Woke up to find myself in the year 1950!
Checking my calendar: is today New Year's Eve 2018, or 1950?
Did I somehow wake up in the year 1950 through some bizarre tear in the time-space continuum causing a time-travel event? Do I have to worry about how to get "Back to the Future" like Marty McFly?
Why am I suddenly wondering what year it is? Because today, a homophobic bigot turned out to be the first reviewer of the audiobook version of my new YA fantasy novel Fortress of Gold (Book 2 of the Magicians Gold series, and a sequel to Magic Teacher's Son). The novel Fortress of Gold has no sex, violence, or profanity, so it would be PG-rated except for the fact that it has two boys kissing, which I'm willing to grant you might make the book PG-13. However, just because of two boys kissing, this reviewer told me he considered Fortress of Gold suitable only for adults ages 21+ and explained that as the reason he rated it only 2 stars. Fortress of Gold contains no sex, violence (except accidents), or profanity (except two Biblical swear words), but this reviewer told me in an email explaining why he rated it 2 stars without bothering to explain why in a review,
"Several situations were definitely 'adults only'. Giving it a rating of ages 21+"
Yes, he said it's "adults only... ages 21+" just because it has two boys kissing! He went on to say, "Perhaps in maybe 5-10 years it would garner a larger audience." That's why I had to check my calendar this morning to see if this is New Year's Eve 2018 or 1950!
FYI, I did my research before and during writing Fortress of Gold; I read lots of young-adult romances including YA gay romances, but not a single YA gay romance novel that I've read is tamer than Fortress of Gold (they all contain kissing, and unlike my novel, most YA romances contain lots of actual sexual activity, too, not just kissing).
Now I'm even more worried about what members of my own LDS Church will think, because I'm Mormon, a member of arguably the most anti-gay religion in America! However, the great Mormon SF novelist Orson Scott Card had many LGBTQ characters in his early books, including gay protagonists. Orson Scott Card's gay characters did more than just kiss, and yet he's still considered a devout Mormon (perhaps our Church forgave him for having gay protagonists in his early novels because he came out against gay marriage, or perhaps he had to come out against gay marriage so our Church would forgive him for having gay characters in his novels, as it may be a question of which came first, the chicken or the egg?)
What I want to know is, who gave Vice-President Mike Pence a review copy of my audiobook Fortress of Gold (and why is he emailing me under an assumed name)? Fess up, who let Mike Pence listen to my audiobook?
This audiobook listener also thinks it was too soon to mention such a sensitive political subject as the 2000 election in my book -- that was 18 years ago, but it's still too soon?
Please check out my new YA fantasy novel Fortress of Gold, which I still consider suitable for all ages, despite what one homophobic audiobook reviewer said on New Year's Eve 2018, which he seems to think is still 1950! Fortress of Gold is available in print and ebook as well as audiobook, see http://Pen-L.com/FortressOfGold.html
Did I somehow wake up in the year 1950 through some bizarre tear in the time-space continuum causing a time-travel event? Do I have to worry about how to get "Back to the Future" like Marty McFly?
Why am I suddenly wondering what year it is? Because today, a homophobic bigot turned out to be the first reviewer of the audiobook version of my new YA fantasy novel Fortress of Gold (Book 2 of the Magicians Gold series, and a sequel to Magic Teacher's Son). The novel Fortress of Gold has no sex, violence, or profanity, so it would be PG-rated except for the fact that it has two boys kissing, which I'm willing to grant you might make the book PG-13. However, just because of two boys kissing, this reviewer told me he considered Fortress of Gold suitable only for adults ages 21+ and explained that as the reason he rated it only 2 stars. Fortress of Gold contains no sex, violence (except accidents), or profanity (except two Biblical swear words), but this reviewer told me in an email explaining why he rated it 2 stars without bothering to explain why in a review,
"Several situations were definitely 'adults only'. Giving it a rating of ages 21+"
Yes, he said it's "adults only... ages 21+" just because it has two boys kissing! He went on to say, "Perhaps in maybe 5-10 years it would garner a larger audience." That's why I had to check my calendar this morning to see if this is New Year's Eve 2018 or 1950!
FYI, I did my research before and during writing Fortress of Gold; I read lots of young-adult romances including YA gay romances, but not a single YA gay romance novel that I've read is tamer than Fortress of Gold (they all contain kissing, and unlike my novel, most YA romances contain lots of actual sexual activity, too, not just kissing).
Now I'm even more worried about what members of my own LDS Church will think, because I'm Mormon, a member of arguably the most anti-gay religion in America! However, the great Mormon SF novelist Orson Scott Card had many LGBTQ characters in his early books, including gay protagonists. Orson Scott Card's gay characters did more than just kiss, and yet he's still considered a devout Mormon (perhaps our Church forgave him for having gay protagonists in his early novels because he came out against gay marriage, or perhaps he had to come out against gay marriage so our Church would forgive him for having gay characters in his novels, as it may be a question of which came first, the chicken or the egg?)
What I want to know is, who gave Vice-President Mike Pence a review copy of my audiobook Fortress of Gold (and why is he emailing me under an assumed name)? Fess up, who let Mike Pence listen to my audiobook?
This audiobook listener also thinks it was too soon to mention such a sensitive political subject as the 2000 election in my book -- that was 18 years ago, but it's still too soon?
Please check out my new YA fantasy novel Fortress of Gold, which I still consider suitable for all ages, despite what one homophobic audiobook reviewer said on New Year's Eve 2018, which he seems to think is still 1950! Fortress of Gold is available in print and ebook as well as audiobook, see http://Pen-L.com/FortressOfGold.html
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