Viele-Sein, der Jahreswechsel mit der ganzen Crew

Diesen Jahreswechsel begehen wir in großer Runde, denn unsere Gruppe, unsere Crew hinter „Viele-Sein“ hat sich um Som und Ley erweitert. Wir sprechen über die Dinge, die uns in diesem Jahr bewegt und verändert haben, aber auch die Erkenntnisse und Einblicke, zu denen wir gekommen sind.

https://vielesein.de/der-jahreswechsel-mit-der-ganzen-crew

#Podcast #OwnVoices

Viele Leben Ausgabe 5: „verschiedene Welten“

„Wir haben auch irgendwann nur noch geschrien“

Trauma, das bedeutet Wunde für viele Menschen. Etwas Verwundenes ist passiert und muss überwunden werden.

Und in diesem Bild, dieser Idee des Überwindens, da steckt das Thema von Karla in dieser Ausgabe von „Viele Leben“ drin: Grenzen und die verschiedenen Welten mit ihren verschiedenen Sprachen und Perspektiven, die sich daraus ergeben.

https://vielesein.de/ausgabe-5-verschiedene-welten

#Podcast #OwnVoices #Crowdfunded

Perfect gift for you or the young adult horse fan in your life.

https://books2read.com/walkingsummer/

💫 Strong female leads 🦄 Real disability rep 💔 Broken friendships 🌟 Unforgettable summer
#OwnVoices #WheelchairWarrior #YAFiction #HorseBook #GirlPower

💙📚♿♾️🐴

Perfect gift for you or the young adult horse fan in your life.

https://books2read.com/walkingsummer/

💫 Strong female leads 🦄 Real disability rep 💔 Broken friendships 🌟 Unforgettable summer
#OwnVoices #WheelchairWarrior #YAFiction #HorseBook #GirlPower

💙📚♿♾️🐴

Perfect gift for you or the young adult horse fan in your life.

https://books2read.com/walkingsummer/

💫 Strong female leads 🦄 Real disability rep 💔 Broken friendships 🌟 Unforgettable summer
#OwnVoices #WheelchairWarrior #YAFiction #HorseBook #GirlPower

💙📚♿♾️🐴

Perfect gift for you or the young adult horse fan in your life.

https://books2read.com/walkingsummer/

💫 Strong female leads 🦄 Real disability rep 💔 Broken friendships 🌟 Unforgettable summer
#OwnVoices #WheelchairWarrior #YAFiction #HorseBook #GirlPower

💙📚♿♾️🐴

Perfect gift for you or the young adult horse fan in your life.

https://books2read.com/walkingsummer/

💫 Strong female leads 🦄 Real disability rep 💔 Broken friendships 🌟 Unforgettable summer
#OwnVoices #WheelchairWarrior #YAFiction #HorseBook #GirlPower

💙📚♿♾️🐴

Perfect gift for you or the young adult horse fan in your life.

https://books2read.com/walkingsummer/

💫 Strong female leads 🦄 Real disability rep 💔 Broken friendships 🌟 Unforgettable summer
#OwnVoices #WheelchairWarrior #YAFiction #HorseBook #GirlPower

💙📚♿♾️🐴

Perfect gift for you or the young adult horse fan in your life.

https://books2read.com/walkingsummer/

💫 Strong female leads 🦄 Real disability rep 💔 Broken friendships 🌟 Unforgettable summer
#OwnVoices #WheelchairWarrior #YAFiction #HorseBook #GirlPower

💙📚♿♾️🐴

She doesn’t need your pity—she needs to get back in the saddle. . 🦽💥🐎

https://books2read.com/walkingsummer/

💫 Strong female leads 🦄 Real disability rep 💔 Broken friendships 🌟 Unforgettable summer
#OwnVoices #WheelchairWarrior #YAFiction #HorseBook #GirlPower

💙📚♿♾️🐴

#WritersCoffeeClub 17, What role does race play in your work?

Tough to answer this one. My #cyberpunk works feature a world in the near-to-mid future that just magnifies the extremes of capitalism to the point where the only primary discrimination is class-based. That's an oversimplification of course, but roughly accurate. There might be racial divides within corporations (which act as countries do now) but I don't explore it.

As a straight white man author I think it's important to recognize that non-white (and LGBTQ+) characters exist and do important things, but also not to co-opt the lived stories of their real-life counterparts for my own books.

In other words, I write non-white characters freely but I don't center struggles I haven't experienced and prefer to leave those to #ownvoices authors.

I'm known for my #queer #UrbanFantasy tales and a few #dystopian and #mmromance novels out through NineStar Press.

