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Stephen Cox But Spookier

@stephencoxauthor.bsky.social

2.3K followers 1.2K following 5.8K posts

Novelist+comms. London, bi, Quaker, parent. Spooky? THE CROOKED MEDIUM's GUIDE TO MURDER out 1st Sept. "A pleasure from start to finish" Also Our Child of the Stars/Our Child of Two Worlds. https://stephencox.co.uk/ https://linktr.ee/stephencoxauthor

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Stephen Cox But Spookier @stephencoxauthor.bsky.social · Sep 1

"A book I've been looking for all my life. Queer found family all wrapped up in a supernatural murder mystery. Absolute perfection.”

The Crooked Medium's Guide to Murder - Out worldwide!

#womensleuths #mystery #sapphic #spooky #books #booksky #LGBT+ #Victorian

stephencox.co.uk/books/upcomi...

Stephen Cox - genial guy with grey beard and hair, holding copies of The Crooked Medium's Guide to Murder. Outdoors, trees in background. Book description A striking book cover with the title and author name dominating.
A rich dark blue background, and a touch of mist. The text appears in gold in a gold rectangular frame, the font is old fashioned implying C19th century. The frame has three rondels or cameos each containing a picture. Top right is a golden bee brooch with the body and one wing streaked with red blood. Middle left is foxgloves, spires of small bell flowers in pink, white and purple. Bottom right is a dark brown medicine bottle, with a pale label. The word LAUDANUM is just visible.
There are pink highlights on some of the letters.
Taken together it is bold, mysterious, and Victorian.

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Stephen Cox But Spookier @stephencoxauthor.bsky.social · 1h

I really rate Matt, the guy behind Inkspiraldesign.bsky.social Smart, knowledgable, talented and got to me to a flawless cover. #bookdesigners #bookdesign #bookcoverdesign #bookcover #graphicdesign #coverdesign #portfolio

Reposted by Stephen Cox But Spookier

Stephen Cox But Spookier @stephencoxauthor.bsky.social · 15d

Got back on the writing bicycle. The book was on hold and a bit of a mess while I got The Crooked Medium's Guide to Murder out... now I have to do the sequel to satisfy new fans.

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Stephen Cox But Spookier @stephencoxauthor.bsky.social · 2h

Laser targeted ads
The hotel for World Fantasy Con in Brighton is promoting itself to me. Not the group, the hotel I will probably not use for years.

Stephen Cox But Spookier @stephencoxauthor.bsky.social · 2h

my theory
a good press officer would have briefed her better or got something better out of her

Reposted by Stephen Cox But Spookier

Alex Brown 🇵🇸 (they/them) @bookjockeyalex.bsky.social · 1d

Just bc a book contains a protagonist between 10 and 30, especially a female protagnoist, doesn't mean it's YA. Just bc the book is written by a woman (or someone you incorrectly assume is a woman), doesn't make it YA. Just bc a book is fun, written colloquially, or has romance doesn't make it YA.

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Reposted by Stephen Cox But Spookier

darcyswickham.bsky.social @darcyswickham.bsky.social · 1d

Also, follow my mate @stephencoxauthor.bsky.social he’s an author who’s had best sellers and has a new book out.

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Stephen Cox But Spookier @stephencoxauthor.bsky.social · 1d

When I go down your timeline, I see your posts about this.

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Stephen Cox But Spookier @stephencoxauthor.bsky.social · 1d

I can see a wide variety of people posting but I am not seeing yours. 2-3 minutes scrolling.

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Stephen Cox But Spookier @stephencoxauthor.bsky.social · 1d

Lots when I search for it

Reposted by Stephen Cox But Spookier

Stephen Cox But Spookier @stephencoxauthor.bsky.social · 1d

The Crooked Medium's Guide to Murder is a spooky sapphic Victorian Murder Mystery.

It puzzled the industry a bit but readers have no difficulty with that genre description.

Steady 4.5 ⭐on Amazon.

stephencox.co.uk/books/upcomi...

ALT: A book cover - dark blue and gold - surrounded by the following aspects in matching Victorian lettering - spooky / Vicious Baronet / Spiritualist Scammers/ Hidden Crimes / older grumpy sapphics / snarky dock-lass/ twisty mystery / Lady in Danger/Queer Found Family

Cover

The Crooked Medium’s Guide to Murder by Stephen Cox
A striking book cover with the title and author name dominating.
A rich dark blue background, and a touch of mist. The text appears in gold in a gold rectangular frame, the font is old fashioned implying C19th century. The frame has three rondels or cameos each containing a picture. Top right is a golden bee brooch with the body and one wing streaked with red blood. Middle left is foxgloves, spires of small bell flowers in pink, white and purple. Bottom right is a dark brown medicine bottle, with a pale label. The word LAUDANUM is just visible.
There are pink highlights on some of the letters.
Taken together it is bold, mysterious, and Victorian

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Stephen Cox But Spookier @stephencoxauthor.bsky.social · 1d

I'm primarily talking about media bias. I have no idea how the next election will go, and indeed, is Labour so obviously different from the Blue/Teal?

