Featured Author & Giveaway: Skye Allen

Skye Allen has had short fiction published in Toasted Cheese Literary Journal and Of Dragons and Magic: Tales of the Lost Worlds and poetry in Insomnia and Sinister Wisdom. She works as a singing teacher and occasionally performs Irish music around the San Francisco Bay Area, where she lives with her wife, two cats, and four chickens. Pretty Peg is her first novel.


Connect with Skye Allen on Twitter @eppiemorrie or visit her website: allenskye.com.

Q&A with Author Skye Allen:

1. In what way is your story unique compared to other books in this genre?
   
   The obvious answer is that the hero is a girl-loving girl! I love all the YA fantasy novels with strong teenage girls in the lead, but most of them are straight. I really wanted to see someone like Josy in the kind of book I love – a fast, emotional adventure where the magical world meets the familiar world.
   
   Beyond that, though, Pretty Peg goes into some heavy topics. The plot was inspired by a traditional Scottish song called “The Bonnie Banks o’ Fordie,” which is about incest. I’ve always been fascinated by the way the three sisters in the song handle the situation, and how the youngest sister seems fearless and heartbroken at the same time. One thing I love about YA is the freedom to go deep into the gnarliest places in the psyche and to confront some of the biggest horrors we live with -- whether they take the form of vampires or werewolves, or of other humans in a position to do harm.


2. Which of your characters is most like you?
   
   I’m definitely in everyone in the book. I’m just as snarky (and as secretly vulnerable) as Josy, I get just as distracted by a good music practice session as Laura, and I’m just as much of a rule-follower as Neil. But I share the most real-life history and articles of faith with Margaret. I spent a long time believing that working for social change would help me hush the demons in my head – it did, and still does. But I’ve also learned that you still have to take on your demons face-to-face and find a way to coexist, which Margaret never got the chance to do.


3. How do you research for your books?
   
   I have a whole shelf of books about the U.S. war with Afghanistan that I collected to help me navigate Margaret’s story. And even though I’ve lived in Oakland, I had to consult my wife (who was born in the East Bay) about some local geography I wanted to keep intact. I did change some parts of the map where the story needed it. I also relied on my brilliant, talented teenage voice students for authentic dialog and fashion!


4. Do you have a nervous habit when writing?  A guilty pleasure when writing?  
   
   Caffeine. Definitely caffeine. I wrote the first draft of Pretty Peg for NaNoWriMo, and it was All! Coffee! All! The! Time! I was working full-time in a stressful admin assistant job and I wrote early every morning and late every night for that one crazy month. Now I try to rely more on green tea for my writing binges. I also have a weird problem where I can’t listen to music with lyrics when I’m writing, not even in a language I don’t speak. I’m a singer, and I get too distracted by vocal music. I have a 3-hour playlist that’s mostly artists like Django Reinhardt, Rodrigo y Gabriela and Yo-Yo Ma – fantastic music that I could never play myself.


5. Are there any LGBT charities or resources that are near and dear to you that you would like to give a shout out to?
   
   I’m really moved by the work of Larkin Street Youth Services in San Francisco. They work with homeless teens, many of whom are LGBTQ+. They’ve offered respect and the beginnings of stability to a lot of kids who had no place else to turn over the years.


6. What would you like young readers to take away from your novels?
   
   That you are gorgeous exactly the way you are! My main character, Josy, is plus-sized, and one of the lessons she learns is just how desirable she is. I heard Nomy Lamm say at a show once, “Fat and pretty go together like peanut butter and chocolate,” and that’s true!

Now Available from Skye Allen:

Pretty Peg High school senior Josy Grant already had plenty on her plate before she found the magic puppet theater her murdered sister left behind.  Despite Josy’s grief, the responsibility of taking care of her family falls to her, and being queer doesn’t make dealing with school any easier. Things only get worse when sexy new girl Nicky tells Josy her sister died at the hands of a mysterious figure from the Faerie Realm called the Woodcutter, and if they can’t stop him, Josy and her remaining sister will be next.

They have just days before the Woodcutter strikes again on the autumn equinox, so Josy follows Nicky into the Faerie Realm to hunt him. Along the way, she discovers Fey gifts of her own and answers to the questions that have driven the Grant family apart. Nothing comes for free when dealing with Fey, though, and those gifts and answers might come at a terrible price.

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Pretty Peg Giveaway!

Skye Allen has generously donated a free copy of Pretty Peg for one lucky winner. To enter the drawing, please leave a comment below along with your email address. A winner will be chosen on June 15th.

Featured Author & Giveaway: Amy Dunne

Amy Dunne was raised in Derbyshire, England. She attended Keele University and graduated in 2007 with a BSc in Philosophy and Psychology. After graduating she worked for a while with vulnerable young people. She is currently setting up her own speech writing business and concentrating on her writing. She is married to her beautiful wife, Lou. They have two gorgeous cats and a mischievous dog. 


Connect with Amy Dunne on Twitter @giftofthegaborg or visit her website: facebook.com/amy.dunne.165.

Q&A with Author Amy Dunne:

1. In what way is your story unique compared to other books in this genre?
   
   Secret Lies is unique in that it doesn’t shy away from the slightly darker issues that some young adults experience. I worked for a number of years with vulnerable young people and it really impacted on my life.
   
   Self-harm and abuse both play a pig part of in Jenny and Nicola’s lives. I wanted to raise awareness of these subjects but also give an insight that some people might not otherwise see. It was difficult getting the balance just right. In no way did I want to make either subject gratuitous, but I did also want to do them justice. I hope I’ve gotten the balance just right.
   
   The story also explores how Jenny and Nicola overcome these issues. That’s a really important part of the book. No matter how scary and dark things become, there’s always help and support available.
   
   I should probably point out that the story isn’t all doom and gloom. Far from it. The experience of first love is a wondrous thing. There’s laughter and drama all thrown in the mix.


2. If you could travel back in time and tell the teenage you one thing, what would it be?
   
   “Amy, you’re a lesbian. Surprise!”
   
   Well, maybe I’d not say it in quite that way. Knowing my teenage self as I do, I wouldn’t have listened anyway. In my head I was still thinking about becoming a Catholic nun. My reasoning at the time was as follows: I’d watched Sister Act too many times, I didn’t have to go near guys, and I’d be locked away with a bunch of repressed women. Thank goodness I finally saw sense.
   
   What I’d really say to my teenage self is, “Everything’s going to be just fine. You’ve got some amazing things to look forward to and a few difficult times ahead as well. Just keep on being you and follow your heart. It’s worth it in the end.”
   
   What would my teenage self say in return? I imagine it’d be, “Err, okay. Thanks. Do I really put on that much weight?”


3. Is there anything from your own teen years that has been placed into your books?
   
   Yes, there are a few things.
   
   Jenny confesses to watching Sister Act repeatedly as a child. I did that but took in one step further and genuinely considered becoming a nun.
   
   Jenny’s parents are Irish. Both sets of my grandparents are Irish and a lot of the mannerisms are the same. Such as: feeding large portions of home cooked food, the nosiness, the great sense of humor, and the closeness / importance of family.
   
   Home cooked food is important in Jenny’s family home. It was important in my family home too. Perhaps it’s the Irish in us, but we’ve always had lots of mash potato. I drive my wife crazy because it’s still one of my favorite foods and I insist we have it at least twice a week if not more.
   
   Nicola is an avid reader, (Like me) and for her coursework she’s reading, The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. This is one of the books I read and wrote an essay about when I was in college.
   
   Nicola isn’t a huge fan of drinking alcohol but in the end she quite likes cider. I drank cider occasionally as a teenager and I still drink it to this day.


4. Which of your characters is most like you?
   
   Would it be cheating if I said both? Well, I’m going to say it anyway.
   
   Jenny is fiery and has a bit of a temper. She feels like no one really knows her and she’s terrified of being seen as different. Accepting her attraction to Nicola is a huge deal. She’s also incredibly caring and protective beneath the surly exterior.
   
   My teenage self was pretty much the same with the exception that I totally ignored my feelings for women and buried them deep down inside. I didn’t come to terms with my sexuality until I was in my mid twenties. So, I have huge respect for characters like Jenny and all of the young people who are brave enough to accept who they are at such an early age.
   
   Nicola is great at listening and is sensitive to other people’s emotions and feelings. She loves reading and devours one book after another. When she starts to think she might be gay she buys lots of lesbian themed books and DVDs online.
   
