Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

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Professor Mitchell @professormitchell.bsky.social · 18h

The Under-Rated Bundle is now live! Check out over 60 underappreciated stories that may have flown under your radar, including fantasy, science fiction, and more.

itch.io/b/3305/under...

The bundle runs from today through the 13th, so don't miss it!

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Ronove (aka S. Jean) @earlronove.bsky.social · 4d

Less than a month to pre-order a signed paperback of BE NOT AFRAID! And, because I think prints are neat, I've added a second one to the goodies to entice you that this pre-order bundle is pretty cool!

ko-fi.com/earlronove/s...
(there's also a cheaper bookplate bundle with the same goodies!)

A pre-order signed copy bundle graphic for Be Not Afraid by S. Jean. To the left is a 3D copy of the book itself with a bookmark and a print beside it. The cover and bookmark have the same graphic on it (Seth with pink wings leaping across the page), while the print is Seth holding a standing Trent in his arms, golden wings wrapping around both of them. Next to the previous print is another one of Seth and Trent sitting in a subway car. To the right is the important text relating to the pre-order bundle. It reads:
"Until NOV 3rd, pre-order a signed physical copy of BE NOT AFRAID through my ko-fi!
https://ko-fi.com/earlronove/shop/preorder
Copies will run $20 USD (+shipping) & comes with...
x1 bookmark!
x2 Seth & Trent prints!
(bookplate bundle also available!)

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Elise (they/them)🇦🇺 @eliseswritings.bsky.social · 6d

November is Trans Awareness Month. But that title seems ill-fit to current politics, so I chose a better one for the Itch book bundle I'm hosting Nov 1-14.

Authors, if your MC is trans (yes including nonbinary!) and your book meets the criteria bellow, let me know and I'll DM you the sign up form!

Trans People Take on The World Itch Bundle

Background: trans flag

Text: Eligibility & Genre:
At least one Main Character is trans (yes this includes nonbinary!)
Plot-central trans (and LGBTQIA+) themes are welcome, but not required.
Your MC combatting transphobia is welcome, but not required.
MC's who are incidentally trans solving murders, defending their kingdom, curing cancer, fighting a zombie apocalypse etc are very welcome. (So SFF, Thriller/ Mystery/ Crime/ Historical/ Drama etc.)
Romance and NSWF involving a trans MC is welcome.

Categories: Adult Fiction, novellas and full length novels.

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Jake Vanguard @jakevanguard.bsky.social · 6d

My 2nd book of the Deity Chronicles has a trans FMC 🩷 Would love to include her

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D. N. Bryn @dnbryn.bsky.social · 6d

I'm so pleased to see my trans M/M Cinderella retelling out in the world! I hope ya'll enjoy this slightly darker story than my usual. (I promise it still has just as much heart 💖 )

Currently available below, but paperbacks will appear elsewhere within the week:

www.amazon.com/dp/B0F26J336R

"CINDER OUT NOW!" title, with the cover of CINDER by DN BRYN and the words "If Cinderella hid a darker identity..." and "Vigilante justice, Pigeon magic, Complex & painful family dynamics, Everywhere but the bed, Aro-spec prince"

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Jake Vanguard @jakevanguard.bsky.social · 8d

@thatwriterjess.bsky.social and I are curating our first joint anthology - FUTURISTIC QUEER HORROR!

Check our website for more info. We're looking forward to your submission!

A graphic for an anthology call for a futuristic queer horror anthology.
Short stories of
2,500-8,500 words

Queer characters and/or themes
Futuristic settings combined with horror elements

Preferred subgenres: techno-horror, cosmic horror, biomechanical horror

Submissions open until:
20 January 2026

Curated by
Ezra Wren & Jake Vanguard

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Meg Writes, Maybe? @megthewriter.bsky.social · 6d

The ARC reader sign up for the 'From Me to You' cosy queer anthology by Tea & Books Press is up!

