Episode 6 - Trans Rights Read-A-Thon - Smut Tea Stories

Episode Transcript
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(00:00):
Buckle up, butter Cup, there'sfuckering to discuss. A writer and editor
and a reader walk into an indiebookstore and start an unhinged indie monster an
aliens podcast, because why the fucknot. Hello, and welcome to this
Muddy Stories podcast. This is Ibelieve our sixth episode, and it was

(00:23):
going to be the Fae for Marchbecause you know Saint Patrick's Day and Britt.
Yeah, but we found out somethingvery cool is that it's trans Writes
Read a Thought from March twentieth totwenty seven, leading up to Trans Writs
Visibility Day. So instead we decidedwe're going to be reading some trans books

(00:46):
by trans authors and non binary authorsand it's so exciting and so I we're
all thrilled to be doing this.And also we will have some information about
places that you can donate to andalso books you can donate as well as
if you want to. And thistime we have a special guest. This

(01:07):
is our guest West and he's goingto be joining us and we're all just
gonna go over the books that weread. So yeah, welcome, Jersey,
our beloved Jersey is not here todayjust because of a scheduling conflict she
will be back next next month.There's she's fine, Yes, she's just
she's alive. Yeah, she's notreal. Kill we swear suspicious, be

(01:36):
suspicious, don't be suspicious. Suspicious. Hi, everybody, So my life
went to hell in a handbasket,and I am not able to be there
with my lovely ladies and our beautifulguests this month, unfortunately, So I'm
very very sorry about that. However, I was able to do the group
group read this month of UM howI met your mother? I met your

(02:02):
mother? What we wanted to doup top, even though we are going
to be doing the trans visibility readus on is, we wanted to give
you an update on Carlotta's books becausewhen there have been some major shifts since
last month. UM, and Ican give you a brief update on my
book if you would like. It'sstill in the processing phase, and then

(02:23):
we're gonna get into the books thatwe read Carlotta or Queen. Please tell
us that's why? Oh, dearLord, that's true, that's true.
Okay, Well you can be theOrc Princess. I'm happy just being a
trash can in pros. That's fine, that's fine. So why why is

(02:46):
um why is your book now twobooks? What happened? Oh? Um,
well, my characters went off therails. So instead of Versus Pearl
being which is the official first bookof the series, thorn Stuff is the
prequel. The characters went off therails. And also my editor, uh
it kept encouraging me to add moresex. So this was originally supposed to

(03:08):
be one book, and then it'stwo and so uh, rugers Pearl is
uh, which I call it.It ends on a cliffhanger because that was
the most natural place in the book. But it's a happy cliffhanger. Yeah,
it endanger. The last chapter isfucking so you know. Yeah.

(03:30):
And then rugers Crea is the secondone, and it is a lot darker,
just so you were aware, Soplease make sure you check all the
trigger warnings. It's a lot darker, but it's also a lot spicier.
So, um, rugers Pearl isa slow burn. Rugers Crea is not.
So no uh. And one ofthe things that I really enjoyed by

(03:53):
about writing Um Rugers Pearl rugers Creais last year I found out that I'm
autistic and I have ADHD, andso I wrote some of those experiences into
the main character Amelia. It's beenreally nice hearing from my readers and they're
they feel seen, and that's somethingthat I really started for and I enjoy

(04:14):
a lot. You've gotten some reallygood feedback from from readers that feel seen
about your books. And I wantedto segue that into the fact that not
only has Carlotta finished two books inthe last month or so, but she's
also started taking commissions for her illustrations. My spicy illustration that I commissioned for
my first book, ag Nurse Teacher, kind of led to Carlotta exploding to

(04:39):
the point where she couldn't really handleit a little bit. That's wrong.
Just her popularity for her illustrations hasbut I'm trying to think of a safe
word. Um, skyrocket, SoI do my own covers in case anybody's
wondering what she talking about. Andthen yes, so yeah, And if

(05:02):
you want to see any of thespicy illustrations that she has done for me
for my first book, they arein edited form on all of my socials,
Um, the unedited version. Sorry, can't help you there, Um
yeah, there. You go goto her website and you can you can
see an orc railing. Um So, my first book, uh I okay,

(05:26):
so I am uh. Then thebook that I read this month is
ORCS. I am like orc crazy. I have an Orc thing. I've
officially accepted it about myself. UmSo, my first book is um an
Orc Alien Planet, and it isViking style ORC. So I'm gonna call
it Viking style because I don't feelcomfortable being a Viking aficionado since I'm having