   I did this too. I spent a small fortune one night and then had to hide them all around my room so no one would find them. They opened my eyes to what life as a lesbian was really like and went on to help me accept who I was. I’ve also always been sensitive to other people’s emotions and feelings. My sister and mum are the same. Even today we still have people telling us their deepest darkest secrets. Thankfully, like Nicola, we’re all great at keeping secrets.


5. Tell us about your cover design. Is there any symbolism from the story reflected in the cover?
   
   Bold Strokes Books has an incredibly talented graphic artist named Sheri. I was curious to see what she’d come up with. A number of varying designs were e-mailed to me and this one stood out among the others. It far exceeded my expectations. I love it as much today as I did when I first saw it. The girl on the front looks like how I described Jenny. The intense expression on her face, the tussled hair, and the interlinked fingers all show that she’s considering something serious. The jagged tear down the front suggests something dark and broken. The red text emphasizes the title and in conjunction with the image sets the mood perfectly for the story. It’s dark and gritty. Have I mentioned that I love it? Because I really do.


6. What would you like young readers to take away from your novels?
   
   Firstly, I’d like young readers to enjoy reading my novel. I hope they feel represented in the characters, story, and the emotions that are explored.
   
   When I was a young adult I remember reading everything I could get my hands on just to see if I could relate to the story and characters. More often than not, this wasn’t the case.
   
   This was the driving force behind writing Secret Lies. I wanted to give an honest portrayal of what life can be like for queer youth today without shying away from some of the serious issues. As a result the story is a little gritty and deals with some dark themes such as abuse and self-harm. It also explores the positives that come with experiencing first love, sexuality, and self-acceptance.
   
   I hope readers take solace from Jenny and Nicola’s story. No matter how dark and difficult life can seem, this won’t always be the case. For young people who are experiencing self-harm or abuse don’t be afraid to seek help. There are resources and support available. Never give up on yourself or your dreams. Never apologize for who you are and who you love. There’s a wealth of support, love, and incredible opportunities in the world, just waiting for you.

Now Available from Amy Dunne:

Secret Lies Would you face your biggest fear, to save the one you love?

Nicola Jackson escapes from her abuser, only to realize that she has no one to turn to and nowhere to go. In a twist of fate, she accidentally bumps into Jenny O’Connor, the most popular girl at school. They strike up an unlikely friendship. As their trust in each other develops, they share their darkest secrets, and their relationship blossoms into a secret romance.

Jenny loves Nicola, but she is fearful that if their secret relationship is discovered, she might lose her family, friends, and seemingly perfect life.

Nicola confronts her abuser and blackmails him to leave for good, but things go terrifyingly wrong. Jenny is left with a life-changing dilemma: should she face her fear and accept who she is, or let Nicola take the blame and pretend their relationship never happened?

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Secret Lies Giveaway!

Amy Dunne has generously donated a free paperback copy of Secret Lies for one lucky winner. To enter the drawing, please leave a comment below along with your email address. A winner will be chosen on June 8th.

Featured Author & Giveaway: Andrew Demcak

Andrew Demcak is an award-winning poet and novelist whose work has been widely published and anthologized both in print and on-line, and whose books have been featured by The American Library Association, Verse Daily, The Lambda Literary Foundation, The Best American Poetry blog, The Nervous Breakdown, and Poets/Artists. His first Young Adult (YA) novel, GHOST SONGS, was published March 13, 2014 by Harmony Ink Press. His first literary novel, If There's A Heaven Above, was published January 5, 2013 by JMS Books. His fourth book of poetry, Night Chant, was published by Lethe Press, 2011. His other poetry books are: A Single Hurt Color, GOSS 183::Casa Menendez Press, 2010, Zero Summer, BlazeVOX [Books], NY, 2009 and his first poetry book, Catching Tigers in Red Weather, three candles press, 2007, that was selected by Joan Larkin to win the Three Candles Press Open Book Award. He was a 2010 Finalist for The Crazyhorse Poetry Award. His work has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize, Lambda Award, Thom Gunn Poetry Award, both the California and Northern California Book Awards, Best of the Web, and others. He has an M. F. A. in English/Creative Writing from St. Mary's College in Moraga, CA. 


Connect with Andrew Demcak on Twitter @andrewdemcak or visit his website: www.andrewdemcak.com.

Q&A with Author Andrew Demcak:

1. In what way is your story unique compared to other books in this genre?
   
   Ghost Songs is genre bending in two ways: first, it's a GLBTQ YA novel that’s not a romance. The lead character, Todd, doesn’t spend all his time pining over some boy or worrying about his sexuality. It’s a ghost story and not someone’s diary entries. The second way is: Ghost Songs, as M/M fiction, has extremely strong female characters. Todd’s best friend Jennifer, and Todd’s mother, Eddie, are not just decorations in the background – their stories are as important as Todd’s.


2. What are your writing goals for the next five years?
   
   I’ve got two more unpublished novels finished: another GLBTQ YA novel, A Little Bit Langston, which is a speculative fiction coming out story (read: coming out = super powers) and my adult literary fiction, Limboville (it’s a farce about the most famous pulp fiction romance writer going through a divorce and cancer treatment – I know that doesn’t sound funny. But it is, as well as being very touching.) Plus I have two more completed poetry collections, Lazarus and The Excitable Gift, both ready to go. I am currently finishing my new poetry collection, Crytopedia, which is an encyclopedia of the weird and strange, all the prose poetry cut-up from Wikipedia articles.


3. Do you believe in ghosts?
   
   Yes. I grew up in a haunted house. The ghost used to jingle keys down the hallways and come and sit on the edge of beds during the night. Creepy, but totally harmless. It was like the loop of an old film that kept playing.


4. If you could have one superpower, what would it be and how would you use it?
   
   Ahhh, that’s the theme of my new GLBTQ YA novel, A Little Bit Langston. The lead character James always seems to give off a green spark of electricity when he touches his best friend Paul. I wonder what that could be all about?


5. What other interests do you have outside of writing?
   
   Knitting, collection 20th century American art pottery (Love Grueby, Rookwood, and Rose Cabat’s work), jogging, hiking, camping with my partner Roland (he’s an ex-Marine and is into all that stuff, too)


6. What would you like young readers to take away from your novels?
   
   The takeaway is a real sense that they are Okay as they are, and they do not have to do this alone. We are a large supportive community. Also, I like to think my books impart a kind of hope, or at least, a positive outlook, in spite of their heavy-duty subject matter.

Now Available from Andrew Demcak:

Ghost Songs It’s not easy being Todd Williams, a fourteen-and-a-half-year-old gay musical prodigy. The bullies, Bob and Ari, at his fancy private school make his life a living hell. Todd’s drunken, irresponsible mother, Eddie, constantly embarrasses him and puts his artistic future in jeopardy. And now, his best friend, Jennifer, who plays clarinet with him in the orchestra, isn’t speaking to him. Maybe Leroy, Todd’s friendly poltergeist, knows what’s going on with her. To top it off, he can no longer rely on Jennifer's help in the race to solve a puzzle that could lead to a buried treasure. Todd must learn to stand alone. He’s finding out that growing up is far scarier than he ever imagined.

If There’s a Heaven Above (18+) (Nominated by The American Library Association for its 2014 Rainbow Books List) "If There's A Heaven Above" takes the reader on a tour of the Southern California demi-monde Goth scene of the mid-1980s, as seen through the eyes of 18 year-old club-kid, Matt. Andrew Demcak combines innocence with experience, sex and drugs, Love and Rockets, with just the right touch of poetry. It is a thrilling ride along the freeways and turntables of that era: when AIDS was new, Reagan was King, and hope was a wounded kitten, cared for by the creatures of the night.

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Ghost Songs and If There’s a Heaven Above Giveaway!

Andrew Demcak has generously donated a free copy of Ghost Songs and If There’s a Heaven Above for two lucky winners. To enter the drawing, please leave a comment below along with your email address. A winner will be chosen on June 1st.

Featured Author & Giveaway: Krissy Bells

Krissy Bells was born and raised in the Detroit metro area. A former school secretary, she now spends her days as a stay-at-home mom. She is passionate about her family and friends, her Dachshund named Harry, and anything topped with cheese or chocolate.


Q&A with Author Krissy Bells:

1. If you could travel back in time and tell the teenage you one thing, what would it be?
   
   Not to worry so much about what other people think of me and to stand up for myself. I still have to remind myself of those things daily.


