Heather Marie Adkins

Earlier this year, I took a full time position working in the public relations and marketing department of a public library. And I love it! I work on a vast majority of the library’s graphic designs, as well as maintaining the website, the monthly bulletin, and various other marketing projects we run, like Staff Picks.

But by far my favorite part of my job isn’t even paid – our department runs the Best of the Year committees. We track down the hottest, buzziest books released this year, and a team of our librarians read them. At the end of the year, we make decisions on which were the best of each category. Being on our booklist committees has opened my eyes to the lack of diversity in mainstream fiction. Not because what we’re reading isn’t diverse – but because what I WAS reading before had no diversity at all.

Literary fiction and young adult fiction has exploded with the best in diverse novels, from Benjamin Alire Saenz’s gorgeous Spanish/Mexican worlds to Adam Silvera’s heartbreakingly beautiful LGBTQ fiction, and beyond. I’ve not picked up a book for these committees that didn’t celebrate some form of diversity, and they have all left me breathless.

I didn’t realize how small my reading world had become. Plain vanilla white American man-loves-woman. There’s nothing wrong with that on the surface… but there is. Because this world is so much more than that. This world is black, white, Muslim, Hindu, gay, lesbian, trans, Asian – we are SO MUCH MORE than what is portrayed in entertainment.

This long-overdue breakthrough came to me not long before Sigils & Spells became a concept. I’d always written supporting characters into my novels with different skin colors, beliefs, and sexual orientations, but it had never occurred to me that I could write a main protagonist that didn’t look like me. What do I know about being black or Latina? They say write what you know, and clearly, I couldn’t do that justice. Right?

But maybe that’s why we’ve ended up where we are, with a lack of diversity in the mainstream, while the beauty in diverse fiction flies under the radar on literary lists.

You could say, as a pagan writer who puts pagan themes and beliefs in her books, that I’m representing a minority in fiction. I represent that minority in real life, too. I’ve been spit on. Cursed to hell. Even physically assaulted. All because I’m pagan. This is so very small compared to the racism and sexism happening in our world today, but it’s my experience, which gives me a foundation of understanding that maybe someone else might not have.

Many people have embraced the beauty in diversity. We understand that inclusiveness brings people closer together, and sheds light on the importance of our similarities as humans. But there is a horribly, scarily large population that lives on the opposite end of the spectrum. They don’t believe love is love. They believe their skin color and religious beliefs make them superior.

I wanted to be a part of this set because it’s a movement I believe in. I believe love is love, and I don’t care what God or gods you worship, as long as you are a good person. I don’t think my white skin gives me any superiority over others, and I acknowledge that in parts of the world, it does give me privileges that ALL people should have.

I am a bisexual pagan female living in the American South, listening to her elders speak in racist words that make me sick to my stomach.

I believe freedom isn’t yet free. But I hope one day it will be.

After all, we’re all the same when the lights are out.

ABOUT HEATHER MARIE

Heather Marie Adkins writes too much but still too little. She also has too many cats, not enough tequila, and a torrid love affair with procrastination. She is the USA Today bestselling author of more than 25 novels.

Heather resides in north-central Kentucky with a sarcastic cop who is entirely too dependent on puns. When she’s not plotting her next story or herding felines, she works at the library.

Find her online: Facebook | Twitter | Website

A dangerously beautiful vision of unique worlds that’s sure to leave its mark.

Cross through the looking glass into Urban Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, and Dystopian realms where you’ll meet valiant heroes, kick-ass heroines, and dangerous creatures waiting to unveil the hidden corners of the universe.

SIGILS & SPELLS includes more than twenty exclusive novels that roam the sands of Egypt, slip into the shadows of 1940s Los Angeles, voyage to the mystical land of Mabi, and dare to traverse the stars.

From the deserts of Africa to the streets of San Antonio, mythological adventurers strike out to discover brand new worlds and unravel the mysteries of Earth in a limited edition boxed set offering the diversity and originality you haven’t been able to find before now.

