Elsie Smith
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elsiesmithwrites.bsky.social
Elsie Smith
@elsiesmithwrites.bsky.social
1.6K followers 250 following 810 posts
Indie closed door contemporary romance author
Owner of @novelcratebox.bsky.social and @virtualshelfevent.bsky.social
AuDHD, EDS, POTS

https://1link.st/eswrites
https://www.elsiesmithbooks.com/mutual-aid
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elsiesmithwrites.bsky.social
I joked about making a “fight fascism, wear a mask” shirt & I finally did! As a highly empathetic disabled woman, it’s been hard the last few months seeing so many struggling w/ everything going on & not be able to help as much as I want. So much of the #resistance needed is entirely inaccessible
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Disabled Mutual Aid Fundraiser Fight fascism, wear a mask Graphic of several hands putting hearts into a collection jar
March 12, 2025 at 11:24 PM
elsiesmithwrites.bsky.social
January was a pretty darn good reading month.
February 1, 2025 at 9:48 PM
elsiesmithwrites.bsky.social
Someone shared this in the replies to this post on threads. This is exactly the kind of legislation that would allow RFK to set up his “rehab” farms for people with adhd, depression, etc. If you’re not already scared and angry, it’s time to change that.

#disability
Screenshot of Oklahoma State Bill 1343 from 1/8/2025 AS INTRODUCED An Act relating to the Department of Mental Health & Substance Abuse Services; abolishing the Department Of Mental Health & Substance Abuse Services; transferring all duties, powers, & responsibilities to the State Department of Corrections; transferring all real & personal property; providing for codification; providing an effective date; & declaring an emergency. SECTION 1. A new section of law to be codified in the Oklahoma Statutes, reads as follows: A. The Department of Mental Health & Substance Abuse Services is hereby abolished. All duties, powers, & responsibilities, including real & personal property, including books, records, and funds controlled by the Department of Mental Health & Substance Abuse Services shall be transferred to the State Department of Corrections. SECTION 2. This act shall become effective July 1, 2025. SECTION 3. It being immediately necessary for the preservation of the public peace, health or safety, an emergency is hereby declared to exist, by reason whereof this act shall take effect and be in full force from and after its passage and approval.
February 1, 2025 at 9:45 PM
elsiesmithwrites.bsky.social
Today’s mood, side eye included:
January 20, 2025 at 8:07 PM
elsiesmithwrites.bsky.social
Well this is very *interesting* #tiktok…

The comments are from the video I came across that showed the lack of search results for US users.
Screenshot of the search page on TikTok; the search is “Donald Trump rigged election” and instead of any results, there is this message: No results found This phrase may be associated with behavior or content that violates our guidelines. Promoting a safe and positive experience is TikTok's top priority. For more information, we invite you to review our Community Guidelines. Screenshots of comments from the video pointing out the strange search results from users outside the US who say they get video results when running the same search
January 20, 2025 at 1:25 PM
elsiesmithwrites.bsky.social
I’m obsessed with mine.
January 20, 2025 at 2:38 AM
elsiesmithwrites.bsky.social
I’ve seen a few people frustrated with the new ig profile layout. If you go to each of your posts, you can change how square photos show up on your grid so they’re not zoomed in and cropped. I wish they gave more background options. But at least this way people will be able to see the whole photo.
January 17, 2025 at 3:13 PM
elsiesmithwrites.bsky.social
Hi! Here are some important things to know about me:
I write closed-door contemporary romances full of fun & feels.
My author “brand” includes:
- being anti AI generated “art” visual or otherwise
- feminism
- being pro-Palestine
- sarcasm
- talking about mental health & disability
- lots of swearing
January 12, 2025 at 1:42 PM
elsiesmithwrites.bsky.social
We all have an emotional support dead famous person and who they are says a lot about you.

