We’re so pleased to welcome author Sean Kennedy to TNA today on the tour for his new Teen novel, The Obstruction of Emma Goldsworthy, just released by Harmony Ink Press. Sean is talking a bit about diversity and has some Lesbian Fic recs too, along with an excerpt from the book. Enjoy!
Although I am a cis gay male and write from a queer perspective, it was challenging trying to get into the head of a teenage lesbian. I was scared of appropriation, as there has definitely been times when I’ve given a book the side-eye because someone was writing about a minority from a privileged perspective and got it so wrong. But I couldn’t write a series of books focusing on a group of kids with three main characters without giving one a book of her own. It would have been disingenuous, and also made me hypocritical as I personally believe in diversity in books (even just writing that sounds weird, like, yeah, doesn’t everyone?).
I had to write Emma’s story, and the GetOut series couldn’t have been written without it. Any faults with the book lies entirely with me, and not Emma. I hope she is liked as much as I loved writing her.
But also because I firmly believe in elevating ‘own voices’, here are some teenage lesbian books that are most definitely worth reading above mine.
Annie On My Mind by Nancy Garden. This was a groundbreaking book first published in 1982 and focused on a gay relationship that had a happy ending. It has never fallen off the ‘frequently banned books’ list because of it, which doubly makes it worthy of your attention.
Happy Endings Are All Alike by Sandra Scoppettone. Published even earlier, 1978, this unfortunately has some tropes of the time, and a pretty heavy rape scene. But it is revolutionary in the way it deals with the topic, and explores quite a few of the perceived notions and stereotypes of lesbians that in a book aimed at teenagers was probably rather helpful in dispelling some myths.
The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily M Danforth. In some ways this book reminds me of the fantastic movie But I’m A Cheerleader, which also deals with gay conversion therapy (but the movie does so in a much more satirical way). The film version will be coming out this year, and I can’t wait to see it!
Go forth and read!
About the Book
Series: Get Out: Book Three
Categories: Contemporary, Lesbian, New Adult
Length: 200 Pages:
Cover Artist: Catt Ford
Release Date: April 17, 2018
Blurb: Measuring up to her friend Micah Johnson’s success is an uphill battle for Emma Goldsworthy, but it’s one she’s determined to win. She works hard to stay on task and excel in her hockey program at the Australian Institute of Sport, but her mettle is tested when her ex-girlfriend returns from studying abroad… with a new American girlfriend by her side. Apparently she’s come out of the closet, something she wasn’t willing to do for Emma. Still, Emma has moved on from her ex—despite what those around her want to believe. Besides, there’s someone else on Emma’s mind—a girl she met once in passing and can’t stop pining for… even though Emma doesn’t know her real name, or even what she looks like beneath her costume.
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The Excerpt
“Remember that old ad that used to be on TV?” Alya asked Emma as they filed out the door afterwards.
“I’m afraid you’re going to have to be a little more specific there, mate,” Emma replied.
“You know, the one with the really hot model in the white underpants and singlet.”
“Male or female?” Those qualifiers hadn’t cleared it up for Emma at all.
Alya rolled her eyes. “What do you think?”
“I don’t know!”
“Like I would care about a male model in underpants and singlet? I mean, eww, just thinking of the bulge makes my gorge rise.”
“Steady on there, misandrist!”
“Oh my God, not even in jest should you go there.”
Emma relented. “Okay, female model, hot—”
“That goes without saying.”
“You did say that.”
“Oh yeah, I did. And there were like ants crawling up her legs towards her—”
“I remember!” Emma interrupted her before her next word would invite strange looks from the people thronging around us. “There was an anteater.”
“Yeah, and she said—”
“Sic ’em, Rex!” they cried in unison.
“Antz Pantz,” Alya said. “That was the name of them. I’m pretty sure that ad turned me into a lesbian when I saw it on Naughtiest Ads Ever Made.”
“Yeah, it’s pretty old, isn’t it? Anyway, I thought you said you were pretty sure Veronica Mars turned you gay,” Emma reminded her.
“Well, both of them,” Alya shrugged. “I mean, just that expression on the girl’s face, and you could imagine what that anteater was doing to her.”
“Bestiality on mainstream television,” Emma remarked. “Man, TV was so different back then.” She remembered loving Beauty and the Beast and being disappointed when the Beast turned into a rather insipid looking prince. Or maybe that was just young lesbianism rearing its head, because she was always more interested in Belle anyway.
About the Author
Sean Kennedy lives in Perth, Western Australia, but his heart still belongs to his hometown Melbourne—which is also the home of Simon Murray and Declan Tyler from his series Tigers and Devils. A disciple of cult leader David Lynch, Sean is glad he lived long enough to see the revival of Twin Peaks in 2017.
