"Meet Cute" is out in FRESH INK today

Today I have a new short story available for you to read! It's called "Meet Cute" and it's in the latest We Need Diverse Books anthology, Fresh Ink, edited by Lamar Giles.

This is a rarity for me — a fun and romantic story with a happy ending! "Meet Cute" is basically my short story version of a romantic comedy, set at a Comic Con-style convention. The two characters who meet cutely are Nic, who is cosplaying as a gender-flipped Sulu from Star Trek, and Tamia, who is cosplaying as a race-bent Dana Scully from The X-Files.*

I'm so happy to give you all a happy little story, and even happier that it's in Fresh Ink, which is a great new anthology from the wonderful organization We Need Diverse Books. In addition to my tale, you'll find stories from YA stars including Jason Reynolds, Gene Luen Yang, and Sara Farizan, as well as from talented newcomer and out trans athlete Schuyler Bailar. It's a really great collection that has gotten several stellar reviews:

★ "The stories are distinct in themes, subjects, genres, and formats, creating an inclusive, authentic, and incredible collection. Each entry features realistic, well-rounded characters and plots. The protagonists identify across a spectrum of races, ethnicities, gender identities, and sexualities without being reduced to stereotypes or tokenism. ... This compelling anthology is an excellent choice for YA collections." — School Library Journal

★ "This collection of 12 young adult short stories is for the teens who’ve long had to skim an anthologysearching for that so-called “hidden gem”—the rare story that reflects their world back to them. Giles, acofounder of We Need Diverse Books, has assembled short stories that feature a wide array of characters,situations, and formats, capturing the diversity found within teen readership." — Booklist

I hope you'll check it out!

Buy Fresh Ink at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, IndieBound, iBooks, or on audio at Audible.

* If you enjoy "Meet Cute" and you wish the story were longer, I have a solution! You should read Ship It by Britta Lundin, which is also about two queer girls who meet at a fan convention, except it's an entire novel and is super cute and funny and also gives you insider info on how TV works, because the author is also a writer on the TV series Riverdale. It's great!