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Diane Youngblood

@dmyoungblood.bsky.social

3.3K followers 1K following 3.6K posts

Indie adult fantasy author. Disabled. Knitter. Wife. Doggie mama. Desert dweller. Former accountant, data and BI analyst. She/her. INTP. LGBTQ+ ally 🚫 GenAI https://linktr.ee/dmyoungblood

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Diane Youngblood @dmyoungblood.bsky.social · Feb 4

🔹Keeper of the Sphere trilogy: contemporary fantasy with magic, trolls, and ancient gods; available at Amazon www.amazon.com/dp/B088FGNKTP

🔹Current project: first draft of historical fantasy series about the Oracle of Delphi; expected to be 8 books, ~1450 BCE to ~400 CE; currently on Book 6

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Diane Youngblood @dmyoungblood.bsky.social · 7h

🤮

Diane Youngblood @dmyoungblood.bsky.social · 13h

Day 14 of #FantasyIndiesSpooktober

Well, since I said that Rome was the villain in Book 7 of my Oracle of Delphi series, I suppose mercenaries would be the villain's "henchmen." (Not sure what to put here, tbh)

#WritingCommunity

List of daily post prompts for indie fantasy authors for October. Today's is: Villain's henchmen and/or followers

Hosts: @chesneyinfalt.bsky.social and @lvrussell.bsky.social

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Diane Youngblood @dmyoungblood.bsky.social · 14h

I love our AG so so much

Diane Youngblood @dmyoungblood.bsky.social · 1d

Day 13 of #FantasyIndiesSpooktober

Okay, so this shelfie isn't really spooky but it sure is scary - because of how much more reading I need to do for my Oracle of Delphi series WIP! The top 2 shelves are all TBR. 🤣

#WritingCommunity

A four-shelf bookcase filled with primary and secondary sources for ancient Greece and associated topics.

List of daily post prompts for indie fantasy authors for October. Today's is: Spooky shelfie

Hosts: @chesneyinfalt.bsky.social and @lvrussell.bsky.social

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Diane Youngblood @dmyoungblood.bsky.social · 1d

It ripped through Maricopa earlier and flooded our yard (again).

Diane Youngblood @dmyoungblood.bsky.social · 1d

We got like a year's worth of rain just in the past 3 days or so. Our lake is over its banks, our yard has been flooded, and there's standing water everywhere (because when it rains in the desert, the water doesn't have anywhere to go). We were supposed to get our house repainted today. NOT

Diane Youngblood @dmyoungblood.bsky.social · 1d

I have no great words either. Except I think many of us are feeling the same right now. I focus hard on my WIP to keep the depression manageable, but it's 50/50 effective.

FWIW I am so glad you wrote your books, for I very much enjoyed reading them. 🫂

Diane Youngblood @dmyoungblood.bsky.social · 1d

FYI

Katelyn Boo-urns @katelynburns.com · 1d

it's high time people on this website realize that reply controls are variable and controllable on this site and someone could simply only have replies on for people that follow them. stop moralizing anti-harassment measures, it's weird.

Diane Youngblood @dmyoungblood.bsky.social · 2d

Day 12 of #FantasyIndiesSpooktober

In my Oracle of Delphi series WIP, the Pythia despises Rome. Historically, Rome had a certain amount of respect for the Pythia, and had even consulted the Oracle on occasion.

#WritingCommunity

List of daily post prompts for indie fantasy authors for October. Today's is: What do your MC and villain think of each other?

Hosts: @chesneyinfalt.bsky.social and @lvrussell.bsky.social

Diane Youngblood @dmyoungblood.bsky.social · 2d

And sew it begins ...

#PythiaFeltDoll

Doll body parts cut from flesh colored felt

Diane Youngblood @dmyoungblood.bsky.social · 2d

I've been trying to figure out how to include transpeople in my Oracle of Delphi series WIP without it seeming ... contrived. We know they existed in ancient Greece, so it wouldn't be fake history, but still. 🤔

alyson “october” greaves @badambulist.bsky.social · 4d

put trans women in your fiction. don’t be a fucking coward.

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Diane Youngblood @dmyoungblood.bsky.social · 3d

Day 11 of #FantasyIndiesSpooktober

Another unedited snippet from my Oracle of Delphi series WIP, Book 7. Flamininus had been a friend to Delphi.

#WritingCommunity

Just before the first snows of Winter, High Priest Abas's Roman spy sent what was expected to be the last report until Spring.

There was only one sentence contained in the report.

"The Roman Titus Quinctius Flamininus has died, only months before his sixtieth birth day, while enjoying his retirement. "

The last Abas had heard of the man, he'd been in Bithynia, sending his men after Hannibal, who'd killed himself rather than be taken captive and paraded in chains in Rome.

List of daily post prompts for indie fantasy authors for October. Today's is: Saturday snippet

Hosts: @chesneyinfalt.bsky.social and @lvrussell.bsky.social

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Diane Youngblood @dmyoungblood.bsky.social · 3d

Hah!

I AM ANT WOMAN!

🤣

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Diane Youngblood @dmyoungblood.bsky.social · 3d

INCREDIBLE

J. Stryker | Memento Mori ☠️ @easterncoyote.bsky.social · 3d

BREAKING: Scientists have found wild #wolfdogs roaming the mountains of Greece.

