Ally Lester

@cogenthippo

Writer and reader of fiction -- history, sff, romance, thrillers. Interested in sustainability, rewilding, growing things. Knitter, early tech adopter, parent, spouse, disabled. They/them. Also writes as Frances Fox. 🏳️‍🌈 ✒️ 🏳️‍⚧️

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Ally Lester@cogenthippo· 27d

I did not enjoy this afternoon, for complely mundane reasons, and now I am both full of pizza and still irritated. However, there is a cat next to me.

A black cat with white paws asleep on a tarpaulin-covered bench in front of some green shrubs.

Ally Lester@cogenthippo· Jul 12

Oh god.

Eight cucumbers that have seemingly ripened overnight.

Ally Lester@cogenthippo· Jul 6

My annual courgette-based world takeover bid has begun.

A pile of courgettes and cucumbers on a wooden table.

Ally Lester@cogenthippo· Jul 6

#SameViewDifferentDay It's misty this morning. Blessedly cool.

The view over the garden from the bedroom window. Pink roses bottom left, fishpond mid right. View fades into the mist in the distance.

Ally Lester@cogenthippo· Jul 4

#SameViewDifferentDay Haven't done one of these for a while.

The garden from our bedroom window. The pink rose is in flower bottom left and there are yellow flowers in the pond to the right.

Ally Lester@cogenthippo· Jun 19

I have been annoyingly incapable of doing any creative work this week. There's been a lot of pre-fostering admin going on, which has filled my head. This morning I'm up early and instead of working I am weighted down by a dog. Sorry.

Author weighed down by a grubby Bichon Frise and unable to leave their chair.

Ally Lester@cogenthippo· Jun 13

Thanks for asking! I have a handy graphic for the Border Magic books that disappeared as I posted the thread. Here it is. Either Inheritance of Shadows, The Flowers of Time or The Fog of War are good places. And An Irregular Arrangement is free when you join my newsletter: allester.co.uk/newsletter

The reading order of the Border Magic collection. Inheritance of Shadows or The Flowers of Time or Lost in Time or The Fog of War are good places to begin.

Ally Lester@cogenthippo· Jun 13

Good morning, Bluesky! #SameViewDifferentDay

The view from our bedroom this morning. Green garden, a large pond, trees and fields in the background.

Ally Lester@cogenthippo· Jun 12

Where is my breakfast?

Extreme close-up of Frenchie the Bichon Frise, who is resting her chin on my pillow.

Ally Lester@cogenthippo· Jun 7

#SameViewDifferentDay

View of the garden from our bedroom window.

Ally Lester@cogenthippo· Jun 6

#SameViewDifferentDay

The view from our bedroom window this morning.

Ally Lester@cogenthippo· Jun 4

#SameViewDifferentDay

Ally Lester@cogenthippo· Jun 4

Mr AL and I have had an afternoon out-out. Pub lunch at Burrowbridge, smooch round the Levels in new (electric!) car, sat in the RSPB nature reserve with the herons and fiddled with the birdsong id app, sang Pink Pony Club on the way home. #SmallJoys

The ruined church on Burrow Mump, backlit by a glowering sky. Framed by oak trees.

View of the Somerset Levels from the ridge at Curry Rival, by the RSPB nature reserve. The land is very flat and very green, with a small red farmhouse in the foreground.

Ally Lester@cogenthippo· Jun 2

#SameViewDifferentDay

The view of the garden from out bedroom window.

Ally Lester@cogenthippo· Jun 1

#SameViewDifferentDay The view from our bedroom window. The grass is coming up in the field in the distance. Its been drizzling today, so it'll be even greener tomorrow.

The view from our bedroom window. The garden is surrounded by shrubs and trees and has a large fish pond. To the far right is a scrambler rose in full bloom.

Ally Lester@cogenthippo· May 30

#SameViewDifferentDay This morning at 5am. The scrambler rose at the back right is amazing this week. There's elderflower and I think something called blackcurrant tree bottom left.

Garden from out bedroom window this morning at 5am.

