iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Brooks Benjamin @brooksbenjamin.bsky.social · 05/07/2025

Fourth of July? Nah, we went all in on Summerween this year. #summerween

Vanilla wafers with red and white icing decorated to look like used band-aids. Gross, I know.

A picture of a very fun board game called Ransom Notes.

Blood bags filled with unicorn, vampire, and werewolf blood. Don’t worry, the blood was fake. The alcohol in them was very real though.

Hotdogs and salsas and various foods to get us through the night.

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Brooks Benjamin @brooksbenjamin.bsky.social · 13/06/2025

I’m attempting to turn this into a cat-friendly sanctuary for our ferals. This is the before and after (so far). When I say I had a brush with death trying to get rid of all that poison ivy, I mean it. It’s trying to kill me y’all.

A bit of yard overgrown with deadly amounts of poison ivy that I must have wronged in another life because it wouldn’t stop trying to pull me underground.

The same bit of yard void of poison ivy (good riddance) with some red mulch covering the ground.

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Brooks Benjamin @brooksbenjamin.bsky.social · 03/01/2025

I feel like we’re all Season 2 Player 456 going into 2025. #squidgame #squidgame2 #art

A pen sketch of Player 456 from Squid Game. The left side of his face is his picture from season one: innocent, naive, and smiling. The right side of his face is his picture from season 2: hardened, wise, and prepared.

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Brooks Benjamin @brooksbenjamin.bsky.social · 22/12/2024

Started reading We Used to Live Here by Marcus Kliewer and immediately picked up on the House of Leaves vibes only to be validated by this fun Easter egg a bit later on:

Picture of a page from We Used to Live Here.
It says:

“REPLY 4:
USER: Navidson_27”

Navidson is the surname of the family who lived in the creepy house in House of Leaves.

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Brooks Benjamin @brooksbenjamin.bsky.social · 01/12/2024

This makes me sound way cooler than I actually am, but I’ll take it.

My score from blueskyroast.com calling me the librarian with a literary lift and my posts a delightful mix of book smarts, cat love, and pizza dreams.

Again, from blueskyroast.com, this time calling me the witty wordsmith with MC energy that includes being a librarian and author, having punny humor, and being able to engage with middle schoolers.

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Brooks Benjamin @brooksbenjamin.bsky.social · 31/08/2024

Audrey, our cat, loves her toys, but she loves the packaging her toys come in even more. My theory? Audrey is anti-capitalist and pro-recycling. I’m so proud of her. #cats #pets #rescueanimals

Audrey, our black cat, sitting in front of her new favorite toy, a long foam packing noodle she enjoys killing from time to time.

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Brooks Benjamin @brooksbenjamin.bsky.social · 17/07/2024

If you see this, post something fantasy/DnD from your portfolio. #TTRPG #Art #Illustration #DnD #KidLitArt

A pen sketch of 4 dragons sitting around a table playing Houses & Humans, a very popular tabletop role playing game among mythical creatures.

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Brooks Benjamin @brooksbenjamin.bsky.social · 03/07/2024

And here’s our biological child enjoying her new cat toy. She also loves you.

Audrey, our black cat, lurking in the shadows while her cat toy, a motorized feather wand, whirls around its base, taunting her.

And she makes the kill. We’re so proud of her.

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Brooks Benjamin @brooksbenjamin.bsky.social · 03/07/2024

The world sucks right now, so here are a few stray kittens who adopted us to be their godparents. They told me they love you, as do their 2 siblings who were too shy for the picture.

A tortoise-shell kitten sitting on our deck, a bit unsure if it wants to play or not.

A tabby kitten standing on our deck, staring at me as if to say, "You're the dad. Where's the food?"

A second little tortoise-shell kitten on our deck, cute as a button. The cat, not the deck.

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Brooks Benjamin @brooksbenjamin.bsky.social · 13/06/2024

We’re playing with our new Bigfoot and Chemtrails and UFOs, Oh My! conspiracy kit and we think we came up with a good one. #dissentpins #familygamenight

A picture of the Bigfoot and Chemtrails and UFOs, Oh My! conspiracy kit and magnetic tiles pieced together to say, “Them cosmic rays will hypnotize the Metaverse n distract the purpose a the International Space Station.”

A closeup of the tiles that say, “Them cosmic rays will hypnotize the Metaverse n distract the purpose a the International Space Station.”

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Brooks Benjamin @brooksbenjamin.bsky.social · 10/06/2024

Time to post our own butts and farts! From our books, I mean. Jeez.

A passage from my book. It reads:

“Trust me, it looks terrible,” Austin said. “We need to invest in some lights. This place is a cave. And don’t get me started on the smell. It’s like someone farted in an old shoe.”

The cover of my book, My Seventh-Grade Life in Tights.

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Brooks Benjamin @brooksbenjamin.bsky.social · 30/04/2024

On behalf of all cat dads and cat moms, I’d like to give places like Door Dash and Uber Eats a big shout out for making our pets think we’re such fearsome hunters that prey simply waltzes up to our doors, ready to be eaten. We’ve never looked cooler.

Our adorable black cat, Audrey lying in her mom’s arms getting a much needed chin scratch.

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Brooks Benjamin @brooksbenjamin.bsky.social · 15/03/2024

I finished edits on my latest manuscript so now it’s time to let this character, Harley Munch, get a little screen time. #writingcommunity #authors #books

When you’re considering getting into a fight, and I usually am, here’s a bit of advice: Never punch a nose.

