Countdown to "No Way, They Were Gay?" Launch: Day 26, Day 25

We're building momentum...

Day 26 and Day 25:

There's an online launch party, and you're invited!

bit.ly/NoWayLaunchParty

Hope to see you there.

The light in me recognizes and acknowledges the light in you,
Lee

Countdown to "No Way, They Were Gay? Launch: Day 28, Day 27

Day 28 and 27...

There's an online launch party, and you're invited!

bit.ly/NoWayLaunchParty

Hope to see you there.

The light in me recognizes and acknowledges the light in you,
Lee

Countdown to "No Way, They Were Gay?" Book Launch: Day 31, Day 30, Day 29

 Okay, these countdown graphics are so fun, you're getting Day 31, 30 and 29 here...

There's an online launch party, and you're invited!

bit.ly/NoWayLaunchParty

Hope to see you there.

The light in me recognizes and acknowledges the light in you,
Lee

Pre-Order Plan Reveal For "No Way, They Were Gay?" - Let's Empower LGBTQ Youth Together!

So you may have heard I have a book coming out. In April. It's nonfiction, and it's the kind of book that would have totally changed my life if I'd read it when I was 11. Or 15. Or heck, any time up through my writing it. (And I've been working on it since 2010.)

It's called NO WAY, THEY WERE GAY? HIDDEN LIVES AND SECRET LOVES, and it's being published by Lerner Publishing Group's Zest Books imprint. It was honored as a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection. And it's all about empowering young LGBTQ people.

So I've cooked up this fun pre-order idea. For folks to buy a copy from my local indie bookstore, Pages: A Bookstore in Manhattan Beach, California, to donate to an LGBTQ teen via this wonderful nonprofit, Brave Trails.

It's all being set up, and there will be a special landing page for the virtual book launch party and everything, but I wanted to let you all know about this. Because, wouldn't it be amazing to put this book into the hands of just the readers for whom it will make a huge impact for the good?

And yes, No Way, They Were Gay? is a book about history, but it's not history like I was taught history, all dates and names to memorize. It's not history as medicine. It's more like chocolate. Empowering chocolate.

Because history is fascinating when you put aside the denials of hundreds of years of historians and actually let people tell you their own truths. Primary source materials - like letters, diary entries, poems, songs, ancient artwork - let us hear the stories of men who loved men, women who loved women, people who loved without regard to gender, and people who lived outside gender boundaries.

It's super cool. And exciting! If you want to get a head start on the preorder donation, you can preorder the book at Pages: A Bookstore now. But you can wait until the launch party event page is up, too. Either way, save the date - April 6, 2021 at 5pm Pacific.

And just to keep the fun going, here are three TikTok posts that are helping build the buzz...

@leewind

Abraham Lincoln spills the tea... ##iwroteabook ##foryou ##fyp ##booktok ##queerbooktok ##nowaytheyweregay ##queerhistoryiseverywhere ##queerhistory ##lgbtq

♬ I'm Coming Out - Diana Ross

@leewind

Queen Anne spills the tea... ##Iwroteabook ##foryou ##fyp ##booktok ##queerbooktok ##nowaytheyweregay ##queerhistoryiseverywhere ##lgbtq

♬ Run The World (Girls) (Glee Cast Version) - Glee Cast

@leewind

Pharaoh Hatshepsut spills the tea... ##iwroteabook ##foryou ##fyp ##booktok ##queerbooktok ##nowaytheyweregay ##queerhistoryiseverywhere ##queerhistory ##lgbtq

♬ I Am Changing - Jennifer Hudson

Thanks for sharing this adventure with me, because amazingly enough, Queer history really is everywhere! And know that can change everything.

Gratefully,
Lee

"Nonfiction Writers Dig Deep" Launch Event Highlights!

I'm chuffed* to be one of the fifty nonfiction authors who contributed an essay to this remarkable collection, and 25 of us celebrated with a book launch party/panel hosted by The Writing Barn this past Saturday January 16, 2021. There were over 450 registrants, and the chat was flying by as each of us on the panel had the chance to answer one question each!

There was so much wisdom and inspiration shared by the authors brought together by Melissa Stewart (who conceptualized and edited the collection) and I thought sharing a few highlights would be fun:

Donna Janell Bowman with the metaphor of her picture book bios not being panorama shots, but done using a zoom lens.

