Cherry Pickett

OUT NOW! The next instalment of the Flirting with the Zodiac series has finally landed. Read TWO SCORPIONS IN A BOTTLE now! www.amazon.com/dp/B0HKK2KXG1

#LGBTQWriteAThon D27: It's hard to pick one activity, but I guess it's baking Halloween treats. Decorating them is the best part! A few examples from over the years!

Morning writing session: getting close to 3k words, which puts the draft at 95k or so. I might actually be able to wrap this thing up soon, maybe even tomorrow morning.

#LGBTQWriteAThon D26: okay, I think my brain is back online after the mini retreat, so: -book launch TOMORROW (ahhh) -another launch?!? -back to work Wednesday (boo) -finish all this damn marketing crap -finish the draft!!! (8k to go!!!)

Back from my mini retreat. I wrote almost 15k words, so I'd say that was a success. (I also treated myself to a half spa day.) That puts this draft at 92k words. I might actually pull off that 100k goal this month. 😳

Less than a week to go on the Kinky Aces bundle!

QOTD: It's the end of the month, so let's check in! What are you reading right now? AOTD: I just got my copy of Brigands & Breadknives by Travis Baldree, so that's my current read.

#LGBTQWriteAThon D25: line share! The only use of terror in my book about demons: "He tilted his head, confused. She waved a hand. 'That little terror is under strict orders to rest.'"

Morning writing session: 4K words today! A little shy of my daily goal, but I'm going to get to write later, so I think I can make it.

The next book in the Flirting in the Zodiac series is out on Tuesday! Here's a peak at what's inside. Preorder for $1.99 until Oct. 26: www.amazon.com/dp/B0HKK2KXG1

May the happy bats bring you much joy this weekend. Oh and for those who’ve not seen it, there’s a post below with many more of our flying friends. 🦇 👇

Morning writing session: broke 5k words, but my tablet just shut down. I could have squeezed out a few more words, but I guess that's where I'll leave it for today.

#LGBTQWriteAThon D24: check-in day: -got the book done, all set for publication on Tuesday! -wheels are in motion on some other exciting things -marketing -am on holiday until Wednesday -going on a mini-retreat tomorrow!!! -wrote every day, WIP is inching closer to being done!

I've got my usual two, featuring boys who cry sometimes! Grumpy neurodivergent history professor has second chance with clinically depressed artistt: a.co/d/0gR5aeN6 Adorable punk rock idiots constantly misread each other while figuring out they're in love: a.co/d/0bpiHlvO #QueerWritersChat

#QueerWritersChat A5: I have a new (kinda angsty?) book about exes on a dangerous reconnaissance mission, out on Tuesday! www.amazon.com/dp/B0HKK2KXG1

#QueerWritersChat A4: I would, but that would be spoilers. ;)

#QueerWritersChat A3: Speaking to Murder Polycule: Honore is generally an airhead, but he also has a melodramatic streak. Grace is far too sunny to bother angsting (also: very rational). Al tends to be the over thinker of the three of them, although he is less theatrical than Honore.

#QueerWritersChat A2: Do I need air to breathe? Yeah. I surprised Editor with a tragic character backstory the other day, and she was just like "why was I not expecting this, you always do this!"

#LGBTQWriteAThon D23: I had to think about this one! By the end of this book, Al is probably going to be extremely embarrassed that he allowed some new acquaintances to manipulate him. Honore ... probably some boneheaded thing he did that his MIL saw and will never let him live it down.

Love mpreg romance? Let's be friends!

Morning writing session added another 2k to the WIP. I might try to sneak more words in later: I'd love to reach the 75k mark, but that might be pushing things.

October 22 marks a special day of remembrance for an Indigenous leader who made long-lasting impacts on communities across the country. Born on this day in 1844, Métis leader Louis Riel is recognized as Manitoba's honourary first premier.

Actually starting to feel like I might make both of my deadlines this month, ha. (Scorpion paperbacks are locked in and I'm working on another thing for next week!)

#LGBTQWriteAThon D22: Why was I literally thinking of a Tingler-ized title for Book 1 yesterday? 😂 Anyway: Consensually Pounded in the Butt by the Demon Who Kidnapped Me, Who Is a Surprisingly Good Guy

Let's take a deeper dive into the Zodiac series: what convinced me to write it, where I'm drawing ideas from, and so much more. www.cherrypickett.com/2026/10/20/i...

what if the veil between dreams and reality didn't exist? Here and There is an existential horror short story that very may well keep you up at night... only $0.99! www.booksbybennett.com/other-work.h...

Morning writing session put the WIP over 70k words!

Over the last nine months, Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta has run dozens of paid ads that include explicit AI-generated child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and images of minors alongside sexually suggestive statements, according to details of the ads shared with WIRED.

Well. At least we know what's on Cinnamon's mind. (Hint: it's not actually baking.) CINNAMON'S HEART is the first book in a new series I'm launching in January.

It varies by publisher. Many only put design credits there (cover + typesetting/page design). I HAVE seen lists of in-house staff + freelance editors/proofreaders. Also: check acknowledgments! Sometimes authors give shout-outs. Should def be the standard, and indies need to adopt the model too.

#LGBTQWriteAThon D21: the antagonists ARE monsters! No, like, literally. I've got evil demons trying to overthrow human society over here. It's up to our ragtag team of unlikely heroes to stop them!

Kicking off vacation with a morning writing session and hitting my daily word count goal in record time (2k words in about 50 mins). Have to get LO up and off early: it's field trip day! Might wrap around to more writing later.

I've mentioned before I've updated my contracts to make sure everything in the production of my books is done by humans and not "AI"; if you're wondering what such a thing looks like, here's a clause covering that from a recent contract.

Okay, I am officially on vacation for the next week!

ONE WEEK TO GO! I'm all done editing, revising, proofing, everything ... I'm running the last eBook file now. Somehow, this line made it all the way through. Still like it. Preorder TWO SCORPIONS IN A BOTTLE here: www.amazon.com/dp/B0HKK2KXG1

SoA members, if you haven't filled in the feedback form, here it is

#LGBTQWriteAThon D20: this thing is already so many genres. We've got mystery, we've got action, we've got romance. (There might even be a dash of horror in here.) I could try to make it a comedy. The villains would need to be much more inept than they are.

Morning writing session complete! Added another 2k words, for a total of 65k in the WIP.

I mostly read eBooks these days, but I love physical books. There's something magical about ink and paper!

eBay users! Don't ignore today's email, even though it looks like a boring standard update to the User Privacy Notice. They want to use your data to train AI models. If you click the link over the words "the right to object", it takes you to a page with a toggle button letting you opt out.

She was murdered by transphobia 😥😥😥

There is so much bait-and-switch in Canada’s “digital sovereignty“ (heh) strategy. Bottom line is that building out massive polluting AI data centres to host US tech companies is a form of digital colonialism: they control the tech & the profits, and export the dirtiest, lowest-value part abroad.

QOTD: The countdown to Halloween is on! So what are you reading? What spooky reads do you recommend? AOTD: I have books featuring vampires and demons on my TBR for October!

#LGBTQWriteAThon D19: Goals! -finish Scorpions proofing + make final files -prep for launch (meep!) -dig into editor feedback on Murder Couple 1 (yay!) -marketing (ew) -prep for mini retreat! -take the vacay I've rescheduled 3x due to client nonsense (they're trying to make me reschedule again)