In our world of shrinking author royalties and AI slop, if you want good books you need to support authors.

There are situations where piracy IS morally defensible, especially in the days of massive for-profit conglomerates, streamers removing access to shows and general greed of Hollywood.

But the book industry is not like that for the vast majority of authors.

Secondhand bookstores that sell books for pennies, libraries, etc...are all ways to get books for free or cheap. Sign up for ARC teams, get books for free.

There are so many ways to get access to books without doing the equivalent of stealing a handmade item from a small local giftshop.

I have no problem with seeing the occasional thing across my feed. As a citizen of the world, I do care what's going on with my neighbours.

My problem is with the quantity.

Oops I messed up the moodboard.

For those who aren't aware, a Wattpad Original is a story that is either commissioned (in my case!) or invited by the folks at Wattpad.

I developed this book over many many months with the guidance of an awesome editor.

For those who aren't aware, a Wattpad Original is a story that is either commissioned (in my case!) or invited by the folks at Wattpad.

I developed this book over many many months with the guidance of an awesome editor.

I might think that those two are just sort of bumbling through self-publishing and thinking totally normal challenges are bigotry were it not for the fact they're reposting critiques of them on TikTok to send their supporters after people pointing out facts.

I also wanted queer people to see themselves in the fantasy of a Regency-inspired setting.

So often even ahistorical stories have queer people primarily struggling against bigotry.

I wanted to see the characters kept apart primarily by other reasons, while pushing progressivism forward.

I watched a documentary on Versailles about how the palace was enveloped around an old hunting lodge.

And if that happened...there'd probably be secret nooks and crannies created, right?

A perfect place for queer people to find a home.

For the setting, I took inspiration both from the Court of Versailles and Weimar Germany.

Also, the fact that queer people have always been here and have always found a way to form community.

Why shouldn't there be a thriving underground beneath the staid and rules-bound court?

Homophobia still exists, but Mothshire Court under Queen Ainsley is moving towards progressivism much faster than it happened in reality.

But progressivism is rarely a straight line. We gain ground, then we lose it.

And sometimes we have to fight to keep it.