The mystery of ReQueered Tales solved – imprint started via virtual conversations

ReQueered Tales is that rarest of things these days: a positive story involving the internet. In 2019, Justene Adamec, Alexander Inglis, and Matt Lubbers-Moore formed the mystery-focused publishing venture after commiserating online about their favorite LGBTQ whodunits and other titles being out of print. It also focuses on literary and horror/sci-fi genres and publishes original releases.

Having been around for six years now, the publishing house came about over the internet. Adamec, a straight ally; Inglis and Lubbers-Moore, who are LGBTQ, have never met in person. I asked Inglis about this and he replied, “I think we did a Zoom call once. None of us has met the other in person. Welcome to 21st century entrepreneurship.”

The most recent group of releases of 14 titles includes “Strachey’s Folly” from Richard Stevenson (1938-2022), “Secret Dangers/Lethal Silence” from John Preston (1945-1994), “A Bard on Hercular” by Felice Picano (1944-2025) and “Faun” by Trebor Healey.

Inglis described highlights among the new releases.

“We have three new titles of special merit: Vincent Virga's ‘Gaywyck,’ the first gay gothic romance published and unavailable in a mainstream edition since the collapse of Alyson Publications in 2009. The original Avon release in 1980 sold more than 100,000 copies. Our new edition contains a foreword by Damon Suede,” Inglis said, referring to the gay romance author.

Also available, said Inglis, are Joseph Hansen's novels not connected to his groundbreaking Dave Brandstetter series, including “Backtrack.” In the coming of age story a young man tracks down his murdered gay father, a B class Hollywood film star, with elements of Cornell Woolrich's “Rear Window.”

“And especially relevant in today's political climate, the first paperback release of Lev Raphael's ‘Assault on a Deadly Lie,’ book eight in his Nick Hoffman series,” said Inglis. “Two tenured gay professors at State University of Michigan come under the cloud of diversity, equity, and inclusion issues and SWAT teams, as wild accusations and a murder turn up on their doorstep.”

I asked Inglis about what guidelines ReQueered Tales uses to select titles for republication.

“We have pursued authors and titles we like, and negotiate their release under ReQueered Tales imprint,” he said. “Almost everything fits neatly under the umbrella ‘Our Stories in Our Own Words’ – gay men and lesbians writing about their own lived experiences or mirroring them in fiction. An astonishing amount of gay male mystery fiction is written by straight married women; we have left that body of work to others. Nikki Baker and Lauren Wright Douglas represent our two lesbian mystery writers; we'd love to broaden the portfolio but many of the prospective authors understandably want to go with a woman-run feminist press.”

 
Inglis was surprised by being approached by the late Felice Picano to publish his work. Picano died in March.

“Felice Picano reached out, under the name Christopher Hall, and said he had a few titles available,” Inglis said. “When I sorted out who I was talking to I fell on the floor. How is it that ‘Like People in History’ had been out of print for eight or 10 years? That widened our scope to general/literary fiction.” The title, published in 1995, is considered a gay classic.

Given that the majority of their work was mystery and fiction, I asked about the expansion to include nonfiction titles like “For the Ferryman” by the late Charles Silverstein (1935-2023).

“Charles approached us about a new edition of his memoir/history,” said Inglis. “It's a very funny read, also moving about his partner William Bory; Charles had a special role in gay activism, and we were delighted to bring out his work.”

Inglis added that a significant number of ReQueered Tales’ fiction releases reference or center around AIDS; Silverstein’s book, as a reclamation of AIDS-era history, seemed a natural fit, he explained.

Inglis went on to further comment on the expansion.

“Philip Gambone's set of astonishing interviews ‘Something Inside,’ from around 1990, nicely dovetails with the core area of our releases – 1980 to 2000,” Inglis said. “We also reissued Ian Young's seminal gay bibliography ‘The Male Homosexual in Literature’ (and a new 2020 supplement). And Matt's [Lubbers-Moore] comprehensive ‘Murder and Mayhem’ gay male mystery bibliography is also a ReQueered Tales original. And I can't leave out the set of essays from Brian Bouldrey, ‘Good in Bed,’ which is another original release.

“We've also extended out to short stories with volumes from Richard Hall, Trebor Healey, Stan Leventhal, and Felice Picano,” Inglis added.

I found it particularly interesting that ReQueered was publishing Grant Michael’s “A Do-Si-Do With Death,” which is a posthumous work found by the author’s estate. I asked how this came about and if there were other similar items.

“We knew the work had been completed and ready for publication,” said Inglis. “Matt was able to track the manuscript down along with the estate holder, allowing us to issue it in e-book and print. In the case of Richard Hall's ‘The Spinner of Tales,’ the estate had the original, already edited, safely tucked away and offered it up when we inquired about ‘The Butterscotch Prince’ and other work. So, another ReQueered Tales original.”

Finally, I asked Inglis, who lives with his husband in Toronto, if tariffs were an issue for the publishing house and if there were other issues related to the international nature of the enterprise.

“ReQueered Tales is a California General Partnership based in Los Angeles,” Inglis said. “That's where Justene [Adamec] resides. (She was with Brad Shreve through 150 podcasts of ‘Queer Writers of Crime,’ providing weekly reviews of gay mysteries.) Matt is in Grand Rapids, [Michigan] and is a librarian by training. I happen to be in Toronto and lead production, but the whole enterprise is virtual so tariffs don't enter into it. We are an American outfit with one partner who just happens to live in Toronto.

“Matt attends a number of events in Michigan every year where our books are on display for sale,” Inglis added. “In March 2023, I was on a New Orleans Saints & Sinners panel with Felice Picano, Trebor Healey and Erik Andrews-Katz discussing authors who died of AIDS and how their legacy matters. For November 2024, Jeffrey Canton, Jeffrey Round, and I did a talk at Glad Day bookshop for World AIDS Day on a similar vein. And I ran our booth at New York Rainbow Book Fair in May 2025 and participated in the tribute event for Felice Picano.”

Inglis said he does have to be careful, however. Canadians are facing increased scrutiny when crossing the U.S. border. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/u-s-detention-of-european-and-canadian-tourists-creates-fear-over-traveling-to-america

“The only challenge really is the current political situation makes it onerous and potentially threatening for me to cross the border,” he said. “I don't think that's going to get any easier for 2026.”

ReQueered Tales has done an admirable job of preserving mysteries, fiction, and nonfiction. Their catalogue is worth checking out, both for those interested in the authors and genres they have kept alive and for the upcoming gift-giving season.

For more information, visit requeeredtales.com .