 Hello and welcome to Reader Corner! Ever since my very first book was published a highlight for me has been interacting with readers. I love learning about others and giving them a place to tell us about themselves. If you're interested in joining the fun email me at [email protected] or use the contact link at the top of the page. Today I welcome Claire Potterton. She's a fascinating lady with an awesome family. Thank you for sharing a bit of yourself and your lovely family with us!  Elizabeth: Tell us a bit about yourself: Claire: I usually get in to trouble for my response to ‘tell me a bit about yourself’, because I always say ‘I’m a Mum’, but it does in fact cover it quite nicely. My children have made me who I am. Their challenges have certainly defined the way I view life, and I'd like to think that they have made me a better person. Ensuring their needs are met has made me a fighter, the need for acceptance and understanding of various aspects of their lives has led to me taking to the stage and speaking out, and raising them on my own has made me stronger that I ever thought I could be! My eldest son, Cas, has just turned 16. He came out as trans a couple of years ago, has high functioning autism and is beginning a Performing Arts course in September. He is a self taught ukulele and guitar player, writes obsessively, and loves cosplay. His courage and determination take my breath away.
 Next come Ollie and Daniel, they turn 14 in the summer and are incredibly tall! Dan has autism, both have ADHD, and both have Cerebral Palsy; not that they ever allow any of those things stop them having a go at anything! Both play guitar, and are technology wizards, which comes in very handy, given that I am a total technophobe. Phoebe is 11, and my only girl; book obsessed, just like her Mum, a total diva, destined for the stage….and starting high school in September. Aaaargh!  Then there's my baby, who sadly isn't a baby anymore, or so he likes to remind me, often! Alfie is 8, a whizz at maths, (he doesn't get it from me) and a total cuddle monster. An Alfie hug can brighten the darkest of days!  Aside from the mothering, I'm short, slightly overweight, change my hair colour on a monthly basis, bake incessantly and am hopelessly in lust with Gale Harold! The humans in my house just outnumber our four legged friends. We have three cats, Tiger, Lottie and Harry, (15, 11 and 3), and two dogs. Fergie is an 11 year old Rough Collie bitch and Storm is a completely crackers, 4 year old Siberian Husky. They drive me crazy, ensure I have to vacuum on a daily basis, and keep me fit and active.  Elizabeth: Why were you drawn to this genre?
Claire: I have been an avid reader since I was a kid, torch under the covers and all, but my switch to MM came about as a result of stories cropping up in a few series that I was reading; Ethan, by Nicole Edwards, Lover At Last by JR Ward, and Let Love Live by Melissa Collins. I searched out more books in the genre and very quickly became hooked. Why? Various reasons. The story is often more intensely emotional; a battle to be won, triumph over hate and bigotry. There is no lead character to make me feel inadequate, no tall, slim, sexy woman with flawless skin, pert and perky boobs etc; and let's be honest, these stories are often hot as Hades! Reading is my escape, the off switch for my often chaotic life, and quite possibly the saviour of my mental health. The genre has also made me some rather lovely new friends! Elizabeth: Do you prefer eBooks or paperbacks: Claire: I generally read ebooks, but have a fairly healthy collection of ‘real’ books, old and new. I would love to have more, but short of having a couple of the kids adopted, I just don't have the space! Elizabeth: What's your favorite TV show or movie? Claire: I rarely watch television, it's more effective than a sleeping pill these days, although I have a couple of series on DVD that I watch from time to time. OK, one of them is a bit more than ‘from time to time’, QAF is a bit of an obsession! Elizabeth: What music do you listen to? Rec’s welcomed! Claire: Music is also an obsession in our house, any and all music. 80’s rock is loved by everyone, (my kids have been well educated), but my tastes also run to opera, country, 90’s disco, musicals, jazz…….you get the picture. Sadly, my singing voice is reminiscent of a cat being strangled, not that it stops me belting out my favourites; my children however, appear to have inherited their voices from there father..thank goodness! We are a slightly bonkers, decidedly weird, and incredibly happy bunch.  