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leahbauerwrites.bsky.social
@leahbauerwrites.bsky.social
1.3K followers 290 following 910 posts
Lady of Books and Trees, writer and reader, friendly neighborhood bi, she/her. 🌈
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leahbauerwrites.bsky.social
leahbauerwrites.bsky.social @leahbauerwrites.bsky.social · Apr 5
Picking locks is a bit like discovering what makes a lover come undone; it requires patience, focus, and a dash of magic. Luckily for Ness, she happens to have all three.

#1stLinePit #WIP #A #F #R #LGBT #CMe
a background of frost and ice with the words An Agent’s Guide to Be Gay Do Crimes WIP. a background image of frost and ice. The pitch for Be Gay Do Crimes WIP: To keep her queer crew from being kicked out of their gang, 24 year-old thief Ness must steal a prince, get him to his rich aunt, and keep her pretty nemesis from interfering. Falling for both of them wasn’t in the plan. A collage of memes for Be Gay Do Crimes WIP: -steal everything your gay little hands can carry -middle spoon -the nonsense has escalated -* instant regret * -the sexual tension when someone says "make me" -Be Gay do Crimes -A knife? Are you flirting with me? -A cat walking on two legs carrying an umbrella and carpet bag. Sheet music with the caption I don't know where I'm going but I'm gay -A tweet from @ MaineMillennial: the goal of polyamory is to acquire enough partners to pull off a successful heist. a background of frost and ice. For fans of Running Close to the Wind by Alexandra Rowland (fun romp, horny MC), A Power Unbound by Freya Marske (queer fantasy romance, cool magic system), Little Thieves by Margaret Owen (female con MC, cat-and-mouse romance), 1997 Anastasia movie (banter, travel) Ocean’s Eight movie and The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi (heists, found family). a background of frost and ice. An excerpt from Be Gay Do Crimes WIP: “Stop, thief.” Ness stills. She knows that voice. Smooth blades of midnight wrapped in silk. A frisson of excitement shoots down Ness’ spine, and she has to force herself to turn slowly. It’s bad form for a mouse to appear too eager to entice the cat into a heart-pounding chase. Though she’s shrouded in shadow, she meets Melirin’s flinty gaze unerringly. Her obsidian eyes glint with a spark of challenge.
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bookjockeyalex.bsky.social
Send this to secondary school educators who insist we have to have genAI edtech because they need to be prepared for the workforce.
January 17, 2026 at 3:44 PM
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john-abernathy.bsky.social
Photo by Pierre Lavie. Yes this is me. And I threw my Leica. It landed on the bass plate with hardly a scratch. Another Photographer grabbed it along with my phone and I was able to track him later. I was held face down tear gas deployed right in front of me and pepper sprayed directly into the eye.
January 17, 2026 at 2:57 PM
leahbauerwrites.bsky.social
"gold" for #WIPSnips #WriteSky #WritingPrompts #WritingCommunity
An excerpt from my Be Gay Do Crimes WIP: Reaching for the pocket watch hanging from a chain at her waist, Ness smooths her fingers over the hinged cover. Its circular shape is familiar, and its weight in her palm is reassuring. She focuses on the gold filigree design of cresting waves that encase the polished, teal sapphire stone. Whenever she needs to puzzle her way through a plan, she invariably finds herself toying with the first item she ever successfully pick-pocketed: a tangible reminder of what she can accomplish when she sets her mind to a challenge.
January 17, 2026 at 12:35 PM
leahbauerwrites.bsky.social
Watching Legally Blonde for some serotonin
January 17, 2026 at 2:23 AM
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danhon.com
I keep seeing it without a source link, so here it is:

