Max Turner

a person is holding a bag with a picture of a rabbit and a bird on it ALT: a person is holding a bag with a picture of a rabbit and a bird on it

SUBMISSIONS NOW OPEN
⌛ 1st to 7th March
📖 Summer Issue
📝 100 to 8000 words
☀️ Any rating, theme or genre, but please note if you send something very clearly related to Winter etc, it probably won't make this issue.

#writersofbsky #submissionsopen #booksky
acoupofowls.com/submissions/

Painted mural of passengers on a train reading a book that says "Agatha Christie" they are passing another train that is marked as the Orient Express.

Painted mural of passengers on a train reading Dracula as they pass spooky scenery meant to evoke the setting of Dracula.

Painted mural of people on a train passing scenery of a coastal path with two figures on the path. One of the passengers is reading The Salt Path

Love these murals at Exeter St David's. Though one has definitely not aged as well as some of the others (the book not the art...)

I am very jealous. I'd have loved to watch Molly Ringwald movies in class! :D

Do check this out! I love System Error, and there are some great add-ons available too!

Is this a not-UK thing or an I'm Old thing? Because when I was at school the only time they played us a movie was during a joint special History, Humanities and RE session when I was about 14, and it was Escape from Sobibor 😶

I picturing wine soaked jerky 🤔

Confession: If I don't like a book I've read and know I will never even attempt to read it again, I give it to a charity shop. This has been the case for all but one book, that I hated so much I still have it on my shelf as I don't want to inflict it on others. 😬

So, I made a little digital horror film on my phone with photos I took around my apartment building 😌

My child just spent ten minutes putting on a one person show of the zombie invasion of our village. The ending had their teacher arrive, with an eye patch, bearing incense that killed the zombies.

Me: incense?
Spawnling: yes, she has some in class
Me: why? Because you all smell?
Spawnling: yes.

I detest shaving altogether but my beard is so patchy that I have to lol.

Maybe try some different options? I can't stand a close wet shave, so now I have an electric shaver and just use that instead. Still detest it but it's not as bad lol

promo image for upcoming novelette collection "Dark Paths: A Queer Horror Romance Collection". In the middle of the image is the cover art for the book - a road disappearing into the darkness along which drives a dirty yellow taxi. At the side of the road are fruit trees and a sign that reads "Strangers don't let the sun set on you here". Above the title text at the top of the cover hovers a large wasp. There is a jagged flash shape on which is text reading "FOUR! Queer! Horror! Romance! Novelettes!" There are circles on the image containing text, with arrows pointing towards the cover. The text in each reads: "Vampires that SUCK!" "This Goddess has CLAWS!" "Road Trip ENCOUNTERS!" "Were-Wasp REVENGE!"

promo image for upcoming novelette collection "Light Paths: A Queer Fantasy Romance Collection". In the middle of the image is the cover art for the book - a cobblestone road disappearing under the full moon. Along the left side of the path is a desolate plateau and in the foreground is a large manned sabre tooth cat. On the right side of the path is a walled city with archways into a market place, in the foreground is a mysterious figure in a long blue cloak and white mask covering his entire face. There is a jagged flash shape on which is text reading "TWO! Queer! Fantasy! Romance! Novelettes!" There are rounded squares along the side of the image containing text. The text in each reads: "Could you bite off more than you can chew?" "Dare you gamble in a game of chance?" "PLUS! A little Extra from A Coup of Owls"

Do you enjoy the works of @johannestevans.co.uk, @cinnamaldeide.bsky.social, Leigh V Twersky, Clinton Seiter, @ttmaddenwrites.bsky.social & @amandamblake.bsky.social?

We sure do! In fact we've published them in our two recent novelette collections!

Shop: acoupofowls.square.site/s/shop
#Booksky 🌈📚

My 10yo spawnling: Baba, can we watch the Ice Hockey Show?
Me: WHAT!?!? Absolutely not.
Them: ... the... the animation?
Me: Yuri on Ice?
Them *looking at me like I'm bonkers*: yeah...
Me: oh, sure. Haha. Of course *nervous sweats*

#yurionice #heatedrivalry

Something I posted on the bird site several years ago. It still rings true.

