ray stoeve (they/them)
@raystoeve.bsky.social
writer of YA and more. they/them.
🌈WORST-CASE SCENARIO out 1.20.26!
🌈BETWEEN PERFECT AND REAL, ARDEN GREY, and THE SUMMER LOVE STRATEGY out now!
linktr.ee/rayrowanjames
🌈WORST-CASE SCENARIO out 1.20.26!
🌈BETWEEN PERFECT AND REAL, ARDEN GREY, and THE SUMMER LOVE STRATEGY out now!
linktr.ee/rayrowanjames
Pinned
🏳️⚧️ COVER REVEAL!! 🏳️🌈 WORST-CASE SCENARIO drops on January 20, 2026! Featuring a T4T type A vs class clown romance; a nonbinary MC w/ self-diagnosed anxiety (but it’s actually OCD); should social justice be serious or fun?; & what do you do when your recovering alcoholic dad reappears in your life? 🧵
Reposted by ray stoeve (they/them)
I think it’s an (understandable!) error to frame the way bigots talk about trans people as “invalidating” or as thinking we’re “not real”
They know we exist! The point is that they want to exterminate us, in whatever ways they can, because they’re seeking a world where that’s no longer the case
They know we exist! The point is that they want to exterminate us, in whatever ways they can, because they’re seeking a world where that’s no longer the case
December 18, 2025 at 5:30 PM
I think it’s an (understandable!) error to frame the way bigots talk about trans people as “invalidating” or as thinking we’re “not real”
They know we exist! The point is that they want to exterminate us, in whatever ways they can, because they’re seeking a world where that’s no longer the case
They know we exist! The point is that they want to exterminate us, in whatever ways they can, because they’re seeking a world where that’s no longer the case
A weirdly positive side effect of living in this fascist hellscape is that I have been reading a lot more and I think it is actually helping me stay sane right now. And fueling my writing, which also helps me stay sane. Soooo…yeah. There’s that, I guess.
December 18, 2025 at 5:32 PM
A weirdly positive side effect of living in this fascist hellscape is that I have been reading a lot more and I think it is actually helping me stay sane right now. And fueling my writing, which also helps me stay sane. Soooo…yeah. There’s that, I guess.
Reposted by ray stoeve (they/them)
This framing is dishonest. It was a bipartisan bill. Enough Republicans actually defected and voted no to kill the bill. Three Democrats crossed over to save it.
They should be stripped of their committee assignments and thrown out of the party, quite frankly.
They should be stripped of their committee assignments and thrown out of the party, quite frankly.
Today House Republicans voted 216-211 to pass MTG’s bill to criminalize gender-affirming care for minors nationwide, marking the first time a national ban on care for trans youth has reached — and passed — the House floor.
www.huffpost.com/entry/marjor...
www.huffpost.com/entry/marjor...
Marjorie Taylor Greene's Bill Punishing Doctors And Parents Clears House Floor
If passed, the bill would punish doctors and parents who provide or consent to a minor receiving gender-affirming care.
www.huffpost.com
December 18, 2025 at 1:55 AM
This framing is dishonest. It was a bipartisan bill. Enough Republicans actually defected and voted no to kill the bill. Three Democrats crossed over to save it.
They should be stripped of their committee assignments and thrown out of the party, quite frankly.
They should be stripped of their committee assignments and thrown out of the party, quite frankly.
I’m reading Kushiel’s Dart for the first time and Joscelin has entered the chat……I see this will be an enemies to lovers arc and I can’t WAIT
But also, Guy 😭
But also, Guy 😭
December 17, 2025 at 8:05 PM
I’m reading Kushiel’s Dart for the first time and Joscelin has entered the chat……I see this will be an enemies to lovers arc and I can’t WAIT
But also, Guy 😭
But also, Guy 😭
Reposted by ray stoeve (they/them)
Something I wish we were currently better at grasping is that sometimes bad characters will do bad things. Not every villain has to be a rapist who eats baked babies, but they will be racists, bigots, assholes, and violent bastards you want to see lose. That doesn't mean I, the author, agree.
