Jeffrey Harlan
LightNews LightNews
banner
jeffreyharlan.com
Jeffrey Harlan
@jeffreyharlan.com
130 followers 93 following 410 posts
Barista by evening, author & editor by night. Not a morning person. USAF vet, former SpEd paraprofessional, security guard. Member ALLi & SFWA. Married to @meganeharlan.com

Follow me on Mastodon: https://writing.exchange/@harlander
Posts Replies Media Videos
jeffreyharlan.com
“Writing is perhaps the greatest of human inventions... Books break the shackles of time — proof that humans can work magic.” — Carl Sagan
Comic style quote bubble with the quote “Writing is perhaps the greatest of human inventions... Books break the shackles of time — proof that humans can work magic.” — Carl Sagan. The title at the bottom is "Inkspiring," with the web site address jeffreyharlan.com
November 13, 2025 at 6:04 PM
jeffreyharlan.com
It all comes down to this!

The Kickstarter for "Have Yourself a Post-Apocalyptic Christmas" ends Thursday Nov 13th at 1pm Pacific! This is your last chance to back the project and get in on the ground floor!

🔗 buff.ly/KetMSmu

#Kickstarter #Zombies #Santa #Krampus #Bookstagram
November 12, 2025 at 9:24 PM
jeffreyharlan.com
What do you think the biggest challenge would be for food production on an off-planet colony?

#Question #SciFi #Farming #SpaceTravel
November 12, 2025 at 6:02 PM
jeffreyharlan.com
Today is #VeteransDay in the US, honoring the service of military veterans. I was in the US Air Force from 2002 through 2007, and in the reserves until 2010.

Today is also #RemembranceDay in the UK and commonwealth countries, honoring those who gave their lives in military service.
Jeffrey Harlan stands in a sandstorm, holding the hat of his desert camouflage uniform to keep it from blowing away. Trucks are barely visible in the background due to the blowing sand.
November 11, 2025 at 6:02 PM
jeffreyharlan.com
Today would have been Carl Sagan's 91st birthday. He brought the wonder of the universe to the masses through his books and the Cosmos documentary series. Reading his novel Contact was a formative experience for me (tho the film could've been more accurate).

#WritingCommunity #Authors #CarlSaganDay
A 1987 photo of Carl Sagan, a dark-haired man in a suit, speaking at a podium with a microphone.
November 9, 2025 at 6:00 PM
jeffreyharlan.com
Ash does this every night while I'm trying to work.

#Cats #Kittens #Pets #RescueCats #Catsky
a gray kitten sleeps, curled up on the chest of a man with dark hair and glasses
November 8, 2025 at 6:02 PM
jeffreyharlan.com
I've been using fountain pens since I was a boy. Relatively uncommon in the US, I was first introduced to them when my family moved to Germany in the 1980s.

#FountainPenDay #Authors #IndieAuthors #WritingCommunity
a fountain pen sits atop a piece of paper. Written on the paper is the quotation: "If you want to change the world, pick up your pen and write." —Martin Luther
November 7, 2025 at 7:02 PM
jeffreyharlan.com
A jet of fire illuminated the crowded pier. "No one can stop me!" Firebug cried as he lowered his flamethrower, pointing it toward the crowd. A moment later, Strongman lifted the villain from behind with one hand and pitched him into the harbor.

#FictionFriday #Writing #FlashFiction #Superheroes
a man with a flamethrower stands in front of a crowd of people
November 7, 2025 at 6:04 PM
jeffreyharlan.com
“The difference between fiction and reality? Fiction has to make sense.” — Tom Clancy

#Inkspiring #Quotes #WritingCommunity
Comic style quote bubble with the quote "The difference between fiction and reality? Fiction has to make sense." Tom Clancy. At the bottom is the title "Inkspiring" and the web site address jeffreyharlan.com.
November 6, 2025 at 6:01 PM
jeffreyharlan.com
What kind of laws, if any, do you think should apply to people with superpowers?

#Question #WhatIf #Superheroes #Law
marble columns support a government style building
November 5, 2025 at 10:42 PM
jeffreyharlan.com
Newsletter drop!

This week: Renditioned, a tale of the Protectorate

Plus, updates and a Halloween recap!

View:
🔗 buff.ly/TQjcFyJ

Subscribe:
👉 buff.ly/aPX4W8y

#Authors #IndieAuthors #Newsletter #WritersOfBluesky
A photo of a bunker-like hallway with comic-style panels of a drawing of a shape-shifting superhero and a photo of a man in a black t-shirt with a red Superman logo. The text reads: This Week: Renditioned, A tale of the Protectorate. Plus updates and a Halloween recap.
November 5, 2025 at 2:30 AM
jeffreyharlan.com
Colors are changing and leaves are dropping as fall arrives at La Casa de Harlan.

#Authors #IndieAuthors #Fall #Autumn #Seasons
trees are green and shades of orange above a house
November 5, 2025 at 2:19 AM
jeffreyharlan.com
This week's newsletter has been unexpectedly delayed, but i expect to have it out on Tuesday.

#Authors #newsletter #WritingCommunity
a sign displays departure times
November 3, 2025 at 6:15 AM
jeffreyharlan.com
Happy Authors Day from Lucky, Snowball, and Ash!

