Maryn
@marynblackburn.bsky.social
Trade-published writer of erotica, introvert, academic-adjacent, wine lover. Self promote more than occasionally and I'll mute you. Sorry, that's not marketing.
Reposted by Maryn
You should never pay a literary agent to read your query letter or a publisher to produce it. Traditional publishing is not pay to play. #WritingTip
December 17, 2025 at 3:45 PM
You should never pay a literary agent to read your query letter or a publisher to produce it. Traditional publishing is not pay to play. #WritingTip
I went to the grocery store without a coat today. It was 28, but it felt like 54 after our bitterly cold days.
Every time the temps get up around freezing, I have to remind myself it isn't actually warm and to dress accordingly.
December 16, 2025 at 9:24 PM
I went to the grocery store without a coat today. It was 28, but it felt like 54 after our bitterly cold days.
What's the saying? Something like "comparison is the thief of happiness." There's always going to be someone who's got it better than me, always.
By every standard I am comfortably middle class. Yet when I realize how easy some of my friends have it - and they don't even know it - things like an expectation that their husband will make breakfast for them when they're out for a morning run - I indulge in self-pity.
December 14, 2025 at 5:19 PM
What's the saying? Something like "comparison is the thief of happiness." There's always going to be someone who's got it better than me, always.
Reposted by Maryn
I LOVE PINK FLOYD!!!
December 14, 2025 at 4:03 PM
I LOVE PINK FLOYD!!!
Reposted by Maryn
Still looking ✌️
Also, if I have any trusted friends or friends of friends who knows one of the following languages and is willing to donate time to translate a flyer to help support teachers/trans kids/disabled folks in AB, reach out 🥹
Arabic
Tagalog
Vietnamese
Tigrigna
Yue (Cantonese)
Amharic
Punjabi
Spanish
Urdu
Arabic
Tagalog
Vietnamese
Tigrigna
Yue (Cantonese)
Amharic
Punjabi
Spanish
Urdu
December 14, 2025 at 4:04 PM
Still looking ✌️
Reposted by Maryn
December 14, 2025 at 2:40 AM
Reposted by Maryn
Stop criticizing Trump's bad economy. You're making him sad.
You think you've got it hard trying to put food on the table? Try being President Donald Trump, the billionaire saint of perpetual grievance.
My column:
www.usatoday.com/story/opinio...
You think you've got it hard trying to put food on the table? Try being President Donald Trump, the billionaire saint of perpetual grievance.
My column:
www.usatoday.com/story/opinio...
Stop criticizing Trump's bad economy. You're making him sad. | Opinion
Donald Trump is swiftly losing control of his presidency, and he has it in his head that 'affordability' is a hoax and not a real word.
www.usatoday.com
December 14, 2025 at 4:34 PM
Stop criticizing Trump's bad economy. You're making him sad.
You think you've got it hard trying to put food on the table? Try being President Donald Trump, the billionaire saint of perpetual grievance.
My column:
www.usatoday.com/story/opinio...
You think you've got it hard trying to put food on the table? Try being President Donald Trump, the billionaire saint of perpetual grievance.
My column:
www.usatoday.com/story/opinio...
Reposted by Maryn
On the penultimate day in the Holidays & Homicides blog tour, the only stop is here: musingsbymaureen.blogspot.com/2025/12/grea... #BookSky Just one more day of book promo, I promise! After that, I owe you quilt and/or cat pix!
December 14, 2025 at 4:52 PM
On the penultimate day in the Holidays & Homicides blog tour, the only stop is here: musingsbymaureen.blogspot.com/2025/12/grea... #BookSky Just one more day of book promo, I promise! After that, I owe you quilt and/or cat pix!
Reposted by Maryn
Passed 1,000 Smashwords downloads of this free gay erotica story, yesterday, and the reviews (I know, I know, I shouldn't read them; but look, I DID okay) have been really positive 🤩 I'm very happy that people are enjoying it!
www.smashwords.com/books/view/1...
www.smashwords.com/books/view/1...
