Behind the Curtain with Gayboy

I'm bringing you behind the scenes with this post. Strap in, tie those shoelaces (made ya look!) and grab a warm mug of cocoa. Here we go!

In August I published a sweet, lovely bisexual teen novelette called And Plaid All Over. More recently I published a gritty, honest bisexual teen chapbook called Gayboy.

And, actually, they're both the same book. Different name, different cover, different branding, but the story inside is exactly the same.

The plan from the very beginning was to a/b test this story. What's a/b testing? It's when you present different versions of something to see what will have better results. In the case of Plaid/Gayboy I wanted to see whether a softer or harder title and cover design would sell more copies.

Of course, I'm being totally unscientific about this by actually telling you what I'm up to. I published the Plaid version first and kept it exclusive to Amazon for 90 days, then I unpublished it. My plan was to do the same with Gayboy, but I gave up pretty fast because Kindle Unlimited never works out for me. The bulk of my sales come from other ebook stores, so I've uploaded Gayboy pretty much everywhere.

The only thing I didn't change was print version. Chalk that up to laziness. But that also meant I was able to include in the Gayboy blurb: Paperback version available as "And Plaid All Over." Because, of course, I changed the title and cover art to test design concepts, not to trick anyone into buying the same book twice--yet another reason I'm letting you in my evil plan to take over the world. I mean to a/b test this book. Sorry, I glanced at the wrong notebook for a sec.

Now I know what you're thinking: which one's the winner--a or b? Plaid or Gayboy?

Well, the wheels fell off when I changed so many testing parameters, so I can't really say. What I can say is that you are more than welcome to scoop up a copy of Gayboy anywhere you like. 

Oh, and if you want to know what the actual story is about... well, you could read it. Or you could check out this post I wrote: http://foxglovelee.blogspot.ca/2016/08/new-teen-fiction-bi-guy-his-best-friend.html

There are plenty of places to find Gayboy, including:

Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/gayboy-foxglove-lee/1125245376
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1179950968
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/ca/en/ebook/gayboy

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N1I8V9V?tag=foxglovelee-20
Amazon Canada: http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B01N1I8V9V
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01N1I8V9V
Scribd: https://www.scribd.com/book/332231797/Gayboy
24Symbols: https://www.24symbols.com/book/x/x/x?id=1808057

They're Humiliating! They're Hilarious! They're... Embarrassing Period Stories!

Embarrassing Period Stories
Twenty Totally Awkward Tales of Preteens and Periods
Edited by Foxglove Lee

We get them at school. We get them on vacation. We get them at dance recitals and piano lessons, at theme parks and on tennis courts, during pool parties and volleyball games and math tests. We get our periods at the worst possible moments, but at least we’ve got funny stories to tell!

In this inclusive book, you’ll find twenty embarrassing period stories as hilarious as they are mortifying. If you’ve ever felt humiliated by leaks and layers and secrets and stains, feel free to laugh along!

What a fun read!

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N59J3VP
Amazon Canada: http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B01N59J3VP
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01N59J3VP

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/707375
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=lew7DgAAQBAJ

New Genderqueer Young/New Adult Fiction: You Can Never Go Home Again

Before I tell you about my newest novelette, I want to let you know that if you're reading this post prior to October 6th, 2016 you can get You Can Never Go Home Again FREE from instaFreebie.  

Go grab it now. It's okay. I'll wait: https://www.instafreebie.com/book/15722

Okay, back to the book.

This is a good one. I wrote it in anticipation of Thanksgiving--the Canadian one that's coming up this weekend. I figured a lot of readers might be looking for a story to read while heading home to see family, as my main character is doing at the start of the story.

If you're looking for spooky fiction with a genderqueer main character, you found it!

What if you came home for Thanksgiving and your family home had disappeared?

Picture this: You started your first year at university a couple months ago and you haven’t been home since. You miss your parents, but you’ve learned a lot about yourself living away. Your family was accepting when you came out queer, but everything’s different now that you’re questioning your gender identity too. Even if you can work up the nerve to tell your parents, will they ever understand?

That’s the least of your concerns when you get home to find your house isn’t there. It’s just… gone! The neighbours have no idea who you are. What happened to your family? How can you find them? And does anyone remember the way things used to be?

A Paranormal LGBTQ Young Adult Novelette


Grab a copy of You Can Never Go Home Again while it's free or snap it up for a couple bucks from one of the following ebook retailers:

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1161260848
Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/ebook/you-can-never-go-home-again-2

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M1AWXYO?tag=foxglovelee
Amazon Canada: http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B01M1AWXYO
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01M1AWXYO

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=qZEsDQAAQBAJ

New Teen Fiction: A bi guy, his best friend, the 90s and show tunes!

I keep coming back to the 90s. I just can't help myself. 1994, in particular, grabs me. Sylvie and the Christmas Ghost was set in 1994. My new novelette, And Plaid All Over, is set in that same year. It's about two best friends who are madly in love... with Forever Plaid.