14 authors, 13 stories, and 1 poem - all of them about finding or holding on to your people

The ARC sign up link is here: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

#booksky 📚🌈

From Me to You ARC Form

Thank you for your interest in reading an ARC of Tea & Books Press first anthology! ‘From Me to You: Anthology of Human Connections’ Blurb: Every day we make new connections, whether it is intentiona...

docs.google.com

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Cat Rector @catrector.com · 7d

Learning to Bleed comes out March 18th and artist @scherville.com is so deeply talented I can hardly believe it!

This book is the 2nd in a trilogy that explores queerness and trauma through vampire lore, all against the backdrop of an impoverished rural community that has its own monsters 👀

Links⬇️

The cover of Learning to Bleed by Cat Rector, the sequel to Coal Gets In Your Veins. The cover is in the style of a classical painting, with a blush-grey background. In the foreground are two characters locked in a dipping embrace. Spencer, a pale man in a dark blue turtleneck sweater and jeans, with blonde bed-head hair, is holding up another character as she loses control and seems to be falling. His expression is lost and loving as he looks down at her. Laurel is leaning back in his arms, her long brown hair in waves over her back, her face up to the sky as her expression of uncontrolled rage stares upward. Her eyes are red and her mouth is wide open, showing her vampire fangs. A pool of blood soaks into the shoulder of Spencer’s sweater, coming from Laurel’s hand as it hangs above his shoulder. Laurel wears a tank top and red and black plaid. A red mist obscures their legs, making room for the title and author text. The cover artist is Scherville.

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Ronove (aka S. Jean) @earlronove.bsky.social · 10d

Do you want a fast-paced novella featuring scary and violent angels after a deadbeat guitarist having the worst night of his life? Then you should check out my survival horror novella, BE NOT AFRAID, out Dec 6th!

👁️ books.earlronove.com/benotafraid
(signed copies available on ko-fi!)

#booksky | 🩸📚

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Talli 🦇SILVER BLOOD audiobook! @tallimorgan.bsky.social · 7d

GOOD MORNING THE AUDIOBOOK OF SILVER BLOOD IS LIVE NOW ON LIBRO.FM!!

GRAB IT HERE: libro.fm/audiobooks/9...

@raincorbyn.bsky.social did an OUTSTANDING job on this book and you do *not* want to miss it!

📚💙 📚🎧

Silver Blood audiobook, narrated by Richard Pendragon, now available on Libro.fm

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Talli 🦇SILVER BLOOD audiobook! @tallimorgan.bsky.social · 7d

🦇 SPOOKY SEASON SALE 🦇
It's October! 🎃 and the audiobook is coming soon! So SILVER BLOOD is FREE today through October 8!! 🖤

A queer, gothic vampire romance is perfect for your autumn TBR, in my opinion 👀
Grab it here: https://books2read.com/silverblood
📚💙 🌈📚

Silver Blood October sale: free ebook (kobo, nook, smashwords, itchio, and more) October 1-8.

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A.M. Weald - buy Fimbulvinter's Fires ❤️‍🔥 @amweald.com · 8d

TOMORROW ❤️‍🔥

"Fimbulvinter's Fires"

🥶 apocalyptic survival horror
🌈 gay man x pan enby (achillean) 🌶️
🗣️ language barrier + conlang
❄️ there's only one snow shelter
😩 hurt/comfort
🪓 touch him and die
🤬 be gay do vengeance

🩸📚🪐📚💙📚🌈🚀💫💜😱
Info: amweald.com/fires

tomorrow
Crash into this queer
sci-fi snowpocalypse

fimbulvinter's fires character Art description: Ash and Leim (pronounced Lime) embracing tenderly during a blizzard wearing parkas. Ash is shorter by a head with light brown skin and dark hair and beard. Leim who is embracing Ash from behind is tall, pale-grey, with grey-blonde hair, and has a bony ridge running up the center of their forehead. Leim has their hand over Ash's, and Ash's hand is placed over his own heart. They both have their eyes closed as if relieved and taking a moment to just hold one another as a blizzard rages around them.

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🏳️‍🌈RJ Martin - Queer. Cat Parent. Author. @rjmartinwrites.com · 8d

If you like #books with stabby queer characters, @swords-andsapphics.bsky.social is hosting the ultimate book bundle, featuring 19 SFF & horror books for just $22! Every story includes powerful #sapphic characters facing epic battles and/or wielding sharp melee weapons!

