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Showing posts with label Harmony Ink Press. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Harmony Ink Press. Show all posts
Saturday, June 3, 2017
Tuesday, May 30, 2017
The stunning conclusion of the Elpída Series is out! Buy Elpida & get Tharros for #FREE through June 6th! Don't miss them!
The stunning conclusion of the Elpída Series, Elpída, is now available from Harmony Ink Press! If you purchase Elpída from Harmony Ink Press, you receive Thárros for FREE through June 6th!And don't forget to join the BUDDY READ in the GOODREADS YA LGBT BOOKS GROUP!
Hope sees the invisible,
feels the intangible,
and achieves the impossible.
~C. Kennedy, Paraphrased from Winston Churchill
~*~
Michael and Christy attended prom, graduated high school, and Michael leads the USATF tryouts. With Oxford University
Christy has been free from a life of slavery for more than a year and has made remarkable progress due in no small part to the love he found with Michael. But the recent prosecution of a past abuser has shattered the life he so painstakingly built out of nothing but a mountain of horror. He now faces the daunting task of building a new life—yet again.
Twelve-year-old Thimi has been missing since Christy left Greece and, unbeknownst to everyone, has hidden out in a vacant mansion in Glyfada. Learning of Christy’s survival is the only thing that brings him out of hiding. People, open spaces, even the most common of sounds frighten him beyond reason. A mere ghost of a boy, Thimi arrives in the US with no knowledge of the outside world—the only constant in his life a purple marble.
Lost, shattered, and afraid, only hope gives them the strength and courage they need to begin anew.
Tuesday, May 23, 2017
Thárros is On Sale for $1 Until Midnight EST Thursday May 25th! Elpída releases May 30th!
The stunning conclusion of the Elpída Series, Elpída, releases May 30th!
Why not read Thárros, Book 2 in the series, now?
On sale for $1 until midnight EST Thursday, May 25th from Harmony Ink Press!
Wednesday, May 17, 2017
Timmy interviews Christy, Thimi, and Zero from Elpida!
Don’t forget to check back to see what Michael, Jake, Sophia, and the entire cast have to say next month, Saturday, June 17th!
Wednesday, May 3, 2017
The Stunning Conclusion of the Elpída Series is out! Buy Elpida and get Tharros for #FREE! Don't miss it!
The stunning conclusion of the Elpída Series, Elpída, is now available from Harmony Ink Press! If you purchase Elpída from Harmony Ink Press, you receive Thárros for FREE through June 6th!
And don't forget to join the BUDDY READ in the GOODREADS YA LGBT BOOKS GROUP!
Hope sees the invisible,
feels the intangible,
and achieves the impossible.
~C. Kennedy, Paraphrased from Winston Churchill
~*~
Michael and Christy attended prom, graduated high school, and Michael leads the USATF tryouts. With Oxford University
Christy has been free from a life of slavery for more than a year and has made remarkable progress due in no small part to the love he found with Michael. But the recent prosecution of a past abuser has shattered the life he so painstakingly built out of nothing but a mountain of horror. He now faces the daunting task of building a new life—yet again.
Twelve-year-old Thimi has been missing since Christy left Greece and, unbeknownst to everyone, has hidden out in a vacant mansion in Glyfada. Learning of Christy’s survival is the only thing that brings him out of hiding. People, open spaces, even the most common of sounds frighten him beyond reason. A mere ghost of a boy, Thimi arrives in the US with no knowledge of the outside world—the only constant in his life a purple marble.
Lost, shattered, and afraid, only hope gives them the strength and courage they need to begin anew.
Thursday, March 23, 2017
Salon du Livre 2017! Win Surprise Gifts for the Elpida Series!
Salon du Livre is the book fair event of the literary scene in Paris at the Porte de Versailles. Stop by the Dreamspinner/Harmony Ink Press booth to pick up your special gift from the Elpida Series. And don't forget to stick around for the surprise gift bag!
Livre Paris est, depuis sa création, un événement incontournable de la scène littéraire qui, en 2017, se déroulera du 24 au 27 mars, porte de Versailles. Découvrez ce salon au travers de notre présentation mais aussi et surtout grâce aux photos et aux vidéos témoins de cet incroyable événement. Bonne visite !
Visitez le stand Dreamspinner / Harmony Ink Press pour récupérer votre cadeau spécial de la série Elpida. Et n'oubliez pas de rester pour le sac cadeau surprise !