Including stories from…
Lori Titus
Kris Austen Radcliffe
USA Today bestselling authors Heather Marie Adkins and Alex Owens
Paul C Middleton and Lee Hayton
Rita Stradling
Eva Pohler
Lily Luchesi & Faith Marlow
M.R. Graham
Award-Winning author Carmen Fox
Tina Glasneck
Sedona Venez
J.N. Colon
Cheri Winters
USA Today bestselling author Katalina Leon
RJ Blain
USA Today bestselling author Cate Farren
Amy Evans
Catherine Banks
Award-Winning author V.A. Dold
Dylan Keefer
Award-Winning author Ali Cross
Michel Prince
Danny Bell
Tiana Laveen

Dare to enter forbidden realms of unexpected beauty and peril? Secure your copy of SIGILS & SPELLS today – before it disappears forever!

Lily Luchesi

I was excited to be invited to join this set because it celebrates one thing: DIVERSITY. I grew up in a diverse household, run by women during a time when female empowerment wasn’t nearly what it is today. My mother’s family hails from Sicily and Italy, and my father’s side is Irish and Native American (from the Seminole tribe). I identify as bisexual. Growing up in Chicago, I knew everyone, of every race and religion you can imagine. The real world is a brilliant place filled with billions of unique individuals, yet there are times when they seem to be seldom represented in urban fantasy fiction.

This was an opportunity for me, personally, to show the diversity of Chicago, and how people of many different races, religions, and backgrounds can defy the odds and band together not despite their differences, but because of them.

Growing up, being Sicilian and Native American, my eyes looked almost Japanese, and people used to whisper to my mother, “Is she Asian?” like it was some sort of scandal. My grandmother was extremely dark-skinned, so much that she looked biracial with her big dark eyes and gorgeous ink-colored afro (she didn’t dye or process it, it just looked that way). The treatment she received when shopping in Marshall Field’s (that’s Macy’s now) was disgusting. The treatment my family still receives is awful. We’ve literally been followed by skinheads, especially living in Los Angeles as we do now.

As a child, I never knew what skin color really was to some people. I knew people came from different countries and therefore looked different. They had different holidays, different traditions, all of which my public school taught us about openly. It wasn’t until I was in second grade, where my Muslim friend’s older sister was sent home from school because she wore her hijab in class. That was my first taste of racism in any form, and it stayed with me till this day.

I was chased around my mall by three huge guys for wearing a LGBT+ t-shirt. I’ve been called every name you can call a Latinx person (because I live in LA with dark hair and eyes, so I must be from Mexico, right? Ugh.)

Rereading this, it seems almost disjointed, and for that I apologize, but I am not rewriting it. I don’t live in a monochrome world. My world has color and vibrancy and is bursting with so much life. I go outside and I will literally see these races within ten minutes: Arabic, Korean, Chinese, Mexican, Guatemalan, El Salvadorian, African-American, European, Greek, Filipino, Thai…and you know what? I love it. That’s my world. That’s OUR world.

And if our world can have that kind of diversity, why can’t our books? Our films? Our everything? When I plotted Soul Syndicate (two years before Faith and I would start to work on it) the plot was meant to have people of all races and backgrounds, to showcase diversity. This boxed set wasn’t even being plotted at that time, but I knew this was a story I needed to write. I am so happy that it has a home here, with other like-minded tales and authors.

Please help support us in our effort to diversify urban fantasy!

ABOUT LILY

Lily Luchesi is the award-winning author of the bestselling Paranormal Detectives Series, published by Vamptasy Publishing. She also has short stories included in multiple bestselling anthologies, and a successful dark erotica retelling of Dracula.

She was born in Chicago, Illinois, and now resides in Los Angeles, California. Ever since she was a toddler her mother noticed her tendency for being interested in all things “dark”. At two she became infatuated with vampires and ghosts, and that infatuation turned into a lifestyle. She is also an out member of the LGBT+ community. When she’s not writing, she’s going to rock concerts, getting tattooed, watching the CW, or reading manga. And drinking copious amounts of coffee.

Find her online: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads | Website | Newsletter

A dangerously beautiful vision of unique worlds that’s sure to leave its mark.

Cross through the looking glass into Urban Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, and Dystopian realms where you’ll meet valiant heroes, kick-ass heroines, and dangerous creatures waiting to unveil the hidden corners of the universe.

