Interview with Chloe Liese, Author of Better Hate Than Never

Chloe Liese writes romances reflecting her belief that everyone deserves a love story. Her stories pack a punch of heat, heart, and humor, and often feature characters who are neurodivergent like herself. When not dreaming up her next book, Chloe spends her time wandering in nature, playing soccer, and most happily at home with her family and mischievous cats.

I had the opportunity to interview Chloe, which you can read below.

First of all, welcome to Geeks OUT! Could you tell us a little about yourself? 

I’m Chloe Liese, author of the Bergman Brothers and Wilmot Sisters series, and I write romances reflecting my belief that everyone deserves a love story. My books are humorous, hope-filled, and slow-burn hot, and they feature characters with human realities who I think deserve more prominence in romance novels, such as neurodivergence, chronic illnesses, disabilities, complex mental health journeys, and nuanced sexual identities. I write stories that allow my readers the joyful escape of a romance novel while also affirming my conviction that the most beautiful love stories are the ones in which real people with real lives and bodies and minds experience emotional safety, rich intimacy, and vibrant, loving happily ever afters.

What can you tell us about your latest book, Better Hate Than Never? What was the inspiration for this story?

Better Hate than Never, the second in my Wilmot Sisters series, reimagines Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew as a feminist, sexy romance in which two childhood enemies overcome their past animosity and fall in love through the hard, healing work of vulnerability, honesty, and trust. The book challenges the idea of the “shrew”—a derogatory term wielded against vocal, bold, impassioned women—and explores characters living with neurodivergence (ADHD) and a chronic illness (migraines). I think this story balances the angst of longing for someone you don’t believe you should—or deserve—to love, and the fiery, delicious tension of the enemies to lovers trope. Finally, the book has some really fun nods to the iconic rom-com 10 Things I Hate About You, which is another reimagining of The Taming of the Shrew, and one of my all-time favorite films.

From the description of your newest book, readers will find out the heroine Kate is diagnosed with ADHD and identifies as demisexual. If you wouldn’t mind, could you tell us about the queer representation featured in this book?

As a neurodivergent queer woman myself, it’s important to me to write characters who embody those identities and to explore the vulnerability that many who identify this way feel, asking themselves, Who do I trust with my truth? Who do I trust to validate and see and love me for who I show them I am? Kate’s neurodivergence is something she’s learned to love in a vacuum, on her own, but not in relationships; she hasn’t felt seen and loved well for the person she is and all the ways that having ADHD bears out in her life, so I wanted to explore how she opens up to the people she loves about the ways she needs to feel seen and affirmed better, how vulnerable that risk is but how rewarding it is when the people who love her hear her and strive to love her in a way that shows her just how much. Her sexuality, like mine—demisexual—is another area in which she’s historically felt frustration and isolation in how poorly it’s been understood and received, after hurtful, ignorant responses and her deepening (and understandable) reluctance to open up to people about it. As her relationship to Christopher deepens, it was very important to me to show her wrestling with her fear of rejection but ultimately her bravery in trusting Christopher, to ensure his response to her was loving, curious to know more, eager to make her feel safe and seen, to show how their intimacy grows because of the trust and care that ensues from that conversation.

Looking from the body of your work, mental health and neurodivergent/ disability representation is a big part of your writing. If you feel comfortable, could you talk a little about what writing about these concepts means to you?

Romance is such a joyful, safe genre—it focuses on the beauty of relationships, the hope of happy endings, and celebrates all the many nuanced, beautiful ways we can experience intimacy, connection, and love. It’s important to me to write stories with characters navigating mental health struggles, who are neurodivergent and disabled and chronically ill, because, as a neurodivergent person with chronic conditions, I know personally how lonely it is to pick up romance novel after romance novel and see none of those realities being lovingly, affirmingly portrayed. I aim to write stories that challenge a very culturally engrained ableist stigma that asserts we have to look or live or function a certain way, have a certain number in our bank account, be in the pinnacle of health, to experience love and sex and be desired and live fulfilling, happy existences. My hope and belief is that anyone can find something to relate to in my books, even if they aren’t chronically ill or neurodivergent or disabled or experiencing mental health difficulties, because the truth is it’s human to hide our soft spots and our fears, and all of us carry with us some part of ourselves we believe is unlovable. My goal is for my readers—no matter how little or much they relate to the identities or diagnoses or experiences of my characters—to close my books feeling healed and encouraged and reminded that true love loves all of us, not just our easy, smooth parts, but the rough and rocky corners, too.

As a writer, what drew you to the art of storytelling, specifically romantic fiction?

During an especially anxious season of my life, I was very drawn toward the guaranteed happy ending of romantic fiction, and—as is generally the case for me, when I find something I like—I immersed myself in the genre, devouring hundreds of romance novels. After quite a lot of reading, I started feeling this loneliness I’ve mentioned, this ache to see people like me and the people in my life and my community, portrayed authentically and positively in characters who were wise and witty and sexy and kind and capable of rich, beautiful love stories. At some point, I came upon Toni Morrison’s wisdom, “If there’s a book that you want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it,” and it felt like a sign to take the leap and start writing the kinds of stories I wanted to read, so I did. It bears emphasizing that I by no means think I am the only one who writes romances with realistic characters like this; I just struggled to find them back when I was first reading romance and started writing. I am beyond grateful to have since found authors who do that beautifully and intentionally, who inspire me as a storyteller and who are doing incredible things in the genre—Helen Hoang, Talia Hibbert, Kennedy Ryan, and Alison Cochrun, to name a few—who I admire immensely for their talent and dedication to compassionate, inclusive romantic storytelling.

How would you describe your writing process?

It always starts with a kernel—a character whose growth arc comes to me vividly, a first chapter unfolds in my imagination like a movie’s opening scene, a bit of dialogue between two people whose dynamic and tropes and connection demands to be written down the moment it materializes in my mind. After that, I examine what representational aspects I want to portray. If they’re outside my lived experience, I connect with authenticity sources—friends and readers who identify with those experiences—interview them comprehensively on what matters to them to see in a romance novel with a character living with an identity/diagnosis like theirs and on the nuances of their routines and relationships and their identity/diagnosis’ impact on those aspects of their lives. Then I write the story, revise, and get it to a place where I feel the narrative is solidified, then I put it in front of my authenticity sources for critique to ensure representational accuracy. Once I’ve addressed any inaccuracies and my authenticity sources feel good about the story from a representational standpoint, I put it in front of other sensitivity and critique readers for more feedback to ensure I’ve written a story we all feel is fun, joyful, thoughtful, affirming, and compassionate. When I write from my own experience, I do essentially the same thing with myself as an authenticity source—ask myself what matters to affirm and authentically portray in my story—and then I put it in front of others with my identity as well as sensitivity and critique readers.

Many authors would say one of the most challenging parts of writing a book is finishing one. What strategies would you say helped you accomplish this?

I find finishing a book often the easiest part! Often, it’s the starting for me that I get hung up on. If I don’t have a clear vision yet for how the story kicks off or who exactly my characters are or what journey they need to take, I have to stay patient and try out ideas and wait until I get that creative greenlight inside myself that lets me know I’m ready to go. Sometimes, though, even after a solid start, with the book plotted out into beats, guided by my characters’ intended growth arcs and overall journeys, I get hung up in the first act of the book (in my plotting, I tend to break my books structurally into three acts), knowing if I take a wrong turn early in the novel, I’ll have lots of rewriting ahead of me when I realize I’ve ended up somewhere I didn’t want to. Having written ten novels now, I am very familiar with how exhausting and frustrating it can be to realize I’ve taken a wrong turn and have to go back and revise extensively. When that first act potential wrong turn fear hits, I’ve started to work on being patient and pausing, going back and reading a few chapters preceding the point at which I’m unsure which way to turn. I’m still learning how to trust and listen to myself as a storyteller, and I’d say that’s honestly the biggest challenge, but I think I’m getting better with each book.

Growing up, were there any stories in which you felt touched by/ or reflected in? Are there any like that now?

I didn’t know I was neurodivergent until I was 30. I always felt a bit odd and different, like I was outside plexiglass looking into the rest of the world, especially complex social situations. So as a child, I was drawn to stories about kids who were loners and dreamers, who were roughing it on their own, lost in their own imaginations—Anne of Green Gables, pretty much any middle grade Karen Cushman novel but especially Catherine Called Birdy and The Ballad of Lucy Whipple, The Boxcar Children, Miss Rumphius, the Dear America diary series, to name a few. Stories that now make me feel most seen are Helen Hoang’s, Talia Hibbert’s, and Alison Cochrun’s. I am so thankful for their stories and the safe havens they’ve given me.