Laura Purdie Salas sharing how she makes a list of 20 different approaches she could take with a new manuscript, to stretch herself and find the best one.

Paula Yoo on searching for great nuggets in the research that move the story forward and/or reveal the emotion of the main character.

Ray Anthony Shepard and Anita Silvey both speaking of how a single sentence to encapsulate the whole project is key.

Carole Boston Weatherford on how she creates works of art that are hybrids of poetry and other forms.

Laurie Wallmark saying we have to write about what we're interested in, that way kids will be interested, too.

Michelle Markel's advice on turning to books you wish you had written, "good writing is contagious and inspires you."

my turn! Thanks to Melissa Stewart for the photo (and the opportunity)!

And I shared, in answer to the question about gems of writing advice, a three-sided gem:

1) about being Gay, and how I didn't come out until my 20s, and so how everything I do is about being authentic and my mission is to empower young people be their authentic selves right now. Having a mission for everything I do creatively feels key.

2) How history, as it was taught to me, was presented as medicine. And how with my new nonfiction book coming out in April, NO WAY, THEY WERE GAY? Hidden Lives and Secret Loves, I wanted to make it more like chocolate. Empowering chocolate. Having a vision for the book feels key, as well.

3) And how, with juggling a full time job, a part time job, writing and promoting my books, my marriage, parenting, family, and everything else, I used to think I needed a giant block of 3 or 4 hours to get anything creative done. And then Linda Sue Park shared her 12 minute writing sprint strategy with me: You set the timer on your phone for just 12 minutes, and tell yourself that's all you need to focus for. If the timer goes off and you're in the flow, you can set it for another 12 minutes, and then another, etc... But if all you have time for is one 12 minute writing sprint, at least you've written for that day. The secret is doing this daily... I'm more productive now, and feel more like a writer now, because of this method, than ever before. It's completely changed my creative life.

My contribution seemed well-received, with folks both commenting in the event chat and online that it resonated for them and they were excited to try the 12 minute writing sprints themselves. And a number really liked the idea of history not as medicine, but as chocolate!

I'm very excited about being part of NONFICTION WRITERS DIG DEEP, published by the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE). And it's really cool that proceeds from sales of the book are being split between SCBWI, NCTE, and WE NEED DIVERSE BOOKS!

You can read more, and get a copy here (or wherever you buy books).

And the Writing Barn just posted the full video of the launch event here! (Available to watch through January 31, 2021.)

*A word I've learned since becoming a little bit obsessed with the Great British Baking Show. So much so that I asked my husband to make me scones for my birthday last week. They were scrummy.

The Importance of Queer History in YA - The Lambda LitFest 2019 Panel (recorded at BookSoup on September 27, 2019)

It was a great discussion, captured here on video to share with all of you! Click here (or on the still frame below) to check out the conversation moderated by YA author, Amy Spalding (THE SUMMER OF JORDI PEREZ), with authors James Brandon (ZIGGY, STARDUST AND ME), Abdi Nazemian (LIKE A LOVE STORY), and Lee Wind (QUEER AS A FIVE-DOLLAR BILL) for a roundtable discussion about why writing Queer History in Young Adult canon is not only an important aspect to the popular genre, but a necessity in documenting our history for young people today.




Thanks to Amy, Brandon, and Abdi, Mark for recording, and everyone at BookSoup and Lambda LitFest 2019 for making this event possible!

The light in me recognizes and acknowledges the light in you,
Lee

I'll be a panelist for the 2019 Lambda LitFest Event at BookSoup This Friday September 27, "The Importance of Queer History in Young Adult Novels"

The information on their website may not be all there, but my enthusiasm is! I'm delighted to be one of the panelists who'll be at the famed BookSoup in West Hollywood, California this Friday September 27 at 7pm to discuss The Importance of Queer History in Young Adult Novels!

As the panel description says,

The 2011 passage of California’s FAIR Education Act mandated that LGBTQ accomplishments be taught in our history and social studies classrooms to show that gay Americans have been an integral part of our society and continue to shape our current world. A few other states have joined in this movement, but still, we have a long way to go before LGBTQ+ history is fully integrated into school curriculum. Join us for a roundtable discussion about why writing Queer History in Young Adult canon is not only an important aspect to the popular genre, but a necessity in documenting our history for young people today.