2. Do you have a nervous habit when writing?  A guilty pleasure when writing?  
   
   Snacks are absolutely involved in all of my writing sessions. I’m a procrastinator for sure and unfortunately chocolate is the perfect stress reliever for me. At least until I realize, I’ve say, emptied an entire bag of Dove chocolates or as I like to affectionately refer to them, Dovies.


3. Is there one genre of YA that you would love to write but haven’t?
   
   I totally hope I can write a fantasy novel one day. When books are able to take their reader to an entirely new world, I think it is truly amazing. Getting lost in a place filled with creatures and words and things that you have never even heard of before is a magical experience.


4. What season do you like to write your stories in most or do you love writing in all of them and why?
   
   Fall is the perfect time to write. It is my favorite time of the year and always brings me my greatest inspiration.


5. If there is one message you would like to get out from your book, what would it be?
   
   I hope that there are several that are present in the story of Aaron Garrett. More than anything I want readers to consider the ways in which their actions may unknowingly or even unintentionally affect others. I was inspired to write this story after the Phil Robertson, Duck Dynasty controversy occurred. I was shocked to see the outpouring of social media support for such ludicrous statements. It made me want to put myself in the shoes of someone struggling with their sexuality on the other side, maybe having to see their loved ones post support for the comments. Especially with social media, it has become much easier to hurt others without even having to look at the other person or be accountable. Whether it is memes with racially insensitive jokes or pictures of scantily clad girls being passed around and promoted. I just wanted to remind people that there are individuals that those things affect and hurt. There is a gay teen somewhere that saw that stupid meme you posted with homophobic content or a girl struggling with her body image that is constantly seeing people like and share pictures of women with unattainable physiques. I think social media insensitivity is unfortunately a problem that will continue to impact our future generations.


6. What would you like young readers to take away from your novels?
   
   That acceptance and love are the most amazing of gifts.

Now Available from Krissy Bells:

Fag Aaron Garrett is many things in life: he is a son, a friend, a student, and caring boyfriend to his lovely girlfriend Leigh Ann. In these roles, he is kind, hardworking, smart, loving, dedicated, and considerate. At Jefferson High School, he is a leader, a football star, and well-respected by his peers. Aaron’s life is perfectly on track, he is pursuing a college scholarship and hopeful for the future, except for just one thing: Aaron Garrett is gay. When a former child star from Aaron’s small Southern town saturates the national media after making homophobic comments, Aaron’s life is turned upside down as supporters rally around the sentiments. Social media attention begins to swell nationally and locally until it begins to eat away at every part of Aaron’s existence.

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Fag Giveaway!

Krissy Bells has generously donated a free copy of Fag for one lucky winner. To enter the drawing, please leave a comment below along with your email address. A winner will be chosen on May 25th.

Featured Author & Giveaway: Alex Norris

Alex Norris is an author and undergraduate at the University of Cambridge.


Connect with Alex Norris on Twitter @AlexSNorris or visit his website: www.AlexNorrisBooks.com.

Q&A with Author Alex Norris:

1. What part of the story was the most fun to write? The most challenging?
   
   I always enjoy writing no matter which part of the book I’m focused on, but there were certainly parts of this story that were harder to write than others. Anyone who has read the novel will know that it contains some fairly gritty scenes and some rather unpleasant events and these were, at times, very hard for me to write about. On one hand, I was keen to portray the events in the book in as realistic a way as possible, but on the other, I was cautious not to stray into giving overly explicit descriptions. There were times when I was unsure of how much sexual detail would be appropriate for certain scenes, but ultimately I think I struck a fairly good balance.


2. What are your writing goals for the next five years?
   
   Ideally, I’d like to release a new book every year. At the moment I’m sticking to that goal and am planning to release my second novel this summer. As I’m currently in my final year at university though, the future is a little uncertain at the moment. I don’t know where I’ll be in a year’s time or what I’ll be doing, but whatever it is, I will certainly make sure I have plenty of time for writing.


3. Which of your characters is most like you?
   
   My main character, Lewis, is based very heavily on myself. At first I was cautious of creating a protagonist based on so many aspects of my own personality, mostly because I worried people would take the story as a memoir rather than a work of fiction. However in the end, I decided that the most important thing for me was to include a strong sense of realism. I decided that by drawing from my own emotions and experiences (some of Lewis’ memories are almost indistinguishable from my own), I would be able to create a character that was both convincing and relatable.


4. Is there anything from your own teen years that has been placed into your books?
   
   I put lots of myself into my writing purely because I want to write realistic fiction that is heavily based on real life. Throughout the entire novel you can find references to popular culture taken straight from real life as well as the odd episode that I have loosely adapted from my own experiences. I find it’s very easy to fall into clichés when writing about certain themes and so I try to depend on my own experiences as much as possible. At one point of the book, Lewis is dogged by memories of a boy he was infatuated with, but who let him down. The whole episode is taken more or less word-for-word from my own experience. It is quite cathartic to talk about such difficult experiences through the prism of fiction – it gives you some distance from the events and lets you assess them objectively. Ultimately though, the aspects of my own life that are in the book are not necessarily specific to me, but are experiences and emotions that most people will have gone through, or will go through, at some point. I hope that people will be able to relate to what I write, and understand that much of it doesn’t come from imagination, but from memory.


5. How do you research your books?
   
   Before I started writing this book I was wary of tackling such difficult issues as homelessness and prostitution. I was therefore very keen to do some good research so I could write about these themes convincingly. I volunteered with a local organisation that feeds people without homes or on low incomes, and it was my experiences there that inspired much of the story. I also talked to shelters about the problems facing homeless people and made sure I did abundant research online.

For the sexual aspect, my inspiration simply came from the slew of messages that I, as well as a lot of gay men with an online presence, receive from people soliciting for sex. I thought it would be interesting to ask what would happen if I was ever to accept such an offer. Although I never went as far as meeting any of these men, I was fortunate enough to talk to people who had met with men in exchange for money. Their experiences helped me get an idea of what it’s like to have sex for money, outside of the clichés we are often subjected to in films and on TV.


6. What would you like young readers to take away from your novels?
   
   I would like to change the way all people, regardless of age, view homelessness. So often we encounter homeless people, especially in big cities, but think of them as little more than inconvenient distractions from our own comfortable lives. I would like to think that after reading the book, people will reassess the attitudes they have towards people who have fallen on difficult times. 

   
   In terms of sexuality, I would like young readers to appreciate the fact that in the case of the novel’s protagonist, his being gay is very much a non-issue. Unlike a lot of LGBT literature, this is not a coming out story. This is a story of a young, gay student whose sexuality does not define him or dictate his experiences of university. It does, however, provide him with a unique idea of how his status as a young, gay man might help him raise money for his new homeless friends.

Now Available from Alex Norris:

Angel Cambridge University isn't everything Lewis wanted it to be. Still hung up on a lost love affair from the past and surrounded by friends he loves and loathes in equal measure, Lewis' life takes a dramatic turn after a chance encounter with homeless Rosie. Desperately seeking meaning among the vacuous student lifestyle, Lewis embarks on a quest to help those without homes and without voices.

Through a string of secret and sordid affairs with strange men he meets online, Lewis tries to raise money for his new homeless friends. Along the way he'll encounter a transvestite with the lips of Brigitte Bardot, a gorgeous French traveler, and a slew of lonely men willing to pay for satisfaction.

But as Lewis delves further into the depraved, secret life of Cambridge's backstreets, his faith in humanity and hope for his own future decline rapidly. How low is he willing to sink to make some cash?

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Angel Giveaway!

Alex Norris has generously donated a free copy of Angel for one lucky winner. To enter the drawing, please leave a comment below along with your email address. A winner will be chosen on May 19th.

Featured Author: D.E. Atwood

When D.E. Atwood was in second grade, she finally grew tall enough to see the shelf above the mysteries in the bookmobile. She discovered a rich landscape of alternate worlds, magic, and space and has never looked back from the genres of fantasy and science fiction. When she was twelve, she declared that she was going to be a writer, and share the stories that she saw happening all around her. She wanted to create characters that others would care about, and that would touch their lives, like the books that she read had touched her own life. Today she has combined her interests, creating genre stories about the people who live next door, bringing magic into the world around us. When not writing, D.E. Atwood is a mother (to two children, a cat, a dog), a wife, a reader, a knitter, a systems administrator, almost a black belt in tae kwon do, and a music aficionado. Sleep, she claims, is optional.


Connect with D.E. Atwood on Twitter @DEAtwoodWrites or visit her website: http://deatwood.wordpress.com.

