The novels and the webcomics are my hobby. A rather serious hobby, but still done mostly for fun; and in hopes of helping to change the world a little.
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Here's enough of the back story to give you a general context for the characters, and some insight into why I wrote the novels. |
Jami and Lovelorn, by Jade Gordon. |
Fool is an emotional whirlwind packed into three
months during which Jami and Carys meet, find they are attracted to
each other, begin talking about things they've never talked to anyone
about, and realize they are falling in love. Jami has to figure out how
to talk to Carys about being intersexed, and Carys has to figure out how
to listen to Jami. There is much drama (literally, at times) and a happy
ending.
Carys is a senior in high school, where things are a little rocky for her. She has a supportive, much older sister, but her parents are a problem. She's a clown, and a theater geek and a Sherlock Holmes nut. When Carys walks down the sidewalk, the ass hats yell, "Hey, dyke! Where's your girlfriend?" She gives them the finger back. She has 'attitude' written all over her. Jami is shy, pretty, talented and geeky. She wishes she looked a little more unusual, to match the way she feels inside. She's an only child who always has been home-schooled; her parents are great. Jami is into computers and photography and maybe a little too much thinking. |
| The second novel begins about six months after Fool ends. Carys and Jami are settled into their lives. Carys has started a support group for LBGTIQQ young people. Jami is having some issues with her public identity. The death of a member of the support group leads to their being involved in some mysterious drama. Along the way they start a gender theater troupe called Wizzy Wig* (see footnote) with Tam, Crystal, Sandy and Emiko; become involved in some direct action (like in jail time); and oh, yes, there's the poly thing between Carys, Jami and Tam. It's an action-packed book that introduces the characters with which A Queer Turn of Events begins. |
From the cover art by Jade Gordon. |
Long ago, in the fabled cold war space race days, a deep stealth project was set up to investigate the possibility of using genetic engineering to produce a variant of homo sapiens that would be easier to place into orbit (smaller, sturdier) and better able to survive once there (no messy reproductive issues). Not surprisingly, the U.S. wasn't the only government that began such a program. Also not surprisingly, some of the personnel and research in many of the projects can be traced back to ethically questionable World War II research projects that took place all over the world.
The political and religious (there's a difference?) climate in the U.S. eventually led to the gengeneering program being canceled. However, some of the work continued in the private sector, with a shift in emphasis to more traditional eugenics goals, such as 'curing' homosexuality. As the cold war wound down, other research efforts around the globe also shifted from governmental to private hands, often in support of the highly profitable, large and influential sex industry.
As work continued, a few of the scientists involved began to realize something, and secretly began to talk amongst themselves. Buried in the chaotic mess of human genetic material were patterns that looked like they might be part of a life form that we would not call human. The genetic manipulation being done to other ends was reactivating some of these ancient sequences. Exactly what this meant was not known. (Those scientists who read comics were justifiably apprehensive. :)
Today, except for these few scientists who have been communicating in secret (or so they naively believe) most people involved in the gengeneering projects are unaware of what may be happening. Then Jami started poking around the 'net, met Lisa, found out about Alexis and Emiko, and turned Wizzy Wig into something a little more potent than a genderpunk performance troupe, if that can be imagined.
[This story eventually became a little too complicated and ponderous, with too many characters, to sustain as a web comic, so I ended it in Summer 2008. I intend to have a print version ready for sale in Summer 2009. It will be illustrated, but will not be a graphic novel.]
Fool is A Fool for Love, QC is A Queer Circle of Friends, and QT is A Queer Turn of Events, the current novel. The thumbnails are taken from various illustrations done for Queer Turn.
The characters with * after their names are the ones who are something more than human and have enhanced capabilities. More about that as the story unfolds.
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Alex * – Alex (Alexis) is Tam's youngest sister, who we met in QC. Alex calls Tam 'Jen-Tam' because Tam's legal name is Jennifer. Alex has a girlfriend and root access. She may be the most dangerous person on Earth. |  |
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Alyssa – Appears first in QC. Worked in the record store in the mall where Jami worked in the photo store. Now Wizzy Wig's manager and usually a voice of reason and caution to balance Jami, Lisa and Alex. |  |
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Carys – Carys and Jami are the two characters who have been in it from page one. At right is Carys as Lovelorn the Clown. She's currently rethinking just about everything . . . except her love for Jami. |  |
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Crystal – Appears first in QC; Sandy's kickass girlfriend. Founding member of Wizzy Wig. Musician. Born in Haiti. Having some issues with her parents and the Church. Crystal and Carys have had some deep talks. |  |
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Emiko * – Appears first in QC. Rachel's girlfriend. Founding member of Wizzy Wig, dancer, martial artist. Brilliant linguist with her own pidgin 'Emiko language'. Born in Sapporo, Hokkaido. Tends to be controlling. Blood type AB. |  |
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Jackie – Appears first in QC. She is Alex's girlfriend, but beyond that we know almost nothing about her at this point (though she does seem to have a temper). | |
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Jami * – Jami is the reason the series exists. Jami is a very complex person. Intersexed and queer and much, much more. Sometimes she dreams that she is an anime character. She is never bored, thank the gods. |  |
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Kay & James – James and Kay appear first in QC. James named Wizzy Wig. Kay became pregnant (and was kicked out of home) when she and James wanted to see what het sex is like. They're working on a relationship. |  |
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Lisa * – Appears first in QT. (Yes, she's trying to look like Lain Iwakura.) Trans. We don't know much else about Lisa yet, but suspect she may not be the most stable of people; she's had some pretty hard knocks. |  |
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Rachel – Appears first in Fool, while still closeted. Became Emiko's girlfriend in QT and joined Wizzy Wig, which resulted in being disowned and having to drop out of college. Also a dancer with martial arts interest. |  |
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Sandy – Appears first in QC. Crystal's girlfriend. Founding member of Wizzy Wig. Brilliant and shy, she pissed off her parents by choosing to be with Crystal instead of pursuing an Ivy League college career. |  |
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Tam – Appears first in QC, now in a triad with Carys and Jami. Founding member of Wizzy Wig. Tam has three sisters and a mom who are accepting; hir father left them when Tam was eight. Tam is a nickname. |  |
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Caitlin – Caitlin is Carys's older-by-five-years sister. She's totally accepting of Carys, stood up to their parents, and marched at Pride with Carys and Jami in Fool. She's only upsets when Carys tries to keep secrets from her. | ||
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Mrs. C – Mrs. Carmichael (Mary) hasn't appeared much in the comic to date, but she's been a major figure in the novels as the landlady who rented to Carys and Jami and let the support group meet in her living room. |
Not coincidentally, those little drawings are the size of livejournal icons; that's why I made them. You may borrow, if you wish. Most of them are in my livejournal user pictures, too.
You can purchase the novels as printed books or PDF downloads on my Lulu.com store. More information is available on my LisaLees.com website.
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If you purchase one of my two novels, print or download, I receive a royalty (as does Jade Gordon, the artist who did the covers). A novelization of Queer Turn may be available in print in Summer 2009. It would be illustrated, but would not primarily be a graphic novel. Donations are always appreciated (I barely make enough from my day job to live on), as is constructive feedback! – Lisa |
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(* In case you're wondering, wizzywig.net has nothing at all to do with Wizzywig Collectibles at wizzywig.com; but it's a neat place!)
All content copyright © 2006-2008
Lisa Lees