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Vanessa Knipe

@vjknipe.bsky.social
2.2K followers 957 following 3.4K posts

Malaysian-born, Scottish writer. Recovering Luddite, DIY house renovation, likes canoeing, decorates a mean cake, a highly biased mother. Mastodon: @VanessaK@mastodon.scot Website: vanessajknipe.wixsite.com/vanessa-k…

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Vanessa Knipe @vjknipe.bsky.social · 16/10/2026
Well, Her Borrowed Grave was released into the wild a week ago. Thank you to everyone who bought it, I hope you’ve enjoyed the read. Don’t forget there’s a link to an exclusive Old Magic. Cold Cases. short story in the back. US www.amazon.com/Her-Borrowed... UK www.amazon.co.uk/Her-Borrowed...
A flyer for Her Borrowed Grave. The book cover shows a silhouetted figure walking over a rain-washed cobble street. Behind them is a winged serpent set into an intaglio, such as you might find in a signet ring.
Text reads: Her Borrowed Grave This book is for readers who enjoy:
●	Urban fantasy
●	Folklore and hidden histories
●	Scientific mysteries
●	Atmospheric settings
●	Characters forced to question what they believe
●	Stories where the past has not finished with the present
Ancient magic collides with modern crime.
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Vanessa Knipe @vjknipe.bsky.social · 14/10/2026
One of my favourite horror writers. Carmilla Voiez. Starblood. A demon summoned by a man who cannot let go. A woman who refuses to be a victim. When Star falls for Lilith she discovers the depths of her own depravity. UK www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0CKC767XS US www.amazon.com/dp/B0CKC767XS
Three demonic looking women stare out at you from the covers of the books, Starblood, Pschonaut, and The Death and Ressurrection Show.
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Vanessa Knipe @vjknipe.bsky.social · 14/10/2026
Book Quote Wednesday #BookQW. Today's word is VOICE. Caroline stopped to rescue a motorcyclist knocked off his bike during a massive storm. Soaked to the skin, she shelters him from the storm. But the storm calls uncanny things. UK www.amazon.co.uk/Her-Borrowed... US www.amazon.com/Her-Borrowed...
A Flyer for the book Her Borrowed Grave. The cover shows a silhouetted figure walking over rain-washed cobbles. Behind them is a winged serpent set into an intaglio such as you might find in a signet ring. 
Text Reads: Her Borrowed Grave. Ancient Magic collides with Modern Crime.
A massive boom carried metal clanging on metal, like a swordfight, accompanied by voices shouting insults in a language she didn’t quite catch. The noise grew louder, racing with the rushing water to where she sat. Dizziness swamped her as if she was moving rather than the sounds.
Water curled around them, like a sea serpent, pressing them together. The current so strong, she thought the surface under her would wash away and expose the old Roman road beneath the asphalt. Over the thunder, someone screamed.
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Vanessa Knipe @vjknipe.bsky.social · 13/10/2026
D13 Would I like to be friends with any of my characters? I started writing this book 2005, 4 years after my husband was killed. George was very much modelled on my late husband. He has evolved since then. #TimeTravelAuthors #Booksky
A list of actions for the time travel authors game.
October 13 would you like to be friends/hangout with any of you characters?An ereader mock-up made in GIMP by me. The cover of the book showes a silhouetted figure walking across rain-washed cobbles. Behind them is a winged serpent set into an intaglio of the sort found in signet rings.
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Vanessa Knipe @vjknipe.bsky.social · 12/10/2026
A man looking resigned. Text reads: When I check my bank account and realise that all the extra charges I made last month are currently sitting on my bookshelves.
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Vanessa Knipe @vjknipe.bsky.social · 12/10/2026
You know what, it's a long time since I posted a cake. My son's birthday cake. He wanted a Yoshi egg, so I hid a Yoshi inside.
An egg-shaped cake covered in green spots to make a Yoshi egg.
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Vanessa Knipe @vjknipe.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
A full moon in the dark sky.
Text reads: By our own spirits are we defied, 
 We Poets in our youth begin in gladness, 
 But thereof come in the end 
 despondency and madness. 
 ~ William Wordsworth.
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Vanessa Knipe @vjknipe.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
It’s Today! Her Borrowed Grave is here. The past refuses to stay buried. Forensic tests pick up strange results. I hope you enjoy reading. #Booksky #UrbanFantasy #FantasyBooks #ScottishAuthor 99p/¢ for the first month. UK www.amazon.co.uk/Her-Borrowed... US www.amazon.com/Her-Borrowed...
