I’m thrilled and extremely humbled to announce that Caught Inside has been named as the winner of a 2017 Rainbow Award, both for Best Gay YA Novel and in the Best Gay Debut category. It’s an honour to join the ranks of so many talented authors, and to have been a part of such a wonderful showcase for LGBT+ literature. I was particularly touched by some of the comments from the judges and wanted to share them with you.
- It’s hard for me to believe that this is a debut novel. The writing is lush and expressive. The setting conveys both place and mood so vividly and deftly. The characters are believable, fully realised, and, with one exception, very sympathetic. What impressed me most, though, was the author’s ability to capture the conflicts, fast-changing emotions, and interpersonal dynamics of a group of teenagers. A wholly believable coming-of-age story. I couldn’t put it down.
- Loved the writing and the strong sense of place and time it creates. The characters are vividly drawn.
- A well written, entertaining and absorbing story that was difficult to put down. An excellent addition to the genre of YA gay romance. I would recommend it to teenagers and adults of any age.
- First book for me by this author but it will not be the last.
I’d like to say a heartfelt thank you to Deb at Beaten Track Publishing for believing in my story, to Natasha Snow for the beautiful cover, and of course to all of you who have read the book and encouraged me with your kind words. Thank you, also, to Eliza for doing such a magnificent job of organising and coordinating the Rainbow Awards, and to those of you who gave up your valuable time to judge.
Finally, huge congratulations go out to all the winners, runners-up, finalists and honourable mentions. You’re awesome, every single one of you, and I’m proud to be a member of this incredible community.
