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Susan Murray

@pulpthorn.bsky.social
1.4K followers 701 following 15K posts

Writer of Fantasy & SF. Northerner. Girly swot. She/her. Ooh, squirrel...

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Reposted by Susan Murray
Rebecca Williams @rebeccawilliams.info · 5h
Photo of smashed ad for Muse in nyc subway
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William Campbell Powell @willcampowell.bsky.social · 7h
#BookQW It's Book Quote Wednesday and today's word is #treat Kai's band has arrived in Munich - but where are Jake and Lotte? The show must go on, and hope for the best. Last day for ebook deal @ $0.99 teardownbook.co.uk/#where
But tonight, Neale was in his element. Yeah, this was the guy who helped teach Jake to play guitar. This was blistering, paint-stripping power in slow blues. Dom picked up the vocal and prowled the stage. She drove down to the bottom of her vocal range, then flew high in a Daltrey-esque scream, into which Neale’s guitar blended. Her voice dropped away, and Neale’s solo teetered around the madness and the anguish of woman-treated-you-so-bad. Serves you right to suffer, yeah.
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T. Frohock (she/her) @tfrohock.com · 11h
The Book Quote word this week is 'treat' #BookQW #BookSky and in a gothic mansion in the Black Forest, Diago is entertained by the Grier brothers over a poisoned meal:
A cream background with dark red Art Deco designs in the four corners and a screen shot of the cover of Where Oblivion Lives a dark red color with a yellow abstract angel on the cover. The text of the excerpt reads: Karl leaned forward. “You must understand that my pursuit of archaeological details about the house has led me to other ancient texts. For example, those symbols”—he pointed to the band of Diago’s ring—“are used by nefilim to work their spells of intent.”

“Spells?” Diago choked on the word. He couldn’t be seen taking this kind of talk seriously. And I have to do it without insulting him. He treated the mortal to an incredulous smile and raised his eyebrows. “By nefilim? I thought they were biblical giants, not witches.”

“That is what they have led the mortals to believe. You see, the nefilim controlled the narrative by writing mortal histories. They inserted falsehoods into the myths of ancient beings to disguise their presence among the mortals. Nefilim are actually hybrids, who are the children of angels and mortals.”

Karl was dangerously close to the truth.

ON SALE FOR $4.99 OCTOBER 1-31
DURING KOBO’s SPOOKY SEASON SALE
WE’RE PRICE-MATCHING ACROSS PLATFORMS
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Queen of Swords Press @qospress.bsky.social · 13h
#Booksky Today is a great day to buy werewolf books! Catherine Lundoff’s Wolves of Wolf’s Point books are available in print, ebook and audiobook everywhere and SILVER MOON is out in German translation from @ylva-publishing.bsky.social! queenofswordspress.com/product-cate...
queenofswordspress.com
Werewolves
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Vanessa Knipe @vjknipe.bsky.social · 17h
Today is book quote wednesday #bookqw and today's word is 'treat'. As we just over a week away from publication, here's a hint as to why the book is called Her Borrowed Grave. Pre-order for 99p/¢ here: UK www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0HL4PFK8... US www.amazon.com/Her-Borrowed...
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Susan Murray @pulpthorn.bsky.social · 13h
Today's Book Quote Wednesday and the #BookQW word is 'treat'. In Waterborne Exile the freemerchant Marten's plans - years in the making - are unravelling.
Extract from Waterborne Exile by Susan Murray:

“Marten, the sight raises more questions than it ever answers. I’ve seen you as a great man. You had everything in place before Tresilian betrayed us all. And you can again. You will. But you must stay true to your people.” 

“What, the people who made me a laughing-stock today?” 

“They are still your people. You risked everything for them once.” 

“Never again.” Marten stood up slowly, his eyes on Alwenna. “I’ll see you set back on your throne as queen of all the Peninsular Kingdoms before I’ll treat with them.” He pushed away from the table and the wine in the bottle was stirred by his movement, ripples spreading across the dark surface. Alwenna’s attention was drawn into the darkness beneath the perturbed surface and she could no more resist her sight than she could convince Marten of what he must do. 

