A Special Pride Month Announcement

So as you may or may not already know, next month is Pride Month, a month of visibility and affirmation to the LGBTQ+ community and the anniversary of the Stonewall Riots.

Without getting too deep, Pride month is incredibly important to me, and Pride itself has always been a defining part of who I am as a person. Exactly 4 years ago, I came out as trans to my parents at Durham Pride, an event which sadly cannot go ahead this year. If it hadn’t been for the pandemic, this year’s pride would have been today as well.

After a long and rocky road since that day, I’ve moved on, left my old self behind and become the person I’ve always known I should be, and the man I am today.

The first person I ever told about my struggle with identity was always been my partner, Chris. From the beginning he has always been my biggest advocate and supporter. Last December, after 6 incredible years together, he and I finally tied the knot, with a pride-themed wedding celebration and a lot of tears.

At the end of our ceremony, Chris and I presented one another with a gift. His gift to me was a beautiful, rainbow collage of photographs of all our years together. And my gift to him was a book entitled The Forge and the Flow.

Starting next week on the 31^st of May, I will be uploading a chapter of the Forge and the Flow every fortnight.

The Forge and the Flow is a fantasy tale of two very different communities coming together. It is a story of coming to terms with history, and finally, of falling in love. The clans are based loosely on our two favourite animals, the Ailura (red pandas) and the Lutra (otters).

Sound familiar? That’s right! The cover of this story is the heading banner of my website!

A short blurb of the Forge and the Flow can be read below.

Sienna is an Ailura. His kind live on the lonely island of Veramilia, bound under traditions forged by countless generations.

Indigo is a Lutra. His kind goes with the flow, having lived free as the ocean waves since the beginning of time.

When a great calamity strikes and the Ailura are forced to flee their island home, the Ailura and Lutra come face to face for the first time in known history. But can two peoples so radically different really find it in their hearts to get along?

With this story, I aimed to channel the joy, love, and acceptance that he has brought to me over these 6 wonderful years. I feel that it turned out beautifully, and to this day I feel that it is one of the most rewarding pieces I’ve ever produced.

It isn’t a long story; an avid reader would probably skim through it in a little over 2 hours. Each chapter is decorated with mini-illustrations, customized chapter breaks, and a little fantasy map, all made by me.

I put everything I had into this tiny story, and honestly I cannot wait to share it with everyone as the first proper introduction to my writing and characters. If you’ve read this far, thank you so, so much for joining me. I’m so very excited to share this very important part of my life with you. To stay up to date with my blog posts and future chapters of the Forge and the Flow, feel free to subscribe!

Hope to see you then!