I’m going to be on a morning show soon. I can’t say the time or date because of legal stuff, and because some of y’all are crazy, BUT, the Puerto Rican and Chicago attitude will be on full display!

I wrote the introduction for the Horror Writers Association's Latinx Heritage in Horror Month series. Please read it and the work of the authors we are celebrating all month. Thank you HWA for this opportunity. horror.org/an-introduct...

Day 51 We’re not doing ‘Write what you know.’ We are writing what we want. 600 words every day started Aug 3 to Dec 31 for a novel draft by end of year. #600X150

I saw something that said 11.5 million. I’m waiting for an official source, but even with the cited numbers I saw, this tells us, Latine creators, the audience is there and we don’t have to change who we are. We just need to be our authentic selves and create.

Estimates are 600,000 people attended Bad Bunny’s residency in Puerto Rico. Over 340,000 live streamed the concert last night, not accounting totals at watch parties. Surely over a million people watched this concert. Puerto Rico was on display all over the world.

I wrote the introduction for the Horror Writers Association's Latinx Heritage in Horror Month series. Please read it and the work of the authors we are celebrating all month. Thank you HWA for this opportunity. horror.org/an-introduct...

Day 50 Creating and being happy is an act of resistence. Don’t allow what doesn’t matter siphon off your most valuable resource, your energy. Focus your energy today on your peace, the present and writing. 600 words every day started Aug 3 to Dec 31 for a novel draft by end of year. #600X150

Important I share this everywhere. Julito Gaston ❤️🇵🇷

I saw Bad Bunny last weekend in Puerto Rico and now live on Amazon Prime and this literally healed me. Many of us have said this wasn’t just a concert but collective healing for the Puerto Rican people.

BORICUA!!!!!

Less than ten minutes! Let’s go!! On Amazon Prime live stream. This was my view last week in Puerto Rico seeing Bad Bunny ❤️🇵🇷

I just met Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor and she thanked me, ME for writing. I’m just fighting back tears here-but my goodness an honor. I shook her hand, told her who I was and thanked her immensely for her service and being an inspiration. She told all of us “Libraries are a sanctuary.”

Here’s a picture of me on my way to the event with Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor & my dad in Puerto Rico, outside shaving with a bucket because there was no running water that day. I wish he was with me every day, especially today to drive me to the event. He’d be all smiles.

It’s Bad Bunny Day! 🇵🇷 It’s also the day I get to meet Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sototmayor. 🇵🇷 Then I get to come home and make arroz con gandules and more Puerto Rican food, and dance in my living room to the livestream Bad Bunny concert. 🇵🇷 I was just there last weekend, but I’ll be back soon 🇵🇷

Day 49 A former student messaged me to say they received their first rejection I said congrats! This means you tried. You’re doing the work. You’re putting yourself out there. Rejection means you’re trying. 600 words every day started Aug 3 to Dec 31 for a novel draft by end of year. #600X150

I can’t remember the last time a book had me staying up late and a short story made me cry. One of these stories had me sitting stunned and in tears in my dark living room. Schweblin is excellent as always.

"...roughly 50% to 60% of the Chicago operation arrests were targeted arrests...The rest were what’s often referred to as “collateral arrests,” meaning people that ICE comes across during their operations who aren’t the person they’re looking for..." apnews.com/article/trum...

Thank you @cynthiapelayo.bsky.social for the amazing conversation. My latest poetry collection is out now from Hippocampus Press. I had a blast talking about Dante and epic poetry with you!

Congratulations to @cybergodwrites.bsky.social on the release of Songs of Enough An Inferno All My Own! We had a great discussion on Instagram live. Here are photographs of the many faces we made while discussing epic poetry, Allen Ginsberg, Dante & more! www.hippocampuspress.com/other-author...

This is tonight!

“Celebrate Latine Heritage Month with Bookshop.org’s curated recommendations of Latine authors. Use code LHM25 at checkout to receive 20% OFF* these select titles.”bookshop.org/lists/adult-...25

Just talked to someone we've known for a few years here in Chicago's north shore: her church has lost a hundred congregants this month--some to ICE, some to fear of ICE.

Federal agents hurled tear gas and pepper spray into a crowd of about 100 protesters who attempted to block vans from entering and exiting a U.S. Immigration and Customs holding facility in Broadview Friday morning.

This is tonight!