(05:48):
to google everything there is about Vikings. So it's yes, King inspired,
Yes, yeah, Viking inspired.Okay, In Carlotta is doing the cover
of that. We're sprinting together alot, and so that is kind of
our like side project updates. Idon't I don't know is the podcast a
side project or is the writing aside project? I'm really sure at this

(06:11):
point, I don't know. Andthen so it is going to be writing
too. I'm west I use hehim pronouns. I'm a big monster,
fucker reader monster. I really likemonsters are like aliens. I like the
science fiction fantasy of romances, Aspicier the better. Um and yeah,
I started working on I have likethe first three books of a serious laid

(06:34):
out um and I like that,which are which feet in which will feature
both trans humans and also aliens thatkind of fall outside of the gender pioneer
but maybe have like different and morecommic kid relationship to gender because like in
my mind, in this kind oflike alien universe, transness is like less

(06:55):
of a concept because there's the wayI'm playing in it is that like Earth
is restrictive and in space it's likevery like you kind of like utopian ask
and so yeah, I'm working onthat stuff. Um and fully enough,
one of the characters is one ofthe aliens is heavily based on orcs,
but it's like a high pink lesbianorc. Yeah, Like I was like,

(07:16):
we gotta get an orc of theresomehow, but like beautiful high felm
lesbian work of corns. That's whatI'm gonna do. You know. She
like takes supplements so that her skinis pink and her hair is pink,
and um, she's like very highfelm lesbian. So yeah, so that's
a character in the second book I'mworking on. But yeah, working It's
amazing. That's amazing. I lovethat I'm want to take supplements and have

(07:40):
my hair and skin change colors.Yeah, I was like I was like,
if I'm making a scientific utopia,I'm making like body modification as accessible
as possible as someone like he's likevery heavily tattooed, whose trends that has
modified his body. Like I waslike, what in my utopia, I
would have blue skin if possible,getting me like I would get horns.

(08:01):
One of the characters in the firstbook. One of the things that he
like explores when he like like itgoes on like the Utubeian planet is um
he's given access to like kind oflike not only like gender affirming body modification,
but just like body modification. Becauseit was like, yeah, like
if you want horns, you canhave horns, like if you really want
And he's like, oh my god, like oh wow, like this crazy,

(08:22):
like you can do so much tomy body now, that's what something
I like thinking about it. Butyeah, which is very much pointed ears,
I would do that. I woulddo there's people will do that for
you. Yeah, just modification.I know, I know, I've thought
about it. I don't know anyI don't know anyone who's gotten it.
And like plastic surgery that's like notmedical has like kind of like a wishy

(08:46):
washy like a standard. So ifyou can just get that, like if
I could get that into Bogger's office. Yeah, someone I know someone who
forked their tongue and it went reallypoorly for them. Um. So,
like any sort of body modification,like it definitely needs more like representation and

(09:07):
more like um access in a likeclean environment where you don't feel like you're
getting your ears pointed in a ina truck somewhere, or like someone can
give you a pain pill prescription andlike a number to call if something goes
wrong. Yeah right, yeah,like this starts getting infected or something.
Yeah, exactly. Can I justsay I would trade my boobs for like

(09:28):
wings in a heartbeat, Like Iwould trade the euters for horns, Like
can I just like trade by artists? Point? That just sounds great,
I would trade. I would trademy uteris for blue hair that I didn't
have to up keep. I've donesaid I don't need it anybody want.
Yeah, I would love horns.I really got into horns after Ruby dixons,

(09:50):
I know, and using gives handlebars. Yeah, handlebars, Yeah,
I like I like this series.I don't know if Ruby Dixon has as
in her series, but other serieswith the horns are very sensitive near the
base. I think it's also herserious. It was like another rogenous zone
on the body. Incredible. Signme up. Yep. Yeah. Ruby

(10:11):
Dixon has it in hers, andI want to say Ella mazn has it
in hers, which if you haven'tread Ella Mazen's series, these are very
good. Oh I have heard goodthings about that. Okay, that's good.
I'll have to read series. Youshould. It's they're kind of like
Ruby Dixon, like slightly higher stakes. Okay, so yeah, yeah,
yeah, yeah, she's one ofmy favorite, Like I went to her

(10:33):
after Ruby Dixon. Well, no, I'm want a lot of weird places
after Ruby Dixon before I thought mypeople, actually, I want a lot
of weird places. So the onlyreason I use Facebook is to my apartment
building has like a neighbor's Facebook groupand but more importly, Ruby Dixon's Facebook
group, where I find out allthe Ruby Dixon dudes. Are you in

(10:56):
the MDK group, because shout outto the MDK group, DKA group,
y'all are fucking awesome. Um,what is it? It's monsters demons and
nodding, that's what it's called.Monster demons and nodding, Oh my,
um, so you should definitely headon over there for face. That's the
only reason I use Facebook. Thatand pictures of my children for their grandparents.