What are some of your favorite elements of writing? What do you consider some of the most frustrating and/or challenging? 

My favorite part of writing is how real these characters and their worlds become, how touching and healing it can be to experience the love and kindness and goodness they show each other. I’d also say another favorite element of writing is the sheer rush of writing something (that at least, to me feels) beautiful—a turn of phrase that sparkles like magic, a single sentence that written straight from my heart. The most frustrating or challenging part is that “wrong turn” fear of mine—when I get pulled out of the joy of being immersed in my story world and have to wrestle with my doubts about my craft and the direction I’m taking.

What advice might you have to give for other aspiring writers?

Write what you believe in. Write what brings you joy. Write what you want to read. Ask yourself why, what, and how all the time—Why am I telling this story? Why am I writing this character? Why does this couple make sense in a way other potential pairings in their story world don’t? What do my characters need to learn? How do they grow as individuals and together? How do their past and present and the future I have planned for them reflect in their voice, their worldview, their fears, their hopes, their journey? These questions make a story so much stronger; a book can have an engaging hook, a snappy premise, but fall flat when its plot, dialogue, and characters’ behaviors don’t unfold in a way that feels realistically, compellingly motivated by the nuances of the lead characters and their growth journey.

Are there any other projects you are working on and at liberty to speak about?

I’m working on the third and final Wilmot Sister book, whose first chapter I’m very excited is in finished copies of Better Hate than Never—readers get a really fun sneak peek at Juliet’s story! I can’t say much about it, only that I think it’s really swoony and tender and it’s bringing me a lot of joy. I’m also wrapping up work on the last Bergman Brothers novel, Viggo’s story, Only and Forever, which is a roommance about a starry-eyed optimistic romance reader living with a cynical thriller writer who pair up to get each other through a tough professional season and end up falling hopelessly in love.

Finally, what books, particularly books with queer and/or disabled/neurodivergent representation, would you recommend to the readers of Geeks OUT? 

So many, but here are some, to name just a few:

Interview with R. Eric Thomas, Author of Kings of B’more

R. Eric Thomas is the bestselling author of Here for It, a Read with Jenna book club pick featured on Today and a Lambda Literary Award finalist. He is the co-author of Reclaiming Her Time, a biography of Rep. Maxine Waters. He is also a television writer (AppleTV+’s Dickinson, FX’s Better Things), a playwright, and the long-running host of The Moth in Philadelphia and D.C. For four years, he was a senior staff writer at Elle.com where he wrote “Eric Reads the News.” Kings of B’more is his YA debut. 

I had the opportunity to interview R. Eric Thomas, which you can read below.

First of all, welcome to Geeks OUT! Could you tell us a little about yourself?

I’m a bestselling author, television writer, and playwright based in Philadelphia, where I live with my husband, who is a Presbyterian pastor.

What can you tell us about your latest book, Congratulations, The Best Is Over!? What inspired this project?

I turned 40 a year into the pandemic while living in a house I never imagined I’d want in a suburb that gave me the creeps sometimes and I looked around and thought “Okay, what now?” I had planned to have an elaborate costume party with very annoying rules for my 40th and invite everyone I’d ever met, but instead I was unexpectedly living in my hometown again, struggling to make adult friendships, bleaching my mail, and tweeting out jokes about the apocalypse. I thought the juxtaposition of a common phase of life change with this shocking, seismic global upheaval was worth exploring. And as someone who primarily writes comedically, I thought it was a worthy challenge to see if I could make enough jokes about my mid-life/existential crisis to find hope again.

As a writer, what drew you to the art of storytelling, specifically non-fiction (essays)?

Stories are empathy engines and there’s something extraordinary that happens when you tell a true story to another person. It opens up a bridge between you, it inspires both of you–or all of you—to think more expansively about commonality and connection. It’s generous and vulnerable. Storytelling changes us, it teaches us and excites us and challenges us. I started out telling true stories, live, with no notes at shows like The Moth, and I’d never experienced anything like it. I’ve done standup, I tried my hand at spoken word, I’ve hosted cabarets and drag shows; I loved all of those experiences but I found that there was nothing like storytelling.

Recently, you’ve entered into the world of young adult fiction, with your book, Kings of B’more? May I ask what inspired this story, as well as your interest in writing YA?

I wanted to write about platonic love between two Black, queer boys; I wanted to write a story where their trauma wasn’t the focal point; I was interested in a space of possibility for their exuberance and their softness. I wanted to craft the world as I knew it could be. And I knew that if I didn’t write it, that some young person out there wouldn’t get to know that it was possible. I wrote what I’d never read, a world that I get to live now as an adult. My trips to the library as a middle and high schooler expanded my view of the world in so many ways; I’m still learning from books I discovered in 9th or 10th grade. I wanted to add to that tradition for those coming after me.

How would you describe your general writing process?

Chaotic. I always have multiple projects going on. I follow inspiration. I get lost. I have to trick myself into finishing things. I recently remodeled my office for a week because a chapter was making me nervous. It’s a mess. I should be exiled from writing.

Are there any ways in which it is similar or different when writing fiction vs non-fiction?

With both forms structure is very important, particularly in the way that I approach non-fiction. I write non-fiction as if I am the main character, the protagonist, and the essay usually follows the natural arc of me getting closer to or farther from what I want. I think trope and genre can be as useful in non-fiction as they are in fiction and can expand the possibilities of what I’m creating.

What are some of your favorite elements of writing? What do you consider some of the most frustrating and/or challenging? 

I both love and hate revision. I really try to embrace the freedom of being able to write a very imperfect first draft and the process of slowly, painstakingly finding the right piece inside of the imperfection. But I also get really frustrated sometimes in the writing process because there is never a single “right” piece. It’s easy to get lost in the searching, which is why I value having such smart editors.

As a writer, who or what would you say are some of your greatest creative influences and/or sources of inspiration in general? 

I am obsessed with Toni Morrison, August Wilson, Colson Whitehead, and Ann Patchett.

Many authors would say one of the most challenging parts of writing a book is finishing one. What strategies would you say helped you accomplish this?

Having a regular practice can be key. As can having deadlines, even if it’s just a friend who you’ve promised to get a draft to. Knowing that someone is waiting, whether that someone is the hopeful version of yourself who made your schedule or an eager reader, can push you over the finish line.

Are there any projects you are working on or thinking about that you are able to discuss?

I’m in the middle of writing another novel, this one for adults. It’s a queer love story about second chances and a vacation town trying to reinvent itself.

Finally, what LGBTQ+ books/authors would you recommend to the readers of Geeks OUT?

Philip Ellis’s Love and Other Scams is such a delight and I can’t wait for his next book, We Could Be Heroes. Everyone should read Audre Lorde, particularly Sister Outsider, and Alexander Chee, particularly How to Write an Autobiographical Essay. Meccah Jamilah Sullivan’s Big Girl is phenomenal. I cannot stop screaming about how great Idlewild by James Frankie Thomas is. Holy cow! What a masterpiece!

Interview with Maria Ingrande Mora, Author of The Immeasurable Depth of You

Maria Ingrande Mora (they/she) is a content designer and a brunch enthusiast. Her love languages are snacks, queer joy, and live music. A graduate of the University of Florida, Maria lives near a wetlands preserve with two cats, two children, and two billion mosquitoes. She can often be found writing at her stand-up desk, surrounded by house plants. Unless the cats have destroyed them.

I had the opportunity to interview Maria, which you can read below.

CW: Discussion of mental illness (specifically depression and anxiety)

First of all, welcome to Geeks OUT! Could you tell us a little about yourself?

Hi! I’m a genderqueer Floridian trying to survive their state’s authoritarian regime and stay in love with the beautiful place they call home. I’m the parent of two teens and the author of two queer books for young people.

What can you tell us about  your latest novel, The Immeasurable Depth of You? What was the inspiration for this project?

The Immeasurable Depth of You follows extremely online Brynn as she’s banished to Florida to spend the summer with her estranged dad on a houseboat with no internet access.

It’s a story for and about teens who are living with mental illness. It’s a story of self-acceptance in the face of the negative self-talk that so often becomes an indelible part of the lives of young people with anxiety, depression, and other diagnoses. It’s also a little bit spooky and a little bit funny!