She dived down and down, deeper into darkness, moving through the liquid as if it were nothing more than a breeze. Her hair trailed loose behind her, free and unfettered and her heart pumped blood through her veins with a wicked glee. It was so good to be alive, so good. And revenge would be even better. Ahead of her lay a small cairn. As she drew closer she could see it was composed not of rocks as she had assumed, but of bones. Reposing on the very top of the cairn lay the jewelled dagger.

#BookQW – treat

Cover of Waterborne Exile by Susan Murray. A woman in a blood-spattered white gown moves past the viewer, holding a bowl of blood in both hands. A bloodstained dagger is tucked in her belt. Cover art by Paul Young.
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Susan Murray @pulpthorn.bsky.social · 17h
Day 9 brings my first clear covid test!
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Ben Jeapes @benjeapes.bsky.social · 19h
It's Book Quote Wednesday and the word is TREAT. Quin is making friends and enemies in equal measure, hatching chickens that one day will come home to roost in a big way. #bookqw #spaceopera #morality www.benjeapes.com/index.php/ph... Here me read a longer extract at benjeapes.substack.com.
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Juliet E McKenna @julietemckenna.bsky.social · 18h
Book Quote Wednesday's word is 'treat' #BookQW #BookSky If you've been thinking about getting yourself a little morale boost with this ebook bargain, today's the last day to do it. Price-matched on other platforms as well as here on UK Kindle. www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/...
Cover art by Ben Baldwin shows a creature crouching in a low tunnel entrance lined with grey stones and partly hidden by green undergrowth and white flowers. The creature has pale skin covered in sparse black hair and it looks a bit like an ape, a bit like a bear, and completely unlike either of those.

Book extract reads: 	I put down the tin and put the kettle on to boil. Then I washed my hands. The formula tin emphasised the importance of keeping things clean. Taking the bottle out of the packaging, I fitted it together. The packaging said I should sterilise it before using it for the first time, but I didn’t have time if I was going to shut the screaming changeling up with a feed.
	I didn’t only want some silence. I knew the changeling wasn’t a real baby, but on the way here, I had decided I’d better treat it like one. When whoever was behind this wanted their creature back, I needed it to be healthy. Especially if I had to trade the thing for Fin, or for whatever I needed to know to get her back from wherever she was stuck. That was my priority now Alice was safe with her parents. I’d just have to hope this little monster was as resistant to germs as I am, generally speaking.
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Juliet E McKenna @julietemckenna.bsky.social · 18h
Book Quote Wednesday's word is 'treat' #BookQW #BookSky They say, if you want to really know someone, watch how they behave towards people who they think don't matter. The Riven Kingdom will be published on 27th October 2026. www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0GK5RVZWT/
The Riven Kingdom cover art by Alice Claire Coleman is in the style of a stained glass window. Blue-green leaves and vines dotted with golden flowers coil around silver swords in panels on either side. These are topped with a golden sun on the left and a yellow crescent moon on the right. In the centre, rival hands stretch upwards trying to get hold of a crown that's just out of reach... 