SIGILS & SPELLS includes more than twenty exclusive novels that roam the sands of Egypt, slip into the shadows of 1940s Los Angeles, voyage to the mystical land of Mabi, and dare to traverse the stars.

From the deserts of Africa to the streets of San Antonio, mythological adventurers strike out to discover brand new worlds and unravel the mysteries of Earth in a limited edition boxed set offering the diversity and originality you haven’t been able to find before now.

Including stories from…
Lori Titus
Kris Austen Radcliffe
USA Today bestselling authors Heather Marie Adkins and Alex Owens
Paul C Middleton and Lee Hayton
Rita Stradling
Eva Pohler
Lily Luchesi & Faith Marlow
M.R. Graham
Award-Winning author Carmen Fox
Tina Glasneck
Sedona Venez
J.N. Colon
Cheri Winters
USA Today bestselling author Katalina Leon
RJ Blain
USA Today bestselling author Cate Farren
Amy Evans
Catherine Banks
Award-Winning author V.A. Dold
Dylan Keefer
Award-Winning author Ali Cross
Michel Prince
Danny Bell
Tiana Laveen

Dare to enter forbidden realms of unexpected beauty and peril? Secure your copy of SIGILS & SPELLS today – before it disappears forever!

M.R. Graham

Representation matters.

I’m sure you’ve heard that before, reader, whether the statement is personally meaningful to you or not.

If it is, please take this as an expression of solidarity. If it is not, please take this as a window into someone else’s reality.

Representation matters to me. As someone with a good amount of weirdness, it matters to me as something I wish I had been allowed better access to growing up. As an educator and an anthropologist, it matters to me as a way to foster tolerance and understanding, to help human beings develop their identities free from artificial pressure and shame.

I’m a white woman. Mayonnaise is just a little bit whiter than me. I’ve never been on the receiving end of racial prejudice. But I have stood in front of a classroom of Mexican and Mexican-American students and asked them to name a Hispanic person or character they had seen on TV, then listened to every last one of them fumble for a moment before coming up with George Lopez. Of course there are others. But not enough others that thirty seventh-graders could name them on short notice. This was in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas, where local populations range from 90-97% Hispanic. A few more minutes of conversation circled around local news anchors. Someone mentioned Danny Trejo. But the consensus was that, outside of the telenovelas, pickings were sparse. One girl dug a copy of The Hunger Games out of her backpack and told me, very loudly and a little bitterly, that she was surprised they didn’t cast a Hispanic actress as Katniss, who is described as having straight black hair and dark skin. She said she felt like Katniss, sometimes, even though her own family worked in fields and not in a coal mine. She said she didn’t like the movie very much.

The Rio Grande Valley was an eye-opening experience. An incredibly brilliant boy, probably better read than me and only thirteen years old, told me he had read plenty of books that had Mexican characters. Often they were complimentary portrayals. Hard-working Mexicans, tough Mexicans, determined Mexicans. He told me he had never read a book that had a smart Mexican in it.

And I sympathized. YA and middle-grade were both much smaller categories when I was growing up, but it was never hard to find white girls in the fiction. Smart girls were another story. There were tough girls and hard-working girls, girls who learned to fight and dressed as boys and saved things, but almost none of them were defined by intellect. I devoured Nancy Drew, and I hated that Hermione Granger’s intelligence was portrayed as obnoxious. I found the Mary Russell books in fifth grade, and I clung tight to her because she was, first and foremost, a scholar. It was the first time I had seen that part of myself clearly in a character.

The litscape is improving all the time, but there are parts of me that I still can’t see in characters, and I know that whatever pain that gives me is far worse for many, many others. There are so many communities ignored or viciously stereotyped. I want autistic characters who aren’t just plot devices or comic relief. I want characters with invisible disabilities who don’t learn to “put mind over matter”. I want an asexual character who isn’t heartless or mentally ill or homicidal. (I do happen to be writing one of these currently. Keep you posted!) I want mental illness that isn’t always automatically violent or somehow cured by a romantic relationship.

