Today I am so pleased to host the kickoff event for Queer Romance Month here at Joyfully Jay. Alexis Hall and KJ Charles are here to talk to us a bit about QRM and help get the party started.  They have also brought a great giveaway. So please help me give them a big welcome and join us in kicking off this event!
Welcome to the the Launch Party for Queer Romance Month, and a big thank you to Jay for hosting us on our blog. Let’s try not spill any wine on her carpet.
QRM will be running throughout October, showcasing book recommendations, posts, articles, essays, and flash fiction from the queer-identified, the queer-writing and the queer-supporting.
We hope you will join us.
And in case you need any further motivation, we present you with 12 Reasons Why QRM is Better Than Cats.
12 Reasons Queer Romance Month Is Better Than Cats
1) QRM brings you three to four blog posts a day, introducing you to queer romance authors all over the world. Cats bring you dead mice. Or live mice. That’s even worse.
2) QRM welcomes all kinds of romance: het, queer, gay, lesbian, bi, trans, and anything else. Cats welcome nothing but your craven submission to their will.
3) QRM intends to hook you on queer romance by bringing you terrific writers with wonderful stories, characters to die for and the chance of a happy ever after for everyone. You know how cats get you hooked? Brain parasites. Cats carry mind-controlling parasites to make you want them around. QRM doesn’t do that. Because, unlike cats, we have ethics.
4) QRM supports authors writing queer romance. We want more queer romance to be written.
Whereas, look at KJ Charles’ cat:
Or Jo Myles’ cat:
 Or Rhys Ford’s cat
 Or Julio Alexi Genao’s cat
Do these cats look like they’re supporting the writing of queer romance? No, they do not.
5) QRM also likes to be stroked, petted and soothed, but we promise not to scratch if you stop.
6) QRM believes in equality. Everyone’s love is equal, everyone’s love should be treated with respect. Cats, on the other hand…
Enough said.
7) QRM will let you know when a new post is up by a discreet announcement on Twitter or by popping up your RSS feed. Cats get your attention by shoving their arses in your face or sinking their claws into your leg.
8) If you want to join the conversation, you can Tweet to @QueerRomance or comment on the site. Cats are too self-absorbed to use social media.
9) QRM will be offering giveaways throughout the month, starting with the one at the bottom of this post. When was the last time a cat did anything for you?
10) QRM is supported by bloggers throughout the romance community, so look out for our badge and the occasional extra post on your favourite review blogs. Cats are notoriously bad guest bloggers. Nor they do have a badge.
11) QRM merchandise is available here. Any profits generated by QRM go to support Stonewall in the UK or PFLAG in the US. Although cats generate a great deal of merchandising, they spend all of the profits on string and catnip.
12) QRM will never lick its genitalia in public. We rest our case.
Queer Romance Month will be running throughout October. We hope you will join us.
Giveaway
To celebrate to the launch of Queer Romance Month, we are excited to be able to offer a giveaway! Enter the Rafflecopter below for the opportunity to win books from Blind Eye Books, or gift certificates from Riptide Publishing, Dreamspinner Press, Torquere Press or Prizm Books. Â And a huge thank you to all these publishers for supporting queer romance, and Queer Romance Month.
Rafflecopter giveaway
- By entering the giveaway, you’re confirming that you are at least 18 years old.
- Winners will be selected by random number. No purchase necessary to win.  The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning.
- If you win, you must respond to my email within 48 hours or another winner may be chosen. Please make sure that your spam filter allows email from Joyfully Jay.
- Winners may be announced on the blog following the contest. By entering the contest you are agreeing to allow your name to be posted and promoted as the contest winner by Joyfully Jay.
- Prizes will be distributed following the giveaway either by Joyfully Jay or the person/organization donating the prize.
- By entering you are agreeing to hold Joyfully Jay harmless if the prize or giveaway in some way negatively impacts the winner.
- Readers may only enter once for each contest. Â Duplicate entries for the same giveaway will be ignored. In the event of technical problems with the blog during the contest, every effort will be made to extend the contest deadline to allow for additional entries.
- Void where prohibited by law.
LOL Brilliant start off post!
LOL left me giggling somewhat 🙂 Lovely post, thank you!!
Great post it looks like it’s going to be a great month.
ShirleyAnn(at)speakman40(dot)freeserve(dot)co(dot)uk
Hee! As the slave of 2 cats, I totally agree! 🙂
i thought my cat was pretty badass, but rhys ford’s looks like it would have mine for a snack
There was a second one in which its face was sort of pressed into an angry triangle. It looked positively Lovecraftian.
*soothes sumo more for my own terror than for hers*
You know I love your darn cat as if she’s my own right? Damn your Glitterland review! If she goes missing one day… it wasn’t me 😉
haha. i will be sure to pass on your regards!
any of your favorite QRM authors posts you’re looking forward to reading?
But where the hell is Alexis Hall’s Malice Cat, that’s what I wanna know!
We used to have a Hitler-mustache cat and my mom actually named him Adolph! One of those jokes you have to be Jewish to get away with.
Agree–Rhys Ford’s cat oozes feline malevolence.
KJ’s has a kind of spiky gothic look. I don’t entirely trust the way its squinting.
