Steve "Baby fish mouth!" Turnbull

@taupress

UK Indie writer putting words together in pleasing ways. (BFS) SF/F with diverse leads. Images at: #Writing #WritingCommunity #Fantasy #SF #Steampunk #Erotica #Queer #biFic #3D 🚫AI-NFT-CRYPTO🚫

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Steve "Baby fish mouth!" Turnbull@taupress· Jul 10

#LesFicFri "LATE" From THE TASTE OF VERONICA by Stephanie Bull (a pen-name of Steve Turnbull), from Book 2 of VERONICA'S LIFE #sapphic #lesFic #writingCommunity #wlw #writing #reading #biFic

#LesFicFri "LATE"

“That was frustrating,” said Veronica to Polly as they stood in the entrance hall of Slack, Slack, and Mortimer.

Her thighs were slick and she still felt hot. At that moment all she wanted to do was ravish Polly where she stood. Unfortunately, that sort of behaviour was disapproved of in a public place.

Polly glanced round quickly, then brushed the back of her hand across Veronica’s cheek. “We can have fun later, Nika.”

She snatched her hand back as someone came through a door.

“Is Mrs Martaci not here?” said Lawrence.

Veronica consulted her watch. “She is late.”

“Then let me escort you, Veronica,” he said. “It is probably a minor delay and we may meet her on the way.” He pressed a button set in a brass, dome-shaped mount on the wall. Veronica heard a bell ring in the distance.

From THE TASTE OF VERONICA by Stephanie Bull (a pen-name of Steve Turnbull), from Book 2 of VERONICA'S LIFE

Steve "Baby fish mouth!" Turnbull@taupress· Jul 10

As a commenter on Mastodon put it: Adam Jacobs 🇺🇦 @statsguy @mas.to The death of Ann Widdecombe is a useful reminder to us all that we should strive to live our lives in such a way that when we finally shuffle off this mortal coil, other people are actually sad about it.

Adam Jacobs 🇺🇦

@statsguy@mas.to

The death of Ann Widdecombe is a useful reminder to us all that we should strive to live our lives in such a way that when we finally shuffle off this mortal coil, other people are actually sad about it.

Steve "Baby fish mouth!" Turnbull@taupress· Jul 10

#JulyWorldbuilders 10. Light and Dark I'm sure there're more than two choices. Maylees was a morning person, grew up on a farm. She retained the habit when she moved to live with her uncle on the coast. Things may change now she's living mostly underwater with her mermaid wife. #noAI #humanMade

Half-submerged in the ocean, we see the back of a naked woman with a pony tail with her arms around a mermaid. They are kissing.

Steve "Baby fish mouth!" Turnbull@taupress· Jul 5

On the other hand: (I'm actually pulling everything out of KU, but that amounts to only a few pence of that figure.)

Steve "Baby fish mouth!" Turnbull@taupress· Jul 3

#LesFicFri "FORGIVE" From THE SHAPE OF VERONICA by Stephanie Bull (a pen-name of Steve Turnbull), from Book 1 of VERONICA'S LIFE #sapphic #lesFic #writingCommunity #wlw #writing #reading

#LesFicFri "FORGIVE"

“There’ll be hell to pay if I’m caught,” said Polly.

Vanessa turned with a frown. “I am not used to be being argued with by my maid.”

Polly hesitated and her face reddened slightly. She directed her gaze to the floor. “I thought we were more than that.”

Veronica forced the sudden anger down inside and got up, though it pained her back. she gripped the edge of the table and lowered herself to her knees.

“What you doing?”

Unable to raise her head, Veronica could only see the bottom of Polly’s black skirt. “I am asking for forgiveness.”

The skirt she could see rushed forward and she was gently pulled her to her feet. “The door’s not locked, miss. And I spoke out of turn.”

“No, I spoke out of turn. Can you forgive me?”

“It’s not a maid’s place to forgive her mistress. It’s my duty to do as I am told.”

Veronica smiled a little. “Then I instruct you to lock us in.”

Steve "Baby fish mouth!" Turnbull@taupress· Jul 2

#JulyWorlbuilders 2. Ch-ch-ch-changes I'll switch my Maliha Anderson steampunk crime fiction. They're set in 1908-09. She's Anglo-Indian and starts prim and proper. She switches to wearing a sari, then French couture, and finally designs her own clothes. Mimics her character development. #noAI

A long stone-floored conservatory with potted plants wide glass doors on the left and double doors at the end, one slightly open.

