Wednesday, November 24, 2021

RAB Publishes Beatle Wives: The Women the Men We Loved Fell in Love With to Tie in with 'Get Back'

 After you’ve watched the new Peter Jackson documentary on the break-up of the Beatles, you might want to grab a copy of the just published Beatle Wives: The Women the Men We Loved Fell in Love by NY Times best-selling biographer Marc Shapiro.

They’ve had songs written about them. They’ve been the subject of legend and lore.

Yoko allegedly broke up The Beatles. Pattie dropped George for George’s best friend, Eric Clapton. Olivia beat an intruder senseless and bloody with a lamp stand. The stories are endless.

These women have lived, loved and fallen under the spell of four of the most famous musicians in the history of popular music. They are the wives of the Beatles, nine women who came from somewhere or nowhere and were thrust into the midst of Beatlemania and pop culture history in the most intimate and public way and lived to tell about it.

There have been literally hundreds of books about The Beatles. But Beatle Wives: The Women the Men We Loved Fell in Love With is the story of the women who married The Beatles told from their perspective during and after they said their I do’s. Their memories and insights are straightforward and pull no punches. Within these pages are the good times and the bad, the moments when their love and marriage went off the rails and the moments when these women had it all and lived happily ever after.

“Being a Beatle wife was difficult in the best of times,” relates author Shapiro. “The fans hated them. The media hounded them senseless. They were married to men who did not often treat them with kindness and respect. But they stuck it out, many until they could stand it no longer and many who toughed it out through thick and thin. There were happy endings. Sad endings. Endings that will shock, anger or bring a tear. These women have seen it all. This is their story.”

“I’ve been Beatle fan since I saw A Hard Days Night in my crowded local movie theater,” said Publisher Lori Perkins, “and I really thought I knew everything about the Beatles’ wives, but this book made me see them in a whole new light.  Riveting reading for every Beatles fan!”

Saturday, November 20, 2021

Call for Stories for Found Family Anthology

 

For many, the winter holidays are a time of family gatherings, significant others meeting parents, and reminiscing with aunts, uncles, and cousins about childhood memories. The winter holidays can be a reminder of harsh rejection and shame. And with many holiday movies, books, and shows centering around love and rejection, the feeling of loneliness can be exasperated for those still in the closet or coming to terms with their identity.

 

For this anthology, we want to change that narrative—to give the non traditional  communities –LGBTQ+, Goth, polyamorous, “bohemian,” --hope that although a present moment may feel dark and gloomy, there’s always a family to be found and a sense of home, and sometimes real joy, which is what the holidays are truly about.

 

We’re seeking short stories which take place during the winter holidays—doesn’t have to be Christmas—which feature youth and adults who have found a sense of home within friends, coworkers, a community organization or perhaps even within oneself.

 

We seek to have stories which capture a holiday spirit unique to the nontraditional experience, centering around finding peace with one’s own identity and/or finding a family (or space) to call your own.

 

If you have a story of capturing a moment of peace and a feeling of belonging, that’s perfect. Have a story where a holiday didn’t go as planned, but your character(s) friend’s turned it around and made it a moment to always remember? Send it in. Even a story centered around the complex relationship between a parent and their child struggling to understand each other will work. Stories dealing with intersecting identities and the way in which they interact are also welcomed.

 

The anthology will be published by Riverdale Avenue books in both epub and print December 2021 (print if time allows). All authors will receive print and digital copies, as well as a $10 advance upon publication.

 

Please send double-spaced word doc submissions of up to 5,000 words to  submissions@riverdaleavebooks.com with the word “Found Family Anthology” in the address line by December 10, if not before.

Call for Stories for Santa Con: An Anthology of Sexy Santas, Coy Misses Clauses and Naughty Elves

 

 

Santa Con is a unique experience to the Christmas holiday with interesting origins, where all sorts of people of all ages dress up as Santas, Misses Clauses, and elves, head to the bars to get obliterated and blast Christmas music from dusk ‘til dawn. Some put on the traditional outfits we’re used to: the classic Santa outfit, the cutsie Misses Clause outfits, and so many worker elves. But others put on a sexy twist—opened Santa jackets, short skirts and shorts, and slutty worker elves—and that’s where Riverdale Avenue Books is going this year.

