Ask Your Doctor... I mean LIBRARIAN. Ask Your Librarian.

I need your help.  Not your money!  I'm not asking for money, don't worry (unless you really want... well, nah, never mind about that). Just a teensy-tinsy (tinsy?) fraction of your day will do.  Maybe three minutes? Maybe less.

When I was a teen, I read library books. Exclusively. I couldn't afford to buy novels. Are you kidding? My family could barely afford to eat, and I was a voracious consumer of books.  (My brother was a voracious consumer of cereal, but that's a story for another day.)

As soon as my novel Tiffany and Tiger's Eye came out, the first thing I did was start contacting public libraries across the globe to ask if they'd consider including my book in their collections.

Why was this so important to me? Because when I was growing up, I never did find a young adult novel about a girl who liked girls. That's all I was really looking for. "Please, why can't there be a lesbian novel in this library!" So, twenty years later, I wrote one for my younger self.  And I hope young people today will find what I never could.

This is where you come in.

Are you ready?

I need your help to make Tiffany and Tiger's Eye available IN YOUR LOCAL LIBRARY.  Do want a quality LGBT fiction to be made available to young adults in your area, so they won't feel as alone as I did at that age? Of course you do!

So let your library know you want to see Tiffany and Tiger's Eye on their shelves.

How? I don't know how!  Tell me how!!!

Okay, no problem.  Here's how:

1. Go to your library's website.
2. Search your library's catalog. If Tiffany and Tiger's Eye is there, your work is done. Check it out and read it. It's great!
3. If it's not there, look for a link that says "Suggest a Purchase." (this might be in an "About Us" section or buried somewhere. If you hunt for it and can't find it, click on "Contact Us" or something similar.)
4. You might have to sign in with your library card. You might not. Depends on the library.
5. Give your library as many details as you can about the book you're suggesting. In this case...

(Updated February15, 2017)  
Title: Tiffany and Tiger's Eye
Author: Foxglove Lee
Book Format: Book and Ebook are both available--select the one YOU want to see in your library
Paperback ISBN: 9781543006230
Ebook ISBN: 9781370136216

Year of Publication: 2017
Adult, Teen, or Children's book?: Teen

If the form asks why the library should consider purchasing this book or where you heard about it, be honest. If you heard about it right here, right now, you can tell them that--author's website, online--and as for why? Well, I can only hope that if you're still reading, it's because you want to see quality, age-appropriate LGBT fiction available for young people in your area.

6. If your library system doesn't have a specific "Suggest a Purchase" form, you might have to send them an email or use a "Contact Us" form. Just let them know that you're contacting them because you want to see Tiffany and Tiger's Eye by Foxglove Lee in your local library. Send them all that book information I've listed above.

See? That was pretty easy!

You can recommend any book for purchase, but most library systems request that you don't submit forms for books over 2 years old or books that are bestsellers/by bestselling authors. Don't worry--neither is the case, here. *wry laughter*

Just because you submit a purchase suggestion doesn't automatically mean your library will buy the book you want to read, but in the case of an indie-published LGBT novel like Tiffany and Tiger's Eye, libraries aren't going to acquire copies unless YOU--the citizens, the people, the readers!--ask for it.

(By the way, if you're still saying, "Shut up and take my money," here's what you can do: buy a copy or copies of Tiffany and Tiger's Eye to DONATE to your local library. Links are below. And I'm sure your library will love you as much as I do!)

Tiffany and Tiger’s Eye

A Novel by Foxglove Lee

Ebook ISBN: 9781370136216

Print ISBN-13: 9781543006230

ISBN-10: 154300623X

Now Available in Print!

Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06VTC7XRR?tag=foxglovelee-20

Barnes & Noble:

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/tiffany-and-tigers-eye-foxglove-lee/1118740939

Kobo:

https://www.kobo.com/ca/en/ebook/tiffany-and-tiger-s-eye-1

iTunes:

 https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1206231008

Google Play: 

https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=vxUgDgAAQBAJ

A Course for YA Writers: "Lockdown: Growing Up in a Violent Culture"

I came across this learning opportunity for YA authors. Posting it here in case anyone is interested: 

*Permission to forward granted and appreciated*

Journey into the dark and gritty world of teen violence, peer pressure, and other hazards in this course designed for both beginners and experienced writers.

Lockdown: Growing Up in a Violent Culture
Instructor: Peter Andrews
Dates: April 14-25, 2014
Cost: $10 for YARWA members ($20 for non-members)

TO REGISTER go to: http://yarwa.com/programs

About the Course: Teens face unimaginable threats from gangs, shooters, and bullies. Schools add screening, surveillance, and tough rules in response. How do you grow up when you’re caught between fear and zero tolerance?

