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battyaboutbooksreviews · 9 months

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🦇 Fly With Me Book Review 🦇

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

❝ They were mirrors in a way. Both of them watching their loved ones suffer. Both unable to help in any meaningful way. Both coping--one with work and the other with a list. Both scared shitless of hurting the other one. ❞

❓ #QOTD What are you afraid of? ❓ ⚠️ Content Warnings: Terminal illness, chronic illness, misogyny, toxic relationship, grief, traumatic brain injury

🦇 ER nurse Olive Murphy's fear of flying doesn't stop her from getting on a plane to honor her brother, but it seems her fear is misplaced. A medical emergency forces Olive to leap out of her seat and into action, only for the flight to get redirected. She would have missed the marathon she was meant to run at Disney if not for Allied Airlines pilot Stella Soriano; a gorgeous, type A woman who captivates Olive with a glance. They share a magical day at Disney together as the video of Olive saving a man's life goes viral (after all, she did TECHNICALLY save Mickey Mouse), prompting an uptick in positive press and sales for the airline. Stella sees it as an opportunity to earn her long-deserved promotion and asks Olive to play the role of her fake girlfriend as they generate more press. Can Olive stand playing a fake role when her heart is already on a one-way flight?

[ Instagram | Literal | Goodreads | StoryGraph ]

My Thoughts:

💜 Get ready for a sassy, steamy, sapphic love story bound to soar into your heart. Andie Burke's debut novel has a little of everything; an insta-crush, fake dating (complete with a binder full of rules and research!), sharp and witty banter, plus some real and raw mental health rep. Between their anxieties, family responsibilities, and messy emotions, both Olive and Stella are relatable main characters you can't help but fall in love with. Sparks fly from the moment Olive and Stella meet, and Olive's mega-crush is adorable without making her seem adolescent. We gain a lot of insight into both characters' lives despite the fact that the story sticks with Olive's POV, which isn't always an easy feat. The prose is descriptive but not overly flowery, but it's the character development that really flies off the page. I absolutely adored Olive's best friend, too (imagine Felix from Orphan Black and get ready for ALL the gay sass).

💜 Burke does a wonderful job of normalizing mental health conditions without banging mental health rep over our heads. Olive's symptoms are as much a part of her as the heart-eyes she wears when Stella is in the room. After her (toxic) ex broke up with Olive because her anxiety disorder and panic attacks were "too much," Olive is afraid her symptoms will eventually scare Stella away. Meanwhile, Stella's responsibilities as her father's caretaker (who has Parkinson's) create the cracks in her type-A facade and show us why she's so committed to earning her promotion. Both characters encounter misogyny as well. While some readers might feel that there's too much going on, Burke carefully stacks these issues atop of one another. That's life; we're all juggling multiple conflicts, both internal and external. Read the quote I selected again. These women are mirror images of one another. Their struggles, while different on the surface, make it all the easier for them to empathize with and support each other. There's also no perfect, easy solution to the problems these women are facing because, again: that's life.

🦇 A part of me does wish this story split the POV, allowing us to see Stella's perspective. Keeping the focus on Olive ensured Stella's feelings for her remained hidden, but...come on. We all know where a sapphic romance novel is bound to end: with a sapphic romance. The "fake dating girlfriends with benefits" situation is where the story really gets messy. It's difficult to believe that Stella doesn't have romantic feelings for Olive at that point. The miscommunication trope is still my least favorite, but it lingers much too long in this one, leading to a not-at-all surprising third-act breakup. Even so, this remains the best sapphic romance I've read so far this year.

🦇 Recommended to fans of the fake dating trope, serious character development, and a heart-eyed, healing MC.

✨ The Vibes ✨ ✈️ Fake Dating ✈️ Bisexual MC ✈️ Sapphic Ship ✈️ Panic Attacks/Depression/Mental Health Rep ✈️ Debut Author

🦇 Major thanks to the author and publisher for providing an ARC of this book via Netgalley. 🥰 This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

#books #book review #books and coffee #sapphic books #queer fiction #queer book recs #queer community #queer #queer books #sapphic #coffee and books #books and flowers #flower bouquet #flowers #batty about books #battyaboutbooks #book: fly with me #author: andie burke

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chanelslibrary · 9 months

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🌙𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰🌙

Fly With Me by Andie Burke

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Olive Murphy is a flying-phobic ER nurse who is trying to get through her first ever flight, and when another passenger starts having a medical emergency she quickly jumps in to help. While Olive and her new patient make it through the flight unscathed, her heroic save goes viral bringing media attention and the chance to meet the pilot Stella Soriano. There’s instant chemistry, but nothing takes off. But with the national spotlight on them, Stella asks Olive to fake date hoping to advance her career. Can Olive and Stella remember that their relationship isn’t real, or will they give in and let their feelings fly?

Why did I love this book so much?! Probably because I am/was a healthcare worker and will relate to Olive on a spiritual level💜 Besides that…both Olive and Stella were so well written. They each were struggling with different yet similar things (mental health, grief, relationships, sexuality, etc!) and that’s what bonded them and also brought them closer (most of the time lol). This story was so genuine, and tragic, but sweet and I loved it! Everyone go read now!

Read if you love:

👩🏻‍❤️‍💋‍👩🏻Sapphic

🏥ER nurse & 🛩️Pilot

🌈LGBTQ+ rep

🎭Fake dating

🧠Mental health rep

CW/TW:

•Grief

•Death

•Taking care of sick family member

•Anxiety/Depression

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saintmeghanmarkle · 4 days

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📋 𝐌𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐌𝐌 𝐯𝐢𝐚 𝐀𝐑𝐎, 𝐀𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐭𝐲𝐩𝐞𝐬 𝐏𝐨𝐝𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐭, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝟒𝟎𝐱𝟒𝟎 📋

📌 ARO jam recipients (as of May 27th, 2024)

Tracy Robbins (designer, wife of Paramount Pictures CEO Brian Robbins) *

Delfina Balquier (Argentine socialite, wife of Nacho Figueras) * and Nacho Figueras (professional polo player) *

Kelly Mckee Zajfen (friend, Alliance of Moms founder) *

Mindy Kaling (actress and comedian) *

Tracee Ellis Ross (actress, daughter of Diana Ross)

Abigail Spencer (friend, Suits co-star) *

Chrissy Teigen (television personality, wife of John Legend)

Kris Jenner ('Momager') *

Garcelle Beauvais (actress, Real Housewives of Beverly Hills) *

Heather Dorak (friend, yoga instructor) *

📌 Archetypes podcast guests

Serena Williams 🏆

Mariah Carey 👑

Mindy Kaling (actress and comedian) *

Margaret Cho (comedian and actress)

Lisa Ling (journalist and tv personality)

Deepika Padukone (Indian actress)

Jenny Slate (actress and comedian)

Constance Wu (actress)

Paris Hilton (entrepreneur, socialite, activist)

Iliza Shlesinger (comedian and actress)

Issa Rae (actress and writer)

Ziwe (comedian and writer)

Sophie Grégoire Trudeau (former wife of Canadian PM Trudeau)