December 16, 2025 at 8:53 PM
Something I wish we were currently better at grasping is that sometimes bad characters will do bad things. Not every villain has to be a rapist who eats baked babies, but they will be racists, bigots, assholes, and violent bastards you want to see lose. That doesn't mean I, the author, agree.
Reposted by ray stoeve (they/them)
If you like interactive fiction I just published this short piece based on the fetch (no relation to Mean Girls), a figure in Irish folklore, with a trans spin on it. I’ve been getting into video game writing & narrative design and this is the first attempt I’m sharing. I’m quite proud of it!
The Fetch Speaks by western hemlock
Your friend has something to tell you.
westernhemlock.itch.io
August 15, 2025 at 11:35 PM
If you like interactive fiction I just published this short piece based on the fetch (no relation to Mean Girls), a figure in Irish folklore, with a trans spin on it. I’ve been getting into video game writing & narrative design and this is the first attempt I’m sharing. I’m quite proud of it!
Baldur’s Gate 3 literally made me a gamer. I did not play video games before that game. I was so looking forward to another one from Larian, but now…
Beyond disappointed. Especially as an author who has had their work stolen to train genAI.
Beyond disappointed. Especially as an author who has had their work stolen to train genAI.
sigh
December 16, 2025 at 6:30 PM
Baldur’s Gate 3 literally made me a gamer. I did not play video games before that game. I was so looking forward to another one from Larian, but now…
Beyond disappointed. Especially as an author who has had their work stolen to train genAI.
Beyond disappointed. Especially as an author who has had their work stolen to train genAI.
Reposted by ray stoeve (they/them)
Primary them all and block anybody who comes with the “at this crucial juncture the most important thing is that we win.” if they believed that they wouldn’t do this and with friends like them nobody needs enemies
Here are the 28 Dem Senators who voted to advance the first federal ban on trans athletes & a federal definition of sex that would make trans & intersex people non-existent: Angela Alsobrooks (MD), Tammy Baldwin (WI), Richard Blumenthal (CT), Lisa Blunt Rochester (DE), Chris Coons (DE), ->
By a vote of 76-23, S 1071 passes the motion to proceed to the motion to concur. Won't know who voted for this until the roll call is uploaded, but safe to say it passed with the support of at least 24 members of the Democratic caucus. (Rand Paul probably voted nay and Steve Daines has been absent).
December 16, 2025 at 3:12 AM
Primary them all and block anybody who comes with the “at this crucial juncture the most important thing is that we win.” if they believed that they wouldn’t do this and with friends like them nobody needs enemies
In recent author life news, WORST-CASE SCENARIO got a starred review from School Library Journal!
They loved my portrayal of OCD and of diverse teens with full, rich lives and romance in the midst of mental health struggles 🥰
And called the book a “safe environment” 🥹
They loved my portrayal of OCD and of diverse teens with full, rich lives and romance in the midst of mental health struggles 🥰
And called the book a “safe environment” 🥹
Worst-Case Scenario
www.slj.com
December 13, 2025 at 2:21 AM
In recent author life news, WORST-CASE SCENARIO got a starred review from School Library Journal!
They loved my portrayal of OCD and of diverse teens with full, rich lives and romance in the midst of mental health struggles 🥰
And called the book a “safe environment” 🥹
They loved my portrayal of OCD and of diverse teens with full, rich lives and romance in the midst of mental health struggles 🥰
And called the book a “safe environment” 🥹
I’ll be talking to my agent today about this and I suggest all authors in tradpub do the same. We can play a role in helping our publishers fight this.
December 12, 2025 at 5:57 PM
I’ll be talking to my agent today about this and I suggest all authors in tradpub do the same. We can play a role in helping our publishers fight this.
I always wonder with stuff like this why publishers aren’t just…honest. Like, why not just say “Hey y’all, most book printers are overseas and backed up but we are working as hard as we can to get you more copies of this book.”