Hello and welcome to Reader Corner! Ever since my very first book was published a highlight for me has been interacting with readers. I love learning about others and giving them a place to tell us about themselves. If you're interested in joining the fun email me at[email protected] or use the contact link at the top of the page. Today I'd like to welcome batchelorboy55! He's a pretty neat guy and I was delighted he shared some of himself with me. Jumping right in, would you tell us a little about yourself? I am: a gay man a hubs a father a grandfather Australian retired but most of all I am. What are your hobbies? duh! Reading with a lifelong quest for trivia, interrupted by our garden haven (http://thebatchelorpad.tumblr.com ) Elizabeth's note: batchelorboy55 modestly dropped that link in without much explanation. I followed the link. I won't spoil the surprise, but suffice to say it's amazing. Do you have pets, and if so tell me about them?  Why were you drawn to this genre? Snatching covert reads as I tried to identify why I was interested in reading MM and subsequently more about myself. I continue to search & read first-time authors, good action/mystery and different locations with a bias for anything set in Australia/New Zealand, Hawaii and Wales/Cornwall. Why do you like this genre? It so often affirms my presence as a gay man, but also fills in for some of the years in denial/unbeknown. How did you discover MM romance and gay literature? I originally read this as when? Answer: 1970s, as I said covertly through until I came out in 1994. How? As a librarian we just know these things. As a cataloguer I had access to books before they went into the public library network. What are your reading habits? I’ve been known to snatch some pages while in the drive-thru of McDonald’s. Simply; anywhere, anytime. Do you prefer paperback, hard cover or eBooks? I love paperback/hardback and have cherished print collection of 1500 gay fiction. I embraced reading in the digital age in 2007 when my job as Information Services Librarian allowed me the opportunity to explore emerging technologies and promote/demonstrate/instruct staff & students at a multi sector Indigenous learning Institute. After medical retirement my kindle & tablet have become a lifeline as I can read an adjusted font size. I can’t manage 8pt paperbacks very well anymore. But have been known to purchase the print release in a continuing series. If you’re an eBook lover tell me about your favorite devices? Tricks and recommendations welcomed! Started with Kindle, long before they were available in Australia. I steadfastly cling to AmazonUS as it serves my needs better than .com.au. Having said that, I also strive to purchase where the author gets the best bite of the biscuit/cookie. This means I have taught myself tricks like calbire – which not only reformats files (into .mobi or whatever) but also has the capacity to correct the metadata. It’s amazing how much easier it is to finding documents when they have been corrected. send to kindle – which allows you to upload to your kindle .azw, .mobi, .prc files from your desktop. epubor – which can strip most encryptions and then convert to .mobi (or whatever) LibraryThing – is where I chose to data manage my collection. Yes I looked at Goodreads, but I find LT comfortable as its file structure is more like traditional cataloguing. After all it was 1967 when I catalogued my first book (ouch, 50 years) https://www.librarycat.org/lib/gsc55 or http://www.librarything.com/profile/gsc55 feedly – to monitor sites using RSS feeds rather than signing up for newsletters. twitter – I use only for giveaway entries What’s a favorite recipe? Black Forest Pavlova, but my yuletide fave is Wassail. What’s your favorite TV show and/or movie? Film: Latter Days TV: anything crime/mystery, but I will admit to being a Whovian before it was fashionable. What music do you listen to? I was a (mediocre) keyboard player up until the hand/eye coordination (or lack there-of) became embarrassing. This meant I was more inclined to play than listen, and then more likely to listen to music TV shows like Bandstand, Countdown (Aus), even Name that tune (go ahead and laugh UK mob). My fondest memories are of playing keyboard for church services & events. I would draw on poignant music from movie soundtracks, often generating a puzzled request for what was the tune it sounded familiar. Ennio Morricone The Mission, Elton John Song for Guy, The English Patient, Schindler’s list, Stairway to Heaven and Whiter Shade of Pale (using the understory of notes rather than the melody line), Enya. Yep, even snuck in I dreamed a dream after a sermon based on Acts 2:17. Even got a chance to play the pipe organ at the church where Mum & Dad grew up & married (they came to the TopEnd of the Territory as Methodist missionaries from Brighton, Sth Aust. during the 50s). Addendum: As I re-read I have missed out on the years as a passable tenor with the Darwin Chorale, a chorus boy for several local productions, and some years as Stage/Production/Asst.director when hearing loss prompted a move off stage. Why did you decide to do this interview? I don’t really know, although I do have a psych report labelling me as narcissistic. In reality though, it’s about why I read MM fiction. We have so many stories in our real life and our escapes, that it is always great to share them. What is your favorite type of romance plot or trope? Once I was on a pension I had to start budgeting, something I occasionally abandon. I am mainly focused on must-have authors and continuations of series. SO Charlie Cochrane, Julie Bozza, RJ Scott, Josh Lanyon, Anthony Bidulka, Mark Abramson, Geoffrey Knight, Jeffrey Round, Max Vos, Greg Herren, James Lear, Mark Zubro, Michael Jensen, Scot Pomfret, Gyles Brandreth, Neil Plakcy, Tal Bauer, Harper Fox, AJ Llewellyn, Brent Hartinger etc, etc, etc. Most re-read I own is The Front Runner, by Patricia Nell Warren. Do you ever go to conventions to meet authors? Do you like to interact with authors on social media? Conventions & meets both fascinate me and terrify me. I too easily throw myself under the bus in crowded spaces and the anticipation of saying the right/wrong thing. However, I relish the opportunities social media allows me to effuse and swap stories with authors (& publishers) What other types of books/magazines do you read? Not even the daily paper. I use RSS sources online for news (my professional background helps me to declare a site fake news). I’m not in a glasshouse, but I am content with a lifestyle of reading (anywhere in our garden), social media exchanges and tending said garden. What do you like in a book’s cover art? Ah, a telling question. When I decided to create a facebook page to share from my collection (now almost 7000 titles of gay fiction) I realized I needed something simple where I could maintain my momentum. I have never been comfortable reviewing, in fact the joke is that for a librarian I have always had poor reading comprehension skills, to the extent that I had to re-take my high school finals to get university entry, and then 3 years of “remedial” English to get my degree. So it came to pass that I chose Judge a Book by its Gay Cover. Cover art so often gets me into trouble with the book budget. What are your favorite flowers? Gerbras are a connection I have with my mother. Gingers and heliconias are the connection I have with the tropics. Grevilleas and natives are the connection I have with the hubs. The love of a garden is the connection I have with my father, and his father. What’s your favorite drinks? Above I mentioned Wassail. But Southern Comfort on ice has been a consistent fave. These days a glass or three of bubbles, red or coffee somewhere about the garden (not bad for a no-longer Methodist, LOL)  batchelorboy55 manages a Facebook page, Judge A Book by Its Gay Cover.
 Hello and welcome to Reader Corner! Ever since my very first book was published a highlight for me has been interacting with readers. I love learning about others and giving them a place to tell us about themselves. If you're interested in joining the fun email me at[email protected] or use the contact link at the top of the page. This week I welcome Elizabeth Beltz who has awesome hair! I love the color. Elizabeth was so kind to answer some questions and she has lots to share with us. It was a pleasure getting to know another reader.  Tell me a little about yourself? I’m single, just passed by 43rd birthday and spend my life with paper (either reading it for fun or shoveling it for pay) and playing with my hair color. Do you have pets, and if so tell me about them? I don’t currently have a pet, but am definitely a cat person. The picture is my best cat ever, Wedge (a.k.a. the attitude wrapped in fur).  Wedge How did you discover MM romance and gay literature? My BFF, Amelia C. Gormley, sent me the first seven Cut & Run books for my birthday one year because she wanted to talk about them with somebody. Ty and Zane became a highly addictive gateway drug—I’ve given up trying to kick the habit and have embraced the fall down the rabbit hole. Do you prefer paperback, hard cover or eBooks? I tend to keep buying a series in the format I started it. That said, you can’t beat the smell of a brand new book *or* the convenience of an e-reader. Please reference the question about reading habits. If you’re an eBook lover tell me about your favorite devices? I usually read in a Nook app on my iPad. It can be a scary thing having a credit card and a device where I can buy the book, tap a couple of times and start reading . . . talk about instant gratification. What’s a favorite recipe? I can’t cook worth a damn, but I absolutely love to bake and indulge both my cheesecake habit: https://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/creamy-cappuccino-cheesecake/2be85bc0-a755-41df-b879-f13f46351166 and love of homemade chocolate cake: https://www.hersheys.com/kitchens/en_us/recipes/hersheys-perfectly-chocolate-chocolate-cake.html It’s from a different recipe, but I made my Dad a birthday cake last year (he loves tigers) and a giant jello shot for getting together with friends for Christmas. Your baking looks amazing! Thank you for sharing the recipes with us. I'm definitely going to try that cheesecake.
 What’s your favorite TV show and/or movie? I am currently obsessed with Shadowhunters because, after all, Malec is life. That said, my regular tv viewing schedule (3 rounds of NCIS, Criminal Minds, Bones, 24, etc.) has a body count that resembles a Rhys Ford novel. Why did you decide to do this interview? Seemed like something both fun and a bit out of my comfort zone. I need to do more of both. Do you ever go to conventions to meet authors? Do you like to interact with authors on social media? This year will be my fourth GRL (my flamingo companion Mingo’s second) and being able to talk to the people who craft the stories I love is one of the best things ever, followed closely by their willingness to answer strange questions in their Facebook groups. What’s your favorite drinks? I love fuzzy, fruity, “chick” drinks. There’s a local mexican restaurant that has a frozen mango/peach margarita that is to die for. If I want to go cheap and am willing to wash the damn blender, I’ll mix a small can of pineapple juice, 4 or 5 scoops of orange sherbet and a generous portion of peach schnapps.  More Yummm!!  Hello and welcome to Reader Corner! Ever since my very first book was published a highlight for me has been interacting with readers. I love learning about others and giving them a place to tell us about themselves. If you're interested in joining the fun email me at[email protected] or use the contact link at the top of the page. Hello and welcome back to another round of Reader Corner! This week I am pleased to have been able to learn about more about a wonderful gentleman, Stanley Errington.  Sketch by Stanley Errington Elizabeth: Would you tell us a little about yourself? Stanley: I’m an artist, fashion designer and teacher, though that wasn’t always the case as I was a psychiatric nurse for twenty years until an assault by a patient left me with a damaged spine. I do like to think of myself as a ‘glass half full’ person, and although disabled I’m grateful to be alive, and when I hit 60 next year I will be looking forward to the next chapter of my life! Elizabeth: What are your hobbies? Stanley: Other than reading, I enjoy drawing, sewing, visiting art galleries and travelling. I also enjoy foreign language films and thought I would learn a new language and chose Swedish, though to be honest I understand it a lot better than I speak it! Elizabeth: Why were you drawn to this genre? Stanley: As a gay man, I think it was inevitable, although it was a female friend who got me started! Elizabeth: Why do I like this genre? Stanley: I enjoy the wide variety of characters that reflect both positive and negative aspects of gay men, and I like to immerse myself in their stories, probably because I’m an old romantic. Elizabeth: How did I discover M/M romance and gay literature? Stanley: A female friend recommended ‘Dirty Kiss’ by Rhys Ford, and after that I was hooked Elizabeth: What are your reading habits? Stanley: I make time to read every day, be it ten minutes or a couple of hours, and before I go to sleep I listen to audio books Elizabeth: Do you prefer paperbacks, hard cover or e-books? Stanley: I love all formats of books, but lately because of my arthritis I tend to read more e-books, and usually on my smart phone or tablet. Elizabeth: Favourite TV show and/or movie Stanley: My favourite TV show is ‘Game of Thrones’ followed closely by ‘The Eurovision Song Contest’, which is an annual song contest that started in 1956 and it also happens to be one of the campest shows on TV. My favourite all time film is ‘Camille’, the original with Greta Garbo Elizabeth: What music do you listen to? Stanley: I have a varied taste in music, but my favourites are – Abba (‘The Winner Takes It All’ is my all-time favourite song), Celine Dion, Nanne Gronvall, Kim Jae Joong and Versailles. Elizabeth: Why did you decide to do the interview? Stanley: Bottom line – I thought it would be fun, and something different – which it was! Elizabeth: What is your favourite type of romance plot? Stanley: I can honestly say that I don’t have a favourite type of plot, just as long as the writing is good (but I do like a happy ending). Elizabeth: Who are your favourite authors? Stanley: I have books by a wide variety of authors but in particular I have three favourites; Rhys Ford, Rick R Reed and TJ Klune. When I read books by any of these three I know I’m going to be taken on a wonderful journey, where I might laugh or cry, be on the edge of my seat, or all three, but I know I’m going to enjoy their work.  