My Writing Process

It was important for me that Caleb be very comfortable with himself and who he was as the story begins. I knew he was about to go through an indentity crisis, and wanted to make sure it was rooted in something stable. It was also important for Caleb, and the people closest to him to be okay with and accepting of his sexual orientation, because I wanted it to be part of who he was, but not something he had to struggle with in addition to everything else.

Other than Caleb, the first character to make an appearance when I was writing is his friend Megan.  She is sassy, sexy and says what she thinks no matter what.  She is the best friend I always wanted, and is in fact, a combination of about five of my closest female friends.  She loves Caleb the way my friends love me, and she was my way of showing them just how important they are in my life.

Gay characters exist in books, tv shows, and movies all over the world, but are they getting the opportunity to live authentic lives or being used merely as plot devices? Have we moved past labels enough that being LGBTQ+ is no longer a sign of stereotypical, evil, or otherwise unpleasant behavior?

I recently finished the first and second draft of a new story that introduces a whole new cast of characters. Set in Eureka, IL, this new book explores the age old question of why things happen the way they do and whether or not it happens for a reason.  It's too soon to share more details than that, but I am excited to be able to share more as soon as possible!