Q: How did your love of team sports, culture, and dynamics inspire and influence your writing?
At the heart of any team sport is one underlying theme: family. I believe we have two families in life—the one you’re given and the one you create. That’s the culture you witness while watching team sports. It’s very inspiring. In the soccer world, there are so many moving parts—so many cogs in this fantastic machine, and every piece is important. But what I also love are those moments of players laughing and teasing each other and bonding. They’re the first ones to stand in defense for one of their own. I wanted those dynamics reflected in Running with Lions. Every character is an important piece of the machine. At the end of the day, this sport created a second family for them.
Q: Was diverse representation something you set out to achieve?
Yes and no. We live in a time when it’s rare to go through everyday life without interacting with people from diverse backgrounds. It’s one of the most beautiful aspects of life: building those connections with people unlike ourselves. A lot of the characters, their backgrounds, were organic for me. I didn’t set out to feature characters from different races, religious beliefs, or social backgrounds in order for my book to reach a diversity benchmark. It’d be unrealistic for me to write a story that didn’t feature characters who weren’t from different backgrounds when, for most of my life, my friends and coworkers and classmates have all been from diverse backgrounds.
It’s time we normalize diversity in books, films, and TV. It needs to be the standard rather than the unique occasion.
Q: What drew you to writing a Young Adult novel? Are there particular themes of YA that you felt were important for Running with Lions?
I want to write books that inspire or comfort young adults because I didn’t have those things growing up. A lot of who I became as an adult were manifested in those years. I didn’t always have places to look for encouragement or understanding. It’s an opportunity to use my voice and reach queer teens, to tell them I understand, to let them know life’s not perfect but it truly does get to a better place.
One theme that was very important to me was Sebastian’s indecision about his future. It’s a topic I wish was explored more in YA. Not every teen walks into the first day of high school with their future planned out. Some aren’t even sure what they’ll do the day of graduation. Those young adults need to know it’s okay. They need to see their fears or concerns or indecision represented on the page. The speech Lily, Sebastian’s mom, gives at the end of the novel was my way of telling those teens that life will happen when you’re ready for it to happen. Until then, carry on the best way you can.
Q: What books did you love when you were growing up?
I’m old school. I loved The Outsiders. The family aspect of that novel really resonates. Another favorite was The Catcher in the Rye. Unfortunately, there weren’t many LGBTQ+ novels accessible to me, but I’m thrilled there are so many choices now.
Q: What books have you read lately that you wish were available when you were a teenager?
As a certified comic book geek, I wish C.B. Lee’s Not Your Sidekick was around when I was a teen—not just the superhero aspects, but the storytelling, the setting, and the diverse characters. It’s nice to see myself in so many aspects of that book. Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz is a book that would’ve helped me come to terms with my emotions and my sexuality in a much healthier way. I would’ve also loved books like Noah Can’t Even by Simon James Green, Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli, Whatever by S.J. Goslee, and The Rules and Regulations for Mediating Myths & Magic by F.T. Lukens because they’re fun books with clumsy, comical, and earnestly confused main characters, which perfectly describes me as a teen!