WPS Author Interview Day 5: C.J. Tuma

 WPS Author Interview Day 5: C.J. Tuma

Welcome to day 5 of the Wonderland Pride Spotlight author interviews! Today I am interviewing C.J. Tuma. To see all of the spotlight posts created by my lovely community, head over to the hashtag #wonderlandpridespotlight over on Instagram! 

CJ's Books

• First Oaths (coming October 2025)
• Solemn Vows (coming February 2026)
• Sacred Orders (coming June 2026
• Last Rites (coming October 2026)

The Interview

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

"I am a nonbinary ace lesbian, so I tick a lot of LGBTQ+ boxes! lol"

2. What books of yours have LGBTQ+ representation, and what rep do they have?

"My series (co-written by my ace bestie) coming out in October features an MM main couple (one of whom is demisexual) and several LGBTQ side characters."

3. Why do you think LGBTQ+ rep in books is important?

"I think it’s so important for people to be able to see themselves in characters, and for too long it’s been standard for the main couple in a book to be straight. I want my stories to be a place where people can feel seen and represented across the spectrum of sexuality. On top of writing with the assumption that all main characters are at least bi until proven otherwise, I strive to have my worlds be largely queer-normative—though there is a particular character in this upcoming series who is a jerk about it, but he’s the odd one out—because without the religious influences of the real world, why should LGBTQ+ people be considered aberrant or sinful? Many cultures used to celebrate queer folks, and it’s time to bring that back."

4. What got you into writing?

"I’ve been writing for as long as I can remember, but the biggest influence and the reason I’m still writing today is my fifth-grade teacher. I wrote a bit of description that I was particularly proud of about the moonlight on the snow one evening while walking to my best friend’s house, and then wrote it in my journal for school the next day. My teacher was so impressed with it that she read it for the whole class, and I think that was the first time I realized I might be good at it. From then on, I always knew I was going to be a writer, even if it took me decades more to get to the point of being happy enough with something to publish it."

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

"I can’t think of one particular person off the top of my head, but collectively, I would have to say the lesbians who took care of those dying during the AIDS crisis in the 80s. When everyone else was afraid to be near those who were ill because they weren’t sure how HIV/AIDS was transmitted and thus were willing to let them die alone, the lesbians stepped up and made sure they were looked after. They treated the ill and dying with the humanity that the rest of the world was not, and I think we could all learn a thing or two from their selflessness and the love they had for their queer brothers."