Vicktor Alexander's Blog, page 39

My Big Decision

I thought long and hard about this before I finally decided that this was what I had to do. That this was something that was going to make me happy and for that reason I knew that it was something right.

I know that I've mentioned before that the reason why I write is so that I can change the world. Yes, I want to change people's perception of homosexuality, help the world realize that love is love, help to eliminate transphobia and homophobia and racism and abuse. I've mentioned that I want to use my writing, my career, my job to do what I really love which is to help others. I want to start a group home for at-risk teens, especially GLBTQ teens who have been kicked out of their home, those who are living on the streets, the ones who are drug addicts, alcoholics, etc. That is a dream of mine and it's something that I staunchly work towards on a daily basis.

However, that's not what I'm writing about. I'm writing today about my big decision. No, I haven't decided to stop writing (silly PF Deners), and no, Daniel and I are not breaking up, I'm not moving back to Florida or anything like that. What I have decided to do is to literally put my money where my mouth is.

This year I will be releasing lots of books (you know once I get back to writing), but the Tate Pack series is definitely the series that so many people love and it's also the series that is close to my heart. So with that in mind and in light of all of the recent suicide attempts and the increased violent, fatalistic bullying that is occurring, I've decided that half of my profits from Impossible will go to the The Trevor Project (More About The Trevor Project) and half of my profits from Untouchable will go to the It Gets Better Project (It Gets Better).

This wasn't a decision that I had to fight with myself over. Once the idea came to me it was just a matter of priority, because I am engaged, I have a fiance, I'll have a family one day, writing is my career, so it's how I support myself, but then I remembered growing up in Polk County, Florida. I remembered being bullied and I remembered wanting and trying to commit suicide. I remembered Justin and Angel and how they were two openly gay students in my school, my best friends, and how they were bullied. I realized that if we hadn't had each other that we all could have been one of those teens that committed suicide because it just got to be too much. I realized that if Angel hadn't shown up at my house that one day I stayed home from school, I would have succeeded in killing myself and then I wouldn't be a writer today, I wouldn't have met Daniel, I wouldn't have the amazing family that I have now, I wouldn't have the friends that I have now. As much as it sucked then, as much as I wanted things to get better right at that moment, immediately, as much as I hated high school, I am so glad that I wasn't successful, because it really does get better.

So see? In light of that truth, I knew that the only thing that I could do was to donate. I hope that you will too.


Have a GREAT day Vick-sters!

-Vicktor Alexander

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SJD Peterson~*~It's all in the touch: Romance A-Z - Vicktor Alexander

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Happy Valentine's Day!!

Celebrate LOVE today, in all its forms. And from me and mine to you and yours:


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Posstponed

Due to illness and tragic, unforeseen circumstances A Very Tate Valentine's will not be releasing tomorrow. It will still be released but just not tomorrow (February 13th). Sorry for any inconvenience this may cause and for those of you who are disappointed, I apologize as well. I was looking forward to it too, but I am just now (as of ten minutes ago) able to wrap my head around even thinking about writing, editing, etc. The book will be on discount and I've already planned something special for those of you who were anxiously and patiently awaiting AVTV. It will definitely be out by the 22nd though. This I can promise you (though I have no definite date as of yet).

Hope you all have a wonderful Valentine's Day!


-Vicktor Alexander

Unassumed Release Day!

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Okay so I'm am BEYOND UBER excitement! [Scream with me Vick-sters!]Unassumed is out today!!!Now dance with me!!*Cue "Celebrate Good Times"*This one is longer than Unthinkable and Inconceivable and a little grittier and more "rough" than the others as well, but boy do I love Michael and Howell. If you guys loved Tommy, I think you're really going to love Michael and Howell? Whoooo boy! Without giving away too much information, I will say that I think quite a bit of you will be saying "supernatural snake" and giggling after reading this book.The book is available on ARe and there is a Kindle format available for those of you that asked about that, and for the next two weeks it's at a discounted price too! [Buy Unassumed on ARe]When it goes up on Amazon and is available in paperback I will definitely let you all know.

