Cool Stuff

600 Likes and a Giveaway!

This week, I promised that if I made it to 600 page likes on Facebook, I’d do a giveaway and a new torso book cover. Thank you all so much for helping me get there! I’m so excited to announce this giveaway. Who doesn’t like free stuff?

Two lucky winners will each get to choose something from my backlist. You can see what’s available here on my Amazon author page: https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00OIC158W

As for the torsos, my excellent kids suggested this time I do a Stephen King novel. So go vote in the poll on my page to see whether it’ll be Pennywise or a creature from The Mist who gets the official torso treatment. I’m still trying to decide how I feel about clown abs, to be honest.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Author Interview: Tay LaRoi

Books, Cool Stuff

I’m so excited to welcome Tay LaRoi to the blog today. She’s a new-to-me author, and her book looks amazing. I’d complain about having a longer to-read list, but that’s hardly a bad thing.

Interview

Welcome! Your book looks amazing. What inspired you to write it?

A whole lot of things. Primarily the fact that I made a huge career change and moved in with my dad, whom I was not out to at the time. There were a lot of worst-case scenarios running though my head at the time and, instead of working them out in a journal like a normal person, I ended up making them the back story for DJ Suzuki, the main character of The Tale of a Faerie Knight. Giving those scenarios a more hopeful ending helped me a lot and I hope it’ll help young adults as well, regardless of where they are their coming-out process.

That’s fantastic, and I hope many young adults feel hopeful and inspired by your words. Tell us a little about any upcoming projects. Will they have the same feel?

The third instalment of the Faerie Court Chronicles, The Song of the Faerie Prince, is out in May and I’m SUPER excited for it. While the series is YA, it definitely focuses more on the fantasy element. Song is a chance to focus more on the YA aspect since it takes place primarily at a high school and the main character, Gia, is very much so inspired by my awkward teenage years. She learns a lot of things I wish I had gotten though my head at her age, but I was a lot more stubborn than she is.

I think a lot of us can relate to that, even when we’ve been away from it for a long time. How do you hope your writing influences other people?

I want to people to first and foremost have a little fun. My favorite books are ones where I can take a break from the world and just have fun in a different world for a while, so I’d like to pay that forward. In addition, I want people, ESPECIALLY queer teens, to know that they’re not alone. I didn’t really come of age with any stories with girls or women like me and it really does go a long way to make you feel like you belong in the world

That is so important! As a parent of teens, I know I appreciate that they can read these stories and hopefully see themselves and their friends.

Okay, time for some word sprints. What’s your favorite food?

Curry! Especially yellow curry.

What’s one of your hobbies?

I love to crochet, but I haven’t had time recently.

What’s your favorite season?

Spring and Autumn are currently tied.

Thank you for stopping by! Please be sure to let us know when the next book in the series is out.

About the Author

Tay grew up reading too many fairy tales and watching too many movies, which is probably why she writes fantasy now. When she’s not at her day job or writing, she can be found taking spontaneous drives to new places, and drinking way too much coffee. Her first series, The Faerie Court Chronicles, is available from NineStar Press.

Social Media

Website | Facebook | Twitter

About the Book

Title: The Tale of a Faerie Knight

Author: Tay LaRoi

Publisher: NineStar Press

Date: December 25, 2017

Length: 74,600 words

Categories: YA, LGBT, Bisexual/Pansexual, Urban Fantasy, f/f, road trip

Synopsis

After the fall of Queen Mab, DJ Suzuki resolves herself to an aimless life of entertaining, drinking, and hooking up within the Faerie Realm. After twenty ageless years, she knows she can’t go back to her family, despite the fact that her brother still searches for her and the small voice telling her that her parents might have had a change of heart about her orientation.

When a young woman named Talia shows up at DJ’s workplace desperate for help, DJ sees a way to rid herself of the guilt of staying away: she’ll take Talia where she needs to go if Talia rids DJ’s family of all memory of her. Talia will be safe and DJ will be free to live in the Faerie Realm with a clear conscience. Everyone wins.

Except there’s more to Talia and her situation than she’s letting on. Her pursuers want more than just her. They want the Faerie Court, and Talia is the key to getting it. If DJ can’t get Talia to safety before they catch up, a guilty conscience will be the least of her worries. She just might have a faerie civil war on her hands.