Yeah… mine is Agatha Christie. Do with that what you will.
January 9, 2025 at 12:07 AM
elsiesmithwrites.bsky.social
I might have kinda forgotten bluesky existed for a while. I’ve been dealing with negative communication spoons lately. I’ll probably disappear for a few days after this honestly. But here’s the first book I read this year because it was a solid ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. I definitely recommend doing it on audiobook!
Cover of Cross the Line by Simone Solanti
January 8, 2025 at 2:08 AM
elsiesmithwrites.bsky.social
On the Dotted Line by Lauren Brown Cover: a man and a woman working on opposite sides of a table in front of a window showing a city nightscape; they’re playing footsie Tropes: - mutually fought attraction - this changes everything - office rivals - funny and feelsy Suddenly Falling by Lauren Brown Cover: a couple kissing in front of a window showing an airplane outside Tropes: - he falls first - mental health rep - strangers to friends to lovers - funny and feelsy
December 28, 2024 at 5:50 PM
elsiesmithwrites.bsky.social
I was going to wait & announce all the changes at once but I’m not very good at keeping secrets 😂 My books are now available in Kindle Unlimited! You can now read my workplace romance novella or my rockstar meets small town full length debut for free w/ your subscription!
#Booksky 💙📚 #Romancelandia
Background: blue and pink and purple blending together Title: Now in Kindle Unlimited! Two kindle mockups featuring the covers of On the Dotted Line and Suddenly Falling by Lauren Brown
December 28, 2024 at 5:50 PM
elsiesmithwrites.bsky.social
Would you really not be mad if a friend came to an optional event knowing they’re sick & you caught their cold etc? Even before I knew I was disabled, that would’ve pissed me off. It’s simple basic human decency to not go around people when sick unless necessary. Why is this so hard for some people?
Screenshot of a Threads post from @eclecticfunkdesign saying: So you basically have a fear of being around sick people, try not to let that control your life. And seeing a sick person in public shouldn't make you feel "disrespected", if so just stay home and avoid everyone entirely
December 26, 2024 at 5:29 PM
elsiesmithwrites.bsky.social
Some changes are coming I can’t quite share yet but I’m trying to clear out the physical copies I have in my office before then. So you can grab signed copies of both my books for 30% off until they’re gone! I only have a few of each.
#booksky 💙📚 #DisabledRomancelandia

