101. Sci-Fi: The Future is Queer (with TQ Sims)

Guest Opener (0:00)

TQ Sims

I think sci-fi just, it takes so many risks. And it paints in such broad strokes with an array of colors. And I think that's really attractive to people who are using their own imagination to discover who they are.

Episode Introduction (0:39)

Rob Loveless

Hello, my LGBTQuties, and welcome back to another episode of A Jaded Gay. I'm Rob Loveless and today I am a non-jaded gay because I literally slept 12 hours last night.

I was so tired. I passed out before nine which isn't uncommon for me. Usually, I'm in bed by eight so that was a little later than usual. But yeah, it was a Friday night in bed before nine and I slept until, like, nine this morning.

So, my body really needed it because I was just feeling the lag all week this week at the gym, going to work, just all the time. Like, my body was just achy, I was tired.

So, I'm like Moira Rose. I love a good coma, you know.

So, I'm well rested and I'm glad I am because we have a very exciting episode planned today with a special guest on to talk about their new book.

But before we get into the episode, you know the drill, let's play our tarot card.

Tarot (1:33)

Rob Loveless

So, for this episode, we drew the 10 of Pentacles in reverse. Pentacles is tied to the element of earth which is stabilizing and nurturing. It's feminine energy, which is reflective and meditative in nature. And Pentacles is all about putting in the hard work and reaping the rewards of our labor.

In numerology. 10 is representative of the completion of a cycle. And the 10 of Pentacles is the last numbered card in the Pentacle suit before the court cards. And we also add double digits together.

So, while 10 is representative of the completion of something, the number one represents a new beginning. Now, when we draw this card in reverse, it's telling us that we're breaking with tradition.

We may be in a challenging spot with interpersonal relationships. So, we might want to break away and do our own thing. It can also represent a fear of moving on, even though our intuition is telling us it's time to go.

But if we're questioning if we belong in a certain place or situation, then that could be a pretty good sign that it's time for a change. Because sometimes we can get trapped by surrounding ourselves with the things people assume we should surround ourselves with, whether that's people or material possessions.

So, this card is telling us that maybe we've completed a cycle and time is up on a certain situation we've been in. And now it's time to start over with a new beginning and listen to our intuition so we can forge a new path that feels more in alignment with who we are. Even if that means going against the status quo.

Guest Introduction (2:56)

Rob Loveless

So, with that in mind, I'd like to welcome our next guest. He is a bookstagrammer, his Instagram boasts of books, butts, and other gay stuff, and he is the author of Godspeed, Lovers.

Please welcome TQ Sims.

Hi, TQ. How are you today?

TQ Sims

Hi, Rob. I'm feeling great. Happy to be here.

Rob Loveless 

Awesome. Well, I'm very excited to have you on today. And I really enjoyed your book so I'm excited to talk all about that and share it with the listeners.

But before we do I like to ask all my guests are you a jaded or non-jaded gay today and why?

TQ Sims

I am non-jaded. I'm feeling pretty happy. The weather has been sort of crummy here in New Orleans. But today it's beautiful.

And I've been working on some projects that I'm really excited about. And I just went to the gym so I have, like, those endorphins. I am definitely a non-jaded gay today, this morning at least.

Rob Loveless

Good, glad to hear it. Those endorphins always help.

You know, like Elle Woods says, you know, endorphins, like, happy people just don't kill their husbands.

TQ Sims

I love that.

Rob Loveless 

Well, to kind of kick off the episode, can you tell all the listeners about yourself, how you identify, your pronouns, all that fun stuff?

TQ Sims

Oh, sure. So, I'm TQ Sims. I grew up on a small farm outside of a small town in Mississippi, and I came to New Orleans as soon as I could. And I've been here for most of my life.

And I sort of like include that and my identity as a New Orleans transplant. Because if any of the listeners out there have ever lived in a city or a culture that sort of like gets into you, you know, like it kind of becomes a little bit of your identity. So, I've spent most of my life here. I feel like I've lived several lifetimes in this body just being in New Orleans.

And I identify as not just gay but queer. Although I am gay, and I identify as masc non-binary. So, I kind of, I feel like I sort of fluctuate on the gender spectrum a little bit in that regard. Yeah, and maybe that has to do a bit with the privilege of being perceived as masculine.

And I, I'll take any pronouns, except for it and it's. Like, that's not how I like to be objectified. But he/him works. They/them works. And you know, she/her is sometimes kind of fun. So, it all works for me.