Friday, March 17, 2017
#CoverReveal! Elpida, the 3rd and Final Book in the Elpida Series, is now available for pre-order!
It’s with great pleasure that I bring you the cover for Elpída, the third and final book in the Elpída series, coming to you from Harmony Ink Press on May 30th, 2017.
As most of you know, this series is special to me and I am deeply thankful to Harmony Ink Press for publishing it. It’s an important trilogy, intended to give courage and hope to survivors of abuse. Here is the author’s note contained in the back of the book.
As with the first two books in this series, Ómorphi and Thárros, this novel was written to give victims of abuse hope. By supporting this series, and buying and reading these books, you are supporting those youth who struggle daily to learn to live again. Thank you for reading this series.
Now available for pre-order at Harmony Ink Press!
Michael and Christy attended prom, graduated high school, and Michael leads the USATF tryouts. With Oxford University on the horizon, his future looks bright, and he believes life has returned to normal after Christy’s rescue. He couldn’t be more wrong.
Christy has been free from a life of slavery for more than a year and has made remarkable progress due in no small part to the love he found with Michael. But the recent prosecution of a past abuser has shattered the life he so painstakingly built out of nothing but a mountain of horror. He now faces the daunting task of building a new life—yet again.
Twelve-year-old Thimi has been missing since Christy left Greece and, unbeknownst to everyone, has hidden out in a vacant mansion in Glyfada. Learning of Christy’s survival is the only thing that brings him out of hiding. People, open spaces, even the most common of sounds frighten him beyond reason. A mere ghost of a boy, Thimi arrives in the US with no knowledge of the outside world—the only constant in his life a purple marble.
Lost, shattered, and afraid, only hope gives them the strength and courage they need to begin anew.
Saturday, December 10, 2016
Timmy's Review of Wraith Queen's Veil, Book Two in the Sun Child Chronicles, by Lou Hoffmann!
Hey, y’all! Back again so soon! I think a trend is starting! :) So, as you know, I haven’t been doing many reviews lately. That’s for two reasons. One, I’m super busy this year at school and with school things. Second, I am reviewing and beta reading for people who have requested it of me. If you would like me to review or beta read a book, there are instructions and an email address on Cody’s blog to send me requests. Above all, I really want to thank the authors who have asked me to review and beta read their books. It’s an honor and a privilege that I don’t take lightly. I also want to thank this author, Ms. Hoffman, for being so patient with me. This review took awhile because I have been so busy. But it was well worth the wait for me to read and review for her because it was an awesome book!
I decided to reread the first book to get a good feel for the characters before reading this one. If you haven’t read Key of Behliseth yet, then you need to read it before reading this book. It is not a stand-alone book, and it will not make a lot of sense without reading the first. In the first book we learn a lot about the world that this book takes place in.
First, I want to say thank you to Ms. Hoffmann, because whether it was done on purpose or not, she took my advice from the first review. This book was a much easier read. It was still descriptive and I could close my eyes and picture what she had written, but I did not get lost in the descriptions. I did not have to reread parts. I was able to fully immerse myself in the world she created. (Wow, that sounded really professional! :D) So for those readers who are unsure whether they want to read the second book because of that happening in the first, let me say, it is not a problem here. Please don’t cheat yourself out of an awesome read.
I decided to reread the first book to get a good feel for the characters before reading this one. If you haven’t read Key of Behliseth yet, then you need to read it before reading this book. It is not a stand-alone book, and it will not make a lot of sense without reading the first. In the first book we learn a lot about the world that this book takes place in.
First, I want to say thank you to Ms. Hoffmann, because whether it was done on purpose or not, she took my advice from the first review. This book was a much easier read. It was still descriptive and I could close my eyes and picture what she had written, but I did not get lost in the descriptions. I did not have to reread parts. I was able to fully immerse myself in the world she created. (Wow, that sounded really professional! :D) So for those readers who are unsure whether they want to read the second book because of that happening in the first, let me say, it is not a problem here. Please don’t cheat yourself out of an awesome read.
Saturday, October 15, 2016
Timmy's Review of Ethan by Ryan Loveless
I loved the adult version of this book. I did not reread it or my review of it before reading the young adult version and writing this review because I wanted my review to be impartial to this book. Every book has its own qualities and I worried that I would see only what I wanted to see because I loved the adult version so much. Unfortunately, I have a great memory when it comes to books, so I may have remembered too much. I feel that may have hindered my impartial judgment. Please keep that in mind when reading this review. Because I’m a reviewer who wants you to form your own opinions, I will not give specifics about events in the story. No spoilers.