As an author, what drew you to the art of storytelling, specifically young adult fiction and speculative fiction?

I was a precocious reader as a young person. I found a lot of comfort and companionship in books. While it was a long journey to get there, it was also a natural journey to contribute my own stories to young people needing a moment of escape.

I am very drawn to speculative fiction in all forms. Stepping slightly outside of our world allows for so many creative ways to hone in on the ways we connect with others and with ourselves.

Growing up, were there any stories in which you felt touched by/ or reflected in, in terms of personal identity? If not or if so, how do you think this personally affected you as a writer? 

Weetzie Bat had a huge influence on me as a teen. I remember reading it cover to cover in the bathtub, refilling the water every time it got cold. It was one of the first unabashedly queer and magical stories I read as a young person, and it let me recalibrate what fiction could be.

As a writer, who or what would you say are some of your greatest creative influences and/or sources of inspiration in general? 

I feel like I’m one giant mishmash of creative influences because I’m so drawn to stories in any form. I’ve fallen in love with fictional characters my whole life, and their worlds and narratives have consistently inspired me to tell stories that make people feel things. Big, huge emotions can be so satisfying when they’re contained by the safe constraints of a story.

What are some of your favorite elements of writing? What do you consider some of the most frustrating and/or difficult? 

I love whatever part of writing I’m not currently doing. When I’m drafting, I’m longing to revise. When I’m revising, I’m longing to start a new draft. That friction is part of what keeps the creative process exciting to someone like me (a person with ADHD).

Every once in a while, I get in such a deep flow that I feel like I’m experiencing the story first-hand. This often involves sort of weeping over my keyboard. Those are my favorite moments. I hope those transformative moments exist for the reader, too.

Aside from your work, what are some things you would want others to know about you?

I’m in my 40s and I’m still on an ongoing, evolving journey of self-discovery. Life doesn’t stop being exciting when you hit a certain milestone age. And you’re never locked into one label or identity.

What’s a question you haven’t been asked yet but that you wish you were asked (as well as the answer to that question)?

What Florida animal are you most scared of?

Definitely water snakes. While I’m also VERY scared of alligators, the whole thing where snakes can swim at the surface or under the surface makes them profoundly terrifying to me. I become nearly catatonic with fear. If the snakes ever figure this out I’m done for.

What advice might you have to give for aspiring artists?

Don’t wait for someone else to tell you that you’re an artist.

Are there any other projects you are working on and at liberty to speak about?

On Free Comic Book Day, you can check out my comics debut, Ranger Academy! It’s an all-ages story that you don’t need to be a Power Rangers fan to get into. I hope you’ll check it out.

Finally, what LGBTQ+ books/authors would you recommend to the readers of Geeks OUT? 

I just finished She Who Became the Sun and I’m just haunted by how beautiful and perfect it was. I cannot wait for the sequel. Time to suffer!

Interview with Lesléa Newman, Author of Always Matt: A Tribute to Matthew Shepard

Lesléa Newman is the author of 80 books for readers of all ages, including the novel-in-verse October Mourning: A Song for Matthew Shepard; the short story collection A Letter to Harvey Milk; the dual memoir-in-verse I Carry My Mother and I Wish My Father; the picture books Sparkle Boy and The Boy Who Cried Fabulous; and the children’s classic Heather Has Two Mommies. Her honors and literary awards include the Matthew Shepard Foundation Making a Difference Award, a National Endowment for the Arts poetry fellowship, two American Library Association Stonewall Honors, two National Jewish Book Awards, the Association of Jewish Libraries Sydney Taylor Body-of-Work Award, and the Massachusetts Book Award. From 2008–10, she served as the poet laureate of Northampton, Massachusetts. Seven of her poems from October Mourning: A Song for Matthew Shepard are included in the libretto of Considering Matthew Shepard, a fusion oratorio composed by Craig Hella Johnson. Newman lives in Holyoke, Massachusetts.

I had the opportunity to interview Lesléa, which you can read below.

CW: Discussion of homophobic hate crimes.

First of all, welcome to Geeks OUT. Could you tell us a little about yourself?

I am so happy to be here! I am a proud Jewish lesbian author of more than 80 books for readers of all ages including the famous and infamous Heather Has Two Mommies. I live with my beloved spouse of 35 years who is very kind, and our 11 year old cat who is very bossy.

What can you tell us about your latest book, Always Matt: A Tribute to Matthew Shepard? What inspired this project?

Always Matt is a fully illustrated book-length poem that celebrates Matthew Shepard’s life and legacy. I was actually asked by a member of the Matthew Shepard Foundation to write a book geared toward young readers about Matt’s life. My hope is that the book will be read and discussed by families and in classrooms and that it will inspire readers of all ages to take action to make the world a better place.

I’ve noticed from your body of work that this isn’t the first time you’ve written about  Matthew Shepard (i.e. October Mourning: A Song for Matthew Shepard.) May I ask what keeps drawing you back to writing about Shepard?

Because fate brought me to the University of Wyoming campus the day that Matt died and because he was on the committee of LGBT students who chose me to be the keynote speaker for their Gay Awareness Week, and because I missed meeting him by one day, I feel that my life is intricately bound up with his story. His untimely death grieves me deeply and I feel compelled to do all that I can to keep his name and legacy alive.

How did you find yourself getting into storytelling, especially for younger readers?

I have been writing stories and poems since I was a young child in order to understand the world outside me, the world inside me, and the relationship between the two. I started my writing career as a poet, studying with Allen Ginsberg and others, and poetry is still my first love. I have also always loved children’s books. And children love poetry! So it was a natural progression from writing poems for adults to writing poems for children to writing picture books.

As an author, you are known for the book, Heather Has Two Mommies, one of the first highly acclaimed (and highly banned) picture books concerning queer themes? How does it feel having that type of legacy as a queer author yourself?

So many people advised me to publish Heather under a pen name. But I never was one for hiding who I am. I am proud to have been called the grandmother of LGBTQ+ kidlit! Many writers have thanked me for paving the way. And I love reading recently published queer children’s books. How wonderful that  today’s children have a more diverse reading experience than my generation did.

What are your thoughts on the presence of LGBTQ+ representation in all-ages media and literature today?

Things have improved but of course we can do better. And we have to do better. All children deserve to see themselves and their families represented in the media. At this point in time, it shouldn’t be a big deal to have LGBTQ+ characters in a movie or TV show or book. It should be matter-of-fact.

In a previous article you stated, “I write out of a Jew­ish les­bian expe­ri­ence about the human expe­ri­ence.” As a queer and Jewish person myself, I would love it if you could possible expand on that quote here and what it means to you writing from that intersectional experience?

 I see the world through the dual lens of being a Jew and being a lesbian. Even if my work doesn’t have overt Jewish content or overt queer content, it is always my perspective. And the closer I get to expressing my own authentic experience, the closer I get to expressing the human experience that we all share. We all have the same emotions: joy, sorrow, anger, hope, despair, grief, happiness, love. The more specific I can be, the more my reader can relate to my words, even when they do not come from a background similar to my own.

How would you describe your creative process?

The author Gene Fowler said, “Writing is easy: All you do is sit staring at a blank sheet of paper until 3 drops of blood  appear on your forehead.” That about sums it up. I write most mornings with a pen and spiral notebook and wait for something to happen. The important thing to do is to keep the pen moving until something sparks on the page. I can go for a long time –days! weeks!—before an idea takes form. And that can be frustrating. But it’s all part of the process.

As a writer, who or what would you say are some of your greatest creative influences and/or sources of inspiration?

My teachers, Allen Ginsberg and Grace Paley continue to influence me. I can still hear their voices in my head. Allen always said, “First thought, best thought” meaning try to stay connected to that first creative spark as you keep revising and revising. Grace gave me permission to “not write in the Queen’s English.” She encouraged me to write in Yinglish, (English with Yiddish phrases and syntax) which is the language of my grandmothers, the language of my heart.

Growing up, were there any stories in which you felt touched by/ or reflected in? Are there any like that now?

I did not find myself in any of the books I read growing up. There were no books that featured a little Jewish girl with curly hair eating matzo ball soup with her bubbe on Friday night (later on in life, I wrote one!). I felt my family was different, which really meant inferior. Why couldn’t we have a Christmas tree? Why couldn’t I hunt for Easter eggs? At the time, I was upset with my parents for not letting me do these things, but looking back, I am glad that they instilled in me a sense of who I was and a sense of pride. When I came out (in the early 1980’s) there were no books that featured Jewish lesbians so I wrote a novel, Good Enough to Eat (Firebrand Books, 1986) and a collection of short stories, A Letter to Harvey Milk (Firebrand Books, 1988) in order to see myself.