Rob Loveless

And what you're saying about New Orleans, I could definitely see that because I was actually there last fall for a bachelorette trip just for a weekend. But it's definitely a very vibrant, lively city. There's always something going on.

And actually, just back in February, I did an episode on the UpStairs Lounge Arson Attack, which obviously takes roots in New Orleans. So, there's, there's a lot of history there.

TQ Sims

Yeah, yeah. Such an interesting story. Yeah, I feel like New Orleans is just, it's one of those cities that it's you come here and you see so much, you know, across the spectrum.

I have a friend who describes New Orleans as magedy, which is, you know, equal mix of magic and tragedy, like it's all here. And when you live here for a long time like I have, like, that magedy, it sort of just gets into you.

Rob Loveless 

I love that term. And I can really see that too because it is a beautiful city. There's a lot of magic and voodoo and witchcraft there.

But then also there is some, you know, some kind of deep-seated roots of, you know, oppression, violence, all that so you've really kind of, I mean, I guess you could look at it as like, yielding to something beautiful and kind of taking the lessons from that and turning you know, healing and turning it into something beautiful, but it's that's a perfect word. Magedy.

TQ Sims

Yeah, yeah, coined by my friend Jackie Summell, who is an amazing artist and activist doing incredible work and prison abolition. So please, look her up.

Rob Loveless

Not to put you on the spot. But as a New Orleans resident, what are your thoughts on Nicolas Cage?

TQ Sims

I try not to have too many thoughts on Nicolas Cage. Amazing actor.

I kind of love weirdos. So, I kind of appreciate that he's, he's this oddball character. Yeah, he's just a really interesting person. I think.

So... but I try not to think about him too much.

Rob Loveless

For all the listeners out there who are unaware, Nicolas Cage. I don't know if he's a permanent resident in New Orleans. But I know he's lived down there for a while.

And a lot of residents have had issues with him with, I've heard of alcoholism stories, damaging property, putting up a really ugly pyramid-like tomb and, like, a historic New Orleans cemetery. So...

TQ Sims

Yeah, so I've heard about the pyramid, which is very, very strange. It's very interesting that he was able to actually build a tomb in that cemetery.

I haven't heard the other stories. But you know, yeah, sure they're out there. He also owned a very famous, very haunted house in the French Quarter. And I used to live around the corner from it.

And it was just always such a creepy house. Like, it felt like there was this energy coming from it. I think it's the LaLaurie Mansion, which has a very dark history, which, you know, don't have to go into.

But I think Nicolas Cage sold that house. And I don't even know if he's around so much. Maybe the people who had issues with him convinced him to leave, and he'll come back when he's ready for his pyramid tomb.

TQ’s Career (9:05)

Rob Loveless

It was a few I had a few tour guides who said things so maybe they just had bad opinions. But I might, might have to edit some of this out. I don't want to you know, be sued for slander or anything but I feel, I feel like we're kind of moving away from the actual conversation of this episode.

So maybe I'll have to have you on for a second one where we can just talk all things New Orleans because that would be a fun episode.

But focusing from, you know, the ghost stories and all that to your career as a writer, can you tell us a little bit about your writing journey?

TQ Sims

Yeah, I have always been interested in communicating through art. When I was much younger, I was really interested in drawing and creating visual art. And as I got older, like, I remember even in fifth grade, I wrote a short story that was um, I don't want to say like exceptional to, like, pat my fifth-grade kid on the, fifth-grade self on the back.

But it was clear that like, it was different from my peers' work. And I think at that moment, I knew that I was a good writer. And that became something that I wanted to do. I was writing poetry, all throughout preteens and all throughout my life after that.

In high school, I was writing novel-length work. I don't think any of it was very good. It wasn't anything that I showed anyone. But I was practicing telling a story in a very long form. And then for a while, I kind of put art aside for various reasons. One of them being I was doing a lot of drugs. Another one being I was doing a lot of yoga.

And it was during the pandemic's lockdown that I was really craving expression through art. And I tried making visual art again. And it just wasn't hitting. So, I sat down to start writing. And I started several different stories. And it felt good to write, but I wasn't really connecting with any of those stories.

And then one day, I had this idea for this story about these two psychic men who fall in love, while fighting these sentient storms. And it was just such a weird idea that I had to explore it. And the more and more I got into it and was writing every day, because I was in lockdown, it just felt like the right thing to do and it made me so happy.

