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Phil Bailey

@philbaileyauthor.bsky.social
478 followers 713 following 269 posts

Canadian science fiction author, scuba diver, drone pilot (he/him)

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Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
I wrote Opportunia last year, then put it on hold while I wrote The Eyes of a Nocturne Child this year. To see a story description, see the alt text for each cover image. To receive notification as soon as the release date is announced, subscribe to my newsletter at philbaileyauthor.com.
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Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
COVER REVEAL(s)! I'm delighted to announce my two new dystopian sci-fi novels, "Opportunia" and "The Eyes of a Nocturne Child", coming later this month. I've just received the cover designs and I'm happy to share them with you. continued . . . #BookSky #scifi #sciencefiction #sff #dystopian
The cover for "Opportunia," depicting a man in an impoverished town, looking toward a wealthy, gleaming city on the other side of a high wall.

Story Synopsis: Gordon Yates is a gifted engineer, deeply dissatisfied with his life on Earth. When offered a chance to move to Opportunia and spearhead a groundbreaking project, Gord doesn’t hesitate. Leaving behind the rigid structure and limitations of Earth, Gord envisions a utopian paradise on a planet without government or regulations, founded on absolute freedom and unfettered capitalism.

When Gord’s new employer decides he is no longer useful, he finds himself unprepared for the relentless struggle to survive in a desolate world, where his worth is solely determined by his transactional value. Gord’s dire situation forces him to question his deeply held beliefs and confront traumatic events from his youth on his arduous path toward genuine freedom.

Opportunia dramatically contrasts an idealized perception of absolute personal freedom with its dystopian consequences.
The cover of "The Eyes of a Nocturne Child," which depicts the curled-up corpse of an alien, floating in space near the sun.

Story Synopsis: Despite being haunted by the death of an alien child, deportation officer Theo Beaumont is proud to serve The Regime in its mission to clear Earth of extraterrestrial immigrants.

When The Regime cancels its deportations and starts hunting down and killing all remaining immigrants, Theo suppresses his doubts and continues his work, until his world is upended by news of a hidden sister, locked away in a psychiatric institution for her illicit relationship with a humanoid extraterrestrial.

A gripping story of shifting perspectives, found family, and a flawed man’s quest for redemption, The Eyes of a Nocturne Child reveals the power of family and love in a world fraught with blind hate and ignorance.
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Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 02/08/2026
Thank you Blaze. I'll pass this along to the hosting company. 👍
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Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 02/08/2026
Hi Blaze, Here's the response I got from my web hosting company. Thanks for reporting your observations.
A screenshot of an email message indcating that the message originated from the Chrome browser and not my website.
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Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 01/08/2026
I'm on it. Thanks Blaze. -- Phil
Screen shot of an email to my web host's support team.
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Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 01/08/2026
What? I haven't a clue! When did that happen? Did you get it when you visited the site, when you used my newsletter subscription form, or some other time? My website is just a website - no need to install anything! I'll contact my host's technical support to find out more. Thanks for the heads-up.
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Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 01/08/2026
Fellow authors with newsletters – I’m happy to reciprocate. Please subscribe and leave a comment telling me where to sign-up for your newsletter.
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Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 01/08/2026
NEW WEBSITE AND NEWSLETTER After five years of writing sci-fi, it's about time I created a newsletter for my readers! If you’re a sci-fi fan, please subscribe at philbaileyauthor.com/about. My first newsletter is coming next week, with details on TWO NEW NOVELS I’m publishing this fall. #booksky
A multi-colored logo, built around the word, "Newsletter."
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Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 08/07/2026
Maybe they thought he was dead because he had retreated into his shell for longer than usual.
Photo of a tortoise with its head replaced by Mitch McConnell's.
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Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 01/07/2026
Happy Canada Day! Bryan Adams released a song today that celebrates Canada and our rejection of annexation. It's worth sharing. www.youtube.com/watch?v=LyyF...
youtube.com
Bryan Adams - '51st State' (Official Lyric Video)
YouTube video by Bryan Adams
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Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 29/06/2026
Alicia, that was wonderful! You're clearly on the right track to success as a filmmaker. Congratulations.
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Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 30/05/2026
You should see them in British Columbia!
A logging truck, loaded with large logs in British Columbia
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Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 27/05/2026
Now that I've completed the first draft of my next (5th) novel, I'm working on the back cover text. I'd be grateful for any feedback on my first attempt (in the accompanying image). Would it make you interested in reading the book? Do you see any ways to tighten it up? Any errors? Thank you.
An image of my proposed back cover text. Here is the text:

