By Priyanka Joshi, Jess Fisher, Elizabeth Haslam and William Swift
Spectrum Books prides itself on being an independent UK press seeking to publish books of all genres by LGBTQIA+ authors, both fiction and non-fiction. Founded in London in March 2020, the team not only noticed how hard it is to get published in general, but how difficult a task it can be to publish LGBTQIA+ books and get them into the hands of readers. Spectrum Books is also admirably working with several LGBTQIA+ charities, donating 5% of total profits to the charities they think make the biggest impact on this community. The first charity they are working with is the Albert Kennedy Trust (AKT), who focus on working with young, homeless LGBTQIA+ people.
The team at Spectrum Books have published an impressive number of fiction and non-fiction books, spanning a wide range of genres that will suit anybody’s tastes.
In addition to publishing books, Spectrum Books post informative articles about LGBTQIA+ causes and tips on how to get your work published. They also host interviews and informal chats with their authors, giving their press a great community feel.
New and Upcoming Releases
Husband Swap: Come Di(n)e with Me by J.S. Gray (15 July 2024)
A couple’s dinner party like never before, this book looks at the dynamics and limits of romantic relationships among a group of friends. When Chris proposes a Come Dine with Me-style competition where all the couples swap partners for a week, the fun really begins. With a broad range of characters, including the token woman and staunch feminist Faye, husbands and business partners Patrick and Stewart and over-the-top Sandy, this light-hearted comedy will put a smile on readers’ faces. Part of The Husband Swap series, this next instalment traverses the pressures of entertaining and partner-swapping in an enigmatic and uplifting tale.
Jack & I by Laury A. Egan
This thrilling tale of psychological suspense explores the heartbreak and trauma of Jack Kennett, a 16-year-old with undiagnosed dissociative identity disorder (previously known as multiple personality disorder). One of Jack’s personalities is at odds morally and emotionally with the other as both battle for dominance within the same body, causing a strong sense of despair and powerlessness within this truly complex protagonist. This novel takes readers through Jack’s tumultuous childhood of foster care, adoption and trauma inflicted by supposedly responsible adults. Egan captures the nuance of the torment experienced by those with this rare mental illness, making the reader feel Jack’s hopefulness and helplessness as he navigates his destructive personality.
Hope and Other Lost Things by Morgan Park
When Julia’s world falls apart after her wife, Marin, leaves her, she lives clinging to the hope of Marin’s return. However, when Kleinton High hires an outside company to evaluate her school, Julia is shocked to be face-to-face with Erin, the woman she almost took home the night before. The sense of familiarity and the undeniable pull between these two women forces Julia to face her past while finding hope for the future. This beautiful story of heartbreak, loneliness and love speaks to the anguish within us all and the desire to find a home in someone.
Notable Releases
Meduso by B.J Irons: The first in the Mythologay series, and a success that has launched four subsequent books, Meduso is not a straight retelling, but a total rethink of the classic Medusa story. Rather than being about a Gorgon girl cursed until the day Perseus beheaded her, Meduso is a tragic story of innocent M/M love and betrayal. With a historic setting, legendary characters and a talented author, it is little wonder that Meduso has been followed by Arrogance, Orpheus, Hermes and Hephaestus.
Mechaniek: Lost Paradise by J.C Compton: The Mechaniek series, now a trilogy, pushes the bounds of genre, combining elements of a love story, a dystopian steampunk universe, a pirate’s tale and a royal drama. J.C Compton has embodied each of these themes in the first novel alone, delivering them in an apocalyptic Earth where mechanics rule. Without giving too much away, this action-packed novel will have you immersed in the non-stop adventure of the leading man, Taliesin, as he searches for Merrick, his love who saved him from a storm, and discovers his role in the murder of Merrick’s mother.
The Echoes of Ashlington by Rowan MacKemsley: Split between 1807 and 2015, The Echoes of Ashlington will take readers on an emotionally wrought (and sometimes chillingly haunting) journey through the lives of two soldiers in love. In 2015, Lillian Durand believes she is not the only Durand remaining in Ashlington, leading her to unravel the story of her ancestor and the man he loved on the front lines of the Peninsula War. Henry Durand and Robert Westbrook have a unique bond that the reader will fall in love with, and with Lillian’s story framing the narrative, MacKemsley explores what has been washed from family histories. Published in 2021, those who can’t get enough of the Durand story can rest easy knowing that MacKemsley has given Henry and Robert a heroic novel of their own, entitled Honour Bound, which is also available from Spectrum.
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