Lessons will cover:

Bullies, Gangs, and shootings - Why Columbine still haunts our children

Security - The yin and yang of managing violence

Fun and Games - Parties, dating, peers, and pecking order

Deadly Streets - Families, friends, the neighborhood, and society

Villains and Heroes - Passion and personal responsibility

Provocative questions - Hazardous choices and hopes

About the Instructor: Peter Andrews is a full-time, independent writer of speeches, articles, and blogs. He has dozens of short stories and hundreds of nonfiction articles in print. He has worked professionally in PR, and as a Web producer, speechwriter, and radio producer. He is the author of the popular How To Write Fast Blog, howtowritefast.blogspot.com

TO REGISTER go to: http://yarwa.com/programs

For any questions, please contact Lea Nolan, YARWA VP of Programs at vp-programs (at)YARWA (dot) com or Aileen Fish, YARWA Workshop Coordinator at aileen (at) aileenfish (dot) com

Interested in joining YARWA? Click here to learn more: http://yarwa.com/join-yarwa

The Mango Takes a Bite out of Tiffany. Or Something.

I heard from Shira Glassman, author of the lesbian fantasy novel The Second Mango, that she read my book Tiffany and Tiger's Eye in one sitting!  When you write a 67,000-word novel, that's a huge compliment.  Wish I could have written it in one sitting, hahaha! That book took forever.

Back to this review or musing or blog post or whatever you want to call it... well, what's the point in explaining it to you?  I'll just give you the link.  I found it very funny, but maybe I'm just feeling giddy because someone actually read my novel.

“Tiffany and Tiger’s Eye”: New Young Adult horror novel with lesbian romance from Foxglove Lee (Prizm Books): 

http://shiraglassman.wordpress.com/2014/03/04/tiffany-and-tigers-eye-new-young-adult-horror-novel-with-lesbian-romance-from-foxglove-lee-prizm-books

Thank you, Shira!

Foxglove

I Hate Love is FREE this week!

I have a present for you. It's at Amazon, waiting for pickup.

The contract on my lesbian romance short "I Hate Love" recently expired, so I thought I'd publish it myself. Amazon lets me make it free for 5 days, so amble on over between March 3rd and March 7th and get yourself a FREE copy.

Amazon| http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IQK6S52
Amazon UK| https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00IQK6S52

I HATE LOVE
by Foxglove Lee

Where's a girl to go when every direction is the wrong direction?

Half the school calls Laura "The Ice Queen." Even her closest friends have never seen her cry... until she's assigned to debate a Pro-Valentine's Day position in class. As far as Laura and Mila are concerned, V-Day's just an excuse to sell chocolate. Their friend Jaden says they're against Valentine's Day because they hate love. Maybe he’s right. Laura's never wanted the things teens are supposed to want most. Why is she so different?

On the eve of Valentine's Day, warmth creeps into Laura's life from unexpected sources. By midnight, life might not feel quite so icy.

A short story for teens. 


Amazon| http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IQK6S52
Amazon UK| https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00IQK6S52

Read an Excerpt from Tiffany and Tiger's Eye

The other day I posted some background information about the semi-icky setting of my new 1980s novel, Tiffany and Tiger's Eye (click here to read that post) but I didn't tell you too much about the book itself.

It's back to basics, today:

Tiffany and Tiger's Eye was written by me, Foxglove Lee, and published by Prizm Books.

How many secrets can a family keep?

If there's one thing Rebecca knows, it's how to hide her problems. But with a rock-and-roll dad who drinks too much and a mom who works day and night, Rebecca needs a sympathetic ear. That's why she tells her troubles to Yvette, an antique doll that once belonged to her grandmother.

In the summer of 1986, after her father's strange disappearance, Rebecca and her little brother are sent to the cottage with Aunt Libby and Uncle Flip. Rebecca's relieved to get away from the city, and her relief grows to bliss when she meets Tiffany, a water-skiing blonde who dresses like Madonna, makes her own jewelry, and claims to see auras.

But strange things happen when Rebecca spends time with Tiffany. Her aunt and uncle are convinced she's acting out -- and she'd have good reason to, considering they obviously know where her father is and won't say -- but she can't convince them she isn't the one trashing her bedroom and setting fires. As crazy as it seems, Yvette must be the culprit.

There's nothing more dangerous than a jealous doll that knows all your secrets...

Excerpt:

I don't know what came over me, but I blurted out, "I got my period!"

Uncle Flip's eyes shot wide open, like I'd just punched him in the stomach. A blush came over him, starting with his ears and devouring his face. He squirmed so much I actually felt sorry for him. I sat up straight on the couch and bit my lip, wishing I could take the words back.

"Is it the first... the first... time?" my uncle stammered.

I looked away and lied. "Yes."

"Oh." He swallowed hard. "So, you don't have any... any..." He lowered his voice and said, "Supplies?"