Book extract reads: The woman brandished a letter in the light of the oil lamp hanging over the door. ‘The boy wasn’t injured. The lightning strike didn’t touch him. Now the shock has faded, he may recall further details of that day. I insist on asking him myself.’ 
‘You may consult his account of that day held by the high shrine’s infirmarians. They wrote down the recollections of everyone they treated who witnessed the tragedy.’ Brother Haber tucked his hands inside the sleeves of his thick black robe. ‘I can vouch for the boy’s honesty.’ 
No one could argue with that. The Moon God granted his priests the power to hear falsehoods. Everyone saw such magic at work when the nobility held assizes to punish criminals within their fiefdoms, where the justiciars delivered their verdicts in the crown’s name. A priest was always on hand to unmask anyone telling lies. Just as a pale-robed priestess used the power the Goddess granted her to endorse truth. 
‘Your obstruction is unacceptable.’ The woman took a half-step sideways. 
Startled, Reske thought she was going to force her way past the priest.
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Juliet E McKenna @julietemckenna.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Are Techbro billionaires discovering their established and tolerated business practice with hardware i.e. 'release the cool thing we developed without bothering to consider malfunction/abusive use, and mop up/hush up real world damage causing bad press later' really does not work with software?
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SleepyNeutrons @sleepyneutrons.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
So I finally did it. Critical Thinking: What a Senior Reactor Operator Wants You to Know About Nuclear Power a.co/d/03WLoA7L
a.co
Critical Thinking: What a Senior Reactor Operator Wants You to Know About Nuclear Power
Critical Thinking: What a Senior Reactor Operator Wants You to Know About Nuclear Power - Kindle edition by Wooster, Bryan. Download it once and read it on your Kindle device, PC, phones or tablets. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading Critical Thinking: What a Senior Reactor Operator Wants You to Know About Nuclear Power.
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Stuart Houghton @stuarthoughton.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Plan for winning the AI revolution, in full
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Susan Murray @pulpthorn.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Day 8 brings a verrrry faint covid-y line.
Closeup of a covid test with a very faint positive line.
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Susan Murray @pulpthorn.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Another viewer booked for the end of the week, lads.
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Susan Murray @pulpthorn.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Someone enthusing about Austen. Someone else immediately pops up 'Yes, also Hardy'. Then the entire thread inexplicably swerves into 'Yeah, Hardy's vastly better.' 🤷‍♀️ Is it possible they're all thinking of this one?
static.klipy.com
Tom Hardy Kisses Dog
Alt: Tom Hardy smooches a very bouncy dog.
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Susan Murray @pulpthorn.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Day 7. Still a bit covid-y. But a lot less than it was…
Covid test with a faint line by the T.
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Helen Gittos @helengittos.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
This is such a sorry & infuriating tale. Via @davidpetts1.bsky.social from another place. www.sarsen.org/2026/09/hist...
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Management Lessons from The Lord of the Rings is out now @drfionamoore.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Today's the day, warriors of Rohan! My new book is OUT! Management Lessons from The Lord of the Rings is the management textbook you never knew you needed, but now you know, you have to have it! Buy, share, review; the Road goes ever on... adoctorofmanythings.wpcomstaging.com/2026/07/21/w...
adoctorofmanythings.wpcomstaging.com
Where to Buy Management Lessons from The Lord of the Rings
Management Lessons from The Lord of the Rings, like its predecessor Management Lessons from Game of Thrones, is the management studies textbook you never knew you wanted, but now you know, you have…
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Tony Allen-Mills @taminf.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
We've seen lots of Hummingbird Hawk-Moths in our garden this year, but last night as darkness fell, we were treated to a first ever visit from its amazing larger cousin. The arrival of the nocturnal #Convulvulus Hawk-Moth caused panic to find my flash. I set up just in time... #TeamMoth #Stunday
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Ben Templesmith @templesmith.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
May this man never eat a meal he didn’t cook himself, without spit or worse in it, ever again. futurism.com/health-medic...
futurism.com
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang Says That Sacrificing Our Children's Minds to AI Is a Price He's Willing to Pay
Thanks to AI, it won't matter if students can do multiplication, or even remember their own home address, tech billionaire Jensen Huang said.
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Caroline Hooton @carolinehooton.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
Pervert Tamagotchi.
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Wizard's Tower Press @wtpress.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
The Executioner is back, and frankly she's had enough of, well, just about everything. On pre-order: wizardstowerpress.co...
The cover of The Executioner's Blade by Andrew Knighton. Art by Ben Baldwin.

