iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Steph “SM” Giova @smgiova.bsky.social · 20/01/2026

I am once again posting my prequel (which at this point is less a prequel than it is book one) onto royal road this time with edits! I have the first chapter up and will leave that up to the masses to check out (like a teaser 😉) and will eventually begin weekly uploads once i have enough rewritten!

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Reposted by Steph “SM” Giova

ashe @asheyf.bsky.social · 20/01/2026

|| A Lion in a Flower Field || hi all! back again to post a recent commission i did for @smgiova.bsky.social of the cover for her prequel book!! very exciting things. check it out! royalroad.com/fiction/1493... #digitalart #commission #commissionsopen #digitalartist #artistsonbluesky

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Steph “SM” Giova @smgiova.bsky.social · 19/01/2026

*taps microphone* is this thing on

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Steph “SM” Giova @smgiova.bsky.social · 28/08/2025

Not necessarily “broad” but “vague” (another favorite of mine) is one that i use far more often enjoy some more sibling banter bc i love them #WIPSnips #Writing #AmWriting #YA

WIP Snips: Broad (Vague)

“I meant…Why do you do that?”

“Do what?”

“This.” Magic gestured vaguely towards the hole in her face which pounded and throbbed like hell in her head. The wound that Mira knew her father would either question or silently bring her to the clinic to get it tended to.

Mira was about to force a response—that she did this all the time and that this was hardly any different from any other fight—when Magic blurted the words before she could. “Why are you so quick to defend me when you won’t even do that for yourself?”

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Steph “SM” Giova @smgiova.bsky.social · 28/08/2025

additionally i’ve also learned that ellipsus is a very cool program for writing and it’s what i use now more often than not

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Steph “SM” Giova @smgiova.bsky.social · 28/08/2025

things i’ve learned since locking in to write 1. bookcon will be making an appearance at comic con this year 2. bookcon themselves are hosting an indie author alley 3. guess who will be going to find the booth to ask questions about said artist alley

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Steph “SM” Giova @smgiova.bsky.social · 09/07/2025

rey these are gorgeous (i saw the top right one earlier in discord but it’s still so cool what the heck)

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Steph “SM” Giova @smgiova.bsky.social · 09/07/2025

i need to get back into posting on here

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Steph “SM” Giova @smgiova.bsky.social · 09/07/2025

it’s hiccup hiccup is the reference

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Steph “SM” Giova @smgiova.bsky.social · 09/07/2025

also hi everyone i saw the new httyd recently and loved every second of it and in doing so also realized that i found myself a reference for my wonderfully sad boy that i occasionally post about here but in case you don’t remember here he is sassing his sister

Text from WIP

“Heavens,” she muttered, “what crawled up your shirt and died this morning?”
“My patience,” he sighed.
“Well, I hate to break it to you, but it’s not like I can hold my breath that long from your house to the building. I’d pass out if I did that.”
Magic only shrugged. He turned his attention to the dried out bread roll in his hands and dribbled it between his palms. “That sounds like a personal problem.”
“I’m not just going to stop breathing, Magic,” Mira huffed. “Unless you want me to put a buffer between my face and the microphone.”
“That’s what I do—at least, in the wintertime. I like using a scarf instead of pulling my jacket over my face.”
“It’s not cold enough for that, though. Don’t those things turn off?”
“They do. But contrary to popular belief, I do like speaking to you.”
Mira laughed, followed shortly by an eye roll. “It’d be nice if you acted like it every now and again. Sometimes I think you enjoy speaking to Mister Oreson’s bird more than me.”
A rare smile twitched on her brother’s lips. His hair wavered in the slight breeze as he shook his head with a low chuckle. “Treble doesn’t sass me everyday or insist that I climb old buildings in my spare time.”

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Steph “SM” Giova @smgiova.bsky.social · 19/06/2025

i don’t often post about the book tours i go to, but maybe i should start doing it because these events give me more motivation to actually write than anything else as of recent

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Steph “SM” Giova @smgiova.bsky.social · 07/06/2025

i need barnes and noble to start shipping my copy of bury our bones in the midnight soil PRONTO so that i can HAVE IT NEXT TO THE ARC

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Steph “SM” Giova @smgiova.bsky.social · 24/05/2025

i adore writing the dynamic between mira and her mother figure (amelia) it’s just something very wholesome which doesn’t happen a lot in my writing i feel lmao #WIPSnips #AmWriting #WriteSky #BookSky💙📚

WIPSnips: Warn(ing)

“Yeah.” She could hear the woman’s eye roll. “Your father has a bad habit of doing the opposite of what you ask of him. Almost reminds me of someone else I know.”
Mira grinned. “I couldn’t imagine who that could be.”
“Watch yourself, Mirabellis.” It was phrased like a warning but had all the seriousness of a well-timed joke. “Sometimes it’s good to listen before you act.”
“I know. Dad tells me the same thing sometimes.”

