Francesca's Thoughts

Let's go old-school internet and hold a conversation.

13/08/2026

Pulling Tarot Cards for My Characters | Rotting Trees, Book 1 in the Bezzina’s Emporium Trilogy

So over on Patreon I’m hosting a book club to discuss Rotting Trees. It’s been huge fun revisiting the novel and coming up with conversation points and while I was thinking about the novel’s themes, vibes and many unanswered questions, I got wondering about which cards in the Major Arcana best represent the characters in… Continue reading

Bezzina’s Emporium of Magical Artefacts and Antiquities, Books, The No. 1 Readers' Club

behind the scenes books, Bezzina’s Emporium of Magical Artefacts and Antiquities, book blog, book club for YA book, bookish blog, Dead Ends by Francesca Astraea, Major Arcana series, Major Arcana tarot cards, rarot reading, Rotting Trees, Rotting Trees by Francesca Astraea, tarot reading for characters, The Raven’s Prophecy tarot deck by Maggie Stiefvater, YA books, YA series
04/08/2026

How to actually support your favourite indie creators and small businesses in 2026

The algorithm has shown me a lot of posts recently about small and single-person businesses closing down. I must have interacted with a singular announcement and poof, all I seem to see is ‘with regret we’re closing our doors…’ There a eleventy billion reasons why a business might close, not all of them financial, but… Continue reading

DISCUSS.

algorithm-free small business support, Francesca's Thoughts, free ways to support artists, free ways to support creatives, free ways to support writers, how to support artists, how to support indie creatives, how to support indie creators, how to support small businesses, how to support writers, Ko-Fi, My Goth Aunt, newsletters, Patreon, small business support 2026, Substack, word of mouth small business support, WordPress
29/07/2026

Taking action while the kettle’s boiling | Petitions worth your time, July 2026

I don’t know about you, but I’ll see a very worthwhile petition in a WhatsApp group, or in my email inbox and I’ll click it and sign it and then open up WhatsApp or suchlike to send it to people who might also find it worthwhile and then… get distracted. And while I am under… Continue reading

Activism

Amnesty International, anit-Palantir, anti-spytech, Campaign for the Arts petition, Defend the right to healthcare for trans youth, Francesca’s Thoughts, get Palantir out of the NHS, is Palantir in your NHS service, Keep the arts in the government’s 10-year plan for the UK, NHS, quick action activism, The Good Law Project
05/05/2026

Indie magazines, indie videos & indie bands

How long has it been since I wrote a post here if we measure in calendar months? Maybe let’s focus on the here and now. I’ve noticed a lot of new viewers in the last few months so if you’re new here, hi, I’m Francesca, I write books and short stories and films. I seem… Continue reading

Books, Videos

Bezzina’s Emporium of Magical Artefacts and Antiquities, book review, books, Divinations Magazine, fiction, indie-video-maker, reading, Rotting Trees by Francesca Astraea, Sometimes Women Your Age Are Just Tired, The Big Push Mambo No. 5, The Princess and the Dragon and Other Stories About Unlikely Heroes

Let’s close the door on the rest of the internet.

Francesca Astraea here.

When I began this blog in 2009, I was a teenager. That’s why you’ll find some posts have been hidden behind a paywall. I was an incredibly different, less eloquent person when I was a teen, so if you want to read the thoughts of that teenager, you can join the No. 1 Readers’ Club for access.

What will you find here now?

This blog continues to evolve with me. My favourite topics are books and reading, travel adventures, the extensive works of up and coming rock band My Chemical Romance and the occasional update about my life and work as an author and scriptwriter. I’m also interested in digital minimalism, how we can solve environmental issues and why it’s probably a better idea to make a cup of tea than it is to shout at people you disagree with.

Speaking of tea… Make a cup and settle in.

Leave a comment on posts to continue the conversation and tell me your favourite MCR song! Oh, and while you’re here: this is a no-gen-AI household. You may not put any of my posts through an LLM. If you’re going to email me or write a comment, do it yourself.

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Pulling Tarot Cards for My Characters | Rotting Trees, Book 1 in the Bezzina’s Emporium Trilogy

How to actually support your favourite indie creators and small businesses in 2026

Taking action while the kettle’s boiling | Petitions worth your time, July 2026

Indie magazines, indie videos & indie bands