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Dale Ivan Smith

@daleivan.bsky.social

1.6K followers 430 following 1.2K posts

Retired librarian, now "full-time" writer/ reader of fantasy, SF and mystery. TKZ blogger. Author of The Empowered series, Meg Booker librarian mystery series, and various novellas and short stories. Avid stargazer, role-player, board gamer. Fez wearer.

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Dale Ivan Smith @daleivan.bsky.social · Dec 1

A Shush Before Dying is the first novel in my Meg Booker Librarian mysteries, a cozy mystery series set in the 1980s. Card catalogs, big hair, not so simple minds #cozymystery #mystery

books2read.com/u/bwNq8O

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Reposted by Dale Ivan Smith

Chuck Wendig @chuckwendig.bsky.social · 20h

Do this! Bookshop.org is good stuff.

Barry Lyga @barrylyga.com · 1d

Prime Day what? Bookshop.org is offering FREE SHIPPING for October 7-8! Buy books, get free shipping, support local bookstores! Easy!

#primeday #antiprime #freeshipping #supportlocal #supportindie

Bookshop: Buy books online. Support local bookstores.

An online bookstore that financially supports local independent bookstores and gives back to the book community.

Bookshop.org

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Reposted by Dale Ivan Smith

Naomi Alderman @naomialderman.bsky.social · 22h

just occurred to me: all of those stories about the cursed magic object that can detect what you're feeling/thinking and if you have good, sweet thoughts it will feel good, but if you have sad angry thoughts it will magnify them...

...we made it. It's the algorithm. We made Gozer the Destroyer.

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Reposted by Dale Ivan Smith

Susan Kaye Quinn is Writing Solarpunk 🌞🌱 @susankayequinn.bsky.social · 1d

I made a proper graphic for anti-Prime day! Free shipping on @bookshop.org — these are just some of my books! #solarpunk #hopepunk anti-AI short stories and more #SFF #sci-fi #steampunk

Descriptions in the alt-text or hop over to bookshop: bookshop.org/beta-search?...

#booksky #books

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Dale Ivan Smith @daleivan.bsky.social · 1d

This is spot on, not just for movie making, but for fiction writing as well.

Brandon Doughan 🍶 @brandondoughan.bsky.social · 1d

I watch this snippet of @pattonoswalt.bsky.social once in awhile & it’s oddly very inspiring. Also the whole off camera series is great.

Patton Oswalt Reveals What Keeps Creative People From Creating

YouTube video by theoffcamerashow

www.youtube.com

Dale Ivan Smith @daleivan.bsky.social · 1d

I just snapped up both of these myself. Cool premise at a can't miss price.

Beth Cato @bethcato.bsky.social · 1d

If you enjoyed A House Between Sea and Sky, it's a great time to grab ebooks of my other recent fantasies from 47North! A Thousand Recipes for Revenge & A Feast for Starving Stone are $2.49 each in US & Canada!

Book 1: amzn.to/3H7sZ0Y
Book 2: amzn.to/3L2uzCU
[promo links]

Image has two book covers at an angle for A THOUSAND RECIPES FOR REVENGE and A FEAST FOR STARVING STONE. Text explains that for one month, both books are $2.49 each, US and Canada only. That means the complete series is under $5.

Dale Ivan Smith @daleivan.bsky.social · 1d

The rising Harvest super Moon last night, imaged by my Seestar S30, and the setting Harvest super Moon this morning, captured by the larger S50 #astronomy #astrophotography #Moon

The full Moon, showing the dark basalt "seas," bright ray craters, and heavily cratered highlands surround the "seas."

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Dale Ivan Smith @daleivan.bsky.social · 1d

Fantastic images. I also was up before dawn imaging Comet Lemmon in my own Seestar, as well as viewing it visually in 18x70 binoculars. Comets always give me a thrill. Going to get up early again tomorrow.

Dale Ivan Smith @daleivan.bsky.social · 1d

I’m very sorry to learn this. As a now-retired librarian, they were essential for us.

Dale Ivan Smith @daleivan.bsky.social · 1d

I feel this down to the very core of my writer being.

Dale Ivan Smith @daleivan.bsky.social · 2d

Stunning image of one of my favorite DSOs. Bravo!

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Dale Ivan Smith @daleivan.bsky.social · 2d

Comet Lemmon early this morning, near the claws of the Great Bear (Ursa Major), in astronomical twilight, imaged by my Seestar S50 #astronomy #astrophotography #comet

Comet Lemmon's nucleus is green-tinged in this image, while the ghostly tail extends above it, surrounded by a field of stars.

