Kickstarter

I have yet to read a novel uninhibitedly rife with the imaginings of queer adolescents. My novel—this Kickstarter project—is what I wanted so desperately to read as a young gay person coming out in a religiously conservative biological family, in a religiously conservative small town.  

Your donations bring this novel to life by granting me the freedom to work under my own deadlines and to self-publish.* Self-publishing avoids the editing of mainstream publishers** who, in so many cases, strive to "straight-wash" creative writing about queer adolescents so it's palatable (read: bland) enough for a mainstream American public that moves too slowly toward full acceptance of the full-bodied experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, asexual, intersex, queer and questioning Americans. 

This novel pivots on the power of youth to hold adults accountable for their life-threatening blind spots. Each chapter is written from the point of view of a different young character in a core group of four. The plot unfolds as their new friendships do, climaxing in their pursuit of social justice at the local public high school where their experiences and needs as LGBTQIA youth are marginalized on a daily basis. 

With your support the powerful story I have to tell will reach LGBTQIA youth the world over--granting sanctuary from the trauma of hetero-normative socialization, inspiring courage in the face of fear, true compassion in the face of “faith”-based hate.

What right do I have to tell such a story? I write with a keen personal awareness of what it is like to be young and queer in America. I write as an ally to people of color, people of every economic class, people of varying abilities in bodymindspirit. I write as an ally to people of all body types, to people of all sexes and genders.

Be sure to check out the above video for more background on the novel—including an excerpt of the first chapter (note: contains adult material). You can also find my biography and creative Backers' Rewards in the sidebar to the right! 

I can’t thank you enough for the time you’ve taken to look through this profile, and for any donations you might choose to make. Many blessings to you!

Best,
Patrick

*I have taken a class in Independent Self-Publishing and read numerous books on the topic; $5,500 is a relatively modest sum to ask for in pursuit of publishing hard cover, soft cover and an e-book (while also budgeting for Kickstarter and Amazon.com processing fees). 

**My creative work will be edited by colleagues who sport strong backgrounds in editing from years of work in academia and/or publishing. These individuals have demonstrated respect for the LGBTQIA content of my novel, while still offering keen eyes for grammar, syntax, plot structure and character-building. 

PS: If we get enough donations here are some of the roll-over rewards that will benefit the project-at-large...

WHEN we break $6,000--because you post a crazy-supportive-giddy-passionate daily Tweet about how much you love the project, along with a link to it... the author will be able to utilize his background in music (piano and voice) to record original songs written and performed by one of the characters, Maryssa. These songs will be inserted into the eBook via hyperlink to uniquely extend and flesh out the plot around Maryssa's gender transformation--and will also be available for free download to anyone who purchases a hard copy of the novel from the author's website. 

WHEN we break $6,500--because you post a daily Facebook status featuring a link to the project plus your favorite quote-of-the-day pulled from the Chapter One excerpt in my video pitch... the author will be able to complete a companion volume to the novel including excerpts from Uri's journal, from Eason's sketchbook, from Maryssa's songbook, and from Lex's poetry blog--all from the year after the novel's events take place, showing how the characters have grown and changed. 

WHEN we break $8,000--because you send an e-mail to your wide net of friends, family, and colleagues, linking them to the project and articulating why you support LGBTQIA youth via this project that will help tell the full stories of such courageous beings... the author will be able to complete a companion novella about the life of a key lesbian elder, a secondary character who becomes close to Uri in the original novel. 

WHEN we break $10,000--because you call/text three friends or family members each week to share your passionate support of the project & to kindly-but-directly asking your loved one to donate... each and every Patron--who donated at any level--will find his or her name on the dedication page of the author's website (link printed on dedication page of novel's final copy), and will receive a free audiobook of the novel including Maryssa's songs.