Pamela Adlon (actress)

Sam Jay (comedian and writer)

Mellody Hobson (President and co-CEO of $14.9B Ariel Investments, Chairwoman of Starbucks Corporation, wife of George Lucas)

Victoria Jackson (entrepreneur, wife of Bill Guthy: founder of Guthy-Renker, leading direct marketing company)

Jameela Jamil (actress, television host)

Shohreh Aghdashloo (Iranian and American actress)

Michaela Jaé Rodriguez (actress and singer)

Candace Bushnell (Sex and The City writer)

Trevor Noah (South African comedian)

Andy Cohen (talk show host)

Judd Apatow (director, producer, screenwriter)

source

📌 40x40 participants

Adele 🌟

Amanda Gorman (poet and activist)

Amanda Nguyen (activist)

Ayesha Curry (actress, cooking television personality)

Ciara (singer and actress)

Deepak Chopra (author and alternative medicine advocate)

Dr. Nadine Burke Harris (former Surgeon General of California)

Elaine Welteroth (former Editor-in-Chief of Teen Vogue)

Dr. Ibram X Kendi (professor and anti-racism activist)

Fernando Garcia (creative director of Oscar de la Renta)

Gabrielle Union (actress)

Gloria Steinem (feminist journalist and social-political activist)

Hillary Clinton (politician, wife of former US President Bill Clinton)

Katie Couric (journalist) *

Kerry Washington (actress)

Chef José Andrés (founder of World Central Kitchen)

Melissa McCarthy (actress)

Princess Eugenie (member of British Royal Family)

Priyanka Chopra (actress)

Sarah Paulson (actress)

Sofia Carson (actress)

Sophie Grégoire Trudeau (former wife of Canadian PM)

Stella McCartney (fashion designer, daughter of Paul McCartney)

Dr. Theresa "Tessy" Ojo - CBE, FRSA (Diana Award CEO)

Tracee Ellis Ross (actress, daughter of Diana Ross)

Unconfirmed - Edward Enninful (former Editor-in-Chief of British Vogue)

Unconfirmed - Daniel Martin (makeup artist) *

An official list of all "40x40" participants was never disclosed

source 1 // source 2 // source 3

📌 Notes:

Names with an asterisk (*) indicate that they follow ARO on Instagram

Notably missing from these lists: Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos and wife Nicole Avant, Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez, Beyoncé, Tina Knowles, Tyler Perry, Oprah Winfrey, Gayle King, Kevin Costner, Ellen DeGeneres, Portia Rossi *, Brooke Shields, John Travolta, Kelly Rowland, Holly Robinson Peete, Misan Harriman *, Michael Bublé

Wedding guests missing from these lists: Jessica Mulroney, George and Amal Clooney, David and Victoria Beckham, Idris Elba and Sabria Dhowre, James Blunt and Sofia Wellesley, Janina Gavankar, Elton John and David Furnish, James Corden and Julia Carey, Patrick J. Adams and the rest of the cast of Suits, Joss Stone, Tom Hardy and Charlotte Riley, Carey Mulligan and Marcus Mumford [Source]

Sunshine Sachs must've called in a LOT of favors to get so many famous names on board the Archetypes Podcast and the 40x40 project. Vanity projects that went... nowhere.

Without Sunshine Sachs, IMO it's highly unlikely that M will ever be able to reach the same level of celebrity access on her own.

If there are any names missing from these lists, please comment below 👇

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author: SeptièmeSens

submitted: May 27, 2024 at 06:44PM via SaintMeghanMarkle on Reddit

disclaimer: all views + opinions expressed by the author of this post, as well as any comments and reblogs, are solely the author's own; they do not necessarily reflect the views of the administrator of this Tumblr blog. For entertainment only.

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mermaidsirennikita · 10 months

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ARC Review: Fly with Me by Andie Burke

4.25/5. Releases 9/5/2023 (audiobook).

Vibes: hot lesbian pilot/anxiety-ridden bi nurse, mental health dealt with wonderfully, fake dating, trauma bonding in a good way, and very solid vibrator usage.

While on a flight to fulfill her comatose brother's bucket list, nurse Olive has to leap in and save the life of a passenger, unintentionally becoming a viral sensation. She wants to avoid the attention--but the super sexy pilot Stella makes an instant connection with her. So when Stella asks Olive if she'd like to fake a relationship in order to help Stella move up the career ladder... I mean, Stella is very hot.

A sapphic romcom debut that had me totally engaged the whole time--and it did hit me me in the gut a couple times. Yet it was also fun and sexy! Very impressed.

Quick Takes:

--One thing I really appreciated about this novel was the way that it was funny, but was also a bit devastating. There are a lot of intense things dealt with here. I never felt overwhelmed, however. A sad moment would be cornered by a happy moment. There was a lot of bittersweetness. Never in the romance, but in everything surrounding it. And I think that, overall, Andie Burke did a great job with having those issues act as an impetus for Stella and Olive to be together, rather than a distraction from their love story.

--I really appreciated the way this book touched on how nurses are diminished and dismissed by the general public, especially in the wake of COVID. The author is a nurse, and she does a great job of, again, framing this without letting it take over the fact that this is a romance novel.

--About this being a romance novel... I so enjoyed this love story. I often feel like sapphic romances kind of turn into "everyone is smiley and smart and they don't have dumb issues" stories. Which I get! We want queer love framed in a positive light. But the thing is, men in m/m romances get to be dumb and horny and messy.

Stella and Olive are undeniably both good people, but they are also dumb and horny and messy. A good part of the reason why Olive agrees to this fake dating scheme? Is because she really really really really wants in Stella's pants. And why wouldn't she? Stella is a hot pilot, hypercompetent, super lovely, and very good in bed. And you did get to see how good she is in bed.

I think that Andie Burke did a thing I would love to see in more sapphic romcoms, which is just like... mess. Olive and Stella act like a couple of morons in the best possible way, because feelings are hard. Olive has a crazy ex who I feel some may object to, but I don't know. She felt like an old school romcom crazy ex, which is to say, loathsome, but--not impossible. Especially with a partner like Olive, who feels so concerned about accommodating others.

--Speak of accommodating others, I will say, the emotional abuse Olive receives from her mother in particular is like... intense, and it's not the stereotypical sapphic romcom issue, and it did make me feel so fucking bad for Olive. The situation she was in is just impossible and heartbreaking and something I think a lot of people should put more thought into.

And frankly, there isn't a bow put on the issue at the end. Sometimes families are rough. I appreciated that this romance could cover love and cover that at once.

--That said, Stella has a similarly complex but more loving family unit. I don't think I've read a contemporary romance before where the heroine is gay and her dad is also gay? And we should see more of that.

--The one thing I will say is that I think Andie Burke could've written this as dual POV, and it would've benefited from that. At points, being in Olive's head only made it feel like she was a universal victim. I would've liked to see more of Stella's POV, not just because Stella is probably my favorite out of the two, but because she had a lot of her complex issues going on that I think we should've seen more of.

