WPS 2026 Day 21: Jodi Davis

 

Wonderland Pride Spotlight Day 21: Jodi Davis

Welcome to day 21 of the 2026 Wonderland Pride Spotlight! This is my way to help champion LGBTQ+ books and authors this Pride month! Today I am interviewing Jodi Davis. Be sure to check out my Instagram for even more excitement with this event!

Jodi Davis's LGBTQ+ Releases

• SoulSearch
• Sacrifice

The Interview

1. Are you LGBTQ+? If so, how?

"Bisexual"

2. What rep do your books have?

"SoulSearch: Bisexual, gay, and lesbian

Sacrifice: Bisexual, pansexual, polyamorous, and trans"

3. If you were to write in a different genre, what would it be?

"Historical Fiction. It’s the one genre I love that I don’t write. It’s world building only the world is built and you are inviting people into it. I love research but the amount for historical is crazy. I admire and worry for historical fiction writers."

4. What is your biggest writing inspiration?

"Everything? Anything. I love to know even the 'boring' details of anything. And I love books that make you feel like you’ve entered the secret world of anything. Being a cobbler or a beekeeper or cleaning out enclosed tanks."

5. Anything exciting for you on the horizon?

"I have my first audiobook (SoulSearch) coming out this year and a story set in that world coming out in an anthology in the Fall. I’m bouncing up and down excited. I’m also committing to do more in person events with my first two day event in September (Smyrna Beach Florida! )"

6. Who is a queer figure you look up to?

"Historically it’s been difficult to know that someone was Queer even if you admired them. I think it is amazing that this is a part of their lives you can be aware of. Fictionally the first books I encountered that had any representation was Swordspoint by Ellen Kushner and Mercedes Lacky’s Valdemar novels.  I’ve always admired Sally Ride as the first American woman in space. I wanted to be an astronaut and there she was living her life. I wish she would have been able to be open with her partner and had them there with the wives of the astronauts she worked with."

Outro

I adore this excuse to conduct little author interviews! Happy Pride everyone! Stay tuned tomorrow for another amazing indie author and their LGBTQ+ releases!

WPS 2026 Day 21: Millie Abecassis

  

Wonderland Pride Spotlight Day 21: Millie Abecassis

Welcome to day 21 of the 2026 Wonderland Pride Spotlight! This is my way to help champion LGBTQ+ books and authors this Pride month! Today I am interviewing Millie Abecassis. Be sure to check out my Instagram for even more excitement with this event!

Millie Abecassis's LGBTQ+ Releases

• The Color of Time
• A Legacy of Blood and Bone
• Daughters of the Blue Moon

The Interview

1. Are you LGBTQ+? If so, how?

"Bisexual"

2. What rep do your books have?

"The Color of Time: Lesbian & BIPOC

A Legacy of Blood and Bone: Lesbian, gay, and bisexual

Daughters of the Blue Moon: Lesbian and bisexual"

3. If you were to write in a different genre, what would it be?

"I'd love to write a thriller! It's a genre I love to read. It feels like a difficult genre to tackle, so I haven't tried it yet, but something tells me that one day, I will."

4. What is your biggest writing inspiration?

"Other books. My reading feeds my creativity constantly. Occasionally, a story will be inspired by a dream or a random 'what if' question, but more often, I am inspired by other authors, from the classics to contemporary writers."

5. Anything exciting for you on the horizon?

"I just started drafting a high fantasy novel. Its working title is The Library of the Dead and it's filled with scheming, murder, politics, and lost sapphic love. I haven't written anything new in over six months, so it's good to finally work on a new project."

6. Who is a queer figure you look up to?

"Not a real person but the character of Thirteen in House had a lasting impact on me. It was the first openly bi character I saw in a show who was portrayed in a positive light. As for a real person, I look up to Harvey Milk, the work he did for LGBT rights, and how he paved the way for activists that followed."

Outro

I adore this excuse to conduct little author interviews! Happy Pride everyone! Stay tuned tomorrow for another amazing indie author and their LGBTQ+ releases!

WPS 2026 Day 21: Ally McGuire

 

Wonderland Pride Spotlight Day 21: Ally McGuire

Welcome to day 21 of the 2026 Wonderland Pride Spotlight! This is my way to help champion LGBTQ+ books and authors this Pride month! Today I am interviewing Ally McGuire. Be sure to check out my Instagram for even more excitement with this event!

Ally McGuire's LGBTQ+ Release

• Echoes of the Heart

The Interview

1. Are you LGBTQ+? If so, how?

"Lesbian"

2. What rep do your books have?

"Latina, lesbians, gays, chosen family"

3. If you were to write in a different genre, what would it be?

"Well...I kind of do, really. Under Ally McGuire I write Sapphic Romance, but under Brey Willows I get to play with different worlds--from vampires in compounds in Pennsylvania to lesbians in space to sapphic fairytales. I want to put sapphics everywhere!"