Like I felt like I had reconnected with a part of myself that hadn't been fully nourished for a long time, even though it was somewhat nourished by writing poetry and short stories every now and then. Writing this book really helped me to, to connect with a part of myself that I feel like I was missing.

Rob Loveless

And were you always into the sci-fi genre? Had you always written that and gravitated towards it?

TQ Sims

Yes, yes. I remember, from a very young age, I was really into Space Ghost, and which was like this really weird cartoon. I think it came on really early Sunday mornings. I was really into that.

I really loved Justice League, Superman, was really into Star Wars. I really loved X-Men.

I lived in a small town and at the grocery store, they would occasionally get an X-Man comic. And I was always so happy when I could get it because I know that there were probably so many other kids, like, trying to get that one comic that came to town. And like there was no chance of, like, following continuity of the story. But I definitely picked up on the queer subtext.

And so like, all of that has really influenced my storytelling now.

Rob Loveless

Was there something specific about, you know, Justice League, Star Wars, X-Men, any of those sci-fi series that really drew you in from a young age?

TQ Sims

Yeah, I think it's the idea of found family and connecting with a sense of power, and using that to benefit others. Which sounds so hokey, but I love that stuff.

Like I feel like, you know, that's a good message for, for our community and our world is to, to really take care of each other and to connect with this power that we're taught we don't have when actually, we always have it.

Sci-Fi’s Queer Appeal (14:17)

Rob Loveless

And, you kind of, I think some of those answers there answers the next question, but beyond just yourself for maybe the larger LGBTQ+ community, it seems like there is a lot of queer appeal within the sci-fi genre. Why do you think that is?

TQ Sims

I think, because, as queer people, we sort of have to be on this constant journey of self-discovery and self-expression, which often goes against what we're told we should express by many people. Not by everyone, but by many people.

And I think sci-fi just it takes so many risks and it paints in such broad strokes with an array of colors. And I think that's really attractive to people who are using their own imagination to discover who they are. So, I think that's why queer people are attracted to sci-fi.

Rob Loveless

And with that in mind, who are some of your favorite queer-coded sci-fi characters?

TQ Sims

So, queer-coded, I feel like not explicitly queer. Probably, Poe and Finn from the new Star Wars trilogy are, you know, I really love their bromance, but I, I have a thing for Oscar Isaac. So, I really love their bromance

 And you know, there are others that I thought of, and now I can't think of them. But the one that really stands out, in my mind is Ruby Rhod from The Fifth Element with this amazing performance by Chris Tucker.

Like, I just remember the first time I watched that movie and Ruby Rhod came out, he's so extravagant, so over the top, and so sexual. And it just, like really hit a nerve with me that it's just like, so amazing to see this character who I could identify as queer, even if the rest of the audience couldn't.

Rob Loveless

And I know what you're saying about Poe and Finn. I... there was always that kind of like, underlying bromance there.

And I know Disney said, oh, in the last movie, there's going to be a gay kiss. And I was hoping it would be that, but it was like two people way in the background there. So, I was a little disappointed by that.

TQ Sims

Like for, like, half a second. Yeah.

Rob Loveless

Yeah.

TQ Sims

I feel like we got baited there.

Rob Loveless

Definitely. Disney knows what they're doing.

TQ Sims

Yeah.

Queer Book Bans (16:59)

Rob Loveless

So obviously, you know, I'm sure being plugged into, you know, bookstagram, gay bookstagram, being a writer and a reader yourself, you've seen a lot of these book bans happening across the country.

So, have these had any impact on you, as a writer and author?

TQ Sims

I feel like the impact that it has on me is just like, there's this incredible amount of disappointment that we're in this point in our culture. It's, it's sad. It seems so unnecessary.

It seems like a violation of free speech. It feels like, you know, one group getting to determine what everyone in the community is getting to experience. And I feel like that's really a good motivator to get out and vote and get involved with local politics.

But as far as like, my own work, I haven't really, I haven't really been super concerned about that. So, and maybe one day I will be, you know.

I feel more, I feel more compassion for other authors who are going through this, who are, who are more established and, you know, they've enjoyed the success of having their books in libraries and things, and then they're getting pulled. I can't imagine what that must feel like. I would imagine that it feels pretty painful.

Rob Loveless

Definitely. And especially because I feel those books that are being pulled, you know, they're not being published for the staunch hardcore conservative Republicans.

They're being published for those fellow members in the community who need these books as an outlet, as an escape to see themselves on the pages.