 

For this anthology, we want to exist in the Christmas spirit that happens away from the public eye, behind doors when no one’s watching, and the clothes start to come off and the snow turns to steam. We’re looking for sexy, mischievous, romantic stories that give us a different kind of warm tingling inside. Whether it be a worker elf seducing their boss, Santa Claus or a Misses Claus taking charge for once, we welcome any stories that bring a smile to our face, and a little hope that we may feel that warm, Christmas spirit with someone else.

 

We seek stories that entertain, capture the happy spirit of Christmas and bring people as close together as possible. We welcome stories of all backgrounds, of all genders and sexualities. We know sometimes the décor of Christmas, and Santa Con, can be riddled by the gender binary, so we welcome stories that play with those identities; a butch misses Claus, a submissive or femme Santa Claus; nonbinary elves; drag queens and kings dressed as the Clauses. So long as someone is wrapped up in Christmas, we don’t care who’s in what!

 

The Anthology will be published by Riverdale Avenue Books in both epub and print December 2021. All authors receive print (if time allows) and digital copies, as well as a $10 advance upon publication.

 

Please send double-spaced word doc submissions of up to 5,00 words to submissions@riverdaleabebooks.com with the subject line “Santa Con Anthology” by December 10, or before.

 

Friday, November 19, 2021

Monster Whisperer: Second Class Just Pubbed

Riverdale Avenue Books has just published Monster Whisperer: Second Class by Nobilis Reed on its Circlet imprint. Monster Whisperer, the first second installment in the space alien erotic tentacle monster series. was originally published five years ago. 

Ensign Sandra Tevins of the Star Patrol has signed up to train for the job of harnessing their incredible power to bend space/time to their will. She is learning to handle them--and be handled by them, as monsters have a particular hunger for human sexual submission. Sandra is not new to dominance and submission, having a long-standing D/s relationship in her kinky poly family, but the demands of her training go beyond anything she has experienced before.

But all is not well in the Star Patrol. There is a conspiracy afoot to cause the tentacle monster program to fail, and if it does, war will engulf the galaxy.

After her classmates are eliminated one by one, Sandra is the only one who can prevent it. Assisted by a tentacle monster named Kernunnos and Paul Garnet, agent of the I.A.I.A, Sandra takes on this conspiracy with every tool at her disposal.

“Imagine Star Trek with tentacle sex!” said Publisher Lori Perkins.

"If you're the sort of person who thinks a tentacle monster having its way with you sounds... kinda fun, actually? Then you're going to love the adventures of Ensign Sandra Tevins. Tentacles, eyestalks, and ovipositors. This is sexy, pulpy fun,” sad Circlet Editor, Cecilia Tan.

Wednesday, October 27, 2021

Best-selling Author James Dashner Pubs First Horror Novel, The House of Tongues

 

James Dashner, New York Times best-selling Maze Runner series author publishes his first horror novel, The House of Tongues with Riverdale Avenue Books.

 

David Player has spent 30 years trying to forget the traumas of his childhood. The threats, the kidnappings, the murders. The imagined curses of a people born centuries earlier, passed from father to son, mother to daughter, generation to generation. Its climax came in human form, a monster of a man, one of the most notorious serial killers the nation has ever seen: Pee Wee Gaskins. And Gaskins had a particular hatred for the Player family, then for David, himself, who barely escaped those years with his own life intact. Now David is back, his four children in tow, visiting his parents’ home, a place he has learned to cherish despite the evils that haunted his younger days. But no sooner does he return than a stranger visits their doorstep, the son of Pee Wee Gaskins. In a terrifying display, right in front of the kids, the man utters threats until he chokes on his own tongue, sparking a series of events that drag David and his family back into the days of curses and murders, onto a path of unimaginable terror, all too familiar.

 

That path leads to an old gothic tower in the woods, a place David had blocked from his memory, a house of horrors both past and present. The House of Tongues.

 

“This is a book that has been developing in my mind for at least seven or eight years. When I was a kid, born and raised in Georgia, we’d visit my grandma’s farm in South Carolina several times a year. It was our go-to place, as we didn’t have a whole lot of money for fancy vacations,” said author James Dashner. “The farmhouse sat on land surrounded by fields of tall crops, endless woods, and swamps as dark as oil slicks. My imagination turned these places of wonder into spooky and haunted realms as I explored, often humming the music of ‘Pet Sematary’ in my mind.”

