Hi, James! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?

Hi! My name’s James L. Sutter, and I’m probably best known as a co-creator of the Pathfinder and Starfinder tabletop roleplaying games. I’m also the author of the new queer young adult romance novel The Ghost of Us, about a fake-dating scheme involving a teenage ghost hunter, and Darkhearts, all about falling in love with the boy who stole your shot at rock stardom. In addition, I’ve written the fantasy novels Death’s Heretic and The Redemption Engine, video games, comic books, material for other tabletop games like Dungeons & Dragons, and short stories in places like Nightmare, The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, and the #1 Amazon bestseller Machine of Death.

Outside of writing, I’ve gigged with bands ranging from metalcore to musical theater, and am big into hiking, biking, and creating intentional community with my friends here in Seattle.

When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?

From the moment I learned about books, I wanted to make my own—I can’t remember a time when I didn’t want to write. My parents had an old typewriter, and I would spend a ton of time typing up the beginnings of “novels.” But as much as I always loved writing, I think it was in sixth grade—when I wrote a story about my dog that made my teacher cry—that I first remember thinking, “Oh hey, maybe I’m actually good at this…”

Quick lightning round! Tell us:

• The first book you ever remember reading: My first grade class had a short book for each letter of the alphabet, and the first memory I have of reading on my own one of those—I think it was called Oswald the Octopus (no relation to the show). That said, my family read to me constantly growing up, so I have a million memories of trying to follow along with things like Corduroy or The Butter Battle Book.

• The one that made you want to become an author: All of them! That said, I think the Three Investigators mysteries might have been the series that most pushed me toward the typewriter as a child.

• The one that you can’t stop thinking about: My head is so full of books, but one I’ve been thinking about since childhood is Dealing with Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede—its cozy fairy-tale vibe just sank into my bones and gave me so many sense memories. I can still close my eyes and smell the dragons, the forest, the soapy water and lemon juice that melts wizards…

Your latest novel, The Ghost of Us, is out June 11^th! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?

Snarky supernatural sapphic YA rom-com!

What can readers expect?

One of my favorite fantasy authors, Robert Jackson Bennett, described it like this: “Sweet, acerbic, heartfelt, and witty, The Ghost of Us is like a long, languid hangout with the best people you know on a warm summer afternoon—with a ghost along with the ride.” That’s pretty much everything I could hope for!

The Ghost of Us follows eighteen-year-old ghost hunter Cara, who’s determined to escape life as a high school outcast by finding proof of the supernatural. Yet when she stumbles upon the spirit of Aiden, a popular upperclassman who died the previous year, she learns that ghosts have goals of their own. In the wake of his death, Aiden’s little sister, Meredith, has become a depressed recluse, and Aiden can’t pass on into the afterlife until he knows she’ll be okay. Aiden makes Cara a deal: seduce Meredith out of her shell and take her to prom, and Aiden will give Cara all the evidence she needs for fame. If not, well—no dates, no ghost.

With Aiden’s coaching, Cara slowly manages to win Meredith over—but finds herself accidentally falling for her in the process. Worse yet: as Meredith gets happier and Aiden’s unfinished business on Earth nears completion, his ghost begins to fade. Can Cara continue to date Meredith under false pretenses, especially if it means Aiden will vanish forever? Or should she tell Meredith the truth, and risk both of them hating her? And either way, will she lose her only shot at proving ghosts are real?

(Think of Cemetery Boys and One Last Stop, but with a big splash of Ten Things I Hate About You.)

Where did the inspiration for The Ghost of Us come from?

I knew I wanted to write another YA romance, and I had some tropes I was interested in—fake dating, ghost hunting—but I didn’t really know how to put it all together. Then one day I sat down and wrote a snarky monologue from the perspective of a teenage ghost, about how much it sucks being dead, and something just sparked. Even so, though, I still had a problem, because the story I ultimately wanted to tell wasn’t about being dead—it was about taking charge of your life and refusing to be defined by the bad things in your past. My ghost character, Aiden, is the one who kicks everything into motion, but the real story was between Cara and Meredith. Once I focused on their romance and let Aiden and his experience take a backseat, everything snapped into place.

Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?

I love all the characters, but it was particularly interesting to write Holly, Cara’s best friend. In addition to her being just a ray of sunshine to Cara’s Grumpy Cat jadedness, it was also the first time I’ve written a devoutly Catholic character. So often, when we see Christians in queer stories, they’re the villains—and certainly there have been more than enough examples of real-life bigotry and suffering to justify those portrayals. But while for much of my life I side-eyed organized religion, as I’ve gotten older, I’ve also met a lot of religious folks who refuse to use their faith as a weapon, and instead see it as a reason to embrace everyone. Those folks give me a lot of hope for society, so I wanted to reflect them in a character like Holly, who uses the Bible to advocate on behalf of queer people.

