The holiday season is a time for love, warmth, and fun family traditions. Unfortunately, for many, it can also bring about feelings of depression and a sense of mourning — especially for people with nontraditional families. With all the complex emotions surrounding “the most wonderful time of year” in mind, author Mariama J. Lockington set out to create a Queer holiday romance for those who sometimes feel less than jolly.
Lockington’s work often reflects elements of her own story that were underrepresented in the media she consumed growing up. “I am a transracial adoptee and grew up in a white family,” she told the SGN. “This experience is very nuanced and also not often centered in books or media. When I was a kid, looking for a reflection of myself, I was always looking for books about Black girls like me, Queer girls like me — but I never found them.”
So, she decided to write them.
Her previous novels center around Queer Black girls and their search for identity, though they all take place in the spring and summer. As she began working on I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm while recovering from surgery, she also took in as many made-for-TV holiday romance movies as possible. “As I was watching them, I thought, ‘Wouldn’t it be fun to write a Lifetime-esque story, but with Queer, Black girls at the center?’ So, that’s what I did.”
Hijinks and support
While crafting the story of Lyric and Juniper, two Black Queer girls struggling with their own family dynamics — Lyric spends her time in and out of foster care, while Juniper worries for her parents’ marriage — Lockington realized that the holiday season can often be fraught with anxiety for those with family drama, an issue that is especially relevant for LGBTQIA+ people.
Lockington has also dealt with familial unease during this season. “The holidays have always been a difficult time for me — with seasonal depression, grief, and complicated family dynamics slipping in — so I wanted to honor this as well as provide some magic and joy for those of us who struggle this time of year,” she said.
Lockington has been a storyteller her whole life. As a kid, she used to create her own books out of paper and cardboard. “I always knew I [wanted] to be an author — that has never wavered,” she said.
Her writing style incorporates elements of poetry and lyrical prose, drawing inspiration from her love of slam poetry and spoken word, which she discovered in college and later pursued for her MFA. Not only is Lockington a successful YA author but she also obtained a master's in education.
“Writing for young people as well as supporting them inside and out of the classroom continues to be a true joy and passion of mine,” she added.
It is through her compassion for young people that Juniper and Lyric come alive on the pages of I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm. While most holiday romances focus on steamy nights by the fire, Lockington makes sure to balance the holiday hijinks with moments of support for readers who may find a strong connection to her fictional characters.
“Holidays are a tough time for so many,” she said. “There’s so much pressure to gather with family, consume, and be merry, but it’s also a time of year where it gets dark really early. Often [it] is cold or gray, when those of us with depression or anxiety struggle the most.
“My biggest advice is not to be afraid to make your own traditions — with friends, family, found family, or even yourself. My wife and I get really excited about stuffing our dogs’ stockings with toys and treats, eating out-of-the-can cinnamon rolls, and watching our favorite musicals on Christmas morning.”
“Most importantly,” she added, “it’s important to be gentle with your heart and body during the holidays. We’re all doing the best we can to survive — and Lyric and Juniper are evidence of this.”
Rom-com tropes
Of course, I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm is also full of fun Hallmark-style holiday rom-com tropes. A fan of holiday classics like Elf and The Holiday, Lockington put a lot of work into studying the best romantic tropes before injecting all the Christmas chaos she possibly could into her latest book. “I love a fake dating trope, and so that’s the main one here that I was excited to try,” she said.
While fake dating is a common trope in romance novels today, Lockington is one of the few authors to take the gimmick into truly modern territory with a phony influencer relationship. “I’d never seen it done with a social media element — dating for the clicks versus in real life — so that was really fun to develop,” she said. “I’m also playing a little bit with the opposites-attract trope, as Lyric and Juniper are very different girls. This made for exciting tension in this novel, highlighting the imperfections and strengths of each of my characters.”
From icy first encounters to warm moments of emotional intimacy, I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm is the perfect holiday romance — both for those who can’t wait to put the Christmas tree up on November 1 and those who may be struggling to catch the holiday spirit this year. Lockington hopes all readers can take away one simple message: “That love is possible and abundant, your dreams don’t have to look like anyone else’s, and that there is magic in the season — even if you can’t always feel it.
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