4. What is your biggest writing inspiration?

"The absolute desire to ask 'what if' and then populate the answer with queer folks."

5. Anything exciting for you on the horizon?

"I'm writing The Truest Heart, another sapphic romance, right now. And we have the Queer the Shelves festival in Nottingham in June, and I LOVE the community that comes with that long running festival. And we'll be at Pride events, too!"

6. Who is a queer figure you look up to?

"Katherine Forrest. She's a fairy godmother of lesbian fiction and everyone should read something by her. I got to hear her speech at GCLS one year and it was phenomonal."

Outro

I adore this excuse to conduct little author interviews! Happy Pride everyone! Stay tuned tomorrow for another amazing indie author and their LGBTQ+ releases!

WPS 2026 Day 20: T. M. Kirk

 

Wonderland Pride Spotlight Day 20: T. M. Kirk

Welcome to day 20 of the 2026 Wonderland Pride Spotlight! This is my way to help champion LGBTQ+ books and authors this Pride month! Today I am interviewing T. M. Kirk. Be sure to check out my Instagram for even more excitement with this event!

T. M. Kirk's LGBTQ+ Release

• A Fragile Spell

The Interview

1. Are you LGBTQ+? If so, how?

"Bisexual"

2. What rep do your books have?

"FF relationship"

3. If you were to write in a different genre, what would it be?

"I honestly can't see myself writing anything but romance. I'm all about the looooove. The meet cutes, the squeal moments, the tears. I want it all with a guaranteed HEA. But I might consider writing paranormal mystery one day. I love all the witchy and vampire stories, so even if I wasn't romance-centric, I would still write non-humans."

4. What is your biggest writing inspiration?

"I wish I could say something inspirational like a family member encouraged me or a major life event happened, but mostly I just love stories that let me escape from reality. From the time I was little, I've been obsessed with one day creating a book that might sit on the same shelf as some of my heros. Books have always been there for me when I was a lonely kid, and they're still here for me as a lonely adult! 😂"

5. Anything exciting for you on the horizon?

"TBD. I have three series out as well as other unnamed projects, and I'm currently debating what to start next. It's kind of surreal knowing I can write whatever I want because that's the beauty of indie!"

6. Who is a queer figure you look up to?

"Laverne Cox. She's this absolutely incredible transgender actress. Some might know her from Orange is the New Black but she's done a lot more than that. Not only is she unbelievably talented, but she's also this wonderful advocate for the queer community."

Outro

I adore this excuse to conduct little author interviews! Happy Pride everyone! Stay tuned tomorrow for another amazing indie author and their LGBTQ+ releases!

WPS 2026 Day 20: Ryley Banks

 

Wonderland Pride Spotlight Day 20: Ryley Banks

Welcome to day 20 of the 2026 Wonderland Pride Spotlight! This is my way to help champion LGBTQ+ books and authors this Pride month! Today I am interviewing Ryley Banks. Be sure to check out my Instagram for even more excitement with this event!

Ryley Banks's LGBTQ+ Releases

• Heat Waves
• Sacked by the Quarterback
• Eggplant Night
• Teacher Pet
• Dirty Dishes
• Third Time's the Charm
• The Big Bad Book of Bedtime Stories Volume 1: A Spicy Short Story Collection

The Interview

1. Are you LGBTQ+? If so, how?

"Bisexual"

2. What rep do your books have?

"Heat Waves: MM

Sacked by the Quarterback: MM

Eggplant Night: Bisexual

Teacher Pet: FF

Dirty Dishes: Bisexual

Third Time's the Charm: Transfemme and FF"

3. If you were to write in a different genre, what would it be?

"I absolutely love writing spicy LGBTQ+ romance, so this is a tough one. I'd have to say fantasy. I think I'd have a blast making up new fictional worlds, discovering the logistics behind the societies, that kind of thing. I've dabbled in this somewhat under the romance umbrella, but I may have to do more! It's one of my favorite genres to read, too, ever since I was a little kid and my grandfather read me The Hobbit for the first time. Then I discovered Tamora Pierce's Song of the Lioness series, and it was full speed ahead on the fantasy train!"

4. What is your biggest writing inspiration?

"I can't list any one thing, but maybe it's good that I can find inspiration from everywhere. It could be a social media post or meme, or something someone says or does that sparks an idea. A few days ago a plot bunny hit while I was reading another book. I wrote the inspo down to save for later--it's a very long list at this point. As for who is my biggest writing inspiration, it would be MM romance author Keira Andrews. Her books always hit, and she's successfully been able to write books in various subgenres under the same name, which is what I hope to do as well. She's also super nice."

