{"id":126479,"date":"2025-05-27T14:30:44","date_gmt":"2025-05-27T18:30:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.send2press.com\/wire\/?p=126479"},"modified":"2025-05-27T14:26:45","modified_gmt":"2025-05-27T18:26:45","slug":"this-is-me-a-heartfelt-debut-novel-exploring-identity-love-and-acceptance-in-a-small-australian-town-just-in-time-for-pride-month","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.send2press.com\/wire\/this-is-me-a-heartfelt-debut-novel-exploring-identity-love-and-acceptance-in-a-small-australian-town-just-in-time-for-pride-month\/","title":{"rendered":"‘This Is Me!’ – A heartfelt debut novel exploring identity, love, and acceptance in a small Australian town, just in time for Pride Month"},"content":{"rendered":"

COOMBS, Australian Capital Territory, Australia, May 27, 2025 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Released in the lead-up to Pride Month this June, \u201cThis Is Me!\u201d (ISBN: 978-1779628541) Book One in the \u201cFinding Ourselves\u201d series by debut author Aspen Thomas<\/strong>, is a moving and timely novel that delves into self-discovery, authenticity, and resilience in the face of societal pressure.<\/p>\n

\"BOOK:
Image caption: \u201cThis Is Me!\u201d by Aspen Thomas.<\/em><\/p>\n

Published by Tellwell Publishing, \u201cThis Is Me!\u201d follows Luke Corbett, a young man returning to his conservative hometown of Gamarra after years living in Canberra. Struggling to reconcile who he is with where he comes from, Luke faces the challenge of living openly in a place that may not be ready to accept him. When a long-lost childhood friend resurfaces, old feelings reawaken and Luke must choose between staying silent or embracing his truth.<\/p>\n

Part coming-of-age, part quiet revolution, \u201cThis Is Me!\u201d captures the tension of living authentically in a world that often demands conformity. With lyrical prose and vivid character development, Aspen Thomas offers a tender portrayal of love, identity, and courage, deeply rooted in the rural Australian experience.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wanted to tell a story that felt real. Growing up gay, autistic, and with ADHD in a small town shaped the way I see the world and how I write. Luke\u2019s story is fictional, but the feelings, the fears, the moments of joy, they\u2019re very much my own,\u201d said Thomas.<\/p>\n

As Pride Month approaches, \u201cThis Is Me!\u201d is a timely reminder of the importance of visibility and diverse storytelling. In Australia, nearly 10% of young adults aged 16 to 24 identify as LGBTQ+, reflecting a growing demand for authentic, inclusive stories that reflect real lives. With LGBTQ+ romance literature experiencing a global surge in readership, up more than 700% over five years, \u201cThis Is Me!\u201d stands proudly among a new wave of powerful queer voices shaping contemporary fiction.<\/p>\n

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:<\/strong><\/p>\n

ASPEN THOMAS is a science and mathematics educator, avid tennis player, and lifelong storyteller. Raised in the small Riverina town of Goolgowi and now based in Coombs, ACT, Aspen draws inspiration from his rural roots, his experiences as a neurodivergent individual, and his passion for honest, human stories. This Is Me! marks his literary debut and the beginning of the Finding Ourselves series. Learn more: https:\/\/aspenthomas-writes.com\/<\/a><\/p>\n

BOOK SUMMARY<\/strong><\/p>\n

Title: \u201cThis Is Me!\u201d<\/p>\n

Series: Finding Ourselves \u2013 Book One<\/p>\n

Author: Aspen Thomas<\/p>\n

Genre: Fiction \/ Coming-of-Age \/ LGBTQ+<\/p>\n

PAPERBACK: 9781779628541<\/p>\n

HARDCOVER: 9781779628558<\/p>\n

EBOOK: 9781779628565<\/p>\n

Author Website: https:\/\/aspenthomas-writes.com\/<\/a><\/p>\n

Publisher: Tellwell Talent \u2013 https:\/\/tellwell.ca<\/a><\/p>\n

Available at: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Indigo, and major book retailers.<\/p>\n

IMAGE LINK FOR MEDIA: https:\/\/aspenthomas-writes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/cropped-this-is-me-book-3D-cover.png<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

COOMBS, Australian Capital Territory, Australia, May 27, 2025 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Released in the lead-up to Pride Month this June, “This Is Me!” (ISBN: 978-1779628541) Book One in the “Finding Ourselves” series by debut author Aspen Thomas, is a moving and timely novel that delves into self-discovery, authenticity, and resilience in the face of societal pressure.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10045,"featured_media":126478,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[66,12804,11090,1,37,134,8899,559],"tags":[18188,18091],"class_list":["post-126479","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-books-publishing-news","category-ap","category-australia-business","category-business-news","category-entertainment-news","category-general-editorial-news","category-lgbtq-news","category-products-news","tag-lgbtq-pride-month","tag-tellwell-publishing","has-post-title","has-post-date","no-post-category","no-post-tag","no-post-comment","has-post-author"],"acf":[],"views":3125,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.send2press.com\/wire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/126479","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.send2press.com\/wire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.send2press.com\/wire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.send2press.com\/wire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10045"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.send2press.com\/wire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=126479"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.send2press.com\/wire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/126479\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":126484,"href":"https:\/\/www.send2press.com\/wire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/126479\/revisions\/126484"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.send2press.com\/wire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/126478"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.send2press.com\/wire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=126479"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.send2press.com\/wire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=126479"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.send2press.com\/wire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=126479"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}