BrightFlame (she/they) * talks with trees

@brightflame.bsky.social

2596 Followers 533 Following

I write, teach, make magic for bright futures. THE WORKING: feminist #Witch #solarpunk novel. Short #CliFi in noted anthologies & mags. #WritingCommunity #WriteSky #SpecLit #SFF CliFiWritersLeague @bsfwriters #SFWA #LGBTQ+ #justice #resist brightflame.com

whimsical drawing on bright yellow background: blue-headed robot dances with red stick figure wearing blue hat. They hold a book between them, The Working. Text: Happy Dance
Against dark background with smattering of stars, red & white cartoon spaceship with helmeted astronaut waving, WriteHive hexagonal brown-toned logo in upper right, and text in white: Panelist. 2026 WriteHive Annual Conference.
white text on burgundy background, Harvesting Our Scream to Energize Our Creative Work. Yellow lightning bolt with words (Horror, Grief, Despair, Rage) points at blue and white starburst on the ground.
WisCon banner logo at top with purple background with a male, female, nonbinary symbol. 4 whimsical dragon, bat, robot-like creatures surround "WisCon." Text below: online May 21-25. BrightFlame's sessions: Sat. "How to Scream in the Shower" and "Ways of Knowing." Sun. "What's Hope Got to Do With It?" wiscon.net
grid of square featured images from blog posts. Some are hand drawn doodles with stick figures. One is an autumn foliage photo against blue sky. The middle square reads Bright Green Futures on white background.
closeup of yellow trout lily with 6 petals open. Brown-mottled green leaves stand behind.
On brick red background, Philcon rocketship logo at top and text: BrightFlame's Schedule. Saturday 1pm. Writing Dystopias in a Dystopian World. Saturday 5pm. What I Wish I'd Understood about Publishing before My Novel's Launch. Sunday 10am. Can Fantasy Fiction Help Us with the Climate Crisis?
Two headshots amidst a teal and purple nebula cloud. Text: Tarot Need-to-Knows for SFF Writers. 11am PST, Nov 16th. events.sfwa.org
brown chipmunk with darker brown back and white stripe on side stuffs their cheeks with chewed leaves. They sit in a flower pot filled with green leaves of many shapes--all volunteer plants.
screen grab of 2 reviews against burgundy background. From Eldritchsun: "Loved it! Engaging characters given great depth through the web of their interactions. The use of short chapters written from the PoV of each of the five characters created this depth as well providing suspense and developing satisfaction for the reader. Through careful and well judged expostion of what the coven all thought of each other, their actions and reactions to, their relationships became both the heart and nervous system of the text. Would definitely recommend and read a sequel!" From madikonrad: "Excellently written and tightly plotted! I enjoyed the exploration of a modern coven pitted against both supernatural and all-too-mundane obstacles. The author also flitted between character POVs quite skillfully. Very few words were wasted. Highly recommended!"
My novel The Working displayed with its large poster. Red tablecloth showing off the black and green cover with its blue hues inside pentacle.
teal cosmic swirls and gold stars on black background. Text: How to change the world with Solarpunk. A workshop led by BrightFlame. Aug 3. Climate Imaginarium, Governors Island
cover of innovative zines of The Liberated Archives "The Legend of Bin Lin Hai and the Founding of the Children of the Flame." On heavy ivory paper stock with slash symbol cutout on front.
Bookcover: young person in red plaid flannel shirt flinging tarot cards towards viewer. Text: The Siren & the Sword.
On bookcover, two women on stage hold giant guitar with magical swirls around them while audience looks on. Text: The Only Song Worth Singing. Randee Dawn.
Book cover: pen & ink of figure diving backwards with orange sky blue water behind. Text: Nothing in the basement. A horror novel by Romie Stott. Collage button is dinosaur head with text: Firmer & Radiant.
teal cosmic swirls and gold stars on black background. Moon in sun in gold. Text in gold: How to change the world with solarpunk. A workshop led by BrightFlame. August 3, Climate Imaginarium, Governors Island.
gold stars and teal cosmos swirl on black background. Gold crescent moon within radiating sun ato the side of text: How to change the world with Solarpunk, a workshop led by BrightFlame.
Burgundy background with yellow lightning bolt and sun doodles. Text in white: Me at Readercon: Friday 3:30p Rapid-fire Reading with Broad Universe. Sunday 11a "We Demand Stories" with BSFW. The Working on sale at Water Dragon table--happy to sign with my magical pen
Carpet of lighter green foliage in foreground with dark orange day lillies, white and pink echinacea, fuchsia monarda, and yellow rubeckia (sp)
Protestor holding sign: I prefer my ICE crushed!
Portion of a NoKings march, people lining a street holding signs and flags
3 white-haired women before larger-than-life painting of Black model posed as Lady Liberty in royal blue slit-leg form-fitting dress & pink hair with left hand on her hip. Torch held high in right hand has flames composed of yellow & orange flowers
brown trunk and green leaves on thick branches of massive tree in background with white book cover for "Ancestors, Descendants" in foreground. Text: FREE until May 20th"
