Winter Ives
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winterives.bsky.social
Winter Ives
@winterives.bsky.social
610 followers 330 following 510 posts
Dreamer. Stargazer. Fantasy Writer.
Author of STARLIGHT
"Every life has a story, and there's life in every story."
Not here to simply promote my work, but to inspire creativity, support the love of books, and share the writing journey.
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Spending a peaceful Sunday celebrating books and the importance of reading and writing. In this regard, I'm sharing a favourite passage from Sagan's Cosmos.

✨Books are indeed proof that humans work magic.✨

#Booksky
#WritingCommunity
#Booklovers
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"What an astonishing thing a book is. It's a flat object made from a tree with flexible parts on which are imprinted lots of funny dark squiggles. But one glance at it, and you're inside the mind of another person, maybe somebody dead for thousands of years. Across the millennia, an author is speaking clearly and silently inside your head, directly to you. Writing is perhaps the greatest of human inventions, binding together people who never knew each other, citizens of distant epochs. Books break the shackles of time. A book is proof that humans are capable of working magic. Cosmos, Part 11: The Persistence of Memory (1980) —Carl Sagan, Cosmos
December 7, 2025 at 11:23 PM
winterives.bsky.social
✨Monday Mood✨
Sharing an inspiring letter written by the incomparable E.B. White.

“Hang on to your hat. Hang on to your hope. And wind the clock, for tomorrow is another day.” —E.B. White

#Booksky
#WritingCommunity
#Authorsky
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Letter from E.B. White North Brooklin, Maine 30 March 1973 Dear Mr. Nadeau: As long as there is one upright man, as long as there is one compassionate woman, the contagion may spread and the scene is not desolate. Hope is the thing that is left to us, in a bad time. I shall get up Sunday morning and wind the clock, as a contribution to order and steadfastness. Sailors have an expression about the weather: they say, the weather is a great bluffer. I guess the same is true of our human society-things can look dark, then a break shows in the clouds, and all is changed, sometimes rather suddenly. It is quite obvious that the human race has made a queer mess of life on this planet. But as a people we probably harbor seeds of goodness that have lain for a long time waiting to sprout when the conditions are right. Man's curiosity, his relentlessness, his inventiveness, his ingenuity have led him into deep trouble. We can only hope that these same traits will enable him to claw his way out. Hang on to your hat. Hang on to your hope. And wind the clock, for tomorrow is another day. Sincerely, E.B. White
December 1, 2025 at 9:51 PM
winterives.bsky.social
Grateful for the many blessings in my life, for family and friends, and for the new acquaintances on Bluesky and #Booksky
💙📚

To all who partake, Happy Thanksgiving!
Graphic that reads: “Give Thanks”
November 27, 2025 at 9:11 PM
winterives.bsky.social
Happy Sunday, everyone!
Love this photo a friend sent to me and said, "Mornings may not always be magical, but STARLIGHT certainly is." 🙂

#BookLovers
#ReadingisMagical
#Booksky
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Tabletop photograph of a purple coffee cup that reads "Mornings aren't Magical" next to a paperback copy of the fantasy novel, STARLIGHT by Winter Ives.
November 16, 2025 at 8:04 PM
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✨Even if it's only the last dream of my soul.✨

#Booksky
#CharlesDickens
#ATaleofTwoCities
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Graphic quote: "I see a beautiful city and a brilliant people rising from this abyss, and, in their struggles to be truly free, in their triumphs and defeats, through long years to come, I see the evil of this time and of the previous time of which this is the natural birth, gradually making expiation for itself and wearing out." ~ Charles Dickens A Tale of Two Cities
October 10, 2025 at 3:19 AM
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Saturday inspiration.
In every story (as in life) there's a moment when the hero fails or falls down, when mistakes are made, and faith is tested. That's when courage and hope rises and shines, leading the way out of darkness. Keep the faith and shine.

#PowerofStory
#Booksky
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"Stars fall, but we rise." Quote from the fantasy novel, STARLIGHT by Winter Ives.
October 4, 2025 at 7:01 PM
winterives.bsky.social
🎃💀🎃
The Headless Horseman from Sleepy Hollow
October 4, 2025 at 6:14 AM
winterives.bsky.social
"Free speech for me, but not for thee" isn't Freedom of Speech or Expression as guaranteed by the Constitution, and corporate cooperation in silencing the truth—or ideas, criticisms, and viewpoints that may not please a regime to increase their profits and monopolies, will affect everyone.
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Graphic of quote by Noam Chomsky: "If you don't believe in freedom of speech for people you disagree with, you don't believe in freedom of speech at all."
September 18, 2025 at 10:06 PM
winterives.bsky.social
Sad to hear about the passing of Charles Robert Redford. He was the ultimate actor, director, film and environmental steward.