TQ Sims

Absolutely. Yeah. And it will have an impact on younger generations. But we're yet to see just what that will be.

Rob Loveless

Sure. So I guess it's just a motivator to keep writing queer books, to get them out there and just kind of have that be a form of protest, I guess.

TQ Sims

Absolutely. Absolutely. Just writing the stories that I feel like writing feels really important to me, especially during this time.

When I was trying to get my novel published traditionally, I had taken a lot of things out, trying to make it a little bit more marketable, according to marketing trends. And I didn't feel really great about taking some of the more explicit sex scenes out of it, because it felt like it was, it was really important for these characters and their journey and the character development. And sort of, like, editing this for someone else's lens didn't feel great.

So I'm really happy the way that things worked out. And I went the self-publishing route and left all of that in. Because I feel like it benefits the story and benefits the community that I'm trying to speak to. And it benefits me as a writer.

Godspeed, Lovers (20:29)

Rob Loveless

Definitely. Because then it's, it's more authentic to the story you're trying to tell. Plus, I think it's funny, you know, with traditional publishing, there's always quote-unquote marketability, which I feel is such a subjective term because what's marketable for one person won't be to the other.

And sometimes when you're looking to find you know, an agent, or whatever, you see what they're looking for. And it's something so niche and so specific. It's like, how would I know to write that?

Like, I mean, this is what's coming to mind for me to write. But you have like this, like, you want this one specific storyline. It's, it makes it very difficult. But um, so that being said, I'm glad you kept your authenticity in that.

And speaking of divs, cultists, and shadow sages, can you tell us all about Godspeed, Lovers, and its characters?

TQ Sims

Yes, so Godspeed, Lovers is a sci-fi fantasy romance. There's a lot of heart, a lot of humor. There's a thread of secular spirituality that runs through it.

And it's the story of two psychics who fall in love while using their powers to fight sentient storms. And then they sort of get caught up in this eccentric trillionaire's devious plot. And they have to extract themselves and save their found family. And in that process, they wind up saving the entire planet.

So, adventure, but it's also romance. And there's technology, but also a sort of magic. And all of those things move the plot along. So, it's, it's really wonderful to be able to put this story out there, and have people respond to it. And to sort of fall in love with these characters.

Rob Loveless

I mean, like you said, it's just a blend of a few genres. And it's beautifully weaved together. And I love the romance of Oscar and Casey and it was, I love that because it's, it's a romance, but there's more to it than that. There's, you know, this action plot going on in the background, which incorporates the romance into it.

So, I love seeing those blends and kind of moving beyond the traditional romance novels, which are still important to see. But having, like, well-rounded characters beyond just being here for a romance element, they're contributing to the plot, they're, you know, action heroes, they're all these things.

So it was, it was just beautiful.

TQ Sims

Oh, right on. I appreciate that so much. It's, you know, sometimes when I talk about it, I'm like, wow, this really sounds like complex, sounds like a lot. But when I write about it, everything gets so integrated.

And I feel like it's like, you know, just creating this visual, or vocabulary tapestry in order to bring all these elements together.

Rob Loveless

Obviously, there is the queer romance in there. So how did your experiences as an LGBTQ+ person shape your book?

TQ Sims

I identify with all of the characters in some way. I identify most with Casey, I think. He really struggles quite a lot. And he's on a journey of healing and post-traumatic growth. And I feel like, a lot of his story comes from my story.

I feel like I have found a lot of healing through community through love that has just shown me who I can be. And I think that's something that queer community does for, you know, a lot of us and, you know, maybe one day all of us, but I feel like, that's what community is about.

It's about being able to reflect back to someone, the good qualities that you see in them so that they see those qualities within themselves. So, in that sense, it has my sort of queer journey or my experience being LGBTQ informed the book.

Rob Loveless

And no spoilers here, but going off of that, on page 72, there was a quote that really jumped out at me. And I'm going to read it here. It's:

"A lot of divs have a pattern of loneliness, increasing their urge to leave, to do their work intensely, to use their lovers to make themselves feel better."

And that quote, in particular, kind of reminds me of some themes talked about in The Velvet Rage and The Best Little Boy in the World. So, can you tell us more about that?

TQ Sims

Yeah, I mean, that was me reflecting something back to myself.

There have definitely been times in my life, where I lived very intensely and used lovers in a way that maybe wasn't, that was maybe a little selfish. Or a lot selfish, actually. So that's where that line comes from.