Dress designed by Stanley Errington  Hello and welcome to Reader Corner! Ever since my very first book was published a highlight for me has been interacting with readers. I love learning about others and giving them a place to tell us about themselves. If you're interested in joining the fun email me at[email protected] or use the contact link at the top of the page.  Celest and Eric This week I welcome Celest Nagel Fitzpatrick. She has a shining sense of humor that came right through in her answers. Elizabeth: Tell us a little about yourself? Celest: I’m 35, married for almost 14 years, and live just south of Portland, OR. I’m an accounting assistant for a labor union and really love my job, just not the drive. Because of my long commute, I’ve just started listening to audiobooks and I’m really glad I did. I’m currently listening to Tales of the Harker Pack by Tara Lain. I am the oldest of five girls, though only raised with two of my sisters. I’ve just met the other two within the last couple of years. I have a tattoo that represents all five of our birthstones in one celtic knot. Elizabeth: Do you have hobbies? Celest: If I’m not working, I’m either reading, hiking, or volunteering. I spend most of my free time (and sometimes not-so-free time) reading. Now that I’ve started listening to audiobooks on my commute to and from work, I now have the ability to go through two books at the same time. I have recently started hiking and can’t wait for the weather to cooperate so I can find more fun places to visit. For the last two years, I have volunteered for the AARP Tax-Aide program preparing taxes for low-to-middle income taxpayers and seniors. It is a wonderful program that helps take the pressure of those that are confused by the tax system. This year, I added instructing new volunteers to my plate and found it to be a great learning experience as there are so many volunteers from different walks of life that bring different levels of experience to the program. There are different roles for different people and not all volunteers prepare taxes. Some translate and some act as greeters/facilitators. I highly encourage anyone that wants to volunteer for a worthy cause look into the program.  Elizabeth: Do you have pets, and if so tell us about them? Celest: We don’t have any kids but we have a dog and a cat. Our dog Sammy is a five-year-old, 30-pound, beagle-lab mix that is a big mamma’s boy. Nothing is worse than having to look him in the eyes when I have to pack an overnight bag or when I leave in the morning. He enjoys playing with his two canine cousins but prefers people. Our cat is a gray-tuxedo, two-year-old jerk that has his sweet moments (though far and few between).  Elizabeth: How did you discover MM romance and gay literature? Celest: I actually stumbled onto it. I was at a large national bookstore chain looking for a new book and came across Wolf Tales by Kate Douglas. There were some m/m scenes that I found hot and started looking for more stories like it. It was actually m/m books that got me hooked on e-readers; first the Nook and now the Kindle. Elizabeth: What are your reading habits? Celest: I read and it’s a habit. I read anytime I can and I go through withdrawals if I forget my Kindle at home. Elizabeth: What’s your favorite TV show and/or movie? Celest: My husband and I love watching Making the Team: The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, American Ninja Warrior, and The Big Bang Theory. Most nights that we have together include at least two or more episodes of TBBT and we record our other shows when they’re on and use the weekends to catch up. Currently, my favorite movies are Moana and the new Beauty and the Beast. Here in a month or so, my husband and I plan on watching a double feature of Guardians of the Galaxy. BTW: if anyone lives near Portland and wants to go see Beauty and the Beast, find me on Facebook and I would love to go. Elizabeth: Why did you decide to do this interview? Celest: I thought it would be a great way to interact with others while getting out of my comfort zone. As much as I would love to meet a bunch of my favorite authors as well as other readers, I am a complete introvert and need to get to know people in smaller groups. Elizabeth: Do you ever go to conventions to meet authors? Do you like to interact with authors on social media? Celest: The only convention-like event that I’ve been to is the Gay Romance Northwest Meetup. I’ve gone the last two years and have enjoyed getting to know some Pacific NW authors. This year, they’ve changed the name to Read with Pride Northwest. I look forward to attending this year’s event to see what other changes may happen. Some of the authors I’ve met before and hope to get to see again are Amber Kell, Rick R. Reed, Annabeth Albert, and Charley Descoteaux. Hopefully, sometime in the next few years, I will get a chance to attend GRL so I can meet even more of my favorite authors like Andrew Grey, Jacob Z. Flores, Charlie Cochet, and Amy Lane. While I like to follow them on social media, I don’t really interact much but that’s more social awkwardness than anything. Elizabeth: What other types of books/magazines do you read? Celest: Before I stumbled on to gay romance, I read lots of Harlequin books, of all varieties. I’m currently reading Lori Foster’s Buckhorn Brothers series. I love her contemporary romances. I also enjoy reading Nora Roberts. Elizabeth: What do you like in a book’s cover art? Celest: I’m absolutely horrible and judge most books by their covers. If I’m browsing online, I gravitate towards covers that have kids or animals or covers that use light, softer colors. If a book has a dark cover or difficult-to-read writing, If I don’t see the cover before reading a blurb or review, it likely won’t bother me as much.  Thank you, Celest (and Eric) for sharing your family and a bit of yourself with us! We are all lucky to have people like you as part of our reader community.
 Hello and welcome to Reader Corner! Ever since my very first book was published a highlight for me has been interacting with readers. I love learning about others and giving them a place to tell us about themselves. If you're interested in joining the fun email me at [email protected] or use the contact link at the top of the page. Today I welcome a lovely lady by the name of K.G. who has agreed to answer a few questions. Elizabeth: Would you tell us a little about yourself? K: I am an avid reader, explorer, napper, and dog lover, currently living in the amazing and terrifying city of New York . Elizabeth: Do you have hobbies? K: Reading, urban exploration/hiking, going to concerts, and trying out hobbies—most recently I’ve tried board games, knitting, and scrap-booking, but none of them have stuck. I just really like trying new things but I’m bad at continuity. I also volunteer with an animal rescue shelter. Elizabeth: Why did you decide to do this interview? K: A huge part of the draw of this genre to me is the community and the readers, so learning more about everyone sounded like such a creative idea! When I saw that more interviewees were needed, I volunteered on a whim.   Elizabeth: How did you discover MM romance and gay literature? K: I think there was something really freeing in a way about getting my Kindle, something about browsing on Amazon instead of a bookstore really let me explore outside my literary comfort zone. (“Something about” she said vaguely, fully aware that it was privacy that made her brave enough to check out the sections she would avoid in a bookstore for fear of the censure of strangers.) I did kind of a slow drift into romance in general a few years ago and as I was exploring, I came across an F/F romance book and immediately started reading every single LGBTQ+ romance I could find. I especially loved any books that validated bisexuality. I had never felt any level of acceptance in real life at that point. Like in my experience, even a few years before then, ten years ago now, googling something like, “I like both men and women” led me to websites or posts about “How to tell if you are gay or straight” or “Everyone has stray thoughts about the same sex sometimes, you’re still for sure straight” or “How to come to terms with being gay”. In person, I was advised that “I kissed a girl and I liked it” (on the radio non-stop the first time I tried coming out in college, my second attempt in life) was only for attractive girls; at the same time, allies comforted me with assurances that, “We’re here when you’re ready to actually come out, no matter how long it takes”. So there were a lot of years where I really struggled with myself and fitting in