Blurb:
Howell Lourge Marshall wasn't afraid of anything. He wasn't afraid of having a mate, he wasn't afraid of having kids and he especially wasn't afraid of falling in love. He just chose not to have those things.

Michael Prosace has already lost his pack and most of his family because he chose to live his life as a proud, though deaf, gay man who is also transgender. He is almost completely satisfied with his life, so when he finally meets his mate Howell, he just knows that his life was finally going to be complete.

But Howell is from the Tate pack and trouble seems to follow these shape-shifting cowboys around. Before Howell and Michael will be able to explore their deep feelings for each other and a connection that goes back further than they expected, the two men will have to deal with danger, bigotry, murder, and six unexpected additions to their very unconventional family.


Thanks for loving the Tate Pack!-Vicktor Alexander

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I Thought We Were Done With Separate But Equal?

I hadn't planned on blogging about this on The Purple Fantasy Den . Had instead intended to raise my voice on other blogs and leave it at that. However, in a conversation with an old friend of mine, he asked me when was I planning to give up my dream of trying to change the world. I told him that I'd give up that dream when change was no longer needed.

In light of that conversation I knew that I couldn't be quiet about this.



This is a portion of a blog post from Heidi Cullinan:


– Note: MTM will no longer accept same-sex entries in any category.

from the contest rules for the More Than Magic contest hosted by Romance Writers Ink Chapter of RWA

It's taken me several days to be able to write this blog post, and the worst part of it is that my job isn't done with this. As president of the Rainbow Romance Writers, RWA's chapter for LGBT chapter, it's my job to address the situation. I intend to, but I admit, at this point I keep reading that above line and feeling heavy and tired and depressed. I try to tell myself it's because I've been felled by a pretty impressive cold for over a week and that it's what's making me tired. It's a good story, and I wish I could buy it. But the bald truth is that I read that line, and every time it just hurts all over again.

The membership of RRW has been braver than me. Several members have emailed to ask why the change; one member got a reply. She was told it was a hard decision, but some members of the chapter felt "uncomfortable" with same-sex entries. That word keeps resonating too. Uncomfortable.

Well, I have to say, RWI. Discrimination makes me pretty uncomfortable too.

I just can't get over the balls of stating, right there in black and white on a freaking website, "no same-sex entries." No Irish need apply. Whites only. Pick your discriminatory phrase and insert it right there, because they all fit. Does that seem harsh? Probably only if you're not gay or passionate about the rights of LGBT persons.

Here's the truth. LGBT romance is growing more and more every day, but don't let anyone try and delude you it's anywhere but at the more sunlit alleys in the ghetto of the publishing world. Despite our very good sales within our digital-first houses, we aren't even on the map for most New York publishers. Anyone within the genre knows too that LGBT romance gets plenty of flack from LGBT literary. It's the same fight mainstream romance has with the mainstream lit fic genre (much like snotty religions, they don't think they're a genre, just the True Disciples of Book) except LGBT romance gets some nice kicks in the teeth for having straight women in the room. I'd point out a whole hell of a lot of us are bi, but if you know anything about arguments within the alphabet soup, you know that gets a lot of sneers too.

So it's nothing short of a fine slice across the hand to be skimming through places LGBT romances might submit entries for contests, trying to get more exposure and out of the ghetto—this one is for published books and last year an m/m novel won—only to find a big fat NO GAYS sign.

When I asked about this, I was told the board made a ruling on same-sex entries in contests and said basically that chapters could make their own judgments based on genre. The heading of the issue was labeled "same-sex entries in contests," so there's no question this is the clause that made RWI feel they could pop that line I opened with onto their website, sigh in relief, and move on with their day. Make no mistake. RWA national said this is kosher.

Do you?




I of course don't agree with this policy. In light of this being not just a GLBTQ issue, but a discrimination issue, I knew that I had to speak up. Much as others before me spoke up and marched and protested when faced with discrimination, bigotry and racism.



Here was my response on the petition that I signed:

There was a time in this country when people were "uncomfortable" with Native Americans and so they were forced onto a reservation, this was of course after they killed off as many of them as they could.