 

This tale is almost completely fiction, but there are lots of glimpses into my actual childhood and memories.”

 

“I could not put this book down, even in the middle of the pandemic,” said Publisher Lori Perkins. “It’s family horror southern gothic.  A Quiet Place meets Deliverance with a little Texas Chainsaw Massacre thrown in for good luck.”

Wednesday, October 13, 2021

Just Pubbed - The Binge Watcher's Guide to Supernatural -

A year after the final episode of the show Supernatural aired, the innovative publisher, Riverdale Avenue Books has published a new binge watchers’ guide about the acclaimed television series by Jessica Mason.

Dad’s on a hunting trip and he hasn’t been home in a few days. These simple words hook viewers into the story of Sam and Dean Winchester and the epic rocking ride that is Supernatural, the longest-running genre show in American television history. But with 15 seasons, 327 episodes, and more angels, demons, and resurrections than you can shake a first blade at, the series can be a little bit intimidating. That’s where we come in.

The Binge Watcher’s Guide to Supernatural is the complete source on all the themes, ideas, trivia and more in this legendary series. From dissecting the meta madness to swooning over shipping highs and lows, this book will give readers insight like nothing before into the complex and sometimes confusing world of Sam, Dean, Castiel, and their extended family.

"Little did I know that this show about two brothers and their angel would change my whole life,” said pop culture author Jessica Mason, who has watched the show from the very beginning 15 seasons ago. "I've put all that passion and nerdery into a gift back to the fandom and a love letter to the show. The Binge Watcher's Guide to Supernatural was written for avid fans and curious newcomers who want to enhance their watch of this legendary series. The book goes deep into characters and story, but also has fun with ships and trivia."

Think of this as John Winchester's journal, guiding you through trivia and tribulations to enrich watching this incredible show. Whether you’re a long-time super fan or a newbie, Jessica Mason’s expert insight into the show will make this road trip the best one yet. Get ready to ride along as we save people, hunt things, and raise more than a little hell.

Monday, October 11, 2021

Just Pubbed ELVIS FOREVER Looks at the Life of The King through the Eyes of His Peers

Is Elvis the most charismatic star ever? What else accounts for his continuing global appeal and media presence, his allure to music lovers of all ages and to fans whose pilgrimages to Graceland make it the most-visited private residence in the USA?

 

Presley's estate now earns more annually than when Elvis was alive. He died at 42, close to half a century ago, but new generations keep discovering him.

 

Elvis Forever, a new book from celebrity biographer Boze Hadleigh, offers possibly the most revealing and rounded close-up look yet at the King. The frank, often bold, sometimes shocking or surprising quotes from insiders and outsiders, peers, costars, friends, employees and famous fans took over two decades to collect and cover every phase of the life and legacy of the magnetic man from Memphis.

 

“Reading what amounts to a biography of Elvis through the words of his peers and contemporaries is perhaps the most interesting way to look at Elvis’ life,” said Publisher Lori Perkins. “I was so curious to see what Frank Sinatra and John Lennon and even Liberace thought of him but was also fascinated by all the dirt his former girlfriends shared in here. Absolutely riveting!”

Tuesday, September 28, 2021

What We're Looking for at RAB

I'm attending my first in-person writer's conference this November - The Liberty States Writers Conference in New Jersey on November 6th, 

https://www.libertystatesfictionwriters.com

They asked me to tell participants what I am looking to publish at Riverdale Avenue Books, and I quickly jotted down some thoughts. I surprised myself by having quite an extensive list, so I am including it here.

Feel free to share.

We are looking for people to write books in our Binge Watcher’s Guide series. If you love a TV show or movie series and feel you can fill a book with your insight, pitch me.

Anyone who is working on redefining the vampire mythos. I do NOT want Twilight/Anne Rice/True Blood vampires, but vampires for a new generation.
 

In romance, I want new alpha heroes — no billionaires, athletes or military guys. We want the new men of Ted Lasso.


In horror, women and children who kill. We want men to be afraid, very afraid. Revenge is a good motivator too.


