WPS 2026 Day 25: Artemis Glass

 

Wonderland Pride Spotlight Day 25: Artemis Glass

Welcome to day 25 of the 2026 Wonderland Pride Spotlight! This is my way to help champion LGBTQ+ books and authors this Pride month! Today I am interviewing Artemis Glass. Be sure to check out my Instagram for even more excitement with this event!

Artemis Glass's LGBTQ+ Releases

• The Funeral Crasher: A Romance
• The Audrina Diaries: The Complete Collection  

The Interview

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

"Ha! This is a super fun question since I do write in many other genres (nonfiction, kidlit, poetry). I started out publishing traditionally with two YA contemporary novels, both of which had romantic storylines."

2. What rep do your books have?

"The Funeral Chaser: sapphic, mental health"

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

"Ha! This is a super fun question since I do write in many other genres (nonfiction, kidlit, poetry). I started out publishing traditionally with two YA contemporary novels, both of which had romantic storylines."

Writing queer adult romance remains my favorite I get to return to my favorite kind of writing - writing long-form fiction with an HEA / HFN. As a novelist and as an avid reader of romance, I mean– put me in a fun, sexy, sometimes ridiculous world and keep me there for a while… 

So if I were to step away from any/ all of these genres… what could be a new one…?

Oooh - I know! I recently attended a writing retreat that was focused on applying principles of theater, improv, and movement studies to the craft of revision. It was SO fun, and so meaningful – I very much enjoyed the experience of being assigned to act out a fictional character or physically interpret the lyrical line of another writer’s poem… which leads me to my answer… 

I’ve recently been talking to a writer friend about taking a sketch comedy class. 

So my other genre would be: sketch comedy! It sounds terrifying and fun, but I think it could be really helpful with the pacing of scenes and general characterization work, which is essential to writing fictional worlds."

4. What is your biggest writing inspiration?

"As an author of unapologetically queer adult romance, I believe in joy, self-determination, consent, and pleasure. Drawing on over two decades as a writing teacher,  my academic training in kinesiology and integrative wellness, I love writing romance that centers bodily autonomy and emotional well-being.

As someone who lives with chronic illness and champions health equity, I understand intimately the importance of representation and the radical act of claiming pleasure and agency in our own bodies and relationships. Truth be told, during the darkest of times, particularly over the past decade, reading queer romance has saved me, multiple times, and so I write as a fangirl, myself In my own stories, I aim to explore the full spectrum of queer love and desire, creating space for characters who are complex, empowered, and bold."

5. Anything exciting for you on the horizon?

"Yes! I recently had my books featured at the amazing Underdog Bookstore, and I'd most definitely would like to uplift their upcoming Pride Fest in June! 

I'll also be returning to Queerly Connected in Silverlake Triangle in August. One of the best part of Queerly Connected is that the organizers, who are all amazing therapists out of Open Space Therapy Collective, encourage creators like myself to design interactive activities for all. So in addition to learning about my books, attendees were invited to play a trope-mixing game that I designed, inspired by my decades-long career as a creative writing teacher.

At my table, attendees were invited to play the I’d Rather Be Writing Romance MIX & MATCH YOUR MEET-CUTE game, and leave with the first seeds of their own love story by playing with the essential elements that make romance irresistible: the spark of tension, the ache of longing, and the joy of the happily-ever-afters (or happily-for-nows!).

I had sooooo much fine talking tropes and treasure of writing romance, connecting with new readers and fellow writers, and just generally being in community with so many amazing queer creatives and healers.

Whether they were brand new to the genre or seasoned writers (and even a few who were initially skeptical of the genre of romance), so many attendees left with trope cards in hand, having claimed space for their own queer love stories, which was itself just utterly inspiring. Queer romance is an act of resistance and joy in that it insists that our love stories deserve to be told.

I am currently in talks with a local, queer artist who is working on updating the design so we can take it to print as an official deck - so stay tuned for future news!"

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

"Just one! That’s so hard! There are soooo many I love and admire! Well, I have to say, the most influential queer figure in my life has been Michael Stipe, lead singer of R.E.M. I was in the seventh grade when I begged my mom to drive me six hours into the middle of Wisconsin so that I could see the band perform live. She was never one to miss a good concert, so off we went, my 56-year old mom and a sea of high-as-F college students. We squeezed up to the front row, so close that I will forever swear I was only three feet away from Michael Stipe. 

Michael Stipe, to me, embodied – and still does, for the record -- integrity, artistry, vision, and voice, particularly in terms of queer storytelling and writing. Whether it be pacing, lyricism, imagery, or just plain heartache and outrage at the world’s inequities, his work is always leading us forward, and he always provides hope for a better world."

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!