and I felt like a liar and completely alone no matter where I was. It got to a point where I was sick (emotionally, mentally, physically) of hiding but I didn’t have any frame of reference for an alternative; I didn’t even know what to hope for. Reading about people experiencing what I longed for comforted me and it gave me a picture of what I could have. Finding LGBTQ+ romance in many ways saved my life, or at least made my life better, and eventually made me braver. Looking back, I can see that it gave me the inspiration and support I needed to make my own life better, through my own agency and action. Elizabeth: Would you tell us a little of why were you drawn to this genre? K: I found a lot of comfort in the romance genre in general—I liked the assurance of an HEA, the general structure / framework of most romances, and the emotional connection I could create with the characters without feeling drained or depressed. It was buoying to me. Once I started reading more deeply within romance, I found queer romance and it was amazing. Happy endings for everyone! At first it was comforting, validating, and rewarding to read about people similar to me but like, enhanced. So relateable, but…romanticized, I guess. At first I read almost exclusively F/F, but then branched out across LGBTQ+. I still mostly stick with the ones with a guaranteed HEA, although I prefer the ones that have some real stakes to the characters maybe not getting it, so that there is tension and an investment on my part but I know it will be worth it. Elizabeth: Why do you like this genre? K: I used to avoid romance because of its stigma—the same way any book about a woman that isn’t depressing is derided as “chick-lit”, I think—but once I let go of my ego, and what other people told me counted as literature, I discovered it’s got so much depth, creativity, emotion, and yes, fun. Some of my favorite authors, some of the most talented authors, are great for the very reasons the genre is mocked—they write light-hearted books about good people who experience good things and have a happy ending, with a few “happy endings” in between. And their books are just as valid representations of the human experience as books where everyone dies under the weight of their own angst or of dysentery or something. And there are a lot of very emotive, introspective, deep books in this genre too—I love its diversity and breadth and depth! Like so many different, perfect settings—like really rich fantasy, expertly researched historicals, truly representative contemporaries. And the characters! I find that as long as I’m conscious about which authors I support and which part of the community I engage with, I can find books that are truly representative and respectful of LGBTQ experiences. Sometimes that means they mirror or amplify my own; more often than not that means they are introducing me to the unique and varied and valid experiences of others. Those, honestly, are my favorite. I think they make me a better person and a better member of and ally in the LGBTQ community. (Because being a member of a minority community, in my opinion, does not alleviate me of the responsibility to be an ally to other members of that community.) And I think my favorite thing about the genre is the people—the authors, their characters, the community that loves them—because it helps me feel more at home in my own skin, that other people are seeking and celebrating the same things as me, even if it isn’t always the exact same thing as me and especially when they aren’t the same as me. Elizabeth: Do you ever go to conventions to meet authors? How do you like interacting with authors on social media? K: I have not been able to go to a convention, just a lack of opportunity for the most part. I do like to follow authors on social media. It feels like even compared to a year ago most authors prefer to keep fans up to date on social media rather than by maintaining a website, so the best way to keep track of news and releases is through their twitter or Facebook account. Some authors have really great groups associated with their accounts and sometimes I like hanging out there with other fans—joining contests, question threads, reacting to exciting news, things like that. I love a good Teaser Tuesday!! There are also a lot of amazing reader groups which are great for recs and reviews and just general enthusiasm. I honestly prefer reader groups and have found a really great community online in them, especially Group. However, after really immersing myself in the genre and community I’ve learned to be discerning about which authors and groups I follow, let alone engage with, online. I have a one-strike policy with authors, individuals, and groups because I’ve found that if people are dismissive or offensive to another person or another group once, or allow that kind of behavior once, it will never, ever just be that one time. I can’t control what goes on IRL, but I can create a safe space for myself online. I’ve managed to create a very insular, cozy bubble for myself, and I prefer it that way.  