katieraynes

I'm a museum professional and queer fiction author who draws, paints, and plays a whole lot of video games. I am married to the most wonderful woman on this planet or any other, with whom I have two cats, five hamsters, and a parakeet.

Pronouns: She/they

Things that are important to me: Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility advocacy, queer rights, trans rights, anti-white supremacy, environmental and particularly ocean-related environmental issues

As a note, my wife Rachel Gogan also participates in many of the swaps I do, and we live at the same address. I promise we’re two different people and aren’t trying to receive more than one swap each :)

I enjoy reading most things by Tolkien, the Moomin series by Tove Jansson, historical nonfiction (lately, Norse, Early Medieval English, and Korean history), and queer stories with happy endings.

My favorite music includes K-pop groups such as Monsta X, Ateez, and Cravity; indie folk/rock such as Of Monsters and Men and the Amazing Devil; post-punk cabaret duo Frenchy and the Punk; and a ton of video game soundtracks.

Speaking of video games, my favorites include Dragon Age, Assassin's Creed (particularly Odyssey and Valhalla), Sky: Children of the Light, Animal Crossing, Legend of Zelda, Pokemon, Skyrim, and Splatoon. I also love tabletop gaming! I've played a lot, including D&D, Legend of the Five Rings, Shadowrun, Star Wars, Pathfinder, Deadlands, and Whitewolf's Mage/Vampire/Werewolf.

As for TV and movies, I like historical settings, fantasy/sci-fi, and K-dramas. Some current favorites are Mr. Sunshine, the Witcher, and the Lord of the Rings movies.

Other things I like, at random: early medieval and pre-Christian English history, mori kei/forestcore/cottagecore aesthetics, hamsters, Queen Anne's Lace, barrows/burial mounts/tumuli, the Korean language, seals, anime from the late '90s/early '00s, round plushies, raglan shirts, medieval Scandinavian culture, Icelandic sagas, humpback whales, otters, Star Trek, moss and mushrooms, anything made of potatoes, talking to trees, and Tolkien always bears repeating.

I like to paint with watercolors and occasionally oils, color with markers, and draw with pencil and ballpoint pen. I do embroidery and a little (usually nerdy) counted cross-stitch. I sew historical costuming, so far centered on the late 18th century in New England. I have a bullet journal that I love to fill with stickers and doodle all over. I also like fountain pens and have a collection of fun ink samples.

I like rainbows, cool colors (green-blue-purple), and pastel non-clothing items. When it comes to clothing, I tend toward more "masculine" muted and dark colors and flannel, avoiding pastels and anything flowery.

For designs and motifs, I love sea mammals, botanical drawings, woodland critters (chipmunks, squirrels, and deer especially), cats, hamsters, pine trees, and mountains.

I love any little drawings, doodles, paintings, or letters made by other people, watercolor paints/supplies, stickers, washi tape, postcards with pretty scenery, embroidery designs/floss, tea (anything but plain black), and candy related to chocolate, peanut butter, gummies, nuts, and fruity things like Starburst.

Anything with meat in it (I'm a vegetarian, so dairy, eggs, and honey are fine) or anything that's overtly "for women" or "for men" (I'm nonbinary).

I'm pagan, so anything Christian would be better enjoyed by someone else.

My wife has asthma, so please don't send anything that smells like cigarettes.