I write the stories I want to read. Many of my closest friends do the same. But there’s still nothing quite like finding that reflection of yourself in a book and knowing it came from another human being who understands you.

If even one person can read my books and see themselves, that’s a job well done.

The Siren takes place in San Antonio, which is a bit further north than the Rio Grande Valley but still more than half Hispanic, with the percentage increasing yearly. Sandie and Connie and Nacho were born several years before I met that girl who wished the Katniss on screen matched the Katniss in her head, but the day I had that talk with that class, I dedicated them to her and to every reader who is still searching.

ABOUT M.R.

M.R. Graham is a native Texan who traces strong cultural roots back to Scotland, Poland, and England. A mild-mannered PhD student during the day, Graham transforms at night into a raging Holmesian loremaster and rabid novelist.

Though passionate about all scholarship and academia, Graham’s training and true love lie with anthropology, particularly the archaeological branch.

Her writing explores the uncanny, the mystical, the mysterious, and the monstrous, seeking to capture the beauty of strangeness.

Also, steampunk and vampires.

Find her online: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Website

A dangerously beautiful vision of unique worlds that’s sure to leave its mark.

Cross through the looking glass into Urban Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, and Dystopian realms where you’ll meet valiant heroes, kick-ass heroines, and dangerous creatures waiting to unveil the hidden corners of the universe.

SIGILS & SPELLS includes more than twenty exclusive novels that roam the sands of Egypt, slip into the shadows of 1940s Los Angeles, voyage to the mystical land of Mabi, and dare to traverse the stars.

From the deserts of Africa to the streets of San Antonio, mythological adventurers strike out to discover brand new worlds and unravel the mysteries of Earth in a limited edition boxed set offering the diversity and originality you haven’t been able to find before now.

Including stories from…
Lori Titus
Kris Austen Radcliffe
USA Today bestselling authors Heather Marie Adkins and Alex Owens
Paul C Middleton and Lee Hayton
Rita Stradling
Eva Pohler
Lily Luchesi & Faith Marlow
M.R. Graham
Award-Winning author Carmen Fox
Tina Glasneck
Sedona Venez
J.N. Colon
Cheri Winters
USA Today bestselling author Katalina Leon
RJ Blain
USA Today bestselling author Cate Farren
Amy Evans
Catherine Banks
Award-Winning author V.A. Dold
Dylan Keefer
Award-Winning author Ali Cross
Michel Prince
Danny Bell
Tiana Laveen

Dare to enter forbidden realms of unexpected beauty and peril? Secure your copy of SIGILS & SPELLS today – before it disappears forever!

RJ Blain

A long time ago, I grew up in a predominately white, Christian community. Meeting someone of a different skin color or religion was rare. It was also discussed, often, with fear and loathing.

Prejudice was alive and well there, and in so many ways, it still is.

It wasn’t until I left home and ventured to a new country that I learned the depth of my homeland’s hatred—and got to witness a gradual, slow, and painful shift. Day by day, under the cover of exaggerated media claiming progress isn’t being made, America is thawing, welcoming people from all around the world.

My name is RJ Blain, and I’m a white woman who writes about characters of all walks of life, and I do this not to appropriate someone else’s culture, but to send a very important message: I see you.

I see the black families living in the projects because they struggle to afford food. I see those of you who’ve made ketchup-packet soup because it’s nearly impossible to make money when you don’t have money. I see the new immigrant families, who barely speak English, struggling to blend their lifestyles with the reality of living in America.

I see the indigenous people and their sacred ground, fighting to preserve their history, their culture, and their land.

I’m not perfect, nor will I ever be. Reading about a culture and interacting with people will never equate to living their lives, walking in their shoes, and otherwise being them. No matter how many books I read, how many friends I make, and how hard I try, I will never fully understand what it means to be anything other than another straight white chick who writes books.

But, I write because I want to understand, I want to impress upon my readers that there’s a huge world out there, ripe for being explored and embraced. Every society has its problems. I showcase the good and the bad with every culture I pursue.

When I had the opportunity to join the Sigils & Spells crew to bring over twenty diverse fantasy novels to the market, I was excited. This was up my alley. I already wrote about cultural issues, especially the prejudices surrounding being different.

