WELCOME
I’m Cidney, a writer and middle school librarian from Portland, Maine with a passion for speculative fiction.
I earned my Master of Library and Information Science from Clarion University, and my Bachelor of Secondary Education, English from the University of Maine at Farmington. I am an avid reader of fantasy, mystery, and romance, and have reviewed titles for the Maine State Library Children’s and YA Book Review Committee, and for School Library Journal.
I am currently querying my adult fantasy romance novel, House of Night.
You can follow me on TikTok for all things bookish @Cidneym.
Thank you for visiting my site!
House of Night
Adult Romantasy
A headstrong courtesan and the heir to a disgraced line of fae must find a way to restore banished magic to the realm before a coup threatens to rip them, and their world, apart.
Season of Fire
YA Fantasy
After being forced into the marriage mart in early 1800s London, a stubborn fledgling witch must enlist the help of a secret society of sorceresses in order to control her growing magic powers and escape deadly witch hunters.
Untitled Dark Academia
Adult Fantasy
A group of ambitious students at a magical university must grapple with the sinister consequences of their pursuit of forbidden knowledge and their desperate desire to stick together.
Published Work
“Citadel” A Coven of Witches Anthology
“Visions for the Independent City of New York” Metaphorosis Magazine
“The Moonbeam Book” Carmina Magazine
BLOG
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Read “The Moonbeam Book” in Carmina Magazine
My newest short story, “The Moonbeam Book” is out today! “The Moonbeam Book” by Cidney Mayes I am consistently drawn to examining femininity and dismantling patriarchy within my speculative fiction. This story, written in the spirit of dark Grimm fairy tales where the protagonist must learn a lesson at the expense of a usually gruesome…
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Read “Visions for the Independent City of New York” in Metaphorosis Magazine
This is my first foray into sci-fi territory! I hope you check it out. You can read or listen on the Metaphorosis website. I had so much fun recording my narration! Read or listen here: Visions for the Independent City of New York by Cidney Mayes Summary: In a futuristic New York, a young girl…
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Read “Citadel” in A Coven of Witches Anthology
I am so thrilled that my short story, “Citadel” has been included in West Avenue Publishing’s A Coven of Witches Anthology. Lorenc has wandered the woodland paths between the land of the living and the city of the dead for as long as he can remember. When a teenage girl stumbles through the a wooden…
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Query Letter: Tips for Success
Since updating my query letter, I have received three full manuscript requests in the past month for my YA Bridgerton-meets-witches fantasy novel, Season of Fire. I posted a thread on Twitter about the changes I made, and it seemed to help other writers, so here’s a more in-depth look at how to polish your query…
Cidney Mayes 