2 holding signs: "elect a clown, expect a circus." Picture of a tick aside tRump labeled DANGEROUS! Deer tick. Lunatic.
Woman holding sign. "Trump Lunch Special. White bread full of bologna with Russian dressing & a small pickle"
4 writers holding our books, standing in front of red banner with BSFW logo in white.
Giant bronze statue depicting triumph of light over dark. Angel vanquishes Satan by sword. Giant sun rises.
6 headshots on purple background. Text: Strong Women, Strange Worlds presents 3rd Thurs QuickReads of Sci Fi, Fantasy, and Horror. April 17, 7pm ET on zoom
headshots of 6 authors on purple background with text Strong Women, Strange Worlds presents
headshots of 6 authors on purple background. Text: Strong Women, Strange Worlds presents Third Thursday QuickReads of SciFi, Fantasy & Horror. April 17, 7pm ET, free on zoom
Headshots of 6 authors on purple background. Text: Strong Women Strange Worlds presents Third Thursday Quick Reads of Sci Fi, Fantasy, and Horror. April 17, 7pm ET. Free on Zoom
screen clipping of book review overlayed with quote in blue: "BrightFlame brings magic to life and shows us the way to a brighter more equitable future..."
Orange sun with text that lists under Me: resting up ahead of April 5th, deciding which drum to bring, reviewing chants, inviting friends. You: ??? [note I'm in the U.S.]
Headshots of 6 authors. "Strong Women, Strange Worlds presents Third Thursday QuickReads of Sci Fi, Fantasy, and Horror"
Me behind The Working book poster and display of my books with bookstore shelves behind.
i-M-p-e-A-c-H hand drawn to look like a captcha
orange background with seated, cross-legged figure. Text: Daily practice: breathe, ground, center, align, phone Congress. Repeat.
"Reminder! contains tools for resilience & agency" atop image of book cover. Words surround: Hope! Justice, Magical Activism, Solarpunk...
the words in my post on light blue background with sketch of trees and sun
white bowl filled with ruby pomegranate seeds, and one pomegranate section on the side still to be peeled
Jaguar Mask open to pages 210-211 with a Reckoning 3 bookmark across the page.
book cover thumbnails on blue & green background with words: BrightFlame's 2024 Award Eligibility and descriptions as stated in this post
Closeup of blueberry bush on the right with words "The Wild Harvest." On left a Mi'kmaq (First Nations) woman holding a metal harvesting rake in front of her body.
A patio of brick-colored pavers set in a spiral pattern. Dusting of snow in the cracks emphasizes the pattern.
screen grab of opening of interview titled "The Working: An Author Interview with BrightFlame"
words on fuchsia background: Someone pointed out how relevant my book is now—that it’s good The Working only came out in 2024. Silly me— A few years back, I feared its relevance would fall ahead of publication because of course we would tackle the climate crisis & social justice by now. :: rolls eyes :: I hope The Working lifts & inspires you. And offers hope. Plus, it’s an exciting contemporary fantasy.
Words on fuchsia background: Someone pointed out how relevant my book is now—that it’s good The Working only came out in 2024. Silly me— A few years back, I feared its relevance would fall ahead of publication because of course we would tackle the climate crisis & social justice by now. :: rolls eyes :: I hope The Working lifts & inspires you. And offers hope. Plus, it’s an exciting contemporary fantasy.
me in black & white jacket with red scarf holding my book, The Working.
THE WORKING book cover surrounded by 5 yellow bees and handwritten "buzzzz"
text with book covers showing my novel The Working and my short story "Thank Geo" as my 2024 work eligible for awards
Poster with my book cover and announcing the book talk at entrance to the college library.
orange, yellow, white "candy corn" background with words: Samhain...already? (I wrote a thing about that. Plus, carrying the elixir of hope)
3 of us at table with red tablecloth. One of us holding a mic.
neon outline of head against black background with pink, orange, blue sparks and synapses flaring to show ideas flowing. Text: Storying a Bright Future, Oct 20th, 11am, The Journey Home in Easton PA. Easton Book Festival.
Northern Lights in neon green, purple, red above treeline. Yellow text: The sun being the biggest, badass SolarPunk!
screenshot of 5 x 5 grid of people in rectangles during the online book launch party via zoom. Some holding my book, The Working.
For Bright Futures A poem-spell by a group of Writers, Witches, Teachers, Solarpunks, and Activists Equality and balance Without greed No more human-caused extinctions Freedom to BE exactly who we are. To a future of abolition, where we break cycles of abuse, not people. Expansive joy All animals and plants thriving according to their nature. Communities full of birdsong and laughter Among the trees, among our kin of land and sea Living creatures and green growth in abundance, holding peace and joy Justice...environmental, social. Respect for all life Justice, abolition, and a sustainable future for everyone Brilliance of souls Liberation and nervous system regulation Soft grass beneath my hand, delighting in the dance of shadows and light falling from between the leaves, a breeze is salty and sweet, a brook is so cold my toes are iced wonderfully. Energetic connection Cooling oceans Water always finds a way True, imperfect and messy peace. A place where women are free.