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Stephen Cox But Spookier @stephencoxauthor.bsky.social · 1d

Yes. See also, elderly people playing Woodie Gurthie on banjos.

Stephen Cox But Spookier @stephencoxauthor.bsky.social · 1d

yeay

Reposted by Stephen Cox But Spookier

Dr Jasmin Kirkbride @jasminkirkbride.bsky.social · 1d

Beyond delighted to be taking up a post at UEA as a Lecturer in Creative Writing and Digital Technologies! It's amazing returning to the uni where I did my PhD, teaching Creative Writing which I care about deeply. Huge thanks to my new colleagues for being so welcoming! 🙏

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Stephen Cox But Spookier @stephencoxauthor.bsky.social · 1d

Daring to find a way forward in the WIP... and speaking to Reading Writers was a ball - lively, good questions, wide genre interests, we had fun

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Reposted by Stephen Cox But Spookier

Nick Harkaway @nickharkaway.com · 1d

I am dealing with a “thorny problem” right now, today. It is hard and scary because IT IS ALWAYS HARD AND SCARY. But it is also where you do your best work. It is where stories go from “meh” to “WOW”. When I fix it - because that is the job - I will be that much closer to something worth reading.

Juno Rylee Schultz @junoryleejournalism.com · 2d

David Simon, creator of ‘The Wire’, being interviewed by Ari Shapiro (NPR)

SHAPIRO: OK, so you've spent your career creating television without Al, and I could imagine today you thinking, boy, I wish I had had that tool to solve those thorny problems...
SIMON: What?
SHAPIRO: ...Or saying...
SIMON: You imagine that?
SHAPIRO: ...Boy, if that had existed, it would have screwed me over.
SIMON: I don't think Al can remotely challenge what writers do at a fundamentally creative level.
SHAPIRO: But if you're trying to transition from scene five to scene six, and you're stuck with that transition, you could imagine plugging that portion of the script into an Al and say, give me 10 ideas for how to transition this.
SIMON: I'd rather put a gun in my mouth.

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Reposted by Stephen Cox But Spookier

Jae H @considermycat.bsky.social · 1d

So… smartphones for teenagers are going to be *banned* in schools, but *mandatory* everywhere else. Got it. www.bbc.com/news/article...

Government to consult on digital IDs for 13-year-olds

There has been a backlash to the announcement a UK-wide digital ID scheme will be introduced by 2029.

www.bbc.com

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Stephen Cox But Spookier @stephencoxauthor.bsky.social · 1d

Oddly, my solution to my problem did require me to look up Victorian gun licensing laws. This is what I found.

....

weren't any

Stephen Cox But Spookier @stephencoxauthor.bsky.social · 1d

Have you got 'rat'. It's 'rat on', I think.

ratting is killing them

Stephen Cox But Spookier @stephencoxauthor.bsky.social · 1d

acting to squirrel something away. Grabbing something I want to throw out and hiding it in her to sort pile.

It's odd because I associate several things with squirrels - their acrobatic skills are extraordinary, and the way they run round and up a tree so they hide from you. We focus on burying

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Stephen Cox But Spookier @stephencoxauthor.bsky.social · 1d

I've heard it used as 'she's squirrelling again'. I agree the 'away' is much more usual.

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Stephen Cox But Spookier @stephencoxauthor.bsky.social · 1d

Squirrel, badger

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Reposted by Stephen Cox But Spookier

The London Economic @thelondoneconomic.bsky.social · 1d

Instead of the prize being awarded to someone who seems to be doing their best to get rid of democracy, the Nobel committee recognised someone doing the exact opposite - Venezuelan democracy campaigner María Corina Machado 👏

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Stephen Cox But Spookier @stephencoxauthor.bsky.social · 1d

The group student flats in the private sector weren't great but the rent guarantee was 'someone leaves you pay their rent until you get someone else.' Now for my kids renting they want to run credit checks on the parents and each parent of each kid is jointly and severally liable for the rent.

Stephen Cox But Spookier @stephencoxauthor.bsky.social · 1d

1980s. I came from a middle class family and still got a few hundred quid from the state towards living costs. You could claim housing benefit in Halls. You could sign on as unemployed in the long vac without really being hassled to work. Under a fifth of the country had degrees IIRC.

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