Not sure if Smashwords is promoting it somewhere, but there's a fun spike this weekend in downloads of "Riley's Basement" 🤔🤷♂️
If you like your gay smut to be high-heat, bro-and-banter filled, and ✨free✨ then you might enjoy it!
www.smashwords.com/books/1906378
If you like your gay smut to be high-heat, bro-and-banter filled, and ✨free✨ then you might enjoy it!
www.smashwords.com/books/1906378
"Riley's Basement" by Alex Pendragon - Alex Pendragon
Riley’s Basement Lincoln’s girlfriend won’t put out, and for a 22-year-old jock a six month dry spell is unbearable. The basement of his best friend’s gay older brother, Riley, isn’t the obvious place...
alexpendragon.com
December 13, 2025 at 6:58 PM
Passed 1,000 Smashwords downloads of this free gay erotica story, yesterday, and the reviews (I know, I know, I shouldn't read them; but look, I DID okay) have been really positive 🤩 I'm very happy that people are enjoying it!
www.smashwords.com/books/view/1...
www.smashwords.com/books/view/1...
Reposted by Maryn
“So the Nobel folks didn’t believe that Donald had stopped 7—no, 8—no, 9—wars while he was murdering people in the Caribbean. So he took a ‘peace prize’ from—get this—a football organization instead. And the childish fool thought it was real!”
December 6, 2025 at 5:36 PM
“So the Nobel folks didn’t believe that Donald had stopped 7—no, 8—no, 9—wars while he was murdering people in the Caribbean. So he took a ‘peace prize’ from—get this—a football organization instead. And the childish fool thought it was real!”
Meh, you've become a lightweight, Chloe! I know you grew up where that was a temperature where you'd debate needing a coat. (I went out today in a sweater, skirt, tights. It was 26.)
“Good morning. It’s 46 degrees.”
Listen, it can be one or the other. It can’t be both.
Listen, it can be one or the other. It can’t be both.
December 5, 2025 at 10:53 PM
Meh, you've become a lightweight, Chloe! I know you grew up where that was a temperature where you'd debate needing a coat. (I went out today in a sweater, skirt, tights. It was 26.)
Hahahaha! There's healthy and then there's...
I told my young adult kid to bring back some healthy takeout of her choice using my credit card for dinner last night. She works in an expensive shopping area so I was excited for what she would bring. She brought us each half a sub from subway.
December 5, 2025 at 10:51 PM
Hahahaha! There's healthy and then there's...
My guess is that real writers--often quiet, thoughtful introverts--are not great to observe, so screenwriters invent ones that are.
Watching Return To Paradise. Why are authors always depicted as dramatic, eccentric extroverts in sceen?
December 5, 2025 at 10:49 PM
My guess is that real writers--often quiet, thoughtful introverts--are not great to observe, so screenwriters invent ones that are.
Reposted by Maryn
New extortion scam email going round (this was received via a writer's website contact form). I've seen a number of these recently but without the money demand; the translation angle is also a new one
December 4, 2025 at 10:30 PM
New extortion scam email going round (this was received via a writer's website contact form). I've seen a number of these recently but without the money demand; the translation angle is also a new one
Reposted by Maryn
Re-upping this again:
If you want to give/get signed books by me for the holidays, you can place an online order with Hyperbole Bookstore (a family-owned indie) in College Station, TX hyperbolebookstore.com and ask for signature via their email contact for the Murderbot books, Witch King, Queen Demon, anything in print.
Hyperbole Bookstore
A family-owned independent bookstore in College Station, TX
hyperbolebookstore.com
December 3, 2025 at 7:18 PM
Re-upping this again:
Reposted by Maryn
Apparently Smashwords royalties are changing as of January 1, 2026. Books under $2.99 will get 40% list; books $2.99 or over get 75%.
(Amazon KDP, for context, is generally 35% and 70% respectively)
Draft2Digital owns Smashwords, so if you publish via D2D it's easy to add ebooks there. 💙📚
(Amazon KDP, for context, is generally 35% and 70% respectively)
Draft2Digital owns Smashwords, so if you publish via D2D it's easy to add ebooks there. 💙📚
December 3, 2025 at 2:21 PM
Apparently Smashwords royalties are changing as of January 1, 2026. Books under $2.99 will get 40% list; books $2.99 or over get 75%.
