Exclusive Cover Reveal: All’s Fair in Love and Field Hockey by Kit Rosewater

Today on the site I’m delighted to reveal the cover of All’s Fair in Love and Field Hockey by Kit Rosewater, an  f/f YA sports Romance releasing from Delacorte Romance on May 6, 2025! Here’s the story:

A high school field hockey star must choose between her love of the game and her new, distractingly beautiful rival in this queer YA romance perfect for fans of She Drives Me Crazy and Cleat Cute!

Evelyn was raised to see field hockey as war.

Before she could write her own name, her family’s legacy on the field was already spelled out. Every step Evelyn takes toward glory is within a footprint her mother left behind. And no step matters more than this next one, with Evelyn about to lead her varsity team into their final battle season. Evelyn is beyond ready to score the Nationals title and win the critical scholarship to her mom’s alma mater that comes with it.

This year, she’s out for blood, and nothing can stand in her way…

…except for Rosa Alvarez, the highly talented new recruit on her biggest rival’s team.

After a humiliating homecoming game and follow-up prank leave the two enemies in a stalemate, they grudgingly strike a deal to help each other overcome their weaknesses on the field. But the more time Evelyn spends with Rosa, the more she finds herself casting her hardened armor aside, until she begins to wonder what life might be like if she left the battlefield behind and fought for love instead.

And here’s the gorgeous cover, illustrated by Sarah Maxwell and designed by Angela Carlino and Liz Dresner!

Buy it: Bookshop | Amazon

Kit Rosewater lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico with her partner and two small children who are bent on destroying the universe. She is the author of Books 1-3 in The Derby Daredevils, an illustrated middle grade series out through Abrams. Her debut YA romcom, All’s Fair in Love and Field Hockey, comes out in Spring 2025 through Delacorte Romance. Kit has been a high school theater and English teacher, a bookseller, a Children’s Literature academic, and a creative writing instructor for adults. Catch her online at kitrosewater.com and @savethekitrosewater.

New Releases: October 15, 2024

Middle Grade

The Ghostwing’s Lie by Rebecca Mix

This is the sequel to The Mossheart’s Promise

Something rots within the wood…

Ary Mossheart has done the impossible: The terrarium is shattered, and her people are free. When the folk of Terra are welcomed in by the fairies of Siltshore, an abundant treetop village filled with light, food, and peace, Ary promises herself that her days of saving people are over. It’s time to be normal. Live the life her gran would have wanted; the one she never got back in Terra.

But when fairies begin to disappear one by one and it becomes clear that Siltshore is not as safe as it seems, Ary Owl, and Briar will be pulled down dangerous paths as they try to unravel the strange magics of their new world—and the truth about the one they left behind. To save her new home, Ary will have to step into the role of hero once more.

Except this time, if she fails, there will be no new world to escape to.

Buy it: Bookshop | Amazon

Continue reading New Releases: October 15, 2024

Fave Five: Spooky LGBTQ Middle Grade Novels, Part I

Camp Twisted Pine by Ciera Burch

Too Bright to See by Kyle Lukoff

Deephaven Mystery series by Ethan M. Aldridge

A Touch of Ruckus by Ash Van Otterloo

The Otherwoods by Justine Pucella Winans

Bonus: These are all prose novels, but for graphic novels, check out Beetle and the Hollowbones by Aliza Layne and Artie and the Wolf Moon by Olivia Stephens

The Ins and Outs of Writing a Coming Out: a Guest Post by I’ll Be Gone for Christmas author Georgia K. Boone

Today on the site I’m delighted to welcome Georgia K. Boone, author of I’ll Be Gone for Christmas, to celebrate National Coming Out Day! Here’s a little more about the book, which just released this week from Avon Books:

Bee Tyler needs a break. In the bustling San Francisco tech community, no one ever seems to stand still—especially her perfect sister and business partner, Beth. So when her best friend suggests a getaway on the wildly popular house-swap app, Vacate, Bee decides a countryside retreat might be exactly what she needs.

Clover Mills has had a year. Between losing her mother and making the complicated decision to leave her fiancé, sticking around the idyllic Christmas obsessed town of Salem, Ohio, just doesn’t feel right. So when she hears about Vacate, she jumps at the chance to spend the holidays in the unfamiliar city of San Francisco.

