Laura Besley
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laurabesley.bsky.social
Laura Besley
@laurabesley.bsky.social
2.3K followers 1.9K following 1K posts
Lover of coffee, chocolate, reading & writing
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laurabesley.bsky.social
Laura Besley @laurabesley.bsky.social · 6d
The next block of The NIFTY Book Club is open!
📚 Monthly on Mondays, 19:30-21:00 GMT/BST
📚 Read & discuss a novella-in-flash
📚 Live author Q&A where possible
See link for books, dates & sign up form
www.laurabesley.com/nifty-book-c...
NIFTY Book Club | My Site
Book club for lovers of the novella-in-flash. Monthly meetings online.
www.laurabesley.com
Reposted by Laura Besley
mikeingram.bsky.social
New call for submissions from @barrelhouse.bsky.social: The Aftermath. We're looking for fiction, poetry, nonfiction, and art about what happens AFTER the big story is over and life goes back to "normal" (or whatever counts as "normal"). More details here:
Barrelhouse - Online Issue: The Aftermath
The Aftermath Stories often focus on the climactic events in one’s life, but after these points of intensity, the world goes on. What happens when the adventure is over? How do you live your daily lif...
barrelhouse.submittable.com
February 16, 2026 at 4:39 PM
Reposted by Laura Besley
barrelhouse.bsky.social
New online issue is open for subs. A lot going on here these days.
mikeingram.bsky.social Mike Ingram @mikeingram.bsky.social · 21h
New call for submissions from @barrelhouse.bsky.social: The Aftermath. We're looking for fiction, poetry, nonfiction, and art about what happens AFTER the big story is over and life goes back to "normal" (or whatever counts as "normal"). More details here:
Barrelhouse - Online Issue: The Aftermath
The Aftermath Stories often focus on the climactic events in one’s life, but after these points of intensity, the world goes on. What happens when the adventure is over? How do you live your daily lif...
barrelhouse.submittable.com
February 16, 2026 at 4:47 PM
Reposted by Laura Besley
nastasyaparker.bsky.social
This group is a great way to explore the fascinating and versatile genre of novella-in-flash! #WritingCommunity #books #BookSky #FlashFiction
laurabesley.bsky.social Laura Besley @laurabesley.bsky.social · 22h
The new block of The NIFTY Book Club starts next week! On Monday, 23rd February, we'll be discussing 'Lessons at the Water's Edge' - the prize-winning novella-in-flash - by Caroline Greene.
There's still time to sign up! See ⏬ for details ⏬
#fiction #flashfiction #novellainflash #writingcommunity
laurabesley.bsky.social Laura Besley @laurabesley.bsky.social · 6d
The next block of The NIFTY Book Club is open!
📚 Monthly on Mondays, 19:30-21:00 GMT/BST
📚 Read & discuss a novella-in-flash
📚 Live author Q&A where possible
See link for books, dates & sign up form
www.laurabesley.com/nifty-book-c...
February 16, 2026 at 5:52 PM
laurabesley.bsky.social
The new block of The NIFTY Book Club starts next week! On Monday, 23rd February, we'll be discussing 'Lessons at the Water's Edge' - the prize-winning novella-in-flash - by Caroline Greene.
There's still time to sign up! See ⏬ for details ⏬
#fiction #flashfiction #novellainflash #writingcommunity
laurabesley.bsky.social Laura Besley @laurabesley.bsky.social · 6d
The next block of The NIFTY Book Club is open!
📚 Monthly on Mondays, 19:30-21:00 GMT/BST
📚 Read & discuss a novella-in-flash
📚 Live author Q&A where possible
See link for books, dates & sign up form
www.laurabesley.com/nifty-book-c...
NIFTY Book Club | My Site
Book club for lovers of the novella-in-flash. Monthly meetings online.
www.laurabesley.com
February 16, 2026 at 3:10 PM
laurabesley.bsky.social
'To slip a finger under the surface, to feel the wet separation of self from self.'
Great micro by Evan Gassmaan in 101 Words
#fiction #microfiction
Skin Theory 101words.org/skin-theory/
Skin Theory - 101 Words
We live inside sacks of skin. I peel an orange and think of how easy it would be to unmake myself. To slip a finger under the surface, to feel the wet separation of self from self. We can touch our li...
101words.org
February 16, 2026 at 3:01 PM
laurabesley.bsky.social
Here is my ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ #review of Paper Sisters by @bookbound2019.bsky.social #published by @northodoxpress.bsky.social OUT NOW
#book #books #bookreview #historicalfiction #WWI