5. Anything exciting for you on the horizon?

"Yes! I've been working on an expansion and rewrite of one of my favorite short stories, which was featured in a charity anthology a few years ago. It's a high-heat MM contemporary romance set in autumn in New Hampshire, and it has all the fall vibes you could ever want--Hallmark, but make it SPICY. The characters had so much more to tell me, and I'm finally letting them have their say. Even better, it's going to be part of a 4 book series. They should all be novellas, but I'll let the stories tell me for sure.

Also, I'm doing more in-person events in New Mexico. One of my favorite parts about being an author is getting the chance to meet readers so I'm thrilled to have more of this on my schedule this year, and hopefully next. I've got one coming up in Albuquerque in mid-July, so it's just around the corner."

6. Who is a queer figure you look up to?

"I wouldn't necessarily say 'look up to', but queer celebrities like Anna Paquin, Stephanie Beatriz, Billie Joe Armstrong, Lady Gaga, Cardi B, François Arnaud, and many more discussing their bisexuality publicly is so helpful for bi visibility. That's one reason why I write a lot of bi characters too--so readers can see themselves on the page, regardless of what gender their love interest identifies as, or if they've ever dated or been with someone of the opposite or same sex. I want them to know they are valid, just the way they are."

Outro

I adore this excuse to conduct little author interviews! Happy Pride everyone! Stay tuned tomorrow for another amazing indie author and their LGBTQ+ releases!

WPS 2026 Day 20: Nicole Herron

Wonderland Pride Spotlight Day 20: Nicole Herron

Welcome to day 20 of the 2026 Wonderland Pride Spotlight! This is my way to help champion LGBTQ+ books and authors this Pride month! Today I am interviewing Nicole Herron. Be sure to check out my Instagram for even more excitement with this event!

Nicole Herron's LGBTQ+ Release

• Quest to Valadin

The Interview

1. Are you LGBTQ+? If so, how?

" Ally: mother of one non-binary pansexual and one aro/ace teenager"

2. What rep do your books have?

"Asexual/demiromantic, gay, and lesbian"

3. If you were to write in a different genre, what would it be?

"Prior to starting the current series I had been working on a middle grade fantasy based on Aesop's Fables. I had just left my job as an elementary librarian and had two fifth graders at home, so it was what I was immersed in at the time. One day I'll go back to it, but for now, I feel the need to reach an older audience."

4. What is your biggest writing inspiration?

"I have always loved reading and my tastes change constantly. For my Quest Therapy series, the concept started as a desire for accurate represent of social anxiety in literature. I wanted to show that it was possible to have friends and do the things that scare you, even with social anxiety. I incorporated the tools I'd learned from therapy into an RPG system because I believe in the power of story in all its forms to influence one's mental state. I tell people that writing Quest to Valadin was my effort to therapize myself.

I did not set out to write LGBTQ+ fiction. It just evolved as the story unfolded. My kids are both queer and it is important to me to show the world that they are people, just like anyone, with struggles and victories the same as you or me. It felt completely natural to incorporate that into a story involving mental health."

5. Anything exciting for you on the horizon?

"I'm currently working on Book Two for the series and I'm hoping to have it out by the end of the year. This one will dive deeper into the LGBTQ+ community."

6. Who is a queer figure you look up to?

"That's a tough one to answer. If we're talking public figure, I love Chris Colfer for so many reasons. Not only is he a fantastic performer and singer, but his children's books are so good and filled with subtle advocacy. 

But truthfully, it's the queer individuals in my life that continue to show up in the world, even with the constant media push to erase them. My kids, the lesbian couples I know from church, the queer adoptive parent that fights for her trans daughter, the writer friends I've met throughout my journey, my good friend and brave politician R. Kirk McPike... The list goes on. The world is a better place because they're in it and I will defend that until my last breath."

Outro

I adore this excuse to conduct little author interviews! Happy Pride everyone! Stay tuned tomorrow for another amazing indie author and their LGBTQ+ releases! 

WPS 2026 Day 19: Mira Gonzalez

  

Wonderland Pride Spotlight Day 19: Mira Gonzalez 

Welcome to day 19 of the 2026 Wonderland Pride Spotlight! This is my way to help champion LGBTQ+ books and authors this Pride month! Today I am interviewing Mira Gonzalez . Be sure to check out my Instagram for even more excitement with this event!