Besides your work, what are some things you would want readers to know about you?

I am a big animal lover and have learned a lot about nonverbal communication from every animal I have ever known. I love doing crossword puzzles (I have been a clue in the New York Times puzzle!) and I am addicted to watching Jeopardy (Heather Has Two Mommies was once a Jeopardy question!).

What’s a question you haven’t been asked yet but wish you were (and the answer to that question)?

Question: Is it true that someone once stopped you on the street to tell you that you looked just like Hedy Lamarr?

Answer: Yes!

Are there any other projects you are working on or thinking about that you are able to discuss?

I have several picture books coming out in the next few years.

Like Father, Like Son, illustrated by AG Ford and coming out from Abrams next year, celebrates what makes dads amazing and the special relationship between fathers and son.

Joyful Song illustrated by Susan Gal and coming out next year from Levine/Querido is about Zachary and his two moms welcoming their new baby girl with a naming ceremony that takes place in their synagogue.

What advice might you have to give to other aspiring writer?

Read as much as possible. Develop a regular writing habit. Find your people, those who care about you, admire you, support you, and also have the courage to give you honest feedback about your work. And most importantly, believe in yourself. Don’t try to write like anyone else. Oscar Wilde said, “Be yourself. Everyone else is taken.” Your voice is unique and it is your gift to the world.

Finally, what LGBTQ+ books/authors would you recommend to the readers of Geeks OUT?

Oh, there are so many!

For graphic memoirs: Alison Bechdel and Mike Curato

For poetry: Minnie Bruce Pratt and Saeed Jones

For children’s books: Rob Sanders, Maya Gonzalez, and Jacqueline Woodson

For teen novels: Abdi Nazemian and Malinda Lo

Interview with Mattilda Bernstein Sycamore, Author of Touching the Art

Mattilda Bernstein Sycamore is the author of three novels and a memoir, and the editor of five nonfiction anthologies. Her memoir, The End of San Francisco, won a Lambda Literary Award, and her anthology, Why Are Faggots So Afraid of Faggots?: Flaming Challenges to Masculinity, Objectification, and the Desire to Conform, was an American Library Association Stonewall Honor Book. Her latest title, the novel Sketchtasy, was one of NPR’s Best Books of 2018. Her next book, The Freezer Door, debuted in November 2020. Maggie Nelson says it’s “a book about not belonging that made me feel deeply less alone.”

I had the opportunity to interview Mattilda, which you can read below.

First of all, welcome to Geeks OUT! Could you tell us a little about yourself?

I’m the kind of writer who thinks that writing means living, and living means writing, the two are intertwined so that every experience becomes part of the creative process, or that’s the goal, anyway.

What can you tell us about your latest book, Touching the Art? What inspired this project?

Touching the Art centers around my relationship with my late grandmother, an abstract artist from Baltimore. As a child, she nurtured everything that made me different—my femininity, creativity, empathy, introspection, softness, thoughtfulness—but when my work became unapologetically queer, suddenly she called it vulgar. “Why are you wasting your talent,” she would say to me, over and over again. The book circles around this abandonment.

Based on the description for this book, it appears Touching the Art explores the concept of Jewish assimilation and identity. As a queer Jewish person, I would like to hear your thoughts on exploring that in the book as well as any thoughts you might have on the intersection between your own Jewish and queer identities?


My grandmother grew up in Baltimore at a time when the city was rigidly segregated. Jews in Baltimore both enforced this segregation, and were victims of it. So I’m trying to explore this duality, how the Jews of Baltimore, for example, overwhelmingly sided with the Confederate South in the Civil War. There were even Jewish merchants that were smuggling goods to the South when Baltimore was under Union occupation. Most of the businesses in the one neighborhood where Black people were allowed to own property were owned by Jews, and they enforced the same racist Jim Crow policies as other businesses. My grandmother grew up two blocks from the line that separated white from Black, and I try to think about what that would have been like in the 1920s and 1930s. Billie Holiday, who also grew up in Baltimore at that time, says in her memoir, “A whorehouse was about the only place where black and white folks could meet in any natural way,” and I think that tells you everything.

Understanding this history, which I did not know about when I was growing up in DC, really helped me to understand the family I grew up in, which was a very assimilated Jewish family where upward mobility and class striving were intertwined with Jewishness. And so was racism, misogyny, homophobia. As a child I was very proud of my Jewish heritage, but after my bar mitzvah I decided I didn’t believe in God, and I wanted no part of this type of Jewishness. Of course, there’s a long history of radical atheist Jews, queers and misfits and weirdos and iconoclasts, but this was hidden from me due to the violence of assimilation.

What drew you to writing, particularly memoir? Were there any favorite writers or stories that sparked your own love and interest in storytelling?

Writing is what keeps me alive, it’s how I process the world and express myself and figure things out and connect with people too, I think more and more in this alienating world it’s about connection. I don’t write with genre in mind, I just write what I need to write, and then once it reaches a certain point I take a look at the whole thing and figure it all out.

How would you describe your general writing process?

I think I am always writing, but this could just be one sentence in a day. I write without any intention of plot or structure or form until eventually, usually once I have several hundred pages, sometimes after years, I realize what the writing is becoming and then eventually it becomes a book.

With Touching the Art, though, I started by touching my grandmother’s art and seeing what would come through. Then I moved to Baltimore to see what would come through there. And after that I went into research mode. So all of this is in the book.

What are some of your favorite elements of writing? What do you consider some of the most frustrating and/or challenging? 

I’m an obsessive editor, so I love the editing process, that you can keep working and working and working with the same text until it becomes something else, and until you get to the kind of precision that you’re looking for, but at the same time you can keep a raw sense of searching. But then of course sometimes the editing process can be the most frustrating part, especially when you’re trying to get it right.

As a writer, who or what would you say are some of your greatest creative influences and/or sources of inspiration?

I love going on walks, which sounds ridiculously cheesy, but it is what clears my head, especially leaning against trees, and I love dancing, but this has been very hard during the pandemic because I definitely don’t want to dance inside, and of course I get inspiration from reading, and from other writers, but you already know that. And sometimes there isn’t any inspiration, but I write anyway.

What’s a question you haven’t been asked yet but wish you were asked (as well as the answer to that question)?

No one has yet asked how all the different threads in the book came together, and so I would say it was through the writing itself. Like with some of these parts, I had no idea what I was doing while I was doing it, but then suddenly, at the end, something would come back into the book, and I would realize oh.

Aside from your work, what are other things you would want readers to know about you?

What else do you need to know? I mean it’s all there, really, in my work. That’s the type of writing I do.

Are there any other projects you are working on and at liberty to speak about?

Yes, I have a new novel called Terry Dactyl, which is out in the world on submission now… Wish me luck! And then after that I have a new hybrid nonfiction book called Social Distancing. I’m on my fifth draft of that one.

What advice would you give to other aspiring writers?

Just keep writing. Don’t worry about how much or how little. Don’t worry about whether you hate it, just get it down on the page. Even a sentence a day, that’s plenty. Once you have it there, you can make it into what you need.

Finally, what LGBTQ+ books/authors would you recommend to the readers of Geeks OUT?

Honestly there are so many that I don’t even know where to start. I would say that reading David Wojnarowicz’s work was the first time I felt my entire sense of the world reflected in print, especially Close to the Knives and Memories That Smell Like Gasoline, but that second one is probably out of print. Another book I will always treasure is Gifts of the Body by Rebecca Brown. A recent book that I loved is Borealis by Aisha Sabatini Sloan. Oh and Miss Major Speaks by Toshio Meronek and Miss Major offers him a great informal history lesson.

Interview with Archie Bongiovanni, Author of Mimosa

Archie Bongiovanni is a comics artist and illustrator who focuses on making work that’s gay and good. They’re the cocreator of the award-winning A Quick and Easy Guide To They/Them Pronouns and the creator of Grease Bats, a serialized comic about two queer BFFs navigating dating and late-stage capitalism. Bongiovanni’s the author of History Comics: Stonewall, and their work has appeared in The New Yorker, the Nib, Vice, and Autostraddle. They live in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

I had the opportunity to interview Archie, which you can read below.

First of all, welcome to Geeks OUT. Could you tell us a little about yourself?