(11:20):
Pictures of my children monster porn.Yes, yeah, I really need
to make two separate accounts. Yeah, I'm a I'm a professional human,
like barely, but I do haveto keep it. I teach high school,
so I do have to like pretendto be a professional human. Um

(11:41):
yeah, okay, So let's getinto the first book. I read Three
Kings by Favorites Moon, and Ihave to say that I really enjoyed it.
It has a trans mass character anda selkie and this very sweet,

(12:03):
like the like perfect sweet bean husbandnamed Peter Basquez, and he's a sailor.
So this takes place in an Icelandictown and Ethan is a witch and
at a one point had brought Peterback to life, so a ritual just

(12:24):
off the cuff, and so thewhole book is really interesting and it definitely
one of the things I like aboutit is that it addresses everything in a
very sensitive manner because they find theseal and Ethan is completely convinced that it's
a fabeast and Peter's just like,no, it's just the leopard seal.

(12:46):
He brought it home. It passedaway and he was crying because it passed
away, and he's a sweet bean, and so Ethan brings it back to
life and so we actually get tosee the spell that he does and everything
with a local flower. The townis called Casper, and which I was
like, Casper the friendly Ghost.Is that where we're going with this resurrecting

(13:11):
the dead? That part was reallycool because sulkies are one of my all
time favorite creature for mythology and ofmy Irish roots. The baby Barbit needs
to know what a sulkie is,Okay. A selkie is a creature that
it takes the form of a sealand when it transforms into a human,

(13:31):
it actually removes the pelt, andthe pelt if it gets taken by someone,
they have control over the selkie.So there's a lot of old tales
of selkie wives where a guy wouldhunker down and wait for a sulkee to
come to shore and take off theirpelt to bask in the sunshine or whatever

(13:52):
they wanted to do, and thenhe would come and steal the pelts and
then make for his wife. That'sa dick move, have have her bear
him children and move. Yeah,can we just say, uh, bad
coercion, let's not do that.Um. And then usually the end of

(14:16):
the story is that at some pointthis like kind of like the end of
the is the selkie he finds theirpower and then believes the family, and
then the story is like, oh, how cruel that the selkie abandoned the
husband and children. Was like,you like kind of kidnapped her. That's
like a little bit what happened here? Yeah, but yeah, that's usually
ending is that they find their peltssomehow, my mistake, and then they

(14:39):
abandoned I'm using our quotes their family, and I just like the story.
Yeah, we're trying to say yeah, and actually I am planning on writing
a short with that. But thethe selkie just decides to stay and Okay,
it's gonna be a sapphic short becausethey're Part of the tale is that

(15:00):
if you go to the shoreline andyou cry seven tears into the ocean and
wish for a mate, then asulkie can choose to come to you too.
That's another I didn't know that partof it I've never heard that story
before. That's one of the methods. So there is like there's the part
that that part we don't like,and then there's this version of it where

(15:22):
it's by choice. I like thatversion a lot. So that's the one
that I'm planning on writing eventually.It'll be a short. But I love
that they had the sulky aspect inThree Kings and his name is Nico.
He does transform into a human.It it sort of starts this sort of
snowball effect. At this point intime, Ethan and Peter want to start

(15:45):
a family. Ethan uses a binderand everything hasn't fully transitioned or anything like
that. Is worried about being infertile, and that was something that I was
actually I haven't read about, Sohaving like that being an ass epect was
very interesting for me, and Ireally love the sensitivity that was brought to
that, Like in general, theyall start having feelings for each other and

(16:07):
so it kind of turns into alittle polycuel which I liked a lot.
It was very sweet how freydis hadPeter and Ethan come to terms with the
fact that they were both attracted toNico and what that meant and how because
of Ethan's magic where he brought bothPeter and Niko back to life. There's

(16:30):
like that has to do with ita little bit. They were very responsible
about it and very like, look, what do you think we do this
together or we don't do it atall? Like just the amount of love
and generosity and sensitivity that the charactershowed one another. Just I love reading
stories like that. It was verybeautiful. Title and author Three Kings by

(16:52):
FREDS. Moon. Any triggers,tropes, anything you want to throw out
there, Definitely, infertility is onebig one. There is some mis gendering
at one point, but quickly addressed. There's like various genders in the story
too, so it's it's a verydiverse set of characters. And then also
drowning injury to the side near theribs. Carlotta is like the trigger queen.