Q&A with Author D.E. Atwood:

1. Which of your characters is most like you?
   
   I feel like the answer should be Jordan, because so much of him is drawn from within my own mind and heart, but if I'm being dead honest, it's Maria. Her pushiness, her exuberance, the way she ignores personal space and at the same time, the way she wants to be close. The way she sees the good side and thinks that things are going to work out as long as she believes hard enough. The way she wants to live her life just flat out, and wants to see the best in the people around her. She is what I would be if I had the ability to let go of fear; she is my natural personality turned up to an eleven. And she is very much a character of my heart for all of that. It was an absolute joy to give her the freedom to be herself on the page.



2. What other interests do you have outside of writing?
   
   Loads! I love music, and my daughter and I like to go to concerts. This year we are hoping to see William Beckett, All Time Low, and go to Warped during the summer. Also on the potential list for summer outdoor shows are Def Leppard, Journey, and Steve Miller Band. My daughter is angling to see Queen's tour with Adam Lambert, but I'm not sure that one is going to work out, which is a pity because I'd love to see it too.

   
   
Then there's Tae Kwon Do, which I adore, perhaps to the point of obsession. My son started TKD when he was five and having trouble sitting still. Seven years later, he has his second dan and is working his way towards his third dan while he also learns how to coach. I started almost four years ago and am looking ahead to my own black belt test this summer, and my husband started about a year after I did. So it's a huge family thing that we do, and all three of us are also a part of the tournament team. My daughter doesn't do TKD, but she does do Combat Hapkido, which is the self-defense specific discipline that our school teaches, along with the rest of us. We spend a lot of time at the dojang, but I think it is worth it, both for the exercise for all of us, and for the confidence and strength that it teaches. 

   
   
TKD is a huge thing in my life because it is something I thought I couldn't do, and that I actually love doing. I'm short (tall is better), overweight, and well, old compared to lots of folks doing it. But I work hard at it, and I've actually won against an opponent in a tournament (shocked me! It was awesometastic!), and I'm going to be getting my black belt. This is huge as far as I'm concerned, because this is something I never saw myself doing. It's not a sport designed for someone my age, weight, and somewhat broken body. But I do it and I'm halfway decent at it.

   
   
What that says to me is don't believe the hype. The only thing to believe in is yourself. Don't let anyone ever tell you that you can't be successful because you're not the right "type" somehow. 

   
   
Er, so yes, tae kwon do. Obsessed. If you ever want to hear more about it, just stop by my blog, because I really do talk about it periodically.


3. Is there anything from your own teen years that has been placed into your books?  
   
   In this case, it's the play that the book revolves around! I fell in love with Shakespeare as a teenager in the 80s. My parents dragged me (yes, at the time I thought I was dragged, and now I look back and treasure the memories) to various plays throughout my young life, and among them were various Shakespearean comedies. I learned to appreciate the humor and commentary that Shakespeare made about human life.

   
   
A Midsummer Night's Dream was one of my favorite shows. My school performed it (I didn't take part, but my best friends were all in the show, so I was with them through every rehearsal) when I was in high school. I read it so many times, and analyzed it, and fell in love with all the words. Then I read a YA book which had it as a part of the story, and I fell in love with Puck all over again. Somehow Dream became a part of my high school experience, and a part of my growth, and Puck in particular with his mischief became a synonym for the way my own group of friends came together and changed over those years. 

   
   
I've wanted to write my own story including Dream for a long time, and when I sat down to do so, I knew I couldn't just let it stay with that one part of Shakespeare's works. I needed to branch out into other shows which had formed a large part of how I looked at life from a young age, like Twelfth Night, and see if I could let the Bard influence the characters in my story as much as he influenced me.



4. How do you research for your books?
   
   I really try to focus in on the human experience. I'm a character-driven writer, and I want to be able to use everything I learn as filtered through my characters' eyes. So I read everything I can get my hands on, preferring personal memoirs to dry history. I love youtube videos where people tell me things. I love talking to friends who have experience with the topic, finding out what they recommend and then viewing/reading that. My research is almost random, with one thing leading me to another, and different facts and experiences setting of plot bunnies in my mind that I have to jot down, and then that sets off another need for research. I end up writing a lot down, and just assimilating other things into the back of my mind so they can be blurted back out later in the form of how a character sees the world.
   
   For Shadows, I am exceedingly grateful to my friends for helping with my research and pointing me toward useful resources.


5. Is there one genre of YA that you would love to write but haven’t? (example: paranormal, contemporary, fantasy)
   
   There are two that I want to write desperately, and have stories vaguely plotted, but they aren't done simmering on the backburner of my brain yet.

   
   
First, I want to write my own dystopia. They are everywhere right now, and the best part about tropes is the idea of turning it on its ear. How can I write a dystopia and have it be unique and different and interesting? This is an idea that's still forming in my mind, and I have some of the characters and the outline of a vague few plot points so far, but I need to do a ton of research in order to properly build the world. I started just writing (my usual technique) and quickly realized that there is a ton more world-building involved than I can do off the cuff. I need to nail down all the specifics of the world so that they can come out in dialogue and description, without being intrusive. But I'm hoping I've got a good idea that will be edgy without being completely out there, and when it's done simmering, I'll get that written.

   
   
Second, I want to write a superhero novel. I grew up reading about superheroes and fell in love with the idea of how having some incredible power means having to look carefully at how you do things. I read a lot of Marvel comics because they weren't black and white issues. There were questions of morality and the why and how of decision-making during every storyline. Plus: SUPERHEROES. Didn't we all dream of being telepathic or telekinetic or being able to teleport at one time or another? It would be one way to bring those childhood dreams alive.


6. What would you like young readers to take away from your novels?
   
   I want them to know that they are not alone, and that there are other people out there who have similar thoughts, tastes, loves, problems, loves, interests, fears… and that those characters are making their way in the world and finding happiness, and so can every single teen out there. While growing up, I always looked for myself in books and the ones where I found something similar became my favorites. I hope to create adventures and stories which have characters that people can relate to.

Now Available from D.E. Atwood:

If We Shadows Born female, all Jordan wants is to slip under the radar and live the last year of high school as a boy. His parents and siblings support him, but he’d rather be recognized for his acting and musical talents than his gender issues.

When Shakespeare’s Puck gives him three magical potions—true sight, true seeming, and true love—Jordan discovers being true to himself isn’t as simple as he thought.

Jordan must navigate the confusion of first love, a controversial role in the fall musical, and his transgender identity, while fairy magic creates a net of complications over everything he does. In order to unweave the spells laid over his friends—his supportive older brother, James, his playwright friend, Pepper, and Maria, another transgender student—Jordan needs to understand exactly how far he’ll go to reach his goals of finding true love, true sight, and true seeming.

Featured Author: J.S. Frankel

J.S. Frankel was born in Toronto a rather long time ago and moved to Japan when he was in his mid-twenties in order to teach English to anyone who would listen to him. In 1997 he married the charming Akiko Koike and they decided to make their home in Japan for good.

Currently, Frankel and his family live in Osaka where he teaches English by day and writes until the wee hours of the morning. His specialty is Young Adult fiction, and Twisted is his first novel—a gender switch—and deals with sexual identity as well as the concept of finding love with that special someone no matter what form they inhabit or what they look like. He is also the author of the upcoming Lindsay Versus the Marauders which will be released in July of this year.


Connect with J.S. Frankel on Twitter @JessSFrankel or visit his website: writerwannabe.weebly.com.

Q&A with Author J.S. Frankel:

1. Tell us about your cover design. Is there any symbolism from the story reflected in the cover?
   
   In Twisted, you see the MC of the story, Charlie Matthews, staring into a mirror. This foreshadows the person he will become. (You gotta read the story, though!) It also shows that what we see in the mirror isn’t necessarily who we are.


2. In what way is your story unique compared to other books in this genre?
   
   I think it gives a different ‘twist’ on the old idea of gender switches. Gender switching is not a new genre by any means and goes back to ancient Egypt. In more modern times, you have a number of television shows and movies that have dealt with it. However, they tend to bring a number of stereotypes which I tried to avoid. In large part, I think I’ve succeeded.


3. What are your writing goals for the next five years?
   
   I’d like to keep writing for not only the gay market, but also for all markets. I really want to improve as an individual who can write from various viewpoints and age groups.


4. Which of your characters is most like you?
   
   Good question! Probably Charlie, the main character in Twisted. He’s the kind of guy who’ll stick up for others even if it’s not the most popular thing to do. But I was always taught that sometimes you will become unpopular because of what you do. I’ve learned to ignore the criticism for it. I want to do my own thing—write about whatever subject matter I like—and if people don’t agree with it, then too bad. I won’t stop.