The floor is dappled with sunlight from a glass ceiling we can't see.

In the foreground, highlighted by a ray of sun, is a woman in a white Edwardian dress with a matching hat with her back to us. She is walking purposefully towards the double doors.

Steve "Baby fish mouth!" Turnbull@taupress· Jul 1

Date yourself with a snap of your first ever computer. You can't see the computer, that was 20 miles away, this was connected to it. This is where I started coding. My imagination was always bigger than my skill, but that meant I kept on learning.

Teletype Model 33 with attached paper-tape reader.

Steve "Baby fish mouth!" Turnbull@taupress· Jul 1

#JulyWorldbuilders 1. Cool duds It's a whole fantasy world, fashions vary. But my last book was a romance I did talk about clothing more. The place is a Mediterranean-type coastline and the fashions tend toward revealing arms, shoulders and legs. #3dRender #noAI #dazStudio #art #wlw #humanMade

A woman standing on a rocky beach looking out across a calm bay to the land on the other side. The sky is blue with wisps of white cloud. The woman's black hair is in a pony tail, her red-brown dress covers her body but her arms and most of her legs are uncovered. She's wearing sandals with ties that criss-cross up her thighs. It all has a Grecian feel.

Steve "Baby fish mouth!" Turnbull@taupress· Jun 30

Artists quote post with your most detailed work. #3dRender #humanMade #noAI #3dArt #CGI #art #madeWithDaz

It's a medievalish looking tavern with a long bar, lots of bottles and ornately decorated walls. Candles and other lights are lit although sunlight is streaming in from a low angle from the right. The air shows the rays of sunlight which highlight dust motes.

At the left, sitting on a stool, is a huge rhinocerous-like humanoid (he's got the long head and horn on his nose) wearing bits of plate armour and he's reaching up to assist someone step down off the bar onto a box.
This someone is a green-skinned goblin girl with pink and white hair, wearing a pretty white dress. As she steps off the bar onto the box she's holding one of the rhinocerous-man's finger and balancing with her other hand.

Steve "Baby fish mouth!" Turnbull@taupress· Jun 30

If you see this, post your fictional mentor.

Steve "Baby fish mouth!" Turnbull@taupress· Jun 29

#JuneWorldbuilders 29. The WIP I'm writing the sequel to "The Damsel and the Mermaid", unfortunately I'm also moving all my books wide ... which means I have to make buying from my website MUCH simpler. So everything's on hold until I get that done. Except some relaxing 3D rendering. #humanMade

We are close-up on two women, the one on the left with wet-looking long hair has her hand cupped around the neck of the other and is kissing her on the nose.

The woman on the right has her long hair in a high ponytail and is holding the other woman by the forearm as she is being kissed.

Both have their eyes closed.

Steve "Baby fish mouth!" Turnbull@taupress· Jun 28

#LGBTQWriteAThon June 28: Line share day! Today's theme: magic Context: "Miralin" is the in-world name for merfolk. Khu is one, and she can change her form as well as that of her human lover, Maylees. Who is not really used to it yet. This will be the sequel to "The Damsel and the Mermaid".

But the breathing part she did not like. A miralin could breath both air and water, and she was still unsure how she felt about having gills even if they were essential. But it was the changeover. She had worked out it was important to change to air breathing in mermaid form, because those lungs did not mind either.

Changing first meant human lungs full of seawater and that was not good. Theoretically she could drown.

Anyway, Khu made the change and she kept her head above water, then breathed out as thoroughly as she could before diving through the waves. She still felt the human impulse to hold her breath even though she knew there would be no problem.

And she breathed in.

Water filled her lungs, something stopped up her throat when she breathed out and the water went out through the gills. Then she took in the water again. And so it went.

She forgot she was doing it.

Steve "Baby fish mouth!" Turnbull@taupress· Jun 26

#LesFicFri "ANGRY" Context: They are onboard a ship, and the dragon needs feeding. They will be passing some islands but the ship won't stop. From THE DRAGON OF WATER by Steve Turnbull, Book 3 of THE DRAGONS OF THE WOUNDED LAND #sapphic #lesFic #writingCommunity #wlw #writing #reading

Back in their cabin, Miralees had to argue with the other two about them accompanying her. But she was adamant.