The Sex Stuff:

This is a slow burn, and it does take a while for this two to have sex. But when they do, it is quite hot. I really loved the usage of toys in this book, which we should totally see more of. I feel like whether I'm reading m/m or m/f or f/f or even poly romances, I don't see enough toys.

Anyway it was hot and I especially love the shower scene.

A very strong debut, and a great edition to the f/f romcom canon, which needs to be broader. The narration was solid as well.

Thanks to Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for providing a free copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

#romance novel blogging #book recs #book reviews #books #arc reviews #netgalley

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popculturegenealogy · 1 year

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Deception, the Diamonds, and the Truth: Steven Universe's family tree

Steven unsure what to think of his mom, as shown in the episode, "An Indirect Kiss" in Season 1

Steven Quartz Universe, the protagonist of my favorite animated series, Steven Universe, has a non-traditional family tree, although it is not affected by time travel and distortion as Philip Fry's tree is in Futurama. His family is unique but has some features of typical families. [1] Warning, that there are some spoilers about major plotlines in the show here, just a heads up.

Reprinted from my Genealogy in Popular Culture WordPress blog. Originally published on August 4, 2020.

Using various fandom pages, here is a rough chart I produced:

This chart leaves a lot of questions. For one, who are the parents of Greg's parents? They would be Steven's great-grandparents. Additionally, who are the parents of Doug and Priyanka? Who created Blue, White, Yellow, and Pink Diamond? Who are Andy's grandparents? And that's only the start. Technically, all four Diamonds are one entity, the Great Diamond Authority, but Rose/Pink is Steven's mother, who sadly died while giving birth to him, throwing the Crystal Gems (Steven's guardians) into a bit of turmoil. Due to this connection and the fact that White, Yellow, and Blue treated Rose/Pink as their child of sorts, they are basically Steven's grandparents, specifically his three grandmothers. Also, only a few of the couples on this chart are married, specifically the parents of Greg and Andy, while it is presumed that Doug and Priyanka, Connie's parents, are married. To be exact, Connie and Steven, former lovers Rose and Pearl, former lovers Rose and Greg are not married. Andy points this out rudely in the episode "Gem Harvest." There is another detail I need to talk about as well. The surname of Universe is one that Greg changed from Demayo. As such, Steven was born with the surname of Universe, and the middle name of Quartz. His full name, according to his fandom page, is Steven Quartz Cutie Pie DeMayo Diamond Universe.

The above chart misses a lot, however. Steven considers his guardians (Pearl, Garnet, and Amethyst) to be his family, as he does with Connie, Lion, and his other Gem friends (Bismuth, Lapis, and Peridot) to be his extended family. As Steven's chosen family, as some people call it, they are definitely a part of his life, but with the chart in its current organization, the typical hereditary format, I'm not sure where to add them without creating confusion for the viewer. Perhaps if the chart had a different format, they could be included in their entirety. It also misses something else, the four beings considered his creations: Watermelon Stevens, Pumpkin, Cactus Steven, and Topiary Stevens. Since they come about from his DNA/Gem abilities, they can be considered his children. It's almost akin to artificial insemination, where, according to WebMD, a "doctor inserts sperm directly into a woman's cervix, fallopian tubes, or uterus."

Among other issues that complicate this is the fact of fusion, symbolic of relationships or friendships between two or more people. This almost completely operates outside the above-mentioned family tree, with a few exceptions: Steven and Connie form a fusion, while Steven and Greg form a fusion. Some people have shown them in a "fusion tree," while others put together a "fusion graph." Unfortunately, both are sorely out-of-date, with the fusion graph done three years ago. So, I made a new chart, with the Crystal Gems in the center, and not including Fusion Gems not tied to that core group. [2] Since Steven is half gem and half-Gem, he is a fusion himself!

This chart says a lot more about Steven's family and the connections they have together than the earlier one shown in this post.

Notes

[1] To create this tree, I used the Steven Universe, Greg Universe, Minor Characters, Andy Demayo, Rose Quartz, Pearl, Doug, Priyanka, Connie Maheswaran, White Diamond, Blue Diamond, and Yellow Diamond pages from the Steven Universe fandom site.

[2] This includes Bluebird Azurite, Rhodonite, Topaz, Lemon Jade, Topaz Chamber Guard, Crazy Lace Agate, Watermelon Tourmaline, Ruby, Hand Cluster, Giant Ruby, Fluorite, The Cluster, and Cluster Gems.

#steven universe #rose quartz #family trees #blended family #webmd #crystal gems #gems #fandom #genealogy #family history #pop culture #reviews

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livviem-009 · 7 months

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Okay it's been 2 years since I made my FNAF AU, but now, I got some of my nostalgia back. Timeline baby! PART 1!!

Original blog post: (Yes that's me before)

--------

-Remembering what I have written years ago, this was basically a marlie au. I tweaked it a little from the first time I wrote it.

-After Michael witnessed his best friend, Charlie, killed by his father, he tried warning the authorities.

-Unfortunately, William got to him and killed him (Puppet gets possessed by two souls, who tried his damn hardest to get revenge and set the kid's souls free.

-Henry took action early and tried stopping William.

-He failed of course but he has a plan B. (The Afton and Emily line was finally gone).

-Usual William Afton shennanigans, until he gets springlocked.

-Years later, Clay Burke investigated an old burnt up house where he found a crying boy next to a body.

-The little boy introduces himself as Andrew and he gets adopted into his son's family.

-Jessica and Carlton are married and have two sons, a teen and a kid same age as Andy.

-K.C. Burke basically has that foxybully vibes but he is nice to his new foster brother.

-Jesse loved having Andy around and thought that he had cool eyes (Heterochromia: Blue and Brown) and the fact that Andy knew robotics at such a young age.

-One day, K.C.'s friends invited them on a visit to one of the old Freddy's pizzaria.

-When they went inside, Andy was fascinated by the circuitry before following Foxy to the stage.

-K.C. panics when he hears a child's laughter. When he gets to the stage, he saw Andy talking to Freddy enthusiastically, so he calms down.

-To be continued.

#fnaf #five nights at freddy's #fnaf silver eyes #fnaf au #games/books crossoved #michael afton #charlotte emily #henry emily #william afton #characters ensemble #everyone is still traumatized #au #fnaf oc #playful melodies au

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thebooklovebot · 9 months

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REVIEW: Fly with Me by Andie Burke

She’s a pilot and she’s a flying-phobic ER Nurse who are fake dating, what could go wrong? PUBLISHERS: St. Martin’s Press PUBLICATION DATE: September 5, 2023. GENRE: Romance / Contemporary / LGBTQIA What a charming and incredible debut. After reading Fly with Me Andie Burke officially became and auto-buy author for me. I loved this book from start to finish. Flying-phobic ER nurse Olive…

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#2023 romance books #arc review #netgalley #netgalley arc #new releases #romance #romance books #SMP Romance #St.Martin Press

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joyffree · 2 years

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Because happily ever afters are for everyone...

The Happily Ever After Collective by Avery Flynn is now live!