January 16, 2026

MINNEAPOLIS LABOR UNION DELEGATION AND LOCAL REGIONAL LABOR BODIES ENDORSE JANUARY 23: DAY OF TRUTH AND FREEDOM
NO WORK, SCHOOL, OR SHOPPING

minneapolisunions.org/system/files...
January 16, 2026 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Stacie Balkaran — stacie@minneapolisunions.org / 971.291.9486 MINNEAPOLIS LABOR UNION DELEGATION AND LOCAL REGIONAL LABOR BODIES ENDORSE JANUARY 23: DAY OF TRUTH AND FREEDOM NO WORK, SCHOOL, OR SHOPPING MINNEAPOLIS – The Minneapolis Regional Labor Federation, AFL-CIO along with regional bodies throughout the state, including the Saint Paul Regional Labor Federation, the West Area Labor Council, the North East Area Labor Council and the East Central Labor Council, have joined in solidarity to endorse a powerful unified statewide action on January 23: Day of Truth and Freedom. The Minnesota labor movement is united against the violent ICE occupation of our beloved cities that has directly impacted union members, our workplaces and our families. Workers are essential for our communities to function. Since the ICE campaign of terror began, both immigrant and non-immigrant workers have feared for their safety when going to work, being at work, and coming home from work. Union members and our families are being illegally detained at alarming rates, with workplaces and schools facing increased challenges. Chelsie Glaubitz Gabiou, President of the Minneapolis Regional Labor Federation, AFL-CIO, shared why union federations are joining this call: “Working people, our schools and our communities are under attack. Union members are being detained commuting to and from work, tearing apart families. Parents are being forced to stay home, students held out of school, fearing for their lives, all while the employer class remains silent. Our labor federations are encouraging everyone to participate on January 23rd. It’s time for every single Minnesotan who loves this state and the notion of truth and freedom to raise their voices and deepen their solidarity for our neighbors and coworkers living under this federal occupation.”
January 16, 2026 at 11:40 PM
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ericsmithrocks.bsky.social
If you don’t know what to say while living through the horrors, it’s okay. Boost the voices of your colleagues and peers that do.

You can use your platform, even if words are failing you.
January 16, 2026 at 11:58 PM
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aritalks.bsky.social
ICE has kidnapped so many people from their cars that the city had to put out this statement. Let that sink in.
minneapolismn.gov City of Minneapolis @minneapolismn.gov · 1d
Vehicles that are abandoned due to an ICE detention and towed to the City's impound lot will be released to their owners or a representative at no cost.

Learn more: https://www.minneapolismn.gov/getting-around/parking-driving/impound-lot/#d.en.200746
Vehicles abandoned due to ICE detention will be released to their owners or a representative at no cost.
January 16, 2026 at 11:42 PM
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frederickmelo.bsky.social
She’s a U.S. citizen and was on her way to pick up seizure medication. ICE has detained her anyway for the past 50 hours at the Sherburne County Jail. www.twincities.com/2026/01/16/f... #NasraAhmed #StPaul
January 16, 2026 at 6:51 PM
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sarahnfisk.bsky.social
There is a site obviously created by AI that is pretending to be a continuation of Pitch Wars. It is not, has nothing to do with anyone involved in #pitchwars, and looks quite scammy. Please beware & tell your friends.

@brendadrake.bsky.social @kellyekell.bsky.social @authorsoniahartl.bsky.social
June 22, 2025 at 6:08 PM
leahbauerwrites.bsky.social
YES! YES YES!
freyamarske.bsky.social Freya Marske @freyamarske.bsky.social · 1d
BODIES OF MAGIC, out Sept 2026: Grey's Anatomy meets A Deadly Education, a mystery set during the final exam week of a magical medical school. (Or: five queer nerds solve a murder and have some feelings.)

Cover design by Jamie Stafford-Hill.

Preorder US: bit.ly/BoM-US
Preorder UK: bit.ly/BoM-UK
A book cover for Bodies of Magic by Freya Markse. A deep blue building with a quadrangle, spires and cloisters fills the lower half of the cover with the title text in gold across it. Behind that, the upper background is grey and stormy with a prominent twisting white design that could be a bare tree rising up from the main tower OR an anatomical diagram of the lungs. Centered above the lung-tree are the words DO NO HARM in stark white. Honestly: a complete banger of a cover. Doesn't it make you want to preorder? Yes, yes it does.
January 16, 2026 at 11:02 PM
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prisonculture.bsky.social
So working as designed then.
normcharlatan.bsky.social Norm Charlatan @normcharlatan.bsky.social · 1d
I don’t think people quite understand that the occupation by ICE in the Twin Cities has more or less erased non-white people from public life. They cannot safely exist in any space accessible to the public and moving between private places leaves folks vulnerable to kidnapping by armed masked goons.
January 16, 2026 at 10:19 PM
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courtneymilan.com
I think voting is incredibly important. This is why me and my friends have raised $1 million for voting rights.

