In Book News & Events

Support Reclaim by shopping!

By Rachel Gold

The Roseville Barnes & Noble is celebrating National Coming Out Day with a week-long bookfair promotion for Reclaim — Reclaim works to increase access to mental health support so that queer and trans youth may reclaim their lives from oppression in all its forms. A portion of the purchase price of books, games, music, gifts and more that you buy online from Barnes & Noble goes to Reclaim through 11:00 p.m. Central time October 15. (The portion is 12-25% depending on a number of factors.) It is not too early to do your holiday gift shopping — or to purchase items for all those Scorpios in your lives who have birthdays coming up. Here's how to make sure your purchases benefit Reclaim: Be sure to use this web address: bn.com/bookfairs to do your online shopping. Click on the button “Start Shopping Now.” When you’ve finished selecting your purchases, click on your cart and begin the check-out process. In the Payment section, scroll down to the bottom where it says Check this Box if this is a Bookfair Order. When you check the box, type the Reclaim bookfair ID number in the provided box: 12009270. If you already have a BN.com account with a default

Continue Reading
October 11, 2016
In Book News & Events

Readings and events for fall

By Rachel Gold

After taking the summer off, it's time for more blog articles, readings, events and more. In upcoming weeks I'll return to my book insights and cool science. Here are my upcoming events for October and early November: Oct. 7-9, Gaylaxicon — I'll be on a panel or two at the annual international science fiction, fantasy, gaming, and comics convention for gay men, lesbians, bisexuals, transgender people and their friends. I'll update here when I've got details but you can see general information about the convention at: http://www.gaylaxicon2016.org/. Oct. 10, 7 p.m., Roseville Barnes & Noble National Coming Out Day event — I'm reading with Juliann Rich in this event supporting Reclaim. Purchases in the store all day long will support Reclaim and the amazing work they do for queer and trans youth. Click here for the official info on the B&N site. Oct. 15, Twin Cities Book Festival — More info soon but I'll be at the Festival Saturday morning with books! On Nov. 5, 3 p.m., at Solcana Fitness — LGBTQIA+ reading and discussion with me, Kirstin Cronn-Mills, Molly Beth Griffin, Juliann Rich and Vee Signorelli. This is a benefit for Reclaim and you can see more info on Juliann's site at:

Continue Reading
September 28, 2016
In Book News & Events

Writing descriptions that reveal character

By Rachel Gold

If you're at GCLS this Saturday in D.C., I'm teaching a class with Laina Villeneuve: "Astonishingly Beautiful: Descriptions that Reveal Character." And if you were there, here's the PPT: Descriptionclass.pdf Among the cool things we're going to talk about is all the work that description can do in a story. We often think that the work of description is to show something visually or, at best, to cover all five senses (six if you're writing paranormal). But description can do so much more than that. It can: Continue the action Foreshadow Give us the character/voice of the describer Reveal character through traits/mannerisms Give us a world/culture Here are some of the examples we're using: Action: Karin Kallmaker's 18th & Castro “Stretch marks, the emergency C­section scar and the occasional thick black hair that grew back faster than she could pluck it— how could Brenda find any of that sexy?” Foreshadowing: Michael Gruber’s The Book of Air and Shadow “The nose was sharp and seemed to have more than the usual number of component bones making odd little corrugations all over it. Her lips were unfashionably thin and pale, and when she spoke you could see that her teeth were odd too, the incisors especially long and dangerous looking.” Voice: Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere "There are four

Continue Reading
July 6, 2016
In Book News & Events

My Year Zero virtual reading

By Rachel Gold

For anyone who can't make the launch parties this weekend, or anyone who wants a preview, here is a virtual reading from the beginning of My Year Zero. Although the book has a March 29 publication date, it is already on sale and shipping from Bella Books and Amazon. You can get an eBook copy from Bella in either a DRM-free epub format or in the .mobi format that works on Kindle.   You can also see the interview at Gay YA if you haven't or read the post on why writing about mental health is important to me. And here's a quick outtake from the reading between chapters one and two with a little tidbit about me and my character Lauren: Chapter two isn't up yet because I flubbed the middle of it, but I'll try to get it posted in the next week or so. Encouraging comments are completely welcome!

