Sometimes writing is like having an enormous lake in your head, and you want to get it out of your head and into a proper place for a lake so other people can come and go swimming and ride jet skis and stuff, except all you have to move the lake is a teaspoon. So you’re just sitting there frantically flinging water out of the lake with your teaspoon and telling people, “Guys, this lake is going to be so cool when it’s done,” but it will never be done. There is so much lake.
I didn’t really expect this to be relatable, but if you wanna reblog, go wild.
Honestly “Gay James Bond” or “alternate vintage era” alone would have had me clicking “buy” pretty rapidly but TOGETHER? I practically drooled into my touchpad while buying.
And the villains are fascists! (Because of course they are.) Gay James Bond fighting Nazis!
Perhaps more importantly: Gay James Bond in a tense, sexual relationship with a beautiful, mysterious smuggler (and cabaret MC) where they have amazing sex but don’t trust each other!
(And the smuggler’s name is Aristide Makricosta, which is so beautifully musical that I can’t stop saying it to myself. All the names are really good–believable, diverse, the perfect mixture of familiar and foreign–in this, which to my language-nerd heart, is my favorite sign of great worldbuilding.)
A totally awesome mishmash of late 19th/early 20th century historical details. Cabarets! Absinthe! Streetcars! Those elevators with the grates!
And obviously there are tons of badass women characters. As I said, I haven’t finished reading yet, but I know it’s gonna be great. I can feel it.
All the names are really good–believable, diverse, the perfect mixture of familiar and foreign–in this, which to my language-nerd heart, is my favorite sign of great worldbuilding.
YOU NOTICED <3 Thank you. Poor naming conventions in secondary world fantasy are a pet peeve of mine.
I definitely noticed! It was such a great read. I’ve been thinking about it long after finishing it, which is always a good sign. Can’t wait to find out what happens next!
it actually made me think of you! i don’t know why but i associate you with all that stuff i mentioned (cabarets, &c.) probs because you are so glamorous.
Honestly “Gay James Bond” or “alternate vintage era” alone would have had me clicking “buy” pretty rapidly but TOGETHER? I practically drooled into my touchpad while buying.
And the villains are fascists! (Because of course they are.) Gay James Bond fighting Nazis!
Perhaps more importantly: Gay James Bond in a tense, sexual relationship with a beautiful, mysterious smuggler (and cabaret MC) where they have amazing sex but don’t trust each other!
(And the smuggler’s name is Aristide Makricosta, which is so beautifully musical that I can’t stop saying it to myself. All the names are really good–believable, diverse, the perfect mixture of familiar and foreign–in this, which to my language-nerd heart, is my favorite sign of great worldbuilding.)
A totally awesome mishmash of late 19th/early 20th century historical details. Cabarets! Absinthe! Streetcars! Those elevators with the grates!
And obviously there are tons of badass women characters. As I said, I haven’t finished reading yet, but I know it’s gonna be great. I can feel it.
why are wlw books so angsty and deep all the time like where is my casual wlw romcom or my fantasy lesbians, space bis and trans princesses like not every wlw has some lost love in some town in the middle of nowhere
I live for posts like this, because there are soooo many good f/f books out there that don’t get the attention they deserve because of the way wlw are marginalized. So!
Here are some recs for casual/feel-good f/f representation! All links are to my reviews.
Promises, Promises - parody of LotR/D&D starring three lesbians on a quest for magical stuff
Everything Leads to You - Hollywood f/f YA about a young set designer who falls for a girl she meets under mysterious circumstances
The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet - ensemble-cast “crew of a spaceship” story. Mostly just random adventures, includes a f/f couple who survive the book.
Roller Girl - contemporary f/f romance about trans woman who joins a roller derby team
Not fluffy, but the angst is SFF-stress rather than “living under homophobia/biphobia” stress:
Ascension- queer disabled ladies fighting Big Pharma in space–you wanted space bi’s, come get your space bi’s (actually, if you want more space bi’s also check out the anthology Fierce Family.)
Chameleon Moon - review is of an earlier edition and I hear the new one has even more great representation. Trans woman superhero with two female partners living in a dystopian city that’s on lockdown from the government after everyone develops mutant powers in response to a wonderdrug.
Not Your Sidekick - in the future, what happens when your parents are superheroes but you never developed powers? You intern for the baddie, of course! MC is bi and ends up in a f/f relationship, and the sequel will star her trans bestie.
Hope this helps. Feel free to browse my “lesbian books” tag for more recs (there are bi/pan girls in some of those recs, too.)
