iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

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Artemesia Publishing @apbooks.bsky.social · 16h

Just saw the list of winners for the 2026 CIPA EVVY Book Awards and we are beyond excited to see several of our authors be honored! Dinosaurs and Other Felonious Mischief by Jason C. Poole won SILVER in Art/Architecture/Design/Photography www.cipabooks.com/cipa-evvy-20...

cipabooks.com

CIPA EVVY™ 2026 Winners - CIPA

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John Picacio @johnpicacio.bsky.social · 4h

🧵 Attention, Fellow SFF Artists and Authors -- here is my response to Must Read Magazines, after they presented an Asimov's art contract expecting me to waive all Moral Rights and Copyright to my art. And, I would strongly advise the following to my fellow pros…. 1/

John Picacio’s response to Must Read Magazine’s request for his waiver of all Moral Rights and Copyright of his commissioned art for an ASIMOV’S assignment. Short version — Picacio says a resounding NOPE.

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Author C B Lansdell @cblansdell.bsky.social · 4h

🎃 #FantasyIndiesSpooktober 🎃 Day 8: Phobias A few of those in the WIP fear things that may lurk among the trees as you leave the coast and travel inland. Others fear for their futures, seeing no way around present struggles.

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L.L. Stephens @triempery.bsky.social · 9h

#FantasyIndiesSpooktober 8: MC Phobias In NOMARA, Kate doesn't really have phobias. But as a shuttle pilot she does have a great fear of abandonment, of being stranded or lost and then her ship/people don't try to find or rescue her. She's seen it happen.

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L.L. Stephens @triempery.bsky.social · 8h

#WIPSnips The word for October 8 is LIZARD There are no lizards on Ibis 2. Other than the nomari and humans, only invertebrates inhabit the planet. But Kate recalls lizards in other places... and the reptilian cold-bloodedness is not inappropriate. #WritingCommunity #WriteSky #SFF

Text excerpt from NOMARA, a science fiction WIP by L.L. Stephens. In this snip, Kate puts together just what kind of appeasement is going on between the human kumbhs and the dominant nomari.

Kate controlled her deep surge of revulsion. Hadn’t she seen the signs? Heard the glassmakers explain it? They’d explained only a small part. A sliver. The kumbhs of Eshuun actually picked some of their sons—and maybe their daughters too—to be raised, apart and in special ways, to be mated to the nomari. Her stomach turned sour. She had thought—had hoped—the process would be more like what she had observed at the Kumbh Kaldarim, a youth gently raised in his own house, perhaps catching a queen’s eye, with matters to be arranged by his parents and people concerned for his well-being. Or had that, too, been a misplaced assumption on her part?
A sacrifice, she realized, watching the elder women of the Kumbh Pattaim as they hovered about Ureyt and the two nomari scribes who, along with two scribes from the kumbh, recorded the transaction. These women are offering the boy in return for favors from the ruling race. It made an obscene kind of sense. Young men, like cattle on Old Earth, like the twining wrist lizards of Bodette’s Planet, had become a form of currency. And the kumbhs, very clearly, traded human flesh. How far did it go? Did they offer to foster children displaying promising skills in their trades, send their own daughters or sons off for marriages of alliance, or to be bonded into the work forces of neighboring kumbhs? As for the nomari... male bodies were currency.
Stringers, she thought, I want to get out of here. I need to get to someplace clean.

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A. E. Bennett @aebennettwrites.bsky.social · 8h

TODAY! The Halloween Hauntfest is LIVE! Both of my spooky tales are a mere $0.99 each! ☠️ Hollow Cry, a horror novella in The Serrulata Saga 💤 Here and There, a short story full of existential dread Check 'em out - and shop other awesome indie authors! www.indievisibleevents.com

Hauntfest promo image - text in image: "I'm taking part in the Halloween Hauntfest Book Blast - October 8 - 10 - A.E. Bennett - indievisibleevents.com."

The covers of Here and There and Hollow Cry on a spooky forest background.

