Happy weekend!
Saturdays are when we curate all the sapphic book news and queer happenings of the week into one convenient location. Think of it as your personal reading directory! After all, we know the weekend is when so many of us are able to unwind for a minute and want to get lost in a good woman loving woman book. What could be better?
In today’s post, you’ll find cheerful LGBTQ+ news stories to combat all the negative ones bombarding our screens.
Sapphic reader Dana shares an adorable Caturday photo.
One of the things we love about the weekly lesfic author selfie is getting to know the personality behind the words. Check out sapphic fiction author Jade du Preez with Outsider.
Finally, scroll to the bottom of the post to see photos of TB’s recent drive to Gloucester and she took Ransom to Love by Chloe Keto.
Before we get to today’s post, it’s time to reveal the identity of this week’s Guess the Author!
Every week we provide five clues about a sapphic author. On Saturday, we reveal the author’s identity.
Before we unveil this week’s author, here are all 5 clues in case you missed them:
1. I was obsessed with the Karate Kid movie and begged my parents to buy me the whole outfit. I also purchased a How To Do Karate book at the Scholastic book fair and went to work learning all I could in my bedroom.
2. I skipped the third grade and still wonder what it was like!
3. I’ve driven five different Volkswagen Beetles (lime green, navy blue, a pale yellow convertible, and a red convertible) before the company stopped making them, breaking my heart.
4. I’ve had four different editors since my first book came out in 2011 and I’ve learned something unique and vital from each one.
5. My most recent release had me researching the Chelsea neighborhood in NYC, along with sipping some wine and coffee.
Now it’s time to reveal their name. Drum roll please…
This week’s author is Melissa Brayden!
Check out You Had Me at Merlot, Melissa’s new release!
What do you get when you combine a sweet cinnamon twist and robust Italian wine?
Bordeauxnuts is New York City magic, and it all belongs to Jamie Tolliver. A charming coffee and doughnut spot by day, Bordeauxnuts transforms with a sprinkle of powdered sugar into a cozy sophisticated wine bar each evening. Jamie’s enjoying a blueberry latte with her quirky band of regulars when a stunning and enigmatic stranger saunters in, flips her laptop open, and Jamie’s world upside down.
Get You Had Me at Merlot here.
Melissa’s bio:
Melissa Brayden is the multi-award winning author of 25 contemporary romance novels and loves her job. She’s a dedicated fan of all kissing scenes, enjoys gallivanting on TikTok, and spends most of her time chasing two short humans around her home. She’s a dedicated storyteller on both the page and stage with a Masters Degree in Theatrical Directing. She’s also studied with the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford Upon Avon and Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre in London. Though writing romance is now her full time job, much of it is spent on donuts, wine, coffee, and staring off into space.
Monday kicks off a fresh Guess the Author game!
NEED A BOOK FOR THE WEEKEND?
If you’re looking for something to read this weekend, below you’ll find 15 books on sale.
Need more choices? Check out the BookFinder, which has more than 6,220 books for you to choose from, ranging from steamy sapphic romance books, ice queen wlw romances, lesfic audiobooks, queer superheroes, best friends to lovers lesbian romances and so much more!
Don’t see your favorite women-loving-women book in the I Heart SapphFic database? Let us know by filling out this form. We’ll take it from there!
Without further ado, let’s get to all the weekly queer news!
TB is determined to spread good rainbow news during 2024, which let’s face, is going to be a rough year. There are a lot of elections all over the world, which means we’re in for a lot of scaremongering. While it’s important to stay informed, it’s also vital not to lose sight of all the kindness in the world. Below are the happy queer stories that made TB smile this week. They’re queer news links worth clicking!
Philanthropist MacKenzie Scott donates over $30 million to LGBTQ+ non-profits — Very inspirational!
Trans ‘American Idol’ contestant blows judges away & gets standing ovation from Katy Perry — We highly recommend watching the video!
Voters toss school board members who forced outing of students — Good riddance!
This Black queer physicist is shining a light on dark matter — Amazing!
Survivor 46 star Bhanu Gopal hopes to inspire other LGBTQ+ South Asians — Fantastic and best of luck!
We love sharing things that’ll make people smile, which is why we’ve started asking for good news from the IHS community.
Jae celebrated her birthday this week. She is one of the authors who is always fighting for what’s right, helping fellow authors, and penning fantastic books.
All of us at IHS wish Jae a wonderful birthday!
Do you have good news to share? Submit it here. Help put a smile on someone’s face while celebrating one of your wins!
Meet Tiby and Max! Tiby (black) and Max (tabby) are best buddies since they were rescued as kittens. Tiby loves to snuggle and talk. He’s even vocal when he sleeps. Max is 16 pounds, mostly muscle. He loves technology of all sorts and is forever trying to lick my devices. Submitted by Dana, a reader.
Please click on the images for the details for each announcement.
Have community news you want included in a future edition of this section? Click here for submission details.
Please note, sale prices may change without notice, so please check the price before clicking a buy button. International prices may vary.