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Dale Ivan Smith @daleivan.bsky.social · 2d

My Saturday post at TKZ looks at advice on dealing with a first draft before, during, and after #writing #writingcommunity

killzoneblog.com/2025/10/firs...

First Draft Words of Wisdom | Killzoneblog.com

killzoneblog.com

Dale Ivan Smith @daleivan.bsky.social · 2d

Fez tip for this terrific tip.

Bebe Neuwirth (she/her) @bebeneuwirth.bsky.social · 2d

Using “-ai” in my searches is my new super power for eliminating that drek.

Reposted by Dale Ivan Smith

Kathryn Tewson @kathryntewson.bsky.social · 4d

This is INCREDIBLE. The Bearded Vulture has multigenerational nests that last for hundreds of years, built in very secluded places — and they’re FULL OF ANTHROPOGENIC ARTIFACTS.

Jonathan C Slaght @jonathanslaght.com · 5d

super cool study found human artifacts in Bearded vulture nests, incl. "weaponry like a crossbow bolt and wooden lance, decorated sheep leather, and parts of a slingshot....a shoe made from twigs and grass is ~675-years-old." link to paper: doi.org/10.1002/ecy..... www.popsci.com/environment/... 🧪🌍🦉

Multi-generational vulture nests hold 700 years of human artifacts

Crossbow bolts, sandals, slingshots, and more.

www.popsci.com

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Dale Ivan Smith @daleivan.bsky.social · 4d

@contrariannews.org Friday greetings from a fellow Contrarian in war-ravaged Portland, OR

Portland street car passing hospital on Lovejoy street, with trees still filled with green leaves.

Intersection in NW Portland, with some tree leaves now turning gold.

Looking out from the interior of a chill Starbucks coffee shop, with sleek SUV parked outside and brick buildings across the street.

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Reposted by Dale Ivan Smith

Ghoul-jin Rondo @gaijinrando.bsky.social · 5d

Alice Cooper and Groucho Marx

Groucho was BOTD in 1890

Black and white photo of Alice and Groucho sharing a laugh.

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Dale Ivan Smith @daleivan.bsky.social · 6d

Our beloved Simba at the Vet’s in 2018, wondering how high the door went #cats

Gray and white striped cat in exam room, gazing at top of door.

Dale Ivan Smith @daleivan.bsky.social · 8d

Always the question to ask.

Dale Ivan Smith @daleivan.bsky.social · 8d

There's a reason why battleships became obsolete: the supremacy of air power at sea, and the deadliness of the "silent service" of submarines striking from beneath the waves. Clearly he took no lessons away from watching Victory at Sea.

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Reposted by Dale Ivan Smith

Edward Martin III @edwardmartiniii.bsky.social · 8d

A nice gruesome story on my Patreon...

(note: I publish a new story EVERY WEEK, and I have one helluva archive)

www.patreon.com/posts/in-mir...

In the Mirrors | Hellbender Media

www.patreon.com

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Dale Ivan Smith @daleivan.bsky.social · 8d

Mine as well. Also, it's never to late to change what you write.

Susan Kaye Quinn is Writing Solarpunk 🌞🌱 @susankayequinn.bsky.social · 9d

my life plan

decision tree: Is it too late to be a writer?

Are you dead?
Arrow pointing to YES says It is too late to be a writer.
Arrow pointing to NO says It is not too late to be a writer.

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Dale Ivan Smith @daleivan.bsky.social · 8d

The moment when you realize you need to let go of the idea of "controlling" your writing and writing process, and instead, let yourself write #writing #writingcommunity

Dale Ivan Smith @daleivan.bsky.social · 8d

Wish-casting goes to 11.

Reposted by Dale Ivan Smith

Scott Edelman @scottedelman.bsky.social · 8d

Ran errands today listening to Episode 13 of the Nerd Count podcast, on which @mercuriodrivera.bsky.social and @matthewkressel.net chatted with @franwilde.bsky.social. A fun conversation on which you should also eavesdrop! www.nerdcountpodcast.com/2025/09/26/e...

Episode 013 - Fran Wilde

In our long-awaited thirteenth episode, we welcome Fran Wilde, whose most recent work is her collection A Catalog of Storms, from Fairwood Press. In this episode we discuss where we first met Fran, he...

www.nerdcountpodcast.com

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Dale Ivan Smith @daleivan.bsky.social · 8d

These AI generated scam emails are increasing in number. I urge all writers to send these to spam.

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