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Ally Lester

@cogenthippo.bsky.social

1K followers 1K following 1.2K posts

Writer of queer romance, often historical and/or paranormal. Reader, gardener, knitter, early tech adopter. Parent, spouse, disabled, carer. No longer keeps poultry. They/them. Also writes as Frances Fox. https://lnk.bio/gjD5 🏳️‍🌈 ✒️ 🏳️‍⚧️

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Ally Lester @cogenthippo.bsky.social · Mar 11

When I feel grim I try and practice gratitude for small things. Probably a thread.

Today I'm grateful for yesterday -- TC was on particularly good form and cheerful about a couple of things they've got going on. On-form teenagers are hilarious.

What about you?

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Angry Robot Books @angryrobotbooks.bsky.social · 4h

"If a book told you something when you were 15, it will tell it to you again when you’re 50, though you may understand it so differently that it seems you’re reading a whole new book."

Happy birthday to Ursula K. Le Guin, born 21st October 1929

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Ally Lester @cogenthippo.bsky.social · 2h

This is in my town. Looks cool.

Advert for Rob Hopkins talking about his book "How to Fall in Love with the Future, a Time Traveller's Guide to Changing the World". Temple Methodist Church, Taunton, Wed 22nd Oct 2025. Click on the link in the quote post to buy tickets.

Ally Lester @cogenthippo.bsky.social · 2h

Good lord.

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Nalo Hopkinson @nalohop.bsky.social · 4h

Almost there...!

Cheryl Morgan @cherylmorgan.bsky.social · 7h

And we are past £5k. 🎉 Not far to go now: www.kickstarter.com/projects/191...

They Are Still Here (Maen Nhw Yma O Hyd)

An anthology of contemporary fantasy stories featuring creatures and characters from Welsh mythology and folklore

www.kickstarter.com

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Ally Lester @cogenthippo.bsky.social · 10h

I do not understand what is happening. I'm genuinely confused. I know the Overton Window's been oiled and is ratcheting right at full speed... But I don't understand the lack of empathy required by my fellow humans to cause that to happen. Or what I can do to help stop it.

Duncan Hothersall @dhothersall.bsky.social · 13h

1993: Stephen Lawrence is murdered by racists.
1999: The MacPherson Inquiry recommends recording of non-crime hate incidents.
2005: After the Discrimination Law Review, non-crime hate incidents begin being recorded by UK police.
2025: Mainstream transphobia ends a harm reduction policy that worked.

Met Police says it will no longer investigate non-crime hate incidents

The move comes as an investigation into Father Ted creator Graham Linehan is dropped, after his arrest over a post on X.

www.bbc.co.uk

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Caroline Litman @alicemydaughter.bsky.social · 10h

I’m so angry and upset. These women do not speak for me.

In dark moments I’m relieved that Alice isn’t here to witness it, for how could I protect her? All a mother wants is to keep their child safe.

Then I feel broken that I even thought that.

Cis women please sign to help
counter this hatred ⬇️

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Faber Books @faberbooks.bsky.social · 1d

'Gilbert White wanted to write about the life and conversation of animals.'

Listen to Jenny Uglow, author of A Year with Gilbert White: The First Great Nature Writer, on Start the Week today: bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m002l36k

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Brian Stelter @brianstelter.bsky.social · 2d

I scrolled through the @1stforall.bsky.social's gallery of print front pages for local coverage of "No Kings" protests. Here are some of the standout papers, starting with the Daily Sentinel of Grand Junction, Colorado:

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Deanna Raybourn @deannaraybourn.bsky.social · 1d

😂

Spelling Mistakes Cost Lives @darrencullen.bsky.social · Aug 7

Did a new one

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Meg Frank @peripateticmeg.bsky.social · 1d

There is a genuine limit to the amount of information and stimulation our brains can handle.

Log off. Touch grass.

Respecting your limits and having boundaries doesn’t make you heartless, it means you can keep going and fighting in the long term.

www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/talk...

The More News Headlines We See, the Less We Care

Constant exposure to negative news can numb our sense of morality and empathy. Experts explain how this happens, the risks to mental health, and how to combat desensitization.

www.psychologytoday.com

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Queen of Swords Press @qospress.bsky.social · 1d

#Booksky HUGE shoutout to everyone who helped make this book happen fast! Author @mchristian.bsky.social for being great to work with, KaNaXa Designs @nathaliegray.bsky.social for the amazing cover, Teryvisions @barefootlentil.bsky.social for the cool book design and Alexa for misc. publishing work!

Queen of Swords Press @qospress.bsky.social · 1d

#Booksky It’s here! The new edition of RUNNING DRY by M.Christian, the classic gay vampires with a twist novel, is out today and available everywhere including direct from us and at your local library (via Overdrive/Libby, etc.)! queenofswordspress.com/product/runn...

Book cover for RUNNING DRY by M.Christian

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Amy Nemmity @amy.wrestlejoy.com · 1d

I've been seeing quite a few MAGA edgelord accounts today.

Friendly reminder:

Block immediately, and do not engage.

I know they're not having as much fun on twitter with so many of us here, but it's not our job to pet them and feed them little treats of attention.

Do not engage.

