#queer ya

Art by the incredible @eliotbaum.

Mirrorwoven is a sapphic young adult fantasy in a Renaissance Venice-inspired setting, pitched as The Priory of the Orange Tree meets Gossip Girl. The blurb and further info below the cut:

Pushcart Prize-nominated poet, Max Fischer delivers a raw, lyrical, and heart-shattering novel-in-verse, The Unpoetic Life of August Grey, about grief, first love, and the joy of becoming who you are.

You can only hold your breath underwater for three minutes before you go unconscious. For seventeen-year-old August Grey, life in his small Nebraska town has felt like that endless third minute ever since his best friend Waylon died.

When August earns a coveted spot at a prestigious summer writing program in New York, he believes it’s his one chance to heal – and to keep the promise made to Waylon to pursue his dream. But New York brings its own challenges: a strained reunion with an estranged father, the weight of trying to write without Waylon there, and the unexpected arrival of Levi, August's old crush who knows nothing of his failed coming out.

As August wrestles with grief, secrets, and the tentative spark of new love, he must decide if he can finally surface – embracing his queer identity and the joy of being himself before the past threatens to drown his future.

In the tradition of The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo, I Wish You All the Best by Mason Deaver, and Me (Moth) by Amber McBride, Pushcart Prize-nominated poet Max Fischer delivers a searing, unforgettable debut about loss, queer joy, and the strength it takes to breathe again.

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That said? I've never been able to get on board with writing anything that's JUST romance. And younger me turned that into genre fiction. Sure, it's a love story, but there's elves. Aliens. Ghosts. Whatever. And don't get me wrong, I love genre fiction. The idea that real literature only exists in classic settings is ridiculous, and I'm not trying to weasel my way into the English Canon anyway.

But this time, I didn't go the supernatural route with the same gusto a younger version of me would have. Cuz the thing about the supernatural is that it only continues to count as that so long as we haven't discovered proof that it's real.

Cryptids seemed like a perfect way to bridge the gap between contemporary fiction and fantasy — to make it so the reader doesn't necessarily know what's real and what isn't.

So yes. Part of my book is two trans boys falling for each other, and the drama that ensues throughout the rest of that school year. But it's also about the unexplainable. Situations you walk out of going "I don't know what the fuck just happened, actually."

Because certainty, even about something frightening, is comforting. The unknown, however? Most people's worst nightmare.

So come explore the woods (and hearts) nestled in the queerbabies' mid-2000's world, where things aren't always as they seem.

Devil On My Shoulder

—queer tales from the garden state—

🏳️‍⚧️ This Feast of a Life - Cynthia So

Auden is finding different ways to be themself. The first - using their new chosen name, which feels most authentically them. The second - starting a food blog where they can share their passion for food, through family recipes and the stories behind them. And when the blog brings them Valerie, they discover more than they'd ever expected.

It's been over a year since Valerie lost her mum - her beautiful, vibrant mum who loved cooking. Since her mum's death, Valerie and her dad have drifted further and further apart, the kitchen left cold and empty, until Valerie finds Auden's blog. The blog (and its writer) spark something in Valerie. Could she have found a recipe for happiness?

🏳️‍⚧️ Somadina - Akwaeke Emezi

Somadina and her twin brother, Jayaike, are practically the same person: they finish each other's sentences and make each other whole. When the twins come of age, their magical gifts begin to develop, but while Jayaike's powers enchant, Somadina's cause fear to ripple through her town.

Always an outsider, Somadina now faces blatant--and dangerous--hostility. And things go from bad to worse when her brother—the one person she trusted—vanishes. Somadina knows that no matter the dangers, she must track him down. Even if it means entering the Sacred Forest. Even if it means grueling, otherworldly travel she may not survive. Even if it means finding the hidden places where those closest to the spirit world don't dare to go. Does Somadina have the strength --within both her body and her soul -- for the trying journey ahead?

