Moving forward.

Dear beautiful reader,

I want to start this off by saying Black lives matter. And to quote Angela Davis: "In a racist society, it is not enough to be non-racist, we must be anti-racist." 

Since the killing of George Floyd on May 25th, I have listened, learned, un-learned, read, listened some more -- to Black activists, creators, romance authors, writers, and voices. One of the clearest messages is the reminder that fighting for racial equality, creating an anti-racist society, and being an ally are all verbs. Actions, not nouns. The work is behind-the-scenes. We must continue to examine our behaviors and actions, then commit to keep going.

To that end, this newsletter includes some of the resources I've found most useful. This list doesn't even scrape the surface, and there are many more comprehensive lists online, like this one. There are also many, many more qualified Black voices who are (and have been) speaking about injustice - this list is a good start. Since it's also Pride Month, and I am a very proud bisexual lady, I'm also including some of my favorite queer romances.

Before writing romance, I had the great privilege to work alongside men, women and children experiencing homelessness for 8+ years. This gave me the opportunity to work with many talented activists, advocates and policy-makers. I share this not to paint myself as an expert -- I most definitely am not -- but to reiterate that this work is truly behind the scenes -- from a phone call, to a petition, to voting, to protesting, to demonstrating your values through philanthropy. It's all of that plus a million more actions. It might be easy to feel overwhelmed, but I share because I also witnessed that each action mattered. 

I've listened a lot in the romance community and have seen so many romance readers standing up and taking clear action. If you're reading this right now and wondering why a romance author is talking about this in her newsletter, just a reminder that the romance novel community reflects the world we live in. Which means the romance novel community is steeped in racism and bias (among many other forms of discrimination). The only silver lining to that egregious fact is that it means *you* can make a difference in the community you love so much. We will not "go back to normal" -- that "normal" is and was unacceptable. 

I also deeply acknowledge and recognize the vital role that romance novels and happily-ever-afters play in the life of my readers. You have all shared your love for books about love and I take that seriously. I will always continue to provide Walter pictures and camping stories and share my steamy romance novels with you. But I am making it clear that we as a community - authors and readers alike - have an enduring responsibility toward progress. Moving ever forward and not backward. 

With love,
Kathryn