Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by Sylvie Helstaff

Jiz Lee

@jizlee.bsky.social

This is huge!

Free Speech Coalition @fsc.bsky.social · 21h

Over the past few years, FSC raised alarms in Washington about debanking of our industry. Thousands of you joined us to file complaints.

Finally, a new government report has affirmed it: major banks wrongly discriminated against adult businesses.

Our work is paying off. Now, we fight for a fix.

OCC Releases Preliminary Findings from Its Review of Large Banks’ Debanking Activities

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) today released preliminary findings from its supervisory review of debanking activities at the nine largest national banks it supervises: JPMorgan C...

www.occ.gov

December 11, 2025 at 12:38 AM

Reposted by Sylvie Helstaff

TheDinosaurMann

@thedinosaurmann.bsky.social

More sketches of the big man but this time he's got more swords! 🤩

#WarDemonStory

September 26, 2025 at 10:33 PM

Sylvie Helstaff

@sylviehelstaff.bsky.social

#Smutcember answer: Not anymore! I have 4 queer monster romance books out now and a parent who’s read at least two of them, there’s no shaming me now 😅

Practice & positive feedback have helped a lot
Supportive friends & fellow writers are invaluable!
Also, my work isn’t for everyone & that’s okay

Lizzie Blackwood @lizzieblackwood.bsky.social · 1d

#Smutcember for Hump Day asks:

Do you struggle with sharing your smutty writing? If so, what internal or external obstacles have been the most challenging? If not, what advice would you give someone who's struggling but wants to share their work?

#WriteSky #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts

#Smutcember, a Bluesky writing prompt game hosted by @lizzieblackwood.bsky.social & @hookandquillpress.com

Blurry black & white background that looks like a couple heavily making out.

Prompt:
10) Do you struggle with sharing your smutty writing?

December 10, 2025 at 7:08 PM

Sylvie Helstaff

@sylviehelstaff.bsky.social

❤️‍🔥

Hamlet Machine @hamletmachine.bsky.social · 1d

Lucifer's Garden

December 9, 2025 at 10:53 PM

Reposted by Sylvie Helstaff

mint

@mintaii.bsky.social

i love frankenstein (2025) so much

#art

artwork of the creature from frankenstein (2025). the creature is the central figure, his body abstracted into the swathes of blues and greens, with a tinge of red, with details of furs of his coat and candles lit with red flames. his torso is carved out, exposing red flesh and a heart connected with veins that have some sprouting flowers, and the final scene of the creature embracing the morning sun. framing the creature are various body parts as well as the halves of victor and elizabeth's faces.

December 9, 2025 at 6:04 PM

Reposted by Sylvie Helstaff

Biscuit

@halfbakedrhymes.com

#bakedrhymes

Sometimes ive thoughts
Untamed & impure
Artistical fancies
Of carnal allures

Thots that are canvas
For sinful delight
Painted with worship
And prayers to the night

For Poet's with thoughts
There's simply no cure
I'll never be bimbo
My cross to endure

Katie Tightpussy, Editor-In-Chief @katie.bzky.team · 1d

does anyone else have impure thoughts sometimes

December 9, 2025 at 8:11 PM

Reposted by Sylvie Helstaff

Newt 👁️🦎

@eyeofthenewt.bsky.social

"Devil's Left Hand"

[OC: Nikola Graves, a victorian setting my friends an I RP in and might start calling #FruitOfSin for the purpose of tagging now? #NewtsOCs]

a digital illustration of a hunched-over figure ont heir hands and knees with a dark background. The figure has blonde hair and a long tan trenchcoat. their face is fully obscured as they bend over a splatter of blood ont he floor, pushing themselves up on clawed pale hands.
Above the figure, there is a drawing of a clawed red hand holding a the same pale figure curled up in its palm. Viscous liquid dripping down from it.
At the top of the page, there are two beige-coloured hounds curling in on themselves in agonised positions. One is curling forward with its tongue curling out and the other is biting at its own side.
There are three small paragraphs of text in red ink and a typewriter style font reading:
"A Thing, touched by the hand of the beast", "Something rotting, marked, wretched, coiling and writhing behind each of their ribs", "Planted there by the ichor-slick-black-dripping hand of the Devil"

December 9, 2025 at 8:29 PM

Reposted by Sylvie Helstaff

Sylvie Helstaff

@sylviehelstaff.bsky.social

Holiday shopping for your favorite monsterfucker?
I’ve got you covered friends!