The Ruthelin girl did not complain but her lack of communication indicated how much she disliked the idea. Eftena might not have a voice but she kept slamming her palm on the table, alternately angry and sad.

Until it became clear Miralees would not be moved.

“Now that is resolved, I do have another, and I hope better, plan.” She went to a cupboard and dug out the divination cards. She was almost reluctant to touch them after her last painful experience.

She went through them one at a time until she found the chariot drawn by the two gryphons. She laid it out on the table.

“Yelantera empowers this before I leave, I will carry it with me and when we want to return home I will think of you—” she looked at Eftena “—and put the enchantment on Copper. He will bring me back to you as fast as he can.”

Steve "Baby fish mouth!" Turnbull@taupress· Jun 26

Close enough

Steve "Baby fish mouth!" Turnbull@taupress· Jun 19

#LesFicFri "SERIOUS" From THE TASTE OF VERONICA by Stephanie Bull (a pen-name of Steve Turnbull), from Book 2 of VERONICA'S LIFE #sapphic #lesFic #writingCommunity #wlw #writing #reading

#LesFicFri "SERIOUS"

Veronica smiled at her. “Good morning, wife.”

“We ain’t married, Nika.”

“We will be.”

“Oh yes, when’s that then?”

“Monday week, of course.”

“You goin’ soft in the ’ead? That’s Edwin. Your ’usband.”

Veronica went over and climbed on to the bed, feeling the Faraday effect pass from her hands and head along her arms and torso through to her legs and feet.

“When I say my vows to him, Polly, I will be saying them to you.”

“But I don’t get to say ’em back, do I?”

Veronica sat back on her heels. “I’m trying to be romantic and you’re just spoiling it.”

Polly looked serious. “I love you, Nika, you know I do. But last night, that’s what we have to remember. That’s what our life is going to be.

“You have a night with your posh friends and I can’t be there. It’s like what you said before, everything outside that door is a lie. The only place we can be ourselves is here, alone.”

From THE TASTE OF VERONICA by Stephanie Bull (a pen-name of Steve Turnbull), from Book 2 of VERONICA'S LIFE

Steve "Baby fish mouth!" Turnbull@taupress· Jun 18

Yeah, quite cool. kojira.github.io/bluesky-lice...

Steve "Baby fish mouth!" Turnbull@taupress· Jun 17

Try a dinner party with eight women (plus female staff), and every character engaged. Yes, dear reader, I have written that scene. This snippet contains six of the eight...and yes, names. Context: It's 1910, Veronica is the host and this is, in modern parlance, her hen party.

“Are we ready for some games?” said Sofia to the room.
“Games?” said Veronica.
“We must have games, we have an evening ahead of us and while we could spend it eating, drinking, smoking and singing bawdy songs like a company of men—” Esther and Ruth giggled. “—we are not men and some of our party are too young for bawdy songs.” There was subdued laughter from Tiff and Lady Katherine.
But I don’t know any games. “I did not think and have not prepared anything, I’m afraid.”
“Fear not, Veronica,” said Sofia, throwing the end of her cigar into the fire. “I have everything in hand and came prepared with a list.”

Steve "Baby fish mouth!" Turnbull@taupress· Jun 12

#LesFicFri "BELIEVE" Context: Veronica is talking to her tutor on certain matters. From THE TASTE OF VERONICA by Stephanie Bull (a pen-name of Steve Turnbull), from Book 2 of VERONICA'S LIFE #sapphic #lesFic #writingCommunity #wlw #writing #reading

#LesFicFri "BELIEVE"

Context: Veronica is talking to her tutor on certain matters.

“I’d like to know how you balance it in your life, Mr Plumley; perhaps it will help in mine.”

He made a sort of agreeable grunt and stared down at the desk in front of him. “It seems to me a person’s choice of religious belief is that which provides them either with the greatest justification for their actions, or the most criticism. Depending on their nature.”

“Isn’t that very cynical? Do you not believe in anything then?”

He gave a shrug which was the most natural thing she had ever seen from him. It was so human, so unlike him. “It is not that I don’t believe there is something beyond,” he said, “but I gave up the idea it required worship a long time ago.”