(17:17):
If you even read her trigger list, she like gives triggers for things
that I'm like, I didn't evenknow, like that would be a trigger
for somebody. I bake it downby chapter. Every single chapter has triggers,
which I ignore because I'm stupid.I also have a pronunciation guide.
Madam, what was that Coronabella.Yeah, the people that I'm just the

(17:41):
type of person who skips over aword if I can't read it, and
I'm just like, like, Ifound out how hermione was presented or pronounced
when the when the movies came out, I had no idea, Oh wow,
yeah, and I didn't even know, so I didn't know trigger warnings
were a thing. If I gothalfway through the book and I was like,

(18:03):
man, this is like fucking dark, and I'm like flipping through and
then I'm like, wow, there'sa page of warnings that I should I
love that it's becoming more commonplace,especially in the indie sphere. I wish
that they'd like because there's there's acouple of book series that I really love
that I read in like high schooland college, and they have romance elements
and it's high fantasy and stuff likethat. There is one book that I

(18:26):
forgot and early in life didn't triggerme at all. Later in life,
things that happened and it became supertriggering in a way that I didn't expect.
I wish that traditional publishing would adopttrigger warnings and even go back and
include them in previous print books becauseI think that that's really important just long

(18:52):
term for future you know, printruns. Yeah, so now that it's
something I've noticed a lot about likeIndia Romance that I read, which is
that there are clear trigger warnings,which I really appreciate just because like it's
you know, because then you canmake an informed decision about like it's something
that I want to try reading,and also just like no and in not
being a jump scare, like notcoming out of nowhere, because there's you

(19:15):
know, when I was in collegeor I would like ask my teachers for
trigger warnings and they'd be like,well, then you just won't read it,
and I like if it's gonna andI was like, okay, cool,
well like if I don't want to, that's you know, my choice
or whatever. But I was like, no, the point of this is
that like I can go into beinglike Okay, I'm not going to be
startled when this like tough thing happens, Like I can be prepared prepared.
Yeah, like I'm you know,it's not like just like there are stuff

(19:37):
like that for like content warnings formovies, like why are you know,
like this is not radical like radicalthinking, but anyway, yeah, I
appreciate that with a lot of indiereader writers. I'm reading It's funny because
I teach. I teach a classcalled criminal justice, and so we watch
a lot of true crime documentaries andI give trigger warnings to all of my
students before we start them, becauseI'm like, well, for one,

(20:00):
they're seventeen, so I need toprotect your little tiny their little brains.
And for two, I feel likeit would be irresponsible not to to be
like this one is a serial killerthat dismembers people heads up like and like
for me, like something that wouldcause me to like just like be like
this book isn't for me would bean infidelity and um, that's just not

(20:21):
something I'm interested in. And soif the author doesn't include that, I
kind of just feel like you suck, Like, well then I should say
there is the kiss that happens justa kiss though, so in Three Kings,
okay, okay, but it isquickly addressed in the book. It's
not like it it festers or anything. Yea in the relationship, which I

(20:45):
really liked. All right, SoI read um okay, so I have
to like full like if I ifyou're listening to this um and you don't
see my face like I fully presentas as a Karen, Like that is
what my body looks like, Yeah, yeah, it's I wish it was
really I wish it was blue.It's it's the maintenance. UM. So,

(21:08):
I have never read an MM becauseI just didn't feel like it was
in my lane, Like I feltlike I would be infringing upon a space
that wasn't my own, and Ididn't. I didn't want to take up
space where someone else should have theiropinion, like I don't like another Karen
doesn't need to be talking about anMM if someone else's voice should be heard.

(21:30):
And that's how I had felt aboutit for a long time. But
with the Riatathon UM, I feltreally encouraged to kind of branch out and
try some different options. So Iended up reading Claimed by the Org Prince
and it's a trilogy by a LionelHeart and um it is an MM romance.
He does also have a trilogy wherethere is trans representation and he is

(21:51):
a trans author, so um andhe is on TikTok he I don't think
he has an Instagram. It isI'm not going to give ending because I
want you to read it. Sowe've got an Orc kingdom warring with an
Elvish kingdom, like as kind oflike they've been warning for hundreds of years
blah blah blah, like just borderdisputes like that sort of thing. And

(22:12):
so the Elvish king, as likea last ditch effort, decides to offer
his the heir to the throne,in marriage to one of the Orc sons.
And he doesn't think it's gonna isgonna work out. He thinks like
that the Orcs are going to belike, not, dude, We're not
into this. And apparently they're like, okay, let's do this, and
they offer like their worst son,and it's just like they offer the third