The image shows an older, white-haired woman with a big sword over one shoulder. A dragon's tail is wound around her body. There is a cityscape in the background, and more fantastic beasts in the sky.
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Katie Martin @katie0martin.ft.com · 25/09/2026
I have blamed The agents That hacked Your website And which You probably Reasonably thought I controlled Forgive me I am rich And unaccustomed To taking responsibility
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Luke LeBrun @lukelebrun.ca · 26/09/2026
Tech companies suddenly decide they can, in fact, moderate content on their platforms after all
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JW Mason @jwmason.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
This is the master key to deciphering contemporary debates about free speech. www.lrb.co.uk/blog/2026/se...
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Susan Murray @pulpthorn.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
Have consulted the oracle. Still have the lurgy but the red line didn’t leap into being as soon as the sample reached it and is a bit fainter, so… cautious yay?
A positive Covid test with a fainter red line than before.
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Susan Murray @pulpthorn.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Not alert enough for proper work, so scrolling through loads of unfinished bits and pieces and thinking 'Yeah, I should do something with that.'
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Trollbreath Magazine @trollbreathmag.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Happy Free Fiction Friday! Today enjoy a story that is a bit heroic fantasy, a bit "Enemy Mine" and a lot of awesome. Shades of Bruises and Blood by Katherine Quevedo magazine.trollbreath.com/shades-of-br...
A black and white image of a dagger stuck in the grass with a purple translucent scarf blowing across the middle.
Trollbreath Magazine, Shades of Bruises and Blood, by Katherine Quevedo
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Jan Jones @janjonesauthor.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Just signed this. 38d.gs/wpsf
38d.gs
Ban Fracking For Good!
The Government plans to ban new licences for some types of fracking in England. Good news, but it doesn’t go far enough. Sign the petition to demand a PERMANENT ban covering ALL fracking⚡
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Susan Murray @pulpthorn.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
“responsible AI” - there’s an entire debate contained within that phrase.
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Clare Downham @downham.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Funded PhD opportunities with a short deadline. Join our early medieval cluster at Liverpool with 7 PhDs currently working with the Institute of Irish Studies on all aspects of Irish, British and Icelandic topics and connections www.nationalgallery.org.uk/research/col... #museums #medievalsky
nationalgallery.org.uk
Collaborative PhDs | Research | National Gallery, London
As part of collaborative consortia, the Gallery hosts a cohort of PhD students funded by the UK Arts and Humanities Research Council.
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Dr Abeba Birhane @abeba.blacksky.app · 24/09/2026
over the past few weeks several AI evaluation/cybersecurity experts have explained how what's happening is a result of human incompetence rather than "AI going rogue". I'm begging the media to show a shred of journalistic integrity and stop parroting what altman or amodei say
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Anna Orridge @anna-orridge.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
So chuffed with this thoughtful review from Martin ❤️ If you too are happy to read about not monsters and robots but messy humans being spectacularly messy across millennia... www.gold.ac.uk/goldsmiths-p...
gold.ac.uk
Parch Marks
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Yorkshire Wildlife Trust @yorkswildlife.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Are there stories in peat? There certainly are and they’re best told slowly – you can find out what tales peat has to tell in @yorkshirepeat.bsky.social’s Slow Storytelling exhibition, and read about them here: www.yppartnership.org.uk/blog/lucy-ca... The exhibition is free and runs until 26/10/26.
yppartnership.org.uk
Telling stories slowly... | Yorkshire Peat Partnership
If I asked you to share your experience of peatlands, how would you choose to do it? Would it be through words, recounting untold stories from bogs-past, or elevating the voices of bogs-present? Would...
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Andrew Hickey @andrewhickey.500songs.com · 25/09/2026
This is the thing that gets me about that report. I applied for my autism diagnosis in 2015, got it in 2019. Put in for NHS ADHD diagnosis in 2019, still on the waiting list (went private in 2024). There's already functionally no diagnosis.
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Joel Morris @gralefrit.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
NEW ONLINE WRITING / COMEDY COURSE A few spaces left… Starts Sunday Oct 18th www.gralefrit.co.uk/writers-room
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Susan Murray @pulpthorn.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Far too old to fangirl, but just discovered Black Doves was written by the guy who wrote Giri/Haji _and_ there’s a season 2 on the way - if that doesn’t deserve a SQUEEEEEE! I don’t know what does.
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Joe Barton @joebarton.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Hey we’re back
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Queen of Swords Press @qospress.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
#SapphicSeptember Let’s not forget our trailblazers this month, like Joanna Russ!