As a deportation officer, Theo Beaumont is proud to serve The Regime in its mission to rid the Earth of extraterrestrial immigrants.

With the world on the brink of economic collapse, The Regime cancels its costly deportations and starts hunting down and killing all remaining immigrants of the morphian, silverskin, and nocturne species.

Despite being haunted by the death of a nocturne child in his custody, Theo suppresses his doubts and continues to serve until he learns he has a hidden sister who was committed to a psychiatric institution for her illicit relationship with a morphian.

Theo transfers to The Regime’s Undercover Corps and infiltrates a group of rebels who assist extraterrestrials to escape Earth. Theo soon realizes rebels aren’t the bloodthirsty terrorists they were portrayed to be, leaving him with a stark choice: He can report the rebels to his superiors, resulting in their execution and his promotion, or he can face grave danger by joining the rebels to escape Earth along with his newfound sister and a desperate group of extraterrestrial fugitives.

The Eyes of a Nocturne Child is a gripping story of shifting perspectives, found family, and a flawed man’s quest for redemption in a world fraught with blind hate and ignorance.
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Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 24/05/2026
WIP FIRST DRAFT WORD COUNT REPORT - Week 14 (FINAL!) 👍 Title: The Eyes of a Nocturne Child (novella) Genre: Sci-fi/dystopian Word Count this Week: 1,940 Word Count to Date: 57,204 Comment: FINISHED! This is my final weekly report for this book because my first draft is complete! 😃😃😃
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Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 18/05/2026
WIP FIRST DRAFT WORD COUNT REPORT - Week 13 Title: The Eyes of a Nocturne Child (novella) Genre: Sci-fi/dystopian Word Count this Week: 5,128 Word Count to Date: 55,264 Comment: Working on the final chapter. Hoping to finish the first draft this coming week!
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Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 11/05/2026
WIP FIRST DRAFT WORD COUNT REPORT - Week 12 Working Title: The Eyes of a Nocturne Child (novella) Genre: Sci-fi/dystopian Word Count this Week: 4,135 Word Count to Date: 50,136 Comment: I've exceeded my goal of 50K words, but I'm just a chapter or two from finishing the story!
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Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 09/05/2026
It's my deeply personal story of discovery, conflict, struggle, and survival. You can find out more through my website at kelvoo.com
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Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 09/05/2026
That’s why beings like me use terms such as ‘extraterrestrial’ or ‘non-human’. For a deeper understanding, I invite you to read Kelvoo's Testimonial - my autobiographical account of my first contact with humans and its effect on my species and culture.
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Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 09/05/2026
When you see me, or any other members of my species, please don't refer to us as "alien." We non-humans consider the word "alien" to be a derogatory slur. The word is often used to describe something that doesn’t belong—something strange and unwelcome or offensive or damaging.
Text, "I am an extraterrestrial. I am NOT an alien!", displayed above an image of Kelvoo, an extraterrestrial from Phil Bailey's book, Kelvoo's Testimonial.
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Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 05/05/2026
So, cats are Republicans?
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Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 05/05/2026
I wouldn't want to be in the vicinity of Kitty's digestive system when that muck wreaks its inevitable havoc!
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Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 05/05/2026
Great advice, Reverend Colon! 😁
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Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 04/05/2026
WIP FIRST DRAFT WORD COUNT REPORT - Week 11 Working Title: The Eyes of a Nocturne Child (novella) Genre: Sci-fi/dystopian Word Count this Week: 4,315 Word Count to Date: 46,001 Comment: Just one more chapter to write after the current one. Should be finished the first draft in a couple of weeks.
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Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 02/05/2026
Breakfast this morning has inspired me so much, I am moved to compose poetry: When you eat your Raisin Bran, eat it fast. Don't savour it. Don't make it last. If you don't down it in a hurry, you'll have to down a brown bran slurry! 🤢