I think if the ONLY THING you are talking about right now is people voting, you have lost the plot.
January 16, 2026 at 6:24 PM
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mintaii.bsky.social
oh miss ivy 🥀

#art
an illustration of poison ivy; every part of her being seems to be amalgamated into the tree bark, its roots, the vines and the leaves. in the distance are gothic looking structures that seem overtaken by nature.
January 16, 2026 at 6:01 PM
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adashtra.bsky.social
Breaks my heart to share this, but today is my last day at The Verge and I am looking for work! I'd really like to stay in video games, preferably in some kind of journalistic capacity but I can do PR/Marketing and maybe even a lil Narrative Design. Please get in touch!
www.ashparrish.com
Ash Parrish
www.ashparrish.com
January 16, 2026 at 4:55 PM
leahbauerwrites.bsky.social
A thread of the books I read in 2026!

1/ When No One is Watching by Alyssa Cole

I liked it! Due to pacing, I wouldn't classify it as a thriller though. It's more of a mystery that explores the horrors of racism and gentrification.
book cover for When No One Is Watching by Alyssa Cole: the front of an apartment building where all the windows are dark except one
January 16, 2026 at 3:07 PM
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trungles.com
Abolish ICE. A little journal comic from South Minneapolis.

#iceoutmpls #iceoutcomics #iceoutofmpls
Just before Christmas, I got a puppy. Her name is Minerva, and we call her *Minnie. I'm still learning how to understand her. Me: Do you need to go outside? Do you need to go outside, little baby? Do you need to do a poo? Do you need to do a widdle piddle? Minnie: Arf! *I just call her "little baby" most of the time. I'm also realizing I can't turn off the baby talk now. Nobody tells you about that. I got so lucky with my first puppy. Her wonderful foster parents had her completely house-trained by the time we adopted her, so taking her outside for potty time has been pretty easy. I've got the puppy poopy routine pretty much down, now. Me, putting on my coat: Let's see... I got the little poopy bags, puppy treats for bribes, jacket, scarf, phone… I think that's everything… Oh yes! And my passport. I had been carrying around my passport for a while, but I knew it didn't matter. This is wrong. Nobody is required to carry around their papers. I became a US citizen when I was seven. Since I was born in a refugee camp, I was stateless. The US is the only nation where I've ever held citizenship. It's the only passport I've ever had, and it still felt important. Protective. I would hold it in my pocket like a talisman, like it might ward off ghosts or something. But I realized I was holding onto it basically out of superstition. ICE will pick up anybody. I know that. So I tucked my passport away. And I largely avoid leaving my house. I live a few blocks just South of George Floyd Square. I was in the neighborhood for that, too. And all the neighbors came together to protect each other. We're already organized. We'll do our best to get through this. Me, to my dog: I hope I can take you for a walk someday soon. Won't that be nice, little baby?
January 16, 2026 at 1:27 PM
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criminalerin.bsky.social
"ICE is out of control and beyond reform. We must fundamentally change the way we approach immigration: it’s time to abolish ICE."

See, Dems? You can actually say it, and even draft legislation about it! It's possible to do!
Michigan U.S. Rep. Shri Thanedar Introduces Bill to Abolish ICE
Detroit area Congressman Shri Thanedar has introduced legislation in Congress that would abolish U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The proposal, called the ‘Abolish ICE Act’, would dismantle t...
themetrodetroitnews.com
January 16, 2026 at 2:30 PM
leahbauerwrites.bsky.social
#SapphicLineShare #QueerWriters #WriteSky #WritingCommunity #WritinngPrompts
An excerpt from my Be Gay Do Crimes WIP: Trailing her hand down the railing of the mahogany staircase, she descends to the first floor. It’s strange to wander about someone else’s home without planning to steal anything, and whenever she encounters one of the servants, she tenses and has to squelch the instinct to hide, lie about why she’s there, or incapacitate them. Her habit of counting exits, however, isn’t one she can break.
January 16, 2026 at 2:41 PM
leahbauerwrites.bsky.social
when your nemesis unexpectedly interrupts your breakfast