5. How do you research for your books?
   
   I do a lot of research online and also consult my sister. For Twisted, I had to employ some terms used in the Middle Ages, and my sister who is well versed in those matters, helped me immensely.


6. What would you like young readers to take away from your novels?
   
   My takeaway message for anyone is that you should never be ashamed of what you are. It doesn’t matter what race, religion, or creed you are, and it doesn’t matter what your sexual orientation is. People are people. You should be proud of the person that you are and no one has the right to tell you any different.

Now Available from J.S. Frankel:

Twisted Chivalry isn't dead. It just wears a skirt.

Highschoolers Charlie Matthews, his adopted brother Martin, and Sharon Collins win a contest to play an interactive medieval game as the avatars of their favorite characters. Their mission: fight off the monsters, storm the castle, and capture the evil king.

But things go terribly wrong. Charlie is dismayed to discover he is Angella of Avernon, the lead female character in the game. Fortunately, she's the most powerful avatar around, but he also finds out that he, Martin, and Sharon have been infected with a virus that will kill them outside the game, so they have to stay inside the scenario.

Trapped and beset on all sides, Charlie has to deal with the sexism of the characters circa 1430, his stepbrother's distaste for his female form, and his feelings about becoming a woman. In addition to fighting off the various monsters within the scenario, Charlie tries to fight his attraction to Sharon...and then realizes Sharon is attracted to him, which makes it all the more confusing.

When the deadly opponents in the game get the upper hand, Charlie must summon all of his love and courage to save the day and rescue Sharon. Will he understand that love is where you find it and that the gender of the one you love doesn't matter at all?

Featured Author & Giveaway: Sally Bosco

Sally Bosco has a fascination with gender: the perceptions we have, the attitudes people have toward those who don’t fit into the usual categories, and the feelings we have about our own genders. She is inexplicably drawn toward the Uncanny, the shades of gray between the light and dark, the area where your mind hovers as you’re falling off to sleep. She loves writing young adult fiction because she strongly relates to teenage angst, the search for self-identity and the feelings of being an outsider.



Her published novels include Death Divided (written with Lynn Hansen), The Werecat Chronicles, and her newest book (and thesis novel), Cevin’s Deadly Sin, the story of a hetero teen cross-dresser struggling to make it through his senior year in a small Florida town. She has also been published in Many Genres, One Craft, Small Bites, Hazard Yet Forward, and Cellar Door anthologies. She has an MFA degree in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University.

Connect with Sally Bosco on Twitter @SallyBosco or visit her website: http://sallybosco.com.

Q&A with Author Sally Bosco:

1. Tell us about your cover design. Is there any symbolism from the story reflected in the cover?
   
   The cover model exactly fits my image of Cevin, so I was very happy about that. The “V” in Cevin is made of a pair of red panties. These panties are the catalyst for all of the struggles Cevin experiences during the course of the story. They also symbolize different elements of the story: Cevin’s uniqueness, the struggles he faces with bullying, and finally they symbolize Tessa’s love for him.


2. In what way is your story unique compared to other books in this genre?
   
   Cevin’s Deadly Sin is unique because cross-dressing has seldom if ever been the subject of a book in young adult literature. Cevin isn’t a drag queen, and he isn’t transgender, he just has a need to dress in women’s clothing. Yet, he’s attracted to women. Heterosexuality is actually very common with cross-dressers. He is gender dysphoric to a certain extent. This means he identifies quite a bit with the female gender, yet in his daily life he doesn’t act particularly effeminate. His preferences are to a large part hidden. It’s unique to have such a person as a protagonist in a young adult book, particularly one that’s a romance.



3. If you could travel back in time and tell the teenage you one thing, what would it be?
   
   Don’t stress over relationships. Most of them aren’t going to work out, and you will meet “the one” when the time is right. That will come much later than you thought, but it’s all for the best, because you’ll develop proficiency and independence in your life that will make you much stronger and more self-assured. I swear, I’ve wasted so much time mooning around over relationships that didn’t work out. And for what? I wish I had spent all of that energy working on my writing.


4. Is there anything from your own life that has been placed into your books?
   
   Yes. Tessa’s bedroom is basically a dungeon. She’s painted everything black, covered her windows with black velvet drapes, has candles and gargoyles all over and has a large lion-head fountain that billows smoke. I had this exact same setup in a room that had been added onto my house as a sunroom (I know, ironic.) I loved using the room for writing. I'd sit in there and zone out from the world. Alas, the room broke down over the years—the walls actually started cracking—so I had to have it torn down and replaced it with a big, bright sun room. It’s still dark at night though!


5. Do you have a nervous habit when writing?  A guilty pleasure when writing?
   
   I love to write in cafés. The smell of the coffee, the activity of people bustling around, the general sounds of people talking and moving are an inspiration to me. It’s always been very difficult for me to write at home. I’m getting better at it. Still, I like knowing that when I'm at a café I’m there for one purpose, to write, and I find myself getting much less distracted than I would around my house.


6. What would you like young readers to take away from your novels?
   
   When you’re in school, it feels like the most important thing in the world is fitting in. If you’re different you feel like an outcast—an outsider. Yet, as you get older, these differences can become an asset. Try celebrating your differences. Your true self is unique and beautiful. The world is bigger than you think it is. You don’t have to fit in. You just have to be you. On the edge.

Now Available from Sally Bosco:

Cevin’s Deadly Sin Cevin thinks that moving to a small town is the worst thing that ever happened to him…until he falls for Tessa. She may be the one person who can accept him for himself and his cross-dressing, but her brother Hunt’s goal is to make Cevin’s life a living hell. When Hunt’s bullying escalates, Cevin has to figure out how to keep Tessa and make peace with his cross-dressing in order to save his own life.

The Werecat Chronicles Confused by heightened senses and a heat that overwhelms her body and mind, shy, sheltered Kenley discovers that she’s a werecat. And not just any old werecat—she’s part of a royal lineage that goes back to Egyptian cat goddesses. She’s eager to embrace her new heritage. After all, who wouldn’t want the strength and agility of a cat and, well, a few other special abilities? But when she falls in love with Luis, the crown prince of an opposing faction of werecats, she’s tempted to do the unspeakable to be with the boy she loves.

---

Cevin’s Deadly Sin Giveaway!

Sally Bosco has generously donated a free copy of Cevin’s Deadly Sin for one lucky winner. To enter the drawing, please leave a comment below along with your email address. A winner will be chosen on April 21st.

Featured Author: John H. Ames

John H. Ames was born in El Salvador C.A. He currently lives in Belize and began writing in 2009. He posted some of his work on an internet website, and after receiving positive feedback, he completed several full-length novels under his pen name, John Henry Ames. His first completed novel is Surviving Elite High. The story chronicles the life of a gay sixteen-year-old boy as he makes his way through life as an outcast in the shadows of an elite high school where he is tormented by two psychopathic bullies. His passions are reading, writing and spending time with the ones he loves.

Connect with John H. Ames on Twitter @JohnHenryAmes or visit his website: http://jhabooks.webs.com.

Q&A with Author John H. Ames:

1. If you could swap places with one of your fictional characters for 24 hours, who would you choose to be? Why? And what would you do that day?
   
   I would love to swap places with Lucas Edward Johnson from Love, Joy, Heartache and Pain: Swapatized! I find him to be a very amazing and interesting individual. Swapatized! is told in Kyle’s point of view, and we don’t get to see what goes on in Luke’s head or what he does. It would be great to see him doing his best, being Lucas Edward Johnson.


2. What inspired you to write Love, Joy, Heartache and Pain?
   
   With Love, Joy, Heartache and Pain, I wanted to write something new and fresh, something that no one has seen before. I love short novels and lengthy ones as well. So, why not have both of them at the same time? Love, Joy, Heartache and Pain is made up of three short stories. They can stand alone but they can also stand as one.


3. What’s up next for you?
   
   Right now I’m going through a lot of personal and family issues. As it is, Love, Joy, Heartache and Pain might be my last GLBT novel. I can’t say for sure because my ‘inspirational flashes’ are spontaneous and out of control. Right now, I’m working on my first mainstream novel, Raven and Crow: a Chain of Memories. I’ve been working on it since 2009 so I’ve got to release it. Raven and Crow: a Chain of Memories might come out around summer time, so be ready to embrace it. It’s a little bit of Twilight’s love story and Harry Potter’s magic with very unique little twists. Raven and Crow: a Chain of Memories might be a straight YA novel but it does have a GLBT element in it. So, I think it’s the perfect novel or the best of both worlds.


