Joe Chianakas joins Must Love Books Podcast to talk about the importance of Pride and representation, as well as the release of PRIDE AND PERSISTENCE, sequel to SINGLETS AND SECRETS and book 2 of the Unveiling Aiden series.

Pride and Persistence is an official finalist for Young Adult Book of the Year at the 2025 Imaginarium Awards, and the audiobook has officially released today! It was also part of a summer special promotion with Bookshop.org called "Fearless and Fabulous: Queer heroes who fight back."

Pride and Persistence isn’t just another story—it’s a rallying cry for anyone who’s ever felt silenced.

Joe Chianakas, a karate Sensei and lifelong Karate Kid fan, has always yearned to see queer representation in his favorite stories. Motivated by the lack of representation, he took matters into his own hands. The result? A story that’s not only timely and enjoyable but also earned the endorsement of Cobra Kai creator Jon Hurwitz, who praised Chianakas’ work as “equal parts fresh, heartfelt, entertaining, and important.”

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