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Steph “SM” Giova @smgiova.bsky.social · 23/05/2025

where are all my ninth house enjoyers at bc i must scream #BookSky💙📚

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Steph “SM” Giova @smgiova.bsky.social · 23/05/2025

new ninth house snippet the world is healing

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Steph “SM” Giova @smgiova.bsky.social · 15/05/2025

I’ve always liked this interaction 🤭 Here’s some sass from my favorite western yeehaw man at a merchant transaction in the market #WIPSnips #AmWriting #WriteSky #Booksky

WIP Snip: Honey

“Have anything good for me today?” he asked, arms crossed over his chest.

The merchant looked him up and down before slinking forward to rest her elbows on the table, back arched as leaned into her arms. “That depends,” she said, tone smooth and honeyed. “What do you have to offer me?”

“Just the usual. Bolts, screws, and everything in between.”

“Ah, yes. Worthless garbage.”

Vallian rolled his eyes. “Don’t give me that, Evira. You know I always come bearing well thought out gifts for your specific talents.”

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Steph “SM” Giova @smgiova.bsky.social · 14/05/2025

i see my murder horse has intrigued some people

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Reposted by Steph “SM” Giova

Nat Lawless 🌈🦄 @nat-lawless.bsky.social · 14/05/2025

Not sure where this will go in the end as I cut it from its original spot, but I do like it! 🌈📚💙 🪐📚 🌈🚀💫 🌈✒️ #booksky #fantasy #queeradultSFF #authorsky #wip #amwriting #queerwriters #WiPSnips

As Elyan unlatched a window and rested his forearms on the sill, the chaos in his head began to dissolve into soft sand slipping through fingers.

He hadn’t lied when he’d told Rathaliel it helped him sleep.

Cool night air lifted the hair from his face like the sand of his thoughts, only lighter of course, because sand was a lot heavier than water. Or air. It was air on his face, he was pretty sure, though it was cold like water.

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Steph “SM” Giova @smgiova.bsky.social · 14/05/2025

*maniacal laughter* here’s some dialogue from my, affectionately called, murder horse, the harbinger of ruin and chaos he’s a menace, and i love him #WIPSnips #AmWriting #WIP #WriteSky #BookSky

WIP Snip: Chaos

“And yet,” snarled the beast, “I have been shunned for centuries; them praised and glorified. What is prosperity without hardship? Chaos without order? It is in my nature—my existence—to do such things. Still, it is them who have been sided with.”

“There have been some who have tried to bring the dragons to ruin,” said the man. “Though some have had more success than others.”

“You speak foolishly. I am their ruin!”

“Ruin cannot exist without the power to enact it.”

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Steph “SM” Giova @smgiova.bsky.social · 07/05/2025

My two idiots…i love them so much if you can’t tell, writing siblings is probably one of my favorite dynamics #WIPSnips #AmWriting #WIP #Writesky

WIPSnips: Hello

Mira laughed before she could stop herself. “Most people answer the door with a ‘Hi, how are you?’ instead of being rude about it,” she said, rising on her toes with her hands clasped behind her back, “so I’m going to pretend you asked that instead.” Magic rolled his eyes. She ignored it and continued, straightening her posture. “I’m okay. Bored. A little antsy. Needed a walk.”

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Steph “SM” Giova @smgiova.bsky.social · 02/05/2025

what if i shared art of some of my myths 🥺👉🏻👈🏻

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Steph “SM” Giova @smgiova.bsky.social · 01/05/2025

not my usual creative content but let it be know THIS is my favorite pokemon i have so many raichus watching my bookshelves and guarding them well

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Steph “SM” Giova @smgiova.bsky.social · 01/05/2025

new month, a completely new tracker for my habits to tell on me by the end of it

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Steph “SM” Giova @smgiova.bsky.social · 28/04/2025

here’s a more positive one though two siblings chatting on a rooftop bc neither of them can sleep at night chaos ensues and plot unravels as a result of this conversation #WIPSnips #AmWriting #BookSky #WriterSky

WIP Snips: Talk

“What if I told you that tonight’s different? That there is no other motive aside from just wanting to sit outside and look at the stars?”

“Then I would tell you that I’ll believe that when rocks turn to gold.”

A smirk twitched on Mira’s face. “Smart.” Footsteps slowly approached and she patted the spot beside her. Magic plopped down to her right, gently putting one leg out on the metal, the other tucked in towards his chest. “You’d be right, though. There is something I wanted to talk to you about.”

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Steph “SM” Giova @smgiova.bsky.social · 28/04/2025

going backwards to catch up but here’s a bit of a small, sad one but if it’s any consolation, mira and her father not only have a much better relationship but have probate or of my favorite relationships in this particular world #WIPSnips #amwriting #writesky #writersky #booksky

WIP Snips: Decor

Mira lost track of how many times customers came in asking Benji about his progress towards sobriety as though it were ordinary small talk. Sometimes it was out of courtesy. Other times, genuine concern. She never understood how they were able to do it—not even she could breach that conversation on a normal day. The only time she ever found herself able to was if there was cause for concern.

But she never forgot how many people skirted around the topic while her father was actively drinking. How many people eyed the open bottle of daylane on the counter as though it were just another piece of decor for the bakery.

How many people neglected to ask her how she was doing when she spent most of her nights sitting in the doorway with a walkie clutched in her hands or asleep beside her father to keep an eye on his breathing and make sure he woke up alive the next day.