Ally Lester@cogenthippo· May 25

#SameViewDifferentDay

The view from my bedroom window this morning.

Ally Lester@cogenthippo· May 21

Slight change of plan. We did do some sitting by some trees, but it was via Exeter, where I aquired these dungarees and was forced to have a cup of tea in Waterstones. Oops. #BookSky

A pair of Lucy and Yak dungarees in Vulvaree fabric and four books. "Queens", "Muslim Women in Britain from 1850 to 1950", "Wasted" and "Super Gay Poems".

Ally Lester@cogenthippo· May 21

#SameViewDifferentDay

The view of the garden from out bedroom window. Everything is very green.

Ally Lester@cogenthippo· May 20

#SameViewDifferentDay It was damp and grey this morning, but everything is still so green.

View of the garden from out bedroom window. Trees, lawn, fish pond.

Ally Lester@cogenthippo· May 16

Strike that! He was in the corner of the living room! He has now been safely liberated back in the hedgerow. #BunnyGate

Mr AL searching for the strange noise in the corner of the living room behind a dog crate and a large potted geranium.

More of Mr AL searching for the strange noise in the corner of the living room behind a dog crate and a large potted geranium.

Ally Lester@cogenthippo· May 15

#SameViewDifferentDay This is absolutely my favourite week of the year.

The view of the garden from our bedroom window. Shrubs and trees around the edges, the fish pond centre right. The ploughed field is still just visible back right through a gap in the trees.

Ally Lester@cogenthippo· May 13

Do you like FF historical romance with screaming monsters from beyond the void and erotic hair brushing? Yes? Then I have you covered! books2read.com/thefogofwar 🌈📚 #sapphic #romancelandia #booksky #lesfic (Look at me, doing self-promo like a real human person! 🙄)

Infographic for The Fog of War. Cover of book and text saying "Sylvia watched Lucy, transfixed. Her mouth was so soft against Sylvia’s skin. Very carefully, she turned Sylvia’s hand over and pressed her mouth to the thin skin of her inner wrist, not dropping her eyes. Sylvia shivered."

Ally Lester@cogenthippo· May 8

#SameViewDifferentDay

The shrubs and trees around the edges of the lawn are in full leaf. Just off centre right in the distance is our neighbours house. Back left corner, the white lilac is flowering. Right foreground, the pond.

Ally Lester@cogenthippo· May 7

#SameViewDifferentDay Everything is so green.

The view from the bedroom window, with shrubs and trees on the left hand border, a gap looking out over the ploughed field in the back right, lilac flowering on the far right and lawn and the pond in the foreground.

Ally Lester@cogenthippo· May 6

#SameViewDifferentDay Everything has come on massively in the time since I last did one of these.

The view from our bedroom window this morning. The field at the back right is shelf ploughed now and the trees on the right are in full leaf. Bottom right is the fish pond.

Ally Lester@cogenthippo· Apr 20

So many possibilities, but I'd try and walk the Camino from Vezalay to Santiago de Compostela, if my health allowed. Otherwise, and/or also, make an ideal one acre productive garden a la John Seymour.

John Seymour's productive vegetable garden illustration.

Ally Lester@cogenthippo· Apr 20

Laurie is a 33yo farmer coming to terms with having a stroke. Phil is a disgraced stockbroker hiding in a country cottage. Buy: books2read.com/takingstocklester NYT review: allester.co.uk/tsnyt/

Cover of Taking Stock, text reads "a lovely slow-burn romance that features two compelling main characters". 4.5.stars, Camilla from Joyfully Jay.

Ally Lester@cogenthippo· Apr 20

Are you looking for a 1970s historical romance with excellent disability rep? What about Taking Stock? "[It]... offers an earthy kind of hope, for whenever you feel like the world is falling to pieces around you." Olivia Waite, NYT. Links below.

Book Bingo card for Taking Stock. Text reads: farmer/stockbroker, farm/small village, disabled MC, found family, hurt/comfort, 1970s.

Ally Lester@cogenthippo· Apr 20

#DifferentView lovely morning in Crete.