fionajanemack@bsky.social @fionajanemack.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

I'm grateful for this perceptive review of Ancestral Virgins up on ramblingmads.uk today. ramblingmads.uk/2026/09/19/b...

ramblingmads.uk

ramblingmads

Rambling on about books, baking and beauty...

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fionajanemack@bsky.social @fionajanemack.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

I'm thrilled by and grateful for this fabulous review of Ancestral Virgins Part One from book blogger @TBHONEST_UK "Ancestral Virgins is brilliant. It draws you in from the very first page and has you hooked." 🙌🙌🙌 tbhonest.co.uk/2026/09/20/a...

tbhonest.co.uk

Ancestral Virgins by Fiona J Mackintosh has you hooked from the first page -

Ancestral Virgins is the first book in a new series from author Fiona J Mackintosh.

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fionajanemack@bsky.social @fionajanemack.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

"The books made for excellent reading and I wholeheartedly recommend them." I'm delighted by this enthusiastic review of Ancestral Virgins by @leftontheshelf1.bsky.social today!

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fionajanemack@bsky.social @fionajanemack.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

Thank you for reading Ancestral Virgins and for your kind words!

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fionajanemack@bsky.social @fionajanemack.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

Hugely thankful today for two more 5-star reviews of my novel on Amazon! 🙏🙏 "Such an incredible way with mood, place, and sensory detail that you feel steeped in the times." "A primer on how to write compelling fiction. … Buy it, read it, and encourage others to do the same."

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fionajanemack@bsky.social @fionajanemack.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

I’m delighted that my story “Absent Without Leave” has been chosen as a finalist in the F. Scott Fitzgerald Festival Short Story Contest! To read it, go to the link below and click on “Absent Without Leave.” It takes a minute to come up. fitzgeraldfestival.com/2026-short-s...

fitzgeraldfestival.com

2026 Short Story Winners & Readings - F. Scott Fitzgerald Literary Conference Inc.

Adult Winners (available via the story’s link) : First Place: Leslie Spitz-Edson (“Fireflies“) Finalists: Fiona Mackintosh (“Absent Without Leave“) Marina Koestler Ruben (“Licking“)...

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fionajanemack@bsky.social @fionajanemack.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

If anyone out there has read and liked Ancestral Virgins, please would you consider reviewing it on Amazon, Goodreads, or social media? No need for more than 1 or 2 sentences with a star rating of your choice. Not to boost my ego but hopefully to persuade others to buy. Tysm! 🙏😘

Three volumes of the historical novel Ancestral Virgins by Fiona J. Mackintosh on a bookshelf

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fionajanemack@bsky.social @fionajanemack.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

Sunday afternoons - a time of nostalgia, the phone gone quiet, everyone turned away into their own spaces. And me alone at my laptop with my head in the past, not just the pasts of my characters but also my own. Me aged 30. Washington D.C., Summer 1988.

Young woman in a white tee shirt leaning against a garden wall of a house in Washington D.C. in 1988.

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fionajanemack@bsky.social @fionajanemack.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

Five years ago today we lost my beautiful, artistic, funny, loving mother, Valerie Eva Mackintosh. I'll never forget the kindness of the wonderful people who cared for her like family during her last years and who mourned alongside me at her deathbed. 💔🌈❤️

1950s black and white photo of a woman in shorts and a ponytail sitting on a rock.

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fionajanemack@bsky.social @fionajanemack.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

"Since my historical novel Ancestral Virgins came out at the end of June, many people have asked me: Fiona, why did you decide to publish the novel in three parts?" substack.com/home/post/p-...

substack.com

Some Things are Better in Threes

Why I chose to publish Ancestral Virgins in three volumes

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fionajanemack@bsky.social @fionajanemack.bsky.social · 08/08/2026

Very happy with this new 5-star review of Ancestral Virgins! "From the opening paragraph to the last line, Ancestral Virgins pulls the reader in and carries you along for a ride… The writing is taut and lean, and … the stunning conclusion feels cinematic to its core…"

Scattered postcards bearing pictures of the covers of the three volumes of the historical novel Ancestral Virgins plus ordering info on the other side, including a QR code.

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fionajanemack@bsky.social @fionajanemack.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

Very pleased that my flash fiction "How Different Atoms Handle Light" about a spaced-out Vietnam vet and his deceptively chill roommate is back up on the newly revived @Ellipsis_Zine website! 🎉 www.ellipsis-zine.com/writing/how-...

ellipsis-zine.com

How Different Atoms Handle Light by Fiona J. Mackintosh

Flash Fiction: How Different Atoms Handle Light

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Reposted by fionajanemack@bsky.social

Cole Beauchamp 🏳️‍🌈 📖 @nomad-sw18.bsky.social · 18/07/2026

Afternoon exploring white space w David Schuman, great panel w @scooterwriter.bsky.social @jupiterjonz.bsky.social & Fiona Mackintosh, spending time w flash superstars @judehwriter2.bsky.social @kathyfish.bsky.social @gilloshaughnessy.bsky.social