My website - http://kevinklehr.com
My Amazon page - https://www.amazon.com/stores/Kevin-Klehr/author/B00D010VPA
Recent projects - https://youtu.be/i293mf-CBhk?si=xqBKDJmA56KEtUdw & https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0HmEK7veZdo

#gay #ownvoices #author #writingcommunity

She doesn’t need your pity—she needs to get back in the saddle. . 🦽💥🐎

https://books2read.com/walkingsummer/

💫 Strong female leads 🦄 Real disability rep 💔 Broken friendships 🌟 Unforgettable summer
#OwnVoices #WheelchairWarrior #YAFiction #HorseBook #GirlPower

💙📚♿♾️🐴

She doesn’t need your pity—she needs to get back in the saddle. . 🦽💥🐎

https://books2read.com/walkingsummer/

💫 Strong female leads 🦄 Real disability rep 💔 Broken friendships 🌟 Unforgettable summer
#OwnVoices #WheelchairWarrior #YAFiction #HorseBook #GirlPower

💙📚♿♾️🐴

📚 Old School Indian by: Aaron John Curtis

Abe Jacobs is Kanien’kehá:ka from Ahkwesáhsne―or, as white people say, a Mohawk Indian from the Saint Regis Tribe. At eighteen, Abe left the reservation where he was raised and never looked back. He met the love of his life, started writing poetry, and began an open marriage.

No...

https://bookblabla.com/book/old-school-indian

@bookstodon

#books #reading #libraries #fiction #indigenousfiction #literaryfiction #ownvoices

When Two Stories Share the Same Ancestry — My Thoughts on Bochica

I just finished Bochica, and wow what a ride through atmosphere, ancestry, and slow-burn tension. Before getting into the review, I have to acknowledge something: as the author of The Ordinary Bruja (coming November 4), it would feel disingenuous not to point out how these two books could be literary cousins. They both carry the pulse of Gothic storytelling, generational secrets, and complicated mother-daughter legacies—but they tell those stories in completely different ways.

That’s the beauty of creation: two writers can start from similar soil and still grow wildly different blooms. Bochica proves that originality isn’t about inventing something new; it’s about execution, voice, and perspective.

What Worked for Me

The Gothic atmosphere was stunning—slowly unfurling, full of whispers and shadowed corners. The pacing felt intentional, letting tension simmer rather than explode. I love that the story respected its time period (1920s-1930s Colombia) while still speaking to modern readers. The themes of colonial legacy, Catholic repression, and women navigating power all felt grounded and authentic.

Antonia, the main character, resonated deeply with me. Some reviewers called her passive, but I saw her as a woman shaped by her era—reflective of a world and a faith still wrestling with equality and voice. As someone raised in a culture deeply entwined with Catholicism and patriarchy, that rang true. Her acknowledgment of her mother’s flawed “protection” and the book’s reckoning with white-savior ideology gave the story real weight.

What Didn’t Fully Click

There were two small things that pulled me out of the reading experience:

• Name inconsistency — Antonia shifted between calling her parents by first names and by “Mama” or “Papa.” It confused me more than once and disrupted the rhythm of her narration.
• A touch of modern language — The phrase “mental health” felt slightly anachronistic for the 1930s setting, though it didn’t ruin immersion.

And while I personally wanted a stronger crescendo near the end, I can appreciate the restraint. The ending matches the book’s deliberate pacing—quiet, reflective, and emotionally grounded.

The Reader Divide

Before finishing the book, I peeked at Goodreads reviews (curiosity got me), and the reception reminded me of what I’ve seen for The Ordinary Bruja: very polarized. You either love it or it doesn’t click. That’s the hallmark of art that dares to sit in discomfort. Bochica isn’t trying to please everyone—it’s trying to tell the truth in its own cadence.

It’s also a great reminder that reviews are subjective. I always check a reviewer’s history before deciding how much weight to give their opinion. Some readers docked stars for things that didn’t bother me at all, like tone or historical realism. For me, Bochica’s blend of realism and myth was exactly right.

Final Thoughts

Bochica is a haunting, beautifully written story for readers who crave slow-burn Gothic horror, historical depth, and emotional complexity. If you loved the tone and themes of Mexican Gothic but want something that feels more spiritually grounded in Latin American mythology, you’ll adore this one.

⭐ 4 stars — A deeply atmospheric, thought-provoking read that lingers long after the last page.

And if you find yourself craving a modern-day cousin to Bochica, with the same echoes of ancestral guilt and feminine power but set in contemporary Ohio—then pick up The Ordinary Bruja this November 1. Trust me, these two books are from the same spiritual lineage, and reading them together will make the magic even richer.

The Ordinary Bruja: Book One of Las Cerradoras Series – Johanny Ortega

Marisol Espinal has spent her life trying to disappear from her family’s whispers of magic, from the shame of not belonging, from the truth she refuses to face. She’s always wanted to be someone else: confident, capable, extraordinary.

But when strange visions, flickering shadows, and warnings written in her mother’s hand begin to stalk her, Marisol is forced to confront her deepest fear: what if she isn’t extraordinary at all? What if she’s painfully ordinary?

Yet Hallowthorn Hill doesn’t call to just anyone. And the more Marisol resists, the stronger its pull becomes. The past she’s buried claws its way back, and something in the mist is watching—waiting for her to remember.