Purchase Links

NineStar Press | Amazon | Smashwords | Kobo

Excerpt

This girl isn’t Queen Mab. They just have a few similar features. That’s all. People look like each other all the time. I’m just a little tipsy. The longer I look at this girl, the less she looks like the woman I once served. Mab didn’t have freckles or blonde hair. Mab’s ears tapered to a point like every other faerie I’ve seen around here, and this girl’s are rounded like mine. She must be human, which is exactly why she shouldn’t be here in the Time Between.

She gently shakes me out of my thoughts. “Please, is there somewhere I can hide?”

I take her by her wrists. “Slow down. What are you doing here?”

The girl takes a deep breath. “I was kidnapped by a group of trolls and goblins. They’re dragging me to only the gods know where, but they stopped nearby for the night. I managed to bewitch them and escape, but I’m sure it’s worn off by now. My magic’s terrible.”

“Wait, what? Your magic? But you’re…”

A light bulb flicks on.

“You’re half human.”

“Correct. Now can you help me or not?”

I don’t think I can, but Iver might be able to. Queen Shaylee’s half human, and he’s pretty good friends with her. He’ll know what to do with this girl, even if she’s being kidnapped. I take her hand and lead her toward the bar.

The girl squeezes my hand and whispers, “Thank you.”

She’s warm like a human. I can’t remember the last time I felt this sort of heat, the gentle warm pulse that radiates from within.

I shake my head again. Maybe Iver’s right. I should quit drinking.

Nah. Just lighten up.

We wiggle through the crowd near the bar, so I can slip behind the counter. “Iver, we’ve got a situation.”

He turns our way, still pouring a drink, and frowns. “What did you break this time?”

“Bite me. I didn’t break anything. Look, this girl needs help.” I pull her forward, so my boss can have a look at her. “She said a bunch of trolls and goblins kidnapped her.” As he looks her over, I stand on my tiptoes to whisper in his ear, “And she’s half human.”

His eyes go wide and blink at me a few times, then at the girl. He studies her for a few minutes more and concludes, “So you are.”

“What should we do?” I ask.

Iver looks over our heads toward the entrance. “Get down.” Sure enough, there’s a troll lumbering through the doorway. He must be young because he only has to duck to get in. The dim and flashing lights don’t do any favors for his ashen complexion and warts. The other patrons give him a wide berth. As if a troll’s bulk isn’t enough to scare people off, it looks like he hasn’t washed that brown tunic in years. It can’t smell pleasant.

The three goblins that tag along aren’t much better. Their big ears flap and their long noses bounce with their crouched steps. They can’t be that old either. Two hundred years old, maybe. Two hundred fifty, tops.

I turn to tell the girl to get beneath the counter, but she already thought of that. She’s curled up beside the mini-freezer, hugging her legs to her chest for dear life. Iver glances around the bar, giving everyone a warning look to keep their mouths shut. Judging by the way everyone goes quiet and stiff at the group’s approach, there shouldn’t be an issue.

Even if we weren’t hiding a possible fugitive, I doubt anyone would give these guys a warm welcome. Ever since the Faerie Courts split back up, faeries in Seelie Court lands haven’t been too fond of faeries that willingly served Queen Mab, like trolls and goblins. One hundred years of oppression will do that to people. There are exceptions to every rule of course, but this crew doesn’t look like one of them.

The goblins hop up on a couple of barstools and lean over the counter. “Evening, Iver,” one says with a snaggle-toothed grin. “How’s business?”

The Ultimate Guide to Writing Dinorotica

Books, Cool Stuff, Sex Advice, Writing

Well, it turns out Dino-porn is a thing. Like a real thing. People write books about humans having sex with dinosaurs, and it has a following. There are people who want to read about people having sex with dinosaurs. In the spirit of education, author C H Clepitt and I teamed up to create this handy how to guide for writing your very own dino-porn. I took one for the team and read some ~~high-quality literature~~ dino porn, and I seem not to have suffered any ill effects, apart from a new fetish for people with VERY short arms. My co-author, who is much cleverer than I am, used my research as a model to write ~~a dazzling tale of sensuality and intrigue~~ a pretty decent dinorotica story. As with actual erotica, being anatomically accurate does not appear to be a priority in dino-porn, so don’t worry yourself about that, just jump right in.

The guide below is based on my extensive research on the genre, which C H Clepitt totes made me do… For the purposes of this guide we have taken examples for our fictional dino-porn story “I Can’t Help Lovin’ that Lizard”. As always, if we can get ten comments on this post we may be persuaded to turn it into a real book. (Actually, I should check on that because now I want to know if it’s 10 total between the two of us or 10 each.)