Soon enough, Bee is living in Clover’s cozy Salem cottage, and Clover is living in Bee’s sleek San Francisco apartment. As Clover can’t seem to stop running into Bee’s frustratingly gorgeous sister, Beth, and Bee finds herself spending more and more time with Clover’s ultra charming ex-fiancé, Knox, the two women realize that this Christmas they may find just what they were looking for and more…

Buy it: Bookshop | Amazon

And here’s author Georgia K. Boone, to talk about the trickiness of writing a Coming Out, as someone who’s done it in real life:

Continue reading The Ins and Outs of Writing a Coming Out: a Guest Post by I’ll Be Gone for Christmas author Georgia K. Boone

Exclusive Cover Reveal: Backhanded Compliments by Katie Chandler

Today on the site I’m thrilled to reveal the cover of Backhanded Compliments by Katie Chandler, a speculative Sapphic tennis romance releasing June 10, 2025 from Atria Books! Here’s the story:

A steamy debut sapphic sports romance with a light speculative twist, in the vein of One Last Stop and Expiration Dates, in which bitter tennis rivals Juliette Ricci and Luca Kacic realize they are soulmates when the marks on their wrists fill in with each other’s names after shaking hands at the end of an intense Australian Open match.

Juliette Ricci wants one thing: to be the best women’s tennis player in the world. She’s worked nonstop with her strict father (and coach) to prepare for the Australian Open, her big chance to catapult up in the rankings. Unfortunately, she’ll be playing “Lucky Luca,” an aloof player whose unorthodox style and popularity are deeply irritating to Juliette. Fans are living for the drama after watching them trade sly insults in their individual press conferences for months. Their first ever match together is the most anticipated of the season, but Juliette refuses to let her nerves—or Luca’s annoyingly perfect abs—get the best of her.

International tennis star Luca Kacic is primed to take the number one spot, but what she really wants is to find her person. When she shakes hands with Juliette after an agonizing match and sees her rival’s name filled in on her wrist, it feels like a cruel cosmic joke. Juliette is a spoiled, arrogant brat who wants absolutely nothing to do with Luca or the idea of a soulmate.

Luca and Juliette are drawn back together for a charity match and forced to face their intense feelings. Despite their personal and professional clashes, the two grow closer after late-night massages and one too many shots of limoncello in gorgeous Naples. Their chemistry is tangible, but Luca’s anxiety tells her that Juliette is just messing with her head to throw Luca off her game, and Juliette can’t understand why Luca is so hot and cold. With the pressure of the world scrutinizing their every move, Juliette and Luca will have to decide what’s more important—being together or being number one.

And here’s the ace of a cover, designed by Kelli McAdams and illustrated by Liza Rusalskaya!

Buy it: Bookshop | B&N | Amazon

(c) Katie Chandler

Katie Chandler is a fantasy and romance author with a love of genre-blending. She graduated from Indiana University of Pennsylvania with a degree in Creative Writing and Literature in 2021. You can usually find Katie writing with her yellow lab, Blue, on her feet, making sure she stays warm and that she takes regular breaks to give him treats. When not writing, Katie spends her time watching tennis, chasing her thieving chocolate lab, Bear, who thinks her socks are his chew toys, and wondering where her glasses are. (They’re nestled in her hair.) Follow her on Instagram @author.katie.chandler.

Fave Five: New Queer YA Horror, 2024 Edition

Yeah, so there are eight; sue me. It’s a great year for queer YA Horror!

So Witches We Became by Jill Baguchinsky

Don’t Let the Forest In by CG Drews

The Dark We Know by Wen-Yi Lee

Come Out, Come Out by Natalie C. Parker

Trespass Against Us by Leon Kemp

They Thought They Buried Us by NoNieqa Ramos

What the Woods Took by Courtney Gould

Rest in Peaches by Alex Brown

New Releases: October 8, 2024

Young Adult

Lucy, Uncensored by Mel Hammond and Teghan Hammond

Lucy imagines college as more than a chance to party with other drama nerds and be roommates with her best friend Callie. College will be her fresh start. For the first time, she’ll be able to introduce herself as Lucy to people she hasn’t gone to school with since kindergarten. Plus, she happens to live an hour away from one of the most prestigious theater programs in the country. She’s always dreamed of going to Central, but when she finally has a chance to visit, it’s not what she imagined.

While Lucy and Callie are on their campus tour, two kids from their high school make the typical transphobic comments Lucy’s gotten used to in her small town. She starts to worry that her dream school might end up being High School 2.0. What if she belongs somewhere else? Somewhere that she can truly have a fresh start?

