A Very Queer June
The Cyrus Rays' Monthly Newsletter
Table of Contents
Original Poetry: "I Demand You Yet Despise You", The Never-Ending Curse Of Being Successful At A Young AgeLife Update: My Publications, New Job: I’m A Museum Interpretive Guide, & Pride! It Gets Better Canada SummitBook Review: Iris Of The Crowned Flame by Olivia TildonEditing News: Gaza Humanitarian Deal & New Logo!Upcoming Projects: Infirmity’s Children Comic, The Reconcili-Action Database (RAD), & How To Kill A Book Debut
Original Poetry
"I Demand You Yet Despise You", The Never-Ending Curse Of Being Successful At A Young Age
“You can find me folded
between the pages of old
books — ancient words and ideas
in a young encasing. ‘Young,’ they say,
‘How can you be so young?’
‘Old,” I say, ‘I’ve
grown up old.’My knees collapse and
my hips spasm.
My blood chokes and
my skin bristles.
My mind demands and
my voice answers.
I’ve been your answer.‘I’m loud,’ I say, ‘I’m the stories
folded between old books — ancient
words and ideas to project
words and ideas to project
onto, encased as young.’You find me, laughing
in the meadow, sunflowers
dancing with my limps,
sunbeams cascading slow
like my blood, an ancient
soul to be young,
when you never
wanted that at all.”Life Update
Publications
I was published — again and again!
The amazing Rising Dawn Literary Magazine has published my debate piece, Yes, The Tree Makes Noise: Hope, Storytelling, and Humanity’s Connection With Art AND my anthropology short story, Ubi Concordia, Ibi Victoria!
The magazine has a one year subscription for only ten dollars. I have three pieces so far published through Rising Dawn, so get ahead and subscribe now so you can support indies like me!
New Job: I’m A Museum Interpretive Guide!
Over the past month, I’ve started a second job outside of my business, working as a classic car garage museum guide/assistant curator! This is my current DREAM job, as I am pursuing a degree in anthropology at the University of Lethbridge, and absolutely adore museums and other volunteer contributions to preserve and respect history. Just last week I was updating out book donations list (over 90% of all our artefacts are donated = each piece carries a unique story), and I found dozens of garage recipes from the 60s. The overwhelming joy I felt glossing over each copy is unmatched to anything else I’ve experienced — yet. I cannot wait to continue this career further! I’ve been a studying historian all my life, but working in the field outside of volunteer hours is an honour I intend to cherish.
I’m also responsible for marketing, so keep your eyes posted on our Facebook and Instagram to support the museum! If you’re ever in High River, Alberta, come on down and say Hi! I’d love to give you a tour!
Pride! It Gets Better Canada Summit
Two weeks ago, I was given the privilege of being flown out by It Gets Better Canada, an international 2SLGBTQIA+ charity that fights for queer youth empowerment, mental health, and unconditional support through the upliftment of storytelling, to Toronto, Ontario, for their first ever IGBC Youth Summit!
I live all the way in hick-town Alberta, so being invited to a queer activist summit in recognition of my own activism work, and gifted the opportunity to collaborate and connect with other queer advocates was amazing! From partaking in storytelling workshops, strolling down the iconic gay Church Street and visiting the OLDEST queer bookstore in the WORLD, to performing my poetry on the same stage The Rolling Stones, Marilyn Monroe, Meat Load, Duran Duran, U2, Blondie, and Jimi Hendrix showed on, to having the freedom to be myself with a group of people just like me — everything was so much more than I could ever have imaged!
I am eternally grateful to It Gets Better Canada for allowing me to partake in such a surreal yet devotedly real moment of queer beauty and connection. Forever more for placing a spotlight on my MMIW database, The Reconcili-Action Database (RAD), which will be uplifted upon their outlets soon. Thank you for listening to these women’s’ stories, even if they are uncomfortable ones. Especially when they are uncomfortable ones.
Keep a look out on their socials for upcoming info about the RAD!
Book Review
Iris Of The Crowned Flame by Olivia Tildon
The following is a 4/5 spoiler free ARC review:
This book got me out of a two year long reading slump. The story has very thorough world building, you never hear modern fantasy books' governments talk about finance, but you do in Iris of the Crowned Flame. It felt real and human, and made me actually care about their kingdom's economy lol. It was also so refreshing to see the FMC plan to enter her politically coerced marriage with the intention of staying with her previous love. You rarely see this, and I absolutely love Amyra and Lyla together.
The book is very fast paced, and you feel the haste and urgency of the characters to find a suitor all the while staying true to their hearts. Additionally, it has WOMEN WRITTEN RIGHT. It felt so authentic and true and genuine. No objectification or Mary Sue characters here. Moreover, the 1st person narration through Lyla was playful yet had a soul-felt energy to it. It's also very easy to read, great for getting out of reading slumps, and thematic but not too heavy to relax into.
Now to my favourite part, as much as this story is a romance, it is also a fantasy revolution. This is Princess Diaries but GAY. I adored the underlining message that women and queer people deserve to be heard, and our voices hold power even in the dark. Seeing the characters fight for their right to love freely healed something in little queer me. And witnessing such a healthy FFM relationship bloom made the why-choose poly reader in me melt.
All in all, a great read. Viva the revolution, and happy pride month!
Buy the book here (support indie authors!)
Editing News
Gaza Humanitarian Deal
Want to help out a family from Gaza AND get the book cover of your dreams?
100% OF PURCHASES OF BOOK COVER DESIGNS GO TO SAFA’A YOUSEF AND HER FAMILY.
That’s right, I’ve updated my logo. You can expect to see this beauty from now on. What do y’all think?
Upcoming Projects
Infirmity’s Children Comic
Creators: Harley Galarneau & Kr_nkyrd Creations
Genre: Post-Apocalyptic Action
Synopsis: Two years ago, a swarm of invisible creatures raided Earth, pillaging what remained of the already-fleeting human population and disappearing beneath the soil. Those untouched and abandoned aboveground by these ‘Reapers’ are forced to carry on with their lives, despite extraterrestrial invasion, all the while cursed to live off the very land where their loved ones decay. These peoples’ only connection? They all possess the sight to see these creatures' true forms.
Following the small community of Titanus, Hallucin Survivors strive to maintain hope and fraternity. Though not everyone is as capable of recovery from their grief, and when old wounds threaten to destroy the peace they've so desperately created, a call must be answered. In a world where suffering is a language all understand, are we to succumb to our feral instincts, or find solace in our strife of humanity?
Coming Fall 2025 on Webtoon.
Support the process here.
The Reconcili-Action Database (RAD)
The Reconcili-Action Database (RAD) is an unofficial database of MMIP databases with the purpose of being an organized central hub for MMIP resources, activism opportunities, and support groups for families. The RAD intends to track every reported Missing and Murdered Indigenous women in Canada, paying special respect to emphasizing the soul of these stolen people, rather than displaying them as dehumanized statistics – a method to both honour their memory and bring comfort to their families.
This is a non-profit initiative, and 100% of any proceeds collected through fundraising events will be donated to the Blood Tribe Council and Kainai Nation.
How To Kill A God
Format: Standalone Novel
Genre: WLW Dark Science Fiction
A woman makes herself into a robot to take revenge on the academics who stole her work, by becoming better than anything they could ever create themselves.
Synopsis: This is the story of Elian, a cold scientist forced to fake her death — by mangling her body into a machine. Hellbent on destroying every ounce of the work stolen from her by her predecessors, she alters her existence into Eris, a feral robotic mercenary. In her rampage, she encounters Cae, a cyborg bounty hunter tasked with returning her back to the very factory that had restrained the brilliant mind beneath her wires. Through the futuristic and technological advanced wastelands of what was once Earth, How To Kill A God critiques the destructive pursuit of perfection within the scientific field, and the lengths in which humanity will go to escape itself in the name of academia.
Expected Winter 2026.
Support the process here.