Hi! My name is Archie Bongiovanni, I’m a cartoonist living in Minneapolis. I make comics that are gay and good. My books include (but are not limited to) A Quick And Easy Guide To They/Them Pronouns, Grease Bats, History Comics: The Stonewall Riots. I’ve been published in The New Yorker, The NIB (r.i.p.), and Autostraddle. I also make queer merch, zines and more which can be found in my shop.

What can you tell us about your latest graphic novel, Mimosa? Where did the inspiration for this story come from?

Mimosa is about four queer BFFs in their mid and late thirties as they navigate growing older without a heteronormative script! I was inspired by getting older myself and realizing that my thirties don’t look at all like I expected. I was taught growing up that you’d reach adulthood by landing a steady job, having a retirement account, buying a house, raising a family, etc etc. Instead, I found me and my fellow pals in their thirties with roommates, multiple jobs, and families that look very different from the iconic straight family two-parent household. I wanted to draw a bunch of friends balancing all these aspects while also trying to keep their friendships intact.

How did you find yourself getting into storytelling, particularly comics/graphic novels? What drew you to the medium?

I’ve ALWAYS loved comics. I have a high school diary entry where I write about wanting to be a comic artist. I love the way the brain works when filling in the blanks between images and words. The text can say one thing but the character’s expression can read differently and I think that’s where the magic is. I adore facial expressions and find comic characters able to showcase complex multilayered emotions with just a few lines and when it lands, it feels magical! I was never fully satisfied with writing, I love the pacing that panels allow in a story. So far my comics are all slice-of-life because I find the daily aspects of our lives incredibly interesting and complicated.

For those curious about the process behind a graphic novel, how would you describe the process?

There’s not a single way to create a graphic novel, but for me, I started with just a concept. I wanted to draw about a group of friends in their thirties because I wanted to draw characters that grew and aged with me. I then focused on the individual characters and developed them deeply. I think a lot about what the characters would want to say out loud but can’t, what they can’t quite admit to themselves. That’s where the juicy parts of the story lie! From there I wrote an outline and pitched it to my editor who I met briefly at a comic convention. I got some feedback and changed the outline and once it was accepted, I wrote the script. Scripting is the hardest part for me. The script can read as bland but once it’s in an image, it can shine with life, but it needs to be written to be critiqued and edited. Thumbnailing, penciling and inking flows a lot smoother! After it’s done, there’s a lot of waiting and behind-the-scene details to hammer out (cover designs, book designs, book copy, etc) that are both exciting  and tedious at the same time!

As a creative, who or what would you say are some of your greatest creative influences and/or sources of inspiration?

Honestly, it’s zine-makes and independent comic creators! I don’t feel influenced by a single creator or author. I get compared a lot to Alison Bechdel (a high compliment I don’t take lightly!) but I didn’t read any of Bechdel’s work until I was already drawing comics. I love seeing what people put out on their own, with their own money. A zine is made from nothing but desire and an energy to create and I love seeing what people come up with.

Growing up, were there any stories in which you felt touched by/ or reflected in? Are there any like that now?

I grew up reading Archie comics but I didn’t really feel reflected in them. I liked that they were funny and had regular kids featured in them. I couldn’t get into superhero comics at all despite trying. I discovered manga as a high school student and fell in love with the way the comics focused on emotions, feelings and growing up.

I really connected with the book My Body Is Yours. It’s a memoir featuring zines, intense vulnerability and self-exposure, cruising and exploring the different ways to exist in a body.

Besides your work as a creative, what are some things you would want readers to know about you?

While some of my work is for young adults and kids, I as an individual, am not–yet that doesn’t negate my ability to create work or promote work for a YA audience. I have a YA graphic novel I wrote coming out in 2024 that I am very excited by! I have a lot of fun on my instagram and recommend folks follow me there–just note it’s NSFW! I contain multitudes.

What’s a question you haven’t been asked yet but wish you were (and the answer to that question)?

I wish someone would ask me about my love of creepy dolls! I have a small but growing collection of dolls that I believe to be haunted. My newest doll, who I’ve named Veronica, is a three-foot curly-haired self-standing doll that I put right behind my TV. She’s always watching.

What advice would you give to any aspiring creatives out there?

I’m currently working on my next graphic novel, aimed at adults, that I’m really excited about. It takes place in a fictionalized version of my hometown in rural Alaska. I’m also currently looking for comic writing freelance jobs as I recently wrote a graphic novel (mentioned above!) that’ll be out in 2024 and found it to be such a cool experience!

Advice is hard because everyone is trying to do and create different things so I don’t think there is any blanket advice that would work for everyone. For me, it was helpful to re-define what success looks like and really naming what exactly was important to me while working in the industry. Is it a livable wage? Was it accolades? Was it the ability to tell my stories without being censored? Or maybe the most important thing are the relationships I have outside of my creative output so ensuring my work allows me to have the brainspace to engage with my community?  Doing this helped me decide where to focus my energy and ensure I wasn’t constantly comparing myself to others. I’m also, because I created my own standards of success, very successful! 

Finally, what LGBTQ+ books/comics would you recommend to the readers of Geeks OUT?

I really loved the mix of simplicity and complexity in Woman World by Aminder Dhaliwal. I also loved Stone Fruit by Lee Lai, Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe, and literally every comic Silver Sprocket publishes.

Interview with Eunnie, author of If You’ll Have Me

Eunnie is a Korean-American illustrator based in Washington. She loves exploring relationships through her art and writing, and finds much joy in the portrayal of queer intimacy. When she’s not cooking up new stories, Eunnie spends her time napping, watching video essays, and collecting hoodies in every color. Follow her @eunnieboo

I had the opportunity to interview Eunnie, which you can read below.

First of all, welcome to Geeks OUT! Could you tell us a little about yourself?

Hi, I’m Eunnie, and I’m a lesbian illustrator and cartoonist. I love drawing and writing character interactions, watching animated films, and singing, especially while I work. Happy to be here!

What can you tell us about your debut graphic novel, If You’ll Have Me? What inspired you to create this project?

If You’ll Have Me is a YA sapphic romcom about two girls named Momo and PG. It’s a quiet love story about communication and intimacy, inspired by the sweet, fluffy feelings of shoujo manga and my own desire to see a queer college romance.

Can you give us any trivia (that hasn’t already been given) about the characters from If You’ll Have Me?

Oh I love this! Yes.

Momo:

  • the type to carry everything in her bag or purse—she’s always extra prepared when she goes out
  • loves RPGs, but will usually avoid first-person games because they tend to give her motion-sickness
  • played the flute in high school band

PG:

  • fell out of a treehouse and dislocated her right wrist when she was young—she became left-handed because of this
  • secretly hates spiders but will never admit it because she likes being Momo’s knight in shining armor
  • would probably be interested in audio engineering

How did you find yourself getting into storytelling, especially comics/graphic novels? What drew you to the medium?

I’ve always liked telling stories, whether it be in conversation, writing, or art, but whenever I drew an illustration, I’d often feel like one picture wasn’t enough! Comics seemed like the next logical step, especially since I was already a fan of manga and webcomics. The fact that you can just pick up a pencil and create a world all your own, with endless opportunity to fill it with everything you love… It’s so exciting and so good.

How would you describe your art background?

I’ve been drawing ever since I was little. Around seventh grade, my brother gave me my very first tablet, and I became obsessed with digital art. When I was in high school I started seriously considering it as a career. I went to art college, got a degree in design, and now I work full time as a production artist for a small game company.

How would you describe your creative process?

On a typical illustration, I tend to jump around a lot. I’ll start coloring before I’m done inking, or I’ll have multiple WIPs up so I can constantly be doing whatever I’m most interested in. For my graphic novel, I had to focus on one part of the process at a time, so that was a bit of a challenge, mentally!

As a creative, who or what would you say are some of your greatest creative influences and/or sources of inspiration?

I’m constantly inspired by the artists I follow and the stories I read. I have a special place in my heart for indie comics—ShortBox Comics Fair is coming up soon, and that’s always such a treat. Music is a big source of inspiration for me, too. I often find myself wishing that I could make others feel the way a song makes me feel. I want my art to evoke emotions like that.

Growing up, were there any stories in which you felt touched by/ or reflected in? Are there any like that now?

I can’t recall any stories that spoke to me in terms of my identity, so I think the closest answer might be A Series of Unfortunate Events. At the time, I felt it really grasped the unfairness of being a child, and having adults dismiss or belittle you because you’re young. Nowadays, I think My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness captured a lot of feelings I had as well, about sexuality, anxiety, and self-doubt.

