Bigby asked David Dalglish:

Hello Mr. Dalglish, I'm a new reader, specifically just started your Shadowdance series. I practically ate up A Dance of Cloaks, and I'll be getting the next one asap. I was wondering if you have any LGBT characters in this series(or any of your other works)? I myself am a teenage lesbian, and I thought the bit with Alyssa and Zusa was cute. Wishing the best, Bigby

David Dalglish Going to try to answer this as honestly as possible, so here goes.

I was taught really terrible things as a child about LGBT people. I no longer believe those things, and as an adult, I've been working (slowly) to make my fictional worlds better reflect the world as it is, as well as the reality I've come to believe in. It's slow progress on my part because I'm still learning, but I hope that my books become more and more inclusive.

Sadly this is also a long way of saying my earlier books have a basic lack of representation. When Orbit bought the rights to the Shadowdance series, and I wrote the new ones for them, I started to really explore more of Alyssa and Zusa, with (spoilers here) Zusa out-right confessing her love and the story then developing from there. Baby steps, I know, but I'm trying.

As for my other books? I can't think of any off the top of my head, and for that, consider this my apology. The next book I'm pitching (which fingers crossed Orbit likes and wants and buys), has one of its four major characters as gay, so hopefully I can start correcting this.

Well. That's that. Uh. I guess if you continue, I hope you enjoy the Alyssa/Zusa stuff? I always thought they were kinda cute together too :-)

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