Also, I have to give a shout-out to Cara’s parents. They’re such good-natured goofballs, and I love writing really supportive families where teens and adults can banter with each other.

What are some of the key lessons you’ve learned as a writer since your debut?

Writing an entire novel is super intimidating—so don’t think about it. Focus on the next chapter, the next scene, the next paragraph. Take tiny bites. Maybe you don’t know how to write a book, but you can write a sentence. Keep doing that, and you’ll have a book before you know it.

Another key lesson I learned from my years as an editor is that most novels, no matter how brilliant in their final form, start out as a pile of garbage. And anyone can write a pile of garbage! So just get the book out of your head and down onto the page, and then you can work on sculpting something beautiful out of that raw trash. A book can’t be good or bad unless it’s first finished.

Finally: Write what you want to write. Publishing is such a slot machine that there are no “safe” bets, so you might as well write what speaks to you. Switching from adult science fiction and fantasy to young adult contemporary romance with Darkhearts was, strategically, a terrible move—yet it totally paid off and took my career in a whole new direction. Don’t be afraid to follow your heart.

…oh yeah, and one more: Whether you write one book or one hundred, you’re still gonna die someday, so look askance at any writer who tells you you need to grind and be miserable in order to succeed. Writing is hard work, and you do have to commit to putting your butt in the chair and hands on the keyboard. But don’t overweight the value of sacrifice. After finishing my second novel, The Redemption Engine, I resolved to put less pressure on myself and stop skipping out on so many opportunities for fun with the people I love. And you know what? I still wrote almost as quickly, I just enjoyed my life waaaay more. The goal is not to publish books—it’s to have a good life. Publishing can be a part of that, but it’s only a part. (And if you’re unhappy before you’re published, you’re gonna be unhappy afterward.) So cut yourself some slack.

What’s next for you?

I’m currently working on another queer YA romance, this one between a nurse and a wounded soldier in a field hospital—with the twist that this hospital is for the doomed human resistance fighters after AI destroys civilization. If you’re interested in my new releases, writing advice, or just checking out my latest shenanigans, you can follow me on Instagram (@james_l_sutter), Twitter (@jameslsutter), or on my website at jameslsutter.com. I can promise a mix of useful content and, say, video of me singing Cee Lo Green’s “F*** You” while wearing a bee costume.

Lastly, what books have you enjoyed so far this year and are there any that you can’t wait to get your hands on?

Oh man! To pick just a few I’ve loved recently: Jay Kristoff’s Empire of the Damned (gritty vampire fantasy), Courtney Gould’s The Dead and the Dark (supernatural sapphic YA thriller), Leech by Hiron Ennes (the weirdest gothic queer horror I’ve read in ages), The Alchemy of Moonlight by David Ferraro (classically gothic gay YA romance), Bitch by Lucy Cooke (nonfiction about how patriarchy has skewed our view of biology), and Heirs to Forgotten Kingdoms by Gerard Russell (nonfiction about lesser-known religions of the Middle East).

Books I’m eager for: I loved The Expanse, so I can’t wait to check out James S.A. Corey’s The Mercy of Gods! And of course Rainbow Rowell’s Slow Dance is on my list as well.

Will you be picking up The Ghost of Us? Tell us in the comments below!

The post Q&A: James L. Sutter, Author of ‘The Ghost Of Us’ appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Long-lost twin princes tackling coming out, frenemies-with-benefits at magical boarding schools and sapphic crushes forever trapped underwater—2023 is bringing us some truly magical, whimsical and heartfelt queer stories! With a focus on learning to love yourself, standing up for your right to love and eschewing antiquated gender norms, we’re ready to let these brand-new stories take over our hearts and minds!

Be sure to check out our other 2023 round-ups too, including our Most Anticipated, Young Adult, Middle Grade, and Romance lists!

JANUARY

Brighter Than the Moon by David Valdes
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository
From the author of Spin Me Right Round, a fresh, modern story about learning how to love–starting with yourself–as three teens who know each other online meet up and find themselves questioning everything.

A Tale of Two Prince by Eric Geron
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository
When Edward, Crown Prince of Canada, and Billy, small-town boy with a big heart, meet by chance in New York City and discover that they are long-lost twins, their lives are forever changed. Will the twin princes—“twinces”— be able to take on high school, coming out, and coronations together? Or will this royal reunion quickly become a royal disaster?