My Latine / Hispanic Heritage Month Book Recommendation Day 5 Hurricane Season "Like Roberto Bolaño's 2666 or Faulkner's novels, Hurricane Season takes place in a world saturated with mythology and violence--real violence, the kind that seeps into the soil..." bookshop.org/p/books/hurr...

I’m being interviewed by the Associated Press this morning about Latine representation in fiction. Clearly representation is slim. My goal is to stress we’re not a monolith. Our countries, cultures, languages, religions, food, more varies. We are not all the same, nor are the stories we tell.

Day 48 Realize you’re perfect the way you are & don’t need anyone’s approval or validation or recognition. Especially when it comes to creating, you’re doing this for you. No one else. Get to writing. 600 words every day started Aug 3 to Dec 31 for a novel draft by end of year. #600X150

Here's a list of 16 famous museums that offer virtual tours you can enjoy for free from your home. www.travelandleisure.com/attractions/...

Tomorrow — Join me on Instagram live with Maxwell Ian Gold to celebrate their release of “Songs of Enough: An Inferno All My Own” at 8:30 EST My Instagram is CynthiaPelayoAuthor

It Came From Neverland “Peter Pan meets Stephen King’s It in this twisted horror retelling of a classic childhood fairytale set during WWI.” June 9, 2026 www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/803654...

New Samanta Schweblin, Good and Evil and Other Stories

The Chicago Saga, Children of Chicago & The Shoemaker’s Magician are available 10/21/2025. It’s wonderful to see these two back in print. New covers. New edits. New layouts. Thank you so very much ❤️ Preorder: www.hachettebookgroup.com/series/cynth...

My Latine / Hispanic Heritage Month Book Recommendation Day 4 Inventing Latinos bookshop.org/p/books/inve...

Day 47 Don’t get distracted by the research. Writing time is writing time. 600 words every day started Aug 3 to Dec 31 for a novel draft by end of year. #600X150

108 Books to Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month www.goodreads.com/blog/show/29...

108 Books to Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month. Thank you for including my novel, Chicano Frankenstein. Check out all the great titles! www.goodreads.com/blog/show/29... #HispanicHeritageMonth #LatineHeritageMonth #LatinxHeritageMonth #horror

True story- I read book 2 first 😳 this made reading this all the more heartbreaking for Medina knowing what was going to happen(vaguely). That last 30 pages was nuts 😵thank you!!!

There's a lot happening. My kid's school walked out in protest yesterday. ICE was walking distance from my house. And well, there's been more happening. It's OK to disconnect if needed. I'll still be here sharing good things. I'm thinking of what more I can do to bring cheer online.

So I’m a NYTimes bestselling author… 12 is my new favorite number 😭😭😭

Tonight! I'm back at Clarion West for another few weeks of teaching - Writing the Horror Novella. For those who have completed a horror novella, any words of encouragement for my students? Nice words only! Please!

My Latine / Hispanic Heritage Month Book Recommendation Day 3 The Poet X bookshop.org/p/books/the-...

I’m meeting fellow Puerto Rican, Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor soon in a private reception. Photography isn’t allowed. I’m hoping there will be official pictures taken. I don’t get nervous meeting people—ever, because people are just people, but she means so much to me. I will cry.

I need everyone who appreciates their routine to know … This new iPhone software update will stress you out for a good five minutes.

Day 46 You’re not supposed to be like anyone else. That’s the point. Why be like anyone else? That’s boring. Be unapologetically you. There’s only & will only ever be one you & only you can tell your stories 600 words every day started Aug 3 to Dec 31 for a novel draft by end of year. #600X150

If you haven’t read Arthur Miller’s The Crucible in a while you probably should because it’s a timely allegory. Goodnight.

I don’t know why Lotería: Stories is number 7 in new release vampire and I honestly haven’t looked at any of its trending sales since it was re-released but yeah, sure! I’ll take it for a re-release 🧛‍♀️ Yes, it does have some Latin American vampire folklore stories. www.amazon.com/Loter%C3%ADa...

Day 45 of #600x150 I hit page 100 today.

I’ve been thinking a lot about this too. Many of my readers have been with me 10, 15+ years, and so they’ve seen this whole telenovela in publishing play out. What’s saved me every time is remaining focused on my goals. Thanks to those who’ve enjoyed this journey so far! We’ve got more to do.

This room holds 100 people!!! I know because I was on the Library Board when this building was constructed.

Thank you so much @raforall.bsky.social !! Today is the day! “Songs of Enough” is available now. 😊