(22:37):
son, who is like the leastpopular, like they view him as like
the weakest. So this heir tothe throne is now marrying an Orc.
There's one bed trope. The theOrc main character is like so respectful that
he like sleeps on the floor andeverybody's like, no, don't sleep on
the floor. They realize they actuallyreally like each other, and this Orc

(22:57):
is. I love the way thatthis orcan is represents into it because there's
like can be such a spectrum,like now that orcs have become more popular.
You can have like the Orc atthe office, or you can have
like a Fendley Finn Orc that's likea whoa Orc, um buck, it
will come right. Um. Yeah, that one that was okay. So

(23:17):
I transitioned from Ruby Dixon I thinkto Fendley Finn and I was like,
holy banana, is what is happeninghere? It's a jump, It's it's
it's a jump, for sure.It's not the same. I'm love a
Ruby Dixon guy myself. I lovea nice, a nice wife guy.

(23:37):
I've tried that Orc series and Iam trying a couple of times, like
no, there's too much, toocondication, and I'm just like it's too
as somebody with eye anxiety, it'stoo high anxiety for me. I'm like,
I'm stressed already and we're on chapterthree, Like I can't guess which
this is. Definitely I would saythis series by Lionel Heart falls in the

(23:59):
more cozy category, which I wasreally excited about because I am a cozier
reader. The two of them fallin love and then they realize that they
don't actually need the treaty anymore,and then so they have to decide if
their allegiances to each other or iftheir allegiance is going to be like going
back because they don't need the treaty. And I'm not going to tell you

(24:22):
anymore about that. So because Ithink you should read it. And as
my first introduction to MM, Iwas really really pleasantly like, I wasn't
afraid I wouldn't like it. Ijust felt like it wasn't my space to
take up. If I loved it, I would definitely read another MM.
There was no part of me thatfelt like this isn't for me. I'd

(24:45):
read a sapphic romance before by Carlotta. Actually, spoiler alert, you should
go read it. It's it's comingout soon. I would definitely recommend it.
And it's a trilogy. And thenhe does have another series where there
is trance representation. In the booktrigger Warning, there's mention of MPREG but
it's not on the page, andI think that's the only one size difference.

(25:06):
I don't know if that's a triggeror a menu UM. I mean
for some people, it's like forsome people to kick, for some people
to Triggerward Egg is a nutshell.So the growth of the characters and the
consent and everything was just beautifully done. Um. So I really would recommend

(25:27):
Linel Heart. And he has anotherseries out as well, so he has
a good backlog if if you're interestedin they're all mm or like trans m,
I will be finishing this series.Um. They're not super long either,
So I was really I was proudof myself for getting out of my
lane, which is Ruby Dixon pleasantlyspress. I read in Flame by Fire,

(25:51):
a monstrous faded meets romance, andI read and that was the third
book in this series. If Icould do it over again, I think
it would have read the first twobooks because I just got dropped into something
and I was like, oh boy, there seems like a lot going on
and I don't really have context forit, but I'm in it. Um.
But basically my understanding is basically they'relike these like gods and they they

(26:12):
have like a faded maid and they'vebeen promised her faded maids, but they
are like all locked away in prison. And the fire god Hira hiree he
y are how do we think wesay that Hire great? I have like
the worst annunciation. Hire escapes acouple of times and meets his faded mate

(26:34):
who is Srina, who is atrans woman. She like works for a
movie company as like a not aPA. I don't really know the roles
in the film, but like workson set at a film and basically like
he kidnaps her. They go topocket dimension. At first, she's like,
this is a really sexy dream.I'm loving the sexy dream. And

(26:55):
then eventually she's like, oh,it's not a dream. Where somewhere else,
this is not a dream. It'sI think it was really well handled.
I think that the trends representation wasreally well handled. I think they
were really clear about using like comfortableterminology. Yeah, I'm respectful terminology.
There's a part where Serena like tellsher fat and mate like, hey,
just you know I'm trans, andhe's like cool, could not care less,

(27:18):
not like not even factoring in canwe please fuck now? And she's
like, oh, okay, cool, Like as one guy, I was
just trying to have a conversation.And it's definitely, I would say,
a pretty kinky book. There's likethere's BDSM, there's branding, there's breath
play in a way that's unexpected andthat's awesome about that. There's Fireflight in

(27:41):
a way that's unexpected. They said, primal play. I don't necessarily think
that I would consider in this primalplay. But it was a kinkier book.
But you know, I'm normally someonethat doesn't love super BDSMI books,
and I still thought this was reallygreat because there was still a lot of
love between the characters, which Ireally appreciate. Like sometimes every bs on
books and it's like just pure fuckingthere's no romance, and I'm like,