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Brooks Benjamin @brooksbenjamin.bsky.social · 03/02/2024

Reskeet with an animal picture you (or your wife) took that could be an album cover

Our mini-panther black cat, Audrey sleeping on her mom about as dramatically as a young cat can sleep. Belly up, feet stretched out, one arm extended to the side, mid-Wednesday dance.

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Brooks Benjamin @brooksbenjamin.bsky.social · 25/12/2023

Since Santa hasn’t showed up yet I decided to doodle some random animals. Reply with a picture if I accidentally drew your pet! #art #artists #illustrators #writingcommunity #animals #pets

A sleek cat with pointy ears and pointier whiskers wearing a collar and a look of pure derision.

A grumpy pitbull with an adorably toothy snarl (although I wouldn’t say that part out loud).

A sheepdog that is 93% curls, 7% nose, and 100% happy to see you.

A black cat in its natural state. Wide-eyed, frazzled, and possibly possessed.

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Brooks Benjamin @brooksbenjamin.bsky.social · 20/12/2023

Ending the year with a freshly rewritten and fully edited manuscript to send to my agent. A haircut will be next (for me, not my agent). #writingcommunity #authorsofbluesky #authors #writers #amwriting

My latest manuscript, Tales of a Teenage Scream Queen, is finished!

My laptop, surprisingly still intact after a very arduous bout of editing.

Me, surprisingly still intact after a very arduous bout of editing.

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Brooks Benjamin @brooksbenjamin.bsky.social · 12/12/2023

I just felt a sudden sorrow for house cats like Audrey who will probably live her entire life thinking wild animals are made of dull-pink paste.

Audrey, our little black cat who thinks animals come in tin cans.

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Brooks Benjamin @brooksbenjamin.bsky.social · 03/12/2023

I’m learning that 80% of the time our cat approaches me she’s not looking for pets, she just needs to mark me again to remind me that she owns me and my time in this house is dependent on how well I feed her.

An image of Audrey, our black cat who is standing on my laptop and keeping me from writing which is probably just another way she asserts her dominance over me. But she’s adorable so it’s okay.

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Brooks Benjamin @brooksbenjamin.bsky.social · 06/11/2023

Some of the network names at my hotel.

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Brooks Benjamin @brooksbenjamin.bsky.social · 06/11/2023

Occasionally I’ll get messages from readers who have found me on i-Ready and it never fails to make my day a little bit (lot) better. ☺️ #writingcommunity #authors #writers

A message from a reader that says, “is there a full version of your i-ready story "The Art of Change"? I was reading it and got interested in the story from a lesson for once, lol”

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Brooks Benjamin @brooksbenjamin.bsky.social · 31/10/2023

Jackie took some pictures of Audrey in her Halloween outfits and I can’t get over how perfect (and annoyed) she looks. 🙀😂

Audrey, our black cat wearing a purple witch’s dress as well a look of pure contempt.

Audrey wearing bat wings. She’s less peeved in this one but you can tell she’s contemplating running away.

Audrey in the bat wings again. We’ve captured her good side. But we’re still on her bad side.

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Brooks Benjamin @brooksbenjamin.bsky.social · 21/10/2023

Miami Herald most certainly didn’t bury the lede on this one.

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Brooks Benjamin @brooksbenjamin.bsky.social · 11/10/2023

Not only do I write and draw, I also make a killer café Cubano.

A frothy pillow of Moreno sugar mixed with the first drizzles of brewed espresso.

The froth mixed with the remainder of the brewed espresso, ready to be consumed and loved and possibly married.

The finished product. A homemade café Cubano, small in stature but positively monumental in taste.

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Brooks Benjamin @brooksbenjamin.bsky.social · 08/10/2023

Official fall break hair. Also I need to clean that mirror. Also also I think I want to grow my hair back out.

Me standing in front of a dirty mirror while showing off my morning hair reminiscent of a lazy tumbleweed.

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Brooks Benjamin @brooksbenjamin.bsky.social · 30/09/2023

Me while our internet is still out: “Looks like I’ll be getting plenty of writing done today.” Also me:

Me (not actually me) excitedly scrolling through my notifications.

Me (not actually me) multitasking while I scroll through my notifications.

Me (not actually me) mesmerized by the glowy magic of notifications.

Me (not actually me) deciding to crawl into my phone, forehead first.

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Brooks Benjamin @brooksbenjamin.bsky.social · 26/09/2023

Some questions I assume my cat asks herself: Why do my humans like digging around in my litter box after I poop? Why do they keep asking me “Who’s a good cat?” if I’m the only cat here? Why don’t they ever say “psspsspsspss” to each other?

Our cat, Audrey Marceline, staring judgmentally at the camera while somehow also looking adorable.

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Brooks Benjamin @brooksbenjamin.bsky.social · 15/09/2023

Audrey decided to make some revisions while I was getting more coffee.

A screenshot of my YA book-in-progress where our cat has added some important scene details in what I can only describe as details in her native tongue that don’t quite translate to English very well. Knowing her it’s probably profanity.

Audrey, our cat and my editor apparently.

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Brooks Benjamin @brooksbenjamin.bsky.social · 29/08/2023

Hi, I’m Brooks. I write. I also have a cat.

A picture of my cat sleeping like an adorable vampire

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