Herschel’s insult went two ways. It made a mockery of Benji’s history and reinforced the idea that, true or not, her father’s addiction had always felt like her fault.

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Steph “SM” Giova @smgiova.bsky.social · 27/04/2025

Coming back to this with a loophole answer #WIPSnips Because I have the pleasure of having one of my main characters named Magic, so this word pops up EVERYWHERE #writesky #booksky #amwriting

WIPSnips: Magic

“What do you know,” she said, “about the tales of divine legends? The ones of Ori and the like?”

Mira scoffed. “Don’t look at me. The person with that knowledge is sitting on the other side of this couch.”

Magic glared at her, but didn’t say a word.

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Steph “SM” Giova @smgiova.bsky.social · 27/04/2025

this girl was a HUUUUUGE HUGE hunger games fan as a kid (late middle school early high school) i got so emotional you have no idea

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Steph “SM” Giova @smgiova.bsky.social · 27/04/2025

In case anyone wanted to know or needed to know, I read Sunrise on the Reaping about a month ago and i need the masses to understand that i still haven’t recovered from any of it

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Steph “SM” Giova @smgiova.bsky.social · 27/04/2025

this is how re announce my arrival after 2 months of not being here, hi writing friends how are you

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Steph “SM” Giova @smgiova.bsky.social · 27/04/2025

i gotta come back here again and start shitposting my story

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Steph “SM” Giova @smgiova.bsky.social · 01/02/2025

i just have to *keep* reminding myself that it’s something that can be fix—and IS fixable—because i care far too much about this silly little world and goofballs that live in it too much to let it go to waste (despite that urge to delete the whole thing)

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Steph “SM” Giova @smgiova.bsky.social · 01/02/2025

my entire “issue” with writing this week has been “this story is too long and you can’t even split it up. so what the hell are you going to do with it” which, realistically, is another problem for another bout of editing i know this and yet…lmao

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Steph “SM” Giova @smgiova.bsky.social · 01/02/2025

i love newsletter day because it’s such a validating thing even if i feel immensely called out by it

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Steph “SM” Giova @smgiova.bsky.social · 26/01/2025

I don’t have “appall” but I have the next best thing: disgust Here’s some small town drama because small towns be like that sometimes #WIPSnips #WritingCommunity #WriteSky #AmWriting

WIP Snip: Appall

It should not have bugged her that the town was more concerned about her family’s personal business than they were the wellbeing of two of their own. Mira expected it, even. As far as she was concerned, that was all this town knew how to do: gossip.

And yet, it disgusted her that strangers, who didn’t know the first thing about her family or the Coopers, were persistent in getting her widowed father to propose to Magic’s recently widowed mother.

First, it made no sense. Benji and Amelia were friends. Had always been since they were kids—along with her mother and Magic’s father.

Second, who in their right mind would pressure a widow into marriage?

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Steph “SM” Giova @smgiova.bsky.social · 26/01/2025

the owl crate art for shades of magic…. if anyone needs me i’ll be sobbing

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Steph “SM” Giova @smgiova.bsky.social · 24/01/2025

part of my new year’s resolution was just to make an effort to meet people so this is a way to do that

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Steph “SM” Giova @smgiova.bsky.social · 24/01/2025

one of my friends invited me to a book club one of his friends was starting and i’m very excited about this

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Steph “SM” Giova @smgiova.bsky.social · 22/01/2025

AND you’ll be pleased to know it was forward progress on the chapter we were talking about the other day :D

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Steph “SM” Giova @smgiova.bsky.social · 22/01/2025

i have done my writing for the night 🫡 585 words clocked

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Steph “SM” Giova @smgiova.bsky.social · 22/01/2025

if anyone sees me on here typing yell at me to go write my book

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Reposted by Steph “SM” Giova

emily4774.bsky.social @emily4774.bsky.social · 19/01/2025

No hate to those who read in digital format but now might be a good time to start buying physical books Here’s a list of banned books to start your library: -The Handmaids Tale -1984 -The Bluest Eye -Diary of a Young Girl -The Giver -Fahrenheit 451 -Maus -The Grapes of Wrath #booksky #tiktokban

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Steph “SM” Giova @smgiova.bsky.social · 19/01/2025

gonna need to compile a list of banned books to read bc i would like to put more of them in my TBR #BookSky 📚💙

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Steph “SM” Giova @smgiova.bsky.social · 19/01/2025

maybe tonight i’ll get back into just no braining this book i need to make progress somehow

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Steph “SM” Giova @smgiova.bsky.social · 16/01/2025

i’m about seven chapters into Somewhere Beyond the Sea… Arthur Parnassus they could never make me hate you

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Steph “SM” Giova @smgiova.bsky.social · 16/01/2025

all roads lead back to the hunger games or warrior cats i don’t make the rules i just simply enforce them

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Steph “SM” Giova @smgiova.bsky.social · 16/01/2025

like i just know this book is going to hurt me in so many ways 😭

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Steph “SM” Giova @smgiova.bsky.social · 16/01/2025

i still don’t think i’m over it and i’ve been screaming about it with friends for at least since yesterday 😭

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