Ethan is the young adult version of Ethan, Who Loved Carter. I have a few Pros and Cons to go over with this book. But first, let me say I loved this story as much as I did the adult version.
I think one of the problems I have when an author converts a book from adult to Young Adult, or the other way around, is that they tend to leave too much of the original story in it. It’s almost like plagiarizing your own book. If you're going to do that, you want to be sure it fits the characters.
Saturday, October 8, 2016
The Beasts in Lucky's Worlds! Lou Hoffmann's "Wraith Queen's Veil," Book #2 in the Sun Child Chronicles!
Join me in welcoming Lou Hoffman to my blog with her blog tour stop for Wraith Queen's Veil! Today she gives us an inside look at the Beasts in Lucky's Worlds! And don't forget to enter the giveaway below!
Use coupon code SUNCHILD2 to get this fabulous deal:
35% discount on Key of Behliseth and Wraith Queen’s Veil when you buy only from Harmony Ink Press!
Also available from
Amazon and Barnes & Noble!
The Beasts in Lucky’s Worlds:
A loving look at the horrible, wonderful, treacherous, loyal, extraordinary non-humanoids
in Lou Hoffmann’s The Sun Child Chronicles
Hello Readers! I’m Lou Hoffmann and today is the official release day for book 2 of The Sun Child Chronicles, Wraith Queen’s Veil. I’m grateful to Cody Kennedy to have me here today, and thank you, too, readers, for stopping by. This is a fun post—at least it’s a fun one for me to write, and I think you’ll enjoy reading it as well. Before I begin the bestiary, take a look at the blurb for WQV and the outstanding cover, designed by artist Catt Ford.
About Wraith Queen's Veil
When Lucky arrives in Ethra, the world of his birth and destiny, he expects a joyful reunion, but the first thing he notices when he reaches the Sisterhold—his home—is something false behind his mother’s smile. In a matter of weeks, the Sisterhold becomes agitated with worries and war plans. People he trusts—like the wizard Thurlock—frequently can’t be found. His mother seems angry, especially with Lucky. Even Han Shieth, the warrior uncle he has come to rely on and love above all others, maintains a sullen silence toward him.
When Lucky’s resentment builds to the breaking point, his bad decisions put him and his friends, L’Aria and Zhevi, in unthinkable danger. Han arrives to help, but he can’t claim invulnerability to the hazards and evils that threaten at every turn. Events launch Lucky, alone, on a quest for he knows not what, but every step brings him closer to his identity and full strength. Self-knowledge, trust, and strength lead to smarter choices, but even his best efforts might not render his world truly safe, now or for the future.
Also important, there’s a giveaway—follow the Rafflecopter link in this post and enter for chances to be one of four winners!
Now about the beasts…
(In the arbitrary order of the letters of the alphabet)
AedanhBook: Key of BehlisethThe Stallion ridden by Liliana, Lucky’s mother, in as she leads her elite cavalry, Shanha’s Rangers, into battle. “His gait proud, his hooves fleet. His coat shone like spun gold even in the tower’s foul glow.”
Ahrion
Book: Key of BehlisethThe northern queen Hilgaardre’s legendary “moon-white winged mount,” given in hopeful atonement for a lifetime serving an evil god to her adopted daughter, Isa.
BaneshieldhAn ancient wolf who rules a dark, cursed forest in Ethra. Tall, heavily muscled, paws larger than dinner plates. His “eyes blazed with an eerie, changing light, never settling on any color.”
Black DragonBook: Wraith Queen’s VeilA wingless, dragon, very large in circumference and length, a single central horn located behind it’s skull, and numerous short legs. It breathes neither fire nor ice. Well-armored with “shiny back scales… quite beautiful in the moonlight.”
CaveblightsBook: Wraith Queen’s VeilLarge, smelly, horrific but natural monsters. Nearly blind, sensing sudden changes in heat instead. “Nasty creatures the size of a pony with teeth like a beaver but pointy.”
Dawn CatsBook: Wraith Queen’s VeilPack-hunting carnivores of the Sunlands’ forests, also known as thrall-gazers, death kittens, and venom cats.
DragonlingsBook: Wraith Queen’s VeilSmall flying creatures, venomous. “Dark and winged and sort of like a very small dinosaur.”
Eastern FlickersBook: Wraith Queen’s VeilSmall silver-winged birds that cheer Lucky during dark times while on his travels in Ethra.