The HEA Collective will deliver exclusive romance novellas each month from best selling, award winning authors who know how to deliver that HEA romance readers crave. Readers will get to choose as many as four never-before-published novellas each month (depending on Patreon subscription tier), participate in live chats with authors, and receive exclusive content. You can join the Patreon now and you can subscribe to our newsletter for all the latest information plus find out about new releases and sales from our authors. When you become a Patron you'll receive: - Four exclusive never-before-published novellas each month that span the romance subgenres with main characters who show that romance is for everyone. Readers will get to choose which novellas they want according to their subscription tier. - Each month's novellas will center around the same trope. That trope will change each month so that one month may be fake relationships while the next month is friends to lovers, for example. - At least one of each month's novellas will feature LGBTQI+ main characters. - At least one of each month's novellas will feature BIPOC main characters. - Readers can participate in monthly subscriber-only interaction with the authors in the form of Zoom chats and extra content from each author that ties into the novellas. - Exclusive HEA Collective book covers for each novella, perfect for those readers who are also cover collectors. - An HEA Collective newsletter with information about the novellas, each month's featured authors and all of the HEA Collective authors' new releases and sales. The Happily Ever After Collective authors are Adriana Anders, Amy Andrews, Mariah Ankenman, May Archer, Xio Axelrod, Samanthe Beck, Kait Ballenger, Kilby Blades, Asa Maria Bradley, Aliyah Burke, Kelly Cain, Andie J Christopher, Scarlett Cole, Robin Covington, Nina Crespo, Juliette Cross, Eva Devon, Piper J. Drake, Lucy Eden, Kelly Farmer, Avery Flynn, Kim Golden, Rien Gray, Sherilee Gray, Gabbi Grey, Helen Hardt, Tasha L. Harrison, Mia Heintzelman, Adriana Hererra, Imani Jay, Kharma Kelley, Lucy Lennox, Jeannie Lin, Lori Matthews, R.L. Merrill, Abigail Owen, Roan Parrish, Dahlia Rose, Reese Ryan, Elizabeth SaFleur, Cat Sebastian, Naima Simone, Sienna Snow, Karen Stivali, Sera Taíno, and Fortune Whelan.

Join today! https://happilyeveraftercollective.com

#AdultRomance #AccidentalPregnancy #CloseProximity #FFRomance #FakeRelationship #ForcedProximity #EnemiestoLovers #MFMRomance #MMRomance #MistakenIdentity #OneBed #OppositesAttract #Revenge #SecondChance #valentineprlm @valentine_pr_

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sandythereadingcafe · 2 years

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Because happily ever afters are for everyone...

The Happily Ever After Collective by Avery Flynn is now live!

Join today! https://happilyeveraftercollective.com

#books #HAPPILY EVER AFTER COLLECTIVE #anthology

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weirdletter · 4 years

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Three-Lobed Burning Eye Magazine, Issue #32, edited by Andrew S. Fuller, November 2020. Cover art by Rew X, info and free version: 3lobedmag.com.

Three-Lobed Burning Eye (3LBE) is an online speculative fiction magazine, bringing you stories of horror, wonder, and the weird. 3LBE launched in 1999, and has published authors Laird Barron, Gemma Files, Kelly Barnhill, Mari Ness, Cody Goodfellow, Nadia Bulkin, and Kealan Patrick Burke. Each issue features six short stories. Beginning with issue 20, we offer audio readings, ebook formats, and online (responsive) format for mobile devices. Our current publishing schedule is twice yearly, usually Spring and Fall, with a print anthology every other year. All issues of the magazine are free online.

Imago by Octavia Cade Sonata Apocalyptica by Xan van Rooyen The Bombardier by Vajra Chandrasekera Prelude to Byzantium by Claude Lalumière A Consensus Told in Chromatophores by Andi C. Buchana The Bee Queen by Kristi DeMeester

#magazine #three-lobed burning eye #speculative fiction #weird fiction #horror fiction

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tabloidtoc · 3 years

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Life & Style, January 4

You can buy a copy of this issue for your very own at my eBay store: https://www.ebay.com/str/bradentonbooks

Cover: Brad Pitt destroys Angelina Jolie after her affair with Johnny Depp is exposed

Page 1: Photo Flash -- it’s been just under four months since Simon Cowell underwent six hours of surgery after breaking his back in an electric bike accident forcing him to cancel all his work duties for the rest of the year but you wouldn’t know it to look at him -- on his annual tropical vacation with his family to Barbados Simon appeared to have made a full recovery as he took to the water on a jet ski

Page 2: Contents

Page 4: The top 10 red looks -- Dove Cameron, Meghan Markle, Scarlett Johansson, Maya Rudolph, Danai Gurira

Page 5: Emma Mackey, Ciara, Kathryn Hahn, Daisy Ridley, Kat Graham

Page 6: Britney Spears’ father Jamie Spears is speaking out amid his ongoing legal battle with Britney, saying he loves his daughter very much and noting that he hasn’t spoken to Britney since August when she requested to have him officially removed from her conservatorship -- he added when a family member needs special care and protection families need to step up as he has done for the last 12-plus years to safeguard and protect and continue to love Britney unconditionally -- while Jamie’s attorney insists that he and Britney have a normal father-daughter relationship insofar as there has always been mutual love and respect for each other Britney’s legal team claims that Britney is afraid of her father and will not perform as long as he is in charge of her career

Page 7: Nicole Kidman is earning rave reviews for her role in the hit drama The Undoing and Reese Witherspoon can’t stand it -- the last episode of The Undoing drew in the network’s biggest audience since Big Little Lies’ season 2 finale and there’s already talk of Nicole sweeping awards season -- tensions between the two leading ladies threatened to boil over in 2018 when Nic won an Emmy and a Golden Globe for BLL beating out her co-star Reese both times and to make matters worse Nicole recently signed on to star in a new show based on BLL author Liane Moriarty’s book Nine Perfect Strangers without Reese -- Nicole and Reese used to be the best of friends but now they barely talk and it’s only a matter of time until they stop speaking altogether

* Throwback -- Jordin Sparks

* Biggest Spenders of the Week -- Ellen DeGeneres, Tom Brady, Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds

Page 8: Ben Affleck is no stranger to getting inked -- he has five tattoos including a phoenix rising from the ashes on his back and a dolphin on his hip but when he asked girlfriend Ana de Armas to go under the needle she told him no way -- Ben wanted Ana to get a small tattoo but she refused and she would do almost anything for him except get a tattoo because her family would kill her

* Armie Hammer and Rumer Willis have called it quits over his refusal to commit -- the two were first linked in September shortly after he split from his wife of 10 years Elizabeth Chambers but Rumer wanted something more serious but Armie wasn’t ready to settle down

Page 10: The Week in Photos -- Prince William and Duchess Kate Middleton treated Prince George and Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis to a special pantomime performance at London’s historic Palladium theater

Page 11: Kelly Clarkson congratulated The Voice contestant Desz on making it to the Top 5, Brooke Burke filmed a challenge for her app in Malibu

Page 12: Cameron Mathison was joined by his daughter Leila while hosting Hallmark’s Home & Family

Page 13: Rebel Wilson at the Rockefeller Center ice rink, Bethenny Frankel and her pups Biggy and Smallz by the Christmas tree