Post #MeToo romance, romantic suspense.


Erotic Historicals, a la Bridgerton.


Romance set in nontraditional times and places.


Romantic science fiction, Star Trek as a soap opera, jumping from bed to bed.


LGBTQ+ fiction and nonfiction.


Women-centric memoir


Polyamory

Sunday, September 26, 2021

RAB Publisher on ESPN, So Yankees/Red Sox Books 50% OFF for Final Game

 

Riverdale Avenue Books Publisher and die-hard Yankees fan Lori Perkins is featured in a televised national ESPN ad this week as the Yankees face their final series with arch-enemies, the Boston Red Sox.

 

The ad, which is airing on the ESPN sports channel for the weekend features Ms. Perkins, as well as a host of other Yankee fans, talking about how the Yankees and the Red Sox have been rivals over the decades.  In the ad, Ms. Perkins says, “We don’t like the Red Sox,” as she wears a Yankee jacket and sports blue hair for the team.

 

Ms. Perkins is such a die-hard Yankee fan that when the producers of the commercial spot approached her, she arranged to be interviewed before her treatments for radiation and dyed her newly growing hair blue, as well as had her nails painted with Yankee insignias.

 

Ms. Perkins has been a Yankee fan since she was a teen-ager attending the Bronx High School of Science in the 70’s when she was part of a class of art students commissioned to make 15-foot puppets of famous Yankees.  She was on the team that made the Joe DiMaggio puppet, which she walked across the newly renovated stadium on Opening Day.  “I met Thurman Munson and Graig Nettles,” that year, and watched as the Yankees made their first of many World Series wins in the 70s.  “I became a fan that year and went to games after school,” she explained.

 

For the past decade, she has been part of a season ticket share with noted baseball writer and historian Cecilia Tan and they have always gone to Opening Day together, as it falls around their shared birthday in April.  For the past 2 years, they have been unable to go due to COVID and Ms. Perkins’ cancer.

 

Yankee management gave the names of long-time season tickets holders to the executives at Moonshot Productions, who made the commercial, and Ms. Perkins was chosen when they learned she painted her nails with the Yankees logo.

Now cancer-free, Ms. Perkins, is the editor of the Riverdale-based publisher, Riverdale Avenue Books, where she is offering all readers 50% off on their Yankees title, Bronx Bummers - An Unofficial History of the New York Yankees’ Bad Boys, Blunders and Brawls by NY Daily News sports writers Robert Dominguez and David Hinckley, as well as The 50 Greatest Red Sox Games by Cecilia Tan and Bill Nowlin.  To get these discounts go to riverdaleavebooks.com and enter the code Yankees2021.

Watch the ESPN ad here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UjWLJe0mEWA 

Tuesday, July 6, 2021

RIVERDALE AVENUE BOOKS' ANNUAL CHRISTMAS IN JULY SALE IS ON!

 

Award-winning hybrid publisher Riverdale Avenue Books celebrates summer with its annual Christmas in July sale featuring a month’s worth of FREE holiday-themed Book-of-the-Week titles on RomanceDailyNews.com and an entire month of half price title sales on the Riverdaleavebooks.com website using the promo code XMAS721. These titles will also be available at 50% off on Overdrive for sale to the nation’s libraries and as part of Smashwords’ annual July romance sale.. Four of their LGBTQ+ titles will be offered as FREE give-aways on Erie Gay News.

Said Riverdale Avenue Publisher Lori Perkins, “Everyone knows that Christmas is the most romantic holiday of the year, but most people are too busy shopping, taking care of family, baking and decorating to enjoy the sales.  RAB gives you a whole summer month to curl up with as many hot holiday hunks as you possibly can.”