everybodysreviewing.blogspot.com/2026/02/revi...
Review by Laura Besley of "Paper Sisters" by Rachel Canwell
"What you saw was a woman, bent out of shape. Pushed beyond her breaking point. Turns out we’ve all got them."  Rachel Canwell’s debut novel...
everybodysreviewing.blogspot.com
February 16, 2026 at 9:57 AM
Reposted by Laura Besley
claudiamonpere.bsky.social
"If only she were meeting a boy. Someone like Rupert or Hunter or Joe, who have cars and trust funds and play golf at the weekends" Possibilities for a girl conjured up by @laurabesley.bsky.social in this moving story
gooseberry-pie.com/seventeen-ye...
Seventeen Years From Now, - Gooseberry Pie Lit Magazine
Photo by Maxim Yuryshev on Unsplash by Laura Besley when her son asks, ‘Mummy, why do your eyes have mud round them?’ she will be reminded of tonight, the night her father yells at her that no daughte...
gooseberry-pie.com
February 15, 2026 at 12:13 AM
Reposted by Laura Besley
mattkendrick.bsky.social
"when her son asks, ‘Mummy, why do your eyes have mud round them?’ she will be reminded of tonight"

Such a deep well of emotions in this micro from @laurabesley.bsky.social; love the connection between future and present

gooseberry-pie.com/seventeen-ye...
Seventeen Years From Now, - Gooseberry Pie Lit Magazine
Photo by Maxim Yuryshev on Unsplash by Laura Besley when her son asks, ‘Mummy, why do your eyes have mud round them?’ she will be reminded of tonight, the night her father yells at her that no daughte...
gooseberry-pie.com
February 13, 2026 at 8:30 PM
laurabesley.bsky.social
I'm proud to be part of the latest Gooseberry Pie issue with my story 'Seventeen Years From Now' alongside so many other wonderful stories & writers. Huge thanks to Jeff for selecting my work.
#fiction #microfiction #amwriting #writingcommunity
February 13, 2026 at 5:03 PM
Reposted by Laura Besley
danbillyc.bsky.social
"If only she were meeting a boy. Someone like Rupert or Hunter or Joe, who have cars and trust funds and play golf at the weekends."

Wow, this phenomenal piece of writing by @laurabesley.bsky.social in @gooseberrypielit.bsky.social 💙💙💙
February 13, 2026 at 3:18 PM
laurabesley.bsky.social
I'm delighted to welcome Caroline Greene to The NIFTY Book Club in February to discuss her winning novella-in-flash, 'Lessons at the Water's Edge'.
@cgreene100.bsky.social @adhocfiction.bsky.social
#fiction #flashfiction #novellainflash
Details & sign up here:
www.laurabesley.com/nifty-book-c...
NIFTY Book Club | My Site
Book club for lovers of the novella-in-flash. Monthly meetings online.
www.laurabesley.com
February 13, 2026 at 2:52 PM
Reposted by Laura Besley
inventingreality.bsky.social
#Indieauthor #writingcommunity #amwriting #authorsky #writersky
February 13, 2026 at 1:35 PM
laurabesley.bsky.social
There are two wonderful pieces by @sherrieflick.bsky.social @gooseberrypielit.bsky.social
#fiction #microfiction #sixsentences #writingcommunity

