Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Stephanie Burgis @stephanieburgis.bsky.social · 4h

Combining two days in one drawing tonight for #witchtober2025!

On a small sketchpad, drawn in colored pencils, is a wide orange candle, lit with a steady flame. Above it, specks of the same color as the flame fly into the air and gradually turn into stars. (That's the artistic concept, anyway!) The text beneath, written in ink, reads: Witchtober Days 8 and 9: Stars and Candle.

Year 5 of Inktober - Witch Essentials by @carmen.dmdesign . #Witchtober2025. 1 - Moon. 2 - Raven. 3 - Fairy. 4 - Ivy. 5 - Crown. 6 - Wolf. 7 - Fruit. 8 - Stars. 9 - Candle. 10 - Sea Creature. 11 - Venom. 12 - Teacup. 13 - Blade. 14 - gial. 15 - deer. 16 - secret. 17 - hearth. 18 - treasure. 19 - pet. 20 - underworld. 21 - wish. 22 - forest. 23 - pirate. 24 - dragon. 25 - herbs. 26 - horns. 27 - goblet. 28 - crystal. 29 - gothic. 30 - vampire. 31 - cemetery.

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Stephanie Burgis @stephanieburgis.bsky.social · 4h

Perfect!

Stephanie Burgis @stephanieburgis.bsky.social · 4h

It's not too bad, but do take the time to really be certain of your answers - I filled it out too quickly and misread one of the questions, so I'll have to submit an amendment for mine. (It's the box that asks if you're the sole beneficial/legal owner. As a trad-pub author, the answer should be no.)

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Skype a Scientist @skypeascientist.bsky.social · 8h

Look I know it'll shock you to know this, but we are almost out of archeologists AGAIN.

Do you know any archeologists? Are they willing to be matched with a LEGO team?

Please send 'em our way we need all hands on deck (STILL!)

We have had 585 requests for archeologists 🫠
forms.gle/PU3x7oayXGr3...

two men are pushing a small boat through the water .

Alt: Three young men are on a rowboat when it capsizes and then they salute as the ship sinks

media.tenor.com

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Stephanie Burgis @stephanieburgis.bsky.social · 6h

(PS: no pressure, but IF you were actually interested in joining in at this point, there's a 50% discount option, which I used myself: bsky.app/profile/prof... )

Matt Gabriele @profgabriele.com · 23d

so, as some may know, I'll be doing an online course this coming October - 4 sessions on the myth of the dark ages and how we can know a messy medieval world

well, delighted to announce that now you can get 50% OFF your registration!

link below -->

buttondown.com/ModernMediev...

Online Course Dispelling the "Dark Ages"

Get 50% off registration - exclusive to subscribers

buttondown.com

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Reposted by Stephanie Burgis

Stephanie Burgis @stephanieburgis.bsky.social · 12h

This week's Thursday snippet comes from Wooing the Witch Queen, which is on sale in the UK this month for only 99p! Snap up my sweet, nerdy hero and the terrifying witch queen he falls for: stephanieburgis.com/books/wooing-the-witch-queen

#romancelandia

An image of the front cover of Wooing the Witch Queen shows a sinister witch queen in a spectacular beaded dress embracing her handsome and adoring new librarian (in a black wizard's robe) inside a library of magic filled with crows and masks and flying books. Above and beside it is this snippet from the book:
Felix had never been more grateful for his concealing mask and cloak than when he'd emerged onto the tower roof to find Queen Saskia with her head thrown back, lips parted, a cloud of crows swirling around her and energy crackling so intensely through the air that it lifted the hair at the back of his neck.
It should have been a terrifying sight: the wicked witch of Kitvaria no doubt summoning a terrible storm of magic to rain down upon her enemies.
But it had stopped his breath for quite a different reason.

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Stephanie Burgis @stephanieburgis.bsky.social · 6h

I'm so happy to hear that!

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Stephanie Burgis @stephanieburgis.bsky.social · 6h

It really is! The lessons are all recorded, too, with lots of supplementary material, so it's definitely not too late to join.

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Rose Schmits @roseschmits.bsky.social · 14h

Yknow not to be dramatic but officially seeing ill health and disability as a problem to be seen in terms of labor is a sign of core principles of your society falling apart it seems to me

Peter Stefanovic @peterstefanovic.bsky.social · 17h

BREAKING: Specialist employment advisers will be based in GP surgeries and mental health services as part of government plans to get people back to work.

Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden speaks to #BBCBreakfast about the government’s plan to tackle long-term sickness

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Stephanie Burgis @stephanieburgis.bsky.social · 7h

(My academic specialty, back when I was in grad school, was the late 18th century Austro-Hungarian empire, and obviously I've read happily & voraciously about other periods of history since then, but I'd almost forgotten just how much it brings everything to life to have a really good professor!)

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Bookstore Romance Day @bookstoreromanceday.org · 8h

It's only taken a week for 60% of tickets to be claimed. Don't miss out on @oliviawaite.com @clpolk.blacksky.app @kitrocha.com @jessiemihalik.com @evaleigh.bsky.social @stephanieburgis.bsky.social & #LeslyePenelope talking magic lost & found on 11/1 @ 3 PM EDT. www.eventbrite.com/e/1762356127...