Below is a list of titles in this promotion:

Hot for Xmas by Trinity Blacio

A Christmas Carl by Ryan Field

Forever Bound with Tinsel by Chloe Stowe

Christmas Magic by Cecilia Tan

The Naughty Angel and Her Three Very Wise Men by Trinity Blacio

Naughty Mommy and Santa’s Helpers by Trinity Blacio

The Naughty Stepbrothers by Trinity Blacio

A Christmas Tail: Book Four of the Masters of the Cats Series by Trinity Blacio

Holiday Smut edited by Lori Perkins

Whips & Chains & Candy Canes by F.L. Bicknell

Her Three Men by Trinity Blacio

Hot for Winter by Trinity Blacio

A Scarlet Christmas: A Femdom Christmas Carol by DL King

Bad Santa by Lise Horton

Her Stepbrother’s Christmas Gift: A Once upon a Stepbrothers Novella by Rachel Kenley

Home Alone for Christmas by Lori Perkins

Wrapped Around Your Handlebars by Ana Lee Kennedy

Frosty, Inc. by Trinity Blacio

Holiday Gay edited by Maitland McDonagh

Not Home for the Holidays by Isabelle Drake

Jingle Balls edited by Cecilia Tan and Arbela Fynn

Stocking Stuffers edited by Daniel Laurents

Thursday, July 1, 2021

Southern Urban Fantasy Funky Dan and the Pixie Dream Girl Just Pubbed

 

Riverdale Avenue Books publishes Funky Dan and the Pixie Dream Girl by Courtney Lanning, a debut fantasy novel that pokes fun at contemporary romance and fantasy tropes with both humor and respect. The first novel in The Boston Magic Mountain fantasy series, Lanning’s Funky Dan explores the rich mythology and lore of the mountains of Arkansas and Oklahoma.

 

Roxie is a sweet trans girl who just wants to spend the rest of her summer vacation playing music with her friends in their band. Living in a southern college town like Fayetteville has its challenges. Dan is a shop wizard who would give anything to escape the store he has been trapped in for a century under the watchful eyes of a witch and a talking fox. 

Their paths converge when Roxie is given the ability to travel into dreams and tasked with fighting off nightmares. 

Unbeknownst to Dan and Roxie, other dream walkers are searching for an enchanted key, and if they find it, they’ll plunge the entire city into a living nightmare. The shop wizard and pixie dream girl will have to team up to stop them, facing their own nightmares along the way.

 

Editor David T. Valentin explained why he took the book on, “At the heart of Lanning’s work is an amazingly fun and creative story that dares us to dream again in our busy adult lives. And although her work doesn’t shy away from the ugly parts of life and growing up, her work always gives us a light at the end of the tunnel, even if it’s not the one we expect. 

Wednesday, June 23, 2021

Get Ryan Field's Just Pubbed The Wizard of Pride

 

Just in time for Pride Month, the innovative book publisher, Riverdale Avenue Books, has just published The Wizard of Pride, an LGBTQ retelling of the Wizard of Oz from Lambda awarding-winning author, Ryan Field.

In the year 1939, discretion is a way of life for young men like Darius Krasner. However, when he gets caught making love to one of the young farm hands by the wicked Agnes McCain, and she threatens to expose him and take his dog, he’s forced to run away from the only family and home he’s ever known.

In his rush to leave, Darius stumbles across one of the most wonderful, handsome young men he’s ever met. Unfortunately, there isn’t much time to get to know him because there’s a storm approaching and Darius decides to run back home to make sure his family is safe.

By the time Darius reaches the farm, there’s a twister in the distance and he escapes to the house for shelter. On his way, a piece of flying debris hits him on the head and knocks him out. When he finally regains consciousness, he’s in the most unusual place called The Land of Pride. And according to The Good Fairy, Miss Glitz, his only way back home involves a pair of magical pink stilettos, a silvery gilded road, a place called The Rainbow City, and a man they call the Wonderful Wizard of Pride.

As a publisher of erotic romance, we love publishing classic stories retold.  I was surprised that no one I knew of had written a gay retelling of The Wizard of Oz, so I approached Ryan Field, a Lambda-Award winning gay author, and he creatively stepped up,” said Publisher Lori Perkins. “I think you’ll find The Wizard of Pride both plays homage, and is just naughty enough for today’s audience.”

 

It’s an LGBTQ+ fairytale filled with references to gay culture and LGBTQ+ Pride that’s long before Darius’s time, but he’s well aware there’s no shame or hate in The Land of Pride. In his quest to find The Wizard of Pride, he meets other people like himself, and one in particular who teaches him with whom he can fall in love and live happily ever after with a man, which is something he never thought possible.