Mira Gonzalez 's LGBTQ+ Release

• Strange Lights

The Interview

1. Are you LGBTQ+? If so, how?

"Bisexual"

2. What rep do your books have?

"Nonbinary/genderfluid, bisexual, and polyamory"

3. If you were to write in a different genre, what would it be?

"I’d probably go with horror. Horror is one of my favorite genres to read, but as an author, I’ve found I get too attached to my characters and have trouble not leaving them with a happy ending."

4. What is your biggest writing inspiration?

"Probably my kids. My toddler character is based off their personality quirks and their various shenanigans."

5. Anything exciting for you on the horizon?

"My book launch this October! Strange Lights is also getting an audiobook, and I’m very excited for that process as well."

6. Who is a queer figure you look up to?

"A queer author I look up to is Aiden Thomas. Growing up, I never read much with character representation of the Latinx side of my heritage, so seeing their books all over Booktok when I was getting into writing made me feel seen."

Outro

I adore this excuse to conduct little author interviews! Happy Pride everyone! Stay tuned tomorrow for another amazing indie author and their LGBTQ+ releases!

WPS 2026 Day 19: Helena Harte

Wonderland Pride Spotlight Day 19: Helena Harte

Welcome to day 19 of the 2026 Wonderland Pride Spotlight! This is my way to help champion LGBTQ+ books and authors this Pride month! Today I am interviewing Helena Harte. Be sure to check out my Instagram for even more excitement with this event!

Helena Harte's LGBTQ+ Release

• Unspoken

The Interview

1. Are you LGBTQ+? If so, how?

"Lesbian"

2. What rep do your books have?

"Postpartum depression, POC, and stud/femme/butch"

3. If you were to write in a different genre, what would it be?

"Genre: Ha! That's an easy one, because I already do :-) I write thrillers and adventures under Robyn Nyx, and sci-fi under RJ Nyx. I use those pen names to explore the darker side of life. I'm fascinated by the human psyche, why we do or do not, how we navigate life alone and with others (I have a psychology degree and counselling background), and that's rich material to explore in books. I especially like to write across the gray moral areas with the anti-heroes and the people who are certain they're doing what needs to be done for the right reasons. And redemption is a big theme for me too: the path back to morality (that's a big thing in my RJ Nyx Extractor series).

But my romance allows me to express my marshmallow mode with wild abandon (as well as gently encompassing the more difficult aspects of life, like post-natal depression in Unspoken, a narcissistic mother in Stunted Heart, single mom in Call to Me, marital betrayal in Sanctuary etc)."

4. What is your biggest writing inspiration?

"My biggest writing inspiration is humanity in general. I love digging into relationships and the way people navigate them, be they romantic, familial, friendship, or aromantic. There's inspiration all around me in every human interaction, and I think I'll have to write until I'm 100 to capture just 5% of that beauty."

5. Anything exciting for you on the horizon?

"Now you're asking! We've actually got something HUGE on the horizon! My wife and I have always been active in the community, and since we met, our whole company has been built around working with and helping the LGBTQ+ community. But now we're developing something global: a queer reading platform built entirely by and for us. We're all so tired of Amazon and their politics, greed, and lack of transparency. Queer the Shelves Infinite will not only make it easy to publish and find queer literature, but the profits will be used to make donations and grants to LGBTQ+ organizations all over the world. We've already got our CIC status, and we'll be launching a Kickstarter soon! It's all so exciting that it's hard to sleep at night!"

6. Who is a queer figure you look up to?

"Someone queer I look up to? I admire all queer people who have the courage to live authentically, and especially to activists who risk their personal safety to further our cause."

Outro

I adore this excuse to conduct little author interviews! Happy Pride everyone! Stay tuned tomorrow for another amazing indie author and their LGBTQ+ releases! 

WPS 2026 Day 19: Kelly Preston

  

Wonderland Pride Spotlight Day 19: Kelly Preston

Welcome to day 19 of the 2026 Wonderland Pride Spotlight! This is my way to help champion LGBTQ+ books and authors this Pride month! Today I am interviewing Kelly Preston. Be sure to check out my Instagram for even more excitement with this event!

Kelly Preston's LGBTQ+ Releases

• The Demon To Your Right

• If I Could Drag You Under

The Interview

1. Are you LGBTQ+? If so, how?

"Nonbinary lesbian"

2. What rep do your books have?

"I am Audhd and Chronic Illness Chronic Pain. My books all include rep of both and mental health. My books each have a mixed character"

3. If you were to write in a different genre, what would it be?

"So I write in multiple genres :) I have works in horror, thriller, romance, sci fi, contemporary. I think the one genre I would never touch is 'cozy' if you call that a genre or low plot. I am all about the artistry of crafting a story that makes people feel intense hurt/comfort. I don't think I could ever shy away from the intensities in life. But I love being a multi genre author with that sweet hurt comfort weaving through as the constant. I love to encourage others to grow in empathy for new groups they are not a part of. Example my first two works had a heavy focus on chronic pain and mental health woven in there."