🏳️‍⚧️ And They Were Roommates - Page Powars

Romance is the last thing on Charlie’s mind.

On his first day at Valentine Academy for Boys, Charlie’s carefully crafted plan to hide his identity as the school’s only trans student is set in motion. Only to be immediately destroyed. Charlie has been assigned the worst roommate in the world (possibly the universe): Jasper Grimes, the boy who broke Charlie’s heart the year before he transitioned.

Except, Jasper doesn’t recognize Charlie.

Who knows how long until Jasper realizes the truth? Charlie has one shot at freedom and a dorm room all to himself, but only if he helps Jasper write love letters on behalf of their fellow students first. No problem. Charlie can help Jasper with some silly letters.

Long nights spent discussing deep romantic feelings with Jasper? Surely, no unintended consequences will arise…

🏳️‍⚧️ The Build-A-Boyfriend Project - Mason Deaver

Eli Francis is stuck. Stuck in an assistant position at the online magazine Vent when he should be a writer. Stuck with a boss who dangles a promotion but would rather he just fetch the coffee. Stuck working alongside the ex who has had no trouble moving up at work…or moving on.

When Eli’s roommates push him to date so he can get over his ex once and for all, they set him up with Peter Park. Tall, handsome, and unbelievably awkward. The date is a complete disaster, and further proof to Eli that love isn’t for him. But when his boss overhears Eli recounting the catastrophic night, he suggests teaching Peter to be a better boyfriend through a series of simulated dates so he can write an article about it.

But Eli has other ideas…Eli plays along, pretending to write the article, while secretly interviewing Peter about growing up queer in the South and coming-of-age dating wise in adulthood. Eli hopes writing this sort of piece will finally get him the promotion he deserves. And in exchange, he will teach Peter how to be a better boyfriend.

But the more time Eli spends with Peter, the closer they become, and the lines between what’s real and what’s fake begin to blur. Before long Eli is forced to face his greatest fears to become the writer he wants to be and secure the love he’s always needed. 

🏳️‍⚧️ They Bloom at Night - Trang Thanh Tran

Since the hurricane, the town of Mercy, Louisiana has been overtaken by a strange red algae bloom. Noon and her mother have carved out a life in the wreckage, trawling for the mutated wildlife that lurks in the water and trading it to the corrupt harbormaster. When she’s focused on survival, Noon doesn't have to cope with what happened to her at the Cove or the monster itching at her skin.

Mercy has never been a safe place, but it’s getting worse. People are disappearing, and the only clues as to why are whispers of underwater shadows and warnings to never answer the knocks at night. When the harbormaster demands she capture the creature that's been drowning residents, Noon finds a reluctant ally in his daughter Covey. And as the next storm approaches, the two set off to find what’s haunting Mercy. After all, Noon is no stranger to monsters . . .

🏳️‍⚧️ A Gentleman's Gentleman - TJ Alexander

The notoriously eccentric Lord Christopher Eden is a “man of unusual make” and even more unusual habits: he prefers to live as far from the prying eyes and ears of the ton as possible, and would rather have the comfortable company of his childhood cook and his aged butler, Plinkton, than the swarm of servants and hangers-on befitting a man of his station.

But Christopher's pleasant, if occasionally lonely life is upended when he receives word from his lawyers that, according to his late father’s will, he must find a wife by the end of the Season if he intends to keep his family's fortune and the Eden's End estate. Christopher cannot imagine a worse fate: as he isn't attracted to women, his chances of making a wife happy are slim. Furthermore, if his quest to marry has any hope of succeeding, he must move to London posthaste and acquire some more suitable staff.

Enter James Harding, Christopher's new, distractingly handsome—if rigidly traditional—valet. After a rocky start, the two strike up a fragile friendship amid the throes of the London Season . . . a friendship that threatens to shatter under the looming shadow of Christopher’s impending nuptials—and the secrets both men are keeping.

