Why am I passionate about this?

I grew up in a time when it was nearly unheard of to be out in high school. This led to a very lonely and isolating childhood, with few role models and almost no queer fiction. I'm dedicated to making it easier for the next generation by providing joyful stories about queer people living their best lives. My stories feature proud queer people, where being queer is simply an aspect of their personalities and doesn't dominate the plot. People imitate art, and by providing positive examples of happy queer people, I hope to make the world a more accepting place, one story at a time.


I wrote

Together in a Broken World

By Paul Michael Winters,

Book cover of Together in a Broken World

What is my book about?

Seventeen-year-old Zach is the lone survivor of a small Montana town after a mysterious illness ripped through the world. Desperately…

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The books I picked & why

Book cover of In Deeper Waters

Paul Michael Winters Why did I love this book?

From the moment I read the first page, I knew I would love this book. Its focus on adventure, romance, and whimsy captivated me, all with a cast of queer characters. While it was undeniably queer, that was never the focus of the conflict and was normalized in this fun fantasy world.

The chemistry between the love interests was sweet and joyful, and the prose was a pleasure to read, filled with humor and quirkiness but also true emotion—a great fantasy romance and adventure filled with queer joy.

By F.T. Lukens,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked In Deeper Waters as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 14, 15, 16, and 17.

What is this book about?

"A frothy confection of sea-foam, young love, and derring-do." -NPR

A young prince must rely on a mysterious stranger to save him when he is kidnapped during his coming-of-age tour in this swoony adventure that is The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue meets Pirates of the Caribbean.

Prince Tal has long awaited his coming-of-age tour. After spending most of his life cloistered behind palace walls as he learns to keep his forbidden magic secret, he can finally see his family's kingdom for the first time. His first taste of adventure comes just two days into the journey, when their…


Book cover of The Charm Offensive

Paul Michael Winters Why did I love this book?

This book was a fascinating, humorous, and emotional look inside the reality TV industry while also being a wonderful queer romance and serious look at mental health and overworking.

I particularly liked that the main characters were flawed and fallible but also loveable, a hard mix to achieve. The story features a bisexual awakening, which is often tricky to pull off well in queer fiction but was handled in an excellent and believable way. While queerness does come up as an issue, since the Bachelor-like contestant is supposedly straight, the topic is handled with grace and rarely dominates the story.

By Alison Cochrun,

Why should I read it?

5 authors picked The Charm Offensive as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A MOST ANTICIPATED ROM-COM SELECTED BY * BUZZFEED * LGBTQ READS * BUSTLE * THE NERD DAILY * ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT * FROLIC MEDIA * AND MORE!

A BEST BOOK PICK BY * HARPER' S BAZAAR * ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY

"The Charm Offensive will sweep you off your feet." -PopSugar

In this witty and heartwarming romantic comedy-reminiscent of Red, White & Royal Blue and One to Watch-an awkward tech wunderkind on a reality dating show goes off-script when sparks fly with his producer.

Dev Deshpande has always believed in fairy tales. So it's no wonder then that he's spent his career crafting…


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Book cover of A Cursed Son

A Cursed Son by Day Leitao,

Romantic & sexy dreams link a false princess to a dangerous, disgraced fae prince in this fun, steamy enemies-to-lovers romantasy. As a royal decoy, trained to replace the Krastel princess even in a political marriage, Astra’s life is not her own. With a duty like that, how can she dream…

Book cover of Ander and Santi Were Here

Paul Michael Winters Why did I love this book?

I love a book that pushes my boundaries and allows me to see things from a different perspective in an intimate way, and this book certainly does that.

It features Ander, a non-binary main character who deals with issues of racism and immigration. Despite the heavy topics, the book is filled with tender moments, a wonderful look at Mexican American culture, and is largely a joyous and emotional love story. 

By Jonny Garza Villa,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Ander and Santi Were Here as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 14, 15, 16, and 17.

What is this book about?

The Santos Vista neighbourhood of San Antonio, TX is all Ander Lopez has ever known. The smell of pan dulce, the laughter of kids hitting a pinata at the park, the mixture of Spanish and English filling the streets. And, especially, their job at the family's taqueria. So as the days count down on their gap year until the day they'll leave for art school in Chicago, their head is filled with one relentless question: am I really ready to leave it all behind?

Their family, however, has the opposite worry: to keep them from becoming complacent, they "fire" Ander…


Book cover of All That's Left in the World

Paul Michael Winters Why did I love this book?

This book is an excellent example of a queer book with a genre plot where the character's sexuality, while important to the plot, never dominates the story. I loved the focus on the developing friendship between the two main characters while one in particular worked through his awakening feelings for the other. It's also filled with enough action and genre plot elements to provide an exciting read.

By Erik J. Brown,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked All That's Left in the World as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 12, 13, 14, and 15.

What is this book about?

Jamie and Andrew are strangers, but they're two of the last people left alive. They don't know what they'll find on their dangerous journey ... but they may just find each other. A queer romance about courage, hope and humanity for fans of They Both Die at the End, The Hunger Games and Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda.

When the Superflu wipes out most of the population, Jamie finds himself completely alone in a cabin in the woods - until an injured stranger crosses his path.

Life is dangerous now and, armed with a gun, Jamie goes to pull…


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Book cover of The Rancher’s Lost Bride

The Rancher’s Lost Bride by Roxanne Snopek,

Leila Monahan is creating her dream family, but when her fiancé gets cold feet, she sends him packing. A sperm bank would be easier but first, she’ll take a DNA test. She doesn’t care about finding her birth parents, but her future children might. The surprising results are nothing to…

Book cover of Stuck with You

Paul Michael Winters Why did I love this book?

This book is solid queer joy, filled with the sweetest and most loveable characters. While the book is short and written in the hi-lo style, it's still filled with true emotion and a wonderful message.

I read this book in a single sitting in an afternoon and loved it so much that I went right back to page one and read it again. Sometimes, books should simply be written as an example to others of how they should act. If the whole world were as caring and sweet as these two boys and their families, it would be a much happier and more accepting place.

By 'Nathan Burgoine,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Stuck with You as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

"…hilarious and an all-around enjoyable read... Highly recommended for hi-lo readers who loved Heartstopper."
― ★ starred review, School Library Journal

Stuck With You is a story of Queer joy and a playful teen romance, following two frenemies as they fall for each other while stuck in adjacent seats on a day-long train trip.

Ben is on a train back to Ottawa after a visit with his dad in Toronto when he runs into the last person he wanted to see: Caleb, the handsome, confident boy who recently and accidentally broke Ben’s phone. Preoccupied by worrying about whether he should…


Explore my book 😀

Together in a Broken World

By Paul Michael Winters,

Book cover of Together in a Broken World

What is my book about?

Seventeen-year-old Zach is the lone survivor of a small Montana town after a mysterious illness ripped through the world. Desperately lonely, he longs to return to his family in Seattle, but his fears hold him captive to the town. Eighteen-year-old Aiden is on a critical mission, delivering vials whose contents could cure the Infection. When he flees to Zach’s town, they escape together and soon form a bond as they comfort each other in this desolate and broken world.

Their affection grows, as do the forces pulling them apart. To survive, they’ll have to confront the truths that could tear their love apart.

Book cover of In Deeper Waters
Book cover of The Charm Offensive
Book cover of Ander and Santi Were Here

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