Fantasy author Selina R. Gonzalez Selina R. Gonzalez is a Colorado local with mountains in her blood and dreams that top 14,000 feet. She loves swords, fantasy, costumes, bread, history, castles, superheroes, things that sparkle, snark, dogs, dragons, and Jesus—not in that order.
She writes medieval-inspired fantasy with swoon but no on-page spice. She loves writing about relationships—platonic, familial, and romantic—and her books center healthy romances founded on mutual values, trust, and respect between imperfect people who make mistakes but always strive to grow.
You can keep up to date on all Selina’s publishing news, as well as get a free ebook, by subscribing to her newsletter.
You can find Selina R. Gonzalez on Facebook, Instagram, Goodreads, BookBub, and Amazon.
A more informal “about me”:
I was home schooled through high school. I’m a quarter Puerto Rican, although I never did learn Spanish despite multiple attempts. I’m an advocate for mental health and have struggled with depression and anxiety–which is relevant since so many of my characters struggle with their mental health as well. (You can find some resources if you or a loved one is struggling here.)
A common theme in my books is one I often need to hear: you matter and are more than the negatives you perceive about yourself–the ways you have been hurt or belittled or othered, the mistakes you’ve made, the aspects of yourself others don’t value, the opportunities you fear you’ve missed or the potential you’re unsure you’ll live up to. Even when you don’t feel it’s true, you matter and are more, and every human life is precious and valuable.
I focused on medieval European history in college, which obviously has impacted what I write.
I drink a lot of English breakfast tea. I’m a serial re-watcher and re-reader (Trollhunters and Business Proposal are comfort shows, and Tara Grayce’s Elven Alliance and H.L. Burke’s superhero books are comfort books). I’m a low-key collector of swords, crowns, and books. I have a tattoo on both forearms. I live with my parents and youngest sister and our Golden Retriever (and my sister’s German Shepherd and rescue mystery mutt are often around on weekdays). And I’m about as random as these facts. 😉 Maybe because I have ADHD.
And, of course, I write fantasy–primarily romantic (with varying content but always a max romance content level of fade-to-black) and with a focus on imperfect but healthy relationships between flawed people willing to humbly grow. I’m very tired of alpha-hole men, toxic and unhealthy relationships, and characters ending up in relationships with a past bully/ab*ser/the person who murdered their family…
Other: AI (artificial intelligence) generators
When I buy and read a book, want to know I am paying a person for work that they have put their heart into, so here’s my solemn promise that when you buy one of my books, from the front cover to the back cover, the art and text was not generated by AI and was written by myself and art was commissioned from hardworking artists and designers.
Why: I do not use or support the use of AI generators such as MidJourney and ChatGPT (as distinct from AI assistance that does not create anything new, such as Grammarly and ProWritingAid or the autofill feature on your phone), especially for commercial (or educational/homework) use. There is abundant proof that AI generators were built on mass piracy and often an invasion of individuals’ privacy with unapproved scraping, that AI generators often use or directly copy existing work, that AI is costing creators (and those in other fields, too) their jobs/income, and that instant generation of text and visual arts is adding to society’s devaluation of artistic skill and contributing to the belief that creatives don’t deserve to be paid for their labor. There is also abundant proof that AI text generators are often filled with factual inaccuracies and outright fabrications. AI is contributing to mental degradation, affecting our ability to synethesize information and learn, is the ultimate example of instant gratification culture that devalues work and perseverance, and is worsening the economy and affecting livelihoods. Furthermore, research shows that generative AI is harmful to the environment while providing little to no service that can’t be fulfilled in another way, with AI companies even wanting to build dedicated nuclear power plants just to power AI. You are free to disagree and approach these technologies how you want, but no generative AI is used (to my knowledge) in my marketing, writing, or book production.
Cosplay photos
