Samantha Allen is the author of Patricia Wants to Cuddle (Zando, 2022), Roland Rogers Isn’t Dead Yet (Zando, 2024), and the Lambda Literary Award finalist Real Queer America: LGBT Stories from Red States (Little, Brown, 2019), among other books. She is a GLAAD Award-winning journalist and editor with bylines in The New York Times, Rolling Stone, CNN, and more. She holds a Ph.D. from Emory University. Samantha is represented by Leila Campoli at Stonesong.
Praise for Roland Rogers Isn’t Dead Yet
“A bizarre and ultimately gratifying tale of an unlikely duo who find common ground.” - Publishers Weekly
“Eccentric, funny, and pleasantly peculiar… A wacky yet touching tale about love, truth, and acceptance.” - Kirkus
“Allen’s character development only gets stronger with each book, and she’s able to make even the most outlandish plots feel compelling and real.” - Booklist
Praise for Patricia Wants to Cuddle
“Is Patricia Wants to Cuddle a satirical comedy, a horror mystery, or a queer coming-of-age story? The answer is all of the above. In a literary gumbo this exhilarating and thoughtful, our expectations can’t help but be redefined.” - Alta
“That knack of Allen’s for taking incongruous elements and fashioning them into a gorgeous monster yields delightful humor and horror throughout.” - Autostraddle
“Genuinely funny, surprising, and even — at times — heartwarming.” - Booklist
“This is the lesbian Sasquatch novel you’ve always wanted . . . this is the most badass book imaginable.” - CrimeReads
Praise for Real Queer America
“A powerful book of memoir and reportage . . . [She writes] with a vulnerability and humility as approachable and accessible as it is profoundly moving.” - New York Times Book Review
“Real Queer America might be the best travel book of the year... a must-read for all Americans.” - Refinery29
“[A] charming, humorous recounting of the ultimate road trip through rainbow-colored America.” - Publishers Weekly