The events in “I Can’t Help Lovin’ that Lizard” are purely fictional, and the characters and places are products of our very warped imaginations. Any resemblance to people or lizards you know is just a coincidence. Also, because it’s got sexy bits in it, you have to be over 18 to read this. If you are under 18 please go away and come back when you’re old enough.

Note, for the asides and conversation, A.M. Leibowitz is in blue, and C H Clepitt is in red, to hopefully quell any confusion. You know, other than the confusion of how dinosaur erotica is an actual genre. You need to get over that. As always, we’ve done the research so you don’t have to…

So, without further ado, here is…

your guide to writing dinosaur erotica

The Title Tells the Story

A potential reader should be able to gather the entire premise based on the title alone. A good title incorporates either the kidnapping or the sex, depending on which you want to emphasize. The title should be either alliterative or rhyming. Softer words are preferable for female protagonists: Taken by the Troodon; Swept Away by the Sauroposiedon. More aggressive words can indicate a male protagonist: Drilled by the Deinonychus; Banged by the Bambiraptor. A great title may include multiple plot elements: I Was the Spinosaurus’s Secret Sex-Slave, for example.

OK, well, I’m already rather proud of our title, so maybe we should just subtitle it “a story of dinosaur sex in the most implausible plot ever. We regretted doing it the second we lifted a pen, but quitting is for losers”. Does that work for you?

Yes, great subtitle.

There Must Be a Kidnapping/Captive Element

This is extremely important, as it sets up the situation for how your hero ends up in the boudoir of their dinosaur. It also gives you the tools you need for an attention-grabbing title.

Kidnap element? Eeek… really… And I agreed to write this shit, this is my punishment for making you do the research right? OK… here goes…

“Look, there’s one!” Kevin peered through his binoculars at a triceratops that was contentedly munching on a bush about fifty feet away from their hide.

“Do you really need the binoculars?” Lizzie rolled her eyes. “It’s a dinosaur, Kevin, it’s massive. Now you’ve seen one, can we go? I think I left the oven on.”

“No!” Kevin snapped. A sweat was forming across his brow, and he could feel a throbbing in his underwear at the sight of the twenty foot lizard. “I want to see a T-rex!”

“You would!” Lizzie snapped impatiently. “I have gone along with it this far, Kevin, all the dinosaur posters, the films, the t-shirts, the bedding. I even let you build a time machine, but really, I think enough is enough. I’m going!” She stormed out of the hide. As Kevin turned in exasperation he was scooped up by a pterodactyl and carried away.

How’s that? Do I need to describe the boudoir too or does that come later?

Nope, that bit’s later.

Great, I’ll look forward to it…

Predators Over Prey

Also very important. Stolen by the Stegosaurus has a nice ring to it, but let’s face it, Stegosauruses are simply not terrifying enough for this sort of story. You can’t bargain with them not to eat you because they wouldn’t be interested in the first place.

Righto- so, I need to bring in the t-rex with his tiny tiny arms and brain the size of a pea… on it….

Kevin came to in the nest of the huge lizard bird that had just grabbed him. Below was a stage with various cave people lined up. One diplodocus with a gavel in his teeth was standing at one end auctioning them off to bidding carnivores…

What? This is unrealistic? Come on, nothing about this genre screams realism. Now shut up, I’m running an auction.

“You are the star attraction,” the birdtile hissed. “A hairless body is very desirable, especially to the T-rex. Goes down easier, less hairballs.”

“Wait!” Kevin begged. “You can’t auction me off for T-rex cuisine! I’ll do anything! ANYTHING!”

“Anything…?” his captor asked lecherously.

There Must Be Time Travel

This is only logical. How else do you expect your protagonist to hook up with their hot dinosaur lover? This can be accomplished in two ways. Your hero can travel back in time for a prehistoric hook-up, or your dinosaur can appear in modern times. There’s no need to explain the alternate reality in which dinosaurs still rule twenty-first century earth and also know how to use Twitter.

Hey, badgers can tweet, dinosaurs probably can too, so.. *shrugs*. OK, so I briefly touched on the time machine element earlier, does it need further explanation here, or are we good?