4. What is your biggest writing inspiration?

"My trauma and trauma I have observed from others. Either characters or the people who play them themselves. You can't quite ever remove the person from the equation and I love the realness that always comes through. That inspires me to write real and flawed characters that can help show others a new experience and the depth of someone else's pain and comeback."

5. Anything exciting for you on the horizon?

"I'm a finalist for a Goldie Award this year for the Golden Crown Literary Society, which is pretty exciting for my debut book to get that kind of support. It's just an honor to be included. Mostly seeing if there is a way to accommodate my disabilities for a trip to Florida."

6. Who is a queer figure you look up to?

"Hannah Gadsby, and mostly for helping me explore my Autism and how that intersects with my queerness. I had never before heard someone talk about things that I experienced my whole life and I was only watching her at first because she was gay and queer like me. Her show Douglas changed my life quite literally. Another queer person I looked up to growing up was Angelina Jolie because there were not many publicly queer femme presenting people, aside from Ellen and I never quite vibed with her. I loved how different and relatable Angelina was. I loved the authenticity and her relationship with darkness and struggle. She just felt real. I loved that she never shied away from her sexuality and it for sure was a part of why I never thought being gay was strange. My friend also had a gay aunt and I had a gay uncle so shoutout to them as well for the visibility from a young age."

Outro

I adore this excuse to conduct little author interviews! Happy Pride everyone! Stay tuned tomorrow for another amazing indie author and their LGBTQ+ releases!

WPS 2026 Day 18: Derek Wilks

  

Wonderland Pride Spotlight Day 18: Derek Wilks

Welcome to day 18 of the 2026 Wonderland Pride Spotlight! This is my way to help champion LGBTQ+ books and authors this Pride month! Today I am interviewing Derek Wilks. Be sure to check out my Instagram for even more excitement with this event!

Derek Wilks's LGBTQ+ Release

• On Deck

The Interview

1. Are you LGBTQ+? If so, how?

"Trangender, bisexual, and asexual"

2. What rep do your books have?

"Trans for Trans rep (FtM x MtF)"

3. If you were to write in a different genre, what would it be?

"Fantasy or sci-fi, whether it be YA or adult fiction, which ultimately is my goal for future projects. As much as I love a good, grounded, human character, I want a little whimsy in my work."

4. What is your biggest writing inspiration?

"Some of my biggest inspirations come from lived experiences and real places that I’ve been in life. The people I talk to, the moments I’ve witnessed, all of those are crucial parts to my world building or character development. It really helps me create a real, human feeling character in the end."

5. Anything exciting for you on the horizon?

"So many things! I have three projects slated for completion before 2030. All Paths, a short story which will be included in The Beauty of Us, a trans centered anthology. An Oath of the Stars, the first book of a YA fantasy duology. And Ten Tine Hollow, an adult horror/thriller novel."

6. Who is a queer figure you look up to?

"Maybe it’s odd to say, but my great uncles on my mother’s side. People that I’ve never met, but they were the only other queer people in my family. Two gay farmers who lived and loved during a time where you got lynched for shit like that. It gives me a sense of strength and gratuity to exist and be able to live the way I do."

Outro

I adore this excuse to conduct little author interviews! Happy Pride everyone! Stay tuned tomorrow for another amazing indie author and their LGBTQ+ releases!

WPS 2026 Day 18: Xan van Rooyen

  

Wonderland Pride Spotlight Day 18: Xan van Rooyen

Welcome to day 18 of the 2026 Wonderland Pride Spotlight! This is my way to help champion LGBTQ+ books and authors this Pride month! Today I am interviewing Xan van Rooyen. Be sure to check out my Instagram for even more excitement with this event!

Xan van Rooyen's LGBTQ+ Releases

• My Name is Magic
• By the Blood of Rowans
• The Other Me
• Obscura Burning

The Interview

1. Are you LGBTQ+? If so, how?

" Nonbinary, demi ace bisexual"

2. What rep do your books have?

"My Name is Magic: queer

By the Blood of Rowans: queer

The Other Me: queer

Obscura Burning: queer"

3. If you were to write in a different genre, what would it be?

"Mystery. My work is already dark and I have already included 'murder mystery' style subplots in my books before. I also love all things noir and crime drama. I love shows like True Detective, Mare of Easttown, The Killing, The Chestnut Man, Blind Spot, Dead Winds, and I especially Nordic noir so it wouldn't be too much of a departure for me to write something in this vein with hints of something a little uncanny or otherworldly."

