Watching Ain’t Enough
Growing up south of the Mason/Dixon Line is no picnic, as Blackwarren’s Skye Sisk can tell you. Here’s her story about what it’s like, what it’s not like, and what we can all do to step up in the face of trans hate.
The Fear Is Real
Today, we continue our look at the trans experience with guest blogger Bitter Karella, most widely known for their brilliant “Midnight Pals” Twitter account. Here, Karella addresses the elephant in the room - literally.
Let’s Talk About Boxes
As part of our ongoing week of coverage on trans issues, we’re proud to present author Sian Ingham as today’s guest blogger as they talk about the “boxes” trans folk find themselves inhabiting.
Graham Linehan is Ruining My Dating Life
For Pride Month we’re raising up the voices of the trans community with a whole week of blog posts by trans creators, starting with novelist, games writer, and developer Alison Cybe.
Writing Process: Setting Development (How I Planned The City)
Developing a consistent setting for your narratives is just as important as character and plot. This week, Blackwarren founder Vaughn R. Demont takes us through his process for setting development in his own work.
The Importance of Independent Booksellers
Once upon a time, people once bought their books from brick-and-mortar independent booksellers. Blackwarren Senior Editor Dave DeMar should know - he used to work at one.
We Don’t Cross Picket Lines: Blackwarren Books Stands with the WGA
The Writers Guild of America (WGA) is currently on strike, and we at Blackwarren Books stand with them. We believe that writers deserve fair pay and a say in how their work is used.
“We Don’t Have a Lot of That” - AANHPI Heritage Month Guest Blog
May is Asian- American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. In honor of that, Blackwarren Books is proud to present guest blogger Angel Pratt in a look at the intersections between Queer, Asian, and other identities.
Some Funny-Looking Dice: How D&D Saved My Relationship With God From The Satanic Panic
When is being gay like playing Dungeons and Dragons? When you’re condemned to Hell for it. So why not both? This week, Blackwarren founder Vaughn R. Demont talks about how tabletop RPGs informed his faith and his work as a writer.
Rolling the Dice: Character Creation & Marginalized Voices in Dungeons & Dragons
Character creation in D&D and other RPGs has often left Queer, BIPOC, and other marginalized players down. This is slowly changing for the better, though there's still much to be done!
How to Introduce a Trans Character
Blackwarren Books strives to be a place where trans identities aren’t just represented in the fiction we publish but celebrated. Today, Editor Kezz McDonald talks even more about trans representation in fiction.
We Will Never Stop: The Pain of Migraines
People diagnosed with chronic illnesses deserve representation, too. This week, Blackwarren Books highlights how chronic Migraines impact the people we know, love, and work with, as told through the eyes of Ally DeMar, our Marketing Director.
The French Connection: Queering History
Much of French history is also LGBTQIA+ history. Here’s what you might not know about some famous historical queers from La Belle France!
How Queer Representation in Children’s Media Can Save the World
Queer representation in children’s media is one way to create a better world for everyone, no matter who they are - or who they love.
For Nights of Deep Telling: How Rachel Pollack Inspired Blackwarren Books
When Blackwarren Books founder Vaughn R. Demont asked Rachel Pollack, “I want to write urban fantasy. Do you know what that is?” the answer changed the course of his life.
Rachel Pollack: Trailblazing Queer Writer
We’ve recently learned that the amazing Rachel Pollack, who was diagnosed with Lymphoma in 2015, is expected to pass away very soon. Our hearts are with Pollack, her family and friends, and her countless fans and admirers around the world.
Assigned Chainmail at Birth: From Shining Armor to Mermaid Scales
Long before she’d ever heard of concepts like “transgender,” “dysphoria,” or “social transition,” Blackwarren Editorial Assistant Skye Sisk made a different kind of transition: from knight to mermaid.
Lost in Translation: Cultural Differences in Horror
Whether it’s between straight and queer audiences or those from different countries, cultural differences in the presentation of horror are all too real.
The First Disney Gay
Disney needs the support of the LGBT community, even though they seem terribly adverse to doing anything meaningful to actually earn it, at least as far as their creative endeavors are concerned.
Love in the Time of the Apocalypse: LGBT+ Representation and Romance in The Last of Us
Queer folk deserve to see fulfilling love stories portrayed in science fiction and other genre literature. Let's examine what LGBT+ representation looks like in these narratives.