Alisa Valdes

"As a bisexual woman I feel it is important to include homosexual or bisexual characters in my work. I am living proof that such things are not “choices,” but innate…"

"The biggest driving force in my life has been justice — and by that I don’t mean revenge. I mean fairness for all kinds of people. I think it comes in part from being the daughter of an immigrant who …"

"I think labels are generally used to benefit those who invented them, and those who invent them tend not to be those upon whom they are foisted. That said, labels can be tools of empowerment or margin…"

"Never sat down and thought: “I’m going to create a new genre.” I just sat down and wrote a book that I wanted to read but couldn’t find. In retrospect, I don’t think it’s a new genre; it’s just a nove…"

"There are writers in commercial women’s fiction who get really worked up, and they blog about and rail against the establishment. I can empathize and understand that frustration, but at the same time,…"