Author | Lightnews

Jean Gill @writerjeangill.bsky.social · Sep 24

I dropped in to check for news and this popped up - lovely news!! Congratulations!

Tru Skies @trudieskies.readindiefantasy.com · Sep 24

Anyway, I'm pleased to announce that I married Emily in Stardew Valley.

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Tru Skies @trudieskies.readindiefantasy.com · Sep 24

Anyway, I'm pleased to announce that I married Emily in Stardew Valley.

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Reposted by Jean Gill

Medievalist.net @medievalists.bsky.social · Sep 1

Top 50 Masterpieces of Medieval Literature www.medievalists.net/2024/09/top-... #MedievalLiterature

Top 50 Masterpieces of Medieval Literature - Medievalists.net

Unlock the rich and diverse world of medieval literature with our list of 50 masterpieces. From epic tales of heroism to timeless romances and spiritual writings, these works from the Middle Ages…

www.medievalists.net

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Jean Gill @writerjeangill.bsky.social · Aug 21

I'm going to a party and you're all invited! This will be my last social event for a while as I need a heart operation so will be stepping out for a bit... and will be bionic when I return.

Reposted by Jean Gill

Shetland Library @shetlandlibrary.bsky.social · Jul 24

We got a lovely email from one of our USA visitors. 🙂
A good time to remind everyone we offer temporary memberships if you are only in Shetland for a short time - and that we have lovely staff!.

Speech bubble saying "On a month long stay in Lerwick, I read the library had a visitor’s membership! I went round to see if this was too good to be true.
The incredibly welcoming and helpful staff issued me a card on the spot. They helped me install the eBook app and I also borrowed books about the Shetland Islands’ history, traditions and traditional handcrafts. I’m a world traveller. I have never found another library willing to allow me to borrow their books.
Thank you for extending your services to travellers. Thank you for all being so wonderfully kind and helpful."

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@HelenHollick @helenhollick.bsky.social · Aug 2

some #GoodNews FATE is #CoffeePotBookClub #BookOfTheMonth! authors @alisonmorton.bsky.social @anniehistory.bsky.social @abelfrageauthor.bsky.social
@debbieyoung.bsky.social @elizabethstjohn.bsky.social @writerjeangill.bsky.social & me & 3 others
thecoffeepotbookclub.blogspot.com/2025/08/book...

Book of the Month: FATE – Tales of History, Mystery, and Magic #HistoricalFiction #Anthology #HistoricalFantasy #RecommendedReading

The Coffee Pot Book Club, Coffee Pot Book Club, blog tours, book promotion, historical fiction, women's fiction, book marketing, editorial book review

thecoffeepotbookclub.blogspot.com

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James Lloyd Dulin @jamesldulin.bsky.social · Aug 1

Only a Grave Will Do was @esmayrosalyne.bsky.social's book of the month!

Esmay Rosalyne @esmayrosalyne.bsky.social · Aug 1

☀️ JULY WRAP-UP ☀️

No new 5-star faves, but easily one of my strongest reading months this year 🔥

BOTM is definitely Only a Grave Will Do by @jamesldulin.bsky.social , closely followed by Sorcery & Small Magics, The Six Deaths of the Saint and The Crystal Heir!

How was your July? ❤️

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@HelenHollick @helenhollick.bsky.social · Jul 29

Want to know a bit more about my writing life? I thoroughly enjoyed this recent interview with Christina Boyd www.thequillink.com/post/intervi...