Tuesday, May 11, 2021

Celebrate National Twilight Zone Day with The Binge Watcher's Guide to the Twilight Zone



As many fans binge watch their favorite episodes for National Twilight Zone Day, the innovative publisher, Riverdale Avenue Books has published the sixth book in its TV pop culture series, The Binge Watcher’s Guide to The Twilight Zone by Jacob Trusell. 

There are a lot of compendiums on The Twilight Zone out there, most offering a backstage peek at the ins and outs of producing this seminal genre series. The Binge Watcher’s Guide to The Twilight Zone will offer you something these other books do not: a microscopic look into the themes and ideas that Rod Serling weaved into his landmark show to give you a deeper understanding of why The Twilight Zone still resonates with audiences over 60 years later.

This guide will examine how the socio-political turmoil of the early 1960s, the global anxiety over nuclear power, and the looming specter of trauma in post-war America influenced Serling to use The Twilight Zone as a bully pulpit, pushing back against social ills, from racism and censorship to McCarthyism and totalitarianism.

“What I want to illustrate with this guide is how Serling’s true genius was in masking social commentary on post-war America through horror and science fiction tropes, concocting parables that spoke to his present moment, while still managing to be inventive, scary, and thoroughly entertaining,” said Author Jacob Trussell.

“Now more than ever is the perfect time to reacquaint yourself with this groundbreaking series because, if the past year was any indication, we’ve already slipped back into The Twilight Zone."

Whether this is your first trip to the Zone or you’re an old fan returning for one more round, this retrospective is an opportunity to engage with the timeless classic in a way that can help you make sense of our here and now.



About Jacob Trussell

Jacob Trussell is a writer and actor based in New York City. His editorial work has been featured on the BBC, Rue Morgue magazine, Film School Rejects and One Perfect Shot. As an actor, he’s worked in New York and regional theatre, as well as appearing in short films and commercials. For updates on new work, scary movies, and pictures of his cat, follow Jacob on Twitter @JE_TRUSSELL.

Tuesday, April 27, 2021

Handmaid's Tale After-Party Hosted by Riverdale Binge Watcher's Guide Author Jamie Schmidt

 

Hosted by USA Today best-selling author, Jamie K. Schmidt and Riverdale Avenue Books

WHEN: April 28, 2021 at 10pm ET/7pm PT

WHERE: https://zoom.us/j/5252430839?pwd=dnNpS3JTSGtPYStoZWY1KzdyQ3hmQT09

 

As we all start to emerge from lockdown, it’s kind of fitting that the next season of the gut-wrenching feminist dystopian series The Handmaid’s Tale premiers on Wednesday, April 28th on Hulu.

I was riveted by the first three seasons, which I binged (and you can read the fabulous Binge Watcher’s Guide to The Handmaid’s Tale by Jamie Schmidt before watching to remember the threads of this dark and powerful story about what can happen when womens’ rights and agency are taken away). It grew darker and closer to home as each year of the Trump administration progressed and reproductive and gender rights were restricted in real life. 

So I am personally eager to see how it feels to watch this show now that we have a much more progressive, gender-rights-friendly administration. I hope The Handmaid’s Tale returns firmly to the realm of fiction.

Riverdale Avenue Books is hosting an after-party to discuss the new episodes at 10:00 p.m. with Binge Watcher’s Guide author Jamie Schmidt which is just what I need!

The Binge Watcher’s Guide to The Handmaid’s Tale is a companion guide that takes you through the first three seasons of the Hulu series with each episode reviewed with a gut punch rating and trigger warnings.

"Block out three hours of time to watch the first three episodes,” said author, Jamie K. Schmidt. “Based on the past seasons, all of these episodes are going to end on a cliffhanger that’s going to make you yell at the screen, ‘Yes, I’m still watching. Play the next episode.’”

Thursday, April 1, 2021

Celebrate Veronica Lodge's Birthday with The Binge Watcher's Guide to Riverdale

To mark the anniversary of Veronica Lodge’s first appearance in Archie Comics, Riverdale Avenue Books has published the fifth book in its binge watcher’s series, The Binge Watcher’s Guide to Riverdale.

