Books By Max

Max. 25. Published author. Queer black woman, college graduate, and subverter of tropes. I hope you like my books.

[irishiris]

[vaspider]

YES PLEASE AND THANK YOU.

[drarryking]

This is actually info I didn’t know

[marauders4evr]

Seriously folks review my books! Review everyone’s books!

It’s the difference between Amazon giving a damn about you verses pushing your book to the bottom of the food chain. 

[maxinejacksonn]

Reviews are lifeblood. <3

[iheartallura]

just a reminder:

a black girl character growing her hair out long breaks more stereotypes than a black girl character having short hair

a black girl character getting to be soft and fragile breaks more stereotypes than a black girl character being strong all the time

a black girl character being protected and comforted by others breaks more stereotypes than a black girl character having no one to look out for her but herself

a black girl character being considered pretty or cute by other characters breaks more stereotypes than a black girl character being considered unattractive

not everything that is empowering for white girls is empowering for black girls

the sexism we face overlaps, but it is not the same

[iheartallura]

yeah so i just wanna clarify that short hair (or no hair!) on black girls is absolutely GORGEOUS and BEAUTIFUL

when i say it ‘breaks less stereotypes’ i don’t mean that it’s bad or unattractive or that you shouldn’t design black girl characters with short hair (or no hair)

a black girl character having short hair (or no hair) being considered pretty by other characters, for example, also breaks stereotypes, because society still for the most part considers only lengthy hair to be ‘feminine’ and ‘attractive’ on women

the reason i bring up the long hair vs. short hair aspect, is because white feminists preach that girls cutting their hair short is empowering, like saying “fuck you” to a society that demands they look alluring and feminine (aka keeping their hair long) all the time

but what needs to be acknowledged is that that simply doesn’t apply to all girls

“long” hair doesn’t necessarily mean “straight” hair. and black girl characters with lengthy locs, massive afro-puffs, long braids, wavy blow-outs, etc. etc. are empowering images for black girls because there is so much trauma and history associated with our hair being considered bad or ugly or a joke or even just straight up unacceptable by society

(that, and there is also the very widespread belief that afro textured hair simply CAN’T grow — which is, you know, bullshit, & an idea that ought to be challenged in fiction, not reinforced)

“writers always know exactly where they are going with their work!”

r u sure

“no writer does anything by mistake, it’s all very strategic”

r u sure

“they use symbolism in everything. for example, a simple sentence symbolises directness and-”

R U SURE

[entropyalarm]

The best moments in writing is when you discover you did something absolutely genius by complete accident.

[queerrussetpotato]

A miscellaneous world-building detail from ten chapters earlier accidentally saved a character’s life once

[noahwyles]

“Omg this line is genius and the best reference!” “Thank you I did that entirely on purpose!!” *sweats*

[oldschoolvillageidiot]

READER: “(points out symbolism and foreshadowing and depth)”

AUTHOR:

[danikasapphistry]

I want to make a list of the thousands and thousands of queer women books out there just so I link it every time someone says “There are no lesbian books! I read one, but it sucked! I’m sad.”

Like… have you tried google??? 

[maxinejacksonn]

Looking for a series about queer teenagers?

Look no further!

Here is a new novella series about that bizarre gap of life between high school and true adulthood...when you’re both independent and dependent, and you’re discovering things about yourself you thought you already knew.  Each book follows a different character. The first begins with Anna, an adopted Indian-American girl with admittedly self-destructive coping habits. In her defense, she has a lot to cope with.

The book is available now on Amazon (with the second following later this month)!

[blackexcellence101-deactivated2]

Hey world, My name is Leon Langford, I recently published a book based off of love of anime, manga, and light novels and my desire for diversity in the YA lit world

I was hoping you could help with just a simple reblog.

Streetslam Volume One is on sale on Amazon Kindle for 0.99.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B012025TA6

You can also download the !free!Amazon Kindle App to MAC, PC, and Smartphone to read the novel, if you do not have a kindle. Summary: After the death of his mother, Devin Maxwell joins Titan Force, an organization that collects supernatural artifacts using super powered agents. Devin quickly rises to become a brash, yet successful agent under the field name: Streetslam. He forms a pseudo family with his friends and fellow agents at Titan Force. Devin’s allegiances are put to the test after an enigmatic billionaire offers him the chance to revive his mother, but only if he turns on his new family and steals a mysterious item from the Titan Force vault.

Featuring: -A black main lead with superpowers. -Anime style battles. -Characters dealing with depression, poverty, abuse, and recovery. -A diverse and robust cast, featuring strong black women, strong hispanic women, and a trio of super powered sisters. -Anime tropes such as BIG ASS swords, long evolving story arcs, a military organization that has no problem hiring teenagers, and even a character with animal ears.   Thanks for all the support!