Flame EaglesAn Ethran species of intelligent, civilized bird, allies of the Sunlands. “Massive birds plumed in white and crested black, saffron, and red.”
GhriffonBook: Key of BehlisethThe Flame Eagles’ “battle-wise” king.
Glacier WolvesBook: Key of BehlisethEthran wolves with shaggy white hair. curled-up tails, the aerodynamic shape of a greyhound, double rows of teeth in long snouts. “Their eyes pearled ghost white except for the pupils, dart-sharp and burning red.”
KindelredBook: Key of Behliseth and Wraith Queen’s VeilA flame eagle killed in the battle of Black Creek Ravine.
K’ormahkBook: Wraith Queen’s VeilA black winged stallion. “The last of the great winged beasts of the far north—born long after the world believed the strain had died.”
Lemon MartinezBook: Key of Behliseth and Wraith Queen’s VeilA grumpy gray cat Thurlock and Han found under the Martinez Bridge in Valley city. “Lemon Martinez loathed magic in general, but he loved the wizard’s things—slept on his pajamas, for instance.”
MaizieBook: Key of Behliseth and Wraith Queen’s VeilA yellow mongrel dog Lucky raised during his time as a homeless teen. Sloppy tongue, thick fur. “Like a big ball of animated sunshine.”
MishkaBook: Wraith Queen’s VeilLucky’s aunt Rosishan’s orange tomcat.
Naht’kahBook: Wraith Queen’s VeilAn ancient shape- and color-changing dragon, sometimes called the Giver. She dwells “in iridescent pools… in the deepest, most hidden cavern in the heart of Behlis Ethra.”
Nahk’teshBook: Wraith Queen’s VeilA singular, water-dwelling being who lives in underground pools with Naht’kah, called the Taker, “A furry beast with duck feet, human-like hands, and a long, floppy proboscis.”
SahlamahnBook: Key of Behliseth and Wraith Queen’s VeilA blue, ice-breathing dragon. Eerily beautiful, large for her species, clawed, armored. “The first ice-drake ever transformed, and the only one ever to rise flawless.”
SimarrohnBook: Wraith Queen’s VeilLucky’s uncle Han Shieth’s exceptional, fleet, stouthearted sorrel mare.
Sherah
Book: Key of BehlisethThurlock’s famous silver-gray mare. “Even at night, the mare’s silver coat flashed as they passed through shadows. Her hooves, shod with sun-metal, sparked with every stride.”
WindyBook: Wraith Queen’s Veil“A plodding old-man-horse…who had three speeds: slow, slower, and backward.”
That’s it for the beasts! I hope you enjoyed peeking into the crazy worlds wandered by Lucky (also known as Luccan Elieth Perdhro, Mannatha, Suth Chiell, the Sun Child of the Ethran Sunlands).
Wraith Queen’s Veil is available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and all around the web, but here are the buy publisher’s buy links, where you can use coupon code SUNCHILD2 to get this fabulous deal: 35% discount on Key of Behliseth and Wraith Queen’s Veil when you buy only from Harmony Ink or Dreamspinner Press!
That’s it for the beasts!
The Giveaway:
When Lucky arrives in Ethra, the world of his birth and destiny, he expects a joyful reunion, but the first thing he notices when he reaches the Sisterhold—his home—is something false behind his mother’s smile. In a matter of weeks, the Sisterhold becomes agitated with worries and war plans. People he trusts—like the wizard Thurlock—frequently can’t be found. His mother seems angry, especially with Lucky. Even Han Shieth, the warrior uncle he has come to rely on and love above all others, maintains a sullen silence toward him.
When Lucky’s resentment builds to the breaking point, his bad decisions put him and his friends, L’Aria and Zhevi, in unthinkable danger. Han arrives to help, but he can’t claim invulnerability to the hazards and evils that threaten at every turn. Events launch Lucky, alone, on a quest for he knows not what, but every step brings him closer to his identity and full strength. Self-knowledge, trust, and strength lead to smarter choices, but even his best efforts might not render his world truly safe, now or for the future.
About Lou Hoffmann
Lou Hoffmann has carried on her love affair with books for decades, yet she hasn’t even made a dent in the list of books she’d love to read—at least partly because the list keeps growing. She reads factual things—books about physics and history and fractal chaos, but when she wants truth, she looks for it in quality fiction. She loves all sorts of wonderful things: music and silence, laughter and tears, youth and age, sunshine and storms, forests and fields, flora and fauna, rivers and seas. Even good movies and popcorn! Those things help her breathe, and everyone she knows helps her write. (Special mention goes to (1) George the Lady Cat and (2) readers.) She writes for readers who find themselves anywhere on the spectrums of age and gender, aiming to create characters that live not only in their stories, but always in your imagination and your heart.