Choose from shapeshifting shadows, man-eating lesbian mermaids, or amorous archdemons with queer, neurodivergent human love interests 💙📚

Buy from me: helstaffbooks.com
Everywhere Else: books2read.com/ap/RDeD7L/Sy...

Cover art for Shadow's Light by Sylvie Helstaff. A blonde woman stands in a dark hallway with a shadow demon floating overhead. Gold Filigree frame with title text.

Cover art for Shadow & Flame by Sylvie Helstaff. A brunette man in colonial american clothing holds an open book in one hand and glowing light in the other. A shadow demon stands behind him with a hand on his shoulder. both are surrounded by purple flames.

Text: Sylvie Helstaff. Swim with me, Darling. A sapphic Horrormance
Image: illustration of a siren with green hair and huge black eyes mostly submerged in dark blue water and looking at the viewer. Her hair swirls on the surface forming the word Swim. Fireflies float in the air above the water which has hot pink light reflections on it. Framed by ferns in the foreground.

Stained glass style illustration of a non-binary person in the center with a purple tail wrapped over their shoulder, they are standing in a garden of flowers with two demons behind them. Author name Sylvie Helstaff appears at the top of the frame and book title "Lust and Found" in gold text at the bottom

November 28, 2025 at 8:10 PM

Sylvie Helstaff

@sylviehelstaff.bsky.social

In Lust and Found & the WIP sequel, there are no seasons in the infernal realm, just varied biomes.

If you like winter, you can visit the kingdom of Sloth and see demons napping beneath a blanket of snow like large, scaley huskies.
If you like it hot, go to Wrath and spar by the lake of fire 🧵

Ian Haramaki 🏳️‍⚧️✨ @MFF C8 @cometkins.bsky.social · 1d

How do the seasons function in your book's setting? Is it similar to our world? Do they have different meanings in-universe? #WritingPrompt

December 9, 2025 at 7:06 PM

Reposted by Sylvie Helstaff

Kathleen Rowan 🌱

@rowanauthor.bsky.social

Gentle reminder that you don't have to "deserve" rest.🌱

You need rest to function. It's not a treat you get for functioning.

December 9, 2025 at 5:29 PM

Reposted by Sylvie Helstaff

ACA

@aca-sonia.bsky.social

💚✨ #fanart #frankenstein

December 9, 2025 at 3:12 PM

Sylvie Helstaff

@sylviehelstaff.bsky.social

#Smutcember today: slow burn or fast feelings?
Both!
In Lust and Found, Rowan and Azer (and later Rannak) are quick to fall in lust but then slower to figure out their deeper feelings. One an introverted human witch, the other Archdemon of Lust… neither with much experience in love.
#writesky

Lizzie Blackwood @lizzieblackwood.bsky.social · 3d

Merry Monday, #Smutcember!

In your stories, do you prefer a slow burn or fast feelings? What appeals to you the most about writing your preferred pacing?

#WriteSky #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts

December 8, 2025 at 10:39 PM

Reposted by Sylvie Helstaff

Issy Waldrom

@iwaldrom.bsky.social

This, very much. From my experience, it usually accounts for 80-90% of sales, and sales have been really soft as of late. Doesn't mean we'll stop doing what we love, but it does make things tougher.

Especially as a lot of lists that come out this time of year also tend to ignore indie authors.

Mel E. Lemon @mel-e-lemon.bsky.social · 3d

Friendly reminder that indie authors still largely rely on ama/zon for income. I am fortunate enough to also be able sell books on my site (MelELemon.com), but uh, ain’t no one really buying like they did before! The boycott really hurts indie authors, so just consider us this holiday season, too.

December 7, 2025 at 7:43 PM

Reposted by Sylvie Helstaff

✯ An Anxious Inkwell ✯

@aorticinkwell.bsky.social

▪️-Charon-▪️

#Art #Hades #ArtSky #Fanart

Image is of Charon from the game, Hades. He wears a wide brimmed hat while holding the handle to his oar. He is looking to the viewer as a speech bubble beside his asks for coin.

December 8, 2025 at 3:39 AM

Reposted by Sylvie Helstaff

Dani Finn 🐙 🏳️‍⚧️ 📚

@danifinnwrites.bsky.social

Ho ho fucking ho grab this bundle before you go

Moth (Em) 🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈 @8bitem.bsky.social · 3d

Thank you to everyone buying our trans winter stories bundle! ☃️

I wonder if we could get above $100 before the weekend is over? 🎄

itch.io/b/3419/trans...