(Amazon KDP, for context, is generally 35% and 70% respectively)
Draft2Digital owns Smashwords, so if you publish via D2D it's easy to add ebooks there. 💙📚
(Amazon KDP, for context, is generally 35% and 70% respectively)
Draft2Digital owns Smashwords, so if you publish via D2D it's easy to add ebooks there. 💙📚
I believe the first, and most important, step is to get the white hat with the black patent leather brim with gold leaves on it, and gold braid across the crown, a little gold insignia front and center. After that, the rest is easy.
How do I become a ship captain?
December 2, 2025 at 9:00 PM
I believe the first, and most important, step is to get the white hat with the black patent leather brim with gold leaves on it, and gold braid across the crown, a little gold insignia front and center. After that, the rest is easy.
Way, way after college, for sure. Mid- to late 20s seems about average.
At what age do young adult kids become helpful when visiting home?
December 2, 2025 at 8:56 PM
Way, way after college, for sure. Mid- to late 20s seems about average.
So your favorite cafe is managed by a dog, then? I am impressed.
Not to brag, but I got to pet TWO dogs yesterday. Yeah, I know, just sayin. One was the manager of my fav cafe, and the other was a beagle puppy. Yup.
December 2, 2025 at 8:52 PM
So your favorite cafe is managed by a dog, then? I am impressed.
Reposted by Maryn
Curious if anyone has any recommendations for essays or research into OwnVoices / "about us but not by us" / etc.?
I have Many Thoughts and would like more perspectives.
I have Many Thoughts and would like more perspectives.
December 2, 2025 at 3:37 PM
Curious if anyone has any recommendations for essays or research into OwnVoices / "about us but not by us" / etc.?
I have Many Thoughts and would like more perspectives.
I have Many Thoughts and would like more perspectives.
There's a shim-shim-cheri pun lurking, but I can't quite find it.
Yep, that’s me going to the hardware store at 8 am to get some shims!
December 2, 2025 at 8:51 PM
There's a shim-shim-cheri pun lurking, but I can't quite find it.
"Try not to use the word 'said' as a dialogue attribute. There are more colorful words to use." And this advice came with a long list including words like titter, vocalize, posit, and utter. I'm a decent writer and actively avoid words like that. Ain't nothin' wrong with good old said.
What’s the worst writing advice you’ve ever received? The write what you know quip doesn’t work out well when readers don’t like what you know 😂 #writingq #WritingCommunity
December 2, 2025 at 8:50 PM
"Try not to use the word 'said' as a dialogue attribute. There are more colorful words to use." And this advice came with a long list including words like titter, vocalize, posit, and utter. I'm a decent writer and actively avoid words like that. Ain't nothin' wrong with good old said.
Reposted by Maryn
Featured story: After a hate incident, about 100 trans and gender nonbinary people flooded the spillway of Austin's most popular swimming spot to celebrate queer joy and show that they won't back down.
At Barton Springs, Trans Existence Becomes Resistance
Following a transphobic incident earlier this year, community members gathered to "protect trans joy."
www.texasobserver.org
December 1, 2025 at 9:19 PM
Featured story: After a hate incident, about 100 trans and gender nonbinary people flooded the spillway of Austin's most popular swimming spot to celebrate queer joy and show that they won't back down.
Reposted by Maryn
Alert: I've gotten several reports of non-payment by Graveside Press, from authors w/ stories in one or more anthologies. Also failing to provide author copies, & failing to respond to emails & messages. Anyone w/ similar experiences, pls contact me (Writer Beware) in confidence: [email protected]
November 29, 2025 at 11:00 PM
Alert: I've gotten several reports of non-payment by Graveside Press, from authors w/ stories in one or more anthologies. Also failing to provide author copies, & failing to respond to emails & messages. Anyone w/ similar experiences, pls contact me (Writer Beware) in confidence: [email protected]