Sorry, Bro by Taleen Voskuni
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository
An Armenian-American woman rediscovers her roots and embraces who she really is in this vibrant and heartfelt queer rom-com by debut author Taleen Voskuni.

The Minus-One Club by Kekla Magoon
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository
From the Coretta Scott King and Printz Honor-winning author of How It Went Down, Light It Up, and Revolution In Our Time comes a moving contemporary YA novel about the bonds between a group of teens whose lives have been upended by tragedy. Kermit finds a mysterious invitation in his locker, signed anonymously with “-1.” He has no idea what he’s in for, but he shows up to find out. Dubbed the “Minus-One Club,” a group of his schoolmates has banded together as a form of moral support. The members have just one thing in common—they have all suffered the tragic loss of someone they loved.

Then Everything Happens at Once by M.E. Girard
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository
Girard offers a stand-alone sex-positive coming-of-age story about a teen named Baylee who’s torn between her heart and her hormones as she navigates her feelings for her best friend, Freddie, and new friend, Alex. Perfect for fans of Fat Chance, Charlie Vega.

The Daughters of Izdihar by Hadeer Elsbai
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository
From debut author Hadeer Elsbai comes the first book in an incredibly powerful new duology, set wholly in a new world, but inspired by modern Egyptian history, about two young women–Nehal, a spoiled aristocrat used to getting what she wants and Giorgina, a poor bookshop worker used to having nothing–who find they have far more in common, particularly in their struggle for the rights of women and their ability to fight for it with forbidden elemental magic

FEBRUARY

Out of Character by Jenna Miller
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository
Dumplin’ meets Geekerella in debut author Jenna Miller’s queer, body-positive love story that explores online and offline relationships in all of their messiness.

Afterglow by Phil Stamper
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository
After a summer of life-changing, these four friends are finally ready for senior year. As graduation nears and the boys prepare to enter the real world, it’s clear their friendship will never be the same. Can they find a way to stay connected and pursue their dreams? Don’t miss the conclusion to Stamper’s duology!

Always the Almost by Edward Underhill
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository
A trans pianist makes a New Year’s resolution on a frozen Wisconsin night to win regionals and win back his ex, but a new boy complicates things.

If I Can Give You That by Michael Gray Bulla
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository
For fans of Kacen Callender and Mason Deaver comes a heart-tugging coming-of-age YA debut that takes a poignant look at gender identity, sexuality, friendship, and family–both the one we’re born into and the one we find for ourselves.

Planning Perfect by Haley Neil
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository
In this charming, heartfelt YA romcom about being on the asexual spectrum, a girl tries to craft the perfect wedding for her mother but discovers that sometimes the best parts of life can’t be planned.

Tim Te Maro and the Subterranean Heartsick Blues by H.S. Valley
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository
What happens when your enemy becomes your friend … with benefits? Tim Te Maro and Elliott Parker – classmates at Fox Glacier High School for the Magically Adept – have never gotten along. But when they both get dumped the day before the big egg-baby assignment, they reluctantly decide to ditch their exes and work together.

MARCH

Into the Light by Mark Oshiro
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository
Into the Light is a ripped-from-the-headlines story with Oshiro’s signature mix of raw emotions and visceral prose—but with a startling twist you’ll have to read to believe.

Something Wild and Wonderful by Anita Kelly
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository
From the author of Love & Other Disasters comes a sparkling grumpy-meets-sunshine romance featuring two men’s sweeping journey across the Western wilderness.

The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen by K.J. Charles
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository
Bridgerton meets Poldark in this sweeping Regency romance of smugglers, adventure, mystery, and life-changing love from celebrated author KJ Charles.

The Immeasurable Depth of You by Maria Ingrande Mora
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository
In the devastating but uplifting tradition of Adam Silvera and Nova Ren Suma comes a queer supernatural coming-of-age story from acclaimed author Maria Ingrande Mora.

Ravensong by Cayla Fay
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository
A demi-god who refuses to cohabitate with humans accidentally falls in love with one in the first book of a pulse-pounding teen duology that’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer meets Celtic mythology.

Solomon’s Crown by Natasha Siegel
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository
Two destined rivals fall desperately in love—but the fate of medieval Europe hangs in the balance.

APRIL

Ander & Santi Were Here by Jonny Garza Villa
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository
Finding home. Falling in love. Fighting to belong. Andi & Santi Were Here is a love story about a Mexican-American teen who falls in love with an undocumented Mexican boy.