#Caturday #Cats #Kittens #Dogs #RescueCats #RescueDogs #AuthorsDay
split image. on top, a white cat and a gray kitten sleep on the couch, a Halloween themed toy between them. Below, the gray kitten shares a pet bed with a white terrier dog wearing a blue sweater with an owl design on it.
November 1, 2025 at 5:02 PM
jeffreyharlan.com
Be careful what you wish for. Juniper wished for peace and quiet, and now no one in the world can speak anymore.

#FictionFriday #FlashFiction #Halloween
Halloween decorations adorn the buildings on a narrow street
October 31, 2025 at 5:07 PM
jeffreyharlan.com
“That’s part of the horror writer’s job: ... find something that seems harmless and innocent, and pair it with aspects that are disturbing.” — Joe Hill

#Inkspiring #Quotes #WritingCommunity
Comic-style quote bubble with the quote: “That’s part of the horror writer’s job: ... find something that seems harmless and innocent, and pair it with aspects that are disturbing.” — Joe Hill. Centered at the bottom are the title Inkspiring and the web site address jeffreyharlan.com
October 30, 2025 at 5:04 PM
jeffreyharlan.com
In my story “Schrödinger,” an indoor cat appears simultaneously at a pizza shop and at home, echoing the classic quantum‑mechanics thought experiment.

What’s the most bizarre, unexplainable thing you’ve witnessed? Share your true‑to‑life oddities!

#FictionMeetsReality #UnexplainedMysteries
October 29, 2025 at 5:05 PM
jeffreyharlan.com
Had a fantastic weekend at SelfPubCon 2025, an online self-publishing conference. This year, the topic was trends in self-publishing, and panels covered AI, marketing, direct sales, and much more. There was so much covered, and I have a lot to think about.

#Authors #IndieAuthors #WritingCommunity
Screenshot of a presentation at SelfPubCon, covering new trends in self-publishing. The slide on the screen reads: "What's New? * AI tools - metadata, audience research, content * New marketing services - cautions * Direct sales & direct-first - retailers as discovery * Micro-content storytelling - short-form video * Global reach, local resonance - cultural texture * Collaborative marketing (influencers / authors)". A small picture at the bottom features Orna Ross, an English woman with a black shirt and glasses, speaking during the presentation.
October 28, 2025 at 5:06 PM
jeffreyharlan.com
A nurse, a ghost, a diabetic, and St. Nick collide with Krampus and an army of zombies for the fate of humanity.

Hope is what makes us human.

Now on Kickstarter!
🔗 buff.ly/yFpylt5

#Kickstarter #Booksky
A hardcover of the book Have Yourself a Post-Apocalyptic Christmas by Jeffrey Harlan. Text reads: Now on Kickstarter. Zombies. Krampus. St. Nick. Hope is what makes us human. Logos for Confluent Press and JeffreyHarlan.com are at the bottom of the image.
October 27, 2025 at 6:02 PM
jeffreyharlan.com
🐾 New story in this week’s newsletter: Schrödinger – a cat that seems to exist in two places at once, sparking a neighborhood mystery.

Read the full story in today’s newsletter – exclusive short fiction every week!
🔗 buff.ly/uGJQPxb

Subscribe here
👉 buff.ly/DXiCy7i

#Writing #Cats #Booksky
A cat sits next to its reflection in a window
October 27, 2025 at 5:04 PM
jeffreyharlan.com
Things take a turn for the strange when a cat goes missing.

Find out what happens in "Schrödinger" - this week's Speculations short story!

Exclusive stories every Monday. Subscribe now!
🔗 buff.ly/DXiCy7i

#Authors #IndieAuthors #WritingCommunity #Cats #Fiction #Booksky
A cat sits next to its reflection in a window
October 26, 2025 at 5:01 PM
jeffreyharlan.com
Snowball and Ash have become fast friends.

#Cats #Kittens #RescueCats #CatsOfBluesky #CatSky
a white cat and a gray kitten recline together on a blanket-strewn couch
October 25, 2025 at 5:04 PM
jeffreyharlan.com
I sat, horrified, by my campfire as what I had thought was a wolf rose to stand on its hind legs. Its head reared back, and it let loose a bone-chilling cry, a blend of human scream and wolf's howl. My spoon dropped with a clink. The dogman's head snapped to look at me.

#FictionFriday #Cryptids
Moody wolf face. Photo by Chris Ensminger via Unsplash.
October 24, 2025 at 5:06 PM
jeffreyharlan.com
“You fail only if you stop writing.” — Ray Bradbury

#Inkspiring #Quotes #WritingCommunity
Comic-style quote bubble with the quote: “You fail only if you stop writing.” — Ray Bradbury. Centered at the bottom are the title Inkspiring and the web site address jeffreyharlan.com
October 23, 2025 at 5:07 PM
jeffreyharlan.com
👻 🧚 🧛 🧜 What is your favorite creature from fantasy/mythology, and what makes it stand out to you?

#Question #Fantasy #MythologicalCreatures
A statue of a fantasy dragon
October 22, 2025 at 5:06 PM