4. What do you like most about writing Young Adult?
   
   I love the fact that you can basically recreate your teenage years and make them a little more interesting and fun. You can also let other people into your mind and teach them a lesson or two. Writing makes life fun, exciting, and enjoyable. My life was dull and boring before I started writing. My novels made it fresh and extremely amusing.


5. What would you like young readers to take away from your novels?
   
   I want my readers to learn that nothing is impossible. Once you set your mind on a goal, never ever give up. Keep going until you can’t no more, and even then, you shouldn’t give up. Many doors will be closed, but there will be an open one that will take you to the perfect road. Remember, life is simple. If you love someone, go for it. It’s better to have tried than never to have tried at all.

Now Available from John H. Ames:

Love, Joy, Heartache and Pain A collection of new entwined stories by best-selling Young Adult author, John H. Ames. Love that reaches beyond the boundaries of the physical realm…

The not so unrealistic detailed account of how my best friend and I swapped bodies for a short period of time or Swapatized! - High school is one of the most excruciating and painful periods of any teenager’s life. To Kyle, it’s hell on earth. Being the target of the jocks made him hate high school more than anything in the world. All he has is his best friend and the center of the jock’s interest, the beautiful Kylie Bursnell. But Kylie is not your typical beauty. She hates the jocks even more than Kyle, especially Lucas Edward Johnson, a jock who is madly in love with her and Kyle’s forbidden dream. After a bizarre and freaky night, they swap bodies and are force to live each other’s live. Can this actually be true? Has Kyle’s dream come true? Will he be able to love Lucas Edward Johnson unconditionally until the end of time? Or is their love nothing but a beautiful dream enveloped in heartache and pain?

Spirit Indestructible - Brandon Angelo William has it all. He’s hot, popular, shy, humble, and one of the typical and regular guys in high school. But, unbeknownst to everyone, he’s a closeted gay teen who came out to his parents the previous year. They loved and accepted him with open arms so what more could Brandon want? Love. The one thing that his soul and body need. After a late night out with his best friend, Kevin, Brad sees one of the most beautiful guys he has ever laid eyes on. But could the teen in front of him be real? Or is he the legendary hitching ghost that everyone talks about? Brad needs to find out and what he discovers shocks him and changes his young life forever…

The Lake View Psychopath - Jocks beware, he’s here and he’s not scared. Ashton Hall hates his existence at Lake View High. The jocks have made his life a living hell and his friends have completely turned their backs on him. Why? For being gay and dating the love of his life, Austin Young. Almost overnight, they became the center of every joke and every bully’s paradise. To make matters worse, even the school’s coach allows his ‘jock superstars’ to make fun of them.

But everything the night Austin Young is brutally murdered by the jocks and they walk free. Something snaps inside Ashton’s head and the only think he can think of is revenge. Will Ashton come to his sense and let Austin go? Or will he become one of the greatest serial killers of all time?

Surviving Elite High (Surviving Elite High #1) John Henry Ames is a sixteen-year-old boy from a small New Jersey town. John is humble, shy and studious. He lives as an outcast in the shadows of an elite high school where he is tormented by two psychopathic bullies.

On the verge of dropping out of school due to overdue payments, a teacher enrolls him in a tutoring program where he meets the school's star quarterback and hero, Nick Anthony Hawking. Since he was doing poorly in several subjects, Nick needs John's help to pass and graduate high school. As John becomes closer to the jock, he develops a strong affection towards him even though Nick has a strong reputation of sleeping around with a lot of women. Nick becomes his friend and protector in school. Their sincere friendship helps to bring out the best in each of them, even as several tragedies, like a school shooting, threaten to change their young lives forever.

Senior Year (Surviving Elite High #2) And you thought last year was full of drama, suspense and romance? You ain’t seen nothing yet!

After a summer of love, hard work and…ahem…cohabitation, Nick and John are beginning their senior year. However, putting the memory of last year’s turbulent events at Elite High behind them proves harder than ever. Mysterious notes begin to appear inside John’s locker. Something is definitely wrong since the writer of the notes is none other than Matthew Ward, the homicidal student who nearly killed John. Is Matthew now free to finish what he started?

As if that weren’t bad enough, a new girl at school has an obsession with Nick that makes her do terrible things, things that threaten to tear Nick and John apart at every turn. Will Nick and John ever find happiness and stability together? Or will they end up going their separate ways?

All of these questions and more will be answered in part two of the Surviving Elite High saga!

Loving James (Surviving Elite High #3) Surviving a normal high school is hard enough. Surviving Elite High? Close to impossible! Not until you learn the difference between love and obsession…

Sixteen year old James Gordon has it all. He’s rich, studious, and bears quite a strong resemblance to Justin Bieber. So, what’s stopping him from being a normal kid in high school? The deadly jocks. They torment anyone who’s gay or possibly closeted, even though Nick Wild Hawk, star of the football team and the love of his life, John, came out to the whole school in previous years and made being gay at Elite High just another walk of life.

However, even though the jocks have bullied James nonstop and made his life a living hell, he can’t help but fantasize about the king of the jocks, Nathan Parker. Nathan is rugged, straight and the most popular guy in school. When fate intercepts and places James and Nathan under the same roof, James’ torture really begins. And yet, through it all, James hopes that that his steadfast love for Nathan will change the jock into a lover rather than an abuser. Unless a certain hot, loyal, guy in the background can find a way to show James he is really, truly loved, and has been for a long time. Before it’s too late…

Surviving Elite High: Loving James is the third part of the Surviving Elite High Saga which features one the most famous and loved characters in the series, Jacob Ashmore.

Featured Author & Giveaway: Hayden Thorne

Hayden Thorne has lived most of her life in the San Francisco Bay Area though she wasn’t born there (or, indeed, the USA). She’s married with no kids and three cats, is a cycling nut, and her day job involves artwork, great coworkers who specialize in all kinds of media, and the occasional strange customer requests involving papier mache fish with sparkly scales.

She’s a writer of young adult fiction, specializing in contemporary fantasy, historical fantasy, and historical genres. Her books range from a superhero fantasy series to reworked folktales to Victorian ghost fiction. Her themes are coming-of-age with very little focus on romance (most of the time) and more on individual growth with some adventure thrown in.

Visit Hayden Thorne’s website: http://haydenthorne.com/.

Q&A with Author Hayden Thorne:

1. In what way is your story unique compared to other books in this genre?
   
   I’m a massive nerd when it comes to fiction – at least in terms of making use of what I know as an English Major in college. I’m extremely fond of symbolism, metaphor, and allegory. I find it exciting writing a story that’s a lot more than what’s obvious on the surface. It’s like working bread crumbs into the plot, and leaving readers to find connections. If they don’t, that’s fine, too. The stories just become colorful fantasies, and there’s nothing wrong with that. By and large, though, I never write a story without a specific metaphor in mind. For me, there’s more than one way to tell a story, even something like a coming-out novel.


2. What are your writing goals for the next five years?
   
   I’d like to continue writing what I write, but I’m also interested in dipping into the fantasy middle-grade fiction waters, LGBT and otherwise. I’m particularly interested in writing gothic fiction for kids, and if things work out in my favor, I’d like to find an agent for it. Fantasy LGBT YA fiction is still my mainstay, though, and even if I were to cut back on my output there, I’m not stopping completely.


3. Do you believe in ghosts? (or aliens or vampires or whatever the subject matter of the story is)
   
   I do, which is the reason why I’m excessively fond of ghost fiction, particularly Victorian ghost fiction. I’ve had experiences when I was younger involving hauntings, the most significant one being an incident that happened to both me and my younger sister at the same time. So she could corroborate my claims easily. We still talk about it once in a while, too. I think neither of us will ever forget that moment.


4. Which authors do you enjoy reading?
   
   Those would be authors whose works I adore and look up to as inspiration for my own stories. I’ve got several, but the ones who keep their top spots, no matter what, are M.R. James (Victorian ghost fiction), Chris Priestley (dark fantasy children’s literature), Susanna Clarke (historical fantasy / alternate universe), and a smattering of classic lit writers (Henry Fielding, Tobias Smollett, Mark Twain, Charles Dickens).
   
   I’m also very fond of anthologies – ghost fiction and gothic fiction from the beginnings of the genres to the early twentieth century.