December 7, 2025 at 10:02 PM

Sylvie Helstaff

@sylviehelstaff.bsky.social

Closing in on finishing the draft of HOUND FOR HELL!

At 120k words so far and this book has everything:

🔥Emotional angst
🔥Change and forgiveness
🔥Priest x fallen angel x demons
🔥Pup play
🔥Magical sex toys
🔥Everyone’s bi and mad at god
🔥Weird infernal magic & science
🔥Oddly heartwarming smut
💙📚 🌈💜

cropped illustration of a silver female fallen angel in gold armor looking at a blushing blonde man wearing dog ears and a gold collar and harness on a blue background

December 7, 2025 at 10:07 PM

Sylvie Helstaff

@sylviehelstaff.bsky.social

First kiss for #Smutcember today, from SWIM WITH ME, DARLING, my sapphic horrormance novelette.

When Lana gets pushed into the cursed lake, she has a breathless meet cute with the monster behind the legends. A kiss that saves her from drowning and plunges her headlong into yearning for more.
💙📚

Text over an image of underwater rocks and plants.
Swim With Me, Darling
A sapphic horrormance
Even in the cool water, Lana could feel the warm tears brim in her eyes, the salty droplets joining with the fresh water of the lake. She didn’t want to die down here, but looking at this achingly beautiful creature was almost worth the dire fate. It was like seeing an angel. And Lana’s one regret was that she couldn’t raise a hand to touch the being before her and know that she was real.
Her aquatic companion’s mouth moved and another eerie song sounded, this one oddly concerned compared to the enchanting melody from before. A pair of webbed hands floated up to cup Lana’s face, cradling it with care despite the sharp claws she could feel prickling against her delicate skin. As Lana’s vision began to dim, the woman’s face drew closer and the last thing that she was aware of was the sensation of soft lips pressing against her own.

Her first kiss.
By
Sylvie Helstaff

December 6, 2025 at 8:03 PM

Sylvie Helstaff

@sylviehelstaff.bsky.social

Writing banter and getting to know each other is fun but, I think my favorite to write are the non-verbal cues. Gravitating towards each other, lingering glances, physical reactions to the presence of a love interest. I especially enjoy this in characters when they’re yet unaware of their feelings.

Lizzie Blackwood @lizzieblackwood.bsky.social · 6d

#Smutcember, it's time to talk about our work! To start off:

How do you build chemistry between your characters? You can speak in general terms or give specific examples, whichever you prefer.

#WriteSky #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts

December 5, 2025 at 10:07 PM

Sylvie Helstaff

@sylviehelstaff.bsky.social

artists, quote with your horned #art 😈

full color of a male demon with curly ginger hair, horns, and tiger stripes posing with his arms above his head, wearing a blue patterned vest and criss-cross black mesh shirt

December 5, 2025 at 9:47 PM

Sylvie Helstaff

@sylviehelstaff.bsky.social

He seems nice 👀

line drawing of a crouched figure going feral

December 5, 2025 at 9:42 PM

Reposted by Sylvie Helstaff

🏳️‍🌈 Jessica the Bestica 🎨 Taking some R&R ☕

@anireal.bsky.social

🌸 QRP with something with horns 🌸

Torso shot art of a horned demon holding a fan. They have plants in their hair and flower tattoos that match the design on the fan.

December 5, 2025 at 6:09 PM

Reposted by Sylvie Helstaff

C. M. Rosens

@cmrosens.com

5 ways to give your fave authors free-to-you gifts over the holidays! 💙📚

1. post about their book on socials
2. rec on other posts & Reddit threads
3. suggest their book to a book club!
4. order their book from a library/ask can it be ordered in!
5. add it to GoodReads lists for discoverability!

December 4, 2025 at 10:26 PM

Reposted by Sylvie Helstaff

Ben Pahl Robinson

@benpahlrobinson.bsky.social

Online age verification is a tempting idea. I'm a dad, I get it, but what's being proposed isn't just an ID check, it's a list of your kid's faces and data. A list in the hands of increasingly totalitarian governments, tech companies, and dysfunctional AI.

It's not protection, it's surveillance.

Evan Greer @evangreer.bsky.social · 7d

🚨 EVERYONE PLEASE RESKEET THIS FOR VISIBILITY!!! 🚨

A big coalition of LGBTQ+, abortion access, and human rights groups led by @fightforthefuture.org are organizing a WEEK OF ACTION this week against online ID checks, aka "age verification" laws.

Join us: www.fightforthefuture.org/actions/stop...