payhip.com/LaurenBrownB...
December 25, 2024 at 10:06 PM
elsiesmithwrites.bsky.social
The Romance Riot is starting the holiday gifting a little early! I & 19 of my author friends have each made one of our books free today only! There are books from a bunch of romance subgenres so there’s something for everyone.
#Booksky 💙📚 #Romancelandia
theromanceriot.wordpress.com/tinsel-and-t...
December 19, 2024 at 2:36 PM
elsiesmithwrites.bsky.social
Name an indie book you rated 5 stars in 2024
Cover of Dust Storm by Maggie Gates An illustrated scene of a mountain against a blue sky
December 12, 2024 at 2:58 PM
elsiesmithwrites.bsky.social
Dear #UnitedHealthcare, this isn’t gonna be enough to repair your reputation. I mean, I’ll take your money. But I’d really prefer you actually just pay for my meds and appointments.
Screenshot of an email from UHC Subject line - It’s here - UHC Rewards Body text: Get in on a new way to earn rewards Get more out of your health plan with UnitedHealthcare Rewards, where you can earn up to $1,000 for tracking your steps or sleep, getting an annual checkup and more. The activities you go for are up to you. UHC Rewards is included in your health plan at no additional cost, and you can find it in the UnitedHealthcare® app.
December 11, 2024 at 6:22 PM
elsiesmithwrites.bsky.social
I’ll go first. My novella On the Dotted Line is a prequel to my Suddenly Us series but can be read on its own. The characters just wouldn’t shut up.
- workplace rivals fighting for a promotion
- Elle Woods inspired fmc (but w/ anxiety)
- so much sass
- steamy but closed door
books2read.com/u/bM7d7v
Trope arrow graphic; background is a law themed desk - office rivals - mutually fought attraction - this changes everything - funny and feelsy
December 9, 2024 at 3:07 PM
elsiesmithwrites.bsky.social
My novella is always 1.99
December 7, 2024 at 6:31 PM
elsiesmithwrites.bsky.social
This is the kind of thing I keep seeing that keeps me begging the bookish community 💙📚 to not forget the disabled community. Our Own Voices stories don’t seem to matter to so many. I covered the link to the application & took out the first sentence to not include the cover artist’s identity. I’ve
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Screenshot of a post with the text: anonymous benefactor to offer a debut/new author a deluxe cover package each month for all of 2025. When said benefactor approached me about this, I was immediately on board. Diversity is so incredibly important. Own Voices matter now more than ever. Queer, Black, BIPOC and POC authors are encouraged to apply:
December 4, 2024 at 8:18 PM
elsiesmithwrites.bsky.social
I am totally capable of liking something a normal amount and not obsessing over it 😂
Spotify Wrapped graphic - black and blue background with a photo of Taylor Swift at the top Top Artists 1 Taylor Swift 2 Kelsea Ballerini 3 Olivia Rodrigo 4 Sabrina Carpenter 5 Gracie Abrams Top Songs 1 But Daddy I Love Him 2 Who's Afraid of Little Old Me 3 I Can Do It With a Broken Heart 4 So Long, London 5 Fresh Out The Slammer A photo of Taylor Swift on a red & green background You're a top 0.5% fan and you spent 20,598 minutes together Cover of The Tortured Poets Department The Anthology on a yellow and blue background Your top song was But Daddy I Love Him by Taylor Swift You were in the top 0.005% of listeners globally.
December 4, 2024 at 3:51 PM
elsiesmithwrites.bsky.social
Allyship doesn’t have to be perfect but it does mean you can’t just stay silent & do nothing. I’ve shared some ideas of what you can do both inside & outside the bookish community to stand with us, but it’s far from exhaustive. I’ll be reposting more info & ideas here & over on ig, I’ve shared
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7. Add To & Share the Doc Database Finding a good dr can be extremely hard. Personal recommendations are often a good way but can be hard to come by depending on what kind of dr you need. I’m hoping to change that. People can submit recommendations or warnings about drs they’ve seen to help others in their area who may be looking for a new dr. This isn’t only for those of us in the disabled community. This is for anyone looking for any kind of doctor. A Few of My Fave Disabled Authors - Evie Mitchell @eviemitchellauthor - Mariah Ankenman @mariahankenman - Ivy Fairbanks @ivyfairbanksbooks - Melissa Whitney @melissa_whitneyauthor - Liz Lincoln @lizlincolnauthor - Sabina Nordqvist @nordqvistbooks - Katie Cawood @authorkatiecawood - Torrance Sené @torrancesene
December 3, 2024 at 7:57 PM
elsiesmithwrites.bsky.social
people outside the disabled community are wary of engaging with it for fear of doing something wrong. But here’s the thing. We don’t need you to be perfect. We need you to listen to us instead of taking over or for us. We need you to stand beside us as we fight. We need you to include us.
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3. Examine the Quality of Disabled Rep Examine whether the rep is authentic or problematic. If there’s overt ableism from characters, is it addressed or called out? Does falling in love magically cure their disability or struggles? Do disabled characters have agency over their own lives & bodies? Are disabled characters written following harmful stereotypes? Are they fleshed out beyond just their disability? A character’s disability may be different than you’ve witnessed or experienced, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s not authentic. 4. Make Your Content Accessible Add captions & alt text to your social media content. So much of social media is entirely inaccessible to people with a wide variety of disabilities. Make sure everyone gets to really be part of the bookish community by making sure they can take in & interact with your content. 5. Wear a Mask & Get Vaccinated Covid isn’t gone, bird flu is coming quickly, & depending on how things go in the US over the next few years, there could be a lot of other diseases to worry about before long. Covid is still permanently disabling countless people. More people wearing masks & getting vaccinated not only makes it safer for immune compromised people to go places like reader events (or the grocery store), they also help keep you & your loved ones healthy. 6. Donate to Mutual Aid In the US at least, people who rely on government disability benefits are generally forced to live in poverty. They’re not allowed to earn extra money or save more than about $2k or they risk losing their benefits. If the government doesn’t consider us disabled enough to get even that, many disabled people can only work part time or low paying jobs because of their limitations. It’s not uncommon for disabled people to have to choose between paying for food or rent or often expensive treatment. Even $5 helps if you can spare it.
December 3, 2024 at 7:57 PM
elsiesmithwrites.bsky.social
It’s #InternationalDayOfPeopleWithDisabilities! I tend to ramble when I post about disability so I’ll try to keep this short and let the slides speak for themselves. There are more slides in the replies. My relationship with my disabilities is freaking complicated. So I totally understand if
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International Day of People with Disabilities December 3 Currently, about 1.3 billion people or 16% of the population experience significant disability. If you live long enough, you will almost certainly join that number, at least temporarily. Whether it’s a condition set off by a seemingly minor infection, a sudden accident, or simply the effects of aging, everyone is just one bad day away from becoming disabled. Ways you can help > 1. Don’t Forget We Exist I cannot tell you how many times I’ve seen discussions of marginalization in books & publishing where so many different groups are listed out & the disabled community is nowhere to be found. Being constantly forgotten or ignored hurts. We may not have the same representation or access problems as other groups, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have representation & access problems that need to be recognized & addressed. 2. Find & Amplify Own Voices Books Search out & amplify books with Own Voices disability rep. While we welcome non-disabled authors writing disabled characters, they are often elevated above those written by actually disabled authors. Try to find books on your own instead of asking the disabled bookish community to do the work of finding them for you. Then share books with good rep widely! Authors, please use disabled sensitivity readers.
December 3, 2024 at 7:57 PM
elsiesmithwrites.bsky.social
It may have taken all fucking day but it’s done 😍
December 1, 2024 at 4:32 AM