 

Busted families, broken hearts, secrets and corruption are the lifeblood of The CW’s gothic horror series Riverdale. The show is based on the original Archie comics, but this sinister town is a far cry from the wholesome, anyplace USA depicted in 80 years of the teen adventures featuring Archie, Jughead, Betty, Veronica, and the rest of the gang. This Riverdale is an other-worldly, ominous place where enigmatic parents and cunning town leaders hide wicked secrets while teens struggle to survive.

 

The Riverdale gang face the definitive dilemma: good vs. evil. They fight ghouls, a cult leader, a serial killer, and each other—all while sporting inspiring outfits and photo-ready hair. Great music, the occasional Vixens cheer dance-off, and too-steamy-for-high-school sex scenes add an undeniable layer of watchability to the fan-favorite show.

 

The characters of the Archie comics have been quietly transgressive and marching to the front of social issues for decades. Exploring Riverdale’s recrafted, darkly gothic, Archiverse gave me the opportunity to dig in to those issues and connect with the lively #riverdale fandom,” said Author Melissa Ford Lucken.

 

This Binge Watcher’s Guide to Riverdale will get you through the first four seasons. Keep the book beside you while you binge; the trivia, quotes and episode commentaries will inform and entertain. Want more? The literary analysis, connection to the comics and resources have you covered.

 

The next book in the series is The Binge Watcher’s Guide to The Twilight Zone, which is publishing on May 11th, National Twilight Zone Day.

Wednesday, March 31, 2021

Celebrate Transgender Day of Visibity with 50% Off all RAB Trans Titles



Riverdale Avenue Books celebrates International Transgender Day of Visibility today to stand in solidarity with our trans and non-binary community and all their accomplishments. Rachel Crandall founded the International Transgender Day of Visibility in 2009 in order to recognize and celebrate Transgender and nonbinary folk still with us, creating a day of celebration rather than solemn mourning like Transgender Day of Remembrance.

In solidarity with our trans authors and readers, we are highlighting our books that focus on trans experience, stories and theory. With the code "TRANS2021" you can get many of our trans titles (see list down below) for 50% off.

If you don't know where to start, we have just published a new edition of Two Spirits, One Heart written by Marsha Aizumi and Aiden Aizumi, a beautiful mother/transman story of love and acceptance. When Two Spirits, One Heart was first published in 2012, it was the first book of its kind—mother, educator, and LGBT activist Marsha Aizumi shares her compelling story of parenting a young woman who came out as a lesbian, then transitioned to male. Two Spirits, One Heart chronicles Marsha's personal journey from fear, uncertainty, and sadness to eventual unconditional love, acceptance, and support of her child who struggled to reconcile his gender identity. Told with honesty and warmth, this book is a must-read for parents and loved ones of LGBTQ+individuals everywhere.

"Marsha Aizumi ... gives voice to the mix of emotions so many parents of LGBTQ kids live…love, fear, shame, pride, acceptance. But what makes Marsha special is that she lived her truth so publicly so that others might find community and peace... I think you have an amazing heart.” —Dr. Jill Biden

Accidentally Gay

Accidentally Gay: The True Love Story When a Wife Becomes a Husband
by Lucky and Wolsey Bradley




GenderQueer: Voices from Beyond the Sexual Binary

Edited by Riki Wilchins



Burn the Binary:

Selected Writings on the Politics of Trans, Genderqueer and Nonbinary

By Riki Wilchins

http://riverdaleavebooks.com/books/5352/burn-the-binary-selected-writings-on-the-politics-of-trans-genderqueer-and-nonbinary



TRANS/Gressive:

How Transgender Activists Took on Gay Rights,

Feminism, the Media and Congress

By Riki Wilchins

http://riverdaleavebooks.com/books/5336/transgressive-how-transgender-activists-took-on-gay-rights-feminism-the-media-congress-and-w



Read My Lips: Sexual Subversion and the End of Gender

By Riki Wilchins

http://riverdaleavebooks.com/books/38/read-my-lips-sexual-subversion-and-the-end-of-gender



Queer Theory, Gender Theory: An Instant Primer

By Riki Wilchins

http://riverdaleavebooks.com/books/4116/queer-theory-gender-theory-an-instant-primer



