Author Interview: Pride or Die by CL Montblanc

Author Interview: Pride or Die by CL Montblanc

Pride or Die has the best tagline – Be Gay, Solve Crime!! Yes, we love a good funny murder mystery and this one is set within the LGBTQIA+ club, how fun! Check out some interview questions with debut YA author CL Montblanc below! Pride or Die is available now!

Pride or Die

by CL Montblanc
Published by: Wednesday Books
on April 15, 2025
Genres: Contemporary, LGBTQIA+, Mystery, Young Adult
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In this delightful dark comedy debut, when the members of an LGBTQ+ club find themselves accidentally framed for attempted murder, it's up to them to clear their names before it's too late.

It’s kind of hard to graduate high school when you’re the prime suspect in an attempted murder.

Seventeen-year-old Eleanora Finkel just wants to finish her senior year and get the hell out of Texas. But when her club meeting inconveniently coincides with an attack on the school’s head cheerleader, she and her friends find themselves in the hot seat.

In order to clear their names and ensure the survival of their club for future queer teens, they’ll have to track down the real culprit themselves. But Eleanora is far from a professional detective; she’s riddled with anxiety, annoyingly attracted to the case’s cute victim, and her trusty crochet hook feels insufficient for fighting off a murderer.

Can this ragtag group of unlikely sleuths find their way out of an entire freaking murder mystery before one of them is next?

Author Interview

What does writing this book as a path to visibility mean to you, and how do you hope it impacts readers who may feel unseen themselves?

I imagine a lot of book-lovers can understand being a “quiet person,” by which I mean someone who does not exist very loudly. It’s a form of introversion that can either be inherent or be forced by one’s circumstances, and it’s how I see myself. By publishing this book, I’m being loud for the first time in my entire life. “Pride or Die” is hopefully a beacon for those who might feel alone because all of the fellow quiet people are too busy being quiet to reach out.

How did your own experiences influence the writing of “Pride or Die”?

The book is a fictionalized version of my own teen years, with more in common that you might think (or hope). But it felt best to write something that’s true enough to my own experiences that its authenticity might balance out some of the camp and the wackier, more unbelievable elements. In general I’m a huge proponent of trying to both write and read as authentically as possible.

What kind of impact do you hope “Pride or Die” will have on LGBTQ+ teens?

I hope that teens will feel seen and authentically represented. While the book contains messaging about standing up for yourself, building a community and more, I also don’t really want to tell anyone what to do. I just want my readers to enjoy the book — even coming away from it with a temporary “happy and entertained” feeling would be an amazing impact in my eyes. Oftentimes, that’s really what people — especially teens who are really going through it — are needing most.

Thank you Wednesday Books for sending me an advance copy!




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