Reuben “Tihi” Hayslett Talks Short Stories: Get In & Get Out

Today’s guest is Reuben "Tihi" Hayslett who confronts identity politics, racism and homophobia in his debut short story collection "Dark Corners," which has been selected by Kirkus Reviews as best book of the year (2019).  Hayslett’s characters, most of them black, brown, and/or queer, have their personal problems complicated by their outsider status, by ominous politics, and by occasional eruptions of madness and the macabre. Tihi joined me today to talk about writing and art as a form of protest. Also covered: looking inward to step into your power before taking your work outward for a broader audience, and the art form of the short story, and how sometimes being succinct is how you allow your reader to fill in the blanks.

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Prickly Polka Dot Boutique

Manuela Velasco of Tessera Editorial On Inclusivity & Diversity Throughout Publishing

Today’s guest is Manuela Velasco, the marketing and publicity director as well as an editor for Tessera Editorial which was founded on the idea that publishing can and should be an accessible industry to all people. Through myriad diverse voices in the profession, Tessera Editorial hopes to open the world of books to as many readers as possible. Manuela joined me today to talk about the services that Tessera offers, as well as why getting people of color into all aspects of publishing – not just authors – is important for true diversity and inclusivity in the industry. Also covered: what a sensitivity read is – and what it isn’t. And diversity as a hot topic in publishing – is it a double edged sword?

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Links for Tessera Editorial: 

Website: https://www.tesseraeditorial.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TesseraEdits

Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/tesseraeditorial

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tesseraeditorial/

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Every Stolen Breath by Kimberley Gabriel

Our Year of Maybe by Rachel Lynn Solomon

Portraying Mental Illnesses Responsibly in Fiction: S Gonzales

Today’s guest is S Gonzales who writes Young Adult contemporary books with twisty plots and a generous dose of romance, featuring witty yet vulnerable characters. She joined me today to talk about landing her agent, Twitter contests, and balancing time difference while living in Australia and interacting with her American audience and publishing contacts. Also covered: Why publish with an initial standing in for her first name? Writing about mental illnesses responsibly and rom coms for queer people. 

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The Wood by Chelsea Bobulski 

Pulp by Robin Talley 

M-E Girard: Writing Queer YA

M-E Girard, author of GIRL MANS UP, joins host Mindy McGinnis to talk about the amount of research involved in the agent hunt, different stages of the authorial journey, writing queer YA, a day in the life of the successful and (not-so-beautifully) tortured artist, and the worries of setting a book in Canada when writing for the US audience.

M-E’s Book & Social Media

Girl Mans Up

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New York Times Book Review