Step into Harlem, 1953.
Penny Mickelbury’s PAYBACK is a powerful story of love, resilience & chosen family—where queer & Black lives demand to be seen & celebrated. 🏳️🌈🖤📚
From the #GCLS2025 Trailblazer.
Available everywhere great queer books are sold.
#SapphicSky #QueerBooks #QueerHistory
My #GCLS2025 haul was EXTRA ❣️❣️
Now, I must find a way to add these new beauties to my other signed books.
Soon, the Wrenn's Nest will be made entirely of books.
#books
#booklover
#sapphicbooks
Group selfie of three smiling women. L to R: E.V. Bancroft, Ann McMan, and J.E. Leak.
Group photo behind a podium. L to R: Authors E.J. Noyes, Melissa Brayden, Rachel (Rey) Spangler, Anna Burke, J.E. Leak, Serena J. Bishop, and Luc Dreamer.
Selfie of two smiling women. Authors Kat Jackson and J.E. Leak.
Photo of smiling woman. Author Sharon K Angelici.
Oh, you know, just more AMAZING authors from #GCLS2025! From reading with E.V. Bancroft and Ann McMan, to Series paneling with ZOMG that line up, to catching up with pals Kat Jackson and Sharon K Angelici—woo, I'm a lucky gal!
Group selfie of five smiling women: J.E. Leak, Kelsey Dye, Selina Rossman, Quinn Riley, and Rachel Lacey.
A selfie of two smiling women: J.E. Leak with Bryce Oakley
Group photo behind a podium. L to R: Author/narrator Natalie Naudus, authors JJ Arias, Karen D. Badger, Macon Leigh, Milena McKay, J.E. Leak, and Jen Lyon.
A selfie of two smiling women: J.E. Leak with JJ Hale
More photos from #GCLS2025! Loved sharing the Self Publishing panel with such brilliant minds!
The #GCLS2025 fun continued into the night🥳 We had a blast drinking, dancing, singing & chatting with everyone in this wonderful queer community.💝 So many cherished memories, but we were especially proud of our Jamie & Jamie Rose for MCing the fabulous awards night & congratulations to all who won!🎉
Mikall Hill, Robbie Adair, Melissa Brayden, Georgia Beers, and J.E. Leak posing for a photo at GCLS 2025 Awards Gala, all delightfully surprised by Marisa Calln swooping in with a two thumbs up crouch in front of the group.
Author J.E. Leak signing a book at GCLS 2025.
Authors J.E. Leak and Jen Lyon hugging in a selfie in front of GCLS 2025 Awards Gala dance floor.
Two women's feet crossed on the same chair, one in jeans and colorful Chucks, one in dress slacks and high heel sandals with painted toenails. A dance floor full of people dancing is in the background.
Finally getting around to sorting photos from #GCLS2025. Such a great time seeing old friends and new! Such an amazing community. I hope to see you all next year! ❤️ (more pics to come) Thanks to Marisa Calin for the epic photobomb!🤣
Good times #gcls2025
#GCLS2025 was filled with so many amazing & dramatic panels!😉 We loved hearing from all the fabulous authors, narrators, reviewers & readers. We were especially proud of our very own @readingwithcaz.bsky.social & @sagaciousapphic.bsky.social for knocking their respective panels out the park!🙌
#IYKYK
A favorite @goldencrownls.bsky.social Con is chatting w/ fellow @ylva-publishing.bsky.social authors & celebrating 🥳 Goldies for Carrie's Loser of the Year and Chris's Flipping Hearts and Homes.
🎉
@byrdwrites.bsky.social
@chriszettauthor.bsky.social
@writingroslyn.bsky.social
#gcls2025
@goldencrownls.bsky.social
Con in Albany was like autumn bees beelining for the remaining precious nectar.
It was buzzbuzzbuzzy-busy, and such a sweet delight.
I totally forgot to take selfies on Day 1.
Oh well, I'll make up for it @ GCLS 2026.
#gcls2025
#writerslife
#sapphicbooks
The Wilding of Em's Path
( @ylva-publishing.bsky.social )
cookie and bracelet are
among my favorite goodies readers gave me at @goldencrownls Con.
😍
🥰
😋
#gcls2025
#writerslife
#sapphicbooks
#darkacademia
🏳️🌈📚 Still unpacking the moments & memories of #GCLS2025. 📚🏳️🌈
📸 Photos courtesy of Tiny House Photo, Audrey Wilson, Christel Cogneau & others. 📸
#SapphicLiterature #BywaterBooks #WeAreFamily #QueerLit #ReadForOurLives #WriteForOurLives
🏳️🌈 Every single time the world needed a strong black lesbian voice, Penny Mickelbury rose to the occasion.
