The LGBT Community is made of people who navigate the same issues straight people do. It’s tempting to focus primarily on Marriage Equality because let’s face it, weddings are fun. As a MM Romance author, I’m all about falling in love and HEA. But I live the real world too and I know real people face real struggles such as domestic violence. Please read Lex’s blog post & if you’re able to contribute by pre-purchasing her book through Dreamspinner Press or by directly donating to the LA LGBT Center for Domestic Abuse, please do so. There is a link provided at the end. Thank you all! Lane xo
I’m Lex Chase, a sci-fi/fantasy author for Dreamspinner Press. And Lane has asked me to say a few words about my upcoming release Chasing Sunrise. Set in a lush paranormal world of vampires and shifters, it is in fact a story about surviving domestic violence.
It is an issue I know very well as a domestic violence survivor at the hands of my girlfriend for 10 years. They band Everclear has a song called “Misery Whip” the opening line went “Walking wounded with a belly full of pain and a bad, bad attitude.” This had been my anthem for many years. Because I indeed walked the world with a suspicious eye that anyone could be the next sociopath to take over my life. I’ve looked over my shoulder for years, and still do. Any mention of her, her name, or contact with her friends, immediately puts me on the offensive, when inside I’m crumbling and hunting for the nearest exit.
People still struggle, even in law enforcement, that women can not only be sociopaths, but also the perpetrator.
No one understands domestic violence between gay couples actually exists.
I will always be picking up the pieces, and I admit I may never be whole. It is a long journey, and one I walk alone. While I have therapy, and people that care for me, it is always something that comes up in conversation. It is the conversation that goes “I have this suitcase full of knives, broken glass, grenades, and a few vials of anthrax and Ebola. It is mine. Mine to carry. And if you can stand to let the suitcase sit here next to us, then you’re all right. Do not give me a reason to open this suitcase.”
Countless members of the LGBT community, gay, lesbian, bi, trans, and the whole gamut carry their own suitcases. We can fill countless barges with our deadly cargo. But we can never let it just sail away. We must sail away with it.
Chasing Sunrise is my way of slowly unpacking the suitcase. Setting aside the knives, sweeping up the glass, disposing of the grenades, containing the anthrax and Ebola. Bit by bit, and piece by piece, it will all be unpacked, sorted, and not put on a barge to sail away, but incinerated with the weight holding me in place.
Chasing Sunrise, and the Darkmore Saga as a whole, is my way of exploring my scars in a safe space. Wrapped in a pretty packaging of vampires and shifters, it makes the bitter pills easier to swallow. They may be fantastical creatures, but they make real decisions, they face consequences, and they often have to make tragic decisions they must find the strength to live with.
Sevon, the lovely fellow on the cover, copes with his abuse with women’s clothing. He carries himself with the dignity and grace of nobility behind his metaphorical armor and shield of elaborate gowns and jewelry.
His suitcase is full of barbed wire, gunpowder and gasoline, and the weight that he will never escape. His suitcase is hidden under his armoire, where every night he carefully applies his mascara, and dainty lip gloss, so he can cast the image that he is not a prisoner in a nightmare without end. He will always appear prim, dainty, and polite despite the punishments that await him for whatever made up reason.
He never gives up hope that someday that not only will someone be able to tolerate his suitcase sitting next to him, but help him carry it, and help him open it.
Out of the corsets, and under the makeup, perhaps someone will see him for the strong man he is.
There is no one to help me carry my suitcase, nor help me sort through it. One day I may learn that someone will tell me it’s okay, and I can throw the nasty battered suitcase away. Buy a new one, golden and glittering, fill it with the peace and contentment of new adventures, new days, and the days to come. I want to help others be able to go on their own grand adventures and fill up their new suitcases.
This is my call to all of you out there. This is my call tell you how you can get involved. I’m donating 100% of the pre-sale royalties to the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center’s Domestic Violence Service. We need to raise awareness for the issue of LGBT domestic violence. It’s real. And it isn’t going away. Help someone, gay, lesbian, bi, trans, everyone, get the help they need and know they can too walk the world without a belly full of pain and a bad, bad attitude.
The dedication for Chasing Sunrise reads:
For those that suffer in silent darkness and fear they will never see the light, let hope be strength. Chase the sunrise.
Let’s give someone that hope.
Please consider pre-ordering the book here.
http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=5254
And consider donating to the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center here:
Genre: Vampires, Werewolves/Shapeshifters, Urban Fantasy, Paranormal, Fantasy
Series: The Darkmore Saga: Book One
Length: Novel
Published: July 25, 2014
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
ISBN: 978-1-62798-776-9
Pre-order: Paperback or eBook
Blurb:
Chasing Sunrise
The Darkmore Saga: Book One
On the Coastal Bend of Texas, a hidden kingdom called Darkmore lies in ruins, and King Sevon MaratÈ is trapped. Using Sevon as a mouthpiece and a scapegoat, Lord Dominic rules from the shadows. Born of royal verkolai blood and as beautiful as he is lethal, Sevon possesses the ability to part the Veil separating his world from hundreds of others. His gift is his chance to escape, but Dominic refuses to relinquish his tool for power. Dominic forges an ambitious plan to invade the prosperous land of Priagust. Only a select few know the mythic kingdom of shifters exists. Sevon is out of options for his peopleís survival, and cooperating with Dominic is his only chance.
On their foray into Priagust, Dominic’s men kidnap and interrogate a shifter named Jack. Even under torture, Jack’s loyalty to his kind never wavers. But as Jackís knowledge about Darkmoreís king and its history unsettles Sevon, a curious bond begins to form. Despite Sevonís mistrust, Jack is determined to tame Sevonís wild heart and perhaps earn his freedom. As invasion looms, Sevon wonders if trusting Jack will lead him into another trap or if he should forget about chasing the sunrise and remain Dominic’s compliant prisoner.
100% of the presale royalties of this book will go to Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center’s Domestic Violence Service.
Pre-Order Now From:
Dreamspinner Press in Paperback or eBook!
About the Author:
Lex Chase once heard Stephen King say in a commercial, ìWeíre all going to die, Iím just trying to make it a little more interesting.î She knew then she wanted to make the world a little more interesting.
Weaving tales of cinematic, sweeping adventure, epic loveóand depending on how she feels that dayóLex sprinkles in high-speed chases, shower scenes, and more explosions than a Hollywood blockbuster. She loves tales of men who kiss as much as they kick ass. She believes if youíre going to going to march into the depths of hell, it better be beside the one you love.
Lex is a pop culture diva and her DVR is constantly backlogged. She wouldnít last five minutes without technology in the event of the apocalypse and has nightmares about refusing to leave her cats behind. She is incredibly sentimental, to the point that she gets choked up at holiday commercials. But like the lovers driven to extreme measures to get home for the holidays, Lex believes everyone deserves a happy ending.
Lex also has a knack for sarcasm, never takes herself seriously, and has been nicknamed ìThe Next Alan Mooreî by her friends for all the pain and suffering she inflicts on her characters. She is a Damned Yankee hailing from the frozen backwoods of Maine residing in the íburbs of Northwest Florida where it could be 80F and sheíd be a popsicle.
She is grateful and humbled for all the readers. She knows very well she wouldnít be here if it wasnít for them and welcomes feedback.
You can find her on those social media things at:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LXChase
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Lex_Chase
Tumblr: http://lexiconofkittens.tumblr.com
Find her blog at http://lexchase.com or drop her an e-mail at lex.a.chase@gmail.com.
Thank you so much for the shout out Lane. 😀 And thank you so much for your immense generosity!
You’re very welcome! This sounds like an amazing story. xo