Blog Hops

Yes, you read that correctly: HOPS. Today starts the Blog Hop Against Homophobia and Transphobia,  an event that is near and dear to my heart both as a writer of M/M Romance (because try as I might, I don't write fluffy-happy; my stories are HEA but there's always an issue or two lurking, be it an LGBTQ issue or a social issue) and as a bisexual woman. (Thank you again to the hosts/sponsors for their hard work!!) The hop is so important that I went ahead and signed up for it this year even after signing up for the Hot Summer Nights Blog Hop .  Getting back to what I talked about a few days ago (whether I write Gay Romance or Romance), I've been trying to work my way into more mainstream hops, not just for my own work but for the recognition of M/M Romance in general. So when the Hot Summer Nights Hop crossed my radar, I put my name down without thinking about dates, conflicts, or my sanity  :)  So there you have it, the story of two blog hops. :)
Here's how this is going to work:
 Please leave ONE  comment below; by your comment I'll know which Blog Hop brought you here (keep reading for clarification). At the end each hop, I'll put names from that hop into their own hat and draw a winner; I want to keep things fair since I have no idea how much traffic either hop is going to generate. Please be sure to include your email address in your comment. The give away prize is exactly the same for each hop: a Dreamspinner Press Gift Certificate worth $10*.  In addition, I'm asking (but not requiring) folks to sign up for my monthly newsletter. The plan is simple, no spam just fun stuff, freebies, and announcements.  Sign up here . To celebrate my first issue (coming out mid-June), I'll be giving away a Dreamspinner Gift Certificate* and some really cool swag to a random subscriber. Subscribers will also get first shot at winning a signed copy of my third novel, due out in Sept/Oct. * you will have to create an account on the Dreamspinner Press  website to use the gift certificates, but it's easy and painless!  Blog Hop Against Homophobia and Transphobia (May 17-27): Please comment below and tell me what makes this issue important to you.   In Russia, there are laws against
gay pride events. My heritage
is Russian, Irish, and Welsh. For me the answer is that I'm a bisexual woman--but I know I've got it easy. I have a wonderful supportive husband, a grandmother who didn't totally freak out and lose it when I came out to her 20 some odd years ago, and I live in a neighborhood where, while I'm sure it would raise some eyebrows if I walked down the street holdling a woman's hand, I wouldn't get lynched, jailed, or murdered in cold blood for it. I realize how lucky that makes me.  In the U.S., the the rate of homelessness amongh LGBT Youth is around 20%--straight kids: 10%. That's one of the issues I'm tackling in my current WIP ( A Place to Belong ). Andy gets kicked out of his father's house at 15 because he's gay; having no where else to go and no one to turn to, he ends up renting his body by the hour out on the streets.

I'll be blogging more about that and other things that are important to my heart in the coming weeks because...well, this is my little corner of the 'net and even though I write what I describe as "beach reads" (i.e. "cheesy romance novels"), I am who I am, and who I am is someone who tackles issues that are important to me in the only way I really know how: I write about them.

That's the thing, really: we all have talents, we all have a way to draw attention to the things that matter to us--and we all have things that are important to our hearts. Don't be afraid to get out there and say something about what matters to you. You never know going in how important it is to say something, to let someone else know they're not as alone as they think they are.

I am so proud of my fellow DSP authors Sue Brown (who I haven't met except over the 'net) and J.P. Barnaby (writing as Jamie Mayfield ) (who I utterly adore!) for are donated money and raising awareness to and for homeless LGBT youth in their respective communities.  To get back to the Blog Hop Against Homophobia &Transphobia click here.
 Hot Summer Nights Blog Hop (May 22-29): Please leave a comment below telling me about your favorite summer memory OR just tell me what you love most about summert.

Please be sure to include your email address in your comment.  My favorite part of summer is sitting by the firepit in my back yard, sipping wine, and watching the lightning bugs zip around. Sometimes I even bring my laptop outside so I can write under the stars  :) And like so many other people, I have a memory of a summer fling  :)  It was the summer before my senior year of high school and my best friend introduced me to this guy he met...heck if I can remember where they met, but this guy...we'll call him Don (because that's his name!) was new to the area or something and oh did I fall hard. He was truly my first great love. And the good news: even though he managed to break my heart in a fit of adolescent what-not, we're still friends. We reconnected a few years back and don't see each other much, but he's a great guy and I'm so glad we met. And ah... part of that story is worming its way into my next book! I've got a partial outline I'll be starting the actual writing in the next week or two.  To get back to the hop click here.    This summer, I'm also going to be doing something pretty important with some of my summer days; I've started volunteering with Aids Partnership Michigan and summer is a big time for getting out into the community with outreach programs. I'm really excited with the prospect of helping out.  I decided to spend some time volunteering with APM because my third novel, Hanging by the Moment due out Sept/Oct is...well, it's about a lot of things, but one the biggest issues is HIV. Regular visitors know how heartsick I was when I started researching issues surrounding HIV positive status and dating.  I decided it was easy to give a percentage of my royalities to charity, but a lot harder to give my time. That's why I'm giving both.
 Thanks for hopping on by! I hope you get a chance to check out both blog hops; there are some amazing authors and publishers on both lists.
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Helen Pattskyn, Fantasy Artist, Gay Romance Author