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Susan Murray @pulpthorn.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Have rearranged my imminent dental appointment. Was looking forward to a good rummage around the local bookshops afterwards.
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Adrian Tchaikovsky @aptshadow.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Something of a large reveal! deadline.com/2026/09/andy...
deadline.com
Andy Serkis To Narrate Sci-Fi Adaptation Of 'The Odyssey'
Andy Serkis To Narrate Adrian Tchaikovsky's Sci-Fi Adaptation Of 'The Odyssey' For Audible
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Robert Wright @reporterrwright.ft.com · 24/09/2026
Wondered what would happen after the posting of that video showing the apparent stabbing of a dinghy in the Channel? Read my story about the arrest of the man who posted it: as.ft.com/r/115f09d2-3...
as.ft.com
Anti-migrant protest leader arrested after posting video stabbing a dinghy
Rightwing activist who calls himself Danny Tommo was also one of the organisers of a recent blockade of Dover
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Susan Murray @pulpthorn.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Have discovered the little red dot over the ThinkPad 'i' on the lid is a light that shows it's powered on. Not entirely sure who it's for, 'cos when it's on I'm looking at the screen on the other side.
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David Barnett @davidmbarnett.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Available in paperback and ebook from Canelo and audiobook from WF Howes on the same date! www.audible.co.uk/pd/Twisted-P...
audible.co.uk
Twisted Pike
Check out this great listen on Audible.com. Their arrival could mean the end of everything...The remote, isolated village of Withered Hill is rocked by unexpected visitors, a film crew hoping to make ...
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Susan Murray @pulpthorn.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Whee! Still got it… (not that there was any doubt). As does spousal unit, who (we think) brought it back from a course in Manchester. We have a load of tests close to expiry date so am obsessively gathering data…
Another positive covid test.
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Tade Thompson @tadethompson.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
So, I've always admired Subterranean Press. I was sad to hear the bad news about them earlier this year. I'm pleased that THE KING STREET GOLEM will be among the last books of theirs.
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Vanessa Knipe @vjknipe.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
It's book quote Wednesday #BookQW and today's word is knew. Meet George from Her Borrowed Grave, before he changed his name to George to escape his family. Find the character short story, Our Ancestors' Gifts here. www.vanessajknipe.com/post/our-anc...
A flyer for Her Borrowed Grave. It shows a copy of a news paper with headline of Man's best friend and five found dead on Walmgate stray.
Text reads: “Arthur!” Papa stood waiting with his brother Uncle George. “What’s Arthur doing here? It should be Oliver.”
Arthur shrank away. Of course it should be his big brother Oliver. At eleven, he was starting at the boarding school too, but he would enter the big school, not the prep part where Arthur was enrolled.
Uncle George crouched to bring his head level with Arthur’s. “Why are you here?”
“Someone called me,” Arthur whispered, staring over his uncle’s shoulder at where Papa smouldered. “And woke me. I knew I had to bring the spear to the giant.”
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Patrick Samphire 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 @patricksamphire.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
It's Book Quote Wednesday, what with it being a Wednesday and all that, so let's have a quote from my second Mennik Thorn book, Nectar for the God. The word this week is "knew", and we're right near the start of the book here. #BookQW books2read.com/NectarGod
Promo image showing the cover of Nectar for the God by Patrick Samphire, with text that reads: The City Watch, who always liked a good murder to cheer up an otherwise boring day, were soon on the scene. There they put into play the full range of procedures and techniques they were renowned for – mainly gawping at the body and asking some desultory questions – before concluding that neither Cord nor Mirian knew each other, and Cord had just been in the wrong place at the wrong time.
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Susan Murray @pulpthorn.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
It's Book Quote Wednesday and today's #BookQW word is 'know'. Far too many options so I've gone with 'known'. In Waterborne Exile Brett's freemerchant father is returning home after a long absence, but he's not alone.
Extract from Waterborne Exile by Susan Murray:

Brett moved his attention to the woman who rode behind his father, eyeing her with curiosity. She had fair skin, ill-suited to the desert heat. There was something ethereal about her, something he couldn’t quite name, some sense of – what, he wasn’t sure. As if aware of his scrutiny she looked up and her eyes met his. Brett caught his breath. For a moment it was as if she could read his innermost thoughts. But that was silly. No one could do such a thing. There was a slight twist of her mouth that might have been a smile then she nodded and he found he could turn his eyes away at last, aware of a sudden sense of great grief. Such a sorrow as he’d never known before. He felt strangely guilty, as if he’d intruded somehow. 

He fell in behind their horses as they picked their way up the valley. This was something important here, something momentous.

#BookQW – know(n)

Cover of Waterborne Exile by Susan Murray. A woman in a blood-spattered white gown moves past the viewer, holding a bowl of blood in both hands. A bloodstained dagger is tucked in her belt. Cover art by Paul Young.
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