She blogs at Queerly YA, is on facebook, is @Lou_Hoffmann on Twitter, and loves to hear from readers at louhoffmannbooks (at)gmail(dot)com. She believes in love, believes in you, and believes in the magic of a good book.
Tuesday, September 13, 2016
Breaking News! The French translation of Thárros is underway!
Anticipated release, January 2017!
The work that goes into a translation of a work is a true test of the translator's art, will, and nerve. It isn’t only to translate the words literally, but to translate the author’s “voice.” It is to render the original intent of the author's words and, above all, to capture inflections in the telling of the story. It is a true art. Thank you, Bénédicte, for your tireless efforts and your beautiful words.
Thárros is available in English
Wednesday, August 10, 2016
Harmony Ink Press Sponsors #SLJTeenLIVE!
Harmony Ink Press sponsors SLJTeenLIVE!
Check out the Program!
Featuring cool author panels with
and
If you're between the ages of 14-21, write for
Positive LGBTQ+ Teen and New Adult Fiction
Harmony Ink Press is an imprint publishing Teen and New Adult fiction featuring significant personal growth of unforgettable characters across the LGBTQ+ spectrum. We seek strong, authentic voices telling thought-inspiring stories with positive outcomes that explore all the facets of young adult, teen, and new adult life—between the ages of 14 and 21—across a wide range of subgenres. Our published works reach into a wide range of reader-favorite genres, including fantasy, mystery, paranormal, romance, science fiction, and more.
Harmony Ink Press is a full-service publisher. We provide cover art, full editing, and marketing for every title we contract. Authors do not pay for our services. Once we accept a manuscript, it is put through a 16- to 20-week editing process that will involve more than four editors. We provide specialized content editing for historicals and other genres. All cover art is unique to the book and designed by an artist based on the author’s input.
Our digital products are created in four formats: mobi (Kindle), epub (Nook, iBooks, Kobo), pdf, and html (the format used by almost all adaptive devices for the blind or people with disabilities). Novels of 60,000 words+ are published simultaneously in paperback.
Our distribution includes all online retailers (Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple, Audible, All Romance eBooks, OmniLit, Diesel Books), more than fifty independent bookstores that we supply directly, and distribution to all physical bookstores through Baker & Taylor in North America, Gardners Books in the UK, Ingram in Europe, and Bulldog Books in Australia. Titles are released simultaneously with all of our distribution partners (processing times vary by site).
We employ full-time personnel who market and promote our imprint, new releases and support authors in their promotions for their publication. We have a review coordinator who handles the submission and processing of reviews and publicizes positive reviews through Facebook, Twitter, our blog, and our newsletter. We have a social media coordinator who handles interaction, interviews, and virtual book release days on Facebook, Twitter, our blog, and Goodreads. Our Art Department produces unique and new ads each month for our standing advertisements in Library Journal, School Library Journal, 26 websites, and various other season-based advertising. We also promote in program books at over 50 conventions worldwide each year.
Harmony Ink Press is also committed to supporting the LGBTQ+ community through a variety of charitable promotions and publications.
Monday, July 18, 2016
Check out the Cover Reveal and Excerpt for j. leigh bailey's upcoming novel, Do-Gooder!
Check out the new cover for J. Leigh Bailey's upcoming novel, Do-Gooder, out September 15th from Harmony Ink Press!
Published by Harmony Ink Press
Release date: September 15, 2016
ISBN: 9781634772891
Add Do-Gooder to your Goodreads list!
No good deed goes unpunished, and for seventeen-year-old Isaiah Martin, that’s certainly the case. The gun he was caught with wasn’t even his, for God’s sake. He only had it to keep a friend from doing something stupid. No one wants to hear it, though, and Isaiah is banished—or so it seems to him—to live with his missionary father in politically conflicted Cameroon, Africa.
However, when he arrives, his father is so busy doing his good deeds that he sends Henry, the young, surprisingly hot do-gooder with a mysterious past, to pick up Isaiah and keep him out of trouble. Even while Isaiah is counting down the days until he can go home, he and Henry get caught in the political unrest of the region. Kidnapped by militant forces, the two have to work together to survive until they are rescued—unless they manage to find a way to save each other first.
