"Queer as a Five-Dollar Bill" Makes It Into The Semi-Finals Round of the BookLife Prize!

More book news from launch week to share...

On October 1st, the top five middle grade and young adult books were selected as "semi-finalists" in Publishers Weekly's BookLife Prize...

"The mission of the BookLife Prize is to discover, cultivate, support, and celebrate great works of unpublished or self-published writing by independent authors."

I'm thrilled and very honored that "Queer as a Five-Dollar Bill" is being celebrated as a "great work," and I'm excited to see what happens next in the competition.

Thanks for being part of the adventure,
Lee

Queer as a Five-Dollar Bill - The Book

QUEER AS A FIVE-DOLLAR BILL

“A tapestry of the gay teenage experience—frayed edges repaired with earnest love and care.” —Kirkus Reviews

Wyatt is fifteen, and nobody in his homophobic small town of Lincolnville, Oregon, knows that he’s gay. Not even his best friend (and accidental girlfriend) Mackenzie.

Then he discovers a secret from actual history: Abraham Lincoln was in love with another guy! Since everyone loves Lincoln, Wyatt’s sure that if the world knew about it, they would treat gay people differently and it would solve everything about his life. So Wyatt outs Lincoln online, triggering a media firestorm and conservative backlash that threaten to destroy everything he cares about.

Now Wyatt has to pretend more than ever that he’s straight (because no one will believe a gay kid saying Lincoln was gay). Only then he meets Martin, who is openly gay and who just might be the guy Wyatt’s been hoping to find. Will Wyatt stay closeted to change the world, or will he let Abraham Lincoln’s gay romance fade back into history and take his own chance at love?

This nineteenth- and twenty-first-century coming-of-age, coming out story was inspired by real historical evidence that Abraham Lincoln was in love—romantic love—with another man. QUEER AS A FIVE-DOLLAR BILL asks LGBTQ teens (and everyone else), What if you knew a secret from history that could change the world?

“Compelling… with highly empathetic characters in Wyatt and his friends. Was Abraham Lincoln gay? Readers of this intriguing and readable novel will decide for themselves.” —Michael Cart, ALA Booklist

“I LOVE the characters.” —Alex Sanchez, author of 8 teen novels, including the groundbreaking gay teen “Rainbow Boys” trilogy

“Riveting… [and] filled with laugh-out-loud moments.” —BookLife Prize

“This one should get people talking! I hope this book…finds the large audience it deserves.” —Brent Hartinger, author of 12 novels, including the groundbreaking gay teen novel “Geography Club”

Fans of Becky Albertalli’s Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda and What If It’s Us shouldn’t miss Queer as a Five-Dollar Bill!


Editorial Reviews:

National Indie Excellence Award Winner Best Book: LGBTQ for Children & Young Adults

A Book Life Prize Semi-Finalist, one of Publishers Weekly’s Top Five Independently Published Middle Grade and Young Adult Books of 2018

“Wind’s engaging, utterly enjoyable tale of teen self-discovery is riveting both for its well-structured, historically based plot and its emotional honesty. . . . Wind’s polished prose is filled with laugh-out-loud moments. . . . A resonant and admirably crafted work.” —Book Life Prize

“The premise is a real hook . . . with real potential to influence and educate, on top of entertaining. . . . A tapestry of the gay teenage experience—frayed edges repaired with earnest love and care.” —Kirkus Reviews

“Bound to spark curiosity . . . A sympathetic novel that will change the way young readers look at history and the lessons it has to teach.” —Foreword Reviews

“Compelling… with highly empathetic characters in Wyatt and his friends. Was Abraham Lincoln gay? Readers of this intriguing and readable novel will decide for themselves.” —Michael Cart, ALA Booklist

“All the more impressive when considering that it is author Lee Winds’ debut as a novelist. Entertaining, thought-provoking, Queer as a Five-Dollar Bill is recommended for school and community library YA fiction collections. —Midwest Book Review

“Lee Wind has written a courageous novel about facing truth, both in history and in yourself. I applaud this important book.” —Ellen Wittlinger, author of 14 novels, including the Lambda Literary Award– and Printz Honor Award–winning “Hard Love”

“This powerful novel combines raw emotion with detailed historical evidence. Readers will be drawn into Wyatt’s story as he struggles with being true to himself, and come out the other side questioning who writes the history we learn. Speaking truth to power, indeed. Queer as a Five-Dollar Bill belongs in every library that serves teens.” —Yapha Mason, school librarian and two-time Newbery Medal judge

