Take a moment and think about a time you found yourself somewhere in the pages of a book. Was it because the character shared an interest or a personality trait of yours? Was it because you had the same hopes or desires as a character? Was it because they achieved a dream you hoped you would someday too?

I have always been a voracious reader. As a kid, I found parts of myself in books all of the time. In Roald Dahl’s “Matilda,” I found the peculiar parts of myself celebrated. In E.L. Konigsburg's “The View from Saturday,” I found the nerdy parts of myself winning. And in Louise Fitzhugh’s “Harriet the Spy,” I found the aspiring writer in me begin to blossom. But as a young person, I almost never saw the queer parts of me in the stories I read.

Because there were so few stories with LGBTQ+ kids in them, and because those few often depicted a difficult life, I assumed that my queer identity was wrong and meant to be hidden from others...

Last year, Pride and Joy Publishing released its flagship publication, Thriving in Business: Strategies for the LGBTQ+ Entrepreneur. Within a week, the book hit #1 in Women in Business and #7 in Entrepreneurship. 

Although the titles and rankings are a good fit for many of the authors within the book, we quickly realized that there was something missing in the literary world. Although 6 out of the 14 authors in this book are either trans, non-binary or gender fluid, there was no existing category for them that perfectly fit the bill. Pride and Joy Publishing began digging into the titles/categories allotted and found that there were currently no “Nonbinary Authors” or “LGBTQ+ Business” categories in existence.  

Although this book is making waves in terms of visibility and direct guidance for LGBTQ+ business owners, the lack of these authorship categories is more than enough evidence that our literary and business worlds...

We wanted LGBTQ+ business and self-empowerment books to support our goal of reducing suicide and homelessness in our community.  

The “big publishers” said there wasn’t a big enough market.  If LGBTQ+ authors wanted to get a traditional publishing contract, they had to figure out a way to get at least 50k followers to justify the “investment”.

We said, “Thank u, Next.” and created our own publishing company.  

Pride and Joy Publishing is proud to announce our very first publication, Thriving in Business: Strategies for the LGBTQ+ Entrepreneur.  This book is a compilation of the best tips and heartfelt advice from successful queer entrepreneurs around the world.  14 new friends are waiting to support YOU and your business goals.  

Pride and Joy Publishing has set a goal to reach Bestseller Status in the first two days of its launch.  This will set the book on a powerful trajectory and Amazon...

 At Fire Sphere Media, we believe that although the world has progressed further than most of us thought we would ever have a chance to see in our lifetimes, there is still a very long way to go. Racial and religious equality, LGBTQIA diversity, and a better understanding of disabilities and mental illness are all important aspects of life that we want to normalize in the work that we do.

Our hope is that everyone in the world who has ever felt like an outcast will feel like they are loved and accepted when they read our books or work with us. The primary focus of our work is to show the world that it is our character that defines us, not our gender, orientation, religion, or race. When you experience our work, you will realize that you are never truly alone.

Kara Ballenger is a graphic designer and illustrator who puts a special emphasis on depicting characters from marginalized groups. Kara has chosen to predominantly work as a freelance artist and at a lower...

Editor's Note: I met Sheena with The Lesbian Review when I did a podcast series with her "Ask a Conversion Therapy Survivor".  During the show, it became obvious that I had no idea there was an entire genre of literature based on women loving women.  (baby gay, right here).  I realized I was really missing out and I asked Sheena to give us a list of the best intro books.  I've finished one of these on the list and I've already started on my second.  I have to say, I rarely read fiction (self-growth junkie) but these fun books are so fun and so relaxing to dive into.  I am SO glad I found Sheena and The Lesbian Review.  

The Lesbian Review brings you a selection of 3 Coming Of Age Stories To Make Your WLW Heart Happy.

These are three novels that we enjoyed tremendously and recommend to readers who are looking for women loving women books.

Floodtide by Heather Rose Jones

 The streets are a perilous place for a...