Page 14: Hailee Steinfeld and Jeremy Renner on the set of their upcoming series Hawkeye

Page 16: Stars Behaving Badly -- Selling Sunset’s Christine Quinn left little to the imagination stripping down for a Playboy shoot at the famous Chateau Rose in Bel Air, Blake Shelton used a safety cone as a megaphone on the set of The Voice, Malin Akerman couldn’t resist jumping on the bed at a Hotel Style collection event in NYC

Page 18: Say What?! Garcelle Beauvais on filming The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, Rumer Willis on father Bruce Willis’ baby boy dreams after welcoming five daughters, Dolly Parton who turns 75 in January, Meghan Trainor on refusing to get intimate with husband Daryl Sabara during her pregnancy, Jason Momoa on his go-to form of exercise

Page 20: Dakota Johnson was seen sporting a massive emerald stone while out shopping in L.A. sparking speculation that she is engaged to Chris Martin -- there’s no big announcement yet but Chris has quietly proposed and he and Dakota already act like a married couple and they’re excited about finally making it official -- Chris’ children with Gwyneth Paltrow Apple and Moses really like Dakota and will obviously be an important part of their special day and there’s a good chance that Gwyneth who couldn’t be happier about the engagement will be invited to the wedding too

Page 21: Cardi B is giving her marriage to Offset another shot -- she filed for divorce in September after growing tired of not seeing things eye to eye but withdrew the petition without prejudice a few weeks later and now that they’ve rekindled their love she’s asked her husband to renew their wedding vows -- Cardi wants Offset to recommit to their marriage and she wants him to do it for them and for their daughter Kulture so that her little girl can see just how much her parents truly love each other

Page 22: Cover Story -- Brad Pitt gets revenge after Angelina Jolie’s alleged affair with Johnny Depp is exposed -- as his custody battle with Angie drags on Brad might have Johnny to thank for giving him a path to victory -- Brad always suspected something may have gone on between Johnny and Angie when they were making 2010′s The Tourist at a time when they were two of the sexiest and most successful movie stars in Hollywood

Page 26: Kim Kardashian and Kanye West separate lives -- after six years of marriage Kim and Kanye are barely interacting -- Kim is focused on her own projects and on raising the children and Kanye’s interests don’t align with hers anymore -- Kanye is thoughtful and does nice things for Kim but there is no real chemistry or romance left in their marriage; the spark is no longer there -- while Kanye obsessed over Kim for years before they became an item his love and attention as well as hers is now trained on their four kids

Page 28: Cameron Diaz: This is the happiest time in my life -- with her acting days behind her Cameron feels fulfilled at last -- a lot of people do it the other way around ...they get married and have a family in their youth Cameron notes but she’s doing it in the second half of her life -- Cam says she cooked every single meal for Benji Madden and Raddix during the first four months of quarantine and loved it; they’re her everything

Page 30: Royal TV War -- Duchess Kate Middleton and Prince William seem poised to steal Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s spotlight -- Will and Kate want to branch out and expanding their media reach with The Earthshot Prize is just a springboard for them and there are a host of projects they’d like to get off the ground including giving people a more down-to-earth picture of what their life is like behind closed doors -- The Earthshot Prize which will award five monetary prizes each year for the next 10 years launched with Cate Blanchett and Sir Richard Attenborough and Shakira already signed on as judges and Will and Kate aren’t done recruiting stars though and they like the idea of teaming up more formally with personalities they respect and admire and exploring the world of documentaries and streaming platforms and radio broadcasts and other aspects of the internet is the perfect way to do that -- royal family members were said to have raised eyebrows over Meghan and Harry’s deal with Netflix so the couple now finds it surprising and suspicious that Will and Kate are following their lead and there’s a potential for fireworks if they step on each other’s toes

Page 32: Who Lives Here? Leslie Jones

Page 36: Fashion -- 2020 Style Recap -- all about loungewear and masks -- with no red carpets to attend Hollywood hit pause on glam and embraced comfort in sweats and athleisurewear -- Vanessa Hudgens, Hilary Duff, Hailey Baldwin, Alessandra Ambrosio, Addison Rae

Page 37: Brie Larson, Jennifer Lopez, Olivia Munn, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley

Page 38: Beauty Beat -- new year, new zen -- Kendall Jenner, Elizabeth Banks, Camila Cabello, Madelaine Petsch

Page 40: Diva or Down-to-Earth? Sara Bareilles had a helper hold her umbrella -- Diva, Katie Holmes browses for books -- Down-to-earth

Page 41: Julia Garner requires a primp posse -- Diva, Jax Taylor mows the lawn -- Down-to-earth

Page 42: Social Stars Posts of the Week -- Andy Cohen and son Benjamin, Tim McGraw, Kourtney Kardashian and Kendall Jenner, Jonathan Scott and girlfriend Zooey Deschanel

Page 44: Horoscope -- Capricorn Sienna Miller turned 39 on December 28

* They’re Not Together But They Should Be -- Leo Kate Beckinsale and Sagittarius Jake Gyllenhaal

Page 48: What I’m Into -- Kristin Cavallari

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marksinn · 3 years

Text

Contemporary Typographic Design

The past year of design study has shown me that everything from the past has its place in influencing the present and the future. Multiple names have shone through in previous research pieces, all of them important and influential in their own fields. With specific regard to typography I’ll re-reference Jonathan Hoefler (Abstract, 2019) who spoke about the creation of a typeface being seen as “designing oxygen”: it’s something that is just everywhere, and to the untrained eye is a fact of life.

Like air, text at its base structure, is functional and common. But in the hands of typographers and designers it is a medium to expressive diversity and, over time, show the progression of how we can get information across through not only the words, but through their appearance as well.

Wim Crouwel – structure

“A message that should be explained on paper to other people should be as straightforward as possible without coming in between my personal ideas and thinking. I am the one who is structuring the message and not mixing it with my personal feelings.” - Crouwel, 2015

A Dutch-born designer who worked through the middle of the 20th Century to bring identity to multiple public venues – from museums, to post offices to airports. Known for his creation of New Alphabet, a self-proclaimed experimental yet unusable font (online), it allowed him to start the consideration of design changing to meet the developing technology of the 1960s. Crouwel has works in various collections and museums for his artistic spin on what had been such a functional part of art until this time period. A follower of Josef Müller Brockmann, Max Bill, Karlt Gerstner he worked with a grid system to perfect his typefaces. Through the 1950s he met and worked with many of these influencers, translating their styles into his own interpretation. When struggling to find the typefaces his Swiss colleagues were using, he would cut it out of magazines imported from Germany and Switzerland, and when Univers came on the scene in 1958 it represented a new way of thinking to Crouwel (2015). It was during this period, from 1958-1963 that he found himself experimenting with typography: using sans-serif fonts, more straightforward designs, considering the aesthetics and combating this against the function of the text. The function was always the driving force, but he worked to find out how much of his own opinion or style should come across in his work.