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A.J. Calvin @ajcalvin.bsky.social · 8h

#FantasyIndiesSpooktober 8 MC Phobias Zel doesn't fear much, since he's already dead, but he does not like dealing with the gods (they can still affect his afterlife.)

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A.J. Calvin @ajcalvin.bsky.social · 7h

The #WIPSnips word for October 8th is "lizard" This snippet's from The Moon's Eye (book 1 in The Relics of War.) I may have taken a little inspiration for this lunchtime scene after watching an episode of Bizarre Foods... 🤭 ajcalvin.net/books/relics... #WriteSky #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts

A warrior stands before two people as they walk slowly through ancient statuary.

Text reads:
“Do you not like fruit, Maryn?” Janna asked after a time. She seemed at once fascinated and appalled by the Felene’s midday meal.
Maryn shook his head. “We are a carnivorous people. We do not subsist on plant matter of any sort. Your fruit would cause me physical illness. Thank you for the offer, but I must decline.”
“And you eat lizards?” she pressed.
“Lizards, insects, fish, birds…” He trailed off and took another bite.
“I didn’t know people ate lizards.” Janna frowned and shook her head.
“It’s not uncommon in the desert, either,” Vardak replied. “We take meat when and where we can acquire it, just as we do water.”

The Relics of War
The Moon's Eye - The Talisman of Delucha - War of the Nameless
Available Wide
https://ajcalvin.net/books/relics-of-war/

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Joel Flanagan-Grannemann @servantand.bsky.social · 9h

You will be visited by three spirits....

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DD Ward ..."Interim Pirate Queen" @ddwardiswriting.bsky.social · 14h

Men are committed to two lies that underpin rape culture. First: that women consent and then change their mind later. Second: that rape is rare and perpetrated by strangers (usually imagined as PoC, because racism). Both are lies. www.patreon.com/posts/171716...

patreon.com

A Rant on Consent | D.D. Ward is Writing

Men are committed to two lies that underpin rape culture. First: that women consent and then change their mind later. Second: that rape is r

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Indie Book Spotlight @bookspotlight.bsky.social · 10h

🗡️ fantasy novella ⚰️ accidental reawakening of dead immortals 🏹 gallant knights 👑 evil kingdom 🤝 evil queendom 🌲 enchanted plants and forests 🥀 romance and friendship 🔖 link: mybook.to/mUVTmR 💌 itch.io: rebecca-crunden.itch.io/a-light-for-... 📖 gr: www.goodreads.com/book/show/23... [ #booksky ]

Ebook cover for ‘A Light for the Dead to Follow’ by Rebecca Crunden. Cover image is of a skull surrounded by red-pink flowers. There are vines at the top beside the title. The title font is black and maroon, the name font is white.

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Ayrton Silva | 🩸⚔️☠️ @ayrtonmsilva.bsky.social · 10h

Silksong update: Widow has fucked me up. So did Phantom, and now the act 2 enemies are also more vicious than I expected. I think this speedrun attempt might be cooked, as I'm over 4 hours in and there are lots of tough bosses ahead. Still, getting to citadel through the Exhaust Organ was *so* fast

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Mary Wyrd (she/her) @marywyrd.bsky.social · 10h

Do you have a new short story OR chapter of a serial out today/this week? If you do, CONGRATULATIONS! 🥳📚️ Share it with a comment OR a quote post. Don't forget to add > the hashtag #StorySky > a link to your new story > genre details #AuthorSky #IndieAuthor #ReaderSky #ShortStory

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Joel Flanagan-Grannemann @servantand.bsky.social · 9h

Three raccoons on a tree, and the one in the middle is Sammy.

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Shelby Hailstone Law @shailstonelaw.bsky.social · 19h

#AwesomeCharacters Keeping to Abigail from Death Flirts Back for spooky month: There's actually a whole section of the book talking about how she eats out. She's paranoid *constantly* about putting herself in any position where she could be at the hospital, bc she's got a death curse

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Shelby Hailstone Law @shailstonelaw.bsky.social · 10h

#Char_Roleplay: Islana (WIP: Golden Dusk series): “My role in my village is to take care of the fae Door where desperate people ask for help. People sit at my table and pour their heart out, and I make sure they have some food and light their way home.”