I shook my head. I couldn't look at him. When I needed pads at home, I took them from the cupboard in my mother's bathroom and hoped she wouldn't notice. Any time I was babysitting, I'd sneak off to the bathroom and take just a few. It was easy to hide things down the front of my overalls. Overalls concealed all sins.

Uncle Flip rose stiffly from the couch, disappearing into the bedroom he shared with Aunt Libby. He was in there so long that I got up to check on him. I felt like I was floating as I stuck my head beyond the door. We never went into Aunt Libby and Uncle Flip's bedroom.

The curtains were closed, and the light was off. Even in the relative darkness, I could see how cramped it was. They had a double bed in the middle, flanked by long dressers pushed up against the walls.

But the furniture had nothing on the décor. Somebody had installed shelves along all the walls, and they were packed to the gills with... dolls!

My heart thundered as I stepped inside. I felt like I shouldn't be there, like I was walking on hallowed ground. Aunt Libby wouldn't like it. I could feel her presence like a ghost just over my shoulder. There were porcelain babies, girls in ostentatious dresses, and little women with sun umbrellas. I'd never been a doll person, but they were obviously antiques. They must have been worth a fortune.

"Your grandmother collected those," Uncle Flip told me. He was standing in the corner, holding a box of maxi pads. The packaging was cardboard, not plastic, and it looked almost as old as me. "Your aunt..." He bowed his head and the box rattled in his hands. "God, I wish Libby was here..."

"It's okay," I said, wanting to comfort him.

"Do you know how to use these things?"

"Yeah." There was very little floor space in the cottage bedrooms, but I wedged myself inside and took the box from him, clutching it to my chest. "Don't worry. I'll figure it out."

Uncle Flip nodded and shot me a brief smile. "You're a smart girl."

I wanted to run away, but the dolls had a hold on me. I could feel their eyes burning into the bare flesh beyond my T-shirt. My armpits poured out sweat despite the deodorant I'd only just started using. I'd shaved the week before, even though my mother insisted I should wait until I turned sixteen. The regrowth pricked me terribly.

"Why don't you take one of these guys?" my uncle asked, reaching up and grabbing a doll. His big hand made her body look so small.

"Take one? Why?"

"Well, I thought... Doesn't a girl usually get a present when she has... has her first..."

"Yeah, and a party." I felt bad for laughing, but I couldn't help it. "And a pony!"

Uncle Flip's ears glowed red, but he laughed too.

My uncle and I both looked at the doll he'd chosen for me. She wasn't a baby doll or a little girl, but she didn't look like an adult woman, either. Somewhere in between, just like me. Uncle Flip brushed a stray orange ringlet from her porcelain forehead. I was no doll expert, but just by looking around the room I could tell redheaded dolls weren't all that common. He was giving me something special, and I think he knew that.

"Won't Aunt Libby be mad?"

"Nah." Uncle Flip ran the back of his hand down the front of his moustache. "These dolls scare the hell out of your aunt... oh, sorry, scare the heck out of her."

I smiled at how careful my family was about swearing. We rarely said bad words out loud, not even the minor ones like hell and damn.

"If they scare her, why does she keep them?"

"Because they belonged to her mother," my uncle said, and I understood well enough that I didn't ask any follow-up questions. "I'm going to check on your brother, see what that little monster's up to. You sure you're okay?"

When he left the cottage, I lingered in my aunt and uncle's bedroom. It still felt out of bounds. I looked up at the shelves of blonde dolls with parasols or teddy bears sewn under their arms. Their prettiness overwhelmed me, and I cast my gaze down over the one doll that was mine.

With her pouting crimson lips, huge green eyes, and thick black lashes, she was beautiful in a way that enchanted and perplexed me. I put my box of maxi pads down on the bed and held my doll with both hands. Her dress had a country flavor -- tiny rust-colored flowers on a cream background, rosettes up the front of her chest, and lace around her neck. Over the dress, she had on a half-apron in less-than-pristine white.

She looked at me so inquisitively I was convinced she had a mind beyond those deep, dark eyes.
"What should I call you, dollface?"

Like a flash, the name Yvette streaked through me. I could have sworn that I heard it out loud, with a hint of a French accent, like the doll had spoken to me.

Of course, I was being silly. My mother always said I let my imagination get the better of me. She was right.

Even so, I lifted the doll to my face and rubbed her cool porcelain nose against mine. Closing my eyes, I kissed her little lips. 

Tiffany and Tiger's Eye is published by Prizm Books and available from the publisher's website, Amazon, OmniLit and other retailers.

This Old Shack

There’s so much I could say about my new novel, Tiffany and Tiger’s Eye. As a horror story, family drama, and sweet lesbian romance set in the eighties, it covers a lot of bases. I could talk about how much of my young adult life pops out of my main character, Rebecca. I could tell you how much fun I had delving back into 1980s fashion trends and modes of speech (like, gag me with a spoon!) to write it. I could admit to the half-recalled memories that provided a springboard for Rebecca’s family secrets.

