If you have submitted a story already, please be patient.  In the meantime, you can help spread the word about My Story Is Out in your school or community. (If you need a flyer to hand out, contact me directly and I will send you one.) The more LGBT youth we can reach, the better this anthology will be. As of today, the story submission deadline will remain open until further notice. Thank you to everyone who has submitted a story thus far. We appreciate your courage and willingness to help make this book a reality!

Over privileged and overconfident, Queenie McBride thinks she has this whole college thing figured out. But as soon as classes begin at Boston University, she realizes that things aren’t going to be as easy as they were in high school. Luckily, her best friend JJ is there to help keep her in line. But when she meets Pudge, a homeless LGBT teen, Queenie’s entire world is forever changed. With the help of Izzy, a strong-headed and beautiful social worker, Queenie somehow learns how to be there for Pudge, leave her old habits behind and become the person she’s always wanted to be.

It’s fitting that this is the May issue because it’s my birthday and I’m all over the magazine. In addition to Jackie Warner, I also have an article about Martina Navratilova and another article about Motocross legend Stefy Bau. So be sure to pick up a copy of the magazine and drop by to leave me a comment or two.

In my humble opinion, it’s the best issue ever.

The Education of Queenie McBride will be out this summer. We are working on a cover at the moment. I am so excited about this book! As a writer, I strive to be better with each book I write. I believe that this sequel is full of juicy twist and turns and rich character development. The plot is unexpected, especially because of what we know about Queenie from the first book. So make sure that you read The Trouble with Emily Dickinson so that you can sink your teeth into the sequel when it comes out. If you have already read it, why not read it again? It’s a great book!

Skylar Diggins is the most beautiful women’s basketball player I have ever seen. She’s also the most feminine. In almost every article that you read about her, her beauty is always mentioned along with her feminine traits. It must drive her crazy. After all, she’s a baller and that’s all that she wants to be recognized for. When she’s on the court, she wants you to notice her tenacity on defense, her ability to take over a game and her leadership. She doesn’t care whether or not you notice that her fingernails are painted.

Brittney Griner is the most athletically gifted women’s basketball player that I have ever seen. She’s also the most masculine. In almost every article that you read about her, her wingspan and physical build is always mentioned along with her masculine traits. It must drive her crazy. After all, she’s a baller and that’s all she wants to be recognized for. When she’s on the court, she wants you to notice her tenacity on defense, the way she block shots and her uncanny dunking ability.  She doesn’t care whether or not you notice that she’s 6’8″ and wears men’s basketball shoes.

Both of these players can strike a chord with any women’s basketball fan. Diggins is criticized for being too feminine. Griner is criticized for being too masculine. Never mind the fact that they are both incredibly talented. It’s shame that fans of the game can’t just appreciate their skill and the way that they both have elevated women’s basketball. I wrote about Griner back when she was just a freshman. Having never seen a player like her before, with her skill set and build, people began speculating about her gender and her sexuality instead of just focusing on her basketball abilities. Unfortunately, that hasn’t changed.

Being misjudged for the way you look is something that happens all the time . . . even on the basketball court. Diggins would often use it to her advantage when she played against guys. They would see her and think she was just a cute girl who wanted to try to play basketball. Then she would school them and leave them standing there nursing bruised egos.

The bottom line is that there’s no specific mold for how a women’s basketball player should look.  From the most masculine to the most feminine, women’s basketball players come in all different molds. The game is better off for it. It’s more diverse, more fluid. You’ll see tonight, as these two polar opposites collide. And you’ll easily forget about all the other nonsense and focus on basketball.

1. It’s a page-turner that will keep you guessing until the end.

2. It’s full of memorable characters that you’ll wonder about even after you finish the book—which is why I wrote a sequel. (The sequel will be available this summer.)

3. It’s a positive LGBT young adult novel without the overdone “coming out” story, and it helps break down stereotypes.

4. It won a literary award in 2009.

5. It’s full of quotes and tidbits about Emily Dickinson, as well as other notable women writers throughout history, which makes it educational as well as entertaining.

OK … maybe I’ve got six reasons why you should read this book.

6. It’s a REALLY good book. If I didn’t write it, I’d still want to read it.

Check it out: http://www.lyndseydarcangelo.com/2011/the-trouble-with-emily-dickenson/

I remember the first time I got into watching the Tournament. My family and I were on spring break and vacationing in Myrtle Beach with a bunch of other families. I was 12 or 13 at the time. I had just come in from swimming in the ocean, hungry for dinner, and the “dad’s” had the television on in the common area. They were yelling and hollering at it. So I watched to see what all the fuss was about. Back then, I was just getting into basketball so I didn’t know too much about the college level. But all it took was that one game and I was hooked.

The game happened to feature the Duke Blue Devils. So they naturally became my favorite team. It’s funny how things work out that way. I’ve been watching the NCAA Tournament ever since. But my devotion to watching it grew gradually, as my love for the game grew. Today, I look forward to March and I always turn into a giddy kid again when the Tournament rolls around.

In the big scheme of the world, the NCAA Tournament is not that important. But it’s something that fills me with joy and excitement. It makes me smile, no matter who wins or loses. It’s just thrilling to watch and take in. Before I went to college, I wondered if I would ever play in it. Now that I am 33 years old, I know the answer to that question. Watching it makes me feel like I’m a part of it anyway. There’s an energy to the whole Tournament that can turn basically anyone into a basketball fan—I think that’s the appeal.

I’m excited for the Tournament this year. And after the past few months, I feel more blessed than ever to be able to watch and enjoy it.

If you had asked me seven years ago if I would be interviewing high-profile athletes and personalities for a national magazine, I probably would have not believed it. But the thing I’ve always remained open with is my writing. I took chances and tried things, I put myself out there. Sometimes it didn’t work out but other times it did. When you take the expectation out of something, that’s when the big things tend to happen.

I think the Martina story might be a cover story, which would be my first. I never put any pressure on myself to get a cover story. I guess, all along, I knew that my writing career would go along at its own pace and reach milestones at just the right time. Now, if only I could apply that same philosophy to my life!

If you’re a writer and you are just starting out or you’ve been writing for a while, I hope this post provides you with comfort and inspiration. Just let things happen as they are supposed to happen, put yourself out there and watch joyfully as things come together in ways you never expected.

I don’t always sit back and wait for the publisher to send me ideas. I still come up with some now and again. That’s how the article with WNBA All-Star Janel McCarville came up. Ever since I started writing for this magazine, I wanted to interview a WNBA player who was out and not afraid to talk about it. But no one was willing to come forward. In fact, the previous editor said it was nearly impossible to get someone from the WNBA to open up. But I felt that it just had to be the right player.

Enter Janel. I had a hunch that she was gay — it’s just an energy I felt. Some people call it “gaydar.” I always liked Janel as a basketball player. She was a hard worker on the court and it showed when she won the WNBA’s Most Improved Player in 2007. Last summer, she was suspended from the New York Liberty and the press painted her as a rebel. I knew there was more to the story. So, when the publisher told me that she wanted me to be Curve’s unofficial “sports editor” I saw an opportunity. I told her I wanted to interview Janel and ask her about being out and the suspension. She told me to go for it (though I think she was skeptical I could pull it off). So I went for it. Something told me that Janel wanted to talk about things. And you know what? I was right. We messaged back and forth on Facebook throughout the process, and she asked for a copy of the article once it was published. I’m happy to say that she thought it was “awesome.”

You can read the article below:

Janel’s Article