GAIL ANDERSON – diversity

“It’s time to embrace what are no longer just grey roots.” - Anderson, 2018

Known for her work at Rolling Stone, with the US Postal Service and for the multiple books she has co-authored, Gail Anderson is a pre-eminent black designer who, despite winning multiple awards in the genre, sees herself as a “master type obsessive more than a master typographer” (2018). In looking through many of her works, a theme I’m noticing is her tendency to mix typefaces. Her partner in design, Stephen Heller, goes into great detail describing her eclectic styles utilising “old and new forms” to create something “which is neither modernist nor post-modernist” (2008), to me allowing her work to seem utterly timeless. Posters for modern Broadways shows that wouldn’t look out place in a wild West saloon, Rolling Stone covers that look as enticing today as they did when they were created 25 years ago. Another thing that strikes me in almost every interview I read from her, is her desire to pay it forward. This is a phrase that’s overused as a term for people pushing others to be better than themselves, but Anderson seems to mention is as a justification for what she does naturally. As a female African-American designer she has won awards and immediately used the platform to push the mentality that “It’s all about talent and your ability to communicate effectively” (Rawsthorn, 2011), something she credits the creative industries as understanding already.

HAMISH MUIR – progression

“It is a fact that typography is rarely noticed and of little interest to most people, including some graphic designers: perhaps the raw material, the type forms, are too familiar.” - Muir et al, 1986b

In reading the typography journals Octavo curated by Muir between 1986 and 1992, the progression element of his work was clear. Solid, clear columns delivered information in the early editions, by 1990 the text was being rotated and played with, and by the final edition in 1992 huge letters were being utilised to make huge statements. A quick wander down the ‘Selected Work’ on 8vo’s website shows how his style developed with the time, showing work from the late 90s and early 2000s that now feels stereotypically late 1990s and early 2000s. Rounded, computerised letters represent the blossoming digital age that the world was coming into, bringing life to the concept that “typography is the point where content and form meet” (Muir et al, 1986a). His work seems to push forward at all points, he talks of having a set structure and intentionally seeing how far it can be pushed before you see some potential in what it is at its limit (2017). His posters and type-uses seem to have a very futuristic edge, many of the fonts created by MuirMcNeil in the past eleven years are clearly based in grid-systems influenced by Wim Crouwel and Karl Gerstner (2017), but have a very futuristic edge. Using geometric shapes or glyphs to represent the “too familiar” letter shapes Muir and McNeil show their willingness to push type into the 21st Century, not seeing themselves as “type designers so much as designers making type” (2014). This partnership is another massive part of Muir’s success, he feels that working along as a hindrance to the creative process – with collaboration comes challenge, freedom and a force that helps you to adapt.

966 words. I’m as surprised as you are.

REFERENCE

Hoefler, J. Netflix.com. (2017). Abstract: The Art of Design. [online] Available at: https://www.netflix.com/title/80057883

www.designculture.it. (n.d.). Designculture • Wim Crouwel. [online] Available at: http://www.designculture.it/interview/wim-crouwel.html.

‌ www.youtube.com. (n.d.). Wim Crouwel interview: Wim Crouwel – A Graphic Design Odyssey exhibition | Design | Dezeen. [online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYGRAAgYhpM [Accessed 9 Apr. 2021].

‌Talking About Swiss Style: Wim Crouwel. (2015). YouTube. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQCZuN1khPk.

PrintMag (2018). Gail Anderson Receives National Design Award for Lifetime Achievement. [online] PRINT. Available at: https://www.printmag.com/post/gail-anderson-national-design-award-lifetime-achievement [Accessed 11 Apr. 2021].

gailycurl.com. (n.d.). About / Contact - Gail Anderson. [online] Available at: https://gailycurl.com/About-Contact [Accessed 11 Apr. 2021].

‌Heller, Stephen (2008) AIGA | the professional association for design. (n.d.). 2008 AIGA Medalist: Gail Anderson. [online] Available at: https://www.aiga.org/medalist-gailanderson/.

‌Rawsthorn, A. (2011). Design Gets More Diverse. The New York Times. [online] 20 Mar. Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/21/arts/21iht-DESIGN21.html?pagewanted=all [Accessed 11 Apr. 2021].

Muir, H., Johnstone, S., Holt, M. and Burke, M. (1986a). Hamish Muir | Octavo 86.1. [online] Available at: http://hamishmuir.com/8vo/work/octavo-86-1 [Accessed 12 Apr. 2021].

Muir, H., Johnstone, S., Holt, M. and Burke, M. (1986b). Hamish Muir | Octavo 86.2. [online] Available at: http://hamishmuir.com/8vo/work/octavo-86-2 [Accessed 12 Apr. 2021].

‌ Muir, H (2014) interviewed by Andy Butler at Architecture & Design magazine. (2014). interview with hamish muir and paul mcneil (muirmcneil). [online] Available at: https://www.designboom.com/design/interview-with-designers-hamish-muir-and-paul-mcneil-muirmcneil-12-17-2014/.

Muir, H (2017). Interview: Hamish Muir, Graphic Designer | Big Conference. [online] Available at: http://bigconference.co.uk/2017/04/hamish-muir-graphic-designer/ [Accessed 12 Apr. 2021].

‌muirmcneil.com. (n.d.). Two Type System «MuirMcNeil. [online] Available at: https://muirmcneil.com/project/two-type-system/ [Accessed 12 Apr. 2021].

#gms_hncgd1 #wim crouwel #gailanderson #hamishmuir #typography

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a2caf · 4 years

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The kids have chosen their favorites!

Every year A2CAF concludes with the Kids’ Comics Awards ceremony, celebrating the creators of kids’ favorite comics. While we couldn’t gather this year, we still held the rounds of nominations and voting, and the kids have chosen their favorite comics of 2019:

Most Epic Adventure

The nominees were:

Glitch, by Sarah Graley (Graphix)

Mighty Jack and Zita the Spacegirl, by Ben Hatke (First Second)

Ghost Hog, by Joey Weiser (Oni Pres)

Marvel Rising: Heroes of the Round Table, by Roberto di Salvo and Nilah Magruder (Marvel)

Sea Sirens (A Trot & Cap'n Bill Adventure), by Amy Chu and Janet K. Lee (Viking Books for Young Readers)

EndGames (NewsPrints 2), by Ru Xu (Graphix)

And the kids chose...

Funniest Comic

The nominees were:

Dog Man: Fetch-22, by Dav Pilkey (Graphix)

Big Nate: Payback Time! by Lincoln Peirce (Andrews McMeel Publishing)

Star Wars: Jedi Academy: Attack of the Furball, by Amy Ignatow and Jarrett J. Krosoczka (Scholastic)

Peter & Ernesto: The Lost Sloths, by Graham Annable (First Second)

Bird & Squirrel: All Tangled Up, by James Burks (Graphix)

And the kids chose...

Favorite Author

The nominees were:

Jerry Craft

Gale Galligan

John Patrick Green

Shannon Hale and LeUyen Pham

And the kids chose...