gooseberry-pie.com/stopwatch/
Stopwatch - Gooseberry Pie Lit Magazine
Photo by William Warby on Unsplash by Sherrie Flick Judy clutched the stopwatch to her chest. The secondhand thunked like a bass beat. She didn’t enjoy timing every activity, but her therapist seemed ...
gooseberry-pie.com
February 13, 2026 at 2:15 PM
laurabesley.bsky.social
'...when we look back at the time when this thing felt simple, just Conversations with Friends, back when we talked and someone listened.'
Love this quirky clever piece by @happilander.bsky.social @gooseberrypielit.bsky.social
#fiction #writingcommunity
gooseberry-pie.com/sign-of-the-...
Sign of the Times - Gooseberry Pie Lit Magazine
Photo by Joanna Kosinska on Unsplash by Mileva Anastasiadou We don’t post. But we log in and check our feed and when Facebook asks what’s on our mind, we think, Beautiful World, Where Are You, then me...
gooseberry-pie.com
February 13, 2026 at 2:12 PM
laurabesley.bsky.social
'Each notebook cover ravished, wrapping torn with the care of children on Christmas morning.'
Heartbreaking micro by @amymarques.bsky.social @gooseberrypielit.bsky.social
#fiction #microfiction #sixsentences #writingcommunity
gooseberry-pie.com/subito1/
Subito[1] - Gooseberry Pie Lit Magazine
Photo by Brad Switzer on Unsplash by Amy Marques In fourth grade, my mother outgrew the rural one-room schoolhouse where her mother taught. She was sent to school in town, notebooks carefully re-cover...
gooseberry-pie.com
February 13, 2026 at 2:08 PM
laurabesley.bsky.social
'Once, I protected you—we had our own language.'
Great example of what can be done in so few words.

'Obituary: Sisters, an Artless, Sideways List' by Koss @gooseberrypielit.bsky.social
#fiction #microfiction #writingcommunity
gooseberry-pie.com/obituary-sis...
Obituary: Sisters, an Artless, Sideways List  - Gooseberry Pie Lit Magazine
Photo by Caroline Hernandez on Unsplash by Koss Co-opted familial narratives, blood shares, habits and Band-Aids; Facebook fuck-offs; shallow/egg trays; three monkeys, vapor. Those were my socks you s...
gooseberry-pie.com
February 13, 2026 at 1:51 PM
laurabesley.bsky.social
'Small Change' by @andreamarcusa.bsky.social is a sticky claustrophobic piece which succinctly & deftly portrays this all-to-familiar situation.
@gooseberrypielit.bsky.social
#fiction #microfiction #sixsentences #writingcommunity
gooseberry-pie.com/small-change/
Small Change - Gooseberry Pie Lit Magazine
Photo by Erik Gjester on Unsplash by Andrea Marcusa Mom pulled into a gas station with rusting pumps, cheap prices, and a guy in a grease-stained uniform, the stink of oil and gasoline seeping into ou...
gooseberry-pie.com
February 13, 2026 at 1:48 PM
laurabesley.bsky.social
Huge thanks to Jeff @gooseberrypielit.bsky.social (dream journal!) for publishing my piece: 'Seventeen Years From Now'. This is very loosely inspired by something that happened in real life - as are so many of my pieces.
#fiction #amwriting #writingcommunity
gooseberry-pie.com/seventeen-ye...
Seventeen Years From Now, - Gooseberry Pie Lit Magazine
Photo by Maxim Yuryshev on Unsplash by Laura Besley when her son asks, ‘Mummy, why do your eyes have mud round them?’ she will be reminded of tonight, the night her father yells at her that no daughte...
gooseberry-pie.com
February 13, 2026 at 1:41 PM
laurabesley.bsky.social
'How the road ahead could really run, and how ahead and behind were a horse a piece. How we were.'
A beautiful eerie piece by @patforan.bsky.social @gooseberrypielit.bsky.social
#fiction #microfiction #sixsentences #writingcommunity
gooseberry-pie.com/on-a-ghostli...
On a Ghostlight Night - Gooseberry Pie Lit Magazine
Photo by Avi Theret on Unsplash by Pat Foran Fresh off a ghostlighting incident that left him clear-eyed and cold, the horse we rode in on didn’t seem to mind that we didn’t seem to know what we signe...
gooseberry-pie.com
February 13, 2026 at 1:38 PM
laurabesley.bsky.social
'Lift the unconnected from the gaps, let the words stream down the page, watch three girls drawing chalk squares in the schoolyard...'
Great use of repetition by Sandra Arnold @gooseberrypielit.bsky.social
#fiction #microfiction #sixsentences #writingcommunity
gooseberry-pie.com/one-day-one-...
One Day One Time - Gooseberry Pie Lit Magazine
Photo by Laura Rivera on Unsplash by Sandra Arnold Lift the unconnected from the gaps, let the words stream down the page, watch three girls drawing chalk squares in the schoolyard, watch them sliding...
gooseberry-pie.com
February 13, 2026 at 1:34 PM
Reposted by Laura Besley
emilyrinkema.bsky.social
Love this micro by @laurabesley.bsky.social in @gooseberrypielit.bsky.social. Tight and fragmented, with an emotional punch. gooseberry-pie.com/seventeen-ye...
Seventeen Years From Now, - Gooseberry Pie Lit Magazine
Photo by Maxim Yuryshev on Unsplash by Laura Besley when her son asks, ‘Mummy, why do your eyes have mud round them?’ she will be reminded of tonight, the night her father yells at her that no daughte...
gooseberry-pie.com
February 13, 2026 at 11:25 AM
laurabesley.bsky.social
“My wife can tell I’m seeing the pet shop girl on the side because I come home each night with ___ on my collar,” Gene Rayburn says, dentures gleaming like interrogation lamps.
#fiction #microfiction
@karenkay.bsky.social @gooseberrypielit.bsky.social
gooseberry-pie.com/in-2025-my-h...
In 2025, My Husband Fills in the Blanks - Gooseberry Pie Lit Magazine
Pexels.com: Photo by Mathias Reding by Karen Craigo Chauncey cares about two things in life: his after-work pink lady and that key party disguised as a game show called “Match Game ’78.” I shake up th...
gooseberry-pie.com
February 13, 2026 at 1:30 PM
Reposted by Laura Besley
pdforan.bsky.social
"If only she were meeting a boy. Someone like Rupert or Hunter or Joe, who have cars and trust funds and play golf at the weekends."