A paperback and an ereader. The cover of the book shows a silhouetted figure walking across rain-washed cobbles. Behind them, a winged serpent is set into an intaglio such as you might find on a signet ring. 
Text reads: Her Borrowed Grave. 8th October 2026. Ancient Magic collides with modern crime.
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Vanessa Knipe @vjknipe.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
#TimeTravelAuthors D7 'embarrass' Embarrassed, George swung his laptop away. He’d left the word processor open with his diary notes on the week’s happenings. “Got inspired to write a novel, you know with all these mad things happening.” #Booksky #UrbanFantasy
A list of actions for the time travel authors game. October 7
post-sized snippet (optional word embarrass) A book. The cover shows a silhouetted figure walking across rain-washed cobbles. Behind them is a winged serpent set into an intaglio such as you might find on signet ring.
Text reads: Her Borrowed Grave. 8the October 2026
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Vanessa Knipe @vjknipe.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
The best part of being unverified on here, is that I have no access to DMs.
A dik dik (a type of antelope)
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Vanessa Knipe @vjknipe.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
A stag drawn using pictish designs. The broken spear and moon behind the animal spell no.
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Vanessa Knipe @vjknipe.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
It's Book Quote Wednesday. #BookQW Today's word is Push. Caroline witnesses a hit and run and stops to help the downed motorcyclist. He acts like he knows her, but she has never met him. Tomorrow 📚🌃 UK www.amazon.co.uk/Her-Borrowed... US www.amazon.com/Her-Borrowed...
A flyer for Her Borrowed Grave it shows an ebook and a paperback with the same cover. A silhouetted figure walks rain-washed, cobble streets. Behind them is a winged serpent on an intaglio such as you might find on a signet ring. 
Text reads: “Finally. Brown eyes, so beautiful. But here? How?” His voice became querulous.
He reached for her face. Caroline caught his arm with her free hand, pushing it down. 
“No. Please, Donald. You must stay still, moving might hurt your back.”
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Vanessa Knipe @vjknipe.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
#TimeTravelAuthors Day5 The historical sections are set in the Dark Ages just before AD536, possibly the worst year to be alive in human history. So only everyday lives. There is an entire Old English Epic Poem written about the Character Donovan, from before he shows up in the C21st.
A poster showing the activities for the time travel authors game
October 5: Does anyone see any important and/or historical events?text A book. The cover shows a silhouetted figure walking over a rain-washed, cobble street. Behind the figure is a winged serpent set in an intaglio such as you might find in a signet ring. 
Text reads: Her Borrowed Grave 8th October 2026
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Vanessa Knipe @vjknipe.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
I will be attending FantasyCon in Glasgow between 9-11 October, the weekend immediately following the launch of Her Borrowed Grave on the 8 October. You can find me on two panels, and I will be reading from my new book. I’ve got a lucky dip to win one of five ebook copies of Her Borrowed Grave.
Fancy scroll work surround the text which reads: Vanessa Knipe at Fantasycon 2026. 9th October ~ time travel narratives ~ 5- 6 pm ~ panel 3. 10th October ~ Too much Science, too much fantasy ~ 3-4pm ~ Flame tree room. 11th October ~ reading group 32 ~ 12-1pm ~ malin.
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Vanessa Knipe @vjknipe.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
#BacklistSaturday. Halloween. A young widow accidentally offers her son to vampire who hide at the Whitby Goth Festival. Only her ex-boyfriend, who threw her over for his career in the College of St Van Helsing ten years ago, can save him. 📚🌃 #UrbanFantasy #booksky www.amazon.co.uk/Date-Darknes...
An ereader. The book cover shows a brooding man. Behind him is a murder of crows perched in an autumn-bare tree.
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Vanessa Knipe @vjknipe.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
#TimeTravelAuthors D3 Hot air choked his lungs. The stark morning sun drained the life from people, leaving them washed out, pale ghosts of themselves.
A list of actions for the time travel authors game. October 3rd Saturday excerpt (optional word: ghost/spirit)An advert for Her Borrowed Grave. The book cover shows a silhoutetted figure walking on rain-washed, cobble streets. behind them is a winged serpent in an intaglio such as you might find on a signet ring.