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David A Ludwig @davidaludwig.bsky.social · 20h

Last superlative @siobhanmuir.bsky.social's #ThursThreads, judge magnanimous @mlgammella.bsky.social honored remarkable @raethye.bsky.social and named scenic @sterlings-son-2.bsky.social the winner! #FlashFiction #WriteSky siobhanmuir.com/thursthreads...

siobhanmuir.com

#ThursThreads – Week 725 – Winners – Siobhan Muir

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L Izet @solarisstory.bsky.social · 20h

The secret 5th option for Magpie of the chippy. He's pretentious, until it comes to food. I think he'd absolutely tan a pizza crunch supper. With brown sauce, (cause he's a wrongun.) Fury doesn't eat. So she'll never know the delight of a roll & fritter.

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Christian and Miles Cameron @phokion.bsky.social · 12h

Out today (in the UK) with a launch at @thebrokenbinding.bsky.social tonight!

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W&S_BOOKCLUB @wsbookclub.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

Guess who's back, back again... @fantasybooknerd.bsky.social has a new review up!

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Author C B Lansdell @cblansdell.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

🎃 #FantasyIndiesSpooktober 🎃 Day 7: POV and Tense preferences I enjoy 3rd person limited because it has the distance of omniscient and the intimacy of first person. That said, I like seeing what can be done with all POVs and tenses. Omniscient can play with things characters hide from each other.

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David A Ludwig @davidaludwig.bsky.social · 21h

Though I picked Safe Harbor for Melody, figuring out trading companies for #Septopolis is more relevant to Cat as a pirate. She prefers big scores, so she'd go after the bigger companies, like Queen's Company over more local ones like Marble & Vine Co. Which Queen's Company has since acquired.

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Diane Youngblood @dmyoungblood.bsky.social · 21h

Day 7 of #FantasyIndiesSpooktober I don't really have any specific POV/tense preferences. For me, story is everything: as long as it's a good story, I can adapt to any number of POVs and/or tenses. #WritingCommunity

List of daily post prompts for indie fantasy authors for October.
Today's is: POV and tense preferences

Hosts: @chesneyinfalt.bsky.social and @lvrussell.bsky.social

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David A Ludwig @davidaludwig.bsky.social · 21h

I am extremely grateful for @kikirini.art's assistance in figuring out Melody Fayth's Book 1 hair. I knew I wanted it longer than I was managing to visualize, let alone convey to other artists I've worked with. But Kiki's mastery and insights on hair finally got me there. THIS is her hairstyle.

Digital illustration of a young woman with flowing, blonde hair and blue eyes facing the rising light. She has purple pansy hair-ties and wears a heavier, sleeveless, white robe over a thinner under-robe. Her sash is magenta and her boots are white.

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Sylvia Kay Rose Author 🍁 @sylvia-rose-books.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

📚 They're back! Just in time for the Jamboree ... 🎶💙📚 🐿️ Squirrels: Protect Your Nuts! Get it Now shorturl.at/BAaJv 🐿️🐿️ Squirrels 2: Revenge of the Rodents TBR Oct 30 books2read.com/u/3ndzWP #squirrels #creaturefeatures #horrorcomedy #horrorfans #funny #gory #canada #darkcomedy #darkhumor

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💀🫜 Charlie (Chelizabeth) Delta 🦊👻 @charliedeltawrites.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

October 7th – comparison Nik has plans to bring back some traditions from her old life! K’allon is a bit nervous about it. #DawnsBlood #WIPSnips #WriteSky #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts

“Fun, maybe, but is this really a good idea?” K’allon fell in step behind them.
“This is a fantastic idea.” Nik shot him a wicked smile.
“If you say so. Doesn’t really seem in line with the whole discipline thing you were going on about just now.”
“I meant every word of that. But if you expect your people to work hard, you’ve got to give them a chance to blow off a little steam, too.”
“This how you did it back in the day?”
“Nah…”
“I didn’t think so.” K’allon smirked.
“No, this is going to be pretty tame in comparison.” Nik laughed in response. “But there is a limit to what we have access to, out here. We’ll just have to make do.”
K’allon shook his head, ruefully. “So, what I am hearing is that all soldiers are as reckless as you?”
“Only the good ones.” She winked and jogged ahead to catch up with her crew.
S’immi moved to follow, but K’allon grabbed his shoulder and pulled him back.
“Hold on just a second, friend. You want to tell me why I didn’t know anything about this? It is a little embarrassing, given my position. And yours.”

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Indie Book Spotlight @bookspotlight.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

I’m so fucking over this year.

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DD Ward ..."Interim Pirate Queen" @ddwardiswriting.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

All of my main characters are planners to some degree. Blair makes straight forward plans and marches through fire. Nadia makes elaborate plans designed to keep everyone safe.

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🫜Prof Emily🫜 @professoremily.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

#LitHodgepodge 6 My queen Icozoue plays the archetypal role of the Mentor for Mireia & Kena in #GodsOfAtalantis. She's there to train them to become gods & push them in plot-directions when needed, & also offer emotional support (esp in the later books). She's also a grouchy alcoholic with RBF 😅

Digital drawing by me of Icozoue, a middle aged woman with viking style braids and a stylized wolf tattoo across the left side of her face. She wears black robes, is holding a goblet of wine, and has resting bitch face. A small crystal hangs around her neck. She is Shadow Mommy.

Cropped colored drawing of Icozoue by me showing just her head & shoulders. She's rolling her eyes and scowling like she's done with everyone's shit. Off to the side she has a little thought bubble with just a skull in it - either wishing for the sweet release of death or contemplating murdering a couple of teenage godlings.

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Nicole L. Soper Gorden / Nicole Leland @nicolelsopergorden.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

Poor Poe - his first time meeting Annie's parents is not going well and it's not even his fault 😅 From Poe's arc of The Atlas Brothers Break the Multiverse #WIPSnips #WriteSky #WritingCommunity #AmWriting

Dinner with Annie’s family was painfully awkward – the most awkward meal Poe could imagine.
The food was good. Crispy salmon and rice, various vegetables and salads as sides. The tension was sure to be bad for digestion, though.
Annie’s mom sat Poe and Annie across the big dining room table from one another instead of seating them next to one another. Poe wasn’t exactly sure what Annie’s mom thought she was preventing – hand holding at the dinner table? – but he regretted the arrangement mostly because it put him next to Malik, who still seemed determined to glare holes right through Poe’s body. Annie’s brother didn’t say a single word to Poe through the entire meal, and spent most of his time skewering fish and carrots on his fork with entirely more force than was necessary.

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L.L. Stephens @triempery.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

It's Book Quote Wednesday and the word is PUSH One of my favorite characters--simply loved writing him--is Cullen. In this snip from THE KHELD KING, Cullen and Stefan are resolving a thorny issue: whether Stefan should make Cullen, a Kheld, a lord. #WritingCommunity #bookqw

Left side of image is the book cover of THE KHELD KING, second book of the Triempery Revelations series by L.L. Stephens. Cover is blue and gray and shows a lonely figure looking up at a clifftop city crowned by magic.

Right side of image is a text excerpt from THE KHELD KING:

Cullen’s measuring gaze was followed by a frown. “If I say I’ll be your minister, you’re going to push that lordship on me, aren’t you?”
Before he was crowned, they’d talked about Stefan doing that sort of thing. Staubauns might fight him every step of the way, but Khelds craved a greater role in Stefan’s government. There was no better way to make a statement. “It will be to your advantage. Usually the king’s ministers are aristocrats, or the sons of aristocrats, or high-ranking people from the Seven Houses or guilds. I have to make you an Enlad at least.”
Cullen sighed, but nodded, his eyes again sweeping toward the river. “Then I guess I’m in. If we’re making changes, might as well go full gallop.”