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Cole Beauchamp 🏳️‍🌈 📖 @nomad-sw18.bsky.social · 18/07/2026

Love listening to @jupiterjonz.bsky.social @scooterwriter.bsky.social & Fiona Mackintosh talk about their historical NiFs. Do you go down rabbit holes with research? Oh whole warrens, says Jupiter. @flashficfestuk.bsky.social

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fionajanemack@bsky.social @fionajanemack.bsky.social · 13/07/2026

Delighted by a new 5-⭐️ review for Ancestral Virgins! "Mackintosh does not shy away from the raw, earthy details of life...Without flinching, she takes us behind closed doors and leads us into new territory. These characters… will remain with me for a long time.” www.amazon.com/gp/customer-...

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fionajanemack@bsky.social @fionajanemack.bsky.social · 10/07/2026

Yay!! Many congrats Emily! (No joy for me this year.) xxx

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fionajanemack@bsky.social @fionajanemack.bsky.social · 04/07/2026

Another 5 ⭐ review for Ancestral Virgins - woohoo! "Once you decide to read this book, make sure to have all three parts on hand, and clear your calendar, because you won't want to put it down." Thank you so much Linda!!! @lmbayley.bsky.social www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

goodreads.com

See what your friends are reading

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fionajanemack@bsky.social @fionajanemack.bsky.social · 04/07/2026

Thank you so much Linda for writing this gorgeous review! I'm absolutely thrilled that you liked AV so much and that you couldn't put it down. 🙏😘🎉

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Linda M. Bayley @lmbayley.bsky.social · 02/07/2026

"She already knew the restless ache of wanting someone who was gone forever. An ache that rubbed like a new boot on a raw heel. New skin would grow over it in time, but the soft place was always there underneath." - @fionajanemack.bsky.social , Ancestral Virgins Part 2 Oof. So perfectly expressed.

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fionajanemack@bsky.social @fionajanemack.bsky.social · 01/07/2026

3/3 Her England is full of sex, politics, and the inevitable changes that came about due to the First World War. So put down your TV remote and pick up this novel.

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fionajanemack@bsky.social @fionajanemack.bsky.social · 01/07/2026

2/2 Wow, wow, wow! Mackintosh is a great writer who puts you wholly on the page so you experience every detail of place, character and emotion. Her characters are alive and wholly human, and the interweaving of them, along with a suspenseful plot, provides nonstop reading.

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fionajanemack@bsky.social @fionajanemack.bsky.social · 29/06/2026

I'll be happy to bring them with me, Sharon! Congrats and I hope you'll like it! See you soon - yay! xxxx

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Jude Higgins @judehwriter2.bsky.social · 26/06/2026

Congratulations Fiona and looking forward to your launch

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fionajanemack@bsky.social @fionajanemack.bsky.social · 26/06/2026

Attention any UK peeps who wish to buy Ancestral Virgins. Amazon UK is quoting ridiculously long delivery dates, which I hope will soon be fixed. For now, I suggest heading over to the websites for Waterstones or Foyles. www.waterstones.com/.../term/anc... www.foyles.co.uk/search?term=... Thanks!

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fionajanemack@bsky.social @fionajanemack.bsky.social · 24/06/2026

Thanks dear! Very well-deserved! It's all leading up to how I ended up self-publishing Ancestral Virgins. xxxx

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fionajanemack@bsky.social @fionajanemack.bsky.social · 22/06/2026

Come celebrate with me! Last few days to register for the Zoom launch of Ancestral Virgins! This coming Saturday, June 27 starting at 3pm (US)/ 8pm (EST) and OVER IN TIME FOR THE ENGLAND v PANAMA MATCH! Click here to register for free: www.tickettailor.com/events/dubli...

tickettailor.com

Select tickets – Fiona J Mackintosh - Zoom Launch of Ancestral Virgins Trilogy - Sat June 27th 8pm BST (3pm EST) – Zoom

Fiona J Mackintosh - Zoom Launch of Ancestral Virgins Trilogy - Sat June 27th 8pm BST (3pm EST) – Zoom, Sat 27 Jun 2026 -

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fionajanemack@bsky.social @fionajanemack.bsky.social · 19/06/2026

Today my advertising postcards arrived looking rather snazzy. And I had the thrill of seeing my books up on the websites of Barnes & Noble, Waterstones, Foyles, and Blackwell's! (They're also up on Amazon and Bookshop.org.) I still can't quite believe that publication day is a week tomorrow! 🫣😱🤩

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fionajanemack@bsky.social @fionajanemack.bsky.social · 15/06/2026

My next post will show that things did start to get better!

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fionajanemack@bsky.social @fionajanemack.bsky.social · 15/06/2026

My latest Substack post continuing my tale of struggle and woe in my dealings with the publishing industry.

View of the island of Moorea from the grounds of the Sheraton, Papeete, Tahiti

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