The 3rd book in the ‘Sugar Boys’ series is coming out tomorrow! Creamy is a short novella about two men who want more out of life.

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The 4th and final book in his short series is almost back from my editor and will be going up for pre-order soon, too. Very exciting for me. I liked writing these sweet stories set in a small town.

Then it’s on to other things. I always have more than one project going at the same time. Some of my future stuff is rather more dramatic or grittier than what I’ve put out so far. I’m working closely with some very good friends of mine on two projects that involve homelessness, abuse, and trauma. My personal experience infiltrates these stories, too, but it’s so necessary, I feel, to listen to others who have survived such things. There are too many of us.

…. Tough stuff…

Unfortunately, there will probably be more who have to deal with things the way the country and world is trending right now. Overall crime rates are down. Hate crimes against our LGBTQ+ community are up. Those in power keep making it more difficult to succeed, be ourselves, and live safely. Conversion therapy is legal in more places. Trans military members are being stripped of their right to retire. A Florida teacher was fired for using a kid’s ‘nickname’ instead of the one on their birth certificate.

It never ends. The fight goes on. There are some sparks of light from more loving, forward-thinking places.

The gov of Mass signed a gender-affirming care and abortion shield law in place. A city funded shelter for trans folks opens in NYC.

Things are so divided, and none of it makes sense.

Maybe that’s a part of why I choose to write queer fiction or include diverse representation in the other genres I work on. I know it is. We exist and we deserve to exist. In fact, we deserve more than that. To thrive, to feel safe, and to know love.

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I agree with this mysterious commenter. All writers, artists, bloggers, everyone must absolutely only use photos, artwork, graphics, video clips, and writing pieces that they have legal permission to use. You cannot simply go onto Google and copy any old picture.

All the images I use on my blog, book covers, and adverts are legally obtained and used. They come from professional stock sites, and I pay for the right to use them. Or, they are offered as part of free deals from those sites or the providers directly. Or they are commissioned and paid for from artists.

Don’t steal other people’s work. Writers would not like anyone taking their stories and using them as their own. We writers (book cover designers, bloggers, editors, whoevers!) should not take others’ work and use it illegally either.

The post Rights for Photos and Art — Writers Must Respect Fellow Artists appeared first on Leah Meers.

This is normal for romance stories. Expected. Intriguing. Positive!

What is NOT normal or positive? Relationship red flags (sometimes HUGE ones) masquerading as affection, care, or the gentle type of jealousy that most people feel at one point for their significant other.

I read a book last night with a lot of problems — serious problems that everyone should recognize and avoid in their real life (and fictional, in my opinion) relationships.

Stalking Is a Crime, Not a Come-on

Waiting with your partner until they get safely on the bus to work is sweet, and bringing them their lunch if they forgot is considerate.

Following them through three stores when they shop and asking the person who lives across the hall details about their life is stalking. It’s creepy. It’s illegal in a lot of places.

Knowing where your partner is every minute of the day is about control more than care.

Abuse is Never, Ever, EVER About Affection

Unfortunately, far too many people view abuse as only a physical issue. No one should get hit in any relationship, romantic or otherwise. (The ONLY time physicality outside “the ordinary” should exist is in a safe, sane, and 100% consensual BDSM relationship with discussions, agreements, contracts, and safewords firmly in place and respected.)

The character in this book never hit the object of their affection, but they abused them non-the-less. Stalking is abuse. Control is abuse. Aggressive jealousy when they saw someone else with their partner, complete with emotional blackmail (I’m sorry. I just get so upset when I think you could leave me. Don’t make me doubt you! Hint: that “make me” is a huge red flag. Adults are autonomous.) is abuse.

Forcing reliance is abuse. The one character had a mental health crisis early in the book, and the love interest (*cough* creepy stalker/abuser) purposefully swept it under the rug and kept it hidden from anyone who could help them. Instead, they decided they could save the other person on their own. Refusing to let a partner get the help they need is abuse. In some cases, with communication and agreement, handling things on your own can work. However, taking away the option… actively working to hide the opportunity for help… is bad.

Non-Consent is Never Sexy

At one point in the book, the two main characters get hot and heavy, the more dominant (controlling) one saying all the “right” things about how much they’re turned on and they just can’t hold back and longer…

…and their partner says, “No, stop!”

In any sane, loving, LEGAL experience, those words would cause an immediate STOP, pull back, hands off, move away, and discuss what’s up situation.

In this book, the response is to grip the hips more tightly and keep going. That’s sexual assault. That’s rape. That’s something that has NO place in a romance story.

(Caveat: Rape fantasies exist and, within the bounds of fantasy or a healthy, mutually-beneficial relationship/arrangement, people are free to explore all they want. In these instances, non-consent is NOT the issue. The people involved consent prior to the experience even if the experience itself role-plays non-consent.)

(Caveat #2: Romance stories are fantasy. Some people enjoy dark/horror romance where these lines of consent, abuse, and other unwanted behaviors blur. There is a big difference between a book that is marketed as these “taboo” genres and one smack dab in the regular romance category.)

Everyone can read what they enjoy. Romanticizing dangerous, illegal, hateful, and abusive behavior outside specific “extreme” genres is bad. Point blank.

No matter your gender, sexuality, age, or personal situation, you never, ever, ever deserve abuse, stalking, control, disrespect, or removal of your personal autonomy. Modelling that behavior in what is supposed to be a happy, lighthearted romance story doesn’t make it right. It makes it even more dangerous because it makes it harder for people to get the wrong ideas about what they should accept or expect from a partner.

The post Red Flags Are NOT Romantic (Stop Romanticizing Stalking, Abuse, Non-Consent, etc.) appeared first on Leah Meers.