The more complete panel description:

Moderated by YA author, Amy Spalding (THE SUMMER OF JORDI PEREZ), join authors James Brandon (ZIGGY, STARDUST AND ME), Abdi Nazemian (LIKE A LOVE STORY), and Lee Wind (QUEEER AS A FIVE-DOLLAR BILL) for a roundtable discussion about why writing Queer History in Young Adult canon is not only an important aspect to the popular genre, but a necessity in documenting our history for young people today.

James Brandon's ZIGGY, STARDUST AND ME is being released August 6 from Putnam/Penguin Random House. "Set in St. Louis in 1973, months before homosexuality was 'de-classified' as a mental illness, sixteen-year-old Jonathan Collins is fighting to overcome his 'illness' when he meets Web, a Lakota Two-Spirit. The two boys fall in love and struggle to retain their identities in a world that continually threatens to tear them apart.

Abdi Nazemian's LIKE A LOVE STORY was released June 6 from Harper Teen/Balzar+Bray. "At the height of the U.S. AIDS epidemic in the late 1980s and early 1990s, three teenagers grapple with love, friendship and family as they become involved in activism under the tutelage of a queer mentor."

Lee Wind's QUEER AS A FIVE-DOLLAR BILL was inspired by the real historical letters between Abraham Lincoln and Joshua Fry Speed. In this award-winning novel, Wyatt, a bullied and closeted teen, outs Lincoln to change the world—triggering a conservative backlash and media firestorm. Crowdfunded, the book was Publishers Weekly’s September 2018 “Indie Success Story.”

Amy Spalding grew up in St. Louis, but now lives in the better weather of Los Angeles. She has a B.A. in Advertising & Marketing Communications from Webster University, and an M.A. in Media Studies from The New School. Amy studied longform improv at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre. By day, she manages the digital media team for an indie film advertising agency. By later day and night, Amy writes, performs, and pets as many cats as she can. She is the author of five young adult novels, including her latest, the bestselling THE SUMMER OF JORDI PEREZ (and the Best Burger in Los Angeles).

If you're in the Los Angeles area this Friday, I hope you'll join us for what promises to be a great discussion!

The light in me recognizes and acknowledges the light in you,
Lee

ALA Inspiration - Two Librarians Share Their Response to Complaints About Their Library's LGBTQ Pride Displays

I'm back from the American Library Association annual conference in Washington D.C., and one discussion among the more than 600 librarians I met really stands out. (By the way, that number is not an exaggeration, I was working at the IBPA booth on the exhibition floor representing over 260 books from our independent publisher members, and I scanned 606 badges over the four days.)

It was during my give-away of audiobook review copies of my YA novel, "Queer as a Five-Dollar Bill", for which I had a big diversity rainbow pride flag out on the signing table, rainbow pride flag bookmarks, and a sign about the giveaway with the same pride flag on it as well. I even had a little bust of Abraham Lincoln with some Gay Pride neck jewelry (courtesy of my brother John!) In short, for the times I was at the demo table, I was a lighthouse of LGBTQ inclusion.

And it worked as a lighthouse, drawing interested and allied folks near.

That's me, chatting with interested librarians about the "Queer as a Five-Dollar Bill" audiobook at #alaac19

One librarian, Monena, told me about how she had a patron complain about a June pride display in their library. Her response? She thanked the patron for sharing their point of view, and then, "I went and added a dozen books to the display."

Another librarian overheard our conversation, and nodded. She had had a patron complaint about a pride display in one of their branch libraries as well. She smiled as she said, "so this year, we did pride displays in two more libraries."

That's the stuff of true allies.

And it's why I so appreciate and respect librarians!

The light in me recognizes and acknowledges the light in you,

Lee

p.s. If you're a librarian, and you want a free review copy of the audiobook of "Queer as a Five-Dollar Bill," simply email me your name along with your library name and location, and I'll send you a copy as well! 

leewind (at) roadrunner (dot) com

I'm so excited about the audiobook (narrated by Michael Crouch, who also did the narration for "Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda", and with a bonus author interview at the end where the legendary Lesléa Newman interviews me!) You can listen to the first two chapters here.

I'm the Headliner for Episode 194 of the Big Gay Fiction Podcast: “Five Dollar Bill,” Queer History and YA Lit with Lee Wind!

This is thrilling!

In this extended interview with Jeff Adams, we talk about LGBTQ history, research, Queer as a Five-Dollar Bill, its inspiration and characters, this blog, and so much more!