Continue Reading
March 24, 2016
In Book News & Events

Upcoming reading events

By Rachel Gold

If you live in or near the Twin Cities, there are four chances for you to hear me read from My Year Zero in the near future. (If you live far away, I will be posting a video reading!) Important note: there are two official launch events for My Year Zero – an open house and an after party. You are welcome at both! See below for details. The Loft Literary Center Winter 2016 Teaching Artist Reading Wednesday, March 16 at 7 pm 1011 Washington Avenue South, Minneapolis Listen to me and other very cool Loft instructors read short selections from our work. More info here: https://www.facebook.com/events/188383148204460/ The Quatrefoil Library’s annual Women’s Author Event Saturday, March 26, 1 - 4 pm Elmer L. Andersen Library, 222 21st Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55455 I’ll be reading close to 1 pm, so come early if you want to hear me and then stay for a great roster of local women authors. More info at: https://www.qlibrary.org/event/womens-author-event-3/ https://www.facebook.com/events/188383148204460/ My Year Zero Open House at Addendum Books Saturday, March 26, 2-5 pm (reading at 2:30 and 4 pm) 478 S Cleveland Ave, Saint Paul Addendum is bookstore dedicated to young adult and children’s books. Because it’s small, we’re encouraging people to come through when it’s convenient for them and I’m reading twice at 2:30

Continue Reading
March 15, 2016
In Book News & Events

My Year Zero book trailer

By Rachel Gold

My publisher put together a dramatic book trailer so you can get the feel for the main character's plight in My Year Zero. And I've got the first two chapters of the novel below if you want to read a sample and get excited for the launch with me!   Want to know more about the book? You can read the first two chapters here. Read the interview about the book on GayYA.org. Read my blog post about why I'm writing about mental health. I'll be live blogging on launch day so feel free to send me questions via the comment section below, or Facebook, Twitter (@rachelgold), Tumblr or email me at beingemily at gmail.

Continue Reading
February 25, 2016
In Book News & Events

I’ve signed the contract for a Just Girls sequel

By Rachel Gold

My third book is about mental health, not trans or gender issues, but if you loved those aspects in my first two books, never fear! This week I signed the contract for a sequel to Just Girls, due out spring of next year. (I even remembered to put the contract in the mail back to my publisher.) The sequel will start right at the end of Just Girls and follow the story of Tucker and Nico. Here’s how I pitched it to Bella: Tucker has been through the worst year of her life and only wants to put it behind her. Recovery time? Therapy? Who needs that? She wants to get back to normal life, but when she tries to be more than friends with Nico, she panics. Having lived genderqueer for years, Nico’s used to getting strong reactions, but isn’t prepared for this to come from Tucker. Plus a medical decision Nico’s been putting off for years can’t be delayed any longer. Nico’s body becomes a battleground for yos family, crushing Nico under conflicting pressures and the desire to have a relationship that could last. You’ll also get a look into Nico and Ella’s relationship when they were in high school together and

Continue Reading
February 18, 2016
In Book News & Events

My next book’s cover has been revealed

By Rachel Gold

The header at the top of the site gives a hint of it, but for the whole cover for My Year Zero, head over to GayYA. (There's also an interview with all kinds of info about the new book.) If you want to kept in the loop, sign up for my newsletter (over on the right-hand side of the page) or bookmark the My Year Zero page on this site. I'll be updating that with new info periodically. Also for fans of Just Girls and Being Emily, there is a sequel in the works but this isn't it. In 2017 we'll return to the stories of Tucker and Nico. In the mean time, I think you'll find a lot to like in My Year Zero.  

Continue Reading
October 13, 2015
In Book News & Events

Just Girls discussion questions

By Rachel Gold

Questions for Discussion: Just Girls by Rachel Gold Here's a list of questions for classrooms and book groups. Fair warning: there are more spoilers the further you get into the questions.   Ch. 1 How should the admissions department have handled having a trans girl in the dorms? If you were Ella, how would you want them to have handled it? Ch. 2 What did you think of Tucker coming out as trans even though she isn’t? What would you have done? Tucker and Ella come from different socioeconomic classes, how does this impact the options that are available to them and what they see as viable choices? What might it be like if their situations were reversed? Ch. 4 Before the administration will let Tucker move to Ella’s suite, they ask if she’s had “the surgery.” Our culture seems fixated on genitals. Is it ever okay to ask someone about the state of their genitals? Why or why not? Ch. 5 Getting a team for the Cruel 2B Kind game and then playing the game is one of the ways Ella becomes comfortable on campus. In addition to community, what are other positive effects of playing games? Have you ever had an experience where you could express yourself more fully

Continue Reading
August 28, 2015