#fab feedback

[asynca]

I always find it interesting how Min ended up in a situation not to far off from what her mother wanted for her. She’s got someone who loves her, wants to marry her, have kids, and take care of her. Bree even cooks for her which is something Min’s mom is always complaining about- having homemade dinner instead out takeout and wine every night. Only real difference is Bree isn’t Korean, rich, or a man. It’s too bad she can’t see past those small things about Bree & see its almost what she dreamed

I’m sure Min’s mum wouldn’t consider those ‘small’ issues XD 

There’s actually an incredible lot of subtext (in the general meaning of that word) in Min’s mum’s backstory which I very gently hinted at in Flesh & Blood but decided not to delve too far into because the story was already complex enough. But the crumbs may be there for people to figure out what really went on with Min’s family. Min knows and believes what her mother told her. We, as readers, get told what Min knows and believes. 

What actually happened isn’t strictly relevant to Min’s story at this point (although I’m sure Min herself would have a very different opinion of things if she knew the truth), and I didn’t want the story to branch off too much in the Family Reconciliation direction because I already had goals for it. 

But yeah. If you read Flesh & Blood, pay attention to the things in Min’s past that seem too stereotypical & too convenient. They might not be true. 

[asynca]

AH THE CHAPTERS OUT AND I STILL NEED TO FINISH FAB. God Min, the tuition! The ring! No don't do it! Holy shit Anxiety The Series strikes again, I need a break aaahhhh. It's so hard to watch him make these decisions, Asy. ;-; But I know you promise resolution, so I'll persevere.... Must reach Bone to Pick....

‘Anxiety: The Series’ is such an apt name for the UMS-verse XD

[asynca]

1/2 So, I read a lot of wlw books, and something that frequently disappoints me is that the male characters are usually one-dimensional or just nonexistent. I wanted to thank you for writing good male secondary characters in your Under My Skin trilogy. I adore Henry. Even though we are well aware of how unhappy and uncomfortable Min is in their relationship, he is still a good guy and it's nice to see his side of the story. He also continues being a good guy after the breakup...

2/2 He continues to help Min and be her friend, and he later helps Bree and Gemma. I also love Sarah's boyfriend (gotta look up his name again as soon as my Kindle charges). Even though I was rooting for Gemma and Sarah to get together for the first part of Solve for I, we can see that Sarah and her boyfriend have a genuinely loving relationship. He's good to Min too, even though as a blue collar, rural guy he's had no previous experience with gender issues. Sorry gushing! Thanks for writing!

‘Rob’ is the name of Sarah’s boyfriend :3

Thank you so much for saying this! I, too, hate that many of the men in lesbian novels (or queer novels for women in general) tend to be villains or 2D. In the UMS-verse, I wanted to present the men as as varied and complex as everyone else. It would have been SUPER easy for Min to leave Henry if he was bad, too - but he’s not. And that’s how life is, isn’t it? Sometimes we have to let down really nice people because it’s the right thing for us to do for ourselves. And it’s hard. 

Also, I really reject the idea that wlw relationships are somehow superior (again, something I see in lesbian communities). As much as I understand it’s a subversion of ‘lesbian relationships aren’t real’ and a reaction to the invalidation of wlw relationships, it also means bisexual women get shit on a lot for what’s seen as ‘settling’ for a man. Like. No. 

So yeah. I wanted to present a variety of healthy and unhealthy relationships in the UMS-verse, and I wanted to have some really solid, really likeable male characters. 

I’m so glad you liked them! I love Henry and Rob. They both have such warm hearts <3

[asynca]

@Asynca Hey Asy, no question, just wanted to say that I loved Under My Skin and Flesh and Blood, it's really made me think about stuff that I knew existed but had never really thought much about, and your fantastic writing and story is a huge part of that. I imagine you must get some amount of hate (because people suck), and that thought just made me want to chip in that this random mid 20s straight dude from Scotland loved your work and had it really get to them!

:D!!

It’s really exciting when people who aren’t in the books’ demographic enjoy them anyway! I’m glad they got you thinking about things - and I hope when you come across this stuff in real life you’ll have a better understanding and be more compassionate than you otherwise would have been! :D

Thanks for the lovely note! :D

[asynca]

OMG, why is Flesh and Blood so stressful???? Like, I started it a couple of months ago but I was also still in school then. And like, I couldn't handle all the stress of both school and all the shit going down in Min's life. But I still kept reading cause it's just so good. Any way, I finished it and I loved it. (Why do you make me feel empathy and stuff???)

HAHAHA! Yeah, on reflection I think I should have pulled the reins on the tension in Flesh & Blood. On the other hand, people who have parents like Min’s have thanked me for the accurate portrayal of what it’s like to have a parent like Min’s mother - what it’s like to always be on edge, to not have a safety net, to know your parents are always looking for another opportunity to control you - and how every kid with a parent like that is terrified they’ll turn out like their parents themselves. 

So IDK! Apologies for the tension, but welcome to how and why Min developed her anxiety disorder ;)

I’m glad you enjoyed it! Onward to Solve for i, if you haven’t read it! :)

[asynca]

Hi. I just wanted to let you know how important Under my Skin and Flesh and Blood are to me. You have no idea how much it means to me to see a character like Min. I recently started transitioning, and those books were a huge part in my journey of learning to accept myself as I am. I actually brought a copy to my therapist and read several passages out loud. "This is what I'm feeling." I told her. It helped give me the words to discribe what I was feeling. Min is so important to me.

First of all, congratulations on taking such a big step forward, you must be so excited and terrified! Good luck with your transition, I hope everything is super smooth! :D

It’s so wonderful for me to read your message, honestly! I set out to represent trans folks, and I love knowing that I was able to write a character who so closely represents how you feel that they give you the words to describe it yourself. Honestly, being able to do this for someone is the reason why I write these sort of books <3333

So thanks for this lovely message! :D

[asynca]

It's entirely possible that I'm being triggered(this is new) by this debt stuff. Unsure. BUT I NEED TO FINISH IT THIS IS VERY DIFFICULT.

LIKE JESUS THIS DEBT STUFF I KEEP PANICKING. ;n;

I like people to feel what the characters are feeling!

Take a break while reading if you need to, and don’t worry, happy endings r us :)

[asynca]

Jesus I'm at chapter 19 of Flesh and Blood.

>:3 good luck!