@laurabesley.bsky.social in @gooseberrypielit.bsky.social gooseberry-pie.com/seventeen-ye...
Seventeen Years From Now, - Gooseberry Pie Lit Magazine
Photo by Maxim Yuryshev on Unsplash by Laura Besley when her son asks, ‘Mummy, why do your eyes have mud round them?’ she will be reminded of tonight, the night her father yells at her that no daughte...
gooseberry-pie.com
February 12, 2026 at 5:29 PM
Reposted by Laura Besley
kristinwrites.bsky.social
Cool book clubs abound apparently! Here’s another!
laurabesley.bsky.social Laura Besley @laurabesley.bsky.social · 4d
There's still plenty of time to sign up for the next block of The NIFTY Book Club. We meet once a month to discuss novellas-in-flash and the author joins us for a live Q&A when possible. All details below ⏬
#flash #flashfiction #novellainflash #bookclub #writingcommunity #readingcommunity #amwriting
laurabesley.bsky.social Laura Besley @laurabesley.bsky.social · 6d
The next block of The NIFTY Book Club is open!
📚 Monthly on Mondays, 19:30-21:00 GMT/BST
📚 Read & discuss a novella-in-flash
📚 Live author Q&A where possible
See link for books, dates & sign up form
www.laurabesley.com/nifty-book-c...
February 12, 2026 at 3:53 PM
laurabesley.bsky.social
There's still plenty of time to sign up for the next block of The NIFTY Book Club. We meet once a month to discuss novellas-in-flash and the author joins us for a live Q&A when possible. All details below ⏬
#flash #flashfiction #novellainflash #bookclub #writingcommunity #readingcommunity #amwriting
laurabesley.bsky.social Laura Besley @laurabesley.bsky.social · 6d
The next block of The NIFTY Book Club is open!
📚 Monthly on Mondays, 19:30-21:00 GMT/BST
📚 Read & discuss a novella-in-flash
📚 Live author Q&A where possible
See link for books, dates & sign up form
www.laurabesley.com/nifty-book-c...
NIFTY Book Club | My Site
Book club for lovers of the novella-in-flash. Monthly meetings online.
www.laurabesley.com
February 12, 2026 at 3:15 PM