Read an article the other day where the author ‘asked Claude’ and I very innocently thought they were making a non-sequitur reference to their hapless mansplaining French husband who was not that helpful. You can imagine how upset I am that there is no hapless mansplaining French husband.

Hello hi I have a newsletter going out to inboxes at 10am tomorrow. It’s free and contains a fun essay, writing updates, and answers to reader questions. Tomorrow’s essay is about a TOXIC BREAKUP (not what you’re thinking but both relatable and ironic) Subscribe: Courtneysmythwrites.substack.com

Now that Microsoft has sent people to the moon, could the company please aspire to invent a Track Changes that works

"If you jumped into a pit with a baboon, tried to convince it to have tea with you for 40 minutes, and sat nodding sagely at its baboon remarks the whole time... people wouldn’t say ‘Well done navigating that baboon situation’, they would say ‘Why do you do that every March 17th?’" New column:

Happy St. Patrick's Day! Today we are showcasing our wonderful Irish authors and their brilliant books! ✨🍀 @griffski.bsky.social @cswritesbooks.bsky.social

💚💚💚💚☘️

BE GAY SOLVE CRIMES REWIND. The Undetectables take on their last-ever case: the unsolved murder of Theodore Wyatt 👻 Out 22nd September from @titanbooks.bsky.social !!! Preorder: campsite.to/cswritesbooks (more links to come)

BE GAY SOLVE CRIMES REWIND. The Undetectables take on their last-ever case: the unsolved murder of Theodore Wyatt 👻 Out 22nd September from @titanbooks.bsky.social !!! Preorder: campsite.to/cswritesbooks (more links to come)

Do you like your books SFF, high camp and gay? Trip’s got you covered 🔥

Fabulous time watching Cold Storage this evening – a zombie movie made with love, enthusiasm, and commitment to making you say “EWWWW” Thanks @moviesie.bsky.social for the tickets! (And the popcorn) #coldstorage

It's time to HAVE YOUR LAKE… AND EAT IT! 💙🪰 The Undetectables are back in THE UNFATHOMABLE CURSE by @cswritesbooks.bsky.social! A witty, witchy fantasy murder mystery packed with ancient magic and fiendish puzzles. ✨ Out now! https://tinyurl.com/3p9n3nrt

It's time to HAVE YOUR LAKE… AND EAT IT! 💙🪰 The Undetectables are back in THE UNFATHOMABLE CURSE by @cswritesbooks.bsky.social! A witty, witchy fantasy murder mystery packed with ancient magic and fiendish puzzles. ✨ Out now! https://tinyurl.com/3p9n3nrt

I started up a newsletter this month where I’m planning to send little essays and thoughts as well as news and photos of my pets. The plan is to never do more than one a month, and maybe not even monthly. It’s fun, infrequent and free and you can read the first one below ✉️ campsite.to/cswritesbooks

WHAT DO YOU MEAN VILE LADY VILLAINS IN THE MOST ANTICIPATED LGBTQ+ FICTION ROUNDUP BY @lgbtqreads.bsky.social 🥺🥺😭 Thank you so much for including my stabby sapphics in such wonderful company! lgbtqreads.com/2025/12/15/m...

I don’t! Want! GenAI features! On! Anything!!!!!!

I am not joking when I say that for the good of workers (but also people who want to go anywhere in December), we need to regulate what Christmas music can be played and at what volume. The unlicensed shit is HEINOUS and I fully believe it makes customers extra feral

"I can't afford to support my favorite author right now, I—" Reviews. Reviews are free AND they are a gift to authors that can keep on giving (i.e., exposure, marketing, algo boosts, etc.) Please, give the gift of reviews to your authors this holiday season. It really can make a difference!

Listen to it, the wind of the night. What music it makes! #speirgorm

Listen to it, the wind of the night. What music it makes! #speirgorm

It’s been a good run, but that’s it now. Off to Donnybrook to pour juice on all the children #latelatetoyshow

It's just not the #LateLateToyShow if a 9 year old doesn't sing with the voice of a 94 year old pub singer who looks like they're made out of turf.