5. Is there one genre of YA that you would love to write but haven’t? (example: paranormal, contemporary, fantasy)
   
   I grew up watching mecha anime, and I’d love, love, LOVE to write a sci-fi gay YA novel that involves giant robots battling aliens or monsters or whatnot. My favorite series is Neon Genesis Evangelion, which I devoured as an adult, and I’m still completely blown away by the series’ psychological complexity and fantastic art.


6. What would you like young readers to take away from your novels?
   
   That they – the readers - are more than their sexual orientation. They’re complex, they’re contradictory, they’re exciting, and they’re very much heroes of any story that can be written. Whether it’s a fairy tale or a contemporary fantasy or a gothic romance, a young reader can easily find him/herself front and center, faltering and stumbling, making mistakes, learning something valuable and unique about him/herself, and ultimately emerging a lot wiser and stronger.

Now Available from Hayden Thorne:

Masks: Rise of Heroes (2nd edition) Strange things are happening in Vintage City, and high school goth boy Eric seems to be right in the middle of them. There's a new villain in town, one with super powers, and he's wreaking havoc on the town, and on Eric's life. The new super hero who springs up to defend Vintage City is almost as bad, making Eric all hot and bothered, enough so that he almost misses the love that's right between his nose. Peter is Eric's best friend, and even if he does seem to be hiding something most of the time, he finds a way to show Eric how he feels in between attacks on trains and banks and malls. The two boys decide to start dating, much to the chagrin of their other best buddy, Althea, who has a terrible crush on Peter, and a secret or two of her own to keep. As the fight between the villain, known as the Devil's Trill, and superhero Magnifiman picks up, Eric's relationship with Peter almost ends before it begins when Eric finds out about Peter's special talents, which might just rank Peter as a superhero in his own right. When the Trill takes an interest in Eric, too, Peter and Althea, along with Magnifiman and Eric's normal, middle-class family all have to work together to keep Eric, and their city, safe. Can they figure out the super villain's plan in time?

The Weeping Willow A woodland shadow and a mortal fall in love, and a tragic cycle begins, haunting the steps of their daughter, Aeldra. At a young age, Aeldra finds herself pregnant, abandoned, and standing at a precipice, her child’s future hanging on a balance. Already physically weakened for having shadow and mortal blood in her veins, she remains defiant when her shadow kin demand her child’s life. She presses her faithful servant, Halfrith, to stand by the boy and make sure he remains unnamed, as it’s through his name that the shadow world will find the means by which they can claim him.

Hope comes in the shape of Helena Butcher, a seventeen-year-old seamstress who brings shame to her family by getting pregnant out of wedlock. From beyond the grave, Aeldra looks to Helena and her unborn child to save her own son, who’s now cursed to remain caught between two worlds after a woodland shadow’s attempt at taking the boy away is thwarted by Halfrith.

Though tragedy marks the births of Crispian Butcher and Aeldra’s son, who’s been turned into a weeping willow by the woodland shadows, something much deeper and more enduring will shape the curious friendship between a ragged boy and a mournful tree. And something stronger and more resistant to hate and prejudice will ultimately break a curse, end a dark cycle, and bring two lonely boys together.

Benedict A young person’s sixteenth birthday is an important rite of passage that’s celebrated in the land of marionettes. A quarterly dance at the king’s palace for recent celebrants marks the highlight of a teenager’s year, where youngsters of all classes are invited to mingle and dance and enjoy themselves, forging new friendships and potential romances, all of which are expected to shape their lives for the better.

Benedict is a boy from a privileged household. Spoiled and taught his role as the future benefactor to those less fortunate, he’s grown up with specific strictures on how to behave toward others, and he’s learned to look to his elders for unequivocal guidance.

Just before the next dance at the king’s palace—a dance where Benedict, having just turned sixteen, is invited—a few strange things begin to happen. First, there’s the matter regarding Jeremy, Benedict’s friend, who lives in a poor cottage with his mother and grandmother in the woods. Jeremy’s not only been acting oddly, but also is missing some of his marionette strings. No amount of prodding from Benedict yields answers, and the more he tries to delve into things, the more Jeremy pushes away.

Secondly, there’s the matter regarding birds insisting that Benedict go to the palace to find the lost prince. With nothing but a key and obtuse instructions to go by, Benedict attempts to humor the birds but gradually realizes that the answer to the mystery of the lost prince could very well be a lot more personal than he’d first believed, especially when he sees Jeremy somehow being involved in it.

Helleville All fifteen-year-old Noah Hipwell wants is to go through high school in peace. Yet he finds himself suspended after a bully pushes him too far, and Noah’s forced to defend himself. His mother, fed up with the school’s indifference to his plight, pulls him out completely and leaves Noah uncertain of his future while they look for a good and safe school for him.

All Dorothy “Dot” Hipwell wants is to go through single motherhood in peace. Yet she and her son are harassed by weekly phone calls from her evangelical family hell-bent on guilt-tripping them both back into the fold. Then Noah’s grandparents ask strange questions about their old van after dropping cryptic references to a group called The Soul Warriors. Fed up, Dot takes Noah away for a much-needed getaway, only to find themselves suddenly transported to an alternate world, where a town called Helleville awaits them and all other condemned souls.

Along with warm-blooded, living human beings, the Hipwells rub shoulders with zombies, vampires, house ghosts, and occasional “green vomit piles” while picking up the pieces and sorting out what could very well be an eternity in a bizarre, fanciful, and humorous world of ghouls and banned books.

When residents suddenly disappear one by one with no trace and for no logical reason, however, doubts being “housed” in an alternate world for their sins are raised, and time suddenly becomes of the essence as Noah and the rest of Helleville’s condemned race to find answers to what’s quickly turning into a dangerous puzzle.

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Masks: Rise of Heroes Giveaway!

Hayden Thorne has generously donated a free copy of Masks: Rise of Heroes for one lucky winner. To enter the drawing, please leave a comment below along with your email address. A winner will be chosen on March 31st.

Featured Author: Kate Larkindale

Kate Larkindale is currently residing in Wellington, New Zealand after having spent a lifetime travelling the globe. A cinema manager, film reviewer and mother, she’s surprised she finds any time to write, but doesn’t sleep much. As a result, she can usually be found hanging out near the espresso machine. Her short stories have appeared in Halfway Down The Stairs, A Fly in Amber, Daily Flash Anthology, The Barrier Islands Review, Everyday Fiction, Death Rattle, Drastic Measures, Cutlass & Musket and Residential Aliens, among others.

She has written eight contemporary YA novels, five of which other people are allowed to see. She has also written one very bad historical romance. She is currently working on a new YA novel that is still looking for a title other than its Twitter hashtag, #juvvielesbian.

Connect with Kate Larkindale on Twitter @Vampyr14 or visit her website: http://katelarkindale.blogspot.com/.

Q&A with Author Kate Larkindale:

1. Tell us about your cover design. Is there any symbolism from the story reflected in the cover?
   
   My main character, Livvie, has synesthesia, a unique condition where, in her case, she sees sounds as colors and tastes colors as flavors. It gives her a very singular view of the world, and I think the cover does a good job of showing the way she might see herself.


2. What part of the story was the most fun to write? The most challenging?
   
   The most fun parts to write were the first, tentative kisses, and Livvie’s first exploration of her sexuality. There’s a scene where Livvie and Bianca take a bath together, and that’s one of my favorite scenes in the whole book.
   
   The most challenging part to write was the euthanasia stuff. It’s such a controversial issue, and I knew I had to get the tone exactly right so readers wouldn’t damn Livvie for the choice she makes.


3. Which of your characters is most like you?
   
   I think all my characters have elements of me in them. I don’t usually notice it until I go back to a book after having left it for a while, but then I often realize I’ve used experiences and phrases and conversations I had in real life. It’s a little weird because I don’t usually realize I’m doing it at the time…


4. If you could travel back in time and tell the teenage you one thing, what would it be?
   
   I think I’d tell me that it doesn’t last forever. I hated high school, but as soon as I finished and got out into the world, so many wonderful and exciting things happened to me. Things I probably couldn’t even have imagined as being possible while I was stuck in a classroom, in a uniform, being told what and how to think about things.


5. What other interests do you have outside of writing?
   
   For a day job I run a movie theatre, and I love movies. Cooking is also something I enjoy very much. And, of course, reading….


6. What would you like young readers to take away from your novels?
   
   I’d like them to leave my books with a sense of hope. That wherever they are in their life journey now, things won’t remain the same forever, and the things that feel impossible now do get easier.