4. What is your biggest writing inspiration?

"Music for sure. So many of my stories or characters have grown from a what if spawned by song lyrics or imagery used in a music video for one of my favourite songs. I also love to travel and try to take note of a place's idiosyncrasies or oddities, which have also provided inspiration for story settings and world-building details."

5. Anything exciting for you on the horizon?

"Oh yes! On October 2nd my adult dark fantasy novel, Born of Malice, comes out from Ruadan Books and I am so excited for readers to meets my neuroqueer cast of fractious demigod siblings forced to set aside past grievances in order to save the city, and people, they love from annihilation. And then, in December, my YA cyberpunk retelling of Dorian Gray, called Exquisite Decay, comes out from Tiny Ghost Press, and I am beyond excited for readers to get their hands on my ultra-queer, anti-capitalist, tear-it-all-down take on Wilde's classic."

6. Who is a queer figure you look up to?

"So many, especially in the creative world! Marsha P. Johnson immediately comes to mind, as does Harvey Milk, and more modern figures like Dean Atta, Hong Seon-cheok, Alok V Menon, Awkwaeke Emezi, Hunter Schafer, Emma D'arcy, Elliot Page--there are truly so many queer creators who are using their platforms to create positive change, inspiring others within and without the LGBT+ community to live their truth loudly and proudly. I also have to mention the lesser known Swedish author Karin Boye who was vehemently anti-fascist and defied convention in the 1930s by divorcing her husband to live with a woman. She battled the rise of Nazism, the patriarchy, and the bigotry of religion, to embrace her sexuality as well as feminism, all while being an incredible poet, novelist, and fighting her own inner battles with depression. One of my all time films, and one that inspired me to start writing, is the dystopian, tech-noir movie Equilibrium. This film is largely inspired by Boye's similarly dystopian and thought-provoking novel, Kallocain, which deserves to be as well known as A Brave New World or 1984. "

Outro

I adore this excuse to conduct little author interviews! Happy Pride everyone! Stay tuned tomorrow for another amazing indie author and their LGBTQ+ releases!

WPS 2026 Day 17: Olivia Tildon

 

Wonderland Pride Spotlight Day 17: Olivia Tildon

Welcome to day 17 of the 2026 Wonderland Pride Spotlight! This is my way to help champion LGBTQ+ books and authors this Pride month! Today I am interviewing Olivia Tildon. Be sure to check out my Instagram for even more excitement with this event!

Olivia Tildon's LGBTQ+ Releases

• Iris of the Crowned Flame
• Toll of the Crowned Flame

The Interview

1. Are you LGBTQ+? If so, how?

"Agender and pansexual"

2. What rep do your books have?

"Bisexual and interracial relationships (Black man with white woman)"

3. If you were to write in a different genre, what would it be?

"I have published in fantasy romance already, and have so many stories waiting to be written as well. But, I also have some contemporary romance stories, including one that’s about 15% written, itching to come out. And I think that, in the more distant future, I may explore some YA coming of age stories, especially as my children reach that reading level. "

4. What is your biggest writing inspiration?

"Lately I’ve been studying my indie peers. They have so many amazing stories and ways to create that it’s hard to not want to learn from them! Some of my favorite ideas come from discussions with them where we talk about the experiences we have had."

5. Anything exciting for you on the horizon?

"Yes! My fantasy romance series has a new book coming. This one will follow Nymbria, a pirate captain introduced in the last book, and feature a nonbinary romance plus a dragon daddy that can manipulate time. That series will have two more books after, and I have been working on the overall story arc for that."

6. Who is a queer figure you look up to?

"Katee Robert, Harley Laroux, C M Nacosta, and Clio Evans have all written stories I love to return to again and again. I hope to write stories that others feel similarly. Though, I will say my stories are much more about mythic destiny story arcs and character-driven epic fantasy."

Outro

I adore this excuse to conduct little author interviews! Happy Pride everyone! Stay tuned tomorrow for another amazing indie author and their LGBTQ+ releases!

WPS 2026 Day 17:Asher D. Payne

 

Wonderland Pride Spotlight Day 17: Asher D. Payne

Welcome to day 17 of the 2026 Wonderland Pride Spotlight! This is my way to help champion LGBTQ+ books and authors this Pride month! Today I am interviewing Asher D. Payne. Be sure to check out my Instagram for even more excitement with this event!