The industry is allergic to transparency to a self-defeating degree.
The industry is allergic to transparency to a self-defeating degree.
this is a VERY good piece!!! harper and harlequin in particular seem quite messy lately! (and, i mean, for harper, always!) but i also wonder how much of the complications around printing (there's almost no book printers in the us; all are overseas and often backed up on work) affected this.
NEW: It’s not just readers that suffer due to Harlequin’s mismanagement of the' Heated Rivalry' books. Reid misses out on royalties, & booksellers miss out on commissions—which is especially painful during the holiday season when many small businesses make the bulk of their money.
December 12, 2025 at 7:06 AM
I always wonder with stuff like this why publishers aren’t just…honest. Like, why not just say “Hey y’all, most book printers are overseas and backed up but we are working as hard as we can to get you more copies of this book.”
The industry is allergic to transparency to a self-defeating degree.
The industry is allergic to transparency to a self-defeating degree.
My cat loves sleeping on my lap and I can always feel the moment that she really falls asleep because the full weight of her head relaxes onto my leg and it’s the best feeling in the entire world 🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹
December 12, 2025 at 7:03 AM
My cat loves sleeping on my lap and I can always feel the moment that she really falls asleep because the full weight of her head relaxes onto my leg and it’s the best feeling in the entire world 🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹
LET’S GOOOOOOOOO!!!!! Ready to pledge more years of my life to another Larian game!!!!!!
December 12, 2025 at 6:00 AM
LET’S GOOOOOOOOO!!!!! Ready to pledge more years of my life to another Larian game!!!!!!
Bluesky feels like the only social platform left that isn’t a hellscape of ads with a soul-crushingly opaque algorithm and never ending circular rage bait discourse. It’s nice here. Peaceful. I could get used to this…
December 11, 2025 at 4:53 AM
Bluesky feels like the only social platform left that isn’t a hellscape of ads with a soul-crushingly opaque algorithm and never ending circular rage bait discourse. It’s nice here. Peaceful. I could get used to this…
Oh my god so THAT’S how books are using Taylor Swift lyrics as titles without getting sued into the ground!!! I HAD NO IDEA
Fun copyright fact: you cannot copyright titles! Which is why there are so damn many books using short quotes from Shakespeare as their names.
December 11, 2025 at 4:49 AM
Oh my god so THAT’S how books are using Taylor Swift lyrics as titles without getting sued into the ground!!! I HAD NO IDEA
I am once again asking for the ability to toggle off seeing other people’s reposts in my feed without having to mute the individual.
December 10, 2025 at 7:11 AM
I am once again asking for the ability to toggle off seeing other people’s reposts in my feed without having to mute the individual.
my holy bible
December 9, 2025 at 9:02 PM
my holy bible
Reposted by ray stoeve (they/them)
I'm running for president on the platform that anyone who writes a review of a YA book and says something to the effect of "it reads young" is forever banned off the internet.
December 9, 2025 at 5:39 PM
I'm running for president on the platform that anyone who writes a review of a YA book and says something to the effect of "it reads young" is forever banned off the internet.
Got to add my pick, “KFC Santería” by Cain Culto, to this list for @xtramagazine.com! One of my favorite things about that song is the fact he sampled a squeaky chair for the beat 🪑
The queer and trans songs we loved in 2025 | Xtra Magazine
From Amaarae to Rosalía to Ezra Furman, here’s what we had on repeat this year
xtramagazine.com
December 9, 2025 at 6:14 PM
Got to add my pick, “KFC Santería” by Cain Culto, to this list for @xtramagazine.com! One of my favorite things about that song is the fact he sampled a squeaky chair for the beat 🪑
Reposted by ray stoeve (they/them)
Gonna go even further: don't refer to it as "consuming media" when doing this. You aren't a consumer - it's not a product. You read books. You look at art. You watch movies and/or videos. Be careful about word choice.