“I loved Queer as a Five Dollar Bill! The twists and turns of Wyatt’s experiences, both of pondering his own sexuality and of attempting to bring questions about Lincoln’s experiences to light, make this an exciting story. . . . Will keep any reader turning the pages. Highly recommended!” —Elisabeth Abarbanel, school librarian for grades 7-12

Publishers Weekly’s September 2018 Indie Success Story: “Bringing History into the Light” https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/authors/pw-select/article/78104-bringing-history-into-the-light-an-indie-success-story.html


Author Bio:

Lee Wind is the founding blogger and publisher of I’m Here. I’m Queer. What The Hell Do I Read?, an award-winning website about books, culture, and empowerment for Lesbian, Gay, Bi, Trans, Questioning and Queer youth, and their Allies. For over 11 years, readers from 100-plus countries have racked up 2.6 million page views—and counting!

QUEER AS A FIVE-DOLLAR BILL is Lee’s debut novel, and readers describe it as “a love letter for history geeks” that “perfectly captures teen angst,” “had my heart racing,” and helped them feel “less alone.”

In his “Clark Kent” jobs, Lee is the director of marketing and programming at the Independent Book Publishers Association and the official blogger for the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.

Lee’s “Superhero” job is writing. Fans of QUEER AS A FIVE-DOLLAR BILL say, “I felt a magical bond with the story”, “I absolutely loved this book,” and that Lee Wind’s “can't-put-it-down” writing ”gripped me emotionally” and “will pull you in and have you wondering about the truth of history.“

Lee lives in Los Angeles with his husband and their teenage daughter. He loves featuring fan art, #queerhistoryiseverywhere snapshots, and photos of GSAs and book clubs reading and discussing #queerasafivedollarbill

Visit him online at:

www.leewind.org

Twitter: https://twitter.com/leewind
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/leewind
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamleewind/



QUEER AS A FIVE-DOLLAR BILL
by Lee Wind
I’m Here. I’m Queer. What The Hell Do I Read?
Distributed by BookBaby
Publish Date: October 2, 2018
ISBN:
978-1-7322281-0-8 (Hardcover) | $25.99
978-1-7322281-1-5 (Paperback) | $13.99
978-1-7322281-2-2 (eBook) | $6.99
Also available as an Audiobook | $19.95
Ages 14 & Up

Available wherever books are sold.

Links to buy the book:
Indiebound: https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781732228115

Barnes & Noble / Nook: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/queer-as-a-five-dollar-bill-lee-wind/1129124085?ean=9781732228115

Amazon / Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/Queer-Five-Dollar-Bill-Lee-Wind/dp/1732228116
Audible (Audiobook): https://www.audible.com/pd/Queer-as-a-Five-Dollar-Bill-Audiobook/B07KRP2C89

Kobo (eBook) - https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/queer-as-a-five-dollar-bill
Kobo (Audiobook) - https://www.kobo.com/us/en/audiobook/queer-as-a-five-dollar-bill-1

Audiobooks.com: https://www.audiobooks.com/audiobook/queer-as-a-five-dollar-bill/360622

Also available on iBooks as an eBook and Audiobook.

Read the "Indie Success" September 2018 feature in Publishers Weekly on "Queer as a Five-Dollar Bill" here!

Keywords:

Gay Teen Romance

Gay Teen Books

Gay Teen Coming of Age

Gay Teen Fiction

Coming Out

Abraham Lincoln

Gay History


BISAC Codes:

YAF031000 YOUNG ADULT FICTION / LGBT

YAF052040 YOUNG ADULT FICTION / Romance / LGBT

YAF011000 YOUNG ADULT FICTION / Coming of Age

YAF058020 YOUNG ADULT FICTION / Social Themes / Bullying

The Emperor's Library: A Gay Teen High Fantasy Adventure Trilogy

By Frederick Kirchhoff

The Flight From Kar (The Emperor's Library: Book One)

Expelled from the Valley of Women, 17 year-old Jon finds friendship with the Forester Zoë and love with her brother John. But disaster strikes, and Jon leads Zoë and his companions to Kar, the imperial capital, where they save the Emperor and his library from religious fanatics who menace the city and commence a journey of challenge and discovery.



The Tritargon (The Emperor's Library: Book Two)

Jon finds himself entangled in the military affairs of the Chosen, while Zoë's relationship with the Emperor deepens. Meanwhile, Alf grapples with the problems of building the Emperor's capital-in-exile, and Klei embraces the life of the Rand, an ancient people with remarkable powers.