Nah, we’re good. Poor Kevin may not be, though…

Anatomy Doesn’t Count

There’s no need to fuss about a small detail like research on lizard mating, or lizard biology at all. You can ignore the thousands of results from a simple Google search on “how did dinosaurs have sex.” As long as you can give your T-Rex or your Equijubus a giant schlong, you’re good to go.

OK, giant dangly bits. Here we go. Are you sure you aren’t trolling me right now?!

Nope. Dino Dudes are “gifted” in the nether regions. Because why wouldn’t they be?

Alright…

“Anything…” The lascivious look on the creature’s face caused the throbbing in Kevin’s undergarments to return. Suddenly, a giant snake like organ appeared from between the lizard’s legs, it’s eye looking right at Kevin.

How’s that?

Perfect. Clearly Kevin’s not straight, which is a step up from how these dinosaurs usually operate.

Unless You Have Lesbian Dinos

In which case, all you need is a species with a very, very long tongue.

Aw, really? Who’s idea was this, anyway? OK, here goes…

Lizzie stumbled through the bushes back towards the time machine. On her way her attention was grabbed by a diplodocus. It was using its long tong to extract the highest leaves from the trees, and the sight of the long pink organ gave her pause.

“What are you doing here, tiny human?” The creature looked down, its voice distinctly feminine. “They will auction you off if they catch you.”

“They… I… your tongue…” Lizzie gabbled.

“Come with me,” it looked at her and reangled its tail for her to climb up. “I will keep you safe. Very safe…”

Oh, god! Is this what it’s come to? I’m an artiste for crying out loud!

Consent Also Doesn’t Count

Is your dinosaur having trouble courting the ladies? No problem! Just introduce one to his massive wang, and she’ll be begging for more. Did you know you can also turn a man gay by putting him alone in a room with a talking velociraptor? It’s true. Dinosaurs are notorious for convincing even the most reluctant of partners. They don’t concern themselves with something so trivial as asking first. On the other hand, consent is sexy, and it’s in vogue right now, so giving your dino some basic decency could very well boost your sales.

Oh ffs! Really? I have been making our people attracted to lizards! You telling me I have to get all Son of the Sheik on this shit? I thought rape fantasies like this were a thing of the past! I am so not OK with writing dinorape. Or any rape. It’s not OK, especially not for voyeuristic reasons. Nope. Sorry. I Can’t Help Lovin’ that Lizard is going to be 100% consensual all the way.

Unless You Have Lesbian Dinos

The canon for this genre is exactly one book, but so far, the consent track record is 100%. Lesbian dinosaurs are more nurturing than their gay or straight counterparts, and they care more about making sure their partners are into it. No word on bisexual dinosaurs yet.

Did you make this bit up after what I just said so I’d have to write lesbian dino sex? I’m not gunna… I’m just not. Here, you can have a morning after scene…

“Wow,” Lizzie stretched luxuriously on the mammothskin rug. Her head was resting on the long neck of her lover. “That was, I’ve never… Kevin is so short and stubby in comparison. And, well, I… so many orgasms.”

The diplodocus made a contented sound and looped its neck around her shoulders, resting its head on her chest.

Keep It Short

You want to leave your readers wanting more. A story of 3-6k is all you need to get the point across. Dinosaurs have tiny brains; they can’t keep pace with a long novel, and they certainly shouldn’t be overwhelmed with something as tricky as an actual plot.

Well, we must be thankful for small mercies I suppose.

Keep It Fresh

These stories have a short shelf life. Next week, people probably aren’t going to be talking about Undressed by the Urbacodon like the classic we know it’s destined to become. This is a genre which requires constant new ideas. Some people branch out into mythological creatures or inanimate objects because they fear losing their audience. But if you stick to the formula, you won’t have anything to worry about.

Watch this space for I married a pizza oven. Coming to a bookstore near you!

Someone, somewhere, is going to write that. It won’t be me.

Never say never! Set up a crowd funder and see if you get interest!

If you enjoyed this how to guide, don’t forget to tell us what you thought in the comments!

And you can read more from A.M. Leibowitz on their blog, and find out more about C H Clepitt at chclepitt.com. And don’t forget to check out My Books before you go!

Kicking off Bi Week with a giveaway!

Blogs, Books, Cool Stuff, Fiction, LGBTQ+, Sexuality and Gender, Social Justice, Writing

Happy Sunday! It’s the start of Bisexual Awareness Week. Don’t know what that is? Here’s a primer from BiNet USA and GLAAD: https://www.glaad.org/biweek2017. All week, I’ll be celebrating, so be sure to come back and see what new things I have.