“Except feet?”

“Quite so, as you say. Except feet.” He even smiled.

From THE TASTE OF VERONICA by Stephanie Bull (a pen-name of Steve Turnbull), from Book 2 of VERONICA'S LIFE

Steve "Baby fish mouth!" Turnbull@taupress· Jun 8

#QueerPrompts June 8: BFFs CAT PEOPLE is on hold currently but Geeta's best friend is Lauren. Geeta (bi) doesn't want to mess up their friendship so is restraining herself from making any moves. (There's no nudity in this image #justSayin) #3dRender #noAI #madeWithDaz #3dArt #CGI #humanMade

A bedroom. Morning maybe? There's light from outside through a window but the inside lights are on. The double bed looks slept in but only on one side.

There's a young woman in a blue nightie, with dyed ginger hair, looking into a mirror thoughtfully. She's leaning on a dresser covered in make-up while holding a pencil pressed against her nose.

She's looking, in the mirror, at a second young woman with copper-red hair wearing a knitted top and black panties but apparently nothing else. She's leaning against a window frame looking down into a pink mug. Perhaps she's about to take a drink.

Steve "Baby fish mouth!" Turnbull@taupress· May 31

#QueerPrompts June 1: Introduction Long-time writer of books with queer MCs, my latest is The Damsel and the Mermaid, produced in record time for an event I'm attending next weekend. On pre-order (available wide): taupress.com/damsel-and-m... I also create 3D renders. All #humanMade

Cover of The Damsel and the Mermaid

An underwater cave, light streaming from the opening above - through which you can see the waves. The cave is filled with weird plant shapes with bubbles floating up.

Floating in the water is a mermaid with dark skin and pale naked woman, they are embracing one another.

To hide their modesty, partially, a random strip of semi-transparent black cloth winds about them strategically.

Apart from the title The Damsel and the Mermaid, at the top it says "USA Today Best-selling Author Steve Turnbull"

Steve "Baby fish mouth!" Turnbull@taupress· May 29

#LesFicFri "WINK" Context: They're play-acting, and Veronica is replaying a debt. From THE SHAPE OF VERONICA by Stephanie Bull (a pen-name of Steve Turnbull), from Book 1 of VERONICA'S LIFE #sapphic #lesFic #writingCommunity #wlw #writing #reading

“Oh my,” said Veronica, speaking into the air, “what a tiring day it has been. My poor feet are so hot and tired. My dear little toes ache from the day’s walking and the evening’s dancing. They must be released them from their prison.”

She crossed her legs and pulled up her skirts almost to her knees.

“Dear Polly, remove my shoes and stockings.”

The maid did as she was told and knelt in front of her mistress. She looked up at Veronica, who winked on the side the tutor could not see. Polly suppressed a grin.

“Oh but, mistress, your feet do stink so terrible when you’ve been on them all day.”

“It cannot be helped. They must be exposed.”

Polly made a big show of unbuckling each shoe, and held each one up to her nose. “Oh, it do stink.”

From THE SHAPE OF VERONICA by Stephanie Bull (a pen-name of Steve Turnbull), from Book 1 of VERONICA'S LIFE

Steve "Baby fish mouth!" Turnbull@taupress· May 27

Things are hotting up for the Splendid Day Out event (June 5/6) - I have the banner and the paperbacks of "The Damsel and the Mermaid". Photograph by my wife Pam, who's books will also be available. #splendidDayOut #mermaid #mermay #reading #writing #sapphic #wlw #lesFic

The author, Steve Turnbull, holding several paperback copies of "The Damsel and the Mermaid" and just behind him is a vertical poster with the cover of the book.

Steve "Baby fish mouth!" Turnbull@taupress· May 27

#QueerPrompts May 27: Who's hippie? That one's easy: the Screaming Goddess, of course, from my Dragons of the Wounded Land series (though she first appears in Patterner's Path book 4). I would say more but [spoilers].

A young woman stands on the edge of a pool in the woods. She has her arms raised and is surrounded by curious light.

Behind her are flowers. Lots of flowers.