🌈📚🪐📚💙📚📢 #SapphicBooks #WLW

The Ultimate Swords & Sapphics Bundle ⚔️🏳️‍🌈

If you like your books with stabby queer characters, this is the bundle for you! Every story in this bundle is guaranteed to include powerful sapphic characters facing epic battles and/or wielding sharp weapons — including but not limited to swords! Hosted by Swords & Sapphics: the podcast.

itch.io

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Jake Vanguard @jakevanguard.bsky.social · 8d

moo-and-meeks.carrd.co#horroranth

Moo & Meeks

Book reviews, discussions, and more, brought to you by Jess & Jake

moo-and-meeks.carrd.co

Jake Vanguard @jakevanguard.bsky.social · 8d

@thatwriterjess.bsky.social and I are curating our first joint anthology - FUTURISTIC QUEER HORROR!

Check our website for more info. We're looking forward to your submission!

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Dax, sapphic fantasy author @daxaeterna.ink · 9d

If you have already purchased Stars and Soil (either has part of another bundle or on its own!) and get it again via this bundle (or other bundles!), you have my full and enthusiastic permission to gift an e-copy of the book to a friend you think would enjoy it.

Swords & Sapphics: The Podcast @swords-andsapphics.bsky.social · 9d

CALLING STABBY SAPPHICS!

Add 19 new swords & sapphics-themed books to your TBR this autumn with our Ultimate Book Bundle! 19 books for $22 including:

⚔️ fantasy, romance, mythology, sci-fi, & horror
⚔️ lesbian, bi, & pan women
⚔️ will definitely include sharp objects

itch.io/b/3296/the-u...

The Ultimate Swords & Sapphics Book Bundle: 19 sci-fi, fantasy, & horror books featuring weapon-wielding sapphics for $22, at tinyurl.com/sandsbundle.

Includes the following books:
Kiss of Death by Bryony Rosehurst
Tide Breaker's Curse by Ivy H. Marikova
Stars and Soil by Dax Murray
Unchain My Heart by RJ Martin
Her Lady of Steel and Fire by Fern V. Bedek
Of Serpents and Sorrow by Katherine Shaw
Shadows Dark and Deadly by Andrea Marie Johnson
Jagged Shard by Dani Finn
Valerin the Fair by Rien Gray
Dame Ophis by Merlina Garance
Soul Flames and Dawn Weaver by Issy Waldrom
The Gift of Blood and They Who Brought the Storm by Vaela Denarr & Micah Iannandrea
Blood Bounty by Elena Abbott
Beyond Bringers by visceralhit
Born from Earth by Jake Vanguard
My Lord by L.B. Shimaira
The Price of Peace by Senka Heksum

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Valiant 🏳️‍⚧️ | Follow BOOM Goes the Bride on Backerkit! @valwrites.ca · 9d

Since there seems to be some confusion on the topic i made this handy diagram when asking "is this sapphic"

A quick diagram of who can be considered "sapphic." There are two circles. One red small red one and one giant green one. The small red one says "cis men." the giant green one says LITERALLY ANYONE ELSE.

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Shimaira ⛥ @shimaira.com · 9d

So yeah, what's this?
A new bundle, that's what!
With sapphics & stabby things 🗡️
~for anyone who needs a reminder: sapphics are women loving women (incl nonbinary people when they say so 🌸) & includes, but is not limited to, bi, pan, lesbian, ace, aro 🏳️‍🌈☂️
itch.io/b/3296/the-u...
📢📚💙🌈📚💜 #DiscountBooks

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A.M. Weald - buy Fimbulvinter's Fires ❤️‍🔥 @amweald.com · 10d

Why "Fimbulvinter's Fires" is my favorite of all my stories:

- it was a planster project with mostly discovery writing
- its 1st person present gives a rawness new for me
- genre blending to the extreme
- I made conlang for it!
- the ending makes me cry EVERY! TIME!