Then the time came when people were "uncomfortable" with blacks and so they were enslaved, many of them died on their way towards their enslavement, but their lives were of no account to those who were "uncomfortable" with their presence on Earth. When those blacks were emancipated, there were some people who were "uncomfortable" with sharing the same water fountains and bathrooms and counters with them, so "Separate but Equal" was created and these black people were given separate facilities, separate schools, separate everything to use, oftentimes they were of lesser quality, almost deteriorating in their upkeep, but the people who were "uncomfortable" with them, didn't feel bad about it, because at least *they* weren't "uncomfortable" anymore.

Interracial relationships made people "uncomfortable" so it was made illegal. The schools being integrated made people uncomfortable, so there were riots, protests, and those who tried to integrate those segregated schools received death threats and were attacked. This country has endured protests, lynchings, violence and riots because people felt "uncomfortable" with something that was "different." Some ultra conservative, some racist, some bigoted person felt "uncomfortable" so people were denied their unalienable rights to love, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

I am an African American, transgender male homosexual and I am an author of GLBTQ romance. I didn't join RWA at first, because honestly, I didn't see blacks in many mainstream romance novels as main characters, and I sure as hell didn't see any gays in those positions. When I began to see authors sneaking them in I began to have some faith that maybe, just maybe, mainstream romance had recognized that there was nothing "wrong" or "disgusting" or "immoral" about gay romance. Romance is just romance. Plain and simple.

End of story.

To say that *romance* makes "romance writers" uncomfortable not only baffles my mind, it breaks my heart, because it's just like *people* saying that other "people" make them uncomfortable and we see what happened when that happened before in history (ie, the Holocaust, slavery, Darfur, etc.). The RWA shouldn't just feel ashamed, they should feel as if they have committed an egregious error not just against members of the GLBTQ community but against all romance readers and people in general by letting this decision stand. Bigotry, discrimination, and homophobia in any form is not to be tolerated from anyone. If we are going to be "uncomfortable" by anything, we should be "uncomfortable" by those things.



So I am giving you all the link to go and raise your voice with the rest of us in the face of this situation. Whether you're a reader or a writer of GLBTQ or "traditional" romance, this is an issue that affects all of us that love to read about people falling in love. Those of us that are excited by the idea and the prospect of romance and passion and desire.


This is for those of us who believe that love is love.


Sign The Petition Here


-Vicktor Alexander

Help Wanted: Seeking Assistant/Intern for Tomfoolery that is Vicktor Alexander

Preparing a manuscript (I SUCK at formatting), to doing a fad analysis (I don't want to work on wolf shifters if the hot new craze is virgins-I'd rather work on my Virgin Special Forces series, you know? Stay relevant), to running a virtual book tour (Dudes I have NOOO idea how to do one, get on one or anything) or an Amazon best seller campaign (again, what? My books are on Amazon-*silent scream* but no idea how get folks interested in buying them over there), answering emails from mailing list, monthly newsletter (upcoming releases, fun facts, contests, hot pictures, journal post from one of the characters that I'll give you), return all emails within a 12-24 hour period so nobody is left hanging, managing Author Page on Facebook (I'd give you access to it), one of those hot, book promo video things on Youtube, managing swag and giveaways, sending prizes and cards to fans/mailing list members (I'd pay for postage) helping to maintain blogs.
To start off I'd be able to pay like... free copies of my books, plus special swag (Got the idea for some "Team Tommy" T-shirts today, which of course sparked "Team Richard", "Team Michael," "Team Alex" and "Team Maurice"-all the names of the mates from the Tate Pack series) and other things, for whomever says, "Yes Vic, I love you enough to help you do this and to not suck and to be awesome.

And yes I am SOOOO serious! If you're really interested email me your resume/credentials for interning/assisting at:                VicktorAlexander@vicktoralexander.com I will send you over a list of the duties that I need done and give you a break down of compensation (free books, swag, etc.).I need your help! *sad face*
-Vicktor Alexander