queer author interview w/ l.v. peĂąalba!
if you feel like you'd be into "aro/ace protagonist who writes love songs about anime ships," then this one's for you.
for this year's queer Summer Reading Challenge, we interviewed L.V. PeĂąalba, author of Shapes of Love, to talk about the inspiration behind her aroace pop star romance, why aro/ace representation matters, and the message they hope every LGBTQ+ young person takes away from the book.
đ Every LGBTQ+ person has a story that helped them feel seen. What book, movie, TV show, or piece of art made you feel that way growing up, and how did it influence the stories you tell today?
What was the moment, person, or question that inspired you to write this story?
Writing Shapes of Love was both a safe space and therapeutic for me in a way. I was frustrated with things I saw around me, like how society tends to ignore or minimize a-spec peopleâs experiences and struggles. I wanted to challenge the idea that love is a monolith and write a story where an aroace person gets the happy ending she wants, not what society says she should want.
đ This obsession people have with the âstory behind the songâ is nothing new in pop music. We see it all the time with stars like Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande, Sabrina Carpenter, the list goes on. Youâve found such a fresh take on telling the real story behind a pop starâs hit music, and youâve found a way to do it that I think most LGBTQ+ readers can instantly relate to. Iâm wondering how you found yourself to this story? Have you personally always been intrigued by âfan culture?â And why was it important to you to center this story on a character who is aro/ace spec?
The spark for this story was me thinking something like: âwhat if there was a famous singer who was actually aro/ace but people just assumed she was straight? Would her fans create a fairytale? Would her label want to capitalize on it?â
Although Sasha is famous, most of her struggles come down to things happening in her private life, like growing apart from her friends or feeling like everyoneâs partnering up and leaving her behind. As an artist, when she almost comes out by accident, she gets a lot of a-phobia online, which also plays a part in her agreeing to the fake relationship. She feels pressured to become this person sheâs not. On a personal level, sheâs a little lonely, but sheâs unsure what her options are because the message echoed in society is that the only way not to be alone long term is to get into a romantic, sexual relationship.
Ultimately, Sasha just wants to live authentically in a world that keeps trying to convince her that thereâs something wrong with who she is, which is unfortunately something a lot of queer people have had to face.
đ If you could leave one note inside every copy of your book for the next LGBTQ+ young person who reads it, what would it say?
That I know itâs not always easy to exist as a queer person these days, but itâs always worth it. That youâre not alone, even if it feels that way sometimes, and I hope your future is filled with happiness. And that you donât have to break yourself into a million pieces to fit into someoneâs definition of love; you can shape love so that it fits you.
đ Why do you think âShapes of Loveâ is such an important book for right now?
I just hope it provides a safe space for readers and helps other aro and ace people feel seenâalthough Sashaâs experience is just one of many under the aro and ace umbrellas, and hopefully we can have more stories in the coming years showing different aro and/or ace experiences.
đ What are three books other than your own centering LGBTQ+ characters that you think every person should read?
This question is always so hard for me to answer (only three books?), but here are some books Iâve enjoyed!
Dear Wendy by Ann Zhao
Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender
Smash or Pass by Birdie Schae
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more about the books and summer reading challenge here
and drop your donations to support lgbtq+ youth after every book you read here!