Bet QRM doesn’t throw up on the stairs either. Or not before breakfast, anyway.
Great post.
I’m going to take the fifth on that one. Ahem.
Excellent giggle and cat fest!
However, I’m afraid Twix does not approve…
Thanks for the really amusing post! Looking forward to more great posts this month.
Thanks for the great post! Looking forward to many more this month.
A great way to start the day!
Also, QRM has never once made me sneeze, and for that I am grateful.Â
A+ kickoff post, guys! I’m thrilled to be participating and can’t wait to read all the awesome posts this month.Â
OMG ME TOOOOOOOOÂ
I THINK I BROKE MY CAPSLOCK KEY WITH SKWEETYPING EXCITEDLY
This is a great kickoff. I am looking forward to all the posts. Thank you!
Great post, thanks!!! *^_^*
Dogs Rule and Cats Drool!!!!
*cutty side-eye*
Man, I so can’t wait to read everyone’s post.
Thanks, Jay, for letting us party in your digs. 🙂
And yours, sir, was frickin’ amazing. I can’t wait for that baby to go live 🙂
Wow, thanks. It, errr, got away from me a bit. Glad you like it.
*cracks up* Our neighbor’s cat once invaded our home when we were having windows replaced, & then had to be removed by force. Several times. I assume QRM will not do that either. Though, major difference, as QRM is welcome in my house anytime & would never be asked to leave 🙂
I’m 100% behind this post. Mainly because I’m hoping it will keep me from getting killed by one of those cats. *scoots furtively out of the way*
I just bought a t-shirt! 😀
I …uh … bought the cufflinks for a joke. They are seriously appalling. I’m wearing them right now – these bright purple things clipping my desk whenever I try to move my wrists.
KITTIES. They don’t support any of the arts so at least they’re equal opportunity freeloaders.
they’re such assholes, right?
*delicately nuzzles asshole currently sitting on his keyboard—again*
Yes! It amazing how they can be assholes and you still love them anyway!
*sigh*
so true. so, so true…
Great post – although you should expect dead mice in the mail. (Cats have minions to do that sort of thing.)
I guess I’ve been in a tower somewhere because I didn’t even know Queer Romance Month was a thing. But I’m all for it (surprise, right.) Thanks for the laughs.
it’s not too late to contribute, kaje! there are still slots open, and we’re not turning anyone away—never mind a writer who’s written as passionately in the genre as you 🙂  drop us a line at queerromance.gmail.comÂ
oh lovely, I’ll do that. Thanks for inviting me to the playground 🙂
Yes, exactly as Julio says – because it started off relatively smallish and grew from there, ibasically our marketing / recruitment was “tell everybody you know and then get them to tell everybody they know” … which has a certain scattergun effectiveness but occasionally misses :/
email sent (assuming julio mean @gmail) – I’m sure there was lots of publicity. I’ve just been heads down with the two releases this week.
Or maybe not since it bounced. Y’all can find me on GR or my email maybe? Or give me another link.
crappity! i gave you the wrong email address, kaje—and anyone else interested in contributing—
the correct address is queerromancemonth@gmail.com
(apologies)
Ah. Got it.
(@queerromance is our twitter handle, and i mixed the two up. apologies again)
My dogs have no use for this month because it does not, from what we can tell thus far and in spite of the cat pictures, poop delicious candy.
Well, your dogs would be very welcome to provide some delicious candy from their preferred orifice 🙂
Great start to an awesome month!
Liked the post. Have visited the site already today, looking forward to reading more interesting articles
Aww, there’s Dottie, managing to sit on both my keyboard AND my mouse. Is it any wonder she’s now banned from the room when I’m writing? Lottie is allowed in, though, as she has much better manners and just curls up in the corner and goes to sleep 🙂
Great post, thanks for sharing!Â
Love this post. 🙂  There is a 14 year old Siamese cat ruling my household.  Even the German Shepherd knows to bow down to him. 🙂
Great post! Love the pics of everyone’s cats!
Ok, great. I do love cats, but reason number twelve has undoubtedly gain me… Queer Romance Month Is Better Than Cats and I intend to follow your posts wherever they go… 😉
LOL! So true!Â
Even through the blatant pandering (with the use of those darlings of the internet, cats with personality to spare!), this has been a completely enjoyable launch party, made all the more by the presence of such wonderful guests in the comments. It’s true, the people make the party. I’ve been so looking forward to this month, so thanks to all who are part of making QRM great.
Ah, you spotted out blatant pandering. Guilty as charged. 🙂 (It worked, though!)
Or cats will bring you half-dead mice, that can still get away from you and bleed on everything. Or birds, that will then fly around your house and… bleed on everything. Great post! Yay for QRM!
Such beautiful and cute cats. Thanks for the fun post.
Great post.
I look forward to a fantasti month!
Enjoyed the post and loved the cats. Sadly, no longer have any cats; but, we have 4 cats that regular visit our garden and treat it as their own, especially the catmint which they roll in and eat and go to sleep in!
LOL, I think all cats use a lappy as pillow. Mine love to cuddle on it if I let them.
Hmm, but one thing that you may be forgetting is that cats, and other pet minions in general, is that they do not care what you look like, what your gender is, what your sexual preferences are….