• Bold • Brilliant • Unflinching
📸 Photo by Tiny House Photo
#Trailblazer2025 #GCLS2025 #LiteraryIcon #SapphicLiterature #QueerLit
More photos from #GCLS2025 (and I still didn't take nearly enough!) Look at some of the AMAZING people I got to hang out with though! 🥰😍❤️🌈
My #GCLS2025 book haul! Is that a gorgeous stack or what?! There are a few here that I haven't read yet, but most are already favorites that I brought along to have signed since I didn't have to worry about airline weight restrictions this year. I'm such a sucker for signed books! 😍🌈📚❤️
My second Goldie. How is this real? 🥹
Sorry again for bawling on the stage, instead of giving a normal acceptance speech.
I promise I’ll try to post something eloquent when I get home, but for now, I’m just…grateful. 💙
#gcls2025
@chriszettauthor.bsky.social Congratulations on your Goldie Award from @goldencrownls.bsky.social for Flipping Hearts and Homes ( @ylva-publishing.bsky.social ).
🎊💙🎊💜🎊💝🎊
Your acceptance speech touched me deeply.
#sapphicbooks
#gcls2025
Congratulations 🎊 @byrdwrites.bsky.social for bringing home your Goldie Award from @goldencrownls.bsky.social for Loser of the Year ( @ylva-publishing.bsky.social )
🎊🎊🎊🎊🎊🎊🎊🎊🎊🎊🎊🎊
#sapphicbooks
#gcls2025
Sorry my newsletter is late 😬. I wanted to wait to tell y’all all about #GCLS2025! It should hit your inbox sometime tomorrow (Monday) along with access to the next chapter of book 3!
& if u haven’t yet, now’s a great time to sign up!
tinyurl.com/BC-Newsletter
Me and Jeremy laughing together
EJ standing behind me, in bodyguard mode
Me, Luc Dreamer, and Bryce Oakley being silly
Okay, I have a lot of pix and excitement to share from #GCLS2025 but first...these 3 to give you an idea of the kind of time we had last night after the awards ceremony 😂🥰
Oh and that 2nd photo is my bodyguard protecting me on the dance floor, of course. EJ takes her job VERY seriously (IYKYK)
Got my emotional-support h20 bottle from my favorite fake girlfriend, @sapphicbookreview.bsky.social
Time to ✈️ home.
#writerslife
#gcls2025
🏳️🌈 Big congratulations to our very own Virginia Black on the incredible success of her brilliant work, No Shelter But the Stars! 🏳️🌈
🚀A powerful voice, an epic story—we couldn’t be more proud! 🚀
#GCLS2025 @VirginiaBlackWrites #CBVB
Finished my last jog in Albany.
@goldencrownls.bsky.social
Con was a SWIRL in the best possible way.
Stay tuned for pics.
Hugs,
Ana
#gcls2025
#sapphicbooks
#writerslife
I may not know what we need to do but I do know we cannot, we MUST not, give up. ~ Trailblazer Penny Mickelbury
.
.
.
#gcls2025 #sapphic #authorsofinstagram #trailblazer #writingcommunity #lgbtq #queer #hero
GCLS Goldie Awards Night at #GCLS2025!
Good luck to Cathy Pegau, Elle E. Ire, Fay Jacobs, Ann McMan, Virginia Black & Christine Williams!
Booyah, peeps!
If you’re at the signing today, I need you to know I have gay dragon stickers! 🖤🐉🖤
Also, you should have a Goddess of the Sea bookmark in your GCLS bag, but I have more, if you need an extra for a friend or yourself. 🖤
#gcls2025
#GCLS2025
The secrets of the ages…
From L to R: Penny Mickelbury, Marianne K. Martin
#SapphicLit #Trailblazers
Bywater Books Goldie award finalists No Shelter But the Stars, Blood Remains, Speak EZ, The Black Bird of Chernobyl, Big Girls Don't Fry
It's Goldie Awards Night at #GCLS2025!
All the best to all the finalists, but ESPECIALLY to my @bywaterbooks.bsky.social sibs!!!
Love you all!
@virginiablack.bsky.social @elleeire.bsky.social @annmcman.bsky.social and Fay Jacob
Ana K Wrenn, Laura Green, me
Me in a t-shirt that says Stars Align, Stars Collide
Jamie Rose and me
Jude and Me
#GCLS2025 photo dump part 1! (so many more to come!)
1 Fun at the bar with @sapphicbookreview.bsky.social and @anakwrenn.bsky.social
2 This T-shirt was a random Etsy find, and I love it so much!
3 With the lovely @jamiegeeksout.bsky.social
4 With the also lovely @judeinthestars.bsky.social