In nature, wolves and dogs rarely interbreed. This is fascinating.

"An Incredible Wolf-Dog Hybrid Has Emerged from the Mountains of Greece" www.popularmechanics.com/science/a689... #wolf #wolves #canislupus

An Incredible Wolf-Dog Hybrid Has Emerged from the Mountains of Greece

Wolves and dogs don’t normally breed in the wild, largely because wolves are so territorial. But an exception has been found.

www.popularmechanics.com

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Diane Youngblood @dmyoungblood.bsky.social · 3d

I was using hydrocortisone for days and it never even made a difference. Then, yesterday morning I woke up and just like that it didn't itch or hurt anymore. So weird.

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Diane Youngblood @dmyoungblood.bsky.social · 3d

Nope, I saw it right after it bit me. Brown ant! Wasn't even very big. I just have the stupidest luck, I swear.

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Diane Youngblood @dmyoungblood.bsky.social · 4d

Day 10 of #FantasyIndiesSpooktober

This week, I added almost 7K words to Book 7 of my Oracle of Delphi series WIP.

Today, I wrote about King Perseus of Macedon, who is just about ready to start (another) war with Rome.

Spoiler alert: It won't end well. 🤐

Happy Friday! 🎉

#WritingCommunity

List of daily post prompts for indie fantasy authors for October. Today's is: Free Friday or explain your WIP with emojis/gifs

Hosts: @chesneyinfalt.bsky.social and @lvrussell.bsky.social

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Diane Youngblood @dmyoungblood.bsky.social · 5d

One of my best friends told me about the Hodag years ago. And every time she visits she brings me another Hodag - a snowglobe, a mask, and a figurine.

Diane Youngblood @dmyoungblood.bsky.social · 5d

Day 9 of #FantasyIndiesSpooktober

Hmm. I suppose my favorite paranormal creatures are the unicorn and the Pegasus.

#WritingCommunity

List of daily post prompts for indie fantasy authors for October. Today's is: Favorite paranormal creatures

Hosts: @chesneyinfalt.bsky.social and @lvrussell.bsky.social

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Diane Youngblood @dmyoungblood.bsky.social · 5d

Sunday afternoon in our backyard, I got stung by an ant on my ankle. It may have been a fire ant, but it was brown, not red. It is STILL swollen and is either super itchy or burns painfully. My entire foot hurts, too, especially when I walk, with neuropathy.

So stupid. This sucks.

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Diane Youngblood @dmyoungblood.bsky.social · 5d

I have regrets I didn't start earlier, too. For ref: Always wanted to write but kept making excuses - plus had 0 confidence. After I became disabled, figured I had nothing more to lose and went for it. Pubbed 1st book at age 55, then 2 more. Now working on massive series. I'm 62.

Just keep going!

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Diane Youngblood @dmyoungblood.bsky.social · 5d

Oh yay! Rain!

National Weather Service @nws.noaa.gov · 5d

Moisture associated with Priscilla will lead to a significant heavy rainfall and a flash flood risk across portions of Arizona, southern Utah, southwest Colorado, and far northwest New Mexico through Saturday.
(1/2)

Key Messages for Tropical Storm Priscilla.
1. Moisture from Priscilla will cause significant heavy rainfall and flash flooding across parts of Arizona, southern Utah, southwest Colorado, and far northwest New Mexico through Saturday.
2. Large swells from Priscilla are impacting the Pacific coast of Baja California Sur and parts of the southwestern and west-central Mexico coast. These swells may cause dangerous surf, rip currents, and some coastal flooding.

The graphic also includes:
- A map showing the projected path of Tropical Storm Priscilla moving northeast from the Pacific Ocean toward the Baja California Peninsula and western Mexico.
- A rainfall and flash flood risk map highlighting the highest threat areas in red (moderate risk) over Arizona and surrounding states.

Diane Youngblood @dmyoungblood.bsky.social · 6d

Day 8 of #FantasyIndiesSpooktober

I got nothin' for this. I don't read spooky, so I can't recommend spooky. Sorry.

Oh wait. I do have one: The Staircase in the Woods by @chuckwendig.bsky.social was pretty damn good.

#WritingCommunity

List of daily post prompts for indie fantasy authors for October. Today's is: Spooky month book recs

Hosts: @chesneyinfalt.bsky.social and @lvrussell.bsky.social

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Diane Youngblood @dmyoungblood.bsky.social · 7d

Day 7 of #FantasyIndiesSpooktober

In Book 7 of my Oracle of Delphi series WIP, the "villain" is Rome. And Rome's goals in the 1st century BCE are to completely dominate the world, including Greece.

#WritingCommunity

List of daily post prompts for indie fantasy authors for October. Today's is: Villain's goals

Hosts: @chesneyinfalt.bsky.social and @lvrussell.bsky.social

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Diane Youngblood @dmyoungblood.bsky.social · 7d

I think part of the problem was we told voters last year what was going to happen with Trump 2.0 and they said it was hyperbole and lies. Now that it's happening, they're like, "I didn't vote for this," because they can't admit they ignored the warnings and look like fools.

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