If Marisol cannot face the truth about who she is and where she comes from, the same darkness that destroyed her ancestors will claim her, too.

Somewhere in the shadows, something knows her name.

And it’s time for Marisol to learn why.

Pre-order now

The Heroine’s Journey of Marisol Espinal: Finding Power in Wholeness

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#ancestralHealing #characterDevelopment #heroineSJourney #identity #JohannyOrtegaAuthor #magicalRealism #OwnVoices #TheOrdinaryBruja #WritingCraft

Imperfectly Magical: Why I’m Selling My “Oops” Paperbacks

There’s something oddly charming about imperfections—especially when they tell a story.

When I got my latest shipment of The Ordinary Bruja paperbacks, I noticed something right away: a few copies had a little extra edge around the cover. Not a rip, not a misprint on the text—just an extra border, like the artwork decided to take up a bit more space than it should have.

At first, my inner perfectionist gasped. How could this happen? But then the bruja in me—the one who believes everything happens for a reason—smiled.

Because let’s be real: there’s magic in imperfection.

A Happy Accident

These copies are what I now call my Imperfectly Magical Editions—the same haunting, heart-tugging story inside, just wearing a slightly “off” outfit. The words, the emotions, Marisol’s journey through identity, ancestral memory, and the pull of Hallowthorn Hill—all untouched.

If anything, these books remind me of what The Ordinary Bruja is really about: embracing your flaws, your rough edges, your too-much-ness. Every single thing that once made you feel “off” is actually part of what makes you extraordinary.

So why throw them away when I could share them with readers who understand that exact message?

For Readers Who Love a Little Character & Bargain

These imperfect editions are for the readers who dog-ear their pages, highlight their favorite quotes, and spill coffee on their books because they couldn’t stop reading. They’re for the book lovers who know a story doesn’t have to be pristine to be powerful.

Think of it like adopting a stray cat or buying a plant with one funky leaf. Still beautiful. Still alive with story. Just… real.

The Details

Each Imperfectly Magical Edition is discounted—because, yes, the cover has an extra edge. But the magic inside? Still flawless.

✨ Price: $10.99 (original $15.99)
✨ Quantity: Limited—once they’re gone, they’re truly gone.
✨ Where to get it:

The Ordinary Bruja: Book One of Las Cerradoras Series – Johanny Ortega – Bargain

16 available for pre-ordering

Pre-order now

Why It Matters

As an indie author, every book is personal. I oversee everything—from writing to cover design to the moment those boxes land on my doorstep. And while perfection is great, authenticity is better.

Selling these copies isn’t about “clearing out stock.” It’s about giving readers a piece of my process, the behind-the-scenes proof that indie publishing is handmade, heart-led, and beautifully human.

Because The Ordinary Bruja was never meant to be perfect. It was meant to be real.

So if you’re someone who loves a good story and a good deal, grab your Imperfectly Magical Edition before they vanish into the ether.

After all, even the most powerful magic starts with a little imperfection.

She doesn’t need your pity—she needs to get back in the saddle. . 🦽💥🐎

https://books2read.com/walkingsummer/

💫 Strong female leads 🦄 Real disability rep 💔 Broken friendships 🌟 Unforgettable summer
#OwnVoices #WheelchairWarrior #YAFiction #HorseBook #GirlPower

💙📚♿♾️🐴

Day 19 (a bit late): Alice Oseman

As I said I've got 14 authors to fit into two days. Probably just going to extend to 30? But Oseman gets this spot as an absolute legend of queer fiction in both novel & graphic novel form, and an excellent example of the many truths queer writers have to share with non-queer people that can make everyone's lives better. Her writing is very kind, despite in many instances dealing with some dark stuff.

I started out on Heartstopper, which is just so lovely and fun to read, and then made my way through several of her novels. The one I'll highlight here which I think it's her greatest triumph is "Loveless", which is semi-autobiographical and was at least my first (but no longer only) experience with the "platonic romance" sub-genre. It not only helped me work through some crufty internal doubts about aro/ace identities that I'd never really examined, but in the process helped improve my understanding of friendship, period. Heck, it's probably a nice novel for anyone questioning any sort of identity or dealing with loneliness, and it's just super-enjoyable as a story regardless of the philosophical value.

To cheat a bit more here on my author count, I recently read "Dear Wendy" by Ann Zhao, which shouts out "Loveless" and offers a more expository exploration of aro/ace identities, but "Loveless" is a book with more heart and better writing overall, including the neat plotting and great pacing. I think there are also parallels with Becky Albertalli's work, though I think I like Oseman slightly more. Certainly both excel at writing queer romance (and romance-adjacent) stuff with happy endings (#OwnVoices wins again with all three authors).

In any case, Oseman is excellent and if you're not up for reading a novel, Heartstopper is a graphic novel series that's easy to jump into and very kind to its adorable main characters.

I think I've now decided to continue to 30, which is a relief, so I'm tagging this (and the next post that rounds out 20) two ways.

#20AuthorsNoMen
#30AuthorsNoMen