And that line comes early in the book, to kind of show that that's where Casey is, in his experience when the audience comes into really learn about Casey.

And then we see him go on a whole journey of, you know, maybe learning how to be open to love and not just using sex as a way of running from his problems, you know, in a very intense way.

Rob Loveless

Going off of the characters, the world-building there, I mean, there's so much. So how did you come up with the concepts of you know, these different groups: divs, cultists, shadow sages? The, you know, the geographic location, the technology?

TQ Sims

How did I come up with all that? I don't know. A lot of it, I just felt like, there has to be a sort of structure to this story that I want to tell. And I knew that I wanted them to, I knew that I wanted characters to have to depend on each other.

So, if they were a div, they had to have accompaniment, they had to have a comp, to sort of keep them grounded as the div is channeling this immense power. And then I wanted someone there who was experienced at channeling that immense power, someone who could teach them. And I came up with the concept of sages.

And I knew that I wanted spaceships and space stations, and I wanted action and adventure and sentient storms. So, it all just sort of came to me and then fell into place. Through some trial and error and through a lot of organizing off-page.

Rob Loveless

I can imagine that, you know, writing within the sci-fi genre, it must be somewhat liberating because the genre doesn't have the same confines of the typical day-to-day here on Earth, or, you know, even in terms of species or abilities, or, you know, self-expression, things like that.

So, it must be kind of freeing to be able to create that own world-building in the way you view it.

TQ Sims

Yeah, absolutely. Absolutely. Like, I don't think I need to elaborate on that. You said it perfectly.

Rob Loveless

Well, what do you hope readers get from Godspeed, Lovers?

TQ Sims

I hope readers really connect with the characters. I hope they, you know, have a good time with the story. There's, there's some fun stuff in there. There's some action adventure, there's some humor.

I hope that queer readers see a little bit of themselves reflected in the story. And I hope, you know, I hope people, I hope their big takeaway is that community is so important to us all.

And we really have a lot of power when we tap into community. And I think that's, that's one of the primary messages of the book is to just be involved with each other and, you know, be welcoming to each other.

Act for each other. At the polls, you know, in politics, however you see that working for you, do that work.

Rob Loveless

Definitely. And I'd like to take a note here. I know we talked about it before we started recording. But for listeners, TQ's wearing a Protect Trans Youth shirt, which is very important, especially in this current political climate.

I was wondering if you had something you wanted to say about that as it relates to, you know, showing up at the polls, protecting one another in our community?

TQ Sims

Yeah, I mean, just wearing a t-shirt like this, or just making sure that the trans people in your life know that you support them without being too pushy about it. Making sure that your community and even the most marginalized in your community know that you support them is really important.

Advice for Aspiring LGBTQ+ Writers (29:38)

Rob Loveless

So, do you have any words of wisdom or advice for LGBTQ+ sci-fi writers?

TQ Sims

Yeah, write. Write, write, write. You know, I talk to people who have really great ideas for stories and they wonder, like, what they have to do. And I'm, I often tell them, you know, you just have to write, you know?

Get words on the page, work with language, even if it's just like taking notes in your notes app on your phone, like, write. And then when you're ready, you'll, you'll know when you're ready to commit the story to a page.

And then rewrite, you know? Make it better, like, do what you can to make yourself more skillful at this art form. And another way that you can do that is still working with language.

Read. Read a lot. Read queer books, read books that aren't queer, just read books that aren't in the genre that you're writing in. Just read, read, read. Read nonfiction. Just see how others are communicating and that will help you understand how you want to communicate.

And then of course, just be true to yourself. Be true to your story. Make it queer, make it gay, make it weird, make it beautiful, make it glittery. These are things that the world needs. It's things that people want. So just, if you feel like writing, do it.

Episode Closing (31:17)

Rob Loveless

And connecting it back to the tarot, Ten of Pentacles in reverse, it's telling us that we're breaking away from tradition and going against the status quo because it's more in alignment with ourselves.

And as we talked about today, the sci-fi genre really allows that liberation of exploring a new world. It's a sense of escapism, and it really reinforces the theme of found family and supporting one another in a community. And that sense of support and found family, whether through a sci-fi novel, or our chosen family in real life, is very nurturing and stabilizing.

It's important to have that so we can be the healthiest version of ourself, and really surround ourselves with the people and places that are in alignment with who we are and who we want to be.