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Vanessa Knipe @vjknipe.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
The bright harvest moon. 
Text reads: O come with me, thus ran the song, the moon is bright in autumn's sky, and thou hast toiled and laboured long, with aching head and weary eye. ~ Emily Brontë
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Vanessa Knipe @vjknipe.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Teacher Caroline Walters meets a man who stumbled out of a Dark Age poem. Reporter George Maskell investigates a string of impossible deaths. Both are drawn into the mystery entombed beneath the streets of York. #TimeTravelAuthors www.goodreads.com/book/show/25...
A list of actions for the time travel authors game.
October 1st. Introduce your story ( optional: sspooky and/or like a twilight zone episode.A book. the cover shows a silhouetted figure walking over rain-washed cobbles. Behind them is a winged serpent in an intaglio such as one might find in signet ring. Text reads: Her Borrowed Grave 8th October 2026
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Vanessa Knipe @vjknipe.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Just over one week to go until the launch of Her Borrowed Grave. ● Urban fantasy ● Folklore and hidden histories ● Characters forced to question what they believe ● Stories where the past has not finished with the present Thursday 8 October. www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0HL4PFK8... #UrbanFantasy #BookSky 🌃📚
A flyer for Her Borrowed Grave. The book cover shows a silhouetted figure walking over a rain-washed, cobbled street. Behind them is winged serpent on an intaglio, such as you might find on a signet ring.
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Vanessa Knipe @vjknipe.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
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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Vanessa Knipe @vjknipe.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
I had Monsters of the Greek Myths.
In the centre is medusa's head, there is scylla and carybdis, a harpy, a griffon, the cyclops, a gryphon, cerberus and a chimera.
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Vanessa Knipe @vjknipe.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
#SilentSunday
A green traction engine sits in a muddy field surrounded by people fascinated by the ancient and solid technology. A child pulls the steam horn.
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Vanessa Knipe @vjknipe.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
What are the sneak preview readers saying about Her Borrowed Grave? www.vanessajknipe.com/my-new-book
A book. The cover of Her Borrowed Grave shows a silhouette walks a wet, cobbled street. Behind them is a serpent set into a circle, as if it’s the intaglio of a ring. 
Text reads: Her Borrowed Grave. Old Magic Cold Cases book one. Coming on 8th October.
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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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Vanessa Knipe @vjknipe.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
😕
Screenshot of a post by ztwang87 from threads.
Folks, it's not WW3, no matter what anyone says.
After WW2, we moved away from official release versions and switched to a mandatory lifetime subscription model with endless updates instead.
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Vanessa Knipe @vjknipe.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
QT with a sword.
The armoury wall at Wolf's Head Hall (my house). At the top is a banner, left to right, the three wolves heads of the Knipes white on red. In the middle is Jim'll Paint it's Saturday Night kicking out time done in the style of the bayeaux tapestry. On the right is the red lion of the Terry's (my late husband) Beneath the terry banner are his and hers fencing foils for settling arguments Addams family style. A poster advertising enlistment in the royal navy. Below that are two antique police truncheons, a short sword with attached flintlock pistol and another flintlock pistol (non-firing). There's a viking axe and a long sword (replicas in wood). and Finally there is the real French Cavalry sabre taken off the battlefield at Waterloo and renumbered into the british army.
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Vanessa Knipe @vjknipe.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
Quote with your bird art Wren, ink and watercolours.
A line drawing using pictish designs of a wren perched on a twig, but painted in with watercolours. The twig has holy leaves and berries, mistletoe, fir, ivy and Christmas rose. The Wren has brighter colours than in real life.
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Vanessa Knipe @vjknipe.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
If you see this, post your green art.
A drawing in the style of a mediaeval tapestry. A woman stands central, she wears early anglo-saxon dress. In her right hand she hold a spindle, into which the three fates send thread. around her are smaller women staring at her. Pictures of herbs fill her background. To her right a man holds a spear raised to attack a serpent (more probably an eel) which slithers towards him.
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Vanessa Knipe @vjknipe.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
😂🤣😂
A group of blackshirts in their balaclavas rioting through the streets while the police make excuses about spontaneous protests. 
Text reads: People are calling Far-Right balaclavas 'Nonce Bonnets'.
