My next release, Upside Down, is the story of two asexual men who are trying to navigate their way through life in a very sexualised world. Everywhere we look, on TV, in books, movies, music videos, YouTube, Instagram (the list is endless) sex is front and centre. We’re told sex sells. And it does.
But not for everyone.
The over-sexualised world we live in has been normalised to the point where asexuality is considered ‘abnormal’. I’m here to tell you that asexuality is not abnormal. It’s just not common.
It’s estimated that Asexuality accounts for approximately 1% of the general population, which isn’t a lot in the scheme of things. But those 1% of people are still important, are still valid, and still need to be respected.
This story hit home for me. It’s something I’ve been struggling with, and trying to get my head around. And here’s my truth: I am somewhere on the asexual spectrum. I lean more toward the grey (like my hair LOL) and I realised there’s more me in Jordan (a main character in Upside Down) than I probably realised before I started writing.
I didn’t know how much I needed to write this book.
Will everyone love it? Probably not. There is NO sex in this book. And I know some readers won’t even consider reading it because of that fact. And that’s fine. It’s totally their call.
All I ask is that readers remain respectful. If reviews start to come in saying “OMG there is no sex in this story!!” then they’ve missed the point of the story, they’ve missed the message, and to me, that means I’ve failed as a writer.
Only time will tell.
So there it is. I said it. This book is my story. Much like Henry in the Weight of It All was my weight story, Jordan is my asexuality story.
This book is not a gospel, or a guide, or a list to tick off. Everyone’s story is different. I just hope to give some other asexuals a voice, and some characters to identify with.
Upside Down will be out later this month. There will be no preorders, and it will be in KU for the first three months. If you’d like to keep updated, follow me on Amazon, and you’ll be notified when each new book is released!
Blurb:
Jordan O’Neill isn’t a fan of labels, considering he has a few. Gay, geek, a librarian, socially awkward, a nervous rambler, an introvert, an outsider. The last thing he needs is one more. But when he realises adding the label asexual might explain a lot, it turns his world upside down.
Hennessy Lang moved to Surry Hills after splitting with his boyfriend. His being asexual had seen the end of a lot of his romances, but he’s determined to stay true to himself. Leaving his North Shore support group behind, he starts his own in Surry Hills, where he meets first-time-attendee Jordan.
A little bewildered and scared but completely adorable, Hennessy is struck by this guy who’s trying to find where he belongs. Maybe Hennessy can convince Jordan that his world hasn’t been turned upside down at all, but maybe it’s now—for the first time in his life—the right way up.
For more about N.R. Walker you can find her at:
Email:
nrwalker@nrwalker.net
I’m looking forward to reading this.
I read your guest post just minutes after mailing my own ace-related one to Dani and the Love Bytes team. Much appreciated – your feisty comment regarding Upside Down’s flame count.
M/M but not typically so. Ace is an interesting niche to inhabit.
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