The Game (The Emperor's Library: Book Three)

20 years after the events of The Tritargon, Jon and his partner Dan are living quietly in Kar, as dealers in antiquities, until a mysterious book leads to a series of unforeseen events, culminating in the re-creation of an ancient, multidimensional game that has the potential to obliterate the planet. This game reunites Jon with Zoë, Klei and other figures from his past.


Add your review of the self-published "The Emperor's Library" trilogy in comments!

Sleeping Angel - A Gay Teen Murder Mystery

by Greg Herren

Eric wakes up in the hospital with no memory of how he wound up there - only he quickly finds out it's vital he remember.

Apparently, he was in a car accident, and the body of his classmate Sean was found in the car, shot to death.

Nothing makes sense - he wasn't friends with Sean. (Sean was gay, and as for Eric, well, he's not sure of much right now.) But he didn't kill anybody! As his memory starts to slowly return, Eric becomes certain that not only is he innocent, but that the real murderer is out there... and wants to shut him up permanently.


Add your review of "Sleeping Angel" in comments!

Blue Boy - An Indian American First Generation Gay Boy Comes Of Age

By Rakesh Satyal

Kiran is the only son of immigrants. He's a social outcast, among other Indian Americans and among the other sixth graders at his school in Cincinnati in the early 1990s.

He loves music, dance, playing with his mother's makeup, and is attracted to other boys. The things that make Kiran who he is also make him the star of his own personal freak show.

And then one fateful day, a revelation: perhaps his desires aren't too earthly, but too divine.

Maybe, he's a god.


Add your review of "Blue Boy" in comments!

Twice Bitten - A Gay Teen Gets Bitten By A Vampire and A Werewolf and Has To Choose...

By Dave Ferraro

Jesse Hartwick is a teen celebrity, recently out of the closet, and just beginning to take off as the next big thing in Hollywood.

Everything changes when he meets Kurt, but is Jesse's celebrity status the only thing that Kurt is interested in?

When Lane comes into the picture, it just confuses Jesse more, but he can hardly deny the strong feelings he has for him, especially since Lane didn't even know that Jesse was a celebrity when he met him.

Then Jesse is attacked by a werewolf, and saved from certain death by a vampire, changing him into something altogether new. With his new abilities, he doesn't know who he can trust, let alone how to balance the spotlight with this aspect of himself that he must hide.

But in the end, he must decide the war inside and out: Vampire or werewolf? Kurt or Lane?


"Twice Bitten" was published by the author. Add your review in comments!

Putting Makeup On the Fat Boy - A Gay Teen In The Cutthroat World Of Makeup Artists!

by Bil Wright

"Carlos Duarte knows that he's fabulous. He's got a better sense of style than half the fashionistas in New York City, and he can apply makeup like nobody's business. He may only be in high school, but when he lands the job of his dreams - makeup artist at the FeatureFace counter in Macy's - he's sure that he's finally on his way to great things.

But the makeup artist world is competitive and cutthroat, and for Carlos to reach his dreams, he'll have to believe in himself more than ever."


Add your review of "Putting Makeup On The Fat Boy" in comments!

Unnatural - A Gay Teen Vampire Story!

By Michael Griffo

Gay American teen Michael escapes his life of bullying when he's sent to an all-boys English boarding school. Full of vampires!

"There, he meets the enigmatic, sexy Ronan, and the two boys discover an immediate, mutual attraction. But their newfound relationship is threatened by Michael's disapproving father; Ronan's malevolent ex-boyfriend, Nakamo; and the inscrutable machinations of the vampires who use Archangel Academy for their own ends.

As Michael becomes a pawn between two different vampire clans, as represented by Ronan and Nakamo, he has to choose his destiny, if it's not chosen for him first."


Add your review of "Unnatural" in comments!

The Boys On The Rock - A Teen Jock's Coming Out As Gay

By John Fox


Billy goes to high school in the Bronx. He's sixteen, on the swim team, and is an all-around regular guy.

He's sort of going steady with a girl.

He's kind of popular at school.

But he's always worried that the secret fantasies he has about men would set him apart and make him "different," if anyone knew about them.

And now Billy faces up to himself - and his friends - as he discovers the complexities of life, the exuberance of sex, and what it means to be an adult in our imperfect world.


My thanks to blog reader (and author) Jon Wilson for recommending this, his favorite book from when he was a young gay man.

Add your review of "The Boys On The Rock" in comments!

