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BLOG TOUR: A Life in Letters: A Story of Resilience, Sequins and Hope by Rodney Rhoda Taylor (Excerpt & Giveaway + Q&A with Author)

BLOG TOUR

An emotional journey of resilience, sequins, and hope 

Book Title: A Life in Letters: A Story of Resilience, Sequins and Hope

Author: Rodney Rhoda Taylor

Publisher:  Cresting Wave Publishing

Cover Artist: Brian R. Barilleaux, Rodney Rhoda Taylor 

Release Date: July 9, 2024

Genre: Non-fiction/Memoir

Themes: Coming out, Awareness, Societal Expectations

Length:  23 580  words/  140 pages

It is a standalone book.

Heat Rating: No sexual content

Goodreads

Buy Links – Available in Kindle Unlimited 

Amazon US   |    Amazon UK 

From sudden pop-ups, ruined pajamas, glittery gowns, and conversations with God – a collection of letters that covers it all. 

Blurb

A Life in Letters chronicles a gay man’s journey as he navigates the ups and downs of life through his letters. From the innocent correspondence with Santa Claus and asking for a Cher doll, through the trials and tribulations of puberty, sudden pop-ups, coming out, drag queens, heartbreak, and the joys of a Cosmo, we learn how the author maneuvers through the many curve balls life throws at him. Throughout, it’s a story of hope, courage, and strength. 

Excerpt

Dear Masculinity,

I have spent years trying to figure out who you are, and I am no closer to solving this mystery than I was when I first started. You are an enigma—a puzzle that cannot easily be solved. I know as much about you as I know about the moon’s backside. Why is that? (Well, not the moon part…) Why is your identity so vague?

All I know is that for years, both the straight and gay communities have told me that I don’t act like you, that I act like a girl, and that I’m too effeminate. But neither constituency can provide me with a definition of who you are. The straights can’t define you because, for

them, you are based on some ancient notion of what a man should be. And the gays can’t represent you because, for them, you are based on some overhyped-up sexual fantasy drawing created by Tom of Finland. And no one can measure up to an entire community’s sexual fantasy. I mean, damn—based on those two concepts, I was/am never going to fit into anyone’s idea of what being “masculine” is. The one element both communities agree on is that “men” are not supposed to have “feminine” characteristics. And if they do, then they better watch it, or they will be deemed … undesirable.

That leads to this question: Isn’t the whole preoccupation and belief that boys and men are supposed to act one way and girls and women are supposed to act another a bit … archaic?

Why do boys have to be masculine? Why do girls have to be feminine? And why, on God’s Green Earth, can’t either sex just “be”? Sans labels? If boys want to play with Barbie—so be it. If girls want to play football—so be it.

Let’s just say it: the idea of “masculinity” is out-of-date. It’s based on an out-of-date assumption that “men” are the more vigorous sex. These days, one’s strength is no longer strictly judged to be a “physical” attribute. These days, it is more (correctly) about a person’s inner drive and determination, regardless of the chromosome lottery.

Women have become quite “strong,” in my definition because they have had to fight their way out of being dominated by “masculine” men and more than a few ill-informed women. Then there are those men, like me, who get their nails done, walk with a swish in their step, shape their eyebrows, and act in a way that society says is “feminine.”

Our folks have always been deemed “not masculine” because of the way we act/appear. Yet many of us live on our terms—and do not welcome others’ ideas of how we should “act.” It takes a strong person to live their life that way. Especially considering the condemnation one can receive for doing so.

So, which is truly the strong, masculine person? The individuals who think Penis=Superior/Stronger? Or those who have had to fight to live on their terms despite the adversity they receive from the world for doing so? And which gender are they?

Thoughts?

Feminine and Proud

Q&A with Rodney Rhoda Taylor

Describe a scene in your writing that has made you laugh or cry?

I wrote a short play about a couple who accidentally made a “video” of themselves having sex after one of them proposed. Then they lost it. While one of them is looking for the video, the sister appears and asks when he will tell their mom, who then shows up unexpectedly just as the fiancée enters the room in a towel, as he wasn’t expecting company. And from there, it’s just hilarious.

 Where do you write?  Do you have a routine?

I write all over the place; sometimes, it’s on the couch or in a coffee store, or my present writing place is at the kitchen bar. I work from home so I can’t write in the office as I spend 8 hours a day there and it’s nice to be away from that space.

What has been one of your most rewarding experiences as an author?

Knowing that my writing touches people and makes them think and feel something about the writing or makes them think of something about their own lives.

Do you prefer using pen and paper or a computer when writing?

I’ve tried to do the pen-to-computer thing. But when I would put it to the computer, I would write something completely different than what I had initially created. So, I just gave up on that process and went straight to the computer instead.

What else have you written/published?

I’ve written a few one-act plays for a theatre company I founded in San Francisco called Left Coast Theatre. Two of the plays I wrote were included in some publications of some of their works, SF Here I Come, and WTF Family.

Do you have a favorite quote (either from your own book/s or one you’ve read)?

“Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn.” Clark Gable as Rhett Butler in Gone with the Wind.

About the Author  

Rodney Taylor is a San Francisco State University graduate with a degree in Creative Writing. Initially exploring various writing paths, Rodney found a niche in playwriting, creating several short plays, including Eros, PoolsideGood-Bye CupidFairy GodmotherBaby ChristinaMotherly Advice, and P.S. I Love You. Their passion for theater culminated in co-founding Left Coast Theatre Co., an LGBTQ theater in San Francisco, with Joe Frank. After a brief hiatus to focus on personal well-being, Rodney is now reviving their writing career. Shifting focus from plays to comedic short stories, Rodney travels the country with their chihuahua, searching for a place to call home.

Author Links

Blog/Website   |   Facebook   |   Instagram  

Giveaway 

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