Being the featured guest on a podcast I listen to all the time is an amazing way to celebrate LGBTQ Pride!

I hope hearing about the Queer history we discuss is empowering, and that the podcast will be part of your LGBTQ Pride celebrations!

You can listen to the episode now at this link!

I'm very grateful to Jeff and Will for this opportunity to shine like a lighthouse for their listeners.

Enjoy the podcast!

The light in me recognizes and acknowledges the light in you,
Lee

Librarian Friends! Come Say "Hi" At ALA2019

Hello Librarian friends!

If you're going to be in Washington D.C. for the American Library Association's 2019 annual conference, please swing by the Independent Book Publishers Association booth #1145 where I'll be working, helping to represent the more than 260 books from IBPA's publisher members.

We'll have signings and book giveaways throughout the conference weekend, including me on Saturday June 22, 2019 at 3:30pm and on Sunday June 23, 2019 at Noon!

I'll be giving away free review copies of the "Queer as a Five-Dollar Bill" audiobook—narrated by Michael Crouch (who also narrated the "Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda" audiobook), and with a bonus author interview at the end by "Heather Has Two Mommies" author Lesléa Newman!

Listen to the first two chapters of the "Queer as a Five-Dollar Bill" audiobook for free here.
Visit me at the IBPA booth #1145 to get the full audiobook review copy emailed to you.

It's always a wonderful show, and I hope I'll get to see you.

The light in me recognizes and acknowledges the light in you,
Lee

I'm the Featured Author for June at BookBaby's BookShop!

This is really cool!

Scroll to the bottom of the BookBaby BookShop landing page and... Hey, that's me!

I'm excited that, especially this month of LGBTQ Pride, more people will have the chance to see, hear about, and hopefully read Queer as a Five-Dollar Bill!

It's all about empowering LGBTQ teens and their allies—which includes YOU!—and I'm very grateful for this opportunity. I hope you'll check it out!

The light in me recognizes and acknowledges the light in you,
Lee

The 5 Minute Story-Behind-The-Story of My Writing and Publishing "Queer as a Five-Dollar Bill"

Just in time for Pride month...

Presented to an audience of over 300 at IBPA Publishing University 2019 in Chicago, Illinois, on April 6, 2019 this INSIGHT presentation was like a game: tell a story in exactly 5 minutes about how "mistakes were made" with 20 slides that advance automatically every 15 seconds.

It felt really good to share my story—and now, I can share it with all of you!



The light in me recognizes and acknowledges the light in you,
Lee

Highlights and Inspiration from the Bay Area Book Festival 2019

What a weekend!

I got to be on a panel, moderate a panel, and be a contestant on a Young Adult edition of Literary Death Match!

It was two days full of wonderful people, kid lit folks and readers, and inspiration. Here are some of the moments still resonating for me:

When a book is well-written, everyone can identify with the main character. —Tania De Regil

Stumbling on my own photo in the printed festival program!

The theme of creating books we didn't have for ourselves for this new generation - from my own story about "Queer as a Five-Dollar Bill", to my wonderful co-panelist Cindy Pon, whose all-Asian casts continue to be groundbreaking (and such good reads — I loved "WANT"!

The wonderful Mina Witteman, who organized the wonderful children and teen programming.

The theme rising again in the panel I moderated, with amazing panelists Atia Abawi and her refugee story, "A Land of Permanent Goodbyes", to e.E. Charlton-Trujillo's "Fat Angie: Rebel Girl Revolution" (the second book in what's going to be a trilogy!)

A whimsical "forest" for the youngest readers

And that very same theme echoed in the words of Mylo Freeman, who told the story of how, ten years ago, a teacher told her about a young black student who refused to play a princess in the class play because she thought a princess couldn't look like her. That inspired her to create the best-selling “Princess Arabella” series—for which she's now writing book 14!

An exuberant performance melding rap, history, and young people's empowerment by the Alphabet Rockers

The kindness of our children's literature community. I loved how for the "Seasons, Sounds and Sandwiches" panel, Picture Book authors Meg Fleming, Tim McCanna, and Alice McGinty held the microphone for each other as they read sections from their picture books. It was such a kind and selfless moment, a "here, let me help you tell the audience about your book" generosity, that made me so happy.

What a hoot! My fellow Literary Death Match co-stars, (left to right): Gordon Jack, Zoraida Córdova, our brilliant and hysterical host Adrian Todd Zuniga, me (!), and Cindy Pon.