Now Available from Kate Larkindale:

An Unstill Life Things at home are rough for fifteen-year-old Livvie Quinn. Jules, her beloved older sister is sick again after being cancer free for almost ten years. Her mom becomes more frantic and unapproachable every day. School isn’t much better. Just when she needs them most, her closest friends get boyfriends and have little time for Livvie – except to set her up on a series of disastrous blind dates.

Livvie seeks refuge in the art room and finds Bianca, the school ‘freak’. Free-spirited and confident, Bianca is everything Livvie isn’t. Shaken by her mom’s desperation, her sister’s deteriorating condition, and abandoned by her friends, Livvie finds comfort and an attraction she never felt before with Bianca.

When their relationship is discovered, Livvie and Bianca become victims of persecution and bullying. School authorities won’t help and even forbid the pair to attend the Winter Formal as a couple. If Livvie defies them and goes, she risks expulsion and further ridicule from her classmates. At home, her mother’s behavior escalates to new levels of crazy and Jules is begging for help to end the pain once and for all.

While searching for the strength to make her life her own, Livvie must decide how far she’s willing to go for the people she loves.

Featured Author & Giveaway: Elise Himes

Elise Himes graduated with a BA in Asian History and a TESOL certification. She had spent the last three years teaching in South Korea. In her spare time, she enjoys playing video games, talks to her pet finches as if they were people, and reading tons of books. She also happens to be a transwoman and her novel was inspired by her life.

Q&A with Author Elise Himes:

1. In what way is your story unique compared to other books in this genre?
   
   During my transition, I couldn’t find many books that I identified with. They were either about an older generation or from a non-trans character’s perspective. I want those who are transgender to have a character they can relate with and give cisgender readers an understanding of what being trans is like. Also it covers a fair bit of the transition process from the challenges to the triumphs.


2. What other interests do you have outside of writing?
   
   I’m a huge history dork. I also love playing video games and used to be really into anime. For past few years, I’ve been learning piano and can finally play the theme from Howl’s Moving Castle. Watching a friend play a terrible game is much funnier than any Hollywood comedy. Oh, I can’t go a day without listening to music, but I’d come off sounding like a hipster if I list the bands I like .


3. What part of the story was the most fun to write? The most challenging?
   
   Surprisingly, I loved writing the scenes with Sissy, the conniving gossiper. Growing up, my favorite parts of Disney movies were those starring the villains. They were so fun to hate. The most challenging scenes were those with Rachael’s family as they hit too close to home at times.


4. If you could travel back in time and tell the teenage you one thing, what would it be?
   
   Transition is possible. Thirteen, bathroom door locked, standing in front of the mirror in my sisters’ dress, I cherished those hours after midnight. The sound of my parents’ alarm would send me scrambling for my room. I feared that if I actually tried to transition, I’d end up becoming a joke like those on the Jerry Springer Show and hunted by villagers with pitchforks. I didn’t know that not only was it possible to be a cute girl, but I’d now be a cute nerdy chick with my very own dresses.


5. Tell us about your cover design. Is there any symbolism from the story reflected in the cover?
   
   The yellow bird by my name is from the one mentioned in Arthur Miller’s ‘The Crucible’. That play plays a huge part in the book.


6. What would you like young readers to take away from your novels?
   
   Growing up, I felt as if something was wrong with me. I didn’t fit in with other boys, school felt like a cruel joke… life too, and I secretly coveted my sisters’ dresses. I want readers to realize that you aren’t alone and that nothing is wrong with you. Being yourself seems impossible at times, society can suck like that, but the greatest joys are to be found when you stay true to yourself.

Now Available from Elise Himes:

The Trans-fer Student Rachael is just like any other girl… except she was born a boy.

When her family is forced to move due to bullying, she is accepted into a privileged girls’ school. Her fantasy quickly becomes a nightmare as rumors spread that one of the new students being transgender. Paranoia, deceit, and backstabbing rule the day as their “witch” will be found, no matter who suffers.

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The Trans-fer Student Giveaway!

Elise Himes has generously donated a free copy of The Trans-fer Student for one lucky winner. To enter the drawing, please leave a comment below along with your email address. A winner will be chosen on 3/17/14.

Featured Author: Ashley Chunell

Ashley Chunell is a Romance and GLBT author. Ashley grew up in Boston and has been writing her entire life. After penning numerous song lyrics, poems and short stories, she went on to write various articles and fan fictions, gaining much writing experience and grammar knowledge.

After writing about the things and people she loved, it wasn’t long until Ashley created her own characters and wrote and published her debut novel “Masterpiece” in November 2012, at the young age of 18. In July 2013, Ashley published her second novel and first GLBT book “A Melody in Harmony.”

Ashley is a strong supporter of the organizations Stand Up 2 Cancer, NOH8 Campaign, Charity Water and R-Word.

Connect with Ashley Chunell on Twitter @AshleyChunell or visit her website: ashleychunell.tumblr.com.

Q&A with Author Ashley Chunell:

1. Tell us about your cover design. Is there any symbolism from the story reflected in the cover?
   
   Yes, as a matter of fact. For “A Melody in Harmony,” the cover is two sets of male hands playing a purple piano. One of the young men in my book, Noah, is a pianist and a royal purple, grand piano is his dream instrument. For “New Melody, Same Harmony,” the cover is Noah and Ronan’s hands once again, this time showing off their engagement rings, as the book is about the two getting married and marriage equality. There’s a tint of green on that cover, symbolizing Ireland. Ronan is Irish and Ireland plays a bigger part in the sequel.


2. In what way is your story unique compared to other books in this genre?
   
   I think my Noah and Ronan Series is unique because a lot of the homophobia and bigotry in my books is taken from things I’ve heard or witnessed in real life. It makes it all the more real to me, and I hope that comes off to my readers as well. It’s not like I just sit here thinking of awful things to do to my LGBT characters. Most of it is real and because of that, people need to be all the more aware of it, I think.


3. Is there anything from your own teen years that has been placed into your books?  
   
   Yes! There’s a lot of things, actually. A lot of names have meanings. In my debut novel, “Masterpiece,” the names Jacoby and Evangelina are the names I’d like for my future children someday. Same goes for the names Noah and Ronan. There are also other things, like the name of the restaurant Noah and Ronan go to, The Arch. The word ‘arch’ has a secret meaning to me. The names Eric Anderson and William Jackson, minor characters in “A Melody in Harmony,” also have meanings to me. The name David Thompson in “New Melody, Same Harmony” also has a meaning to me. So, I’d say there’s lots of little things that I’ve added to my books that, in a way, make them more “me.”


4. Is there any LGBT charities or resources that are near and dear to you that you would like to give a shout out to?
   
   I’d like to give a shout out to the NOH8 Campaign for all the work they’ve done. They spread so much awareness and take the coolest photos! It’s always inspiring to see people’s NOH8 photos!


5. If there is one message you would like to get out from your book, what would it be?
   
   All Love, No Hate. Simple as that. Noah and Ronan live that statement in “A Melody in Harmony” and continue to in “New Melody, Same Harmony,” and I hope these novels inspire people to do the same.


6. What would you like young readers to take away from your novels?
   
   I would like my readers, young or old, to recognize the love my characters, Noah and Ronan, share. In both “A Melody in Harmony” and the upcoming sequel, “New Melody, Same Harmony,” my two, male characters go through a lot of trials, but their love always prevails in the end. I would also like my readers to recognize the clear homophobia in my books. The hate and bigotry Noah and Ronan deal with is something a lot of LGBT people still go through and people need to be aware of it.

Now Available from Ashley Chunell:

New Melody, Same Harmony This sequel to “A Melody in Harmony” follows beloved characters Noah Nash and Ronan Shea, who just got married and are about to make a big move as part of the next chapter in their lives. Before they do, the two sit down and reminisce about their last year together in Henderson.

This story rewinds as Noah and Ronan think back on their engagement, planning Henderson’s first gay wedding and lots of other surprises that led up to their big day.

This sequel allows Noah and Ronan’s relationship to grow as they continue to fall in love and fight for equality. Even with a new melody, the two still plan to live in harmony as they begin their next chapter together.

A Melody in Harmony Henderson is a small, old-fashioned town. Growing up here proved tough for Noah Nash, as he knew the truth he lived would never be accepted in this town, even by his family. To him, all he had was his keyboard.

Until one day, that all changed when Noah met Ronan Shea. Ronan’s confidence, wisdom and pride inspires Noah to finally, happily live his truth for the entire town to see.

This is a story of two young men and their journey to a relationship, fighting for equality and listening to their melody while striving to live in harmony.