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Vanessa Knipe @vjknipe.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Caroline Walters didn't realise her hobby was so dangerous. Meet Caroline, as she learns how to weave tapestries. www.vanessajknipe.com/post/making-... #Booksky #UrbanFantasy🪐📚
a pile of books and scrolls. The top book is open. On the left page is a picture of a knight and his lady surrounded by flowers and intricate border designs. On the facing pace is a hand drawing of a woman’s head and shoulders. Text reads: Meet Caroline. English teacher. Mother. Mostly holding it together. When she weaves tapestries, using designs handed down her family for generations, it has unexpected results.
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Vanessa Knipe @vjknipe.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
Last Day on the September sale of SF&F at 99¢. mybook.to/SFFPROMO_Sep... #booksky 💙 📚 🪐
On one side of the picture starship glide past impossible cities of the future, while on the other dragons fly over a fantasy citadel. An open illuminates the scene. Text reads: 99¢ Sci-Fi &Fantasy ebooks.
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Vanessa Knipe @vjknipe.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
I went to Garnock Valley Carves on Saturday. It's a chainsaw carving competion. The results are auctioned off, shame they're outside my price range.
A man kneels at the base of a column of wood carved with a Green Man. On the Green Man's head is an owl.
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Vanessa Knipe @vjknipe.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
The Battle of Eye-stings.
An advert in the style of the Bayeaux Tapestry. It show King Harold with an arrow in his eye. 
Text reads: Something in your eye? We can help treat it in store. Should have Goneth to SpecSavers.
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Vanessa Knipe @vjknipe.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
#SilentSunday
A dead tree still stands in the woodlands. At its feet braken is turning brown at the end of summer.
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Vanessa Knipe @vjknipe.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
It's #BackListSaturday so I'd like to remind readers of my College of St Van Helsing series. A Knight of Wolves: James is looking for a hero to save his sister from a demon, but the man he finds might just be worse. 💙📚️ #BookSky #AuthorSky #IndieAuthor #UrbanFantasy www.amazon.co.uk/Knight-Wolve...
A Knight of Wolves by Vanessa Knipe. On an ereader: A frenetic image of maypole dancers and a wolf superimposed over the a tower of Helmsley Castle.
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Vanessa Knipe @vjknipe.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
Text reads: Every now and then it's nice to pick your head up from your book, have a good look at the world around you, take a hard pass and immediately go right back to reading. Balance is important.
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Vanessa Knipe @vjknipe.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
Artist: Ben Jennings in the Guardian
Two robots look at an updated version of the Bayeux tapestry featuring a meme-style cat on horseback riding over a person obsessed with their phone, one robot says "Ah - here's the moment the last humans were killed".
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Vanessa Knipe @vjknipe.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
It's Book Quote Wednesday. #BookQW Today's word is 'drip'. Meet George. I write short stories to find out the personality of a character in a book I’m writing. This story is formatted in a similar manner to the chapters in Her Borrowed Grave. vanessajknipe.wixsite.com/vanessa-knip...
An issue of the fictional York Tribune newspaper. The main picture shows a man playing with his dog. Articles inclued Dog, a man's best friend, George Maskel's reporter's byline and bio, and Five found dead on Walmgate Stray.
Text reads: The Giant’s stone stood on its own in a clearing. It marked the pride of the St-Devan-Maskells. How many other old families could claim that any of their ancestors had slain a monster? Even though it was supposed to be the giant lying in its death throws, the rock still stood twice the height of a grown man. Last summer, when he had been smaller, Arthur had paced out the length. It took 47 of his strides to reach from the feet to the head of the giant. Tired now and trailing the spear, Arthur walked towards the head of the giant.
That was where he was supposed to be.
Papa stood waiting with his brother, Uncle George, at the Tears of the Giant: a rill that dripped from the top of the Stone.
“What’s Arthur doing here? It should be Oliver,” Papa demanded.
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Vanessa Knipe @vjknipe.bsky.social · 06/09/2026
Beta readers have their say on Her Borrowed Grave. "...enjoyed the chapter heading snippets of various documents related to the events - the DI’s comments that the MMU should - ‘… clean the contacts on their ducking weather radar ...” ~ Susan Murray. Dear Autocorrect, it's never ducking
Screenshot of a chapter header. Text reads: 
Chapter Thirty. 
Message Form
Personal text message from DI Davies to DI Shuster:
Alice, I was called to the museum. Reports of a man who matched the description of ‘Donald Smith’. Unable to investigate immediately as the army were investigating yet another of their ‘weird Doppler effects on the weather radar’. Personally think they should clean the contacts on their ducking weather radar or give it a big thwack upside the casing to stop it malfunctioning. With the delay it’s no surprise he wasn’t there when I finally got admission. Bill.