Books like these can change the world, open eyes, and bring awareness. They’re written to make you think.

I’ve done a lot of thinking while writing Whatever for Hire: a Magical Romantic Comedy (with a body count.) The main character, Kanika, is a mix of Egyptian and Ruska Roma, who was brought to America as an infant. She’s neither black nor white, neither Egyptian nor Ruska Roma, and remains trapped between the facets of her identity as a person.

She’s American, but she’s so much more—and less—than that.

Writing her was a challenge, because I was forced to step outside my comfort zone and try to imagine a world far removed from my own.

I have learned a lot, and I hope that beneath the veneer of humor, action, adventure, romance, and bodies, you’ll be able to see the darker depths of our world—and the magic that happens when people overcome their differences and learn to embrace other societies, not to override or assimilate, but to admire, cherish, and love people for who they are rather than hate them for what they are not.

ABOUT RJ

RJ Blain suffers from a Moleskine journal obsession, a pen fixation, and a terrible tendency to pun without warning.

When she isn’t playing pretend, she likes to think she’s a cartographer and a sumi-e painter.

In her spare time, she daydreams about being a spy. Should that fail, her contingency plan involves tying her best of enemies to spinning wheels and quoting James Bond villains until she is satisfied.

Find her online: Facebook | Twitter | Website

A dangerously beautiful vision of unique worlds that’s sure to leave its mark.

Cross through the looking glass into Urban Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, and Dystopian realms where you’ll meet valiant heroes, kick-ass heroines, and dangerous creatures waiting to unveil the hidden corners of the universe.

SIGILS & SPELLS includes more than twenty exclusive novels that roam the sands of Egypt, slip into the shadows of 1940s Los Angeles, voyage to the mystical land of Mabi, and dare to traverse the stars.

From the deserts of Africa to the streets of San Antonio, mythological adventurers strike out to discover brand new worlds and unravel the mysteries of Earth in a limited edition boxed set offering the diversity and originality you haven’t been able to find before now.

Including stories from…
Lori Titus
Kris Austen Radcliffe
USA Today bestselling authors Heather Marie Adkins and Alex Owens
Paul C Middleton and Lee Hayton
Rita Stradling
Eva Pohler
Lily Luchesi & Faith Marlow
M.R. Graham
Award-Winning author Carmen Fox
Tina Glasneck
Sedona Venez
J.N. Colon
Cheri Winters
USA Today bestselling author Katalina Leon
RJ Blain
USA Today bestselling author Cate Farren
Amy Evans
Catherine Banks
Award-Winning author V.A. Dold
Dylan Keefer
Award-Winning author Ali Cross
Michel Prince
Danny Bell
Tiana Laveen

Dare to enter forbidden realms of unexpected beauty and peril? Secure your copy of SIGILS & SPELLS today – before it disappears forever!

Breaking One’s Own Spell…

Tiana Laveen

As a little girl, I was the outsider at my school. In fact, even in my extended family I seemed rather awkward, not quite considered completely acceptable.

I was the strange one, the child that didn’t quite fit in. At the time, I found this to be a hurdle that was too much to bear. I tried in vain to mimic the “cool kids”, in hopes of thus becoming a successful honorary member. As you may have guessed, this tactic of course failed. I enjoyed music that didn’t always fit the “norm” for a child that matched my physical characteristics – i.e., a little Black girl who enjoyed bands like Tears for Fears and Nirvana. I found reading and writing to be pure pleasure, and taught myself how to type on my mother’s old typewriter that she used while attending college. The ribbon was washed-out, the ink in shades of faded gray. Unfortunately, my world was stark black and white. There were clear expectations of me, unspoken rules of what a child is supposed to do and be, all of these I could not seem to meet. I forever remained the ‘weird kid’. I enjoyed drawing, painting, daydreaming and pretending to be someone that I wasn’t…

…Accepted for being me.

