QR22 Day 3 - Annie on My Mind

For day three, let's go back in time forty years (uh-yeah). Annie on My Mind was written by Nancy Garden in 1982, and it's credited as being one of the first teen books to feature lesbian characters in a positive light. I can't decide what's crazier, that a book portraying lesbians in a positive light was already circulating in 1982, or that it took until 1982 for a book that portrayed lesbians in a positive light to circulate. There were some very vocal people who were unhappy about it (it was banned and even burned in several cases), but there were also a lot of people who were finally reading about characters like them for the first time in print. It's an important book.

But it's also a good book! It's a testament to Garden's writing and the story she tells (and, unfortunately, to how little some aspects of society have changed sine the 80s) that it really feels timeless. It honestly felt very contemporary while reading it--perhaps not as plausible in NYC proper, but in plenty of other settings in America. Liza and Annie are delightful, endearing, heartbreaking and heartwarming. As an advisory, there is some sexual content, but not so much that I think it's inappropriate* for most teenagers (although it depends on the teenager, you know?).

In short, it's quite good, and if it remotely strikes your fancy, you should read it! 🏳️‍🌈

(Also, check out my ongoing master list here.)

* That said, your standards of appropriateness may be very different from mine, so don't take my word for it. There's your disclaimer.

Queer Representation MASTER LIST 2022

As previously noted, I've decided that for each day of Pride Month I'm going to talk about my favorite queer books, TV shows, and films (and some other things). (Hereafter referred to as QR22!) If any of this stuff sounds good to you, check it out! I think more *quality* representation is only a good thing.

1. Heartstopper (2022 YA romance series on Netflix)
2. She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018-2020 children's--and adult!--sci-fi cartoon on Netflix)
3. Annie on My Mind (1982 YA romance novel)
4. The Fear Street Trilogy (2021 horror film trilogy on Netflix)
5. The Wilds (2021- thriller/survival series on Amazon Prime)
6. Severance (2022 psychological thriller series on Apple TV)
7. Gideon the Ninth/Harrow the Ninth (2019- sci-fi novel series)
8. Rothaniel (2022 comedy special on HBO Max)
9. If I Was Your Girl (2016 YA romance novel)
10. Kelly Quindlen (YA romance author)
11. Happiest Season (2020 holiday romcom on Hulu)
12. The Last of Us (and sequels) (2013- survival horror video games on PS3/4/5)
13. Saving Face (2004 romcom)
14. Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022 absurdist comedy/drama)
15. Just Juliet (2016 YA romance novel)
16. Continuum (2021 short nonfiction book)
17. Last Week Tonight with John Oliver Presents: A Day In The Life Of Marlon Bundo (2018 children’s book)
18. But I’m a Cheerleader (1999 teen romcom satire)
19. Love, Simon (2018 teen romcom)
20. Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997-2004 horror/drama/comedy series)
21. Teenage Bounty Hunters (2020 teen comedy/drama on Netflix)
22. Warrior Nun (2020 fantasy drama on Netflix)
23. Our Flag Means Death (2022 periodic romantic comedy series on HBO Max)
24. Little Girl (2020 French documentary)
25. The Haunting of Bly Manor (2020 gothic drama/romance on Netflix)
26. Crush (2022 teen romcom on Hulu)
27. Hacks (2021 comedy-drama on HBO Max)
28. The Unspoken Name (2020 fantasy novel)
29. Dickinson (2019-2021 historical comedy-drama on Apple TV)
30. Schitt's Creek (2015-2020 sitcom)

QR22 Day 2 - She-Ra and the Princesses of Power

 

For Day 2 of Queer Representation, it's She-Ra and the Princesses of Power! (Click here for the in-progress full list.)

While technically a reboot of the 80s She-Ra cartoons, the two series have little in common other than some character/location ideas and names and the general science-fantasy premise. But that's okay, because this series is amazing.

• The story is genuinely good, the characters well-rounded and entertaining, and it deftly navigates the comedy-drama fault line.
• The entire cast might be queer! Or at least a huge portion of it. Seriously, characters are gay, lesbian, bisexual, trans, non-binary, asexual, etc.
• It's an animated series for both kids and adults. I watched it with a 5yo who ate the series up. There is some fantasy violence, and the series treats deeper themes like abuse sometimes, but it does it all very well and in an appropriate way for children imo.
• It's created by ND Stevenson*, who is awesome.

Basically if you're looking for a show that normalizes same-sex relationships, they/them pronouns, neurodivergence, does it all in a kid AND adult friendly format, and is also just really really good, this is the show for you.  🏳️‍🌈

* I hadn't realized they had changed their name, so I've edited the post to reflect that!

QR22 Day 1 - Heartstopper

Hey alls! I've decided that for each day of Pride Month I'm going to talk about my favorite queer books, TV shows, and films (and some other things). If any of this stuff sounds good to you, check it out! I think more *quality* representation is only a good thing. (You can find an ongoing master list of everything I recommend here.)

But first on my list is Hearstopper! Netflix recently released a really great adaptation of Alice Oseman's graphic novel series. Both are really good. If you're looking for a really fun, gay, angsty yet heartwarming teen romance, look no more. Also there's bi representation, which can be tough to come by (more on that later), and the soundtrack SLAPS. All around it's a win. 🏳️‍🌈

Five Book Giveaway!

 

Alright, it's been a minute, I know. I'm sure at some point I'll go into what I've been up to for the past...while.

But for now, prizes!

I've joined several authors for the giveaway of five signed books, including Duskfall. So, if you win, you get five signed books. And there will be five winners. It's a good deal.

