Hazel Smack

Tipping Points Magazine published my short piece on gender affirming care for young people.

When we qualify this part of allyship with "except for kids" as a condition, it causes baseless, needless suffering that speaks more to anti-trans bias than concern for the health of trans youth.

There’s an elephant in the room who needs medical attention | Alliance for Self-Directed Education An exploration of trans youth medical care access by an SDE parent in collaboration with my young trans self-directed child.

That's not my adorable dog, but I just noticed that IS my adorable book in the window with other island-centric children's books at Key West Island Bookstore. The holiday gifting season is nigh. Please shop LOCAL bookstores, wherever you are! If they don't happen to carry a book you're looking for, they'll order it for you.

Key West chickens are notoriously defiant of rules posted in public spaces.

Reppin Key West in week one of O, Miami's poetry festival. This poem was inspired by the steady stream of loaded new neighbors who try but fail to remake Key West in their own image.

This morning, I met Quinn, who was fishing on the pier. Quinn lives on an island off the coast of South Carolina and has been casting his own bait net since he was a toddler. I think he and Fisher will get along just fine.

Get your copy of RIGGED through your favorite bookstore or here: https://www.self-directed.org/rigged/

Online Shopping | Books & Books @ The Studios of Key West Books & Books @ The Studios is ready when you are, where you are ... now with online shopping. Use the Search box to find books and add them to your shopping cart. Choose between in store pick-up or direct shipment to you. Free shipping for all online orders over $20 by Media Mail. Express shipping....

I left a signed copy of RIGGED in the LFL on Patterson and 7th in Key West. Grab it, read it, and leave a review if you're feeling it! Reviews left on popular platforms--Goodreads or(sc)Amazon, for example-- help authors more than you might realize. ♡

You can read my extra super short story, ETERNAL CIRCUS OF THE TEENAGE HEART: A FLASH FICTION ROMANCE, in Tipping Points Magazine!

What's next for Cleo and Tram? I have no idea! Do you? Let me know where you see these two going at [email protected].

SDE Flash Fiction Collection | Alliance for Self-Directed Education This is a collection of Flash Fiction (1,000 words or less) that was submitted to Tipping Points Magazine starting October 16, 2023.

Can't get your body to Key West this winter? RIGGED will bring you there and leave you with a full heart.

Set on the fishing docks of sunny Key West, Rigged is an authentically local coming-of-age story that's adored by tween, teen, and adult readers alike. It's the perfect wintertime gift to warm even the coldest of heart cockles. Come for the fishing story, stay for the human story that will renew your sense of hope!

Author Q&A in comments!

Get your copy here:

Rigged a book by Hazel Smack For Fisher Haskins, school is a torturous waste of time, and not just because he can't shake his reputation as the nice-but-dumb kid. After his evening job washing boats on The Row, he barely has time to scarf down leftovers, get through his mind-numbing homework, and catch a few ZZZs. Until recentl...

Perfect winter holiday gift idea, anyone?

AUTHOR-SIGNED copies of Rigged are now available for shipment from all Key West bookstores.

Set on the fishing docks of sunny Key West, RIGGED is an authentically local coming-of-age story that's adored by tween, teen, and adult readers alike. It's the perfect wintertime gift to warm even the coldest of heart cockles. Come for the fishing story, stay for the human story that will renew your sense of hope!

Author Q&A in comments!

Rigged (Paperback) | Books & Books @ The Studios of Key West For Fisher Haskins, school is a torturous waste of time, and not just because he can't shake his reputation as the nice-but-dumb kid. After his evening job washing boats on The Row, he barely has time to scarf down leftovers, get through his mind-numbing homework, and catch a few ZZZs.

My niece came to Key West, so we went book shopping, of course! She picked out some badass banned books and found RIGGED on the shelf! Here she is with my friend, Judy, who works hard at Books & Books at The Studios and has also written dozens of best-sellers over the years. Judy is OG Queen of the Banned.

Fun! I know these editors and they're great to work with. Send in your flash fiction submissions, y'all!