First of all, I had the privilege of co-interviewing Miles the Bisexual with Elizabeth for the BiCast. What a great time! Check out out chat here.

Second, I’m running a giveway all week. Winners can choose any book in my backlist, excluding multi-author publishers’ anthologies. (My own single-author anthologies are all available, however.) You can enter below.

Third, I’ll be posting book reviews and recommendations. If you missed it last year, I posted a list of all my bisexual characters. I’ve updated it to reflect my 2017 releases. I also have a list of my favorite bisexual characters. This list has been updated as well to include great reads from 2017.

Fourth, my WIPpet Wednesday and Rainbow Snippets Saturday posts will reflect bi content, of course. Cian, one of the two main characters in my WIP, is bi+ and in a polyamorous family relationship. LR (Cat’s sister in the Faithfully Yours series) is married to a bisexual man, and I’ve been snipping from their story on Saturdays.

Finally, every day will feature a bit of flash fiction (very short stories, in this case under 750 words). These are all on various aspects of coming out and understanding ourselves. Part of my own story is going to be part of the #WeAreBisexuality campaign on Miles the Bisexual’s blog, and I’ll share more about it later on in the week.

Happy Bisexual Awareness Week!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Rainbow Snippets: Put a Little Love in Your Heart

Books, Cool Stuff, Featured, Fiction, LGBTQ+, Love, Writing

Happy Saturday! I’m really excited to be taking part in this FREE BOOK EVENT, #PutALittleLoveInYourHeart. That means the anthology I’ve been snipping from, Leaps of Faith, is 100% free this weekend. You can find it everywhere (except Amazon, the big meanies) by clicking this link. If you absolutely need yours in Kindle format, contact me and I’ll hook you up.

Here’s the blurb:

From Christmas to Easter and from childhood through the end of life, here are ten interconnected stories revolving around one couple and the people who love them. These are tales of friendship, family, sensuality, and all the intimate moments that make them who they are, together and apart. The stories, while standalone, also fill in the gaps before and around the events in the novels in the Faithfully Yours series. Included: a youth embraces his identity; two women build a life together; a former rebellious teen finds her way; a pair of lovers explore each other’s minds and bodies; a man copes with loss and grief.

Because this is me, all but one couple in the anthology has at least one bi partner, including the M/F relationship. Today’s snippet is from a different story in the same anthology. It was a tough choice, but I went with a bit about my favorite women, Pam and Zayne, from “If These Walls Could Speak.” No context, just two women in love.

It was Zayne’s eyes which Pam loved most—dark and sparkling, always so expressive. She didn’t need to use words to tell Pam the important things.

When she saw Pam, Zayne’s whole face lit up. Unable to stop herself, Pam flew into her wife’s embrace, burying her face against Zayne’s shoulder. She couldn’t organize her thoughts enough to sort the I’m sorry from I missed you and I love you. Everything tumbled from her mouth in a messy string of incoherent mumbling into the fabric of Zayne’s dress.

Rainbow Snippets is a safe and welcoming space for LGBTQIA+ authors, readers, and bloggers to share 6 sentences each week from a work of fiction—published or in-progress—or a book recommendation. Feel free to join in!

Here’s a list of #PutALittleLoveInYourHeart participating authors that I know of, but you can also check out the hashtag on FB or Twitter:

Raven de Hart, Heart of a Pirate (Hearts of Madijak Book 1)

A.J. Downey, Her Thin Blue Lifeline: Indigo Knights Book I

L Ann Marie, Christian (The Protectors Book 1)

Barbi Barnard, Cupcakes & Kisses

Michael R Collins, Pale Winter Sun

Tee Smith, Collecting Scars

Lisa Wylie, Burning Suns: Conflagration (Book One)

Golden Czermak, Swole: Chest Day

Colbie Kay, Quiet Country (Satan’s Sinners M.C. Book 2)

MariaLisa deMora, With My Whole Heart

Erin Trejo, Rocking Fate (Hells Fire MC Book 1)

Jaime Russell, Love Me Like You Do (Love Me Series Book 1)

Kathleen Kelly, Savage Fire #2, Savage Angels MC

Chris Almeida, To Russia With Love: A Romantic Suspense Novel in the Countermeasure Series

S. H. Pratt, Choose the eBook of your choice! 😉

Rachel Walter, True Connection

A funny thing happened…

Books, Cool Stuff, News, Social Justice, Writing

Imagine my surprise the other day to be tagged in all my social media (multiple times) because a simple idea I posted months ago had become a meme. In fact, it was passed around to so many people, I kept getting pinged with private messages, wall posts, and emails asking me about it.