[etherealhobbies]

This sounds awesome…

[blackexcellence101-deactivated2]

Thanks for the reblogs @etheralhobbies I sold 9 copies today!

[siancrosslinisback-deactivated2]

Apparently now is the time for uncomfortable truths because I’ve just had it.

How many posts have I seen that talk about fanfiction ‘setting the bar higher’ or about how ‘unoriginal’ published fiction is? How many posts have I seen where someone’s saying “I wish someone would write about X thing that subverts some popular trope!’?

Trans Cinderella? I have a friend who’s written that. Books about people who are actually, for real, bi or ace? My publisher has whole categories for those. How about ABO? Or werewolf stories that aren’t about sex and dominance? Hell, I’ve written that. Enemies-to-lovers? Mecha-wearing cops? These people are some of the most creative and welcoming and kind people I’ve ever met. 

And nearly daily, I see fandom deride us like we’re somehow other. And look, I get it. In large part, I think a lot of the pushback is the inaccessibility of publishing in large houses, and the way that those large houses churn out the same tropes over and over again, while enforcing and maintaining the societal status quo. But hey, those are large presses. Those are The Big Four. There are so many smaller, younger, more inclusive presses running around now, not even to mention self-publishing.

If I read a book that I absolutely love and I immediately develop a writer-crush on that author, 9 times out of 10 I say to myself “I wanna be friends” and then we become friends. It’s great. Authors have no chill about each other, none at all, I love it.

So when I finally caved and came to tumblr and started getting involved in fandom, it was like a bucket of cold water to the face when I found out, over and over, that fanfic writers and readers wanted nothing to do with me and my original fiction. I mention that I’ve finally been writing again, someone asks what pairing, I say it’s orig fic and the immediate disinterest is nearly palpable. There’s the continuous parade of posts talking about how no one ever writes about this, you never see books about that, I wish there was a book like this, with this, not with that, and every time I see those posts I become an incredible combination of sad and indignant.

Because these books do exist, these authors and publishing houses do exist. These editors and artists, they exist. I know because I’ve worked with them, I’ve emailed and tweeted them, I’ve published with them. These posts and this attitude are willfully ignoring and erasing the industry that’s closest to your own works. Do you think mainstream publishing and The Big Four, do you think they’d accept ABO? Do you think they’d accept triads with an ace member? Do you think they’d accept trans love stories? Sweeping epic fantasy where the main character being gay isn’t the driving force behind the plot? Or sweet and fluffy contemporary romance? No, they wouldn’t, because on the whole mainstream publishing, when it deigns to include us, is pretty much only interested in killing us.

Fandom needs to understand that there are queer spaces in publishing too, and we are not the enemy. It really sucks to try to fit in with the people you think will understand you best and have it made clear, time and time again, that you’re still too other for them.

[seananmcguire]

And it is because of these explicitly queer spaces in publishing that the big New York houses are beginning to adjust and allow for more diversity in all aspects.  We can make a difference, but we do it by reading and supporting what’s there, not denying it unless it comes from a pre-existing property.

[freddiemilano]

Less Than Three Press is one of the most inclusive publishers I have ever come across and I am incredible proud to be published by them. Seriously, these books exist. Just look for them and most importantly, purchase and support them so we can keep writing more.

[moonlitwaterwriting-deactivated]

I’m reblogging this again because this has never been more relevant. Come on, fandom. Take the leap. You won’t regret it.

[birabu]

@maxinejackson

[maxinejacksonn]

I'm so happy to see this post. I've been feeling pretty discouraged since breaking into the market as an indie author is so hard. Give us a chance, though! I promise that people are writing the inclusive stories that you've always wanted!

[canthinkofaurl-deactivated20221]

YA books about POC by POC #ownvoices

 for the people who keep telling me they cant find diverse #ownvoices books by people of color or that there are none. 