The Obsidian Man - A Gay Teen High Fantasy Adventure

by Jon Wilson


"All his life, Holt has dreamed of leaving his life of drudgery to join the legendary Danann, a mysterious race of rangers and magicians. When trolls threaten his village, he sees his chance in the arrival of Kawika, a handsome ranger sent for protection. But things take a deadly turn when a demon appears, leading an army of horrible creatures. The village goes up in flames, Kawika vanishes, and Holt finds himself wandering lost and alone in the wilderness.

Rescued by the Danann, Holt suffers both physical and psychic scars. However, Kawika’s lover, Keone, hopes to use that connection to track and destroy the demon responsible for the attack.

Unfortunately, the link works both ways -- Keone can track through it, and the demon can use it to invade Holt’s mind. As the pursuit continues, Holt’s sanity begins to slip away. Gradually the realization dawns that instead of helping Keone defeat the demon, he may be leading them both into the demon’s deadly trap."


Add your review of "The Obsidian Man" in comments!

With Or Without You: A Gay Teen Novel

By Brian Farrey

"High school seniors Evan and Davis are tired of being outcasts—and tired of being bullied. So when a charismatic runaway named Sable recruits them to join a group called the Chasers, Davis is swept away by his promises of status and friendship with other gay teens. But Evan’s suspicious. He shies from Sable’s volatility, retreating to spend time with the boyfriend he’s kept secret for almost a year.

Then the Chasers meetings turn dangerous. And Evan must choose between his best friend and his boyfriend before the Chasers’ final initiation—a ceremony that involves having unprotected sex with an HIV-positive member of the group who has successfully chased the virus."


Add your review of "With Or Without You" in comments!

The Catch Trap: A Gay Historical Romance

By Marion Zimmer Bradley

It's the 1940s and 50s - in the world of the circus.

Mario Santelli, of the famous flying Santelli family, is a great trapeze artist. Tommy Zane is his protege.

"As naturally and gracefully as they soar through the air, the two flyers find themselves falling in love. Mario and Tommy share sweet stolen moments of passion, but the real intensity of their relationship comes from their total devotion to one another and to their art. As public figures in a conservative era, they cannot reveal their love. But they will never renounce it."

My thanks to the blog reader who wrote to tell me about this book, saying "I don't know if it will help but it helped me."

And add your review of "The Catch Trap" in comments!

Hidden: A Gay Teen Novel

By Tomas Mournian

Ahmed is 15 when he accidentally outs himself to his parents, and they send him to a residential "treatment" center in the Nevada desert to be "fixed."

Eleven months into his sentence of torture, molestation and indoctrination to become straight, Ahmed escapes to a secret safe house for runaway gay teens in San Francisco.

But even with a new name - Ben - life inside the safe house is not completely safe...


Add your review of "Hidden" in comments!

Boy Princess, Vol. 1 - A Gay And Cross-Dressing Graphic Novel For Teens

By author and artist Seyoung Kim

When a Prince's soon-to-be-bride elopes with the stable keeper two days before their wedding, her desperate family dresses up their youngest son, Prince Nicole, and sends him to get married in her place to secure the alliance between the two kingdoms.

With Prince Nicole's pretty blue eyes, cascading blonde hair, and strategically placed apples, nobody bats an eye at the pretty 'girl' standing before them.

Prince Nicole marries Prince Jed, but how long can he keep up the charade?

Despite odds against them, the two princes share adventures and intimacies in this mesmeric offbeat romance.


This is the first in a series of nine volumes of swords, sorcery and adventures for Prince Nicole and Prince Jed! It was also published under the alternate title, "Kiss Me Princess."

My thanks to Robin Fosdick, Reference Librarian, Youth Services at the Corvallis-Benton County Public Library in Oregon, for letting me know about her library's excellent list of GLBTQ Graphic Novels For Teens!

Namaste,
Lee

Stuck Rubber Baby - A Black and White, Gay and Straight, Civil Rights-Era Graphic Novel

By Howard Cruse

In the 1960s American South, Toland Polk is a young guy who works at a gas station. He's rejected from the Army draft for admitting to "homosexual tendencies," and falls in with a group of friends who are civil rights activists, are into folk music, and go to integrated and gay-friendly nightclubs.

And from the publisher:

"Toland's story is both deeply personal and epic in scope, as his search for identity plays out against the brutal fight over segregation, an unplanned pregnancy and small-town bigotry, aided by an unforgettable supporting cast."