🩸📚🪐📚💙📚🌈🚀💫💜😱

amweald.com/fires

why fimbulvinter's fires s my favorite of all my stories - GET TO KNOW ASH AND LEIM FROM FIMBULVINTER'S FIRES - Art description: Ash and Leim (pronounced Lime) embracing tenderly during a blizzard wearing parkas. Ash is shorter by a head with light brown skin and dark hair and beard. Leim who is embracing Ash from behind is tall, pale-grey, with grey-blonde hair, and has a bony ridge running up the center of their forehead. Leim has their hand over Ash's, and Ash's hand is placed over his own heart. They both have their eyes closed as if relieved and taking a moment to just hold one another as a blizzard rages around them.

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Reposted by Jake Vanguard

Beedok/Fern 🏳️‍⚧️🇨🇦 @beedokfern.bsky.social · 9d

CALLING STABBY SAPPHICS!

Add 19 new swords & sapphics-themed books to your TBR this autumn with our Ultimate Book Bundle! 19 books for $22 including:

⚔️ fantasy, romance, mythology, sci-fi, & horror
⚔️ lesbian, bi, & pan women
⚔️ will definitely include sharp objects

itch.io/b/3296/the-u...

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Reposted by Jake Vanguard

Swords & Sapphics: The Podcast @swords-andsapphics.bsky.social · 9d

CALLING STABBY SAPPHICS!

Add 19 new swords & sapphics-themed books to your TBR this autumn with our Ultimate Book Bundle! 19 books for $22 including:

⚔️ fantasy, romance, mythology, sci-fi, & horror
⚔️ lesbian, bi, & pan women
⚔️ will definitely include sharp objects

itch.io/b/3296/the-u...

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Phenomena Press @phenomenapress.bsky.social · 15d

I'm a sucker for a good mood board, especially with silly ghosts

Open call submissions for our Paranormal Aspec anthology are open!

paranormal-aspecs.carrd.co

#writingcommunity 🌈📚🪐

Six images with rounded corners, with text that reads "Submissions open, Sept. 15th to Nov. 30th. Paranormal-aspecs.carrd.co"

Images are
1. A sign with a chunk bitten out of it in a forest that reads "Beware of the -"
2. A notebook with a stylised alien head that says "A Field Guide to the Paranormal"
3. Two sheet ghosts wearing sunglasses swinging on a playground swing set
4. A man stands staring at a shadow that looks like a more wolfish human
5. A young person with fluffy hair holds a glass ball that has a prismatic light reflecting off it
6. A hand with blackened fingertips and flames like candles at the ends

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A.M. Weald - buy Fimbulvinter's Fires ❤️‍🔥 @amweald.com · Sep 8

The comps for Fimbulvinter's Fires are so random but the story is like if you put all of that in a blender you get whatever the hell I wrote. ❤️‍🔥

info: amweald.com/fires
buy: books2read.com/fires

Comps for a m Weald's Fimbulvinter's Fires include The road, Skyrim, the martian, project hail Mary, strange way of life, the long dark, the poetic Edda, Brokeback Mountain, thrum, hatchet, the left hand of Darkness, ammonite

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Chief (T.C. Smith) || comms open! @chiefwritesbook.bsky.social · 20d

Why not both

itch.io/b/3263/bi-vi...
itch.io/b/3254/new-w...

#BookSky 🩵📚 📢📚 📦📚

meme of the comic-style man unable to decide which button to press, except he presses both at once and then gives a thumbs up. The buttons are captioned "bi visibility bundle" and "secondary worlds bundle".

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A.M. Weald - buy Fimbulvinter's Fires ❤️‍🔥 @amweald.com · 22d

BI VISIBILITY WEEK MEGA-BUNDLE

Grab 50 books for 50 bucks!

50 books by 50 bi/pan authors. A wide range of genres, styles, and subject matter make this bundle a fantastic way to support queer creators while filling out your personal library!

👉 itch.io/b/3263/bi-vi...

🌈📚💙📢📚📦📚🌎🌈💜🧡🦄📚🌈🚀💫

just a bunch of imagery with bisexual pink purple blue and pansexual pink yellow blue imagery cute rainbow hearts and stars - website link is tinyurl.com/BIWEEK25

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