Watch the launch day video here (or scroll down to view it) It’s Launch day for my very first traditionally published YA novel (a full 20 years since I started this writing for kids and teens journey in earnest), and A DIFFERENT KIND OF BRAVE is very much a book that would have changed my life if I’d read it when I was a teenager. To read an action adventure story that pays homage to and critiques the spy movies I love so much, that stars two gay teens who fall in love and have to save the world (or part of it) — that’s so empowering, and I’m super-excited for it to finally reach readers st ..read more

It’s been quite the journey to get here: the publication of my second young adult novel, my fourth book for kids and teens, and “A Different Kind of Brave” is packed with so many things I loved as a teenager (and still love!) Action sequences! Cool gadgets! Exotic cars! And something I never got as a teenager — a story starring two gay teens. Who fall in love. And have to save the world (or at least part of it.) So I hope you’ll consider joining me for the launch party for A DIFFERENT KIND OF BRAVE on zoom, release day Tuesday March 5, 2024 from 5-6pm Pacific. It will be a celebration of ..read more

I hired A DIFFERENT KIND OF BRAVE’s amazing cover designer CB Messer to create these two character cards for the main POV characters Nico and Sam. I’d call them “trading cards” but we’re giving them away in pairs (because Nico and Sam are quite the pair) and these collectables are so cool you’re not going to want to trade them… There are three ways you can get your set of Nico and Sam character cards: #1 – Preorder your copy of A DIFFERENT KIND OF BRAVE from my local indie bookstore, Pages: A Bookstore in California. This is also where you can order a signed and personalized copy, and they’re ..read more

I’m so excited about my upcoming YA novel. Here’s the one-sentence pitch: A DIFFERENT KIND OF BRAVE is a Gay teen globe-trotting, high stakes adventure with the heroic courage of the James Bond movies and the ongoing romance—and Queer group of friends—of Heartstopper. Thanks for sharing the adventure! The light in me recognizes and acknowledges the light in you, Lee The post 9 Weeks! Countdown to Launch for A DIFFERENT KIND OF BRAVE appeared first on Lee Wind ..read more

Go check out the AMAZING cover at LGBTQ Reads! My thanks to Dahlia Adler for sharing on her amazing LGBTQ Reads site, to Choi Messer for one heck of a design, and to Candysse Miller, Jerome Pohlen, and the whole team at Duet/Interlude/Chicago Review Press for helping me make this action-adventure-gay-teen-romance a kick-ass novel! I’m so excited to share the cover — go see it now! “A Different Kind of Brave” publishes on March 5, 2024. Stay tuned for more news as it happens, The light in me recognizes and acknowledges the light in you, Lee The post The Cover Reveal for “A Different Kind of Br ..read more

Dr. Judith Butler is an acclaimed author, gender theorist, and distinguished professor at the University of California at Berkeley. This video is so smart. So much of what Judith shares here resonates, including: “Many people who refuse to allow Trans people to define themselves is that they feel that their own self-definition is destabilized. The idea that we can change reality, transform reality, to be more open, inclusive, just, less violent… there’s an instability in that that’s very frightening to people who want to understand their genders as fixed. But is anybody’s gender necessary an ..read more

There’s a really nice write-up about my new position in Publishers Weekly, this one in Shelf Awareness, it was mentioned in Publishers Lunch, and you can read the full press release at the IBPA website here! I’m proud to work at an association that wants to empower more diversity, equity, opportunity, and access in publishing, and it’s very nice to have the opportunity to do even more! It’s also really cool that my author identity is included in these announcements — being an author with 7 books released or under contract with independent publishers makes me understand on a deep level how imp ..read more

I’m grateful for the opportunity to be a guest on both of these super podcasts. Thanks to Denise Cooper for a great conversation on episode 144 of “Denise Cooper Shares Remarkable Leadership Lessons” – I’m still thinking about your perspective on redemption, not just forgiveness. And thanks as well to Desireé Duffy for our powerful Pride Month discussion on “Books That Make You” -it got a bit emotional, and I’m so glad we got to talk about how there’s no such thing as a silent ally. I hope you’ll give them a listen! The light in me recognizes and acknowledges the light in you, Lee The post I ..read more

I’ll be in Chicago, on the library marketplace exhibition floor, helping host the Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) booth #3711 with more than 270 books from independent publisher members. I’ll also have brand-new bookmarks featuring the next book in my Queer History Project nonfiction series for ages 11 and up, publishing in April 2024 from Zest/Lerner, THE GENDER BINARY IS A BIG LIE… so swing by and grab a few to share! And among those 270+ books on display will be my three published so far: NO WAY, THEY WERE GAY? Hidden Lives and Secret Loves (Zest/Lerner) Winner, YA Nonficti ..read more

The news has been a lot lately. All these laws, Restricting Abortion access and taking away women’s control of their bodies Tax incentives for straight couples to have more and more children Banning Drag shows for kids Blocking Gender affirming care for minors (and even adults) The whole “Make American Great (a.k.a. Racist) Again” thing. Oh, and the recent ‘National Day of Hate’ against Jewish people All these efforts to Impose Voting Restrictions All the banning and challenging of books – especially books about Queer people, and Queer history and Black people, and Black history and Indigenou ..read more