Excerpt
I admired Henry’s Zen calm. Sometimes he stood, sometimes he sat, but always he was still. He didn’t fidget or pace or rock in place (all the things I did). He didn’t stare at the water jug, but I’d bet big bucks that he knew exactly how much liquid remained. I looked away from the jug. One glance and my parched mouth and throat tingled with thirst.
“MacGyver.” The name popped out.
Henry looked up, asking his question with the motion of his eyebrows.
“You know, that old eighties TV show?”
“Sorry.” Henry shrugged. “I didn’t watch much television, especially shows that aired more than a decade before I was born.”
I waved that aside. “The show’s about this guy—”
“Let me guess. A guy named MacGyver?”
I rolled my eyes. “Ha-ha. Yes, a guy named MacGyver. He always seemed to be in these crazy situations—I have no idea why—and always managed to get out of them by some clever invention he made out of random stuff on hand. Like, you know, a watch, a fart, and a paper bag, and he creates this explosive device that takes out an entire military bunker, giving him barely enough time to save the girl or the hostages and derail the evil plot or whatever.”
“So you think MacGyver will come and save the day?”
“Don’t be an ass. But we should totally MacGyver this situation.”
“How? We have, literally, the clothes on our backs and a jug of water. I’m not sure even MacGyver could rescue himself or anyone else with so little.”
“That’s not the point. He… he was smart. We may not be able to use our wits”—my wits were well on their way to being scrambled eggs—“to rescue ourselves, but maybe we can figure out what’s going on. What’s in the canisters? Who are these guys? What side are they on? Does it matter what side they’re on? You know, information that might come in handy down the line.”
j. leigh bailey is an office drone by day and the author of Young Adult and New Adult LGBTQ Romance by night. She can usually be found with her nose in a book or pressed up against her computer monitor. A book-a-day reading habit sometimes gets in the way of... well, everything...but some habits aren't worth breaking. She's been reading romance novels since she was ten years old. The last twenty years or so have not changed her voracious appetite for stories of romance, relationships, and achieving that vitally important Happy Ever After. She's a firm believer that everyone, no matter their gender, age, sexual orientation or paranormal affiliation deserves a happy ending. Find out more at www.jleighbailey.net, email her at j.leigh.bailey@gmail.com, and check out her Harmony Ink Author Page!
Sunday, July 17, 2016
Welcome Calista Lynne and her debut novel, We Awaken! Calista talks More Happy Endings, Please!
Join me in welcoming Calista Lynne and her debut novel, We Awaken, to my blog! It's an honor to have you here, Calista!
Calista talks about a very important subject today: how LGBTQIA youth are represented in our media. Sadly, much literature and media features LGBTQIA protagonists in unhappy endings. Calista and I share a heartfelt desire to not only write happy endings for our readers, but to give readers hope for a happy ending of their own.
Find We Awaken at Harmony Ink Press,
Amazon, and Barnes & Noble!
Add We Awaken to your Goodreads list!
More Happy Endings, Please
On girls loving girls in the media
Girls are great. Girls loving one another is, therefore, fantastic as well. You’d think the world would catch on to how incorporating ladies in same sex relationships into media would be a good thing, but so far we’ve been disappointed. When writing my novel I made sure to give my LGBTQ characters a happy ending, but those are shockingly rare to find these days. So let’s discuss lesbians in literature and how they deserve so much better than they are given.
Sappho of Lesbos was born 600 years before Jesus was supposed to have been walking around and she knew how to get girls going. Although most of this poet’s work is lost, her name and home are where we get the words sapphic and lesbian from. She must be feeling truly honored in the afterlife. Her poetry wasn’t shy about expressing love of the female form and all my lady loving ladies should be grateful to her for leading the way, even if the path from there hasn’t been the smoothest. Apart from her, lesbianism has been such a taboo subject that blatant expression of it in writing is basically nonexistent in literature until the seventies.
Old school “lesbian” novels were aimed at young adults and portray homosexuality as being just a phase or something that only ends tragically. You could say fear tactics were used to try and spook young gays into straightness.
Typical.
