In a world of man buns and declining sperm counts, the last thing we needed was four men gracing this year’s red carpet at the Met Gala in flowing gowns. But like it or not, this is our culture. So as a conservative author of romantic comedy books, how do I develop likable characters that today’s female readers want to root for?

I can do it and believe I have, but have I lost touch with today’s mores? Is there anyone left who still wants to read about two seemingly normal potential lovers caught in funny or interesting scenarios? My job is to create entertaining plots that don’t betray my core values. Such a task for a conservative author in the romance genre feels as futile as trying to sell a fire extinguisher to an arsonist during a BLM riot.

An author striving for success does not dare depict the leading male character as a normal, grounded, masculine man. That won’t fly in today’s leftist publishing world. I know this truth well enough that I didn’t exert an ounce of energy seeking a traditional publisher for my latest book. Conservative publishers do exist, but they are few and far between. They tend to publish nonfiction books by movers and shakers on topics such as culture and politics.

The trend in romance books is to either emasculate or demonize the male characters. Too often, in this leftist book world, the one-dimensional male character’s only discernible traits are those needed to successfully

In 2020, the supply chain experienced disruptions that no one in my generation had ever seen. It became even more apparent to those who believe in the power of self-reliance that it is up to us to take care of ourselves. Backyard farming began booming, along with an increased interest in raising chickens.

Since then, efforts to balance self-sustainable lifestyles have been threatened. Government interference in normal healthy practices continues to grow amid concerns over “public safety.”

During the pandemic, my family added fruit trees to our already-growing vegetable garden and discussed getting chickens. It offered a sense of peace in a time of unprecedented government overreach.

The years to come offered plenty of related concerns. In 2022, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) unveiled its “People’s Garden Initiative.” This encouraged Americans to register their backyard, school, and community gardens and is still being presented as a beneficial collaboration.

But if you read the full breakdown, it advances “equity” and other “DEI” and Green New Deal initiatives that reek of a government takeover. I, like many other Americans who value their freedoms, have not registered my garden because my food belongs to me and is no one else’s business.

Now as avian flu is making headlines, fears that “they’re coming for your chickens” are being realized.

Although the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) admits that “the current public health risk is low,” it also posted that more than 90 million detections have been found in wild birds and backyard and

It didn’t take long for the NFL to come out and condemn recent remarks from Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker, saying his views, given during a commencement speech at Benedictine College over the weekend, “are not those of the NFL as an organization. The NFL is steadfast in our commitment to inclusion, which only makes our league stronger.”

What horrible, non-inclusive things did the 28-year-old Butker say? He committed the crime of giving public witness to his faith, espousing views every faithful Catholic holds — along with a great many non-Catholic Christians.

“Things like abortion, IVF, surrogacy, euthanasia as well as a growing support for degenerate cultural values and media all stem from the pervasiveness of disorder,” he said. Butker also heaped heartfelt praise on his wife, Isabelle, and told female graduates that whatever career success they might achieve, their most important title will be “homemaker.”

“Some of you may go on to lead successful careers in the world, but I would venture to guess that the majority of you are most excited about your marriage and the children you will bring into this world,” he said, eliciting spontaneous cheers from his audience.

This was too much for the NFL — an organization that, as my Federalist colleague Sean Davis noted on X, “was quicker to condemn Butker for being a Christian than it was to condemn Ray Rice for caving in his fiancée’s head on camera and then dragging her lifeless body through the hall.”

The NFL of course has a