Here comes CMAT! #latelatetoyshow

“Like robbin’ banks. Which you should not do.” Icons only #latelatetoyshow

BOOKS BOOKS BOOKS BOOKS BOOKS #latelatetoyshow

sad to report that Irish people still don’t deserve hands, suggesting we learned nothing from @carlkinsella.bsky.social’s grave observation last year #latelatetoyshow

What a pair of wee legends #latelatetoyshow

“Tonight, there are still children.” #latelatetoyshow

It’s Grinch themed, which means that if Michael Fry doesn’t turn up in full grag to perform Martha May at some point this evening, we will have to unplug RTE for good #LateLateToyShow

It is almost time for the most sacred annual Irish tradition: trying to be the funniest person posting about the #LateLateToyShow

Just putting up the Christmas decorations in the staff room.

🎵 It's beginning to look a lot like that time of year when many of us are really into giving everyone we know 📚 and also maybe buying some 📚 for ourselves along the way 🎵 We've got you: a month of #sciencefiction, #fantasy and #horror books by trans, nonbinary, and female authors that we 💗 this year

#Sirens26 #Bookmas Day 3: For literally everyone who loves a ghost in a cat costume THE UNDETECTABLES, a delightfully quirky murder mystery set in a paranormal town, by Courtney Smyth (@cswritesbooks.bsky.social). Queer af, great chronic illness rep, and a trio of utterly fab witch detectives

There is absolutely no excuse or reason why this line of questioning should be allowed to continue in a free and open society in Ireland #SpéirGorm trans people should no longer be subject to this tortuous human rights violation they call healthcare! Fuck the NGS! www.instagram.com/reel/DRxbq8c...

A book from the 19th century that depicts the Rhine Valley by creating an impression of three-dimensionality and spatial distance. @MasayukiTsuda2 #globalmuseum #books #travel #19thcentury

Does anyone have suggestions for SF & F in which the main character is a full time wheelchair user? Literally asking this for a friend who uses a chair and wants to see themselves in a book.

It’s grink season

ANNOUNCING...THE BEST SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASY OF 2025 POLL!! Books! Movies! TV shows! Book covers! Video games! MORE!!! Reactor Magazine wants to know your favorites from the year!

I'll say it again: the best part of writing is when everything clicks into place and you see that it really is a story and not a pile of gibberish

Please give a warm welcome to our first reader for Issue 1 Courtney Smyth!!🚀🎉 Alex and I are delighted to have Courtney on board and cannot wait to work with them on curating your submissions into the inaugural issue of Sci-Fi Ireland #sciencefiction #ireland #reader #teamworkmakesthedreamwork

It’s here: the cover for the UK edition of VILE LADY VILLAINS, coming out April 02 2026 by Penguin Michael Joseph🖤

I will now sleep soundly #hiddenbooksgame

This is Pink Pony Club if it was about The Undetectables Series (and sped up slightly because there’s a 3 minute video limit) #pinkponyclub 📚🪐💙 #speirgorm #parodysong #blindkaraoke

You're invited to the launch of The Lore of Silver on Thursday 20th November at 6.30pm in the @gutterbookshop.bsky.social Cow's lane, Dublin 2, now with added @sarahreesbrennan.bsky.social There will be cake. And shenanigans.

I tried to explain to a FG TD last year that people in their 30s+ who desperately want a home do not want or need wildly overpriced “starter” homes, it has to be good enough to potentially live in forever, and she looked at me like I had 3 heads. They think “any old shit” = housing = home

If I could say anything to restaurants who offer gluten free pizza bases as a substitution, it is this: Please adjust pizza sauce acidity to account for the acidity of the sourdough-style base, it changes the entire taste profile. Thank you ♥️ #glutenfree

In a week, it will be the anniversary of my second book coming out, and my second anniversary as an author, so I'm going to count down the days by trying to convince you to read it, starting with the cover - designed by Lydia Blagden and art by Mia Carnevale. 1/

Sometimes I think it could be deeply unrealistic for all of my characters to be ✨characters ✨ but then I do things like ‘go to the vet’ and within 5 minutes of sitting in the waiting room, I meet my quota of real-life ✨characters✨ for the year

I started up a newsletter this month where I’m planning to send little essays and thoughts as well as news and photos of my pets. The plan is to never do more than one a month, and maybe not even monthly. It’s fun, infrequent and free and you can read the first one below ✉️ campsite.to/cswritesbooks

Moving into a house that’s “ready” to live in is so funny because at least one un-DIYable thing goes wrong every few days that requires a professional and at this point I’m just feeding €100 notes to tradespeople