I tried. I really tried to make it work having an author profile over at BlueSky. I even linked my account to my allensteadham.com website address. I posted about my Christian fiction books, stories, and works-in-progress. I connected with a few friends and a few other people in the community. And in fairness, initially there was a little bit of engagement.

But my word, there was so much derangement on that platform! Death threats towards a certain prominent political figure and related personalities, disturbingly angry people of a particular ideology, and a kind of one-way group think that I just can't understand.

I attempted a moderated approach. I blocked certain keywords and blocked a lot of accounts who only had one or two things to scream or complain about. On one person's advice, I tapped into a feed for Christian fiction. And finally, I deleted the Discover function.

For a couple of weeks, I was happy with photography accounts and one or two authors and creatives who just did their thing.

But now, there was ZERO engagement.

So, I was left with a choice:

1. Open things back up and deal with the sheer unpleasantness and madness; or

2. Deactivate my BlueSky account.

I chose to deactivate my account because I'm not getting anything positive from BlueSky anymore. It's 90% echo chamber for mostly unhappy people who don't seem interested in what I have to offer. And that's fine. My work isn't going to be a great fit for everybody or every environment.

Don't get me wrong: there are some genuinely nice people on BlueSky. But they're not in the majority. And that's unfortunate.

I'll keep pressing forward. Social media platforms change and they come and go. I don't regret setting up the account, and if things eventually improve, I may come back. But the way it is right now, it's not for me.

Partnering with my publisher Ambassador International, I'm having a Black Friday sale for the Jordan of Algoran (Science-Fantasy) Series! Using the link below, you can get the entire Jordan series in print for $30! Normally, the paperback copies are $15.99 to $17.99 each, but in this deal, it's literally $10 a book and great savings to you! The series is a terrific holiday gift, too. The savings will only continue until New Years Day, so get your copies now!

Series blurb:
The Jordan of Algoran series starts with teenaged Jordan Lewis and her mother being abducted to an alien world and seemingly marooned there. However, God has a plan for Jordan's life and all she has to do is trust Him. Along her decades long journey, Jordan matures, finds love and family, experiences extraordinary triumphs and devastating heartbreak. And yet, Jordan has one decision to make that surpasses them all.

Get the whole series for this great price at THIS LINK!