Hearts of Glass Living in the Real World
“Hearts of Glass Living in the Real World” is the first book in the Hearts of Glass Trilogy and associated short stories in the expanded universe (The Mallverse).
Ford is a traumatized former child model. Cassie is the epitome of DIY punk with a life full of poverty and pain serving smoothies at the Orange Julius. Finally there is Jenny, a young preppy with talent and dreams held back by a society not designed for women like her.
As their lives intersect at the Fox Valley Mall in Aurora, Illinois, there will be love, confusion, and dangerous adversaries.
Set in the late 80’s, 3 teens meet each other while discovering themselves and facing seemingly insurmountable odds. 2 will fall in love and all will find community in the midst of struggle. That struggle is found in 2 dangerous men. They have wealth and power. These kids have none of that. They just have each other. Will it be enough? Does love win or just put up a hell of a fight? How do fragile hearts of glass live in the real world?
Important Themes
The important themes in this first book includes sexual assault, partner violence, neurodiversity, and life with a disability years before the ADA existed. While set in the 80’s, it has timeless and timely themes that affect teens and youth today.
This serves as an opportunity to bond generations and showcase that love and friendships are for everyone regardless the struggles and dismissive judgment of others. While these traumatic things occur, love and friendship happens.
It is fun, funny, beautiful, and powerful. And it is also how we survive the storms…together.
Setting New Standards
One of the characters is profoundly deaf. To ensure the book gave authentic and respectful representation, research and engagement with the Deaf community was critical. Two of the characters are victims of sexual assault and domestic violence. To ensure the book gave authentic and respectful representation, research and engagement with survivors, experts in the field of DV and SA, and medical practitioners was critical.
This book could not have happened without people who have lived experiences and expertise. In the release of the book there sill be new standards and outreach.
As hard as this is to believe, there are many who feel providing ASL and accessibility is controversial and should not be provided. Still others see these provisions as an afterthought. Barnstormer Publishing and author Pat Green believe that representation without action is meaningless.
At every space the book is presented for signing and speaking events, an ASL interpreter will be available. If a space presenting has accessibility shortcomings, proper arrangements will be made to ensure that everyone who wants to attend can be in attendance.
Additionally, embracing a RIOTGRRL ethos, author Pat Green has accepted a position as Managing Editor of Barnstormer publishing and co leading an initiative to build bridges with communities that will give marginalized creatives opportunities to shine and be published. Creativity and talent does not require perfect hearing, vision, or ability to walk without assistance. Yet many are overlooked for these very reasons.
Outreach
Since principal characters, based on real people, experience poverty, DV, and SA there is an initiative for events in shelters and community centers. There are countless teens and young adults in shelters or relying on services offered by community centers. Many of them have just the clothes on their backs. Some facilities do get donated books, but many donated books are dated and tattered.
Author Pat Green will be hosting events in these spaces, giving free signed copies of these books to the teens and young adults there, and hosting intimate talks about the themes in the book, the wonder of the characters, and the wonder of each and every person in the shelters and centers.
There will also be opportunities created for these special youth to find their voice in the written and spoken word as well as artistic expression.
How to get Advanced Copies, Merch, and Make a Difference!
There is a fundraiser launched an Indiegogo! Joining the crowdfunding will not only give you advanced copies, merch, and experiences unlike most crowd funders for a book, but your investment will pay for ASL interpreters, copies of books for teens and young adults in need, and create other resources.
To check out the Indiegogo and get involved, click the link below: