Angela Cleland / Cleland Smith

@angelacleland

Poet | Novelist | Audiobook Narrator | She/her | 🤖🦄🚀🍸

654 Folgt734 Follower976 Posts

YouTube Bluesky

Ist das dein Profil?Übernimm es — dann gehört dir angelacleland.dirty.social.Profil übernehmen

Angela Cleland / Cleland Smith@angelacleland· 5d

I know this is nothing to crow about at 9:20am, but I’m up before everyone else and it’s lovely. It makes me wish I was the gets up early and writes through the dawn sort. Also it’s only - *only* - 20 degrees out there in the shade and will be for at least the next ten minutes.

Various trees hanging on to their green against a blue sky, enjoying the balmy 20 degree temperatures.

Angela Cleland / Cleland Smith@angelacleland· 12d

Here’s mine for my historical fantasy novel Black Doe that comes out tomorrow - AAAAH! I couldn’t find any knotwork I liked, so I decided to create my own based on two of the creatures in the book. The kelpie is based on ancient carvings of the “Pictish beast. The pine marten is all my own.

Cover of my novel Black Doe. A fabric textured dark teal green background with subtle blood spatter sits behind knotwork symbols representing a kelpie and a line marten intertwined at the top right and bottom left. The title is central in large lettering with a knife bisecting the “o” of “Doe”

Angela Cleland / Cleland Smith@angelacleland· 12d

TWO DAYS TO GO…AAAAaAaAaAaH! And two more ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ reviews in the door, one ARC reader and the review site Reader’s Choice. Even so, starting to wonder at the wisdom of releasing a book on my birthday.😱 #historicalfantasy #historicalfiction #scottishfiction #preorders

Copy of my forthcoming novel “Black Doe”. Title in white letters in the centre, dark teal fabric print background with kelpie and pine marten prints in black on the top right and bottom left corners.

Angela Cleland / Cleland Smith@angelacleland· 12d

I’ve just finished Simon Jimenez’s “The Spear Cuts Through Water”. Absolutely loved it. Gorgeous description and some fascinating structural and narrative devices going on in there.

My copy of Simon Jiminez’s “The Spear Cuts Through Water”. Green, viney image with a lighter green hand print within which two characters are silhouetted in a fight or perhaps a dance.

Angela Cleland / Cleland Smith@angelacleland· 12d

Update:

Fluffy black cat still on my chair, reposed.

Angela Cleland / Cleland Smith@angelacleland· 12d

Three angles of the hairy fool and one of the thorny stick that just embedded itself in my thigh when I sat down to write this on his other chair of choice. He leaves a trail of sticks and leaves wherever he goes.

Big hairy black cat stretched out in an improbable formation on my pink velvet desk chair.

And the same cat from above. Picture how he fits his hairy curve to the shape of the chair, one leg reaching out over the edge, both back paws in the air.

A close up of the two back paws and tail, big fluff-surrounded toe beans in the air.

A small dry rose twig, with seven barbed thorns. Ouch.

Angela Cleland / Cleland Smith@angelacleland· 15d

I’d love a share for my folkloric/historical fantasy novel Black Doe. It treads a bloody path across ancient Scotland. Assassins, fierce women, kelpies, faeries and a bloodthirsty pine marten. Preorder now - out on Wednesday!😱 #FridayReads Who else needs a boost? blackwells.co.uk/bookshop/pro...

Cover image of the novel Black Doe. Dark blue-green with black kelpie and pine marten print at the top right and bottom left. Not a bad jacket, if I do say so myself!

Angela Cleland / Cleland Smith@angelacleland· 20d

There you go. I did a publicity. That should be enough, right? Here’s a cat picture.

Tabby cat Maisie sitting on my chest as I recline in my desk chair - photo from my perspective. She is both beautiful and needy. She is a princess among princesses.

Angela Cleland / Cleland Smith@angelacleland· 27d

They are already among us…

Paul Hollywood, secretly 20,000 raspberries in a human-suit, offers up the GBBO signature cake, topped with sacrifices to tempt us to take the alien sugars into our bodies and submit to their control.

Angela Cleland / Cleland Smith@angelacleland· 28d

I’ve just spotted whilst checking my final e-reader versions pre-launch, that the cover of Black Doe looks pretty badass in black and white on an e-reader screen. I’d love to say I’d taken this into account when I was designing it, but it’s pure luck.😂

Black and white version of the cover of Black Doe.

Angela Cleland / Cleland Smith@angelacleland· Jul 10

Merry Christmas from Bates Dairy, everyone!

Milk bottle with a red superhero figure on it wishing all a merry Christmas from Bates Dairy.

Closeup on the super-milk-man, dressed in a Santa hat and cape, with a green “B”, one assumes for Bates on his chest.

Angela Cleland / Cleland Smith@angelacleland· Jul 7

Last day at college today. Going to miss my lovely colleagues.😭 There were flowers and choccies and a voucher, but these are my top fave presents…

Candle with the following message on the label:

Leaving.
[lee-ving] verb.
an incredible act of selfishness. the malicious abandoning of loyal friends and colleagues. escaping from a never ending nightmare.
See also: traitor.

And a coaster that reads:

Please do not annoy the writer, SHE May put you in a book and kill you

Angela Cleland / Cleland Smith@angelacleland· Jun 25

I stood on my glasses two weeks ago and one of the legs is loose/hanging off. Add to this the slidey-when-sweaty plastic frame issue and the result is I’ve spent most of this heatwave pushing my glasses back up my nose. I really need to go to the optician’s tomorrow.

Angela Cleland / Cleland Smith@angelacleland· Jun 18

This one is so clingy that I bought a pet sling to wear at my desk. Idea being she climbs on my shoulder and I just tuck her in - voila, hands free! She is so horrified by the idea that she’s sleeping on the sofa, so in a sense, it has worked.

Tabby kitty Maisie half-curled up on an orange sofa, ginger belly-fluff looking super-tempting.

Angela Cleland / Cleland Smith@angelacleland· Jun 16

Tough shift for this wee guy.

Angela Cleland / Cleland Smith@angelacleland· Jun 15

And before I get back to working on the next thing, one final quote from @silvanhistorian.bsky.social’s kind and wonderful blurb, which made my little heart dance!

Black Doe cover to the right, quote to the left: "This haunting historical epic will linger long after you finish reading.”
- Lucy Holland

Angela Cleland / Cleland Smith@angelacleland· Jun 15

Hold up! If you still need convincing to grab an ARC or preorder #historicalfantasy Black Doe, @cameronjohnston.bsky.social has something to add…

Black Doe jacket to the left, quote to the right. “Bloody and brilliant. Black Doe packs a hefty emotional punch among the fighting, plotting, magic and mythology of a time we know so little about."
- Cameron Johnston

Angela Cleland / Cleland Smith@angelacleland· Jun 10

I blame the Sam Beare Hospice second hand bookshop in Egham for the whole affair. That’s where I got it. Or it got me.

Me holding my old orange-topped Penguin edition of The Day of the Triffids featuring creatures that are a cross between pineapples and scrotums. Accurate, no. Horrifying, yes!

Angela Cleland / Cleland Smith@angelacleland· Jun 10

Poor Maisie finds redrafting very hard going.

Tabby cat Maisie lying on an orange velvet sofa, with her head hidden behind a teal bee cushion which is propped up against the back of the sofa.

Angela Cleland / Cleland Smith@angelacleland· Jun 5

Ooh, and if you’re *still* not convinced, don’t forget that @annasmithspark.bsky.social thinks it’s worth a look…

Cover of Black Doe by Cleland Smith, muted green with black graphic of the Pictish beast intertwined with a pine marten at the top right and bottom left, with quote to the left which reads: "Hauntingly beautiful, an exceptional book."
- Anna Smith Spark

Angela Cleland / Cleland Smith@angelacleland· Jun 5

Come to think of it, I’m pretty sure @neilwilliamson.bsky.social thinks you’d like it too…

Angela Cleland / Cleland Smith@angelacleland· Jun 5

What else…let’s see… @shonak.bsky.social thinks you’d like it…

Copy of Black Doe by Cleland Smith, dark green with black Pictish beast and pine marten graphic in the top right and bottom left corners and the title central in white. Alongside a quote reads: "Beautifully written, Black Doe is a deft historical fantasy tale that manages to be both thrilling and heart-rending at once."
- Shona Kinsella

Angela Cleland / Cleland Smith@angelacleland· Jun 5

So, why should you preorder my #historicalfantasy Black Doe? Well, for starters, Kirkus think you’d like it…

Angela Cleland / Cleland Smith@angelacleland· Jun 4

I’m no vet, but this doesn’t look right…

Fluffy black cat squished across a grey fabric chair. He looks like he’s been put together all wrong.

Angela Cleland / Cleland Smith@angelacleland· Jun 2

Last day of actual teaching at College for me today and the skies over Langley were busting out some pathetic fallacy to honour my mixed feelings.

Epic skyscape over Langley with fluffy white clouds to the left and a big black storm front coming on from the right.

Angela Cleland / Cleland Smith@angelacleland· May 27

Historical Fiction ARC promo from BookSirens featuring Black Doe! #ARCsky #booksky #historicalfiction booksirens.com/bundle/histo...

“Historical Fiction ARCs You’ll Love” BookSirens graphic.

Angela Cleland / Cleland Smith@angelacleland· May 27

And that’s without being able to see the whole desk, which I am coincidentally sitting beside now…

Massive carved oak bureau with lions head and green man drawer handles.

Angela Cleland / Cleland Smith@angelacleland· May 27

I was thinking about getting a proper author photo done again as I do from time to time and was looking through all my old home-snapped ones. Look - brown hair! 🤣

Angela Cleland sits at her bureau staring darkly up at the camera. Her desk is miraculously tidy. I wonder how long that took and how much stuff is hiding just out of shot.

Angela Cleland / Cleland Smith@angelacleland· May 23

The hammock, she is clean! Not profoundly clean, but no longer green, which is good enough for me.

My lovely leafy garden with my freshly washed hammock front and centre on the patio. A big curved wooden frame with a faded red and blue striped fabric hammock slung on it.

Angela Cleland / Cleland Smith@angelacleland· May 14

Got these lovely shots on the way back from my weekend in Portugal. Love a window seat.