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A.J. Calvin @ajcalvin.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

The #WIPSnips word for October 7th is "comparison" This snippet has the word "compare" (and also features a bit of Colin's temper...) More about Legend here: ajcalvin.net/books/the-ca... #WriteSky #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts

A man wearing armor stands next to a black dragon. Behind them, a city is burning and an army stands outside its walls.

Text reads:
Alexander clenched his jaw, his eyes flashing in anger. "Magic doesn't work that way. An ignorant bastard like you would never understand."

Alexander had touched a nerve. Colin's face burned crimson and a dangerous light entered his eyes. "Do not compare me to that--" he flung one finger in my direction, "--for I will not tolerate it. You are both abominations! Why you weren't dealt with at birth, I'll never know. Mother must have been sympathetic, a traitor to this kingdom, to have let you both live!"

Legend
The Caein Legacy: Book Four
Available wide
https://ajcalvin.net/books/the-caein-legacy/legend/

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L.L. Stephens @triempery.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

#FantasyIndiesSpooktober 7: POV and tense preferences I write multiple POVs much of the time, so prefer third person limited for such books. I can and do write first person present/past sometimes. I'm fighting a MC right now who wants to be a first person narrator.

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L.L. Stephens @triempery.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

#WIPSnips The word for October 7th is COMPARISON No "comparison" in NOMARA, but Kate does make a few. In this snip she "compares" sex with queens to sex with her. It's an illuminating snip and I hope a funny one. The sex-obsessed nomari can be over the top romantic. #WritingCommunity #WriteSky #SFF

Text excerpt from NOMARA, a science fiction WIP by L.L. Stephens. Snip shows Kate discovering the Eshuuni Queen's pleasure pavilions, including the famous one Arasend built especially for claiming Kharys.

A series of pavilions, some open to the night, some enclosed in shells of wonder, each more splendid than the one before it, ringed the drone enclave like jewels. They passed them all. At their center stood a chamber that even in darkness struck hearts still with beauty. All was pale and shimmering, ghostly columns rising above floors of moonlight. A high bed commanded the dais beneath an open portal through which thin clouds scuttled across the faces of two moons. The bed’s pillars, carved of some smooth pale stone, twisted like smoke above a platform as serene and cool as marble. Silk gleamed on that bed, and precious stones spangled the unseen ceiling like stars.
The Jade Pavilion.
It’s an altar, Kate realized, astonished. They take their virgins like offerings. That profound sensuality, possessive and unyielding, assailed her. Arasend had built this place for Kharys, had taken him upon that shining bed, a youth so beautiful she had made claiming his virgin body an act of worship no less transcendent than that of a drone dying in her arms.
Kate’s heart sank. Compared to that, sex with me must be like blowing his nose.

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A. E. Bennett @aebennettwrites.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

"In the Realm, every citizen knows their place." Step into the world of The Serrulata Saga... 💜 found family ⚔️ fierce battles 🔥 steamy romance ☄️ and, oh yeah, a pesky comet! A sci-fantasy adventure you don't want to miss! www.booksbybennett.com

Text in image: "In the Realm, every citizen knows their place."

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A.J. Calvin @ajcalvin.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

#FantasyIndiesSpooktober 7 POV/tense preferences As a reader? I like most book POVs/tenses (with the exception of 2nd person. I have a tough time with that one.) As a writer, I bounce between 1st/3rd person, but I enjoy 1st more (I love getting into the character's headspace.)

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David A Ludwig @davidaludwig.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

Captain Kinnery's pirate crew have some scars, amputations, and prosthetics. Most notable is Upgrade. He's got two hook hands, a blade leg, steel head plate and jaw, and a magi-tech eye. He was in BAD shape when she got him to her ship. Since the operation, the only thing he says is "upgrade".

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