INTERVIEW: Helen Hollick Has Been Scribbling Stories Since She Was Thirteen

Christina Boyd interviews USA Today bestselling author Helen Hollick: Helen started writing as a teenager, but after discovering a passion for history, was published in 1993 in the UK with her Arthuri...

www.thequillink.com

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Bjørn Larssen (he/him) @bjornlarssen.com · Jul 27

#WIPSnips Today, we find out that the tradition of witch-burning has its origins in burning the evil Gullveig/Freya at a stake because she liked gold too much. (This is, for once, accurate #NorseMythology)

#WIP: #WhyOdinDrinks book II
www.whyodindrinks.com

A Saga so ancient nobody could remember its origins told that the Goddess Freya had been burnt at the stake for causing horrible harm to the Gods by making them love each other. As to why this was a bad thing, the Saga remained rather enigmatic, devoting its stanzas to the horrible screams, shrieks, curses, and a quick detour reminding the listeners that Freya slept with four dwarves for a necklace. Anyway, the Saga continued, Freya had survived, thus proving her heart was pure and intentions noble. Therefore, if a woman insisted she wasn’t a witch, she would be put at a stake. If she were to survive somehow, the men would ascertain whether she was the Goddess Freya in disguise. If not, they’d apologise for the misunderstanding, then drown her instead. A witch that could survive being burned alive was way too powerful to keep around. Also, she’d probably be quite pissed off – unlike the kind, loving Goddess Freya, who fully understood and forgave everyone involved.
Being a fortune-teller meant hiding in plain sight. The not-at-all-witches took care of their skin, wore pastels, practiced a twinkly giggle, never talked to anyone when having a nose cold, and never said no to powerful men. The reason why some suicidally brave women took the job was the return-on-investment ratio. Fortune-telling was a very profitable profession that didn’t require much actual work. It was a perfect job for someone both intelligent and lazy, and if dictionaries already existed, Sif’s picture would appear next to both those words.

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Jean Gill @writerjeangill.bsky.social · Jul 25

It was a great interview - I loved it!

Patricia Bracewell @patbracewell.bsky.social · Jul 25

Had a fab time chatting with the wild guys at Rock Paper Swords. Still trying to get the hang of how BlueSky works!

Matthew Harffy @matthewharffy.bsky.social · Jun 20

Today sees the return to the podcast of Patricia Bracewell, author of the Emma of Normandy series. Also returning to the pod, are videos! You can now watch as well as listen on Spotify or YouTube.

Spotify: open.spotify.com/episode/0MxC...

YouTube: youtu.be/JR50S9sWJv0?...

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Jean Gill @writerjeangill.bsky.social · Jul 20

And there I was hoping for peace & quiet!

MK Alexander @smartreads.bsky.social · Jul 19

✍️ #AmWriting
🪦 The Pros & Cons of Publishing Posthumously

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Annie Whitehead @anniehistory.bsky.social · Jul 18

#OTD the feast day of St Eadburh of Bicester, reputed to be the daughter of Penda of Mercia. She's in my book Women of Power and she features as a child in Cometh the Hour and as an abbess in The Sins of the Father:
viewauthor.at/Annie-Whiteh...

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Reposted by Jean Gill

Library Lagomorph @bunnyjadwiga.bsky.social · Jul 18

Apparently, this is the Kassel Hand, one of 35 such surviving prosthetics from the time ...

Dr Lindsey Fitzharris @drlindseyfitz.bsky.social · Jul 18

This artificial hand is nearly 500 years old. It consists of a metal casing which wrapped around the forearm stump and was secured by leather straps. An internal mechanical structure (now missing) may have allowed the fingers basic movement. The fingers can flex at the largest knuckle joint.

A photo of a metal hand and forearm. The fingers are a single mass, but can flex at the knuckle joint.

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Reposted by Jean Gill

womensartbluesky.bsky.social @womensartbluesky.bsky.social · Jul 19

The Faroe Islands have a unique summer tradition where a large rock in Sandur is yarn-bombed by local women, inspired by a local legend about a "Troll Woman's cave"...... #WomensArt

Photo of a large boulder covered in knitted and crocheted patterned material, among other uncovered rocks on a grassy surface under a pale sky

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Bjørn Larssen (he/him) @bjornlarssen.com · Jul 17

“It is funny how few people are actually capable of wrapping their head around the fact that we have now just made it so computers can lie to you.”

Dr. Casey Fiesler @cfiesler.bsky.social · Jul 16

This is fascinating: www.reddit.com/r/OpenAI/s/I...