Keepin' It Unreal (for sci-fi and fantasy)

The nominees were:

Making Friends: Back to the Drawing Board, by Kristen Gudsnuk (Graphix)

Pilu of the Woods, by Mai K. Nguyen (Oni Press)

Apocalypse Taco, by Nathan Hale (Amulet)

Emiline: Knight in Training, by Kimberli Johnson (Oni Press)

Hex Vet: The Flying Surgery, by Sam Davies (KaBOOM!)

The Midwinter Witch, by Molly Knox Ostertag (Graphix)

The Okay Witch, by Emma Steinkellner (Aladdin)

And the kids chose...

Keepin' It Real (for memoir and realistic fiction)

The nominees were:

Just Jaime, by Terri Libenson (Balzer + Bray)

White Bird: A Wonder Story, by R.J. Palacio (Knopf Books for Young Readers)

Activist: A Story of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas Shooting, by Lauren Elizabeth Hogg, Anthony Zuiker, and Don Hudson (Zuiker Press)

Click, by Kayla Miller (HMH Books for Young Readers)

Guts, by Raina Telgemeier (Graphix)

Karen's Witch, by Katy Farina (Graphix)

The Crossover, by Kwame Alexander and Dawud Anyabwile (HMH Books for Young Readers)

And the kids chose...

Favorite Nonfiction/Mythology Comic

The nominees were:

Great White Shark Adventure, by Fabien Cousteau, James O. Fraioli, and Joe St. Pierre (Margaret K. McElderry Books)

Science Comics: Cats: Nature and Nurture, by Andy Hirsch (First Second)

Science Comics: Wild Weather: Storms, Meteorology, and Climate, by MK Reed and Jonathan Hill (First Second)

Hephaistos: God of Fire, by George O'Connor (First Second)

Maker Comics: Bake Like a Pro! by Falynn Koch (First Second)

And the kids chose...

Tales of Friendship

The nominees were:

Sanity & Tallula: Field Trip, by Molly Brooks (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers)

Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy, by Rey Terciero and Bre Indigo (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers)

Stargazing, by Jen Wang (First Second)

Geeky Fab 5 Vol. 2: Mystery of the Missing Monarchs, by Liz Lareau, Lucy Lareau, and Ryan Jampole (Papercutz)

Phoebe and Her Unicorn: Unicorn Bowling, by Dana Simpson (Andrews McMeel Publishing)

And the kids chose...

Congratulations to the winners! Be sure to cast your vote for your favorite comics of 2020 by checking back here in April of 2021!

#kidscomicsawards

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lesbian-books · 5 years

Text

Lesbian Authors

A.J. Adaire Pat Adams-Wright Dorothy Allison S.W. Anderson Elizabeth Andre Mavis Applewater Ann Aptaker J.A. Armstrong Michelle Arnold Clare Ashton K. Aten Victoria Avilan Darla Baker Roslyn Bane Ann Bannon Solia Panche Bealti Alison Bechdel Georgia Beers Sharon Marie Bence Bridget Birdsall Harper Bliss Andrea Bramhall Jaye Robin Brown Anna Burke Amalie Cantor Brandee Carbo Suzie Carr Dawn Carter C.L. Cattano Becky Chambers Kate Charlton Sharon Cho Barbara L. Clanton Hannah Abigail Clarke Shelby Cochran Helen Corcoran Jeanne Córdova Audrey Coulthurst Delores Cremm Maggie Dane Emily M. Danforth Sandra de Helen Barbara Dennis Nicole Dennis-Benn Stefani Deoul K.E. DePalmenary T.L. Dickerson Jennifer Diemer Sarah Diemer * Jane DiLucchio J.M. Dragon Moondancer Drake K.B. Draper Cassandra Duffy A.L. Duncan Nann Dunne Sarah Ettritch Lillian Faderman Sara Farizan Leslie Feinberg Anna Ferrara Fannie Flagg Jane Fletcher Laura Foley Katherine V. Forrest Diane Fortier Giselle Fox Anna Furtado Elisa M. Galbreath Lynn Galli S.L. Gape Nancy Garden Lyn Gardner S. Anne Gardner Pauline George Ana B. Good Parker Gordon Erin Gough Kimberly Cooper Griffin Nicola Griffith Agnes H. Hagadus Anne Hagan Radclyffe Hall S.M. Harding Ellen Hart Nancy Ann Healy Fran Heckrotte Natasja Hellenthal Dotti Henderson Claire Highton-Stevenson Gerri Hill E.M. Hodge Dayna Ingram Isabella Jae Adiba Jaigirdar Jo Jennings Heather Rose Jones E.A. Kafkalas Karin Kallmaker Riley LaShea Stacey-Leanne Lez Lee Malinda Lo Ann-Marie MacDonald Renee MacKenzie Prudence MacLeod Lise MacTague Lucy J. Madison Rachel Maldonado Siera Maley Laurie J. Marks Julie Maroh Michelle Marra Paula Martinac Arkady Martine Q.C. Masters Andi Marquette Pamela Mauldin Robbi McCoy M.K. McGowan Gill McKnight Ann McMan Heather McVea Mary Meriam Ronni Meyrick Martha Miller Rogena Mitchell-Jones K.A. Moll Sallyanne Monti Annette Mori Bonnie J. Morris Jaycie Morrison Niamh Murphy Charlene Neil Natasha Ngan Nik Nicholson Baren Nix Ocean Paula Offutt Chinelo Okparanta Chris Parsons Angela Peach Julie Anne Peters B.J. Phillips Ashley Quinn Radclyffe Cheryl Rainfield Adan Ramie Nina Revoyr Rhavensfyre Julia Diana Robertson Nita Round Morgan Routh Joanna Russ Laurie Salzler Shamim Sarif Lacey Schmidt Sarah Schulman Tina Sears Cass Sellars Merry Shannon Fiona Shaw ** Kaden Shay Djuna Shellam Jen Silver Jennis Slaughter Adrian J. Smith E.H. Smith Vanessa Snyder Alison R. Solomon Raven J. Spencer Ali Spooner Rose Stone Carren Strock Rebecca Sullivan Leandra Summers Mariko Tamaki Michelle L. Teichman Keira Michelle Telford Rae Theodore M.E. Tudor Vanda Elle Vaughn Missouri Vaun Anastasia Vitsky Tillie Walden Sarah Waters HollyAnne Weaver Laney Webber Louise Welsh Caren J. Werlinger K.D. Williamson B.L. Wilson Catherine M. Wilson Barbara Winkes Lee Winter Jeanette Winterson Chris Anne Wolfe T.J. Wolfe Jacqueline Woodson Fiona Zedde Kristen Zimmer

* Also writes under the pen names Elora Bishop and Bridget Essex

** Not to be confused with the Irish actress of the same name

This list is subject to changes. Compiling a list of lesbian authors is a challenge because not all authors are out and my sources of information are limited. I had to rely on finding author bios, interviews, tweets, etc. in which an author mentions her sexual orientation. I also got many of these names from the Lesbian Authors Guild.