Elizabeth: Tell us about your reading habits? K: I read ALL THE TIME. It’s ridiculous. I currently have a 2+ hour a day commute, so I’m always reading then. I also read at night to relax/unwind. And on the weekends. And at 3 a.m. on release days when the book goes live on Kindle. And on my Kindle app in line at the grocery store, waiting for the printer, at the counter at Starbucks…Sometimes when it’s nice out I go to the park so I can read while getting sunlight. If I find a book I love, I literally cannot put it down. I’ll end up staying up until 5 a.m. finishing a book. God help me if it’s a series and I have to immediately dive into the next one! Elizabeth: Paperback, hard cover or eBooks? K: I prefer eBooks now because it saves me space, it’s easier to commute with, and I feel like the books in general are more accessible to me. However, if I truly fall in love with a book I also like to have it in physical form. I think I like the permanence of it, and it feels like doubly supporting the author. Hard cover is probably my least favorite – they’re big, heavy, and expensive! I usually only by hard cover used if that’s the only edition I can find of a book I want to own, or borrow from the library. Elizabeth: What do you like in a book’s cover art? K: I guess I tend not to judge romance books by their covers because there are a lot of good books with really awful covers, but when I’m browsing I tend to be drawn to simple, evocative/emotive designs or photos, or ones that are unique and creative in some way. A lot of my favorite cover art ended up being a favorite after I read the book and realized how perfect the mode or image or imagery fit the character / plot / message. A few cover pet peeves of mine are stock photos that just don’t even remotely look like the people in the book, or are stereotypes of the people in the book, or like if it’s just torsos (like two shirtless guys with their heads cut off by the top of the page is kind of creepy) or if it’s too literal. Like, if the book is about a woman who falls in love with her kid’s soccer coach, the cover really doesn’t need to be a copy-paste mess of generic stock photos of a business woman, a woman wearing a whistle, and a random floating soccer ball. I mean, I’ll probably still pick up the book and read it—one of the benefits of a Kindle is it’s much easier to get over bad cover art—but I’ll cringe a little bit when I do. Sometimes fan cover-art or just fan art in general nails it and I want to replace the cover with their interpretation instead! Elizabeth: And, lastly, what other types of books/magazines do you read? K: A little bit of everything! I read widely (but not very deeply) across genres. My 2017 resolution is to finally read my giant TBR pile of books I’ve bought or been gifted over the years and never read. To keep things interesting, I’m trying not to read two books in a row from the same genre. So far it’s been books in sci-fi, memoir, mystery, fantasy, narrative non-fiction, historical non-fiction, and a few random ones from classes in college. I break up non-fiction into categories I’m not sure are real because I have so many that I thought looked interesting and then never read. I also made a rule that if after the first 50 pages I am just not feeling the book, I put it in the give-away pile rather than forcing myself to continue. That’s been so liberating! I was stuck on this one sci-fi epic that is supposed to be a classic but it was so, so dense and I just could not get into it. I found myself procrastinating reading it—on my commute, I’d stare at the ads on the subway rather than read this book—and I was not feeling very positive about my resolution at all. Once I made the decision that it’s okay not to finish a book (and I have no idea why I was so against this to begin with), I’ve made so much more progress on my resolution and had a lot of fun doing it. Plus, I’ve made room on my shelves for books I love by clearing out the books I don’t and fallen in love with some amazing books that have just been sitting there the whole time! Elizabeth: Kenna, thank you so much for sharing a little about yourself with the world. I am very pleased to have gotten to know you a little and hope to learn more!  |
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