Pale blue background. At the top left is the black silhouette of a hand facing downward with golden sparkles spilling from it. At the lower right is a black silhouette of a hand facing upward with golden sparkles rising from it. Gold text at top reads "Lost & Found Magic" Dark blue text below reads "A Virtual Conversation With Olivia Waite, CL Polk, Leslye Penelope, Jessie Mihalik, Eva Leigh, Kit Rocha, Stephanie Burgis" Lighter blue text reads "Sat. Nov. 1 at 3 PM Eastern on Zoom"

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Stephanie Burgis @stephanieburgis.bsky.social · 7h

This autumn, I decided to treat myself (with some professional rationalization!) to my first history course in years, @profgabriele.com 's Illuminating the Dark Ages: Separating Myth from History (at Roundtable: roundtable.org ). I just finished the first session, and oh, it was SUCH a good idea!

roundtable.org

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Stephanie Burgis @stephanieburgis.bsky.social · 10h

Great joy for my daughter: @cressidacowell.bsky.social is visiting our small town in Wales today! ❤️

The whole signing queue is SO excited!

A photo of Cressida Cowell painting the bookshop window with pictures of Toothless the dragon and Puck the flying robot from her books.

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Stephanie Burgis @stephanieburgis.bsky.social · 10h

Yeah. :( *HUGS*

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Stephanie Burgis @stephanieburgis.bsky.social · 10h

Awful and important.

These are real children suffering due to bigoted political movements. It has to stop. Let trans kids (and adults) be who they know themselves to be.

Sophie Molly @sophiemolly.co.uk · 12h

www.thepinknews.com/2025/10/09/n...

17-year-old trans girl's suicide over NHS wait times was preventable says coroner

A 17-year-old trans girl's death by suicide over NHS wait times could have been prevented with swift intervention, a coroner has ruled.

www.thepinknews.com

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Stephanie Burgis @stephanieburgis.bsky.social · 10h

Happy book birthday! I love this novella SO much:

Llinos Cathryn Thomas @llincathryn.bsky.social · 15h

All Is Bright, my Christmassy F/F romance novella set in a little village in Wales, is out TODAY!

You can get it in these places and more:

Kobo: www.kobo.com/gb/en/ebook/...
Smashwords: www.smashwords.com/books/view/1...
AZ: www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0FS4G5PKX

A promotional graphic for All Is Bright, by Llinos Cathryn Thomas. The book cover, with the title in large text over twinkling lights, is at the centre. Behind the book, there are glowy lights. Text blocks highlight features of the book: "F/F Christmas romance", "advent calendar style - one chapter a day", "Hallmark small-town Christmas movie with a queer twist", "one has elaborate Christmas lights, the other one hates them", "outdoorsy butch and city girl femme", "Wales!".

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Rosemary Mosco @rosemarymosco.com · 11h

Thank you for all your Bloödcheëp tshirt preorders. The print run is fully funded, but you can keep preordering for 6 more days!
topatoco.com/collections/...

Blöödchëëp Shirt PRE-ORDER

Blöödchëëp Shirt - merch by Rosemary Mosco and Bird and Moon at TopatoCo!

topatoco.com

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Stephanie Burgis @stephanieburgis.bsky.social · 12h

This week's Thursday snippet comes from Wooing the Witch Queen, which is on sale in the UK this month for only 99p! Snap up my sweet, nerdy hero and the terrifying witch queen he falls for: stephanieburgis.com/books/wooing-the-witch-queen

#romancelandia

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Stephanie Burgis @stephanieburgis.bsky.social · 14h

It's dark and magical and gritty and awesome:

Patrick Samphire but for Halloween 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 @patricksamphire.bsky.social · 15h

Hey! My new short story, The Thirteenth Time, is now available to read for free on Beneath Ceaseless Skies. I, for one, think it's pretty good.

www.beneath-ceaseless-skies.com/stories/the-...

Beneath Ceaseless Skies - The Thirteenth Time by Patrick Samphire

You know how sometimes there are things that happen that you never want to think about again? Not because they’re terrible or horrifying, and not because they were such a perfect moment that everythin...

www.beneath-ceaseless-skies.com

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David Ziggy Greene (Jam bookshop) @jambookshopuk.bsky.social · 1d

A cool charity in Hoxton that teaches & gives disadvantaged kids skills in filmmaking has asked me a question:

Any female animators want to take part in a mentorship programme they run?

They've been doing good work for 25+ years.

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Stephanie Burgis @stephanieburgis.bsky.social · 16h

I wish that I'd kept better track! I do have some noted in my Goodreads shelves as "read-with'-[x]-year-old", but that's the closest I've ever managed.

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Stephanie Burgis @stephanieburgis.bsky.social · 16h

For anyone near Leeds:

Katie ♥️💜💙 @katiebruce.bsky.social · 16h

Tonight!
Come join us for a conversation on fantastical landscapes and the creatures that inhabit them!

www.waterstones.com/events/panel...

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Reposted by Stephanie Burgis

ouinne @ouinne.bsky.social · 1d

The only correct take on a fundamentally anti-human technology.

Screenshot of David Simon interview
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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Stephanie Burgis @stephanieburgis.bsky.social · 16h

I've had 4 of them in the last 24 hours, & it's just...well.

The funniest are the ones where the AI summary gets it SO wrong (like the one talking about "Juliana and Edmund's passionate & tragic romance!" for a rom-com with no characters by those names), but it's also a steady drip of UGH.

Patrick Samphire but for Halloween 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 @patricksamphire.bsky.social · 17h

Got my first one of those AI-generated book marketing emails, where they tell how great your book was and how much they enjoyed it and use AI to summarise the book.

It was for my novella, The Dead Man, which isn't out yet and which I'm still editing, so nice try, but that's a swing and a miss.

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Schmidt Ocean Institute @schmidtocean.bsky.social · 1d

In celebration of World Octopus Day, we wanted to revisit one of our favorite cephalopod sightings, the glass octopus — Vitreledonella richardi filmed during a month-long #PhoenixIslandsCoral expedition in 2021.

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