I spent the last year on the outskirts of queer romance. I kept to myself. I’m not really good at making friends, and I suck at small talk. I’m great at twitter. I banter and people comment, but I wasn’t so good at Facebook and interacting with the community. I decided I had to put myself out there more. Not only for my career and writing, but also to get to know more of the amazing people who do what I do. I was playing around with Facebook when my friend Lili found this amazing little fan group H&H. (It’s huge now, but it was just getting started.) It was for an author I’ve been a fan of for a long time. I tell everyone I know to read In the Company of Shadows. The series lifted me up and tore me down. It gave me wide open wounds and barely stitched them back together before ripping them open again. It was a roller coaster of a series.
So I joined the fan group. I stayed on the outside and only commented here and there at first. A friend pushed me to do more. I begrudgingly did. I put myself out there and I’m really thankful I did. I not only found this great group of queer romance writers, but I found people like me. More people who identify like I do. I was invited to participate in Queer Romance Month. I agreed but I put it off, trying to figure out what to write. While I was doing this I got to talking to a blogger and group member. We discussed our mutual love for Mercedes Lackey and decided to do a buddy read, which then turned into what would later become the epicness that is the RoGrayRip Queer Romance chats.
I am amazed how a little window into the world turned into a huge wide open door to my peers and this welcoming community. I’ve felt so at home for Queer Romance Month. I read post after post of people who lived in books the way I did. Who found themselves through books. I see pieces of myself in every story. My to be read list has become a mile long, and I can’t wait to dig into it.
Side note: Binge on Books, Ripper and I need to start a book club. We’d kick ass at that shit.
Song I can’t get enough of: Downtown by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis
Weekly to do list:
Tattoos tomorrow!
Book I’m reading this week Prosperity by Alexis Hall for my epic buddy read.
Packing -groans- Don’t even talk about it. If I ignore it long enough will it go away?
Count down to moving is on, but I found a place to live. Fucking finally.
Keep chipping away at Clouded Hall and His Vice.
Outline Capital Offense (Bound Five) For Nano next month.
The cover reveal for Say Yes will be the 23rd!
The cover reveal for Lead Me Into Darkness is also coming soon.
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