Tormented by bullies, one child in particular who made my elementary school days and freshman high school year a living a hell (it only stopped when she finally departed and went away to another school). After awhile, I no longer tried to fit in, belong or be one of many. I embraced myself, my eccentricity, my willingness, no… my need, to think outside of the box. Writing was an outlet for me. It was medicine. A cure to a broken spirit and tormented soul. I had parents who loved me, a roof over my head and food in my stomach, but I struggled for so long until I finally was able to look at myself and say, “Hey, you’re alright…”

There are so many different people in the world… children like me who grow into adults and by our mere existence, challenge what is acceptable, in fashion, likeable, attractive, etc. Being cookie cutter is comfortable, but it doesn’t make waves. It doesn’t pick apart the carefully constructed. It doesn’t move the puzzle pieces around, it doesn’t sway the still waters, it doesn’t gain momentum up the mountain or like that old typewriter ribbon, fade into a misty, fog like mysterious gray. It’s stagnant, hell-bent on remaining clearly black or white, never asking ‘what if’. If both sides of the lines mixed, blurred, became friends, dare I say, become one, what in the world would happen? I went from a shy, at times depressed young lady, to an outspoken, jovial, assertive, open-minded woman who embraced her creativity and set out on a journey to make it more than just medicine.

Medicine helps with the symptoms of an illness… I wasn’t sick… I was just fine, ‘AS IS’. My writing became my soulmate, my best friend, my companion, my voice when I had none. It was no longer an escape route, it was a part of my very being. We transformed and grew up together, and this special box set represents a transformation from the norm, stretching creativity, embracing the societal outcasts and casting them in their true light – a thing of beauty. This set of stories embraces and uplifts characters that deserve their time in the sun, universe, deserts, jungles and all the little places in between… they’ve earned their stripes. My book in this set is about an alien… a warrior soldier from his planet who goes from being revered on his planet, to a social outcast on Earth. Only, he doesn’t realize it right away. He is so hell-bent on his mission, that a lack of understanding becomes a part of him and bleeds into his duty. Things look different on the surface, proving you can’t as they say, judge a book by its cover. Xzion is not human, but he is forced to deal with true human issues that affect him in an unexpected way. And yet, though he is the outcast on Earth, he has no regrets for those experiences led him to find out things about himself that changed his life forever, for the better. He has no regrets…

I have no regrets about the experiences I have shared with you, because they made me stronger and who I am today. I have the confidence to bring my readers stories that are deemed different from the norm, delve deep into character development, stay true to my own style of writing and what I wish to convey. I take the reader on a journey of exploration of not only other worlds, planets and lifetimes, but gently nudge them into a place of reflection.

This universe is too big to limit oneself. There are so many different types of people, places and things to explore. What if you tried something different and lo and behold, liked it? What would that say about you?

I think it would say that you have good taste and are now feasting on the carefully prepared delicacies created by the eccentrics, movers and shakers and quiet storms of the literary world. Bon appetit.

ABOUT TIANA

Tiana Laveen was born in Cincinnati, Ohio though her soul resides in New York. She lives inside her mind, but her heart is occupied with her family and twisted imagination. She enjoys a fulfilling and enriching life that includes writing books, drawing, painting, listening to music, cooking, and spending time with loved ones.

Tiana Laveen is a creative and innovative author whose fiction novels are geared towards those who not only want to temporarily escape from the daily routines of life, but also became pleasantly caught up in the well-developed journeys of her unique characters. Tiana creates a painting with words as she guides her reader into the lives of each and every main character. Her dedication to detail and staying true to her characters is evident in each novel that she writes.

Find her online: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Pinterest

A dangerously beautiful vision of unique worlds that’s sure to leave its mark.

Cross through the looking glass into Urban Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, and Dystopian realms where you’ll meet valiant heroes, kick-ass heroines, and dangerous creatures waiting to unveil the hidden corners of the universe.

SIGILS & SPELLS includes more than twenty exclusive novels that roam the sands of Egypt, slip into the shadows of 1940s Los Angeles, voyage to the mystical land of Mabi, and dare to traverse the stars.

From the deserts of Africa to the streets of San Antonio, mythological adventurers strike out to discover brand new worlds and unravel the mysteries of Earth in a limited edition boxed set offering the diversity and originality you haven’t been able to find before now.