I mean, this is basically true – f/f fluff is kinda the cornerstone of my body of writing :P (Thanks!)
All I Want For Christmas by Clare Lydon - Fluffy wlw romantic comedy (I know it’s not really in season at the moment but it’s so cute)
Gay Pride and Prejudice by Kate Christie - What it says on the tin. Elizabeth Bennett is a lesbian and the haughty Caroline Bingley is the last woman she could ever be prevailed upon to love.
Heart Trouble by Jae - A doctor gets shocked by a defibrillator while saving a woman’s life in the ER. Now they have a soul bond!
Finding Ms Write by Jae & Jove Belle - Collection of short stories about women who love women and also love books.
The Wind City by Summer Wigmore - Urban fantasy drawing on Maori mythology. Protagonist describes herself as “at least 60% gay” and falls in love with a monster girl.
Sword of the Guardian by Merry Shannon - Bi princess and lesbian bodyguard fall in love.
California Skiesby Kalya Bashe - bandits in the wild west, a hunt for jewels, stubborn people (bisexual, genderqueer)
Green Toes by Avery Flanders - gardens, a hint of magic shoes, and people falling in love (bisexual, genderqueer)
Gossamer Axe by Gael Baudin. It’s been a while since I’ve read it, but it’s fantasy. Basically one of the most epic quests to save a lover I’ve read, more enjoyable because it’s based on music and the magic thereof. It’s not in print, so it can be a little hard to get a hold of, but worth it.
I love seeing @interludepress books on here like CB Lee’s Not Your Sidekick!
ALSO SEE:
Storm Season by Pene Henson, for your opposites attract and are cabin-bound/bed sharing/Aussie-lesbian needs (why does everything have to be in the USA, trick question, IT DOESN’T!)
The Seafarer’s Kiss by Julia Ember, and it’s URSULA’S VERSION of the Little Mermaid essentially, and if looking at that cover doesn’t get you hyped, you need to check your pulse.
Heart of All Worlds by Charlotte Ashe, which is a fantasy series with WLW, bi-characters, gay characters, etc. and okay this one is gritty and not lighthearted, but if proper representation of multiple sexualities in a richly-crafted world is your jam, THERE YOU GO.
Certainly, Possibly You by Lissa Reed OH YOU LIKE BAKERY AUs?? You like gorgeous women of color falling in love? You like fun romcoms? OKAY. HERE. (This is a series, too!)
Burning Tracks by Lilah Suzanne How about a rockabilly lesbian romance? Lilah is the queen of RomCom-style novels. Breezy, funny, sexy. (Also part of a series!)
The Better To Kiss You With by Michelle OsgoodOH. HEY. Like werewolves? Like hot butch werewolves falling in love with gamer girls? LIKE THIS TO BE A SERIES? BOOM. Wish-fulfillment. This was such a fun, sexy read. I’m looking forward to the sequel.
Sideshow by Amy Stilgenbauer For your retro, coming out and runs off to join a circus lesbian needs.
HEA lesbian-focused (or lesbian-including in the case of HoAW) books for you by an award-winning press. These ain’t yo mama’s lesbian books (because those had to include someone dying). Let’s prove to the publishing world that you CAN profit from lesbian fiction!
Did you know that they often DISCOURAGE lesbian fiction in the publishing world because no one buys them!?
PROVE THEM WRONG! PICK UP A WLW BOOK TODAY!! If you can’t afford a bunch of new books, ASK YOUR LOCAL LIBRARY TO GET THEM!! In today’s environment, you can bet your local library is just HOPING to use those funds for some well-written LGBT-themed books.
SUPPORT LESBIAN FICTION.
EVEN BETTER: @interludepress is having a VALENTINE’S DAY SALE! 30% off any of their books today. Enter code LOVE at checkout!
When you’re growing up and the media is romanticizing the life of fiction writers, no one ever mentions the endless flipping spreadsheets it takes to organize all the shit you’ve made up and keep forgetting.
No lie, the spreadsheets are my favorite part.
Although mine are mostly for keeping track of how many words I’ve written (and thus when Draft 1 will be finished) and projecting how many books I can feasibly write in a year (so far the answer is two), so now I’m really curious about your system for keeping track of what you’ve made up.
It’s been a long time since I’ve posted anything here, but luckily that’s because I’ve been writing a lot! My novel draft is almost finished. That still leaves a couple rounds of editing to go, but I’m excited!