Eventually the state of LGBTQ literature improved, but tropes without happy endings for lesbians lives on, especially on television. Gay characters die so frequently on shows that it’s become a cliche unto itself. This is referred to as "Bury Your Gays." The number of lesbians ladies who have died on television is far into the triple digits and, plainly stated, I can’t think of any who are allowed a happily ever after. Writers can’t keep treating members of the LGBTQ community like they’re incidental characters and disposable people. People do not aspire to be what they can not see. So how is a young lesbian, who may already feel ostracized, supposed to hope for a happy ending for herself when so few examples exist... anywhere?
Typical.
Eventually the state of LGBTQ literature improved, but tropes without happy endings for lesbians lives on, especially on television. Gay characters die so frequently on shows that it’s become a cliche unto itself. This is referred to as "Bury Your Gays." The number of lesbians ladies who have died on television is far into the triple digits and, plainly stated, I can’t think of any who are allowed a happily ever after. Writers can’t keep treating members of the LGBTQ community like they’re incidental characters and disposable people. People do not aspire to be what they can not see. So how is a young lesbian, who may already feel ostracized, supposed to hope for a happy ending for herself when so few examples exist... anywhere?
I’d say literature is a bit kinder to gay characters in this regard but there is still a distinct lack of representation. Tipping the Velvet features a slew of lesbians characters and is a popular novel, from which several adaptations have been produced. Comics and graphic novels are also a shockingly great place to find LGBTQ characters, although many of these also have a dismal ending. Apart from Fun Home which tells a fantastic story of Alison Bechdel’s life, off the top of my head, I only know that V for Vendetta and Sandman both have lesbian characters.
An onslaught of gay male characters have filled young adult literature of late, which is all well and good. Looking at my bookshelves now, I see Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, Carry On, Hero, Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda, and Will Grayson, Will Grayson. All of these novels have at least one gay protagonist and a moderately cheery ending. My hope is that these novels will pave the way for other parts of the LGBTQ community to receive their share of representation. Shelves full of young girls who aren’t afraid to love other girls and ride off into the sunset together would be a personal dream come true. Maybe then, lesbians of the world will be able to dream of one day having it all.
My upcoming novel features two female, asexual protagonists in a same sex relationship and I did made it as cheery and delightful as I would have wanted such a novel to be when I was growing up. Writing your own happy ending is fully within your power and I commend those who do it!
Thank you for joining me today and I'd love to hear your thoughts on creating your own happy endings!
Calista Lynne
Thank you for joining me today, Calista! Leave a question or comment below! Calista will answer your questions and may help you create a happy ending of your own!
About We Awaken
Victoria Dinham doesn’t have much left to look forward to. Since her father died in a car accident, she lives only to fulfill her dream of being accepted into the Manhattan Dance Conservatory. But soon she finds another reason to look forward to dreams when she encounters an otherworldly girl named Ashlinn, who bears a message from Victoria’s comatose brother. Ashlinn is tasked with conjuring pleasant dreams for humans, and through the course of their nightly meetings in Victoria’s mind, the two become close. Ashlinn also helps Victoria understand asexuality and realize that she, too, is asexual.
But then Victoria needs Ashlinn’s aid outside the realm of dreams, and Ashlinn assumes human form to help Victoria make it to her dance audition. They take the opportunity to explore New York City, their feelings for each other, and the nature of their shared asexuality. But like any dream, it’s too good to last. Ashlinn must shrug off her human guise and resume her duties creating pleasant nighttime visions—or all of humanity will pay the price.
Add We Awaken to your Goodreads list!
About Calista Lynne
Calista Lynne grew up on the American East Coast and currently studies in London. She writes because it always seemed to make more sense than mathematics, yet has much trouble adjusting to the lack of Oxford commas represented in literature across the pond (in the US). Look for her near the caffeinated beverages.
Thursday, April 14, 2016
Release Day! Thárros by C. Kennedy is out! Follow the Book Tour!
Θάρρος
Thárros. Greek. Meaning courage
Courage. n. /ˈkərij/
1. The ability to do something that frightens one.
2. Strength in the face of fear, pain, or grief.
~*~
Courage is resistance to fear,
mastery of fear,
not the absence of fear. ~Mark Twain
High school senior Michael Sattler leads a charmed life. Almost. He has great friends, parents who love him just the way he is, and he was a champion hurdler until someone took out his knee when they kidnapped his boyfriend. Yet, Michael is determined to make the USATF tryouts in spite of his injuries.
Christy Castle is Michael’s entire world. Healing from years of abuse, his abduction by a predator has left him hiding a new secret as he tries to start his life again. Together, Michael and Christy work to recover from their wounds in time to make prom and graduate high school. To complicate matters, Christy is astonished to learn a fellow victim from his native Greece has survived. Christy will stop at nothing to bring him to the US to keep him safe.
