More Books with Disabled Protagonists, Please

T.L. McCoy is the founder of Blue Round Book Group, LLC, and the author of DELILAH VERSUS THE GHASTLY GRIM, a magical middle-grade fantasy novel inspired by her real-life granddaughter, who lives with a rare and life-threatening seizure disorder known as Dravet Syndrome.

The story follows a young girl who, after a life-threatening seizure, is transported through an indigo door in her mind into a strange and perilous world. There, she must unlock her hidden powers to survive — and save others.

T.L. didn’t set out to write a book — she set out to give children like her granddaughter a hero they could see themselves in. According to a 2019 study, only 3.4% of children’s books feature disabled protagonists. T.L.’s story blends fast-paced fantasy with emotional depth, creating a bridge between real-world challenges and epic adventure.

She brings warmth, purpose, and honesty to every interview and is passionate about disability representation in fiction, family storytelling, neurodiversity, and empowering children through inclusive literature.

Website, Facebook, Facebook Group, X


Reedsy

Drumdumbs, YouTube channel

Blue Round Book Group, YouTube Channel

The Space Between Time, on Apple Books

Prolific Writers Life

Classic Cinema With the Sage Sisters

NORD, National Organization for Rare Disorders

The House on the Cerulean Sea, T.J. Klune

Affiliate links below.

PodMatch for Podcasters

This episode is brought to you by PodMatch, the dating service for podcasters. They introduced me to T. L. (Tammy) McCoy, and I’m so glad they did. I hope you’ve enjoyed our conversation and remember that if you have a podcast or something to share with the world, check out PodMatch at my affiliate link at PodMatch and tell them Lucinda sent you.

Prolific Writers Life

My husband, Barry and I are members and experts at Prolific Writers Life, which offers members a variety of free online work sessions and discounts on coaching with industry experts. They offer opportunities to hone your writing skills, develop your author brand, and connect with a supportive community in live events. You can participate in group chats or send private messages to members through Prolific Writers Chat. If you’ve got a writing project, or are an expert who can help members finish their books, come join the community.

They also offer fun events like Films for Writers, which is free for anyone who wants to attend. It’s like a film club. We watch the movies about writers often with tidbits about their writing life, and then come together on the last Friday evening of every month to discuss the movie. You can check out Prolific Writers Life with a free 14 day trial to see if this the community you have been looking for. 

Classic Cinema With the Sage Sisters

Stories are a huge part of the way humans communicate with each other. Celeste and I think all stories are allegories where we can learn all kinds of important things, not the least of which is how to understand ourselves and others better. The best stories can be told over and over from one generation to the next and still teach great lessons. Emotional Intelligence and critical thinking are two of those lessons. Celeste and I think there are many classic movies that show us the progression of where humanity is today and we want to share them with you.

Shakespeare was right, “All the world is a stage and all the men and women merely players.” The stories we tell and consume are us trying to figure out who we are, why we’re here, and the kind of world we want to live in.

Come join the conversation on YouTube and our Facebook group.

Published by lucindasagemidgorden

I grew up in the West, the descendant of people traveling by wagon train to a new life. Some of their determination and wanderlust became a part of me. I imagine them sitting around the campfire telling stories, which is why I became first a theatre artist, then a teacher and now a writer. They are all ways of telling stories.

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