A nearly empty bowl with some remaining Raisin Bran and milk.
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Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 01/05/2026
As an author and scuba diver, I love this meme! 😆😆😆
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Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 30/04/2026
Another good doggo. This is May, exploring Tombstone Territorial Park in the Yukon last summer.
May, the Formosan mountain dog, standing on the tundra with mountains in the background.
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Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 27/04/2026
WIP FIRST DRAFT WORD COUNT REPORT - Week 10 Working Title: The Eyes of a Nocturne Child (novella) Genre: Sci-fi/dystopian Word Count this Week: 5,560 Word Count to Date: 41,686 Comment: A good, productive week. Well into the tension-filled part of the plot, which makes the writing more enjoyable.
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Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 24/04/2026
This one doesn't.
An image of the cover of the book, "Trump and the Art of the Deal".
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Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 24/04/2026
What's weird is that USians call taxpayer funded care "communism", but the U.S. already has taxpayer funded healthcare. It's called Medicare and citizens aged 65+ are covered. What if the age was lowered to 60? How about 40? How about zero? At what point does it suddenly become communism? 🤷‍♂️
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Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 20/04/2026
WIP FIRST DRAFT WORD COUNT REPORT - Week 9 Working Title: The Eyes of a Nocturne Child (novella) Genre: Sci-fi/dystopian Word Count this Week: 3,307 Word Count to Date: 36,126 Comment: Not a huge word count this week, but the story is at a pivotal point, so I'm taking my time to get it right.
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Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 15/04/2026
Writing with generative AI is not just unethical, it'll rot your brain too! AI Use Appears to Have a "Boiling Frog" Effect on Human Cognition, New Study Warns share.google/OQwfyrbecfKR...
share.google
AI Use Appears to Have a "Boiling Frog" Effect on Human Cognition, New Study Warns
A new study claims to offer the first causal link between AI dependency and cognitive erosion. Researchers warn of long-term implications.
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Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 15/04/2026
Correction: They want to charge the fee on accounts with less than $100 in annual book sales!!
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Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 14/04/2026
I've just learned that Draft2Digital has started charging a $20 fee for new accounts, and a $12 annual maintenance fee, payable by authors who earn less than $12 in royalties in a year. I've complained via their contact form and encourage other authors to do the same at: draft2digital.com/contact/
The top section of D2Ds contact form with "Suggestion" selected as the support category and my first book as the selected book title.The contents of the "Message" prompt in D2Ds support form where I suggest D2D reverses its decision, which it announced on its blog and not via emailed notification. I expressed my regret at using their service, which I had hoped would help me cut ties with Amazon's Kindle Unlimited. I compared their greed with Amazon's and concluded with "Shame on you!"
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Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 13/04/2026
WIP FIRST DRAFT WORD COUNT REPORT - Week 8 Working Title: The Eyes of a Nocturne Child Genre: Sci-fi/dystopian Word Count this Week: 6,871 Word Count to Date: 32,819 Comment: My post productive week yet - more than double last week's word count!
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Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 06/04/2026
WIP FIRST DRAFT WORD COUNT REPORT - Week 7 Working Title: The Eyes of a Nocturne Child Genre: Sci-fi/dystopian Word Count this Week: 3,333 Word Count to Date: 25,948 Comment: Not a very productive week, but I should have more time in the coming days.
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Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 30/03/2026
WIP FIRST DRAFT WORD COUNT REPORT - Week 6 Working Title: The Eyes of a Nocturne Child Genre: Sci-fi/dystopian Word Count this Week: 4,152 Word Count to Date: 22,615 Comment: My story is starting to take on a life of its own. This is when the story is becoming really enjoyable to write.
