Cynthia Gómez

@cynthiasaysboo

Muñeca – queer gothic historical fiction – out 6/2/26: 2024 Ignyte nominee for "Lips Like Sugar." Member HWA. Rep @LaurenBajek. cynthiasaysboo.wordpress.com

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Cynthia Gómez@cynthiasaysboo· Jul 7

Muñeca, my queer witchy historical Gothic book dropped 5 weeks ago today -- my birthday! My wish is this: if your library doesn't carry the book, today would be a wonderful day to request it. If you liked the book and want to sing its praises, please sing them, wherever/however you would like.

“I know why you’re stuck in your bed. I know why you’re stuck in your body. The doctors couldn’t see it, because this won’t show up on their tests. And they can’t fix it, but I can.”

Cynthia Gómez@cynthiasaysboo· Jul 3

Artsy folks of Bluesky! Can you help me answer a color question? What would green look like under amber light? Specifically, someone coughs up a mysterious dark green substance (as yet unexplained) in a room lit with amber light. Image of green dress in The Handmaiden for color reference.

Four people, L to R, from the Korean movie The Handmaiden: a handsome gentleman in a gray suit; a handmaiden in a blue uniform; a beautiful woman in a lush green dress; a sinister gentleman in Japanese dress. (He's not actually Japanese. None of them is.)

Cynthia Gómez@cynthiasaysboo· Jun 27

Huh. "My boyfriend has an aesthetic objection to getting delivery." Then he doesn't have to eat it. "He thinks it’s lazy and unattractive." I think he's a dick. "I hide the amount of delivery I get from him... we’re moving in together soon." Maybe wait until you find a dude who actually likes you?

Dear Sophie,

Recently my partner and I got in a fight about ordering food on apps like UberEats. I probably order delivery two to three times a week because I’m really busy at work and it’s especially helpful for lunch. Usually one meal goes a long way and I’ll have leftovers for a while. I feel guilty about it — I realize these companies are predators, and that it’s wasteful environmentally and from a spending POV. But I can afford it, I’m not a great cook, and it doesn’t seem that much worse than other consumption habits I have. (Like... eating meat in general….) If you scrutinize everything too much, I guess, it all starts to look pretty bad. But my boyfriend feels differently. He has what seems like an aesthetic objection to getting delivery. It’s a red line for him, which is partly ethical, but also... it seems more about how he thinks it’s lazy and unattractive. I definitely hide the amount of delivery I get from him (through omission, not lying). This is going to be a bigger point of contention because we’re moving in together soon, and sharing more meals, and he really doesn’t like my delivery habit. What do you think?

Cynthia Gómez@cynthiasaysboo· Jun 15

"If you're unhoused, you can sleep all alone in an office cubicle w/no sunlight, as long as you don't have children or pets and you want to be lectured with job advice you don't need... oh, and no relaxing after work with a glass of wine" is NOT CHEERFUL NEWS, assholes.

The group developed a model that companies could realistically adopt. To qualify for Bureaux du Coeur, candidates must meet strict criteria: They must be adults, without children or pets, reside legally in France, use neither alcohol nor drugs, and not suffer from severe physical or mental health issues. Also, every candidate must participate in accompanying measures to help them reintegrate into a job or vocational training.

Cynthia Gómez@cynthiasaysboo· Jun 12

This web site is free:

Screenshot of a post reading:

"Demanding that parenting be needlessly labor intensive also feeds fascism, because fascists would be more than happy to tell you who should be doing that labor."

Cynthia Gómez@cynthiasaysboo· Jun 8

Wait what

Screenshot of a web page from libro.fm/horror. Muñeca audiobook is number 16, between The Reformatory and The Only Good Indians.

Cynthia Gómez@cynthiasaysboo· Jun 8

Hey, would you all look at this Walden Pond-curated list of short story collections, with my friend @tkrex.bsky.social's new book right there on top?

Screenshot of a bunch of book titles. One of them is The Wildcraft Drones by T.K. Rex. The rest will have to wait until my stomach isn't eating itself in hunger.

Cynthia Gómez@cynthiasaysboo· Jun 3

Um. So now this happened. Muñeca cracked the top 100 in Gothic Fiction on That Site. I still prefer Bookshop tho. bookshop.org/p/books/mu-e...

Screenshot reading:

Best Sellers Rank: #5,571 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)

#56 in Gothic Fiction
#146 in Horror (Kindle Store)
#179 in Horror Literature & Fiction

Customer Reviews: 5.0 5.0 out of 5 stars (2)

Cynthia Gómez@cynthiasaysboo· May 28

Three years after release.

Screenshot showing that the audioboook Never Whistle at Night has 15 holds on 2 copies.

Cynthia Gómez@cynthiasaysboo· May 28

Music is crucial to Muñeca. It’s the engine that starts its spells. The clash between Nati and the Miramontes family comes through in their respective musical tastes. Here’s the playlist I used when writing the book. Most are ‘60s songs; some are just… songs I liked. tidal.com/playlist/2e3...