#WIPSnips #WriteSky #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts
An excerpt from my Be Gay Do Crimes WIP: “Wh-what? How…?” Ness struggles to form full sentences, her mind a panicked loop of Melirin is here, Melirin is here. It’s like her brain has turned into some sort of cheap magical security on a piece of jewelry that recognizes a robber but does nothing to stop the theft. She needs to get a grip.
January 16, 2026 at 2:00 PM
leahbauerwrites.bsky.social
When a patron says they don’t usually read fantasy books but read and liked both of the fantasy books I’ve chosen so far for book club
a young man is wearing sunglasses and the words `` too cool '' are written on the bottom .
Alt: a young man is wearing sunglasses and the words `` too cool '' are written on the bottom .
media.tenor.com
January 15, 2026 at 2:27 AM
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supplydepotmpls.bsky.social
We are in fact DESPERATE for winter coats, waterproof gloves, and good boots. We get so many wonderful donations but it is so cold and the numbers of unhoused unsheltered people are going up at the absolute worst time for it, and we run out of coats weekly.
teammom.bsky.social This year’s team mom @teammom.bsky.social · 3d
The frigid Twin Cities temperatures will hurt the homeless; so do not gloat about the impact on ICE without also stepping up here:
megiddings.bsky.social Megan Giddings @megiddings.bsky.social · 5d
If you're still able to help Minnesota, @supplydepotmpls.bsky.social is always accepting donations. $10 buys a pack of handwarmers. If you were given Amazon gift cards this year for Christmas, you can shop their Amazon wishlist: linktr.ee/sanctuarysup...
January 14, 2026 at 7:29 PM
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kortizart.bsky.social
HELL YEAH!!

Look at what we did TOGETHER! Comic-con has quietly changed their language and will NOT allow GenAi imagery in their art show!

And this happened because you all wrote letters, and shared your concerns! Speaking up works EVERY time!

So congrats friends! We did this together!!!
🙌🙌💖💖💖
culturecrave.co Culture Crave 🍿 @culturecrave.co · 3d
San Diego Comic-Con will no longer allow AI 'art' to be displayed at their event

"Material created by AI either partially or wholly, is not allowed in the art show"

This follows backlash from artists after SDCC initially indicated AI-generated work would be permitted
January 14, 2026 at 11:41 PM
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mikechenwriter.bsky.social
Here's a tangible ask for your reps.
sahilkapur.bsky.social Sahil Kapur @sahilkapur.bsky.social · 4d
NEW: Some Democrats push for a fight over DHS funds after ICE shooting in Minneapolis

They want guardrails in a bill by Jan. 30 deadline, including making agents show ID and no masked arrests.

But their leverage is limited.

Here is our new story on the dynamic: www.nbcnews.com/politics/con...
Some Democrats push for a fight over DHS funds after ICE shooting in Minneapolis
They want guardrails on immigration agents. The issue has risen to the fore ahead of a key Jan. 30 deadline after an ICE officer shot and killed an American woman in Minneapolis.
www.nbcnews.com
January 13, 2026 at 9:57 PM
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seasianpit.bsky.social
SAVE THE DATE: #SEAsianPit is back again 🎉 This time as an official pitch event ‼️

May 30, 2026

Check out the list of participating agents and amendments in the event rules in the 🔗 or 🧵
Save the date announcement with flowing blue waves and seaweed design. Text on parchment background reads: "Save the Date, May 30, 2026." Calm, coastal theme.
January 10, 2026 at 1:03 PM
leahbauerwrites.bsky.social
Five fucking times in one week. That’s how often Melirin has swooped in to mess with Ness’ plans. It’s either impressive or alarming, probably both.

#WIPSnips #WriteSky #WritingPrompts #WritingCommunity
January 10, 2026 at 6:37 PM