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bundgaardf.bsky.social @bundgaardf.bsky.social · 3d

I am living for the sumo wrestlers having fun playing tourists while preparing for the sumo tournament in London

Sumo wrestlers having fun posing with Stonehenge

Sumo wrestlers posing like The Beatles on Abbey Road

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AK Faulkner @ MCMxEGX @poopraven.bsky.social · 1d

Hey there! Do you struggle with the pacing in your stories? Are you going to be at MCM this weekend? Then bring your story to me, and we'll figure out the problem together!

Sat, Oct 25, 2025
3:45 PM - 5:15 PM
In the Creator Clinic

www.mcmcomiccon.com/london/en-us...

Panel Information

www.mcmcomiccon.com

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@AuthorMsBev @authormsbev.bsky.social · 1d

#Romancelandia Houston! Come see me, Brenda Jackson and a crew of other great authors this weekend at the National Black Book Fest. Here's the schedule. nationalblackbookfestival.com/NBBF_2025_Sc...

nationalblackbookfestival.com

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Wizard's Tower Press @wtpress.bsky.social · 1d

Today's piece of Welsh legend is an actual piece of fiction that Cheryl wrote. It tells the tale of Princess Gwladys and the villainous Gwynllwy the Bearded: www.kickstarter.com/...

The cover of They Are Still Here (Mae Nhw Yma O Hyd).

The image is of the sorceror, Gwydion, surrounded by wild animals (wolf, boar, deer) in a Celtic knotwork frame. Gwydion's hat is crowned with antlers. He carries an axe in his right hand and an oak twig in his left.

Art by Josh Arklin.

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Joyce White Vance @joycewhitevance.bsky.social · 1d

This is a very smart and important point. Talk to the people around you.

Alissa McLean @alissakmclean.bsky.social · 1d

I showed a relative the video Trump posted of himself taking a literal sh*t on the country, and she immediately stopped wavering and filled out her ballot “Yes” on 50.

Talk to your people! Many of them are not terminally online like you are.

That goes doubly for those of you in NJ and VA.

a woman says your vote is your power in a purple jacket

ALT: a woman says your vote is your power in a purple jacket

media.tenor.com

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Farah Mendlesohn @effjayem.bsky.social · 1d

In case you want it:

A friend just introduced me to the search engine Ecosia. It doesn't force feed you AI. It took me less than five minutes to move over and import my bookmarks and passwords.
It also claims to plant trees.

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Ally Lester @cogenthippo.bsky.social · 1d

I am doing a Minor/Big thing this morning.

I'm fixing my [email protected] email forwarder. I only realised yesterday it was booked, which explains where all my correspondence has gone whilst I've been too mad to realise over the last few months.

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James Chalmers @jameschalmers.bsky.social · 1d

This remains the funniest way to hear about an internet outage, though.

Denise C.
@SpudBenBean
·
Follow
A woman who rang ABC Sydney radio said she found out about the Optus outage from her cat.

The cat has an automatic wi-fi feeder (connected to Optus) & when breakfast wasn't delivered at 6:10 am, the cat went to the bedroom to lodge a complaint with management.

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Stew Hotston (he/him) @stewarthotston.com · 1d

for the morning crowd - if you're at @worldfantasy2025.bsky.social you should get to the @wtpress.bsky.social launch at 3pm on the Saturday if you can. Juliet will be there launching this (plus a bunch of other books from WT, who are a fantastic and innovative indy press).

The cover of Juliet E McKenn's, The Green Man's Holiday.

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Ally Lester @cogenthippo.bsky.social · 1d

I am so happy about this. I've voted LD for years and our local MPs are pretty normal/good. And Labour have never had a chance of getting in where I live.

It's such a relief to have a politician actually demonstrating empathy in public. With practical solutions to make things better for people.

Zack Polanski @zackpolanski.bsky.social · 1d

"Sir Keir Starmer has been warned that Labour is being deserted by a so-called Green wave of left-wing voters who are disillusioned with the party’s shift to the right on welfare, migration and transgender rights."

www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/...

Starmer warned of ‘Green wave’ exodus over Reform obsession

Labour may soon be ‘haemorrhaging’ left-wing voters to the Green Party, which is surging in polls, amid disillusionment with the party’s shift to the right

www.thetimes.com

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Lee Welch @leewelchwriter.bsky.social · 4d

Took Bess out to Makara to find the selkies had built a house on the beach.

Reminder that I set a contemporary m/m romance in this wild place (no selkies in it tho).

Mended with Gold features a photographer with PTSD falling for a comics artist much younger than him. Ebook available most places.

Black and white dog walks on a stony beach in front of a small hut built of bleached white driftwood. Rugged hills with tussock and flax form a backdrop, along with a slice of grey sea.

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The romance reader and the cat😊🐈🐈‍⬛ @readerandcat.bsky.social · 4d

Amazing romance🥰❣️ A gem❤️📚

Lee Welch @leewelchwriter.bsky.social · 4d

For example you can get it here www.amazon.com/Mended-Gold-...

Mended with Gold: with epilogue Out Loud

Mended with Gold: with epilogue Out Loud - Kindle edition by Welch, Lee. Romance Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.

www.amazon.com

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C. L. Polk @clpolk.blacksky.app · 4d

Beatrice Clayborn has

4 riding habits
20 day dresses, dinner and ballgowns
24 hats
16 pairs of gloves
7 parasols
32 pairs of shoes

and a last ditch plan to escape a marriage that will take her magic away...until she falls in love.

THE MIDNIGHT BARGAIN is available wherever fine books are sold.

The Midnight Bargain – clpolk.com

www.clpolk.com

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