We shall never see his like again.

#Storytellers
#RobertRedford
#EnvironmentalSteward
#Filmsky
#Booksky
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Candid photograph of award-winning actor, director, Sundance founder and NRDC trustee, Robert Redford, with one of his quotes: "Storytellers broaden our minds: engage, provoke, inspire, and ultimately, connect us. ~ Robert Redford August 18, 1936 - September 16, 2025
September 17, 2025 at 12:34 AM
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Everyone has their own voice, a certain style, and a unique rhythm. No matter what it is that you write or whether it is published or not, stay true to your instincts and write for yourself.

#WritingCommunity
#Writesky
#Booksky
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Graphic quote: "You must write for yourself, above all. That is [your] only hope of creating something beautiful." ~Gustav Flaubert
September 7, 2025 at 8:38 AM
winterives.bsky.social
Truly enjoy everyone's work. Thought I'd share a WIP entitled "Girl on A Swing" for today's #vss365 prompt, inspired by Maxfield Parrish's "Girl on A Swing," 1905-06.

Just some thoughts, really...

P.S. May everyone have a peaceful weekend.
#writing
#vss365 #prompt for June 20th #parallel
GIRL ON A SWING Sometimes I find myself floating between ground and sky, grasping for things that don't matter anymore. I recall an afternoon dream that beckoned the muse of memory, the gentle sway of a childhood swing. It began with a sigh and the weightlessness of youth lifting me up, suspending time. Despite the gravity of now- unparalleled grief thrusting me back down, reaching higher for things indescribable, despite the rope prickling my hands. But I was only ten. How could I come to understand then- the futility of grasping at love? At times, memory chafes the spirit, leaving a splinter in the heart. Yet long after love swung away from me, I felt a gentle, swaying breeze, and recalled a child on a swing. Perhaps only a dream, or the best part of me. -©2025, Girl on a Swing, Winter Ives "Girl on A Swing" "Summer" or "The Swing" by Mayfield Parrish, 1905-06. Used for the poem, "Potpourri" by H.G. Dwight & for Collier's Magazine cover in 1905.
June 20, 2025 at 8:11 PM
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Both Winter & Summer Solstice are expressions of hope, the wonder of nature, and that light shall overcome darkness. In honour of #SummerSolstice, I'm sharing talented artist, illustrator, & author Angela Porter's art.

Plus, Zukav's quote sums it up nicely. #Inspiration 📚💙🎨
Source: artwyrd.com
"Both the Winter and the Summer Solstices are expressions of love. They show us the opposition of light and dark, expansion and contraction that characterise our experiences ...so that we can recognise our options as we move through our lives." —Gary Zukav Graphic Illustration by artist, illustrator, and author Angela Porter. Source: artwyrd.com
June 20, 2025 at 5:19 PM
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Friday Favourite. This quote has always been a fabulous reminder that no matter how tough it gets—whatever we set out to do, our intention will see us through.
#Inspiration
#Writing
#Creativity
#BookLove
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Friday Favourite Quote: “Whatever you do, or dream you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it.“—Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe
June 19, 2025 at 6:37 PM
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Post a fictional death that devastated you.
This was particularly devastating.
Lord Eddard "Ned" Stark's execution in Game of Thrones.
June 15, 2025 at 2:46 AM
winterives.bsky.social
Alas, have no idea who created this art for #PrideMonth, but wish to share it to show my respect for everyone.

Everyone is welcome here.
Happy Pride Month!

(P.S. If you know the artist, please leave credit in the comments).
Graphic for Pride Month that reads: Everyone is Welcome Here. Artist unknown. DM if you know, and I will add the credit in comments.
June 6, 2025 at 8:36 PM
winterives.bsky.social
I long to go down to the sea,
to the waters of memory,
and feel the brine on my cheek,
but I recall the haunting thoughts
I dare not speak.
The lavender sea of my youth
brings an unbidden tear
for all that is good,
for all that is lost,
and all that we hold dear.

