Guest Post: Steven dos Santos on The Culling

I am so happy to share with you today a guest post from Steven dos Santos, YA author of the dystopian Torch Keeper series! Steven is stopping by today to discuss the sexuality in his debut novel, The Culling.

As Gay Pride celebrations take place around the globe, it’s inspiring and motivating to see the great strides the LGBTQ community and its allies continue to make in the world. More and more countries are recognizing marriage equality and taking measures to ensure that all their citizens are treated with the same dignity and respect we all deserve. In the United States, where I’m from, the number of states moving forward with marriage equality is steadily increasing, and, with Supreme Court decisions soon to be decided (or already decided by the time this is posted), the balance could forever tip in favor of equality for all, regardless of sexual orientation. It is truly an exciting time to live in, and I consider myself so fortunate to have my debut novel, THE CULLING, released during such a period of increased acceptance, even after all the challenges I faced in trying to find a mainstream publisher that was interested in publishing a dark, science-fiction novel with a gay male protagonist.

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Review: The Culling by Steven dos Santos

The Culling by Steven dos Santos (eGalley) - Lucian Lucky Spark has been recruited for training by the totalitarian government known as the Establishment. According to Establishment rules, if a recruit fails any level of the violent training competitions, a family member is brutally killed ...and the recruit has to choose which one. As the five recruits form uneasy alliances in the hellish wasteland that is the training ground, an undeniable attraction develops between Lucky and the rebellious Digory Tycho. But the rules of the training ensure that only one will survive - the strongest recruits receive accolades, wealth, and power while the weakest receive death. With Cole-Lucky's four-year-old brother-being held as incentive, Lucky must marshal all his skills and use his wits to keep himself alive, no matter what the cost. From Amazon UK

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