(28:02):
okay, but can they hold handsa little bit, like just some hold
handful thing? And they I thinkthe the author Letrxa Nova like, uh,
they walk a line really well oflike having enough like spice, and
also like the characters have really funback and forth is really snappy, heart
fad and made is like really likekind of like annoying alpha male but also

(28:25):
like loves not alpha male as inlike like Alcahol, but yeah, yeah,
just like a guy who likes usedto getting his way and but like
obviously like really like you know,loves his like faded mate. I really
liked it. I really liked it. I'm definitely gonna read the series.
And the other thing is that becauseI saw this on Instagram actually from you,
Carlata. A lot of the booksin the series have trans characters in

(28:47):
them, so which I thought wasreally cool. And I'm definitely gonna read
the rest of the series because Ireally liked this book. And it's short
too. It's like it was likeninety eight pages and they like got through
some stuff in ninety eight pages.Like it was like, so it's a
quick read. It wasn't so bossthat I was like, I need so
much more of this, but itwasn't so like it was good. I
really liked it. I recommend everyoneread it. I thought it was a

(29:08):
really fun to read. I wasa good read. I liked that well
you sold me definitely. Yeah,it was really I liked it a lot.
I've seen Latrex and Nova. Ithink we might be mutuals on Instagram.
Yeah, so yeah, so that'sawesome, all right, Carlotta take
it away. Okay, So thismom um our group read is How I
Met Your Mother that features a transmaskmain character and is written by Miranda Sapphire

(29:36):
and they are an amazing author andso far we are all like on board
with Miranda just for sure. Fivestars. Good Man, like I said
before with my book that I read, this is what So this was my
second MM and it was with atrans mail main character, and so I
was just like, I don't knowwhat I'm doing here? Have I gotten

(29:57):
lost? But it is the sweetestbook ever. And as we just talked
about Ruby Dixon, like, youknow, I love sweet, I love
low angst, I love and that'slike everything that I wanted. UM.
I would describe this almost as likecozy um from just the vibes that they

(30:17):
give off. Yeah, extra cozy. For me, it was none of
it made me feel like, oh, I shouldn't be here, which is
how I was worried about this.And I felt like I was reading this
like beautiful love story. Like thisjust was adorable between these two main characters.
And it will definitely make me aMiranda Sapphire reader, especially now that

(30:41):
we've talked about her other book andI've seen some of the artwork that's coming
for it. I'm just saying oneof the things I just I just wanted
to know excellent excellent trigger warnings.UM, just really extensive, really extensive
trigger warnings, And for me,that always shows an author that cares for
their reader. Carlotta has heard merant about authors that don't care for their

(31:03):
readers that are not There's a coupleauthors out there that just love to like
f with their readers, and I'mjust like, I'm not here for it.
Like if you are going to,yeah, especially after he's taken your
sleeping meds and you don't remember itthe next day. The next morning,
I'm like, did I rant aboutthat again? I'm very sorry. I

(31:25):
want an author that's going to takecare of me. I am a delicate,
fragile child, okay. And sothat's how I felt Miranda Sapphire.
She like she took care of me. I was never scared. Okay,
I don't want to be scared.But that was were my thoughts on it.
I loved it. I definitely shewill be an author that I will
go back to. I really Ialso really loved it. Like as a

(31:45):
transky, I thought that the languageused for Elliott, who was a trans
guy, was handled really respectfully.I also think that like the scene between
Biz and Elliott, Biz is theoffman when Eliot's like, hey, you
know, I'm a charance guy andthis is like cool, don't care.
I thought that was really well handled. I think it was. It was

(32:06):
given its moment where like that wouldbe a realistic thing that happens between like
people who are like going to hookup for like gonna be together. Is
like there's a conversation about comfort.And I really liked that that happened in
the book that we saw that becauseit's a really good representation. I think
that the kind of like hurt comfortwas very great a one bed trope.
I really liked that Biz knew thatthey were faded mates but didn't tell Elliott.