#lesbian #authors #writers #lesbian authors #lesbian writers #female authors #female writers #lesbians #long post

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jacensolodjo · 4 years

Link

“The Innovative Worlds Bundle - Curated by Tenea D. Johnson: Innovation can mean the difference between progress and stagnation, wonder and woe, seeing the return of dim days or a new age of enlightenment. An innovative world is one where you can immerse yourself and learn something new, see a trope turned on its head, meet characters that will frequent the passages of your mind, navigating by the spark of newness they carry through the gloom. Innovative worlds can shine as an example of what to be or provide respite from what, if only temporarily, is. Or they can make you appreciate what ain't broke. One could make a strong case that innovation and its possibilities are in short supply at the moment. But not here. Come get yours.

Pay what you want! You choose how much you want to pay for these awesome books. You decide how much of your purchase goes to the author and how much goes to help keep StoryBundle running. Pay at least $1 and get When Fox Is a Thousand by Larissa Lai, Pimp My Airship by Maurice Broaddus, An Agent of Utopia by Andy Duncan, and Blueprints for Better Worlds by Tenea D. Johnson.

If your purchase price is $15 or more, you get SIX more books: Smoketown by Tenea D. Johnson, Questionable Practices by Eileen Gunn, Moonflower, Nightshade, All the Hours of the Day by JD Scott, The Long Past & Other Stories by Ginn Hale, Future Fiction edited by Bill Campbell & Francesco Verso and Let's Play White by Chesya Burke!”

#storybundle #ebooks #ebook bundle #scifi #speculative fiction

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isobel-thorm · 4 years

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2019 in Fic

Tagged by @starsandskies love you uwu

Favorite fic you wrote this year: Blood Dragon 1 and a 1/2. Though the Formerly New Years fic with Grant, Nic and @amistrio‘s Matthew putting John on blast is shaping up to be a fun ride, and technically I wrote some of it on New Years Eve so it counts.

Least favorite fic you wrote this year: The main one I can think of is Blood on My Name. It’s not bad/I don’t hate it, but I was already like... four chapters in before I realized that for bunker fics you absolutely need a solid plot and I... didn’t have one for the bunker/what’s supposed to be the main brunt of it, and that’s why its suffering now.

Favorite line/scene you wrote this year:

Haven’t gotten that far in the published part, but in one Last Line Memes for the fake dating AU I have that bit where John’s dealing with Nic’s father for her and her mother and her dad asks him who he is:

“Me? I’m the monster you should’ve been weaving stories about to your daughter at night instead of beating the shit out of her mother in the next room.”

Also, another Last Line meme thing whose fic didn’t get published yet:

“Robin Hood and Maid Marian, he’s coming your way. Get ready to tail,” came Cameron Burke’s voice.

“Robin Hood and Maid Marian?” Nicolette Raylan muttered into her mic from her spot right beside him. “Do we really need the codenames? Is this your attempt at bonding again, Burke? Because you’re past the New Guy stage.”

“I don’t mind being called Robin Hood,” John cut in.

“She’s Robin Hood. You’re Marian,” Burke corrected.

John shut his mouth firmly and tried to drown out Nicolette’s answering cackle.

Total number of words you wrote this year: ~140,000

Most popular fic this year: On AO3: My Way, though technically I published in 2018, most of it was in 2019. Not including that, Blood on My Name. On here: We’ll Meet Again, where me, the Anti Angst Queen, went and got angsty and y’all were very mad.

Least popular fic this year: On AO3: Going off of AO3′s stats where it’s the least popular of the top 5: Helpless. Which personally makes no sense to me, but hey, that’s the style of digging I wanna do currently. On here: Two little Johnnic ficlets were tied. One where he’s trying to convince her to stay in bed and not go to see Joseph, and John/Nic/Sharky where Sharky was off adventuring with Hurk and they welcome him home . Actually I’m sure the Mafia 3 ones were less popular but I have no idea how I tagged them.

Longest completed fic you wrote this year: My Way, though again, not counting that one, Home, at 4834 words. Because what is this “completed” of which they speak?

Shortest completed fic you wrote this year: That same little “John’s a needy lil shit and wants his wife’s attention focused all on him and not his brother” bit

Longest WIP of the year: Blood on My Name

Shortest WIP of the year: I’ve got an unpublished soulmate AU in the works at about ~700 words so far.

Favorite character to write about this year: John Seed. Or lbr my gal Nic. Though Cal’s fun too. Is just saying “the Raylans” as a unit cheating?

Favorite writing song/artist/album of this year: Andy Grammer still owns my ass and I’ve written to / had fics based on a good chunk of his discography.

A fic you didn’t expect to write: Never thought I’d actually do a soulmate AU and yet here we are. Also, forgive the sudden fandom switch but I didn’t expect to EVER breathe life back into my Bitten fic from like... four or five years ago but then y’all finally discovered Jeremy Danvers. It only took y’all two years too long.

Fic(s) you completed this year: My Way, random oneshots, We’ll Meet Again, Home, etc. I played it safe and kept a lot of stuff short and sweet and all my WIPs suffered, but that’s because I’m an idiot who bites off more than they can chew all the time.

Fics you’ll continue next year: Blood on My Name, the Tremors AU, the Fake Dating AU, the Soulmate AU, Flu Season 2, that one... US Marshals AU. A L L T H E A U s

Current number of WIPs: I’m afraid to look tbh.

Any new fics to start next year: I mean it’s not ‘start start’ but as mentioned there’s that soulmate AU I want to actively get going with instead of jotting a couple of things down. I wanna try my luck at more than one Gatthew fic but we’ll see.

Most memorable comment/review: Again, around the start of the Fandom Drama I Was Unknowingly Involved In That I Only Had an Inkling Was Going On, I had started to sense that people had started to hate Nic/the content I had for her and I was feeling super low about a lot and I threw one of the ficlets up on AO3 or whatever for shits and giggles, someone commented “Yay! Nic’s back!” and I honest to God cried happy tears. Also, general shouting in Discord/jokes about John not deserving Grant OR Matthew somehow giving birth to the Good Ship Gatthew and I love it to pieces.

Events you participated in this year: Far Cry 5 Week, and the Secret Santa my discord server is doing.

Fics you wanted to write but didn’t: Christmas/New Years Eve Gatthew, the Johnnic wedding, and like... three different John/Nic/Sharky smut ideas.

Favorite fic you read this year/ A fic you read this year you would recommend everyone read : The entire series of @amistrio‘s Let the Redeemed of the Father Tell Their Story. I will never shut up about this series, ever, because I love it so much. It’s basically New Divide’s soulmate because it’s the same concept, but gay and also with far superior writing, no, I don’t take criticism, don’t boo me, I’m right. And then comes the No Cult AU for them, all these blessings shall come upon you (and overtake you). Then comes @chyrstis’ But if we go, we go together John/Hana/Sharky perfection, because solidarity. Hana’s perfect, and the other stuff with Hana in it is just as perfect.

Number of favorites/bookmarks you made this year: See last again. I really don’t use the bookmark feature for anything.

Favorite fanfic author of the year: (deep breath) @amistrio @chyrstis @seedlingsinner @seedsplease @geronimo-11 @josephseeds-rosary @jackalopestride @teamhawkeye @foofygoldfish I love you all and your work dearly and I would literally die without both.

#long post

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