It has been a slow writing-and-revising season, what with...(gestures at everything). But in a few months I hope to unveil ARCs of the queer urban fantasy novel that takes its inspiration from an insane, affectionate mashup of these three fandoms*. Maybe the world needs some cozy crack like this? I hope? Anyway, that's what I'll be serving.

[Content warning: enbyphobia. Relevant personal background info: I am a cis, demi, bi woman.] On my email list recently I shared a few details about my next book, including the info that it's a love story between a "he" and a "they." Someone who I would've said was a friendly, progressive person answered me thus: Interesting that you have written a “they” character. I just had my first experience reading a novel that used a “they” character. Honestly, it drove me a little crazy, and I don’t see how it contributes to the work. It’s one thing to watch a movie/TV show that has a character referring to self as “they”, but in literature…I’m not a fan. At least not yet. Is there a purpose other than to create awareness and inclusion of that population? I’m open to being enlightened.

So...after being profoundly annoyed for many hours and seething and ruminating, I composed an answer. Ordinarily this would be a prime "It's not my job to educate you" situation, but...she did say she's open to being enlightened, so perhaps this is a useful teaching moment. What I sent back: My reasons for having "they" characters:

Because my trans and nonbinary friends are among the wisest, kindest, most patient people I know, and they deserve to have book protagonists representing them.

Because allowing more than two genders gives Presidents Musk and Trump hives, along with anyone else who worships the patriarchy, and I’m going to write what I like, not what they like.

Because being nonbinary is not a recent Gen-Z TikTok trend; it’s something lots of human cultures have done for millennia, especially Indigenous cultures. Most of which were wiped out and/or suppressed by colonialism, which in turn was a force of, you guessed it, patriarchal cultures.

Because it’s already established practice in the Eidolonia books—there have already been some “they” characters in the first two books. In a world that has quite a lot of shape-shifting and magic-using life forms, a human going by “they” would not make anyone bat an eyelash. 

Because if getting to know one of my “they” characters helps even just one reader out there feel more familiar and friendly with real-life nonbinary people—as fictional characterization can often do, for people we once perceived as “other”—then it will have been worth it.

Using “they” did take some getting used to at first, but with enough practice it began feeling natural, and now I don’t stumble over it like I initially did. I’m almost 50 and I have trained my mind to be flexible, and it has felt good. Others can too.

There’s loads of good reading on the topic out there; e.g., see this post by sex educator and researcher Emily Nagoski, for starters. Or this article on the historical worldwide existence of gender identities beyond the binary. And lots more out there if you go searching.

That’ll have to do for now—busy week!

Take care,

I'm both excited and filled with dread! Ballad for Jasmine Town has gone up on NetGalley and can be requested for a pre-release read. And though the NetGalley page does not explain the specifics, YES, it is a queer book. Rafi is trans (via magic) and Roxana is bi, and it's just generally a casually queer universe. (And if you require knowing about authors, I am demi and bi and always questioning all my possible labels all the time.) I personally am not in charge of approving who gets it on NetGalley, so I can't help you there. But you can contact me if you really want to read and review it early, and I can likely arrange something. ARCs are currently in ebook format only. Paperbacks will come with the proper release in June. https://www.netgalley.com/catalog/book/312966

"Molly Ringle guides the reader through a world of magic, fae folk, and danger in her novel Ballad for Jasmine Town. ...I have not read Lava Red Feather Blue, the first book in the series, and did not at all feel out of my depth or confused. I have, however, added it to my TBR based on how much I enjoyed Ballad for Jasmine Town!

"...Ringle handles themes of trauma, grief, friendship, and forgiveness deftly, while crafting a world that balances on enchanting and dangerous. It’s a world that I want to spend more time in."

The two currently existing Eidolonia books are together at last! My print copies of Ballad for Jasmine Town have arrived, and they look gorgeous next to their buddies (Lava Red Feather Blue and the faery artwork of Brian Froud).