So, even though I’ve been sparkly and holly jolly this December, I realize that the holidays aren’t always a super fun time for everyone. I’m very lucky to have a family that is accepting of my asexuality and has never made me feel unwelcome or unloved for it. But I also have close friends who are forced to leave their homes at the holidays, driven out by acephobic relatives. I have queer friends who have been homeless, or who have no contact with their families. For them, the holidays aren’t such a happy time.

There are millions of people under the LGBTQIA+ umbrella who have lost their homes and their families simply for being who they are. Yesterday, I saw a thoughtful and inspiring post on Facebook from author Bridget Essex, who said:

There are dozens of excellent charities that you can donate to in order to help a queer kid this holiday season, including The Trevor Project, local LGBT centers such as my local The Q Center, or, if you are specifically looking to assist aces, Asexual Outreach, an advocacy program dedicated to providing resources for asexual teens to schools across the US and Canada.

But sometimes, what you need the most is to forget about your troubles and lose yourself in a book. And if that book happens to have characters that reflect you? Sometimes, that’s the most helpful thing of all.

So I would like to say here—not just for the holiday season, but for any time of year—if you’re an ace, demi or otherwise queer reader who needs something positive to read, please e-mail me and I will be happy to send you an e-book copy of Fourth World. You can use the contact form or just send an e-mail to lyssa.chiavari at gmail.com.

I hope that your holiday season this year will be happy, full of rainbows, and—most importantly—safe!