Including stories from…
Lori Titus
Kris Austen Radcliffe
USA Today bestselling authors Heather Marie Adkins and Alex Owens
Paul C Middleton and Lee Hayton
Rita Stradling
Eva Pohler
Lily Luchesi & Faith Marlow
M.R. Graham
Award-Winning author Carmen Fox
Tina Glasneck
Sedona Venez
J.N. Colon
Cheri Winters
USA Today bestselling author Katalina Leon
RJ Blain
USA Today bestselling author Cate Farren
Amy Evans
Catherine Banks
Award-Winning author V.A. Dold
Dylan Keefer
Award-Winning author Ali Cross
Michel Prince
Danny Bell
Tiana Laveen

Dare to enter forbidden realms of unexpected beauty and peril? Secure your copy of SIGILS & SPELLS today – before it disappears forever!

Tina Glasneck

Why Representation Matters

Have you read, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou? Therein is a little black girl that believes if she had blonde hair and blue eyes, everything would be different and okay.

I didn’t understand race for a long time – I grew up with friends of all colors and nationalities, but it wasn’t until my family relocated to the deep south that I came to understand that being black came with its own stigma.

I’ll never forget the day – I was riding with my grandmother as we headed to Pulaski, Tennessee, and as we rounded the courthouse, I watched men in sheets chant epithets and spew hate. I asked my grandmother about it, and she told me to ignore those fools. But what is known cannot be unknown or forgotten.

Only after this fierce and blatant experience was I forced to face that European beauty standards would dictate my own beauty. My lips and nose were considered too wide; my derriere to round; my laughter too robust; my hair too curly and kinky. I was supposed to cower in the background, and be okay with it, but I wasn’t. Instead, I sought to create my own path, and strengthened by the tenets of my faith, and family, and embraced by a high school where we were all eclectic, different and thriving on this difference, I pursued excellence. I tried out for plays; studied hard, acted, travelled, and never let anyone put me in a corner because of what they expected me to be like.

Luckily in the 80s, I grew up with television characters that reflected my world, such as The Cosby Show and A Different World, followed in the 90s by Family Matters. I saw families that reflected my own – these stories didn’t revolve around drugs, prostitution or any negative stereotype, but about families and the problems that they had to overcome.

Every kid is teased. Every kid has to make their way into adulthood, and having representation that goes beyond that of horrible tropes, as depicted in movies and by the media, the social prejudices can then be eradicated. If books and media didn’t provide a different take, I could have grown up thinking that the best I could become would have been a maid, a hooker, a strung out side chick, or even a drug dealer. The positive role models made it possible for me to reach higher, and to strive to become more. That’s why representation is important.

Diversity in pop culture and media are important. The media and entertainment industry play an important role in race relations, as many people only know of certain ethnicities based on the image as produced through Hollywood’s lenses. Stereotypes that are visually reinforced, and without basis. We’ve not yet moved to a society where all are embraced, but maybe this can be the beginning of it. Maybe through diverse fiction, and the telling of tales that move the masses, others can embrace stories that star cast members of differing ethnicities, genders and sexual orientations.

Just as a FYI, diverse fiction doesn’t mean that everything is about race relations or some huge historical struggle. A romance doesn’t have to be about race any more than a children’s cartoon. Were the Huxtables any less relatable because they were a black family?

Instead, this and representations of diverse mediums reflect the diverse community we are, as well as helps to build bridges – removing the sense of otherness, and instead recognizing that the stories we tell are those of the heart – the same boy meets girl love stories, travel adventures, war stories, heck, even horror. By building those bridges we help to eradicate the growing chasm of hate which we find ourselves wallowing in. So, instead of just deferring to a homogeneous or default representation in fiction, I’m happy to be part of a forthcoming boxed set that reflects the world in which I live.

My America is composed of several races, ethnicities, sexual orientations, and genders. And there is room in fiction for all of us.

Let’s embrace diverse fiction because we are living in a grand diverse world!

#diversitymatters #representationmatters

Today, help support diversity and representation, and grab your copy of this great set of full length stories!

