I think it sounds a bit more dramatic than I made out, but for sure it's really just about being brutually honest with yourself.

Hahaha That's the one I was talking about the other day, the queer/kinky/poly thing that I wasn't sure would work. I'm kinda getting more excited about it recently lmao

I'm going to be cocky and say you'll like Heart Blood Sacrifice. Locke protects Rose, but she's far from helpless, and does her own bit o' savin', too, and mirroring that, she's Definitely In Charge, if you catch my drift 👀 BUT! She's also wounded; and sometimes needs someone to show a little care.

Yeaaahh, I hope so; I know I might just be being a bit insecure, but it still nags at me, y'know?

Right? I'm not so worried with Rose; her queerness is an early plot point, but Locke's is largely off-screen, even if it IS directly mentioned. I stil feel like I need them to both hold up lil Wile E. Coyote style signs that read "I'm still queer!" when they make out, just in case. 😬

And a Merry Hogswatch to you, too!

Case In Point: Once Bitten by Heather Guerre.

OH SWEET JEEBUS. No spoilers, but I was ready to throw the book about 1/3 of the way to 1/2 way through, (I did NOT react well; I angsted *for* them) and then she nails the ending and the angst all the way through the rest of the book. SO GOOD.

2/2

In the end, though, I've reached the point in my life where I've seriously asked myself "would you be satisfied if you died having not done X, Y or Z" and the answer is a resounding "NOPE" and one of those things is being totally honest about self-expression including, but not limited to, smut.

6/6

Plus, there's the exposure aspect of it; writing smut feels a little more exhibitionistic than writing other things, even though that's not necessarily warranted.

And I'm new to it; that... doesn't help.

5/6

I REALLY don't want to come off as Men Writing Women, because it's offensive, and also because it's really just terrible writing. I want the women I write to come off as fully realised characters because that's what all characters should be; I want to get into their heads and understand them.

4/6

is a Very Straight Book and nothing could be further from the truth. Rose and Locke are canonically queer, as are a majority of secondary characters.

That's not all of it, of course; I already shared that I don't want to write bad smut. Obviously. But there's the politics of it all, too.

3/6

I glossed over it because I was focusing on autism at the time, but I wish I'd included more digressions about queerness and autism and sexuality and shame, because it's indelibly in there.

Part of me is worried that people will read the M/F romance snippets I've posted and assume that this

2/6

Gorgeous choice of label for sure!

A thought on fire safety drom my early morning worry; don't make it a big, human sized effigy. Make it small enough to fit in one of those fire pits from BnQ, something you could easily throw a buckt of water over. Or... yknow. Don't do it at all...