And we talked about this on a recent episode, but there's gay bookstagram on Instagram, which is an amazing, at least, in my opinion, an amazing support system on there of you know, like-minded writers and readers who want to amplify queer voices. I've seen you on there as well. So, I think, I don't want to speak for you, but I'd like to hear your thoughts on it, too.

Gay Bookstagram (32:13)

TQ Sims

Yeah, I mean, I love it. I love bookstagram. I love gay bookstagram. Not only as an author who gets support for their work, but I just really appreciate this sense of community structured around the books that we're reading.

I mean, I'm such a nerd. Like, that's very exciting to me. So, I think it's a welcoming place. And it's a fun place. And you get to hear people's opinions about the books that they're reading. And maybe it's something that you want to read. So, yeah, it's wonderful.

TQ’s Future Projects (32:52)

Rob Loveless

Well, can you tell us about your future projects? Any sequel to Godspeed, Lovers planned, or any additional sci-fi books?

TQ Sims

Yes. So, I have so many ideas for stories. I'm trying to complete The Lovers trilogy before I work on any of those other stories.

But yeah, Godspeed, Lovers is the first in a trilogy. And you've read it, you see, like, at the end, like, it's perfect. Like there's a complete arc, but it's also set up for the story to continue. And will be doing that hopefully later this year.

I'm pretty far into the second book. I still have one act to really hone in. It's the last act, and then I'll start rewriting, but hopefully, by the end of the year, I'll be able to put out Lovers in Arms.

Rob Loveless

That's awesome. So definitely all the listeners out there need to go out and buy Godspeed, Lovers and read it so that they're all ready to catch up with the new one coming out the end of the year.

TQ Sims

Yeah, please, please. You can find it at theloversuniverse.com.

Connect with TQ (34:00)

Rob Loveless

And besides just besides just Godspeed, Lovers, can you tell listeners where they can connect with you and learn more about you?

TQ Sims

Yeah, please connect with me on Instagram. It's @T.Q.Sims. I post there pretty frequently. It's not always about my work. I'm bookstagramming so I'm often talking about other people's work as well. Or maybe it's just like a thirst trap. I don't know. Some meme sharing.

But that's a great place to connect with me. And I, I try to answer every DM that I get. So, if you have questions, comments, or you just want to say hi, please drop me a line.

An Excerpt from Godspeed, Lovers (34:44)

Rob Loveless

And I'll be sure to include all that information in the show notes. So definitely connect with TQ after this. And then TQ, just to close out the episode would you mind sharing an excerpt from your book?

TQ Sims

I would love to. Yes.

So, I want to share a short scene between Oscar and Casey. And this scene is narrated by Casey and this is after they've just met in person for the first time.

They've, they've got these superpowers, so they've both had these sort of prescient visions of each other. They've both had this foresight that this person who's going to be important to them is out there. 

And then they also met on a dating app. So, they've just gotten assigned to the same crew and their crew mates have been teasing them a little bit about this obvious attraction. So...

"They're on to us, Oscar says. Hard to keep secrets around psychics, I tell him. My place? Sure, he says. His smile is controlled showing confidence more than eagerness. I let him step into the elevator first, and when the doors slide close behind us, I step in front of them a few centimeters from his glorious nose.

He does not back away. His gasp says astonishment, his eyes, adoration. The left corner of his mouth looks higher than the right when he smiles. You're very cocky, he says. And I feel his words land on my face. I am very cocky. He begins to laugh again and actually bites his lower lip to hold my gaze. I cannot wait to show you how cocky. Mmm-hmm.

He backs away. A moment of shyness, but forces himself to return my gaze and keep his eyes locked on mine. I'm not usually so forward. I am. Especially when there's a short window of opportunity. Playfully, he says, maybe I'm not ready to have us close just yet. Oh, I take a step back, raise my hands and jokingly say, my apologies good sir.

He grabs my hands and pulls me closer. And when he kisses me, he keeps his eyes open until I'm melting into them. Our bodies move closer. And we brace each other.”

Rob Loveless

Again, that was an excerpt from Godspeed, Lovers by TQ Sims. TQ, thank you so much for coming on today. This was awesome.

TQ Sims

Thank you, Rob. I really appreciate it and I had a wonderful time.

Connect with A Jaded Gay (37:27)

Rob Loveless

And you know the drill. You can reach out with any questions or feedback about the episode rob@ajadedgay.com.

Also, check out the website for more information on TQ, episode notes, links to resources, all that fun stuff.

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And remember every day is all we have, so you got to make your own happiness.

Mmm-bye.