Ah! LGBT romance with dragons! Can it ever get better?
I am very happy to have Jessie here today talking about her book, The Dragon Keeper. I have asked her to tell us about the LGBT theme in it, and she wrote a very very thought-provoking intro for us:
"To
me, one of the exciting aspects of writing a fantasy tale is creating
an entire fictional universe. I had a lot of fun envisioning the world
of The Dragon Keeper. When it came time to consider how sexual
minorities are perceived in this universe, I decided to make it a
complete non-issue. The only mention of sexuality takes place in the
context of whether Lito would be interested in Aldric. That gave me a
blank slate to show a world without automatic judgments or preconceived
notions.
American society has come a long
way in terms of social acceptance in the last couple decades. We still
have more progress to be made, and one of those areas revolves around
stereotypes of sexuality. It's a lot more acceptable, in many circles,
for gay men to be in certain professions, and less accepted in
traditionally 'masculine' occupations, e.g. professional sports and the
military.
I wanted to present a fictional
universe without that hangup, so Aldric is both openly gay and very
masculine. He's a rugged, muscular guy who works with dragons all day.
You wouldn't know by his appearance or mannerisms that he's gay, never
mind that he prefers to bottom. People are so much more than
stereotypes, and sexual preferences don't have to be tied to identity
and social roles. I wanted to bring that out, so it was a very
deliberate choice to have the bubbly artist top and the manly beefcake
bottom.
This may be preaching to the choir, I
realize. Nevertheless, I think it's important to imagine a world without
judgments, expectations, and stereotypes because in doing so, we put
such a world forward as a possibility. The more we do that, the closer
we are to making it OUR world. "
Indeed! Well said, Jessie!
Indeed! Well said, Jessie!
Sometimes it takes a crisis to appreciate a good man...
When Aldric first meets Lito, he considers the man a nuisance. As a dragon keeper for the kingdom of Corancia, he has more important tasks than answering an artist’s numerous questions about dragons.
Lito travelled to Corancia so he could observe dragons firsthand for his paintings, and he’s full of questions about the magnificent creatures. His questions aren’t merely for his art, however, they arise from his deep love of dragons. When he overhears a plot by his own kingdom to eliminate the animals, he has to choose between his loyalty and his beloved dragons.
Working to prevent the extermination of dragons throws Aldric and Lito together. Lust is in the air, and if they’re lucky, they could end up with a happily ever after.
When Aldric first meets Lito, he considers the man a nuisance. As a dragon keeper for the kingdom of Corancia, he has more important tasks than answering an artist’s numerous questions about dragons.
Lito travelled to Corancia so he could observe dragons firsthand for his paintings, and he’s full of questions about the magnificent creatures. His questions aren’t merely for his art, however, they arise from his deep love of dragons. When he overhears a plot by his own kingdom to eliminate the animals, he has to choose between his loyalty and his beloved dragons.
Working to prevent the extermination of dragons throws Aldric and Lito together. Lust is in the air, and if they’re lucky, they could end up with a happily ever after.
Are you curious? I know I am!
About the author:
Jessie
loves to read and write m/m romance of all types. She can't commit to a
single subgenre because variety really is the spice of life.
Find The Dragon Keeper here:
And follow Jessie:
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