We're really excited to share with you the cover of Light Paths, releasing soon!

The artwork is by Marika Bailey, an Afro-Caribbean illustrator, designer, and author. She illustrates book covers for indie authors. Her art has also been featured in Khoreo magazine.

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Across the UK, our team are experiencing the variety of British Winter weather, but we're already planning for Spring!

Submissions for our Spring issue are OPEN!
Please be sure to read our submission guidelines before submitting via our form at the bottom of the page.
acoupofowls.com/submissions/

At the end of the day, don’t we all just want a bookshelf with a rolling ladder?

Yeah! After having to go private whilst on the NHS waiting list for 8 years, I could only focus money in certain areas, so it's nice to finally have a more well rounded medical support.

Now I'm finally under the NHS GIC, I've had my first voice coaching session. It went really well and was incredibly informative. Looking forward to getting to know my voice as an instrument much better!

a fish is laying on a counter with its mouth open . Alt: a fish is laying on a counter with its mouth open .

The one thing I love to do to annoy my spawnling is to sing songs at him with changed lyrics. Not quite as fancy as Weird Al, my go to is:

What if cod was one of us
Just a fish like one of us
Just a sturgeon on the bus
Trying to swim his way home?

We're on to our seventh author preview, and the time is flying by!
@maxturneruk.com is today's Author, and he's gifting us a little highlight that may trigger thalassophobia or curiosity. Or both. We like both.

Preorders are still open until Dec. 12th!
monstermashzine.bigcartel.com

a drawing of a monster with a rainbow coming out of its mouth . Alt: a drawing of The Babadook with a rainbow coming out of its mouth .

So I give up, I'm wearing my "horror is queer" t-shirt and making myself everyone else's problem. All the parents in the village can take the opportunity to explain queerness to their kids.

Happy Halloween!

This year I bought him a Mystery (K-Pop Demon Hunters) costume that HE JUST HAD TO HAVE and I had no time or energy to make. So of course, he is now dressed as Moon.

I wouldn't mind but I always theme the costumes, so I had a Saja Boy fan t-shirt ready to go...

Every year I make my son a Halloween costume in the hopes he'll wear it. In 2023 it was a Camerman costume (Skibidi toilet), and at the last minute he decided to go as Pink Among Us. 2024 I made a Moon (FNAF) costume and at the last minute he got into his Ghostbusters costume...

Harry Potter Audiobooks Adds Bill Nighy, Saoirse-Monica Jackson, Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísu & More To Cast Pottermore Publishing and Audible have announced additional casting for Harry Potter: The Full-Cast Audio Editions, including Bill Nighy.

Hey look, it’s the monthly annoucement of blood money acceptors - aka Harry Potter actors. Which actor I loved will I be sad is here? Which will show their ass in an interview & reveal how little they give a shit about trans people? Such a fun game this has become… fml. deadline.com/2025/10/harr...

Check out a sneak peek at my newest novelette! If you love those shots in David Lynch projects where there's headlights on a dark country road, I think you're gonna love this.

Close up photo of a wasp sitting on a stick, side profile.

Check out our latest update:
We're posting regular focus posts on each of the upcoming stories in our 2025-2026 publications.

Latest - The Sphecanthrope by Leigh V Twersky
www.kickstarter.com/projects/oth...

#queerfiction #queerhorror #horrorromance #booksky 🌈📚

Painting of a man standing at the crossroads of a dirt road, he is holding a guitar and the shadow he casts is of a horned demon.

Check out our latest update:
We're posting regular focus posts on each of the upcoming stories in our 2025-2026 publications.

places where you cannot be: an afro-american travel guide by @ttmaddenwrites.bsky.social

www.kickstarter.com/projects/oth...

#queerfiction #queerhorror #booksky 🌈📚

#Fannibals, our time has come.

We're so excited about Dark Paths and our other two publications!

We have 17 days left on our Kickstarter and unfortunately are no longer fully funded after a pledge was rescinded! Please help us get to our £500 goal, and on our way to the first stretch goal!!

www.kickstarter.com/projects/oth...