#queerprompts

[cjaralore]

#QueerPrompts June 3: Summer reading recs ⛱️📖

Some queer YA books that take place during summer or have a summer vibe:

🚣 Caught in a Bad Fauxmance by Elle Gonzalez Rose 🪄 Before We Disappear by Shaun David Hutchinson 🚀 The Gravity of Us by Phil Stamper 🧜 Out of the Blue by Jason June 🖼️ Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender ⚽ I Like Me Better by Robby Weber 🔥 Heat Wave by T.J. Klune 🤠 A Little Bit of Country by Brian D. Kennedy 🏴‍☠️ In Deeper Waters by F.T. Lukens 😎 Hot Boy Summer by Joe Jiménez

[uncannyarcana]

And Day 2!

For Uncanny Arcana, I'm extremely proud of how far I've come since starting it ~5 years ago, from tweaking the worldbuilding to physically seeing technical improvement. My voice is better than it was before and writing feels easier (and more fun now that I've learned not to take it too seriously! Do it for fun and it'll be fun is something I have to remind myself once in a while)

[cjaralore]

#QueerPrompts January 18: What influenced your story? 📝

In case it's not obvious, Nix is based a lot on me. He's a hopeless romantic, klutz, breaks technology, likes drawing and making things, and ends up with his dream guy. That said, the events came to me while listening to music.

[cjaralore]

🎉 Happy Pride Month! 🎊

🌈 #QueerPrompts is your chance to talk about your WIP/book, meet other queer authors, and have fun! 🏳️‍🌈

❤️🧡💛 Include the the tag #QueerPrompts and join at any time and any days you want. 💚💙💜

[cjaralore]

#FantasyIndiesApril 23: Last 5-Star Read & #QueerPrompts April 23: Queer book you reviewed

I almost never really give 5 stars, but since Goodreads doesn't have half stars, I tend to round up my 4.5 star reviews. 🐲Under the Dragon Moon🌕 by @mawcewrites is definitely close to that illusive 5 stars though! Check out my review:

[cjaralore]

#QueerPrompts April 17: Queer children's book(s) 📚

Here are a few that I enjoyed:

😼Bathe the Cat by Alice B. McGinty 🚪The Insiders by Mark Oshiro 🐧Harriet Gets Carried Away by Jessie Sima 🦆The Language of Seabirds by Will Taylor 🐈Princess Puffybottom… and Darryl by Susin Nielsen 🐶You Only Live Once, David Bravo by Mark Oshiro

[cjaralore]

#QueerPrompts March 5: Unnoticed side character 🙇🏼‍♂️🍃

Leif prefers to read comic books than talk (when he does, he's blunt) and is only with Nix's friend group because he's Stephanie's cousin. That is, until he meets Autumn and the two shy sophomores immediately connect.

While Leif may seem like a forgettable background character because he has so few lines, he represents who Nix might have been had he never met Lex, as Nix doesn't seek out friends, prefers 1-on-1, and would sit alone during lunch whenever Lex was out sick.

Although I don't include their backstory in Gravity's Fire, Stephanie met her BFF Tien when she thought she was "supporting" Leif by making him go to a queer youth group. He sat in a corner reading while she made friends, including with the sassy Tien.

[cjaralore]

#QueerPrompts December 21: MC's/your childhood toys 🧸

Nix likes to make things, so he made clay figures and decorated shells. He also had boy dolls that he pretended were boyfriends and took with him on "dates."

My favorite childhood toys were flocked poseable animal figures.

[cjaralore]

QueerPrompts September 23: Autumn queer reading recs 🍁

I picked a few titles that I enjoyed that either take place during autumn or that have those classic fall vibes:

🥮 Fake Dates and Mooncakes by Sher Lee 🗡️ A Tale of Whispers and Rogues by Jordan Lee 🫥 Before We Disappear by Shaun David Hutchinson 🐲 Under the Dragon Moon by Mawce Hanlin 🧙 Spell Bound by F.T. Lukens 👨‍❤️‍💋‍👨 Deny Me, The Nightshade Boy by Mary VanAlstine 🔥 Gravity's Fire by CJ Aralore 🗓️ This Day Changes Everything by Edward Underhill

[cjaralore]

#QueerPrompts September 7: Share something Autumn related

What's more "Autumn related" than a character named Autumn? 😉

Autumn Briar is a shy sophomore who starts out having no friends and being picked on by other students for being a loner and a klutz. That is, until Nix befriends her (after crashing into her of course).

[cjaralore]

#QueerPrompts September 4: GIF that shows how your MC feels for most of the story

[cjaralore]

#QueerPrompts September 1: Introduce yourself & your story

🙋🏼‍♂️ Hi, I'm CJ, lover of queer happily-ever-afters. My debut YA fantasy romcom Gravity's Fire comes out this month! I'm somehow both excited and completely terrified. 😆

[cjaralore]

🌈 #QueerPrompts is your chance to talk about your WIP/story/book, meet other queer authors, and have fun!

🏳️‍🌈❤️🧡💛 Include the the tag #QueerPrompts and join at any time and any days you want. 💚💙💜

[cjaralore]

QueerPrompts August 31: Monthly Wrap-Up

[cjaralore]

#QueerPrompts August 8: Saddest moment in story 😭

While having a happy ending isn't a spoiler, the saddest moment definitely is a spoiler. So, here's the second saddest moment…

[cjaralore]

#QueerPrompts August 6: Cozy scene/line

After Max sneaks into Nix's room and before Nix realizes Max is becoming a liar just like him and like the parents he left behind, the two lay on Nix's bed just talking…