How my panel with Cindy Pon was moderated by a teen reader, Riya Kataria, a high school junior who had read both of our books and did a wonderful job! (And how great is a teen book festival event that centers teens? Super-Great!)

My panel with Cindy Pon and the wonderful teen moderator, Riya!

The faith that our books make a difference. As Alice said on the motivation for her "Pancakes to Parathas: Breakfast Around the World" picturebook, "I wanted to make the world feel smaller."

Kid Lit friends Alice McGinty (left) and Meg Fleming

And most of all the super-engaged audience of readers!

I'm very grateful to have had the opportunity to be part of the Bay Area Book Festival 2019. Thanks to Mina and all the festival organizers!

The light in me recognizes and celebrates the light in you,
Lee

Come See Me Tomorrow at the Bay Area Book Festival on May 5, 2019

I'll be in conversation with Cindy Pon,

Someone Like Me: Seeing Ourselves in the Books We Read
Saturday, May 4, 12:45 PM, Florence Schwimley Little Theater
Cindy Pon, Lee Wind, moderated by Riya Kataria

When you open a book, do you see yourself in its pages? Do the characters look or think like you? Cindy Pon fought hard to publish one of the first Young Adult fantasy novels with an Asian protagonist on the U.S. market. Lee Wind’s queer history book was canceled by the publisher for being too controversial, but he found a way to publish it anyway. The two dig into why kids (and adults) need diverse characters and how they fight against the bias and blindspots of the publishing world.

and in friendly competition with Cindy, Zoraida Córdova, and Gordon Jack as part of the festival's YA Literary Death Match!

Literary Death Match
Saturday, May 4, 2:30 PM, Word Power Stage
Zoraida Córdova, Gordon Jack, Cindy Pon, Lee Wind, hosted by Adrian Todd Zuniga

Four authors. Three (teen) judges. Two finalists. One Champion (and all kinds of hilarity in between). Watch these young adult writers perform their most electric writing in five minutes or less as they compete for the coveted Literary Death Match crown. Hosted by series co-creator Adrian Todd Zuniga

**UPDATE as of 3pm Friday, May 3, 2019**

And as a last-minute replacement, I'll also be moderating the YA panel, "War Zone: Coming of Age in Times of Conflict."

War Zone: Coming of Age in Times of Conflict
Atia Abawi, e.E. Charlton-Trujillo, moderated by Lee Wind
Sunday, May 5, 2:15 PM - 3:30 PM, Florence Schwimley Little Theater

What do you do when your world is suddenly turned upside down? Growing up is hard enough, but these teen protagonists must cope with loss and navigate violence completely out of their control. Atia Abawi’s “A Land of Permanent Goodbyes” follows Tareq, a kid forced to flee his home in war torn Syria. e.E. Charlton-Trujillo’s “Fat Angie: Rebel Girl Revolution” features Angie, a high school sophomore mourning the death of her sister in Iraq. The three writers will discuss how they write about teenage trauma and resilience, and why these tough-to-write stories are so valuable to readers who need to find hope within their pages.

You can see the full Festival schedule here.

I'm grateful to Mina Witteman and the other festival organizers, and excited to meet young readers at the festival!

The light in me recognizes and acknowledges the light in you,

Lee

Five Highlights and Four Photos from the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books 2019

Let's start with photos!

The panel I moderated, at the signing tent. (Left to right): Brendan Reichs, Ally Condie, Carlos Hernandez, me (!), and Quinn Sosna-Spear

I got to sign copies of "Queer as a Five-Dollar Bill" that folks purchased!

I was also asked to sign a canvas bag and someone's hand (all of the panelists signed both)!

My name! My books! At the festival!!! (so cool.)

Some quotes from our panel that are still resonating:

5. "Friends help you reveal part of yourself, and become a better version of yourself." —Carlos Hernandez

4. "Characters are collections of motivations." —Brendan Reichs

Some quotes from another YA panel I attended that jumped up to be written down:

3. "Good reviews are like crack. Bad review are like poison. Neither help you." —advice Jennifer Nielsen passed along.

2. "What I can control is the page." I need to write what I want to say. —Dhonielle Clayton

And

1. most of all, moderating a wonderful panel.

What a great day! Thanks to my panelists Quinn, Carlos, Brendan, Ally, and to all the organizers and volunteers and staff behind pulling off the amazing 2019 Los Angeles Times Festival of Books.