(32:29):
I love that in a book wherelike one character notes or faded mate,
but like doesn't want to pressure theother character and should just like wait
to the other character to be likeget closer. And I think Biz is
like real anxiety about like will Elliottreject him because he's a mockman, Like
will they not work out? Andlike what will happen to him? It
was really well handled. I thoughtit was a really good book. The
only complaint I had is that Iwanted to be so much longer. I

(32:51):
wanted to like really drag out thisworld like I was or something like ninety
eight pages. Yeah, I itcame out that morning I read it on
the train ride back from therapy andI was just like in it, and
then it finished. I was likewhat I do now, Like I do
I needed this in my life.I was like probably one of the first

(33:14):
people to review it on Amazon whowas not like an art reader, because
I loved it so much. Ithought it was really well handled, and
like I'm like to be fair,Like I can understand like why romance authors
shy away from writing stories that arenot of their own lived experience because you
don't want to do bad presentation.You don't want to be harmful. But
like I really appreciate it that likethis whatever reason, there aren't trans people

(33:35):
writing monster fucker books. I'll changethat, I promise, but like,
but like because there are less peoplewriting those stories, like they don't get
written, and so I think it'sgood when like authors go outside of their
comfort zone to like write something outsideof the lived experience and take the time
to like really make it sensitive andthoughtful, and then like there's a resentation
out there people learn about, likethey get more experience a trance people,

(33:58):
they get more experience written with queerlove and like they got to have it,
and then I get to have areally sexy transky in a book and
I got to read that and Ihaven't a good pun. So yeah,
that's also like one of my favoritethings too, is in the authors note,
they mentioned that they had sensitivity readerstoo, so I love that,
you know, being on binary theywent ahead and just we're like, nope,
I'm just gonna get all the sensitivityreaders come to me help me.

(34:20):
I really, I really appreciate.I really appreciate. That's the thing that's
happening in romance novels art now isthat we're using sensitivity readers in a way
that I definitely have not seen earlier, like in the past. Like people
are really and also people who aredoing it are like in the authors who
are like are not backed by apublishing house or like don't have just like
a lot of like are using theirown funds, our own resources to make
sure they're folks. Like that islike an incredibly kind and thoughtful thing to

(34:44):
do, considering that like big publishinghouses like don't pass up through the sensitivity
readers and they have the money,you know, so like we're you know,
in the office to be like Iwant to make sure this is like
as thoughtful and kindness. A chimleyis just like really powerful to me,
especially in romance because Roman this isliterally keeping the entire publishing industry of foods.

(35:04):
You would think, I mean,I've seen I've seen Ruby Dixon ask
for sensitivity readers. I think thatit's whether you're representing a race that you
don't know anything about, or youknow a community that you have no experience
with, Like I think a sensitivityreader like like why not? Like why
would you not? I don't like, it's what does it cost you?
Like most people that want to bea sensitivity reader like it's either a low

(35:27):
fee or they just want to beable to read the book first. Why
would you not do that? Well? Like recently, um Harker McNair had
hired sensitivity readers because one of hermain characters is plus sized. She was
writing a male main character. Shegot sensitivity readers, so she got like
one person thought it was handled reallywell, and then the other person like
that there's conflicts. So she'd asked, like the book talk community on TikTok

(35:51):
about it. I'd responded about itbecause it's like, well, you know,
as long as you treat the characterslike people and you treat them with
respect and on any you know,honor and dignity. And that's part of
the thing about since it be readingtoo, is like everyone has a different
experience with our own lived experiences.So there's like probably someone who like will
read the story and be like Iwould have done that differently, or like
I would have said this differently,but like there there unfortunately is you know,

(36:13):
unfortunate Unfortunately is there's no universal experiencein a marginalized identity. And so
it's just like trying to be themost thoughtful we can be because we can
do her all the time. Speakingup Ode and her most recent book resolves
residence, there's a there's a scenewhere people gave her like that she published
and then people came back and sayinglike this scene felt weird, and she
said, Okay, it's great,good news. It's an e book.

(36:36):
I'll just go edit it and changeit because it may be uncomfortable. And
the scene is sulf like I cloughedthat scene. I did not think anything
that particularly hainous about. I waslike, oh, that's just maybe like
mah, and she like wentn't changedit because she cares about her readers and
like wants everyone to feel comfortable anddoesn't want to like be giving bad stories,
you know, or perfect stories whatever. So yeah, because we've there's
been a lot of stuff over thelast couple of years where some authors haven't

(37:00):
done that or they've made it worse. And I'm like, where they doubled
down, Yeah, the doubling downswhat bothers me? Where I'm like,
you were gently given feed back bya human by your winning community saying this
made me uncomfortable, and you said, snow flakes, like if you don't
want the books, don't read them. And it's like you were given like
very fine compassion of people going outtheir way to like educate you and feel

(37:20):
like these do better, like thoughtful, and your response is to be like
a jackass that bothers you think ofa couple authors right now, Well,
I guess And that's why first Sharanshoneybeats um thorn stuff. I had some
friends that I was able to umask about some of their experiences so that
way I could write certain aspects ofit. And then Rugers Prone Orders Korea,