Secret Rules to Being a Rockstar by Jessamyn Violet
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository
Acclaimed musician Jessamyn Violet’s debut LGBTQA+ novel sizzles with a coming-of-age story set in an industry of ambition, secrets, lies, and utter joy.

In the Lives of Puppets by T.J. Klune
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository
A queer retelling of Carlo Collodi’s The Adventures of Pinocchio starring an inventor named Victor, a mysterious android called Hap (Hysterically Angry Puppet), an anxiety-riddled Roomba vacuum named Rambo, and a sociopathic nursing machine, the Registered Automaton To Care, Heal, Educate and Drill (Nurse Ratched, for short), this is the extraordinary journey of a family assembled from spare parts.

Becoming a Queen by Dan Clay
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository
A vibrant and emotional novel from debut author Dan Clay about a boy who turns toward love, self-acceptance, and drag performance when the unthinkable happens.

Sizzle Reel by Carlyn Greenwald
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository
An unputdownable queer coming-of-age rom-com about life and love in Hollywood. For aspiring cinematographer Luna Roth, coming out as bisexual at twenty-four is proving more difficult than she anticipated.

No Boy Summer by Amy Spalding
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository
Lydia and her younger sister Penny make a pact to avoid boy drama for the summer—but Lydia can’t help looking for a loophole when she falls for a cute girl.

MAY

Something Like Possible by Miel Moreland
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository
In this compelling YA contemporary, a bisexual teen’s path to political staffer stardom is in jeopardy, until she convinces a cute new candidate to team up with her on the campaign trail.

You Don’t Have a Shot by Racquel Marie
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository
A queer YA romance about rival soccer players from author Racquel Marie, perfect for fans of She Drives Me Crazy.

If Tomorrow Doesn’t Come by Jen St. Jude
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository
We Are Okay meets They Both Die at the End in this YA debut about queer first love and mental health at the end of the world-and the importance of saving yourself, no matter what tomorrow may hold.

No Perfect Places by Steven Salvatore
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository
Jandy Nelson’s I’ll Give You The Sun meets Dawson’s Creek with a dash of HBO’s Euphoria in this story that follows twins who have different ways of dealing with their father’s incarceration—and then his untimely death—and the complications that arise when one discovers a secret third sibling and keeps them from his sister, even after they move to their Adirondack lake-side town.

Imogen, Obviously by Becky Albertalli
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository
With humor and insight, #1 New York Times bestseller Becky Albertalli explores the nuances of sexuality, identity, and friendship.

The Song of Us by Kate Fussner
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository
This stunning debut and wholly original queer middle grade novel-in-verse retelling of Orpheus and Eurydice adds a new chorus to the songs of great love, perfect for fans of Other Words for Home and Ivy Aberdeen’s Letter to the World. 

JUNE

Love Letters for Joy by Melissa See
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository
Less than a year away from graduation, seventeen-year-old Joy is too busy overachieving to be worried about relationships. She’s determined to be Caldwell Prep’s first disabled valedictorian. And she only has one person to beat, her academic rival Nathaniel. 

The Dos and Donuts of Love by Adiba Jaigirdar
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository
A pun-filled YA contemporary romance, The Dos and Donuts of Love by Adiba Jaigirdar finds a teenage girl competing in a televised baking competition, with contestants including her ex-girlfriend and a potential new crush.

The First Bright Thing by J.R. Dawson
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository
The First Bright Thing is a spellbinding debut for fans of The Night Circus and The Invisible Life of Addie La Rue.

Going Bicoastal by Dahlia Adler
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository
A queer Sliding Doors YA rom-com in which a girl must choose between summer in NYC with her dad (and the girl she’s always wanted) or LA with her estranged mom (and the guy she never saw coming). In Going Bicoastal, there’s more than one path to happily ever after.

Darkhearts by James L. Sutter
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository
Perfect for fans of Red, White, & Royal Blue and Perks of Being a Wallflower, Darkhearts is a hilarious, heartfelt novel about fame, romance, and what happens when the two collide.

The Water Outlaws by S.L. Huang
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository
Inspired by a classic of martial arts literature, S. L. Huang’s The Water Outlaws are bandits of devastating ruthlessness, unseemly femininity, dangerous philosophies, and ungovernable gender who are ready to make history—or tear it apart.

What releases are you looking forward to? Tell us in the comments below!

The post Must-Have 2023 Queer Book Releases appeared first on The Nerd Daily.