An image of a brown-skinned woman in a white dress, clutching a decaying bouquet with text: "The Ultimate Playlist for Muñeca,"

Paper Doll, The Mills Brothers
A Woman’s Love, Carla Thomas
Gee Whiz, Look at His Eyes, Carla Thomas
Dedicated to the One I love, The Shirelles
I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You), Aretha Franklin
Steal Away, Ann Peebles
And I Love Him, Esther Phillips
I Only Have Eyes For You, The Flamingos
El estuche, Aterciopelados
Maligno, Aterciopelados
Perfidia, Xavier Cugat
Arráncame la vida, Agustín Lara

I Put a Spell On You, Nina Simone
I Fall to Pieces, Patsy Cline
Perfidia, Los Panchos
Azul, Natalia LaFourcade and Rodrigo Amarante
Blackbird, Beyoncé, Tanner Adell, Brittney Spencer, Tierra Kennedy, Reyna Roberts
All I Have To Do Is Dream, The Everly Brothers
Save the Last Dance For Me, The Drifters
Blame it on the Bossa Nova, Eydie Gormé
That Old Black Magic, Sarah Vaughn

Cynthia Gómez@cynthiasaysboo· May 26

I am sorry. Here's a picture of a peacefully sleeping dog.

An adorable little brown dog peacefully sleeping. Or maybe plotting how to take over the world. We can only guess.

Cynthia Gómez@cynthiasaysboo· May 26

Except maybe this one:

Image of a young white dude with '80s rocker hair, a blue tank top with some impressive muscles, and some kind of a hammer. It's Vincent D'Onofrio and he's never looked hotter.

Cynthia Gómez@cynthiasaysboo· May 23

So, um, this is real: people.com/people-s-mus...

Screenshot of People magazine, with the headline: PEOPLE’s Must-Read Books for Summer 2026: Hot New Reads from Tia Williams, Jenny Jackson and More

See our picks for the hottest new fiction releases to pack in your beach bag this summer.

The three books on the top row are The Missed Connection by Tia Wiliams, Muñeca by Cynthia Gómez, and The Shampoo Effect by Jenny Jackson.

Cynthia Gómez@cynthiasaysboo· May 18

Screenshotting this bootlicking bullshit about how workers making median income in one of the world's most expensive cities shouldn't get a 5 percent raise. That's not what a union man says, my dude.

“I’m a union man always and period, but give me a break” is the only correct reaction to the LIRR strike.

LIRR workers are already the highest paid railroad workers in the world and make $136k on average, over $200K when factoring in benefits!

Cynthia Gómez@cynthiasaysboo· May 17

In which Muñeca somehow has 92 reviews on NetGalley?? Also, here's a little snippet, if you like that sort of thing. www.netgalley.com/catalog/book...

Picture of an excerpt from a book; the image is framed with blue brocade wallpaper and has a thick red splotch on th

“I know you want to be free in your own body. And that will come.” I try to make my voice sound more assured than it really is, to make sure she hears only the excitement I feel, and not the fear, at using the little card waiting inside that box. “But for now – for tonight – would you like to be a doll?”

Cynthia Gómez@cynthiasaysboo· May 11

In which I remind you all that my friend T.K. has a book. And launch party on May 21st. And they are a great reader of lovely and challenging short fiction. www.instagram.com/p/DXyAF83FLa7/

Cool image advertising the Wildcraft Drones Launch Party at Cafe suspiro in SF on May 21, 4-7 p.m.

Cynthia Gómez@cynthiasaysboo· May 9

A white dude in his 30s with a video camera and a Douchebag Central expression is looking at the camera.

Cynthia Gómez@cynthiasaysboo· May 5

BurgerKing-type image of the phrase, "My name is Mary Katherine Blackwood"

Cynthia Gómez@cynthiasaysboo· May 4

In which Library Journal said this about Muñeca: bookshop.org/p/books/mu-e... www.libraryjournal.com/review/mueca...

Easily paced and richly layered, Gómez’s (The Nightmare Box) formidable novel debut will delight fans of Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Mayra by Nicky Gonzalez, and Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield.

Cynthia Gómez@cynthiasaysboo· May 4

Annnnnnnnnnd that's why you don't use AI.

Jahmora actually isn't totally anti-AI. He says it's useful for mockups, or ideas, or revisions sometimes. "But once you have your mockup, you gotta put your hand on it."

Even that isn't without peril. Jahmora tells me that a BAMP muralist used AI to create an incredible mockup for a project with the Warriors a few years ago. "And this artist got up on the wall and completely froze because they could not replicate this amazing mockup that the AI did." Jahmora had to go finish the mural himself.

Cynthia Gómez@cynthiasaysboo· May 1

According to the bird site, @codyforsc has never posted.

Screenshot of a guy, @codyforsc, and his empty X account.

Cynthia Gómez@cynthiasaysboo· May 1

In which I have discovered the work of Peruvian artist Fernando de Szyszlo and my jaw droppeth. www.latinamericanmasters.com/artists/fern...

Abstract piece that sort of represents a geometric man shape, in bright reds, blues, and purples.

Abstract piece that looks like a geometric shape staring at a gray moon.

