Queer Cheer

Eric Rosswood is a multi-award-winning author whose broad body of work centers around family, authenticity, diversity, hope, and strength. He is a commentator on LGBTQ+ issues including civil rights, parenting, marriage, and politics, and has led panels on LGBTQ+ parenting issues for organizations such as Family Equality and the Modern Family Alliance.

Rosswood's bestselling parenting books focus on the LGBTQ+ journey to parenthood and have helped couples around the world start their own families. These titles include The Ultimate Guide for Gay Dads, Journey to Same-Sex Parenthood, and We Make It Better. His latest picture book, STRONG, featuring the world's first and only openly gay professional strongman, won a 2023 Stonewall Honor from the American Library Association. Find him on Twitter @LGBT_Activist

Jodie Anders holds an MFA from City College of New York and a BA in Film and TV from California State University Northridge. She also completed the UCLA Professionals program in TV writing. Jodie has achieved numerous accolades in writing with her work earning a place in the top 1% on Coverfly's Redlist as well as placing in numerous festivals such as WeScreenplay and ScreenCraft.

As a 20+ year volunteer in a non-profit organization helping to teach teenage girls leadership and confidence, Jodie knows the value stories have to help teach, understand and grow. A true child at heart, her curiosity leads her to travel the world, having visited over 27 countries. Jodie believes seeing the world from other points of views, whether in life or imagination, is paramount to learning about life and finding your place in it.

"Through seven distinct sections-'Identity,' 'Helpful Habits,' 'Confidence,' 'Relationships,' 'School,' 'Our Community,' and 'Success & Future'-Rosswood and Anders present information on a wide variety of topics. The authors open by describing their own genders and sexual identities and offering some personal information about their lives. They also make others' life stories an integral part of the book's content: Portions of the text consist of speech bubbles containing brief reflections by queer teens from around the U.S. who represent diversity in sexuality, gender identity, race, religion, and other factors... An empathetic handbook that will support a broad range of readers."
-Kirkus Reviews

"A beautiful and much-needed resource for queer teens! Each page is stuffed with good advice and encouraging affirmations."
-Becca Anderson, bestselling author of Badass Affirmations and The Book of Awesome Women

"Queer Cheer is a new book for teens that features advice, words of wisdom, affirmations, some questions that are gonna make you think, [and] some fun illustrations and doodles. I found so many thought-provoking and inspirational things as I read the book. Queer Cheer could make a great gift for any teens in your life... [A]n encouraging queer pick-me-up, which is certainly something we can all use from time to time."
-Big Gay Fiction Podcast