Hook, Line, and Sinker (Flirting with the Zodiac Book 1) Read online

  “Ah-ha, you ask so much of me, fishy.”

  “Hm, think I’m allowed to. Making me move a one-year-old across the universe.”

  Lawrence hefted Rio; Rio’s head lolled against his shoulder, but he didn’t stir. “You don’t have to go,” he said, a frown marring his face.

  Ty sighed, fishing out the last of his gummy. “Laz, don’t be an idiot.”

  “I just mean—”

  “You can’t get rid of me,” Ty continued. “I had a baby for you. Of course I’m gonna follow you across the bloody universe.”

  Lawrence squeezed his hand tight. “I’m glad,” he whispered, and they paused there, peering up into the starry heavens above, slowly, slowly revealing their secrets one by one.

  Notes

  First, thanks so much for picking up Hook, Line & Sinker. I hope you enjoyed it.

  Of course, some of you might not have enjoyed it, and that’s fine. There are some themes in this book that not everyone will love; some readers will find some of the content objectionable.

  If you did enjoy the book, I hope you’ll consider leaving a review for it. Even if you didn’t and you want to trash the book, go ahead and leave a bad review. Reviews are for readers; I don’t read them. If you have serious concerns about the book or would like to discuss it, please feel free to contact me. Otherwise, discuss the book as much as you’d like, whether you loved it or hated it.

  While I have you, I want to talk a bit more about some of the major themes in the book. It’s a fact that every book and every character will necessarily be problematic. If they weren’t, they probably wouldn’t do a good job of reflecting “life,” which is a problematic and messy experience. What’s perhaps more important is that we talk about why these things are problematic and messy and use that as a jumping-off point to make space for tough discussions.

  Sci-fi and fantasy writers are often guilty of co-opting racism into worldbuilding. In many cases, this is problematic, because real-life racism has little to no logic. In SFF worlds, though, the oppressed or oppressors may have special powers or superior abilities, which make them dangerous or alternately put them at the top of the heap.

  Unfortunately, one of the reasons this happens is because it’s so easy to read something like elves or aliens as being “the Other.” They thus become an analogue to the real-world racism we see.

  I hope I’ve sidestepped the problem of giving the underlying “speciesism” present in this book an internal logic that can be used to justify it. What I can’t do is completely escape the idea that Ty and the handful of aliens present in the book are meant to be read as people of color or another marginalized group.

  Part of the reason for that is that there are indeed parallels: the Pisceans are a minority on Mars. Ty encounters hostile attitudes based, in part, on his identity and social location as a member of an alien group. That, in turn, intersects with other parts of his identity: queer, lower class, the son of immigrants.

  Ty’s experiences here may be read as a sort of parallel, but they certainly don’t reflect the realities faced by POC and other groups in our society. Nor should they—Ty and Pisceans are fictitious, while the racism, xenophobia, homophobia, and classism faced by individuals in our society is very real.

  There’s another reason we shouldn’t read Ty’s experiences as analagous to real-life barriers faced by real people, and that’s my own social location as the author. Although I identify as queer and a woman—which thus marginalizes me in some ways—I am ultimately a middle-class white author. By necessity, I cannot tell those stories; those belong to authors who have the deep knowledge of their lived experiences to guide them.

  So why write it at all? Ultimately, I want to see diverse casts, and I don’t want to always write my “othered” characters as sidekicks and NPCs, if you will. I want them front and center. Writing from the perspective of a literal alien is a way of trying to find a compromise, so I can explore these themes and narratives without necessarily co-opting an experience that isn’t mine.

  It’s still dangerous territory, and some people many feel I’ve done a disservice to the issues. That’s fair and legitimate criticism.

  There’s something even more important for authors like myself to do, and that’s help promote authors who are using their own lived experiences to explore these issues. What I hope here is that the (admittedly shallow) engagement with the issue encourages readers who wouldn’t otherwise think about the topic to get curious and explore more.

  All the shortcomings and errors left in the book are my own. I’d like to offer sincere thanks to Nikki Bell, my editor and my beta readers, who engaged with me deeply on the issues of “speciesism” and how best to approach it. You’ve made this book better and helped me grow as an author. I also extend my thanks to TCR, my partner, as well as to the rest of my family and friends, who show me unconditional love and support even if they think what I do is weird. I’d also like to thank my readers, both fans and non-fans; your support and your time means the world to me. And I’d like to thank the people I follow on social media for continually offering up great analysis and drawing my attention to a multitude of important issues. Your voices are important, so thank you for sharing them.