Steve "Baby fish mouth!" Turnbull@taupress· May 25

#MayWorldbuilders 25. Meeting DEATH. In the WIP, yes, Maylees has experienced a plague that killed a lot people she knew, including her family (except her brother). In another book, Elona has lived with her dead mother all her life. Her body is being kept alive by magic #noAI #humanMade #3dRender

In a stone hall lit by candles, a young woman with dark hair stands beside another older woman who is laid out with her eyes closed. She doesn't look dead, but definitely not awake.

A scene inspired by my book "ELONA", book 1 of the Patterner's Path series.

Steve "Baby fish mouth!" Turnbull@taupress· May 22

#LesFicFri "NO" (my choice) Just launched this book... THE DAMSEL AND THE MERMAID taupress.com/damsel-and-m... #sapphic #lesFic #writingCommunity #wlw #writing #reading #mermaid #mermay #merfolk #noAI #humanMade

We see the back of a woman with a pony tail, wearing a strapless dress. Her hand is stretched out in front and is being held and kissed by a mermaid. We can see the ocean behind them.

#LesFicFri "NO"

Maylees imagined her body must seem very strange to someone whose lower half did not split in two at the hips.

“Nayee.”

She realised she’d been dozing and opened her eyes. Khu’s face was very close to hers. Their eyes locked and she felt the miralin’s hand stroking her hair.

She pushed herself into a kneeling position on the cloak and felt dizzy for a few moments. Khu touched her arm gently to attract her attention.

“Nayee?” Khu reached tentatively towards Maylees’ exposed collar bone. The dress was already further down than she liked.

The realisation of what the mermaid wanted to do was not the shock it had been the day before but she still wasn’t ready for that. Gently she took hold of Khu’s hand and shook her head. “No, not yet.”

From THE DAMSEL AND THE MERMAID by Steve Turnbull

Steve "Baby fish mouth!" Turnbull@taupress· May 21

THE DAMSEL AND THE MERMAID taupress.com/book/damsel-...

Steve "Baby fish mouth!" Turnbull@taupress· May 18

Post a meme made by you. (There are a lot of these, honestly I *think* I did this one, I could be wrong. I can't find the one I really like and was definitely original.)

Close-up of Dave Bowman wearing his helmet, from 2001: A Space Odyssey with the words "My God, it's full of bugs"

Steve "Baby fish mouth!" Turnbull@taupress· May 15

#LesFicFri "SOFT" Another wake-up call. From THE SHAPE OF VERONICA by Stephanie Bull (a pen-name of Steve Turnbull), from Book 1 of VERONICA'S LIFE #sapphic #lesFic #writingCommunity #wlw #writing #reading

#LesFicFri "SOFT"

A tremendous crash woke Veronica from her deep sleep. The air was split with a thunder that did not fade but grew constantly louder. The bed was shuddering with vibrations transmitted through the walls and floors. The curtains were drawn but sunlight streamed through the gaps.

She reached out and her hand landed on soft flesh. It made her jump. She pushed herself up on her elbow and realised that she was sharing her bed with Polly. She hadn’t been there when Veronica had gone to sleep.

When did she arrive? What was the time? _And what in God’s name was that noise?_

Something porcelain crashed to the floor across the room and shattered. The windows were thudding as the sound beat against them from outside. A huge shadow moved across the sun casting its slow-moving shade along the curtains.

From THE SHAPE OF VERONICA by Stephanie Bull (a pen-name of Steve Turnbull), from Book 1 of VERONICA'S LIFE

#sapphic #lesFic #writingCommunity #wlw #writing #reading

Steve "Baby fish mouth!" Turnbull@taupress· May 15

Very succinct. I cry when I see books by people I like that don't have covers that do their job. My next book cover will look something like this. I'm providing the basic art (not AI!), my cover designer does the real work and typography. #3dRender #noAI #CGI #art #humanMade

An underwater cave, light streaming from the opening above - through which you can see the waves. The cave is filled with weird plant shapes with bubbles floating up.

Floating in the water is a mermaid with dark skin and pale naked woman, they are embracing one another.

To hide their modesty, partially, a random strip of semi-transparent black cloth winds about them strategically.

Steve "Baby fish mouth!" Turnbull@taupress· May 14

But you can still visit him, in Morecambe, his statue anyway. (I'll be there at the Splendid Day Out steampunk event Jun 6/7.)