Abstract piece that looks like a geometric bird in a small room, staring at a purple wall.

Cynthia Gómez@cynthiasaysboo· May 1

Reminding us all that justseeds.org/product/labo...

Cool shadow-cut red and black poster: Labor creates all wealth.

Cynthia Gómez@cynthiasaysboo· Apr 28

The same person posted all three of the below posts.

I got time to go back and forth and prove people how they would rather stick up for a pedophile/predator rather than believing the victim today.

Plenty of time. ☺️
Come on my shit talking about I’m lying when said proof is posted and you’ll be an accomplice for sticking up for that bitch boy.

Quite frankly, the people that lied on Michael Jackson should get jail time.

You making up lies and accusations about somebody sexually assaulting you and whatever else should also result in jail time, especially if children are involved. Michael tried to save those kids for the millionth time.

Did all of that to get his fucking money because people are fucking greedy. And you know who was out here doing this shit? White people. Nobody who is black has ever accused Michael of sexually assaulting anybody. White people can never have enough of what they already have and that’s pathetic.

Cynthia Gómez@cynthiasaysboo· Apr 26

Did someone say marquee-sign battle? houston.culturemap.com/news/restaur...

Best Sign War
Khyber North Indian Grill, 2510 Richmond Ave., 713-942-9424 vs. Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen, 2410 Richmond Ave., 713-527-9137
A little friendly ribbing between competitors never hurt anybody. For more than seven years now, Khyber Grill's Mickey Kapoor has been using his marquee to taunt the neighboring Pappadeaux's. When the seafood restaurant wrote, "Hiring today 3 to 5," Kapoor replied, "My, You Do Start Them Young!" When Pappadeaux posted, "Happy Hour 4 to 6," Khyber responded, "DWI 8 to 12." When the establishment bragged, "Our Softshelled Crabs Will Reach Out and Grab You," Kapoor fired back, "Pervert!" People have been known to drive out of their way just to see what the restaurateur will come up with next, and so far the targets of Kapoor's barbs have taken them all in good humor. Keep it going.

Cynthia Gómez@cynthiasaysboo· Apr 26

Um. So, in other words, he's a cheating POS who cheated on his wife with his new girlfriend.

I’d been with my wife for 26 years when I met Rose, but we were living completely separate lives and not having sex. I felt guilty, of course, but I compartmentalised it and my long commute kept the two worlds apart.

No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t suppress my feelings for Rose. Three weeks after we met, she left to travel around south-east Asia for five months. We messaged constantly, spoke a couple of times a week and she sent naughty photos. We did discuss ending things, because I was married and it was complicated, but that idea didn’t last long once she got back.

I’d been single for 15 years when a mutual friend introduced me to Jim six years ago. By then, I’d almost given up on love; I’d tried dating apps, clubs, hobbies and travelling, but none of it worked. Our connection was instant – when we first held hands, an electric current ran between us. But Jim was married, which meant we couldn’t be together right away. I told myself his marriage had been over for a while and that this kind of chemistry is rare. The wait was painful, but in 2024 we finally moved in together.

Cynthia Gómez@cynthiasaysboo· Apr 23

When the only tool you have is a hammer, every problem turns out to be a $2 million nail. www.sfchronicle.com/eastbay/arti...

Several factors contribute to Oakland’s dumping problem. Trash-hauling rates for single-family homes are 23% to 40% higher than those in other nearby cities that also contract with Waste Management, the audit found. The City Council signed its current contract with Waste Management in 2015 and, in 2022, approved an extension through 2030.

Delinquent businesses also add to the risk of illegal dumping. As of late 2023, the city estimated that between 2,500 and 6,800 businesses in Oakland were not signed up for mandatory trash collection, and might be more likely to illegally dump waste themselves or hire unlicensed haulers.

At the same time, there’s little awareness of free disposal options. Although Oakland residents receive at least one free bulky pickup a year, the service is rarely used by the city’s apartment dwellers, who make up the majority of households served. Instead, those residents may just bring items to the sidewalk in hopes they’ll be picked up.

Cynthia Gómez@cynthiasaysboo· Apr 22

Someone requested dog photos?

Photo of a little brown chihuahua mix doggy in a pink sweater and a cone of shame. He's lying on his side with a little yellow stuffed dog toy next to him, and the light behind and around him is this ciaoroscuro shadowy light thing that the photographer (and dog owner, and writer of this here alt text) has no idea how she did.

Cynthia Gómez@cynthiasaysboo· Apr 16

This beautiful mood board is a great preview/teaser of so many of the motifs in my upcoming book, Muñeca... which has a Goodreads giveaway going on, for another six days. www.goodreads.com/book/show/24...

A mood board with images, described clockwise: a broken teacup and an hourglass; a distant Victorian mansion; a silver and diamond bracelet; a row of rose blossoms; a Ouija board; a blonde baby girl doll. And a quote: “I know why you’re stuck in your bed. I know why you’re stuck in your body. The doctors couldn’t see it, because this won’t show up on their tests. And they can’t fix it, but I can.”

Cynthia Gómez@cynthiasaysboo· Apr 15