  I do sincerely hope you got at least some enjoyment out of the book; if you did, check out my website (cherrypickett.com) for more of my work. You can also find me on Facebook, Twitter (@cherrypickett19), and Instagram (cherry.pickett19).

  Thanks again for reading!

  xoxo,

  Cherry ❤

  About

  the Author

  Cherry pickett is a Toronto-based writer and editor with a BA in English literature. A longtime fan of manga, anime, and boys’ love fiction, she looks to marry her passion for literature with her love of sports, sci-fi, and fantasy. Check out her fiction at cherrypickett.com.

  sneak peek

  unicorn love is twice as nice

  When Ravi agreed to spend a semester abroad on planet Thestia, he didn’t realize he’d signed up for Unicorn Biology 101—or that he’d be taking a crash course in the mathematics behind the alpha/beta/omega relationships that are so common among his people.

  But that’s exactly what he gets when he catches the eye of a few alphas, including local gym instructor Ash. A few misteps and miscalculations later, Ravi has to formulate his future—and decide if two partners and a baby really adds up to happily ever after.

  One

  Ravi took a deep breath, clenching his fists. He closed his eyes, then barreled through the glass doors to enter the atrium. He paused there, taking in the gleaming foyer, the bright tiles, the way the space opened up to a small courtyard—like virtually every other building in the city of Castor. Across the way, beyond the scrubby trees and the drought-withered grass, he could see a sight that set his heart racing. Other unicorns dotted the landscape of gym equipment—treadmills, ellipticals, free weights.

  Ravi swallowed nervously, then forced his feet forward. He took the long way around, sticking to the shade of the building, rather than cutting directly through the courtyard. The cool of the air conditioning rushed by him, raising gooseflesh on his arms.

  His step slowed as he rounded the final corner, now approaching what seemed to be the front desk. He squeezed his hands tighter, letting his nails bite into his hands. He glanced again at the cadre of unicorns working out, the hum of the machines filtering through his ears.

  He couldn’t do this. He didn’t belong here. He should have stayed home, in bed. Why had he listened to Arun anyway?

  He steeled his nerve. No, Arun was right to kick his ass on this. He kept saying he wanted to come to the gym with his roommate. That he wanted to work out. That he wanted to stop being what his ex had so aptly called “an amorphous blob.”

  He glanced down at himself, distaste closing up his throat for a second. Then he glanced up and realized he’d arrived at the desk. A young unicorn with bright eyes was evaluating him cautiously. “Can … I help you?”
She asked, finally dropping her hand and turning to face him, instead of answering the shrilling phone.

  “I, uh …” He looked up desperately. How did this work? Did he just … order a membership? Where was the info about how much it cost or his options?

  A hand landed on his shoulder. He relaxed as he turned to face Arun, who grinned. “You actually made it!” The other unicorn said cheerfully. There was nothing but delight in his voice—no malice, surprise, or contempt.

  “I, um …”

  Arun grinned at the desk clerk. “Put a guest day pass on my tab?”

  She rolled her eyes. “Like you ever pay that,” she muttered, then glanced Ravi over again. Her eyebrows knitted together—probably trying to discern how likely it was he was the latest of Arun’s flings. Apparently, he liked to show off his conquests by bringing them with him to work out.

  Ravi guessed that Arun’s flings were probably better looking than he was, which was why the clerk was giving him such a funny look.

  Arun clapped him on the shoulder again. “C’mon, I’ll show you around. See ya, Chandra.”

  She hummed as Arun led Ravi away from the desk, deeper into the gym. Ravi swallowed down his nervousness. He glued his eyes to the floor, to his sneakers (or, well, as close as he could, anyway). He could feel eyes lingering on him, judging him, as Arun led him past the banks of treadmills and exercise bikes. Everyone had the same question on their minds: What was the fat kid doing at the gym?

  “And here we have the studio—they run classes in here most of the time. Stuff like yoga, boxing, dance …”

  He pushed open the door a touch, and they peered into a brightly lit room. It was mostly empty, save for equipment, but it reminded Ravi of gym class and dodge ball.

  Arun grinned at him as he dropped the door. They turned about and practically walked into a towering wall of muscle. For about three seconds, Ravi was sure he was doomed—one of the meatheads had decided to harass him about hauling his carcass into the gym.

  The tall unicorn glanced down at them, smiling brightly. “Hey, Arun,” he said, “who’s your friend? Gonna join us for boxing this morning?”

  June 2020