When Lucy finds a beautiful school with a great theater program on a list of the most LGBTQ+ friendly colleges, it seems like fate—except that the school is hundreds of miles away. And there’s something unexpected about it: it’s a women’s college. As far as she can tell, they’ve never admitted a trans woman. Will they let Lucy in? There’s only one way to find out: road trip!

Buy it: Bookshop | Amazon

Continue reading New Releases: October 8, 2024

Exclusive Cover Reveal: Tarnished by Erica Rose Eberhart

Today on the site I’m delighted to reveal the cover of Tarnished by Erica Rose Eberhart, an adult Sapphic fantasy with a lesbian MC releasing January 21, 2025 from Creative James Media! Here’s the story:

An outlawed magic, a hidden curse, and a love tested by fire.

In the struggling city of Braewick, a determined 20-year-old gate guard named Ailith MacCree longs for a chance at financial stability and adventure. Little does she know, her wish is about to come true. She accepts a mission from Princess Greer that promises both: escort Princess Caitriona to the Endless Mountains to meet the enigmatic hermit for a great financial reward. Ailith jumps at the opportunity and bids goodbye to all she’s ever known. But as they journey together, Ailith discovers that Cait holds a dangerous secret—she possesses powerful magic in a kingdom where magic is outlawed.

Ailith and Cait face mysterious attacks and supernatural challenges. But as they delve deeper into the treacherous landscape, Ailith learns of Cait’s tragic past and the dark curse that threatens her very existence.

With rebellion brewing in Braewick, and the oppressive king hot on their trail, Ailith must not only navigate her growing feelings for Cait, but also fight against relentless foes. As they race against time to stop the curse, Ailith and Cait uncover shocking truths about their kingdom, their families, and themselves.

Will their burgeoning romance survive the trials ahead? Can they break the curse and save their homeland from tyranny? Join Ailith and Cait on a thrilling quest filled with magic, danger, and heart-pounding adventure. Fans of high-stakes fantasy will not want to miss this epic tale.

And here’s the beautifully autumnal cover by Diana TC from Triumph Covers!

Buy it: Books2Read

Erica Rose Eberhart grew up in the Catskills region and spent many informative years in both Eastern Pennsylvania and Northern Virginia. She now resides with her family and cat in the Finger Lakes region of New York. A technical editor by trade, she has a master’s degree in English and Creative Writing. Erica has written stories since she was able to write sentences and has found comfort in fantasy her entire life, whether by consuming fantastical stories or creating her own. Beside the comfort of books, Erica adores nature walks, crocheting, embroidery, cats, baking and autumn. You can follow her many adventures on social media @ericaroseeberhart. This is her first published novel.

Fave Five: Queer Male MCs with ADHD

For Female MCs with ADHD, click here.

The Extraordinaries by TJ Klune (YA)

Cafe con Lychee by Emery Lee (YA)

Connection Error by Annabeth Albert

Fall for Him by Andie Burke

The Prospects by KT Hoffman

Bonus: These are all contemporary novels, but for a historical novella, check out In Pursuit Of… by Courtney Milan

Happy LGBT History Month!

Happy LGBT History Month! We are, of course, celebrating as we celebrate everything over here – with books! Specifically, with both fiction and nonfiction that pay tribute to LGBT history.

Fiction

Like a Love Story by Abdi Nazemian

It’s 1989 in New York City, and for three teens, the world is changing.

Reza is an Iranian boy who has just moved to the city with his mother to live with his stepfather and stepbrother. He’s terrified that someone will guess the truth he can barely acknowledge about himself. Reza knows he’s gay, but all he knows of gay life are the media’s images of men dying of AIDS.

Judy is an aspiring fashion designer who worships her uncle Stephen, a gay man with AIDS who devotes his time to activism as a member of ACT UP. Judy has never imagined finding romance…until she falls for Reza and they start dating.

Art is Judy’s best friend, their school’s only out and proud teen. He’ll never be who his conservative parents want him to be, so he rebels by documenting the AIDS crisis through his photographs.

As Reza and Art grow closer, Reza struggles to find a way out of his deception that won’t break Judy’s heart—and destroy the most meaningful friendship he’s ever known.

Buy it: Bookshop | Amazon | B&N

Continue reading Happy LGBT History Month!