With its heady combination of dry wit, slow-burn romance, and a nuanced, complex portrait of trans identity and relationships that’s as relevant now as it was during the Regency era, A Gentleman's Gentleman stands to transform the historical romance genre as we know it.

🏳️‍⚧️ Marsha - Tourmaline

“Thank god the revolution has begun, honey.” Rumor has it that after Marsha P. Johnson threw the first brick in the 1969 Stonewall Uprising, she picked up a shard of broken mirror to fix her makeup. Marsha, a legendary Black transgender activist, embodied both the beauty and the struggle of the early gay rights movement. Her work sparked the progress we see today, yet there has never been a definitive record of her life. Until now. 

Written with sparkling prose, Tourmaline’s richly researched biography Marsha finally brings this iconic figure to life, in full color. We vividly meet Marsha as both an activist and artist: She performed with RuPaul and with the internationally renowned drag troupe The Hot Peaches. She was a muse to countless artists from Andy Warhol to the band Earth, Wind & Fire. And she continues to inspire people today.

Marsha didn’t wait to be freed; she declared herself free and told the world to catch up. Her story promises to inspire readers to live as their most liberated, unruly, vibrant, and whole selves.

🏳️‍⚧️ Both/And - Denne Michele Norris

Featuring fifteen new essays by trans people of color—spanning writers, scientists, actors, activists, and drag queens—Both/And explores what it means to live as a trans or gender nonconforming person of color today.

Acclaimed authors Akwaeke Emezi, Tanaïs, Meredith Talusan, and J Wortham, share their stories alongside activist and organizer Raquel Willis and RuPaul’s Drag Race star Peppermint, as well as a host of rising literary talent. Each story is told with honesty, authenticity, and beauty. A nonbinary molecular biologist has nightmares about their estranged father transitioning. A writer revisits a casual hook-up when she discovered her womanhood. And a woman vacations in Hawaii with her wife, where she gets in touch with the fire goddess within. These stories depict real trans lives from trans points of view, at a time when these perspectives are most urgent and valuable.

Inspired by Electric Literature’s groundbreaking series and edited by the first Black, openly trans editor-in-chief of a major literary publication, Both/And uplifts and amplifies stories of queer joy, heartbreak, rage, and self-discovery.

VOICE ACTING -- CASTING CALL 🌙

We’re currently accepting voice auditions for two small roles in the upcoming season of MOONBURN — a queer, slice-of-life, YA fiction podcast.

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JOHNNY (small supporting)

Looking for someone who can believably voice a 13-15 y/o boy (18+ actors preferred). He's guarded but hopeful, arriving at the boarding home carrying unresolved pain from his past.

PIZZA DELIVERY GUY (guest)

Small but comedic role.

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We’re looking for naturalistic, emotionally grounded performances and would especially love to hear from queer actors. These are the first of several upcoming casting opportunities for MOONBURN and AYR.

Remote recording. Indie volunteer production.

Submissions can be sent to [email protected].

Deadline: FRIDAY, MAY 29TH.

Audition info + sides below ⬇️

Hurrah for analogue as Benjamin Alire Sáenz’s much-anticipated new novel ‘When The World Was Happy’ has been announced, with wraparound cover by me. 

I got free rein to create whatever I wanted to for this book, having designed the cover of Ben’s previous three novels, including the multi award-winning bestsellers, the Aristotle and Dante series. I read the manuscript and just got scribbling! Art direction here was by my long-term colleague Chloe Foglia at @simonandschuster 

The entire cover - bar the blurb on the back - was made by hand with fineliners, ink, felt-tips and coloured pencils, to communicate the school setting of the novel. Bold decision by the publishers to go with my white background, too.

But also. Fellow queers. My book recs are so so old and especially with YA and queer issues, I feel like you need to have your finger on the recent stuff.

Hell Followed With Us by Joseph Andrew White mini review

What I liked:

Complex relationships

Fast-paced

It's gory

What I didn’t like

Repetitive inner monologues

Weak side characters