contemporary + romance

- asian authors -

born confused - tanuja desai hidier

girl in between - pintip dunn

i believe in a thing called love - maurene goo

enter title here - rahul kanakia

if you could be mine - sara farizan

its not like its a secret - misa sugiura

my so-called bollywood life - nisha sharma

none of the above - i.w. gregorio

since you asked - maurene goo

starfish - akemi dawn bowman

tell me again how a crush should feel - sara farizan

this promise i will keep - aisha saeed

to all the boys ive loved before - jenny han

qala academy - tanaz bhatena

when dimple met rishi - sandhya menon

written in the stars - aisha saeed

tiny pretty things - sona charaipotra & dhonielle clayton

- black and african authors -

all american boys - jason reynolds & brendan kiely

allegedly - tiffany d. jackson

american street - ibi zoboi

the boy in the black suit - jason reynolds

dear martin - nic stone

the hate u give - angie thomas

little & lion - brandy colbert

peas and carrots - tanita s. davis

the sun is also a star - nicola yoon

this side of home - renée watson

tiny pretty things - sona charaipotra & dhonielle clayton

pointe - brandy colbert

when i was the greatest - jason reynolds

you dont know me but i know you - rebecca barrow

- latinx authors -

the education of margot sanchez - lilliam rivera

the inexplicable logic of my life - benjamin alire sáenz

juliet takes a breath - gabbi rivera

north of happy - adi alsaid

we were here - matt de la pena

when reason breaks - cindy l. rodriguez

yaqui delgado wants to kick your ass - meg medina

high fantasy + urban fantasy

- asian authors -

the bone witch - rin chupeco 

the forbidden wish - jessica khoury

forest of a thousand lantern by julie c. dao

huntress - malinda lo

not your sidekick - c.b. lee

prophecy - ellen oh

the reader - traci chee

serpentine - cindy pon

silver phoenix - cindy pon

soulmated - shaila patel

the star-touched queen - roshani chokshi

- black and african authors -

akata witch - nnedi okorafor

promise of shadows - justina ireland

shadowsharper - daniel josé older

- latinx authors -

labyrinth lost - zoraida córdova

shadowsharper - daniel josé older

historical + historical fantasy

- asian authors -

an ember in the ashes - sabaa tahir

everything i never told you - celeste ng

outrun the moon - stacey lee

under a painted sky - stacey lee

- latinx authors -

burn baby burn - meg medina

iron cast - destiny soria

shame the stars - guadalupe garcia mccall

magical realism

- black and african authors -

into white - randi pink

- latinx authors -

the girl who could silence the wind - meg medina

summer of the mariposas - guadalupe garcia mccall

the weight of feathers - anna-marie mclemore

wild beauty - anna-marie mclemore

when the moon was ours - anna-marie mclemore

sci-fi

- asian authors - 

forget tomorrow - pintip dunn

the amaterasu project - axie oh

the girl from everywhere - heidi heilig

want - cindy pon

- black and african authors -

binti - nnedi okorafor

the blazing star - imani josey

the fifth season - n.k. jemisin

love is the drug - alaya dawn johnson

orleans - sherri l. smith

is that enough? they’re out there. you just have to be willing to look.

All Book Recommendations | My Book Blog 

[maxinejacksonn]

So I wrote another book

This time, the start of a series. 

This has been a wild year in a lot of respects, but one thing that stuck out to me was how few wlw storylines in media have gotten a happy ending, not to mention the lack of diversity in general. I suppose this series was a response to that. I like creating content that includes those of us that are usually poorly or under-represented, whether it be because we are LGBT, POC, neurodivergent, or all three. Most of all, I want this series to show that, despite the hardships we face, a happy ending is never more than we deserve. 

Book #1 is available now!

Cover art by @birabu

(TW: This book contains creepy fathers, mentions of sexual assault/harassment, and portrayals of PTSD and anxiety.) 

[maxinejacksonn]

My first book! Two of the three main characters are black, and the one seen on my cover is queer. My second book will be coming out before Christmas and features a black lesbian who works with mentally ill and trauma patients. You can find my info here!

#blackout  #blackoutday

Also pictured: the best friend and boyfriend who helped immensely with the making of this book. <3

[maxinejacksonn]

So I wrote a book

I’m finally ready to present my brainchild for the past few months, What We May Be. This is my first published novel!

My main goal was to write the type of book that I wanted to read. That is, a book that features a diverse cast, different sexual orientations and gender identities, and that treats mental illness with respect and offers realistic solutions. The three main characters, Alyssa, Aaron, and Natasha, go through what any young adults would be going through at their age; the only complication is that they killed someone. But, well. That’s a long story.

Read the free sample here!

You can buy it on Amazon Kindle. A paperback copy will be available soon as well!

(tw: this book contains graphic descriptions of blood, child abuse, self-harm, and very vague mentions of sexual assault.)

[maxinejacksonn]

The paperback copy is available now!! 

In celebration, there’s a sale on the ebook. Get it before Wednesday (11/23) and you only have to pay 99 cents. From Wednesday to Saturday (11/26), the list price will be 1.99. The sale is only this week, so now is a really good time to buy this book (please)! 

[maxinejacksonn]

So I wrote a book

I’m finally ready to present my brainchild for the past few months, What We May Be. This is my first published novel!

My main goal was to write the type of book that I wanted to read. That is, a book that features a diverse cast, different sexual orientations and gender identities, and that treats mental illness with respect and offers realistic solutions. The three main characters, Alyssa, Aaron, and Natasha, go through what any young adults would be going through at their age; the only complication is that they killed someone. But, well. That’s a long story.

You can buy it on Amazon Kindle. A paperback copy will be available soon as well!

(tw: this book contains graphic descriptions of blood, child abuse, self-harm, and very vague mentions of sexual assault.)