Asher D. Payne's LGBTQ+ Releases

• The Illumination
• The Abyss
• The Backlight
• The Unveiled
• The New World
• Cast From the Dark
• Vanishing Point (co-write)

The Interview

1. Are you LGBTQ+? If so, how?

"Polyamorous and bisexual"

2. What rep do your books have?

"New World series: Mental health rep (cPTSD, depression, SI, anxiety, multiple characters have autism, though it is not directly stated), BIPOC, polyamorous, bisexual, gay, and demisexual"

3. If you were to write in a different genre, what would it be?

"In having explored dark dystopian, dark romance, and dark fantasy, I think the next genre I may try could be horror… 🤭 "

4. Anything exciting for you on the horizon?

"he dark pirate fantasy I’m releasing/have released (depending on when this is posted) is part of a multiverse, which will then bleed into a dark fantasy realm with a broody Commander and a feisty Assassin."

5. Who is a queer figure you look up to?

"I’d have to say RuPaul. I grew up watching him and just fell in love with how he was so openly… him."

Outro

I adore this excuse to conduct little author interviews! Happy Pride everyone! Stay tuned tomorrow for another amazing indie author and their LGBTQ+ releases! 

WPS 2026 Day 16: Willie Carver

  

Wonderland Pride Spotlight Day 16: Willie Carver

Welcome to day 16 of the 2026 Wonderland Pride Spotlight! This is my way to help champion LGBTQ+ books and authors this Pride month! Today I am interviewing Willie Carver. Be sure to check out my Instagram for even more excitement with this event!

Willie Carver's LGBTQ+ Releases

• Tore All to Pieces
• Gay Poems for Red States

The Interview

1. Are you LGBTQ+? If so, how?

"Queer, gay, and no gender label"

2. What rep do your books have?

"LGBTQIA, rural, poor and working class, Appalachian"

3. If you were to write in a different genre, what would it be?

"I have, at this point, written and published mostly poetry, but my newest book, Tore All to Pieces, is poetry and fiction, and I have a fiction novel I hope to have out soon! I am working on a poetry/creative non-fiction collection. I am interested in screenwriting; I love films, and I think it is an exciting place for characterization.

4. What is your biggest writing inspiration?

"People. I adore people, especially people whose stories get flattened. As a queer hillbilly from Appalachia, I know all too well how we're asked to choose a lane and drive in it. But my heart is with off-road people."

5. Anything exciting for you on the horizon?

"I have a Mothman poetry collection called The Red Ahead coming out in the next few months, and I couldn't be more excited!"

6. Who is a queer figure you look up to?

"There are so many that I will inevitably not say someone obvious! Oscar Wilde. Laverne Cox. Walt Whitman. I love brazen figures, people who flaunt and refuse to let the hetero gaze soften their choices or impact. People whose very existence feels like fire."

Outro

I adore this excuse to conduct little author interviews! Happy Pride everyone! Stay tuned tomorrow for another amazing indie author and their LGBTQ+ releases!

WPS 2026 Day 16: Ash Spring

 

Wonderland Pride Spotlight Day 16: Ash Spring

Welcome to day 16 of the 2026 Wonderland Pride Spotlight! This is my way to help champion LGBTQ+ books and authors this Pride month! Today I am interviewing Ash Spring. Be sure to check out my Instagram for even more excitement with this event!

Ash Spring's LGBTQ+ Release

• Spitfire

• Smoke and Mirrors

• Yield the Ghost (out in July)

The Interview

1. Are you LGBTQ+? If so, how?

"Polyamorous, asexual, panromantic, and nonbinary"

2. What rep do your books have?

"All 3 books have multiple instances of polyamory, gay and lesbian relationships and characters, and nonbinary characters"

3. If you were to write in a different genre, what would it be?

"I tend to write a range of genres as is - I'm currently working on a found family portal fantasy with an aromantic FMC, and my published/soon-to-be-published works are superhero sci-fi, and I have projects started which fall into more space opera sci-fi and (vaguely) historical fantasy genres - but I'd write erotica if I was brave enough to publish it."

4. What is your biggest writing inspiration?

"Anne McCaffrey, Tamora Pierce, J.R.R. Tolkien, and China Miéville are all authors I really enjoy reading and who kept my love of reading alive.

But music in general tends to be my main inspiration, whether it's a vibe or a lyric or a mood or whatever. I don't write without music! At the moment I'm listening to a lot of Lydia the Bard, Rabbitology, The Crane Wives, Lilith Max, Yaelokre, and The Amazing Devil while I work on my current WIP."

5. Anything exciting for you on the horizon?

"I'm finally launching book 3 of my superhero sci-fi trilogy in July! 'Yield the Ghost' is the final installment of The Villainess Trilogy and I'm so keen.

6. Who is a queer figure you look up to?

"Oh this is hard for me to answer! Uh... I don't know if it's considered 'looking up to' them, but I really like and admire Sir Ian McKellen, Janelle Monáe, Freddie Mercury, and Hayley Kiyoko. Is it a bit telling that my answers are mostly musicians?"