Hiding in Plain Sight

By Zane Thimmesch-Gill

http://riverdaleavebooks.com/books/5218/hiding-in-plain-sight



Finding Masculinity: Female to Male Transition in Adulthood

Edited by Alexander Walker and Emmett J.P. Lundberg http://riverdaleavebooks.com/books/5196/finding-masculinity-female-to-male-transition-in-adulthood



Outside the XY: Queer, Black and Brown Masculinity

Edited by Brooklyn Boihood

http://riverdaleavebooks.com/books/5276/outside-the-xy-queer-black-and-brown-masculinity

 

 

Friday, February 26, 2021

RAB to Publish The Binge Watcher's Guide to Black Mirror to Mark Creator Charlie Brooker's 50th Birthday

 

To mark the 50th birthday of Black Mirror creator, Charlie Brooker, on March 3rd, Riverdale Avenue Books has published the fourth book in its binge watcher’s series focusing on the British science fiction anthology Black Mirror, which is regarded by many as the modern iteration of The Twilight Zone. Charlie Brooker is often seen as the Rod Sterling of his generation, as he has written all 22 of the shows’ episodes so far. The acclaimed British sci-fi anthology series focusing on the dark side of technology premiered in 2011 and has won eight Emmy Awards.

 

Pop culture and tech writer Marc W. Polite focuses The Binge Watcher’s Guide to The Black Mirror on the parallels drawn between what is in the show, and how our modern society is not too far off from what is depicted in the anthology series.  The reader will encounter a thoughtful recap and analysis of each episode from all five seasons, as well as the interactive Black Mirror movie-Bandersnatch. Embracing the meaning and the mayhem of this moment, The Binge Watcher's Guide to Black Mirror is a spirited, fan-centered companion of the show. 

 

“Having the opportunity to write this book meant a lot to me, to delve into the various themes of my favorite currently running show,” explained author Polite. “As a big fan of science fiction, I gravitated towards the themes explored by this anthology around technology, inspired by the episodes that touch on more than one topic. I have watched each episode way more than 2 or 3 times. However, when compelled to take a more critical eye in rewatching the series to write about it, I had the chance to really dig in deep. There were some moments where it felt as though I were doing a course on film criticism. In spite of the serious-sounding nature of what I just said, I had a lot of fun writing this book and I hope fans will feel the same.”

 

The next book in the series is The Binge Watcher’s Guide to Riverdale which pubs on April 1st, the first appearance of Veronica Lodge (1942), followed by The Binge Watcher’s Guide to The Twilight Zone, which is publishing on May 11th, National Twilight Zone Day.

 

Tuesday, January 26, 2021

Expanded Edition of Two Spirits, One Heart: A Mother, Her Trasgendered Son and Their Journey to Love and Acceptance Just Pubbed

Two Spirits, One Heart: A Mother, Her Transgender Son and Their Journey To Love and Acceptance was first published in 2012 by Riverdale Avenue Books and it was the first book of its kind—mother, educator, and LGBTQ+ activist Marsha Aizumi shares her compelling story of parenting a young woman who came out as a lesbian, then transitioned to male. Since then, the story has resonated with the LGBTQ+ community and has allowed author, Marsha Aizumi, to share her and her son Aiden’s story throughout the world.

Two Spirits, One Heart chronicles Marsha's personal journey from fear, uncertainty, and sadness to eventual unconditional love, acceptance, and support of her child who struggled to reconcile his gender identity. Told with honesty and warmth, this book is a must-read for parents and loved ones of LGBTQ+ individuals everywhere.

Over the past decade, Marsha has traveled the world sharing her journey and joy of parenting her trans son to diverse places such as religious groups, colleges, LGBTQ+ and PFLAG organizations and 60 Minutes. The new edition has an epilogue from Marsha as she shares how the original publication of the book impacted her life by opening doors for both her and Aiden.

The book has received praise from the national organization of parents, families, and allies of LGBTQ+ individuals, PFLAG, as well as gay activist, George Takei, founders of the Matthew Shepard Foundation and many others.

Updating the second edition of Two Spirits, One Heart has given us an opportunity to reflect on how far we have come and what more we want to do to make the world a safer, more inclusive place for all,” said co-author Aiden Aizumi.

“It has also given us a chance to see more clearly how a loving and accepting parent can be a beacon of light and hope for their child's sense of belonging and success,” added author Marsha Aizumi.