Instead, I’m going to tell you about the cottage.

Tiffany and Tiger’s Eye is a summer novel, so if the chilly temperatures are getting you down this might make a nice little mental getaway. It’s set at a very strange old shack, which is modeled after the one my grandparents owned in the 80s. In the book, Rebecca remarks that it’s more like a storage unit than a cottage, and that pretty much describes it to a T. The structure did have bedrooms, but as a whole the cottage was a single-storey rectangle that sat about a foot off the ground. If it had wheels, it would be a giant caravan.

It didn’t have wheels. It did, however, have hippie daisy stickers on every door and the most hideous 1970s-era furnishings you could possibly imagine. There was a little black-and-white TV in the corner, but without cable and being in the middle of the woods, it only got reception of one channel—and that was very blurry.

The radio was always on, always tuned to CBC Radio One.

To say the cottage had indoor plumbing would be stretching the truth just a bit. There was some kind of pump in the kitchen, which supplied water to the sink, but the taps in the bathroom were purely decorative. Every morning, my grandmother would fill a tin basin in the kitchen and set it in the bathroom sink for us to wash our hands.

Now… about the toilet. Maybe this is TMI, but I’m not completely clear how that whole system worked. There WAS a toilet and it DID flush, but only once a day. And my grandmother had to do it. I’m sure you can imagine the stink of that bathroom with a whole day’s worth of a whole family’s… umm… leavings, shall we say? Flushing was a delicate procedure, always kept under wraps. Very mysterious.

The family in my book has a teepee in the backyard (which was a clearing that spilled over into woods) because we had a teepee, too, made of branches and boughs. Years before I was born, my grandfather had carved a family totem pole back there. That didn’t make it into my novel, but now I kind of wish it had. I’d forgotten about it until just now.

I’ll tell you another strange thing about the cottage, which didn’t figure into the book: if you walked into the woods behind my (maternal) grandparents’ shack cottage and you kept walking for five or ten minutes, you’d arrive in the backyard of my paternal grandparents’ prim two-storey gingerbread cottage. AND YET… that’s not how my parents met. They met in the city, even though their parents had these cottages that basically backed on to one another.

Isn’t that weird?

I’m not sure how my grandmother or anyone else from my family will feel about me incorporating all this weirdness into my book. Grandma’s got a fine sense of humour, so I think she’ll be amused.

At least, I hope so…

Tiffany and Tiger's Eye is available in print from Amazon and other vendors. You can also get the ebook from Amazon, Google Play, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, iTunes and many other ebook stores.

The Secret to a Perfect Latke is Back!

My contract was up on my OmniLit bestselling ebook The Secret to a Perfect Latke, so I decided to take the plunge, create a cover for it, and upload it to Amazon!

If you've been wondering what happened to the funny story about Noah coming out live on national television, here it is: 

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IID56OG

Noah has never been on TV before, but he dreams of having his own cooking show one day. When he's asked to help a gourmet chef prepare latkes for a Hanukkah segment on the Sunny and The Bear show, his family is proud but suspicious. Sunny and The Bear is a "lifestyle" show that's popular among straight women and hosted by gay men. What's more, the guests on this show have an uncanny tendency to come out of the closet live on national television...

An OmniLit bestselling comedy short from LGBTQ Young Adult author Foxglove Lee!  

https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B00IID56OG

Read a Sample:

“You must be new to the show,” said the curvy blonde with a head full of ringlets. “Don’t worry too much. Just focus on Phil and Sunny. Try to forget about the millions of people watching from home.”

“Millions?” Noah’s throat ran dry. “It can’t be millions.”

The blonde woman shrugged. “I don’t know -- millions, thousands, whatever.”

Noah kept checking his watch even though there was a clock in the Green Room. He didn’t trust it -- time couldn’t possibly move so slowly. He was getting so agitated his insides were itchy. He wished he could reach inside his skin and scratch.

And then, out of the clear blue sky, Sunny walked into the Green Room with Phil “The Bear” following close behind. Sunny threw his hands up in the air and cried, “We’re heeee-eeeere!”

The women and Chef Troy did the same and shouted, “We’re queeee-eeer!”

Everybody laughed, leaving Noah feeling stunned and out of touch as the guys did their “How’ve you been?” rounds with everyone they knew. And then they got to Noah. The Bear shook his right hand while Sunny shook his left.

“What’ve we got here, Phil? Looks like fresh meat!”

“Oh, I’m not very… meaty.” What a stupid thing to say, but everybody laughed so it must have been funny. “I’m Noah. I’m helping Chef Troy make latkes.” 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00IID56OG