Heart of the Game Cover Reveal

I am couching today’s cover reveal in a bit of political terms because I have been deeply saddened by the news from Paris, and Pakistan, and Nigeria lately. A wave of extremism seems to be on the rise in our world. This is not unsurprising to me. Backlash always accompanies great surges in progress. No one likes to find out they are being left behind, and thankfully outright bigotry has suffered huge blows in the past months. We see it on our own shores in the recent advances in gay marriage, (congrats to all of you in Florida) and in the raised levels of awareness around racism at every branch of our justice system. We see it worldwide too. Women and girls are more educated than ever before, and their right to express themselves safely is being tested in counties that have long denied them even basic human rights. New ideas are gaining ground and old grievances are finally being heard. At times like this our most powerful tool is our voice and the right to use it freely.

Do I believe there are no limits to the right to self expression? No. Do I believe that free speech is synonymous with speech without consequences? No. Do I believe in every human being’s right to express themselves without fear of violence? Absolutely. There is no greater weapon in the fight against terrorists and tyrants alike than free speech. It is the first right we are guaranteed as American citizens. People of every race and religion have fought and died for that right and that fight goes on in every part of the globe today and honestly I think continued fighting is part of the purpose of these attacks. Not only do the people who perpetrate them intend to silence individuals they want to turn entire groups of people against each other. They want to make enemies out of every one. If you are afraid of your neighbors you are less likely to share ideas with them. If you view the world with suspicion you are less likely to see the good in it. If you carry anger and resentment with you everywhere there is no room for love, and if you expend all your energy on defenses you have nothing left to devote to progress.

I will not be part of this cycle. Not only do I refuse to be silenced I also refuse to live in fear of being silenced. I very much see the work I do as part of this ongoing fight for free speech. I live every day aware of the fact that there are people who violently oppose my right to write about the things I do. I have heard from some of these people over the years both in writing and in person. On social media and in social situations alike. I’ve been screamed at on college campuses and the National Mall. I’ve seen hate and anger and venom wrapped in the thin veil of religious piety. I’ve been told Jesus hates me, and that God will rejoice to see me in Hell. I’ve even been told I should be in hell right now and that such a visit could be arranged. I have been frightened. I have been hurt. I have been angered and saddened by other people’s attacks on my right to tell my stories, and yet I will continue to tell them.

You see the only reasonable response to an attack on free speech is more free speech. I once heard Lee Lynch say that we’ve written so many books now they cannot possibly burn them all. I intend to keep adding to that total. That is my answer to everyone who has ever told me I didn’t deserve to say the things I am called to say. That is my answer to the fear, and the anger and the violence. I will not fight fire with fire. I will not turn against my neighbors. I will not give into the forces that try to tear us apart. I will not turn to hate and I will never resort to violence. I refuse to allow those flames to consume me. I will smother them with my own stories. I will drown them out with my own voice. I will throw another book on the pile my sisters and brothers are building, and say, “There’s another one, and another, and another. If you burn them I will write more. And there are more like me. Many more who will dedicate their lives to undercutting your tales of hate with stories of love overcoming them. You cannot frighten us all into submission. You cannot silence us all. You cannot kill us all. We will not go quietly.”

So, without further ado, I am thrilled to share with you the cover of my latest project, Heart of the Game.

It is the story of a sports writer who falls for a single mom. It’s a love story. A romance between two women. Two lesbians. Two people who strive to overcome whatever forces in the world threaten to keep them apart. It is the kind of story a lot of people don’t want told, but it is more than that. It is my latest contribution to the larger body of work, to the larger chorus of voices who proclaim, we will not be silenced.