Reject "consume" and REJECT "CONTENT."
IT IS ART.
YOU ARE ENGAGING WITH ART.
Reject "consume" and REJECT "CONTENT."
IT IS ART.
YOU ARE ENGAGING WITH ART.
I'm being so real right now, learn how to engage in media as art and not a reflection of your own real life morals. consume things that make you uncomfortable and understand why it makes you uncomfortable. Don't just base yours and others morals standings on the media you consume.
September 22, 2025 at 2:59 AM
Gonna go even further: don't refer to it as "consuming media" when doing this. You aren't a consumer - it's not a product. You read books. You look at art. You watch movies and/or videos. Be careful about word choice.
Reject "consume" and REJECT "CONTENT."
IT IS ART.
YOU ARE ENGAGING WITH ART.
Reject "consume" and REJECT "CONTENT."
IT IS ART.
YOU ARE ENGAGING WITH ART.
🩷💜💙 I’m doing a #BiWeek giveaway in honor of Talia, a bi autistic trans girl and bestie to Hayley in my YA romcom THE SUMMER LOVE STRATEGY! One winner gets a signed personalized HC copy of TSLS.
TO ENTER:
Subscribe to my newsletter!
US only, open til 11:59pm 9/23. More deets on my IG 👀
TO ENTER:
Subscribe to my newsletter!
US only, open til 11:59pm 9/23. More deets on my IG 👀
Ray Stoeve’s Newsletter
YA author Ray Stoeve shares monthly spotlights of trans YA & MG books, updates on their own books and writer life, culture recommendations and advocacy opportunities.
mailchi.mp
September 22, 2025 at 10:08 PM
🩷💜💙 I’m doing a #BiWeek giveaway in honor of Talia, a bi autistic trans girl and bestie to Hayley in my YA romcom THE SUMMER LOVE STRATEGY! One winner gets a signed personalized HC copy of TSLS.
TO ENTER:
Subscribe to my newsletter!
US only, open til 11:59pm 9/23. More deets on my IG 👀
TO ENTER:
Subscribe to my newsletter!
US only, open til 11:59pm 9/23. More deets on my IG 👀
The “first trans YA” I talked abt last time actually WASN’T the first! How do we decide who is “first” in trans YA, anyway? Today I’m talking abt those elusive milestones, how we decide what qualifies, and what we learn when we ask that question.
August 29, 2025 at 9:28 PM
The “first trans YA” I talked abt last time actually WASN’T the first! How do we decide who is “first” in trans YA, anyway? Today I’m talking abt those elusive milestones, how we decide what qualifies, and what we learn when we ask that question.
I finished Expedition 33 two days ago and I’m still thinking about that final choice. Absolutely brilliant writing and follow through on a theme until the very end. I’ve been learning a lot about what makes a meaningful choice in a video game and that one was a perfect example.
August 17, 2025 at 7:09 PM
I finished Expedition 33 two days ago and I’m still thinking about that final choice. Absolutely brilliant writing and follow through on a theme until the very end. I’ve been learning a lot about what makes a meaningful choice in a video game and that one was a perfect example.
AGENTS YOU BETTER BE LINING UP TO REP THIS!!!!!!!
August 15, 2025 at 11:38 PM
AGENTS YOU BETTER BE LINING UP TO REP THIS!!!!!!!
If you like interactive fiction I just published this short piece based on the fetch (no relation to Mean Girls), a figure in Irish folklore, with a trans spin on it. I’ve been getting into video game writing & narrative design and this is the first attempt I’m sharing. I’m quite proud of it!
The Fetch Speaks by western hemlock
Your friend has something to tell you.
westernhemlock.itch.io
August 15, 2025 at 11:35 PM
If you like interactive fiction I just published this short piece based on the fetch (no relation to Mean Girls), a figure in Irish folklore, with a trans spin on it. I’ve been getting into video game writing & narrative design and this is the first attempt I’m sharing. I’m quite proud of it!