Besides your work, what are some things you would want readers to know about you?

It might not be apparent in my art, but I do enjoy horror! I’m too much of a weenie to watch most horror movies (unless I know literally everything that’s about to happen), but I like watching in-depth reviews and reading scary stories. I think it’s a genre that deserves more recognition.

What’s a question you haven’t been asked yet but wish you were (and the answer to that question)?

So this isn’t really a specific question but I just wanted to talk about games because I keep hearing about Baldur’s Gate 3 and I’m like, do I need to get this? I don’t know if I’d be any good at D&D, but I’ve always been curious about it. The character creation is so intriguing to me. Disco Elysium has also been on my radar, and I’m dying to pick up Ghost Trick and River City Girls 2, but there’s still favorites I want to revisit, like Fire Emblem and Animal Crossing and Splatoon… Ahh! I miss playing games.

Are there any other projects you are working on or thinking about that you are able to discuss?

I’m currently writing the script for my second YA graphic novel! It’s another sapphic romance, and it’s going to be a bit more serious in tone—something more fantastical and dramatic. I still have a long way to go, but I’m really excited. I can’t wait to share more, in due time.

What advice might you have to give to aspiring creatives, especially those interested in working on their own graphic novels one day?

Wow there’s so much I could say, but for brevity’s sake: If you want to get into traditional publishing, you’ll need multiple sources of income or some kind of support system in place. The reality is, if I tried to live off the first quarter of my book advance alone, I wouldn’t have been able to afford rent. I got by because I had another job with a steady paycheck and health insurance, and friends who looked out for me. I think artists tend to deal with this sort of thing because we love what we do so much… but it’s still labor. And until the conditions in these industries improve, you’ve got to take care of yourself.

Finally, what LGBTQ+ books/authors would you recommend to the readers of Geeks OUT?

I’m personally fond of the Kase-san series by Hiromi Takashima. It’s just so sweet and gives me the most fluttery feelings. More recently, I started reading She Loves to Cook, and She Loves to Eat by Sakaomi Yuzaki, and I’ve been enjoying that too!

Interview with Sher Lee

Sher Lee writes rom-coms and fantasy novels for teens. Fake Dates and Mooncakes is her debut. Like the main character, she has made mooncakes with her favorite aunt and has an abiding love for local street food (including an incredible weakness for Xiao Long Bao). She lives in Singapore with her husband and two adorable corgis, Spade and Clover.

I had the opportunity to interview Sher, which you can read below.

First of all, welcome to Geeks OUT! Could you tell us a little about yourself?

Hi! I’m Sher, and I write rom-coms and fantasy novels for teens. I live in Singapore and have an abiding love for local street food. Fake Dates and Mooncakes is my debut novel, and I also have two YA fantasy novels in the pipeline.

What can you tell us about your debut book, Fake Dates and Mooncakes? What was the inspiration for this book?

Dylan wants to win the Mid-Autumn mooncake-making contest in his mom’s memory—they had wanted to enter the contest together—as well as to bring much-needed publicity to his aunt’s struggling Singaporean Chinese takeout, Wok Warriors. Dylan hasn’t had much luck in love, nor has he had much time for it, as he’s busy with senior year and helping to deliver food—which is how he meets Theo.

Theo’s the boy with the wealthy, absent dad, and he has everything he could ask for. He and Dylan come from completely different backgrounds, but he’s attracted to Dylan’s down-to-earth personality and self-deprecating manner. He asks Dylan to be his fake date to a glitzy family wedding in the Hamptons, where Crazy Rich Asians-style hijinks ensue!

The Mid-Autumn Festival is celebrated on the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month, and it’s a cherished part of my childhood. I have fond memories of walking around with lanterns under the full moon as a kid and, when I was older, making snow-skin mooncakes with my favorite aunt. The festival also celebrates love and families, and the full moon is a symbol of reunion. These are all major themes in the book, along with coping with loss and finding love in unexpected places and against the odds. Opposites attract, and even though the boys’ worlds are sun-and-moon apart, eclipses happen every now and then!

Food seems to be a particularly important element of this book. How would you describe your own connection to food and how that might affect your creativity?

One recurring comment from readers has been: don’t read this when you’re hungry! “Clearly the universal love language is food,” Theo’s aunt remarks in the novel, and food is a big part of this story. All the major events invariably take place around food—from the first time Theo and Dylan meet when Dylan delivers a wrong order to Theo’s friend’s apartment, to Dylan’s determination to re-create his grandma’s lost mooncake recipe that has been passed down for generations.

As my author bio confesses, I have an abiding love for local street food, including an incredible weakness for xiao long bao. Dylan’s aunt’s takeout, Wok Warriors, also sells all the local dishes I love: chye tow kway (fried radish and egg pancake), satay, fried Hokkien prawn mee, stir-fried egg fried rice, and more!

As a writer, what drew you to the art of storytelling, specifically young adult fiction and romance?

I was a mentee in Pitch Wars 2017, which was my first serious step toward traditionally publishing my stories. I love writing YA fiction because it’s about firsts and discoveries, be it first love, first heartbreak, or first attempt to save the world. And I gravitate toward stories with a strong romantic plot, so writing a rom-com was a natural choice! I am also a huge fan of YA fantasies, which is why my next two books are fantasy novels.

How would you describe your writing process?

I nearly always need to have the major beats and the end of the story plotted out before I can start drafting. But the journey—how the characters make their way through the challenges—is a discovery during the drafting process and often includes some unexpected detours. In short, Act 1 and Act 3 usually turn out according to plan but Act 2 is an adventure.

Growing up, were there any stories in which you felt touched by/ or reflected in? Are there any like that now?

As a teenager in the late 1990’s and early 2000’s, there wasn’t a great deal of diverse children’s fiction. Gladly, the landscape of children’s literature has taken a positive turn in terms of inclusivity—diverse readers of different races can see themselves reflected in popular stories, and New York Times bestsellers include more diverse authors than before.

As a writer, who or what would you say are some of your greatest creative influences and/or sources of inspiration in general? 

Although I love to read, my primary source of inspiration is TV shows! I just love being immersed in the serialized format of episodic TV, binge-watching season after season of each new show that I fall in love and become obsessed with. I also watch shows in different languages, and recent favorites include: The Umbrella Academy, Shadow and Bone, Heartstopper, Word of Honor (Chinese), Alchemy of Souls (Korean).

What are some of your favorite elements of writing? What do you consider some of the most frustrating and/or challenging? 

As masochistic as this may sound, my favorite part of writing is revisions! There is something magical and thoroughly fulfilling about watching the draft take shape, deepen, and grow with each revision. The most challenging part of writing for me is drafting—a blank page is daunting, and I am a rather slow writer. Some authors can write 3,000 to 5,000 words a day, but a more modest goal for me is a thousand words—and sometimes I don’t even manage that!

Aside from writing, what are some things you would want others to know about you?

My husband and I have two adorable corgis, Spade and Clover (yes, I always wanted to name my pet corgi Clover, which is why Dylan’s trusted corgi confidant is also named Clover!)

What’s a question you haven’t been asked yet but that you wish you were asked (as well as the answer to that question)?

No one has asked about my dream adaptation of Fake Dates and Mooncakes, and my answer is: a Netflix movie! I think that a streaming platform has more reach than a theater release, especially for rom-coms, and it would be an absolute dream come true if Netflix acquired rights and produced Fake Dates and Mooncakes!

What advice might you have to give for aspiring writers?

Don’t chase trends, because they rise and fade fast. Write what you love, what you want to read, and can’t find on shelves. The authenticity will naturally shine through.

Social media has become increasingly important for authors, published and unpublished, to get noticed—but don’t push yourself to engage or participate at the expense of your mental health.

Are there any other projects you are working on and at liberty to speak about?

I have two YA fantasy novels coming up! The first, Legend of the White Snake, is coming out in Summer 2024 from Quill Tree, an imprint of HarperCollins. It’s a gender-flipped reimagining of one of China’s four famous folktales, in which a teen boy must hide his true identity as a white snake spirit when he falls in love with a prince hunting for a white snake for the antidote to cure his dying mother. It has the xianxia vibes of A Magic Steeped in Poison by Judy I. Lin and the queer romance of Dark Rise by C.S. Pacat (who’s also published by Quill Tree!)

