Two years after the tragedy that took her girlfriend's life, Tatyana has recovered enough to live, work, and be social again. She cannot imagine falling for someone else anytime soon, though. That changes when a spunky new player joins Tatyana's volleyball team. Tatyana becomes captivated by her new friend's bubbly, bold personality. As the two become close, though, Tatyana starts to notice Kris torturing herself with brutal, self-deprecating thoughts. Kris' anxieties about her inadequacy threaten to drive a wedge between the two of them. Tatyana wants desperately to help. But how do you help someone whose aggressor comes from within? Plus, as Tatyana attempts to address the issue, she begins to realize how much she herself has done the exact same thing. Before either of them can heal, Tatyana will have to face someone who she has pushed out of her mind for two long years. And maybe Kris, of all people, can finally convince her to do it. A Note from the Author Hi! I'm Cam Carson. I started writing Blame after I came out to my family as queer. I noticed that my life, and the relationships I had, were completely different from the representation of queer people and queer relationships that I saw in popular fiction. I saw queer characters treated as one-dimensional token characters, and I saw queer relationships represented as these perfect utopias. I didn't just want to see token queer characters. I wanted to see developed characters who happened to be in queer relationships. I wanted to see whole people with personalities and flaws, who grew throughout the course of the story. That's what Blame attempts to do, and I think it accomplishes that more and more over the course of the story (which currently spans two books, of which this is the first.There is also a third one in progress). The story is intended to feel fun, light, and sexy. But underneath that, the narrator of the story, Tatya, is one of the most introspective women I have ever written. She struggles with insecurities and events from her past, like we all do. Tatya's counterpart, Kris, has a bubbly personality, but she often feels anxiety about not being better, smarter, or more accomplished than she already is. She places lots of pressure on herself to achieve—sometimes far too much. Nevertheless, her skill at empathy continues to surprise Tatya throughout the book. A lot of queer fiction covers the lead-in to a romance, and it ends pretty shortly after that romance materializes. Tatya and Kris' romance materializes about halfway through this first book. I wanted to explore whether a story could intensify, could become more interesting, rather than less interesting, after a romantic relationship forms. I think that the interplay of two (hopefully) realistic, human personalities keeps the story going even after the tension of wondering 'Will they get together?' is gone. I am interested to know if you feel the same way. I am also open to feedback. So, for anyone who reviews this first book, I would love to provide you with a free copy of the second book as well.