Diversity — Diary of a Fic Fiend - The Official Blog of Author Kilby Blades

See Something? Say Something: What Happened When a Reader Spoke Up

Ten days before the release date of Forrest for the Trees, I was passed a note written in by an ARC reviewer named Julie. She had let my publisher (Smartypants Romance) know that I’d mentioned a problematic brand. Like my character, Sierra Betts, I am a huge fan of bourbon and a bourbon mixed drink connoisseur. In the book, I used a bourbon that I’ve treated as a staple for years. What Julie was upstanding enough to mention is that Bulleit has been embroiled in some accusations of homophobia, and that the collective we (me, my publisher) should be aware. I knew nothing about these accusations, but checked them out immediately.

Diversity, Random RamblingsKilby BladesOctober 11, 2021Forrest for the Trees Comments

"Adam Bomb" Wins the Passionate Plume for Steamy Romance! (Just in time for Pride month!)

Four out of the seven winners of the 2021 Passionate Plume Award were queer romance (woot!) and I’m proud to report that Adam Bomb was within the ranks. My gay romance, Adam Bomb, won the Passionate Plume award in the Steamy category. The category was created for books with strongly written steamy scenes in a book that doesn’t classify itself, on the whole, as erotic romance. Let’s just say that Adam Bomb had a few high points.

Awards and Accolades, DiversityKilby BladesJune 10, 2021Adam Bomb, LGBTQ+Comment

Next-Level Issues on Diversity in Publishing - My Interivew on The Good Story Podcast!

First things first: you need to check out The Good Story Podcast. It’s new(ish) but great-already source for rich discussions about meaty topics in authoring. It is also the brainchild of Mary Kole. She is the founder of The Good Story Company, a multidimensional career and craft blog and resource center for authors. After meeting her virtually, we quickly realized we had much to discuss about diversity in publishing.

Diversity, Kilby Blades in the MediaKilby BladesJuly 14, 2020Comment

Why I Skipped the RITA Awards

By the time Thursday night arrived, I already knew the bartender at Mix. Kim, a kind-eyed, bearded hipster who had admitted that he had no idea how to make a Brandy Alexander, had been serving me Domaine Chandon for days. I was in my happy place — surrounded by my three besties as we helped each other strategize for pitching sessions on Friday. Only one thing killed my buzz: I couldn’t stomach the idea of attending the RITA Awards. It wasn’t that I hadn’t brought a dress — a cute one was in my closet. A black sequined Art Deco number hung next to a beautiful feathered headband that would have put Gatsby’s Daisy to shame. In light of scathing statistics, it just seemed silly to support an event this unclear. Why go, if no one knows what winning a RITA means?

DiversityKilby BladesJuly 30, 2018Medium.comComment

RSJ Emma Awards for Diversity in Romance Honor Kilby Blades as Best Debut Author

I'll admit it--it's been a tough year for me in terms of discovering truths about the industry--and, by that, I mean coming to some realizations about how far we still have to go with respect to promoting diversity in romance. I certainly knew that we were underrepresented--that it seemed more difficult for diverse authors to get traditional publishing contracts and, if we get them, to have good experience with our publishers around marketing and promotion. I did not know until recently about a litany of other issues--from earning retail space, to being dropped from publishing, to problems with book displays and shelving, to serious issues with the RITA Awards.

Awards and Accolades, DiversityKilby BladesJune 20, 2018Snapdragon, Chrysalis, Awards, DiversityComment

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