In case you haven't heard of it, Forever Plaid is a one-act musical about a singing group from the early 60s who time-travel into the future to give a concert for you, the audience. It's a weird musical for a pair of teenagers to be obsessed with, but there's a bit of a based-on-a-true-story aspect to And Plaid All Over: in 1994 or so, my best friend and I went to see Forever Plaid multiple times. Not as many times as Marco and Anna, but more than most teens. We'd stand in line for rush tickets. Much like Marco and Anna, we were always the youngest people in the audience.

For all you 90s historians out there (or at least for fans of musical theatre), I've got a few artifacts to show you.

Here's my "Plaidbill" from one performance, so when Anna asks "Why's it called a Plaidbill?" you'll know what she's talking about:

Marco and Anna are members of the Frequent Plaid Club. Here's what that's all about:

And when Marco hooks a plastic bag from the gift shop around his wrist, this is the bag:

Having said all that, And Plaid All Over is a work of FICTION so please don't sue me, Forever Plaid people!

And Plaid All Over is a cute little novelette about a bi guy with a crush on an actor, his best friend who kind of annoys him sometimes, and their mutual love of Forever Plaid (and... each other?).

You can read And Plaid All Over as an ebook from Amazon, but if you prefer paperbacks you can actually get this book in print too even though it's quite a short read.

Here be the linkages (I don't know why my urls look like they're not hyperlinked when they are...):

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01KOUZTCO?tag=foxglovelee-20
In the UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01KOUZTCO
In Canada: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B01KOUZTCO
In Australia: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B01KOUZTCO

Behind the Book: Ghost Turkey and the Pioneer Graveyard

Ghost Turkey and the Pioneer Graveyard is children’s fiction starring Madison and Sunita, characters who are transgender and gender non-conforming, respectively.

I was inspired to write this book by a friend’s daughter, who is trans. She’s an avid reader who loves watching cat videos and choreographing dance routines. I thought it might be nice to write a funny little book that features diverse gender identities, with her in mind. I started with a trip to the library, where I read a few books from a series she particularly enjoys. That gave me a feel for what kinds of character dynamics and storylines I might create.

Then something strange happened: a hike with my sister. Not strange in itself, but the conservation area we were hiking in happened to have a pioneer graveyard in it. That’s a little unusual. Also unusual: as we were leaving the cemetery, we realized there was a turkey following us! I don’t know about you, but I’d never been followed through the woods by a turkey before. Now, I’m not saying for sure that it was a ghost turkey, but you never know. All in all, that hike was a little spOoOky.

Out of this experience, Ghost Turkey and the Pioneer Graveyard was born. My sister and I jokingly began plotting it as we finished our hike. She’s an elementary school teacher, so she was able to give me pointers about curriculum too. That’s pretty darn helpful. Thanks, Sis!

I also want to give a shout-out to my awesome editor who happens to be transgender, just like my character Madison. Although, unlike Madison, she’s not a huge fan of pickled beets. (I asked.)

Ghost Turkey and the Pioneer Graveyard isn’t a book about “being trans,” particularly. It’s a funny little mystery that features gender-diverse characters. I wrote it especially for those young readers who don’t see themselves represented in a lot of books—and for their friends, siblings, classmates… any young reader, really. Especially if they enjoy a bit of silly fun with their amateur sleuthing.

Ghost Turkey and the Pioneer Graveyard is now available as an ebook and in print. If your local library doesn’t carry it, ask them to purchase a copy!

Oh, I almost forgot to mention this book is available in two versions: Canadian English and American English. Just thought it might be a little easier for young readers if they didn't have to adjust to unfamiliar spellings.

Here are some of the many places you can purchase

Ghost Turkey and the Pioneer Graveyard: CANADIAN ENGLISH
by Foxglove Lee
ISBN-13: 978-1534936843
ISBN-10: 153493684X
(click vendor name to visit the site)
Amazon Canada
Amazon UK
iTunes
Kobo
Scribd
Smashwords

Ghost Turkey and the Pioneer Graveyard: AMERICAN ENGLISH
by Foxglove Lee
ISBN-13: 978-1534943216
ISBN-10: 1534943218
(click vendor name to visit the site) 
Amazon(ebook)
Amazon(print)
Barnes and Noble
iTunes
Scribd
Smashwords

Truth and Other Lies is one of USA Today's Must-Read Romances of 2015

What an honour!

I always figured I'd be one of those authors who went through life never getting noticed. And I was okay with that. I'm not a "look at me!" kind of person.

But one of my books did get noticed in 2015, by Happy Ever After and Michelle Monkou at USA Today.

Truth and Other Lies has been named one of their Must-Read Romances of 2015, and I want to give a shout-out to my book (way to go, book!), to my characters (nice one, Kenny!), to my publisher (thanks a million, Evernight Teen!) as well as my editor, cover designer, and everyone else who laid a finger on this story.

In Michelle Monkou's review, she calls the book "definitely unforgettable", the writing "bold", and says "the story has drama with a capital D that makes it a perfect book to read with your friends."

Getting noticed can be an unexpected joy. Who knew?

Truth and Other Lies can be purchased from:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00LICLQBG?tag=foxglovelee
All Romance Ebooks: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-truthandotherlies-1562486-145.html
BookStrand: http://www.bookstrand.com/truth-and-other-lies-mmf