Outro

I adore this excuse to conduct little author interviews! Happy Pride everyone! Stay tuned tomorrow for another amazing indie author and their LGBTQ+ releases!

WPS 2026 Day 15: Vida Rose

  

Wonderland Pride Spotlight Day 15: Vida Rose

Welcome to day 15 of the 2026 Wonderland Pride Spotlight! This is my way to help champion LGBTQ+ books and authors this Pride month! Today I am interviewing Vida Rose. Be sure to check out my Instagram for even more excitement with this event!

Vida Rose's LGBTQ+ Release

• Things We Tried to Bury

The Interview

1. Are you LGBTQ+? If so, how?

"Trans masculine and bisexual"

2. What rep do your books have?

"Gay and bisexual"

3. If you were to write in a different genre, what would it be?

"If I were to write in a different genre, I think it would be sci-fi. I played around in the medium when I was much younger, but the world building always stumped me. I'm good at horror because I can use a degree of unbelievability in an otherwise completely realistic world."

4. Anything exciting for you on the horizon?

"I have a novel in the beta reader stage as we speak! I've had a photoshoot for marketing and the cover, and I'm planning to take some of it across time and reality, taking the audience along for the ride. You'll feel a part of the world, which feels appropriate for a work that holds queer community as a central theme."

5. Who is a queer figure you look up to?

"I look up to Andrea Gibson, rest in peace. Their work was a true guiding light when I was still exploring my own identity and resonates to this day. "

Outro

I adore this excuse to conduct little author interviews! Happy Pride everyone! Stay tuned tomorrow for another amazing indie author and their LGBTQ+ releases!

WWPS 2026 Day 15: Addison Lane

 

Wonderland Pride Spotlight Day 15: Addison Lane

Welcome to day 15 of the 2026 Wonderland Pride Spotlight! This is my way to help champion LGBTQ+ books and authors this Pride month! Today I am interviewing Addison Lane. Be sure to check out my Instagram for even more excitement with this event!

Addison Lane's LGBTQ+ Releases

• The Ones Who Couldn't Let Go
• The Light in Her Dreams
• The Black Tree Chaise
• The Girl Who Grew Antlers
• The Overcrowded Heart, The Witch's Judgment
• The North Star in Eclipse
• The Shadow Taller Than the Man
• The Lungs Underwater
• The Junction of Marrow

The Interview

1. Are you LGBTQ+? If so, how?

"Nonbinary, sapphic, and gray ace"

2. What rep do your books have?

"Yes, mental health is a major element of these books, all POV characters are queer (sapphic, gay, bisexual, trans)

Blackpines: BIPOC"

3. If you were to write in a different genre, what would it be?

"I love HorrorTube and horror audiobooks and horror podcasts; artsy movies like Midsommar and The Wailing; and if I'm on WebToon, it's horror I'm scrolling (zombies and dinosaurs get top billing)...but I write fantasy (dark fantasy, but solidly fantasy), so it'd be cool to write a true horror story. I have doubts about my ability to nail the timing and tension, but if I was writing in a different genre... I love monsters, I love survivors, and I really love onryou and other revenants. I would write horror."

4. What is your biggest writing inspiration?

"Patricia A. McKillip, World Fantasy Award–winning author and never hyped half as much as she deserves! First, I fell in love with the vividness and lyricism of her prose...then she revealed Nyx Ro, who has lived rent-free in my head ever since. I remember reading The Sorceress and the Cygnet in late summer, when the leaves were already starting to turn in the South, and feeling completely transported. A match lit inside me: the yearning to gift someone else a moment like that through my writing. I've been chasing the dream ever since."

5. Anything exciting for you on the horizon?

"I'm actually in edits on a collab with my wife and one of my best friends: a Space Fantasy trilogy we have dubbed 'The Aremiad.' This story is loosely inspired by The Iliad, with mafia families in Space, eldritch horrors, mecha, and burlesquers—just a lot of things the three of us love—centering on a motley quartet of unlikely survivors who are trying to evade the wrath of an axe-wielding queen gone off the rails with her quest for vengeance. We have high hopes for this one!"

6. Who is a queer figure you look up to?

"Just one!? Okay... Ocean Vuong. Both his poetry and his prose pluck something deep in my lizard brain. He opened up this profound realization of how words can be when we relinquish the mores and assumptions of writing. It's no joke when I say he permanently altered my intellectual makeup. Every person—doesn't matter who they are—should read his work."

Outro

I adore this excuse to conduct little author interviews! Happy Pride everyone! Stay tuned tomorrow for another amazing indie author and their LGBTQ+ releases!