ABOUT TINA

Tina Glasneck is a writer, blogger, book lover and caffeine addict. Her interests are diverse, as is her writing. Combining her passions, she enjoys creating stories that span across the genres, including crime fiction, mystery, and thrillers, and PNR and fantasy romance.

Each genre requires something different: spine-tingling, angst causing thrillers, and villains worth their word counts. Inspired by the dark masters of Alfred Hitchcock, and Edgar Allan Poe, darkness must have depth.

When it comes to writing fantasy, she believes in having feminine, fantasy and fierce characters, combining alternate history, with Norse gods, and the fantastical!

When she is not composing her next tale, she’s surely dabbling in paint, finding a new brand of coffee, or people-watching at her local coffee shop.

Find her online: Twitter | Website

A dangerously beautiful vision of unique worlds that’s sure to leave its mark.

Cross through the looking glass into Urban Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, and Dystopian realms where you’ll meet valiant heroes, kick-ass heroines, and dangerous creatures waiting to unveil the hidden corners of the universe.

SIGILS & SPELLS includes more than twenty exclusive novels that roam the sands of Egypt, slip into the shadows of 1940s Los Angeles, voyage to the mystical land of Mabi, and dare to traverse the stars.

From the deserts of Africa to the streets of San Antonio, mythological adventurers strike out to discover brand new worlds and unravel the mysteries of Earth in a limited edition boxed set offering the diversity and originality you haven’t been able to find before now.

Including stories from…
Lori Titus
Kris Austen Radcliffe
USA Today bestselling authors Heather Marie Adkins and Alex Owens
Paul C Middleton and Lee Hayton
Rita Stradling
Eva Pohler
Lily Luchesi & Faith Marlow
M.R. Graham
Award-Winning author Carmen Fox
Tina Glasneck
Sedona Venez
J.N. Colon
Cheri Winters
USA Today bestselling author Katalina Leon
RJ Blain
USA Today bestselling author Cate Farren
Amy Evans
Catherine Banks
Award-Winning author V.A. Dold
Dylan Keefer
Award-Winning author Ali Cross
Michel Prince
Danny Bell
Tiana Laveen

Dare to enter forbidden realms of unexpected beauty and peril? Secure your copy of SIGILS & SPELLS today – before it disappears forever!

Charity PNR Box Set Out Now

Romance. Suspense. A happy ending. Paranormal romance is about more than two people getting together. It’s about a meeting of minds, wits and hearts under less than ideal conditions. We want to watch relationships blossom and overcome the odds.

This is what you’ll find in Haunted by Love, a new anthology you’re going to love.

Our ten authors have given up MONTHS of their lives to write brand new stories for your reading pleasure. To download them, you won’t even have to pay a whole dollar. So tell your friends, your family, even your dogwalker about this offer. We need every cent.

Don’t wait. This is a time-limited box set: it’s only available to buy and download through Kindle Unlimited until November.

About the March of Dimes

The March of Dimes was founded in 1938 by Franklin Delano Roosevelt, or Number 32, as the cool kids call him (erm, no; no one has ever called him that). He led the country from a wheelchair he needed because polio had paralyzed him. Today, its mission is to prevent premature births and help sick infants. Its slogan is “working together for stronger, healthier babies.” A cause all of us can get behind.

Haunted by Love can be yours for only a dime per story, or free via your KU subscription. Think about it: You get ten exclusive paranormal romance stories for less than the cost of a glass of wine in a bar or a hot drink from a coffee shop.

Help us make a difference

This is a great cause, and we want to raise as much money as we can. Please tell your friends about it.

You could post on Facebook. Just click here and copy this text:

Check out this paranormal romance anthology, HAUNTED BY LOVE. Ten great stories from ten great authors, with the royalties going to the March of Dimes. Available for a limited time. 99cents & KU. Buy it here:
 
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B074JHHJ4W

Or tweet by clicking a Tweet that link:

#PNR #ebook anthology. #99cents Proceeds go to March of Dimes. Don’t miss out on ltd time offer. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B074JHHJ4W/ Tweet that

 
Earn karma points! Haunted By Love– #pnr box set. Profits for March of Dimes. #KU. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B074JHHJ4W/. Tweet that