Greetings and salutations and oh my goddess I bet you’re looking at this and going, “it’s been an entire hot minute since I thought about Steven Salvatore’s newsletter because this bitch fully forgot about it more than two years ago and why-slash-how am I even still subscribed?!”
I mean, hopefully you’re not thinking that last part, but honestly, if you are, I wouldn’t blame you. Since I created a newsletter back in February of 2021, right before the launch of my debut YA novel CAN’T TAKE THAT AWAY published, I’ve discovered that newsletters aren’t really for me.
They’re a lot of work. Like, a lot. I think I did 2-3 and was like “lol bye.”
BUT. SINCE 2021, a lot has happened. Here’s the short of it:
CAN’T TAKE THAT AWAY came out, did NOT get attention from queen Mariah Carey, but has come out in paperback!
My second YA novel, AND THEY LIVED…, published and became a critic darling, earning THREE starred reviews, which is a big deal and super cool and I’m honestly so honored because I love that book with my entire heart
I sold a third YA, NO PERFECT PLACES, which is the reason for the season! It’s out tomorrow, Tuesday, May 30th! But more on that later…
I sold a two-book adult romance deal with the biggest romance publisher in the world, Harlequin, and my first book, which is part of a brand new imprint, THE BOYFRIEND SUBSCRIPTION comes out in March 2024!
I have many other irons (books) in the fire that I can hopefully announce soon
I’m rebuking most social media because it honestly exhausts me
Some other personal stuff happened, but, like, that’s a downer and I’m here to celebrate
I started a business called Queerative Writers. If you’re LGBTQ+ and a writer, check it out. I offer writing courses and editorial services.
Tomorrow, Tuesday, May 30th, my third book baby NO PERFECT PLACES and the paperback of AND THEY LIVED… publishes everywhere books are sold! Here’s a bit about the book:
NO PERFECT PLACES is a moving YA novel about twins whose incarcerated father dies and leaves behind a life-changing secret, perfect for fans of I’LL GIVE YOU THE SUN and Euphoria.
When their father went to prison last year for embezzlement, twins Alex and Olly Brucke lost everything: their house, their college funds, most of their friends, and even their mother, who’s so focused on making ends meet that she’s never around anymore. The only thing they can count on lately is each other.
But after their father dies unexpectedly in prison, the twins start to fracture. Alex is spiraling, skipping classes to spend all of her time drunk or high. And Olly is struggling with a secret his dad ordered him to keep: they have a secret half-brother named Tyler.
When Tyler shows up in their lakeside town for the summer, hoping to get to know his siblings, Olly hides the truth from Alex. But as Alex and Tyler start to form a friendship, the lies become harder to juggle. If they can’t confront their father’s past and fix their relationship, Olly and Alex each risk losing two siblings forever.
No Perfect Places is a thought-provoking novel about grief, family secrets, and figuring out how to belong against the odds.
Also, can we love and admire the cover for a hot second?
Aaaaaaaaand I’m going on tour! All events are FREE, and if you’re in New York City, Saratoga Springs NY, Philadelphia, PA, Austin, TX, or Los Angeles, CA, come see me and my beautiful author friends!
Tuesday, May 30th, 2023
New York City at Recirculation: A Word Up Project
LAUNCH NIGHT EXCLUSIVE Conversation with NO PERFECT PLACES editor and JUST AS YOU ARE author Camille Kellogg
Location: 876 Riverside Dr, New York, NY 10032
Order NO PERFECT PLACES from Recirculation
Wednesday, May 31st, 2023
Saratoga, New York at Northshire Bookstore
Joint Book Launch Extravaganza with Nicolas DiDomizio, author of THE GAY BEST FRIEND (and my actual IRL gay bestie!!)
Location: 424 Broadway Saratoga Springs, NY 12866
Order NO PERFECT PLACES from Northshire
Thursday, June 1, 2023
Philadelphia, PA at A Novel Idea on Passyunk
A Hot Gay Summer conversation with Erik J. Brown, author of LOSE YOU TO FIND ME and ALL THAT'S LEFT IN THE WORLD
Location: 1726 E. Passyunk Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19148
Friday, June 2nd, 2023
Austin, Texas at the Austin Central Library, hosted by BookPeople with New York Times bestselling author Jason June and Kelis Rowe
Location: Austin Central Library, 710 W. Cesar Chavez St., Austin, TX 78701
Order NO PERFECT PLACES from BookPeople!
Monday, June 5, 2023
Los Angeles, CA, at Chevalier's Books
A Hot Gay Summer conversation with Abdi Nazemian, author of Stonewall Honor book LIKE A LOVE STORY and ONLY THIS BEAUTIFUL MOMENT
Location: 133 N. Larchmont Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90004
Saturday, June 10, 2023
I’ll be at the Bronx Book Festival
Wednesday, June 21-Thursday, June 22, 2023
I’ll be in Chicago, IL, for the YA Midwest Book Festival
That’s about it for me. If you’ve made it this far in this newsletter, BLESS YOU + please order my book—it would mean a lot to get a solid number of first week sales (it means a lot to publishers, so for the sake of my career and it’s future, I’d love you forever if you bought a copy this week!
Also, I would love to see you on tour, and I hope you all love NO PERFECT PLACES — it was a labor of love. It’s raw as hell, full of emotion and heart, and it’s my best writing to date. I’m extremely proud of this one, y’all.
Much love and pride,
SS