Last year, my partner bought a house in a small town. I've been splitting my time between city and country since then.
The first thing I read in this small town's local paper was homophobic rhetoric. The last thing I read in this small town's local paper (and I'm talking two minutes ago, right before I started typing this post) was homophobic rhetoric.
Living in a big city for forty years could not and did not prepare me for life as a small-town queer.
That's probably why I set my latest Lesbian Diaries book in (you guessed it) a small town. When I sat down to start
Delta's Diary, I didn't anticipate writing a book about a character finding community in her small town. I remember finishing the first draft and kind of feeling irritable because, although Delta was experiencing some of the same mental health shit I continue to experience, she didn't face the homophobia I felt and still feel confronted by.
Maybe I want to take care of my characters. It's bad enough, what we queers have to endure in the real world. Maybe I wanted my dear Delta to get off a little lighter.
Not that she gets off light. She's had a rough life, and it gets only marginally easier throughout the book. Her personality is based very much on mine. In fact, the scene where she's walking around town screaming at nobody is based on a true story. I was having a rough night soon after we moved here, and... well, you can read the book to find out more.
By the way, I did not actually eat the Doritos.
Anyway, I feel like I've swallowed a rock. That's what small-town homophobia does to my body.
Sometimes I write books.
Read Delta's Diary today. Consider this my personal invitation to you. I want you to read this book.
Delta's Diary
The Lesbian Diaries, Book 11
by Giselle Renarde
Can a big-city butch find community in a small town?
Delta's sunk about as far as she can go when she moves in with her brother. He's in the same boat: his wife just left him and he's down in the dumps. They don't do much to cheer each other up, but at least co-existence is peaceful.
When Delta crashes the town's Friday Night Queer Club, the girl she's got the hots for is not the one who wants her back. How she ends up with a girlfriend she doesn't even like is anyone's guess, but that's not the only thing ruining her chances with the femme of her dreams. Her crush claims to be straight, and she doesn't exactly ingratiate herself by doubting Melanie's word.
Even when you've hit rock bottom, you can always sink lower. If there's one thing Delta knows how to do, it's burn bridges.
How will Delta untangle the mess she's created when she's running on nothing but street-smarts and grit?
Buy the ebook from Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BMBDH7X3?tag=dondes-20
Kobo:
https://www.kobo.com/ca/en/ebook/delta-s-diary
Apple:
https://books.apple.com/ca/book/deltas-diary/id6444419895
Google Play:
https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=TNibEAAAQBAJ
Smashwords:
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1178481?ref=GiselleRenardeErotica
Get the paperback here:
https://www.amazon.com/Deltas-Lesbian-Diaries-Giselle-Renarde/dp/B0BMKCXW9W
Universal Book Link for more retailers:
https://books2read.com/DeltasDiary