(37:45):
where a lot of it was basedon my own personal lived experience and
so if Sharans Honeybee. Um,it's the first book that I'm actually outsourcing
sensitivity readers and art readers and stuffand list you agreed to help and I
am still faithful. Yeah, Ifeel I'm really really excited because there I

(38:08):
will thought if there aren't a tonof like monster or there's like very little
trans like if any there are sometrends characters and monster alien remances, and
there's slightly more, but still veryfew queer characters. And it pumps me
out because it's like gay people canbuy a fuck orcs too. In fact,
I know a lot of gay peoplethat want to works. But it's

(38:30):
not like it's like weird. I'mlike, we need these books. Give
us the book I want to writeinclusively. So that's yeah, it's a
huge thing. So everybody deserves astory that they feel that they risenate with.
This is an interesting book if theI love, I love the storyline.
I do. Mothman not entirely forme, though, No, I

(38:51):
found that out. Who knows towhoever enjoys this, it's totally fine,
not gonna yuck anybody's yump. Thisone definitely not for me. No,
the cute seem romantic parts to it. Absolutely loved didn't want to put it
down. However, every time Igot reminded that this was a Mothman,

(39:13):
I just kind of went both things. But the story to it absolutely adorable.
I loved it and I actually probablywill read it again, even though
I'm not a big fan of Mothman, so that there you go. Well
though, to the author. Ireally enjoyed How I Met Your Mouth.
There were so many different aspects ofit that I thought was just handled so

(39:35):
beautifully between Bis and Elliott, andI loved how I loved the lighthouse core.
It was there's lighthouse core in ThreeKings two, and I'm all about
lighthouses. I love them. It'sjust there's adorable, nerdy moments. And
I loved how this just adored Elliottjust completely. It's just giving, giving

(39:58):
that like HUSBANDO, that you're justlike, yes, yes, this book
husband right there. Yes. Ialso loved how I'm not going to give
anything away, but is either theirson so cute. I also really enjoyed
the moth names, so Att Kissafter the Atlas moth and Luna from the
Luna Moth. And this is actuallya specific type of moth Biston is part

(40:23):
of the taxonomy name. And I'mjust sitting here going like I'm thinking out,
totally nerded out about that. Assomeone who knows the origin of all
of your character's names, I couldsee you nerding out about all of that.
Yeah, in case anybody's wondering,I grew up in a police and

(40:43):
army family, so Ruger Colts sigSurin. Yeah, I put it together
right away. I didn't. Idon't know. I grew up. I
grew up with that, So it'sit's sort of been a fun to figure
out something uniqu that had cool names, but then all the other names I
just made up. How is itreading a book by an author that you've
been doing artwork for? Is thisthe first for you? Is this the

(41:04):
first for me? No? Becauseyour book, ma'am, my book's not
done. It doesn't go. Butyes it does. Also, I do
my own book for my own books. Um. I've done a fan art
in the past, especially for likeum serg Mass books and like the Last
Name Star series by Kristin Siccarelli anda few others. So I've done bookish
fan art before for like subscription boxesand stuff. But to have like an

(41:27):
actual like friendship with the author.This has been pretty cool. So between
doing one for Bevin Shay and thenMiranda Sapphire doing a couple for them,
it's been a lot of fun becauseI get to be like, would you
like to see added some wors likegive me It's like, hey, just
test it at her. As thatperson, I can say, I'm very

(41:49):
much appreciated when you send me yes, you And like Bevin Bevin Shoe was
just over the moon when I senther, like even just the sketch.
She's just like, it's real.To give you some context. Um,
Carlotta is currently working on the coverof my book and she sent me a
tree today, a tree, andI nearly lost it. I was like,

(42:13):
is that my tree? Is itmy tree? Jen named Darius.
He named the tree. By theway, Miranda does approve of the name
that you chose for the tree.She's like, it's very it's a very
tree. Name this good job.Oh gosh, well I couldn't name it
Steve. I'm already gonna have anorc named Steve. We gotta we gotta

(42:34):
expand here, we are going tohave an orc named Steve in my series
and explain how that happens, andit's gonna be amazing. I want to
say thank you, thank you toWest for joining us and for spending several
hours with us anytime, yeah yeah. And I want to say thank you
all for joining us. Oh okay, thank you everybody. We appreciate your

(42:59):
time. You're supposed to say trashcats out. Okay, I was just
wanting to say thank you first.Okay, trash cats out.

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Episode 6 - Trans Rights Read-A-Thon

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.css-14f5ked{margin:0;word-break:break-word;display:-webkit-box;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;box-orient:vertical;-webkit-line-clamp:2;overflow:hidden;}Episode 6 - Trans Rights Read-A-Thon