But the prosecution of Christy’s kidnapper looms large in their futures and the struggle to return to normal only worsens. Christy's past continues to haunt them and, when the prosecution turns ugly and Christy’s new life is torn apart, only their unrelenting courage and determination can save them from the nightmare that threatens to destroy their future together.
But the prosecution of Christy’s kidnapper looms large in their futures and the struggle to return to normal only worsens. Christy's past continues to haunt them and, when the prosecution turns ugly and Christy’s new life is torn apart, only their unrelenting courage and determination can save them from the nightmare that threatens to destroy their future together.
About Cody
Check out all the awesome blogs
that participate in release day!
Divine Magazine
Jo & Isa Love Books
Lou Hoffmann
Helena Stone
Tali Spencer
Jamie Fessenden
Andrew Q. Gordon
T.A. Moore
Anne Barwell
Anne Barwell
Shira Anthony
Vicki Reese
Renee Stevens
Jackie Keswick
Nicki J. Marcus
Jana Denardo
Kris T. Bethke
FOLLOW THE BOOK TOUR AND WIN SIGNED BOOKS!
Cody is an award-winning author who lives, most of the time, on the West Coast of the United States. Raised on the mean streets and back lots of Hollywood by a Yoda-look-alike grandfather, Cody doesn’t conform, doesn’t fit in, is epic awkward, and lives to perfect a deep-seated oppositional defiance disorder. In a constant state of fascination with the trivial, Cody contemplates such weighty questions as If time and space are curved, then where do all the straight people come from? When not writing, Cody can be found taming waves on western shores, pondering the nutritional value of sunsets, appreciating the much-maligned dandelion, unhooking guide ropes from stanchions, and marveling at all things ordinary. Among many other awards, Omorphi was a runner up in the 2014 Rainbow Awards, and Slaying Isidore's Dragons was a finalist in the 2015 Rainbow Awards. Cody does respond to blog comments and emails because, after all, it is all about you, the reader.
Check out all the awesome blogs
that participate in release day!
Divine Magazine
Jo & Isa Love Books
Lou Hoffmann
Helena Stone
Tali Spencer
Jamie Fessenden
Andrew Q. Gordon
T.A. Moore
Anne Barwell
Anne Barwell
Shira Anthony
Vicki Reese
Renee Stevens
Jackie Keswick
Nicki J. Marcus
Jana Denardo
Kris T. Bethke
FOLLOW THE BOOK TOUR AND WIN SIGNED BOOKS!
April 14th - Release Day Celebration with The Novel Approach and What Thárros is Really About
April 14th - Release Day with Harmony Ink Press: What Does Frying Ants Have to do with Thárros?
April 15th - Joyfully Jay: Abuse Also Traumatizes Family Members and Loved Ones
April 16th - Jo and Isa Love Books - Cody talks Eternal Love
April 17th - Love Bytes Reviews - Thárros, Romantic Times Teen Day, and Library Management
April 22nd - Divine Magazine - Author Spotlight
April 23rd - Bike Book Reviews - Facebook Author Chat 12p PST/3p EST!
April 24th - My Fiction Nook - The Notes Behind Thárros's Playlist
May 6th - Susan MacNicol - Why I Want to Have Tea with Susan
May 7th - Wade Kelly - Wade is Memorialized in Print as She Interviews Christy!
May 8th - Helena Stone
May 7th - Wade Kelly - Wade is Memorialized in Print as She Interviews Christy!
May 8th - Helena Stone
May 6th - Mia Kerick - Making a Fashion Statement
May 9th - Kimi-chan Experience - WINNER ANNOUNCEMENT!
May 9th - Kimi-chan Experience - WINNER ANNOUNCEMENT!
Saturday, April 9, 2016
Friday, April 8, 2016
STARTS NOW! ONE DAY ONLY! Celebrate the release of Thárros with a FREE ecopy of Ómorphi!
Begins midnight April 7th and ends midnight April 8th EST
Thursday, April 7, 2016
1 day only! Celebrate the release of Thárros with a FREE ecopy of Ómorphi from Harmony Ink Press!
Celebrate the release of Thárros with a FREE ecopy of Ómorphi from Harmony Ink Press!
Begins midnight April 7th and ends midnight April 8th EST
Monday, February 15, 2016
Cover Reveal and Official Release Date for Tharros
Monday, December 7, 2015
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