#vss365 #writingprompt #brine
Lavender sea. Photograph by Winter Ives.
May 29, 2025 at 8:33 PM
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My chuckle for the day. "The Story Coaster" by comic artist Grant Snider, circa 2013.

Source: grantsnider.com

#Authorsky
#WritingCommunity
#Booksky
#WriterlyWednesday
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The StoryCoaster by American Comic Artist Grant Snider, 2013 grantsnider.com
May 28, 2025 at 6:59 PM
winterives.bsky.social
Monday inspiration is a lovely graphic illustration of a quote by Thích Nhất Hạnh created by artist Katie Daisy, katiedaisy.com

Whatever we set out to do—write a poem, read a book, finish a novel, plant flowers, paint a picture...

Remember, everything is possible.
#Authorsky
#Writing
#Booksky
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Graphic illustration of a quote by poet, author, peace activist, and Buddhist Monk, Thích Nhất Hạnh: "Because you are alive, everything is possible." Artwork created by illustrator Katie Daisy - katiedaisy.com
May 27, 2025 at 6:14 PM
winterives.bsky.social
Love this dress. Perfect choice! The costumer’s details are stunning.
May 25, 2025 at 5:29 AM
winterives.bsky.social
When writing STARLIGHT, I thought of how we are made of the stars. Our journey is a cosmic story, one filled with constellations of thoughts, emotions, needs, and desires. I drew from a well of influences and inspiration, including Carl Sagan, a wizard of space and time.

#Booksky
#Inspiration
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Quote by Carl Sagan from Cosmos on a star-filled blue and black background. "The cosmos is within us. We are made of star-sturf. We are a way for the universe to know itself."
May 24, 2025 at 6:55 AM
winterives.bsky.social
This magical fairy tale painting, entitled Midsummer Eve (1908) by Edward Robert Hughes, has always fascinated me. Inspired by Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream, it was featured on a book cover in a collection my father kept in his library when I was child.

#Artsky
#Booksky
#Inspiration
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Midsummer Eve (1908) by English artist Edward Robert Hughes. Depiction of a fairy world similar to Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream.
May 23, 2025 at 2:57 AM
winterives.bsky.social
Pronounced "word" or "weird," Wyrd is often associated with the supernatural. In Macbeth, The Weird Sisters are a reference to the Norns, Norse goddesses of destiny.
Wyrd reveals the interconnection of all things and how actions affect destiny, but free will can change fate.
#Booksky
#Mythology
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Graphic of the word, WYRD The word Wyrd is an Anglo Saxon and Norse word. It means that everything in the universe is connected by a weave of intricate strands. It is our fates and our destiny. Wyrd is said to be controlled by three sisters called the Norns. They are responsible for shaping our lives. Their names are Urör 'that which has become' Verdandi 'that which is in the process of becoming and Skuld that which should be. One ramification of wyrd in personal human terms is that our past (both our ancestry and our personal history) affects us continually. Who we are, where we are, and what we are doing today is dependent on actions we have taken in the past and actions others have taken in the past which have affected us in some way. And every choice we make in the present builds upon choices we have previously made. That everyday we are shaping our destiny and by the choices we make we are shaping others destiny for generations to come. That all lives are connected by a web of fate.
May 22, 2025 at 11:56 PM
winterives.bsky.social
Fun quiz. I am familiar with almost all of the writers and stories, except for 2, but ended up guessing correctly.
Thanks for posting the quiz. 😊
May 22, 2025 at 5:25 AM
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The path before us may be difficult or uncertain, but when we immerse ourselves in a story, the power of imagination and inspiration is nothing short of bliss.

✨Reading is magical.✨

#Booksky
#Writesky
#Booklove
🪐📚💙
Graphic that reads: Sometimes we need a little magic.
May 22, 2025 at 5:06 AM
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Our wee pollinators are responsible for the reproduction of 75% of the world's food crops. Hence this year's theme for World Bee Day, "Bee Inspired by Nature to Nourish Us All."

#WorldBeeDay
#SavetheBees
#Nature

“Posy of Flowers with a Beetle on a Stone Ledge” (1741) by Rachel Ruysch.
“Posy of Flowers, with a Beetle, on a Stone Ledge” (1741) by Dutch Golden Age painter, Rachel Ruysch. Oil on canvas. Image courtesy of Kunstmuseum Basel.
May 20, 2025 at 9:09 PM