The light in me recognizes and acknowledges the light in you,
Lee

SCBWI-IL Marginalized Voices Out Loud: Queer YA Indie Author Lee Wind in Conversation With Susanne Fairfax (Event Video Recording and My Thanks!)

What an amazing event!

From the plate of cookies with my book cover on them!

to Susanne Fairfax's careful reading and wonderful questions about Queer as a Five-Dollar Bill,

from the crowd of wonderfully engaged people that showed up (an actual crowd!)

to selling out all the copies of Queer as a Five-Dollar Bill that Open Book had,

from the warm welcome of the SCBWI Illinois team, especially Co-Regional Advisor Deborah Topolski, Assistant Regional Advisor Jennifer Wagh, Illustrator Coordinator Cedric Gliane, Diversity committee members Susanne Fairfax (the same amazing Susanne is also the Chair of the Diversity Committee), Urania Smith and Jacqueline Alcántara, and Diversity Network Representative Donna Beasley)

to signing books both for those attending and books purchased to donate to LGBTQ and allied teens in Chicago...

it was all just wonderful.

And, for everyone (especially the teens) who couldn't attend, we recorded the interview and Q&A on video, and you can watch it here:



If you'd like to order a signed copy of Queer as a Five-Dollar Bill for either yourself or to donate to LGBTQ and Allied teens in Chicago, you can do so here.

Jenny surprised me with a "Illinois: Land of Lincoln" shirt - love it! It's perfect for my #QueerHistoryIsEverywhere instagram project!

With enormous gratitude,

The light in me recognizes and acknowledges the light in you,
Lee

p.s. - check out all the diversity initiatives of SCBWI-Illinois. They're doing great things!

A close-up view of one awesome cookie!

See You Tonight (April 8, 2019) 7pm at Open Books West Loop

I hope you'll join me at SCBWI-Illinois Marginalized Voices Out Loud: Queer YA Indie Author Lee Wind in Conversation at Open Books West Loop, from 7-9pm.

I'll be interviewed by SCBWI-Illinois' Diversity Committee chairperson Susanne Fairfax, and SCBWI-IL will also announce the winners of their 2019 Diverse New Member Pathway and Many Voices Prizes.

You can pick up a signed copy of "Queer as a Five-Dollar Bill" and/or buy a copy to donate to Chicago-area LGBTQ and allied teens.

I can't wait!

The light in me recognizes and acknowledges the light in you,
Lee

I'm Coming To Chicago! (With a Book Event On April 8, 2019!)

It's a big week ahead...

First, for my day job, I'll be in Chicago April 4-7 for the Independent Book Publishers Association's (IBPA's) Publishing University 2019, the premiere educational and networking event for indie publishing,

and then on Monday April 8 I'll be at SCBWI-Illinois Marginalized Voices Out Loud: Queer YA Indie Author Lee Wind in Conversation at Open Books West Loop, from 7-9pm.

It's a free event, and you can get tickets here.

I'll be interviewed by SCBWI-Illinois' Diversity Committee chairperson Susanne Fairfax, and SCBWI-IL will also announce the winners of their 2019 Diverse New Member Pathway and Many Voices Prizes.

You can pick up a signed copy of "Queer as a Five-Dollar Bill" and/or buy a copy to donate to Chicago-area LGBTQ and allied teens.

It's going to be an amazing evening, and if you're in the Chicago area, I hope you can join us!

The light in me recognizes and acknowledges the light in you,
Lee

p.s. - no April Fools on this one - I really will be in Chicago for these events!

Palm Springs Peeps! I'm speaking tonight (6:30pm Wednesday November 7, 2018) at the Palm Springs Public Library!

If you're in Palm Springs, California, I hope you can join me and our community for this "Queer as a Five-Dollar Bill" book event! We start at 6:30pm, and you can find all the details here.

It's also exciting to see how the word has gotten out in Palm Springs, with write-ups in The Uken Report,

Poets and Writers,

Gay Desert Guide,

and Palm Springs Life!

My thanks to Julie Warren, Library Services and Public Relations Manager of the Palm Springs Public Library for inviting me out to Palm Springs to speak about my debut teen novel, and to QTrading, who will be onsite for book sales following the presentation.

I hope to see you there!

The light in me recognizes and acknowledges the light in you,
Lee