Short version: I said this in response to something I can’t recall. When I said it, I wanted to capture something common to any of us who have experienced marginalization. It takes different forms, it intersects, but this is the one thing which I have seen to be true across almost every sphere. A few friends asked to share it at the time, and I said that was no problem. Thus a Tumblr meme was born, and I lost track of it because Life Happened.

I took the photo from the Interwebs. I don't know who meme-ified it, but it's my quote, so I think I can be forgiven for pilfering. — I took the photo from the Interwebs. I don’t know who meme-ified it, but it’s my quote, so I think I can be forgiven for pilfering.

[Black text on white background. The quote reads: “This is literally what it’s like to be part of a marginalized group. Politeness is met with a refusal to listen, and anger is met with demands for politeness.” Attributed as A.M. Leibowitz, bisexual author of quirky LGBTQ+ romance (via bialogue-group)]

Fast forward to this week. Franchesca “Chescaleigh” Ramsey posted the quote in meme form on her Facebook page. Now, if you have no idea who she is, please watch pretty much any video at the link I provided. They’re all good. She breaks things down for people like me who don’t have degrees in this stuff. You would think that as a writer I can word good, but I actually have trouble absorbing things I read if I have to look up half the terms. Anyway, I love her, and I spent the rest of my day blushing furiously over the attention.

Which brings me to why I’m really writing this. It’s not because I want to brag on being quoted. (It is pretty cool, though.) It’s because of two things.

First, I do not deserve cookies for this. I stated a fact, and I stand by it. But more importantly, it’s not what I said that matters. It’s what I do. I have to live by these words—be willing to listen regardless of how the person is telling me about their experiences or the way the world works. I have some places where I’m privileged, others where I’m not. Where I do have privilege, it’s my job to do the hard work of being an ally without expecting a big thank you and an Edible Arrangement over it. I can meme-quote all I want, but if I’m a lousy ally, my words are trash.

Second, this pertains directly to my career as an author. (Can I start with how it made me smile to see my books called “quirky”?) Having my words go viral as a meme, with my name and job description attached, means people can find me. They can read my author bio and my novels. They can see me on social media and send me messages via this blog. Which means they are seeing a representation of who I am as a person.

Here’s the thing. I don’t write as a way to play Queer Studies 101 with my readers, and I don’t primarily write with an audience of cisgender (i.e. not transgender) straight people in mind. True, I have an oddly loyal following of cisgender straight guys reading my novels about gay and bi men, and also true that many readers of m/m lit are women of all orientations. However, my goal is always to write with an understanding that the characters represent the real people who are most like them. I have to ask myself whether my friends and family would be angry, hurt, or embarrassed by anything I write or if they would feel proud, honored, and heard through it. This is true regardless of the characters’ race, ethnicity, gender, age, disability, or sexuality.

This is why every word I write means something to me. I want to do right as an ally through my work and in my everyday life. This includes representing those most like myself in a way which is true to me and my kin. It’s possible to be part of a marginalized community and yet have so many internalized -isms that we fail to be allies to our own selves.

I can’t represent every facet of every community in any given book or even in all of them. There will always be people who think I’ve written it wrong, even when I’m writing about my own experiences. There will also always be people who just plain think I’m a terrible writer. That’s okay! They don’t need to give me cookies either. (Though if you like my books, and you happen to want to send me bi-pride or rainbow frosted unicorn cut-outs, I won’t say no.) It’s more important to me that my words not cause harm or uphold damaging ideas.

As much as I’m committed to writing with those values in mind, I’m also committed to reading with them in mind. As a rule, I prefer to review books written by, about, and for their communities. We already have a problem with straight white cis men being overrepresented on our bookshelves, even as early as the picture book stage. Currently, we have an overrepresentation of white gay cis men in our queer lit. The voices and lives of other people deserve to be heard, and our words deserve to be read.

The next time you pick up a book, whether it’s mine or someone else’s, think about who the story is about and who it is for. If you find yourself primarily locked into a pattern, break out of it. If the book challenges your thinking, go with it and see where it takes you. Here’s to listening well, even when that comes in paperback format.

Happy reading!

600 Likes and a Giveaway!