We’ve also sold UK and Commonwealth rights to Macmillan Children’s as well as Italian, Spanish, and Russian translation rights. I’m so thrilled to have the chance to continue bringing stories with authentic aspects of my heritage to readers.

Finally, what LGBTQ+ books/authors would you recommend to the readers of Geeks OUT? 

I love THE CHARM OFFENSIVE by Alison Cochrun, an amazing author I admire, who also gave a wonderful blurb for Fake Dates and Mooncakes!

WHAT IF IT’S US by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera is one of my favorite YA rom-coms, with an adorable accidental meet-cute. It’s also set in New York City. Don’t forget to check out Becky’s latest book, IMOGEN, OBVIOUSLY!

I also really enjoyed SPELL BOUND by FT Lukens, as well as her earlier novels, IN DEEPER WATERS and SO THIS IS EVER AFTER.

TEACH THE TORCHES TO BURN by Caleb Roehrig is the queer Romeo+Juliet remix I never knew I needed!

There are also some great queer books coming out this year from my fellow 2023 debut authors: THE WICKED UNSEEN by Gigi Griffis (June 2023) and GORGEOUS GRUESOME FACES by Linda Cheng (November 2023).

Find Sher on social media:

Instagram: @sherleeauthor

Twitter: @SherLeeAuthor

Preorder links: https://sherleeauthor.carrd.co/

Interview with Claribel A. Ortega

New York Times Bestselling and award-winning author, Claribel A. Ortega is a former reporter who writes middle-grade and young adult fantasy inspired by her Dominican heritage. When she’s not busy turning her obsession with eighties pop culture, magic, and video games into books, she’s co-hosting her podcast Bad Author Book Club. Claribel is a Marvel contributor and has been featured on Buzzfeed, Bustle, Good Morning America and Deadline.

Claribel’s NYT Bestselling debut middle-grade novel Ghost Squad is being made into a feature film. Her latest book Witchlings (Scholastic) was an Instant NYT and #1 Indie Bestseller. Her graphic novel Frizzy with Rose Bousamra was the winner of the 2023 Pura Belpré Award for Children’s Text and an Indie Bestseller. You can find her on Twitter, Instagram, and Tiktok @Claribel_Ortega, on Twitch as Radbunnie.

I had the opportunity to interview Claribel, which you can read below.

First of all, welcome back to Geeks OUT! How have you been?

Thanks! I’ve been great, busy working on more books, and had a good summer. 

What can you tell us about your latest book, Witchings: The Golden Frog Games?

The Golden Frog Games takes place a few months after the events of the first Witchlings book, and centers a magical olympics called The Golden Frog Games. Thorn is the first ever Spare to be a competitor but someone is turning her competition into stone and it’s up to the Witchlings to figure out who it is before Thorn is next! The stakes are bigger than book one, there are first crushes and new characters and we get to see all the Coven Houses too. 

As an author, what drew you to the art of storytelling, specifically middle grade and speculative fiction (especially witches)?

I’ve always loved fantasy and the potential for exploring real world issues through the lens of magic. Witches are the perfect vehicle for the stories I want to tell too, because historically they’ve just been people who were responsible for healing and helping those in need but were villainized for being different or misunderstood or just for being women. All of my books center the perspectives of women, and marginalized people so in a fantasy world witches really embody that experience. Writing middle grade fantasy is so much fun, and for me feels really comforting. There’s something special about a cozy town with adorable animals that has an undercurrent of danger just beneath the surface. It’s those kinds of stories that spoke to me as a child, so I think that’s why I’m drawn to write them as an adult. Also, my readers are the best. They are funny, and kind and ready to believe whatever wacky scenario I throw at them. Middle grade readers are willing to go along on the adventure with my characters and root for them no matter how weird they are. 

As a writer, you have spoken a bit about featuring Dominican and queer representation in your book, from your fantasy novels to your debut graphic novel, Frizzy. Could you speak a bit here about what representing those elements mean to you as a author?

I am just writing my honest experience which I think is important. Kids know when you’re talking down to them or keeping things from them, and while I always make sure that my books are appropriate for the ages I write for, I think writing about the world as it really is with all the diversity that entails is my job as an author. After all, being Dominican and queer are things that represent me, I shouldn’t have to keep my own existence from my books. 

As a writer, who or what would you say are some of your greatest creative influences and/or sources of inspiration in general?

I have quite a few! I always say that I aspire to write something as powerful, funny and perfect as Little Shop of Horrors, haha, so that’s my North Star. In terms of writers, Diana Wynne Jones, Lin Manuel Miranda, Leigh Bardugo and Gregory Maguire are big ones. I’m always inspired by my own life too, the things I love to do (like play video games) the music I listen to, or just my experiences are all sources of inspiration for me. 

What are some of your favorite elements of writing? What do you consider some of the most frustrating and/or difficult?

I adore character creation and world building. It’s been so much fun for me to make up systems and monsters and pop culture in the Witchlings series. Writing on deadline is super challenging for me! I love taking my time with stories, and a lot of my writing process is about daydreaming and thinking about the story to let things come to me but I don’t get to do that as much while on deadline and it’s a bummer. 

What’s a question you haven’t been asked yet but that you wish you were asked (as well as the answer to that question)? 

I would love to be asked more questions about the content of the Witchling series versus just the representation or diversity angle. I think oftentimes marginalized authors get looped into talking about diversity over and over again so our books get seen as a lesson to be learned rather than a story to enjoy. The Witchlings series is about friendship, and political turmoil and the nature of monstrosity– who gets called a monster versus who is really doing those monstrous things. I would love for people to know that despite the very adorable cover of the books, the core story is a dark one with parallels to many of our real world social and political issues. The ultimate message of the Witchlings series is about the power of community and how self-efficacy doesn’t have to come at the cost of that community. 

What advice might you have to give for other aspiring writers?

Focus on the words. Don’t get caught up in stats about querying, or what everyone else is doing on social media, focus on the words and your craft and being the best storyteller you can be. 

Are there any other projects you are working on and at liberty to speak about?

The third Witchlings book will be out next year, so I’m busy working on that and there is another graphic novel in my future which I will hopefully be able to talk about soon. 

Finally, what LGBTQ+ books/authors would you recommend to the readers of Geeks OUT?

Definitely check out Small Town Pride by Phil Stamper and In The Key of Us by Mariama J. Lockington! 

Interview with Andrew Joseph White

Andrew Joseph White is a queer, trans author from Virginia, where he grew up falling in love with monsters and wishing he could be one too. He received his MFA in Creative Writing from George Mason University in 2022. Andrew writes about trans folks with claws and fangs, and what happens when they bite back.  

I had the opportunity to interview Andrew, which you can read below.

First of all, welcome to Geeks OUT! Could you tell us a little about yourself?

Hi y’all! Thank you for having me! I’m Andrew Joseph White (he/him), and I’m a queer, trans, and autistic NYT-bestselling author from Virginia. I use horror—usually gore, body horror, and violence—to explore my experiences as a queer and disabled person. But beyond just being a writer, I’m an artist, gamer, and cat dad. I grew up on creepypastas, leading to a life-long love of analog horror, low-budget indie games, and whatever disgusting thing catches my attention.

Fun fact: I’m actually a huge wimp when it comes to live-action horror movies. If you wrangle me into a seat, I’ll bring a stuffed animal and watch through my fingers.

What can you tell us about your debut book, Hell Followed With Us? What inspired the story?

So Hell Followed with Us—which came out in paperback May 9th, you should grab a copy, there’s some cool extras in this edition—is a YA post-apocalyptic horror about a teenage trans boy who flees a fundamentalist cult and joins an LGBTQ+ rebel group while slowly turning into a monster. Thematically, it’s also about far-right fundamentalist Christianity in the US and the way that queer children have to fight for survival against those who hate them.

It doesn’t take a media analyst to figure out that Dead Space and Far Cry 5 were huge inspirations for this book. I fell in love with necromorphs as a child, and desperately wanted to write a book where I could be friends with them. Plus, the religious extremists in Far Cry 5 really helped me give a nice kick to the book’s terrifying Angelic Movement. But most of all, this book was inspired by the anger I felt after realizing I’m trans. I felt cornered by a country that has done nothing but make things harder for me. I wanted to write a story where trans kids could express the rage that had built up in their chests, where the monsters were the good guys, where we could be mean and bloody and terrifying.

I’m heartbroken that so many young readers connect to my work, but I’m honored that I can be here for them.