Someone “worked on a book with ChatGPT” for weeks and then sought help on Reddit when they couldn’t download the file. Redditors helped them realized ChatGPT had just been roleplaying/lying and there was no file/book…

From the OpenAI community on Reddit

Explore this post and more from the OpenAI community

www.reddit.com

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Reposted by Jean Gill

Emma Grae @emmagraeauthor.bsky.social · Mar 21

Hello! I was told that a lot of people with an interest in the Scots language and books had migrated over here…

In case you don’t know me already, my name’s Emma Grae and I’m a Scots language author, journalist and advocate.

Ah scrive fur bairns, young adults and adults - awbody! ☺️🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

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Philip Chase @philipchase90.bsky.social · Jul 13

The incomparable @jannywurts.bsky.social has reviewed While Darkness Gathers! “Highly recommended for readers who enjoy John Gwynne, with a lively flavor of Norse and Old English blended with kingdoms with varied cultural roots.” The full review on Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/book/show/23...

While Darkness Gathers (The Edan Trilogy)

Gorsarhad, eldest of dragons, lays waste to the north. …

www.goodreads.com

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Jean Gill @writerjeangill.bsky.social · Jul 16

Last of the ten stories in 'Fate', in order but not in enjoyment, a fun read from Cosy Queen @debbieyoung.bsky.social I loved the ending and there's a top tip for stealing cakes... take a sneak peek at the beginning here www.elizabethjstjohn.com/guest-author... #fatestories

FATEful Moments: Enjoy an Excerpt from Saints Alive by Debbie Young - Elizabeth St.John

Sina The thing about me is, I know stuff. Not just the sort of thing your mum tells you, or what you learn at the village school. One reason I know more stuff than most kids my age is that my big brot...

www.elizabethjstjohn.com

Jean Gill @writerjeangill.bsky.social · Jul 14

Today's treat, especially for those who love the #Tudors, especially the behind-the-scenes Tudors, is a sneak peek at J.P.Reedman's story. Read the opening here! www.elizabethjstjohn.com/guest-author... #FateStories

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Eeva Lancaster 🌸 The Book Khaleesi @eevalancaster.bsky.social · Jul 12

Proper formatting enhances the reader experience.
You've cooked up a great story, now lay it out for a reader's consumption.
Let us FORMAT your manuscript for eBook, Paperback or Hardcover.
⬇️⬇️⬇️
thebookkhaleesi.com/...

Get in touch!
@eevalancaster #formatting #publishing

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Medievalist.net @medievalists.bsky.social · Jul 12

Step into the Viking Age and discover the stories of raiders, traders, and explorers—start learning now! 🛶✨ medievalstudies.thinkific.com/courses/the-... #Vikings

The Viking Age

An introduction to Viking History. Each week historian Terri Barnes takes you through a different aspect of the lives of Norse peoples who lived during the Viking Age from c. AD 750 to 1100.

medievalstudies.thinkific.com

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Christian and Miles Cameron @phokion.bsky.social · Jul 12

Happiness is a good helmet

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Jean Gill @writerjeangill.bsky.social · Jul 11

Treat for the day! You can read the opening of 'Beware the Crows' by @abelfrageauthor.bsky.social a VERY disturbing and powerful story, not suitable for bedtime. Hey - you've been warned! It's in the title! www.elizabethjstjohn.com/guest-author... #FateStories

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Jean Gill @writerjeangill.bsky.social · Jul 11

L'entente cordiale avec des souris/sourires)

Larry the Cat @number10cat.bsky.social · Jul 10

Macron: "He's a very clever cat"
Merci monsieur le président x

Reposted by Jean Gill

Patricia Furstenberg, Author @patfurstenberg.bsky.social · Jul 9

Today I witnessed two Springboks clash, horns locked in silent defiance. Ritual. Instinct. Survival.

My new release ⚜️WHEN SECRETS BLOOM🌿 is no different. Old loyalties collide. Truth charges forward. Only one can remain standing.
mybook.to/wsb

#mystery #medieval #look4books #sawitfirst #99c #77p

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