This is a new, 15th anniversary edition, with an intro by Alison Bechdel. It's won a number of graphic novel awards, including the Eisner and Comics Creators Awards, and The Comics Journal included "Stuck Rubber Baby" among its listing of the "100 Best Comics of the Century."

My thanks to Andrew for the recommendation. Please add your review of "Stuck Rubber Baby" in comments!

Circle Of Change - A Gay and Transgender (FTM) Teen Book

By Laney Cairo

Kim is 17 and it's his last year in high school. Gay and also transgender (ftm), he's lost and unhappy in his female body, and his mother has agreed that it's time for him to start hormone therapy towards transitioning.

Then Kim meets Dash, a university student, and sparks fly. They start going out, but when Kim reveals that he's transgender, Dash reacts badly.

With everything else going on in their lives, will Kim and Dash be able to try again and find happiness with each other?

Interestingly, this is the first book featured on this site that is not available in print, but rather is only available as an e-book through its publisher and on Kindle. Add your review of "Circle of Change" in comments!

Shadow Walkers - A Gay Teen Paranormal Thriller (and Romance!)

By Brent Hartinger

Here's Brent's rundown on what Shadow Walkers is about:

Zach lives with his grandparents on a remote island in Puget Sound in Washington State. With only his little brother, Gilbert, to keep him company, Zach feels cut off from the world. But when Gilbert is kidnapped, Zach tries the only thing he can think of to find him: astral projection. Soon, his spirit is soaring through the strange and boundless astral realm — a shadow place. While searching for his brother, Zach meets a boy named Emory, another astral traveler who's intriguing (and cute).

As Zach and Emory track the kidnappers from the astral realm, their bond grows, but each moment could be Gilbert's last. Even worse, there's a menacing, centuries-old creature in their midst that devours souls and possesses physical bodies. And it's hungry for Zach.

And here's a great video Brent made - not so much a "book trailer" as his own "Seven Reasons You Should Read Shadow Walkers:"





Add your review of "Shadow Walkers" in comments!

Bad Boy - Ice Hockey. A Gay Best Friend. And Lots of Questions About Who You Are.

By Diana Wieler

It's senior year of high school, and when A.J. and his best friend Tulsa both make the Triple A Hockey team, everything seems perfect.

Then A.J. discovers something Tulsa wasn't ready to share - that Tulsa is gay.

A.J.'s escalating temper and aggressiveness on the ice make him the "Bad Boy" of the Cyclone hockey team, as he struggles to figure out what Tulsa's being gay means about who he is.


"Bad Boy" won the Governor General's Award for the best Canadian Children's Literature book of 1989. Add your review of "Bad Boy" in comments!

Let The Right One In - A Love Story With The Vampire Boy Next Door

By John Ajvide Lindqvist

"The coming-of-age story between two lonely 12-year-olds--one existing as a vampire for 220 years--depicted in the acclaimed Swedish film Let the Right One In and in the recent American remake Let Me In, was originally an award-winning novel. But what was ignored in the American film, and only hinted at in the Swedish original, was that Eli the vampire girl-next-door was actually a boy. Read the gripping tale as young Oskar learns to accept his growing love in the face of both supernatural horror and homophobia."

"But when he said her name aloud he remembered that it was wrong. That was the last thing she had said as they lay together on the couch. That her real name was...Elias. Elias. A boy's name. Was Eli a boy? They had...kissed and slept in the same bed....
Oskar pressed his hands against the bathroom door, rested his forehead against his hands. He tried to think. Hard. And he didn't get it. That he could somehow accept that she was a vampire, but the idea that she was somehow a boy, that...that could be...harder.

My thanks to Donnie for the recommendation, synopsis and favorite passage from the book above! Add your review of "Let The Right One In" in comments!

Freaks and Revelations - A Gay Teen Novel

By Davida Wills Hurwin

Thrown out of his parents' home for being gay, 13 year old Jason is living on the streets, hustling and trying to survive.

Doug is 17, living with an abusive dad and a racist family... and is pretty much addicted to violence.

There's a hate crime, where Doug thinks he's killed Jason. But he hasn't.

Told in alternating voices of the two characters, "this tragic but ultimately inspirational journey of two polarized teens, their violent first meeting, and their peaceful reunion years later is an unforgettable story of survival and forgiveness."

While it's fiction, it's

"inspired by the real lives of Matthew Boger and Timothy Zaal, who have shared their story on The Oprah Winfrey Show and NPR."

Add your review of "Freaks and Revelations" in comments!