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Vanessa Knipe @vjknipe.bsky.social · 06/09/2026
#SilentSunday
A flat beige fungus grows on a rotting log, hiding behind the long, grass-like leaves of orchids that flowered earlier in the year.
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Vanessa Knipe @vjknipe.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
The chapter headers of Her Borrowed Grave show the police investigation running in the background of the story. But what do I mean by them? www.vanessajknipe.com/post/what-is... #UrbanFantasy
a screen shot of a chapter header. 
Chapter fifteen
evidence log
article description: Neon yellow tennis ball
owner: Casper, a dog
Where found: 50cm to the right of the left foot of body one
Case against: unknown
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Vanessa Knipe @vjknipe.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
It's Book quote wednesday, #BookQW Today's word is appear. We interrupt your regularly scheduled promo of Her Borrowed Grave to tell you that Last Days Forever is on sale for 99¢/99p mybook.to/SFFPROMO_Sep... Time Travel happens through the Cronoslip. Here Jack Foyle is entering the time stream.
A flyer for Last Days Forever. An angel flies over a Texan oil field, complete with nodding donkeys.
Text reads: Gathering the Cronoslip around me, I turned to face the alleyway. The power of the rainbow river battered at my legs. Secondary images of my legs appeared: how they were a second ago, where they would be a second from now.
Holger charged towards me, his feathers fluttering as he ran. “Hey! That’s not possible without your wings!”
I stared at him as we balanced on the edge of the Cronoslip. “What are you yattering on about?”
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Vanessa Knipe @vjknipe.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
It's the change of the seasons, so let's have a sale. Runs from 1st - 15th September. mybook.to/SFFPROMO_Sep...
On one side of the picture starship glide past impossible cities of the future, while on the other dragons fly over a fantasy citadel. An open illuminates the scene. 
Text reads: 99¢ Sci-Fi &Fantasy ebooks.
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Vanessa Knipe @vjknipe.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
The paperless office.
Screen shot of a Post by @omgsidewalks "Remember when they sold us the slogan, 'Go paperless, save trees, save the planet'? Now we've gone digital, and it's consuming enormous amounts of water, destroying ecosystems, harming bees, and contributing to environmental damage on a scale paper never did."
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Vanessa Knipe @vjknipe.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
Let's not be selfish.
A black board, probably from outside a bookshop. A cartoon book is saying please read me. 
Test reads. Sure, maybe you don't need more books but what if - and hear me out - the books need you?
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Vanessa Knipe @vjknipe.bsky.social · 30/08/2026
#SilentSunday
At our feet bracken and blaeberry plants. We look out over the loch, taking in the wooded islands, and stare wistfully at the distant mountains.
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Vanessa Knipe @vjknipe.bsky.social · 29/08/2026
Seriously, how do they still exists. And it's not just my eyes on the writing. 😕
Screenshot of a post. Text reads: God grant me the confidence and perseverance of a typo that's made it through 45 rounds of edits.
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Vanessa Knipe @vjknipe.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
Text reads: Nice compliments to give writers. You are incredibly clever. Your work impacted my soul. I'm still thinking about your book. Honestly you are a monster. I put your book in the naughty corner.
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Vanessa Knipe @vjknipe.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
The reflecting pool in Washington DC full of algae.
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Vanessa Knipe @vjknipe.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
It's Book quote Wednesday, and the word today is Question. #BookQW George is an Arts&Antiquities reporter, but he knows what to do when his dog sniffs out a body. And then the police find more. Find out more about Her Borrowed Grave on my Website. www.vanessajknipe.com/my-new-book
Alt text. A flyer for Her Borrowed Grave. A supercell storm coils like a poisonous black snake, its forked tongue is sheet lightning. A grey book half covers the storm. A question mark is cut out of the cover revealing letters from a fancier cover beneath. Text reads: Her Borrowed Grave. 
“Flipping over to a blank page, he sketched a map of this part of the Stray and drew stick figures to locate the three bodies. He drew a rock next to his bush and a large knife against the other together with a question mark over the body with no obvious cause of death. He suspiciously examined the foliage. How many more dead bodies had someone hidden in the bushes around here?”
Arriving 8th October 2026.
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