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Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 23/03/2026
WIP FIRST DRAFT WORD COUNT REPORT - Week 5 Working Title: The Eyes of a Nocturne Child Genre: Sci-fi/dystopian Word Count this Week: 3,470 Word Count to Date: 18,463 Comment: The plot is well underway, so this story might become a novella instead of a full novel. We'll see how it goes. 🙂
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Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 19/03/2026
I think author scammers are getting lazy. Here are two emails, sent 1 hour and 13 minutes apart. The first one starts, "Hi Info," probably because my email address starts with "info". In the second one, he addresses me by my last name. Also, his email address changed between message 1 and 2. 🙄😆
A screen shot of the first of two emails from a scammer, offering to feature my book in a broadcast.A screen shot of the second of two emails from a scammer, offering to feature my book in a broadcast.
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Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 16/03/2026
WIP FIRST DRAFT WORD COUNT REPORT - Week 4 Working Title: The Eyes of a Nocturne Child Genre: Sci-fi/dystopian Word Count this Week: 4,066 Word Count to Date: 14,993 Comment: It looks as though I've settled into a pattern of writing about 3,500 - 4,500 words per week.
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Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 08/03/2026
WIP FIRST DRAFT WORD COUNT REPORT - Week 3 Working Title: The Eyes of a Nocturne Child Genre: Sci-fi/dystopian Word Count this Week: 3,927 Word Count to Date: 10,927 Comment: I would have written more, but this week, my elderly mother was admitted to hospital 45 minutes away (she's doing fine).
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Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 01/03/2026
I already have a king-size bed. Is my relationship doomed? 😮
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Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 01/03/2026
WIP FIRST DRAFT WORD COUNT REPORT - Week 2 Working Title: The Eyes of a Nocturne Child Genre: Sci-fi/dystopian Word Count this Week: 4,917 Word Count to Date: 7,000 Comment: My word count to date is not an approximation. It just happens to be exactly 7,000 at the moment!
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Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 27/02/2026
Only in the US, third-world countries, and other nations steeped in systemic corruption.
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Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 22/02/2026
WIP FIRST DRAFT WORD COUNT REPORT - Week 1 Working Title: The Eyes of a Nocturne Child Genre: Sci-fi/dystopian Word Count this Week: 2,083 Word Count to Date: 2,083 Comment: Not a huge word count, but I'm just getting started and this was only a partial week.
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Reposted by Phil Bailey
Mike Luckovich @mluckovich.bsky.social · 19/02/2026
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Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 17/02/2026
Hi Beverly. There won't be another round until the next book. I have queried every open agent I could find, who looked like a match for the type of book I wrote. I have no qualms about self-publishing - that's what I've done with all my previous books. 🙂
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Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 15/02/2026
This was my final week of querying. I have sent queries to all agents in my list except for 17 who were closed to queries. I'll send queries to those agents if and when they open for queries. If I don't have a prospective deal in six months, I will self-publish Opportunia.
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Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 15/02/2026
WEEKLY DISPATCH FROM THE QUERY TRENCHES Novel: Opportunia, by Phil Bailey Week 6 (final report) --------- Queries Sent: 3 Replies: 4 Rejections: 4 To Date --------- Queries Sent: 82 Replies: 15 Rejections: 15 continued . . .
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Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 12/02/2026
If there’s really a god up in heaven, as these doofuses loudly agree, may their souls be entombed and in fire be consumed, in the hell of their hypocrisy.
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Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 12/02/2026
Let it be ever clear they were given a choice and they willfully made their selection between anger and kindness, awareness and blindness, when they chose the MAGA direction.
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