What drew you to writing, particularly young adult fiction? Were there any favorite writers or stories that sparked your own love and interest in storytelling?

I’ve always been a writer—I started writing stories before I even knew what words were, scribbling on sheets of paper and calling them books. In fact, writing is one of my special interests as an autistic person. If I don’t write, it feels like I’m neglecting a part of my humanity. I have to.

As for reading, I devoured every story I could get my hands on, frequently chewing through novels in a day. In elementary and middle school, I loved The Last Apprentice, Cirque Du Freak, Ranger’s Apprentice, and, funnily enough, The Phantom Stallion. (I hope these bring back memories for people my age!) Eventually, in high school, I found a list of the most disturbing books in the English language and started working through those instead: Hogg, Cows, The Wasp Factory, and Exquisite Corpse have stuck with me to this day. Truth is, I didn’t actually read a lot of YA growing up. When I realized that I wanted to move this from a hobby to a career, I just knew I wanted to write stories that spoke to my teenage self—and in the current market, those happen to fall under YA. Looks like I made a good choice!

Hell Followed With Us is said to feature queer and autistic representation. What does it mean to you as an author writing this into your work, especially as a trans and autistic author yourself?

For me, it means getting to create the stories I desperately needed as a teen but couldn’t find—if I even knew to look for it. It also means taking myself apart to inspect my identity and my feelings, then scooping up the bloody mess and throwing it on the page. It’s so, so freeing to create characters who share my identities and get to be the heroes instead of jokes or tragedies. I write about trans people who are angry and badass and deeply influenced by their identity yet not overshadowed by it, and autistic people who aren’t just obstacles for other characters to overcome or gawk at. It’s a breath of fresh air, and I get to give those stories to anyone who wants them.

I don’t think I’m ever going to get over all of the young trans and autistic people who have told me they’ve never felt so represented.

How would you describe your writing process? What inspires you as a writer?

These days, I start every book with a chunky chapter-by-chapter outline, often with additional character lists, definitions, and timelines. I did not do this with Hell, and I paid the price for it—editing was a year-long horror show. I also tried to plot my second book, but I didn’t go far enough, and editing that one also nearly lead to me throwing out the manuscript a few dozen times. These days, I’m very careful to cover all my bases.

Once it comes to actually putting words on paper, I’m a very revision-focused writer; I churn out the first draft as quickly as I can, then do a few different passes: usually one focusing on the plot, then themes, then wording. I find drafting and revision both wonderfully rewarding, just for different reasons.

When my creative well runs dry, I flock to indie games, ARGs, creepy video essays, and the homebrew TTRPG worlds I build for my friends. However, so many of the things my stories touch on come from real-life issues—US politics, transphobia and ableism, family history, etc. Those two sources combined help my work become truly unsettling, since horror becomes even more horrifying when it touches on real topics.

What are some of your favorite elements of writing? What are some of the most challenging for you?

Full honesty? I love getting edit letters. Sure, I sulk about them, and maybe I complain and whine, but even as someone who is violently protective of my solitude, the moment that my writing becomes a collaboration with an editor who loves my work as much as I do is unmatched. Ideas begin bursting from every corner and it’s a frantic, wonderful moment of togetherness and improvement.

The most challenging is probably plotting. I’m very open about how difficult it is for me and how much help I ask from my agent and editors. That’s why my outlines are so long—I have to nail everything down at the start or it’ll just unravel. I’ll run the outline by my agent once or twice, and then by the editor when it’s acquired, and then a few friends just to double-check. I’m prone to hand-waving things or including dull coincidences, and it’s a struggle to iron them out. I just want to write cool stuff and not think about it, but that does not a good book make. Boo.

One of the hardest parts of writing a book is finishing one. Were there any techniques/ strategies/ advice that helped you finish your first draft?

This question hits home. Growing up, I struggled to complete anything. My mom would always say, “You can’t get a book published if you don’t finish one!” And obviously, she’s right.

These days, the only thing that keeps me focused on a project is the fact that I’m getting paid to do it, and I have an agent and editor who will have to do more work if I don’t turn manuscripts around on time. However, when it came to the first draft of Hell, the one thing that helped me finish it was become completely, utterly obsessed with it, while at the same time challenging myself to write a thousand words a day in between college classes. I churned out 80,000 words in three months! From there, it was a mountain of edits and rewrites, but finishing novels is a skill, and you have to give it practice.

What’s a question you haven’t been asked yet, but wish you were asked (as well as the answer to that question)? 

Okay, maybe this is a little bit of a spoiler, but: Why does Benji stay a monster at the end of the book?

I’ve been asked this once or twice, but I’m truly devastated that it doesn’t come up more often. It is so, so important to me that the main character, Benji, stays a monster at the end of Hell. There is no rewind, there’s no reversal; he becomes a giant beast with six wings and a hundred teeth and spikes and welts and claws, and he stays that way.

The short answer is, Benji stays a monster because I’ve always been upset that the Beast turns back into a prince. No, but seriously, Benji stays a monster because it would be so horrifically meaningless if he went through all this pain and did all this work to accept himself only for it to be undone. The theme of monstrosity as something that can be loved and good would be completely unraveled. In my opinion, turning Benji back into a normal boy would be the more traditional ending, but it’s also the coward’s way out. If you’re going to write a book about monsters, own it, you know?

Besides your work, what are some things you would want readers to know about you?

My first instinct is that I’m literally just some guy. I love that people are so excited to meet me and ask me for advice, but I always laugh and say, “I’m just a dude!” I’m a guy with an overactive imagination that the publishing industry has taken a shining to.

I will say, I would like my readers—especially my neurotypical readers—to understand that my success does not negate my disability. I’m here because my community accommodates me. Lots of things are hard for me! I struggle with cleaning, showering, and taking care of myself; maintaining communication with me can be unduly difficult, and I frequently self-isolate for months at a time; I often can’t understand or express my own feelings. Sometimes speaking feels like chewing barbed wire and my anxiety gets so bad I become physically sick. I love my autism so much, but I don’t want non-autistic readers to think that I’ve “overcome” it or anything, you know? And I definitely don’t want my young autistic readers to have to hide themselves to be accepted. We should be allowed to be open about our experiences, and I want to help make that happen.

What advice might you give to other aspiring writers?

My favorite go-to is be ugly! Write situations that are messy, imperfect, and have no good answers! Write characters that are cruel or feral or unlikeable! There is so much pressure for marginalized authors to write stories that are neat little packages that the majority can consume and accept without feeling bad about themselves. It’s pressure that I almost gave into—when I started writing Hell, I was terrified to write a book about a trans kid turning into a murderous monster. I thought it’d make us look bad. But we are allowed to be three-dimensional people. We’re allowed to be imperfect and rough around the edges, and I want nothing more than for that to be embraced for everyone.

If you’re as hungry for stories like this as I am, pre-order I Feed Her to the Beast and the Beast Is Me by Jamison Shea. I was lucky enough to get an early copy and I promise, it’s just as good as it sounds.

Are there any other projects you are working on and at liberty to speak about?

Oh, publishing loves to make authors wait punishingly long times to announce projects and sales—but for what might be the first time, I don’t have anything to hide right now. Whew!

My sophomore novel, The Spirit Bares Its Teeth, released this September—if you’re looking for a historical horror/fantasy about ghosts and an autistic trans boy battling ableism, conversion therapy, and the insidious terror of upper-class white society, then this is the book for you. Coming in 2024 is Compound Fracture, my West Virginia-based thriller following an autistic trans boy with a special interest in leftist history who faces off against his homicidal classmates with the help of a pissed-off ancestor.

And then, in 2025, I get to release my adult debut. You Weren’t Meant to be Human is a nasty book about the horrors of pregnancy, the failure to protect bodily autonomy in the US, and how queer and disabled children can slip through the cracks to become angry, shattered adults. (Plus there’s parasitic alien worms! Yay!) I’m so excited for this book, and I really hope it finds its readers.

Finally, what LGBTQ+ books/authors would you recommend to the readers of Geeks OUT?

There’s so many to choose from! For those interested in trans horror, I’m recommending Alison Rumfitt to anyone who will listen—Tell Me I’m Worthless permanently rearranged my neurons, and I have a PDF of Brainwyrms sitting in my inbox right now. On the YA side, Blood Debts by Terry J. Benton needs to be on every young reader’s TBR, and I’d be amiss if I didn’t also recommend everything by H.E. Edgmon and Courtney Summers. Check them all out!