When you sign up, make sure you click on the link in the confirmation email (you might need to check your spam folder). If you reshare the giveaway through the links on the confirmation page, you'll also get more entries into the drawing and improve your chance of winning.

SIGN UP FOR THE GIVEAWAY HERE!

You'll probably recognize at least one other author participating: D.J. Butler, of Book Tour Fame (see here, here, and here). He's got a new book available, Abbot in Darkness. He's known to write very good books, and this one doesn't disappoint.

Here's a quick run-down of each book in the giveaway:

Forgotten Ruin by Jason Anspatch and Nick Cole  

Orcs. Trolls. Wraith riders. Dark wizards. Together, they form an unstoppable force. Or so they thought.

Dark Army… meet the U.S. Army Rangers.

When a Joint Task Force of elite Rangers are transported to a strange and fantastic future where science and evolution have incarnated the evils of myth and legend, they find themselves surrounded, pinned down, and in a desperate fight for their very survival—against nightmares of flesh and blood made real. Which means only one thing.

It’s time to Ranger Up and stack bodies. 

The forces of evil have no idea how dangerous a Ranger has been trained to be, and once the action starts, it won’t let up in this no-holds-barred, full-auto, epic battle for survival in the Forgotten Ruin.

From the creators of Galaxy's Edge...

Buy in, and jock up for this thrilling WarGate adventure. A battle unlike any other is calling.

Lost Girl by Michaelbrent Collings

What if Peter Pan... was the bad guy?

Eve has no father. An alcoholic mother. Abused at school. A loser. But when the new boy comes to school, things start to change. He's popular, he's good-looking, he's smart. He likes her. And he wants to kill her. Because he's Peter Pan. And he's a vampire.

Kill Three Birds by Nicole Givens Kurtz

Sent to investigate a strange murder in a quiet remote egg, can Hawk Tasifa find the killer before she becomes the next target?

Prentice Tasifa is an investigative hawk whose been deployed from The Order to the small egg of Gould, a mountain village. A missing girl had been found dead. Hawks investigate strange and difficult situations throughout the kingdom of Aves. They can “see the unseen,” by accessing a unique ability to activate hawk-like vision, a trait they carry through their bloodlines. 

When Prentice arrives in Gould, she soon discovers that there isn’t just one bird dead, but three. Has the hidden town’s secrets contributed to the deaths? Did the victim’s controversial relationship? 

There’s a serial killer operating in little known Gould, and she has to find the person before she ends up next.

Abbot in Darkness by D.J. Butler

John Abbott is all in.

He’s up to his eyeballs in debt to pay for school, and he’s just moved his small family forty light-years from Earth for a plum job with the wealthy interstellar corporation, The Sarovar Company. John’s first assignment is to discreetly investigate possible corruption at the remote Arrowhawk Station, where Company traders buy the famous Sarovari Weave from the three-sided, crablike Weavers.

John finds evidence of theft and worse, but when the guilty parties realize he’s getting close, they come after him and his family. Can John catch the thieves and end their corrupt trade? Can he head off a war between the Company and the Weavers? Can he make a life for his family in this remote wilderness without corrupting himself?

With no way back to Earth, the only direction for John Abbott and his family to go is forward—into danger.

And if you don't know about Duskfall by yours truly, why are you even here??? But also go ahead and check it out. 

They all sound pretty awesome. But don't take my word for it! Sign up for the giveaway!

DAWNRISE Release Date (Revisited) - and Graphic Audio Adaptations!

I've got another update on the last book in the Chaos Queen Quintet. Unfortunately, DAWNRISE has once again been delayed, this time until April 2021.

Print, ebook, and regular audio version of DAWNRISE have been delayed until 6 April 2021.

I know a lot of people are not happy about this, and honestly, neither am I. This book ahs been completely finished since March (2020), but, well...COVID. I'm not really sure what else to say about it. My publisher furloughed a number of folks due to the global pandemic, and while they've hired a lot of them back on, it jammed quite a wrench into their production schedule. While I'm disappointed ya'll won't get to read Book 5 sooner, the situation is what it is, and I hope that when you DO finally read DAWNRISE in April, you'll be as happy about the ending to the Chaos Queen Quintet as I am.

There is a bright side to all of this, however. It seems George RR Martin and I will have at least one thing in common in that the adaptations of our work will be produced and available before the print versions ¯\_(ツ)_/¯. (In my defense, once again, the book has been finished for some time, it just...isn't being printed, yet.) But Graphic Audio, the company that produces the fantastic audio adaptations (full cast, soundtrack, sound effects, etc.) of my work will be releasing Parts 1 and 2 of DAWNRISE in DECEMBER! So, if you just can't wait for the print version, you should definitely check out the Graphic Audio versions! Or, even better, get them both :-). I genuinely love Graphic Audio's adaptations, and I think they've done an excellent job with my entire series.

Part 1 of Graphic Audio's adaptation of DAWNRISE comes out December 8th!

Part 2 of Graphic Audio's adaptation of DAWNRISE comes out December 30th!

Anyway, a huge thanks to all of you who read my books, and I hope that, however you experience the ending of the Chaos Queen Quintet, it will be awesome on every level. 🖤

DAWNRISE Release Date

 Many have been asking, so let me give ya'll the good and bad news about book 5.

Good news: It's still coming out this year!

Bad news: Due to COVID-19-related delays, it won't be available until December 8th.

That said, I think the good outweighs the bad. The Chaos Queen Quintet's conclusion is nigh, and I'm excited for book 5 to FINALLY be in your hands!