This post is part of Long and Short Reviews’ Winter Blogfest. Leave a comment for a chance to win one digital copy of my young adult sapphic contemporary romance book Does Love Always Win?
The Holidays: A Musical Time by Diane Billas
Growing up, when everyone was prepping for the holidays by baking, shopping, and decorating, I’d be doubling down on practicing my French horn for all the holidays gigs. If you don’t know, the winter holidays are a brass lover’s dream. There are so many opportunities to play your instrument and have ALL of the gigs you ever dreamed of. I’d perform solo horn pieces during Christmas Eve services and also play in groups that would perform Christmas carols in various locations including in the streets.
A friend came over to my house during Christmas and saw the number of French horns that donned my Christmas tree and remarked, “I don’t think I realized how much French horns signified Christmas until that moment.” Granted, everyone and their brother knows I play the horn so I’d get a new horn ornament almost every year and I married a French horn player, so our number of horn ornaments probably doubled, but the holidays really is a time for music, even more specifically my instrument.
My favorite part of performing during the holidays is playing Christmas Carols at nursing and/or assisted living homes. I can always tell how much hearing music really brightened up their day and isn’t that what the holidays are really about?
I now have an 11-month-old son and I’m looking forward to having him experience the holidays with old family traditions and creating new traditions together. And of course, I want to show him how it feels to give the gift of music to others during the holidays. I can’t wait for him to have, like I did, a musical holiday experience.
Does Love Always Win is a sapphic coming of age young adult novel that explores coming out and understanding one’s sexual orientation.
Sam “Shorty” Daniels has a plan for her senior year, but her romantic life being a hot mess was not part of the agenda. Shorty quickly discovers she’s not attracted to her newest boyfriend and fellow marching band member Zack, despite her many hours of daydreaming of what it would be like to date him. Their previous flirting had been so intense that those feelings have to come back again, right?
When Shorty’s asked to show the snarky new girl around high school, Shorty’s instantly intrigued by Kristy’s wit, and they bond over their love of writing. They quickly become inseparable, and Shorty has a breakthrough moment realizing why none of her other relationships worked out.
Just as Shorty is about to break up with Zack, her bitter ex-boyfriend Bryan threatens to out her to the entire school and Shorty’s conservative parents. Will Shorty be able to overcome Bryan’s ridiculous blackmail scheme and get her dream girl?
Diane Billas is the author of the young adult sapphic contemporary romance novel DOES LOVE ALWAYS WIN? and the young adult superhero LGBTQ+ novel SUPERFICIAL releasing September 2024 from Creative James Media.
Diane Billas lives in Philadelphia with her husband and son. When she’s not writing she can be found reading multiple books at once, performing the French horn and piano, or dreaming of the next country she’s going to visit. Diane can be found at dianebillas.com, on Twitter, TikTok, and Facebook @dianebillas, and on Instagram @dianebillaswrites.
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