My lawn mower just died. It's 30 years old, it had started to rattle alarmingly, and I was asking it to cut a frankly jungle-like lawn. Even so, it cut almost all of it (see image for uncut bit) before the engine burned out in a sad puff of smoke. Rest in peace, good and faithful machine.

Cover reveal😍❤️

Massively relieved #Eurovision

Updating our #Eurovision drinking game to add: Metal-encased boobs Asymmetrical costume Over-use of hair product Levitation

One for the BDSM crowd #Romania #eurovision

Slightly concerned that Croatia may be about to summon something unspeakable #eurovision

Pretentious any? #Serbia #Eurovision

I’ve been a good and responsible adult all week. That ends now #Eurovision

Me and my Patreon - a decade on: www.jainefenn.com/2026/05/ten-...

An excellent turnout of Steampunks in The Village this year.

Glastonbury medieval festival is one of my favourite reenactment events, because we get to camp inside the Abbey grounds. Here's the view from my tent.

Unfortunate placement of garden ornament...

I love the Lychford books, there's nothing quite like them for combining cosy mystery with a bit of horror and a lot of wit.

This is a Cream Egg donut. I managed to eat half of it. I'll come back and eat the rest when I can see straight again.

I long for the time when the Orange Loon's worst excesses - threatening to invade Greenland, kidnapping the Venezuelan president, trying to start WW3 to distract from his sex crimes - would only be reported on this morning. This afternoon we'd find they were just sick jokes. Happy April Fools Day.

I went to bed an hour earlier than usual to try and offset the effects of the clocks changing and I feel well-rested but now have no idea what the time actually is.

Respect to everyone who is attending the marches today - No Kings in the US and the Together Alliance here in the UK. Love and Unity must stand.

AI-generated-book-promo-scam phrase of the day: apparently my book 'recently soared into our group like a ship out of the darkness—and our members have been orbiting it ever since.' Sure it did, hon.

Unexpected visitor in the patio area. I live near open country, but it's been a while since I've seen a pheasant in the garden, so this was a nice surprise. Isn't he magnificent?

Happy Ides of March. Here's to peaceful regime change in a country once considered an ally, but now ruled by a deranged bully.

#Booksky! Today is RELEASE DAY for BONE & BLOOD! There is a story of a widow & her two daughters, Snow White and Rose Red, the most perfect & darling little girls who had ever lived. This is not—quite—that story. I'm so proud of this one, guys! Please RT! :) www.amazon.com/dp/B0DXFPLQW...

Authors get their own special flavour of AI sloop... www.jainefenn.com/2026/03/your...

Ideally I would now have arrived in Birmingham, ready to appear as the guest speaker at the Brum SF Group's monthly meeting. However, having contracted flu earlier this week, I am curled up on my sofa with the cat. The best laid plans, as they say... the plan is to reschedule; watch this space.

Note to self: do not give Toffee her catnip just before the Zoom yoga class. It's hard to achieve complete relaxation with a cat tap-dancing on your solar plexus.

I succeeded in my mission to find some spring flowers on this morning's walk, even if the photos are not the greatest. Happy Imbolc, to those who celebrate it.

FEBRUARY EVENT: We are very excited to welcome our first guest of 2026, award-winning SFF author @jainefenn.bsky.social on 13th Feb. Come and join us at The Warehouse, Birmingham Friends of the Earth, or online via Zoom. Tickets available on the door or via Eventbrite (link to be provided soon).

Storm Ingrid also did for some of the local beach huts:

Exciting times in our little seaside town this weekend, courtesy of Storm Ingrid. The new seawall held up, but the pier in Teignmouth, 3 miles away along the coast, got trashed, and bits of it ended up on top of our seawall.

Some helpful advice and quiet wisdom for this dark Friday: www.cavletter.com/its-not-for-...

Polestars is a set of single-author collections which I was honoured to be part of, and you can now pick up a sampler showcasing authors who are part of that collection of collections, from Newcon Press: www.newconpress.co.uk/info/book.as...

New year, new plans. These include not neglecting my blog, ancient and simple thing though it is. It can be found here: www.jainefenn.com

Stormy seas used as cover for invasion by Alien Foam Monster:

Got #Whammed in the local carvery last night. It was inevitable.

It's an odd time of year, and not always in a good way. This helpful and perceptive blog post by the most excellent @cavan.bsky.social really hit the spot for me, hope it does for you: www.cavletter.com/stop-beating...

I have book news!! Where We Stand, Where We Fall is now available to preorder from Herne Books:

My Bristolcon schedule: www.jainefenn.com/2025/10/bris...

Taken this evening at the allotment: the family with the plot next to mine are lovely, and I suspect they genuinely think their scarecrow is cute, but for me that cyclops mop head is pure nightmare fodder.

I now live in a country where broadcasting the truth can get you arrested for 'malicious communication'. George Orwell was so right.

Building work at the safari mini-golf leads to some odd juxtapositions

Some days I just want to be my cat.

For anyone in the US reading this: I hope you enjoy your national day today as much as you can given... well, you know.

I spent the Solstice in a sunny pub garden, listening to live music. Perfect.

A short slice of cute duckling action to brighten your day.

I'm finding myself weirdly invested in the #Eurovision results, possibly due to my friends persuading me to play the Eurovision drinking game during the actual performances. Or I may just go and have a lie down now.

Currently in The Village, my favourite place in the whole wide world

Toffee’s got the right idea. #Caturday #CatsofBluesky

Story beginnings can be tricksy, so it's good when they write themselves. Though Guardians of Paradise was the third Hidden Empire novel I knew where and how it should start halfway through the first book in the series... www.patreon.com/posts/guardi...

Western diplomacy pre-2025: Working towards a mutually acceptable solution Western diplomacy now: Appeasing an over-powered lunatic

Today’s duckling pile. Enjoy.

First duckling-pile of the year. Enjoy the cute. More will follow.